Do You Really Need a Gimbal? Sony IBIS Versus DJI RS2 Gimbal

The technology inside cameras is growing at an impressive rate and even the older technology has been improved and refined to near-unthinkable levels. One such area is in-camera image stabilization (IBIS) to the point where it can rival a gimbal in certain situations. But just how many situations can modern IBIS compete with a gimbal?

A Review of the Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G Lens

For many genres, an ultra-wide angle zoom lens can be quite useful, and while an f/2.8 aperture can be quite helpful, the extra expense and bulk is not always necessary for people like landscape or architectural photographers. For Sony shooters, there is also the FE 12-24mm f/4 G lens, and this fantastic video review takes a look at the kind of performance you can expect from it in practice.

3 Things to Consider Before Buying Your First Film Camera

If digital images feel a bit too clean and clinical, consider giving your photography some soul by shooting on film. Before buying your first analog camera, here are three things that you should keep in mind.

How to Shoot Flash Portraits at Night

Portraits that combine flash with natural light are a highly popular look and a technique that will do a lot to help you gain more confidence and versatility when working with artificial light. However, when you start shooting at night, the technique becomes a little trickier. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to shoot portraits at night when using a flash.

A Different Way to Improve Your Photo in Five Seconds

There are many different ways to accomplish the same thing when it comes to editing your photos. I absolutely love learning new and more efficient techniques for my workflow, and I hope this method will do exactly that.

Hands on With the Sony a1: Not Quite the Perfect Camera?

Sony made waves last week with the announcement of its brand new flagship a1. At an eye-watering $6,498, it brings some notable technological advances, but early testing suggests that there are few areas where it seems to fall short or perhaps doesn’t quite live up to the marketing spiel.

Why You Should Consider Embracing Prime Lenses

No doubt, zoom lenses are extremely convenient and useful for a wide variety of applications across a wide range of genres. Nonetheless, prime lenses can help you improve by forcing you into creative problem-solving, and this fantastic video essay discusses why you might want to try using them more often.

These Images Show Perfectly Why Photography Matters

One of the most important things about photography is that it records moments in time so they are never forgotten by future generations. It also provides evidence that things actually happened. These incredible images from last week's monster ocean swells in Hawaii show why photography is so important in documenting history.

Can't Get Rid of Ghosting Effect in Your HDR Images? Try This Instead

Bracketing your exposures and automatically blending them together in your preferred software is probably the handiest way to get the most dynamic range from your camera without introducing a load of noise. But how can you blend shots accurately when your subject is moving?

What Is Really Important in Photography?

There are hundreds if not thousands of posts discussing why creative vision is the most important aspect of photography. Why, then, are we so obsessed with gear?

The Best Images from GuruShots "Impressive Architecture" Challenge

GuruShots is a photography website that hosts "The World’s Greatest Photo Game,” In their latest challenge, they invited participants to submit their best photos of "Impressive Architecture." The challenge received thousands of entries and millions of votes. You can see the three winners of the challenge as well as hundreds of top rated images below.

A Walk Around a Commercial Photographer's Studio

Photography studios come in many shapes and sizes, from family portrait studios on the high street to elaborate YouTuber sets. In this article, I walk you around my studio and explain why I have the layout and kit that I do for my work.

How Social Media Will Kill the Underground

It has almost become a truism: social media creates mediocrity. In an effort to gain a share of the social media pie, artists are rewarded for blending in, not standing out.

What Cameras Will We See in 2021?

When it comes to new cameras, 2021 has already started off with a bang, with the release of Fujifilm GFX 100S bringing high-level medium format capabilities down to unheard of price levels, and the Sony a1 pushing mirrorless full frame into exciting new realms. With 11 months still to go in the year and a lot of exciting gear rumored to be on the way, what can we expect? This great video discusses what we might see.

A Review of the New Fujifilm X-E4 Mirrorless Camera

Fujifilm recently announced the X-E4, the latest camera in the company's beloved X Series line of mirrorless cameras, and it pairs their latest X-Trans sensor with a lot of new features and capabilities at an affordable price. This excellent video review takes a look at the new camera and the pros and cons you can expect from it.

A Review of the Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS Lens

70-200mm f/2.8 lenses are some of the most versatile and highly popular optics out there, but they are rather expensive and heavy. For those who want the flexibility of the reach of a 70-200mm but do not need the extra light-gathering power, the 70-200mm f/4 is a fantastic option, and this great video review takes a look at Sony's option, the FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS.

5 Reasons To Buy a Nikon D850 — or Any DSLR — in 2021

When it was released in 2017, the Nikon D850 could be considered the alpha and the omega of the SLR photography world. It represented almost every advancement ever made for cameras with swinging mirrors. But are there still reasons to buy one of these, or any DSLR, in 2021?

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (January 2021): Roy Iwasaki

The Fstoppers community is brimming with creative vision and talent. Every day, we comb through your work, looking for images to feature as the Photo of the Day or simply to admire your creativity and technical prowess. In 2021, we're featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.

Shooting at Night With a 50mm f/0.95 Lens that Costs Only $755

Third-party manufacturers have gifted photographers with a plethora of extremely fast glass in the last couple of years and this 50mm lens might be far better than you might anticipate. Expect a weighty, manual focus lens with metal construction and some chromatic aberration — not to mention a lot of bokeh and more opportunities when shooting at night.

What Are Focal Reducers and What Are They Used For?

Focal reducers are relatively rare compared to teleconverters, though they work based on the same idea (simply employed in reverse). If you have not seen them in use before, this awesome video tutorial will show you how they work and why they are useful.

Photo Manipulator's Guide To Adobe Stock

In this video tutorial, watch as Dean Samed gives you the low down on all things stock image related. The video is from the perspective of a photo manipulator.

How Diffraction Robs Your Photos of Sharpness

Diffraction is a fundamental physical property, and no matter how expensive your lenses are or how advanced their designs might be, there is no hiding from it. If you are unfamiliar with diffraction, this fantastic video tutorial will show you why it happens and why you should be aware of it in your own work.

Use Lightroom to Add Your Signature to Photos in Under 60 Seconds

Stop thieves from stealing your photographic work or simply put your name on shots so others can look you up by adding your own signature or logo to photographs using this technique in Lightroom that should take less than a minute.

Will Upcoming MacBook Pros Bring USB Ports Back?

As much as Apple's computers have led innovation in design, they also may have taken the minimalist approach too far with all their recent models only offering USB-C ports.

5 Tips for Better Portraits When Using Flash

Learning how to use artificial lighting for portraits can free you from the constraints of natural light and enable new creative opportunities that simply would not be possible otherwise. Nonetheless, it can feel very foreign when you are first starting and also trying to manage directing your subject. This great video tutorial will give you five helpful tips for better flash portraits.

A Review of the Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S Lens

Nikon's original 14-24mm f/2.8 was a bit of a legend among DSLR lenses, and now, we have an updated version for the mirrorless Z mount. This fantastic video review takes a look at the new NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S lens and the kind of images you can make with it.

A Beginner's Guide to Lighting Modifiers

When it comes to artificial lighting, your choice of modifier is one of the most fundamental and crucial creative and technical decisions in the entire process. If you are new to working with artificial lights, this excellent video tutorial will give you the sort of practical knowledge you need to know which modifier is right for each photo you wish to make, along with a variety of illustrative examples.

A Guide To Different Tripod Heads and When You Need Them

Getting the perfect tripod for your style of shooting and the genre you most commonly shoot can be a little tricky. Here is a guide to the different tripod heads you can buy and what each of them is used for.

Have Some Fun With a Whimsical Photoshoot

This video by Mango Street led me to being more observant. It made me see the almost comical aspects of my surroundings when walking around. To think of the space around you as a playful one could be the gateway to learning a new photographic language and communicate something more directly.

3 Ways Perfectionism Is Dangerous for Creatives

Many creatives are similar in a number of ways; we're self-critical, often riddled with doubt, and take losses hard. However, one commonality is tied up in all of these, and it can be highly detrimental: perfectionism.

Add a Vintage Look to Your Photos Using Lightroom

Whether you're wistful for the good old days, or want to recreate an analogue feel in your digital photos, this Lightroom technique will help you adorn your photos with that vintage feel.

Should You Use High Speed Sync or a Neutral Density Filter?

Using a very shallow depth of field is highly popular for portrait photography, but when you combine that with flash, you can run into a tricky situation when you bump into your flash sync speed. There are two ways around this: high speed sync and ND filters. Which is right for your work? This excellent video tutorial will explain the differences as well as the pros and cons of each.

Using Only an iPad for Photo and Video Work for Six Months

Could you do it? The iPad comes with a variety of absolutely fantastic features, it has a beautiful screen, and the tablet-editing experience can be very natural and enjoyable. However, there are still a lot of limitations as compared to a traditional computer. Could you use it exclusively for photo and video work for six months? This great video discusses a creative's experience in doing so.

A Look at the New Fujifilm X-E4 Mirrorless Camera

The X-E4 is the latest camera in Fujifilm's popular X Series line of mirrorless cameras, and it brings with it a variety of improvements and great features suitable for a wide range of applications. If you have been wondering how it holds up in real-world usage, check out this great first look video.