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Today, Fujifilm announced an upcoming firmware update for the X-H2, X-H2S, and GFX 100S 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 100S 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.

Image: Fujifilm

Earlier today on its YouTube channel, Fujifilm announced that it will hold one of its X Summit events on October 14th at 9:00 AM ET (6:00 AM PT) at the CLAY Studio Tokyo. The company says the event will be focused on design, including product design and production engineering design.

The company says it will use the October event to "deliver new information" from a "design perspective." Historically, Fujifilm has used X Summit events to announce new products; this year, the company has used the events to unveil the X100 VI, X-T50 and GFX 100S II.

The company typically posts videos from its events on its YouTube channel.

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The Nikon Z6III is the company's third-generation full-frame mirrorless camera, bringing a faster 24MP sensor that boosts the autofocus and video capabilities of this stills/video hybrid.

Key specifications

• 24MP "Partially Stacked" CMOS sensor
• 14fps with mech shutter, 20fps e-shutter up to 1000 Raw files
• Up to 60fps JPEG in full resolution, 120fps with APS-C crop
• In-body image stabilization rated at up to 8.0 stops
• 5.76M dot EVF with high brightness and wide color gamut
• Fully articulated 3.2" 2.1M dot rear screen
• 6K/60p N-Raw video, 6K/30p ProRes Raw
• 5.4K/60p H.265 video
• Pre-burst capture, pixel-shift high-res mode

The Nikon Z6III is available at a recommended price of $2500. This is a $500 increase over the previous Z6 models but brings it into line with the likes of Canon's EOS R6 II and Sony's a7 IV, with which it directly competes.

Buy now:

$2496 at Amazon.com$2497 at B&H Photo$2497 at Adorama Index:

• What's new?
• How it compares
• Body and handling
• Image quality
• Autofocus
• Video
• Conclusion
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

What's new 24MP "Partially Stacked" CMOS sensor

Nikon's image of the Z6III's sensor, showing the extensive readout circuitry above and below the sensor.

Image: Nikon

The sensor at the heart of the Z6III is responsible for much of what the new camera brings. Nikon uses the term "Partially Stacked" to suggest it has some of the performance benefits of the Stacked CMOS chips it uses in its Z8 and Z9 models, but without the associated cost.

Applying an additional layer of silicon at the edges of the chip allows its readout circuitry to be more sophisticated than it would be, were it fabricated as part of the sensor layer, enabling faster data handling.

The result is that the camera can read out its sensor fast enough to deliver full-width 6K video at up to 60p in N-Raw mode and an e-shutter flash sync speed of 1/60 sec. This means it must be able to read the entire sensor in less than 1/60 sec. This is around the same speed as the Canon EOS R6 II, but in 14-bit sensor readout mode, rather than 12-bit. It can shoot full-res JPEGs (presumably from 12-bit readout) at up to 50fps.

However, that e-shutter sync speed of 1/60th is around a quarter of the speed of true Stacked CMOS sensors and not a vast leap forward from the previous generation of sensors. It should improve AF performance and video capabilities but won't deliver the blisteringly fast performance of the likes of the Z8.

Improved AF

Along with the faster sensor, the Z6III also gains the autofocus improvements seen in Nikon's recent models, including 3D Tracking and subject recognition. The company says AF is up to 20% faster than it was in the Z6 II, and that the performance is comparable with the Z8 and Z9.

On top of this, the camera can focus at down to –10EV without you having to engage the Starlight AF mode (though it's worth noting that this figure is predicated on an F1.2 lens being attached). It also gains most of the subject recognition modes from the Zf, though lacks the dedicated bird detection mode that the Z8 and Z9 have recently gained.

Subject detection modes

• People
• Animals
• Vehicles
• Airplanes
• Auto

(Dogs, cats, birds)
(Cars, motorbikes, trains, airplanes, bicycles)

These all reflect a significant improvement over the Z6 II. The 3D Tracking system resembles those on Nikon's DSLRs: pick an AF point and the camera will follow whatever's under that point when you hold the shutter half depressed or the AF-On button. As soon as you release it reverts to your previously chosen position. Unlike the Z6 II's system you don't need to press a button to cancel tracking and it doesn't revert to the center.

But as well as this increased ease-of-use, the interface controls a much more effective and reliable tracking system that's much less likely to lock onto the wrong thing or just lose it completely (which was not uncommon, especially in movie mode, on the previous generation of cameras). Add to this the camera's ability to recognize a series of subjects near your chosen AF point and the Z6 III should be much quicker and easier to work with than previous mid-level Nikons.

Video

The faster sensor sees the Z6III's video capabilities gain a significant upgrade, compared with its predecessor. It's too soon for Nikon's purchase of cinema camera maker RED to have played into this camera's development, but it relieves any uncertainty around the inclusion of onboard capture of both N-Raw and ProRes Raw video formats.

All of the codecs offer both 4K and a higher-resolution capture mode, all of which use the full width of the sensor. The Raw modes offer 6K or 4K capture, while the gamma-encoded modes (ProRes 422, H.265, H.264) offer 5.4K or UHD 4K recording.

Codec Resolutions and max frame rates N-Raw 6K/60p
4K/60p ProRes RAW 6K/30p
4K/60p ProRes 422 5.4K/60p
UHD 4K/60p H.265 5.4K/60p
UHD 4K/60p H.264 UHD 4K/30p

Like the Z8, the Z6III includes shooting aids such as waveforms, zebras and focus peaking.

The Z6III also becomes the first Nikon to accept a line-level input over its mic socket. It's also compatible with Atomos' AirGlu, a Bluetooth-based Timecode sync system.

Additional functions

The Z6III also gains all the other functions that have been added to Nikon cameras since the launch of the Z6 II, including pre-burst capabilities and multi-shot high-resolution modes.

It also has an image stabilization system that centers its correction on your chosen AF point. This is particularly valuable if you're focused in the corners of wide-angle shots, where the required pitch and yaw correction is significantly different from that needed at the center of the image.

In addition, like the Zf, the Z6III can use its subject recognition system even if you're in manual focus mode. This means that engaging magnified live view will punch in on your subject's eye, as you check focus, rather than you having to navigate around the scene to find it.

Finally, the Z6III will be compatible with a "Flexible Color" tool that will be added to Nikon's NX Studio software, which provides an enhanced set of color tools for creating custom Picture Control color modes to install on the camera.

Cloud access

The Z6III will be the first Nikon camera to use the Nikon Imaging Cloud service. This will fulfill a series of functions. At its most basic it'll be a service to which images can be uploaded and then sent on to other storage and social media services (rather than the camera itself having to know how to connect to multiple services).

It'll also be a source for "Imaging Recipes," which are camera settings intended for taking specific types of image, created with the help of Nikon's sponsored creators. There will also be "Cloud Picture Controls" presets that can be downloaded. This service isn't available yet, so we won't be able to assess its usefulness until it is.

How it compares

The $500 price hike brings the Nikon directly into line with the MSRPs of its two most comparable competitors: Sony's a7 IV and Canon's EOS R6 II. All three cameras are highly capable stills and video machines with strong AF systems. We've included the more expensive of Panasonic's DC-S5II models here because the 'X' version's video capabilities and price are closer to those of the Nikon.

Nikon Z6III Canon EOS R6 II Sony a7 IV Panasonic Lumix DC-S5II X Nikon Z6 II MSRP $2500 $2500 $2500 $2200 $2000 Sensor type "Semi-stacked" BSI CMOS Dual Pixel AF FSI CMOS BSI CMOS BSI CMOS BSI CMOS Resolution 24MP 24MP 33MP 24MP 24MP Maximum shooting rate 20fps (Raw)
60fps (JPEG) 40fps (12-bit Raw or JPEG) 10 fps (lossy Raw) 30fps (e-shutter)

14fps
10fps (14-bit Raw) Rolling shutter rate (ms) ∼14.6ms
(14-bit) ∼14.7ms
(12-bit) ∼67.6ms (14-bit) ∼51.3ms
(14-bit) ∼50.8ms (14-bit) Video resolutions

6K (Raw)
5.4K
UHD 4K

6K (Raw over HDMI)
DCI 4K
UHD 4K UHD 4K

6K
5.9K
5.9K (Raw over HDMI)
DCI 4K
UHD 4K

UHD 4K Uncompressed video N-Raw
ProRes RAW Over HDMI Over HDMI Over HDMI — Viewfinder res/ magnification/ eye-point 5.76M dot OLED/ 0.8x/
21mm

3.69M dot OLED/
0.76x/
23mm

3.68M dot OLED/ 0.78x/
23mm 3.68M dot OLED/
0.78x/
21mm 3.69M dot OLED/ 0.8x/ 21mm Rear screen 3.2" fully-articulated 2.1M dot 3.0" fully articulated
1.62M dot 3.0" fully articulated
1.04M dot 3.0" fully articulated
1.84M dot 3.2" tilting 2.1M dot Image stabilization Up to 8.0EV Up to 8.0EV Up to 5.5EV Up to 5.0EV
Up to 6.5EV with Dual IS 2 lens Up to 5.0EV Media types 1x CFe B
1x UHS II SD 2x UHS II SD 1x CFe A / UHS II SD
1x UHS II SD 2x UHS II SD 1x CFe B
1x UHS II SD Battery life EVF / LCD 360 / 390 320 / 580 520 / 580 370 / 370 360 / 420 Dimensions 139 x 102 x 74mm 138 x 98 x 88mm 131 x 96 x 80 mm 134 x 102 x 90mm 134 x 101 x 70mm Weight 760g 670g 659g 740g 705g

What the table can't capture is the subtle differences in performance between these models, which is increasingly what it comes down to, in this most competitive of classes. Our early impressions are that the Z6III matches the Canon and Sony in terms of autofocus tracking performance and usability, wheres the Panasonic lags a little and the Z6 II feels like it's left significantly behind.

Likewise the new Nikon and the Canon stand ahead in terms of video performance, as they offer faster video capture with less rolling shutter, especially compared with the rather slow Sony. We'll need to shoot the Nikon more to know whether it can outdo the Canon's video AF, which isn't the most dependable.

The stills stabilization figures do nothing to convey the smoothness of video stabilization, either, with the Panasonic doing particularly well in this regard. Increasingly, choice and availability of lenses will be the critical deciding factor for a lot of people.

Body and handling

The Z6III looks, at first glance, a lot like the existing Z6 and Z7 models, with a familiar low-height camera with significant hand grip and viewfinder hump extending from it. But if you put them side-by-side you find that the Z6III is a very different body, even if it uses the same styling cues.

It's a larger camera than its predecessors and heavier. However, it's much closer in size to them than it is to the Z8. It's wider and thicker but maintains a solid, comfortable grip. The button positions are essentially unchanged, compared to the previous cameras, with twin function buttons on the front and an AF joystick on the back.

The body is constructed from a mixture of magnesium alloy and thermoplastic composite, which feels fairly dense and solid in the hand. Nikon also points out the efforts it's made to seal the joins between body panels, though makes no explicit claims about how weather-proof it end up being.

Although the styling is similar and the button layout essentially the same, the Z6III is a larger, heavier camera than its predecessors. Its grip is a little more comfortable than before, partly because it's slightly taller, so there's less risk of your little finger extending beyond the bottom of the handgrip.

We generally like the button layout on the Z6 series: there are a lot of controls but they're not too small or cramped and they're generally withing easy reach when you're gripping the camera. We still miss the focus mode switch from Nikon's DSLRs though: the provision of a button on the lower front corner of the Z8 gave us hope that we might get one here, too, but no.

While the grip is generally quite comfortable, we found that extended use makes you aware of some fairly hard edges, so it's worth thinking about how you handle it. While working with heavier and longer lenses, it's normal to take most of the weight in the hand cradling the lens, but we found it helped to bias towards taking the weight with your left hand when lifting the camera into the shooting position, too: the limitations of the camera's grip will make themselves felt if you lead with your right hand when swinging a large lens up to your eye.

Viewfinder The Z6III is a larger, heavier body than its predecessor, but the controls are essentially the same. The Playback and drive mode buttons have been swapped, but that's the most significant change. There's also a button on the top plate to illuminate the settings panel.

The Z6III becomes the first Z-series camera to move beyond the 3.69M dot panels used so far. It sees a jump to 5.76M dots but, more importantly, also gains a significant brightness boost. The panel can go as bright as 4000nits and can cover the DCI P3 gamut required for HLG.

You'll need to manually push it to its brightest setting to get this full brightness but it means the camera can represent true HDR capture when shooting in HEIF mode, and generally give a viewfinder that differs less in brightness, relative to the real world. It can be run at up to 120fps.

There's no viewfinder blackout when shooting bursts in electronic shutter modes, but the use of a mechanical shutter means it's present in most modes.

Articulated rear screen

The Z6III becomes the first in its series to gain a fully-articulated screen, rather than the tilting panels that the previous models have had. It's a 3.2" LCD panel with 2.1M dots.

The hinge is very close to the camera's (full-sized) HDMI port and only a little in front of the mic and headphone sockets, so expect it to be a little awkward to use if you've got a lot of things plugged into the side of the body.

Battery

The Z6III uses the same EN-EL15c battery as its predecessor, and is rated as delivering a similar number of images. In standard mode it is rated to give 390 shots per charge if used via the rear LCD, and 360 shots through the viewfinder. Move into power saving mode and these numbers increase to 410 and 380 shots per charge, respectively. As always, these numbers tend to significantly under-represent the number of shots most people will achieve. Getting twice the rated figure isn't unusual, and more if you shoot a lot of images as bursts.

The camera can be charged or powered over USB, but it seems to prefer high-powered USB-PD chargers, so it's worth checking that the 'CHG' lamp above the USB socket is illuminated, if you're expecting to come back to find your battery replenished.

A battery grip with vertical controls and space for two, hot-swappable, batteries has been created. The MB-N14 is backward compatible with the Z6 II and Z7 II. This grip displaces the internal battery, meaning you end up with two batteries in total. It has its own USB-C socket for charging the batteries even with the grip detached.

Image quality

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors, and detail types you'll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes, full even light and low directional light, to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

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The Z6III's image quality is very good, with high levels of detail capture for a 24MP sensor. It exhibits a little more noise than its predecessor at moderate ISOs and this difference becomes more apparent at extremely high ISO, though the results are still comparable with its peers.

The JPEG engine doesn't quite pull out as much fine detail from its files as Sony's does, but again the results are definitely competitive. JPEG color is the usual, attractive Nikon result, with slightly over-pink Caucasian skintones but attractively yellow yellows. Noise reduction errs on the side of smooth, rather than trying to maintain very fine detail, with the difference becoming significant at very high ISO settings.

Pixel Shift

Like many modern cameras, the Z6III has a multi-shot pixel shift mode (or, arguably, two: one that just cancels the Bayer pattern, to boost color resolution in a 24MP image and a second to boost the spatial resolution, too). As with all cameras, these require a very steady tripod and completely static subject to get the best results, and in the case of the Z6III there's no motion correction to deliver some sort of result in less-than-optimal circumstances. In the case of the Z6III, the images must be combined using Nikon's free Capture NX software, which makes the process fairly quick and painless. The merged NEFX files can be opened with other software, including Adobe Camera Raw.

At present, even with a heavy, sandbagged tripod, our studio experiences too much vibration to use these modes to their full effect, so we can't test them to a degree we're satisfied with. This isn't a problem specific to the Z6III but does help illustrate the real-world limitations of such modes.

Dynamic range

As with other fast readout sensors, the Z6III exhibits slightly higher levels of electronic read noise, which becomes apparent as reduced dynamic range, with the deep shadows of the Raw files becoming unusable very slightly sooner. This is a direct trade-off for the Z6III's shooting and autofocus speed.

The question is, does this matter for your photography? Lower dynamic range doesn't necessarily imply a reduction in image quality of images as a whole, just that there's less scope for exploiting the deep shadows of Raw files, as you might when shooting sunrise or sunset landscapes, for instance. The Z6III's situation is not comparable with that of the Sony a9 III, though, where its higher base ISO brings a reduction both in dynamic range and in tonal quality across the whole image, not just the deep shadows.

Exposure Latitude | ISO Invariance

The Z6III's dynamic range limit is comfortably beyond what would typically be included in a JPEG, even with Active D-Lighting in full effect, so it's a drawback that will only become apparent if you're pushing your Raw files. By contrast, Canon's EOS R6 II has better dynamic range when shot using a mechanical shutter but worse when shot in e-shutter mode, and in e-shutter mode you may get to the point that you'd notice noisier shadows in the JPEGs if you have auto lighting optimizer and highlight tone priority engaged.

So the significance becomes question of what kind of shooting you do: if you want maximum Raw file flexibility for landscape work, you'd be better off with a Z7 II (for reasons of resolution, as much as DR). But for most people's shooting, the benefits of the Z6III's increased performance will be felt much more often than the noisier shadows of the base ISO Raws will become any sort of restriction.

Autofocus

The Z6III's AF interface will be familiar from previous models, with a selection of AF area modes ranging from a single point up to a mode that covers the entire scene and lets the camera select a subject.

In addition the Z6III gains the '3D' tracking mode that gives you a small AF box that you can position anywhere in the scene. Initiating autofocus causes the camera to track whatever is under that AF box, and releasing the shutter or AF-On button causes the box to revert to where you left it. It's the same behavior as Nikon's later DSLRs and is pretty much the default means of subject tracking across most modern cameras, so it's great that it has finally arrived in the Z6 series.

On top of this are the subject recognition modes that try to identify the chosen subject type. These honor the underlying AF area mode you've chosen, making it easy to select the subject you wish to focus on. This is especially useful when there are multiple potential subjects in a scene, though we found that sporting events are usually too complex for using the human detection modes, as the camera won't readily give up on one subject even when you want to switch to another.

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In our standard AF test, the camera did well. The above sequence was shot using the general 3D Tracking system. It a good job of sticking on them and keeping them pretty well in focus though as with a lot of cameras, it misjudges the acceleration as the subject comes out of the corner, leaving a few soft images.

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In Auto subject recognition mode, the camera does a better job at locking onto the subject's eyes, despite the cap and glasses making that job difficult. The AF point jumps around a lot less than in the general 3D Tracking mode, where the camera isn't trying to recognize the subject. However, the focus itself still shows a similar number of out-of-focus images as the rider's approach rate toward the camera changes. Generally, it's a very good performance, but it doesn't feel like it's up to the standard set by the Z8 and Z9.

Other subjects

The Z6III doesn't, as yet, have the separate (and more comprehensive) bird detection mode added to the Z8 and Z9, just the basic bird recognition algorithm that makes up part of Animal detection mode. This is likely to mean it's less good at recognizing birds in front of complex backdrops. Add to this the fact that there's no focus limiter option in the camera and we found that the camera could recognize birds but not always assess their distance at first. Essentially the camera needs to drive the focus to approximately the correct distance before its phase detection system can correctly judge how far away a subject is. Once it had set the focus distance to around the right point, it proved very good at tracking and focusing on birds in flight.

Video A headphone socket set back from the rear screen hinge and a full-sized HDMI port hint at how seriously Nikon is taking video in this camera.

The Z6III represents a major step forward for the Z6 series, in terms of video. The ability to capture internal 10-bit footage means that Log capture becomes much more usable than with the existing models. And there's a Raw capture option, which can be powerful if the benefits are worth the increased memory card demands and reduced choice of editing software that it brings (the gains to be had by shooting Raw video, rather than 10-bit Log are nothing like as significant as the differences between Raw and JPEG in stills).

But, just as important as the much-boosted capture options are the capture support tools. The addition of waveforms alone makes it much easier to correctly expose Raw and Log footage, which is just as significant as the ability to capture them.

On top of this, the Z6III's video autofocus is significantly more dependable than it was in previous Z6 cameras, particularly in terms of subject tracking. And while for stills the Z6III is competing with some very capable cameras, in terms of AF dependability for video, it's plausibly the best in class, as things stand.

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The camera's video is very detailed, both at its 4K and 5.4K settings, with 60p capture clearly showing the same levels of detail in both cases. There's some loss of detail (and we'd expect an increase in noise) if you crop in to the APS-C/DX region of the sensor, but again there's no further step-down in resolving power if you then choose to shoot at 120p.

Raw video is harder to interpret, as it hasn't had the same level of noise reduction, sharpening or contrast applied to it. The bigger issue here is that the ProRes RAW format (which is more widely supported) doesn't appear to include the necessary lens correction profiles, which risks throwing a spanner in your workflow. Conversely, Nikon's own N-Raw format understands and implements these corrections but is only supported by DaVinci Resolve, which could be a problem if it's not the NLE you favor or are familiar with. Unlike Canon, Nikon hasn't created a plugin to expand its compatibility.

Rolling shutter is very well controlled in all modes, thanks to the Z6III's relatively quick sensor, with a readout of around 9.5ms in all the full-frame modes (6K, 5.4K and 4K, 60, 30 or 24p), and 6.3ms in APS-C mode, which is essentially the same readout speed but reading a smaller area.

Video dynamic range

Shot side-by-side, we found the Nikon's base ISO N-Log footage to be a little cleaner than that of the Canon EOS R6 II, with noise overwhelming the shadows around 11 stops below clipping, if using the Nikon/RED Filmbias LUT and with the Canon graded to match it. The Nikon falls behind as you raise the ISO but then catches up to the Canon again at ISO 6400 (ie: three stops above base ISO), where it switches over to using the higher gain step of its sensor.

If you really push the Raw or Log footage, you may see a strange pulsing in the very very dark areas of the footage, but these appear to be at levels where the Canon too is overwhelmed by noise, so it seems to mainly be a problem if you're pushing beyond the limits of what this type of camera can do. In general, the Z6III seems to be a very capable video camera.

Conclusion Pros Cons

• Very good image quality
• Well-honed ergonomics and handling
• Bright, large, high-res viewfinder for its class
• Fast burst rates, timelapse, focus stacking and pixel shift modes give significant extensibility
• Good autofocus tracking with auto subject recognition mode
• Extensive choice of video resolutions and codecs
• Wide array of video support tools including waveforms
• Fairly dependable AF tracking in video mode
• Reasonable battery life
• Simple, reliable smartphone connection
• USB charging or power

• Peak dynamic range lower than peers
• Strange pulsing effect in deep shadows in video mode
• N-Raw video format has limited support
• ProRes Raw makes lens correction difficult
• Lacks the traditional Nikon AF mode button or switch on front corner
• Nikon controls 3rd-party lens options

The Z6III represents a significant step up for the Z6 series. Its price hike puts it into line with its rivals from Canon and Sony but the same it true of both its specifications and performance. Up until now, the Z6 series have been competitive cameras with size and control layout counting in their favor; with the Z6III it starts to look like the model others need to catch up to.

Most of this comes down to its new sensor with the faster, more sophisticated readout circuitry stacked along its edges. This, combined with processing and AF systems developed in the top-end Z9, turns the Z6III into a genuine do-anything camera to rival Canon's EOS R6 II. It's autofocus isn't quite as confidence-inspiring as the excellent Z8, but it's a big step forward for the Z6 series, making it competitive for its class.

The Z6III is a much more capable action camera than its predecessor.

Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 @ 77mm | F2.8 | 1/1250 | ISO 110
Photo: Richard Butler

The cost of this added speed and capability is a reduction in dynamic range (at base ISO, where it's highest and matters most). For most applications, this won't have any impact at all: the Z6III has more dynamic range than most people use for most of their images. But for users that shoot high dynamic range scenes, such as sunrise or sunset scenes, this limitiation to Raw file flexibility is worth being aware of.

For most users, gaining a camera that meaningfully supports a vast range of photography, from casual social photography to sports, studio to wildlife and just about everything in between, this will be less of a concern.

The Z6III is also a significantly improved video camera, not just in terms of higher-quality output and lower rolling shutter but also in the provision of class-leading AF dependability and video support tool set. However, just as in stills, the increased read noise of the sensor becomes apparent in the deep shadows: this time as pulsing noise if you push the Raw or Log footage too far.

Nikkor Z 24-70mm F2.8 S @ 59mm | F8.0 | 1/500 | ISO 100
Photo: Richard Butler

In our use and testing, we believe the benefits brought by the Z6III's sensor across a wide range of photography outweigh its higher read noise that only has a meaningful impact in a narrow range of circumstances. But we want to make sure that the trade-off is understood

Overall, even with these issues lurking in the shadows, the Z6III is not just comfortably the best Z6 model yet but, with the breadth of its capabilities, it's also the most all-round capable camera in its class. From the basics such as its well worked ergonomics and high-res viewfinder through to its fast shooting, excellent AF, great video and extensive support tools, it's a camera that will rise to almost any challenge you set it. It comfortably earns our Gold award.

Scoring

Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.

Nikon Z6IIICategory: Mid Range Full Frame CameraBuild qualityErgonomics & handlingFeaturesMetering & focus accuracyImage quality (raw)Image quality (jpeg)Low light / high ISO performanceViewfinder / screen ratingOpticsPerformanceMovie / video modeConnectivityValuePoorExcellentConclusionThe Nikon Z6III is a significant upgrade to Nikon's mid-priced enthusiast full-framer. It's faster at shooting, has much improved autofocus and captures much more impressive, flexible video. The Raw files can't be pushed quite as hard as the previous models' could, but it's a better camera in every important regard. At the point of review, it's Nikon's first class-leader in this category. A do-everything camera that does a lot of things very well.Good forA very broad range of photo and video pursuitsNot so good forLandscape work and shooting that needs maximal DR capture.91%Overall scoreRegularScoreCompareWidget({"mainElementId":"scoringWidget","mainProduct":"nikon_z6iii","scoringSchema":{"id":"SLRs","variables":[{"id":"BuildQuality"},{"id":"ErgonomicsAndHandling"},{"id":"Features"},{"id":"MeteringAndFocusAccuracy"},{"id":"QualityRaw"},{"id":"QualityJpeg"},{"id":"LowLightHighISO"},{"id":"ViewfinderScreenRating"},{"id":"Optics"},{"id":"Performance"},{"id":"Movie"},{"id":"Connectivity"},{"id":"Value"}],"categories":[{"id":"EntryLevel","label":"Entry Level Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Entry Level"},{"id":"MidRange","label":"Mid Range Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Mid Level"},{"id":"EntryLevelFullFrame","label":"Entry Level Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Full Frame"},{"id":"MidRangeFullFrame","label":"Mid Range Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Mid Range Full Frame"},{"id":"SemiProfessional","label":"Semi-professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Semi-professional"},{"id":"SemiProfessionalFullFrame","label":"Semi-professional Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Semi-professional Full Frame"},{"id":"Professional","label":" Professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Professional"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEntry","label":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEnthusiast","label":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"VideoCamera","label":"Video Camera","shortLabel":"Video Camera"}]},"helpText":"Choose one or more cameras from the drop-down menu, then roll your mouse over the names to see how their scores compare to the camera on review."}) Compared with its peers

Overall there's little to separate the Nikon Z6III from the Canon EOS R6 II, in most circumstances there'll be no meaningful IQ difference between the two and they're both good to shoot with. The Nikon's maximum burst rate is slower but it has a nicer viewfinder, offers Raw video and waveforms, and has more dependable AF in video mode. But if either system offers a lens that you really want, that's probably more significant than any of the differences between the cameras bodies.

It took a couple of generations, but Canon and Nikon's mirrorless offerings are making life hard for the Sony a7 series. The a7 IV has a resolution benefit over the Z6III but it no longer has anything like such a convincing autofocus advantage. The 33MP sensor isn't as strong for video, making it the weakest all-rounder of the bunch. That said, Sony's more open approach to third parties means the E-mount gives much more choice than the Z mount can, and Sony's own lens team has been on something of a roll, of late.

The Panasonic Lumix S5II X is the least expensive model in this group but looks a little off the pace. Image quality from its 24MP sensor is very good and the L-mount has more lens options than Nikon has amassed (/allowed). But, even with the arrival of phase-detection, the S5II X's autofocus is a generation behind the performance we're seeing from Canon, Nikon and Sony. Its older, slower sensor and the advances other brands have made in terms of video tools and capabilities mean it no longer stands out so strongly for video, either. It's alone in this group in letting you record video to an SSD over USB and its built-in fan makes it more dependable, but there's no option for Raw capture (you'll need an external recorder) and you have to drop to APS-C to shoot 4K/60p.

The Nikon Z6 II is still an interesting choice, at its currently reduced price. You lose a lot, relative to the III: speed, autofocus, video capabilities, viewfinder resolution... It's a less good camera in just about every way. Except the things that really, really matter: image quality and ergonomics. If your photography isn't especially demanding in these regards, then at its discounted price, it looks like an interesting, relatively affordable route into the Z-mount system.

Buy now:

$2496 at Amazon.com$2497 at B&H Photo$2497 at Adorama Sample 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.

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab. Pre-production sample gallery

All images taken using a pre-production Z6III, from which we can only publish the out-of-camera JPEGs.

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When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Images: Nikon (Red cinema camera) and DPReview (Nikon Z6 III)

Nikon has announced a deal to provide the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts with various cameras and lenses, including Red Komodo and Komodo X digital cinema cameras, Nikon Z6 III mirrorless cameras, and Nikkor lenses.

While the announcement is largely a marketing exercise, it's also an interesting strategic step for Nikon. Prior to its acquisition of Red Digital Cinema earlier this year, Nikon didn't have an established presence in the Hollywood filmmaking community, unlike competitors Sony, Canon, and Panasonic. Working directly with film schools offers the opportunity to connect with future filmmakers at the early stages of their careers and to introduce Nikon-branded equipment to the next generation of filmmakers, including directors and directors of photography.

The decision to collaborate with USC's film school is particularly significant. Situated in Los Angeles, at the center of the US entertainment industry, the USC School of Cinematic Arts has well-established connections with major studios, industry leaders, and production companies and serves as a significant source of talent for the industry. Many of its graduates, such as George Lucas, Ron Howard, and Robert Zemeckis, have become influential figures in Hollywood.

Given that many students may not have the chance to work with advanced cinema cameras right away, the inclusion of Nikon Z series cameras and Nikkor lenses could help establish the idea that Nikon’s cameras are credible filmmaking tools – something that's likely to become even more evident as the two companies share product integration and technology development.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. 85%Overall scoreJump to conclusion Product photos: Richard Butler

The Sony ZV-E10 II is the company's second-generation APS-C vlogging ILC. It brings a new sensor and larger battery, along with improved video specs.

Key features:

• 26MP APS-C BSI CMOS sensor
• Full-width 4K at up to 30p
• 4K/60p from a 1.1x crop (5.6K capture)
• 10-bit video capture
• S-Cinetone color mode and 'Creative Look' options
• Imports LUTs for previewing, embedding or applying to S-Log3 footage
• Three-capsule mic with automatic directional focus option
• No mechanical shutter

The Sony ZV-E10 II has a recommended price of $999 body-only or $1099 with an updated 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II retracting power zoom. These prices represent a $300 increase over the original version. The ZV-E10 II is available in black or white. The white version comes with a silver version of the 16-50mm PZ that isn't to be sold separately.

Buy now:

$998 at Amazon.com$1098 w/ 16-50 at B&H Photo$1098 w/ 16-50 at Adorama Index:

• What's new
• How it compares
• Body & handling
• Video Quality
• Image Quality
• Conclusion vlog
• Specifications
• Press Release

What's new New sensor

The ZV-E10 II uses the same 26MP BSI CMOS sensor we've seen in the a6700 (and the pro-video FX-30). It's a much faster sensor than the one in the previous version of the camera, and is able to deliver 4K video at up to 60 frames a second, where the previous version had to crop-in to shoot at 30fps, meaning it showed significant rolling shutter in its 4K modes.

10-bit video

The ZV-E10 II also gains a newer processor, allowing the camera to capture 10-bit video. This allows it to record Log footage with plenty of precision, which allows greater flexibility when grading color and tone. It also means the camera can capture true HDR footage for playback on HDR phones and TVs.

All the camera's 4K modes are taken from oversampled capture: 6K for modes up to 30p and 5.6K (with a 1.1x crop) for the 50 and 60p modes. There's no in-body stabilization in the camera, so digital stabilization applies a further 1.33x crop, meaning the 16-50mm kit lens ends up giving a 32mm equiv field of view, at its widest, if you want to use more than just the lenses' optical shake correction, and 35mm equiv in the high framerate modes.

Updated features The ZV-E10 II has the newer Bionz XR processor, rather than the 'X' of its predecessor. As part of this update it gains a UHS-II compatible SD card slot.

The ZV-E10 II doesn't include Sony's 'AI processing unit' but includes some of the latest subject-recognition algorithms, we're told. It also gains the focus breathing compensation function that, with recognized Sony lenses, crops in to the narrowest effective field of view then progressively adjusts the crop and scaling to maintain consistent framing as the focus distance changes.

The ZV-E10 II also has the CineVlog mode from the ZV-1 Mark II, which gives a widescreen 2.35:1 look with baked-in black bars top and bottom and shoots at 24p. Onto this various 'Looks' and 'Moods' can be applied, to give a stylized appearance to your footage.

There's no sign of Sony's Auto Framing modes, though, so you can't set the camera on a tripod and let it crop-in and follow your subject around the scene, nor set a subject's position in the frame and have it crop to maintain that positioning, as you're filming yourself at arm's length.

Larger battery

The ZV-E10 II now uses Sony's larger NP-FZ100 battery, allowing it to record for much longer. Sony did not disclose battery figures prior to launch, but the FZ100 has always made cameras much more usable than the smaller FZ50 used by the original ZV-E10.

Updated kit zoom

The ZV-E10 II typically comes bundled with the Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II, a refreshed version of its compact, retractable power zoom. The version II gains the ability to focus while zooming, helping to keep your subject in focus if you change the focal length while recording, and also communicates information to help the camera's stabilization efforts.

In principle, the lens can focus fast enough to work with 120fps shooting, in the unlikely event anyone ever attaches it to an a9 III. However, Sony has not made any changes to the optical design of the lens, which we've never been particularly impressed by.

How it compares

We've chosen to compare the ZV-E10 II to its predecessor, Nikon's Z30 that aims to offer something very similar, and to the a6700, to see what differences exist between Sony's vlogging model and its enthusiast stills/video option. The other obvious competitor in this space is Panasonic's DC-G100, which again offers a clever mic setup and front-facing screen for vlogging. However, its substantial crop in 4K mode makes it less well suited to high-res vlogging than the other cameras listed here, so that's the one we've omitted for reasons of space in the comparison table.

Sony ZV-E10 II Nikon Z30 Sony ZV-E10 Sony a6700 MSRP $1099 w/ 16-50mm OSS II $849 w/ 16-50mm VR $799 w/ 16-50mm OSS $1499 w/ 16-50mm OSS Resolution 26MP 21MP 24MP 26MP Mech shutter No Yes Yes Yes Image stabilization Digital only Digital only Digital only IBIS rated to 5.0 EV 4K video rates
(crop factor) UHD/60 (1.1x)
UHD/30
UHD/24 UHD/30
UHD/24 UHD/30 (1.23x)
UHD/24 UHD/120 (1.58x)
UHD/60 full-width
UHD/30 full-width Video bit-depth 10-bit 8-bit 8-bit 10-bit Rear screen 1.04M dots fully articulated 1.04M dots fully articulated 0.92M dots fully articulated 1.04M dots fully articulated Viewfinder None None None 2.36M dot
0.7x mag Number of dials 1 main, 1 rear 2 main 1 main, 1 rear 2 main, 1 rear Mic / Headphone sockets Yes / Yes Yes / No Yes / Yes Yes / Yes USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) SD slots 1x UHS II (side) 1x UHS-I (base) 1x UHS-I (side) 1x UHS-II (side) Video battery life, CIPA, min
Cont. / Actual 195 / 130 85 / 125 / 80 185 / 100 Dimensions 121 x 68 x 54mm 128 x 74 x 60mm 115 x 64 x 45mm 122 x 69 x 75mm Weight 377g 405g 343g 493g

Perhaps the biggest benefit of the ZV-E10 II over the original is the faster readout of its sensor. The mark 1 exhibited a lot of rolling shutter in 4K/24 mode and had to crop in to deliver 4K/30; by contrast, the new camera can shoot at 4K/60 using most of the sensor, meaning it's over twice as quick as its predecessor.

It's worth noting the differences, compared with the more expensive a6700, too. The a6700 has a viewfinder, in-body stabilization, twin control dials on its top plate and a mechanical shutter, and is able to shoot 4K/120 if you can live with a substantial 1.58x crop. These are all omitted from the less expensive, more influencer-focused ZV-E10 II.

Body and handling

The ZV-E10 II's body is impressively small: it looks like an early Sony NEX model and is recognizably more compact than the a6700.

The downside of this is that the controls and operation also feel more like an NEX model, rather than one of Sony's latest cameras, if you attempt to shoot stills with it. Unlike the twin dial a6700, there's only a single top-plate dial on the ZV-E10 II and an awkward, fiddly rear-face dial that we've been trying to avoid having to use on Sony cameras for more than a decade, now.

The interface is primarily touchscreen-based, allowing direct operation while you're holding the camera to face you. There are also dedicated buttons both for Bokeh mode (which opens the aperture up to a value that can be adjusted in the menu) and Product Showcase mode that tells the camera to prioritize nearby objects over face detection. Both buttons can be customized to perform other functions, if you prefer.

The ZV-E10 II is the first Sony to rotate its interface display when you rotate the camera, to make vertical video capture easier.

The ZV-E10 II has both headphone and mic sockets, along with a 5Gbps USB-C port that can be used to stream up to 4K/30 video when acting as a webcam. There's also a micro HDMI slot.

We didn't find the ZV-E10 II the easiest camera to hold, if we were facing towards it, to vlog, so we suspect the optional vlogging handle/table tripod with its Bluetooth-connected controls, will be really valuable. Trying to hold the camera at arm's length without it just meant worrying about accidentally starting or stopping recording, and constantly nudging the zoom rocker on the lens and not being able to reverse the effect without stopping recording and bringing the camera back into two hands to push the zoom back out to wide-angle.

Battery

The use of the larger NP-FZ100 battery sees the battery life rating jump from the 440 shot-per-charge rating of its predecessor to 610 shots, using the standard CIPA testing methods. As always, these numbers underestimate the number of shots many people get, so double this number is entirely plausible.

For a vlogging camera, we'll also quote the CIPA video figures, which are 195 minutes of recording if just left to run (assuming you don't run out of card space or overheat before then), and 130 minutes using the CIPA "Actual" shooting duration test, which involves more stop/start recording, zooming of the lens and turning the camera on and off. Both are based on FullHD capture, not 4K.

Video Quality Image ComparisonThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.

As with the a6700, the ZV-E10 II's oversampled 4K mode provides a good level of detail, especially compared to subsampled video modes on cameras like the X-T50. While its 4k/60p mode does come with a crop, it should be more than detailed enough for its target vlogging audience.

Video Capture Options

The ZV-E10 II offers a huge variety of video options, arguably to the point where it may become confusing to beginners looking to use it as their first dedicated camera.

Resolution Codec Compression type Bit-depth X-AVC HS 4H 3840 x 2160 H.265 Long-GOP

10-bit

X-AVC S-I 4K H.264 All-I 10-bit X-AVC S 4K Long-GOP 10-bit
8-Bit X-AVC S-I HD 1920 x 1080 H.264 All-I 10-bit X-AVC S HD Long-GOP 10-bit
8-bit

Shooting in H.265 gives you a good balance between quality and file size, but older computers without dedicated decoding hardware will struggle when trying to edit the files. Using H.264 instead will come at the cost of larger file sizes but make it even easier to edit; the same is true of the All-I modes, but you'll need an especially fast V90 SD card to use it.

Rolling Shutter

You'll still see rolling shutter in a worst-case scenario, like with this large truck passing close to the static camera, but it shouldn't be a concern for most shooting situations.

Shot at 4K/24p.

Image: Mitchell Clark

The original Sony ZV-E10 had notable issues with rolling shutter performance, exhibiting a jello-like effect whenever you panned or pointed your camera at a fast-moving subject. That was especially true when shooting in 4K. Thankfully, the effect is much less pronounced with the ZV-E10 II, thanks to its much faster sensor readout times.

Video Mode Readout Rate

4K/60p

16 ms

4K/24p

17 ms 1080p/24 7 ms

While extreme cases like the one illustrated above will still exhibit some rolling shutter effect, it's no longer much of a concern for everyday shooting.

Overheating

The manual for the ZV-E10 II warns that, by default, the camera can only record around 5 minutes of 4K footage before overheating in ambient temperatures of 25°C (77°F). Our tests found that to be accurate. However, setting the 'Auto Power OFF Temp' to 'High' allows you to record for much longer.

During our tests, shot indoors at an ambient temperature of 23°C (73°F) and recording 4K/60p at the maximum 200M 4:2:2 10-bit quality, the camera overheated in an hour and 17 minutes with 'Auto Power OFF Temp' set to high. Shooting 4K/60p at the lowest quality, 45M 10 bit 4:2:0, the camera held on for an hour and 53 minutes.

That time will be drastically lowered if you don't change the 'Auto Power Off Temp' setting or if you're shooting outdoors in direct sunlight. If you're indoors, you likely won't have to worry about the camera overheating in all but the most marathon of shooting sessions.

Image Quality

Edited to taste in ACR.

Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 @ 50mm| ISO 100 | 1/1250 sec | F5.6

Photo: Mitchell Clark

While the ZV-E10 II isn't really set up to be a stills camera, it's still capable of taking some excellent photos thanks to the sensor it shares with the Sony a6700. It produces pictures that have plenty of detail and colors that are vibrant without being aggressively unnatural. However, the lack of any mechanical shutter means you risk subject distortion with fast-moving subjects, and will be limited in your ability to shoot with flash.

It can also shoot Raw, and the files it produces give you a lot of flexibility to push and pull shadows. And while the lack of a mechanical shutter can sometimes come with a dynamic range hit, in our tests the ZV-E10 II performed similarly to the a6700 that it borrows its sensor from. Unlike its predecessor, it is capable of recording lossless – but still compressed – Raws, which give you a touch more leeway when editing versus lossy compressed Raws while still providing some space-saving benefits.

Click here to view the ZV-E10 II studio scene

Conclusion

By Mitchell Clark

As with our initial review, we've shot the bulk of our review and a conclusion as a vlog, using the ZV-E10 II. Our classic scorecard and comparison to competitors will be below.

Pros Cons

• Has a robust set of video settings and features
• Beginner-friendly modes like background defocus and Intelligent Auto
• Detailed 4K video, even at 60p
• Good rolling shutter performance
• Touchscreen vlogging interface is good when you're actually vlogging
• Included wind sock is a nice touch

• Ergonomics aren't the greatest when you're trying to film yourself without a handle
• No built-in ND and IBIS, which would be great for on-the-go vloggers
• Screen can be difficult to see in direct sunlight
• Touchscreen controls can be fiddly for photography and make the screen busy when you're composing a shot
• It's not a stills camera

Overall, the ZV-E10 II can produce great 4K footage, especially when you're shooting in a controlled environment. For those looking to film themselves in their office or studio, its best-in-class autofocus and beginner-friendly modes and features make it a great step up from a smartphone.

However, if your vlogging style is more dynamic with a lot of handheld shooting outside, it may not be the best choice; it doesn't have the auto-framing or built-in ND of the ZV-E1, nor does it have the stabilized sensor of the a6700. That means you'll have to keep yourself in frame and keep the camera stable. If that's the kind of video you want to make, it may be worth looking outside the ILC ecosystem and considering the DJI Osmo Pocket 3; it won't give you the same image quality due to its smaller sensor, but its built-in gimbal will give you a smoothness that sensor stabilization and optical image stabilization alone can't match.

One point especially bears repeating: the ZV-E10 II is not built for taking stills; it may share a sensor with the a6700, which is an excellent stills camera, but if you buy it hoping to get the same photo performance at a lower price, you'll be sorely disappointed. The lack of a viewfinder can make it quite difficult to compose shots in direct sunlight, and the exclusion of a mechanical shutter means you have far fewer options when shooting flash, and you'll have to worry about rolling shutter when shooting fast-moving subjects. The single-dial controls mean you'll often have to reach for the touchscreen to adjust your settings, and its interface is simply not laid out in a manner that makes sense for photography.

Buy now:

$998 at Amazon.com$1098 w/ 16-50 at B&H Photo$1098 w/ 16-50 at Adorama Scoring

Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about the changes to our scoring system and what these numbers mean.

Sony ZV-E10 IICategory: Entry Level Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLRBuild qualityErgonomics & handlingFeaturesMetering & focus accuracyImage quality (raw)Image quality (jpeg)Low light / high ISO performanceViewfinder / screen ratingOpticsPerformanceMovie / video modeConnectivityValuePoorExcellentConclusionThe EV-10 II is excellent for certain types of vlogging, but lacks versatility for other uses.Good forContent creators looking for an indoor video setup People looking for a camera to record their daily lifeNot so good forContent creators mainly shooting outside without a tripod People looking for a main stills camera85%Overall scoreRegularScoreCompareWidget({"mainElementId":"scoringWidget","mainProduct":"sony_zve10ii","scoringSchema":{"id":"SLRs","variables":[{"id":"BuildQuality"},{"id":"ErgonomicsAndHandling"},{"id":"Features"},{"id":"MeteringAndFocusAccuracy"},{"id":"QualityRaw"},{"id":"QualityJpeg"},{"id":"LowLightHighISO"},{"id":"ViewfinderScreenRating"},{"id":"Optics"},{"id":"Performance"},{"id":"Movie"},{"id":"Connectivity"},{"id":"Value"}],"categories":[{"id":"EntryLevel","label":"Entry Level Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Entry Level"},{"id":"MidRange","label":"Mid Range Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Mid Level"},{"id":"EntryLevelFullFrame","label":"Entry Level Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Full Frame"},{"id":"MidRangeFullFrame","label":"Mid Range Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Mid Range Full Frame"},{"id":"SemiProfessional","label":"Semi-professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Semi-professional"},{"id":"SemiProfessionalFullFrame","label":"Semi-professional Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Semi-professional Full Frame"},{"id":"Professional","label":" Professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Professional"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEntry","label":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEnthusiast","label":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"VideoCamera","label":"Video Camera","shortLabel":"Video Camera"}]},"helpText":"Choose one or more cameras from the drop-down menu, then roll your mouse over the names to see how their scores compare to the camera on review."}) Compared to its peers

Compared to its predecessor, the Sony ZV-E10 II is a much more capable and usable camera for video. It has better controls – it now uses a three-way switch to control whether you're in photo, video, or slow/quick mode rather than a button – Sony's updated menu system and a faster sensor that substantially reduces rolling shutter and allows for 4K/60. The upgrade from 8-bit video to 10-bit is also a big win, as is the larger battery. It'd be hard to recommend that anyone buy the ZV-E10 now that the II exists.

Compared to the Nikon Z30, the ZV-E10 II's advantages are largely similar to its advantages over the original ZV-E10 with regards to bit-depth and 4K/60p. It also has a headphone jack for easy audio monitoring, and a Log recording mode, all of which the Nikon lacks. Finally, there's lens selection. If you want to upgrade from the 16-50mm kit lens, there aren't really any fast, wide-angle zooms available for Nikon Z mount that would make sense for the Z30. And while Sony makes a few F4 zooms that could be a decent match for the ZV-E10 II, the best upgrade would probably be your choice of Sigma's F2.8 wide-angle zooms, which are available for E-mount, but not for Nikon's system.

The Sony a6700 is an extremely capable camera that should at least be on the radar of anyone considering the ZV-E10 II. It's designed as a stills camera and thus has the EVF, second front control dial, and mechanical shutter the ZV-E10 II lacks. For vloggers, it has the same background defocus and product showcase features but adds in-body image stabilization, 4K/120p recording, auto-framing, and subject detection settings for insects, cars, trains and airplanes. However, those extra capabilities come at a cost: it's 116g heavier and has a $400 higher MSRP.

Buy now:

$998 at Amazon.com$1098 w/ 16-50 at B&H Photo$1098 w/ 16-50 at Adorama Sample 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.

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.

The Xiaomi 14T Pro includes a triple-camera system co-engineered with Leica featuring Summilux-branded lenses.

Image: Xiaomi/Leica

Xiaomi has announced its newest smartphones co-engineered with Leica, the Xiaomi 14T and 14T Pro. It also announced that the Mix Flip, a foldable phone announced earlier this year, will be introduced to the "global market." (We are seeking clarification about whether this includes North America.) All three models feature camera systems with Leica-branded Summilux lenses.

Xiaomi 14T Pro

The Xiaomi 14T Pro features a triple-camera system. Its main camera is built around a 23mm equivalent F1.6 lens in front of a 50MP Type 1/1.31 sensor (9.2 x 7.8mm). It includes optical image stabilization. The companies call this a "4-in-1 Super Pixel" sensor, which we're assuming is their branding for the QuadBayer/TetraCell concept.

According to Leica and Xiaomi, the main camera captures 32% more light than its predecessor. This is despite a slight reduction in sensor size and comes from the move from an F1.9 lens on the 13T Pro to an F1.6 lens on the new camera.

The 14T Pro's other camera modules include a 15mm equiv. ultra-wide F2.2 camera with 12MP resolution and a 60mm equiv. F2 telephoto camera with a 50MP 'Super Pixel' 4.9 x 4.2mm sensor. Despite the longest lens being 60mm equivalent, the companies claim the camera system delivers "five different focal lengths from 15mm to 120mm."

Interestingly, the companies name the combined camera systems as if they were a single lens, giving the "LEICA VARIO-SUMMILUX 1:1.6-2.2/15-60 ASPH."

The Xiaomi 14T

Image: Xiaomi/Leica

Xiaomi 14T

The Xiaomi 14T also features a triple-camera system with a 23mm equiv. main camera module. Like the 14T Pro, it has a 50MP Super Pixel design but uses a smaller Type 1/1.56 sensor (7.7 x 6.5mm) and has a slightly slower F1.7 aperture. It also includes optical image stabilization.

The other camera modules on the 14T include a 15mm equiv. ultra-wide F2.2 camera with 12MP resolution and a 50mm equiv. F1.9 telephoto camera with a 50MP Super Pixel sensor. The companies claim the 14T's camera system delivers "five different focal lengths from 15mm to 100mm."

Again, the combined capability of the system is named in traditional Leica style, as if it were a single lens: LEICA VARIO-SUMMILUX 1:1.7-2.2/15-50 ASPH.

Both 14T models include 6.67" AMOLED displays with a refresh rate of 144Hz, 100% DCI-P3 coverage and a peak brightness of 4000 Nits. They can capture video up to 8K/30p or 4K/60p and include 10-bit HDR support using the Rec. 2020 color space and Log video capture.

The Xiaomi Mix Flip, introduced earlier this year, will now be available "globally," according to the company.

Image: Xiaomi/Leica

The Mix Flip is Xiaomi's first vertically foldable phone co-engineered with Leica and includes a dual-camera system. Its main camera consists of a 23mm equiv. F1.7 lens and a 50mm Super Pixel Type 1/1.55 sensor (7.7 x 6.5mm). A telephoto camera features a 47mm equiv. 'floating' lens that facilitates focus as close as 9cm (3.5"); the telephoto camera uses a 50mm Type 1/2.61 Super Pixel sensor (4.7 x 4.0mm).

According to Xiaomi, the 14T will retail for €649 and the 14T Pro for €799. The Mix Flip has a retail price of €1299. The company says the Mix Flip will be available "globally," but no details are given about availability in the US.

Press release:

Xiaomi and Leica Camera AG present the Xiaomi 14T series with Leica optics

With the Xiaomi Mix Flip, their first co-engineered foldable smartphone is coming to Europe

Wetzlar, Germany, September 26th, 2024 – Xiaomi and Leica Camera AG are introducing the newest member of their co-engineered family today: the Xiaomi 14T series. It is made up of two models, the Xiaomi 14T and the more powerful Xiaomi 14T Pro, each of which is designed to fulfil different user requirements. Both have a triple camera system with Summilux lenses, which have been developed in collaboration with Leica. Also, with the Xiaomi Mix Flip, the first co-engineered foldable smartphone is being launched on the European market. The Xiaomi 14T series and the Xiaomi Mix Flip are available to buy today in Europe.

The Leica Summilux lens for the Xiaomi 14T series features a large aperture and offers excellent optical performance. It creates captivating images thanks to its excellent color rendering, strong contrast and high resolution, whereby the most minute details can be captured even in difficult lighting conditions.

The ideal camera to meet any demand

The Xiaomi 14T Pro is equipped with a versatile triple camera system sporting five different focal lengths from 15 mm to 120 mm. It has a 50-megapixel Leica main lens, a 50-megapixel Leica telephoto lens and a 12-megapixel Leica ultra wide-angle camera. The advanced 50- megapixel main camera amazes with its fast ƒ/1.6 Leica Summilux optics. This sensor, which captures 32 percent more light than its predecessor, ensures brilliant, detailed shots with a high dynamic range even in difficult lighting conditions. The five focal lengths provide

maximum flexibility in response to a variety of photographic challenges – from portraiture to panoramic shots. This makes the Xiaomi 14T Pro the ideal tool for discerning users who refuse to compromise on picture quality.

The Xiaomi 14T is the ideal choice for anyone who is looking for first-class camera performance in a compact and more affordable device. Equipped with a 50-megapixel main camera, co- engineered with Leica, the Xiaomi 14T captures impressive photos in all lighting conditions. While the ƒ/1.7 aperture and IMX906 sensor ensure sharp, vibrant images, the triple camera system with focal lengths from 15 to 100 mm offers a wide range of options for snapping perfect pictures.

The Xiaomi 14T series doesn’t only put in a convincing photographic performance, it also features many professional video functions. In combination with Leica lens technology, the advanced video modes enable film-like recordings with effects like cinematic blur and rack focus. The 10-bit Rec. 2020 format provides HDR support, ensuring excellent resolution of details and an extensive dynamic range.

Peak performance

In addition to the advanced camera features, the Xiaomi 14T and Xiaomi 14T Pro also boast impressive technical specifications. Both devices are equipped with a 6.67-inch CrystalRes AMOLED display reaching 1.5k resolution (2712 × 1220) and a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz. This display will take your breath away with its brilliant, precise colors thanks to 100% DCI-P3 color space as well as a maximum brightness of 4000 Nits, which enables excellent visual rendering both indoors and outdoors.

Inside the Xiaomi 14T Pro, the performance of the multicore CPU has been improved by 37 percent and GPU by 44 percent compared to its predecessor thanks to the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ processor. This makes it ideal for users expecting top performance across all areas, be it gaming, multimedia or demanding AI applications. The Xiaomi 14T is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra processor, which effectively balances performance with energy efficiency. Thanks to a CPU that is 20 percent more powerful than its predecessor and a GPU that is 60 percent more powerful, it provides a seamless user experience.

Both models feature a high-performance 5000 mAh rechargeable battery, which enables fast charging. With 120 W HyperCharge, the Xiaomi 14T Pro can go from zero to maximum power in just 19 minutes. It is also the first T-model to support wireless charging at up to 50 W. The Xiaomi 14T is also enabled for 67W HyperCharge, so it can be charged in next to no time, too.

Xiaomi Mix Flip: The first Leica Summilux lens in a foldable format

The Xiaomi Mix Flip is the company’s first vertical foldable format to be co-engineered with Leica. Equipped with a Leica Summilux lens and the Light Fusion 800 sensor, the main camera also features the world’s first Leica 47mm floating telephoto lens on a flip smartphone. This innovative telephoto lens moves a group of lens elements within the camera to enable a focus range from 9 cm to infinity, making it ideal for breathtaking close-ups as well as longshots. The camera’s telephoto-macro capabilities can be used to reveal impressive details in the smallest of spaces. The second camera is a 50-megapixel telephoto zoom camera with a lens that is equipped with 2x lossless magnification.

The compact design, ample outer display and foldable format open new possibilities for photography: even when closed, photos can be captured and videos created thanks to its large outer display and two Leica lenses. The “hover mode” means you can leave your tripod at home and is ideal for group photos, videos and time lapse photography.

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1/800 sec | F2 | ISO 100

Photo: Richard Butler

Last week, Leica announced the Q3 43, a version of the full-frame compact Q3 with the fixed 28mm lens swapped for a 43mm one. In case you missed it, we were able to shoot a gallery with one while writing our review, taking example images in Seattle and Boston.

If you'd like to get an idea of what the world looks like through a 43mm lens, feel free to browse through the gallery. It'll also give you a feel for the performance of this lens, which we found to be remarkably sharp corner-to-corner, even when wide open.

Click here to see the sample gallery

The moon hovers over a temple in Kyoto, Japan, during the blue hour.

Sony a1 + Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 | ISO 1000 | 1/125 | F2.8
Photo: Dale Baskin

Our most recent Editors' photo challenge, 'The Blue Hour', is open for submissions. The blue hour is 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.

For this challenge, shoot and submit one or more blue hour photos. They don't need to be taken someplace exotic, but creativity is encouraged. You can enter up to three photos in this challenge. Make sure to submit your entry by Saturday (GMT).

Visit the challenge page to read the full rules and to submit your photos for consideration.

Enter your photos here

Images: Ilford, Godox, Osprey

Happy weekend, everyone! It's been a busy few days here at DPReview: we published our full review of the Leica Q3 43 and have another review heading your way next week. As a result, this roundup will be a touch shorter than usual, but fear not; we've still collected some interesting accessories and great deals for you.

Full frame, not price

We found the Panasonic S5II to be a great all-rounder camera when we tested it earlier this year. Now it and the S5IIX, a model with some additional video features, are currently $300 off MSRP. At $1,700 and $1,900, respectively, it's a great entryway into the L-mount ecosystem and a good choice for someone looking to enter the world of full-frame.

S5II:

Buy now:

$1797 at Amazon.com$1798 at B&H Photo$1798 at Adorama

S5IIX:

Buy now:

$1997 at Amazon.com$1997 at B&H Photo$1997 at Adorama

The Nikon Z7 II is a slightly higher-end full-frame camera sporting a 45MP sensor. Despite its age, it should still provide a solid experience for shooting landscapes, portraits and even the occasional video. It's currently $700 off its MSRP.

Buy now:

Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H PhotoBuy at Amazon.com Along came a Spyder Image: Datacolor

Datacolor recently announced new versions of its Spyder color calibrators, which are meant to help make sure your computer monitors are as color-accurate as possible. Both the Spyder and SpyderPro now use a USB-C cable – though a USB-A adapter is included – and support a wide variety of display types, such as OLED, mini-LED and Apple's 'Liquid Retina XDR.'

They also include access to a beta feature that Datacolor calls 'Device Preview,' which simulates how your images will look when displayed on a specific phone or tablet, such as the Pixel 8 Pro or iPad Pro with nanotexture OLED.

The regular Spyder can calibrate displays that go up to 750 nits of brightness, while the SpyderPro can handle displays that put out up to 2,000 nits. The Pro also has other features that the cheaper model doesn't, such as support for more profiles, calibrating video as well as images, Rec. 709 & Rec. 2020 calibration targets and more.

Buy Now:

Spyder

$170 at Amazon $170 at B&H

SypderPro

$270 at Amazon $270 at B&H Film Friday Interlude Image: Ilford

This week, Ilford announced that two of its most popular films, the ISO 400 HP5 Plus and ISO 125 FP4 Plus, are getting some limited-edition packaging to celebrate the company's 145th anniversary. The new boxes are styled after the ones HP3 and FP3 came in throughout the 1950s and 1960s – though those didn't have the logos for social media sites like Instagram, X and TikTok imprinted on them like the modern ones do.

The film inside the box is the same stuff that most black and white film photographers are used to; the limited edition packaging is available for rolls of both 35mm and 120 film. According to Ilford, the retro boxes 'will be available over the coming weeks' while supplies last.

Osprey enters the ring Image: Osprey

Osprey, a company whose pack-making credentials are well-established in the outdoor community, has released a few accessories that may interest photographers hitting the trail. The company now makes two sizes of camera cubes, which are meant to fit into its hiking or travel packs and which add a padded, divided space to keep your gear organized and protected. The company says the small cube, which costs $75, should fit into most packs larger than 18L, while the medium cube, $95, is made for 28L and up packs.

The company also now sells a chest pack, which provides easy access to your gear even when you're on the move. Finally, there's the PhotoLid, which is made to replace a pack's top pocket, commonly known as a 'brain.' Like the cubes, the PhotoLid has extra padding and dividers to keep your gear safe while riding atop your pack. It can also convert to a lumbar pack if you decide to bag a summit and want to leave your main pack at the junction.

Osprey Photolid Osprey Chest Rig $113 at Amazon $84 at Amazon Small Camera Cube Medium Camera Cube $61 at Amazon $77 at Amazon Compact Flash Image: Godox

Godox has announced the iM30, a fully manual, compact, on-camera flash that promises near-universal compatibility via its single-pin hotshoe mount. The flash unit has seven adjustable power levels, and Godox says it can get around 230 flashes out of two AAA batteries.

Build-wise, it's a very basic flash; it has no bounce or swivel adjustments, and its recycle time is around 3.6 seconds. Also, with a guide number of 15m at ISO 100, it's far from the most powerful on-camera flash out there. However, it's hard to complain, given that it weighs just 78g (2.75oz) and will cost around $35 when it goes on sale next month.

$35 at B&H

Click to see last week's accessory roundup

Elizabeth Viggiano
Image by Joe Tornatzky

Like many working photographers, Liz Viggiano's career trajectory has been anything but linear. After studying photography at the Massachusetts school of Art and Design, Viggiano moved west, to Los Angeles, with a kernel of aspiration but no clear goal.

"I had this idea of photographing a certain subculture, but I didn't really know what that was," she recalls. "I was making all sorts of work and then finally some friends of mine invited me to a comedy show."

The rest, as they say, is history. Viggiano has since carved out a niche for herself documenting the previously under-documented, behind-the-scenes moments at stand-up comedy clubs.

We spent a day chasing Viggiano from the streets of West Hollywood to the greenroom at The Comedy Store to learn about her vision, approach, and gear.

Because Viggiano shoots mostly in black and white, she spends much of her time behind the lens of her Leica Q2 Monochrom.

"There's something very limiting about black and white, in a good way, where I become a different photographer," she says. "I'm paying attention to very specific things – like highlights, mid-tones, shadows – or a specific gesture, a specific emotion. I'm not disregarding color, I just love black and white."

During our time with Viggiano, she shot on her trusted 28mm Leica Summulix 1:1.7 but also experimented with a Leica 50mm Noctilux F1 acquired through MPB, the leading platform for buying, selling, and trading camera equipment. For photographers like Viggiano who are constantly pushing their craft in new and inspiring directions, MPB makes the process of up-leveling photography gear more accessible, affordable, and worry-free thanks to an industry-leading inspection process and six-month warranty.

Sample gallery by Liz Viggiano

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This is sponsored content, created in partnership with MPB. What does this mean?

Image: Phase One

Phase One has announced the XC 40, a new edition of its 'travel-friendly' XC camera that was previously only sold with a 23mm lens. Like the XC 23 – which used to just be called the XC – the XC 40 is available with the company's IQ4 digital back, which includes a 150MP 53.4mm x 40mm medium format sensor.

That gives the 40mm Rodenstock lens a 26mm full-frame equivalent focal length, which is a fair bit tighter than the 15mm equiv. lens found on the XC23. And while the 23mm had a maximum aperture of F5.6 (F3.6 equiv.), the 40mm one opens up to F4 (F2.6 equiv.), providing 1EV more light.

The complete XC 40 package.

Image: Phase One

Both XC models include features like automatic metering, WiFi, a touchscreen interface, and USB-C. Of course, the main draw is the sheer image quality that you can get in what Phase One describes as a "straight-forward, travel-friendly and compact design." The company hasn't released specifications for the XC 40 specifically, but the 23mm variant weighed 1820g (4.0 lbs); it seems unlikely the version with the new version will be substantially different.

Phase One also now sells the XC 23 and XC 40 camera 'bodies' separately, meaning that anyone who bought the original camera won't have to buy an entirely new IQ4 digital back to get the 40mm focal length. Each body costs $20,290, while the complete XC kit costs $62,490.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. 89%Overall scoreJump to conclusion Product photos: Richard Butler

The Leica Q3 43 is a variant of the company's full-frame prime lens compact, with a 43mm F2 lens mounted in front of a 60MP BSI CMOS sensor.

In almost every other respect, it's a match for the original, 28mm Q3. The longer lens, grey leatherette coating and a number engraved into the hotshoe are the things that set the two apart.

Key specifications

• 43mm F2 image stabilized lens
• 60MP BSI CMOS full-frame sensor
• Options to crop in to 60, 75, 90, 120 or 150mm equiv focal lengths
• 5.76M dot OLED EVF with 0.79x magnification
• 3" tilt touchscreen LCD with 1.8 million dots
• Native ISO range of 100-100,000 (ISO 50 manually selectable)
• Hybrid autofocus (PDAF + contrast AF with DFD)
• Continuous shooting up to 15fps (7fps with AF-C)
• 8K video capture in UHD or DCI ratios up to 30p (H.265)
• Apple ProRes 422HQ support for 1080p video capture up to 60p
• AI-assisted perspective control and dynamic range tools for JPEG mode
• IP52-rated dust and water resistant
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with connection to Leica Fotos app
• Wireless charging via optional hand grip add-on

The Leica Q3 43 will be available from today at a recommended price of $6895, nearly $900 (15%) more than the existing Q3 was at launch, though that price has risen by $300 in the meantime. An optional accessory grip, giving a more pronounced hand-hold and adding Arca-compatible flanges for tripod mounting, will cost $250.

Buy now:

Buy at B&H PhotoBuy at AdoramaBuy at Leica Index:

• What's new
• How it compares
• Body & handling
• Image quality
• Autofocus
• Video
• Conclusion
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press Release

What's new

In terms of what's new, the answer is a paradoxical middle ground between: 'very little' and 'everything.'

The only major feature change present in the Q3 43 is the focal length of its lens, and consequently, the equivalent focal lengths of its crop modes. It's a completely new design comprising 11 lenses in 8 groups, including 7 aspherics. It wears Leica's 'APO' branding, indicating an apochromatic design that should optimize sharpness and minimize longitudinal chromatic aberration.

The focal length may sound unusual, to those more used to 28, 35 or 50mm options, but there's a logic to the use of 43mm. 43mm is the length of the diagonal of a full-frame sensor, which means a 43mm lens is neither slightly wide-angle, as a 35mm would be, nor slightly telephoto, as a 50mm is.

The result is a camera that's more flexible than a fixed 50mm would be, and more distinct from the existing 28mm Q3 than a 35mm would be. As someone who frequently uses the 35mm focal length, I found myself missing the slightly wide view I'd become familiar with, but quickly settled into the perfect normal view of the world the 43 gave me.

Anyone who's used Panasonic's 20mm F1.7 on Micro Four Thirds, Nikon's 40mm F2 on Z-mount, a 28mm lens on APS-C or Pentax's 43mm F1.9 Limited will instantly be at home. I'm not going to make claims that it matches the human field of view, because we don't see a single field of view all at the same time, with the same acuity across the scene (our eyes don't work like cameras), but it does intuitively feel like it captures 'the world in front of me.'

You don't really need to use the camera to know whether the Q3 or Q3 43 is right for you, as it's simple a question of whether you prefer to capture a wide view including a lot of the scene, or if you want to be able to be a bit more selective. It's really that simple.

'Macro' capabilities Rotate the ring nearest the camera (on the right of this image) and a new distance scale slides forward from the barrel of the lens, showing the close focus range of the lens.

As with the previous Q cameras, the 43mm lens has been designed with a close-up option. This is engaged by turning the ring nearest the camera to the 'Macro' position. As you do so, a distance scale for closer focusing pushes forward, replacing the standard scale and indicating the closer focus range.

In its standard setting the distance scale indicates the range from 0.6m (23.6") to infinity. Switching to the Macro position shortens this minimum focus distance down to 0.27m (10.6"), now maxing out at 0.6m.

Triple resolution and crop modes

The Q3 makes the most of its high-resolution sensor, offering 60, 75, 90 120 and 150mm equivalent crops of its sensor of approximately 31, 21, 14, 8, and 5MP, respectively. Of course, cropping in not only reduces the available resolution but also uses an increasingly small region of the sensor, with the expected reduction in image quality and low light performance as a consequence. The pixel-level IQ will look the same, but when blown up or viewed at a common size, the smaller sensor images will look worse. By 150mm equiv, you're well into compact camera territory, so it's probably worth only using in good light.

Crop factor Pixel Count (MP) Approx sensor dimensions 43mm 1.0x 60.3 36 x 24mm 60mm equiv. 1.4x 30.8 26 x 17mm 75mm equiv. 1.7x 20.9 21 x 14mm 90mm equiv. 2.1x 13.9 17 x 12mm 120mm equiv 2.8x 7.8 13 x 9mm 150mm equiv. 3.5x 5.0 10.3 x 6.9

If you don't find yourself needing 60MP files all the time, the Q3 43 can also output or 36 or 18MP files from its full sensor. These are downsampled from the original capture, so should be more detailed than actually using a 36 or 18MP camera. You can select the output size for JPEGs and Raw independently, so can opt for small JPEGs and full-sized Raws or, lower-res Raws with full-sized JPEGs, if you can come up with a rationale for doing so.

Leica Looks

In addition to the 'Film Style' color modes that come pre-installed on the camera, the Q3 43 lets you download up to six 'Leica Looks' via the Leica Fotos app. The distinction is that you can adjust settings such as contrast, saturation and sharpening for Film Styles, whereas Leica Looks are fixed, uneditable presets.

The latest version of the Fotos app adds a Leica Chrome option, bringing the choice of Lieica Looks to seven. This can be installed on either of the Q3 cameras or the SL3. Unlike the SL3, though, you can't edit the quick settings page, so you can't put Leica Looks into that menu, if you use them rather than the Film Styles.

Perspective correction

It's a mode perhaps better suited to the original Q3's wide-angle lens, but the intelligent perspective correction mode does a good job of delivering an straightened image, out-of-camera.

Click here to see an un-corrected version.

Leica Q3 43 | F7.1 | 1/500 sec | ISO 100
Photo: Richard Butler

The Q3 43 has Leica's perspective correction function. When switched on, this analyses the scene, looking for converging lines it thinks should be parallel, then calculates the necessary corrections based on this. The corrections are only applied to the JPEG image but the uncorrected Raw can be saved alongside. The JPEG is scaled back up to whatever resolution you're currently operating the camera at.

How it compares

There are no other prime-lens compacts offering a 43mm (or equiv) field of view. The most obvious peer is the Ricoh GR IIIx, which has a 40mm equivalent prime lens built in. Its 24MP APS-C sensor can't match the image quality and resolution of the Leica but also allows it to be much, much smaller and less expensive. The Ricoh's lens is a stop slower in absolute terms, before you consider the impact on depth-of-field and whole-image light capture of its smaller sensor.

Fujifilm's X100 VI has a wider, 35mm equiv lens – though we found it much easier to adapt to the 43mm field of view from 35mm equiv than we do switching back and forth between 35 and 28mm – and the cameras themselves are fairly different. The Fujifilm offers an interesting optical/electronic hybrid viewfinder and an APS-C sensor, whereas the Leica is full-frame and uses a conventional EVF.

Leica Q3 43 Leica Q3 Ricoh GR IIIx Fujifilm X100V MSRP (body) $6895 $5995 $999 $1599 Sensor 60 MP full-frame (Bayer) 60MP full-frame (Bayer) 24MP APS-C (Bayer) 40MP APS-C
(X-Trans) Lens 43mm F2.0 28mm F1.7 40mm equiv. F2.8 35mm equiv. F2.0 Built-in ND filter No (accepts 49mm filters) No (accepts 49mm filters) 2.0 EV 4.0 EV ISO range 50-100,000 50-100,000 100-102400 100-51200 Viewfinder type 5.76M dot OLED electronic 5.76M dot OLED electronic Optical (optional) 3.69M-dot OLED electronic / optical hybrid LCD 3" tilting
1.84M dots 3" tilting
1.84M dots 3" fixed
1.037M dots 3" tilting
1.62M dots Touch-screen Yes Yes Yes Yes Included flash No No No Built-in Weather-sealing Yes (IP52) Yes (IP52) No Yes* Max. burst 15 fps (12-bit AF-S)
7fps (14-bit AF-C) 15 fps (12-bit AF-S)
7fps (14-bit AF-C) 4 fps 13 fps (elec. shutter)
6 fps (mech shutter) Max. shutter, mech / electronic 1/2000 / 1/16000 1/2000 / 1/16000 1/4000 1/4000 /
1/180,000 Video 8K/30p, 4K/60p, 1080/120p 8K/30p, 4K/60p, 1080/120p 1080/60p 6.2K/30p,
4K/60p
1080/120p Battery life (CIPA) 350 shots 350 shots 200 shots 310 shots (EVF) Weight 772 g 743 g 262 g 521g

Sony's long out-of-production RX1 series would also be a meaningful comparison, thanks to its similarly-sized sensor and 35mm F2 lens, but sadly it's a line that appears to have been abandoned.

As with most fixed-lens cameras, all four are built around in-lens 'leaf' shutters. These can't reach the 1/8000 sec exposures often offered by high-end focal-plane curtain shutters but can sync with flashes all the way across their mechanical shutter speed ranges.

Body & handling

The Q3 43's body is essentially identical to that of the Q3, which itself was a relatively gentle refresh of the design of the Q2. The principle difference being that the 43 version comes in a grey leatherette finish, and has the numbers 43 both on its lens and milled into its hotshoe.

It's a design that takes its styling cues from Leica's history, particularly with the rounded edges to the body, without directly mimicking the company's flagship M rangefinder series. But, while there's little risk of it being mistaken for an M, the overall design and use of typography is unmistakably Leica, even if you were to cover up the red dot logo on the front.

The controls are pretty minimal, with a dedicated shutter speed dial and aperture ring, both of which have 'A' positions, to pass their control over to the camera. Other than this, there's a command dial on the rear shoulder that contains a customizable button at its center. It's a system that helps focus all your attention on the fundamental settings of photography.

The command dial, in its default Auto setting, takes on a different role, depending on your exposure mode.

Shutter speed dial Aperture ring setting Exposure mode Command dial function (Auto) A F-no Aperture priority Exposure Comp. Time value A Shutter priority 1/3EV shutter adj A A Flexible Program F-no Time value F-no Manual Exposure 1/3EV shutter adj

There are two more custom buttons along the top rear edge of the camera with the option to customize the central button of the four-way controller, which is primarily used for navigating the menus and positioning the AF point. Any of these buttons can be customized by holding them down. You can narrow-down the list of parameters available to be assigned to the buttons (on a per-button basis), so if you want to switch their function regularly, you can get straight to the options you want to select from.

There's a focus tab on the lower right of the lens that includes a small button. This button needs to be pressed to move the focus ring out of the 'Auto' position, to engage manual focus.

Interface

The Q3 43 has the most recent version of the interface Leica has been evolving for the past few years. As on the Q3 and SL3, pressing the menu button brings up a quick settings screen showing the exposure settings at the top and an array of other camera settings below. This display is touch-sensitive and swiping left brings up a similar quick settings menu but for video settings, taking you into video mode.

Pressing the Menu button again takes you to Page 1 of the menu proper, and pressing it again starts to toggle through the menu tabs. As with the D-Lux8 this raises the odd prospect of pressing left to jump one page to the left but having to press Menu to do the opposite (pressing right on the four-way controller adjusts the current setting or enters a sub-menu). It's a little quirk that doesn't take too long to adjust to, especially as there aren't many reasons to visit the main menu.

The Q3 43's interface resembles that of the original Q3 so doesn't yet include the updates made for the SL3, such as red color-coding for stills and yellow for video, or the ability to customize the quick settings menu. Instead you can save your prefered menu options in a 'Favorites' tab that appears as the first page of the main menus.

Viewfinder

The Q3 43 has the same 5.76M dot (1600 x 1200px) viewfinder as the existing Q3 model and the same 1.8M dot (560 x 640px) touchscreen that can be tilted up and down.

On the side of the camera is a small rubber door, behind which you'll find a Micro HDMI port and a USB-C socket. Video footage can be output over the HDMI port but precisely what resolution and codec is used depends on whether you're shooting L-Log, HLG or standard DR footage and whether you're simultaneously recording internally.

The USB port is a 3.1 Gen 2 interface, meaning it can transfer data at up to 10Gb/s. This can be used for tethering to the Leica Fotos app, if you use an iPhone.

Battery

The Q3 43 uses the same battery as the wide-angle Q3, the 16Wh BP-SCL6. The battery life is rated at 350 shots per charge, using the CIPA methodology, which we find can regularly mean getting twice this figure. 350 is a very decent rating for a camera you're likely to want to shoot with over the course of a few days.

The camera can be charged over its USB-C port, even while the camera is being operated. There's also the option at add wireless charging. If you add an optional handgrip, the camera gains the ability to charge using standard Qi wireless chargers.

Image quality

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors and detail types you'll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

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Because the Leica Q3 43 has so few direct peers and we've not always been able to get hold of production-spec Leicas for long enough to shoot our test scene, it's a little difficult to know what to compare it to. So we're primarily going to see how it looks alongside the Sony a7R V, with which it shares a sensor.

The detail levels are fractionally lower than with the Sony 85mm F1.4 GM lens, especially in the far corners, but very good for a fixed-lens camera. Noise levels, if anything, appear lower, despite Sony appearing to apply some sort of processing/noise reduction.

The Leica's JPEG engine isn't pulling out quite as much detail as the Sony, despite what appears to be quite heavy sharpening, that's causing a little bit of over-shoot at high-contrast edges. Leica's Standard color response is also quite unusual, with very magenta pinks and slightly dark yellows. The light pink patch is very neutral, which typically gives accurate, rather than attractive caucasian skin tones.

The default noise reduction aggressively supressed chroma noise but leaves unusually high levels of luminance noise. This approach both protects detail and gives the impression of detail, but means the images have a very high noise level. There's an argument that this luminance speckling is analogous to film grain, but it takes some getting used to.

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We also found the Q3 43's Auto white balance could err on the neutral or even cool side. While, theoretically, you might expect auto white balance to try to cancel-out any tint the lighting might have, in practice most people prefer it to leave a little warmth to the scene. The above photo, shot using daylight entering from windows behind the camera, is the one that prompted me to stop using Auto white balance, as JPEGs were appearing very clinical.

ISO Invariance | Exposure Latitude

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Our test scene isn't supposed to be a lens test, but it's shot from a reasonable distance, so for this focal length, it doesn't do a bad job. The lens is very, very sharp, all the way up to its widest F2.0 setting. There's a tiny drop-off in corner sharpness and some hint of vignetting, but these are only noticeable by comparison with stopped-down shots. Given we're looking at pixel level at a 60MP image, it's fair to say the lens is excellent.

These images were processed using Capture One, which enables us to use the manufacturer's distortion correction profile but disengage correction of lateral chromatic aberrations and vignetting. The Q3 43's lens is designed with geometric distortion corrected mathematically, so that other aberrations can be corrected optically without either increasing the size and complexity of the lens or adding to those aberrations through attempts to correct distortion.

Leica applies its 'Summicron' branding to the Q3 43's lens and both our test scene and real-world shooting suggest it's essentially free from chromatic aberration.

We don't see any sense in assessing the performance of a lens with some of its elements removed: we're only interested in the quality of the final image. And if the corners look this good after correction, we don't believe it's relevant whether that was achieved through glass or mathematics, especially if it allows the lens to be this comparatively small.

Autofocus The Q3 43's lens has a small focus tab, much like Leica's M-mount lenses. There's a small release button on the upper lip, which needs to be pressed to release the focus ring from the AF position into the manual focus range.

The Q3 43 has a series of AF modes: a basic AF spot, an AF field that can be shifted and scaled, multi-field or a large zone. There are also Eye/Face/Body detection and Eye/Face/Body + Animal detection modes that select a subject in the scene. You can then press the four-way controller to select between recognized subjects.

Autofocus on the Q3 43 is very quiet and reasonably speedy. We didn't subject it to our standard autofocus test because we simply don't believe that it usefully represents the sorts of autofocus challenge a camera with a 43mm lens will be subjected to. There was at least one rushed shot where the camera claimed to be in focus but wasn't, but for the vast majority of our usage, it proved very quick for a fixed prime compact.

However, one issue we did encounter is that the Q3 43's detection modes don't let you specify an AF point to pre-select a subject. This is disappointing, and we found we had to turn face detection off when trying to shoot candid photos including multiple people: the camera would constantly jump from one subject to another, and find and lose people's faces faster than it was possible to select them.

It's been a while since we encountered a subject recognition system that doesn't work in conjunction with a selected AF point and we found it made autofocus operation slower and more fiddly, at least in some circumstances.

This was our only real gripe about the AF, though. Generally, it's swift and confident enough that you can rely on it without having to think too much.

Video

The Q3 43 has pretty ambitious video specifications, including up to 8K/30 capture and ProRes 422HQ footage at up to 1080/60. The camera can record video for up to 29 minutes. Leica says it'll be possible to connect external mics via the USB socket, with options becoming available in October.

To access video capture you press the menu button then swipe left on the screen, revealing the video settings menu. You can then choose from a range of resolutions and codecs.

File type Frame rates Codec Bit-depth / Chroma Bitrate DCI 8K

MOV 29.97, 25, 24, 23.98 H.265 10-bit 4:2:0 300Mbps UHD 8K

MP4 DCI 4K MOV 59.94, 50, 48, 47.95 H.264 10-bit 4:2:2 600Mbps 29.97, 25, 24, 23.98 400Mbps UHD 4K 59.94, 50, 48, 47.95 600Mbps 29.97, 25, 24, 23.98 400Mbps MP4 59.94, 50 H.265 10-bit 4:2:0 100Mbps 29.97, 25, 23.98 H.264 8-bit 4:2:0 100Mbps

There are also FullHD / 1080 options at up to 120p either played back at capture speed or as slow-mo. Shooting up to FullHD/60 can be done using the ProRes 422HQ codec.

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The level of detail capture in 8K is very high. UHD footage is essentially the same as DCI footage but with the edges cropped off, both in 8K and 4K modes. 4K footage up to 30p is derived from the same sensor readout as the 8K modes, and shows levels of detail comparable with the Canon EOS R5 II's oversampled 'HQ' modes.

Framerates above 30p are sub-sampled (with the halved rolling shutter rate suggesting 50% line skipping). These modes are not just less detailed but exhibit prominent moiré.

Unfortunately, while detail capture is high, the rolling shutter rates are pretty significant. Most modes show over 30ms of rolling shutter, which will make them very prone to warped and distorted motion if things move quickly across the camera or if you pan.

Rolling shutter rate 8K or 4K footage up to 29.97p 31.3ms (1/32 sec) 4K footage at 47.95p upwards 15.5ms (1/64 sec)

Rolling shutter can also interact awkwardly with attempts at stabilization, as the movement to correct shake can both counter and exaggerate the distortion caused by the slow readout, leading to the so-called 'Jello' effect. We don't see video as a particularly critical feature on a camera with a fixed 43mm lens and no means of monitoring audio, but the results are a little disappointing given how promising the specs look on paper.

Conclusion

By Richard Butler

Pros Cons

• Excellent image quality in both Raw and JPEG
• Impressive lens performance, even at the widest aperture setting
• Autofocus is swift and precise
• Flash sync across full (mechanical) shutter speed range
• Very light luminance noise reduction helps preserve detail at high ISOs
• Perspective Correction function is very usable
• Digital Zoom modes give you some additional flexibility
• Very detailed video with a good choice of codecs and bitrates
• Decent battery life
• You'll know you own a Leica

• Subject recognition incompatible with AF point selection
• Subject recognition not as persistent as some cameras we've tested
• Auto white balance can be aggressively neutral/cool
• Minimal default luma noise reduction leaves very noisy images in low light
• Button to shift from AF to MF is fiddly
• Auto ISO settings awkward to access
• Worth being aware of Digital Zoom's impact on image quality
• Significant rolling shutter in its most detailed video modes
• No audio out, despite strong video specs
• 4K capture above 30p shows a lot of aliasing
• Significant price premium for the Leica name

The Leica Q3 43 is a beautiful piece of engineering and design, and a welcome addition to the range if you don't see the world through the angle of view offered by the existing 28mm Q cameras.

Image quality is superb, with a lens that's very sharp and with high cross-frame consistency even at wide apertures. The camera's controls are also nicely focused on the fundamentals of photography, which is refreshing after the feature and icon overload that much of the industry has sleepwalked into.

The thread on the front of the lens has been cut so that the screw-in hood lines up exactly when fully tightened. It feels indicative of the attention to detail that's gone into the camera.

The camera had a couple of quirks that felt relevant to the way it might be used. While its autofocus was swift and responsive, the autofocus interface feels a generation or so behind the competition. Its face detection mode ignoring your chosen AF point can make it almost impossible to keep the camera focusing on your preferred subject, especially when shooting candids.

The Q3 43's Auto white balance mode can also be rather painfully literal: neutralizing any color cast in the scene and seemingly erring on the side of a rather cool rendition. This is no problem if you're shooting Raw but a little off-putting. Most modern cameras recognize that there are times you want to preserve some of the ambience in a scene, or at least keep the colors on the flattering side of neutral. The rather hands-off approach to luminance noise also takes some getting used to.

The Leica Q3 43 didn't magically make me a better photographer in the weeks I was shooting with it. But it did feel, as the best camera do, like something that would encourage me to keep practicing and support me as I went.

Leica Q3 43 | F2.0 | 1/60 sec | ISO 160
Processed with Adobe Camera Raw
Photo: Richard Butler

Overall, though, it's an impressive photographic tool that has the build quality and attention to detail to leave no doubt that this is a distinctly premium product. That's not going to convince everyone that it's worth the asking price, of course, but that's the nature of luxury goods: the exclusivity is part of the package. But, in a way that's not always been true of Leica's digital cameras, this does feel like a first-rate camera just as much as it's a desirable object.

Personally, I found myself uncomfortable knowing I had something costing so many thousands of dollars slung over my shoulder (admittedly made still more acute by doing it at a time when it was both valuable and secret). And its size, even with a relatively compact lens, meant I couldn't really pocket or conceal it.

Considerations of price and how you feel about the cultural meaning of such a product are deeply personal, and not something anyone is likely to be swayed on. But as a camera, it's very, very good. If you want a camera that's a Leica in every sense, but don't want to commit the rest of your life to a quest for ever more unobtainable M-mount lenses, it's just about everything you might hope for.

Scoring

Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.

Leica Q3 43Category: Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact CameraBuild qualityErgonomics & handlingFeaturesMetering & focus accuracyImage quality (raw)Image quality (jpeg)Low light / high ISO performanceViewfinder / screen ratingOpticsPerformanceMovie / video modeConnectivityValuePoorExcellentConclusionThe Leica Q3 43 provides a 'normal' alternative to the company's wide-angle fixed lens, full-frame compact. Its image quality is superb, thanks to an excellent lens, and its user interface is pleasantly photography focused. Its video modes and autofocus interface don't live up to these immensely high standards, but neither gets in the way of the camera's core mission.Good forPeople looking to document their life with the highest image qualityNot so good forCost-conscious photographers, anyone looking for a pragmatic tool to get a job done.89%Overall scoreRegularScoreCompareWidget({"mainElementId":"scoringWidget","mainProduct":"leica_q343","scoringSchema":{"id":"SLRs","variables":[{"id":"BuildQuality"},{"id":"ErgonomicsAndHandling"},{"id":"Features"},{"id":"MeteringAndFocusAccuracy"},{"id":"QualityRaw"},{"id":"QualityJpeg"},{"id":"LowLightHighISO"},{"id":"ViewfinderScreenRating"},{"id":"Optics"},{"id":"Performance"},{"id":"Movie"},{"id":"Connectivity"},{"id":"Value"}],"categories":[{"id":"EntryLevel","label":"Entry Level Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Entry Level"},{"id":"MidRange","label":"Mid Range Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Mid Level"},{"id":"EntryLevelFullFrame","label":"Entry Level Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Full Frame"},{"id":"MidRangeFullFrame","label":"Mid Range Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Mid Range Full Frame"},{"id":"SemiProfessional","label":"Semi-professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Semi-professional"},{"id":"SemiProfessionalFullFrame","label":"Semi-professional Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Semi-professional Full Frame"},{"id":"Professional","label":" Professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Professional"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEntry","label":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEnthusiast","label":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"VideoCamera","label":"Video Camera","shortLabel":"Video Camera"}]},"helpText":"Choose one or more cameras from the drop-down menu, then roll your mouse over the names to see how their scores compare to the camera on review."}) Compared to its peers

The Leica Q3 43 doesn't really have any direct peers. The closest parallel is Ricoh's GR IIIx, which is a much, much more compact camera but also one with a lens that's a stop slower in absolute terms, even before you factor-in the effect of it having a much smaller sensor. The only fixed-lens camera that will give you the same image quality and photo-centric shooting experience as the Q3 43 is the existing wide-angle Q3. And the significant difference between a wide-angle and a perfect normal angle-of-view should make it obvious which makes sense to you.

The Q3 43 offers image quality and shooting experience to live up to the brand story that Leica has built around itself. You can fit a good lens to any number of mass-market full-frame mirrorless cameras can get something like the image quality, but you won't get such an elegantly simple shooting experience (or such a small package). If the Leica brand and all it represents (including cost/exclusivity) doesn't resonate with you, then that's the more pragmatic route to take. But if it does, then nothing else will come close to working as a substitute.

Buy now:

Buy at B&H PhotoBuy at AdoramaBuy at Leica Sample 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.

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

Canon has released a new firmware update for the EOS R5 II, and says it's currently working on removing a limitation that shows up when using the new camera with an older LP-E6NH battery.

Firmware version 1.0.1, which should soon be available on Canon's site, is mostly about bug fixes and improvements. According to Canon, the update will:

• Fix an issue in which movies captured in RAW format may not play back properly on applications due to the attached lens and camera not communicating properly.
• Improve the stability of the touch operation control when the Touch Control is set to Sensitive.
• Fix an issue in which the camera LCD display may become abnormal after the camera resumes operations from the viewfinder off state.
• Fix an issue in which the camera may stop working properly when the shutter button is operated while the BUSY message is being displayed on the screen.
• Fix an issue in which Err70 may be displayed when the display mode is switched between the LCD screen and viewfinder while the BUSY message is being displayed on the screen.
• Fix an issue in which the camera LCD display may become abnormal after using EOS Utility to capture and import movies.
• Fix an issue in which movies captured using EOS Utility may not be played back on the camera.
• Optimize the auto white balance for specific environments when the Custom Picture function is set to ON.

The company also told DPReview that it'll release a firmware update 'later this year' to let the EOS R5 II record 23.98/24p video, even with an older LP-E6NH battery installed. There will still be limitations when using the LP-E6NH battery instead of the LP-E6P that comes with the camera; according to Canon's manual, using the older battery will disable:

• Recording in 8K DCI/8K UHD/RAW/SRAW, Fine image quality, and 239.76/200.00/119.88/100.00/59.94/50.00 fps frame rates

• HDMI RAW output

• Still photo shooting during movie recording

• High Frame Rate movies

• Pre-continuous shooting

• Using Wi-Fi / Ethernet

While the 24p frame rates aren't officially included on the no-go list, Petapixel has reported that people weren't able to use them with the LP-E6NH battery installed and confirmed the omission with its own tests.

Canon says it hasn't finalized when the update enabling 24p will be available, but we'll be sure to update you as soon as it's available.

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

Tamron has announced the 90mm F2.8 Di III Macro VXD, a full frame lens for Sony E mount and Nikon Z mount, the latest in a long line of affordable 90mm Macros from the company.

As the name implies, the lens is focused on capturing 1:1 reproductions at relatively close distances, though it can also be used for portraiture and as a medium-distance telephoto. The company also pitches it as a good option for APS-C shooters, as it will have a 135mm equivalent focal length on those systems.

The lens comprises 15 elements – all of which are spherical – in 12 groups, including four special glass low-dispersion elements. Tamron also says it has a 'moisture-resistant construction' and a Fluorine coating on the front element, which should provide some resistance to oil and dust.

According to Tamron, the lens features the company's first 12-blade circular aperture to ensure "the bokeh remains perfectly circular when the aperture is wide open." Also new is its lens hood; the company says it includes a 'sliding window' that lets you easily adjust filters without having to remove the hood. The lens' filter thread is 67mm.

The 90mm F2.8 Di III Macro VXD is 127mm (5") long and weighs 630g (22.2oz) for the Sony model. The Nikon model weighs 10g (0.4oz) more. Both feature a focus set button as well as a focus limiter switch.

The lens fills a gap in the Z-mount system, as there weren't previously any 90mm autofocus-capable macro lenses for full-frame cameras. Nikon makes a 105mm model, and Venus Optics has a manual focus 90mm F2.8.

The 90mm F2.8 Di III Macro VXD will be available starting October 24th for $699.

Buy now:

$699 at B&H Photo

Press Release:

TAMRON Announces New 90mm Macro 90mm F/2.8 Di III MACRO VXD (Model F072) for Sony E-mount and Nikon Z mount full-frame mirrorless

The compact, innovative, high-performance design leverages its renowned 45-year heritage

September 26, 2024, Commack, NY – TAMRON announces the launch of its new 90mm F/2.8 Di III MACRO VXD (Model F072), a mid-telephoto 1:1 macro lens, compatible with Sony E-mount and Nikon Z mount full-frame mirrorless cameras, on October 24, 2024 at $699 USD / $949 CAD.

Celebrating 45 years of TAMRON 90mm macro lenses: The next generation

In 1979, TAMRON introduced its first 90mm macro lens, the SP 90mm F/2.5 (Model 52B), revolutionizing the concept of macro lenses. Known for its stunning bokeh and superb image quality, this lens was initially used mainly for academic purposes, but it soon became popular for various types of photography, including outdoor field work and portraiture. Affectionately nicknamed "Tamukyu," a portmanteau of two Japanese words, it garnered high praise from close-up aficionados, nature photographers and portrait enthusiasts alike.

TAMRON continued to innovate in response to evolving photographic needs, releasing subsequent models such as the SP AF90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 (Model 272E) and SP 90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 VC USD (Model F004). In 2016, TAMRON launched the SP 90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 VC USD (Model F017), an evolution of the Model F004. The digital-compatible coating technology, combined with its soft, natural bokeh and sharp rendering, continues to be favored by many photographers today.

Now, in celebration of the 45th anniversary of the first generation, TAMRON is releasing a highly anticipated mirrorless version of this iconic lens. This latest iteration combines the traditional, beloved brilliant performance with cutting-edge technology, continuing TAMRON's macro lens legacy. We invite you to explore the new possibilities offered by TAMRON's latest 90mm macro lens.

Product Features

1. High optical performance and image reproduction: the legacy grows

TAMRON’s 90mm lenses have long been celebrated for their high resolution and beautiful bokeh. The new 90mm F2.8 MACRO lens, designed for mirrorless cameras, reinforces this legacy via a rigorous optical simulation process. This lens offers unparalleled resolution performance from the center to the edges, and delivers soft, blurred bokeh and a three-dimensional effect that highlights the subject. The optical construction features 15 elements in 12 groups, including four special glass LD (Low Dispersion) lens elements that effectively suppress the tendency of light ray divergence and provide excellent correction for both spherical and chromatic aberration. The BBAR-G2 (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection Generation 2) Coating significantly minimizes ghosting and flare, ensuring that even in backlit conditions, the finest details of the subject are captured with clarity and precision. This exceptional optical performance enables photographers to explore unique photographic expressions in many photographic genres, including macro, portrait, tabletop, long-distance photography, and various other types.

Additionally, you can also enjoy the outstanding macro performance of this lens and beautiful images with APS-C format cameras. The equivalent focal length is approximately 135mm while the minimum aperture remains F2.8.

2. Outstanding flat-field performance

TAMRON's new 90mm F2.8 MACRO is highly corrected for superior flat-field resolution that will be best for subjects such as documents, currency, artwork and product packaging. This quality is especially important when shooting close-up images where depth of field is too shallow to neutralize the loss of sharpness that could otherwise occur at the extreme edges of a flat subject. Because it's highly corrected, this lens provides edge to edge sharpness, uniform illumination across the frame and minimal distortion.

3. TAMRON's first 12-blade circular aperture for stunning circular bokeh and starburst effects

The 90mm F2.8 MACRO introduces TAMRON’s first 12-blade circular aperture, setting a new standard for beautiful circular bokeh expression. Especially in the macro range, with a maximum magnification in between 1:1 to 1:4, this specialized diaphragm ensures that the bokeh remains perfectly circular when the aperture is wide open. The lens also suppresses vignetting in the four corners of the image. Composed entirely of spherical elements, the new 90mm F2.8 MACRO allows you to enjoy exquisite circular bokeh.

In addition, the 12-blade design produces 12 rays for exquisite starburst effects when the aperture is stopped down, making it ideal for capturing dramatic images of scenes that include point-sources of light, such as birthday cake candles and evening cityscapes.

4. Compact size, just 5” (126.5mm) in length

The 90mm F2.8 MACRO is a medium telephoto macro lens with a maximum aperture of F2.8 and a length of 5” (126.5mm). With a maximum diameter of only 79.2mm, the lens fits comfortably in the palm of the hand and is easy to hold, making it compact enough to go out with this macro lens everywhere. It's also light in weight at 22.2oz (630g), making it more pleasant to carry for long periods of time.

5. New hood design with sliding window for easy filter rotation

The 90mm F2.8 MACRO is supplied with a new structural lens hood that has a sliding window designed for easy filter operation. Filters such as PL, ND, and cross screen filters require rotation to adjust their effects, often requiring the removal of the hood. To solve this inconvenience, the new design allows photographers to easily rotate the filter through the sliding window. This enables seamless adjustment without disrupting the shooting flow, ensuring precise control over shooting conditions and maintaining the rhythm of normal camera operation.

6. Proprietary software tool TAMRON Lens UtilityTM for lens function customization and firmware updates

7. High-speed and high-precision AF with superb subject tracking performance

8. High convenience and operability

• 67mm filter size, same as most other TAMRON lenses for mirrorless cameras
• Focus Set Button for assigning camera function and TAMRON Lens Utility function
• Focus limiter switch for faster focusing during AF shooting and quick refocusing on subjects
• Precise torque for accurate MF operation
• Enhanced overall lens design for user-friendly operation

9. Protective features (Moisture-Resistant Construction and Fluorine Coating)

Tamron 90mm F2.8 Di III VXD specifications Principal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length90 mmLens mountNikon Z, Sony EApertureMaximum apertureF2.8Minimum apertureF16Aperture ringNoNumber of diaphragm blades12Aperture notesCircular diaphragmOpticsElements15Groups12Special elements / coatingsFour special glass LD (Low Dispersion) elements, Broad-Band Anti-Reflection Generation 2 coatingFocusMinimum focus0.23 m (9.06″)AutofocusYesMotor typeLinear MotorDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoFocus distance limiter0.7mPhysicalWeight640 g (1.41 lb)Diameter79 mm (3.12″)Length129 mm (5.06″)SealingYesColourBlackFilter thread67 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarNo

Winners of the 2024 Bird Photographer of the Year awards Image: Bird Photographer of the Year/Princeton University Press

Yesterday, we got to see the winners of the 2024 Ocean Photographer awards. Today, we're taking to the opposite domain; the winners of the 2024 Bird Photographer of the Year awards have been announced.

The competition, which has been running since 2016, drew over 23,000 submissions, according to its organizers. Photographer of the Year is partnered with Birds on the Brink, a charity that gives grants to bird conservation efforts.

The winning images will be on display at various venues throughout the United Kingdom over the next year.

You can view the silver and bronze finalists, as well as honorable mentions for each category, on the Bird Photographer of the Year website. The site also shows the winners of the Portfolio and Conservation Awards, which are given for a series of images rather than a single image.

Bird Photographer of the Year Winner - Patricia Homonylo, Canada Image: Patricia Homonylo

The overall winner this year is Patricia Homonylo for her photo entitled When Worlds Collide. According to the organizers, the image depicts over 4,000 birds that died from running into windows in the city of Toronto.

Homonylo works with the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP), a charity that aims to save birds who have run into windows after mistaking reflections for the sky. FLAP also works to raise awareness of the issue and ways to make homes safer for migratory birds.

The photo also won the Conservation (Single Image) category.

Young Bird Photographer of the Year - Andrés Luis Domínguez Blanco, Spain Image: Andrés Luis Domínguez Blanco, age 14

Title: Perspective

Best Portrait - Alan Murphy, USA

Image: Alan Murphy

Title: Winter Pink

Birds in the Environment - Kat Zhou, USA Image: Kat Zhou

Title: Immersion

Bird Behaviour - Nathaniel Peck, USA Image: Nathaniel Peck

Title: Scavenger

Birds in Flight - Hermis Haridas, India Image: Hermis Haridas

Title: Dawn's Whispers

Black and White - David Stowe, Australia Image: David Stowe

Title: Hippo Impression

Urban Birds - Grzegorz Długosz, Poland Image: Grzegorz Długosz

Title: Treacherous Journey

Comedy Bird Photo - Nadia Haq, USA Image: Nadia Haq

Title: A Modern Dancer

15-17 years - Emil Wagner, Germany Image: Emil Wagner

Title: Human and Nature

11 and under - Julian Mendla, Germany Image: Julian Mendla

Title: Turbulent Fish Hunt

Video Award - Malkolm Boothroyd Image: Malkolm Boothroyd

Our slideshow tool doesn't support videos, but you can watch this year's winner, titled Into a World of Ice, below.

Steve Gantlett is on a mission: to find whoever misplaced an SD card full of bird pictures in Norfolk county, England. According to his post on X, formerly Twitter, the card has around 3,700 bird pictures taken in Iceland.

Gantlett posted his original in-search-of on Monday but followed up on Tuesday, saying that the person hasn't been found yet. If it belongs to you, or you know someone who went to Iceland in May and then was in the UK, it may be worth reaching out to Gantlett; he's @cleybirds on X.

If you don't have an account on that site, feel free to leave a comment here and we'll see what we can do. We'll be sure to update this story if the rightful owner is found.

Winners of the 2024 Ocean Photographer of the Year awards Image: Oceanographic and Rafael Fernandez Caballero

Earlier this month, Oceanographic Magazine announced the winners of its 2024 Ocean Photographer of the Year awards. The outlet says the awards are meant to "shine a light on the wonder and fragility of our blue planet, and to celebrate the photographers giving it a voice."

According to the outlet, over 15,000 images were submitted for consideration. The finalists and honorable mentions for each category are on the Oceanographic website. The images selected will be shown in a gallery at the Australian National Maritime Museum beginning on November 28th, 2024.

The Ocean winner: Rafael Fernandez Caballero Image: Rafael Fernández Caballero

Winner of the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024 award, Rafael Fernández Caballero, told Oceanographic that he shot the image during the Mexican sardine run in late 2023. He said "For years, I’ve visited the Mexican sardine run, always hoping to witness a whale feeding on a baitball," adding that "it’s not just about the image itself, but about the shared experience and the thrill of being in the right place at the right time."

The winning image depicts a Bryde’s whale opening its mouth to eat a school of fish.

Location: Baja California Sur, Mexico

Wildlife winner: Manuel Castellanos Raboso Image: Manuel Castellanos Raboso

Artist statement: A triumphant mahi-mahi or common dolphinfish proudly displays its catch amidst a feeding frenzy.

Location: Baja California Sur, Mexico

Fine Art winner: Henley Spiers Image: Henley Spiers

Artist statement: Born during the great mobula aggregations of spring, juvenile Munk's devil rays remain in the Sea of Cortez long after their parents have left, using the shallow bays of Espiritu Santo Island as a nursery.

Location: Baja California Sur, Mexico

Adventure winner: Tobias Friedrich

Image: Tobias Friedrich

Artist statement: A scuba diver looks tiny swimming in front of a shipwreck.

Location: The Bahamas

Conservation (Impact) winner: Frederik Brogaard Image: Frederik Brogaard

Artist statement: The second biggest whale, the fin whale, lies waiting for its turn to be butchered at a whaling plant in Iceland before getting sent to Japan.

Location: Iceland

Conservation (Hope) winner: Shane Gross Image: Shane Gross

Artist statement: A green sea turtle is released by a researcher after being caught while trying to catch sharks.

Location: Seychelles

Human Connection: People & Planet Ocean winner: Zhang Xiang Image: Zhang Xiang

Artist statement: A traditional Chinese fisher makes their way across the beach as the sunset’s golden haze is reflected in the sand and water.

Location: Fujian, China

Young Photographer of the Year winner: Jacob Guy Image: Jacob Guy

Artist statement: The algae octopus is an elusive creature.

Location: North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Ocean Portfolio winner: Shane Gross Image: Shane Gross

Artist statement: Baby plainfin midshipman fish, still attached to their yolk sacs.

Location: British Columbia, Canada

Female Fifty Fathoms Award winner: Ipah Uid Lynn Image: Ipah Uid Lynn

Artist statement: A whale shark surrounded by a swirling school of fish.

Location: The Maldives

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

Ricoh is now selling a software graduated ND filter for select Pentax DSLRs. The 'Premium Feature,' which you unlock on your camera using an activation code, lets you make certain parts of your image darker than others, similar to how you can with a physical graduated ND filter.

The 'Grad ND' feature has a good level of flexibility, letting you definite the gradient's position and angle, as well as the transition distance. The intensity of the ND effect can be varied from -0.3EV to -5.0EV in 1/3EV increments.

The 'Grad ND' has several customizations you can make in-camera.

Image: Ricoh

According to an Instagram post by Ned Bunnell, former president of Pentax US, the effect works by taking two exposures and compositing them together. Images taken using the feature can be saved as both Raws and JPEGs.

According to Ricoh's site, the Grad ND feature is available for the K-1 II, K-3 III, and K-3 III Monochrome; it's not available for previous versions of the K-3. You'll also need to update your camera to the latest firmware to use the feature. Ricoh warns it can take up to a week to get your activation code, but Bunnell reports that his arrived the day after he placed his order.

It costs $79.95 to activate the feature, which is done on a per-serial number basis; that means if you have multiple cameras you wish to use the feature on, you'll have to buy an activation code for each one. Ricoh's website contains a long list of warnings and instructions about purchasing the feature, so be sure to read them carefully if you're considering it.

Apple Intelligence can do many things, but the company limits how you can use it to edit photos for now.

Image: Apple

Apple has said that the pictures its devices take are meant to depict "something that really, actually happened," a view that starkly contrasts how many of its competitors are approaching photography in the age of generative AI. The quote comes courtesy of The Verge, which asked Apple's vice president of camera software engineering about what the company was trying to achieve with the pictures its phones take.

Here's his full response, which was published in The Verge's iPhone 16 Pro review:

Here’s our view of what a photograph is. The way we like to think of it is that it’s a personal celebration of something that really, actually happened.

Whether that’s a simple thing like a fancy cup of coffee that’s got some cool design on it, all the way through to my kid’s first steps, or my parents’ last breath, It’s something that really happened. It’s something that is a marker in my life, and it’s something that deserves to be celebrated.

And that is why when we think about evolving in the camera, we also rooted it very heavily in tradition. Photography is not a new thing. It’s been around for 198 years. People seem to like it. There’s a lot to learn from that. There’s a lot to rely on from that.

Think about stylization, the first example of stylization that we can find is Roger Fenton in 1854 – that’s 170 years ago. It’s a durable, long-term, lasting thing. We stand proudly on the shoulders of photographic history.

Let's compare that to what Google has said. Isaac Reynolds, a product manager for the Pixel Camera, told Wired that the company is "not just inserting [itself] into this narrow slot built for cameras" during a discussion about its phones' myriad AI-powered features. "You could have a true and perfect representation of a moment that felt completely fake and completely wrong. What some of these edits do is help you create the moment that is the way you remember it, that's authentic to your memory and to the greater context, but maybe isn't authentic to a particular millisecond."

"These edits... help you create the moment that is the way you remember"

Google's phones give you several tools to "help you create the moment that is the way you remember it." The Pixel 9 series is able to use AI to 'expand' a photo, generating imagery beyond the borders of what your phone's camera captured. It can look at a series of group photos and create a composite where everyone is smiling and has their eyes open. It can add the photographer to a group picture. And perhaps most strikingly, it can help you 'reimagine' a photo by adding in AI-generated imagery.

Samsung, Apple's main competitor, has a set of features similar to Google's. The company's Head of Customer Experience told TechRadar that it's trying to serve two different needs: the need to capture a moment as it happened and the need to create something new. Talking about the company's generative AI-powered editing, he said: "When people go on Instagram, they add a bunch of funky black and white stuff – they create a new reality. Their intention isn’t to recreate reality, it’s to make something new."

His explanation of how Samsung meets that first need wasn't free of AI mentions either: "One intention is wanting to capture the moment – wanting to take a picture that’s as accurate and complete as possible. To do that, we use a lot of AI filtering, modification and optimization to erase shadows, reflections and so on. But we are true to the user's intention, which was to capture that moment."

He also addressed the controversy of Samsung phones potentially adding detail to people's pictures of the moon, clarifying what the company considers to be true to the user's intention: "There is no such thing as a real picture. As soon as you have sensors to capture something, you reproduce [what you’re seeing], and it doesn’t mean anything. There is no real picture. [...] You can try to define a real picture by saying, ‘I took that picture’, but if you used AI to optimize the zoom, the autofocus, the scene – is it real? Or is it all filters? There is no real picture, full stop."

We encourage you to read both Wired and TechRadar's interviews in full, but by now, it should be obvious that Apple is thinking about photos very differently than Samsung and Google. Or, at the very least, it wants to give the impression that it is.

Arguably, the iPhone's photos aren't exactly "authentic to a particular millisecond" either; its imaging pipeline stitches together several shots to create images with detail, tones, dynamic range and noise levels that its relatively small sensor wouldn't be able to capture otherwise. That's even true when you're shooting in its supposed 'Raw' mode.

However, even this advanced level of processing isn't the same as letting you move people around in your photos or add a photorealistic herd of cows to them with the tap of a button. And while Apple's planned 'Image Playground' feature will let you use AI to generate images of your friends and family whole-cloth, it will only do so in a cartoonish or illustrated style, at least for now.

That's not to say that Apple has completely opted out of AI photo editing. The company is currently working on launching a feature called 'Clean Up,' which uses Apple Intelligence to remove a subject from a picture, be it a photobombing bird or someone in the background who distracts from whatever or whoever you were trying to take a picture of. The feature is remarkably similar to Google's Magic Eraser, which the company has included on its phones for years.

Before: An unedited photo taken with an iPhone 15 Pro.

Photo: Mitchell Clark

To make matters even more uncomfortable, the AI-edited photos do have a metadata watermark, but YouTuber Evan Zhou has already demonstrated that it can be easily removed by editing the EXIF. It is worth noting that the feature is currently in beta, so that may not be the case by the time it's publicly released, though at time of writing that's theoretically only a month away.

After: people in the background were erased using a beta version of Apple's AI 'Clean Up' feature. Is this still a moment that really, actually happened?

The existence of Clean Up is already a little hard to square with the phrasing of 'something that really, actually happened.' Perhaps that's why the company specified that its photos are meant to be a 'personal celebration' of those moments (emphasis ours). But where this quote may really come back to bite Apple is if it adds more extensive generative AI features into its photo editing experience. If the company keeps this stance, it has to decide what amount of editing will make it so a picture no longer represents something that actually happened.

Speaking of tough decisions, Apple will also have to weigh that stance against its ability to compete with other phones. If, in a few years' time, every Android phone comes with a suite of AI tools that let people turn their 'photos' into whatever they want, Apple will have to add similar features if it doesn't want to seem woefully out of step with the times – just like it did with Clean Up...

... won't it? Looking at how much attention tech companies are paying to AI features, you'd think that consumers are beating down their doors, demanding the ability to ask a personal AI to whip up a custom emoji or reduce what used to be minutes or hours of Photoshop work into a task that takes seconds. It seems inevitable that people will start to use and value this tech now that it's built into almost every phone.

It's not clear yet if generative AI-powered editing is a clear win for the companies feverishly adding it to their products

And yet generative AI features – especially ones related to creative pursuits like writing, drawing and photography – are currently contentious in a way that technology usually isn't outside of early 1800s England. The comments sections of articles covering the tech are filled with boosters, but there are just as many, if not more, detractors who view companies' work on generative AI as genuinely harmful. Researchers at Washington State University recently published a report showing that adding the term 'artificial intelligence' to a product or service's description made people less likely to say they'd buy it.

In other words, it's not clear yet if generative AI-powered editing is a clear win for the companies feverishly adding it to their products. And while that list certainly includes Apple, which said its new iPhones were 'built from the ground up' for its AI features, the company has, for now, planted a flag on how it views the tech's role in photography. It remains to be seen whether that flag is planted in granite or sand.

Hot air balloons inflate during the blue hour at the 'Balloons over Bend' balloon festival in central Oregon.

Canon EOS R3 + EF 24-70mm F2.8 L II | 24mm | ISO 25,600 | 1/100 | F2.8
Photo: Dale Baskin

It's time to prepare for another DPReview Editors' Choice photo challenge. This time, we're celebrating 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.

For this challenge, shoot and submit one or more blue hour photos. They don't need to be taken someplace exotic, but creativity is encouraged. You can enter up to three photos in this challenge.

How it works

DPReview editors will review every photo you upload to an Editors' Challenge. We'll publish our favorites in a gallery and share your work on the DPReview homepage.

If you miss participating in this one, please look out for our next Editors' Challenge.

How to submit your photos

Submissions will open on September 29, and you have until Saturday, October 5 (GMT), to submit entries. User voting will begin after that and will help inform DPReview Editors' picks, but will not select them. They are one factor in our evaluation of submissions.

Enter your photos here

Challenge details

Processing rules:

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

Capture date rules:

• Images must be shot after the announcement date of the challenge.

Additional rules:

• Photos must be at least 2400 pixels long on one edge.
• Include a title for your photo.
• Include a caption that tells us the story behind the photo, including when and where it was taken.
• Share what gear was used and your camera settings. If you used an interchangeable lens camera, please tell us what lens was used.
• Tell us about any edits you made in post-processing beyond basic things like white balance, exposure adjustments, etc.
• Please ensure your account's contact information is current; we may contact you if your photo is selected as an Editor's Pick. User voting will inform DPReview Editor's Picks, but will not select them. They are one factor in our evaluation of submissions.
• Our standard copyright and privacy terms and conditions policy applies.