Reviews

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.

The Nikkor 35mm f/1.2 changed my mind about the 35mm focal length. You may already know that I am quite vocal about my disdain for this particularly popular prime but the unique look that an f/1.2 aperture can provide finally won me over.

I've been a fan of Espresso Displays for several years now and used the 17 Pro regularly while traveling for a majority of last year. In January, the company announced a new brighter, lighter, and smaller 15 Pro model and for my needs, it's even better.

I just spent the weekend exploring Iceland, Australia, Italy, and Japan, all without leaving home, thanks to Lushfoil Photography Sim, a simulation video game made for photographers by a photographer, Matt Newell.

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.

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.

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.

The original Nikon Z5 is four years old now and probably still represents the best bang for the buck in the affordable full-frame game. With ample controls, excellent 24-megapixel image quality, and even dual card slots, the Z5 had no right to be as affordable as it was.

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.

It was on The PetaPixel Podcast a few months ago that Becca Farsace was talking about her impressive collection of old Kodak digital cameras. That reminded me of a now ubiquitous camera innovation first seen in a Kodak point and shoot from a long time ago and that started my quest to shoot with one again.

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.

Fujifilm's GFX medium format camera line features versatile and relatively affordable cameras in an industry normally dominated by prestigious names like Phase One or Hasselblad. However, Fujifilm also makes the insanely popular X100 series of cameras which make for a perfect compact companion to the traveling urban photographer. So what would happen if you combined the over-your-shoulder convenience of the X100 with the raw image quality of the GFX? The answer is the GFX100RF.

In the DSLR days, Sigma was well known for making affordable super-zoom lenses that traded convenience for some image quality. However, recently, Sigma has transformed itself into a preeminent optics manufacturer, building high-grade lenses that many professionals prefer over OEM glass options. Now Sigma is back at it, and it's a welcome return.

Apple calls its new M3 Ultra-equipped Mac Studio its most powerful computer ever. It's a big claim and comes with a price tag to match. Apple's ambitions create two questions, and we will answer them both: Is the Mac Studio with M3 Ultra truly Apple's most performant computer, and if it is, is it worth it?

One of the most fundamental lessons taught in any art form is to strip away the excess; to streamline and distill down to its essence, only the most essential parts. We see this in many art forms such as sculpture, writing, and even photography, and now we have it in a camera. But is it possible to go too far?

Viltrox is steadily expanding its line of lenses and I’ve committed to making 2025 the year that I review more of them. Viltrox lenses have earned a glowing reputation and I very much enjoyed the 135mm f/1.8. But the latest 25mm f/1.7 comes in at an incredibly low price of $179. Can a lens this affordable make a favorable impression or is it too good to be true?

I distinctly remember when the Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 lens first entered the market. It was a lens designed to project a larger circle of light onto the sensor and therefore it was huge. As bulky as it was, this oversized design enhanced the overall sharpness of the lens, especially toward the corners, and quickly cemented itself a legendary status. However, the Zeiss Otus lenses were designed for DSLR cameras and it has been six years since the 100mm Otus was released. A lot can happen in six years and the other manufacturers have had plenty of time to catch up in terms of optical performance.

Alberta, Canada, has been pounded by polar vortex after polar vortex, pushing daytime temperatures down to -25 Celsius before any wind chill factors in. As Alberta-born Canadians, Jordan and I can brave the frigid temperatures for the sake of the show, but with our lavalier microphones refusing to hold a charge and our camera EVFs running at eight frames per second, we pressed on to review a fascinating little lens on what we knew would be a taxing day.

The Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS addresses many of the shortcomings of the popular Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS, delivering an excellent telephoto zoom lens for wildlife photographers.

I wasn't looking forward to a trip halfway around the world even though I've always wanted to see northern Norway. My main concern was the two full days of flight time to partake in the two-day-long launch event, but the rumors pointed to a long-awaited S1R replacement so it was worth the toil. The weather turned out to be very wet and very cold, but the camera may have made it all worthwhile.

In 2024, the Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports was highly regarded in the PetaPixel’s ranking of Sigma's 2024 optics. As one of Sigma’s high-end Sports lenses, it offers many pros and few cons. One of the most common requests we've seen has asked us to test its performance on one of the most challenging subjects: birds in flight.

PetaPixel's Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake aren't the norm: one of them presents while the other one operates the camera. Modern content creators typically work alone, and that includes me. That means the same number of tasks that are enough of a burden for two full-time jobs is somehow supposed to be crammed into one person.