Rod Lawton

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

OM System OM-5 II

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

By Rod Lawton published

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.

Agfaphoto Realimove MC3X

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

By Rod Lawton published

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

Peak Design Pro Tripods

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

By Rod Lawton published

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.

Leica SL3-S

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

By Rod Lawton published

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

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 product shot

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

By Rod Lawton published

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

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

By Rod Lawton published

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

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

By Rod Lawton published

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

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

By Rod Lawton published

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

Lens aperture

What is ‘aperture’ in photography?

By Rod Lawton published

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

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

By Rod Lawton published

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

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

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

OM System OM-5

By Rod Lawton last updated

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

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

By Rod Lawton published

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

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

By Rod Lawton published

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nikon D760: everything we know so far

By Rod Lawton published

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

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

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

Canon EOS M100

Canon EOS M100 review

By Rod Lawton published

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

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