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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Browse the best video lights or the best LED panels.

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

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 quarter of a century 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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Take a look at the best Canon cameras along with the best Canon lenses for DSLRs and the best Canon RF lenses for mirrorless models.

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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Our roundup of the best Micro Four Thirds lenses includes many fantastic options still plentifully available for the system.

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.

While this tech has been gathering a lot of hype and interest of late, it has also suffered a number of damaging PR scandals after stories have emerged of camera glasses being used to stalk and harass women in spaces like offices and gyms.

It has given rise to an unfortunate nickname for the tech – ‘pervert glasses’ – that is beginning to stick.

The tech’s increased notoriety is having predictable consequences. In the UK, where I live, the glasses have been banned in all judicial buildings (such as courtrooms and their surroundings), as well as in the popular pub chain Wetherspoons, which operates more than 800 venues across the country, and at Comic-Con UK following incidences of non-consensual filming.

All this has me wondering – can the tech recover its reputation at this point or is it too far gone?

Those of a certain age will recall the infamous 2011 launch of Google Glass, a pair of proto-smart glasses that were essentially mocked into oblivion, with its users dubbed ‘glassholes’. Meta glasses and their imitators have proved more tenacious, but the ‘pervert glasses’ moniker could ultimately prove just as fatal.

Granted, manufacturers can’t always control what users do with their products. Smartphones and regular cameras have certainly been used to harass people and take non-consensual photos, and nobody’s suggesting banning them. However, camera glasses just make it so easy – and to my mind, manufacturers are not convincingly demonstrating that they care.

Recently I reviewed the Rokid AI Glasses Style for DCW – they’re essentially a copy of the Meta version using a combination of Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT rather than Meta AI. I enjoyed using them and was genuinely impressed by the tech, but something I had difficulty getting past was how lackluster the privacy features are.

The white LED designed to alert others to the fact that you’re recording is dim, unobtrusive and easy to miss – I’m going to guess that not a single person I passed while testing them at London’s Kew Gardens noticed it.

The glasses are also supposed to stop recording if the privacy light is blocked, but I tested this and… they don’t. They play an automated message in your ears, notifying that the light is blocked, but recording continues.

If you’ll forgive me for quoting myself, what I said at the time was: "[camera glasses] tech is never going to shake its reputation for irresponsible use when manufacturers make irresponsible use so easy."

The recording light on Meta Glasses, too, is white (not red) and fairly unobtrusive, and it is difficult to think of non-pervert explanations for why this is the case.

The firm's quiet embedding of a facial-recognition system in its glasses platform also garnered unwelcome attention – and the company backed down and removed it after public outrage. Now, I can think of non-pervert reasons why this tech might be useful in a pair of camera glasses – but the pervert ones do spring to mind more readily, don't they?

Meta is committed to its camera glasses and other manufacturers are following suit, with Apple and Google planning to launch their own intelligent eyewear later this year.

All I can say is: they should be careful. This backlash is not going away any time soon and, unless these manufacturers can seriously demonstrate their commitment to preventing their products being used for nefarious purposes, that ‘pervert glasses’ nickname is going to keep on sticking.

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Our guides to the best camera glasses and the best wearable cameras.

When it comes to Pokémon-themed cameras, I'm such a catch-'em-all addict that I once dropped $300 on the worst Canon camera I've ever used just because it had a Pikachu design.

Thankfully, now I don't have to spend nearly that much money to get a Pikachu camera that's lightyears better.

Polaroid has just announced an epic new collaboration that brings us a trio of Pokémon-themed instant cameras, a trifecta of Pokémon-themed film and a bundle of Pokémon-themed accessories.

It's all in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Pocket Monsters franchise, which has become part of the DNA of 90s kids (and beyond).

The star of the show is undoubtedly the Polaroid Go Gen 3 – Pokémon Pikachu Edition. At its heart is the fantastic Polaroid Go Gen 3, but this superb special edition comes in lightning-bolt yellow with Pokémon branding and a Pikachu tail instead of a strap.

Then there's the Polaroid Go Gen 3 – Pokémon Sylveon Edition, in gorgeous pink and white split tones with a matching strap (which is functional, rather than the decorative Pikachu tail).

While the two Pokémon-themed cameras are both, fittingly, of the super-small Go variety, the final camera is based on the full-fat Polaroid Now Gen 3. Styled after a Pokéball, the Polaroid Now Gen 3 - Pokémon Pokéball Edition boasts a red-and-white body and strap.

Launching alongside the cameras are three Pokémon-themed instant film packs – two Polaroid Go varieties in Pikachu and Sylveon boxes to match the cameras, and one Polaroid i-Type pack.

As you'd expect, all three film packs contain unique Pokémon-themed frames – but you may not have guessed that they also feature special edition dark slides, which are adorned with numbered and collectible Pokémon silhouettes!

There are also a slew of brilliant Pokéball-themed accessories that demand to be collected, including a camera case and photo album for Go-sized cameras along with a strap that fits all models.

Everything is available for preorder on the Polaroid website from August 27, with the official launch commencing on October 12.

The Polaroid Now Gen 3 – Pokémon Pokéball Edition will be priced $139.99 / £129.99, with the Polaroid Go Gen 3 – Pikachu and Sylveon Editions costing $99.99 / £89.99.

The i-Type Film – Pokémon Edition will sell for $22.99 / £21.99, with the double packs of Polaroid Go – Pokémon Light Frame or Dark Frame going for $24.99 / £21.99.

The Polaroid Go Camera Case – Pokémon Edition will carry a $24.99 price tag, with the Polaroid Go Photo Album – Pokémon Edition selling for $24.99 and the Polaroid Camera Strap – Pokémon Edition $14.99 (international pricing to follow).

Phew, made it through the entire article without saying gotta catch 'em all… gah!!!!

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Take a look at the best instant cameras on the market, and make sure you to check out the different instant camera film sizes so you know what type of instant film you need.

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 is now £78.55 on Amazon – you save £15.45 off its £94 RRP.

The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 is now £104 at Currys – you save £7 off its original £111 price.

The Chuzhao Digital camera is now £26.87 on Amazon – you save at least £3.52 off its listed £30.39 price. This camera is priced between £30 and £50, depending on the retailer.

• The Kodak Pixpro C1 is also available in brown for £78.85 on Amazon

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.

Meta has found itself in hot water thanks to growing concerns about the privacy implications surrounding the Meta Glasses with built in cameras. Apple is planning on putting cameras into AirPods, but solving privacy by not using the cameras to take photos or video.

What is it for then? Apple's integration of cameras into AirPods is designed he process might be quite advanced, as the leaking of this promo video – doing the rounds everywhere today – shows.

The video in the tweet shows Siri's upcoming "visual intelligence" feature, so the cameras are helping it see the world around the user but not being used to record images, which (arguably) solves privacy concerns.

It certainly would silence the immediate worries of many about capturing photos and video by stealth.

Except, well, there is a bit of a problem.

Firstly the video, leaked by @Aaron, doesn't appear to feature the same camera lenses seen in some other rumor images? Is it a fake? That'd be my immediate suspicion were it not for the fact that the video has been reposted online by probably the most famous Apple rumor merchant, Mark Gurman (see his re-post on x.com here).

That lends a degree of credibility. Not only that, but according to Gurman and other sources, Apple has been investigating these privacy issues and perhaps even delayed its own Meta-like glasses as a result.

These were internally codenamed N50, but Apple has had to face the reality that courts in New York, among others, have established bans (not to mention some casinos). It's also true, of course, that the Apple Vision Pro goggles don't seem likely to win the mainstream market.

AirTags were once also associated with stalking – privacy-related publicity seems like an area Apple is keen to avoid, even if it means being slow to the mark in this fast-growing category.

All of which adds up to Apple wanting to get a product out in this growing space, but having good reasons not to get involved in ongoing privacy debates. So, in short, restricting access to cameras to the AI and not a camera app makes sense.

It also, of course, sidesteps any discussion about image quality from such a small device.

Will the cameras actually see the world well from the ear? That'll be another question for another day...

As well as Meta, other brands are releasing glasses. Google is expected to this fall, featuring Gemini integration, built by Samsung and powered by Qualcomm chips. They will bear no relation to the Google Glass I wasted my money on to be part of the future in 2013!

Looking for that classic DSLR mirror flip? With these three top full-frame DSLR deals, you save up to $600 and get free accessories!

The Nikon D850 is now just $1,996.95 at Adorama – you save $600 off its original $2,596.95 price. On top, you get a free 256GB Lexar memory card and Capture One Pro, valued at $321.90.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Bundle is now just $1,999 at Adorama – you save $500 off its original $2,499 price. The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera body by itself is priced the same as the full bundle...

Nikon D850

Best for megapixels

The Nikon D850 was a flagship DSLR for a reason. In 2025, it still impresses with its incredible 45.7MP resolution, weather-sealed durability, and class-leading image quality.

While its live view autofocus is outpaced by newer mirrorless rivals, for traditional stills shooting, it remains one of the finest tools around. Its uncropped 4K video and robust build make it a reliable all-rounder for pros.

Now available at a significantly lower price than at launch (approx. $3,296.95), the D850 offers elite-level performance without a premium price tag.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Best all-rounder

With a 30.4MP full-frame CMOS sensor, 61-point AF system, and Dual Pixel CMOS AF for precise live view and video focusing, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV remains a versatile tool for professionals.

Its 7fps burst rate, ISO 100-32,000 range (expandable to 102,400), and weather-sealed magnesium alloy body make it well-suited for demanding shoots.

While the 1.64x 4K crop and UHS-I SD slot feel a bit outdated, the 5D Mark IV delivers excellent dynamic range, color depth, and reliability – especially for stills-focused workflows.

Once a DSLR costing around $3,499, the EOS 5D Mark IV is now a far more affordable way to access full-frame photography.

Browse the best DSLRs, the best full-frame DSLRs, and the best DSLRs for video. You might also be interested in the best Nikon lenses for DSLRs and the best Canon lenses for DSLRs.

A few days ago, all the rumor sites were buzzing about a new pancake lens from 7Artisans following a series of teaser images shared on Chinese social media platform Weibo by the manufacturer.

The APS-C lens is touted to feature a fast f/2 aperture, a wide-angle fixed 18mm focal length, autofocus and all-metal construction – which, in theory, would rival models like the Sony E 20mm f/2.8 and the Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo.

After first appearing in silhouette with a question mark, the brand later identified the mystery lens as the 7Artisans AF 18mm f/2.

It also confirmed its release for Sony's E-mount, its amazingly low 109g weight and its APS-C design – which would give it an equivalent 27mm field of view on crop sensor cameras, making it ideal for street, travel, reportage and documentary photography.

Rumor sites have been suggesting that, following its release for Sony cameras, it would follow in Nikon Z and Fujifilm X mounts – though this has yet to be confirmed by 7Artisans itself.

Interestingly, amid all these rumors, I’ve come across a company called Etoren, based in Singapore, that seems to be selling the lens already.

Now, considering 7Artisans is yet to actually release the lens, I’m not sure I'd feel safe placing an order. Despite a few red flags in the form of Trustpilot scores, I did try reaching out to Etoren – the contact form gave me error after error and never actually sent.

I'd certainly recommend waiting for the official announcement from the manufacturer and stocking from more well-known retailers.

The 7Artisans AF 18mm f/2 is the latest in a series of pancake lenses lately, following the likes of the Kase AF 24mm f/3.8 and the Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo, along with the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 and Lensbaby Twist 28 in new mounts.

If you're wondering why pancake lenses are back in fashion, my colleagues James and Mike covered the subject on the latest episode of DCW's Bokeh Face podcast (which I've teed up at the start of the conversation below).

It seems like we could be seeing even more delicious pancakes throughout 2026!

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Here's our pick of the best pancake lenses your money can buy, along with the best Sony lenses of all shapes and sizes.

In a world where many creatives are facing an increasingly uncertain future, it’s nice to be reminded that – in many cases – traditional photography is still as vital as ever.

And while scientific research might not be the first thing that comes to mind, I am constantly reporting on the craft’s role in documenting rare wildlife encounters.

A recent interaction between researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast and bottlenose dolphins is a prime example.

The encounter happened at Queensland Australia’s Great Sandy Marine Park, between July and October 2025, where a research team led by Dr Alexis Levengood captured imagery of a behavior known as 'shelling'.

The behavior is so rare that it's only been published once before, but this is the first time it's been officially recorded on the east coast of Australia.

According to Dr Levengood, “we spotted a dolphin raising something large out of the water. I started screaming because I know what shelling looks like”.

The animal behavioralist and marine mammal expert explained that the dolphins use 'shelling' to hunt for fish; the shell becomes an implement in which to trap prey. The mammals then shake the makeshift tool on the surface until their prize slides into their jaws.

I'm no marine life expert, but I am an avid wildlife lover and I certainly had no idea that dolphins did this.

To make matters even more interesting, the researchers observed both an adult female and its calf engaging in the behavior, leading them to deduce that the juvenile had learned from its mother.

“Our footage provides the first potential evidence of maternal social transmission – a process by which offspring learn behaviour by observing the actions of its mother,” said Dr Levengood. “It challenges the belief that dolphins learn this tool use from their peers.”

In a world of hobbyist and professional photographers aiming to capture the very best photos possible, it can be easy to forget that imaging is also used purely for surveillance, observation and documentation.

It’s not about capturing an attractive image, it’s about clearly capturing the moment for posterity.

If you’re a wildlife enthusiast first and a photographer second, and are looking for a camera to complement your bird or wildlife-watching setup, I’d buy this monster $1000 all-in-one bridge camera.

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Take a look at the best cameras for wildlife photography and the best wildlife photography lenses. Plus, stay up to date via the latest camera news.

The Sony A7 V has led multiple best-seller lists since its launch in late 2025 – and the trendy mirrorless camera has once again slid into the top spot in Japan.

But while the number one camera is hardly a surprise, the list of Japan's best-selling cameras in July 2026 highlights a few unusual trends, from Fujifilm's "serious supply shortages" to the resurging popularity of Nikon's most affordable full-frame camera.

The top cameras for July from Japanese retailer Map Camera read like a who's who of the most popular models, with the top three being names that have regularly dominated trends.

The list is led by the full-frame Sony A7 V mirrorless camera, the still-viral Fujifilm X100VI retro compact camera, and the Sony A7C II, a camera that feels like a combination of those two trends as a compact full-frame mirrorless.

Those top three cameras are regular names on Japan’s top ten, but the latest best-seller list highlights a few unusual trends – both in what cameras made the list and the trendy cameras that have fallen out of the top ten.

The Nikon Z5 II has climbed to the top 5

The fourth-place camera hasn’t appeared on Map Camera’s monthly trends list in the last four months – and before that was always sitting towards the bottom of the list: the Nikon Z5 II.

While the Z5 II has climbed unusually high, it’s a well-deserved ranking for the mirrorless camera that puts a full-frame sensor and excellent low-light autofocus into a body that sits at a more entry-level price.

The Canon EOS R6 Mark III is suspiciously absent

While Canon’s PowerShot cameras have regularly appeared on the top ten, the popular brand’s mirrorless cameras have been – rather strangely – less frequent on Map Camera’s list lately.

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II sits in eighth place this time and the EOS R6 Mark II in ninth place. But perhaps even more unusual is the Canon that’s not on the list.

The Canon EOS R6 Mark III debuted in November 2025 – one month before the Sony A7 V – and instantly rose to the number one spot at Map Camera. But it dropped off the retailer's top ten list the following month and has yet to return.

While its predecessor, the R6 Mark II, remains a top seller in Japan, the R6 Mark III brings 7K 60p open gate video and 40fps bursts for still photos. The R6 series is so popular in Japan that both the original R6 and R6 Mark II were among the top three most traded used cameras earlier this summer.

And, in the US, the R6 Mark III has been a regular attender on best-seller lists from B&H – which begs the question, why hasn’t the R6 Mark III seen the same success in Japan?

Fujifilm is "facing a serious supply shortage" in Japan

Another name that appears far less frequently on the July list is Fujifilm. Map Camera says the X-T30 III, X-E5, and X-M5 have been regular best-sellers on the list since the launch.

Fujifilm has the X100VI at number two and the camera that many call the mirrorless version of the X100VI at number ten, the X-E5. But that's it for the brand on the July list.

Map Camera says that the absence of some of Fujifilm’s most popular models isn’t a sign of popularity but of limited stock, noting that Fujifilm is “facing a serious supply shortage.”

While a wait time is typical for Fujifilm’s most popular cameras, like the X100VI, the company has discussed the shortage of memory and silver in recent reports.

A 2023 Sony has risen dramatically in popularity

The Sony A7 V wasn’t the only Sony mirrorless on the top ten list, as the Sony A6700 was ranked at number seven.

While the compact A6700 mirrorless has spent the last seven months on the top ten list, Map Camera notes the camera didn’t appear on the list at all in 2024 and 2025 despite launching in 2023 – suggesting an unusual resurgence in popularity as a bit of an older model.

There’s another Sony camera worth noting that’s not on the list: the Sony A7R VI.

When the A7R VI launched, it debuted at second place on the Map Camera rankings just after the more affordable but lower resolution A7 V – Map Camera suggests the A7R VI's price may be impacting its popularity.

Another Sony had only one day of sales in July, but still rose up to 14th place: The Sony RX10 V, the company’s new superzoom bridge camera. With the camera only being released on July 31, it will be interesting to see where it ends up on the August list.

While the latest trends list from Map Camera contained several surprises, the top ten was also dotted with several expected repeat offenders, like the Ricoh GR IV in fifth place and the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS in sixth. The full list of the top ten cameras from Map Camera includes:

1. Sony A7 V
2. Fujifilm X100VI
3. Sony A7C II
4. Nikon Z5 II
5. Ricoh GR IV
6. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
7. Sony a6700
8. Canon EOS R5 Mark II
9. Canon EOS R6 Mark II
10. Fujifilm X-E5

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Browse the best mirrorless cameras or the best compact cameras.

I like to think I’m careful with my camera gear – but I have to admit, reading this research report from insurance company Aviva did cause me to feel a little guilty.

The report reveals that more than 1 in 5 of us (22%) leave our phone or camera unattended in a public place to photograph or film ourselves. And yeah… I have done that.

I’m already rationalizing with the usual excuses, which I’m sure you are too if you’ve done the same. It was only for a few seconds! I had my eyes on it the whole time! And so on and so on.

But the fact is that camera or phone theft can be the work of a few seconds, and the thief can be off with your belongings before you have time to react – especially given the increased prevalence of things like e-scooters.

You might not be surprised to learn that the people most guilty of this behaviour are content creators.

Almost 2 in 5 (38%) of people who reported engaging in this behaviour to create social media content, while a similar 34% reported that it was for the purpose of travel vlogging or travel photography.

And don’t think this is purely a young people problem!

According to the research, it was the Gen X age cohort (45-60 years old) who self-reported as the worst offenders, with 41% having engaged in the behaviour in the process of creating social media content or professional content for work.

This was followed by 40% of millennials (29-44 years) and 38% of Gen Z (18-28 years).

As Aviva points out, even if you are conscientious and have taken out travel insurance, your ability to claim might be affected if you do not take reasonable care of your belongings.

Makes sense. I could hardly leave my mirrorless camera and lens on a streetside cafe table in Paris all day and reasonably expect to make an insurance claim if someone had made off with it by sunset.

When out in public by yourself, you’re always better off holding a camera selfie-style, keeping a firm grip at all times to deter opportunistic thieves.

This is why a vlogging-style camera with a flip-around screen is such a boon for travel vloggers and the like. And if you can attach a secure wrist strap, so much the better!

For my part, I’m certainly going to stop tempting fate when I’m out and about in public. The camera stays in the hand – no matter how good the shot might be!

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Here's our guide to the best travel cameras, as well as our roundup of the best camera bags for keeping your precious gear safe on the move.

I still remember reviewing my first ever Sirui tripod for the print edition of our sister publication, Digital Camera magazine, and that was about 20 years ago. I was impressed at the time, and it was around then that Sirui started to make it big in tripod manufacture, after originally launching back in 2001. Fast forward to 2015 and Sirui became better know as a designer and manufacturer of quality anamorphic and cine lenses.

More mainstream, the 85mm prime that I’m reviewing here is one of a pair of relatively new ‘Aurora’ lenses for mirrorless cameras, geared to shooting stills as well as video. Its companion is the Aurora 35mm f/1.4, which has the same fast f/1.4 aperture and similar handling characteristics. They look and feel an impressive pair of lenses, the 85mm aiming to be among the best portrait lenses on the market.

Sirui’s Aurora lenses thus far are both available in a variety of mount options, including Sony E (FE), Nikon Z (FX), L-mount and Fujifilm X. They’re full-frame compatible but can also be used on APS-C format cameras, on which the 85mm has an ‘effective’ focal length of about 127.5mm, stretching further into telephoto territory. Naturally, APS-C is the only option with the Fuji X-mount version of the lens.

Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4: Specifications

Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4: Price

The Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4 carries a price tag of $599 / £549 / AU$959, which makes it very affordable for a lens of this type. The own-brand Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 G Master II will set you back a comparatively huge $1,948 / £1,799 / AU$2,998. The Japanese Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art is also a fair bit pricier at $1,289 / £979 / AU$1,596, although the more directly competing Chinese Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro is similarly priced at $598 / £569 / AU$919. Another hot new Chinese contender is the Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II, which launched in mid 2026 at $569 / £429 / AU$826. All in all, the Aurora 85mm f/1.4 looks outstanding value compared with Japanese competition, less so against alternative Chinese offerings.

Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4: Design & Handling

First impressions might not always be correct but they still count for something. This Sirui gives an instant feelgood factor, with its smart retail box, complete with fabric lift-up loop and ID card. Open the box and you’re rewarded with a really high-quality soft case, somewhat reminiscent of high-end Sigma lenses but created in an eye-catching colorway of blue, silver and black.

It already looks like the lens has a lot to live up to but sure enough, it maintains the theme with a luxurious anodized aluminum barrel, a slew of control rings, switches and a function button, a colorful blue Sirui badge and an Aurora logo printed in a script font that makes it look like the lens has been lovingly signed by hand. As I say, first impressions…

The impression of quality is reinforced when you take the lens from its padded case and hold it in your hand. Everything about it says ‘up-market’, from the weather-sealed metal base at the back to the imposingly large, fluorine-coated optical element at the front. It’s conveniently compact and lightweight for an 85mm f/1.4 prime as well, measuring about 3x4 inches and tipping the scales at 540g / 18oz. For comparison, it’s about the same size as the Aurora 35mm lens and just a single ounce heavier.

Like most self-respecting lenses for mirrorless cameras nowadays, the Aurora has autofocus, and its based on the mainstream type of system that relies on a linear stepping motor. True to type, it’s rapid and virtually silent in operation, as well as featuring an electronically coupled manual focus ring, which works with smooth precision.

When I’m ‘in the moment’, shooting in time-critical scenarios, one thing I hate is having to delve into camera menus to swap between autofocus and manual focus modes, if the need arises. The Sirui comes to the rescue with a straightforward AF/MF switch on the side of the lens barrel, which is more intuitive and a whole lot quicker to operate. Just above the switch, again on the left hand side of the barrel, there’s a customizable function button.

I usually use the function button for AF-hold and it’s suitably labelled as AFL (AF-Lock) but there’s normally a bunch of other custom options available, depending on what camera body you’re using. My only gripe is that, considering that the 85mm f/1.4 lens is so ideal for portraiture, I wish there was a second function button up on top of the barrel, which would be more neatly under the thumb when shooting in portrait (upright) orientation.

Continuing the clarity of design and its white-on-black labelling, the aperture control ring is clearly marked in increments of one-third f/stops throughout the entire range from f/1.4 to f/16. It therefore gives you a direct, hands-on approach to aperture control via the lens itself if you’re shooting in Aperture-priority or Manual exposure modes. For Full Auto, Program and Shutter-priority shooting modes, there’s an A (Auto) position on the ring that defers aperture control to the camera body.

One thing that’s featured in the Aurora 35mm lens but omitted in the 85mm is an Iris Lock switch. I’m sorry to see it go, as I like the security of being able to lock the aperture ring in its Auto position to avoid accidentally nudging it to a narrow aperture while carrying or shooting. Back on the plus side, I’m pleased that the lens features a Click On/Off switch for the aperture ring, which enables precise click steps for aperture control during stills, or smooth and silent transitions when shooting video.

Before we leave the topic of aperture control, it’s worth noting that the lens has an incredibly well-rounded diaphragm. It’s based on no less than 15 curved blades, which helps to maintain optimum quality of bokeh when stopping down from the widest aperture of f/1.4, giving ‘bokeh disks’ from lights and bright spots a similarly well-rounded appearance.

The optical design is based on 14 elements arranged in 9 groups. These include an aspherical element, two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and three HRI (High Refractive Index) elements. The overall aim is to enhance resolution, clarity and color rendition while keeping unwanted aberrations to a minimum – more on that later when I get to ‘performance’.

In keeping with the lens itself, the hood feels very well made. It has a circular profile with a grippy rubber handling ring and a ridged interior surface. However, unlike the petal-shaped hood that’s supplied with the Aurora 35mm lens, the 85mm hood lacks a lock/release button. As usual though, it has the same kind of bayonet-fit mechanism and enables compact stowage by reversing its orientation on the lens.

I even like the design of the lens caps, which look purposeful and chunky. The front cap has a pinch-style release mechanism that makes it easy to fit or remove even when the hood is fitted to the lens in its front-facing orientation.

Bringing up the rear, the mounting plate is made from solid metal and features gold-plated electronic contacts, along with a rubber weather-seal ring to avoid the ingress of dust and moisture through the joint between lens and camera body. Moreover, the lens features a comprehensive set of weather-seals throughout its length. As I’ve seen increasingly in recent lenses, there’s also a USB-C socket for the application of firmware updates, if and when needed.

Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4: Performance

You can make a strong case for the quality of blur being more important than outright sharpness for a portrait lens. Photographers often use a wide aperture to isolate the main subject within a scene by blurring a fussy background, and this is something that the Sirui does very well. It’s not just that the f/1.4 aperture enables a tight depth of field, it’s that the quality of bokeh itself is smooth and dreamy.

It’s not just about sharpness and blur. 85mm lenses are also favored for portraiture because the short telephoto focal length gives the illusion of compressing perspective, which can be flattering for facial features. And it’s not only for portraiture either. That compression of perspective can be a creative bonus for landscape, cityscape and other shooting scenarios.

Given that you can use an 85mm for all sorts of general shooting opportunities, edge-to-edge sharpness can be important in some situations. The Sirui does well here as well, when called upon to render objects sharply from the center of the frame to the edges and corners.

During testing, I found that while sharpness remained good towards the edges and corners of the image frame, control over lateral chromatic aberration really didn’t. Indeed, green and magenta fringing around high-contrast edges like the window frames in the image below were clear to see, even with automatic in-camera correction for fringing switched on in my Sony A7 III camera body. The pair of images shown comprise the full frame on the left, and an enlarged section from the top right hand corner on the right.

There’s also a touch of pincushion distortion, which isn’t uncommon in 85mm prime lenses. Unlike lateral chromatic aberration, however, it’s fairly minor and the Sirui certainly doesn’t rely heavily on automatic in-camera correction for distortion, unlike many recent lenses designed for mirrorless cameras.

I often run a specific test on ‘fast’ lenses, shooting a phrenology head in my back garden at various apertures from wide-open to a medium setting. The results give good indications of sharpness and the quality of bokeh for defocused areas. Moreover, fast lenses often suffer from axial/longitudinal chromatic aberration at the widest apertures, also known as bokeh fringing. This displays as color fringing around high-contrast transitions, just in front of and behind the plane of focus. The black lines and writing on the white porcelain of the phrenology head are a good test for this as well. The Sirui does well in most respects, although wide-open sharpness lacks a little bite.

Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4: Sample Images

Images in the sample gallery below were taken on a bright, sunny morning at the ‘floating harbor’ of Bristol Docks in the south west of England. I used a selection of wide aperture settings for a tight depth of field when shooting close-ups, and narrower apertures where I wanted edge-to-edge sharpness for more expansive subjects.

Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Sharpness in the center of frame is good wide open, and becomes excellent once you stop down to f/2.8, remaining so until f/11. There isn't that much of a reduction in sharpness in the mid-frame, though at the extreme corners image quality is noticeably softer.

Fringing:

Fringing is noticeable in the corners of frame at all apertures other than f/1.4.

Distortion: 2.63

There's noticeable pincushion distortion, visible when shooting geometric subjects.

Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4: Verdict

I feel that the Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4 offers an ‘affordable’ choice of portrait lens, compared with top-flight, own-brand primes from some camera manufacturers. Despite its relatively budget-friendly price tag, it’s immaculately turned out and has a robust aluminum weather-sealed build. It also has a wealth of handling extras including an AF-Lock button and aperture control ring with a click/de-click switch. So far, so good.

While the Aurora 85mm looks and feels standout value for money, I found that performance and image quality were also mostly very good, combining pleasing sharpness, clarity and color rendition with beautiful bokeh.

However, I also found a bit of a glitch in performance, in that the lens produced significant lateral chromatic aberration towards the edges and corner of the frame, that was still clearly visible with automatic correction enabled in my Sony A7 III. That’s a bit of an upset as far as I’m concerned, but I think the Sirui is a very appealing lens in all other respects.

Alternatives

From semi-transparent Game Boys to the see-through iMac G3, semi-transparent tech was a hallmark of the late 1990s and early 2000s – and now the viral Camp Snap screen-free camera is all-in on the Y2K look.

The Camp Snap 2 only just launched in June of 2026, but the camera already has a fresh new color inspired by Y2K tech: Cosmic Grape. The new color is a semi-transparent but purple-drenched look for the affordable point-and-shoot camera.

The new purple design isn’t the first transparent color to come to the Camp Snap – when the Camp Snap 2 launched, it did so with a handful of “Jelly Edition” colors. Cosmic Grape brings the clear Y2K aesthetic to five different options, in addition to the solid-body versions.

The Y2K look is fitting for the Camp Snap 2, an affordable point-and-shoot that is fully digital, yet lacks a screen. While the Camp Snap 2 is a digital camera, the lack of a screen makes it feel more like film without the ability to view the photos right away.

That – and the camera’s lower 8MP resolution – makes a look inspired by the turn of the millennium appropriate. In the early 2000s, digital photography was just becoming more mainstream, so the Y2K inspiration feels wildly appropriate for the Camp Snap 2.

While Camp Snap originally started as a way for kids to take cameras to screen-free summer camps, the camera was quickly adapted by digital minimalists who didn’t want the distraction of a screen without going as retro as a film camera.

The Camp Snap 2 feels far more grown-up, with built-in filter swaps and a faster shutter button. I’ve tried both the older Camp Snaps as well as the Camp Snap 2 and the CS-Pro. The 16MP CS-Pro is my personal favorite for grown-ups with its retro design, higher resolution, and more powerful flash, but the Camp Snap 2 leans more towards that disposable film camera vibe and comes in at a lower price point.

The Camp Snap 2 retails for about $75 / £69 at the Camp Snap online store.

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Fujifilm’s global festival celebrating photography is returning to New York City for the first time in four years. Fujifilm Fuijikina New York will bring award-winning photographs, photo walks, portfolio reviews, talks, gear checks, and more to New York’s Lower East Side October 16-18.

Fujifilm’s Fujikina events are a global celebration of photography that brings together the latest gear along with well-known photographers and award-winning photos into a multi-day photography event. After teasing the event dates in July, Fujifilm North America unveiled a full list of details for the event today.

Fujikina New York 2026 will be no different – the upcoming event is already listing workshops, photo walks, and gear checks, along with both galleries of award-winning photographs and galleries that are still open for submission.

Fujifilm says the event will turn the Lower East Side into “a living gallery space” with five galleries across the event’s seven different venues. Three of those galleries are already filled with award-winning images, including Magnum: A World in Color, the World Press Photo traveling gallery of award-winners, and the International Center of Photography’s I’m So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now.

But, two of the planned galleries are still open for submission, which means photographers have a chance to get their work displayed at the event. The Fujifilm Community Gallery is looking for submissions on a theme of Inheritance, with applications open through August 24. Fujifilm says the gallery is a multi-genre collection looking for “photos that embody a lasting point of view—images that preserve a story, celebrate a community, document a changing world, honor an influence, or document a moment that deserves to outlive the present.”

Refractions of Identity, a gallery curated by the NYC-based Femme Photo, is also seeking submissions for images on the topic of Identity from women, femme-identifying, trans, and non-binary photographers. The deadline for submission is today, August 17.

The event is also set to include talks with several photographers, including Magnum’s Alec Soth, music photographer Janette Beckman, wedding and family photographer Alison Conklin, street photographer Derek Fahsbender, portrait photographer Gary Hughes, adventure photographer Irene Yee (@LadyLockoff), street and lifestyle photographer Jonas Rask, on-set motion picture still photographer Melina Sue Gordon, Fuji X Weekly writer Ritchie Roesch, photographer and director Scott Dunan, and nature and street photographer Tom Baumgaertel. Fujifilm says additional speakers will be announced.

Naturally, as a photo festival presented by a major camera brand, gear will be an integral part of the event, including gear demos, loaners, and gear cleaning. Fujifilm says that the focus is on photography as an art form, so photographers using any gear are welcome to attend; the gear checks and cleaning are limited to Fujifilm gear.

Fujifilm Fujikina NYC 2026 tickets are on sale now for $10 for general admission; some photowalks, workshops, and other experiences with limited spots may require an additional purchase.

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Browse photo contests to enter this August, or take a look at the best Fujifilm cameras.

Skylum is making it very clear that the photographer comes first. That’s right, the company that helped pioneer AI-powered photo editing software, when it launched Luminar Neo (now Luminar) back in 2022, is reaffirming its stance on the relationship between creativity and artificial intelligence.

In a press release for the program’s latest update, Skylum’s CEO, Ivan Kutanin, addressed “growing concerns around tech affecting human talent,” and claimed that Luminar is taking a different approach, “one where technology helps photographers realize their creative potential, rather than overshadow it.”

This might seem a bit rich coming from a program packed with AI-powered tools, but it feels to me like a statement of intent. A promise, if you will, that Skylum will continue to develop its AI attributes, but not at the expense of the creative.

And indeed, Luminar’s current feature set is very much about enhancing existing photographs as opposed to generating an image out of nowhere.

You need look no further than the controversy surrounding EvotoAI at the beginning of the year to understand why Skylum might want to make its stance clear.

When an AI Headshot Generator briefly appeared on Evoto’s website, it received huge backlash from its user base. For a company that had marketed itself on putting professional photographers first, many felt that the move overstepped the mark.

Evoto apologized and explained that the release was a mistake, but the damage had already been done.

Removing friction, retaining authorship

I got to talk to Skylum’s CEO Ivan Kutanin regarding the shift in the company’s tone, where he was keen to point out that very little has changed: “It has never been about asking AI to replace creativity,” he said. “It is about using AI to remove the friction that stands between a person and their creative intent.”

My understanding of this is that Skylum’s goal is to help the photographer get where they want to go as quickly and as easily as possible, without taking away their creative autonomy.

As Ivan puts it: “Technology should expand photographers’ capabilities without taking authorship away from them,” adding that “the photographer should remain the decision-maker”.

As to why the company is so intent on making this clear now, the CEO explained: “As AI is becoming more powerful, this distinction becomes even more important.”

And Skylum has gathered the data to back this up, with internal research finding that “control, authenticity, and personal style are top priorities among photographers.” So much so that these attributes are more important than both speed and automation.

“What they need is AI assistance that understands the image, reduces repetitive work, suggests possibilities and makes difficult techniques more accessible.” Skylum’s goal, then, is to provide AI tools that integrate “seamlessly” into Luminar’s workflow.

“We want the technology to disappear into the workflow and simply help photographers’ creative minds do their magic,” said Ivan.

He used the software’s Atmosphere and Enhance tools as examples. The latter intelligently applies a wide range of tonal adjustments including shadows, contrast, and saturation, in one fell swoop. However, it’s still controlled via a traditional slider.

“AI is not about 'press a button and let AI create.' It is a much deeper collaboration between human creativity and machine intelligence,” he said.

Still an AI photo editing pioneer

I couldn’t help but wonder if all this meant that Skylum’s priorities regarding AI had changed, but Ivan assured me it hasn’t.

“Using technology to expand photographers’ creativity rather than replace it has always been part of our values,” he said. “With this release, no actual change is coming – we are simply underlining what’s been here all along.”

And for existing Luminar fans, that means continuing to strive for improvement but not at the expense of the company’s AI mantra.

Ivan told me that the team is working on tech that’s “more advanced than ever,” but building a clever feature isn’t enough. It must be something that “genuinely helps photographers express their creative vision.”

Luminar update

The latest update will be released in two phases, with the first phase having already been released on August 05. The second phase is set to launch this fall.

As it stands, you can expect enhancements to the user interface and genAI tools. Export speeds that are up to 25% faster. Masking that uses 33% less RAM. Preset previews that load four times faster. And support for the following new cameras: Panasonic Lumix L10, Sony A7 V and Sony A7R VI.

The fall phase is set to feature a more precise and intelligent Crop tool. Atmosphere – Fog, which is said to give users “a more natural way to shape the mood of their photographs.” Improvements to both AI Assistant and Enhance AI. As well as the introduction of a new Web Editor, boosting its cross-platform workflow via browser support.

Skylum isn’t the only photo editing company affirming its stance on AI. This week, Digital Camera World interviewed Capture One CEO Rafael Orta who said: “We think of ourselves as a photography company… we never had any disposition to reinvent ourselves as an AI company.”

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Insta360 has over 70% of the 360-degree camera market, and its last few generations of cameras have been as recognisable as they were functional. There have been ten years of development, before the 'X series' has settled on a rough shape and incremental improvements that make for a 360-degree camera that can also be an action camera.

In recent months, though, the dominant X-series has faced more competition than ever before, in the form of the DJI Osmo 360 and the GoPro Max 2. Insta360 has responded by shaking things up in a number of ways for this new generation – it is a new shape, it brings more power – both in terms of battery life and computational abilities, and it has bigger image sensors to make it more capable in low light.

Insta360 is also keen to help make 360-degree creation easier, bringing more AI features to the table.

The question is: Has Insta360 done enough to stay ahead of the much tougher game? I have been lucky enough to get early access to one of the cameras and have been out testing it to answer exactly that question.

Price

The Insta360 X6 launches at a category-topping $699 / £619 (or $799 / £709 for the 'Essentials Bundle' which adds the near-essential selfie stick as well as other probably-less-necessary accessories like a fast-charge case and extra battery).

That is some way in excess of the GoPro Max 2, or the DJI Osmo 360, a premium Insta360 understands too. The X5 and X4 Air will remain for sale, with the X6 sitting at the top of the range.

Specs

Build and handling

For the first time in several generations, Insta360 has changed the form factor of the camera. The X3, X4, X4 Air and X5 are all virtually the same height and width, placing buttons beneath the screen and the back-to-back lenses at the top.

The new X6 dispenses with those two physical buttons, opting to add a pressure-sensitive display which can be pressed (even when wearing a glove) to act as a shutter button, while moving the mode button to the other side.

The two main buttons on the screen are easily pressed, so starting and stopping recording is straightforward (and you can enable a pressure sensitive screen start-stop for gloved hands).

While the camera remains compatible with Insta360's magnetic mount system, four contacts for pogo pins mean that new accessories – including a version of the selfie stick that has a battery in the handle and keeps the camera running for much longer, ideal for a long shoot or an extended timelapse.

This re-imagination of the design makes a lot of sense because the more compact form factor is easier to use for action situations. The camera nevertheless now packs ambient light sensors and an AdaptiveTone 2.0 system to meter each camera separately.

The X6 is also better equipped to record action, boasting faster 8K50 fps (its predecessor maxed out at 30fps). There is support for Dolby Vision HDR and 10-bit color.

In terms of rugged strength, the camera feels convincing, all the ports behind sealed doors. It is waterproof to 20m/60ft without a case, and new '2.0' lenses are easier to replace in the field (and priced lower than before too).

Performance

Perhaps I should start by saying that pulling content from the device to assemble clips was as painless a process as I've experienced with a 360-degree camera.

The Studio app was my tool of choice, though it can also be done on the phone, and files copy over surprisingly fast thanks to the Wi-Fi 6 connection.

I can see in my first tests that the investment in larger image sensors has been worth it – the image quality, both stills and video, is markedly improved from the previous versions, and that shows in footage I was able to capture in locations like Times Square, where detail was captured in the rapidly flashing lighting, while the darker area

I was definitely sure that the 1,200-nit (peak) 2.32-inch OLED display achieves the level of brightness needed to cope in sunny environs, too, and Insta360 are right to be proud of the battery improvements – charging to 80% in 24 minutes seemed easily achieved.

Operating the menus is snappy and straightforward, but that's not the only evidence of the new processor chip.

The most significant improvement is active subject tracking, meaning the X6 can also work a lot like a gimbal camera, creating flat 4K video which keeps a nearby subject in frame as you go – usually meaning you, the person holding the selfie stick! There is also the option of 360 Video Backup – shooting a spherical video as well as a flat video simultaneously, so you have the flat video quickly and can reframe. This, though, is let down by the fact that 1080P and 5.7K is the limit.

The device will also start making an AI edit when left alone and plugged in, which is a step forward from other cameras.

Software

Insta360 has provided its usual Insta360 Studio for desktop and a phone app which can also serve as a remote control, as well as plugins for Premiere and the like, all of which go to making the workflow of the 'shoot first, frame later' creator as smooth as possible.

Admittedly, I'm uncertain that the app absolutely needs 2.2Gb of my Mac's overpriced drive space, but Insta360 does not set Apple's storage prices, and that's a minor issue. However most video editors prepared to invest time in after-the-fact will find a range of easy-to-grasp tools built around a timeline, and subject tracking can be added at this stage.

The phone app will show you ready-edited compilations – the above is what it did with the same set of clips I had from New York. Clearly it can't make a coherent edit of my talking to the camera, but it does seem capable of identifying the most action even in images with relatively little going on. Despite the fact these shots were made more with testing quality in mind, you can see the beginnings of an edit you could post on socials.

Overall verdict

To be honest, I still don't feel I've had enough time with this camera despite all the time I've had and all the shots I've made. Why? Because it might actually be well on the way to being as capable as Insta360 would like to suggest.

Has the company completely solved the potential time to spend perfecting a shot after-the-fact? No. I'd wager that is impossible. But most of the drawbacks of 360 photography are consigned to history, especially if you choose your mode sensibly. I'd love to report you can do absolutely everything, but because 360 Video Backup mode is not yet at maximum resolution, it's still best thought of as a gimbal camera OR an action camera OR a 360-degree camera at any one moment.

As a pocket gimbal camera, it dispenses with vulnerability, which will give it an edge for many. Despite the name, that product category has small motorised components that tend to be better kept in a bag than your pocket, while the rugged nature of this design feels like a success for anyone into more sports-like activity than gentle walk-and-talks. Sure, you don't get the lens blue for background subjects, but action camera users expect deep depth of field.

The 360-degree stills seem spectacular to me as an idea, but it's difficult for someone used to shooting and editing slowly to trust it. For most people, though, I can see just how liberating it is to have a camera so quickly prepare the highlights for your social feeds – it's not like you can't take a look at the originals.

Overall, though, this isn't a cheap device, but it really delivers on the promise of replacing or extending the capability of action cameras, and makes a fair stab at being a pocket camera (with some caveats), and is, of course, an excellent 360-degree camera. Three-in-one? Definitely. And all three are good cameras, in their own way.

Alternatives

How I tested the X6

As someone who has tested a large number of 360-degree cameras and assembled a guide to the best 360-degree cameras and the best action cameras (not to mention some 360-degree drones), I know there is only one useful way to test a device like this: to get out there and use it. That is what will expose quirks of the system as well as gather enough useful shots in different situations.

After that, of course, it's equally vital to put the software through its paces.

Insta360 trusted me with a pre-release X6, so I could get a head start testing the camera, and I tried it in a number of locations, including New York, London, and in Spain for the total solar eclipse, which happened the same day the device was launched.

The Leica Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 belongs to Leica’s Classic Line, a collection that revisits some of the company’s most important and characterful lenses while updating them for modern production and contemporary digital cameras.

It is important to clarify exactly what this lens is, because its appearance could easily lead someone to assume that it is merely the current Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. housed within a more traditional barrel. That is not the case.

The Summilux-M 50 f/1.4, model 11714, is a true reinterpretation of Leica’s historic pre-aspherical Summilux design. It does not contain an aspherical element, nor does it attempt to offer the same highly corrected rendering as Leica’s current Summilux-M ASPH.

Instead, Leica has returned to a traditional seven-element, five-group optical formula inspired by the second-generation Summilux-M introduced during the early 1960s. Modern glass, coatings and manufacturing tolerances have naturally been applied, but the fundamental intention remains classical.

This gives the lens a very different purpose from Leica’s current aspherical alternatives. The modern Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. is designed to produce strong contrast, excellent sharpness and a highly controlled image from its widest aperture. The 50 Summilux f/1.4 is intended to offer a more expressive and artistic interpretation, particularly when used between f/1.4 and f/2.8.

That makes it a fascinating lens in the modern era. Most contemporary optics are designed to remove every visible imperfection, resulting in images that are technically excellent but can sometimes feel clinically precise. The Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 takes a different approach, allowing some of the glow, softness and gentler contrast associated with vintage lenses to remain part of the image.

However, this is not a lens that is permanently soft or limited to producing one particular look. Once stopped down, it becomes considerably sharper and more controlled, giving photographers the choice between a vintage aesthetic and a more modern result simply by changing the aperture.

Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Specifications

Mount: Leica M-mount
Lens design: 7 Elements in 5 Groups
Maximum aperture: f/1.4
Minimum aperture: f/16
Angle of view: 45°
Minimum focusing distance: 27.6" / 70 cm
Filter size: 46 mm (Front)
Dimensions: ø: 2.3 x L: 1.8" / ø: 58 x L: 45mm
Weight: 14.7 oz / 417 g

Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 key features

The Leica Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 is built around a 50mm focal length, which remains one of the most natural and versatile choices available for the M system. It provides a field of view that works equally well for portraiture, street photography, documentary work, travel and general everyday use.

Its maximum aperture of f/1.4 makes it particularly suited to low-light photography and provides plenty of control over depth of field. More importantly, the aperture is central to the character of this lens. Changing the f-stop does not simply adjust exposure or the amount of background blur; it noticeably alters the overall personality of the image.

The optical construction consists of seven elements arranged in five groups, with no aspherical element. This is central to the way the lens renders, especially at wider apertures. Rather than attempting to deliver completely uniform sharpness and contrast at f/1.4, it produces a gentler result with a subtle glow and smoother transition between focused and defocused areas.

A 12-blade aperture diaphragm helps maintain rounded out-of-focus highlights as the lens is stopped down. The bokeh is one of the lens’s defining features, particularly between f/1.4 and f/2.8, where backgrounds take on a soft, almost painterly appearance.

The lens focuses down to 0.7 meters, which is the traditional minimum focusing distance for many Leica M lenses. Unlike the latest close-focusing Summilux-M ASPH., there is no extended range below 0.7m, but the entire focusing range remains compatible with a conventional optical rangefinder.

This also means there is no point at which you are forced to move from the optical rangefinder to Live View or an electronic viewfinder. The lens operates consistently from infinity down to its minimum focusing distance, whether mounted on a classic film M, a digital rangefinder such as the Leica M240 or an EVF-based camera such as the Leica M EV1.

The silver-chrome model 11714 is constructed from solid brass and weighs 417g. It uses an E46 filter thread and includes Leica’s six-bit coding, allowing compatible digital M cameras to recognize the lens and apply the appropriate metadata and in-camera corrections.

A removable round hood is available and follows the vintage styling of the lens. Unlike the integrated pull-out hoods found on many of Leica’s newer close-focusing lenses, this hood adds some length and bulk to the package. However, considering the weight of the solid-brass lens itself, the hood is unlikely to make a meaningful difference to the overall balance.

Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Build and handling

The Leica Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 looks absolutely fantastic. Its silver-chrome finish, engraved markings and traditionally shaped controls immediately distinguish it from Leica’s more modern lenses.

The build quality is outstanding, as you would expect from Leica. The solid-brass construction gives the lens a dense and substantial feel that is quite surprising when you first pick it up. It is relatively compact, but at 417g, there is no mistaking its weight.

This is not necessarily a criticism. The weight contributes to the sense that you are using something designed to last for decades rather than a lightweight accessory that might be replaced with the next generation. Nevertheless, photographers looking for the smallest and lightest possible 50mm lens should be aware that this is a heavy optic for its dimensions.

Mounted on the Leica M EV1, the lens felt extremely solid and well balanced. The additional weight at the front was noticeable, but it never made the camera uncomfortable to use. It also paired beautifully with my Leica M240, where its traditional appearance felt entirely at home on the older digital M body.

The scalloped focusing ring is one of the lens’s most distinctive physical features. It gives the barrel a genuine vintage appearance while also providing a comfortable and secure surface for focusing.

The focusing movement was extremely smooth, with the precise level of resistance needed for making small adjustments at wider apertures. Compared with my modern Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH., I felt that the focusing ring moved slightly farther around the circumference of the lens barrel.

In practice, however, the difference was not particularly dramatic once the lens was mounted on a camera. In fact, I appreciated the little bit of extra movement because it gave me more room to make fine adjustments and achieve critical focus, particularly when shooting at f/1.4 or f/2.

This was especially useful on the Leica M EV1, where the electronic viewfinder and focusing aids made it possible to see exactly where the plane of focus was falling. The longer, smoother movement made precise focusing feel deliberate rather than slow.

The aperture ring was flawless. Each setting clicked smoothly and positively into place, with enough resistance to prevent accidental changes without making the ring difficult to operate.

The recessed, or dipped, design of the aperture ring also contributes to the vintage appearance. It feels very different from the larger and more exposed aperture controls found on many modern lenses, yet it remained easy to adjust with the camera held to my eye.

There was never any uncertainty about whether the aperture had moved. The clicks were clear enough to feel through my fingertips, allowing me to make adjustments without lowering the camera or checking the markings.

My review sample did not come with the removable lens hood, so I was unable to assess how the complete setup handled with it attached. The hood follows a traditional round design and will add a little extra bulk to the lens, although its effect on the overall balance should be minimal given the weight of the brass barrel.

Despite using the lens without its hood, I experienced no meaningful ghosting or flare issues during my time with it. However, I should add that I rarely photograph directly into the sun, so photographers who regularly place strong light sources within the frame may have a different experience.

For my style of shooting, the lens performed extremely well without the hood. Those who frequently work in more challenging lighting conditions may still find it worthwhile, both for reducing stray light and protecting the front element.

Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Performance

The performance of the Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 is defined by its ability to produce two very different types of image.

At f/1.4, the lens delivers the dreamy, artistic rendering that will likely attract most photographers to it in the first place. There is a gentle glow around fine details, contrast is softer and backgrounds dissolve with a beautiful fluidity that is rarely seen in highly corrected modern optics.

This does not mean that images are simply blurred or lacking in detail. The subject can still appear clearly defined, particularly when focus is placed accurately, but the transition away from the point of focus is softer and more gradual.

Portraits benefit enormously from this quality. Skin, hair and clothing retain enough detail, but the image does not feel overly harsh or digitally clinical. Backgrounds are rendered with a painterly softness that helps separate the subject without making the result look artificial.

The 12-blade aperture contributes to the attractive bokeh, but the overall rendering comes from more than the shape of the diaphragm. The traditional optical formula produces a very different transition between sharp and defocused areas compared with the current aspherical Summilux.

At f/2, the central area becomes more defined, but much of the glow and atmosphere remain. This may be the most balanced aperture for photographers who want stronger subject detail without completely losing the classical rendering.

By f/2.8, the lens continues to become sharper and contrast increases, although images still retain a noticeably gentler character than those produced by a modern aspherical design. This is where the Classic begins to bridge the gap between its two personalities.

At f/4, the rendering becomes noticeably more controlled. Fine detail is stronger, contrast is higher, and the frame begins to appear more uniform. There is still a touch of the lens’s vintage character, but the result feels increasingly modern.

Once the lens reaches f/5.6, it becomes very sharp in the center and impressively detailed across the frame. This is where the transformation becomes particularly apparent. A lens that produces soft, expressive images at f/1.4 suddenly becomes a highly capable general-purpose 50mm optic.

At f/8, the Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 Classic delivers images that are clinically sharp while still maintaining a very pleasing overall look. Fine textures are rendered clearly, contrast is strong, and detail extends well across the frame.

I have always considered f/8 something of a sweet spot for many Leica lenses, and that is certainly the case here. The images have the precision expected from a modern optic, but they do not lose all of the tonal character that makes the Classic so appealing.

At f/11 and f/16, the lens provides greater depth of field and remains useful for scenes where keeping more of the frame in focus is the priority. As with any lens, very small apertures can introduce a degree of diffraction, particularly on high-resolution digital sensors, but the results remain highly usable.

What makes the Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 so interesting is that none of these aperture settings feels redundant. Each part of the aperture range offers a slightly different visual signature.

At f/1.4, it is dreamy, glowing and expressive. Between f/2 and f/2.8, it begins to combine atmosphere with stronger definition. At f/4, it transitions toward a more controlled image, while f/5.6 and f/8 provide the sharpness and consistency expected from a modern premium lens.

This gives photographers a level of creative control that goes beyond depth of field. You need to think not only about how much of the scene you want in focus, but also about the type of rendering you want the lens to produce.

There is a certain responsibility that comes with that choice. A technically perfect image is not always the most visually appropriate result, just as a dreamy vintage glow will not suit every subject.

For a portrait, available-light scene or intimate documentary moment, f/1.4 may provide exactly the right atmosphere. For architecture, landscapes or detailed street scenes, stopping down to f/5.6 or f/8 will deliver a much more precise result.

That versatility makes the 50 Summilux-M f/1.4 more than a novelty lens. It would have been easy for Leica to create an optic that offered a distinctive vintage look wide open but became unremarkable when stopped down. Instead, this lens provides a genuinely useful range of rendering styles.

Critical focus at f/1.4 naturally requires care, particularly on a traditional optical rangefinder. The shallow depth of field means even a small focusing error can place the sharpest area in front of or behind the intended subject.

The Leica M EV1 made this considerably easier. Its electronic viewfinder allowed me to confirm focus with greater confidence and encouraged me to use the lens at f/1.4 and f/2 more frequently than I might have done on an optical rangefinder alone.

That said, the lens also felt excellent on the Leica M240. Its smooth focusing action and slightly longer movement made careful rangefinder focusing very satisfying, while the 0.7m minimum distance remained entirely within the coupled range.

Sample images: Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 

Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 lab results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Wide open at f/1.4 sharpness is disappointing - you'll need to stop down to f/2.8 before center and mid-frame sharpness become impressive. However, corner sharpness still lags behind by some margin, with the lens only becoming sharp across the whole frame at f/8 and narrower.

Fringing:

Fringing is evident in the corners of frame at all apertures.

Distortion: -1.99

There's moderate barrel distortion, and while not severe, we'd expect better from a 50mm lens.

Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Verdict

The Leica Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 stands out as a top performer, particularly for photographers who want a more vintage look and feel in an increasingly clinical world of picture taking.

It offers something genuinely unusual within Leica’s current lens range. This is not an existing modern optic wrapped in a nostalgic design. Its classical optical formula, non-aspherical construction and traditional mechanical controls make it fundamentally different from the current Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH.

Between f/1.4 and f/2.8, images have a distinctive glow, with gentle contrast, beautiful transitions and wonderfully artistic bokeh. From f/5.6 onward, the lens adopts a much sharper and more modern personality, with f/8 producing particularly impressive results across the frame.

This dual character gives the lens the best of both worlds. It can create images that look as though they were made with a genuine vintage Summilux, yet it can also deliver the detail and precision required from a contemporary Leica M lens.

The photographer simply needs to be clever enough to recognize which look is appropriate for each scene. Choosing the aperture becomes a creative decision rather than a purely technical one.

Its handling is equally impressive. The solid-brass construction feels outstanding, the scalloped focusing ring operates beautifully and the aperture ring provides smooth, positive clicks throughout its range.

The weight will not suit everyone. At 417g, it is a heavy lens despite its compact dimensions, and adding the traditional removable hood will make the package slightly larger. Its price also makes it a serious investment, particularly when there are more affordable 50mm M-mount lenses available.

However, those alternatives are unlikely to offer this particular combination of classical rendering, modern manufacturing and exceptional mechanical quality.

The Leica Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 is a lens for photographers who value character as much as technical performance. It rewards those willing to explore its aperture range, think carefully about the look they want and accept that perfect optical correction is not always the same thing as a perfect photograph.

For the right photographer, it is not merely a vintage-inspired lens. It is a genuine creative tool that can move effortlessly between romantic softness and modern precision.

Back in 2019, I got my hands on a Nikon D3500; my first “proper” camera. It was an unexpected 24th birthday gift from my parents, which was around the time I was truly getting into photography and had clearly started to talk to my family about it with some conviction.

Admittedly, it took me the best part of a year to pluck up the courage to turn the dial from auto to manual mode after I finally demystified the exposure triangle with a 15-minute YouTube video.

But at that point, I unlocked the true power of the Nikon D3500 – and what a beginner camera it was. In fact, eight years after its release, I still recommend this camera to photographers starting out.

The main beginner draw to the Nikon D3500 is that it's insanely practical. As a newbie, you don’t want to be faffing with complicated settings and changing batteries all the time. The simplicity of the camera encourages you to shoot, rather than frustrating you.

First off, it’s got a really simple LCD interface that’s intuitive and limited. In the two years that I shot with this camera, I can’t remember a time when I struggled to find a setting or understand what was happening on screen.

It may sound pedantic, but the last thing a beginner needs is a menu packed with pages and pages that will only put them off exploring what their camera can do.

Next up is the battery life, and this is a huge benefit of the Nikon D3500. I kid you not, on a full charge this 14.5oz / 415g beast can snap upwards of 1,500 images. That is absolutely unheard of by today’s mirrorless standards, with entry-level rigs lucky to capture 500 images before their battery runs dry.

As a beginner, you want to shoot. That's it; take pictures and repeat. This is how you build a love for photography. Having to buy several replacement batteries and swap them out after just a few hours can impact this negatively.

Mirrorless cameras do, of course, have their advantages for beginners. I’ve previously argued that they can actually help more on the creativity side of things thanks to all the built-in help. But, in my view, for beginners, practicality trumps creativity.

And while the Nikon D3500 might only feature 5fps bursts, FullHD video and a maximum ISO of 12,800, it’s cheap (roughly $450 / £330 / AU$630) can go for days before dying and is just a joy to use.

So, if you’re thinking about what your first camera is going to be – or, like my parents, you're going to gift someone as theirs – I’d seriously consider the Nikon D3500. While I think practicality is the main selling point, it has other great traits – which you can read about in our Nikon D3500 review, where my colleague Rod called it "an evergreen classic".

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Talking to camera comes naturally to some but others are less comfortable. No matter where you sit on that scale, being able to talk directly to the camera is key and being able to read from a script is also vital for some but how do you do both? Well, that is where a teleprompter comes in handy. In essence, a diagonal mirror sits in front of your lens, with a screen at 90 degrees, reflecting your script so it appears in your eyeline, allowing you to both read and keep contact with the viewer.

Teleprompters are a fairly niche item, even in a niche field like filmmaking and photography but there is an ever increasing need for them, as more people take to social media and youtube in an attempt to build audiences. This means people seek ways to level up production value and one way to do this is to make sure you can talk directly to the audience/camera with as few retakes as possible. Rerecording ‘um’s and ‘er’s is a pain but it is worth removing them, as it builds trust that you know your topic well and don’t need to think too much about what you are saying. You just know it.

There are a handful of teleprompters on the market at wildly varying price points but in reality the feature sets don’t stray too far from each other. Neewer, ever the champion of the budget conscious filmmaker, has come out with its X11, which manages to be a teleprompter for the most part but with some useful extras, which we will get into.

A teleprompter should really be one of those buy it, set it and forget it devices that get out of the way, letting you focus on the important stuff, like delivering the best video performance you can. I’ve been using the X11 for some time now and I have feelings…

Neewer X11: Specifications

Neewer X11: Price

The X11 is available now, either directly from Neewer, or form a range of resellers and it comes in at £229, which places it well within reach for many small studios, YouTubers and similar. It sits favourably in the market too, with rivals priced higher, sometimes significantly. Options are available without a screen, for less, so if you already have a small monitor it could be worth looking into,a although the X11 does make for a well fitted, complete solution.

Neewer X11: Design & Handling

The X11 ships well protected, with everything coming in fitted foam insert, so no worries about screen safety or damaged parts. There’s a little paperwork but no real instructions. More of a parts list and a look at how things fit together. Luckily it’s a really simple process that takes just a couple of minutes. You have an option for mounting to a camera, or a phone and this is done with an adapter that fits to the main body using velcro, replacing the lens sock. It’s not the most elegant solution but it is fast and it works well enough.

That seems to be the story here. Everything does its job well but there’s nothing inspiring about it. Plastics feel a bit cheap but then it has to be manufactured for sale at a pricepoint, so that’s hardly a surprise. That said, the camera mount, which is an arca swiss type, is good quality, full metal and has a rotating lock, to prevent accidents. This mount can move both front to back and up and down, so it is easy to line up your lens with the opening in the X11. The range of motion should be broad enough for most small to medium cameras but if you use a battery grip or have a particularly tall body, you might want to measure up first.

I found that to use my A7RV I didn't need to remove the cage. The size was fine but the arca fitting on my Smallrig cage runs along the bottom of the camera, rather than being square, like the corresponding base. The X11 does come with a plate though, so that could be added if needed, or for those who don’t use a cage.

The screen slots neatly into the front with a satisfying click and there are a couple of marks to help line it up. It’s held firmly in place and leaves the controls nicely accessible on the side, next to the ports for USB-C and HDMI. The screen is nicely built too, with a metal back and it feels good quality. The glass is quite shiny but that didn’t seem to be a problem at all, with no noticeable glare or reflections.

Once everything is together the whole unit feels good. Heavy enough to feel solid and reduce any micro jitters but not so weighty that it will cause any stability issue on a tripod. I like the pair of cold shoe points on top too, ideal for mounting a mic or a receiver, or even a small light. This hood also has a flip down mount allowing you to use a webcam, so that you can use the X11 for video calls, which is a nice touch.

The X11 does come with both HDMI and USB cables but I’d have liked to have seen longer ones. The quality is fine but not everybody is going to be able to set up their source device that is close to the teleprompter. Not an issue for phone users though.

Neewer X11: Performance

Setting up the X11 is a simple plug and play affair. Simply pop your camera on the acra adapter and line it up with the opening on the rear, plug in the cables and off you go. If you are using the X11 for video calls this is all you need and it gives you excellent video quality using your pro camera but will anybody use it for this? I tried it and it works really well, however I can’t see myself using it for this all that often. It is a useful feature to have though.

For most, I imagine the main use case will be for reading a script while keeping eye contact with the camera/audience and for this the X11 excels. It’s a simple case of connecting the device with your script on to the screen and using the button on the side to flip it so that you can see it on the angled mirror. What you use as the host for your script is up to you and there are options but even a simple google doc works well and allows you to retain eye contact with the camera for much more natural and engaging content.

Viewing the script could be tricky in certain lighting conditions but the X11 has just the right balance of brightness, screen materials and shielding of ambient light to never allow this to be problematic. I tried in various conditions from a dark room to a strongly lit, with no issues whatsoever.

The resulting video lost nothing in quality either. No stray light or unwanted reflections showed up in any situation.

Filming with my phone yielded similarly good results, although I’m far less keen on the mountinig system here. It’s not easy to accurately align and I’ve never been fond of hook and loop for this kind of thing. That said, once it was in place there were no problems with the output. Similarly, using the X11 for a video call gave great image quality but I really don’t see many people wanting to do this. We are so accustomed to video calls on our phones or webcams that this feels overkill. Speaking of webcams, if you did want to use one for this you can mount one directly to the X11 using the supplied mount.

I used both my Macbook Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max for script duties and both worked flawlessly but, if you plan to use a phone, check the Neewer site for compatibility, as not all phones support the correct output to work with the X11. This is down to phone developers, not Neewer themselves.

It’s also worth noting that lenses with a max front element of 72mm are able to fit the opening in the X11. Anything larger and you may run into vignetting issues.

Powering the device is done via USB-C 5V, so you can operate it from a wall charger, battery bank, or directly from a computer, so long as it has USB-C. I’m always appreciative of various methods to power devices and while that’s less important here, it is nice to see.

Lastly, while we have mostly moved to USB-C for many things, some people will still be using older computers that don’t have it and for them, HDMI is the way forward. This will work just the same but will mean loading a driver to ensure everything is setup correctly.

So, it may have screen mirroring and video calling features but the main act here is for teleprompting and the X11 does a splendid job of it. I can certainly see myself using it for my ‘to camera’productions and with full confidence that it will do the job with little fuss.

Neewer X11 Verdict

The X11 is built to a price but still manages to do the job well. It is easy to set up, simple to use and produces exactly the results you would want from it. It has some extra utility and while those features may not be used by all they don’t detract from the overall package and you never know, you might need them in the future. Yes, some of the materials are somewhat cheap feeling but not where it counts. Camera mounting is rock solid and that is where you need confidence. All in all, an excellent teleprompter that could find a home in any studio space.

On August 10, the main headline in Oregon was the sad story of a 20-year-old man who fell to his death while taking a picture at a 177-foot-tall waterfall.

Zachary Nicholas Mertens, of Burlington, Kentucky, climbed over a barrier at the top of South Falls’ upper viewpoint at Silver Falls State Park. He then, according to state police, crossed the creek directly above the falls to pose for a photo before tragedy struck.

Now, I must say that the authorities assume that Mertens took the risk for photos, as the Oregon Police bulletins and local news coverage mention nothing about any images being recovered, nor a smartphone or camera.

However, the upsetting report comes amid concerns of Gen Z outdoor explorers getting into increasing trouble while trying to capture Instagrammable content.

And if this was the case with Mertens, then I imagine he was after some gnarly selfies looking down into the torrenting falls, for which he paid the ultimate price.

But even if the assumptions are correct, and even if Mertens had come away with the snaps successfully, I don’t think they would’ve been anything special at all.

I haven’t been to South Falls, but I’ve now looked at enough photos, and also taken enough photos of waterfalls, to know that from atop, the perspective just doesn’t do these landmarks justice.

Maybe Mertens’ pictures would’ve been good. Perhaps they would’ve given us a tight, uneasy feeling in our stomachs.

And after all, renowned photo historian and photographer in his own right, Peter Adams, famously said: “Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.” Although so many things would’ve had to have gone right for Mertens.

From ensuring he didn’t fill the background with the falling water and not the pool at the base, to getting enough of himself in the frame, the images would’ve been tricky at best.

If only Mertens had looked at pictures of South Falls beforehand, or perhaps taken a second to appreciate how fantastic the falls look amid the surrounding nature, he might’ve realized that the better, and non-life-risking, option would’ve been to shoot it from afar.

I don’t get the impression that Mertens was a photographer by any stretch. There’s no way he would’ve decided to capture the falls from atop if he was.

But even with only a smartphone at his disposal, judging by some of the pictures I’ve included in this article, there’s no doubt he would’ve come away with some great snaps of South Falls if taken from afar.

Now, not all landscape shots are better composed from distance. As someone who does a lot of outdoor photography, some of my favorite images are close-ups of hikers on trails or of the finer details, like leaves juxtaposed against tall trees in the background.

But when getting close is extremely risky, like it was for Mertens, it’s time to reassess your idea for the composition by looking at the scene from a few steps farther back. The likelihood is you’ll find a decent, if not better, frame to take.

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The London Camera Exchange (LCE) Show is back for a second year, and the 2026 speaker lineup is stacked with professional photographers and filmmakers ready and willing to help you take your craft to the next level.

Taking place at the Haynes Motor Museum in Sparkford, Somerset, on September 12, attendees will get to hear from award-winning astrophotographers, gain automotive career insights from a BBC Top Gear photographer, and discover how even a visual impairment shouldn’t stop you from taking photos.

Automotive photography makes up a big chunk of the speaker lineup, which is unsurprising, given that the event location is home to some iconic vehicles, including a 1970s gullwinged Bricklin SV-1 sports car.

Amy Shore, a Nikon ambassador who’s shot for major car manufacturers including BMW and Jaguar, will be sharing her practical techniques. And Rod Fountain pulls back the curtain on his automotive career, which includes more than two decades as a BBC Top Gear photographer.

After the August 12 total eclipse, I’m sure there are many new budding astrophotographers among us.

Josh Dury, aka “Starman”, will be sharing his insights on how to capture the night sky with your camera and how astrophotography helps shape our understanding of the universe. Still in his 20s, Dury’s work has already been recognized by many major outlets, including the BBC, as well as NASA and the ESA (European Space Agency).

Also speaking is Gary Williams, a renowned yet registered blind photographer, who delves into his unique photographic process. Also 90% color blind, Williams shoots most of his images in black-and-white, and is an expert in manually altering contrast, shadows and highlights.

Rounding things off is Gavin Hoey, a longtime professional photographer and major name in the photography education space, who’ll be giving a practical workshop. There’s also Tom Greetham, a Leica photographer sharing the history of the brand and how to capture great shots with the German-engineered cameras.

The one-day event is open from 09:30 to 16:30 and also features free photo walks as well as prize draws. Earlybird tickets cost £5, while on-the-door entry is £10. Head to the LCE Show website for tickets and more information.

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When you first glance at this underwater image, it looks like the kind of shot that would take weeks to plan. In fact, the photograph was taken during an unplanned morning dive. No script, no moodboard, no dive team briefing. Just a freediver, an expanse of open water and a huge school of sardines.

The result: a churning mass of silver folds itself into a perfect halo around its human subject. No surprise, then, that Ben Yávar's image is a finalist in this year's Ocean Photographer of the Year Adventure category.

The Chilean photographer sees it as reflecting the calm trust that can exist between people and marine life. "It is a reminder that patience and respect for the ocean often lead to its most extraordinary moments," he says.

Secrets of the shot

Yávar is a freediving instructor as well as a photographer, and so he well knows that sardines are acutely sensitive to disturbance. So calmness is key. But when you use scuba diving equipment, the exhaust bubbles, regulator noise and sheer bulk of your kit are likely to scare them off.

In contrast, freediving – where you ditch the equipment and rely solely on the air in your lungs – enables you to move silently and blend in, getting you closer to the action and saving the sardines from getting jumpy.

The shot in question was taken on a Sony A7 IV with a 12mm lens at f/9, ISO 1600 and 1/250 sec; the kind of smaller aperture Yávar favors to hold sharpness across a fast-moving frame. The fast shutter speed did the job of freezing individual fish and stopping them from blurring into streaks, while the high ISO suggests he was compensating for a fill flash.

Yávar pre-sets his camera on land, because underwater there's no time, plus fiddling about with menus would only disturb the fish. It's an approach that makes sense well beyond sardine runs: decide what you can beforehand, so that in the moment, all your attention goes to composition and timing.

Of course, even if you do everything right, you're still going to need a lot of luck to get a shot like this. But Yávar puts in enough hours to know he'll be ready. He'll often take multiple dives, sometimes dozens, to get movement and light to align properly.

That's the real key to getting a shot like this. In the photo itself, the technical preparation, the fitness, the training and the failed dives are all invisible. All the viewer sees instead is the scene that made all that effort worthwhile.

Ocean Photographer of the Year is presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain. You can see all the 2026 finalists on the Oceanographic Magazine website.

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One of the most powerful ways that photography can convey what's happening to our world is by offering the kind of perspective you can only get from on high. Indeed, many credit the Earthrise photo captured by astronaut William Anders during the 1968 Apollo 8 mission for sparking the modern ecological movement in the first place.

That same approach of seeing our world from above runs through much of the photography on show in Extinction: Renewal, Art of a Living Planet, a new exhibition opening at the Eden Project in Cornwall, England, this September.

The show brings together photography, film and sculpture within four themed zones: Extinction, Climate, Community and Renewal. The organisers describe this as "a journey from deep time into a more hopeful future".

Along that journey through time, photography's main contribution is in the present: how the world is now, not how it was or how we'd like it to be. And many of the photographs on show share an interesting approach: to see things as they really are, you first have to gain some altitude.

View from on high

Take Daniel Beltrá's shot of Iceland's Hvíta River, shown at the top of this page. Shot from above, its blues and golds – formed by a mixture of glacial meltwater and sediment – marble together in a way that resembles an abstract painting.

Also on show is Sebastião Salgado's aerial image of Alaska's Brooks Range (below), which brings this entire mountain range and its river system into a single composition that's awe-inspiring in its breadth and detail.

Paul Nicklen's drone shot of a polar bear crossing sea ice, meanwhile, strips out everything you'd have seen from ground-level: eye contact, a sense of human-animal scale, a sentimental feeling towards the subject.

What's left is a clean, almost geometrical composition, with the bear just a single white shape next to a crack in the ice. Somehow that makes it even more poignant, emphasizing its vulnerability against forces far larger than itself.

Richard Mosse pushes that sense of detachment even further with his shot of log barges from above. His use of infrared, rendering the vegetation red and water black, is an inspired decision, swapping objectivity for a clear editorial line in the visual itself.

Key takeaways

While many of these pictures are beautiful, this is not really about aesthetics, nor using drones just because they're fashionable. It's about pulling countless small details into a broader picture that reveals larger patterns and deeper truths.

And that fits well into the spirit of the show, which is less about doom, gloom and wringing our hands in despair, and more about providing solutions and a positive vision of the future.

The lesson for photographers here is clear. Whether you're shooting wildlife, landscapes or other natural phenomena, there's often an argument for stepping back, up and outwards from the detail, and seeing things from a wider perspective that can tell an altogether different story.

Extinction: Renewal, Art of a Living Planet runs at the Eden Project, Bodelva, St Austell, Cornwall, PL24 2SG. September 17-27, 10:00-17:00; September 28-October 16, 10:00-16:00, October 17-November 01, 10:00-17:00; November 02-January 03: opening times may vary.

When it comes to the production, supply and sale of third-party optics that will fit a slew of different manufacturers’ mounts, lens specialist Tamron says it is number one for global sales – claiming as recently as last month that it holds as much as 60% market share.

No wonder, then, that Sony is eyeing up Tamron for a possible takeover bid – the intention and the approach, if not yet the actuality, currently being confirmed by both parties. As it is already in possession of a 15% stake in the company, the electronics giant’s plan is that it will make the lens specialist a wholly owned subsidiary.

Yes, Tamron currently lists 23 lenses directly compatible with the Sony mount at the time of writing. But it also produces plenty of other directly compatible lenses for Canon, Fujifilm and Nikon users.

If Sony were to acquire Tamron – which has currently set up its own committee to consider the bid – I can imagine Sony taking a similar approach to when it exclusively snapped up Konica Minolta’s imaging expertise in 2006.

Konica Minolta immediately exited the camera business, while Sony was able to quickly introduce its first ever Alpha-branded DSLR, based on existing Minolta tech.

So, my worry for the wider photographic community is that Tamron itself may cease to exist – with its lenses hereon marketed as Sony lenses, with the same mix of decent build quality, performance yet affordability that the optical specialist offers now.

If that scenario plays out, I can’t imagine Sony continuing to do what Tamron currently does in offering lenses to other, non-Sony users. Plus I also wonder how it will impact its current relationship with Nikon, for whom it makes several Nikkor-branded OEM lenses.

Factor in a camera market that is experiencing a slowdown this year anyway, according to official figures from CIPA Japan, and the prospect gets even more intriguing.

Cutting out other camera owners might lessen the value of Tamron as a standalone brand. But if it’s subsumed by Sony, then that becomes academic anyway.

At present it’s not a done deal, just one under serious consideration that Sony certainly has the industry clout to pull off. It all comes down to whether Tamron, which independently has its own ambitious growth targets despite the uncertain economic climate, gives the green light.

If the market for interchangeable lens cameras really is in decline, and the current slowdown persists, I feel Tamron may well be tempted to take Sony’s money and run. However bad that is for competitive pricing going forward – and potentially the wider photographic community.

Ultimately, there will be winners as well as losers if a deal is done.

But to end on a positive note, among the winners will not just be Sony’s existing user base, who may theoretically get a boosted and continuing supply of affordable optics, but also rival third-party lens manufacturers such as Sigma, Laowa, Viltrox and more, who will have one less competitor out there.

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Take a look at the best Sony lenses from all manufacturers.

One of my favorite astrophotography events peaks every August is the Perseids. This late summer meteor shower is known to create as many as 50 to 100 “shooting stars” an hour, along with an occasional fireball of powerful green light.

Catching a shooting star on camera is a challenge as once you’ve spotted the streak of light, it’s typically too late to catch it on camera. But the Perseids' high frequency of meteors means photographers have much higher odds of catching that streak of light on camera.

I love directing my camera towards the night sky every August in hopes of catching a Perseid – I even managed to get the Northern Lights and a meteor in the same frame this year.

But as much as I love photographing the meteor shower, the Perseids are hardly a local event, seen throughout the northern hemisphere and the northernmost parts of the southern hemisphere.

Looking through Perseid meteor astrophotographs from 2026 has enabled me to view the celestial event beyond more than my own regular favorite stargazing sites. Here are my favorite 2026 Perseid meteor shots from around the world.

While the peak has already passed, there's still time to photograph the Perseids, as the celestial event continues through August 24.

Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria

This shot shows an unusual angle of the Arch of Freedom in Bulgaria – and captures the Milky Way along with several Perseid meteors.

Izmir, Turkey

I love how the glare from the light house nearly matches the streaks of the meteors across the sky.

Dambulla, Sri Lanka

The Sigiriya Rock Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site looks all the more stunning amid the night sky. This shot was taken closer to the start of the Perseids on July 23.

Ankara, Turkey

The structure of the Abaci Fairy Chimneys adds interest to this shot from the peak of the Perseids on August 13.

Ostrava, Czech Republic

The windmill lines up perfectly with the Milky Way in this shot by Lukas Kabon.

Eskisehir, Turkey

Photographer Aytug Can Sencar captured the rock formation, the Mily Way and a Perseid in this dramatic shot.

Shitan Village, China

Clouds are the astrophotographer's worst enemy, but this shot highlights dramatic fog filling in a valley underneath the Perseids. The red streak is likely an aircraft, but there's a nice white meteor streaking right down the line of the Milky Way.

Konya, Turkey

A sunflower field adds interest to this shot that manages to catch the Perseids and the Milky Way.

Joshua Tree, California, USA

The namesake for Joshua Tree National Park creates a striking scene amid the meteor shower in this shot from August 13.

Beijing, China

Most Perseids appear as small streaks of light, but the meteors will occasionally produce a larger fireball. Photographer Li Wenbin captured a stunning fireball here, highlighted by an excellent minimalist composition with the ground and a well-lit tent.

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Learn how to photograph the Perseids, or browse the best lenses for astrophotography.

New data has revealed which dog breeds were the most photographed in 2025 and, from picturesque poodles to beautiful bichon frises, the top 120 breeds range from photogenic to cute to adorable.

The data was compiled by photobook curation platform Popsa, which says it analyzed millions of pet owners' pet photos, assigning each breed a score based on how often it appeared relative to others.

In the top spot, retaining its crown based on last year’s study, were poodles (100). These curly-haired cuties may seem a little pompous, but don’t let that fool you.

Originally bred in Germany as, believe it or not, water-hunting dogs, with the now-fashionable haircut a strategic way of keeping their joints and organs warm when taking a dip.

According to Popsa’s data, retrievers (54), hounds (48) and schnauzers (46) ranked second, third and fourth, respectively. Retrievers are known for their loving nature and schnauzers for their curious expressions, while hounds – from bloodhounds to whippets – are a practical pet thanks to their fine coats that are easier to maintain.

Spaniels (37), terriers (26) and German shepherds (26) came in the middle of the rankings in fifth, sixth and seventh – the terrier ranking in particular coming as a surprise considering how petite and cost-friendly these dogs can be. Although bred to hunt vermin, their feisty character can outweigh their small size.

And at the tail end of the study came beagles (24) – which are actually a type of hound – bichon frisé (21), and setters (18). Compared to the previous edition of the study, setters climbed three places, entering the top ten while chasing out bulldogs.

These old “gun hunting” dogs have been particularly popular with US presidents: Harry Truman (1884–1972) and Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) owned Irish setters, while Herbert Hoover (1874–1964) owned the English variant.

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We’ve got an entire section on site dedicated to pet photography. Check that out for tips, tricks, and tutorials.

In an age of increasingly complicated cameras, one minimalist full-frame mirrorless is going in the opposite direction – and it has now won another major award for doing so. It is unlike almost anything else currently on the market and arguably teaches lessons no other mirrorless can – at least not in such a minimalist way.

The Sigma BF has no viewfinder, minimal physical controls and a design that strips photography back to its essentials: light, position and the act of taking a picture. That philosophy has now earned it a 'Best of the Best' award at the 2026 Red Dot Design Awards.

It's the second major accolade that the BF has picked up this year. The camera previously received the Editor's Choice R&D Award at the Camera Grand Prix 2026, where it was praised for its radical simplicity and design philosophy.

What Red Dot says the Sigma BF

"In an era where images are produced almost without thinking, it creates a deliberate counterpoint – focusing on photographing with intent and for pure enjoyment.

"The body of the camera is made from a solid block of aluminum and has an almost monolithic appearance. The controls are kept to the absolute minimum; transitions are meticulously crafted and the connection between the lens and the body looks seamless and streamlined.

"The camera reveals itself in a clearly defined form – a self-contained object that owes its character to its materiality and proportions and whose sculptural quality fascinated the jury.

"The same minimalist approach has also been applied to the user interface. A separate status display shows all relevant information, keeping the main screen clear of superimposed data. The center of attention is the image. The only element on the top of the camera is the shutter button.

The jury paid tribute in particular to the rigor of the design and manufacture: “From a production perspective, the Sigma BF is an embodiment of perfectionism, made as it is from a single aluminum block, characterised by radical simplicity and the seamless transition from body to lens.

"The camera’s materiality has been deliberately rendered visible. It is an exceptionally minimalist product whose quality and merit are immediately noticeable.

"This camera reduces technological complexity to a simple principle: light, space and purposeful focus – it is a contemporary interpretation of what began with the camera obscura."

Why the Sigma BF teaches photographers lessons no other mirrorless really can

The BF's minimalism isn't simply about having fewer buttons. Its entire design is built around keeping your attention on photography.

The controls, display and physical layout have all been deliberately stripped back to keep your attention on light, composition, subject and timing.

Of course, plenty of compact cameras and point-and-shoots have always been simple. What's different about the BF is that Sigma has taken that idea and built a modern full-frame mirrorless camera around it, making simplicity and the act of taking a photo central to its design.

That's what makes the BF so interesting. It's not trying to give you more ways to take a picture; it's trying to make you think more about the picture itself.

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Check out our full Sigma BF review and the best L-Mount lenses to use with it.

Back in 1902, Hugo Schrader started Plaubel & Company in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Schrader had done his apprenticeship at Voigtländer and later worked for one of the more innovative German camera makers; Dr Rudolf Krügener. In fact, he married Dr Krügener’s daughter, Ruth.

You may wonder why a chap named Schrader would call his firm by a different name. The answer is as simple as it is odd. The Plaubel name comes from Karl Plaubel, Hugo Schrader’s brother-in-law. Apparently, Schrader chose it because he thought it was easier to remember than “Schrader”.

The Plaubel camera company became one of Germany's most respected photographic manufacturers, known for high-quality press cameras, large-format cameras, and later the famous Makina medium-format rangefinders. The firm's history spans more than a century.

Plaubel started by manufacturing lenses (including the Anticomar, Heli-Orthar and Supracomar lines) and selling other firms' cameras to augment its income – though these cameras would nearly always go out the door with a Plaubel lens or two.

Around 1909-1910, Plaubel began producing its own cameras – and in 1912 it introduced the camera that would define its reputation: the Plaubel Makina. The Makina was a compact folding press camera with scissor-strut bellows construction. Over the following decades it evolved into one of Europe's best professional cameras for the press.

During the Second World War, the factory was heavily damaged by Allied bombers. But the firm recovered, resumed making cameras and introduced its Peco line of monorail view cameras – which became highly regarded among studio and architectural photographers for their precision engineering and exceptional build quality.

Curiously, it also made the VeriWide 100 – an ultra-wide-angle medium format camera. The Veriwide 100 was designed around a fixed 47mm f/8 Schneider Super-Angulon lens, giving an angle of view of nearly 100°.

It made seven 6x10cm negatives on a roll of 120 film, with an angle of view roughly equivalent to an 18–20 mm lens on a 35mm camera but with the image quality advantage of 120 Roll film.

It was introduced in 1959 in collaboration with the New York photographic distributor, Burleigh Brooks, Inc. Production ran until 1965 and, depending on who you believe, between 2,000 and 5,000 were made.

In 1975 Hugo Schrader’s son, Goetz Schrader, sold Plaubel to the Japanese Kimio Doi Group. Although the company retained the Plaubel name and the German factory, camera development largely shifted to Japan.

The most famous result of this new ownership was the new Plaubel Makina 67, introduced in 1978. Unlike the original German Makina cameras, it was a sophisticated 6x7 cm folding rangefinder camera equipped with a superb Nikkor 80mm f/2.8 lens and built-in metering.

The metering was a TTL (through-the-lens) match-needle system, which used a semi-transparent mirror just behind the shutter to divert a small amount of the light to a silicon photodiode. The photographer would change the shutter speed or aperture until the meter indicated correct exposure.

Because the Kimio Doi Group did not own a factory, the cameras were made under contract. Early development prototypes (called the Makinette 67) were produced in the German factory, but the production Makina 67 was all Japanese.

Konica’s chief designer, Yasuo Uchida, led the design team with assistance from Professor Udo M Geissler of the industrial design department of the Technical University of Munich.

It seems that Uchida did his best to persuade Doi to use a Konica lens for the camera. However, Doi had already paid Nikon for the development of the 80mm f/2.8 lens specially for the Makina 67. Uchida then asked for a copy of the lens for testing, and legend has it that he was blown away by the results.

In late 1981, the Makina W67 arrived. It was essentially the same camera, but with a wide-angle 55mm f/4.5 Nikkor lens. It was followed in 1984 by the Makina 670, which was a modified Makina 67 that could use either 120 or 220 film.

There was also a Makina 69W Proshift that had a 47mm Schneider Super-Angulon and made eight 6x9cm exposures per roll of 120 film. The lens was mounted on a sliding flange, which allowed for perspective control in the same manner as shifting the front standard of a view camera.

Early production was done by Konica or Copal (there is a lot of uncertainty about this). But it seems certain that in 1981 production shifted to Mamiya, where it remained until production ended for all models in 1986 due to rising costs.

In all, some 24,500 cameras were made across all four models, though the standard “67” accounted for 17,000 of them. Plaubel continued to make its famous monorail cameras in Germany until finally closing its doors in 2017.

Among film photographers, the Makina 67 remains one of the most sought-after medium format cameras. Today, a Plaubel Makina 67 in good working condition sells for considerably more than it did when new – even after adjusting for inflation.

Read more of David Young's ongoing series on classic cameras, as well as his book A Brief History of Photography.

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Take a look at the best medium format cameras you can buy today.

As a tech journalist, I’ve been immersed in the camera industry for more than a decade – and I’ve watched camera prices steadily climb over the last several years. But evidence coming from the biggest camera brands suggests that camera prices are probably only going to get worse – and the reason why breaks my heart: artificial intelligence.

Generative AI needs power-hungry data centers in order to store all the training data. The technology has created a steep rise in demand for all forms of digital storage. Photographers have already seen the effects of this through the steep price jump on memory cards.

But the effects of the AI data crisis are not going to be limited to just memory cards and external hard drives. Several major camera brands have already noted that the cost of the memory components that go inside cameras has also risen – and prices could be adjusted as a result.

My work as a tech journalist also means that I’m regularly diving into the latest financial and investor reports from key camera brands, and I’ve noticed a very clear pattern: Memory costs have gone up for building cameras themselves, and several camera brands have mentioned that prices could be adjusted as a result.

Even cameras without built-in memory still require memory chips. The camera needs to temporarily store photos while they are being processed, which means that the AI data crisis is affecting not just memory cards but the chips inside cameras themselves.

Sony, Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm have all told investors that the rising cost of memory components is a key challenge and mentioned the potential to compensate for those rising costs through pricing adjustments, along with other possibilities like cost-cutting measures.

Even action camera giant GoPro says that memory hardware costs have increased as much as 80 to 110% compared to a year ago.

The rising cost of memory isn’t a minor change. Fujifilm, for example, estimates that increased memory costs will cost the company an additional ¥25 billion in 2026 over the previous year’s costs – that’s $157 million / £116.2 million / AU$222 million / CA$218.6 million at current exchange rates.

Canon’s estimate is even worse at ¥69.4 billion ($423.9 million / £318.9 million / AU$606.4 million / CA$598.6 million)

The investor reports from those brands only discuss the possibility of a price increase. But the number of camera brands discussing the impact of rising memory costs makes it clear that the impact isn’t a small one.

While a price increase is currently just a possibility, the number of brands commenting on the change and the estimated cost for additional memory has me suspecting that camera prices are only going to get worse.

Some brands saw the writing on the wall and managed to secure most of the memory that they’d need for 2026, so it’s entirely possible that photographers make it out of 2026 without seeing a significant memory-fueled price increase.

But some chipmakers and industry analysts are predicting that the cost of memory will continue post 2030. If that is indeed the case, I fully expect camera prices to see some form of a price climb.

A price change may not necessarily mean that a camera brand goes through its entire catalog and raises prices – as many camera brands did after increased tariffs in the US. The higher costs may instead mean that upcoming cameras launch at a higher list price than their predecessors.

Despite the Supreme Court ruling some tariffs illegal and issuing refunds, I would be very surprised to see those prices go back to pre-tariff levels – though perhaps those already increased US prices could potentially help hold off a price increase in the US.

Price increases are never easy to swallow, but the fact that the increases are caused by computers trying to replace traditional images with GenAI makes the possibility more of an insult than price increases fueled by other factors, such as inflation.

Memory won’t be the only factor going into the cost of cameras – and one potential salve on the GenAI memory crisis is that the Camera and Imaging Products Association is expecting a slight slowdown for the camera industry in 2026 (albeit not for compact cameras).

Higher demand creates higher prices, so a slightly lower demand could potentially help.

So far, camera brands have only told investors that pricing changes, along with other measures, are being considered to help offset rising memory costs. But as an industry expert, I suspect that if the memory crisis does not slow, then memory cards won’t be the only gear photographers end up paying more for thanks to AI.

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Browse the best mirrorless cameras or the best compact cameras.

Venus Optics is the company behind Laowa lenses and I’ve been impressed by its somewhat oddball offerings over the years. There are conventional stills and cine lenses in the Laowa catalog but it’s the more esoteric options that catch the eye, like high-magnification macro and macro probe lenses, tilt/shift optics and even a fisheye zoom.

I’ve reviewed a few of these myself, including the Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro Apo, Laowa FFII TS 100mm f/2.8 Macro 1X and Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye.

The relatively recent Laowa Aksen 1-5x Ultra Macro Apo kicks off with full 1.0x macro magnification and zooms in to no less than 5x magnification at full stretch. I say ‘stretch’ but the physical length of the lens remains the same at all settings, as does the fixed focus distance.

That makes the Laowa easier to use than some high-power macro lenses, like the now-obsolete Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro. All in all the Aksen and simultaneously launched Laowa Aksen 5-10x Ultra Macro Apo (with even greater powers of magnification) aim to be among the best macro lenses on the market.

Laowa Aksen 1-5x Ultra Macro Apo: Specifications

Laowa Aksen 1-5x Ultra Macro Apo: Price & Availability

A kind of cross between a camera lens and a scientific tool, the Laowa Aksen 1-5x Ultra Macro Apo is a high-precision instrument that’s meticulously engineered.

As such, it commands a fairly serious purchase price of $749 / £799 (Australian price TBA) despite being a fully manual ‘dumb lens’ with no electronics. The sibling 5-10x lens lists at the same price in the USA but costs more in the UK, coming in at $749 / £899.

Venus Optics also offers a twin lens bundle at $1,399 / £1,679, while little extras listed in the USA include a tripod collar with rods at $80, a Leofoto MP-180S macro focusing rail at $139 and a WeMacro electronic slider bundle for $599.

A USB Coaxial Light is also available for $50, but that’s only compatible with the 5-10x lens. As with many other pursuits, a serious macro habit can ramp up in cost.

Laowa Aksen 1-5x Ultra Macro Apo: Design & Handling

The Laowa Aksen 1-5x Ultra Macro Apo has a focal length of 45mm and an aperture range of f/2.8 to f/11. Like other macro lenses, light transmittance through the lens drops off at shorter focus distances, or in this case at greater magnification / zoom settings.

I make the point because this lens actually has a fixed focus distance and an internal zoom mechanism that alters the magnification ratio between 1.0x and 5.0x.

Theoretically, once you position the camera and subject to achieve ‘correct’ focus, it should stay the same regardless of changes in the magnification / zoom setting.

Venus is keen to point out that its fixed focus distance and groundbreaking parfocal zoom mechanism mean that focus remains locked on the subject as you change magnification, so you can sweep through the zoom range without needing to reposition your camera or lighting.

The focus distance itself, or rather the working distance between the front of the lens and the subject, is quoted as 41.35mm / 1.63in. The fact that the working distance is specified to a tolerance of 1/100^th of a millimeter gives more than a subtle hint as to just how precise your positioning needs to be to attain in-focus results.

I found the lens virtually impossible to use without at least the addition of a macro focusing rail and, while I didn’t opt for the Leofoto MP-180S which is offered as an optional extra, I do own the excellent NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail, which serves the same purpose. More on that when we get to Performance.

Build quality feels very good, combining high levels of precision with a robust metal barrel. The lens is fully manual, so there are no electronics at all.

Naturally, there’s no autofocus because there’s actually no focus mechanism of any kind. However, the lack of electronics also means that you have to set the aperture manually and that no lens-based EXIF data is recorded in image files.

A bonus of having no electronics is that it’s relatively simple to make the lens in a large variety of mount options, which include Canon EF, Canon RF, Nikon Z, Nikon F, Sony E, L-Mount, Fujifilm X and Micro Four Thirds. Pentax K is a notable omission.

From a handling perspective, the zoom control ring operates smoothly and is clearly marked with white numbering.

Like the zoom ring, the aperture control ring has a nice tactile feel and is clearly marked. It rotates in full f/stop click steps, from f/2.8 through f/4, f/5.6 and f/8 to the narrowest available aperture of f/11. The aperture diaphragm is very well-rounded, based on 11 curved blades.

The optical layout features 13 elements in 9 groups, whereas the 5-10x lens has an additional 4 elements and 3 extra groups. The 1-5x lens includes 3 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and 4 UHR (Ultra High Refraction) elements, aiming to boost clarity and minimize color fringing.

Indeed, this claims to be an Apo (Apochromatic) lens that eliminates color fringing as well as delivering ultra-high resolving power.

The lens has a relatively small-diameter protruding front section, as shown in the image above. This enables the easy fitment and removal of a slip-over hood, as shown below.

There’s no filter attachment thread, which doesn’t surprise me as space between the front of the lens and the subject is at a premium, and there’s not even enough room to attach macro lights or a ring light via a filter attachment thread.

Continuing the theme from the barrel and hood down to the mounting plate, the lens has metal rather than plastic mounting plate.

Again, as a fully manual lens, there are no electronics, so none of the various mount options features any data contacts and there’s no need for a USB port for applying firmware updates. Perhaps a more disappointing omission is that the mounting plate also lacks a weather-seal ring.

Laowa Aksen 1-5x Ultra Macro Apo: Performance

To test the lens, I used a Canon EOS R5 mounted on a sturdy Peak Design Pro Tripod and the NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail that I mentioned earlier. The fixed working distance of 41.35mm / 1.63in means that lighting can be a challenge, but I used LED light panels to supply sufficient illumination.

Naturally, as the focusing distance is fixed, you need to move the camera and / or the subject to achieve focus, and you can’t use the lens as a portrait prime or for other longer-distance shots, like you can with the vast majority of regular macro lenses.

I shot a range of subject matter including a small section of pixels on my 27-inch 1080p LCD computer monitor and a variety of objects, as shown in the gallery below.

One thing became immediately obvious, in that accurate focusing is absolutely essential – especially towards the largest magnification factor that’s on offer. Even using a sturdy tripod and a macro focusing rail, focusing is a fiddly business due to the incredibly tight depth of field.

Even touching the camera can result in small positional changes that can affect the accuracy of focusing. Extreme magnification, especially combined with a magnified live preview in a mirrorless camera, also reveals that the camera can take a long time to settle after being touched.

I used a ten-second self-timer delay and fully electronic shutter to keep movement at bay. Even then, I noticed vibrations caused by passing traffic on the street in front of my house.

With a lot of care and painstaking setup, the lens is capable of very pleasing results. True to its claims, there’s excellent sharpness and clarity on tap, along with minimal color fringing. Distortion is also of a very low order, which is a good thing as automatic in-camera correction is unavailable.

Ultimately, the image quality of the lens rewards the effort that you need to put in to get satisfying shots.

Laowa Aksen 1-5x Ultra Macro Apo: Sample Images

The following gallery consists of a series of pairs of shots, each pair taken at both the lens’s minimum 1.0x magnification and maximum 5.0x magnification.

Subject matter includes standard-sized body text (Aptos 12pt) printed onto plain paper with an inkjet printer, a postage stamp, a wristwatch day / date mechanism, a leaf, colored pencils, a textile flower and a nutcracker ballet doll.

Laowa Aksen 1-5x Ultra Macro Apo: Lab Results

Due to the fixed and very short focus distance of the lens, it’s impossible to take shots of the test charts that we use for capturing and processing lab test data for regular lenses. As such, we’re unable to provide any lab test results for this lens.

Laowa Aksen 1-5x Ultra Macro Apo: Verdict

I feel that the Laowa Aksen 1-5x Ultra Macro Apo raises the bar for high-magnification macro photography, leaving regular 1.0x ‘full’ macro lenses trailing behind.

The maximum 5.0x magnification enables you to capture incredibly fine detail in tiny objects, and to massively enlarge it when viewing the resulting images on screen or in print.

However, all that magnification comes at a cost – not just financially, but in the painstaking effort that it demands to get things ‘right’ when taking each and every shot. Thankfully, the performance of the lens is sufficient to make all that hard work pay off.

Alternatives

Venus Optics makes plenty of garden-variety lenses for stills and cine. I’ve long been taken by its more esoteric offerings that deliver a different kind of shooting experience to the norm.

Examples that spring to mind, and that I’ve reviewed in the past, include the Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro Apo, the Laowa FFII TS 100mm f/2.8 Macro 1X which features full tilt and shift functions as well as 1.0x macro magnification, and the Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye that delivers both circular and diagonal fisheye effects for full-frame cameras at either end of its zoom range.

A relative newcomer on the oddball scene is this Laowa Aksen 5-10x Ultra Macro Apo, which hits the ground running with 5.0x macro magnification, then zooms all the way to a monster 10x magnification at full stretch. Thankfully, there’s no physical ‘stretch’ involved as the lens retains the same overall dimensions at all settings.

A major claim to fame is the lens’ novel ‘parfocal zoom’ mechanism, which maintains the same focus distance throughout the entire zoom range. This makes the Laowa easier to use than some high-power macro lenses, like the legendary Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro, which is now sadly obsolete.

In short, the Aksen 5-10x and simultaneously launched Laowa Aksen 1-5x Ultra Macro Apo (with more modest magnifying power) aim to be among the best macro lenses on the market.

Laowa Aksen 5-10x Ultra Macro Apo: Specifications

Laowa Aksen 5-10x Ultra Macro Apo: Price & Availability

The Laowa Aksen 5-10x Ultra Macro Apo is the embodiment of ultra-high-precision design and manufacture. It’s hardly surprising then that it comes with a fairly hefty price tag of $749 / £899 (Australian price TBA), despite lacking any electronics whatsoever.

The sibling 1-5x lens costs the same money in the USA but is less in the UK, at £799. Venus Optics also offers a twin lens bundle at $1,399 / £1,679.

A variety of optional accessories are advertised in the USA, including a tripod collar with rods at $80, a Leofoto MP-180S macro focusing rail at $139 and a WeMacro electronic slider bundle for $599. There’s also an optional USB Coaxial Light for the 5-10x lens at $50, but that’s incompatible with the 1-5x lens.

Laowa Aksen 5-10x Ultra Macro Apo: Design & Handling

The Laowa Aksen 5-10x Ultra Macro Apo has a focal length of just 17.5mm and an aperture range of f/1.7 to f/5.6. That might sound like a very ‘wide’ aperture range for a macro lens, but it comes with the 10x territory – and, like other macro lenses, light transmittance drops off at greater magnification settings.

Those equate to longer zoom settings in this case, rather than shorter focus distances, as the lens has a fixed focus distance.

The big idea of this macro zoom lens is that once you position the camera and the object you’re shooting so that the latter is in focus, it should stay that way throughout the entire magnification/zoom range.

The Laowa is advertised as having a fixed focus distance and groundbreaking parfocal zoom mechanism that results in focus remaining locked at any zoom setting, avoiding the need to reposition the camera or the object that you’re shooting.

The fixed working distance between the front of the lens and the subject is quoted as 22.48mm / 0.89in, so it’s less than an inch. In more worrying news, that working distance is specified to a tolerance of 1/100^th of a millimeter, or about a hair’s breadth.

Suffice it to say that positioning your camera and the object you’re shooting is a very precise affair. In practice, I found the lens virtually impossible to use without at a macro focusing rail.

I’d have been tempted by the optional Leofoto MP-180S, but I already have an excellent NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail, which serves the same purpose. I’ll come back later to how that worked out during my testing.

The lens is fully manual so there are no internal electronics. In fact there’s neither autofocus nor manual focus, due to the fixed object distance. The lack of electronics also means that you have to set the aperture manually and that no lens-based EXIF data is recorded in image files.

On the upside, the purely mechanical nature of the lens makes it relatively easy to manufacture in a wide variety of mount options, which include Canon EF, Canon RF, Nikon Z, Nikon F, Sony E, L-Mount, Fujifilm X and Micro Four Thirds. Pentax shooters might feel a bit left out at this point.

Like the zoom ring, the aperture control ring has a nice tactile feel and is clearly marked. It rotates in full f-stop click steps (or thereabouts) from f/1.7 to its narrowest aperture of f/5.6. Another noteworthy point is that the aperture diaphragm is based on 11 curved blades and is very well-rounded.

In terms of optical design, the Laowa 5-10x is more complex than its 1-5x sibling, with additional elements in extra groups.

In total, there are 17 elements in 12 groups, with the inclusion of 5 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and 3 UHR (Ultra High Refraction) elements, aiming to boost clarity and minimize color fringing.

As with the 1-5x lens, the 5-10x is advertised as an Apo (Apochromatic) lens that effectively eliminates color fringing.

The design also features a relatively small-diameter protruding front section, as shown in the image above. As I’ve mentioned, the fixed working distance of the lens is very short, so it can be a challenge to channel sufficient light in towards the subject.

There’s no filter attachment thread for adding macro lights or a ring light, as there’s simply not enough room to play with. Instead, Venus Lens offers a USB-powered coaxial LED lamp which costs $50 and screws into the front section of the lens. It’s certainly a workable solution for illuminating your subject, if you feel like splashing out.

The relatively small-diameter front section also enables the easy fitment and removal of a slip-over hood, as shown below. Like the lens barrel, the hood is made from metal rather than plastic and feels like a quality item.

Continuing the theme from the barrel and hood down to the mounting plate, the lens has a metal rather than plastic mounting plate.

Again, as a fully manual lens, there are no electronics, so none of the various mount options features any data contacts and there’s no need for a USB port for applying firmware updates. Perhaps a more disappointing omission is that the mounting plate also lacks a weather-seal ring.

Laowa Aksen 5-10x Ultra Macro Apo: Performance

I used a big gun to test the lens, in the shape of the mighty 45MP Canon EOS R5, the resolution of which is a stern test for any lens. I mounted the camera on a sturdy Peak Design Pro Tripod via the NiSi NM-200s Macro Focusing Rail that I mentioned earlier.

A couple of things immediately became obvious. The first was that the fixed working distance of less than an inch put the front of the lens very close to whatever I was shooting. Lighting was a challenge but I used LED light panels to supply sufficient illumination, rather than adding the optional coaxial lamp.

The other instantly noticeable factor was that accurate focusing is absolutely essential. It proved a tricky task even when using my macro focusing rail to enable very small adjustments. The fiddly business of focusing, or rather camera and object placement, is due to the incredibly tight depth of field.

Anyway, I started off by shooting a small section of pixels on my 27-inch 1080p LCD computer monitor, to give a sense of the magnification on offer.

I found that even just touching the camera resulted in small positional changes that could affect the accuracy of focusing.

Combining the extreme levels of magnification with a magnified live preview in a mirrorless camera also revealed that it can take a long time for the camera to fully settle and for vibrations to fade away, after being touched.

During testing, I used a ten-second self-timer delay and fully electronic shutter to make the camera as motionless as possible. Even then, it was still susceptible to vibrations caused by passing traffic on the street in front of my house, so good timing was of the essence.

Putting a lot of care and attention to detail in setting up a shot can reward you with very pleasing images. Living up to its billing, the lens exhibits excellent sharpness and clarity, along with negligible color fringing.

Distortion is also very well controlled, which is just as well as the fully manual nature of the lens makes automatic in-camera correction unavailable.

The bottom line is that if you put the effort in, this lens can reward you with spectacular results.

Laowa Aksen 5-10x Ultra Macro Apo: Sample Images

There’s more to the following gallery of example shots than meets the eye, in more ways than one. A third of the shots weren’t even taken with the 5-10x lens that I’m reviewing here. Basically, I’ve included sets of three shots for each subject.

The first image in each threesome was taken at 1.0x magnification using the sibling Laowa 1-5x lens, to set the scene, and is just for reference so you can see what the usual 1.0x magnification looks like for each subject. The next two shots in each group of three were taken at the 5-10x lens’s minimum 5x and maximum 10x magnification factors.

Subject matter includes standard-sized body text (Aptos 12pt) printed onto plain paper with an inkjet printer, a postage stamp, a wristwatch day/date mechanism, a leaf, colored pencils, a textile flower and a nutcracker ballet doll.

Laowa Aksen 5-10x Ultra Macro Apo: Lab Results

Due to the fixed and very short focus distance of the lens, it’s impossible to take shots of the test charts that we use for capturing and processing lab test data for regular lenses. As such, we’re unable to provide any lab test results for this lens.

Laowa Aksen 5-10x Ultra Macro Apo: Verdict

I found that using the Laowa Aksen 5-10x Ultra Macro Apo was challenging and rewarding in equal measure. The high magnification factors involved make shooting a fiddly and sometimes arduous business, requiring a lot of attention to detail, exacting technique and a little frustration along the way.

Get everything right, however, and you’ll be rewarded with spectacular imagery that goes far beyond what the naked eye can see in real life.

Alternatives

Lee Miller (1907-1977) is one of 20th-century photography's most intriguing figures. She went from Vogue model to Man Ray's collaborator and muse in Paris, before reinventing herself again as one of the few female photojournalists accredited to cover the front lines of the Second World War. And there's a story about her and her Rolleiflex that tells as much about her as her images do.

According to her son, Antony Penrose, cofounder of the Lee Miller Archives, she could take the camera apart down to the last nut and bolt and reassemble it in the dark, in some ruined billet, while working as a war correspondent for Vogue. It wasn't a party trick. It was simply what you did if your camera stopped working somewhere between Normandy and Dachau and there was nobody else around to fix it.

That ability hadn't come from a manual. Miller's father was an engineer, and she'd absorbed mechanics and engineering from him early on – kind of how some kids pick up a language.

By the time she was shooting in the 1940s, a camera wasn't a delicate object to be babied; it was a tool she understood from the inside out.

So it makes sense that when portraying her in the recent biopic, Lee, actor Kate Winslet focused on the camera itself as a way of getting into the head of the character she was portraying.

Going the extra mile

Winslet, who served as executive producer on the film, didn't just read up on her subject. She tracked down Claude Samaran, one of the last technicians in the world still able to service Rolleiflex cameras, and had him build an exact replica of Miller's original.

She then spent time at the Lee Miller Archives, which holds around 60,000 negatives, 20,000 pages of manuscripts and 20,000 vintage prints, along with items like letters and mud-splattered military maps, before she'd even picked up the camera on set.

During filming, she took actual photos with the replica while she was acting. For the A-list star, it was less acting prep and more a technical apprenticeship.

Miller's first Rolleiflex is believed to date back to the mid-1930s, during her years in Egypt. She went on to own at least two, using them alongside a 35mm Zeiss Contax, though the Rolleiflex remained her instrument of choice.

After the war she switched to a Rolleicord and, by the late 1960s, changed to a Honeywell Pentax – she was delighted by the inclusion of a built-in light meter.

The Rolleiflex mattered to Miller not because it was a beautiful object, but because of what it recorded. That distinction became painfully clear at the end of the war.

When British Vogue held back her Holocaust photographs, she started cutting up her own negatives in fury, before stopping herself, on the grounds that people needed to know what she'd witnessed.

The camera, in other words, was much loved, but not an end unto itself. It was just the thing that let the truth through.

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This extraordinary image shot by Allan Cronin wasn't down to dumb luck. Now announced as a finalist in the Wildlife category of this year's Ocean Photographer of the Year, Cronin had been closely watching the local wildlife. And that tipped him off to what might be about to happen.

A fur seal gets firm hold of a New Zealand rough skate, flinging it clear of the water in a burst of spray, while a crowd of seabirds shows up for whatever falls their way. The scene is chaotic, visceral and a reminder that nature is not all bunnies and rainbows but, as the poet Tennyson once put it, red in tooth and claw.

It's a terrific picture, and a tribute to the patience of the photographer. Cronin – an ex-electrician turned whale watching guide and skipper – was just offshore from Kaikōura, on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. He paddled close to the edge of the continental shelf and simply waited.

"We kept a close eye on the fur seals and the birds waiting for a moment like this," he recalls. "The fur seals are incredible predators and very messy eaters, which causes much competition between the seabirds as they jostled to be closest to the action. But not too close, in case the seal feels like adding a side dish."

How it was taken

Cronin shot on a Sony A6600 with a 70-350mm zoom at 113mm, giving a 35mm-equivalent focal length of around 169mm; useful reach for staying back from a feeding frenzy without losing the action.

He locked in a shutter speed of 1/2500 sec – more than fast enough to freeze water droplets mid-air and stop a thrashing skate from blurring into a smear – while f/6.3 and ISO500 proved reliable settings for bright open water with plenty of light to spare.

Manual exposure throughout suggests he wasn't leaving the camera to guess at a scene with this much contrast between dark seal, pale fish and white spray.

Ultimately, though, what made the image a success wasn't luck so much as a local who understood the food chain well enough to predict it. The seabirds gave away the location, the shutter speed handled the violence of the moment, and the kayak kept Cronin close enough to matter without becoming part of the story himself.

It's all a reminder that some of the most dramatic wildlife photographs come down to two simple, unglamorous skills. Namely, knowing where to look and having the patience to keep looking.

The Ocean Photographer of the Year contest draws thousands of entries from photographers around the world, across categories including Fine Art, Conservation Impact, Conservation Hope, Human Connection, Adventure and the new Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds.

Winners will be announced in September. The award is presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain.

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The 2026 total solar eclipse may have passed but, thanks to NASA photographers updating the space agency’s eclipse gallery with some of their shots from yesterday, we can relive the solar experience with some stunning shots.

While a host of photographers at the agency have shared their frames, for me, the standouts were taken by Bill Ingalls, senior photographer for NASA Headquarters, and Joel Kowsky, who also shoots for the headquarters.

Unfortunately NASA has stripped these frames of EXIF data, so we can’t see what camera and settings were used, but we can still marvel at the fantastic shots themselves.

Ingalls captured this first piece which, for me, is the pick of the bunch, near San Millán de los Caballeros – a tiny hamlet in the northern Spanish countryside.

Unlike other parts of Europe, such as the UK and France, which experienced a tantalizingly near-total eclipse, Spain experienced the full shebang – the first time in over a century.

While the different stages of the eclipse are rendered brilliantly in this composite image, it’s the sunflowers in the foreground that make it a standout in my view.

Very often, we see eclipse photos where the eclipsed Sun fills the frame. But here Ingalls took a more creative approach, incorporating landscape photography, creating an overall beautiful scene.

At first glance this next shot, from Joel Kowsky, doesn’t strike you like Ingalls’ does. However, that speck in the middle of the Sun? That’s the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA calls the ISS passing directly between the Earth and the Sun a solar transit. The event happens in a fraction of a second – usually between 0.5 and 1 second – as the station travels at roughly 5 miles / 7.5 kilometers per second.

Kowsky shot the image near Hodgdon, Maine in the northeastern US, timing the click of the shutter impeccably, to which I doff my hat. I’d love to know what shutter speed he used…

My final pick from NASA’s eclipse photos is another from Bill Ingalls. This frame is much more like the eclipse compositions you typically see, but look closer and the details reveal themselves.

Practically the whole way around the edge of the silhouetted Moon, you can see solar flares shooting out from the Sun’s corona into the vast blackness of space, culminating in a huge flare on the left-hand side.

For me, these little details transform what would otherwise be a pretty standard eclipse photo into a really spectacular one. It goes to show that Ingalls knows how to make the most of what’s in front of his lens.

These are some great shots from Ingalls and Kowsky, and I can’t wait to see what NASA photographers will share with us after the next total eclipse on August 02 2027. There will be an extraordinary 6 minutes and 22 seconds of totality, which is already being described as the “eclipse of the century”.

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At photography’s start, painters dismissed the camera as a vulgar threat to fine art – but much of photography’s early start actually originates from a painter: Louis Daguerre.

The invention of photography didn’t stem from a single person, but rather a series of discoveries that played off each other.

Nicéphore Niépce (1765-1833) created what is widely believed to be one of the first permanent photographs around 1826-1827, but there was a key problem with the newly discovered method of using chemicals to preserve light: a single photograph took eight hours or more.

Daguerre (1787-1851) was actually a scene painter for the opera. But his interest in lighting led to a desire to turn images from a camera obscura – a simple box and hole that projected an image through physics, used by many painters – into a lasting image.

That drive led to Daugaerre working with Niépce, and the two created a new process using lavender oil. However, the Physauotype still took about a four-hour exposure time. After Niepce died in 1833, Daugaerre continued to work on the process – almost obsessively.

An archived 1929 article from the New York Times said that he worked on the concept feverishly: “He shut himself up in his laboratory, invisible to almost everybody, and for nearly two years tried chemical after chemical in hopes of having a picture emerge.”

History diverges a bit on Daguerre’s exact moment of discovery, but several stories suggest the invention of the daguerreotype happened nearly by accident despite those two years in a laboratory: he left a silver spoon on a metal plate coated with iodine in the cupboard, only to later find an image of the spoon transposed on the metal.

The silver and iodine, however, weren’t all the chemicals that Daguerre would need to perfect the process. Legend suggests a broken thermometer and leaked mercury vapors in that cabinet are what caused the “photo” of the spoon to develop.

The daguerreotype wasn’t the earliest form of photography but, by shortening the exposure from eight hours to a time measured in mere minutes, the daguerreotype became the first practical photography process.

The daguerreotype would later be further improved with additional processing chemicals to shorten the exposure time from 20-30 minutes down to as little as 3-8 minutes – and then, with the addition of bright optics, down to exposures measured in seconds.

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