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.

Will We See the Canon EOS R5 Mark II Soon?

Believe it or not, it has been three and a half years since the Canon EOS R5 was first announced, and as such, many photographers are starting to look for its successor, the Mark II. And as luck would have it, we might see it announced fairly soon. 

9 Photography Gifts on a Shoestring Budget

While it's easy to assume that meaningful photography gifts come with a hefty price tag, this article is here to debunk that notion. In this guide, let’s explore nine photography gifts that are not only thoughtful and creative but also friendly on the wallet. From DIY projects to budget-friendly accessories, these ideas prove that meaningful gestures don't have to break the bank.

A Review of the Fujifilm XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro Lens

The Fujifilm XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro lens offers a lot of versatility in a small package, suitable for a huge range of applications. Throw in its portable size and affordable price, and it is an intriguing option for a lot of photographers.

A Review of the iPhone 15 Pro Max for Creatives

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is Apple's flagship in their popular line of smartphones, and it brings with a huge range of advanced tools and features sure to please both photographers and filmmakers who want a versatile tool for creating on the go. This great video review takes a look at the phone and the sort of performance you can expect from it in usage.  

A Review of the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Laptop

Once you have used an OLED screen, it is hard to imagine using anything else. With their gorgeous, inky blacks, infinite contrast, and vivid colors, OLED laptops make for quite an enjoyable experience. One such option is the new Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, and this excellent video review takes a look at everything you can expect from it. 

Happy Holidays to Me: 9 Photography Gifts You Deserve

As the holiday season approaches, the search for the perfect gifts intensifies. For the photography enthusiasts in your life, there's no shortage of thoughtful and inspiring presents to make their Christmas merry and bright. In this guide, let's explore nine photography-related gifts that promise to delight shutterbugs, from beginners to seasoned professionals.

A Review of the 7artisans Photoelectric 9mm f/5.6 Lens

There are wide lenses, and then, there is the 7artisans Photoelectric 9mm f/5.6, which offers the widest focal length available in a full frame rectilinear lens, which is sure to capture the attention of anyone who is a fan of extreme options. What kind of image quality and performance can it deliver, though?

A Review of the Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera

The Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera has been called a miniature version of the highly respected Z9, bringing with it a huge range of advanced features and capabilities in a more portable and affordable body. What can you expect from the Z8? This excellent video review takes a look at the performance image quality it offers.  

A Long-Term Review of the Hasselblad X2D 100C Medium Format Mirrorless Camera

The Hasselblad X2D 100C is a very portable camera that packs a real punch inside, offering photographers a lot of power in a package that can easily go anywhere. How does it perform in practice, though? This great video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect. 

The Best Laptops of 2023

2023 has been a great year for laptops, with fantastic models for both Mac and Windows users. Here were the best models of the year.  

We Review the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Fujifilm X Mount

Sigma continues to grow their line of small, fast, budget-friendly lenses for APS-C cameras. The Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN lens is their latest offering, and it does indeed have a lot to offer photographers looking for an excellent and fast wide angle zoom that won't break the budget.  

So Very Small

A Review of the Sony a6700 Mirrorless Camera

The Sony a6700 mirrorless camera is a compact powerhouse blending cutting-edge technology and exceptional image quality. Can it give the kind of real-world performance and image quality professionals demand? This excellent video review takes a look. 

This Affordable 85mm Lens Is a Hidden Gem

The market is saturated with a wide array of 85mm lenses, ranging in price from a couple hundred to well over $2,000. While one might assume a direct relationship between cost and quality, there are exceptions offering outstanding image quality at a fraction of the price.

A Review of the Fujifilm XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR Lens

The Fujifilm XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR, with its exceptionally wide angle of view, is versatile for numerous uses, making it an intriguing option, particularly alongside an affordable price. In this excellent video review, the lens is explored in depth, showcasing the kind of performance and image quality it delivers in real-world scenarios. 

Staying Warm for Landscape Photography in the Winter

Cold weather landscape photography is one of my favorite times to be out photographing. Familiar landscapes become unfamiliar once again. But you must be prepared and comfortable while out in the elements. Here is my approach to staying warm in the winter. 

A Review of the Affordable and Portable Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 Lens

Viltrox has rapidly established itself as a reputable lens manufacturer, known for delivering quality results at very attractive prices. Priced at $158, the AF 20mm f/2.8 continues this trend. This lens, with its compact size and a practical focal length, raises the question: can it achieve professional-quality outcomes despite its budget-friendly price?

Don't Overlook the 15" MacBook Air

The 15-inch MacBook Air rewrote the paradigm between the Air and Pro models, offering a larger screen in the svelte form factor that first made the model popular. This might leave you wondering if you need the Air or Pro for your needs. This great video discusses why you shouldn't overlook the larger Air model. 

A Review of the Tamron 17-50mm f/4 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron has emerged as a beloved brand in the photography industry, known for producing lenses that combine excellent performance and image quality with appealing prices. Among these is the 17-50mm f/4 Di III VXD lens, which offers a very pragmatic design, making it an ideal choice for those interested in landscape and architectural photography.

Upmarket Gifts That Photographers Really Want to Receive

Every winter, plenty of articles appear suggesting cheap gifts for photographers. However, the best presents are those where the giver has carefully considered the wants or needs of the recipient. Furthermore, let’s be honest, they are also where the giver has spent a bit more money. 

A Look at the Incredible Seestar S50 Smart Telescope

The Seestar S50, a portable smart telescope, is revolutionizing astrophotography by making it accessible and straightforward for everyone. This great video review showcases the S50's capabilities, emphasizing how it simplifies the process of capturing celestial images without requiring prior photography experience. 

Next Year Will Bring Another Ridiculous Canon Lens

With lenses like the RF 28-70mm f/2L USM and the RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM, Canon has continued their reign as the premier manufacturer for top-level lenses. It looks like the company has no intention of slowing down, with another extreme lens on the radar for the second half of 2024.  

A Review of the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM Lens

Wide angle zoom lenses with an aperture of f/2.8 are often considered the standard for professionals, but there are many genres for which that wide aperture is not really needed, and photographers can take advantage of lighter, more affordable, and more capable lenses if they are willing to use an f/4 lens. One such lens is the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM, and this great video review take

Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Review: My New Favorite Lens

I heard about the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 for Sony cameras almost two years ago, but never took the time to test the lens myself. Now that it's out for Nikon as well, I finally got a copy. After two weeks of shooting both stills and video with this lens, I regret how long I've taken to test it, because I believe It's my favorite lens of all time.  

A Look at the Incredible New Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera

Sony's a9 III is one of the most important cameras to hit the market in a long time, finally bringing to the masses the holy grail of a global shutter in a full frame camera. What do you get from a camera so jam-packed with groundbreaking features? This excellent video review takes a look at everything you can expect.  

A Review of the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 Lens

Tamron is one of the most popular and respected companies in the market, notable for creating a variety of lenses that use pragmatic design principles to offer a lot of the same capabilities and performance of first-party options at far more competitive prices.

A Review of the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens

Sigma's fresh 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary lens offers a compelling blend of a generous ultra-wide field of view and bright constant aperture, and that makes it an intriguing option for a wide variety of creatives. Can it deliver in practice, though? This great video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you will be able to expect.  

A Review of the Fujifilm GF 55mm f/1.7R WR Lens

Fujifilm continues bolstering its medium format arsenal with ever more versatile GF mount options. One of the latest to come through is the GF 55mm f/1.7R WR, offering an unusually bright maximum aperture for the format. This fantastic video review takes a look at if the spec sheet lives up to its tantalizing promises in real-world practice. 

A Review of the Tiny But Powerful Sony a7CR Mirrorless Camera

The Sony a7CR crams the formidable 61-megapixel full frame sensor from the nearly twice-as-expensive a7R V into a body barely bigger than the original a7C. What can you get out of this tiny powerhouse? This excellent video review takes a look at what you can expect.  

Cold Weather Gear You Might Forget About

Speaking for wildlife and landscape photographers, we all seem to be interested in the fast glass (especially if it's longer than 600mm or wider than 24mm), better battery life, more frames per second, higher resolution, and a weather-sealed robust body that can take a licking. But, when the weather turns cold, there's something we can't shoot without: gloves.  

The Boundless Creativity of Your iPhone With The Reeflex Apps

The iPhone 15 Pro Max could possibly be considered one of the best mobile phone cameras for modern photography and videography. With a sophisticated camera system, and when paired with the Reeflex Pro app, it becomes even more powerful. This app unlocks the full potential of iPhone photography, allowing users to have complete control over their shots. 

Six Months With the Nikon Z8 as a Landscape Photographer

The Nikon Z8 has been out for over six months now. The camera has many promising new features, but is it the best camera for landscape photography? This is a look at the Z8 after six months of usage by a landscape photographer. 

Why Your Zoom Lens Is More Useful Than You Think

When it comes to telephoto lenses, most people think the main use is to take photos in situations where you can't get close to the subject, things like being stuck at the back of the chapel during a wedding ceremony. And while this reason is valid, there are more uses than just that.  

Alert for Photographers: Package Theft Soars to Record Levels

As the holiday season approaches, the Better Business Bureau has issued a warning to photographers, revealing that package theft is currently "at an all-time high." This troubling trend is a cause for concern, especially as we anticipate an increase in package deliveries during this busy holiday season. 

Why Aperture Priority Is One of the Most Important Camera Modes

In the world of photography, creativity often hinges on the control of light and focus. One powerful tool that grants photographers the ability to manipulate these elements is "Aperture Priority" mode. This enlightening video delves into the realm of Aperture Priority mode, unlocking its potential to enhance your photographic journey and show why it's such an important tool. 

Intriguing Canon Patent Reveals More Boundary-Pushing Lenses

Hold on to your seats, because Canon may be gearing up to release more ridiculous lenses, as a new patent application details. 

The patent application, numbered 2023170260 and originating from Japan, introduces optical formulas for a range of RF mount lenses, including:

What's the Future of the Big iMac?

I have been a longtime user of the iMac, indoctrinated into the Bondi Blue clan since late high school. I've owned a 27" 2009 model, and a 27" 2013 one. But there's no longer a clear, linear upgrade path for longtime users of the big iMac. 

A Review of the New Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 Lens

Tamron has gained popularity among photographers for their practical and budget-friendly lenses, as well as their innovative designs. The 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 is a prime example, being a staple, yet cost-effective option. Can it compete in a marketplace crowded with extremely capable 70-200mm f/2.8 options?