Fstoppers gear reviews are written by photographers who actually use the equipment — not benchmark testers looking at spec sheets. This section covers cameras, lenses, lighting, accessories, bags, software, and everything else in a working photographer's kit. The goal is always the same: give you an accurate picture of whether something is worth your money before you spend it.
If you're like me, you've got photos strewn over a variety of storage devices: local, on the web, maybe even some off-line storage. Keeping track of these images is a real pain. I've got multiple image editing apps: Lightroom, Photoshop, Luminar Neo, and some dedicated astronomy editing apps. I'm also a former Aperture user (groan). Lightroom has its own catalog system, and it's very good.
In the DSLR days, Canon made a few surprising good wide angle lenses for their APS-C cameras, one of which was the EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, which offered a versatile focal length range in a portable and affordable package. Can it keep up with the demands of a modern high-resolution sensor, though?
One of the best parts about the Micro Four Thirds system is the availability of a lot of small lenses that pack a lot of image quality into those tiny footprints. If you are looking to expand your lens arsenal, check out this fantastic video that features a seasoned Micro Four Thirds user sharing five of his favorite lenses for the system.
Samuel Bilodeau compares some of the best monitors on the market to see how they stack up. Are the prices worth it?
High-end video monitors are usually workhorses. I know some people that swear by their Flanders, and it’s for very good reasons. You’ll pay over $20,000 to get a reliable work tool. It should last a long time and easily integrate into a workflow.
Are you thinking of buying yet another lens? Can't wait for a new body? (In my case, reincarnation is the only option). This article covers the main reason why my Synology DS1821+ is the best purchase I made in 2020 for my photography business.
70-200mm f/2.8 lenses are the workhorses of choice for a huge number of photographers, as they can comfortably tackle many genres and needs and often offer some of a company's best features and capabilities.
Fujifilm's GFX line of medium format mirrorless cameras helped to rewrite the paradigm of the format with a combination of aggressive prices and modern features traditionally reserved for smaller sensor sizes.
A decade ago, Samyang lenses were known for being sharp, affordable, and manual focus only, but in recent years, the company has expanded their offerings to start including autofocus in many options while still maintaining reasonable prices and impressive image quality. So, how do they compete with current options?
The Sony a7R line of mirrorless cameras has long been popular for offering some of the highest levels of resolution available in a full frame camera in tandem with a wide range of features that make it suitable for many different genres and applications. We have now reached the line's fifth generation, and the a7R V brings with it some of the company's latest advancements and capabilities.
There’s nothing like having a neat and efficient workstation, and for on-the-go digital creatives, this means having a laptop that you can bring everywhere is obviously a must. However, when in your personal workspace, having a docking station to bridge it with all your peripherals makes a huge difference in your workflow.
Wacom has become a staple in the photography industry. If you're a professional photographer, a graphic tablet can greatly improve your workflow. The issue is that many graphic tablets come with hefty price tags. Fortunately, there is a budget option that is surprisingly brilliant, and that is the One by Wacom tablet.
Supertelephoto primes are some of the most desirable lenses out there, but their prices often run upwards of $10,000. You can often pay half or even a third of that without major sacrifices if you are savvy, though, and this helpful video will show you both how and what to expect.
Photography is an expensive game, especially when you are just starting out. Sometimes, what you are seeking is just a little bit out of reach for now. Third-party manufacturers offer many different options for your brand and sometimes at a greatly reduced price, but are they worth the investment?
70-200mm f/2.8 lenses are some of the most versatile out there, suitable for countless applications, genres, and needs. Because of that, manufacturers often put some of their best designs and capabilities in such lenses.
The MacBook Pro line has long been the workhorse computer of choice for many photographers and filmmakers who need the power to tackle a range of demanding creative projects in a package they can take with them. For those who want that power but without the larger footprint of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, the 14-inch model looks like the perfect option.
It is easy to look at modern digital cameras and forget just how spoiled we really are. After all, the latest generation of cameras make it almost impossible to miss the shot. Even a decade ago, digital cameras were far less capable, and if you turn back the clock three decades, digital models had barely just come into existence.
Fujifilm's Instax line of instant film cameras have long been popular for reinvigorating the genre with some modern features while still allowing users to take part in the fun of instant film, all at very reasonable prices. The new Instax Mini 12 is here, and it brings with it an updated design and a range of new features.
Katelyn James answers the most common questions she gets about the Canon R6. She's done a ton of videos on the R6, but there are still more questions here that get answered. Like, are low megapixels an issue with the R6? This is the video to watch.
The 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is one of the classic workhorses in countless photographers bags, suitable for a huge range of genres and scenarios. As such, you can often expect top-shelf performance out of professional 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses.
Fujifilm's latest release in their X mount range is the Fujinon XF 30mm f/2.8 LM WR Lens, a compact and lightweight lens that is perfect for a wide range of photography, including macro, portraits, and street. With a fast maximum aperture of f/2.8, it also allows for great low-light performance.
35mm lens with wide maximum apertures are some of the most popular and versatile options available, offering the ability to tackle a huge variety of shooting scenarios and genres, including things like wedding photography, astrophotography, street work, and more.
Canon's RF lenses have generally been lauded for their impressive image quality and performance (and often, their extreme design), but with all that comes fairly expensive prices. And that is why, at $299, the RF 16mm f/2.8 STM looks like quite an intriguing option, particularly when you consider how portable it is as well.
Sigma's latest entry in the highly popular Art series, the 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Art, is here, and it brings with it an impressive array of features and capabilities and an even more impressive price. This excellent video review takes a look at the new lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Nikon's new NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S lens has been turning heads for offering an extreme design and the promise of impressive image quality and beautiful bokeh. Can it deliver on that promise? This excellent video review takes a look at everything you can expect.
In the last few years, Tamron has established themselves as a manufacturer of some of the most cost-effective and useful lenses available, offering practical capabilities and good image quality all at very affordable prices.
50mm f/1.4 lenses are both highly versatile and highly popular, able to take a wide range of needs and scenarios, including portraits, weddings, landscapes, and much more. As such, almost every manufacturer makes at least one 50mm lens.
Why would anyone shot with an antique lens from the days of Britney spears and the spice girls?
When you pair Sony's powerful 61-megapixel a7R V mirrorless camera with the FE 135mm f/1.8 GM, it seems like a match made in heaven for portrait photography. How does the combination perform in the real world, though? This excellent video shows you what you can expect.
The Fujifilm X-T5 mirrorless camera takes the already highly respected X-T series and brings to it a wide array of impressive features and new capabilities, perhaps most notable being the highest resolution sensor ever seen in an X Series camera, making it quite an intriguing option for many creatives.
Do you all remember the when Sigma released the “Bigma” in 2001? The Bigma, or Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM, dominated the amateur and semi-professional market. 22 years later, in a time of mirrorless cameras and high-end optics, the next Bigma is here. Welcome to the new Sigma 60-600mm for Sony E. Is it worth your money? Read on to find out.
50mm lenses with wide maximum apertures are some of the most popular out there, offering a versatile focal length useful for everything from portraits to events, in tandem with excellent low-light and narrow depth of field capabilities.
24-70mm f/2.8 lenses are the workhorses of choice for a huge range of photographers, as their versatile focal length range and relatively wide maximum aperture make them suitable for many different genres and shooting scenarios.
Nikon's impressive new NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S lens is here, and along with it comes some of the best image quality and optical performance ever seen from Nikon, at least on paper. How does it perform in the real world, though? This great video takes a look at the lens and how it balances and feels on some of Nikon's most popular mirrorless cameras.
A 35mm lens with a wide maximum aperture is one of the most useful options in many photographers' bags, and that makes Sony's FE 35mm f/1.8 an intriguing option for a lot of users. Is it right for you? This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.
The new Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM lens is here, and it brings with it some of the company's most advanced features and capabilities along with the promise of top-level performance and image quality, all at a surprisingly good price. Can it provide all that in practice? This fantastic video review takes a look at everything you can expect.
The 50mm f/1.4 lens is arguably one of the most popular lenses of all time. And Sony just released its second offering for their full frame mirrorless lineup.
DxO PhotoLab 6.3 has just been released, and it's persuaded me to change my workflow. Here's why you should consider giving it a try.
With Fujifilm's latest release of the X-T5, I knew it wouldn't be long before brackets and mounting rigs would begin appearing online. For my own cameras, it's always been Smallrig brackets due to the build quality and considered design. So, after purchasing the X-T5, I went directly to their site to see if any were available and promptly purchased one, but that's not all they had available.
Medium format film has seen a real resurgence in recent years, and with the right camera, you can create negatives that are far bigger than even the most expensive digital cameras. This neat video takes a look at one such camera, the Fuji GW690 II, affectionately known as the "Texas Leica," and the impressive images you can create with it.
135mm lenses have long been popular as alternatives to the standard 85mm focal length when it comes to portrait photography, and Canon's EF 135mm f/2L was respected as one of the company's best lenses, offering excellent image quality, including deep contrast and colors and supplemented by reliable and quick autofocus.
If there is one truth in the photography industry, it is that there is no shortage of 50mm lenses for Sony E mount users. While 50mm options run the full gamut from under $100 to north of $2,000, two lenses, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Art and Samyang AF 50mm f/1.4 FE II, sit in the middle of the pack in terms of price but near the top in terms of image quality and performance.
The Mac mini has long been the desktop of choice for many users, offering the Mac experience at a significantly lower price than the Mac Studio or Mac Pro line. In fact, the base configuration of the new M2 model can be had for just $599, and it can handle a wider range of needs than you might imagine.
Glyn Dewis discusses the reasons behind the thinking that printing makes us better photographers. He takes a look at Permajet paper and gives some of the reasons why you'd choose this over other types of paper and educates us as to what makes a good paper for printing.
400mm is one of the most useful lenses for genres such as sports and wildlife photography, and the options run the gamut from relatively affordable at under $1,000 to quite a way past $10,000, all with different specifications, capabilities, performance, and image quality.
If you would put your trust on just one tripod for all the shooting requirements that you commonly face, what features are non-negotiable for you? Let’s see if this carbon fiber tripod from Benro would fit that description.
In my quest to find the best combination of lenses for my photography, I have been trying out various brands and focal lengths to see what would work for me and deliver the image quality I was after. One thing was missing, however, and that was a good, lightweight, affordable telephoto lens for the longer hikes. Enter the Fujifilm XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR.
With ON1 Photo Raw 2023 having just won a Pop Photo Award for its AI features, it is apt to compare the app with Lightroom next. How would it stand up to different camera raw files?
The new 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Art is awfully impressive, offering loads of impressive image quality at an equally impressive price. Nonetheless, as part of the G Master series, the Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM brings with it some of the company's most advanced optical design. So, how do the two compare? This excellent video review takes a look at both.
Fuifilm's X-T5 mirrorless camera brings with it some of the company's most impressive features and capabilities, most notable being the highest resolution ever seen in an X Series camera. With all those advanced features inside the well-loved X-T style, it looks like quite the promising camera.
The 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is the go-to optic of choice in the bags of many photographers and filmmakers, able to tackle a wide range of genres and shooting scenarios. For Sony users, the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II offers some of the company's best features and design.