Recent Gear Articles

Canon Patents Two Exciting New Lenses

As Canon keeps filling out their RF mount lens library, more patents of interesting and innovative lenses have continued to emerge. Two new patents recently came to light, and these lenses look like potentially fantastic options for sports and wildlife photographers.

Is This the Best Budget Drone Available?

The drone market has matured considerably in recent years, and photographers and filmmakers now have a variety of devices to choose from that fit just about every budget and set of needs. One of the more affordable options is the new DJI Mini 3, which packs a remarkable amount of tech is an extremely portable package. This great video review takes a look at the new drone and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Canon Announces Full Frame Sensor With Global Shutter

Few things are more hyped in photography than the development of global shutters, which offer a wide range of advantages over more traditional counterparts. The holy grail is a consumer-level full frame global shutter, and thanks to Canon's recent announcement, we are getting closer to that.

A Review of the Fujifilm X-T5 Mirrorless Camera for Wedding Photography

The new Fujifilm X-T5 is the latest entry in the company's highly popular X Series line of mirrorless cameras. It brings with it some major steps forward, most notable being a major bump in resolution over the X-T4, which makes it quite appealing for genres like portrait and wedding photography. This excellent video review takes a look at the new X-T5 for wedding work and how well its performance and image quality stand up in a demanding genre.

More Exciting Canon Lenses Are on the Way

Canon's mirrorless lenses have generally been quite impressive, offering exciting levels of image quality and performance, even better than some of the most respected EF lenses. Nonetheless, the RF lens library still has quite a few missing lenses. It looks like Canon will get off to a quick start in 2023, though, with some new high-level options on the way.

Autumn Portraits in Tokyo With the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN

There are few better feelings than a great lens, a great model, and a great location. In this video, go behind the scenes with Mitch Lally as he roams an autumnal Tokyo taking portraits with a much sought-after Sigma prime.

Which of These Premium 85mm Lenses Is Better?

Wide-aperture 85mm lenses are some of the most popular out there, and both Canon and Sigma make some of the most impressive options out there. If you are looking for a high-quality portrait lens, check out this excellent video comparison of the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM and Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art.

A Review of the Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Lens

The 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is the workhorse of choice for a huge range of professionals, suitable for portraits, weddings, events, and much more. For Fujifilm shooters, there is the XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR. This great video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can except from it in practice.

How Good Is the New $6,000 Point and Shoot Camera From Leica?

Many people believe that size matters, especially when it comes to photography. But what if you could get a high-quality camera worth $6,000 and almost do away with all your bulky gear? Check out the new Leica Q2 Ghost camera.

In Search of a Travel Lens: We Review The Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R

With ever-increasing lens choices from both first-party and third-party manufacturers, how do you know what lens is going to be right for you and your needs? Articles such as this on Fstoppers and YouTube videos all help in your search, but how do you narrow your search to the best lens for your requirements?

How a Cool Camera Can Make You a Better Photographer

We often hear about how gear does not matter, and while that is a well-meaning sentiment, the truth is a bit more nuanced than that. In fact, the right piece of gear can actually make you a better photographer. This great video essay discusses why that is and will help you find a little inspiration along the way.

Affordable and Versatile: A Review of the Viltrox 35mm f/1.8 AF Lens

35mm lenses with wide apertures are some of the most important and popular options out there, equally at home in a huge range of scenarios, including portraits, weddings, events, astrophotography, and more. Premium 35mm lenses can easily run north of $1,500, which makes the Viltrox 35mm f/1.8 AF a breath of fresh air. This great video review takes a look at the lens and if its performance and image quality allow it to compete with those much more expensive options.

A Review of the New DJI Mini 3 Drone

DJI recently released the Mini 3, the latest entry in the company's respected and widely varied line of consumer drones. Despite coming in a remarkably portable package (8.8 oz or 249 g), the Mini 3 still comes with a wide range of modern features and capabilities. This excellent video review takes a look at the Mini 3 and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

Affordable and Versatile: A Review of the Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 Lens

In the last few years, Tamron has reinvented itself to become one of the most exciting companies in the photography industry, offering a wide range of lenses that are both affordable and rather versatile. Perhaps no lens is more emblematic of that than the 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2, which is both quite cheap and able to tackle a wide range of needs. This great video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Which Is Better for Photography: The Canon EOS R6 Mark II or Sony a7 IV?

While there are extreme cameras out there that offer things like ultra-high levels of resolution or super-fast burst rates, for the majority of photographers, they are a bit of overkill. Cameras with more moderate specifications and features will satisfy the needs of most of today's photographers, and two of the best options out there are the Canon EOS R6 Mark II and the Sony a7 IV. This great video comparison takes a look at both to help you decide which is right for you.

A Camera (Or Phone) For Every Budget

It's the holiday season, and that means that many folks are considering a new camera. That doesn't mean you should run out and by the cheapest DSLR or mirrorless camera, and photographer and YouTuber Tony Northup explains why.

A Look at the New Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM Lens

Recently, Canon announced the EOS R6 Mark II mirrorless camera, and alongside it came the RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM lens, the update to one of the company's most popular lenses, the EF 135mm f/2L. As such, expectations are high for the new version. This great review takes a look at the new lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

A Review of the Impressively Affordable Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 FE II

Samyang has long had a reputation for producing manual focus lenses that are sharp and very affordable, and recently, they have started to add autofocus options, making them viable for many more photographers and situations. One such option is the AF 85mm f/1.4 FE II, which offers photographers the popular combination of a portrait focal length and very wide maximum aperture, all at a price significantly lower than many other options. Can it compete with those more expensive options? This excellent video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect.

Will We Finally See Sigma Lenses for Canon RF Mount?

Canon has clamped down tightly on the RF mount, disallowing essentially any third-party lenses with autofocus. This has been to the dismay of many photographers who embraced lenses from companies like Sigma and Tamron, which often offered options that were either cheaper or simply not available from Canon itself. At least one company is still highly interested in the RF mount, as recently confirmed by Sigma's CEO, Kazuto Yamaki.

A Review of the Canon EOS R7 Mirrorless Camera for Photography

The Canon 7D and 7D Mark II were two of the company's most popular DSLRs, as they offered professionals and advanced amateurs many of the features from higher-level cameras like the 1D series at much more affordable prices. Now that we are in the mirrorless era, the EOS R7 has picked up that torch and has brought with it a huge range of new features and upgrades sure to catch the eyes of a lot of photographers. This great video review takes a look at the camera from a photographer's perspective and the image quality and performance you can expect from it in usage.

A Review of the Fujifilm GFX 100S Medium Format Mirrorless Camera

Fujifilm's GFX line of medium format mirrorless cameras revolutionized the industry by including an array of modern features traditionally reserved for smaller-sensor bodies and putting them all together at extremely competitive prices. Perhaps the most intriguing option of the line is the GFX 100S, which brings the company's best sensor in a body that competes on price with top-level full frame options. This great video review takes a look at the image quality and performance you can expect from the camera.

One Year With the Nikon Z9

After a year in my bag, it's time for a recap of the first 12 months with the best camera I’ve ever owned.

Why Camera Gear Matters

Photographers love to talk about gear, but there is also a strong contingent of those who believe that all that discussion is a distraction from what really matters. The truth is probably somewhere in-between: gear does matter, and your choice of it can affect your workflow, but it is still the means, not the end. This interesting video discusses the matter and why gear matters.

A Practical Beginner's Guide to Aperture

Along with shutter speed and ISO, aperture is one of the fundamental parameters that helps you create balanced exposures and gives you a ton of creative control over the look of your photos. If you are new to photography and looking to improve your photos, check out this awesome video tutorial that will show you the ins and outs of aperture and how to use it to take better control of your images.

The Best and Worst Cameras and Lenses of 2022

2022 has been quite the year for photo gear, with a huge range of impressive camera and lens releases. What has been your favorite? What failed to impress you? This hilarious video discusses the best and worst camera and lenses of the past year.