Archives for January 2024

Wedn: Costco, Colbor, Benro, Lowepro, Samsung, Tascam, Etc

IF you are a COSTCO member, a new round of members-only Warehouse and Online savings has began, running until 2/25/24, while supplies last, and all that good stuff.

Six is the number of the B&H Photo daily deals for today as well:

+ COLBOR 330W Bi-Color COB LED Video Light for $399

+ Benro SLIM Video Tripod Kit (Alumin(i)um) for $75

+ Lowepro Photosport Pro III 70L Backpack (S/M) for $240
+ I’m assuming S/M is the size, and not the bag’s …other preferences πŸ˜‰

+ Samsung Q60C 43″ 4K HDR Smart QLED TV for $400~ after in cart

+ AURAY Adjustable Clamp-On Desktop Studio Monitor Stand (Pair) for $40
+ monitor in this case means speaker, not computer monitor!

+ Tascam MiNiSTUDIO Creator US-42B Podcast Studio (Black) for $49
+ yes, the time is right to start your very own podcast!

A TRIO of potentially interesting classes start streaming at 12pm ET on Wednesday at Creative LIVE ON AIRZzz:

+ Posing and Lighting with Bambi Cantrell, 17 hours long!!!

+ Overcome Writer’s Block, Dave Ursillo, 90 minutes
+ I need to watch this to improve the daily blog post writer’s block πŸ˜‰

+ Color for Designers: Exploration, Theory, & Application with Richard Mehl, over 8 hours long
+ I need to watch this to improve the color-scheme of this blog

+ Music Theory for Electronic Musicians, with J. Anthony Allen, over 3 hours long
+ I need to watch this before I start my Kraftwerk cover band πŸ˜‰

60% off Same Day Wall Decor w/coupon [Walgreens Photo]

We forgot about Dre, and we forgot about Walgreens Photo! They are currently running [until 2/3/24 at 11:59pm central] a 60% off discount on Same Day Wall Decor using coupon code CUPIDWALL during checkout.

Eligible items for this promotion are:

+ Canvas Prints, Canvas Art
+ Custom Floating Frames
+ Metal Panels
+ Posters, Banners
+ Wood Hanger Board Prints
+ TilePix, and Wood Panels

Pre-order new Olympus OM-1 Mark II [free battery bonus] and 9-18 and 150-600 lenses

It’s an Olympus M43rds party today for the more advanced photographers! Olympus has officially revealed the new OM-1 Mark II camera, along with two new M43rds lenses, the 9-18mm f4-5.6 II and the 150-600mm f5-6.3 IS. And they are all available for pre-ordering!

The OM-1 Mark II comes, for a limited time, with an extra BLM-1 battery, automatically included by the retailer!

It is available in two options, body only for $2400, and with 12-40mm f2.8 for $3000. Pre-orders available at B&H Photo. Shipping estimate is end of February 2024.

Optionally you can buy it TOGETHER with a lens and get a $300 off combined purchase discount. Four specific lenses are available. You can only get one $300 off discount during this promotion. The participating Olympus M43rds lenses are:

  • 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS PRO
  • 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS
  • 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO
  • 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO

The above $300 OFF combined purchase offer is available on the body-only and the “with 12-40/2.8” official kit.

THEN WE GO to the TWO NEW LENSES:

+ 9-18mm f/4-5.6 II for $700
+ 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS for $2700
+ I am rounding the prices [as usual]
+ these too are expected to come out end of February 2024

Here’s a six minute overview of the camera by B&H, YouTube-embedded below…

Tuesday: Luxli Taiko, SmallRig, Vanguard, Nanuk 910, Rain Covers, Etc

We start with something for the boldly going at MEH, it’s a 2-pack of …Laundry Eggs, advertised as Eco laundry detergent. Each egg can do up to 210 loads. This is the first time I’ve seen this type thing, so be sure to research it if curious about this goofy thing πŸ™‚

And now back to the B&H Photo daily deals with a fresh six-pack running until 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ Ruggard Camera Rain Covers, three size options, $20 each

+ Nanuk 910 Hard Utility Case with Foam Insert for $39, four color options, all together now, good for the color-coding organizing schemes

+ 2-pack of (16GB Sandisk Ultra UHS-I microSD w/SD adapter), and one non-Sandisk USB 3.0 card reader for $18

+ Vanguard BBH-100 Ballhead for $100
+ mutual funds NOT included πŸ˜‰

+ SmallRIG VB155 Mini V-Mount Battery (155Wh) for $219

+ LUXLI Taiko 2×1 RGB LED Light Panel for $999

ON THE e-Learnings front, free-streaming at 12pm ET at Creative LIVE on AIR we have the return of their resident gadgeteer John Gringo with a 1.5 hour class, “Photography Basics: Cameras, Technique, and Composition”… From an art perspective, there’s a 3-hour class “Color Fundamentals” with Mary Jane Begin.

For the speed-readers out there, it does not say Mary J. Blige πŸ™‚

IF you believe that an Apple a day keeps the Android away, Woot is having a big Apple Accessories sale with some iWatches (okay, Apple Watches) mixed in as well!

Monday: MagMod XL, GVM LED 3LK, Benro, Lexar CFxA, Shimoda Backpack, Etc

Time won’t stand still, so another Monday has arrived in all its glory! We start with a fresh set of B&H Photo daily deals good until 1/29/24 at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ Shimoda Explore 60 Backpack (Sea Pine) for $100
+ this bag is so beautiful you won’t dare use it in case it gets dirty or scratched πŸ˜‰

+ MagMOD XL Two Strobe Bundle for $375

+ LEXAR Professional CFexpress Type A Card SILVER Series for $150 (160GB) or $300 (320GB)

+ Benro MeFOTO RoadTrip Pro Carbon Fiber Series 1 Travel Tripod with Ball Head and Monopod (Pacific Blue) for $120
+ only an emo jedi could have designed such a beautiful tripod!

+ GVM 1200D RGB LED Light Panel (3-Light Kit) for $449
+ all together now: you can’t have photo-graphy without light!

+ LG UltraWide 34″ 1440p HDR Curved Monitor for $410

Checking up on the Adorama dailies we soon discover that they continue to run in “Top Deals” mode, a DIY shopping adventure as they are too many to keep track and list here individually…

Lidnsay Adler is back headlining the Creative LIVE On-AIR with a short 85 min class, “How to Set Up 10 Essential Poses”. Given the air time it will repeat multiple times during this free-streaming window.

Mechanical keyboard but also wireless is also a thing, and it is the NewEgg Group Buy of the day with 88% unlocked as of 9:10am Pacific time. It is the Cooler Master SK622 Silver White Wireless 60% Mechanical Keyboard with Low Profile Brown Switches that will go for $30 if it reaches 100% before the end of the day in the pacific time zone!

Air Fryers are the new microwaves, and if you need some, they headline the Kitchen Favorites sale at Woot until 2/6/24 [or earlier if sold out]. The offers include a $50 InstantPOT 4qt air fryer and an InstantPOT Pot PRO 6QT 10n1 for $80, and a TEFAL air-fryer with a grill option for $75.

Yes, the rumors are true, we are becoming an Air Fryer blog πŸ˜‰

Sunday: Sigma 150-600 Sporty Spice for $1299 [C], Genaray LED, Manfrotto Backpack, Dual Strap, Etc

SUNday is here and we have a fresh set of offerings at the B&H Photo dailies where it is a LENZE DAYE!

+ Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports for $1299 in Canon EF only
+ mayhaps to make up for the luck of a Nikon version, the Nikon F version of the Contemporary version is on sale for $880, while the Canon EF and Sigma SA go for $939 but with two freebies

+ Genaray Ultra-Thin Bicolor 288 SMD LED On-Camera Light for $40
+ optionally buy TOGETHER with Genaray 2x NP-F770 4400mAh Batteries & 2x Compact Chargers Kit for $79

+ Impact Pro Backdrop Support Kit (12.9′ Width) for $149

+ RucPAC Dual Camera Strap (Black) for $50

+ Manfrotto AdvancedΒ² Hybrid Photo Backpack (Black) for $60

+ Watson Pro 14.4V 98Wh Micro V-Mount Battery with USB-C Port for $199

PETER HURLEY headlines the Sunday creative LIVE ON AIR staring at 12pm ET with his 81 minute class “How to Take the Perfect Headshot”.

Universal WB Disc, Card Wallets, Eyecups, Sidearm Mount, LED, Natural Light Control class, Etc

FRi-YaY is here and as usual the B&H Photo daily deals run until Saturday at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ Guerilla G-Cup Eyecup for Select Cameras from Sony, Canon and Fiji [HA!] for $8 each
+ check individual product listings for camera compatibility details

+ Vello Universal White Balance Handheld Disc for $16

+ Tenba Tools Reload Universal Card Wallet for $10, two color options, great for color-coding of cards/usage

+ Benro ArcaSmart Sidearm Camera Tripod Mount & Smartphone Clamp for $20
+ yes, our favorite emo Jedi’s brand is back πŸ™‚

+ AURAY RM-MCLED Multicolor LED Rack Light for $50

+ AsteraBox CRMX Transmitter Box for $259

LIGHT continues to headline the free-streaming Creative LIVE ON-AIR starting at 12pm ET, it is the 5 hour class “Natural Light Control” with Tony Corbell. Lesson #4 (37 min) “SHOOT: SUNLIGHT IN ALLEY” is the “kindle sample” you can watch at any time to see if it’s something that might be up your …alley! [yes, no puns left behind!]

IF YOU ARE the outdoorsy type, or you like that style of clothing, the REI OUTLET is having a sale of up to 70% off featuring 500+ products. Ends 1/29/24.

Speaking of clothes, the Woot Shirts (all kinds, not just t-shirts) are having a 40% off discount that automatically appears in the final step of the checkout process until 1/29/24. No coupon needed. Explanation in the Woot forums

MEANwhile Barnes and Noble is having a 50% off on Thousands of Books sale until 1/31/24. No additional membership discounts are applied but you get 2X stamps, so you get twice as fast to the $5 reward.

Thursday: LitePanels Gemini 1×1, Flash Stick, Sirui BH, Nanuk 935 Wheeled, SmallRIG Tripod, Lighting Class, Etc

NEWegg is sale-a-brating its 23 years in business with a 23 Year Anniversary sale that includes Ryzen and Intel processors, a $10 AUKEY true wireless, and various other tech/computer-y things…

MEANwhile at the B&H Photo daily deals we have a fresh six-pack good until 1/25/24 at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out.

Yes, we are just 11 months away from Christmas πŸ™‚

+ 128GB Kingston DataTraveler Exodia USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-AFlash Drive for $7
+ 3-pack of above for $20
+ Keyring Loop and Protective Cap

+ LitePANELS Gemini 1×1 Hard RGB LED Light Panel (Standard Yoke, US Power Cord) for $1467~

+ Sirui ball heads, two options, with mail-in rebates!!!

+ NANUK 935 wheeled hard cases, ten options, $150 to $200

+ SmallRIG AD-01 Heavy-Duty Tripod with Fluid Head for $109

+ i3 Tech i3SIXTY 2 43″ Digital Flipchart for $2685
+ volume discount, buy 4+, get them at $2450 each
+ wonder how many paper flipcharts can you buy with this money? πŸ™‚

LIGHTING is the headliner of the Thursday 1/25/24 creative live on-air, free-streaming at 12pm ET, it’s a nearly 15-hour class, “Crazy Stupid Light” with Scott Robert Lim. Lessons #2 and #3 are the “Kindle samples” (over 2 hours total), so you can watch them at any time to see if this is something of potential interest.

25% off Book Pre-Orders w/B&N coupon [limited time]

Against all odds, Barnes and Noble not only survived, but it’s also opening up new stores! The secret? Mayhaps because they let every single store operate locally, instead of having them all be uniform clones! Regardless…

For a limited time only, coupon code PREORDER25 gets you 25% off pre-orders of upcoming books. This is good for Premium and Rewards members! Premium members get an extra 10% off as well (part of their benefits).

PS: if you haven’t kept up with B&N Plans, “Rewards” is a FREE rewards plan that gets you stamps (1 stamp for every $10 in purchases; 10 stamps = $5 reward). “Premium” is a $40 per year Prime-like plan that has additional benefits including a free shipping, free annual tote bag [BAG the BOOK BAGS!], free monthly ebook (from short list of options), 10% off most things B&N, beverage size upgrade, kids benefits, etc, etc, etc.

Wednesday: GVN BiC Soft, 27″ Dell, Technics, 2pk 64GB Sandisk microSD, Oben CFT, Etc

And just like that dear readers we have reached another Hump Day! We start with another six-pack of B&H Photo daily deals good until 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ GVM Bi-Color Edge LED Soft Video Light Panel for $64

+ 2pk of 64GB Sandisk Ultra UHS-I microSDXC Memory Card with one SD Adapter for $13

+ Oben CT-2491 Carbon Fiber Tripod for $250

+ Technics SL-1210GR Direct Drive Turntable System for $1300
+ yes, those were the days!

+ Samson headphone for $10
+ you probably need something better for the Technics turntable above πŸ™‚

+ DELL U2723QE 27″ 16:9 4K UHD HDR IPS Monitor with USB Type-C Docking for $450

ON THE free-streamin’ front starting at 12pm ET on Wednesday at Creative LIVE On AIRzzZ we have the world premiere of a 2.5 hour class “iPhone Photography & Mobile Photography” with Philip Ebiner…

ANOTHER COUPON for the Monoprice website, coupon NY25 gets you 25% off purchases of $50+. Limited time only, with terms, conditions, restrictions, etc.

Tuesday: Bushnell, PortaBrace, Colbor LED, Sirui, P&G, Etc

Tuesday is here with a fresh set of B&H Photo daily deals good until 1/23/24 at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ Bushnell 10×42 All-Purpose Binoculars (Green) for $40

+ PortaBRACE Cordura Carrying Run Bag for Grip Essentials (Black) for $149

+ Ruggard Ultra-Thin Neoprene Sleeve with Handles for 15-16″ Laptops (Black/Yellow) for $13

+ ColbOR CL220R RGB COB LED Video Light for $279

+ Sirui SH15 Aluminum Video Tripod with Fluid Head for $99

+ Samsung Q60C 50″ 4K HDR Smart QLED TV for $428 after in-cart couponization

Adorama continues to run in Top Deals mode but the WOOT is a Microsoft Surface family sale, some new condition, some refurbished. They include laptops, tablets and AiOs. Prices range from $100 (Surface 3 tablet) to $3100 (Studio AiO).

On the free-streaming front at CreativezZz LIVEzZz On-AiRzZz, starting at 12pm ET there’s a 13.5 hour class, “Fashion Flair for Photographers” with Lindsay Adler, lesson #2 (22 min) is the “Kindle sample”).

The latest additions at the Amazon USA gold box include pet food, fashion, sports drinks and vitamins and the like, barbells, Braun shavers, iRobots, and another P&G promotion of the “buy $80+ in participating products to get $20 Amazon credit” kind. This includes Tide, Bounty, Pampers, Vicks, Charmin, Olay, Dawn, etc.

Monday: GVM BiC LED Monolight, Lowepro Photosport PRO III, Zoom, LG, Food Pho, Monoprice $20/$100+ coupon, Etc

And just like that we’ve reached another Monday, with a new six-pack of B&H Photo daily deals good until 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ GVM SD600D Bi-Color LED Monolight for $749

+ Lowepro Photosport Pro III 55L Backpack (M/L) for $228~
+ looks so magnificent, BAG the BAGS!
+ confession time: I dare not count how many bags I have πŸ™‚

+ ZOOM H1n 2-Input / 2-Track Portable Handy Recorder with Onboard X/Y Mic for $50

+ Anton Bauerz Titon 90 V-Mount Lithium-Ion Battery for $299

+ LG 34BN770-B 34″ 21:9 Ultrawide IPS TAA Monitor for $320

+ Polsen mic type thing for $12

FOODIES time at the Creative LIVE ON-AIR free-streaming a new selection of classes every day at 12pm ET. Headlining the action for Monday January 22 in 2024 is “Food Photography” with Penny De Los Santos, 2.5 hours long. With similar length is the “Create an Online Portfolio” with Erica Gamet class.

Given the runtime of the above classes, they will repeat multiple times during this free-streaming window!

COUPON ACTION at the Monoprice website, coupon code SALE20 gets you $20 off orders of $100+ for a limited time only. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Their shopping cart is the ultimate decider on what qualifies for the couponization.

Sunday: a7S III Cage, Gloves, Oben Spiked, Sack Pack, Studio Lighting class, Etc

Sunday is here and the MEH website greets us with a literal “bag the bags”, a TravelSmart by Conair Travel Bundle for $20 plus shipping. The bundle consists of a duffle bag, packable backpack, neck pillow, international power adapter, and digital scale.

Meanwhile the Adorama dailies continue to run in “Top Deals” mode.

This DiscountMAGS weekend sale has a multi-year sale theme, aka buy more years to save more in a subscription! These usually run until Monday night.

THEN OFF to the B&H Photo daily deals we geaux where we findz:

+ SmallRIG Standard Cage Kit for Sony a7S III for $49
+ once you buy the cage, all you need is a Sony a7S III camera πŸ˜‰

+ Freehands gloves, $8 to $15

+ Oben Tabletop Tripod with Spiked Feet for $15

+ PortaBRACe SP-1Z Sack Pack with Zippered Top for $39~
+ some could argue this is the most practical type of a bag design for non-fragile things

+ Sony LinkBuds S Noise-Canceling True Wireless In-Ear for $118

+ Samsung S95C 55″ 4K HDR Quantum Dot OLED TV for $1498

Speaking of TVs, if the Samsung sounds too fancy and expensive, Amazon is offering their Amazon Fire TV 50″ 4-Series 4K UHD smart TV for $300. You can buy five of these for the price of the Samsung above πŸ™‚

Speaking of Amazon, one of the buzzing offers at the Gold Box is a EF ECOFLOW 7.2kWh Portable Power Station for $3899. More details over there!

Get your pencils and paper ready! A 14-hour “Studio Lighting – The Power of Control” with Tony Corbell is the headliner free-streaming class starting at 12pm ET on Sunday at Creative LIVE ON AIR

And on the FREEBIES front, the Lucky Rewards grocery store chain freebie this weekend (until Sunday night) is the Jarritos beverage (advertised as the “the official drink of tacos”) in various options.

Open Box sale at Adorama (nearly 7000 items)

If you are looking for the middle ground between refurbished and new-condition, open-box is one way to go. And what a coincidence, Adorama is currently running an OPEN BOX sale with 6956 participating products as of the time of writing. Needless to say, I can’t list them all here individually. And even if I did, would anyone actually read the whole list? πŸ™‚

Aliens, LR Scrapbooking, White Balance Cards, USB-C Stick, Pelican, KoalaPod, Flash Bracket, Etc

Many of y’all are familiar with the X-Files “I Want To Believe” but what if you want to take it a step further? What if you want to go with them? 6 Dollar Shirts has you covered with the “I Want to Leave” t-shirt going for $7 (yes, even they raised their prices, hence the difference between the company name and the price). But for a limited time, coupon code ALIEN gets you 20% off this particular t-shirt design!

As always the Friday B&H Photo daily deals run until Saturday at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out. We have a thrifty/budget type of a theme this weekend:

+ 128GB Kingston DataTraveler 70 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C Flash Drive for $7
+ USB-C has been a heaven sent for flash drive makers, now rebuy them again with USB-C πŸ™‚

+ Vello White Balance Card Sets (Small, Medium, and Large) for $20
+ you get three sets (black, white, gray) in three different sizes, all together nine cards

+ Ponte Leather Light Steel Blue Canvas Camera Lift-Strap for $7

+ Pelican 1200 Case without Foam (Desert Tan) for $45

+ Benro KoalaPod Kit with Five Legs and Smartphone Holder for $17

+ Vivitar Flash Bracket for $10

+ Spypoint FLEX Cellular Trail Camera for $90
+ with built-in solar panel it says

FRIDAY DAILY DEALS
Getting close to getting unlocked (78% at 9:45am ET) is the Friday NewEgg “Group Buy”, the Rosewill NEON K51B Wired Mem-chanical Gaming Keyboard (Hybrid Membrane Mechanical Switches, 8 RGB LED Backlight Effects, 19-Key Anti-Ghosting) for $13 instead of its regular price of $20.

It’s not just back to school. It’s also Back to Office sale. Amazon certainly doesn’t want to leave all the post-holiday offices without whiteboard supplies and pencils and binders and packaging material πŸ˜‰

Curious about digital scrapbooking? The Friday Creative LIVE ON AIR free-streaming starting at 12pm ET has a 15-hour class “Lightroom for Scrapbookers” with Jared Platt… Also of potential interest a 3 hour class “Shoot and Sell Compelling Photo Albums” with Andrew Funderburg…

Pre-order the new Samsung Galaxy S24 AI flagships

If you played a drinking game on the word “AI” during yesterday’s Samsung Unpacked, you would have needed a new liver by now! If what you saw excites you, or you just want to get the latest flagship as soon as it comes out, the pre-orders have began!

At the Samsung online shop they have big trade-in promotions, along with combined purchase offers, 20% off discount on Apple Care Samsung Care+, installment or monthly payment options, and lots more!

Amazon is offering a $200 Amazon gift card on the $1300 Galaxy S24 Ultra. You have to click on the little “Redeem” button and follow the instructions to get the free gift card, so be sure to slow down and pay attention to the ever-so-busy Amazon product page!

The S24 Plus ($1000) gets a $150 gift card, while the S24 ($800) gets a $50 gift card. For all three models, as part of the launch festivities, the higher on-board storage option is at the same price as the lower option. Considering the difference in the gift cards ($100 more) and the higher high storage options (256GB vs 512GB), the S24+ seems to be a more reasonable option instead of the S24 for $100 more (after the gift card is factored in as something you can easily use).

Similar offers can be found at the Best Buy website.

Various trade-in and other pre-order bonuses can be found at the various carrier websites such as AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless which promises “a Watch and Tab all on us” providing you sign up for participating unlimited plans and make a trade-in.

As usual when dealing with carriers, be sure to pay attention to terms, conditions, restrictions, fineprint, fineprint on the fineprint itself, and have a law firm on retainer πŸ˜‰

Thursday Group Buy: AUKEY Dual Port USB Charger for $4

AUKEY, one of the Anker competitors is the Group Buy deal of the day at the NewEgg website! If it unlocks to 100% before Thursday 11:59pm Pacific time, then you can get the AUKEY PA-U42 USB Type A Dual Port Wall Charger (up to 2.4A per port, total 4.8A Output, Foldable Plug) for just $4. Already, 40 minutes in, it is 8% unlocked!

Thursday: Dr Bag, 2pk 128GB UHS-II SDXC, Softbox w/Grid, Gimbal Head, Etc

Thirsty Thursday arrives with a fresh set of B&H Photo daily deals good until 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ Impact Hexi 24 Speedlight Softbox for $70 with FREE Impact Grid For Hexi 24 Speedlight Softbox

+ 2pk of 128GB PROGRADE UHS-II SDXC for $180
+ optionally buy TOGETHER with PRoGRADE Dual-Slot UHS-II SDXC USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Card Reader for $252
+ yes, the UHS-II tax is real πŸ™‚

+ MAgnus GH-M1 Gimbal Head for $50
+ the reason MAgnus is spelled like that is because I type faster than I can release the SHIFT key, so the second letter gets capitalized
+ or mayhaps it’s an homage to Massachusetts πŸ™‚

+ SACHTLER Dr Bag #1 for $116
+ can also use it to cosplay doctor πŸ™‚

+ also Samson mic and Auray audio reflection type thing

IF YOU ARE fond of the 2015 12.9-inch iPad PRO, it is offered in refurbished condition with a 90-day Woot warranty as one of the Woot deals of the day. Prices range from $300 to $450, based on the on-board storage option, 32GB to 256GB. Available in different color schemes as well.

Yes, that’s almost ten years old!!!

Heads Up (starting Wedn 1pm ET): Live-Tweeting Samsung Galaxy AI Unpacked event

Yes dear readers, it’s that time of the year again, another high-profile Samsung Unpacked event, with a “Galaxy AI” theme, and I will be live-tweeting it on Twitter, at @1001noisycamera [no final “s” because character limit]. This will be in our customary snarky and irreverent style πŸ™‚

The live-stream is YouTube-embedded below for your convenience, or you can find it at the Samsung website:

Wedn: Tenba backpack, GVM RGB LED 3LK, Sirui ball heads, Grogu, Vision Exercises (free stream), Etc

This should be easy to get unlocked before 11:59pm Pacific time, the Wednesday Group Buy at NewEgg is the Star Wars The Mandalorian Grogu Plush for $10 when it is 100% unlocked. Already, as of 6:15am ET it is 16% unlocked! In addition to this being a gift for Star Wars fans, it can also be used as a troll type thing πŸ™‚ I don’t think I’ll ever be invited to a Star Wars convention after this comment πŸ˜‰

Another fresh six-pack of offerings arrives at the B&H Photo dailies good until 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ Tenba Cooper Slim Backpack (Gray) for $90
+ yes, BAG the BAGS!

+ GVM 50RS RGB LED Light Panel 3LK (3-Light Kit) for $299
+ all together now: because you can’t have photography without light!

+ Sirui ball heads, two options, with mail-in rebates

+ LG UltraGear 27″ Full HD 165 Hz Gaming Monitor for $150

+ also Tascam audio recorder and Polsen mic signal boosters

Eye health for photographers is becoming more and more important as it’s as much (if not more) computer time as it is camera and subject time! With that in mind, the headliner Creative LIVE ON-AIR class, free-streaming starting Wednesday at 12pm ET is “Easy Exercises to Improve Your Vision” with Eric Cobb, 10.5 hours, so it will air twice in full during this free streaming window. Lesson #2 (“Meet your eyes”, 32 min) is the free “Kindle sample” you can watch for free at any time!

New Year, New YOU, and as such, Amazon has a 9-page (mostly books) sale on Health, Mind and Body, from organic baby food books to positive thinking to magic and spirituality and religion and self-help, and even …grammar!

In this kind of new year spirit, one of the Woot daily deals is a continuing education sale including Babel, Rosetta Stoned, Headway, ASL, piano and guitar lessons and such.

TIRED OF recharging smart watches and fitness trackers? Amazon has a seven-page sale of “real” watches from Timex, Fossil, Anne Klein, Guess?, Citizen, Kate Spade, and the like.

Tuesday: LitePanels Gemini, Benro, Celestron NexStar, Real Estate Photography, Etc

UPDATE: OOPS, I accidentally saved this as Draft instead of Publishing it earlier!

Top Deals mode continues to rule the day at the Adorama daily deals while a fresh six-pack of offerings has arrived at the B&H Photo daily deals running until 1/16/24 at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ Ruggard Nylon Protective Pouch for Memory Cards for $7.50
+ BAG the memory card kinda-BAG!

+ LitePanels Gemini 2×1 Soft RGB LED Light Panel (Standard Yoke, US Power Cord) for $2199

+ Benro MeFOTO RoadTrip Pro Aluminum Series 1 Travel Tripod with Ball Head and Monopod (Pacific Blue) for $80

+ Celestron NexStar Evolution 6 150mm f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain GoTo Telescope for $1299
+ the Aliens are Coming – Are you ready to spot them and take the award winning photographs???

+ Auray SVRK Series Shallow Server Rack (9 RU) for $100

+ PortKeys LH7P 7″ High-Bright Touchscreen Monitor with Wireless Control (Black) for $219

Ned Stark was right, winter is indeed here, and Amazon wants to keep you warm with a Home Heating sale climbing the charts in the Gold Box.

NEWEGG is bringing the good old “Group Buys” back, and unlike Groupon (and the like) these are true Group Buys. The offers only unlock if they are 100% claimed. Today’s offer is the refurbished 27-inch Z-EDGE Curved Gaming Monitor for $90 (ultra-thin frame, 1080p, 75Hz, HDMI + D-Sub, Built-in Speakers). This is sold by the Z-Edge NewEgg store.

We have a world premiere, free-streaming starting at 12pm ET on Tuesday at the Creative LIVE ON-AIR, it is “Real Estate Photography” with Philip Ebiner, over 6.5 hours long (so it will repeat three times in full during the free streaming window).

But that’s not all, they have two more related classes free-streaming in this window:

+ Painting With Adobe Photoshop with Jack Davis, nearly 16 hours long, the “kindle sample” is an Adobe Bridge chapter

+ Photoshop CC Creation with Adobe Stock, with Jason Hoppe, 68 minutes long

Monday: Colbor Monolight, Nanuk Wheeled, NiSi Solar, Etc

The Adorama dailies continue to operate in “Top Deals” mode while the B&H Photo daily deals have expanded from four to six:

+ COLBOR CL60R RGB COB LED Monolight for $119

+ NANuk 963 Wheeled Case with Foam (Black) for $230

+ ViewSonic VP2785-2K 27″ 16:9 IPS Monitor for $200

+ NiSi Solar Filter Pro Nano UV/IR Cut ND100000 Filter (100 x 100mm, 16.5-Stop) for $100

+ Netgear R6080 AC1000 Wireless Dual-Band 10/100 Mb/s Router for $20

+ SOLD OUT already: Manfrotto MVT535HH Adjustable Aluminum Hi Hat with 75mm Bowl

Lindsay Adler is back headlining the Monday Creative LiVE On-AIR starting at 12pm ET with “Posing for Curvy Women”, 155 minutes long, with Lesson #1 as the “Kindle sample”.

IF you are a fan of WOOT, they are currently running another iteration of The Garage Sales with products grouped in eight different categories. Of kinda on-topic interest to this blog are Electronics and Computers.

The current headliner at Amazon is a Healthy 2024 sale, and while some of the items are indeed on the healthy spectrum (coconut oil, turmeric, ginger, avocado oil, vinegar), plenty of others are decidedly not (pretzels, food coloring, soy sauce, fake milks, etc) πŸ™‚ Remember, as they say on Health YouTube, you are what you eat!

HEALTH TIP OF THE DAY: Type 2 Diabetes is a choice, not a lifelong condemnation! Millions of people have been able to reverse type 2 diabetes by reducing/removing the foods and the practices that cause/fuel it!

Mystery Sale at Adorama

Adorama is running a Mystery Sale of sorts, featuring an assortment of different products, too many to list here individually, so if it your adventure should you choose to accept the deal-challenge πŸ™‚

Sunday: GVM BiC Light, Pelican Hard Case, Coupons, Etc

Sunday is here with a fresh 4-pack of B&H Photo dailies good until Sunday at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ GVM 7SM Double-Sided Mini On-Camera Bicolor & RGB LED Video Light for $69

+ Pelican 1557AirTP Hard Carry Case with TrekPak Divider Insert (Black) for $264 after in-cart coupon

+ Axlr RECODO Dual Head Mount Y Arm for $25

+ Anton Beauer Titon Micro 150 V-Mount Lithium-Ion Battery for $337

LIKE COFFEE? Amazon has a Ten Page COFFEE and TEA SALE featuring all kinds of options, even …mushroom coffee!

MEANwhile in COUPONLandia

+ coupon NY10 gets you $10 off orders of $75+ for a limited time only at the Monoprice website

+ coupon OUTJAN2024 gets REI Members $20 off a purchase of $100+ at the REI Outlet until 1/15/24

+ coupon 50DREAM gets you $50 off a Creative LIVE Subscription (Netflix style)

LumeCube Panel Go RGB LED Light for $67, Etc

It’s FRi-YAY once again, and it’s happy hour but with unsweetened tea instead of sugary cocktails πŸ™‚ You can actually get “tea drunk”!

As usual, the Friday B&H Photo daily deals run until Saturday at 11:59pm ET:

+ LumeCube Panel Go RGB LED Light for $67
+ all together now: you can’t have photo-graphy without light!

+ Oben Macro Focusing Rail (Long) for $70
+ because Macro is Magical and Mystical!

+ Magnus FT-P30A Flexible Smartphone Tripod with Dual Flexible Arms for $18
+ can also be used as a scarecrow for birds and small animals

+ Uncaged Cube USB Power Strip (White) for $30

After a lot of heavy duty classes, things wind down for Friday at Creative LIVE on-air, starting at 12pm ET is Greeting Cards in Photoshop with Khara Plicanic, 2 hours long, just in time for Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year festivities!

Thursday: F-Stop Mountain Backpack, Softbox w/Light Bulb, Adobe Camera RAW 16hr Class, Etc

Off we go to the Thursday B*H Photo daily dealzezezess [yes, we speakz like drunk smeagolz today]:

+ RAYA Octagonal Collapsible Softbox for LED Bulbs with Socket (27.6″) for $30 with FREE Raya LED Light Bulb (45W)

+ F-Stop Mountain Series Ajna Backpack (Aloe Green, 40L) for $150
+ such a beautiful bag, would you dare to get it dirty in the mountains? πŸ˜‰

+ SIRUI tripods with mail-in rebates (SOYVEY it’s 2024!)

+ Kaiser Copy Stand RSX with RTX Arm for $993
+ that’s one mighty priced copy stand πŸ™‚

Learningz about The Precious is the name of the game at the Creative LiveZzz On-AirZezezzss starting on Thursday at 12pm ET. In our case, The Precious is Light πŸ™‚

+ Color Theory for Photographers with Blake Rudis, 81 mins with 27 min “kindle sample”

+ Adobe Camera RAW with Jack Davis, nearly 16 hours long, 22 min “Kindle sample”

Wedn: MEHrathon, Spyder X2 Elite, Lowel Blender, Feiyu Vimble, Creative Studio Lighting, Etc

Wednesday January 10 2024 is here, yes, already 1/3rd of January is almost gone! OH MY! And what a way to start things off, it’s a MEH-rathon at MEH. Offers change every 30 minutes BUT you can also purchase any of the previous MEHrathon offers – as long as they remain in-stock/orderable!

Next up we find a fresh 4-pack of B&H Photo daily deals good until 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ DataCOLOR Spyder X2 Elite Colorimeter for $200

+ Lowel Blender XL Bi-Color LED Light for $164
+ no, you cannot make smoothies with this blender!

+ FeiYu Vimble 3 Telescoping 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal for Smartphones for $40
+ yes, it’s based on the famous Beatles song “HeiYu” πŸ™‚

+ CAD A77 Supercardioid Large Diaphragm Dynamic Microphone for $70

AND on the free-streaming front starting at 12pm ET at Creative LIVEz On-Airz there’s another big time class, “Creative Studio Lighting” with Lindsay Adler, nearly 5 hours long. The first two lessons are the “Kindle samples”, about 1 hour long total, you can watch them at any time to get a feel for the class which is also on sale for $24!

Tuesday: Tenba Messenger, Tube Light Panel, Video Head, Etc

Tuesday is here, the Adorama dialies continue to operate in “Top Deals” mode, while the B&H Photo dailies [CORRECTED LINK!] have a fresh 4-pack for your consideration:

+ Impact Forever Ready Cool 4-LED 2×1 Tube Light Panel for $149

+ TenBa Cooper 15 Messenger Bag with Leather Accents (Gray) for $138
+ Bag the Bags!

+ ElVID SkyVision 5.5″ Wireless RX/TX HD Recording Monitor for $299

+ Magnus FBVH-500 Video Head with Flat Base for $124

ON THE FREE-Streaming front starting at 12pm ET at Creative LiVE ON AIR they have:

+ Wedding Photography with Joe Buissink, nearly 13 hours

+ Compositing 101 with Aaron Nace, just over 14 hours

Monday: Luxli, Joby, Manfrotto, Food Photography, Etc

And just like that, another Monday is here! We start with another 4-pack of offerings at the B&H Photo dailies good until 1/8/24 at 11:59pm ET or earlier if sold out:

+ Luxli ViolaΒ² 5″ On-Camera RGB LED Light Panel for $149 with FREE Luxli Softbox with Diffusion Filter
+ memo to product development and marketing teams, please do not put superscripts and subscripts in product names, it makes typing hard πŸ™‚

+ Manfrotto MVH502A Fluid Head and MVT502AM Tripod with Carrying Bag for $330
+ yes, this is The Union of The Daily Deal Towers, a tripod and a BAG!

+ Joby GripTight PRO Video GP Stand for $15

+ SaraMonic Vmic5 Pro Camera-Mount Shotgun Mic for $129

MEANwhile on the free-streaming e-learningz front starting at 12pm ET on Monday at Creative LIVE ON AIR they have a yummy class, “Food Photography” with Penny De Los Santos, 14 hour runtime! Lesson #3, “Principles of Food Photography” (43 min) is the “kindle sample”, you can watch it at any time – to get a feel for the class. And if you like it, you can buy it for $49.

UPDATE: Adorama continues to run Top Deals mode while the latest additions at Amazon include another variant of the Google Pixel sale including the 7a and variants of the 8.

IF you like the design of the Woot t-shirts, good for Monday is a T-Shirts sale: you put four of them in your shopping cart and the price automatically adjusts to $32, making them, if my head-math is correct, $8 per t-shirts. Shipping as usual (Free for Prime members or flat S&H for non-members)…

Sunday: Woot Mystery Refurbished Windows Laptop for $240

Adorama continues to run in “Top Deals mode” at their daily deals, but the excitement of the day is at Woot Computers where they are offering a refurbished (Grade A with 90-day Woot warranty) Mystery Laptop for $240. Different customers will receive different sub-models! Most will have 256GB SSD but some will get 512GB. RAM will vary between 8GB to 32GB (most will get 16GB). The processor starts at Intel i5-6300, but about half will get an i7. The display size (13.1 or 14 or 15.6″) and resolution (720 or 1080) also varies.

It comes with Windows 10 PRO 64-bit (some may/will support W11 per the listing), and Bluetooth 4.1, a sign that it’s an older type of a chassis.If you use a lot of Bluetooth devices, this is a potential orange to red flag as Bluetooth got really solid with version 5.

As a minimum you will receive 8GB RAM (about 2/3rds will get 16GB RAM), 256GB SSD, Intel i5-6300 (or better), and some kind of a screen πŸ™‚

This is truly a mystery type thing! You pay $240 and you won’t know until you open the box πŸ™‚

If you don’t enjoy these type of mystery box type of things (hello LOST fans!), you may want to stay away πŸ™‚