Learn All About Lens Filters and What They Do With Our New Guide

If lens filters have been an enigma to you, our new guide will help you understand more about them and what they can do for you and your photography.

If there is one photography accessory that causes confusion, its lens filters. It’s easy to see why these simple tools can seem complicated to those who are new to photography. To start off with, there are many different types of filters that all do specialized jobs, and there are different styles of the same filter types too (square Vs. round filters, for example). We are always asked about lens filters, what type of filter does, and how they can improve images, so we have put together a new, easy to read lens filter guide to help you all navigate the lens filter market. Join us after the break for all the details.

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The Winner of Our Street Photography Contest With Fujifilm Is…

Today, we’re announcing the winner of our Street Photography Contest with Fujifilm.

For the past month or so, we’ve hosted a contest with Fujifilm. This was a Photo Contest centered around Street Photography. What’s more, there was a lot to pick from. With over 2,500 entries from participants worldwide, we can see that lots of folks take street photography very seriously. The entry method used Facebook and Instagram, two popular platforms amongst many a street photographer. Facebook Groups, Instagram pods, and other places help to keep this culture continually evolving. Even better, we’re mostly impressed by how ethical folks are. Maybe three submissions overall included images of the poor and disadvantaged. And all three were done rather tastefully to show an actual problem. A few of you went out to shoot during COVID 19 and to document the human condition. We hope that you all did so safely. So without further adieu, we’re going to showcase the winner below.

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Mac vs PC: The 2020 Razer Blade 15 Studio Targets Photographers

Creative professionals will love the newly refreshed Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition, but does it still hold an advantage over Apple’s offerings?

Razer is introducing the 2020 refresh of its well-regarded Blade 15 Studio Edition laptop today. We found the previous generation Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition to be the most powerful mobile computing solution available on the market for creative professionals. In many ways, it was the Windows version of Apple’s MacBook Pro and packed significantly superior performance. Since then, Apple has closed that performance gap somewhat with its revamped 13″ MacBook Pro. Similar upgrades will surely make their way into the 16″ variant when they inevitably drop later this year. Is the 2020 Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition still the best laptop option for creatives? Let’s look at the numbers.

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The Sony ZV1 Camera Lacks the Most In Demand Feature of 2020

The Sony ZV1 is a brand new camera from Sony not necessarily designed for photographers, but you can surely use it.

While the Sony ZV1 isn’t such a well-kept secret, it also seems odd. When I look at this camera, I’m sort of reminded of the Sony Bloggie–a camera that they came out with to target pretty much the same demographic years ago. This is a camera that’s very capable of shooting still photos, but there’s a more significant emphasis on shooting video. In fact, it’s more or less a Sony RX100 VII, but with a few modifications and a lower price tag. More specifically, the internals are the Sony RX100 VII, and the externals are newer. The new exterior is designed for vlogging and content creation around video. As such, there’s been a new autofocus algorithm developed for this, or at least the existing one is modified.

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24 Hrs Left: Street Photography Contest to Win a Fujifilm X100V

ENTER TO WIN!! We’re teaming up with Fujifilm to give away a Fujifilm X100V in our Street Photography Contest.

Hey folks!

We’re teaming up with FUJIFILM to giveaway A FUJIFILM X100V. In this international street photo contest, participants may enter one original street photograph of theirs. The contest, judged by the Phoblographer’s EIC Chris Gampat, will take place over this month and can be entered using your Facebook or Instagram account. Want to win? Check out the rules below.

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Let’s Go! You’ve Got a Few Days Left to Win a Fujifilm X100V in Our Photo Contest!

ENTER TO WIN!! We’re teaming up with Fujifilm to give away a Fujifilm X100V in our Street Photography Contest.

Hey folks!

We’re teaming up with FUJIFILM to giveaway A FUJIFILM X100V. In this international street photo contest, participants may enter one original street photograph of theirs. The contest, judged by the Phoblographer’s EIC Chris Gampat, will take place over this month and can be entered using your Facebook or Instagram account. Want to win? Check out the rules below.

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Like Wallet-Friendly Glass? See Our Updated List of Affordable Lenses

Affordable lenses have come a long way in terms of optics and build quality, and now, more than ever, cheap and affordable doesn’t mean bad.

There was a time when buying affordable lenses meant that you gave something up. You either purchased an affordable lens that had excellent optics and questionable build quality, or you got a cheap lens that was built like a tank but suffered in the optics department. All of that has now changed, though. These days you can get lenses that cost well under $1,000, and quite a few under $500 that absolutely redefine that affordable lenses mean. We’ve just updated our affordable lens list to include new offerings from both first and third-party manufacturers so that you can see all of the great deals out there in one easy to find location. For more details about the update, head on past the break.

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Need a Gig? We’re Hiring a Freelance Vintage Camera and Lens Expert

The Phoblographer needs a specialized Vintage Camera and Lens Expert for our continuing growth.

Hi folks! We know that some of you are looking for a gig, and so we’re sourcing the photo world for a vintage camera and lens expert. Our ideal fit for this position will have a working knowledge of vintage cameras and lenses. We’re not talking about just one camera system, but a lot of them. It not only has to be your passion but something that you very much specialize in. The Phoblographer pays fair (arguably lenient), ethical rates, and we’re known to even attract competitors’ writers because our staff is treated just that fairly. With that said, we have a very strict non-compete policy. The ideal candidate will also have some sort of sales background. Think you’ve got what it takes? We’ve got all the details below.

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Sony Looks to AI for the Future of Imaging, But Will It Be Well Received?

Camera deals - Sony a7 III

AI systems are already making their way into modern cameras, and like it or not, it sounds like Sony wants to make more powerful artificial intelligence in cameras the new norm.

Over the years, since the first smartphones were released, scores of Android and iPhones have hit the streets, and the cameras they use have continued to improve. In the last couple of years, artificial intelligence has played a more significant role in smartphone cameras as physical limits are reached. So far, the help from AI has been welcomed as it allows smartphone photographers to produce results that would typically require a dedicated camera to pull off. Now, a new breakthrough from Sony shows they are about to go all-in with AI that is baked right into their new sensors. Will the race for AI supremacy be well received? What can we expect to see going forward? Let’s talk about this after the break.

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STREET PHOTOGRAPHERS! Enter to Win a Fujifilm X100V!

CONTEST ENDS MAY 25TH, 11:59PM EST! We’re teaming up with Fujifilm to give away a Fujifilm X100V in our Street Photography Contest.

Hey folks!

We’re teaming up with FUJIFILM to giveaway A FUJIFILM X100V. In this international street photo contest, participants may enter one original street photograph of theirs. The contest, judged by the Phoblographer’s EIC Chris Gampat, will take place over this month and can be entered using your Facebook or Instagram account. Want to win? Check out the rules below.

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CineStill Cs6 Is Aiming to Replace Professional Labs for Slide Film

Quite literally, CineStill is claiming that you won’t need a professional photo lab with their new CineStill Cs6.

CineStill has a huge claim with its latest release today. CineStill is coming out with its new CineStill Cs6 Creative Slide 3-Bath Process. “There’s no longer a need for a darkroom, professional lab or high-tech equipment to create analog photographs,” states the press release. “You can now create beautiful color transparencies at home through one simple process.” In development for a few years, the kit and the other products being announced today could indeed change things for film photographers everywhere. Though we haven’t heard good things about some of their other chemicals, we’re pretty curious about the new Cs6.

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50mm Lens Lovers and Fujifilm Fans Will Want to Watch This

Join us every Sunday night for Pro Camera Reviews. Sign up here.

Pro Camera Reviews is a new web show by the Reviews Team of the Phoblographer. Join Gear Editor Brett Day, Reviews Editor Paul Ip, and Editor in Chief Chris Gampat as they candidly discuss the products they’re actively reviewing and the gear they’ve just reviewed. Open Q and A from the audience towards the end of the show. Every Sunday at 7pm EST.

Sign up for this Sunday’s Episode

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The Winner of Our Street Photography Contest Gets a Fujifilm X100V

ENTER TO WIN!! We’re teaming up with Fujifilm to give away a Fujifilm X100V in our Street Photography Contest.

Hey folks!

We’re teaming up with FUJIFILM to giveaway A FUJIFILM X100V. In this international street photo contest, participants may enter one original street photograph of theirs. The contest, judged by the Phoblographer’s EIC Chris Gampat, will take place over this month and can be entered using your Facebook or Instagram account. Want to win? Check out the rules below.

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Opinion: Pentax Had Way Too Much Time to Make Just Another DSLR

Pentax made yet another DSLR in 2020, and we’re really not sure why.

In a broadcast on the web, Ricoh Pentax announced that a new DSLR is coming. In fact, we knew that one was coming for a while, but this one is APS-C. In fact, it’s supposed to be their new flagship APS-C DSLR. Now don’t get me wrong, I know that it’s going to be well built. Pentax cameras are some of the most durable we’ve ever tested. It’s going to be an unconventional menu system in comparison to the rest of the industry. And it’s going to most likely take great photos. Part of this is due to Pentax’s lenses. But why, oh why, are they making a DSLR? And why didn’t they make a super small APS-C camera with vintage aesthetics akin to the Pentax K-1000 or the Pentax Spotmatic?

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Street Photographers: You Should Enter to Win a Fujifilm X100V

HAVE YOU ENTERED YET?! We’re teaming up with Fujifilm to give away a Fujifilm X100V in our Street Photography Contest.

Hey folks!

We’re teaming up with FUJIFILM to giveaway A FUJIFILM X100V. In this international street photo contest, participants may enter one original street photograph of theirs. The contest, judged by the Phoblographer’s EIC Chris Gampat, will take place over this month and can be entered using your Facebook or Instagram account. Want to win? Check out the rules below.

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Tune in Today! Pro Camera Reviews: Apple vs PC, Sony vs Tamron!

Register for the chat here! Join us tomorrow.

Pro Camera Reviews is a new web show by the Reviews Team of the Phoblographer. Join Gear Editor Brett Day, Reviews Editor Paul Ip, and Editor in Chief Chris Gampat as they candidly discuss the products they’re actively reviewing and the gear they’ve just reviewed. Open Q and A from the audience towards the end of the show. Every Sunday at 7pm EST.

Register for the chat here!

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Join Us as We Talk Mac vs PC, Tamron vs Sony, and Instagram Rights

Register for the chat here! Join us tomorrow.

Pro Camera Reviews is a new web show by the Reviews Team of the Phoblographer. Join Gear Editor Brett Day, Reviews Editor Paul Ip, and Editor in Chief Chris Gampat as they candidly discuss the products they’re actively reviewing and the gear they’ve just reviewed. Open Q and A from the audience towards the end of the show. Every Sunday at 7pm EST.

Register for the chat here!

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Street Photographers; Win a Fujifilm X100V in Our Latest Contest

HAVE YOU ENTERED YET?! We’re teaming up with Fujifilm to give away a Fujifilm X100V in our Street Photography Contest.

Hey folks!

We’re teaming up with FUJIFILM to giveaway A FUJIFILM X100V. In this international street photo contest, participants may enter one original street photograph of theirs. The contest, judged by the Phoblographer’s EIC Chris Gampat, will take place over this month and can be entered using your Facebook or Instagram account. Want to win? Check out the rules below.

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You Can Win a Fujifilm X100V in Our Street Photography Contest

DON’T FORGET! We’re teaming up with Fujifilm to give away a Fujifilm X100V in our Street Photography Contest.

Hey folks!

We’re teaming up with FUJIFILM to giveaway A FUJIFILM X100V. In this international street photo contest, participants may enter one original street photograph of theirs. The contest, judged by the Phoblographer’s EIC Chris Gampat, will take place over this month and can be entered using your Facebook or Instagram account. Want to win? Check out the rules below.

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All the Big Pubs Are Doing it, Why Not Us? Donate to the Phoblographer

Donating to The Phoblographer ensures that we continue to produce original content with a unique point of view.

Hi folks. We figured that since all of the big publications are doing it that we might as well too; today, we’re asking you to donate to the site. Your donations go towards paying the staff, who are all compensated ethically and fairly compared to many large photography blogs out there. Since 2009, we’ve stood by both this policy and by being 100% transparent with you. We’ve encouraged YouTubers and other sites to do the same. We honestly also have some of the most strict editorial policies in the Photo Publication world.. So, if you’re inclined to ensure that a our publication can keep paying rent, its workers, and its debt, then please either consider clicking the link below or reading on to find out more.

Click here to donate to The Phoblographer.


There’s tons of misinformation out there about websites like ours. I’m going to address some of that misinformation with facts. I find myself doing this over and over again.

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A Photographer Needs to Spend $3,298.99 to Justify 13 Inch MacBook Pro

Apple announced its new 13 inch Macbook Pro and got rid of the 15 inch variant.

In some ways, the new 13 inch Macbook Pro doesn’t seem like a bad deal at all for a photographer. When you consider the long term investment, Mac products last a long time for many of us, and they’re able to run lots of software better unless you fully customize a PC. Today, Apple announced their new 13 inch MacBook Pro computer and effectively got rid of the 15 inch variant–giving us only the 13 inch and the 16 inch options. If you want the base model, you’re going to be pretty out of luck if you’re a photographer. Lots of us need higher-end performance not only for photo editing but also because we shoot video or cinemagraphs. The base model is still the 8th generation i5, and to get any 10th gen processor, you need to spend at least $1,800 extra above the $1,299 initial pricing.

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