Photojournalists are witnesses to the world’s stories – but how the photographer chooses to frame the photograph is a key part of the story. This week, photographers around the world highlighted everything from community gatherings to watch the solar eclipse to the devastating impact of war and climate change.

I’m a photographer and a journalist, and looking through the top news photos this week reminded me of the power of perspective.

Patterned sandbars emerge from the receding Danube River

A drought has pushed the Danube River to record low levels. This shot by Marko Perkov reveals some of the hidden sandbar structures that the receding waters revealed. While the pattern in the sand is striking itself, the huddle of umbrellas and beach towels, colorful swim rings, and swimmers in the water give what would otherwise be a landscape shot a human element.

Perkoc took this shot with the DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone near Ilok, Croatia.

A rarely seen perspective of a nesting stork

The nesting sites for large birds look like a jumble of sticks from the ground, but this drone shot by Nenad Mihajlovic offers an unusual perspective of a stork in its nest, photographed as part of a recent study that suggests that this urban site where the stork built on a pillar for an unfinished building in Novi Sad, is one of the largest of its kind in Serbia.

The light is hitting the nest just right, making the ground below fade into near darkness and drawing attention to the bird, which almost seems to be giving the camera a wary side-eye. The telephoto lens on the DJI Air3S helped minimize the disturbance to the animal.

Child’s play amid a war

Perspective in photography isn’t just about getting the camera to an unusual height – it’s about what scenes the photographer chooses to photograph to tell a story. This photo by Ahmad Hasaballah is a photo of a child’s football (soccer) match, and yet the story that it tells is one of the Israel-Hamas war.

The photograph comes from a game organized by the Palestine Amputee Football Association in northern Gaza City, Gaza. The photographer notes that the children have all lost limbs from the Israel-Hamas war and accidents.

A horse fleeing from a wildfire

This shot by Huw Fairclough is almost picturesque with the warm sunlight hitting the horse – except for the wildfires in the background. The photograph, taken on August 09 on the Llangynid Moor in Wales, shows the horse making its way away from the flames.

The photograph is just one of several striking photographs calling attention to the recent uptick in wildfires over the summer across the globe.

A solar eclipse in a sunflower field

What strikes me most about this shot from Palencia, Spain, by Leon Neal is that the solar eclipse seems to mirror the shape of the sunflowers. Choosing to make the subject the smallest part of the frame while filling a majority of the image with foreground elements is unusual, but effective at drawing the eye and making an eclipse photo that stands out.

The eclipse was the first time that Spain was in the path of totality since 1905.

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A new photograph from the James Webb Space Telescope is a dazzling explosion of color – but the image also suggests that water can survive even when relatively close to a black hole.

The photograph shows a star named IRS 3, which is .55 light years away from the black hole near the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, Sagittarius A*. While the photograph itself looks worthy of wall art, the new image highlights a significant find for researchers.

According to the European Space Agency and the international team of researchers, the photograph suggests the presence of oxygen-rich dust as well as the presence of water surrounding the star.

The data was picked up by James Webb’s Mid-Infrared camera – the first time that IRS 3 has been analyzed using infrared. The mid-infrared camera is capable of looking through dust clouds and helping to analyze the temperatures and chemical composition in space.

The international team reconstructed the star’s envelope by running the infrared data through simulations built around how light is known to travel.

Researchers previously thought that IRS 3’s bright mid-infrared profile was due to carbon, but the recent study suggests that IRS 3 is oxygen-rich. Researchers said that the evidence of water is a first of its kind for similar celestial objects.

“The detection of water is especially exciting because it shows that molecular material can survive in an environment dominated by intense radiation,” said Macarena Garcia Marin of ESA, one of the study’s co-authors. “This tells us that even close to a supermassive black hole, stars can continue contributing material back into their surroundings.”

IRS 3 sits in a rather hostile part of space. The area has a high concentration of stars as well as intense radiation. The study suggests that water and oxygen are more capable of surviving those harsh environments than previously believed.

IRS 3 is an aging star, and the presence of oxygen and water suggests that these late-stage stars can still influence their surroundings and emit the types of ingredients used in forming new stars and planets, even amid one of the more harsh regions of space.

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Newly launched foreign-made drones aren’t allowed into the US under Federal Communications Commission restrictions – but now the drones that are allowed are about to be hit with higher import taxes. On August 13, US President Donald Trump announced new tariffs across several categories of drones in a move that will likely raise prices for aerial photographers and videographers.

The largest tariffs in the measure are the oversized military drones that weigh more than 25 kg, which will soon face a 100 percent tariff. But the smaller drones built for photo and video will also be affected, as smaller drones will face a 25 percent tariff.

Drones from certain regions will have a lower import tax, with a 15 percent tariff on drones coming from the European Union, Japan, Liechtenstein, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan. The lowest tariff rate is a 10 percent tariff applied to drones from the United Kingdom, provided that a majority of the hardware and software also originates from the UK.

I’m an American and a licensed drone pilot and photographer. The additional tariffs are a devastating blow to an already hurting aerial photography and videography industry.

The FCC restrictions on foreign drones already in place mean that the newest drones don’t get the necessary approval to be sold in the US. But the tariffs – which are set to be put in place 21 days from the announcement – are likely to make the drones that are available in the US more expensive.

Under the new measures, previously announced drones, including those from DJI, that are still available with the FCC restrictions would see a 25 percent increase in import taxes.

Photographers have already seen what increased tariffs do to camera prices, as several camera brands raised prices last year amid last year’s tariffs. Some of those tariffs were turned down by the Supreme Court.

The tariffs come as the FCC considers revoking the authorization for previously approved drones that meet a certain set of features, including using LiDAR. A handful of popular consumer drones use LiDAR, including the DJI Mini 5 Pro and the DJI Avata 360. The FCC is seeking public comment on the possible move until September 02.

While new DJI and other foreign-made drones are no longer eligible to obtain the necessary FCC authorization to launch in the US, DJI has filed a lawsuit over the ban, a legal battle that remains ongoing.

Both the tariffs and the FCC restrictions are meant to strengthen US drone production. The White House says that relying on foreign sources for UAVs “poses significant risk to US national security and creates cybersecurity vulnerabilities.”

The challenge for drone photographers, as well as general consumers and first responders using consumer-grade drones, is that the US companies that build drones offer devices for military, agriculture, inspection, and Hollywood-level films, but American drone companies do not yet offer consumer-grade drones after Skydio dropped out of the consumer market.

Another key challenge to building a US-based supply chain is that many components are heavily sourced overseas, including the rare earth magnets used in drone motors and lithium used in batteries.

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Light Lens Lab has officially opened orders for its new 35mm f/2 Apochromatic lens for Leica M-mount, bringing another intriguing premium optic to photographers who want classic manual-focus handling combined with decidedly modern optical ambitions.

The lens has been teased previously, but it is now available to order, including a special Titanium Limited Edition that will only be offered for preorder between now and September 10 2026.

This 35mm f/2 also marks the beginning of what Light Lens Lab calls its new Apochromatic Series – and the optical specification certainly suggests the company is aiming high.

The design incorporates four aspherical elements alongside multiple elements manufactured using ultra-low-dispersion and anomalous partial-dispersion glass, with the intention of controlling chromatic aberrations while delivering high levels of sharpness across the frame.

A newly developed high-transmission multilayer coating has also been employed, to further suppress chromatic aberration and purple fringing.

Light Lens Lab says the lens has been designed to deliver excellent distortion control, edge-to-edge performance and smooth out-of-focus rendering, while maintaining natural transitions between areas that are in and out of focus.

That combination should make the 35mm f/2 an interesting proposition for Leica M photographers who want a lens capable of producing plenty of detail without sacrificing the character and rendering that often make rangefinder lenses so appealing in the first place.

Perhaps one of its most interesting features, however, is just how close it can focus. The new 35mm f/2 has a minimum focusing distance of just 0.3 meters, considerably closer than the traditional rangefinder-coupled focusing distance offered by many Leica M lenses.

Light Lens Lab has incorporated a floating optical system designed to maintain consistent image quality throughout the focusing range, which should make that close-focusing capability genuinely useful rather than simply an additional number on the specification sheet.

Naturally, taking full advantage of 0.3m focusing on a traditional Leica M body will require Live View or an electronic viewfinder once you move beyond the rangefinder-coupled distance.

There is plenty going on mechanically, too, with Light Lens Lab saying that its high-precision optical and mechanical components have been developed in-house. Miniature bearings are used within the focusing mechanism to provide smooth and accurate operation, and buyers can choose between two different barrel designs.

There is a smooth version without knurling for a particularly clean and understated appearance, or a close-focus-knurled version that adds additional grip. Both versions use exactly the same optical design, although the smooth barrel is a limited-time configuration that will only remain available to order until the end of December 2026.

Anyone placing an order should be prepared for a little patience, however. Light Lens Lab says the complexity of manufacturing its apochromatic optics means each lens will initially be produced and assembled individually.

Smooth-barrel versions are expected to begin shipping from September 30 2026, with fulfillment continuing through November, while the knurled model is scheduled to begin shipping in December 2026 and continue into January 2027.

With four aspherical elements, floating optics, enviable close focusing and that compact Leica M format, this looks like one of Light Lens Lab’s most ambitious lenses yet – and certainly one I would be very interested to put on the front of an M camera.

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The world’s leading digital photography magazine, Digital Camera launched in 2002 and has been helping photographers of all skill levels to improve their images ever since.

Every issue is packed with technique tips, tutorials, inspiring images and expert buying advice, plus the latest news and equipment reviews, as well as a selection of bonus gifts (see below).

You don’t have to be a seasoned climber to capture beautiful views of mountains – this month’s cover feature shows you how to get great results from distance… even from the window of your car.

Award-winning outdoor photographer Jeremy Flint shares his expert insights for taking your landscape shooting to new heights, including preparation, composition, kit tips, and using filters for long exposures. Turn to page 64.

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to Digital Camera magazine and get the magazine delivered to your door every month. Choose between a print or digital subscription, or a bundle of the two.

All print subscribers to Digital Camera magazine can now access digital back issues dating from 2009 (when using iOS) or 2012 (when using the Pocketmags Magazine Newsstand app or the Pocketmags website).

Starting on page 43, our Photo Skills projects section will help you become a better photographer.

This month, you can learn how to photograph birds at a wetland reserve (pictured, above), turn holiday pictures into a photo book, get new perspectives on street photography – and more.

Other projects this month include learning how to use framing devices for landscapes, and shooting the sun safely with a dedicated sun filter.

Plus, street photographer Kevin Etherington discusses his photo zine 'Nocturne' (pictured, above), which features a series of images he captured at night in his home city of Newcastle, UK.

Other highlights in September's Digital Camera

September's Digital Camera Apprentice reader challenge sees macro pro Tony North give keen reader Shane Sellers a masterclass in close-up photography.

Looking to immerse himself more in macro, Shane partners up with Tony and goes in search of damselflies at first light.

See the results of their early-morning quest from page 8.

Depth of field is an essential creative skill that’s up there with accurate exposure and focusing, says Will Cheung.

But if you'd like to know how to deploy depth of field even more creatively, whatever style you enjoy shooting, then Will has everything you need to know, in Camera Clinic.

From lens and accessory choice to honing your eye and focusing tips, dive straight in from page 88.

Hotshots showcases the category winners from the Hasselblad Masters 2026.

With more than 108,000 image submissions from photographers in 160 countries and regions, across seven categories, the Hasselblad Masters is regarded as one of the most prestigious professional photography competitions.

See what impressed the judges from page 80.

Ever wondered if it was possible to photograph 299 humpback whales in one day? In this month's interview, we speak to someone who has done just that.

Chris Fallows is a leading fine-art wildlife photographer who funnels the proceeds of his print sales into conservation projects.

He shares some career highlights with us, and how he achieves his fine-art aesthetic, from page 122.

Our Digital Darkroom editing tutorials for September explore a range of creative techniques for Photoshop, Lightroom, Affinity and DxO PhotoLab 9.

Fundamentals (pictured, above) teaches you how to bring out the best from telephoto pictures of the moon, using Lightroom, while Get the Look shows how to rough up your shots with some grungy Photoshop effects.

Also in this month's Digital Darkroom, we walk you through how to create your own Photoshop Actions – sets of specific editing instructions.

And to give you a flavor of what you can achieve with Photoshop Actions, we’re giving away a batch of 30 that allow you to experiment with distinctive black and white treatments.

September's camera and lens reviews lead with a full test of the Leica SL3-P, the latest camera to join this full-frame mirrorless line-up.

On paper, it's the highest-performance Leica camera ever, but how good is it in real-world testing? Find out from page 112.

Also reviewed is the Canon RF 7-14mm F2.8-3.5L Fisheye STM, an all-in-one circular and diagonal fisheye that'll be a great addition to a creative Canon photographer's kit bag.

Two other reviews complete this month's Kit Zone: the Lumix S 40mm F2 L-Mount lens and leading image editing software DxO PhotoLab 9.

The latest issue of Digital Camera comes with an unrivaled selection of digital gifts 

September's bonus gifts include nine photo tips cards, 31 minutes of video tutorials and 40 software extras for Photoshop and Lightroom.

Here's the full list of the bonus gifts bundled with issue 311 of Digital Camera:

• Nine new photo tips cards covering landscapes, wildlife, astro – and more!
• 31 minutes of video tutorials for Lightroom, Photoshop and Affinity
• 40 bonus software extras (Actions, presets, and LUTs)
• 250-plus-page Camera Buyer’s Guide e-book full of buying advice

Subscribe now

Every issue of Digital Camera magazine is packed with tips, techniques, pro advice, reviews, news and inspiration.

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to Digital Camera magazine and get the magazine delivered to your door every month. Choose between a print or digital subscription, or a bundle of the two.

All subscribers to Digital Camera magazine can now access digital back issues dating from 2009 (when using iOS) or 2012 (when using the Pocketmags Magazine Newsstand app or the Pocketmags website).

You can buy limited back issues of Digital Camera magazine in print at our Magazines Direct secure store.

Alternatively, there is a range of different digital options available, including:

• Apple app (for iPad or iPhone)
• Zinio app (multi-platform app for desktop or smartphone)
• PocketMags (multi-platform app for desktop or smartphone)
• Readly (digital magazine subscription service)

As a self-confessed Nikon fanboy, there’s nothing I enjoy more than a good rumor about a new Nikon camera. And if there’s one camera rumor I’m holding onto more than a Nikon Z70 or a Nikon Z9 II, it’s talk of a stills-focused Nikon ZR. Especially if it turns out to be Nikon’s first full-frame fixed lens compact camera in the Z era.

Nikon Rumors has caught wind of a teeny tiny sliver of information that could have huge consequences, were this camera ever to make it to market. This unnamed and unsubstantiated Nikon camera was previously said not to feature a viewfinder, à la the Ricoh GR IV. But now, the rumor mill is saying it will have an EVF. Talk about whiplash!

Personally, this is music to my ears. I’m trying not to get caught up in Internet talk, but I cannot help but be extremely excited about even the slimmest prospect of this camera blossoming into reality. And while I was willing to live with it, I really wasn’t keen on the no-viewfinder talk.

To my mind, a camera like the Fujifilm X-M5 entirely warrants not having a viewfinder. Not only is it a capable stills and video hybrid camera, but it’s incredibly small. So small in fact, it’s about the closest you can get to an interchangeable-lens compact camera (however much an oxymoron that is).

Removing the EVF was a crucial design element in maintaining that incredible form factor. Another example is the GR IV or any model from the GR Series. These cameras are true compacts in that they can slip into the most conservative of pockets. A viewfinder would spoil that.

Obviously, it depends on what (if anything) Nikon is planning. If it’s aiming for the most portable design possible, then an EVF probably isn’t warranted. But if its intention is to compete with the larger compacts of the world, like the Fujifilm X100VI or Panasonic Lumix L10, then I think a viewfinder is absolutely necessary. Essential, even.

Interestingly, the rumor post doesn’t mention the fixed-lens aspect. It simply refers to “rumored Nikon camera without an EVF,” and talks in terms of the Fujifilm X-E5 and Sony A7C II. So, I guess there’s always the chance this camera could have an interchangeable-lens design. If it exists…

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A new study carried out by the folks behind an AI-powered photo editing software has found that the vast majority of its users don’t like the way its AI adjusts photos, often leaving creators with an “unnatural” final result.

The survey was carried out by Skylum, the parent company of Luminar, which found that, of 1,328 survey respondents, 76% who use Luminar on their smartphones dial back the AI suggestions to create a more “authentic” feel.

What’s more, according to the data, 93% of respondents, whom Skylum has defined simply as “photographers,” said they want results that look “natural.”

I don’t think this study reveals anything starkly different to what the photography community already feels towards AI in general: that part of the problem with the technology is that it can create results that just don’t feel right.

But I do think the study highlights that there is an acceptance within the community to use AI in post-production, as long as it doesn’t edit images in a way that you wouldn’t.

After all, 73% of respondents said staying “natural” mattered more to them than looking “flawless,” while only 39% of respondents said they hold back from AI editing altogether, which leads me to believe that photographers want the time-saving benefits of AI without feeling like AI has taken the reins.

Skylum also said that 80% of respondents would rather a photo captures “feeling” than “technical details”, which I guess does allude to a new insight that there may be a general feeling among photographers that AI oversharpens images, for example. However, that’s my take, as the company didn’t clarify what “technical details” meant.

I think the overall takeaway here is that, among Luminar users at least, there’s no issue with using AI, as long as it edits images in a way that reflects what they actually saw when pressing the shutter – and that the final result doesn’t deviate from the creative vision they had.

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Japan's sales numbers give us a great indicator of broader camera-buying trends, but the six-month figures are arguably more revealing than the monthly charts.

A new launch promotion can push a camera to number one for a month, but six months of sales give us a better idea of which models are consistently popular – and which could end the year as Japan's best-selling camera.

Major retail aggregator BCN+R has now published its list of the best-selling mirrorless cameras for the first half of 2026. And while we've seen some extraordinary releases this year, the top spot goes to an APS-C camera that was released in March 2023 – and Sony's record-breaking A7 V only makes eighth place.

The Canon EOS R50 triumphs at number one. Available for just $729 / £649 and despite being more than three years old, it continues to prove hugely popular.

Featuring a 24.2MP APS-C sensor, full-width 4K video and a wealth of social media-friendly shooting modes, it makes a great choice for beginner photographers, enthusiasts and content creators.

BCN's Top 10 best-selling mirrorless cameras, First half of 2026

1. Canon EOS R50
2. Sony ZV-E10 II
3. Canon EOS R10
4. Sony ZV-E10
5. Sony A6400
6. Nikon Z50 II
7. Fujifilm X-T30 III
8. Sony A7 V
9. Olympus PEN E-P7
10. Nikon Z50

Eight of the top ten cameras are APS-C, with one Micro Four Thirds camera at number nine – the Sony A7 C is the only full-frame camera on the list.

That suggests that photographers in Japan are still strongly drawn to cameras that are relatively compact, affordable and easy to use – rather than simply buying the newest or most expensive technology.

BCN's data is based on sales units, rather than revenue, and covers major electronics retailers and online stores in Japan.

Japan's #1: Canon EOS R50

The Canon EOS R50 combines a 24.2MP APS-C sensor with a compact body, interchangeable lenses and beginner-friendly controls, making it a natural upgrade for someone moving beyond a camera phone or compact camera.

But it's also unusually well-suited to modern content creation, featuring non-classic shooting modes. The EOS R50 can record vertical video via an orientation sensor that embeds rotation data. It also includes display aspect markers to help creators frame footage for different social platforms.

There's even a dedicated Movie for Close-up Demos mode, designed to make it easier to show products close to the camera – a particularly useful feature for product reviews and demonstrations on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

Its compact size and all-around make it one of the best travel cameras, while its affordable price and beginner-friendly design continue the Canon EOS M50's legacy as one of the best cameras for vlogging.

Record-breaking Sony only makes 8th place

Sony's latest full-frame hybrid camera launched in December 2025 and quickly became one of the most talked-about new cameras in Japan, dominating sales charts for months across different Japanese retailers.

The Sony A7 V offers a 33MP full-frame sensor, fast continuous shooting, AI-powered subject recognition, strong video capabilities, and the kind of performance aimed at serious enthusiasts and professionals.

Yet it only ranks eighth in BCN's first-half sales data. Which doesn't mean that the A7 V isn't popular; the important distinction is that BCN is ranking units sold.

A high-end full-frame camera costing several times more than an entry-level APS-C model doesn't need to sell anywhere near as many units to generate substantial revenue.

And that's where the EOS R50 has an obvious advantage. At around $729 / £649, the Canon is far more accessible than the A7 V, which is priced around $2,898 / £2,799.

For someone buying their first interchangeable-lens camera, the R50 offers plenty of image quality and flexibility without requiring a huge investment in the camera body.

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GoPro’s Hero series is so old that the first one was a 35mm film camera launched in 2004. But now, more than 20 years later, for the first time GoPro’s flagship camera doesn’t carry the Hero name.

The launch of the GoPro Mission 1 Pro brings a number of key questions, but chief among fans of the action camera giant brand is this one: What does the Mission series mean for the GoPro Hero line?

I recently sat down with Pablo Lema, GoPro’s senior vice president of product management, to chat about GoPro’s Mission era. While GoPro declined to talk specifics about future products, Lema did offer a hint of hope for fans of GoPro’s Hero series.

“There's a spot for Mission 1 in the lineup, and there's a spot for Hero-like products,” Lema said, explaining that options like the GoPro Lit Hero, the Hero13 Black and the Mission 1 Pro are all targeted towards a different type of user.

While options like the Lit Hero are targeted towards the most budget-conscious users and the Mission 1 series has become the company’s new flagship, Lema says that the GoPro Hero13 is still “the ultimate POV camera.”

So with the Mission 1’s larger sensor and 8K 30p open gate video, why does GoPro still consider the Hero13 Black the king of POV? The Hero13 Black has a 12mm equivalent ultra-wide view, where the widest look on the Mission 1 Pro is a 15mm equivalent.

But the Hero13 Black’s reign for POV is about more than the lens – the dimensions of the sensor play a role, too, along with the Hero13’s support for lens mods. The Hero13 Black uses a nearly square sensor with an 8:7 aspect ratio for more versatile horizontal-to-vertical crops, where the Mission 1 Pro is 4:3.

“We couldn't make Mission 1 with an 8:7 sensor, like we had on Hero13,” Lema explained. “That doesn't exist; 1-inch type, 8:7 sensors aren't there yet.

“As a result, if you are a pure POV shooter, if you mountain bike or ski, if immersion is where you're really seeking, then Hero13, with a wide lens mod, is the king. That is the king of maximum POV, maximum balance of fps and aspect ratio. That's what you're gonna use.”

Lema says that the Mission 1 Pro can be used as a POV camera, but it’s meant to slot in above the Hero13 for creators who are filming more than POV shots.

“Hero is sort of the meat of that POV action market,” Lema said. “We still love Hero13 Black; we still think the Hero13 Black is the ultimate POV camera in the world… And then Mission, as we discussed, is sort of a more high-end kit above it, with really incredible performance. They each have their place in the line-up.”

This story is part of a four-part series on GoPro’s next era with an exclusive interview. Read part one here.

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One of the reasons I love reporting on camera trap surveys is that they not only provide interesting imagery of rare species in the wild – they also play a key role in conservation efforts. This latest story, from Sikkim, northern India, is a key example.

For only the second time ever, the Eurasian lynx has been caught on camera in this region, which lies within the Himalayas. The Eurasian lynx is a medium-sized wild cat characterized by ear tufts and a short tail, and is adapted to cold, high-altitude areas.

In fact, it marks only the second time that this rarely sighted big cat has ever been caught on camera in the entire Eastern Himalayas, with both photos proving to be the only, yet vital visual confirmation conservationists have of this species’ distribution in these parts.

“The photographic confirmation of the Eurasian lynx in the Tso Lhamo plateau is a proud moment for Sikkim,” said Sri Udai Gurung, chief conservator of forests, Forest and Environment Department, Sikkim.

“It highlights the ecological significance of our high-altitude rangelands and reinforces our commitment to protecting these fragile ecosystems.”

The sighting was recorded as part of a long-term monitoring project being jointly conducted by the Government of Sikkim and WWF-India.

Following years of anecdotal reports of the Eurasian lynx in the region, the photograph was captured in January this year by a camera trap deployed at 17,224ft / 5,250m on the Tso Lhamo plateau in Mangan district.

Together with the first-ever Himalayan photographic record of the Eurasian lynx, captured in 2025 , the images will help form the basis of further research to document the species in this region of the world's tallest mountain range.

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As a medium format shooter, I usually have to make a choice: wide angle or wide aperture. But thanks to this new 30mm f/2.4 lens from Zhong Yi Optics, now I can have the best of both worlds.

The new ZY Optics Pittura 30mm f/2.4 does what no other lens in Fujifilm or Hasselblad's lineups can do: deliver a wide-angle view and a wide diaphragm. And it goes one step further by offering enviable close focusing, too.

With an equivalent 24mm field of view (in 35mm terms), the Pittura 30mm f/2.4 gives GFX owners a full stop of additional light-gathering capacity over native options like the Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR and Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR.

Hasselblad doesn't offer a 30mm lens in its ecosystem, with its closest alternatives being the Hasselblad XCD 25V (f/2.5) and Hasselblad XCD 38V (f/2.5). But while the Pittura's advantage in the speed stakes is much slighter than it is for GFX users, it still outshines both systems in the close-focusing stakes.

The Pittura 30mm f/2.4 boasts a minimum focus distance of 0.2m, pipping the closest options for both Fujifilm (0.32m on the GF 30mm f/3.5) and Hasselblad (0.25m on the XCD 25V).

The ZY Optics lens also has more aperture blades than the competition. Combined with the fast f/2.4 aperture, the 11-bladed design renders smooth, circular out of focus elements.

It also has an impressively compact and lightweight build – coming in at around 550g and measuring 81 x 80mm for GFX and 73 x 84mm for XCD.

The tradeoff to all these advantages is that this is a fully manual lens, with no electronic contacts to communicate autofocus or EXIF data. However, this is arguably offset by a price that is literally $3,000 less than the competition.

The ZY Optics Pittura 30mm f/2.4 is available now for just $499 (approximately £369 / AU$705). You can find more information at the Zhong Yi Optics site.

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The Insta360 X-series has long sat at the top of the best 360 cameras, but the camera maker doesn’t just want to replace the X5 with the new Insta360 X6 – no, the company wants to replace three cameras in one.

The Insta360 X6 levels up the company’s flagship 360 model with larger sensors, AI that edits videos in the background, and Dolby Vision (a first for 360 cameras that means optimized brightness and contrast). But the X6 also sits at a higher price point than the X5’s launch price.

The key upgrade to the X6 is the move to two Sony 1/1.1-inch sensors. Those sensors are about a third larger than the X5’s, but Insta360 says the X6 has about four times as much light-gathering power.

Along with that sensor, Insta360 didn’t add one processor but three – a move to add five times more computing power. Besides aiding the 360 camera’s sharpness and denoising, that massive update in power is built for AI that works behind the scenes.

That opens the door to higher resolution output, including 5K60fps video in single-camera mode, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Insta360 explains that, when the X6 is plugged in, the camera automatically begins assembling a highlight reel of the footage using on-board AI, wirelessly delivering the edit to a smartphone. Insta360’s Auto Edit is still intact and improved to version 2.0, giving users tools to create an automatic edit but with more fine-tuned control like the framing, camera movement, cuts, and music.

There is even the power available to create 3D models of an environment using 3D Gaussian splatting, and "return anytime."

360 cameras have often served as a replacement for action cameras too – using a single lens instead of two for more standard POV footage. But Insta360 says the X6 does the job of not just two cameras but three: a 360 camera, an action camera, and a gimbal camera.

The X6 has a new flat tracking mode that tracks a person across a standard 4K frame, which Insta360 says gives the X6 the ability to act like a gimbal camera. Gimbal cameras like the DJI Pocket series have risen dramatically in popularity – and Insta360 now even has its own take on the format with the Insta360 Luna Ultra.

The move to add a gimbal cam mode makes a lot of sense – much of the benefit of 360 cameras comes from the fact that the immersive data means adjusting the framing or adding stabilization doesn’t decimate the video’s resolution.

Insta360 is putting those extra pixels into use with a flat tracking mode that produces a standard frame video while tracking a subject. 360 cameras could do this before with re-framing, but the new InstaFrame 2.0 acts like a gimbal camera without any editing. The X6 isn’t about to replace the Insta360 Luna Ultra gimbal cam that launched just two months ago – as the Luna uses a dual lens design that also allows for more telephoto shots – but it aims to build in wide-angle tracking without a second camera.

Compared to the earlier X5 – the camera that sits at the top of the list of the best 360 cameras – the X6 goes beyond the updated sensor and processor and also adds more battery life, I-Log recording, upgraded cooling, and more durable lens covers (that are also cheaper to replace).

Those upgrades, however, come at a cost. The X5 debuted at $549.99 / £519.99 / AU$929.99, but the X6 comes in at $699 / £619 / AU1,049.

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It's become an all-too-familiar story: the rising cost of memory. Thanks to the insatiable appetite for HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) from AI data centers, memory manufacturers have been diverting their resources to produce this highly lucrative commodity, leaving reduced supply of the NAND flash used in camera memory cards and SSDs. And as we know, when supply is tight, prices rise, which is why we've seen such a relentless increase in the cost of memory cards throughout 2026.

Many will therefore be hoping for a reprieve, but according to Samsung, one of the world's largest memory manufacturers responsible for around a third of global memory production, the situation is likely to get worse, not better.

Samsung has stated that it expects the memory supply to be even tighter in 2027 due to even greater demand from AI companies, and things may not get much better in 2028. It’s not just Samsung that predicts such a dire outlook for memory pricing. SanDisk is another major player in the memory market, and it too has forecast significant supply constraints, while having multi-year contracts with AI clients consuming its manufacturing capacity for the immediate future.

It's not just memory cards and SSDs that have seen steep price rises in 2026. Any consumer electronics requiring fast NAND flash has been subject to the memory shortage, from camera phones to games consoles. As long as memory producers like Samsung, Micron and SanDisk have their order books filled for years to come by AI companies willing to pay top dollar for HBM, everyday consumers like you and me wanting a new CFexpress card or portable SSD will find a dwindling supply with inflated pricing.

The next few years could be less bleak if you're a shareholder in one of the memory giants though. The stock price of Samsung Electronics, SanDisk and Micron have skyrocketed in the last 12 months, and analysts predict they could rise still higher thanks to unprecedented AI demand.

The 2026 solar eclipse only reached totality for a small slice of the globe, but thanks to talented photographers and videographers, my feed is drowning in eclipse photos so good, they don’t even look real.

While GenAI means I should be rightfully wary of the photos in my feed, the reason that the best eclipse photos look too good to be true has nothing to do with software – and everything to do with optics.

From a wingsuiter flying through the eclipse to a skateboarder in mid-air in front of a giant eclipse, the best photos and videos coming from the 2026 eclipse have an unreal quality for one simple reason: the eclipse looks far too large.

In some shots, the eclipse dominates the frame, appearing larger-than-life in the background. But the moon actually doesn’t look that big from Earth, so how are photographers and videographers creating jaw-dropping artwork that makes the eclipse appear so large?

The answer lies in a powerful photography trick: forced perspective.

Forced perspective is a type of optical illusion that makes something look larger than it really is. This is the same type of trick that tourists use to make it look like the Eiffel Tower fits in a hand, only in reverse.

In photography, there are two key components to getting the moon or sun – and thus the eclipse – to look larger than it really is using forced perspective.

First, when the sun and moon are the closest to the horizon, they will look larger than when positioned higher in the sky. That’s one of the reasons why the total eclipse over Spain was so unusual, as totality happened near sunset while the sun and moon were close to the horizon.

But the other key part of the trick is the lens. A telephoto lens makes the background appear larger in the photo than a wide-angle lens does. This is called lens compression.

The longer the telephoto lens is, the larger the eclipse appears in the background – so those extremely large eclipses are the result of extremely long telephotos, sometimes aided with teleconverters.

This photo was taken with a telephoto lens:

This photo was taken by the same photographer, but with a wider lens, making the eclipse look smaller:

Another key component is that the subject should be far away as well – as something up close to the lens will look much larger than the eclipse in the background.

The photos making the eclipse look unnaturally large are a result of using extreme telephoto lenses, a distant subject, and positioning the eclipse close to the horizon. No, photographers don’t have the power to move the sun, but they can make the eclipse appear even closer to the horizon by using hills, plateaus, and buildings.

These larger-than-life eclipse shots not only require heavy, expensive lenses, but often advanced planning to find a location that will heighten the effect by making the eclipse appear as close to the horizon as possible. And that makes the stunning photos and videos coming from the 2026 solar eclipse all the more jaw-dropping.

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After a long series of teasers, the first smartphone to come from the partnership between cinema camera maker ARRI and Chinese mobile phone brand Honor is here – but the unusual Honor Robot Phone may be just the start of the collaboration.

Unveiled on August 12, the much-teased Honor Robot Phone has an unusual camera design: a folding gimbal that sits at the top of the phone. That gimbal camera powers steadier video, but also tricks like following subjects as they move and stitching three photos together for a wider group shot. The gimbal even has a party trick – it can dance if you ask the Yoyo AI assistant.

That gimbal houses a 200MP telephoto camera and a 50MP wide-angle camera. There’s a 50MP selfie camera too, though the gimbal can turn the camera around as far as 300 degrees.

The gimbal tucks away into the back of the phone when not in use, despite still being under 10mm (0.37 inches) thick. Weather resistance is still part of the Robot Phone’s design – though not as much as some devices, and the camera needs to be tucked away to earn the IP54 rating.

Beyond the camera’s unusual gimbal design, cinema camera maker ARRI’s influence is evident. The Robot Phone uses ARRI color science, but the brands say the colors were rebuilt specifically for a smartphone’s smaller sensors and optics.

Integrating ARRI camera tech into a smartphone puts capture and editing in the same device. The camera captures 10-bit ARRI Log C3, allowing for more highlight and shadow detail, while Looks and Wide Gamut 3 help boost color edits.

The Honor Robot Phone, however, has so far only been announced in China – availability in additional countries has not yet been released, and Honor does not currently have a presence in the US. Regardless, the unusual design is eye-catching.

The two brands' partnership points to the potential for further collaborations down the road.

“The companies’ joint imaging technology lab is exploring further developments in three areas: sensor-level optics and dynamic range; end-to-end cinema industry workflows from capture through postproduction; and imaging realism and aesthetic standards in the era of AI,” the announcement reads. “As part of this ongoing work, the companies will continue to refine and advance the integrated imaging technologies.”

In China, the Robot phone costs 9,999 RMB, which is about $1,483 / £1,099 / AU$2,100.

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Solar eclipses are often once-in-a-lifetime shots, but mix the celestial event with extreme sports, and photographers have mere seconds to get the shot. That was certainly the case when photographer Noah Wetzel set out to capture a photo of a wingsuit flyer crossing in front of the 2026 eclipse.

The photograph freezes Red Bull athlete Mike Brewer crossing the total eclipse in a wingsuit, traveling at more than 150mph (241kph) and only 15 feet (4.5m) above a ridgeline over a remote desert near Madrid, Spain, near sunset on August 12.

While solar eclipses happen somewhere on Earth around every 18 months, the August 12 eclipse was unusual not just because it was the first total eclipse that Spain has seen since 1905, but because the moon passed over the sun just near sunset.

The sun and moon tend to appear the largest when closest to the horizon, so the timing of the 2026 eclipse in Spain meant Wetzel could play with forced perspective – an optical illusion that makes objects appear larger – and extreme telephoto optics in order to make the eclipse seem larger than life.

Telephoto lenses will make the sun and moon appear larger, but for this shot, just one telephoto lens wouldn’t do. Wetzel used the Canon EOS R5 Mark II with two interconnected Canon 600mm f/4 L IS USM lenses, setting up nearly a mile away from the path of the wingsuit flight.

While the lenses would help the eclipse appear larger in the frame, the eclipse presented another problem: almost complete darkness. Wetzel set up a complex wireless flash system on the plateau to help freeze the action of the wingsuits and prevent a silhouette.

Wetzel would only have 84 seconds to get the shot – a photograph that is the result of nine months of planning and 600 hours of practice and test runs. The team also did a test run at dawn in Utah that required rafting to the location and hiking up a mountain in the desert. A local wingsuiter – Dani Román – also helped with the planning and flew that day as well.

“I can’t express how insanely challenging that was to line up that photograph,” Wetzel said. “I couldn’t be more stoked with the result. That is as good as it gets and has to be one of…if not the most complex, precise, and pressure-saturated photographs ever captured. That took everything I had in me, and I can honestly say I will probably never pursue another photograph on that level in my career again.”

The photograph wasn’t Wetzel’s first jaw-dropping eclipse photo – he previously won a Red Bull Illume award in 2019 for an eclipse shot with a mountain biker.

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This year, the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) – a charity promoting contemporary art and architecture in Scotland – celebrates its bicentennial anniversary. And in honor of the moment, it will host an exhibition covering 200 years of its home country’s photographic history.

PhotoDalkeith RSA 200 will be hosted at the iconic Dalkeith Castle, just outside Edinburgh, and will display the photography of some 120 artists, exploring the medium’s development across the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

“We are delighted to present this exhibition at Dalkeith Palace, which traces the evolution of photography from its pioneering beginnings to the present day,” said Calum Colvin, one of the exhibition curators at the RSA.

On display are prominent photos from the Buccleuch Collection, one of the world's largest private art and decorative collections, owned by the Buccleuch Family, for whom Dalkeith Castle was built in 1711.

Among the exhibited collection items will be a portrait of Lady Constance (1877-1970), daughter of the 6th Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, thought to have been taken in 1885, when she was 8 years old.

Other notable works to be featured include Wendy McMurdo’s The Games Hall. Originally trained as a painter, McMurdo became a photographer in the 1980s and was an early pioneer in experimenting with digital manipulation.

There’s also more recent imagery from Leena Nammariy (2021-22), whose multidisciplinary practice combines photography and printmaking to explore themes of identity, community and social engagement.

Entry to PhotoDalkeith RSA 200 costs £3 (approximately $4 / AU$5.75) and the exhibition will open Friday to Sunday, 10:0-16:00, from August 22 to September 27 2026. The exhibition extends beyond the Palace walls with large-scale outdoor photographic installations and interactive photo frames throughout Dalkeith Country Park.

The RSA is hosting celebrations throughout its bicentennial anniversary, which you can learn more about, along with finding further details of the photography exhibition, at its official website.

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The Fujifilm GFX100 RF is a truly unique compact camera, bringing medium format photography to a remarkably portable body. Featuring a 102MP sensor, it is the highest-resolution compact to date.

Following its DGP Imaging Award win last year, one of Japan's most prestigious honors recognizing innovation and excellence in digital image making, and its IF Design Award win in 2026 for "embodying pure photographic pleasure", it now takes home the Red Dot Design Award 'Best of the Best'.

Weighing just 735g, the Fujifilm GFX100RF combines the portability of the APS-C Fujifilm X100VI with the power of the GFX system. The multi-award-winning camera redefines what a compact can be, making it one of the most distinctive high-resolution cameras available today.

The Fujifilm GFX100RF wins the Red Dot Design award

"Taking a photograph begins not with the act of pressing the shutter release button but with the decision as to which part of the world should be shown. The Fujifilm GFX100RF puts this moment center stage," Red Dot explains.

"In use, the Fujifilm GFX100RF seems less like a piece of technology and more like an analog tool whose quality is conveyed by its tactile properties, weight and resistance,” noted the jury, clearly impressed.

"Complexity has been not reduced but reimagined." The jury described this approach as "extreme standard" – a term that captures the tension between radical reduction and maximum refinement.

Red Dot adds, "The camera’s quality is, in effect, the result of the rigor with which an established principle has been advanced. The ability to choose the aspect ratio right from the start offers a new form of photographic control – not through additional functions but through the meticulous restructuring of existing possibilities."

Fujifilm GFX100RF's award winning run

Its recent Red Dot Design Award win is one of many honors the Fujifilm GFX100RF has received.

DGP Imaging Award
The DGP Imaging Award jury said, "The Fujifilm GFX series has made the world of medium format digital photography significantly more accessible. The GFX100RF achieves further compactness and lightness by being the first model in the series to feature an integrated lens, while maintaining a high-quality feel through its exterior using machined aluminum parts. We highly commend its ability to make medium format's ultra-high image quality easily accessible."

IF Design Award
"Delivering outstanding resolution, the GFX100RF is the world’s first camera to combine a large-format sensor with a built-in lens, fusing the GFX Series’ highest image quality with excellent mobility," noted IF Design.

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Just under a month ago, I wrote an article titled: A goat versus Gaza: Leica's award shortlist highlights one of the biggest challenges in photography contests.

The point of my piece is that when it comes to merit, it's difficult to separate an image from a warzone against an image of a goat, especially when the former provokes such strong emotional reactions.

Well, turns out there were even bigger challenges to come for the organizers of Leica's 2026 Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA).

First, some context. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, athletes, artists and cultural figures from the former have been locked out of a range of international contests and events, regardless of their personal politics or whether they actually live in Russia.

FIFA, the IOC and Wimbledon's organizers have imposed blanket or partial bans on Russian participation, arguing that neutrality is impossible while the war continues and that representation risks being used as propaganda by the state.

Cultural institutions have followed suit; canceling exhibitions, performances and more, with a special focus on people tied to Russian state bodies.

Now Leica has done the same, removing Valery Melnikov– a Russian documentary photographer based in Moscow – from its Oskar Barnack Award shortlist.

His series, Mariupol: Open Wounds, had previously been selected by the jury and published alongside the other 11 finalists in July.

Now it's gone, following what Leica describes as a legal and compliance review, and following weeks of pressure from Ukrainian photographers and critics.

What the series focused on

Situated on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, Mariupol was once the tenth largest city in Ukraine. In 2022, a three-month-long siege by Russian forces largely destroyed it.

Still under Russian control today, the BBC reports that residents regularly experience clean water shortages, frequent power cuts and severe shortages of basic medicines.

Melnikov's project focuses on residents who stayed in Mariupol after Russia's siege of the city in 2022, and on what he calls the unbearable humanitarian consequences that followed. It's serious, sustained documentary work: he's been shooting in the region since 2022 and, by his own account, it's a personal project rather than a commissioned one.

The trouble is context – or rather the lack of it. Ukrainian photographer Serhii Korovainyi, who has covered the war extensively, complained there was no mention of who killed tens of thousands of civilians in the city or who destroyed it.

The Kyiv Independent went further, describing Melnikov as a Kremlin media-linked photographer and detailing his association with Rossiya Segodnya, the state media group that owns Russia Today, for which he's worked since 2009.

Melnikov doesn't dispute this connection; he says it's always been public knowledge and that it didn't stop the jury from selecting his work in the first place. And it's undeniable that he has a point. Since being shortlisted, the facts haven't changed – only the scrutiny.

As someone who's visited wartime Ukraine as a journalist, and who has Ukrainian family members myself, it's tough to be unbiased. But if I try to leave my personal feelings aside, I can see there is a fundamental issue of principle here. Does the context belong to the image or to the caption?

Melnikov's photographs, on their own, show injury, loss and endurance. But they don't, in themselves, assign blame. And his critics argue that omission isn't neutral in a war where responsibility is disputed and where Russia continues to occupy the city he's photographing.

Institutions that platform such work, the argument goes, inherit some responsibility for the framing around it, whether they intend to or not.

That's not, however, a standard that the photography world applies consistently. Plenty of war photography arrives without an editorial essay attached and juries have traditionally judged the image itself, not the photographer's employer.

What's the criteria?

If access, affiliation and biography become part of the selection criteria after the fact, maybe contests need to be far more explicit about that from the outset, rather than making the call once public pressure builds.

On a practical level, photographers who get sustained access to occupied territory rarely do so without some relationship to the authorities controlling it.

Try shooting in Gaza, for instance, without being at least cordial with Hamas. That doesn't automatically discredit your images, but it does imply a need for clear, consistent policy on affiliation before a contest shortlists anyone.

So far, Leica hasn't said if it will revise its selection criteria for future editions of LOBA – and it's not obvious what a workable policy would even look like.

Excluding anyone with state media ties would rule out a great deal of conflict photography produced under authoritarian regimes, where independent access simply doesn't exist. Meanwhile, does the BBC for instance count as state media?

The rabbit holes are many.

What's certain is that the 11 left on the shortlist, including Saher Alghorra's Gaza series and Anush Babajanyan's work on the Aral Sea, will now be judged and exhibited under a cloud that has nothing to do with their own images.

Moreover, the old assumption that a jury judges the photograph and leaves the photographer's politics at the door clearly no longer holds in all situations.

Anyone entering, commissioning or judging documentary work needs to bear all this in mind, if similar controversies are to be avoided in the future.

Pelican is arguably a brand best known for its hard cases for cameras, but the company also has a series of soft-sided camera bags designed for adventure. The Pelican Aegis series is now as much as half off, steeply discounting slings, backpacks and rolling camera duffles.

The sale comes as Pelican recently sent adventure photographer Chris Burkard across sand, storms and even a powered hang glider flight to demonstrate the versatility of the Aegis series.

As mishaps like a broken-down truck shifted plans, the adventure photographer grabbed a different bag – and kept shooting.

ABOVE: Watch Burkard's adventure with Aegis bags

While the Chris Burkard project is an excellent short film about overcoming challenges, what really caught my eye is that several bags in the series are steeply discounted right now, as much as 22% to 53% off in the US.

While the Aegis series doesn’t use Pelican’s well-known hard-sided shells, the series still uses the brand’s compression-molded design to help absorb impact to any gear inside.

Pelican's hard cases aren't meant to be worn, but that's where the Aegis series' soft-sided design comes in with slings and backpacks designed for that purpose.

🇺🇸 Save up to 53%

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Artificial intelligence is changing photography at a remarkable pace. From editing assistance to image enhancement, AI-powered tools are becoming part of everyday workflows – but they are also raising important questions about creativity, ownership and the future role of photographers.

For Capture One CEO Rafael Orta, the answer is not about rejecting new technology. Instead, it is about ensuring that technology remains connected to photography itself.

"We think of ourselves as a photography company and we think of ourselves as part of the photography industry specifically," Orta says. "We're a photography company. We're at the service of photographers. We're at the service of the craft."

A photography company in the AI era

Capture One has been developing editing software for more than 30 years, originally helping professional photographers transition from film-based workflows into digital photography.

As AI has become increasingly important in imaging technology, Orta says the company's identity has remained consistent.

"We never had a crisis of identity," he explains. "We never had any disposition to reinvent ourselves as an AI company."

Instead, Capture One sees AI as another technology that can support photographers – provided it is developed with the industry's needs in mind.

"What that has allowed us to do is to look at AI as a technology that has some utility for the photography workflows," says Orta.

The key question, he explains, is not simply what AI can achieve, but how it can be integrated responsibly.

"Looking at it from the perspective of what are the things that we have to protect as we think about these technologies as it relates to the industry."

Putting photographers' rights first

One of the biggest concerns surrounding AI in creative industries is how images are sourced and used.

For Orta, this is an issue that feels particularly important because photography is deeply embedded within Capture One itself. Many members of the team are photographers, meaning questions around image ownership and attribution are not abstract discussions.

"We have a very significant population of photographers. They're part of the team," he says.

"We're very particular about credits and usage."

That principle applies even internally, where images used for presentations and marketing must include correct attribution and usage information.

"If I put up a photo in a presentation and I haven't credited the photographer, someone in the team is going to call me out," Orta says.

This same approach influences how Capture One develops its AI-powered features.

"When we build our software and AI models, we're completely conscious of what we can use to train them and whether we have the rights to use that material."

Building tools around photographers

Capture One has introduced AI-assisted features, including tools for face retouching, denoising and image enhancement, but Orta says the company has deliberately avoided making AI the centerpiece of the user experience.

"You may notice that we no longer label our tools AI," he explains.

"They just have a label for Retouch Faces, for example, Enhance Denoise. All of these tools have really, really powerful technology underneath them."

Rather than promoting the technology itself, Capture One wants photographers to focus on the creative task they are trying to accomplish. For Orta, AI should feel like another tool in the workflow, not the headline feature.

"We define ourselves as a photography company," he says. "Within the greater ecosystem of the industry, our contribution is that we build software – but we do it in the interest of the industry and photographers."

As AI continues to evolve, Capture One's philosophy remains the same: use new technology where it genuinely benefits photographers, while ensuring the craft – not the algorithm – remains at the centre of the creative process.

Explore Capture One's current plans and pricing, including a one-time purchase.

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The Ocean Photographer of the Year has just announced its 2026 finalists, revealing 84 extraordinary images of ocean wildlife, underwater landscapes and fragile ecosystems in need of our protection.

New this year, Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds takes photographers into a rarely seen world – capturing the ocean's smallest and most elusive inhabitants for the first time.

"These photographs don't just capture what’s beneath the surface; they surface the stories our planet most needs us to hear," said Ocean Photographer of the Year founder and director, Will Harrison. "As the pressures on our ocean grow, so does the importance of the artists who bear witness to them."

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

Finalist highlights: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026

Category: Adventure

Romona Robbins Reynolds
A cave diver follows a yellow guideline through the winding passages of a Mexican cenote. Formed over thousands of years as limestone dissolved and caves flooded, these submerged systems preserve spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.

Category: Conservation (Hope)

Thomas Pavy
A great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) is photographed at 180 feet / 55 metrers depth in Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa Atoll, during a population survey. This image represents the moment an anonymous shark becomes a known individual.

Category: Conservation (Impact)

Karsten Michels
During a Grindadráp in the Faroe Islands, a pilot whale lies on the shore as hunters carry out the final stages of the hunt. Children watch a tradition that has been passed between generations. The visible wounds and hunting tools show the injuries caused during a process that can last for hours.

Category: Fine Art

Ajiex Dharma
A Hingeback Cleaning Shrimp rests against a pink barrel sponge, its eye sharply focused while the surrounding colors dissolve into a soft blur.

Category: Human Connection (People and Planet Ocean)

Lin Yongxuan
Four fishermen stand in the shallow waters of Xiapu’s intertidal zone, using traditional push nets that spread across the surface like colorful sails.

New Category – Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds

Lale Alev Ozten Low
During a coral spawning night dive, a Christmas tree worm releases a stream of tiny eggs from the coral surface where it lives.

Category: Wildlife

Matthew Smith
Southern elephant seal pups explore shallow rock pools on Sea Lion Island in the Falkland Islands, testing their first movements in the water after being weaned by their mothers.

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Astrophotography to me has always seemed like a mix between planning, technique – and sheer luck. I was photographing the Northern Lights a few days ago when I managed to capture another astrophotography phenomenon in the same frame: a Perseid meteor.

While photographing the Northern Lights requires ideal conditions and the lights are often short-lived, that’s not entirely true for the Perseids. The meteors still need clear skies and low light pollution, but they're hardly a one-night-only show. While the Perseid meteors peak August 12-13, the meteor shower stretches from July 17 through August 24, leaving plenty of room to re-plan if clouds get in the way.

I took this photo on August 2, a full ten days before the peak of the meteor shower would heighten my chances of catching one – or several – in the same frame.

The challenging part about photographing the Perseids is that if I wait until I see one streak across the sky, I’ve already missed my shot. Catching the meteors on camera typically involves a long exposure time and taking multiple shots.

But trying to get the Northern Lights and a meteor in the same shot proved even trickier. The Northern Lights were close to the horizon, not overhead. I still wanted the lights reflected off the lake to be in the shot, so the sky only takes up part of the frame.

I managed to catch a meteor on the upper edge of the frame by digging out the widest lens that I have in my bag: The Venus Optics Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D, which, on my Fujifilm X-T4, is a 13.5mm lens in full-frame equivalent.

The 9mm is a recent addition to my camera bag that I added to my wish list specifically for astrophotography. The lens is one of the most affordable lenses in my bag (excluding the PolarPro LightLeak and a vintage film lens I picked up at a garage sale).

One of the reasons that the 9mm sits more on the affordable side is that it’s a manual-focus-only lens. I usually prefer autofocus lenses, but autofocus doesn’t work on the stars (at least, not for most cameras), so I knew I wouldn’t miss it too much.

I didn’t manage to catch the Perseid meteors until after the Northern Lights seemed to slow down a bit from the pillars that I spotted just after sunset. But I was ecstatic to catch multiple night sky phenomena in one shot, without stacking multiple images together.

The Perseids peak August 12-13 and continue through August 24. Read more on how to plan and what camera settings to use in this guide on how to photograph the Perseids.

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Who says billboard photography is dead? Not VSCO, the photography-social media hybrid platform, which is running an open call for 50 photographers to feature on billboards across each US state.

Like a blast from the past, the chosen photographers – who must be older than 18 and reside in the US – will see their work blown up in large format on a billboard.

Not only that, each photographer will feature on a billboard in their home state – which, for me, makes it an extra cool opportunity. How great would it be to go and stand by that billboard and get a picture?

The company says it's looking for “impactful images” with strong narratives that encourage people to stop and ponder. VSCO recommends submitting three to five images, especially if they're part of the same series.

There are no limits as to the genre of image you can submit, so if you’re a wildlife, portrait or documentary photographer, you’re eligible to enter. Whatever images you submit, if they include people, just be sure to secure a model release (as per the event rules).

VSCO says the selected images will be displayed on billboard from between two to four weeks, and that they could also be chosen for editorial features, curation and licensing opportunities.

The company says that this is all with a view of boosting your artistic prospects, which I think is a solid move in light of the growing challenges photographers face from AI and the shift to short-form video consumption.

You need to submit your images by September 10, and VSCO will then notify selected photographers on a rolling basis, also announcing it on its official blog. If your image is chosen, be sure to provide a high-resolution version for large-format printing.

That’s it for this amazing revival of billboard photography. Best of luck to all entrants and head to the event webpage for more information on entering.

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An image of a very uncommon and venomous snake appeared on Facebook on August 01, photographed at Singapore’s MacRitchie Reservoir. But would-be photographers or reptile enthusiasts are being warned not to approach or disturb the potentially dangerous species.

Judging by the Facebook comments, there seems to be some confusion as to whether the snake is poisonous or venomous and just how much of a danger it poses to humans. However, this has been cleared up by experts.

According to the Straits Times, the National Parks Board confirmed that the elusive reptile is both poisonous and venomous. The former refers to animals that secrete toxins when touched or ingested, while the latter requires toxins to be injected into the body via a bite.

The same news outlet quoted Dr Alex Figueroa of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, who stated: “The species is known to be venomous, so any handling should be left to experts”.

Judging by the photographs from Mat Chay, a fairly wide-angle lens was used – probably belonging to a camera phone. This would likely require getting closer to the reptile than is advised.

That’s why dedicated wildlife photographers rely on telephoto lenses and supertelephoto lenses, as well as the best trail cameras, allowing them to photograph subjects from a safe distance.

But as is often the case with wildlife photography, keeping a safe distance isn’t just about human safety. Some commenters on Facebook have noted that the reptile appears to have been in the process of ingesting a frog, which is a common form of prey for the species.

One concerned commenter stated: “Disturb the snake at this point and it will spit the carcass out then slither away hungry. Hope nobody denied it its meal.”

Thankfully, that’s what groups like Singapore Wildlife Sightings are for. Posts like Mat’s offer valuable insight into the country's biodiversity, while inviting others to offer advice that will hopefully keep humans (and snakes) sss-afe and sss-sound.

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Want to be a better wildlife photographer? Check out my 10 tips for wildlife photography. Plus, photographer chases owl around field and refuses to stop. This is why we need to talk more about wildlife photography ethics! And finally, here are the best cameras for wildlife.

GoPro isn’t the only action camera giant working on a mirrorless camera. In a recent interview, Insta360 CEO Jingkang “JK” Liu revealed that the company is working on not one but two mirrorless cameras.

The interview with Japanese publication MyNavi confirms the firestorm of camera rumors that Liu triggered himself earlier this year, when the CEO shared a photo of what looked like a mirrorless camera under development.

But while mirrorless is a well-known category, Liu’s comments hint that Insta360’s upcoming cameras won’t be like a typical interchangeable lens camera.

“I think we’ll be able to show everyone a prototype at next year’s CP+,” Liu said (translated by Google).

“This camera has the potential to completely change the way we take pictures with a camera – framing, focusing and pressing the shutter button. I’m really looking forward to seeing what kind of unconventional camera will be unveiled.”

But one of the reasons the mysterious mirrorless cameras will be unlike current options could be that Insta360 is planning on using AI in order to build, as Liu puts it, a mirrorless for “people who don’t know how to use interchangeable lens cameras”.

The interview hints that AI will be more of a focus than in cameras from traditional Japanese mirrorless makers, and include tools to automate shooting and reduce failed shots.

Liu offered one more hint about one of the upcoming mirrorless cameras: “It will be a shape no one has ever thought of before.”

Insta360 is no stranger to oddly shaped cameras, as the dual-lens nature of 360 imaging requires a design far different than traditional single-lens cameras.

During the interview, the CEO indicated that the new Insta360 Luna Ultra was selling well and that the optional head-tracking accessory had been so well received that some orders may be delayed.

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Read about GoPro's upcoming mirrorless camera or browse the best mirrorless cameras.

Google has just unveiled the latest Pixel camera phones – the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL – with promises including "major camera upgrades", Google's "fastest, most powerful chip" and, of course, lots of AI.

There's also a new, one-swipe Magic Capture mode "which catches the moment while you live it".

In terms of the cameras, the Google Pixel 11 boasts a larger 48MP main sensor (1/1.56-inch) that the company claims will deliver 56% more light sensitivity. The 5x telephoto lens takes advantage of the new Tensor G6 processor to deliver 30x Super Zoom.

The Google Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL likewise get a brand new sensor in the main 50MP camera (1/1.3-inch) that is claimed to be "Pixel's best camera yet". The 48MP telephoto also gets a larger sensor (1/1.95-inch) with 30% more light sensitivity and Portrait Mode at up to 5x, with up to 120x Pro Zoom.

The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold gets upgrades that appear to be in line with the base Pixel 11, in the form of a new 48MP main camera (1/1.56-inch) and up to 30x Super Zoom.

Google Pixel 11 series camera specs

What is Magic Capture on Google Pixel 11 phones?

New to the Pixel 11 generation is Magic Capture mode, "which catches the moment while you live it".

According to Google, "You don’t have to stress out over perfectly timed shutter taps, or stare at your viewfinder the whole time you’re capturing content. With one tap, get a video and high-quality photos which are share-ready, thanks to automatic cropping and unblurring."

Google does, however, point out in the small print that "results may vary".

Also new this year is Camera Looks, which enables you to "create your own set of distinct, professional-grade film styles and unique photo aesthetics, so you can take HDR+ photos that feel true to you.

"Developed with Pixel’s Real Tone philosophy in mind, Camera Looks ensures that even with highly stylised or personalised effects, we still deliver consistent, equitable results across all skin tones."

All four phones are available for pre-order now, with an August 20 official on-sale date. Prices start at $899 / £879 for the Pixel 11, $1,099 / £1,079 for the Pixel 11 Pro, $1,299 / £1,279 for the Pixel 11 Pro XL and $1,899 / £1,799 for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold (international pricing to follow).

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See how the new Pixels compare to the best camera phones and the best iPhones for photography.

The list of best-selling camera gear is often topped by new launches – but four of the trendiest prime lenses in Japan right now are more than a decade old. The number one lens on the list? It’s a 14-year-old Fujifilm lens that’s still widely available: the XF 35mm f/1.4 R.

The data comes from used camera marketplace app Minna Camera, a popular buy-and-sell camera gear platform in Japan that recently ranked prime lens data from the first half of 2026.

But while a peer-to-peer platform built for used gear will be more likely to lean towards older options, the list isn’t made up entirely of old options, as even the Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR, a 2025 pancake, slides into the top ten. (The more modern version of the popular 35mm, the Fujifilm XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR, makes the top 20 at spot 19.)

The Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 R isn’t the only older lens on the list, as all of the top three spots go to lenses that are a decade old, with four of the top ten being at least ten years old.

The second-place lens is even older: the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, a DSLR lens that launched in 2009. The 100mm was the first Canon optic to use a hybrid stabilization system, but it’s also a versatile prime for both portraits and macro with a 1x magnification.

Canon has a new mirrorless version of the lens, the Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, but the 2009 launch remains popular for DSLRs (or paired with an RF mount adapter).

The third spot on the list also goes to a Canon classic: the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM launched in 2015. The nifty fifty is one of the most popular focal lengths for primes on the list – which is 70% standard focal length primes between 35-55mm (in full frame equivalent), with the remaining 30% being longer macro optics.

While the top three primes on Minna Camera for 2026 so far are all more than a decade old, there’s one other lens in the top ten that’s similarly long-standing. The Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS, launched in 2015, sits in ninth place on the list.

When Minna Camera made a similar list but for zoom lenses, only one lens on the list was more than ten years old, suggesting photographers are more likely to pick up an older prime than an older zoom lens.

Beyond the long lifespan of some prime lenses, the list of trending lenses also hints at a few other key trends.

Minna Camera says that the price difference between the cheapest (the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM) and the most expensive lens on the list (the Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM, is 13.7 times. The company’s list of the most popular zoom lenses only had a 3.3x price range.

Fujifilm has the most lenses on the list with three (but that switches to Sony when looking at the top twenty instead). Along with that top 35mm f/1.4 prime, Fujifilm’s XF27mm f/2.8 R WR and XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR also made the list. Those latter two lenses are both pancakes, or slim primes designed for portability.

With the popularity of compact cameras, it’s unsurprising that compact lenses are also trending upwards – particularly when high demand has made some compact cameras more expensive than mirrorless outfits.

Prime lenses only make up about a quarter of lens trades on Minna Camera, with zooms taking up 74% of transactions in 2026 on the platform so far.

The top used prime lenses on Minna Camera for the first half of 2026 were:

1. Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R
2. Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
3. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
4. Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM
5. Fujifilm XF27mm f/2.8 R WR
6. Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S
7. Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM
8. Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS
9. Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S

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Of course, Christopher Nolan uses a modified medium-format SLR to preview shots on set!

The director, whose critically acclaimed filmography includes The Dark Knight, Oppenheimer and The Odyssey, has a penchant for film, vintage lenses and practical effects. He famously doesn’t own a smartphone and recently described himself as a “techno-skeptic” to the New York Times.

And now an Instagram post from sunny16lab (embedded below) has highlighted the legendary filmmaker’s penchant for a modified Pentax 67.

Originally called the Asahi Pentax 6×7, the medium format camera was launched in 1969 and spawned several variations, the last being released in 1999. These cameras were designed to take 120 and 220 film, but Nolan’s Pentax 67 is gutted, essentially making it an extremely cool optical viewfinder for previewing shots on set.

According to the sunny16lab post, Nolan’s camera has been modified by IMAX, replacing the shutter assembly with a custom mount adapter that can house IMAX-compatible cine lenses.

This enables both Nolan and long-time collaborator, cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, to preview shots using the correct field of view.

Initially I was confused, because the camera’s aspect ratio differs from that of the 15/70 IMAX format. But that has apparently been remedied via custom frame lines – and with both IMAX and 6x7 featuring a width of 70mm, there’s virtually no crop factor, enabling the filmmakers to get an accurate composition.

As you can see from the images, it even has IMAX branding beneath the pentaprism.

All this seems very on-brand for Nolan. This certainly isn’t the first time he’s been linked with unusual analog methods of checking framing. He’s often photographed alongside his trusty analog Casio Portable Color TV, which he typically wears around his neck for checking framing.

Personally, I love learning about Nolan’s process. Clearly he’s a huge fan of imaging in general and it certainly shows when you watch his films, because the framing is always on point.

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How Christopher Nolan made a 300-pound IMAX camera disappear when making The Odyssey. Elon Musk claims Grok AI will make "historically accurate" Odyssey film… then links to AI footage that appears to depict Odysseus with foam earplugs. Plus, the latest camera news.

NASA has shared new images of the Lion Nebula captured with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) – and the frames depict the celestial marvel in a level of detail that astronomers were yet to see.

The Lion Nebula, or NGC 2392, is the shrunken core of a dying star (a white dwarf) surrounded by expanding gas and dust located roughly 6,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Gemini.

First discovered by the astronomer William Herschel in 1787, it was historically called the Eskimo Nebula. However, in 2000, the Hubble Space Telescope imaged the cosmic body, revealing how it looked more like a lion.

Hubble proved how the central dwarf acted as the "nose", a glowing bubble of ionized gas formed the fierce "face" and an illuminated shell of dust stretched out as the "mane".

Recently the American space agency pictured the nebula again, this time with the JWST.

Using the telescopes NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera), which measures light in the near-infrared spectrum, and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), which captures longer infrared wavelengths, astronomers revealed details that Hubble couldn’t.

The images highlighted features like compact clumps of dust and a haze of ionized gas, helping astronomers to better understand how lower-mass stars die, shed their material and shape the surrounding universe.

According to NASA, it’s taken NGC 2392 thousands of years to form its current shape – and the nebula’s components will continue changing until its gas and dust migrate away from the stellar core.

Astronomers estimate that the lion will eventually disperse in approximately 10,000 years – a relatively "short period in astronomical terms", the space agency said.

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Discover our in-house astrophotography expert, Jamie Carter's, tips on how to shoot a solar eclipse.

Panasonic has achieved something that some of the biggest names in imaging and technology have previously struggled to do: successfully challenge one of Red Digital Cinema’s hugely influential compressed RAW video patents.

A Japanese court has upheld the invalidation of key claims within Red’s Japanese “Video Camera” patent, finding that significant parts of the claimed invention lacked the necessary inventive step because they would have been obvious to someone skilled in the field and familiar with existing technology.

The ruling follows an earlier challenge brought by Panasonic and represents a significant moment for a patent family that has influenced the development of digital cinema cameras for almost two decades.

The case relates to Japanese Patent No. 5231529, which traces back to Red’s compressed RAW video technology and describes a high-resolution video camera capable of recording compressed RAW image data internally.

Panasonic challenged the patent through an invalidation proceeding, with the Japan Patent Office ruling in October 2024 that a number of its claims were invalid.

Nikon, having acquired Red Digital Cinema in 2024 and inherited its intellectual property, subsequently became involved in defending the patent, but Japan’s Intellectual Property High Court dismissed the challenge on June 30 2026 and upheld the invalidation.

That creates a particularly unusual situation for Nikon. Before acquiring Red, Nikon had itself been accused of infringing Red’s compressed RAW technology with its N-RAW video implementation and argued against the validity of Red’s patent claims during the dispute.

Nikon eventually solved that particular problem spectacularly by acquiring Red outright, bringing the cinema camera company, its technology and its intellectual property portfolio under the Nikon umbrella. It now finds itself attempting to defend technology that, only a few years earlier, it had been challenging.

The importance of Red’s compressed RAW patents goes far beyond Nikon. Similar intellectual property has played a major role in disputes involving companies including Sony and Apple, with the latter previously challenging Red patents relating to compressed RAW recording without success.

Red’s technology helped establish a powerful position around recording high-resolution compressed RAW video internally, something that became increasingly important as mirrorless and cinema cameras began offering ever more sophisticated video capabilities.

The landscape, however, looks very different today.

Canon, Panasonic, Sony, Nikon and Blackmagic Design are among the manufacturers now offering cameras capable of sophisticated internal RAW recording in one form or another, while Nikon has begun integrating Red technology more directly into its own video ecosystem following the acquisition.

Panasonic’s victory therefore arrives at an interesting moment, although it is important to stress that the judgment concerns the Japanese patent and does not automatically invalidate Red’s related patents or licensing arrangements elsewhere in the world.

Exactly what this means commercially remains much harder to determine. One potential consequence could involve licensing arrangements surrounding compressed RAW formats such as Apple ProRes RAW, although the details of Red’s licensing agreements have historically remained private and Nikon now owns the company and its patent portfolio.

What is clear is that Panasonic has managed to successfully overturn key claims in Japan where challenges from some considerably larger technology companies had previously failed elsewhere, and that alone makes this a fascinating development in the long-running story of compressed RAW video.

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Take a look at the best Panasonic Lumix cameras, which might soon benefit from the outcome of this situation.

The latest cameras often come with anything but an affordable price tag, which is one reason buying used remains so popular. New data from Japanese camera marketplace Minna Camera shows that demand for some older cameras is pushing their used prices higher.

Of the 32 models with a clear price movement during the first half of 2026, 28 increased in price – around 88%. The biggest rise was a striking 24.1%, while even the tenth-placed camera increased by 7.8%.

The top spot goes to a discontinued DSLR released in 2016, the Nikon D5600, while the rest of the top 10 is made up of a trio of compacts and twice as many mirrorless cameras. The second-biggest rise came from the Sony A7 IV, which increased by 11.9%, while the Ricoh GR III followed at 10.9%

Top 10 cameras that rose most in price at Minna Cameras (H1 2026)*

*Used cameras price: Q1 avg → Q2 avg; discontinuation status and approx. used prices in USD and GBP added by Digital Camera World.

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The new GoPro Mission 1 Pro has been described as "the best GoPro ever" – but the company’s latest financials hint the launch hasn’t yet been enough to bolster the struggling camera company. GoPro’s August 10 filings and financial updates indicate that the action camera giant’s “substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue…has not been alleviated.”

The update comes amid GoPro’s latest financial report, with a 38 percent drop in camera sales and a 31 percent drop in revenue compared to the same time last year.

GoPro is still posting a “going concern”

GoPro’s previous filings hint that the company could “be required to significantly reduce, restructure, cease operations, or seek protection under the Federal bankruptcy laws” if the action-camera maker's finances don’t turn around. In updated documentation shared on August 10, the company said that those concerns “have not been alleviated,” as the company posted another quarterly revenue decline even amid the launch of the GoPro Mission 1 series.

The insight comes from required Securities and Exchange Commission filings. While a company posting a going concern does not mean a bankruptcy or restructure is imminent – Kodak, for example, filed similar paperwork but has since then settled debts – the filing suggests that there is significant concern over the company’s finances, and the August 10 update says that “going concern” is still in play.

GoPro is in the “later stages” of looking for a potential buyer or merger

As the action camera maker faces declining sales and increased competition, the company shared earlier this year that it was looking for a potential sale, merger, or another “strategic event.” During the earnings call, CEO and founder Nickolas Woodman said that the process is now in the “later stages.”

“The inquiries we have received span the defense, consumer and financial sectors, and we are in the later stages of the process,” Woodman said. “As I’ve shared, this process has my full support.”

While Woodman’s update was brief, it also indicates that the company’s potential strategic move may be outside the consumer camera space – and potentially in the defense or financial space.

GoPro’s latest financials show a drop in camera sales, but a spike in subscriptions

The updated stock market filings come alongside the company’s second-quarter financial results. GoPro posted $105 million (£77.7 million / AU$148.8 million / CA$146.3 million) in quarterly revenue – a number that is 31 percent less than the company’s revenue from the same time period in 2025. The report also indicates that the company sold 291,000 cameras – which is a decrease of 38 percent from the same time last year.

While GoPro’s Q2 financials show that the action camera giant's struggles continue, GoPro did have a positive to report: Subscriptions have increased, leading to record revenue coming from the company’s service that offers cloud storage, camera replacement, and discounts on cameras and accessories.

GoPro says that its subscription revenue increased 11 percent compared to the same time last year, hitting $29 million (£21.5 million / AU$41.1 million / CA$40.1 million) and accounting for 28 percent of the company’s revenue.

That number does, however, also include $2 million (£1.4 million / AU$2.8 million / CA$2.7 million) for GoPro’s AI licensing program.

The next member of the Mission 1 series launches next month

GoPro has met its latest financial struggles with an expansion into an entirely new category. GoPro calls the new Mission 1 series a “compact cinema camera” rather than an action camera. That includes the Mission 1 Pro that has GoPro’s well-known HyperSmooth stabilization and waterproofing but incorporates a larger one-inch sensor with 8K30 open gate.

While the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro are already shipping in some parts of the world, GoPro will finish the three-camera series next month with the Mission 1 Pro ILS, the company’s first mirrorless camera, Woodman revealed during the meeting, narrowing down the company’s earlier “third quarter” estimate for the ILS arrival.

The ILS mixes the same sensor and high frame rates as the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro, but uses a Micro Four Thirds lens mount instead of a fixed lens.

Woodman calls the Mission 1 series “the world’s most capable compact cinema cameras.”

“With the launch of our new MISSION 1 Series cameras, we’ve given creators more options and performance than ever before,” Woodman said during the earnings presentation. “From our tried-and-true cinematic- and adventure-lifestyle-proven Hero13 cameras, to the award-winning Max2 360-degree camera, to the all-new Mission 1 Series built for professionals and prosumers—GoPro’s camera offerings set the bar for adventure-fueled lifestyle and now, cinema-grade capture.”

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GoPro’s first mirrorless is coming – and creators will only have to wait until next month to get hands-on with one. During an update to investors, GoPro Founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman revealed that the company’s first mirrorless camera, the Mission 1 Pro ILS, will debut in September.

GoPro has already revealed the upcoming ILS, but Woodman’s statement narrows down when the highly-anticipated camera will arrive, as previous announcements only indicated a “third quarter” announcement.

Woodman’s confirmation of the Mission 1 Pro ILS timeline, however, also reveals a new detail: The Mission 1 Pro ILS will come with several tools for previewing shots and checking focus, including a new app for pro-grade monitoring tools.

Dubbed the GoPro Mission Monitor App, the app is coming to the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad and serves as a tool for previewing and monitoring footage from GoPro’s upcoming mirrorless camera.

“Mission 1 Pro ILS supports more than 300 readily available Micro Four Thirds lenses along with GoPro’s award-winning in-camera HyperSmooth video stabilization,” Woodman said. “The combination of HyperSmooth video stabilization with such a broad range of lens options in a small, durable 8K camera body has created enormous excitement and anticipation within the industry. And customers will only have to wait until next month to get their hands on it when Mission 1 Pro ILS launches in September.”

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: What we know so far

While the Mission 1 Pro ILS has yet to hit store shelves, there’s quite a bit of information already available on the upcoming camera, thanks to the launch of GoPro’s similar fixed-lens cameras.

The Mission 1 Pro ILS houses the same 50MP one-inch sensor as the already available Mission 1 Pro, with 8K30p and 4K120 open gate, jumping up to 8K60 and 4K240 without open gate. But the ILS pairs that same sensor with a Micro Four Thirds mount.

The Micro Four Thirds Mount, however, will change a few key features compared to the fixed-lens cameras in the series. The swappable lenses make GoPro’s usual fixed focus design impossible. Instead, the Mission 1 Pro ILS is manual focus only, geared towards filmmakers already comfortable with focus pulling, zone focusing, and accessories like follow focus.

The other key sacrifice in trading the fixed lens for a mirrorless mount is that the Mission One Pro ILS won’t be submersible – though GoPro has said that the setup will be splash-proof if paired with a weather-resistant lens.

The manual focus design and specs like 8K30p open gate are clearly targeting video creators over photographers – GoPro is calling the ILS a “compact cinema camera.” In fact, GoPro says the Mission 1 Pro ILS will be the world’s smallest rugged mirrorless camera.

The specs for the ILS suggest the upcoming mirrorless will come in at 197g / 6.9 oz without a lens – and measure 89.6 W x 58.7 H x 46.1 D (mm) (3.4 x 2.3 x 1.8 inches). That puts the ILS a little larger than the fixed-lens Mission 1, but it comes in at a lighter weight without the lens.

Beyond the lens, focus, size, and durability, many of the ILS specs match up with the Mission 1 Pro. The ILS will be able to pair those swappable lenses with GoPro’s HyperSmooth stabilization. Even the design of the ILS looks every bit a GoPro, including screens on both the front and back of the camera.

Woodman did not share an expected date beyond “September” for the ILS's arrival. The camera is expected to retail for $699 / £599 / CA$949 / AU$1099.

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After preventing all newly announced foreign-made drones from hitting US shelves last December, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing a move that would remove some existing drones from the market – including popular consumer models like the DJI Mini 5 Pro and the DJI Avata 360.

Last year, the FCC added DJI and all foreign-made drones to the “Covered List,” effectively preventing all newly announced consumer drones from entering the US, as no US brands currently build consumer drones.

While the move was a devastating blow for drone pilots, the FCC may be about to expand the ban to include some “military-grade” features in a move that would retroactively remove previously approved drones from store shelves.

While the move would revoke FCC approval for those models to be sold in the US, current pilots using those models would be allowed to continue to fly them.

The FCC is currently proposing to retroactively ban foreign-made drones that fall under a list of “military-grade” drone features. That list of military features includes drones capable of spraying aerosol, thermal drones, drone docking stations, and drones that weigh 55 pounds or more.

But the proposal also lists one key feature that could effectively remove several popular consumer-grade drones from the market: LiDAR.

LiDAR technology uses pulses of light to measure distance. Some high-end LiDAR drones are used for 3D mapping but, importantly, several consumer-grade drones use LiDAR for obstacle avoidance.

LiDAR is a key safety feature used to prevent drone crashes on popular consumer models, including the DJI Mini 5 Pro, the DJI Avata 360, and the DJI Air 3S.

As a licensed American drone pilot, I believe the FCC’s proposed “military-grade” ban would seriously impact the drones used by photographers, videographers, and beginner drone pilots.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro is the model that I’ve been eyeing for some time, with its 50MP 1-inch sensor and obstacle avoidance packed inside a drone that’s still lightweight and relatively affordable.

LiDAR on consumer drones is a key safety feature. Using LiDAR, drones can detect and ultimately avoid obstacles – preventing not just damage to the drone but to property and even the people on the ground.

New foreign-made drones are no longer making it to store shelves after the FCC added DJI and all foreign-made drones to the Covered List, effectively preventing new models from getting the approval needed to be sold in the US.

But while there are a handful of US-based drone companies, these brands build military-grade, commercial, and Hollywood-level drones – US drone companies don’t currently offer consumer-grade drones.

Expanding the drone ban to include features like LiDAR and thermal would further limit Americans’ access to the latest drone technology.

The rare earth components used in motors and lithium used in batteries are largely sourced from China, and creating a US-based drone supply chain – while the goal is admirable – will be a long and difficult process.

Removing pre-approved drones from shelves would only exaggerate the problem. Yes, pilots could go out and buy drones like the DJI Mini 5 Pro ahead of the ban, but even with LiDAR obstacle avoidance, crashes happen – and pilots would be left without a suitable replacement.

But I’m not just a licensed drone pilot. I’m the granddaughter of a farmer, and the proposed ban on drones with spraying capabilities could increase costs for farmers, as drones are becoming an increasingly common alternative to crop-sprayer airplanes.

The thermal drone designation in the proposed retroactive ban could also affect the drone fleets used by first responders for search-and-rescue missions – and that affects everyone, not just photographers bummed about the lack of flying camera options.

Drone-maker DJI says that “the FCC’s proposed definition is broad enough to capture many of the civilian drones Americans rely on every day. It could even include consumer models used by hobbyists simply because they use LiDAR to improve positioning and obstacle avoidance – a safety feature, not a military capability.”

The FCC is currently seeking public comments on the proposed drone ban by September 02. The Drone Advocacy Alliance lists detailed instructions for filing a public comment on the proposal.

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Turns out the Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S is proving popular. Really popular. So much so that Nikon Japan has had to temporarily suspend orders.

That’s according to a report by Nikon Rumors, which published correspondence – supposedly from the Big N – citing an “overwhelming number of pre-orders (...) which far exceeds our expectations.”

Obviously the big question mark over all of this is, why the Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S? And why now?

As Nikon Rumors rightly points out, retailers appear to have stock and this isn’t even a new lens. It was announced all the way back in 2023!

Apparently, the suspension has been active since August 08, but there appears to be no word as to when orders will resume. Although, naturally, the statement does stress that orders will be fulfilled as quickly as possible.

Now, this is pure conjecture from yours truly… but I couldn’t help but think back to a recent report from the same rumor outlet, highlighting evidence claiming that Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 units were being manufactured in Vietnam – a lens that was otherwise manufactured in China.

I’m well aware that this is one heck of a swing, but I cannot help but wonder: could Nikon’s struggle to fulfill orders of the Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S be linked to something similar?

Of course, the other option is that people have suddenly realized what an incredibly good lens this comparatively lightweight supertelephoto prime really is.

We gave it a perfect five stars on test, with my colleague Matthew RIchards citing its weight, high-spec build and handling, and superb image quality and performance as its best attributes in his review.

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Into Nikon? Check out the best Nikon Z lenses and the best Nikon cameras. Plus, Apple page lists mysterious Nikon Z70: Could this be Nikon’s rumored APS-C flagship?

It’s been a while since we’ve had a good tangible Nikon camera rumor to set pulses racing – but that’s exactly what we’ve got this week, thanks to a supposed Apple oversight on a list of compatible ProRes RAW products.

The report from New Camera claims that beneath the Nikon section, the listing was as follows: Z6 III, Z70, Z8, Z9, ZR. Wait a minute… Z70? There’s no such thing as a Nikon Z70. Or is there?

The error has since been removed, leaving Nikon fans to ponder two possibilities: either it was a completely innocent typo or an unreleased device.

What makes the news even more tantalizing is the timing. Nikon’s had an exceedingly quiet 2026 thus far. We’ve only got two lens releases in the Nikon Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 and Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II, and one lens development announcement in the Nikon Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC VR S.

And with Nikon’s latest financial results laid bare, the time seems ripe for a big camera launch.

Spiritual successor to the Nikon D500?

Still, the Nikon Z70 wasn’t on my bingo card. Most of the Nikon rumors have centered around a fixed-lens full-frame compact camera and a Nikon Z9 II. And indeed, in my own mind, I’ve been patiently waiting for a Nikon Zfc II.

But there’s a possibility that a Nikon Z70 could turn out to be exactly what I’ve wanted all along: a mirrorless successor to the Nikon D500.

This is pure conjecture, of course, but thus far, any Nikon Z Camera with a ‘0’ has been an APS-C camera: namely the Z30, Z50 and Z50 II. And in a world where the already very capable Nikon Z50 II exists, you’d have to assume it’s either going to be a more entry-level or premium offering.

Add to that Nikon’s clear targeting of the enthusiast-to-pro market in recent years, alongside rumors of a high-end crop-sensor offering, and it seems most likely that if a Nikon Z70 were in the works, it’d be a flagship APS-C camera, à la Nikon D500.

New Camera also makes the important point that if there’s stock in the Apple post, it would suggest the ability to capture internal ProRes RAW, which is a high-end video feature.

The outlet then goes so far as to list the rumored specs of a surmised Nikon flagship APS-C mirrorless, including a 26MP sensor, IBIS, dual card slots, and high-end Nikon AF and burst speeds.

If Nikon were to release such a camera, I would also hope that it would follow in the footsteps of the Nikon D500 in delivering extensive weather sealing.

So, there you have it. Let me know your thoughts on whether or not you'd like to see a Nikon flagship APS-C camera in the comments below.

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For photographers who want something tougher than a regular point-and-shoot, there are surprisingly few options. Now, one of the most capable compact cameras for taking into the wild could be disappearing from the market – although there may be good news for anyone wanting something better.

The Pentax WG-90 is reportedly being discontinued, with remaining stock becoming increasingly difficult to find. According a new report, the manufacturer has informed authorized dealers that the camera is discontinued and that a new model could be announced at the end of the year.

The WG-90 entered the market in February 2024 and was described in DCW's review as "the compact camera you can take ANYWHERE" – and for good reason. It can go places that conventional compacts can't, from the water and sand to mud, freezing temperatures and desert heat. It survives conditions that would leave most point-and-shoots struggling.

One of the best waterproof cameras & compact cameras could be disappearing

While there's no official confirmation, Pentax & Ricoh Rumors reports that it received information saying the WG-90 is now discontinued and that a new model will be announced at the end of the year. The report also claims that this information was sent to authorized dealers.

Pentax & Ricoh Rumors is a trusted source, making this a development worth watching.

Availability: Pentax Ricoh WG-90

A new extreme compact camera is on the horizon

If the report proves accurate, a new rugged compact could be announced later this year.

The WG-90 itself was a refreshed version of the earlier WG-80, with the two cameras sharing almost identical specifications. The main difference was the available color options, which strengthens the hope of a genuinely new-generation model.

A successor could be an opportunity for Ricoh (owner of the Pentax brand) to push the concept further. As DCW's Editor in Chief James Artaius noted in his review, the WG-90's video quality is a weak point, while the rear screen could also benefit from a higher resolution.

But for stills photography, the camera does what it was designed to do: provide a simple shooting experience in places where most cameras wouldn't dare to go.

For now, we'll have to wait for official confirmation from Ricoh.

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NASA has released an image of a vast section of Antarctic ice – and you’re not going to believe what can be seen on the surface. Engraved into the ice is what appears to be a massive, highly detailed hummingbird rendered in magenta and green colors.

The image was captured by NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar), a joint US-Indian space agency (ISRO) satellite that monitors the movements of Earth’s land and ice masses.

This device, which orbits roughly 450 miles above the surface of the planet, creates imagery by shooting radar waves at the Earth and then measuring the travel time, strength and direction of the returning signal. This enables scientists to determine the lay of the land, who assign different colors to the varying topography.

The NISAR satellite is the first device NASA has ever sent into space to feature two SAR instruments at different wavelengths, which collect data using the satellite’s enormous drum-shaped reflector, spanning 39 feet (12 meters) wide, also making it the largest radar antenna reflector NASA has ever sent into space.

“First, it’s a beautiful image, with rich details of features that provide insights to how the glacier is moving,” said Seongsu Jeong, the NASA signal analysis engineer who produced the image.

Jeong explained that scientists are able to see what’s “hidden beneath the surface” thanks to NISAR’s radar, which can pierce through snow and deep into the ice.

According to NASA, what the image actually shows is a geographical feature called Nunatak Zaterjavshijsja (Russian for 'lost mountain'), a mountaintop in East Antarctica, around which flows streams of ice toward the ocean.

As the underlying glacier moves, the mountain’s topography stresses the ice. This creates deep fractures, called crevasses, which show as sharp green lines in the image, while the unaffected, smooth ice shows up as magenta.

NISAR was launched in July last year and, since then, has captured a range of fascinating images, including urban street grids, agricultural fields, landslides, earthquakes, and sinking land in Mexico City.

Shortly before the satellite's one-year anniversary, NASA and ISRO made access to NISAR’s data public, with teams in the US and India releasing files from the powerful radar instruments on an “ongoing basis.”

You can access the ISRO data via the Bhoonidhi portal, while NASA releases NISAR data - which it calls “data products” – via the Vertex Data Search and Earthdata Search.

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Fujifilm Australia is doing something really cool later this month to celebrate World Photography Day. To keep the festivities of the celebration (on August 19) going for all us shutter-clickers, the brand will host a real-life color hunt workshop three days later, on August 22.

Unfortunately the event is now at capacity, but this is the sort of thing I love from photography brands – so I wanted to share it with you anyway, as it could help inspire your own color hunt.

If you don’t already know, color hunting is a viral Instagram photography trend where creators head out with their cameras in search of specific hues to shoot. From blue-dominant street corners to lilac landscapes, I’ve seen many interesting “color-hunted” compositions – and it’s one of the few photography trends I actually like.

The Australian Fujifilm event, a guided photo walk, will take place in Sydney, beginning at the Fujifilm House of Photography for a practical workshop with local professional photographer Henry C.

From here, the group will make its way to the city’s central business district, hunting for three specific colors: forest green, cobalt blue and merlot red.

Fujifilm didn’t choose these colors at random. Following a study, the camera giant identified these three hues as the most-photographed by Australian photographers so far in 2026.

According to the “representative” study, which surveyed 1,000 photographers, the top trending colors captured by Australians this year are forest green (49%), cobalt blue (39%), butter yellow (22%), merlot red (19%), mocha brown (19%) and fuchsia pink (16%).

The camera giant has said that attendees will also get to test out the best Fujifilm cameras during the day, as well as print their images at the House of Photography. Those who share an image from the day on Instagram and tag Fujifilm will also go into the running to win a Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R WR lens.

What a great event, turning a viral trend into a practical photography opportunity for developing your skills and connecting with other creators. And there’s no reason why you can’t organize your own color hunt in your area and reap the rewards. Good luck!

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Here’s our review of the best photo editing software. Editing is half the battle in digital photography, and these tools will help bring your colors to life. And check our our review of the best Fujifilm cameras too!

Wildfires, droughts, protests, wars, elections – the news photos coming across my feed have felt rather heavy. Which is probably why when I saw dogs on a surfboard, I couldn’t stop looking at the photos.

The World Dog Surfing Championships brought over a dozen water-loving dogs together, and the photos are the feel-good images the world needs this week.

I had no idea that dog surfing was even a thing but, if you want to see dogs living their best life, the gallery from the August 01 event is a good place to start.

The World Dog Surfing Competition is in its tenth year and, besides delivering the most adorable combination of sport photography and pet photography, the competition raises money for charities each year. The event also includes pet adoptions from local shelters.

Dogs compete in surfing and tricks on the board, along with a tandem competition that has both dog and owner on the surfboard. A stand-up paddleboard event is also part of the competition.

The event drew a crowd to the beaches of Pacifica, California, but thanks to the work of sports photographers (and pet photographers) the whole world can enjoy the unusual competition.

Sports photographers captured the pooches on boards, many of them clad in adorable goggles, as well as shots of the dogs celebrating with their owners.

Surfing is a challenging sport to photograph, mixing fast, unpredictable action with the potential danger of water and sand for a camera.

As the owner of a lovable but hyper dog with too much energy that I’m scared to even bring in a kayak, I’m in awe of both the dogs staying on the boards and the photographers determined to capture the four-legged athletes.

Mix in epic sports photographs with costume-wearing dogs and an event to raise money for charity, and these shots are the feel-good photos that I needed this week.

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Fresh off winning an All About Photo Award, Cesare Simioni's powerful black-and-white image Soul Beneath the Paint has picked up another major award. The image of a young boy has now been named the Grand Winner of the Black and White category at the Pure Street Photography Awards 2026.

Simioni captured the moment during Lambe-Sujo e Caboclinhos – a traditional street theater deeply rooted in the northeastern state of Sergipe. At the center of the photo, a young boy stares directly into Simioni's lens, creating a striking focal point.

The annual manifestation tells a painful but powerful story about Brazil's history, depicting the escape of enslaved people and the formation of quilombos – communities founded by escaped enslaved people and their descendants.

Originally from Italy, Simioni has lived in Brazil since 1998, developing a documentary-style photography practice focused on the country's people, traditions and popular culture.

Largely self-taught, he found his visual voice while documenting religious festivals and rural communities, where his sensitive approach brings identity, heritage and everyday life into focus.

His photography has since earned recognition in major national and international competitions.

Grand Winner: 'Soul Beneath the Paint'

In the festival itself, the Lambe-Sujos are painted black with sugarcane molasses and charcoal, representing Black quilombolas searching for freedom. The red-painted Caboclinhos, meanwhile, represent Indigenous people historically recruited by plantation owners to pursue and recapture those who escaped.

"A cultural legacy passed down from generation to generation," Simioni explains. "At the heart of the Lambe Sujo and Caboclinhos Festival in Sergipe, a young boy looks out at the world through the lens of his heritage.

"Surrounded by his elders, he carries on his skin and in his expression the resilience, pain, and beauty of one of Brazil's most powerful folk traditions."

Internationally Acclaimed Street Photographer and judge Rui Palha says about the award-winning image, "Indeed this is a great photograph. Humanism is one of the characteristics very important of street photography.

"It's a very impressive image. The black and white is perfect, as well as the composition and the light measurement. As dear Dimpy used to say, as well as me, this is a 'Oh my goodness, wow'. Congratulations to this deserved award."

Pure Street Photography Awards

Founded by award-winning photographers and curators Dimpy Bhalotia and Kamal Kumaar Rao, Pure Street Photography is an international platform dedicated exclusively to street photography, offering awards, exhibitions, grants, memberships, interviews and educational initiatives.

With a global audience of more than 300,000 photographers and photography enthusiasts, the platform champions both emerging and established photographers through thoughtful curation, meaningful recognition and long-term artistic development.

For more information, visit the Pure Street Photography Awards website.

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GoPro is best known for sparking the action camera revolution, but the brand renowned for small, rugged cameras will enter an entirely new category before the end of 2026 with a GoPro mirrorless camera.

When GoPro announced the new Mission 1 series earlier this year, the action camera giant also marked its entry into compact mirrorless cinema cameras.

Ahead of the launch of the GoPro Mission 1 ILS later this year, I sat down for an exclusive interview with GoPro’s senior vice president of product management, Pablo Lema, to chat about the first mirrorless GoPro.

The idea for a mirrorless GoPro dates back to DIYers cracking open Hero4 cameras

While the announcement for the Mission 1 Pro ILS earlier this year came as a surprise to fans of the action camera brand, Lema says that the idea of a GoPro with swappable lenses has been circulating among the company’s team as far back as the GoPro Hero4 – which came out the same year Lema joined the team, in 2014.

Lema explained that fans have been tearing apart GoPros and modifying them for years, but GoPro’s usual action camera sensor wasn’t well-suited to an interchangeable lens setup – until the 1-inch sensor on the Mission 1 series.

While it’s the sensor of the Mission 1 Pro that’s inside the ILS, the first prototypes were built from a modified Hero13. “We were all blown away by the footage,” Lema said of the prototype, “and we decided to make it into a product.”

The GoPro Mission 1 "isn't for every creator"

GoPro is very aware that the Mission 1 Pro ILS isn’t like any other mirrorless camera on the market. On the one hand, there’s 8K open gate, 4K 240fps, and FullHD 960fps on a camera that retails for $699 / £599 / AU$1099 / CA$949.

But, on the other hand, the ILS uses a one-inch sensor paired with a manual-focus Micro Four Thirds (MFT) mount.

Lema says the Mission 1 ILS “isn’t for every creator” but is built for filmmakers looking for a small, mountable system, as well as run-and-gun videographers.

“This won’t necessarily be their only camera,” Lema adds. “[The Mission 1 Pro ILS] is kind of like this pocket rocket of an 8K, open gate, 4K 240 – which is golden – and 1080p [FullHD] 960 bursts.

"These high [framerates] really create something that you can’t see with any other package, paired with the ability to have creative control of the optical look of the film. It will be a really good tool chest for all kinds of cinematographers from automotive to birds to street videographers.”

The first photos of the ILS that GoPro has shared ahead of the official launch look like a quintessential GoPro with the small boxy design – but a Micro Four Thirds mount at the front.

GoPro wanted to strike a balance between all the features that the action cameras are known for, while still stepping into a new category.

The GoPro ILS isn't meant to go up against established mirrorless brands

To strike that balance, the ILS body still has GoPro’s well-known HyperSmooth image stabilization and GoPro’s compact design. But the ILS isn’t submersible (though it is splashproof, if paired with weather-resistant lenses) and the camera is manual focus only.

“We wanted to find our own corner of that world. When we make our first step into this market, we're not trying to go directly against very established ILS options from other companies,” Lema says.

“We wanted to come from our place of authentic, small, normal-priced, very high-performance imaging and create this flexibility in imaging composition that you can get from the MFT ecosystem.”

One of the key types of creators that GoPro sees being drawn to the ILS is those looking for mounted footage without the size or complexity of cranes and gimbals.

“[Mission 1 ILS] still comes with the stuff that we're really well known for,” Lema says.

“What we're excited about with Mission ILS is a combination of ILS with HyperSmooth. That is something that we don't see in the market really at all. A lot of cameras have IBIS in them, but it doesn't get to the performance that you can get with HyperSmooth.”

Micro Four Thirds opens GoPro up to hundreds of lens choices

Pairing a 1-inch sensor with a Micro Four Thirds Mount is an unusual mix that means lenses will have a 3x crop factor.

GoPro originally toyed with the smaller C-Mount format, which is designed for sensors up to one inch, but the wide range of readily available and affordable Micro Four Thirds lenses drew the company to a mount larger than the sensor.

“We shot a lot of video with a different series of lenses,” Lema said. “In internal blind tests, it was very obvious that the MFT lenses were gonna be a better match… and they're affordable, they tend to be small. There are some really wide ones, too.”

The 3x crop factor can make getting that ultra-wide GoPro look more of a challenge, but not impossible. The Laowa 6mm T2.1 Zero D creates an 18mm equivalent view, which sits between the 15mm and 21mm equivalent views from the fixed lens Mission 1 Pro’s different crops.

GoPro says the response to ILS has exceeded expectations

One of the classic GoPro features that an interchangeable lens can’t replicate is fixed focus. The fixed-focus lenses of GoPro’s action cams rely on the fact that ultra-wide lenses have a wider depth of field, making it possible to get most of the shot in focus with a fixed lens.

Lema says that the camera system would have been much more complicated with autofocus, but the response from filmmakers at NAB was exactly what the company was hoping for – with many filmmakers saying they don’t use autofocus or already use follow focus rigs.

According to Lema, the Mission 1 Pro ILS isn’t for the creators who want a point-and-shoot but is targeted towards filmmakers already versed in filmmaking focus techniques.

While GoPro had an idea of what to expect for the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1, the company was a bit more cautious on what the response would be to the action camera giant’s first mirrorless camera.

“We’re putting our feet into a new pond,” Lema said, “and the response was way more positive on ILS than we had expected.”

While the fixed-lens Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro cameras are already on shelves, GoPro says the Mission 1 Pro ILS is coming in the third quarter of 2026 – so filmmakers can expect the camera to arrive before September 30.

This story is part of a four-part series on GoPro's next era.

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Flick through fashion archives from the Eighties and Nineties and you'll find rank after rank of models holding a pose: chin down, hip cocked, gaze fixed somewhere just past the lens.

The pictures of self-taught British photographer Neil Kirk (1946-2022), gathered for the first time in Neil Kirk in Vogue: The Supermodel Years, do something different almost every time.

A man and woman sprint across a city street in matching leaps, both feet off the ground. Seven models in beige tailoring stride out in lockstep like a fashion-world flash mob. Three women in cream knitwear collapse into each other laughing, arms flung wide.

Kirk, a regular contributor to Vogue's US, British, Italian and German editions through the golden years of the supermodel, built a career on catching people between poses rather than in them.

That's what makes this book worth a look for photographers well beyond the fashion world. Published by ACC Art Books with a foreword by Bryan Ferry and contributions from Helena Christensen, Claudia Schiffer, Sam McKnight and others, on paper it's a straightforward retrospective.

In practice it's closer to a masterclass in directing genuine movement rather than staging the appearance of it – shot on film, with none of the safety net that a digital burst mode gives photographers today.

Kirk's subject list, meanwhile, reads like a Who's Who of the era, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Jerry Hall, Yasmeen Ghauri, Carla Bruni, alongside actors like Ewan McGregor and Kate Winslet on their way to becoming household names.

But it's the choreography around them, not just who's in front of the camera, that gives the work its charge.

Directing chaos on a 35mm budget

Capturing genuine motion on film, rather than static poses, is a harder technical proposition than it looks. There's no chimping the back of a camera to check that you nailed the leap, no burst of 20 frames per second to fish the sharpest one out afterwards.

There's a picture in the book of a couple caught mid-stride, with both sets of feet airborne and expressions still composed rather than strained. That depends on nailing focus, exposure and timing simultaneously, on a subject who has to run the same route repeatedly until it works. No mean feet.

Sadly, this is a discipline that modern photographers can lose sight of, when a camera's autofocus and frame rate do a lot of the heavy lifting. Knowing precisely when a movement peaks, and trusting your own timing rather than your camera's, is a skill all of itself.

Having fun, not pretending to

Another clear theme here is Kirk's handling of groups. The seven-strong walking shot and the laughing trio shown above both do something pretty incredible, really: they transform a directed, repeated fashion set-up read into spontaneous, unguarded moment.

That's largely down to instruction rather than luck; coaxing real reactions out of models who know exactly what they're being asked to perform.

For anyone shooting groups, whether it's a wedding party or a corporate team photo, there's a lesson in Kirk's ability to give people something to actually do together, rather than somewhere to simply stand.

Neil Kirk in Vogue: The Supermodel Years is published by ACC Art Books. Hardback, 240 pages, 157 colour and 21 black-and-white images, ISBN 9781788843485.

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Leica has rolled out a slew of firmware updates for a host of its cameras.

Firmware version 4.1.1 for the Leica Q3, Q3 43 and Q3 Monochrom forms the meat of the news, while smaller and seemingly less important updates have been rolled out for the Leica SL2 and SL2-S along with the D-Lux 8.

The company hasn't gone too in-depth with the details but, from what I can gather, the Q3 cameras get important fixes for bugs affecting auto-shutdown and remote app control, while the SL2 models and D-Lux 8 see their operational stability bolstered.

Leica firmware downloads

Here are the firmware downloads, all of which I’ll explain below:

Download firmware 4.1.1 (Leica Q3 / Q3 43 / Q3 Monochrom)

Download Firmware 1.9.0 (Leica D-Lux 8)

Download firmware 6.3.0 (Leica SL2 and Leica SL2-S)

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

Firmware 4.1.1 (Leica Q3 / Q3 43 / Q3 Monochrom)

The Leica Q3 series brings high-end, full-frame compact digital cameras known for their solid build quality, 60MP sensor, and fixed prime lenses. Firmware 4.1.1 brings a trio of main updates for these cameras:

• A fix for a bug preventing the camera from turning off automatically during wireless charging in “certain situations”. Leica hasn’t elaborated on what these are, but has confirmed the Q3 models now turn off automatically as soon as wireless charging is detected.
• A fix for a bug causing the camera to unexpectedly switch to the default user profile in “certain situations”. Again, we don't know what the exact situations were, but if you were facing it, Leica says the issue is now resolved.
• A fix for a bug causing Bluetooth connection failure between the Leica Fotos mobile app and a Q3 camera after a remote wake-up with certain Leica Looks (in-camera profiles) or AF mode settings applied. Leica hasn’t clarified which Looks or AF settings were triggering the error.

Firmware 1.9.0 (Leica D-Lux 8)

The Leica D-Lux 8 is a premium pocket-sized compact camera featuring a 17MP Micro Four Thirds sensor and a fast 24–75mm equivalent f/1.7–2.8 zoom lens.

Leica says that the latest firmware fixes existing “bugs in the firmware” without going into any details whatsoever. This is likely a routine firmware update to maintain stability.

Firmware 6.3.0 (Leica SL2 and Leica SL2-S)

The Leica SL2 and Leica SL2-S are full-frame mirrorless rigs sharing the same weather-sealed metal body and in-body image stabilization, but featuring different sensor resolution, speed, and video capabilities.

Leica hasn’t published release notes for firmware version 6.3.0, so we don’t actually know what the update entails. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for any new information and update this article accordingly.

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Every photographer who's ever put work in front of the public knows the feeling: you press the shutter, the picture goes out into the world and, from that point on, you have almost no control over what people decide it means.

Greg Brennan's new book, The Big Shot, published by ACC Art Books, is built around that exact dynamic.

Across three decades on the front line of British press photography, Brennan has photographed Jack Nicholson, Kate Moss, Lady Gaga, Mike Tyson, Cristiano Ronaldo and Barack Obama, among many others.

The book pairs over 100 of those images with his own account, co-written with his son Dylan, of what was actually happening when the shutter clicked.

The gap between those two things – what the photograph seems to show and what was actually going on – turns out to be the real subject of the book.

Its cover image is the clearest example: supermodel Kate Moss, slumped on a staircase in a fur coat, cigarette packet in hand, an image that circulated for years as evidence of a wild night out and became part of her tabloid mythology.

According to Brennan, the picture was taken early in the evening while Moss simply waited for a car to collect her for a birthday party. He'd gone home by seven o'clock. The photograph never changed. The story wrapped around it did, repeatedly, for two decades.

The camera doesn't lie, but nor does it explain

That's a story many photographers will recognize, whether you're shooting red carpets or family birthdays. A single frame, stripped of context, is an invitation for the viewer to guess at a narrative – and the guess is very often wrong, or at least incomplete.

This is where captioning becomes as important as composition. Brennan's images work because they're backed up, decades later, by the specifics: the time of night, who was actually in the car, what was said.

Strip that context away and you're left with exactly what happened to the Kate Moss photograph: a picture doing the work of a story it was never actually telling.

For anyone documenting events, whether professionally or for their own archive, it's a strong argument for writing down the facts while they're still fresh, rather than trusting the image to speak for itself. Photographs can be very good at capturing a moment, but often quite bad at explaining it.

Being prepared

Another lesson threaded through The Big Shot is less about a single frame and more about the accumulated grind behind the whole career.

Brennan's archive spans ringside boxing shots, like his close, sweat-and-tape portrait of Mike Tyson before a fight, right through to royal weddings and film premieres – and none of it reads as luck.

It reads as decades of simply being in position, camera ready, night after night, for the handful of moments that ended up mattering.

That's a less romantic version of press photography than the "right place, right time" cliché suggests, but it's probably the more honest one. And it's why a book built on Brennan's own recollections, rather than just the pictures, is worth reading – for the process as much as the results.

The Big Shot: Photographs by Greg Brennan is published by ACC Art Books. Hardback, 224 pages, 69 colour and 76 black-and-white images, ISBN 9781788843539.

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When London, England-based documentary and street photographer Chris Mozyro was walking through Westminster, one scene immediately caught his attention: a group of young submariners connecting just hours after taking part in a solemn remembrance ceremony.

The contrast between duty and friendship inspired Mozyro's From Salute to Cheers, a photograph that has won First Place in the Black and White category at the Pure Street Photography Awards 2026.

The latest accolade marks the image's fourth major international award, following First Place, Black & White Photo of the Year at the MonoVisions Awards, First Place at the ND Awards, and a Silver Prize in the Street Photography category at the Exposure One Awards.

This time the image stood out among 1,582 entries, with judges praising its authentic storytelling, natural composition and emotional depth.

Known for his unobtrusive documentary style, Mozyro captures genuine moments of human connection, an approach that has earned him an impressive collection of international photography awards.

First Place: 'From Salute to Cheers'

"Seeing the young submariners together in such a relaxed, unguarded moment drew me in," Mozyro explains.

"It was as though the weight of their morning obligations had been lifted, replaced by the simple joy of friendship and shared experience.

"This image captures something deeply human – the need for connection after moments of reflection and duty.

"Just hours earlier, these young submariners had marched with solemnity and precision, paying tribute to those who had gone before them.

"The shift from ceremony to celebration was palpable. The removal of formalities gave way to authentic, unguarded moments of laughter, storytelling and shared reflection.

"The clinking of pints, the warmth of friendship and the glow of pride in service filled the air."

Jury's comment

"This is a great example what street photography should be, in spite of so many ways to obtain a street photograph," says Rui Palha, internationally acclaimed street shooter.

"Not posed, at all, the location of the subjects is perfect, the black and white is excellent, as well as the lighting measurement.

"My sincere congratulations. Long live street photography."

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A not-so mysterious teaser has appeared on the DJI website that is clearly regarding the much-anticipated DJI Osmo 360 II. The page, which is only available if your region is set to Hong Kong, is entitled “All Angles. All Epic.” Along with a date of August 13 2026, 12PM GMT.

This appears to contradict other teasers, with a second teaser posted on DJI’s Instagram, stating: “DJI Osmo 360 II will be available for pre-order starting at 8:00PM on August 7th.” (translated using Google Lens). This would appear to corroborate another post that surfaced on Chinese social media and was reported on by Asobinet stating that the 360 camera would be “unveiled on August 7th.” However, as of yet, I haven’t seen any more information regarding the 360 camera’s launch...

The second Instagram teaser is a showreel of 360 footage, captured on the DJI Osmo 360 II, showing POV shots of mountain biking, dancing, skiing and more. When the teaser ends, it simply states: “Coming soon”.

A slightly earlier teaser was released, which features the same video present on DJI’s Hong Kong website. It starts with a top-down view of a square sensor, with the camera pulling back to reveal a lens and then the top of the camera itself. A fisheye lens is then overlaid over the top.

DJI hasn’t yet revealed any specs. However, I’m expecting some juicy upgrades from the Osmo 360’s already very impressive 8K / 50p and 6K / 60p video, 120MP panoramic stills, and 105GB available storage. It would appear that a few commenters are having fun coming up with some entirely unachievable specs, with one ‘hoping for’ “24k resolution, 2000fps open gate global shutter”.

News of the Osmo 360 II comes at a time when both DJI and its customer base face growing uncertainty when it comes to product availability in the US. Government restrictions targeting Chinese-made drones are well documented, but other DJI products have faced scrutiny, including the new DJI Osmo Pocket 4 and 4P. As such, it seems likely the Osmo 360 II will not be available in the US at launch.

Still, the DJI Osmo 360 II is releasing elsewhere and DJI’s teasers will have definitely put its competitors on notice. As soon as we know more about this impending release, we’ll be posting about it right here on Digital Camera World.

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Tamron's photography business weakened in the first half of 2026, as the 2nd Quarter FY2026 Consolidated Financial Results report shows. Sales fell 8.2% and operating profit dropped 29.3%.

But those numbers hide a significant shift in the direction of Tamron's lens business. Own-brand lens sales increased 4.2% to ¥17.1 billion (approx. $107.9 million / £80.3 million), while sales of OEM products (made by Tamron but carrying the badge of another brand, such as Nikon) fell 23.2% to ¥10.4 billion ($65.7 million / £48.9 million).

That makes Tamron's own lens business increasingly important – particularly as the company plans to launch 10 or more new own-brand models in FY2026 and accelerate its move into multiple camera mounts.

And all this is happening while Sony is proposing to acquire Tamron.

The split between own-brand and OEM

Tamron's Photographic Products division generated ¥27.53 billion ($173.9 million /£129.3 million) in sales in the first half, down from ¥29.98 billion ($189.3 million / £150.8 million) a year earlier.

But the decline isn't evenly distributed.

Own-brand revenue rose from ¥16.4 billion ($103.5 million /£77.1 million) to ¥17.1 billion ($108 million /£80.3 million). OEM revenue fell from ¥13.5 billion ($85.2 million /£63.4 million) to ¥10.4 billion ($65.7 million /£48.9 million).

The unit figures reveal that Tamron's own-brand shipments fell only 2.3%, while OEM shipments plunged 32%.

So the part of Tamron's photographic business that carries the Tamron name is holding up considerably better than the business it does for other companies.

That distinction matters because Tamron's strategy is built more and more around its own brand, accelerating its shift towards a multi-mount lens business.

Tamron is spreading across camera systems

Tamron's current strategy covers Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and Fujifilm X.

Canon's mount, previously all but locked down to third parties, is particularly notable because Tamron has now introduced its third RF lens, the 17-70mm f/2.8 VC RXD.

This is more than simply adding individual lenses to a product catalog; Tamron is trying to make its own-brand business less dependent on any one camera manufacturer – and less dependent on OEM orders in general.

The mirrorless market is becoming more valuable

Tamron's figures also show the changing shape of the camera market: interchangeable-lens camera shipments fell 5% in the first half, but market value increased by 4%. Mirrorless units fell just 2%, while value increased by 6%. SLR units fell 27%, with value down 35%.

This creates an opportunity for Tamron to generate more revenue from higher-value lenses even if overall market volumes soften, something reflected in the own-brand numbers.

China is currently a complication, as Tamron says inventory adjustments caused a sharp decline there, while the US, Europe and India delivered growth and Japan remained strong.

Then there's the Sony question

Sony has proposed acquiring Tamron and making it a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Sony has also confirmed that Tamron is among the third-party lens makers with access to Sony mount basic specifications.

The proposal is so far just that – a proposal – but the timing adds an interesting layer to Tamron's latest results.

The company is putting more focus on its own-brand lenses and expanding beyond the E-mount at the same time that Sony is seeking to bring it fully into the fold.

Photography is no longer Tamron's main growth engine

There's another important part of the results that has little to do with cameras.

Tamron's Surveillance & FA business grew 29% in the first half, while Mobility & Healthcare grew by roughly 40%.

The company's longer-term strategy is to position photography as a highly profitable "cash cow" while investing more heavily in industrial markets including automotive, healthcare, sensing and AI-related applications.

In other words, Tamron is strengthening its own-brand lens business while positioning photography as the business that funds expansion into faster-growing industrial markets.

For photographers, the question is what those 10 or more new products will be – and how far Tamron takes its multi-mount strategy.

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

New episodes of Bokeh Face are released bi-weekly, every other Friday, so our next episode will be released on August 21.

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

You can watch the episode in full below:

In our Gear Up section we discuss the return of the bridge camera in the form of the Sony RX10 V. In many ways it’s the ultimate all-in-one zoom, but how relevant is this type of camera today and which kind of photographer is it for?

It’s pancake day! In Focus we discuss the rising popularity of pancake lenses: what they are, what kind of cameras they suit and how they can differ in style, application and price. Plus, pancake fiend, James, rattles through a shortlist of his favorite low-profile optics.

In Trouble Shooting, we answer the question: Why are some sensors 3:2 and some sensors 4:3? All the while delving into the sometimes intimidating world of aspect ratios in a bid to make the whole concept that little bit easier to understand.

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

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

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Check out all our previous episodes of Bokeh Face, take a look at the best Sony cameras, and see if any of the best compact cameras take your fancy.