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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Just because you can, it doesn't mean you should. In this world of photography gear and gadgets, sometimes, less is more. When it comes to filters and landscape photography, which do you really need?
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.
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.
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.
Lewis Potts picked up the cheapest camera he could find on Amazon and tried shooting alongside an Arri Alexa Mini LF.
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.
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.
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.
That's what one of the internet's most popular photographers and reviewers said about the rumored specs on the Canon EOS R5 II, due for release in 2023. Take a look inside to see why he made such a huge statement.
After many years of non-pro iPhones, Apple’s new 48-megapixel iPhone 14 Pro was enough to convince me to pull the trigger. I was ready to fall into the embrace of Apple’s AI-assisted ProRAW format. While it has its uses, in its current state it’s still kind of a mixed bag.
When it was first released, the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art was one of the most exciting and innovative lenses ever seen, being the only standard zoom with an aperture below f/2. Nonetheless, the lens is almost a decade old now, and in the meantime, sensor resolutions have increased. So, can this famous lens keep up with the demands of a modern camera?
In recent years, Tamron has shown that they intend on creating impressively versatile and often innovative zoom lenses that can take the place of several others in a photographer's bag. One such lens is the 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD, which covers everything from normal to supertelephoto focal lengths.
Laowa now has a total of six lenses with an aperture of f/0.95, so how useful is it to have this aperture, and what are the results? As a landscape photographer mainly, this maximum aperture is something I had never really considered, although I do understand the usefulness of such an aperture for different types of photography, especially in low light and video.
When Fujifilm announced the new X-H2, I was immediately interested to test it out against my current camera, the Canon R5. Featuring a 40-megapixel sensor, much improved autofocus, and other advancements, on paper, it hits all the marks for my type of work.
If you're a steadfast Sony loyalist, you might want to look away now, because a dedicated Sony shooter just got his hands on the Canon EOS R5 and a bunch of Canon lenses and absolutely loved the ecosystem. Take a look to find out why.
Apple's MacBook Air line features some of the most popular computers in the world, and since the move to the company's own silicon, they have become legitimate tools for creative professionals, able to tackle demanding tasks formerly left for larger and more expensive options.
Nikon has made their way into more specialized mirrorless lenses in recent months, with the NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S being one such option. The 800mm f/6.3 might be one of the most competitively priced lenses in recent memory, and it offers top-shelf sharpness and portability on top of that.
Technology often follows a path where it begins life large, slow, and expensive, and then gets smaller, faster, and cheaper as time passes. Digital cameras have not followed this trend for a number of reasons, and every time I think I can predict where the industry will go, a curveball is thrown.
This one will be a subjective post, but I will not make it a praise piece for my camera brand of choice. Instead, I'm talking about the pain points that led me to a particular brand over any other.
The last few years have been packed with some incredible cameras and the list keeps getting longer. Sony's newest body has seen rave reviews as both a stills camera and a video-centric body. So, is this camera the best choice for photographers creating YouTube content?
24mm lenses with wide maximum apertures are prized by many creatives for their versatility, as they are at home in a wide range of genres and applications. The Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM builds on that flexibility by adding macro capabilities and image stabilization to the equation, making it quite the intriguing lens for a lot of users.
If you are new to photography, one of the most important distinctions you should learn is the difference between prime and zoom lenses. While neither is better than the other, they each have distinct advantages and disadvantages, which is why some photographers prefer primes and some stick with zooms. This helpful video discusses why one photographer prefers primes.
With the highest resolution available in a full frame camera, loads of dynamic range, and a host of other advanced features, the Sony a7R V might be the ultimate 35mm camera for photographers. This excellent video review takes a look at the new camera and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.
TTArtisan has established themselves as a manufacturer of ultra-affordable lenses whose performance is often at a level above that dictated by their prices. Their latest lens, the 35mm f/0.95, offers APS-C shooters an ultra-wide aperture paired with a normal focal length, making it a versatile option.
TTArtisan has established themselves as a manufacturer of often astonishingly affordable lenses that still offer decent or even good image quality, often far outperforming their cost. The 27mm f/2.8 continues that trend by offering Fujifilm X Series users a wide angle lens with autofocus for just $149.
SmallRig has upped its game in the lighting department with four new affordable fixtures to take you filmmaking up a notch.
Olympus is well known for placing innovative and clever technology in their cameras, but that reputation goes back further than you might think. This neat video takes a look at a camera that is six decades old but features a fascinating automatic exposure system that allows it to function without any batteries needed.
There are expensive cameras, and then, there are really expensive cameras. The Phase One XT camera system definitely falls in the latter category, but with it, you get highly specialized features and superlative image quality. This neat video shows why the camera is tailor-made for landscape photography and some of the images you can create with it.
While the latest generation of cameras features some incredibly capable bodies, many photographers and filmmakers simply do not need all that power. Thankfully, the used market has a ton of options to fit just about every budget and set of needs. This great video discusses some of the best deals you can find on used cameras at the moment.
There are plenty of difficult lighting scenarios when conventional solutions simply can't deliver. Be it weight, space, or any other limitation, small lights are a must in any photographer's kit. Despite not being the most powerful, they are often most used on sets and locations. Among the sea of small lights, a few stand out. One such one is the Specular KYU-6.
Dell's XPS line has long been respected as some of the best Windows laptops out there, able to tackle many of the most demanding tasks professional creatives can throw at them. The latest model in the series is the XPS 13 Plus 9320, and this great video review takes a look at the laptop and the sort of performance you can expect from it in practice.
Wildlife photography can be a tremendously rewarding genre, but it can be a bit hard to break into due to the extreme equipment often required and thus, the high cost barrier to entry. Nonetheless, there are more affordable options that can allow you to partake in the genre without breaking the bank.
The Sony a7R V is here, and it brings with it some of the most advanced features and upgrades the company has ever put in a camera, making it quite the intriguing option for a wide variety of photographers and filmmakers. This great video takes a look at the new camera and nine features that make it a fantastic choice for a lot of creatives.
The Canon EOS R5 was one of the most popular camera of the past few years, showing that Canon was taking the mirrorless market seriously by offering features like a 45-megapixel sensor, 8K raw video, advanced autofocus, and fast burst rates. With the EOS R6 Mark II now here and 2.5 years gone since the EOS R5's release, it is time to think about the EOS R5 Mark II.
There’s nothing worse than visiting a location prior to shooting, only to miss out on important details. Avoid headaches, and make sure that you’re prepared for the shoot day.
Fujifilm revitalized the popularity of medium format with their GFX line of mirrorless cameras, which offer impressive sets of features traditionally not seen in cameras with larger sensors in tandem with highly competitive prices.
Canon has demonstrated an aggressive stance on the development and release timing of their RF mount lenses in the last few years. It seems they have no intentions of slowing down, as more interesting designs have emerged.
Digicame.info recently uncovered three new patents of Canon RF lenses, and the designs are both interesting and quite exciting:
Since the launch of the X-T1 in 2014 Fujifilm have a range of cameras that appealed to both amateur and professional photographers alike. So with its 40MP APS-C sensor and up to 7 stops of IBIS is the new Fujifilm X-T5 the best in the range and should you consider upgrading?
If you are looking to purchase a new camera, you will probably see the terms "native ISO" and "base ISO" thrown around. ISO, being one of the three fundamental exposure parameters, is a term that all photographers should understand. This great video tutorial will explain the differences between native and base ISO and the consequences each have on your photography.
Lenses can run anywhere from under $100 to well over $10,000, and when you enter that very upper echelon of prices, you often get superlative optics that blow the doors off your wildest expectations. One such lens is the Nikon Nikkor Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S, which runs north of $15,000. So, what do you get for that price? This interesting video takes a look.