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.

Performance Test: Lightroom Classic is Way Faster on Apple Silicon

This morning, Adobe unveiled the long-awaited version of Lightroom Classic that is fully optimized for Apple Silicon devices, and we had a chance to test it out before release. Our hopes were high for a program so famously sluggish. Could Apple’s M1 processor deliver a hefty performance boost for photographers? In short: yes. The latest version of Lightroom Classic was up to 25 percent faster on the M1 than on our more expensive Intel-based Mac.

Petzval 80.5mm f/1.9 MKII Review: A Stunning Vintage-Style Lens

Just over a year ago, Lomography launched the 180th Anniversary Edition of the Petzval 80.5mm f/1.9 MKII Bokeh Control Art Lens which promised a bevy of improvements over its 85mm predecessor. It looked as though it would put a historic lens back in the hands in creatives at an affordable $549 price. So does it?

Leica 24-70mm f/2.8 Review: Perhaps Not Just a Rehoused Sigma

Leica recently introduced its $2,795 Vario-Elmarti-SL 24-70mm f/2.8 ASPH lens, the latest zoom lens for L-Mount systems. It's not what most would call "cheap," but it certainly is inexpensive compared to the rest of Leica's lineup. But does that mean a dip in performance?

Turn Your iPad Into a Drawing Tablet: Sidecar vs Astropad vs Duet vs Luna

If you own an iPad and an Apple Pencil, there are several ways to pair them with your computer and transform them into a high-quality drawing tablet for photo editing. There's Apple's own Sidecar feature, the popular app Astropad, the hardware-assisted option Luna Display, and the "made by ex-Apple engineers" Duet Pro. I wanted to see which of these options offers the most features and the best experience for the photographer on the go.

Using the Hasselblad 907X and CFV II 50C with Legacy Gear

I shot the photo above during a visit to Zermatt in October 2020. It was my fifth time there, and the second time the weather had been clear enough to allow me to see the famous mountain. The first time I saw this scene, in May 2019, I knew immediately it was a photo. I mean, I knew immediately it was an interesting photo.

How Much Better is Capture One on Apple M1?

Since Apple launched the M1, software developers have been racing to release new versions of applications to take advantage of its new architecture, with the most recent update coming from the Capture One Pro team. But just how much of an improvement should be expected from native support?

Primoplan 75mm f/1.9 II Review: A Lens with Background-Melting Bokeh

Founded in Germany and based in Görlitz, Saxony, Meyer Optik Görlitz can look back on an eventful history since 1896. During this path, the company designed and manufactured exceptional lenses that have been accompanied by photographers for over 125 years.

Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO Review: So. Much. Bokeh.

Venus Optics' Laowa lenses have been growing in both notoriety and popularity over the last few years thanks to their nearly constant stream of new and interesting optics for a wide variety of mounts. The company's latest is backed by the high-quality promise of its new Argus line: the Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO for APS-C systems.

Sigma fp L Camera Review: Does Size Really Matter?

Making cameras is a tough gig. Every release demands to stand out from the crowd in some way. For the Sigma fp L, it’s turning heads by the remarkably compact size and resolution-dense full-frame sensor. Is it enough?

Xencelabs Pen Tablet Review: Already Better than Wacom

What do you get when you take a bunch of former Wacom employees, start a new company, and give them carte blanche to develop a brand new pen tablet? What you get is Xencelabs, a new player in graphics that is bringing some much-needed innovation to a stale market. This is no cheap knock-off we're talking about, Xencelabs' new Pen Tablet Medium just put Wacom on notice.

The Canon EOS R5 Produces Better Color than Medium Format Cameras

I was recently comparing the Canon EOS R5 (with the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2) to the Hasselblad X1D II (with the Hasselblad 80mm f/1.9). Initially we were aiming to focus primarily on the lenses, but during the comparison, we noticed that Canon was producing fantastic images, and this was predominantly due to the colors.

My Time with the Fujifilm X-E4

I'm not the first on the block to write about the Fujifilm X-E4, but I finally got around to doing it and I’m glad that I did.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra Review: Really Big Phone, Really Big Camera

You don’t have to be a mobile industry genius to understand which phone Xiaomi is targeting with the Mi 11 Ultra, as it’s right there in the name: Xiaomi’s squarely aiming at the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra with this highly capable camera, the top-spec phone in its Mi 11 device range.

Nikon Z7 II Review: Not Just An Upgrade, But A Remarkable Camera

The original Nikon Z6 and Z7 were personal favorites of mine, but there were a few things "missing" from that mirrorless system that I was hoping would be addressed in the next generation. Thankfully I was not disappointed with the launch of the Z7 II as Nikon pretty much addressed every issue I had with the first generation.

A High ISO Shootout: Pentax K-3 III vs. Sony a7 III

You don’t see many new SLRs announced these days when it seems that most camera enthusiasts talk about mirrorless as the future of photography, but to the surprise of those online voices that proclaim the optical viewfinder dead, Ricoh Imaging has released just that in the Pentax K-3 Mark III.

MSI PS321QR Review: A Gaming Monitor for Photographers

As display technology has improved in leaps and bounds over the past few years, the market has forked into two distinct camps: gamers who prioritize speed, and creators who prioritize color. The 32-inch 2K MSI Creator PS321QR tries to strike the perfect balance between these two needs, offering a compelling combination of refresh rate, response time, and color accuracy for just $700.

In the Field with the Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM Lens

After the release of the Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master lens, I thought that that was it: Sony finally released my dream lens. But on a call with Sony a few weeks ago I was told that "something was coming, and it had my name on it."

Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Review: The Practical Choice

The Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN is a compacted take on the popular "desert island" 24-70mm f/2.8 lens that makes a slight concession in focal range at the wide end in order to make itself smaller, lighter, and cheaper: just $900.

A Long-Term Review of the iPhone 12 Camera

I use my phone like most people. I scroll through my social media feeds, order from overpriced delivery apps, and even make the occasional phone call. But in 2021, there’s one feature alone that decides how much I’ll spend on a phone: the camera.

Sigma I-Series Lenses vs Sony G Compact Primes: No Losers Here

After my testing of the new Sony compact primes, I was able to spend some time with the competing set of primes from Sigma that were arguably the reason Sony created its lenses in the first place. Both sets are fun, compact, and extremely portable optics... but which should you buy?