Reviews

Expert reviews of the latest digital cameras, lenses, lighting products, accessories, phones, photography-editing software, and more. PetaPixel tests state-of-the-art products in the photo industry and provides insights and recommendations for photographers to make informed purchasing decisions.

My First Digital Camera: A Review of the Sony S70 21 Years Later

For me, the year 2000 was when digital cameras really started to become useful. A wealth of cameras arrived sporting Sony’s latest 3 megapixel CCD sensor at a sub-$1,000 price, with enough resolution to make 7x5-inch prints and more than enough for online use.

A Review of the Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2.0 R LM WR Lens

I think lens decisions are even more of a personal choice than the camera system. In the 30 days I had to use the Fujinon XF 90mm f/2.0 R LM OIS, I learned a lot about the capabilities of this lens and was also reminded about my personal preferences in creating photos.

Shooting with the Canon EOS R3 for a Full Week

As a Canon Ambassador, I had the opportunity to work extensively with a pre-production version of the new Canon EOS R3. This article isn’t a test report, but rather, a report on my experiences with the camera, and an account of how it compares to my current EOS R5.

ASUS ProArt PA32UCG Review: Like a Pro Display XDR for PC Users

ASUS announced plans for the ProArt PA32UCG way back in September of 2019. Based on specs alone, this exciting monitor would improve on the already-impressive ProArt PA32UCX and take on the Apple Pro Display XDR by offering the same 1600 nits peak brightness out of a 4K panel, with a faster refresh rate and wider color gamut. Nearly two years later, the monitor is finally available, and we're here to see if it can live up to the sky-high expectations we've built up over the past two years.

Razer Blade 15 Advanced Review: Small Update, Huge Performance Gain

When Razer announced the "mid-2021" Blade 15 Advanced back in May, it seemed like a standard refresh. The company swapped out the 10th-Gen Intel CPUs in the "early-2021" model for 11th-Gen processors and added a new anti-fingerprint coating to the chassis. No big deal, right? Wrong -- that 11th-Gen processor has allowed Razer to upgrade just about everything under the hood of the latest Advanced model, leading to a huge performance uplift.

Dell U4021QW Review: The Premiere Ultra-Wide Monitor for Photo Editing

The Dell U4021QW is, quite literally, one of a kind. It's the world's first 40-inch curved ultra-wide WUHD 5K2K monitor -- a 21:9 aspect ratio monster that boasts a color-accurate 10-bit panel. In our testing, it has performed beautifully. But while it's definitely the premiere ultra-wide monitor for photo editing, it's not the best photo editing monitor overall.

Review: The Leofoto Poseidon LP-284C Tripod is Light and Sandproof

Leofoto's newest tripod, the Poseidon LP-284C, claims to be a lightweight carbon fiber travel tripod that's both waterproof and sandproof. If true, this would truly set it apart and make it an indispensable companion for photo missions in just about any condition and any location. I put it to the test over the course of two weeks in Iceland, where it faced rain, wind, sand, surf, ocean, and even a volcano. Read on to find out how it fared.

Review: Canon’s PowerShot G1 is Still a Joy to Shoot With After 21 Years

21 years ago Canon put everything it could think of into a compact camera aimed at enthusiasts who couldn’t stretch to a DSLR or simply wanted something more portable. The result was the PowerShot G1, launched towards the end of the year 2000, costing $1,100, and the first in an enormously popular series that’s still going strong to this day.

NEC PA311D Monitor Review: Extreme Color Accuracy for Professional Users

The Sharp/NEC MultiSync PA311D is NEC's flagship photo editing monitor, with more colors, more accurate colors, and more control over your colors than any other monitor we've tested to date. It's not a perfect display -- HDR editing is out of the question, and hardware calibration is impossible unless you pay extra for an NEC-branded colorimeter -- but everything about this monitor was designed with professionals in mind, and we absolutely love that.

Razer Blade 14 Review: Made for Gamers, Great for Creators

The Razer Blade 14 released just a few short weeks ago is aimed squarely at gamers. The headline on the Razer website is "the world's most powerful 14-inch gaming laptop." But don't be fooled by the glowing green logo and the RGB-backlit keyboard: with its AMD CPU, NVIDIA GPU, and color-accurate QHD display, the Blade 14 is an ideal choice for photo and video editors who are looking for a PC that's portable and powerful.

postpro wand ai

PostPro Wand AI-Powered Culling Plugin Review: A Digital Assistant

After a long day on location photographing a wedding, concert, or event, the last thing most shooters want to do when they get home is sit in front of the computer and spend the next few hours sorting the images to narrow down their selections. Wand by PostPro AI is designed to help creatives save time by doing that tedious process for them.

Why I Bought a Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246)

I used to view digital Leica cameras as a classic example of style over substance. Surely this is a perfect example of a company developing a luxury brand on the back of their, admittedly wonderful, history and heritage.

Review: set.a.light 3D Makes Learning and Seeing Light a Piece of Cake

Lighting is one of the most complex topics in photography. There are literally hundreds of light shaping tools and countless scenarios they apply to. No wonder many photographers are reluctant to learn lighting, despite it being one of the core skills any photographer should have.

LargeSense LS911 Hands-On: The First Digital Large Format Camera

The LargeSense LS911 is definitely a camera that is not for everyone. It is well-suited to individuals who want to thoroughly explore large format photography or who already have experience working with large format camera systems. Either way, the venture depends on having a large budget.

M1 iPad Pro Review: More Powerful, More Functional, Still Frustrating

The last few generations of iPad Pro were already powerful enough for serious photo editing, but the benefits of such a small and versatile device have never quite outweighed the cons of a tablet-based workflow. The 2021 iPad Pro -- with its M1 SOC, up to 16GB of RAM, Thunderbolt support, and mind-blowing miniLED display -- makes the best case yet for ditching your laptop. But even with all this power under the hood, it’s clear the iPad is still an accessory, not a laptop replacement.

Nik Collection 4 Review: There Are Diamonds in the Rough

DxO's new Nik Collection 4 comes with several new features and upgrades but still retains the familiar workflow and film simulations fans are looking for. The subtle changes make for an easy transition for long-time users and are bound to attract new interested photographers, too.