The Kodak Charmera Is the Ultimate Camera for Kids

Wasim Ahmad — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:03:01 -0400

So after hearing about the Viral Cameras of 2026, there was one that stood out from a familiar, but somewhat tarnished, name in the camera business: the Kodak Charmera.

While I've opined in the past about what cameras are good for kids, this might be the one: the Goldilocks camera that's perfect for kids.

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Which Lens Wins the Micro Four Thirds Portrait Lens Shootout?

Wasim Ahmad — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:33:01 -0400

One of the benefits of the Micro Four Thirds system is that there are many, many lenses to choose from to get the job done. If that job is specifically portraits, look no further than this deep dive into almost a dozen of the options available for the system.

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Telling the Country’s History of Sanatoriums in Photo

Wasim Ahmad — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:03:01 -0400

While some of us were indoors spraying Windex on our groceries during the COVID-19 pandemic, others took the time to explore how to visually relate to that time through passion projects. Photographer and author John Lazzaro did just that, spending those years and then some exploring, photographically, the history of sanatoriums in the United States to produce his latest book, Sanatorium.

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How Expensive Has It Become to Be a Photographer These Days?

Wasim Ahmad — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 06:03:01 -0400

At a thrift shop the other day, I found a couple of relics. No, these weren't the usual camera finds, but rather 16-year-old photography magazines, specifically the now-shuttered Shutterbug and the still-active Professional Photographer. It got me thinking: How expensive has it become to be a photographer these days?

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Ranking the Viral Cameras of 2026

Wasim Ahmad — Mon, 11 May 2026 07:03:02 -0400

From Kodak's Charmera to the strange-but-interesting screenless Escura InstantSnap digital camera, 2026 is shaping up to be the year for some wild, hot takes on what makes a camera these days.

Photographer and YouTuber Adam Harig of FoxTailWhipz takes a look at some of the aforementioned viral cameras that have come through his hands in the last couple of years and conveniently ranks them to help you decide whether it's worth spending your hard-earned money on these cameras.

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When Photographing Protest Is the Protest

Wasim Ahmad — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:03:01 -0400

I've been covering protests for a long time, as a journalist and journalism professor, and one of the things I've noticed is that, at least in the Trump era of the last decade, more people are showing up with cameras to photograph these happenings than before. I've been trying to parse out why that is.

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MacBook Neo by the Numbers

Wasim Ahmad — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 06:03:01 -0400

There's been a lot of press about how the new MacBook Neo performs on one photo or video task or another, and largely the consensus has been that it can do a number of things, but not all things. Well, what does that mean in actual raw data?

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Why Adobe Needs to Make a Creative Cloud Neo for Apple's New MacBook Neo

Wasim Ahmad — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 22:38:43 -0500

In what is a hot take only if you're an Adobe shareholder, the MacBook Neo is the biggest sign yet that Adobe's subscription model needs some major rethinking.

It's 2026, and tariffs, war and inflation, amongst other things, have been hitting American wallet pretty hard. Apple was able to read the room and responded with the $599 MacBook Neo ($499 if you're a student or educator). There are other reasons the thing exists, of course. Apple wanted to lure people using cheap Windows computers with their iPhones. They wanted to corner the education market.

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Here’s One Thing Landscape Photographers Shouldn’t Leave Home Without

Wasim Ahmad — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:03:02 -0500

I love sitting outside with my camera on a tripod, catching a scenic view of the sunrise or sunset over a great landscape (usually with a lighthouse included). While great photos are always the goal, there's one tool that can help you with a side quest that you perhaps hadn't thought of.

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Photojournalism Can't Fight AI Disinformation Alone

Wasim Ahmad — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 06:03:01 -0500

Photo fakery has existed since the darkroom days, with photographers removing poles from people’s heads or positioning dead bodies in photos for impact. But the fakery has shifted to the one place it never should have: the government itself.

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Three Tricks to Make More Interesting Photos of Lighthouses

Wasim Ahmad — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:02:01 -0500

I have a strange obsession with photographing lighthouses. They have a way of making a landscape that much more interesting, and I often find myself taking a road trip just to photograph one. Here are a few tips to help make your photos stand out from the scores of other tourists making the same images.

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The Age Old Debate: Zooms vs Primes. Which Side Are You On?

Wasim Ahmad — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 10:04:01 -0500

I have long wavered between being a "bag 'o primes" shooter and a zoom lens shooter in my personal work. Sure, as a photojournalist and sports photographer, the choice was always easy: zooms. But for everything else, are zooms the best choice?

That's a question that Arkansas-based freelance photographer and YouTuber Walter Lyle posits as he, rightly, points out how zooms can often result in lazy composition and unimaginative shooting. Being forced to move with your feet gets your creative and compositional juices flowing a bit more, and he shows some examples of this.

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Your Old Camera Gear Might Be Worth More Than You Paid

Wasim Ahmad — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 12:04:01 -0500

So recently, I suffered a bout of Gear Acquisition Syndrome (G.A.S.) and sold most of my Canon EOS M system cameras and lenses and switched back to Micro Four Thirds. But here’s the crazy thing: In some cases, I got more than I paid for the cameras brand new, which really shines a light on how much tariffs have warped the sense of what an affordable camera is.

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Traveling Light: The Best Fast, Small Prime Options for Micro Four Thirds

Wasim Ahmad — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 15:04:01 -0500

One of the strengths of the Micro Four Thirds mount is that it’s a large enough sensor to get excellent image quality, yet small enough to design some very svelte lenses for. Here are five that might fit both your budget and your bag for travel and street photography.

UK-based street photographer and filmmaker George Holden takes a look at some iconic Micro Four Thirds lenses, including the omnipresent kit lenses that used to come with old Panasonic mirrorless cameras such as the GF series.

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5 Photography Myths (Or Hot Takes) to Think About

Wasim Ahmad — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 10:04:01 -0500

Photographers have a tendency to prescribe ways things should be done. But that flies in the face of the beauty of art, doesn't it? Here are some common takes on photography that maybe, just maybe, require a rethink.

Emily Lowrey from Micro Four Nerds leads us through a list of common refrains that photographers make and offers up some of her thoughts on them. While I don't always see eye to eye with all of the takes presented here, there's definitely some food for thought.

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Fstoppers Reviews the Insta360 GO Ultra: It’s Right There, in the Name

Wasim Ahmad — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:06:01 -0400

Action cameras are a tough sell these days. They’re in a category that’s being squeezed from above by 360 cameras that largely duplicate their functions, and smartphones that perform similar functions and are always with you. So where does that leave the Insta360 GO Ultra?

The camera is the latest high-end offering from Insta360 in the action camera space. That's not a bad spot to be in, depending on what your goals are.

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Is the iPhone a Good Street Photography Camera?

Wasim Ahmad — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 15:06:01 -0400

There have been so many times when I've forced myself to bring my iPhone 16 Pro (and 14 Pro, and 13 mini—you get the idea) as my only camera on an excursion, whether a trip to the city or an extended family vacation to someplace beautiful. Here's how it goes with the latest model.

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What One War Photographer Uses to Cover Conflict Around the Globe

Wasim Ahmad — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:06:01 -0400

War photography is not for the faint of heart. Beyond having technical expertise in your equipment, there’s a whole other level of engaging with people and resilience that comes into play. While that last part takes years of experience and training to learn, here’s a peek into what one war photographer uses to shoot with on the battlefield—and his gear will definitely surprise you.

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A Photographer’s Take on the iPhone 17 Pro

Wasim Ahmad — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:06:01 -0400

Another year, another iPhone, but the new iPhone 17 Pro brings with it a significant set of new features that might be of interest to photographers.

Tech/Camera YouTuber Tyler Stalman had a chance to get some seat time behind the iPhone 17 series, and took a deep dive into the features of the iPhone 17 Pro. More importantly, he was allowed to AirDrop the photos to himself and do a head-to-head comparison against the iPhone 16 Pro. The results are looking much better than an iPhone has ever looked.

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8 Cheap Mini Cameras You Need to Check Out

Wasim Ahmad — Sun, 07 Sep 2025 09:16:01 -0400

When mirrorless cameras first came out, the initial premise was DSLR-like quality in a smaller package. While that has largely fallen by the wayside with cameras like the Canon EOS R1 and other such beastly mirrorless cameras coming out, there are still plenty of gems from those early days when size trumped most other considerations.

I've written plenty about how I think the Panasonic GM1 was one of the almost-perfect executions of the Micro Four Thirds concept: the size of a deck of cards with a great sensor that could plug into the very best of mirrorless lenses.

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Should You Ditch the ND Filter and Just Use an iPhone for Long Exposures?

Wasim Ahmad — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 12:16:01 -0400

Computational photography has long been a staple of smartphone photography, enabling tiny sensors to punch above their weight and perform some neat tricks, but is the technology at the point where it can replace traditional methods of photography?

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Photography Tips That Will Make You Think Twice

Wasim Ahmad — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:10:02 -0400

There are hot takes and there are hot takes. And coming in with the hottest of them all is travel photographer Roman Fox.

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The Canon EOS 6D Was Peak DSLR

Wasim Ahmad — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 10:03:01 -0400

There's a lot to be said for the capabilities of mirrorless cameras today, with myriad autofocus options and other features at your fingertips. But there's also a lot to be said for simplicity, and it's in this regard that Canon's EOS 6D was the perfect expression of what a camera should be.

That may be a hot take, but I'm not alone in that thought. London-based portrait photographer Martin Castein feels very much the same way about his 6D.

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Are Camcorders Coming Back Now, Too?

Wasim Ahmad — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 11:03:01 -0400

Going to make a bold prediction (or a hot take) here: Camcorders are going to make a point-and-shoot style comeback in the next year. In the same way that compact cameras have experienced a resurgence among youth looking for the nostalgic vibes, so too will the handy cams that those of us who actually used the things back in the day will never understand.

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Should Your Next Point-and-Shoot Be an Old Smartphone?

Wasim Ahmad — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 06:03:02 -0400

I think I've been thinking about old cameras all wrong. At least, this video from James Warner of Snappiness has me rethinking how I look at old smartphone cameras, as he talks about the three best "vintage" smartphones to use exclusively for photography.

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We’re Drowning in a World of Visual ‘AI Slop'

Wasim Ahmad — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 15:03:01 -0400

While Last Week Tonight host John Oliver is not someone you'd expect to see on a photography-oriented website, he just might have the most frightening and plausible take on the danger of AI-generated imagery yet. It's worth a watch.

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Which Cameras Need Remakes in 2025?

Wasim Ahmad — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 15:03:01 -0400

I've had many a digital camera that I've regretted selling, but the truth is, I've probably been thinking more about the memories I made with them rather than how good the camera was. That said, I wouldn't mind if companies remade some of my favorites for 2025, with similar bodies crammed with modern sensors and autofocus.

t seems that landscape and travel photographer Joe Howard, of WaterfallJoe, feels the same way, compiling a list of cameras that he'd like to see remade and what kind of upgrades he'd like to see.

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Fstoppers Reviews: The Up-Tech Mini Digital Camera From Five Below

Wasim Ahmad — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 12:03:01 -0400

What do you do when you’re out and about and forgot your camera? Well, if for some strange reason you don’t want to use your phone, Five Below has you covered. I checked out the store’s $15 camera offering, the Up-Tech Mini Digital Camera. Is it worth it?

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Google’s Veo 3 Melds Audio With AI Video. Are Creators Doomed?

Wasim Ahmad — Wed, 28 May 2025 14:03:01 -0400

If you've opened up any social media at all in the last year or two, you've probably seen a fair number of AI-generated videos set to music. I know for me, my feed is filled with many strange videos involving Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and a bag of Cheetos. But none of those videos have had any dialogue—until now, with Google's Veo 3.

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Are Niche Cameras Even Worth It Anymore?

Wasim Ahmad — Mon, 26 May 2025 10:03:01 -0400

One need only look at GoPro's stock price, once at almost $94 in 2014 and now trading at less than a dollar, to recognize that maybe action cameras — and other niche, specialized cameras — aren't the best ideas. Still, that hasn't stopped me from buying a good many of them over the years, and after watching this video, I have some feelings.

Afternoon Coffee House takes a real hard look at the action cameras/360 cameras they've purchased over the years and ponders the question: Are they worth it?

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Is DJI About to Shake Up the 360 Camera Market?

Wasim Ahmad — Fri, 16 May 2025 16:03:01 -0400

While the 360 camera market has seen a lot of entries from established names like GoPro and Ricoh, as well as upstarts like Insta360 and Kandao, there's one industry giant that's been notably silent: DJI. That may about to change.

Photographer and YouTuber Joseph Blake highlights photos from DJI's regulatory filings on the new camera, which will likely bear the moniker "OSMO 360" and talks about where such a camera would fit in the current landscape of 360 cameras.

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Is This the Be-All, End-All Lens for Sony Wedding Photographers?

Wasim Ahmad — Thu, 08 May 2025 12:03:01 -0400

It seems that the major manufacturers are hell-bent on making prime lenses obsolete, or at least it seems that way with Sony's release of the new FE 50-150mm f/2 GM lens. Should wedding photographers bite?

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Insta360’s X5: An Incremental or Revolutionary Upgrade?

Wasim Ahmad — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 15:03:01 -0400

Another year, another Insta360 release. While that sounds like an anti-climactic statement about the new X5, it's not meant to be. While there may not be any headline-grabbing features like higher-resolution footage, there are a few improvements that make the camera just a bit more livable than the X4.

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A Sony User's Look at the Canon PowerShot V1

Wasim Ahmad — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 10:03:01 -0400

As a longtime Canon user, it was a somewhat painful switch to buy a Sony ZV-1 as my point-and-shoot camera. Not because the Sony ZV-1 was a bad camera, but more so because the way that brand's cameras work is so different from what I'm used to. So what's it like the other way around with the Canon PowerShot V10?

Filmmaker and YouTuber Brian Catalano answers that question. As a user of multiple Sony cameras, even previously the aforementioned ZV-1, he decides to put the Canon PowerShot V1 through its paces and is pleasantly surprised by what he finds.

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Nintendo Brings Back Cameras (Sort Of)

Wasim Ahmad — Sat, 05 Apr 2025 12:03:01 -0400

Buried in Nintendo's Switch 2 announcement during Nintendo Direct earlier in the week was a quiet accessory that brings Nintendo back into the camera game. Sort of.

Nintendo's new camera, which is simply called "Nintendo Switch 2 Camera," is more designed for the system's new game chat feature, which places little video conference-like boxes along the bottom of the screen and uses the camera to capture a face for that box, but it seems like there's a lot more potential here. Like a Game Boy camera-style revival with the new device as the centerpiece for photographs.

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Recent articles from Wasim Ahmad on Fstoppers.com

The Kodak Charmera Is the Ultimate Camera for Kids

Which Lens Wins the Micro Four Thirds Portrait Lens Shootout?

Telling the Country’s History of Sanatoriums in Photo

How Expensive Has It Become to Be a Photographer These Days?

Ranking the Viral Cameras of 2026

When Photographing Protest Is the Protest

MacBook Neo by the Numbers

Why Adobe Needs to Make a Creative Cloud Neo for Apple's New MacBook Neo

Here’s One Thing Landscape Photographers Shouldn’t Leave Home Without

Photojournalism Can't Fight AI Disinformation Alone

Three Tricks to Make More Interesting Photos of Lighthouses

The Age Old Debate: Zooms vs Primes. Which Side Are You On?

Your Old Camera Gear Might Be Worth More Than You Paid

Traveling Light: The Best Fast, Small Prime Options for Micro Four Thirds

5 Photography Myths (Or Hot Takes) to Think About

Fstoppers Reviews the Insta360 GO Ultra: It’s Right There, in the Name

Is the iPhone a Good Street Photography Camera?

What One War Photographer Uses to Cover Conflict Around the Globe

A Photographer’s Take on the iPhone 17 Pro

8 Cheap Mini Cameras You Need to Check Out

Should You Ditch the ND Filter and Just Use an iPhone for Long Exposures?

Photography Tips That Will Make You Think Twice

The Canon EOS 6D Was Peak DSLR

Are Camcorders Coming Back Now, Too?

Should Your Next Point-and-Shoot Be an Old Smartphone?

We’re Drowning in a World of Visual ‘AI Slop'

Which Cameras Need Remakes in 2025?

Fstoppers Reviews: The Up-Tech Mini Digital Camera From Five Below

Google’s Veo 3 Melds Audio With AI Video. Are Creators Doomed?

Are Niche Cameras Even Worth It Anymore?

Is DJI About to Shake Up the 360 Camera Market?

Is This the Be-All, End-All Lens for Sony Wedding Photographers?

Insta360’s X5: An Incremental or Revolutionary Upgrade?

A Sony User's Look at the Canon PowerShot V1

Nintendo Brings Back Cameras (Sort Of)