Recent Gear Articles

Pricing of the Sigma dp2 Quattro Announced

In February of this year, Sigma announced the next generation of their fixed lens professional camera series, the dp2 Quattro. We have had a bit of experience holding the new camera but none shooting with it. We expect that to change as today they announced the pricing and availability of the new camera, which will come to market at $999.

Made For Travelling And Vlogging? A Preview of Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G

Sony released a rather odd lens a few days ago. The FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G is neither a replacement for the GMaster nor the cheaper f/4. It is its own odd thing. What is its purpose? Where does it fit in the lineup? Does purchasing it make sense? For some, it most definitely might. Not for all, though.

The Bluetti Elite 200 V2 Review: Over 2 kWh of Power in the Field

For content creators working in the field (or even just on location, yet away from an outlet), a power station can be an invaluable accessory. In this review, I’ll be taking a look at the Bluetti Elite 200 V2, a battery pack with over 2,000 Wh of capacity, and showing just how useful it can be to power all the camera, video, and computer gear you might want.

We Review the Rotolight PRO NEO 3 and PRO AEOS 2

When the Rotolight package was delivered to my doorstep, I was apprehensively excited. I was apprehensive because light is everything in photography, and LED lights are notorious for disappointing me. But I was not disappointed. To say I had to rip myself away from playing with it in the studio to type up my review would not be an exaggeration. This light is prodigious.

Pentax K-01 Price Now Cut in Half!

Photorumors.com points out that the Pentax K-01 reviewed earlier is now half price! That makes it one of (if not, the) cheapest APS-C mirrorless cameras out there.

Fstoppers Review of the Shimoda Explore 60 Adventure Photography Backpack

I’d like to introduce you to the Shimoda Adventure Camera bags, specifically, the Explore 60. It’s a backpack that’s built for outdoor adventure photographers and filmmakers, and has options for 60L and 40L versions. Never heard of it? Well, I’m sure you have used or seen some of the gear that Shimoda’s lead designer has previously worked on. I’ll tell you about this and more in my full review.

Kodak to Sell Off Film Division, Ilford to Benefit

As the sad story of the fall of Eastman Kodak continues, news reports coming out state that Kodak is poised to see off its entire film division, looking to exit that segment of the market entirely. That division includes Personalized Imaging and Document Imaging departments which encompass digital scanners, picture kiosks, souvenir photo products, photographic paper, as well as Kodak's film businesses, the once bright and shining star of its core competencies.

A Review of the New DJI Mavic 3 Drone

The DJI Mavic 3 is here, and it brings with it some major improvements and new features that make it an impressive upgrade over its predecessor. This excellent video review takes an in-depth look at the new drone and the kind of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.

The Canon RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM: A Budget Zoom Lens for FullFrame Cameras

Full frame cameras offer exceptional image quality and versatility, but their lenses can often be bulky and expensive. For photographers seeking a compact and affordable zoom lens option, the Canon RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM provides a compelling solution. This lens is particularly well-suited for travel, street photography, and everyday shooting scenarios.

Lomography Launches Kickstarter for the New Lomo'Instant Automat Camera

Lomography, makers of fun film cameras and cool vintage lenses, has just launched a Kickstarter for their latest instant camera, the Lomo'Instant Automat. The Automat is the second generation of the Lomo'Instant camera and offers updates and improvements over the company's original instant camera that they successfully Kickstarted over two years ago.

New Zeiss Loxia 50mm and 35mm Lenses Announced

A new line of manual-focus lenses, designated with the Loxia title, have been announced by Zeiss. The initial compact lenses to be released later this year, a 50mm f/2 and a 35mm f/2, are crafted specifically for Sony’s E-mount full-frame α7 cameras. Christophe Casenave, product manager at Zeiss, says there is “growing desire for a digital manual-focus experience” on Sony Alpha 7/7R/7S cameras and that the Loxia line is “ready to exceed those expectations.”

Fujifilm Announces X-A5 Mirrorless Camera and XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ Lens

Fujifilm announced the new member of its entry-level mirrorless series, the new Fujifilm X-A5 and the first motorized power zoom lens, the Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ. While the new X-A5 comes with new features such as Bluetooth image transfer, the new zoom lens is the lightest zoom lens that Fuji launched so far.

Hands-On With the New Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8

Ultra wide-angle zoom lenses are tricky to manufacture, with a lot of difficulties to overcome. One of Tamron's newest lenses, however, has been getting strong reviews. So, how does it hold up?

The Red Epic: The Next Generation of HD Video/Photo

While many Canon and Nikon users are bickering about whether DSLR cameras should even have HD video capabilities, the company RED is completely changing the game between both photography and motion video. If you have even been slightly interested in video then you have probably heard about their famous RED One camera (District 9, The Social Network) that shot in 4k resolution. Well very soon they are releasing a new camera called the RED Epic which will shoot 60% more resolution at 5K (up to 28K!) as well as being able to pull large 12 megapixel images directly out of video. There is no doubt the bridge between still cameras and video cameras is quickly narrowing, and innovators like RED are definitely at the forefront. Check out this video where Ted Schilowitz takes questions from fans in Vietnam where the RED One is already the primary video camera of choice.

RED EPIC CAMERA - TOP TEN QUESTIONS - TED SCHILOWITZ & TONACI TRAN from Tonaci Tran on Vimeo.

Simple Tips On Getting Great Video Shots On A Slider

Lee's wedding video A Moving Moment created a lot of discussion about how to get high production shots with minimal gear. The truth of the matter is Lee handheld 90% of the footage and used our favorite slider, The Atlas 10 Slider, for the remaining 10% of the shots. Olivia Tech has recently demoed a knock off slider called the Konova Slider and explains some simple techniques that can really up your video production easily and on a budget. Olivia is also using the main lens Lee used in his video, the Tamron 17-50 2.8 VC, which has the best vibration compensation of any 2.8 lens in this range. If you want the quality of a true Cinevate Slider for a little less money, we have had awesome results using the Cinevate Atlas Pulley System as a fully functioning slider. Just make sure you put a solid ball head on it first!
What Makes a Good Camera?

Photographers have more choice than ever when it comes to cameras, and there is an option for just about every budget and set of needs. So, what is a good camera? How do you make the right choice for you? This great video features an experienced photographer discussing the issue, mistakes he has made over the years, and how to find what is right for you.

Grab an Aussie Camera Deal

With all these Black Friday and soon-to-be Cyber Monday deals flying around the US, it would be easy to think that folks in the antipodes are getting left out of all the good deals. However, there are some great deals going on in Australia as well, so to my folks down under, jump in quick and take advantage of these pre-Christmas deals that are happening from major brands in Australia.
Apple Introduces New M4-Powered Mac mini With Improved Performance and Enhanced Features

Apple has introduced a revamped Mac mini featuring the new M4 and M4 Pro chips, aiming to offer a smaller, more powerful desktop solution. At 5 inches square, the new Mac mini is the company’s smallest desktop yet, built around Apple silicon’s energy efficiency and a redesigned thermal architecture. This new model also represents Apple’s first carbon-neutral Mac, part of its commitment to reduce its environmental footprint.

[Camera Deal] Sigma's 17 - 50 2.8 With Image Stabilization Drops Below $600

We haven't posted a deal here recently because, well, there really hasn't been many deals since the holidays. One of our favorite crop lenses, the Sigma 17 -50 2.8 OS, is currently under $600 (retails $669) for the first time in a long while. Click the full post to hear why like like it so much.
A Review of the Pergear 14mm f/2.8 Mark II Lens

14mm f/2.8 lenses are useful for range of applications, particularly landscape and astrophotography. At less than $300, the Pergear 14mm f/2.8 Mark II is on the affordable end of the spectrum, making it an intriguing option. Can it keep up with more expensive lenses? This great video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

Could You Shoot a Video at f/0.95?

Shooting video takes great focus skills already, so shooting it at an extreme aperture is all the more challenging. This neat video follows a filmmaker as he shoots a video at a crazy wide aperture (f/0.95).

A First Look at the New DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone

The DJI Mavic Air 2 is here, and it brings with it a bevy of improvements and new features over its predecessor. This great video review takes a look at the new drone and what you can expect from it in practice.

A Review of the New Samyang AF 75mm f/1.8 Lens for Fujifilm X Series Cameras

Samyang has long been a favorite brand of budget lens buyers, creating affordable manual focus options that often bunch well above their weight in terms of image quality. The company now includes autofocus in many of their lenses, but prices have remained competitive. The AF 75mm f/1.8 for Fujifilm X Series mirrorless cameras is one such lens, and this excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.