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Fujifilm has announced the XF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR (762mm equiv), a super telephoto APS-C lens for its X Mount system. The lens is sure to be a welcome addition to bird photographers with Fujifilm cameras, or anyone else who's been wishing for a super telephoto prime with autofocus capabilities. Prior to the 500mm, the furthest-reaching prime Fujifilm offered was the 200mm F2.

The company also has its $2,000 150-600mm F5.6-8, but that'll be slower than F5.6 by the time you get to 500mm and it seems reasonable to expect sharper images from the prime. The zoom lens also 270g (9.5oz) heavier, though at 1,335g (2.9lbs) the prime isn't exactly ultralight either.

In terms of construction, the lens is essentially identical to the company's medium format GF 500mm F5.6, apart from the mount. It's made of 21 elements in 14 groups, including 2 super ED lenses, and 5 ED lenses. Its optical image stabilization system is rated to 5.5 stops, and it has 20 seals for weather resistance, along with a flourine coating on the front element to ward off water and dirt. It's threaded for 95mm filters.

The lens also has linear focus motors, as well as a focus limiter switch to prevent it from focusing on subjects closer than 5m away. When using the lens' full range of focus, it's minimum focus distance is 2.75m (9ft).

The 500mm is compatible with Fujifilm's 1.4x teleconverter, which makes it act like an F8 lens with a 1067mm equiv. focal length, as well as the company's 2x teleconverter that gives it a 1,524mm equiv. focal length at the cost of knocking its max aperture down to the equivalent of F11.

The XF 500mm will be available starting in December, and will have a manufacturer suggested retail price of $2,999.

Buy now:

$2999 at B&H Photo$2999 at Adorama

Press Release:

Super-Telephoto Excellence: Fujifilm Announces FUJINON XF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR

The Ultimate Tool for Outdoor Content Creators

VALHALLA, N.Y., OCTOBER 14, 2024 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announces the launch of its FUJINON XF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR lens (XF500mmF5.6). The new super- telephoto lens offers the longest prime lens coverage in the current Fujifilm X Series lens lineup, designed for quick autofocus response and incredible detail in image-making around even the most challenging outdoor subjects, and is ideal for birding, wildlife, and sports.

“Making content outdoors can always present challenges, considering weather, fast moving animals, birds, and the rapid motion of athletics,” said Victor Ha, vice president, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Electronic Imaging and Optical Devices Divisions. “These are only a few of the examples that were considered when developing this latest super-telephoto lens. Optical image stabilization and linear-motor driven autofocus help the creator document all the action without missing a detail. We’re excited about the capabilities this lens brings to outdoor creatives.”

Product Features

Serious Optical Performance, Rugged Yet Stylish Design

• XF500mmF5.6 offers an impressive 500mm (35mm equivalent focal length of 762mm) with a maximum aperture of F5.6, making it ideal for a variety of outdoor pursuits, including sports, birding, and wildlife.
• When paired with an optional FUJINON Teleconverter XF1.4X TC WR1, the lens reaches a maximum focal length of 700mm (35mm equivalent focal length of 1067mm), and with FUJINON Teleconverter XF2X TC WR1, it extends to 1000mm (35mm equivalent focal length of 1524mm).
• The lens features durable yet sophisticated construction with 21 elements in 14 groups, including two Super Extra-low Dispersion (ED) lenses and five ED lenses. This advanced optical design effectively minimizes chromatic aberration commonly associated with super-telephoto lenses to achieve exceptional resolving power for an extraordinary amount of detail, beyond what the naked eye can see.

Exceptional Mobility and Superior Resolution That Redefine Super-Telephoto Lenses

• Leveraging the APS-C format, which provides a 1.5x crop factor equivalent, XF500mmF5.6 maintains a compact and lightweight design weighing only approximately 2.94 pounds (1,335g)2, despite achieving a focal length equivalent to 762mm (35mm format) at F5.6 maximum aperture.
• Even though super-telephoto lenses tend to have heavier front elements, the optimal lens arrangement in this model ensures balanced weight distribution for a comfortable and stable hold, allowing users to enjoy super-telephoto photography, making it easy to handhold or carry all day in the field.
• The lens features a dust and weather-resistant structure with 20 sealing points on the barrel and can operate in temperatures as low as 14°F (-10°C). Additionally, the front element is fluorine coated, providing hydrophobic and anti-stain properties, making the lens a reliable partner for extended content creation sessions in harsh weather conditions.

Powerful 5.5-Stop Optical Image Stabilization Performance

• Enhanced sensing accuracy and an optimized mechanical design allow XF500mmF5.6 to achieve up to a powerful 5.5-stops3 of optical image stabilization. This ensures comfortable handheld image-making in the super-telephoto range, which can ordinarily be more susceptible to camera shake.

Comfortable Operation and High-Speed, Near-Silent, Precision Autofocus

• The adoption of an inner focus system allows for a compact and lightweight focus lens assembly. Combined with a high-speed linear motor, this enables fast and silent autofocus, achieving a focus speed as quick as 0.33 seconds4. This ensures that even in the super-telephoto range, where precise focus is crucial, the user can keep up with the action as it happens.
• The Focus Preset function is featured so that the focus can be shifted to a location pre-defined with the Focus Preset button. This reduces user operation workload as re-adjusting focus on a targeted subject is not needed.
• The lens also features the Focus Limiter5, allowing users to restrict the lens’s AF range. This can effectively shorten AF time when photographing a subject that is approximately 16 feet (five meters) away or more.
• The Focus Control button is placed at the front edge of the lens barrel. Press this button to instantly recall a function you have assigned with the Focus Selector for smooth AF operation.

Pricing and Availability

FUJINON XF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR lens will be available in December 2024 at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $2,999.95 USD and $4,049.99 CAD.

For more information, visit https://fujifilm-x.com/en-us/products/lenses/xf500mmf56-r-lm-ois-wr/.

1 Sold separately

2 Weight excluding the lens cap, lens hood and tripod seat.

3 Compliant with CIPA in pitch / yaw directions.

4 Using an internal measurement method compliant with the CIPA Guidelines, when mounted on the mirrorless digital camera “FUJIFILM X-T4” with Phase Detection AF activated and the High Performance Mode turned ON.

5 The Focus Limiter function is activated with the Focus Range Selector.

Fujifilm XF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR Specifications: Principal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format sizeAPS-C / DXFocal length500 mmImage stabilizationYesCIPA Image stabilization rating6 stop(s)Lens mountFujifilm XApertureMaximum apertureF5.6Minimum apertureF22Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades9Aperture notesRounded bladesOpticsElements21Groups14Special elements / coatings2 Super ED, 5 ED elementsFocusMinimum focus2.75 m (108.27″)Maximum magnification0.2×AutofocusYesMotor typeLinear MotorFull time manualYesFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoFocus distance limiter5m-infinityPhysicalWeight1335 g (2.94 lb)Diameter105 mm (4.13″)Length255 mm (10.04″)SealingYesColourWhiteFilter thread95 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarYes

Adobe announced the latest updates to Photoshop, Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw during its Max conference keynote. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the products are getting a heaping helping of generative AI features, though there are other non-Ai improvements as well.

Index

• Lightroom Changes
• Photoshop Changes
• ACR Changes

Lightroom

The Quick Actions are meant to help quicky spice up a picture.

Image: Adobe

The big new feature coming to Lightroom is called Quick Actions, which Adobe says will speed up "fine tune editing." Essentially, Lightroom will give you some suggested edits that it can perform with the click of a button. The company says the feature will launch in early access in Lightroom Mobile and Lightroom for the web.

The company also says the Generative Remove feature it announced in May is out of early access and is now generally available to Lightroom users in Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Lightroom mobile. The feature lets you select an object in a photograph, which the software will then try to erase, filling in the gaps with imagery generated using Adobe's Firefly AI. The company says it has also improved Generative Remove's selection tool, letting you circle the things you want to erase.

Now, everyone can erase unwanted elements in images without jumping into Photoshop.

Image: Adobe

In an FAQ, Adobe says, "Content Credentials will be automatically attached to photos edited with the feature in Lightroom," which should help people determine if an image was altered with AI as long as the platform they're viewing it supports that metadata – though at the moment, very few do.

Adobe has also continued to make performance improvements to Lightroom Classic, improving the image navigation experience in the Develop module and making the tethered capture experience for Nikon cameras substantially faster.

It's also been working on improving and expanding the HDR editing experience. The company says you can now see HDR content in more views throughout Lightroom and that it now supports embedded ISO HDR Gain Maps. That means you should be able to export one file that will render correctly on SDR and HDR displays rather than having to export separate SDR and HDR files.

Lightroom is getting big improvments if you shoot HDR images on your phone

Lightroom also now supports HDR images from Google's Pixel 9 phones and will let you edit HDR video if you have an Apple silicon Mac or are using Lightroom mobile on iOS.

Adobe is also expanding the availability of its AI Denoise tool, which is available in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw. It'll now work on HDR and panorama DNGs, as well as Apple, Google, and Samsung's flavors of Raw.

Finally, there are the classic quality-of-life improvements. Lightroom Mobile is getting a performance boost on Android, and there are new options for managing how much disk space Lightroom Classic will take up for its preview cache. Additionally, Lightroom Classic will no longer require you to change the name of your catalog when you upgrade it using a newer version of Lightroom.

Frame.io

The company also says the Frame.io changes it announced earlier this year are now generally available. That includes custom metadata features and integration into Lightroom that supports loading images via Camera To Cloud. In theory, that means you could shoot pictures on your camera and have them show up in Lightroom via Frame.io, as long as your camera supports the feature. Currently, the list of stills cameras with Frame.io integration includes the Lumix S5II/X, GH7, and Fujifilm's latest-gen cameras, including the recently announced X-M5.

On that note, Adobe also says that Nikon, Canon, and Leica will join in on supporting Camera To Cloud. The Canon C400 and C80, and the Leica SL3 will be getting updates to natively support the feature, and the Nikon Z6III, Z8, and Z9 will be able to offload to Frame.io via Nikon's NX MobileAir app. The updates enabling Frame.io integration will be coming at various points throughout next year.

Photoshop

Like with Lightroom, Adobe is making many of Photoshop's early-access generative AI features generally available. That includes tools like Generative Fill, Generative Expand, Generate Similar, Generate Background, and Generate Image, all of which use the company's Firefly 3 AI model to do more or less what the names imply. Generative Fill lets you drop AI-generated images in to whatever you're editing.

In addition, it's adding a Generative Workspace tool, which lets you generate images and will keep a record of them in one place.

Speaking of Firefly, the company says there's a new 'fast mode' available for it that will let you generate images up to four times faster, if you're just trying to get a very quick draft that you'll refine later.

Image: Adobe

Adobe is also introducing an automatic distraction removal tool, which uses AI to find distracting elements in an image and remove them.

The company says that, if you want, you are able to turn off generative AI in the remove tool. By default, it will choose "from many technologies to deliver the best result," but there's a setting that lets you set generative AI on or off – you can also leave it on Auto, where it'll use whichever methods it thinks are most suited to whatever you're trying to remove.

There are some non-AI improvements to Photoshop, too. The company says it's expanding the number of tools that work with 32-bit HDR images in Photoshop, meaning you can use things like the dodge/burn tool, Magic Wand, magnetic lasso, Spot Healing Brush Tool, Remove Tool, and more without converting your image down to 16- or 8-bit.

Adobe Camera Raw

Adobe is adding a Firefly-powered Generative Expand mode to ACR, which will use AI to fill in past the borders of your image. The mode will be available as a technical preview.

The company is also announcing a beta for something called Adobe Adaptive Profile, which it says will use AI to make editing images with high dynamic range easier. You apply it like you do the standard 'Adobe Color' or 'Adobe Landscape' profiles, but instead of making the same adjustments for each image, an AI model will automatically adjust Exposure, Shadows, Highlights, Color Mixer, Curves, etc. The sliders will still be at their default values, but the changes the profile makes are meant to act as a base upon which you'll add your own edits.

The photo on the left uses the Adobe Color profile, while the one on the right uses the Adobe Adaptive one.

Image: Adobe

Adobe says it created the profile based on 'thousands of hand-edited photos of people, pets, food, architecture, museum exhibits, cars, ships, airplanes, landscapes, and many other subjects.' It has a blog post that goes into a deep-dive on what exactly it changes and how the company put the profile together. Generally, it's meant to make subjects pop from the background, making them subtly lighter and more colorful. Adobe says it'll automatically generate HDR and SDR looks for an image.

Adobe says the mode will currently only work on Raw images, though it hopes to expand support for other file types in the future.

We're on the ground at Adobe's conference this week, so keep an eye out for some demos of these features. Be sure to let us know if you have any questions so we can keep them in mind during our tests.

Adobe's Firefly video generation panel.

Screenshot: Adobe

Adobe has announced Firefly Video, an AI model that can generate video footage that the company says is designed "to be commercially safe" and to "not infringe on others' IP." Some of the generative AI features are being integrated into the company's editing software, Premiere Pro.

Premiere Pro is also getting several updates unrelated to the AI features; click here to jump to the section about those.

Perhaps the most useful feature Adobe showed off in its keynote address at its Max conference is Generative Extend. The feature is meant to continue video or audio clips after the end of the actual recording or cut, generating a few extra seconds of footage or room tone to help fill in gaps. The plan is to build it into Premiere Pro, so you can extend your footage straight from your timeline. Like most of Firefly's video abilities, the feature will be launched as a beta.

You can generate new footage to fix eyelines, fill in gaps, or help smooth out a J/L cut, straight from the timeline.

Image: Adobe

There will initially be a few limitations: the most notable is that the beta version can only generate 720p or 1080p 16:9 video at framerates between 8 and 30fps. It also only works with 8-bit and SDR video.

The company also showed off Firefly's ability to 'animate' still images, turning them into video, though that feature will launch on the web version of the tool, not in Premiere. The tool can also generate video assets along with actual footage. The company showed Firefly-generated light leak artifacts that were added to a conventionally-shot video, as well as AI-generated animation and text graphics.

'Filmic' light leaks generated by Firefly that could then be composited on top of existing footage. AI-Generated Image: Adobe

Of course, Firefly Video can also generate footage whole-cloth based on text prompts from the user. The UI gives people several ways to control the video that's generated, letting them pick an aspect ratio and frame rate, as well as specify what kind of framing, angle, and motion they want. However, Adobe says its customers are generally more interested in how generative AI could help them edit human-created content than using the tech to create something from scratch.

Adobe stresses that it has trained the model "responsibly," using "licensed content" from Adobe Stock and the public domain. Representatives for the company said it was not trained on data scraped from the web or customer data, practices that have been controversial with other generative AI models.

The company also says that footage generated or edited with Firefly will automatically have Content Credentials attached, tagging it as being created with AI. However, similar to images created using the system, it currently falls to the user to manually check a video's veracity, as most platforms don't interpret the Content Credentials metadata.

Premiere Pro updates Image: Adobe

Adobe also announced that it's adding a new 'context-aware properties panel,' which will attempt to surface the most useful tools based on what you're currently working on.

The company has also updated the Frame.io panel, saying that the new version will make it easier to track reviews and approvals. On that note, Adobe also announced that Canon, Nikon, and Leica are adding support for Frame.io's Camera-To-Cloud feature, which lets cameras automatically upload footage to the service without needing to manually offload it to a computer. There are currently no details on which camera models will support it.

Premiere is also getting a performance bump, with the company promising that it'll be able to export to ProRes up to three times faster. The app is also getting a bit of a redesign, which the company says will make it feel "modern and more consistent."

We're attending Adobe Max, so keep an eye out for demos of some of these features. If you want to follow along live, check out our Instagram page.

Editors' Choice Photo Challenge: The blue hour

In our most recent Editors' Choice Photo Challenge, we asked you to show us the 'blue hour', a period shortly before sunrise or after sunset when the sun is below the horizon but still provides enough light to make the sky appear deep blue in photos. Once again, we were seriously impressed with some of the images you entered.

This time around, we added an extra twist: all entries had to be shot after the day the challenge was announced, so all the photos you'll see in this slideshow were taken by your fellow readers after September 22nd.

If you didn't get a chance to enter this challenge, you can watch for our November Editors' challenge, which is coming soon and will be open to photos taken at any time.

Praia da Ursa - 6

Photographer: luCalretas

Description: This beach is near the "Cabo da Roca" cape in Sintra [Portugal], featuring beautiful and gigantic rock formations. It's difficult to get there, but the view is worthy.

Equipment: Sony a5100 + Sony 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS

Fifty Shades of Blue

Photographer: rshoub

Description: None provided.

Equipment: Sony RX10 III

Blue Hour Reflection

Photographer: Brighton Shooter

Description: After a heavy night's rainfall, a photo of Brighton's i360 tower and prom during blue hour.

Equipment: Sony a7R V + Sony 16-35mm F4 G

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in Oamaru, New Zealand

Photographer: jlg84

Description: I had been hoping that I'd get to see the comet of the moment one day, and for several days, I would wake up at 4 am or so and take a quick Look out the window to see if the clouds were thin enough for a shot, and at last, that happened on 29 September 2024, coincident with New Zealand switching to summer time.

Equipment: Canon EOS R5 + Samyang 135mm F2.0 ED UMC

Yik Cheong Building (aka Monster Mansions) Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Photographer: Walters44

Description: The Yik Cheong Building (aka Monster Mansions) could easily pass as a backdrop building in BladeRunner. A dystopian ultra-cramped government housing block, it provides limitless photographic subjects.

Equipment: Canon EOS M6 II + Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art

Arts Building Valencia

Photographer: windmillgolfer

Description: Valencia Arts and Science Park after sunset, which was shortlived.

Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III + 8mm fisheye lens

Goonies Beach

Photographer: Kenster63

Description: Northern California coast, one hour after sunset.

Equipment: Nikon D750 + Nikon AF-S 35mm F1.8G ED

The Calm Waters

Photographer: Bento2

Description: View down the Chicago River as the city sparkles to life after sunset.

Equipment: Sony a6700 + Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A C RXD

Istanbul Sunset

Photographer: GZieses

Description: From the rooftop of the Seven Hills Restaurant in Istanbul, Türkiye looking across toward the Blue Mosque.

Equipment: Nikon Z6 + Nikon Z 24-200mm F4-6.3 VR

Beam Me Up, Scotty!

Photographer: Aidan Williams

Description: Walking into the scene, I fired a cold flashlight to complement the warm sunstars of the streetlights. The location is underneath a long-retired cargo crane in central Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Equipment: Sony a7C + CV 10mm F5.6

Editors' Choice Photo Challenge: The blue hour

In our most recent Editors' Choice Photo Challenge, we asked you to show us the 'blue hour', a period shortly before sunrise or after sunset when the sun is below the horizon but still provides enough light to make the sky appear deep blue in photos. Once again, we were seriously impressed with some of the images you entered.

This time around, we added an extra twist: all entries had to be shot after the day the challenge was announced, so all the photos you'll see in this slideshow were taken by your fellow readers after September 22nd.

If you didn't get a chance to enter this challenge, you can watch for our November Editors' challenge, which is coming soon and will be open to photos taken at any time.

Praia da Ursa - 6

Photographer: luCalretas

Description: This beach is near the "Cabo da Roca" cape in Sintra [Portugal], featuring beautiful and gigantic rock formations. It's difficult to get there, but the view is worthy.

Equipment: Sony a5100 + Sony 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS

Fifty Shades of Blue

Photographer: rshoub

Description: None provided.

Equipment: Sony RX10 III

Blue Hour Reflection

Photographer: Brighton Shooter

Description: After a heavy night's rainfall, a photo of Brighton's i360 tower and prom during blue hour.

Equipment: Sony a7R V + Sony 16-35mm F4 G

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in Oamaru, New Zealand

Photographer: jlg84

Description: I had been hoping that I'd get to see the comet of the moment one day, and for several days, I would wake up at 4 am or so and take a quick Look out the window to see if the clouds were thin enough for a shot, and at last, that happened on 29 September 2024, coincident with New Zealand switching to summer time.

Equipment: Canon EOS R5 + Samyang 135mm F2.0 ED UMC

Yik Cheong Building (aka Monster Mansions) Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Photographer: Walters44

Description: The Yik Cheong Building (aka Monster Mansions) could easily pass as a backdrop building in BladeRunner. A dystopian ultra-cramped government housing block, it provides limitless photographic subjects.

Equipment: Canon EOS M6 II + Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art

Arts Building Valencia

Photographer: windmillgolfer

Description: Valencia Arts and Science Park after sunset, which was shortlived.

Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III + 8mm fisheye lens

Goonies Beach

Photographer: Kenster63

Description: Northern California coast, one hour after sunset.

Equipment: Nikon D750 + Nikon AF-S 35mm F1.8G ED

The Calm Waters

Photographer: Bento2

Description: View down the Chicago River as the city sparkles to life after sunset.

Equipment: Sony a6700 + Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A C RXD

Istanbul Sunset

Photographer: GZieses

Description: From the rooftop of the Seven Hills Restaurant in Istanbul, Türkiye looking across toward the Blue Mosque.

Equipment: Nikon Z6 + Nikon Z 24-200mm F4-6.3 VR

Beam Me Up, Scotty!

Photographer: Aidan Williams

Description: Walking into the scene, I fired a cold flashlight to complement the warm sunstars of the streetlights. The location is underneath a long-retired cargo crane in central Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Equipment: Sony a7C + CV 10mm F5.6

Well, everyone, we did it – another week is in the books, which means it's time to take a look at the new accessories that came across our radar. We've found some fun ones, including a somewhat unexpected Nikon product and some inexpensive but fun third-party batteries. But first, let's look at what's on sale this week.

The deals keep going The Sony A7R V is currently $400 off.

Usually in this series, we like to point out the best camera deals around. This week, though, Amazon held its Prime Day event, and plenty of our favorite gear went on sale. While that event is technically over, most manufacturers seem to be keeping their gear on sale for the week, rather than limiting the savings to just two days. Since that's the case, I'll refer you to the Prime Day article my colleague Dale put together so you can get your deals fix.

NiSi's joining the magnetic filter game

Filter maker NiSi doesn't want you to spend all your time screwing and unscrewing filters from the front of your lens. The company has introduced its JetMag Pro system, which lets you screw on an adapter ring once, then use a variety of magnetically attaching filters.

The filters have a twist-lock system, which the company says "ensures the filter stays securely in place during use even when stacked with other filters." In its announcement video, the company even shows someone shaking a poor Nikon around while just holding on to the filter – though we wouldn't recommend trying that one at home.

The filters are color-coded, so you can tell at a glance whether you're picking up an ND filter, a UV filter, a mist filter, etc. All the filters are 82mm, but the company is selling magnetic adapter rings, which step down to various filter sizes, as well as different kits with several filters and accessories like magnetic front and back caps and carrying bags.

NiSi is far from the first company to develop a magnetic filter system, but it's always nice to have more options, especially from well-known brands. The magnetic adapter rings cost $20 each, and the filters range between $80 and $120.

Find your next shot Image: Nikon

Nikon is obviously famous for its cameras, but it also invests some of its optical expertise into binoculars. Its latest models, which it announced this week, also feature its optical image stabilization tech, giving you a much clearer view of whatever faraway object you're trying to look at.

If it weren't for the power button, you could almost confuse these for regular binoculars. They're much slimmer and more compact than the StabilEyes models the company sold many years ago, though, in fairness, those models did offer more magnification.

Nikon says you'll get up to 12 hours of runtime out of two AA batteries. You can still keep using the binoculars once the battery runs out, you just won't have the stabilization – though it can be hard to go back once you've experienced seeing the world like Legolas.

The 10x25 zoom model will sell for $640, and the 12x25 zoom model will cost $650. The company says they'll be available in early November.

Nikon Stabilized 10x25 S

$639 at B&H $639 at Nikon

Nikon Stabilized 12x25 S

$649 at B&H $649 at Nikon New camera, new cage Image: Tilta

If you recently purchased a Canon R5 II and want to rig it out for video, you now have another option. Tilta has announced a variety of accessories for the camera, including a half cage, a full cage and a cage kit that includes a handle and cable clamp for locking down any attached HDMI or USB-C cords.

The cages are made of aluminum and are relatively utilitarian-looking. Still, if you just want to add a ton of 1/4" threads on your camera, they'll provide an inexpensive way to add them.

Full Cage

$49 at Tilta

Cage Kit

$76 at Tilta More colorful batteries Image: SmallRig

A while ago, we covered Manfroto's expansion of its third-party battery lineup, which happen to come in a fun red shell. Now, SmallRig is offering something similar; its camera batteries, which can be charged directly via USB-C, are now available in vibrant safety orange.

SmallRig's lineup is extensive. It sells equivalents of the:

• Canon LP-E6NH
• Fujifilm NP-W235
• Nikon EN-EL25
• Nikon EN-EL15C
• Sony NP-FW50
• Sony NP-F970
• NP-F550

It's worth checking compatibility before purchasing; some note that they're not compatible with certain cameras that could physically fit them, such as the EN-EL15C, which doesn't currently work with the Nikon Z6III. Pricing on the models varies, but they're generally a fair bit cheaper than the first-party options.

Image: SmallRig

SmallRig is also now making its VB50 and VB99 mini V-mount batteries available in green and orange, though only in the US. Unlike regular camera batteries, the color will actually work to accessorise your rig, as V-mount batteries are located on the outside of the camera rather than inside. Perhaps that's one of the reasons that the colorful versions of the VB50 and VB99 cost $13-20 more than their black counterparts.

Orange VB99 Green VB99 $169 at Amazon $169 at B&H $169 at Amazon
$169 at B&H Orange VB50 Green VB50 $130 at Amazon $110 at B&H $130 at Amazon $110 at B&H Every video a masterpiece

A month ago, we covered Every Frame a Painting's temporary return to YouTube. This week, the filmmaking essay channel released another video, this time looking at the work of filmmaker Billy Wilder, director of classic films like The Apartment, Some Like It Hot, and Sunset Boulevard. As always, it's a great watch for anyone who's interested in movies and the craft behind them.

Click here to see last week's roundup

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

Updated: October 10th, 2024

These days, $2000 gets you a lot of camera. The picks on our list are high-spec options that are excellent for stills and video, and many have autofocus systems that come close to the performance of professional sports cameras.

Choosing a camera means committing to the ecosystem of lenses that are available for it, so we advise looking into the price and availability of the types of lenses you'd like to shoot with. It's also worth noting that some camera manufacturers are more restrictive of what options third-party lens makers can provide, so be sure to look at that during your lens research.

Speaking of lenses, it's also worth considering that the latest lens designs for mirrorless cameras regularly out-perform their older DSLR counterparts. If you have any lenses already, you may want to think about whether they're worth keeping around and adapting to a new system, or whether you'd be better off selling them and using the proceeds to buy modern equivalents of your most-used lenses. This option also gives you a path to switching brands, if you feel there's a compelling reason to do so.

Best camera around $2,000: Nikon Z6III

25MP full-frame 'Partially Stacked' CMOS sensor | 6K/60p N-Raw video | 5.76M dot OLED 0.8x EVF

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$2569 at Amazon.com What we like:

• Very good image quality
• Good autofocus tracking with auto subject recognition mode
• Extensive choice of video resolutions and codecs

What we don't:

• Peak dynamic range lower than peers
• N-Raw video format has limited support
• Nikon controls 3rd-party lens options

The Nikon Z6III is Nikon's third-generation full-frame enthusiast mirrorless camera, with a 'partially stacked' 25MP CMOS sensor. The Z6III has an ample grip and easy-to-use control scheme. Nikon's menus and touchscreen layout are also well-refined, but the camera lacks the company's traditional AF mode button or front-corner switch. Autofocus is generally reliable, and the camera includes Nikon's 3D-tracking system and plenty of subject recognition modes. It can shoot 20 raws per second, or 60fps in JPEG mode. The Z6III is a genuine do-anything camera with excellent video and photo capabilities. Image quality is very good, with lots of detail and acceptable amounts of noise. There is a slight dynamic range tradeoff for speed, but it's only noticeable in extreme situations. The Z6III shoots many video formats, including Raw, and has dependable subject-tracking autofocus and a waveform display. Its 4K and 5.4K modes produce excellent detail, even in 60p, and its rolling shutter performance is outstanding. The Z6III is a significant step-up from its predecessor and is to-date the most all-round capable camera in its class. It excels in both stills and video.

Read our full review of the Nikon Z6III

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. Best camera under $2,000: 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:

$2549 at Amazon.com 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 retro-styled camera built around an image-stabilized 24MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor. 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 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 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 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 full review of the Nikon Zf

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. A capable Canon: Canon EOS R6 II

24MP Dual Pixel AF CMOS sensor | 40fps burst shooting | 4K/60 from 6K capture

Photo: Dale Baskin

Buy now:

$2289 at Amazon.com What we like:

• Simple, powerful AF for stills
• Fast 40fps shooting with continuous AF
• Excellent battery life

What we don't:

• AF less reliable in video mode
• SD cards limit burst duration
• E-shutter can distort fast-moving subject

The EOS R6 Mark II is Canon's second-generation full-frame enthusiast mirrorless camera, and is based around a stabilized 24MP Dual Pixel CMOS sensor.

It's hard to overstate how evenly matched the EOS R6 II and our overall winner, the Z6III, are. Nikon's latest beat the Canon by a hair on the strengths of its video specs – including its better autofocus performance when shooting video – and its slightly nicer viewfinder. If you don't shoot video, your choice between the two should purely be dictated by the two companies' lens lineups and how they match your preferences... with the knowledge that they both tightly control which lenses third parties like Sigma and Tamron can produce for their systems.

The R6 II has a substantial hand grip and well spaced controls that pair with a simple touchscreen interface and logically-arranged menu system. It fits comfortably in the hand even with larger lenses. Autofocus performance is consistently reliable, even when capturing images at 40fps. A wide variety of subject detection modes and a surprisingly clever 'Auto' detection mode allow the camera to choose appropriate AF areas and algorithms for many commonly-photographed subjects. The EOS R6 Mark II is a great stills and video camera, with fast burst shooting being its standout feature. Rolling shutter is surprisingly well controlled in 40fps electronic shutter mode, though like most of its peers, the R6 Mark II drops to 12-bit capture, reducing dynamic range. In the less fast modes, the image quality is excellent. Video is substantially improved over the original R6, with full width oversampled 4K up to 60p, and greatly improved thermal management. Video autofocus still has a tendency to jump to the background, requiring the user to continually redirect the camera to your chosen subject while filming. Aside from the maximum burst rate, the Canon R6 Mark II might look like a minor upgrade from its 2020 Camera of the Year precursor, but the impressive number of small improvements add up to one of the most well-rounded full-frame cameras in its price range.

Read our full review of the Canon EOS R6 II

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. The compact option: Sony a7C II

33MP BSI CMOS sensor | 4K/60p video with 10-bit color | Dedicated ‘AI’ processor for AF system

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$1999 at Amazon.com What we like:

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

What we don't:

• No joystick control
• No fully mechanical shutter

The Sony a7C II is a compact, full-frame mirrorless camera with a 33MP BSI CMOS sensor.

The a7C II's viewfinder is a little small and rather low resolution for this price, but it's part of what helps the camera stay so compact. Modern full-frame lenses are often so large as to make the difference in camera size fairly trivial but Sony's E-mount has the widest range of lenses available, so there are some relatively compact options.

The a7C II is impressively small for a full-frame camera. The addition of a front control dial improves handling significantly and brings it closer to its peers. A fully articulating screen anchors the back and features an extremely responsive touch interface. Unlike many cameras at this price, there’s no joystick control. Autofocus performance on the a7C II is fantastic and is helped by having a processor dedicated to handling machine learning-derived algorithms. Subject recognition is quick, and the AF system tracks subjects tenaciously around the frame in both stills or video. 10 fps burst shooting with continuous AF results in a dependably high hit rate. “The a7C II is a surprisingly capable camera for its size.” The a7C II's 4K/30p video is downsampled from 7K, but with fairly high rolling shutter. There's also 4K/60p from an APS-C crop, all in 10-bit color. S-Log3 and S-Cinetone profiles provide flexibility in post, and the camera supports internal LUTs. Auto Framing mode punches in on subjects, keeping them framed and in focus. The camera includes mic and headphone jacks. The a7C II is a surprisingly capable camera for its size. It essentially provides the same level of image quality, video capabilities, and AF performance as Sony’s a7 IV, but in a smaller package. In exchange for the small size, you make a few tradeoffs, like no AF joystick, but if compact size is a priority the a7C II will get you there with few compromises.

Read our full review of the Sony a7C II

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. Should I buy the Sony a7 IV, a7 III or a7C?

At this point, the Sony a7 IV is tough to recommend. There are ways it's better than the A7C II, such as its much nicer viewfinder, slightly better ergonomics, and full mechanical shutter, which eliminates the risk of the slight image glitches that can occur if you shoot images at very high shutter speeds with wide apertures. But it's also larger, heavier and offers less effective image stabilization than the newer, generally less expensive model. If you're sure you don't care about compactness, it might be worth your while to pay a little extra for the a7 IV's larger, higher-resolution viewfinder, but only if the price difference is small.

It's a similar story with the a7 III and a7C. These are from an older generation of products with less sophisticated autofocus, video and image stabilization. They also use an older, more awkward-to-navigate menu system which we'd happily pay to avoid ever having to use again. The a7C lacks the version II's front control dial and features an even smaller viewfinder, so we'd be inclined to save up for one of the newer models.

What about other sensor sizes?

There are a couple of high-end APS-C cameras that fall in the realm of our 'around $2000' guide, and they're certainly worth a look. The smaller APS-C sensor format generally gives the Canon EOS R7 and Fujifilm X-T5 an image quality disadvantage, compared with the full-frame models in this guide, but also means they can give smaller lens/camera combinations. They're also markedly less expensive than the other cameras we'd recommend.

In the case of the Fujifilm X-T5, you gain access to a wide range of lenses that includes some well-priced options and a healthy selection of prime lenses, that can be fun to shoot with. Fujifilm's X-T series significantly pre-dates Nikon's Zf and Z fc throwback models and arguably has a more refined shooting experience, thanks in part to the company's habit of including aperture rings on many of its lenses. Its autofocus isn't up with the best cameras in this guide, nor is its video output, but it's a camera we really like, if a compact kit and prime lenses appeal to you.

Also worth mentioning are the OM System OM-1 II and Panasonic G9II, which were both released 2024, and act as flagships for Micro Four Thirds. That format is smaller still than APS-C, which could be a tough sell given the sensor sizes people usually expect when they're spending this much on a camera – they cost $2,400 and $1,899, respectively. However, they may be worth considering if you're excited by computational photography features like handheld high-resolution mutishot, are looking to get the most reach out of the smallest lenses, or are going on adventures that require the most compact kit available.

Best for vlogging: Sony ZV-E1

Full-width 4K/60p, 120p with minor crop | Auto cropping/framing modes | Subject recognition AF

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$2152 at Amazon.com What we like:

• 4K footage up to 120p
• Auto-cropped modes aid one-person operation
• Effective autofocus

What we don't:

• Recording times can be short in warm conditions
• 12MP resolution not optimal for stills
• Cropped footage is upscaled to 4K

The Sony ZV-E1 is a full-frame E-mount mirrorless camera aimed at vloggers and ambitious content creators.

The ZV-E1 is a specialist tool designed for vlogging. It shares many of its capabilities with the more expensive FX3 and a7S III but adds a series of modes that automatically frame and follow a presenter around the scene, if you're trying to shoot video single-handed. The lack of fan and single card slot significantly dent its recording endurance, so it's unlikely to work as a cheaper alternative to the FX3 for serious video work.

The ZV-E1 has two command dials, both on the back of the camera, which makes manual video control a little fiddly, there's a touchscreen-led interface to encourage more automated presenter/operator working, though. The ZV-E1's subject recognition system is highly reliable. The lack of a fan means it's much more susceptible to overheating than the otherwise similar FX3. It adds automated modes that crop and follow a recognized subject around the frame, adding dynamism to single-operator footage. "The ZV-E1 has some clever automated modes but can be a bit fiddly to operate. It's hard to match the power for the price, though" The camera's 4K footage (up to 120p) is detailed with relatively little rolling shutter, but you'll want to use the strongest level of image stabilization (with crop) for hand-held shooting as it's a little juddery in less intensive modes. The camera's 12MP sensor takes perfectly attractive images with plenty of dynamic range and pleasant JPEG color but the low resolution means it wouldn't be our choice if stills shooting is important to your work. The ZV-E1 tries to marry the capability of the FX3 cinema camera with automated ease-of-use, but can end up being quite confusing in the auto modes and quite fiddly if you try to take a more hands-on approach. It's hard to match the power for the price, though.

Read our initial review of the Sony ZV-E1

What if I want to shoot videos, not vlogs?

Realistically, all of our picks above have very capable video modes that should give you the flexibility to work on the occasional video project. If you're mainly buying a camera for video work, though, it's worth considering something like the Sony FX30, which is designed to be flown on gimbals and to produce 4K/60p video without having to crop in. Sony's more video-focused camera also has excellent rolling shutter rates, helping avoid a jello-like effect in fast-moving footage, as well as best-in-class autofocus.

The FX30 does have the downside of having an APS-C sensor, meaning it can't take in as much light as full-frame options. Its full-frame counterpart, the FX3, is priced way above $2,000. If you really value full-frame and video performance, the Panasonic S5 IIX has some serious video chops, including features like waveform displays and shutter angle settings. However, its autofocus is decidedly a tier below Sony's, as is its rolling shutter performance.

A fixed-lens option: 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:

$1389 at Amazon.com What we like:

• Excellent build quality
• Subject-detection autofocus
• Now with in-body image stabilization

What we don't:

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

While the rest of our selections from this guide have interchangeable lenses, a feature you might demand at this price point, the incredibly hyped-up Fujifilm X100VI also sits just under the $2,000 price range at a (new, higher-than-its-predecessor) price of $1,600 and is worth considering.

A fixed-lens camera with a 35mm equivalent F2 lens, the X100VI is in active production following its 2024 launch, and so should be somewhat easier to buy than its constantly out-of-stock forebear. The reality, at the moment, is that it's also quite hard to find.

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.

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.

If you're looking to make an investment in a camera with a ton of versatility, the X100VI doesn't compete with cameras that support dozens or hundreds of lenses. But for the price point, it's the best at what it does.

Read our Fujifilm X100VI review

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. Why you should trust us

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.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.

Yesterday, Panasonic fully unveiled the S 18-40mm F4.5-6.3, a compact lens that's the new kit option for the company's creator-focused S9 camera. We were able to put it to the test and shoot a sample gallery with it, which should give anyone considering it a good idea of how it performs.

One note on processing: our standard procedure for lens galleries is to export the JPEGs using Capture One, as it gives us more control over how lens corrections are applied than Adobe Camera Raw. However, we shot this gallery with the Panasonic S9, which currently isn't supported in Capture One, so we reverted to processing these images using ACR. We've worked to use settings similar to our standard C1 recipe while also using the lens' built-in distortion correction profile. No correction for vignetting was applied.

Click here to see the S 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Buy now:

$499 at Amazon.com$497 at B&H Photo$499 at Adorama

NASA photo / Matthew Dominick

Hurricane Milton is barreling across the Gulf of Mexico toward the west coast of Florida, putting almost 15 million Florida residents under flood watches and prompting the evacuation of millions from the central part of the state.

Earlier today, NASA astronaut and photographer Matthew Dominick shared photos and video of Hurricane Milton through the window of the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. The spacecraft is currently waiting to undock from the International Space Station to return to Earth.

The National Hurricane Center continued to classify Milton as a Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 265 km/h (165 mph) and warning of "life-threatening inundation from storm surge." However, the view from space belies the terrifying wind and rain on the ground, clearly showing the pinwheel shape of the hurricane with an identifiable eye at its center.

Additionally, Dominick posted a timelapse video from Dragon Endeavour on X, giving a sense of what it's like to pass directly over the hurricane.

Timelapse flying by Hurricane Milton about 2 hours ago.

1/6400 sec exposure, 14mm, ISO 500, 0.5 sec interval, 30fps pic.twitter.com/p5wBlC95mx

— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 8, 2024

In addition to Dominick's posts on X, NASA has shared two videos of the hurricane from the International Space Station that provide different views:

NASA caption: External cameras on the International Space Station captured views of strengthening Hurricane Milton at 10:28 a.m. EDT October 7 as it churned across the Gulf of Mexico. NASA caption: External cameras on the International Space Station captured new views of category 4 Hurricane Milton at 9:37 a.m. EDT October 8.

Although Milton may appear serene from space, and maybe even beautiful, it poses a real risk to life and property down on Earth and will impact millions. If you're anywhere in the path of the hurricane, you can visit the National Weather Service's feed on X, where the agency is posting regular updates and information.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners

The Natural History Museum has announced the winners of its prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. This year, the museum received a record-breaking 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories and granted awards to 100 photos. The two Grand Title winners were selected from 18 category winners.

Celebrating its 60th year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. You can visit the exhibition in person at the museum beginning Friday, October 11, and on tour around the UK and in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, with more locations to be announced. The exhibition features all 100 winning images, videos showing the impact wildlife photography can have globally, and past Grand Title winners.

Here, we present some of our favorites, including the Grand Title and winners of many award categories.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Grand Title

The Swarm of Life by Shane Gross, Canada
Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Grand Title
Winner, Wetlands: The Bigger Picture

Shane Gross looks under the surface layer of lily pads as a mass of western toad tadpoles swim past. Shane snorkeled in the lake for several hours through carpets of lily pads. This prevented any disturbance of the fine layers of silt and algae covering the lake bottom, which would have reduced visibility. Western toad tadpoles swim up from the safer depths of the lake, dodging predators and trying to reach the shallows, where they can feed. The tadpoles start becoming toads between four and 12 weeks after hatching. An estimated 99% will not survive to adulthood.

Location: Cedar Lake, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Technical details: Nikon D500 + Tokina fisheye 10–17mm F3.5–4.5 lens at 11mm; 1/200 at F13; ISO 640; 2x Sea & Sea strobes; Aquatica housing

Copyright Shane Gross / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Grand Title

Life Under Dead Wood by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, Germany
Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Grand Title
Winner, 15-17 Years

Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas rolls a log over to see the fruiting bodies of slime mold and a tiny springtail. Alexis worked fast to take this photograph, as springtails can jump many times their body length in a split second. He used a technique called focus stacking, where 36 images, each with a different area in focus, are combined. Springtails are barely two millimeters long (less than a tenth of an inch). They are found alongside slime molds and leaf litter all over the world. They feed on microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, improving soil by helping organic matter to decompose.

Location: Berlin, Germany

Technical details: Panasonic Lumix G91 + Laowa 25mm F2.8; 2.5–5x ultra macro lens; 1/200 at F4; ISO 200; Nikon SB-900 Speedlight flash; Cygnustech macro diffuser; focus stack of 36 images

Copyright Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner: Urban Wildlife

Tiger in Town by Robin Darius Conz, Germany
Winner, Urban Wildlife

Robin Darius Conz watches a tiger on a hillside against the backdrop of a town where forests once grew. Robin was following this tiger as part of a documentary team filming the wildlife of the Western Ghats. On this day, he used a drone to watch the tiger explore its territory before it settled in this spot. The protected areas in the Western Ghats, where tigers are carefully monitored, are some of the most biodiverse landscapes in India and have a stable population of tigers. Outside these areas, where development has created conflict between humans and wildlife, tiger occupancy has declined.

Location: Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India

Technical details: DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine + 70mm F2.8 lens; 1/15 at F2.8; ISO 400

Copyright Robin Darius Conz / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Behavior: Birds

Practice Makes Perfect by Jack Zhi, USA
Winner, Behavior: Birds

Jack Zhi enjoys watching a young falcon practicing its hunting skills on a butterfly above its sea-cliff nest. Jack has been visiting this area for the past eight years, observing the constant presence of one of the birds and photographing the chicks. On this day, it was a challenge to track the action because the birds were so fast. Should this young peregrine falcon make it to adulthood, tests have shown it will be capable of stooping or dropping down on its prey from above at speeds of more than 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour).

Location: Los Angeles, California, USA

Technical details: Sony α9 II + 600mm F4 lens; 1/4000 at F5.6; ISO 640

Copyright Jack Zhi / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Oceans: The Bigger Picture

A Diet of Deadly Plastic by Justin Gilligan, Australia
Winner, Oceans: The Bigger Picture

Justin Gilligan (Australia) creates a mosaic from the 403 pieces of plastic found inside the digestive tract of a dead flesh-footed shearwater. Justin has been documenting Adrift Lab’s work for several years, often joining them on beach walks at dawn to collect dead chicks. The team brings together biologists from around the world to study the impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems. Studies found that three-quarters of adult flesh-footed shearwaters breeding on Lord Howe Island – and 100% of fledglings – contained plastic. The team, including a Natural History Museum scientist, discovered it causes scarring to the lining of the digestive tract, a condition called plasticosis.

Location: Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia

Technical details: Nikon D850 + 24–70mm F2.8 lens; 1/125 at F11; ISO 400; Profoto B10 + A1 flash

Copyright Justin Gilligan / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Behavior: Invertebrates

The Demolition Squad by Ingo Arndt, Germany
Winner, Behavior: Invertebrates

Ingo Arndt documents the efficient dismemberment of a blue ground beetle by red wood ants. ‘Full of ant’ is how Ingo described himself after lying next to the ants’ nest for just a few minutes. Ingo watched as the red wood ants carved an already dead beetle into pieces small enough to fit through the entrance to their nest. Much of the red wood ants’ nourishment comes from honeydew secreted by aphids, but they also need protein. They are capable of killing insects and other invertebrates much larger than themselves through sheer strength in numbers.

Location: Hessen, Germany

Technical details: Canon EOS 5DS R + 100mm F2.8 lens; 1/200 at F8; ISO 400; Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX flash; softboxes

Copyright Ingo Arndt / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Photojournalism

Dusting for New Evidence by Britta Jaschinski, Germany/UK
Winner, Photojournalism

Britta Jaschinski looks on as a crime scene investigator from London’s Metropolitan Police dusts for prints on a confiscated tusk. Britta spent time at the CITES Border Force department, where confiscated animal products are tested. Newly developed magnetic powder allows experts to obtain fingerprints from ivory up to 28 days after it was touched, increasing the chances of identifying those involved in its illegal trade. The International Fund for Animal Welfare has distributed more than 200 specially created kits to border forces from 40 countries. They have been instrumental in four cases that resulted in 15 arrests.

Location: Heathrow Airport, London, England, UK

Technical details: Leica SL2 + 24–90mm F2.8–4 lens at 62mm; 1/80 at F3.8; ISO 200

Copyright Britta Jaschinski / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, 11-14 Years

An Evening Meal by Parham Pourahmad, USA
Winner, 11-14 Years

Parham Pourahmad watches as the last rays of the setting sun illuminate a young Cooper’s hawk eating a squirrel. Over a single summer, Parham visited Ed R Levin County Park most weekends to take photographs. He wanted to showcase the variety of wildlife living within a busy metropolitan city and to illustrate that ‘nature will always be wild and unpredictable’. The Cooper’s hawk is a common species across southern Canada, the USA, and central Mexico, where it inhabits mature and open woodlands. These adaptable birds also live in urban spaces, where there are tall trees to nest in and bird feeders that attract smaller birds, which they can prey on.

Location: Ed R Levin County Park, California, USA

Technical details: Nikon D3500 + Sigma 150–600mm F5-6.3 lens at 210mm; 1/400 at F6.3; ISO 800

Copyright Parham Pourahmad / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Animals in their Environment

Frontier of the Lynx by Igor Metelskiy, Russia
Winner, Animals in their Environment

Igor Metelskiy shows a lynx stretching in the early evening sunshine, its body mirroring the undulating wilderness. The remote location and changing weather conditions made access to this spot – and transporting equipment there – a challenge. Igor positioned his camera trap near the footprints of potential prey. It took more than six months of waiting to achieve this relaxed image of the elusive lynx. A survey carried out in 2013 estimated the entire Russian lynx population was around 22,500 individuals, with numbers for the Russian Far East, including those in Primorsky Krai, at 5,890.

Location: Lazovsky District, Primorsky Krai, Russia

Technical details: Sony α7 IV + 24–70mm F2.8 lens; 1/500 at F5.6; ISO 100; Scout camera controller + PIR motion sensor

Copyright Igor Metelskiy / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Impact Award

Recording by Hand by Liwia Pawłowska, Poland
Winner, Impact Award

Liwia Pawłowska watches as a relaxed common whitethroat is gently held by a bird ringer. Liwia is fascinated by bird ringing and has been photographing ringing sessions since she was nine. She says that she hopes her photograph ‘helps others to get to know this topic better.’ Volunteers can assist trained staff at bird-ringing sessions, where a bird’s length, sex, condition and age are recorded. Data collected helps scientists to monitor populations and track migratory patterns, aiding conservation efforts.

Location: Rgielsko, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland

Technical details: Nikon Coolpix P900; 1/400 at F5; ISO 100

Copyright Liwia Pawlowska / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Impact Award

Hope for the Ninu by Jannico Kelk, Australia
Winner, Impact Award

Jannico Kelk illuminates a ninu, with the wire grass and shrubs behind it providing a frame against the darkness. Jannico spent each morning walking the sand dunes of a conservation reserve, searching for footprints that this rabbit-sized marsupial may have left the night before. Finding tracks near a burrow, he set up his camera trap. The greater bilby has many Aboriginal names, including ninu. It was brought to near extinction through predation by introduced foxes and cats. Within fenced reserves where many predators have been eradicated, the bilby is thriving.

Location: Arid Recovery, Roxby Downs, South Australia, Australia

Technical details: Canon EOS 60D + 24mm F2.8 lens; 1/80 at F9; ISO 320; 3x Nikon SB-28 Speedlight flashes; Camtraptions PIR motion sensor

Copyright Jannico Kelk / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Behavior: Amphibians and Reptiles

Wetland Wrestle by Karine Aigner, USA
Winner, Behavior: Amphibians and Reptiles

Karine Aigner recognizes the skin of a yellow anaconda as it coils itself around the snout of a yacaré caiman. The tour group Karine was leading had stopped to photograph some marsh deer when she noticed an odd shape floating in the water. Through binoculars, Karine quickly recognized the reptiles and watched as they struggled with each other. Caimans are generalist feeders and will eat snakes. As anacondas get larger, they will include reptiles in their diet. It’s hard to determine who is the aggressor here. On the snake’s back are two tabanids, blood-sucking horseflies that are known to target reptiles.

Location: Transpantaneira Highway, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Technical details: Sony α1 + 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 lens; 1/400 at F16; ISO 800

Copyright Karine Aigner / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Animal Portraits

On Watch by John E Marriott, Canada
Winner, Animal Portraits

John E Marriott frames a lynx resting, with its fully grown young sheltering from the cold wind behind it. John had been tracking this family group for almost a week, wearing snowshoes and carrying light camera gear to make his way through snowy forests. When fresh tracks led him to the group, he kept his distance to make sure he didn’t disturb them. Lynx numbers usually reflect the natural population fluctuations of their main prey species, the snowshoe hare. With climate change reducing snow coverage, giving other predators more opportunities to hunt the hares, hare populations may decline, in turn affecting the lynx population.

Location: Yukon, Canada

Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV + 100–400mm fF.5–5.6 lens at 400mm; 1/800 at F9; ISO 1250

Copyright John E Marriott / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Photojournalist Story Award

Dolphins of the Forest by Thomas Peschak, Germany/South Africa
Winner, Photojournalist Story Award

‘Among the Trees’: The Amazon river dolphin is one of two freshwater dolphin species living in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Only this species has evolved to explore the seasonally flooded forest habitat.

Portfolio Story: Thomas Peschak documents the relationship between endangered Amazon river dolphins, also known as botos or pink river dolphins, and the people with whom they share their watery home. The Amazon river dolphin’s relationship with humans is complex. Traditional Amazonian beliefs hold that the dolphins can take on human form, and they are both revered and feared. Others see them as thieves who steal fish from nets and should be killed. Thomas took these images in areas where local communities are creating opportunities for tourists to encounter the dolphins. This brings another set of problems: when they’re fed by humans, the dolphins become unhealthy, and younger individuals don’t learn to hunt for themselves.

Technical details: Nikon Z9 + 14–30mm F4 lens at 16mm; 1/320 at F6.3; ISO 1250

Location: Brazil and Colombia

Copyright Thomas Peschak/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Rising Star Portfolio Award

The Serengeti of the Sea by Sage Ono, USA
Winner, Rising Star Portfolio Award

‘Rubies and Gold’: These tube-snout fish eggs will fade in color as the embryos develop. But for now, they sparkle like gems next to the kelp’s gold, glowing, gas-filled buoyancy aids. The green serrated edges of the kelp fronds complete the simple composition.

Portfolio Story: Sage Ono explores the abundant life around the giant kelp forests in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Inspired by the stories told by his grandfather, a retired marine biologist, and by a photograph of a larval cusk eel, Sage acquired a compact underwater camera and decided to take up underwater photography. After university, he moved to the coast near the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to pursue his interest. Here, it’s the submerged world of the bay’s forests of giant kelp – the biggest of all seaweeds – and the diversity of life they contain that have captured his imagination.

Technical details: Nikon D850 + 60mm F2.8 lens; 1/160 at F14; ISO 250; Nauticam NA-D850 housing; 2x Sea & Sea YS-D2J strobes

Location: California, USA

Copyright Sage Ono / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners

The Natural History Museum has announced the winners of its prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. This year, the museum received a record-breaking 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories and granted awards to 100 photos. The two Grand Title winners were selected from 18 category winners.

Celebrating its 60th year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. You can visit the exhibition in person at the museum beginning Friday, October 11, and on tour around the UK and in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, with more locations to be announced. The exhibition features all 100 winning images, videos showing the impact wildlife photography can have globally, and past Grand Title winners.

Here, we present some of our favorites, including the Grand Title and winners of many award categories.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Grand Title

The Swarm of Life by Shane Gross, Canada
Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Grand Title
Winner, Wetlands: The Bigger Picture

Shane Gross looks under the surface layer of lily pads as a mass of western toad tadpoles swim past. Shane snorkeled in the lake for several hours through carpets of lily pads. This prevented any disturbance of the fine layers of silt and algae covering the lake bottom, which would have reduced visibility. Western toad tadpoles swim up from the safer depths of the lake, dodging predators and trying to reach the shallows, where they can feed. The tadpoles start becoming toads between four and 12 weeks after hatching. An estimated 99% will not survive to adulthood.

Location: Cedar Lake, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Technical details: Nikon D500 + Tokina fisheye 10–17mm F3.5–4.5 lens at 11mm; 1/200 at F13; ISO 640; 2x Sea & Sea strobes; Aquatica housing

Copyright Shane Gross / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Grand Title

Life Under Dead Wood by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, Germany
Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Grand Title
Winner, 15-17 Years

Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas rolls a log over to see the fruiting bodies of slime mold and a tiny springtail. Alexis worked fast to take this photograph, as springtails can jump many times their body length in a split second. He used a technique called focus stacking, where 36 images, each with a different area in focus, are combined. Springtails are barely two millimeters long (less than a tenth of an inch). They are found alongside slime molds and leaf litter all over the world. They feed on microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, improving soil by helping organic matter to decompose.

Location: Berlin, Germany

Technical details: Panasonic Lumix G91 + Laowa 25mm F2.8; 2.5–5x ultra macro lens; 1/200 at F4; ISO 200; Nikon SB-900 Speedlight flash; Cygnustech macro diffuser; focus stack of 36 images

Copyright Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner: Urban Wildlife

Tiger in Town by Robin Darius Conz, Germany
Winner, Urban Wildlife

Robin Darius Conz watches a tiger on a hillside against the backdrop of a town where forests once grew. Robin was following this tiger as part of a documentary team filming the wildlife of the Western Ghats. On this day, he used a drone to watch the tiger explore its territory before it settled in this spot. The protected areas in the Western Ghats, where tigers are carefully monitored, are some of the most biodiverse landscapes in India and have a stable population of tigers. Outside these areas, where development has created conflict between humans and wildlife, tiger occupancy has declined.

Location: Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India

Technical details: DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine + 70mm F2.8 lens; 1/15 at F2.8; ISO 400

Copyright Robin Darius Conz / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Behavior: Birds

Practice Makes Perfect by Jack Zhi, USA
Winner, Behavior: Birds

Jack Zhi enjoys watching a young falcon practicing its hunting skills on a butterfly above its sea-cliff nest. Jack has been visiting this area for the past eight years, observing the constant presence of one of the birds and photographing the chicks. On this day, it was a challenge to track the action because the birds were so fast. Should this young peregrine falcon make it to adulthood, tests have shown it will be capable of stooping or dropping down on its prey from above at speeds of more than 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour).

Location: Los Angeles, California, USA

Technical details: Sony α9 II + 600mm F4 lens; 1/4000 at F5.6; ISO 640

Copyright Jack Zhi / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Oceans: The Bigger Picture

A Diet of Deadly Plastic by Justin Gilligan, Australia
Winner, Oceans: The Bigger Picture

Justin Gilligan (Australia) creates a mosaic from the 403 pieces of plastic found inside the digestive tract of a dead flesh-footed shearwater. Justin has been documenting Adrift Lab’s work for several years, often joining them on beach walks at dawn to collect dead chicks. The team brings together biologists from around the world to study the impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems. Studies found that three-quarters of adult flesh-footed shearwaters breeding on Lord Howe Island – and 100% of fledglings – contained plastic. The team, including a Natural History Museum scientist, discovered it causes scarring to the lining of the digestive tract, a condition called plasticosis.

Location: Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia

Technical details: Nikon D850 + 24–70mm F2.8 lens; 1/125 at F11; ISO 400; Profoto B10 + A1 flash

Copyright Justin Gilligan / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Behavior: Invertebrates

The Demolition Squad by Ingo Arndt, Germany
Winner, Behavior: Invertebrates

Ingo Arndt documents the efficient dismemberment of a blue ground beetle by red wood ants. ‘Full of ant’ is how Ingo described himself after lying next to the ants’ nest for just a few minutes. Ingo watched as the red wood ants carved an already dead beetle into pieces small enough to fit through the entrance to their nest. Much of the red wood ants’ nourishment comes from honeydew secreted by aphids, but they also need protein. They are capable of killing insects and other invertebrates much larger than themselves through sheer strength in numbers.

Location: Hessen, Germany

Technical details: Canon EOS 5DS R + 100mm F2.8 lens; 1/200 at F8; ISO 400; Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX flash; softboxes

Copyright Ingo Arndt / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Photojournalism

Dusting for New Evidence by Britta Jaschinski, Germany/UK
Winner, Photojournalism

Britta Jaschinski looks on as a crime scene investigator from London’s Metropolitan Police dusts for prints on a confiscated tusk. Britta spent time at the CITES Border Force department, where confiscated animal products are tested. Newly developed magnetic powder allows experts to obtain fingerprints from ivory up to 28 days after it was touched, increasing the chances of identifying those involved in its illegal trade. The International Fund for Animal Welfare has distributed more than 200 specially created kits to border forces from 40 countries. They have been instrumental in four cases that resulted in 15 arrests.

Location: Heathrow Airport, London, England, UK

Technical details: Leica SL2 + 24–90mm F2.8–4 lens at 62mm; 1/80 at F3.8; ISO 200

Copyright Britta Jaschinski / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, 11-14 Years

An Evening Meal by Parham Pourahmad, USA
Winner, 11-14 Years

Parham Pourahmad watches as the last rays of the setting sun illuminate a young Cooper’s hawk eating a squirrel. Over a single summer, Parham visited Ed R Levin County Park most weekends to take photographs. He wanted to showcase the variety of wildlife living within a busy metropolitan city and to illustrate that ‘nature will always be wild and unpredictable’. The Cooper’s hawk is a common species across southern Canada, the USA, and central Mexico, where it inhabits mature and open woodlands. These adaptable birds also live in urban spaces, where there are tall trees to nest in and bird feeders that attract smaller birds, which they can prey on.

Location: Ed R Levin County Park, California, USA

Technical details: Nikon D3500 + Sigma 150–600mm F5-6.3 lens at 210mm; 1/400 at F6.3; ISO 800

Copyright Parham Pourahmad / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Animals in their Environment

Frontier of the Lynx by Igor Metelskiy, Russia
Winner, Animals in their Environment

Igor Metelskiy shows a lynx stretching in the early evening sunshine, its body mirroring the undulating wilderness. The remote location and changing weather conditions made access to this spot – and transporting equipment there – a challenge. Igor positioned his camera trap near the footprints of potential prey. It took more than six months of waiting to achieve this relaxed image of the elusive lynx. A survey carried out in 2013 estimated the entire Russian lynx population was around 22,500 individuals, with numbers for the Russian Far East, including those in Primorsky Krai, at 5,890.

Location: Lazovsky District, Primorsky Krai, Russia

Technical details: Sony α7 IV + 24–70mm F2.8 lens; 1/500 at F5.6; ISO 100; Scout camera controller + PIR motion sensor

Copyright Igor Metelskiy / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Impact Award

Recording by Hand by Liwia Pawłowska, Poland
Winner, Impact Award

Liwia Pawłowska watches as a relaxed common whitethroat is gently held by a bird ringer. Liwia is fascinated by bird ringing and has been photographing ringing sessions since she was nine. She says that she hopes her photograph ‘helps others to get to know this topic better.’ Volunteers can assist trained staff at bird-ringing sessions, where a bird’s length, sex, condition and age are recorded. Data collected helps scientists to monitor populations and track migratory patterns, aiding conservation efforts.

Location: Rgielsko, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland

Technical details: Nikon Coolpix P900; 1/400 at F5; ISO 100

Copyright Liwia Pawlowska / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Impact Award

Hope for the Ninu by Jannico Kelk, Australia
Winner, Impact Award

Jannico Kelk illuminates a ninu, with the wire grass and shrubs behind it providing a frame against the darkness. Jannico spent each morning walking the sand dunes of a conservation reserve, searching for footprints that this rabbit-sized marsupial may have left the night before. Finding tracks near a burrow, he set up his camera trap. The greater bilby has many Aboriginal names, including ninu. It was brought to near extinction through predation by introduced foxes and cats. Within fenced reserves where many predators have been eradicated, the bilby is thriving.

Location: Arid Recovery, Roxby Downs, South Australia, Australia

Technical details: Canon EOS 60D + 24mm F2.8 lens; 1/80 at F9; ISO 320; 3x Nikon SB-28 Speedlight flashes; Camtraptions PIR motion sensor

Copyright Jannico Kelk / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Behavior: Amphibians and Reptiles

Wetland Wrestle by Karine Aigner, USA
Winner, Behavior: Amphibians and Reptiles

Karine Aigner recognizes the skin of a yellow anaconda as it coils itself around the snout of a yacaré caiman. The tour group Karine was leading had stopped to photograph some marsh deer when she noticed an odd shape floating in the water. Through binoculars, Karine quickly recognized the reptiles and watched as they struggled with each other. Caimans are generalist feeders and will eat snakes. As anacondas get larger, they will include reptiles in their diet. It’s hard to determine who is the aggressor here. On the snake’s back are two tabanids, blood-sucking horseflies that are known to target reptiles.

Location: Transpantaneira Highway, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Technical details: Sony α1 + 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 lens; 1/400 at F16; ISO 800

Copyright Karine Aigner / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Animal Portraits

On Watch by John E Marriott, Canada
Winner, Animal Portraits

John E Marriott frames a lynx resting, with its fully grown young sheltering from the cold wind behind it. John had been tracking this family group for almost a week, wearing snowshoes and carrying light camera gear to make his way through snowy forests. When fresh tracks led him to the group, he kept his distance to make sure he didn’t disturb them. Lynx numbers usually reflect the natural population fluctuations of their main prey species, the snowshoe hare. With climate change reducing snow coverage, giving other predators more opportunities to hunt the hares, hare populations may decline, in turn affecting the lynx population.

Location: Yukon, Canada

Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV + 100–400mm fF.5–5.6 lens at 400mm; 1/800 at F9; ISO 1250

Copyright John E Marriott / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Photojournalist Story Award

Dolphins of the Forest by Thomas Peschak, Germany/South Africa
Winner, Photojournalist Story Award

‘Among the Trees’: The Amazon river dolphin is one of two freshwater dolphin species living in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Only this species has evolved to explore the seasonally flooded forest habitat.

Portfolio Story: Thomas Peschak documents the relationship between endangered Amazon river dolphins, also known as botos or pink river dolphins, and the people with whom they share their watery home. The Amazon river dolphin’s relationship with humans is complex. Traditional Amazonian beliefs hold that the dolphins can take on human form, and they are both revered and feared. Others see them as thieves who steal fish from nets and should be killed. Thomas took these images in areas where local communities are creating opportunities for tourists to encounter the dolphins. This brings another set of problems: when they’re fed by humans, the dolphins become unhealthy, and younger individuals don’t learn to hunt for themselves.

Technical details: Nikon Z9 + 14–30mm F4 lens at 16mm; 1/320 at F6.3; ISO 1250

Location: Brazil and Colombia

Copyright Thomas Peschak/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner, Rising Star Portfolio Award

The Serengeti of the Sea by Sage Ono, USA
Winner, Rising Star Portfolio Award

‘Rubies and Gold’: These tube-snout fish eggs will fade in color as the embryos develop. But for now, they sparkle like gems next to the kelp’s gold, glowing, gas-filled buoyancy aids. The green serrated edges of the kelp fronds complete the simple composition.

Portfolio Story: Sage Ono explores the abundant life around the giant kelp forests in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Inspired by the stories told by his grandfather, a retired marine biologist, and by a photograph of a larval cusk eel, Sage acquired a compact underwater camera and decided to take up underwater photography. After university, he moved to the coast near the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to pursue his interest. Here, it’s the submerged world of the bay’s forests of giant kelp – the biggest of all seaweeds – and the diversity of life they contain that have captured his imagination.

Technical details: Nikon D850 + 60mm F2.8 lens; 1/160 at F14; ISO 250; Nauticam NA-D850 housing; 2x Sea & Sea YS-D2J strobes

Location: California, USA

Copyright Sage Ono / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

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

Panasonic has announced an update to its Lumix Lab app, along with a slew of firmware updates for the Lumix S9, S5II, S5IIX and G9II. The S9's 1.1 update, in particular, adds quite a few new features that make it a more powerful video camera, but all the cameras should be getting a decent bump in usability.

Lumix Lab updates

Let's dive into the Lumix Lab app first since it involves all the cameras above, which is actually the first big change. When Panasonic launched the app alongside the S9, it was only compatible with that camera and the GH7. Owners of other cameras had to continue using the older Lumix Sync app, as did S9 or GH7 owners who wanted to use features like remote shooting or shutter control.

That's no longer the case: Lumix Lab now supports the S5II, S5IIX, and G9II and has shutter remote control and remote shooting features. The remote shooting mode even lets you change whether you're using the P, S, A, or M exposure modes without touching the dial on the camera; of course, when you disconnect the app, it reverts back to the setting on the dial.

The updated Lumix Lab app will let you remotely control your camera via Wi-Fi, or use your phone as a remote shutter over Bluetooth.

The update also lets you use your camera to select which images to send to the app, instead of waiting for the app to download all the thumbnails from the camera, then using it to select which ones to pull onto your phone.

S5II, S5IIX, and G9II owners can now also use the LUT features in the Lumix Lab app, creating their own looks or downloading ones from creators to send to their cameras. Panasonic says that when it launched the app earlier this year, it had 80 LUTs in the community tab; it says there are over 100 now.

Lumix S9 updates

The 1.1 update for the S9 mainly focuses on video features but also adds support for two new subjects to the subject-tracking autofocus system. The update will let the S9 recognize trains and planes, and users can determine whether they want to prioritize the driver's cabin or nose, respectively, versus the entire train or plane. The update also adds part priority to the S9's existing motorcycle and car tracking modes, letting you ask the system to focus on a driver or rider's helmet versus the vehicle as a whole.

You can now target specific parts of vehicles. The ability to target trains and planes at all, as well as their cockpits, is altogether new to the S9.

Panasonic has also addressed a major complaint video creators had with the S9 by letting you bypass the video record time limits. Initially, you could only record up to 15 minutes of 4K video and 10 minutes of 6K video, which Panasonic says was a bid to avoid the camera ever overheating and displaying a cooldown message. Now, it's adding a video record limit setting, and flipping it off makes the camera record until it reaches its temperature limit.

Once that happens, you won't be able to record again until the camera has sufficiently cooled down – you also won't have access to certain features while it's overheated, though it does helpfully list which features are currently disabled on the screen. The company does recommend that you use a tripod if you flip the limit off, as the camera can get quite warm to the touch.

The update also adds the ability to have multiple frame markers if you plan on delivering a video in several aspect ratios. Originally, the S9 let you have a single one, but with the 1.1 update, you can have up to three color-coded markers. There are also presets for four new aspect ratios: 17:9, 9:17, 7:6 and 6:7.

You can have up to three frame guides, each set to its own color. You can also mask out areas not captured by any of your selected aspect ratios.

Depending on your settings, you can adjust the frame markers from the live view screen. Tapping on them will let you resize and reposition each marker you have activated. The feature can also be used in conjunction with frame masks, which can darken or black out the areas outside your frame markers; when adjusting your markers, the mask updates in real-time.

Lumix S5II, S5IIX and G9II updates

Panasonic is releasing firmware update 3.1 for the S5II, 2.1 for the S5IIX, and 2.2 for the G9II. Beyond adding compatibility for Lumix Lab, it also lets you use Panasonic's XLR adapter with the cameras and assign the Real Time LUT feature to function buttons.

The updates also add support for 5Ghz Wi-Fi, in regions where the standard is allowed. The S5II and IIX technically already had support for 5Ghz Wi-Fi when using the Frame.IO integration, but now you can use it with the Lumix Lab app to transfer images and photos to your phone faster than you can with 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi.

The S5II and S5IIX are also getting the Leica Monochrome photo style that debuted with the G9II

Panasonic says that the features added to the S9 in version 1.1, such as the new autofocus subjects and multiple framing guides, will be coming to the Mk. II cameras, but that they're not included in this round of updates.

The updates also add compatibility with the 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 lens the company also announced today. If the lens is retracted, the cameras will pop up a message saying that it needs to be extended before you can use it.

The company is also releasing an update for the original Lumix S5, though it's substantially smaller. It adds 'improved operational stability,' as well as the 'extend lens' message for the 18-40mm.

Press Release:

Panasonic Announces New Firmware Updates for its LUMIX S and G Series Cameras: S9, S5II, S5IIX, G9II

Newark, N.J. (October 8, 2024) – Panasonic has announced a host of new firmware updates for its full frame mirrorless LUMIX S9, S5II, S5IIX cameras and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless G9II camera that improve the shooting experience and enhance functionality.

In line with LUMIX’s continuous commitment to supporting creators, the latest firmware updates will be available to download free of charge from the LUMIX Global Customer Support website on 9th October 2024. Firmware updates include:

LUMIX S9 Firmware Version 1.1

• A recording time limit menu has been added with a new option to record without time limitation.1
• A display feature for multiple frame markers has been added, which now allows for the display of up to three frame markers simultaneously. This adds further versatility for content creators framing for different aspect ratios or planning shots with multiple compositions, further enhancing the unrivalled convenience of shooting in Open Gate.
• The highly accurate phase hybrid auto focus system has been improved with enhanced subject detection. A new option is now available to select detection of airplanes and trains, as well as specific parts of cars and motorcycles.
• Compatibility with the LUMIX Lab smartphone app has been expanded to include remote shooting, shutter remote control, and the ability to transfer images selected on the camera.
• Operational stability has been improved.

LUMIX S5II Firmware Version 3.1 and LUMIX S5IIX Firmware Version 2.1

• LEICA Monochrome is now available as a Photo Style, providing a strong and dynamic monochrome shooting option.
• Compatibility with the LUMIX Lab smartphone app is now supported.
• The latest Panasonic XLR microphone adapter, DMW-XLR2, is now supported.2
• 5GHz Wi-Fi frequency option now available and has been added to the existing 2.4GHz option.3
• Real Time LUT can now be assigned to the Fn button, allowing creators to easily enjoy a range of popular, classic or bespoke color styles in-camera.
• Operational stability has been improved.

*1 - The recording time varies depending on the environment and operating conditions.

Recording will stop automatically if the internal temperature gets too high, even when set to unlimited recording mode.

*2 - 32 Bit Float recording is not available on the S5II, S5IIX or G9II

*3 - Depending on the region, local regulations, etc. may prohibit you from using the 5GHz frequency band outdoors. If this is the case, when outdoors, connect to the smartphone using [2.4GHz] for the Wi-Fi connection.

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

Panasonic is launching the 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 lens that it teased with the launch of the Lumix S9 earlier this year. It claims the new lens is the smallest and lightest interchangeable zoom with autofocus for full-frame mirrorless cameras. While that's quite a few caveats, it is undoubtedly compact: the lens weighs 155g (5.5oz) and is 40.9mm (1.6") long when retracted.

Despite being an extending lens, Panasonic claims it's dust, splash, and freeze resistant and can be used in temperatures down to -10°C (14°F). The front element also has a fluorine coating for dirt and oil resistance.

While the lens is far from being a macro – it offers a maximum magnification of 0.28x at 21mm – it still has relatively close-focusing abilities and can focus on a subject at 15cm (5.9") in its 18-21mm focal range. Fully zoomed in, its closest focusing distance goes up to 35cm (13.8").

Image: Panasonic

The 18-40mm is made up of 8 elements in 7 groups and features 3 aspherical elements, 2 ED elements and a UHR element. It accepts 62mm filters.

Panasonic is making this lens the new kit lens for the S9. The creator-focused camera originally launched with the company's 20-60mm f3.5-5.6 as the kit lens, which has greater reach and brighter max aperture at the cost of being double the weight of the 18-40mm. Given the S9's focus on being a small, portable full-frame camera, it seems likely the trade-off will be worth it for at least some of the audience Panasonic is targeting with the S9.

S9 w/ 18-40mm lens

$1,797 at B&H $1,799 at Amazon $1,799 at Adorama

S9 users take note: while the lens may have some level of weather sealing, the camera itself does not.

The new colors round out the S9 lineup.

Image: Panasonic

The company is also announcing two new colors of the S9: a mint green and 'sakura' pink model will be available in the US, in addition to the existing black, blue, olive, and red models.

On its own, the lens will be $499, and the S9 kit that includes it will cost $1,799, the same as the 20-60mm kit. That may make the kit a slightly worse value, depending on how you look at it; purchased by itself, the 20-60mm costs $100 more than the 18-40mm. The lens, along with the new S9 colors, will be available in mid-November.

Panasonic has also announced new software updates that bring some substantial changes to the S9; you can read our coverage of them here.

Click to see our 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 sample gallery

Buy now:

$499 at Amazon.com$497 at B&H Photo$499 at Adorama

Press Release:

Panasonic introduces the World’s Smallest and Lightest* Zoom Lens: LUMIX S 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 (S-R1840)

Newark, N.J. (October 8, 2024) – Panasonic is pleased to announce the new LUMIX S 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 lens based on the L-Mount system standard.

The new LUMIX S 18-40mm is the world’s smallest and lightest* zoom lens, weighing approximately 155g/0.34lb, and is designed to be a compact and lightweight addition to the LUMIX S Series full frame lens line up. This lens covers focal lengths from an ultra-wide angle of 18mm to a standard 40mm, with a closest shooting distance of 0.15m/0.49ft, allowing for the flexibility to capture expansive landscapes and buildings or portrait shots in a natural perspective.

In addition, the lens incorporates the high-quality video performance expected from LUMIX with effective focus breathing suppression.

Main Features

1. The World's Smallest and Lightest* Zoom Lens

• Designed to be compact and portable with dimensions of 67.9 x 40.9 mm** and a light weight of 155g
• A perfect partner to the compact full frame LUMIX S9 camera
• Robust and reliable dust, splash and freeze-resistant design with fluorine coating

2. Unique 18-40mm Focal Length

• 18mm ultra-wide angle allows for capture of expansive landscapes, while the standard 40mm is perfect for shots with a natural perspective
• Capable of 18-120mm with the Hybrid Zoom function on the LUMIX S9

3. Ideal for Both Photography and Videography

• Excellent performance in both photo and video, capturing in high-resolution with beautiful bokeh quality
• Effectively suppresses focus breathing, in which the angle of view changes due to movements in the focus position

The LUMIX S 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 (S-R1840) will be available for purchase in Mid-November 2024 at valued channel partners for $499.99 USD for the lens and $1799.99 for the N Kit (S9 body + 18-40 lens).

In addition, LUMIX is announcing two new colors to the S9 assortment – Sakura Pink and Mint Green, which will be available for purchase Mid-November. All six colorways will also be available in a new kit that features the S9 body and the S 18-40mm lens, offering the perfect travel partner for creators on the go.

*As of October 8, 2024. Among AF compatible interchangeable zoom lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras.

**The world's thinnest at just 40.9mm when retracted.

Lumix S 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 Specifications: Principal specificationsLens typeZoom lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length18–40 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountL-MountApertureMaximum apertureF4.5–6.3Minimum apertureF22–32Aperture ringNoNumber of diaphragm blades7OpticsElements8Groups7Special elements / coatings3 Aspheric, 2 ED, 1 UHRFocusMinimum focus0.15 m (5.91″)Maximum magnification0.28×AutofocusYesMotor typeStepper motorFull time manualNoFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight155 g (0.34 lb)Diameter68 mm (2.68″)Length41 mm (1.61″)SealingYesColourBlackZoom methodRotary (extending)Power zoomNoFilter thread62 mmTripod collarNo

It's Prime Big Deals Days, Amazon's pre-holiday sales event, and DPReview has been keeping a close eye on camera prices from top brands. To help you navigate the hype, we're highlighting some of our recent Gold and Silver award-winning cameras on sale during the event. In some cases, it's not the first time these products have been priced this low, but these are still some of the best prices we've seen.

Similar deals may also be available from other retailers like B&H Photo and Adorama, as well as from manufacturers' own websites.

Gold Award winners Canon EOS R5: $2899 (save $1000)

Although there's been a lot of hype over the new EOS R5 II in recent months, the original Canon EOS R5 is still a solid 45MP camera that can deliver incredible image quality.

Read our Canon EOS R5 review.

Buy now:

$2899 at Amazon Canon EOS R6 II: $1999 (save $500)

The EOS R6 II is Canon's enthusiast-level workhorse camera. This 24MP full-frame camera includes features like 40fps burst shooting, Raw burst mode with pre-capture, and 4K/60p video capture that's oversampled from 6K video.

Read our Canon EOS R6 II review.

Buy now:

$1999 at Amazon Nikon Z8: $3496 (save $500)

The 45MP Nikon Z8 is one of the most impressive mirrorless cameras we've tested, delivering most of the features found in Nikon's flagship Z9 model in a smaller body.

Read our Nikon Z8 review.

Buy now:

$3496 at Amazon Sony a7R V: $3498 (save $400)

The a7R V is Sony's flagship high-resolution camera body, delivering 61MP of resolution, impressive detail, excellent dynamic range, and a powerful AF system.

Read our Sony a7R V review.

Buy now:

$3498 at Amazon Sony a7 IV: $2298 (save $200)

The Sony a7 IV is an enthusiast-level camera with a 33MP full-frame sensor that delivers excellent dynamic range, captures 10-bit 4K video, and features an autofocus system that works well in both modes.

Read our Sony a7 IV review.

Buy now:

$2298 at Amazon Sony a7R IV: $2998 (save $200)

Sony's a7R IV is a few years old and lacks some of the updated features found on the newer a7R V, but its 61MP sensor matches the quality of the newer model. If you want a camera that can deliver high-quality, high-resolution images and aren't worried about missing out on some of the newer features, the a7R IV offers a lot of bang for the buck.

Read our Sony a7R IV review.

Buy now:

$2998 at Amazon Sony a7S III: $3198 (save $300)

Sony's video-focused a7S III is the third generation of Sony's a7S line. It produces outstanding video and can capture 4K video at frame rates up to 120p.

Read our Sony a7S III review.

Buy now:

$3198 at Amazon Silver Award winners Canon EOS R8: $1299 (save $200)

The EOS R8 is an entry-level full-frame camera from Canon. Although it doesn't have some of the advanced features found on Canon's more expensive models, it's built around the same 24MP sensor found on the EOS R6 II and can deliver excellent image quality.

Read our Canon EOS R8 review.

Buy now:

$1299 at Amazon Nikon Z7 II: $1996 (save $1000)

The Nikon Z7 II is a high-resolution full-frame camera featuring a 45MP image sensor. This model has been around for a few years, but if you're looking for a high-resolution Nikon body and don't need the updated features in the newer Z8, it can still deliver outstanding image quality that won't disappoint.

Read our Nikon Z7 II review.

Buy now:

$1996 at Amazon Nikon Z6 II: $1596 (save $400)

The enthusiast-oriented Nikon Z6 II may have been overshadowed by the hype surrounding its recently launched successor, the Z6III. However, like several other models on this list, it can still deliver excellent image quality if you don't need the updated features found on the latest and greatest models.

Read our Nikon Z6 II review.

Buy now:

$1596 at Amazon

It's Prime Big Deals Days, Amazon's pre-holiday sales event, and DPReview has been keeping a close eye on camera prices from top brands. To help you navigate the hype, we're highlighting some of our recent Gold and Silver award-winning cameras on sale during the event. In some cases, it's not the first time these products have been priced this low, but these are still some of the best prices we've seen.

Similar deals may also be available from other retailers like B&H Photo and Adorama, as well as from manufacturers' own websites.

Gold Award winners Canon EOS R5: $2899 (save $1000)

Although there's been a lot of hype over the new EOS R5 II in recent months, the original Canon EOS R5 is still a solid 45MP camera that can deliver incredible image quality.

Read our Canon EOS R5 review.

Buy now:

$2899 at Amazon Canon EOS R6 II: $1999 (save $500)

The EOS R6 II is Canon's enthusiast-level workhorse camera. This 24MP full-frame camera includes features like 40fps burst shooting, Raw burst mode with pre-capture, and 4K/60p video capture that's oversampled from 6K video.

Read our Canon EOS R6 II review.

Buy now:

$1999 at Amazon Nikon Z8: $3496 (save $500)

The 45MP Nikon Z8 is one of the most impressive mirrorless cameras we've tested, delivering most of the features found in Nikon's flagship Z9 model in a smaller body.

Read our Nikon Z8 review.

Buy now:

$3496 at Amazon Sony a7R V: $3498 (save $400)

The a7R V is Sony's flagship high-resolution camera body, delivering 61MP of resolution, impressive detail, excellent dynamic range, and a powerful AF system.

Read our Sony a7R V review.

Buy now:

$3498 at Amazon Sony a7 IV: $2298 (save $200)

The Sony a7 IV is an enthusiast-level camera with a 33MP full-frame sensor that delivers excellent dynamic range, captures 10-bit 4K video, and features an autofocus system that works well in both modes.

Read our Sony a7 IV review.

Buy now:

$2298 at Amazon Sony a7R IV: $2998 (save $200)

Sony's a7R IV is a few years old and lacks some of the updated features found on the newer a7R V, but its 61MP sensor matches the quality of the newer model. If you want a camera that can deliver high-quality, high-resolution images and aren't worried about missing out on some of the newer features, the a7R IV offers a lot of bang for the buck.

Read our Sony a7R IV review.

Buy now:

$2998 at Amazon Sony a7S III: $3198 (save $300)

Sony's video-focused a7S III is the third generation of Sony's a7S line. It produces outstanding video and can capture 4K video at frame rates up to 120p.

Read our Sony a7S III review.

Buy now:

$3198 at Amazon Silver Award winners Canon EOS R8: $1299 (save $200)

The EOS R8 is an entry-level full-frame camera from Canon. Although it doesn't have some of the advanced features found on Canon's more expensive models, it's built around the same 24MP sensor found on the EOS R6 II and can deliver excellent image quality.

Read our Canon EOS R8 review.

Buy now:

$1299 at Amazon Nikon Z7 II: $1996 (save $1000)

The Nikon Z7 II is a high-resolution full-frame camera featuring a 45MP image sensor. This model has been around for a few years, but if you're looking for a high-resolution Nikon body and don't need the updated features in the newer Z8, it can still deliver outstanding image quality that won't disappoint.

Read our Nikon Z6 II review.

Buy now:

$1996 at Amazon Nikon Z6 II: $1596 (save $400)

The enthusiast-oriented Nikon Z6 II may have been overshadowed by the hype surrounding its recently launched successor, the Z6III. However, like several other models on this list, it can still deliver excellent image quality if you don't need the updated features found on the latest and greatest models.

Read our Nikon Z6 II review.

Buy now:

$1596 at Amazon

Images: pexar, SmallRig, Nikon

Welcome to this week's accessory roundup. If we're being honest, it's been a bit of a dry one out there for accessory news; manufacturers have likely been busy getting ready for the upcoming Amazon Prime Day event that starts on October 8th, and the busy sales season that'll follow the month after. However, we've dug deep and found some accessory news for you. Before we get to that though, let's go back to talking deals for list a moment...

OM Cameras on sale

The OM-5, OM System's compact Micro Four Third camera, is currently on sale for $1,000, $200 off its MSRP. When we reviewed it, we appreciated its capable stabilization, size, and weather sealing. While it certainly has some drawbacks like using microUSB instead of USB-C and the company's older menu system, the less expensive price takes the sting out of those a bit.

Buy now:

$999 at Amazon.com

The company's high-end camera, the OM-1 II, is also $400 off, bringing its price to right under $2,000, body-only.

Buy now:

$1999 at Amazon.com

Taking a slight – okay, massive – step up in size, weight, and price, the Nikon Z8 is also $400 off. It's one of the most powerful full-frame cameras we've reviewed to date, and won our Gold award last year.

Buy now:

Buy at Amazon.comBuy at B&H PhotoBuy at Adorama Frame It

It's easy to understand where the name comes from, but Lexar better hope that a certain animation studio isn't feeling particularly litigious.

Image: Lexar

Lexar, a brand probably best known for its memory cards and readers, has launched a new sub-brand to sell digital photo frames called 'pexar.' The announcement was made at IFA last month, but it flew under the radar for a bit until sites like Digital Camera World and PetaPixel picked up on it.

The first pexar-branded product is a 28 cm (11") digital picture frame with a 2000 x 1200 touchscreen display that can go up to 400 nits of brightness, 32GB of built-in storage, a magnetic stand that lets you use it in portrait and landscape, and an anti-glare display. It also has an SD card slot and a USB-A port to let you expand how many pictures it can hold, but the company says you should be able to fit "over 40,000" images on it before you need to do that.

There's also an app that lets "up to 512 users" connect to the frame and upload images or videos to it. This could be useful for those giving it as a gift to a family member or friend and who want to keep it updated with recent photos, or someone who wants to use it as a way to display their own photography without having to do prints.

At $160, it's certainly positioned as a premium product, though it's also not the most expensive option in the category. It also has a higher resolution than The Wirecutter's pick for a 38cm (15") digital photo frame. The company also says that a smaller 25.7cm (10.1") version is in the works and will launch sometime this month.

$159 at Amazon Lights, camera, action Image: SmallRig

Chip-on-board lights, or COB lights, have become popular tools for both photographers and videographers looking for a continuous light source. Recently, both SmallRig and Lume Cube announced portable COB lights, which could be handy if you find yourself needing a fill light. Both lights can be remotely operated with an app.

As its name implies, the SmallRig RC 100B is a 100W-class light. It uses bi-color LEDs, so you can have it output light at 2700-6500K. There are two different RC 100B kits; the first is the "mobile" version which mounts to a handle and includes an adapter plate that lets you use two NP-F batteries instead of the V-mount ones the light natively takes. The standard version, meanwhile, includes a light stand adapter and USB-C cable for power. Both versions also have a mini XLR input for DC power.

The mobile version retails for $199, and the standard one is $229.

Buy at B&H Buy at SmallRig Buy at Amazon Image: LumeCube

The Lume Cube XL puts out less light – it's only a 60W-class source – but adds RGB capabilities that let you output in different colors. Like the SmallRig light, it includes a reflector, and can accept power input via USB-C. It doesn't include a built-in battery mount, though you can buy a battery handle separately, but does come with a power adapter that lets you plug it into the wall.

The Lume Cube XL is available for $249.

A trip to the museum Photo: Nikon

This one is less of an accessory and more of a place you can go to see a ton of camera gear. Nikon has announced that it'll reopen its museum on October 12, after closing it while relocating its headquarters. There, you'll be able to see around "1,300 products and technologies" from Nikon's camera, lens, binocular, and industrial businesses. Perhaps most excitingly, the consumer section has a "touch and try" section, though the company's map doesn't have much detail on what types of products you'll be able to get your hands on.

Admission to the museum is free, but you'll obviously have to physically be in Tokyo if you want to visit.

Image: Nikon

If you do want to buy something, the museum has a gift shop that sells "15 types of acrylic keychain" that depict cameras and lenses, which are quite adorable and only 500 yen (around $3.40 US at time of writing).

Click to see last week's accessory roundup

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.

Earlier this week, we published our review of the Nikon Z6III, a very capable enthusiast full-frame camera. As always, the process of writing the review involved taking tons of photos in a wide variety of scenarios.

You can look through the sample gallery we published alongside the review to get a feel for how the camera performs and to judge its image quality for yourself. As always, the full Raws and JPEGs are available for download if you want to see how they work with your chosen software and workflow.

Click to see the full sample gallery

The Sitina S1

Photo: Wenting Zhang

Here at DPReview, we love DIY photography projects, and one recently came to our attention that we just had to share.

Boston-based engineer and photographer Wenting Zhang has been experimenting with DIY electronics for over a decade and also loves taking photos, so building his own camera was a natural extension of these interests.

"I initially had the idea of building my own camera during middle school. Back then, I wasn't allowed to use my parents' camera and couldn't afford a real camera. I naively thought it would be possible, and cheaper, if I just built one myself," Zhang told DPReview. His initial attempt didn't go well, and he eventually saved enough to buy a used Nikon D90, but the itch to build his own camera stayed. Whenever he saw someone posting about a DIY camera project, he thought, "If other people can pull that off, I should be able to as well."

In this recently published video, Wenting Zhang walks through assembly of his current prototype camera.

Zhang says he started the project in 2017, and it's not finished yet. "Engineers are usually bad at estimating how long things will take. I am probably particularly bad at that. I expected this project to be challenging, so it would take a bit longer, like probably one year. Turned out my estimation was off," he says.

He makes clear to point out that this is a hobby project, purely for fun, and that his camera isn't going to achieve the level of image quality found in commercially available products from established companies. Despite that, his project provides a fascinating look into what's involved in building a camera from the ground up. What's more, Zhang has open-sourced his entire project on GitLab for anyone else who might want to build upon it.

Zhang took this photo with a monochrome version of the Sitina, which uses the same sensor but without the Bayer color filter array.

Photo: Wenting Zhang

Although CMOS has become the dominant sensor technology in consumer cameras, owing to factors like speed, lower power consumption and cost, Zhang's camera is built around a 10MP Kodak KAI-11000CM CCD sensor with a global electronic shutter, which he selected for a rather pragmatic reason: it was easy to source. "Most manufacturers (like Sony) aren't going to just sell a sensor to a random hobbyist, so I have to buy whatever is available on eBay. This 10MP CCD turned out to be available," he explains.

Zhang attaches the CCD sensor to his heat sink.

Photo: Wenting Zhang

The choice of sensor has a useful benefit. As he explains in one of his videos, designing and building a mechanical shutter is complicated and beyond his area of expertise, so his DIY design is based on using an electronic shutter. For similar reasons, he chose to use an LCD screen as a viewfinder rather than a prism-based optical design, resulting in a mirrorless camera.

Photo captured with the Sitina S1.

Photo: Wenting Zhang

Zhang wanted his design to be compatible with existing lenses. His mirrorless design, with a short flange distance, provided a great deal of flexibility to adapt different lenses to the camera, and he's currently using E-mount with active electrical contacts.

And that's just the start. Zhang also needed to integrate a CCD signal processor with an ADC (analog to digital converter), a CPU, battery, an LCD screen and buttons. He also designed and built his own circuit board with a power-only USB port, flash sync terminal, power button and SD card slot, and create the software and user interface to tie it all together.

In order to build his camera, Zhang had to design and print his own circuit boards.

Image: Wenting Zhang

Finally, everything fits inside a 3D-printed enclosure that, to my eye, looks rather attractive.

As for the camera's name, the Sitina S1? "I simply put the word 'silicon' and 'retina' together to form the word 'sitina'. I don't have any better ideas of naming the camera model, so I simply call it the 'Sitina S1', he explains. "But the name may change in the future if I ever have better ideas."

Zhang was kind enough to share some photos from his DIY 'for fun' camera.

Photos: Wenting Zhang

Now that he's built his own camera, Zhang has an appreciation for how much work goes into the design, development and optimization of a modern consumer camera. "I would imagine it would take an army of designers and engineers of various disciplines to build a modern consumer camera," he says. "There are so many different components but few 'off the shelf' parts."

"On top of the hardware, we still have layers of software. There's no standard camera operating system (like Android or Windows) so each vendor is developing its own OS. On top of the OS, you have image processing algorithms where each vendor probably has their own secret sauce for better color, lower noise, etc. I think it's quite incredible that camera vendors are able to do all these things in-house."

In this video, Wenting Zhang dives into the technical details of what's required to design a working camera.

Zhang is still working to address issues in his current prototype. "I think in another year or two it could reach a state where it can be a useable and useful camera. I do wish to sell the camera either as a kit people can put together or as an assembled machine. Not for profit, but so people can play with it, and my effort on this project won't go to waste."

If you're curious to learn more about how a camera is built, I encourage you to watch both of Zhang's videos in their entirety as he goes into great detail about the process. And, if you have the technical skills and interest to try this type of DIY project yourself, his open source project could be invaluable. I'll be the first to admit it goes beyond my level of engineering know-how, but I would be first in line to order a Sitina camera DIY kit if the opportunity arose.

The Sitina S1

Photo: Wenting Zhang

Here at DPReview, we love DIY photography projects, and one recently came to our attention that we just had to share.

Boston-based engineer and photographer Wenting Zhang has been experimenting with DIY electronics for over a decade and also loves taking photos, so building his own camera was a natural extension of these interests.

"I initially had the idea of building my own camera during middle school. Back then, I wasn't allowed to use my parents' camera and couldn't afford a real camera. I naively thought it would be possible, and cheaper, if I just built one myself," Zhang told DPReview. His initial attempt didn't go well, and he eventually saved enough to buy a used Nikon D90, but the itch to build his own camera stayed. Whenever he saw someone posting about a DIY camera project, he thought, "If other people can pull that off, I should be able to as well."

In this recently published video, Wenting Zhang walks through assembly of his current prototype camera.

Zhang says he started the project in 2017, and it's not finished yet. "Engineers are usually bad at estimating how long things will take. I am probably particularly bad at that. I expected this project to be challenging, so it would take a bit longer, like probably one year. Turned out my estimation was off," he says.

He makes clear to point out that this is a hobby project, purely for fun, and that his camera isn't going to achieve the level of image quality found in commercially available products from established companies. Despite that, his project provides a fascinating look into what's involved in building a camera from the ground up. What's more, Zhang has open-sourced his entire project on GitLab for anyone else who might want to build upon it.

Zhang took this photo with a monochrome version of the Sitina, which uses the same sensor but without the Bayer color filter array.

Photo: Wenting Zhang

Although CMOS has become the dominant sensor technology in consumer cameras, owing to factors like speed, lower power consumption and cost, Zhang's camera is built around a 10MP Kodak KAI-11000CM CCD sensor with a global electronic shutter, which he selected for a rather pragmatic reason: it was easy to source. "Most manufacturers (like Sony) aren't going to just sell a sensor to a random hobbyist, so I have to buy whatever is available on eBay. This 10MP CCD turned out to be available," he explains.

Zhang attaches the CCD sensor to his heat sink.

Photo: Wenting Zhang

The choice of sensor has a useful benefit. As he explains in one of his videos, designing and building a mechanical shutter is complicated and beyond his area of expertise, so his DIY design is based on using an electronic shutter. For similar reasons, he chose to use an LCD screen as a viewfinder rather than a prism-based optical design, resulting in a mirrorless camera.

Photo captured with the Sitina S1.

Photo: Wenting Zhang

Zhang wanted his design to be compatible with existing lenses. His mirrorless design, with a short flange distance, provided a great deal of flexibility to adapt different lenses to the camera, and he's currently using E-mount with active electrical contacts.

And that's just the start. Zhang also needed to integrate a CCD signal processor with an ADC (analog to digital converter), a CPU, battery, an LCD screen and buttons. He also designed and built his own circuit board with a power-only USB port, flash sync terminal, power button and SD card slot, and create the software and user interface to tie it all together.

In order to build his camera, Zhang had to design and print his own circuit boards.

Image: Wenting Zhang

Finally, everything fits inside a 3D-printed enclosure that, to my eye, looks rather attractive.

As for the camera's name, the Sitina S1? "I simply put the word 'silicon' and 'retina' together to form the word 'sitina'. I don't have any better ideas of naming the camera model, so I simply call it the 'Sitina S1', he explains. "But the name may change in the future if I ever have better ideas."

Zhang was kind enough to share some photos from his DIY 'for fun' camera.

Photos: Wenting Zhang

Now that he's built his own camera, Zhang has an appreciation for how much work goes into the design, development and optimization of a modern consumer camera. "I would imagine it would take an army of designers and engineers of various disciplines to build a modern consumer camera," he says. "There are so many different components but few 'off the shelf' parts."

"On top of the hardware, we still have layers of software. There's no standard camera operating system (like Android or Windows) so each vendor is developing its own OS. On top of the OS, you have image processing algorithms where each vendor probably has their own secret sauce for better color, lower noise, etc. I think it's quite incredible that camera vendors are able to do all these things in-house."

In this video, Wenting Zhang dives into the technical details of what's required to design a working camera.

Zhang is still working to address issues in his current prototype. "I think in another year or two it could reach a state where it can be a useable and useful camera. I do wish to sell the camera either as a kit people can put together or as an assembled machine. Not for profit, but so people can play with it, and my effort on this project won't go to waste."

If you're curious to learn more about how a camera is built, I encourage you to watch both of Zhang's videos in their entirety as he goes into great detail about the process. And, if you have the technical skills and interest to try this type of DIY project yourself, his open source project could be invaluable. I'll be the first to admit it goes beyond my level of engineering know-how, but I would be first in line to order a Sitina camera DIY kit if the opportunity arose.

Today, Fujifilm announced an upcoming firmware update for the X-H2, X-H2S, and GFX 100 II that's meant to improve the cameras' video capabilities.

In a YouTube video, the company says the update will improve the stability of autofocus subject tracking while shooting video. It's also adding support for Ambient's wired Lockit timecode synchronization devices and introducing a new F-Log2 C mode, which the company says will provide a much wider color gamut than the traditional F-Log2 that the cameras already had.

F-Log2 C uses a wider color gamut than the standard F-Log2.

The company says it's currently "considering further enhancements" and that people should stay tuned. There's clearly an appetite for more updates among Fujifilm users: currently, the video's comment section is essentially wall-to-wall people asking why the update isn't also coming to the X-T5 and the X-S20, and saying that they're still hoping for additional improvements to autofocus performance in those cameras' stills modes as well.

The updates for the X-H2, X-H2S, and GFX 100 II are expected to come out in November. We'll be sure to let you know when they're officially released and ready to be installed on your camera.