Photography News

More cameras, fewer photographers. As this new day dawns outside my window, I pose a simple yet profound question: Is there still truth in photography? 

Damn you, Eddie.

“People believe them, but photographs do lie, even without manipulation. They are only half-truths.”

Eddie Adams said that. You can read it for yourself in his 1998 short-piece Eulogy: GENERAL NGUYEN NGOC LOAN for Time Magazine.

That particular handful of words have rattled around in my head since the first reading. It's like some bad connection dialing up a phone call across time.

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As with every fast-paced, tech-driven industry, the cycle time for each incremental update in photography equipment seems to get shorter and shorter. Though it has become better for the past few years, each product launch is still not given sufficient time to mature before the next iteration is shoved down our throats. While this might contribute to a better-looking balance sheet from a business standpoint, in the long run, it might lead to a massive disconnect between what camera manufacturers are building and what the market actually demands. 

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Tamron are producing some very different and exciting lenses, primarily zooms, that do not necessarily follow the norm for focal length ranges. However, they all make sense when the intended applications are defined. This new 35-100mm optic is indeed an unusual choice of range, however, for arts, sports, people and travel photography, it could just be the compact, fast and efficient companion that is needed. Less expensive and more compact than the well liked 35-150mm, there is considerable potential for especially travel and general photography. There is much to be said for travelling light. Let's couple the new lens up with the 42MP Sony A7R III body and see how it fares across various Yorkshire locations, including Whitby, Pickering and Hutton-le-Hole, both in rain and sun.

 

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Handling and Features

First, our tour of the lens, starting with the provided petal lens hood. This bayonets cleanly into place and remains firmly attached even without any locking catch. Within the bayonet fit for the hood is a standard 67mm filter thread, a size that many Tamron zooms have in common. The front element is treated with a Fluorine coating to help repel dust, grease and moisture. The lens is weather sealed and it stood up well to the usual Whitby rain.

This Sony FE full frame version weighs in at a modest 565g. The Nikon Z version weighs slightly more, at 575g. Dimensions are 80.6mm x 119.2mm (FE) and 80.6mm x 121.5mm (Z). 

 

 

The manual focusing ring has just the right amount of resistance, electronic in operation and so, as might be expected, utterly smooth. Behind this is the focus set button and also a three position switch to allocate three custom settings. Closest focus is 0.22m at 35mm, for a maximum magnification of 1:3.3, and 0.65m at 100mm, for a maximum magnification of 1:5.9. AF is driven via Tamron's VXD motor, which stands for Voice coil eXtreme torque Drive. This is virtually silent and locks on with speed and accuracy.

The zoom ring does extend the lens, but is still impressively smooth and does not upset the balance of the camera/lens combination. There are clear and accurate markings at 35mm, 50mm, 70mm, 85mm and 100mm. Whilst it is no doubt true that the range is somewhat narrower than many options, we gain close focusing, a compact form factor and a fast and constant f/2.8 maximum aperture. If the need was felt, then a small prime wide angle could be the most obvious choice for a companion lens. In use, the need for this was not felt and choosing the shooting position appropriately seemed more than satisfactory.

 

 

Optical construction is 15 elements in 13 groups, including 1 XLD (Extra Low Dispersion), 2 LD (Low Dispersion) and 3 GM (glass moulded aspheric). There are 9 blades to the diaphragm and the result is a very well rounded aperture, even when closed down. Tamron's excellent and well proven BBAR-G2 multi-coating is utilised.

There is also a USB-C connection, and as is increasingly the case, this allows the lens to be customised and operated via the Tamron Utility App, for iOS, Android and PC. The PC version allows firmware updates. As well as a cable connection, the new Bluetooth device TAMRON-LINK can be used to connect remotely. This is unobtrusive and may be a more convenient way to connect.

Although designed for Sony or Nikon full frame mirrorless cameras, the lens can also be used on the crop sensor bodies. The “35mm equivalent” would then be 52.5-150mm. This is arguably not as useful a range, but it is technically possible. As it is, the balance of the lens on the Sony A7R III is excellent and the operation is smooth and faultless. For general shooting, it works well and produces some gorgeously crisp, colourful images. 

Now on to the technical tests to see how the lens performs.

 

 

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Performance

At 35mm, central sharpness is excellent from f/2.8 right through to f/11 and remains very good at f/16 and f/22. The edges are excellent from f/2.8 to f/8, very good at f/11 and f/16 and fair at f/22.

At 70mm, central sharpness is excellent from f/2.8 to f/5.6, very good from f/8 to f/16 and still good at f/22. The edges are likewise excellent from f/2.8 to f/5.6, very good from f/8 to f/16 and good at f/22.

At 100mm, central sharpness is very good at f/2.8, excellent from f/2.8 to f/8, very good at f/11 and f/16 and fair at f/22. The edges are very good from f/2.8 to f/8 and fair from f/11 to f/22.

This is a superb performance that is also well maintained even close up. Kudos to Tamron for producing such a well balanced and high quality optic.

 

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD MTF Charts Previous Next

How to read our MTF charts

The blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges.

For this review, the lens was tested on a Sony A7R III body using Imatest. Want to know more about how we review lenses?

 

CA (Chromatic Aberration) is very impressively under control throughout the range and further correction in software is unlikely to be necessary. There is virtually no sign of colour fringing.

Distortion is very close to zero. Some barrelling can be measured, but the figures are very low, -0.24% at 35mm, -0.09% at 70mm and -0.06% at 100mm.

 

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Chromatic Aberration Charts Previous Next

How to read our CA charts

Chromatic aberration (CA) is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software.

Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more.

For this review, the lens was tested on a Sony A7R III body using Imatest.

 

Bokeh is the smoothness of gradation in the out of focus areas in an image. This is an aesthetic judgement rather than a measurement, but we know attractive bokeh when we see it. Here we find really very beautiful, smooth out of focus backgrounds, relaxed and natural with not a trace of raggedness. To combine this smoothness alongside the very high degree of sharpness at the focused plane is a skilled trick to carry off, and Tamron's designers seem to be able to hit the spot with consummate ease.

The flare performance is also excellent, clearly the design, internal baffling and coatings are all combining to do an excellent job of suppressing internal reflections. 

Vignetting is very well controlled.

 

Aperture 35mm 70mm 100mm f/2.8 -1.6 -1.3 -1.3 f/4 -1.3 -1.2 -1.1 f/5.6 -1.3 -1.1 -1.1 f/8 -1.2 -1 -0.9 f/11 -1.2 -1 -0.9 f/16 -1.1 -1 -0.9 f/22 -1.1 -1 -0.9

 

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Sample Photos Previous Next

 

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Aperture range Previous Next

You can view additional images in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own reviews, photos and product ratings.

 

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  Value For Money

The [AMUK]Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD|Tamron+35-100mm+f/2.8+Di+III+VXD[/AMUK] lens is priced at £799.

A few possible alternatives, but with a variety of different specifications. FE lenses are for Sony full frame and Z lenses are for Nikon Z full frame. 

• [AMUK]Samyang FE 35-150mm f/2-2.8|Samyang+FE+35-150mm+f/2-2.8[/AMUK], £854
• [AMUK]Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 DG DN Art|Sigma+28-105mm+f/2.8+DG+DN+Art[/AMUK], £1399
• [AMUK]Sony FE 50-150mm f/2 GM|Sony+FE+50-150mm+f/2+GM[/AMUK], £3699
• [AMUK]Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS|Sony+FE+24-105mm+f/4+G+OSS[/AMUK], £899
• [AMUK]Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II|Sony+FE+24-70mm+f/2.8+GM+II[/AMUK], £1899
• [AMUK]Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD|Tamron+35-150mm+f/2-2.8+Di+III+VXD[/AMUK], £1599
• [AMUK]Tamron 20-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DG Contemporary|Tamron+20-200mm+f/3.5-6.3+DG+Contemporary[/AMUK], £799
• [AMUK]Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II|Nikkor+Z+24-70mm+f/2.8+S+II[/AMUK], £2299
• [AMUK]Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S|Nikkor+Z+24-120mm+f/4+S[/AMUK], £849

VFM does include price, performance, handling and is not just a question of one of these. Overall, the new Tamron lens looks excellent VFM in all of these different respects.

 

 

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Verdict

The lens acquits itself extremely well as a travel companion and general purpose optic. It can cover events, portraits, small groups, close ups and even maintains its performance when shooting flat text or documents. The offset is, of course, a relatively restricted focal length range, taking us back to the long gone days when 35mm was considered the standard wide angle lens. Wide angle photographers might just look for a different lens, or carry a small, wider prime lens to cover situations where 35mm is just not wide enough. Likewise, at the telephoto end, if it isn't long enough, then perhaps a different choice.

Having said that, as a travel companion that delivers superb quality in a compact package, these things may not in reality be much of an obstacle. This reviewer found the lens to be a very likeable companion and not at all restrictive in terms of focal length. The results were beautiful and obtained without carrying around a mass of kit.

Combining ease of use, value for money, a compact form factor and superb results, the lens has to be an Editor's Choice.

 

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Pros

• Excellent sharpness
• Minimal distortion
• Fast, accurate and virtually silent AF
• Excellent flare resistance
• CA well controlled
• Moisture and dust sealing
• Magnification 1:3.3 at 35mm
• Modest vignetting
• Beautiful bokeh
• Affordable pricing

 

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Cons

• Modest focal length range

 

[REVIEW_FOOTER]R_features=4.5|R_handling=5|R_performance=5|R_value=5|R_overall=5|A_level=5|A_text=Editor's Choice – A high class performance from this versatile, compact and fast zoom lens, perfect for travel, sports and people.|E_id=8027[/REVIEW_FOOTER]

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1. Why Use A Frame? 

Frames are a great tool for drawing attention to an image. Be it a frame we hang on the wall, one we create on the computer, in-camera or with the elements in the scene we are photographing, frames are a very effective tool that all photographers can use.

 

2. Adding A Frame In-Camera 

Frames created while taking your shots will help lead the eye through the shot, add depth to images and help give a photo context. There's also the added bonus of using frames to hide objects you don't want to appear in the shot and they can make your images generally more interesting. They can also be used to give the viewer more information on the location you've taken the shot in. 

 

 

3. What Can Be Used As Frames? 

Windows and archways are obvious choices for frames but tree branches and leaves can also work well. Frames don't have to cover four sides either - one or two branches curving around part of the image can work just as well. It's also worth considering if you want the frame to be in focus or not. If you're at a party, why not use people as your frame to draw attention to a particular person or group? You can also use frames which are positioned towards the back of the shot to frame foreground interest, too. 
 

4. Frames Don't Always Work

There are times when creating a frame within your image won't add anything to the shot so do think about your composition and if you really do need a frame before hitting the shutter button. You don't want the frame to pull attention away from your main subject either so do make sure it's not too distracting. 

 

 

5. Creating A More Traditional Frame

More traditional style frames can be added during Post Production and ePHOTOzine has various tutorials on adding a variety of frame styles to shots in the technique section of the site.

There's also a third option and that's to add a frame to your image in-camera from one of the various creative filter options cameras offer. Apply built-in frames, use vignettes or why not combine multiple shots in one frame? 

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

Photography has spent most of its digital era chasing technical perfection. Sharp focus, clean files, controlled lighting, smooth skin, perfect exposure across the dynamic range. The pursuit was reasonable. Each generation of cameras and editing software made these standards more achievable, and working photographers who failed to meet them risked looking unprofessional. By 2020, a wedding photographer delivering a slightly soft image was apologizing for it. A portrait photographer leaving visible skin texture was risking client complaints.

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There is a kind of photography that pretends to be neutral. Flat surfaces, clean lines, ordinary spaces. Nothing dramatic, nothing loud, nothing that asks to be looked at twice. It's often dismissed as cold, detached, even empty. But that reading is too easy. What we call indifference is rarely indifference. It is a position. 

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Film photography costs money at every step, and if you shoot both film and digital, keeping a consistent look across both can be a real headache. Knowing how to replicate that film aesthetic in post gives you control over the final result without being locked into a single workflow. 

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Canon's new RF 20-50mm f/4L IS USM PZ covers ultra-wide to standard focal lengths in a compact, lightweight body with a powered zoom and optical stabilization. At around $1,400, it sits in a competitive price bracket where Canon already has some well-established options. 

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The Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5 G Master is Sony's answer to what a professional telephoto zoom should look like when price is no object. At roughly $4,300, it sits in a category where the competition is thinner and the stakes are much higher. 

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Most photographers will tell you the same thing: don't use a fisheye for portraits. 

It distorts faces. It bends lines. It makes people look weird. And honestly, they're not wrong.

But they're also not thinking about it the right way.

For one of our recent shoots, we built an entire portrait concept around the Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye | Art. Not in spite of what it does, but because of it. Instead of trying to control or minimize distortion, we designed everything to work with it.

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The Canon EOS R6 V sits in a genuinely interesting spot in the lineup, and if you're trying to decide between it, the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, and the Canon EOS C50, the answer is not as obvious as Canon's marketing might suggest. 

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Alongside the EOS R6 V camera body, Canon today announced the RF 20-50mm f/4 L IS USM PZ, the first L-series lens from Canon to include built-in power zoom without requiring an external accessory. The lens is aimed at video shooters and hybrid creators working on gimbals, sliders, and handheld setups, and serves as the native companion to the video-focused EOS R6 V. 

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Canon today announced the EOS R6 V, a new full frame mirrorless camera built around video capture, alongside the RF 20-50mm f/4 L IS USM PZ lens and a set of accessories aimed at solo creators and small productions. The R6 V is the first V-series body to use a 32.5-megapixel full frame sensor, and it slots into Canon's lineup as a video-first counterpart to the still-focused R6 Mark III. 

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Public gardens are bursting at the seams with blooms of colour and as most are free it means you can spend a few hours taking great floral photographs with no extra cost.

Public gardens vary in size and some even attract photographers because they are home to a particular species of flower. When's the best time to visit will depend on what flowers you're trying to capture in your images but generally there's something to capture all year round. Don't overlook photographing topiary, water features, ponds and streams too. 

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What Camera Gear Will I Need? 

When you're heading out the door, make sure you have your camera bag because as well your sandwiches and a flask of tea, you'll also need a few lenses. As you could find yourself changing lenses frequently a sling bag with side access could make it easier and quicker to reach for a particular piece of kit but a camera backpack that's designed to carry several lenses, camera body and accessories will also be fine. 

When it comes to lenses, a wide-angle lens will give you sweeping shots of the colourful gardens while your telephoto will get you close and your macro lens even closer still.

Pack a polariser to stop glare and help enhance the colourful blooms and a reflector will bounce light where it's needed. If it's shade you need your own shadow will work perfectly well but a piece of plain card will also do the trick.

Take a notebook and pen along too as once you're back home all those Latin names will be long forgotten and you'll need to know them so you can title your images correctly.

 

Make Sure You Contact The Garden Staff

If you give the public garden a quick call you'll be able to find out what's blooming and when. You'll also be able to check if there are any restrictions such as: do you need to always stick to the path? Or, can you get close to take a shot of a flower head that completely fills the frame? And, are tripods allowed? If not, you'll need a sturdy hand and very still air to stop blur spoiling your shot. You could also pack a beanbag or use a wall, bench or another type of support that you'll find in the garden.

 

 

What's The Best Time Of Day?

Make sure you arrive early as the light's better, there's less chance of breeze and there will be fewer people to get in the way of your shot.
 

What Type Of Images Can I Take? 

It's very easy to be lazy in a public garden and stay in one place but there's lots of space and plenty to see so make sure you take advantage of that.

Change your focal length, create a different angle and move your point of view. Use a wide-angle to establish where you are but then move in closer for frame-filling shots that burst with colour and detail. Think out of the box a little and be different if you can. Set your camera up on a tripod (if allowed) and shoot a time-lapse series of a bud opening or find some plants which are dying to give your flower photography a different slant.

Look for paths that will draw the eye in and gateways that will frame your shot. These patterns and props are fun to look for but if you ask the garden's staff or do a quick search online you'll soon find a few tips that point you in the right direction as well.

 

 

How To Deal With Wind & Shake

As with all types of flower photography, the wind is your enemy (that's unless you want to create blur of course). A tripod will help reduce camera shake when the wind's blowing and a cable release or the camera's self-timer will also help you take a steady shot. If tripods aren't allowed you'll just have to sit and admire the garden until the wind stops blowing. You could hold the flower steady with a piece of wire but this might be frowned upon so check first.

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

© Alison Tuck / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

 

Nikon is pleased to announce the winner of the STERNA People’s Choice Award in the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, with the accolade awarded to Alison Tuck’s highly comical 2025 image titled ‘Now where is my nest?’

The People’s Choice Award is a separate category where the Nikon judging panel takes a back seat and the public gets to decide. The hilarious photo of a windswept gannet in Yorkshire on the Bempton Cliffs was the most popular among public voters, beating forty other jovial images shortlisted in the 2025 Awards.

Alison Tuck says: “Winning the STERNA People’s Choice Award means a lot to me. It was really exciting to get into the finals with my gannet, and I was honoured to get a Highly Commended. However, being awarded this category is something else and I am really grateful to all the people who voted for me - not forgetting to mention how much fun I had - it is the Nikon Wildlife Comedy Awards after all!”

A devout Nikon camera user, Alison loves taking wildlife pictures on her Nikon Z8, which “makes capturing wildlife in motion so easy.” The award also comes with a series of prizes, including a ThinkTANK photography bag, as well as a special print of the image on Hahnemühle matte white paper, courtesy of category sponsor STERNA.

STERNA’s mission it is to highlight the uniqueness of wildlife and nature through creative editing and producing Fine Art Prints.

Alison Tuck continues: “I love taking lots of photos especially of wildlife, from a tiny ant to a large elephant on land, a small crab to an orca whale in the sea or a tiny sun bird to a soaring raptor in the air, they all have their own history to tell within the world and for me capturing their stories is something very special.”

Stefan Maier, Nikon Europe, Senior General Manager Marketing says: “We’re delighted to see Alison Tuck’s image recognised as the People’s Choice Award. It captures a moment of pure, universal humour, reminding us how powerful photography can be. Nikon is proud to be part of the Comedy Wildlife Awards, demonstrating how storytelling through images can entertain, inspire, and bring people closer to nature and remind us of our shared humanity.”

Nikon congratulates Alison and all of the finalists for their excellent nature and wildlife photography. The 2026 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards is currently open for image and video entries until 30th June. The competition is free to enter for everyone globally through the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards website. There are numerous categories to enter and a host of spectacular prizes to win including Nikon cameras and lenses for the Nikon-sponsored categories, plus a week’s safari in the Masai Mara with Alex Walker’s Serian for the Overall Winner.

For more information, please visit the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards website.

 

At springtime our thoughts naturally lean towards flower photography, and none more so than bluebells, either as individual subjects or in carpets of blue. Often, but not exclusively found in woodlands, bluebells offer a magnetic attraction to photographers and as almost anything can be used to photograph them, from wide-angles to long telephotos, compact cameras to full-frame DSLRs, it's something photographers of all levels can have a go at. 

 

1. What Type Of Shots Should I Take? 

 

How you treat them photographically depends on how densely-packed they are growing. In a woodland where they provide a carpet of blue flower heads, wide-angles can exemplify the extent of the blooms, and shooting with a small aperture will give a huge depth of field, rendering all the flowers in focus. A macro lens can hone in on details and individual flowers, wait for an insect to land on a bloom to give added interest.

  2. How Can I Focus On Individual Flowers?

 

Telephoto lenses used at wide apertures can also give a narrow band of sharp bluebells amongst a sea of blur, with telephoto compression adding to the effect. This works best from low viewpoints, often only a few inches above the ground. Or your long lens can be well used to isolate individual flowers from their surrounds; often in a mass of bluebells, there will be some rogue colours – the most common being pink and white – focusing on these with a long telephoto at wide aperture will highlight the different colours, making them stand out among a sea of blue.

 

3. How Can I Get Creative? 

 

For a different effect, try experimenting with camera movement, by setting a small aperture to enable a long exposure and panning the camera vertically through the exposure. Try smearing petroleum jelly on an old filter (NOT on the lens itself!) and swirl it round to give an abstract effect. You can also leave a clear patch in the middle to give an area of clarity in the picture, amidst a swirl of colour.

So...no excuses...no special equipment needs, just get out there, find some bluebells and interpret them in countless different ways.
 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

In March 2026, the National Republican Senatorial Committee released an online ad featuring a minute-long video of Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico speaking into the camera, reading statements the real Talarico had not spoken on camera. The Talarico in the video was generated entirely by artificial intelligence, voicing content drawn from the candidate's old social media posts. The words "AI Generated" appeared in small text in the corner of the frame at the start, then faded into even smaller text that remained on screen while the fake Talarico continued to speak.  

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Artificial intelligence has quickly become part of the workflow for many photographers. From culling thousands of images to automating complex edits, there's now a tool for almost every part of the process. But not all AI is built for the same job. 

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Chargers are the gear no one thinks about — at least until there is a need. Anker sent their Anker Prime Charging Station (8-in-1, 240W), a smart charger with app control. Who might benefit from this? And why might they need app control? 

What It Is 

The Anker Prime Charging Station (8-in-1, 240W) is a desktop hub that packs serious charging capability into a surprisingly small footprint. You can configure the AC outlets, monitor, and schedule with the app. Here are the key specs:

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Sony has officially announced the new FE 100-400mm f/4.5 GM OSS, a super-telephoto zoom designed for wildlife, birding, sports, and photojournalism work. 

I recently had the good fortune of spending some time with the new lens on the sidelines of an MLS match, shooting the Seattle Sounders — and in my opinion, this is exactly the kind of constant-aperture, long-reach G Master zoom that Sony's professional sports and wildlife shooters have been waiting for. Let's take a look at what makes this lens such a compelling addition to the acclaimed lineup of Sony G Master lenses.

[Read More]