Photography Gear

Photography's expensive. Bodies, lenses, filters, software: it all adds up. But what about tripods? Do you really need to spend big on them to get what you want?

In a previous article, I reviewed the Prince Street by ONA and for the most part, I had some very positive things to say about it. More recently ONA sent me The Big Sur to review and I've been using it quite extensively for the last few weeks. 

Offering to revolutionize how people shoot home movies in their bedrooms, one tech company has released a wearable camera that attaches to the penis, guaranteeing a unique position from which to film the most intimate of encounters. 

Food photography is a dark art and there seems to be an infinite number of tips and tricks to get the best results. Food photographer Skyler Burt has put together a list of six essential bits of gear that he takes on every single shoot, and some of them might surprise you. 

Photographer Mathieu Stern decided to test out a vintage Leica lens that retails for nearly $4,000 on eBay. He tested its capabilities in a series of photos, the results of which he says don’t justify the hefty price tag. 

Fujifilm has expanded its weather-resistant lens lineup for X-series cameras with the introduction of the Fujinon XF16mm f/2.8 R WR. I got the chance to take a pre-production sample for a first look. 

With the EOS-1D X Mark II having just passed its third birthday, speculation is emerging over what Canon is planning for its successor. It’s long been mooted that the Mark III will arrive in time for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, but how will it compare to the competition? 

Samyang keeps trucking along with their new lens announcements, and this time they have something to share with Sony mirrorless shooters. 

While the rage may be LED lights and very portable strobes, it is still hard to beat the ease and simplicity of good old speedlights. Most of us have at least one, if not more in our camera bag, and I always carry two of them with me whenever I’m shooting. So, why not dust off those speedlights and brush up on some great ways to use them with this great video? 

These two newly released mirrorless cameras have a lot to offer, and between them there are compelling trade offs that make it harder to decide where to invest. Here's a breakdown of how they compare for video. 

Canon has been at work creating a suite of cameras and lenses that support 8K video capture. Here's the first jaw-dropping footage that's been released showcasing their 8K cinema camera under development. 

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the team at Interfit just took the crown for "Best Affordable Strobe With A Nature-Inspired Name" from the longtime champ Alienbees. First things first, let's get the introductions out of the way. Interfit has been around for what I would describe as "forever".

Loupedeck+ is a photo and video editing console built to speed up workflows by placing all the controls right at your fingertips. As its next step in productivity, Apple Final Cut Pro and Adobe Audition are now being integrated. 

Fujifilm have placed themselves squarely at both ends of the sensor-size war, skipping 35mm full frame altogether and instead concentrating on APS-C and medium format. In this review we'll be taking a look at the second addition to their GFX series of cameras, the rangefinder-styled GFX 50R. 

For a long time, Leica was known for producing some of the best cameras on the market. Some of the most iconic images in history have been shot on a Leica and the M series has remained one of their most sought after and almost idolized series of cameras. Recently I had the immense pleasure of testing the Leica M10-P and here are some of my thoughts on the camera. 

Today, Lensbaby unveiled a new optic for their Composer Pro II, giving a wider field of view while retaining the unique slice-of-focus look these lenses are known for. 

While it’s true that having the newest, fanciest camera is nowhere near as important as the person behind the lens, there’s much to be said about how a camera’s features can help you to develop as a photographer. In this short video, travel photographer Mitchell Kanashkevich explains how. 

You’re probably well aware that you can fry a camera sensor by exposing it to a laser, or even the sun in some cases. Now we know, we can add tattoo removals to the list.

Insta360 had a solid 360 camera on their hands with the Insta360 ONE X the company launched late last year. Now, the company’s taking that concept one step further, introducing the new Insta360 EVO that features both 360 and 180-degree 3D photos and videos. 

Through a matter of circumstance, I found myself working with multiple camera systems to fulfill a variety of assignments over the last month. Here are a few thoughts on why I chose each system and what I learned from the process. 

"You get what you pay for," they say. Well, not this time at least. 

In October 2018, net SE declared bankruptcy, and with it, the Meyer Optik Görlitz brand it held. Then in December 2018, German-based OPC Optics did a takeover of Meyer Optik and began analyzing the portfolio it had acquired. What they found "shocked" Managing Director of OPC Optics Timo Heinze.

In February, I began my first-impressions review of the Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM by saying it was "the sharpest lens I've ever used." And according to bench testing over at Lensrentals by optics guru Roger Cicala, it now turns out my own impression was spot on. 

As a photographer who definitely likes to push the thin depth of field envelope, the announcement of the 105mm f/1.4 Art from Sigma was a dream come true. With the release date getting pushed back numerous times and my hopes dashed with each delay announcement, I am pleased to review the real world working features of this magical piece of glass. 

I recently had the opportunity to completely replace my camera system. I chose the Canon EOS R and Canon lenses/flashes. If you had asked me a couple of days ago, Canon would have been my last option. This article is about what changed my mind. 

Our new studio in Puerto Rico had so much echo that it was ruining the audio in all of our videos. I'm happy to say that we have finally figured things out, and we've learned a few things that might help you as well.  

Fujifilm has become quite well known for it’s excellent APS-C lens lineup and now has enough lenses that several of them overlap significantly. One pair of lenses that bare consideration for many getting into the Fujifilm X system are the “kit” XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS and the “professional” XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR. Let’s take a look at the differences between them. 

The nifty fifty has a permanent place in many photographers’ camera bag but this nifty fifty is definitely not so thrifty: Minnesota’s National Camera Exchange store has a rather special Leica lens for sale at a mere $53,999.99. 

Last month B&H helped us build an extremely expensive workstation. Today, we built a computer that rendered footage faster in Adobe Premiere for 1/3 of the price.  

Leica has just announced its newest camera, the Leica Q2. More than just a standard upgrade to its predecessor, the Q2 takes what was already a decent compact camera and makes it a strong competitor in the compact fixed lens market.  

In a new video posted online, Game of Thrones and Aquaman actor Jason Momoa has revealed what he calls his “addiction” to Leica cameras. He’s also been hinting at a collaboration with the camera giant.

Focus stacking is a technique mainly used by landscape and advertising photographers. It can be done manually focusing at different points, or you can use a camera like Nikon D850 to get it done automatically in-camera.    

Finding new ways to evolve creatively is a never-ending process. Take a deeper dive at implementing audio into your workflow in this follow-up focused on photographers and writers.

They say the third time’s the charm, and that’s certainly the case with Fujifilm’s new X-T30. I got a chance to take a hands-on look at a pre-production X-T30 and put it through its paces recently. How did it do? 

While wandering the stalls of CP+ (a.k.a the Japan Camera Show), photographer Matt Granger was fortunate enough to grab a few moments to play with Nikon’s beast of a lens proposed for release later this year: the NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct. The physics are incredible, but early signs suggest that it might not be very practical. 

Following on from rumors last year, Yongnuo has announced that it will be releasing a mirrorless camera featuring 4G connectivity, an Android operating system and a Canon EF lens mount. It offers a 5” touch screen, shoots 4K at 30 fps, and allows users to share content on the fly. 

Today, Meike announced their latest full-frame E-mount lens with the 85mm f/1.8. 

Auto ISO is a feature that has saved the butts of many photographers since its inception, and also makes life easier when the camera does the work itself. Here's how to get it set up and dialed in, and learn what exactly the setting does. 

The wisdom of crowds can sometimes provide valuable insight, so we want to know which lens you think is the most underrated. Here are a few of mine too. There are many lenses that everybody just accepts as amazing, or nearly everybody. Almost any decent brand 85mm f/1.8 and faster, several 70-200mm f/2.8, several 24-70mm f/2.8s, and so on.

Sony’s lens line-up has grown significantly over the last couple of years with various third-party manufacturers stepping up to fill gaps or offer more affordable versions. However, one lens remains missing from Sony’s line-up and it’s even stranger when you consider that, from the outset, both Canon and Nikon created versions for their new mirrorless cameras. 

Investing in glass can be a long and drawn out process and it’s definitely one that you don’t want to rush when it can be such a large commitment. Photographer James Popsys has put together an excellent short video to talk you through some of the major elements to consider  — including some ideas that you probably won’t have thought of — when making your decision. 

Do you need professional photography equipment to be a professional photographer? Does the look you portray mean as much as the images you create? Where do the explanations that it’s the photographer not the camera end and the equipment really begins to matter?

I am definitely one of those photographer's whose favorite and go-to lens for portraits is the 85mm focal length. After loads of time spent with it, I can say that even now years later, the Sigma 85mm 1.4 Art is still pretty much the king. 

Ultra wide rectilinear lenses are not very common and the few existing options are expensive. But the Irix 11mm f/4 combines non-fisheye design with a friendly price. Is it too good to be true? 

When 5 inches isn't enough, SmallHD now brings a 7-inch on-camera monitor to videographers with the FOCUS 7. 

Many of us have heard that variable neutral density filters give a softer image, or that more expensive filters have less color cast, but few of us have actually tested these "facts" for ourselves. Here are the results of a range of 23 neutral density filters compared. 

When shooting raw photos, many of us have come to expect we can ignore a few settings on our cameras because some of them only apply to recorded JPEGs. As it turns out, however, raw shooters do need to beware of Sony's Picture Profile settings. 

The new generation memory card from Sony will not only support high speeds for reading and writing, but is designed to withstand physical torture, which sometimes happens when it's used in professional and industrial environments. 

The Canon EOS RP is an intriguing camera: it's an incredibly cheap and light full frame mirrorless body, but of course, to get to that price point, compromises had to be made. This informative and balanced review will help you decide if the EOS RP is the right camera for you.  

The new Sony a6400 APS-C mirrorless camera just started to ship to customers, and that means many people are going to need help getting through the convoluted menu system. Here's everything you need to know to get the most from the new camera. 

It's rare to find a camera bag that ticks all the boxes when it comes to function, durability, comfort, and price. If I'm looking to only carry a camera and a couple lenses plus some accessories, the HEX Raven DSLR Mirrorless Bag is my go-to choice.