Gear

A lot of information came out of NikonRumors regarding the current status and future of the XQD format, which is so far only used by Nikon's high-end DSLRs since the D4. Lexar's XQD cards recently showed as discontinued on numerous online stores, leaving Sony to be the sole manufacturer of the fast (but expensive and sometimes unavailable) cards. Now, the future looks much brighter for XQD with Lexar announcing they will still distribute and fill stock of their own XQD cards and rumors of Hoodman's entry into the market. There's even news of developments with CFexpress, which will replace XQD in the future.

Another day and another DxOMark rating has been broken. This time, however, I don't think it comes as a massive surprise. The Nikon D850 has so far been highly commended, and most, if not all, reviewers probably consider it to be the best DSLR currently available on the market. DxOMark gave it a rating of a clean 100 making it the highest rated stills camera for a brief moment. Since then, Hasselblad has taken that crown with the X1D-50c.

Broncolor is recognized in the photography industry as one of the most high-end flash brands available on the market. They are best known for their very reliable power pack systems and their extensive range of light shapers. Amongst the latter, there is one in particular that makes any photographer's eyes light up, and it’s the Para. It’s such a gorgeous piece of gear that some people even use it to decorate TV shows. But don’t think for a second it means it can’t perform just because it’s beautifully designed. It’s quite the opposite as you’ll discover through this Broncolor Para 88 kit review.

The Hasselblad X1D-50c is one of the more recent of the more affordable medium-format digital cameras to come out. And it sports Sony’s 50-megapixel CMOS sensor that has made these cameras much more affordable than their predecessors — all in a body that is by no small margin the most compact and portable in its class. The only question is can it perform?

Following the announcement of the Sony a7R III, I had the chance to use the new a7-series flagship mirrorless camera for an evening of studio shooting. Here are my first impressions on handling, Pixel Shift Multi Shooting, the much improved autofocusing system, and 10 fps continuous shooting.

I love strip lights; they're probably my favorite when it comes to lighting. However, like everything that has to do with lighting, they're expensive — often much more so than their design and realization seem to command. Luckily, there are clever photographers out there with DIY projects like this one to save the day (and your wallet).

The Fstoppers crew is currently at PhotoPlus Expo in New York City having the time of our lives. While we're there, B&H has announced a ton of great deals just for the event, so if you're looking for a new camera, lens, lights, computer, or accessories, now is the time to check out what's available.

Do you own a drone? Have you thought about picking one up this holiday season? I can almost guarantee that you have been looking at something by the world leader in drone manufacturing DJI but what if I said you had options? Yuneec exploded on the scene as a real drone competitor with the debut of the Typhoon H with object avoidance which was a game changer for drones at the time. Today, the most popular drones are within the DJI family but Yuneec continues to innovate and build an incredible product easily rivaling that of the now famous Phantom line.

I've been a full-time wedding photographer for the past eight years and an Apple fan since I was in fourth grade. But today, that has all changed. Here is why.

Sigma announced a new contemporary series lens to its mirrorless compatible “DN” product line. The new 16mm f/1.4 will be the widest Sigma lens available for APS-C Sony and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras.

Pushed as the lightest and smallest in its class, Sony has introduced their 23rd full-frame lens in just four years, the FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS zoom lens.

The cat is finally out of the bag: Sony is giving us a look at their new a7R III this week during the Photo Plus Expo. The just-announced mirrorless camera mixes the best of the a7R II with some of the technology first seen in the a9, plus a little bit of all-new treats that landscape, architectural, and still-life photographers will want to take note of.

Cameras are a mix of electronic and mechanical parts, and sometimes, those mechanical parts will wear out, necessitating a replacement. This neat time-lapse gives a glimpse of one of the most common repairs of that sort: a shutter replacement.

As our phones get better with taking videos, it makes sense why there's an explosion of filmmakers hitting the industry and more and more YouTubers starting off in their new journeys into creating film every day. Hundreds of videos are uploaded to YouTube every minute, and it's only getting bigger. With more people using their phones, GoPros, and mirrorless cameras, the need for gear to make smoother, more professional looking gear has increased. Enter InMotion digital slider.

Ever since tablets became more mainstream, I've been aching for a device that could truly be a full-powered, mobile photography solution. After all, the idea of a tablet seems tailor-made for photographers. And finally, in the last few years, hardware and software have reached a point where the tablet truly is a viable solution. Find out how the 2017 iPro Pro fares in this review.

The Sony RX0 is the brand’s most ambitious jump into the action-cam style atmosphere to date, but even that is difficult to say without adding in, “Well, it’s not really an action camera.” With Cinema5D’s sample footage and review of the camera, we get a closer look as to what this camera actually offers.

Samsung’s T1 and T3 SSD were and remain some of my favorite drives on the market. The T5 is no exception, but once again offers a slight improvement over the earlier models. What makes the T5 so great isn’t just its speed, but also the fact that it’s one of the smallest portable SSDs you can buy.

We've finally done it: Fstoppers has moved over to a new 10 Gb/second network and server and it is incredibly fast. Let me show you what we did and how you can create your own 10 Gb/s network for a fraction of the price.

If you want to get a good feel for the pulse of the photography industry, looking at the camera equipment photographers are renting is a good place to gain some insight. Lensrentals has released their data on the most popular camera equipment of 2017, and it has some interesting facets.

There are some sweet deals and savings going on for Sony cameras right now. If you've been thinking of getting a new body, this is your time to save some money as well as get some free "extras" thrown into your shopping cart. Check out the details of each sale below to save up to $500 in instant rebates.

Pholio is a hard drive that is able to collect all of your photos and videos from multiple devices into one place and then index them using modern technology. Pholio claims that most of our personal photos are in digital limbo. What they mean by this is that between computers, phones, tablets, and hard drives, our photos are kept in multiple different places. In the abundance of photos stashed across several devices, users often will not be aware of, or are unable to find photos and videos that are important to them. Pholio was created to help solve this issue.

Photographers are generally a resourceful bunch, but if there's one thing that can bring them to a grinding halt, it's broken gear. Canon is seeking to minimize the inconvenience of such situations by introducing next-day service for qualified Canon Professional Services members.

A photojournalist is often called upon to photograph a scene at a moment’s notice. It can be a car accident one day, a music festival, the next and a protest the day after. With that in mind, there are two useful lenses that every photojournalist should carry in their bag to cover such a diverse range of photographic opportunities.

HP has spent the past two years working with creatives and developing the latest ZBook x2. It’s got seriously impressive guts under the hood and works as a laptop or tablet, but is it enough for a demanding Lightroom or video editing workflow?

There are several brands and different models of microphones on the market which is constantly growing. Trying to pick one out of the masses can be a tough decision, especially if you are not familiar with them. What is the best mic to get if you are just starting out, or possibly looking to get a better one?

Having used a wide selection of ZEISS glass, I can confidently say they are special. Their weight and lack of auto-focus might put some off, but in the right setting, they can aid to create truly noteworthy images. This morning, ZEISS have announced their new 25mm wide-angle lens, but with a mouth-watering widest aperture of f/1.4. I imagine a synchronized pricking up of astrophotographers' ears .

The biggest photography education event of the year ends today, October 18. The deadline has been extended a few more hours and now closes at 5:00 PDT. Once it’s over, you won’t ever have the chance to get many of these resources again. Once the sale closes, there are no exceptions for late purchases, so make sure to check out this incredible education opportunity now.

Creating video content is becoming more readily available as the quality of our smartphones are constantly getting better. The number of people creating their own videos with iPhones is increasing. There are 200 times more iPhones being used over SLR cameras, but the market for camera sliders designed for iPhones isn’t quite there yet. Rhino Camera Gear plans to change that by introducing the ROV.

It's incredible to learn about all the technologies that are built into smartphone cameras that weigh as much as a paperclip. But, with all this technology, is it still you taking the picture or are you just a moving tripod carrying a computer around to take the picture for you?

You might have noticed a common theme in my articles: "the gear doesn’t matter". A lot of people have called me out on this, especially as in my profile picture I’m shooting on a Phase One with Broncolor lights. And yes, you are right, the kit does matter in my line of work, just not always. Sitting on the fence? Maybe. Here’s my explanation:

There aren’t many monitors that can record footage onto an SSD. There aren’t many monitors that can work on set as well as in post production. There is one monitor that claims to do it all though. The Atomos Sumo is not just jam-packed with features, but I think it represents the future of video production. Does it live up to the hype?

Sigma recently announced it will repair or replace any of its products still under warranty that may have been damaged or destroyed by the recent hurricanes that have wreaked havoc on the southeastern part of the United States in recent months. If you have a Sigma product that didn't survive one of these recent hurricanes, as long as it is under warranty and received by Sigma by December 31, 2017, along with a copy your original sales receipt, you will receive repairs free of charge or a replacement at a "special price."

Despite retaining the same series name, the Mark III version of the G1 X is more than just iterative. This much is immediately apparent when one notices the larger, semi-pro level APS-C 24MP sensor and Digic 7 processor inside this new, compact point-and-shoot. I haven't been as excited about a compact APS-C camera since ill-fated and short-lived Nikon Coolpix A. Moreover, the Mark III features an entirely redesigned body that puts even more distance between itself and the Mark II.

Huawei has just announced the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro smartphones in Munich, Germany, touting amazing AI features. How much can AI help a camera, and how good can it get?

Understanding the internal light meter of my camera is one of the best skills I've ever learned. It helps me to shoot in fully manual mode, so that I rarely look at the back of my camera. Let me tell you how to get a correctly exposed picture from the first click just by using your camera's internal light meter.

DxOMark has essentially become mainstream when it comes to providing ratings for cameras and smartphones. Anytime a new smartphone is released now, there’s a good chance that the overall camera rating from DxOMark is provided to demonstrate how much better this latest camera is. A growing number of individuals consider DxOMark to be biased and unscientific in its methods. The question is, how reliable is the overall rating or is it reliable at all.

Fstoppers is teaming up with 5DayDeal and dozens of other leaders in the photography world for the most valuable photography education sale of the year. The Complete Photography Bundle by 5DayDeal contains $2,500-plus in video tutorials, eBooks, Adobe Lightroom presets, marketing know-how, and so many more amazing resources for just $117 (a savings of over 95 percent). This year, we've thrown in our very own tutorial, Photography 101 to be a part of the charity match bonus which will support some incredible nonprofit organizations.

There are several different products out on the market for us to use aiming to help us with all of our different needs. Microphones are no exception and choosing the right one that fits you can be a daunting task, especially if you are looking for a great quality mic that is small and easy to use. Enter the Instamic, which claims to be the smartest, smallest, and most affordable microphone and audio recorder on the market… but how does fare?

While the E-mount library of lenses remains thin, Cosina wants that to change. Today they released their newest contribution to Sony’s FE E-Mount system, the Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.2.

360-degree video is a great way to tell immersive stories. Until recently though, the experience hasn’t been all that accessible. Just to view 360-degree content the way it was meant to look, you’d need an expensive headset like an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive and a fairly beefy computer to run it on like a high-end Alienware or something with a powerful graphics card. This meant that while VR content was being produced in droves, few people were experiencing it the way it was meant to be. That’s about to change. Oculus just announced a standalone VR headset called the Oculus Go.

When it comes to flying cameras, there's no doubt that DJI is at the top of the game. Alongside its consumer, pro-sumer, and professional cinema options, today DJI announced the Super 35-format Zenmuse X7. Designed to work seamlessly with the Inspire 2 drone, the X7 features a number of advancements to make it the perfect match for cinema-quality aerial video capture.

We love gear. But this is next level stuff. If you’ve seen the smoothness of the shots used to introduce the Microsoft Studio Surface, you’ll know what I’m talking about. The guys at Motorized Precision who introduced KIRA robotic arm at NAB 2017 are taking pre-orders for the MIA, their latest robotic arm. It’s smaller, about as portable as a fridge is on wheels, and can plug into any traditional single phase wall socket. It holds up to a 22lb camera package, the arm itself weighs 120lbs and it comes with a standard six-meter track. If you want to see what it's capable of go watch Thor: Ragnarok, which used the KIRA for many of their shots. The video shows what the KIRA 1.0 could do.

The Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens, or commonly referred to as the nifty fifty, is a great lens that comes in with an amazing price tag of only $125 as I write this. For many, especially those on a budget, this is one of the first and most often recommended lens to pick up for any photographer of any genre.

In a few days, 5DayDeal will launch the biggest photography education sale of the year and this year, Fstoppers is proud to be participating with our own content included. While more information on this sale will be coming in the next few days, there's a chance to get started early with a giveaway of over $10,000 worth of photography prizes. All you have to do is head over to the contest page now to sign up.

By now most of you have probably watched the Matrix movies and seen how the bullet time effects were created, and if not where have you been? In a nutshell, the effect was used in the films too slow down or freeze a moment while adding a rotation around the subject using multiple cameras to capture that moment. Why did I bring that up?

The word “unprecedented” gets thrown around a lot these days, and it looks like once-renowned camera manufacturer Yashica is the latest company to use it to describe the new digiFilm Camera Y35 camera they just launched on Kickstarter.

Normally, you get what you pay for. If you try to buy something that is less than half the price of its competitors, it's going to be bad. This is certainly what we expected when we compared four of the most popular carbon fiber tripods, but I'm shocked and excited to tell you we actually liked the most affordable model we tried the best.

A few months ago, Fstoppers reviewed a variety of gimbals and we picked our favorite one for the Panasonic GH5. Just after we published our comparison, the Moza Air 3 Axis Gimbal was released and they decided to send us one. The Zhiyun-Tech Crane is still amazing, but the Moza Air is now our favorite gimbal.

How many of you have old memory cards, USB sticks, or even hard drives lay around doing nothing? Of those that answered yes, how many of you still haven't worked out a decent backup strategy for your images? Here's a quick and free solution to securely encrypt that unused storage so when a disaster strikes your most important work isn't lost forever.

Adding 20 percent storage to its previous high-capacity models, Seagate now offers 12 TB hard drives in a 3.5-inch size. These spinning disks feature transfer rates up to 250 MB/s and use still relatively new helium gas technology usually reserved for enterprise drives to reduce friction throughout the eight-platter internals. The new 12 TB drives come in three Guardian Series flavors: Barracuda Pro for desktop use and IronWolf or IronWolf Pro for use in network-attached storage devices that often feature multiple-drive RAID configurations.