Helicoid Grease options: Japan Hobby Tool #10 and NPC FC-4 / BC-13A

Helicoid grease is a specialist item that is difficult to source and suitable options are limited. Even with options, the lens manufacturers do not disclose their greases and there are a very limited number of trusted resources that have reviewed various the greases. Two greases that are under consideration are Japan Hobby Tool #10 and NPC FC-4 (reportedly the grease used in some Nikkor lenses)

The Eutopian Light Mod? The Beauty Dish

As an amatuer photographer interested in lighting I was almost always drawn to a beauty dish, and I remember quite a lot of interest for Todd Owyoung's DIY beauty dish when it first appeared as a means for amateurs to obtain their very own cheap beauty dish - it wasn't for everyone but I've always been intrigued by the light quality from a beauty dish.

Budget Monolight: Godox MS300 practical observations

The Godox brand has been pumping out budget lights for a while now and in recent years the options for entry level monoblock has fallen away with Bowens folding, leaving only Elinchrom D-Lite RX One 100Ws (and its aging user interface/controls) or the Chinese Godox MS200/MS300 rated at 200Ws/300Ws. This is not a review (there's plenty of good ones over the years since its release in ~2019) but with budget/entry level monoblocks, there's generally reasons for the categorisation.



I had a chance to play with a loaner unit for a few weeks and some practical observations.