At our core, authentic, hands-on testing is the only way to provide you with reliable product recommendations. Our testing methodology combines rigorous real-world evaluation with industry expertise to ensure every product we review meets our high standards for accuracy and usefulness.

Our Testing Process

Hands-On Evaluation: We physically test every product we review, and that testing is carried out by experienced creators who work in the markets the products are designed for. Portrait shooters test portrait lenses, travelling photographers test bags, and so on. 

Our team puts cameras, lenses, accessories, and gear through extensive real-world scenarios that photographers and videographers actually face. From studio sessions to outdoor testing, we evaluate performance across a range of shooting conditions to understand how products perform to or beyond manufacturer specifications.

Verification of Claims Manufacturer specifications don’t always tell the whole story. We independently verify key performance claims through controlled testing across our entire range of coverage-from camera bodies and lenses to gimbals, microphones, lighting equipment, storage solutions, and more.

When we’ve found a product that doesn’t meet our expectations, we reach out to the product managers to verify that we are testing the gear properly. We have found that many outlets jump to conclusions based on initial testing, often with incorrect results. We work hard to make sure our claims are accurate.

Collaborative Review Process: We share our findings with trusted contributors and industry professionals to validate our results and gather additional perspectives. This collaborative approach helps ensure our recommendations reflect different use cases and shooting styles.

Reader Feedback Integration: Your experiences matter to us. We actively monitor reader feedback, questions, and real-world reports to update our recommendations and guides. If readers consistently report issues or benefits we haven’t reported, we revisit our reviews to incorporate these insights.

Ongoing Updates Technology evolves rapidly, and so do our recommendations. We regularly revisit our buyer’s guides to ensure they reflect current market trends and products.

Independence and Transparency We maintain strict editorial independence from manufacturers and never accept payment for product placement.

While our articles contain affiliate links, these relationships never influence our editorial rankings or recommendations.

When we do create sponsored content, we always make it clear that the content has been paid for by a manufacturer. However, we do not make invalid claims in sponsored content. If a product doesn’t do what the manufacturer wants us to recommend it for, we will not do the sponsored content.

Our goal is simple: provide honest, useful guidance that helps you make informed purchasing decisions based on your specific needs and budget.

More about our testing