Photography Gear

After all the rumors and much anticipation, Sony finally released their full-frame FE 35mm f/1.8 lens in the middle of 2019. I’ve had the lens since day one, and today I’m sharing my long-term review. 

Having a new camera is exciting — playing around with settings and looking at the first results on your computer. It is very easy to set the exposure, and some basic settings are not difficult to find, but do you really take time to learn how your camera works? 

A NASA astronaut has posted some incredible images of herself in space. One is a close-up selfie and shows off her helmet, while the other was taken in a mirror and visibly shows her outside the International Space Station (ISS) with Earth visible in the background. 

I've used a ton of different microphones over the years, but Rode's latest creations are two of the cheapest and feature-rich mics I've ever used.   

Quirky lenses are commonplace on crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter, but they don't all get funded and they aren't all quite this quirky. This lens did get funded and is now in the hands of backers. One such backer is Christopher Frost, a photographer and YouTuber who has been following the progress of this campaign for a while.

Whether you're shooting on a budget, want to take shots with a singular look, or just enjoy experimenting with different gear, vintage lenses are a spectacular route to take. 

Canon has been on a roll with its RF line of lenses, pushing the boundaries of optical design, with many reviews noting their stunning optical quality as well. This great review takes a look at one of the best of the bunch, the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens. 

Wireless video transmitters have always been extremely expensive, until now.  

Like many 30-somethings, I came of age during a time when photography was transitioning from film to pixels. Entire years of my life were captured with early consumer and professional-grade digital cameras, and now I’m left feeling like that was a big mistake. 

With CP+ on the horizon and assumptions that Canon will be producing a number of mirrorless cameras in 2020, rumors are rife, with a 45-megapixel R5 arriving soon, now believed to be accompanied by a 20-megapixel R6, according to Canon Rumors. 

The successor to Nikon's D750, one of their more successful full frame camera bodies, is here in the form of the D780 and here is what you need to know. 

Not long after I suggested that a mirrorless version of a 1D X camera was still a long way off, Canon Rumors reports that Canon is a few weeks from announcing a 45-megapixel RF-mount beast that shoots at 20 frames per second (12 fps mechanical). Can this be true? 

The 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is the workhorse of choice for quite a few photographers, but most such lenses come at a hefty price for the quality and consistent performance demanded by professionals. The Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art offers an alternative to its higher-priced competitors. Is it right for you? This great video review will answer that for you. 

The company has grown, and they're stepping up to serve the professional DSLR and mirrorless shooters with filters made from aerospace-grade quality materials. 

Many of us photographers have a penchant for vintage lenses, but this one might top the lot. 

With Nikon’s recent launch of the Z 50, speculation has continued regarding Canon’s plans for its APS-C sensor cameras. What to do to cater for all of those 7D Mark II shooters awaiting an upgrade is something of a dilemma, and a new rumor has sparked a fresh helping of speculation. 

For many of us, a Sony mirrorless camera was the default option if you wanted to shoot high quality full frame video. Sony first offered this feature in the a7R II and I bought into that system too. More recently however, it seems Nikon are taking a shot at offering high quality video features; but is anyone taking notice? 

Apple introduced the new 16” Macbook Pro recently, while other brands announced new models under the Nvidia RTX Studio line. While Apple and other Windows laptops share similarities in specs, they might give different results in video editing applications. 

Declaring the DSLR dead is premature. Sports and news image agencies are so heavily invested in bodies and glass that the shift was always going to take a while, but the Canon 1D X Mark III might have just put the use-by date on DSLRs back even further. 

Have you ever taken a shot and while you're sure you nailed the focus, it's a little bit softer than you'd expected? Perhaps your lens needs calibrating to ensure the autofocus is perfect. 

Do you ever get the feeling that people who make menu settings on cameras and manual instructions to follow are having a laugh at your expense by making things so confusing? Can you explain this Canon menu riddle to me? Because it's baffling me. 

Many aspiring photographers get intimidated by landscape photography because of their unfamiliarity to filters. While filters are not 100% essential to learning landscape, understanding this topic before making choices can lead you towards better gear decisions.

DSLR users and friends of the mirrorless camera constantly discuss which system is the best. Is this discussion driven by unreasonable fear? 

Elinchrom focus has mostly been on light shapers and strobes ever since they've existed. However, the ELM8 they released last year may be a hint they are serious about getting into continuous light. After four months of use, here's my opinion on the Elinchrom ELM8. 

There’s been a lot of speculation about what camera Canon would add next to its new range of full-frame mirrorless bodies, and we might be a step closer to seeing what will emerge over the next twelve months. According to rumors, one is pretty certain, but the other two are a little more unexpected. 

Sorry, Nikon, but why you ever thought that calling hundreds of different camera models COOLPIX would be a good idea will always confuse me. It's not just Nikon, though; camera names and naming conventions are a car crash of branding and lack of foresight. Why are they all so terrible? And which is the worst? 

As Oscar fever sets in, it’s time to look behind the scenes at one of the most amazing technical feats of the year. 

The Fujifilm X-T200 is the latest camera body from the company and the newest member of the beloved X Series line of cameras. With some notable features and a very reasonable price, it looks to be like a potential winner for lots of photographers and filmmakers. This great video takes a first look at the camera and what you can expect from it. 

The 1D X Mark III is undoubtedly a powerhouse on paper, with specs that are sure to make any photographer drool. But do those specs translate to the sort of real-world performance working pros need? This excellent video discusses how it holds up when put to the test in the challenging environment of the NFL playoffs. 

Could an f/1.25 75mm for mirrorless cameras (albeit with an adaptor currently) and the Leica M be the next go-to bokeh monster in the industry? I've owned several lenses dubbed "bokeh monsters" over the years. From vintage primes with lots of blades to more modern creations.

With Leica having just released the beautiful but insanely expensive M10 Monochrom, there’s a good question why other camera manufacturers don’t do the same. Would you buy an Sony a7M III, a Fuji X-M3, or even a Canon EOS Rm? 

All photographers at every level have a similar problem. How do you know how much to spend on a new camera? 

When the X-H1 was first announced, I wrote an article talking about how it was a disappointing release from Fujifilm. My thoughts about that camera haven't really changed; however, since rumors of the X-T4 started to circulate, I've had a think about the H series and where it sits in the line-up.  

In what’s expected to be the first in a series of significant announcements, Fuji has announced the launch of a new APS-C camera: the Fujifilm X-T200. 

Ever wished your laptop had a bit more workspace? The Asus Zenbook Duo has a secondary display right on the main panel that allows for increased productivity and multitasking.  

We would all love to have the absolutely astounding supertelephoto primes that the pros use, but with prices well into five figures, they are simply not in the cards for most of us. Luckily, in the last few years, companies have been releasing better and better long zooms at more affordable prices. This great review takes a look at the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens. 

We often hear the refrain that gear does not matter and a talented photographer should be able to create good images no matter what they are using. And while the advice is well intentioned, it is incomplete at best, and it is important to consider the situations in which gear actually does matter and how carefully thinking about your needs and budget can lead to better images.

I recently got the chance to use the new Hasselblad X1D II for a week. It was my first experience with medium format and required a bit of adapting on a learning curve. Here are my first impressions about the body, design, lenses, and general usability of the camera. 

Continuous static shots in videos can get stale pretty fast. Adding clean, smooth motion pans into your video work has gotten even easier with the latest camera jib release from edelkrone.  

Recently I got my hands on the new Fujifilm GFX 100 medium format camera and thought it would be fun to create a free fashion photography tutorial showing my entire workflow.

It's been several years since the first predictions that 4K was going to be the new HD in the near future. It is 2020, and here, Tony Northrup tests his own prophecy against the current reality. 

Canon has been designing and releasing some crazy lenses lately, and it seems they have no intention of slowing down, with a 135mm f/1.4 lens popping up in a recent patent application. 

The Sony a7R IV was a spectacular camera on paper when it was first released, building on the long history of success and innovation in the R line of cameras. The marquee features were the large bump in resolution and the addition of some impressive autofocus features taken from the a9, along with other improvements, such as better ergonomics.

Canon’s efforts to push the bounds of what’s normal when it comes to full frame lenses continues apace with the manufacturer reported to have just registered patents for two zoom f/2.8 lenses with exceptional focal ranges. 

Leica has just announced the latest version of its classic M series compact rangefinder cameras, the M10 Monochrom. What makes this camera stand out is its 40-megapixel full-frame sensor that records only luminance data and doesn’t capture any color. 

One metric of a successful lens that is difficult to measure but highly valuable is "fun." But which lenses are the most fun and why? Here are five of mine. 

Whether you're a new photographer looking to create some interesting photos on a budget or an experienced shooter that's looking for a little out-of-the-box thinking for your photography, there are many ways to use household objects to spice up a shoot. 

Sony is said to be releasing six new E mount lenses in the next 12 months. Given the size and quality of the range of Sony glass, what do you want and what do you expect? And what do the likes of Tamron, Zeiss, Sigma, and Rokinon/Samyang have planned? 

With the Sony a7 III having proven so popular since its launch in February 2018, its successor is eagerly anticipated. An announcement on the a7 IV might be coming very soon and there’s a huge amount of speculation as to what features Sony plans to include. Will it finally have the flippy screen that YouTubers have been begging for? 

CES, the consumer electronics show that takes over Vegas in January, has just recently wrapped up. Between all the announcements, a few tech trends emerged that are going to be very significant for photographers and videographers over the next year. Want to know what they are?