FroKnowsPhoto RAWtalk 188: MASSIVE GEAR DECISIONS!!! I Might Break My Own Rules...

Date: February 27, 2026
Hosts: Jared Poland (“FroKnowsPhoto”) & Stephen Eckert

Episode Overview

This episode is a lively, personal, and gear-heavy RAWtalk in which Jared Poland and Stephen Eckert reunite to dive deep into behind-the-scenes updates, massive upcoming photo assignments, and nuanced gear decisions for sports photography. The episode weaves personal anecdotes (from childbirth chaos to wild travel stories), technical lens talk (with a spotlight on Sigma, Canon, and Nikon), and inside baseball on photographing TV productions and international sporting events. Jared faces tough choices packing for the World Baseball Classic, debates the merits of the 400mm 2.8 lens, and celebrates a major HBO documentary milestone — all while keeping the tone candid, irreverent, and packed with practical insights for photo pros.

Personal Catch-Up: Stephen’s Return & Family Updates

[00:00–10:59]

• Stephen’s Absence Explained: Stephen opens up about his recent “birthing experience” — the birth of his second child, Molly Elizabeth Eckert, on January 30th. The scheduled C-section was pushed back due to a hospital scheduling mishap, causing emotional chaos and upended plans.
  • “We say our goodbyes to Hannah and Chip… emotional goodbye, you know, can’t hold back tears… get to the hospital, wait… The doctor comes in with bad news… huge miscommunication…” – Stephen [03:23]
• Hospital Hilarity: Lighthearted banter on labor logistics, hospital food (“sub fast food,” “most expensive hotel room you’ll ever stay in”), and dad “beds.”
• Candid Parenthood Moments: Stephen shares struggles with sleep regressions, hospital scheduling drama, and missing their preferred doctor, but emphasizes things ultimately worked out.
  • “The newborn’s easy minus the overnight feedings; the toddler’s the… [hard] part.” – Stephen [02:13]
• Banter on Pregnancy Tracking & Empathy: Jared presses on “how do you really know conception date?”; the hosts riff on empathy, hospital etiquette, and the value of dad participation.

Stephen’s Hospital Photo Setup & Lens Rant

[06:51–11:17]

• Photography in Delivery: Stephen took the Canon R5 Mark II (without the fan grip) into the delivery room, noting hospital restrictions on video versus photo. He used several Canon VCM lenses (35mm, 50mm, 20mm f/1.4) but found Canon’s lens correction “overcompensates—makes exposure off by a stop,” especially for vignetting.
  • “They’re relying heavily on [corrections]… Gone are the days of optically perfect.” – Jared [10:59]
  • “The stretching is insane when it’s trying to correct for distortion.” – Stephen [11:09]

Gear News: Sigma & Nikon Lens Announcements

[11:17–20:33]

• Sigma Lens Rundown ([11:42–14:53])
  • Stephen reviews Sigma’s latest APS-C and Art lenses (15mm f/1.4 DC, 35mm f/1.4 DG Art 2, and a “development announcement” for the 85mm f/1.2 for E and L mounts).
  • Discussion on the role of wide primes for APS-C and Canon’s newly allowed third-party lenses for RF-S mount — but “still ridiculous” no full-frame RF third-party.
  • “Sigma’s got a pretty sweet lineup right now… [but] most of these primes on crop sensor make almost no sense for people.” – Jared [12:12]
  • Hype for Sigma’s 85 1.2 AF lens being the “first autofocus” 85mm 1.2 for Sony E-mount.
• Nikon 70–200mm f/2.8 V2 Pre-Review ([15:21–20:57])
  • Hosts received pre-production access. Impressive improvements with the “Silky Swift motors” (VCM, voice coil, more precise and 3.5x faster), smaller/lighter design, and the controversial removal of the status screen.
  • Praise for Nikon finally catching up (“considerably lighter… finally removed [the screen] from every Version 2 lens”) and honest debate about the awkward zoom ring placement at the end of the barrel.
  • Pricing: All major pro 70–200mm 2.8s now cost ~$3200; affordable pro glass is out of reach.
  • Memorable quote: “Everybody tries to justify [Nikon’s zoom position], but then you’re super shaky when you’re zooming—it’s movement… with Sony, you don’t move or rock the camera.” – Jared [19:58]

Housekeeping & Production Updates

[20:57–23:38]

• Team expansion: New employee Austin added two weeks before Stephen’s paternity leave, complicating workflow but increasing content output.
• Recent travel & weather drama: Jared’s bowling assignment in Dallas was extended by a blizzard, but he’s philosophical about uncontrollable travel snafus — “I’ve been a lot better lately with compartmentalizing… just being able to be okay with what’s happening.” [22:25]

Bowling TV Show Milestone

[23:38–33:38]

• Historic Bowling Finals ([23:01–25:24])
  • Jared recounts a “never happens” event: rookie bowler Kyle Troup runs the stepladder and rolls a perfect game in the final, beating EJ Tackett. High drama!
  • “This kid bowls a perfect game in the finals… There’s nothing you could do to beat that.” – Jared [24:13]
• Offbeat Dallas Story ([25:24–28:34])
  • Jared shares a lighthearted story about meeting a waitress, awkward social interactions, and the perks (or not) of Dallas sights.
• Major Announcement:
  • The bowling docuseries (Born to Bowl) lands on HBO/HBO Max, premiering March 16. Narrated by Liev Schreiber, executive produced by Ben Stiller & A24. Jared’s images are featured in official promo materials.
  • “I had years I had to keep it under wraps… The poster uses my images.” – Jared [32:36]
• Community Chatter: Reddit sleuthing picks up buzz before the official reveal with comments like “the muscular guy with the fro and camera.” Jared gets a kick out of that (“my ass actually follows me because it’s on my back”). [28:12]
• Show Promotion Plans: “Hopefully your friends watch it…honestly it’s a show you don’t even need to like bowling because it’s about people who so happen to bowl.” [33:21]

Sports Photography Assignments & Major Gear Decisions

[33:38–55:23]

World Baseball Classic Assignment ([33:38–43:01])

• Team Israel Photographer: Jared is the official photographer for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic, including coverage of training sessions and games against the Mets and Marlins. He secured the gig by simply asking: “So… I asked.”
• Custom I SHOOT RAW Shirts: Jared prepares special edition navy blue shirts with a Star of David in the logo for the event (“I ordered a bunch… for friends who are Jewish that would wear it. Austin will not be wearing it.”).
• Behind-the-Scenes Video Plan: Stephen encourages Jared/Austin to document their approach to shooting sports and production for educational value (“I find that really interesting from a photography perspective”).

Gear Philosophies & Detailed Packing Dilemmas ([43:01–55:23])

• Storytelling Over Speed: Jared insists on “telling the best photo story possible” rather than racing for social media posts. HBO’s use of his 2022 photos for show posters is used as an example of why personal work pays off.

  • “You never know what’s gonna happen with your images…you just gotta go do.” – Jared [62:35]

• Film Gear: He’s bringing a 4x5 with Aero Ektar lens, two R1s, a battery of Canon primes (and wide angles), and stresses the need to balance intent with portability.

• Prime Dilemma: 400mm 2.8 vs. 100-300mm 2.8:

  • Real-time wrestling with the practicality of packing the heavyweight 400mm f/2.8 for baseball. After consulting with stadium photographers (“400 is almost too tight at that park”), Jared leans toward the flexible 100–300mm f/2.8 plus a 1.4x extender instead.
  • “If 400 is tight on the edges for a horizontal shot… a 1-to-3 just at 300 should be tight enough.” [52:08]
  • On extenders: “It’s a compromise I’m willing to make… cropping is not a compromise I’m willing to make, but the TC is.” [51:07]

• Wide Angle Choices: 7–14mm and 10–20mm for immersive dugout/atmosphere shots (“bowing does work… just for something different”).

• Travel Realities: Jared will be checking a bag for film holders, carrying minimal clothes (“maybe just two pairs of pants for 10 days,” joked).

• 4x5 Lens Character: Deep dive on the merit of using a “beat-up” Aero Ektar — old, optical imperfections add character and period feel, arguing against modern obsession with lens perfection.

  • “When you’re shooting with a camera from the 1930s, 40s, you want it to look like the 1930s, 40s, not like 2026.” – Jared [60:10]

• Shooting Approach: Stresses having to “mentally focus on one, not both” if using 4x5 and digital. “If you try to do both, you end up failing.” [57:36]

Notable Quotes

• “Being authentic on camera is so much more important today than it’s ever been… I’ve been authentic since I started making videos all the way back in the day.” – Jared [38:24]
• “A great photo is a great photo is a great photo, whether you shot it with a tin can or a potato. No one ever looks at the greatest images in history and says, ‘I wish they were using a different lens.’” – Jared [59:55]
• “Lots of gear, lots of gear to think about and travel with.” – Stephen [63:48]

Memorable Moments & Banter

• Jared’s social confidence: Staring contests as dating strategy, and commentary on his “muscular guy” reputation and big ass. [28:12]
• Jared’s custom I SHOOT RAW shirts for Team Israel: “I will put them into a store and allow a couple of people to order them when I get back… for the 12 Jews that watch.” [43:11]
• Droll take on hospital pricing: “That’s just so they know what to charge you… one scalpel, $4 billion.” – Jared [08:23]
• Gear snobbery and lens nostalgia: Both hosts pine for “character” in glass and lament modern manufacturers’ overreliance on digital correction over pure optics.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00] – Stephen Returns; Hospital Story Begins
• [06:51] – Delivery Room Photography/Lens Corrections
• [11:17] – Sigma Lens Announcements
• [15:21] – Nikon 70-200 v2 Hands-on
• [23:01] – Bowling Finals Story/HBO Show Announcement
• [33:38] – Team Israel/World Baseball Classic Assignment
• [43:01] – Gear Planning; 4x5 & 400mm Dilemma
• [59:55] – Lens Character/Film Photography Rant
• [63:38] – Wrap-up & Future RAWtalks

Takeaways

• The emotional and logistical realities of balancing a creative career, family, and major assignments.
• In-depth consideration is necessary to select the right gear for the story—not just for social media speed or coverage, but for historical/documentary value.
• The art and practicality of lens selection for sports: always revisit old assumptions and don’t be afraid to break your own “rules.”
• Importance of personal projects — unpaid work can pay dividends years later in unexpected ways.
• The hosts’ banter and honest takes, from gear snobbery to parental exhaustion, keep RAWtalk relatable, insightful, and always entertaining.

End of Summary