Gear

Irix has created a name for themselves by manufacturing manual focus prime lenses that are rugged, affordable, and quite sharp, making them a compelling option for any genre where autofocus is not a requirement. This excellent video review takes a look at one of the company's newer lenses, the 30mm f/1.4 Dragonfly, and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

As all facets of technology take large, confident strides forward, there are many unintended synergies and applications between them. One example of this, which is still relatively new to being viable, is using a projector as a background for photography and videography.

Neither of these looks like a regular photographer’s bag. They are rugged but attractive, and no matter where you go, you'll look stylish while knowing your gear is safe and well protected.

Welcome to the next—and 6th—episode of our 8-part video tutorial series about long exposure photography and how different filters can produce dramatic results. As a reminder, each time we drop a new video, you have the chance to win some awesome prizes. Follow the instructions included in this post to enter this week's contest.

2021 brought a huge array of excellent gear. Here’s a roundup of the best and worst releases of the year, including a decision for the best stills camera that will take a lot of people by surprise.

The Sandmarc Motion Pro Variable filter can be used for both filming and photography. For me, it excels at one more than the other, not because of quality, but because of ease of use.

A 24-70mm f/2.8 is the workhorse lens of choice for a lot of photographers and filmmakers, offering a versatile focal length range and wide maximum aperture. One such lens for Fujifilm shooters is the XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR, and this excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.

Tamron has had some excellent lenses over the years but nothing quite reached the caliber of their 28-75mm f/2.8 which was extremely well-received. Now, with that previous model discontinued, Tamron has released the new version, but can it keep up the earlier model's legacy?

A 50mm lens with a wide maximum aperture is one of the most versatile lenses a photographer can own, offering a relatively neutral focal length suitable for everything from portraits to landscapes and the ability to shoot in low light or leverage subject-isolating narrow depth of field. If you are a Nikon shooter looking for the right 50mm lens, check out this great video comparison that looks at three options at a range of price points.

In September this year, Fujifilm announced a wide range of new primes, seemingly part of an ongoing effort to update its range of glass with sharper lenses complete with better autofocus and wider apertures. Has Fujifilm produced a better lens than the 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR?

In this series of articles, I'll be comparing Capture One to Lightroom to see which one is the better choice. The articles will focus predominantly on color; however, other points such as contrast and dynamic range will also be covered too.

A wide-aperture 85mm lens is always a popular choice for portrait photography, but such lenses can often run well north of $2,000. However, the Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 lens promises a classic optic at a much more affordable price, and this excellent video review takes a look at if it can provide the sort of performance and image quality professionals still demand.

Along with the Nikon Z 9 and Sony a1, the Canon EOS R3 is one of the hottest cameras on the market, representing the current pinnacle of the company's technology. If you would like one of your own, best to get your preorder in as soon as possible, as it may take several months to get one.

I’ve tried several 70-200mm lenses for the Sony system, and even as I stood there holding it in my hands, I could hardly believe the new 70-200mm f/2.8 II from Sony.

Modern cameras are ludicrously good at focusing automatically, able to lock on small targets and track them precisely and accurately through many challenging situations. These autofocus systems are not totally infallible, however, and there are times during which it is actually a better choice to switch to using manual focus. This great video tutorial discusses why you practice using manual focus and why it can be useful for your work.

Nikon allowed me to try out a preproduction model of the Nikon Z 9. This long-awaited camera turned out to be a marvel. During a fortnight, I came to appreciate this camera a lot. In this article, I'll tell you about my experience.

Back in 2017, my commercial work was struggling to make any impact. I got the odd big job, but mostly out of convenience rather than style — that was, until I purchased this lens.

For most people, the criteria for choosing a lens include sharpness, speed of autofocus, microcontrast, custom buttons, and weather sealing. For this photographer, the most important factor is its character.

A good macro lens is super versatile: useful for a lot more than just tiny details, including portraits, ring shots, and way more. For Sony shooters, the FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS looks to fill that role, but can it keep up with the demands of the 61-megapixel Sony a7R IV? This great video review takes a look.

Zoom lenses have made some remarkable advancements, but that does not mean primes have stagnated in the meantime. Canon's 28-70mm f/2L USM is one of the most impressive zooms in a long time, blurring the line between prime and zoom, while their RF 85mm f/1.2L USM sets the standard for 85mm portrait lenses. So, can the 28-70mm f/2L take the place of the 85mm f/1.2L, or does it still hold a special place all its own?

Full frame is generally considered the standard professional sensor size of choice, with some landscape photographers even now opting for medium format, particularly with the recent reinvention of the format. But of course, the bigger the sensor, the bigger the camera, the heavier the lenses, and the more expensive the kit. So, does a landscape photographer really need full frame?

Perhaps no type of lens generates more admiration, envy, and fighting than a wide-aperture 85mm lens. As the classic portrait focal length, such lenses often carry their respective manufacturer's best technology, offering that shallow depth of field and buttery bokeh so many photographers crave. This fantastic video takes a look at seven of the sharpest such lenses out there and which comes out on top.

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.

The age-old question of whether great images are made by the photographer or the camera is a boring one. However, a more interesting topic is the gap between high-end cameras and entry-level cameras and whether most people can tell the difference.

When it comes to shorter telephoto primes, 85mm is probably the most common choice, but 135mm is often a popular second option. So, which is the right choice for your work? This fantastic video takes a look at the two focal lengths and shows you some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

While many of us hold printing photographs in high regard — myself included — digital displays of photography are becoming more prevalent, affordable, and effective. But is Samsung's range of frame TVs worth your hard-earned cash?

There have been some incredible cameras released this year and the leaked information on some upcoming release from Canon suggest it's about to get better. So, what gaps are the Canon R1 and R5c intended to fill within the industry?

A decade ago, the differences between zoom and prime lenses were stark: zooms offered convenience and versatility, while primes offered better image quality and more extreme apertures. However, the gap has closed in recent years, with zooms showing marked jumps in image quality and pushing their designs to new extremes, blurring the line between the two. So, can you get by with just zooms now? This insightful video takes a deep look at the question.

In the first part of this series of two, I introduced bokeh — out-of-focus areas — and outlined the main controls of defocus. These include sensor size, focal length, aperture, distance to subject, and distance to the backdrop. How, then, do you compare defocus between lenses and cameras? Read on.

Two years ago, Ricoh executives claimed that most users would return to DSLRs in one or two years. Two years later, that has not happened, but it has not stopped the company from continuing to march to their own unique beat, as this interview reveals.