Latest articles by Matthew Richards
Best carbon fiber tripods in 2026: get solid support while lightening the load
Updated More than just a touch of luxury, carbon fiber enables tripods to be sturdy and resistant to vibration, while shedding around 25% in terms of carrying weight
Best monopods in 2026: stable support that can take a load off
Updated For wildlife and sports photography, or anytime you’re using a big heavy lens, a monopod can give some much-needed relief
Best travel tripod in 2026: lightweight, stable supports for taking on the road
Buying Guide The best travel tripods have to be small enough to pack, light enough to carry, and sturdy enough for shake-free photos!
Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C review: Go fast and wide but keep the weight off
Review The Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C for APS-C format Canon, Fujifilm and Sony mirrorless gives you an epic viewing angle packed into a compact and lightweight build
Canon RF 45mm f/1.2 STM review: The super-fast glass that's super affordable – and punches way above its weight and price point
Review The Canon RF 45mm f/1.2 STM gives you really rapid apertures and bokelicious backgrounds, for less than 500 bucks!
Best tripod for photographers in 2026: full-size tripods for rock-steady support
Buying guide The best tripods offer high performance and sturdy build quality at a fair price, but which will win the three-legged race?
Even when I’m zooming about on my travels with my camera, I’ve still got this one prime number under my belt…
Opinion Nobody likes to feel their creativity is being constrained into a narrow vision of what’s out there. Here’s how I supersized my view of the world
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Art review: a revamped lens with an impeccable heritage behind it
Review The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Art for Sony and L-mount mirrorless cameras represents the redefinition of a classic prime lens
Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG II Art review: a real speed thriller of a prime lens for Sony and L-mount mirrorless cameras
Review The Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG II Art picks up the baton from the original version, adding all the latest mod cons in a smaller and lighter build
Yashica FX-D 100 review: is the most inexpensive camera in the FX-D range the best choice, or just the poor relation?
Review The Yashica FX-D 100 is currently the only camera in an FX-D trilogy that features a relatively small image sensor but adds a zoom lens
Meike AF 85mm f/1.8 SE II review: a full-frame portrait prime on a shoestring budget
Review The cut-price Meike AF 85mm f/1.8 SE II is available in three different mount options for mirrorless cameras, and more besides…
Panasonic Lumix ZS300 / TZ300 review: this pocketable compact camera has a powerful 15x optical zoom that leaves your smartphone for dust!
Review The Panasonic Lumix ZS300 (USA) or TZ300 (most other countries) is a force to be reckoned with in the realm of compact ‘travel zoom’ cameras
Best L-brackets for your camera in 2026: take horizontal and vertical shots with ease
Buying Guide With the best L-bracket, you can switch between perfectly aligned landscape and portrait-orientation compositions in seconds
Yashica FX-D S300 review: this retro-styled compact camera aims to give you the choice of an analog or digital shooting experience
Review At a glance, the Yashica FX-D S300 looks like a ‘proper’ film camera from the 1970s, but looks can be deceiving
Manfrotto ONE Photo tripod review: a Chesney Hawkes kind of tripod that aims to be the ‘one and only’ for all your photo needs
Review The Manfrotto ONE Photo tripod is a suitably singular affair, especially when it comes to extending or retracting the legs
Best pan and tilt tripod heads in 2026: precise control for your camera
UPDATED Also known as 3-way heads, the best pan-and-tilt tripod heads offer extra precision over a ball head
Best lenses for Nikon DSLRs in 2026: top lenses to make the most of F-mount cameras
UPDATED We pick the best Nikon lenses for all kinds of photography on Nikon F-mount DSLRs, including budget-friendly options.
Best lenses for the Nikon D850 in 2026: top-notch glass for Nikon's best-ever DSLR
UPDATED Only the very finest lenses will get the best out of the Nikon D850's high-res, full-frame sensor. Here are my top picks...
Yashica FX-D 300 review: a digital compact camera with a 1970s SLR look and feel, that aims to give you that retro feelgood factor
Review The Yashica FX-D 300 wants to be ‘your first digital film simulation camera’ and takes its styling cues from the 1970s. Can that ever be a good thing?
Best lenses for the Nikon Z30 in 2026: sensibly small lenses for Nikon's compact mirrorless DX camera
Updated It's Nikon's cheapest mirrorless camera and a great way to get into vlogging, but what are the best lenses for the Nikon Z30?
Best lenses for the Nikon Z fc in 2026: my top picks for Nikon's mini modern classic
Updated These are my favorite lenses for the Z fc, Nikon's compact retro-style mirrorless camera, and a cult classic in the making
Best standard zoom lenses in 2026: fast everyday zooms for mirrorless cameras
BUYING GUIDE Here's my pick of the very best standard zooms to replace your kit lens for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, L-mount, and MFT cameras
Best Nikon standard zooms in 2026: top zoom lenses for everyday shooting
Buying guide The best standard zooms have a useful range for day-to-day shooting, and these are the best buys for Nikon Z-mount mirrorless cameras and F-mount DSLRs
Best 100-400mm lenses in 2026: which is the best super-telephoto zoom for your needs and camera system?
Buying guide 100-400mm zoom lenses are ideal for stretching your telephoto reach without piling on the pounds! I've hand-picked out the best options for whatever camera system you own…
