The more ways you know to start a fire in the bush, the greater your chances of survival. This video will show you how to use a Fresnel lens, a specialized magnifying glass, to magnify sunlight and start a fire. A more refined application of the magnifying-glass-melting-ants-on-the-sidewalk principle.
Photograph the moon using only a camera with a telephoto zoom or prime lens, following the steps in this informative video tutorial. No tripod needed! The simple steps with simple information with this video shows you how to photograph the moon in all its forms, whether half, full, crescent or lunar eclipse.
OK, your flashlight just died, but wait, don't throw it out! In this quick and simple video, you can learn how to use the parabolic lens from that dead flashlight to start a fire in the wild. You'll need a parabolic lens, some dry ignition material for kindling and you'll need a bright, sunny day.
Want to add a lens flare to your current animation or film? You can manipulate the picture using Adobe After Effects, and this tutorial shows you precisely how. Play around with the light, brightness settings and other tools to get a lens flare effect.
In this clip, you'll learn how to hack a Flip UltraHD camera to use a wide-angle lens. For more information, including a complete demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started creating your own custom wide-angle UltraHD cams, take a look.
New to the world of DSLR video and need a hand distinguishing between different lens types? This video offers some pointers for would-be shooters. For details, and to get started using different lenses with your own Canon or Nikon DSLR, watch this video guide.
Want to add a lens flare effect to a video sequence? With Adobe After Effects CS5, it's quite easy. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with CS5's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started using lens flares in your own AE projects, watch this free video guide.
Want to blow out everything behind a foreground object but don't have $500 to drop on used DSLR camera? Then the filter trick outlined in this 17-minute Photoshop CS4 tutorial is for you. Using lens blur, one can create convincing depth of field reminiscent of a view camera or a wide-aperture lens. This technique is complex and requires some real observation and thought, but can produce beautiful results.
Get wide-angle and fish-eye effect for about $5 with this DIY lens attachment. Expands your camera's viewing angle up to 200 degrees. Great for tight-quarters indoor shots, stunning landscapes, and funny fish-eye photos. Amazing results. For use on photo and video cameras.
Create your own macro lens using the standard 50 mm lens that is shipped with your Digital SLR camera.
If your Blu-ray Discs aren't playing properly in your PlayStation 3, then the answer may be as simple as a dirty lens in the Blu-ray Disc drive. Anybody with a few screwdrivers can do this themselves, right at home, no repair costs. But it would void your PS3 warranty, so beware.
When cleaning a camera lens, use stiff brush to remove the dirt, then wipe lens with a lint-free cloth. Clean camera lenses with the tips in this free instructional video on photography tips from a professional photographer. Be sure to be sage and avoid scratching the camera lens.
Barrel distortion is a lens effect which causes images to be "inflated". Barrel distortion is associated with wide angle lenses and typically occurs at the wide end of a zoom lens. In this video tutorial you will learn how to correct the lens distortion in Photoshop.
If you've got an extra DVD drive laying around not being used, watch this video and learn how to give the lens new life—as a powerful macro lens for your camera phone! You'll be able to take incredible pictures on your camera phone using this clever mod.
If you like to use your Nikon Coolpix S200 outdoors or in dirty places, you may have encountered this problem. If dirt, sand, or other particles get in your lens they can prevent it from opening, and thus prevent you from taking pictures. Watch this video for a guide to cleaning the lens and repairing the problem.
Want to add an anamorphic lens flare to your digital footage? With Adobe After Effects, Video Copilot Optical Flares and, of course, the help provided by this video guide, it's easy! For step-by-step instructions, and to learn how to add anamorphic lens flares to your own digital video in post, watch this After Effects user guide.
Learn how to use rectilinear and curvilinear wide-angle lenses on your Canon EOS 7D, 5D, 550D or Rebel T2i DSLR camera. This brief video tutorial from the folks at Butterscotch will teach you everything you need to know. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started using wide-angle lenses on your Canon DSLR yourself, take a look.
Need a primer on how to use zoom lenses with your Canon DSLR camera (a 7D, 5D, or Rebel T2i, for example)? This brief video tutorial from the folks at Butterscotch will teach you everything you need to know. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started using zoom and telephoto lenses on your own Canon digital camera, take a look.
As any SLR or DSLR owner knows all too well, the price of lenses can often approach or even exceed the cost of your camera. As such, it's important that you take the necessary precautions to protect them. With this free photographer's guide, you'll learn about using UV (that is, ultra-violet) filters to protect your single lens-reflex camera lenses from sun damage.
This video explains the difference between polarizing lenses used in conventional 3d (linear) and those used in RealD 3d (circular). Circular polarizing lenses enable you to move your head without changing the 3d effect. This tutorial also demonstrates the need for a silver screen or optimal 3d viewing.
In this video, lens diffusion issues for shooting video on Canon cameras are gone over, specifically the Canon 7D. Included is saranwrap, caprock filters and anamorphic lenses.
This video editing software tutorial shows you how to create a lens flare using Boris Continuum Complete plug-in with motion tracking in Final Cut Pro. Learn how to track the camera movement and composite the flare so it looks like it was shot in camera. If you have the Boris Continuum Complete plug-in for Final Cut Pro, watch and learn how to work with the lens flare filter in this podcast.
In this lesson, learn how to shoot compelling close-up shots using a macro lens. Tips on composition, lighting and controlling depth of field are discussed in detail. Watch this video photography tutorial and learn how to shoot close-up pictures with a macro lens.
This instructional photography video explains and shows the difference in zoom lenses' focal lengths. This basic demonstration uses a Nikon professional photo camera to exhibit the various zoom lenses, and provides examples of its photographic capabilities. Watch this video and improve your photography skills.
You get a snap from a friend, per usual, but what's this? The lens they're using is actually really cool. Of course, you want to try it out for yourself, but don't bother searching Snapchat's enormous library of lenses to find the AR effect. Instead, there's a simple way to instantly test it out, right from the original snap itself.
All those Apple commercials encouraging people to use their iPhones to make their smartphone movies look amazing, but how can you achieve some of the same looks? That's the question many often ask after plunking down over $1,000 for a brand new iPhone, shooting some video, and getting somewhat mediocre results.
This week's crop of Snapchat lenses is jam packed with pop culture, and spot-on examples at that. Post Malone and Famous Dex are super hot right now, and there's a ton of buzz surrounding Arrested Development's latest season.
One word to sum up this batch of Snapchat lenses: complex. Lens creators like ApocTheLegend and Jinnie the Wew have been at it long enough to start making some really cool stuff, stretching the limit of what's possible using Lens Studio. I'm really looking forward to what they continue to pump out in the future.
In this week of Snapchat lenses, there was a significant increase in ones that involve Marvel superheroes (the Infinity War effect), as well as ones with YouTubers. Classic sitcoms will also always do well, as evidenced by some of my previous roundups. Overall, lenses are doing well and only continuing to grow.
With April coming to a close, there's a fresh group of augmented reality Snapchat lenses you should try out while they're still hot. We've got a prank lens, gamer-oriented ones for Fortnite and Fallout, and ones for the memesters out there.
Snapchat is making it easier for developers and creators to build augmented reality effects in Lens Studio with a slew of new features, including seven face templates.
While you were slaving away at work or school or whatever you were so busy doing over the last seven days, people have been hard at work creating a variety of new Snapchat lenses for your enjoyment. These lenses are hot off the presses, and I'm honestly really impressed with this week's crop.
It's Friday, April 6, and that means it's time to look at some of the hottest lenses from the past week created by Snapchat users everywhere. Some memes are evergreen, some dissolve within a week, but these lenses are blazing hot right now in snaps across the platform. If you don't want your friends laughing at your weak lens game, you've gotta try these out right now.
There are tons of ways to make a macro lens for your smartphone, but if you need one for a DSLR, it's not quite as simple as using a magnifying glass or a drop of water. If you have an old kit lens, though, you can turn it into a macro lens in no time—all you have to do is remove the front element. For this hack, Juha Loukola over on PetaPixel used a Canon 38-76mm lens, but says that the process should be pretty much the same for other lenses.
If you have a smartphone with a good camera, chances are you don't think it's good enough. There's always something that can better with your mobile pics, and for me, that something is closeup shots.
The fisheye lens is one of the oldest and most popular of effects lenses. They are also expensive, and you can't attach one to your cell phone! If you find either of those things to be a problem, this video will help you to alleviate them by teaching you how to simulate a fisheye lens effect using the Adobe Premiere Pro video editing suite. Don't waste your money, watch this video!
A non-CPU lens is one which does not have contacts on the rear mount, meaning it communicates with the rest of the camera solely through the aperture. This tutorial shows you how to set up the lens data for your camera, so you can get the most out of your non-CPU lens.
Lozzless demonstrates how to make a diy cheap macro lens with working aperture for his Canon 5D Mark II, coined the "SuperMacro".
For Snapchat users wondering if that selfie is ready to send to their crush, independent Lens Studio creator Andrew Mendez created a handy tool called the Smile Rater.
Anyone remember Google Goggles? Well, it's back with a new name: Google Lens. But this time, there's more machine learning and it's integrated into many different Google apps and services. The latest is the Google app for iPhones.
