Recent Gear Articles

Fstoppers Reviews the Zhongyi Lens Turbo II Nikon F to Fujifilm X Focal Reducer

The popularity of adapting lenses from one system to another is undeniable. One thing you might want to do is adapt a lens designed for a larger sensor to a small-sensor camera. For example, adapting a full-frame lens to an APS-C sensor. This is where focal reducers like the Zhongyi Lens Turbo II come in.

Getting Into Milky Way Astrophotography Without Spending a Fortune

I do mostly outdoor photography and anyone who does this can get bitten by the night sky bug. All those beautiful stars and the dramatic Milky Way beckon, but for many beginners it seems an impossible task. They think of needing tracking mounts, ultra-long exposures, and complicated processing. The good news is, it's not all that hard to get started with a fairly modest investment.

Introducing Alta Pro From Freefly

Drones have become a great tool for many people around the world and just a few weeks ago, one of the most well-known drones in the film industry was updated. Freefly introduces the Alta Pro, an Alta 8 with a bit more tech for pilots to use.

Fstoppers Reviews the Billingham Eventer Camera Shoulder Bag

When it comes to high-quality camera bags, Billingham continues to be one of my all-time favorites. A fellow photographer and close friend of mine Imran Mirza introduced me to their bags when I first started in photography and I've been buying and using their bags ever since.

One Successful Travel Photographer’s Must-Have Piece of Gear

Every so often a respected photographer puts together a list of his or her crucial pieces of gear, whether it’s rugged hard drives or a particular camera strap. However, not many would put this major piece of technology at the top of the list: the humble automobile.

Fujifilm X-T3 Versus X-T2: Which Camera Should You Buy?

When a new camera comes out, one of the most common questions I see is whether it's worth upgrading to or not. This I think is a very reasonable and fair question because in many cases now, new cameras tend to be minor updates as opposed full on upgrades. Based on that, how does the Fujifilm X-T3 compare to the X-T2 and is it worth paying slightly more for the upgrade?

Leica Introduces Three New Limited Edition Lenses to Their Lineup

Leica is known for their occasional gear releases that have cosmetic features different from their normal offerings. They are often limited runs and some sell out fast. These three lenses are the latest edition to that small-run lineup.

Is Canon About to Release a Budget, Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera?

Following on from the release of the EOS R a few months ago, rumors are circulating that Canon is about to announce a new, full-frame mirrorless body: an entry-level, single card slot model, potentially called the EOS RP, and priced at $1,600.

Real Life Comparison of the Sony a7R III, the Nikon Z 7, and the Canon EOS R

The year 2018 will be known as the year Canon and Nikon introduced their first mirrorless full-frame camera. It was their first step into a world that has been dominated by Sony for years. The cameras of Canon and Nikon have been mocked and laughed at, but how do they compare in real life? I got a chance to find out.

Updated Desktop Software Teaches Your Insta360 ONE X New Tricks

When the Insta360 ONE X came out last year, it was a slick unit with a lot of functionality for a consumer 360-degree camera, but most of it was tied to a phone app. That’s set to change with the launch of official desktop software for the camera.

Which Canon Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera Is Next?

Over the past few days several rumor sites have been flushed with inklings of a new Canon mirrorless body being announced in as little as two weeks with the fanfare building before CP+. Each of these leading sites have had conflicting information so which one should we hope to be listening to?

Comparing the Blackmagic Design Pocket With a RED Cinema Camera

Last year, Blackmagic Design released their much-anticipated Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, a beast of a machine that offers a rather stunning amount of resolution and features all packed into one tiny unit. How does it stack up against a professional cinema camera that’s worth 10 times as much?

Is the New Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 G2 Better Than the Original SP?

One of the most useful lenses any photographer can own is an ultra wide-angle zoom lens. One of my favorite zooms in this category is the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 lens. Tamron recently released the upgraded G2 version of their already great SP model and I wanted to see if this redesigned lens was worth the upgrade.

Do You Have a Lens You Will Never Sell? This Is Mine

With so much negativity in the photography world, sometimes you just have to give credit where credit is due. This is the lens I love like a family member and could never bring myself to part with.

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.

Are These the Next 12 Sony Lenses?

No, they aren't. I just Betteridge law'ed the heck out of you. But listen, I think this list is still worth looking at and exploring.

Redux: My Nikon-PC, Your Canon-Mac

Last week I postulated that as I was a PC user who shot Nikon, did Mac users shoot Canon? Here's a summary of how readers voted and what they thought.

Are Camera Manufacturers Lying to Us?

It would seem as though there is a disconnect between the marketing and engineering departments for many companies. Marketing departments tend to follow trends and engineering departments are tasked with making it a reality. But what happens when it's simply not feasible for engineers to give everything the customer base wants?

Do You Own Too Many Lenses?

It's not exactly a secret that many of us photographers like to collect lenses, frequently having way more than we absolutely need. But when does that become a problem for your work?

Are They Nuts? Olympus E-M1X Betrays the Promise of Micro Four Thirds

With the announcement of the Olympus OM-D E-M1X, Olympus is in uncharted territory. Is charging $3,000 for a Micro Four Thirds body insane, or the smart play that launches a professional body for the brand well below a Nikon D5 or Canon EOS-1D X Mark II?

Understand Light Units and Make Better Decisions When Buying Gear

Following the technological progress of recent years, LED panels are becoming ever more popular when it comes to lighting videos and, increasingly, photographs. Getting your head around the various units involved can be confusing so this video can be a useful means of learning what they mean and how they relate to one another.

The Photographers Ultimate Road Trip Guide

So you want to go on a photography road trip, you pick your favorite spots from Instagram to hit up. You’re all set right? Well, not exactly. There are some major factors you should be considering before planning out the trip.

Just How Important Is a Flip-Out Screen?

Every new camera release sparks a conversation about features, with today's biggest concerns often being the number of card slots and the crop on the 4K. The presence of a flip-out screen also seems to be near the top of the list and while it seems to be critical for vloggers, just how important is to the rest of the camera-buying public?

We're Building the New Fstoppers Studio in Puerto Rico

Just a couple months ago Patrick and I made the last minute decision to move to Puerto Rico. We've rented a giant house to live and work in and we will be sharing the process of turning this empty home into the new Fstoppers Studio.

Mirrorless Still Has a Significant Weight Advantage Over DSLRs

When mirrorless cameras first started gaining popularity within the industry, brands and photographers were generally discussing the weight and size advantages. This was predominantly true until larger faster aperture lenses were brought into production and the mirrorless weight advantage was supposedly debunked.

Field Review of the Sony a9 for Bird Photography

Published bird photographer and YouTuber Mark Smith loves his Nikon D850 and D500 cameras. So what does he think of the Sony a9 when it comes to capturing his flighty friends?

Is the Olympus OM-D E-M1X Doomed to Fail or Crazy Enough to Work?

The Olympus OM-D E-M1X is a relatively large flagship camera retailing for just under $3,000. Most flagship cameras tend to be priced at around this mark, however this is rather unusual for a Micro Four Thirds camera. Using the same sensor as the previous model, surely this must be a laughable attempt from Olympus, or is it?

Taking Portraits With a $5 Slide Projector Lens

No stranger to experimenting with cheap equipment and camera hacks, photographer Mathieu Stern’s latest project involves trialing a lens technically built for use with projectors, which he purchased at a yard sale for just $6.

Tips on Traveling With Drones and Cinema Equipment

Traveling can be a huge pain, especially when a bunch of large gear that needs to be transported from one place to another. Droneworks breaks down what his team does when he travels and gives us a few helpful tips.

ONA Clifton Camera and Everyday Backpack Review

$419. Let's just get that out of the way up front. The ONA Clifton Camera and Everyday Backpack costs $419 and it doesn't hold an extraordinary amount camera gear. Yet is it still worth every penny?

How to Photograph Dangerous Animals up Close Without Getting Killed

Wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas has come up with creative means of getting close to some of the world’s most dangerous and shyest animals. Check out this short video to find out some of his gadgets for getting shots that would otherwise be impossible without putting yourself in a lot of danger or scaring off your subject.

Use Your Aperture with Intent!

Aperture is one of our strongest technical creative tools as photographers and filmmakers. Although it’s simply just a hole for light to pass through, it can be used to create so many different effects in our images. By considering the effects it has and working with them, we can intentionally make very different images just by changing our aperture.

When Gear Matters

It is widely acknowledged that necessity is the mother of invention. DIY and jury-rigged lighting setups are all the rage these days. The phrase "gear doesn't matter" has become a mantra. Why are photographers so loathe to admit that gear can matter? Sometimes not having the right gear is what stands between you and your concept.

An Essential Landscape and Travel Tool

One small piece of gear is an essential buy for landscape, travel, and adventure photographers. Even if you already own one, a number of recent developments may mean it is time to update.

Why Can't Sony Just Give Us a Flip-Out Screen?

Dear Sony, why is it so difficult for you to get the flip-out screen right? It's as though you're trying to do absolutely everything you can with your screen except give us what we've been asking for. How many times do we have to ask you Sony? Almost everyone asked for the flip-out touch screen, instead, you gave us a completely useless flip-up screen.