Gear

Cameras, lenses, bags, tripods, printers and everything else photographers need to make great photographs. And yes, even film.

Video: Hands-On With The Fotodiox Vizelex Rhinocam
This gadget promises huge resolution, medium format style images from a Sony NEX camera, but can it deliver?
Camera Test: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 Interchangeable-Lens Compact
Could Panasonic's new "small" camera be the best ILC yet?
New Gear: Phantom Flex4K Camera Brings 4k Video at 1000fps
You might be limited to a five-second burst, but at 1000fps that's still an huge amount of high-speed footage

From the Buying Guide

Most Recent:

Nikon D40x Image Quality Gallery

Nikon's D40x held up well in our lab test. Now we're taking it to the streets of NYC.
- By Popphoto Staff on December 16, 2008
The Nikon D40x ($799, estimated street with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX Nikkor; $729, body only) may be small, but its shooting capacity is big. It's a great camera for first-time DSLR buyers set on a 10MP model and Nikon system users who want a lightweight body that's not lightweight in performance.
It returned Excellent Image Quality in tests in the Pop Photo Lab and out in the world, with excellent resolution through ISO 3200, stellar noise control (Extremely Low through ISO 400, Very Low through ISO 1600), and Excellent color accuracy.
Related Topics:
Adobe Photoshop CS3 Preview

Adobe's latest update, Photoshop CS3, brings together the best of three programs -- and improves on a classic.
- By Debbie Grossman on December 16, 2008
Despite competition from without (Apple's Aperture and Light-Craft's LightZone, for instance) and even from within (Adobe's own Lightroom), the grand dame of all imaging programs continues to evolve. And once again Adobe has made enough improvements in the latest incarnation of Photoshop to leave you wondering how you ever lived without them.
Related Topics:
Hands On: Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro

What do you get when you put a Fujifilm brain into a Nikon body? A DSLR that's more superhero than monster.
- By Dan Richards on December 16, 2008
Once we had a new fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro ($1,900, street, body only) in our hands, we stopped calling this new camera a tweak and starting calling it what it really is: the baddest DSLR Fuji has made yet. Yes, that's a compliment.
As we noted in our First Look (December 2006), this replacement for the S3 Pro consists of a Nikon D200 body with an eye and brain transplant: Fujifilm's 12.3MP Super SR CCD, plus the requisite Fuji processing engine and firmware.
Related Topics:
Which Camera Should I Buy?

If you're looking for a pocket-size compact with optical image stabilization for low-light shooting, here's the one for you.
- On December 16, 2008
I'd love to get a good pocket camera with a big LCD and real image stabilization, since I like to shoot in low light without flash. What do you recommend?
Quite a few compacts have "real" -- that is, optical -- stabilization, which counteracts camera shake by moving lens elements or shifting the imaging chip. Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Samsung, and Sony all make them. Optical stabilization allows steady shooting with superzoom cameras like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 (a 12X zoom) or Olympus SP-550 Ultrazoom (a humongous 18X zoom).
Related Topics:
Top 5 Slide Show Programs For PC

Your photos will razzle-dazzle 'em with the best new slide show software for the PC.
- On December 16, 2008
1. Ulead InterVideo WinDVD 8
Fully compatible with the new Windows Vista OS, InterVideo WinDVD 8 by Ulead (now owned by Corel) comes in two versions: Gold ($40, direct) and Platinum ($60). Both include dozens of special effects, transitions, text and graphics tools, and powerful video- and sound-editing functions. While both support a wide variety of file formats, the Platinum version adds highdefinition (HDTV) editing and playback for sharper shows. (intervideo.com)
2. CyberLink Power Director Premium 5
Related Topics:
Lens Test: Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 ZF Planar T*

One of the first Zeiss lenses made for Nikon DSLRs, this optic is everything you'd expect from the legendary name.
- By Julia Silber on December 16, 2008
We've been waiting a year, but at last Carl Zeiss is unrolling its ZF series of Nikon F-mount manual-focus T* lenses, made by Cosina in Japan to Zeiss specifications. We tested what we think is the best ZF for portraits, the 85mm f/1.4 Planar T*. At $1,300 (street), it's expensive, but it offers a few advantages.
Related Topics:
Photomatix Pro releases v2.4 HDR Processing Program

New version has ghost fixes, strip processing and expanded camera RAW support.
- By Jack Howard on December 16, 2008
HDR Soft has released an updated version of Photomatix Pro. The most notable upgrade is the incorporation of settings to reduce ghosting artifacts in multiple-source HDR generation series. There are two types of ghosting settings: Moving objects/people and periodic movements, such as rippling water. Both ghosting options can be set to "Normal" or "High" to attempt to fix moving elements in the combined HDR image.
Related Topics:
Lens Test: Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8 Pro DX AF

With its new multipurpose zoom, Tokina offers a standout performer in a very hot field.
- By Julia Silber on December 16, 2008
For full-frame film shooters, one of the most popular lenses is the highspeed 70-210mm zoom, suited to most typical photo subjects. No surprise, then, that lensmakers are now offering a spate of (approximately) 50-150mm digital-only zooms, the modern-day digital equivalent. At less than 2 pounds, Tokina's professional version, its 50-135mm f/2.8 Pro DX ($800, street), is lighter and more compact than traditional full-frame f/2.8 zooms. With multiple SD glass elements to better control chromatic aberration, it's the first Tokina with an easy-cleaning WP glass coating.
Related Topics:
How To Use A Second Flash

Take more sophisticated portraits and still-life shots by adding a second flash.
- By Peter Kolina on December 16, 2008
Have your lighting skills progressed so that now a single on-camera flash feels more limiting than liberating? You've got an inexpensive option: a second flash. Adding another light can open up creative floodgates, giving you professional effects at little cost. (The $136 flash, stand, and adapter rig described in the September 2006 Lighting column would be perfect.) Just choose -- and use -- your flash carefully.
Related Topics:
Spring 2007 New Lens Roundup

A lot of great glass has been introduced over the first three months of the year, including an increasing number of stabilized lenses. Here's a look at what's new for 2007.
- By Popphoto.com Staff on December 16, 2008
Sigma
Among the biggest head-turners at PMA 2007 was the gigantic Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG supertelephoto zoom lens. Estimated at over 35 pounds, this monster lens should cost a pretty penny. But with a fast, constant maximum aperture, and a dedicated 2x Tx as part of the package, you've got two lenses in one, the 200-500mm f/2.8, and the equally ridiculously impressive 400-1000mm f/5.6! No price has been set yet, but we predict it to be a tad south of $10,000.
Olympus
Related Topics: