Photography News

Delete Someone From a Group Photo Without Ever Opening Photoshop

Fstoppers - Sun 6 Sep 2026 10:03am

Remove a person from the middle of a group photo, close the gap as if they were never there, and do it all without touching Photoshop. That option is now sitting inside Lightroom for anyone who has never gotten comfortable with layers and masks.

 

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Categories: Photography News

Lens Flare and The Incredible Physics of Modern Lenses

Fstoppers - Sat 5 Sep 2026 10:03pm

A bare, uncoated air-to-glass surface sends roughly 4 percent of the light striking it back the way it came, and a current professional 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom stacks about 30 of those surfaces in a row. Uncoated, less than a third of the light entering the front would reach the sensor as part of the image. Most of the rest heads back out the front of the lens, and flare is what happens when the fraction that turns around again lands on your picture.

 

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Categories: Photography News

Take The Photograph While You Can

Fstoppers - Sat 5 Sep 2026 5:03pm

There is something I have been thinking about recently, and it was not until I returned to a location I had photographed many years ago that it really started to bother me. We spend so much of our time as photographers looking for new locations, searching maps, saving places on Google Maps, watching videos, and scrolling through social media looking for somewhere we have never photographed before. We are always looking for the next location, the next composition, and the next photograph.

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Categories: Photography News

Six Underrated Canon RF Lenses You've Probably Overlooked

Fstoppers - Sat 5 Sep 2026 4:03pm

The best Canon RF lens for your kit might be one almost nobody talks about. Six of them sit in the shadows of pricier alternatives, dismissed over a single spec or forgotten entirely, even though they deliver image quality that holds up against Canon's L-series glass.

 

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Categories: Photography News

Critique the Community: Personal Project

Fstoppers - Sat 5 Sep 2026 3:23pm

Welcome to the September installment of the Critique the Community! This month's critique theme is going to be "Personal Project," and we want to see your best photographs that come from a personal project. These should be something you shot for yourself rather than for a client, an assignment, or a paycheck.

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Categories: Photography News

Continuous Light vs. Flash: What Actually Changes in Your Portraits

Fstoppers - Sat 5 Sep 2026 2:03pm

The question of flash versus continuous light comes up constantly, and the honest answer sits somewhere between "barely any difference" and "a huge one," depending on what you're shooting. Both can produce nearly identical portraits, yet the way you work with each changes how you shoot, how you meter, and how much room you need.

 

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Categories: Photography News

20 Photoshop and Camera Raw Updates You Probably Missed

Fstoppers - Sat 5 Sep 2026 12:03pm

Photoshop's autofocus point checker inside Camera Raw 18.6 shows you exactly which points your camera locked onto, so you can catch a blurred watch face or a hand in focus before you commit to the wrong shot. That single feature answers a question you've probably asked yourself a hundred times while culling: did the camera focus where I thought it did?

 

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Categories: Photography News

Photoshop Just Replaced Brightness and Contrast With Something Better

Fstoppers - Sat 5 Sep 2026 10:03am

Photoshop's Brightness/Contrast slider is gone, replaced by a new Light adjustment layer that pulls Camera Raw controls straight into the main editor. Exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, and blacks now live in a single panel that behaves like a nondestructive version of the Camera Raw sliders many of you already trust.

 

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Categories: Photography News

Big Price Drop on Blackmagic Design Cinema Cameras Including The PXYIS 6K

Fstoppers - Sat 5 Sep 2026 5:00am

A massive price drop across its line of cinema cameras allows Blackmagic Design to, once again, offer excellent value to filmmakers on a budget.

 

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Categories: Photography News

How Long Exposures Erase People: The Math of Making Crowds Vanish

Fstoppers - Fri 4 Sep 2026 10:03pm

Put a 35mm lens on a full frame camera, stand about 20 m back from a plaza, and each pixel in the file covers roughly 3.4 mm of the ground at that distance. A person walking across that view at an ordinary pace clears their own shoulder width in about a third of a second, so across a four-minute exposure they sit over any single pixel for about 0.13 percent of the time. That fraction is the whole mechanism, and once you can compute it, and then combine the occupancy of everyone walking the same line, you can predict which people will vanish and which ones will ruin the frame.

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Categories: Photography News

BLUETTI Elite 400: Portable Power That Works for Demanding Location Photography

Fstoppers - Fri 4 Sep 2026 5:03pm

For photographers working on location, reliable power is no longer a luxury; it's an essential part of the process. Between strobe or LED lighting, tethered laptops, battery chargers, drones, mobile devices, and client comfort equipment, power requirements can quickly become substantial, especially during long days on location. I recently got my hands on the BLUETTI Elite 400 power station to see if it is worth the hype.

 

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Categories: Photography News

Five Edits That Take a Landscape Photo From Okay to Finished

Fstoppers - Fri 4 Sep 2026 4:03pm

Every landscape image is different, yet the same handful of moves show up in almost every edit that actually works. Learn those moves and you stop guessing your way through post-processing and start finishing photos on purpose.

 

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Categories: Photography News

Why the Pentax 17 Won Him Back After a Year

Fstoppers - Fri 4 Sep 2026 2:03pm

The Pentax 17 landed in 2024 to a wall of loud opinions, and a year of actual use has a way of softening the sharpest first impressions. A camera you dismiss on a one-week deadline can look very different once you've dragged it through Colorado, the Jersey Shore, and a 4:30 a.m. boardwalk sunrise.

 

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Categories: Photography News

Why Your Bad Photos Prove You're Actually a Photographer

Fstoppers - Fri 4 Sep 2026 12:03pm

You shot 36,000 photos in your first year and kept maybe 10. That's not failure, and treating it as failure is the thing quietly holding you back.

 

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Categories: Photography News

Fujifilm XF 400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR Announced: Ultra-Light Super-Telephoto Prime Lens

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS FROM ePHOTOzine - Fri 4 Sep 2026 11:22am

© Fujifilm

 

Fujifilm has announced the FUJINON XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR, a lightweight super-telephoto prime delivering a 609mm full-frame equivalent in just 1,245g. With up to 5.5 stops of image stabilization and fast autofocus, it's built for bird, motorsport, and aviation photography, and works with Fujifilm's teleconverters for extended reach. Equipped with 20 weather-sealed points and a fast linear motor AF system, the lens will be available at the end of September 2026 for £2,499.00.

 

From Fujifilm:

 

Fujifilm Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Teiichi Goto) will release the FUJINON XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR Lens as part of its lineup for the X Series mirrorless digital cameras, which combine exceptional image quality achieved through proprietary colour reproduction technology with a compact and lightweight design.

The XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR is a super-telephoto prime lens featuring a focal length of 400mm (equivalent to 609mm in the 35mm format) and a bright maximum aperture of F4.5, delivering the highest optical performance in the XF lens lineup.

Despite its long focal length, the lens weighs only approximately 1,245g*1, ideal for capturing fast-moving subjects at long range, including birds, motorsports, and aircraft.

In addition, enhanced shake detection accuracy and an optimised stabilisation mechanism provide up to 5.5 stops*2 of image stabilisation, ensuring stable handheld shooting even at super-telephoto focal lengths and in situations requiring fast shutter speeds.

The XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR further extends the lens’s focal length when used with a teleconverter.  With the FUJINON Teleconverter XF1.4X TC WR, the lens provides a focal length of 560mm (853mm equivalent in the 35mm format), and with the FUJINON Teleconverter XF2X TC WR, the lens provides a focal length of 800mm (1,219mm equivalent in the 35mm format).

With the addition of the XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR to the lineup, the range of large-aperture super-telephoto prime lenses in the XF Lens series—covering focal lengths equivalent to approximately 300mm to 762mm in 35mm format—is now complete.

This comprehensive lineup enables photographers to choose the ideal lens for virtually any super-telephoto application, providing exceptional versatility for wildlife, sports, aviation, and other demanding photographic pursuits

 

*1 Lens cap and hood not included

*2 Compliant with CIPA standards. Pitch/Yaw correction performance.

 

© Fujifilm

 

Main Product Features

 

1)  Optical performance brings together the best of FUJIFILM'S XF Lens technology

-         Features a 400mm super-telephoto focal length (35mm equivalent: 609mm) and an aperture of F4.5. It is ideal for photographing subjects that are far away and moving at high speeds, such as birds, motorsports, and aircraft.

-         When used in combination with a teleconverter, the focal length is further extended. The FUJINON Teleconverter XF1.4X TC WR allows shooting at a maximum focal length equivalent to 560mm (35mm format equivalent: 853mm), while the FUJINON Teleconverter XF2X TC WR allows shooting at a maximum focal length equivalent to 800mm (35mm format equivalent: 1,219mm).

-         It features a sophisticated 21-element, 14-group lens configuration that includes 2 Super ED elements and 4 ED elements. This design effectively minimises chromatic aberration – a common issue with super-telephoto lenses—and delivers exceptional resolution.  It captures even distant subjects with high-definition detail, enabling the powerful visual impact unique to super-telephoto photography.

 

2) Exceptional mobility and resolution performance in a compact, lightweight design

-         Leveraging the 1.5x crop factor of the APS-C format, the lens delivers a 609mm full-frame equivalent field of view in a compact body weighing approximately 1,245g. Its lightweight design and excellent portability make it ideal for extended shooting sessions and travel.

-         Front-heavy balance is a common challenge with super-telephoto lenses, but the XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR features an optimised optical design that positions the center of gravity closer to the camera body. This improves handling and helps reduce fatigue during extended handheld shooting sessions.

-         The lens barrel features 20 sealed points, providing dust and weather-resistance as well as reliable operation in temperatures as low as -10°C. In addition, the front lens element is coated with fluorine, offering water-repellent and anti-smudge properties. You can use this lens with confidence even during extended shooting sessions in inclement weather.

 

3) Powerful 5.5-Stop image stabilisation

-         Improved shake detection accuracy and an optimized stabilisation mechanism provide up to 5.5 stops of image stabilisation performance. This enables stable handheld shooting even at super-telephoto focal lengths, where camera shake is particularly noticeable.

 

4) Fast, quiet and highly accurate autofocus with outstanding handling

-         The use of an internal focusing system has made the focusing lens smaller and lighter. Furthermore, by driving the focusing group with a high-speed linear motor, we have achieved fast and quiet autofocus. Even during demanding super-telephoto photography, the lens enables fast and highly accurate autofocus, helping photographers capture decisive moments with confidence.

-         It features a focus preset function that allows you to instantly shift the focus to a position preset using the “SET” button. Since there’s no need to refocus on your intended subject, you can achieve focus instantly.

-         A “Focus Control Button” positioned near the front of the lens barrel provides instant access to the function selected via the Focus Select Switch (AF-L / PRESET / AF), enabling smooth and efficient autofocus operation.

-         Equipped with a focus limiter function*3 that limits the focusing range, reducing focus acquisition time when photographing subjects at distances greater than 5 meter and enabling faster autofocus performance.

 

*3 The focus limiter function can be activated using the “shooting distance range selector switch.”

 

© Fujifilm

 

Price & Availability

 

The XF400mmF4.5 R LM OIS WR Lens will be available from the end of September 2026.

RRP  £2,499.00 

For more information, please visit the Fujifilm website.

Categories: Photography News

Why the Best Light Shows Up When You Have No Time

Fstoppers - Fri 4 Sep 2026 10:03am

Rain in the forecast for the first time in months, dark clouds gathering to the north, and a family lunch that can't be moved. That collision between perfect conditions and almost no time is the reality most people shooting landscapes live with, and it shapes every decision made across one very short morning.

 

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Categories: Photography News

Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR First Look

The Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR is priced at £2499 and available from late September 2026.

 

Despite the wind and rain, ePHOTOzine contributor Will Cheung enjoyed his first look at the Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR fitted on a 26.1 megapixel X-H2S body.

 

The Fujifilm X Series lens system has an impressive selection of lenses with fast aperture primes and zooms, covering from ultra-wides and standard focal lengths to macro and super telephotos and almost everything in between.

For action and nature photographers, there’s the option of the XF100-400 f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR and XF150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR zooms and the XF200mm f/2 R LM OIS WR and XF500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR primes. That’s a good selection by any measure and now there is another option, the XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR, which has a launch price of £2499. This is equivalent to 609mm in the 35mm format and that is a popular focal length among action and nature photographers. Add a fast f/4.5 aperture, a weight of 1245g and a very attractive price and this lens is sure to prove popular.

 

Twenty environmental seals are fitted on the Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR and with heavy rain they were needed during this First Look.

 

Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR Features

Headline features of the Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR are its focal length, portability, fast maximum aperture and optical performance. The lens gives an equivalent 35mm focal length of 609mm, so it’s very well suited to action, aviation and nature subjects.

The advanced optical design features 21 elements in 14 groups, and that includes four ED and 2 Super ED elements to minimize chromatic aberration and make the most of the high-resolution sensors featured in Fujifilm X Series cameras. The front element is fluorine coated to repel dust and moisture.

Despite its long telephoto reach and complex optical design, the XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR weighs in at 1245g (not including the lens hood). For comparison, full-frame 600mm f/4 lenses weigh 3kg plus, so there’s a huge weight-saving here.

For even more reach, the lens is fully compatible with the 1.4x and 2x Fujifilm teleconverters, giving 35mm equivalent focal lengths of 853mm and 1219mm respectively.

Autofocusing is internal, so the lens size stays constant and is handled by a high-speed linear motor, so focusing is rapid and silent. The lens features a Focus Control Button that can be set to various functions and a focus preset is available too. 

To make the most of the long focal length, the XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR features a 5.5-stop Optical Image Stabiliser to defeat camera shake.

 

A size comparison: the Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR (left) alongside the XF500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR, which is currently in the shops at £2609.

 

Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR Key Features
  • Price £2499
  • 609mm focal length (35mm equivalent) 
  • Internal autofocusing with high-speed linear motor
  • 21 elements in 14 groups construction
  • Optical Image Stabilisation system, 5.5 stops benefit
  • Fluorine-coated front element
  • Focus control button and focus preset
  • 2.75m close focusing distance
  • Two on-lens focus limiter ranges
  • F/4.5-22 aperture range 
  • 9 diaphragm blades
  • 20 weather seals
  • 95mm filter size 
  • Compatible with Fujifilm XF1.4x WR and XF2x WR teleconverters 
  • Bayonet fit lens hood available
  • Dimensions 104.5x239.5mm
  • 1245g weight

 

The Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR is lightweight enough for sustained spells of handheld shooting with minimal fatigue.

 

Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR Handling

In respect of handling, there is much to like about the Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR. A big benefit is its weight, or rather the lack of it. This is a fast aperture 609mm (35mm format equivalent) prime lens and it weighs just 1245g and a bit more with the lens hood attached. Add a Fujifilm X camera (the X-H2S body weighs 660g) and the combination weighs in at under 2kg, which is significantly lighter than a full frame 600mm f/4 lens on its own. 

With internal focusing handled by a linear motor, AF speed is quick, silent and responsive. During this First Look, I shot almost exclusively with the camera’s Bird detect switched on and using Wide zone and Zone AF in continuous AF. The rain, wind and poor light weren’t favourable for nature photography, especially with fast-moving birds, but the camera/lens combination proved capable, and I was happy with my results.

The lens’s Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) system worked well. The claimed benefit is 5.5 stops which, assuming that the base shutter speed is 1/1000 sec, that takes us to just under 1/30 sec. I tried handholding at 1/30 sec and got sharp shots which, in the windy conditions and with live subjects, was more than acceptable.

 

The Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR comes with a selection of controls, and the tripod foot is Arca Swiss compatible.

 

Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR Sample Photos

This sequence of a Barn Owl was shot at 15fps using the Fujifilm X-H2S’s mechanical shutter. Once the subject was acquired, the X-H2S with the XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR lens tracked the subject impressively. Bird detect and wide zone AF was used. 1/2000 sec f/4.5 ISO 1600.

 

The Harris Hawk stands out proudly from the background with the Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR used wide open. 1/800 sec f/4.5 ISO 1600 Fujifilm X-H2S in manual exposure.

 

Incorporating Fujifilm’s Optical Image Stabiliser with 5.5 stops of benefit, here, the XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR was used at 1/30 sec, f/7.1 and ISO 1600. Sharpness is very good in this shot, but with the bird constantly twitching, getting a sharp result wasn’t easy. Fujifilm X-H2S in manual exposure mode.

 

The Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR used wide open for this Peregrine Falcon shot throws the background out really nicely. 1/640 sec f/4.5 ISO 800 Fujifilm X-H2S in manual exposure mode.

 

The Fujifilm X-H2S and XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR tracked the Chilean Blue Eagle well with Zone AF and bird detect on. The electronic shutter was used, and the drive speed was 30fps. 1/2500 sec f/4.5 ISO 2500 Fujifilm X-H2S in manual exposure mode.

 

The Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR used close to its minimum focusing distance, shows excellent resolution of the high-frequency feather detail of a Chilean Blue Eagle (also known as the Black-chested Buzzard-eagle). 1/600 sec f/4.5 ISO 800 Fujifilm X-H2S in manual exposure mode.

 

 

The gorgeous underside detail of a Chilean Blue Eagle is revealed as it approaches a perch. 1/2500 sec f/4.5 ISO 2500 Fujifilm X-H2S, manual exposure, 30fps, electronic shutter.

Birds were supplied by Walks with Hawks.

 

A full ePHOTOzine lens test will follow in due course, but here’s a series of images to give you an idea of the Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR’s quality through its aperture range. A Gitzo Series 2 Traveler tripod was used with the exposure made using the camera’s self-timer. An of ISO 200 was used with the RAWs processed through Adobe Lightroom Classic.

 

Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR Aperture range Previous Next

 

For an equivalent 609mm lens (in 35mm format), the Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR is light and well-balanced, so handling is excellent. It’s an impressive lens with huge potential for aviation, sports and nature.

 

Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR Initial Verdict

It wouldn’t be fair to make a final judgement after a couple of hours photographing captive birds in the rain. But there’s no denying that I was very impressed with the Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR. With a 609mm reach (in 35mm terms), it means you can pull in distant small subjects and there’s the potential of teleconverters for even more. 

Handling was first-rate and my arms didn’t ache at the end of the shoot, which is a good sign.

From my results taken on this First Look, image quality is very good. I was shooting at f/4.5 at ISO 1600 and 3200 most of the time and the processed Raws showed lots of fine detail with healthy levels of contrast despite the gloomy conditions.

For the price, the fast prime Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR is very good value for money too.

Look out for our full test and definitive verdict soon.

Visit our Equipment Database to see more images of the Fujifilm XF400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR along with specs. 

Categories: Photography News

Fujifilm's New XF 400mm f/4.5 Offers 609mm-Equivalent Reach at Just 2.74 lbs

Fstoppers - Fri 4 Sep 2026 6:03am

Fujifilm has announced the XF 400mm f/4.5 R LM OIS WR, a new super-telephoto prime lens for the X Series system. Designed primarily for wildlife, bird, sports, motorsports, and aviation photography, the lens provides a 400mm focal length, equivalent to 609mm on full frame, while weighing approximately 2.74 lb (1,245 g). 

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Categories: Photography News

The First Photo Ever Transmitted by Wire, and the Machine That Sent It

Fstoppers - Thu 3 Sep 2026 10:03pm

In October 1906, a portrait of the German Crown Prince left Munich as nothing more than a flickering electric current, fought through roughly 1,800 kilometers' worth of telegraph line, and emerged at the far end as a photograph you could actually recognize. No train carried it. No courier, no envelope, no darkroom on the far end printing from a shipped negative. And the strangest part is that this was the encore.  

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Categories: Photography News

Sleek and Smooth: We Review the Gaomon Pro 19 4K Pen Display for Editing and Retouching

Fstoppers - Thu 3 Sep 2026 5:03pm

In the age of AI editing and retouching, high-resolution pen display tablets still offer an irreplaceable user experience. This one from a brand called GAOMON checks a lot of the boxes of what we look for.

 

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Categories: Photography News

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