LensRentals has released a great list of the most popular new photography gear of 2015, as well as some of their staff favorites. The post provides great insight into what cameras, lenses, and other gear photographers used this year. It also gives a snapshot of an industry that saw a lot of evolution in the past 12 months.
2015 was a year in which we saw the continued rise of major competitors to Canon and Nikon in the marketplace. Brands like Sony and Sigma are continuing to drive innovation forward (and often, at a lower cost). The Sony Alpha a7R II and Alpha a7 II took the first and second spots, respectively, with five Sony lenses and other gear rounding out nine of the 20 spots on the list — quite a testament to the evolving landscape.
However, Canon and Nikon both stepped up to the plate with some exciting releases, including the long-anticipated Canon 5DS series and the Nikon D7200. Nonetheless, it's abundantly clear that Sony captured photographers' imaginations this year. 2016 will be quite the year, with all the major manufacturers poised to release major updates to bodies and lenses.
The LensRentals staff also offered their takes on their favorite gear of the year. Zach Sutton is a big fan of Canon's new 35mm f/1.4L II, as am I. Look for my review in the next few days.
This year, I fell in love with the new Canon 35mm f/1.4L II. I loved the old version of this lens, so it was great to see Canon finally step it up and make the sharpest 35mm available. Previously, Sigma had shaken me away from the Canon 35mm with their Sigma 35mm Art 1.4, but I've always been a bit of a Canon loyalist and opted to wait for Canon to bring a new contender to the race. They did with the Canon 35mm f/1.4 II, improving on everything from its previous version. Sadly, though, the price was also improved, but it is certainly a worthy investment given our recent discoveries of its incredible build quality.
Sarah McAlexander is a fan of the ultra-portable Profoto B2:
I’ve used the Profoto B2 more than any other light this year. I’m a small person, I drive a small car, and I do most shoots on location.This light is super portable and battery-powered so I can always get beautifully lit shots wherever I go from the streamlined and sleek brand that I love. The Profoto B2 also offers TTL shooting and High-Speed Sync. I pair this kit with the AirRemote TTL transceiver to shoot wirelessly, but the flash heads are small enough to use on camera via the ProMediaGear BBX Boomerang Flash Bracket for Profoto B2.At 250w/s the B2 only has about half the output of the Profoto B1 500 Air, but I’ve found I don’t normally use that much power and if needed the two lights can be used in combination.
You can read more about the most popular new gear of the year and the LensRentals staff favorites on their blog.
What is some of your favorite gear of the year? Let us know in the comments!
[via Lens Rentals]
Sigma 150-600 for wildlife, Canon 85 1.8 for portraits.
No surprise. Sony is killing it. I'm switching to Sony at the beginning of the year.
I purchased an A7Rii for my Photography business and now I'm selling all my Canon bodies and purchasing an A7ii for second camera/backup. I love shooting with the Sony
I feel the same way. A lot people complain about the size, and I admit, it took a couple of days to get used too. However, how I love the size. **high five**
I agree..nice camera (A7RII) though I won't be buying one...too expensive, too slow, too poor on the battery life and they still haven't worked out the random nature of the overheating. At the very least they are showing Canon/Nikon how to innovate...fake it till' you make it!
Actually, they did with firmware 3.0... overheating is no longer an issue.
Try using Leica or Hasselblad glass compared to the sigma and let me know what you think