Last Updated on 02/02/2020 by Mark Beckenbach
There are some surprises in the list of best-selling photography gear for the month of January.
The first month of the year has come and gone already, and a lot of you have been busy adding some cool photography gear to your collections over the last 31 days. We have to say you all have great taste! In this roundup, we take a quick look at ten items picked up by our readers, who are no doubt now enjoying their new toys! There are some surprises in the list this month too, which warm our hearts! Join us after the break to see the photography gear that your fellow readers have put their hands on this month.
It’s no surprise to see both Sony and Fujifilm items dominate the list of popular photography gear for January. Sony and Fujifilm cameras and lenses are fantastic, and their popularity seems to be exploding. A big shout out to those who are helping keep film alive as well! It’s nice to see so many photographers wanting to experience film cameras! We’re sure you’re all enjoying your new gear. Take a look below at the ten most popular pieces of photography gear among our readership during January 2020.
Sony A7 III
The Full Frame Mirrorless camera that drove home just how serious Sony was about getting their Full-Frame cameras into as many hands as possible. The Sony A7 III has been Kryptonite for both Canon and Nikon. Instead of stripping features out, Sony threw the kitchen sink at the A7 III and charged less than two grand for it. It’s a move that paid off. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- The best battery life of any Sony or mirrorless camera I’ve ever tested
- A fair amount of resolution and versatility in the RAW files that can be realized with Capture One
- Nice feel to it
- Consistency with all the other cameras in terms of the menu system
- Autofocus can acquire a target in near darkness.
- It essentially feels like a scaled-down Sony a9 and Sony a7r III.
- Not a bad price point
Cons
- Mount and certain lenses may allow for dust to get onto the sensor. It isn’t as tight as the a7r III’s
Buy now: $1,798
Sony A7 MK II
Another Sony camera makes the list of popular photography gear for January 2020. The Sony A7 II is a bargain-priced Full Frame Mirrorless camera that gives those who want to step up from APS-C an affordable starting point. Still packed with features most older DSLR’s can’t touch, the A7 II is a solid bargain at $898! Here are the pros and cons from our review:
Pros
- Image stabilization is pretty effective.
- Improved grip, though there wasn’t much of a problem with the first
- Improved battery life performance with the same batteries every other Sony mirrorless camera uses
- Better autofocusing than we’ve seen in previous versions
Cons
- Slow startup time
- Not a whole host of differences from the A7
Buy now: $898
Fujifilm X-T3
Ah, the Fujifilm X-T3. This camera has beautiful looks, produces images filled with gorgeous colors and tones, and has a solid build quality. We’re big fans of the APS-C camera-that-could, so it does not surprise us that so many of you are switching over to it. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pro
- Brand new 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 Sensor
- Brand new X-Processor 4 Image Processor
- Excellent weather sealing
- Very solid build quality
- Excellent image quality
- In body RAW processing with built-in film simulation profiles
- Versatile RAW files
- Amazing video capabilities
- Dual SD card slots
Con
- Battery life can use some improvement
- Lacks in-body image stabilization
- Low light performance is improved over the previous generation X-T2, but hit rates during high-speed low light situations still leave much to be desired.
Buy now: $1,499
Canon EOS M50
This Mirrorless camera from Canon is an excellent choice for any photographer who wants to see what Mirrorless is all about. The Canon M50 has a 24.1-megapixel sensor, can shoot 4k video, has an excellent EVF, and has a fully articulating touchscreen. Pair it with a pancake lens, and you have a camera that can go just about anywhere. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Nice feeling in the hand.
- Absolutely fantastic battery life
- Canon’s colors are really nice
- Autofocus is pretty good
- We finally got 4K video
- There’s a silent shutter mode, finally
- Big LCD screen
- Canon’s menus continue to be the easiest to go through
- Canon’s monochrome images are really nice
Cons
- Image quality breaks up basically as soon as you edit
- Who the hell thought of putting the silent shutter mode in its own dedicated camera mode and robbing the photographer of all traditional exposure control?
- Silent shutter mode should be a drive mode option
- High ISO is barely usable above ISO 3200
Buy now: $599
Pentax K1000
What’s that you say? Film is dead? Rubbish! It’s alive and well my friend, as the next two cameras in this list of popular photography gear will prove. The Pentax K1000 is perhaps the perfect camera for students taking part in a photography class thanks to its robust build and ease of use. This camera just works. And those looks; it’s gorgeous! We’re in love! Here are the pros and cons from our 35mm camera roundup:
Pros
- Super simple to use
- Operates with or without batteries
- Fully mechanical
Cons
- Light seals can wear out over time, so check often
Buy now used: From $139.99
Canon AE-1
It’s no surprise to see this beauty on the list of popular photography gear either. Film cameras have been incredibly popular at the start of 2020, and the Canon AE-1 is another classic that photographers want to snap up. No less than nine people have added this classic 35mm film camera to their collection this month. Here are the pros and cons from our 35mm camera roundup:
Pros
- Solidly built camera, which is often called the 5D of the film age
- Easy to use controls
- Stunning looks
Cons
- Unlike the Pentax K1000, the Canon AE-1 cannot be used without a battery
Buy now used: From $152.52
Fujifilm 16mm F1.4 R WR
Lots of Fujifilm photographers have been flocking to the aisles that house the Fujifilm XF 16mm f1.4 R WR this month, and we can’t blame them. This 24mm equivalent lens is a stunner. It’s sharp, built like a tank, focuses fast, and weather-sealed! It’s hard to go wrong with this lens. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Very sharp wide open
- Very sharp overall
- The excellent metal build quality
- The focusing ring allows for zone focusing.
- Pretty decent bokeh for a lens of this type
- Fast-focusing performance
- Weather sealed construction
- Keeps distortion down pretty well
Cons
- Depth of Field scale could have given us more focusing markers.
- More purple fringing than a modern lens should have despite it easily being removed in post-production
- Autofocus is just a hair too slow for street photography.
Buy now: $999
Sony 24-70mm F2.8 G Master
The Sony 24-70mm f2.8 G Master is a must-have lens for working professional photographers who use Sony’s cameras. This workhorse lens offers the user incredible optics and solid all-around performance in a package that won’t give you a hernia when you pick it up. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Excellent image quality
- Well built
- Lots of versatility
- Sharp output
- Fast autofocusing abilities
- Fairly compact for what this lens is
Cons
- We’ve seen better bokeh, but this isn’t horrible
- Tends to be heavy, though not as heavy as Nikon’s and everyone else’s offerings
Buy now: $2,198
Fujifilm 56mm f1.2 R
The Fujifilm 56mm f1.2 R is hands down one of my favorite lenses, period. Pair this beauty up with any X mount camera, and you’ll create pure magic. Is it sharp? Razor! Is it built well? It’s solid and feels incredible in hand. What’s the bokeh like? Ohhh, Mama!. If you’re a portrait photographer who uses Fujifilm cameras and you don’t own this lens, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Here are the pros and cons from our review:
Pros
- Super sharp wide open. In fact, this is the sharpest lens for mirrorless cameras that we’ve tested
- Excellent resolution and sharpness when studio lighting is used with it
- Dreamy bokeh
- Great feel in the hand
- In good to fair lighting, its focusing abilities are about as fast as the company’s 35mm f1.4 offering
- Almost no reason to stop it down, and you’ll be encouraged to shoot wide open
Cons
- Misfocusing happens a bit more than we’d like it to in low light situations
- Fairly expensive
- Color rendition from the 35mm f1.4 is a tad better
Buy now: $999
Neewer Complete ND Filter Kit for Cokin P
This ND and Grad ND filter kit is always on the popular photography gear list, and for good reasons. This kit has everything you need to break into the world of filters as this bundle comes with step rings so that the filters work on a variety of lenses, and it comes with 8 ND and Grad ND Filters (Full ND2 ND4 ND8 ND16) and (G.ND2 G.ND4 G.N8 G.ND16). There’s no color casting, you’ll see no loss in image quality, and it’s under $30! There’s no reason not to own it. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Loads of filters
- Loads and loads of very well built (though we’ve felt better) step-up rings
- Easy to use ND filter holder
- Very affordable
- Comes with a nice case to carry everything
- Great image quality
- If you don’t like the image quality, it’s very easing to embrace any flaws it has with modern cameras.
Cons
- Filters are prone to fingerprint smears
Buy now: $25.99