Recent Gear Articles

More Zoom for a Low Price: A Beginner's Guide to Teleconverters

Teleconverters are an interesting proposition: a cheap device you attach between your lens and camera body that gives you an increase in focal length. This great video will give you an introduction to their strengths and drawbacks to decide if they're right for your work.

The A Mount: Sony's Future That Never Was

Sony's not a camera company or at least hasn't been until relatively recently. Its heritage is as un-optical as any recent manufacturer can be and is certainly far removed from the heritage of the likes of Nikon, Canon, Leica, and Pentax. Yet, among the gravestones we see littering the photographic landscape, it seems likely that the A mount will soon join them, finally severing any link to the past. So, why wasn't the A mount Sony's future?

We Review the HEX Ranger Sling XL

The new HEX Ranger Sling XL bridges the gap between a large backpack and a traditional sling, combining elements of both for photographers who want to travel light without leaving almost everything at home.

What Kind of Performance Can You Expect From Apple's New M1 Macs?

Apple's move to their own chips represents a seismic shift in the computing industry, and given how many creatives rely on Macs, one that has serious ramifications for the photography and videography industry. Now that the first computers with Apple's own chips are here, you might be wondering what kind of performance you can expect. This excellent video takes a look at the new Mac mini with the M1 CPU inside.

Should You Buy Your Next Smartphone Based On DxOMark Ratings?

DxOMark has essentially become mainstream when it comes to providing ratings for cameras and smartphones. Anytime a new smartphone is released now, there’s a good chance that the overall camera rating from DxOMark is provided to demonstrate how much better this latest camera is. A growing number of individuals consider DxOMark to be biased and unscientific in its methods. The question is, how reliable is the overall rating or is it reliable at all.

Comparing Shutter Noise Of Popular Cameras

Photographer Davin Lavikka released this short and neat video documenting the shutter sounds of several popular camera's. It's a great comparison for those photographers who have a legitimate concern over shutter noise. The video also showcases the Olympus silent shooting mode, which as seen in the video, is virtually inaudible.

A Review of the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens

Canon's RF lenses have generally been well received, being noted for their high optical quality, even when compared to some of the company's best EF mount glass. This great video takes a look at the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens from its performance to its image quality.

Fstoppers Reviews the PGYTECH OneMo Camera Bag: One Bag to Rule Them All?

What do you get when you cross a solo event photographer’s working bag with your favorite business travel backpack that you can also take on a day hike through the Adirondacks to photograph your favorite waterfall? How close are we to having the perfect photographer’s camera bag that ticks each and every box?

Lenstag Launches Mobile App

Lenstag is fighting theft with the device in your pocket, not the small six shooter but your smart phone. Lenstag has launched their mobile platform on both iPhone and Android. The new app makes logging and verifying your gear a breeze. So if your state doesn't let you have a carry permit check out the app and help fight theft in the photography community.

A Guide to Shooting With Sony Cameras and Lenses on a Budget

Sony offers some of the most advanced cameras and lenses in the world, but of course, tricking out your entire kit can quickly cause the costs to add up. That being said, if you do not insist on having the absolute best equipment, it is quite possible to build a competent and capable Sony kit without breaking the bank. This helpful video will take you through the best options for cameras, primes, and zoom lenses.

Silence at the White House

Will breakthrough camera technology affect the entire atmosphere of press conferences? This White House photographer for the New York Times predicts big changes coming in just a year or two.

Tamron Announces Second Generation 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Ultra-Telephoto Lens

First launched in December 2013, the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD ultra-telephoto lens is now seeing its first update. The second generation (G2) lens will feature improvements to several areas including faster speed and better accuracy. Canon, Nikon, and Sony A mount versions of the lens start shipping September 28 at a cost of $1,399.

The Fstoppers Flash Disc Will Sell Out In Europe Today Forever

We created the Fstoppers Flash Disc two years ago as the most portable and convenient softbox for speedlights on the market. We currently sell Flash Discs on Amazon US, B&H, and Amazon UK, which ships to the entire EU. Amazon UK only has 11 Flash Discs left in stock. When they are gone, the Flash Disc will no longer be available in Europe.

How Certain Lenses Hook You Into a Camera System

As someone who shoots multiple camera systems, it’s easy to see that nothing out there is perfect. But while I’ve often thought about selling off one system entirely in favor of another, there’s always a lens or two for each system that is just about perfect and keeps me with a foot in many brands.

Canon 6D Showing Hideous Moire Problems in Video

Though we are still working on our review of the Canon 6D, Gizmodo just published their Lightning Review and besides the expected nods to the high quality of the stills, the unexpected moire issues they found in video have me frowning.

New Spider Monkey Accessory Holster System - Review

As a wedding photographer, I run around a lot and need to be ready for any moment. Because the day of a shoot can always bring surprises, I have a motto of always being prepared with extras of everything. Usually this means my assistant or I lug around a bag or two with extra flashes, batteries, and other accessories. I'm always looking for things to help me smooth out my work flow and make any wedding day easier to handle. So, when Spider Camera Holster released their new Spider Monkey for camera accessories at WPPI 2013, I was eager to try them out.

Priolite Ultra Strobe Promises to Sync at Any Speed, Any Power Setting

This is one of the more interesting strobes we've come across. Priolite has begun a Kickstarter campaign for their MBX500HS Ultra, a battery-powered monolight that promises to be able to shoot at any shutter speed available to your camera and at any power setting.

Tamron Teases Four New Lenses for Sony Full-Frame Cameras

Following the success of its 28-75mm f/2.8 and the hype surrounding the recently released 17-28mm f/2.8, Tamron has just given the world a glimpse of four new lenses for Sony full-frame cameras that it has in the pipeline.

We Review the CalDigit Element Hub

The number of devices we need to connect to our computers on a daily basis seems to be never-ending. From SSDs to monitors and graphics tablets, it seems like we never have enough ports. The CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub attempts to address this by simply giving us a large number of our most commonly used ports, USB and Thunderbolt, and making sure they all operate at full speed.

Why You Should Consider Using a Pen Tablet Instead of a Mouse

Pretty much everybody learns how to edit photos using a mouse, but as a photographer becomes more advanced, they will often switch to using a pen tablet to work on their images. If you have not yet made the switch, this helpful video will show you seven reasons why you might want to consider picking up a tablet for your editing work.

Fstoppers Reviews the MGCOOL Explorer 1s 4K $70 Action Sport Camera

Electronics company MGCOOL has recently put out several new sports action cameras in the style of GoPro targeting the 4K and affordable market. The Explorer 1s both feature rich and capable of 4k at 24FPS packs a lot in for the low price of $70.

How We Shoot Video at Night With the Tamron 35mm f/1.8

It's rare that I use prime lenses and I also don't shoot video with Nikon gear very often anymore. But, if I'm in an extremely dark environment, the Nikon D850 and Tamron 35mm f/1.8 is a killer combination.