While the Honor Magic V6 got a lot of attention at MWC earlier this year, it took its sweet time to reach UK shelves. Now, though, it's finally available to order across Europe, and it's aiming to be the very best foldable on the market.

Looking at the spec sheet, it may just be that. It has Qualcomm's most powerful chip inside, the biggest battery of any foldable so far, and some seriously well-equipped cameras. It's also the first folding phone to come with an IP69 rating for dust and water resistance.

On the other hand, the competition is stiffer than ever. There's the wildly impressive Oppo Find N6, for one, and Samsung (and maybe Apple?) are set to unveil their latest foldables in the coming months. Is the Honor Magic V6 enough to keep up? Let's dive in.

Specifications

Price & Availability

The Honor Magic V6 has an eye-watering £1999.99 MSRP in the UK, which is a significant increase over the Magic V5's £1699.99 price tag. However, for a limited time, you can nab it for just £1499.99, and if you get it on the Honor UK site, they'll throw in £500 worth of freebies.

So, that makes discussing the pricing a little tricky. On one hand, the big (likely RAM shortage-induced) price hike is a tough pill to swallow, but on the other, the introductory price is a solid deal. If you're keen on this phone, it probably makes sense to jump in early.

At full retail, the Magic V6 is one of the priciest book-style foldables around. But we don't know what Samsung's next-gen pricing looks like yet, and the way things are trending, that won't come cheap, either.

Design

The Honor Magic V6 has a similar overall design to the Magic V5, but there are a few visual differences to set it apart. Firstly, there's a new shape to the camera bezel, which now has a more angular octagonal design.

The cover screen is now completely flat, and it has a more symmetrical shape, with matching curved corners on every side. The hinge still sticks out a little, with its squared-off corners, but there's not a lot that can be done to remedy that.

As always, there are some fresh colour options to further differentiate the two models. I have the gold version in for testing, and it's pretty boujie. It has a shiny golden back panel with a subtle repeating triangular pattern across it, and a matching pattern on the hinge.

It reminds me of Ferrero Rocher packaging, and when combined with the included cream leather-effect case, it gives off designer handbag vibes. You get the idea, it's fancy and shiny. Despite the glossy surfaces, though, it's completely immune to fingerprint smudges, so it'll keep up appearances even when you've been using it for hours.

The red model is the standout, in my opinion. It has a deep blood-red shade to the rear panel, complete with a textured finish that looks a bit like craft paper. However, if you're more concerned about dimensions than colours, you'll want to go for the white one, as that's the slimmest of the bunch.

Speaking of which, this is one of the thinnest foldables on the market, to the point where it's noticeably slimmer than some flagship Ultra bar-phones. I'm not convinced it's any slimmer than the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but who really cares? It's slim enough to feel great in your pocket, and that's all that matters.

Now, these svelte dimensions might lead you to expect a fragile device, but thankfully, that's not the case. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The Honor Magic V6 has the highest IP rating of any foldable to date, IP69, which means it's effectively immune to dust and water (except for salt water).

It's also built with toughness in mind. It has NanoCrystal scratch-resistant glass on the cover screen and an impact-resistant Super Steel hinge. SGS has awarded it 5 stars for drop resistance, too. As ever, the foldable screen will be the weak point, but otherwise, it should handle some rough treatment without issue.

Both screens are super impressive, but the highlight is the almost 8-inch foldable panel. It's a 120Hz OLED with a supposed peak brightness of 5000 nits, and it's more than bright enough for outdoor use. The square-ish aspect ratio makes it excellent for displaying two apps side by side, and it's a great way to review and edit your photos, too.

There is a crease, but it's impressively shallow, and until recently, I would have said it's one of the best I've ever seen. Unfortunately for Honor, the Oppo Find N6 is in a completely different league, and having used that as my daily driver for months, this isn't too exciting. That said, the N6 isn't officially available in most Western countries, and this is probably the most crease-free foldable that's sold in the UK.

The cover display is also fantastic, boasting an even higher peak brightness. The aspect ratio is very slightly narrower than most flagship bar-phones, but other than that, there's very little difference. There's no downside to using the outer display most of the time, and only opening the hinge when you need some extra real estate - and that's exactly what I found myself doing.

It's also worth mentioning the speakers, as they're quite decent. There's a bit of bass response, and they project a wide soundstage that's great for gaming and movie immersion. They're not as impressive as the Honor Magic 8 Pro speakers, but considering the size constraints, Honor has done a remarkable job.

Camera Performance

The Honor Magic V6 appears to have identical camera hardware to last year's V5. So, while there's nothing to get too hyped up about, the V5 already had some of the best cameras on a foldable, and the competition hasn't been pushing in that direction too much. These snappers are likely still among the best.

On the rear, there are three cameras. You get a 23mm equivalent 50MP main camera with a fairly large 1/1.56-inch sensor, a 64MP 70mm periscope with a 1/2-inch sensor, and a dramatic 15mm ultrawide camera. There's also a 20MP punch-hole selfie camera on each screen.

As is often the case, the main camera is the best-equipped and provides the most consistent results across all lighting conditions. It's the sharpest, and its large sensor handles dim conditions better than the other lenses, resulting in less motion blur.

However, the telephoto camera is no slouch, and it's likely the best telephoto on any foldable phone right now. The sizable 1/2-inch sensor, combined with the 70mm lens, creates some lovely compression and background softening for close-up shots. And while I wouldn't necessarily call it a macro camera, it can get closer than most. It's able to focus from around 20cm away, and when combined with some digital zoom, you can get stunning close-ups.

Long-range zoom is more hit-and-miss, but I was able to get usable results up until around 20x. Going beyond that range, images start to look very unnatural - especially if you toggle on Honor's AI Zoom enhancement feature. Sure, it'll clean up the pixellation, but it also makes up details and isn't very photo-like.

The ultrawide is the least impressive of the trio. On the plus side, it's super-wide, so you can get loads in the frame, and you can get some fun distorted angles with it. It also has autofocus, so you can use it for macro shots, if you fancy. On the other hand, it's not very sharp, and the tiny sensor struggles in the dark.

The twin selfie cameras are fine, but they're nothing too special. There's a noticeable drop in quality compared to the rear cameras, but for video chats, they get the job done nicely - and they're still better than most laptop webcams. Since this is a foldable, if you want excellent selfies, your best bet is to unfold the device and use the rear cameras instead.

Honor's default colours are a little too saturated and punchy for my tastes, but thankfully, there are lots of picture styles available, and they change the look quite dramatically. I'm really fond of the Nostalgic Negative mode, which produces moody high-contrast images with cool tones in the shadows - it looks especially good at night.

The Studio Harcourt portrait mode is also available on this phone, and it can take some super-impressive, highly stylised snaps with either the main or telephoto cameras. You can also digitally crop up to 6x, if your subject is a little further away.

Overall, I'm really impressed with the cameras on the V6. My only real complaint is that I seem to get a lot of motion blur when using portrait mode, and it's much less of a problem in the other modes. I hope Honor can figure that out, as otherwise, it's a really strong camera system.

For video shooting, the Honor Magic V6 supports up to 4K 60fps on all the rear cameras, and 4K 30fps on the selfie cameras. Stabilisation is strong, and the microphones are very decent, too. I was a little disappointed, having used the Find N6 so much, that there are no 4K 120fps options, and the Log profile only works on the main camera. But, to be fair, these features are niche, and most casual users won't mind.

Phone Performance

The Honor Magic V6 is powered by Qualcomm's most powerful chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and that means, no matter what you demand of it, this phone can likely keep up. For the global launch, it's paired with 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM.

Performance has been great throughout my testing. I demand a lot from foldable phones, often running two or three apps side-by-side and streaming music or a YouTube video at the same time, and this phone can do it without issue. It always feels smooth, no matter what I'm doing.

It can game pretty well, too. I've been playing NTE, a graphically challenging title with a large open-world city map, and while some phones struggle, the V6 powers through it. It ran the game on the "Extreme" preset at 60fps quite solidly, and though it got hot after a while, especially around the camera area, the performance didn't seem to drop.

The phone runs MagicOS 10, Honor's customised version of Android 16. Stylistically, it's very Apple-influenced. There's a Dynamic Island clone, some Liquid Glass-like elements, and even a Standby mode - but almost all of this is optional.

Where MagicOS excels is with its customisation options. You can tweak and change most things in this OS, so even if it's not your vibe by default, you can probably configure it to your tastes. It's also absolutely packed with features, including all the latest AI-powered tricks like translation, transcription, image generation and writing assistance.

What I found most interesting, though, is the way the Honor Magic V6 works with Apple products. As a MacBook and Android user, I often face hurdles, but the Magic V6 makes life much easier. If you install Honor Workspace from the Mac App Store, you can share your clipboard, transfer files, and even use your Magic V6 as a wireless secondary display - it's very cool.

The Magic V6 can also natively browse and share to iCloud accounts, and you can wirelessly transfer files to and from iPhones with Honor Connect. If you're currently an Apple person, this phone will make transitioning out of the walled garden much easier.

The problem I have with MagicOS is the same as it ever was. The OS kills background apps like crazy to save on battery life, and this can lead to delayed or undelivered notifications from important apps. It's fixable, but you need to dive into some settings menus to sort it out, and that's a hassle you don't get elsewhere.

Lastly, we need to talk about the battery. The Honor Magic V6 has a mammoth 6660 mAh battery inside its skinny frame, the biggest of any foldable I have used to date. As you might expect, this results in brilliant battery life.

Most of the time, I get about a day and a half's use from a charge. Of course, battery life always depends on your usage, and if I were playing demanding games or shooting lots of video, it didn't last quite as long, but it never failed to get me to the end of the day, despite using the larger fold-out screen at every opportunity.

Charging is super quick, too. It supports up to 80W speeds with a wire, and I found I could go from flat to around 70% charged in just half an hour. If you like wireless charging, that's also super quick, at up to 66W. Neither adapter is included in the box, though, just a USB-C cable.

Final Verdict

The Honor Magic V6 is a pleasure to use, and it's easily one of the best foldable phones on the market today. It has the best battery, the cameras are among the best, and it should be one of the most durable, too.

The pricing complicates things a little, though. At the introductory price of £1499.99, it's a solid deal, but the full MSRP of £1999.99 is tough to stomach. I think the stiffest competition comes from Honor itself. The Honor Magic V5 feels almost identical in use, and you can currently grab that for just £1099.99. The biggest downside to doing so is losing out on that larger battery, but it's still super powerful and has almost identical cameras.

You should also factor in that Samsung is likely to launch its next foldables in the next month or so, and then maybe Apple, too. The competition is about to get very interesting, and personally, I'd hold off and see what they bring to the table.

With all that said, if you need a foldable phone right now, it's hard to fault the Honor Magic V6. It's an excellent all-rounder that doesn't fall short in any particular area. Whether you're looking to shoot impressive photos, get work done on the go, or play some games, you're in for a good time with this one.

Alternatives

Oppo's Reno series phones have always aimed to give you a lot for your money, and the latest 16-series models are following suit. The Reno 16 Pro boasts a 200MP main camera, one of the most impressive selfie cameras around, a premium build, top-class software, and a sizable 6700 mAh battery.

Oppo told us that, unlike the flagship X-series phones, the latest Reno models are aimed at a younger audience. Rather than professional-level imaging, these handsets are all about creating quick, hassle-free Instagram-ready snaps to brighten up your feed.

As such, there are loads of excellent filters to play about with, and some novel collage effects that are more impressive than they might first sound. I've been having a lot of fun with the Reno 16 Pro, and after slipping my SIM card in for the past week, here are my thoughts.

Specifications

Price & Availability

The Oppo Reno 16 Pro is available in Europe in a single 12GB RAM and 512GB storage configuration, priced at €1,099, with a launch discount bringing it down to €899 until July 31. There’s no confirmed US release, which is a shame, as this would be a strong option for creators looking for flagship-adjacent camera features without paying true flagship money.

Design

The Oppo Reno 16 Pro stands out from the crowd in its signature Pop White colourway. While it might not be to my particular tastes, I can imagine younger, more feminine users being quite taken with it. (There's also a more sensible black version that might be more my speed.)

So, what makes this phone stand out so much? Well, the glossy rear panel has a subtle glittering finish when the light hits it, complete with a 3D planet motif that's unique to this phone.

When I say 3D, I really mean it. Oppo is calling this tech HoloVerse 3D, and it uses multiple layers of material and millions of micro lenses to create a sense of 3D depth without requiring glasses. Not only that, but the design actually casts a shadow on the back of the phone when you shine a torch at it.

Fancy rear casing aside, the phone looks and feels premium throughout. It has matte aluminium side rails and a flat, boxy, iPhone-like shape. It has a 6.32-inch screen, which makes it much more compact than many of its rivals. As such, it's much easier to reach the top of the screen, and it won't make such a bulge in your pocket. If you have smaller hands, you'll definitely appreciate it.

In addition to the usual power button and volume rocker combo, this phone also has a "Snap Key", which is Oppo's version of Apple's Action Button. I love this button. I use it all the time on my other Oppo devices, mainly as a way to quickly toggle my torch on, but it can do a lot more than just that.

Oppo seems most keen on this button being used like Nothing's Essential Key. By default, it's set to save screenshots to the Mind Space app, which will then use AI to organise your screenshots and make them searchable. It's a handy feature, but as a frequent ecosystem-hopper, it's not ideal for me. Instead, I'm more excited about the ability to quickly launch translation tools when travelling or open my favourite camera mode in a flash.

The screen is pretty impressive. It's an OLED panel with a speedy 144Hz refresh rate, and it can reach up to 3600 nits at peak brightness. There are slim symmetrical bezels on all sides, and while the selfie camera cutout is slightly larger than usual, there's a good reason for that, which we'll dive into a bit later.

The Reno 16 Pro is IP69K certified, a slight increase over the previous model's IP69 rating. Essentially, dust and water don't pose much of a threat to this handset, even at high temperatures; you'll only need to be careful around salt water - but that's always the case.

You also get a hard plastic transparent case included in the box, so you can keep your phone scratch-free and show off the rear design without needing to purchase additional accessories. This case is clearer than the usual soft TPU freebies, and may be more immune to yellowing - but time will tell.

Camera Performance

The Reno 16 Pro has three cameras on the rear. There's a 200MP main snapper with a decently sized 1/1.56-inch sensor, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 50MP 3.5x telephoto. The latter two sensors are smaller at 1/2.88-inch and 1/2.75-inch, respectively, but I was pleased to find that the ultrawide has autofocus.

Arguably, the most exciting camera on this phone is the selfie camera - and considering the target audience, it's probably the one that'll get used the most often. This camera uses a Samsung JN5 sensor - the same sensor the main camera of the Reno 13F used last year.

The specs aren't too wild, but considering this is a selfie camera, they're pretty darn impressive. It's a 1/2.75-inch sensor with a 50MP resolution and a wide 18mm-equivalent f/2.0 autofocus lens. This setup makes it perfect for wide group shots and matches (or perhaps surpasses) the quality of rear ultrawide for vlogging.

Having just tested the latest batch of "flagship killer" phones like the Xiaomi 17T Pro and Vivo X300 FE, I was quite surprised by the Reno 16 Pro. It might not have a legacy camera logo slapped on it, but this phone is probably the most versatile shooter of the lot. Every single camera is at least 50MP and has autofocus; none of the others can match that.

Of course, these aren't quite flagship-grade optics, but with the slew of filters and styling options that Oppo has included here, most people aren't going to notice.

There's a new mode in the camera app called "Pop" which gives you quick access to a bunch of preset looks. There's a mode that makes photos look like Polaroids, there's a CCD digicam mode with the compulsory Y2K excessive flash, and plenty of film simulations, too. My favourite filter from the X9 Ultra's Master Mode also makes an appearance. It's called Primrose, it's inspired by Portra film, and it delivers some lovely warm tones.

I was also pleased to see that the excellent Soft Light option is available on this phone, and it works in both the normal photo mode and Pop. If you're not familiar, this is like a digital mist filter, softening skin textures and making highlights bloom a little more. It's a great way to get away from the typical hyper-sharp smartphone look.

Otherwise, the usual mid-range caveats apply. At night, you'll want to stick to the main camera as much as possible, as the relatively small sensors elsewhere struggle to keep up. That is, unless you're going all-in on that flash look.

The flash on this phone is surprisingly well-engineered. It's not just on or off; you actually get three strength settings ranging from "soft" to "high contrast". I've never been much of an on-camera flash kind of guy, but it's a trendy look, and it's well worth exploring on this phone.

Overall, it's a really solid camera system, but its weak point is macro photography. The telephoto can focus from around 30cm away, which isn't awful, but it's only an 85mm lens, so you'll need to do a fair bit of digital zoom to get into macro territory. The actual macro camera is the ultrawide, which is never my favourite option, and even then, it can't get as close up as some of its rivals.

Video shooting is pretty decent on this phone. You can capture at up to 4K 60fps on every single camera, and stabilisation is respectable across the board. There's a new feature built in that automatically straightens your horizon by up to 5 degrees of tilt, which is quite handy, and the Dual-View video capabilities have been boosted, too.

If you're looking for pro video features, though, you might find this handset lacking. It doesn't support 4K120 recording like some of its rivals do, and there's no Log profile, either. That said, you do get a Pro Video mode with manual controls, so you can get a little creative with it.

Phone Performance

The Oppo Reno 16 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8550 SoC, and it comes with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It's not a full-fledged flagship chip, but it's more powerful than you might expect, and I dare say it's more than most users would ever need.

In general use, checking social media, editing photos and videos, and streaming content, the phone was buttery smooth. I never noticed any hiccups or performance slowdowns. You have to boot up a very graphically demanding game if you want to spot the difference between this and a top-tier flagship.

I've been playing a lot of NTE, an open-world gatcha game that requires some serious horsepower to run smoothly. I had to lower the graphics preset to "balanced" and run it at 30fps to get a consistent experience. But when I did, the game was perfectly playable. This phone won't satisfy hardcore competitive gamers, but for everyone else, it's more than good enough.

When it comes to the software, the Reno 16 Pro runs ColorOS 16, just like Oppo's flagship devices. I've been hopping between the Find X9 Ultra and Find N6 as of late, and I felt right at home here, as the software is almost identical.

The OS has a slick look with iOS-inspired elements like transparent liquid-glass icons and Oppo's Dynamic Island clone. However, if that's not your thing, you can make it look completely different. There's an abundance of theming options to choose from, and loads of different lockscreen styles, too.

ColorOS continues to offer some of the most useful AI features around, including everything from screen translation, narration, transcription, and writing assistance. It also pairs well with a MacBook, as you can use the O+Connect app to share files, your clipboard, and even use your keyboard and trackpad to control the phone.

One of the newer additions is the AI bill manager. It can log your digital payments or physical receipts, using the Mind Space via the camera app. It'll keep a total of your expenses and even cross-convert different currencies.

What I found much more exciting, though, are the new collage modes that are perfect for posting on Instagram. Oppo gives you tonnes of options for different layouts and styles, and the new pop-out feature means you can superimpose your subject over multiple shots. It even works with motion photos.

The battery life was excellent throughout my testing. This phone has a fairly large 6700 mAh cell, and that easily got me through a day and a half of normal usage; I could even stretch it to two days, on occasion. Charging is rapid, too. It supports up to 80W speeds, and the speedy charger is included in the box (that may vary from region to region). The only disappointment is that there's no wireless charging available.

When it comes to long-term support, Oppo promises 5 years of OS updates and 6 years of security patches. Perhaps more importantly, though, it comes with a 6-year fluency guarantee, which means (according to Oppo's testing) the phone should still feel quick and responsive after 6 years of daily use.

Final Verdict

To be completely honest, I didn't have especially high hopes for the Reno 16 Pro. I knew it would be decent enough, but Oppo's mid-range cameras haven't wowed me too much in the past, and I wasn't expecting anything different here, but I was mistaken.

Not only is the hardware on point, with high-resolution sensors across the board, but the selfie camera is probably the best of any phone I have ever tested. The super-wide FOV is great for vlogging and group photos, and the autofocus and high resolution make for super-sharp photos.

Plus, there's a plethora of fun filters and effects to make your photos stand out, and the collage mode is so good that it's a little bit addictive. The only downside, really, is the lack of professional video options.

Elsewhere, the phone is solid on all fronts. It's powerful enough, it feels premium, the software is among the best, and the battery is great. The design might not be to my taste, but at least it stands out, and you can always opt for the black one.

Alternatives

I was over the moon to see the Polaroid Go Gen 3 for, fittingly enough, a trifecta of reasons.

Firstly, the Go – a teeny-tiny instant camera series launched to challenge the monolithic Instax Mini line – has clearly been a success to warrant a third outing. Secondly, because the Polaroid Go Gen 3 comes in the best selection of colors yet.

Most importantly, though, Polaroid has made the decision to switch up the focal length – going from a 34mm equivalent on the Polaroid Go and Go Gen 2 to 42mm here. But that's not all; the flash is more powerful, the aperture is more measured and the shutter is faster.

The net result is that the Polaroid Go Gen 3 is the company's best miniature camera yet, with the most consistent and best-quality results – and as an owner of both previous Gos, I'm happy to make the upgrade. So what's different, and is it a better buy than the Instax Mini 13? Let's take a closer look.

Polaroid Go Gen 3: Specifications

Polaroid Go Gen 3: Price

The Polaroid Go Gen 3 is available now at a price of $89.99 / £79.99 / AU$159.99. The Polaroid Go Gen 2 is still an active product (at least for now) and carries the same price tag.

The latest version of its rival from Fujifilm, the Instax Mini 13, was released around the same time and is similarly priced at $93.95 / £79.99 / AU$139.99.

It's important to note, however, that there is a difference in the price of film for each camera, with Polaroid Go film working out more expensive (US$1.24 per shot) than Instax Mini film (US$0.79 per shot).

Go film can only be bought in double-packs of 16 shots, while Mini film can be bought in single packs of 10. Either way, you'll spend more per pack and per shot with the Polaroid.

Polaroid Go Gen 3: Build & handling

As I've alluded, there are some physical differences with the Polaroid Go Gen 3 compared to the Gen 2 (and Gen 1) – both internally and externally.

Obviously the lens DNA is chief among these, with the modification of optical components contributing to the slight increase in size and weight. In particular, the lens housing protrudes further forward (with less of a "lip" on the front) while the viewfinder extends further to the rear.

While Polaroid is still calling this "the world's smallest instant analog camera", the Gen 3 is a couple of millimeters bigger and almost 13g heavier than its predecessor.

In my hand this was basically imperceptible – but a slight rearrangement of buttons threw my muscle memory for a moment.

The flash and power buttons have both moved. The biggest change is that the flash button is now black and lives below the LED shot counter, rather than on top next to the shutter. This led to a bit of phantom finger as I instinctively searched for a button that wasn't there, but it didn't take long to adjust.

The power button now sits directly below the shot counter and flash button, and is the same color as the body. Again, other than trying to find where to turn the camera on the first few times I used it, this was no big deal.

Otherwise, the Polaroid Go Gen 3 handles just like its predecessors. It's small but perfectly formed, like holding a tiny slider hamburger, and can be pinched and operated between your thumb and forefinger. It's also the perfect size for children's hands, making it a great camera for kids.

Other features include a selfie-mirror and a built-in, USB-C-rechargable battery. The latter is obviously much better for the environment, but does mean that you can't slap in fresh batteries if you run out of juice during a shoot. And the integrated battery can't be replaced (at least, not without dismantling the camera) which puts a lifespan on the camera.

Polaroid Go Gen 3: Performance

It may seem like a strange comparison on the surface, but when I started using the Polaroid Go Gen 3 it felt a bit like the Leica Q3 43. Just as the Red Dot Brand took the Leica Q3 and replaced its 28mm lens with a 43mm one, Polaroid took the Gen 2's 34mm equivalent lens and replaced it with a 42mm option.

That change in focal length alone makes the Gen 3 a completely different beast to its predecessors, with a longer lens that better suits what and how I like to shoot.

I mainly use my Go to shoot people pictures, so the slightly longer lens is better suited for close-ups, and it's also much more useful when I want to snap items of interest while I'm on vacation without having to run right up close to them. There was only one occasion where I missed having the wider lens.

However, the biggest performance boost to the Polaroid Go Gen 3 comes in the improvements to exposure – especially in bright outdoor environments.

While there was a fair amount of sample variation, both the OG Go and the Gen 2 had a habit of completely overexposing in bright conditions. But the Gen 3 has hit the sweet spot in balancing the aperture (with f/14 and f/32 options, compared to f/9 and f/32 on the Gen 2 and f/12 and f/52 on the Go) and shutter speed (1/500, compared to 1/300 and 1/125).

I found shots to be much more evenly exposed, as well as noticably sharper, in all conditions. Polaroid is quite proud about the fact that the flash is also much stronger, which I can't say as I particularly noticed in and of itself, though it undoubtedly plays into the overall improved exposure.

As I mentioned at the top of the article, photographs taken on this camera inescapably have the "Polaroid look". This is characterized by cyan- and magenta-heavy hues, deep punchy shadows and washed-out – sometimes even overexposed – highlights.

You'll either see this as "delightfully characterful" or "poor image quality". Personally, I love this look; Polaroid's photochemistry is more volatile and unpredictable than Instax's, so you don't get the crispness and consistency but you definitely get a better vibe and true uniqueness – and an aesthetic that's impossible to replicate with editing software.

In terms of functionality, like previous Gos the Gen 3 offers both a self-timer and double exposures. It's worth noting that the Instax Mini 13 has caught up in terms of adding a self-timer, but it still doesn't offer multiple exposures – which I think is a big feather in the cap of the Gen 3.

Shooting with the Go has always been an absolute joy, as are the inevitable conversations and friendships that are struck up when people catch sight of it. It really is so small and so cute that it's an excellent ice breaker – which makes it particularly suited to parties and other social environments.

Polaroid Go Gen 3: Samples

I figured the most useful thing I could do is take a bunch of shots to illustrate the Polaroid Go Gen 3's photographs compared to those on the Gen 2.

Directly below are a selection of shots on the Gen 3, then the following two selections show the same shots – taken in the same position – on the Gen 2. This was the best way to show the difference in field of view between the two cameras, along with the differences in how they expose. As you can see, they're pretty significant!

I loaded both cameras with film from the same pack (and, thus, the same batch) to make the closest comparison possible. I think it's pretty clear to see that the Gen 3 shots are sharper and better exposed.

Polaroid Go Gen 3: Verdict

As soon as I was done testing the Polaroid Go Gen 3, I ordered one of my own. I think it's a brilliant little camera, which earns its place on my shelf next to its predecessors thanks both to its improved image quality and its different focal length.

Visually I do prefer the look of the Gen 2 and OG Go, at least as far as solid colors go – but the black "visor" of the Gen 3 actually makes a really cool accent for the color options. (I've gone for the purple version, which I think looks the business.)

If you already own a Go, I don't know that there's enough here to warrant upgrading unless you're really unhappy with your current model's image quality or you really want a bit more reach.

If you own an Instax Mini (as I did before getting my first Go) you might want to make the switch if you like the traditional square image format, the more "characterful" image quality and the ability to take double-exposures. Not to mention a smaller, cuter body and the ability to recharge via USB-C.

The best instant cameras are still the full-size options like the Polaroid Flip, but as far as the mini options go this is by far my favorite. The only thing that's missing is a black-and-white Go film stock. Come on, Polaroid – let me shoot mono on the go!

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Check out the Instax vs Polaroid differences to see which brand is right for you. Make sure to pay attention to what type of instant film you need for your camera, along with the different instant camera film sizes.

Premiere Elements is a beginner-friendly video editor that offers many of the core features found in Adobe Premiere Pro through a more accessible interface. It also uses a subscription-free licence that lasts for three years (no perpetual licence anymore, alas).

With Quick, Guided and Advanced modes, it caters for those who simply want to get the job done, outright video beginners, and those ready and willing to learn more advanced video-editing techniques as they go. It certainly delivers lots of ideas and features you’ll find in the best video editing software, such as masses of effects, AI tools, motion graphics templates and free Adobe Stock photos, videos and audio.

Premiere Elements, like its stablemate Photoshop Elements, is updated with new features every year. Premiere Elements 2026 comes with the ability to enhance 360 and VR videos, new motion-based titles and text styles, freehand cropping to easily adapt horizontal video clips to vertical social platforms, and AI features like music remixing to extend music tracks to fill the full duration of your video.

It sounds great in principle, but what's it like to work with in practice? Is it really as easy to use as it’s made to sound, and do all of the clever AI features and automation work as seamlessly as you’d hope? Let's find out...

Adobe Premiere Elements 2026: Specifications

Adobe Premiere Elements 2026: Price

Premiere Elements 2026 costs $99.99 / £86.99 / AU$160, or $79.99 £70.99 / AU$127.99 if you’re upgrading from a previous version. Alternatively, you can buy the Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements 2026 bundle for $149.99 / £130.49 / AU$241.99 (upgrade price $119.99 / £107.78 / AU$193.99) or $119.99 / £94.69 / AUS193.99 if you qualify for a Students & Teachers discount.

This makes Premiere Elements 2026 much cheaper than Premiere Pro, which is only available on a more expensive single-app subscription plan or as part of Adobe’s even more expensive Creative Cloud Pro plan. However, Premiere Pro is a professional tool with a price to match. There are cheaper mid-range video editors like ACDSee Luxea Pro Video Editor 8, for example, or freemium apps like Filmora for Windows users, that compete with Premiere Elements on price.

Mac users get iMovie free, and while Premiere Elements offers more features and content, iMovie is fast, efficient and simple to use. If you decide iMovie doesn’t do what you want, it might make sense to sidestep Premiere Elements altogether and go straight to the free version of DaVinci Resolve or upgrade to Apple’s own pro-level Final Cut Pro. Ultimately, Premiere Elements is cheaper than most pro editors and is subscription-free, but its pricing is on a par with other mid-range editors and in that context, it’s no bargain.

Adobe Premiere Elements 2026: Design & Handling

Quick mode fulfils Adobe’s promise of a simple video editor for novices. You simply drag a bunch of movie files into the application window and it assembles them as a continuous sequence of clips in its timeline (called the ‘sceneline’ in Premiere Elements).

You can then set about editing individual clips, inserting transitions, adding titles and even a music soundtrack, either via the Music panel or the Adobe Stock panel in the left sidebar. Don’t worry if the music isn’t long enough because you can use the Remix tool to lengthen it – though for this you have to swap to the Advanced workspace.

The intermediate Guided mode is where you learn how different video editing techniques and features work in Premiere Elements. You can follow tutorials on motion graphics, animated overlays, adding narration, creating slow motion, time-lapse effects and a whole lot more. These guided edits are very welcome, but also perhaps the first indication to newcomers that video editing can be complex and comes with plenty of jargon.

Or you could just head straight for the Advanced mode, where Premiere Elements offers you full control over your clips, effects/settings and a whole lot more. For anyone who already has a working knowledge of video editing, this is the place to start.

Premiere Elements’ attempts to make video editing simple and fun are only partially successful. Quick mode is great, if limited, but as soon as you start diving deeper into the Guided and Advanced modes, you are going to have to work harder and spend a good deal of time learning about video editing – and it might not be any quicker in the long run than learning a program like DaVinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro. Cheaper, yes, easier… not necessarily.

There are some odd quirks, too. In Quick mode, clips are added with no gaps. While in Advanced Mode, Premiere Elements defaults to overwrite mode, replacing clips on your timeline instead of inserting new clips in between (so you’ll need to learn about ‘ripple’ editing). And if you want to stabilize a clip, a pretty basic and common action, you’ll have to go looking for this tool in the Effects panel, where it lives among a bunch of weird and arty filters you’ll probably never use.

As for the automatic Highlight Reel feature, designed to generate a highlights video from a bunch of clips… sometimes it works, sometimes it just tells you it doesn’t have enough media content. What it actually means is that if your clips don’t have what it’s looking for, notably people, faces and groups, it might still spend several minutes analyzing your clips but then come back with nothing.

I was keen to try out the new 360 and VR editing features in Premiere Elements 2026. Unfortunately, it insists on already-stitched 360 video files, not unstitched twin-lens footage, so it didn’t like any of my Insta360 videos and that was the end of that. Too often, features were harder to find than I expected, took longer than I thought and weren’t as good as I hoped.

Adobe Premiere Elements 2026: Performance

Premiere Elements 2026 seems to run well enough, but you do need to pay attention to the hardware recommendations. The base-level requirements seem to come from a pre-HD era, so they have little relevance today. If you want your edits to proceed quickly, especially in 4K, you should be looking at 32GB RAM and fast SSD storage. That goes for any video editor, to be fair.

The real problem with Premiere Elements 2026 is its basic limitations. It tops out at a maximum resolution of 4K and maximum timeline framerate of 60p, so if you’ve got a hybrid mirrorless camera with 6K open-gate capture, you’re not going to be able to use it in Premiere Elements.

It also has an 8-bit processing engine, so while it can open and edit 10-bit files, you’re not getting the full benefit – it would be the same as if you had shot 8-bit video. Premiere Elements can convert many common camera log profiles, but without 10-bit editing you risk lower-quality results.

Adobe Premiere Elements 2026: Verdict

Premier Elements 2026 feels like an old program kept superficially fresh with new filters and tools. It’s very effective as a beginner tool in Quick mode, but if you want to take your work further, it soon descends into jargon, hard-to-find features and technical-looking panels.

You could spend a long time learning all the ins and outs of Premiere Elements 2026, and if you put that same time and effort into a more advanced and professional tool like DaVinci Resolve, you might be better off at the end of it. If you’re a beginner, stick to Quick mode. Or, if you use a Mac, you could just stick with iMovie.

Alternatives

I’m old enough to remember ‘proper’ Yashica cameras and they actually predate me, the first twin-lens reflex camera landing in 1953 and the legendary Yashica FX-3 35mm SLR pitching up in 1979, when I was turning 20. Only the name remains, bought up by a Chinese company that has set about making a slew of compact cameras. They include relatively cheap, retro styled copies of the FX-3, in the somewhat similar shape of the Yashica FX-D 100, 200, 300 and S300 digital cameras, and there’s also the more modern point-and-shoot style ‘City’ line-up, including the Yashica City 100, 200 and 300 slimline compacts.

Going one better, at least in the affordability stakes, there’s the super-cheap Yashica DigiPix 100, which only packs a 5MP image sensor and has a 2.4-inch fixed screen.

e Yashica Tank that I’m reviewing here is less expensive than City and FX-3 ranges, but a bit pricier and better equipped than the DigiPix, with a 12MP image sensor and flip-over 3-inch screen. As such, it goes into direct competition with the likes of the highly popular Kodak PixaPro C1, in a hotly contested battle to be one of the best point-and-shoot cameras.

Yashica Tank: Specifications

Yashica Tank: Price

Like the Kodak PixaPro C1, the Yashica Tank launched at $100 / £79 / AU$190, aiming to sell big off the back of a relatively small price tag. For the sake of comparison within Yashica’s own stable, the bottom ends of the City and FX-D lines comprise the Yashica City 100 at $209 / £220 / AU$300 and the Yashica FX-D 100 at $342 / £259 / AU$455. Both of these cameras are therefore considerably more expensive than the Tank, although the more basic Yashica DigiPix 100 undercuts it at just $89 / £67 / AU$119.

Yashica Tank: Design & Handling

Yashica says that the design of the Tank intends to blend retro spirit with modern spontaneity, enabling you to capture moments that happen naturally rather than being planned. With that in mind, the camera has a slimline build of less than an inch thick (20mm) and weighs next to nothing at 3.7oz, a smidge over 100g. Suffice it to say that this Yashica is very small and very light, which makes me think that the name ‘Tank’ is perhaps a little ironic.

Aiming to add style to the camera’s lightweight substance, the Tank comes in four colorway options, mixing a silver strip along the top front panel and a silver lens housing with a faux leather covering in any one of Sky Blue, Pink Marshmallow, Brown and Black varieties. I went to the dark side and landed a black one.

The physically small nature of the camera extends to its little 1/2.8-inch CMOS image sensor. I’m glad that Yashica has been up front about the sensor’s 12 megapixel native resolution, rather than claiming a bonkers 72MP or something similarly outlandish, based on a maximum interpolated resolution. Either way, upscaled image sizes are on the menu, so you can select 24, 36 and 48 megapixel shooting options, in addition to the native 12MP.

At this sort of price I wouldn’t expect an optical zoom lens and sure enough the Tank has a fixed focal length 4.05mm, f/1.8 lens. However, that’s backed up by an 8x digital zoom facility which, like higher megapixel options, relies on software interpolation. Autofocus drives a focusing range that stretches from a very short 10cm (about 4 inches) to infinity. Various different metering modes are available, including central, matrix, average and spot, along with the provision of up to +/-3 stops of exposure compensation.

You can choose white balance options of Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten and Fluorescent, and the camera has a sensitivity range of ISO 100-6400, plus a default Auto ISO setting which is the preferred option for letting the camera adjust automatically to lighting conditions.

When the going gets tough, or rather dark, a couple of useful features are on hand, including a red AF-assist lamp and a small LED lamp. Naturally, the latter is nowhere near as powerful as a built-in or pop-up flash module, but is just about worth having nonetheless. There’s also a built-in speaker and microphone, but no socket for an external mic.

For connectivity and charging, the camera features a USB-C socket on the left hand side. This comes complete with a status lamp just above it. I’m pleased that I can transfer photos and video clips to a computer via the USB-C port, rather than needing to remove the microSD card, as I always find them rather small and fiddly. The camera isn’t supplied with a memory card, so you’ll have to buy your own if you don’t have one already. A U3, Class 10 or above microSD card is recommended, with a capacity of between 8GB and 256GB. Again, unsurprisingly considering the price point, the camera doesn’t feature Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

The thin top panel of the camera accommodates three important controls, plus a hinge for the flip-over screen. The controls in question (when viewed from the rear) comprise a sliding stills/video shooting mode switch on the left, a power on/off pushbutton in the middle, and the shutter button on the right. The last of these comes with the time-honored light-press facility for activating autofocus and light metering.

All of the other shooting, playback and setup controls are situated on the rear panel. Up top there’s a rocker switch for the digital zoom function – left for wide-angle, right for telephoto, which is entirely what I’d expect. Less intuitive is the joystick controller that’s positioned about halfway down the right hand side.

I was expecting the joystick to shift the autofocus area around the frame but that remains fixed in the middle. If you nudge the joystick to the left, you find yourself cycling through self-time delay options, nudge it to the right and you cycle through multiple-shot options, ranging to as many as 10 consecutive shots. Nudge the joystick upwards and you cycle between the LED lamp being forced on, disabled or put into Auto mode. All in all, a slight, accidental nudge can easily take you somewhere you didn’t want to go.

A major advantage of the Yashica Tank over its Yashica DigiPix 100 stablemate is that it has a flip-over screen. It’s a big bonus for creative, ultra-low-level shooting without having to get down on your knees, and an even bigger bonus for snapping selfies and for vlogging. The hinge for the tilt mechanism is at the top, so the screen flips up over the top of the camera when you need to view it from the front. At this point, the image is automatically inverted so that you don’t get an upside down view of what’s going on. It’s also a mirror image when shooting, so if you move left you don’t appear to move right in the screen image.

Another thing I’m pleased about is that the Tank comes with a separate Yashica BL-5B 3.7V, 800mAh Li-ion battery, rather than having a fixed internal battery (like some cameras and other electronic gadgets). The plus point is that you can buy additional spare batteries so, if you’re having a grand day out and want to shoot loads of photos or video clips, you can simply swap out the battery if it goes flat, rather than having to wait for an opportunity to recharge the camera later on.

Yashica Tank: Performance

The 12MP Yashica Tank won’t win any prizes for ultra-realistic photo fidelity but, on the plus side, light metering, auto white balance and the standard color treatment combine to give well exposed, natural-looking results in most shooting conditions. Unlike with some Yashica cameras that I’ve used, the lens does a pretty good job of suppressing any color fringing. If you’d rather have something that looks less ‘natural’, there are 11 filter effects on the menu including the likes of Lomo, Warm Hugs, High Saturation, Binary, Retro and more besides.

Getting back to basics, fine detail is rather lacking and images can often take on a slightly blotchy looking appearance with diagonal lines becoming a little jagged. These unwanted artifacts get rather worse if you bump up the resolution from its native 12MP setting, and when applying digital zoom rather than sticking with the most wide-angle option. Typical of cheap cameras, the Tank also works best under strong lighting conditions.

Yashica Tank: Sample Images

The following gallery of sample images was captured on a sunny day on the south-west English coast, majoring on West Bay and Charmouth in the county of Dorset.

Yashica Tank: Video

Video is captured in MP4 format, with a range of resolutions on offer comprising 4K30fps, 2K 30fps, 1080p 60fps, 1080p 30fps, 720p 60fps and 720p 30fps. The default setting is 1080p, 30fps. Audio is recorded via the camera’s internal microphone and there’s no jack socket for connecting an external mic instead.

The quality of both sound and vision is pretty basic. As with other cameras that lack optical or digital image stabilization for video capture, it can be enormously difficult to shoot steady handheld footage, which is a limiting factor if you’re wanting to use the Tank for vlogging. The above video clip, shot at the most wide-angle zoom setting, is the steadiest I could manage when panning handheld across the harbor at the Dorset town of Lyme Regis.

Yashica Tank: Verdict

Sticking with the retro theme behind the design of the Yashica Tank, Cyndi Lauper famously sang Girls Just Want To Have Fun, and they’re not the only ones. Photography can often get a little too serious, as we set up our expensive cameras and agonize over the myriad factors behind ‘getting the shot’. I like that the Yashica Tank offers a more fun-filled, point-and-shoot experience, so I can just snap away to my heart’s content while I’m enjoying a day out or a social get-together.

The camera is simple to use and mostly very intuitive, apart from that tricky joystick controller. Outright image quality isn’t great, and rather worse than I’m used to getting from a half-decent mobile phone nowadays. But the quality is good enough for casual snapshots, before and after which the camera is wonderfully slim and lightweight for popping into a spare pocket. All in all, the Yashica Tank is a bit of fun that’s good value at the price.

Alternatives

DxO PhotoLab 9 is a powerful photo-editing application with the focus firmly on image quality. It starts with DxO’s bespoke lens correction profiles, which are applied automatically as you browse your images and it continues with its DeepPRIME XD3 noise reduction, which can achieve near-miraculous results with high-ISO images. For quality-conscious RAW photographers at least, this has to be considered one of the best photo-editing software applications on the market.

You also get extremely powerful global and local adjustment tools for enhancing your images, and these now include Lightroom-style AI masking tools. These did cause early issues with graphics drivers on some Windows machines, but that’s been addressed with free updates, and hopefully these technical issues are over (I am actually reviewing the Mac version, which worked fine from the start).

AI masking is a real time-saver, but not without its issues. As Adobe Lightroom users will know, the masks are typically hard-edged and don’t always blend well with surrounding parts of the image as you increase the strength of the adjustments. DxO is on the case, adding diffusion and feathering controls for AI masks, which I think might be a first.

The new AI masks can be used alongside DxO’s regular mask types, including Control Points and Control Lines, which are unique to DxO and extremely fast and effective once you understand the principles.

There’s another change under the hood which might not sound exciting but has profound practical benefits. You can now save your images as part-processed ‘High Fidelity’ Linear DNG files up to four times smaller than before, and often smaller than the original RAW file. This means you can export a DNG RAW file with DxO’s lens corrections and DeepPrime denoising applied, which can be opened and edited just like a regular RAW file in other programs.

DxO PhotoLab actually comes in two versions: Elite (reviewed here) and Essential. The Essential edition offers DxO’s lens corrections, but not the DeepPRIME processing and sundry other features, so really it’s the Elite edition that’s the better buy, even if it is more expensive.

DxO PhotoLab 9: Specifications

DxO PhotoLab 9: Price

PhotoLab 9 costs $239.99/£219.99 (about AU$342) for a new license or $119.99/£109.99 (about AU$171) to upgrade. This makes it a similar price to a year’s subscription to the Adobe Photography Plan, though cheaper than a perpetual license to the pro-oriented Capture One.

PhotoLab 9 is certainly not cheap, then, but it’s not the most expensive ‘serious’ photo editor on the market either. You can elect to buy DxO’s separate FilmPack analog simulation and ViewPoint perspective control tools, too, and these will then be integrated into PhotoLab’s non-destructive workflow – though of course this does push up the price.

DxO PhotoLab 9: Design & Handling

The PhotoLab 9 interface comes in two parts, or windows. The PhotoLibrary panel is where you do all your large-scale photo browsing, organizing and searching. The PhotoLibrary is essentially a folder browsing tool, with star ratings, flags and keywording to help with organizing.

There is also a Projects panel, where you can create a nested hierarchy of projects (albums, in other words) for organizing images ‘virtually’ by theme or subject, even when they are stored in different locations on your hard drive. (One of the changes in the latest version is to make these projects visible in the Customize (editing) view, just as you can view Collections in Lightroom Classic’s Develop module.

There’s a search box at the top of the left sidebar of the PhotoLibrary. This is clever and odd at the same time. As soon as you start typing, it will try to match what you’re typing with image filenames, EXIF data and keywords, but it appears to draw on an index built automatically from folders you visit, which isn’t under your control.

The PhotoLibrary panel is effective in a slightly crude and scatty kind of way that’s fine for basic organizing but will be irritating to anyone used to more powerful cataloguing options. The main editing work, though, is done in the Customize panel.

Here, you get a stack of editing tools organized into tabs for Light, Color, Detail, Geometry and FX, though what you see in the last two will depend on whether you also have DxO ViewPoint and FilmPack installed. There are quite a few different adjustment panels and you may not always remember where to find them, so DxO has included a little search box for finding specific tools and you can also ‘favorite’ the ones you use most often. You do still have to remember which tools are in which tabs, though.

There’s a separate tab for local adjustments, and this is where you find the new AI masking tools. You can select areas using an eyedropper, a marquee or choosing a named subject type from a menu. This includes skies, though PhotoLab struggled to pick out more than a couple of straggly clouds in the images I tried it on, which is odd, and the eyedropper approach worked a lot better.

DxO’s Control Points work around a circular mask that targets the tones in the center, and Control Lines are like gradient masks with an eyedropper for more selective adjustments – great for darkening skies in outdoor shots without darkening your subjects at the same time.

You can combine masks to add, subtract and intersect your mask selections, and given that the masks themselves can be adjusted for sensitivity and diffusion, this can all get quite complicated – but this kind of control is there if you need it.

The DeepPRIME XD3 denoising is highly effective but also hardware-intensive – it can take a few seconds even on a fast computer – so this means previewing the effect as you work is not straightforward. DxO does offer a loupe panel that floats over the image to optimize a small area in real time as you work, and there’s also a full-screen live update option for machines that are quick enough.

Remember that PhotoLab is a non-destructive editor, so all your adjustments exist only within the software. If you want to produce a version to share, you will need to use the Export button to produce a processed JPEG or TIFF file.

DxO PhotoLab 9: Performance

In terms of quality of results, PhotoLab 9 is about as good as it gets. DxO’s lens corrections don’t just tackle the usual suspects – chromatic aberration, vignetting and distortion – but also apply lens-specific global sharpness and edge softness corrections. There’s nothing you need to do. PhotoLab will find matching profiles automatically and, if they’re not installed yet, will download them for you – it only takes a few seconds.

DxO’s DeepPRIME XD3 processing is pretty remarkable, too, and it now handles both regular Bayer sensor RAW files and X-Trans images, too. I can’t say I see much difference in the results between this and the previous DeepPRIME version, but I’ve yet to see a rival denoising tool that can match DxO’s combination of denoising effectiveness and fine detail recovery. You won’t always see a huge difference with the latest and best camera gear, but older models, smaller sensors and cheaper lenses get a whole new lease of life.

I’m less convinced about the AI masking. Quite apart from the strange sky masking issues in my tests, I’m not sure DxO’s AI masking is quite as quick as Lightroom’s, for example, or Capture One’s.

DxO PhotoLab 9: Verdict

PhotoLab 9 is for the image quality purist who is unfazed by technical processes and who simply wants the best possible output from their RAW files. It’s not Photoshop, so you can’t produce layered composites, and it doesn’t do one-click effects like the Nik Collection or ON1 Photo RAW. It’s an image editor in the truest, most traditional sense. It’s probably not ideal for a busy, high-volume professional workflow, but perfect for fine-art photographers, print makers and exhibitors.

Alternatives

The Boblov W4 is a wearable camera that looks to compete for a place amongst the best action cameras, or, more specifically, the best POV cameras. With the ability to mount the camera using either a 360-degree rotatable clip or an innovative magnetic clip, the W4 is designed to be worn on any type of clothing.

The lack of a display will be a problem for some, but if you're looking for a very simple and compact wearable camera without too many bells and whistles, then this is it. And, with prices starting at just $59.99, it doesn't get any more affordable than this, especially for 4K recording.

Serious security professionals (recognising the Boblov brand's heritage), who require superior durability and better video recording quality, will want one of the best body cameras instead. Or if it's a vehicle that you need to keep an eye on, then one of the best dash cams will offer a more targeted set of features.

Boblov W4: Specifications

Boblov W4: Price & Availability

The Boblov W4 features external TF card (MicroSD) storage, but it can be purchased with three different capacities of card. The smallest is 32GB, which costs $59.99; the second is 64GB, which costs $69.99 / £57.99; and finally, 128GB costs $79.99 / £79.99.

At these prices, this is an affordable solution for capturing memories either as you go about your day or while on vacation. The lack of a display is a little limiting, but its absence is required to keep the size of the device so small.

If you'd like a similar-sized POV action camera but with a display, the solution is a premium verison like the Insta360 Go 3S which comes with case that it connects to wirelessly and features a display. The downside is that it's around five times the price.

From a security perspective, a similar offering to the W4, is the Transcend DrivePro Body 30, which costs around $180 / £180 for the 64GB model.

Boblov W4: Build and handling

The BOBLOV W4 is a compact action camera with a simple design that focuses on getting the basics right. Constructed from sturdy plastic composite, the case is strong enough to withstand inevitable knocks and drops, which I can confirm firsthand, after accidentally dropping it several times onto a wooden floor.

The lens is, of course, located at the front, protruding from the case with a simple housing which causes it to sit proud by a few millimeters. Also on the front is the action power/record button and a status light. The button sits flush with the front face and cannot be pressed accidentally.

The TF card slot and USB port (for charging and data transfer) are located on the side, with a rubber cover providing the necessary protection from dust and water splashes. That said, the W4 doesn't boast a waterproof rating, so don't go subjecting it to too much water. Inserting and removing the TF card is a little fiddly, although not enough to make the process overly frustrating.

The W4 ships with two clothing attachments, namely a traditional 360-degree rotatable back clip and an adjustable-length magnetic lanyard. Both attachments are well made and solid enough to withstand regular use. I'm a big fan of the lanyard which attaches to the camera through clothing via a super-strong magnet, and I didn't experience any issues with it losing connection, even when exercising.

Boblov W4: Performance

After being so impressed with the design of the W4, I was excited to see if Boblov had managed to deliver equally impressive results in the area of video quality. The answer was yes and no, and considering the small sensor size, this was no surprise.

When filming outdoors or in a well-lit room, the W4 was able to deliver a reasonably exposed image. Mid-range levels were represented with vibrant color and a good amount of clarity. Unfortunately, it struggled with very bright white objects, which the camera overexposed and subjected to a hazing artefact.

Issues continued when filming in low light, with the sensor simply unable to capture sufficient detail in the dark areas of a shot. The result was a significant amount of noise and blotchiness which, at times, made the output almost unusable.

More positively, the 4K resolution ensured clarity across the entire image, even at the edges of the wide 120-degree field of view. As for the wide-angle, it's not as wide as the Boblov KJ23PRO, for example, but it's wide enough to deliver that classic action-cam picture.

Boblov's specs state that there is a JPG photo format, but I wasn't able to find out how to enter into this mode. The user manual only details how to use video mode, and so I wonder if this is, in fact, the only mode. If this is the case, that's a little disappointing.

Battery life is respectable for an action camera, but if you're looking to use it to capture body cam footage over an extended shift, then you'll run into problems. In reality, the 800mAh battery provides little more than 90 minutes when recording 4K or 180 minutes when you drop the resolution to 1080p.

Boblov W4: Overall Verdict

The Boblov W4 excels in the area of design. In fact, I was so impressed with the engineering and implementation that I had to double-check the price. The magnetic clip implementation in particular was a strength, providing a viable mounting option even through the thickest of shirts.

The compact form factor of the device means the sensor is very small. This didn't prove to be a problem in optimal lighting conditions, but as soon as I recorded in low-light settings, the technology just couldn't cope, resulting in an uncomfortable level of image noise.

The device features an 800 mAh battery which gives around 90 minutes of use when recording 4K or 180 minutes when the resolution is reduced to 1080p. This is reasonable for an action camera, but if you're needing to record footage throughout a work shift, then it's seriously lacking.

The W4 won't blow anyone away with its output, but for an affordable action camera, it exceeds expectations. If it's a first action camera that you're after or a device to capture memories without worrying too much about top-level quality, then the W4 won't let you down.

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It's well worth checking our guide to the best body cameras, though if your needs tend more toward video quality than long battery life, perhaps check the best action cameras. Don't forget you might even save on your car insurance with one of the best dash cams.

When it comes to tripod manufacturers, Benro might not be as famous as a couple of its Italian cousins, but this Chinese company has been up and running for more than 30 years and has manufactured some of my personal favorite professional-grade tripods, monopods, and support accessories during that time. I’ve tested and reviewed quite a few of them over the last decade and bought a couple as a result, subsequently being completely happy with them over long periods of time.

The monopod that I’m reviewing here is from the SupaDupa line-up. Typical of Benro products in general and SupaDupa monopods in particular, it’s cleverly designed with innovative features, expertly engineered, and immaculately finished. As such, it aims to be one of the best monopods for photographers on the market today. Whether you need to support the heavy load of a big telephoto lens or just beat the shakes when using slow shutter speeds, this Benro should prove well up to the task.

Benro MSD46CB SupaDupa: Specifications

Benro MSD46CB SupaDupa: Price

What price a monopod? The Benro MSD46CB Black Diamond SupaDupa costs $170 / £180, which is pretty much at the upper end of the scale, especially for a Chinese-manufactured monopod, although you can expect to pay more for a top-of-the-range Manfrotto or Gitzo, both of which are made in Italy. For comparison, we reviewed the similar Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C, which lists at an even pricier $209 / £209 and is shorter but heavier, though it does come complete with a useful leveling pan head, which is absent from the MSD46CB I’m reviewing here.

Benro MSD46CB SupaDupa: Design & Handling

There are a lot of things I like about this Benro monopod, but top of the list is the 8-layer carbon fiber from which it’s made. The look and finish of the carbon fiber absolutely scream ‘quality’, and as I’ll come to later, that translates into superb performance. And although impressively rigid even at full stretch, the carbon build helps to keep the weight down to an easily manageable 0.58kg or 1.3lb. That’s despite the monopod having a mighty maximum payload rating of 40kg / 88lb.

Speaking of full stretch, I’m a tall guy and have often been disappointed that even some of the best monopods on the market are simply too short for me to use without stooping. That’s definitely not a problem with this Benro, as it extends to a relatively towering 177cm, or 5ft 10in. Just like with the huge payload rating being delivered by a lightweight construction, the lofty maximum operating height comes with a surprisingly small stowage length of just 43.5cm or 17.1in. That’s made possible by no less than six telescoping leg sections.

Okay, I’d be the first to admit that such a large number of leg sections would normally equate to a couple of compromises. First up, as I’ve experienced with many travel tripods, the bottom sections often tend to be very thin and spindly, and therefore lacking in strength and rigidity. That’s not the case here, as even the bottom section has a generous diameter of 21.8mm (0.9in), with a robust and rigid feel to it.

The second compromise is that six leg sections require five separate clamps to release and lock them, which brings the prospect of the monopod being a time-consuming chore to use. As it turns out, the bottom four telescoping sections each have a twist-action lock. They’re pretty quick and easy to use, partly because when the monopod is contracted, you can grab all of the twist clamps in one handful and loosen or tighten them in a single gesture.

The top telescoping section is different from all of the rest, as it has a quick-release flip-action lock. Not only is it easy to locate by feel when your eye is to the viewfinder of your camera, but it’s super-speedy to operate. When using the monopod, I find that I generally tend to extend all of the lower sections and just rely on the top section with its flip lock for making any height adjustments. That makes using the Benro speedy and simple.

I’m a little disappointed that the monopod doesn’t come with a head, but I know a lot of photographers who find it unnecessary to use a head with a monopod. And at least if you do want to use a head, you can buy one of your choosing. Either way, the monopod has a 60mm / 2.4in diameter circular platform up top, which should prove ideal for mounting a camera or the mounting ring of a big, heavy lens, or indeed a head.

A crafty bit of design is that the securing screw for any of these has a dual-diameter spring-loaded arrangement, so the larger 3/8in thread automatically retracts to reveal a 1/4in thread if you need the smaller size. If you’re fitting a head on the monopod, there’s also a grub screw in the platform to ensure that it doesn’t work loose.

Another thing that you don’t want to be working loose is your grip on the monopod, sending your camera and attached lens crashing to the ground. I’m reassured that the monopod features a wrist strap, and it’s a particularly good one at that. Not only does it have an adjustable diameter to securely fasten around any size of wrist, but it also has a push-button, quick-release clip so that you can quickly and easily remove the wrist strap if you feel the need. The quick-release clip can also be easily removed from the securing lug to which it’s tethered.

Keeping a secure hold on the monopod is also aided by the inclusion of a Benro SupaDupa Shoulder Pad in the kit, a standalone version being available on its own for $20 / £15. It’s a really neat comfort pad that you can wrap around the monopod, with a rubberized, anti-slip inner surface, a padded mesh exterior, and a Velcro strip to keep it in place. You can actually use it with any monopod or tripod leg that has a diameter of between 32mm and 37mm (1.3in and 1.5in).

Neat extras include a couple of hex keys for making adjustments if and when needed, and there’s a clip for attaching one of them to the monopod if you feel you might need to use it when you’re out and about.

Even the foot of the monopod is pretty smart. I find that I’m often given to panning when using a monopod, as I use them with heavy telephoto lenses while tracking wildlife and sports subjects in motion. The fixed foot of most monopods tends to try to drill a hole in the ground during the process, and can make panning feel stiff and jerky. This Benro monopod features a spinning foot, which glides on its own V-profile roller bearing cage, making panning actions silky smooth.

If panning’s not your thing and you feel the urge to ram the bottom of your monopod into soft ground for a more assured footing, you can swap out the spinning foot with its rubber pad for a metal spike that’s supplied as part of the kit. You simply unscrew one and screw in the other, which takes minimal time and effort.

Benro MSD46CB SupaDupa: Performance

If I had to sum up the performance of the Benro MSD46CB Black Diamond SupaDupa Monopod in two words, they’d be ‘speedy’ and ‘sturdy’, but allow me to embellish. I like that, with no fewer than six telescopic sections, the monopod folds down small, but has a really tall maximum operating height.

That would usually come with the pain of setup and take-down being time-consuming chores. However, the provision of a flip-action clamp for the top section and twist-action clamps for the lower sections actually makes the monopod quick to extend and fold down again. It also makes any required height adjustments fast and effortless while the monopod is actually in use.

Then there’s the stability. I’m of the ‘fat legs first’ school of monopod and tripod use, in that I generally extend the larger-diameter top legs first and only deploy the relatively thin bottom ones if I really need to. I use this Benro rather differently, extending all of the lower sections, all of the time, and then extending or contracting the fattest top section with its flip-action clamp to apply any necessary height adjustments. In practice, that works really well, and the monopod remains rigid and extremely resistant to any unwanted flexing, even at its maximum operating height with everything fully extended.

And to finish with just a little thing, that spinning pad on the foot with its roller bearings gives a huge performance boost when you’re panning or just tracking subjects in motion.

Benro MSD46CB SupaDupa: Verdict

The Benro MSD46CB Black Diamond SupaDupa is definitely one of the best monopods I’ve ever used. It’s cleverly designed, superbly well-engineered, immaculately finished, and performs flawlessly. I really like that it folds down nice and small, and is really lightweight for the journey, yet stretches to a very generous maximum operating height and has a mighty payload rating.

The carbon fiber is of particularly good quality, and the clamps all work with smooth precision. I like the mix of twist-locks and a flip-action lock up top, which work brilliantly well together, enabling speed and ease of use. The spinning foot makes the Benro an absolute joy to use for panning shots. My only gripe is that Benro’s rather excellent leveling pan head isn’t supplied as part of the kit, despite the monopod being particularly pricey to buy.

Alternatives

The Godox ML series consists of a series of modular continuous LEDs. I use the term modular because you can attach a range of accessories to them, such as magnetically attached diffusers or a twist-and-lock ML-CS1625 soft tent (which is basically a little soft box). You can also power them wirelessly using a clip-on Godox ML-BA battery, or use the ML150Bi’s supplied ML-VMA battery plate to attach Godox or third-party V-mount batteries to the LED.

The Godox ML range starts off in terms of affordability and power with the palm-sized ML-40Bi. At the top of the ML range, we have the Godox ML150Bi. This is the bigger brother to the similarly specced Godox ML80Bi, a key difference being that the ML150Bi produces a much brighter continuous light source for photographers and videographers to enjoy, even in the brightest of outdoor locations.

Both the ML80Bi and the ML150Bi ship with an ML-Z Zoom Reflector, so when this accessory is set to spotlight, the ML80Bi can emit 29,600 lux. On the same reflector setting, the ML150Bi produces 61,054 lux. Time for your model to put on some shades!

The term "Bi" pops up a lot in this introduction. The entire ML series consists of bi-color lights, meaning that they can emit a range of light color temperatures in degrees Kelvin. The ML150Bi can be adjusted – via button rotation or a swipe of a slider in the Godox Light smartphone app – to emit light that has a color temperature between a warm 2800K and a much cooler 6500K.

Being able to control the LED’s color temperature means that you can complement existing light sources, such as dialing in a cool daylight temperature of 5600K to add fill light that’s compatible with the location’s natural outdoor key light.

If you need a more colorful light source (such as purples, greens, and reds), then you need to look for an RGB LED, not a bi-color one. I can recommend the Neewer HB80C for both creative color and Kelvin scale illumination, among other continuous LED options in our buying guide to the best video lights.

Godox ML150Bi: Specifications

Godox ML150Bi: Price

The Godox ML150Bi retails at $259/£229. Its weaker little brother, the ML80Bi, retails at $229/£203. So for only around $30/£30 extra, you can purchase a more powerful 150W LED (compared to the weaker 80W device). So on paper, it seems like a no-brainer to go for maximum power for an extra $30.

However, I do have a word of caution. The cheaper ML80Bi ships with a dockable ML-BA battery that matches the white design of the lamp. The more expensive ML150Bi doesn’t ship with the ML-BA battery, so you’ll need to power the ML150Bi by its supplied mains cable or use its supplied ML-VMA battery plate to attach a V-mount battery (not supplied). You can buy an ML-BA battery to power the ML150Bi, but that will add another $89/£73 to your costs.

Personally, I like the fact that you can power up the cheaper ML80Bi out of the box thanks to its supplied battery (after charging it via its USB-C cable). I did have a V-mount battery to attach to the ML150Bi’s adapter plate, so that was fine for my test, but bear this powering issue in mind when considering a purchase.

Godox ML150Bi: Design & Handling

After unboxing the Godox ML150Bi, it looks like an elongated version of the Godox ML80Bi, with the same distinctive plastic white body material. The bigger ML150Bi features extra grilles and ventilation holes to help dissipate the extra heat that its 150W produces (plus an internal fan is on hand to keep the lamp cool). As with its little brother, the ML150Bi has an identical control panel that has an On/Off button and a Mode button to jump between controlling color temperatures in CCT Mode or choosing animated lighting effects in FX Mode.

A ridged plastic control wheel enables you to scroll through various menu items or adjust the frequency of lighting flashes, for example, and a central Set button lets you commit to your desired settings. A little OLED screen tells you all you need to know about the properties of the currently selected mode, and you can use that to activate Bluetooth, which enables you to control every setting via the Godox Light smartphone app.

The control dial/button (or the Godox Light app) enables you to adjust color temperature between a range of a warm 2800K to a cooler 6500K, so you can mimic candlelight, a sunset, or average daylight with ease. There are also 11 animated lighting effects – Lightning, Flash, Cloudy, Broken Bulb, TV, Candle, Fire, Fireworks, Explosion, Welding, and SOS.

As it’s a bi-color light, the lighting effects can use a mix of warm and cold color temperatures – such as creating cold flashes of lightning using a color temperature of 5400K, or a flickering fire at 2800K. If you want to mimic the flashing blues and reds of an off-screen police car, then you’ll need an RGB-capable LED such as the Neewer HB80C (which has 18 lighting effects, compared to the 11 from the ML150Bi).

The rear of the ML150Bi is initially hidden by a white plastic panel. At first, it was a bit of a challenge discovering how to remove the panel, but all you need to do is slide it up. Behind the panel are docking clamps that enable you to connect the LED’s body to a Godox ML-BA battery (not supplied). Fortunately, the kit does ship with the Godox ML-VMA battery plate, so I was able to pop a Neewer PS099F V-mount battery onto the plate and power the light during my test shoot.

Also included in the sturdy carry case that ships with the ML150Bi is an ML-Z Zoom Reflector. This mounts onto the front of the LED and can be rotated to create a wider or narrower (and more intense) beam of light. The front of the reflector is magnetic, enabling you to easily attach diffusers to subtly change the light’s properties. The Godox ML-D diffusers (sold separately) are designed to pop straight into the reflector. I found the diffusers to be a bit too subtle when out in a busy city location, but they may be more attractive (and more noticeable) if you’re shooting in a studio against a plain backdrop.

Godox ML150Bi: Performance

Since the ML150Bi didn’t ship with a battery, I popped on its supplied adapter and slid a Neewer PS099F V-mount battery I already had onto it. The Neewer battery’s display informed me that it was 80% charged, so I thought that would be more than enough power for a one-hour test shoot with Maddy, the model.

The ML150Bi’s sturdy black and branded carry case fitted nicely into my Gomatic 25L Camera Backpack, alongside a variety of accessories such as mini tripods, a Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra gimbal (to record my intro for the video review), and a spare iPhone 17 to capture some B-roll clips for my video review. The Neewer V-mount battery fitted in there too, so I found the backpack quite heavy to carry as I wandered through London to my shooting location – the Barbican Centre.

I’d previously tested the smaller Godox ML80Bi on a model portrait shoot in the Barbican Centre, so I decided to repeat the shoot with the ML150Bi. The weaker ML80Bi needed a Fresnel lens attachment to boost the light when shooting outdoors. The more powerful ML150Bi did not!

I started by using the bright sun as a key light, but this plunged parts of my model’s face into harsh, contrasting shadows. I was then able to position the ML150Bi on a lighting tripod to fill in the harsh shadows with a complementary daylight color temperature. I also enjoyed placing the LED behind the model to create a rim light that helped her stand out from the background. This extra light source helped "sculpt" her face with a key, fill, or rim light, giving it a more interesting three-dimensional look.

To make the ML150Bi’s light a little less harsh, I removed the reflector and slotted the Godox ML-CS1625 Soft Tent onto the LED, courtesy of the soft box’s supplied Godox mount adapter. The soft box reduced the intensity of the LED, so I needed to place the light in the shot while I snapped portraits for this review with my iPhone 17. It was an easy job to paint out the light stand and its shadow using Photoshop’s Generative Fill tool, so I was happy to keep the light in the shot when capturing wide shots of the model. For tighter portraits, I was able to keep the ML150Bi out of the shot.

I then moved into the shadow of the tall Barbican towers, which had a cooler, darker, and flatter lighting that was no good for portrait photography. Fortunately, after adjusting the LED via its tactile switches and dials, I was able to summon a strong golden-hour sun to be a key light in the gloom. This enabled me to capture some attractive sunset portraits (and slow-motion video of the model’s hair being backlit by the "sun").

Finally, I headed to a darker shaded area and used the ML150Bi as a harsh key light to capture film noir-style portraits with stark shadows. I also experimented with using some of the lighting effects while shooting video on the iPhone 17. The Broken Bulb effect in particular worked well with the grungy mise en scène of the urban environment, so these lighting effects should make the ML150Bi appeal to video creators as well as portrait shooters.

My hour-long shoot took place in four different locations that were relatively close together, so the light was on more than it was off! Given my V-mount battery started at 80% charge, I was lucky to have around 4% of power left at the end of my shoot, so I’d certainly recommend taking a spare battery along with you, especially due to the 150W power of the Godox ML150Bi.

I have one little niggle regarding the performance of the Godox ML150Bi. I turned the LED off between the various location setups to save battery power. To turn it on, you need to press the power button. A little icon appears on the OLED screen indicating that you then need to rotate the plastic dial in a clockwise direction to activate the LED. Sometimes this operation didn’t work, so I needed to press the power button again and have another go at rotating the dial. This did slow me down a little.

Oh, there was also a little bright orange rubber stopper that fitted onto the end of the metal lever that releases objects mounted to the front of the LED, such as the supplied reflector. This rubber stopper kept dropping off and, as I expected, it got lost during the shoot. However, it doesn’t affect the performance of the light in any way, so it is negligible, but I do like to be thorough in my reviews.

Godox ML150Bi: Verdict

I enjoyed using the Godox ML150Bi during my model portrait test shoot. As it was considerably more powerful than the ML80Bi, I could travel lighter without needing the brightness-boosting Fresnel lens that the ML80Bi required when shooting outdoors. However, I missed the Godox ML-BA battery that is supplied with the ML80Bi. My Neewer V-mount battery powered the ML150Bi throughout the shoot, but its bulky black casing looked out of place against the LED’s white body. Godox’s white ML-BA battery blends much more neatly with the white plastic bodies of its ML series LEDs, although buying one to power the ML150Bi would cost an additional $89/£73.

All in all, the Godox ML150Bi deserves a place in your kit bag as it elevates portraits from good to great. You can fill in harsh shadows or add a key light that accentuates the shape of your model’s face. Videographers might find the animated effects useful for adding drama, but the lack of RGB lighting effects (such as Squad Car) means that the effects from this bi-color light are less useful.

Alternatives

Benro is a Chinese creator of pro-grade tripods and other photography and videography supports. The company has been going strong for 30 years and counting, and I’ve personally paid cash money for some of its products over the last 10 years or so. I’ve been very happy with all of my purchases, being continually impressed with the craftsmanship, quality and dependability, throughout heavy use over long periods of time. Items in my collection include the lofty but super-sturdy carbon fiber Benro TMA38CL Mach3 9X CF Series 3 Long Tripod, the Benro GH2N gimbal head for the joy of movement, the Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C carbon fiber monopod, and the highly ingenious, ultra-versatile Benro FS20PRO Hybrid Video & Foto Head.

The Benro A48FD Aluminum Monopod that I’m reviewing here might not be ‘SupaDupa’, but it’s still packed with clever tricks. Benro bills it as a lightweight flip-lock video monopod that’s ideal for small cameras, with a 3-leg locking base that includes a ball joint for smooth and stable shots, along with reverse folding legs for compact travel. I’d agree with all of that, although I really don’t feel it’s only ‘ideal for small cameras’. I think its 20kg / 44lb payload rating makes this monopod tough enough to support even the heaviest of cameras mounted with long lenses. All in all, it aims to be one of the best monopods on the market, and quite possibly the best value for money.

Benro A48FD Monopod: Specifications

Benro A48FD Monopod: Price

I recently tested and reviewed the rather excellent Benro MSD46CB Black Diamond SupaDupa Monopod, a heavy-duty monopod with a heavy-duty price tag of $170 / £180. I’d have bought one myself if I didn’t already have the older Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C in my supporting cast. Shortly afterwards, I spotted this aluminum monopod kit with added extras in the shape of a 3-leg base for the bargain price of just $99 / £59, and the deal was done. It seems outrageously great value, especially in the UK, and for me, it’s a worthy additional monopod that I can use for hybrid shooting. Further investigation revealed the full list price in the UK is actually £120, but even at that price, it's reasonable value.

If you’re feeling flush, there’s also the Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C carbon fiber monopod, which lists at a much more expensive $209 / £209. This kit doesn’t include a 3-leg base but does come complete with a leveling head that’s useful for panning when shooting video or stills.

Benro A48FD Monopod: Design & Handling

The full title of this monopod is the Benro A48FD Series 4 Aluminum Monopod with 3-Leg Locking Base, which pretty much gives the game away and doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Even so, it’s imaginatively designed to be genuinely supportive for both videography and stills photography. It’s a bit like the best bits of a monopod and tripod all wrapped up into one convenient package, able to stand on its own three feet while giving a helping hand to panning and tilting, so you can go steady while tracking the action.

Let me start by saying what this monopod is not… It’s not carbon fiber. Even so, it has a high-quality aluminum build. It’s just that it’s also nearly twice the weight of the carbon fiber Benro MSD46CB Black Diamond SupaDupa Monopod that I mentioned earlier, although that monopod doesn’t include a 3-leg base. Either way, the aluminum model isn’t exactly heavy, at a very manageable 1.07kg / 2.36lb, and that’s with the 3-leg base fitted.

There are four leg sections in all, enabling the monopod to rise up from a fairly compact 56cm / 22in folded length (or minimum height) to a maximum operating height of 164cm / 64.6in. Sure, it’s not the tallest monopod in the world, but I’m 6ft 5in and found that it was tall enough for me to use comfortably without stooping. Naturally, if you add a monopod/tripod head of your choosing, you’ll gain an extra few inches in maximum height. More on that later.

Each of those four leg sections is pretty beefy, with diameters of 36.2, 32.4, 28.6, and 25.2mm, as measured from fattest at the top to the thinnest at the bottom. The four sections come complete with three flip locks, again differing from the SupaDupa design, which mostly employs twist locks with just one flip lock at the top. I’m fine with flip locks throughout, especially as they work with smooth but solid efficiency.

I’ll come to that 3-leg stand in a moment, but let’s start at the top and work our way downwards. The circular platform for mounting a camera or head has a sizeable diameter of 56cm / 22in. Given the monopod’s aspirations towards videography and panning for stills, I’m pleased that there are no less than three grub screws featured in the platform to securely lock a head in place if you fit one. I just hate it when a head starts unwantedly unscrewing when I’m panning in a counter-clockwise direction.

Another neat thing about the platform is that it features a reversible screw, so you can use it for mounting cameras or heads with either a standard 1/4in or 3/8in thread. A spanner is provided along with some other tools for removing, inverting, and securely refitting the mounting screw in either orientation. While that’s in process, you can also remove the platform for securing or releasing the grub screws, and detach the wrist strap on its circular metal collar if you’d rather not use it.

A plus point of aluminum compared with carbon fiber is that it’s not prone to shattering if it gets a sharp knock (accidentally, of course). A minus point is that it feels relatively cold to the touch, which can be an issue in chilly weather if you’re not wearing gloves. With that in mind, there’s a generous length of comfort padding applied to the top tube, and very comfy it feels too, being not too firm and not too squishy.

Enough beating around the bush. Let’s get onto that 3-leg stand, which is indeed a pretty standout feature of the kit. The complete assembly fixes to the bottom of the monopod in the same way that you’d attach a regular foot pad or spike, via a single threaded socket. However, each of the legs within the assembly is mounted on its own separate hinge. You can therefore rotate each of the legs down from their folded-up position, so that they stick out laterally, ready for action. They lock in place automatically when you reach full extension, thanks to the inclusion of spring-loaded pins. The head of each of the three incumbent pins has the word ‘Push’ engraved in the top, and, sure enough, you simply push them in to unlock each leg and fold it up again.

The fact that the legs fold upwards means they don’t add anything to the stowage length of the monopod, unless you extend the bottom section to enable them to fold flush with the tube, rather than over the flip locks.

A smart feature of the 3-leg assembly is that it has a ball and socket joint at the top. An anodized red twist clamp enables you to lock or release the joint. When locked, it keeps the monopod standing upright, or at your preferred angle to the vertical. When unlocked, the ball joint enables tilt and panning for shooting stills or video. There’s a full 360 degrees of panning on offer, but the tilt range is relatively limited.

Although the 3-leg base is a major feature of the kit, there are times when it’s more convenient to ditch it altogether and use the monopod in time-honored fashion, with just a single foot. With that in mind, you can simply unscrew the 3-leg base and detach it altogether, stowing it away for safekeeping.

For regular monopod duty without the 3-leg foot in tow, the kit comes complete with a regular and impressively chunky pointed rubber pad. It simply screws into the bottom of the monopod in place of the 3-leg base. A metal spike is available to buy as an optional extra if you’d prefer that for working on loose ground.

For making adjustments to any of the flip locks, removing and refitting the platform, and for other running repairs or alterations, the monopod is supplied with a spanner and three hex keys of different sizes. There’s also a clip that you can attach to the top tube, for holding the largest of the hex keys and for tethering a cable that’s running down from your mounted camera.

I’ve seen plenty of expensive, luxury tripods and monopods from certain manufacturers that are supplied without a carrying bag (stand up and be counted, Manfrotto). I’m impressed that despite the cut-price tag on this Benro monopod, it’s nevertheless supplied with a high-quality soft case, complete with an adjustable shoulder strap and an inner zippered pocket for stashing the set of tools.

Benro A48FD Monopod: Performance

The Benro monopod is short enough for me to use on my hands and knees, if I feel the need. That also means it’s not too big or heavy to carry around easily. That’s a big performance factor in my book, as unwieldy kit is likely to be left at home when I’m out and about, where it’s of no use whatsoever.

For more practical purposes in general shooting, the Benro extends to a fairly generous height so that I can use it without stooping, and I’m a pretty tall guy (well, tall if not pretty). Maximum extension is a stern test for any monopod or tripod, because it makes use of the thinnest legs and all of the joints, each of which is a potential point of weakness. I’m pleased that the Benro feels really rigid and resistant to unwanted flexing and vibrations, even at its maximum operating height.

Last but not least in the performance stakes, given the hybrid video/stills nature of the monopod, is its ability to enable tilting and panning. I’d say that the system works, but that it’s good rather than entirely great. I found the range of tilt to be a little limiting, and panning was prone to catching occasionally, rather than having a fluid and free-flowing action. The remedy for both of these niggles comes in the shape of a pan and tilt head, which you can buy separately and fit to the monopod.

I’d heartily recommend the Benro FS20PRO Hybrid Video & Foto Head, which I actually bought for use with this and other monopods and tripods, and it’s been serving me thoroughly well. It’s a ball head that also includes independent tilt and panning locks with a nice fluid action. There’s even a secondary panning mechanism up on top, which is especially useful for rotating the Arca-Swiss top clamp to suit either a long lens with a tripod mounting collar, or a camera with an L-bracket or cage.

Benro A48FD Monopod: Verdict

I really like that the Benro A48FD Series 4 Aluminum Monopod with 3-Leg Locking Base amply caters to my every whim. Sometimes I want the extra stability and secure footing of a 3-leg base. Other times, I prefer the slimline and unrestricted placement of a single foot. The Benro does both, thanks to the inclusion of a 3-leg base and an alternative chunky rubber foot, which are quickly and easily swappable.

In other respects, the Benro continues to impress, with solid and sturdy performance, fast and simple adjustments, and a good range of operating heights enabled by its chunky 4-section design. Sure, it lacks the luxury of a carbon fiber monopod, but this aluminum stick is cleverly designed, smartly finished, and works a treat. All in all, it’s great for shooting both video and stills, and it’s an absolute steal at the price.

Alternatives

Variable ND filters are an essential purchase for any serious run-and-gun videographer. If you want to keep your shutter speed under control, maintain a wider aperture in bright light, or avoid constantly changing fixed ND filters between shots, a good VND is one of the quickest upgrades you can make to a camera setup.

Freewell has teamed up here with seasoned YouTuber Brandon Li, known for his fast-moving travel and documentary-style filmmaking, and this kit has clearly been designed around speed, convenience, and minimizing the number of individual filters you need to carry.

I tested the Pro Kit, which includes the VND/CPL, ND32, Glow Mist ¼, and base adapter ring (in my case, 77mm). The idea is simple enough: leave the base ring on your lens, then attach the filters magnetically as needed. You can use the VND/CPL on its own for 1-5 stops, add the ND32 to extend the range up to 10 stops, or bring in the mist filter when you want a softer look.

That makes it a direct alternative to buying several separate filters, and it will be of obvious interest to anyone looking through our guides to the best variable ND filters or the best filters for photography. The question is whether the convenience justifies the price.

Specifications

Price

The Freewell x Brandon Li Magnetic VND/CPL Pro Kit is not cheap, with the Pro Kit priced at $379.99 at the time of writing, discounted from a listed regular price of $449.99. The Basic Kit, which excludes the Glow Mist 1/4 filter, is currently priced at $349.99.

On one hand, the Pro Kit replaces several separate filters and gives you a lot of flexibility in a relatively compact package. You are getting a VND/CPL, ND32, mist filter, magnetic caps, and a proper case, so the value looks stronger when considered as a complete system rather than a single filter.

However, I do think Freewell should include more than one base ring. My 82mm filter came with one 77mm magnetic adapter ring, and if I want to use the same filters across lenses with different thread sizes, I will need to buy additional rings separately, which aren’t cheap. That is not unusual with magnetic systems, but at this price, it feels like Freewell could have included at least one or two common step-up sizes.

Design & Handling

At least the Freewell x Brandon Li kit feels like the premium product its price suggests. The filters have a solid, neatly machined feel, and the whole system is slimmer than I expected considering how much functionality is being squeezed in. On my 77mm diameter lens, the main filter is larger than the lens thread, which helps avoid vignetting, but it still does not feel overly bulky on the camera.

The design comes in a single distinctive green color. It is subtle rather than garish, but it does still stand out a little on my otherwise all-black camera and kit. I suspect this will be a love-it-or-hate-it for a lot of people. I do not mind it, but anyone who likes their gear to disappear visually might find it a bit more noticeable than a standard black or silver filter ring.

The magnetic base ring screws onto the lens, and from there, the system becomes much quicker than conventional screw-in filters. The main VND uses a locking system rather than relying only on magnets. You line up the red marks on the edge of the magnetic adapter ring and the edge of the VND, snap the filter into place, then twist so the lines no longer match. At that point, it is locked on. It is simple, and once you have done it a couple of times, it becomes second nature.

The locking mechanism for adding extra filters to the front is less elegant. You again have to line up the red marks, but I found the alignment slightly less obvious as the marks are very subtle, and because the magnetic connection is strong, the filter tends to snap on before you have everything exactly where you want it. Pulling it off again is harder than it should be, partly because the ND section can rotate and partly because the filters are slim, so there is not a huge amount to grip.

Once everything is locked in, I am very confident the attachments are not coming off. The problem is more about the process of stacking. If you want to use the ND32 and the mist filter together, the second filter locks in, but the additional filter effectively sits magnetically on top of the glass of the second filter. That means the top filter does not feel quite as secure, and I noticed it could rub against debris trapped between the filter surfaces. It is workable, but it is the least polished part of the system.

You can also attach the included mist filter or ND32 directly to the ring without using the VND, which is very useful. The magnetic connection is strong, and I never felt like the filter was going to be knocked off easily.

The VND itself is quite stiff to turn, which I actually think is a positive, as it means I was not accidentally unlocking it or knocking it out of position when handling the camera.

I do really like the lens cap. It is magnetic, made from solid metal, and has a built-in gray card, which is a genuinely useful touch for video work. The case is also excellent. Freewell has done a good job here. Its dome shape slots easily into a kit bag, feels protective, and has space for four or more filters.

Performance

Optically, the Freewell x Brandon Li kit performed very well in my testing. The biggest thing I look for in any variable ND is whether there is an obvious X pattern, and I could not see one here. The filter has hard stops, which reduce the chance of overdoing the polarisation effects.

Color shift is well controlled. There is a very minor shift at the top end, but I would describe it as almost negligible with the VND/CPL on its own. In some shots, I could see a slight yellow cast comparing images side by side, but I probably wouldn't notice in real-world shooting, and it is easily corrected in post. For anyone already grading footage or editing raw photos, this is not something I would lose any sleep over.

I also saw no vignetting on the 24mm end of my lens, even when stacking all three components, although this is helped by the fact that the filter is effectively oversized for my 77mm lens thread.

The built-in CPL does a great job at cutting reflections, and having the CPL integrated with the VND just reduces the need to stack yet another separate filter just to manage glare and reflections. I probably wouldn't buy a pro VND without the ability to twist the whole filter to adjust polarisation.

Adding the ND32 on top of the 1-5 stop VND range gives you much more flexibility in very bright light, but it also adds a little more color cast. The yellow tone becomes more noticeable than with the VND alone. Again, it is something I would be happy to correct in editing rather than a dealbreaker, but if you need straight-out-of-camera perfection, then fixed NDs are much better here.

The Glow Mist 1/4 filter is quite strong. That is not necessarily a criticism, but it is not something I would leave on permanently. Used carefully, it can give highlights a softer, more cinematic bloom and take a little bite out of digital sharpness, but here, the effect is not especially subtle, so I would use it deliberately.

Verdict

The Freewell x Brandon Li Magnetic VND/CPL Filter Kit is an incredibly good filter system. I like it so much that it has become the default glass on the front of my lens.

I was impressed by the build quality, the secure locking system, and the optical performance. I saw no visible X pattern, no vignetting on my 24mm lens, and only very minor color shift with the VND/CPL. The ND32 and mist filter introduce a little more warmth, but nothing I would consider difficult to correct.

There are a few frustrations. I do not think it is generous enough to include only one base ring at this high price, especially when the whole point of a system like this is using the same filters across multiple lenses. Stacking multiple filters is also more fiddly than the main magnetic system suggests.

Even with those caveats, if you are mostly shooting video, switching between stills and motion, or working quickly outdoors, having a VND, CPL, ND32 and mist filter in one compact setup is genuinely useful.

Alternatives

It’s been two and a half years since I reviewed the original 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine, and I was very impressed at the time. It was everything I’d come to expect from the company behind it – an innovative design that packs an array of useful features, with excellent build quality and an impeccable finish.

Enough said? Well, while I’ve been steadily adding to my personal collection of 3 Legged Thing photo and video equipment over the years, the new and improved AirHed Cine CC is destined for a place on my shopping list, with its ability to turn pretty much any set of legs into one of the best video tripods. It certainly looks and feels right at home on my prized 3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0 sturdy carbon tripod.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Specifications

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Price

Specialist video heads are often big, heavy, unwieldy, and very expensive to buy. The 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC is ideal in my books (and those of my accountant), in that it’s relatively compact, lightweight, and reasonably priced, at $249 / £229 / AU$799. Considering the feature set and quality of construction, it’s a bit of a bargain.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Design & Handling

I didn’t find much of anything wrong with the original version of the 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine fluid, video head, but the updated ‘CC’ adds some neat new tricks. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though, and start with the basics. The head is designed primarily with videography in mind, but it works just fine for shooting stills as well, especially if panning is the name of the game for tracking sports or wildlife subjects. It’s also a good fit for a large spotting scope.

A key feature of any video head is that it enables smooth pan and tilt movements, and, just like the original, the CC has a lovely fluid feel to it, based on a quality design and spring-loaded counterbalance mechanism. That said, the counterbalance is not adjustable to accommodate different sizes and weights of camera, but the omission is what I’d expect from a relatively compact, lightweight, and affordable video head, such as this one.

Crucial to panning and tilting is the panning handle itself, as your primary point of physical contact with the head. The handle is completely revamped in the new version, the main difference being that it has a retractable design. Not only does it enable you to choose the length that feels most comfortable and natural in use, but it also makes it less likely that you’ll need to remove it and stash it separately when stowing the head. The images above and below show the panning handle in its retracted and fully extended states.

True to type, the panning handle is mounted on splines, which enable a wide range of rotational adjustment as well as ensuring a secure fitment that avoids any slippage or wobbling. The arm release knob can be pulled out and rotated on a six-sided head to ensure it doesn’t stick out in the wrong direction and get in the way when fastened.

Also, as I’d hope for in a video head, the panning handle can be attached to the left or right side, catering not only to left-handed and right-handed users but also to individual preference. Some right-handers will prefer to use the panning handle with their left hand, to leave their right hand free for operating the mounted camera.

At the center of the left side of the head is the main tilt-action lock and release knob. It operates with smooth simplicity and can lock off the tilt very securely for fixed position shooting. Only minimal turning is required to lock or release the head’s tilt mechanism. A generous 165 degrees of tilt is on offer, from 90 degrees forward to 75 degrees backward.

Above and to the front of the tilt knob on the side of the head is a mounting socket with a standard 1/4-inch thread. You can use this to attach accessories like a microphone, LED lamp, or video monitor. 3 Legged Thing offers two sizes of optional ‘Pivot Magic Arms’ for the task.

Down at the bottom of the left-hand side is the panning lock/release knob. Like the release knob for the panning handle, this one is spring-loaded and sits on a six-sided head, so you can pull it out and rotate it to your preferred position. Loosening the lever enables a full 360-degree panning rotation. To help keep tabs on movement, there’s a 360-degree scale on the base, numbered in 15-degree intervals and marked with lines at smaller 2.5-degree increments.

To help with leveling your tripod legs, which in turn helps to ensure that everything stays on the level when you’re panning, there’s a bubble level built into the lower section of the head. A secondary bubble level is fitted to the main clamp at the top, for assistance with leveling the tilt mechanism.

Another upgrade over the original version of the head is that the clamp up on top can be removed by undoing four hex screws, and rotated laterally through 90-degree intervals. The bonus here is that you can change the orientation of the QR plate from running front-to-back to side-to-side. This can be a big advantage if you’re using a camera with an L-bracket or a cage.

The Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate is also redesigned. For starters, it’s longer at 100mm instead of 90mm, giving more scope for centering the weight of your camera on the head. It also features a sliding camera screw sled and spring-loaded locator pin, plus a cable management hook at the front. The QR plate also adds compatibility for 3 Legged Thing’s growing range of ‘Xpand’ accessories, cheese plates, and risers, and features multiple 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch threaded screw holes.

The images above and below show the top and bottom of the ‘XP 100 Ultra Plate’, 3 Legged Thing’s redesigned Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate that’s supplied with the head.

Last but not least, the head is supplied complete with 3 Legged Thing’s handy ‘Toolz’ multi-tool, which features hex keys, a flat-blade coin key, a keyring clip, and a carabiner for attaching it to whatever you see fit. It even works as a bottle opener if things get really tough.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Performance

I’m impressed that despite having a compact size and weighing in at just 690g / 1.5lb, the AirHed Cine CC has a beefy maximum payload rating of 10kg / 22lb. As I’ve mentioned, it doesn’t feature an adjustable counterbalance system, but I found it worked well with everything from small, lightweight cameras to big, hefty outfits comprising large camera bodies with super-telephoto lenses.

Any video head lives or dies by the smoothness of its pan and tilt mechanisms, and the AirHed Cine CC has a really nice fluid feel to it. The new extending panning handle is a joy to use, and all the controls feel smooth, precise, and intuitive. Suffice it to say, you can devote your entire attention to shooting rather than wrestling with the head to get what you want out of it.

It can be a bit tricky to level the legs of your tripod, which can be essential to ensure your camera stays on the level during panning. One elegant solution is to add a 3 Legged Thing LevelHed Levelling Base into the mix, but it’s pretty pricey at an additional $140 / £130 / AU$259. Something I’ve seen in some video and hybrid heads, like the Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head, is a secondary panning plate on top of the head, which enables you to just level the head for panning rather than the legs or a leveling base as well, but this is omitted in the AirHed Cine CC.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Verdict

The 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC is a great fit for me and my gear. It’s conveniently compact and lightweight, so I can stash it away in my photo backpack and grab it whenever I need to swap from shooting stills to video. It actually works really well as a pan-and-tilt head for shooting stills in addition to video, especially if you add in an L-bracket for portrait orientation shots. The laterally rotatable clamp makes the new CC version of the head all the more ideal for this, as you can use the QR plate or slot in an Arca-Swiss compatible L-bracket running sideways instead of just front-to-back.

I also like the redesigned, retractable panning handle, as it enables me to select the length that I want to use, as well as saving on storage space without feeling the need to remove the handle every time I pack the head away. The tricked-up replacement ‘XP 100 Ultra Plate’ is yet another improvement, and I like the way that I don’t even have to use the QR plate at all if I’m shooting with big, heavy telephoto lenses that have an Arca-Swiss profile mounting foot in their tripod mounting collars. All in all, the ‘CC’ is a worthy upgrade over the original. With its clever design, rich feature list, excellent build quality, and stylish finish, this one’s a keeper.

Alternatives

UGREEN is becoming quite the force in the world of NAS drives. Now boasting two series of drives, the entry-level, budget-friendly, personal cloud DH series and the high-performance, prosumer DXP series, UGREEN offers a wide range of products to suit most types of users.

The UGREEN NASync DH2300 belongs in the DH series and is a super compact two-bay NAS that functions as a private cloud. This makes it a particularly attractive alternative to paying for monthly Google One or iCloud subscriptions.

It's also a fantastic entry-level NAS for photographers who want a cheap backup solution and the ability to quickly dump large shoots via high-speed USB-A and USB-C ports. Unfortunately, there's no built-in SD card slot though.

Its reliance on a standard Gigabit network port also means it's never going to be the ideal solution for streaming raw, multi-gigabyte image files directly off the server in real-time.

Its biggest strength for photographers and families alike is its intelligent built-in photo management app. Backed by a dedicated AI smart chip, the system automatically scans your catalog to recognize faces, objects, and scenes. Because all of this processing happens locally inside the box, your family photos and professional shoots are never uploaded to a corporate web server, which helps to guarantee privacy.

UGREEN NASync DH2300: Specifications

UGREEN NASync DH2300: Design & Handling

The UGREEN NASync DH2300 is a sleek, minimalist, and aesthetically pleasing unit. The design and color choices follow firmly in line with almost all other UGREEN devices, from power banks to chargers. The modern design sets it apart from many other NAS alternatives which are chunky, industrial, and purely functional.

In terms of materials, UGREEN has chosen a plastic chassis styled in a two-tone gray palette. There's no metal in sight, and you can tell that as soon as you pick it up. I'd count this as a positive in terms of weight but a negative in terms of robust build quality. It feels pretty cheap, but that's no surprise given the price.

The internal bay trays are hidden below the top removal 'hood' and are constructed of thin plastic, which meant I had to treat them with a lot of care when inserting the hard drives. If you weren't careful, then you could definitely snap something. The trays are able to house 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch drives, with the included screws providing stability.

Thermal management is built into the design with vent cutouts subtly integrated at the bottom of both the left and right sides, working alongside ventilation holes in the top panel and the base to maximize airflow and heat dissipation. I never experienced the unit getting too hot, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the design.

The front panel is kept pretty minimal with an on/off button, three light indicators, and a USB-C port. At the back there is an RJ45 port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and the DC power port. All in, it's a really nice design that's only let down by the budget materials.

UGREEN NASync DH2300: Performance

This is my first experience of using a UGREEN NAS drive, and having experienced a number of other brands, I think UGREEN has absolutely nailed the setup and software experience, especially when we're considering users who are unfamiliar with NAS.

I was able to get the NAS setup in less than ten minutes simply by plugging it into a power source, connecting it to my router, inserting my hard drive, and navigating through the easy-to-follow user guide.

I loved the ability to discover the NAS device through a variety of different methods. I opted to download the dedicated client via the UGREEN downloads page, and after a few simple procedures I was up and running quickly. My experience fills me with confidence that beginners to NAS technology will be absolutely fine.

The NAS can also be discovered via a browser or even with NFC detection on an NFC-enabled phone. UGREEN really has done a good job of making the NAS work with a variety of different devices and operating systems to make it a genuine alternative to existing familiar media backup solutions.

The DH2300 is powered by an 8-core Rockchip RK3576 processor and 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM, which makes it both snappy and efficient. It also features a Mali-G52 GPU and dedicated 6 TOPS NPU which comes into its own when transcoding for H.264, H.265, and AV1, alongside smooth 4K output via HDMI 2.1.

We all care about transfer speeds, and the DH2300 maxes out its single 1 GbE network port, delivering consistent real-world transfer speeds of roughly 110 MB/s to 115 MB/s for sequential reads and writes. These speeds are okay for backup and retrieval, but I wouldn't rely on it to stream footage for video editing, especially if it's 4K in size. For that you'll want a device that can deliver around 300 MB/s to 400 MB/s.

The UGREEN NASync DH2300 features a native Photos app that uses a built-in NPU for local AI-driven image processing. As a result, users can take advantage of facial recognition, object detection, and OCR text extraction tools. It also includes an intelligent cleanup tool for identifying duplicate or blurry photos to optimize storage.

During operation, the NAS is incredibly quiet, so you'll hardly notice it's there. You could even put it in a space you use regularly, and it'll blend into the background. It also draws just 10 to 15 watts of power, which means it's economical to run too.

UGREEN NASync DH2300: Final Verdict

The UGREEN NASync DH2300 is a superb, budget-friendly entry-level NAS that serves as an excellent private cloud alternative to costly subscriptions. It features a sleek design and an incredibly easy setup process that takes less than ten minutes via app, browser, or NFC.

Its biggest strength for families and photographers is its local, AI-driven photo management app, which automatically sorts images while keeping your data entirely secure and private at home.

Unfortunately, its low price point comes with notable hardware compromises. The lightweight plastic chassis and internal trays feel cheap, and performance is bottlenecked by a standard 1GbE port that limits transfer speeds to around 115 MB/s. This makes it too slow for serious, real-time 4K video editing.

Lacking support for M.2 NVMe drives, Docker, and virtual machines, this NAS also offers very limited scalability, meaning power users and tech enthusiasts should look elsewhere.

Disposable film cameras have seen a resurgence in trends – but so have the number of people disappointed at seeing how much developing film actually costs. The Flashback One35 V2 has almost all of the retro disposable film vibes with none of the developing costs.

The Flashback One35 V2 is a screen-free digital camera that uses a traditional viewfinder, requires winding after each shot, and “loads” one of several digital “film” presets. Yet, the tech inside is a modern digital sensor, along with wireless capability to deliver those photos to a smartphone without cords.

Using a screen-free disposable camera dupe felt so liberating that I happily ignored my iPhone camera for more than a week and shot with the Flashback One35 V2 instead. I was rewarded with retro-styled photos that didn’t need any filters – and were still transferred right to my phone.

Flashback One35 V2 review: Specs

Flashback One35 V2: Price & Availability

The Flashback One35 V2 began shipping in February 2026.

The camera is sold largely through the company's online store. Retail availability is limited, but a handful of stores do sell the disposable dupe, including B&H in the US

The camera sells for about $119 / £85 / AU$160 / CA$170.

Flashback One35 V2 review: Design & Handling

The Flashback One35 V2 is inspired by disposable film cameras, and that’s exactly the retro vibe that I got when holding the camera.

The Flashback One35 V2 is small – only about 1.2 inches / 30mm thick, and just over four inches / 106mm wide and two inches / 53mm tall. Despite the size, there is a small curve at the front for my fingers to wrap around – which is great because, as much as I love my childhood photos from the 90s, I’d rather not bring back the trend of getting my fingers caught in the edges of the snapshots. (Although I did manage to do this at least once.)

The Flashback camera is screen-free in the sense that there’s no way to preview your shots. The only screen-ish part of the camera is a small window at the top that tallies the number of shots remaining in the digital “roll.”

The feature that really sends home the feel of a disposable film camera, however, is the “film” winder that needs to be wound after every shot. Other than that, there’s just the shutter button and the flash’s auto-off switch, so the controls are straightforward.

Photos are snapped using a small but traditional optical viewfinder. This feature is essential to creating the feeling of a disposable camera, but like some disposables, the viewfinder isn’t very accurate. I regularly had things on the edges of the frame that I didn’t see in the viewfinder.

The Flashback One35 V2 is built with plastic, though it doesn’t feel terribly cheap. I tested one of the clear models, which feels a bit Y2K and had me exploring the camera to see where all the different electrical components are. I found it oddly satisfying to click the camera and watch the plastic piece shoot over to disable the shutter release until the winder is turned once more.

The shutter release feels solid, and I didn’t notice a significant delay between pressing the shutter and hearing the click signalling that the image was taken. Disposable dupes aren’t meant for action, but I didn’t find any annoying delays for taking single shots. Most notably, the “film” winder does seem to take a while to wind all the way around the whole dial in order to take the next shot.

Storage is built-in on the V2, so there’s no memory card slot – though with the cost of memory cards lately, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. The camera has somewhere around 2GB of memory, but it intentionally limits you to 27 shots for that disposable film feel. Once you transfer those photos to your phone, those images can be erased, and a new “roll” starts. New to the V2, it’s now also possible to transfer photos with a USB-C cord to a computer or smartphone.

Flashback One35 V2 review: The App

No, an “app” doesn’t feel much like a disposable camera, yet that’s where some of the old school vibes come in from. First, you have to load the “roll” of film, and so far, there are eight different options to choose from.

These digital filters try to mimic the look of real film. There’s “classic” mode, black-and-white, a teal cinema look, a warmer gold option, and one meant specifically to mimic the look of disposable film.

Each “roll” shoots 27 photos, then the camera needs to reconnect to the app to offload those photos to the “Lab.” In the original Flashback mode, those photos spend 24 hours at the lab, creating a delayed gratification much like waiting for film to develop.

But, Flashback has also introduced a “digicam mode”. This mode is still set to 27 shots, but you can unload your photos to the app early and see them after a few seconds of “developing” rather than a full 24 hours.

App setup and connectivity were rather seamless. There are three different ways to connect to offload photos – either through USB-C, a home Wi-Fi network, or the camera’s built-in network when traveling. The built-in W-Fi option needed to be retried occasionally. I found the cord the most reliable.

The mix of using the camera with the app feels both retro and modern at the same time. On the one hand, you can’t look at your photos right away. I felt like I was still in the moment with a camera that I took a snapshot with and then promptly put away.

But, on the other hand, there’s no option to change the film type or modes directly on the camera, and it’s a screen-free camera that relies heavily on a smartphone app. That’s fine if you want to stay in the moment and don’t mind opening your phone later on – in fact, it’s probably faster than offloading an SD card. (Or, at least it can be with the 24-hour delay turned off.) But if you’re looking for a camera for a kid who doesn’t have a smartphone or if you fall into the tech minimalist camp, be aware that there’s a heavy smartphone reliance.

FlashbackOne V2 review: Image Quality

The FlashbackOne V2 doesn’t just make you wait to see the photos; it reveals them slowly, shot-by-shot. The experience is far superior to taking a photo with my iPhone and never looking at it again.

The images coming from the FlashbackOne V2 are a happy blend between disposable film vibes and digital. The viewfinder isn’t 100 percent accurate; there are more than a few shots where I caught something on the edge of the frame that I couldn’t see as I took the photo. I can’t see what I’ve shot right away, so there’s still a bit of a surprise when I finally see the photos.

The film presets are a fantastic mix. The Flashback Classic has a bit of a film feel without going too overboard on wacky colors. I spent quite a bit of time with the Flashback Gold and loved the slightly warmer tones – though I could argue that even more warmth would be great. There’s, of course, a black-and-white mode, which has nice, punchy contrast.

The Flashback One35 V2 uses a cheap plastic lens, which is a big part of what makes the images look as if they were shot on disposable film. The edges are smudged while the center remains acceptably sharp – though like disposable film, there’s no close-up mode, so shots too close will be out of focus.

Directed towards the sun, the lens will create some gorgeous sun flares.

The sensor is an upgraded 13MP. I think that’s a nice happy medium of creating images that have enough detail without being so perfect that it no longer feels retro.

Several of my shots also had some noticeable grain, even outdoors in good light. Noise may be unwanted in modern cameras, but the imperfection feels welcome for cameras working to recreate that retro feel.

While the resolution feels plenty for a retro camera, the smaller sensor does create a limited dynamic range. Outdoors in the sun, several of my shots were regularly overexposed. (That’s photography speak for “too bright.”) My biggest disappointment was the occasional tendency to overexpose bright spots into white nothingness – something that’s common and nearly expected for the price point and category.

The camera has a built-in flash that adds to that retro feel indoors, creating the harsh shadows commonly associated with disposable film cameras. But, the flash isn’t always well balanced, and if you get too close, the photos will be blown out to almost white nothing-ness. Thankfully, there is a switch to turn the flash off or to use auto flash.

Overall, the photos coming from the Flashback One35 V2 had a near-perfect blend of capturing a retro feel from a modern digital sensor.

Flashback One35 V2 review: Verdict

The Flashback One35 V2 mixes the best of a 90s disposable film camera with the best tech from modern cameras. Taking photos is once again a screenless, simple experience that doesn’t pull me from the moment. Developing the photos is no longer an expensive process, yet it still has a slow reveal – and easy transfers to a smartphone for social sharing.

Retro cameras are intentionally imperfect. I loved the grain, retro colors, soft edges, and lens flares that snub crunchy modern smartphone photos. I was a bit disappointed when several of my outdoor shots were too bright, and the viewfinder isn’t very accurate – the two imperfections that I’d rather change than embrace.

But, considering the price, the Flashback One35 V2 is an excellent disposable film camera alternative with less waste and zero film developing costs – without completely giving up the retro charm.

The Flashback One V2 is available directly from Flashback as well as from a small number of retailers.

Flashback One35 V2 review: Alternatives

Photographing the sun safely has traditionally meant one of two things: building a DIY filter using specialist solar film, or investing in a dedicated astronomical solar filter system. The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 takes a different approach.

Rather than using a dedicated solar film, it’s essentially an extremely dark 20-stop neutral-density filter that reduces sunlight by a factor of 1,000,000. Designed primarily for ultra-long-exposure photography, it’s a convenient, durable, and straightforward screw-in design.

Compared to fragile Baader AstroSolar Safety Film or foldable universal filters like the Daystar Universal Lens Filter, the K&F filter is much easier to travel with. There’s no cardboard to crush in your luggage, no delicate film to puncture or stretch, and no tape-covered DIY construction rattling around your camera bag.

For this review, I tested the filter primarily on a DSLR camera with a 100-400mm telephoto lens. The results were surprisingly impressive – though not without important compromises and safety considerations.

K&F Concept ND1,000,000: Specifications

K&F Concept ND1,000,000: Price

The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 is simple and reasonably affordable. Available in 49mm, 52mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm, and 95mm sizes, prices typically hover around the $50 / £38 mark for the 77mm size, and there are frequent discounts.

That’s competitive pricing considering the filter also doubles as a creative long-exposure tool outside eclipse seasons. Unlike specialist solar film that may sit unused for years between eclipses, the K&F ND1,000,000 can also be used for ultra-long daytime exposures, smoothing water, removing crowds, cloud streak effects, and minimalist landscape photography. So it should appeal to photographers worried about investing in niche eclipse gear.

However, dedicated solar filters still offer advantages in thermal management and safety certification. The K&F is ultimately a photographic ND filter first and foremost, not a purpose-built astronomical solar filter.

K&F Concept ND1,000,000: Design & Handling

Safety first. The K&F ND1,000,000 is a photographic filter, not a certified visual solar observing filter. You should never look directly at the sun through it – or via a DSLR's optical viewfinder. Mirrorless EVFs and rear LCD Live View systems are the safest workflows to use (besides, zooming in on a Live View image of the sun is the best way to manually sharpen the image).

The K&F ND1,000,000 feels surprisingly well-made for the money. The aluminum frame threads smoothly with no cross-threading issues, the grip texture is easy to handle even with gloves, and the included hard protective case is tough. It occupies almost no space in a camera bag and feels substantially more durable than solar film systems.

However, there are practical trade-offs. Glass solar filters absorb and retain heat far more than solar film systems do. After prolonged shooting sessions in direct sunlight – the definition of an eclipse shoot, which can last over three hours – the filter becomes distinctly hot to the touch. This makes removing the filter quickly before totality slightly trickier than with lightweight slip-on film filters, which typically rely on cardboard or tough plastic housings.

That said, you don’t necessarily need to fully tighten the filter during eclipse photography. Leaving it slightly loosened allows much faster removal just before totality while still remaining secure enough for shooting the partial phases.

K&F Concept ND1,000,000: Performance

Considering its intended purpose as a creative long-exposure filter rather than a specialist astronomy product, the K&F ND1,000,000 performs impressively well. Mounted on a Canon 100-400mm telephoto lens attached to a mirrorless camera, image quality was genuinely good. Contrast remained strong, flare was well controlled, and the filter introduced no obvious vignetting or focusing issues during testing. The ND1,000,000 should be the only filter mounted on the lens when imaging the sun to avoid ghost reflections.

Compared to DIY solar film filters, the screw-in design makes setup dramatically simpler, especially while traveling. There’s no concern about crushed filter cells, wrinkled film, or masking tape-secured housings. For lightweight eclipse expeditions, that convenience becomes extremely appealing. Dedicated solar film systems still hold a clear optical advantage.

With ISO100 and f/8 dialed in, exposures between 1/13 sec and 1/100 sec produce usable images, with 1/50 sec superior. Compared to Baader AstroSolar Safety Film, the K&F filter produces a yellow-tinted and slightly softer image of sunspots and the solar limb, as well as a little less contrast across the sun’s disk. The difference isn’t huge for casual use, but experienced eclipse photographers will notice it.

The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 ND filter gets hot. Dedicated solar film reflects much of the sun’s energy away before it enters the lens, whereas dense glass ND filters absorb more internally. Since prolonged Live View sessions in hot environments may increase thermal stress on both the filter and camera, it’s something to consider.

Without formal solar certification documentation, the K&F ND1,000,000 should be considered for occasional mirrorless solar photography with moderate telephoto zooms – thereby avoiding the need for optical viewfinders. With those caveats in mind, it works far better than many photographers might expect.

K&F Concept ND1,000,000: Verdict

The K&F Concept ND1,000,000 is not a replacement for dedicated astronomical solar filters, but that’s not really the point. What it offers instead is one of the most practical, compact, and travel-friendly ways to occasionally photograph the sun with a mirrorless camera. For eclipse travelers wanting a lightweight setup without DIY filter construction, it makes sense. Image quality is solid, handling is straightforward, and the screw-in design is dramatically easier to travel with than delicate solar film systems. The ability to repurpose it for creative long exposures outside eclipse season also helps justify the purchase.

However, the compromises are real. Dedicated solar film from Baader or Thousand Oaks remains cheaper, sharper, and better able to handle heat. This filter should also never be treated as suitable for direct visual observing.

For casual eclipse photography and lightweight travel kits, the K&F ND1,000,000 is an excellent option. But for publication-grade solar imaging at long focal lengths, specialist solar film still leads the way.

Alternatives

What’s in a name? Thypoch is a Chinese manufacturer best known for its Simera f/1.4 manual-focus prime lenses and more movie-focused Simera-C T1.5 cine lenses. Thypoch takes its name from ‘epoch’ and Simera is Greek for ‘today’. Taking a step forward, the new Voyager 24-50mm is the company’s first autofocus zoom lens, advertised as ‘the cine-soul in motion, bringing world-class cinematic rendering to your everyday kit’.

I’ve seen a variety of full-frame compatible standard zoom lenses that aim to be as compact and lightweight as possible, but they usually come with the compromises of a fairly slow aperture rating that varies with focal length, a lack weather-seals, and come up short at the long end of the zoom range. A couple that spring to mind are the Canon RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM and the Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3. On the other hand, traditional ‘trinity’ standard zooms with a constant f/2.8 aperture rating tend to be much bigger and heavier, but a variety of downsized alternatives have come to market, generally with a different zoom range to the classic 24-70mm (see ‘pricing’ below).

A notable recent newcomer in the alternative trinity camp is the LK Samyang / Rokinon AF 24-60mm f/2.8 FE for Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras, designed in partnership with Schneider-Kreuznach. Like the Samyang, Thypoch’s first autofocus zoom aims to be one of the best standard zooms on the market, as well as one of the best lenses for Sony full-frame E-mount cameras, at least if you’re on a tight budget.

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Specifications

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Price

The launch price of the Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8 is a relatively budget-friendly $649 / £489 / AU$926. For the sake of comparison, other ‘alternative trinity’ standard zooms include the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM at $1,249 / £1,249 / AU$1,599 and the Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 at $1,197 / £889 / AU$1,499. Naturally, the Thypoch is also a direct competitor to the Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G, which has a much more expensive list price of $1,298 / £1,149 / AU$2,000, costing about twice as much.

Third-party offerings for Sony E-mount cameras include the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN | C at $989 / £779 / AU$1,320 and the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD G2 at $899 / £649 / AU$1,279. The LK Samyang / Rokinon AF 24-60mm f/2.8 FE that I mentioned earlier launched at $899 / £635 / AU$1,209. On the face of it, the Thypoch looks very competitively priced.

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Design & Handling

Along with a constant f/2.8 aperture, an almost constant theme to ‘alternative trinity’ standard zooms is that they sacrifice wide-angle coverage, typically starting at 28mm instead of 24mm. The Thypoch, along with the Samyang / Rokinon, buck the trend and match full-sized trinity zooms with a 24mm minimum focal length. The wider perspective is very noticeable when shooting. However, something’s gotta give and what you gain in wide-angle coverage you lose in telephoto reach. Again, most alternative trinity standard zooms stretch to 70mm or 75mm, the Samyang / Rokinon only gives a nod to telephoto reach, maxing out at 60mm, and the Thypoch has none at all, only going to a ‘standard’ 50mm focal length at the long end.

In its defense, Thypoch claims that its first autofocus zoom lens covers three classic or ‘golden’ focal lengths of 24mm, 35mm and 50mm. I’d personally add 28mm to the list, bringing the total up to four. Either way, the net result in terms of handling is that you get a very useful range of focal lengths, all with the same ‘constant’ f/2.8 aperture rating. More remarkably, and unlike with the Samyang / Rokinon lens, the Thypoch has a fully internal zoom mechanism, so the physical length of the lens doesn’t extend at any zoom setting.

Despite the downsized design and lightweight build, the lens is based on no less than 16 optical elements arranged in 13 groups. Those include two aspherical elements, three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and three HR (High Refractive index) elements. The aim is to maximize sharpness, clarity and color rendition while minimizing unwanted aberrations. Nano-structure coatings are also applied to suppress ghosting and flare.

A key facet of any ‘trinity’ zoom lens is the relatively fast and constant f/2.8 aperture, that remains available at all focal lengths. Advantages include the ability to maintain quick shutter speeds under low lighting conditions, to freeze motion and avoid camera-shake without needing to bump up your camera’s ISO setting too much. But the biggest plus point is that you can gain a tighter depth of field for creative effect, isolating subjects within a scene by blurring the background. Bokeh becomes an important factor in the overall performance of the lens and to help ensure that bokeh remains attractive when stopping down a little, the aperture is based on a well-rounded 10-blade diaphragm.

Handling feels impressively up-market, especially for such a budget-friendly lens. The zoom and focus control rings work with smooth precision. Helped by the fully internal mechanisms for both, there’s no hint of zoom creep. The dedicated aperture control ring operates in one-third click steps through its entire range of f/2.8 to f/22, complete with a marked, calibrated scale for easy reference. As usual, there’s an ‘A’ (Auto) position at the narrow end of the range, for controlling the aperture from the host camera body, rather than on the lens itself. It’s a must if you’re shooting in Program AE or Shutter-priority modes.

A couple of downsides are that there’s no switch for locking the aperture ring in its Auto position, so you need to be careful not to nudge it accidentally to a narrow aperture setting when controlling the aperture from the camera body. A bigger problem for videographers is that there’s no de-click switch for the aperture control ring. The upshot is that smooth, silent and stepless aperture transitions are unavailable. Back on the plus side, handling extras include an AF/MF focus mode switch and a customizable function button on the left hand side of the barrel. I’d generally use the latter for autofocus-hold.

Low-budget lenses from certain camera manufacturers (Canon and Nikon spring to mind) are notorious for being supplied with no hood, the item in question being sold separately as an ‘optional extra’. I’m happy that a good-quality and efficient petal-shaped hood is supplied with the Thypoch, as part of the standard kit.

When attached, the hood doesn’t extend very far but does offer extra resistance against ghosting and flare, as well as giving some physical protection to the front element of the lens. It’s a win-win.

I’ve used various lenses that are designed to be lightweight, which have plastic rather than metal mounting plates. That’s not the case here, as the Thypoch features a ‘proper’ metal mounting plate with gold-plated electronic contacts, a rubber weather-seal and a USB-C port for applying firmware updates, if and when needed.

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Performance

Like most modern lenses designed for mirrorless cameras, the Thypoch utilizes a linear stepping motor for autofocus, as well as for shifting the relevant groups of elements when focusing manually. Autofocus speed is quite pedestrian for this type of focusing system but typically whisper-quiet in operation. Similarly, manual focusing is smooth and precise. The lens’s autofocus abilities are compatible with Sony AF options like face/eye-detection and tracking, while focus peaking is available for manual focusing.

In my ‘real-world’ tests, sharpness was a bit of a mixed bag. I found center-sharpness to be generally very good when the lens was correctly focused, even at the widest aperture of f/2.8, although it paid to stop down a little at the longest zoom setting. Levels of sharpness towards the edges and corners of the frame were a little lackluster at f/2.8, but noticeably better at medium apertures, again dropping off at the longest zoom setting, where narrowing the aperture gave relatively little improvement.

My main issue with the Thypoch's performance is that I encountered a problem with the lens frequently autofocusing a little short of the subject on which I was trying to focus, especially at or near the long end of the zoom range. This front-focusing issue made foreground areas look sharp, but sharpness was lacking in areas in the scene that were at the distance I was autofocusing. I’m confident that the problem doesn’t lie with my Sony A7 III camera body, as I haven’t had the same issue before or since with all of my other Sony and third-party E-mount lenses (I have many). I’m hoping it's an issue that Thypoch might be able to fix with a firmware update for the lens.

Back on the plus side, the quality of bokeh is pleasingly soft and smooth at f/2.8 and remains attractive when stopping down a bit, aided by the well-rounded 10-blade aperture diaphragm. This helps to maintain a reasonably circular appearance for ‘bokeh discs’ caused by defocused lights or bright spots. In addition to smooth bokeh, there’s good control over axial chromatic aberration (bokeh fringing) at f/2.8, with an absence of colored fringes around high-contrast transitions just in front of or behind the plane of focus. The following gallery contains shots of a phrenology head against a garden backdrop, taken at various apertures from f/2.8 to f/8. It serves as a good test for sharpness, bokeh and axial chromatic aberration.

For such a relatively compact f/2.8 constant-aperture zoom, there’s fairly little vignetting even with automatic in-camera correction disabled. The same holds true for distortions, which rely rather less heavily on automatic in-camera correction than many recent lenses designed for mirrorless cameras, especially those that aim to be compact in size. Unlike when using many of these lenses, you can opt to disable automatic in-camera correction for distortion, rather than it being forced on.

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Sample Images

The following gallery of sample images was shot at the Bishop’s Palace and Gardens in the English city of Wells. Most of the pictures were shot in pairs, demonstrating the field of view and overall image quality at the shortest and longest zoom settings, respectively. Some of them taken at or around f/8 demonstrate the front-focusing issue that I encountered mostly at the long end of the zoom range. I also shot some of the images wide-open at f/2.8, to give an idea of the quality of bokeh.

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Lab Results

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

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

Sharpness:

In laboratory conditions, center-sharpness generally proved very convincing even wide-open at f/2.8, although it dropped off substantially at the long end of the zoom range. Edge/corner-sharpness is comparatively disappointing at wide apertures and fails to improve much when stopping down to medium aperture settings at the longest zoom setting.

Fringing:

The lens does very well to minimize both lateral and axial chromatic aberrations, which remain negligible across the whole image frame, throughout the entire zoom and aperture ranges.

Distortion:

There’s the typical swing of barrel distortion at the shortest zoom setting, switching to pincushion at the long end. However, the Thypoch does a whole lot better to keep distortions to a minimum, compared with many modern lenses designed for mirrorless cameras. As such, it relies much less on automatic in-camera corrections than is often the case.

Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8: Verdict

As some say, ‘if something looks too good to be true, it probably is’. An alternative trinity standard zoom lens that’s so compact and lightweight, selling for such a budget-friendly price, makes the Thypoch Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8 look like a lens that would be wonderfully easy to live with, as well as a standout bargain to buy. Add to that the impressive, weather-sealed build quality, handling extras like an AF/MF focus mode switch, customizable function button and dedicated aperture control ring, and the lens does indeed look a little too good to be true, considering its selling price.

I wanted to fall in love with this Thypoch lens but, while I do like it a lot, I have a couple of reservations. My main problem is that I found autofocus accuracy to be inconsistent in my real-world tests, and that edge/corner-sharpness was disappointing at f/2.8 throughout the zoom range. Narrowing the aperture to medium values brought little improvement at the longest zoom setting. Center-sharpness was also relatively poor at the long end of the zoom range when using the widest aperture.

For a lens based on a rich cine heritage and billed as being ‘cine-soul in motion’, I’m also surprised that there’s no de-click switch for the aperture control ring, or that the ring isn’t permanently de-clicked. Maybe it’s just because I only tend to use an aperture control ring (where available) when I’m shooting video rather than stills.

Ultimately, the Thypoch looks an attractive lens at an appealing price, and it’s refreshingly compact and lightweight, with solid build quality. It’s just not as excellent as I’d hoped, mostly because my review sample was hampered by poor autofocus accuracy.

Alternatives

The KJ23PRO 2K is produced by BOBLOV, a well-known independent Chinese brand that has built a solid reputation when it comes to the best body cameras. This latest offering is a heavily upgraded model in their KJ product line, acting as a successor to the popular BOBLOV KJ21.

Previous models were focused on uniform wear, but the KJ23PRO 2K adopts a dual-purpose design by including a car bracket and suction mount, allowing it to seamlessly shift from a traditional wearable device to a fully functioning dashcam.

This new hybrid purpose addresses the need for continuous monitoring, making the product ideal for law enforcement, private security professionals, and outdoor workers who require a smooth transition between in-the-field recording and vehicular monitoring. That said, if you want a dedicated camera for your car or van, then one of the best dash cams will offer superior results.

The model I tested is the 2K version, although a 4K alternative is available. The huge 4000mAh internal battery is capable of 15 hours of continuous recording, which is more than enough to cover long work shifts. The KJ23PRO 2K is ultimately a solid offering in a crowded market.

BOBLOV KJ23PRO 2K: Specifications

BOBLOV KJ23PRO 2K: Price & Availability

The 128 GB model of the KJ23PRO costs a very reasonable $109 US / £99.99 / $170 AUS. Other storage options include the 256 GB model for $130 US / £129.99 / $210 AUS and the 64 GB alternative for $100 US / £79.99 / $140 AUS.

The KJ23PRO offers excellent value for money, sitting comfortably between budget-friendly and higher-end alternatives. The fact that you get 2K video with a massive 4000mAh battery that delivers up to 15 hours of continuous recording makes the device very good value for money.

That said, the lack of Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) or built-in GPS is disappointing. Alternatives to consider include the MIUFLY S2 Pro 2K which adds GPS and password protection but sacrifices video sharpness, as well as the Transcend DrivePro Body 40, which offers advanced features like Wi-Fi and superior build quality.

The bottom line is that the KJ23PRO undercuts higher-end options while offering better battery life and resolution than cheaper entry-level models.

BOBLOV KJ23PRO 2K: Build and handling

The KJ23PRO is a utilitarian, industrial-looking blocky body camera featuring an ultra-compact and lightweight footprint, making it ideal for front-line deployment. In the hand it's pretty hefty, but when mounted to clothing, its weight is hardly noticeable. At just 90 grams there won't be any sign of physical fatigue during long shifts.

The unit is constructed primarily from composite plastic and will clearly survive heavy daily wear and tear. I hit the case against my solid wooden desk, and it didn't even leave a mark. The case also features a matte, textured finish which diffuses light to reduce tactical visibility and provides a non-slip surface for reliable gripping in wet environments.

Speaking of water, the KJ23PRO boasts an IP66 weatherproofing rating, making the body highly resistant to water and dust ingress. The charging and data transfer USB-C port is also sealed to protect the inner workings of the device.

The layout of the lens, lights, buttons, and display lends itself to a straightforward user experience. The front houses the camera and is flanked by high-intensity infrared (IR) LED emitters arranged symmetrically.

On the back is an integrated 2-inch LCD screen that lacks high-end quality but is sufficient enough for reviewing footage. The display is protected by thick bezels, although it still sits flush with the case and is therefore at risk of being damaged when knocked.

All operational buttons are generously separated and provide tactile feedback so you know when they've been pressed. The record button is also colored red so it can be found quickly.

The case includes a robust, heavy-duty shoe-style mounting point that enables the body camera to be mounted to shirts, jackets, uniform pockets, and vehicle windshields or dashboards. All of these mounts are shipped with the camera. All in, it's a well-built and well-designed unit.

BOBLOV KJ23PRO 2K: Performance

Let's get straight into what matters most, the video quality. The camera tops out at 2560x1440 px, although this can be reduced if you'd like to save disk space. All resolutions record at 30 fps, so there are no slow-mo capabilities. Cycling through resolutions as well as all other settings is super straightforward thanks to the simple color menu interface.

I can only describe the quality of the video as reasonable. It's fairly clear, although quite grainy, and blacks are heavily crunched. The lens and sensor had no problems during predictable lighting conditions, although it struggled to expose faces correctly when the sky was bright.

More positively, the wide-angle lens maximises the chances of evidence being captured, and the quality of footage, even at the edges of the picture, is clear enough. The lack of image stabilization and GPS tracking is disappointing, although at this price point, their absence is unsurprising.

Unfortunately, the photo quality is almost unusable even at the highest 38 MP resolution. Photos are grainy, lacking clarity, and struggle with motion blur. The image quality is marginally better towards the centre of the picture, but even this still suffers from heavy grain.

The display is large enough and clear enough to review footage. It also works well in bright sunlight. The speaker is a little tinny, although dialog is recorded and played back with sufficient clarity.

One of the selling points of the KJ23PRO is its 15 hours of battery life (1080p resolution), which is more than enough to last an extended shift. Recharging the battery from empty to full takes four hours, which makes it possible to recharge in between shifts.

The KJ23PRO can be mounted on clothing and as a dashcam. Switching between these is simple and effortless thanks to the robust and well-engineered mounts. Spring-loaded clips are solid and dependable.

BOBLOV KJ23PRO 2K: Overall Verdict

The KJ23PRO is a rugged, budget-friendly hybrid camera that excels when it comes to versatility. It confidently fulfils a dual-purpose role, equally able to mount to clothing as it is to a windshield.

The standout feature for me is the massive 4000mAh battery, which served up around 15 hours of continuous recording, more than enough to comfortably power through an extended work shift.

The build quality is high with a composite plastic casing that is tough enough to withstand knocks. I also appreciated the IP66 weatherproofing and the matte, textured finish for extra grip in the rain.

Video quality is reasonable enough and absolutely usable for providing clear evidence of events. Unfortunately the camera struggles to capture clear images, with photos subject to heavy grain.

Ultimately, if you only plan on capturing video and can live without high-end bells and whistles, its unmatched battery life and rugged durability make it a solid choice.

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It's well worth checking our guide to the best body cameras, though if your needs tend more toward video quality than long battery life, perhaps check the best action cameras. Don't forget you might even save on your car insurance with one of the best dash cams.

The Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH is not just another wide-angle lens in the M system; it is one of Leica’s most ambitious pieces of glass. Combining an ultra-wide 21mm field of view with a fast f/1.4 aperture, it offers a rare mix of dramatic perspective, low-light capability, and shallow depth of field that few lenses of this type can match.

On paper, it is a specialist lens, but in use it quickly becomes something far more versatile, opening up creative possibilities for documentary work, travel, interiors, environmental portraits, and available-light photography.

For Leica M photographers, the 21mm Summilux sits in a unique position. It is wider than the classic 28mm and 35mm focal lengths many rangefinder users gravitate toward, yet it retains the character and speed expected from the Summilux name.

It is a lens designed for photographers who want to step closer, include more of the world around their subject, and create images with a sense of space, atmosphere, and depth. In this review, I take a closer look at how it handles, how it performs, and whether this remarkable wide-angle Summilux still justifies its place in the Leica lineup.

Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Asph: Specifications

Mount: Leica M-mount
Full frame: Yes
Autofocus: No
Image stabilization: No
Angle of view: 92°
Minimum aperture: f/1.4
Minimum focusing distance: 2.3 ft / 70cm
Maximum reproduction ratio: 1:29
Dimensions: 2.7 x 2.6 in / 69.5 x 66mm
Weight: 1.3 lb / 580g

Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Asph: Build and Handling

The Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH is everything you would expect from a premium Leica M lens. It is solid, beautifully finished and has the kind of engineering feel that reminds you exactly why Leica lenses are held in such high regard. It feels like a proper piece of photographic equipment rather than just another lens, and there is a real sense that this is something designed to be used, treasured and kept for decades.

In the hand, the lens feels reassuringly substantial without becoming unmanageable. The focus ring is wonderfully smooth, with a short and precise focus throw that makes manual focusing feel intuitive and rewarding. The aperture ring is equally satisfying, clicking into place with a snappy, mechanical confidence. Everything about the main construction of this lens feels considered, premium and deeply sophisticated.

However, there are a few handling points worth mentioning. Because this is a 21mm lens, you do not get automatic frameline detection in the same way you would when mounting a 28mm, 35mm or 50mm lens on a Leica M camera. The widest framelines shown by modern Leica rangefinders are 28mm, which means you are forced to compose in a different way.

On a modern digital Leica M body, that means using live view on the rear screen or adding a Visoflex electronic viewfinder, which shows the entire image the lens sees and helps with critical focusing.

If you are using a Leica M without live view, whether digital or film, you will need the separately sold Leica 21mm external optical viewfinder to properly see what you are taking. Of course, if you are using this lens on the modern Leica M EV1, then this is not an issue at all, as the built-in EVF allows you to see the full 21mm field of view without any additional accessories.

Having reviewed this lens on the Leica M11-P, I found myself opting for live view with red focus peaking, which made the whole process of shooting with this lens far more accurate and enjoyable. It is not quite the pure rangefinder experience some Leica users may want, but with a 21mm lens this wide, it does make practical sense.

One small frustration is the lack of a focusing tab. The focus action itself is superb, but a thumb tab would have made quick focusing feel even more instinctive, especially for street and documentary work.

There is also the lens cap. While correct for the period in which this lens was produced, the lightweight plastic Leica-branded cover does not really match the premium quality of the lens itself. This is admittedly being very picky, but when you are spending this much money on a lens, you do want the accessories to feel just as special.

Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Asph: Performance

The performance of the Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH is fantastic. This is a lens that oozes quality, not just in how it is built, but in the images it produces. When paired with a modern 60MP Leica M body such as the M11-P, the level of detail, sharpness and rendering is truly impressive.

A 21mm lens is already a dramatic focal length, giving you a wide, immersive view of the world, but the Summilux adds something extra. The f/1.4 aperture gives this lens a character that is not commonly found in ultra-wide M lenses. It allows you to work in low light, separate subjects in a subtle but beautiful way, and create images that have both scale and atmosphere.

The image quality is excellent across real-world use. Detail is crisp, contrast is strong, and colors have that unmistakable Leica richness. It is the sort of lens that rewards careful composition, but it can also be used in a more instinctive way once you get used to the 21mm field of view. Architecture, interiors, environmental portraits, travel, documentary and street photography all suit this lens brilliantly.

However, one thing that is slightly annoying is the minimum focusing distance of 0.7 meters. For a lens this wide, there are times when you naturally want to get closer to your subject, especially when trying to create a more dramatic foreground or intimate perspective.

The 0.7m limit can be a challenge in some shooting situations, and it is one of the few areas where the lens feels slightly restricted compared with more modern close-focusing designs.

That said, when you work within its limits, the results are exceptional. The Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH is not simply sharp for the sake of being sharp. It has character, presence and a beautiful way of drawing a scene. The files it produces feel rich and full of life, especially when used with the latest high-resolution Leica M sensors.

Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Asph: Sample photos

Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Asph: Lab results

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

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

Sharpness:

Center sharpness wide open is good, but not particularly special - you'll have to stop down to f/4 for a noticeable improvement, but even then we'd expect better performance from a prime lens like this. Corner sharpness is downright disappointing through most of the aperture range, only becoming respectable at f/11.

For some reason our lab data test shots had aperture f/stop values recorded in EXIF data which didn't match the lens's physical aperture settings. Our f/1.4 shots were also recorded with narrower aperture values, hence the lack of f/1.4 data in our test results.

Fringing:

Fringing in the center and mid region of frame is negligible, however it is noticeable in the corners of frame throughout the aperture range.

Distortion: -0.93

There's slight barrel distortion, but it shouldn't be easily visible in real-world shooting.

Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH Verdict

The Leica 21mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH is one of those dream lenses. It is the kind of lens you buy once, use with pride and very possibly keep for the rest of your life. It is beautifully made, truly fantastic to use and capable of producing images that feel every bit as special as the lens itself.

Yes, it is incredibly expensive. At around $9,840 / £7,500, this is a serious investment, even by Leica standards. It also comes with a few practical compromises, including the lack of 21mm framelines in the rangefinder, the need for live view, Visoflex or an external finder, and the 0.7m minimum focusing distance.

But none of that takes away from what this lens is. If 21mm is your desired focal length, and you want one of the finest ultra-wide Leica M lenses ever made, then the Summilux-M 21mm f/1.4 ASPH is a significant investment into your photography that will be worth every penny of your hard-earned cash. It is expensive, rare and slightly demanding, but it is also magnificent.

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The Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH has long been one of the defining lenses of the M system, combining the classic 35mm field of view with the speed, character, and low-light capability of Leica’s Summilux line.

This latest close-focus version feels like the most complete expression of that legacy, taking everything photographers already love about the 35mm Summilux and expanding its usability in a meaningful way.

While 35mm has always been one of the most versatile focal lengths for rangefinder photography, this lens goes a step further by focusing beyond the traditional 0.7m rangefinder limit, reaching down to 0.4m when used with live view, the Visoflex, or an EVF.

That close-focus ability may sound like a small update on paper, but in real-world use it makes the lens feel far more flexible, especially for detail shots, environmental portraits, travel work, and everyday storytelling. In this review, I take a closer look at its build, handling, performance, and whether this could be the pinnacle of Leica’s 35mm Summilux line.

Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH Specifications

Mount: Leica M-mount
Full frame: Yes
Autofocus: No
Image stablization: No
Minimum aperture: f/1.4
Minimum focusing distance: 0.4 m.
Construction: 9 elements in 5 groups
Diaphragm blades:
Dimensions: 46x58mm
Weight: 338g

Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH Build and Handling

The Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. is everything you would expect from a modern Leica M lens. It is beautifully made, reassuring in the hand, and finished with the kind of precision that makes using Leica glass such a pleasure. This is not just a tool; it is a piece of photographic engineering that feels designed to last for decades.

The most important update is, of course, the close-focus ability. Traditionally, Leica M rangefinder lenses have focused down to 0.7m, but this lens goes beyond that, allowing you to focus from 0.6m down to 0.4m. This might not sound like much on paper, but in real-world use, it makes the lens far more versatile. It opens up closer detail shots, tighter portraits, and more intimate compositions that were previously harder to achieve with a standard rangefinder-coupled 35mm Summilux.

Leica has also built a very useful physical indication into the focus throw. As you focus closer than 0.7m, you feel a small notch in the focus movement. This tells you that you are moving past the physical rangefinder focusing ability of the camera. From 0.6m down to 0.4m, you cannot focus through the optical rangefinder and must instead use live view, a Visoflex electronic viewfinder or, on a Leica M body with an EVF, the electronic finder.

This is a clever and reassuring design touch. It means you always know where you are in the focusing range, and it avoids any confusion when moving from traditional rangefinder focusing into the close-focus zone. It also makes this lens feel like a true bridge between classic Leica M shooting and a more modern way of working.

However, because the lens now focuses from 0.4m all the way to infinity, the focus throw is longer than some users may be used to from a more traditional 0.7m-to-infinity M lens. For very quick street photography, this may take a little getting used to. It is not a flaw as such, but it does slightly change the feel of the lens compared with older 35mm Summilux designs.

This is also the first Leica 35mm lens to come with the newer rounded built-in hood. In performance terms, the hood works well, and it gives the lens a more compact and modern appearance compared with the more traditional square hoods of the past. Personally, I tend to lean more towards the classic square hood design, but that is very much a matter of personal preference.

The practical advantage of the new rounded hood is that it drastically reduces the amount of frameline blockage compared with the older square hood design. That means you can see more of your image through the rangefinder, which is a genuine benefit when focusing quickly and grabbing a picture. For a 35mm lens designed to be used in real-world situations, that is a very welcome improvement.

Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH Performance

Optically, the Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. is outstanding. In fact, this is probably the sharpest 35mm lens Leica has ever produced. As someone who regularly uses a 35mm lens and also the 50mm Summilux, this lens excels in optical quality, tonal control, and overall rendering in a way that genuinely feels like it surpasses some of the so-called “holy grail” Leica lenses of the past.

From f/1.4 through to f/16, this lens is outstandingly sharp. Wide open, it delivers a beautiful mix of clarity and atmosphere, with a slightly dreamy rendering from around f/1.4 to f/2.8. There is sharpness, but it is not harsh. It has that Leica glow and depth that makes images feel rich, three-dimensional, and full of character.

Stop the lens down to around f/4 and beyond, and it becomes a different animal. The rendering becomes sharper, more clinical, and more precise, making it perfect for documentary work, architecture, travel, and any situation where you want maximum detail and definition. This is one of the most impressive things about the lens: it gives you two distinct looks in one compact body.

At wider apertures, it has mood, atmosphere, and softness in the right places. Stopped down, it becomes incredibly crisp and controlled. This makes it a dream for anyone who wants a versatile 35mm lens that can adapt its style to the shooting environment. It can be romantic and characterful one moment, then clean, sharp, and highly detailed the next.

The tonal range is also exceptional. Shooting in color, the lens produces beautiful transitions, rich shades, and a refined sense of depth. There is a real clarity in the way it handles light and shadow, allowing images to feel natural but still unmistakably Leica. In black and white, the lens is equally impressive, delivering deep contrast, strong separation, and a wonderfully classic look.

The close-focus ability also adds real creative value. Being able to move closer than 0.7m gives the 35mm focal length a fresh sense of flexibility. It allows you to create more intimate frames, isolate smaller details, and produce images that would previously have required either cropping or switching to another lens. For travel, portraiture, street photography and documentary work, that extra focusing range makes a noticeable difference.

Sample images: Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH

Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH Lab results

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

Find out more about: how we test and review on Digital Camera World

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

Sharpness:

Sharpness (line widths per picture height)

Aperture

CenterMid-frameCorners

Sharpness Data

Timestamp (f/)	Center (line widths per picture height)	Mid-frame (line widths per picture height)	Corners (line widths per picture height)
2	1570	1447	804
2.8	1893	1721	1215
4	2438	2064	1618
5.6	2621	2290	1818
8	2724	2331	2143
11	2451	2270	1915
16	2049	1963	1672

Sharpness at larger apertures could be better, but stop down to f/4 and the lens is very sharp in the center and mid region of frame. Corner sharpness is disappointing wide-open, but again it soon improves and by f/8 it's excellent.

For some reason our lab data test shots had aperture f/stop values recorded in EXIF data which didn't match the lens's physical aperture settings. Our f/1.4 shots were also recorded with narrower aperture values, hence the lack of f/1.4 data in our test results.

Fringing:

< Prev

Center

Next >

f/2

0.37

f/2.8

0.26

f/4

0.23

f/5.6

0.27

f/8

0.3

f/11

0.28

f/16

0.18

01.252.53.755

Center Data

Product	Value
f/2	0.37
f/2.8	0.26
f/4	0.23
f/5.6	0.27
f/8	0.3
f/11	0.28
f/16	0.18

f/2

0.7

f/2.8

0.66

f/4

0.69

f/5.6

0.72

f/8

0.74

f/11

0.68

f/16

0.73

01.252.53.755

Mid-frame Data

Product	Value
f/2	0.7
f/2.8	0.66
f/4	0.69
f/5.6	0.72
f/8	0.74
f/11	0.68
f/16	0.73

f/2

0.81

f/2.8

0.78

f/4

1.28

f/5.6

1.43

f/8

1.37

f/11

1.44

f/16

1.37

01.252.53.755

Corners Data

Product	Value
f/2	0.81
f/2.8	0.78
f/4	1.28
f/5.6	1.43
f/8	1.37
f/11	1.44
f/16	1.37

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Fringing in the center and mid region of frame is negligible, just barely becoming visible in the corners of frame, and even then only at f/4 and narrower.

Distortion: -0.89

There's slight barrel distortion, but it shouldn't be easily visible in real-world shooting.

Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH Verdict

The Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. is a truly exceptional lens, and one that feels like the pinnacle of the 35mm Summilux line. It takes everything photographers already love about the 35mm Summilux and makes it more usable, more flexible, and more capable for modern shooting.

The close-focus feature is not a gimmick. It genuinely expands what this lens can do, allowing you to move beyond the usual 0.7m limit and focus down to 0.4m when using live view, Visoflex, or an EVF. Combined with its outstanding sharpness, beautiful tonal range, and two distinct rendering styles, this is one of the most complete Leica M lenses available today.

At $6,900 / £5,400, it is undeniably a massive investment. But considering its optical performance, close-focus ability, superb construction, and ability to deliver both dreamy character and clinical sharpness, it feels like money well spent for anyone serious about the 35mm focal length.

This is a lens you can use in almost any situation, from travel and portraiture to street photography and documentary work. It is compact, beautifully made, optically exceptional, and wonderfully versatile. If 35mm is your preferred focal length, this close-focus Summilux-M is not just one of the best Leica lenses you can buy; it may be one of the finest 35mm lenses Leica has ever made.

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Among eclipse chasers and photographers, Baader AstroSolar Safety Film has achieved near-legendary status. Manufactured by Baader Planetarium in Germany, it has become one of the most widely trusted materials for safe white-light solar photography and observation.

During the 1999 total solar eclipse across Europe, Baader Planetarium reportedly supplied enough solar safety film for more than 20 million eclipse viewers – a remarkable indication of the company’s scale and reputation within the astronomy community.

But it’s not for everyone. Unlike rigid glass solar filters or photographic ND filters, AstroSolar is an ultra-thin 0.0004-inch [0.01mm] metalized film specifically engineered for observing and imaging the sun safely with telescopes, binoculars, and camera lenses.

It’s available in a number of forms, including loose A4 sheets for DIY filter construction, and integrated into products like Baader’s ASBF AstroSolar Binocular Filters, ASBF Solar Filters for Binoculars and Camera-Lenses, and its ASTF AstroSolar Telescope Filter. All come in various sizes and block 99.999% of visible sunlight.

For this review, I tested several products using the same AstroSolar film, including a homemade binocular filter made from an A4 sheet, an ASBF AstroSolar Solar Filter used on a small telescope, and an AstroSolar Solar Filter used on a camera’s zoom lens.

While the housings and mounting methods varied, the underlying optical performance remained the same throughout.

Something to note about AstroSolar Safety Film is that, technically, it does not meet the strict ISO 12312-2 international standard required for eclipse viewers. The problem is that it allows slightly too much UV light through.

However, it has been safely used by amateur and professional astronomers for several decades with telescopes, binoculars, and camera lenses, whose glass elements filter out the excess ultraviolet light. The safest way to use it on a camera is by using a digital viewfinder.

Baader AstroSolar: Specifications

Baader AstroSolar: Price

AstroSolar film occupies an interesting position in the solar filter market because, while the loose A4 sheets themselves can appear relatively affordable, complete large-aperture filter builds quickly become more expensive than equivalent Thousand Oaks polymer-based filters.

However, an A4 sheet of AstroSolar Safety Film can produce multiple DIY filters for telephoto lenses or binoculars, making it relatively economical in the long term, while Baader’s own filters made with AstroSolar Safety Film are lightweight and reasonably travel-friendly – though delicate.

Availability can also be frustrating. While Baader products are extremely common throughout Europe, they are not always widely stocked in North America, particularly close to major eclipses when demand spikes dramatically.

Baader AstroSolar: Design & Handling

The first thing most photographers notice about Baader AstroSolar Safety Film is just how thin it is. Compared to Thousand Oaks polymer film, which is darker on one side with a reflective metallic surface on the other, AstroSolar Safety Film is identical on both sides and feels far more fragile.

It’s prone to tearing or scratching if mishandled, particularly around the edges or if packed carelessly during travel. Extreme care is required when making and using homemade filters; resist the temptation to stretch it, instead keeping it slack (wrinkles or ripples in the film make zero difference to optical quality).

That said, it’s crucial to store Baader filters very carefully so the film doesn’t get damaged. Do that, and a filter – whether homemade or pre-constructed – can last for many years.

During testing, I used Velcro straps mounted on a Baader filter and a camera's lens hood to keep everything in place, and masking tape to secure a homemade filter. Both methods made it relatively quick to remove the filter.

Baader AstroSolar: Performance

Compared to Thousand Oaks polymer film and many glass solar filters and ND filters, AstroSolar Safety Film consistently delivered noticeably sharper images with cleaner edge definition and stronger micro-contrast during testing.

At focal lengths around 70-200mm, the differences are relatively modest, with the sun much smaller in the frame. But once moving into the 400mm range, the optical advantages of AstroSolar Safety Film become clear.

Most noticeable are sunspots, which look sharper, as well as a more defined solar limb. That’s helpful because, depending on the lens used, significant cropping is typical during post-processing after an eclipse. The more detail there is in the raw file, the better.

One characteristic of AstroSolar Safety Film is its neutral white rendering of the sun’s disk. Unlike Thousand Oaks film, which produces a warm orange sun straight out of the camera, Baader renders the sun white or slightly bluish-white.

That provides more than enough flexibility during post-processing; you can always warm a white sun, but you can’t recover detail.

One reason AstroSolar Safety Film is slightly sharper is that it is slightly brighter. It’s essentially why the film is not used in eclipse glasses (and why it's best to use a digital, not optical, viewfinder).

For photography, however, the brighter image allows faster shutter speeds, which yield more detail. In my tests at ISO100 and f/8, exposures of 1/500 sec, 1/800 sec, and 1/1000 sec produced excellent images, with the latter yielding the most detail. Anything longer was overexposed.

All the different AstroSolar Safety Film products I tested – from DIY A4 sheet filters to Baader’s own ASBF binocular filters – performed identically.

Baader AstroSolar: Verdict

Baader AstroSolar Safety Film is the benchmark choice for serious eclipse photographers and high-resolution white-light solar imaging.

Its ability to allow fast shutter speeds to preserve fine detail, excellent contrast, and neutral solar images makes it slightly superior to competing filter materials, particularly at longer focal lengths.

It’s not perfect. The film demands much more careful handling than Thousand Oaks polymer filters; it’s more expensive for larger apertures, and beginners may initially find DIY filter construction intimidating.

But for photographers chasing top-quality eclipse imagery, those compromises are relatively minor.

Alternatives

Total solar eclipses may happen somewhere on Earth almost every year, but for most photographers, they’re rare events to capture. That makes solar filters a surprisingly difficult buying decision. Should you spend heavily on a premium threaded glass filter or opt for something lighter, cheaper, and more adaptable? After all, solar filters are only necessary for the partial phases – but then there are also partial solar eclipses and annular solar eclipses, both of which demand a solar filter.

Daystar’s Universal Lens Filter is firmly aimed at those seeking versatility. Rather than a traditional screw-in filter, this clever fold-flat design uses trusted American-made Thousand Oaks SolarLite film mounted inside a collapsible cardboard cup that slips over the front of lenses, binoculars, and small telescopes. Available in three sizes, it’s designed as a universal solution for eclipse photographers who may use multiple lenses (or who frequently upgrade gear) and want something inexpensive, portable, and easy to remove quickly during totality.

It’s important to understand exactly what material is being used here. Alongside Baader Planetarium and American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks is widely regarded as one of the “big three” eclipse filter manufacturers relied upon by experienced eclipse chasers. SolarLite film is also used in eclipse glasses and in solar filters for equipment.

I tested the filters on a DSLR camera with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens to see whether its low-tech approach could genuinely compete with more sophisticated, pricier solar filters.

Daystar Universal Lens Filter: Specifications

Daystar Universal Lens Filter: Price

One of the Daystar Universal Lens Filter’s biggest strengths is value. Prices start at just $17 / £21 for the smallest ULF-50 model, rising to $30 / £37 for the larger ULF-90 version designed for telescopes and large telephoto lenses. Compared to threaded glass solar filters, which can easily exceed $100/£75 even before you start buying multiple thread sizes for different lenses, the Daystar system is inexpensive. Its universal design also means a single filter can often work across multiple optics. During testing, I was able to swap the filter between telephoto zoom lenses, binoculars, and a spotting scope.

However, the tradeoff is longevity. Unlike aluminum-framed glass filters, the Daystar’s folded cardstock construction inevitably feels temporary. After repeated use, transport and setup, it will likely accumulate tears in the cardboard and some reinforcing tape (though the SolarLite film itself is hard-wearing). Considering the modest asking price, that’s reasonable.

Buy Daystar solar filters at Astroshop.eu

Daystar Universal Lens Filter: Design & Handling

The Daystar Universal Lens Filter is very simple. It ships flat, housed in a square plastic envelope, and folds into a cup-shaped holder, with cardboard tabs that serve both as structural supports and gripping fins to hold the filter against the outside of a lens barrel.

In practice, the setup is slightly fiddly the first time, though the process quickly becomes familiar. Once assembled, the fit is surprisingly secure, particularly on larger telephoto lenses, where the tabs grip the barrel tightly. However, because this is fundamentally a slip-on system rather than a locking threaded filter, I found myself instinctively reaching for masking tape during windy conditions.

But what photographer doesn’t carry masking tape? For eclipse chasing, it’s important because the consequences of a solar filter falling from a lens mid-shoot are potentially catastrophic. Securing the filter in three places gave far more confidence during testing, especially when the sun was lower in the sky (if you’re shooting straight up, gravity keeps it in place).

One major advantage over threaded filters became obvious during testing: removal speed. During a total solar eclipse, the filter must be removed entirely moments before totality so the corona can be photographed. The Daystar’s slip-on design is dramatically faster to remove than threaded filters, which can be awkward to remove quickly.

What makes this product very different from other solar filters is its use of Thousand Oaks SolarLite film, which produces a warm orange sun rather than the neutral white sun associated with Baader AstroSolar film and ND filters. It largely comes down to aesthetic preference, but the warmer tone is immediately more natural straight out of the camera.

Another advantage of Thousand Oaks SolarLite over Baader AstroSolar is that the polymer film itself is more robust. The cardboard may degrade after a few eclipses, but the polymer film is very unlikely to tear or crease, which makes it easier to travel with.

Daystar Universal Lens Filter: Performance

For eclipse photography and casual solar imaging, the Daystar filter performs very well. Mounted on a 100-400mm telephoto zoom, exposures were straightforward to manage, manual focus worked well, and the solar disk showed strong contrast with clearly defined sunspots. In some ways, the warm orange sun produced by the Thousand Oaks film is irrelevant given what can be done in post-processing, but it does save time.

One practical difference compared to Baader AstroSolar film is exposure speed. The Thousand Oaks SolarLite film produces a dimmer image, which requires slower shutter speeds under identical conditions. For example, with ISO100 and f/8, anywhere between 1/13 sec and 1/40 sec produces a terrific image, whereas it’s more like 1/500 or 1/1000 sec using Baader AstroSolar film.

If you demand fine sunspot detail and razor-sharp solar edges, choose products using Baader AstroSolar film, but only if you’re using extreme focal lengths. For anyone shooting with telephoto zooms between 70-400mm, the Daystar filter delivers more than enough sharpness for high-quality eclipse sequences, composites, and social media-ready imagery.

The filter’s practical advantages arguably outweigh its very slight optical shortcomings. Its lightweight design packs flat into a camera bag, one filter can fit several lenses, and the ability to remove it instantly during totality is so valuable.

Daystar Universal Lens Filter: Verdict

The Daystar Universal Lens Filter is not elegant, premium, or especially durable, but it succeeds brilliantly at what it’s designed to do: provide a low-cost, lightweight, and versatile way to safely photograph the sun. Its foldable cardboard design may initially feel crude compared to other products, but in real-world eclipse photography, it’s surprisingly practical. The universal fit, rapid removal during totality, and compact portability make it particularly attractive for traveling eclipse chasers using multiple lenses or telescopes. Don’t bank on its cardboard remaining intact for more than three or four trips, though the tough polymer filter itself will likely last much longer.

Sure, it offers slightly softer detail and marginally slower exposure speeds than Baader AstroSolar film, particularly at long focal lengths. But it also provides a pleasing orange rendering of the sun, saving time on post-processing. For occasional eclipse photographers, the Daystar Universal Lens Filter is easy to recommend. Just keep some masking tape in your camera bag.

Alternatives

Benro is renowned for offering solid support to photographers and videographers. The Chinese manufacturer has been going for 30 years and counting, creating a diverse range of products. I’ve been impressed by many and varied bits of Benro kit, including the Benro Cyanbird Carbon FS30 travel tripod kit, Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C monopod, Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head, Benro GH5C gimbal head, and the Benro QRB95DUAL Quick Rotation Lens Bracket, to name but a few.

The Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock Aluminum Video Tripod Kit that I’m reviewing this time around is from a new series of video tripods, their main claim to fame being the ‘lightning lock’ leg system. As its name suggests, the design aims to be super-fast for setting up the tripod and packing it away again after a take. Available in both aluminum and carbon fiber versions and with different heads, it aims to be one of the best video tripod kits on the market. I put the aluminum kit with the KH fluid head to the test.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Specifications

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Price

The current range of Lightning Lock-series legs and complete kits starts at a very competitive price and stays very reasonable through to the top end. Kicking off the selection is the set of aluminum legs on their own, priced at $175 / £220. Adding the KH fluid head for a complete kit brings the price up to $280 / £330. The carbon fiber legs on their own are slightly pricier than the complete aluminum kit, priced at $300 / £340, while the range-topping carbon kit with head sells for $380 / £450. Even that’s very affordable for a pro-grade video tripod.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Design & Handling

Following something of a time-honored tradition for video tripods, the legs are constructed from twin-tube sections. The idea is to maximize the overall stability while reducing the risk of tortional flexing and twisting while you’re panning. As such, the top and middle sections of the 3-section legs have double tubes, and the bottom section has the usual single tube.

When folded out, the legs have the usual look of five tubes in a row. At least, that’s how things look when the tripod is set to its minimum height. As you extend the legs for loftier operation, the top two sections extend in pairs of tubes, and the single bottom tube of each leg also extends.

Another bit of video tradition is that the Benro features a spreader between the legs. Again, this is to enhance stability and to make sure that the legs stay evenly and securely positioned while the tripod is in use. The spreader is typically hinged so that it folds out automatically as you pull the legs out from their folded position. As such, the tripod doesn’t feature alternative locking leg angles for operational use, and clips are included for holding the legs together when the tripod is folded down.

Getting on to the hotter news about extending and contracting the legs to alter the height, the tripod features Benro’s new ‘lightning locks’. I’m a fan, liking that each leg has just a single lock/release lever for height adjustment, making them very quick and easy to adjust. You simply pull each lever outwards from the leg to release all three sections, make the necessary height adjustment, then push it back in again. As well as speeding up the process of height adjustments, the system also makes it easier to level the legs.

While the lightning locks enable quick and broadly accurate leveling, you still need the platform that supports the head to be perfectly leveled if panning is on the cards. That’s so that the horizon doesn’t start to tip over at an angle during panning. As such, the tripod features a 60mm leveling bowl and a simple lock/release knob underneath the main platform. Again, it’s a quick and easy system to use, as you just have to loosen the knob, make the leveling adjustment, then tighten it back up to lock the platform in place.

As an aid to leveling, there’s a bubble level on the platform, and I’m pleased that it’s comparatively large and easy to see, unlike the tiny bubble levels of some tripods. Naturally, most cameras these days feature an artificial horizon that can be more accurate than using a bubble level, but every little helps.

I’ve found that some video heads have a panning action that’s a little too loose for my liking, whereas others feel a bit tight and stiff. A neat feature of the Benro is that, as well as the pan lock/release knob, there’s an adjustable fluid drag control. This has a twist action that enables you to set just the right amount of fluid drag that you’re most comfortable with, for the job at hand.

The tilt mechanism is relatively straightforward, with a simple lock/release knob. This gives some control over the amount of drag for front-to-back tilting, but not so much as with the panning adjuster. As I’d expect, there’s a spring-loaded counterbalance system but, again, this is quite a simple affair and the head doesn’t feature an adjustable counterbalance mechanism for tailoring it to different weights of camera.

To further enhance the feel of the tilt and panning action, the head features a generously long panning handle. It has the usual elbow that angles its shaft, and is mounted on splines that avoid any risk of slippage or wobbling. The grippy rubberized hand grip area of the panning handle is also comfortably large and feels good to the touch.

As is often the case with up-market video heads, a splined attachment bracket is featured on both the left and right sides of the head, to accommodate comfortable panning with either your left or right hand, respectively.

The clamp up on top is industry-standard 501 compatible and comes complete with a quick-release plate. The clamp has a rotary lock-release knob plus a security pushbutton at the rear, to avoid any nasty surprises with the plate sliding out accidentally.

The QR plate itself features a sliding mounting screw saddle for attaching your camera, cage, or lens with a tripod-mounting collar. There are also three spring-loaded security pins and a calibrated scale along both sides of the plate, for precision placement.

The tripod comes with large, rubber pads which give a firm and stable footing on hard flooring and ground. They’re removable, to reveal dual spikes as alternative footwear that’s more suitable for soft flooring and loose ground. It’s nice to have the choice, my only slight complaint being that I found the rubber retaining straps that hold the rubber feet in place to be quite stiff and fiddly for removal and replacement.

The image above shows one of the large rubber foot pads, whereas it has been removed for the image below, which shows the dual metal spikes.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Performance

A key performance plus point is that the ‘lightning locks’ live up to their billing and enable super-quick setup of the tripod. That can be a massive bonus if you need to react quickly to an unfolding storyline at weddings and other events, and for shooting sports or wildlife. The bowl mechanism in the head is similarly speedy for quick and accurate leveling, so you’re ready to roll in no time at all.

There’s a fairly decent height range on offer, from a minimum operating height of 75cm / 29.5 inches, up to a maximum of 151cm / 59.5 inches. That should suffice for most scenarios, but won’t cover you for ultra-low-level shooting or for getting an overview with a really tall perspective.

Stability and rigidity are impressive, and the tripod is very resistant to flexing and vibrations when panning and tilting. Pan and tilt themselves operate with the requisite fluidity for videography, and I’m very happy with the adjustable fluid drag control for panning. The lack of an adjustable counterbalance system can be less rewarding, especially if you’re using hefty camera and lens combinations. The maximum payload rating of the kit is 6.8kg / 15lb, which again should suffice for most needs but isn’t overly generous. There’s also no threaded socket for attaching accessories like an LED lamp, microphone, or monitor screen via a magic arm.

Ultimately, the Benro won’t win any prizes for its range of height adjustment or maximum load-bearing capability, but performance is very pleasing within the design parameters. It’s a quick and easy video tripod to use, without being too big, heavy, and cumbersome.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Verdict

There’s a lot to like in the Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock Aluminum Video Tripod Kit. Living up to its billing, the new ‘lightning lock’ system enables super-fast height adjustments and leveling of the legs, while the 60mm bowl mechanism in the head allows for ultra-precise leveling adjustments. As well as being quick and easy to set up, the tripod operates with smooth efficiency and features an adjustable fluid drag mechanism for panning. That’s backed up by good resistance to unwanted flexing and vibrations.

The maximum load rating isn’t overly generous, there’s no adjustable counterbalance system, and the feet require a bit of effort to swap them between rubber pads and dual metal spikes. Even so, the Benro is simple to use, highly effective in most shooting scenarios, and very good value for money.

Alternatives

I started my collection of Viltrox prime lenses a few years ago, with a fab four f/1.4 prime lenses for my Nikon Z fc camera. I’ve been entirely happy with them but things have moved on since then, with Viltrox concentrating on new line-ups featuring lightweight and low-budget Air lenses, top-grade Pro and Lab lenses and (most recently) next-generation Evo lenses.

The evolution in question came to fruition with the full-frame compatible Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo for Nikon Z and Sony E mount mirrorless cameras. That was followed by the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Evo and the Viltrox AF 55mm f/1.8 Evo, which launched simultaneously in the same two mount options. With unified features, size and weight, all three lenses work superbly well as interchangeable optics, without throwing any spanners in the creative flow. Fast-forward a little and there are now two APC-C format Evo lenses, in virtually the same size and weight, and with the same handling characteristics and filter thread as the pre-existing full-frame lenses.

The new kids on the block are the Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo that I’m reviewing here, and the slightly longer Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo. Both are eminently suitable for APS-C format portraiture and are again available in Nikon Z and Sony E mount options. There are also Fujifilm X mount editions, although the Fuji versions lack the AF/MF focus mode switch, customizable function button and click/de-click switch of the other two mount variants.

Other portrait-friendly, dedicated APS-C format Viltrox lenses in the same choice of three mount options include the cut-price Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 Air and the super-fast Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro. Even so, the combination of focal length and aperture rating aim to make the new APS-C format Evo primes among the best portrait lenses, in terms of bang for your buck.

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Specifications

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Price

The Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo looks, feels and performs like a properly high-class prime lens, making it very competitive in terms of price, launching at $329 / £319 (AU$TBA). So how does that stack up against other Viltrox Evo lenses in the line-up, as well as the lightweight Air and top-speed Pro options? Well, the bottom line is that the Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo costs $275 / £265 / AU$449, the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Evo sells for $395 / £385 / AU$529 and the Viltrox AF 55mm f/1.8 Evo costs $370 / £359 / AU$519.

Meanwhile, the Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 Air is relatively basic and inexpensive at $179 / £139 / AU$282 and the top-end Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro is naturally pricier at $580 / £530 / AU$889. All things (and alternatives) considered, the new APS-C format Evo looks great value for money.

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Design & Handling

Unlike the previous three offerings in the Viltrox Evo line-up of prime lenses, the two latest 75mm and 90mm lenses are designed specifically for APS-C format Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony mirrorless cameras, instead of being full-frame compatible. Naturally, if you’re in either of the Nikon or Sony camps, you can use the full-frame Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo on your APS-C format body, with no compromises. The new lenses are arguably of greater interest to Fujifilm shooters, as these are the first Evo lenses available in X-mount.

One of the things I like most about all five Evo lenses in the line-up so far is that, irrespective of whether they’re full-frame or APS-C format, they’re all pretty much the same size and weight, and have the same 58mm filter attachment thread up front. The handling characteristics (Fujifilm versions aside) are also identical. The upshot is that if you’re chopping and changing between different lenses in the series to make use of different focal lengths, the shooting experience is virtually identical. That means you can concentrate fully on shooting, without the risk of any differences in handling spoiling your creative flow.

It goes without saying (I’ll say it anyway) that any lens is only as good as its glass. This one features 11 elements in 9 groups, including two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and two HRi (High Refractive index) elements. The aim is for excellent clarity and contrast, along with natural color rendition and the minimum of unwanted aberrations. Other optical highlights include HD Nano multi-layer coatings to minimize ghosting and flare, and the front element also has a moisture/grease-repellant fluorine coating.

Handling extras, at least for the Nikon and Sony mount editions of the lens, include an AF/MF focus mode switch and a customizable function button. The former avoids any time and effort spent in camera menus, when you want to swap between autofocus and manual focus. The latter can be assigned to various functions, but AF-hold is usually the favored option.

One thing that’s shared by all three mount versions of the lens is the dedicated aperture control ring. Unlike some of its kind, the scale is only marked in full f/stop increments rather than having intermediate one-third f/stop markings. As usual, there’s an A (Auto) setting at the narrow end of the aperture range, for controlling the aperture direct from the camera body. This is essential in Program and Shutter-priority shooting modes. My only gripe is that there’s no locking switch for the aperture ring’s Auto position. As such, you need to be careful while shooting that you don’t nudge the ring from its A setting to a narrow aperture, which overrides the camera-driven value.

The click steps in the aperture control ring are subtle in feel and ultra-quiet in operation, but there’s a click/de-click switch featured in the Nikon and Sony mount versions of the lens anyway. The latter mode enables smooth, stepless and virtually silent aperture transitions, most useful when shooting video rather than stills. The autofocus system is also near-silent, based on the now common variety of linear stepping motor. As such, the motor is also employed to shift the relevant groups of elements when focusing manually as well as in autofocus modes.

Build quality feels solid and sturdy, right down to and including the metal mounting plate. The control rings, switches and function button (where fitted) work with smooth precision and feel high-quality items.

I’d expect a lens of this quality to be supplied complete with a hood and in this case, it’s an efficient circular-profile hood befitting the short telephoto nature of the lens. As usual, it has a bayonet-fit coupling and can be reversed on the lens to enable more compact stowage.

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Performance

As always with APS-C format lenses, it’s important to take the crop factor into account. Applying the 1.5x conversion factor, the Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo has an ‘effective’ focal length of 112.5mm in full-frame terms. The net result is that it delivers a very natural and comfortable working distance for head-and-shoulders portraiture, as well as for tight head shots. The effective focal length can also work very well for still life and product photography.

Coupled with the widest available aperture of f/1.8, the focal length enables a tight depth of field, ideal for isolating subjects within fussy scenes by blurring the background. Performance of the lens is very good in this respect. It combines excellent sharpness when shooting wide-open at f/1.8 with sumptuously smooth bokeh. Bokeh also remains of good quality when stopping down a little, helped by a well-rounded 9-blade aperture diaphragm.

As a part of testing the lens, I shot the following gallery of images, using a phrenology head as the main subject against a backdrop of garden plants and hedging. The series of images was taken at apertures from f/1.8 up to and including f/5.6. They serve as a good test for the qualities of sharpness, bokeh and axial chromatic aberration. The last of these is a phenomenon also known as ‘bokeh fringing’, which can be problematic with fast lenses at their widest aperture, resulting in color fringing around high-contrast transitions just in front of and behind the plane of focus, like the phrenology head’s black lines and writing on their white porcelain background.

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Sample Images

The following gallery of sample images was shot at the Bishop’s Palace and Gardens in the English city of Wells, both indoors and outdoors. I majored on wide aperture settings, which is the principle advantage of this lens compared with a zoom. Many of the shots give an idea of the qualities of both sharpness and bokeh, as well as the lens’s excellent control over unwanted aberrations.

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Lab Results

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

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

Sharpness:

General (line widths per picture height)

Aperture

CenterMid-frameCorners

General Data

Timestamp (f/)	Center (line widths per picture height)	Mid-frame (line widths per picture height)	Corners (line widths per picture height)
1.8	2323	2163	1565
2	2317	2217	1537
2.8	2297	2259	1690
4	2438	2151	1826
5.6	2271	2029	1792
8	1975	1869	1692
11	1614	1518	1430
16	1298	1218	1179

Levels of sharpness are highly impressive, from the center of the image frame right out to the extreme edges and corners, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8. Sharpness only really drops off noticeably at the narrowest aperture of f/16, due to the normal issue of diffraction.

Fringing:

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Center

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f/1.8

0.33

f/2

0.3

f/2.8

0.32

f/4

0.35

f/5.6

0.37

f/8

0.29

f/11

0.39

f/16

0.41

01.252.53.755

Center Data

Product	Value
f/1.8	0.33
f/2	0.3
f/2.8	0.32
f/4	0.35
f/5.6	0.37
f/8	0.29
f/11	0.39
f/16	0.41

f/1.8

0.65

f/2

0.67

f/2.8

0.59

f/4

0.53

f/5.6

0.59

f/8

0.61

f/11

0.59

f/16

0.58

01.252.53.755

Mid-frame Data

Product	Value
f/1.8	0.65
f/2	0.67
f/2.8	0.59
f/4	0.53
f/5.6	0.59
f/8	0.61
f/11	0.59
f/16	0.58

f/1.8

0.8

f/2

0.8

f/2.8

0.85

f/4

0.8

f/5.6

0.75

f/8

0.74

f/11

0.78

f/16

0.83

01.252.53.755

Corners Data

Product	Value
f/1.8	0.8
f/2	0.8
f/2.8	0.85
f/4	0.8
f/5.6	0.75
f/8	0.74
f/11	0.78
f/16	0.83

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Both axial and lateral chromatic aberrations are very minimal, and will generally go unnoticed even with automatic correction for the latter disabled, either in-camera or when processing raw files.

Distortion: 0.18

There’s the slightest touch of pincushion distortion revealed in our lab tests but it’s almost impossible to detect with the vast majority of subject matter in real-world shooting conditions. Again, this is with automatic in-camera correction disabled.

Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo: Verdict

The Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 Evo gives an ‘effective’ focal length of 112.5mm in full-frame terms, when used on the APS-C format camera bodies for which it’s designed. That works a treat for head-and-shoulders portraiture, tight head shots, still life photography and any time you simply need a short telephoto lens with a fast aperture rating.

I’m really impressed with the build quality and handling of the lens, the Nikon and Sony mount options adding an AF/MF focus mode switch, a customizable function button, and a click-de-click switch for the dedicated aperture control ring. However, these handling extras are absent in the Fujifilm X-mount edition of the lens. That’s understandable really, as the Viltrox matches the design of Fujifilm’s own-brand XF R series lenses in this respect. Either way, everything’s wrapped up in a sturdy metal casing with multiple weather-seals.

Performance is excellent in all respects, from the speed and consistent accuracy of autofocus to image quality. Image quality itself combines excellent edge-to-edge sharpness even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8, with beautifully smooth bokeh. Even so, Nikon and Sony shooters (myself included) might feel tempted to buy the very similar but full-frame compatible and even better-value Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo, even if that lens is one-third of an f/stop slower.

Alternatives

I’ve been enjoying Viltrox lenses for four years and counting, having originally bought a set of four f/1.4 Viltrox primes for my Nikon Z fc camera back in 2022. The 13mm, 23mm, 33mm and 56mm lenses in question are old news now, but still do me proud. More recent offerings have been divided into four main product lines, comprising low-budget Air lenses, top-grade Pro and Lab lenses and next-generation Evo lenses, the last of these representing the latest line-up from the Chinese manufacturer.

The first Evo lens out of the gene pool was the full-frame compatible Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo, followed by the similarly full-frame Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Evo and Viltrox AF 55mm f/1.8 Evo, all three being available in Nikon Z and Sony E mount options. Despite the different focal lengths, the look and feel of these lenses is virtually identical, being extremely similar in size and weight and having exactly the same handling characteristics and 58mm filter thread.

There are now two APC-C format Evo lenses, comprising the 90mm that I’m reviewing here and a 75mm f/1.8 lens. They follow suit with pretty much the exact same size and weight as the full-frame trio, the same handling characteristics and the same filter thread.

Okay, I’ll revise my last statement. The Nikon Z and Sony E mount versions of the APS-C lenses have the same handling layout as their full-frame counterparts. The Fujifilm X editions have a more streamlined layout, as I’ll come to later. Either way, the new Evo lenses aren’t the only APS-C gig in town for portraiture fans. There’s also the ultra-lightweight, cut-price Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 Air and the super-speedy Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro to consider, both of which give a classic 85mm ‘effective’ focal length, or thereabouts. But if you fancy a longer focal length, the 90mm Evo aims to be one of the best portrait lenses, especially if you’re after great quality without spending over the odds.

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Specifications

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Price

The Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo has the look and feel of a seriously up-market prime lens, making the launch price of $369 / £359 (AU$TBA) look extremely competitive. I’m well used to Viltrox delivering great value for money and, to give a little perspective, previous Evo lenses include the Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo at $275 / £265 / AU$449, the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Evo at $395 / £385 / AU$529 and the Viltrox AF 55mm f/1.8 Evo at $370 / £359 / AU$519, all of these three being full-frame compatible rather than APS-C format.

And there’s more. The low-budget Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 Air is relatively basic and ultra-lightweight, priced at $179 / £139 / AU$282, while the super-fast, top-end Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro comes in at $580 / £530 / AU$889. Long story short, the new AF 90mm Evo looks very good value for a classy prime lens.

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Design & Handling

It bears repeating that the 90mm f/2.2 Evo lens is designed specifically for APS-C format cameras and isn’t full-frame compatible, unless you use your full-frame camera in crop mode. Even if you have a Nikon or Sony APS-C format camera, it’s tempting to use the full-frame Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo, as it costs less to buy and is a third of an f/stop faster. The 90mm lens is therefore maybe of greater interest to Fujifilm shooters, as the full-frame Evo lenses aren’t available in X-mount versions.

Let’s talk glass. The lens features 10 elements in 8 groups, complete with two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and two HRi (High Refractive index) elements. The optical design and addition of specialist glass seek to deliver excellent clarity and color rendition, along with the minimum of unwanted aberrations. A further boost is on hand from HD Nano multi-layer coatings to minimize ghosting and flare.

The Nikon Z and Sony E mount editions of the lens win out for handling extras. Onboard controls include an AF/MF focus mode switch and a customizable function button. The focus mode switch saves any faffing around in camera menus when you want to switch focusing modes. You can typically assign the function button to various different tasks via in-camera menus, but AF-hold is often the top choice. The focus mode switch and function button are omitted in the Fujifilm X mount version of the lens, which has a relatively straightforward layout of controls.

A feature that’s common to all three mount options of the lens is the dedicated aperture control ring. It’s only marked in full f/stop increments rather than having intermediate one-third f/stop markings, but still has click steps at one-third f/stop increments. This is generally favored for stills photography, but the Nikon Z and Sony E mount editions boast a click/de-click switch, enabling silent and stepless aperture transitions when shooting video. Again, this is lacking in the Fujifilm X mount version.

One thing that’s absent from all editions of the lens is a locking switch for the A (Auto) position on the aperture control ring. I’d have liked that to be included, just to avoid any accidental nudging of the ring from its ‘A’ position to a narrow aperture setting, when controlling the aperture from the host camera body.

The autofocus system is based on a linear stepping motor, which is par for the course with modern lenses designed for mirrorless cameras. Typical of the breed, it enables swift yet near-silent autofocus operation, and the motor is also called upon when applying manual focus adjustments.

Evo lenses feel solid and robust, and this one is no exception. The relatively compact and lightweight build certainly doesn’t come at the expense of flimsy build quality. Multiple weather-seals are incorporated and the controls all work with smooth precision.

Unlike some budget-conscious lenses from certain camera manufacturers, this one comes complete with a hood, as do nearly all other Viltrox lenses. Off the top of my head, the only one that doesn’t is the super-skinny Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 pancake lens. The 90mm actually uses the same PL-122A circular-profile hood that’s also supplied with the 75mm Evo lens. As I’d expect, it has the usual bayonet-fit coupling and can be reversed on the lens so you can stow it away in smaller spaces.

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Performance

A vital factor when choosing any APS-C format lens, not just of the wide-angle variety, is that you take the crop factor or ‘focal length multiplier’ into account. The 1.5x conversion factor gives the Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo a classic 135mm ‘effective’ focal length in full-frame terms. I’ve been using 135mm lenses on full-frame film cameras for tight head shots and for head-and-shoulders portraiture for the last 50 years, since the film cameras of my youth. I really like that the focal length enables a very natural and comfortable working distance and a flattering look due to the slight compression in perspective. Ultimately, it’s a key plus point for the performance of this lens.

The focal length and widest available aperture of f/2.2 combine to enable a tight depth of field. Again, in the context of portraiture, as well as for still life photography, it’s ideal for isolating subjects within a scene by blurring fussy backgrounds. Also, you can literally make people stand out from the crowd. The lens delivers excellent performance in this respect, combining scintillating sharpness where you want it, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8, with beautifully soft and dreamy bokeh where you don’t. There’s a well-rounded 9-blade aperture diaphragm that helps to maintain the quality of bokeh when stopping down a little.

I keep a phrenology head in my studio, which scared the living daylights out of my dog when he first saw it, dismembered and sitting on the shelf. A more useful application of the head is that it works well for testing portrait lenses. Shooting it against a backdrop of detailed garden plants and hedging reveals levels of sharpness, the quality of bokeh and any signs of axial chromatic aberration. The last of these is a phenomenon also known as ‘bokeh fringing’, which can be problematic with fast lenses at their widest aperture. It gives rise to color fringing around high-contrast transitions just in front of and behind the plane of focus, like the black lines and writing on the head’s white porcelain surface. The following gallery includes shots taken at all main aperture steps from f/2.2 to f/5.6.

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Sample Images

The following gallery of sample images was shot at the Bishop’s Palace and Gardens in the English city of Wells, both indoors and outdoors. I majored on wide aperture settings, which is the principle advantage of this lens compared with a zoom. After the first few shots in the gallery, many of the images give an idea of the qualities of both sharpness and bokeh, as well as the lens’s excellent control over unwanted aberrations.

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Lab Results

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

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

Sharpness:

General (line widths per picture height)

Aperture

CenterMid-frameCorners

General Data

Timestamp (f/)	Center (line widths per picture height)	Mid-frame (line widths per picture height)	Corners (line widths per picture height)
2.2	2440	2115	1514
2.8	2395	2194	1580
4	2409	2276	1707
5.6	2343	2133	1737
8	2004	1884	1680
11	1594	1611	1487
16	1232	1212	1141

Sharpness is pretty epic even when shooting wide-open at f/2.2, not just at the center of the frame but right out to the edges and corners. Levels of sharpness start to drop off at f/11, more so at f/16, due to narrow-aperture diffraction.

Fringing:

< Prev

Center

Next >

f/2.2

0.31

f/2.8

0.36

f/4

0.51

f/5.6

0.26

f/8

0.35

f/11

0.38

f/16

0.28

01.252.53.755

Center Data

Product	Value
f/2.2	0.31
f/2.8	0.36
f/4	0.51
f/5.6	0.26
f/8	0.35
f/11	0.38
f/16	0.28

f/2.2

0.62

f/2.8

0.54

f/4

0.5

f/5.6

0.34

f/8

0.37

f/11

0.34

f/16

0.26

01.252.53.755

Mid-frame Data

Product	Value
f/2.2	0.62
f/2.8	0.54
f/4	0.5
f/5.6	0.34
f/8	0.37
f/11	0.34
f/16	0.26

f/2.2

1.12

f/2.8

1.07

f/4

0.91

f/5.6

0.68

f/8

0.57

f/11

0.6

f/16

0.53

01.252.53.755

Corners Data

Product	Value
f/2.2	1.12
f/2.8	1.07
f/4	0.91
f/5.6	0.68
f/8	0.57
f/11	0.6
f/16	0.53

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Lateral chromatic aberration is minimal even at the edges and corners of the frame, while axial chromatic aberration is negligible at the widest aperture of f/2.2. There’s no reliance on automatic in-camera correction for color fringing.

Distortion: 0.56

The lens exhibits a very slight amount of pincushion distortion, but it’s only really discernable in lab-test data rather than being visible in real-world images. For completely zero-distortion results, automatic in-camera correction is generally available.

Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo: Verdict

I love the classic 135mm ‘effective’ focal length in full-frame terms, that’s delivered by the Viltrox AF 90mm f/2.2 Evo on APS-C format camera bodies. It works a treat for portraiture and still life photography, as well as for general shooting when I need a short telephoto focal length. Moreover, the lens’s performance is top-drawer, combining superb sharpness and clarity with beautiful bokeh, courtesy of the shallow depth of field that’s on offer.

There are two more big ticks in the boxes of my wish list, when it comes to build quality and handling. The Nikon Z and Sony E mount versions build further on the robust, weather-resistant construction and handling finesse of the Fujifilm X mount edition, adding an AF/MF focus mode switch, a customizable function button, and a click-de-click switch for the dedicated aperture control ring. It’s perhaps a shame that these extras are omitted from the Fujifilm version but in its defense, the Viltrox follows suit with the design ethic of Fujifilm’s own-brand XF R series lenses.

Even in its more basic trim, the lens is a highly attractive proposition for Fujifilm shooters. However, owners of Nikon or Sony camera might feel drawn to the full-frame compatible Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo instead, which is a third of an f/stop faster and even better value for money.

Alternatives

With its butter-soft leather and tasteful gold hardware accents, you would be forgiven for thinking that the Voygr 1 Camera Bag was merely a stylish messenger bag. Happily, this is exactly what the team behind Voygr designed the bag for. There is no unnecessary bulk or drab technical fabric here – only premium materials and a sleek, compact profile.

As one of only a small handful of products by Voygr, this bag was created for photographers and creators who do a lot of traveling. Accordingly, I can absolutely see this as being excellent for the best cameras for street photography, especially with its low-profile design. As someone who loves a good city break, I would also rate it as one of the best camera bags for travel (as long as you’re someone who doesn’t need to carry a huge amount of kit).

Despite its elegant exterior, this bag is far from being all style and no substance. Inside is a Mary Poppins-esque array of artfully designed nooks and crannies that made me verbally note “oh, that’s useful” to myself multiple times. I’ve hoisted many a camera bag upon my shoulders in my time, but I fear the Voygr 1 may have spoiled me for the future. After all, if other camera bags don’t come with pebbled calf leather memory card holders, then I don’t think I want them.

Voygr 1: Specifications

Voygr 1: Price

The Voygr 1 Camera Bag is available for $281 / £179 / AU$395 with free shipping. This is on the more expensive side for camera messenger bags, but I would say that it’s a fair price when you consider the leather exterior and the suede interior.

When you compare it to the Billingham Eventer MKII bag (currently billed as the luxury option in our best camera bags guide), which retails for roughly $834 / £662 / AU$1,171, I think it’s practically a steal.

Voygr 1: Design & Handling

The Voygr 1 can hold one DSLR or mirrorless camera and two lenses. There are suede-covered inserts that can be adjusted to create smaller and larger pockets within the bag. As opposed to some other bags I’ve tested, the velcro holds really nicely and it takes a significant tug to take it away from the bag’s interior fabric. There are two small cupholder-like pockets on either end of the bag. These are a nice idea in theory, but when the bag is filled with kit, there isn’t really room to put anything substantial in there.

There is a front interior pocket that can fit an iPad Mini, but will not house a laptop or tablet larger than 10 inches. The rear interior pocket has three leather SD card holders and four more cupholder-like pockets that could house tripod plates, rolls of film, cables, and other various accoutrements. I would say that they run on the smaller size, so they are unable to fit in filters (especially those with larger circumferences). I would have personally preferred three slightly larger pockets than the smaller four. However, the rear pocket as a whole is more than big enough to store multiple filters if necessary – they just won’t have individual homes.

The rear exterior of the bag has a zipped compartment that contains four slots for bank cards or photo ID. It’s a relatively roomy pocket, but I would be hesitant to put too much into it for fear of stretching the leather. However, it would be perfect for holding a phone and passport.

The zip on the back pocket of the bag is smooth and uninterrupted. However, my one major quibble with this bag regards the zip for the main compartment. The end of the zip is tucked into the interior of the bag itself. This means that there is no clear ‘stop’ for the zip to come to when the bag is opened. When drawing the zip back and forth along the back, it noticeably sticks for the first couple of inches while being closed. Additionally, if the zip is tugged fully open, then the end of the zip needs to be untucked from the bag in order to close it. For me, this isn’t a dealbreaker. However, it is an irritation.

The leather strap is adjustable and features a shoulder rest. However, that rest doesn’t appear to contain any additional padding. There are also four studs on the bottom of the bag to protect the leather from being placed directly on the floor. These studs also help to easily keep the bag upright rather than tipping over.

One of my favorite features of the bag is the clip-on camera strap that can be attached to either the D-rings at each end of the bag, or to the spare adjustable clip on the shoulder strap. For me, this really highlights how perfect this bag is for travel and street photography. If you’re ever in a location where you want to keep a tight hold on your camera, you can attach it to your shoulder strap and take photos without worrying that it could be yanked from your hands mid-shot.

Voygr 1: Performance

Even without any kit inside the Voygr 1 camera bag, I immediately noticed that it felt relatively weighty in the hand. Considering the premium materials used, this isn’t a surprise. However, my perennial bugbear with all camera messenger bags is that it’s a lot of weight to put on one shoulder, especially if you use DSLRs. If this is something that you think might bother you, then you might be better off with something like the Bellroy Venture 10L Sling Camera Edition bag, which weighs almost 200 g (7 oz) less (although is also far less stylish!).

When the bag was fully loaded up, it felt a little boxy to carry. I walked with it for an hour, and found myself pretty aware of it the entire time. However, when carrying lighter kit that has a smaller profile, this is less of an issue.

With a DSLR and two lenses packed inside the Voygr 1, I will say that room inside the bag felt tight. Those additional pockets are great, but realistically, it’s tough to actually fit anything extra inside them. In fact, when I tried to add in a couple of filter holders, I started to struggle to be able to close the zip. I think that this is partially due to the material of the bag. If you take the aforementioned Bellroy Venture as a comparison, the external material has a level of give that the leather of the Voygr 1 bag just doesn’t.

On the leather, I would be remiss not to mention that the pebbled calf leather exterior isn’t going to be the most practical material when caught in a downpour. While it will typically handle a light shower of rain relatively well, repeatedly taking it out in inclement weather may result in damage to the leather (and to the camera kit inside). This is a shame when rain can provide some excellent street photography opportunities, but it’s also much of a muchness if you’re considering a leather camera bag in the first place! It would be nice if Voygr included a rain cover for their bags to ensure that users aren’t limited to shooting solely on non-rainy days.

Another material consideration is the bag’s zip. While the large-toothed zip looks great, I did find myself wincing as I pulled my camera in and out of the bag. More than once, my camera body scratched against the zip, which isn’t ideal. If you’re a little too laissez-faire with your lens cap like me, then this could be a recipe for a lens-scratch disaster.

Ultimately, while Voygr’s assertion that the bag can fit a DSLR and two lenses is correct, I think users will be more comfortable sticking to kit with a smaller profile.

Voygr 1: Verdict

The Voygr 1 Camera Bag is a beautifully crafted messenger bag that prioritizes good quality materials and plenty of thoughtfully designed pockets. The removable inserts mean that this is a bag that will live a lot of lives with me, rather than just being relegated to my closet whenever I’m not shooting.

During testing, I appreciated how discreet the Voygr 1 is. There was no way that the strangers I passed were able to tell that I was carrying camera kit worth thousands. Considering that some camera bags can feel like I’m hoisting a flashing advert crying “please rob me” onto my back, I was surprised at how calm I felt with the Voygr 1.

My only significant frustration revolved around the zip, which did tend to stick when fully open. This is a real shame, because it’s something that could have been resolved with a shorter end that didn’t need to be tucked into the bag. I would also caution users to be careful when lifting delicate glass in and out of the bag, as I could foresee issues with lenses potentially being scratched.

Alternatives

See our full guide to the best messenger bags for photographers

I once went through a phase where I needed a wagon to drag my photography props along on a shoot – but once I’ve tasted the freedom of a minimalist gear kit, it’s hard to go back. Camera bags are beginning to jump on the minimalist trend too, skipping the plethora of pockets for a sleek and streamlined look. The Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L is one of those bags.

The exterior of the Peak Design Travel Backpack is all clean lines and simplicity – and the 20L is even more so than the earlier 30L and 45L options. Inside, the bag is minimalist as well, meant to carry a mirrorless and a few small lenses with a medium (or Smedium) camera cube.

The bag’s minimalist design isn’t just about looks – there’s little to get caught on tucking the bag under a seat, and the bag’s size was perfect for my more petite frame. But there were two features that were a bit too minimal for me to make it my go-to camera bag.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L: Specs

Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L: Price

I tested the 20L version of the Peak Design Travel Backpack, but the company also has 30L and 45L variants of the bag, which are not only larger but have slightly different pockets and features.

The 20L backpack sells for about $200 / £170 / AU$390 / CA$280 for the bag on its own.

But, like Peak Designs' other backpacks, the system needs a camera cube to carry photo and video gear. The Smedium camera cube sells for about $70 / £60 / AU$150 / CA$95, and the Medium for about $100 / £85 / AU$190 / CA$140, which adds to the cost of the bag.

That’s certainly not cheap, but it does make it one of Peak Design’s more affordable backpacks.

Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L: Design

My first impression of the Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L is just how sleek and minimalist the bag is. The backpack has very few protrusions on the outside, creating a slim and streamlined look.

Those clean lines aren’t just for looks. With fewer pockets and protrusions, there’s not much of the bag sticking out to get caught while trying to tuck it under an airplane seat or in another compact spot.

The bag’s main compartment unzips from the back panel in a clamshell style opening. This makes the main compartment easy to access. The bag will fit a Smedium or medium camera cube here and still have a bit of extra packing space at the top of the bag.

Those camera cubes have a divider system that’s both rigid and smart. Some of the divers have a built-in shelf – this is key for making sure that small pancake lenses don’t have too much space to bounce around. Using a “shelf” I could tuck a pancake and a GoPro in the same small lens slot.

There’s an exterior zipper that expands the bag’s main compartment a bit – which is required in order to fit a camera cube inside.

On the flip side of the back opening, there’s a laptop sleeve, and an extra small pocket, the right size for a handful of batteries and filters. The laptop sleeve is roomy for such a compact bag, fitting a 16-inch MacBook Pro, but this does make the back panel rigid, so it doesn’t mold as well to my back and isn’t quite as comfortable.

There’s a small secondary zipper at the top of the bag. This pocket extends down through maybe a third of the bag’s height and can fit smaller items like a wallet, sunglasses, and keys.

At first glance, there’s no obvious water bottle pocket on the bag. But that’s because the bag uses a hidden interior water bottle pocket that keeps the bottle upright on the inside of the bag.

On the one hand, this hidden water bottle pocket is great because the traditional mesh stretchy side pockets often catch on things, like when sliding the bag underneath a seat.

But I found the hidden water bottle pocket too minimalist for two key reasons. One, the pocket only fits smaller bottles and won’t fit, say, a travel coffee mug with a handle on it or a Stanley-style cup with a straw. I also had to turn the camera cube to get a water bottle to fit.

But the bigger problem is that while the exterior fabric is waterproof, the interior lining of the water bottle pocket is not. The thin fabric made me nervous while packing a bottle inside, so I decided to intentionally leave a water bottle cap a little too loose, and the water did, in fact, end up in the main compartment where camera gear is stashed. Peak Design’s camera cubes are water-resistant, but that would mean keeping the cube zipped rather than open for fast access.

The interior water bottle pocket won’t fit a full-height tripod, but Peak Design still included a tripod carry option on this bag. Included straps will attach a tripod to the bag. The straps are a bit fiddly to get on, but once gravity is helping keep the straps tight, my tripod didn’t budge.

The exterior fabric is, however, water-resistant, including weather-sealed zippers. The nylon shell feels very sturdy and gives the bag a classic look. But, the feel of the material is a little rougher than other Peak Design bags that I’ve tried – like the Travel 2-in-1 – and that texture tends to attract pet hair and dirt more than other nylon bags that I’ve tried.

The straps on the Travel 20L are a little narrower than Peak Design’s larger bags, but I have a more petite frame, and I thought this design fit quite well. The straps also have a good amount of padding and are well-shaped, with a removable chest strap to keep them in place.

The bag was very comfortable to wear for several hours with smaller items tucked inside. The bag is comfortable with a mirrorless camera, a few small lenses, and a flash tucked inside. Fully packing the bag out with a laptop and tripod latched on, the weight is a bit much – it’ll be fine for short periods, but I wouldn’t hike with it all day with that much gear inside – it’s best for minimal gear setups.

Along with the straps, there’s also a thick grab handle at the top and a luggage trolley pass-through at the back.

While the Peak Design Travel 20L carries the same name as the brand’s previously launched Travel Backpack 30L and 45L bags, the smaller bag takes an even more minimalist approach. There’s no secondary side access to the main compartment, the water bottle pocket has moved to the inside, and there’s no waist belt on the smaller bag.

Peak Design Travel Backpack: Verdict

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L is both wonderfully and frustratingly minimalist at the same time. I loved the sleek look of the bag, the streamlined pockets, and the fact that there’s nothing for the bag to really catch on.

The bag is also pretty comfortable to carry a mirrorless camera and a few smaller lenses with. As a petite person, I often feel a bit swallowed by larger camera packs, so the compact size of this bag was a good fit for me personally.

However, I think the internal water bottle pocket at least should have used a waterproof material to avoid disastrous leaks. I also didn’t like the fabric – it tended to attract pet hair and dirt more than other nylon bags.

Overall, that mix meant I liked the bag, but didn’t quite love it. It’s great for a minimalist bag and particularly well-suited for petite frames and short trips. But, I wouldn’t put a water bottle in it, nor overload it with both camera gear, a laptop, and a tripod.

Peak Design Travel Backpack: Alternatives

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Take a bow, Robert Weinreb. He’s a native New Yorker and professional photographer who’s faced challenges in his career, confessing to wrapping his cameras and lenses into knitted hats for packing into regular backpacks when going in search of ‘the shot’, most notably while trekking in harsh Himalayan environments. His solution was to get a Manhattan-based sewing shop to stitch up a bespoke camera bag of his own design and that’s how, back in 1977, Tenba was born. Almost 50 years later, Tenba has become one of the top names in the camera bag business. The name itself comes from a Tibetan word meaning strong, unshakable and reliable, backed up by a company motto of ‘Never Compromise’.

Tenba’s evolutionary design process has recently hatched the Roadie v2 collection, claiming to be the world’s first rolling camera cases with completely removable backpack straps. The backpack straps themselves are actually sold separately as optional extras but even so, the Roadie v2 series builds on the successful design concepts of the original versions, aiming to be the ‘most advanced camera carry solutions’ on the planet, and among the best roller bags for photographers. I got my hands on the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International, which is literally a case in point.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Specifications

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Price

From full-sized bags to small battery pouches and accessories, I’ve consistently been impressed with Tenba products large and small. The Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International case that I’m reviewing here lives up to my expectations, with a premium look and feel. It’s only fair that this is reflected in the selling price, which is towards the top end of the scale for a camera roller bag, at $489 / £445 / AU$699. The Tenba is undeniably more expensive than a few other popular camera roller bags that double as backpacks, including the Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II at $429 / £319 / AU$549 and the Vanguard Alta Fly 55T G2 at $349 / £250 / AU$469.

If you’re in the mood for extras, the completely removable Tenba Roadie v2 Backpack Straps sell for $39 / £52 / AU$99, and they’re an additional purchase, not supplied with the bag itself. You can also unzip and pull out the entire camera insert section and replace it with the optional Tenba Roadie v2 Luggage Liner Kit, converting the camera bag into a regular, general purpose carry-on roller bag, at an additional cost of $49 / £56 / AU$109.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Design & Handling

I’m precious about my cameras, lenses and photographic accessories, which is only natural because they’ve cost me big bucks. The hustle and bustle of air travel can make it a dangerous environment for kit that’s made from glass and delicate parts, so I’m up for all the cossetting I can give them. I like that the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International feels soft to the touch, its outer being made from padded water-repellent 1680D ballistic nylon that helps to absorb the shock of any knocks. The inner camera compartment is soft but firm, and fully customizable with plenty of adjustable Velcro dividers. Even so, reinforcements are on hand, with rigid protection featured at likely collision points around the bag’s construction.

The sibling Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 ‘Air Case’ is advertised as being so strong that you can stand on it. The ‘International’ that I’m reviewing here doesn’t have as much weight-bearing potential but you can happily put it on its side and sit on it without fear of damaging anything inside. That’s thanks to a rigid inner frame that runs around the top, sides and bottom of the bag. Unlike the Air Case, however, there’s no slide-in pad that fills the laptop compartment and adds weight-bearing potential to the lid.

In terms of size, the bag is designed to be small enough for full compliance with the international carry-on regulations of commercial airlines, although weight might be an issue, as I’ll come to later. Despite being built down to certain size regulations, the bag can accommodate two or three mirrorless or DSLR cameras, or a pro-sized cine camera complete with a grip. Got lenses? You can pack eight to ten of them, ranging in size from pancake optics up to and including a typical 400mm f/2.8 prime and/or a 180-600mm super-tele zoom.

Lifting the lid on the bag, so to speak, is a pleasurable experience. It lifts easily on its hinge but has the added attraction of adjustable Velcro-fixed straps, for which you can change the length or remove them altogether. I like that I can adjust the straps to stop the lid opening too far, making the four pockets built into it easily accessible without any kerfuffle. These zippered pockets have a neat organizer layout, ideal for storing accessories like photographic filters and spare batteries, or any other little extras that takes your fancy.

Call me greedy but I prefer roller bags that have four sets of wheels rather than just two. For one thing, you can just nudge the bag along in small increments, when you’re queuing for check-in or boarding. Four sets of wheels also enables you to roll the bag sideways, making it easier to navigate narrow aisles, whether you’re on a plane, train, coach or anywhere else with limited space. What I don’t like are small wheels that catch on the smallest of lumps and bumps on the floor or ground.

The Tenba wins out on both counts, with four sets of wheels that boast ‘WideTrak design with CloudDrive technology’. They’re placed in the extreme corners to give maximum stability and avoid the risk of the bag toppling over. They also glide over challenging surfaces thanks to having large-diameter, elastic, shock-absorbing outers and carbon-steel bearings. The result is that the Tenba is a smooth operator in the rolling stakes.

I’ve often been identified as ‘the tall guy’, standing at 6ft 5in. Catering amply to me and others of pretty much any height, the sturdy, aluminum handle of the bag is made in telescoping sections with three alternative locking heights. I found the uppermost option supremely comfortable in use, not only because of its generous height but also due to its rubberized grip area, which ensures a comfy and secure hold. As I’d expect, the handle folds down flush with the top of the bag, for when you want it to be out of sight and out of mind.

With the best will in the world for rolling along at every opportunity, there are times that you simply have to carry any carry-on bag, even if it’s just to lift it onto a security check conveyer or into an overhead locker. Catering to this, the bag has two luxuriously comfortable and padded, leather-lined carrying straps on the top and on one of the sides. They feel like they’re lightening the load when you’ve got the bag fully stuffed with camera gear and the weight becomes considerable.

If your bag gets lumped in with a load of other luggage, it’s a safe bet that it’ll somehow be facing the wrong way when you want to retrieve it. With that in mind, as well as for packing or maneuvering it in tight spaces, there’s a third grab handle on the bottom of the bag. It’s a more basic strap that isn’t leather-lined like the other two, but it’s still padded and comfortable to use.

Stop for a moment and consider the total value of a bag like this, when it’s packed full of expensive camera kit. It can feel like putting a huge wad of cash within easy reach of anyone who’s technically competent enough to undo a zipper and help themselves to what’s inside. Making your camera gear inaccessible to anyone who’s not desperately determined to get at it, there’s a TSA-approved combination lock on one side of the bag, which secures the two main zipper handles of the main camera compartment. This makes it impossible to open the bag without cutting/breaking off the zipper handles or slicing into the bag itself.

Taking security a step further, you can lock down the entire bag rather than just confining the zippers of the main camera compartment. A small pocket at the top of one side opens to reveal a long steel cable which is fastened internally to the base of the bag’s aluminum extending handle. The other end has a loop and the cable comes with a TSA-approved combination padlock, so you can tether your bag to any suitably immovable object and make sure it stays put.

Naturally, tethering your bag to an immovable object is all very well (and safe) until you actually want to go anywhere. And going places is kind of the whole idea of a roller bag. To help you keep tabs on your bag when it’s on the move, one of the four zippered sections in the lid has an internal neoprene sleeve that’s designed to hold an AirTag or Tile tracker.

Whereas there’s a small pocket on one side of the bag for the steel security cable, a much deeper pocket on the other side acts as a drop in holder for a tripod. It’s zippered, so you simply open it and drop in one or more of the legs of your tripod to stow it. An adjustable strap helps to keep the tripod firmly fixed in place.

When you’re traveling with a lot of luggage, keeping it all together in one place can feel a bit like herding cats. But at least if you’ve got a pair of bags that you don’t want to be separated, there’s a strap that pulls out of the Tenba’s top zippered pocket. It has an easily adjustable length and works well for securing an additional bag to the roller bag.

I’m old enough to remember international photographic expeditions to far-flung destinations where one of the biggest concerns was where to stash all my dozens of rolls of film. They’ve now been replaced by the obligatory laptop computer and, sure enough, an addition to the v2 is a whole new dedicated compartment that can accommodate a 16-inch (or smaller) laptop. This compartment was notably absent from the original Tenba Roadie Air Case Roller 21 roller bag. It’s housed within a separate zippered enclosure at the front of the bag that also has a supplementary full-length pocket and an organizer section for the likes of your passport, business cards, wallet and other travel essentials.

The Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International is so travel-friendly, well made and smartly turned out that it seems a shame to only use it when you’re on photographic assignments. As luck would have it, however, undoing a single internal zipper is all that’s required so that you can lift out the entire camera compartment. You can then fill the empty space with whatever you need instead of your camera kit, for the journey at hand.

Nature abhors a vacuum, as they say, and the empty space that’s left after removing the camera compartment can be suitably filled by the optional Tenba Roadie v2 Luggage Liner Kit, at an additional cost of $49 / £56 / AU$109. Of similarly high quality to the bag itself, this offers the perfect way of converting your camera bag to a regular roller bag for general traveling. The kit comes complete with a liner that zips into the main compartment, plus a soft inner bag.

The retail pack of the optional Tenba Roadie v2 Luggage Liner Kit is shown above, supplied in its own handy mesh pouch. It only takes a few seconds to install the kit in the empty space left by the removed camera compartment, the net result being shown below.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Performance

There are various aspects to the performance of any roller bag designed for camera gear but for me, the main one is how well it protects the camera kit itself. I’m happy to say that the Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International accommodates all of my photographic paraphernalia in cosseted comfort and safety. I’ve got cameras of different sizes and lenses large and small, and they can all be made to feel right at home, thanks to the provision of many dividers that are endlessly customizable to enable a tailor-made solution.

I like that the space on the inner side of the lid doesn’t go to waste. The four separate zippered pockets are useful for stashing all sorts of small gadgets and photographic accessories, but one of my favorite uses is for stowing photo filters.

The outer 1680D ballistic nylon skin of the bag is water-repellant and very resistant to inclement weather but when it comes to camera protection, I’m a belt and braces kind of guy. I’m happy therefore that Tenba has seen fit to include an additional weather-proof cover. It scrunches down nice and small, into its own integral pouch, but pulls out to cover the whole bag. Furthermore, it’s reversible so that the outer surface can be either black or silver. Black is good for going incognito, while silver is ideal for reducing the build-up of heat within the back, if it’s out in the blazing sun.

Another critical aspect of the performance of any roller bag is just how well it rolls along. The Tenba scores really highly here, thanks to those trick wheels and sturdy extending handle that I mentioned earlier. During my testing, I found that the bag successfully negotiated tricky terrain, quietly gliding along where some roller bags would have trouble traversing. That’s all well and good but if you’re trekking across the likes of sand, mud, snow or craggy terrain, there’s no other option than to pick up the bag and carry it. The optional backpack straps are ideal for this, being highly adjustable, very comfortable and of similarly high quality.

The external dimensions of the bag mean that you can expect it to sneak in below the size limits for carry-on luggage imposed by international airlines. The only problem might be the weight. Even by camera roller bag standards, the Tenba is hefty at 10.9lb / 4.9kg, and that’s when it’s completely empty. Many international and domestic airlines are relatively relaxed about maximum weights but some restrict carry-on weight to as little as 14.43lb / 7kg, which would only enable you to pack one camera body, a couple of standard lenses and no laptop before flying. It’s something to bear in mind when you’re planning a trip.

Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International: Verdict

I reckon Tenba Roadie v2 Spinner 21 International could easily become my favored travel companion. It’s thoughtfully and cleverly designed, expertly manufactured to the highest standards, and impeccably finished. I really like that the styling makes it look like a regular roller bag, rather than something that’s shouting out that it’s holding a not-so-small fortune’s worth of camera kit.

The build is a great blend of shock-absorbing soft surfaces and padding, with hardy, rigid interior sidewalls. I feel that the bag also has a really go-anywhere attitude, working perfectly as a smoothly gliding roller bag over most terrains, and having optional backpack straps for when the going gets really tough. I’m not quite so happy that I have to buy the backpack straps separately as an optional extra, but feel it’s more reasonable paying extra for the luggage liner kit that can take the place of the camera compartment. The Tenba is quite hefty so it’s worth checking carry-on weight restrictions before you travel, but all in all, it’s a brilliant bag that’s terrific for almost any journey you can think of, near or far.

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