
Matthew Richards
Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners!
His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related.
In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.
Latest articles by Matthew Richards

Mutrain X10 Digital Camera review: is this the worst camera ever?
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Mutrain Digital Camera X10 boasts 48MP stills and Full HD video but comes with an unbelievably low price tag. What’s the catch?

Got an old digital compact camera in the attic? It might be better than you think
By Matthew Richards published
OPINION Keeping up with the times, I just bought a couple of brand new 48 megapixel digital compact cameras. My 2.1 megapixel Olympus is about 25 years old and almost infinitely better

Andoer Digital Camera review: an ultra-cheap 48 megapixel / 4K digital camera – but don’t get too excited
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Andoer Digital Camera promises 48 megapixel stills and 4K UHD movie capture at an insanely cheap price, but can it deliver?

Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 review: effectively a neat ‘nifty fifty’ for APS-C format mirrorless cameras
By Matthew Richards published
Review The speedy Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 Air delivers a standard perspective for crop-sensor cameras, equating to a touch over 50mm in full-frame terms

Laowa FFII TS 100mm F2.8 Macro 1X review: a real do-it-all lens with tilt, shift and full 1:1 macro
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Venus Optics Laowa FFII TS 100mm F2.8 Macro 1X delivers a veritable feast of tilt, shift and macro shooting options for wide-ranging mirrorless full-frame and medium format camera systems.

Best Nikon flashguns: we run through the best Nikon Speedlights today
By Matthew Richards last updated
Buying Guide We run through the best Nikon flashguns to use with your Nikon camera.

Best Canon standard zoom lenses: for Canon DSLRs, EOS R and EOS M
By Matthew Richards last updated
Buying Guide We've rounded up the best Canon standard zoom lenses available, covering both DSLR and mirrorless options

The best lenses for the Canon EOS M50 and M50 Mark II: small lenses that go large in performance
By Matthew Richards last updated
Updated Here's what we think are the best lenses for the Canon M50 and the newer but largely identical M50 II

The best Canon EF-M lenses: my top choices for EOS M system cameras
By Matthew Richards last updated
Updated These are the best Canon EF-M lenses for the EOS M50 & M50 Mark II, M6 & M6 Mark II, M5, M100 and M200

The best Sony telephoto lenses: get proper telephoto reach for your Sony mirrorless camera
By Matthew Richards last updated
UPDATED Bring the action closer with one of the best Sony telephoto lenses, for full-frame and APS-C E-mount cameras

Fujifilm XF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR review: I’ve got a super-tele silver machine. You'll want one too
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Fujifilm XF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR super-telephoto prime looks resplendent in silver, and it’s refreshingly lightweight and manageable

Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB review: a premium lens for portraiture, still life and more
By Matthew Richards published
Review The tricked-up, full-featured Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB looks and feels ideal for full-frame portraiture

Tamron 90mm F2.8 Di III Macro VXD review: a legend is reborn for the mirrorless age
By Matthew Richards published
Review The mirrorless Tamron 90mm F2.8 Di III Macro VXD picks up the baton from some legendary lenses for film cameras and DSLRs.

7Artisans AF 85mm f/1.8 review: tune in to portrait prime time
By Matthew Richards published
Review The 7Artisans AF 85mm F1.8 aims to be a feature-rich but budget-friendly portrait prime for mirrorless Nikon Z, Sony E and L-mount cameras.

Panasonic Lumix FZ80D / FZ82D review: take it to the bridge
By Matthew Richards published
Review Thanks to the Panasonic Lumix FZ80D / FZ82D and a few other like minded-models, bridge cameras aren’t dead yet.

Focus-stack your close-up photos the easy way with Nikon’s Focus Shift Shooting mode
By Matthew Richards published
HOW TO Get your shots sharp from front to back with this tricked-up release mode

Kodak PixPro FZ45 review: a ‘proper’ digital camera that’s as cheap as chips
By Matthew Richards last updated
Review The Kodak PixPro FZ45 is well suited to beginners and the budget-conscious, with zoom lens, flash and a 2-digit price tag.

Sekonic Flashmate L-308X / L-308X-U review: the only light meter you’ll ever need
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Sekonic Flashmate L-308X builds on the success of the L-308S, adding video to stills metering for hybrid shooting.

The best Canon telephoto lenses: for your DSLR or EOS R series camera
By Matthew Richards last updated
UPDATED The best Canon telephoto lenses for EF and RF mounts enable you to get up close to the action even from far away

The best 100-400mm lenses in 2025: which is the best super-telephoto zoom for you?
By Matthew Richards last updated
UPDATED 100-400mm zoom lenses are ideal for stretching your telephoto reach without piling on the pounds! I've hand-picked the best for whatever camera system you own…

The best lenses for the Canon EOS R50: take your entry-level camera to the next level
By Rod Lawton last updated
Updated What are the best lenses to get for the Canon R50? Join me as I pick out the perfect lenses for this great beginner camera.

The best lenses for the Sony A7 II: make the most of this veteran camera
By Rod Lawton last updated
Updated What are the best lenses for the Sony A7 II? I reckon they need to be good but reasonably priced.

7Artisans 10mm F2.8 II Fish-Eye ED review: The Mark II edition of one of my favorite fisheyes
By Matthew Richards published
Review The 7Artisans 10mm F2.8 II Fish-Eye ED is designed for mirrorless cameras and comes in a wide range of mount options, at a bargain price.
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