Articles from Pete Coco

Viltrox continues to release excellent and affordable lenses at a rapid pace, and the new Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro lens is no exception. It offers a lot without breaking the bank, making it one of the most desirable prime lenses for Fujifilm shooters.

The term "concert photography" usually conjures images of giant arenas, massive stages, multitudes of lights, fog machines, screens, and photographers hauling massive lenses and cameras about as they make their way around the stage and crowd. However, as a musician and photographer based in New York, I work in jazz clubs, dive bars, and other small venues around town. Capturing genuine moments in these venues requires a very different skill set, and in this article I will detail some tips to help you take great photos in your own neighborhood haunt.

The new Sony RX1R III has created quite a bit of drama since it was announced last week.

Viltrox has been on a tear lately, dropping new products, including lenses, video monitors, flashes, and more. It seems like every other week they are releasing another new lens, and the latest from the company is the Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Pro lens, which is sure to be popular with portrait shooters.

The Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB lens is the second full frame autofocus lens in the company’s flagship line, after the 135mm LAB, which was released in 2024. And, like the 135mm LAB lens, the 35mm continues to raise the bar and offers photographers outstanding quality and performance at a much more affordable price.

I had an incredibly important photoshoot recently, and I made a rookie mistake that could have spelled disaster.

The Nikon Zf has been gaining a lot of popularity with retro-loving photographers of all stripes. But how does it stack up against the king of retro camera design's top model, the Fujifilm X-T5?

A friend sent me an advertisement for AI-generated headshots recently, and I was surprised by how good the images looked. It got me thinking about the future of headshot photography.

The OBSBOT Meet 2 is an AI-powered 4K webcam that offers a ton of features in a small and stylish package.

The Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 Pro lens is the second offering in the company's line of lenses designed to appeal to professional photographers. In this review, we will find out if this lens has what it takes to get the job done for serious amateurs and professionals alike.

The TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 lens is a budget-friendly portrait lens designed for APS-C cameras. Although it only costs $158, don't let the price fool you because this inexpensive lens packs quite a punch in terms of quality and performance.

There are many small, simple steps, that you can take to drastically improve your portrait photography today. 

Sigma continues to grow their line of small, fast, budget-friendly lenses for APS-C cameras. The Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN lens is their latest offering, and it does indeed have a lot to offer photographers looking for an excellent and fast wide angle zoom that won't break the budget. 

Since the introduction of AI-generated headshots, many have been lamenting the inevitable end of our industry, forecasting doom and gloom across every online forum almost on a daily basis. But one photographer isn’t afraid, and in fact, he believes that AI technology is actually good for headshot photographers and ultimately will strengthen our industry.

The Google Pixel 8 Pro has a ton of camera features, including a whopping 50-megapixel sensor that allows raw and manual shooting, but how does it compare to mirrorless cameras, including one with a 50-megapixel medium format sensor? 

Attending a portrait workshop with a photographer that you greatly admire can be an intimidating experience. Last month, I had the opportunity to spend a day at the New York Lighting Workshop with photographer extraordinaire, Felix Kunze, and it was not at all what I expected.

I picked up a Fujifilm X-T5 last December shortly after it was released. Originally, I purchased it as a backup camera to be used primarily for concert and street photography. After a short time, however, I fell in love with the camera and began to use it as my go-to choice for most of my portrait work. But does it hold up for heavy professional work?

The 23mm f/1.4 Contemporary lens is the latest offering in Sigma’s lineup of fast, compact, prime lenses for Fujifilm X Mount cameras. With a 35mm equivalent focal length, the 23mm is sure to be popular for street photography, portraits, landscapes, and more.

There is a lot to love about Sigma’s new 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN Contemporary lens for Fujifilm X mount cameras, including superb image quality, a compact design, and image stabilization – all at an affordable price.

When I was sent a Pentax K3 Mark III Monochrome for review, I must admit that I didn’t know what to expect. Releasing an APS-C DLSR in 2023 – one that only captures monochrome images – is quite a bold move, and the K3 Mark III Monochrome is in fact the only camera in existence that can claim these unique specifications. After using the camera for a few weeks, however, I have found a lot to love about the K3 III Monochrome, and it doesn’t begin or end with the monochrome sensor.

Standing desks have become somewhat ubiquitous over the last few years and hold a number of benefits for photographers and content creators. Having used them in the past with mixed results, I was pleasantly surprised by the standing desk from FlexiSpot in terms of quality, form, and function. 

The Fujifilm GFX 100 was released four years ago, and a replacement model is most likely coming out soon. Even so, I have been wanting to try out this 102 megapixel behemoth for a long time, and I was recently able to get one on loan from Fujifilm for review. After testing the camera, I realize that it was a mistake, and in this video, I tell you why.

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.

The Pixel Fold is the first foldable phone engineered by Google. I had a chance to preview this feature-packed productivity tool that is actually both a phone, and a tablet in one. In this review, I will discuss the Pixel Fold from a photographer’s perspective, its myriad of camera features, and its use as a productivity tool for creative professionals.

The Tamron 11-20mm lens features a super-fast constant aperture of f/2.8 in an extremely compact and light package. With a 16.5mm to 30mm full frame equivalent focal length, it is ideal for travel, landscapes, real estate, vlogging, and more. Designed specifically for Fujifilm and Sony APS-C cameras, the 11-20mm is sure to become a popular choice for compact mirrorless shooters. 

Over the past few years, LEDs have become a popular choice for still photographers, and with good reason. Although LED light sources do have limitations, there are many clear benefits to using constant light for portrait photographers. In this article, I will detail five ways I use an LED light wand to create captivating portraits, both in and out of my studio.

The Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 lens is a thoughtfully designed super wide-angle lens for Fujifilm X-Mount cameras. Featuring a physical aperture ring, compact design, and solid construction, it is an excellent option for Fujifilm users. In this article and the accompanying video, I will share my experience using the 13mm primarily as a portrait lens.

I spent a few weeks testing the new Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 lens for Fujifilm, and in the accompanying article and video, I share my thoughts on one of the most exciting third party lenses on the market today.

A few weeks ago, an intriguing "Coming Soon" tweet popped up in my Twitter feed, teasing the announcement of a new Rolleiflex digital TLR. I gave the tweet a like and followed the account since the idea of a twin lens digital camera sounded interesting, although strange, and thought little of it until the account issued another tweet titled "My Apology."

Fujifilm recently introduced their latest 40-megapixel APS-C sensor, the X-Trans CMOS 5 HR. Along with announcing two new cameras featuring the X-Trans 5 chip, a list of lenses that are "optimized" for the new sensor was also released. But do you need the optimized lenses to get the most out of the new cameras? I address this and more in my latest video.

In this article and the accompanying video, I will show you how to create four unique portrait looks using one light and v-flats. 

This video from nature photographer Simon d'Entremont offers one of the best explanations of camera metering modes I have come across, complete with examples of each mode and when to use them.