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.
A camera with a Laowa lens is in focus in the foreground, with a smiling man sitting in the blurred background. The PetaPixel Reviews logo appears at the bottom left. The scene is outdoors with green trees and grass.

Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro Review: Is It a Landscape or Macro Lens? Yes.

Venus Optics' Laowa brand is known for its weird and wonderful lens designs. Sometimes, they are exquisite, unique designs that bring versatility to the photographer's bag. Other times, the lenses are budget alternatives that trade some optical performance in the name of "character." The latest version of the Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Macro is definitely in the latter category, but that doesn’t mean that it lacks value. At $399, this is a solid, budget-friendly optic.

A Sony Alpha full-frame mirrorless camera is displayed on a grid-patterned surface with a dark background. The PetaPixel Reviews logo is overlaid in the bottom left corner.

Sony FX2 Review: Slow and Steady Might Win This Race

It’s been more than four years since the launch of Sony’s very popular FX3 compact cinema camera, so I was expecting an update to that model to come any time. Imagine my surprise when Sony instead launched a high-resolution cinema camera with a strong emphasis on photographic functionality and a brand-new design.

A box of Kentmere Pan 200 black & white film with green, blue, and yellow packaging. The box is angled, showing the film name and logo. "Petapixel Reviews" is overlaid in the bottom right corner.

Kentmere Pan 200 Review: Your New Daily Driver Film

Being a film photographer is an expensive hobby. Sure, it's easy to get started with the relatively low cost of hardware but film and developing costs (even if you're doing it yourself) add up fast. That's why Kentmere Pan 200 is so welcome: it's good, it's readily available, and it's cheap at $8 per roll.

A black OWC Envoy Ultra external drive rests on a detailed, red and white illustrated desk mat. The bottom left corner displays "PetaPixel Reviews" in white and blue text boxes.

OWC Envoy Ultra SSD Review: Faster, Cheaper, and Just Plain Better

SSDs continue to get faster, but the bottleneck for performance usually comes down to connectivity. It doesn't matter how fast your drive can write if the cable can't push data through to match. With Thunderbolt 5, though, that throughput has been jacked up, and OWC's new Envoy Ultra SSD shows that for those who need pure speed, there is an option.

A smiling man with a beard holds a large Lumix camera towards the viewer, standing in front of a pink and black painted wall. The image features the PetaPixel Reviews logo in the lower right corner.

Panasonic Lumix S1 II Review: Pricey, Powerful, and Video-Centric

You might think that the world has enough 24-megapixel full-frame cameras by now, but you would be wrong. With image quality having reached a performance plateau, the only way to improve is by going faster. Last year, Nikon released its Z6 III, debuting a new partially stacked sensor. We wondered when another camera might come out that utilizes this same excellent technology, and now that wait is over.

A man stands in front of a red wall, holding a controller, while a camera drone hovers in the foreground. The image features a "PetaPixel Reviews" logo in the top right corner.

DJI Mavic 4 Pro Review: The Best Drone for Most Pros Stays on Top

The DJI Mavic is the all-around choice for midrange professional use, and now we get to witness the fourth version in all its splendor. Much like the 3 Pro that comes before it, the Mavic 4 Pro features a three-camera array on a sophisticated gimbal using Hasselblad color science to provide stunning photos and videos.

A man in a blue shirt takes a photo with a large telephoto camera lens near water. The image features the Petapixel Reviews logo in the bottom right corner.

Sigma 300-600mm f/4 DG OS Sports Review: Way More for Way Less

Professional telephoto lenses made specifically for wildlife and sports tend to be the most expensive money can buy. They push the envelope of lens technology, not to mention size and weight. What if I told you that Sigma made a lens that delivers the same f/4 aperture combined with a more versatile zoom range but is also only $6,000, substantially less money than the competition? It sounds too good to be true.

A split image: left side shows a black telescope on a tripod in front of green foliage; right side displays a detailed close-up photo of the Moon with cratered surface, labeled with coordinates and date.

Unistellar Odyssey Pro Smart Telescope Review: Fast, Fun, Easy, and Expensive

The Odyssey Pro Smart Telescope is among Unistellar's smallest and lightest reflector-based systems. It makes viewing and capturing the night sky as simple as clicking a few buttons on your smartphone or tablet. It is small, light, easy to travel with, and it has an actual viewfinder (powered by Nikon optics) allowing users to start viewing the night sky in less than five minutes.

A man in a green shirt holds a white Yashica camera and camera strap outdoors, examining the strap closely. The background is a stone wall. "PetaPixel Reviews" is overlaid at the bottom left.

Yashica City 100 Review: Camera or Scamera?

Compact point-and-shoot cameras are more popular than ever. I thought they would be gone forever, replaced and surpassed by the modern smartphone but boy, was I wrong. The compact digital camera is experiencing a renaissance and Yashica has jumped into the fray with its City series of cameras to capitalize on the hype.

A hand holds a compact Canon camera in front of a plain background. The bottom right corner features the "PetaPixel Reviews" logo.

Canon PowerShot V1 Review: Sony Better Watch Out

The PowerShot name belonged to some of the best Canon compact digital cameras ever made but it has faded into obscurity of late. However, in the spirit of excellent cameras such as the Canon PowerShot G1X, we now see a return to the storied lineup. The $900 Canon PowerShot V1 has arrived and this latest vlogging camera has everything charming and powerful about its predecessors.

A large white Sony G Master telephoto camera lens mounted on a tripod, attached to a camera body, with a blue background and "PetaPixel Reviews" text overlay.

Sony 50-150mm f/2 GM Review: Magnificence at a Hefty Price

The Sony FE 50-150mm f/2 G Master lens is the first of its kind, not only for Sony but any lens manufacturer. It's exciting for photographers whenever a company breaks new ground with a lens. In the case of the 50-150mm f/2, the excitement is taken up a notch (or two) because the lens is phenomenal.

Canon EOS R50 V Review: Canon’s Competitive Creator Cam

Years after the success of the first Sony ZV cameras, manufacturers keep introducing "vlogging cameras" to the market despite the release of the near-perfect vlogging platform, the DJI Pocket 3. However, I do feel that there is some need for more of a “Creator Camera” that can be used for web calls, podcasts, and product videos.

A camera lens and a box labeled "OM System Curry" are placed on a windowsill. The background shows a blurred cityscape, while the foreground features a "PetaPixel Reviews" banner.

OM System Outdoor Monster Curry Review: Bringing the Delicious Heat

In the camera review game, the continuous grind of lens and camera reviews can get a little monotonous sometimes. But every once in a while, a product comes along that is so innovative and so outside the box that you can’t help but stand in awe. Outdoor Monster represents a moment exactly like this and I had the privilege to test it out for myself.

A triptych image with a skateboarder mid-jump in front of a building, people walking by a canal under a bridge with birds flying, and a historic tall building. The entire image has a red-orange filter with an inset of the "HARIMAN RED ISO 50" film branding.

Harman Red 125 Film Review: Paint the Town Red

It appears that Harman Technology's foray into 35mm color film series has been a success, following the release of Phoenix 200 in late 2023 -- which is still widely available despite being described as limited edition upon release --- Harman followed up with another color negative film, Red 125.

Various black tripod ball heads with adjustment knobs and level indicators are arranged on a textured red surface. They vary in size and design, showcasing different features and mechanisms.

Unlocking the Power of Tripod Ball Heads with Balanced Mode

Since I started using ball heads in balanced mode, I’ve been a very happy camper. In this article, I'll be sharing a review of multiple ball heads as well as a tutorial about using ball heads in the balanced mode.

Hand holding a compact silver device with the brand name "GEEKOM" on top. The background is a wooden surface, and the "PetaPixel Reviews" logo is visible at the bottom right.

Geekom A6 Review: Sub-$500 Mac mini Competitor Is Surprisingly Good

Over the last few weeks, I've been testing the Geekom A6 mini PC as my main working computer for editing/retouching photos as well as streaming and even gaming, (it's the first "real" PC I've used in more than 15 years so I just had to). While this tiny device is not the fastest or most powerful computer out there, it offers a surprising level of performance at a very easy-to-swallow $449 price.

A person holding a green film camera up to their eye, smiling, with a bridge and water in the background. The image includes text reading "PetaPixel Reviews" at the bottom left corner.

Camp Snap Camera Review: Light-Hearted and Nostalgia Packed

Every summer as a child, I attended a day camp during the school break because my single-parent mother had to work to make ends meet. Of course, I wanted to stay home and play video games but I soon began to love learning archery, making new friends, and exploring the wilderness without TV or computer screens to distract me. Many wonderful memories were made and I look back on these times fondly. It is this nostalgia for a simpler and more adventurous time that Camp Snap Photo is trying to market with its popular little 103B Camp Snap camera.

Close-up of a curious sea lion underwater, looking directly at the camera. Its whiskers and large eyes are prominent against the green water background. The playful expression suggests the sea lion is interacting with the photographer.

Canon EOS R5 Mark II Review for Underwater Photography

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II is 2024's top underwater camera for underwater photography. It represents a significant upgrade over the original Canon EOS R5 which has reigned as the world's most popular underwater camera for the last four years.

Close-up of a smartphone's rear camera with a prominent circular camera unit featuring a Zeiss lens. A ring light around the camera glows orange. The text "PetaPixel Reviews" is displayed in the bottom right corner on a gray background.

Vivo V50 Review: Marvelous Mid-Range Photo Prowess

There’s something unassuming about the Vivo V50 when first looking at it, yet its camera performance should be a wake-up call to others. The company still sees this phone as unique for its Aura Light in portrait photos but the more significant improvements come from everywhere else.