Reviews

Google Pixel vs. Apple iPhone 7 Plus: A Smartphone Shootout

The smartphone camera landscape is getting crowded with high quality cameras these days, but the Google Pixel and Apple iPhone 7 Plus are two of the front runners when it comes to popularity and publicity. We did a simple shootout to pixel-peep at how the cameras in these two smartphones stack up against each other.

A Photographer’s Review of the Peak Design Everyday Sling

First of all I just want to say this: Peak Design got the name of the Everyday Sling wrong. This bag isn't the Everyday Sling, it's the Everything Sling because this bag literally does everything I would ever possibly need to do when I'm going out.

Canon 5D Mark IV Review Through the Eyes of a Wedding Photographer

This is a review of the Canon 5D Mark IV. My name is Albert Palmer, and I’m a professional wedding photographer who uses my cameras at least 1 to 3 times a week -- often for 10 to 12 hours a day and in quite challenging conditions.

Review: The MIOPS Smart Trigger Makes High Speed Photography a Snap

I've been doing high speed photography for a while, now but I've doing it manually. After some time you get used to the timing but will still miss some of the shots, and with high speed photography you can't afford to miss that one perfect shot. MIOPS is a $239 smart trigger that helps you nail the shot in high speed photography.

Review: The Sony RX1R II is Excellent, Extravagant, and Overpriced

Sony are back with the sequel to 2012s surprise hits, the RX1 and RX1R. The new RX1R II still packs a full frame sensor into a barely-larger-than-a-compact body, but this time it's the same sensor from their spectacular A7R II.

An Interview with Photographer Holly Andres

Holly Andres is an American fine art and commercial photographer who has been creating dynamic and compelling images for over a decade. She started out shooting mostly fine art photography, but gradually branched into editorial assignments with the New York Times Magazine and many others. She continues to evolve and expand her art. For her fine art work, she is represented by the Robert Mann Gallery (New York City), Robert Koch Gallery (San Francisco), Jackson Fine Art (Atlanta), and Charles A. Harman Fine Art (Portland). For commercial assignments she is represented by Hello Artists.

Why DxOMark Doesn’t Test Fujifilm Cameras

If you reference camera sensor ratings published by DxOMark, you may have noticed that the France-based company doesn't test Fujifilm cameras. It's surprising, given that Fujifilm sensors have been praised by many reviewers in recent years.

No, DxOMark doesn't have anything against Fujifilm, and no, it's not something fishy going on behind the scenes. The reason is simple: DxOMark isn't currently able to properly test X-Trans sensors.

500px’s Latest iOS App is Getting Slammed

Earlier this month, the photo sharing service 500px rolled out a new version of its iOS app that focused on sleekness, simplicity, and social sharing. Media outlets immediately pointed out how similar the new app's look and feel is to other services, particularly Instagram.

Unfortunately for 500px, it seems that many users aren't responding well to the change: the latest version of the app is getting slammed by reviewers in the iTunes App Store.

I Was a Victim of the Fake Negative Review Scam That Targets Photographers

There is currently a scam targeting photographers nationwide. It begins with a threat of false negative reviews if a business owner doesn't pay a "reputation management fee". Whether the business responds or not, the scammers will post many negative reviews then offer to have them removed or pushed down the search results... For a fee, of course.

A Review of the Panasonic Lumix LX100’s 4K Photo Mode

One of the most exciting things about capturing high resolution video with the Panasonic LX100 is the ability to extract high resolution still photos from it. Video grabbing is not a new thing, but in standard definition you were looking at stills measuring a third of a Megapixel, and even in Full HD you'd only enjoy 2 Megapixels. But with 4k video you can make 8 Megapixel grabs which is much more useful.

Why Do Photo Gear Reviews Have Crappy Sample Images?

It took me many years to overcome the affliction known as gear acquisition syndrome. You see, I am a self-professed gear head, and I went through a period where I needed every new Nikon DSLR and I simply couldn’t get enough watt/seconds from a single strobe pack. Although there is no known cure, I have been able to curtail my purchasing habits, but not my voracious appetite for camera gear reviews.

A single review of the new 1D7s Mark 15 isn’t enough. I need to read them all. And while perusing the myriad of sites that offer gear-envious reviews of the newest 4K thingamajig with the phase detection hybrid focusing doodad and the retro-styled burled walnut tchotchke inspired by whatchamacallit, I couldn’t help but notice something that I’d like to run past you...

Wedding Photographers Supposedly Using Fine Print to Sue Clients Over Bad Reviews

In the age of the Internet, with sites like Yelp often being the first stop for anybody looking for a service (say, photography) they've never used before, it's no surprise that pros are trying to keep their star ratings as high as possible.

What is surprising is the news that some photographers are keeping their reviews positive by threatening to sue anybody who writes something negative.

Review: The Ona Leather Brixton is a Bag That Won’t Cramp Your Fashion Style

When was the last time you received a compliment for how beautiful your camera bag is? Do you dread carrying your gear to activities and events due to the fact that your bag completely clashes with your fashion sensibilities? Are you a man?

If you answered "yes" to that last question, camera bag company ONA wants to change your answer for the first two.

Review: Fujifilm X-E1 is Both a Beauty and a Beast

During the earlier days of 35mm film photography, many of the popular cameras had distinct design elements that defined the look of that period -- the things that come to mind when people hear the words "vintage 35mm camera": a shiny body seemingly crafted out of a single chunk of metal; a textured covering that gives the camera style and grip; all the manual controls you need, placed in well-thought-out locations at your fingertips.

Review: Canon EOS M is Like a Sluggish DSLR Trapped in a Compact Body

Canon made its loyal customers wait quite a long time before it finally joined the mirrorless camera revolution, announcing the Canon EOS M back in June. The camera comes nearly four years after Panasonic kicked things off by “friending” Olympus -- forming the Micro Four Thirds alliance -- and introducing the Lumix DMC-G1, making Canon the last major DSLR maker to join the fray.

Review: Snapheal is Great For Mac Users Who Need Content Aware Fill à la Carte

When Adobe unleashed Photoshop CS5 back in April 2010, one of the big features that had photographers buzzing was Content Aware Fill. With a simple selection and a few keystrokes, the tool could magically delete a portion of a photograph and replace the void with details from the surrounding area. The tool was so revolutionary that when a sneak peek demo went viral, viewers began calling the video fake and too good to be true. It wasn't.

Review: Canon D20 is a Decent One Trick Pony for Shooting Around Water

Point-and-shoot cameras aren't doing so hot these days as consumers are replacing their multiple electronic devices with a single gadget: the smartphone. The compact cameras that have a chance of surviving are the ones that are special in some way, whether it's having a gigantic sensor or being hardened with serious weatherproofing.

Hilarious Customer “Reviews” for the Hasselblad H4D-50 on Amazon

If you look at the product page of any "exotic" piece of camera equipment on Amazon, there's a good chance that you'll come across some humorous fake reviews left by photographers looking to poke fun at the product's features. Last September, we shared some funny reviews left for the Sigma 200-500mm, which looks more like a bazooka than a lens. Another one is the Hasselblad H4D-50, a medium format DSLR that costs $19,000... as an open box demo. You can probably guess what the reviews poke fun at.

Why Five Star Ratings Aren’t Very Helpful When Buying Camera Gear Online

XKCD recently published this humorous comic explaining how you should interpret star ratings online. These are the ratings you come across when browsing online stores (e.g. Amazon) and customer review websites -- ratings that supposedly provide an accurate glimpse at how consumers feel about the product. Do they, though?

As the comic shows, the answer is: yes and no.

Why I Hate My Camera

Unlike most photographers, I hate my camera. I have read hundreds of stories on the Internet in which photographers argue about which cameras are the best and why. There are stories trying to prove that Canon is better than Nikon, or that 4x5 film is better than medium format digital. Camera review websites show scientific-style photographs displaying how much detail they have captured in a dollar bill, or pictures of color checkers and skin tones. They will also show “real-world” and studio tests illustrating how camera A is better than camera B and write long narratives about why.

The Rashomon Effect and My Small-Camera Choice

Way back in the day, when the first mirrorless cameras were released, I was on them like white on rice. I desperately wanted to love, well, any of them: the Sigma DP-1, Panasonic G1, Olympus E-P1, Leica X-1, and more all passed through my hands. Many people loved having a small camera that delivered high image quality. I loved that idea, too, but I didn’t love those first cameras because of what they couldn’t do. They couldn’t shoot high ISO. There weren’t many lenses. Autofocus times reminded me of loading pages on dial-up Internet connections. But at the time (way back in 2009) I thought this was the future of consumer imaging. I predicted that by their third generation, mirrorless cameras would eventually take over the intro-level SLR slot.