Hands-On Review: AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR

This budget-based extreme telephoto lens from Nikon is one of the best bargains in photography

By David Schloss

Judging by the name and specifications alone, the new AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm ƒ/5.6E ED VR from Nikon doesn’t seem like it’s going to be an exceptional lens—with a minimum aperture of ƒ/5.6 and a street price of under $1,400, even Nikon’s own press release doesn’t talk up the power of this new super-tele zoom. While the company often praises... Read more

Upgrading Your Gear

To upgrade your photography start by upgrading your equipment

By Ellis Vener

While it’s true that most people turn to their phones and mobile devices for their daily snapshots, the popularity of camera phones has sparked a vigorous nonstop evolution and proliferation of advanced amateur and professional gear. As masses of people embrace photography as part of their daily lives, it seems to be motivating large numbers to pursue... Read more

New Gear: March/April 2016

Lens filters don’t get any tougher than Sigma’s Water Repellent (WR) Ceramic Protector.

By The Editors

SIGMA WR CERAMIC PROTECTOR FILTER Lens filters don’t get any tougher than Sigma’s Water Repellent (WR) Ceramic Protector. This clear ceramic glass filter is shock- and scratch-resistant, with a water-repellent coating that not only protects the front of your lens, but also repels water, dust and oil, making it easier to clean stray fingerprints... Read more

B&W Toolkit

From cameras to printers to digital applications, a variety of contemporary imaging solutions are available to make black-and-white photography a more creative proposition

By Ellis Vener

The first thing to understand about black-and-white image making is that it starts with color. Whether recorded as a color or black-and-white image, whether we start with an image recorded on film or a digital capture, black-and-white photographic images exploit not just the contrasts between different amounts of light, but also how different colors... Read more

New Gear: January/February 2016

Constructed from peach-wax cotton canvas and leather, Tenba’s Cooper camera bag line elevates canvas to a whole other level.

By The Editors

TENBA COOPER COLLECTION Constructed from peach-wax cotton canvas and leather, Tenba’s Cooper camera bag line elevates canvas to a whole other level. It’s incredibly soft to the touch, but still rugged, and leather trim and accents add to its conservative good looks. Available in gray and in four sizes, the smallest, the Cooper 8, is designed to... Read more

Editors’ Choice Awards

Our favorite gear, tools and tech from 2015

By The Editors

This has been a phenomenal year for photography, with a seeming end to a global recession and a wave of new photographers entering the market, thanks to the popularity of social media. There are more energized, passionate photographers now than there ever have been. While we haven’t seen the statistics validated, the Internet often cites a statistic... Read more

Lenses For Portraiture

Considerations when choosing a lens for flattering photos of people

By Wes Pitts

Though there’s no "perfect" lens for portraiture, it’s generally agreed that a moderate telephoto in the range of 85mm to 135mm (35mm equivalent) is a reliably good choice. For tight headshots, an even stronger telephoto in the 200mm or even 300mm range may be a better choice. A lot depends on the space in which you have to work,... Read more

New Gear: December 2015

Check out the new photography gear and accessories making headlines

By The Editors

CANON 120 MP DSLR AND CINEMA EOS SYSTEM 8K CAMERA Canon has announced the development of two new impressive cameras, a 120-megapixel DSLR and the Cinema EOS System 8K camera. The Cinema EOS 8K enables input and output for 8K video content, plus 8K to 4K down-conversion and 4K cropping. The camera is being developed with a Super 35mm-equivalent... Read more

The One-Light Portrait

Simple and elegant, less can be very much more

Text & Photography By Clay Cook

Over the course of a 40-year career, Annie Leibovitz created some of the most iconic and unique editorial portraiture, recognized all over the world. Being a self-taught photographer, I looked to her work time and time again for inspiration and motivation. I scoured the Internet for information on her lighting setups, equipment and methodology, but... Read more

Underwater Housings

A range of options for keeping your gear dry

By Mike Stensvold

Underwater photography opens up a whole new world of photo opportunities, but requires some means of protecting your camera from the water. There are compact cameras that are designed to be used underwater, and for casual shooting or just trying it out, these are excellent, but they have small sensors and are limited in how deep they can go. Several... Read more

New Gear: September/October 2015

Check out the new photography gear and accessories making headlines

By The Editors

THREE NEW NIKKOR LENSES Nikon has introduced three new lenses, all featuring Nikon’s electromagnetic diaphragm for consistent exposures during high-speed shooting. For DX (APS-C) Nikon DSLR users, there’s the AF-S DX Nikkor 16-80mm ƒ/2.8-4E ED VR (equivalent in field of view to 24-120mm on a full-frame camera), which provides focal lengths... Read more

Optics For Macro

Three ways to get closer to your subject

By Mike Stensvold

Want to try exploring the miniature worlds accessible through close-up photography? There are options for every budget, from premium lenses specially designed for macro work, to relatively inexpensive extension tubes and close-up lenses, or "diopters", that resemble optical filters and attach to the front of your lens. Here are the basics... Read more

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