Articles by Rod Lawton, Freelance contributor

Rod is an independent photographer and photography journalist with more than 30 years' experience. He's previously worked as Head of Testing for Future’s photography magazines, including Digital Camera, N-Photo, PhotoPlus, Professional Photography, Photography Week and Practical Photoshop, and as Reviews Editor on Digital Camera World.

Articles by: Rod Lawton

Affordable, rugged, feature-packed – the OM System OM-5 II is a dream travel camera

By Rod Lawton published 8 October 25

Editor's Choice

With its rugged build, wide range of lenses and smart computational modes, the OM System OM-5 II a dream travel camera.

I tested Agfaphoto's low-cost DJI Pocket 3 rival – here's how it stacks up for vlogging

By Rod Lawton published 6 August 25

Review The Realimove MC3X is a no-fuss, easy-to-use gimbal camera that works well

I tested the new Peak Design Pro Tripod and it’s spectacularly good, if spectacularly expensive

By Rod Lawton published 17 June 25

Editor's Choice

The Peak Design Pro tripods take the unique design features of the original Travel Tripod and scale them up for professional users.

I tested the pricey full-frame Leica SL3-S, and I've never seen 24MP images look so good

By Rod Lawton published 23 March 25

Leica’s more affordable SL3-S (it’s relative!) is also a more versatile hybrid camera than the company’s 60MP SL3 mirrorless flagship

OM System OM-3 alongside the OM System OM-5 with a split green / magenta background

OM System OM-3 vs OM System OM-5: is the OM-3 really worth upgrading for?

By Rod Lawton published 14 February 25

We pit the new OM System OM-3 against the OM-5 to see if the OM-3 is worth spending more / upgrading for.

Panasonic Lumix G97 review: enthusiast-level camera, beginner-level price

By Rod Lawton published 31 January 25

Recommended

It’s back! The camera that used to be the Lumix G95/G90 has been reborn as the Lumix G97… and it’s actually very welcome

Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II review: a spectacular portrait lens

By Rod Lawton published 28 August 24

Recommended

Review The Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II is a brand-new version of a lens that was a classic in its own right. Is it really that much better?

Panasonic Lumix FZ80D / FZ82D review: the bridge camera is back, but should it be?

By Rod Lawton published 16 August 24

Review Just when I thought bridge cameras had been consigned to history, here I am reviewing the new Panasonic Lumix FZ80D / FZ82D.

APS-C vs full frame: what you need to know to help you choose the right camera

By Rod Lawton published 11 August 24

APS-C vs full frame – what’s the difference, which sensor size is best, and how do you choose?

What is ‘aperture’ in photography?

By Rod Lawton published 30 July 24

You can’t get far in any talk about phones, cameras and photography without hearing about ‘aperture’ But what is it, and why is it important?

Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G review: small and mighty?

By Rod Lawton published 3 May 24

Recommended

Review The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G has a super-short zoom range, but is it worth it for its small size and constant f/2.8 aperture?

Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G lens attached to a Sony A7C R

Sony’s new 16-25mm is its lightest and smallest ever ultra-wide f/2.8 zoom lens, but it comes with a catch

By Rod Lawton published 16 April 24

News Sony’s new ultra-wide zoom swaps focal range for compactness and makes a matching pair with the FE 24-50mm F2.8 G.

The Leica SL3 camera sat on a wooden bench

Leica SL3 review – the modern Leica workhorse

By Mark Wilson, Rod Lawton last updated 10 April 24

Recommended

The Leica SL3 is a full-frame mirrorless camera that's its most powerful all-rounder so far. But does it still have the Leica magic?

OM System OM-5

By Rod Lawton last updated 14 March 24

Recommended

Review The OM System OM-5 is a new version of an old favorite, packing a lot of power into a very small body

Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM review - hidden depths

By Rod Lawton published 29 February 24

Recommended

Review The Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM delivers larger than life close-ups without costing the earth

Canon RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM review – the ultimate ultrawide

By Rod Lawton published 24 February 24

Editor's Choice

Review The Canon RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM is the widest AF zoom in the world – how can a lens this wide be this good?

Canon EOS R6 II camera on a tripod with 24-105mm lens attached

Canon EOS R6 II review: hybrid just got better

By Rod Lawton published 27 January 23

Canon updates its EOS R6 hybrid mirrorless camera with more megapixels, better autofocus, better video and faster shooting

Panasonic Lumix GX9 review

By Phil Hall, Rod Lawton last updated 19 September 22

The Lumix GX9 is aimed at the enthusiast photographer who wants a compact but high-performance camera.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC review

By Rod Lawton last updated 21 October 20

Adobe has updated its pro photo cataloguing software with a cloud-first approach, but it brings some tricky decisions…

Low-cost photo editor Luminar will light up Mac owners’ screens on November 17

By Rod Lawton last updated 13 November 19

It’s cheap, it needs no special training and MacPhun says Luminar can adapt to any photographer or genre.

DxO PhotoLab 2.1 review

By Rod Lawton published 28 January 19

Probably the best raw processing in the world, but not everything is rosy.

Nikon D760: everything we know so far

By Rod Lawton published 24 December 18

Nikon is planning a new entry-level full frame DSLR. This is what we think it might look like.

Adobe Photoshop CC (2019) review

By Rod Lawton published 19 December 18

It's become the industry-standard for image manipulation, but is Photoshop still the best photo editor in the world?

Olympus PEN E-PL9 review

By Rod Lawton published 22 November 18

Olympus’s latest camera looks like it’s designed for fashion-conscious bloggers, but there’s more to it than that.

Canon EOS M100 review

By Rod Lawton published 25 October 18

Canon's baby mirrorless camera sure is simple, but that comes at a price.

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