It was only a matter of time before Canon would release a true macro lens for the RF mount. Instead of an RF version of the ever-so-popular EF 100mm macro lens, Canon had a little surprise up its sleeve. I got a chance to review this amazing lens.
In Part 1 of this In-Depth review, I outlined the core philosophy of Photo Mechanic Plus before going on to summarize and test the ingestion process. Arguably, this is the star in the crown however, Camera Bits have now added an image catalog allowing it to manage your photo archive. Read on to find out how it performs, as well as a comparison with Lightroom's own catalog.
On the surface, it doesn’t look like Insta360’s latest entry in the GO lineup is all that different from its previous model. Looks, in this case, are very, very deceiving. The Insta360 GO 2 fixes every issue with its predecessor and in the process, has become a versatile and eminently usable camera in its own right.
For many photographers, the 35mm focal length is their go-to lens, as it sits comfortably between wide enough and too wide. Sony’s newest 35mm may be the perfect 35mm lens.
Sony recently released the ZV-E10, an entry-level interchangeable lens APS-C camera that supposedly expands the capabilities for beginning photographers, videographers, and vloggers. What can it do, and who was this camera made for?
Viltrox has released a new single-color LED continuous light under their Weeylite brand. At $179 for the base package, it's a compelling option. So, is this the end of the strobe? Find out in this exclusive Fstoppers review.
CyberLink has an update for its long-available PhotoDirector image editor, which runs on Mac OS and Windows. This latest version is called PhotoDirector 13. New light effects and color adjustment features have been added. The company claims you can turn any photo into a "visual masterpiece with a comprehensive set of AI tools, including AI-powered Sky Replacement and Photo Animation effects."
Nikon asked me to review the new Nikon Z fc. I said yes, and I received no less than two cameras. It’s time to wrap things up and answer the question: does the retro style add any value?
Photographers and gamers, would you play a wildlife photography simulator? At first glance, it seems cheesy, but when I watched the trailer for Photography Simulator, it actually looks fun and engaging. I researched the game to learn more about it and share why you might enjoy this game too.
Living on the road full time has a lot of challenges, one of the most important being how to keep everything fully charged. From drone batteries to a refrigerator, this is how I manage.
While there are dozens of options for filters, covering different effects, sizes, and manufacturers, I’ve found that I only need a few key filters for a landscape shoot. I like to use neutral density filters and circular polarizers, both of which are impactful and less easy to replicate in software. Haida’s NanoPro line has delivered great results in my past experience — can their magnetic filter line deliver the same quality?
The new iPhone 13 models are here. Let's take a deeper look into the photo and video features of each phone.
A free piece of software that looks and runs like Photoshop sounds too good to be true, right? Here's what you need to know about this potential "Photoshop killer".
For the longest time, digitizing film was both the best and worst part of being a film photographer. In walks pixl-latr, and the world of digitization is forever different.
In a previous article (Easing into Astrophotography with a Telescope), I listed a few resources for stepping up to telescopic astrophotography. Beyond learning the basics of sky navigation and learning to extend your photographic equipment knowledge into long exposures, an introductory overview of astronomy is a good idea so that you are aware of the photographic possibilities available to you and the wide array of equipment that may be needed.
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!
I was invited for the introduction of the new Fujifilm GFX50S II at Fujifilm Netherlands. Besides the introduction to this new mirrorless medium format camera, I was able to use a pre-production model in the studio. In this article, I will share my first impressions of this new camera and compare it with the first version.
I have slowly been making my way into the video realm and have quickly realized that I need an easy-to-use audio setup for filming on location. But since I mostly shoot photos, I didn’t want to take up a ton of room in my bag. After some research, the Hollyland LARK 150 checked all the boxes, but how does it hold up in real-world use?
Zeapon Sliders are relatively new to the market. The original Zeapon slider proved to be an interesting and popular option; however, it wasn't without its flaws. Since its release, the company has worked hard to produce something more stable and capable, and we now have the Zeapon micro 2 motorized sliders. This new slider could be the best one on the market.
Imagine an application that can write music for your video with only some hints from you about the style of music and the length of the video. Imagine an app that will write music that fits with your dissolves or add a punchy note wherever you like for emphasis.
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.
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.
The files we create on set are getting larger and larger. With 8K footage and 50+ megapixel stills becoming more common, we need fast portable drives to get our files from set to workstation and for working on the road. Caldigit have just updated their Tuff Nano NVMe drives to a 2TB Tuff Nano Plus to help alleviate this struggle.
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.
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?
What benefit can having two screens on a laptop offer you and is there anything more to this device than that? We review ASUS' newest dual-screen laptop to see if it is worth your time and money.
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.
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?
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 Micro Four Thirds system isn’t my go-to system for night sky or astrophotography, but if it’s yours, you can do far worse than photographing that sky with the Venus Optics Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens for Micro Four Thirds.
Skylum has released LuminarAI Update 4, which delivers a rather amazing Portrait BokehAI feature along with a few other new or improved items that add to the popular software application's bag of tricks.
I got a sneak peek at a pre-production version of the new Nikon Z fc and thought I’d share a handful of thoughts.
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.
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. The CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub attempts to address this by simply giving us a large number of our most commonly used ports, USB and Thunderbolt, and making sure they all operate at full speed.
Everyone is talking about the Canon, Sony, and Nikon full frame mirrorless cameras. But there is another brand that isn’t getting a lot of attention: Panasonic. It released the Lumix S5 last year and now I got a chance to review this camera.
Another manual ultra-wide angle lens? Let’s see what makes this one special.
The Nikon Z 7II is a high-resolution full frame camera and the updated brother of the z7. Now 6 months on, how has the camera performed for me shooting landscapes? Faultless in my opinion. Well, except for one thing, but I'll speak about that later.
Noise removal is a challenge in photography. In raw processing, it can leave images looking muddy. Then, Topaz DeNoise AI came along and changed the game. Now, On1 has launched their own specialist AI-driven software to snap at its heels. Will their NoNoise AI rule supreme?
As a long-time user of Silver Efex, I wanted to answer the question for myself: is the update to the Nik Silver Efex Pro plugin alone worth the upgrade? So, I downloaded the latest version of the Nik plugin suite from the DxO website and gave it a test drive. Here are my initial impressions.
Capturing the world in 360 has been a thing for years. While companies such as Ricoh and Insta360 have made the process far easier than the days of specialized tripod heads and sophisticated software, it’s still not an easily understood process or format. Vecnos aims to change that with its new IQUI 360 camera.
GVM recently sent me their new 50SM lights, and in this video, I do a quick overview and put them to the test filming a puppy adoption video.
Shimoda just launched their new backpack lineup, the Explore V2 Series. It’s a travel-ready backpack that comes in three sizes and is built for travel and landscape photographers who spend their time globetrotting with a camera in tow. This feature-rich new bag by a brand specializing in adventure camera bags is definitely worth checking out!
The new Sony G Master wide lens is quite unique. Is it worth checking out?
Urth produces environmentally friendly, high-quality screw-on filters. They just made some changes to their range, improving the quality further. How does their ND1000 stand up in the field?
The wait is over, and by now, you all have now heard the news! Magmod just announced the release of seven new products: two upgrades and five all-new additions to the MagBox lineup. So, let's jump into them.
For astrophotographers who use Photoshop, here's some interesting and some good news. A just-released plug-in called APF-R (Absolute Point of Focus) can do wonders for your images. Astrophotographer Christoph Kaltseis has developed APF-R in order to achieve high-resolution, ultra-sharp images that still look natural. As astro-imagers know, trying to sharpen point sources like stars can result in ugly halos and other unwanted artifacts.
When it comes to tools designed to help you edit, the main factor for me is time. Yes, I want tools to make things easier and more intuitive, but at the end of the day, those features must help save me time. The Loupedeck Live does all that and more.
As a working professional, I rely on my gear and need it to perform in all conditions. Recently, I was given the opportunity to field-test the new Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD. It may just surprise you, as it did me.
The Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini is one of the best and easiest ways to do more than just stream multiple cameras, and at first, it might seem like an expensive gadget for most photographers. But this last year has shown us a lot of businesses can succeed remotely and even after things return to some level of normalcy a few things are probably going to stay that way.
I recently decided to upgrade to a nicer gimbal head for my tripod. However, I wasn't quite fond of the $500+ options available on the market. I'm sure they are nice, but I couldn't justify the extra cost because my current gimbal did almost everything I needed.
