Reviews | PetaPixel https://petapixel.com/topic/reviews/ Photography and Camera News, Reviews, and Inspiration Wed, 22 May 2024 13:51:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 191656271 Panasonic Lumix S9 Initial Review: Small, Pretty, and Confusing https://petapixel.com/2024/05/22/panasonic-s9-initial-review-small-pretty-and-confusing/ Wed, 22 May 2024 14:01:12 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=743412 Two men are standing in front of a traditional Japanese building. One man holds a blue camera towards the viewer. The PetaPixel logo and the text "Hands-On" are displayed in the bottom left corner.

One of my favorite cameras of all time was the Panasonic GM5. With its interchangeable lenses and ultra-compact design, I could truly take it anywhere and still have full manual control. Compromises had to be made given such a small design, and the Micro Four Thirds format did limit potential image quality, but I had an EVF and a creative camera that was perfect for travel.

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Fujifilm XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 Review: A Lot To Live Up To https://petapixel.com/2024/05/21/fujifilm-xf-16-50mm-f-2-8-4-8-review-a-lot-to-live-up-to/ Tue, 21 May 2024 14:26:55 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=741677 A person with a beard and mustache enthusiastically gestures towards a DSLR camera set on a rock. The background features a forest scene. There is a "PetaPixel Reviews" logo in the bottom left corner of the image.

The Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS was truly a legendary kit lens. It broke the stereotype of bare-bones kit lenses that came packaged with slow apertures and pedestrian optics. I say was because it now must make way for a new lens to take center stage. The new Fujifilm XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 has very big shoes to fill indeed.

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Hobolite Iris Review: A Shining Example of Pocket-Sized Lighting https://petapixel.com/2024/05/17/hobolite-iris-review-a-shining-example-of-pocket-sized-lighting/ Fri, 17 May 2024 21:07:02 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=742997 A hand holds an Iris Hobalux camera. The camera features a round Noblige Lens System and a small screen on the side. The bottom of the camera has a brown panel with the Hobalux logo. The text "PetaPixel Reviews" is overlaid in the lower right corner.

The Hobolite Iris, the company's latest addition to its lineup of LED lighting equipment, is small enough to slide into a pocket yet versatile enough to deploy in a variety of ways. The main reason why is because it integrates into the broader Hobolite ecosystem, with particular compatibility with the existing Hobolite Micro light.

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I’m Shocked at How Good the Nano-Texture Glass is on the New iPad Pro https://petapixel.com/2024/05/17/im-shocked-at-how-good-the-nano-texture-glass-is-on-the-new-ipad-pro/ Fri, 17 May 2024 15:58:00 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=742835 A tablet with a keyboard is shown on a wooden surface. The screen displays a colorful aurora image. A light pen rests on top of the tablet, and glowing light trails in green and white swirl around the tablet, creating a dynamic visual effect.

PetaPixel editor-in-chief Jaron Schneider got his hands on the new M4-powered iPad Pro already, and is actively putting it through its paces for a comprehensive review. My iPad Pro arrived last night, and I opted for Apple's "Nano-texture" glass option. So far, it is much better than I expected.

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The Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art II Has G Master Quality for Half the Price https://petapixel.com/2024/05/16/the-sigma-24-70mm-f-2-8-dg-dn-art-ii-first-impressions-review-has-g-master-quality-for-half-the-price/ Thu, 16 May 2024 12:01:04 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=742067 A man holding a professional camera with a large lens is standing in front of a waterfall. He is wearing a dark jacket, and there is a "PetaPixel Hands-On" graphic at the bottom left corner of the image.

Sigma updated its 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art with a new body design, a new autofocus motor, and a reworked optical formula to make it lighter, smaller, faster, and sharper. That's the promise, anyway, but is it true?

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Hands-On With The Fujifilm X-T50: An X-T5 Lite, or Something More? https://petapixel.com/2024/05/15/hands-on-with-the-fujifilm-x-t50-an-x-t5-lite-or-something-more/ Thu, 16 May 2024 06:01:15 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=741678 A person wearing a blue shirt holds up a silver and black Fujifilm X-T50 camera with a large lens. In the foreground, the words "PetaPixel Hands-On" are displayed. The background is blurred, focusing attention on the camera.

Fujifilm is consistently updating its line of mirrorless cameras to make use of the latest film simulation modes and sensor technology. It is no surprise, then, that it has released a 40-megapixel version of its insanely popular X-T double-digit line to bring high resolution to an affordable platform: the X-T50.

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Hands-On with the Fujifilm GFX 100S II: Medium Format for the Masses https://petapixel.com/2024/05/15/hands-on-with-the-fujifilm-gfx-100s-ii-medium-format-for-the-masses/ Thu, 16 May 2024 06:01:00 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=741803 A close-up shot of a Fujifilm GFX100S camera with a large lens resting on a rock, with a blurred background of trees and water. The PetaPixel logo and the words "Hands-On" are displayed in the top left corner. A person with a beard is looking at the camera.

The first Fujifilm GFX 100S had my favorite form factor of any GFX camera due to its take-anywhere size. I loved the smaller body design of the latest GFX 100 II, and of course all the improvements to autofocus and film simulation modes as well as an emphasis on faster shooting and video. But it was only a matter of time before the latest improvements transferred over to the GFX 100S line and the wait is now over.

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Apple iPad Pro (2024) Review in Progress: Future Tethered to the Past https://petapixel.com/2024/05/13/apple-ipad-pro-2024-review-in-progress-future-tethered-to-the-past/ Mon, 13 May 2024 21:00:16 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=741942 An open laptop on a wooden table displaying a cityscape wallpaper with a digital clock reading 12:17, in a room with wooden floors and white walls, marked with a "PetaPixel Reviews" logo.

Apple's iPad Pro (2024) is a marvel of modern technology. Sleek, bright, and thin, it feels like technology we were promised when I was a kid. But for as many times as I stood mouth agape at it, I felt pulled back -- and that's not necessarily entirely on Apple to fix.

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Hasselblad XCD 25mm f/2.5 V Review: Bright and Wide https://petapixel.com/2024/05/07/hasselblad-xcd-25mm-f-2-5-review-bright-and-wide/ Tue, 07 May 2024 13:01:13 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=740848 A man with a slight smile looks at a camera mounted on a tripod in the foreground, with a city's blurry lights in the background. the image includes a "petapixel reviews" label.

Hasselblad has introduced a new 25mm prime lens to add to its already crowded wide-angle assortment. I've reviewed the 30mm f/3.5, and Hasselblad also has 28mm f/4 and 21mm f/4 lenses. However, this new wide prime splits the difference and has an even brighter f/2.5 aperture.

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Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V Review: Lighter, Brighter, Better https://petapixel.com/2024/05/05/hasselblad-xcd-90mm-f-2-5-v-review-lighter-brighter-better/ Sun, 05 May 2024 14:01:11 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=740810 A hasselblad x2d camera with a large lens attached, positioned on a wooden surface with a blurred background, showcasing the "petapixel reviews" logo overlaid on the image.

I love short telephoto lenses because of how versatile they can be for anything from portraits to landscapes.

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Vivo V30 Pro Review: Among the Best Affordable Phones for Photography https://petapixel.com/2024/05/03/vivo-v30-pro-review-among-the-best-affordable-phones-for-photography/ Fri, 03 May 2024 11:00:31 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=740615 A close-up of a smartphone with a sophisticated camera system, featuring a large lens with a glowing ring light, set against a dark background. the logo "petapixel reviews" is visible in the corner.

The Vivo V30 Pro may be a mid-range smartphone, but with Zeiss in the mix, the camera takes a decisive step forward compared to its predecessors. Until now, Vivo reserved its collaboration with Zeiss for its X Series, but no longer. The Zeiss tech makes the more affordable V Series more interesting to photographers.

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Shure MV7+ Review: The Best Studio Mic for Most People https://petapixel.com/2024/05/02/shure-mv7-review-the-best-studio-mic-for-most-people/ Thu, 02 May 2024 19:08:42 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=740521 A close-up image of a black shure microphone with its brand logo visible, positioned against a colorful blurred background, with the text "petapixel reviews" overlaying the bottom corner.

I've used a lot of different microphones over the past few years, but recent experience with Shure on The PetaPixel Podcast put its SM7db at the top of my tier list. Shure's new MV7+ doesn't quite unseat my number one favorite mic, but it comes darn close.

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Honor Magic 6 Pro Review: A Strong and Emerging Smartphone Contender https://petapixel.com/2024/05/01/honor-magic-6-pro-review-a-strong-and-emerging-smartphone-contender/ Wed, 01 May 2024 21:19:51 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=740444 Close-up of a smartphone's camera setup featuring multiple lenses and "100x" label, against a light grey background, with a "petapixel reviews" logo in the corner.

The Honor Magic 6 Pro is a quality smartphone with a camera array built to make the case that it has the goods to be among the best. Honor is a spinoff of Huawei, which let the brand go in 2021 in a bid to evade U.S. sanctions. Since then, Honor has carved out its own purpose and identity, including a current attempt to go public with an IPO.

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Fujifilm X100VI Review: Joy Masquerading as a Camera https://petapixel.com/2024/04/25/fujifilm-x100vi-review-joy-masquerading-as-a-camera/ Thu, 25 Apr 2024 14:06:43 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=739521 A smiling man holding a camera in front of him, focused on the lens, with "petapixel reviews" overlay text, in a garden setting.

It is highly unlikely that you have not heard of the Fujifilm X100VI. Similarly, you've probably seen some polarizing discourse around it. For some reason, it's seemingly only appropriate to love this camera or dunk on it. There is no in between.

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Is the Insta360 X4 8K Actually Any Good? | The PetaPixel Podcast https://petapixel.com/2024/04/24/is-the-insta360-x4-8k-actually-any-good-the-petapixel-podcast/ Wed, 24 Apr 2024 21:49:14 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=739475 A man with a beard appears skeptical while looking at a small handheld camera he is holding in one hand, with an arrow pointing to the camera against a blue background.

The biggest video-centric exhibition took place last week and brought with it a ton of news, including a new dual-lens camera from Insta360 called the X4 8K. There are a lot of conflicting reports on the video quality, though and Jordan Drake has thoughts.

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Xiaomi 14 Ultra Review: Serious Photographers Should Take Notice https://petapixel.com/2024/04/23/xiaomi-14-ultra-review-serious-photographers-should-take-notice/ Wed, 24 Apr 2024 00:11:29 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=739369 Close-up of a xiaomi smartphone featuring a leica triple camera setup, with the petapixel reviews logo at the bottom. the phone is illuminated in red and blue lighting.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the clearest indicator yet that Xiaomi wants to be the best in mobile photography, even if some parts of the world don't know it. Anecdotal as it may be, people react with surprise at the images they see captured by the phone when I show them.

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Aura Frames ‘Walden’ Review: It Checks All the Picture Boxes https://petapixel.com/2024/04/18/aura-frames-walden-review-it-checks-all-the-picture-boxes/ Thu, 18 Apr 2024 21:01:49 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=731763 A digital frame displaying a photo of a quaint blue building with a sign labeled "pelton place." the frame is on a wooden table, flanked by a potted plant and a book titled "georgia o'keefe.

Aura Frames has emerged as a dominant force in the digital frame world, and it's easy to see why. The stunning image quality and ease of use make it a top choice for displaying photos.

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Sony G 16-25mm f/2.8 Review: This is the Wide-Angle Zoom Lens To Get https://petapixel.com/2024/04/16/sony-g-16-25mm-f-2-8-review-this-is-the-wide-angle-lens-you-should-buy/ Tue, 16 Apr 2024 14:01:22 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=737305 Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G lens review

Do you want a compact lens with a constant f/2.8 aperture? Does it have to be as sharp as a G-Master lens without the high price? Sony may have just given you what you asked for, provided that you don't need an extensive zoom range.

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The Cheap Little Telephoto That Could: A Bargain Basement 600mm for the OM-1 Mark II https://petapixel.com/2024/04/04/the-cheap-little-telephoto-that-could-a-bargain-basement-600mm-for-the-om-1-mark-ii/ Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:55:28 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=735992

A couple of weeks ago I upgraded from the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II to the OM System OM-1 Mark II. One of the reasons was for the OM-1 Mark II's greatly enhanced wildlife tracking functions.

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OM System 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS Review: Can’t Argue With a 1200mm Equivalent https://petapixel.com/2024/04/02/om-system-150-600mm-f-5-6-3-is-review-cant-argue-with-a-1200mm-equivalent/ Tue, 02 Apr 2024 14:56:32 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=734823 OM System Telephoto lens review

An OM System 150-600mm f/5-6.3 has been sitting in the office for months and I haven't touched it since I tested the OM-1 Mark II. Finally, the cold weather had given way and I had no excuse to ignore it anymore. A trip to the Calgary Zoo would let me test out not only the wildlife capabilities of this lens but also the excellent macro versatility that the lens offers.

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