Common questions I hear, especially from newer photographers are “What lenses should I buy,” or “how do I get that creamy, blurry background in the photo?” Another very popular one is after posting a photo is “what lens did you use to get that soft background?” Well, there are several different answers for the blurry background, one method is in post after the fact, but it’s better to get it in camera. So, how do you get a blurry, bokehlicious photos in camera?

Continuous light can be quite expensive, especially if you are looking for an option that lets you change the color of the light. But perhaps you don't need all the bells and whistles of a high-end option. This simple $15 can be just what your kit is missing.

In the past five years or so, we have seen a proliferation of very large lenses. With seemingly ever-expanding footprints and weights, it seems portability has often taken a backseat to image quality. But are these burgeoning sizes always better? This great video takes a look at that question.

Canon released the 1D X Mark II last year, representing the next generation of its flagship model, a camera meant to be without compromise — top of the line capabilities, durability, and performance. As even consumer-level cameras reach sometimes stratospheric heights, the truly professional models have had to reach for even greater heights to continue to distinguish themselves. Read on to see where the 1D X Mark II fits in.

You often hear film makers say, "Your video is only as good as your audio". Obviously video production goes a long way too but poor audio can completely ruin an otherwise great video. Until recently, DSLR cameras have been anything but great at recording audio. The on board microphones are noisy and prone to record camera noise. Plugging an external microphone into the line-in has also left a lot to be desired. So how should someone

If you've wanted to try macro photography but didn't want to outlay on all the special equipment necessary, you're in luck. If you're an iPhone user, SANDMARC has a 100mm Macro lens you can screw onto your phone, and I put it through its paces.

Phone cameras are the most used cameras on earth, but it's only in the last five years or so that photographers have been taking them more seriously. Now, Sony are looking to blur the boundaries even further.

For a lot of photographers, a superzoom is the lens they can leave on their camera most of the time for walking around and tackling whatever they can throw at it. For Fuji shooters, the closest lens is the XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens, and this great video review shows you how it holds up in practice.

I fell into a canal in Venice with the ThinkTank StreetWalker HardDrive Bag on my back. I was walking too close to the edge while looking at the bridges and architecture, and how the water brushes up against them, when I stepped on a moss-covered section of the canal ledge. I slipped, hit my bum on the ledge, and gently slid into the canal. There was no splash, and my head didn't go below water, but the ledge was so slippery that I couldn’t get out by myself. I was floating in the canal for what was the longest 30 seconds of my life.

DJI has just released the Mavic 3 Classic. Very similar to the standard Mavic 3, the new DJI Mavic 3 Classic has one major difference that brings the price down significantly. Does that change compromise its performance or make it less attractive? Take a look at this pilot's first impressions.

One of the biggest hits at a wedding reception (or any event) is the photobooth. It’s an area where guests can gather around and make ridiculous faces, dress in silly props, and have an overall great time. When running a photography business that shoots events, we are always asked if we offer photobooth services, so I think it's a natural evolution to want to incorporate one into your packages. When I first found the booth from Photobooth Supply Co, it instantly stood out from all the other options.

A small, affordable prime lens with a relatively wide focal length can be tremendously useful (as long as it has the image quality to back it up), and at just $256 and 5.5 oz (155 g), the Nikon NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 lens certainly fits the bill. This great video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of sharpness and performance you can expect from it in real-world usage.

Sony’s new a7S III is quite the piece of gear on paper, but how does it perform out in the real world? Videographer Matt Johnson puts it through its paces shooting a beautiful Texas wedding, complete with high temperatures, bright highlights, and dark shadows — not to mention some dim interiors and a couple of donkeys.

Sony released the a7 to great fanfare and that one camera has received a plethora of well-deserved awards. Did I say one camera? How about three cameras.

In an age of ultra sharpness and perfect optical balance, our technically brilliant images can often lack charm. So in this tutorial, I'll show you how to use retro lenses on your modern digital camera for photographs that have a lot of character and harken back to the days of film.

The Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM is one of the company's best lenses, but of course, with that quality comes a hefty price tag. This fun video takes a look at the wide angle zoom lens and answers just what makes it so expensive.

Rumors are swirling in the photography world about Canon's plans to release four new fast prime lenses in the first half of 2024. According to sources, Canon is developing four new L-series primes that will give photographers faster glass and improved performance for shooting in low light and creating beautiful bokeh.

A wide-aperture 35mm lens is quite versatile, suitable for numerous applications ranging from events coverage to portraiture. The Samyang AF 35mm f/1.8 FE for Sony E mount cameras is one such lens, and it comes in a very small package at quite an affordable price. This great video review takes a look at what you can expect from it in practice.

It's no secret about how Apple and other manufacturers get around the optical zoom problem on smartphones. One only needs to look at the back of the phone to see the ever-increasing number of lenses and sensors stuffed into the back shell. Sony, however, has figured out another way.

Sony’s decision to open their full-frame E-mount mirrorless cameras to third-party lens manufacturers has led to a thriving market with a variety of options. Among these, three standard zoom lenses stand out: the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art II, and the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 G2. These lenses are popular because they offer a versatile zoom range and a bright maximum aperture, making them ideal for various shooting scenarios, including low-light situations and achieving smooth bokeh.

In the past few years, we have seen a few zoom lenses that push the boundaries of lens design and performance to the point that they can conceivably replace several prime lenses with comparable performance and many times more convenience. One such lens is the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD, which offers an impressively wide aperture combined with a highly versatile focal length range, and this great video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it.

One small piece of gear is an essential buy for landscape, travel, and adventure photographers. Even if you already own one, a number of recent developments may mean it is time to update.

In a world filled with videos and tutorials featuring every yahoo with a camera telling us how-to setup, pose, light, and edit, it's hard to know what's just noise and what's worthy of our time. Fortunately, there's experienced instructors like Karl Taylor and Urs Recher who have teamed up to share their techniques in the latest How-To series from Broncolor.

Canon has taken a while to extend their mirrorless range of cameras, and they’ve also stalled on giving 4K to the masses. I’m not sure why they’ve taken so long, but Peter McKinnon runs us through what to expect with the new Canon M50.

The Fujifilm X-S10 is the latest addition to the company's respected X Series line of cameras, and it features a lot of the latest tech, including 4K video and fast continuous shooting rates. How does it perform in practice? This great and comprehensive takes a look at the camera and what you can expect from it in real-world usage.

Do you own a drone? Have you thought about picking one up this holiday season? I can almost guarantee that you have been looking at something by the world leader in drone manufacturing DJI but what if I said you had options? Yuneec exploded on the scene as a real drone competitor with the debut of the Typhoon H with object avoidance which was a game changer for drones at the time. Today, the most popular drones are within the DJI family but Yuneec continues to innovate and build an incredible product easily rivaling that of the now famous Phantom line.

An external recorder can be a good choice for video. Such a recorder has no use for photography, but it can function as an external screen. Since you don’t need the recording option, there are some affordable possibilities as well. Perhaps an external screen can be of benefit for your photography?

There are so many budget lens manufacturers that I've begun losing count. What I haven't lost track of, however, is how strong the quality has become.