https://fstoppers.com/ en Fri, 06 Nov 2026 15:23:38 -0500 Fri, 06 Nov 26 12:03:01 -0500 https://fstoppers.com/gear/7artisans-40mm-f25-remarkable-performance-price-904904?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/7artisans-40mm-f25-remarkable-performance-price-904904?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/10/7art-main.jpg.webp?itok=bozAmt-6" width="650" height="366" alt="Black Nikon Z mirrorless camera with a 7Artisans lens and lens hood attached, shot close-up against a pale gray surface."> </a> <p>I love small prime lenses and cameras for travel and street photography, so I was curious to test the new 40mm f/2.5 from 7Artisans. It's a tiny full frame lens for Nikon Z cameras, weighing a mere 97 g and measuring just 2 inches long. And at $159, it's also considerably cheaper than Nikon's 170 g NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2, which currently sells for around $277. Sony E and L-Mount versions are also available.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/7artisans-40mm-f25-remarkable-performance-price-904904?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Gear Reviews Fstoppers Originals 904904 Fri, 06 Nov 2026 12:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers 7Artisans 40mm f/2.5: Remarkable Performance for The Price Simon Burn https://fstoppers.com/education/why-new-printer-owners-should-start-basic-manufacturer-paper-905441?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/why-new-printer-owners-should-start-basic-manufacturer-paper-905441?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_18.jpg.webp?itok=9nX5S5Bx" width="650" height="366" alt="Man in glasses holding a printed photo test sheet beside an Epson printer, with yellow title text reading Paper NOT to Buy."> </a> <p>Buy a new photo printer, and the next temptation is a shopping cart full of baryta, cotton rag, and sampler packs of photo paper from every maker you've heard of. Paper shapes how a print looks, but telling which paper suits your images depends on a skill you can only build by printing a lot.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/why-new-printer-owners-should-start-basic-manufacturer-paper-905441?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Education Post Production 905441 Fri, 06 Nov 2026 11:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers Why New Printer Owners Should Start With Basic Manufacturer Paper Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/education/why-focusing-background-makes-photos-feel-dreamy-905440?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/why-focusing-background-makes-photos-feel-dreamy-905440?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_17.jpg.webp?itok=hgBgne9K" width="650" height="366" alt="Woman with blonde hair in a loose updo seen from behind, gazing over a blue sea toward a hazy volcanic mountain"> </a> <p>Nearly everything you learn about focus points in one direction: keep the subject sharp and let the background fall apart. Reversing that, so the person in front of the lens goes soft while the scene behind them stays crisp, is one of the simplest ways to make an image feel dreamy and a little unreal.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/why-focusing-background-makes-photos-feel-dreamy-905440?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Education Street 905440 Fri, 06 Nov 2026 09:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers Why Focusing on the Background Makes Photos Feel Dreamy Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/gear/4-affordable-compact-cameras-used-sony-zv-e10-lumix-l10-905439?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/4-affordable-compact-cameras-used-sony-zv-e10-lumix-l10-905439?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_16.jpg.webp?itok=11VAeQlT" width="650" height="366" alt="Man in a black hoodie holding up four mirrorless cameras in a comparison, with Sony and Panasonic Lumix bodies in the foreground."> </a> <p>Every small camera between $500 and $1,500 gives something up, whether that's stabilization, battery life, a viewfinder, or a mechanical shutter, and the Sony ZV-E10, Fujifilm X-M5, Lumix S9, and Lumix L10 each make a different sacrifice. Picking the one whose weakness you rarely run into is what separates a camera you carry every day from one you regret buying.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/4-affordable-compact-cameras-used-sony-zv-e10-lumix-l10-905439?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Gear Reviews 905439 Fri, 06 Nov 2026 07:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers 4 Affordable Compact Cameras, From a Used Sony ZV-E10 to the Lumix L10 Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/education/why-long-term-project-makes-photography-feel-less-repetitive-905438?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/why-long-term-project-makes-photography-feel-less-repetitive-905438?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_15.jpg.webp?itok=81E74SXU" width="650" height="366" alt="Bearded man in an orange knit beanie and olive jacket raising a mirrorless camera to his eye, with the title GIVE IT PURPOSE on the right."> </a> <p>Landscape photography can settle into a loop: scout a spot, wait for light, take the frame, go home, and do it again next weekend. That routine produces some beautiful single images, but a hard drive full of unrelated pictures rarely adds up to a body of work you can show someone.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/why-long-term-project-makes-photography-feel-less-repetitive-905438?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Education Landscapes 905438 Fri, 06 Nov 2026 05:03:02 -0500 Fstoppers Why a Long-Term Project Makes Photography Feel Less Repetitive Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/historical/why-kodak-film-sensitivity-depended-cows-and-mustard-904447?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/historical/why-kodak-film-sensitivity-depended-cows-and-mustard-904447?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/09/kodak-1925-film-speed-depended-on-cattle-feed-kodak-factory.jpg.webp?itok=yuUgu84E" width="650" height="366" alt="Black and white historic photograph of a tall brick commercial building with arched windows and a painted F.W. Bickford storage sign on its corner."> </a> <p>The working dose Samuel Sheppard wrote into his patent was 2 to 3 grains of thiosinamine per 100 pounds of dry gelatin, which works out to roughly three or four parts per million. Added to a gelatin stripped of its natural sensitizer, that trace could raise the emulsion's sensitivity by a factor of ten or twenty. Nudge it upward and the film fogged.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/historical/why-kodak-film-sensitivity-depended-cows-and-mustard-904447?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Fstoppers Originals Historical Science 904447 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 17:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers Why Kodak Film Sensitivity Depended on Cows and Mustard Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/gear/wandrds-magnetic-camera-straps-are-here-and-new-features-just-click-905354?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/wandrds-magnetic-camera-straps-are-here-and-new-features-just-click-905354?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/dsc00011.JPG.webp?itok=AAShGvAE" width="650" height="366" alt="Red and black camera strap with rubber connector clips lying on a concrete surface beside a camera and lens."> </a> <p>Almost every camera strap on the market from a couple dozen brands right now makes use of links that make it a lot easier to connect the camera to the straps. This smart yet simple solution made straps a lot more efficient, and WANDRD's take on the quick-release camera strap has a few extra features that make it better.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/wandrds-magnetic-camera-straps-are-here-and-new-features-just-click-905354?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Gear Reviews Fstoppers Originals 905354 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers Wandrd’s Magnetic Camera Straps Are Here and the New Features Just Click Nicco Valenzuela https://fstoppers.com/gear/how-using-team-approach-camera-purchases-can-be-more-effective-one-size-fits-all-905026?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/how-using-team-approach-camera-purchases-can-be-more-effective-one-size-fits-all-905026?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/10/261012-camera-lineup---c-christopher-malcolm-2-1.jpg.webp?itok=rjIIGhzG" width="650" height="366" alt="Five cameras lined up on a wooden counter in front of a wood plank wall, ranging from a cinema camera rig on the left to a small silver Nikon on the right."> </a> <p dir="ltr">Finding the perfect camera that will fit every job is the dream. But sometimes, it’s more effective to build a team than rely on the power of one.&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/how-using-team-approach-camera-purchases-can-be-more-effective-one-size-fits-all-905026?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Fstoppers Originals Gear Opinion Videography 905026 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers How Using a Team Approach to Camera Purchases Can Be More Effective Than One Size Fits All Christopher Malcolm https://fstoppers.com/gear/review-macbook-pro-proled-xdr-display-and-m5-max-screen-changes-everything-905426?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/review-macbook-pro-proled-xdr-display-and-m5-max-screen-changes-everything-905426?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/macbook-pro-m5-max-proled-xdr-lead.jpg.webp?itok=0YpBvYou" width="650" height="366" alt="Space black MacBook Pro displaying a photo editing app with a glowing LED mesh installation and silhouetted hands."> </a> <p>The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is the first Mac laptop with a tandem OLED panel, and after two days with the 16-inch M5 Max I keep coming back to the same thought: Apple did not just bolt a nicer screen onto last year's computer. This is a major step forward all around.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The review unit is the 16-inch with the M5 Max, 18-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 128 GB of unified memory, and a 4 TB SSD, in Space Black.</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/review-macbook-pro-proled-xdr-display-and-m5-max-screen-changes-everything-905426?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Fstoppers Originals Gear Reviews 905426 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers We Review the MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display and M5 Max: The Screen Changes Everything Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/education/why-best-forest-photos-day-were-steps-truck-905424?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/why-best-forest-photos-day-were-steps-truck-905424?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_13.jpg.webp?itok=mAaWFkU-" width="650" height="366" alt="Smiling bearded man in a cap and dark-rimmed glasses taking a selfie in a misty forest with golden ferns"> </a> <p>You drive out to a waterfall the day after a downpour, expecting a torrent, and find the creek almost dry. A blown plan like that tests how quickly you can switch to a backup spot, and how much you can pull out of an ordinary forest scene later with focus stacking in Photoshop and some careful masking in Lightroom.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/why-best-forest-photos-day-were-steps-truck-905424?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Education Landscapes Lightroom 905424 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers Why the Best Forest Photos of the Day Were Steps From the Truck Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/architecture/3-reasons-use-tilt-shift-lens-featuring-laowa-24mm-f2-zero-d-tilt-shift-905416?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/architecture/3-reasons-use-tilt-shift-lens-featuring-laowa-24mm-f2-zero-d-tilt-shift-905416?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/261007-laowa-tilt-shift-on-z9-12.jpg.webp?itok=jfuRDs-J" width="650" height="366" alt="Close-up of a tilt-shift lens with its tilt scale and knob mounted on a black Nikon mirrorless camera body."> </a> <p dir="ltr">Today I’m going to examine the benefits of using a tilt-shift lens with the help of the brand-new Laowa 24mm f/2 Zero-D Tilt-Shift.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">First, an admission. I’m not an architectural photographer. In most of my work, faces take precedence, and buildings are essentially set dressing. But there is something magical about a well-made tilt-shift lens, so when given the opportunity to try one out, I wanted to have a look and see what it is that makes a tilt-shift lens useful in so many photographers' workflows.</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/architecture/3-reasons-use-tilt-shift-lens-featuring-laowa-24mm-f2-zero-d-tilt-shift-905416?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Fstoppers Originals Gear Architecture Opinion Education 905416 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers 3 Reasons To Use A Tilt Shift Lens Featuring The Laowa 24mm f/2 Zero-D Tilt-Shift Christopher Malcolm https://fstoppers.com/gear/why-nikons-z-120-300mm-f28-tc-carrying-4-fast-primes-one-905425?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/why-nikons-z-120-300mm-f28-tc-carrying-4-fast-primes-one-905425?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_14.jpg.webp?itok=Y5e38yLD" width="650" height="366" alt="Nikon Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC VR S telephoto zoom lens mounted on a Nikon mirrorless camera, held up by a person whose face is hidden behind it."> </a> <p>Nikon's Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC VR S is up for preorder at $13,996, and for that money, you get a constant f/2.8 zoom with a 1.4x teleconverter built into the barrel. If you shoot sports, wildlife, events, or anything else where you can't simply walk closer, one lens that covers the territory of several fast primes changes what you pack and how quickly you can respond to what's in front of you.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/why-nikons-z-120-300mm-f28-tc-carrying-4-fast-primes-one-905425?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Gear Reviews 905425 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers Why Nikon's Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC Is Like Carrying 4 Fast Primes in One Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/gear/budget-sg-image-af-55mm-f18-sharp-corner-corner-f28-905423?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/budget-sg-image-af-55mm-f18-sharp-corner-corner-f28-905423?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_12.jpg.webp?itok=ddHnrVtz" width="650" height="366" alt="Hand holding a black mirrorless camera with a 55mm f/1.8 autofocus lens attached, shown from above on a dark surface."> </a> <p>A standard prime is often the second lens people buy, and on Nikon Z, the inexpensive autofocus options have long trailed what Sony E shooters can pick from. SG-image, a brand mostly known for small pancake lenses, now offers a 55mm f/1.8 autofocus prime with a metal body and a look that suits retro-styled cameras.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/budget-sg-image-af-55mm-f18-sharp-corner-corner-f28-905423?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Gear Reviews 905423 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers The Budget SG-image AF 55mm f/1.8 Is Sharp Corner to Corner by f/2.8 Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/education/3-ways-select-anything-photoshop-lasso-tool-ai-905422?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/3-ways-select-anything-photoshop-lasso-tool-ai-905422?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_11.jpg.webp?itok=PTBx7l5Q" width="650" height="366" alt="Thumbnail for a Photoshop tutorial showing a smiling man's head outlined by a dashed selection marquee, with the title 'SELECTION' and 'LESSON 7' text."> </a> <p>Almost every Photoshop edit beyond a global adjustment starts with telling the software which pixels to touch. Get that step wrong, and every brightening pass, color shift, and composite you build on top of it shows its seams.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/3-ways-select-anything-photoshop-lasso-tool-ai-905422?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Education Photoshop Post Production 905422 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 05:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers 3 Ways to Select Anything in Photoshop, From the Lasso Tool to AI Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/film/kodachrome-ended-parsons-kansas-dwaynes-photo-ran-last-roll-january-18-2011-904436?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/film/kodachrome-ended-parsons-kansas-dwaynes-photo-ran-last-roll-january-18-2011-904436?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/09/kodachrome-lead-1000x570.jpg.webp?itok=WpUOOTLi" width="650" height="366" alt="Snow-covered freight yard with rows of brown boxcars on parallel tracks, with steam plumes rising from the city beyond."> </a> <p>In the last week of December 2010, a railroad worker named Jim DeNike drove from Arkansas to Parsons, Kansas, and loaded a dozen boxes holding nearly 50,000 slides into an old maroon Pontiac. He had sent Dwayne's Photo 1,580 rolls of Kodachrome and paid $15,798 to have them developed, borrowing against his father's retirement account to cover it. Every frame in those boxes was a picture of a train.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/film/kodachrome-ended-parsons-kansas-dwaynes-photo-ran-last-roll-january-18-2011-904436?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Film Photography Fstoppers Originals Historical 904436 Wed, 04 Nov 2026 17:03:02 -0500 Fstoppers Kodachrome Ended in Parsons, Kansas: Dwayne's Photo Ran the Last Roll on January 18, 2011 Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/hacks/feature-nikon-never-shipped-905004?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/hacks/feature-nikon-never-shipped-905004?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/10/layer-2.png.webp?itok=fR8y-xzk" width="650" height="366" alt="Gold Nikon D3 camera box in the foreground on a gray couch, with a Nikon D3 DSLR with a lens attached behind it."> </a> <p>Every camera owner has their own list of things they wish their camera could do—features that seem easily achievable with a simple software update. Normally, that list dies quietly the moment a camera leaves the manufacturer's support cycle. Take the Nikon D3 as an example: unless you take matters into your own hands, nobody at Nikon is going to allocate resources to add new features to a flagship body from 2007. This is where I stumbled upon Marcus Low's firmware experimentation. He was kind enough to document and share his thoughts and the technical process of how he got there.&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/hacks/feature-nikon-never-shipped-905004?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Fstoppers Originals Hacks 905004 Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:03:02 -0500 Fstoppers The Feature Nikon Never Shipped Zhen Siang Yang https://fstoppers.com/gear/why-sub-100-godox-most-versatile-flash-wedding-photographers-bag-905414?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/why-sub-100-godox-most-versatile-flash-wedding-photographers-bag-905414?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_10.jpg.webp?itok=PL9r-ni2" width="650" height="366" alt="Split-screen image of two bearded men in glasses, each raising a camera to his eye, with the word FLASH in white italic letters across the center."> </a> <p>Rangefinders like Leica's M bodies and compacts like Fujifilm's X100 line have pulled a lot of people back toward on-camera flash, and finding a speedlight that fits those small bodies without overwhelming them has never been simple. The flash you pick decides whether you get harsh direct light, a softer bounce, or an off-camera look, and it decides how much weight hangs off your neck through a four-hour reception.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/why-sub-100-godox-most-versatile-flash-wedding-photographers-bag-905414?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Gear Lighting 905414 Wed, 04 Nov 2026 11:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers Why a Sub-$100 Godox Is the Most Versatile Flash in a Wedding Photographer's Bag Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/education/what-30000-free-doritos-commercials-can-teach-about-spec-work-905413?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/what-30000-free-doritos-commercials-can-teach-about-spec-work-905413?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_9.jpg.webp?itok=wBtra0H6" width="650" height="366" alt="Graphic with bold distressed text reading 'ONE BRIEF. 32,000 PITCHES.' on a cream, textured paper background"> </a> <p>Doritos once got more than 30,000 Super Bowl commercials made by fans, and most of the people who made them got nothing. If a client has ever asked you for a free test edit, a sample shoot, or a quick concept before they commit, you've been offered a smaller version of the same deal.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/what-30000-free-doritos-commercials-can-teach-about-spec-work-905413?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Education Videography 905413 Wed, 04 Nov 2026 09:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers What 30,000 Free Doritos Commercials Can Teach You About Spec Work Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/gear/lumix-vs-ttartisan-vs-viltrox-why-priciest-40mm-isnt-clear-winner-905412?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/lumix-vs-ttartisan-vs-viltrox-why-priciest-40mm-isnt-clear-winner-905412?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_8.jpg.webp?itok=ZPXS1Oaz" width="650" height="366" alt="Three black autofocus 40mm lenses standing on a reflective surface against a warm orange backdrop with blue rim light."> </a> <p>Panasonic, TTArtisan, and Viltrox all make a compact 40mm autofocus prime for full frame L-mount cameras, and one of them costs noticeably more than the other two. When three lenses share a focal length and a mount, the choice comes down to build, rendering, and how much each extra dollar changes what ends up in your files.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/lumix-vs-ttartisan-vs-viltrox-why-priciest-40mm-isnt-clear-winner-905412?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Gear Reviews 905412 Wed, 04 Nov 2026 07:03:02 -0500 Fstoppers Lumix vs. TTArtisan vs. Viltrox: Why the Priciest 40mm Isn't the Clear Winner Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/education/high-speed-sync-vs-global-shutter-flash-portraits-bright-sun-905411?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/high-speed-sync-vs-global-shutter-flash-portraits-bright-sun-905411?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_7.jpg.webp?itok=6TK3uUS3" width="650" height="366" alt="Split image: a woman with long auburn hair in a black one-shoulder top and polka dot shorts on the left, and a bearded man in a palm-print shirt holding a camera on the right."> </a> <p>Shoot a flash portrait at f/1.2 in midday sun and you run into a wall fast: most cameras stop syncing with a flash somewhere around 1/160 to 1/250 s, and anything faster leaves dark bands across the frame. Sony's a9 III and its global shutter offer a way past that wall, which puts high-speed sync, the usual workaround, in an interesting spot.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/high-speed-sync-vs-global-shutter-flash-portraits-bright-sun-905411?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Education Lighting Portraits 905411 Wed, 04 Nov 2026 05:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers High-Speed Sync vs. Global Shutter for Flash Portraits in Bright Sun Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/film/preacher-who-patented-flexible-film-1898-and-died-kodak-paid-5-million-it-904435?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/film/preacher-who-patented-flexible-film-1898-and-died-kodak-paid-5-million-it-904435?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/09/goodwin-lead-1000x570.jpg.webp?itok=sLHf6JbV" width="650" height="366" alt="Black and white portrait of an older bearded man with a bald crown, wearing a dark clerical-style coat with a white collar."> </a> <p>Hannibal Goodwin's application for a photographic pellicle reached the Patent Office on May 2, 1887, and stayed there for eleven years and four months while a succession of five examiners rejected it. George Eastman's chemist filed his own flexible film application on April 9, 1889, and had a granted patent eight months later. By the time Goodwin's US Patent 610,861 issued on September 13, 1898, Kodak had been selling transparent roll film to the public for nine years.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/film/preacher-who-patented-flexible-film-1898-and-died-kodak-paid-5-million-it-904435?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Film Photography Fstoppers Originals Historical 904435 Tue, 03 Nov 2026 17:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers The Preacher Who Patented Flexible Film in 1898 and Died Before Kodak Paid $5 Million for It Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/landscapes/dont-need-macro-lens-mushroom-photography-there-i-said-it-904983?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/landscapes/dont-need-macro-lens-mushroom-photography-there-i-said-it-904983?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/10/mushrooms-6.jpg.webp?itok=T2xrvfI9" width="650" height="366" alt="Brown capped mushroom with a fuzzy white underside growing from green moss on a forest floor, with a pine cone beside it."> </a> <p>There is a tendency in photography to believe that if we want to photograph a particular subject, we need to buy the equipment designed specifically for it. Want to photograph wildlife? You need a long telephoto lens. Want to photograph the night sky? You need a fast wide angle lens. Want to photograph mushrooms? You need a macro lens.</p><p>But do you really?&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/landscapes/dont-need-macro-lens-mushroom-photography-there-i-said-it-904983?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Macro Photography Landscapes Fstoppers Originals 904983 Tue, 03 Nov 2026 12:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers You Don’t Need a Macro Lens for Mushroom Photography. There, I Said It. Darren J. Spoonley https://fstoppers.com/gear/why-one-superzoom-might-be-all-need-long-hike-905376?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/why-one-superzoom-might-be-all-need-long-hike-905376?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_6.jpg.webp?itok=cUx6fPvA" width="650" height="366" alt="Man in a dark beanie and jacket raising an OM System mirrorless camera to his eye on a grassy dune at golden hour."> </a> <p>The OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO covers the same range as a 24-200mm zoom on full frame, so it raises an obvious question if you hike long distances with a camera: can one lens stand in for the three you usually carry? A single weather-sealed zoom saves weight and spares you lens changes in wind and spray, but landscape work also asks for real wide angle coverage, close foreground focus, and sharpness from corner to corner.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/why-one-superzoom-might-be-all-need-long-hike-905376?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Gear Landscapes 905376 Tue, 03 Nov 2026 11:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers Why One Superzoom Might Be All You Need on a Long Hike Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/film/why-rained-out-race-worth-photographing-film-905375?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/film/why-rained-out-race-worth-photographing-film-905375?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_5.jpg.webp?itok=J8_uiNLe" width="650" height="366" alt="Split image: an older man in a cap climbs onto a red and white race car marked 17, and a hand holds a Canon EOS-1N film camera with a Contax flash."> </a> <p>A storm that cancels an event usually sends everyone home, camera included. On a long trip, the days that fall apart often produce the frames you end up keeping, and with film you won't know which ones worked until the rolls come back.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/film/why-rained-out-race-worth-photographing-film-905375?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Film Photography Travel 905375 Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers Why a Rained-Out Race Is Worth Photographing on Film Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/gear/why-panasonic-lumix-s1rii-great-buy-everything-sports-905374?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/why-panasonic-lumix-s1rii-great-buy-everything-sports-905374?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_4.jpg.webp?itok=5r0TWRb9" width="650" height="366" alt="Panasonic Lumix S1RII mirrorless camera body without a lens, sitting on a wooden shelf in front of a row of books, with the title PANASONIC LUMIX S1RII on a purple gradient at left."> </a> <p>The Panasonic Lumix S1RII pairs a 44-megapixel full frame sensor with 8K video for about $3,300, and that sensor isn't stacked, so it reads out slowly. If you shoot both stills and video, that one design choice shapes nearly everything about how the camera behaves in your hands.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/gear/why-panasonic-lumix-s1rii-great-buy-everything-sports-905374?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Gear Reviews 905374 Tue, 03 Nov 2026 07:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers Why the Panasonic Lumix S1RII Is a Great Buy for Everything but Sports Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/education/why-its-ok-come-home-landscape-shoot-empty-handed-905373?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/why-its-ok-come-home-landscape-shoot-empty-handed-905373?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/11/cover_3.jpg.webp?itok=2irOBiNG" width="650" height="366" alt="Bearded man in a dark cap holding a Sony FE 2.8/16-35 GM lens toward the camera, with 'THE TRUTH' text overlaid on a forest and water backdrop."> </a> <p>Watch enough landscape videos and you start to believe the professionals walk out at golden hour and come home with a portfolio image every time. That belief shapes how you judge your own outings, and how hard you are on yourself when the sky catches fire and your card holds nothing you want to show anyone.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/education/why-its-ok-come-home-landscape-shoot-empty-handed-905373?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Education Landscapes 905373 Tue, 03 Nov 2026 05:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers Why It's OK to Come Home From a Landscape Shoot Empty-Handed Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/critique-community/unique-edit?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/critique-community/unique-edit?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/contest/lead/unique-edit-cover-rafal-wegiel.jpg.webp?itok=g801JgIm" width="650" height="366" alt="Woman with dramatic plum makeup framed by a dense wall of red and magenta flowers, including clematis and calla lilies."> </a> <p>Welcome to the November installment of the Critique the Community! This month's critique theme is going to be "<strong>Unique Edit</strong>," and we want to see your best photographs that were brought to life with a new or unique editing style or specific editing software.</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/critique-community/unique-edit?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Critiques 905328 Mon, 02 Nov 2026 20:54:02 -0500 Fstoppers Critique the Community: Unique Edit Patrick Hall https://fstoppers.com/portraits/2013-researchers-pulled-recognizable-faces-bystanders-out-eye-reflections-904427?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/portraits/2013-researchers-pulled-recognizable-faces-bystanders-out-eye-reflections-904427?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/08/faces-in-the-catchlights-iris-macro.jpg.webp?itok=Ow4iKdEv" width="650" height="366" alt="Extreme close-up of a golden-green iris with orange radial patterns surrounding a dark pupil on a black background."> </a> <p>An anonymous peer reviewer worked through a manuscript, looked at one of its figures, and recognized one of the authors. The face was a reflection in another person's eye. Across the study's bystanders, those extracted faces ran 27 to 36 pixels wide and covered roughly 322 pixels apiece, and that accidental recognition became the paper's second experiment.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/portraits/2013-researchers-pulled-recognizable-faces-bystanders-out-eye-reflections-904427?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Fstoppers Originals Portraits Science 904427 Mon, 02 Nov 2026 17:03:02 -0500 Fstoppers In 2013, Researchers Pulled Recognizable Faces of Bystanders Out of the Eye Reflections in a Portrait Alex Cooke https://fstoppers.com/landscapes/luminar-fall-update-some-powerful-new-tools-905213?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/landscapes/luminar-fall-update-some-powerful-new-tools-905213?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/10/bridge-2-meural2crop.jpg.webp?itok=BtM2sN2L" width="650" height="366" alt="Small wooden footbridge with dark metal railings crossing a creek in an autumn park, framed by orange and gold trees at sunrise."> </a> <p>Luminar has released a solid fall update with some new features and some enhancements. The update is free to current owners and can, of course, be purchased by photographers who are interested.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This new update is version 1.29.0. The update should appear automatically, or you can click "Check for Updates" in the Luminar dropdown menu.</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/landscapes/luminar-fall-update-some-powerful-new-tools-905213?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Fstoppers Originals Landscapes Post Production Software Sponsored 905213 Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:03:02 -0500 Fstoppers The Luminar Fall Update Has Some Powerful New Tools Mel Martin https://fstoppers.com/film/cant-afford-leica-buy-one-these-instead-904982?utm_source=fstoppers&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles <a href="https://fstoppers.com/film/cant-afford-leica-buy-one-these-instead-904982?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/16_9_max_650/s3/lead/2026/10/voigtlander-bessa-r3a-leica-m6-m7-alternative-lead.jpg.webp?itok=vAY8yOn9" width="650" height="366" alt="Black rangefinder camera labeled R3A with a Nokton Classic lens, resting on a wooden table against a grey background"> </a> <p>If you’re pondering a Leica rangefinder film camera but can’t bring yourself to spend a crazy amount of money, maybe give this a go.&nbsp;</p><p>Having reimmersed myself back into the wonderful world of analog about five years ago, my collection of film cameras has slowly been growing. And like many analog enthusiasts, there’s one camera that has a certain allure, especially as all the cool kids on YouTube seem to own one: the Leica M6.</p> <p>[<a href="https://fstoppers.com/film/cant-afford-leica-buy-one-these-instead-904982?utm_source=fstoppers&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=rss_feed_articles">Read More</a>]</p> Film Photography Gear Opinion Fstoppers Originals 904982 Mon, 02 Nov 2026 12:03:01 -0500 Fstoppers Can’t Afford a Leica? Buy One of These Instead Andy Day