This is the page that explains how I review the cameras, film, lenses and editing software you read about on this site. The short version is that everything I publish here is something I have personally used. The longer version is below.
If you spot something on the site that contradicts the rules below, please email me and I will fix it. The point of writing these standards down is so I can be held to them.
Who writes the reviews
I do. My name is Ben Kepka. I am a New Zealand travel photographer based in London. I have been shooting since I was a teenager in the New Zealand backcountry and have been running Cultured Kiwi since 2014. I am the only person who writes reviews on this site, so everything you read here is one person’s opinion based on actually using the product.
This is a solo publication, not a media company. There is no editorial team behind the curtain. I think that is a strength, not a weakness, but you deserve to know.
How long I test before publishing
Different categories need different testing windows. The minimums I hold to before a review goes live:
- Cameras (digital and film): at least three months of regular use. For cameras I really like, you will see “X years and N rolls later” updates on the page once the testing window passes a year.
- 35mm and medium format film stocks: at least three rolls shot across mixed conditions (daylight, low light, mixed lighting if relevant), processed and scanned the same way each time so the comparison holds.
- Editing software: at least 90 days as my primary editor for the type of work the software is designed for. Software reviews get fully revisited at every major version release.
- Lenses and accessories: at least one full shooting trip and one hundred frames or more, on bodies the lens is genuinely designed for.
If I review something with less testing than this (rare, sometimes for a launch-day post), I label it clearly as a first-impressions piece, not a full review.
Where the gear and software comes from
Most of the gear and software you see reviewed here, I bought with my own money. A small number of items each year are review samples sent by manufacturers or PR agencies. When that happens, the review states it openly at the top of the page.
A few rules I hold to:
- I do not accept paid reviews. If someone offers to pay me for a positive write-up, the answer is no.
- Manufacturer-sent samples either go back to the manufacturer at the end of testing, or I purchase them at fair market price. I never resells review samples at a profit.
- A free unit does not buy a positive review. If a manufacturer sends me something and it is not good, I will say so.
- Manufacturers do not get to read or edit reviews before publication. Ever.
How affiliate links work on this site
Cultured Kiwi earns a commission on some of the links you click, mostly KEH (used cameras and lenses) and Skylum (Luminar Neo). I label affiliate links with a /go/ URL pattern and disclose this on the Affiliate Disclosure page and at the bottom of every review.
The commission does not change what I recommend. The clearest way to test that statement is to read reviews where I tell you not to buy something I have an affiliate link for. If a product is not the best option, you should not buy it just because I get paid.
How I write the verdict
Every review ends with a “buy if / skip if” block instead of a star rating. I have stopped using star ratings because they encourage averaging. A camera can be 5/5 for travel and 2/5 for sports, and a single number flattens that.
Verdicts on Cultured Kiwi say specifically:
- Who this product is for
- Who should skip it and what they should buy instead
- A direct yes or no recommendation, not a hedge
If you read a review here and cannot tell whether I recommend the product, the review has failed, and I want to hear about it.
When I update or pull a review
The most-read pages on this site get a full review pass at least once a year. Software reviews get reviewed at every major version drop. Camera and film reviews get a minor update when something changes (price, availability, repair-shop stocking levels) and a full rewrite when the underlying product changes meaningfully.
If a product gets noticeably worse (a software update breaks core features, a manufacturer drops support, or pricing changes in a way that kills the value proposition), I will revise the recommendation publicly and add a dated note explaining what changed.
What I do not review
Things I have not personally used. Categories I do not have working knowledge of. Specifically, you will not see drone, professional video, or smartphone-only workflow reviews on Cultured Kiwi because that is not where my expertise sits. There are people who do those better than me.
Mistakes and corrections
I make mistakes. When I do, please tell me on the contact page. Corrections are logged on the post itself with a date stamp. Major errors get an editor’s note at the top of the page rather than a silent edit.
Want to send a product for review
Email me on the contact page. The rules above apply: no paid placements, samples returned or bought, and manufacturers do not see drafts. If you are happy with that, I am open to looking at gear I would genuinely use.
Last updated: April 29, 2026