
Matthew Richards
Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners!
His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related.
In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.
Latest articles by Matthew Richards

The best flashgun in 2025: camera strobes, Speedlights and Speedlites for every budget
By Matthew Richards last updated
Updated These are the best flashguns that attach to the hotshoe of your DSLR or mirrorless camera, from basic bare-bones devices to fully featured pro models

The best lenses for the Sony A6400: let me help you choose the perfect lenses for your excellent Sony body
By Rod Lawton last updated
Updated Find the best lenses for the Sony A6400, to make the most of this powerful APS-C format camera in Sony’s mirrorless line-up

The best lenses for the Sony A6700: discover my top choices for shooting both stills and video with this highly capable camera
By Rod Lawton last updated
Updated Join me as I pick out the best lenses for the Sony A6700, one of the top APS-C format hybrid stills and video cameras on the market

The best lenses for Sony A6000: here's my pick of best-buy lenses for Sony's slimline range of APS-C format A6000 camera
By Rod Lawton last updated
Updated I think the best prime and zoom lenses for Sony A6000 camera should deliver great image quality and all-around performance, as well as being good value for money

Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro review: get ultra-close and ultra-wide with this intriguing prime lens
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Laowa 15mm f/4.5 0.5x Macro is a lens that can deliver extreme close-ups of small objects, set against the context of their surroundings

Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 DC | A review: a properly go-faster zoom lens that leaves others trailing in its wake
By Matthew Richards published
Review Forget ‘trinity’ zooms. The Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 DC Art for APS-C Canon, Fujifilm, Sony and L-Mount is more than a full f/stop faster

Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro review: ready for your close-up? It’s portrait prime time for Sony shooters
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro aims to be a sophisticated and very cost-effective, pro-grade portrait prime for Sony E-mount full-frame cameras

The best lenses for the Fujifilm X-T5: make the most of all those megapixels
By Gareth Bevan last updated
Updated Join me as I pick the best lenses for the Fujifilm X-T5, based on image quality, build quality, features and handling.

Venus Optics Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye review: it’s like two fisheye lenses in one, giving you full creative control
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye covers all the bases for various full-frame mirrorless cameras, working as both a circular and diagonal fisheye at either end of its zoom range

Best Sony flashguns in 2025: dedicated flashguns for Sony mirrorless cameras
By Matthew Richards last updated
Updated Now's the time to light up your life (and your photography) with one of the best Sony flashguns. Here are my top picks...

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 review: probably the best photo printer in the world is now even better
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 picks up the baton from the previous PRO-1000 and comes in as my favorite A2+ / 17x25-inch large-format photo printer

Schneider-Kreuznach LK Samyang AF 14-24mm f/2.8 review: ultra-wide meets super-skinny in this lens of many monikers
By Matthew Richards published
Review Sold as either the Samyang or Rokinon AF 14-24mm f/2.8 FE for Sony cameras, this ultra-wide zoom also has input from German optical giant Schneider-Kreuznach

The best fisheye lenses in 2025: see the bigger picture with a 180º view
By Matthew Richards last updated
Buying Guide The best fisheye lenses can show you a whole new ultra-wide-angle perspective of the world around you

The hidden risks of modern lenses: Why firmware updates and new cameras could brick your lens
By Matthew Richards published
OPINION The lens you count on for some of your most important shots can leave you dead in the water. Here’s a few things to be painfully aware of…

The best monopods in 2025: stable support that can take a load off
By Matthew Richards last updated
Updated For wildlife and sports photography, or anytime you’re using a big heavy lens, a monopod can give some much-needed relief

Vanguard VEO 2S CM-264TR Carbon Fiber Monopod review: one leg, three feet and a smartphone holder
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Vanguard VEO 2S CM-264TR monopod comes complete with fold-out ‘tri-feet’ and a smartphone connector kit with Bluetooth connectivity, plus an optional ball/pan head in the pricier kit option. What’s not to love?

Benro Adventure 8X CF Series 3 Monopod review: a super-sturdy, 4-section carbon fiber monopod
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Benro Adventure 8X CF Series 3 Monopod (codename MAD38C) has a chunky build for really solid support, but you might want to add a head to make it even more clever

Best L-brackets for your camera in 2025: take horizontal and vertical shots with ease
By Matthew Richards last updated
Buying Guide With the best L-bracket, you can switch between perfectly aligned landscape and portrait-orientation compositions in seconds

Benro QRB95DUAL Quick Rotation Lens Bracket review: think L-brackets, then think again
By Matthew Richards published
Review The Benro QRB95DUAL Quick Rotation Lens Bracket has all the advantages of a regular L-bracket, but is more like a tripod collar for use with small to medium sized lens

I bought cheap printer inks and they stink. My photo prints aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on
By Matthew Richards published
Opinion As a cost-cutting measure, I bought a set of ‘compatible’ ink cartridges from Amazon for my Canon printer. My photo print quality has gone from terrific to terrible

The best Fujifilm GF lenses: prime & zoom GFX medium format lenses
By Matthew Richards last updated
Buying Guide Here are the best Fujifilm GF lenses for the GFX 50S, GFX 50S II, GFX 50R, GFX 100, GFX 100 II & GFX 100s

ChromLives Camera L Bracket Mount Video Grip review: it’s an L-bracket Jim, but not as we know it
By Matthew Richards published
Review The ChromLives Camera L Bracket Mount Video Grip is enough to make you think you don’t know your L-bracket from your elbow

Manfrotto Q2 L bracket review: A not-so-universal L-bracket
By Matthew Richards published
Review The heavy-duty Manfrotto Q2 L bracket certainly takes the strain but probably isn’t a perfect fit for your camera
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