It looks like Patrick Star has a real-life counterpart, as marine scientists have released images of a starfish closely resembling the beloved Bikini Bottom-dwelling character from the children’s cartoon, SpongeBob SquarePants.

According to the researchers – a combined team of marine scientists from various Argentine institutions led by Dr. Daniel Lauretta – the image was also live-streamed at the time of creation, August 2025, to an audience of nearly 4 million viewers, “propelling the starfish to global fame.”

The photo of “Patrick Star,” which, in reality, was a bright orange sea star in the genus Hippasteria, was snapped during a 20-day expedition of the Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon, a chasm in the ocean floor off the coast of Argentina reaching depths exceeding 3,500 meters.

While “Patrick Star” may have become a global sensation, he wasn’t the only superstar sighted. Throughout the expedition, the scientists, working from aboard the research vessel Falkor, used a remotely operated vehicle, named SuBastian, to discover 57 new species previously unkown to science, unlike "Patrick Star".

These included 20 copepods – tiny crustaceans found in the deep-sea sediments – and 22 echinoderms – the group that includes sea cucumbers and crinoids.

Among the echinoderms was “Loki” (Peniagone sp.), a striking horned sea cucumber photographed and filmed alive at 2,577 meters, which resembled the Norse god thanks to its pair of horned appendages.

The 2025 expedition marked the first in-situ observations of the Mar del Plata Canyon’s deep seafloor, enabling scientists to determine the diversity and distribution of its biological communities.

According to the Schmidt Institute, which provided the research vessels, a host of the newly discovered species were further studied using taxonomic analysis during a workshop in Buenos Aires this summer.

The team led by Lauretta is now planning a follow-up expedition to begin in February 2027, this time targeting a different submarine canyon expected to have “high levels of endemism.”

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Yashica just unveiled a pocketable point-and-shoot – and the new Crew feels made for photographing friends like it's 2005. The Yashica Crew is a budget point-and-shoot camera built around a 180–degree flip screen and 6x optical zoom lens.

The Yashica Crew’s list of specifications feels made for the trend of shooting with older digital compact cameras from the start of the new millennium. The resolution is 13MP, but the sensor is the small 1/3.06-inch type – the same size found in budget cameras like the Camp Snap CS-Pro and the Instax Pal 2. The camera can also upsize shots to 24MP or 36MP, but 13MP is the native resolution.

But while the Crew may use a small sensor, it still manages to fit in a lens with 6x optical zoom in the classic retracting style of point-and-shoots. That’s paired with a three-inch screen that flips up 180 degrees for selfies.

The name “Crew” hints at who Yashica sees buying this camera. The Crew is meant for photographing outings with friends without using the same device that comes with social media feeds and notifications.

The Crew also supports video, shooting native 2.7K, 30p by default but supporting up to 4K60. An LED light, rather than a photo-only flash, is also built in.

Those features are tucked into a camera that’s only about 2.6cm / 1 inch deep and weighs about 126g / 4.4 oz. That small design means that the camera uses the microSD card format.

While the Yashica Crew reminds me of the Y2K camera trend, there are a few modern features inside, including face detection autofocus and USB-C charging.

Yashica has opened pre-orders for the Crew on its website, with the point-and-shoot retailing for $168.20 / £126.78 / AU$240.94 / CA$239.06. Shipping is expected to begin on October 26.

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The growth of AI has been met with trepidation among the creative community – but Japan’s biggest camera makers agree that AI-generated content is sparking an entirely different trend: the growth of the dedicated camera and a shift towards prioritizing the experience of photography over technical specifications.

Japanese business publication Nikkei Shimbun recently interviewed executives from Canon, Sony, Nikon and Fujifilm. Despite discussing camera trends with four competing brands, there’s an overarching trend that Japan’s biggest camera makers seem to agree on.

Camera makers believe that the rise of AI-generated content, along with trends towards a more retro film-like look, is actually driving more people to pick up a dedicated camera over simply shooting with a smartphone. The camera market saw healthy growth last year, but the biggest growth was in the fixed-lens compact category, which rose nearly 30 percent.

But with AI slop driving more people to pick up dedicated cameras, the reason behind choosing a certain camera is also shifting. The experience that a camera offers is becoming increasingly important in the era of AI and smartphones.

Camera makers are seeing an increased priority on the physical controls and the style of the camera. Casual photographers shifting from a smartphone are often looking for a camera that’s more fun to shoot with – and the design and physical controls are a big part of that. The rise of screen-free cameras is a key example of this trend, along with the continued rise in retro cameras.

Generated content is known for being overly perfect and inauthentic, and that’s creating a push towards a more traditional camera experience, both in the camera’s design and the look and feel of the images. More and more camera makers seem to be pushing the in-camera colors through film simulations, photo styles, and in-camera LUTs.

Camera makers have long been engaged in the megapixel race and the push to beat out competitors' specifications. Manufacturers aren’t dropping out of this race anytime soon, not for pro models geared towards serious photographers.

But the camera industry is once again welcoming the average consumer who just wants to snap some photos of daily life, and this sort of photographer may care more about the experience than the megapixel count.

Photographers have already seen evidence of this push with experimental cameras like the Fujifilm X Half and the viral success of low-resolution cameras like the Kodak Charmera.

The rise of the smartphone decimated the market for casual shooters looking to take snapshots of daily life. Thanks to wariness over AI-generated content and a rising trend for a more screen-free lifestyle, this camera category is returning with a vengeance.

Canon is looking to build a more diversified camera line, including retro styling

In the interview, Canon said that younger consumers are discovering the joy of shooting with a dedicated camera. Canon hinted that it’s been exploring more stylish compact cameras and cameras that create a more film-like look as a result.

But Canon executives also recognize that the people who are picking up cameras are becoming increasingly diverse. The camera industry isn’t solely focused on professionals and hobbyists but is shifting to welcome the customer who just wants to take photos of daily life.

Canon says it's looking to create a more diverse line of cameras in order to reach the wider range of consumers picking up a dedicated camera.

Canon also says it recognizes the growth of video and hybrid shooting, saying that it plans to expand V-series lenses.

Nikon is increasingly looking beyond just stills

Video remains a particular focus for growth for Nikon, the interview hints, particularly after the acquisition of RED. Nikon executives hinted that Nikon’s optics and imaging have opportunities to grow by looking at multiple forms of content.

On the topic of AI, Nikon says that it's exploring the possibility of using AI beyond autofocus applications, such as choosing the best images and the newly implemented AI-built tools for auto white balance.

Sony’s entertainment division could help inspire cameras

The interview suggests that Sony may be looking to take advantage of its diverse range of businesses across movies, music, and gaming and use that expertise towards future camera launches. Cameras can also be a form of entertainment – and Sony also mentioned exploring spatial experiences, such as VR spaces.

Sony also says that AI can be a creative tool to aid in tech like autofocus subject detection and pose estimation. But Sony is also pushing for a “digital birth certificate” for recognition of in-camera authenticity.

Fujifilm’s push for film simulations and retro designs is working

Fujifilm’s sales have been steadily rising, and part of that is the brand’s focus on retro camera designs and film simulations. Both features work well with the growing trend of people shifting from smartphones to cameras that are fun to shoot and carry more authenticity than AI-generated content.

As far as using AI in cameras, Fujifilm executives said that AI should be treated more like an assistant aiding in things like autofocus, and not creating images.

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A professional photographer who goes by the name u/wildyouth116 on Reddit has posted their setup, with many surprised to find that they regularly use a whopping 10 bodies. But what’s even more curious is the cameras in question.

Despite having a cutting-edge Nikon Z8, the photographer also uses five DSLR cameras: two Nikon D850s, two Nikon D780s and a Nikon D200. As well as four film cameras: Nikon FM2, Nikon F100, Nikon F6, and what appears to be a blacked-out Nikon N80.

One commenter suggested that a second Nikon Z8 would replace the four DSLRs, but the professional photographer explains that they use two bodies at a time for events and commercial shoots, so they like to have backups if the worst should happen.

Interestingly, the pro mentions that they “prefer DSLRs for lowlight events, and most every day work [sic].” Presumably the Nikon D780 wins out here, but only because of its lower-resolution sensor. The Nikon Z8 is still a monster camera in low-light situations.

One commenter mentions gear acquisition syndrome (GAS), but the pro explains that they have completed 700 jobs in three years. That certainly takes its toll on kit, and indeed, the original poster says that during a seven-year career, they “have burned through at least 5 camera bodies,” continuing, “It's more of an expensive insurance policy in case one breaks, I have to send it in for maintenance, etc”.

Having at least one backup body is essential for professional photographers, and many do have more. If you’re shooting a wedding and your primary camera breaks, you’re expected to have a backup. And while 10 cameras might seem like overkill, four are film cameras. The meat of the setup is a pair of D850s and D780s and a Nikon Z8. A sensible collection of cameras, if you ask me.

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When Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson and others set up a photographic co-operative back in 1947, the legend goes that they named it after the oversized champagne bottles they liked to celebrate with. Nearly 80 years on, Magnum has returned to its roots, in a way.

Some of its photographers, including Mark Power, Emin Özmen, Rafał Milach, Bieke Depoorter and Cristina García Rodero, have been spending the summer in drinking holes across the continent. But they haven't been slacking; they've been on a job for Heineken.

The result is Europe's Living Rooms, a series that documents pubs, bars and tavernas in 11 European countries: the UK, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, Poland, Austria, Italy, Belgium and Czechia (what we used to call the Czech Republic).

And while it's a commercial campaign – timed to coincide with research into how much tourists spend on beer – the images are nonetheless fascinating to me. Not least because they highlight exactly how differently documentary photographers tackle the same brief.

A range of approaches

Take Bieke Depoorter's shot of Café Pieper in Amsterdam, an establishment that's been running since 1665. Captured at blue hour with a slow shutter speed, the drinkers milling outside dissolve into ghostly blurs while the building, outlined in light bulbs, stays sharp. That's a clever of way of hinting at the centuries of customers who've passed through these doors.

Mark Power, in contrast, gives The Devonshire Arms in London's Soho a crisp, carefully composed treatment. Office workers cluster around high tables in bright sunshine in their shirt sleeves, and every hanging basket and cobblestone is rendered in sharp detail.

In a vaulted brick bar in Poland, Rafał Milach goes for bold symmetry, focusing on a huge glass chandelier that funnels the eye towards the drinkers at the far end. In Ireland, Enri Canaj finds three friends chatting in front of a sunlit sash window framed by glossy red shutters; a hang-out to die for.

Then there's Madrid, where fans in face paint and Spanish flag capes are caught mid-roar while watching the World Cup. The picture freezes each open mouth and raised glass, while an older drinker looks on with quiet bemusement.

Why Magnum works

It's these small moments which explain exactly why the beer brand went to documentary photographers rather than a typical advertising crew.

As Marine Mérindol, chief operating officer of Magnum Photos, puts it: "These are the details that so many miss if they are just passing through."

Documentary photography, she adds, "doesn't just illustrate a place; it witnesses it. These photographs capture something true about how people in Europe live and connect together.”

Whether Cartier-Bresson would have approved of swapping champagne for lager, who knows? But he and his fellow Magnum founders would surely have recognised the instinct to point the camera wherever people gather, raise a glass and forget their troubles for a happy moment.

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Retro camera fans have long been waiting for a refresh of the PEN series – and the latest trends from Japan suggest just how excited photographers are about the new OM System PEN.

Japanese photo retailer Camera Kitamura has shared the best-selling mirrorless cameras for September, a list that’s led by the Sony A7C II, the new OM System PEN, and the Sony A6700.

Both the Sony A7C II and the A6700 have been around for a few years and are regular attendees on Japan’s best-seller lists. The most interesting story here is the camera in second place.

The OM System PEN was only announced on September 09, with pre-orders initially not scheduled to begin shipping until late October. But only two days after the announcement, OM System Japan said that there had been so many orders that some may not get their camera until November.

The new 2026 PEN’s early success isn’t unwarranted. I’ve been shooting with an early review sample for a few weeks now. The compact retro design makes it the camera that I instinctively want to grab – it feels almost more like a compact camera than a mirrorless camera.

While the design may have been what first drew me to the new PEN, OM System’s new Micro Four Thirds shooter is also one of the most affordable mirrorless bodies with both in-body stabilization and weather sealing. It retails for $999 / £849 / AU$1,499 body-only, or $1,099 / £949 / AU$1,799 with a kit lens (which is what’s made the Kitamura best-seller list).

But perhaps the more interesting aspect of the latest list of best-sellers from Japan is that it’s the smallest sensor camera of the three major bodies announced in September that’s in the top three. The PEN was one of three major camera launches in September. Canon also introduced the EOS R8 Mark II, and Nikon also unveiled the Z5IIC. The R8 Mark II sits in fourth place on Kitamura’s list, while the Z5IIC didn’t make the top ten.

Looking at a single retailer in Japan isn’t going to be indicative of the camera market as a whole, but it’s interesting that of the three major launches last month, it’s the Micro Four Thirds shooter that’s dominating Kitamura’s sales. The trends list will be interesting to watch as those cameras begin shipping in October and November.

The OM System PEN, however, fell just behind the first-place Sony A7C II. Sony’s more compact full-frame mirrorless has been regularly dominating best-seller lists since its launch three years ago. Its compact design that still crams in a full-frame sensor has been well-loved, despite the camera’s age.

Compact designs seem to dominate much of Kitamura’s list. The Sony A6700 comes in third place, an APS-C shooter that’s small but fast.

The R8 Mark II sits in fourth place, with a new, more angular design inspired by the film Canon T80. The R8 Mark II still follows the trend of a more compact body design as a more entry-level full-frame, but unlike the original, the Mark II includes stabilization.

Another longstanding Sony favorite, the Sony A7 IV, sits in fifth place. That camera’s successor, the Sony A7 V, which has been dominating a number of best-seller lists since its launch, doesn’t show up until 8th place.

The only Fujifilm camera on Kitamura’s best-selling mirrorless list is the compact, budget-friendly Fujifilm X-M5. The X-M5 is both one of Fujifilm’s most affordable bodies and the smallest, though it lacks a viewfinder, and many features are geared towards hybrid shooting.

Two more Sony APS-C cameras sit on the list, the ZV-E10 II in seventh place and the Sony A6400 in ninth place. Both of those cameras are on the list for twin lens kits rather than the single kit lens options.

Canon rounds out the list with the EOS R6 Mark II in 10th place. While the camera has now been replaced with the Mark III, the R6 Mark II remains available at a lower price point than the newer model.

Kitamura Camera’s best-selling mirrorless cameras for September 2026

1. Sony A7C II
2. OM System PEN with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III kit lens
3. Sony A6700 with zoom lens kit
4. Canon EOS R8 Mark II
5. Sony A7 IV zoom lens kit
6. Fujifilm X-M5 with XC 15-45mm kit lens
7. Sony ZV-E10 II double zoom lens kit
8. Sony A7 V
9. Sony A6400 double zoom lens kit
10. Canon EOS R6 Mark II

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A drone with an unnamed pilot has been flying around Delaware and dropping rolls of cash – up to $100 a time so far – on strangers. Videos of each drop, made "in an effort to spread positivity," are being posted to social media, and the most recent one seems to show a police officer accepting a cash drop with a thumbs-up!

According to the Daily Mail, the drone operator works in IT and goes out during lunch breaks and evenings to make his drops. At first he was using his own money, but he now runs a fund for the cash.

The drops include a roll of money and a card reading "You caught today's drop. Cash inside – it's yours," which goes some way to explaining why this video shows a man initially giving the drone the bird, but, by the end, circumstances have changed.

Wilmington, Delaware, where the pilot is from, had a lot of bad news, so he saw the drone as a means to spread a better feeling.

"Hopefully, [the cash drop] inspires people to be more kind to each other and spread kindness in their own way." he told The Mail.

I have to admit that, while it's a lovely story, and certainly nicer to hear about than the multiple gun crimes which have affected the area, I worry a little about how the regulators might see all the flying over people!

In one of the videos posted he admits in the caption, "the wind caught it and carried it away from [the originally intended target]. Somebody else spotted it first and intercepted the drop."

It ends up being a story showing two attempts and two pleased recipients, but it also highlights the risks.

For now, though, it doesn't seem like every police officer will be that worried – if this new clip is as real as it looks.

This was posted after the Mail's interview, and it appears to show a patrol officer receiving a cash drop from the drone.

"This drop happened to find someone with a badge." said the post's caption, and, though it went on to thank first responders, the rules might see it a little differently!

Even if it is not receiving a bribe – which would be a felony – it might be seen as an effort to discourage the officers from investigating.

All a police officer would be required to do in a drone incident is help the FAA find the name of the drone operator, but for someone intentionally anonymous that might be something they'd like to discourage?

It's certainly problematic, if not actually illegal. And it's not the only concern some have raised.

There have also been a number of comments suggesting that the drops seem to often be aimed at students rather than those more in need.

"Why u only do on campus lol u gotta come to the apartments🤣🤣🤣"

A scan through the 302 Cashcopter feed suggests that this is being addressed.

Some, too, might find the idea of identifying people as "in need" just from aerial video as somewhat prejudiced, but the comments are lapping it up.

If you're interested in getting in the air yourself, check out my guide to the best drone for beginners.

I have tested plenty of gadgets over the years, but few have found their way into my everyday routine quite like the Birdfy Feeder Metal.

It has genuinely become my favourite garden accessory, and now Amazon has dropped it to just £135.99, down from £159.99, saving you a very welcome £24.

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Before reviewing the Birdfy Feeder Metal, I enjoyed seeing what birds were visiting the garden, but I never really knew what was turning up when I wasn’t looking. This completely changed that.

The built-in 1080p camera and motion detection work alongside the Birdfy app to capture visitors as they arrive, and I simply cannot get enough of logging into the app throughout the day to see who has stopped by. There is something strangely addictive about opening it up and discovering that a bird has been happily feeding away while you have been getting on with your day.

It has turned something as simple as putting bird food out in the garden into something I actively look forward to checking.

The feeder can also use AI bird identification to help recognise different species, while recordings are organised within the app so you can easily look back through the day's visitors. I have found myself checking which regulars have returned, spotting new arrivals and, admittedly, spending far longer watching clips of birds eating than I probably should.

When I originally reviewed the Birdfy Feeder Metal, one of the things that impressed me most was its construction. This doesn't feel like a flimsy smart gadget that happens to have a bird feeder attached. The metal body feels substantial, the adjustable perch can accommodate different-sized birds, and you have plenty of flexibility when it comes to mounting it on a pole, wall or tree.

But it is the camera and app that keep me coming back to it.

The 1080p footage is easily good enough for seeing your garden visitors up close, identifying different birds and watching their behaviour in a way that you simply don't get from looking through the kitchen window. It also means you don't have to be sitting watching the feeder all day to know what has been visiting.

At its usual £159.99 price, I already thought the Birdfy Feeder Metal was a fantastic bit of kit for anyone interested in garden wildlife. At £135.99, however, saving you £24, I think it becomes considerably easier to recommend.

It is still my favourite garden accessory, and I genuinely can't get enough of checking the app to discover what has arrived in the garden that day. If you love birdwatching, want to know exactly what is visiting your garden, or are looking for something a little different for the wildlife lover in your life, this is one Prime sale deal I would happily recommend.

Some of the best photographs are spontaneous: the result of being in the right place at the right time. But at the other end of the spectrum, there are photographs that are purposely, meticulously staged. And that's the common theme uniting two new solo shows at CPW in Kingston, New York right now.

On the face of it, these pictures don't seem to have anything in common. In Pixy Liao's funny and intimate images, she and her partner act out a series of domestic scenes. Tanya Marcuse's, meanwhile, are dense, dark and unsettling concoctions of antlers, bones, roots, flowers and fire.

What unites them, though, is that neither photographer left anything to chance. Furthermore, both are packed with the kind of delicious detail that rewards slow, careful and inquisitive viewing.

Flipping the power dynamic

Liao, a Chinese artist who lives in New York, has been making staged self-portraits with her partner, the Japanese-born artist and musician known as Moro, for almost 20 years now. Typically, these images flip the typical power dynamics of straight couples, and of artist and muse.

In one, Moro lies semi-naked across a kitchen table between a plate of toast and half a grapefruit, a papaya on his hip, while Liao sits behind him with a spoon. In another, she carries him over her shoulder like a sack of laundry, through an impeccably tidy living room.

You'll notice the shutter release cable in almost every frame. Sometimes it's in Liao's hand, sometimes in Moro's. It's a neat visual joke, and means you're never sure who's in charge of the picture.

Titled Relationship Material, their exhibition at CPW – originally organized by the Art Institute of Chicago – brings together color photographs, soft sculptures and music videos from PIMO, the offbeat music duo the pair formed together.

Beauty and decay

Marcuse, who teaches photography at Bard College in New York, puts a lot of effort into planning her images too. For her series Woven: An Ecological Tapestry (2015-2020), she spent months gathering, arranging, painting, burning and transplanting natural materials to create vast tableaux of forest floor.

Characteristically, she combines things that never naturally appear together: spring growth in autumn landscapes, flowers and animals encased in ice, birds buried in the earth. The result is a world whose natural rhythms have been knocked out of sync, a commentary on climate change.

"Through these constructed ecologies, I attempt to hold together beauty and terror, reverence, and grief," says Marcuse. "Woven is a meditation on the fragile worlds we are in the process of undoing."

Eight key images from Woven are on show, alongside Frame, a 5 x 10-foot installation built from wood and found flora and fauna. The latter keep drying, decaying and decomposing throughout the run, making this one exhibition that rewards more than a single visit.

Pixy Liao: Relationship Material and Tanya Marcuse: Woven, An Ecological Tapestry are at CPW, 25 Dederick Street, Kingston, NY, until January 17. Also on show until November 1 is Closeness, a student exhibition by Phocus, Vassar College's photography club and community darkroom, exploring how the presence of a camera changes a moment. CPW is open Thursday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm, and admission is free.

I always think the best Christmas gifts are the ones people really want, but would probably never quite justify buying for themselves. And at just £118.99 in Amazon’s Prime sale, the DJI Neo fits that description almost perfectly.

Usually £145, the DJI Neo has dropped to just £118.99, saving you £26.01 on what is already one of DJI’s most affordable and approachable drones. At this price, I think it makes a fantastic Christmas gift, whether you are shopping for someone who has always wanted to try flying a drone or simply looking for an excuse to put something rather fun under the tree for yourself.

What makes the Neo particularly appealing as a gift is that it doesn’t feel intimidating. This isn’t a huge, complicated drone that requires you to become an experienced pilot before you can enjoy it. It weighs just 135g, can take off and land directly from the palm of your hand, and can automatically follow and film you using DJI’s intelligent shooting modes.

Despite its tiny size and relatively tiny price, it can also capture stabilised 4K video at up to 30fps, while its full-coverage propeller guards make it considerably less daunting for someone taking their first steps into drone flying. You can even control it through the DJI Fly app on your smartphone, so you don’t necessarily need to invest in a traditional controller straight away.

That combination is precisely why I think the Neo works so well as a Christmas gift. It is small enough to throw into a bag, simple enough for a complete beginner to enjoy, and capable enough that it doesn’t immediately feel like a toy once the novelty wears off.

And, of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with gifting one to yourself.

At £118.99, the DJI Neo is now inexpensive enough to become one of those slightly extravagant Christmas purchases that is actually quite easy to justify. Whether it ends up wrapped beneath the tree for somebody else or mysteriously arrives addressed to you, this is one Prime sale deal I would be very tempted by.

I always think the best holiday gifts are the ones people really want but would probably never justify buying for themselves. And at just $139 in Amazon’s Prime sale, the DJI Neo fits that description almost perfectly.

Usually $169, the DJI Neo has dropped to just $139, saving you $30 on what is already one of DJI’s most affordable and approachable drones. At this price, I think it makes a fantastic holiday gift, whether you are shopping for someone who has always wanted to try flying a drone or simply looking for an excuse to put something rather fun under the tree for yourself.

What makes the Neo particularly appealing as a gift is that it doesn’t feel intimidating. This isn’t a huge, complicated drone that requires you to become an experienced pilot before you can enjoy it. It weighs just 135g, can take off and land directly from the palm of your hand, and can automatically follow and film you using DJI’s intelligent shooting modes.

Despite its tiny size and relatively tiny price, it can also capture stabilized 4K video at up to 30fps, while its full-coverage propeller guards make it considerably less daunting for someone taking their first steps into drone flying. You can even control it through the DJI Fly app on your smartphone, so you don’t necessarily need to invest in a traditional controller straight away.

That combination is precisely why I think the Neo works so well as a holiday gift. It is small enough to throw into a bag, simple enough for a complete beginner to enjoy, and capable enough that it doesn’t immediately feel like a toy once the novelty wears off.

And, of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with gifting one to yourself.

At $139, the DJI Neo is now inexpensive enough to become one of those slightly extravagant holiday purchases that is actually quite easy to justify. Whether it ends up wrapped beneath the tree for somebody else or mysteriously arrives addressed to you, this is one Prime sale deal I would be very tempted by.

I have been testing quite a few video or cine cameras recently because – no pun intended – this is where all the action is at the moment. For various reasons, things have gone a bit quiet in terms of new mirrorless cameras, which are, as is now a popular phrase – ‘photo first’. In comparison, things seem to be ticking along very nicely in the world of cameras which are primarily intended for video applications – from social media posts all the way up to television or cinema productions. Both Canon and Nikon are really ramping up their video activities with Nikon, in particular, diving in at the deep end with its acquisition of RED, which is already a well-established name in professional cinema cameras.

However, the hot category at the moment can be loosely classified as the compact cine camera… as exemplified by Nikon’s ZR, Canon’s EOS R6 V and EOS C50 and Sony’s recently-arrived FX5… ultimately to replace the hugely popular FX3. The Canon and Nikon models are hybrid designs so they’re also well-equipped in terms of their stills capabilities… largely using the same sensors and processors as cameras in their systems that are more traditionally photographic. Video, of course, is an immensely powerful communications medium and everywhere these days – even on advertising billboards, once the exclusive domain of professional photography – so it’s not surprising that demand for higher-end ‘video-first’ cameras is increasing, but would you necessarily go down this route when the higher-end hybrid mirrorless cameras are also now so good at video?

A distinguishing aspect of the compact cine camera is its form factor, designed primarily to make for easier use with a gimbal or in a cage. To some extent these applications also dictate the control layout and the user interface plus – in most examples so far – the deletion of a built-in viewfinder. This primarily allows for a smaller, lighter, and more uniformly shaped camera body.

Yet an attraction of the compact cine camera is that it can be used handheld with all the mobility and spontaneity that this allows… which is when you’ll be wanting an EVF, right? So Sony is offering an add-on finder for the new FX5 and this looks like a good compromise solution because, for the times when you don’t need eyelevel viewfinding, you can simply take it off. ‘Smart’ hotshoes make the accessory EVF easy to do these days and I reckon it’s just what this camera needs so it’ll work as well for photographers as videographers.

An interesting aspect of the ZR is that its external control arrangement and largely monitor-based operation – ostensibly optimized for video – also work equally smoothly and efficiently when shooting stills. And, in this department, it’s pretty well the same as the Z6III except for the absence of a physical shutter (not such a big deal given the faster read-out speed of its partially-stacked sensor). With the option of an add-on EVF, would the ZR be a better buy than the Z6III? The cost of the accessory finder would reduce the current price difference, but for some photographers – especially those also shooting video for clients – the ZR could be the more flexible camera, not to mention its smoother operability compared to the old-school DSLR-derived mirrorless bodies.

It really was a revelation how nice the ZR was to use for photography – with the absence of a viewfinder being its biggest failing in this application – so perhaps if video is going to be a key driver of future mirrorless camera designs, it will actually be a positive for everybody. Flexibility and adaptability are the essentials of today’s professional imaging business – both for the practitioners and the equipment. And because of the widely varying demands now on them, these are the inherent design elements of this new breed of compact higher-end video cameras. Fitting whatever accessory component is needed for a particular application – an eyelevel viewfinder, for example – was the brilliance of Victor Hasselblad’s original modular 6x6cm SLR – and it could now also be the future of professional cameras… hybrid in both function and form.

If you needed any convincing that the Nikon ZR is as cool as it gets, this video of Aquaman himself getting a pair of all-brass Nikon ZR bodies from Nikon USA should do it. But far from a freebie, Jason Momoa will be earning his keep, using the ultra-portable cinema cameras on the road when filming the next season of his HBO Max Original documentary series On the Roam.

In a video posted on Momoa’s Instagram (@prideofgypsies), the actor and filmmaker can be seen opening a hard case to reveal the pair of custom-made bodies, and he can hardly contain his excitement, dropping a couple of expletives along the way: “These are amazing. Holy s**t,” he says, before adding “that is f*****g epic.”

A close-up of the cameras reveals that beyond the solid brass bodies, the rear of each camera’s LCD screen is etched with the same design as the compass tattoo on Momoa’s forearm. The Game of Thrones actor also comments on the cameras’ weight, owing to the solid-brass design.

But that’s not all; Momoa is also presented with a solid-brass cage from Tilta. This makes for a striking combination and will, of course, serve a very practical purpose when the cameras are rigged up for filming.

The standard Nikon ZR you or I can buy is already a notable camera. It puts RED's 12-bit cinema tech, like the Log3G10 curve and REDWideGamut, and Nikon's AF tech in the same body. The output is up to 6K footage at 60fps, whether the body is brass or not.

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Check out the best cinema cameras and the best Nikon cameras. Plus, if you like the Nikon ZR form factor but are more of a casual content creator, check out the recently announced Nikon Z5IIC.

It appears that Canon may be looking to expand its current lineup of non-L-series macro lenses for budget-conscious RF-mount shooters.

According to a new patent (publication number: 2026-155997) published by the Japan Patent Office on October 6, the company has at least devised a 90mm f/2.8, 100mm f/2.8, 130mm f/2.8, and 180mm f/4.0 prime lens featuring a distinct optical design from the company’s current L-series (Luxury) macro lenses, but that would still achieve life-size subject reproduction.

Currently, photographers navigating Canon’s full-frame mirrorless lineup face a divide in macro options. The accessible RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM offers everyday shooting but tops out at 1:2 (0.5x) magnification.

And the flagship RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM delivers sharp performance and 1.4x reproduction, but carries a steep price tag and is on the bulky side.

While there’s no saying which budget Canon could truly be gearing these patented designs toward, it would make sense if the lenses were affordable, lightweight, non-L primes capable of true 1:1 life-size reproduction without the weight or cost of L-series glass.

And according to the patent, Canon could be trying to solve this size and cost challenge with a nifty optical formula.

Instead of extending the front barrel during close focusing, the system contains a five-group structure with two counter-moving internal focus groups to achieve 1:1 magnification while suppressing focus breathing.

What’s more, a negative rear element group shortens the overall barrel length, while a simplified single-element front group comprising low-dispersion glass, in theory, would keep chromatic aberrations in check without adding unnecessary weight.

While patent filings never guarantee production, this latest publication does make it seem likely that Canon is actively developing 1:1 magnification lens offerings for its mid-range RF lineup.

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Here’s our macro expert’s take on the best macro lenses. You can also read our pick of the best lenses for Canon DSLRs

We rather like Voigtländer's Nokton 23mm f/1.2 lens for APS-C cameras - it's beautifully made, very sharp if you stop down to f/4, and can produce gorgeous bokeh wide open at f/1.2. The lens has been available for Nikon DX and Fujifilm X-series cameras for some time, but only in a black finish. But now Fujifilm X shooters have the option to pre-order a silver version of the lens, making it a perfect match for silver editions of cameras like the X-T5, X-M5 and X-E5. The pre-order price is currently $599, making it a handy $50 cheaper than the current black edition.

Both color options appear identical in every other way, meaning you get an all-metal barrel, and though there's no autofocus, there are electronical contacts enabling data communication with the camera body. Inside are ten optical elements, including a complex double-sided aspherical element and two ‘abnormal partial-dispersion’ glass elements that aim to minimize chromatic aberration. The 23mm focal length makes the lens ideal for street photography, equating to 35mm on a full-frame body. Despite the fast maximum aperture and solid build, Voigtländer has managed to keep weight down to 240g, so the lens feels right at home on a camera like the X-M5. Check out our full review for more details.

And that's not the only Nokton lens to get the silver treatment: the Nokton 35mm f/1.2 for Fujifilm X mount can also now be had in silver (the black version has been available since 2021). The lens features an almost symmetrical, Double-Gauss layout, which helps reduce optical aberrations over a large focal plane. It has 12 aperture blades for smooth, rounded bokeh, a minimum focus distance of 0.3 meters and a front filter size of 46mm. Expect to pay $649 for the silver version, which matches the price of its black counterpart.

Both the Nokton 23mm f/1.2 and Nokton 35mm f/1.2 can now be pre-ordered in silver from B&H.

Japan’s best-selling camera rankings often offer a deeper hint at what’s trending in the camera industry. But there’s one Sony camera that keeps popping up on best-seller lists, despite now being three years old: The Sony A7C II.

The Sony A7C II takes Sony’s 33MP full-frame sensor and crams it into a much smaller body than cameras from the A7 series. Part of that small design is placing the viewfinder in one corner, more like a rangefinder than an SLR. That, mixed with the fact that it’s also available in silver, makes the A7C II not just Sony’s most compact full-frame mirrorless, but arguably the most retro.

The Sony A7C II is a regular attender for best-seller lists, even as the camera ages. But the camera’s popularity means deals are often small discounts. The A7C II body-only has just dropped back down to the lowest price that the camera has seen in 2026 during the Prime Day deals.

The camera currently has a $400 discount on the body in the US. That’s the lowest that the camera has been since tariff price adjustments last year – though it’s not the only time the camera has sat at $2,098 this year.

The A7C II’s mix of an oversized sensor in an undersized design earns the camera a spot on Digital Camera World’s best Sony camera list. In the review, DCW’s Gareth Bevan said the A7C II is “still one of the best options for content creators looking for the smallest and most compact camera, while still getting pro-level features.”

The A7C II shares the same resolution as another Sony camera that continues to dominate charts: The Sony A7 V. Where the A7C II is built for portability, the newer A7 V is built to blend that full-frame sensor with speed, delivering a 30 fps burst speed as well as 4K60 video oversampled from 7K.

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Take a look at the best Sony cameras, or the best cameras for travel.

Viral cameras like the Kodak Charmera have brought tiny cameras back into the spotlight – but tiny cameras are far from a modern concept. In the mid-1950s, Leica built a half-frame 35mm film camera that measured only 10 cm – about 2.5 inches – tall.

The Leica Box camera is a prototype from the mid-1950s. The camera measured just 100 x 64 x 48mm – about 3.9 x 2.5 x 1.8 inches – and used a fixed tiny Leitz Summaron lens.

Despite the small size, the camera took 35mm film loaded using a special cassette system. The Leica Box shot in half-frame format, getting twice as many shots per roll. And while many modern compact cameras skip the viewfinder, the Leica Box still fit in a tiny optical viewfinder, a shutter speed dial, and an aperture ring around the built-in lens.

While the Box camera is tiny, the compact camera bears the classic styling that makes it look more like a miniature member of the longstanding Leica M system family. The camera was made with solid metal, finished with chrome and black vulcanite.

The Leica Box, sadly, never made it out of prototype stage – making it extremely rare to find one. But the Leitz Photographica Auction has what it believes is the only working Leica Box in existence. The only other Leica Box camera known to exist is in the Leica Museum, but it doesn’t work.

The camera’s designers appeared to have considered a few different lens options, including a 2.8 cm (28mm), 3.5cm (35mm), and a 5cm (50mm). The prototype up for auction used a fixed 3.5cm (35mm) lens, but the non-working version in the museum had a 2.8cm (28mm) lens.

The Leica Box, with serial number 000.01, will be up for auction beginning on October 29. Leitz Photographica Auction currently estimates the camera could fetch as much as €500,000 – or about $562,875 / £424,006 / AU$805,921 / CA$799,902.

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Love tiny retro cameras? You'll probably love the Instax Pal 2. Or, take a look at the best keychain cameras or the best film cameras.

Amazon has just dropped the Birdfy Feeder Metal to $175.99, down from $239.99, saving you a very welcome $64 on what has become my favourite smart gadget for the garden. I loved this clever bird feeder when I reviewed it, and at this reduced price I think it becomes even easier to recommend.

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Before testing the Birdfy Feeder Metal, I enjoyed feeding the birds in my garden but had never really thought about monitoring exactly what was visiting throughout the day. That changed remarkably quickly once I installed it. The built-in 1080p camera, motion detection, and Birdfy app mean you can receive notifications whenever something arrives, while AI bird identification can even help tell you exactly what species has stopped by.

What impressed me immediately was just how well made it is. The metal construction feels far more substantial than I expected from a smart bird feeder, while the adjustable perch can be moved to accommodate everything from smaller garden birds to larger visitors. Mounting is also flexible, with options for a pole, wall, or tree, and I found the whole installation process refreshingly straightforward when setting up my review sample.

The real magic starts once the birds discover it. I quickly found myself checking notifications to see which regular visitors had returned, while the app organizes recordings and bird activity in a way that makes the whole experience genuinely enjoyable rather than overwhelming. Image quality from the 1080p camera is more than good enough for identifying birds, watching their behaviour, and sharing clips with friends and family.

At $239.99, I already thought the Birdfy Feeder Metal was a fantastic device for bird lovers, but at $175.99 it is a particularly good deal. Saving $64 on my favourite smart garden gadget makes this one of the more unusual Amazon deals I would happily recommend, whether you want to discover what is visiting your own garden or are looking for a brilliant gift for the birdwatcher in your life.

I’ve shot with more than half a dozen screen-free cameras, and they each have their own unique quirks. But most of them have a small sensor and can't shoot video. But there is one camera that feels like unplugging yet still houses a larger one-inch sensor and video: The Fujifilm X Half.

The Fujifilm X Half technically isn’t a screen-free camera, as it actually has two: a more typical LCD screen plus a smaller one for swiping through different film simulations. But the X Half has a film camera mode that locks the screen, so I couldn’t look through my images until I had shot a full “roll.”

When I gave up shooting photos on my iPhone for a week with screen-free compact cameras, I found unplugging so liberating that I lasted nearly two weeks instead. The Fujifilm X Half was one of my favorites.

Screen-free cameras are a growing trend, and there are now quite a few of them to choose from. But cameras like the fantastic Camp Snap CS-Pro and the Flashback One35 V2 are meant to snap photos that look like early digital cameras with smaller sensors and lower resolutions.

The X Half feels like the “halfway” point between screen-free cameras and advanced compact cameras. The X Half has a screen-free mode, but the 17.7MP one-inch sensor beats cheaper options – and it still shoots video.

The real reason that I fell in love with the X Half, however, is because the film-like feel isn’t just in the camera’s “film” advance lever, retro dials, or screen-free mode. The photos from the X Half, while digital, still have a retro charm to them. There’s a built-in mode for creating light leaks or shooting with the softer look of a film lens. Or, the camera can shoot with one of Fujifilm’s iconic film simulations. The retro compact camera can even shoot double exposures.

The X Half is often misunderstood. It isn't a cheaper version of the viral Fujifilm X100VI, but rather something else entirely. It's meant to be a camera that's fun to shoot and doesn't need photo edits. The X Half is a camera for replacing my iPhone shots and feeling more unplugged, not a camera for replacing my mirrorless.

When the X Half launched, I thought the original $849 list price was too high, but that list price later fell down by $200. A temporary price drop during Prime Day has now brought the X Half to its lowest price yet in the US: $449.

Out of all the Prime Day deals that I’ve spotted so far, the lowest-ever price on the X Half is the one that I’m finding the hardest not to add to my cart.

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Take a look at the top Prime Day camera deals, or follow along as we cover the sale with live updates.

Amazon has knocked $92.70 off the Canon 12x36 IS III Image Stabilized Binoculars, bringing them down to $786.30 from their usual $879 price.

That is a very welcome saving on one of Canon’s most interesting high-magnification binoculars, particularly if you want extra reach without having to carry a tripod everywhere you go.

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The headline feature here is obviously Canon’s image stabilization. At 12x magnification, even small hand movements can become distracting, but the built-in stabilization helps calm that movement and gives you a much steadier view. It makes a real difference when you are watching birds, wildlife, aircraft, sporting events or anything else at distance.

The 36mm objective lenses also strike a useful balance between light gathering and portability. These are not tiny binoculars, but they remain considerably easier to carry than many large high-powered models, while still giving you enough magnification to pull distant subjects much closer.

I have always found image-stabilized binoculars particularly interesting because they solve one of the biggest problems with higher magnification optics. A conventional 12x binocular can look fantastic on paper, but if you cannot keep the image steady enough to see the extra detail, that magnification quickly becomes less useful. Canon’s stabilization helps you actually make use of that additional reach.

At $786.30, these are still premium binoculars, but saving $92.70 certainly makes them more tempting. If you have been looking for a powerful pair of binoculars for wildlife, birdwatching, aviation or long-distance observation, the Canon 12x36 IS III offers something very different from a conventional pair, and this Amazon deal makes them considerably easier to justify.

The King Island scrubtit is one of Australia’s rarest and smallest birds. So when award-winning wildlife photographer Brad Leue visited King Island's Boulder Wildlife Sanctuary, with the audacious ambition of photographing one, the odds were stacked against him.

Experts estimate that only 100 King Island scrubtits are left, a subspecies of the much more prevalent Tasmanian scrubtit. But at only 12cm in length and with markings that blend into their habitat, spotting one is extremely rare – and photographing one is even rarer.

Brad was well prepared. He analysed sightings of the birds to pinpoint potential hotspots and armed himself with his trusty Canon EOS R5 and 100-500mm super-telephoto lens. But with only a week in which to photograph the island’s wildlife, the clock was ticking.

A few days in and the scrubtit was nowhere to be seen, but on the fifth day, Brad’s luck changed. While operating by the coast and exploring the edge of a forest, a little brown job appeared. He told me: “In this type of environment, the targets are mainly small birds, so I had my camera set up for fast movement.” The scrubtit didn’t hang around: “I was only able to grab a few shots that were in focus before the individual ducked back into the forest.”

Thankfully, the encounter enabled Brad to capture two sharp images, which he sent to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy for confirmation. “I was confident I’d photographed the right species, but given how rare they are, I also had a bit of doubt.” Thankfully, it was a King Island scrubtit, making Brad a member of an exclusive club of photographers who have managed to photograph the rare bird.

When asked about the importance of photography for conservation, Brad told me: “We’re a very visual species. Through conservation photography, people can connect with some of the world’s most vulnerable species, allowing them to care and empathise on a much deeper level.”

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If you're interested in the role photography has to play in wildlife conservation, over 300 custom-made camera traps spread across an area the size of Cape Verde make important wildlife discoveries. Photography is at the heart of remarkable discovery of a new cat species – even if it was science that delivered the definitive proof. Plus, here's the latest camera news.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days has delivered another tempting Insta360 discount, with the Insta360 GO Ultra Essentials Bundle now down to just $385 from $479.

That saves you $94 on one of the smallest and most versatile 4K cameras around, making this a particularly good deal for anyone who wants to capture footage without carrying a conventional action camera setup.

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The GO Ultra is all about making filming as effortless as possible. The tiny standalone camera can be worn or mounted in places where a larger action camera simply becomes awkward, making it brilliant for hands-free POV footage, travel, family adventures and those unusual angles that can instantly make a video feel more interesting. Despite its incredibly compact size, it can still capture detailed 4K footage.

That small size is really what makes the GO Ultra special. You can attach it using Insta360’s magnetic mounting system, clip it to clothing or position it in creative places without feeling like you are carrying a full camera rig. Pair it with the Action Pod and you also get a much more conventional shooting experience when you need it, along with significantly longer overall battery life. Insta360 rates the standalone camera for up to 70 minutes, extending to as much as 200 minutes when used with the Action Pod under its test conditions.

I also like that Insta360 has moved the GO Ultra to expandable microSD storage, which gives you far more flexibility than relying on fixed internal capacity. It supports cards up to 2TB, so you can carry plenty of storage for a day of filming without worrying about running out of space.

At $385, this is a very good price for such a flexible little camera system. Saving $94 takes a meaningful chunk off the regular cost, and if you want something genuinely tiny that can capture high-quality 4K footage without getting in the way, the Insta360 GO Ultra Essentials Bundle is one of the more interesting action-camera deals I have seen in the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale.

Amazon's October sale is now in full swing as we enter day two, and we have been having a look at the best Big Deal Day dashcam deals. So if you’ve been thinking about grabbing a new dashcam, this is your chance to grab a decent one.

I’ve been on the hunt for one myself, which means I’ve been deep-diving through the offers to find the best value dashcams out there. And luckily, this year’s Amazon October sale hasn’t disappointed.

• 🇺🇸 See all of today's best US Amazon camera deals
• 🇬🇧 See all of today's best UK Amazon camera deals

From simple plug-and-play models to fully loaded 4K dashcams with GPS and night vision, there’s something in the mix for every budget. Some of the biggest names in the game, like Nextbase and Vantrue - are offering real savings, making it the perfect time to upgrade your car’s protection or pick up your very first unit.

I’ve filtered out the fluff to bring you only the deals that are actually worth your money. These are the dashcams I’d trust on my own windscreen, and with savings this strong, it makes sense to act fast. Whether you're commuting daily or planning a road trip this summer, there’s real peace of mind to be had here.

Just remember - these deals are due to end at midnight October 7. So if a dashcam’s been on your wishlist, now’s the moment to make it happen.

🇺🇸 Best dashcam deals in US

🇬🇧 Best dashcam deals in UK

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Amazon has knocked $200 off Canon’s creator-focused EOS R50 V kit, bringing the camera with the RF-S 14-30mm F4-6.3 IS STM PZ lens down to just $749 from $949.

That is a seriously tempting price for a compact mirrorless setup designed specifically with vloggers, filmmakers, and content creators in mind.

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The EOS R50 V takes the approachable nature of Canon’s R50 series and pushes it much further towards video. It is small, lightweight, and easy to carry, but still gives you the flexibility of interchangeable lenses and the image quality you would expect from a modern APS-C mirrorless camera.

Video is where this camera really makes sense. It offers strong 4K performance, Canon’s dependable autofocus, and controls that are geared towards creators who spend as much time filming as they do taking stills. Whether you are recording YouTube videos, travel content, social media clips, or simply documenting everyday life, it is a setup that feels designed to make the process straightforward.

The included RF-S 14-30mm F4-6.3 IS STM PZ is also a particularly good match for the R50 V. Its wide-angle coverage is ideal for filming yourself at arm’s length, while the built-in power zoom makes it much easier to achieve smooth, controlled zoom movements when shooting video.

At $749 for the camera and lens together, this Amazon deal makes the EOS R50 V considerably more appealing. Saving $200 on a complete creator-focused kit gives you a lot of camera for the money, particularly if you want something more capable than a smartphone without stepping up to a larger and more expensive full-frame setup.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is now in full swing, and one of my favorite deals of the entire sale has landed on what is still my favorite action camera on the market right now.

The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 has dropped to just $309, down from $399.99, saving you $90.99 on a seriously impressive 8K action camera.
Just make sure you tick the on-page coupon before checking out to get the full discount.

I have used plenty of action cameras over the years, but the Ace Pro 2 is the one I would choose today. It gets the balance between image quality, ease of use, and genuinely useful features just right, rather than simply chasing bigger numbers on a spec sheet.

Its headline feature is 8K video, which gives you a huge amount of detail from such a compact camera. It also performs particularly well when conditions become more challenging, with strong low-light performance and excellent stabilization making it a camera I would happily take traveling, hiking, cycling, or pretty much anywhere I wanted to capture an adventure without carrying a larger setup.

I am also a huge fan of the flip-up touchscreen, which makes framing yourself far easier when vlogging or filming solo. Add Insta360’s smart shooting modes and increasingly polished software, and the Ace Pro 2 feels less like a conventional action camera and more like a genuinely versatile little content-creation tool.

At its regular $399.99 price, I already think the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is one of the strongest action cameras you can buy. At $309 in the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale, though, I think it is a steal. Getting my favorite action camera on the market, complete with 8K video, for just over $300 makes this one of the deals I would be seriously tempted by before the price goes back up.

Maternal instincts transcend all species, be it on land or below water, and at this year’s Ocean Photographer of the Year Awards (Ocean POTY), there were two particularly intimate scenes of a mother’s love for her young, both gaining commendation from the contest judges.

Underwater photographer Andrea Michelutti created both images in Anilao, a diving hotspot in the Philippines.

The first is of a harlequin crab resting at the entrance of a tubular sponge, carefully tending her cluster of orange eggs. The second is of a shrimp carrying a clutch of eggs, sheltering within coral branches.

Andrea Michelutti's gear and settings

• Sony RX100 VII (compact)
• Lens: 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 (built-in)
• Marelux housing
• Marelux Apollo S strobes
• Focal Length: 29.10 mm (in 35mm: 79 mm)
• Exposure: 1/1000 sec; / f/11 / ISO 100

On shooting the harlequin crab, Michelutti told the contest organizers: “Capturing this rare moment of maternal care required several dives at the same site, waiting for the crab to emerge.”

And when it finally did, the diver used a snoot light – a specialized tube or optical device attached to an underwater strobe or flash to concentrate the light beam.

According to Michelutti, this isolated the mother crab from the “busy reef,” revealing an “intimate glimpse of life” hidden within the sponge. Michelutti also used this snooting technique to photograph the shrimp.

Andrea Michelutti's gear and settings

• Sony RX100 VII (compact)
• Lens: 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 (built-in)
• Marelux housing
• Marelux Apollo S strobes
• Focal Length: 22.50 mm (in 35mm: 61 mm)
• Exposure: ISO 64 / f/11, 1/1000 seconds

The photographer explained how, this time, he placed the snoot light behind the coral to create the “fiery glow” surrounding the eggs. At the same time, the diver used a front light to reveal details of the mother shrimp’s body, taking care not to disturb what he called its “fragile habitat.”

Both of these endearing scenes struck a chord with the Ocean POTY judges. The vibrant image of the shrimp transporting her young placed second in the “The Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds” category. And the image of the harlequin crab protecting her offspring was a finalist in the same category.

Mitsuna Kawai's blackwater portrait of a ribbonfish among salps won the "Ocean Unseen" category at this year’s contest. But the overall title of Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 went to Julien Anton for his paternal scene of a father seahorse with his offspring.

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Amazon has knocked a substantial $199.01 off one of Canon’s most legendary lenses, with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM now down to $1,349 from its usual $1,548.01 price.

This is not the newest 50mm in Canon’s lineup, but that is almost beside the point. The EF 50mm f/1.2L has built a reputation over the years for its distinctive rendering, beautiful background blur, and unmistakable character.

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Its headline feature is, of course, that huge f/1.2 maximum aperture. It gives you exceptional control over depth of field and allows the lens to pull a subject away from the background in a way that slower 50mm lenses simply cannot match. It is particularly well suited to portraits, weddings, events, street photography, and low-light shooting, where that extra light-gathering ability can make a real difference.

What has always made the EF 50mm f/1.2L special, though, is not simply sharpness. There are newer lenses that will beat it on laboratory charts, but this lens has a look of its own. Wide open, it can produce wonderfully soft transitions between sharp and out-of-focus areas, with the kind of creamy bokeh and three-dimensional rendering that has made it a favorite among portrait and wedding photographers for years.

It is also built like a proper Canon L-series lens, with a reassuringly solid construction, fast USM autofocus, and the sort of handling that makes it feel right at home on a professional camera body. And while it was originally designed for Canon DSLRs, EF shooters are not the only ones who can enjoy it. With Canon’s EF-EOS R adapter, it remains a very attractive option for photographers using the company’s current mirrorless cameras.

At $1,349 in the Amazon sale, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM is still an investment, but this is not just another standard 50mm prime. It is a lens with real history, character, and a look that many photographers still actively seek out. Saving nearly $200 makes this legendary piece of Canon glass considerably more tempting, especially if you have always wanted to experience what an f/1.2 L-series prime can do.

When researchers in West Africa’s Côte d’Ivoire Taï National Park spotted vibrant orange, yellow, and black feathers, what followed looked almost like choreography. With one researcher with binoculars and another with a camera, the team managed to capture photos of a bird species that hasn’t been spotted for 13 years: The Ghana cukooshrike.

Field research fellows Paulo Ditzel and Stephanie Bartlett were nearing the end of a six-month, four-country expedition with the International Bird Conservation Partnership earlier this summer when they were scanning the trees for birds in Taï National Park.

Ditzel first spotted the bird and used his binoculars to relay the bird’s location in the tree canopy to Bartlett. “If I had seen that bird with anyone else, it wouldn’t have worked out,” Ditzel said, “and we would not have gotten a picture. We have this perfect little way.”

The Ghana cukooshrike spends much of its time in the canopy of Africa’s forests – which, combined with its vulnerable status as a species, means that one hasn’t been spotted since 2013. The new photos from the researchers recover a “lost” species and hint that conservation efforts in the region are working.

“I got a photo of the bird before I saw it,” Bartlett said.

As Bartlett took photos, the cukooshrike moved through the canopy along with some chestnut-capped flycatchers and a white-breasted nigrita. Dietzel ran back to the station to give the rest of the research team a chance to see the lost species as Bartlett continued to record the bird.

But by the time Dietzel returned, the bird had disappeared into the canopy again. The bird only reappeared again after most of the team had returned to the base, when the cukooshrike snatched a white caterpillar.

Director for The Search For Lost Birds John Mittermeier described the photos as “probably the best photos ever taken of this bird.” The Ghana cukkoshrike’s preference for thick canopies and vulnerable population makes it a rare bird to photograph.

Bartlett also captured what's believed to be the first videos of the species.

Birding in West Africa’s forests is often a challenge. “They’re scared of you,” Bartlett explained. “You don’t get close to them, and so often you have to use the camera as a tool for identification.”

Researchers are hopeful that the Ghana cukooshrike’s sighting suggests that conservation efforts in Taï National Park are working, while recovering the lost species indicates further efforts are needed.

Taï National Park is part of the Upper Guinean rainforest, an ecosystem under threat as logging and agriculture shrink the rainforest’s size.

In the 1970s, the Ghana cukooshrike was spotted frequently, with 20 sightings within just 62 days. But according to the Search for Lost Birds, in a nearly two-year survey in 2005 and 2007, the bird was only spotted two times. The last time the bird was photographed was in 2013.

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Take a look at the best cameras for wildlife photography, or dig into the best lenses for bird photography.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days has delivered a huge discount on one of GoPro’s most exciting cameras, with the GoPro Max2 now down to just $299 from its regular $499.99 price.

That saves you a very cool $200.99 on GoPro’s flagship 360 camera, and at this price, it becomes a seriously tempting option for anyone wanting to experiment with immersive video.

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The Max2 is GoPro’s latest-generation 360 camera, capable of capturing true 8K 360-degree video using its dual-sensor setup. The beauty of shooting in 360 is that you do not have to worry nearly as much about framing while you are recording. Instead, you can capture everything around you and choose your composition afterwards, making it particularly useful for action sports, travel, motorcycles, skiing, cycling and adventures where pointing a conventional camera in exactly the right direction is not always possible.

GoPro has also packed the Max2 with features that make it far more than a novelty camera. It can capture 29MP 360 photos, offers 10-bit color and GP-Log for creators who want more flexibility when grading their footage, and uses six microphones to capture immersive audio. I also really like the replaceable glass lenses, which can simply be twisted off and swapped if one gets damaged – something that makes a lot of sense on a camera designed to be taken into some pretty demanding environments.

The real appeal, though, is what you can do with the footage afterwards. A 360 camera allows you to reframe your video into a conventional shot, follow a subject, create dramatic sweeping movements, or produce those almost drone-like invisible-selfie-stick shots that have become synonymous with modern 360 cameras. GoPro’s Quik app also offers AI-powered object tracking and editing tools to make turning all that footage into something shareable considerably easier.

At $499.99, the Max2 is a serious investment if you are simply curious about 360 video. At $299, however, this Amazon Prime Big Deal Days discount changes the equation considerably. Saving more than $200 on a current GoPro that can shoot true 8K 360 video makes this one of the more eye-catching action-camera deals I have seen in the sale, particularly for anyone who has been waiting for the right excuse to jump into 360 filmmaking.

Have you still got shoeboxes or draws full of old photos that you wish you could view on your computer and phone? You are not alone - lots of us have cherished memories on negatives or slides that we wish were digitized so that they can be seen and shared with family and friends. Some great deals on Kodak scanners in Amazon's Big Deals sale could be just what you need - but be warned the sale ends tomorrow.

There are lots of film scanner options around, but Kodak has made its name in this area with a range of all-in-one scanners, where you don't need a computer to get your images digitized. And what's more, they have built-in screens that are great for helping you find the best frames from your collection.

Check out our guides to the best film scanners and to the best slide viewers

The Nikon Z6 II has just received another price cut, dropping to $1,296.95 in the Amazon Prime sale and saving you $453. At that price, it represents excellent value for a full-frame mirrorless camera that still delivers a strong combination of image quality, speed, handling, and versatility.

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If you have been thinking about upgrading to one of the best mirrorless cameras but do not need the huge file sizes that come with a 40MP-plus sensor, the Z6 II remains a very compelling option. Its 24.5MP full-frame sensor strikes a great balance between detail, low-light performance, and manageable file sizes, making it equally well suited to stills and video.

I may be slightly biased as a former Nikon shooter, but the Z6 II is still a camera I would happily recommend. It is well built, comfortable to use, and capable enough for everything from travel and portraits to events, wildlife, and everyday photography. At this reduced price, it becomes an even stronger choice for anyone wanting a dependable full-frame system without spending flagship money.

The Nikon Z6 II builds on everything that made the original Z6 such a strong all-rounder, adding dual processors, a second card slot, and faster burst shooting. It delivers excellent full-frame performance without pushing you into the higher megapixel count or price of the Z7 II, while remaining a very capable alternative to the newer Nikon Z6 III.

Image quality is exactly what I would expect from Nikon, with rich color, plenty of detail, and files that are equally enjoyable to edit or share straight from the camera. The addition of a second card slot also gives the Z6 II a more professional edge, while its autofocus system does a very good job of tracking people and animals.

The 4K 60p video mode does come with a crop, but if, like me, you tend to shoot most footage at 24p or 30p, that is unlikely to be a major concern. At this new lower price, the Z6 II remains one of the most affordable and appealing ways to step into Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless system.

See our guide to the Best lenses for the Nikon Z6 II

Amazon Big Deal Days is now in full swing as we enter day two of the Prime sale, and if you have ever wondered exactly what is visiting your garden when you are not looking, a smart bird feeder camera is one of the most entertaining ways to find out. These clever gadgets can automatically record visiting birds, send alerts straight to your phone, and even use AI to help identify different species as they arrive.

All of today's Best Amazon bird feeder camera deals
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Even better, several of the top models are now reduced in the Amazon sale, making this a great time to add some smart tech to your garden. Whether you are a keen birdwatcher or simply enjoy seeing what wildlife turns up outside your window, these are the bird feeder camera deals I think are genuinely worth your attention.

US deals

UK deals

Several DJI drone models, which are currently legal in the USA despite the ban on new drones, could now be removed from the shelves because the FCC now considers the collision sensors to be "military tech."

Specifically, this affects all drones that use LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors, which is used to measure distances in 3D space. (It is the same visual tech that the iPhone uses for facial recognition – though no one is calling that military just yet).

If the ban comes into effect on the proposed date, Jan 30 2027 (180 days after the rule was proposed), then retailers will not even be able to sell their remaining stock. Only drones already owned will be considered "authorised units," and their owners will be able to keep using them.

DJI has commented on the ban through its ViewPoints, saying "DJI does not design or manufacture military-grade equipment, nor has it marketed or sold its products for military use. DJI develops technology for commercial, agricultural, recreational, and public safety applications, and has consistently opposed the weaponization of civilian drones."

There is a tone of frustration as it goes on to note "the FCC's proposed definition is broad enough to capture many of the civilian drones Americans rely on every day."

The real reason for this, coming on top of the previous addition of DJI to the 'covered list' in December 2025, is because of a trade war with China.

Photographers and creators are essentially collateral damage, with the US government keen to add tariffs on products in the hope a domestic American industry will rise up and compete with DJI and other Chinese companies. It is more concerned about military applications than accessibly priced drones for photography, however, and not worried about leaving people waiting the many years it would take for the US to have anything equivalent.

I spoke to a few representatives of US companies at last week's Drone X show, and there was little interest in the consumer market anyway. But the trade ban affects DJI nonetheless.

There are clearly a number of more advanced models from DJI at more reasonable prices, so it might be time for hobbyists and operators to take a look at their needs before the January deadline.

If you do want to snap up one of these drones sooner rather than later, I've put together a list of the best deals below (many are also on my best camera drones guide).

Experience suggests they will still be well supported for some time (spare parts, software updates and the like), but it'd be sad if you weren't able to get LiDAR and other features the rest of the world takes for granted because of a badly written trade ban designed to target a different market altogether.

Amazon has knocked £200 off one of Panasonic’s most capable full-frame hybrid cameras, with the Panasonic Lumix S5 II X and 18-40mm S lens now down to just £1,199 from £1,399.

That is a seriously tempting price for a camera designed to handle both high-quality stills and professional-level video in one relatively compact package.

The S5 II X is built around a 24.2MP full-frame sensor and Panasonic’s Phase Hybrid autofocus system, while Active I.S. helps keep handheld footage and stills steady. Video is where this camera really stands out, though, with support for C4K/4K 60p 4:2:2 10-bit recording, V-Log, ProRes, RAW video output and even recording to an external USB SSD.

That makes it particularly appealing for filmmakers, content creators and hybrid shooters who want something more serious than a conventional enthusiast camera without stepping up to a much larger cinema setup. You still get strong stills performance, but the extra video tools give the S5 II X a level of flexibility that is difficult to ignore at this price.

The included Lumix S 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 lens also makes a lot of sense as part of the package. It weighs just 155g and covers everything from an ultra-wide 18mm to a more natural 40mm focal length, making it a handy lightweight option for travel, vlogging, landscapes and everyday shooting.

At £1,199 for the camera and lens together, this feels like one of the stronger full-frame hybrid deals currently available at Amazon. Saving £200 is welcome in itself, but getting this level of video capability, full-frame image quality and a genuinely compact zoom in one bundle makes the Lumix S5 II X especially easy to recommend at this price.

Nikon Direct has launched another tantalizing range of lifestyle products, including a rather fetching t-shirt and jacket, that Western Nikon fans can’t get their hands on. But in my continued quest to prove to Nikon that we overseas want merch, too, I thought I’d share the latest releases to hit the Japanese domestic market by way of Digital Camera Watch and the brand’s official online store.

Nikon clothing

First up, the aforementioned Nikon T-Shirt and Nylon Jacket. These classy clothing items both feature a tasteful, minimalist black design with an offset white Nikon logo on the chest and the classic Nikon red stripe on one arm.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I think adding Giorgetto Giugiaro’s timeless design cue is genius. Subtle enough, but if you know, you know. Both items of clothing are available in three sizes (M, L, XL). The t-shirt is priced at JP¥4,000 and the jacket JP¥9,600 (approx $25/£19/AU$36 and $61/£46/AU$87 respectively).

Nikon lifestyle accessories

You can also now pick up the Nikon Folding Umbrella and Nikon Folding Chair to go with your Nikon wardrobe. The folding umbrella is small and boasts a classic black design with a tiny Nikon label on the canopy. Underneath, it has a rather fetching white reverse, displaying a variety of Nikon cameras and lenses such as the Nikon Zf, Nikon Z8, and Nikon ZR.

It can be used to repel rain or as a parasol with light-blocking and UV-cutting ratings of 95% or more. It folds down into a small package that’s not much longer than a standard bottle of water. It’s priced at JP¥5,600 (approx $35/£27/AU$51).

The folding chair features a similar black design with a white Nikon logo and red stripe. It’s rated up to 100kg and packs down into a tiny 290x90mm bag and weighs just 520g. Ideal for long hikes or patiently waiting for that bird or mammal to appear. It’s priced at JP¥5,900 (approx $37/£28/AU$54).

All of this comes shortly after Nikon Direct launched a pair of Noct-themed accessories in the form of a neck warmer and pack of paper cups. Whatever will the folks at the ‘Big N’ think of next?

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Check out the best Nikon cameras and the best Nikon Z lenses. Plus, the best-looking camera ever? When style IS substance!

Smart security cameras like Ring doorbells make many aspects of life feel safer, like recieving deliveries from shopping online. My wife and I even caught a porch pirate with one.

We (my wife and I) use a lot of security cameras in our home to keep our family safer. We both find it reassuring to be able to check on the house when we're out – or even see if our partner is having a nap so you don't need to worry if your messages are going unanswered.

Some people might think of it as an invasion of privacy, but you can control this. I know apps can be irritating, but it's usually as simple as closing a door over the lens.

Amazon have some amazing deals – especially on their two big brands, Ring and Blink – meaning there is no better time to try the experience for yourself.

Personally I think like this – it's a great technology, but the entry price can seem high. During Amazon Prime Deals, however, that seems rather less true, so I've picked some bundles out that I think are a great way to get started, as well as some other good value deals.

My other tip? Pick one brand and stick with it so you only need one app for all your cameras. Me? I use Ring. But that's just me,

US: Best security camera deals

UK: Best security camera deals

Amazon has dropped the price of the Canon EOS R100 with its 18-45mm kit lens to just £449, down from £609.11. That saves you £160.11 and makes this one of the cheapest ways to get into Canon’s current EOS R mirrorless system with a lens included.

The EOS R100 is aimed squarely at photographers taking their first step beyond a smartphone or compact camera. It keeps things deliberately simple, but still gives you the flexibility of interchangeable lenses and a much larger APS-C sensor, making it a great starting point for anyone who wants to learn photography without spending a fortune.

Inside is a 24.1MP APS-C sensor paired with Canon’s DIGIC 8 processor, delivering plenty of detail for travel, family photos, portraits and everyday shooting. Canon’s color reproduction has always been one of the company’s strengths, and the EOS R100 produces attractive JPEGs straight out of the camera without demanding much editing.

Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF system handles autofocus, while eye detection makes portraits much easier for beginners. You also get up to 6.5fps continuous shooting and 4K video recording, giving the R100 enough versatility to experiment with both stills and video as your skills develop.

What makes this deal particularly appealing is the price. At £449 with a lens included, the EOS R100 offers a genuinely affordable route into Canon’s RF system, with plenty of scope to add more RF and RF-S lenses later. For beginners, students, or anyone wanting a lightweight everyday camera without a huge initial investment, this is one of the more tempting Canon deals I have seen in the Amazon sale.

The twice-delayed popular Sony FX5 cinema camera may not begin shipping until November after two delays.

The Sony FX5 had only been around for a day before Sony announced that an unusually high number of pre-orders meant the cinema camera would be delayed. But then in August, the camera was delayed again, this time “due to production issues” with an unknown ship date.

Sony Japan updated that delay announcement again in September, changing the estimated shipping date from “unknown” to “late October or later” (translated by Google).

Now, Sony UK is listing a November 16 ship date for pre-orders. Sony’s US website isn’t currently taking pre-orders and doesn’t list a ship date, though pre-orders are open at a few retailers. In the US, Adorama lists the expected availability as October 15.

The first delay announcement was due to an unexpected number of pre-orders, suggesting that the FX5’s 5K open date and internal RAW made the cinema camera more popular than Sony first anticipated.

The second delay, however, was announced for “production issues,” but Sony didn’t specify what those issues were.

While Sony hasn’t specified what the production issues are, one Sony user based in Mexico City shared a video on Reddit suggesting that the production issue could lie in the LCD screen. In the video, the LCD screen appears to be coming loose from its housing, exposing some of the camera’s electronics inside the housing for the flip screen.

The post shared on Reddit claims that the videographer received three Sony FX5 bodies from initial pre-orders and that all three cameras are sharing the same screen issue. Another Reddit user posted a video in the comments showing a slight separation of the screen, while many Redditors are theorizing that the LCD screen could be the reason behind the delay.

While a production issue is rarely a good thing, original rumors worried that the AI-fueled memory shortage could be having an impact. Sony Rumors is hoping the LCD issue is something that's easier to correct than a global chip shortage.

Sony’s warranty against manufacturer defects varies by country, but the company has a one-year warranty on the FX5 in the US and two years in the UK.

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Browse through the best cinema cameras or the best Sony cameras.

As we enter day 2 of the Prime sale, there are some genuinely strong savings on binoculars right now, covering everything from birdwatching and wildlife observation to travel, marine use, and stargazing. But as always, the biggest discount does not necessarily mean the best deal.

I have spent years testing and using optics in the field, so I know the difference between a bargain that is genuinely worth buying and a price cut that looks good on paper. With that in mind, I have picked out the binocular deals I think offer the strongest combination of performance, value, and real-world usability across a range of budgets.

• See all of today's best Amazon camera deals
• See all of today's best binocular deals
• Sign up for a FREE 30-day Amazon Prime trial

US: Best binocular deals

UK: Best binocular deals

I love drones, and Amazon Big Deal Day is a great time to pick one up. Drones are brilliant because they're a great way to do photography and shoot video from angles you never imagined possible AND they're just a lot of fun.

I've spent a lot of time testing drones out in the field – no pun intended – and I know the difference between a good drone and a great one. I also understand where the best value can be found. Here I've compiled a list of the drones which really stand out to me this deals day.

US: Best drone deals

UK: Best drone deals

The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is already delivering some fun camera discounts, and the Kodak Charmera keychain camera has dropped to just $29.74, down from $34.99.

That works out to a 15% saving on one of the quirkiest little cameras around, and at under $30, it becomes an easy impulse buy for anyone who loves retro photography, tiny tech, or simply wants something different to carry around.

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The Kodak Charmera is exactly what its name suggests: a genuinely tiny digital camera designed to live on your keychain. It takes the idea of a compact camera to the extreme, giving you a pocketable little shooter that is more about fun, spontaneity, and lo-fi charm than chasing perfect image quality. That is precisely what makes it so appealing.

Its biggest strength is that it encourages you to take pictures differently. There is no heavy camera bag, no complicated setup, and no pressure to create technically perfect images. Instead, you can simply pull it out, point it at something interesting, and shoot. The results have a playful, almost disposable-camera feel that suits street photography, nights out, travel snapshots, and everyday moments surprisingly well.

I also like that the Charmera taps into the current appetite for imperfect, characterful images. Not everyone wants ultra-sharp, clinically clean photos all the time, and something is refreshing about using a camera that prioritizes personality over polish. Its miniature size only adds to the novelty, making it the sort of camera people will ask you about the moment they see it.

At $29.74 in the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale, the Kodak Charmera is even easier to recommend as a fun secondary camera, gift, or inexpensive way to experiment with lo-fi digital photography. It is not going to replace your mirrorless camera or smartphone, but that is not really the point. For less than $30, it is a charming little camera that makes photography feel fun again.

I was at the Drone X show in London last week – and I found out something rather surprising…

Drone exhibtions are not quite the same experience as early drone shows were, as nowadays the lean a lot more heavily into defence applications than the early days of joyful experimentation. The phrases that stood out as I looked around the hall at first were “Combat tested” and “from the Ukraine”.

But it isn’t the combat applications that will be of concern to photographers and others who operate drones as part of a small business. It is the regulations.

In the USA, a lot of small operators (and, in fact, government agencies with limited budgets like the police) have suffered because of the government’s sweeping bans on DJI and any large-scale change can have unintended consequences.

Something I was genuinely surprised to hear mooted in the hall by serious professionals was the idea of specific regional regulations.

Drone operators will already know it is hard enough to get the UK’s more serious qualifications for heavier drones used nearer “uninvolved people” – the GVC, PDRA01, or UK SORA certificates. On top of that, users need landowners' permission, insurance, and risk assessment, so professional operations are not short of paperwork.

One benefit in planning a flight has always been that the rules are the same everywhere in the country because there is a single aviation authority. They might vary based on drone weight and the like, but at least you know what they are.

Corinne Matthews, Energy & Aerospace Sectors Lead at Somerset Council, in England, told the crowd at Drone X a lot they already knew about the benefits of drones in replacing cherry pickers, building scaffolding, or other traditional (and expensive) survey methods.

Encouraging pilots and operators to engage with governments, she shared how Somerset council had operated a pilot scheme to help monitor the regular flooding of the Somerset Levels, potentially saving money.

Then it took a surprising turn.

Matthews – who has a CRAes, which is a ‘Companionship’, a kind of honorary fellowship of the Royal Aeronautical Society – hinted that regional governments might take control of local regulations.

This news came as a shock to me as a drone user, and definitely turned some heads.

Perhaps even more surprisingly, she was suggesting that the schemes she conducted would have benefited from more relaxed emergency powers to fly BVLoS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight). Typically, when you imagine new rules these days, you imagine them being more restrictive.

She was, however, referring to a specific emergency scenario when the ground beneath the drone was flooded, so unlikely to be occupied by people.

Either way, though, the law with good intentions she was envisioning could prove problematic for freelance operators, moving from area to area, trying to make sense of the rules. If it is possible to grant more generous powers, it is likely to work the other way too.

For now, though, this is all conjecture.

It wasn’t set in stone – but it is clearly an area that is being debated, and Richard Collins, project manager of the South West DroneTech Pilot, also discussed the possibility.

The possibility of regional devolution seems even more likely in the UK at the moment following the arrival of a new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, who re-built his political career after a stint as a regional mayor. Since taking power he has promoted the idea of regional government power.

Drone operators may find things could get even stranger though – not all UK councils are fully devolved with elected mayors, for example, so finding out the local regulations could become very challenging.

I asked a representative of the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, who declined to go on record, but who did tell me that he hasn’t heard anything about this yet, without ruling it out.

Could this matter to Americans, too? In a system with many regional mayors and local governments able to make their own regulations, it is already an issue. Federal Rules, administered by the FAA (the equivalent of the CAA) are dominant, because the US government's law is higher than the state law.

Whether things will be as clear-cut in the UK is not as clear.

The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale is now live, and one of the most tempting full-frame camera deals I have spotted so far is on the Canon EOS RP, which has dropped to just £649 from its usual £1,049.99 price.

That is a substantial saving on one of Canon’s most compact full-frame mirrorless cameras, and it makes the RP particularly appealing for anyone looking to make the jump to a larger sensor without spending four figures.

The EOS RP may no longer be the newest camera in Canon’s mirrorless range, but that does not stop it from being an incredibly capable little full-frame body. Its 26.2MP sensor delivers excellent image quality, while the compact dimensions make it considerably easier to carry than many traditional full-frame cameras.

It is also a very approachable camera to use. Canon’s menus remain some of the easiest to navigate, the fully articulating touchscreen is particularly useful for shooting from unusual angles, and Dual Pixel autofocus makes focusing quick and straightforward for everyday photography. Pair it with one of Canon’s smaller RF lenses and you have a genuinely lightweight full-frame setup that is ideal for travel, street photography, portraits and family photography.

There are newer Canon cameras with faster burst rates, more advanced autofocus and stronger video specifications, but that is not really where the EOS RP’s appeal lies. This is a camera for photographers who want the look and flexibility of a full-frame sensor in a small, uncomplicated and affordable body.

At £649 in the Amazon Prime sale, the Canon EOS RP becomes considerably easier to recommend. Full-frame mirrorless cameras rarely fall into this sort of price territory, and if you have been waiting for an affordable way into Canon’s RF system, this is one of the deals I would be paying attention to.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is now in full swing, and one of my favourite deals of the entire sale has landed on my favourite action camera currently on the market.

The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 has dropped to just £279, down from £329, saving you £50 on a seriously impressive 8K action camera.

I have used plenty of action cameras over the years, but I think the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is the one I would choose right now. It strikes an excellent balance between outright image quality, ease of use, and the clever features that actually make a difference when you are out shooting, rather than simply adding more specifications to the box.

The headline feature is its ability to capture 8K video, giving you a huge amount of detail from such a small camera. It is equally impressive when conditions become more challenging, with strong low-light performance and excellent stabilisation making it a camera I would happily take travelling, hiking, cycling or anywhere else I wanted to capture an adventure without carrying a larger setup.

I am also a big fan of the flip-up touchscreen, which makes framing yourself considerably easier when vlogging or filming solo. Add Insta360's smart shooting modes and increasingly polished software, and the Ace Pro 2 feels less like a conventional action camera and more like a genuinely versatile little content-creation tool.

At its regular £329 price, I already think the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is one of the strongest action cameras you can buy. At £279 in the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale, however, I think it is a steal. Getting my favourite action camera on the market right now, complete with 8K video, for comfortably under £300 makes this one of the deals I would be seriously tempted by before the price goes back up.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days has delivered a huge saving on one of Canon’s most desirable super-telephoto zooms, with the Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM now down to just £2,379 from £3,159.99.

That is a massive £780.99 saving on a professional L-series lens that has become a firm favourite among wildlife, bird, sports and aviation photographers.

The RF 100-500mm is one of those lenses that manages to offer serious reach without becoming completely impractical to carry. Its 100-500mm zoom range gives you plenty of flexibility when subjects are moving or distances are constantly changing, while the relatively compact design makes it far easier to travel with than many traditional super-telephoto lenses.

Image quality is exactly what you would expect from Canon’s L-series glass, with excellent sharpness, strong contrast and impressive detail throughout the zoom range. Autofocus is fast and quiet, while Canon’s optical image stabilisation makes a significant difference when shooting handheld at the longer end of the lens, where even the smallest movement can become very noticeable.

For wildlife and bird photography in particular, that combination of reach, autofocus performance and portability makes the RF 100-500mm an incredibly versatile option. It is also a strong choice for motorsport, aviation and outdoor sports, where having the flexibility to move quickly between 100mm and 500mm can be far more useful than carrying a fixed super-telephoto prime.

At its usual price, this is undeniably a serious investment, but a £780.99 saving changes the equation considerably. At £2,379 in the Amazon Prime sale, the Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM becomes one of the standout high-end lens deals I have seen so far, particularly for Canon RF shooters who have been waiting for the right moment to add a professional super-telephoto zoom to their kit.

If you’ve been waiting for a genuinely pocket-sized camera that can produce professional-looking video, this is a standout bargain for anyone who wants to turn family holiday footage into something far more polished, or for creators who want to vlog their everyday life with a genuinely professional finish.

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has dropped to just £259.99 at Amazon, down from its usual £389 price tag. That gives you a substantial £129.01 saving and, more importantly, takes one of the best compact video cameras on the market down to its lowest-ever price.

DJI designed the Pocket 3 for creators who want excellent video quality without the bulk of a conventional camera, lens, and stabiliser setup. Despite being small enough to slip into a jacket pocket, it combines a large 1-inch sensor with a built-in three-axis mechanical gimbal, producing beautifully smooth footage whether you are travelling, walking through a city, or simply filming everyday life.

That combination of image quality and convenience is what really sets the Pocket 3 apart from more traditional action cameras. It can capture detailed 4K footage at high frame rates, while DJI’s intelligent subject tracking is particularly useful for vloggers and solo creators who need the camera to keep them perfectly framed. The rotating 2-inch touchscreen also makes switching between horizontal and vertical shooting incredibly easy, which is ideal for anyone creating content across multiple platforms.

In use, the Osmo Pocket 3 feels much more like a miniature professional video camera than a novelty gadget. Stabilisation is excellent, autofocus is quick and dependable, and the whole camera is compact enough to take virtually anywhere without thinking about it.

The Pocket 3 already offers a huge amount for the money at its regular price, but this DJI Autumn Sale discount makes it considerably more appealing. Current and popular creator cameras do not always receive reductions this substantial, so at £259.99 this is one of the strongest offers I have seen on the Pocket 3.

For travel filmmakers, vloggers and anyone who wants high-quality, stabilised 4K video without carrying a full camera rig, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 remains one of the easiest cameras to recommend. At this Autumn Sale price, it is even harder to ignore.

Not long ago I criticized the likes of Apple, Google and Samsung for being lazy; for producing flagship phones with minimal improvements to camera hardware, year after year. By contrast, Chinese brands like Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi are continually upping the ante in this area, the most obvious example being bespoke teleconverter lenses, such as the Oppo Hasselblad 300mm Explorer Teleconverter.

But there’s another Chinese phone manufacturer we in the West tend to overlook now: Huawei. Ever since Google banned Huawei from accessing Google Mobile Services in 2019, the brand all but died in the US and Europe, but it continues to thrive in its Chinese homeland. So much so that it's just launched what is quite possibly the most audacious piece of camera hardware for a phone I've ever seen.

Not content with simply copying Oppo or Vivo by offering another fixed focal length telephoto lens, Huawei has produced a lens for a camera phone that boasts 10x continuous optical zoom, equating to a 24-240mm focal range (in full-frame terms), plus you get a respectable f/2-4.5 max aperture.

And if that wasn't impressive enough, Huawei has teamed the lens with its own, dedicated 1-inch-type, 50-megapixel RYYB image sensor. This is capable of ISO6400 maximum sensitivity, 4K/60p video recording, and up 960fps slow motion video capture.

The result is the Ruiying Z10: an entire camera attachment that can be mounted directly to the camera island of a Huawei Mate 90 Pro Max, or Mate 90 RS phone - no intermediary case or separate mounting system required. The Z10 takes over all camera hardware duties from the phone, leaving the phone to handle image processing, the control interface, and image preview.

Sure, at approximately 80mm x 70mm in size and weighing 346g, the Z10 is a chunky piece of kit. But it's not unreasonably bulky: the Oppo Hasselblad 300mm Explorer Teleconverter is even heavier at 400g, and let's face it, none of these big lens attachments are going to fit in a jeans' pocket anyway. You really need to think of the Z10 not as an add-on lens you take out with you on a daily basis, but as a camera converter. It gives you the option to turn your phone into a full-on camera with genuine, continuous 10x optical zoom. No switching between your phone’s own individual camera modules and getting varied image quality as a result. No relying on AI zoom, with its sometimes sketchy interpretation of reality.

For everyday use you'd shoot with the cameras in the Mate 90 Pro Max or Mate 90 RS, and that'd be no hardship, as these phones are imaging powerhouses in their own right. We're talking a main camera with a 1/1.28-inch, 50MP sensor and an f/1.4-f/4.0 variable aperture lens, a 200-megapixel 4x periscope telephoto module, also using a 1/1.28-inch sensor, and a 40-megapixel ultrawide camera. But for holidays, events, or other special occasions when you might otherwise want a 'proper' camera, you'd simply attach the Z10 and away you go.

And the price for all this versatility? RMB 5,999, or around $895 US. Sure, that's far from cheap - the same money would buy you a 256GB Pixel 11 phone. But let's consider the alternative: you already have a high-end phone, but also want a dedicated compact camera with a 1-inch sensor and at least 10x optical zoom. An obvious choice would be the Panasonic ZS300/TZ300, which costs $897, and while this does have 15x zoom reach, I'd bet my left arm its image quality won't be as impressive as that from the Mate 90/Ruiying Z10 combo.

But sadly I'm ignoring the elephant in the room here: the Ruiying Z10 looks incredible, it'll probably perform very well, but unless you live in China, you'll never actually get the chance to find out. Who could have predicted in 2019, when the US was doing its best to kill off Huawei's consumer phone division, that in 2026 the brand wouldn't just be prospering in this sector, it'd be at the cutting edge of camera phone innovation.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS is a camera that’s hard to categorize. The ILS looks like a classic GoPro, but it’s not waterproof. It is a mirrorless camera, but the one-inch sensor and non-electronic mount are different from pretty much every current model mirrorless out there.

But just like the idea for the ILS came from hackers cutting off the lens to old GoPros, a number of creators have tried something unusual for such a modern camera: using vintage lenses.

GoPro itself lists using lens adapters for older lenses as an option on the list of GoPro-supported lenses.

But the reason that I think using vintage lenses on the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS makes a lot of sense is not for what the camera includes, but what it doesn’t have. The ILS doesn’t have electronic contacts in the mount, so autofocus lenses that use focus-by-wire won’t work at all on the ILS. The lens needs to be a Micro Four Thirds (or a Micro Four Thirds adapter) that’s fully manual and has an aperture ring on the lens.

That narrows down the list of possible Mission 1 Pro ILS lenses quite a bit. It also means that the ILS is a manual-focus-only camera and, thanks to that lens mount, it’s not waterproof like most GoPros.

But none of those factors matter when adapting a vintage lens meant for a film camera to a digital shooter. I‘ve tried using adapters to put film lenses on my mirrorless camera, and it creates a look that’s much more film-like than a simple editing preset. But I don’t tend to use this setup often because it’s manual focus only, and the adapter isn’t weather-sealed (not to mention that weather-seals emerged late in film photography and weren’t very common).

Even modern lenses on the ILS are manual focus, though, so using the ILS for adapted film lenses makes a lot of sense. Or, at least it makes a lot of sense for shooting 8K video on a budget – as I think there are better options for stills. Pairing vintage lenses with a retro camera body – like the OM System Pen or Fujifilm X-T30 III – makes a lot more sense for still photography.

The only caveat that the ILS has that may not make sense with vintage lenses is that the ILS needs an external support system when using lenses over 250g – the downside of building the world’s smallest mirrorless camera. A lot of vintage lenses are metal, which adds some weight over plastic designs. But the lack of autofocus on older manual lenses helps some, so it’s not terribly hard to find wider prime lenses that fall under that limit, though the weight of any adapters will need to be factored in as well.

Fotodiox – the brand behind a majority of the GoPro-recommended adapters for the ILS – recently shared some footage captured adapting an old M42 lens to Micro Four Thirds, and the results look pretty promising for creators prioritizing a more film-like look over sharpness.

The Mission 1 Pro ILS’ stabilization system also requires selecting the appropriate lens inside the camera’s menu. As I found when testing the camera, missing this step makes the HyperSmooth look terrible. I suspect the best vintage lenses to use will match one of GoPro’s recommended lenses or be built into a gimbal rig or used with a tripod.

Using vintage lenses on modern cameras helps capture that film-like look without sacrificing the convenience of digital – and shooting with vintage lenses already has the manual focus, non-sealed limitations of the ILS.

The Mission 1 Pro ILS is a rather niche camera built for filmmakers needing something small, stabilized, and with 8K at a budget price. But perhaps reviving old film lenses could be one more niche for the unusual ILS.

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Read the full GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS review, or browse the best lenses for the Mission 1 Pro ILS.

A YouTuber has circulated a video which purports to include two different designs of Insta360 interchangeable lens cameras, suggesting they will be launched in 5 months at the CP+ show at the end of February 2027.

There have been rumors about at least one interchangeable camera from Insta360 – and a lot of speculation about using the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system – for a while. Indeed Jingkang JK Liu has posted images in the past that hint at it. So what is wrong with this video?

I'm certainly not saying that it doesn't make sense for the company to be working on either of these products.

But the lens ring in the first camera looks exactly like the Sony E-mount – same number of pogo pins, same everything.

The camera frame itself looks a lot like what an AI might create if it was "inspired" by one of Sony's mirrorless bodies and the Canon EOS M6 Mark II.

It doesn't look exactly like either, but it certainly doesn't have any unique style, which I'd definitely expect of Insta360, speaking as someone who has reviewed a lot of the company's products.

I've also personally spoken to Max Richter, co-founder of Insta360, who carefully avoided denying that the company was working on an interchangeable-lens camera (though he said the company's partner in ventures like the Luna Ultra, Leica, need not be concerned).

The second camera that the same creator has generated seems even less convincing.

It is very obviously a white Ace Pro 2 but with a MFT lens mount that, well, probably wouldn't fit the Ace Pro 2.

The reason that Insta360 might be creating a camera for this section of the market is clear, of course.

With GoPro finally reclaiming some places on the best action cameras list and generating excitement with their own Mission Pro ILS, there is a need to keep up.

But the Mission Pro ILS doesn't exactly fit as simply as the generated image. The lens mount protrudes from the side of the camera body on one side, and sticks in front of the monitor on the other, blocking the view.

Some have gone so far as to suggest that GoPro designed the camera – which isn't waterproof because it uses the MFT mount – just to create conversation rather than for any practical purpose.

Insta360 could either solve these problems with an all-new mount design, or a significantly different camera physically, but the simulation seems pretty dubious to my eye.