I Gave the Nikon Zf a Superpower

The latest from the Phoblographer for November 13th, 2025

Author

Chris Gampat
November 13, 2025

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Here’s the latest:

The Return of One of the Greatest Surreal Photographers of Our Time

By Chris Gampat

November 13, 2025

Take a Picture, It Will Last Longer by Brooke DiDonato is more than just a photo book. It's an experience equivalent to receiving a Leica camera and realizing that the product was packaged to provide a similar experience to receiving a gift. Trust me, I'd know. I've unwrapped plenty of Leica cameras -- and Brooke's book is the closest experience I've ever had to owning a Leica camera in my life, and for a far more affordable price point. During the unwrapping process, I tell myself that it's the only photo book that I'll ever keep the box for. And after that, I need to take a break. At nearly 39 years old, I've realized through therapy that it's because I've got kid-like excitement popping up, and that society has told me for years to just suppress it. My office has a signed Mark Seliger book, rare Todd Hido prints, and a Banksy, amongst many others. But nothing has given me this much excitement. In a world where I review many cameras, this book feels even more special than that.

How Sony Can Make Their Best Birding Camera

By Chris Gampat

November 13, 2025

I'm a fairly active part of bird groups here in NYC. And one of the coolest things that we do is not just use binoculars to spot birds, but use cameras to get great photos of them too. But would you believe that the most common camera that I see is the Sony RX10 series? Sure, I see some DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. However, those are often big and heavy. And instead, lots of folks prefer the smaller, lightweight, and weather resistant options like the RX10. So why doesn't Sony bring it back?

Meike Announces Their 85mm f1.8 Mark II Lens

By Feroz Khan

November 13, 2025

Every photographer loves a good 85mm lens. This focal length flatters and gives portraits a depth that no smartphone camera can match. The new Meike 85mm f1.8 SE Mark II, priced at $229.99, aims to fix some of those issues. It’s lighter than it appears and feels slightly more refined in the hand. Meike claims …

I Gave the Nikon Zf a Superpower

By Chris Gampat

November 13, 2025

I've recently been sitting in my office just holding my Leica M6 with various M-mount lenses while appreciating and enjoying the way that it feels in my hands. And the only full-frame retro camera body that I have is the Nikon Zf. After a conversation with a friend, I convinced myself to buy a Leica M to Nikon Z adapter. At first, I tried manual focus -- but it didn't please me. Then I got the Techart TZM-02. It reminded me of how much I adored the look and output of many of these lenses. And when coupled with the Nikon Zf, it just feels so right.

Nikon Z 24-70 F2.8 S II Review: Why Pros Will Love this Lens

By Alberto Lima

November 12, 2025

Most working pros swear by a fast, rugged standard zoom, and Nikon’s original Z 24-70 F2.8 S was a solid option for Nikon shooters. Now, with the Z24-70mm F2.8 S II, Z-mount photographers have a choice to make when selecting their workhorse lens. I’ve spent the last month shooting with this lens, documenting community events, and using it for many of the recent product images on this site – here’s what you need to know before you consider making an upgrade.

Tamron 25-200mm f2.8-5.6 G2 Review: Come On, Tamron

By Chris Gampat

November 12, 2025

Believe me when I say this: there is something very romantic about the way the Tamron 25-200mm f2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 renders images. Maybe it’s the tonality. Perhaps it’s the fact that it’s not at all going to be super duper clinically sharp. Or it could possibly be the autumn light in New York City. But this, to me, feels like the Tamron I’ve known and loved for years. It’s packed with character, colors I can’t get anywhere else, and a whole lot of great features. Most of all, it’s not that expensive of a lens.

Modern Photographers Lack Imagination. But Why?

By Feroz Khan

November 12, 2025

There was a time when we were able to imagine much more freely than we do today. If you saw a photograph in a magazine or a still from a film some decades ago, your brain would instantly begin to wander and wonder. How was that shot lit? What film did they use? How could I creatively come up with something like that? However, chances were that you couldn’t replicate it perfectly. But by chasing the feeling, you got inspired. You also ended up becoming more imaginative, not imitative. So do you have Aphantasia?

The Weirdest Lens Nikon Made

By Chris Gampat

November 12, 2025

I realized that back in 2023, I did a first impressions review of the Nikon 26mm f2.8 Z lens. But I never finished the full review. Perhaps I was too distracted by Labubu cameras made by a licensee of Kodak or something else happened. But the money suck that is my Nikon Zf begged me to go buy another small lens. And so I purchased the 26mm f2.8 off of Amazon via Adorama. And in my use of the lens, I noticed an odd quirk that will only affect a very small number of us.

The Look of This Older Canon DSLR Soothes the Soul

By Chris Gampat

November 12, 2025

I really miss the look of the older Canon 5D Mk II, and I know lots of you folks do too. Our presets are designed to make editing a minimal task so you can get back to shooting! We're in love with Retro Digital. Luckily, that's when we founded the website closer to two decades ago. So we dove into our image archives, looked at how the Adobe Gurus were telling us how to edit, and adapted those methods to create our Retro Digital Lightroom Presets and Capture One Styles. These are in addition to the popular Photojournalism presets that we released a while back.