Reviews

Expert reviews of the latest digital cameras, lenses, lighting products, accessories, phones, photography-editing software, and more. PetaPixel tests state-of-the-art products in the photo industry and provides insights and recommendations for photographers to make informed purchasing decisions.
Jaguar photographed with a7CR

The Perfect Travel Camera? The Sony a7CR on Safari in Brazil

The wetlands of Brazil’s Pantanal region aren’t as well known as the Amazon, but it’s still home to an incredibly diverse ecosystem. With dozens of species of mammals and rodents and hundreds of species of birds, it is a wildlife photographer’s dream. Jaguars roam the shoes of the river while capybara and caiman flee from the hunting cats. Birds are everywhere you look, and their calls are pervasive throughout the day.

Sony a7C II and aC7R First Impressions Review

Sony a7C II and a7CR Hands-On: Entry-Level No Longer

The original Sony a7C was very much an entry-level camera. I really liked the minimalistic styling; a strong departure from the boxy DSLR look of the other Alpha cameras, and it was easy to navigate, but suffered from what many entry-level cameras suffer from: a lack of manual control dials, and a bargain basement viewfinder. But now we've got an upgrade. Or rather, upgrades.

Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II

Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II Review: Easy to Recommend

The classic professional photographer's kit has for decades consisted of the holy trinity of f/2.8 zoom lenses: a 16-35mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm. Armed with these, a photographer can cover almost any shooting situation. When Sony first started its full-frame mirrorless camera line, it quickly made these professional zoom lenses under the G Master moniker. Unfortunately, these lenses were not able to deliver the high-grade results that many of the other brands could.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Review: Baby Steps Forward

If you’re looking for dramatic shifts in image quality from Samsung, its foldable phones aren’t going to give it to you. Instead, you get a combination of incremental changes and far more flexibility in deployment than you otherwise might with a standard smartphone.

8K Camera Shootout

Sony A1 vs Canon R5 C vs Nikon Z8: Which Camera is Best for 8K Video?

In the last decade, 4K video recording has gone from a format only used in high-end productions to a feature found on even the most entry-level cameras and smartphones. It was inevitable that there would be another resolution bump as sensors and computing power improved, and now we have a number of compelling full-frame mirrorless cameras that can record 8K video internally (right to the memory card). We decided to compare the most compelling 8K-capable, full-frame mirrorless cameras to see which was your best option today: the Sony Alpha 1, Canon R5 C, and Nikon Z8.

Apexel APL-FL19 Two-Light Kit: Fit For Tabletop Photography

A while ago, I reviewed a couple of attachments by Apexel for phone cameras. They asked me to review their night vision scope but I told them nobody would believe my review of a product like that! I inquired if I could write a review of a couple of LED light kits and they agreed.

Canon RF 28mm Review

Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 Review: A Golden Pancake or a Flop-Jack?

If there was ever a focal length that the manufacturers tend to put by the wayside, it's the trusty 28mm prime lens. You see, ultra-wide lenses are dynamic and 24mm lenses are admittedly more versatile. However, the 28mm range is probably my preferred focal length for walking the streets with only one prime lens.

Fujifilm XF 8mm

Fujifilm XF 8mm f/3.5 Review: Great Things Do Come in Small Packages

A 12mm full-frame equivalent lens isn't my idea of a versatile do-everything piece of kit, but Fujifilm really needs something like this to supplement the very expensive -- and heavy -- XR 8-16mm f/2.8 zoom. That is a great lens, but it's beyond many people's needs and budgets. Enter the Fujifilm 8mm f/3.5 prime.

Canon EOS R100 review

Canon EOS R100 Review: It Feels Like an Old Camera, and Not in a Good Way

In my line of work, a lot of cameras corss my path. Like any good tools, they only do their best work when they match the specific tasks for which they were intended. It seems that lately, the majority of cameras I've looked at have been fairly pricey devices, so I was happy to get to review a new affordable entry onto the market. And of course, I don't have expectations that it will compete with higher-end products, but can the $479 EOS R100 even do what it was designed to?

MSI Creator Z17HX Review: Fast, Color Accurate, Fatally Flawed

The Creator Z17HX Studio is MSI’s attempt to give photographers and video editors the fit and finish of an Apple laptop, the color accuracy of a studio-grade computer display, and the performance that comes with the newest Intel and NVIDIA hardware. The good news is that MSI delivers surprisingly well on all of these promises; the bad news is that it had to make one huge compromise along the way.

a7 IV vs R6 II

Canon R6 II Versus Sony a7 IV: A Battle of Two Well-Rounded Cameras

In Calgary, Alberta, there is a huge annual fair called the Calgary Stampede. A once-a-year celebration dubbed "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth". Full of rides, games, and lots of rodeo events, this show attracts 1.5 million visitors each year. One of these guests was the illustrious Ted Forbes and we thought, why not have a good old-fashioned showdown, wild west style?

Fujifilm X-S20 Review

Fujifilm X-S20 Review: Making the Case as the Best Camera Under $1,500

We finally did it! We reviewed the Fujifilm X-S20 after a very long wait. I fell in love with the original X-S10 when it first came out because it represented a departure from the design stylings of Fujifilm. It also added IBIS to the camera at a price that created excellent value for the dollar. Now the new X-S20 is in our hands, and we take it through its paces.

Sony a6700 Review

Sony a6700 Review: Definitely Worth the Wait

The Sony a6000 series of cameras have a long history, starting with the insanely popular a6000 in 2014. In the nine years since that fateful camera, there have been quite a few new models and upgrades. However, the last camera to be released, the powerful a6600, came out almost four years ago and it is only now that we have a new model to replace it. The Sony a6700 has just been announced, but was it worth the long wait?

Huion Kamvas Studio 16

Huion Kamvas Studio 16 Review: More Than a Pen Tablet, Not Quite a Laptop

Pen display tablets have been getting better and more affordable, so it makes sense that all-in-one devices like the Huion Kamvas Studio 16 would follow the same path. But what makes this device a little different is it's a pro pen tablet made for designers, illustrators, and photographers to help them get their art created quickly and easily while also being a fully functional Windows PC.

Nikon Z8 vs Sony Alpha 7RV

Sony a7R V vs Nikon Z8: A Battle of Mirrorless All-Stars

I recently stated that the Alpha 7RV is my favorite Sony camera to date, and one of the most ideal platforms for what I want personally in a camera. Since then I've had the pleasure of using the Nikon Z8, and it has definitely made an impression on me as the best Nikon camera I’ve used so far. When we saw that the price was similar, it made perfect sense to do a shoot-out between the two.

Google Pixel Fold Review

Google Pixel Fold Review: For Those Who Really Want to Multitask

Google has entered the foldable smartphone fray with its $1799 Pixel Fold, a smartphone design that very well could be the future. Blurring the line between smartphone and tablet, the Google Pixel Fold not only provides a much larger screen area for multitasking, but a unique change to how a modern smartphone is used.

Canon RF Lenses

The Best Lenses for Canon’s RF Mount

One of our favorite types of video to make is buying guides, to help our viewers decide what products are best for them. It also presents an opportunity for me to share my personal preferences about what I would choose. Our latest episode is all about Canon RF mount lenses, and I give you my favorites in the following categories: ultra-wide, normal primes, standard zoom, telephoto zoom, portrait lenses, and macros.

Lume-Cube-Tube-Light-Mini-Review---Little-Light,-Big-Potential

Lume Cube Tube Light Mini Review: Little Light, Big Potential

Lume Cube has been producing some interesting and creative lighting solutions for both photographers and videographers over the last few years that add an impressive amount of versatility to their users toolkits including the Tube Light Mini. That being said, the question remains that given the number of competing RGB lights on the market, are they good enough, and are they worth it?

Halumin H18

Halumin H18 Soft Light Review: Product Photography Lighting Made Easy

Product photography is often considered one of the most complicated and challenging genres. Besides having the right lenses and props to decorate the shot, you'll need a variety of light shaping options to create the best looking photos. This is where the $399 Halumin H18 Soft Light brings something interesting to the table.

TruHu

TruHu Review: A Simple Way to Calibrate Monitors with a Smartphone

Photographers use their monitors even more than their cameras, probably by a large margin. Even the best monitors should be calibrated to ensure that the colors users see are accurate. However, calibration can be expensive and tedious. TruHu aims to make the calibration process very easy and much more affordable.

Nikon Z8 Review

Nikon Z8 Review: The Best Camera for Most Serious Photographers

My first experience with an almost full production Nikon Z8 took me to stunning Yellowstone National Park. In the week or so that I had to play with it I found it to be a most enjoyable camera, and I was able to review most of the major aspects of the cameras handling and capabilities. However, there were still some features that I needed to test, and for that I would need to wait for a final firmware Z8.