I consider myself an ardent supporter of Ricoh/Pentax products and have always endeavored to review its cameras and lenses when many others have chosen not to. I also think that the Pentax brand has really found its niche as more of a boutique manufacturer, focusing on the classic SLR design -- a move that I think makes a ton of sense in today's waning market.
This week, Sony announced the a9 III featuring the world's first full-frame 24-megapixel sensor to feature a global shutter in a interchangeable lens mirrorless camera. There have only been a few times in my reviewing career where I would, in all seriousness, call something an actual game-changer. This is certainly one of those moments.
The world of mirrorless camera lenses is strangely devoid of professional 300mm lenses. That is, until now. Sony has released a brand new full-frame 300mm f/2.8 G Master lens and I had a chance to test it out.
It might feel like Apple has been producing its own silicon for a long time now, but it's really only been a few short years. It's been less than two years since we got the M1 Ultra and with the new M3 Max, we've already surpassed its power in a portable form factor.
With the recent release of the Panasonic G9 II, we've been hearing a lot of you ask how it compares to the OM-1. We are happy to report that we have that answer.
Elinchrom has aggressively expanded its offering of strobes for creatives in recent years. The 261 watt-second (Ws) $1,000 Elinchrom Three seems to be placed in position to be the "Just Right" adventure light Elinchrom is advertising.
I must admit, reviewing the new Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses is something I never thought I would be doing. I was excited to give them a try though, and hey, they do have a camera in them after all.
The original Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD has quite a wordy title to say. Luckily, it's worth the hassle because it is one of my favorite lenses in recent memory. Sharp, compact, and affordable, the Tamron 70-180 f/2.8 was an immediate hit. However, debuting on Sony E-mount, we now have a brand new version, and it promises to shake things up again.
Xiaomi launched the 13T Pro and 13T as a way to bring its Leica mobile photography partnership to mid-range and affordable phones. The results are strong evidence that brands can produce cost-effective cameras for those on tighter budgets.
Lately, it seems like everyone wants to save money on film while still having fun shooting it. So, on the heels of the wildly successful 72-photos-per-roll, Kodak Ektar H35, Hong Kong camera maker, RETO, just released an upgraded version of their smash hit half frame point-and-shoot, the H35N.
The Leica M11 series now consists of three cameras. We have the original M11 which I very much enjoyed using on the streets of New York. Then, the M11 Monochrom was released and became an instant classic. I loved taking black-and-white images with it all over Montana. Now we have the release of the M11-P which apart from some minor cosmetic changes is largely the same as the original M11. So, why then should we get excited about such a similar camera?
The OnePlus Open is not only a new entry into a slowly growing category of smartphones, it’s also taking a shot at other brands in the process, of which the camera plays a central role.
The M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO debuted in early 2021 and has been nearly impossible to acquire ever since. Huge demand and lengthy back-orders have finally given way years later and we now have a chance to finally review this exciting telephoto.
The Google Pixel smartphones enjoy a well-earned reputation as photographic tools. With the release of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, Google took the photo game one step further by substantially increasing the amount of light the Pixel cameras can collect. As a photographer, this excites me.
You have definitely seen the Shure SM7 series before because it's basically the gold standard of podcast microphones and can be found in studios around the world. Now, thanks to a built-in preamp, the SM7dB lets anyone get that silky smooth sound every time -- no fuss, no hassle.
Only months after launching the V27 Pro and V27, Vivo comes back with the V29 as yet another option, giving its V-Series a fair bit of attention. Releasing successive models within the same calendar year is unusual for any brand, but Vivo seems to think pumping them out in shorter cycles is serving a market that wants them.
There's no denying that in the last few years, we've seen a veritable explosion of pen and display tablets from competing companies. At this stage in the competitive game, the hardest part for creatives has been figuring out what makes one tablet better or different than another at each budget level.
The first thing you notice about the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary is just how compact and adorable it is. In fact, Sigma claims that it is the smallest and lightest ultra-wide APS-C zoom lens on the market. Having used it myself, I wouldn’t disagree with that statement.
Lomography's latest art lens has been announced on Kickstarter. The Nour Triplet 64mm f/2 follows the company's trend of releasing incredibly distinct lenses that providing users something perfectly imperfect to chase their creative visions.
Samsung has announced the Samsung Portable SSD T9, the successor to the T7. The Samsung T9 offers compelling performance improvements over its predecessor and sports an attractive new design.
Without skipping a beat, DJI has released its newest Osmo Action camera. This year’s big advancement is its larger-sized sensor which is 25% bigger than last year’s model. Is it enough reason to go with the new Osmo Action 4? I think yes.
Sigma’s 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport lens arrived during a flurry of product releases and bitterly cold weather earlier this year. It's been a minute, but I've now had a chance to test it in full.
Nikon does not give many of its lenses a moniker; the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 "Noct" was the only Z-mount lens to have an official title. That is until now: introducing the new Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S "Plena".
The new CFexpress 4.0 specification promises significantly faster transfer speeds than the cards currently on the market and while no camera can take advantage of it right now, your computer can, which makes a strong case for consolidating your storage hardware into a single media.
Wacom recently expanded its lineup of entry-level pen tablets, adding the $600 Wacom One 13 Touch Tablet, the first pen display in its category to feature 10-finger multi-touch gestures.
Most "serious" astrophotographers will balk at the idea of a smart telescope. While it may miss some of the professional level tools, resolution, and precision, the $2,499 eQuinox 2 from Unistellar does provide easy access to the cosmos for up to 10 viewers at a time, making it a great (albeit expensive) tool for beginners and casual stargazers to enjoy viewing interstellar objects in minutes.
The Nikon Zfc is one of the most beautiful modern mirrorless cameras, and I would argue, the classiest. You're all welcome because for years I hounded Nikon to recreate the famous Nikon FM/FE look in a digital format, and with the Zfc it finally happened. I'm taking all the credit.
Apple's iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max bring a lot to the table across the board, from a gaming-ready chip, to USB-C, and -- of course -- photography. It is that last point where we are putting the emphasis, and this review is specifically for those of you who care about the iPhone as a camera.
Having a solid keyboard is crucial for any desk setup, whether that’s in an office or at the dining room table. But not all keyboards are built equally, and not every model is best suited for each task. These are the best keyboard options across use cases.
The original Panasonic G9 was quite a revolutionary camera. Built around a modern and intimidatingly professional-looking body, the G9 featured blazing-fast burst rates, an exceptionally good EVF, and motion-compensated multi-shot mode. However, it has been seven years since the G9 launch -- a long time to wait for a successor.
A while ago, after I reviewed an inexpensive shift lens, Pergear contacted me to review a lens available only in Sony and Nikon mounts. I told them I did not have cameras that would take the lens. Later, I learned that they reissued their 60mm f/2.8 macro lens, Mark II.
Foldable phones are probably going to be a viable part of future mobile devices, but for now, they’re not moving the needle forward in image quality. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is no different, except it makes a better case that the rear camera lenses are much better off when there’s a larger cover screen all around them.
It seems like every year a new GoPro action cam model is released. This creates a dynamic where changes are often incremental and many users hold off on purchasing the latest and greatest. However, every once in a while, GoPro makes a worthwhile change that demands attention. Is 2023 one of those years?
Frames Magazine is a quarterly, 112-page print publication on fine art photography. The team has spent the past year developing an accompanying app, Frames Photography App, that aims to be the complete app for photographers.
We've seen the 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary before because it's the current full-frame super-telephoto option from Sigma for mirrorless cameras. What we haven't seen before is a full-frame Sigma that has been specifically adapted for the APS-C-sized Fujifilm lens mount -- until now.
The wetlands of Brazil’s Pantanal region aren’t as well known as the Amazon, but it’s still home to an incredibly diverse ecosystem. With dozens of species of mammals and rodents and hundreds of species of birds, it is a wildlife photographer’s dream. Jaguars roam the shoes of the river while capybara and caiman flee from the hunting cats. Birds are everywhere you look, and their calls are pervasive throughout the day.
The original Sony a7C was very much an entry-level camera. I really liked the minimalistic styling; a strong departure from the boxy DSLR look of the other Alpha cameras, and it was easy to navigate, but suffered from what many entry-level cameras suffer from: a lack of manual control dials, and a bargain basement viewfinder. But now we've got an upgrade. Or rather, upgrades.
The classic professional photographer's kit has for decades consisted of the holy trinity of f/2.8 zoom lenses: a 16-35mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm. Armed with these, a photographer can cover almost any shooting situation. When Sony first started its full-frame mirrorless camera line, it quickly made these professional zoom lenses under the G Master moniker. Unfortunately, these lenses were not able to deliver the high-grade results that many of the other brands could.
If you’re looking for dramatic shifts in image quality from Samsung, its foldable phones aren’t going to give it to you. Instead, you get a combination of incremental changes and far more flexibility in deployment than you otherwise might with a standard smartphone.
In the last decade, 4K video recording has gone from a format only used in high-end productions to a feature found on even the most entry-level cameras and smartphones. It was inevitable that there would be another resolution bump as sensors and computing power improved, and now we have a number of compelling full-frame mirrorless cameras that can record 8K video internally (right to the memory card). We decided to compare the most compelling 8K-capable, full-frame mirrorless cameras to see …
Viltrox stepped up to the plate last year and delivered its first pro-level lens in the form of the AF 75mm f/1.2, which is a devastatingly good lens. It has followed that with the 27mm f/1.2 that has a tempting price of just $545.
Ahead of today's announcement, I tried the Laowa 24mm T8 2x Pro2be lens alongside a Panasonic S1R full-frame camera. The unusual macro lens is challenging but rewarding to use.
A while ago, I reviewed a couple of attachments by Apexel for phone cameras. They asked me to review their night vision scope but I told them nobody would believe my review of a product like that! I inquired if I could write a review of a couple of LED light kits and they agreed.
Hobolite found a way to take the design from its first three LED lights and make one small enough to earn the "Micro" moniker. This light is cute in the way most small things tend to be, which is to say that it's diminutive, practical, and fits in the palm of your hand.
If there was ever a focal length that the manufacturers tend to put by the wayside, it's the trusty 28mm prime lens. You see, ultra-wide lenses are dynamic and 24mm lenses are admittedly more versatile. However, the 28mm range is probably my preferred focal length for walking the streets with only one prime lens.
A 12mm full-frame equivalent lens isn't my idea of a versatile do-everything piece of kit, but Fujifilm really needs something like this to supplement the very expensive -- and heavy -- XR 8-16mm f/2.8 zoom. That is a great lens, but it's beyond many people's needs and budgets. Enter the Fujifilm 8mm f/3.5 prime.
The 105mm macro lens has been a long-standing staple lens for most professional photographers, and I have never met a wedding photographer who didn't have one in their kit.
One thing Samsung’s new foldables tell us is that the company is reluctant to put its best cameras into any phone that folds or flips open. Should a device that carries such a premium cut a few corners on the camera side?
In my line of work, a lot of cameras corss my path. Like any good tools, they only do their best work when they match the specific tasks for which they were intended. It seems that lately, the majority of cameras I've looked at have been fairly pricey devices, so I was happy to get to review a new affordable entry onto the market. And of course, I don't have expectations that it will compete with higher-end products, but can the $479 EOS R100 even do what it was designed to?
The Creator Z17HX Studio is MSI’s attempt to give photographers and video editors the fit and finish of an Apple laptop, the color accuracy of a studio-grade computer display, and the performance that comes with the newest Intel and NVIDIA hardware. The good news is that MSI delivers surprisingly well on all of these promises; the bad news is that it had to make one huge compromise along the way.
