Popular Gear Reviews

Review: The BenQ SW2700PT Is a Perfect Monitor for Photo Editing

The BenQ SW2700PT monitor is a hard sell on paper to those that only look at pixel count. At just over $600, it teeters on the edge of premium monitor territory, but you’ll soon see why it gets a strong recommendation here. Hint: it's not about the pixels.

Hands on With the Phase One XT: A Digital Medium Format Field Camera

Phase One’s new XT is the modern-day version of the large format field camera, complete with field camera movements and spectacular large format style lenses. Its distinctive design combined with an IQ4 brain and its innovative tools make for a head-turning technical camera solution.

Fstoppers' First Look at ON1 Photo RAW 2017

This week, ON1 Software released their new Photo RAW 2017 processor. It functions as both a raw processor and a simple editing workflow that can be used as a standalone application or as a plugin within various other editing applications such as Lightroom. In this article, we will take a quick look at Photo RAW 2017 in order to provide some first impressions on what ON1 is touting as one of their most powerful tools to date.

Round Heads are All the Rage: Fstoppers Reviews the Godox V1

In a move that potentially threw the Profoto marketing team into a frenzy, Godox recently released their V1 hotshoe flash. Sporting a round fresnel head and all the features of a great flash system, the V1 is a hefty contender at its price-point. But, how does it perform? Let's check it out after the jump.

Sony a6400: Perhaps the Best Camera Under $1,000

I've gotten to play with the Sony a6400 for the last couple of days and although it's not exactly what I'm looking for, it still may be the best camera for sale currently under $1,000.

Fstoppers Reviews the Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD Portable Hard Drive

Portable hard drives are no longer just boxes that let you carry large amounts of data on the go. They now aim to be hubs around which your mobile life is centered, offering card ingestion and backup, device charging, wireless access, streaming, and more. Western Digital recently upgraded their My Passport Wireless line with an SSD version. Check out our review!

How To Reduce Your Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud Storage Space and Save Cash in the Process

As photographers, we have a never-ending, ever-perpetuating growth of photos piling up on our hard drives. Inevitably, whether that work is professional or personal, our photos end up taking space on cloud storage accounts that we keep upgrading whenever we reach the limit. But what if you could cut the size of these files in half without losing any visible quality? You could save a lot of headache, not to mention, money.

Do the New Photoshop and Lightroom Updates Affect You?

New features added to Photoshop and Lightroom today might change how you edit your photos, but it entirely depends on what kind of images you make and what your current workflow is like. This is my review of the new features and whether you'll want to dive in or avoid them.

Hands On With the Samsung SSD T3, My New Favorite Portable Hard Drive

Samsung’s SSD T1 was among the first drives like it, expanding on SSD features like speed and compact size to deliver an almost business-card-sized, ultra-fast drive that was perfect for the road. More robust in an all-new enclosure, the SSD T3 is the next advancement of the T1.

This Software Finds Good and Bad Photos Automatically

The worst part about being a wedding or event photographer is having to edit thousands of photos, but I've recently discovered Narrative Select, software that uses AI to make the culling process much faster.

Should You Buy the Godox AD200 Pocket Flash? We Review

The Godox AD200 has been around for a few years now, and in 2019, Godox released the "Pro" version of the AD200. Is this small, lightweight, powerful flash the right choice for you in 2023? Why do so many photographers think so highly of this pocket flash?

Could The Rhino Slider Be The Best DSLR Video Slider On The Market?

In the photography world it is all about lighting, lighting, lighting. For videographers the main emphasis is not necessarily lighting as much as it is motion. Perhaps the easiest and most affordable way to add motion to your DSLR video is by using a slider. In this video we take a closer look at the Rhino Slider and why it might be the best sub $800 slider on the market.

Fstoppers Reviews the Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2.0 Lens

Much to the excitement of the Fujifilm community, Fuji released their XF 90mm f/2 WR in the middle of 2015. Many a voice hailed it Fuji's best yet, and pixel-peepers rejoiced. Some claimed it had the nicest bokeh from a Fuji lens yet, and others the fastest autofocus. Just how good is this latest prime offering from Fuji?

From SLR to Medium Format: My First Encounter With the Hasselblad X1D-50C

Remember that feeling you had as a child, every time you pass a toy shop window and you could see your favorite toy? You pass that window, and your favorite toy sits there, waiting for you to play with it regardless of all the other forgotten toys you have waiting for you back home. All you can do is just imagine the fun you could have with it every day. The toy you'll never get tired of playing with. The toy that allows every day to become a new adventure. The toy that becomes your new best friend.

Hands-On With the Newly Announced Sony a9: My Five Favorite Features

Earlier today, Sony announced the a9, a revolutionary mirrorless camera with a spec sheet that at first looks like it's full of typos. Did they really mean 20 frames per second? Is it actually 693 phase-detect autofocus points? Continuous burst raw capture up to 241 frames? But sure enough, the a9 delivers on it all. After spending a brief time getting familiar with the new camera, here's what made me most excited about using it.

We Review The Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Art: Astrophotographers Will Fall in Love

I've been through a lot of fast and wide lenses for my nighttime photography — cheap bargains, expensive highly touted lenses. But I've never been as happy as I am with the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Art lens. Designed specifically for Milky Way and star field photography, it's by far the best lens I've used and evaluated.
Fstoppers Reviews the Vanguard Veo 265AB Compact Travel Tripod

The ideal travel tripod should be sturdy and super lightweight with high loading capacity. In addition, it should be compact when folded and long enough when extended. There are lots of compact tripods in the market, but how many of them truly provide these features? Well, I've spent enough time to figure it out and decided to buy a brand that I've never used before.

Fstoppers Reviews the Pulse Camera Remote

Picture this: you and some friends are on a week-long backpacking trip in Alaska, and it’s a frigid 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside. You really don’t want to get out of your sleeping bag. Luckily, before you got in it, you went out and set up your camera with a incredibly lightweight remote that you can control from your phone so that you can take photos of the aurora without leaving the tent. If you want to be able to do this, and for only $100, you should check out the Pulse camera remote by Alpine Labs.

Developing News – Fuji Confirms Their New X-T1 Camera

Fuji’s latest camera in their popular X-Series line up, the X-T1, has been officially announced. Although I wrote a brief summary of the features and spec’s being passed around the rumor mill, the official announcement has just been made so we can now confirm details.

Optics Allows Photographers to Add Particle-Based Effects to Their Photography

As the artificial intelligence race intensifies among photography software companies, Boris FX is filling a completely different niche with their editing software Optics. With their latest release, Optics users now have access to their powerful Particle Illusion generator, which can create thousands of useful emitters like explosions, smoke, fire, and other particle effects. Today, we take a look at the new Optics 2022 release which is available as a plugin for both Photoshop and Lightroom, as well as a standalone application.

Not Just Another Kit Lens: We Review the Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS Lens

When it comes to versatility and performance, the Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS Lens is an excellent choice. Available as part of a kit or sold individually, this lens performs exceedingly well. Although there are other lenses with a similar focal range for the X-mount system, and great ones at that, this lens should not be dismissed as merely a kit lens, as it produces some great results.

Fstoppers Reviews the Massive 49-inch Curved Samsung Monitor That Is Built for Creatives

Let's address the elephant in the room right off the bat, this monitor is absolutely massive. I have a fairly large desk and plenty of space at home to house this beast but it still seems large when viewing in the open. Though, it really comes down to how well it feels when working on it. To be blunt, it feels freaking amazing.

Exporting Photos Has Just Become Even Easier For All Photographers With JPEGmini's Latest Update [Review]

The favorite plug-in amongst many photographers just got a little better, which is great news! In case you haven't read my last article covering what JPEGmini does and what it's all about, it's both a software and plug-in that cuts the file size of every high-resolution photo in half while still retaining photo size and resolution. Sounds impossible, right? We put it to the test and the results did pleasantly surprise us. With that said, JPEGmini listened to what customers had to say and are finally sharing updates to all. Let's dive into what they've added.

Fstoppers Reviews the Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro Hard Drive

Hard drives are cool again. What used to be just a repository for data has evolved into a multifunctional device that can store data, back up your memory cards in the field without a computer, charge your phone, and even act as a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro can do all those things, making it an intriguing option for those of us who desire portability and capability in one device.

First Look at the New Profoto A1 Flash

I’ve been a Profoto user for quite a while now, loving my B1s and B2s for wedding photography, and my D1s for studio photography. I’m a huge fan of off-camera flash, especially when it can be easily manipulated into looking like natural light when I need it to. After all, that’s what 99 percent of my wedding clients want: natural light and a golden-hour glow regardless if it’s raining or we’re shooting in noon-day sun. What I’ve been missing, however, is the portability of a small flash, and being able to use it on camera.

We Review The Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD

The Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD is a super telephoto lens available for Fujifilm and Sony APS-C cameras, and it has quite a few tricks up its sleeve. In this review, I detail my experience using this lens for sports and nature photography using Fujifilm cameras.

Fractal Filters Make Prism Photography More Convenient Than Ever

Prism photography isn’t exactly a new thing. In fact, many photographers have been taking advantage of the unique, light bending properties of glass and clear resins to add an artistic flare to their images for some time now. The issue previously had been finding a prism that would work for you and fit neatly into your kit. Fractal Filters has recently released their latest set of prisms designed specifically for photographers that meet the need for convenient photo-prisms.

The Ultimate Camera Carrying System?

If RoboCop were a photographer, what kind of camera carrying system would he use? A simple shoulder strap? No way. Some kind of belt holster? Hmm, getting warmer. The Cotton Carrier Systems G3 Camera Harness? Ding ding ding!

The Retouching Toolkit 3.1: The Best Photoshop Plugin Gets Even Better

The Retouching Toolkit is, without a doubt, the best Photoshop extension I have tried yet. It helps streamline one's editing workflow, improves Photoshop's interface, and with the latest update, it's getting one step closer to becoming the only Photoshop plugin you could ever need.

We Review the GFX100 II Medium Format Mirrorless Camera: Fuji’s Marvel

With the amount of technological advancements that we’ve come to expect, or in some cases demand, from camera manufacturers, where can they go without simply making a camera that does everything for you? All manufacturers, of any worth, are continually enhancing the features of their cameras. Fujifilm is one of these manufacturers, with one of the highest pixel count APS-C sensors, and their range of affordable medium format cameras puts pressure on other manufacturers to keep up in some aspects

Fstoppers Reviews the Fujifilm X-T3 Camera

The X-T3 brings a host of changes and improvements over previous X-series cameras. Its new sensor and processor enable much faster performance and significant feature enhancements for both stills and video.

Hands-On With the Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA, The Newest Addition to the Full-Frame E-Mount Lens Lineup

There’s no question that if Sony wants their mirrorless system cameras to succeed, they must be supported with a vast and varied collection of lenses. Today they unveiled the FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA lens, a large aperture prime lens utilizing a Planar design that will soon be found in portrait, wedding, and street photographers’ bags. I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to see and use this lens for a day’s worth of shooting, so take a look at some sample images and my first impressions.

We Review The Logitech G600 Mouse: Photoshop Gamechanger

Once you try this mouse from Logitech, it is likely that your Wacom tablet will be pushed to the back of your desk to gather dust. With 20 fully programmable buttons, including a clickable scroll wheel that also tilts either way, the level of functionality reached with this mouse is unmatched by any mouse or peripheral device on the market. Not to mention, it's budget-friendly!

Fstoppers Reviews ON1 Photo RAW 2018

On November 9, ON1 software released the latest version of their flagship editing software. Photo RAW 2018 looks to move ON1 further forward to being a genuine alternative to Adobe suite as an all-in-one photo editing tool. Touting a variety of critical new features Photo RAW 2018 promises to be the strongest iteration of the software to date. In this review, we will be putting Photo RAW 2018 through the gauntlet to determine if its latest new features move it closer to that goal.

Fstoppers Reviews the DJI Spark, the Company's Cheapest Drone

This year has seen the number of people owning a drone grow like never before. That’s probably due to the units becoming more affordable and more accessible to use. One great example is the DJI Mavic, or more recently the DJI Spark. The latter is advertised as a drone you can take anywhere but still offers an excellent image quality, and that anyone can use. I bought one earlier this year as I wanted to see if the drone trend was something for me or not, and I thought I’d share my opinion on this adorable little thing.

2x Macro at Half the Price: Fstoppers Reviews Laowa’s 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens

If you’re looking to get into macro photography, the first party lens options can seem too expensive for a lens with a more niche use, particularly on the latest Z and R mounts. Laowa, however, has a very promising 100mm lens that even exceeds those other 100mm options in one notable way. hould it be the lens you choose when shooting up close?

Sony RX100 VI Hands-On Rundown

Last week, Sony unveiled their latest compact camera. Now here’s the clickbait: 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 Zeiss lens, 24 fps continuous shooting while utilizing its 315-point hybrid autofocus, added touchscreen, Sony a9-inherited Eye AF and face detection algorithms, and 4K video recording. Let’s take a look at the new RX100 VI.