The Phoblographer

35mm film is wonderful! At its best, it delivers a look that can’t be had digitally without a lot of work while letting you be in the moment. So we recommend always combining it with the best film camera that you can get your hands on. But 35mm film can also bolster your digital photography if you just find an identity when working with it. Lucky for you, we’ve reviewed tons of film emulsions over the years. And we’re diving into some of our favorites for beginners here.

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The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear that we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Table of Contents

Pro Tips on Using 35mm Film for the Beginner

Fujifilm Superia X-TRA 400

Kodak Tri-X 400

Lomochrome Purple

Pro Tips on Using 35mm Film for the Beginner

Here are some pro tips for using 35mm film:

If you shoot a roll of film, you typically have to keep it all on the same ISO. The only film we’ve seen that can basically have various ISOs is Ilford XP2, but even that’s a bit of a stretch to say that.

Why shoot film? There’s the whole experience of 35mm film for sure. But then there are all the ways that it forces you to shoot differently.

35mm film is very fun, and with enough time, you’ll find ways to shoot and not worry about post-production digitally at all.

These days, 35mm film is best had in variants that can’t be mimicked digitally easily.

I’ve had my most fun shooting 35mm film with cameras that do all the work for me so I can focus on just being in the moment. Not everything needs to be a manual setting affair!

Fujifilm Superia X-TRA 400

Your First Frames: This film is something to get into as far as color film will go. It’s something everyone will say. But at the same time, it’s also fairly standard. You’ll look at it and probably think you can get this look digitally. Use this film as a test roll; but always know you can make great photos with it.

In our review we state:

“Of all the films out there, I believe that Superia honestly could serve as a great everyday film for so many photographers. It’s affordable price point combined with good quality makes it very attractive.”

Buy Now

Kodak Tri-X 400

Your First Frames: This has been the standard for so many years. Kodak Tri-X is super forgiving. You can underexpose or overexpose the entire roll and it will still look great. Think about images in black and white that have a lot of clarity.

In our review we state:

“It makes sense that Kodak Tri-X 400 would receive our Editor’s Choice award for the best black and white film on the market; and despite my working with many other various emulsions over the years past it took this review and going through my archive to really, truly realize this. Kodak Tri-X does something that is very tough for other films to do. Kodak Tri-x gets great grain, fantastic sharpness, and offers a high contrast photo while still giving details in the highlights and shadows. It’s almost like black and white HDR imagery without the HDR toning process.”

Buy Now

Lomochrome Purple

Your First Frames: This is the film you might really be wondering about. I’m including it because it’s such a slap in the face to traditional film. While all the big companies are doing nothing to make analog a unique experience, folk like Lomography are doing just that. Why shoot Kodak Portra if you can get the same look digitally and no ...

It’s been over a week since Twitter decided to give more power to people who don’t want unconsented images of them shared on the platform. News outlets worldwide rushed to push the news out to their readers. The Phoblographer and I decided to wait. We waited because Twitter’s latest policy decision impacts something I love: street photography. And I didn’t want to write about the topic based on impulse. So, now that the dust has settled, here are my two cents on the matter.

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How Twitter’s Rules Impact Street Photography

“Sharing personal media, such as images or videos, can potentially violate a person’s privacy, and may lead to emotional or physical harm,” read a blog post made by the social media company. There’s nothing wrong with that statement. I agree that the impact of sharing media of a person without their consent can lead to distress. So what does Twitter intend to do?

People can report images of themselves shared on Twitter if they did not consent to it happening. What happens next is unclear. But because street photographs tend to share images without the subject’s knowledge, this new move could make it harder for them to share their work on the platform.

Millions of photographs from all walks of life are shared every day. So the chances of a person ever coming across an image of themselves are slim. But the new policy does send out a message that people, including street photographers, need to reflect on their actions before sharing a photograph on the internet.

Is This Good For Street Photography

The policy will likely divide the street photography community. While everyone loves the craft, not every day shares the same opinions and ethics on how it should be practiced. Some street photographers are old school. Anything goes as long as it remains within the realms of legalities. Others feel certain subjects should not be photographed, or at least, not shared online.

I tend to be in the middle. A center stance, in my opinion, is the best position to have. It allows you to see both sides of the spectrum and helps find a more balanced way forward. Going back to Twitter’s new policy, I think the street photography community should use it as a time to reflect on how we approach sharing images in the future.

When we look at the trendsetters, the trailblazers, the Henri Cartier-Bresson’s and the Diane Arbus’, we see their freedom to distribute their street photography as something the community should always fight to protect. But things are different now. We live in a completely different society, and the way we share photography is completely different too.

Do you think Cartier-Bresson could share a photograph on a Tuesday afternoon, and it have the potential to be viewed by millions of people? Absolutely not. Today, your average street photographer may have had their work viewed more times than the greats that built our genre. The nature of the beast has evolved, and with it, we must reflect on how we behave and distribute candid images of people made without their consent.

To avoid confusion. I’m not suggesting we should question the right to make images. But the right to share them freely needs to be reviewed. So, what’s the solution?

Solution And Final Thought

Twitter’s latest policy tweak is likely going to evolve. Right now, we can share the images, but that may change in the future. So, street photographers can show some understanding, dare I say it, empathy, by making moves to help protect what we do. If you make a candid image of people who are easily identifiable, say a couple embracing in a hug, for example, show to it them and ask them if you have permission to share it on Twitter. You can have a contract on your person and ask them to sign it if they agree to let you share the image.

Does it spoil the game of street photography? In a way, yes. We love to hunt, catch, and move on. But the pressure w...

Capture One is back with the newest rendition of their beloved editing software. Capture One 22 improves some of their best features and introduces several new functions photographers have been requesting. Real estate, landscape, and astrophotographers can now enjoy a powerful HDR merge function. The Panoramic Stitch feature resembles the Brenizer Method and makes it possible to create larger canvases in smaller spaces. Make sure you have plenty of hard drive space for these functions. You’ll see why.

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Table of Contents

Too Long Didn’t Read

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Gear Used

What’s New In Capture One 22?

Ease of Use

Wireless Tethering for Canon

Panoramic Stitch

HDR Merge

Auto Rotate

Conclusions of Capture One 22

Too Long Didn’t Read

The newest release of Capture One is here, and it has some worthy upgrades. Capture One 22 has added HDR merge and a Panoramic Stitch functionality alongside an AI-driven auto rotate. Wireless tethering is available for multiple Canon cameras, and overall performance has improved. The editing program still has room for improvement with its selections, healing, and cloning functionalities.

Pros and Cons

Pros

HDR merge is pretty great

Panoramic Stitch is a nice feature

Many Canon shooters will enjoy tethering wirelessly

Performance is noticeably improved

Cons

The clone and healing masks aren’t as precise as Photoshop

There still isn’t a patch tool

The magic brush should be more accurate and functional to compete with other programs

Auto rotate isn’t geared towards verticals

Gear Used

I tested Capture One 22 on a 2019 16” MacBook Pro. The images used were captured with a Canon 5D Mark III, Sony a7 III, and Fujifilm GFX50s II.

What’s New In Capture One 22?

Main feature upgrades are provided by Capture One.

Panorama Stitch

HDR Merge

Auto Rotate (AI-Driven)

Wireless Tethering for Canon

Improved Performance

Ease of Use

Everything you already love about Capture One performs a bit better. The software has also improved how it captures data. Windows users will be pleased to see more user-friendly catalogs as they have re-engineered them. Mac users will see a quicker response when browsing through images quickly and zoom functionality.

Wireless Tethering for Canon

Tethering wirelessly isn’t new, although it’s the first native option for Capture One. Preliminary support is available for the Canon R6, R, 5D IV, and 90D. Full support is available for the R5, 1D II, and 1D III. Optimal support and performance are available with the WFT grips. There will be an instructional video for the initial setup necessary for raw file handling.

The Canon R5 is expected to be ready from trigger within 5-10 seconds, specifically, this is what they’re claiming for RAW file support. Performance is expected to improve to 3-6 seconds with the WFT-R10 grip. We will be putting the R5 to the test in the near future.

We’re going to have a more in-depth and full test later on.

Update December 2021 by Editor in Chief Chris Gampat

The Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R are two cameras that we’ve got in-house that can wirelessly tether with Capture One 22. Previously, you really needed to use Canon EOS Utility to do this. But now, you don’t need to at all. Below is the tutorial on how to do it. It’s more or less the same way with the Canon EOS R as it is with the Canon EOS R5.

For the record, I’m in NYC and I have Verizon FiOS with 1GB up and down. My router is right next to my desk. I work on a 2019 iMac that’s fully tricked out. The Canon EOS R is a bit slower; but both the Canon EOS R and Canon EOS R5 do a more than good enough job with wireless transmission to my iMac. The whole process goes even faster if you have a clean catalog. Some folks just shoot using sessions, but I’m not one of those.

This is a very awesome feature to come to Capture One 22 and with Canon overall. Personally speaking, tethering can be incredibly annoying. T...

There aren’t many reviews of flashes out there. And there are even fewer reviews and sensible tutorials on how to use ring flash. But ring flash is a personal favorite technique of mine that I’ve used for years. Some folks like to just blast their subjects with direct flash, but this is different. Ring flash and its use have also evolved a lot over the years. So we’re going to talk about how it’s different and how photographers should be using it these days.

At One Point, They Were Great for Macro Photography

The origins of ring flash start with dentists. When they had to photograph someone’s teeth, they used it and a macro lens. That evolved into being used for macro photography. The reasoning here is that macro lights were bright and highly capable. So they gave a lot of nice, even lighting on something from the front. It stayed this way into the early 2010s. Anyone that wanted to shoot macro photos would be told to go buy a macro lens, macro flash, etc. But things changed.

There are Better Ways to Do Macro Photography Now

For what it’s worth, I never liked the look macro lights gave for macro photography. It lacked character and was always incredibly sterile. It’s much better to use an off-camera flash or studio strobe with a diffusion of some sort. If you’re using an on-camera flash, just use a Rogue flashbender. We’ve got a tutorial on doing this here.

Ring Flash is for Portrait Photography

These days, the ring flash is much better suited for portrait photography. Just think, everyone shoots selfies with a ring light LED. People geek out about it. Women will stop what they’re doing just to go stand in front of a light and shoot selfies non-stop. Let’s face it, it’s non-sensical not to use ring flash for portrait photography.

“The best part about using a ring flash is that your lighting will stand out. There’s so much of the off-camera light that’s used these days and not enough of something different. However, while most laypeople won’t understand an umbrella or a softbox, they’ll totally understand a ring light. If you talk to them about a ring flash, they’ll probably also be a bit more excited to shoot with you. Just be sure to give them breaks.” – A tutorial for new photographers

There are various options. You can spring for a dedicated one, and I use the Flashpoint RF-400. But there are also great items from folks like Neewer. This is basically a version of the Roundflash diffuser that manipulates on-camera flash lighting. Almost a decade ago, there used to be a lot more flash modifiers on the market. But they all more or less disappeared. There was the Orbis which really needed you to crank up the exposure compensation. The Ray Flash was similar. And since then, the ring flash craze kind of died down. Brands started working on making other things instead.

Otherwise, you’d need to spend a ton of money on options from brands like Profoto. And honestly, I don’t recommend it. Some might tell you to go just use an LED ring light. But there are tons of problems with LEDs and constant lights just don’t really do what strobe can do at all. Maybe I don’t want to shoot a portrait at ISO 1600. Maybe I also can’t see what an LED could do for me that a ring flash could!

Here are some tips:

If you’re using a flash modifier, then crank the exposure compensation up by an extra stop of light or so.

Ring flash is meant to give a sparkle in the eye, even lighting overall, and the full-blast look on someone directly. But still, it’s all about the poses.

Traditional photography would scoff at the look at ring flash gives you. But in truth, it does everything you want much easier.

We’ve got more tutorials on using a Ring flash right here.

Everyone loves going to the beach, right? The sunshine, the sand, and the good vibes; who doesn’t enjoy that type of atmosphere? For photographers, the beach is an ideal spot for making cool photographs. That’s why you see so many portrait and lifestyle shoots shot on the beach. But for candid photography, things become a little complicated. There are certain ethics one has to live by, and I’ll cover them in this article.

The Ethics of Beach Photography

As someone with a background in street photography, I veer closer to “anything goes” than I do “don’t photograph strangers without consent.” Of course, street photography has its own set of ethics, which I stand by and respect. But for the most part, candid photographers couldn’t make the type of images they do if they stopped and asked every stranger if it’s okay to photograph them.

Most beaches are public spaces. So, depending on what country you’re in, the likelihood is you have the legal right to make photographs. But people behave differently on the beach. They do things they would never do in cities, like walk around half-naked, for example. Bearing that in mind, below are some things I wouldn’t do (and some things I would) when making candid photographs on the beach.

Don’t Get Too Close When Shooting Beach Photography

Street photography, documentary, and photojournalism involve getting into the heart of the action. Photographers get extremely close to their subjects in the hope of capturing some form of emotion and narrative. I don’t think it’s wise to do that when shooting beach photography. People often go to the beach to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. They want to relax and disconnect. Having a stranger candidly making photographs of them will make them uneasy. It can ruin their ambiance and make them feel uncomfortable. That’s not good, especially considering it’s likely they’re on vacation.

Avoid Nudity When Doing Beach Photography

Some people, whether it’s a nude beach or not, like to get naked when they’re on the sand. They feel liberated or don’t want those dreaded tan lines. Whatever the reason, public space or not, don’t photograph them. Even if you have good intentions, don’t do it. It comes across as creepy any way you try to look at it, and it could land you in a lot of trouble. So stay away from it. I think that’s especially true if it’s a child too. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with photographing children, but if they’re nude, stay away from it. That goes for both female and male photographers. The reality is, right or wrongly, it’s going to look worse if you’re a man, so save yourself the hassle.

Ask Permission to Shoot Beach Photography

The whole point of candid photography is that it’s unplanned, unauthorized, and unpredictable. So, naturally, asking people permission to photograph them goes against all of that. But beach towns are often tight-knit communities. Keeping that in mind, people will quickly understand you’re a photographer and what your intentions are, if you communicate with them.

If you see a group messing around on the beach, say, “Hey, I’m a photographer. Can I spend some time with your group? Let me make some images of you, and I can send them to you.” If they agree, they’ll eventually forget your presence and stop playing up for the camera. Eventually, you can make some candid beach photography, which no doubt they’ll appreciate.

What do The People Think?

There’s something I find interesting about ethics, and it’s that they’re made by photographers instead of the people they impact. Above are three ethics I live by, based on what I think you need to do to be a good person and a respectful photographer. But what do the people think? After all, they’re the people who are impacted most by our actions.

I’m currently in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. It’s a beautiful beach town, a little removed from modern infrastructure, and full of photo opportunities. I spoke to some beachgoers and asked what their take is on beach...

Portrait photography is a highly versatile genre. You have the standard “for my Linkedin” headshot right through to the self-analytical self-portrait. Of course, there’s a place for something basic, but they’re never the type of portraits that remain in the viewer’s mind. Instead, it’s the portraits that pushed a little further, explored the possibilities of the unknown, and verge on being bizarre that are remembered. If you’re looking for something that’ll make you say, “I can’t get it out of my mind,” stick with us because you’re in the right place.

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Cameras Used for Portrait Photography

Below are the cameras used by some of the photographers below. You can check them out and purchase your own by following the embedded links. The Phoblographer gets a little kickback from any items purchased via the links. Thank you for your support.

Chinelle Ro: Fujifilm XT4

Evan Bains: Canon EOS 5D Mark III

James Chororos: Pentax 645z camera

Chinelle Ro Looks Within Through Portrait Photography

Chinelle Ro caught our eye with her self-portrait photography. In 2020, we wrote that it was some of we’ve ever seen. That statement still holds true today. She has an electric series of images, ranging from the cool and colorful to the deep and emotional. Ro isn’t afraid to experiment, and she’s happy to take risks, even if they don’t sometimes work out. She’s had a lot of wins with her portraits, and you can see more of them here.

Evan Baines’ Take on Military Portrait Photography

No matter your politics, it’s hard to deny the strength of the men and women that enter the military. Often seen as heroes, society holds those that risk their lives to protect certain values in very high regard. Photographing them is a delicate process. A photographer doesn’t want to let them down. Evan Baines did an excellent job of photographing members of the military. He highlighted their strength, bravery, and above all, their humanity. Take a look here.

Debabrata Ray Shows Off Beard Game With His Portrait Photography

Gone are the days when the expectation was that men should be clean shaven. Today, whether they’re in the office or not, men have the freedom to express themselves through their facial hair. This advancement has led to some creative takes on beards, and photographer Debabrata Ray made the decision to capture them. You can read about Ray’s motivation for her series, The Beards Project, and how she put it all together by reading her interview here.

Tia Lloyd Documents Skinheads with Her Portrait Photography

UK-based photographer Tia Lloyd focused her lens on a popular British sub-culture, Skinheads. With their Doc Martins and Fred Perry tees, her subjects were the poster boys of a culture that’s remained strong through the decades. Her portrait photography is mainly black and white, allowing the power of the person to grab the attention of those that view her work. It’s a cool series and the kind we would like to see more of. Check out the images here.

James Chororos Likes to Get Environmental

“When you relate with someone you’re about to photograph, it gives you a base level where everyone is more comfortable”, said James Chororos in a recent interview with The Phoblographer. Chororos enjoys placing his subjects in environments as equally compelling as them. Using his medium-format cameras, the results of his efforts are fabulous. You can see more images here.

Send us Your Portraits

Do you have some cool portrait photography? If you’re nodding your head at the screen, don’t just sit there, send it in! You can use the form below to make contact. If we like what we see, there’s a good chance we’ll feature it. Thanks for reading.

Want to get your work featured? Here’s how to do it!

Lead image by Evan Baines. All images used with permission.

Ready for a fight? Don’t worry, I jest. The Phoblographer would never encourage our readers to step into the realm of combat. However, we do love combat sports, and we especially love it when photographers document the heat of battle. We’ve done many stories over the years that focus on fight photography, and below are some of the very best of them. Enjoy.

Want to get your work featured? Here’s how to do it!

Kevin Lynch Doucments Combat Sports And The UFC

The UFC is one of the most popular combat sports organizations in the world. The organization has had to work hard to be accepted, with states like New York only recently licensing fights. Beyond the tough-guy persona, the fighters are humans. They’re normal men and women, just like you and I. Photographer Kevin Lynch documented that for the best part of a decade. He made pre and post-fight portraits of the athletes and really became connected to them. It’s beautiful. Take a look here.

Katerina Gregoriou Incorporates Combat Sports Into Shattered Glass

Katerina Gregoriou is an exceptionally talented photographer. We interviewed her back in early 2020 and took a closer look at her photography series, Shattered Glass. The work aimed to uplift women who were involved in jobs and social groups traditionally reserved for men. Part of the work involved photographing a woman who sumo wrestles, a space where you’ll seldom find women. You can read about it here.

Greg Bowl Shoots Entertaining Combat Sports

Professional wrestling struggles to find its identity. Is it entertainment, or is it combat sports? I tend to think it’s the former rather than the latter. Either way, it involves combat, even if it is scripted and staged. Greg Bowl was making images of pro wrestling way before it went global. He sent us his series, and we loved it so much we arranged an interview. He has many cool stories to tell and plenty of awesome photos to share. Take a look here.

Erin Lefevre Shares Fight Like a Woman

Way back in 2015, Erin Lefevre joined us to share her photography project, Fight Like a Woman. The work covered professional fighter, Casey Morton. Rather than create a bunch of action shots, Lefevre delved into what happens behind the scenes in the life of a professional boxer. It’s fight photography that thinks outside the box. It’s fascinating stuff and certainly worth your time and attention. See the images here.

August Udoh Shows us The World of One-Handed Fighting

Dambe fighting was born in West Africa. Back in the day, butchers and fishermen were the main competitors. However, today the sport is enjoyed by people from variant backgrounds. Unlike traditional boxing, fighters can only use one hand and fight over three rounds. Photographer August Udoh made some terrific portraits of local fighters and shared the history behind the West African sport. Take a look here.

Do You Photograph Combat Sports?

Whether you like combat sports or not, they’re here to stay. There’s something intimate about two people going into battle. If you study the sports closely, you’ll recognize the strong bond two fighters have after the war is over. Because of the emotions and psychology linked to combat sports, they’re the perfect subject for photographers to document. If you have some cool fight photography that goes beyond what the mainstream sees and shows something deeper, send it to us. You can use the form above to make contact, and if we like it, we’ll certainly be in touch.

Do you like combat sports? What do you think of the examples shown above? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

Lead image by Kevin Lynch. All images used with permission.

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You’d be shocked at just how simple it is to get the redscale look that everyone loves and craves. The redscale look derives from the organic look that you can get from film. And so, I’m going to preface this piece by saying you should just go shoot film. But you can totally get the look digitally too in-camera. Better yet, you don’t need to do post-production at all. In this short, useful photography tip, we’re going to each you how to get the redscale look.

Want more useful photography tips? Click here.

If you’re organically shooting for the redscale look with film, it will vary depending on how you expose for it. Years ago, we reviewed Redscale by Lomography. We said the following:

“.the shorter your exposures are, the more red and orange the film results will be. But the longer your exposures are, the more normalized they’ll look.”

So basically, the less light you give it, the more extreme the look. The more light you give it, the less the effect will be. You’ll need to dial in the look according to what your own preferences are. Of course, if you shoot digital, you might want to just try the look. Well, you don’t need some fancy preset and you don’t need to even step into post-production. You can shoot the image and then just port it straight to your phone. That means you can just focus on creating the entire time. Here’s how to get the redscale look.

Tungsten Light and Daylight White Balance

Tungsten-colored light is a big way to start getting the redscale look. How do you know what Tungsten light looks like? Well, is there warm light in the room or whiter light? If it’s warmer, it’s closer to Tungsten. Does the light remind you of the warmer lights you see in bars? If that’s the case, then that orange light is closer to tungsten. Most street lamps are also tungsten-colored. Whiter light is more daylight colored.

Combine tungsten light in the environment with daylight white balance to get the redscale look. Your camera should have a daylight setting. But daylight white balance is anywhere between 5200-5600 Kelvin on your camera. Yes, this means, that you need to manually set the white balance by kelvin and not by using the white point option.

This is just one way to do it, but there is, of course, yet another way to get the look too!

10,000 Kelvin White Balance

In most lighting situations involving the outdoors or daylight, you can get the redscale look using 10,000 Kelvin white balance on your camera. For most cameras, this is the most extreme option on the warmer end. Want the extremely warm look with the clothes to be a different tone? Well, use a flash or shoot in daylight. Everything will have a tint of orange going over it and you’ll get a pretty awesome look without needing to do post-production.

Some of you might wonder if this is possible with an orange filter on the lens. However, that’s not the case. An orange filter just makes the entire scene orange. That’s a cool look for sure, but it’s not quite the redscale look that you want.

Not all bokeh is made the same. Some are clearly superior to others in the way that the bourgeoisie snubs their nose at the proletariat. Of course, I’m kidding about that. It’s all personal preference. But objectively speaking, there are many different types of bokeh out there. Luckily, we’ve studied and used the most lenses in real-world environments of any website out there. So we dove into our Reviews Index to look at bokeh shapes. Are there more? There could be, but these are more than sufficient for the modern photographer.

This post may contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase, we may receive affiliate revenue at no extra cost to you. The Phoblographer has a 100% transparency policy with our audience, and everything presented here is as factual as our Editors can research.

Swirly Bokeh

Swirly bokeh is a fascinating one! I really, honestly wish was available in more lenses. Of all the types of bokeh, it’s often the most unique. It’s typically associated with petzval style lenses. In a highly condensed nutshell, it’s making the center very sharp and making the outer edges less in focus. So if you’re shooting with this style of lens, you can’t expect the edges to be in focus at all. Instead, you’ll have to always center your subject. It works best at wider open apertures. The more you stop down, the lessened the effect becomes.

Because of this, swirly bokeh is one of those types of bokeh that will primarily appeal to portrait photographers. Combine it with some sort of sepia preset, and you’ll get an old-timey look.

How to Get the Look

Some of the best ways to get it are to reach for a Lomography Petzval lens or a Lensbaby Twist for less than $200 for just the optic. Lomography’s Petzval lenses can be had easily on eBay. Various vintage optics can do this, like some from Helios.

Shaped Bokeh

Shaped bokeh is different. It takes the bokeh and literally turns it into a shape. Ever seen Scott Pilgrim vs. the world? It’s used often there. It’s an amusing look to use, but it can also be very limiting. You need to use a very wide-open aperture at all times to really get the results to pop. They’re fun to use for portraiture. And they’ll be fantastic with modern lenses as they’re super sharp wide open.

How to Get the Look

Years ago, SLRMagic used to make this lens called the Bokehmorphic. I can’t even find it anymore for the record, and it was hard to use but fun. But you can also score these little stencils to put over your lens and to shape the bokeh.

Onion Bokeh

For many, many years, this was just known as bokeh. Of all the types of bokeh, this is one of the weirdest ones to me. It’s so odd because of just how it came to be called this. Basically, onion bokeh is when you look at a bokeh ball, and there are little circles in it. It happens with the vast majority of optics before 2018. Someone, somewhere on the internet, decided that it was awful because they were pixel-peeping. Sony hyper-inflated it out of control. It was a problem if you want to call it that, with the way the optics were polished. And now, manufacturers have changed the polishing technique so that the optics are much more smooth.

Personally speaking, I liked the onion bokeh look. It made the bokeh balls pop out a lot more and gave images a more fascinating look.

How to Get the Look

Basically, pick up any lens from before 2018. It’s bound to have onion bokeh. Make sure there are bright bokeh balls behind your subject. That’s it. It’s that simple.

Smooth Bokeh

Continuing from the onion bokeh trend, smooth bokeh is just when the optics are polished differently. The bokeh balls are smooth and don’t have an onion character. It’s bound to make you not cry if you can’t handle a bit of heat in the kitchen.

How to Get the Look

Sony G Master lenses are enormous on this look. Lots of Canon modern RF L lenses and Nikon Z S lenses are big on it too.

Donut Bokeh

Donut bokeh is some of my favorite. If you’re not a fan of onions, maybe you’ll enjoy the sweet eye ca...

This is an age-old question. Which one is better? The Sony a1 or the Canon EOS R5? One camera has been out for a while. Canon has often said that the Sony a1 is meant to take on its 1-series cameras, which aren’t out yet. Sony, with the a1, made the entire industry’s jaws drop. But the Canon EOS R5 is still also a staple for many photographers. So which one is better? We’re tackling the debate of the Sony a1 vs the Canon EOS R5 based on our own real-world reviews and experiences.

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Table of Contents

This Post Is Based Off of Our Real-World Experience

Using the Sony a1

Using the Canon EOS R5

Tech Specs

Canon EOS R5

Sony a1

Ergonomics

Build Quality

Ease of Use

Autofocus

Third Party Support

Image Quality

Conclusions

This Post Is Based Off of Our Real-World Experience

This post is being written and based off our real-life experiences. We’ve used these cameras with both first and third party products, and generally over a long period of time. We’ve seen how they’ve grown and this is our report. Below, we’re listing a bunch of posts that we’ve done for reference. But if you head to our YouTube channel, you’ll find even more.

Considering that we’re a photography website, we’re going to focus on the photography based usage that we’ve done. So, let’s dive into the battle of Sony A1 vs Canon EOS R5.

Considering that we’re a photography website, we’re going to focus on the photography based usage we’ve done. So, let’s dive into the battle of Sony A1 vs Canon EOS R5.

Using the Sony a1

Sony a1 review

Sony 70-200mm f2.8 G Master II review

Sony 14mm f1.8 G Master review

Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 G2 review

Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 review

Using the Canon EOS R5

Canon EOS R5 review

Canon 100-400mm review

Canon 100-500mm review

Samyang 85mm f1.4 review

Tech Specs

Canon EOS R5

These specs are taken from the LensRentals listing for the Canon EOS R5.

Aspect Ratio. Audio File Formats. Audio Recording. Autofocus Points. Autofocus Sensitivity. Battery. Bit Depth. Brand. Built-in Flash. Camera Type. Connectivity. Continuous Shooting. Dedicated Flash System. Depth. Diopter Adjustment. Exposure Compensation. Exposure Modes. External Flash Connection. External Video-Recording Modes. Flash Compensation. Focus Modes. Focus Type. Height. ISO Range. Image File Formats. Image Stabilization. Interval Recording. Item Type. LCD Resolution. LCD Size. Maximum Resolution. Maximum Sync Speed. Memory Card Slot. Metering Modes. Metering Range. Mfr. Model Number. Monitor Type. Mount. Operating Temperature. Pixels. Recording Limit. Self Timer. Sensor Dimensions. Sensor Size. Sensor Type. Shutter Speed. Video Encoding. Video Recording Modes. Viewfinder Coverage. Viewfinder Eye Point. Viewfinder Magnification. Viewfinder Resolution. Viewfinder Size. Viewfinder Type. Weight. White Balance. Width. Wireless.

1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9

AAC, Linear PCM

Built-In Microphone (Stereo) External Microphone Input

Phase Detection: 1053

-6 to +20 EV

1x LP-E6NH Rechargeable Lithium-Ion

14-Bit

Canon

No

Mirrorless

USB Type-C (USB 3.1), HDMI D (Micro), 3.5mm Headphone, 3.5mm Microphone

Mechanical ShutterUp to 12 fps at 45 MP for up to 180 Frames (RAW) / 350 Frames (JPEG)Electronic ShutterUp to 20 fps at 45 MP for up to 83 Frames (Raw) / 170 Frames (JPEG)

eTTL

3.5″

-4 to +2

-3 to +3 EV (1/3, 1/2 EV Steps)

Aperture Priority, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority

Hot Shoe

4:2:2 10-BitDCI 4K (4096 × 2160) up to 59.94p UHD 4K (3840 × 2160) up to 59.94p

-3 to +3 EV (1/3, 1/2 EV Steps)

Continuous-Servo AF, Manual Focus, Single-Servo AF

Auto and Manual Focus

3.8″

Auto, 100 to 51200 (Extended: 100 to 102400)

JPEG, RAW

Sensor-Shift, 5-Axis

Yes

Camera

2,100,000 Dot

3.2″

8192 × 5464

1/250 Second

Slot 1: CFexpress Type BSlot 2: SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II)

Center-Weighted Average, Evaluative, Partial, Spot

-3 to 20 EV

4147C002

Free-Angle Tilting Touchscreen LCD

Canon RF

32 to 104°F / 0 to 40°C

Actual: 47.1 MegapixelEffect...