Gear Reviews

The Canon EOS R8 full frame mirrorless camera is one of the more affordable options out there, but it is not so cheap that it does not come with many of the features professionals need.

24-70mm f/2.8 lenses are the standard tool of choice for countless creatives, offering a versatile focal length range in tandem with a wide maximum aperture, making them suitable for a huge range of applications. However, such lenses are rarely cheap, often running north of $2,000.

Micro four thirds, once a bit of an outlier in the APS-C, full frame, and medium format race, is enjoying a bit of a moment in the spotlight right now, with innovative cameras and portable, affordable gear making it the format of choice for many photographers and filmmakers. Why does micro four thirds have some of the most fiercely loyal enthusiasts?

The Fujifilm GFX line of medium format mirrorless cameras reinvigorated larger-than-full-frame cameras for the industry by offering a range of modern features and conveniences usually reserved for smaller formats and doing so at aggressively competitive prices.

The Fujifilm X-S20 is here, and it truly feels like a complete package for enthusiasts, hobbyists, vloggers, content creators, and a combination of all of the above. It's a small camera body packed with many professional features. So what’s the catch? Is there one? 

Recently, I had the opportunity to try out the Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 lens along with two other lenses and a GFX 100S, and I have to admit it has left a lasting impression on me. As landscape photographers, we value wide angle lenses for capturing wider vistas with stunning detail, and this lens didn't disappoint. 

Landscape photographers put a high priority on resolution and dynamic range, but on the other hand, in a genre that often requires a lot of physical effort to get to a location, every ounce of weight counts. That is what makes the Hasselblad X2D 100C, as it offers the ultra-high levels of detail and quality one would expect from a medium format in a very small and portable package.

Over the past few years, Viltrox has quietly grown into a leader for third-party lenses that often punch well above their weights in terms of their price-to-quality ratios. Their latest offering, the AF 16mm f/1.8 FE, promises to continue that trend by offering an ultra-wide focal length in tandem with a particularly wide aperture, making it useful for quite a few applications.

Magnets have long been used for their quick and sometimes strong holds. But is a magnetic camera strap a good idea?  

The latest camera in Fujifilm's highly respected X Series line of mirrorless cameras, the X-S20, is here, and it brings with it some great features at a reasonable price, making it an appealing option for many photographers and filmmakers alike.

While apertures like f/1.4 are totally normal for full frame and APS-C cameras, they are almost unheard of in medium format, where most lenses open as wide as f/4 or maybe f/2.8. And so, that makes the Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 65mm f/1.4 quite the intriguing lens right off the bat.

Camouflaged to the max, Morten Hilmer is going full stealth mode on his farmland with the brand new Nikon Z8 for wildlife photography. Join Hilmer as he captures some magnificent wildlife with this new offering from Nikon. 

Watching Hilmer's videos is always a pleasure. His filming style, music choices, amazing photography, and wildlife blend well for this video. 

LED video lights have made remarkable strides in the last few years, and you can now get professional-level options at affordable options. One example of this is the new Colbor 220W Bi-color COB LED video light, which offers impressive features and performance at a very affordable price. This excellent video review takes a look at the light and how it holds up in usage.  

The Fujifilm X Series features some of the most respected cameras on the market, with the X-T5 sitting atop the lineup, bringing with it some of the company's most advanced design and capabilities in tandem with the series' classic design. How does it hold up in practice? This excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it. 

The tired arguments against the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) standard are obsolete and rarely voiced now. Furthermore, the release of the OM-1 a year ago has seen a massive migration to the system, and for good reason. Many consider giving their creativity a boost by swapping to an MFT camera. 

The Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM is a highly respected lens, offering some of the company's best performance and image quality, but at nearly $3,000, it is a rather expensive option. The RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM offers a similar focal length range at a price not even a quarter that of the 100-500mm, making it an intriguing alternative. How does it hold up?

The new TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt Shift lens offers some of the most versatility ever seen in a lens: high levels of magnification and tilt-shift capabilities, all wrapped up in a popular focal length and an affordable price. Can it deliver on all those fronts it promises?

The Canon EOS R10 mirrorless camera offers an affordable entry point into the RF mount system, making it a nice first camera or backup body. If you are interested in how the EOS R10 might fit into your workflow, check out this great video review that takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.  

The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens for Fujifilm was first released in 2022 and added to their growing line of X Mount prime lenses, which also includes the 16mm and 30mm. This trio of contemporary lenses is designed to be compact while delivering high-quality results at an affordable price.

Any photographer who walks long distances or spends hours on their feet with their equipment knows that every last ounce matters.

The Canon R8 is an affordable $1,500 full frame camera that is packed full of features. Is this currently the best entry-level full frame camera on the market for the price and how does it perform in wildlife photography? In this video, Simon d'Entremont covers the pros and cons in more detail.

The Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports lens promises to be one of the most versatile lenses you can own, covering a huge focal length range and making it an appealing option for sports, bird, and wildlife photographers. With such an extreme focal length range, you might wonder if it can keep up with the performance and image quality demands of professional photographers.

The Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 lens is a thoughtfully designed super wide-angle lens for Fujifilm X-Mount cameras. Featuring a physical aperture ring, compact design, and solid construction, it is an excellent option for Fujifilm users. In this article and the accompanying video, I will share my experience using the 13mm primarily as a portrait lens.

Many creatives are on the go quite a lot, and as such, they want to be able to work whenever and wherever they are with enough power to tackle heavy photo and video tasks but not a lot of bulk. If you are looking for such a laptop, check out this great video comparison that will show you three of the best options in 2023.  

I got an opportunity to use the brand-new Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM zoom lens. This expensive and large zoom lens with a large aperture is even more amazing than I initially expected. In this article, I share my experience and thoughts on this lens from real-world use. 

I’ve gotten the great pleasure of getting to spend the last two weeks with Nikon’s brand new, Z8 mirrorless camera. Here are a few reasons why this might be the camera for you. 

At $1,499, the Canon EOS R8 is not the cheapest full frame camera available, but it is certain on the more affordable side of things and offers a lot of features that make it a worthwhile upgrade. Is it the best affordable full frame camera on the market at the moment? This great video review takes a look.  

I’ll admit I was seduced by digital medium format, with its ridiculous resolution and that “medium format look.” It has been two years of full-time use. Do I still think it was worth it? Better yet, should you drop $10K+ for a medium format digital camera kit? 

The Fujifilm X-S20 mirrorless camera and XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR lens are here, and they bring with them the promise of great performance and excellent image quality. How do they hold up in practice? This excellent video takes a first look at what you can expect from both.  

Leica has just released their long-awaited update to the fan-favorite Q line-up called the Leica Q3. I’ve been using it for a couple of hours each day for the past three days. So, how does it feel to shoot with it, and should you want one?  Many of the good features of its predecessor have stayed, while some of the features have been considerably improved in the new Leica Q3.

Loved by many when it came out and adored by a solid user base today, the Fujifilm X-Pro2 was truly a hit camera made so well that it still has not truly been replaced even by the newer X-Pro3. And thanks to its age it is finally attainable even for the ones not willing to spend a ton on a quality camera. 

When you get into wide and ultra-wide angle lenses, two of the most common focal lengths are 16mm and 24mm. There is a significant difference between those focal lengths, though, and something in between can be just the ticket, which is where the 20mm focal length comes in. With many options, you might wonder which is right for you.

A new breed of camera has recently hit the market, specifically designed for content creators. And the pocket-sized offering from Sony just got an upgrade with the Sony ZV-1M II. 

50mm lenses with wide apertures are some of the most useful and versatile options a photographer can own, suitable for a wide range of genres and applications, including portraits, low-light events, and much more.

The Google Pixel 7A smartphone offers a lot of features and capabilities at a reasonable price, making it a nice choice for a wide range of users. This great video review takes a look at the phone's photo and video capabilities and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.  

Sigma's Contemporary line of lenses offers a nice balance of portability, affordability, and image quality, with one of the most intriguing options being the 50mm f/2 DG DN, which offers a popular focal length in tandem with a fairly wide maximum aperture. Can it back that up with good performance and image quality?

The Acer Swift X 14 Laptop offers a wide range of modern features, but perhaps the most exciting is its OLED screen, which promises stunning contrast and vibrant colors, making it an intriguing option for many creatives. Is it the right option for you? This excellent video review takes a look at the laptop and the sort of performance and experience you can expect from it.   

Panasonic makes some of the best hybrid cameras out there, and their latest, the Lumix S5 IIX, brings with it some of the company latest and greatest features. 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. 

The Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR offers photographers a longer telephoto focal length in tandem with a wide aperture, making it an intriguing option for portrait and wedding photographers among others. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.  

Fujifilm X Series cameras do have a reasonably usable selection of wide angle lenses available, but there is still a missing a piece. Tamron is here to fill that gap with its new 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD lens. Is it good enough? Is it worth considering instead of the Fujifilm originals? 

35mm and medium format photography, though different, generally require the same fundamental techniques, knowledge, and approach, save for a few somewhat minor differences.

Bold claims for a title indeed, but as photographers, we've all had the opportunity to try different brands to see which one best meets our individual needs. So, when it comes to forking out your hard-earned cash for something like this, you want to be sure you are making the right decision.

Panasonic has been quietly releasing some mightily powerful cameras in the last few years, and their latest, the Lumix S5 IIX, shows they have little intention of slowing down anytime soon. This great video review takes a look at the impressively well-balanced camera and the sort of performance and quality you can expect from it in practice.  

If you're considering replacing your pen tablet with another leading brand or are new to the benefits of using this type of peripheral instead of a mouse, I recently got to test the Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium Bundle SE in Nebula, White and the results were astounding.  

Samyang has long been known for manufacturing impressively sharp and low-cost manual focus lenses, but in recent years, the company has started adding autofocus options to their lineup as well. And even though those options now bring autofocus, they have remained competitively priced. One of the most impressive recent options is the AF 75mm f/1.8 for Fujifilm X Series mirrorless cameras.

Short telephoto macro lenses are tremendously useful, able to offer great portraits in addition to detail shots. Normal macro lenses offer a 1x magnification factor, but the TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2x Macro Tilt Shift doubles the magnification factor and adds tilt-shift capabilities as well, making it one of the most versatile lenses out there, at least on paper.

Nikon has started making APS-C mirrorless cameras a few years back, and they are definitely worth considering. Their image quality is decent, the autofocus isn’t half bad, and they undoubtedly have their fans. But they lacked a decent selection of dedicated glass. That is finally changing. 

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S lens offers its users some of the best optical performance and image quality the company has ever put into a lens, making it a highly desirable option for a wide range of shooters, particularly portrait and wedding photographers. Can it offer what it promises in practice?

Although they are not that common, black and white cameras can provide a unique experience and incredibly smooth tonality. The Leica M11 Monochrom promises a pure photography experience and some of the best image quality out there. How does it hold up in practice? This excellent video takes a first look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.