Fstoppers Gear Reviews

In depth expert reviews and comparisons of the latest cameras, lenses, software, and other technology we as creative professionals rely on.
Is the Apple iPhone 14 Pro a Good Camera in 2024? — Fstoppers Review

As an avid advocate for iPhone photography, I have written a ton of articles on the matter. However, I never reviewed the actual device I am using for my photos. Having had it for a year, it's time to give the iPhone 14 Pro a long-term review, as well as answer the question of upgrading to the 15 Pro.

The Best Card I Have Ever Used! My Review of the Exascend 1 TB CFExpress Type A Card

Just over two months ago, I traveled to the Isle of Mull in Scotland to review Exascend's 360 GB CFExpress Type A card, which I absolutely adored. I have now been sent the 1TB version of the card, which offers even more in performance, so last week I took a trip to a local hide to photograph Kingfishers. Let's see how I got on.

Is This the Answer to All Your Color Issues? We Review Datacolor’s Spyder Checkr Photo

Color. Vivid green forests, melty brown chocolate, voluptuous red lips: color is the reason that compels so many of us to reach for our cameras. When I was approached about reviewing Datacolor's Spyder Checkr Photo, I was skeptical. Color is one of the most-often stated reasons clients approach me. Was this little device just another gimmick marketed to chroma junkies, or was it a tool that would fine tune my color-centric work? I gave it a try, and I’m here to share my findings with my fellow artists who love color as much as I do.

Is This The Ultimate Tethering Setup? Fstoppers Reviews

I am a big advocate for tethering. It helps me do a lot of things, from teamwork to backups and more. I’ve always tethered. However, when going on location, this can become a challenge. What do you take, and what do you leave out? Well, here is my on-location tethering setup for 2024.

The Camera Accessory That Saved My Workflow? Peak Design Tech Pouch Review

If you're like me, you have a whole bunch of small photography bits—cables, connectors, SD cards, batteries, and more—in your camera bag. If you were to use a different bag, you'd have to take all of them out and transfer them over. That's how I lived for the first couple of years of my career, and it was awful.

This Might Be My New Favorite Light Modifier

As photographers, we often go through many modifiers to find the right one, and this may just be my new go-to. With its low cost, portable form factor, and ease of setup, the Aputure Lantern could be right for you too.

The Hohem Mic-01 Challenging the Big Names in Audio Recording

Some fabulous new tech on the market that is making our lives as photographers and videographers evermore easy. The Hohem MIC-01 Wireless Lavalier Microphone is released today. I found it a great addition to my arsenal of tools that exceeded my expectations.

We Review the Genaray Portabright COB LED

It seems more and more, competitors are showing up in the COB LED lighting world, and this is no exception. This is the Genaray Portabright, and here's what it’s like to shoot with and ultimately who it could be for.

Am I Switching From Profoto? An Honest Review of the System

Having been a Profoto user for most of my career, I have experienced pretty much everything they have to offer. I have bought a substantial amount of Profoto equipment myself and use it as my daily driver. Being a huge investment, I wondered if it was worth it. Well, here are my results.

We Review The Canon Speedlite EL-1: Flash for Demanding Photography

The Canon Speedlite EL-1 is a high-performance, professional-grade, weather-resistant flash, designed to meet the demands of the most demanding photographers. It features a powerful guide number of 60m (197 ft) at ISO 100, an insanely fast recycle time of 0.1-0.9 seconds, and up to 335 full-power flashes on a single charge. It also has a built-in LED modeling light for precise lighting control and a heavy-duty construction that will withstand the rigors of professional everyday use.

We Review The Thypoch Simera 35mm f/1.4 Lens

For the last few weeks, I've been carrying around the new Thypoch Simera 35mm f/1.4 M mount lens. When I test new gear, I try to incorporate it into my everyday carry kit and use it on actual assignments and stories to see how it performs under real-world conditions. Sometimes, a piece of kit that looks great or has fantastic specs underperforms in the field; other times, you get something that exceeds expectations.

Make Your Ricoh GR III More Versatile With a NiSi Master Filter Kit

If you’re looking to add some versatility to your compact Ricoh GR III set up, a NiSi filter system is a fantastic choice. In this article, I’ll tell you about the Ricoh GR III Master Kit and why you might want to carry this super-lightweight bit of kit in your bag.

My First Time With a Pen and Tablet: Wacom's One 13 Touch

When I look back on the end of 2023, it'll be at Wacom's One 13 Touch. That's where it's going to start for me. I'm a bit older, and I've been using Photoshop for decades with a mouse. I was curious if I'd learn that the phrase about teaching dogs new tricks, old as this one may be, would prove to be true or not. Let's also take a look at whether the entry-point price for the One 13 Touch should tempt the rest of us who haven't jumped yet.

SanDisk PRO-CINEMA CF Express: Investment Worthy? We Review.

I don’t hold back words for gear that has fancy specs but is not built to be a workhorse for high-volume photographers shooting under various conditions. With all the impressive technology attached to the SanDisk PRO-CINEMA CF Express card, I set out to see if it was not only as fast and high-powered as it touts but also if it was built with the durability that I expect when I’m investing in gear.

Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Review: My New Favorite Lens

I heard about the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 for Sony cameras almost two years ago, but never took the time to test the lens myself. Now that it's out for Nikon as well, I finally got a copy. After two weeks of shooting both stills and video with this lens, I regret how long I've taken to test it, because I believe It's my favorite lens of all time.

Cold Weather Gear You Might Forget About

Speaking for wildlife and landscape photographers, we all seem to be interested in the fast glass (especially if it's longer than 600mm or wider than 24mm), better battery life, more frames per second, higher resolution, and a weather-sealed robust body that can take a licking. But, when the weather turns cold, there's something we can't shoot without: gloves.

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.

We Review the Godox SL60D II: The First Really Good Budget Video Light?

If you’ve followed my work for any time now, you might be familiar with my obsession with lighting. Lights are perhaps some of my favorite things to review. This time around, I decided to give budget lights a try, more notably Godox. It shocked me, somewhat. Read on to find out why.

Perfect Power Solution for Photographers on the Road

A few weeks ago, I reviewed the Bluetti AC60 compact power station. This device was already great on its own. But, I had a critique about its capacity of only 403Wh. Today, I show how to extend the AC60 to become the perfect power solution for the road and the office.

Still a Great Option for Many: Fujifilm X-T4 Re-Review

Yet another re-review of a discontinued but still very valid camera. The Fujifilm X-T4 slightly moved away from what made Fujifilm unique, but not in a bad way. It pushed the series into new areas and appealed to the dual creator quite confidently. Is it still worth getting today?

Testing the Megadap ETZ 21 Pro Lens Adapter in the Field

I’ve used more than a few camera systems over my career. In the abstract, this can be a positive thing: diversity of equipment means you’ve got a lot of different ways to capture an image or tell a story, but more practically, this means I’ve got a lot of gear that doesn’t typically communicate well with each other. Sooner or later, I find preference in one system over the other, meaning a fair amount of kit ends up collecting dust.

We Review the Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM Lens

Canon sent me the RF 28mm f/2.8 STM for a review. To be honest, I didn’t expect much from this small pancake lens. However, it grew on me, and I enjoyed using it more than I would like to admit. It has only one downside, and that is its size.

Apple Magic Keyboard 2 Long-Term Review: Still My Favorite

As someone who spends more time typing than shooting pictures, I value the keyboard I use quite a lot. Having tried a number of keyboards over the years, I still stick with the Apple Magic Keyboard. Here is why.

Skylum Now Adds Even More AI to Luminar Neo

Just a few weeks ago, Skylum added GenErase to the Neo platform, a smart AI erase and fill feature. Now, they are adding the second part of their trilogy of AI tech: this one is GenSwap.

Tourbox Elite: A Great Holiday Present or Something to Regift? We Review

The TourBox Elite is a popular device. It saves on switching between keyboard and mouse and scrolling through adjustment panels in software such as Lightroom and Photoshop. We discover whether it speeds up a photographer's workflow and is a worthwhile Christmas present.

The New M3 MacBook Pro: One Photographer's View After 3 Days

The 2023 MacBook Pro is the latest evolution of Apple's iconic pro laptop lineup. The 2023 redesign brings some major changes, including the new M3 family of Apple silicon chips, a refined design now available in Space Black, and an upgraded display, camera, and connectivity. In this review, we take a deep dive into the latest model and its powerful features.

Great Camera Lens Filters for Landscape Photography

I've been using filters for my photography for more than ten years, and for the last five, I have used filters made by Kase. Just recently, I switched my filter system to what I think is the perfect filter kit for landscape and architecture photography. In this article, you'll find a detailed review of it.