Author: David Ashton

There’s always elegance to a design that mixes up both old and new influences in one package. This is the case with the Leica Q (Typ 116) which is a 24MP, fixed 28mm f/1.7 Summilux stabilized lens with a full-frame sensor. The design is in the same flavor as the M-series rangefinders and sports an electronic viewfinder and touch-sensitive screen, which works alongside control points for the best of manual and electronic functionality. Compact design, full-frame sensor, and Leica’s usual high-quality lens mean ultra-sharp images, with manual or autofocus. Aperture and shutter speed have their own dials or the option…

The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM is a wide-angle zoom lens that is very capable on full frame and crop sensors (equivalent focal length 27-64mm), extremely solid and built for everyday wide-angle use. If wide-angle is your thing, then this zoom will give you great quality across its focal range. Design The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM benefits from weather sealing, with 12 elements in total, three aspherical and a Super UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) element. The ring-type ultrasonic focus motor is the usual silent and fast functionality you get with Canon, which provides crisp autofocus and smooth manual focus when needed.…

The Parrot AR Drone 2.0 Elite is now an old-ish design, being first launched in 2012, but it was one of the first drones that didn’t feel like you needed a pilots license to fly and could produce some decent videos and stills. The benefit of an older design means cheaper current prices and, as long as you’re not too worried about not shooting in 4K, you still get reasonable quality and a fun flying experience. Design The frame of the Parrot AR Drone 2.0 is mostly nylon and carbon fiber, with each rotor reassuringly protected by the frame, at least…

The Fujifilm X-H1 mirrorless camera is a chunkier and more fully fledged shift up from the X-T2 with the same 24MP sensor, but with more enhanced video capabilities. There’s also in-body image stabilization, sloped viewfinder, and topside LCD screen, along with a healthily sized grip and larger buttons. Clearly building on the success of the X-T2, the upgrades aren’t just external. There’s also an improved AF system, better operation in low light, ‘Eterna’ Film Simulation, anti-flicker, individual settings for both stills and video such as exposure, and movie Silent control to disable the aperture ring and other dials. More silent…

The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED was released in August 2007 – a fantastic, high-quality workhorse lens, covering the most common zoom range for everyday needs. It’s happy on any Nikon FX (full-frame) and DX (APS-C) DSLRs, with the focal length being 36-105mm on crop sensors. The lens benefits from 15 elements in 11 groups, three ED (extra low-dispersion) elements, three aspherical elements, and a Nano Crystal Coating. All top-quality variables for use on a daily basis. Design Being a mid-range zoom, this is the type of lens that you would use every day. Therefore, you want something that…

The 1D series of cameras are Canon’s flagship imaging tools, built for the professional who needs an industrial grade camera which will perform in all circumstances on a daily basis. The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has many similarities of previous models with some choice upgrades. An improved 20.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor, Dual Pixel autofocus system, expanded point autofocus system, and 4k video are some of the features that may entice you to upgrade. The reality of this camera is that it will be mostly a choice for existing Canon users, either already familiar with the 1D series or someone…

I have a personal affinity for Sony cameras as my first digital was a Sony DSC-F717, which seemed at the time to be able to do a bit of everything and do it very well. The Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI is no different, fitting into the “I can do a bit of everything” category. The camera is quick, with 24 frames per second, 4k video, and a 20.1MP 1″ type stacked CMOS sensor. It’s the first RX100-series camera with a touchscreen and a retractable electronic viewfinder. Design Like any new iteration of a design, there are going to be slight…

If you want a “go anywhere, do anything” type of camera, then the GoPro range does a pretty good job of covering all bases. The GoPro HERO5 Black can still be bought for a reasonable price and has some great features like waterproof to 10m and a broad dynamic range. Being so super-wide-angle means that you can get some creative close-ups, as well as capture some huge scenic views in all their glory. Design The solid design of the GoPro range always gives confidence to take this unit where other video cameras and DSLRs fear to tread. The GoPro HERO5…

There are so many puns I could use when a camera has the word ‘Rebel’ in its name, but I will stick to just the latest version hailing from a long line of Rebels. Things have come a long way since those early rebellious times, sorry… the Canon EOS Rebel T6i (referred to as the 750D in other countries) has a new and increased pixel count of 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor, an AF 19-point phase-detection borrowed from Canon’s 7D, a 3″ fully articulating touchscreen LCD, and 1080/30p video. Add in WiFi and Flicker detection like in the 7D Mark II…

The Canon 24-70mm zoom is quite the workhorse lens, being a go-to for most applications. It’s not too wide angle, not too telephoto, and wide open can cover most applications. The camera was originally released in 2002, with the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM update in February 2012, bringing in a new lighter design with better optics. This hopes to reduce some of the distortion found on the earlier model, with more robust weather sealing. Design Having Canon’s veritable red line around the lens means a high-end lens built for full-frame bodies. However, the lens works equally well on…

The Pentax K-1 Mark II is the latest iteration of this camera boasting new features and upgrades, but not necessarily a complete change from the original model. The camera definitely has some improvements, like the AF Tracking algorithm, with the camera having a great range of features for most situations. But the big question is if this full-frame DSLR camera can hold its own against the competition and even its predecessor. Design The Pentax K-1 Mark II has to hold up against the rest of the market at this price point and does so with a 36.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor, 33-point…

The Panasonic LUMIX DC-GX9 is joining the current fashion for compact cameras in the rangefinder style, ideally suited for the photographer on the go. Compact shouldn’t be confused with a limited amount of features or quality – the DC-GX9 packs 20 megapixels, a Four Thirds sensor, and a nice tilting viewfinder to capture those extreme angle shots. What you need in a design like this one is a solid build, with easy to access features and gives stunning image quality. The DC-GX9 can give great JPEG images, along with the same quality of RAW files if needed. Throw in 4K…

The Nikon D810 nicely rounds off the brand’s 800-series and is not just a standard upgrade, but features functional upgrades that definitely make it worth buying into. The D800E had bags of raw dynamic range, with the Nikon D810 building on this aspect. Features like ISO 64 mode, electronic front curtain shutter, a new mirror mechanism, and the Continuous AF have been upgraded, but most importantly the camera builds on the functionality of the D800 or D800E with better image quality. Design On the surface, the Nikon D810 tries to consolidate aspects from both the D800 and D800E. Some of…

In 2016, Nikon released its highly anticipated, top-of-the-line flagship DSLR, the Nikon D5. Boasting a 20.8MP full-frame sensor, Expeed 5 processor, and 153-point autofocus system, it’s better than its predecessor, the D4S, with the whole unit built for the working photographer who wants a robust body that can work at high speed all the time. There are clearly going to be comparisons with the D4S, especially since it’s priced the same, and comparisons to the Canon EOS 1D-X II, but more than likely it’s going to be existing Nikon users who are going to dive into this camera. Once you…

With the latest league of drones and their reliable features, consumers now want ease of portability and compact design, too. And, the DJI Mavic Pro delivers that. The days of a drone taking up half of the trunk of your car are gone! This fantastic unit folds up to a very compact size and also packs loads of features. But can portability and functionality work in the same package? Overall Design This Mavic design has been totally overhauled with portability in mind. Having everything fold down to something that you can fit in your hand is very impressive, with folding…

It never ceases to amaze me how far drone technology has come on in recent years. I started looking into the technology back in 2008 when it was just a basic brain and you had to strap on your own lightweight camera. The biggest issues back then were camera vibrations, stabilization, and seemingly needing years of RC experience to just fly the thing. My, how things have changed. Units like the DJI Mavic Pro is a delight to fly. The DJI Mavic 2 Pro now also features a 20MP 1″-type sensor with a Hasselblad branded camera and 28mm equivalent lens utilizing…

Most photographers go a bit weak at the knees when it comes to Hasselblad cameras. Medium format sensors and top quality is the name of their game, but outside of the studio, they are not always the most complete, well-rounded cameras. The Hasselblad X1D-50c marks a more compact design, still compatible with Hasselblad HC and HCD lenses, and a unit you should be able to take anywhere with its mirrorless design. Design A big selling point with this camera is the 50MP, 44 x 33mm sensor which works out being 70% bigger than de facto full frame sensors. And the…

The Fujifilm GFX 50R is a 51.4-megapixel rangefinder-like medium format mirrorless camera, looking a lot like Fujifilm’s compact X-E3 mirrorless camera. Much of the workings are along the lines of its predecessor, the GFX 50S, but this time into a more compact and less pricey affair. On release, there are going to be clear comparisons with the GFX 50S on price and resolution, but the price and a few more additional features will be the deciding factor. It weighs more than its competitors at 775 grams (the Nikon Z7 675g, Hasselblad X1D 725g, and Sony a7R III 657g) and comes…

The Canon EOS M50 is an entry-level mirrorless interchangeable lens camera aimed at those who want a lightweight solution backed by great images and video, without the extra weight of its more expensive siblings. It benefits from a fully rotating touchscreen, electronic viewfinder and a 24MP APS-C sensor as per the M-series. This end of the market likes to cram in the features and the M50 is no different. In many ways, it’s for those who are dipping their toe into the market for the first time. Video is an important factor with this market’s consumer, with the M50 delivering…