We Hacked an Old Canon Powershot to Shoot RAW

The latest from the Phoblographer for August 20th, 2025.

Author

Chris Gampat
August 20, 2025

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5 Nikon Best Cameras Released Pre-2015, And the One to Skip

By Nilofer Khan

August 20, 2025

Nikon has launched some exceptional cameras over the years. While the company is enjoying success in the mirrorless era, we thought we would take a peek at some exciting offerings from the past years, particularly the ones launched before 2015. That's because many young photographers are looking to buy devices that offer distinct images, not too muted or sharp. These cameras may be old, but they continue to be powerful performers even today. And, you don't have to burn a hole in your pocket to get them.

Why You Want a High Megapixel Camera for Birding

By Chris Gampat

August 20, 2025

Typically, what I've often seen are photographers who go for lower megapixel camera bodies when shooting bird photography. The reasons for this are very logical. Lower megapixel cameras are better at handling high ISO noise and the autofocus is typically better. But actually, I'd argue that higher megapixel cameras are better for bird photography -- and there's a good reason for that too. Still, somewhere in the middle is the ideal option.

How CHDK Helped Bring My Old Canon Back To Life

By Feroz Khan

August 20, 2025

There's a certain thrill in making an electronic gadget do something that the manufacturer wouldn't otherwise give you access to. I first experienced this thrill over a decade ago when jailbreaking my iPhone 5s. I won't get into the details of why that was done, but it certainly helped make the experience a lot less restricted than those earlier iOS versions were. So when I received an opportunity to try something similar out for an old Canon compact that was lying in the corner of my home, I decided to give it a whirl. Spoiler alert - it added so many more features to my IXUS 95, from 2009, which Canon never really gave original purchasers of their compacts

What is Landscape Photography? The Longtime Reckoning of a Genre

By Chris Gampat

August 20, 2025

What is Landscape photography? Do people really know anymore? Does anyone know anything in the age of AI? For years, I thought I knew what it was because men far older than me would teach it to me. But after a long time, I realized that their idea wasn't really true anymore. So in 2025, what is landscape photography?

The Best 4 Sony Prime Lenses For Night Photography (And the 1 to Skip)

By Nilofer Khan

August 19, 2025

Sony lenses have powerful performance. The colors, bokeh, and sharpness are superb, and the overall design makes them easy to carry around everywhere. If you want a prime lens as your second lens, then here are a few optics to choose from. These lenses have a wide open aperture, along with other features that can work for various genres. And when paired with even older full-frame cameras, you will continue to cherish the images. So, without further ado, let's dive in.

Hipstamatic’s Last Camera Project Has Uncovered a Serious Creative Block in my Life

By Alberto Lima

August 19, 2025

Hipstamatic created an app that’s an art project—give the world one “disposable camera” to take one picture and pass it along to the next person. Then, you wait a couple of months to see what everyone took. This project speaks to my heart and is something I’d love to be a part of. So why can’t I press the shutter button?

This World Photography Day, VSCO Empowers Photographers to Grow Their Income

By Nilofer Khan

August 19, 2025

Very few social platforms have the best interest of creatives, espeiclaly phtoographers and visal artists, at their hearts. Instagram is now entirely focused on reels, Facebook has a dwindling following, and Reddit is only great if you need advice than get more cleints. Behance is one of the only two options that feels safe, with the second being VSCO. The Visual Supply Company, over the years, have offered various solutions to meet the needs of phtoographers. Today, they launch yet another portal that will help photographers reach new heights, VSCO Workspace. What is it and what it does, let's find that out below.

We’ve Reached Peak Bird Photography. But So Much of it Sucks

By Chris Gampat

August 19, 2025

I imagine that many years ago, it was very difficult for people to be able to shoot photos of landscapes. And the same goes for shooting portraits. But lots of tools have made it easier. Landscape photography became technically easier with tools like compositional lines, dynamic range editing, color editing, etc. Similarly, portrait photography became so much simpler to do with face and eye detection. After the tools became available, you needed to just rely on your own creativity and imagination. Yet still, so many photographers just let the cameras do the work for them. And these days, bird photography has become the same thing.

Can the New Sigma 200mm f2 Compete with Canon L Series?

By Nilofer Khan

August 19, 2025

Sigma has achieved the impossible this time. The company has launched the world's first 200mm f2 lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras. Up until now, 200mm lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras have topped out at f2.8, which, while bright, still leaves a lot of room for improvement. This kind of innovation comes a few years after the 14mm f1.8 Art, another world's first f1.8 lens for mirrorless users. So, what does the new 200mm offer? Let's dive in.