Recent Gear Articles

A Review of the Panasonic S1H

The Panasonic S1H is an absolute monster of a camera that's aimed squarely at videographers and filmmakers. And while it looks fantastic on paper, you might be wondering how it holds up in real-world use. This excellent video review answers just that question.

10 Things a Motorsports Photographer Couldn't Live Without

This week I spoke with professional motorsports photographer Drew Gibson to find out what 10 things he couldn't live without in his camera bag. With clients such as Aston Martin and Top Gear, Drew certainly knows his way around motorsports photography.

Photographer Turns Craftsman: A Review of Trillo and Son's Bespoke Camera Straps

Accomplished Forth Worth, Texas-based wedding photographer, Hiram Trillo recently turned his attention to another craft, namely leather work. His newly-opened company, Trillo and Son, specializes in creating high-quality, pass-it-down-to-your-grandkid, small-batch camera straps designed with the working professional in mind. I had the opportunity to spend the better part of a month with a trio of these straps, a Warhol in cognac, a Bresson in natural leather, and a Capa in oak.

Benro Announces New Video Monopods

Earlier this week at NAB, Benro extended its video product line by adding a Heavy Duty 3-leg folding base to the classic A38F and A48F models making them ideal for a variety of video shooters. Also new to the lineup are two twist lock versions giving the customer their choice of lock for both the S2 and S4 video monopods. The Benro monopods appear to compete directly with the popular Manfrotto video monopod.

Top 12 Firmware Wishes for the Panasonic GH5

The Panasonic GH5 is my dream camera. It's like having a pro level video camera in the palm of your hand. It's almost perfect, but there are just a few strange quirks about this camera that could and should be fixed by Panasonic in the next firmware update.

This Lens Was Way Ahead of Its Time

We take ridiculously powerful autofocus that can lock onto something like a subject's eye and track it through a challenging environment for granted nowadays, and we sometimes forget that there was a time when autofocus did not even exist. However, in the late 1970s, autofocus began to appear, and even though Canon's lens mount at the time did not support it, they found a way to put it in a lens anyway. This neat video review takes a look at that lens.

What Does Nikon’s Entry into Mirrorless Mean for the Industry?

While there have been countless videos released reviewing Nikon’s latest release of the Z6 and Z7, there hasn’t been much of a discussion around what this means for the industry as a whole. Ultimately, is the release of the new bodies enough to keep Nikon’s base from defecting to other systems, or is there now a discussion among Nikon strategists on how to capture market share back from other manufacturers, mainly Sony?

Is the Nikon Z7 II or Z8 the Right Camera for You?

Both the Nikon Z7 II and Z8 have earned reputations as highly capable cameras capable of producing excellent images in a variety of conditions. With a thousand dollars of difference between the two, you might wonder if you need the more expensive Z8 or if the Z7 II will cover all your needs. This in-depth video comparison takes a close look at both cameras to help you pick the right option.

Wildlife Photographer Reviews the Nikon D6

Nikon has long been a top choice for wildlife photographers. Will this new professional camera meet the expectations of this veteran professional photographer in the field? Find out in this full review.

A Month With the 14" MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro line has long been the workhorse computer of choice for many photographers and filmmakers who need the power to tackle a range of demanding creative projects in a package they can take with them. For those who want that power but without the larger footprint of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, the 14-inch model looks like the perfect option. This great video review takes a look at the 14-inch model and how it performs after a month of usage.

A Review of the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens

Sigma's modern design is based around building affordable lenses with high optical quality, with size taking a lower priority to the former two points. One of the lenses that most obviously embodies this is the 40mm f/1.4 Art. This great video review takes a look at this humongous but impressive lens.

Words of Wisdom for New Photographers

So you received a fancy new DSLR or mirrorless camera for Christmas, or immediately went to the local electronics store with your wallet resembling George Costanzas’ from “Seinfeld,” filled to the brim with holiday gift cards, and picked yourself a kit that has everything you need to conqueror the photography trenches, including not one but two lenses. You may be asking yourself, why would people not buy this? Buying just a camera body when this is such a good deal, makes little sense when you're first starting out. If this is sounding anything remotely close to recent thoughts you’ve had, stick around. In all honesty, I wish I would have had a few of these pointers when I got started in photography.

Samyang XP 50mm f/1.2 Lens Announced

After the release of the Samyang XP 14mm f/2.4 and XP 85mm f/1.2, the company has now announced the latest “XPert” lens, the 50mm f/1.2.

Profoto Adds High Speed Sync to Beloved B1 Strobe through Firmware Update

Until now, High Speed Sync (HSS) has been a luxury feature designed exclusively for speedlights (and select new strobes), allowing you to shoot using strobes at shutter speeds previously unavailable. However, announced this morning, Profoto has enabled High Speed Sync solutions to their beloved B1 studio strobe, and best of all? It's available now as a simple firmware update.

To High Speed Sync or Not to High Speed Sync? Maybe an ND Filter Is Best

There's a feature with flashes that if you're in the know, is a lifesaver. High speed sync is something that allows you to shoot beyond what's considered the maximum sync speed of your camera, and to shoot wide open with flash in bright light, it's often a necessity to balance the exposure.

Blackmagic Cinema Camera Catches Fire During Filming

First reported on planet 5D, then picked up by our friends at PetaPixel, earlier this week producer and videographer, Forest Gibson's $4k+ Blackmagic Cinema Camera kit caught fire after filming. This a video he shot of the aftermath.

Free Training:  Learn All The New Features of Photoshop CS6

If you are like me, you probably update to new versions of Photoshop only to not take advantage of any of the new features. Learning new techniques on your own time is always time consuming. This week(end) only, our friends at CreativeLIVE are offering a free download of Lesa Snider's CS6 course (normally $79) which is Live now! Lesa covers all of the new features like Puppet Warp, Liquify, Lighting Effects, Video, and Content Aware as well as some basic tools you might already know about. Details are in the full post

Fstoppers Reviews the New Tamrac Anvil Professional Series Photo Backpacks

For almost 40 years, Tamrac has been producing bags aimed towards photographers who embraced the great outdoors. Their brand new collection of Anvil backpacks — which replaces the Expedition line — continues their tradition while making a number of exciting design choices that make this collection their best ever. In this review, I take a look at the Anvil Slim 15, which is sized for photographers who have entered the exploding mirrorless market, but shares the same look and feature set of the rest of the Anvil collection.

Will Fstoppers Upgrade to the GH5S?

The rumors were true and today Panasonic announced the new GH5S, the "updated" version of the GH5. It's certainly better in some ways, but not all.

How Good Is the Unique Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM Lens?

The Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM is one of the most unique lenses released in a long time, offering an extremely long focal length at an impressively affordable price with the caveat of an unusually narrow and fixed aperture. How does it perform in the real world? This great video review takes a close look at the lens.

LensRentals Disassembles the New Canon 5D Mark IV

If you're curious to see what a brand new Canon 5D Mark IV looks like on the inside, here is you chance. LensRentals has already done one of their popular teardown articles on the new camera, and taken one apart before most people who preordered it even received it yet. This post obviously won't help your photography in anyway, but it sure is interesting and fun!

Tilt-Shift Lenses vs Lightroom/Photoshop: In Camera or Fix It in Post?

As an architectural photographer, the main types of lenses I use are tilt-shift lenses. These prime lenses are unique in how they operate because they allow you to move the internal elements parallel to the sensor. This can be extremely useful for perspective control and ideal for shooting architecture. The question is, are they vital or just overpriced?

Hasselblad Officially Announces Availability of H5D-50c CMOS Camera Back

Hasselblad has made the camera they said existed back in January official: the H5D-50C CMOS medium format back will retail for €20,900. Ian Rawcliffe, Hasselblad CEO, stated: "There is no price premium at all for customers who wish to acquire this groundbreaking technology. The H5D-50c will ship with the same price tag that applies to our H5D-50 model."

The Super Clamp: One of the Most Useful Tools in a Photographer's Toolkit

It is certainly not the sexiest topic to talk about, but for any photographer or videographer working with any sort of lighting or studio equipment, the super clamp is a highly useful tool that will come in handy over and over again. This great video will introduce you to super clamps and show you some of the many things they are useful for.

How Good Are the New Panasonic S1 and S1R Cameras?

The new Panasonic S1 and S1R are the latest entries into the highly competitive full frame mirrorless camera market, and they bring some very unique and interesting features to the table. This great video offers a helpful first look at the cameras and some of their features.

OM System Announce the New TOUGH TG-7 Adventure Camera

Historically, the Olympus TOUGH cameras were well respected by outdoor adventurers, divers, and those who work in extreme environments. The New OM System TOUGH TG-7 has taken a huge step forward with a host of exciting new features.