The Phoblographer

The industry needs more rolltop backpacks. We’ve reviewed a bunch of them, but I’ve been baffled as to why it hasn’t become more mainstay. Of any backpack style for photographers, the rolltop backpack is truly the best that most of us have used on staff. There are lots of great reasons why too!

They’re So Accommodating

Most times that I’ve traveled, I’ve used a rolltop backpack. And there are tons of great reasons for this. I’d often need to go on a press trip. One back, the rolltop backpack, would be all for technology. Then I’d have a duffel bag on the side for clothing and personal necessities. My rolltop backpack would hold a camera or two, lenses, a light, a laptop, cables, headphones, cleaning gear, and even a few personal items. That’s just inside. On the outside, I’ve often found a rolltop backpack to be able to hold things like water bottles and tripods. They’re indeed built to do just this. Lots of them have sternum and waist straps. And for the record, we’ve reviewed the most camera bags of any publication on the market. So we know just how good the rolltop backpack can be for a photographer. Many of us prefer them as our personal camera bags.

The one I use the most is a Tenba DNA Backpack. Is it stylish? No; but it gets the job done effectively at a low cost. Style is important to me, and most of these bags are nylon or some other material. But over the years, I’ve really wanted more leather and canvas. Some brands have convinced me that those are really heavy. And I’ll concur. But then in that case, I’d be all for a bag made of hemp of some sort. I haven’t found one I liked just yet.

They Adapt With You on the Go

There are times when I’ve traveled with a rolltop backpack and bought things along the way. Maybe it’s been food, drinks, gifts, etc. But the rolltop design accommodates to always bringing more stuff. And no matter what, they’ve always let me store them on airplanes in the carry-on compartment, on trains, etc. They can become smaller or larger at will and keep it all within reasonable space.

When I’ve gotten to a hotel room, I often unpack my rolltop backpack. Then I pack it accordingly with only what I need when I get to a location. It’s really been great over the years. They’ve done wonders for my back. Often on trips, the WANDRD PRVKE backpacks are what I’ve brought with me. Besides those, I’ve used THULE before too.

They Let a Photographer Travel With Only One Bag

Here’s the biggest thing: you can actually pack fairly minimally using a rolltop backpack. Going on a weekend getaway? Shove the camera gear down in the bottom compartment and then store the essentials in the top area. You can shove another pair of pants, toiletries, two or three shirts, socks, and underwear in the top section. Sometimes you’ll have room for extra stuff that you may bring or buy along the way. If you’re doing a weekend getaway, a rolltop backpack is an easy choice.

It’s also great on your back, but we’ve said that already. Keeping things balanced on your back and posture is very important. It’s much better to put everything on your back than to have that and another bag on the side. Trust us, your back will apprecaite you so much more.

This blog post is inspired by a thread that happened on Reddit. I personally responded to it as I’m a Mod for R/Polaroid. But I realize that there is a ton of misinformation and folks who don’t know what’s going on. Modern Polaroid Film isn’t what it used to be. Further, there are great reasons for that. And in this blog post, we’re going to explain everything to you.

The following is from a post on R/Polaroid, where I’m transparently, a mod for the subreddit. So I’ve taken a summary I wrote there and modified it for this blog post. I hope that it will provide a lot of clarity on some of the misinformation out there. Specifically, this tidbit made me write this post.

Polaroid lost their original formula since their rebranding with Project Impossible and Polaroid Originals and the team are actively working to improve the image.

The Fall of Polaroid

Years ago, Polaroid screwed up very, very big. They were already on the decline because the world became very anti-analog to embrace DSLRs fully realizing what they could do, and early mirrorless digital. So to make themselves look cool, they literally hired Lady Gaga as their creative director without the funds to do it. Kodachrome was also on its way out then, and the entire analog photo world was in disarray. This was more than a decade ago.

Polaroid shut it doors, sold itself off to a Chinese company, and started to go the route of making zInk cameras. They survived and thrived off of their name alone for a few years. But no one took them with any bit of seriousness.

The Death of Polaroid, and the Birth of the Impossible Project

When Polaroid shut their doors, Florian Caps and a few others bought the factory and tried to recreate Polaroid’s formula. They asked Polaroid for help, but Polaroid refused to do so. This is how the Impossible Project was created. Caps and others started the project to find a way to keep Polaroid film alive.

Progress was made slowly and in a questionable pace. They focused on the 8×10 cameras first quite a bit along with a few other models like the SX-70 and more. They had a beautiful, and cozy gallery shop in NYC back then where they’d show the prints off. They were gorgeous but had to be experienced in person to really be felt, sort of like a Leica camera. Back in December of 2010, Impossible said that they were making progress and created a version of PX680. This and a lot of the smaller format films had problems.

Some of those problems:

Fading

Issues with the film and spots

Bad colors

At my desk is a box of both Polaroid and Fujifilm instant film. And it’s very clear what’s what.

Then they found a way to take your phone’s photos and print them on their film. This is when the Impossible Project started to refocus a bit more. One of their biggest problems back then was that the film faded really hard. So they literally created something called color protection film. Impossible Project film continued to improve, but still wasn’t up to what Fujifilm was making.

Polaroid’s Rebirth

Speed up ahead, and a few things happened. Polaroid was bought by shareholders. Then the same shareholders also bought the Impossible Project. This brought the two companies under the same banner finally. Impossible film was rebranded to be called Polaroid Originals.

By that, today’s Polaroid is not the same company that started in NY that many years ago. Neither is Kodak, Kodak Alaris, Kodak Moments, or any of its variants. Fujifilm, Ilford, and Lomography are still the same companies they’ve always been. The modern Polaroid is not at all the same company that Edward Land founded.

So Will Polaroid Film Ever Improve?

Personally speaking, no, the current Polaroid film will not ever look like the original stuff in my opinion. I’ve got photos of me from McDonald’s when I was super young (I’m almost 35 when writing this). It hasn’t faded a bit. And then I look in my desk drawer of Impossible Project and Polaroid originals film that I shot in the past few years. Some of it has fad...

own with us and talk about her experience in journalism, including the good, the bad, and the traumatic. She's a great source for a behind scene view of what life is like making content in the most difficult circumstances.

Hiking camera backpacks are fast becoming one of the more sought-after pieces of gear. More often than not, manufacturers overlook the best qualities of hiking backpacks. Lowepro is no stranger to this market. The Lowepro PhotoSport Backpack is the company’s newest offering. It’s made with recycled and upcycled materials which are in line with their green initiative. The backpack is lightweight and versatile. So how does it fare? Keep reading to find out more.

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Table of Contents

Too Long Didn’t Read

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Gear Used

Tech Specs

Innovations

Ergonomics

Build Quality

Ease of Use

Conclusions of the Lowepro PhotoSport 55L Backpack Review

Likes

Dislikes

Too Long Didn’t Read

The Lowepro PhotoSport Pro 55L Backpack is a very comfortable backpack that can carry a lot of stuff. They put a lot of thought into designing this bag for photographers. Plus it’s made primarily of recycled materials. The shoulder straps and back panel aren’t as breathable as they could be for long hikes. Although it isn’t perfect, there’s a lot they got right.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Lightweight

Sternum strap fit is great

Shoulder straps and waist belt are comfortable

Plenty of versatility

Offers both front and back panel access to gear

Can carry a lot of stuff

Constructed with recycled materials

It comes with a waterproof cover

Cons

Lack of breathability on the back panel and shoulder straps

Materials used don’t feel as premium as the $469 price tag suggests

The shoulder strap height is difficult to adjust

There’s not a lot of room for bulky camera lenses

Main compartment zippers are not weather-resistant

Gets dirty easily

Gear Used

We tested the Lowepro Photosport 55L backpack with a Canon 5D Mark III with a Canon 50mm f1.2L lens attached and a Canon 85mm f1.2L II lens.

Tech Specs

All tech specs are provided by the manufacturer.

Weight: 6.61lbs

Internal Dimensions: 3.39 x 7.48 x 25.20 in

External Dimensions: 16.14 x 14.17 x 27.56 in

Total Volume: 57 L

Main Color: Gray

Camera Compartment Dimensions: 11.42 x 5.91 x 8.27 in

Gearbox Exterior Dimensions: 12.40 x 6.50 x 8.86 in

Gearbox Interior Dimensions: 11.42 x 5.91 x 8.27 in

Primary Device: Camera

Size: S/M and M/L

Device Volume: 8 L

Exterior Material: 420D nylon w/ Carbonate (recycled)

Interior Material: 200D polyester (recycled)

Innovations

The Lowepro PhotoSport backpack is not very innovative. Its design closely models that of a hiking backpack. The removable top panel and inner cube with the extra straps are thoughtful touches for added versatility.

Ergonomics

The top panel of the PhotoSport backpack houses both external and internal mesh pockets. These will fit small items like keys, SD cards, a wallet, a cell phone, and other personal items.

You will find a drawstring enclosure underneath the top panel to access more oversized items like a coat. This is also the easiest way to insert the removable cube.

The top panel and inner cube are removable and can be worn with the included straps as a cross-body pouch. The straps can also double as a camera strap

On the front is a T-shaped pouch that can secure a jacket or cardigan. Unzip the front lower panel for access to the removable cube.

There is a zippered pocket on the bottom of the front panel. It will fit large items like tennis shoes, a large water bottle, and even a jacket.

Each side of the Lowepro PhotoSport has a stretchy pouch and clips to secure items like a tripod. A smaller water bottle will also fit.

Here is a view of the backside of the PhotoSport bag. A grab handle is located at the top. The padded shoulder straps and sternum straps are adjustable to accommodate most heights.

Located underneath the shoulder straps is the back panel access. The removable cube can be secured facing either the front or the back for easy access. It will fit a DSLR with a 70-200 lens attached and an additional lens or two, depending on size. The c...

Backpacks distribute weight on both shoulders for more comfort, but shoulder bags offer fast access to gear. For photographers stuck in the middle, there’s the Manfrotto Advanced Hybrid III camera bag. Park backpack, part shoulder bag, the Advanced Hybrid III allows photographers to convert from a backpack to a shoulder bag with just a few zips and clips. But, is the Manfrotto Advanced Hybrid III a useful convertible, or a bag that’s just stuck in the middle?

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I took the Manfrotto Advanced Hybrid III for a hike — and then easily converted it to a laptop bag. While the bag doesn’t have room for more than two lenses and a body, the versatility could make it a favorite for the flexible photographers — or just the indecisive.

Table of Contents

Too Long, Didn’t Read.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Gear Used

Innovations

Tech Specs

Ergonomics

Build Quality

Ease of Use

Conclusions

Likes

Dislikes

Too Long, Didn’t Read.

The Manfrotto Advanced Hybrid III is both a backpack and a shoulder bag. Made for a smaller camera body, two lenses, a laptop and/or tablet, and tripod, it’s a versatile, comfortable bag. A dedicated backpack and a dedicated shoulder bag may have more room, but it’s hard to top the Advanced Hybrid’s versatility

Pros and Cons

Pros

Versatile design that works as a backpack or messenger bag

Laptop and tablet slot

Luggage pass through

Water resistant fabric

Room for personal items

Tripod straps as well as two side pockets

Removable divider system with quick versatile shelf

Cons

No smaller dedicated pockets for SD cards or pencils

Limited room for gear with up to two lenses

Quality of the rain cover is poor

Gear Used

I stashed my Fujifilm X-T4 with the 50mm F1 WR, 90mm f2, and 16-80mm f4 lenses. (Lenses were stored only two at a time, not all three at once.) I strapped the Manfrotto BeFree aluminum travel tripod to the front. I also carried this as a laptop bag with my 15-inch MacBook, a computer mouse, and two external hard drives.

Innovations

What sets the Manfrotto Advanced Hybrid Backpack III apart from other bags is that hybrid in the name. It works just as well as a backpack as it does a shoulder bag or even carried by the grab handles. It is the third reiteration of this bag, however, so there’s nothing that’s crazy innovative here. Compared to earlier versions, it updates the divider system and makes a few small adjustments to pockets.

Tech Specs

Manfrotto lists the following specifications for the Advanced Hybrid III:

Weight: 2.67 lbs

Internal Dimensions: 10.63 x 5.91 x 16.54 in

Camera Insert Dimensions: 7.48 x 4.53 x 8.27 in

External Dimensions: 11.02 x 7.48 x 16.93 in

Color: Black

Volume: 15 L

Tripod Connection: Yes

Laptop Compartment Dimensions: 10.63 x 0.79 x 16.14 in

Material: Synthetic Fabric

Number Of Lenses: 2

Personal Compartment Dimensions: 0.79 x 4.33 x 3.35 in

Storage For Personal Items: Yes

Types Of Gear: Mirrorless, Tripod, Foldable drone

Type Of Bag: Backpack

Water Repellent: Yes

Ergonomics

The Manfrotto Advanced Hybrid III is both backpack and shoulder bag. A removable shoulder strap clips onto two loops at each end. Or, hidden inside a zipper at the back panel, you can pull out backpack straps that clip to the bottom of the bag. There’s also two grab handles for a third way to carry. If you’re traveling, there’s a slot in the back panel that allows you to slip the bag over a rolling luggage handle.

The main compartment is accessible from what would be the side if worn as a backpack or the top when worn as a shoulder bag. Gear sits in a removable cube. This will accommodate a mirrorless camera or DSLR with one or two lenses. It won’t fit camera bodies with a built-in battery grip like the Canon EOS R3. The cube has a drawstring closure that can also be folded completely out of the way. With the new divider system, you can fold the divider to tuck a shorter lens underneath the camera body with a longe...

If an app version is incremented by a whole number, this usually indicates that many new features have been added. In some cases, it could mean an almost complete overhaul of the app itself, both visually and functionally. Rarely have I seen an app undergoing such an upgrade that negates the core purpose of the app itself. Judging by the recent reviews I’ve seen on the App Store, I’m not the only one who’s facing these problems. I hope the Filmlab 2 iOS app’s next update corrects what I’ve observed below

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Table of Contents

Too Long, Didn’t Read

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Gear Used

Ease of Use

It’s not easy anymore

How Good Are the Changes in version 2?

Improved editing tools (after clicking a photo using the camera, or selecting a photo from the Photo gallery)

Who thought it was a smart idea to remove the Crop tool?

That yellow overlay..

What’s with the colour cycling?

Delayed response to pressing the shutter button

Conclusions

Likes

Dislikes

Too Long, Didn’t Read

I wouldn’t call this roundup scathing, but I really do think the folks at Develop and Fix, Inc need to fix the main reason why someone would use this app – to preview negatives seamlessly and flawlessly. Version 1 of this app was really amazing. But the experience of using version 2 might be why someone looks for another app that does the same feature better. I used the Android version a lot when working on my Negative Supply Basic 35mm Kit review earlier this year. That app worked great (and still does on version 1.5.0, released on 17th Apr 2020). It was a real time saver when it came to picking negatives to scan for the earlier mentioned review.

In September, the developers got in touch to state that the iOS version 2 was in beta state. The apps we tested on my iPhone and iPad weren’t the beta ones though. They were tested on FilmLab 2 after it was released to the App Store. If you’ve got the FilmLab iOS v1 app, I strongly recommend not upgrading it to v2 for now. You’ll see why in the review below.

Pros and Cons

Pros

FilmLab has moved to a freemium model

The mobile version now uses the same colour conversion engine as their desktop software

There’s an optional Pro version that allows you to import and edit files stored on your mobile device.

Finer, in-app edits with numerical adjustment values for each slider

Integration with Files app on iOS to allow file imports from Photos library, memory cards, iCloud etc

All edits done in the app are non destructive

Pro upgrade has the same license as the Desktop app. You don’t have to pay extra for the license on multiple devices

Cons

What was earlier a simple inversion of the negative to allow you to see what the photo was, now has the preview screen cycling through Yello, Cyan and Magenta, as well as varying levels of exposure when the app’s camera is open and focused on the negative

Eventually the negative preview has a highlighter pen yellow tinge to it.

The headaches that come with viewing (or trying to preview) your negatives because of the above points

Previewing the negative has just gotten a lot more painful in version 2

Gear Used

iPhone SE on iOS 14.8; FilmLab 2.0.1 (non beta)

iPad 6th Gen on iOS 15.0.2; FilmLab 2.0.1 (non beta)

Huawei P30 Pro on EMUI 11.0.0; FilmLab 1.5.0 (to compare new version against previous)

Negative Supply 35mm Basic Kit

Ease of Use

“FilmLab makes it easy to view and digitize film negatives. All you need is your iPhone or iPad, and a light table or other back light.”

I hadn’t tested version 1 of the app on iOS, but assuming it had similar functionality to version 1 on Android, I would agree with the above statement. I heavily relied on it while working on my Negative Supply 35mm Basic Kit. Having to sift through tons of negatives to pick a handful of images for that article wasn’t easy. Then I discovered FilmLab (for my primary phone using Android). I didn’t even use the LightSource tha...

Firmware 1.3 for the Nikon z6 II brings the new Portrait Impressions feature along with the voice memo feature and a few other things. The most fascinating though is the new Portrait Impressions. It addresses a concern we’ve had about Nikon’s images being a bit too green. It’s a bit difficult to use, but you can get some nice results with it. However, it only applies the changes to JPEGs. Our Nikon z6 II review has been updated, and we invite you to check it out.

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There are a few oddities about this update that I discussed with Hillary before writing this. First off, the Nikon z6 II is indeed a very good camera. It’s highly capable and it can use Nikon’s best lenses to make beautiful images. But this update is a little weird as it feels like Nikon is making something that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Everything that Portrait Impressions can do has been possible with every camera system. But Nikon could’ve taken this update further by adding a few presets to the camera. More importantly, Nikon could’ve found a way to apply this image edit to the RAW file. However, at the moment, it’s just easier to edit the RAW files. I hope Nikon changes this. Photographers set in their ways of editing the RAW in post-production will probably keep doing that. If they’ve been shooting for years, they also would’ve thought at some point that their predecessors would keep using Rodinal and looking at contact sheets. But lots of folks find it very liberating to not need to edit their images at all. That’s where things need to go.

What I’m hoping is that Nikon will be adding something big. They’ve got tons of creative looks in-camera. And I’d like to apply those to RAWs and JPEGs both. You can currently apply it to video if you wish.

Here’s what we said:

“Nikon’s 1.3 firmware update for the Nikon Z6 II gives us what they’re calling the Portrait Impressions Balance tool. If you’ve used pretty much any other camera out there though, this has been available and on the market for years. However, where Nikon makes this special is by focusing only on the yellow and purple scales. Fujifilm users have used it to create great looks like those from Fuji X Weekly. You can do similar with Sony, Panasonic, and other cameras. As Hillary stated in her Nikon z7 II review update, it will really help you get rid of the greenish look that Nikon’s portraits have.

All of this depends on what white balance you’re using, of course. If you’re like me, you specifically choose kelvin levels to get something a bit closer to film. Daylight might look really odd with even more purple in the scene. Add a daylight flash to the scene and things might get even odder. And Tungsten (or incandescent as Nikon calls it) might as well too with a lot of yellows. Luckily, you’ve got three modifiable profiles you can work with. What’s more, this only applies to the JPEGs, unlike what Fujifilm and other camera systems will do.

Where Nikon fails here though is by not giving us a preview of how the scene renders while it’s being adjusted. To be fair, other camera systems do the same thing. When my buddy create the look of Lomochrome Purple on my X Pro 3, I didn’t realize it until after I was reviewing my images.

Nikon also could’ve given photographers a few customized presets in addition to three modes that we could customize ourselves. For the record, I’ve written a ton about color theory on this website. And even I couldn’t figure out what the system is doing. Shooting photos with similar lighting, the same lens, and the same exposure sometimes gave me different results.

Still, I feel Nikon could’ve gone even further here. Professional photographers who have been shooting for years have their own way of working. But professional photographers who are more green shoot completely different. And if Nikon wants to get new customers, they’ll hopefully develop this system more. Obviousl...

Wide angle lenses tend to be built with specificity in mind. They are rarely designed to be your main workhorse. When it comes to Leica brand lenses for M-mount, there aren’t many options for super wide-angle options. The Leica 16-18-21mm Tri-Elmar f4 lens offers three wide focal lengths in one compact design. You can compose one frame and easily change the perspective and focal length with the turn of a dial. It specializes in several genres quite well and makes it an excellent crossover lens. Keep reading to find out more.

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Table of Contents

Too Long Didn’t Read

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Gear Used

Tech Specs

Innovations

Ergonomics

Build Quality

Focusing

Ease of Use

Image Quality

Bokeh

Sharpness

Color Rendering

Lens Character

Extra Image Samples

Edited

Unedited

Conclusions of the Leica 16-18-21mm Tri-Elmar f4 Lens Review

Likes

Cons

Too Long Didn’t Read

The Leica 16-18-21mm Tri-Elmar f4 lens is a specialty lens that takes some practice to use. An external wide-angle viewfinder cuts down on the learning curve time. Once you become acquainted with the lens, it creates beautifully sharp images with vibrant colors and superb contrast. You can embrace distortion with low angles and create fun fashion images. Images require minimal editing, if any. It is also ideal for architecture and real estate. Verticals and vignetting are easily corrected in post.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Three focal lengths in one

Sharp

Plenty of contrast

Well-built

Minimal distortion for wide-angle

Cons

Need an additional viewfinder to see the correct image in frame

It takes a while to learn proper framing without the viewfinder

Not weather-sealed

Gear Used

We tested the Leica Tri-Elmar 16-18-21mm f4 lens with a Leica M10-r body from LensRentals. We used the Broncolor Siros L 800Ws when utilizing studio lighting as well as the Broncolor Para 133 when inside the studio.

Tech Specs

Tech specs are from the LensRentals listing page.

Angle of View: 107° @ 16mm, 100° @ 18mm, and 92° @ 21mm

Aperture: f4-22

Autofocus: Manual Focus Only

Brand: Leica

Diameter: 2.1″

Length: 2.4″

Filter Style: In-Hood

Focal Length: 16.0-21.0

Groups/Elements: 7/10

Max Aperture: 4.0

Maximum Magnification: .026x @ 16mm, .028x @ 18mm, and .033 @ 21mm

Minimal Aperture: 22.0

Minimum Focusing Distance: 1.6feet

Mount: Leica M

Weight: 11.8 oz.

Innovations

The Leica Tri-Elmar 16-18-21mm lens offers three distinctive angles of view with the click of a dial. Each focal length provides a unique wide-angle perspective with minimal distortion. Two aspherical elements and internal floating elements achieve consistency at each focal length in a compact design. The accurate rendering is ideal for architecture and interior photography. It also offers unique perspectives for fashion and portraiture. Other rangefinder lenses are primes only, but this gives you three prime lenses.

Ergonomics

The Leica Tri-Elmar is compact and lightweight. It is 2.4” long and weighs less than 12 ounces. The lens fits in your hand and is comfortable enough to shoot with all day.

It resembles other Leica M-mount lenses in its physical appearance. The depth of field scale is located at the base, closest to the lens mount. Next is the focusing dial with a U-shaped finger rest. This is followed by the textured ring to switch between 16mm, 18mm, and 21mm.

The aperture ring is located just beneath the screw-on lens hood.

Build Quality

The Leica Tri-Elmar 16-18-21mm lens is well-constructed and feels solid. As with other Leica M-mount lenses, it is not fully weather-sealed. Leica has assured us their lenses are designed with weather sealing in mind. It performed without any issues in freezing temperatures and a sprinkling of sleet.

The smooth metal contrasts nicely with the textured rings, finger rest, and click-style aperture ring. Adjustments are easily made without ever having to leave the viewfinder. The focus barrel glides effort...

If there is anything in this world that make me scratch my head, it’s Canon’s RF lenses that aren’t in their L series. With that said, the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM is an okay lens that could’ve been more. Granted, it’s also only $649. And for that price point, it’s offering a whole lot to photographers. At the same time, you’re probably going to find it both frustrating and liberating. However, if you’ve used the Canon RF 100-500mm L lens, you won’t want to go back.

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Table of Contents

Too Long, Didn’t Read

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Gear Used

Tech Specs

Innovations

Ergonomics

Build Quality

Ease of Use

Autofocus

Image Quality

Bokeh

Color Rendition

Lens Character

Sharpness

Extra Image Samples

Edited

Unedited

Conclusions

Likes

Dislikes

Too Long, Didn’t Read

The Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM is a good lens. But it will be a much more solid performer on any camera body that has built-in bird and animal detection. Those camera bodies tend to have weather sealing. However, this lens doesn’t. Still, it’s incredibly lightweight and only $649.

The Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM is a good lens. But it will be a much more solid performer on any camera body that has bird and animal detection built-in. Those camera bodies tend to have weather sealing. However, this lens doesn’t. Still, it’s incredibly lightweight and only $649.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Nice image quality!

Fast autofocus

Lightweight

Really affordable

Image stabilization is very good and noticeable for sure. You can shoot an extra stop slower on the Canon EOS R5 than you can on the Canon EOS R.

Cons

The smarts and subject recognition is nowhere as good as it is with the 100-500mm RF L lens.

Come on, Canon, no weather sealing? You have to stop reserving that feature for just your L-series lenses.

Come on, Canon. No weather sealing? You have to stop limiting that feature to just your L-series lenses.

Frustrating to use on the Canon EOS R if you’re photographing birds or animals

Frustrating to use on the Canon EOS R if you’re photographing birds or animals.

Gear Used

We tested the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM with the:

Canon EOS R

Canon EOS R5

Tech Specs

Specs taken from the Lensrentals listing.

Aperture Blades. Aspherical Elements. Autofocus. Brand. Compatibility. Diameter. Extra Low-Dispersion Elements. Filter Size. Focal Length. Groups/Elements. Hood Included. Image Stabilization. Item Type. Length. Lens Type. Max Aperture. Maximum Magnification. Mfr. Model Number. Minimum Aperture. Minimum Focusing Distance. Mount. Weight.

9, Rounded

1

Autofocus

Canon

Full Frame

3.1″

1

67.0mm

100.0-400.0

9/12

No

Yes

Lens

6.5″

Telephoto

5.6

0.41x

5050C002

22.0

2.9feet

Canon RF

1.4 lbs.

Innovations

The Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM isn’t an innovative lens. If anything, it’s really overshadowed by the Canon RF 100-500mm. Other brands have lenses just like this and those lenses do more. But Canon’s is incredibly affordable, and to make it affordable they removed the weather resistance. Arguably, I also think it doesn’t work as intelligently with Canon’s system as the 100-500mm lens does.

Ergonomics

The front of the Canon RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 IS USM has a 67mm filter thread. So overall, it’s not that large. It’s far smaller than the L-variant. And of course, it’s all black too!

This lens has three rings: focus, zoom, and programmable. On the EOS R, I’d set the programmable ring to aperture control in manual shooting modes. Otherwise, on the EOs R5, everything can be done through the camera.

Zoomed all the way in, this lens gets larger. And luckily, there’s a switch that keeps it compact when it’s in your camera bag. And no, we didn’t get a lens hood with this lens when it came in for review.

Here’s a quick look at that locking section. It only works when the lens is fully collapsed.

Just near the mount, you can spot the AF/M switch as well as the image stabilization switch.

Bui...

“I like having only 36 photos to go through,” says Mike Caputo when asked why he prefers analogue to digital for his photography work. He enjoys being in complete control of his creative process, from shooting all the way to developing. From the looks of it, he doesn’t seem like he’s giving up photography any time soon. A resident of Hawaii for over two decades, Mike successfully crowdfunded a darkroom in his local town some years ago, and it’s his go-to place for hanging out these days.

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I wish we had an accessible, community-type darkroom here like the one Mike owns in Hawaii. Imagine being able to spend as much time as you want there, playing around and experimenting with developing film. I’d probably spend more time there each day than at a gym. Mike’s passion for film, and black and white analogue especially, is evident in how he speaks about that darkroom where he immerses himself for a good part of some days. It’s more than just a pet project now. He also takes time out to teach people how to develop their film rolls here. It’s important to spread the passion you have when doing what you love. What’s the point in hoarding knowledge when it’s best improved when it is shared? When I interview photographers like Mike, I sit back in awe when I read about how photography is a part of life that they cannot disconnect from. It’s always lovely to explore the work of photographers who shoot for themselves and their happiness first.

The Essential Photo Gear Used by Mike Caputo

50 film cameras over the last 5 years, some of which are:

4×5 Speed Graphic

Pentax 67

Minolta Autocord

Holga 120N

Nikonos II

Nikon L35AW

Nikon DSLRs

Nikon F

Nikon F3

Nikon L35AF

Olympus XA

Leica M3

I also recently acquired a Leica M3 with a 50mm Summilux F/1.4 for $400. Who could say no to that deal? I’m about to run my first roll through it. I guess I’m in the Leica club now. I’ll find out soon if they’re all they’re cracked up to be.

The Phoblographer: Please tell us about yourself and how you got into photography.

Mike Caputo: I’m a firefighter in Hawaii, and I also own a small community darkroom in downtown Hilo on the Big Island. I came to Hawaii from Chicago about 20 years ago, and I live in a tropical jungle now instead of a concrete one. Both have their charms, I suppose. Occasionally I miss city life, blues bars, jazz festivals, fancy restaurants, Italian beef sandwiches, and of course, a proper hot dog. I’ve seen grown men put ketchup on a hot dog out here. It’s disgusting. Nobody puts ketchup on a hot dog!

I’ve always been interested in photography in a casual way, mostly snaps with family and friends for photo albums. My interest in photography as an art started a few years ago. It was gradual at first. When I learned how to develop my own film and make darkroom prints is when it really took off. I love the whole process from beginning to end. There’s something very satisfying about doing it all on your own. I still feel excited developing a roll of film and peeling it off the steel reel, holding it up to the light to see how the negatives look and wondering which ones I will decide to print is as fun as it ever was.

The Phoblographer: Underwater film cameras have been around for a few decades now, but what made you want to try this out in an era where digital photography is constantly evolving?

Mike Caputo: Digital is cool, and there are tons of things you can do with it that you can’t do with film. None of that interests me, though. I’ve tried shooting digital many times. For some reason, I don’t get the same feeling, the same satisfaction as I do with using film. Digital is stale to me. Too clean. Too many pictures. Too much editing. Maybe I’m just lazy. I’m not knocking digital; it’s just not my thing. The darkroom is my thing. That’s why I use a Nikonos. I like hand printing my photos sums it up pretty well.

The Phoblographer: Expos...