Photography Gear

One of the ongoing mysteries on the Nikon rumor sites has been answered. And it comes in the form of the new NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena. 

Retro cameras have become highly popular in the last few years, with many championing their tactile mechanical designs that encourage the user to be a more active part of the photographic process rather than someone operating a machine. Two leading options are the highly popular Fujifilm X100V and the new Nikon Zf. Which is right for you?

With the market inundated with countless products, it can be overwhelming to choose the right price point for the gear you need. Does the price tag truly reflect the quality and performance of the equipment? Let's dive into this question. 

Apple's new iPhone 15 is here, and the latest model provides some serious upgrades for photographers and filmmakers, making it worth a look for many creatives. What can you expect from these upgrades and new features in real-world usage? This excellent video review takes a look at everything you can expect from the phone in practice.  

The focusing ring on my favorite lens had been stiff for a while and finally, it failed completely. I decided to take the lens apart and see if I could fix it myself. Of course, it wasn’t that easy. 

Canon has been extremely aggressive in their approach to RF mount lenses, producing a variety of boundary-pushing and capable lenses. However, it seems they plan on introducing a lens that was not on our bingo card for 2024.  

The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD has been one of the hottest lenses of the last few years, with many creatives clamoring for a tool that can tackle the work of several other lenses in one package, offering unmatched levels of convenience and versatility. How does it hold up in the real world?

The Sony a7C II mirrorless camera offers a lot of capabilities in a very small body, making it an attractive option for anyone who wants a lot of versatility in a portable package. How does the second generation compare to the first? This great video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice?  

With the announcement of a new camera, Sony has a huge competitive advantage over the competition. 

I wish we’d all just move on. The format that used to be a compromise between image quality and price in the film days is nowadays being taken as the sole possibility for a serious photographer, and if you are not part of the gang, you apparently deserve to be ridiculed. 

Packed with features and accessories, the Rode Wireless Pro is easily the best value in wireless audio. At just $400, it's an easy decision to buy, but it still has room to improve.  

The new iPhone 15 is here, and it brings with it some major camera upgrades that should be quite exciting for photographers and filmmakers alike. How do all these improvements and new features perform in practice? This fantastic video takes a look at how the phone performs for photography work.  

When you think of landscape photography, does a wide angle lens come to mind as the go-to choice for capturing the vast beauty of nature?  While wide angle lenses undoubtedly excel at framing expansive vistas and foreground elements, the importance of having a telephoto lens in your bag for landscape photography should not be underestimated.

Tube lights are all the rage. So, when a new one comes on the market, it better have some type of stand-out feature to differentiate it from the pack.  

Tamron has become one of the most respected lens manufacturers in recent years, creating both highly practical and very innovative lenses that both push the boundaries of lens design and that offer affordable alternatives to first-party options. The new 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 is one of those pragmatic options, and this excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the s

Medium format lenses are rarely cheap or portable, but the Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR is both reasonably priced and rather svelte, at least as these larger optics normally go. Can it still keep up with the demands of a modern medium format camera sensor. This excellent video review takes a look at the sort of image quality you can expect from it.  

Samyang has long been known for creating manual focus lenses that offer fantastic image quality and sharpness in tandem with extremely affordable prices. However, in the last few years, the company has moved into producing autofocus options, though their prices have remained highly affordable.

A tripod is a vital tool for many photographers. There is a wide range of tripods available in every price range. You can invest as little as fifty dollars or go as high as fifteen hundred dollars. There are some things to watch out for, regardless the price range. 

Nikon may have just announced my dream camera for street and travel photography. 

I am a career long Nikonian as I have mentioned several times in this column. I’ve been using Nikon cameras professionally for almost 20 years and rarely reach for anything else when a big job is on the line. 

The first SLR camera I received as a teenager came with a 50mm lens that I used for many years, so I’m very familiar with the lens and how to capture what I want with it.

Fancy exchanging your camera for one that shoots on floppy disks instead? You may actually be surprised by the images made on this retro camera. 

A 35mm lens with a wide maximum aperture is one of the most useful and versatile options a photographer can have in their bag, but such lenses can often be quite expensive, sometimes running north of $2,000. At $129, you probably do not expect much out of the dirt-cheap Pergear 35mm f/1.4 lens, but you might be surprised at the results it can produce.

Tamron has established themselves as one of the most innovative lens manufacturers in the photo industry, creating a library of lenses that use smart compromises to offer competitive performance and image quality and performance at prices far more affordable than those of most first-party options.

The Samyang AF 35-150mm f/2-2.8 offers a hugely versatile range of focal lengths in tandem with particularly wide maximum apertures, all at an impressively affordable price, making it attractive for wedding, events, sports, and portrait photographers. How does it perform in practice?

Fujifilm recently announced a range of exciting new equipment, including the GF 55mm f/1.7R WR, which offers medium format shooters a remarkably wide maximum aperture paired with a versatile and relatively neutral focal length, making it attractive for a range of applications from portraiture to events. How does it perform in real-world usage?

The Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM is a truly small lens, which makes it a fantastic option for any creative who want an affordable lens suitable for multi-hour walks or long trips. Can it pack decent image quality and performance into that tiny footprint? This excellent video review takes a look at what you can expect from it in real-world usage.  

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S lens offers the promise of being the ultimate portrait lens for Z mount shooters by offering a combination of an extremely wide maximum aperture, top-level image quality, and smooth and buttery bokeh. Can it actually provide those in practice? This excellent video review takes a look at what you can expect from the lens in real-world usage.  

There is a lot to love about Sigma’s new 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN Contemporary lens for Fujifilm X mount cameras, including superb image quality, a compact design, and image stabilization – all at an affordable price. 

Do you have insurance? Do you need insurance? Is this something that you've thought about and then just not gone ahead and purchased? Photography is a hobby, so I'll be covered with my home insurance should anything go wrong. Is there something in the small print that won't cover your equipment at home or overseas?  

A 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is the option of choice for countless photographers, as it can handle a huge variety of situations and needs and produce quality images with a high degree of reliability. That being said, such lenses are often quite expensive, easily topping $2,000. If you do not need that wide aperture, a 70-200mm f/4 can be an excellent alternative.

Everyone likes to talk about gear, moving to a full frame camera, getting the newest camera, more megapixels, and so on. It is easy to think that you can’t take good pictures without the right gear. In this video, we see someone move from using their Nikon Z7 to using their Nikon Z30 more often.  

Fujifilm’s newest camera and a series of lenses have, after many rumors, finally been unveiled! The successor to the outstanding GFX 100 is finally here, and it packs a punch! What is new? What is better? Is it worth the upgrade? 

Macro lenses with short telephoto focal lengths are fantastically useful, capable of offering a glimpse into an amazing world all around us and pulling double duty as razor-sharp portrait options. The Venus Optics Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO offers a particularly high magnification ratio even by macro standards, and this awesome video takes a look at what you can create

Historically, the Olympus TOUGH cameras were well respected by outdoor adventurers, divers, and those who work in extreme environments. The New OM System TOUGH TG-7 has taken a huge step forward with a host of exciting new features. 

With its innovative APS-C and medium format cameras, many have long wondered why Fujifilm has steadfastly refused to enter the full frame market. It turns out they have had their eyes on the full frame market the whole time.  

Smartphone cameras have evolved in the past decade from merely being tools for documentation to being actual devices that can be used for art. With most smartphones getting bigger, what does this small phone actually have to offer? 

You’d be hard-pressed to find a portable flash at the level of Profoto A2 in terms of build quality, size, weight, power, ease of use, and consistency. It is genuinely a tiny marvel for any photographer. It is almost hilariously simple to set up, and yet, it delivers terrific results. Best of all, if you buy a Profoto A2 between now and October 31, you get a Connect remote for free. 

Today, we’ll take a look at why sometimes adding a little horsepower to your workflow can supercharge your productivity. 

Canon has produced some mightily innovative and unusual RF mount lenses in the last few years, and it seems they have no intention of stopping. New patents show the company is dreaming up more lenses with extreme designs.  

The patents, reported by Canon Rumors, detail three new designs: 

Lenses with wide maximum apertures are extremely popular both for working in conditions with low light and for creating images with very narrow depth of field. In recent years, we have seen an explosion of lenses that push well past traditional thresholds like f/1.4 and into extreme apertures like f/1.0 or even f/0.95 and f/0.85. Are these insanely wide lenses worth it?

The GFX100 II, the followup to the highly popular Fujifilm GFX 100S medium format mirrorless camera is here, and it looks like an incredible camera. 

The Fujifilm GFX 100S medium format mirrorless camera builds on the impressive legacy established by the GFX series, including the following features and upgrades:

Alongside the new GFX100 II medium format mirrorless camera, Fujifilm has announced three new GF lenses.  

The GF 55mm f/1.7 R WR offers a wide aperture in tandem with a 44mm equivalent focal length making it a great option for applications like portraiture and street photography. Its features include: 

As if a new medium format camera and three new lenses weren't enough, Fujifilm has also announced plans for two rather innovative medium format lenses. 

The two new lenses are a remarkably long 500mm prime lens and a power zoom option for video work.

Landscape photographers often find themselves hiking longer distances or on routes with significant elevation changes. Decisions about what camera gear to carry can influence the hike's success, both in reaching the destination and photography results. Is there a one lens solution for these hikes? 

The AstrHori 18mm f/8 macro 2:1 lens released a few months ago is the nearest competitor to the Laowa Optics probe lens and at half the price, it is something that should be considered by both macro photographers and videographers.