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Can the 108mp Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra stand up against a $6,000 pro DSLR?

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I said I wasn’t going to post any more of these. The “winner” in pretty much all cases is obvious. Or is it? There is no doubt that a $6,000 flagship DSLR (even if it is a generation old) is going to hammer a smartphone (of any resolution) when it comes to absolute image quality, dynamic range and all the other reasons we buy flagship bodies. But does it always really matter?

This video from photographer Kevin Raposo puts the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 108-megapixel sensor up against the 21.5-megapixel Canon 1DX Mark II in this rather interesting (and quite thoughtful) comparison and, well, when you look at the images scaled for a video side-by-side they’re actually pretty close.

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Reality check – Comparing the Sony A1 vs A7S III vs A9 II

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So, Sony has announced a new camera – something they do with some regularity. But this one’s different. The Sony A1 is their first camera that’s truly worthy of the title “flagship”. It certainly seems to beat both the Canon 1DX Mark III and Nikon D6 in almost every aspect, but how does it compare to Sony’s other higher-end models like the A9 II speed demon and the recently released A7S III?

I wanted to take a somewhat objective look at the three cameras and how they compare on-paper – which is all we can really do for sure right now, as the A1 isn’t going to be out in the wild for at least a couple of months.

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Is it really worth getting the Nikon Z5 or should you just go for the Z6 II?

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The Nikon Z5 is an interesting little camera. A full-frame Nikon mirrorless camera, with a relatively low price tag that seems to tick most of the boxes, even for working photographers (including dual card slots). Body only, it can be had for under $1,400. A significant difference over the $2,000 Nikon Z6 II. But is the Z5 worth getting at that price? Or are you better paying the extra to go for the Z6 II?

That’s the question that photographer Matt Irwin explores in this pretty in-depth and almost-27-minute long video. He takes a look at the autofocus, low light performance, image quality, and a bunch of other factors in a variety of scenarios in order to try to answer the question and I think he puts forward some good cases for when you might or might not want to use the Z5.

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How comparing yourself to other photographers can be good for you

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Most of us have been taught that we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. And indeed, it can be harmful and toxic, making us feel all kinds of negative emotions. However, does comparison always have to be a bad thing? Can you make it work for you and help you grow? Chelsea Nicole believes you can, but you have to change your approach. In this video, she’ll teach you how you can compare yourself to others in a helpful rather than harmful way.

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Comparing a $40K RED Gemini to the $1.1K iPhone 12 Pro Max

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Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re sick of seeing these. But you knew it was coming, right? And to be fair, with the iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple finally seems to have actually developed a phone with decent camera capabilities. So, a comparison was inevitable, really.

So, in this video, Jordy and the guys at Cinecom put their $40,000 RED Gemini rig against the $1,100 iPhone 12 Pro Max to see how the two stand up against each other. Unlike most such comparisons, this one’s actually quite interesting, as Jordy talks about the advantages that both cameras might have over the other when shooting in different conditions.

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How good is IBIS? This A6600 vs X-T4 vs E-M1 III vs GH5 “IBIS showdown” finds out

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With so many manufacturers now offering some pretty decent levels of in-body image stabilisation in their mirrorless cameras, how do they all stack up against each other? That’s what Dave Pardue at Imaging Resource wanted to find out when he built this rig that lets him test four cameras side-by-side at the same time.

In this video, he tests four popular APS-C and Micro Four Thirds bodies. The Sony A6600, Fujifilm X-T4, Panasonic GH5 and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III. To make the test fair, and focus solely on IBIS, he paired each with a similarly specced lens with no optical stabilisation. But how do they all stand up against each other?

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The curse of “Comparisonitis” – 7 tips to make you less miserable

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“Comparisonitis” is the phenomenon of comparing yourself negatively to others; feeling that your life, love, work, holidays, house, or just the tidyness of your undersink cupboard, just aren’t as good as someone else’s.

Earlier this month, I found myself in a room of 50 professional photographers at the SHOOT EDIT CHAT REPEAT LIVE podcast event. If you don’t know about it already, SHOOT EDIT CHAT REPEAT is a fabulous podcast hosted by photographers Vicki Knights and Eddie Judd.

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Test explores which rechargeable AA batteries work the best over the long term

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AA batteries are becoming less common amongst photographers as they once were as more flash systems switch to lithium-ion power solutions, but they haven’t disappeared altogether. Many devices do still require them, though, and so photographers and filmmakers still use them.

Some photographers opt for something like regular Duracell Alkalines because they’re just less hassle, but a lot go for rechargeables. How good are rechargeables over the long term, though? YouTube channel Project Farm has been abusing a bunch of different brands of AA battery over the last year, and now they’re taking a look to see which ones have withstood the test of time.

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The DJI Osmo Pocket goes up against the Hero 7 Black in these side-by-side comparisons

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When the GoPro Hero 7 Black was announced it was lauded as the “Gimbal killer” with some pretty amazing built-in image stabilisation. It’s even convinced a few people to finally upgrade from their GoPro Hero 4. But has DJI just announced a “GoPro killer”?

DJI recently announced the new DJI Osmo Pocket. A teeny tiny gimbal that seems to easily match the Hero 7 on specs, but features a true mechanical built-in gimbal rather than electronic image stabilisation. Dave Altizer at Kinotika took the two out for a spin to see how they compare.

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16 10-stop neutral density filters go head to head for sharpness, colour and accuracy

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There are so many neutral density filter brands out there that it can be difficult to know which one to choose. The choice becomes even more difficult when you start to look at super strong ones claiming 10 stops of light stopping power. You hear all the time about softness issues, vignetting and colour casts. But which one is the best?

That’s what photographer Christopher Frost wanted to find out. So, he contacted a bunch of 10 stop filter manufacturers to do a straight up side-by-side comparison between them all to see how they stand up.

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