Photo by David Coleman
Latest updates
Nikon Z50 II Grid Lines Won’t Show? It Takes Two Settings
Adding grid lines to your viewfinder or back screen can be an extremely useful tool for composing your shots, helping with keeping lines level and key elements balanced in the frame. Here’s how to enable them in the Nikon Z50 II and the options that are available.
How to format an SD card in the Nikon Z50 II
I explain why further down this page, but it’s always best practice to format the memory card in the camera that you’re using it in. It’s quick and easy; here’s how to do it on the Z50 II.
Mercury Batteries Are Gone: Four Ways to Keep an Old Meter Working
Mercury button cells like the PX625 haven’t been sold for 30 years, so old film camera meters need a workaround. Here are four replacement options, from cheap silver-oxide spacers to full meter recalibration, plus how to tell which one your camera actually needs.
Leica Camera Battery Compatibility Charts
Which battery does your Leica take? Charts for digital and film Leicas, from the M, SL, Q and S lines to the compacts, Leicaflex and R-series SLRs, all taken from Leica’s own manuals and data sheets. Plus which bodies can share spares, and the few rows that rest on weaker sources.
Which Battery Does Your Minolta Camera Take?
From mercury-cell SRTs to the AAA-powered Maxxum 7000, Minolta cameras take a surprising range of batteries. These charts, pulled from each model’s own manual, sort out exactly which one fits yours.
Which Battery Does Your Mamiya Camera Take?
Not all Mamiya medium-format and TLR cameras need batteries at all to shoot. Several models are mechanical-only, designed to be used with external light meters. Others require a battery for the built-in light meter. And in one case, the shutter won’t fire without a battery.
Sigma Camera Battery Compatibility Charts
Sigma’s camera lineup is small enough that one battery, the BP-51, covers most recent models — the fp, fp L, and all four dp Quattro compacts. This chart lays out exactly which pack each Sigma body takes, plus which models can charge over USB.
The Nikon Zf Battery and Charging, Explained
The Nikon Zf ships without a charger, and it charges the EN-EL15c battery in the body over USB-C instead. Here’s exactly what cable and power source that needs, plus the optional chargers and spare-battery options worth knowing about.
Ricoh Camera Battery Compatibility Charts
Not sure which battery your Ricoh camera actually takes? These charts match battery models to camera bodies, with notes on charger quirks and third-party alternatives worth knowing about before you buy.
How I Used an AI Assistant Instead of Recovery Software to Recover Deleted Photos from a Memory Card
Instead of reaching for recovery software, I asked an AI coding assistant to recover a camera-formatted SD card — and it got back 52 of 53 photos, verified byte-for-byte and automatically renamed into dated folders. Here’s exactly how it worked, and when you’d still want the packaged tools instead.
Squeezing More Image Quality Out of the Nikon D3500’s RAW Files – Test Results
Running old Nikon D3500 RAW files through DxO PureRAW turns out to be one of the cheapest ways to close the image-quality gap to a newer camera. Here are before/after sliders and 100% crops from ISO 100 to 25600, with the exact settings and RAW files to try yourself.
Can’t Justify (or Find) a X100VI? Here’s a Way to Make Your Fujifilm X100V Images Look Better
Bothered by noise from your Fujifilm X100V? Before you buy a newer body, see what AI-based RAW processing does to the RAW files. Before/after sliders and 100% crops from my own Fujifilm X100V photos show how much of a difference it makes.
This Software Can Make Your Old Sony a6000 Photos Look Better Than They Ever Did
The Sony a6000 is 12 years old and its high-ISO files show it. But AI-based RAW processing pulls cleaner, sharper images out of old RAW files than the camera ever could. Before/after sliders and 100% crops from my own Sony a6000 photos show how much of a difference it makes.
Here’s a Great Way to Get Cleaner Photos From Your Sony RX100 VII
The Sony RX100 VII’s small sensor gets noisy fast once the ISO climbs. That’s exactly what AI-based RAW processing fixes best. Before/after sliders and 100% crops from my own Sony RX100 VII photos show how much of a difference it makes.
Can’t Justify the GR III? Here’s a Way to Make Your Ricoh GR II Images Look Better
Bothered by noise from your Ricoh GR II? Before you buy a newer body, see what AI-based RAW processing does to the RAW files. Before/after sliders and 100% crops from my own Ricoh GR II photos show how much of a difference it makes.
Panasonic Lumix Camera Battery Compatibility Charts
Lumix battery names don’t always make it obvious which model fits your camera, or which charger you actually need. This chart sorts out the battery families, flags the charger quirks, and covers what to know before trying a third-party cell.
Memory cards
Nikon Z50 II Memory Card Guide: Why You Need UHS-II
The Z50 II is a video powerhouse, but its high-bitrate 4K modes will choke standard SD cards. Nikon’s manual is confusing, recommending “Speed Class 3” while actually requiring much faster speeds for top performance. This guide cuts through the jargon to tell you exactly which cards work.
Nikon Z50 SD Card Recommendations, Sizes, and Specs Explained
Not sure which SD card the Nikon Z50 needs? Here are practical, tested recommendations covering compatibility, speed class, and card sizes so you can stop researching specs and start shooting.
Fastest SD Cards 2026: Real-World Speed Tests & Rankings
After independent speed tests of the top V90 UHS-II cards, a new leader has emerged. The updated SanDisk Extreme Pro (SDSDXDM) is the first card I’ve tested to genuinely hit the 300 MB/s write speed limit, setting a new benchmark for 2026.”
Choosing an SD Card for the OM-1 and OM-1 Mark II
Faster isn’t always better: the OM-1 and OM-1 Mark II don’t need the priciest V90 cards to hit full burst performance. Here’s the UHS speed class, capacity, and card picks that actually match what these cameras demand.
Formatting an SD Card in the Nikon D3500: Step by Step
Formatting your SD card in the Nikon D3500 wipes it clean and sets up the filesystem the camera needs. It also reduces the risk of corrupted photos and videos. Here’s how to do it.
PGYTech Createmate Review: The Ultimate Travel SD Card Reader & Case
Most memory card readers are boring, utilitarian tools. But the PGYTech Createmate adds a clever twist by combining a high-speed UHS-II reader with a rugged, weather-resistant storage case for your SD and microSD cards. Here is my hands-on review of this clever travel essential.
Ricoh GR IV Memory Card Guide: microSD & Internal Storage
The Ricoh GR IV ditches standard SD cards for the smaller microSD format and adds 53GB of internal storage. Here are my practical recommendations on which memory cards to get for it.
Nikon Z7 III Memory Card Forecast: Getting Ahead of 8K RAW
The Nikon Z7 III hasn’t launched yet, but its expected 8K RAW N-RAW output already tells us what memory cards will be needed to avoid buffer bottlenecks. Here’s a pre-release forecast of CFexpress and SDXC cards to budget for, plus how to dodge the dual-slot backup trap.
How to Choose the Right SD Card for the Sony a6400
Sony’s manual is vague about which SD card the a6400 actually needs. Here’s what the UHS-I, U3 and card-size ratings really mean, plus practical picks that work.
Best SD Cards for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30 doesn’t need a fancy or expensive SD card — here’s exactly what size and speed class actually works, based on Panasonic’s own specs and hands-on testing with the camera.
Sony a1 Memory Card Guide: Dual Slots, CFexpress A & 8K Specs
The Sony a1’s two identical slots each accept CFexpress Type A or SDXC — but mixing formats carelessly can bottleneck your buffer mid-burst. Here’s how the slots actually work and which cards avoid the trap.
The Best Memory Cards for the Sony a7C II: V90 vs. V60 Explained
The Sony a7C II demands a fast UHS-II card, and picking wrong means dropped frames or a locked-up buffer mid-shoot. Here’s exactly which V90 and V60 SD cards handle this camera’s single card slot, 33MP bursts, and 600 Mbps 4K video without choking.
Basics.Photography
Rokinon (Samyang) Lens Codes, Decoded
Rokinon lenses offer incredible bang-for-your-buck, but their naming convention is a confusing soup of “Cine DSX,” “AS,” and “UMC.” Are Rokinon and Samyang really the same thing? Does the V-AF line actually have autofocus for video? We break down every cryptic code on the barrel to help you buy the right glass for your Sony, Canon, or Nikon camera — including the modular Remaster Slim system.
Tamron Lens Codes Guide: Every Acronym Explained
Tamron Di, Di II, Di III, VXD, SP — what do they actually mean on a lens barrel? This guide breaks down every current and legacy Tamron code, from sensor compatibility to autofocus motors and glass coatings.
Zeiss Lens Codes Guide
There is no name more distinguished in optics than Zeiss, but their naming convention is anything but intuitive. Unlike other brands that use tech-jargon, Zeiss names lenses after birds and century-old optical formulas. From the autofocus Batis to the manual-focus Milvus and the legendary T* coating, here is a plain-English guide to understanding exactly what you’re buying when you see that famous blue badge.
Identifying Kodak 35mm & 120/220 Film Stock from Edgeprint Codes
Scanning decades of old negatives often means staring at cryptic numbers like “5053” or “GA” on the film strip. I compiled this reference guide to help you (and me!) cross-reference those edge codes with the actual film types to make your archiving and editing easier.
Venus Optics / Laowa Lens Codes
Laowa lenss use various codes in their names to denote compatibility or particular features. Here’s how to make sense of them.
What Is a Prime Lens? Prime vs Zoom, and When a Prime Is Worth It
A prime lens has no zoom, just a fixed focal length like 50mm or 85mm. That simplicity often means faster apertures and sharper images, here’s why that matters and which prime lenses are worth trying.
The Tiny Φ Symbol on Your Camera, Explained
That odd little circle-and-line symbol stamped on the top of many cameras isn’t decoration, it marks the exact location of the sensor or film plane inside, and it can matter more than you’d think for macro work and panoramas.
Pros & Cons of Buying Gray Market Camera Gear
Found a deal on a new camera or lens that seems too good to be true? It might be gray market. So what does that mean? Is it a bad thing or just a good deal? And what are the risks in buying gray market gear?
Workflow
How to Upload Photos Directly From Lightroom to Wordpress
The image uploader baked into Wordpress is pretty good. But if you’re using Lightroom there’s an even better option.
How to Remove Metadata from Images on Mac with ExifTool
Digital images are often loaded with metadata that contains information you might want to share. If you find that you often need to strip out metadata from images, the free command-line tool ExifTool is a powerful option for it.
How to Auto Stack Images by the Interval Between Capture Time in Lightroom Classic
Lightroom has a built-in feature to automatically stack images by the time interval between their capture time. In the right workflow it can save a lot fo time and tedium.
How to Use Lightroom’s White Balance Sliders
Lightroom’s white balance tools help reduce color casts. They can be used to neutralized any casts or break the rules and create an entirely new look.
How to Flip an Image Horizontally or Vertically in Lightroom
Flipping an image horizontally or vertically to create a mirror image isn’t hard, but Lightroom’s tools for it might not be where you expect.
How to Find the Original Image File on Your Hard Drive
Sometimes you just need to find the original file on your hard drive. Lightroom has a simple built-in function for that.
How to Batch Convert JPG to AVIF with BatchPhoto
Batch-converting JPG files to AVIF for the web sounds simple but most conversion apps can’t do it. BatchPhoto can — and it handles the whole process in four steps. Here’s a walkthrough of the workflow, the compression setting worth experimenting with, and a folder-structure gotcha that’s easy to miss.
How to Make a Contact Sheet in Lightroom Classic
Lightroom Classic’s Print module is where contact sheets live — and it’s more capable than most people realize. You can control the grid, add filename or exposure data below each thumbnail, set a page color, and output to print, JPEG, or PDF. Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough, including the Draft Mode setting that makes multi-page sheets render much faster.
Calculators
Angle of View, Explained: Calculator, Charts, and Why Diagonal Matters
Enter a focal length to see its angle of view across full-frame, APS-C, and Micro Four Thirds sensors, with charts for quick reference and an explanation of why the diagonal measurement is the one lens makers actually quote.
4K Video Storage: How Much Footage Can Your Memory Card Hold?
Wondering if a 128GB card is enough for your next shoot? Here’s my breakdown of 4K video storage requirements across all major card sizes and bitrates so you never run out of space in the field.
Memory Card Speed Converter (X-Rating to MB/s)
Memory card marketing is littered with jargon, but the “x-rating” multiplier is one of the most confusing. Here is a simple tool to convert those outdated speed ratings back into a standard MB/s format so you can accurately compare cards.
How Many Megapixels? A Quick Calculator for Photographers
A simple calculator to convert pixel dimensions into megapixels — handy for photographers working out print sizes, checking how much headroom you’ve got for a heavy crop, sizing files for stock agencies, or staying under Lightroom’s 512-megapixel import ceiling.
How Much Will Be in Focus? A Depth of Field Calculator
A practical depth of field calculator for photographers. Punch in your sensor, focal length, aperture, and subject distance to see your near and far limits, total depth of field, and hyperfocal distance. Useful for landscape work, portraits, macro, and group shots where you need to know exactly where the sharpness falls off.
Mbps to MB/s Converter: Camera Bitrates vs. Memory Card Speeds
The difference between a flawless 4K recording and a locked-up camera often comes down to a single capitalized letter. Here is how to quickly translate your camera’s Mbps video bitrate into MB/s memory card speeds.
The Crop Factor Calculator: Find Your True Focal Length
Mount the same lens on a full-frame and an APS-C body and the framing changes, but does your aperture really change too? Use the calculator below to find your true equivalent focal length and depth of field, and see why exposure stays the same.
The Aspect Ratio Calculator: Perfect Crops for Print & Web
You shoot a perfectly framed 3:2 portrait, but the client orders an 8×10 print. If you don’t calculate the aspect ratio and crop it yourself, the lab’s automated software will do it for you — usually right across your subject’s forehead. Here is how to take control of your output dimensions.
