Hardware
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SanDisk Professional PRO-G40 SSD review
Super-fast and durable SSDs are commonplace now, but the super-rugged dual Thunderbolt/USB-C SanDisk PRO-G40 SSD is pretty unique and several notches above the run-of-the-mill offerings, as Kevin Carter discovers. Update June 2025: Prices are significantly lower now than when reviewed, making the SanDisk Pro-G40 hard to ignore. Check prices and availability of the SanDisk PRO-G40 [affiliate links] WEX Photo (UK)| Sandisk/WD Store (UK)| Amazon (UK) (Lowest price) B&H Photo (US) | Adorama (US)| Sandisk/WD Store (US) Currently with big savings!Amazon (US) What is it? Offering compatibility with both Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) and USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), this slick-looking bus-powered NVMe SSD is a highly portable…
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Fujifilm Fujinon GF20-35mm F4 R WR lens review
Fujifiilm’s lens division Fujinon has introduced an ultrawide-angle zoom for its medium format GFX mirrorless cameras. Kevin Carter looks closer Fujifilm’s GFX medium format cameras offer the compactness of mirrorless with the benefit of a generous 44x33mm sensor, so thumping great big lenses for full-frame 54x40mm 645 DSLRs is becoming less of a thing. Indeed, as Fujinon used to supply the components for Hasselblad’s now discontinued HC/HCD models for the H series cameras (which were then assembled in Sweden according to my contact at Hasselblad), it’s little surprise that they’re not only filling that void but expanding what’s on offer with their brand of lenses. These GF lenses don’t…
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CFexpress Type B cards: Which to choose for the Canon EOS R5 and Nikon Z8?
Update August 2025: Since this post was published, most brands now offer CFexpress gen 4.0 cards, replacing many of those listed below in performance terms. Minimum sustained write speeds have improved greatly, making many more lower-priced cards suitable for high-grade 4/8K in-camera capture. Nevertheless, due diligence is still required with these cards. That said, one further benefit of the new type 4.0 standard is a sizeable reduction in the price of the high-end high-speed gen 2.0/3.0 cards listed below. CFexpress (Type B) cards are expensive, so choosing the right type is an important decision. As both the Canon EOS R5 and Nikon Z8 have a second SDXC UHS-I/II compatible card…
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Zeiss 35mm F1.4 ZM Distagon lens review
Intro Although marketed for the maker’s M-mount Zeiss Ikon rangefinder, the range of ZM lenses is rightly popular with Leica M users. All are accessibly priced compared with their Leica equivalents and optical performance is often on a par, if not sometimes regarded as being technically superior. With the Zeiss Ikon camera now retired, this new high-speed 35mm model is aimed squarely at Leica’s core users. Compared to the latest iteration from Wetzlar, the Zeiss is priced somewhat modestly at around £1680 inc VAT. It’s supplied without a case or hood, but there’s no mistaking the quality. Build Externally, the design is reminiscent of previous models, complete with click click-stopped…
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Leica Summilux-M 50mm F1.4 ASPH Close Focus 2023 model: First impressions
The new Leica Summilux-M 50mm F1.4 ASPH Close Focus 2023 (11728) model follows the recent update to the Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 ASPH CF last year and adopts the built-in rangefinder decoupling or “double-cam” feature for the focus ring. This enables focusing down to 0.45m from the usual 0.7m – the former is the typical minimum focus of DSLR/mirrorless lenses of this focal length (50mm). The double-cam feature was first introduced on the Leica Summilux 35mm F2.0 APO and was quite stiff on the model I tried. To disengage rangefinder focusing, you push the focus ring through some slight resistance at the minimum focus distance marked at 0.7m in orange-coloured paint…
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Zeiss 35mm F1.4 ZM Distagon lens review
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OWC USB-C Travel Dock review: Great addition for MacBook Pro power users
If you’re a photographer, and perhaps an occasional videographer, using a modern MacBook Pro with USB-C ports, you’re likely in the market for a compatible SD card reader or a dock, such as the OWC USB-C Travel Dock. Few photographers will not have heard of OWC’s multi-port docks; they are well known, but these are desktop models, and while excellent, they’re relatively pricey. I have this model, which is outstanding, as well as the Travel Dock, and it greatly simplifies my desktop. Fortunately, as a forward-looking company, OWC introduced a small Travel Dock version, which is not only purposefully small but also relatively affordable. There are now two versions, the…
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Nikon Nikkor Z 58mm F0.95 S Noct: Initial Impressions
The Nikkor Z 58mm F0.95 S Noct is one of Nikon’s showcase lenses – a sort of throwback to the early days of Nikon’s interest in optical research. It’s certainly a lens that splits opinions – I’m still not sure exactly how I feel about it – though there’s no denying it’s a beautifully made lens that’s capable of extremely high image quality in all its nuances. You can read additional opinion on this lens here. Build Like other Nikon exotics it’s delivered in a massively oversized cardboard box but inside it contains a large Pelican type hard-case, instead of the more usual soft-padded type. I didn’t weigh the case…
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Sony FE 85mm F1.8 lens review: Excellent image quality at a reasonable price
Overview Announced in early 2017, the Sony FE 85mm F1.8 is a short-tele designed for the company’s mirrorless full-frame a9/a7 models. It will of course, also serve double duty on the APS-C a6000 series, where it’s more or less a 135mm equivalent. Although not a premium G-master model like the F1.4 version announced the year before, it’s a lot smaller and lighter and still has some features that might be considered “premium.” This includes ED glass, a near-silent, twin-focus drive system (using a stepping motor), a focus-hold button that can be customised, weather sealing and a nine-blade circular aperture. It’s also quite nicely made, with a mainly metal exterior and…
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Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm F4S lens review: Compact and capable performer
This is what you’ll get if you buy one of the mirrorless Nikon Z 6 or Z 7 cameras as part of a kit, but as one of Nikon’s S series of primes it’s meant as a ‘premium’ model. While we’ve yet to see what one of the ‘standard’ models is like build-wise, this sober-looking lens is a step or two above the DX equivalent zooms in the company’s range. It’s nicely made but it’s not quite up to the pro-oriented build of the Nikkor Z 24-70mm F2.8 S (reviewed here). Still, with a part-plastic part-metal outer, this is intended as lightweight and compact design. It even has a retractable…
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Nikon AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm F4E TC1.4 FL ED VR lens review: Nikon’s best tele-zoom
The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm F4E TC1.4 FL ED VR is an updated version of the AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F4G ED VR – one of the first lenses Nikon added stabilisation (VR) to (the other being the AF-S Nikkor 200mm F2.0, effectively a 300mm on the DX only bodies back then) and the favourite of animal safari photographers everywhere. Not surprisingly, it’s also a popular choice with those who cover sports. This new model, though, is much more than just an update – it’s a redesigned lens complete with a built-in 1.4x teleconverter that’s meant to counter the Canon EF 200-400mm F4L IS USM Extender 1.4x, itself a showcase model…
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