Photographer and YouTuber Michael the Maven has put together a video about one of the worst-kept "secrets" in optics: sample variation. Or: why you should immediately test every lens you buy to make sure you have a good copy.
Apple has released iOS 13.2, debuting the 'Deep Fusion' computational photography tech that it showed off during the iPhone 11 keynote, and we decided to take it for a quick spin to see what all the fuss is about. Spoiler Alert: If you care about photography and own an iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max, update your phone ASAP.
For several years I had believed that shooting a medium format camera at high ISO would yield terrible results. Most likely there would be no point in trying, I thought. However, a few days ago I nevertheless brought the Pentax 645Z and the Pentax 25mm f/4 out into the darkness where the zoombies reign — in my imagination anyway.
Sony's TOUGH SD cards are extremely popular among photographers. But just how tough are they? Photographer and writer Steve Huff decided to put the latest iteration of these TOUGH cards through the ultimate battery of tests: freezer, washer, dryer, pool, and... just for fun... blender.
If you’re wondering why someone who loves Sigma cameras and gets called the ‘Foveon Wizard’ by his peers is writing about the Panasonic Lumix S1R, I need to take you back to 2007.
Instagram began testing the removal of "likes" from users' photos back in May. Now, it's expanding that test to six more countries, hiding like counts in the hopes that it will "benefit everyone's experience on Instagram."
Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake of DPReviewTV recently took the new Nikon Eye Autofocus firmware for a spin to see how it performs in the real world. But rather than comparing it directly to Sony and Canon, they wanted to put the firmware through its paces all on its own using both the more affordable Nikon Z6 and the high-res Nikon Z7.
How do you think your perception of color stacks up against the general public? If you're a photographer, have your eyes been trained to perceive color better than the average person? Here's a short and sweet test that can help you find out.
Instagram is launching a real-world test of hiding Like counts on photos and videos, an idea that was leaked earlier this month. Within the next several days, users in Canada will no longer be able to see the numbers of likes on posts by people they follow.
After years of shooting portraits with Canon cameras, photographer Sean Tucker recently switched over to Sony gear. After many people warned him that his portraits would suffer from Sony's "terrible" skin tones, Tucker decided to put the cameras to the test himself in the 20-minute video above.
When I read or watch reviews of lenses by folks in the photographic community, it often seems like one of the most important qualities to them is how the lens renders bokeh. It’s often made me wonder, do we sometimes forget that bokeh is just background? And is this fixation healthy? Or most importantly, how much does it matter to an average person who has never heard the term “bokeh”?
Photonstophotos has published its dynamic range test results for the new Canon EOS R and Nikon Z7 full-frame mirrorless cameras. The numbers show that both Canon and Nikon trail the performance of Sony's cameras.
Photographer Miguel Quiles recently got his hands on one of the few Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lenses currently in existence (the $12,000 lens won't hit store shelves until late September). In the 6-minute video above, Quiles shares about his tests in using the super-telephoto lens for portraits.
With the popularity of mirrorless cameras from Sony, Fuji, Panasonic among others, more and more Canon users are either changing systems or wanting to try these new cameras. That in turn, is making adapting lenses more popular than ever, especially as autofocus performance continues to improve and includes many native features like Continous Eye AF (in the case of Sony cameras).
Last week, Apple and Blackmagic unveiled a new $699 external GPU (eGPU) that brings "desktop-class" graphics performance to MacBook Pros. But if you were hoping that it would be a godsend for speeding up your sluggish Photoshop or Lightroom for post-processing photos, you may want to check out this new 16-minute review by photoshopCAFE.
Photography can be confusing. I get it. I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Because of this, at times it helps us to actually put some of these theories and myths to the test. One of these myths is the concept of compression and, with it, parallax.
I recently took my Sony A7 III and a rented $2,500 Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens to the 2018 Montreal GP. A friend of mine had recommended that I use a polarizer. I remembered that I had a pack of 77mm Vivitar Series 1 filters that came with my 24-105mm, so I threw that onto the 100-400mm and started shooting, completely zoomed at 400mm.
So, here’s the story: Nikon announced its new 180-400mm f/4 lens, and I’ve been more than a little curious about it. However, I’m not 100% sold on it just yet, so I decided to rent one and give it a whirl for a few days and share what I’ve discovered with you.
We recently shared an analysis that showed how IKEA's cheap LADDA rechargeable batteries are virtually identical to pricey Eneloop Pro batteries in capacity. But get this: it seems LADDA batteries actually outperform Eneloop Pros when it comes to flash recycle speed.
Canon released its 6D Mark II in 2017, and the Internet has been abuzz ever since then discussing its high ISO performance. There have been reports that the Mark II creates more noise at high ISOs than the original 6D.
Do you use Eneloop Pro rechargeable batteries in your photo equipment? You may be able to get the same performance at a much lower cost. This interesting 7-minute video from Matthew Eargle of AirborneSurfer looks into whether these relatively expensive batteries ($20 per pack of 4) are actually identical to the much cheaper IKEA LADDA batteries that cost just $5 per pack of 4.
Photographer Matt Granger has been testing out the Leica NOCTILUX 75mm f/1.25 lens, which retails for a whopping $12,800, and in this 9-minute test video he shares his initial thoughts about using it.
We reported in November 2017 that Instagram had begun testing a "Regram" feature similar to Facebook's Share feature, which lets people repost your content on their pages with full attribution. Now Instagram is reportedly testing the ability to Regram other people's photos in the Stories you create.
Kodak's Portra 400 film is praised for its versatility, but exactly how well does it handle underexposure and overexposure? How far can you push things before your photos become unusable? Canadian photographer Kyle McDougall decided to find out by doing his own test.
Weather resistance is an important attribute of professional cameras that need to endure difficult shooting environments. To see how well some of the top cameras on the market would fare in the rain, Imaging Resource decided to conduct a water torture test, which you can watch in the 5-minute video above.
The Sony A7R III boasts some impressive and improved autofocus features. The Eye Autofocus mode is great for locking onto your target, but The Brotographer found that it didn't work perfectly in the previous a7R II with adapted lenses. In this 12-minute video, however, he reveals major improvements for adapted Canon glass on the latest Sony camera.
The new Sony a7R III has a new function called Pixel Shift. This function basically increases the resolution of your images by 4 times. In short: the camera takes 4 photos and shifts the sensor 1 pixel in between. By combining these images later (the camera itself doesn't do this) you get an image that has 4 times the resolution of a normal raw image (4 x 42 megapixel).
Who would've guessed it? Holding a camera up to your face during a car crash can be quite hazardous to your health. New research by the University of Southern California and the International Cinematographer Guild has shed new light on the dangers posed by cameras in "free driving" situations.
The iPhone 8 Plus' reign as the sole top tested camera at DxOMark didn't last long. The camera testing lab just published its review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, which now joins the iPhone 8 Plus with the same highest-ever overall score of 94. The Note 8 also has the highest-ever still photo score of 100, beating the 8 Plus' 96.
Do you think you can tell the difference between full frame and crop sensor photos of the same scene and subject? Photographer Manny Ortiz did a shootout that you can use to test your eyes.
Nikon's marketing says the $3,300 D850's autofocus components are the same as the $6,500 D5, but how do the two cameras stack up in real-world autofocusing? Photographer Matt Granger decided to put the systems to the test, doing a shootout to see how the two cameras' focus and tracking abilities compare.
Cinematographer Matteo Bertoli got his hands on an iPhone 8 Plus and took it out and about in Los Angeles to test its video capabilities. The 4K cinematic footage in the 2.5-minute video above was shot entirely on the smartphone.
The camera gear testing lab DxOMark has just published its review of the Canon 6D Mark II. The conclusion is that the DSLR's sensor is "very good," but it trails behind the latest and greatest sensors by both Canon itself and the rival brands Nikon and Sony.
DxOMark, the popular benchmarking website for sensors and lenses, has updated the way it will rank and score smartphone cameras. It's introducing bokeh and zoom as categories in its scoring methodology, with added importance on low-light and motion performance as well.
DSLRs generally have life expectancies based on how many "actuations" (i.e. openings and closings) their shutters can handle before they die and need to be replaced. To see what happens when a DSLR "dies" in this way, ContinueCrushingTech decided to torture test a Canon 7D Mark II with non-stop shooting until the shutter fails.
If you're a sports or wildlife photographer, you may be giving the Sony a9 a long and eager look. But so far, telephoto options are limited, and there's nothing available over 200mm from Sony (yet). In this video, photographer Dan Watson mounts the Canon 300mm and 400mm lenses to test the autofocus capabilities.
If you want to fly a drone for commercial purposes in the US, you first have to pass the FAA’s Part 107 sUAS test. This free 1 hour 45 minute guide from Tony Northrup is a hugely useful resource for your studies.
Amid recent reports that the new Sony a9 would overheat easily in fairly normal shooting conditions, Imaging Resource decided to put the mirrorless camera through an overheating test to see whether it has a problem.
As the saying goes, "There's no such thing as a free lunch." And it looks like this applies to camera tech as much as anything else. According to a new report, the Sony a9 had to sacrifice some dynamic range to reach the crazy 20fps speeds everyone is so excited about.
What do the OnePlus 3T, iPhone 7+, Google Pixel XL, Samsung Galaxy S8, and LG G6 have in common? They're 5 of the best smartphones for photography. And in this blind camera comparison, you get to pick your favorite without any unconscious (or conscious) bias clouding your judgement.