Reviews | PetaPixel https://petapixel.com/topic/reviews/ Photography and Camera News, Reviews, and Inspiration Fri, 11 Jul 2025 23:40:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 191656271 Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF II Zoom Fisheye Review: Sharp But Niche https://petapixel.com/2025/07/12/laowa-8-15mm-f-2-8-ff-ii-zoom-fisheye-review-sharp-but-niche/ Sat, 12 Jul 2025 14:01:04 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=804198 A Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 fisheye camera lens lies on its side next to its lens cap on a grid-patterned surface, with the PetaPixel Reviews logo in the background.

I don't really like fisheye lenses. I've never found much use for them and find the surreal look of the images to be of limited utility. But that doesn't mean that I won't jump at the chance to give a new one a try.

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Tamron 16-30mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 Review: The Daisangen Dream https://petapixel.com/2025/07/10/tamron-16-30mm-f-2-8-di-iii-vxd-g2-review-the-daisangen-dream/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 14:01:43 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=803792 A wide-angle camera lens lies on a grid-patterned surface with a black background. The top left corner displays the "PetaPixel Reviews" logo in blue and white.

"Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three". The Quest for the Holy Grail by the comedy troupe, Monty Python, had it right. There is a Holy Trinity, and many professional photographers abide by it.

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Gura Gear Kiboko City Sling 6L Review: Modern and Rugged but Limiting https://petapixel.com/2025/07/09/gura-gear-kiboko-city-sling-6l-review-modern-and-rugged-but-limiting/ Wed, 09 Jul 2025 18:38:18 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=803675 A green camera bag and a vintage Nikon film camera with a lens rest on a concrete surface. The lower left corner displays the "PetaPixel Reviews" logo.

Gura Gear announced a brand-new, $180 sling bag at the Bild Expo last month called the Kiboko City Sling 6L, and from what the company tells me, the idea was so popular that it sold 1,500 of them in just those two days. There is something about this bag that caught people's eyes, so I decided I needed to see what that was.

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UGreen NASync DXP4800 Plus Review: A Beginner NAS That Just Works https://petapixel.com/2025/07/08/ugreen-nasync-dxp4800-plus-review-a-beginner-nas-that-just-works/ Tue, 08 Jul 2025 14:40:29 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=803220 A black four-bay network attached storage device sits on a carpet next to a 4TB hard drive. A “PetaPixel Reviews” banner appears in the upper left corner of the image.

I’ll be honest: I’ve never used a NAS before. As a photographer and content creator, I’ve spent years juggling stacks of external SSDs and hard drives in a messy, chaotic system that has somehow worked. But what I don’t have are enough backups, and the constant worry of a drive failing or getting lost has always nagged at me.

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Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.5 Z21 Review: A Parisian Delight https://petapixel.com/2025/07/05/light-lens-lab-50mm-f-1-5-z21-review-a-parisian-delight/ Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:01:31 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=802950 A camera lens rests on a grid-patterned surface against a black background. In the top left corner, the PetaPixel Reviews logo is displayed with blue and white text.

Light Lens Lab is all about recreating classic -- and hard-to-acquire -- lenses from the past. Its latest revelation is a faithful homage to the P. Angenieux S21 50mm f/1.5 lens. Originally designed in the 1950s with an M42 thread mount for the Exacta SLR, the S21 delivered that Silver Screen look, with soft corners and a gentle glow to the frame when shooting wide open.

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Genki Moonbase GaN Power Strip Review: A Power Strip You Actually Want On Your Desk https://petapixel.com/2025/07/03/genki-moonbase-gan-power-strip-review-a-power-strip-you-actually-want-on-your-desk/ Thu, 03 Jul 2025 16:48:06 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=802960 A top-down view of three modern electrical outlets with cords plugged in, mounted on a wooden surface. The Petapixel Reviews logo appears in the bottom right corner.

The Genki Moonbase is a stylish and powerful power strip that is sure to liven up any workspace. It's also chock-full of ports, featuring three AC outlets and four USB-C ports.

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UGreen Nexode 500W GaN Charger Review: Charge Everything, All at Once https://petapixel.com/2025/07/02/ugreen-nexode-500w-gan-charger-review-charge-everything-all-at-once/ Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:30:41 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=802584 A UGREEN charging station with multiple USB-C and one USB-A port sits on a wooden shelf. The Petapixel Reviews logo appears in the bottom right corner.

Over the last couple of years, the number of computers, headphones, cameras, and portable batteries that charge with USB-C that I've acquired has ballooned substantially. I've resorted to using batches of individual USB-C plugs cobbled together in my aging infrastructure, but it's an inelegant solution. That's where the UGreen Nexode came in.

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Honor 400 Review: A Great Phone for Photographers Who Love Wide-Angle https://petapixel.com/2025/07/01/honor-400-review-a-great-phone-for-photographers-who-love-wide-angle/ Tue, 01 Jul 2025 17:00:18 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=802395 Close-up of a smartphone's rear camera module with two large lenses and a small sensor, placed on a wooden surface. The Petapixel Reviews logo appears in the bottom right corner.

The Honor 400 is a mid-range phone that is as much a showcase of the company’s AI features as it is about mobile photography.

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Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4 and Eureka 50mm f/2 Review: Great Options for Film Fans https://petapixel.com/2025/07/01/thypoch-simera-28mm-f-1-4-and-eureka-50mm-f-2-review-great-options-for-film-fans/ Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:01:10 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=802251 Two camera lenses sit on a wooden surface under natural light. The left lens is black with a red marking, and the right lens is silver. The image features a "PetaPixel Reviews" label in the bottom left corner.

Thypoch has been pumping out new lenses for Leica M-mount regularly for the past year, and while there are certainly digital cameras that they work great on, I think the company knows its biggest market is probably going to be analog fans.

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Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4 Review: G Master Vibes at a Fraction of the Price https://petapixel.com/2025/06/30/sirui-aurora-85mm-f-1-4-review-g-master-vibes-at-a-fraction-of-the-price/ Mon, 30 Jun 2025 15:00:02 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=801869 A black 85mm f/1.4 camera lens sits upright on a grid-patterned surface, with the text "Petapixel Reviews" in blue and white in the lower right corner.

Did Christmas come early? It’s the middle of the summer, and I am testing my favorite lens focal length. Not only that, the lens also happens to have a fast f/1.4 aperture and this comes just days after having tested the very impressive Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Pro. I must be really lucky because the Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4 is lightweight, well-built, and a very affordable $600.

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The Panasonic Lumix GM-5 Is the Greatest Digital Camera Ever Made https://petapixel.com/2025/06/28/the-panasonic-lumix-gm-5-is-the-greatest-digital-camera-ever-made/ Sat, 28 Jun 2025 14:01:59 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=800357 A man with gray hair and a beard is holding a camera up to his face, preparing to take a photo. He is outdoors, wearing a blue shirt, and the background is blurred greenery.

Recently, at the Bild Expo in New York City, I asked some prestigious photographers and creative professionals an important question: What is the greatest digital camera of all time? Some said the Fujifilm X100 series, some said the Nikon D780, and I even heard the DJI Pocket 3. Of course, they were all wrong. The correct answer is, of course, the Panasonic Lumix GM-5.

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I Took 6,000 Photos With the Sigma 300-600mm f/4: It’s Almost Perfect https://petapixel.com/2025/06/25/i-took-6000-photos-with-the-sigma-300-600mm-f-4-its-almost-perfect/ Wed, 25 Jun 2025 16:21:55 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=800900 A white egret with a fish in its beak, a black bear standing in green grass, and a barred owl perched on a tree branch are shown in three side-by-side photos.

In the world of wildlife photography, capturing fast-moving subjects from a distance requires the perfect blend of reach, speed, and image quality. Sigma, renowned for its high-performance lenses, has recently announced the launch of the Sigma 300-600mm f/4 DG DN OS Sports, a powerful zoom lens specifically designed for wildlife photographers.

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Viltrox FE 85mm f/1.4 Pro Review: Sharpness and Character at a Low Cost https://petapixel.com/2025/06/21/viltrox-fe-85mm-f-1-4-pro-review-sharpness-and-character-at-a-low-cost/ Sat, 21 Jun 2025 14:01:50 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=799499 A camera lens rests on a reflective, grid-patterned surface with the "PetaPixel Reviews" logo in the lower left corner. The lens is angled to show the front glass and detailed markings.

The Viltrox FE 85mm f/1.4 Pro is a professional-quality lens, but it is not the highest-end offering from Viltrox. The Lab series is the premier line of optics from Viltrox, and with this Pro series lens being a $599 bargain, I started to wonder if it was too good to be true.

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Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 DC Art Review: A Legend Reborn https://petapixel.com/2025/06/20/sigma-17-40mm-f-1-8-dc-art-review-a-legend-reborn/ Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:26:13 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=799497 A man with a beard stands behind a camera with a large lens mounted on a wooden post. The image features a "PetaPixel Reviews" graphic overlay in the lower left corner. The background is blurred greenery.

The Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 DC Art is the successor to Sigma's legendary 18-35mm zoom lens for crop-sensor cameras. It has been a long time coming and stands out as a truly professional APS-C zoom lens in a mirrorless era where APS-C zooms often target beginners and enthusiasts more than seasoned professionals. But does Sigma's latest live up to its legacy?

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Peak Design Pro Lite Tripod Review: The Travel Tripod We Needed https://petapixel.com/2025/06/17/peak-design-pro-lite-tripod-review-the-travel-tripod-we-needed/ Tue, 17 Jun 2025 16:01:15 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=799480 A black camera tripod rests on a mossy brick wall in a park, with fallen leaves around. The Petapixel Reviews logo is overlaid in the bottom right corner of the image.

I'm not a huge fan of ultra-light travel tripods. As compact as they are, they often lack the stability required for anything beyond casual use. There is a balancing act involved in finding the right amount of stability while still keeping the tripod convenient enough to enjoy. I did not like the Peak Design Travel Tripod due to its fiddly head design and slightly wobbly legs, but they may have reached the Goldilocks zone with the latest Peak Design Pro Lite. This one feels just right. At $800, though, you have a fairly high price of admission.

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OM System OM-5 Mark II Review: I Think I’ve Reviewed This Camera Before https://petapixel.com/2025/06/16/om-system-om-5-mark-ii-review-i-think-ive-reviewed-this-camera-before/ Tue, 17 Jun 2025 06:01:21 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=798479 A beige OM SYSTEM OM-5 camera body with a black grip is displayed on a marble surface. The lens mount cap shows “OM SYSTEM Micro.” The Petapixel Reviews logo appears in the lower right corner.

Flagship cameras always get the biggest fanfare but it’s often the model that sits right below that gets the most play. These are the cameras made for the enthusiast photographer who does not need the biggest and fastest camera but does want some high-end features at a decent price. Where the OM System OM-1 Mark II is the pinnacle of OM technology, the new $1,200 OM-5 Mark II will probably be the workhorse of the lineup.

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Fujifilm X-E5 Review: No Longer a Beginner’s Basic Camera https://petapixel.com/2025/06/12/fujifilm-x-e5-review-no-longer-a-beginners-basic-camera/ Thu, 12 Jun 2025 10:01:44 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=798942 A hand holds a black camera in front of a blurred patterned background. The image includes the "Petapixel Reviews" logo in the bottom right corner.

The Fujifilm X100 series of cameras is the most popular design out of the entire brand and possibly out of anyone else's brand, too. These cameras hit an ideal balance between styling and compactness, but they never really appealed to me as much as they seem to for everyone else. I know that I am in the vast minority with this very unpopular opinion but I think that a better Fujifilm camera exists and we all get to appreciate it together now because the X-E5 has finally arrived.

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Insta360 X5 Review: The Most Versatile Action Camera Available https://petapixel.com/2025/06/09/insta360-x5-review-the-most-versatile-action-camera-available/ Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:42:49 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=798565 A close-up of the Insta360 One X2 camera is captured outdoors with a blurred, dry landscape in the background. The image features the "Petapixel Reviews" logo in the bottom right corner.

To usher in the next generation of its 360-degree action camera, Insta360 didn’t go back to the drawing board. Instead, it turned to the community, taking stock in what its customers liked, but also didn’t like about the brand’s X4 action camera.

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Kyu Camera Review: Trying to Reimagine Memory Capture https://petapixel.com/2025/06/08/kyu-camera-review-trying-to-reimagine-memory-capture/ Sun, 08 Jun 2025 14:01:07 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=798349 A silver, oval-shaped camera device with a lens at one end is placed on a white surface. In the bottom left corner, there is a "PetaPixel Reviews" logo.

As smartphones have made photography more accessible than ever, a small Japanese company is taking a radically different approach to capturing memories. The Kyu camera, launched in Japan in late 2024 and now available for pre-order in the U.S., wants to challenge our relationship with digital memories through an intriguingly restrictive design philosophy.

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Leica LUX Re-Review: A Year of Progression, But Still a Few Stops Short https://petapixel.com/2025/06/06/leica-lux-review-revisited-a-year-of-progression-but-still-a-few-stops-short/ Fri, 06 Jun 2025 16:00:30 +0000 https://petapixel.com/?p=798065 A smartphone mounted on a tripod is taking a black-and-white photo of a street scene. Camera settings are visible on the screen. The "PetaPixel Reviews" logo is overlaid on the bottom right corner.

When I first reviewed Leica LUX, I approached it with a blend of cautious optimism and healthy skepticism. Leica’s decision to enter the mobile photography app space was bold, considering both the reverence surrounding the Leica name and the saturated, high-standard world of iPhone photography apps -- where names like Halide, Obscura, and ProCamera dominate. At launch, Leica LUX showed promise but also left a lot to be desired. Now, nearly a year later, it’s time to revisit it. Spoiler alert: there's been meaningful progress -- but also stubborn blind spots that Leica needs to address if LUX wants to compete at the top tier.

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