review

A Nikon camera with a large lens is positioned on a dark surface on the left side of the image. On the right, there is a person dressed in an elaborate historical costume with a pink and white dress and matching headpiece standing in a corridor with arches.

Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR: The Best All-Purpose Lens I’ve Ever Used

When Nikon announced a new Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR in March, I didn’t get very excited. After all, lenses that attempt to cover an extreme range of focal lengths (“all-in-one”) tend to suffer from distortion at their widest and longest and lose sharpness at the long end.

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.

Hobolite Iris Review: A Shining Example of Pocket-Sized Lighting

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.

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.

Hands-On With The Fujifilm X-T50: An X-T5 Lite, or Something More?

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.

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.

Vivo V30 Pro Review: Among the Best Affordable Phones for Photography

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.

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.

Shure MV7+ Review: The Best Studio Mic for Most People

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.

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.

Honor Magic 6 Pro Review: A Strong and Emerging Smartphone Contender

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.

A smiling man holding a camera in front of him, focused on the lens, with "petapixel reviews" overlay text, in a garden setting.

Fujifilm X100VI Review: Joy Masquerading as a Camera

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.

OM System Telephoto lens review

OM System 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS Review: Can’t Argue With a 1200mm Equivalent

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.

Insta360 Ace Pro Review

Insta360 Ace Pro Review: An Impressive Action Cam with Added AI

As its name indicates, Insta360 is best known for its 360-degree cameras. The recent announcement of the Ace Pro is the company's expansion into the more traditional form factor pioneered by GoPro and integrates some of the industry's latest tech, including a high-end processor and large sensor. But is it enough to set this camera apart in the crowded action camera market?

Xiaomi 14 Review: An Excellent, Powerful Choice for Small Phone Fans

The Xiaomi 14 may very well be the kind of phone most should experience, in part because it brings the Leica camera hardware and software to the fore. Previously, Xiaomi only included all Leica features in its Pro or Ultra models, but has now done it for this, the smallest of the bunch. This time, the 14 Pro is a Chinese market exclusive, leaving the 14 and 14 Ultra as the two global options.

Hands-On with the ROGETI TSE Frame for the Canon 24mm II Tilt-Shift Lens

I have stitched many panoramas, including those I took with my Canon 24 mm TS lens by shifting the lens from side to side. The TS lens gives easy-to-stitch frames. One uncontrolled element that remains in that case is the parallax shift because the lens position changes. Although that may go unnoticed in landscape panoramas, it is still there.

The Espresso Display 17 Pro

Espresso Display 17 Pro 4K Review: You’ll Never Travel Without It Again

I like to think I have relatively basic needs when I'm traveling for work. But the one luxury I miss when traveling is a second monitor for my laptop, especially when I need to edit The PetaPixel Podcast. But with the Espresso Display 17 Pro 4K, a hotel room can be as effective a work location as my office at home. It's a transformative product for my workflow on the road.

Huion Kamvas Pro 19 review featured image

Huion Kamvas Pro 19 4K UHD Review: Affordable and Accurate Pen Tablet

Since using my first pen tablet over a decade ago, I found that working with display tablets provided an extra level of precision to my work since I could see exactly where my pen strokes were connecting on the screen. This let me be more precise and creative with my edits, but most of these tablets were either incredibly expensive or overly large. The $1,099 Huion Kamvas Pro 19 solves both these problems.

Light Lens Lab 1966 50mm f/1.2 and SPII 50mm f/2 Review: Rare Lenses Recreated

This article will review two prototype lenses from Light Lens Lab: the “1966” 50mm f/1.2 lens and the SPII 50mm f/2 multi-coated rigid design lens. Light Lens Lab based in China has an interesting business model. Instead of designing new highly corrected camera lenses, they re-create special lenses from past decades.

Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Review

Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Review: A Solution in Search of a Problem

When it comes to general-purpose standard zooms, Sony has you covered. With some classic choices like 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II and 24-105mm f/4 G or the unique Sony FE 20-70mm f/4, there is something for everyone. However, Sony decided to go even further and add the brand new FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G to its growing collection. The idea is to have a more affordable and compact lens alternative to the expensive 24-70mm GM while still having a fast f/2.8 aperture, albeit with a reduced zoom range. I got my hands on one to try, and here is what I found.

OnePlus 12 Review: Better Photos All Around

OnePlus 12 Review: Better Photos All Around

OnePlus isn’t the kind of company that just goes away, and its persistence may have finally paid off with the OnePlus 12, a very impressive flagship phone that undercuts all others. This phone starts at $800, but trade-in incentives can drop it $100 or more, which feels like a bargain compared to competitors who hover around or above $1,000.

Xoot_Pro

Xoot_Pro Adjustable Display Stand Review: An Innovative Stand That Empowers Editors

Anyone who has worked with large display tablets will know that comfortably positioning and using them in a workspace can be challenging. Unless you are lucky enough to have a massive desk with a ton of space, most users will reposition these devices every time they use them. This is why having a proper stand for your display tablet is critical and why the Xoot_Pro Pen Display Stand is so helpful.

Kamvas Pro 24 4K Review

Huion Kamvas Pro 24 4K Review: Big Color-Accurate Tablet at a Great Price

I think one of my favorite things about the current state of the display tablet industry is how there seems to be a non-stop growth of affordable alternatives to the historic "major players" in the game, making it easier and much more justifiable for photographers to make the leap into not just using a pen tablet, but a large and color accurate display version suitable for proper photo editing.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review for Photographers

Like the majestic Canada Goose, I escaped a particularly brutal winter by flying south. As temperatures back home plummeted to a balmy -40 degrees, my plane landed in San Jose, California. San Jose is the West Coast convention center capital of the tech world, and Samsung was there for the brand new Galaxy S24 series of smartphones.

TTArtisan 10mm f/2 APS-C Review: An Affordable Ultra-Wide Lens

I like wide-angle lenses. So, when Pergear asked me to review the TTArtisan APS-C 10 mm lens, I gladly accepted. In this article, I will share my user experiences and feelings about the lens, construction, etc. This is not a technical review as I am not equipped for that.