Recent Gear Articles

These Are the Best and Worst Cameras For Video

DSLR cameras with a focus on video don't get enough respect. Often regarded as a less-than-serious tool by professionals, and perhaps too complicated for photographers, they occupy an interesting but important middle-ground for content creators. So which brand is doing this genre right?

Can This Affordable 85mm f/1.4 Lens Challenge More Expensive Options?

The 85mm f/1.4 lens is perhaps the most classic and highly sought-after model, offering an excellent portrait focal length in tandem with a wide maximum aperture for especially soft backgrounds. However, such lenses are often rather expensive, easily topping $2,000. So, at less than $500, the Meike 85mm f/1.4 AF is an especially intriguing option. This excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

How To Back Up Your Digital Photos... To Film

Backing up is easy, right? You import your photos from a memory card, then everything is safe and sound on your hard drive. Wrong. Norwegian startup — Piql — believes the answer is to back up your files to film.

[News] Canon Cinema EOS 1D, C100, and C500 Coming Soon?

EOSHD.com reports that Canon is working on both lower- and higher-end versions of the C300, the C100 and C500. While we're unsure about the C100, new rumors indicate that Canon could be ready to announce the C500 along with the previously rumored Cinema EOS 1D DSLR made specifically for video! And all this could happen before the weekend, when NAB 2012 is set to kick off. Read on for some specs!

The Truth About Gear: When It Matters in Photography

The debate over whether gear matters in photography is common. You've likely heard that gear doesn't make you a better photographer, but it's not entirely true. Sometimes, the right gear can significantly impact your work.

Nikon D810 Available for Pre-Order

If you've been holding out for the D800/D800E replacement, today's you're lucky day: it's finally here. Featuring a new 36-megapixel sensor, better ISO range, and shutter and AF technologies from the D4s, the D810 is now available for pre-order from B&H, or you can also pre-order from Amazon, too.

Power Station for Photographers: We Review the Bluetti AC60

I have been searching for a portable power station that can meet my energy needs on the go and power my home office during power outages for some time now. And with the Bluetti AC60, I found a compact solution.

A Review of the Fujifilm XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR Lens

The Fujifilm XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR, with its exceptionally wide angle of view, is versatile for numerous uses, making it an intriguing option, particularly alongside an affordable price. In this excellent video review, the lens is explored in depth, showcasing the kind of performance and image quality it delivers in real-world scenarios.

$369 Gimbal Versus $10,000 Stabilizer Rig

The price disparity between entry-level and high-end equipment in photography and videography is larger than every, and in many ways, that makes comparing them more interesting. In this video, one videographer shoots b-roll with a cheap smartphone gimbal and an expensive stabilizer rig to see just how much difference there is.

Fstoppers Reviews the Tenba Axis 20L Backpack

For those of us who insist on lugging our gear out on location, a sturdy backpack is a must-have. As a hiker, climber, and chronically over prepared photographer, I’m used to packing a heavy load up the side of a mountain. That’s why I was so excited to get my hands on the 20L Tenba Axis Backpack.

How Does DJI's Osmo Action Cam Stack up Against the Competition?

Drone-maker DJI made a bold decision to descend from the heavens and put its cameras into the hands of action sports junkies with the recent release of the Osmo Action camera. But while we know DJI has dominated the skies, how does it stack up against the competition in the action camera market? Kai Wong puts it to the test.

Fstoppers Reviews Haida’s NanoPro Mist Black Filter: Softer Can Be Better

While many reviews look at how sharp a lens can be, for this review, we’ll be looking at a filter that does the opposite. Haida's NanoPro Mist filter is actually designed to add a soft glow, while still keeping fine details. Now, before you think about the JCPenney portrait studio shots of the past decades, this filter is subtler. Haida’s NanoPro Mist filter is instead designed to diffuse the highlights and soften the overall contrast, bringing the filmic characteristic of halation to digital. Does it live up to the task?

A Review of the New Sigma 50mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary Lens

The new Sigma 50mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary lens offers one of the most popular focal lengths in tandem with a modestly wide maximum aperture, all in a very travel-friendly package, making it an appealing lens for quite a few photographers. Can it deliver good performance and image quality to back up those appealing characteristics? This great video review takes a look at what you can expect.

LaCie Announces the 2 TB DJI CoPilot Hard Drive

Seagate’s premium brand, LaCie, and DJI have teamed up again and announced at CES this week the 2 TB DJI Copilot BOSS USB 3.1 Type-C Hard Drive. The DJI CoPilot comes with a $349 price tag. With 2 TB of storage users can expect to get 60 hours of 4K video at 30 frames per second or 20,000 raw images.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mirrorless Camera Review

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 might have a complicated name, but it shouldn’t put you off in any way from considering it as a serious option for your mirrorless camera arsenal.

A Review of the Relatively Affordable Venus Optics Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift Lens

If you have ever used a wide angle lens to photograph a building from ground level, you have probably encountered a frustrating dilemma: either you include way too much foreground in the shot or you angle the lens upward and make all the buildings look like they are about to fall over. A lens with a shift function can correct that issue, and one relatively affordable option is the Venus Optics Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it.

What Is the Best Focus Point Size?

It used to be that cameras had three or nine focus points, with maybe 30-50 on more top-level professional bodies. Nowadays, cameras have hundreds or even thousands of focus points with nearly limitless ways to combine and arrange them. One of the fundamental choices you will have to make is the size of your focus point, and this excellent video tutorial will help you decide which is right for your work.

A Review of the iPhone 15 Pro Max for Photo and Video Creation

The iPhone 15 Pro Max sits at the top of Apple's popular line of smartphones, offering a wide range of powerful tools and capabilities for photo and video creators alike, making it a compelling option for many users. This excellent video review takes a look at the phone and how its most advanced features perform in the workflow of a professional creative.

Is This the Answer to All Your Color Issues? We Review Datacolor’s Spyder Checkr Photo

Color. Vivid green forests, melty brown chocolate, voluptuous red lips: color is the reason that compels so many of us to reach for our cameras. When I was approached about reviewing Datacolor's Spyder Checkr Photo, I was skeptical. Color is one of the most-often stated reasons clients approach me. Was this little device just another gimmick marketed to chroma junkies, or was it a tool that would fine tune my color-centric work? I gave it a try, and I’m here to share my findings with my fellow artists who love color as much as I do.

Perfect Power Solution for Photographers on the Road

A few weeks ago, I reviewed the Bluetti AC60 compact power station. This device was already great on its own. But, I had a critique about its capacity of only 403Wh. Today, I show how to extend the AC60 to become the perfect power solution for the road and the office.

[Gear] A Review of the Biggest Week in Electronics

Between Nikon's D4 announcement at the end of last week and this week at CES, it's been (and will continue to be) an exciting time of imaging innovation. In this post, we'll re-cap some of the top innovations that have been introduced recently and what these new features mean for you -- in the real world.
Is This the Best Landscape Photography Lens for Fujifilm GFX Users?

The Fujifilm GFX line of mirrorless cameras has become popular for making medium format more modernized and financially accessible than ever, making it a legitimate alternative to full frame for many photographers. For landscape photographers using the system, the GF 20-35mm f/4 R WR looks like the ideal lens. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

Exploring the Insane Fujica G690BL Camera

The Fujica G690BL, also known as the "Texas Leica," is a unique camera that has long intrigued many enthusiasts due to its blend of medium format quality and rangefinder ease of use. The camera stands out for its practical design, which was a response to the needs of commercial photographers in Japan who required a balance between image quality and manageable frame counts for quick development. Even today, it's a fun oddity that's worth a look.

The Next Best TikTok Camera Could Be the DJI Mavic Mini 3 Pro

The next drone in DJI's Mini lineup, the DJI Mini 3 Pro, is almost upon us, and though it looks to be a successor to the Mini 2, some reviewers have already gotten their hands on it to show that it is, in reality, a different beast entirely with its "Pro" nomenclature.

What Big Photography Gift Should Your Buy (Or Want) for the Holidays?

As the season of goodwill, giving, and receiving rapidly approaches, what do you buy an established photographer if you want to spend more? Here are some big presents for those photographers nearest to us, or ideas your loved ones might consider for you.

Leica M10-P Announced With New, 'Virtually Silent' Shutter

The Leica M10 is the company's flagship full-frame rangefinder, and today it gets an upgrade with P-model styling and a new shutter that Leica says makes the M10-P the quietest analog camera it has ever made.

A Review of the Affordable Samyang 24-70mm f/2.8 AF Zoom Lens

A 24-70mm f/2.8 is the bread and butter lens for a huge range of photographers and filmmakers, offering a wide maximum aperture in tandem with some of the most commonly used focal lengths. Nonetheless, such lenses are rarely cheap. Samyang's 24-70mm f/2.8 AF Zoom bucks that trend, however, making it quite the interesting option for a lot of creatives, and this great video review takes a look at the image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.

Zeiss Announces Plan for New Full Frame DSLR Lens Series

Zeiss has announced the impending release of a new line of full frame DSLR lenses for Canon and Nikon. They will be a family of lenses independent of the current ZE and ZF.2 lenses. At the moment, they are focusing on the development of prime lenses for release in fall of 2013.

The Panasonic S1: The Ultimate Hybrid Video and Stills Camera?

The Panasonic S1 has been making waves as a truly tricked-out camera made for professionals. Is it a camera that can step up to the most demanding needs for both stills and videos? This thoughtful review takes a look at the camera from both perspectives to answer that question.

A Review of the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM Lens for Portraiture

The Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM is the latest lens from the company, and it brings with it a variety of useful features for a lot of applications. This great video review takes a look at the lens and how it performs for portraiture work.