Equipment

Photographers use all kinds of equipment to craft their art, from cameras and lenses to lights and accessories. We cover the latest news and information on the tools of the trade in the photography industry.

The Usability Issues of the Canon EOS R

After buying the new EOS R, Canon's first full-frame mirrorless, photographer Michael Andrew of Michael the Maven was disappointed by the camera usability. Here's an 11-minute video in which Michael points out the things in the EOS R that drove him crazy.

Hands On with the Small but Mighty Profoto B10

I got my hands on a pair of the new Profoto B10 for some hands-on shoot testing from Profoto. If you just want to see the photos, scroll to the end of the article. If you want to get a little background on the ideas and the tech, read on.

The DSLR Will Likely Die: Are Mirrorless the Future of Big Standalone Cameras?

People often ask me, given the improvement and ubiquity of cell phones, whether DSLRs survive. This actually entails two slightly different questions: will standalone large-ish cameras survive, and will the particular reflex design (the R in DSLR) survive? I am cautiously optimistic about the former and very pessimistic about the latter. In this piece, I will discuss DSLR vs. mirrorless.

Are DSLRs Still the Best Choice?

I'm going to do one of my end-of-year assessments a little earlier this year. Many of you will be struggling with buying decisions this holiday season because of all the higher-end mirrorless cameras that appeared in and around Photokina. I've now had the chance to use virtually every new camera—some for less time than others, obviously—and I am ready to deliver a quick assessment of The State of the ILC.

Sony a7 III vs Canon EOS R vs Nikon Z7 vs Fuji X-T3 : A Low-Light Shootout

Photographer and filmmaker Max Yuryev just did a shootout to see how top mirrorless cameras compare in shooting 4K footage in low light with high ISO. In the 10-minute video above, Yuryev compares the Sony a7 III, Canon EOS R, and Nikon Z7 full-frame mirrorless cameras as well as the APS-C Fuji X-T3 and the 4/3 Blackmagic Pocket 4K.

To All New Landscape Photographers: Invest in a Good Tripod!

I guide photography workshops around the world and what I often see with my students is that they bring a great camera and a great set of lenses in combination with a very low-quality tripod. I can’t stress enough how important a good tripod is. If you want to level up your landscape photography, you need a good tripod. Please don’t go cheap on this. I’d argue it’s even more important than your camera!

Fujifilm X-T3 Teardown: A Look Inside Fuji’s Latest APS-C Masterpiece

You might have thought the Fujifilm X-T series was finished with the release of the X-H1, that Fujifilm was digging into the competition and leaving their love of style behind as was evident with that monstrosity. (We mean that lovingly.) But, the X-T3 is here, and it’s as beautiful as ever.

How to Build a DIY Long-Term Weatherproof Timelapse Rig

In the fall of 2017, I had the opportunity to capture the transformation of an empty plot of land turning into a high-tech vehicle test track. The bulk of the construction would take place for about a year. My friend and colleague, Ryan, and I were tasked with capturing that transformation into a timelapse video.

I’ve Never Flown a Drone. Here’s My Review of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro

Since the 2010 launch of the Parrot AR.Drone, consumer interest in drones has skyrocketed. DJI’s ubiquitous Phantom, originally released in 2013, has spawned multiple iterations and the company has further developed product lines like the Spark and Mavic to fill various niches and price points.

Canon vs Sony: Skin Tones in Portraits and How to Correct Them

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.

Canon 5D Mark I vs 5D Mark IV: A Low-Light Comparison

The original Canon EOS 5D DSLR was announced in August 2005, and the latest Canon EOS 5D Mark IV was announced 11 years later in August 2016. Through the four generations, maximum ISO has increased from 3200 to 32000. But how do the two cameras compare in low-light performance? In this 10.5-minute video, photographer Pablo Strong conducted a shootout to find out.

I Built an Instax Drone for Aerial Instant Photos

Over the last 5 years, drones have consumed every part of my life. From using aerial systems to carry cameras as a service provider with Drone Dudes, to selling drones with Dronefly, or designing and making drones in China with Yuneec, I’ve been involved in all aspects of the drone industry.

Review: Think Tank Photo’s Lens Case Duo Offers Versatile Lens Protection

I’ll be honest, I’ve never been one to use a lens case. Even when lens manufacturers have included them with their lenses, they usually find their way back into the box or into one of my many “drawers of no return,” never to be seen again. So when I saw the Think Tank Photo Lens Case Duo, my initial instinct was to yawn and move on, but something grabbed my attention. That something was the “duo” aspect of the case.

Canon EOS R Teardown: A Look Inside Canon’s First Full-Frame Mirrorless

The Canon EOS R is cause for controversy. After all, we’re in the middle of The Great Mirrorless Camera War. Tensions are bound to rise, turning sibling against sibling, camera tech against camera tech, and photographer against photographer. Despite this, I will do my best to describe the form factor and internal construction of the EOS R in a fair and unbiased manner.

Apple Admits iPhone ‘Beautygate’ is a Camera Bug

There has been much talk and debate in recent weeks about the iPhone XS and XR's "beauty filter," a default skin smoothing in selfies that sparked a controversy dubbed "beautygate." While many have explained the effect as the result of noise reduction, Apple has just admitted that it's indeed a camera bug.

A Review and Teardown of the ‘S**t’ Yashica Y35 Camera

The Yashica Y35 camera was hugely hyped as a revival of an iconic Japanese camera brand and raised over $1 million on Kickstarter, but as backers have started receiving their cameras, reviews have been overwhelmingly horrible. The Vancouver, Canada-based Point&ShootClub published this 15-minute video review of the camera (Beware: it's angry and has strong language).

A Teardown of the Canon EOS R

Want to see the internals of Canon's first full-frame mirrorless camera? Roger Cicala over at LensRentals disassembled the new Canon EOS R to look at the design and engineering going on inside.

Why Kodak Died and Fujifilm Thrived: A Tale of Two Film Companies

The Kodak moment is gone, but today Fujifilm thrives after a massive reorganization. Here is a detailed analysis based on firsthand accounts from top executives and factual financial data to understand how and why the destinies of two similar companies went in opposite directions.

Yashica’s ‘Unexpected’ Y35 Camera is Worse Than Anyone Expected

The Japanese brand Yashica stirred up a great deal of excitement in the photo world in 2017 by teasing its return to the camera industry. In October 2017, it unveiled the Yashica Y35 digiFilm camera and raised over $1 million on Kickstarter. Backers are now receiving their cameras, and the initial reaction has been overwhelmingly negative.

openSX70: Teaching the Old Polaroid SX-70 New Tricks

Polaroid began to market the SX-70 camera in Florida in late 1972, about 46 years ago. The camera was a technology and design icon from day one, the brainchild of Dr. Edwin Land.

KiiPix is a $40 Analog Instax Printer for Smartphone Photos

Holga's recently-announced Holga Printer will let you turn smartphone photos into Instax prints without needing a battery, but that printer will cost at least $48 and won't arrive until after March 2019. KiiPix is a $40 analog printer that's essentially the same, and it's already available.

This Cluster Light is Made of 7 Godox AD200 Flashes

Like most photographers who have been working for many years, I have my favorite, go-to lights. These include the Broncolor Para 88, 133, and 222; the Broncolor 'pre-2006 style' Flooters; the Elinchrom Zoom Spots; and Elinchrom Litemotiv Indirect.