Verdict: 4 stars It’s cheap, it’s compact, it offers a choice of fisheye styles and it performs really well. The Laowa 4.5–10mm f/2.8 CF Fisheye Zoom is a really attractive lens for anyone who wants to dabble in fisheye effects or even use them professionally – though the manual focus operation does slow things down and an inaccurate distance scale is a real black mark against a lens that otherwise feels really well made.
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.
Nikon AF‑S DX 18‑105mm f/3.5‑5.6G ED VR review
Verdict: 4.5 stars Let’s get this straight from the start. The Nikon AF‑S DX 18‑105mm f/3.5‑5.6G ED VR is a low-cost kit lens with average but acceptable optical performance and plastic build – it even has a plastic lens mount. So why do I rate it so highly? This is where performance and specfications meet real-world handling. This a very ordinary lens, technically, but it’s light, really nice to use and has a great focal range. I can’t help but like it.
Nikon D7500 review in 2026
Verdict: 4.3 stars The Nikon D7500 was in many ways a somewhat odd successor to the much-loved D7200. Launched in 2017, it brought a drop in resolution and a single card slot, but also came with 4K video and a tilting touchscreen. It is perhaps a better all-rounder, but how does it stack up in 2026 as a used buy or, if you can still find it, a new camera?
I’ve tested a lot of superzoom lenses – but the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD is special
Superzoom lenses sound like the answer to a travel photographer’s prayers – or even anyone’s prayers. They offer a huge all-in-one zoom range that means you don’t have to carry lots of lenses or waste time swapping them and missing shots. What could go wrong? Well, I can tell you.
JJC FDA LED-1 Negative Copying Kit review: excellent results, low, low price
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.
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?