One of the challenges of photographers who work in the field is to make sure that their data is always fully backed up. While many photographers rely on either keeping two copies of their images on different memory cards, some prefer to manually back up their work using a laptop or a dedicated backup device. For a number of years now, Western Digital has been providing backup solutions specifically aimed at photographers and the new WD My Passport Wireless SSD-series…
Read This Review
Gnarbox Review
As photographers, we heavily rely on computers to store, edit, backup and export our work. While it is nice to be able to work from home or from our offices, many of us have to count on using more portable solutions in the field. As a result, those of us who frequently travel to remote locations often end up using portable laptops. However, laptops are large, heavy, fragile and they require power to work for more than a few hours.…
Read This Review
Read This Review
IRIX 11mm f/4 Review
This is an in-depth field review of the ultra-wide full-frame Irix 11mm f/4 lens released in 2017. I have tested the more expensive and heavier Blackstone version, but since the Firefly version features an identical optical design, all conclusion made in the review hold for both versions. This glass is the widest rectilinear lens for full frame DSLR cameras. Only the Canon 11-24mm f/4L gets equally wide. Shooting with such an extremely wide lens brings a whole lot of practical…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Alien Skin Exposure X3 Review
This is an in-depth review of the Alien Skin Exposure X3 software for culling, managing and post-processing images. A couple of weeks ago, Spencer wrote the first article of our “Lightroom Classic vs. Other Software” series. In his article, he compared Lightroom to Alien Skin’s Exposure X3. I’m following his article up with a more detailed take on Exposure X3. Here I will dive a little bit deeper into the user experience I have had with the program while using it…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Nikon D7500 Review
This camera works. That was my thought after testing the Nikon D7500 for two days of sub-freezing photography in Rocky Mountain National Park – only taking breaks from the cold while driving from one location to the next – in conditions that are the very definition of a field review. We’ve now been testing the D7500 at Photography Life for several weeks, but the 48 hours of intense shooting at Rocky Mountain solidified things. This DSLR packs a serious punch,…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Genaray Escort Daylight LED Interview 3-Light Kit Review
Today I am going to review the Genaray Escort Daylight LED Interview 3-Light Kit. As the name implies, this kit contains three LED light panels. Two of the panels are flood lights, while one panel is a spot light. While I feel that these lights are mainly intended for use with video, I tested the lights for both photo and video.
Read This Review
Read This Review
Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Review
This is an in-depth review of the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens that was announced in February of 2015. Being a professional-grade wide-angle lens, the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art was made to challenge similar offerings from both Nikon and Canon, but at a much lower price point. Previously, Sigma had a lot of success with its Art-series lenses such as the 35mm f/1.4 Art, so it made sense that the company would continue to make similar class lenses…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VR AF-P Review
In this in-depth field review, we are going to have a look at the Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-P VR, the latest Nikon basic DX standard kit lens launched in September of 2016. It is an all-plastic lens featuring the newest stepping motor, which focuses faster and quieter than the traditional silent wave motor used on most standard Nikon lenses. The optical design features two aspherical elements for better sharpness and chromatic aberration control.
Read This Review
Read This Review
Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x Review
This is an in-depth review of the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM with a built-in 1.4x extender, a telephoto zoom lens targeted at enthusiast and professional action photographers. For many years, Canon users shooting serious wildlife and sports photography had come to accept that the only telephoto lenses on offer by Canon that achieved top of the line performance were their prime lenses. At the time, the only Canon zoom lens in the telephoto range was the Canon EF…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Fuji XF 56mm f/1.2 R Review
This is an in-depth review of the Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R lens made for Fuji’s line of X-Series cameras. This short telephoto lens (85mm full-frame equivalent) was released in February of 2014 and quickly became known as one of the best prime portrait lenses on the market, mirrorless or otherwise. This lens is not to be confused with Fuji’s other 56mm, the XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD. The APD version incorporates a controllable apodizing filter into its design, for…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Fuji XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR Review
This is an in-depth review of Fujifilm’s XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens. The lens was released in early 2016 and is Fuji’s longest focal length lens and only super-telephoto zoom in its lens lineup at this time. At the moment, the lens holds a couple of records, being the heaviest at 1375g and the most expensive at $1899 among all Fujifilm X-mount lenses.
Read This Review
Read This Review
Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Review
This is an in-depth review of the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art lens that was announced in February of 2017 along with a few other Sigma Art-series lenses. At the time of its release, Sigma proudly presented the lens as “world’s first and only full-frame f/1.8 ultra-wide-angle lens”, which was without a doubt, a remarkable achievement. Its impressive optical formula optimized for extreme sharpness and virtually no distortion got many photographers excited about all the possibilities it could present…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Nikon 28mm f/1.4E ED Review
This is an in-depth review of the Nikon 28mm f/1.4E ED lens that was announced in May of 2017 along with two other lenses, the Nikon 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR AF-P and 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED Fisheye. The AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E replaces the classic 28mm f/1.4D lens, which was known for its outstanding optical performance capable of rendering sharp and beautiful images on both full-frame and cropped sensor cameras. With the updated 28mm f/1.4E, Nikon completely revamped its optical formula and…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Nikon 28mm f/1.8G Review
This is an in-depth review of the Nikon 28mm f/1.8G lens that was announced in April of 2012 together with the Nikon D3200 DSLR. After releasing a number of great and affordable primes such as the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G and the 85mm f/1.8G (both of which turned out to be phenomenal), Nikon rolled out the 28mm f/1.8G lens to target photographers who are looking for a fast, inexpensive and lightweight wide-angle prime lens that can be suitable for a variety…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Nikon 24mm f/1.8G ED Review
Ever since Nikon debuted the 24mm f/1.4G ED lens five years ago, the lens has been a popular choice among professionals and serious amateurs, thanks to its excellent optical formula and coating technologies that yield crisp and pleasing images. However, its high price point and the relatively heavy weight made it a rather specialized tool, so a cheaper and lighter f/1.8 version of the lens was much needed to complement the 20mm f/1.8G and the 28mm f/1.8G lenses. Nikon filled…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Nikon 24mm f/1.4G ED Review
This is an in-depth review of the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G ED lens that was announced in February of 2010 together with the Nikon 16-35mm f/4G VR lens. The Nikon 24mm f/1.4G lens is a professional-grade lens for enthusiasts and professionals that need the highest quality optics of a fixed wide-angle lens with a large aperture of f/1.4 for low-light situations and shallow depth of field to isolate subjects from the background. The lens incorporates modern optical design and technology, and…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Nikon 20mm f/1.8G ED Review
It has been 30 years since Nikon first introduced the original Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 Ai-S lens and long 20 years since the autofocus version, the Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D was released to the market. Since then, the 20mm prime sadly did not receive much attention, so it was about time for Nikon to refresh the line with a modern version. Nikon finally revealed a replacement on September 12, 2014 and the new lens came with a nice surprise – the Nikkor…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Shimoda Adventure 60 Backpack Review
If you do a lot of hiking and long-distance treks as a photographer, you might have some difficulty finding a good backpack to carry your equipment. Sure, regular camera backpacks will protect your gear and allow quick access, but they might not be comfortable for long travels. The other option is to get a hiking backpack, which works for longer hikes, but won’t let you access your gear as easily (or potentially protect it as well). That’s where companies such…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Loupedeck Lightroom Editing Console Review
Loupedeck is a photo editing console for Adobe Lightroom. It is a keyboard-sized device that allows you to adjust most image settings in the develop module with a simple turn of a knob, scroll of a wheel, or push of a button. If you’ve ever wanted to ditch your mouse while editing photos and have direct access to each individual field in Lightroom, this might be a step in the right direction. In this review, I’ll give an overview of…
Read This Review
Read This Review
Synology DS1817+ Review
For a number of years now, I have been a big fan of network attached storage (NAS) in order to keep all of my data in one place and simplify my photography workflow. Having access to the same fast storage from multiple machines, as well as the Internet, is important for my needs, so I have been utilizing NAS heavily at my home office. Ever since I got ahold of the Synology DS1815+, I have been a big fan of…
Read This Review
Read This Review