Search results for: photography buying guide professional dslr mirrorless cameras
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by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
The new school year is nearly upon us, which means it’s time to start stocking up on necessary gear and supplies. For film and photo students, that means finding the camera and gear that’s right for you.
Generally, schools require a DSLR or mirrorless camera with detachable lenses and full manual controls. Far from the smartphone or point-and-shoot pocket camera many of us are used to. To help you get the perfect tool, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite cameras broken down into four categories:
Best Overall Cameras
Best Mid
Posted
"Can you hear that mirror? Isn't that so satisfying?"
In the 2020s, are DSLRs still dead, gone, and buried? Perhaps not! Some professional photographers swear by the Nikon D850, and there are still advantages to using DSLR cameras over mirrorless. Join Sam for a studio portrait photoshoot and in-field landscape photography test to see if the Nikon D850 holds up to our 2026 standards.
0:00 - Today's DSLR
1:09 - Optical Viewfinder
2:36 - Sensor & Weather Sealing
3:46 - Camera Shutter ASMR Moment
4:17 - How DSLRs Make You a Better
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
If there's one photo accessory that we all have too many of, it's bags. Whether our kit outgrew the previous one, or we found a new must-own style, there will always be something new. For those just getting started, even choosing the right style may be overwhelming. Well, we're here to help.
There are a lot of bags out there, so to narrow down the options, we're looking at the current selection from the Ruggard brand. Below, we've
by Luke Rollins · Posted
An open secret for photographers in 2025 is the robustness of the used market. With manufacturers pivoting to different production and distribution strategies in response to various geopolitical upheavals, finding popular, coveted, unique, competent, and flagship equipment second-hand has moved from viable to (sometimes) necessary. Flagship models turn over and older high-end gear depreciates, creating deals for savvy buyers. Earlier
by Luke Rollins · Posted
FUJIFILM spent most of 2025 in the wake of 2024's X100VI camera, riding the wave of its internet virality to an instantly sold-out product that remains out of stock pretty much everywhere. This year the company delivered three new cameras and a new lens, all of which iterated on their winning X100VI concept. The company also cannonballed into the deep-end of the cinema camera space with the announcement of their large format sensor camera and a video-friendly power-zoom lens.
The GFX100RF, or the Medium Format X100VI
by Zack Young · Posted
Video is getting bigger and better every year, and I’m sure nearly everyone knows at least one aspiring filmmaker. I love filmmaking and photography, but the main problem I have with it is the amount of equipment one needs to get the job done. This can mean big, important pieces such as a camera or lights as well as tiny, essential accessories that make life a whole lot easier. If you are looking for something to gift your filmmaking friend or for some key components to upgrade your kit, check out the following.
1. Compact Lights
If there is
by Luke Rollins · Posted
“Compact and lightweight form factor” wasn’t always just a mirrorless camera marketing slogan. A century ago, it was the necessity that gave birth to the Leica camera, as inventor Oskar Barnack designed his prototype in part to accommodate a debilitating lung ailment. Released in 1925, the popularity of the Leica I camera, particularly among young photographers, helped drive the widespread adoption of the 35mm film format and the compact, lightweight setups it afforded.
Available as an accessory to the Leica I was a slim, vertically oriented
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
The Micro Four Thirds system is becoming popular among a passionate group of wedding photographers. The compact size of the cameras and lens system, as well as the sheer number of available lenses from, OM System, Panasonic, and other manufacturers, not to mention the nearly limitless option of adapted lenses, means that the wedding photographer has many options for capturing the action.
It’s worth noting that OM System, formerly known as Olympus, has lenses with both branding. As lenses are updated, they’ll adopt the OM system name, but as
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Lens selection is a highly personal choice for the professional photographer. Your shooting style, client needs, and cost all factor into how you choose to build your kit. Wedding photographers require a greater variety of lenses as they must cover a diverse assortment of compositions in various environments and lighting conditions. As working professionals, it’s only natural to begin investing in high-quality professional glass. For Canon users, this is the L series.
Easily identified by a thin red line circling the lens barrel, L glass is
by Bjorn Petersen · Posted
As a student, much of your life is about making choices and sacrifices. “Should I skip this class and sleep in?” or “Should I go to class even though I’m too tired to pay attention?” There are a lot of hard decisions to make as a student, especially if you’re a burgeoning photographer looking to attain professional status.
But, as a student, means are often limited and you need to be more conscious about what gear to add to your kit. What gear is critical and worth the investment versus what are some of the things you can ignore for now and
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
Leave it to the world of photography to confuse size and speed. In lens-speak, the term “fast glass” refers to lenses with large apertures. In this article we take a look at the lenses with the largest-opening apertures. The aperture is the opening of a lens. The aperture’s size is expressed as a number that shows the ratio of the opening to the lens’s focal length. This number is referred to as an f/number, f/stop, focal
by Bjorn Petersen · Posted
When it comes to choosing the best camera for wildlife, sports, and action photography, three key factors to focus on are speed, reliability, and autofocus performance. In the past, with SLRs, the flagship models usually translated to being the top models for action photography. The same is still true today, with mirrorless cameras, but speed is now more
by Rachel Leathe · Posted
No matter what adventure you’re planning, finding the perfect pack is the first step. You don’t want to be ten miles deep in the backcountry, realizing that your bag lacks weather coating, or that the shoulder straps you thought were sufficiently padded now feel like a taut seatbelt. Before you run out and buy your first bag, you’ll need to think deeply about what kinds of pictures you will be taking. Are you more interested in trail hiking or ski touring? Will you be bringing telephoto lenses to photograph wildlife, or will you be taking
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
The camera bag starts as an afterthought—something you get after you buy a camera and/or lenses, and for many, just about any camera bag will do the trick for them. But, when you get deeper into photography and expand your kit, the camera bag becomes an essential part of your everyday carry. There are many parallels between shopping for a camera bag and shopping for something like a pair of shoes—hundreds (maybe thousands?) of options,
by Shawn C. Steiner · Posted
We live in fortunate times because there are no bad cameras. Modern technology has advanced to the point where practically every camera—from a smartphone to professional mirrorless—can be used to create pro-quality imagery. However, some cameras are better than others for certain purposes. Sony knows this, which is why the brand has developed an extensive line of cameras to cover the needs of different users. Let’s take a closer look at which cameras are best for content creators.
Key Features
Content creation covers an incredibly wide range