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Silicon Film's e-film concept has generated a lot of interest over the years, but ultimately came to nothing. Later concepts included a separate processing module attached outside the camera.

Photo: Phil Askey / DPReview.com

Early in the digital camera era there were multiple attempts to find a way to convert existing film cameras to work with the new capture technology.

Perhaps the most famous was Silicon Film, whose e-Film EFS-1 digital cartridge got to an advanced state of development before the company collapsed under the weight of development costs, continued engineering challenges, existing patents and insufficient orders. All of which was revealed in the subsequent lawsuit.

Now, around a quarter of a century later, a Swiss team, funded via Kickstarter, looks like it's about to deliver on that dream, despite all the challenges.

I'm Back has partnered with the current owners of the Yashica name to announce that its three crowdfunded projects are now available to order as fully-fledged retail products. The one that really catches our eye is the I'm Back Film, which promises to let you add digital capabilities to a wide range of original SLRs or film rangefinders, by mimicking the Silicon Film concept. Its website lists the unit at 645 Swiss Franks (∼$750).

The Silicon Film dream is back

Like the Silicon Film concept, the I'm Back Film is shaped like a 135 film cassette with a tongue extending from one side, on which a digital sensor is mounted. A ribbon cable extends from here to a box that screws into the tripod socket, containing the processing circuitry, a battery and a small touchscreen to control the unit's settings. A small red button then connects to the processing unit to activate the sensor.

The film module being installed in a camera with the processing module attached below. Yashica branding appears to have been added to this image.

Image: I'm Back

To shoot an image, you first press the red button to start the sensor's exposure, safe in the knowledge that the camera's shutter speed and aperture settings will define how much light the sensor actually experiences.

The challenges

I'll admit I've been deeply skeptical about how far I'm Back would get, in part because so many attempts had failed, and how many hurdles these attempts had shown there to be, so I tip my hat to the I'm Back team for overcoming so many of them.

Back in 2017, when I'm Back announced what it now calls the "I'm Back 35," I simplified the challenges, as encountered when large companies such as Nikon looked at the problem, into a list that included:

• Sensor/film plane alignment
• Syncing the SLR shutter and digital exposure
• A means of changing the digital settings
• Compatibility across the dwindling supply of film SLRs
• Keeping the cost reasonable
• Space for batteries and processing hardware
• Sufficient image quality to make the whole ordeal worthwhile

This earlier I'm Back project – including a ground glass that fits in the film plane, photographed by a compact camera sensor mounted in a clumsy plastic periscope attached to the back of the camera – only made the whole idea look less credible. I'm Back 35 only worked for cameras whose film doors could be removed and offered dedicated cases for some cameras, taking us further away from the simple 'drop in a digital cassette' ideal.

The combination of bulk and limited image quality potential made it easy to dismiss as a serious attempt to extend the life of older cameras. At least for anyone who isn't engaged with the Lomography-style 'the imperfections are the appeal' aesthetic. Perhaps the I'm Back 35 will gain traction with the generation embracing wilfully limited early compacts.

I'm Back Film

An image of the I'm Back Film module, with Yashica branding added.

Image: I'm Back

The I'm Back Film is a rather different prospect. It's built around a Four Thirds sized sensor (the 20MP IMX269 made by Sony Semiconductor). This use of a smaller-than-full-frame sensor reduces the level of precision needed to align the sensor with the film camera's exposure area, as well as keep costs and power usage under control.

Using a relatively large modern sensor opens up the potential for very good image quality, and the option of Raw capture means you're not solely dependent on the company's JPEG processing expertise (which we've yet to experience). I'm Back has already built-up experience of designing touchscreen interfaces to solve the problem of changing the sensor's settings, addressing another of the original challenges.

The use of a Four Thirds sized sensor, while more impressive than the 2.6x crop chip that Silicon Film originally planned, still confers a significant limitation on anyone trying to use their old film lenses. I'm Back provides a frame that can be stuck into the camera's viewfinder to mask-off the unused area and offers a 0.45x wide-angle converter lens that screws onto the 52mm filter thread used by many film-era 50mm lenses, to help compensate for the crop.

Continuation vs Vinylism

Who doesn't want to breathe some new life into that much-loved film camera currently collecting dust?

Image: I'm Back

To me, the significant crop and the rather quirky way around it suggests the aims of the I'm Back Film are quite different to those of Silicon Film's attempt. After 25 years, the goal isn't to let you continue to use your film SLR instead of a dedicated digital camera – the 'accessible' full-frame DSLR arrived long ago, and the move to mirrorless means most legacy lenses can be adapted to a wide range of cameras – but to revive old cameras for the fun of it.

This is perhaps for the best, as most of the film cameras it's designed for are a quarter of a century older than they were when Silicon Film was trying the same thing. Warranties have long-ago elapsed and the ability to repair many film-era cameras continues to diminish.

Now that a quarter of a century has passed, the role that a digital module for film cameras must play has arguably changed.

Image: I'm Back

But once you see the aim as being to have some fun with some old, beautifully-engineered cameras that would otherwise be collecting dust or acting as lifestyle signifiers on statement bookshelves, we enter the world of Vinylism: the embrace of an old technology for the sake and the aesthetic of it.

Most people recognize that vinyl isn't a better medium in any measurable sense, and no one claims it's more convenient or practical than digital alternatives. But there's an undeniable charm to the experience, whether it's the large-format sleeves, the ritual of manual intervention or simply the way it looks and feels. As such the way the I'm Back Film should be judged has nothing to do with how it compares with mainstream modern cameras, because, unlike Silicon Film, it's not trying to usurp them.

Even if you disagree with that position or don't subscribe to the Vinylist ethos, to have come this far when so many have failed is truely impressive. I'm Back said it was unable to send us a Film unit in the build-up to this launch, but we'd happily review it, on its own terms, if they ever choose to.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. The X-E1 was the first model in Fujilm's X-E camera series. It was originally intended to broaden the X-series’ appeal following the launch of the Flagship X-Pro1.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Fujifilm announced the X-M5, the first new model in its entry-level X-M series in over a decade. The appearance of this long-dormant line sparked renewed interest in Fujifilm’s other compact X-series cameras, and we couldn’t help but wonder if a new X-E camera might be on the horizon.

At a recent event, we posed the question to a Fujifilm executive, asking whether X-E owners should be worried about the product line's future. "We haven't lost focus on any of our existing range," we were told. We expect to see another X-E model, but what might we anticipate from an X-E5?

Over time, there's been some drift in who the X-E series was aimed at as the company's various product lines evolved, and to a degree, it seems like even Fujifilm is still trying to figure out precisely who the series is for. To see where it might be headed, let’s look back at previous X-E models to understand where it's been and how it's trending.

The X-E1: Where it all started

Announced: September 2012

MSRP: $999

Fujifilm’s X-E1 was only the second interchangeable lens camera in the X-series, following the flagship X-Pro1 that launched the X system a few months earlier. When launched, it was intended to broaden the X-series’ appeal and effectively became Fujifilm's enthusiast-oriented camera body.

The X-E1 represented a more affordable option that mimicked the X-Pro1’s design philosophy and control layout. It used the same 16MP sensor and image processor, ensuring it could deliver photo quality on par with the more premium X-Pro.

It didn't include the X-Pro1’s hybrid optical viewfinder, opting instead for a 2.36M-dot OLED EVF – impressive for 2012. However, it added a pop-up flash, which the X-Pro1 lacked.

It became a popular choice for those who wanted Fujifilm's retro styling and manual controls at a more approachable price point. Some users even thought of it as an X100 with interchangeable lenses since the two series followed very similar design cues.

The X-E2: Still the enthusiast's camera

Announced: October 2013

MSRP: $999

When the X-E2 arrived just 13 months after the X-E1, it reinforced the X-E series' position as Fujifilm's enthusiast camera, with X-Pro continuing to occupy the premium bracket and the recently announced X-A1 and X-M1 slotting in at more entry-level positions.

The X-E2 brought relatively few changes in design, many of which were internal improvements in response to user feedback, including face detection autofocus and autoexposure, along with configurable Auto ISO, including maximum and minimum ISO and minimum shutter speed.

Its hardware was nearly identical to the X-E1’s; the Q button was relocated to prevent accidental presses, and separate AE-L and AF-L buttons replaced the X-E1’s combined button, allowing for more customization by advanced users. It was also Fujifilm's first interchangeable lens camera to offer its 'Lens Modulation Optimizer', which used lens correction profiles with variable sharpening to try to compensate for diffraction.

The X-E2s: Change is in the air

Announced: January 2016

MSRP: $699

Something important happened between the X-E2 and X-E2s: in January 2014, just three months after the launch of the X-E2, Fujifilm announced the X-T1, another model aimed at enthusiast photographers. Feature-wise, the X-E2 and X-T1 were very similar, leaving two models vying to be the enthusiast favorite, with the main difference being the camera's shape.

Although the X-T1 arrived with a higher body-only cost of $1299, it proved wildly popular and almost certainly outsold the X-E2. With two models aimed at what was essentially the same audience, it seems likely that Fujifilm went back to the drawing board to reassess the future of the X-E line.

The result was an X-E2s that was essentially a mid-life refresh of an existing model, being all but identical to the X-E2 with the newest firmware installed. It also bought the company time to work out how the X-E and X-T lines should evolve relative to one another.

The X-E2 launched with a substantial $300 price cut. While X-E2s buyers surely appreciated the lower cost, this decision was probably driven, at least in part, by not wanting to tick off distributors who still had the original X-E2 on store shelves rather than signaling a price recalibration.

The X-E3: Finding a new identity

Announced: September 2017

MSRP: $900

The X-E3 was the most significant reimagining of the X-E series' basic design to date and reflects Fujifilm's efforts to differentiate it from the X-T series. How do you do that? Make it smaller, remove a few hardware controls, simplify the camera, and lower the price. Oh, and make it a little sexier in the process.

The upshot is that the X-E3 arrived with a more modern, streamlined look. It shrunk a bit, losing 8mm in width, lost the four-way controller on the back in favor of a joystick and gained a large 3" touchscreen, which allowed users to use finger swipes as a proxy for hardware controls previously found on the four-way controller. Notably, it lost the built-in flash found on all previous X-E models.

The result was still an enthusiast-friendly camera but one that got a little more compact, a bit more sleek, and had a simplified layout with fewer control points to differentiate it from the X-T series. It also saw a $100 price drop compared to the X-E1 and X-E2, further distancing it on price as well.

The X-E4: Settling into a niche

Announced: January 2021

MSRP: $850

The X-E4 continued the series' trend toward a modern-looking design, with more straight edges, flat surfaces and simplified controls. The body became so streamlined that it had neither a grip on the front nor a thumb rest on the back. Another casualty was the 'M-C-S' ('Manual,' 'Continuous' and 'Single') focus mode control on the front of the camera, which provided a quick way to adjust AF settings. (Fujifilm sold an optional grip for those who wanted one.)

Most importantly, the rear command dial found on previous models was omitted, effectively making the X-E4 a single-dial camera, taking it still further from its enthusiast roots. Fujifilm also dropped the price of the X-E4 down to $850.

The camera did gain some enthusiast-friendly features: the 3" touchscreen became a tilting touchscreen, providing a lot more flexibility when using the camera, and upgraded video specs brought DCI 4K video without a crop, including F-Log gamma.

However, signals abounded that the X-E4's role had shifted further relative to the X-T4, its contemporary at launch.

In addition to losing a command dial, it had a lower resolution viewfinder, continued to rely on a single UHS-I card slot instead of the dual UHS-II slots on the X-T4, and it couldn't match the X-T4's ability to capture 4K/60p or 10-bit video despite having the same sensor/processor combination.

In effect, the X-E4 had been shunted downmarket; the X-T line offered everything-including-the-kitchen-sink controls, while the X-E series was distilled into a smaller, simplified camera with enthusiast-oriented features. It still served a broadly similar audience but more likely as a small, convenient secondary camera or a camera for travel rather than the main workhorse.

What might this tell us about a future X-E5?

Over time, the X-E series has gently drifted away from its roots to differentiate it from the X-T line. The design became more sleek and distinct without becoming as plasticky or simplistic as the X-A or X-M series or morphing into an entry-level model. It's still a camera for serious photographers, but photographers who want something smaller or possibly more fashionable.

So, what might we expect from a future X-E camera? We think there's room for an X-E5 that doesn't tread on the X-T5's toes but doesn't need to appeal to entry-level users to be successful, either.

"Over time, the X-E series has gently drifted away from its roots to differentiate it from the X-T line."

We expect an X-E5 will likely be an X-E4 but with Fujiflm's flagship 40MP sensor. Since Fujifilm has developed a small image stabilization unit for the X100VI, we hope to see that as well. However, we doubt if an X-E5 will get the fancy two-way tilt screen found on the X-T5, given the emphasis on size and cost, and we don't anticipate seeing a film simulation dial since those have generally appeared on Fujifilm's more beginner-friendly models.

However, we hope to see the X-E series regain some of its enthusiast street cred. We're not expecting it, but we'd like to see the return of the second command dial, at least, which makes the camera much more enjoyable to use.

The X factor could be price. Several years of inflation have driven up prices across the industry, and a new X-E will almost certainly come in a fair bit higher than the X-E4's $850 launch price. Based on the X-M5 and X-T50 prices, we anticipate it will fall somewhere in the $1300 range, though we're happy to be proven wrong on that.

Let us know what you would like to see in a future X-E5 in the comments.

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Updated October 2024

Travel can expose you to once-in-a-lifetime sights and experiences, and a good camera can be the perfect way to preserve those memories. We've looked at a range of models that offer great image quality, good autofocus and excellent video, so you'll be prepared to capture whatever you run into.

We've also tried to select relatively small cameras so they don't interfere with your trip, though it's worth touching briefly on lens size. If you choose a system with a Four Thirds or APS-C sensor, you'll be able to use lenses that are lighter and more compact than their full-frame counterparts. Full-frame sensors, however, offer the potential for even better image quality, so it's worth considering whether portability or image quality matters more to you and doing some research on what types of lenses you'd like to use and how big the full-frame versions are.

Our recommendations

• Portable full-frame: Sony a7CR
• All-round compact capability: Sony a6700
• The great travel kit: Fujifilm X-T50 with 16-50mm F2.8-4.8
• Truly compact mirrorless: OM System OM-5
• The stylish travel companion: Nikon Zf
• The classic choice: Fujifilm X100VI
• Best pocketable travel camera: Ricoh GR III

Portable full-frame: Sony a7CR

61MP BSI CMOS sensor | 4K/60p video with 10-bit color | Dedicated ‘AI’ processor for AF system

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$2998 at Amazon.com What we like:

• Big camera features in a small body
• Outstanding AF performance
• Auto Framing video mode

What we don't:

• Small, low-res viewfinder
• No joystick control
• No fully mechanical shutter

The Sony a7CR is a relatively compact full-frame camera with an image-stabilized 61MP CMOS sensor. You sacrifice the convenience of an AF joystick and get a pretty small and basic viewfinder to keep the camera's size down, but there's little else that delivers this much image quality in such a compact package.

You'll need to pick your lenses carefully to keep the camera portable but the a7CR's autofocus means it can respond rapidly to just about anything you encounter on your travels.

The a7CR is impressively small for a full-frame camera. The addition of a front control dial improves handling significantly. Notably, there’s no joystick for positioning the AF point, and the viewfinder is small and very low resolution for a camera costing this much. Autofocus performance on the a7CR is very good and is helped by a dedicated processor for crunching complex machine learning-trained algorithms. Subject recognition is quick, and the AF system tracks subjects tenaciously around the frame in either stills or video. 8 fps burst shooting with continuous AF results in a dependably high hit rate. "If you're looking for maximum resolution in a travel-sized body, the a7RC is tough to beat." The a7CR captures 4K video at up to 60 fps. The most detailed, oversampled footage results from a 1.2x crop of the sensor, which makes it challenging to maintain wider focal lengths. Auto Framing mode uses AI algorithms to mimic the way a camera operator might punch in on subjects, keeping them framed and in focus. The a7CR's 61MP sensor can capture a lot of detail, putting it ahead of most full-frame rivals; though it is a little noisier in low light. JPEG colors are pleasing, and excellent sharpening makes the most out of the 61MP sensor. Raw files provide plenty of latitude to pull up shadows at base ISO. The a7CR delivers impressive results for its size. It essentially provides the same level of image quality, and most of the same features, as Sony's a7R V, but in a smaller package. In exchange for the small size, you make a few compromises, like no AF joystick, but if you're looking for maximum resolution in a travel-sized body, the a7CR is tough to beat.

Read our Sony a7CR initial review

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. All-round compact capability: Sony a6700

26MP BSI CMOS sensor | 4K/60p video capture | Fully articulating screen

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$1398 at Amazon.com$1398 at Adorama$1398 at B&H Photo What we like:

• Front and rear command dials
• Excellent AF in stills and video
• 4K/120p capture (with crop)

What we don't:

• No AF joystick
• JPEG sharpening can be aggressive

The Sony a6700 is built around a 26MP APS-C-sized sensor. Its excellent autofocus performance means it excels at both stills and video capture. There's a good choice of relatively compact lenses available, too. We'd suggest avoiding the really small 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 though: it's not the lens to get the most out of this camera.

The a6700 has a thumb-and-forefinger dial interface missing from Sony's less expensive models. It’s just slightly larger than previous models in the line, but in exchange, you also get a fully articulating display. However, it lacks the AF joystick found on many cameras in its class.

Fast, dependable autofocus with a selection of subject recognition modes means the a6700 will help maximize your chances of capturing the unexpected moments on a trip.

"Excellent photo and video quality with best-in-class AF in stills and video make it an excellent choice for enthusiasts." The camera produces very detailed 4K video up to 60p with 10-bit color, with good rolling shutter performance. There’s also a 4K/120p mode, albeit with a 1.58x crop. Autofocus performance is top-notch, with a well-designed touch interface. It's a strong option both for videographers and vloggers. Excellent photo and video quality, best-in-class AF in stills and video, and a deep set of features to support both make it an excellent choice for enthusiasts. Sony's E-mount also includes a good range of available lenses.

Read our full Sony a6700 review

See the Sony a6700 studio scene

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. The great travel kit: Fujifilm X-T50 w/ 16-50mm F2.8-4.8

40MP APS-C BSI CMOS sensor | In-body image stabilization rated to 7EV | 6.2K 10-bit video recording

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$1399 at Amazon.com$1399 at Adorama$1399 at B&H Photo What we like:

• Great JPEG colors with a profile control dial
• Full-featured auto mode
• Compact and light

What we don't:

• Autofocus tracking can struggle to keep up
• Tiny viewfinder
• Small battery

The Fujifilm X-T50 is a 40MP, APS-C image-stabilized mirrorless camera aimed at beginners.

The X-T50 can be purchased with Fujifilm's excellent 16-50mm F2.8-4.8 kit lens, which provides a versatile focal length for travel and should be able to keep up in darker environments. Fujifilm also sells a wide variety of relatively fast, compact primes.

The X-T50 has dials for important exposure settings, and a small but useful grip. Its rear screen can tilt up or down. Its joystick and some buttons can be awkward to use, but the film simulation dial encourages the use of one of the camera's key features. Its autofocus can recognize and accurately track several subject types, but its general tracking isn't the most reliable. Its 8fps mode isn't particularly fast. The X-T50's controls and auto mode make it great for beginners, who can expect it to keep up with them as they grow. More experienced shooters will appreciate Fujifilm's robust lens selection.

Read our full Fujifilm X-T50 review

See the Fujifilm X-T50 studio scene

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. The other Fujifilm

We haven't fully reviewed the Fujifilm X-M5 yet, but if you're looking for an APS-C camera that's even smaller than the X-T50, it may be worth considering. It's substantially cheaper, though it's easy to see where the company has saved money: it uses a lower-resolution 26MP sensor, which isn't stabilized, and there's no EVF. It does have the same film simulation dial and autofocus subject recognition modes, though, so those tradeoffs may be worth it if size or price are your top priority.

Buy now:

$899 w/ 15-45 at Amazon.com$799 at Adorama$799 at B&H Photo Truly compact mirrorless: OM System OM-5

20MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor | 4K/30p video | In-body stabilization rated to 6.5EV (7.5 with some lenses)

Photo: Brendan Nystedt

Buy now:

$1299 w/ 12-45mm F4.0 at Amazon.com$999 at Adorama$1299 w/ 12-45mm F4.0 at B&H Photo What we like:

• Attractive JPEG output
• Selection of clever photo features
• Excellent image stabilization
• IP53 rating supports claims of weather sealing

What we don't:

• AF tracking is disappointing
• Image quality is behind larger sensor cameras

The OM System OM-5 is a compact interchangeable lens camera with a 20MP Four Thirds sensor in a compact body with plenty of external control.

That relatively small sensor means it can remain fairly small, even with a lens attached, and the Micro Four Thirds lens system provides extensive options in that regard, from compact zooms to small prime lenses.

The OM-5 has a compact body but a decent number of control points and offers a high degree of customization. Its menu system is quite cluttered by the camera's extensive array of features. Viewfinder and rear screen are typical for the price. It has good phase-detect autofocus with face detection, but tracking for other subjects is distinctly unreliable. Using a single point or zone of focus and trying to keep up with the subject yields best results, but is somewhat awkward due to the lack of an AF joystick. "Its combination of IP-rated weather sealing, image stabilization and compact size helps the OM-5 offer something different" The OM-5's 4K video isn't the most detailed, but this is made up for by some of the best image stabilization on the market, making the OM-5 a competent hand-held video option. Video AF tracks faces and people decently, but can struggle with other kinds of subjects. The OM-5 offers strong all-round capability with excellent image stabilization in a compact IP53-rated weather-sealed body and access to one of the largest mirrorless camera lens systems.

Read our OM System OM-5 review

See the OM System OM-5 studio scene

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. Another Micro Four Thirds option

The Panasonic Lumix G9 II is more expensive and less compact than the OM-5, though it still uses the same size lenses. For the extra bulk and cost you'll get a modern USB-C charging port, dual card slots and improvements in image quality, autofocus tracking performance and video features. However, the weather sealing likely won't be as good as OM Systems, which has an official IP53 rating.

Buy now:

$1697 at Amazon.com$1898 at Adorama$1898 at B&H Photo The stylish travel companion: Nikon Zf

24MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor | Full-width 4K/30 video, cropped 4K/60 | Stabilization rated to 8EV

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$1796 at Amazon.com$1997 at Adorama$1997 at B&H Photo What we like:

• Distinctive design with direct controls
• Effective subject recognition
• Strong stills and video features

What we don't:

• Weight and minimal grip can become uncomfortable
• Slow MicroSD second slot
• Few custom buttons

The Nikon Zf is a classically styled full-frame camera built around a 24MP full-frame sensor that's used by many of its peers. The angular 80s-style body isn't the most comfortable to hold in your hand for extended periods, but the lack of stick-out grip makes it smaller than many of its rivals, making it a tempting travel companion.

At least in its all-black form, there's a chance of it being mistaken for a film camera, which may help avoid the wrong kind of attention when you're out and about in an unfamiliar setting.

The Zf gives the choice of using the dedicated control dials or customizable command dials. In most respects it copies its well-polished control system from other recent Nikons. Not everyone will enjoy the angular early 80's handling but it handles just as well as the cameras it resembles. The Zf's autofocus is impressive, with both subject recognition and AF tracking both working well. It's perhaps not quite as confidence-inspiring as the latest Sony cameras, but it's not far off. It'd be nice to have an AF joystick but the rear control pad does a decent job. "The Zf's looks may date from 1981, but its performance is completely contemporary" The Zf has a very solid video feature set. Oversampled 4K/30 and cropped 4K/60 is standard for this sensor, but the Zf also adds a waveform display that's especially useful for exposing its 10-bit Log footage. The Zf uses a very familiar 24MP BSI sensor that has underpinned numerous cameras in recent years, and the results are predictably good. There's plenty of dynamic range and enough detail capture for all but the most demanding applications. The Nikon Zf's performance lives up to its looks. It's not as comfortable to hold for long periods as more modern designs, but it's also distinctive and engaging in a way they're arguably not. We're still completing our testing, but it hasn't disappointed yet.

Read our review of the Nikon Zf

See the Nikon Zf studio scene

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. Best pocketable travel camera: Ricoh GR III

24MP APS-C sensor | 28mm equiv. F2.8 lens | Wi-Fi + Bluetooth

The Ricoh is a pocketable compact with a large APS-C sensor.

Photo: Barney Britton

Buy now:

$1,066 at B&H Photo $1,066 at Adorama $1016 at Amazon What we like:

• Excellent image quality
• Good controls and ergonomics
• Truly pocketable

What we don't:

• Short battery life
• No built-in flash
• Sluggish AF in low light

The Ricoh GR III HDF is the latest entry in the company's series of classic compact cameras with large APS-C sensors and a 28mm equivalent lens. This version is almost identical to the regular GR III, but swaps the built-in ND filter for a highlight diffusion one, which can be activated to give photos a dreamy look.

It's not the most flexible camera, but it's one of the most pocketable and has built up a dedicated following of photographers who find it a joy to shoot with. Unfortunately, most GR III models are currently difficult to buy, as they're out of stock or unavailable almost everywhere.

The GR III handles well, despite its size, thanks to well-placed controls, flexible customization options and a responsive touchscreen. The grip is just the right size for easy one-handed operation. The GR III focuses swiftly and accurately in good light, but it slows significantly as light levels drop. There's also a Snap Focus option, where the user can preset a focus distance the camera 'snaps' to with a full press of the shutter button. The GR III's battery life is disappointing, at a rated 200 shots per charge. "Offers direct control and excellent image quality in a pocketable camera"

Our only concern, in terms of using the GR III for travel are that some users have found dust can get into the lens. So it's worth trying to find some sort of protective bag to keep it in.

The Ricoh GR III offers direct control and excellent image quality in a pocketable camera. Its short battery life and fixed focal length lens mean this camera certainly isn't for everyone, but it's a compelling offering for travel, street and casual photographers alike.

There's also the GR IIIx, a variant with a longer, 40mm equivalent lens on it. This may be a little tight for documenting your travels, but it's historically a popular focal length.

Read our Ricoh GR III review

See the Ricoh GR III studio scene

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. The classic choice: Fujifilm X100VI

40MP BSI CMOS APS-C X-Trans sensor | 35mm equiv F2 lens | Hybrid viewfinder

The Fujifilm X100VI is a refinement of everything that made the X100V great, but it's still difficult to buy.

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$2199 at Amazon.com$1599 at Adorama$1599 at B&H Photo What we don't:

• Lens not especially fast to focus
• Hard to find in stock

Like the Fujifilm X100V before it, the Fujifilm X100VI is a classically styled fixed lens camera with a 35mm equivalent F2 lens. Updated with in-body image stabilization rated at up to 6EV of correction and a 40MP BSI CMOS APS-C X-Trans sensor, the X100VI is a significant upgrade over its predecessor despite looking virtually identical. And those improvements in part explain the X100VI's $200 increase in list price to $1,600.

It's not smallest or most inconspicuous camera, but its fixed focal length means you develop an 'eye' for the photos it'll take, essentially making it a better quality, more engaging alternative to snapping away with your phone.

The addition of subject-detection autofocus has given the X100VI the ability to recognize animals, birds, automobiles, motorcycles and bikes, airplanes, and trains though human (face/eye) detection is a separate mode. However, the lens the X100VI shares with the X100V is not the fastest to autofocus, prioritizing sharpness over speed.

The X100VI brings a level of polish you would expect from a sixth iteration of a camera. Fujifilm has done a great job keeping the X100-series up to date without messing with the formula that's made it so popular. No surprise, this is the best X100 yet.

Unfortunately, despite ramped-up production, demand for the X100VI seems to have outstripped supply with the camera already on backorder at virtually all dealers.

Read our Fujifilm X100VI review

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This buying guide is based on cameras used and tested by DPReview's editorial team. We don't select a camera until we've used it enough to be confident in recommending it, usually after our extensive review process. The selections are purely a reflection of which cameras we believe to be best: there are no financial incentives for us to select one model or brand over another.

Image: Apple

Apple has announced its new suite of MacBook Pros, which now come equipped with the M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. The company is also making its 'nano-texture' matte display option available for the first time in its laptop lineup.

Apple says the new laptops also come with an upgraded webcam that supports Center Stage, a feature which crops in on the subject, keeping them in the middle of the frame even if they're moving around.

The display can also now go up to 1,000 nits in SDR mode; previously, you could only attain that brightness while looking at HDR content. That should make it easier to see the monitor, even in harsh lighting conditions. If you consistently work outside or in front of a window, it may also be worth considering the $150 'nano-texture' display option, which Apple says will "reduce glare and reflections in bright spaces."

As with the previous generation, there's one computer that stands a little apart from the others: the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the regular M4. It starts at $1,599 and includes a 10-core CPU and GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. While it has most of the features of the other models, it misses out on Thunderbolt 5, which promises up to 120Gbps transfers, instead getting stuck with the previous-generation 40Gbps interface. However, it now has a third Thunderbolt port on the right side of the computer; the previous model only had two, both on the left side.

The M4 Pro was announced yesterday alongside the refreshed Mac Mini, but the M4 Max is new to the lineup. CPU-wise, it starts at the same level as the top-end M4 Pro with 14 cores, but you can add two more. The GPU is also much more powerful; it starts at 32 cores and goes up to 40. This also allows it to support up to four external displays, while the M4 and M4 Pro models can only handle two.

The M4 Pro and Max models are available with both 14- and 16-inch displays; the base M4 is only available in the 14-inch chassis.

M4 M4 Pro M4 Max Screen size 14" 14" / 16" 14" / 16" CPU 10 core (4 performance, 6 efficiency) 12 core (8 performance, 4 efficiency) / 14 core (10 performance, 4 efficiency) 14 core (10 performance, 4 efficiency) / 16 core (12 performance, 4 efficiency) GPU 10 core 16 core / 20 core 32 core / 40 core Memory 16GB base, up to 32GB 24GB base, up to 48GB 36GB base, up to 128GB Storage 512GB, up to 2TB 512GB, up to 4TB 1TB, up to 8TB Connectivity Thunderbolt 4 Thunderbolt 5 Thunderbolt 5

One minor disappointment that won't surprise anyone who's been following the iMac and Mac Mini announcements: the new MacBook Pros are still using Wi-Fi 6E instead of the newer Wi-Fi 7. It's an easier flaw to overlook on desktop computers that mostly come equipped with Ethernet ports, but on a mobile-first computer, it's a bit of a strange decision. Otherwise, the MacBook Pros have very similar connectivity to their predecessors: three Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, an SD card reader and MagSafe power adapter.

The new MacBook Pros are available for pre-order today and will ship on November 8th.

Image: Apple

Apple has announced that the M2 and M3 MacBook Air will now come standard with 16GB of RAM, fixing a major flaw on otherwise great computers.

The laptops previously came with a restrictive 8GB of memory, forcing people to decide whether they wanted a computer that could struggle when multitasking or to pay the exorbitant $200 upgrade fee to jump to 16GB. Now, that's no longer a consideration; the MacBook Air now just comes with double the RAM for the same starting price: $999 for the M2 model and $1099 for the M3-equipped version.

If this news has made you consider getting one – they are quite capable laptops for their price and can handle a fair amount of photo editing – you should be a bit cautious. 8GB models will likely still be floating around at various retailers for a while. At the time of writing, Best Buy is currently selling a 13-inch M3 MacBook Air with a lower amount of RAM for $1,099, the same price as the 16GB model now costs from Apple.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Nikon

Nikon has said it is developing a Nikkor Z 28-135mm F4 PZ power zoom long standard lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras.

The power zoom design will make it particularly suited to video work, with the company highlighting documentary work by small or solo video teams as a possible target audience. The company has provided a single rendering of the lens, showing a short but substantial lens with a removable tripod foot, that's unusual for a lens of this range and aperture, but making it easy to mount directly to sticks or a monopod.

No details of price, availability or expected development date have been provided.

Comparing the rendering to other Nikkor lenses, we estimate the lens will be in the region of 173mm long and 105mm wide. The image shows the lens as taking a 95mm filter, though a matte box is likely to be just as common as the use of filters when used for video.

Press release:

Nikon is developing the NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ, a standard zoom lens for the Nikon Z mount system

A Lens with Power Zoom for Video Creators

MELVILLE, NY (October 30, 2024) Nikon Inc. is pleased to announce the ongoing development of the NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ, a standard zoom lens that is compatible with full-frame/FX-format mirrorless cameras for which the Nikon Z mount has been adopted.

The NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ is a standard zoom lens with power zoom that covers the focal range from 28mm to 135mm. It is designed to provide ease of use and superior optical performance for video recording, supporting efficient recording for documentaries and location work by a solo videographer or small crew.

Nikon will continue to pursue a new dimension in optical performance while meeting users' needs, contributing to the development of imaging culture, with the hope of expanding possibilities for imaging expression.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Canon

Canon has announced the RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z, a telephoto zoom lens aimed at professional photographers and videographers, and designed to work with both EOS and Cinema EOS cameras.

The lens features a non-extending, internal zoom design, with the big news for many users being that it works with Canon's 1.4x and 2x RF-mount teleconverters, enabling focal lengths up to 400mm. It will be available in two colors.

Canon's original 70-200mm F2.8 lens for RF-mount, the RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM, featured a collapsible design for compact size but didn't include teleconverter compatibility. A Canon representative told us the new lens should appeal to people who haven’t upgraded from their EF lenses because the original RF version didn't meet their needs. We're told both will remain in the lineup.

Optically, the lens features 18 elements in 15 groups, including two Super UD, one UD, and three aspherical elements. It also includes Canon's Air Sphere coating to control ghosting and flare and has a fluorine-coated front element and an 82mm filter thread.

Buy now:

$2999 at Adorama$2999 at B&H Photo$2999 at Canon Image: Canon

A focusing lens group and a floating focus lens are each driven by Nano USM motors. This design helps give the lens a minimum focus distance of 0.49m (1.61ft) at 70mm, but its maximum magnification of 0.3x occurs at 200mm.

Optical image stabilization is rated up to 5.5 stops at the center of the image and up to 7.5 stops at the center (7.0 stops at the corners) when used on a camera with in-body image stabilization.

The new lens has the same 89mm (3.5") diameter as the collapsible RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM, but at 199mm (7.8") in length, it's a full 53mm longer. A more apt size comparison is Canon's EF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS III USM, the last such lens it made for EF mount, which shares the same dimensions. However, at 1115 g (2.5 lbs), the new lens is about 25% lighter than the EF version.

Canon's telephoto zooms have historically sported a white paint job, but the RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z will be available in both black and white variations, including a matching lens hood, reflecting the differing preferences of video and stills shooters.

Image: Canon

In response to one of the most frequent requests it received from owners of its existing 70-200mm lenses, Canon redesigned the zoom ring to operate more quickly, making it possible to "go from 70 to 200mm with the flick of the wrist."

In a nod to hybrid shooters, the lens uses the exact same housing and internal mechanics as the RF 24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z, making it easy for video users to switch between the two lenses on a rig without adjustment. It includes weather-sealed electrical contacts and mounting points for Canon's PZ-E2 power zoom adapter, and a clickless aperture ring (compatible with the EOS R5 II and EOS R1) to allow for stepless iris control when shooting video.

Canon claims the lens exhibits minimal focus breathing, though a representative told us it will exhibit the best performance on a camera body that includes breathing corrections.

Price and availability

The RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z is expected to be available in November at a suggested retail price of $2999. That's $200 more than the existing, retractable RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM, which retails for $2799 and will remain in Canon's lineup.

Press release:

Expanding the Range of Expression: Canon Announces Three New L Series Hybrid Lenses

MELVILLE, NY, October 30, 2024 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, has announced the launch of three new RF L series hybrid lenses: RF24mm F1.4 L VCM, RF50mm F1.4 L VCM and RF70-200 F2.8 L IS USM Z. Designed for professional visual storytellers who need to switch between photography and video, these three lenses continue Canon’s steadfast commitment to meeting the demands of high-level photo and video content creators.

RF24mm F1.4 L VCM & RF50mm F1.4 L VCM

If you are on a quest for impressive, dramatic content, RF24mm F1.4 L VCM and RF50mm F1.4 L VCM lenses would be excellent additions to your gear bag. For those who are professional photo/video users, journalists or in-house production creators, these two lenses are designed for hybrid use and optimized for those switching from photo and video needs quickly. They feature an optical design that utilizes the RF mount to achieve high quality across the entire image area. Quiet, fast and precise AF are thanks to Canon’s latest actuator and focusing system and the unified exterior helps with easier gimbal adjustments for more efficient shooting. The expressive power of a f/1.4 aperture in combination with a wider field of view than what the human eye can capture, makes perspective more prominent and brings images vividly to life. Additional features include:

• Compact, with a length of 3.9 inches, and lightweight: RF24mm F1.4 L VCM is 18.1 ounces and RF50mm F1.4 L VCM is 20.4 ounces
• With a combination of VCM and Nano USM actuators, stable video composition with little breathing
• Customizable with an iris ring for controlling aperture during shooting, lens function button and customizable control and focus rings

RF70-200 F2.8 L IS USM Z

A telephoto lens that is versatile across the spectrum – including sports, fashion and news reporting – the RF70-200 F2.8 L IS USM Z is an RF L series lens that takes into consideration functions end-users value most. Taking the same exterior case design and internal mechanics of the RF24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z, the RF70-200 F2.8 L IS USM Z lens balances well as a companion on gimbals and rigs. Compatible with extenders, the RF70-200 F2.8 L IS USM Z produces high-quality images with its large f/2.8 zoom aperture and has minimal focus breathing, ideal for content creators. Its iris ring enables fine-tuned video recording and its compatibility with power zoom adapters makes it a strong addition for video production needs. Additional features include:

• Close up shooting with a maximum magnification of 0.3x
• Image stabilization equal up to 5.5 stops in the center on the lens alone, or up to 7.5 stops in the center, up to 7.0 stops in the corners in coordinate control within-body IS
• Dust and drip resistant construction as well as light weight at approximately 1,100 grams

Pricing and Availability

The Canon RF24mm F1.4 L VCM and RF50mm F1.4 L VCM lenses are expected to be available in December at estimated retail price of $1,499.00* and $1,399.00,* respectively.

Canon RF70-200 F2.8 L IS USM Z lens is expected to be available in November at estimated
retail price of $2,999.00*

* Specifications, pricing, and availability subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by dealers and may vary.

RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z specifications Principal specificationsLens typeZoom lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length70–200 mmImage stabilizationYesCIPA Image stabilization rating5.5 stop(s)Lens mountCanon RFApertureMaximum apertureF2.8Minimum apertureF22Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades11OpticsElements18Groups15Special elements / coatings2 Super UD, 1 UD, 3 aspherical, Canon ASC (Air Sphere Coating), fluorine coatingFocusMinimum focus0.49 m (19.29″)Maximum magnification0.3×AutofocusYesMotor typeNano ultrasonicFull time manualYesFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoFocus distance limiterYesPhysicalWeight1115 g (2.46 lb)Diameter89 mm (3.48″)Length199 mm (7.83″)SealingYesColourAvailable in black or whiteZoom methodRotary (internal)Power zoomNoFilter thread82 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarYes

Buy now:

$2999 at Adorama$2999 at B&H Photo$2999 at Canon

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RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM.

Image: Canon

Canon has announced two prime lenses: the RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM and RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM. Both lenses are part of its new 'hybrid' series of lenses designed to work with both EOS and Cinema EOS cameras.

According to Canon, the new lenses are aimed at users who need to switch between photo and video frequently or quickly, including professional shooters, journalists and in-house production creators.

Both lenses are intended to match Canon's previously announced RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM. All three lenses share the same design and have a unified exterior with the same dimensions, at 77mm (3.0") in diameter and 99mm (3.9") long. They're also very close in weight, ranging from 515g (1.1 lbs.) for the 24mm lens to 580g (1.3 lbs.) for the 50mm lens. The 35mm lens sits in the middle at 555g (1.2 lbs.)

Buy now:

Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H PhotoBuy at Canon

RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM.

Image: Canon

In principle, the matched size, control layout, and similar weights should make it much easier for video shooters to use the lenses on a video rig or gimbal without requiring adjustments with each lens change.

Other common lens features include an iris ring for controlling aperture while shooting (compatible with the EOS R5 II and EOS R1), customizable control and focus rings, a lens function button, and a 67mm filter thread.

Optically, the 24mm F1.4 comprises 15 elements in 11 groups, including two UD and one aspherical element. It has a minimum focus distance of 0.24m (9.4") and a maximum magnification of 0.17x. Canon says it should be a good lens for astrophotography, delivering sharp corners and stars without distortion.

The 50mm F1.4's design is made up from 14 elements in 11 groups, including one UD and two aspherical lenses. It has a minimum focus distance of 0.4m (15.7") and a maximum magnification of 0.15x.

Buy now:

Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H PhotoBuy at Canon

RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM mounted on the EOS R5 II.

Image: Canon

Both lenses include Canon's Air Sphere Coating, Super Spectra Coating and a fluorine-coated front element. The wide-angle 24mm F1.4 also includes Canon's Sub Wavelength Coating for controlling internal reflections from light approaching with a high angle of incidence.

Canon claims both lenses will deliver fast, quiet and precise autofocus thanks to a combination of VCM and Nano USM motors. Their independently-driven twin focus group designs also allow the lens to achieve minimal focus breathing for video work.

Price and availability

The RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM and RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM are expected to be available in December. The RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM has a suggested retail price of $1499, and the RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM has a suggested retail price of $1399.

For additional information, please see Canon's press release.

RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM & RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM specifications  Canon RF 24mm F1.4 L VCMCanon RF 50mm F1.4 L VCMPrincipal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length24 mm50 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountCanon RFApertureMaximum apertureF1.4Minimum apertureF16Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades11OpticsElements1514Groups11Special elements / coatings2 UD, 1 aspherical, Canon ASC (Air Sphere Coating), fluorine coating1 UD, 2 aspherical, Canon ASC (Air Sphere Coating), fluorine coatingFocusMinimum focus0.24 m (9.45″)0.40 m (15.75″)Maximum magnification0.17×0.15×AutofocusYesMotor typeLinear MotorFull time manualYesFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight515 g (1.14 lb)580 g (1.28 lb)Diameter77 mm (3.01″)Length99 mm (3.91″)Filter thread67 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarNo

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Canon

Canon has announced the RF-S 7.8mm F4 STM Dual, the latest addition to its EOS VR System, designed for social media content creators and enthusiast videographers. It says the lens offers an affordable way to start exploring the world of VR and spatial content creation.

Canon told us previously that it expects a lot of growth in the VR space and that it's seeing demand from creators for VR, 3D and spatial creation tools, and Apple teased the RF-S 7.8mm F4 STM Dual during its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference keynote in June.

With a 7.8mm focal length and a 63º angle of view, Canon says the lens will capture photos and video using a square aspect ratio. Its stereoscopic lenses use a straight optical path that's much less complex than those found in its more expensive RF-S 3.9mm F3.5mm STM and RF 5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye lenses.

Buy now:

$449 at Adorama$449 at B&H Photo$449 at Canon

The interpupillary distance between the two lenses is 11.6mm, and the strongest spatial effects will occur with objects between about 15 and 50cm (6–20") from the lens, so Canon says placing objects in the foreground will enhance the spatial effect. Where necessary, the focus/control ring can be used for fine left/right focus adjustments, and users can swap between the right and left views on the rear screen to confirm focus, though Canon suggests this isn't something that needs to be done regularly.

The RF-S 7.8mm F4 STM Dual mounted on the EOS R7.

Image: Canon

After capturing video, users can use the EOS VR plug-in for Adobe Premiere to convert footage to 3D 180º VR or the EOS VR Utility software (subscription required) to convert footage into 3D 180º VR, 3D Theater, or spatial video for consumption on a device like the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3.

Canon says the lens was designed for simplicity and operates similarly to a standard 2D camera lens and that the $449 price reflects its intention to make it a cost-effective option for creators wanting to experiment with 3D or spatial content.

The RF-S 7.8mm F4 STM Dual is compatible with the EOS R7 running firmware 1.60.

Price and availability

The RF-S 7.8mm F4 STM Dual is expected to be available in November for a suggested retail price of $449.

Press release:

Canon Introduces the RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL Lens: Expanding Capabilities for VR and 3D Content Creators.

MELVILLE, NY, October 30, 2024 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, has announced the new RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL lens, designed for social media content creators and enthusiast videographers. Compatible with the Canon EOS R7 and the latest addition to the growing EOS VR System lineup, this innovative lens offers a practical and affordable way to explore storytelling in the expanding world of VR and 3D content creation.

Previewed at Apple’s WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) 2024 keynote, this lens has been crafted for those looking to explore new visual formats, particularly with the rising interest in spatial video content. The 7.8mm focal length and 60-degree angle of view provide an immersive field of vision, for capturing detailed 3D content, allowing creators to deliver captivating and lifelike visual experiences.

Making VR and 3D content creation accessible to a wider audience, Canon has designed the RF- S 7.8mm F4 STM DUAL lens with a focus on simplicity. Even with its advanced features, the lens operates much like a traditional 2D RF-mount lens, with a straightforward workflow that empowers even newcomers to VR and spatial production to achieve impressive results. After capturing video with this interchangeable lens, users can leverage the EOS VR Plug-in for Adobe® Premiere® Pro to convert footage to 3D 180° VR, or the EOS VR Utility software (separately available with a paid subscription) to convert the footage into 3D 180° VR, 3D Theater, and spatial video ready to be experienced on devices like Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3, offering a seamless transition from camera to immersive viewing.

Compatible with the Canon EOS R7 camera body, the high-speed autofocus and high-resolution image sensor, coupled with Canon’s renowned color science, effortlessly captures detailed VR content and Spatial videos whether you’re shooting in controlled environments or on the go.

“With the RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL lens, Canon is not only providing a new visual tool but also enhancing the way creators communicate using emerging VR, spatial and 3D technologies,” said Hiroto Kato, vice president, Imaging Products & Solutions at Canon U.S.A., Inc. “This lens allows users to capture immersive content, bridging the gap between traditional content creation and the latest in VR and Spatial imagery. It’s an exciting step forward in making high-quality 3D content more approachable for everyone.”

As the demand for VR content continues to climb, the need for user-friendly 3D imaging equipment becomes increasingly important. The RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL lens is designed to meet this demand, working seamlessly with devices from Apple Vision Pro to Meta Quest 3, lowering the barriers to creating 3D images, making immersive content more accessible for anyone, from casual hobbyists to dedicated enthusiasts.

Pricing and Availability

The Canon RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL lens is scheduled to be available in November 2024 for an estimated retail price of $449.99*. For additional information, please visit www.usa.canon.com.

* Specifications, availability and prices are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.

Canon RF-S7.8mm F4 STM Dual specifications Principal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format sizeAPS-C / DXFocal length7.8 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountCanon RFApertureMaximum apertureF4Aperture ringNoNumber of diaphragm blades7OpticsElements9Groups7Special elements / coatings2 UD lens elementsFocusMinimum focus0.15 m (5.91″)Maximum magnification0.07×AutofocusYesMotor typeStepper motorFull time manualYesFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight131 g (0.29 lb)Diameter69 mm (2.72″)Length42 mm (1.63″)Filter thread58 mmHood suppliedNoTripod collarNo

Buy now:

$449 at Adorama$449 at B&H Photo$449 at Canon

Image: Apple

Apple has announced a new Mac Mini, which introduces a new design for the desktop computer featuring two front-facing 10Gbps USB-C ports and a high-impedance headphone jack. Also new is the M4 Pro, a more powerful version of Apple's latest chip, though you can also get the Mac Mini with a regular M4 as well.

Apple says the new case for the Mac Mini is just 12.7cm wide, 12.7cm deep, and 5 cm tall (5" x 5" x 2"). The previous M2 model was 19.70 cm x 19.70 cm x 3.58 cm (7.75" x 7.75" x 1.41").

Another big change from the previous model is the lack of USB-A ports. On the back are three Thunderbolt ports – which generation depends on your choice of chip – an HDMI port, and an Ethernet port, which is Gigabit by default but can be optioned to support 10Gbps. The computer also supports Wi-Fi 6E – not Wi-Fi 7 – and Bluetooth 5.3.

So long USB-A, hello Thunderbolt 5 (on some models).

Image: Apple

Back to the ports on the rear: The ones on the regular M4 Mac Mini are the standard 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports that have been on Apple's computers for a while now. However, if you get the M4 Pro model, you'll also get the first Mac with Thunderbolt 5, which can support data transfers at up to 120Gbps.

The M4 Pro, which is only available on the highest-end Mac Mini, starts with 8 'performance' CPU cores, 4 'efficiency' CPU cores and a 16-core GPU; there's also a model with two more performance cores and four more GPU cores. It also has over double the memory bandwidth of the regular M4 and can be configured with up to 64GB of RAM versus the 32GB that the regular M4 appears to top out at.

Both the M4 and M4 Pro variants support up to three displays, though the latter can support up to three 6K displays at 60Hz; the M4 can only manage two 6K/60Hz displays, and the third one will have to be 5K or lower.

The one disappointment for photographers is that the redesign doesn't add an SD card reader like the Mac Studio has. There will almost certainly be custom-made third-party docks that add one – and USB-A ports – but it would've been nice to see one included.

M4 Mac Mini M4 Pro Mac Mini CPU Cores

• 10 (4 performance, 6 efficiency)

• 12 (8 performance, 4 efficiency)
• 14 (10 performance, 4 efficiency)

GPU Cores 10 16 / 20 w/ 14-core CPU Connectivity

• 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports
• 2x USB-C 10GBps ports
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• HDMI (8K/60Hz or 4K 240Hz)
• Ethernet

• 3x Thunderbolt 5 ports
• 2x USB-C 10GBps ports
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• HDMI (8K/60Hz or 4K 240Hz)
• Ethernet

Displays

Three displays: 2x 6K/60Hz, 5K 60Hz

Two displays: 5K 60Hz, 8K 60Hz

Three displays: 3x 6K/60Hz

Two displays: 6K/60Hz, 8K 60Hz

RAM 16GB base, up to 32GB 24GB base, up to 64GB Storage Base: 256GB, up to 2TB Base: 512GB, up to 8TB

The Mac Mini starts at $599, with the entry-level model sporting a 10-core CPU and GPU M4, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The M4 Pro model is much pricier at $1,399, though it starts with 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. If you're budgeting for the computer, though, do keep in mind that it doesn't include a keyboard, mouse, or monitor. You can pre-order the Mini today, and it will be available on November 8th.

Apple's also touting the new Mac Mini as its first 'Carbon Neutral' Mac, a feat it says it's achieved by making it out of 50% recycled materials, manufacturing it with 100% renewable energy, and prioritizing shipping via ocean instead of air. The company has stated that its goal is to be completely carbon-neutral by 2030.

The computer is the second Mac Apple's announced this week, after the M4 iMac. In the Mac Mini announcement video, the company says it will make its third announcement tomorrow, the 30th.

Image: Peak Design / Carryology

Well-known camera accessory brand Peak Design has teamed up with gear review publication Carryology to release special editions of several of its popular photography accessories. The brands' 'Essentials Collab' contains special editions of Peak Design's Capture Clip, Mobile Tripod and Cuff, as well as its Slide, Slide Lites and Leash straps.

The Capture Clip is the standout product in the collaboration. Normally it comes in black or silver, and is meant to give you an easy anchor point for your camera that can be mounted onto a backpack strap or belt. The Carryology version, however, includes a hexagonal print pattern on the back and is the same bright orange that features on several other Carryology Essentials products – though you'd be forgiven for initially mistaking it with the Cinnabar orange that Sony uses for its Alpha branding.

Buy Now:

Capture Clip: $85 at Peak Design

While the orange accents on the Carryology-branded straps and Cuff are decidedly more subtle, they actually have a functional difference compared to the standard Peak Design versions. According to the press release, they "incorporate Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene" threads to add durability and cut resistance.

The regular Slide strap is purely made of tubular nylon webbing, whereas the Carryology version also includes UHMWP. Image: Peak Design/Carryology

UHMWP—often sold under the brand name Dyneema—is a material well-known in the outdoor gear world, with its strength-to-weight ratio often being a big selling point. According to Peak Design, its inclusion in the straps could make it more difficult for someone to cut them in an attempt to steal your camera off your body. However, that does raise the question of whether you want an accessory that will frustrate criminals who are standing very close to you with a blade.

Putting that aside, using UHMWP should help make the strap more durable and could help give you a bit more confidence if you often use your camera around sharp objects such as rocks or industrial equipment. The orange hardware also definitely stands out compared to the black, grey, and silver levers that typically come on Peak Design's straps.

Buy Now:

Slide: $80 at Peak Design Leash: $55 at Peak Design Cuff: $40 at Peak Design

The final product in the lineup is the Mobile Tripod, which is designed to work with Peak Design's 'Everyday' phone cases or other MagSafe-compatible cases. Like the Capture Clip, it also has a hexagon-like print, though there's far less orange in the design.

The Mobile Tripod is a foldable stand that stores away on the back of your phone. Image: Peak Design / Carryology

Peak Design says the Carryology editions will sell for 10-15% more than the versions without the cobranding, and will be available today on Peak Design's site.

2024 inductees: International Photography Hall of Fame

Clockwise from top left: James Balog, Sam Abell, Martin Parr, Eve Arnold, Richard Misrach, Paul Caponigro. (Not pictured: Anne Wilkes Tucker)

The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum (IPHF) has announced its 2024 class of inductees, a group that includes photographers, visionaries and historians who exemplify the artistry, passion and evolution of the photographic arts. The IPHF class of 2024 will be formally inducted on November 1st.

According to a statement by the museum, "The [2024] inductees, though widely differing in style and practice, are individually seen as significant innovators in their respective fields. They are all risk-takers who introduced the world to new means of artistic representation and expression."

The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, located near St. Louis, Missouri, is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the achievements of the inventors, pioneers and pivotal artists throughout the history of photography. Its permanent collection includes works from more than 500 artists and more than 10,000 photographs.

Sam Abell

Same Abell (b. 1945) is one of America's most influential documentary photographers, celebrated for his in-depth color photo essays for National Geographic magazine, where he photographed more than 20 articles covering topics from culture to wilderness subjects.

Abell learned photography from his father, a high school geography teacher, while growing up in Sylvania, Ohio. From 1971-2001, he was a contract and staff photographer for National Geographic.
In 1990, his work was the subject of a one-person exhibition and monograph titled Stay This Moment at the International Center of Photography in New York City.
He has published four additional collections of his work: Seeing Gardens, Sam Abell: The Photographic Life, The Life of a Photograph and Sam Abell Library. 


Abell maintains a career as a writer, teacher and lecturer on photography.
He has served on the boards of the George Eastman House and the University of Virginia Museum of Art.
In 2024, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Photo Society.

Photo ©Sam Abell

Eve Arnold

Eve Arnold (1912-2012) was a pioneering American photojournalist celebrated for her candid and empathetic portraits of people from diverse walks of life. Born in Philadelphia in 1912, Arnold began her career in the 1950s and quickly gained recognition for her insightful documentary photography. Arnold was a member of the prestigious Magnum Photos agency, the first woman to be invited to join. Her work spanned a wide range of subjects, including political figures, celebrities, and marginalized communities. Arnold's most notable projects include her intimate portraits of Marilyn Monroe, her documentation of the Civil Rights movement, and her exploration of life in China and Afghanistan.

Arnold's photographs are characterized by their warmth, honesty, and compassion. Her legacy as a trailblazer in photojournalism continues to inspire generations of photographers worldwide. In 1980, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Magazine Photographers, and the National Book Award for In China. She was later made a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and named a Master Photographer by New York’s International Center of Photography.

She published twelve books in her lifetime. She passed away in January 2012 at the age of 99.

Photo ©Eve Arnold

Paul Caponigro

Paul Caponigro (b. 1932) is known for his captivating and mystical landscape images. His exquisite silver gelatin prints depict images of nature, including flowers, cloud formations, and forest settings, and his work forms a visual bridge between the material world of physical forms and the living spirit behind them. He studied at Boston University College of Music in 1950 before focusing on photography at the California School of Fine Art, where Ansel Adams had established one of the first photography programs in the United States.

Caponigro is best known for his interest in natural forms, landscapes, and still lifes. His subjects include Stonehenge and other Celtic megaliths of England and Ireland; the temples, shrines and sacred gardens of Japan; and the deep mystical woodland of New England.

His twelve books include Sunflower, Megaliths, and The Wise Silence. He has received two Guggenheim Fellowships and three National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants. In recognition of a sustained, significant contribution to the art of photography, Caponigro was awarded The Royal Photographic Society’s Centenary Medal and Honorary Fellowship in 2001 and the Lucie Awards Outstanding Achievement In Fine Art Photography in 2021

Photo ©SPaul Caponigro

Richard Misrach

Richard Misrach (b. 1949) is one of the most influential photographers of his generation. In the 1970s, he helped pioneer the renaissance of color photography and large-scale presentation that are in widespread practice today.

For five decades, Richard Misrach has been one of the most significant and influential photographers of the American landscape. He is best known for his monumental epic, Desert Cantos, a multifaceted study of our political, cultural and environmental relationship to the natural world. Recent projects mark departures from his work to date. In one series, he has experimented with new advances in digital capture and printing, foregrounding the negative as an end in itself and digitally creating images with astonishing detail and color spectrum. In another, he built a powerful narrative out of images of graffiti produced in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, made with a 4-megapixel pocket camera.

Misrach's museum exhibit, Border Cantos, a collaboration with experimental composer Guillermo Galindo, traveled to the San Jose Museum of Art; Amon Carter Museum of Art, Fort Worth; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; Pace Gallery, New York; Samek Art Museum; and the Missoula Art Museum. The exhibition and the accompanying publication - Border Cantos (Aperture, 2016) - explored complex issues surrounding the US-Mexico border through Misrach’s photographs of landscapes and objects left behind by migrants, together with Galindo's haunting musical instruments, sound installations, and scores.

Photo ©Richard Misrach

Martin Parr

Martin Parr (b. 1952) is one of the best-known documentary photographers of his generation. With over 100 books of his own published and another 30 edited by Parr, his photographic legacy is already established. Parr also acts as a curator and editor. He has curated two photography festivals, Arles in 2004 and Brighton Biennial in 2010. More recently, Parr curated the Barbican exhibition Strange and Familiar.

Parr has been a member of the Magnum agency since 1994 and was President from 2013 - 2017. In 2013, Parr was appointed as the visiting professor of photography at the University of Ulster. Parr’s work has been collected by many of the leading museums, including the Tate, the Pompidou and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Martin Parr established the Martin Parr Foundation in 2017.

In 2019, the National Portrait Gallery in London held a major exhibition of Parr’s work titled Only Human.

Photo ©Martin Parr

James Balog

The International Photography Hall of Fame has announced that James Balog will receive its 2024 Visionary Award.

For nearly 40 years, photographer James Balog (b. 1952) has broken new conceptual and artistic ground on one of the most important issues of our era: human modification of nature. He has been a leader in photographing, understanding and interpreting the natural environment for three decades. An avid mountaineer with a graduate degree in geography and geomorphology, James is equally at home on a Himalayan peak or a whitewater river, the African savannah or polar icecaps.

To reveal the impact of climate change, James founded the Extreme Ice Survey (EIS), the most wide-ranging, ground-based, photographic study of glaciers ever conducted. The project is also featured in the 2009 NOVA documentary “Extreme Ice” and the feature-length documentary “Chasing Ice,” premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2012.

James is the author of seven books, including "ICE: Portraits of the World’s Vanishing Glaciers." Among his other books are Tree: A New Vision of the American Forest and Survivors: A New Vision of Endangered Wildlife. His work has been extensively published in the world’s major pictorial magazines, including National Geographic, The New Yorker, National Geographic, Life, American Photo, Vanity Fair, Sierra, Audubon, and Outside. In 1996, James was the first photographer ever commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service to create a full sheet of stamps.

Photo ©James Balog

Anne Wilkes Tucker

Anne Wilkes Tucker (b. 1945) is the curator emerita of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, having, in 1976, become founding curator of the photography department for which she acquired 30,000 photographs made on all seven continents. She curated or co-curated over 40 exhibitions, most with accompanying catalogs, including surveys on the Czech Avant-garde, the history of Japanese photography, and the history of war photography.

She has also contributed articles to over 150 magazines, books and other catalogs and has lectured throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia. Her honors, fellowships, and awards include being selected as “America’s Best Curator” by Time magazine in 2001 in an issue devoted to America’s Best.

Photo ©Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Image: Apple

Apple has announced a new iMac, which comes equipped with its latest M4 processor and 16GB of memory standard – double what the previous generation started with. The computer, which is a popular pick for creatives and photographers who don't necessarily need the computer power or modularity of Apple's higher-end models, is available in seven colors: blue, purple, pink, orange, yellow, green and silver.

Like before, Apple's selling a base model that has two Thunderbolt ports, and a less powerful processor. The two-port model has an M4 chip with 4 performance CPU cores and 4 efficiency CPU cores, along with an 8 core GPU. The upgraded four-port models add two efficiency and GPU cores. They also max out at 2TB of storage instead of 1, and 32GB RAM instead of 24.

Apple opted to release a video presentation for the iMac, instead of just doing a press release – though it does spend the first four minutes rehashing its AI features.

Those four ports are all full Thunderbolt 4 now; the previous-gen four-port iMac had two Thunderbolt ports and two USB 3 ports, which were substantially slower.

The built-in 24" display appears to be unchanged from the previous model. It's still a 4.5K 'Retina' panel with a max brightness of 500 nits and support for P3 color. However, there's good news for fans of external displays: the four-port models with 10-core GPUs can drive up to two 6K/60Hz displays alongside the built-in screen or a single 8K display at 120Hz. The previous-generation iMac only supported one external display, though that's unfortunately also true for the new two-port iMac as well.

Four full-speed ports is good if you want to use a bunch of displays. Like with previous models, the four-port iMac also includes a gigabit ethernet port built into the power brick.

Image: Apple

Another downside for the two-port model is that you can't add the 'Nano-texture' display option like you can with the higher-end models. Apple says the $200 add-on, which wasn't available on the previous M3 iMac, will "reduce reflectivity and glare while maintaining outstanding image quality." Essentially, it's a matte display option for those whose computers are often in direct sunlight.

The new iMac also has some other small upgrades. The 1080p webcam now supports Apple's 'Center Stage' and 'Desk View' features that work to keep you in the frame and show off what's on the desk in front of the computer, respectively. The included color-matched peripherals now use the near-universal USB-C to charge instead of the old Lightning; the keyboard included with the four-port model includes a Touch ID sensor, which is missing on the keyboard that comes with the two-port model.

Overall, the new iMacs should continue the tradition of being decent all-in-ones for photo editing, light video work and general use, especially now that they're no longer blighted by a woefully inadequate 8GB of RAM – a change Apple will hopefully bring that change to the rest of its lineup too. The base storage, however, is still stuck at 256GB, and Apple still charges a pretty penny for its bigger SSDs.

It's also nice to see that Apple hasn't raised the base price of the iMac in the US: the base model still starts at $1,299. However, it's arguable that most people should spend the $200 upgrade to the four-port model, as you get a lot of bang for your buck. If you go with the base model, though, you'll be glad to hear that Apple's now selling it in all seven colors, while the previous base iMacs only came in a limited selection.

The new iMacs are available for pre-order now, and will start hitting store shelves on November 8th. Apple says it has two more Mac announcements coming this week.

The Aether x Leica Reporter Jacket was developed in collaboration with four of Leica's sponsored 'Ambassador' photographers.

Photo: Aether

US travel/adventure clothing brand Aether has collaborated with Leica and some of its sponsored photographers to develop a jacket with photographer-friendly details.

The Aether x Leica Reporter Jacket is waxed cotton field jacket with pockets designed specifically for camera batteries and SD card holders, with an additional SD card pocket in its collar. The army green jacket is designed to match the color of Leica's 'Reporter' special edition cameras.

There's also a rear pocket that Aether says is large enough for a tablet. The jacket has waterproof zips on its pockets but the company only considers the jacket to be "water-repellent". Which feels almost like a comment on the promises of 'weather resistance' by camera makers.

Like a rubber gasket on the back of a high-end lens, the waterproof zips indicate some consideration of weather sealing.

Photo: Aether

But, now photography no longer requires us to lash rolls of film to a khaki vest, do these design details really make the jacket that much more photo friendly? Do you regularly find yourself wishing you could stash a spare memory card in the neck of your jacket? And, if you're going to buy a jacket made in collaboration with Leica, shouldn't it at least have a red top button?

Aether will make just 125 examples of the jacket, which will cost $795 and be available from its website and stores.

Press Release:

AETHER APPAREL AND LEICA CAMERA UNITE TO LAUNCH LIMITED-EDITION JACKET FOR THE MODERN PHOTOGRAPHER

Designed by photographers for photographers, the durable and naturally water-repellent AETHER x Leica Reporter Jacket brings together a unique combination of functionality and design to support excellence in the field

LOS ANGELES, October 29, 2024 — AETHER, the Los Angeles-based outerwear brand creating high-end gear for all of life’s adventures, and Leica, the international camera company with a history of excellence in German craftsmanship and design, have partnered to create the AETHER x Leica Reporter Jacket. The special collaboration has produced a limited edition of 125 jackets designed to enhance a photographer’s creative journey. The Reporter Jacket was developed with input from top Leica photographers and is crafted to carry all the essentials needed for a day in the field.

“We’re committed to evolving the craft of photography and making it more accessible for photographers,” says Mike Giannattasio, President of Leica Camera North America. “By partnering with AETHER, we’ve created a product that helps photographers carry everything they need efficiently in the field. The AETHER x Leica Reporter Jacket combines craftsmanship and functionality to truly enhance the photographer's journey—which is what matters most to us.”

Inspired by Leica’s storied ‘Reporter’ series featuring special-edition cameras in army green, the AETHER x Leica Reporter Jacket comes in the same iconic green color. Thoughtful details and design that one would expect from the partnering brands include:

• Waxed cotton to create a natural water-repellent fabric along with seam-sealed construction
• Strategically placed vents for breathability
• Internal battery pocket engineered to fit four camera batteries
• Large soft-lined hand pockets designed to carry a camera or lens
• Hidden SD card pocket on the collar; plus internal chest pocket to fit an SD card case
• Extra-large back pocket designed to fit a tablet and/or extra gear
• Detachable microfiber cleaning cloth

The concept for the AETHER x Leica Reporter Jacket was born from ongoing conversations between leadership at AETHER and Leica.

“This jacket is the result of countless design discussions starting with Steffen Keil at Leica AG, AETHER’s purpose-driven approach to outerwear, field testing, and guidance from an incredible roster of photographers,” says AETHER co-founder Jonah Smith, who also provided input on the design from his own experience as a photographer. “We’re proud to have designed a jacket that perfectly balances the practical features that a photographer needs with the refined silhouette that they want. For me personally, this project is a dream come true, as I’ve been using Leica cameras for 25 years.”

The Reporter Jacket was designed under guidance and input from four Leica camera ambassadors: Mathieu Bitton, Ragnar Axelsson, Cira Crowell, and Misan Harriman. Each lent their experience and expertise to create a jacket celebrating a photographer’s artistry and dedication to their craft.

“Finally having the ultimate jacket to work anywhere in the world and under any condition, with pockets for anything I need to work with, is a game changer for me and any photo enthusiast,” says Bitton. “Working with AETHER has been a very rewarding experience as they truly understand apparel that is not just great looking but extremely useful and of the highest possible quality. The Reporter Jacket is a perfect companion to my camera collection and a tool I will use on all my travels.”

The AETHER x Leica Reporter Jacket retails for $795 USD and is available now in limited quantities at aetherapparel.com and at AETHER retail locations nationwide.

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Its lustrous exterior might call to you but Panasonic's S9 model isn't primarily designed for 'Photographers.'

Photo: Dale Baskin

It's remarkable how excited some people get at the slightest touch of leatherette. That seductive, retro flourish on Panasonic's S9 full-framer seems to have encouraged some people to project their personal desires onto the camera, in spite of what's actually on offer.

Let's be clear: the S9 is primarily a vlogging camera, designed for creative video as much, or perhaps more, than it's intended as a stills camera.

It's not a mistake that there's no viewfinder, any more than some neglect or oversight has seen Panasonic fail to include a hot shoe, a mechanical shutter or a second at-your-fingertips command dial. Those omissions aren't accidental: they're intentional decisions to stop it under-cutting sales of Panasonic's more photo-focused S5 II models.

But that colorful faux-leather wrapping and its compact size seems to prompt people who want a GM successor or something that reminds them of their first SLR to overlook this.

"It's not a mistake that there's no viewfinder... hot shoe, mechanical shutter or second at-your-fingertips command dial"

Step back, though, and check what Panasonic has said – "a stylish companion for content creators on-the-go" – look at what the camera offers and what it doesn't. It's not intended as an alternative to Sony's a7C II, which has a mechanical second curtain, twin command dials on its shoulders, to make it more photographer-friendly. Along with an EVF and a list price $700 higher.

Looking at Sony's lineup, the S9 has more in common conceptually with the ZV-E1 vlogging camera – though the Sony's special features aim to replace a camera operator, whereas the Panasonic's try to eliminate the color grading process. In many regards, the S9 has most in common with Sigma's fp, with which it shares its shutterless sensor and lens mount. If you weren't queuing up for that camera five years ago, what's changed with Panasonic?

Fujifilm's X-M5 is also aimed at vloggers and content creators, though its twin command dials and mechanical shutter mean it's stronger for stills. But if you find yourself thinking it should have a viewfinder and something other than a Film Simulation dial, then there might be other models better suited to you.

Photo: Mitchell Clark

As I say, I think it comes down to the leatherette. A lot of established photographers see the S9's style-driven exterior and reminisce about the cameras of their youth. But with its talk of "content creators" and "the creative smartphone user," it's clear that Panasonic isn't trying to speak to people who bought a brand new Nikon FM, it's trying to reach people who picked one up in a thrift store.

As the industry desperately tries to find a way to attract a younger audience who have grown up shooting stills and video with their phones, this sort of thing is only going to become more common.

We saw the same thing with Fujifilm's X-T50, to an extent: established photographers decrying the presence of the Film Simulation dial. "Why can't it have an drive mode dial or something I'd find more useful" was a common complaint. To which the answer is: "because if you're the kind of user that wants an ISO dial, you're probably the kind of user that Fujifilm wants to buy the X-T5."

"When you see a feature and think 'that's no use to me,' it's worth asking yourself whether you should take that as a hint."

When you see a feature and think "that's no use to me," it's worth asking yourself whether you should take that as a hint. In order to reach a broader (and younger) market, we're going to see more and more models that aren't aimed at people that already consider themselves photographers.

Sony makes things a little clearer: omitting enough features from its vlogging camera that it doesn't work as a substitute for the a6700 but also using the ZV name, rather than 'Alpha' branding.

Photo: Richard Butler

There'll still be plenty of models for those that do, but camera lineups increasingly aren't going to be a progressive hierarchy of models differentiated by price; they're going to be a chaotic array of different models for different needs, trying to appeal to different audiences.

And that shouldn't be seen as a threat: if camera makers can engage with "creators" and "vloggers" and audiences that don't currently buy cameras, it'll help fund the development of the next generation of camera, including the more photo-focused ones, and it'll encourage the continued expansion of lens options.

But in the same way that the X-T50 isn't trying to be a cut-price X-T5, and the X-M5 isn't designed for those people still holding out for an X-E5, the Panasonic S9 isn't designed to be a compact full-framer for the committed stills shooter. Regardless of its apparent allure.

Early morning flog clings to the autumn landscape in the UK.

Photo: Richard Butler

Editor's Note: In recent months, we’ve introduced a series of Editors' Photo Challenges to spotlight the exceptional photography of DPReview readers. Based on your feedback, we’re making some changes to these challenges to create a more predictable schedule and to allow for broader participation:

Monthly Challenges: Going forward, we’ll host one challenge each month. Themes will be announced at the beginning of each month, with winners revealed by month’s end.

Photo Eligibility: To allow for more participation, future challenges will be open to photos taken at any time, regardless of when they were captured.

Thanks for sharing your work with us – it’s an honor to feature your talent and creativity on the site.

The theme for our November Editors' photo challenge is 'Fog'.

Fog provides endless creative possibilities for photography, from soft, diffused landscapes to ghostly cityscapes. It can add an ethereal quality to a scene that transforms the familiar into something magical. Show us the magic and mystery of mist with your favorite fog photos.

For this challenge, shoot and submit one or more photos that embody this month's theme. Each person can enter up to three photos.

How it works

DPReview editors will review every photo you upload to an Editors' Challenge. We'll publish our favorites in a gallery on the DPReview homepage at the end of the month.

How to submit your photos

Submissions will open on November 3, and you have until Saturday, November 9 (GMT), to submit entries. User voting will begin after that and will help inform DPReview Editors' picks, but will not select them. They are one factor in our evaluation of submissions.

Enter your photos here

Details

You must follow the rules below to be eligible to be featured in our gallery of winners.

Processing:

• Post-processing is allowed, but this is a photo contest, not a post-processing contest. Please, no composite, altered or fabricated images..

Additional rules:

• Photos must be at least 2400 pixels long on one edge.
• Include a title for your photo.
• Include a caption that tells us the story behind the photo, including when and where it was taken.
• Share what gear was used and your camera settings. If you used an interchangeable lens camera, please tell us what lens was used.
• Tell us about any edits you made in post-processing beyond basic things like white balance, exposure adjustments, etc.
• Our standard copyright and privacy terms and conditions policy applies.

Photo: Richard Butler

We're coming up on the end of the year, but are hard at work on getting a few more reviews done by 2025. In case you missed a thing or two here and there, here's a recap of the reviews and testing we've done this year so far!

October Sony ZV-E10 II: Review

Sony's ZV-E10 II is a stripped-down version of its APS-C flagship, the a6700, with a focus on vlogging. As such, our review mainly takes the form of a video, which you can watch above.

Read the review

Buy now:

$998 at Amazon.com$1098 w/ 16-50 at Adorama$1098 w/ 16-50 at B&H Photo Nikon Z6III: Review Photo: Richard Butler

Throughout our tests, the Nikon Z6III proved to be an incredibly capable camera at its price point. Its 24MP 'partially-stacked' sensor provided plenty of detail while also reading data out at a much higher speed, allowing for fast burst rates and video shooting with little risk of rolling shutter. We also appreciated its honed ergonomics and bright, high-resolution viewfinder.

Be sure to check out our Z6III sample gallery as well.

Read the review

Buy now:

$2296 at Amazon.com$2497 at Adorama$2497 at B&H Photo Panasonic 18-40mm F4.5-6.3: Sample gallery Photo: Mitchell Clark

Panasonic's 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 collapsable lens is meant to be an ultra-lightweight and compact companion to the company's S9 camera and is now being sold as a kit with the creator-focused offering.

See the sample gallery

Buy now:

$499 at Amazon.com$499 at Adorama$497 at B&H Photo Fujifilm X-M5: Initial review Photo: Mitchell Clark

The X-M5 is an entry-level offering from Fujifilm focused on vlogging and content creation. It's based around the company's 26MP X-Trans sensor and comes equipped with a film simulation dial, AI-trained subject detection autofocus and – unlike many other vlogging-focused options – a mechanical shutter.

You can also view the sample gallery we shot with the X-M5.

Read the initial review

Buy now:

$899 w/ 15-45 at Amazon.com$799 at Adorama$799 at B&H Photo Fujifilm XF16-55mm F2.8 II: Sample gallery Photo: Richard Butler

Another product Fujifilm launched in October was a second-generation of the company's 16-55mm F2.8 lens. It's essentially an APS-C version of the venerable 24-70, but unlike the first generation, the XF16-55mm F2.8 II is actually around 1/3 lighter than many of its full-frame counterparts. Its smaller size and weight convinced editor Richard Butler to take a preproduction copy with him on vacation to the UK, which gave him the opportunity to capture an incredible sample gallery.

See the sample gallery

Buy now:

$1199 at Adorama$1199 at B&H Photo Lowepro Photo Sport 300 photo pack: Review Photo: Dale Baskin

DPReview editor Dale Baskin has had the Lowepro Photo Sport 300 AW II for over 10 years and has put thousands of miles on the pack during his adventures across the planet. Given that it's still going strong and that you can still pick one up today, we decided it was time for a review.

Read the review

September Google Pixel Pro 9 Fold: Sample gallery Photo: Mitchell Clark

Google's flagship folding phone uses a different camera setup than the regular Pixel 9 Pro, so we shot a separate gallery to get a feel for what kind of performance you can expect from a phone that costs $1,800. Our sample guide article also discusses the experience of shooting with a phone that has a foldable 8" screen.

See the sample gallery

Sigma 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art: Sample gallery Photo: Mitchell Clark

Sigma's 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art is a lens for L-mount and Sony E-mount that's surprisingly compact given its focal range and maximum aperture. We got the chance to shoot with it on a holiday weekend at Glacier National Park.

See the sample gallery

Buy now:

Buy at Amazon.com$1499 at Adorama$1499 at B&H Photo Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm F3.2-4.5 E: Sample gallery Photo: Dale Baskin

Another lens released in September was the Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm F3.2-4.5 E, an ultra-wide zoom lens for the company's medium-format cameras. Our sample gallery was shot in Washington, DC and Oregon, giving us an idea of how the lens performs when shooting architecture and landscapes.

See the sample gallery

Canon EOS R5 II: Review Photo: Richard Butler

Canon's EOS R5 II is the company's latest high-end, full-frame mirrorless camera with a Stacked CMOS sensor and many of the autofocus features of the company's new flagship R1 model. It's so feature-rich that, in some ways, it was a struggle to review it; it's a tool for so many different types of photographers that it was nearly impossible for us to put ourselves in all those shoes. However, it's still clear that the EOS R5 II is an extremely capable camera for most use cases.

Read the review

Buy now:

$4299 at Amazon.com$4299 at Adorama$4299 at B&H Photo Leica Q3 43: Review Photo: Richard Butler

The Leica Q3 43 is essentially what it says on the tin: a Q3 with the 28mm fixed lens replaced by a 43mm one, giving the camera a 'normal' focal length that some photographers will find more pleasing. The built-in lens is almost shockingly sharp, and the package as a whole is an impressive and premium photographic tool – as you would hope, given the $6895 price tag.

You can also view our Q3 43 sample gallery.

Read the review

Buy now:

Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H PhotoBuy at Leica August Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 II: Sample gallery Photo: Dale Baskin

Sigma announced the second generation of its 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art lens in May, and we were able to shoot with it on our trip to Japan. However, we wound up publishing our sample gallery in August, as we wanted to ensure that the sample we'd used was representative.

See the sample gallery

Buy now:

$1199 at Adorama$1199 at B&H Photo Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL: Sample gallery Photo: Dale Baskin

We shot a sample gallery with Google's latest flagship smartphones, making sure to test out each of the three cameras, as well as the night mode. Spoiler alert: the gallery isn't the last time Glacier National Park will feature in one of our tests.

See the sample gallery

Fujifilm X-T50: Review Photo: Richard Butler

The Fujifilm X-T50 is a classically-styled mid-level APS-C mirrorless camera that uses Fujifilm's stabilized 40MP X-Trans sensor. We found that it's an excellent choice for those looking to learn the art of photography, or who want to upgrade from a smartphone – as long as they have some cash to spare.

You can also browse the sample gallery we shot with a production model.

Read the review

Buy now:

$1399 at Amazon.com$1399 at Adorama$1399 at B&H Photo Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II: Sample gallery Photo: Dale Baskin

This summer, Sony released the second generation of its FE 85mm F1.4 GM lens, which weighs around 20% less than the first-generation model. We shot a sample gallery with it and were generally impressed with how sharp the results were.

See the sample gallery

Buy now:

$1798 at Adorama$1798 at B&H Photo July Leica D-Lux 8: Initial review Photo: Richard Butler

The Leica D-Lux 8 is an updated 17MP enthusiast zoom compact camera, with a switch dedicated to taking different crops of its Four Thirds-sized sensor. It definitely comes at a premium price, but it's also one of the last enthusiast compacts left on the market.

While writing our initial review, we also shot a sample gallery with it.

Read the initial review

Buy now:

$1595 at Adorama$1595 at B&H Photo Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN for Canon RF: Sample gallery Photo: Mitchell Clark

The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN itself isn't new this year, but the version for Canon's RF mount is. It fills a gap in the lineup of fast standard zooms that made sense for Canon APS-C cameras, making them a little easier to recommend.

See the sample gallery

Buy now:

$519 at Amazon.com$599 RF at Adorama$599 RF at B&H Photo Canon EOS R1: Initial review Photo: Dale Baskin

In July, Canon announced the EOS R1, a new high-end sports and photojournalism camera and the company's first mirrorless camera to bear the 1-series label. It features a 24MP stacked full-frame sensor and can shoot up to 40fps in E-shutter mode.

While attending Canon's North American launch event for the EOS R1, we took a sample gallery using a preproduction model.

Read the initial review

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Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Canon EOS R5 II: Pre-production sample gallery Photo: Dale Baskin

Alongside the EOS R1, Canon also announced the EOS R5 II, an update to its high-end, high-resolution hybrid camera. Like the EOS R1, it features sports-focused Action Priority autofocus modes, which is why the sample gallery we shot with a pre-production model features plenty of basketball pictures.

See the sample gallery

June Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN: Sample gallery Photo: Richard Butler

The Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN is a wide-to-medium zoom lens for E-mount and L-mount cameras.

We were able to test it out throughout the UK, from downtown London to the serene countryside.

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$1349 at Adorama$1349 at B&H Photo Panasonic Lumix DC-GH7: Initial review Photo: Dale Baskin

Panasonic's GH-line of Micro Four Thirds cameras has historically been focused on video shooters. While the GH7 is no exception, it also has a surprisingly complete suite of photography features.

In addition to our initial review, we also released an initial impressions video.

Read the initial review

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$2197 at Amazon.com$2198 at Adorama$2198 at B&H Photo Nikon Z6III: First-look video and sample gallery Photo: Richard Butler

In June Nikon announced the Z6III, a full-frame camera designed for hybrid shooters and featuring a 25MP 'partially-stacked' sensor. It can shoot Raw video internally, and has a higher-resolution sensor than its predecessor.

We shot a video breaking down what's new with the camera and a sample gallery with a preproduction model on a fairly typical spring day in Seattle.

See the sample gallery

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$2296 at Amazon.com$2497 at Adorama$2497 at B&H Photo Pentax 17: Review Photo: Dale Baskin

The Pentax 17 is perhaps an unusual product for DPReview to cover, given that it's a film camera. However, it was hard to pass up the opportunity to review the first new film camera we've seen from a major manufacturer in decades.

The Pentax 17 takes half-frame photos, letting you squeeze double the shots out of any given roll of film – a sign of the times in an age where film prices have only been going up.

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$499 at Amazon.com$499 at Adorama$499 at B&H Photo May Fujifilm X100VI: Review Photo: Richard Butler

The Fujifilm X100VI is a photographers' fixed-lens camera that combines a stabilized 40MP APS-C sensor with a 35mm equivalent F2 lens.

We had plenty of good things to say about it when we published our in-depth review in May, but even months later, it's still not easy to buy one. Still, give the full review a read so you know whether you want to jump on the opportunity to get it if one ever shows up – or to just live vicariously through us.

Read the full review

Google Pixel 8a: Sample gallery Image: Mitchell Clark

Japan is one of our favorite places to shoot sample galleries, especially when it's raining. We got the opportunity to do one for Google's budget phone while visiting the country to cover the launch of the Panasonic S9.

See the sample gallery

Sigma 15mm F1.4 Diagonal Fisheye: Sample Gallery Photo: Jose Francisco Salgado

After Sigma's announcement of the astrophotography-focused 15mm F1.4 DG DN Art, we teamed up with photographer José Francisco Salgado to put it through its paces in the Canadian sub-arctic.

See the sample gallery

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$1975 at Amazon.comBuy at Adorama$1999 at B&H Photo Fujifilm XF16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR: Sample gallery Photo: Jeff Carlson

The Fujinon XF16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR is Fujifilm's second-generation premium kit zoom, and we were able to take preproduction samples in Stockholm, Sweden.

See the sample gallery

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$699 at Amazon.com$699 at Adorama$699 at B&H Photo Sony a9 III: Review Photo: Richard Butler

The Sony a9 III is the company's latest high-end sports/action photography camera, with a 24MP global shutter.

In our in-depth review, we found some image quality trade-offs, but in return, you get the ability to shoot at 120fps without fear of banding.

Read the review

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$5998 at Amazon.com$5998 at Adorama$5998 at B&H Photo Panasonic S9: Initial review Photo: Dale Baskin

The Panasonic S9 is a full-frame camera designed specifically with content creators in mind. It has a dedicated button to select a LUT (look up table) to quickly change the look of footage or pictures in-camera.

Alongside our initial review, we published a sample gallery largely shot in Osaka, Japan, which now includes Raws and images with LUTs applied.

Read the initial review

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$1799 w/ 18-40mm at Amazon.com$1498 at Adorama$1798 w/ 20-60mm at B&H Photo Fujifilm X-T50: First look video and preview samples Photo: Richard Butler

In May, Fujifilm announced the X-T50, an APS-C camera aimed at beginners, featuring a dial dedicated to controlling the company's 'film simulation' color profiles. At launch, we published our initial review, first look video and a sample gallery taken with preproduction hardware.

See the sample gallery

April Panasonic S5II: Review Photo: Richard Butler

The Panasonic S5II had the unfortunate luck of landing in our office right about the time we found out that our parent company planned to close DPReview in 2023, so it never went through our regular review process. We've been looking for an opportunity to review it ever since we joined forces with Gear Patrol last summer and finally found the time.

The timing turned out to be good: Panasonic was able to provide us with an early version of the camera's new firmware (v3.0), so we were able to test it with the latest features. Read our review to find out why we think this camera is such a great all-around performer for enthusiasts and pros alike.

Read the review

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$1697 at Amazon.com$1798 at Adorama$1798 at B&H Photo Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G: Sample gallery Photo: Shaminder Dulai

The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is a relatively compact wide-angle zoom lens aimed at street and travel photographers.

We were able to get our hands on the lens for a day and figured most readers would be curious to see some examples of street and architectural photography, so we hit the streets of downtown Seattle and ducked into the Seattle Public library when the weather turned ugly.

See the sample gallery

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$1198 at Amazon.com$1198 at Adorama$1198 at B&H Photo Viltrox AF 40mm F2.5 Z: Sample gallery Image: Dale Baskin

The Viltrox AF 40mm F2.5 Z is a full-frame lens for Nikon Z-mount cameras.

We were able to test it out in Seattle and Oregon, testing the normal lens in a variety of lighting situations.

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$142 at Amazon.com$158 at B&H Photo March Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G: Sample gallery Photo: Eric Limer

Sony's FE 24-50mm F2.8 G is a fast, compact walk-around lens for its full-frame E-mount cameras. We took it out in snow and sun in New Jersey to put it through its paces.

In practice, we found that it makes for a light and portable package with convenient and satisfying hands-on controls and quick and quiet focus.

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$1,098 at Amazon $1,098 at B&H Photo $1,098 at Adorama Leica SL3: Initial review Photo: Richard Butler

The Leica SL3 is a 60MP DSLR-shaped mirrorless camera built around Leica's L-mount. It brings a lot of technology from the Leica M11 models but also features a radically redesigned interface. In March we published our initial review.

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$6995 at Adorama$6995 at B&H Photo Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS: Sample gallery Photo: Dale Baskin

Panasonic's newest zoom lens, the Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS, is so small that it just begs to be used for travel, so we took it on a trip to Japan to see if it lives up to its promise. It proved to be an outstanding choice, allowing us to cover a wide range of focal lengths without ever feeling like we were dragging around too much gear. We were pretty pleased with the optical performance, too.

See the sample gallery

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$853 at Amazon.com$898 at Adorama$898 at B&H Photo

Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 II: Studio scene Photo: Brendan Nystedt

As we enter the final phase of our Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 II review, we've added the test scene images to our image comparison tool.

See the studio scene

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$1697 at Amazon.com$1898 at Adorama$1898 at B&H Photo Sony a9 III: Sample gallery updated Photo: Carey Rose

We updated our Sony a9 III sample gallery to include more sports and to get a feel for how effective its global shutter sensor is when combined with subject-detection autofocus in a variety of scenarios. And just to be safe, we also included some low ISO landscape images for those who want to evaluate image quality for other types of photography.

See the sample gallery

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$5998 at Amazon.com$5998 at Adorama$5998 at B&H Photo The Panasonic S5IIX goes to Japan: Sample gallery Photo: Dale Baskin

We were working on our review of the Panasonic S5II when it came time for our annual trek to Yokohama, Japan, for the camera industry's annual CP+ trade show, so we took along the S5IIX for some additional testing. It was a joy to shoot and it did a great job of capturing the color and texture of Japan, from the streets of Tokyo to snow monkeys near Nagano. It also proved that its weather sealing was up to the task, operating for hours in pouring rain without missing a beat.

See the sample gallery

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$1997 at Amazon.com$1997 at Adorama$1997 at B&H Photo Panasonic Lumix G9 II: Review Photo: Brendan Nystedt

The Panasonic G9 II is the first Panasonic Micro Four Thirds camera to include phase detect autofocus and is based on the same body as the full-frame S5 II. It also comes with a surprisingly long list of video features. Read our full review to find out what we liked and what we didn't.

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$1697 at Amazon.com$1898 at Adorama$1898 at B&H Photo Sigma 50mm F1.2 DG DN Art: Sample gallery Photo: Jeff Carlson

The Sigma 50mm F1.2 DG DN Art is a comparatively lightweight prime lens aimed at travel, portrait and street photographers. Contributing editor Jeff Carlson immediately jumped on the opportunity to shoot a sample gallery with this lens, capturing spring cherry blossoms, portraits and some low-light photos for good measure.

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$1399 at Adorama$1399 at B&H Photo Nikon 28-400m F4-8: Pre-production sample gallery Photo: Dale Baskin

We had an opportunity to try a pre-production version of Nikon's new 28-400mm F4-8 superzoom lens shortly before it was announced. Let's just say this lens really intrigues us, and we can't wait to get our hands on a production copy for more testing.

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$1299 at Amazon.com$1297 at Adorama$1297 at B&H Photo February Hasselblad 907X / CFV 100C: Sample gallery

Image: Hasselblad

Hasselblad's CFV 100C medium format digital back brings most of the features of the X2D 100C to smaller form factor that's compatible with a wide range of cameras from the company's history. We paired it with a 907X camera / lens adaptor and XCD 28mm F4.0 and XCD 90mm F2.5 lenses to shoot a sample gallery.

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$8,199 at B&H Photo $8,199 at Adorama Megadap ETZ21 Pro Sony-to-Nikon mirrorless lens adapter: Review Photo: Dan Bracaglia

After getting our hands on it, we can say that, as far as what’s currently available for Sony shooters wishing to dabble in the Nikon realm, there is no better option on the market than the Megadap ETZ21 Sony E-mount to Nikon Z-mount lens adapter.

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$249 at Amazon $249 at B&H Photo $249 at Adorama Nikon Zf: Video reel update Photo: Richard Butler

Nikon's Zf is a full-frame mirrorless camera with classic styling, built around a 24MP BSI CMOS sensor. It's designed to mimic the look of the company's FM2 SLR from the early 1980s, meaning it effectively becomes a full-frame counterpart to the company's Z fc APS-C camera. In February, we updated our review with a video reel and impressions.

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$1997 at Amazon $1997 at B&H Photo $1997 kit at Adorama Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II: Studio scene Photo: Richard Butler

As we complete our Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II review, we've run the camera through our recently revitalized studio test scene to see how it performs against the competition.

See the results

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$1798 at B&H Photo $1798 at Adorama $1798 at Amazon Fujifilm X100VI: Initial review Photo: Richard Butler

February finally brought us the X100VI, a photographers' fixed-lens camera that combines a stabilized 40MP APS-C sensor with a 35mm equivalent F2 lens. We had it day one, and have published our initial review along with a sample gallery. Unfortunately, those won't help you actually find one to buy.

Read the review

See the sample gallery

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$1,599 at B&H Photo $1,599 at Adorama $1,599 at Amazon OM System OM-1 II: Sample gallery Photo: Shaminder Dulai

The OM System OM-1 Mark II is a high-speed Micro Four Thirds camera based around a 20MP Stacked CMOS sensor. As the name implies, it's an updated version of the flagship OM-1, with a series of hardware and firmware improvements. In February we published a sample gallery to update our initial review.

See the sample gallery

Read the initial review

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$2399 at Amazon $2399 at B&H Photo $2399 kit at Adorama January Sony a9 III: Initial review Photo: Richard Butler

The Sony a9 III is the company's latest high-speed pro sports camera. It features a Stacked CMOS sensor capable of shooting at 120 fps and able to read all its pixels out simultaneously: the long hoped-for 'global' shutter. Our studio scene analysis shows that it comes at a cost.

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$5998 at Amazon $5998 at B&H $5998 at Adorama Lumix S 100mm F2.8 Macro: Sample gallery Photo: Shaminder Dulai

Panasonic's Lumix S 100mm F2.8 Macro is a full-frame L-mount lens that's designed to be compact and lightweight, coming in at 82mm (3.2") long and 74mm (2.9") in diameter and tipping the scales at 298g (10.5 oz). Hands-on, we can confirm it is very tidy and light.

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$998 at B&H Photo $998 at Adorama Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II: Sample gallery

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Sony's 16-35mm F2.8 GM II lens is smaller, lighter and more capable than its predecessor. Optical improvements come in the form of better corner-to-corner sharpness and a new close-focus distance of just 22 cm.

See the sample gallery

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$2,298 at B&H Photo $2,298 at Adorama iPhone 15 Pro Max: Sample gallery Photo: Jeff L Carlson

When we published our iPhone 15 Pro Sample Gallery, we didn’t yet have an iPhone 15 Pro Max model in hand. In addition to boasting a larger 6.7-inch screen, the Max differentiates itself by having a 5x (120mm equivalent) telephoto camera with a clever tetraprism design. The iPhone 15 Pro’s telephoto camera, meanwhile, shares the same 3x (77mm equivalent) field of view as the iPhone 14 Pro. Is the extra reach worth the bigger physical size and higher cost?

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iPhone 15 Pro Max: $1199 at Apple Canon EOS R100: Review Photo: Shaminder Dulai

The Canon EOS R100 is an ultra-compact 24 Megapixel APS-C mirrorless camera with an RF mount. It is the cheapest way to enter Canon's mirrorless ecosystem, offering more flexibility than a smartphone.

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$429 body only at Amazon $499 kit at B&H Photo $499 kit at Adorama Fujifilm XF23mm F2 R WR: Review Photo: Mike Tomkins

The Fujifilm XF 23mm F2 R WR is a very compact, portable, wide-angle prime lens for Fujifilm X-mount cameras. It makes a great walkaround lens and is well-suited for uses like travel and street photography, as well as things such as moderately wide landscapes and environmental portraiture.

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$449 at Amazon $449 at B&H $449 at Adorama Sony ZV-1 Mark II: Review Photo: Shaminder Dulai

The Sony ZV-1 Mark II is a vlogging-focused compact camera built around a 20MP Type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) Stacked CMOS sensor and an 18-50mm equivalent F1.8-4.0 lens. Besides the new focal length range, much of this camera remains the same as its predecessor, which was itself a competent pocket-sized video camera.

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$898 at Amazon $898 at B&H $898 at Adorama Tenba Axis V2 18L backpack: Review Photo: Tim Barribeau

The Tenba Axis V2 18L ($200) is a well-made, quietly competent but otherwise uninteresting backpack. Tenba has been in this industry long enough to know the basics of building a functional bag, but this simple black rectangle struggles to stand out against a field packed with more interesting, stylish, or specialized options like Peak Design's exceedingly versatile Everyday Bag or LowePro's hiking bag that happens to hold cameras well too.

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$200 at Tenba $200 at B&H Photo $200 at Amazon

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Sirui

Sirui, a company best known for its relatively inexpensive tripods and cinema lenses, has announced a lens that may appeal to photographers and videographers looking for an inexpensive portrait lens: a full-frame 85mm F1.4 with autofocus for Nikon Z-mount, Sony E-mount, and Fujifilm X-mount. On the latter it'll provide a roughly 128mm full-frame equiv. focal length.

The company says the lens is part of its Aurora series, though it's currently the only one bearing that nameplate; that does seem to suggest that we can expect more like it in the future.

The lens features an AF/MF switch, an autofocus lock button, and a switch to control whether the aperture ring is clicked or clickless. The company also claims it has "dustproof and waterproof construction" and a fluorine coating on the front element to help repel oils and water.

Image: Sirui

The lens has 14 elements in 9 groups: 1 aspherical lens, 2 ED elements, and 3 HRI elements. It has a 15-blade aperture and a minimum focusing distance of 0.85m (2 ft., 9.5"). The E-mount version weighs 540g (1.2lb), while the X and Z-mount versions are 10 and 30g heavier, respectively.

The Aurora 85mm F1.4 has a 67mm thread and a USB-C port on the lens mount for updating its firmware.

While fast 85mm lenses with autofocus aren't exactly rare – there's even already another third-party 85 F1.4 for the notoriously locked-down Nikon Z mount from Meike – it's nice to see another option hit the market, especially one with so many features. It'll be interesting to see what the image quality is like, especially given the relatively affordable price point Sirui is selling it at; the lens will normally retail for $599, but the company is doing an 'early bird' pricing promotion until December 31st which knocks it down to $499 if you buy it directly from them.

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$599 at Amazon.com Sirui Aurora 85mm F1.4 Specifications Principal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length85 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountFujifilm X, Nikon Z, Sony EApertureMaximum apertureF1.4–16Minimum apertureF1.4–16Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades15OpticsElements14Groups9Special elements / coatings1 aspherical, 2 ED, 3 HRIFocusMinimum focus0.85 m (33.46″)Maximum magnification0.1152×AutofocusYesMotor typeStepper motorDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight540 g (1.19 lb)Diameter80 mm (3.15″)Length102 mm (4.02″)SealingYesColourBlackFilter thread67 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarNo

Logos: Adobe

This year, at Adobe's Max conference, the company announced several new AI features coming to Photoshop, Lightroom, and Adobe Camera Raw. We talked to some of the managers and engineers behind these products to get an idea of how those features came about and to try to get a sense of what the future holds for Adobe's photo editing suite.

Lightroom The Quick Actions UI gives you easy access to a variety of subject-specific edits.

One of the major new features for Lightroom Web and Mobile is called Quick Actions. It's a panel that lets you easily adjust various parts of your image, giving you different sliders and suggestions based on what type of subject it detects.

"It really started with a multi-year investment into masking," said Rob Christensen, director of product management for Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw. "We had to make sure that masking was amazing. And so for multiple years, our R&D teams and our design teams came up with an experience that was outstanding. So once we had masking in place, and you could identify a subject, hair, lips, teeth, all of that, we realized, well, let's pair that up now with edits, and we'll call them Adaptive Presets."

Quick Actions essentially serve to make that work more visible and accessible. "With Quick Actions, what you're selecting in many cases are just Adaptive Presets that are relevant to that specific photo," Christensen said. "We're building from masking, Adaptive Presets, now Quick Actions. And it's all coming together now into a unified experience – that was our vision years ago, and now it's coming to life."

Christensen said that Adobe actually quietly launched the feature on the web a few months ago. "We didn't make a lot of noise around it, but customers have been using it on the web. Part of the reason why we brought it to Web first is it's just easier. We could get some additional feedback, we could do more experimentation; the web is very easy to iterate on."

"Part of the reason we also brought it to mobile is it's really designed for the mobile user, where they want to get to a quick result," Christensen said. "They don't necessarily want to go through all the different panels. In a mobile UI, a lot of things are hidden – but what if we could surface all of these advanced capabilities for mobile users to get to an edit? A bit of a goal over the last six months that's connected with Quick Actions is how do we help users capture, import, and share an amazing photo in under 60 seconds?"

At the moment, it's unclear if the feature will be coming to the dedicated desktop apps. "We're definitely looking at and listening to customer feedback. And so far, I think there's a lot of excitement, especially from desktop users. But we're not making any official announcements at this time."

The selection tool for Generative Remove has also been improved.

Image: Adobe

Generative Remove, which lets you use AI to erase objects from a scene using AI, is also now generally available across all versions of Lightroom. It's the type of thing you could easily do if you opened an image in Photoshop, but now you don't have to leave Lightroom.

"The way we think about what we're building with Lightroom is it's purpose-built for photographers," said Christensen. "So if they have a specific use case that is important for photography, we will look at bringing that into Lightroom. Distraction removal is a great example of an area that makes sense for photography. That's how a lot of customers are using generative remove today."

Finally, for Lightroom Classic devotees worried about any plans to completely replace the older-school version of the app with the new cloud-based Lightroom, Christensen seemed to offer some reassurance. "As it stands right now, we're continuing to innovate on both surfaces. We have a lot of customers on both that love the unique benefits."

Adobe Camera Raw

Left: Adobe Color. Right: Adobe Adaptive

Image: Adobe

One of the most compelling photography-related features announced at Max is the new Adobe Adaptive profile for ACR. It's meant to give you a better starting point for your own edits than older profiles like Adobe Color.

"One of the things that makes Adobe Adaptive unique is the fact that it's a lot more image content aware," said Eric Chan, a Senior Principal Scientist on the Adobe Camera Raw team. "In the past we would look at basic properties in the histogram and other attributes of the image. But with AI models now, we have a lot more semantic information about whether there's a person in it, whether there's a sky in it, etc."

That awareness helps it make base-level adjustments, giving you a better starting point to put your own edits on top. "It can do things like fix skies, fix backlit portraits, it can do things nicely with faces, and it can control a lot more attributes of the image than our previous profiles," Chan said.

You can control how intense the Adobe Adaptive look using the 'Amount' slider.

Unlike pressing the 'Auto' button on other profiles, Adobe Adaptive doesn't change the sliders for parameters like exposure, contrast, highlights, etc.; those are still set to 0, allowing you room to do your own edits. " I think the other unique aspect that there's an amount slider that's underneath the profile itself," said Chan. "You can do a quick edit. Like, I like what it's doing, but maybe it's too much, let's go to 80%, or maybe you want to go beyond, like 150%. But then there's the finer-granularity control, things like color panels that you can combine with that."

The company's also bringing its Generative AI features to ACR, including Generative Remove and Generative Expand, which lets you "go beyond the boundaries of your photo using the power of AI." In other words, you ask it to make your picture wider or taller, and it will try to fill in the space in a reasonable way. Any changes you make in ACR will also apply to the AI-generated portion of your picture, and the program will add a Content Credentials tag to the image, marking it as containing AI-generated content.

Generative Expand essentially lets you 'crop out' with AI imagery.

Those are interesting features to see in Adobe Camera Raw since, as the name implies, the program has previously been dedicated to adjusting the data your camera captured. Editing content using AI or other tools has been the domain of Photoshop and, to a lesser extent, Lightroom, which has had the Generative Remove feature for a while.

We asked what the thinking was behind adding Generative AI to ACR and Christensen said: "With Lightroom and ACR we're trying to ensure that photographers can observe that moment as best they can. When we talk to customers, they feel it's unfortunate if they have 90% of an amazing photo, but it's just that 10% that is not how they remember the scene. Maybe because they couldn't get the camera at the right spot at the right time." He also reiterated that using the generative AI features was completely optional.

The line about making images according to people's memories isn't new; in fact, it's very similar to how phone manufacturers like Samsung and Google are talking about their generative AI features – it's just a bit odd to hear it in reference to an app dedicated to Raw photography. However, Christensen says there's a line between what you can do in ACR, and what you can do in Photoshop. "We are not introducing capabilities like Generative Fill, where you can say 'add an elephant flying from the sky with an umbrella.' That doesn't capture the moment; that's creativity."

Photoshop

This year, Adobe made several of its generative AI tools in Photoshop generally available and added a new "Distraction Removal" tool that can automatically remove wires, cables, and people from images. Removing wires can be done with a single click, while the people mode gives you the chance to refine the selection in case it selected people you still want in the picture, or didn't select people you want to get rid of.

The 'People' mode of the Find Distractions feature lets you decide which subjects you want to keep or to add more subjects to remove.

According to Stephen Nielson, Senior Product Manager for Photoshop, Adobe plans to add an additional mode for the Distraction Removal tool to handle non-human or cable distractions. "The way we've approached this is, first, the most popular thing that people want to remove from a photo is people. So tourists or people in the background or whatever," he said. "And so the categories that we're working on are first: people. Second: cables and wires because they're a pretty specific thing. And then there's a category of basically everything else."

Nielson says the everything else category will be like the people one, where Photoshop will select what it thinks are distractions but let you add to or remove from the selection before hitting the remove button.

It's quite challenging to come up with a single model that can detect all sorts of distractons

Adobe's not currently announcing when that feature will roll out, as it's still in the process of building the model. "It's quite challenging to come up with a single model that can detect all sorts of distractions, whether it's somebody's shoulder that's in the image, or a garbage can, or a pile of leaves, or a random bicycle. It could be anything, right?"

According to Nielson, the training process involved a lot of human work. "We actually give pictures to people and say which objects are distracting?' You do that enough times, and you can train a model to say, 'Hey, this is what people usually say is distracting,'" he said. "That's not the only kind of data that's included in our training data set, but a lot of it is, like, hey, somebody's gone through and annotated data to suggest which objects are distracting."

If you want to use the Remove tool without generative AI, you can.

Like many features in Photoshop, Distraction Removal can take advantage of Adobe's generative AI, though it's not 100% reliant on it. "It actually can either use Content-Aware fill or generative fill technology," said Nielson. "We've built an automatic selector that will, based on what you've selected and you're trying to remove, automatically choose either Content-Aware fill or generative fill, depending on which one's best."

Adobe has also added a drop-down menu that lets you manually select whether you want any part of the Remove tool, including the Distraction Removal feature, to use Generative AI or Content-Aware Fill. Nielson, however, recommended leaving it on auto. "Content-Aware Fill is better for areas with similar textures, areas where there's lots of noise, or higher resolution images. Whereas Generative Fill is really good at details, which Content-Aware Fill just isn't good at. So there's a good use case for both, and the auto selector we have allows the algorithm to choose which one's going to be best."

We think generative technology is huge, but it's not the answer for everything

Nielson thinks Generative AI will play a big part in future Photoshop features, but it won't be the only way the company improves the program. "There's still a lot of areas where we think generative technology is going to dramatically simplify things that were previously tedious and time-consuming inside Photoshop and give you more time to be creative."

The company showed off one such example at its Sneaks presentation, which showcases tech demos that may or may not actually make it into Adobe products in the future. The demo, nicknamed 'Perfect Blend,' automatically matches lighting and color between objects you're photoshopping in to a background.

"But there's also going to be a lot of other non-gen AI improvements that we want to put into Photoshop," Nielson said. "Just making the application run smoother, faster, be more efficient, speed up workflows with non-genitive technology. We think generative technology is huge, but it's not the answer for everything. So, there's a lot of other things that we are planning just to make the app better."

Image: C2PA

It's been a few years since Adobe started testing Content Credentials in Creative Cloud apps, and a year since the company announced it'd use them to mark images generated by its Firefly AI. If you're unfamiliar, Content Credentials aren't just about AI; they're also pitched as a secure way to track how images were created and edited in the hopes of slowing down the spread of misinformation. Adobe bills the system as a "nutrition label" for digital content.

At Adobe's MAX conference, we got to sit down with Andy Parsons, Senior Director of the Content Authenticity Initiative at Adobe, and ask him some questions about Content Credentials. Given the opportunity, it also seemed like a good time to check in with the system.

Content Credentials on the Web

Earlier this year, Adobe began rolling out support for adding Content Credentials to your photos in Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom, and Photoshop. These features are still currently in Early Access or Beta. There's also a Content Credentials verification site that anyone can use to inspect image, video and audio files to see if they have Content Credentials attached or if they've been watermarked with a link to Content Credentials.

However, the company is also looking to make the tech available even to people who don't use its products. This month, it announced a private beta for a Content Authenticity web app. The site lets people who have joined via waitlist upload a JPEG or PNG and attach their name and social media accounts to it after verifying ownership of those accounts by logging in to them. After the person attests that they own the image or have permission to apply credentials to it – there's currently no way to verify that's actually true – it lets them download the image with Content Credentials attached. The tool also lets you attach a piece of metadata, asking companies not to use your image for training AI.

Adobe doesn't aspire to store every content credential in the universe

"From the beginning, before we wrote the first line of code for this tool, we asked creators in the Adobe ecosystem and outside the Adobe ecosystem what they wanted to see in it," said Parsons. "We got a lot of feedback, but we haven't finished this. So the private beta is meant to last a few months, during which we'll collect more feedback."

The system also adds an invisible watermark to the image that links to the credentials stored on Adobe's servers. If someone tries to strip that information out of the image or takes a screenshot of it, it should be recoverable. If someone alters the image, the credentials will theoretically disappear, and the image will no longer be verified as authentic.

"Photoshop users don't want a watermark that somehow changes the look or adds noise to an image that has it. So we did a lot of work to make sure that this was noise-free, that it works with images of very different resolutions and different kinds of color content," Parsons said.

The site is an example of how Content Credentials can work, but if the technology becomes widespread, there'll likely be many more like it. "Adobe doesn't aspire to store every content credential in the universe," Parsons said. "That's why an interoperable standard is so critical. Getty Images could host its own content credential store. Adobe has ours. Someone else could do this on the blockchain; it's really up to the specific platform."

Storing content credentials doesn't require as much storage as it may seem. "We don't store your image; we're not building a massive registry of everyone's content. We store just that 1KB or so of cryptographically signed metadata. And anyone can do that."

Attached Content Credentials are one of the signals Meta looks for when generating its 'AI Info' labels on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Image: Meta

Some websites have also started using Content Credentials to provide additional context for images and videos. According to Parsons, Meta uses Content Credentials as a signal when applying the "AI Info" label it uses for Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.

YouTube has also begun using Content Credentials to label videos posted on its site. If someone uses a camera or app that attaches credentials to a video and doesn't make any edits to it, the video will receive a "Captured with a camera" label meant to certify that what you're seeing is an unaltered version of what the camera captured.

Adobe also recently released the Adobe Content Authenticity extension for the Chrome browser, which surfaces Content Credentials on any site if it detects images that have them attached. "I think of it as sort of a decoder ring," said Parsons. "Once you install the decoder ring, you can see all the invisible stuff on the web."

The Chrome extension can pick out images with Content Credentials, even if the site they're hosted on doesn't natively tag them.

He anticipates that, someday, the extension won't be necessary and that the information it provides will be more broadly available. "Of course, it really belongs in web browsers and operating systems," he said. "I do anticipate a fair amount of work in the next 12 months going into browser support from folks like Microsoft and Google and others. That's really the big next step."

A not-so-seamless experience

We ran into some strange behavior when testing these tools, though the issues were limited to how they were being displayed – or rather, not displayed – on the web. We added an AI-generated element to two images using Photoshop, then exported and uploaded them to Instagram.

The Content Credentials inspection site properly identified the images as having been edited and showed the changes we'd made. Instagram, however, only added the "AI Info" option to one of them and not the other, despite them having gone through the same chain. The label never showed up when the same images were posted to Threads. When we opened the images on Instagram, Adobe's Chrome extension said there were no images on the page with Credentials attached, though it's worth noting that the tool is still in beta.

We were eventually able to see a history of the edits made to this image after screenshotting it from Instagram, re-uploading it to the verification site, and clicking the "Search for possible matches" button, but that's not exactly a seamless experience.

Adobe's verification site successfully recovered the credentials after we hit the "Search for Possible Matches" button. However, there's clearly still a long way to go before sites can reliably use Content Credentials to provide information about an image's providence or to identify images that were made or altered using AI image generation. That's certainly a bit disappointing, as photographers and artists hoping to use the system to watermark images uploaded to social media as their own can't necessarily rely on it yet.

It's also worth noting that our test was essentially the best-case scenario; we made no efforts to hide that AI was used or to remove the Content Credentials. But while it does show cracks in the ecosystem, Content Credentials not showing up on an image that should have them is a much better outcome than if they had showed up on an image that shouldn't.

New Cameras with Content Credentials

During Adobe Max, Nikon announced that it's bringing Content Credentials to the Z6III at some point next year. During a demo at Adobe Max, images taken with the Z6III had credentials attached verifying the time and date they were taken and information about the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture used.

Currently, it seems like the function will be limited to professional users, such as photojournalists.

What's left to do?

Despite the ecosystem improvements, there's absolutely still work to be done on Content Credentials. When we tested the system in July, we found a surprising lack of interoperability between Lightroom / ACR and Photoshop, and the issue still persists today. If you make edits to an image in Lightroom or ACR, then open it in Photoshop and save the file with Content Credentials, there won't be any information about what you did in ACR or Lightroom. You can work around this by saving the file from Lightroom or ACR as a PNG or JPEG and then opening that in Photoshop, but obviously, that's not an ideal workflow.

That watermarking durability guarantee is important

The tools for incorporating Content Credentials into video are even less mature. Parsons says there are some third-party tools starting to support the metadata, such as streaming video players, and that Adobe is working on applying the invisible watermarks to videos as well. "For us, that watermarking durability guarantee is important. And we'll have video with that – I can't put a date on it, but that's something that we're very focused on. Same for audio."

Then there's the issue of cameras. Even if you have a camera that theoretically supports Content Credentials, such as several of Sony's flagships or the Nikon Z6III, you almost certainly can't use them. Both companies currently treat it as a feature exclusively for businesses, governments and journalists, requiring special firmware and licenses to enable it.

To be fair, those entities are generally the ones producing images where Content Credentials will be the most important. Most photographers' work doesn't require the same level of transparency and scrutiny as images released by law enforcement agencies or photojournalism wire services. However, in an age where news is increasingly documented by regular people using their cell phones, the feature will have to become available to average consumers at some point to have any hope of gaining traction.

I don't think anybody cares how secure a picture of my cat is.

One camera manufacturer is letting people use Content Credentials out of the box: Leica. Its implementation also uses special hardware, similar to Apple's Secure Enclave or Google's Titan chips, which are used to store biometrics and other sensitive data, instead of relying on software. Nikon's Z6III also features hardware support for Content Credentials, unlike the Z8 and Z9. In reference to the information stored on Apple's chip, Parsons said, "Three-letter agencies in the U.S. government don't have access to that, neither does Apple in this case. So that's the vision that we have for cameras." According to him, "If you want ultimate security and a testament to the fact that the camera made a particular image, we'd prefer to see that as a hardware implementation."

He did, however, re-iterate that there are times when that level of security isn't necessary. "If you are the NSA or a government or somebody working in a sensitive area... Maybe somewhere where your identity could be compromised, or you'd be put in harm's way as a photojournalist, you probably do want that level of security. And certain devices need to provide it. Think about a body-cam image versus my picture of my cat. In the former case, it's probably very important because that's likely to see the scrutiny of a court of law, but I don't think anybody cares how secure a picture of my cat is."

Content Credentials and other authenticity systems are only part of building trust in an age of generative AI and widespread misinformation campaigns. "This is not a silver bullet," Parsons said. "It's not solving the totality of the problem. We know from many studies that many organizations have done in many parts of the world that people tend to share what fits their worldview on social media. In many cases, even if they know it's fake. If it fits your point of view and you want to further your point of view, it almost doesn't matter."

"This is not a silver bullet"

Instead, Parsons views Content Credentials as one of the tools people can use when deciding to trust certain sources or pieces of content. "If somebody receives an image that someone has deliberately shared, you know, misinformation or deliberate disinformation, and can tap on that nutrition label and find out for themselves what it is, we think that fulfills a basic right that we all have."