Photography Gear

Cameras are really good these days. Whether your choice is mirrorless, DSLR, full-frame, or APS-C, the quality of modern cameras is rather outstanding. But there are some features that are particularly overrated, even needless. Here are five of them.

Two months after the new Animal Eye AF mode debuted in the full-frame Sony a7R III and a7 III cameras, it now makes its way to the APS-C Sony a6400. 

When you put a Canon 5D Mark IV and an L series lens up against an entry level Canon with kit lens, you're obviously going to get better results with the more expensive option. But are the results 10 times worth the price? 

F is a big letter of the alphabet photographically speaking and so, to mark this, the two topics in this post are split in two in order to do justice to them. First up is the iconic brand Fuji. 

Edelkrone, cutting-edge maker of motion-control systems for filmmaking, has announced an innovative new tripod head aimed at keeping costs low and quality high. 

Do you ever go out photographing landscapes when the weather isn’t that great? I think most photographers prefer a sunset with intense colors and playful clouds. But perhaps you should try bad weather for a change.

Sony has announced what I would consider their first true bird photography lens, the FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS. Here are my initial thoughts and ramblings based on my hands-on experience. 

Photographers and professionals alike swear by Apple’s MacBook Pro as their mobile solution to get the job done. Apple’s professional tier of computers are known for their ease of use, battery life, and reliability. As such, it’s rare for them to go on sale. Not only are Apple’s MacBook Pros on sale, but everything from the Apple Watch, iPads, to iMacs are on sale now! 

Light is the currency of photography, it's how you use it that defines your creative outputs. As we reach the letter E in our alphabetical journey, what better place to start than with exposure? Joining it, faster than a speeding bullet, is Harold Edgerton. 

To misquote Bill Clinton:

It's the exposure, stupid.

Sony cameras have captured the imaginations of many photographers and videographers in the last few years, with their rich feature sets and vast capabilities providing lots of excitement and increasing the company's market share at a rapid pace. Here are the three things I most appreciate about Sony cameras. 

Following along on the path of the ABCs of photography, we reach D and the process that kicked off photography in the first place: the Daguerrotype. But what or who will join such an auspicious and founding technique? 

Fujifilm is due to roll out a new version of its slightly odd rangefinder hybrid later this year. How is it going to improve on the X-Pro2, which sensor will it boast, and will it really feature 5-axis in-body stabilization? 

There are many reasons for a professional photographer or video editor to shell out thousands of dollars for Apple's new Pro Display XDR monitor. But only Apple would be arrogant enough to think anyone — professional or otherwise — should shell out $1,000 for a stand to go with it.  

Today, Sony announced a new super-telephoto prime lens and super-telephoto zoom lens aimed at sports, action, and wildlife photographers. 

I've always been a fan of odd lenses and crazy rendering from some vintage lenses. I have even gone further than most and used vintage lenses on my Sony exclusively on actual customer sessions, and I have been pleased with the results. Today, I want to talk about how much difference modern lens technology really makes in actual real-world usage. 

The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens is a staple for most photographers. I purchased mine about 10 years ago, and I am about to retire it. 

The primary reason that I’ve remained a loyal Canon user is due to their range of tilt-shift lenses. In 2013, I acquired a 17mm tilt-shift lens. In this article, I’ll explain why this and the 24mm tilt-shift lens have been crucial lenses in my camera bag ever since. 

When you go out taking pictures, you grab your camera or camera bag, you might set up a tripod, and start shooting. Often, that goes without any problems, but not always. Imagine what happens when your equipment takes an unexpected fall because something fails. 

GoPro’s latest action cam caused a little bit of a stir when it was released last year, bringing an insane level of digital stabilization to 4K footage. DJI then shook things up by launching its mooted GoPro killer, the DJI Osmo Action. How do they compare, and which one should you buy? 

Canon cameras tend to get a lot of flak for seemingly being behind the times technologically speaking, though they remain the top brand in the world. Nonetheless, it's not all bad with them. Here are three things that I think Canon cameras do very well. 

Canon has long resisted calls for in-body stabilization and it is feature that's markedly missing from the EOS R and the EOS RP. However, news is emerging that in-body stabilization paired with lens stabilization is very much in the pipeline. What are the implications for its RF and EF lens line ups? 

There is no shortage of gear reviews all over the internet that are full of meaningless info, opinions with zero examples, or evidence to back them up.

Atomos is most known for their on-camera monitor/recorder solutions and while they do make other products it's never been a focus of theirs until now with their new NEON on set monitors.

Smartphones seem to be advancing at a much quicker pace than conventional cameras are. Companies are consistently trying to find solutions to problems and issues. The battle to perfection continues and Asus seems to be pushing towards this goal with their latest smartphone

Weighing in at a little over 8 oz, the Leica Summicron 50mm f/2 is quite the small lens. It doesn't have a remarkably wide maximum aperture either, and yet, it costs over $2,000. What makes this lens so expensive? 

Photography is a hobby/profession that can take a serious toll on your wallet. The cost of a lot of precision, technologically advanced equipment can lead you to be very protective of your gear (and rightfully so). Is it worth risking it to get the shot? 

Olympus has just recently announced its newest edition of the TG underwater series of cameras. While not a gigantic step up from its predecessor, it comes with enhanced features sure to grab interest to anyone interested in underwater photography. 

Profoto has just launched the B10 Plus, a 500w/s on-location strobe that outmatches the recently released B10 while retaining most of the previous strobe’s design cues. With a well developed back panel display, a svelte body design, and a more powerful light output, is there any room for the B1X in Profoto’s lineup? 

The photography world is chock full of products meant to make photographers think they will instantly improve their work and take dazzling shots. Some are obviously better than others. Here are the best and worst pieces of photography gear I've purchased. 

Update - Congratulations to Mack Bartlett on being selected as the winner of the Fujifilm X-T3 with a 18-55mm lens. His entry to sign up for the Fstoppers and Fujifilm newsletter won him the giveaway. We will be in touch with you to claim your prize.

Lens mount adapters are available in huge numbers for mirrorless cameras thanks to the reduced flange distance they offer.

All roads have led to this. After spending an entire month with the Fuji GFX S, today, I’ll offer my final thoughts on whether the camera is worth the price of admission. 

Laptops have severe limitations when it comes to throwing graphics around, lacking the big, fan-cooled processors that are often a feature of desktop machines. What if you could keep the mobility of your laptop and plug into an external GPU when you need to render graphics or export your content? Could this be a game changer when it comes to your workflow? 

Continuing our A to Z foray into the world of photography, we move on to C and the iconic Central Park. What possible reason could Central Park have for inclusion in this brief A to Z and didn't Lewis Carroll write books? Find out as we move on to alphabetical Cs.

Modern cameras are mightily advanced technological instruments, full of a bevy of features and capabilities, some more important than others. This is the feature that's most important to me. 

You might not be considering dropping the cash for this thing, but the target customer might. 

If you’re out of the loop, Apple announced a brand new Mac Pro. It’s an overdue replacement for the previous trash can model, and I think Apple is getting back to their Mac Pro roots. It’s more cheese grater than ever.

It wasn't long ago that Chinese lenses were synonymous with, well, crap. But with brands like Venus Optics, Zhongyi, and 7Artisans we are beginning to see high quality, unique lenses that have very few compromises.

Photographers can be both nostalgic and habitual, finding a piece of gear they really love and sticking with it for a long time. Most of us have some piece of gear we love and won't ever part with. This one is mine. 

Panasonic started its full-frame mirrorless game with the S series bodies. In this review, you’ll see whether Lumix S1 is good for video shooters or not. 

It's been more than three years since Canon first released their flagship camera the EOS-1D X Mark II. Since then, plenty of other cameras have been released, new flagship models from other manufacturers and even a whole new mount. Three years is a long tie in the world of technology so how does the current Canon flagship camera hold up to today's standards? 

 The fast pace of changing technology is not slowing down. Add to the mix new mirrorless systems, VR, 8K it’s starting to make more and more sense to rent camera bodies, or does it? 

It was about five years ago that I first tried this out, and it’s crazy to me how camera manufacturers will omit such a great feature.

For those of us who insist on lugging our gear out on location, a sturdy backpack is a must-have. As a hiker, climber, and chronically over prepared photographer, I’m used to packing a heavy load up the side of a mountain. That’s why I was so excited to get my hands on the 20L Tenba Axis Backpack. 

Panasonic isn’t holding any punches with this new camera. Just how much have they crammed in? 

A few weeks ago, I complained that the Panasonic S1 was too lackluster to attract real video professionals like the GH5 might have. It looks like they answered my prayers with the newly announce S1H. Thanks, Panny! Here’s how the specs look so far:

Longer telephoto lenses can be very pricey, especially if you're only looking to use one occasionally or simply don't have the money to drop five figures on top of the line glass. Luckily, third party companies have been producing excellent long zoom lenses for the last few years at much more affordable prices.

ND filters range from useful in landscape photography to bordering on necessary for filmmakers to keep control of your aperture while under any lighting condition. This new ND filter from Panavision is special - it is electronic and fits into a standard matte box. 

A lot of my work has light placed in very precise spots, just over the eyes, or the lips, or just on one spot on the face. I often get asked how I do it, and instead of just saying the product, I thought I should go more in depth and talk about the ins and outs of how to get the most out of Cinefoil. 

Continuing our A to Z foray into the world of photography, we move on to B. What better place to start than an iconic manufacturer in the form of Bronica and Burtynsky? 

With five new camera codes recently patented, we could be in for a flurry of bodies launched in 2019 and 2020 as Nikon looks to pad out its range of Z series mirrorless cameras. Are we a few months from the announcement of a high-end, full-frame camera complete with dual card slots, beating Canon to the punch? 

In what is sure to be another blow to DSLR users, Canon is now rumored to be ending some of its more prominent lines, including the high-megapixel 5DS and 5DS R and its hugely popular 7D line.