
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

Neewer LL27 video tripod with fluid head review: a mostly sturdy, quick-action set of legs with a clever head
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Neewer LL27 video tripod with fluid head is designed specifically for videographers. It’s quick and easy to set up and delivers good performance overall, at a reasonable price

Pentax WG-8 review: a real Captain Scarlet of a compact camera, even though it only comes in green or black
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Pentax WG-8 is pretty much indestructible, being waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, crushproof, freezeproof and all-round adventure-proof. It’s certainly one tough cookie

The best AAA rechargeable batteries
By Matthew Richards last updated
Buying Guide Keep your devices running longer, with the best AAA rechargeable batteries available today

The best light stands in 2025: solid support for studio flash heads, LED panels and more
By Matthew Richards last updated
Buying Guide Give a firm footing to studio lights, reflectors, backgrounds, and other accessories, with the best light stands on the market

The best Sony wide-angle lenses in 2025: widen your horizons, literally!
By Matthew Richards last updated
Buying Guide These are the best Sony wide-angle lenses, for full-frame A1, A7 and A9 bodies, plus E-mount APS-C A6000-series cameras

Hello, Mr Blue Sky: how a cheap backdrop gave me a ‘blue-sky thinking’ moment
By Matthew Richards published
Indoor portraits, still-life shots and product photography are easy enough, apart from those pesky, cluttered backgrounds that ruin everything. I’ve rediscovered the joy of backdrops – thanks, Kate!

The best lens for portraits in 2025: short-tele primes perfect for pictures of people
By Matthew Richards last updated
Buying Guide Check out these picture-perfect portrait primes Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic, Leica and Sigma mirrorless cameras, plus plenty of budget-friendly alternatives

Neewer TH16 3-way geared tripod head review: a smart head that’s geared for precision
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Neewer TH16 3-way geared tripod head is all geared up for a full range of movement in just about any direction you can think of

Best Canon flashgun: which Speedlite will be best for you?
By Matthew Richards last updated
Updated Our comprehensive guide will help you choose the best Canon flashgun that suits your needs and budget

Sony FE 50-150mm f/2 G Master review: a world-first speed thriller of telephoto zoom
By Matthew Richards published
Review A world-first, the Sony FE 50-150mm f/2 G Master is a whole f/stop faster than f/2.8 ‘trinity’ telephoto zooms

I bought second-hand DSLR lenses and saved a small fortune on lenses for my mirrorless camera
By Matthew Richards published
OPINION Why on earth would you slap old glass on a new camera? I found two very good reasons in the shape of a Sigma wide-angle zoom and macro prime…

Godox iM20 review: a tiny flash that’s less pop-up, more pop-on
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Godox iM20 is amazingly small, and an ideal fit for cameras that lack a pop-up flash

3 Legged Thing Luna light stand review: stand and deliver!
By Matthew Richards published
Review The multi-purpose 3 Legged Thing Luna is a light stand and more. It really delivers on all fronts and is impeccably turned out

Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head review: could this be the only tripod head you’ll ever need?
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head is like a bunch of different tripod heads, all rolled up into one conveniently compact and lightweight package

Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 Lab review
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 Lab is the second in the company’s exotic ‘Lab’ line-up of lenses for Sony mirrorless cameras

Sigma 24mm f/2 DG DN | C review: A fast wide-angle prime that keeps the weight off
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Sigma 24mm f/2 DG DN | C is from an extensive range of compact and lightweight ‘I-series’ prime lenses in Sigma’s Contemporary line-up

The best photography lighting kits: for studio, location and video
By Gareth Bevan last updated
Buying Guide We select the best photography lighting kits with mains power, battery power, and continuous LED lighting for video

The best standard zoom lenses in 2025: fast everyday zooms
By Matthew Richards last updated
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

Benro Cyanbird Carbon Tripod with FS30 Head review: a travel tripod kit that aims for mythical status
By Matthew Richards published
Review The small but mighty Benro Cyanbird Carbon Tripod + FS30 kit takes its name from a legendary bird of prey, said to be strong, dexterous and a stunning, auspicious creature. Let’s see…

Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS | C review: a travel lens that aims to really put the ‘super’ into superzoom
By Matthew Richards published
Review The travel-friendly Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS | C delivers a monster 18.8x zoom range, and is available for a wide variety of APS-C format mirrorless cameras

The best telephoto lenses: top zooms for bringing your subjects closer
By Matthew Richards last updated
Updated These are the best telephoto lenses for your camera, for Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm and more, both mirrorless and DSLR

When nasty little digital cameras come good – I've been tripping the plastic fantastic on a quest for a budget point-and-shoot compact that actually takes okay photos
By Matthew Richards published
Opinion I’ve had the displeasure of trying some truly awful bargain-basement cameras but a certain cheap plastic compact has changed my opinions

Yashica City 100 zoom compact review: a name steeped in photographic history adorns this affordable point-and-shoot camera
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Yashica City 100 is a cut above run-of-the-mill cheap plastic digital cameras, with a more exotic feature list and superior performance, albeit with a step up in purchase price
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