Photography Gear

HP Sprocket Photobooth

Reviews

HP Sprocket Photobooth Review: A Party-Ready Photo Booth That Prints, Shares, and Actually Makes Sense

The HP Sprocket Photobooth knows exactly what it is. It isn’t pretending to be a full-scale professional event booth, and it’s not just a pocket printer playing dress-up. It’s a compact, self-contained photo station for gatherings where people still love a printed keepsake but also want the option to scan a code and have a digital copy on their phones before the next song starts. Think weddings, reunions, birthday parties, baby showers, school events, and all the other occasions where a small take-home memento still feels thoughtful.

OPPO Find X9 Ultra with the Hasselblad Earth Explorer Kit lens attached

News & Features

The OPPO Find X9 Ultra Is the Flagship Phone Built Around the Most Interesting Camera in the Room

Most flagship phones now arrive with the same familiar promise: faster, brighter, smarter, thinner, more powerful, and somehow always “professional” at everything. Before long, the category blurs into one glossy slab of titanium, glass, marketing language, and camera bumps large enough to demand their own zip code. The OPPO Find X9 Ultra cuts through that sameness almost immediately. It is a flagship smartphone, certainly, with a sharp display, a current-generation Qualcomm chip, a very large battery, quick charging, generous storage, and the polished hardware you expect at this level. But none of that is the real headline.

HP FilmScan 7" Touch Screen Film & Slide Scanner Digitizer (HPFS700)

News & Features

HP FilmScan 7″ Touch Screen Film & Slide Scanner Digitizer (HPFS700) Offers an Even Bigger Window into the Past

There is a particular kind of gadget that earns its keep not because it saves time, but because it rescues moments that would otherwise stay trapped in a binder, a carousel, or a shoebox no one has opened in years. The HP FilmScan 7″ Touch Screen Film & Slide Scanner Digitizer (HPFS700) clearly aims for that territory. At $259.99, it isn’t trying to be a professional restoration lab in a box; it’s trying to be the thing that finally gets you to do something with all those old slides and negatives you keep meaning to deal with. That distinction matters.

A slide of the home place on the HP FilmScan 5" TouchScreen Film Scanner

Reviews

HP FilmScan 5″ Touch Screen Film Scanner (HPFS500) Review: Unlocking Family History One Slide at a Time

There are gadgets that make life easier, and then there are gadgets that make life meaningful. The HP FilmScan 5” Touch Screen Film Scanner falls somewhere in between. On the surface, it’s just a device that converts your old slides and negatives into digital files. But in practice, it has the potential to bring back people, places, and entire eras you thought were lost to a shoebox in the back of a closet.

Three Legged Thing Axis Strap System

Crowdfunding, Gear Bits

3 Legged Thing Reinvents Camera Carry with the NASA-Trusted Axis Strap System, Now on Kickstarter

Camera straps just got a serious upgrade. Renowned British camera gear maker 3 Legged Thing is stepping into the carry solution arena with the debut of its Axis Strap System, now live on Kickstarter. At the core of Axis are two revolutionary components: the exclusive 4 Axis QD Buckle and a reimagined version of the classic QD Swivel. Originally engineered for use in astronautics, military, and law enforcement — and even trusted by NASA for securing cargo — this ultra-reliable quick-detach system has been redesigned by 3 Legged Thing to keep your camera secure, accessible, and always ready for action.

3 Legged Thing Str3amcase

Reviews

3 Legged Thing Str3amcase Review: High Quality Sound, Plug and Play Ease

3 Legged Thing is a Stagsden, Bedfordshire, England-based manufacturer of tripods, camera bags, and accessories. I have reviewed a few of their products and found them excellent and full of personality, with colorful anodized components and a modular design. As the company’s first piece of audio gear, the 3 Legged Thing Str3amcase wireless lavalier microphone system is breaking new ground for the brand.

Icefox UHD 4K Action Camera (Model 18)

Reviews

Updated: Icefox UHD 4K Action Camera (Model 18) Review: 4K Video and Almost Every Accessory You Might Need at a Budget Price

The 2024 action camera market offers a wide range of design, quality, and price options, from under $40 to over $400. GoPro’s iconic design remains the most popular, with many brands offering similar styles at varied specs and prices, making it tough to choose. Icefox stands out with two nearly identical 4K cameras, the Model 18 and Model 19. This review focuses on the Icefox UHD 4K Action Camera (Model 18).

Pocket Tripod PROv2

Crowdfunding

Pocket Tripod PROv2 Is a Convenient, Wallet-Sized EDC Phone Stand That Redefines Hands-Free Photography

The Pocket Tripod PROv2 proves that big things really can come in small packages. This card-sized marvel is a portable phone stand that doubles as a tripod. It slides effortlessly into your wallet and transforms into a reliable, adjustable mount whenever you need it. It’s designed for anyone who loves capturing moments, whether for creating content, enjoying hands-free entertainment, or leveling up their photography game.

3 Legged Thing Legends Jay Carbon Fiber Tripod System Review: An Excellent Lightweight Travel Tripod with Modular Design and Genuine Personality

Reviews

3 Legged Thing Legends Jay Carbon Fiber Tripod System Review: An Excellent Lightweight Travel Tripod with Modular Design and Genuine Personality

3 Legged Thing is a manufacturer of tripods and related gear. The company started in 2010 in a chicken shed in Stagsden, Bedfordshire, England. From the start, 3 Legged Thing went its own way, adding color, anodized components, and modular design to its products. For this review, I was sent the 3 Legged Thing Legends Jay Carbon Fiber Tripod with the optional AirHed Cine Fluid Head to test.

ShiftCam SnapGrip and SnapLight Review: Better iPhoneography on the Go

Reviews

ShiftCam SnapGrip and SnapLight Review: Better iPhoneography on the Go

A few years ago, I backed a Kickstarter project for a photography grip designed for the iPhone. This nifty gadget transformed the iPhone into a DSLR-like camera, making it easier to capture high-quality photos. Fast forward to today, and the iPhone’s MagSafe technology has revolutionized how accessories connect to our devices. Enter the ShiftCam SnapGrip and SnapLight, two products that leverage MagSafe to enhance your mobile photography experience.

Canon EOS R50

Reviews

Canon EOS R50 Content Creator Kit Review: An Inexpensive, Compact, Lightweight Powerhouse

The Canon EOS R50 is a compact, lightweight, mirrorless camera aimed at content creators looking to improve their game. It has many advanced features and some very impressive specifications. It is the culmination of marrying an RF-S Mount version of the Canon M50 with the sensor and processor from the R10. The result is one of the lightest mirrorless cameras on the market, with a 24.2MP APS-C sensor and the ability to shoot full-width 4K. Combined with the social media-friendly shooting modes, the R50 is well-suited for content creators ready to challenge the limits of their smartphones.

GVM-BD25R Bi-Color RGB LED Tube Light 2-Light Kit Review: Great for Accent Lighting, Light Painting, and Adding Fun to Your Next Party!

Reviews

GVM-BD25R Bi-Color RGB LED Tube Light 2-Light Kit Review: Great for Accent Lighting, Light Painting, and Adding Fun to Your Next Party!

GVM (Great Video Maker) offers a line of assorted products for videographers and photographers that are often aggressively priced compared to the competition while providing similar features and overall quality. These include monolights, tube, panel, flexible, and pocket lights. They also produce camera sliders, wireless microphones, teleprompters, and other accessories. In this review, we are testing the 24″ GVM-BD25R Bi-Color RGB LED Tube Light 2-Light Kit. As per its name, this kit includes two light wands as well as several accessories that are optional when buying the Single Kit. As per its name, the GVM-BD25R Bi-Color RGB LED Tube Light…

Insta360 X4 Is an 8K 360 Camera That Reaches New Heights in Shooting and Editing

News & Features

Insta360 X4 Is an 8K 360 Camera That Reaches New Heights in Shooting and Editing

Insta360’s newest camera has some very impressive specifications and equally impressive features. The Insta360 X4 is the company’s latest flagship 360 camera; it offers 8K 360-degree video and 5.6K at 60 fps or 4K at 100 fps. The image quality represented in the company’s sample videos is a huge step forward. When combined with the ability to “shoot first, point later” and the invisible selfie stick, the creative possibilities have no limits. The X4 can also be used as a traditional action camera using a single lens, providing smooth, ultra-wide 4K at 60fps.

Samsung EVO Select and EVO Plus microSD cards.

Gear Bits

Samsung EVO Select and EVO Plus microSD Cards Bring More Storage at Faster Speeds

Gamers and those who keep a lot of media on their devices will appreciate the latest Samsung EVO Select and EVO Plus microSD cards, which feature enhanced speeds and expanded storage. These new cards can deliver up to 23% faster transfer speeds than their predecessors, clocking in with speeds up to 160 MB/s. Notably, this lineup includes introducing 1TB capacity microSD cards, a storage capacity previously reserved for Samsung SSDs.

The GVM PRO-SD300B and accessories

Reviews

GVM PRO-SD300B Review: Excellent Quality Light in a Handsome Package

GVM (Great Video Maker) offers a line of assorted products for videographers and photographers, including monolights, tube lights, panel lights, flexible lights, and pocket lights. They also produce camera sliders, wireless microphones, teleprompters, and other accessories. GVM products are often aggressively priced compared to the competition while offering similar features and overall quality. GVM has certainly stepped it up with their new line of spotlights. This review examines the GVM PRO-SD300B, a 300-watt monolight specifically designed for today’s shooting environments.