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.
The Fujifilm X100 series is now in its fifth iteration with the X100V, and the popular camera is better than ever. Is it the best travel camera out there? This great video review takes a look at the camera and how it performs on a trip.
I’ve recently been trying out the new On1 Photo Raw 2022 software. I tested it out on some images from a recent fall photo shoot. Being a landscape photographer and Lightroom Classic user, I discovered that there are some differences that I like and others that I don't. Here are some of my thoughts thus far.
Tamron has reinvented itself in recent years, making smart compromises to create lenses that are highly practical but that do not break the bank. The 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III was a runaway hit for the company, offering impressive image quality and performance at a price that significantly undercut comparable options.
Canon's RF lenses have been mostly both spectacular and expensive, which is what makes the RF 16mm f/2.8 STM rather unique, as it comes in at an impressively affordable price and is quite portable on top of that. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Backpacks take a beating and are out in all weather conditions. They need to keep our gear safe, need to be versatile, usable, and be comfortable for long hikes. So, how does the new incarnation of the Tilopa, the Tilopa Duradiamond, fare on this?
A 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is the workhorse of choice for a wide variety of genres, offering a useful focal length range in tandem with a wide maximum aperture.
The DJI Mavic 3 is here, and it brings with it some major improvements and new features that make it an impressive upgrade over its predecessor. This excellent video review takes an in-depth look at the new drone and the kind of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.
The Sony a7 IV is here, and it brings with it a bevy of improvements and new features that continue to make it one of the most compelling do-it-all cameras out there. This excellent video review takes a look at the camera and the kind of performance and quality you can expect from it in practice.
Tamron's 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD lens, on paper, looks to be one of the most impressive and versatile lenses ever made, offering a focal length range that can cover a huge range of scenarios paired with an unusually wide maximum aperture, allowing it to potentially replace several lenses in your bag. How does it hold up in practice, though?
The highly anticipated Sony a7 IV is finally here, and the company's do-it-all camera brings with it a variety of new features and improvements in its fourth iteration that make it a compelling option. This great video review takes a look at the camera from a video perspective and shows off the kind of performance and quality you can expect from it in use.
User experience greatly affects the quality of the cameras we use. How has this changed for the new Sony a7 IV?
It used to be that lens design was generally a tradeoff between convenience and excelling at a specialized purpose. However, in recent years, we have seen some absolutely remarkable lenses that upend the traditional defining factors that characterize prime and zoom lenses.
Docking stations have become irreplaceable in the workflows of modern photographers. Just think of the last time you had to dump footage from several memory cards on several drives. Efficient hardware is critical when it comes to managing files. The Kingston Workflow station is great, with brilliant potential.
Announced back in June, Nikon’s first macro lenses for the Z mount appeared to be typical successors to their F mount predecessors, covering 50mm and 100mm focal lengths. The Z 105mm, as before, is a more premium choice, offering a few more features and a more choice designation.
A wide angle zoom lens is one of the most versatile out there, useful for a wide variety of scenarios in both photo and video work. For those who do not need the extra-wide aperture of an f/2.8 lens, an f/4 version can save a lot of bulk and money.
Nikon's Z fc mirrorless camera sees the company make a throwback to their film cameras of yesteryear, dropping some of their most modern technology in a body that looks like it stepped out of the 1980s.
The Sony a7R IV is the highest resolution full frame camera ever made, and it brings with it a range of advanced features from Sony's other camera lines, making it a versatile option for everything from portraiture to landscape photography and more. This great video review takes a long-term look at the a7R IVA and how it holds up for photo and video work in a range of scenarios.
Superzoom lenses are traditionally not known for their image quality, but in recent years, some serious strides have been made by manufacturers, and certain models can now produce good photos while providing remarkable levels of convenience, allowing you to cover every conceivable focal length with only one device.
Nikon's Z 9 is finally here, and it looks like the competition for most powerful full frame mirrorless camera is a three-horse race again. How does the new camera perform? This great video review takes a look.
Apple's latest MacBook Pros are here, and while they brought with them a bevy of new features and the return of some that many creatives have missed, the headline features are the newest iterations of Apple's in-house processors, the M1 Max and M1 Pro, which promise top-level performance and remarkably long battery life.
At just $549, this supremely compact, lightweight and sturdy prime lens seems to offer great value. If you’re after an affordable prime that doesn’t take up too much space in your bag, could the Laowa 14mm f/4 FF RL be the perfect option?
Fujifilm's GFX series of medium format cameras and lenses has brought some incredible image quality and capabilities to photographers at prices that significantly undercut traditional medium format costs. Both the GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR and GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR lenses offer extremely wide apertures for medium format lenses, making them intriguing choices for portrait photographers.
Last month, Canon announced a tiny, lightweight ultra-wide angle prime lens for its full frame mirrorless cameras: the RF 16mm f/2.8 STM. Given how affordable it is, can it offer decent performance?
With the arrival of the Sony a7C, some wondered whether Sony might be pondering bringing its APS-C line of cameras to an end. However, the new 18-50mm f/2.8 lens from Sigma suggests that the weight and price advantages offered by the smaller format have just breathed fresh life into Sony's crop-sensor cameras.
Few lenses are more versatile than a 50mm with a wide aperture, as it can competently tackle everything from low-light situations to portraits. The Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM offers some of the company's best features along with a very wide aperture, and this excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
The Nikon Z fc is not the company's first attempt at making a retro-inspired modern camera, but it seems like they have gotten a lot more right this time around than with the Df, which received mixed reviews. This great video review takes a look at the new camera and the sort of performance you can expect from it in real-world usage.
Sony has just unveiled its brand new a7 IV. Here’s a deep dive into all of the upgrades over its predecessor.
When you are going for a hike or on a trip, you do not always want to carry a backpack full of lenses. Sometimes, a single lens that covers every focal length you could conceivably need is the better way to go.
The new DJI Ronin 4D 4-axis cinema camera is here, and the company isn't messing around. This fantastic video review takes a look at the system and the kind of performance you can expect from it.
Westcott just came out with a new optical snoot designed by Lindsay Adler. I recently had the opportunity to work with it in the studio and compare it to a similar optical snoot I used in a recent article so that I could determine if it was worth the upgrade.
Apple's iPhone was first released all the way back in 2007. The original iPhone could be described as being the first-ever smartphone. It was revolutionary because it was a display-dominant device that lacked a number pad. Some even mocked it, saying professionals could never take it seriously. However, the iPhone is more popular than ever before.
A 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is the workhorse of choice for a lot of creatives, offering a wide maximum aperture and a versatile range of focal lengths. However, they are often rather expensive.
It might seem like full frame users get all the fun lenses, but APS-C shooters still make up a large portion of photographers. And while they can often use certain full frame lenses, having options made for specifically APS-C can save on size, weight, and price, often quite significantly.
Apple boasts that their new phone's cameras are better than ever, but how good are they? In this real-world comparison, I capture multiple challenging scenes with very impressive results. Can you identify which photos are from the iPhone 13 Pro and the Canon R5?
Wide-aperture prime lenses are valuable for a huge range of genres and applications, and the Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR and XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR are two of the latest options for users of the ever-popular X Series line of mirrorless cameras.
Supertelephoto zoom lenses have made remarkable strides in recent years, and the kind of image quality that used to be exclusive to the most expensive professional prime models is now available at much more affordable prices and with the added versatility of variable focal lengths.
What makes this LED light source a popular choice? What does it have over its competitors?
LED Lighting equipment has been growing more and more popular for both filmmaking and photography. The emergence of continuous LED fixtures that are now more affordable and more portable has allowed for more creative applications.
Fujifilm has been dominating the instant camera market for quite some time now. The Instax division from Fujifilm is its most profitable sector when it comes to the photography industry. However, a familiar brand called Polaroid is once again on the rise and aims to take its place back on top of the market.
A while ago, I received the Haida NanoPro Mist Black 1/4 filter. Since that time, I’ve been using the filter for some landscape photography, for portraits, and during a wedding. In this article, I will share my thoughts.
Sony's ZV-E10 is an affordable and versatile camera aimed squarely at content creators and meant to produce quality photos and videos in an efficient and easy manner. This excellent video review takes a look at the camera and how it performs in real-world usage.
Sony's latest lens, the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II, is here, and it brings with it a ton of improvements over the original, making it an intriguing option for a wide range of applications, from wedding shooters to bird photographers and more.
So what’s it like to shoot in 12K video? This was just one of the many questions I had which inspired me to take the Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 12K out for a spin and see how it would perform in the real world.
DJI's drone lineup has grown into a well-respected and varied range of options suitable for everything from casual snaps to high-level professional work. Three of their most popular consumer options are the Mavic Mini, Mini SE, and Mini 2, and if you are wondering which one is the best option for your needs, this excellent video review will help you pick the right choice.
Astrophotography has some specific and often more demanding requirements when it comes to lenses, and as such, it takes careful evaluation of potential options to know which is right for your work.
If there is one thing the world absolutely does not have a shortage of, it is 50mm lenses for Sony E mount cameras. Two of the best options are the Sony Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA and FE 50mm f/1.2 GM, and this awesome video comparison will show you everything you need to know to choose the right one for your work.
The Wiral LITE is a portable cable cam kit. It’s small, lightweight, versatile, affordable, and strong enough to carry my mirrorless camera and pro lens. This may be a videographer’s dream.
I received a Sony ZV-E10 for review. It’s an interchangeable lens camera for content creators, featuring a nice APS-C sensor. Instead of looking just at the specs and the pros and cons of this camera, perhaps it’s better to look at it from another perspective.
The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM was one of the most respected lenses in its DSLR line, offering top image quality, impressive image stabilization, and no-fuss autofocus, all at a very reasonable price that made it a top pick for wedding, macro, and portrait photographers.
Panasonic's latest camera, the Lumix BS1H, is here, and it brings with it impressive capabilities in about as small a body as you could possibly imagine. Who is it for and how does it perform? This excellent video takes a look at what you can expect.
It's a favorite focal length for portraits. So, how does it cope with landscapes?