April Fools' Day and the photography industry were made for each other. No other hobby combines such passionate devotion to gear with such deep pockets of wishful thinking. Which makes photographers uniquely easy (and fun) to fool!
Whether it's a dream lens that doesn't exist, a film stock that's never coming back, or a camera designed for the other 10% of the population, the best April 1 hoaxes hit that sweet spot between plausible and preposterous.
Last year's crop did not disappoint, and neither did the classics we keep coming back to. Here are our 10 favorites, old and new.
1. Viltrox's "Air" Lens
Viltrox has built its reputation on its Air Series: a line of compact, lightweight primes for Sony E-mount, Nikon Z-mount and Fujifilm X-mount. So when the company announced a new Air lens for April 1, 2025, it felt almost credible.
Drilling down into the detail, however, revealed that the new lens was made entirely of air. Its "Nano Gaseous Polymer Material" construction delivered a 99.9% reduction in size versus traditional lenses, an infinite aperture, predictive focusing, and compatibility with every camera mount in existence.
"Every gram is aerodynamically optimized – so light that even the breeze can carry it – delivering a truly 'weightless' shooting experience," Viltrox wrote on Instagram. It's a joke that worked best if you know the brand, and landed perfectly for those who did.
2. Lomography's Extra Long Film
Lomography knows its audience: analog devotees who have, at some point, run out of film at the worst possible moment. So for April 1, 2025, the company announced a solution: a 36-exposure canister that somehow fits 106 frames. The secret? "Special nanoemulsion hypercompression technology" and, as Lomography helpfully noted, "a LOT of caffeine."
"More photos, less reloading," the brand promised on Instagram. "Now you can capture every fleeting moment, every stray cat, every latte art – all without changing rolls." This is the kind of April Fool that makes you laugh and then sigh a little, because you genuinely wish it existed.
3. Shutterstock's Physical Library
Back in 2019, the well-known stock library decided the future lay firmly in the past. Shutterstock announced plans to build the world's largest physical image library, with enough shelf space for more than 250 million watermarked images and 14 million reels of film, staffed around the clock by robots.
"Innovation sometimes means moving backwards," the company explained, straight-faced, in its announcement video. Among the highlights promised: "Happy Millennials Holding Sparklers" and "Tube Sock Vectors: An Anthology". It remains one of the sharpest April Fools in recent memory: a knowing, self-deprecating jab at the absurdity of stock photography itself.
4. Kodachrome makes a comeback
In this parody news story from The Phoblographer in 2018. Fujifilm, Kodak and others were all said to be re-introducing silver halide films that they'd previously discontinued. "Rejoice, photographers: those of us who never got to shoot Kodak Kodachrome seem to be getting a chance after all," went the text.
If only it were true. Unfortunately, the specialist chemistry used to develop Kodachrome, which was done in a handful of Kodak sites around the world, is reason enough why this analog reincarnation is unlikely to come to pass.
5. Underwater instant camera
Extra Long Film wasn't Lomography's first April Fool's rodeo. This 2014 jape claimed were launching an underwater instant camera, which spurted out the prints as you swam around in sea. Called the Lomo'Instant Caribbean, it even had its own launch film.
"Following the incredible response and enthusiasm on our Kickstarter campaign, we are thrilled to say 'Ahoy mateys!' with the release of the Lomo'Instant Caribbean Edition," began the blurb. "Test the waters and take it for a dive with the turtles in Barbados or catch the waves on your next surf trip in Maui!"
6. Rogge & Pott's Re-35
The Re-35 was a famous 2011 April Fools' prank by German design firm Rogge & Pott, claiming they'd invented 35mm canisters that would bring digital imaging to your old analog SLRs. The canisters supposedly came with their own patented scratch-resistant Flexisensor that pulled out to replace the silver halide film, and then recorded the image onto the digital memory. The Re-35 canister then hooked up to your computer using a convenient USB connection.
A pop-up message on the website explained all: "Some things are too good to be true! Re-35 does not really exist. We invented the 'product' because it was something that we had wished for for a long time (as many others)." The joke, however, was now on Rogge & Pott: the I'm Back company went on to produce digital backs and film canisters that really did bring old film cameras back to life.
7. GoPro's handy accessory
You've probably seen the #FollowMeTo photo trend: a shot taken from behind, showing one person holding hands with another who is leading them forward. It was popularised by photographer Murad Osmann, whose Instagram account amassed over three million followers. The catch? You need two people to pull it off: one to walk ahead, the other to hold the camera.
GoPro's 2018 April Fool was a product that solved this problem for solo travellers: a prosthetic arm mount, dubbed Armie, that strapped to your body and held out a fake hand for you to appear to be holding.
"We've all been there: picturesque view, perfect light, exotic location... but you're solo," read the press release. "Why not continue to enjoy the journey alone while giving the impression of companionship? Introducing Armie, the ultimate mount for living up to expectation."
8. DSLR for left-handers
Back in 2013, The-Digital-Picture.com came up with a great idea for the 10% of the population that are left-handed. It was the 'news' that Canon was introducing a new special-edition of its EOS 7D DSLR, which had the grip on the left-hand side of the body rather than on the usual right-hand side, offering 'reversed ergonomics' for long-suffering southpaws.
"Canon has been a world leader in innovation for over 65 years – and the EOS 7D L is another innovative product that we are proud to have associated with that heritage,” said the made-up company executive. That said, southpaw cameras do actually exist: take a look at Yashica's real-life left-handed camera!
9. Mirrorless camera for left-handers
Dutch retailer Kamera Express took the left-handed baton and ran with it in 2023, going so far as to list an actual pre-order page on its store website for the Sony A7L V; a supposed leftie version of the Sony A7R V. Then it went even further and posted a straight-faced video preview to YouTube.
Making use of a 3D-printed mockup of an A7R V for southpaws, the retailer really went the extra mile in its commitment to the bit. It was so well done that we wonder how many people clicked the pre-order button when it was live.
10. Medium format disposable camera
Disposable film cameras have been very popular in last few years, and the Fujifilm GFX series has created renewed interest in medium format cameras. So why not combine to the two and make a medium format disposable camera?
This April Fools' jape was dreamt up by Fujiaddict.com. The Fujifilm GFX Disposable, they dibbed, would come with "a 60mm f/4 lens and 25 frames of 400H 1600 ISO 645 film inside. If the program is popular, Fujifilm will also offer ACROS 645 inside as an option for $6.45 more".
The blog suggested that Fujifilm would be sold with the addition of a deposit that would cover the development cost of the 120 film, but would also cover you receiving 102MP scans of your images. Today, of course, you can now buy a compact GFX medium format camera (the Fujifilm GFX100RF), but this comes at a less-than-disposable price.
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