A 20-Year-Old Nikon DSLR Captures My Heart

The latest from the Phoblographer for December 9th, 2025

Author

Chris Gampat
December 09, 2025

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Here’s the latest:

This Leica–Capture One Alliance Could Change Your Workflow For Good

By Nilofer Khan

December 9, 2025

In recent years, the Phoblographer team has transitioned from editing images in Adobe Lightroom to Capture One. One of the reasons is that the latter is more efficient and offers a variety of tools that can help reduce the world's load. With Capture One becoming a more prominent option for many photographers, Leica today announces a new partnership with the image editing platform to enhance the user experience. Here is a look at what Leica photographers stand to gain.

The Best Film Emulsions for Dark Skin

By Chris Gampat

December 9, 2025

Back in 2021, I wrote an article about how to shoot portraits of people with darker skin like mine. And recently, I was inspired by a Reddit thread to also discuss film emulsions for darker skin. As the only surviving traditional photography publication of note to have reviewed most of all the film emulsions currently on the market and within journalistic ethics, I figured that I'd dive into the site's archives to give even more insight into this matter. Here are the best film emulsions for shooting portraits of people with dark skin.

The 3 Best Zoom Lenses from Three Years Ago

By Nilofer Khan

December 9, 2025

Zoom lenses are pretty iconic in their own way. They not only allow you to achieve the desired image without spending too much time on cropping, but also offer the chance to be incisive in a crowded place. Over the year, there have been many zoom lenses that have exceeded expectations. However, today we examine a few options introduced in 2022 that continue to stand out. Have a look.

This Nikon DSLR is 20 Years Old. And I’ve Fallen For It

By Chris Gampat

December 9, 2025

My best friend goes over to his mother's place every now and again to help with cleaning and so much more. His father passed away a little while, and the family ends up giving me some of the stuff that they're working on decluttering. Amongst a collection of watches his mother gave me, I was also given an older Nikon D40. After buying new batteries for it, I realized what I'd been missing. For a while, I've been saying that photographers are leaning more into capturing than creating. My paramount point here is that I feel like all the decisions are being made for us by cameras, and we, as photographers, are simply choosing to go along with them. This is part of what it's like to use mirrorless cameras -- but not really the case with DSLRs.

Canon Discontinues a Fantastic Lens Designed For Travel Photography

By Nilofer Khan

December 8, 2025

Canon lenses have been the epitome of blending image quality with a great build and versatility. Over the years, we have seen models such as the 35mm f1.4L, the 85mm f1.2L, and the mammoth 1200mm f8L, all of which have performed well in the market. However, like all good things, some lenses have been discontinued over the years. The recent addition to the list is a 70-200mm lens, which was ideal for travel users. Have a look.

The 4 Best 26MP Cameras From Fujifilm For Passionate Photographers

By Nilofer Khan

December 8, 2025

APS-C cameras have garnered a negative reputation in recent years. One reason is that many camera brands are focusing on full-frame cameras. Fujifilm is perhaps the only brand that has continued to offer great APS-C offers, and they have a different sensor range for different photographers. Today, we look at the best options in the 26MP range, which may seem less, but it isn't.

This $800 DIY Camera Shoots Like a $10,000 Leica Monochrome

By Nilofer Khan

December 8, 2025

When it comes to dedicated monochrom cameras, there are only a handful that have been doing so. For instance, Leica is one company, and then you have Ricoh, both of whom offer dedicated sensors. However, Leica is far too expensive, and Ricoh's GR Monochrom is still in development. However, there is one creator, who has designed a new monochrom camera, that will not cost you thousands of dollars. How does it work and where you can buy it? Have a look.

The Trick to Getting Better High ISO Images

By Chris Gampat

December 8, 2025

A while ago, the Phoblographer changed the way that we review cameras. For many years, publications and even Youtubers used to talk about Low Light performance. But they were really only discussing how the high ISO output of cameras do. Today, high ISO image quality is really good across the board for multiple camera manufacturers. But where the real truth comes in is when you turn off noise reduction. And if you do this, you'll find that many cameras aren't all that incredible. There's a way around it though -- so here is a tip to getting better high ISO images.

This Lost Soviet Camera Could Rewrite Digital Photography If Revived Today

By Nilofer Khan

December 8, 2025

When we examine the history of phtoography, we often find certain technological advancements that had the potential to change the world, but they did not. For instance, we wrote about the Philip full-frame digital sensor, which had the opportunity to gain a strong hold in the market, but it collapsed under its own weight. Similarly, there was once an SLR camera, a device that was born ahead of its time, but the circumstances surrounding it caused its untimely demise: the GOMZ Sport. Here's a look at its chapter in the history of photography and what it means today.