There is no denying that quality camera gear can capture incredible photographs. But it’s the person behind the camera that truly makes or breaks what an image ultimately becomes.
To prove this, DigitalRev has shared the latest video in its clever series titled “Pro Photographer, Cheap Camera.” In this episode, photographer Matt Usher is given an old Nikon CoolPix 995 and asked to capture the best possible images he can.
For context, a Nikon CoolPix 995 is 16 years old, has a three megapixel sensor, and offers a full frame equivalent focal range between 36–152mm. It’s a far cry from even the cheapest of DSLRs available nowadays.
Despite the obvious limitations of the camera, Usher takes it upon himself to capture the best images possible.
As explained throughout the video and seen from the resulting photographs, it’s Usher’s vision that makes the resulting images what they are. By figuring out the images and understanding the weaknesses of the camera, Usher knows what he can expect to get from the camera.
With this knowledge, he plans his post-production workflow before ever pressing the shutter, knowing exactly how he needs to frame and expose the photographs to get the most from the camera. For all but a few of the images, this meant capturing multiple exposures over the entire scene to stitch together as a panorama in Photoshop.
By using multiple exposures and varied subject matter, Usher was able to pull multiple images together that are incredible considering the $20 camera he was working with.
This was just for show, but it’s an important reminder that it takes vision, not just gear, to capture incredible photographs. You must know what it is you want to capture before the shutter is ever pressed. Make the most of the gear you have and push it to its limits.
Full-frame cameras tend to be chunky beasts, but Sigma wants to prove that big imaging doesn't need a big body. Enter the Sigma FP2, the successor to its tiny, boxy fp mirrorless camera. It keeps the same modular design but packs in some serious upgrades, including a 24.5-megapixel partially stacked full-frame sensor, improved autofocus, 6K video recording, and 70GB of built-in storage. Sigma calls it the world's smallest full-frame camera, and while it might be tiny, the same cannot be said for its price tag.
Sigma FP2 brings faster shooting and 6K video
A phone thermal camera is one of those tools you don’t think you need until the first time it saves you from an expensive problem, and the Thermal Master P3 just got easier to try. For Halloween, it’s discounted with the code THERMCAM10, a 10% cut that works out to $107 off the total. It’s also fresh off a win at the 2026 Tom’s Guide AI Awards for best phone thermal camera, which is the kind of third-party nod that separates a serious tool from the cheap clip-on sensors that flood this category.
We are nearing Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, which officially run October 6 and 7. But there is no need to wait until the sale begins to start looking. Early offers are already live, and camera gear is one category where I found enough worthwhile discounts to put together a proper creator-focused list.
I’ve deliberately gone wider than interchangeable-lens cameras here. There are pocket and action cameras, a 360 camera, an instant camera, two wireless microphone systems, and a pair of webcams covering very different budgets. Prices were checked on October 2, and as always with Amazon, they can move quickly.