Verdict: 4.5 stars This JJC kit solves a problem for analog shooters trying to get their 35mm negatives and transparencies into their digital workflow. It comes with everthing you need, including a USB-powered light panel, a 6-frame negative strip holder and a dual mounted transparency holder. It’s cheap and it works brilliantly. There are a couple of tiny niggles but honestly, at this price, it’s just brilliant.
Reviews
Many of my reviews are published on Digital Camera World, but here are some more that might not make it on to the larger sites. I review cameras, lenses, camera bags, tripods and photo and video accessories of all kinds.
Laowa 35mm f/2.8 Zero-D Tilt Shift 0.5x Macro review
Verdict: 4.3 stars I’ve used tilt/shift lenses before so I know how they work, but I did find the Laowa 35mm f/2.8 Zero-D Tilt Shift 0.5x Macro unexpectedly heavy and somewhat awkward to use. There wasn’t much space around the lens on my Sony A7 III to easily operate its knobs and adjusters. I’m also not sold on the 35mm focal length for this type of work. But the quality of construction, and the results and control this lens offers, are pretty exceptional.
Laowa 180mm f/4.5 1.5X Ultra Macro APO review
Verdict: 4.8 stars The Laowa 180mm f/4.5 1.5X Ultra Macro APO is special in a number of ways. First, it’s a macro lens with an extra-long working distance which can be an advantage for many subjects, second it can also be used as an everyday telephoto, third it’s really inexpensive! The Sony E, Nikon Z and Canon EF (not RF) versions also have a seamless AF option for distances beyond 1.5m. Best of all, the optical performance is superb.
Sony FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6 review
Rating: 4.4 stars This unloved kit lens often bundled with the Sony A7C and A7C II looks a bit of a joke, with its barely 2x zoom range and f/4-5.6 maximum aperture. It looks like yet another cheap kit lens to be discarded as soon as you can afford something better. Well let me tell you, it’s no joke. It’s small, it’s cheap, it’s a practical everyday carry and it’s so sharp you could cut yourself.
3 Legged Thing Luna review
3 Legged Thing Luna verdict: 4.8 stars The 3 Legged Thing Luna looks expensive for a light stand, but it’s made of carbon fibre, works like a dream and has a degree of adaptability my old light stands just don’t have. I especially like the dual-size mounting screw on the top, the detachable boom arm and the tall maximum height. I think it’s brilliant.
I got this grip extender for my Canon EOS R8, but why didn’t they make it like this from the start?
Practically every camera I get I ends up either getting a grip extender just to make it nicer to handle. I did this with my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III, my Fujifilm X-T5 and my Sony A7R II (actually, I got a full battery grip for this). So why?
3 Legged Thing Phil review
I have a lot of phone clamps, and the 3 Legged Thing Phil is easily the best. Given the quality of the design and engineering, I think the price is pretty good – it’s also pretty insignificant compared to the cost of phones and other video accessories, and I would definitely rather pay extra for a strong and effective phone clamp like this than take a chance on a cheaper one.
Fujifilm X-T1 review in 2024, with sample images
Verdict 4.3 stars The Fujifilm X-T1 is a terrific low-cost used choice that makes a great camera for photography students and enthusiasts today. Its traditional external exposure controls are perfect for re-discovering the lost art of exposure, and its excellent build quality and handling make it a very satisfying camera to use.
Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 Di III VXD review: a unique standard zoom alternative
Verdict: 4.5 stars The Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 Di III VXD might sound like an odd sort of crossover lens somewhere between a wide-angle zoom and a kit lens, but with a 2x zoom range that sounds distinctly limiting. However, that 2x zoom range offers more framing and perspective variation than you might expect, the constant f/2.8 maximum aperture is excellent at this price and the handling is smooth, light and sweet. I like it a lot.
Nikon D610 review in 2024: Nikon’s forgotten classic
Nikon D610 verdict: 4.6 stars The Nikon D610 is from what I consider the golden era of Nikons DSLRs. As a camera for regular stills photography it’s as good as any modern 24-megapixel full frame camera for image quality and offers a completely different – and refreshing – shooting experience. Its video features are pretty primitive, as you would expect, but that aside, this is a superbly made camera that is heavy, yes, but handles brilliantly. It’s also cruelly undervalued, even forgotten, as a used buy.