Gear

Toronto-based photographer and filmmaker, Peter McKinnon, is a big jerk. You won't see me saying that very often as I truly do respect McKinnon as a content creator, but at the three minute, twenty-second mark of this video my butt clenched up and stayed that way for an entire six minutes and fifty-five seconds. If you're into that kind of thing then watch as McKinnon takes apart his very delicate, and very expensive Canon EOS-1D X Mark II.

Early in my photography path, I didn’t pay much attention to the different kind of camera bags that were available. I knew I wanted a bag that could carry everything at the time, and I was looking for a backpack style camera bag. As time passed, my lenses collection grew which I didn't need to carry (or even use) it all. I also didn't want to carry the backpack camera bag with me all the time since it was bulky and heavy. I wanted a second, more mobile-friendly camera bag that could carry my essentials for me and my lightweight "on-the-go" setup if you well.

Today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nikon announced their newest lens: the AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR super-telephoto. But what makes it worth its $12,396.95 price tag?

The rumors were true and today Panasonic announced the new GH5S, the "updated" version of the GH5. It's certainly better in some ways, but not all.

Today Panasonic announced at CES 2018 the new Lumix GH5S, a video focused camera that should be a boon for the prosumer hobbyists and professionals alike. Panasonic has changed several aspects of the camera to give an edge to the photographer and filmmaker that will enable them to step above the current Panasonic Lumix GH5 in usability and creativity. If you’ve been wanting even more out of your Lumix line of cameras, this may be the tool for you.

The 10-Stop ND filter is one of the favorite filters of most landscape and urban photographers, as it extends the exposure time and makes possible achieving different results. The filter market is growing and NiSi is quite popular these days. So I decided to test NiSi 10-Stop ND filter with V5 holder system to see if it is a good option.

The Panasonic GH5S, the update to the wildly popular GH5, is speculated to be released right now, live in Las Vegas. Watch the press conference right here, right now.

Earlier today, TechRadar accidentally listed the full specifications for the new Panasonic Lumix GH5S, which were immediately taken down. Luckily, the Internet saw them, and it looks like quite the exciting camera.

Sigma continues to amaze with their lineup of lenses ,and at the end of the year, I finally got to try out one for the Micro Four Thirds (M43) and Sony E mount system, the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC Contemporary lens for APS-C cameras. I used this on my Olympus OM-D EM5 II for a week in Florida while art-directing a shoot, and overall, I was pleasantly surprised and might pick it up. The build quality, sharpness, and speed mean it might be worth picking up if you shoot either of these systems.

Wildlife photography is one of the more expensive kinds of photography, with some popular lenses costing over $10,000. For many photographers, trying to get close enough to the subject may require longer 600mm lenses, but when you consider the price for each of them, a little research can definitely go a long way. The Canon 600mm F/4L II is a little cheaper than the Nikon 600mm F4E; however, sometimes the price isn't a major factor when deciding which to buy.

DJI have just released an update to the mobile version of their stellar Osmo system. The updates are pretty sweet, but not as sweet as the new price.

DJI, usually on the forefront of new technology within their specific niche, seems to be looking to compete with the Zhiyun Crane 2 gimbal with the announcement of the new Ronin-S gimbal. The DJI Ronin-S is a handheld gimbal that is large enough for your common DSLR (and mirrorless of course) video configurations without requiring such a payload capacity of the larger gimbals that are much more expensive.

Fstoppers has created an entire tutorial on the basics of photography, Photography 101. Today, we are releasing a free excerpt from the tutorial that shows the inner workings of a DSLR camera and how it is you actually take a picture with it. In addition to our free excerpt, we are offering a discount on the full tutorial, simply use code "INTRO" at checkout to save $50. This discount will expire on January 22nd.

Fujifilm continues to wow us with each new lens, and their latest release, the $1,199 XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro lens, is no exception. I’ve been shooting with the XF 80mm now since its release, and I have to admit it’s only come off my Fujifilm X-T2 once. I don't claim to be a fabulous macro photographer, but I believe this lens has a home in most photographers bag. My beloved XF 50-140mm has, for now at least, taken a back seat to the smaller, amazingly versatile XF 80mm.

Earlier this week, Fstoppers creators Patrick Hall and Lee Morris posted a tongue-in-cheek video that mocked photographers’ very real lust for the perfect bag. I hope you all got a great laugh out of that just like I did. We’ve all been in Hall's position, watching a seemingly endless pile of gear come out of someone else’s bag. Today, I thought I’d go through the five bags I use on a regular basis for both my work in Seoul and my travel work.

Though Canon is atop the camera industry in market share, many photographers complain about the company's seemingly glacial pace of innovation, particularly as compared to the quickly charging likes of Sony and Fuji. In a recent interview, Canon's CEO has pledged to focus on innovation, how much of that will be directed at consumer cameras and lenses remains to be seen.

It’s not a secret anymore: gaming laptops running Windows are cheaper and often more powerful than the current MacBook Pro. Many of us have wished that we could upgrade some parts of their MacBook to boost the performance, but unfortunately, with each new release, it seems like Apple is making it more difficult. Instead of waiting for Apple to change their policy if they ever do, why not look at other options? Mantiz recently released an eGPU solution that is compatible with MacOS, and it might just be what we’ve been waiting for.

The long-running battle between camera companies is something that will always exist. Forums and article comment sections will always have some type of argument about who has the better high ISO or dynamic range, how Canon has better color than Nikon or why full frame is better than a crop sensor. But when it comes to how a camera company treats the end user, I think everyone could learn a lesson from Fujifilm.

Photography gear keeps getting better and better, with 2017 bringing us some great products. The Fstoppers team has been working on a list of our favorite gear of the past year, and we're happy to present it now. Here's the top photography gear of 2017.

Ever since HP announced the Zbook x2 portable workstation PC I have been eagerly anticipating its release. With the integrated touchscreen and Wacom EMR stylus functionality, it looks like an intriguing product for photo and video editors alike. Could this be the best portable laptop available for creatives in 2018?

A new APS-C zoom lens has been announced by Sony, and is set to start shipping next month. The E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens features Optical SteadyShot stabilization and comes in a compact, travel-friendly size for pairing with a6000-series mirrorless cameras. With a 35mm format equivalent of 27-202.5mm, the new lens is aimed at being a versatile, “one-lens solution” for Sony E-mount crop-sensor cameras.

Our video lighting of choice has become the Flex lights by Westcott. They are portable and extremely bright, but they certainly aren't cheap. Now, there is a cheaper option, but should you buy it?

Moment has made a name for itself with its beautifully crafted lenses for smartphones. More recently they also teamed up with Freefly to create the Movi, a stabilizer and cinema robot for your iPhone. Today, they announced a new product that follows the trend of shooting professional quality videos and photos with a phone. It’s a 62mm filter mount for their lenses.

Sharp has released an 8K television. It should wonderfully compliment their 8K ENG camcorder. Now that 4K is so 2017, why don’t we look at how much an upgrade will cost?

Within a couple of years, Godox has grown from a small Chinese flash manufacturer no one cared about to a brand that most photographers know. Their products are affordable and offer what most of us need. They are far from being in the high-end market and able to rival the Europeans that are Profoto, Broncolor, or Elinchrom, but that may be changing. At least, the leaked page of the AD600 Pro seems to indicate that Godox is learning fast and improving its products.

While approaching the end to my holidaze, I stumbled upon the blog post of a friend I met at a photo workshop years ago. The title caught my attention: “Why I Ended My Nikon Professional Services Membership.” His reasoning behind it wasn’t what I expected, but in the era of information hacking, it kind of makes sense.

Somehow, every three months, a new bag manufacturer figures out a way to bend the laws of physics to make a smaller bag that holds even more gear.

We’ve heard plenty of comparisons between the iPhone and an industry-standard DSLR. It’s time to test the Google Pixel 2 to see how it stands up against a medium-format camera 20 times its market value.

The Gnarbox was the most popular new product at this year's Photo Plus Expo. It's a waterproof external hard drive with card slots, USB jacks, and Wi-Fi. This tiny box allows you to backup and edit your photos and videos from your smartphone without the need for a laptop. But who would want to do that?

Thomas Heaton has released his final YouTube video of his trip to Namibia, and it ended on a fantastic note. It shows what landscape photography can be, that for many it's not just creating imagery, but a personal way of learning who they are. The tidbits in the video really are just that extra sprinkle of education on top of some life lessons for those who take their cameras to far off destinations. It’s one reason why I and many others enjoy Heaton’s videos so much.

I'm no cinematographer. I mean I dabble, like a lot of still shooters do, but I wouldn't put myself under the category of video expert by any means. That being said, I do know what I like and what I think looks good. What I've always really liked is the depth and feel of large format in still photography and, now finally, in video. You don't need to spend a $100,000-plus to do it either. See for yourself how Zev Hoover from Massachusetts accomplished it.

Recently, Nikon released the D850, which is the latest upgrade to their high-megapixel DSLR line of cameras. Like the models that preceded it, the D850 stands as one of the most groundbreaking cameras in terms of image quality, speed, and resolution. I wanted to take this new camera for a test drive and see just how significant these upgrades actually are. Welcome to Ireland, everybody; this is my personal D850 review!

When you're first starting out shooting portraits, one of the most important decisions you can make is the focal length you shoot at, as it can vastly change the way a subject is rendered. This helpful video will show you how various focal lengths affect the look of a portrait to help you choose which one is most suitable for your work.

As a professional photographer, I’m obsessed with my bags. I am pretty satisfied with the stroller bags I am using, but when it came to the shoulder bags, something seemed to be missing. As someone who constantly travels to shoot, a good shoulder bag is an asset. So when Think Tank launched the new Spectral 15 bag, I decided to try it out. I’ve had the chance to carry it with me through my wedding shoots over the past month. This quick review takes a dig at the features and my first impressions.

We all have a different bag setup. Some prefer to travel light and mobile while others go for a more heavy duty option. Some people want a stylish option that shows off some personal flair while others just want something practical. We each like a different layout and store our gear and accessories in a different way or in a different pocket. In spite of our different preferences when it comes to our camera bags, there is one universal truth. One item that, regardless of your specialty, you positively need to have somewhere in your bag. You must keep a few up to date business cards in your bag at all times.

Yongnuo, known mostly for their low-cost near-clones of Canon flashes and lenses, has announced a new lens, a 14mm f/2.8 with autofocus. This lens is not a Canon clone and should offer photographers a lower-cost alternative for those looking for a wide-aperture, ultra-wide-angle option.

Medium-format cameras have long been known for being able to produce incredible and vibrant colors. This is one of the main reasons behind why many professionals upgrade and spend so much on these systems. The colors that you can achieve with the 16-bit sensors are very desirable and allow much more flexibility in post. Currently, the 100MP sensor is the only CMOS sensor that is 16-bit capable based on the hardware, and most people who shoot with these cameras are very happy with the results. Phase One, however, decided it wasn't good enough and released their new Trichromatic back.

As photographers, our friends, relatives, and significant others sometimes despair at trying to find what may appeal to us and be within their holiday budgets. We may casually let them know that we are super excited about this new gadget that will "really" improve our photography if we only had that one newfangled gizmo. Whether it’s a brand new piece of kit or something that’s been in our bags sitting from a few years ago, we still need to learn what that "new" tool can do.

About a week after confirming that the company does indeed throttle the processors of phones with aging batteries, Apple has issued an apology while announcing changes that should ease the process for consumers with aging phones while also keeping them more informed.

As a Nikon shooter myself, the stats on the Sony a7R III have my head turning. After watching Sony grow over the past few years and seeing how good their cameras are, I think it is safe to say that this new camera will not disappoint. Being that I mainly shoot photography, the “R” definitely calls my name and I think one of the biggest factors is the fact that this body can also shoot some pretty good video. These videos really have me thinking about what my next step could be when shopping for gear.

If you're looking to get into the Fujifilm world, it's hard to go wrong with X-T1. Though it was recently replaced by the X-T2, it's a highly capable machine that puts out amazing files and feels like a camera that was designed by photographers for photographers. Today only, B&H is offering a crazy deal, taking almost $1,000 off X-T1 bodies and kits.

Given the choice, most of us would probably buy the latest and greatest camera bodies as soon as they came out, because hey, new toys are cool, right? But most of us don't have unlimited budgets, so it's important to know when you really need to upgrade and when it's just a case of gear lust. Here's what to consider when you're wondering if it's time to buy a new camera.

So, you just opened your presents, and you received that amazing camera you've been staying up late reading reviews about for the last six months. Rad! Now what? Here are the first 10 things you should do with that new camera.

Throughout the course of long, mentally intensive days covering events from behind a camera, likely the last thing on your mind is maintaining good balanced posture or equal weight distribution. String multiple days like this together in a short period of time and you are unknowingly causing long-term havoc onto your body, especially as this repeats and builds over longer periods.

In theory, crowdfunding seems like one of the beautiful perks of the Internet: any entrepreneur with an idea and the will to bring it to fruition can receive the financial support of interested patrons from all around the world, and in return, those patrons get early and/or discounted access to an exciting new product. The reality is rarely so rosy, and as a consumer, you need to be aware of that.

Life as a photographer or videographer means cords — lots and lots of cords. Personally, I hate them, mostly because I'm a klutz and will invariably wrap myself in them and take down the entire set in one fell swoop. I've done my best to minimize wires in my life, but one area that's remained stubbornly dependent on physical connections is broadcasting anything on my television. The Nyrius Aries Pro seeks to change that with its 1080p wireless HDMI system, and the results are quite good.

The Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art is a ludicrous lens, being the world's first constant f/1.8 zoom lens for DSLRs. And of course, the 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is the long-awaited Art version of the classic portrait lens that has been enjoying rave reviews. Both are on sale today only.

The iPhone seems to have become much more than a phone in the past few years. It is highly recognized for its sleek, simple design and its camera. During the past year alone, I have found myself using the iPhone's camera more and more for so many different things. In this video, four guys take the iPhone X and test out a bunch of different Moment products on it as they set out on a little venture to the Pacific Northwest.

2018 is coming up fast and Tony Northrup has uploaded his latest video with his camera predictions. Although predictions can very often be wrong, it doesn't stop us from trying. On occasions, many of us, including myself, tend to make predictions based on what we hope to see in the future.

Late last year, Photographer Marsel van Oosten received one of those phone calls that we all dream of: Nikon rang to ask if he would be interested in shooting a time-lapse to promote the global launch of their new, groundbreaking camera: the D850.