Our Comprehensive Sony Lens Guide Now Has 79 Great Lens Reviews!

We’re incredibly excited today to announce that we’ve updated our Sony Lens Guide for full frame photographers. We encourage you to check it out. We’ve reviewed over 79 lenses for Sony full frame cameras. What’s more, you’ll find pretty much anything you’re looking for. Of course, there are Sony lens reviews. But there’s also great stuff from Tamron, Sigma, Zeiss, Zenit, Tokina and more. Many journalists have worked on these reviews over the years. And in the Sony Lens Guide, you’ll find pricing and snippets from each of our reviews. More importantly, we’re only linking to the lenses that we’ve done full reviews on. As you probably know, we’ve reviewed the most lenses of any photo publication around. We invite you to head on over and take a look at our Sony Lens Guide.

Stop Hoarding Film! The Best Time to Shoot Film Photography Is Now!

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Fact: You will seldom know when the perfect moment is happening. That’s the truth. If you’re like me, you’re a hybrid photographer: you shoot film and digital. You shoot any medium that gets the job done. But for a long time, I’ve been told that I should get as much film as I can, freeze it, and then just shoot it whenever I want. That’s a great idea, but I think the pandemic taught me that the best time to do something is now. Don’t put it off. You never know when you’ll have the time to shoot some film. So I’ve started to go through lots of films for the pure joy of shooting. That, and it’s a joy to not look at a screen on a camera.

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E-Ink Screens Could Rekindle Photography’s Romance of the Print

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Confession: I really hate staring at screens. I think the Fujifilm X Pro 3 and the Leica M10D are two of the most brilliant cameras of our time. They help keep us focused on what’s important. The E-Ink screen on the X Pro 3 also uses super low amounts of energy. With that said, I think it’s time that we make photography romantic again. I’ve written about this a number of times. And as the world progresses, the photography world has become better and better. But I think that E-Ink screens are the next step camera manufacturers need to take. Specifically, they need to find a way to make the refresh rate increase, add touch capabilities, and more. For what it’s worth, it’s not like any of that isn’t possible right now.

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7 Easy Photography Genres That Anyone Can Do!

I love the fact that there are so many genres of photography. The diversity is what makes our craft so enjoyable. I’ve dabbled in many genres of photography, but it’s street photography where I feel most at home. I’ve also got friends and peers from various backgrounds in the photographic field. With that said, we will look at which are the easiest genres to practice, all of which anyone can do!

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This Leica 35mm F1.4 Lens and Its Beautiful Bokeh Can Be Yours

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Good news, folks! This lens is still available for purchase! Once you’ve drunk from the fountain of Oskar Barnack, it’s hard to turn back. I myself own a few wonderful Leica items, and my main camera is arguably a Leica these days. But you don’t need to do the deep dive for the camera. In fact, the safest way into the world is to develop a love for their lenses. The Rare Camera store right now has a great Leica 35mm f1.4 in M-mount in for sale. It comes with a special lens hood that lets you put a lens cap right over it. And at the same time, this is also one of my personal favorite lenses for the Leica camera system.

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Pentax: Two Years Ago, You Got it Really, Really Wrong

Back in 2019, Ricoh believed that some folks would leave mirrorless cameras and return to DSLRs.

I know that Pentax fans and readers will be furious. But people come to this website because we often voice our informed opinions. In this case, Ricoh seriously messed up. We can start with how they haven’t created a mirrorless camera and continue to produce DSLRs. But we’re choosing to hit home on an article from a few years ago. Further, I wish and hope that Ricoh Pentax finally wakes up and realizes a major problem that they can fix.

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Why You Actually Need a Dedicated Camera Bag, Not Just an Insert

A camera bag serves a much bigger and better purpose than just a bag with an insert.

Confession: I’ve failed to find the perfect camera bag. Here at The Phoblographer, we’ve probably reviewed the most camera bags on the market. Of course, we stand by ethical statements and won’t review some brands, but we’re pretty comprehensive. Everyone makes good camera bags. No one makes a perfect camera bag, at least for me. Many have gotten very close. But when I couldn’t find what I wanted, I started modifying camera bags to fit my needs. All of them failed over time. I’m writing this piece because of many folks who like using regular backpacks or messengers and throwing their cameras in there. But that’s really not the best idea. Here’s why.

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There Are Rebates on Some of the Most Powerful Cameras from Olympus

Rebates are currently in place with lots of camera manufacturers. And we found some of the best. There are lots of offerings available from Olympus until October 3rd. Some of our favorites? Well, you can grab the Olympus OMD EM1 Mk III and then also pick up the 17mm f1.2 PRO lens. Together, you’ll have tons of documentary and candid potential. That lens is basically a 34mm equivalent at f2.4 depth of field. Essentially, you’re getting the light gathering of f1.2 and the depth of field of something more shallow. It’s hard to complain, honestly. Check out these other deals after the jump.

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Could the Canon EOS R5 and R6 Get a Big Autofocus Update?

Today, Canon announced that with the Canon EOS R3, all the autofocus modes are getting face/eye/body detection. This is similar, though not identical, to how it works with Sony, Panasonic, Leica, and Fujifilm cameras with autofocus. Canon is the only one left with Face and eye detection that doesn’t let you also select a point on the screen manually. And truly, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense for Canon to restrict this tech to just the Canon EOS R3. Instead, it would majorly drive sales of the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R6.

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The New Cheap Canon RF Lenses Look Enticing — for Dry Photography

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Canon’s early RF mount lenses focused on pro rather than budget photographers. But, the company’s latest glass expands Canon’s list of under $700 mirrorless lenses. The Canon RF 16mm f2.8 STM is a lightweight pancake lens (sort of) that’s priced at $299.99. The new RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM, meanwhile, offers a lot of zoom for under $700. Despite Canon’s budget RF cameras like the Rp being weather-sealed, however, both of the newest cheap Canon RF lenses are not made for rain.

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Want to Use Eye Control AF on the Canon EOS R3? Check This Out

The Canon EOS R3 is finally official. It’s obviously targeting sports, wildlife, photojournalism, and wedding photographers. One of the most exciting features is Eye Control Autofocus (Eye Control AF). It’s a revolutionary feature that’s been available to Canon users that’s received a major upgrade. In a nutshell, you can control and move the autofocus point on the Canon EOS R3 just by looking at a spot in the frame. But make sure your eyes are ready.

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Canon EOS R3 Solves Genuine Problems — But Can It Pummel Sony A1?

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The third time is the charm. After two previous teasers, Canon’s third announcement for the EOS R3 is the real deal. The Canon EOS R3, a flagship camera for sports, wildlife, and photojournalism, is expected to begin shipping at the end of November. Previous announcements have already detailed the camera’s major features. Those include 30 fps burst shooting, eye-control autofocus, and a 24.1-megapixel Canon-made stacked sensor. But, today’s announcement offers details on the seemingly small features that dramatically improve the shooting experience.

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The New Nikon 40mm f2 Could be a Cult Classic

Get excited! The new Nikon 40mm f2 is coming, and it’s only $299.99! The 40mm lens is my personal favorite focal length, and I’m super jazzed that Nikon is making this. 40mm lenses fall right between 35mm and 50mm. Plus, they’re very close to 43mm, which is true normal. They’re incredibly useful, and Nikon is making this one just that.

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Amy Lombard on Brand Identity, Emotional Healing, and Fearless Youth

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Queens-based photographer Amy Lombard joins us on this week’s episode of Inside The Phoblographer’s Mind (ITPM). Lombard has created her own identity throughout her career, and we wanted to sit down with her and learn more about her photographic journey. In this candid, sometimes deeply personal episode, we talk about the impact photography can have on a person’s life and the opportunities it can create.

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These Fuji Camera Deals Are Bound to Sell Out Soon

lightweight mirrorless cameras

Rebates are currently in place with lots of camera manufacturers. And we found some of the best. check these out from Fujifilm. You can get bundles for the Fujifilm XT3 and the Fujifilm XT30 right now. These are in effect until September 26th. And if you’re curious, you can read our XT3 and XT30 reviews at the according links. We recommend grabbing them with a 16-80mm f4 R WR lens. It’s incredibly difficult to beat that combo. The XT3 is also weather-resistant, and the last generation of high-end camera before the XT4 got the new battery.

This 50 Is Both Tank and Treasure: Leica SL 50mm F2 Summicron Review

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Leica lenses are known for a durable, all-metal build. But, of course, metal weighs more than plastic. The Leica SL 50mm f2 Summicron is designed to be a lighter, more compact alternative to the Leica SL 50mm f1.4 Summilux. Of course, the term lighter is relative; I wouldn’t call a metal lens a lightweight. Yet it’s still lighter than the Panasonic Lumix S Pro 50mm f1.4 and Leica’s f1.4, and feels almost perfectly balanced with the Panasonic S5 body.

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The Reasons Why LEDs Won’t Beat Flash Photography, Yet

If I had a nickel for every marketing rep who told me the industry is moving away from strobes and towards LEDs, I’d be rich. LEDs are great. They are easier to work with if you’re indoors as they offer tons of control over the light. They’re also great if you’re shooting outdoors at night. But the truth is that not everything happens at that time. You can sit there and spend hours in Photoshop editing an image to fix the exposure and introduce lighting that wasn’t there, but then it looks fake. Most of all, you’re turning a three-hour photography session into an even longer process. Why do we have to work excessively for the shot?

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Artur Lahoz Sees His True Love in the Starry Universe

We’re streaming daily on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and Spotify! You can also listen to it right here on The Phoblographer.

“Somehow I feel more alive when I use the weekend and my free time to photograph”, says Artur Lahoz of Brazil. Much like many of our readers, he uses photography to escape the complexities of his weekdays, and he finds some much-needed solace in analogue photography. We caught up with him to understand the intricacies behind his latest double exposure film project – ‘She Was The Universe’.

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We Tested the 3 Best LED Lights for Photographers

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LED lights are so cool! They’re easy to use. Gel them a bit and they can give you a totally different look. Better yet, they’re incredibly versatile, which let’s you focus on just creating. The cherry on top: they can give you a cinematic look. Most of The Phoblographer staff swear by flash and studio strobes, but there are times when an LED can surely do the job. Lucky for you, we’ve reviewed some of the best LED lights for photographers. Dive in with us!

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Photographing September 11: How They Feel 20 Years Later

We’re on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and Spotify! You can also listen to it right here on The Phoblographer.

Twenty years have passed since two commercial planes struck the twin towers. You don’t need me to tell you what happened that day. Everyone has their own theories and opinions about it. And while that may divide people, one thing we all agree on is how traumatic that event was for the people of New York. Amongst the people fighting the struggles of that tragic day were photographers. Out on the front line, they felt compelled to document the harrowing events. Two decades later, how do they feel about the photos they made?

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​​​​Dr. Emil Chynn Will Never Forget Being at Ground Zero on 9/11

We’re streaming daily on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and Spotify! You can also listen to it right here on The Phoblographer.

“That day, I encountered literally thousands of people screaming and running past me in the opposite direction,” Dr. Emil Chynn remembers of September 11th, 2001. Two hijacked passenger planes had just been used in a coordinated terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, hitting the North Tower at 8:46 at the South Tower at 9:03. “Actually, I was the only person going downtown,” Dr. Chynn says. “I tried to flag a yellow cab to take me downtown, but nobody would stop. Finally, I got a cabbie to stop, but he said, ‘What are you, nuts? If you paid me a million dollars, I wouldn’t take you there!’”

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