Cameras

Was the Canon 5D the Digital Camera that Broke Film’s Back?

It seems like ages ago when most pros were still shooting film, but actually it wasn’t that far back in time. In 2005, Canon released the EOS 5D—a full-frame DSLR that many think turned the tide for skeptical photogs still doubting what digital could do. The B&H Insights blog has a brief history of why…

These Lamps Make Use of Your Camera Kit While It’s Idle

You love your camera kit. Of course you do, it’s beautiful! But wouldn’t it be great if you could make use of it—by which we mean, well, look at it—while it wasn’t in use? That’s where Phlite might just come in. The idea is that Phlite transforms your camera gear into a desk, table or…

The Last Days of the DSLR

The DSLR is everywhere. You see it around the necks of tourists, against the faces of pro photographers. Since Canon introduced the Digital Rebel in 2003, the DSLR has come to dominate photography outright. That ubiquity is about to come to an end so abrupt, you might not even have time to notice it. No,…

iPhone Anamorphic Lens Lets You Shoot Wider Than Widescreen

Even though 35mm film dominated the film industry for years and years, the majority of movies released to theaters were much wider than the stock’s 4:3 aspect ratio. But instead of sacrificing resolution and simply cropping off the top and bottom of a frame to make it widescreen, filmmakers used special lenses that squeezed a…

Gifts for the Camera Obsessed Photo Nerd

Everyone has that friend or relative who you never see without a camera. Here are some gift ideas for sure-fire ways into their photo-snapping hearts. You’ll find all of our recommendations below. Go ahead and add your own if there’s anything we missed!

The ever-popular photography app VSCO Cam has finally made its way to Android. Now those lush filmic styles and design-y gallery grids are available on devices running Android 4.0 and later.

The Rubber Band Macro Lens Is Now Stackable For Greater Magnification

When the original version was first revealed, we were amazed at how brilliantly easy the rubber band Easy-Macro made adding an extra lens to any smartphone. But somehow the new version manages to further improve the original design with a better lens that helps protect it from scratches and allows it to be stacked for…

Check Out These Vintage Cameras Turned Into Handsome Lamps

Now that film is almost obsolete, you’re probably wondering what to do with that beautiful old Minolta taking up precious space in your desk drawer. Well, have you ever considered building furniture out of it? This crew of crafty Chinese designers has. Y Studio prides itself on turning found objects into useful tools and that’s…

Researchers from MIT have developed a camera that can take pictures in almost total darkness. It works by mathematically reconstructing 3D images from single photons reflected from dimly lit objects. The achievement could result in stealthy spy cameras, or treat eyes that are easily damaged by excess light. Image: Ahmed Kirmani/MIT

Polaroid’s First Camera Caused Black Friday Pandemonium 65 Years Ago

Polaroid is a non-entity these days, but instant photography lives on in the digital photos we produce at dazzling speeds. We’re addicted, and that’s what made Polaroid the hottest tech company in the world when its first blockbuster consumer product, the Model 95 Land Camera, went on sale. That was 65 years ago on Black…

Apple Patents Lytro-Style Camera Technology for Refocusable Images

Apple was just awarded a patent for a “plenoptic” or light-field camera, much like the one that Lytro started selling a couple of years ago. This is the type of technology that enables you to refocus photos after you’ve taken them. It would also seriously take iPhone photography to the next level. The patent for…

​Sony A7, A7r Review: So Long DSLRs, Hello Future of Photography

The full-frame camera has been synonymous with the most high-end DSLRs—the biggest, the priciest. Not anymore. A new breed of camera that’s light on its feet but packs the best image quality outside of pro-grade gear is here, and it starts with Sony’s new A7 series. https://gizmodo.com/sony-a7r-and-a7-first-impressions-full-frame-power-pa-1456083926 What Is It? A mirrorless camera with a…

How Squinching Will Make You Look Good in Photos

If you—or the people you take photographs of—always look bad in images, then help is at hand. Professional portrait photographer Peter Hurley suggests you squinch next time you have your picture taken. If you’re unaware what squinching is, join the club! Merriam Webster defines it as: SQUINCH transitive verb 1: to screw up (the eyes…

A Canon-Friendly Cage to Fix Your GoPro’s Sad Battery Life

As people find more creative uses for GoPro cameras, the device’s biggest drawback—paltry battery life—becomes more and more glaring. Thankfully, there is now a device that lets you use Canon DSLR batteries to give your GoPro a whole lot of extra juice. The $180 Tehkton CagePro works with the GoPro HERO 3 or 3+ to…

Shelved Android Code Hints That Way Better Camera Apps Are Coming

Android has come a long way as a platform in the last couple of years, but one drawback of the phones is that for the most part their cameras lag behind what’s available for Windows Phone and iOS ). A batch of comments discovered in the Android source code hints that the cameras might be…

Freezing a Fighter Jet in Mid-Air with 30,000 Watts of Flash

It can be hard to take a good picture of something moving relatively fast, but it’s really hard to take a good picture of a jet moving at 400-ish MPH through the sky. Yuri Acurs, stock photographer extraordinaire, tried to tackle that challenge with excess—in the form of 30,000W of flash. The picture that Acurs…

Nexus 5 Camera Battle: Welcome to Photography, Google

Last year’s Nexus 4 was a wonderful phone paired with a miserably subpar camera. By contrast, the Nexus 5 is loaded with all the excellence Google and LG could muster, including a camera that can almost keep up with the big boys. Here’s how it stacks up. Just how good is the camera on the…

This Documentary Will Inspire You to Explore Your City With a Camera

There’s no better playground for a photographer than a bustling, loud, dynamic city. In the documentary Everybody Street, which just dropped on Vimeo, some of New York’s most iconic photogs talk about the challenge and excitement of shooting everyday urban life. Directed by photographer Cheryl Dunn, Everybody Street interviews marquee names like Joel Meyerowitz, Elliott…

Fuji Instax Mini 90 Review: Photos You Can For Real Hold in Your Hand

Polaroid may be all but dead, but there are still instant film cameras to be enjoyed by the nostalgia-craving public. Fujifilm’s latest, the Instax Mini 90 Neo-Classic, is an odd little thing with more options that you’re used to from instant film cameras. What Is It? It’s a $200 fixed focal length camera that shoots…

The Throwable, Panoramic Ball Cam Is Finally Here—and It’s Incredible

When we first got wind of a throwable, 36-lens compound camera that automatically snaps 360-degree panoramas at the height of its toss, we were already impressed—and that was jus the prototype (seen above on the right). Now, the officially named Panono camera is nearly half its former size, just as powerful, and finally ready to…