Choosing a Camera and Gear

Buying advice without the hype. This collection weighs DSLR against mirrorless and full frame against crop sensor, and asks when an upgrade is worth the money. Working photographers list what a beginner needs and what to leave on the shelf, a budget-gear shootout tests cheap kit against expensive, and two challenges hand professionals cheap cameras to show how much of a good picture is the photographer rather than the gear.

30 Sep 2021

Stop Buying Bad Gear

Tony and Chelsea Northrup recount gear-buying mistakes, starting with an eBay Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 that proved grey market, so Nikon refused warranty repairs. They advise reputable dealers, checking warranty cover, avoiding flaky adapters and off-brand batteries, and not paying for frame rates or 4K that still life never needs.

1 Nov 2022

Peter Coulson: What I'm Looking for in a Camera

Peter Coulson explains his portrait camera preferences: with flash he favours the Hasselblad H6 for its huge manual-focus viewfinder; with continuous light and manual lenses like a 0.95 Noctilux he wants mirrorless with monochrome viewfinder, focus peaking and zebras above 100 per cent to set exposure on the model's face.