Photography Gear

Gear isn't everything — but it's not nothing either. This section covers the cameras, lenses, accessories, and equipment that photographers actually use, with an eye toward helping you make smart decisions rather than just chasing the latest release. Expect news, analysis, hands-on impressions, and the occasional reality check on whether that upgrade is actually worth it.

Your Old Camera Gear Might Be Worth More Than You Paid

So recently, I suffered a bout of Gear Acquisition Syndrome (G.A.S.) and sold most of my Canon EOS M system cameras and lenses and switched back to Micro Four Thirds. But here’s the crazy thing: In some cases, I got more than I paid for the cameras brand new, which really shines a light on how much tariffs have warped the sense of what an affordable camera is. 

Potensic Atom 2: A Tiny Drone Going Up Against the Big Guys

It seems drones are all over the news recently—either new iterations of existing models promising to change your life, new entries to the market aiming to shake up the game, or even recent headlines suggesting that drones are “evil” and need to be banned. But what happens when a new kid on the block enters the race and suddenly makes a bit of sense?

Stop Paying for These 5 Camera Features You Will Never Use

You are paying a $2,000 premium for buttons you will never press. Modern flagships are genuine marvels of engineering. These cameras represent the absolute pinnacle of what decades of imaging technology can achieve, packed into weather-sealed magnesium alloy bodies that can survive conditions most of us will never encounter.

The New Meike 85mm f/1.8 SE Mark II for Canon: What $230 Really Gets You

A budget 85mm can look perfect on paper, then punish you in the exact situations that make 85mm worth owning: wide-open portraits, backlit scenes, and close-up framing. The Meike 85mm f/1.8 SE Mark II lens is interesting because it isn’t just “another cheap prime,” it’s a native Canon EF option that also invites adapting to newer Canon RF bodies. 

Is Medium Format Right for You?

Medium format keeps pulling you back when prints start getting big and your files need to hold together under picky edits, and that is the exact lane where the Hasselblad X2D 100C starts to look less like a luxury and more like a tool with a point.

A Hands-On Review of the Pocket-Sized Canon IVY Printer

There’s something undeniably satisfying about holding a physical print, a notion that hasn't disappeared as the world has gone digital. The Canon IVY mini photo printer delivers a portable way to turn your favorite digital images into prints, stickers, and more.

A Budget 360 Camera That Actually Delivers? Testing the Insta360 X4 Air

It seems that there are new iterations of cameras released almost every second week—some new, and some with slight tweaks—but what happens when a camera system itself is unique? How can this be updated and improved from what is already quite niche? Let’s take a look. 

Every Photographer Needs This TV (Samsung The Frame)

There is a lot to hate about Samsung's "The Frame" TV, but It's still my favorite TV of all time. 

The entire idea behind The Frame is simple. When the TV is off, it turns into a piece of artwork instead of a black rectangle. Samsung uses an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust brightness and color temperature so that the screen matches the lighting in your room.

Canon EOS R6 Mark III vs EOS R5 vs EOS R5 Mark II: The Real-World Choice

Choosing between the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, the EOS R5, and the EOS R5 Mark II is not a spec-sheet game anymore, because all three are fast enough. The real question is which one matches the way you shoot when things get chaotic: action, low light, long video takes, or heavy cropping. 

Sony a7 V vs Canon EOS R6 Mark III: The Best Hybrid Camera for 2026

Sony’s a7 V is being framed as the hybrid body to watch going into 2026, and it’s getting a head-to-head test against the Canon EOS R6 Mark III. If you shoot both stills and video, this matchup hits the exact problems that waste time later: skin tone cleanup, shadow recovery, and how far you can push footage before it turns weird. 

5 Things Camera Companies Are Getting Right in 2026 (And 5 They Are Getting Wrong)

We are living in a paradox. Cameras have never been more capable, yet the experience of buying and using them is still frustrating in many ways. The sensors are incredible. The autofocus is borderline supernatural. The lenses are sharper than anything we had a decade ago. And yet, there's a lot that can still be improved. 

Holga In The Cold: Fun With a Unique Camera

Taking only one camera into winter hills sounds simple until the camera is a plastic Holga with one shutter speed and one aperture. If you shoot film and still want usable negatives when the light swings from predawn to harsh midday, this setup forces decisions you normally avoid. 

What You Gain and What You Give Up With the Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro Lens

The Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro just landed in Nikon Z mount, and it is aimed straight at that classic portrait look on APS-C. If you shoot people on Nikon DX and you want strong separation without jumping to larger, pricier full frame glass, this lens sits right on the pressure point. 

Nikon’s New 24-70mm f/2.8 S II: The Real-World Tradeoffs Nobody Mentions

A lens like the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II tends to become the default choice when you need one zoom that can handle tight streets, indoor light, and quick portraits without swapping glass. If you shoot travel, events, or hybrid photo and video, the real question is not whether this range works, but whether this specific version earns its weight and cost in your bag. 

Three Budget 85mm Lenses, One Clear Winner, and a Surprise Runner-Up

Cheap 85mm lenses can look like an easy win until you start noticing the tradeoffs: size, focus behavior, background rendering, and how hard you have to work in post. If you shoot portraits on Sony E mount, this comparison matters because small differences at 85mm show up fast in faces, hair, and specular highlights. 

Canon EOS C50 First Impressions: Open Gate, Raw, and the Real Tradeoffs

The Canon EOS C50 sits in a tricky space: small enough to rig like a compact cinema body, but spec’d like it expects real jobs. If you shoot paid video, wildlife, or talking-head work, the C50’s mix of open gate, internal raw, and practical I/O can change what you carry and what you skip. 

Hands On With The Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro

When it comes to lenses these days, we are spoiled for choice. For crop-sensor shooters, Viltrox has just made the decision a little harder with the 56mm f/1.2 Pro. 

Will We Finally See Canon's Retro Camera This Year?

For years, the idea of a retro-styled Canon mirrorless camera lived in the realm of wishful thinking. Forum threads speculated. Rumor sites teased. And Canon stayed silent, content to let Fujifilm and Nikon own a market segment that seemed to grow more lucrative by the quarter. But something has shifted. 

A Look at the New Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 Lens

A new kit-style zoom always raises the same question: will it stay on the camera or will it end up in a drawer? The Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 lens is pitched as the kind of light, compact choice that makes carrying a full frame body feel less like a commitment. 

Viltrox 85mm F1.4 Pro Z Review: Fast, Sharp, and Surprisingly Refined

I’ve owned a Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 for a few years now, and it’s been one of two lenses I take everywhere with me, the other being a 35mm f/1.8. I’ve found f/1.8 to be a very handy aperture for low light shooting, but I still encounter a few situations where I need to crank up my ISO, as it’s not quite fast enough.

The Zettlab D6 Launches: A Polished New NAS With Ambitions Beyond Storage

Network-attached storage is like mattress shopping for creators: incredibly useful, rarely exciting. But after trying the Zettlab D6, I came away feeling like this is one of the first pre-built NAS products that genuinely tries to be something more than a black box humming in the corner. 

A Famous Lens Reality Check: Soft, Wild, and Sometimes Perfect

A lens can be “bad” on paper and still be exactly the look you keep trying to fake in post. This video focuses on a vintage 85mm f/1.5 that keeps showing up in portraits and video because it does something modern lenses usually avoid. 

The Most Underrated Camera Spec in 2026

When you shop for cameras online, spec sheets emphasize familiar metrics: 20 frames per second, 30 frames per second, 8K video, blackout-free shooting. These numbers look impressive. They sound impressive. And they are. But they are often misleading when it comes to final image quality. 

Before You Buy the Sony a7 V

While gear reviews can offer a lot of secondhand insight and opinion, there’s nothing like being able to try out the camera for yourself. While there is no way for us to let everyone interested try out the camera physically, this might be the next best thing. 

Field Test: SmallRig RM 03 Macro Photography LED Light for Close-Up Work

For macro photography, it can sometimes be useful to have additional light. Many types of lamps are available, some small, others large. SmallRig now offers the new SmallRig RM 03 Macro Photography LED lights. These small lights provide a lot of flexibility, as becomes clear in this review.

Landscape Photography With an Insanely Wide Lens

Ultra-wide lenses can make a forest scene feel bigger than it looks in real life, but they also punish lazy framing. If you want depth, clean lines, and a clear subject when the light is low, the choices you make within a few feet of the camera start doing most of the work. 

A $2,800 Standard Zoom: What Nikon Fixed and What It Didn’t

A new 24-70mm f/2.8 can look boring on paper, but this one changes the way the lens behaves in your hands. If you rely on this range for paid work, travel, or portraits, small design changes can save time or create new problems. 

Using 24mm and 50mm to Control Portrait Mood and Context

Portraits fall apart when the lens choice fights the moment or the setting. Using 24mm and 50mm on a full frame camera forces you to decide whether a portrait is about connection, context, or the tension between the two. 

Big Upgrade or Small Step: Sony a7 V Vs. a7 IV in Real Shooting

A midrange body that suddenly shoots like a flagship changes what you attempt in the field, especially when the moment is gone before your brain finishes saying “now.” If you shoot action, wildlife, or kids that never hold still, the difference between “almost” and “got it” often comes down to small features. 

A Review of the New Laowa 17mm Tilt-Shift Lens

Ultra-wide tilt-shift work is where small optical flaws turn into ruined corners, smeared lines, and extra retouching you did not plan for. If you care about straight buildings, clean edges, and files that hold up after stitching, this lens is worth a look. 

The Compact Camera Comeback Is Real: Why People Want Dedicated Cameras Again

The compact camera was supposed to be dead. For the better part of a decade, that was the industry consensus. Smartphone cameras got good enough, the logic went, and nobody needed a separate device just to take pictures. The numbers supported this: from a peak of roughly 120 million units shipped in 2010, compact camera sales collapsed to a small fraction of that by the end of the decade.

The Filters I Never Leave Home Without (and How I Keep Them Organized)

I should say "My Essential Lens Filters." I get a lot of people asking what I use, so I thought I’d share what they are. I have a few filters that go everywhere with me. Sometimes they reside in a backpack when on an outdoor adventure, or in a small shoulder bag when exploring urban environments.

Sharp, Fast, and Not Perfect: The Truth About Canon’s 50mm f/1.4

A 50mm f/1.4 can be the lens that lives on your camera when you need one look that works for portraits, events, detail shots, and handheld video. The difference between a lens you trust and a lens you fight often comes down to focus behavior, size, and the small optical quirks that only show up after a long shoot.