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.
Fujifilm's GFX series rewrote the rules on medium format, bringing it to the price level of upper-level full frame options and opening an entirely new format to many photographers. The GFX 100S continues that, bringing a top-shelf sensor and capabilities at a price ($5,999) that is about as aggressive as you will see in any camera. As such, it is an intriguing option for wedding photographers.
Epson asked me if I was interested in reviewing the EcoTank photo ET 8500 all-in-one printer. I said yes and got the opportunity to use the printer for a month. Is it worth investing in this printer? Let’s find out.
Today, I’d like to discuss a camera that I’ve talked about once before. After my initial glowing review, how has the Canon EOS R5 held up after six months of operation in the real world?
A wide angle prime lens with a large aperture is one that can handle a large range of shooting scenarios ranging from weddings coverage to astro work and more. This great video review takes a look at one such option for Sony shooters, the FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens.
This month, I’ve gotten a chance to spend some time shooting with one of Nikon’s two new macro lenses, the NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 Macro.
Supertelephoto zoom lenses are useful for a wide range of genres, including everything from sports and wildlife to landscapes.
DJI's latest drone, the Mini SE, is a bit strange, essentially taking some of the tech from the original Mavic Mini and putting it into the body of the Mini 2.
The Sony a7C was the company's first major design departure from the highly respected a7 series of mirrorless camera, taking a full frame sensor and dropping it into a remarkably small and portable body, albeit with a few compromises. How does it hold up over the long run? This great video review discusses the camera.
An f/2.8 ultra-wide angle zoom lens can be useful for a wide variety of scenarios ranging from events work to astrophotography and landscapes. For Nikon mirrorless shooters, there is the NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S, and this great video review takes a look at the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Released back in October 2018, the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM has proven a solid choice for those requiring a fast, wide-angle prime. Christopher Frost puts it through his usual rigorous testing to see how it holds up.
Every photographer needs a good mid-range lens. Most go for a 50mm, but you should consider this 65mm from Sigma, as it has a small size and weight and astounding image quality for a low price.
There is one problem with shooting the night sky for a prolonged amount of time. If the temperature of the lens drops below the dew point, condensation occurs. The new Haida Anti-Fog Belt will prevent this problem.
While 24-70mm lenses are generally the workhorses of choice for a lot of photographers, many others prefer a 24-105mm for the extra reach, even if it means losing a stop of aperture.
The Fujifilm GFX mirrorless camera series has rewritten a lot of industry paradigms, bringing medium format to the market at prices that compete with upper-level full frame options, making it a tempting choice for landscape photographers.
Canon's RF system has brought us some of the most extreme and impressive lens designs in a long time, and one of the most show-stopping was the RF 28-70mm f/2L USM. If you have been eyeing this lens, check out this awesome video review that takes a long-term look at its performance, usage experience, and image quality.
A good macro lens is one of the most versatile out there, offering you a window into the extraordinary world of the small all around us and doubling as a sharp portrait or all-around lens, depending on the focal length.
Over the last few years, I have regularly recommended the ColorChecker Passport. Colors are extremely important and the passport helps prevent issues that can come up with many digital camera sensors. Recently, I have been testing the Datacolor Spyderchekr and I wanted to see which of the two was the better option.
A 24-70mm f/2.8 is a bread and butter lens for a lot of photographers and videographers, covering a lot of the most commonly needed focal lengths and offering a wide maximum aperture to handle low-light situations. They can be rather expensive, however.
Professional-quality supertelephoto zoom lenses have exploded onto the market in the last few years, and one of the most versatile and impressive options out there is the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM. This fantastic video review takes a look at the lens and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in real-world usage.
Canon has really found a new gear with the RF mount when it comes to lenses, releasing some mightily impressive options that push the boundaries of optical design and offer photographers unique creative opportunities.
The new Elinchrom ONE is the company's latest monolight, offering a rechargeable battery that makes it portable and versatile whether you are working in the studio or on location. This great video review takes a look at the light and the sort of performance you can expect from it in real-world usage.
Good lenses are rarely affordable; a high-quality professional lens almost always costs thousands of dollars. However, the Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 costs just $199 and offers impressive performance and versatility, especially for its price. Is this the next lens for you? Check out this great video review to find out.
The camera world is absolutely awash in supertelephoto zoom lenses right now, and there are plenty of options out there with varying capabilities and price points. This excellent video comparison takes a look at two of the best options, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports and the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS.
Sigma's latest lens is the 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports, bringing with it a useful focal length range suitable for anything from sports to wildlife at a decently affordable price. This awesome video review takes a look at the lens and the kind of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.
The Sony a7R IVA was a quiet upgrade to the a7R IV, and though most of the changes it brought were relatively minor, it still offers the highly impressive performance of the original a7R IV along with a few extra refinements. This awesome video review takes a look at the camera and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it.
The capabilities of smartphones when it comes to photography and videography have improved to a degree where they are legitimately useful tools for professionals and enthusiasts alike. I got my hands on Zhiyun's Smooth-Q3 to put it through its paces, and the results surprised me.
Supertelephoto zoom lenses have come a long way in the last few years, and there are now a ton of great options out there. This excellent video review takes a look at three popular options: the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS, Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD, and Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports.
The Atem Mini switchers have become extremely popular for creatives that wish to take their streaming to the next level. Having the ability to switch between a number of different cameras and angles can be invaluable in many instances. Blackmagic Design seems to have the best options on the market, but which model is the right one for you?
ATEM Mini
This small, ultra-wide, and fast lens took me pleasantly by surprise. Well-made and giving clean, undistorted results, I can see the attractions of having one of these in your arsenal.
The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports lens is here, and it brings with it a range of improvements and the company's latest technology, all meant to make it a versatile, high-quality supertelephoto lens that will not break the bank. 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.
The Sony a1 and Canon EOS R5 hold the distinction of being the only two consumer cameras currently on the market that offer 8K raw video. And while the video specs of the EOS R5 certainly are mightily impressive, you might wonder how it performs in the real world, particularly with issues like overheating.
Tamron has produced a host of excellent lenses for Sony over the last couple of years and has recently been fleshing out its offerings for APS-C. How good is Tamron’s new 11-20mm f/2.8, and should you consider it over the equivalent Sony f/4 lens?
Canon's EF 85mm f/1.2L lens was well known for being a superlative portrait lens with a boundary-pushing design that was popular with many photographers. However, it was not without flaws, particularly a notoriously finicky autofocus system and soft image quality at wide apertures.
Portrait lenses are some of the most widely used optics on the market, and so, photographers have plenty of options available, with something out there at just about any price point.
I’ve used a ton of constant lights. What they almost always have in common is that they just aren't powerful enough to keep up with the majority of shooting conditions. The StellaPro CLx10 solves that problem plus so much more.
There are a lot of crazy lenses out there, whether by design or price (some by both), and the Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG sits near the top of both those categories. Not many photographers ever get the privilege to shoot with one, but this camera reviewer did, and this awesome video takes a look at his experience with this ridiculous lens.
Most of us would love a lens that could literally cover every focal length we would ever need, and the Sony RX10 series actually offers that, with a range of 24-600mm. This neat video shows you its versatility and creative potential shooting street photography.
Recently I got a friendly comment about the images of a camera review I did. It was all about how the results should be presented. Straight out of the camera, or edited? I want to have a closer look at this question and what could be the answer.
Phone cameras have become remarkably competent and versatile in recent years, to the point that they can deliver professional-level results in certain situations, particularly when the light is good and you do not need extreme focal lengths. The Sony Xperia 1 III offers some of the most impressive capabilities yet, and this great video review takes a look at how it performs.
Both Sony and Canon make some highly respected supertelephoto zoom lenses that offer versatile focal length ranges and impressive image quality, making them ideal for tackling a wide range of scenarios across multiple genres.
The beautiful thing about macro photography is that you do not have to travel far to find suitable subjects — hardly anywhere at all, in fact. This great video follows a photographer on a trip out with the Nikon NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S Macro lens.
Sony's a7 and a9 lines and the new a1 get the majority of the attention from the photography community, but the a6000 line it still widely respected as a portable and capable line. This excellent video review takes a look at their APS-C flagship, the a6600, and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.
The new Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM lens offers an extreme combination of focal length and maximum aperture that create unique creative opportunities and does so in an impressively small package. 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 has arrived, offering the company's latest mirrorless technology in tandem with a retro-inspired design that aims to capitalize on both the aesthetic of older cameras and their manual controls that return to a purer form of photography.
Tamron has been on a roll the last few years, producing lenses that offer great performance and image quality in tandem with smart compromises that help them undercut the prices of first-party manufacturers, often by significant amounts.
Released late last year, the Nikon 50mm f/1.2 S is a stunning lens and welcome addition to the options available for the Z mount. However sharp and fast it might be, is it let down by an autofocus system that simply doesn’t compare to those of Canon and Sony?
One of the greatest advancements gear-wise of the last few years has been the proliferation of affordable but high-quality supertelephoto zoom lenses, bringing ultra-long focal lengths and genres like wildlife to many more photographers than before.
Do you like photographing long exposures with an ND filter, but don’t like carrying a large filter holder and square ND filters? In that case, Haida’s NanoPro magnetic filters may be a nice solution.
Should you get a prime lens or a zoom lens? Do you need a really fast lens or can you compromise? Three great Nikon lenses are put against each other here and those questions, plus more, are examined.
The number of devices we need to connect to our computers on a daily basis seems to be never-ending. From SSDs to monitors and graphics tablets, it seems like we never have enough ports.