I’m a sucker for a good nature documentary, but National Geographic’s new series Lion – which premiered this week – is something I’ve genuinely never seen before.

Directed by Jon Favreau – who also helmed Disney’s 2019 CG remake of The Lion King, along with Iron Man and The Mandalorian and Grogu – the new series follows the journey of a single lion cub over four years, with over a thousand filming days spent on Kenya’s Masai Mara savannah.

During this time, the small cub – nicknamed Kio – goes from fighting for survival to becoming leader of the pack, all of which is captured in incredible close-up detail using a full suite of traditional cameras and camera drones.

Favreau was a newbie to documentary filmmaking before embarking on the series, but he teamed up with Mike Gunton – a veteran BBC producer.

ABOVE: Watch the trailer for Lion

Gunton has worked on many of the BBC nature documentaries narrated by the legendary David Attenborough, such as Dynasties and Planet Earth – the ones that all of us have watched too many times to count (or is that just me?).

It was Gunton’s suggestion that Favreau and the team venture into the Masai Mara with drones, something that hadn’t really been done before. To achieve this, the team made use of local talent in Kenya, enlisting aerial cinematographer Anthony Njuguna to get shots with a DJI Inspire.

Favreau has discussed how the story of the series was discovered in the process of shooting and editing. The crew started by covering 50 lions with no idea of what the ultimate story was going to be, but found themselves increasingly drawn to Kio the cub as he battled the odds to survive on the unforgiving savannah.

Despite (or perhaps partly because of) having previously worked on a fully CG film, Favreau was drawn to the project in part by the prospect of creating something that was fully, 100% real.

"As we entered into this project, generative AI came online, and there’s a tremendous influx of content that you don’t know whether it’s authentic or not," he told National Geographic magazine.

"The notion of going out into the field and limiting ourselves to completely analog tools and telling an authentic story that feels real, I find that engaging right now, in contrast to how much out there is fabricated."

And just when I thought I couldn’t be any more excited, the score for the series is composed by the great Hans Zimmer – who also composed the music for Disney’s original The Lion King movie back in 1994 (as well as the likes Denis Villeneuve's Dune trilogy and Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy).

Lion is available to watch now on Disney Plus and Hulu.

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If you're in the market for a new high-end camera phone, three brands are likely to spring straight to mind: Apple, Google and Samsung. Thanks to their huge marketing might, they enjoy unrivalled brand recognition. It's therefore easy to assume that these industry titans must produce the best camera phones on the market - after all, how could a smaller brand possibly compete?

But the reality is that the competition isn't just catching up, or even equalling the camera phone giants - it's already overtaken them. Massive brand recognition can become an easy way to generate sales, reducing the need for genuine hardware innovation. We’ve seen exactly this from the last few generations of iPhone and Galaxy S Ultra phones, with the latter reusing camera sensors not just for one phone generation but three, and counting. Incremental upgrades are now the order of the day. This is currently somewhat understandable, as the skyrocketing cost of NAND flash is increasing the overall price of camera phones, thereby preventing manufacturers from making substantial camera hardware upgrades without raising unit costs still further. However, this alone doesn't excuse what is now multiple years of stagnating camera phone hardware from the major players.

So if the latest iPhone or Galaxy S Ultra isn't going to give you the most advanced camera experience available right now, what will? For that you need to turn to China. Not content with dominating almost every other area of consumer electronics, China also now gives us the most innovative and impressive camera phones on the market. The three brands at the top are Vivo, Xiaomi and Oppo. For the last few years all three have consistently produced more compelling flagship camera phones than anything from Apple, Samsung or Google. The Chinese contenders pack bigger image sensors, more optical zoom, and extra features that make recent iPhones and Galaxy S Ultra handsets look downright dull.

I've been lucky enough to long-term test Oppo's current flagship, the Find X9 Ultra, for the past three months. With a launch price of £1449, it can't rely on being substantially cheaper than its rivals, but it doesn't need to be. In its Tundra Umber colorway, it's immediately more distinctive than the comparatively bland Galaxy S26 Ultra, even to those not in 'the know'. And if you are a photographer that recognises the Hasselblad design cues, the Find X9 Ultra just looks better still.

Start shooting and the consistency of image quality from the four separate camera modules is immediately apparent. There's seamless focal length transitioning from 0.6x (ultrawide) through to the maximum 10x optical (230mm-equivalent) zoom. But the Find X9 Ultra’s zoom capability doesn't stop there. Through a combination of on-sensor cropping and clever AI zoom, up to 120x reach is possible, and with surprisingly competent image quality. Stick with the default photo mode and shots look immediately appealing, with strong vibrancy and contrast, as well as bags of fine detail. Dynamic range is high, but thankfully stops short of looking over-processed. If you'd rather have an even more natural image aesthetic, there's always Hasselblad Master mode. This has been tuned to emulate the more subtle image quality from Hasselblad's medium format cameras, and it opens up various manual controls. I’m also a fan of the X-Pan mode, which enables instant panorama recording and is a lot more convenient than using the much slower and fiddly sweep panorama mode.

All well and good, but most flagship phones have plenty of optical zoom, along with manual control and a plethora of shooting modes. Where the Find X9 Ultra really pulls ahead of its rivals is its ability to be teamed with Oppo’s Hasselblad Earth Explorer Kit. This contains a bespoke 300mm teleconverter lens, along with a special phone case to which the lens mounts, plus a tripod collar and other small accessories. You might assume this is all a bit gimmicky – after all, clip-on telephoto lenses can be plasticky garbage – but you’d be very wrong. With aesthetics and build quality that are truly befitting of the Hasselblad branding, this is so much more than just a publicity stunt: it turns what’s already a darned good camera phone into a genuinely usable option for capturing sports and wildlife. Check out our full review of the teleconverter lens for more details.

Oppo isn’t the only Chinese brand pushing camera phone boundaries. Vivo also offers a similar case+teleconverter kit for its flagship camera phone, the X300 Ultra, and though I’ve yet to test this, it looks just as impressive as Oppo’s implementation.

I fully admit that optional teleconverter lenses aren’t going to change the camera phone world: as effective as they are, they’ll always be a niche product. Rather, Oppo and Vivo’s camera cases and teleconverters serve as symbols of China’s desire to innovate and enhance the camera phone industry, while also highlighting the comparative lack of hardware development we've seen from the more established brands.

So when the time comes to choose your next phone, and you want something that’s been designed for enthusiast photographers, I implore you: don’t just default to the current iPhone/Pixel/Galaxy S: check out the competition from Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi, as these are now the brands at the forefront of phone camera development.

The GoPro name is synonymous with the action camera, but the brand’s latest launch sits somewhere between action and cinema camera territory. The move, however, was a long time coming: GoPro says that the Mission 1 series is the biggest leap since the introduction of HyperSmooth.

I met with GoPro’s senior vice president of product management, Pablo Lema, after the launch of the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro and ahead of the launch of the company’s first mirrorless camera.

Lema, who has worked with the action camera brand since 2014, says that the series is the GoPro that fans have been asking for since the Hero7 Black in 2018.

“Mission 1 has been a long time coming for us,” Lema said. “I don't say this lightly when I say it to other folks: it was the most important camera we've launched since Hero7 Black. The step up in performance is real, and it's valued by the user reception of it. And we're gonna continue to build from there.”

The Hero7 Black introduced GoPro’s HyperSmooth, a stabilization algorithm that made a significant difference in capturing steady footage from the variety of mounting scenarios that GoPro is meant for.

HyperSmooth continues in the Mission 1 – and in fact, the combination of HyperSmooth with interchangeable lenses is one of the reasons that Lema is most excited for the company’s first mirrorless camera.

But, while DIYers have been hacking GoPros to use different lenses since the Hero4, what GoPro fans have been asking for for several years is a larger sensor. The Mission 1 series delivers that with an 8K-capable 1-inch sensor

GoPro users started getting particularly loud about demanding a larger sensor as competitors like DJI and Insta360 began introducing 1/1.3-inch and 1-inch sensors on competing action cameras.

“The Mission 1 series is probably the GoPro that everyone was asking us for since Hero7 Black,” Lema said. “Myself and the teams, we were pumped to be able to finally get it out to the world. And what's good is that it gave us insights and motivations as to what to build next, which we're already working on.”

While GoPro couldn’t share data on just how many Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro cameras the company has sold so far, Lema said the series has been “the best reviewed and best-received camera we’ve had at a product level since Hero7 Black.”

But, with the move to a larger sensor comes an entirely new category. GoPro isn’t calling the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro an action camera, but refers to the series as a “compact cinema camera” instead.

“We saw that the types of creators that would extract the most out of a 1-inch type sensor with big dynamic range, massive fps, much better low light capabilities as a result of the imaging package were, what we considered to be, well, for lack of a better word, compact cinema creators,” Lema said.

“The high-creativity folks that are on Instagram and YouTube are the ones that we extract the most out of a package like this.”

While GoPro isn’t calling the Mission 1 an “action camera,” the company’s love for accessories remains with the new series. Lema said that the new point-and-shoot grip and wireless microphone – a GoPro first – have been particularly well received, along with bundles that pair the Mission 1 Pro with the Fluid Pro gimbal.

GoPro’s most-asked-for camera couldn’t have come at a better time. The launch of the Mission series comes as the action camera giant faces significant financial struggles.

The company’s latest financial reports indicate a 38% drop in camera sales. Stock market paperwork filings indicate that the company could “be required to significantly reduce, restructure, cease operations, or seek protection under the Federal bankruptcy laws” if the Mission 1 doesn’t help to turn its finances around.

The action camera company is also in the “later stages” of looking for a potential buyer or merger.

The GoPro Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro have already begun shipping, but GoPro CEO Nicholas Woodman says the ILS will be arriving next month.

This is part of a four-part series with an exclusive interview on the GoPro Mission 1 series. Read part one on the Mission 1 Pro ILS here, or read what GoPro says about the Hero series in the Mission era here.

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Alan Lodge isn’t just a photojournalist with a particular focus on British subcultures. He’s lived them.

Leaving a stable career at the London Ambulance Service to join the traveling community, he roamed the country with family and friends in old caravans and buses, experiencing the heyday of the free festival “circuit.”

Since then, he’s played an active role in many of the prominent counterculture and socio-environmental movements – from land rights and anti-war protests to LGBTQ+ Pride – all with a camera in hand.

Now, Nottingham Trent University – where Lodge studied photography – will exhibit his photos.

Alan Lodge: Common Grounds: Counterculture & Confrontation Since 1976 will tell the story of how movements beyond mainstream society have helped shape the UK’s cultural and social landscape today.

Featuring around 80 photographs alongside 35mm slide projections, moving images and personal archives, the exhibition sheds a rare, insider’s light on these events.

On display will be frames that Lodge took at what became known as the Battle of the Beanfield.

In the summer of 1985, the photojournalist joined the Peace Convoy on its annual journey to Stonehenge, seeing first-hand the now-infamous clashes between the police and travelers.

The “battle” resulted in one of the most violent mass arrests in British history, with prominent eyewitness accounts describing “extreme” police brutality.

Lodge began his studies in Nottingham in 1990, becoming involved with the city’s influential house music collective known as the DIY Sound System.

Two years later, he went on to shoot what are now considered his most influential images of ravers at Castlemorton Common in Wiltshire. The 1992 event is widely regarded as the largest illegal rave in British history and prompted the introduction of the Criminal Justice Act in 1994.

Alan Lodge: Common Grounds: Counterculture & Confrontation Since 1976 runs from September 25 to December 12 at Bonington Gallery, Nottingham Trent University. The exhibition will launch the evening before, on Thursday September 24, from 18:00-20:00. Entry is free for all.

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I have always been a bit of a lens snob. Not necessarily a red-ring, G Master absolutist, but I've always had a preference for first-party lenses.

Up until now, all my Canon cameras have had Canon glass and my Fujifilm cameras have Fujinon optics. My logic followed the consensus that first-party lenses offered the best autofocus, the cleanest compatibility and, supposedly, the fewest compromises.

However, recently I purchased a Panasonic Lumix S9 – and had the world of L-Mount lenses opened up to me. Panasonic makes its own fantastic glass, but there are 11 players currently in the L-mount Alliance including big hitters like Leica and Sigma – as well as rising stars like Viltrox.

I had played around with some super-cheap Viltrox lenses several years back, and optically I thought they were good but I wasn’t sold on the excessively “budget” feeling of the lenses.

However, I was recently sent the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 to test for DCW – and honestly, this lens has shifted my opinion of the brand dramatically.

The AF 16mm f/1.8 is a full-frame autofocus ultra-wide prime available for L-Mount (as well as Sony E and Nikon Z mounts). Outside, it’s built with a solid metal barrel, aperture ring, customizable buttons, dust-resistant sealing and even a small color display showing focus information.

This certainly does not feel like a “budget” lens – despite costing far less than many first-party equivalents. More importantly, it does not shoot like a budget lens either.

It has a fast f/1.8 aperture and a 105.6° angle of view. Inside are 15 elements arranged in 12 groups, including 4 ED and 3 aspherical elements. It is impressively sharp in the center at f/1.8, performs strongly toward the edges when stopped down and controls distortion remarkably well for such a wide lens.

There are still some compromises. At 550g, the Viltrox is hardly featherweight and its autofocus is not quite as polished as the very best first-party motors. Wide-open vignetting is also noticeable.

Yet none of that feels as important when the lens costs around $580 / £530. Meanwhile, Panasonic’s narrower Lumix S 18mm f/1.8 costs $1,099 / £799 and, for Sony shooters, Sony’s own FE 16mm f/1.8 G is $899 / £849.

The bigger story is what this says about Chinese lens makers. Brands such as Viltrox are going from cheap curiosities to genuinely compelling alternatives.

I still understand the appeal of first-party glass, but I am no longer convinced that the logo on the barrel deserves quite such a large portion of my budget.

I’ve been stopped by security guards when photographing architecture in London so many times, I’ve always felt that very few people understand the basics of photography law in the UK.

And if a recent pamphlet released by the government is anything to go by, I feel vindicated, because it would seem that not even the Home Office can make it make sense.

The document in question, which can be found on Gov.uk, is aimed at asylum seekers and claims that you should not photograph or video somebody in a public space without their permission – going so far as to say you “could be arrested”.

Well, unless the UK government has rushed through new legislation that I don’t know about, this is a direct contradiction of UK law. I mean, can you imagine if Martin Parr was prevented from capturing his legendary The Last Resort?

You need look no further than the Metropolitan Police’s own advice on photography to find a paragraph that completely contradicts the government brochure:

“Members of the public and the media do not need a permit to film or photograph in public places and police have no power to stop them filming or photographing incidents or police personnel.”

It’s common sense, really. Otherwise, taking a photo with a camera phone in a bustling city center would carry the risk of being arrested, right?

Now, that’s not to say anyone wielding a camera can act with impunity. Photographing somebody in public might be legal, but the way you photograph somebody in public rightfully matters.

If a photographer’s actions stray into unlawful activities such as harassment, or authorities have reason to suspect said photographer of unlawful activities, then the outcome can most certainly be very different.

It also matters what you intend to do with the images. Editorial and personal usage is one thing, but images intended for commercial use can differ.

And of course, UK law is rarely simple. There are still exceptions to the rule, so it’s always advisable to familiarize yourself with the latest legislation before you head out with your camera.

And to be fair, the pamphlet also covers activities that most certainly are unlawful. The law around private spaces is too nuanced to go into in detail here, but you can’t just walk onto private premises and expect to take photos.

And although it should go without saying, both capturing and sharing explicit imagery without a person’s permission is absolutely unlawful.

Negative effects on photography

I have two major problems with the aforementioned pamphlet. Firstly, it’s misleading. And secondly, it’s not uncommon for photographers to get harassed when out and about with their camera in public anyway.

We don’t need more people walking around ready to pounce on anyone who vaguely points a Fujifilm X100VI or Nikon D3500 in their direction.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the sort of photographer who likes to push street photography boundaries. I won’t criticize Bruce Gilden’s work, but I’m no fan of his method. And if I ever took a photograph of somebody and they politely asked me to delete it, I would.

But when I’m out and about capturing travel, street and architecture photos, people inevitably stray into the frame. And that’s the whole point of street photography, right?

Documenting the human element. Using a tiny figure against a huge building to emphasize the sense of scale. Capturing a person with a bright red coat amongst a sea of suited morning commuters. Or capturing the very moment a person walks through a single band of light.

And what about personal surveillance? Dash cams and doorbell cameras capture public footage of people…

What really annoys me is that the pamphlet singles out photographers specifically. Because I can tell you now, phone photographers don’t get approached half as much as actual photographers.

And let’s face it, if you’re up to no good, you’re not going to be using a slick retro camera or a pro mirrorless body that screams, ‘Look at me, I’m a photographer.’ You’re going to be using the most inconspicuous everyday camera available to you – a phone! Or a pair of camera glasses (double ick, as far as I’m concerned).

So, to Andy Burnham, the Home Office and the UK government, please – either change this misleading pamphlet or change the law.

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I’ve been reviewing 3 Legged Thing gear for five years and counting, since first encountering the rather epic Winston 2.0 and AirHed Pro kit from the Pro 2.0 range. Indeed, it’s been my go-to full-sized tripod ever since, and I’m no stranger to the company’s supersized video tripods either, like the 3 Legged Thing Legends Tommy. Over the ensuing years, I’ve also tested and reviewed a bunch of other 3 Legged Thing tripods great and small, desk mounts, window mounts, phone mounts, microphone arms, light stands, L-brackets, camera straps, and other paraphernalia. The company’s product catalog is nothing if not diverse, ranging from photography and videography kit, through field sports and birding, to shooting and target sports supports and accessories.

One constant is that I’ve always been impressed by 3 Legged Things’ design flair and the company’s ability to turn its clever design concepts into expertly engineered and beautifully finished products. The set of Ethan 4 tripod legs that I’m reviewing here is a mighty, super-strong set of carbon fiber legs that aims to stick with that tradition, billed as a professional hybrid photography and tactical tripod system for photo, video, shooting, and tactical pursuits. Let’s see if it lives up to its claims, not just as one of the best carbon fiber tripods, best video tripods, and best tripods for photographers, but for a variety of other duties as well.

3 Legged Thing Ethan 4: Specifications

3 Legged Thing Ethan 4: Price

A full-sized tripod with a mighty 60kg / 132lb payload rating and built from premium Japanese carbon fiber and aerospace-grade magnesium alloy, the Ethan 4 doesn’t come cheap. The legs list at $499 / £429 (AU$ TBA), and bear in mind that you’ll have to factor in a head and maybe a leveling base, if you don’t have them already, which will add to the cost. Even so, I think the legs are set at a very fair price, considering their specifications, so long as the build quality and performance stack up. That’s what I’m here to test.

3 Legged Thing Ethan 4: Design & Handling

Designed as a ‘tactical’ tripod for shooting and target sports as well as photography and videography, Ethan 4 takes its name from Ethan Hunt of Mission: Impossible. As such, it’s ‘engineered for chaos, built for legends’, as 3 Legged Thing likes to say. It’s certainly very tough and endlessly adaptable. In the realm of shooting pictures, I’d say that pro-grade videography is its best fit.

Suitably hard as nails, Ethan 4 is made from premium 3K weave Japanese carbon fiber with an oversized outer leg section diameter of 32mm. Metal parts are constructed in aerospace-grade magnesium alloy, and fixings are made from corrosion-resistant stainless steel. For the style-conscious, the tripod is available in Darkness (black), Olive Drab Green, and Lava colorways; the last of these with orange accents.

With four telescoping sections in each leg, a bonus of the chunky 32mm outer is that even the narrowest bottom sections have an impressive girth to them. The upshot is that the tripod has a super-sturdy payload rating of 60kg / 132lb. Naturally, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a camera and lens combination that weighs anywhere near that much, but the Ethan 4 can also support additional accessories, as I’ll come to later.

There’s an endless debate over whether twist-locks or flip-locks are better for tripod legs. Personally, I generally prefer twist-locks, especially if they’re the kind featured in this tripod, labelled as ‘Oversized Helical Strake’ leg locks. As such, they’re quick and easy to use with minimal rotation required to loosen or lock each section. As with other elements of the tripod, they have a top-quality look and feel, and are fitted with grippy rubber pads. They’re also designed for quick and easy strip-down and reassembly if and when they need cleaning.

While the twist-locks are pretty standard fare, the three-position leg-angle locks have a new patented trigger-pull design. The idea is that you can pull out the mechanism in the more time-honored fashion, or simply squeeze a trigger-action release with your finger.

As I mentioned at the outset, the Ethan 4 is sold as a set of legs, rather than as a complete kit. Especially for videography, to which the tripod legs are ideally suited, you’re best off adding either of 3 Legged Thing’s LevelHed Leveling Base or 75mm Half Bowl, as well as a fluid head. The tripod is supplied with a flat plate for the former, and there’s an optional 75mm bowl mount that you can swap to if you buy it separately.

Naturally, you can attach your camera or whatever else you’re shooting with to the flat plate itself, without using a leveling aid or tripod head. With that in mind, the plate features a dual 1/4in mount with a 3/8in adapter sleeve, catering to both industry-standard threaded sockets.

Keeping moving parts to a minimum, the bubble level is fixed on the side of the chassis, rather than having a rotating base. Being positioned off to the side, it’s easy to keep an eye on and is large enough to see clearly when leveling the tripod.

The Ethan 4 can support more than just its primary load. A threaded socket on the side of the chassis enables the attachment of a magic arm, LED lamp, microphone mount, monitor screen or just about anything else you might want to add on.

Going one better than the standard threaded accessory mount, the tripod chassis also includes a QD (Quick-Detach) socket. Compatible with 3 Legged Thing Axis QD straps and all sorts of other gadgets that use this kind of mount, it enables ultra-quick-and-easy mounting and detachment with a simple pushbutton mechanism.

A ballast hook is featured under the flat mounting plate and also serves as the grab handle for tightening or loosening the main dual 1/4in and 3/8in threaded mounting screw with sleeve. Using the ballast hook enables you to hang a weight off the tripod, again taking advantage of its hefty payload rating and adding stability if you’re shooting in windy conditions.

When it comes to tripod heads, you can naturally fit pretty much anything that takes your fancy. One that works particularly well for videography with the Ethan 4 is the revamped and revitalized 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC fluid head, which I’ve reviewed separately and very favorably in the past. The head has a list price of $249 / £229 and is available in black or grey colorways.

The tripod comes with chunky rubber feet, which give a very firm and stable footing while also doing a good job of absorbing vibrations. They’re not the only choice, however, as alternative footwear is available as optional extras from 3 Legged Thing. Choices include smaller Little Bootz (rubber pads), Heelz (metal spikes), Stilettoz (elevated metal spikes), Clawz (metal ice/rock grips), and Vanz (dual metal spikes and rubber pads).

In keeping with the multi-talented nature of Ethan 4, you can remove one, two, or all three of the legs. Each of the legs can work independently for monopod duty, and leaving two of the legs attached to the chassis enables use as a bipod. Removing all three legs might sound counterproductive, but I’ll come back to that in a moment.

Getting back to the optional Vanz footwear that I mentioned just now, these dual metal spikes with rubber pads can serve up a neat trick. If you unscrew all three legs from the chassis and then screw the Vanz into the empty sockets that are revealed, you can effectively transform the Ethan 4 into a tabletop tripod, stretching its versatility even further.

The tripod comes with a 3 Legged Thing Toolz2. It’s a neat multi-function tool, with a keyring. It acts as two different sizes of hex keys, a coin/flat blade key, a bottle opener, and a carabiner. It’s handy for a whole range of tripod/photographic tasks as well as for grabbing a quick drink when the going gets thirsty.

It annoys me when some of the most famous tripod manufacturers sell very expensive tripods and don’t bother to bundle a carrying bag of any sort. The situation here is quite the reverse. The Ethan 4 comes with a very high-quality padded soft case and, typical of 3 Legged Thing, it’s not short of crafty design flourishes. There’s an internal mesh pocket and two securing straps, both with Velcro fasteners. You also get a side pocket with additional room and a zippered three-section organizer. The zippers themselves have comfy pullers for easy operation. There’s also a detachable, adjustable shoulder strap, a carrying handle, plus a carabiner-style hook. I’d use the last of these for attaching the bag to the ballast hook on the tripod, after popping a weighty object or two inside.

3 Legged Thing Ethan 4: Performance

Let’s cut to the chase. Performance of the Ethan 4 is exemplary in every respect. It gives rock-solid support for even the heaviest of cameras and accessories, right up to and including its maximum operating height of 162cm / 64in (without head). The legs and rubber feet combine to give excellent resistance against unwanted flexing and vibrations, even when the leg sections are fully extended.

As with most video-friendly tripods, there’s no center column, but an upside of this is that when the legs are splayed to their widest locking angle, you can shoot from ultra-low levels for creative effect, without the center column getting in the way. Again, without an attached head, the minimum operating height is a mere 14cm / 5.5in. The 4-section legs also enable a fairly compact carrying length of 61cm / 24in.

While the maximum payload rating is a huge 60kg / 132lb, the tripod itself is easy on the back for carrying around, weighing in at 2.4kg / 5.3lb. It’s also very easy to live with from an operational perspective. The twist locks work with simple efficiency, requiring minimal rotation to lock and unlock the leg sections. The trigger-action leg angle locks are similarly simple and intuitive. As well as enabling ultra-low-level shooting and working on uneven terrain or around obstacles, the multi-angle legs add stability at their intermediate setting when shooting at low to middling heights.

Not just a tripod, the Ethan 4 works equally well in bipod mode or with any of the three legs removed for monopod duty. You can attach a camera or anything else to the mounting screw in the flat base, but the addition of a head makes monopod shooting more refined.

3 Legged Thing Ethan 4: Verdict

Ethan Hunt is a very ingenious, versatile, and action-packed (if fictitious) character, giving his namesake tripod, the Ethan 4, a lot to live up to. True to the role, however, this 3 Legged Thing tripod can take on a barrage of different scenarios and win out against seemingly impossible odds, delivering a sure-fire success rate.

I love that the Ethan 4 tripod is so rock-solid and utterly dependable, and so resistant to any unwanted flexing or vibration. The twist-locks for the leg sections work impeccably, and the new trigger-action leg angle locks are a pleasure to use. Ultimately, this tripod offers wide-ranging versatility while also being entirely intuitive and simple to use, so you can concentrate on your creative flow rather than wrestling with a finicky tripod.

The fact that it also works flawlessly as a bipod or monopod reinforces its credentials as a ‘tactical’ tripod for photography, videography, shooting, and target sports. Just add a head, and you’re good to go.

Alternatives

3 Legged Thing is a British company that’s earned a really solid reputation over the years, mostly for making really solid tripods and other supports. The current catalog caters to photography and videography, field sports and birding, and shooting and target sports, covering a very wide remit. I’ve reviewed many 3 Legged Thing tripods, desk mounts, window mounts, phone mounts, microphone arms, light stands, L-brackets, camera straps and other bits and pieces over the years, generally being so impressed that I’ve bought a few myself, and the Winston 2.0 and AirHed Pro kit that I first encountered five years ago remains my personal full-sized tripod of choice.

The Ridley I’m reviewing here is from a dynamic duo of new videocentric tripods that take their names from movie directors; this one is named after Ridley Scott, while the smaller sidekick Wes is named after Wes Anderson. There’s also a simultaneously launched set of hybrid photography and tactical tripod legs by the name of Ethan 4, after Mission: Impossible’s Ethan Hunt. The Ridley and Wes are both carbon fiber tripods that are available as legs-only or as full kits with a fluid head. Ridley is the larger of the two, with 3-section legs, whereas the Wes is a more travel-friendly option with 5-section legs. Both aim to be among the best carbon fiber tripods and the best video tripods, while the Wes is also a contender as one of the best travel tripods for videographers on the move.

3 Legged Thing Ridley: Specifications

3 Legged Thing Ridley: Price

Pay your money and take your choice. The complete Ridley kit with fluid video head costs $649 / £619 (AU$ TBA). If you’d rather bring your own head or have one already, you can buy just the Ridley legs with built-in leveling base and padded soft case for $449 / £429. Neither is a cheap option, but I feel that the prices represent great value considering the features, design, and build quality. Ultimately, of course, it all comes down to performance, which I’ll get to later.

3 Legged Thing Ridley: Design & Handling

The sci-fi sensations Alien and Blade Runner absolutely blew me away when they first came out, and have definitely stood the test of time, so the 3 Legged Thing Ridley has a lot to live up to, being named after the movies’ director, Ridley Scott. The tripod is available in gray and black, or all black, the latter looking suitably dark and menacing – that’s the one that I went for. I also went for the complete kit that includes not only the set of legs made from premium Japanese carbon fiber with an aerospace-grade magnesium alloy canopy, but also the fittingly epic 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC fluid head, which I’ve recently reviewed as a revamped video head in its own right. But let’s kick off with the legs, which seems only logical.

There’s a lot to be said for tripods with four or even five sections in each leg, at least in terms of compactness for stowage. I personally don’t mind tripods being a bit longer when carrying them around, and generally prefer three-section legs for ease and speed of setup, with fewer section clamps to contend with. Another bonus is that the bottom section of each leg tends to have a wider diameter and is thus sturdier.

Another factor in the speed and ease of setup and takedown is the efficiency of the section clamps. Some like twist-locks; others prefer flip-locks. I’m in the twist camp, so long as they release smoothly and lock firmly with minimal rotation. That’s certainly the case here, and adjusting the leg sections is a very speedy, smooth, and simple operation. I also like the grippy rubber pads on each twist-lock, making them feel nice to the touch.

Another potential pitfall is that leg angle locks often seem to be more fiddly than they need to be. Again, the Ridley wins out with simple, spring-loaded catches that have a push-to-release action. Like the twist-locks, they have non-slip textured rubber pads for an extra feel-good factor. Three lockable leg angles are available: 23, 55, or 80 degrees from the vertical. The upshot is that it’s easy to adapt to tricky terrain or work around obstacles when you’re setting up the tripod.

A key element of setting up a video tripod is that you level the platform on which the head sits, rather than making leveling adjustments via the head itself. The latter will result in your horizon going on the slant as soon as you start panning. To ensure accuracy with fast and simple setup, the tripod features a built-in leveling base. A single lock/release screw has a handle that’s mounted on a six-sided shaft, so you can pull it out and reposition it for your preferred fit.

To further enhance leveling up, the adjustable base comes complete with a bubble level that’s large enough for a clear view. It’s also mounted on a rotating platform, so you can swing it around to whatever angle works best for you, through an entire 360 degrees.

Down below, the leveling base has two weight hooks. These are ideal for adding ballast to steady the tripod if you’re shooting outdoors in windy conditions. Adding some ballast to the soft case that’s supplied with the tripod is a handy option, but more on that later.

A clever design flourish is that the weight hooks aren’t just weight hooks. They also form the T-section grip of an Allen key that mounts to the bottom of the leveling base via a QD (Quick Detach) mechanism. As such, you can push the QD button and simply pull out the Allen key to secure your camera to the head’s Arca-Swiss-compatible quick-release plate, or for anything else that uses the same size Allen key.

I won’t talk too much about the 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC fluid head that’s part of the complete kit, as I’ve already created a full, standalone review of it. Suffice it to say that it’s an ideal match for the Ridley, offering wonderfully smooth tilt and pan with excellent all-round performance. The head features an adjustable, telescopic panning arm that can mount on either side for left-handed or right-handed use, plus an extra-long XP100 Ultra Plate quick-release plate, which is Arca-Swiss compatible.

Another nice touch is that you can use the QD Allen key that I just mentioned to remove four screws and rotate the orientation of the head’s camera platform through 90 degrees. This enables the long QR plate to run from side to side instead of from front to back. It can be a more ideal orientation if you’re using a cage, and definitely if you’re using an L-bracket like the universal 3 Legged Thing Lexie, or one of the camera-specific options in the line-up.

Dropping down from head to toe, the legs feature removable feet. The supplied feet are chunky rubber pads that give a very firm and stable footing while also doing a good job of absorbing vibrations. However, they’re certainly not the only choice. As alternative footwear, 3 Legged Thing offers a range of optional extras. These include smaller Little Bootz (rubber pads), Heelz (metal spikes), Stilettoz (elevated metal spikes), Clawz (metal ice/rock grips) and Vanz (dual metal spikes and rubber pads).

I’ve often seen tripods in which one leg can be unscrewed and used on its own as a monopod, either with or without attaching it to the center column. Typical of video tripods, the Ridley doesn’t actually have a center column, but you can use any leg as a monopod, unscrewing it from the canopy and attaching the head directly to it. Moreover, you can unscrew all three legs from the canopy if you wish, but why would you want to? Let’s see…

Unscrewing a single leg gives the option of using the tripod as a bipod, or the removed leg as a monopod. However, if you remove all three legs, you can use the canopy with the optional Vanz footwear that I mentioned just now. These dual metal spikes with rubber pads can screw directly into the canopy, effectively transforming the Ridley into a tabletop tripod and adding yet more versatility.

A nice little extra included with the tripod is the 3 Legged Thing Toolz2. It’s a smart multi-function tool, with a keyring attachment. It includes two different sizes of hex keys, a coin/flat blade key, a bottle opener, and a carabiner. It’s handy for a whole range of tripod/photographic tasks as well as for grabbing a quick drink during thirsty work.

3 Legged Thing generally goes the extra mile, and that’s certainly the case (so to speak) with the Ridley. It comes complete with a high-quality padded soft case that packs plenty of design flourishes, as well as the tripod kit itself. There’s a pair of internal securing straps for the tripod and an internal mesh pocket, all with Velcro fasteners. A separate zippered side pocket gives additional storage complete with an internal zippered three-section organizer. There’s a detachable and adjustable shoulder strap as well as a carrying handle, plus a carabiner-style hook. I’d use the last of these for attaching the bag to one of the weight hooks on the tripod, after popping a suitably weighty object inside.

3 Legged Thing Ridley: Performance

The sheer quality of the 3 Legged Thing Ridley is so impressive that I’m happy to just sit and look at it, or play with its cleverly designed features. But naturally, the kit’s performance as a tripod is what really counts. There’s good news all around, as it gives really solid support for even heavyweight cameras, boasting a payload rating of 14kg / 30lb. The tripod retains excellent resistance to unwanted flexing and vibrations, all the way up to its maximum operating height of 164cm / 64.6in (including head). That’s pretty lofty for a three-section tripod, considering that there’s no center column, as is the case for most video tripods.

Although the built-in leveling base precludes the addition of a center column, a bonus of this is that when the legs are splayed to their widest locking angle, you can shoot from ultra-low levels for creative effect, without a center column getting in the way. With the fluid head in the mix, the minimum operating height gives you the literal lowdown at just 24.5cm / 9.6in. And despite having 3-section legs, the folded length of the complete kit for stowage is reasonably compact at 79cm / 31.1in.

The complete kit (including fluid head) weighs in at 2.4kg / 5.3lb, so Ridley is easy to take along for the journey. From a performance standpoint, it’s also very quick and easy to use. The twist locks only require minimal rotation for locking and unlocking the leg sections, and the leg angle locks are similarly simple and intuitive. The multiple leg angles also make it easy to work around obstacles or on very uneven terrain, as well as enabling ultra-low-level shooting.

Remove a leg, and Ridley works well as a monopod with the head attached. I’m 6ft 5in tall and didn’t think that a 3-section leg would extend to a sufficient height for my personal monopod use, without a center column to add into the mix. However, full extension in monopod mode worked out just fine for me. If you’re a complete giant, you could always remove two legs and one of the feet, then screw the top of one leg into the bottom of the other to double the available height.

3 Legged Thing Ridley: Verdict

I just love the 3 Legged Thing Ridley tripod. It’s a first-class, fully pro-grade set of legs that’s easy to live with and genuinely fun to use. The built-in leveling base works a treat for videography and for shooting sequences of stills for stitching into panoramas. The twist-clamps for the extending leg sections and the pushbutton leg angle locks couldn’t be any quicker or easier to use, and everything’s cleverly designed, expertly engineered and immaculately finished.

So yes, the Ridley is a great set of legs, but I’d definitely go for the complete kit that includes the similarly fabulous 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC fluid head. Not only is the head a perfect match in terms of design, features, and performance, it’s also available in the same choice of colorways, satisfying my sense of style (if I actually had one). Sure, neither the legs on their own nor the complete kit come cheap, but they’re both worth every cent of their asking prices and more besides, if you’re in the market for some pro-grade support.

Alternatives

Japanese electronics retailer Yodobashi Camera has released its top-selling camera rankings for the second half of July 2026. The Sony A7 V reigns at the top spot and, for the first time, its kit bundle featuring an FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II cracked the chart, landing in the tenth spot.

Yodobashi releases its top 10 best-selling cameras report twice monthly, for the first and second halves of each month, compiling sales data from its online store as well as 24 brick-and-mortar locations across Japan.

Positions 2 to 8 remained the same as for the first half of July, with the 100MP medium format Hasselblad X2D II 100C continuing its unexpected Japanese momentum in third place with the renowned Canon EOS R5 II in seventh.

But the dominance of the A7 V, the latest in Sony’s prosumer A7 lineup, is worthy of note. According to Map Camera, another major Japanese retailer, following its release in late 2025 the A7 V “swept through the market,” dominating Map’s charts for 4 months consecutively.

Yodobashi top 10 digital cameras (second half July 2026)

1. Sony A7 V
2. Sony A7C II kit (FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6)
3. Hasselblad X2D II 100C
4. Sony A7C II
5. Fujifilm X-M5 kit (XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ)
6. Canon EOS R50 double zoom kit (RF-S 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM + RF-S 55-210mm f/5-7.1 IS STM)
7. Canon EOS R5 Mark II
8. Nikon Z50 II double zoom kit (Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR + Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR)
9. Canon EOS R10 kit (RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM)
10. Sony A7 V kit (FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II)

It’s no wonder Sony has topped sales charts, considering how well the A7 V is geared toward both stills and video.

The hybrid camera features a 33MP partially stacked sensor, up to 30fps blackout-free shooting, 7.5 stops of in-body image stabilization, plus oversampled 4K 60p video with 4K 120p in a Super35 crop.

However, the Sony rig sits at the higher end of the prosumer hybrid setup price range, with an RRP of $2,899 / £2,799 UK / AU$3,999.

Currently a Sony A7 III shooter, I certainly recommend the A7 V – but there’s an alternative that doesn’t appear in Yodabshi’s best-selling list I’d look at before deciding: the Panasonic Lumix S1R II.

This is Panasonic’s flagship full-frame mirrorless hybrid, featuring a 44MP sensor, Phase Hybrid AF with AI tracking and internal 8K video recording.

Since moving away from the old Depth From Defocus (DFD) contrast-based AF system to the newer Phase Hybrid AF system, Lumix cameras have seen their performance bolstered and popularity grow.

What’s more, not only do the S1R II’s specs rival the Sony A7 V’s, but it’s a flagship model for just $100 more in the US (£100 less in the UK / AU$1,000 more in Australia). So, just because Lumix doesn’t make Japan’s top-10 sales ranking doesn’t mean it isn’t worth considering.

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For years camera phones struggled to match 'proper' standalone cameras for zoom reach, but now telephoto and periscope telephoto modules are standard in flagship phones and increasingly common in mid-range models. Consequently many phones now have enough focal range for a majority of shooting scenarios. On-sensor cropping and AI zoom up to 120x zoom is also possible with some flagship phones, providing you're happy for your shots to be more of an interpretation than a faithful representation of your subject.

Oppo Find X9 Ultra vs. Hasselblad X2D II - can a camera phone out-shoot a $7,800, 100MP medium format goliath?

But what if you don't want to rely on AI and its potential processing pitfalls for telephoto shots from a camera phone? Clip-on lenses from brands like Moment and Apexel can optically increase the focal length of a phone's primary camera, and there are cheaper alternatives from marketplace retailers. The downsides of aftermarket clip-on lenses is restricted phone compatibility (many are only available for iPhone), and questionable image quality.

In the last few years two of the most innovative camera phone brands have launched flagship handsets available with separate, bespoke telephoto lenses. Vivo partnered with Zeiss to produce a dedicated 200mm teleconverter lens for the X200 Ultra, and it now offers a 400mm lens for the X300 Ultra. Not to be outdone, Oppo launched a Hasselblad Teleconverter adapter lens alongside its Find X9 Pro, and its most recent teleconverter lens is a 300mm Hasselblad-branded optic designed exclusively for its current flagship phone, the Find X9 Ultra.

To get your hands on the 300mm teleconverter, you'll need to buy the Oppo Hasselblad Earth Explorer Kit. This contains the teleconverter, along with the bespoke phone case to which the lens mounts, as well as a tripod collar for the lens, plus other small accessories.

Pricing and availability

If there's one downside of the Oppo Hasselblad Earth Explorer Kit, it's not easy to get hold of. It's only available in select Asian and European regions, and won't be sold in North America. In the UK it's priced at £499, which is strong money for such a niche accessory, but the price reflects the no-compromise build and performance. This is also a product that will never sell in large numbers, so can't benefit from economies of scale.

Build and handling

I've always thought of clip-on phone lenses as tacky plastic affairs, but the Oppo Hasselblad 300mm Explorer Teleconverter (to give it its full name) is quite the opposite. It's a beautifully crafted, metal-barrelled lens that feels reassuringly weighty, tipping the scales at just over 400g with the included detachable tripod mount fitted. The lens is styled to look like a slimline Hasselblad XCD optic, and combined with the stellar build quality the lens really does feel worthy of the Hasselblad branding.

To attach the lens to the Find X9 Ultra, you first need to first need to fit the Oppo Hasselblad Explorer case to the phone. This is included with the lens and features a bayonet thread that encircles the phone's camera island. A separate circular metal plate can then be twisted onto the thread and it’s this that contains the necessary bayonet mount to which the teleconverter lens can be attached.

This teleconverter is positioned in front of the phone's 3x telephoto module, rather than the phone's primary camera, but this arrangement means the teleconverter can be smaller than it would be if it was designed to be used in conjunction with the phone's primary (1x) camera. And thanks to the sensor in the Find X9 Ultra's 3x module being almost as large as that in the 1x module, there's no noticeable difference in image quality.

The lens attaches to the bayonet just as smoothly as any other interchangeable camera lens mount I've used from the likes of Canon or Nikon, and once the lens is fitted, there's very little wobble or flex between phone and lens - not bad considering the supporting case is only clipped onto the phone.

The case doesn't just function as a lens mount; it also contains a physical two-stage shutter button with half-press to focus, and a zoom rocker enabling seamless focal length adjustment with the Find X9 Ultra's built-in cameras and the teleconverter lens. The physical controls connect to the camera app via Bluetooth, and power for this comes from a battery built in to the case's hand grip (which must be charged separately to the phone). Sadly, unlike Vivo's X200 and X300 camera cases, the battery in the Oppo case can't be used to boost the phone's own battery capacity - a missed opportunity.

To actually shoot with the teleconverter lens, you first need to select the phone's dedicated Hasselblad Teleconverter shooting mode. If you only select the 3x camera module while the teleconverter is fitted, the image frame will be inverted by 180 degrees. Though the phone's other three camera modules aren't directly covered up by the teleconverter lens, you will still need to detach the lens in order to use them, as the lens itself significantly encroaches into their fields of view.

The 300mm focal length equates to 13x optical zoom as standard, or as much as 43.4x zoom (1000mm) when combined with on-sensor cropping. There's even a 60x (1380mm) mode, but this requires AI processing, which in my opinion partially negates the 'purity' of having the teleconverter's proper optical zoom.

Sample images

Lab results

Given the lens’s quality build, and the Find X9 Ultra's top-class image processing, I wasn't particularly surprised that the teleconverter lens produced some stunning photos. However I was keen to see how much of this stellar image quality was down to the phone's processing, and whether that might be compensating for any optical shortcomings in the lens itself.

Fortunately at Digital Camera World we have a dedicated laboratory for testing the optical quality of camera lenses, but until now we haven't tested a teleconverter lens for a phone. To ensure a level playing field we need to shoot our lab test images in Raw, however the Hasselblad Teleconverter shooting mode only records JPEGs. To capture Raw stills with the Find X9 Ultra, you must use the phone’s Hasselblad Master Mode, which isn’t directly compatible with the teleconverter. To get around this, I used Master Mode to gain access to Raw capture, manually selected the 3x telephoto camera module in order to shoot through the teleconverter lens. This workaround meant our test images were inverted, but that's an easy fix in post-production.

To better quantify the teleconverter’s image sharpness and levels of fringing, I've compared its lab results to several other 300mm prime lenses designed for full-frame DSLR cameras, as well as two more modern zoom lenses for mirrorless cameras that cover 300mm in their focal range. Sure, the Oppo lens is obviously not a direct rival for any of these lenses, but the purpose here is merely to see if a (relatively) small camera phone teleconverter is able to even come close to the optical quality of a ‘proper’ camera lens. The Oppo lens has a fixed f/2.2 focal length, so I've selected the aperture from each comparison lens that yielded the highest sharpness score, to make things as tough as possible for the Oppo lens.

Sharpness:
(line widths/picture height)

I was fully expecting the Oppo lens to at best deliver mediocre sharpness without the help of JPEG processing, but I was shocked to see that its sharpness scores are actually up there with those from far larger and more expensive optics. The Oppo lens manages to beat Nikon's AF-S 300mm f/4E lens for center sharpness - a lens that when new cost around $2000. That's now an old, discontinued lens, but the Oppo lens still performs well when compared to the much more modern Tamron 70-300mm Di III RXD set to 300mm.

Fringing:
(values closer to zero indicate less fringing)

As for chromatic aberration, the Oppo lens is the clear winner in the group, as it produces no noticeable fringing in any part of the image frame. This will be in part due to the lens’s fixed aperture, which enables it to be more easily tuned to produce the lowest possible fringing. However, there could also be a chance the Find X9 Ultra is baking in some aberration correction to its Raw files. While I've attempted to make this comparison as fair as possible, a camera phone simply doesn't have the same granular image quality settings as a dedicated mirrorless camera to disable things like aberration correction, so we simply don't know whether the lens is benefitting from software enhancement in this area.

Verdict

Oppo is trying hard to gain greater brand recognition in the west, and strapping a big-ass lens to the front of its latest flagship phone is a sure-fire way to turn heads. But until now I'd assumed lenses like this were more of a marketing stunt than a genuinely useful hardware upgrade. However, after extensively testing the Oppo Hasselblad 300mm Explorer Teleconverter, I'm happy to report that this is no gimmick: it's a seriously impressive piece of kit with build quality and optical performance worthy of the prestigious Hasselblad name.

As good as the teleconverter is, it's not an everyday tool, but then it's not designed to be. The Find X9 Ultra alone is easily able to capture 99%+ of your photographic requirements: the teleconverter is for special occasions - concerts, sporting events, etc - when you want to record and archive memories without resorting to AI zoom, which often makes a mess of replicating faces. And in doing so, it further closes what was already a very slim gap between the capability of a flagship phone and a standalone mirrorless camera.

The teleconverter also serves to highlight how lazy the likes of Samsung and Apple have become with the camera hardware in their flagship phones. Samsung, for instance, has recycled its 200MP primary camera sensor since the Galaxy S23 Ultra, relying primarily on AI to differentiate each subsequent generation of S Ultra phone. Meanwhile, Oppo has been incorporating larger sensors, telephoto modules with longer focal lengths, and is now upping the ante with bespoke camera grips and teleconverter lenses.

We rate the Find X9 Ultra as "the most versatile and photography-focused camera phone around" in our list of the best camera phones currently on the market, and this is thanks in no small part to innovations like the superb Hasselblad 300mm Explorer Teleconverter.

There was a lot of discussion surrounding the Panasonic Lumix L10. But it's fair to say that the bulk of it was about, well, the bulk of it.

It was pretty unaninmous that the L10 is a fantastic compact camera – but it was also pretty unanimous that it was too big to be considered "compact".

Indeed, a lot of people lamented that it's bigger than the Lumix LX100 – a camera that Panasonic doesn't make any more. But just because Panasonic doesn't make it any more, doesn't mean you can't still buy it!

There were so many people saying, "I would buy this if it was smallerm" and "This would be the perfect compact camera if it was the size of the LX100".

Folks, the LX100 already exists! You can buy it right now!

It's always baffled me that camera reviewers – and tech reviewers in general – seem to forget about anything that isn't on the shelves right now. I understand that people want to read about what's new, but kit doesn't cease to exist just because it's not currently being manufactured.

The Lumix LX100 is a perfect case in point.

Right now, everyone is looking for a truly pocketable, powerful compact camera. Everyone wanted that luscious Leica 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 lens in a smaller body. What they're looking for is the LX100 – or perhaps the Lumix LX100 II.

The Lumix LX100 packs a 16.84MP sensor while the LX100 II's is 21.77MP sensor, with both cameras offering the same multi-aspect ratio shooting experience as the L10 (for up to 12.7MP or 17MP resolution respectively).

The autofocus is Panasonic's more leisurely DFD system (Depth From Defocus, aka contrast detect), which isn't as snappy as the L10's Phase Hybrid AF, but for the sedate kind of everyday, travel and street shooting you'll be doing, it's absolutely fine.

When it comes to continuous shooting, the LX100 actually out-bursts the L10's 30fps by offering up to 40fps in Super High speed mode, though the caveat is that these are low-res 3MP files. Otherwise, both the LX100 and LX100 II match the L10's 11fps mechanical speed (but bursts with AF are limited to 5.5 and 6.5fps respectively).

Obviously there is a gaping chasm in video capability, with the L10 offering 5.6K 60p with all the bells and whistles, while its predecessors are capped at more basic 4K 30p – though pretty much everyone concedes that these are primarily stills cameras.

Still, the most important aspect of this conversation is the size: where the L10 lumbers in at 127.1 x 73.9 x 66.9mm and 508g, the L100 is a mere 114.8 x 66.2 x 55.0mm and 393g while the LX100 II is a bit more butch at 115.0 x 66.2 x 64.2 mm and 392g.

Those numbers may not look like much on paper but, as you can see, in practice they make all the difference. The L10 is the same size as the Lumix S9, a full frame mirrorless camera, while the LX100 (in particular) and the LX100 II are truly compact compact cameras.

The only issue, of course, is that these cameras aren't current… but again, they are still very much available! The LX100 you see here came from MPB, a used camera specialist that's a great equalizer when it comes to conversations like this.

When you buy from somewhere like MPB, you're not limited to what a company is trying to sell you right now – you can explore its entire back-catalog to find the camera you actually want. So, if you want a camera that's closer to the LX100 than the L10, I recommend you give it a look.

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The leading camera brands have seen another shakeup in rankings, according to a report by Japan’s largest financial newspaper. Retro-camera maker Fujifilm’s viral fame has propelled the company into third place, dropping longstanding Nikon out of the top three.

The insight comes from the Nikkei Industry Map 2027, an annual report coming from the region’s largest financial media outlet, analyzed and shared by Digital Camera Life. The report examines Japan’s camera makers and ranks each brand by the number of cameras shipped.

Canon continues to lead in terms of market share and has strengthened that lead by adding nearly a million camera shipments compared to 2024’s data. That leaves Canon with a 45.7% share – that means nearly half of all digital cameras shipped from Japan bear the Canon name.

That’s followed by Sony, which has now held the number two spot for seven years, thanks to the rise of the Alpha mirrorless series. Sony saw slight growth from 2024’s numbers, moving from 2.33 million cameras shipped to 2.42 million.

But the real shakeup comes in third place: Fujifilm. Nikon has held the third spot since the Sony Alpha series pushed the company down to third in 2019. Nikon’s drop to fourth place is affected somewhat by lower sales – dropping from 960,000 to 880,000 – but Nikon would have held onto the third place spot if Fujifilm hadn’t also seriously jumped up in sales at the same time.

The report suggests that Fujifilm shipped 1.16 million cameras in 2025, up from 740,000 the year before. The data gives concrete insight into Fujifilm’s viral fame.

Fujifilm, known largely for its retro-inspired cameras and color science, started seeing accelerated growth after the X100VI went viral, a two-year-old camera that is still in such demand that it’s hard to find in stock without a wait list.

The X100 series' success has bled into other models, like its mirrorless sibling the Fujifilm X-E5, while more budget-friendly models like the X-M5 and X-T30 III have also sold well for the brand.

Neither Nikon nor Fujifilm has announced a new mirrorless camera yet in 2026.

Although Nikon revised its 2026 projections for slightly lower sales during the last investor report, the company says it expects the interchangeable lens market to remain solid over the medium and long term.

While the numbers drop Nikon out of the top three, that’s not the only unusual shakeup. Ricoh has surpassed OM System, moving from seventh to sixth, behind Panasonic. The reason? Ricoh’s camera shipments tripled over the last year.

While the report doesn’t specifically detail how many of each camera were shipped, Ricoh’s growth is likely due to the success of the Ricoh GR IV series.

The pocketable camera that packs an APS-C sensor has long been a popular option, but Ricoh’s refresh of the series last August and the growth of the compact camera segment is likely giving the brand a significant boost.

That puts OM System in seventh place, the last on the rankings, with 150,000 cameras shipped, which is about 10,000 less than the year before.

Panasonic hasn’t changed rank, in the fifth-place spot, but the numbers show a steep growth from 280,000 cameras to 430,000.

While a majority of the largest camera-makers are based in Japan, the Nikkei report’s regional focus means that brands like Leica (Germany) and Hasselblad (Sweden) aren’t tallied and ranked in the report.

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The rise of the camera phone was met with a near-instantaneous plummet in the traditional camera industry. Now, more than a decade later, the industry is starting to show signs of a recovery – but can video cameras say the same thing?

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan – where several key camera brands are located, including Canon, Sony, Fujifilm, Nikon, Panasonic, Ricoh and OM System – recently shared statistics suggesting that camera production is showing signs of recovery after both the growth of the smartphone and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report echoes what the Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) has already shared, but the chart that tracks the rise of the smartphone with the crash of the camera industry highlights another interesting trend: while the camera industry is recovering, video cameras are not.

Video, which is represented in blue while stills cameras are orange, drops off the chart entirely in 2021 – and, despite signs of recovery for still cameras, does not reappear in subsequent years.

Social media algorithms are far more video-heavy than ever before, so why aren’t cameras for video more popular than before? I believe there’s a very simple technological shift that highlights why video cameras have not recovered despite the popularity of the format on social media: the hybrid camera.

Dedicated camcorders are becoming fewer and farther between, as the industry shifts towards a hybrid approach. The transition towards hybrids started slowly with the rise of the mirrorless camera. While DSLRs could shoot video (albeit without the optical viewfinder), the transition to mirrorless brought smoother, smarter autofocus performance and in-body stabilization.

While camcorders are more scarce, “video cameras” are not – they’ve just taken on a new format. Video-focused mirrorless cameras have risen along with the social media video trend. Nearly every major manufacturer now offers at the very least a hybrid camera, but most now have entire series of mirrorless cameras that are video-first, photo-second.

Sony has the FX cinema camera line that includes models like the FX3 and dedicated cameras for vlogging like the ZV-E10 series. Canon has models designed with V for video, like the Canon EOS R50 V, and C for cinema, like the Canon EOS R5 C.

Nikon went and bought cinema-maker Red and launched the Nikon ZR. The Panasonic Lumix S1H even earned the Netflix stamp of approval, a first for mirrorless, with bodies like the Lumix S5IIX being a staple for content creators.

While the chart looks worrying for video cameras, it all comes down to how cameras are categorized. Cameras like the Sony FX3 are technically a mirrorless camera, but are far more geared towards video than still photography.

As the technology has shifted, cameras are becoming increasingly versatile – and harder to fit in just one single category.

And while camera makers have been selling more in the past couple of years than in the early 2020s, CIPA is predicting a slight slowdown for mirrorless cameras in 2026…

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Take a look at the best hybrid cameras, or dive into the best cameras for video.

The new episode of Bokeh Face: The Digital Camera World podcast is now live on our YouTube channel and available to stream from Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all your favorite podcast services.

New episodes of Bokeh Face are released bi-weekly, every other Friday, so our next episode will be released on September 04.

DCW's Content Director, Chris George, joins me, James Artaius, DCW Editor in Chief, for our usual format where we discuss a burning issue in the world of imaging, dive into the kit bag to examine what we've been shooting with lately, and then troubleshoot a technical or creative camera issue.

You can watch the episode in full below:

We Gear Up with the Polaroid Go Gen 3, while delving into one of the greatest comeback stories ever told. Make no mistake, the instant camera is more than just a flash in the pan!

In Focus this episode, we delve into the whip-fast world of AI-powered autofocus. But has it taken the skill and/or fun out of photography?

And in Trouble Shooting, James and Chris broach the truly riveting subject of lens hoods. What are the benefits? Are they essential? And should they come with every lens that you buy?

We'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback on the show, along with any questions or troubleshooting queries you might have, so please get in touch with us at bokehface@futurenet.com. We hope you enjoy the episode!

• Watch on YouTube
• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Apple Podcasts

You might also like…

Check out all our previous episodes of Bokeh Face, take a look at the best instant cameras, and if you haven't got a lens hood, try lens flare photography!

If you like foldable phones, it's the best time of the year. Samsung's latest just landed, with an exciting new form factor in the mix, and it sounds like Apple is gearing up to deliver something similar in the near future.

Google, though, has not jumped on the bandwagon. In fact, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold looks almost identical to its predecessor at a glance.

Of course, there's a new processor and fresh colours; there's even a fancy LED indicator on the rear, but does the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold do enough to keep up with the innovations elsewhere? Let's find out.

Specifications

Price

The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold starts at $1899 / £1799 / €1999 for the base model with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That's a £50 price hike in the UK, and a $100/€100 jump in the US and EU.

As always, we have the RAM shortage to thank for that, but at the very least, we can be thankful that it still comes with 16GB of RAM in every storage configuration.

Compared to the competition, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is firmly in the middle. It's cheaper than Samsung's book-style Z Fold 8 Ultra, but it's pricier than the short/wide Z Fold 8. Similarly, it's cheaper than the Magic V6 (at full MSRP), but it's more expensive than the ongoing introductory price of £1499.

Design

As I mentioned, the 11 Pro Fold looks quite similar to the 10 Pro Fold, and it's almost the exact same size, but if you look closer, there are a few more differences.

For starters, it's slimmer. Only by about 1mm, but you can just about tell when you're holding it in your hand. The camera island also has a fresh new design, with the dark glass camera coverings spanning the entire width of the module.

Hidden inside this camera module, there's a new feature called HiLight, an array of RGB LEDs that illuminate around the flash unit. I'm always a fan of superfluous lighting; I love what Nothing has been doing for the past few years, for example, but Google's implementation left me wanting more.

As it stands, the HiLight only does two things: it shines when you're talking to Gemini, and it can flash in a colour of your choosing when a contact calls you. Google hasn't confirmed if it will ever do anything else, but I certainly hope there's more planned.

The animation that shows you when Gemini is listening or talking is really well done. It looks like a shifting aurora, which is super neat. However, I'm not fully convinced that it's necessary. I know when Gemini is listening or responding because I have ears, and Gemini makes sounds. As for the call indicator, I'm not sure what the prerequisites are, but it never seemed to illuminate for me.

Google has switched up the colours for the new release, and the Olive option I have for testing is particularly fetching. It has a matte green rear panel with contrasting dull-golden accents on the sides and around the camera. If that's not your thing, there's an Obsidian option with darker grey hues throughout.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is aiming to be one of the hardiest foldables around. It's still one of the only folding phones with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and a new glass ceramic coating on the cover screen should help to prevent scratches. The inner screen should be stronger, too, thanks to a thicker coating and dual layers of anti-impact film.

Another thing it has going for it is built-in PixelSnap magnets. Just like an iPhone, this phone can attach to MagSafe accessories without a case attached. I'm not sure why Google is still the only Android brand to do this; it seems like an easy win to me - regardless, as of right now, that's just a Pixel thing.

The screen specs are quite similar to the older model, with the largest difference being the peak brightness. Both panels can now reach 3600 nits, up from 3000. The cover screen also has slimmer bezels, which brings the screen size to 6.5 inches from 6.4 inches, without increasing the size of the phone.

Of the two changes, the bezels make the biggest impact. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold looks so much more modern because of it, and it feels closer to a normal phone when folded shut. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold was already bright enough for my needs, but more brightness never goes amiss.

Google has also improved the crease on the folding display; it's not a massive change, but it's visibly a bit better. What makes a bigger difference is the way it feels. The older model had a weird bump on the hinge that always drove me crazy, and that seems to have been fully flattened out. Unfortunately, of all the foldables I have tested this year, this crease is still the most noticeable.

The speakers seem to be unchanged, but they're still decent. They're plenty loud enough and can produce some bass despite the slender chassis. I also appreciate that you get a stereo effect in almost every orientation, although it can be quite easy to muffle one speaker with your palm in landscape mode.

Camera Performance

Only the main camera of the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold has been upgraded. It now sports a 48MP 1/1.56-inch sensor, while the older model only had a 1/2-inch sensor. This means it's now equivalent to the base model Pixel 11, but still behind the Pro models.

You also get a 10.5MP 1/3.4-inch ultrawide with macro focusing and a 10.8MP 5x telephoto with a 1/3.2-inch sensor. Each screen has its own 10MP punch-hole selfie snapper, too.

Starting with the new main sensor, it's a notable improvement. Images look cleaner in low-light situations, shutter speeds are slightly faster, and there are fewer denoising artifacts. You'll even get a bit of background softening on close-up shots.

The other lenses, as the spec sheet suggests, aren't quite so impressive. I'm not a big fan of the 5x focal length; it's too zoomed in for a lot of situations, and combined with its poor minimum focus distance, it's only really useful for taking photos of things that are far away.

Google has increased the maximum digital zoom to 30x, rather than 20x, but I'm not really sure why. This tiny, low-resolution sensor can't deliver anything usable at such distances, and while computational image processing does its best to clean things up, it can't quite manage.

The ultrawide is decent, and it can focus extremely close up - but the distorted image of an ultrawide is never my favourite for macro shots. It also struggles in low-light situations, as many ultrawides do, but Google's Night Mode always ensures a decent exposure (if a little on the noisy side).

Arguably, the biggest upgrade to the Pixel 11 Pro Fold cameras is not the hardware, but the software. All of the Pixel 11 phones now give you much more control over the way that your images look. You get four default looks to choose from: Original (the normal Pixel look), Natural, Shadows, and Vanilla.

The differences are subtle, but all of the new options produce colours that are a bit less exaggerated than classic Pixel shots. I preferred Vanilla in most situations; it adds a bit of extra warmth to the shots, which I think looks quite good.

If you want to take things a step further, there are six additional looks that can be applied on top. They're a bit like filters or film simulations, but they're built into the imaging pipeline, so you can't apply them after the fact. This list includes pretty dramatic styles like "Black Tie" which is a very high-contrast black-and-white option, or "Digi" which delivers low-dynamic-range shots that look like they came from an old compact digital camera.

You also get some familiar Pixel-exclusive features like Camera Coach, which is designed to help newbies frame better shots. There's still the group photo-faking Add Me feature, and Made You Look, which plays animations on the cover display to get the attention of babies and young kids. The latter has a couple of new animations to choose from, too.

There's a new addition called Magic Capture, which can automatically pull still frames from a short video clip and apply light edits like cropping, straightening, and unblurring. As a photographer, this one doesn't really appeal, but if you ever find that you can't decide between shooting a video and taking some snaps, maybe it'll be useful.

Google has also been hard at work improving its video performance. Video stabilisation has been improved, and the recordings should be better quality, too. In addition, there's a new suite of creator-focused tools to help with the video-making process.

You can now bring up a smart teleprompter that keeps pace with your speech, an audio visualiser to monitor mic levels, and gridlines to help you frame vertical videos for TikTok or Reels. There's even a new way to manage your files, and you can sort your video clips into project folders to keep things nice and organised.

What frustrates me, though, is that despite the "Pro" moniker, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is lacking any real pro video features. There's still no Log profile, no APV codec, no high frame rate 4K options, and so on. It's behind almost all of the competition in this area.

Phone Performance

The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold has the Tensor G6 chip inside, just like the rest of the Pixel 11 lineup. Google tells us it's 25% faster in web browsing, opens apps 15% quicker, and has 50% more TPU compute for local AI tasks.

It comes with 16GB of RAM in every configuration, and you can select either 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage depending on your needs (and budget).

Google neglected to mention any improvement in graphics performance, and in my testing, it doesn't seem like there is any. Graphics benchmarks score similarly to the previous model, and games play similarly, too. Considering it was already behind the competition, that's not great news for gamers.

When I played some Wuthering Waves, I had to lower the graphics settings by a couple of notches compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 or Honor Magic V6 to get the same kind of performance. And the game looked far less pretty because of it.

Of course, that only matters if you're into graphically demanding games. This phone can breeze through daily tasks without a hiccup, and it always feels quick. At a price like this, though, you shouldn't need to make performance compromises, and you are.

Another strange concession is that the battery is actually smaller this time around. It has a 4806 mAh pack, down from 5015 mAh. In fairness, it seems to last just as long, and the phone is slightly slimmer and lighter than before - but personally, I'd take a bigger battery over marginal weight savings.

One upside is that the wireless charging speed has improved; it's now 25W, up from 15W, taking full advantage of the Qi2.2 charging standard. Wired charging is still 30W, which isn't too impressive, but it managed to reach just under 60% in half an hour by my count, which is hard to argue with.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold runs Android 17 with Pixel UI on top. Previous Pixel owners will feel right at home here, as it doesn't shake up the formula too much.

There are a lot of great things about this software, including fantastic features like Now Playing, Call Screening, and At a Glance updates. There are still a couple of things that drive me crazy, though. You still can't select multiple apps on the home screen and move things around in bulk. You also can't get rid of the Google search bar on the home screen, for some reason.

Multitasking is a big deal on foldable devices, and sadly, I think Pixel UI does it worse than most. You can only have two apps side-by-side in split-screen mode, and there's no easy way to switch the position or orientation of these apps when they're open.

A new feature called Bubble Anything aims to improve matters, and it does, but it's not the most elegant solution. You can now open apps in bubbles, a lot like what Facebook Messenger does by default. You can move these bubbles around on the screen, or they'll dock in the corner of the folding display, and then open them as required in a smaller floating window. I never really liked this feature on Messenger, so unsurprisingly, I'm not a big fan of it here either.

One feature I actually do love is called Rambler. This is built into Gboard, and it's a new AI-assisted speech-to-text tool. You just hit the button, speak naturally with all the usual pauses, "ums", and repetition, and Google's AI model will clean it all up, turning it into intelligible sentences with perfect grammar. It works exceptionally well, but it won't be exclusive to Pixel for long. Samsung already teased the feature on its Z Fold devices, and I believe it'll be rolling out to other Android handsets, too.

There are many more Gemini Intelligence features to come. Some are restricted to certain regions, while others will roll out globally, and it's not clear which will remain exclusive to the 11-series phones. Soon Gemini will be able to take agentic actions on your behalf, Maps will use Gemini to suggest dishes or find loyalty cards, and Circle to Search will work with the camera so you can search in real life, too.

As we've come to expect, Google promises seven years of software updates and security patches for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, matching the likes of Samsung and Apple.

Verdict

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is a lovely-looking phone that feels extremely high quality and well built. I really want to love it, but the sad fact is that it's a long way behind the competition, and it's just as expensive.

For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has a slimmer chassis, a shallower crease, a bigger battery, better multitasking, better cameras, and a more powerful processor. Sure, it's a little more expensive, but all the same could be said of the Honor Magic V6, and that currently sells for less than the Pixel.

If you love Pixel UI and want PixelSnap magnets, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is the way to go - but with so few upgrades since last year, you could save a tonne by opting for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. You needn't feel like you're missing out on much.

Alternatives

Canon has launched a photo exhibition for visually impaired students, saying the bespoke art display will enable young people with impaired sight to experience photography in a “completely new way”.

The private exhibition – which, unfortunately, isn't open to the public – is a collaboration with the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC), taking place at RSBC Dorton College in England.

On display are portraits created by seven of the college’s students during a Canon creative workshop, held at the college last year, which the camera manufacturer has now printed using raised, tactile ink.

Neale Conroy, marketing director at Canon UK & Ireland, said that the elevated-print technology will help visually impaired youngsters to “connect with creativity.”

He added: “It’s wonderful to see how this project has helped students experience photography in a completely new way.”

Canon developed the relief prints using its proprietary Prisma Elevate XL – a software application that uses height maps and multiple layers of UV-curable ink to build raised textures up to 4 mm high, giving images a physical dimension that can be explored by hand.

Prisma Elevate XL only works with compatible flatbed printers, with Canon using one of its own Arizona series models for this series. These printers have built-in UV lights to which the ink is exposed upon printing so that it hardens.

“Seeing students engage with their own work in such a tactile and meaningful way has been incredibly rewarding,” said Sarah Mallion, vice principal at RSBC College Dorton.

“The project has shown how technology can open up new ways for young people to connect with creativity.”

According to the RSBC, there are some 37,000 blind and partially sighted children and young people in England and Wales, and 4 more children are diagnosed with sight loss daily.

Mallion hopes that the Dorton College display, which will remain permanently, “marks the beginning” of more accessible exhibitions and learning experiences for visually impaired people.

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Here’s our pick of the best photo printers along with our review of the best Canon cameras.

Thinking about ditching your DSLR, switching camera systems, or upgrading to full-frame? These three mirrorless models deliver excellent price-to-performance value – and right now, you can save up to $500 at Adorama.

The Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX is now just $1,897.99 – this new low price lets you save $300 from its original $2,197.99 price tag.

The Sony A7 IV Bundle is now just $1,998 – you save $500 off the bundle's RRP of $2,498. (The body alone is reduced to $1,998...)

The Nikon Z5 Bundle is now just $1,146.95 – you save $300 off its previous $1,446.95 price. (The body alone is reduced to $1,146.95...)

Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX

Ideal for hybrid shooters, DSLR, and system switchers

If you've been shooting on an APS-C or DSLR camera before, the Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX is a fantastic upgrade. It's notably smaller and lighter than many DSLRs.

So while the handling might feel a bit different at first, you'll quickly appreciate the more compact, less bulky design. There are not as many native lenses for the S5 IIX as for the Sony and Nikon lineups, but there are plenty of third-party options from the likes of Sigma (a founding member of the L-Mount).

And if you want to keep using your older glass, adapters (such as Canon EF to L-mount) are available.

Sony A7 IV

Best for DSLR and system switchers, as well as content creators

Switching to Sony means unlocking incredible mirrorless flexibility. The Sony E-mount system is the most mature on the market, with an extensive range of native lenses and strong third-party support from trusted brands like Tamron and Sigma.

The A7 IV shines with its real-time Eye AF detection and tracking options – features that make focusing faster and more accurate than many DSLR systems. So, if you're coming from a DSLR, this camera feels like a serious step up in autofocus and creative control.

Nikon Z5

Budget-conscious DSLR option, best for stills-focused shooters

If you are on a budget, the Nikon Z5 offers one of the most affordable ways into full-frame mirrorless with great image quality.

The body design will feel very familiar if you're upgrading from a Nikon DSLR and, thanks to the FTZ adapter, you can continue using your trusted Nikon F-mount lenses seamlessly. The only downside is that the Z5 doesn't have IBIS, which is usual at this price point. That means handheld shooting with longer lenses or video might require a steady hand or a tripod.

And if the bundled lens doesn't suit your photography style, there are plenty of alternative lens bundles available on Wex – many of which offer great savings too.

Comparison

Personally, I would lean toward the Sony A7 IV. Its autofocus performance is unmatched, as well as its lens options. The flexibility makes it a standout choice, especially if you're open to switching systems entirely.

That said, if you want to stick with your current brand and already own a lot of DSLR lenses, staying within the same ecosystem is a smart and budget-friendly way to jump into mirrorless photography.

Want to browse more mirrorless options? Here are the best mirrorless cameras, along with the best cameras for beginners.

Various news outlets have reported on the moment that an influencer, Tayane Dalazen, was bitten by a nurse shark while swimming off the Brazilian coast. But according to the BBC, in under a year no fewer than three influencers have been attacked.

The report goes a step further by highlighting evidence from a journal that both influencers and photographers are less likely to follow safety instructions.

This doesn’t surprise me one bit – and I suspect it’s a similar case on land. Earlier in the year I wrote an article about an incident where a photographer chased an owl around a field and refused to stop.

This past week, news broke that a stag in London’s Richmond Park was shot after attacking a man having a picnic. This wasn’t a photography-related incident, but the nature reserve is notorious for guests getting too close to the wildlife. And that includes photographers.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there’s a reason why the best wildlife photography lenses tend to be the expensive telephoto and super-telephoto variety. These optics are built precisely to enable photographers to get close enough without having to physically encroach on the animal’s territory.

And even with super-long lenses, you can still end up bothering wildlife. Skittish species, animals with young or animals in season can be easily spooked or aggressive.

I’m not going to go into the ins and outs of wildlife ethics right now – it’s a very broad subject – but if you leave this article with one thing in your mind, let it be this: if the animal’s behavior has changed, you’re probably too close and should slowly back off.

To be fair to the influencer involved in the latest wildlife incident, she was on an organized shark-diving trip and the BBC did report that “she says she 'wasn't there for social media' and didn't touch or provoke the shark”. And footage of the incident posted on Tayane's Instagram (above) shows that she didn't have a phone or camera in hand.

But these stories need to be told and creatives need to be warned, in a bid to help avoid incidents like this happening in the future. Tayane ended up with a big gash on her leg, but thankfully it was nothing worse. And kudos to her for talking about the experience and warning others.

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For more photography news, horrific photograph of starving polar bear still stands out as stark warning this World Photography Day. Now you can play Doom on this 26-year-old DSLR! Is Panasonic ditching Micro Four Thirds? This YouTuber thinks that an APS-C L-Mount camera might be on the cards – and it could spell the end for MFT.

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III launched in 2019 at a time when compact cameras were losing steam to smartphones. But then, five years after it launched, something unusual happened: influencers discovered what the camera’s one-inch sensor and zoom lens could do. And suddenly, the aging G7 X Mark III was a viral sensation.

But because the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III’s viral fame came as point-and-shoots were declining, the camera’s fame came at a cost – literally. With the unexpected surge in popularity, the G7 X Mark III quickly went out of stock. Used prices shot up, and third-party sellers started charging far more than the camera’s $879 / £859 / AU$1,349 list price.

Canon hasn’t been sitting on the trend, either – the camera maker has already increased compact camera production several times. Last August, Canon officially said that the G7 X Mark III was among the models that had increased production and the company resumed orders for the popular camera in Japan.

But one year later, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III is still so popular that it’s hard to find in stock – at least, at list price. In the US, even used models of the G7 X Mark III are selling for more than $1,500 at reputable used camera stores like KEH, MBP and Adorama.

The PowerShot’s popularity isn’t unwarranted. The camera uses a 20.1MP, 1-inch sensor that’s larger than that of the average point-and-shoot camera.

But while compact cameras with larger sensors aren’t hard to find, the G7 X Mark III also packs a 24-240mm equivalent zoom lens. That longer lens is more flattering for portraits, helping to drive the camera’s viral popularity among influencers and content creators.

But creators also rave about its built-in flash, which is far more powerful than that of a smartphone's. Where a phone uses LED lights, the G7 X Mark III uses a Xenon flash – which is more powerful and helps deliver that more retro direct flash look.

As compacts have resurged in trends, camera makers have been scrambling to add new options – and there are now far more to choose from than when the G7 X Mark III first went viral in 2024. Yet the camera still has a unique blend of sensor, lens and flash.

The new Panasonic Lumix L10 has a larger Micro Four Thirds sensor and a 24-75mm equivalent zoom, but there’s no flash.

The longtime favorite Sony RX100 VII – released the same year as the G7 X Mark III – has a longer lens and still has a flash, but the aperture isn’t as bright, and the list price is far higher (though about equal to what used G7 X Mark III’s are selling for).

Canon’s own PowerShot V1 has a similar sensor, but uses a wider lens with a shorter 16-50mm focal range for photos. Because the V1 is meant more for vlogging, the camera doesn’t have a built-in flash (though there’s a Multi-Function Shoe that supports some Canon flashes and standard flashes with a hot shoe adapter).

This year marks the PowerShot series’ 30th anniversary – and the milestone is coming at a time when compacts have made a comeback, despite the capabilities of camera phones.

Canon has increased compact camera production multiple times since the G7 X Mark III went viral and said that production will increase again in the second half of 2026. The question that remains is this: when will the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III be readily available at list price?

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Don't want to wait? These are the best cameras with zoom. Or, take a look at the best compact cameras.

A photography competition hosted by a pair of biological science journals has revealed the winner of its 2026 edition, with the crowned image depicting a damsel that's rather curious – not in distress.

Now in its third year, the BMC Ecology and Evolution and BMC Zoology image competition celebrates photos depicting the beauty and diversity of life on Earth. Photographers have to be affiliated with a research institution and work in either ecology, evolutionary biology, paleontology or zoology.

This year’s overall competition winner, Window to the Wetlands, came from Sritam Kumar Sethy, a nature photographer and self-professed “science enthusiast” studying at Berhampur University in northeastern India.

His photo captured an orange-tailed marsh dart damselfly (Ceriagrion cerinorubellum) framed by a hole in a leaf. Rather than flying away in distress, the curious insect stayed put, peering directly at the camera.

The competition judges praised the image as “beautifully composed and vivid,” with Sethy commenting that it sheds light on the “often-overlooked world of freshwater biodiversity.”

Along with Sethy’s overall winning scene, the judges crowned images in three separate categories.

First place in the Relationships in Nature category went to Victor Huertas from James Cook University in Australia, for his “dramatic snapshot” of two male giant Australian cuttlefish (Ascarosepion apama) competing for a female during an annual spawning aggregation.

Liam Brennan of the University of New Brunswick, Canada, took the Research in Action category for his “atmospheric” photo of students investigating the local fish population under a moonlit sky in shallow coastal waters.

Meanwhile, Allen Tian, a researcher at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, snagged the Protecting Our Planet category with a creative stereographic drone shot of Long Sault Parkway at the western end of the St Lawrence Seaway.

As the overall winner, Sethy took home €500 (approximately $580 / £420 / AU$820), while each category winner claimed €200 (approximately $230 / £170 / AU$330). The winning images will also feature in an editorial story published in BMC Ecology and Evolution.

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Here’s our pick of the best cameras for macro photography and the best cameras for wildlife photography.

Professional motorsport photographer Jamey Price has highlighted in an Instagram Reel the extreme limits imposed on unaccredited photographers at the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix, which runs this weekend (August 21 to 23) at Zandvoort race circuit.

Like any F1 grand prix, many spectators will be arriving in the hope of capturing the on-track action. But according to Jamey, “You are not allowed to bring anything with a detachable lens,” making the event one of the strictest on the calendar.

But before you blame the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile), other tracks are more lenient – so it seems like it’s the circuit’s decision. A couple of months ago, I went to the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which also has its own rules about what camera equipment you can and cannot take.

But although the rules are more lenient than Zandvoort, I still found it to be a frustrating experience, due to conflicting information both online and at the circuit. On the circuit’s ‘Rules for Visitors’ page, it states that capturing photography and video is allowed, but “professional equipment” is prohibited. Talk about loose terminology.

Then it says, “Actually, you don't need to be afraid of taking a high-quality camera with a telephoto lens and a tripod. However, you might have a problem with a large professional camera.” So can I bring a professional camera or not?

Then, on the same website’s FAQ page, it says “Professional-grade equipment (eg, large lenses, tripods) is not allowed unless accredited.” But the previous page said you shouldn’t be afraid of taking a tripod. So which one is it!?

As somebody who was traveling from overseas and had paid a lot of money for the privilege of being a spectator at a race weekend, I decided to take the small Nikon Z50 II and a Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR as a precaution. So you can imagine my irritation when I turned up at the track and saw spectators milling around with pro-grade cameras and lenses, and not even hiding them!

I saw one person with a harness, from which three professional DSLR cameras were hanging, each bearing a telephoto or super-telephoto lens. And not a press lanyard or press bib in sight! The icing on the cake was when I found a lovely corner to set up and I had to stand next to a chap with my pro camera and my pro lens that I’d left back home for fear of having them confiscated.

James and I talk about the Sony RX10 V in the latest episode of the Bokeh Face podcast

Still, the Dutch Grand Prix certainly sounds like it’s much more stringent. And if you’re going to take anyone’s advice as to what you can and can’t bring to a race, it might as well be a pro F1 photographer like Jamey.

If you’re wondering what camera to take in light of this weekend’s regulations, the safe option would be a compact zoom camera. The better, but risky, recommendation would be a bridge camera like the recently released Sony RX10 V or Nikon Coolpix P1100. These cameras will give you oodles of reach and they’re both fixed-lens. The Sony would be a great choice as the AF is also top-notch.

However, I will add in the caveat that while they 'seemingly' adhere to the rules, it’s possible that security may question size and assume they’re professional kit. So, if you’re heading to the F1 this weekend to take photos, good luck!

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If you're not bothered about the aforementioned restrictions, check out the best cameras for sports photography. If you'd like to improve your motorsport photography, here's how to capture perfect panning shots. And if you're a petrolhead, here are my top car photography tips.

If you've been thinking about upgrading to a full-frame mirrorless camera or switching systems, now's a great time to make the leap. Featuring one of the highest-resolution sensors, the Sony A7R IVA is now available for just £1,999 at Wex.

With this offer, you save £250 on the 61-megapixel Alpha's regular price tag of £2,249.

If you're after a true powerhouse, the A7R IVA delivers incredible resolution for both stunning photos and cinematic video – without the bulk or high price of a medium format system, making this deal even more tempting.

At the heart of the A7R IVA is a 61MP back-illuminated full-frame sensor that captures razor-sharp detail and performs beautifully even in low-light conditions. This next-gen sensor technology will make your images stand out with clarity and richness.

Want to push the detail even further? With Pixel Shift Multi Shooting, you can create jaw-dropping 240.8MP composite images – this means you get imagery with 19,008 x 12,672 pixels (!)

If you shoot fast genres like action or wildlife, the real-time Eye AF with 567 phase-detection points has your back. It tracks humans and animals across 74% of the frame, so you never miss a moment – whether you're creating photographic or videographic work.

So, if you've ever had your eye on this camera and want to create visuals that rival medium format quality, now's the time to grab the Sony A7R IVA.

Check out our rundown of the highest-resolution cameras available today.

The earliest camera phones came with megapixel counts that required a decimal point. But as modern camera phones are surpassing the triple-digit megapixel mark, one camera store in Japan has noticed a trend: the low-resolution compact cameras from two decades ago are suddenly in high demand.

A used camera store chain in Japan, Five Star Camera, has such a large selection of older cameras – and, in particular, CCD-sensor-based compact cameras – that the store says around 90% of its customers come from overseas.

But a recent interview with the store’s representatives highlights a few key trends in the used camera industry – especially the dominance of early 2000s compacts, which have become so popular that some now sell for 400% their original price.

“Among compact digital cameras, models equipped with CCD sensors of around 5 to 7 megapixels are particularly popular,” Ryoya Hayakawa, the manager for the Nishi-Shinjuku branch of Five Star Camera, told Japanese publication DC Watch (translated by Google).

“Their grainy image quality is favored as a retro style that iPhones can't replicate. However, there's a tendency towards prioritizing looks over specifications, a trend often referred to as the ‘Y2K style.’”

While early 2000s digital compact cameras have been trending for a few years now, the interview highlights a key reason behind the trend: “Looks over specifications.”

The demand for 20-year-old compact cameras is about getting a certain look to the images. Digital cameras have now largely moved away from CCD sensors to CMOS, but the older sensor format is particularly well known for its color rendering.

Whether or not CCD sensors deliver a more “film-like” look is a highly debated topic among photographers, but Y2K-era cameras in themselves have a unique retro look: the lower-resolution files, early digital color science and cheaper lenses inside basic point-and-shoots create a certain quality.

That was often paired with a powerful direct flash that, in itself, also carries a retro vibe.

The drive ”backwards” towards less perfect, low-tech cameras is an interesting turn as digital photography reaches exceedingly advanced capabilities with high resolution, global shutters, and faster frame rates.

The trend towards older cameras highlights the fact that the value in a photograph is often not the technical quality but the memory itself.

Yet there is a downside to the continued trend towards using old compact cameras: price. Five Star Camera noted that some models are going for four times their original price, such as early Ricoh GR series cameras.

The interview echoes a previous report from another camera store in Japan, Komehyo, that hinted the demand for used compact cameras has increased five times over what the market looked like five to six years ago.

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The compact camera trend is putting portability back in the spotlight, but one start-up is working to build a camera so small, it’s only about the size of a lipstick and weighs less than a golf ball. The SNYP Pocket Camera is an unusually shaped camera with a rotating lens.

The SNYP Pocket Camera weighs just 33g, but the rectangular shape and small size mean you'd be forgiven if you mistook it for a tube of lipstick.

The size isn’t the only unusual feature. The camera’s lens, which sits at the top of the “lipstick” tube, can rotate 360 degrees. That rotation allows users to still see the 1.45-inch screen when snapping selfies.

The small camera still manages to fit in a 16MP resolution for stills and 2K for video, though the start-up doesn’t say what size or kind of sensor is tucked inside the tiny camera.

The SNYP Pocket Camera comes with a handful of built-in filters that swap with the press of a button. There’s one inspired by retro film, but there’s also another inspired by CCD sensors and early 2000s compact cameras.

Because of the small size, there's no built-in flash.

Along with shooting photos and videos, the camera has an audio-only mode, allowing it to double as a voice recorder.

At the bottom, the camera has a microSD card slot and a USB-C port for charging and transferring images. At the top, the camera has a vent for cooling and heat dissipation.

The size of the Pocket Camera reminds me a bit of the Kodak Charmera. The camera from SNYP lacks a keychain and comes with an unusual rotating lens and higher resolution, but the compact design, built-in screen, and different filter options feel like the upcoming camera could be trying to go after the same audience.

The SNYP Pocket Camera is launching on Kickstarter, with the campaign ending on August 26. Pledges begin at $49 (about £36 / AU$69 CA$68), with shipping estimated for November 2026. The camera is expected to retail for twice that outside of the crowdfunding platform.

All crowdfunding pledges carry some risk. The Pocket Camera is the first campaign from the startup SNYP.

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Take a look at the best keychain cameras or the best compact cameras.

One researcher at Michigan State University says he’ll be spending the next three months pulling memory cards on more than a thousand trail cameras – yet the data powered by the camera traps is proving to be more reliable and less intensive than traditional methods of monitoring the health of the endangered gray wolf population.

In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the gray wolf population has recovered enough that the species may no longer need to be labeled as endangered, according to the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The insight comes from a series of 1,311 trail cameras, the first time the state has successfully tracked and monitored the gray wolf population for an entire year.

While the gray wolf is still a federally protected species, the latest research suggests that the numbers have exceeded the DNR’s population recovery goals. Data from the camera surveys could help the gray wolf be officially reclassified as a recovered species.

While researcher and doctoral candidate Matt Nelson says he will be pulling memory cards to gather the next year’s worth of data from now until October, the series of trail cameras is proving to be a less labor-intensive and less weather-dependent method of monitoring the species’ population.

Previously, the DNR would track the population of the gray wolf using snow tracks in the winter, which could follow wolf packs across as much as 60% of the Upper Peninsula. But monitoring the health of the species by snow tracks only offers a seasonal insight into the population and can be highly weather-dependent.

Using a series of trail cameras, researchers used machine learning software to analyze the images and flag wolves and disregard other species, with researchers fact-checking the computer program for accuracy. The count was then put into an “event-to-space” algorithm that estimates the population based on what the cameras detect.

At the same time, researchers continued to use snow tracks while the trail cameras were used. Both studies found a similar estimate for the wolf population, suggesting that the trail cameras have a similar accuracy.

The snow tracking method estimated 768 wolves, while the camera survey estimated 773 during the winter of 2024. In the fall months, the camera population estimate exceeds 1,000 wolves, with the highest being 1,198 in October 2024.

The fact that the trail camera survey didn’t lead to any surprises compared to traditional survey methods suggests that the tech is accurate. “There were no real surprises. The camera survey worked really well and aligned with what we know about wolf ecology,” Nelson said.

By using a series of trail cameras, researchers were able to monitor the fluctuation of the wolf population across an entire year, noting that the count was the lowest in the winter but surged again in the spring after the birth of new pups.

The cameras tend to detect the most wolves in the fall, as that’s the time of year when the younger pups are old enough to join the pack instead of staying behind in the den.

The Michigan DNR has a similar program for tracking the gray fox, but the trail camera system could eventually be used to track the population of more than those species.

Next, researchers are pulling SD cards from more than 1,000 cameras for the 2025 data.

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Browse the best trail cameras or the best cameras for wildlife photography.

I hear a lot of people talking about autofocus as if it’s some kind of cheat code: it’s taken the challenge away from photography – you can’t miss. And while I certainly think that AF algorithms have advanced tenfold in the era of the mirrorless camera, changing the game forever, it worries me that beginner or intermediate photographers might feel like they’re doing something wrong when they miss focus.

Let me tell you, I’m a photography educator with years of experience and I still miss focus regularly. Granted, how much you’re likely to miss depends on what you’re shooting. But it also depends on your standards for critical focus. I’m somebody who likes to know that I’ve absolutely nailed my focus and it really bugs me when I haven’t.

Other photographers have different standards – and that’s not to say they’re wrong. Something I’ve had to work on in recent years is my tendency to overemphasize the importance of critical focus and be a bit more lenient with my images. But what I’m interested to know is where does this myth that you can’t miss actually come from?

The ‘you can’t miss’ myth

Autofocus is so much more than camera tech. The lens, aperture, light, and subject all affect your hitrate. It’s one thing for a camera reviewer to test a body with a ‘nifty fifty’ at f/8 in broad daylight, and a whole other ballgame for a wildlife photographer shooting in drab weather at f/2.8 with a 200mm lens, trying to focus on a red squirrel that won’t keep still! Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been that camera reviewer and the time you get with a new release and the lens that comes with it means that the latter scenario is rarely an option. But you get my drift.

As someone who enjoys photographing both sports and wildlife, I can tell you that no current autofocus system is capable of hitting a darting critter’s eye or the helmet of a superbike rider consistently. These situations usually require long lenses, which complicate things further. You’re usually shooting at a fast aperture in order to gather more light so you can increase your shutter speed and compensate for camera shake.

All of this results in a much smaller depth of field, allowing far less margin for error if you don’t quite hit your intended point of focus. And since long lenses amplify camera shake, the setup is moving around a lot more, causing the camera to refocus more than usual. Add low light into the mix, and even advanced hybrid-autofocus systems will find the situation more challenging. So, not matter how good your autofocus system is, you absolutely can miss. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

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Want more of my ramblings? Nikon never bothered to support the Nikon Zf and Zfc with retro-cool lenses, but thanks to Voigtlander it doesn’t need to. You can’t buy heritage: Why Nikon still rules as it celebrates its 109th birthday! Plus, “Overwhelming” demand forces Nikon to halt Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S orders (report).

Every year, DarkSky International – a global nonprofit advocating for reduced light pollution and protecting the nighttime environment – runs a photography competition.

From incredible astrophotography to artificially-lit cityscapes, the event highlights truly spectacular scenes (many of which our eyes would never perceive without a camera to reveal) along with the growing threat to our night sky.

The 2026 edition of the competition has now wrapped up and, from the 9 category winners, there were 3 images in particular that stood out to me.

“The Chasm”

It might take a second for your mind to figure out what’s going on in this image. The luminous green lights are glow worms lining the walls of a deep natural cavern, while the Milky Way shimmers overhead.

But even more fascinating than the image is the story behind it. Astrophotographer and guide Tom Rae rappelled more than 330ft / 100m into a vast cave system on New Zealand’s North Island at night.

He told the competition organizers how the “extreme humidity, subtle light from the glow worms and long exposures” pushed his skills to the limit.

Technical details: Tracked panorama | Nikon Z8 + Z7II | Nikkor 20mm f/1.8 + Sigma 40mm f/1.4 | 180 sec / 30 sec • f/1.8 • ISO6,400 / 1,600

“Razorback”

Another New Zealand-based astrophotographer, Paul Wilson, created this image from Razorback Lookout in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges. I love how the majestic Milky Way arches over the distant mountains, while the winding dirt road in the midground almost mirrors it.

According to Wilson, a pair of irregular dwarf galaxies – the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, located roughly 163,000 and 200,000 light-years away from Earth, respectively – are also visible.

Speaking to DarkSky International, Wilson said: “It celebrates the remarkable clarity of Australia’s dark skies, where multiple celestial phenomena can be experienced together above an iconic outback landscape.”

Technical details: Tracked panorama | Canon EOS R5 | Sigma 28mm Art | 30 secs • f/2.5 • ISO3200

“Aurora over the Prince Christian Sound”

What jumps out to me with this image, captured by Finnish astrophotographer Dennis Lehtonen, is the way the aurora bends through the sky, almost as if painted with a brush.

Lehtonen – who spends his time roaming remote Arctic communities in search of the best Aurora sightings – took the photo near Aappilattoq (also called Rødfjord), a village in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland.

He told the competition organizers he spent hours “jumping from one ice-covered rock to another" searching for a photo location, following a promising aurora forecast. The astrophotographer believes luck was on his side, as the lack of wind allowed for reflections in the water.

Technical details: Single exposure | Sony A7 IV | Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM | 2.5 secs • f/1.8 • ISO2000

These three brilliant images not only encapsulate awe-inspiring scenes, but also highlight the importance of why DarkSky International fights for reduced light pollution. Fantastic work from all three photographers!

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Here’s a Jamie Carter, our expert astrophotographer's, pick of the best camera for astrophotography.

Patent applications are always worth keeping an eye on for a hint of what might be coming down the pipeline from major manufacturers – and Canon has just filed an interesting one.

Patent JP 2026-132879 (P2026-132879A), just published by the Japanese Patent Office and reported by Japanese news outlet Asobinet, was filed by Canon and includes multiple lenses with a diffractive optical system that are designed for use with very small sensors – the kinds of sensors that are used in camera phones.

The three lenses themselves are listed as having focal lengths of 5.53mm, 6.79mm and 8.70mm, which on a smartphone sensor would work out to equivalent focal lengths of 45mm, 55mm and 70mm. The listed f-numbers for the three lenses are f/2.5, f/2.7 and f/2.9 respectively.

Naturally, patenting the lenses could mean any number of things. Personally I doubt that Canon is about to start producing its own smartphones, but it could be that the manufacturer is planning on releasing standalone lens attachments for smartphones.

Alternatively – and personally I think this is most likely – it could be that Canon is partnering up with a smartphone manufacturer to lend its tech to a handset’s camera module, the way that Leica does with Xiaomi phones like the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Hasselblad does with the Oppo Find X9 Ultra.

Our own Gareth Bevan described the Oppo in particular as one of the best camera systems he had ever used on a phone.

I’d definitely be excited to see a smartphone come equipped with Canon camera tech – particularly if Canon’s excellent color science also arrived as part of the package!

Like many tech companies, Canon files patent applications all the time – indeed, it has actually been the Japanese company that files the most patents for more than two decades – and many of them never become released products.

Nevertheless, I’ll be keeping an eye on this one and will be interested to see whether anything more comes of it – after all, Canon has time and again shown itself to be a manufacturer that isn’t afraid to take risks and try new things.

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Check out our roundups of the best Canon cameras and the best camera phones – and who knows, maybe one day soon we will see some crossover between the two?

“Where were you on 9/11?” The answer to that question for many Americans, including myself, is that we were watching the events unfold across our television screens. But for photojournalists, the answer is quite different: they were watching history unfold from behind a camera.

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, more than 30 photographers are coming together to share their stories of what it was like to photograph the event that changed modern American history.

Projections NYC is bringing together the photographers, photojournalists and photo editors who witnessed 9/11 and the events that followed firsthand. For 6 days, the organization will broadcast live interviews with the photographers, beginning on September 06 at 19:00 EST.

The series has already confirmed more than 30 photographers, including Spencer Platt, who photographed the moment the second plane struck the World Trade Center; Steve McCurry, who photographed the towers falling from the roof of his apartment building; and Eric Draper, who was the Chief White House photographer at the time.

Additional photographers confirmed to be part of the event include Joel Meyerowitz, Pete Souza, Ron Haviv, Jennifer S Altman, Thomas Franklin, Mark Edward Harris, MaryAnne Golon, Stan Honda, Ruth Fremson, David Friend and Rabbi Irwin Kula.

The series of interviews follows the tragedy of 9/11 across Ground Zero, Flight 93, the Pentagon, the White House and communities across America. Projections NYC says that the series covers not just the first photographs of 9/11 but also the photographers following the aftermath over the ensuing years.

The series arranges the interviews across 6 days, culminating on the 25th anniversary of 9/11. The interviews will both be broadcast live worldwide and recorded for the public record, the organization says.

“Before history was written, it was photographed,” the organization wrote. “… They edited the images that informed the world. They documented not only a single day, but the years that followed, creating an enduring visual record of one of the defining events of our time.”

The series is set to livestream each evening between September 06 and September 11 at 19:00 EST via Zoom. Reservations for the Zoom broadcast are available from Projections NYC.

Thinking about ditching your DSLR, switching camera systems, or upgrading to full-frame? These three mirrorless models deliver excellent price-to-performance value – and right now, you can save up to £700 at Amazon or Wex.

The Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX + 20-60mm and 50mm is now just £1,699 (inc. cashback) at Wex – you save £700 off the bundle's RRP of £2,399. (The body alone is reduced to £1,399 inc. cashback...)

The Sony A7 IV is now just £1,999 at Wex – this new low price lets you save £401 off its original £2,400 price tag.

The Nikon Z5 is now just £645 on Amazon – you save £604 off its £1,249 RRP.

Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX

Ideal for hybrid shooters, DSLR, and system switchers

If you've been shooting on an APS-C or DSLR camera before, the Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX is a fantastic upgrade. It's notably smaller and lighter than many DSLRs.

So while the handling might feel a bit different at first, you'll quickly appreciate the more compact, less bulky design. There are not as many native lenses for the S5 IIX available as is the case within the Sony and Nikon lineups, but there are third-party options like Sigma available.

And if you want to keep using your older glass, Canon EF to L-mount adapters, for example, are available.

Sony A7 IV

Best for DSLR and system switchers, as well as content creators

Switching to Sony means unlocking incredible mirrorless flexibility. The Sony E-mount system is the most mature on the market, with an extensive range of native lenses and strong third-party support from trusted brands like Tamron and Sigma.

The A7 IV shines with its real-time Eye AF detection and tracking options – features that make focusing faster and more accurate than many DSLR systems. So, if you're coming from a DSLR, this camera feels like a serious step up in autofocus and creative control.

Nikon Z5

Budget-conscious DSLR option, best for stills-focused shooters

If you are on a budget, the Nikon Z5 offers one of the most affordable ways into full-frame mirrorless with great image quality.

The body design will feel very familiar if you're upgrading from a Nikon DSLR, and thanks to the FTX adapter, you can continue using your trusted F-mount lenses seamlessly. The only downside is that the Z5 doesn't have IBIS, which is usual at this price point. That means handheld shooting with longer lenses or video might require a steady hand or a tripod.

And if the bundled lens doesn't suit your photography style, there are plenty of alternative lens bundles available on Wex – many of which offer great savings too.

Comparison

Personally, I would lean toward the Sony A7 IV. Its autofocus performance is unmatched, as well as its lens options. The flexibility makes it a standout choice, especially if you're open to switching systems entirely.

That said, if you want to stick with your current brand and already own a lot of DSLR lenses, staying within the same ecosystem is a smart and budget-friendly way to jump into mirrorless photography.

Want to browse more mirrorless options? Here are the best mirrorless cameras, along with the best cameras for beginners.

Compact cameras have been rapidly rising in trends, but the latest list of trending cameras from Japan hints at another trend that may be prevailing over size: zoom. Some 40% of the best-selling compact cameras in Japan have at least 15x zoom, including the newly launched Sony RX10 V bridge camera.

The data comes from Japanese camera retailer Yodobashi’s list of best-selling compacts for the second half of July. While the list includes several repeat offenders – like the top-ranked Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III, the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS and the viral Fujifilm X100VI – one camera on the list is so new that sales were only open for a single day in July.

The RX10 V only became available on July 31, but the bridge camera came as a surprise announcement after Sony had previously discontinued the 1-inch sensor zoom series without a sign of a replacement.

The RX10 V is hardly a “compact” camera; it weighs about 2 lbs / 1,111g, thanks to a highly versatile 24-600mm equivalent lens. As a bridge camera, it looks more like a small DSLR than a point-and-shoot camera, but Yodobashi defines anything with a fixed, non-removable lens as a “compact camera,” so the superzoom made the list.

The Sony RX10 V sits squarely in the middle of the top ten at spot number five, but that’s quite an impressive ranking for a camera that, technically, only had one day of sales compared to the other cameras on the list that were available during that entire time period.

The RX10 V is one of four cameras on the list with a versatile zoom lens. The PowerShot SX740 HS (second place) has the longest of the bunch with a 40x lens, followed by the Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 with a 30x zoom (eighth place), the RX10 V with 25x (fifth place) and the Panasonic Lumix ZS300/TZ300 with a 15x zoom lens (tenth place).

The list hints that zoom remains a key feature for compact cameras – even when that zoom makes the camera no longer pocketable, as is the case with the Sony RX10 V.

While the list is dominated by cameras with zoom, compacts with oversized sensors remain highly popular. The Fujifilm X100VI sits in third place, but is out of stock and likely could have ranked even higher had more been available.

The Ricoh GR IV – which, like the X100VI, has an APS-C sensor – is also so popular that it’s out of stock at the retailer, but still manages to earn a sixth-place spot in the rankings.

While much of the list leans towards cameras with zoom, the GR IV and X100VI use lenses without optical zoom, instead fitting a larger sensor and brighter aperture into a portable design.

The list also includes one popular vlogging camera, the Sony ZV-1 II, which has an 18-50mm equivalent lens.

The list also highlights the popularity of point-and-shoots that sit on the more affordable side, with two budget models on the list, the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A (known as the Canon IXY 650m in Japan) and the Kodak PixPro C1.

The best-selling compact cameras at Yodobashi, second half of July 2026

1. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III
2. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
3. Fujifilm X100VI
4. Sony ZV-1 II
5. Sony RX10 V
6. Ricoh GR IV
7. Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS A
8. Panasonic Lumix TZ99
9. Kodak Pixpro C1
10. Panasonic Lumix ZS300/TZ300

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Take a deep dive into the top-ranked compact cameras, or the best cameras with zoom.

Wildlife photography comes with an important responsibility: never get too close or disturb an animal just to get the perfect shot.

Wildlife and underwater photographer Leighton Lum kept his distance when he captured the special moment between a Hawaiian monk seal named Kaiwi and her young pup on a busy beach in Waikīkī.

The heartwarming image shows the pup resting its head on its tired mother, just weeks after being born. The moment was particularly special as the pup marks the sixth Hawaiian monk seal birth ever recorded at this location – one of Hawaii's busiest and most popular beaches.

To keep his distance, Lum used a 500mm telephoto lens and 1.4x extender, giving him 700mm of reach while shooting with one of Canon's finest stills cameras.

Lum has spent nearly a decade teaching photography and leading expeditions around the world, using photography to raise awareness. Now, his photograph of the Hawaiian mother and pup duo has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious Ocean Photographer of the Year awards in the Conservation (Hope) category.

Finalist: Conservation (Hope) – Photographer of the Year

Gear info
Camera: Canon EOS R5
Lens: Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + Canon Extender RF 1.4x

The story behind the still
As Lum explains: "Mothers nurse their pups for around six weeks without feeding, losing up to a third of their body weight while the pup grows rapidly before becoming independent.

"Despite choosing one of Hawaiʻi's busiest beaches to raise her pup, Kaiwi has successfully raised several pups here. It does, however, require the support of conservation teams and volunteers – DLNR enforcement, NOAA and volunteer groups coordinating barriers and round-the-clock patrols to ensure that tourists and locals wouldn't get too close during such a sensitive window."

The winners of the Ocean Photographer of the Year competition will be announced in September. The award is presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain.

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Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from August 2026 to January 2027.

Nikon has released a pair of firmware updates: one for the Nikon Coolpix P1000 bridge camera and another for the Nikon Z5 II entry-level mirrorless camera.

Firmware version 1.9 for the P1000 sorts a rare yet serious issue that would cause the camera to temporarily freeze when adjusting the zoom while in burst mode.

Firmware version 1.20 brings a host of updates to the Z5 II, including more versatile aperture control when recording video and a host of changes to the settings menus.

Nikon Firmware Downloads

Firmware version 1.20 (Nikon Z5II)

Firmware version 1.9 (Nikon Coolpix P1000)

It’s a good idea to hold off downloading the latest firmware for a few weeks. This should give enough time for any new issues to arise in community chatter, and for Nikon to address them. Keep an eye on Digital Camera World and we'll let you know about any problems.

Nikon hasn’t given any technical explanation as to why the Coolpix would freeze while zooming in burst mode. However, it’s thought that processor-heavy burst sequences could overwhelm the camera buffer, causing the device to stop responding.

Arguably, the two most practical updates to the Z5 II are the ability to save focus position to user settings and an extension of the ISO auto shutter-speed threshold.

The former enables your saved custom shooting modes (U1 / U2) to remember your preset focus distance, which is especially useful for tripod or fixed studio setups. The latter offers finer control over when the camera steps up ISO versus dropping the shutter speed, helping avoid unwanted motion blur when shooting handheld.

There’s also a new “auto-switch” option under the Setup menu, giving you more control over toggling between the rear LCD screen and viewfinder. And a new FTP inactivity timeout automatically manages idle connections to preserve battery life.

So, a major update for the Coolpix P1000, which will hopefully solve what was a serious issue for a small number of users. Whereas the Z5II gets a suite of tweaks which, together, could bolster workflows meaningfully.

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Here’s our pick of the best Nikon cameras, and here’s our say on the best Nikon lenses for DSLR.

When you think of the world’s largest camera manufacturers, your mind probably jumps straight to Canon, Sony or Nikon. Leica? Probably not.

Leica is the luxury option; the beautifully engineered German camera brand that makes expensive rangefinders, exquisite M lenses and cameras assembled with an almost obsessive attention to detail. But I recently started counting Leica’s current cameras and something rather surprising happened: I got to 16!

Yes, Leica currently makes 16 distinct camera models. Look at the M-System alone and you have the Leica M11, M11-P, M11-D, M11 Monochrom and the new Leica M EV1 on the digital side. And it still manufactures the M6, MP and completely mechanical Leica M-A for film photographers.

That's eight cameras before we have even left the M-System.

Then there is the SL mirrorless system. Leica currently offers the SL3, SL3-S, and recently introduced Leica SL3-P, giving photographers and filmmakers three distinctly different full-frame professional bodies.

The SL3 concentrates on high-resolution 60MP photography, the SL3-S takes a faster 24MP hybrid approach, while the SL3-P sits between them with a 44MP sensor and some seriously impressive photo and video credentials. Suddenly we are at 11 cameras.

And we are nowhere near finished. The Q family now consists of the Leica Q3 with its 28mm Summilux, the Q3 43 with its more natural 43mm perspective, and the Q3 Monochrom, which takes the same fundamental idea and builds it around a dedicated 60MP black-and-white sensor.

Add the Leica D-Lux 8, a premium compact camera, and the Leica Sofort 2, a luxury hybrid instant camera, and there it is: 16 cameras currently sitting within Leica’s portfolio.

What makes that number even more remarkable to me is that 14 of those 16 cameras are arguably aimed squarely at serious photographers, advanced enthusiasts or working professionals.

I would probably exclude the Sofort 2 and, depending on how strict you want to be, the D-Lux 8 from that description. Everything else is a serious photographic tool.

Leica is not inflating its range with dozens of inexpensive beginner bodies separated by tiny specification changes; it has film rangefinders, digital rangefinders, an EVF-equipped M, dedicated monochrome cameras, professional mirrorless hybrids and some of the most capable fixed-lens full-frame cameras money can buy.

So, does that secretly make Leica the largest camera manufacturer of them all? Literally, no. I am not suggesting for one moment that Leica produces more cameras by volume than Canon, Sony or Nikon, nor that it has suddenly overtaken the Japanese giants in market share.

But judged by the sheer number of serious current camera bodies available from what we continue to think of as a small, specialist luxury manufacturer, Leica suddenly looks enormous. Sixteen cameras is not a boutique selection any more. That is a proper ecosystem.

I think our perception of Leica simply has not caught up with what the company has become. We still talk about Leica as though it essentially makes “the M”, with perhaps a Q sitting alongside it.

Yet today you can buy a completely mechanical film camera with no battery, a metered film rangefinder, a 60MP digital rangefinder, a screenless digital M, an M with an electronic viewfinder, a dedicated monochrome body, a 30fps full-frame mirrorless camera, an 8K-capable professional hybrid or a fixed-lens full-frame compact.

Few manufacturers cover such wildly different interpretations of photography while retaining such a clear identity across all of them.

There is also something rather refreshing about the way Leica has done it. Rather than trying to build one camera that supposedly suits everybody, Leica seems increasingly happy to make highly specific cameras for highly specific photographers.

Want color? There is an M for that. Want black-and-white? There is an M for that, too. Hate rear screens? Leica has you covered. Want an EVF but still want M lenses? That now exists. Want autofocus and interchangeable lenses? Buy an SL. Want the whole experience condensed into one body and one lens? Buy a Q. Want film? Leica will still sell you a brand-new mechanical camera in 2026.

That is why I think Leica might be the camera giant hiding in plain sight. Not the largest by sales, production numbers or market share, but perhaps one of the largest when it comes to the breadth of genuinely serious photographic choices coming from a single premium brand.

For a company whose reputation is built around exclusivity, simplicity and doing things the old-fashioned way, Leica has somehow ended up producing 16 distinct and diverse cameras at the same time. And the strangest thing is that almost nobody seems to have noticed.

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Take a look at the best Leica cameras, along with the best Leica M lenses for rangefinders and the best Leica SL lenses for mirrorless.

Viltrox has a further five new lenses due shortly, increasing its rapidly-expanding lens line-up. The new lenses include the:

• Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.4 Pro (full-frame, E-mount & L-mount)
• Viltrox AF 18mm f/1.2 Pro APS-C (E-mount & L-mount)
• Viltrox AF 40mm f/1.2 Pro APS-C (E-mount & L-mount)
• Two new Air lenses

As the lenses are yet to be officially announced, we don't yet know many specifications. They are however on display at the BIRTV2026 show in Beijing, which takes place August 19-22.

Photorumors.com has several hands-on photos of the AF 35mm f/1.4 Pro, as well as a few details about it. The lens is said to have a 77mm filter thread, a minimum focusing distance of 0.3 meters, VCM (voice coil motor) focusing, and a metal barrel.

As for the 18mm and 40mm lenses; I'd fully expect E-mount variants, but I’m surprised to see that L-mount versions are supposedly due to follow at a later date. This seems a strange mount option, given both are APS-C lenses. There are no new APS-C L-mount cameras, and the few that were produced such as the Leica CL and TL have now been discontinued.

There is a faint possibility that Viltrox might actually be ahead of the game here though. There has been a recent rumor that Panasonic could ditch the Micro Four Thirds sensor format in favour of APS-C. Assuming it would stick with the L mount, then APS-C L-mount lenses would suddenly be in demand.

Back to Viltox though and we can likely expect full details, including pricing and availability of its five new lenses in a matter of days.

Sony’s latest cinema camera, the FX5, was announced back in July to enormous fanfare, huge excitement and massive sales. However, those who put their pre-orders down are going to have to wait – as the previous warnings of shipping delays until September have now turned into an indefinite postponement, with no official release date.

In a statement on its Japanese website, Sony announced that the release of the FX5 and its related accessories – an OLED viewfinder, an XLR handle unit and a timecode adapter cable – will be postponed due to unspecified "production issues".

The announcement comes pretty close to the last-minute, shortly before the camera’s stated release of August 21. And Sony has been unable to specify a new release date, meaning it could be a while before filmmakers can get their hands on the new camera.

The FX5 is billed as a lightweight cinema camera for professionals, slotting into the range between the Sony FX3 and FX6. Its headline feature is its capacity to shoot 5K 60p open gate video that uses the full 3:2 sensor area – though many features like 5K 120p open gate and cropped 4K 240p modes have been confirmed as coming along later, via firmware, and won't be present on the camera as released.

Billed as 'handheld Hollywood', the FX5 proved much more popular than Sony anticipated, with pre-orders flying in immediately after the camera was announced on July 28. It’s unclear whether the delay is related to the huge volumes of pre-orders, or some other unanticipated issue – Sony is remaining pretty tight-lipped about the specifics.

The Sony FX5 costs $4,898 / £4,700 / AU$7,849 body-only, or $5,498 / £5,200 / AU$8,849 in a bundle with the XLR handle. Pre-orders are still open – but I’d say it might be worth holding off for the time being. There are plenty of other excellent Sony cinema cameras you can get your hands on instead…

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Check out our roundups of the best Sony cameras and the best cinema cameras for some options that you CAN get your hands on.

Today is World Photography Day – and if you needed an excuse to finally buy that new camera you have been eyeing up, I really cannot think of a better one.

August 19 is a celebration of photography, photographers and the simple joy of capturing a moment, and B&H has some seriously tempting deals on cameras from Canon, Nikon and Sony right now.

Whether you are looking to move to full-frame mirrorless, upgrade an aging body or even stick with a traditional DSLR, there are savings of as much as $900 to be had.

Starting with two excellent all-rounders, the Canon EOS R6 Mark II is now $2,099, down from $2,299, saving you $200. It might no longer be Canon's newest 6-series camera, but its 24.2MP full-frame sensor, excellent Dual Pixel CMOS AF II autofocus and 4K 60p video still make it a seriously capable hybrid camera.

Nikon shooters have an even bigger saving on the Nikon Z6 III, which has dropped from $2,696.95 to $2,196.95, taking a huge $500 off the price. With its 24.5MP partially stacked full-frame sensor, 6K RAW video and fast autofocus system, it is one of Nikon's strongest do-it-all mirrorless cameras.

Sony also has one of my favorite deals of the bunch, with the Sony A7 IV now available for $1,998 instead of $2,498. That is another massive $500 saving on a camera that still has a lot going for it, including a 33MP full-frame sensor, 10fps continuous shooting and 4K 60p video.

If you need more resolution and have a bigger budget, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II is also discounted, falling from $4,399 to $4,099. A $300 saving is nothing to sniff at on a professional camera packing a 45MP stacked full-frame sensor, shooting at up to 30fps and offering 8K 60p RAW video.

However, the biggest saving this World Photography Day belongs to the Nikon Z8. Normally priced at $4,296.95, B&H has chopped a whopping $900 off, bringing it down to just $3,396.95. For that money, you are getting a 45.7MP stacked full-frame sensor, seriously fast shooting performance, and powerful video credentials including 8K recording.

The Z8 has long been one of Nikon's most impressive professional mirrorless cameras, essentially offering much of the power of the flagship Z9 in a smaller body – and a $900 saving makes it considerably easier to recommend.

And if you are not ready to say goodbye to the DSLR just yet, there is also a brilliant deal on one of the greatest DSLRs ever made. The Nikon D850 is currently $1,996.95, down from $2,596.95, saving you a substantial $600.

Mirrorless might dominate the camera market today, but the D850 remains a photographic powerhouse. And for anyone with a collection of Nikon F-mount lenses or simply a love for an optical viewfinder and traditional DSLR handling, getting a brand-new D850 for under $2,000 is incredibly tempting.

Finally, at the very top end of the market, the Sony A1 II has also received a rare discount. Sony's flagship mirrorless camera is now $6,798 instead of $6,998, giving you a $200 saving. It is still a huge amount of money, of course, but the A1 II is built for professionals who need one camera capable of doing almost everything, with a 50MP stacked full-frame sensor, shooting speeds of up to 30fps, advanced AI-powered subject tracking and 8K video.

World Photography Day only comes around once a year, and with everything from the mighty Nikon D850 to the flagship Sony A1 II currently discounted, there really could not be a better excuse to treat yourself to a new camera.

You need only to watch a single Sir David Attenborough wildlife documentary to know that nature isn’t fair.

But when renowned wildlife photographers, Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen, documented a severely malnourished polar bear during a SeaLegacy exhibition roughly nine years ago, it hit home hard – very hard.

The uncomfortable images and footage captured in August 2017 weren’t just another cruel example of the circle of life, but an image of one of Earth’s most magnificent creatures, reduced to a skeletal shadow of its former self. And depending on whom you asked, it was all our fault.

Cristina herself did explain in an Instagram post (above) that the cause of the bear’s state was impossible to tell. However, comparisons with climate change were inevitable.

Polar bears have long been used to raise awareness of melting glaciers, due to the impact to their habitat. And indeed, the image has been shared, once again, by @pawnewsnetwork with the headline: “The heartbreaking polar bear photo that changed how millions see climate change.”

In a world where questions are being raised regarding the impact of AI on the environment, images such as this are hugely important in raising awareness about the potential wider impact on our planet's species.

When photography can sometimes seem less relevant than it ever has done, instances like this are a stark reminder of the staying power of great imagery.

Even in this age of video, I still believe that a single frame carries more weight. There’s no lead up to the decisive moment, no lingering afterwards, it’s simply there, for the viewer to see whether they like it or not.

What Cristina and Paul captured that day is some of the most visceral, evocative and heartwrenching wildlife imaging I’ve ever seen. As soon as I was assigned this article, I could see an image of the polar bear in my mind’s eye before I even clicked on the link.

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Check out the best camera for wildlife photography. Plus, “I started screaming because I know what shelling looks like” – dolphin photographed performing extremely rare behavior. Photographer paddled a kayak to the edge of the continental shelf and waited. The feeding frenzy that emerged reminds us: the best wildlife shots come from watching, not chasing.

Most multi-colored lights can only reach maximum brightness on the white color setting, but the brand known for its retro-styled lights has introduced a light that can still hit full power up to 120W at every one of its 36,000 possible colors. The Harlowe Max Spectra is a portable LED video light that is not only built for color but uses a “magic lens” to project moving special effects.

Harlowe says that no other light in the same class can create such a wide range of colors at full brightness. The difference comes from designing the LED light so that every color channel has its own power allocation. The light can blend the red, green, blue, cool white, and warm white channels into thousands of different colors, without losing brightness.

While the ability to switch colors without loosing power is key, Harlowe also gave the Max Spectra another unusual feature: a “magic” lens that allows the light to project different patterns. Those patterns can be mixed with the color capabilities to build creative effects, like imitating the look of water ripples.

Harlowe says the lens attachment can be used to create special effects without a gobo projector or VFX, creating special effects – or custom backdrops from a plain white background – using the light and lens attachment.

Besides the lens attachment, the lens uses a magnetic mount that supports modifiers, with a barn door, frosted dome, and honeycomb grid included with the light. A fresnel lens attachment will also be available to boost the light’s brightness by four times.

The light comes in at three different available strengths. The 40W is the lightest and most affordable, the 80W sits in the middle, and the 120W is the most powerful in the lineup. All three lights use the same battery pack, so the 40W can get about 2 hours and 18 minutes at full power, while the 120W can get about 40 minutes at full power.

The light is built to be used on-site with an aluminum build and an IP65 weather-proof 99.36W battery, but the light is also compatible with AC power for studio use. The light can be controlled from the built-in screen and dials, or using a wireless connection to a smartphone app.

The Harlowe Max Spectra launches in three different power variations, but each light also comes in either a standard Creator Kit that includes modifiers, a handle, an AC adapter, and a carrying case, while the Magic Kit adds the lens for creating patterned light. The 40W Creator Kit starts at $849 / £649.20 / CA$1,195.

The light is available directly through Harlowe, with pre-orders also open in the US at B&H Photo.

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Since its inception in 1958, NASA has arguably played the most important role in furthering our knowledge of Earth, the universe and natural phenomena.

Through its mesmerizing photos captured by spacecraft imaging devices and pioneering astronauts with handheld cameras, the agency has compiled the premier portfolio of pictures that have helped us, as visual creatures, understand our place in the cosmos.

This World Photography Day, take a look at some of the most iconic of these images, delving into why they helped shape our perception of our very existence.

Man on the Moon (1969)

Just 11 years after its founding, NASA achieved what many would say was its biggest triumph: putting a man on the Moon. On July 20 1969, Neil Armstrong set foot on the lunar surface, immortalizing the moment with his famous words about taking what was a small step, but a “giant leap for mankind".

And while the very act of a human setting foot on a celestial body that wasn’t Earth lit the fires of possibility that we could, one day, venture further into space, it was the images captured during these moments that truly opened our eyes to the realities of this ambition.

When Neil Armstrong took the shot of Buzz Aldrin meandering across the crater-ridden surface using a modified 70mm Hasselblad 500EL camera, he not only captured the glory of Apollo 11, but a frightening realization of how hostile the universe truly is.

The vast pitch-blackness of deep space behind Aldrin was a stark reminder that, despite the triumphant Moon landing, any journey to more distant destinations would be fraught with peril, regardless of how advanced our technology may ever become.

Blue Marble (1972)

By 1972 NASA was sending its sixth crewed mission, Apollo 17, to the lunar surface. Roughly five hours into the journey of astronauts Eugene A Cernan (commander), Harrison H Schmitt (lunar module pilot) and Ronald E Evans (command module pilot), someone clicked the shutter.

While NASA has always credited the Blue Marble shot to all three crew members, over the years Schmitt has maintained that he was the man behind the camera, using it to document weather patterns.

Whether or not Schmitt did, in fact, capture the frame, the image certainly served the purpose for which he claims it was taken. At a distance of some 18,300 miles from Earth, it clearly displayed Africa, the oceans and the Antarctic ice cap, in what was the first time an Apollo trajectory made it possible to photograph the south polar ice cap.

The image served as one of the early fully-illuminated color views of global cloud systems and continental interactions, helping to inspire holistic, planetary-scale climate models rather than localized weather forecasting.

Pale Blue Dot (1990)

While Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin proved to us the dangers of space, the Voyager 1 spacecraft imaged its vastness. In 1990, 23 years after launching, and at an unfathomable distance of 3.7 billion miles from home, the vessel pointed its narrow-angle camera toward the inner Solar System.

At the request of the famous physicist Carl Sagan, who wanted one final photograph of our home world from afar before the onboard imaging system powered down forever, mission control – which initially worried that directly facing the Sun could destroy the camera optics – agreed.

In the frame, Earth appears as nothing more than a speck of light, much like a distant star appears to us from the planet. But the message of the image carried much greater weight than its composition. The scene redefined our perspective of the Solar System, putting before our eyes the absolute vastness of space surrounding our grain of sand in the universe.

Since then, Voyager 1 has continued its journey at a speed of roughly 37,800 miles per hour, becoming the first human-made object to cross the heliosphere and enter interstellar space, now at a distance of nearly 16 billion miles away.

Pillars of Creation (1995/2014)

A little closer to home, and in more recent history, the Hubble Space Telescope captured arguably NASA’s most iconic image: the Pillars of Creation. The famous 1995 frame depicts a trio of giant columns of cool hydrogen gas and dust in the Eagle Nebula, some 6,500 to 7,000 light-years from Earth.

These stellar nurseries are composed of dense pockets of gas collapsing under gravity, which ignites nuclear fusion and births new stars. While NASA already had a rigorous understanding of these processes by 1995, the image visualized, in mesmerizing color and clarity, how the cosmic bodies responsible for generating light are born.

Just shy of two decades later, NASA’s newer telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), re-imaged the Pillars of Creation in even higher definition. JWST’s infrared instruments were able to peer through opaque dust that blocked Hubble’s vision, more accurately revealing newly formed stars.

Hubble Extreme Deep Field (2012)

NASA has also used space telescopes to observe newly formed galaxies and, in 2012, looked further back in time than ever before, capturing the Extreme Deep Field (XDF) image with Hubble.

The space agency pointed the telescope at a tiny section of the cosmos within the constellation Fornax, shooting more than 2,000 separate exposures over a period of 10 years.

The final composite image, which comprised roughly 23 days of total exposure time, revealed around 5,500 galaxies, capturing ancient light that traveled over 13 billion years to reach us.

Through Hubble XDF, we got to witness early galaxy assembly taking place when the universe was less than 5% of its current age, shortly after the Big Bang. The composite scene opened a window onto cosmic evolution, helping scientists better trace the timeline of celestial structures like our own Milky Way.

The future of our existential understading

Later this month, NASA will launch Nancy Grace Roman (NGRST), the latest of its space telescopes. Scientists will use its wide-area panoramic surveys as a scout, efficiently finding interesting patches of the universe to feed to Hubble and JWST’s deeper, narrower-field focus for detailed follow-up surveys.

The NGRST represents the next step in NASA’s mission to continue shaping our knowledge of the universe and our understanding of what it is to exist in this mind-boggling expanse. And, by the next World Photography Day, I’m sure the agency will be sharing new iconic images, adding to this ongoing visual lesson.

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When it comes to videogames, there are two certainties in life: Guile's theme goes with everything and everything can play Doom.

From ATMs to calculators and even pregnancy tests, the groundbreaking MS-DOS videogame from 1993 has been played on what seems like every piece of technology. And now, the latest tech to answer the question "Can it play Doom?" is a DSLR that's over a decade old.

The Canon EOS 550D – known as the Rebel T2i in the US and the Kiss X4 in Japan – isn't just one of the best cameras for beginners; it's the best camera if you want to play one of the most iconic first-person shooters of all time.

While it was reported back in May that someone got Doom running on a Nikon Zf, there is some doubt online as to whether it was real or a sneaky bit of video playback.

However, the feat has been performed on the 550D using Magic Lantern – custom firmware developed in 2009 for Canon cameras that runs from a memory card and adds a host of features such as dual ISO, RGB histogram, zebras, new grids like the Fibonacci spiral… and now, the ability to run Doom, as you can see below:

Canon is always telling us how clever its Digic processors are, but I'll bet the company never envisioned that the Digic 4 chip in its 2010 camera would be used to run a videogame!

As you'd expect, the D-pad on the back of the camera is used to navigate while the SET button fires your weapon. The hack even employs the 550D's speaker to emit in-game audio and effects, which again is something I bet Canon's engineers could never have predicted.

According to Tom's Hardware, the developer said that the port only works on a Canon EOS 550D running firmware version 1.0.9, specifically noting, "Do not install this binary on another camera model or firmware version."

There are full instructions on how to install and run everything in the Tom's Hardware report, but I cannot stress strongly enough that Magic Lantern is a completely unofficial project and is in no way endorsed or supported by Canon.

In fact, running it could potentially brick your camera and also invalidates your warranty – so think carefully before you go blasting Martian monsters on your camera.

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Micro Four Thirds (MFT) users received a shock last month when news filtered out that Panasonic had abruptly discontinued three more Micro Four Thirds lenses.

The Lumix S Pro 70-200mm f/4, Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7, Leica G 12-60mm f/2.8-4 and Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 II were all listed as discontinued on Panasonic’s Japanese website.

Of course, manufacturers discontinue products all the time. But it’s normally because the products have direct replacements already in the ecosystem – which these lenses don’t.

And this, combined with the fact that there was no formal announcement of the discontinuation, has led some users to be concerned about how committed Panasonic is to the future of Micro Four Thirds cameras and lenses alike.

It was in this frame of mind that I sat down to watch a recent Q&A video by Australian YouTuber, Geeky Nerdy Techy (real name Shane – he’s great), in which he posits that Panasonic might be planning on introducing Super 35mm / APS-C cameras for L-Mount.

Further, that the next camera in its video-centric GH line – presumably the GH8 – might end up joining the L-Mount Lumix S system, with a Super 35mm sensor rather than full-frame.

ABOVE: Watch Geeky Nerdy Techy's video

It’d be similar to what Sony did with the FX30 and, as Shane says, it would make a lot of sense.

The larger sensor could assuage the concerns that some users have over MFT’s low-light ability – even though, as Shane points out, and as my editor James is no doubt screaming as he reads this, that hasn’t really been an issue for several generations now.

It also could be useful for people who are already invested in the ecosystem of L-Mount lenses, enabling them to construct a setup where they can switch between full-frame and Super 35mm and keep using the same glass.

But where would that leave Micro Four Thirds? That’s the thorny question – and Panasonic’s unceremonious discontinuation of its MFT lenses doesn’t inspire confidence.

While manufacturers generally won’t tell you that they’re giving up on a system, products being discontinued without new ones to replace them is often a sign that, as Shane says, "the writing is on the wall".

Look at Canon and Nikon. They never formally announced that they were giving up on DSLRs – they just stopped making new ones. I’m sure if asked, Panasonic would reaffirm that it is committed to Micro Four Thirds. But how many years did Sony spend making the same claims about A-mount?

An MFT to L-mount adapter unfortunately isn’t really possible, due to near-identical flange distances of the two systems (it’d have to be inconceivably tiny).

We’ll have to wait and see what Panasonic’s plans are for the venerable MFT system that it co-founded with Olympus – but I’m hoping there’s still life in the old dog yet.

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Japan's latest compact camera sales rankings are in – and the same three point-and-shoot cameras are dominating the top of the chart once again.

At number one is the Kodak Pixpro FZ55, which was crowned Japan's overall best-selling camera of 2025 – a ranking that included mirrorless cameras, not just compacts. But close behind sits the real retro everyday champion.

The Pixpro FZ55 was originally launched in 2023 and features a 16MP sensor with 5x zoom. Available for only $139.99 / £129, the little camera is a familiar face at the top spot. But also on the podium is a camera that we've seen several times: the Kodak Pixpro C1, taking the second and third spots in different color variations.

The Pixpro C1 is a camera you can throw in your bag for casual fun. Compared with the Pixpro FZ55, it features a 2.8-inch rear LCD screen that flips up 180°, making it useful for selfies and shooting from different angles. Priced at just $99.99 / £79, it's the cheapest compact in the list – and its retro look is a big part of its appeal.

BCN+R compact camera ranking (Jul 26)

1. Kodak Pixpro FZ55 | Black
2. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Black
3. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown
4. Canon IXY 650 M (aka Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A) | Silver
5. Instax Mini Evo | Brown
6. Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 | Black
7. Kodak Pixpro WPZ2
8. Kenko Tokina KC-AF11 BK | Black
9. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Black
10. Instax Mini Evo | Black

Sales data compiled by BCN+R, which aggregates nationwide sales figures from major electronic retailers and online platforms across Japan.

The Kodak Pixpro series is popular in Japan

In BCN's Top 10 compact cameras of July 2026, 40% of the models are from Kodak's Pixpro line – all relatively low-profile models compared with most mirrorless cameras.

These little point-and-shoots don't chase the latest AI autofocus or 8K video. They're built simply, are easy to carry and require very little photography knowledge to operate.

Those qualities may sound basic, but they are exactly what make these compacts so popular in Japan. For many, simplicity and affordability still beat a long specification sheet – and that's unlikely to change any time soon.

Older compact cameras rule the Japanese market

Japan's best-selling compact models are nearly three years old on average, even as we've seen a new wave of point-and-shoot camera launches.

While that may not seem particularly old for a camera, it's a striking figure in a market known for rapid product cycles.

The oldest model is the Kodak Pixpro WPZ2, released in October 2019, while the newest model is the Kodak Pixpro C1, released in April 2025.

For buyers in Japan, familiarity clearly matters. Established compact cameras have proven themselves over time and continue to sell steadily, even without major updates. And the trend isn't limited to one brand.

There is also a strong element of nostalgia and retro appeal, with compact cameras increasingly seen as fun, lifestyle-oriented devices rather than professional tools.

That's what we see in the success of the retro-styled Pixpro C1, which combines a low price with a design that feels very different from camera phones that most people carry every day.

Sometimes, it seems, people just want a little camera they can take everywhere. And in Japan, some of those cameras have been doing exactly that for years.

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Each year, the National Portrait Gallery in London, England, runs its Winston Taylor Photo Portrait Prize competition (formerly Taylor Wessing), attracting submissions from both professionals and amateurs across the world. At this year’s edition, 3,977 portraits were submitted.

The event organizers have now whittled these down to just four finalist images, which will vie for the top prize of £15,000 (approximately $20,300 / AU$28,500) and recognition from a lauded art institution.

Entrants were encouraged to interpret ‘portrait’ in its “widest sense”, with judges keen to see portraits emphasizing the “individual identity” of their subjects.

In the running is the proud shot of a teenage Cuban fencer called Neisser, taken by British photographer James Clifford Kent. Neisser comes from an accomplished family of musicians, but the aspiring pentathlete is forging his own path, making a name for himself as one of Cuba’s top fencers.

Challenging are Marcie Doherty (UK) and Katie Hitchcock-Smith (US). Doherty’s gritty rendering of American football culture on a cold UK street corner does away with the glitz and glamor that are lavishly poured on high school sports stars in the US.

Meanwhile, Hitchcock-Smith took a more humorous photojournalistic approach to documenting Nour, Mohamed and their camel. The photographer kitted out the Moroccan men with a cowboy hat from home and a jacket bought at a local market.

The final of the coveted four comes from Max Pattenden, a UK-based 24-year-old photographer. In the black-and-white close-up frame we see Havannah, a 10-year-old girl with a curious yet enlightening expression on her face, leaving it up to the viewer to decide the narrative.

The National Portrait Gallery will announce the winner of the Winston Taylor Photo Portrait Prize 2026 on November 03, with all 56 finalist images to be showcased in an exhibition at the gallery from November 05 2026, to January 17 2027.

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This ultra-fast 35mm lens is a compact lens, built for serious photographers – and now you can grab it at a big discount.

The Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/0.9 lens for Fujifilm X-mount is now just $1,199 at B&H. With this offer, you save $300 off its regular price of $1,499.

One of the fastest lenses ever made

If you are looking for a fast lens that covers portrait, street, and low-light photography, the Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/0.9 combines standout performance with true portability.

Thanks to its ultra-fast f/0.9 aperture, the Nikton excels in low-light conditions and delivers a beautifully shallow depth of field.

You'll be able to create stunning, soft bokeh with ease – something few other lenses in this class can match. Its manual focus design also encourages you to follow a slower, more deliberate shooting process, helping you get more creative and intentional with your images.

While it's a manual-focus lens, electronic contacts allow it to communicate with compatible cameras, enabling IBIS, parallax correction, and lens EXIF data.

It's compact, lightweight, and packed with advanced optics, including aspherical elements for sharp images.

This 35mm lens is built to be your go-to lens for creativity on the go. Plus, with full compatibility with Fujifilm's in-body stabilization and EXIF data, you get modern convenience without sacrificing manual focus control.

The Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/0.9 measures just 64mm in length and 492g in weight, making it lighter and shorter than many comparable lenses. Built with a durable all-metal barrel, it's made to last.

With its f/0.9 maximum aperture, this lens is a serious investment in your photography – and with this current deal, you can save big on a lens with even bigger creative potential.

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You might also be interested in discovering why this pro photographer prefers a 35mm prime for portraits.

Small enough to slip in your pocket and affordable enough for almost any budget, these trendy compact cameras make everyday photography fun.

They don't often go on sale, but these three models are currently slightly reduced in price. The discounts are modest, but they make already budget-friendly cameras just a little more appealing.

The Kodak Pixpro C1 in black is now $99.99 at Adorama – you save $20 off Kodak's MSRP of $119.99.(Brown & tan design also available for $199.99)

The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 in red is now $109.99 at Adorama – you save $9.01 off its original $119 price. (Blue, black & white design also available for $109.99)

The Chuzhao Digital camera is now $31.49 on Amazon – you save at least $3.50 off the listed $34.99 price. This camera is priced between $36 and $50, depending on the retailer.

• The Kodak Pixpro C1 in brown is $99.99 (instead of Kodak's MSRP of $119.99)
• The Kodak Pixpro C1 in tan is $99.99 (instead of Kodak's MSRP of $119.99)

• The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 in blue is $109.99 (was $119)
• The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 in black is $109.99 (was $119.95)
• The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 in white is $109.99 (was $119.95)

• The Chuzhao Digital Camera in red is $34.18 (was $37.98)

Kodak Pixpro C1

Kodak's Pixpro C1 is the brand's best budget selfie compact right now – thanks to its flip screen and wide-angle lens, making it more convenient than the FZ45 or Chuzhao for self-recording and vlogging-style clips.

However, it trades on image quality and flexibility, so if you care more about zoom or detail, the FZ45 is the stronger pick. If you want ease and selfies over everything else, the C1 is the camera for you.

Kodak Pixpro FZ45

Compared to the C1 and Chuzhao, the FZ45 is the most traditional camera here – it's the only one with real optical zoom, which makes it more versatile for travel and distance shots.

You lose the flip screen and retro charm, but gain reach and a more familiar shooting experience. The FZ45 is the camera for you if you want a simple holiday or everyday camera rather than a novelty or selfie device.

Chuzhao Digital Camera

The Chuzhao Digital Camera is the most characterful camera of the group – and all about enjoying the process of taking photos. The square format, waist-level viewfinder and TLR-inspired design make shooting feel playful – in a way none of the Kodak compacts really replicate.

While the FZ45 is about straightforward practicality and the C1 leans into selfie convenience, the Chushao is all about atmosphere, nostalgia and creative expression in your pocket.

Browse the best compact cameras, the best retro compact cameras, and the best cheap cameras.

Kodak has overtaken Fujifilm to become the most-used film brand among photographers responding to FilmFocus' latest survey, as new figures suggest that the analog revival is continuing despite the ever-increasing cost of shooting film.

The 2025 Survey on the Current State of Film Photography gathered 1,337 valid responses, up considerably from 802 respondents in the previous year's survey.

Conducted between November 30 and December 31, 2025, the Japan-focused research found that 71% of respondents had used Kodak film during the previous year, narrowly placing it ahead of Fujifilm at 68%.

That reverses the positions seen in 2024, when Fujifilm led with 84% usage compared with Kodak's 81%.

However, perhaps the more interesting story is that usage of almost every major film brand has fallen.

Ilford dropped from 52% to 41%, while Lomography fell from 38% to 30%, with photographers seemingly becoming more selective about the films they buy.

The average number of major brands used by each photographer fell from 3.0 to 2.2, while Kentmere – included as a survey option for the first time – was already being used by 16% of respondents.

With black-and-white film often costing less than color negative film, affordability appears to be playing an increasingly important role.

Despite those rising costs, however, photographers do not appear ready to abandon film.

The average 35mm photographer used around 13.9 rolls during the year, almost identical to the 13.7 rolls recorded previously, while 120 users averaged 7.0 rolls compared with 6.9 the year before.

In total, 28% of respondents said they were shooting film more frequently, compared with 26% who said they were using it less. Cost was once again by far the biggest reason for reducing film use, cited by 62% of those shooting less.

The results also suggest that newer photographers are helping to keep the format alive. Among people who had been shooting film for less than a year, 49% said their usage had increased, while only 6% said it had decreased.

The opposite was true among photographers with more than a decade of experience, where 40% reported shooting less film.

Buying or acquiring a new film camera was the most common reason for increasing film use, with cameras such as the Pentax 17 specifically mentioned by respondents as helping to bring people into – or back into – analog photography.

There are plenty of other encouraging signs for film photography, too. Some 95% of respondents had shot at least a single roll of 35mm film during the year, while 53% had used 120 film.

Color negative remained the most popular type at 82%, followed by black-and-white at a substantial 61%.

And when choosing where to have those rolls processed, photographers still value results over simply finding the cheapest option, with 41% saying developing and scanning quality was their biggest priority compared with 24% choosing price.

Kodak may have taken the top spot from Fujifilm this year, but the wider takeaway is arguably even more important: photographers are adapting to higher prices rather than giving up on film altogether.

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Take a look at the best film cameras, along with our picks of the best 35mm, 120 and roll film you can buy right now.

The 2026 solar eclipse brought troves of viewers across the path of totality, many equipped with cameras and smartphones – but some viewers walked away with impossible photos that would only happen if the Earth happened to have two moons.

Several failed eclipse photos are making the rounds on the internet, where users snapping photos with a smartphone realized that the phone had "captured" what looks like the moon passing in front of…another moon.

Across Reddit and Twitter, several smartphone photographers have shared photos taken during the eclipse that turn the sun’s orange glow into what looks like the surface of the moon.

The culprit? Several posts – and one comparison between a handful of different smartphones – suggest that the impossible photo of the Moon blocking what looks like another Moon comes from the supermoon mode on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, suggesting the use of AI-enhanced photography in the supermoon mode.

The smartphone’s supermoon mode uses computational photography to enhance photos of the moon. As one user on X described (translated from Spanish), “It detected a bright sphere in the sky, went into 'supermoon' mode, and straight up invented the entire surface.”

While enhancing the surface of the moon may be less obvious under a more typical scenario, photographing the eclipse requires using a protective filter, turning the sun into a dark orange orb. The mishap seems to be one of mistaken identity, misreading the sun as the moon when the moon was a dark shadow. The scenario isn't likely to pop up very often – after all, the 2026 eclipse was the first time mainland Spain has been in the path of totality since 1905.

Thankfully, the mode is something that can be turned off. Another user commented that disabling supermoon mode on the phone fixed the issue and returned the photos to the expected solar eclipse shots.

I find the gaff rather humorous, though admittedly it would have been frustrating to experience. After all, why take the time out of a celestial phenomenon that only lasts for a few minutes to take a photo that AI could generate anyway?

The viral posts over the glitch echo a similar controversy from a few years back when Samsung users found that the camera was enhancing the texture of the moon.

As a photographer, the viral posts over the supermoon mode eclipse mishap illustrate why generative AI doesn’t belong inside cameras.

Standard AI already powers excellent camera features like subject detection and autofocus. But generative AI, where a computer is creating something that’s not there, shouldn’t be trusted inside the devices that capture memories.

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Take a look at these telephoto shots that enlarge the eclipse, or NASA's top shots of the 2026 solar eclipse.

DJI has been fighting the US Department of Defense’s label as a "Chinese military company" since late 2022 – and now the drone maker has just earned a small win in the US Court of Appeals with a partial reversal.

On Friday, the US Court of Appeals reaffirmed some of the lower court’s decision in DJI’s lawsuit over its placement on the Department of Defense blacklist.

While the court did not agree with DJI’s claims over a violation of due process and claims of selectively enforcing rules, the court did give it some hope on one key issue: whether or not DJI "contributes to the Chinese defense industrial base."

The US Court of Appeals decision, importantly, doesn’t explicitly agree with DJI, but sent the case back to the lower courts because the earlier case did not consider classified documents, using instead the unclassified report that had every word in the section entitled "DJI Contributes to the Chinese Defense Industrial Base" redacted.

"There is, in other words, no publicly stated rationale for why the Secretary believes DJI contributes to the Chinese defense industrial base," the court's opinion reads.

While the courts have only granted a partial reversal and sent the case back for further consideration, DJI says that it welcomed the decision.

"The Court’s finding that the public record contained insufficient evidence is a significant step toward correcting an unjustified designation," A DJI representative said in a statement.

"The decision reinforces what DJI has consistently maintained: DJI is not a military company.

"We are a privately held company that has revolutionized the consumer and commercial drone markets, consistently condemned the use of our products in combat, and taken active steps to prevent it.

"We remain committed to the responsible development of civilian technologies, from drones to handheld imaging products. We look forward to continuing to set the record straight as the case moves forward."

The court case stems from a 2022 decision to place DJI on the Department of Defense blacklist, which prevents some government agencies from using DJI products.

The case isn’t the only US legal battle that DJI is facing.

The drone-maker has also filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission restrictions that prevent new DJI products from obtaining the necessary approval to be sold in the US.

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Browse the best drones for photography and videography, or the best drones for beginners.

It’s been a bit of a rough month for smart camera glasses like the Ray-Ban Metas.