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.
Sometimes the best camera is the one you have with you and at times it's not your DSLR or mirrorless one. This is difficult because there are pros and cons to both options. If you have a mobile phone with you, then that can be the best option. However, if you need a more professional or reliable camera, then your DSLR or mirrorless will of course be the better choice.
Fujifilm users have reason to smile today, as they will no longer be left out of the Sigma lens party. The company has announced their first three lenses for the Fujifilm X mount, and all three are impressively affordable. This great video review takes a first look at the new lenses and the sort of performance and image quality you will be able to expect from them.
400mm f/2.8 lenses are one of the standard pieces of gear for professional sports and wildlife photographers, and given their extreme designs, they often contain some of the best technology and features a company can offer.
50mm lenses can cost anywhere from under $100 to well over $2,000, with options filling out that range at just about every price point. While those sub-$100 lenses are fantastic learning tools, eventually, you will probably want to upgrade to a higher-quality option.
A premium portrait lens with a wide aperture around f/1.4 often commands a high price, usually somewhere around $2,000. And while that wide aperture can be a fun and useful creative tool, you do not always need it to create great portraits.
A good 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is often worth its weight in gold, and unfortunately, they often cost about that much too. Luckily, in the last few years, we have seen a real influx of much more affordable third-party options from companies like Tamron and Samyang.
Skylum has kept reviewers well stocked with pre-release versions of Luminar Neo, and I've reported on the results. Nowm we've got the release version, although it is still not complete, which I'll detail below. Here's our review.
The Sony a7 IV mirrorless camera has been in the hands of photographers for several months now, allowing them to form long-term opinions about one of the most hotly anticipated bodies in recent memory. If you have been interested in the camera for your own work, check out this great video review that discusses a photographer's thoughts after four months with it.
When it comes to portrait photography, one of the most important choices you can make is the focal length you use, as it will have significant consequences on the way your subject is rendered.
When Nikon first got started in the mirrorless world, they released mostly pragmatic, standard lenses. Now that the system is a bit more mature and the impressive Z 9 has hit the market, the company has begun to expand its lineup, with one of the most intriguing options being the new NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens.
Photographers who travel a lot or walk long distances know that carrying around a bag of several lenses to cover every possibility is exhausting. A single lens that can cover all those focal lengths can make life a lot easier.
Medium format has seen a bit of a renaissance in the last few years, with bodies gaining advanced features typically reserved for cameras with smaller sensors and coming down in price significantly — to the point that they are viable alternatives to full frame cameras. So, do you need a medium format camera?
When I got asked to review a smartphone I had my doubts. I don’t believe a smartphone can be used for serious photography. But I realized it was an opportunity to see if my opinion was biased or not. I received the Sony Xperia 5 III to look closer at its photographic abilities.
Fujifilm's medium format mirrorless cameras have gained popularity for offering superlative image quality and modern features normally reserved for cameras with smaller sensors at significantly more affordable prices than traditional medium format options.
Generally, the longest focal length lenses available are 800mm f/5.6 options, aside from rare or discontinued examples. And even as a prime, such a lens is massive. So, you can imagine just how big things get if you want to make a zoom that can reach 800mm with an f/5.6 aperture, but that is just what this lens known as the "Sigmonster" can do.
Perhaps no camera has been more highly anticipated in the last few years than the Sony a7 IV, and now that it has been available for a few months, photographers and filmmakers have had a chance to evaluate the latest entry in the company's highly respected line of hybrid mirrorless cameras.
A high-quality 50mm lens with a wide aperture is one of the most versatile options a photographer can own, suitable for anything from portraits to events and more.
Nikon's Z 50 mirrorless camera has gained a fair bit of popularity by offering an affordable APS-C entry into the world of mirrorless cameras in a compact but capable body. The NIKKOR Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens offers a huge range of focal lengths in a small body, making it a natural companion to the Z 50 for a wide gamut of uses.
Years ago, Sigma reinvented themselves with the Art series, which quickly grew into a full line of highly respected lenses, known in particular for their image quality and affordable prices.
Voigtlander is known for making lenses with rugged build quality and great image quality, and the MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm f/2 Aspherical lens is no different. This fantastic image review takes a look at this interesting lens and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.
Getting your first tripod is a balance between affordability and quality. This tripod from K&F Concept might be a good start.
Would you pay $5,600 for a zoom lens? And a variable aperture one at that? It sounds crazy, but with the Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 ASPH., you get that beloved Leica look with the convenience of a zoom lens. How good is this premium offering? This great video review takes a look at what you can expect.
One thing is for sure: Nikon mirrorless shooters are not at a loss for choice when it comes to standard zoom lenses. With four native options from Nikon, plus the option to pretty seamlessly adapt F mount options, you might be wondering which lens in the crowded field is right for your needs and budget.
Camera manufacturers have really found another gear the last few years, obliterating the old maxim that you could have things like resolution or shooting speed, but not both, by releasing cameras that can tackle literally any situation you can throw at them. So, who holds the current crown?
Let’s check out two new filters that expand H&Y’s unique Revoring system plus take a close look at an unexpected new filter.
In the past few years, in addition to a lot of ultra-premium lenses, there has been a second movement toward more affordable lenses that make certain compromises to provide good performance and image quality without breaking the bank.
Perhaps no camera series has created a larger paradigm shift in the industry in the last decade than the Fujifilm's GFX series, which brought medium format prices into direct competition with the upper levels of full frame and modernized many of its capabilities at the same time.
I have rarely been a big fan of fixed prime lens cameras, but the exception has always been the Fujifilm X100 series. What started out as a quirky and fun camera has evolved into a highly capable professional tool in its fifth generation — all without losing any of the unique personality that first endeared it to photographers.
The Nikon Z 9 has arrived, and it has officially brought the company back into competition with Sony and Canon for the most powerful full frame camera crown. So, just how good is the new body? This excellent video review takes a look at what you can expect from it.
The Sony a7 IV was one of the most hotly anticipated mirrorless cameras of the last several years, and now that it is here, it brings with it a wide range of improvements and new features sure to capture the attention of photographers and filmmakers alike.
The Dell XPS (eXtreme Performance System) line has been long respected for its quality and performance, offering Windows users a lot of power and advanced features to tackle the heavy demands of professional photographers and filmmakers.
An 85mm lens with a wide aperture is one of the most popular choices among photographers, offering the classic focal length for portraits paired with narrow depth of field and a lot of bokeh. Such lenses can run quite high in price, however, sometimes well over $2,000.
The Fujifilm XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR offers X series shooters quite a bit of reach at a relatively affordable price as far as supertelephoto zooms go. Does it still offer the sort of performance and image quality professionals demand, however? This great video takes a look at the lens to answer that question.
The Sony a7 IV, one of the most highly anticipated cameras of recent years, is here, and it brings with it a range of new photo and video features and improvements, making it again one of the most balanced cameras out there, at least on paper. How does it hold up in practice? This excellent video discusses some of the best and worst aspects.
35mm has always been a popular focal length, offering a wide but still fairly neutral view that is useful for a huge range of applications from astrophotography to portraits and more. There are tons of 35mm lenses to choose from out there, and this excellent video review takes a look at one of the more affordable options, the Viltrox 35mm f/1.8 AF.
A wide angle prime lens that comes with a large aperture can tackle a range of situations, such as astrophotography, weddings, and more. For Sony shooters, there is the FE 20mm f/1.8 G, and this excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Leica's M11 has hit the market, and it brings with it a variety of improved and entirely new features that help to modernize the company's M series. This great video review takes a look at the new M11 and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Wide-aperture 50mm lenses are quite popular for good reason, as they offer a very neutral focal length in tandem with narrow depth of field and low-light performance, making them quite versatile for a wide range of applications. They run a huge gamut of prices, however, from under $100 to well over $2,000.
Fujifilm's X series of cameras began a little over a decade ago as quirky, unique bodies, but in the time since, they have evolved into powerful tools used by many professionals while still maintaining those interesting designs that captured the imaginations of many users many years ago. This neat video takes a look at the X-Pro1 and how it holds up a decade later.
The popular Sony a7 III has been updated. Meet the Sony a7 IV, the fourth edition of this popular camera. Sony Netherlands provided me with this camera for a review, and I also got a chance to compare it with the previous model. These are my findings.
In recent years, Godox has become the go-to brand for many photographers looking for competitively-priced lighting products that are packed with features.
We have seen a move toward lenses that make smart compromises to reach more affordable price points in recent years, and that trend has made its way to first-party manufacturers.
Perhaps no lens finds itself as the workhorse of choice in more photographers' bags than the 24-70mm f/2.8. However, such lenses are quite expensive, and many photographers do not need that f/2.8 aperture.
Sound is a critical aspect of content creation in today’s world. Whether it’s for a YouTube channel, Twitch streaming, interviews, or podcasting, your voice will reflect who you are, and where you are recording can also have a profound effect on the audio. Viewers are used to loose camera work videos, but if the audio is bad, then most of the time, viewers give up.
Sony's a7 series is split into three lines, with the a7 IV being the latest model in the generalist camp, offering a range of improvements and new features over its already highly respected predecessor.
A good 50mm lens is one of the most versatile you can own, able to tackle everything from portraits to low-light events coverage and more. The Viltrox AF 50mm f/1.8 offers an upgrade over the cheapest nifty fifty lenses without touching the prices of top-shelf options, making it an intriguing option.
Canon's new EOS R5 C is here, taking the base formed by the popular EOS R5 and refining it into a serious tool for video production. This great video review takes a look at the new camera and the kind of performance you can expect from it in use, including if it solves the overheating issues of the EOS R5.
After my initial thoughts article, I have now spent the past month shooting with the new Nikon Z 9 pretty much every day. A month may not be enough for a long-term review, but I’ve already found myself in an incredibly diverse set of situations, and while some question the existence of love at first sight, I must say this camera has been something special right out of the box.
24mm lenses are highly useful, as they are generally about the widest focal length you can use before wide angle distortion begins to become really obvious.
For creative professionals, the cases and bags that protect your gear are as crucial as the equipment inside them. The Manfrotto Pro Light Reloader Tough 55 offers that and more.