Gear

Back in June, I reviewed the Hawkesmill Jermyn Street Camera Bag, which I continue to love to this day. I have used it every day for the past nine months, easily swapping in panels for when I need to carry camera gear and removing them when I just need an awesome daily bag. I mentioned in that review that Hawkesmill would soon be releasing smaller versions of their luxury bags geared specifically towards mirrorless camera users. I’ve been using the smaller version from my first review for the past several months and am ready to kick off the new year with some of my thoughts regarding this bag.

ExoLens the iPhone case company that is known for its protective cases that are compatible with their range of Zeiss lenses, have just announced a new case for the iPhone 7 at C.E.S. Bringing professional-grade lenses to the iPhone, and now even more protection. The new protective case for the iPhone 7 will be available for purchase during the first quarter of 2017, though a price is not yet released.

Fstoppers currently has 20 items up for sale on eBay and they all expire today. If you want to buy any of our gear, this is your last chance.

Despite the company's unfortunate demise with the advent of a number of technologies that were simply cheaper and better, there's something to a Polaroid photograph that you can't get anywhere else: that tactile, one-copy, 3x4-inch film image seconds after taking the picture. Of course, companies such as Fujifilm with Instax or even Polaroid with some recent releases have seen a comeback with instant-print cameras or mini mobile printers, but now Zink's zero-ink prints come out of a compact digital camera in the iconic 3x4-inch format for the first time with the Polaroid Pop.

If I had a nickel for every time I encounter a photographer who is preparing to sell all their gear and jump ship to another camera brand I would actually be able to do so myself. Except I wouldn't. Swapping out camera brands based on some ill-conceived belief that it is the brand of gear you use that is holding you back will do nothing more than lighten your wallet and force you to spend a chunk of time relearning a new interface.

Now available for pre-order, Fujifilm announced an X-Pro2 Graphite Edition kit that comes with a matching 23mm f/2 lens as well as a standalone X-T2 Graphite Silver Edition body to complement the standard black bodies of the brand's flagship cameras. The X-Pro2 features a darker, gunmetal-like grey color, while the X-T2's graphite silver color is more reminiscent of the standard metallic of classic film cameras. The new editions promise to add increased protection to the body and unsurprisingly come at a couple-hundred-dollar premium over their standard-edition counterparts.

I'm not the type of person that likes switching brands. I've been with Nikon from day one, but my needs are changing, and Panasonic seems to have made my dream camera. I know this may sound crazy, but I may soon be selling the majority of my Nikon gear and buying six Panasonic GH5 cameras.

Caleb Pike released a string of interesting and fresh camera hacks over the past year. This time, he's tackling wireless monitoring; a problem that we all know can be expensive and time consuming. Does this leave you open to criticism before you've even finished the shot? Is it the equivalent to handing over raw images? Let's talk about how to do it, and why you should do it.

The more you photograph people, places, and things, the more you understand how much control the available light has over the outcome of your image. Taking advantage of tools like filters to limit or modify the light coming into your camera is a great way to craft a unique image and even add a dramatic flare that you may not be able to create otherwise.

Cinema glass has always been way more expensive than still camera lenses. Combined with the cinema camera sensors these high end lenses provide an image that's far superior to DSLRs capable of recording video. But yet, there are decent films created with DSLRs with still camera lenses. I'm not going to compare the glass quality here. I'm about to talk only about this peculiar T-stop measure on the cinema lenses while still camera lenses have an f-stop. Why should they differ?

It's happened to me and it has most likely happened to you: you order a shirt and can't wait for it to arrive. Then it does and it's a completely different hue than what was pictured in the online store or catalog. Odds are the photographer may not have used a color chart during his or her shoot. There are many photographers that never learn to use a color chart at all, and others who won't do a shoot without one. Here are a few major points on how a color chart can help make your product photography color spot on.

The megapixel war is almost over for still digital cameras. But we see another battle started, the same one for digital video cameras. All camera manufacturers are now marketing their 4K, 6K, and 8K devices, including phones. 2K starts to look quite old school, but is it?

Peak Design is a camera accessory and bag maker that began on Kickstarter, producing the Everyday Messenger bag. They designed the Everyday Messenger in cooperation with photographer Trey Ratcliff, who supposedly had quite a bit of input on its usability. Peak Design recently released three new bag lines following its most recent take to the crowdsourcing site that started it all for them. I supported the campaign and, after a bit of a run-around with a delivery service clearly feeling the pre-Christmas rush, received the Everyday Tote in time for this review.

Right before the new MacBook Pro 2016 release, FStoppers published an article about the laptop's performance when working with 5K ProRes video footage. It wasn't clear what exact model was used, nor was it said what kind of tests were performed. Now, in the post-release era, we've had a chance to see how the new laptop performs against the older 2015 model in a display-by-display battle to help better evaluate whether or not it's actually worth buying.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent hours browsing sites like B&H Photo Video comparing different tripods, tripod heads, and their features. You may also take it a step further by watching reviews until your eyes burn before you decide to finally make that decisive click and add one to your shopping cart. It’s an understandable practice if you ask me. Perhaps you’re in the market for the best travel tripod money can buy. If that’s the case, you’d be hard pressed to find a better option than the Gitzo GT1545T Series 1 Traveler Carbon Fiber Tripod.

Do you live tied down? Weighed down by the ball and chain? Feel like you're living with a leash on? No, I'm not talking about your love life, I'm talking about that tether cord attached to your camera. In-studio or on-location tethering has become a necessity, especially if you're working with clients. The thought leader in their cable tethering technology, Tether Tools, has created their latest product, Case Air, to help make photographers live free again.

The Rhino Slider Evo and Motion Controller is in my opinion the best slider system on the market. It's incredibly robust, shockingly simple to setup and use, and best of all, it's all powered with an internal battery in the controller itself. The new motorized pan head Rhino Arc takes this system to the next level.

This week Canon sent out an advisory regarding counterfeit 50mm f/1.8 II lenses found in circulation. This issue was discovered by Canon after customers sent the lenses into their service centers for repairs. While looking almost identical to real thing on the outside, once a technician opened it up to fix it, they realized the lenses were not authentic. They were found to be made up of parts and electrical circuits that were not genuine.

When Apple announced that the iPhone 7 wouldn't have a standard headphone jack, I wrote an article saying that I would never buy this phone until a battery case brought the jack back. Since that post I have been contacted by four different manufacturers currently working on this very concept. Yesterday we actually received a working unit in the mail.

This week saw the release of the highly anticipated Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, and it has been applauded for being one of the best mirrorless cameras for photography to date by industry standards. But in its video stabilization, they just might have gone and revolutionized handheld shooting for videographers.

Christmas is two weeks away and you are probably starting to panic about your lack of gift buying progress. Have no fear, Fstoppers is here! The stocking is a perfect opportunity to make your resident portrait photographer's Christmas magnificently jolly as there are so many wonderful little toys that fit into an oversized sock. In this post you will find an assortment of fantastic small pieces of gear that will stuff any photographer's heart full of joy this holiday season.

Apple MacBook Pro is without a doubt the laptop of choice for most photographers on the go. However, I've heard of many encountering heat issues when working on it for a prolonged period of time. After recently experiencing this problem myself and having my computer shutting down on its own, I started looking for a solution. It turns out that it's not complicated to control the heat. If you retouch or edit videos quite often on your Apple laptop, you should definitely read the following article.

I'm no audiophile but I do appreciate high quality sound. I can't count how many different amps, speakers, and headphones I've purchased over the past 20 years. It seems like I'm always searching for something just a little bit better. Finally though, after years of searching, I feel like I've found the best audio setup for the money.

Yesterday was a really muggy day here in New Jersey and my partner and I both had off. We came downstairs to the office and worked on a few things when I realized we should be going out in this crappy weather and making something of it. We thought of a few ideas together and one stuck with us over the others, that was to shoot a car video using our Sony a7s ii and DJI Ronin M.

Yet another challenge for you, gear fans. There is a nice short film shot with an iPhone 7 Plus and a RED Weapon. You watch one of the versions. Can you tell if it's shot with a $50,000 camera or with a sub-$1,000 one?

The idea of a travel tripod causes hesitation. On one hand, you have a size that makes bringing a tripod on location no longer a physical strain. On the other, these tripods tend to be thin, causing them to be less sturdy than larger, thicker tubed tripods. The key to a good travel tripod is striking a balance of size and strength. For the past few years, MeFOTO has been the leading brand in travel tripods with their wide selection of sizes. Their introductory line of tripods offered everything from tabletop height to a full size 64" tripod. With their newest release, they seem to be pushing the boundaries of how small a tripod can really be.

Blackmagic sent me one of their 4.6K URSA Mini Cameras to play with, and after just a few short days of messing around with it, the URSA Mini certainly made an impression. A RAW, 16-bit, 4608 pixel-wide impression to be specific. In short, this camera system is a beast, and comes at a price point that is very attractive.

Really Right Stuff, the highly regarded camera support manufacturer, now has their extensive line of products at B&H. Before this announcement, the only way to buy RRS merchandise was directly from them through their own website, but having their inventory available at the largest photo retailer in the USA creates a few benefits for the consumer.

There are still a few weeks before the Holidays and plenty of time to order that camera and lens before the gift giving starts. Whether you're considering buying a camera for yourself or a loved one, now is the perfect time to check out some of the deals on Canon products which can instantly save you up to $400. Check out the great deals on the Canon Rebel T6i, a fantastic starter camera for anyone interested in photography or who is starting to shoot video, and browse through some other great canon products and kit options.