Finally? Sony Alpha A7III Review 2025 in Progress...Part 1

Finally? Sony Alpha A7III Review 2025 in Progress... Part 1

November 2025, Carl Garrard

When Sony shifted to full frame mirrorless cameras back in 2013, the writing was on the wall. For years I told countless people online that Sony would very soon abandon the original A-Mount that they inherited from the purchase of from Konica Minolta and go all in a new mount based entirely on the E mount going forward. Very few agreed or believed me, and I took a lot of heat from those in denial about the obvious. The monumental shift from Minolta ergo design that proceeded to the new mirrorless design was pretty much anti-Carl preferred ergonomics and design. Sony has had their best success in the camera market with the FE mount, but their products, for more than just ergonomic reasons, did not interest me in the slightest. That's why I have never reviewed a single Sony FE camera on my blog. It's not because of my past history with the company or other conspiracy theories that some of you following the blog may be aware of. 

Canon's EOS 40D- An Even More Budget Bargain (New photographers need to read this!)

Canon's EOS 40D- An Even More Budget Bargain (New photographers need to read this!)

November 2025, Carl Garrard

Over the years I've written a few words about the Canon 40D on this blog, including a pretty comprehensive review here. But here I am again. And this time it's about how much of a bargain the 40D is in 2025 (six years after that review, 18yrs after its announcement). For those of you who are inspired to learn photography from the fundamentals up and don't want a camera to take all the challenge and reward out of photography by doing everything for you (cough... pretty much all  new cameras), the Canon 40D is a camera I still recommend to this day. It checks off everything a learning photographer would need to start, and, it's a camera that you can grow deep into as your skills advance. Today, it's got to be one of the most incredible bargains on the used market, and don't count out the fun factor either.

AI Autofocus, Complex Menus, and Electronic Finders are Ruining The Photography Experience

AI Autofocus, Complex Menus, and Electronic Finders are Ruining The Photography Experience

June 2025, Carl Garrard

"Wall Street took a good idea, Lewis Ranieri's Mortgage bond, and turned it into an atomic bomb of fraud and stupidity" The Big Short (2015). And that's pretty much how I feel about camera companies and what they have and are turning the camera industry into. The title doesn't even say it all either. And although many were quite resistant to my honest observations about mirrorless 5-7 years ago, today more and more still photographers are speaking up and agreeing with me (silently or otherwise). Camera companies don't want us to speak up either, they want to sell cameras and lenses and accessories and have everyone accept what they offer without complaint. Of course they do! And instead of telling them our thoughts en masse, there is a silent revolution against them going on right now.

Stay Focused Series (#1): Wanderings and Chronicles with the Olympus Evolt E-5 DSLR

Stay Focused Series (#1): Wanderings and Chronicles with the Olympus Evolt E-5 DSLR

May 2025, Carl Garrard

Today's article highlights the Olympus Evolt E-5 DSLR, Olympus's last (D)SLR they ever made and the center spotlight of my recent photographic meanderings. This new series is intentionally not a technical or exhaustive review that I've been doing for years. Rather, every article in the series is the summary of my casual observations that place the highest value on real-world camera performance from a single outing. Real world impressions are more important to me than the limited, white-coat, lab-style evaluations. Think of each article in the series as a spontaneous outing with an experienced photographer in unpredictable conditions—one that demonstrates a camera’s real life capabilities and, most importantly, its unique connection to a photographer. Like life, each article is unrepeatable and unpredictable—a fitting demonstration of how a camera performs when it truly counts the most. The Stay Focused Series title is inspired by my valediction and marks the newest addition to Photographic Central—an approachably penned, real-life journal of my experiences with a wide range of camera types from all brands. Enjoy!

Nikon D500 Review 2025: The Crop Sensor G.O.A.T? (Part 1)

Nikon D500 Review 2025: The Crop Sensor G.O.A.T? (Part 1)

January 2025, Carl Garrard

Wow, I am finally getting around to my Nikon D500 review. I have a lot to say, and therefore it is my preference to break this review up into two parts. There remain only two APS-C DSLR's that I'd consider for the "GOAT" title, and the D500 has always been at the top of that short list (once it was three cameras, now only two remain). This review of the D500 was written based on my years of experience with this fantastic DSLR, and, the Nikon F mount in general. It's being compared to a long list of cameras from my past and current experiences, therefore my words aren't written lightly. I thought I'd start off 2025 by writing about one of my favorite cameras of all time, also, to answer the question of whether or not this camera deserves the crown of all crop sensor DSLR's. I'll get right into my experiences with this camera with zero review "bloat".