The Phoblographer

The Sony FE lenses you’re looking for are available at good prices right now!

New lenses for your Sony camera don’t need to be super expensive or hard to find. More importantly, Sony’s best lenses are available right now at a more affordable price over at KEH! If you shoot portraits, photojournalism, or are even a passionate hobbyist, we found something for you! We encourage you to take a look at our ethically selected list. We’ve reviewed over 700 lenses, including these!

Sony 55mm f1.8 FE

“The Sony 55mm f1.8 is a strong entry to the FE line both in terms design and optical quality. With a weather-sealed body and nine aperture blades, this lens is dense and sits comfortably in the hand. It does well in various weather conditions, but we urge you to stay inside during more extreme bouts of weather.

Through my travels across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, the 55mm held up remarkably well; and I can only imagine what the next iteration of this lens will bring.”

Get it at KEH for as low as $693.26

Sony 24-70mm f2.8 G Master

“The Sony 24-70mm f2.8 G Master delivers image quality that any professional will really appreciate; to that end the enthusiast and the hobbyist will also love it. Considering that this is a G Master lens, Sony put its own really high end tech into it to make itself equal to stuff like Canon L glass. Photographers using this lens in various situations will be very happy with the results you can deliver such as with the sharpness, the bokeh, the colors, and the levels of purple fringing that are very suppressed.”

Get it at KEH for as low as $1,719.40

Sony 85mm f1.4 G Master

“The 11 aperture blades here help to create gorgeous bokeh. This is the first autofocus lens to give us that–but years ago Zeiss used to put 17 blades in their lenses for super creamy bokeh. Hopefully, we’ll see more of a return to that type of manufacturing.”

Get it at KEH for as low as $1,309.94

Sony 35mm f1.8 FE

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Sony 35mm f1.8 FE lens as far as image quality went because their 50mm f1.8 FE is just wrong in my opinion. But their 55mm f1.8 FE is fantastic. And thankfully, the image quality from the Sony 35mm f1.8 FE lens leans more towards the latter. Photographers both professional and hobbyist will thoroughly enjoy the image quality the Sony 35mm f1.8 FE lens produces. With a flash it’s incredibly sharp when shooting wide open. Stopped down to f4, it’s also noticeably sharp. What photographers will really like is the creamy bokeh that they get combined with the fact that the colors are cinematic. Indeed, these are some of my favorite colors that I’ve seen from a Sony lens yet. And I’m not sure what they did, but I commend them!”

Get it at KEH for as low as $660.68

Pro Tip: Always remember that Sony has Animal Eye Face Detection in some of their newer cameras. So when it comes to photographing your adorable furry friends, you’ll have a blast! As an extra tip, hold a treat right by the lens to make them look!

Sony 24mm f1.4 G Master

In our review we stated:

“Photographers on a bokeh-rich diet will be delighted to learn that the Sony 24mm f1.4 G Master features a circular aperture design consisting of 11 blades, which helps to produce beautifully creamy and circular bokeh, even when the lens is stopped down a few stops.”

Get it at KEH for as low as $1,220.58

Editor’s Note: This is a sponsored blog post from KEH. It’s hard to get your hands on affordable gear. But KEH has a lot of it that’s gently used and ready for a new home. Take a look at some of their great options for the Sony FE system.

All images by Jason De Freitas. Used with permission.

“I’m so starved for light that I’m usually exposing for as long as I have time for or my tracking accuracy can achieve,” says Jason De Freitas. Jason is based on the South Coast of New South Wales and is one of the world’s few long-exposure film astrophotographers. He’s a fine art photographer who makes the most of Australia’s varied landscape and dark night skies. That’s a critical part of how he makes his unique astrophotography on film.

Slide film photography is something fairly close to my heart. As a toddler, my grandfather and I would hold up countless slide transparencies to the tube light illuminating our home in Dubai. He would tell me stories of how he captured those images. Not once in all the years since then did I imagine I would see a photographer capture the Milky Way on one such slide.

The Phoblographer: What sparked the (expensive) idea that film could be used as a medium for astrophotography?

Jason De Freitas: In my more general photography, I had fallen in love with film as a medium because I found it very enjoyable to use, and it changed my approach to photography. Astrophotography remained one of the few subjects that I would still have to use my digital camera for, but the question about whether I could get some basic astro shots with film was always in the back of my mind. To me, it was about the challenge of taking a Milky Way photo on film, and the satisfaction of pulling it off has been a driving force behind taking it further and further one step at a time.

The Phoblographer: I assume you’ve tried and tested a fairly large variety of film stock to choose some that provide the best results. How long did this take you (and did it come at a considerable cost)?

Jason De Freitas: Quite the opposite actually. Finding information about analog astrophotography is tough because it’s all hidden under enormous amounts of digital astrophotography knowledge, but I did find out what film stocks are better to use. The unfortunate thing is that very few of those stocks are still made, so my choices are very limited – I also look for certain expired film stocks that have been stored frozen on eBay that have great characteristics for astro. Good clear nights with perfect conditions are very limited, so testing is very expensive in terms of imaging time – putting in the research before and making calculated estimates has really proven to be the best way forward for me.

The Phoblographer: Typically, how does the calculative process work (to arrive at the desired exposure values)? Is there a tried and tested formula that you’ve developed, or do you find yourself getting varied results each time?

Jason De Freitas: This is a question that I get asked a lot, but it isn’t actually something I calculate at all. I’m so starved for light that I’m usually exposing for as long as I have time for or my tracking accuracy can achieve. Part of the research I mentioned earlier involves trying to find astro shots that have been taken on the same stock or similar stocks and using those settings as reference. I can use that information to estimate exposure durations for the equipment I’m using.

The Phoblographer: How different is the technical process when compared to shooting astro photos on digital cameras (full frame or medium format)?

Jason De Freitas: The biggest difference that affects the technical process is reciprocity failure. This basically means that for low exposure values, film needs an extra amount of exposure time compared to a digital exposure. The end result of this is that film needs an order of magnitude longer exposure than digital. For the most basic Milky Way shot that you can shoot with a tripod and a digital camera, you would need to use a star tracker to achieve it on film since the exposure is much longer. These exposure times get even longer when you move from full-frame to large formats because the lenses are slower. For a medium format Milky Way shot, ...

Wide and fast, these affordable wide primes capture building exteriors and interiors easily.

Wide primes are generally associated with things like landscapes and astrophotography. However, they can be used for far more than that. One more genre where wide primes excel is in architectural photography. Photographers who need to capture building exteriors, interiors, bridges and more, need lenses that can take it all in. After the break, we round up five wide primes that are affordable and capable of capturing sharp images with great colors. If you’re ready to try your hand at architectural photography without breaking the bank, read on.

Rokinon 14mm f2.8 AF

“It’s fast to focus, can deliver bokeh, has a fast aperture and weather sealing, and is on par with Tamron’s pricing. How can you go wrong?”

Buy now Canon EF: $529

Buy now Sony E: $549

IRIX 15mm f2.4 FireFly

“When using the IRIX 15mm f2.4 FireFly, we were very impressed with the image quality.”

Buy now Canon EF: $390

Buy now Nikon F: $390

Pro Tip: These wide primes will surely help you capture images in tight spaces or entire buildings easily. However, to really make architectural photography work, you have to ensure your horizons are straight. Your best bet to get straight images using these lenses is to pair them with a sturdy tripod. We’ve reviewed a ton of them. If you need a new tripod so that using these lenses will be easier, check out our reviews index to find one that’s right for you.

Fujifilm 16mm f2.8 R WR

“The exterior of the Fujifilm 16mm f2.8 R WR lens feels every bit as solid as many of Fujifilm’s other lenses. On top of that, it is lightweight, which translates to your back potentially needing less of a massage after a nine-mile hike with this combo.”

Buy now: $399

Samyang 18mm f2.8

“Now, here’s where I’m most in love with this lens. The colors! Samyang colors have always been saturated and contrasty. They look and feel very unique, and this is no exception.”

Buy now: $329

Tokina 20mm f2 FiRIN AF

In our review, we said:

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

“The Tokina 20mm f2 FiRIN AF still has great image quality in the same way that the original, manual focus version did. Tokina’s lenses in the past few years have all been stellar not only in their sharpness but also in their color rendition, their lack of CA, and the overall look.

Buy now Sony E: $589

Read this before committing to a photography workshop.

Photography workshops can be a sound investment. If you’re new to the industry and want to learn more, paying for expert advice certainly has its value. But when selecting the best photography workshop, it’s important to do research. Because, like I learned first hand, not all of them are what you expect them to be.

A Sad Truth About Some Photography Workshops

In the summer of 2020, I was in Colombia. The pandemic was in full swing, and South America was the best option for me to ride it out. As someone who has always worked from home, I tend to set up my office in co-working spaces. It’s a great place to meet other creatives and share skills if necessary.

At one particular space was a small team that was building a photography workshop business. The team consisted of two models, one project manager, and one marketing specialist. The product they were selling was a photography workshop package. Budding photographers would pay around $3,000 to be flown to a cool location for the weekend, where they would spend time photographing models and learning the craft.

“…it was evident to me that the bosses at the company wanted to use sex as the main selling point of the workshop. They wanted people to sign up thinking, “maybe I’ll get lucky too,” even if that wasn’t explicitly part of the package.”

The Photography Workshop Red Flags

The first red flag for me was the style in which the startup company approached recruiting customers. Maybe it’s just me, but if I’m looking for a workshop to improve my photography skills, the photographers leading them would be the main selling point, right? Instead, the young models who were ranged between 18 and 21 were encouraged to “interact with accounts that expressed an interest in photography.”

None of the young women were experienced models. They were young, attractive women who may have done a few shoots, but they had nothing to offer in the form of experience and education. So, they would slide into the DMs of photography enthusiasts and, as they were instructed to do, “sell the package.”

The second red flag was a comment made by one of the bosses to one of the models. She told me he had said, “if you want to sell more packages, then you may want to think about losing some weight.” We all know the model world can be cruel, but hiring someone and then telling them to lose weight is abusive.

The Final Red Flag

A lot of the creative spaces I work from have community-focused events. It’s a chance for creatives to hang out and socialize. At one of these events, I saw the third – and most disgusting – red flag. One of the bosses was trying to sell his package to other people at the event. The more he drank, the more his true colors came out. “There will be hot girls there” and “who knows what could happen?” were the two comments that cemented what I already thought to be true: they were selling sex, not photography.

Now, let me be clear. I don’t believe the girls were escorts, nor that any of them would have had sex with a person who signed up for a photography workshop. But it was evident that the bosses at the company wanted to use sex as the main selling point of the workshop. They wanted people to sign up thinking, “maybe I’ll get lucky too,” even if that wasn’t explicitly part of the package.

“Photography workshops can be hit or miss even for the ethical ones. Sometimes they can be a great investment, while other times they can leave a photographer wondering whether they should have bought a new lens instead.”

Thankfully, the company quickly folded due to poor management. I reached out to a former employee for comment. After initially agreeing to speak with me, they changed their mind a few days later.

Why am I writing this? Although we can’t share the name of the company, we can share its ideology. And it’s clear to me that this isn’t the only pop-up workshop operating in this manner. So I’m writing this article to help you make better d...

The 50mm lens has evolved over the years to be a fantastic portrait lens.

If you want a wider portrait lens, then 50mm is pretty ideal. In the past few years, the distortion in them and the overall quality has become stellar. When you shoot with one, noses are bound to bulge nowhere as much as they used to. But in addition to that, the colors and the bokeh will simply pop. We’ve reviewed well over 700 lenses that you can find in our Reviews Index. So we chose some of these special lenses. We know that it’s hard to get your hands on new gear right now. So we partnered with KEH for some of the best out there!

Sony Zeiss 50mm f1.4 FE

“One of my favorite things about this lens is how it handles colors. For everyone that believes Sony colors are too vivid and almost like a painting, this lens will prove you wrong. This lens offers a tad less saturation than even the 85mm f1.4 G Master lens and far less than the 35mm f1.4 Sony Zeiss comparatively speaking.

If you like to shoot portraits and really care about skin tones, then this lens may be a must-have.”

Get it as low as $1,291.84

Zeiss Loxia 50mm f2

“The Zeiss 50mm f2 Loxia has more vivid, punchier, and saturated colors than its 35mm f2 counterpart. It’s everything that you’ve come to know with modern Zeiss optics.

But what I’m personally really in love with is how it works with skin tones that gives me an almost Kodak Portra type of look.”

Get it as low as $578.22

Leica 50mm f2 Summicron R

In our review of the Leica R6, we stated:

“The thing about using a Leica R6 is that you get access to the lenses natively used with film. Of course, you can buy adapt them to any camera you wish. But for a truly cinematic and film-like look, I’d use the lenses with something like CineStill film. The lenses are beautiful…”

Get it as low as $315.31

Voigtlander 50mm f1.5 M39 Mount

In our review of the Ilford HP5 film, we stated:

“The Voigtlander Bessa used for this review was in great condition, as was the lens. The coatings aren’t up to modern standards but some photographers like that look. Hence, you’ll get a look that isn’t that contrasty.”

Get it as low as $569.06

7Artisans 50mm f1.1

“Oh man, am I in love with this lens. Want that soft look? You can get it. Want that super sharp look? It’s got that. Want lens flare? Oh man, does this lens control it just right! The 7Artisans 50mm f1.1 surely has character to it. In the same way that I’ve always felt that Leica, Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses have a specific character to them, so too does this one. I don’t think that it’s meant to be 100% perfect but it’s surely gorgeous in every single way.”

Get it as low as $253.32

Pro Tip: Modern 50mm lenses can do everything you need. Lots of folks like to backlight their subjects. And in the case of the 7Artisans lens above, you can do that with ease. Give it a shot with any of these lenses. You’ll like what they produce!

Panasonic 50mm f1.4 L Mount

“Now with all heartfelt honesty, the strongest feature of the Panasonic 50mm f1.4 Lumix S Pro is the image quality. Photojournalists, wedding photographers, landscape photographers, portrait photographers and those who just like pixel peeping will admire what the Panasonic 50mm f1.4 Lumix S Pro can do. This lens is so sharp that it makes the Panasonic S1 seem like it’s a higher megapixel camera. Beyond that it has beautiful bokeh, can focus closely, and has no major problems at all.”

Get it as low as $1,871.22

Fujifilm 35mm f1.4 R

In our review, we stated:

“The 35mm f1.4 is truthfully best experienced if not wide open, nowhere past f5.6. Otherwise, you’re doing an extreme injustice to yourself by not taking advantage of the beautiful bokeh and extreme sharpness that the lens has to offer wide open.”

Get it as low as $464.46

Editor’s Note: This is a sponsored blog post from KEH. Looking for a nice 50mm lens? KEH is bound to have it at a great price and with transparent feedback on its condition. Check out their stock of 50mm lenses today!

With more photography available for consumption online than ever before, what makes some photographs “art” and others just an exercise in technical photography? And should we care?

I could not ask these questions in good conscience without sharing how I started as a photographer. I remember the first time that I picked up a camera. I was ten years old, and I was standing in the driveway of my childhood home. My first intuition was to go crazy and snap away at anything that I “liked.” I embraced photography simply as something that I had fun with and nothing more.

I got my film back a couple weeks later from a local drug store in my hometown. There was no instant gratification of seeing, posting, sharing the images. I carefully perused each 4×6 in my hands as if it were buried treasure that I had just unearthed.

Art School Lingo

Fast forward thirty-one years, and I still get just as excited to photograph as the day I loaded my first roll of film. I no longer go out and photograph as if I were in the Wild West. My camera has become like an appendage of my body and soul. I have been trained in art school lingo. And for better or worse, I have learned exactly what every single button controls on my camera.

If one were to ask me how I photograph these days, I would compare it to a first-person shooter video game with statistics on the screen’s outskirts. I think in F-stops, shutter speed, ISO, and white balance. Then I envision the whole scene to hash out where the best perspective is for lighting and composition. Some may argue that this is the way to go. Others may go cross-eyed to my approach. But for better or worse, this is how I have been trained to see.

When I approach photography from a purely technical standpoint, I am often disappointed with the result. I lose the feeling of pure joy and excitement that I had as a child when I first picked up the camera. If I hesitate for the slightest amount of time, the experience and creative aspect of the image are gone.

Photographing for the Algorithm

In 2021, the Internet is flooded with opinions, tutorials, influencers, and rabbit holes of information. For any photographer new to the game, this can be very daunting or exciting.

One Youtube channel will share a tutorial on exercises in depth of field. Another will share how to make bright shiny things out of ordinary objects, such as Jordi Koaltic does. What happens when everyone gets bored with the latest trends of what is produced in videos like Jordi’s? And more importantly, when they regurgitate these techniques verbatim, what does everyone do with the photographs they produce other than post them onto social media for digital pats on the back? Are these photographs art? Are they simply the latest trend that will come and go just as selective color did in the 80s? Does anyone even look at the images they shoot ten minutes after the edit and the post?

I think many photographers approach the craft with different intents these days. Some photograph to unwind after experiencing long days in a career that sucks their souls from them. Some have dreams of starting their own business to do something creative while making a living. Some wish to achieve status and become famous. But does the intent merit a photograph to be called art? Is it all just a big technical exercise to understand the camera and throw the proverbial spaghetti to the wall to see if it sticks when an image is made? I think many photographers are lying to themselves and trying to feel special when we should all instead make what we like without worrying so much.

Why Do You Photograph?

Before anyone sends people after me with tar and feathers, let me say that all opinions are subjective in what makes an image “art” or just a simple technical exercise. Someone can deem themselves an “artist,” but if their content or style does not speak to someone else, are they still artists?

Often times, it is hard to approach photography with a pure, unfiltered perspective. Unless...

All images by Emmanuel Munier. Used with permission.

My name is Emmanuel Munier. I am a self-taught French photographer who creates abstract landscapes or seascapes. I discovered ICM photography two years ago, and it radically changed my way of photographing my region. I love the random part of this technique, you can never really know in advance the image you’ll get, and you won’t ever be able to shoot it twice exactly the same. All my pictures are single shots (no Photoshop, of course, no multi-exposure).

I don’t like to take pictures of landscapes the same way as the dozens of photographers who come to my region. I am then constantly searching for new ways of photographing or new points of view, and ICM photography offers this. It’s also a good way to get very oneiric images of imaginary landscapes.

My work will make the readers travel through oneiric landscapes: outer worlds without limits. You’ll only need imagination.

Why did you get into photography?

Emmanuel Munier: I got into photography because I have always loved the power of images. With a picture, you can say much more than with words. You can tell stories, you can imagine the world and your daily life differently.

Which photographers are your biggest influences? How did they affect who you are and how you create?

Emmanuel Munier: My first influence was Philip Plisson, a french photographer specialized in seascapes. When I first saw his pictures, I was impressed by the calm and authenticity that emanated from straightforward scenes. Many other photographers also influenced me (Todd Hido and his mysterious night shots, Raymond Depardon and his black and white vertical landscapes…). The latest photographer that had a big influence on me is Andrew Gray: his abstract landscapes are phenomenal. Discovering his work was, for me, the trigger to go beyond what I was usually photographing.

How long have you been shooting? How do you feel you’ve evolved since you started?

Emmanuel Munier: I’ve been shooting for 12 years or so, but more seriously since 2016. My practice has evolved from traditional seascapes to something more mysterious and more abstract.

Tell us about your photographic identity.

Emmanuel Munier: I am a french photographer, living in Brittany (in the far west of France), near the ocean. Living here, of course, helps to get some seascapes and helps to get used to managing the capricious weather and light. My graphical identity is made with colors, blur, movements, and mixing elements that have no reason to get mixed (for example, a lighthouse floating in the clouds)

Tell us about the gear you’re using.

Emmanuel Munier: I use Panasonic G9 (micro 4/3), mostly the 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. The other lenses I use are 45-200 F/4.5-5.6, UWA 7-14mm, and 20mm. I choose to get the Panasonic G9 because I love the µ4/3 system (my first camera 12 years ago was the Panasonic G1). I like its lightness and its compactness compared to any full-frame system. It’s a big advantage for Instant Camera Movement if you don’t want to get tendonitis in the wrist after a one-hour shooting. But the truth is that I am not a big fan of gears and materials. It’s, for me, the least interesting aspect of photography. No photographer has ever been exposed because his sensor had billions of pixels, but his work deserves it.

Natural light or artificial light? Why?

Emmanuel Munier: Only natural light.

Why is photography and shooting so important to you?

Emmanuel Munier: My work is hectic. Photography is my oxygen and my escape.

How does the gear help you create?

Emmanuel Munier: The gear has no real influence for me. It’s the movement, discovering sites, hiking, light, and weather to create my images.

What’s typically going through your mind when you create images?

Emmanuel Munier: Creating my images takes 2 steps: shooting and post-processing. Sometimes, before the session, I find a place to go and a subject to photograph. But most of the time, I randomly hike on the trails and find the subje...

I never thought I’d see the day where it’s sometimes less expensive to buy a new camera.

COVID-19 caused something bizarre to happen to the photo market. There’s actually a giant mess of things that happened, and I don’t think that COVID-19 is the only factor. But, it’s caused major issues with low stock supply. People want cameras and lenses, but they’re very hard to get right now. That’s caused second-hand market pricing to go up a bit, and in some cases made the second-hand market more expensive than buying new.

Let’s first identify what’s happened:

COVID-19 means people have less money to work with or end up spending their savings.

Everyone bought computers. This caused a major shortage of chips needed for cameras, along with other components.

A bunch of companies closed factories.

A sensor plant burned down.

Rumor has it that there was a major barge that sank and had tons of parts, cameras, lenses, etc. So that reduced a ton of product.

Cameras were getting more expensive anyway. They needed to. The dedicated camera market is truly a luxury market.

When it’s so hard to get a new product, demand goes up. Folks go to other places to find the cameras and lenses they want. And on the second-hand market, people drive the prices up.

This isn’t uncommon. It’s been happening for a long time in the watch world. If you want a Rolex, you need to get on a list. And only then, maybe will they sell you one. If you get a Rolex, you can flip it on the second-hand market for more than you bought it. They’re really one of the only brands that this happens with in regards to watches.

It also happens with Supreme. I think one of the most ridiculous instances I heard of is their collaboration with Kit Kat. On the second-hand market, the prices skyrocketed.

This isn’t for every situation, mind you. You can still find certain cameras and lenses at good prices on the second-hand market. But that probably won’t last long. Granted, there will be Mother’s Day and Father’s Day sales for the next two months. So pricing on brand new gear is bound to drop a bit.

What this also means is good resale value. For many years, Sony’s cameras didn’t really hold their value if you tried to resell them. The same went for Fujifilm. But that’s changed a lot. They’re not holding their value as well as Canon or Leica, but sellers can justifiably raise their prices to get their initial investment back. Again though, that isn’t on everything I’ve seen. The Olympus Pen F surely held its value for the most part. Fujifilm’s lenses are also really holding their value.

But overall, I think this is a good thing. Cameras need to become more expensive. They need to be more in-demand. That’s how companies can get the money to actually innovate. Granted, not all of them innovate. But the ones that do really focus their resources. It’s completely justified because very few folks truly need cameras. Professional photographers surely do. But the rest of us who enjoy this as a hobby don’t truly need them. There’s a massive difference between wanting and needing. And in this case, it’s all much more about wanting the products.

Wildlife and birding photography don’t need to be expensive.

The pandemic has seen the popularity of both birding photography and wildlife photography skyrocket in recent months. With social distancing in place, we have begun training our lenses on other creatures. However, you need a lens long enough to capture the great action. Fortunately, there are lenses out there that can get the job done well at an affordable price. Do you want to improve your wildlife and birding photography without breaking the bank? If so, you owe it to yourself to check out the affordable zoom lenses we have rounded up after the break.

Sigma 100-400mm f5-6.3 DG DN OS

“The Sigma 100-400mm f5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary is an outstanding value at only $949 USD. It’s a budget superzoom many wildlife and sports photographers will love. The results are sharp with accurate colors. Performance is also comparable to Sony’s excellent 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 G Master. The Sigma is even smaller and lighter.”

Buy now L Mount: $949

Buy now Sony E: $949

Canon 600mm f11 IS STM

“The Canon RF 600mm f11 IS STM is a unique lens that will give the masses a chance to own a super-telephoto at an affordable price. For most, the Canon 600mm f11 will be fine, especially for photographers who like to shoot wildlife or birds in good weather.”

Buy now: $699

Pro Tip: Birding and wildlife photography are waiting games more than anything else. Zoom lenses surely help, but ensure you have a place that you can remain hidden in while maintaining a good line of sight to the action areas. If you’re spotted, the birds will simply fly on by. If you’re new to this type of photography, perhaps pick up this tutorial. It will help you get the shots you want.

Sony 70-350mm f4.5-6.3 G OSS

Brett Day – Gear Editor

“The Sony 70-350mm f4.5-6.3 G OSS is an excellent lens for the price. Sony owners who shoot with APS-C cameras will love how versatile this lens is. It is well built, produces sharp images with great colors, and focuses incredibly quickly. This lens is perfect for wildlife photographers who want extra reach, is great for photographers who want to capture sports or any action, and you can even put it to use in the landscape and portrait genres too”

Buy now: $998

Tamron 70-300mm f4.5-6.3 Di III RXD

In our review, we said:

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

“This lens exhibits beautiful bokeh. If you’re using it to photograph birds on your porch, you’ll have lots of fun. It’s going to do a terrific job singling out the birds and blowing the rest of the scene out into glorious bokeh. At times it will also look like there’s a swirl or extra smooth bokeh.

Buy now: $499

Take it from a visually impaired photographer who’s legally blind; these three tools have helped so much.

There was a time when I honestly thought I’d need to give up on photography. As long term readers will know, I’m legally blind. I have keratoconus, which makes a lot of things difficult. So taking photos and getting details can be complicated. It also means that I need to get closer to things than others would to understand. It never occurred to me to use binoculars and scopes to help me, but I’ve been doing so in recent times. At least one of those will accompany me when I’m doing adventure-style photography. Being able to see helps a whole lot. It’s nice to get a zoomed-in view of something from above or far away. Then, I can typically get up closer to whatever I’m going to photograph. Here are three items that have helped me and that I strongly recommend to other Visually Impaired Photographers.

Fujinon Techno-Stabi TS12x28 Image Stabilization Binoculars

Why is it special?: The Fujinon Techno-Stabi TS12x28 Image Stabilization Binoculars are positively wonderful. The magnification is useful in most situations, though it’s not the strongest we’ve seen. The best part of these binoculars is image stabilization. If you’ve got shaky hands, this will mitigate that. What’s more, they boast weather sealing. So you can go into the rain and tough weather with them. Beyond this, it’s compact and lightweight.

Image stabilization can really help visually impaired photographers who sometimes see multiples of something. With my condition, I sometimes see eight of something instead of just one. So when things are moving fast, it’s even tougher to keep my eyes focused on the real one, so to speak.

How they’ve helped: These binoculars are incredibly bright. We’ve used them in the day and at night with solid results. Once, when doing a review, we used them to find birds that were otherwise too difficult to find. Typically, I can hear birds a whole lot better than I can see them. But by listening and then pointing the Fujinon Techno-Stabi TS12x28 Image Stabilization Binoculars directly at the source, I can find them. An autofocus telephoto zoom lens with shallow depth of field doesn’t really let you do that.

The Stand Out Features: The single best thing about these binoculars is the image stabilization.

Buy Now: $449

Olympus Explorer 8-16×40 Binoculars

Why is it special?: The Olympus Explorer 8-16×40 Binoculars are new to the scene. They’re not the higher-end, professional option, but they’re still quite good. There’s a handy zoom function near the eyepiece. But they’re also incredibly comfortable for your eyes when they’re correctly adjusted. Mind you, they’re pretty large. They also lack the weather-sealing of the Fujifilm binoculars, but they’re still cool because they’re fully analog. That’s right, there are no electronics in them.

Being able to zoom in is the most obvious aid here for visually impaired photographers. We can see great details from miles away. And that can help with setting up or planning a hike that Google won’t necessarily help plan.

How they’ve helped: These binoculars have a handy zoom function in them. The obvious aid is for birding, but we’ve also used them for scouting better areas to set up for hiking.

The Stand Out Features: If money is a problem, then go for these. They’re incredibly affordable even though they lack a lot of the bigger features you might need.

Buy Now: $139

Canon Powershot Zoom Monocular

Why is it special?: The Canon Powershot Zoom is an extraordinary entry here. It’s the only digital option and around the size of large chapstick. It boasts a 100-400mm zoom lens and extends to 800mm beyond that digitally. By all means, it’s not really a good camera. But it’s used for scouting and sporting events to see details better.

If you’re a visually impaired photographer, the Canon Powershot is an obvious choice. The zoom power lets you scope-out so many fine details that you’d otherwise not see.

How t...