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.

Light Lens Lab 1966 50mm f/1.2 and SPII 50mm f/2 Review: Rare Lenses Recreated

This article will review two prototype lenses from Light Lens Lab: the “1966” 50mm f/1.2 lens and the SPII 50mm f/2 multi-coated rigid design lens. Light Lens Lab based in China has an interesting business model. Instead of designing new highly corrected camera lenses, they re-create special lenses from past decades.

Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Review

Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G Review: A Solution in Search of a Problem

When it comes to general-purpose standard zooms, Sony has you covered. With some classic choices like 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II and 24-105mm f/4 G or the unique Sony FE 20-70mm f/4, there is something for everyone. However, Sony decided to go even further and add the brand new FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G to its growing collection. The idea is to have a more affordable and compact lens alternative to the expensive 24-70mm GM while still having a fast f/2.8 aperture, albeit with a reduced zoom range. I got my hands on one to try, and here is what I found.

Sigma 500mm Review

Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN Sport Review: The Perfect Telephoto?

When I heard about the latest Sigma lens, the 500mm f/5.6 DG DN Sport, I wanted to revisit the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary. The new lens sounded ideal because it is unobtrusive, lightweight enough to handhold easily, and has the reach to capture these elusive Wolfdogs in their natural surroundings.

Fujifilm X100VI hands on

Fujifilm X100VI Hands-On: It’s Nearly Everything We Wanted

I'm gonna let you in on a dirty little secret of mine: I never liked the original Fujifilm X100. When it first came out, I was -like many others- enamored by the beautiful styling, but the operation of the camera just never gelled with me. The rather boring -- in my opinion -- 35mm lens didn't help things either. It wasn't until I played with the newly designed X100V that I had my aha moment, and realized the appeal of this camera.

OnePlus 12 Review: Better Photos All Around

OnePlus 12 Review: Better Photos All Around

OnePlus isn’t the kind of company that just goes away, and its persistence may have finally paid off with the OnePlus 12, a very impressive flagship phone that undercuts all others. This phone starts at $800, but trade-in incentives can drop it $100 or more, which feels like a bargain compared to competitors who hover around or above $1,000.

OM-1 Mark II Review

OM System OM-1 II Review: Could This Have Been a Firmware Update?

When OM Digital Solutions purchased, and thereby saved, Olympus' incredible photographic history and slate of digital cameras from the brink of collapse in 2021, there were many questions about what would happen to the Olympus Micro Four Thirds system. OM answered these concerns the following year with the OM System OM-1 camera, the most impressive Micro Four Thirds camera ever released at the time.

Xoot_Pro

Xoot_Pro Adjustable Display Stand Review: An Innovative Stand That Empowers Editors

Anyone who has worked with large display tablets will know that comfortably positioning and using them in a workspace can be challenging. Unless you are lucky enough to have a massive desk with a ton of space, most users will reposition these devices every time they use them. This is why having a proper stand for your display tablet is critical and why the Xoot_Pro Pen Display Stand is so helpful.

Best Smartphone for photography comparison

The Battle of the Big Three: Which Smartphone Delivers the Best Images?

With the recent release of the Samsung S24 Ultra, North America now has three premium-priced phones that happen to compete in a very similar way against each other. The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Google Pixel 8 Pro, and Samsung S24 Ultra, all have state-of-the-art displays, HDR-compliant photos and videos, and a 5X telephoto lens to compliment the main and ultra-wide cameras.

Kamvas Pro 24 4K Review

Huion Kamvas Pro 24 4K Review: Big Color-Accurate Tablet at a Great Price

I think one of my favorite things about the current state of the display tablet industry is how there seems to be a non-stop growth of affordable alternatives to the historic "major players" in the game, making it easier and much more justifiable for photographers to make the leap into not just using a pen tablet, but a large and color accurate display version suitable for proper photo editing.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review for Photographers

Like the majestic Canada Goose, I escaped a particularly brutal winter by flying south. As temperatures back home plummeted to a balmy -40 degrees, my plane landed in San Jose, California. San Jose is the West Coast convention center capital of the tech world, and Samsung was there for the brand new Galaxy S24 series of smartphones.

TTArtisan 10mm f/2 APS-C Review: An Affordable Ultra-Wide Lens

I like wide-angle lenses. So, when Pergear asked me to review the TTArtisan APS-C 10 mm lens, I gladly accepted. In this article, I will share my user experiences and feelings about the lens, construction, etc. This is not a technical review as I am not equipped for that.

Nikon vs Canon vs Sony 135mm lenses

The Battle of the 135mm Lenses: Which Lens Takes the Portrait Podium?

The 135mm focal length is one of my favorite portrait ranges due to its compressed rendering of people’s faces, as well as lending itself to stunningly dramatic full-body environmental portraits. Last year saw the release of two new 135mm lenses, one each from Canon and Nikon. Take into account the venerable Sony 135mm G Master and you have all three of the major full-frame mirrorless companies now offering a 135mm f/1.8 lens.

DJI Ronin 4D 8K review

DJI Ronin 4D 8K Review: A Stable Platform Gets a Resolution Boost

I’ve been in the camera review game for a decade and a half and while the pleasure of checking out new gear hasn’t diminished, it’s very rare for me to be truly excited about a new camera. Well, that happened two years ago with the DJI Ronin 4D release, and now we have an impressive new 8K version to check out.

Forbidden Canon RF AF lenses.

Reviewing The Forbidden Lenses That Canon Doesn’t Want You to Have

Many camera manufacturers choose to support, or at least turn a blind eye to, third-party lens makers. Some even wholeheartedly embrace them. However, Canon has infamously taken a stance to deny third-party manufacturers access to its RF mount. The fascinating twist is that many companies were beginning to produce manual and autofocusing lenses before the crack-down, creating an exclusive market of very rare lenses that hit the streets before the curtain fell.

Panasonic Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 Vario in the field

Best Kit Lenses of All Time: My Five Favorites

We all have to start somewhere. For most of us, that means a basic DSLR or mirrorless camera kit with a compact, handy general-purpose zoom lens. Undoubtedly, we can't wait to ditch our basic kit lens for something faster or more versatile. A kit lens is something we feel we need to graduate from to call ourselves an accomplished photographer. But is that really the case? Maybe the humble kit lens has more to offer than we think, so today we will look at our five favorite kit lenses of all time.

Revisiting Nikon’s Legendary D700 DSLR 15 Years After Its Release

My first digital ILC (interchangeable lens camera) was the Nikon D40, which I purchased during my senior year of high school in late 2007. That camera was followed by the Canon T2i (550D), which I bought in 2010, primarily because of Canon’s significantly more advanced video features; I have always been an active filmmaker as well as a photographer. Like most people, my first two lenses for each of these cameras were the kit 18-55mm zoom and a cheap nifty-fifty prime lens, so the cost of switching systems wasn’t exactly high.

Asus ProArt PD5 PC Review

Asus ProArt Station PD5 Review: Not Much More Than a Pretty Face

When Asus launched the updated ProArt Station PD5 earlier this fall, it looked poised to deliver a powerful, accessible machine to creative professionals. Unfortunately, despite lofty and worthwhile goals, the ProArt Station PD5 is not quite the impressive machine I had hoped for.

Leica Q3

Leica Q3 Review From a Canon Photographer: Hit and Miss

Like many photographers, I've spent years hunting the impossible combination: a high-quality camera that's also compact. Must haves: a great sensor and a wide aperture wide angle lens. Today, I’ll walk you through the meandering journey that eventually led me to the Leica Q3.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Review: Compact, Capable, Powerful

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 skips the smartphone as a capture device and uses an integrated camera, essentially taking the front of a DJI drone and mounting it to a control stick. It is also one of the few creator gimbals I like and love using.

Why Global Shutter Matters

Using the Sony a9 III for Concerts as Dave Matthews Band’s Photographer

Like most photographers, I’ve never reviewed a piece of gear before. Also like most photographers, I tend to voraciously read reviews each time I consider upgrading. Many of these reviews parse through micro-level analysis of pixel detail, noise levels, and test charts but to me fail to answer the simple question: “will this help me get the shot?”

Best and Worst of 2023

The Best and Worst Cameras and Lenses of 2023

Where has the time gone? It's been ten years since Jordan and I started our annual roundup of the best and worst products in our industry. Every year we give our opinions on the cameras we feel deserve the top spot as well as any honorable mentions that have also made a positive impression. Perhaps even more exciting, though, is our vote for the most infamous photo and video products of the year.