F-Stop: Life in Focus

+ F-STOP GURU

 

+ Versatile

+ High quality

+ Light

+ Incredible support system

 

 

F-Stop started by manufacturing the best backpacks for active photographers. Recently they have released the F-Stop Guru, the lightest, close to perfect back support system bag for your everyday use. 

 

Why F-Stop?

 

Because F-Stop bags are made and designed by photographers for photographersF-Stop understands best what a photographer needs and provides the best of quality and comfort. There is no bag in the market that is as versatile and comfortable as this. Be it whether you are a pro-photographer always on the go, or the occasional traveller, hiker or even a street photographer, this bag is made for any type of condition. The incredibly light weight on this bag makes it almost impossible for one to believe that it can perform as it promises.

But we have tested it out. And it’s phenomenal.

 






 

What do photographers say about F-Stop?

 

“This is a very high quality piece of gear and an incredible amount of time and effort has gone into making sure that this is the best adventure/outdoor photography bag on the market right now”

–Dan Carr, Adventure Photographer–

http://dancarrphotography.com/blog/2011/04/26/f-stop-launches-new-pack-the-guru/

 

“THIS BACKPACK IS ONE OF THE MOST COMFORTABLE VERSATILE BAGS I HAVE EVER USED”

–Christian Fletcher, Landscape Photographer–

http://www.christianfletcher.com.au/2011/07/new-f-stop-guru/

 

“The bag is not supported completely off the shoulders. It wraps around your hips and balances on your back evenly”

–Karl Johnston, Adventure Photographer–

http://www.karljohnston.com/blog/fstop-bag-satori/


“The fabric is waterproof and the design looks nothing like a camera bag.Able to hold my 17” Macbook, all of my camera gear, tripod, personal stuff like books,headphones and it is still airline carry-on safe”

–Flemming Bo Jensen, Travel, Portrait Photographer–

http://www.flemmingbojensen.com/blog/2010/11/20/f-stop-camera-bag

Here is what you need to know why the F-Stop Guru is so great:

Airplane Grade Internal Aluminium Frame 

Photographers usually carry their camera and gear all day long. Naturally, you as a photographers would search for a bag that gives you the most comfort while doing what you enjoy most. Try carrying a bagful of camera gears and laptop. At times, a fully loaded backpack could weigh from 20-30 kgs.  Usually, carrying such weights on a normal backpack for days will tire us out, and might even damage our backs.F-Stop bags come with a metal internal frame that can be found in most outdoor bags. F-Stop bags are made with a lightweight airplane grade aluminum internal frame that can be found in the best backpacks. They adapted this system for the all F-Stop  bags, including the popular Guru.

 

 

YKK Zippers

 

The most common problem with bags are inferior zippers. Once broken, it’ll be costly and troublesome to repair. And what happens if it breaks during a trip?

F-Stop uses high grade YKK zippers to give you a comfort of mind. All F-Stop packs come with YKK water-resistant zippers. The expedition models – F-Stop Loka and Tilopa comes with water-proof zippers.

 

 

Laptop Sleeve + Built-in Organiser 

 


One thing most challenging when it comes to photographing is organising your equipment.

Because the Guru is designed for an everyday use, F-Stop provides a sufficient space big enough to house comfortably a 15-inch laptop together with a padded sleeve.

There are many compartments in these F-Stop bags to help you fit and organise various things: memory cards, stationaries, personals, your PocketWizards, camera peripherals and the like. This enables you to organize your items and find them easily in your bag.

 

 

 

Internal Compartment Space to fit the ICU

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT IS ICU (Internal Camera Unit)?

It is a storage unit to protect your camera and gear. The walls inside the ICU is easily customised and adjustable so that you can fit your accommodate your gear nicely.  The ICU comes in different sizes and depth.

Pro ICU – Design for professional sized camera body depth.

Shallow ICU – Designed for non-gripped prosumer body

The best thing about these ICU is that it is easily removable and installed in the packs. You can have the freedom of choosing between the different types of ICU according to how much of gear you want to carry while shooting.

 

 

Hip Belt

The left hand hip belt on the Guru has Molle loops that can allow you to attach modular accessories from F-Stop or any other popular brands like Lowepro, Think Tank Photo and others.

The right hand hip belt features a small pocket that can fit a small point-and-shoot camera

 

 

 

F-Stop is confident of what they are offering you. Hence, when you purchase these F-Stop bags, you will be given a:

 

45 Day Satisfaction Guarantee - return the bag for a full refund for any reason if you are not happy with your purchase (for bags in brand new condition, up to the discretion of our retailers and us)

20 Years Warranty

Just Incase You Didn’t Know….

 

 

If there is a photographer whom I admire; who dare to really speaks his mind through his photographs, it’d be Ari Marcopoulos. Hailing from Amsterdam and having received tutelage under the great Andy Warhol, Ari Marcopoulos has been wonderfully honing his craft, positioning himself in the midst of his subjects, for almost a quarter of a century. His work, undoubtedly abstract yet boldly portrays the youth culture extremism in a delicate manner.

 

Incase was one brand that expressed their appreciation for Ari’s artwork. What better way than to partner with him to create a camera bag that exacts his standards. Incase says,

 

“As a veteran photographer whose work takes him across the globe to a variety of locales and climates, a durable yet comfortable bag is a must. The result of this particular design challenge is a low-profile bag with optimal weather resistance, long-wearing comfort, excellent protection and functional features that allow Ari to access his equipment as quickly as possible, never missing a shot” 

 

Incase: A Better Experience Through Good Design

 

Since its establishment, Incase has always innovated, designed and craft accessories of the highest quality. They get their design inspirations by looking to musicians, athletes, industrial designers, artists and mavericks across the cultural landscape to help them create their consumer products.

 

Perhaps some of you may have seen or heard of this brand. They have been serving the Apple consumers – creating housing and protection for their iPhones, iPads and Macs with their absolutely amazing and creative designs. Other than that, they also make backpacks and cases for your laptops and peripherals.

Recently they have decided to cater to the photography market by doing what they do best.

 

We are extremely privileged to have Incase on board to partner with us here in Malaysia.

 

If you are looking for a camera bag that suits your street style, fits and protects your gear safely with creative design, you may well consider the Incase.

Incase ARI MARCOPOULOS

 

Reviewed:

 

The case features heavy duty canvas on the exterior in a muted gray, which is both durable and doesn’t attract the wrong type of attention. The interior has multiple adjustable compartments to accommodate any arrangement of bodies, lenses, and flashes you need to carry for the day’s shoot. Interestingly, it sports a padded iPad pocket as well. Are photographers really using the Apple tablet as a review/touch-up tool? Rounding out the list of features is a rain cover, especially relevant now that Summer is over.

I was immediately drawn to the silhouette of the bag. It’s a sling which inspires a more casual vibe, not to mention more airflow to the  back. However, the bag is smaller than a typical messenger bag, particularly height-wise. The bag was clearly designed for DSLR setups that revolve around one primarily lens and perhaps one extra lens, as opposed to 3-4 lenses and multiple flashes; another design decision that sets it apart from the traditional camera bag. Finally, the bag has a pocket for a point and shoot, which is a constant companion for most photographers, yet oft-forgotten by designers.

This bag is refreshing and if it performs as well in the field as it does on paper, it’ll prove to companies that the best products come from a balance of real-world user feedback and designer refinement.

 

 

Incase Sling Pack

 

 

 

The Wickedest Wizard Is Coming To Town

 

 

Forget about parallel imports of Hongkie sets. Rumour has it that Pocket Wizard is making its official entrance into Malaysia.

 

Well, photographers, hang on to your cameras – it is coming to a store near you this April end!

 

We are extremely excited to have PocketWizard to be on board with us. It has only been a short time since we casually mentioned to a few friends about Pocket Wizard and we are already having an inflow of inquiries! For those who have yet to hear of PocketWizard, fret not. You probably are not alone.

 

WHAT IS THIS POCKETWIZARD?

 

PocketWizard is an ingenious technology of reliable wireless triggering systems.
The applications? Endless…

 

Yes yes. We know that there are cheaper Chinese alternatives out there in the market. But the truth is this: the iPhone still remains irreplaceable – even if one is easily contented with the next best alternative. As the iPhone, what sets Pocket Wizard apart isn’t the mere outlook or function. It is the technology.

 

The latest ControlTL (short for Control the Light) system built in the MiniTT1 Transmitter and FlexTT5 Transceiver made especially for both Canon and Nikon junkies give photographers the ease of Slide-n-Shoot; slide-in, turn-on, shoot. This same technology also breaks through the limitations of camera capabilities by birthing HyperSync – allowing you to achieve an X-speed up to 1/8000 second (depending on your equipment, of course) with full power flash.

 

Perhaps we should let PocketWizard to do the talking. We might do a ‘test-drive’ once it is here. Maybe you can play around with it and let us know what you think  =)

 

 

 

LensCoat : Protect your lenses

Have you ever bought a new lens just to see it bumped, dinged and scratched within a few weeks, even with delicate handling? How about if your lens cost you more than a Proton Saga, and you would want to upgrade it only to find it’s value diminished due to it’s dings and bumps?

Hambone Malaysia is pleased to bring you LensCoat, the accessory to protect your expensive lenses in order to ensure they’re in mint condition! But not only that, LensCoat also protects products like your Gimbal head too!

LensCoat covers are custom made and fits your lens accurately and  snugly, while giving you a nice and professional look. In addition, we’ve brought in the different camo patterns in order to suit your daily photography needs.

Stitching and quality is first class, ensuring a long lifespan. More photos below:

X-Rite ColorChecker Passport

We’re pleased to bring you the ColorChecker Passport, part of the X-Rite group range of products. The ColorChecker Passport is a revolutionary pocket sized item to reduce your workflow, improve colors and saves you the time to individually correct your RAW files.

What is better and more pleasing colors to your photography mean? That’s the question that the Colorchecker Passport poses. As even similar model cameras interprets colors differently due to the differences in sensor, color calibration for the camera goes a long way in giving you better colors.

The ColorChecker Passport comes in a handy case that helps against damage, a custom built X-Rite DNG software to analyze and correct your photo (while creating a profile), and can be used together with Photoshop & Lightroom, among other softwares.

Many photographers has given the ColorChecker Passport a permanent place in their bags, as an essential everyday tool to create and print proper photographs.

Here are some of their comments:

“In summary, I now regard the xrite Colorchecker Passport as a must-have – a standard part of my field kit. It’s a simple as that.” Luminous Landscape, Nov 2009

“So it’s a useful bit of kit and solidly built – it has already found it’s way into my camera bag” Northlight Images

“As a suitably impressed X-Rite user, the new X-Rite ColorChecker Passport looks like a great tool for easy colour correction with Lightroom. ColorChecker Passport is designed as a ‘capture to edit’ color solution, using 3 colour target cards (Color Checker, Creative Enhancement Card and Gray Card)” Lightroom-news.com

“In conclusion I will be buying this product. The build and size of the case is great for leaving in your camera bag for every shoot” Sean McCormack, Pixiq.com, Dec 2009

“I found the results to be amazing and so much better than using the standard camera raw. In the image above, I did no clean up, no adjustments, no modifications. The only difference is using the standard Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) vs. ColorChecker Passport. I could tell immediately that the books in red had an orange cast to them in ACR, whereas in using the ColorChecker Passport, they are a crisp red on a calibrated monitor.

To me, the ColorChecker Passport is a must have product. It comes in a hard-shell case that will last forever (although it is recommended that you purchase a new one every two years due to fading and the environment). It is sturdy and stands on its own when there is no one to hold it, and it is small enough to fit into a pocket or your camera bag and can go everywhere with you. If you want a fast, inexpensive way to make sure that the color you shoot shows up on your screen, then I very highly recommend ColorChecker Passport from X-Rite.” Mike Testi, Blogcritics.com

“First off, X-Rite’s Passport is a hit with me, not so much for the price tag as much as I love the case” Realworkflow.com

ColorChecker Passport is now officially available in Malaysia. Kindly request for one from your local photography store, or contact us @ 03-7783 3662 for a test run :)

Spectralight, the versatile flash diffuser

If you’re a new photographer, diffusers are essential the moment you start shooting with an external flash. While getting my first ever flash, the 550 EX years ago, I immediately noticed the differences between shots with a diffuser and those without.

In short, unless we’re trying to create an intense mood (which is rare), a flash diffuser does much to soften the light, giving a pleasant appearance to the photographs.

Why Spectralight ?

The Spectra Light Diffuser, like other brands out in the market, is a flash diffuser tool designed for hotshoe or portable flashes or flash guns. It is unique because of its versatility, portability and design. It is designed to look good, as it goes well and “integrated” with most hotshoe flashes in the market today.  Because of its high quality ABS construction, it exudes professionalism and durability – attributes professional photographers want. Thanks to the unique ballhead design, Spectra Light frame panel rotates and swivels at almost any angle, giving the photographer a wide range of bounce/reflection a

ngle capability. Likewise, since users can also make their own creative panels,  they would soon discover that the Spectra Light Diffuser truly is versatile.

Reviewed :

Spectra Light has revolutionized the flash accessory system, it offers a multitude of usage including additional DIY concepts that you can apply with the spectra frame. While the effective use of the bounce card matches the DFD, it clearly demonstrate that It has more feature to offer because of interchangeable Spectra Frame. I did not use the soft casing as flag since you can easily attach other black cardboards to it which is more lighter. The Spectra Light is true to its claim “Versatile Flash Diffuser System”. If you are a strobist It can give you different ideas of use. For example, attaching different kinds of gels and other DIY modifiers. Its probably better to call the Spectra Light “The all-in-one wonder”.
Spectralight is priced at RM 190 and is available in Malaysia now. Drop by our showroom for a test drive. Kindly get your favorite local camera shop to contact us if you can’t find it in your area :) We’re always keen to serve you!

For more information on Spectralight, kindly visit: http://www.spectralightdiffuser.com.

Hambone co-sponsors Photokaki.com’s PK 5+1

December 12th.

As part of our marketing drive, Hambone Malaysia co-sponsored Photokaki.com, one of the leading photography forums in Malaysia.

In the anniversary night of the forum, we at Hambone gave out products such as ThinkTankPhoto bags, Fujiyama filters, Optech straps and Honl Photo light modifiers as part of our giving back to the Malaysian photographers who supported us and our growth.

Do kindly join us in the next Photokaki.com’s dinner next year!

Click here for photos of the dinner.

Op/tech USA introduces BlackRapid style sling strap

Following on from the introduction in February of the Op/tech Sling Strap connectors which convert any full size Op/tech neck strap to a shoulder sling, Op/tech have now added a complete Shoulder Sling to their range.

Based on the Op/tech Utility Strap, the Sling Strap comes complete with the OTM216 sling connectors instead of the standard neck-length strap connectors. The Utility Sling Strap comes complete with 2 quick-release Uni-Loop adapters making it suitable for use with any DSLR, most binoculars or camcorders.

The differences between Optech & similar products are

  • Highest grade Neoprene to ensure weight reduction
  • Strap attached to camera where it should be, not the tripod connector, which might damage your DSLR

Introducing Shurtape!

Shurtape is a type of gaffer tape.What is gaffer tape you ask?

From Scott Kelby, The Digital Photography Book Vol3 (Scott Kelby) pg42.

“If you don’t have a roll of gaffer’s tape in your studio, put down this book, go online and order a few rolls right now. Not duct tape. Not electrical tape. Gaffer’s tape! It’s one of those things that once you have it, you’ll wonder how you got through a shoot without it (ask any studio photographer). You’ll use it for everything from holding grid spots in place, to fixing a gap in softbox, to keeping things together when doing product shots, to… I could go on and on.”

9 Great Reasons to Get Gaffer Tapes from us!:

1) Protect Lens and Camera from scratches

2) Will not leave sticky residue upon removable

3) Easily ripped into neat stripes & use without any other tools

4) Unstuck & Re-stuck more cleanly and easily than duct tapes

5) Very Tough

6) Enhances & Eases of gripping camera

7) Protects from peeling

8) Shock Absorber/ Prevent Cracks (if put at vital areas & if put sufficient layers)

9) Helps you to keep a low profile (that’s if u wanna hide ur camera brands, and keep potential thieves away… )

KLPF 2010 blessed draw results!

Recently we did a blessed draw competition during KLPF 2010 @ Mid Valley Exhibition Hall for all those who bought a product from us and registered to our facebook account. And early December, we announced the blessed winner of an Airport Airstream bag worth RM 1054.00!

Join us at facebook.com/hambonemalaysia for announcements on the next competition soon! Photos of Mr. Izzudin below!