Recent Gear Articles

[Gear] Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera Pre-Orders Available

Earlier this week we announced the upcoming Blackmagic Cinema Camera, an extremely well-priced 2.5K resolution high-definition video camera. Well, it didn't take long for this sucker to go up for sale, and now you can pre-order it at B&H Photo. At such a tempting price point, who here is going to grab one as soon as they can?

What Was the Best Gear You Bought This Year?

This has been a billboard year for camera and equipment releases as all the big players have launched impressive products of some description. What have you bought and what have your favorite purchases been?

Fstoppers Reviews Powerex MH-C980 8-Cell Charger-Analyzer

Maha's new Powerex MH-C980 8 Cell Charger/Analyzer is out and it's a full-featured, professional charging beast. Check out the nitty gritty on one of the most advanced AA/AAA battery chargers on the market.

Which Nikon 400mm Lens Is Right for You?

400mm f/2.8 lenses are often the tool of choice for sports and wildlife photographers, but with prices easily stretching north of $10,000, they are anything but cheap. So, if the quality and performance of older versions is suitable, it is well worth saving your cash. This fantastic video takes a look at the Nikon 400mm f/2.8G ED VR and Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lenses to help you decide if you need to splash out for the newest version.

New HTML Photography Websites Worth Checking Out

If you have followed Fstoppers for any amount of time, you know we are big advocates of photographers having great looking websites. Most photographers love the look of a flash site but more and more companies are starting to offer both flash and HTML versions of their sites. Creative Motion Design has been hard at work creating flashy looking websites that are coded in HTML so your potential clients can check out your work while browsing on their mobile devices and tablet computers. This week CMD released their first fully customizable HTML websites Rosie and Ethan with more designs coming out throughout the rest of 2011. I love the look of Ethan, and the prices on these sites are reasonable especially since CMD's customer service is leagues above many other website design companies. As soon as Lee and I have some free time, we are planning on converting our sites so they load up easier for potential clients.
Photography Adventures on a Budget? Go Camping

So you want to create images and travel to gorgeous and beautiful places but how are you going to afford to travel several days or weeks and still pay for food, a roof over your head, and the costs to go from point a to b, c, d, e, etcetera? Well, do you like to camp? For those photographers where money is tight or who just want to have the most flexible arrangements possible, camping is one of your best options to get to out of the way places and still get some rest in between your photographic pursuits.

Review of the SmallRig x Potato Jet Tribex Video Tripod

SmallRig has joined forces with YouTuber Gene ‘Potato Jet’ Nagata, resulting in the SmallRig x Potato Jet Tribex video tripod. This hydraulic tripod can be set up in just a few seconds, making it perfect for situations where speed is of the essence. This is my honest review of this unique tripod.

The 'Normal' Lens Challenge

Snow, mountains, forests… The breath of Dracula down your neck. Well, maybe not vampires, but bears and wolves. Welcome to Romania.

Highly Anticipated Fuji X-T1 Now Available in Limited Quantities

Just under a month since Fujifilm announced the X-T1 in January, the highly anticipated mirrorless body is available in limited quantities for $1,299. B&H has likely fulfilled the pre-orders and has some left for those of you who did not.

A Faux-Vintage Masterpiece? We Review the Sigma 65mm f/2 DG DN

A few months ago, Sigma released four rather distinctive, compact lenses for Sony and L-mount cameras. The most curious of these is the 65mm f/2 DG DN, offering a touch of speed, excellent sharpness, and a slightly odd focal length. How does it perform?

GoPro Is Developing Its Own Drones

GoPro HEROs may be flying in their own cape by late next year according to reports from the Wall Street Journal. GoPro, who currently leads the market in wearable consumer point-of-view cameras is said to be developing their own multi-rotor helicopters equipped with high-definition cameras. It is said that GoPro’s drones will seek to enter the market between the $500 - $1000 range.

Have You Bought an Experimental Camera and Not Realised It?

Cameras are expensive, and you spend your hard-earned cash in the expectation that not only will your purchase be the latest and greatest, but that it works out of the box. Would you still buy it if you knew it was at least partially experimental?

A Review of the Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8 G Lens

A 35mm lens with a wide aperture is useful for a wide array of applications ranging from events coverage to portraiture and more. Nikon offers an affordable budget version of such a lens, the AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8 G, and this fantastic video review takes a look at the kind of performance you can expect from it in practice.

YouTuber Gathers Millions of Votes to Determine the Best Smartphone Camera of 2022

This article could have easily been headlined "the best smartphone camera of 2022" and still been accurate, but in what is an astounding piece of data-gathering work, popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee has gathered millions of votes on 16 phones from hundreds of thousands of users to produce what is likely the definitive test for smartphone photography.

Fstoppers Reviews the CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 3 Plus

CalDigit, a company known for its high-quality devices aimed at working professionals, have just released the latest update to their popular Thunderbolt Station line of products. Fstoppers took a look at the last iteration, the Thunderbolt Station 3, in August of last year and it was a good device that lacked a few simple things that would make it a great device. I’m glad to say that a lot of that has been fixed with the new release and there have been some exciting additions as well. Let’s dive right in and check out the new CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 3 Plus.

How I Created the Ultimate Photobooth for My Wedding

A wedding photo booth can be one of the most entertaining and memorable activities at your wedding. They can also be a total dud and waste of money. In this video, I share my top tips for building a successful photo booth for my wedding!

Review of the Profoto C1 Plus Flash Light

Today there are a lot of photo enthusiasts that only use a smartphone. It is easy for a lot of people, placing content directly online. Wouldn’t it be great of there was a way to have a flash light that would work seamless with a smartphone? Profoto has the C1 and C1 Plus flash for that.

Finally! An Updated Version of Redrock Micro's "One Man Crew" Motorized Slider

The One Man Crew from Redrock Micro was a treat for small interview productions, whereby a fully automated slider could capture subtle camera moves and add tremendous production value. It wasn't without a few issues though, and for the last few years we had been hearing about a version 2 that would address these. Redrock has finally delivered.