As we bid March adieu, it's a good time to take stock of the wealth of new cameras and lenses announced so far this year. Here's a list of everything we've seen, updated for April 2024!
March 2024
Leica SL3
Image: Richard Butler
Leica released the SL3 in March, making it the highest-resolution SL camera in its line. The 60MP DSLR-shaped mirrorless camera is built around Leica's L-mount and brings a lot of technology from the Leica M11 models into its radically redesigned interface. Shutterbugs didn't have to wait long for it to arrive. It was available the same day it was announced.
Logitech revisited the Mevo line of streaming cameras to give them a larger Micro Four Thirds sensor and its corresponding lens mount (the previous version was fixed lens). Geared toward users in need of live-feed video, it sports a 6-hour battery rating and supports Wi-Fi 6E up to 4K/30p streaming.
Leica, whose commitment to the rangefinder style is so strong that it makes actual rangefinder cameras, announced it was producing 200 copies of the M-Summilux 35mm F1.4 with an anodized black coating on its aluminum shell. The design has many elements inspired directly by a lens Leica produced in the 60s and reintroduced in 2022 as part of the Leica Classic line.
The Ricoh GR III HDF and GR IIIx HDF are variants of the company's existing fixed-lens APS-C premium compacts. They feature a unique "highlight diffusion filter" instead of the ND filter fitted in the standard versions of both cameras. When turned on, the HDF creates a diffusion effect, particularly visible in highlight areas. Both cameras will arrive in April, with preorders starting April 2.
A superzoom Z-mount lens with a 14.2x zoom range, Nikon tells us the lens is designed to meet the needs of both photo and video users. Autofocus comes in the form of a stepping motor to deliver fast and quiet autofocus, and manual focus includes support for a linear focus response, which should appeal to video shooters. It is set for release in mid-April.
Meike Global's first autofocus APS-C lens arrived for Fujifilm, Sony and Nikon cameras in March. The new 55mm F1.4's $200 MSRP is targeted at photographers looking for a fast and light prime lens who don't want to shell out for more expensive options.
7Artisans also introduced its first autofocus lens in March and it too runs about $200: a 50mm F1.8 for full-frame Sony E-mount bodies. The company has built up an extensive collection of manual focus lenses (for numerous mounts), and we imagine that this "nifty fifty" is the first of many AF lenses to come.
The 50mm lenses just kept on coming in March (calling it now, it's going to be a hot nifty-fifty summer if this keeps up). Sigma's second F1.2 lens for the E and L full-frame mirrorless camera mounts is one of the lightest lenses of its type. Sigma also says it's designed to give full detail levels even at maximum aperture. It hits stores on April 18.
Tamron's popular 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2 fast standard zoom is coming to Nikon's Z-mount. Built with a newer, linear motor drive, it also features improved optical performance when compared to the G1 version of the lens. The announcement adds a more affordable option for Nikon's Z-mount users, and some hope that Nikon may relax restrictions around the mount.
An extra long February brought us a wealth of new cameras and lenses during CP+ 2024.
Fujifilm X100VI
Image: Richard Butler
Arguably one of the most hyped-up cameras of the year, the Fujifilm X100VI was announced and made available for preorder this February. It is shipping now, but already backordered at some retailers.
The OM System OM-1 Mark II is a high-speed Micro Four Thirds camera based around a 20MP Stacked CMOS sensor. As the name implies, it's an updated version of the flagship OM-1, with hardware and firmware improvements. Announced and available for preorder in January 2024, it started shipping in February.
Alongside its new flagship, OM System announced a 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 super telephoto zoom (equivalent focal length range of 300-1200mm) as well as a new version of the Olympus 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 (18-36mm equivalent) with an updated body and OM System branding in January. Both are now shipping as of February 2024.
While the Fujifilm X100VI itself is easy to pre-order, there is also a limited edition with Fujifilm's founding logo from 1934 that will be a bit harder to find and a bit more expensive. Ask at your local dealer for the chance to pay a $400 premium for this limited run.
Sigma's 15mm F1.4 DG DN "Art" diagonal fisheye is shooting to be an astrophotography workhorse with a 180-degree field-of-view, manual focus lock button, lens heater support and a weather-sealed body. It's available for preorder today, with an estimated ship date of mid-March.
Sigma's 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS "Sports" lens is lighter and a fraction shorter than the similar Nikkor lens for DSLR, despite not using the same phase-fresnel technology Nikon does. It's available for preorder now in E-mount and L-mount favors, with a ship date in mid-March 2024.
Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 macro travel zoom
Image: Panasonic
Launched during CP+, Panasonic's Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS for L-mount is, according to the company, is the smallest and lightest long zoom lens for mirrorless systems (where 'long zoom' is defined as 7x or greater zoom range). It's available for preorder now, and set to ship at the end of April.
The Venus Optics' Laowa Zero-D FF is, according to its makers, the world's widest F2.8 full-frame rectilinear lens. It's also the first lens with autofocus in the company's Laowa line. Available for preorder now, it will ship next month for $799.
Sony's PDT-FP1 5G transmitter accessory, which was already announced in Japan, is now coming to the United States and other markets. It can be preordered now and has a shipping window of "early summer" 2024.
Announced in 2023, Apple Vision Pro got a February 2nd shipping date during CES 2024. It's now available to order on Apple's website for $3,499. Apple Vision Pro is not primarily a camera, of course, but it is, in part, a device for capturing photos and videos. The Vision Pro will be able to capture spatial photos and video using a button along the top edge of the goggle part of the device.
The start of the year was no time for rest, we hit the ground running with several product announcements.
Hasselblad CFV 100C
Image: Hasselblad
Hasselblad has announced a 100MP version of its CFV digital camera back, which combines with the 907x camera to create the smallest medium format camera on the market. It's available for pre-order now and expected to ship in late March to early April.
In conjunction with CES 2024, Panasonic has announced the Lumix S 100mm F2.8 Macro lens for full-frame L-mount cameras. Panasonic calls it "the world’s smallest and lightest medium-telephoto fixed focal length macro lens." However, as important as its size and weight is versatility: Panasonic tells us its goal was to produce a macro that can also handle portraiture and medium telephoto shooting with vanishingly few drawbacks. It was announced and shipped in January 2024.
This January, DJI announced the Mic 2, the sequel to its first wireless microphone system released back in 2022. We were fans of the original, especially the details of its interface and user experience, and the Mic 2 expands on that with some additional creature comforts, 32-bit float backup recordings and a new transparent design. It was available for purchase at its announcement in January.
We're almost a third of the way through the year already! Here's a recap of the reviews and testing we've done this year so far, with more (and more and more) to come as the year goes on!
April
Panasonic S5II: Review
Photo: Richard Butler
The Panasonic S5II had the unfortunate luck of landing in our office right about the time we found out that our parent company planned to close DPReview in 2023, so it never went through our regular review process. We've been looking for an opportunity to review it ever since we joined forces with Gear Patrol last summer and finally found the time.
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The timing turned out to be good: Panasonic was able to provide us with an early version of the camera's new firmware (v3.0), so we were able to test it with the latest features. Read our review to find out why we think this camera is such a great all-around performer for enthusiasts and pros alike.
The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is a relatively compact wide-angle zoom lens aimed at street and travel photographers.
We were able to get our hands on the lens for a day and figured most readers would be curious to see some examples of street and architectural photography, so we hit the streets of downtown Seattle and ducked into the Seattle Public library when the weather turned ugly.
Sony's FE 24-50mm F2.8 G is a fast, compact walk-around lens for its full-frame E-mount cameras. We took it out in snow and sun in New Jersey to put it through its paces.
In practice, we found that it makes for a light and portable package with convenient and satisfying hands-on controls and quick and quiet focus.
The Leica SL3 is a 60MP DSLR-shaped mirrorless camera built around Leica's L-mount. It brings a lot of technology from the Leica M11 models but also features a radically redesigned interface. In March we published our initial review.
Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS: Sample gallery
Photo: Dale Baskin
Panasonic's newest zoom lens, the Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS, is so small that it just begs to be used for travel, so we took it on a trip to Japan to see if it lives up to its promise. It proved to be an outstanding choice, allowing us to cover a wide range of focal lengths without ever feeling like we were dragging around too much gear. We were pretty pleased with the optical performance, too.
We updated our Sony a9 III sample gallery to include more sports and to get a feel for how effective its global shutter sensor is when combined with subject-detection autofocus in a variety of scenarios. And just to be safe, we also included some low ISO landscape images for those who want to evaluate image quality for other types of photography.
We were working on our review of the Panasonic S5II when it came time for our annual trek to Yokohama, Japan, for the camera industry's annual CP+ trade show, so we took along the S5IIX for some additional testing. It was a joy to shoot and it did a great job of capturing the color and texture of Japan, from the streets of Tokyo to snow monkeys near Nagano. It also proved that its weather sealing was up to the task, operating for hours in pouring rain without missing a beat.
The Panasonic G9 II is the first Panasonic Micro Four Thirds camera to include phase detect autofocus and is based on the same body as the full-frame S5 II. It also comes with a surprisingly long list of video features. Read our full review to find out what we liked and what we didn't.
The Sigma 50mm F1.2 DG DN Art is a comparatively lightweight prime lens aimed at travel, portrait and street photographers. Contributing editor Jeff Carlson immediately jumped on the opportunity to shoot a sample gallery with this lens, capturing spring cherry blossoms, portraits and some low-light photos for good measure.
We had an opportunity to try a pre-production version of Nikon's new 28-400mm F4-8 superzoom lens shortly before it was announced. Let's just say this lens really intrigues us, and we can't wait to get our hands on a production copy for more testing.
Hasselblad's CFV 100C medium format digital back brings most of the features of the X2D 100C to smaller form factor that's compatible with a wide range of cameras from the company's history. We paired it with a 907X camera / lens adaptor and XCD 28mm F4.0 and XCD 90mm F2.5 lenses to shoot a sample gallery.
Megadap ETZ21 Pro Sony-to-Nikon mirrorless lens adapter: Review
Photo: Dan Bracaglia
After getting our hands on it, we can say that, as far as what’s currently available for Sony shooters wishing to dabble in the Nikon realm, there is no better option on the market than the Megadap ETZ21 Sony E-mount to Nikon Z-mount lens adapter.
Nikon's Zf is a full-frame mirrorless camera with classic styling, built around a 24MP BSI CMOS sensor. It's designed to mimic the look of the company's FM2 SLR from the early 1980s, meaning it effectively becomes a full-frame counterpart to the company's Z fc APS-C camera. In February, we updated our review with a video reel and impressions.
February finally brought us the X100VI, a photographers' fixed-lens camera that combines a stabilized 40MP APS-C sensor with a 35mm equivalent F2 lens. We had it day one, and have published our initial review along with a sample gallery. Unfortunately, those won't help you actually find one to buy.
The OM System OM-1 Mark II is a high-speed Micro Four Thirds camera based around a 20MP Stacked CMOS sensor. As the name implies, it's an updated version of the flagship OM-1, with a series of hardware and firmware improvements. In February we published a sample gallery to update our initial review.
The Sony a9 III is the company's latest high-speed pro sports camera. It features a Stacked CMOS sensor capable of shooting at 120 fps and able to read all its pixels out simultaneously: the long hoped-for 'global' shutter. Our studio scene analysis shows that it comes at a cost.
Panasonic's Lumix S 100mm F2.8 Macro is a full-frame L-mount lens that's designed to be compact and lightweight, coming in at 82mm (3.2") long and 74mm (2.9") in diameter and tipping the scales at 298g (10.5 oz). Hands-on, we can confirm it is very tidy and light.
Sony's 16-35mm F2.8 GM II lens is smaller, lighter and more capable than its predecessor. Optical improvements come in the form of better corner-to-corner sharpness and a new close-focus distance of just 22 cm.
When we published our iPhone 15 Pro Sample Gallery, we didn’t yet have an iPhone 15 Pro Max model in hand. In addition to boasting a larger 6.7-inch screen, the Max differentiates itself by having a 5x (120mm equivalent) telephoto camera with a clever tetraprism design. The iPhone 15 Pro’s telephoto camera, meanwhile, shares the same 3x (77mm equivalent) field of view as the iPhone 14 Pro. Is the extra reach worth the bigger physical size and higher cost?
The Canon EOS R100 is an ultra-compact 24 Megapixel APS-C mirrorless camera with an RF mount. It is the cheapest way to enter Canon's mirrorless ecosystem, offering more flexibility than a smartphone.
The Fujifilm XF 23mm F2 R WR is a very compact, portable, wide-angle prime lens for Fujifilm X-mount cameras. It makes a great walkaround lens and is well-suited for uses like travel and street photography, as well as things such as moderately wide landscapes and environmental portraiture.
The Sony ZV-1 Mark II is a vlogging-focused compact camera built around a 20MP Type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) Stacked CMOS sensor and an 18-50mm equivalent F1.8-4.0 lens. Besides the new focal length range, much of this camera remains the same as its predecessor, which was itself a competent pocket-sized video camera.
The 2024 CP+ Expo is officially over. While our coverage will continue with interviews rolling out over the coming weeks (and some of our staff are still in Japan), the avalanche of product announcements is finished.
Here are the biggest, cannot-miss-them announcements from (or at the very least proximate to) the show this year. Most of it is not shipping right this second, but plenty is still available for preorder now.
Fujifilm X100VI
Launched days before CP+ technically kicked off, the long-awaited Fujifilm X100VI was arguably the star of the show. An update to the always-out-of-stock TikTok darling X100V, the X100VI comes with a new 40MP sensor and in-body image stabilization paired with the same 35mm equiv. F2 lens and a refined but visually indistinguishable body.
For diehard fans who find the new X100VI just a little too easy to get their hands on, Fujifilm also has a limited edition X100VI that comes with a special box, collector cards with historical information, a special strap, and a throwback logo that harks back to Fujifilm's founding 90 years ago. You'll have to inquire at your local Fujifilm dealer to try and get your hands on one.
With a 180-degree field-of-view, manual focus lock button, lens heater support and a weather-sealed body, Sigma's 15mm F1.4 DG DN "Art" diagonal fisheye aims to be an astrophotography workhorse. It's available for preorder for E and L-mount bodies today, shipping next month.
Along with its 15mm fisheye, Sigma also announced a 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS "Sports" lens, which is remarkably light and compact at 235mm (9.2") long and 1.4kg (3 lbs). This makes it lighter and a fraction shorter than the similar Nikkor lens for DSLR, despite not using the phase-fresnel technology employed by Nikon. It's available for preorder now in E-mount and L-mount favors, with a ship date in March 2024.
Sony's 24-50mm F2.8 G aims to be a fast, compact walk-around lens, weighing in at just under half a kilo (440g / 15.6oz) and covering the most popular focal lengths for everyday shooting. It's available for preorder now and shipping in May.
At the end of its X Summit Tokyo event where it announced the X100VI, Fujifilm also teased an update to its beloved but decade-old kit lens. We don't know much about it other than its 16-50mm focal length, F2.8-4.8 aperture, and the fact that it's in the pipeline.
Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 macro travel zoom
With the Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS for L-mount, Panasonic is putting out what it claims is the smallest and lightest long zoom lens (which it defines as 7x or greater zoom range) for mirrorless systems. It's available for preorder now, and set to ship at the end of April.
The first autofocus lens from Venus Optics' Laowa line, the Zero-D FF is, according to its makers, the world's widest F2.8 full-frame rectilinear lens. Available for preorder now, it will ship next month for $799.
Not itself a lens or camera, Sony's PDT-FP1 5G transmitter accessory, which had already been announced for Japan, is now coming to the United States and other markets. The smartphone-shaped unit (which cannot make calls by itself) can connect to compatible Sony cameras by wire and then beam stills, video, or a livestream back to base over 5G for hours on a charge. It's fan-cooled to provide greater reliability than a smartphone would.
Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2021. With the 2024 release of the Fujifilm X100VI, we have updated the story to include the new camera.
With the arrival of the X100VI, there is a new camera gunning for the top spot for large-sensor fixed-lens cameras sold at anything approaching a mainstream price.
We often see Ricoh's GR cameras discussed alongside Fujifilm's X100 series models. Both have a similar design approach, emphasize photography and have legions of loyal users who sing their praises as the compact of choice.
However, whereas the choice between the 28mm-equiv Ricoh GR and the 35mm-equiv X100 models can be made solely on focal length, the fractionally wide-of-normal 40mm-equiv lens of the GR IIIx makes the distinctions rather more nuanced.
One which lets us take a closer look at the fundamental differences between two of the camera series most beloved by their users.
The X100VI doesn't deviate too far from the X100V in terms of body, lens and ergonomics. Unless you pick them up one after the other, you probably won't notice the VI is 43g heavier and 2mm deeper. As such, most of the points we made about the X100V also apply to the X100VI.
The most significant changes in the X100VI come on the inside with the addition of in-body stabilization and a new 40MP BSI CMOS sensor (borrowed from Fujifilm's X-H2 and X-T5). The VI also features Fujifilm's X Processor V, which brings with it the machine-learning trained subject recognition algorithms for animals, birds, automobiles, motorcycles and bikes, airplanes and trains.
Other changes new film simulation modes, video improvements, camera-to-cloud upload, and a redesigned tilt screen mechanism that better accommodates both waist-level and overhead shoots.
Remember these key differences as we compare the GR IIIX to the Fujifilm X100 series. There are very few differences between the X100V and X100VI beyond what we've outlined here. The only other killer feature to keep in mind is that you may actually find an X100VI on a store shelf.
Both the GR and X100 designs are 'classic' in their own ways: the Fujifilm knowingly harks back to the appearance of 1960s rangefinders while the latest GR is styled in keeping with a lineage that stretches back 25 years to the GR1 film camera.
The conceptual distinction between the two cameras is clear the moment you put them alongside one another: the GR is small and discreet while the X100 is larger and much more ostentatious in its appearance. One of these cameras is designed not to draw attention to itself, whereas the X100 is more likely to be on display, hung around your neck and, even in its all-black form, almost begs to be a talking point.
Size
When we say the GR IIIx is small, we mean it. The GR IIIx may be 2mm (0.079") deeper than its 28mm equiv sibling, but it's still pretty much the only APS-C camera that can genuinely be described as pocketable. Despite this, Ricoh has found room to incorporate an image stabilization system, shifting the sensor to correct for pitch, yaw and roll.
The X100 series is relatively compact but is much more difficult to stash away. Unlike the Ricoh, its lens doesn't retract into the body (though it can extend a little as it focuses). Notably, its 35mm equivalent lens opens up as far as F2, giving it a one stop advantage over the Ricoh. By some strange coincidence, adding IS to the X100VI also added 2mm (0.079") to the camera's depth.
Both have leaf shutters, allowing high flash sync speeds and both have built-in ND filters to allow the use of wide apertures in bright light. The Fujifilm finds room for a small built-in flash; it's not a lot but, thanks to the fast sync speed of the leaf shutter, can provide a bit of 'fill' for nearby subjects on bright days.
Viewfinders and displays
The other difference is that the X100 is built around a complex (and expensive) electronic/optical hybrid viewfinder. The 'V' model also introduced a tilt-out LCD for waist-level shooting, but the viewfinder remains the X100 series' signature feature and is likely the most common way the camera is used.
By comparison, the GR has a fixed LCD, which represents its primary view on the world. A clip-in optical viewfinder is available but its 85% coverage figure and lack of settings display or connection to the camera means it's no substitute for the Fujifilm approach.
Both cameras offer touch-sensitive screens for placing the AF point or navigating menus and playback. The X100V and X100VI also have dedicated AF joysticks, whereas on the Ricoh you'll need to reconfigure the camera if you want to use its four-way controller to move AF.
Ergonomics
The conceptual differences between the cameras highlight themselves again when you go to use either of them. The Fujifilms are covered with marked dials and customizable buttons, encouraging you to take control over the camera's exposure settings and setup options. If anything, we feel the X100V and VI might now have too many dials: having the choice of using command dials or dedicated dials for each function gives flexibility but also means that most people will find some of the controls redundant.
The Ricoh is distinctly minimalist, by comparison. It has a command dial on the front, a clickable jog lever on the rear and not a lot else. There's a fiddly ring around the four-way controller, but the camera can be set up so that everything can be controlled without moving out of the one-handed holding/shooting stance. That demands a degree of setup (it's well worth putting your most-used functions in a sensible order in the 'ADJ' menu that appears when you press the rear toggle switch inwards), but it's a way of shooting that a great many GR owners have come to love.
Image Quality
There's very little to call regarding image quality between the 24MP FSI CMOS sensor in the Ricoh and the 26MP BSI one in the Fujifilm X100V.
The 40MP BSI CMOS in the X100VI however represents a significant difference; we're still testing to make a final assessment, but our early impressions have been positive and the camera seems to be making the most of the move to a 40MP sensor.
In terms of lenses, there's not a huge amount to choose between them, optically, though our initial impression is that the Ricoh remains a little sharper at the corners. The Fujifilm can focus a little closer (10cm, rather than the GR IIIx's 12cm), but it still gets a little soft at close distances and wide apertures, even though it's improved over its predecessors in this regard. Then, of course, there's the Fujifilm's brighter lens, which offers slightly shallower depth-of-field and more scope for working in low light.
In terms of JPEGs, both offer a range of interesting processing modes, both color and black and white, but we'd give the edge to the Fujifilm for offering a wide range of relatively subtle, attractive options.
Autofocus
The Fujifilms are a touch faster to autofocus than the GR IIIx but none of the three is super speedy. They'll all perform well for most of the types of photography they're likely to be used for, but none is quite as rapid as the very quickest mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. And, while they all offer subject tracking and face detection modes, none of them is especially good in this regard, either. They're all quick enough that you needn't demand your subject hold their pose and expression for the camera, but they're not as immediately, unerringly in-focus as the best mirrorless models.
Where the Ricoh makes up for its lack of pace is in its signature Snap Focus mode, where the camera shifts focus to a predetermined distance (specified in the menus), when you hit the shutter button. It's a feature much appreciated by street shooters who can simply dial-in the distance they anticipate the action happening at and hit the shutter knowing where the camera will then focus. There's also a 'Full Press Snap' option that activates Snap Focus if you fully press the shutter button without half-pressing to AF.
Battery life
Both the Ricoh and Fujifilms are relatively small cameras, once you've taken into account how much space the hybrid viewfinder and lens take up in the X100V's (and VI's) case.
Fujifilm gives numbers of 350 and 420 shots per charge using the EVF and OVF modes, respectively, for the X100V and 310 and 450 for the newer camera. These are very respectable numbers, helped by the move to using the larger, 8.7Wh NP-W126S battery. The Ricoh only has room for a 4.9Wh DB-110 battery, and its battery life rating only reaches 200 shots per charge, as a result.
We find these ratings, derived from a testing protocol laid down by industry body CIPA, are distinctly under-representative of the number of shots we'll typically get, when shooting. However, a rating as low as 200 usually means constant low-level anxiety about keeping the camera charged, because it will be prone to running out if you use the camera intensively. Thankfully, both cameras can be charged or powered over their USB-C connectors, so it's easy enough to keep them topped-up, especially if you have a small power bank battery to hand.
Price and value
Neither camera is especially inexpensive but, considering you're getting a very good APS-C sensor and a sharp F2.8 prime for your money, the Ricoh GR IIIx's list price of $1000 doesn't seem unreasonable. Its solid-feeling magnesium alloy construction is unlikely to leave you feeling short-changed.
The Fujifilm doesn't feel quite as well built as the Ricoh, with it seemingly using thinner-gauge metal to prevent things getting too hefty and the multitudinous controls not always feeling especially firm. You'll need slightly deeper pockets (the X100VI list price is $1600), but for that extra money you gain the complex hybrid viewfinder and a lens that's a whole stop brighter. In the end, both cameras feel special enough that the price tags don't feel undeserved.
Conclusion
The more we look at the GR IIIx and the X100V (and VI) the more we feel – almost paradoxically for cameras aimed at dedicated photographers – that image quality is one of the least important factors to consider. This apparent tension is resolved because the image quality is very high in both cases.
Similarly, whereas the (non x) GR III vs X100V (or VI) decision is simply a question of focal length, here the difference between the slightly wider angle Fujifilm and the nearer normal Ricoh gives us much less to choose between.
And both cameras, in their own ways, could fairly be described as modern classics: progressive iterations on designs that have built up groups of devoted users.
And yet, despite all these fundamental similarities, they remain easy to choose between. The Fujifilm is no match for the genuine pocketability of the Ricoh, while the Ricoh can't compete with the Fujifilm's dashing good looks and viewfinder experience. The (duplicative) knobs and dials for everything approach of the X100s will appeal to some people every bit as much as the 'everything you want at your fingertips' ethos of the GR IIIx.
We suspect that however you shoot, the winner will be obvious to you. Let us know which one it is in the comments.
If you feel stuck in a creative rut, one of the best ways to improve your skills and expand your photography is by picking up a classic used lens (or three). If you've got a modern mirrorless camera, or even an older DSLR, there are countless options to try. Not sure where to start? We teamed up with MPB, the largest global platform to buy, sell and trade used photo and video gear, to point you in the right direction.
MPB is known for its attention to detail – its product specialists inspect and photograph every single lens so you can see what you're getting and purchase with confidence thanks to the brand’s six-month warranty. The best part? If you need to make room in the gear closet before pulling the trigger on a new-to-you lens, you can sell and trade in used gear, too. With that in mind, let's take a trip into the past to find some lenses that are truly timeless.
Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM
Photo: MPB
Who says something timeless needs to cost a fortune? Canon's fast fifty from the 90s has a softer character wide open, but gets nicely sharp when stopped down — and it can be had for a song. It's still excellent on Canon's DSLRs, but with an adapter, it's also usable on a modern RF-mount mirrorless body, too.
While this lens is from the 21st century, you won't find any autofocus motors, OLED screens, or other fancy modern accouterments adorning its simple, curvy form. Instead, Zeiss put all its engineering prowess into the Otus 85mm's apochromatic optics, and trusts you can do your own focusing. Sure, it’s not sealed against the elements, and it is big and heavy, but the sharpness is hard to beat.
Somewhere between 28mm and 35mm is this Pentax SLR lens, one of the famous FA Limited lenses. It's all-metal, has a handsome built-in hood, and is touted for its rendering of subjects on digital and film camera bodies. This lens is useful for street photography, architecture, and landscapes alike.
If you need to get close to your subjects – like 314mm away – this widely-praised macro is a solid buy. While it’s not super fast, the 105mm is known for being consistently sharp when wide open or stopped down, making it a versatile pick for insects, plants, and product photography.
Leica lenses are known for high performance and premium build quality. The F2 Summicron-M, as its name suggests, is for Leica's rangefinders but can also be used with adapters on just about any mirrorless camera. With its single aspherical element and compact size, it's one of the great lenses for street photography.
One of the earliest lenses made for Sony's full-frame mirrorless system, the FE 55mm is a real peach. With all-metal construction on the outside, this is a sharp and fast prime that will earn its place in the camera bag of anyone who owns a Sony mirrorless camera.
Sigma 35mm F1.4 Art (DG HSM for DSLR, DG DN for mirrorless)
Photo: MPB
An instant classic since its introduction in 2012, Sigma's fast and sharp 35mm Art is available for just about every mount you could want, both mirrorless and DSLR. It won DPReview's Gold Award back then, and optically it's everything you'd want from a standard prime, staying wicked sharp even at F1.4.
If you're a Fujifilm fan, you need to try this 84mm-equivalant portrait beast. With a special apodizing filter and Fujifilm's pixie dust all over it, the XF 56mm F1.2 R APD almost guarantees incredible portraits with sharp subjects and creamy, dreamy bokeh.
If you have the money and the upper body strength, the legendary "Eye of Sauron" 200mm F1.8L from Canon is as hefty as it is impressive. Whether you're shooting action or using it to obliterate the backgrounds from full-body portraits, this is a lens that has no equal.
The World Photography Organisation has announced the professional category finalists and shortlisted photographers for the Sony World Photography Awards 2024.
This year over 395,000 images from more than 220 countries and territories were submitted to professional categories, a new record for the 17-year-old competition.
Organizers have whittled those entries down to three finalists and an assortment of shortlisted images in each of 10 categories: Architecture & Design, Creative, Documentary Projects, Environment, Landscape, Portfolio, Portraiture, Sport, Still Life and Wildlife & Nature.
The Sony World Photography Awards have multiple divisions for awards. This year's student and youth shortlist was announced in January. The open competition, which recognizes single images (the professional division is for a series of photographs), is set to announce that category's finalists and shortlist in March.
Eagle-eyed readers may recall the awards ran into some controversy last year when first place in the creative open category was awarded to an AI-generated image. Its creator, German artist Boris Eldagsen, disclosed that fact when he refused his prize.
Once all division finalists have been announced, the final winners for each category will be selected on April 19, 2024. An overall winner for Photographer of the Year 2024 will also be chosen from the professional finalists and be awarded $25,000, Sony equipment and a solo showing of their work as part of next year’s awards exhibition.
The following day a selection of winning and shortlisted works will be part of a traveling exhibition that kicks off in London on April 19, 2024.
"The jury was captivated by the passionate storytelling; capturing both the joys and the challenges of human existence across our planet," Chair of the Jury Monica Allende said regarding the professional entries.
We've gathered the finalists in each category; take a look.
Gaston Ancestral House, Philippines. From the series "Sala Mayor (Living Room)."
Artist statement: This series is part of a book project, "Houses that Sugar Built: An Intimate Portrait of Philippine Ancestral Homes," for which I was granted access to these historic mansions. I largely set about photographing the houses against a spoken ‘backdrop’, as my colleague interviewed the owner or custodian, but sometimes worked in complete silence. The sala mayor (main living room) typically showcases the character of the architecture and the lifestyle of the people, but also leaves room for the viewer’s interpretation of these unique residences.
Artist statement: In recent years, due to population growth and lack of sufficient housing, the towns near Tehran have been crowded and people have to migrate here.
Karol Pałka, Poland, Architecture & Design, finalist
A spa of national importance in Slovakia. From the series "Spa Island."
Artist statement: Although it is small in size, the country of Slovakia is rich in springs of natural healing water. Spa culture has been a part of the Slovakian lifestyle for hundreds of years, and has become part of a secular ritual for some. In 1947 a special balneological congress decided to divide the approximately 50 Slovak spa localities into three categories of importance: international importance, national importance and local importance. This project examines the ways in which the architecture of spas allows those establishments to be spaces of ritual and community.
Mackenzie Calle, United States, Creative, finalist
The gravesite of Franklin Kameny at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington D.C. Kameny was an astronomer in the U.S. Army who hoped to one day go into space. He was also one of thousands of homosexual federal employees fired under the Lavender Scare in the mid-twentieth century. From the series "The Gay Space Agency."
Artist statement: From the late 1950s, astronauts on NASA’s Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs were required to take two heterosexuality tests, and in 1994, NASA asked ‘to include homosexuality as a psychiatrically disqualifying condition’ for astronauts. The psychiatric team protested, but NASA insisted. A 2022 study found that LGBTQ+ astronauts felt that being out may ‘hurt their chances of getting a [Space Shuttle] flight’ and, to date, NASA has never selected or flown an openly LGBTQ+ astronaut. The Gay Space Agency confronts the exclusion of openly queer astronauts. The series offers a queer counter-narrative to the history that has prevented the LGBTQ+ community from flying and imagines a more accepting future. To bridge the diversity gap and work towards a more inclusive future, this project envisions queer people in space. By traversing its edges, we can imagine a world that is not limited by anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. The Gay Space Agency asks what it truly means to have the ‘right stuff’.
Tine Poppe, Norway, Creative, finalist
Gerbera jamesonii. From the series "Gilded Lilies: Portraits of Cut Flowers."
Artist statement: Born and bred in industrial scale greenhouses, cut flowers have no contact with nature and generate high CO2 emissions. The Western world’s supply of cut flowers used to be derived from local greenhouses, but most of the flowers we buy in our stores today have been transported by planes or lorries from digitally run greenhouses around the world; Colombia, Ecuador and equatorial East Africa are currently the largest producers of cut flowers on the planet. The greenhouses contribute to high water use and chemical runoff, while the flowers can generate significant carbon emissions through their refrigeration and long-haul transportation – stems may be transported up to 9,600 km (6,000 miles) in refrigerated aeroplane holds. These cut flowers were bought at a local flower shop and photographed in front of prints of landscapes in my studio.
Sujata Setia, United Kingdom, Creative, finalist
मिट्टी के दायरे (Circles in Sand). My mother’s womb. It’s from there that I started witnessing the violence. I remember the sound the cement floor made when she was dragged by her hair across it. I was three. I have grown up learning that to be the only sound of music. From the series "A Thousand Cuts."
Artist statement: Derived from the ancient Asian form of torture of lingchi (known as ‘death by a thousand cuts’), A Thousand Cuts is an ongoing series of portraits and stories that present a photographic study of patterns of domestic abuse in the South Asian community. I have borrowed the metaphorical meaning of lingchi to showcase the cyclical nature of domestic abuse. The continuous act of chipping at the soul of the abused is expressed by making cuts on the portrait of the participant, while the prints are made on thin paper to depict the fragility of the subject’s existence. The final artwork is photographed in a tight crop to create a sense of suffocation and absence of room for movement.
Shabara, Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the largest artisanal copper and cobalt mines in the region. Around 20,000 people work at the site, in shifts of 10,000 at a time. From the series "Critical Minerals - Geography of Energy."
Artist statement: Critical Minerals – Geography of Energy aims to investigate the exponential demand for the minerals necessary to achieve renewable energy goals. In the Democratic Republic of Congo I documented the condition and impact of cobalt mining, which is essential for the green energy transition. The environmental and human conditions of cobalt mining have been widely reported, and the mainstream narrative faithfully describes the devastating working conditions and problematic health, environmental and economic conditions that men, women and children are subjected to, directly or indirectly. This series underlines that the future of critical minerals lies not just in the depths of the earth, but in our collective commitment to creating a sustainable and equitable world. By weaving these threads into a compelling narrative, this project engages audiences in a broader conversation about the choices we make today and their profound implications for the sustainability of our planet.
Juliette Pavy, France, Documentary Projects, finalist
An archive photograph of Jytte Lyberth at the age of 14, when she had her IUD inserted. After a school medical check-up she went to hospital and was asked to take off her clothes. She was never told what was going to happen. A few months later she experienced severe pain from the coil and returned to hospital to have it removed. Since then, she has never been able to have children. From the series "Spiralkampagnen: Forced Contraception and Unintended Sterilisation of Greenlandic Women."
Artist statement: Between 1966 and 1975, Greenlandic Inuit women were the victims of an involuntary birth control programme known as the Spiralkampagnen (spiral campaign). Led by the Danish authorities, nearly 4,500 intrauterine devices (‘coils’) were implanted into Inuit women and girls, some as young as 12, many of whom say that the procedure was performed without their consent. This campaign was first revealed by a Danish podcast in spring 2022, and documents now prove that the authorities implemented the policy to reduce Inuit population growth. An official investigation has now been opened, which is set to conclude at the end of 2024.
Brent Stirton, South Africa, Documentary Projects, finalist
Lady Tina and Pretty Peter were previously jailed in Uganda for their trans lifestyle and experienced sexual assault. From the series "LGBTQIA Refugees: Fleeing Uganda."
Artist statement: In May 2023, Uganda criminalized same-sex conduct for those convicted of ‘aggravated homosexuality’, even though the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 violates some of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Uganda’s constitution. Uganda’s penal code already punishes same-sex conduct with life imprisonment, but the new law legislates on new crimes, such as the ‘promotion of homosexuality’; introduces the death penalty for several acts considered as ‘aggravated homosexuality’; and increases sentences for attempted same-sex conduct to 10 years. Anyone advocating for the rights of LGBT people now faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Many LGBTQIA people have been forced to flee the country, and are now in fragile safe houses in Kenya. I felt compelled to work on this, as these laws are a violation of human rights and an assault on democracy: people in the LGBTQIA community are entitled to the same consensual rights as all humans when it comes to love and intimacy.
Jean-Marc Caimi and Valentina Piccinni, Italy, Environment, finalist
Climate change is prompting Sicilian farmers to give up their land to host photovoltaic and agrovoltaic systems, potentially threatening food sovereignty. Elena Giorgianni, a naturopath and farmer, is resisting the trend by growing tropical fruits organically in the hills around Messina. Taking advantage of the new weather conditions and the demand for high-quality Italian tropical fruits, she is pioneering an approach that balances environmental sustainability with consumer preferences. From the series "Tropicalia."
Artists statement: Sicily was once Europe’s main wheat producer, but it now faces the challenges of being a climate frontier, dealing with issues such as rising temperatures, desertification, unpredictable rainfall patterns and flash floods. As a pioneer in Europe’s response to tropicalisation, Sicily serves as an example of the scenario that awaits the whole continent. This series consists of a series of human, scientific and agricultural stories that explore the emerging realities amidst ongoing climate change. It highlights the efforts of local universities to drive agricultural innovation, test weather-resistant organic crops and introduce new fertilizers tailored to desertified land. The story also follows the burgeoning weather-sensitive tropical fruit industry in Sicily, where farmers are transforming their crops into extensive mango, avocado and papaya plantations to turn the weather challenge into a new opportunity.
Mahé Elipe, France, Environment, finalist
For 12 years, the indigenous association led by Leocadia Utiz has been organizing a native corn seed fair. Farmers from participating communities are invited to exchange native seeds and forgotten indigenous knowledge. According to Mayan belief, Leocadia claims to be descended from corn. Together with her family, she ensures the protection of the forest by cultivating milpa. From the series "Echoes of the Hive."
Artist statement: The Melipona bee is a rare species that doesn’t have a sting. It is seen as sacred by the Maya people, and its honey is said to have miraculous properties. It also embodies the resistance of indigenous communities in the region of Los Chenes, nestled in southeast Mexico, against the ravages of agro-industry. In March 2023 and more recently at the end of January 2024, a tragic fate befell more than one hundred beekeepers: their Melipona bees were poisoned by fipronil, an insecticide that is banned in most countries, but is still permitted in Mexico. This tragedy left deep scars on the Mayas, whose survival is intertwined with the golden nectar of the Melipona. Like an unrelenting tide, intensive agriculture is swallowing the Yucatan Peninsula, pushing back millennia-old jungles and threatening ancient practices. These images reflect the unshakeable determination of the Mayans, through individual and collective resistance, to leave behind an untarnished legacy for future generations.
Maurizio Di Pietro, Italy, Environment, finalist
Professor Laura Gasco evaluates the effects of including Hermetia illucens flours in the diet of rainbow trout. The European Commission has allowed insect meals to be used in feed in aquaculture since 1 July 2017, having equated this protein source to that of poultry and pigs. From the series "Zero Hunger."
Artist statement: The aim of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 2 is to create a world that is free of hunger by 2030 and focus on finding sustainable solutions to stop world hunger. Currently, the natural resources necessary for human survival are depleting due to climate change. Extreme weather, such as droughts and floods, have become more common and affect harvests, leading to less food for human consumption. However, breeding and eating insects is a sustainable practice that can help us reach our goal. Insects are rich in proteins and highly sustainable, with minimal environmental impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and water and soil consumption. As a result, researchers are studying the most sustainable and cost-effective ways to promote the use of insects as a food source for both people and animals.
Jim Fenwick, United Kingdom, Landscape, finalist
Trees standing against the backdrop of a night sky in Palermo, illuminated by the red glow from the wildfires. From the series "Wildfires of Palermo."
Artist statement: In September 2023 I arrived in Palermo, in the midst of a gripping environmental problem that was unfolding across Sicily. The canvas of the night sky had been transformed into a captivating tableau as the flames from ongoing wildfires painted a surreal and enchanting spectacle. The ethereal glow was a juxtaposition of beauty and devastation.
Eddo Hartmann, Netherlands, Landscape, finalist
An infrared image of the remains of an observation tower at Opytnoe Pole. This was the first testing ground at the Semipalatinsk Test Site, which was a large-scale facility used between 1949 and 1962 for atmospheric nuclear tests. From the series "The Sacrifice Zone."
Artist statement: This series explores a remote area of Kazakhstan known as ‘The Polygon’, which was once home to the Soviet Union’s major nuclear testing facilities. Between 1949 and 1989 more than 450 nuclear tests took place here, with little regard for their effect on the local people and environment. The full impact of radiation exposure was hidden for many years by the Soviet authorities and only became clear after the test site was closed in the early 1990s. The location is still heavily contaminated and can only be accessed in protective clothing. The images in this series were made using an infrared camera, which hints at a menace that is equally invisible to the human eye: the radiation resulting from the nuclear explosions. Plants that have absorbed radiation acquire a strange reddish-purple colour, which is how their toxicity – invisible to the naked eye – is revealed.
Fan Li, China, Landscape, finalist
An Atypical Chinese Landscape. From the series "An Atypical Chinese Landscape"
Artist statement: These scenes and objects–the result of human production and labor processes serving human survival and life–are now left on the earth and have become the landscape. Some of these landscapes have become construction waste, destroying the living environment and becoming permanent scars.
Aly Hazzaa, Egypt, Portfolio, finalist
Just as the traffic stalled in a street in Old Cairo, the reflection of a person appeared on a car window. I only had one chance to take this photograph before the cars started to move again. From the series "Quest for Coherence"
Artist statement: As a freelance photographer I try to be ready for my next assignment, keeping my eyes open and my reflexes fast. Nothing is better for this than practicing street photography. My routine is to walk along the streets of Cairo, documenting life as it unfolds around me, without any specific goal. My aim is to create a cohesive body of work from my explorations on the street, and I am particularly drawn to the interplay of colors, shapes and reflections. My fascination with people and the streets fuels my work.
Angelika Kollin, Estonia, Portfolio, finalist
Ongeziwe. This portrait was taken in Cape Town, South Africa. From the series "Parenthood."
Artist statement: The nucleus of one’s existence is rooted in family; each person inherently has parents. In our contemporary society, the concept of family has evolved and now integrates and embraces both traditional and new forms. No longer confined to a mere group of individuals sharing blood ties, I believe that family is increasingly becoming a feeling rather than a particular manifestation of form. My photographic exploration examines the myriad forms that a modern-day family can take, uniting them under common and universally sought human emotions: a sense of belonging, love and emotional intimacy.
Jorge Mónaco, Argentina, Portfolio, finalist
A portrait of an old Kazakh man in traditional dress. Due to globalization, young Kazakh people no longer wear these clothes. From the series "Portraits and Landscapes."
Artist statement: These images are part of various personal projects, some of which detach from the main body and function as independent pieces. My focus is on sincerity and authenticity, inviting the viewer to delve into the intimate stories of the protagonists. Additionally, some of my projects take place outdoors, providing sociological contexts that enrich the visual narrative. My goal is to create projects that shed light on the lives of people from minority groups, whether they are ethnic, religious or gender-related. Through my images, I aim to raise awareness and promote inclusion, offering a reflective perspective on human diversity. Within this collection are works belonging to an ongoing project that explores the ‘intermediate landscape’; environments situated between the urban and the natural, usually located on the outskirts of cities. These strips of territory typically appear ambiguous or undefined.
Drew Gardner, United Kingdom, Portraiture, finalist
A recreation of an original photograph of Harriet Tubman with her great-niece, Deanne Stanford Walz. Her costume was recreated specially for the photoshoot. From the series "Descendants of Black American Civil War Combatants."
Artist statement: This series recreates photographs of black American Civil War combatants with their descendants. The project was three years in the making, following comprehensive searches of archives for photographs of black American Civil War soldiers, where the identity of the person in the photograph could be verified. Working with genealogists from Wikitree’s U.S. Black Heritage Project, we traced the descendants of the Civil War combatants and brought them together from all over the United States to be photographed using a period 5x7-inch tintype process in an authentic daylight studio. The sitters had to stay perfectly still, which often meant using a neck brace for exposures of up to 40 seconds. The sitters wore custom, handmade costumes and sets were built especially; some of the props used were authentic Civil War items.
Valery Poshtarov, Bulgaria, Portraiture, finalist
Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, 2023. From the series "Father and Son."
Artist statement: In a world that is already growing apart, holding hands becomes a silent prayer – a way to come together again. While posing, fathers and sons hold hands for the first time in years, sometimes decades. It’s a powerful moment, often filled with hesitation or even resistance. This act of intimacy became the project’s main purpose, the photographs being just a mere testament to the long-unspoken love between the men. Spanning cultures, reaching corners of Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, Serbia and Greece, this project has become a beacon of emotional expression and cultural preservation. It serves as a global stage, encouraging fathers and sons from around the world to join the act. By leaving the narratives behind, these portraits become open to interpretation and I invite viewers to add their own layers of meaning, making us all contributors to this evolving story of humanity.
Adali Schell, United States, Portraiture, finalist
Lily Abbitt, 19, and Zane Burrows, 20, embrace on the side of the road in Topanga Canyon, California. From the series "The First Car."
Artist statement: Growing up in Los Angeles, some of my earliest memories were made in the car. Specifically, my dad’s vintage 1980s Mercedes – which he converted to run on vegetable oil – acted as my respite. The hum of the engine, the tears in the leather interior and the sound of his burned CD’s accompanied my earliest understanding of L.A. I remember the sense of privacy that the car provided me, and how it enabled my looking. In 2022, I was commissioned by The New York Times to photograph my friends in their first cars. Having spent my final teenage years in isolation due to the pandemic, the car provided me with a space to come back into touch with my community and with L.A. The article, entitled Magic of Your First Car, was published in February 2023, and exhibited internationally at Les Rencontres d’Arles and the Museum of Warsaw in July 2023.
Angelika Jakob, Germany, Sport, finalist
Winner Josef Utzschneider, light-heavyweight champion of the German finger wrestling championship. From the series "Finger Wrestling in Bavaria."
Artist statement: Finger wrestling is an honest sport for real powerhouses. The rules are simple and there is hardly any trickery involved, as speed, good fingers and concentration are all that’s required. Everything is clear and simple: the strongest wins, and the best pulls everyone over the table...
Thomas Meurot, France, Sport, finalist
When you’re looking for surf in Iceland you take anything you can, big or small. Here, Samuel Redon enjoys the small surf. From the series "Kald Sòl (Cold Sun)"
Artist statement: Kald Sòl is a series I undertook while documenting a surf expedition in Iceland in the middle of winter, which resulted in my first documentary, with the same name. Documenting cold surfing has always appealed to me, so when I got the chance to do it, I jumped at the opportunity straight away. The black- and-white photographs reveal the cold, even when the sun is out.
Tommaso Pardini, Italy, Sport, finalist
Isma shows off his potential to the surfers in the line-up. From the series "Surf in Dakar."
Artist statement: The Senegalese surf scene is growing fast and I’ve been there to document the life of Ismaila Samb, a young, promising surfer who is aspiring to become a professional. The surfers here don’t have the best equipment, but though they surf with old surfboards and wetsuits, their passion is above everything. My mission was to help Isma gain visibility and international recognition. After my visit he travelled outside Africa for the first time and joined the Senegalese national team taking part in the World Surfing Games in El Salvador.
Peter Franck, Germany, Still life, finalist
Silent give and take. From the series "Still Like Art"
Artist statement: Everything in the pictures is arranged, down to the smallest detail. This meticulous arrangement stands in the highest possible contrast, here in black and white, to the infinite possibilities of association by the viewer. The sovereignty of interpretation is as individual as the society out of which these works are created. The photographs explore the elemental and expansive qualities of the medium, picturing a world aglow, one that feels known but is rarely seen. Photography’s past restrictions meet the unlimited possibility of its present and in constructing his photographic world he proves its existence.
Beth Galton, United States, Still life, finalist
London Plane Tree. Created in the artist's studio using daylight, this series consists of cast-off bark with manipulated printed self-portraits. From the series "London Plane Tree."
Artist statement: Our lives are built up, layer by layer around our core selves. Belief systems, memories and opinions define who we are. But underneath these layers, what remains? As an artist and a person finding themselves in the later part of life, it has become essential for me to reevaluate and prioritize how I move through the world. Peeling back layers and looking for that original sense of self has become important. Walking to my studio, I pass a line of London Plane trees, and have noticed that they shed their bark. The tree is growing rapidly, and the bark is unable to expand as quickly as the tree enlarges. This fascinating process resonates with me. How do I shed preconceived constructs to make room for growth? How does this practice expose my vulnerabilities? To answer these questions, I created this photographic series, which consists of cast-off bark with manipulated self-portraits, connecting my exploration with nature.
Federico Scarchilli, Italy, Still life, finalist
Angelica has been used in traditional medicine to treat multiple health conditions. It is thought to contain various bioactive ingredients that may have antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Researchers have also studied Angelica’s potential anticancer effects in a lab, testing Angelica archangelica extract on breast cancer cells. They found that Angelica may help cause breast cancer cell death, leading researchers to conclude that the herb may have antitumor potential. From the series "Flora."
Artist statement: Plants are among the main suppliers of medicinal substances and should be considered as the producers and dynamic containers of chemical substances. In their evolution they have developed innumerable secondary metabolites that perform various ecological functions for the plant, such as repellence, defence from herbivores, fighting against other plant species for resource control, defence from parasites and attraction to pollinators. These secondary metabolites have also shown important pharmacological activities in humans, which constitute the active ingredients or the main components on which the curative action of a drug depends; in fact, 40 percent of monomolecular drugs derive from plant species. This series highlights the important role of pharmacognosy in modern biology.
Eva Berler, Greece, Wildlife and Nature, finalist
The artist describes the worlds hidden in spider webs as a metaphor for our private inner selves, of our deepest fears and aspirations. From the series "Suspended worlds."
Artist statement: This project started as an exploration of the world of spider webs, where both time and action are frozen, but it led to a personal journey into my deepest fears and aspirations. As I focused on what was hidden in the webs I became fascinated by the artful random creations that I found; the impermanent worlds that we don’t usually notice. I realized that these worlds resonate with me on a deeper level. They work as metaphors for the hidden lives of the people next to us, who we pass by every day and don’t really know anything about. We all have our private lives that we prefer to keep to ourselves; our personal mystic treasures, our inner selves. These are the innermost places where we can be whatever we choose to be.
Jasper Doest, Netherlands, Wildlife and Nature, finalist
Elephants charge through Livingstone’s narrow streets, their towering figures trumpeting into the night. Altered habitats mean they emerge from the national park at dusk to seek food within Livingstone. A nighttime curfew, urging the community to stay indoors, aims to reduce human-wildlife conflict. From the series "In the Footsteps of Giants."
Artist statement: The delicate equilibrium between humans and elephants in rural parts of Zambia is being disturbed as both populations vie for limited resources. The expansion of settlements and unsustainable agriculture is encroaching on elephant habitats, jeopardizing the well-being of both human livelihoods and the elephant population. The question arises: can humans and elephants coexist? These problems have been escalating in the past decade, and with the expectation of increased droughts due to our warming climate, establishing transfrontier wildlife corridors becomes essential. However, the establishment of these corridors faces challenges posed by settlements, agriculture and infrastructure, which results in daily human-wildlife conflict. As these persistent issues continue it is increasingly evident that the local community plays a vital role in fostering a harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants. Developing economically and socially viable models for coexistence within the local community will be crucial for the long-term survival of both elephants and humans.
Haider Khan, India, Wildlife and Nature, finalist
Rhinos with injured horns suffer from pain, infections and a reduced ability to defend themselves. As poaching and habitat loss continue to threaten their survival, rhino conservation efforts attempt to stop them from being killed. From the series "King Without a Throne: Poached or Dehorned."
Artist statement: The persistent human desire for rhino horn – for everything from traditional medicines to hangover cures or status symbols – drives the slaughter of more than 1,000 of these majestic animals each year in South Africa. To protect them from poachers, some rhinos are now deliberately dehorned, something that is considered a necessary evil by anti-poaching campaigners in Africa. However, while cutting off a rhino’s horn prevents poaching, it also changes their behavior and affects their ability to interact or establish territory. Either way, they are the ones that suffer. With this series I want to share the painful story of two rhinos, one living in Munich, Germany, and the other in Kolkata, India. Despite being separated by thousands of miles, these beautiful creatures have a shared past: both of them have been stripped of their once-proud horn, symbolizing the harm that humans can inflict upon wildlife.
The Nikon Z9 is going to the moon. NASA has selected the high-end Z9, one of the most complete cameras we've ever tested, as the official handheld camera for the Artemis III mission, set to launch in 2026 (give or take), which will put astronauts on the moon for the first time since 1972.
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But it won't be your average Z9 that makes it off-planet. As one might expect, the Z9 will be heavily modified to handle both the rigors of space travel and life on the moon.
Nikon and NASA are redesigning circuitry to prevent cosmic radiation from damaging the camera, and a new grip is being added with special buttons for common controls so astronauts can operate it while wearing gloves. Custom firmware will modify noise reduction, HDR features, menus, file numbering, and more. Several Nikkor Z lenses will also be modified to cope with the surface of the moon.
The end result is a device that NASA calls the HULC (Handheld Universal Lunar Camera). As NASA notes, it's a huge leap forward from when Apollo astronauts used viewfinderless large-format film cameras that were attached to their spacesuits at chest level.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Drew Feustel practice using an early design of the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera during the Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team (JETT) Field Test 3 in Arizona.
NASA / Bill Stafford
The Z9 will head to space aboard the enormous Space Launch System rocket, which will deploy the Orion spacecraft that will make the trip to the moon and back. The capsule will join the SpaceX-designed Starship, which will perform the moon landing. Six-and-a-half days later, Starship will return to space to meet Orion for the journey back to Earth, where it will splash down in the Pacific Ocean.
More details about the Nikon Z9's trip to space can be found below. Those interested in the mission can visit NASA's Artemis III website.
MIRRORLESS GOES TO THE MOON: NIKON ENTERS INTO SPACE ACT AGREEMENT WITH NASA FOR ARTEMIS MISSION SUPPORT WITH THE NIKON Z 9 CAMERA
Nikon and NASA Collaborating on Handheld Camera Development
MELVILLE, NY (February 29, 2024) – Nikon Inc. has entered into a Space Act agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to support the agency’s Artemis campaign with the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) development. The Nikon Z 9, Nikon’s mirrorless full-frame flagship, as implemented in the HULC system, will be the handheld camera for the upcoming Artemis III mission which will be used by the crew returning to the surface of the Moon.
The Artemis campaign is an ambitious and important undertaking for humanity. Artemis will return us to the Moon in order to establish a foundation for long-term scientific lunar research and exploration, eventually leading as a passageway for travel to Mars. Since humankind’s first forays into space, handheld cameras have been used to document the journey, sending back iconic imagery and for research. This Space Act Agreement is a collaboration between NASA and Nikon Inc. to ensure the current state-of-the-art full-frame camera can survive lunar environments while developing an efficient and optimal platform for image and video capture for the mission.
“The opportunity to collaborate with NASA on this endeavor is simply exhilarating yet humbling, as we realize the benefits of this mission have the potential to affect all of mankind in the future,” said Naoki Onozato, President and CEO, Nikon Inc. “As one of the many suppliers and manufacturers collaborating with NASA as part of the Space Act, our aim is to best equip the crew as they bravely bring humanity back to the surface of the Moon, and possibly beyond.”
The Artemis III mission is scheduled to launch NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the agency’s Orion spacecraft in September 2026. The crew’s historic expedition will be the first human landing on the lunar surface since 1972, and this mission will also mark the first time a woman will walk on the Moon. During this 30-day mission, the crew will enter lunar orbit, after which two astronauts will land on the lunar surface in the lunar module (SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System). After spending approximately seven days on the lunar surface conducting research and multiple Moonwalks, they will return to the Orion spacecraft to join the other two crew members and return to Earth. To help capture imagery, the mission has the need for a common camera platform to reduce overall mass and development efforts while simplifying training and increasing efficiency.
About the Modified Cameras
The Moon surface and lunar environment is a harsh and unforgiving vacuum, which poses multiple technological and engineering challenges. The surface is subject to massive temperature swings, with constant bombardment of cosmic radiation that can damage electrical components. Nikon’s engineers are working closely with NASA to develop solutions to maximize reliability when operating under this kind of extreme environment, including the redesign of various circuits and control sequences within the camera to withstand the vast amounts of radiation. Support will also be given for thermal vacuum testing, running various tests and simulations to help ensure that the camera maintains operational status when 238,000 miles away from Earth.
Additionally, the camera will need to be used by astronauts during extravehicular activities (EVAs), which are instances when the crew will be in space or on Moonwalks. In order for astronauts to comfortably and easily use the Z 9 when wearing the thick gloves of a spacesuit, a custom grip is being developed by NASA, which includes common controls such as a shutter release, playback, still/video capture switching and more. This grip will connect to the camera via the 10-pin terminal, which will be usable with specialized custom firmware created for the cameras. To protect the camera, lens and housing during EVA, a special “thermal blanket” will be created by NASA, which is similar to those currently used during exterior spacewalks by International Space Station astronauts. A selection of NIKKOR Z lenses will also be used for the mission, and those that will be actively used on the Moon will be modified to withstand the harsh lunar environment.
Like the cameras used by the Space Station crew, the firmware will also be specially modified for this mission. These modifications include accounting for the different circuitry, expanding noise reduction to lower shutter speeds to account for the effects of constant bombardment of cosmic radiation that the crew and gear encounter. Additional changes have been made to the file naming sequence, as well as default settings and controls that are optimized for exterior missions. Changes have also been made to the in-camera communication control to simplify the astronaut’s workflow. Additional modifications include shutter shield optimization, enhanced HDR functionality and modified default settings for menu items.
Chronicling History Together
Nikon cameras have been used by NASA and space agencies extensively, most recently with the arrival of unmodified Z 9 camera to the crew of the International Space Station. Since the Apollo 15 mission more than 50 years ago, Nikon cameras and lenses have been used by NASA for space exploration. Starting in 1999, Nikon cameras (Nikon F5) and NIKKOR lenses have been used aboard the ISS to aid in scientific research, maintenance and aiding astronauts capturing iconic images of the Earth, the heavens and beyond.
For more information about the NASA Space Act agreement, and a list of the current Space Act agreements, please visit the website here.
For more information the Z 9, Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless flagship, please visit Nikonusa.com/z9.
Eric Fossum and the team that invented the CMOS image sensor, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Eric Fossum, the celebrated inventor of the modern CMOS sensor and longtime friend of DPReview, recently appeared on the B&H Photography Podcast to reminisce on his work at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on the invention of the CMOS image sensor in 1993, its surprising origins and his years-long attempts to convince US manufacturing companies to use it for consumer goods.
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It's not an overstatement to say his technology changed the world. We may look at our smartphones, turn on the TV, or use a webcam for virtual meetings. When we leave our homes, we may back a car out of a parking space with a backup camera, be seen by security cameras or be captured in the background of social media videos. A CMOS image sensor makes these devices possible in each of these instances.
The funny thing is, this father of modern photography didn't even care much for the medium growing up.
"I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't say I was fascinated by it," Fossum said about cameras and photography during his youth.
To put it into context, Fosum was born in October 1957 (the same month Sputnik was launched, but more on that later), and picture-taking was an expensive endeavor. He recalled his parents giving him permission to use the family's Kodak Brownie to take a picture on rare occasions and then just one, saying things like, "Okay, today is Wednesday; you can take another picture."
A 1958 TV commercial from 1958 for the Kodak Brownie camera.
Today, he takes pictures more freely. One friend has described him as a postcard photographer, to which Fossum responded that he isn't quite sure if that is an insult or a compliment.
"Not a day goes by where the world doesn't interact with the technology Fosssum created."
Fossum's journey toward reinventing how we think of cameras and imaging began with a fascination with science and space. He was born the same month and year Russia launched Sputnik and grew up with the space race it spawned.
From playing with toy rockets and propulsion techniques as a child, he later went on to play with the real thing with a Howard Hughes Fellowship. The fellowship allowed him to work on missile guidance systems at the Hughes Aircraft Company in California over three summers.
There, he worked on a project that was starting to place cameras into missile heads to help the missile hit its intended target. That set him down a path into electronics, and by the mid-80s he was teaching electrical engineering at Columbia University. Space was still of interest to him, but his work in electronics had taken him down a different path and he had resigned himself to it.
The Sputnik satellite was launched the same month Fossum was born, kicking off the space race that influenced his youth and interest in space and science.
While teaching, he was also researching CCD technology and focal plane image processing. The metaphysical nature of photons as a wave and a particle also made it fun to think about. "I had been thinking about image sensors," he recalled. "But decided who needs it?"
Then NASA came knocking.
The US space agency was aware of his work and wanted to develop cheaper and faster cameras that could survive in space long term. "All of a sudden, when it became clear that what I was working on was of interest to NASA, I was just like, oh yeah, sign me up," Fossum said. "They didn't have to ask twice."
Fossum joined NASA's JPL in 1990, and with their support, he began the development of CMOS image sensors. He showed NASA how the technology was superior to CCD for space travel: CMOS cameras would require less power to operate, they could be smaller in form factor without the additional parts CCD required, and fewer parts mean less weight and fewer things that could break down, and they were better at withstanding the cosmic rays of space than CCD.
A CMOS active pixel image sensor chip fits on a fingertip.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
It also helped that CMOS was a technology already being used to manufacture integrated circuits for many electronics, and the infrastructure to build a CMOS image sensor was already in place.
"It was really that driver. I was able to argue why we had to ... explore CMOS image sensor technology, and NASA invested in that," Fossum said. "(That's) why you have a camera in your pocket right now."
Fossum is also quick to point out he didn't do it alone. "All engineers stand on the shoulders of the giant engineers that came before us," he remarks several times during the interview. His work was built on the pioneering work of generations before him and the teams that worked with him.
The stacked CMOS sensors of the Nikon Z9 are a descendant of the first CMOS sensors created in the 1990s.
The whole story is worth a listen: Fossum details the science of light, the first products to use CMOS image sensors and some lovely breakdowns of how CCD and CMOS sensors capture images.
Not a day goes by when the world doesn't interact with the technology Fossum created. It's as ubiquitous a part of our modern life as a father talking about the weather or a DPReview editor tinkering with new gear.
CP+ 2024 has come and gone, and in terms of camera announcements, it didn't bring much. Yes, there was the Fujifilm X100VI (technically announced before CP+ actually began) and... not much else but a bunch of lenses. It's easy to get your hopes up for that camera you've been waiting for, but historically, CP+ doesn't have that strong a history of camera launches.
However, that got us thinking about what cameras could have been announced but weren't. Here are some (relatively) educated guesses about some replacements and updates we feel are due soon. (To be clear, we don't have any inside knowledge of, nor have we been briefed about, any of these hypothetical products.)
Canon
Photo: Dan Bracaglia
Canon had a grand total of zero camera body and lens announcements at this year's CP+, so there's a lot of nothing to choose from. Perhaps the most conspicuous absence, though, was the EOS R5 II.
The original EOS R5 is an excellent all-arounder with its 45-megapixel sensor, impressive in-body stabilization, great autofocus and ergonomics, though it can suffer from overheating concerns when shooting video at its highest resolution settings. Launched in 2020, it increasingly finds itself in competition with newer rivals like the Sony a7RV and, in particular, the Nikon Z8 (both new in 2023). Logic still suggests the EOS R5 II will break cover this year, but evidently not at CP+.
Canon also did not show up with the long-fabled EOS R1, though that was never going to be particularly likely. However, if Canon does have such a hypothetical product in the works with plans to roll it out in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics, time is running short.
Nikon
Photo: Dan Bracaglia
Another manufacturer with some still presumably impending announcements is Nikon, and no news at CP+ meant no Z6 III.
The Z6II (2020) is one of the older cameras in Nikon's lineup and was itself a relatively minor refresh of the original Z6, and rumors of a successor have been circulating for months in the runup to CP+ 2024. Obvious upgrades could include an update to the Expeed 7 processor found in the Z8 and Z9 and features cribbed from the Nikon Zf, which may essentially be the Z6 III, just launched in a different body. But it wasn't in the cards for this February.
Sony
Photo: Dan Bracaglia
Sony's primary CP+ 2024 announcement was its new compact FE 24-50mm F2.8 lens, but neither a new flagship a1 II nor a ZV-E10 II, updated to sport the 26MP sensor found in the a6700, made an appearance.
Sony's flagship a1, released in early 2021, is coming up on its third birthday next month and is due for an update to keep it in fighting trim against competitors like Nikon's Z9, and rumors have suggested it's due out sometime in 2024. Evidently sometime later than February.
The ZV-E10 is fresher than the a1 by a few months, but a vlogger-targeted ZV-E10 II could get a straightforward sensor update, pulling from 2023's a6700 and, for that matter, from the Cinema line's FX30. The current ZV-E10 shares its sensor with 2016's a6300, which is prone to significant rolling shutter and needs to crop to deliver 4K/30p, neither of which is a concern on the 26MP chip. This, along with Sony's latest AF capabilities, would make a much more capable vlogging tool.
Panasonic's five-year-old flagship S1 has been marked as discontinued at some stores in Japan, which would make its successor S1 II a shoo-in for 2024. So far, however, there has not been a whiff of a new model, nor any indication of an S1H II to replace 2020's video-focused Lumix DC-S1H. The smaller, more affordable S5 series has received an update with phase detection AF, but this leaves room for a higher resolution chip for an S1 replacement (and, perhaps, a merging of the S1 and S1R lines), and a better video-optimized sensor, with less rolling shutter, for the S1H.
Fujifilm
Photo: Dan Bracaglia
Fujifilm's X100VI, which landed just before CP+ 2024 kicked off, was arguably the belle of the ball, but there are a few other cameras that could have showed up, but didn't.
The X100VI puts the sensor from the 2022 X-T5 into its TikTok-trendy fixed-lens body; there was no indication of an X-E5 that would presumably bring Fujifilm's X-T5 sensor into a more diminutive body that still supports interchangeable lenses of Fujifilm's X-mount variety.
Likewise, an X-T40 has yet to rear its head. Perhaps in the wings, or perhaps preempted by the X-S20, it did not show up at CP+ at least. And, of course, neither of these lines is necessarily guaranteed to continue. So even if the upgrade is logically due, it may never come.
OM System
OM System's biggest release of 2024 so far, the OM-1 Mark II, hit a month before CP+ and had no new bombshells for the show proper. One can imagine a world, though, where we saw a PEN F II.
Since Olympus's camera division fully transformed into OM System in 2022, the company has revisited the OM-1 (twice), the OM-5, and the 'Tough' series with the OM Tough TG-7. What's missing in a world where retro-styled cameras are increasingly the rage? A revisit to the PEN line, which hasn't seen a global release since Olympus PEN F launched in 2016 (but there was the EP-7). Our forthcoming interview with OM System left us feeling this wasn't the end of the line.
The Fujifilm X100V is a lovely camera: the fifth in a series we've always liked and recipient of our Gold award, for the net effect of the improvements that have been made to the latest version.
The original X100 launched Fujifilm's premium 'X' series of cameras and prefigured the company's move to mirrorless with the X-mount. It was one of the first large sensor fixed lens cameras, and boosted its desirability with a combination of classic rangefinder styling, a Electro/Optical hybrid viewfinder and traditional controls.
In fact the series has become so desirable that it's almost impossible to actually buy an X100V (without paying a substantial premium over the list price). This may be a knock-on effect of the chip shortages and supply chain problems, post lockdown, an intentional restriction in supply to keep prices strong or the winding-down of production in anticipation of a new model, we can't be sure. But what we do know is that, if you want a small, hands-on street/travel camera with a 35mm equiv lens, you might have to look for a plan B.
The list price of the X100V is $1399, so that's the approximate budget I've imagined.
Mirrorless options
I've looked at X100 substitutes before, trying to see whether there were any substitutes you could cobble together using a small prime lens on a mirrorless camera. At the time Canon's 22mm F2 lens and the Olympus 17mm F1.8 offered the best ways to gain the 35mm equivalent range. The Olympus is the nicer of the two lenses: faster to focus and with a snap-back focus clutch and styling that's more in keeping with the Fujifilm.
These remain the best choices if compactness and matching the X100 field-of-view are your priorities. However, both present a challenge in terms of what you can match them with. OM Digital Solutions appears to have trimmed back the PEN range, with only the 'Lite' E-PL10 model available in North America. European customers have the option of the E-P7, which offers a more hands-on interface and classic styling, so is perhaps worth a look.
The Canon EF-M 22mm F2 is an even more tricky prospect. It's hard to believe Canon will provide much more for the system (Sigma appears to have already moved on), so while the pairing of a Canon EOS M6 II and 22mm makes an excellent combination, it might be best to assume that the EF-M lenses that now exist are all there ever will be. If your choice of other lenses is limited, then the benefit of choosing a mirrorless camera over a fixed-lens one is significantly diminished.
Ricoh's GR IIIx is one possible alternative. It has an APS-C sensor, but a slightly tighter 40mm-equiv. F2.8 lens. It's much smaller than the Fujifilm and lacks anything approaching its hybrid viewfinder.
If you're less size conscious, there are 23mm F1.4s from Viltrox, Tokina and now Sigma, available variously for E, EF-M, L and X-mounts, or the Fujifilm 23mm F2, which still sticks out a bit if you can still find an X-E4. Personally I think by the time you get to a Sony a6x00 body and a Viltrox 23mm F1.4, you've got so far from the small, enjoyable and desirable ethos of the X100 that you should start looking for landmarks and remind yourself of where you were trying to get to.
Fujifilm's 27mm F2.8 offers a 40mm equiv. option but it's slow (in most senses) and not especially cheap, so I'm not sure I see the appeal, personally. It's a similar story for Nikon's Z-mount 26mm F2.8 for me: it'll look nice on a Z fc, but the tighter view and slower aperture put me off. Panasonic's 20mm F1.7 II has its charms but it's pretty slow to focus and like the Olympus 17mm lens, it's not obvious which body it should be mounted on.
Fixed-lens alternatives
There aren't other current fixed-lens models offering a 35mm equiv. lens in front of a large sensor, but Ricoh's GR IIIx comes close, with its APS-C sensor and 40mm-equiv F2.8 lens. It's much smaller than the Fujifilm and lacks anything approaching its hybrid viewfinder, but it's a lovely camera to shoot with and has its own devout following.
If a wider-angle view of the world is more your thing, the non-X Ricoh GR III comes into play, as does the fabulous (and fabulously expensive) Leica Q2. Both are lovely cameras, though the Leica is pretty substantial and both Ricohs benefit from a pocket of spare batteries.
Second-hand options
The X100F offers a lot of what the X100V does, but the second-hand prices of the 'F' have crept up, with the newer model being in short supply.
Widen your net to second-hand options and the choices become significantly broader, albeit with added risk of the product not being as pristine as promised, not necessarily having any sort of warranty and possibly not existing, once your payment has cleared. Caveat emptor, and all that. Large second-hand dealers such as MPB and KEH give some peace of mind, but you're unlikely to find any fortuitous bargains from companies that know what the market rate is.
Obviously the best substitute for a lovely new X100V is a 'previously loved' X100V, but the scarcity of new copies is likely to have inflated second-hand prices. The X100F is the next best thing, frankly. You lose out on the slightly nicer new lens, the adjustable screen and the 26MP sensor, but the 'F's 24MP sensor is a pretty good substitute and if anything the viewfinder is a little better. That said, the shortage of X100Vs has had a knock-on effect on the second-hand prices of older models.
It becomes harder to recommend models much earlier than this. I don't say this to outrage the still happy X100S or X100T owners, but the 16MP sensor shows up the challenges of processing X-Trans in all but the most compliant software, you lose the joystick, revert to a smaller battery and are buying a camera that's got at least five years of unknowable use behind it. As for the original 12MP X100, it was a groundbreaking camera in its day but that day was over a decade ago. As an owner, I love what it allowed me to do, and it holds many happy memories for me, but too much has improved since then to seriously recommend one today: retro styling is much more appealing than dated performance.
The Sony RX1R II uses a full-frame sensor, but otherwise offers a similar configuration to the X100V: a small body with a 35mm F2 lens. However, don't forget to pack along extra batteries.
So what else is out there? You might find a Sony RX1, RX1R or RX1R II. These were full-frame compacts with 35mm F2 lenses and were capable of delivering beautiful images. But the first two models were slow-to-focus, even for 2013, so I'd recommend you steer clear at this point. The RX1R II improved things a little with phase-detection AF and even found room for a pop-up viewfinder. Sadly the battery life was atrocious (I've made the 'delivering a real film-like experience by making you stop every 36 exposures' joke more than once), so it's worth being aware of what you're letting yourself in for.
What would you recommend?
We have distinct reservations about all the available options. An EOS M6 II and 22mm F2 is a great combination to shoot with (I found the original M6 and 22 made for a very agreeable traveling companion on a European trip), but we'd be wary of investing much more than that in EF-M lenses. The Ricoh GR IIIx is probably makes the best understudy for the X100V: its lens is slower but it's also smaller and less expensive, and great fun to shoot with. Beyond that, it depends what you can find, second-hand.
Ultimately, though, while some of the options I've set out can offer the 35mm equiv. coverage of the X100V, and some can match the hands-on, photographer-friendly experience, none have anything to match Fujifilm's unique hybrid viewfinder and none combine all of these factors in such an attractive package. So, sadly, I'd conclude the best alternative to buying an X100V today is to add your name to a list for when one becomes available. Or cross your fingers that the X100 is the next model Fujifilm plans to update...
Sony's FE 24-50mm F2.8 G is a fast, compact walk-around lens for its full-frame E-mount cameras. We took it out in snow and sun in New Jersey to put it through its paces.
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In practice, we found that it makes for a light and portable package with convenient and satisfying hands-on controls and quick and quiet focus. Take a look at the gallery below, and see what you think!
Note: Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.
Travel can expose you to once-in-a-lifetime sights and experiences, and a good camera can be the perfect way to preserve those memories. We've looked at a range of models that offer great image quality, good autofocus and excellent video, so that you can capture whatever you encounter on your travels. We've also tried to select relatively small cameras so they don't interfere with your trip.
Our selections include relatively compact cameras with fixed lenses, perfect for just documenting what you saw on your trip; they also include Micro Four Thirds and APS-C models that allow smaller camera/lens combinations, if you're looking to travel light. Full-frame cameras open up the potential for even better image quality but the lenses can get pretty big, so it's worth checking how big the total package is, before committing to a large-sensor model.
The Ricoh GR III is the latest in a series of classic compact cameras with a large APS-C sensor and a 28mm equivalent lens. It's not the most flexible camera but it's one of the most pocketable and has built up a dedicated following of photographers who find it a joy to shoot with.
The GR III handles well, despite its size, thanks to well-placed controls, flexible customization options and a responsive touchscreen. The grip is just the right size for easy one-handed operation.
The GR III focuses swiftly and accurately in good light, but it slows significantly as light levels drop. There's also a Snap Focus option, where the user can preset a focus distance the camera 'snaps' to with a full press of the shutter button. The GR III's battery life is disappointing, at a rated 200 shots per charge.
"Offers direct control and excellent image quality in a pocketable camera"
Our only concern, in terms of using the GR III for travel are that some users have found dust can get into the lens. So it's worth trying to find some sort of protective bag to keep it in.
The Ricoh GR III offers direct control and excellent image quality in a pocketable camera. Its short battery life and fixed focal length lens mean this camera certainly isn't for everyone, but it's a compelling offering for travel, street and casual photographers alike.
There's also the GR IIIx, a variant with a longer, 40mm equivalent lens on it. This may be a little tight for documenting your travels, but it's historically a popular focal length.
Like the Fujifilm X100V before it, the Fujifilm X100VI is a classically styled fixed lens camera with a 35mm equivalent F2 lens. But being in active production following its 2024 launch, the X100VI is somewhat easier to buy than its constantly out-of-stock forebear.
Updated with in-body image stabilization rated at up to 6EV of correction and a 40MP BSI CMOS APS-C X-Trans sensor, the X100VI is a significant upgrade over its predecessor despite looking virtually identical. And those improvements in part explain the X100VI's $200 increase in list price to $1,600.
Like its older brother, the X100VI isn't the smallest or most inconspicuous camera, but its fixed focal length means you develop an 'eye' for the photos it'll take, essentially making it a better quality, more engaging alternative to snapping away with your phone.
The addition of subject-detection autofocus has given the X100VI the ability to recognize animals, birds, automobiles, motorcycles and bikes, airplanes, and trains though human (face/eye) detection is a separate mode. However, the lens the X100VI shares with the X100V is not the fastest to autofocus, prioritizing sharpness over speed.
The X100VI brings a level of polish you would expect from a sixth iteration of a camera. Fujifilm has done a great job keeping the X100-series up to date without messing with the formula that's made it so popular. No surprise, this is the best X100 yet.
Unfortunately, despite ramped-up production, demand for the X100VI seems to have outstripped supply with the camera already on backorder at virtually all dealers. With any luck, however, its release will depress the over-inflated sale price of previous generation X100V cameras, which are still quite capable if you can find them for prices befitting used gear.
The OM System OM-5 is a compact interchangeable lens camera with a 20MP Four Thirds sensor in a compact body with plenty of external control.
That relatively small sensor means it can remain fairly small, even with a lens attached, and the Micro Four Thirds lens system provides extensive options in that regard, from compact zooms to small prime lenses.
The OM-5 has a compact body but a decent number of control points and offers a high degree of customization. Its menu system is quite cluttered by the camera's extensive array of features. Viewfinder and rear screen are typical for the price.
It has good phase-detect autofocus with face detection, but tracking for other subjects is distinctly unreliable. Using a single point or zone of focus and trying to keep up with the subject yields best results, but is somewhat awkward due to the lack of an AF joystick.
"Its combination of IP-rated weather sealing, image stabilization and compact size helps the OM-5 offer something different"
The OM-5's 4K video isn't the most detailed, but this is made up for by some of the best image stabilization on the market, making the OM-5 a competent hand-held video option. Video AF tracks faces and people decently, but can struggle with other kinds of subjects.
The OM-5 offers strong all-round capability with excellent image stabilization in a compact IP53-rated weather-sealed body and access to one of the largest mirrorless camera lens systems.
The Sony a6700 is built around a 26MP APS-C-sized sensor. Its excellent autofocus performance means it excels at both stills and video capture. There's a good choice of relatively compact lenses available, too. We'd suggest avoiding the really small 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 though: it's not the lens to get the most out of this camera.
The a6700 has a thumb-and-forefinger dial interface missing from Sony's less expensive models. It’s just slightly larger than previous models in the line, but in exchange, you also get a fully articulating display. However, it lacks the AF joystick found on many cameras in its class.
Fast, dependable autofocus with a selection of subject recognition modes means the a6700 will help maximize your chances of capturing the unexpected moments on a trip.
"Excellent photo and video quality with best-in-class AF in stills and video make it an excellent choice for enthusiasts."
The camera produces very detailed 4K video up to 60p with 10-bit color, with good rolling shutter performance. There’s also a 4K/120p mode, albeit with a 1.58x crop. Autofocus performance is top-notch, with a well-designed touch interface. It's a strong option both for videographers and vloggers.
Excellent photo and video quality, best-in-class AF in stills and video, and a deep set of features to support both make it an excellent choice for enthusiasts. Sony's E-mount also includes a good range of available lenses.
Fujifilm's X-S20 is also worth considering. Like the a6700, it's built around a 26MP BSI CMOS sensor and is strong at both stills and video. Its autofocus isn't as simple and powerful as the Sony's, but its JPEG color modes produce really attractive results, and there's a wide choice of lenses including compact prime and the well-priced, supremely useful 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 OIS, which is a great travel option.
The camera has an approachable layout with two customizable dials set into a large hand grip. The camera is well-built and feels robust thanks to its partial metal construction. The EVF is a little small, though.
"The X-S20 delivers a long list of options to still shooters and vloggers alike, all while offering solid battery life."
Overall image quality is very good. JPEGs have pleasing color, and Film Simulation modes make it easy to change the style of your photos. Some cameras capture more detail at low sensitivities, but the X-S20 is more competitive at high ISOs. The camera's sensor gives you plenty of latitude when processing Raw images.
The X-S20's video specs are impressive, with 10-bit 4K capture at up to 60p. Videographers will appreciate its F-Log capture, while the Eterna color profile is attractive if you want a simpler workflow. An optional fan extends record times but autofocus isn't especially dependable.
The X-S20 takes Fujifilm's higher-end still and video features and puts them into a simple, cleanly designed body with built-in image stabilization. Image quality is great, autofocus is good in most situations, and the breadth of video features is impressive.
The Nikon Zf is a classically styled full-frame camera built around a 24MP full-frame sensor that's used by many of its peers. The angular 80s-style body isn't the most comfortable to hold in your hand for extended periods, but the lack of stick-out grip makes it smaller than many of its rivals, making it a tempting travel companion.
At least in its all-black form, there's a chance of it being mistaken for a film camera, which may help avoid the wrong kind of attention, when you're out and about in an unfamiliar setting.
The Zf gives the choice of using the dedicated control dials or customizable command dials. In most respects it copies its well-polished control system from other recent Nikons. Not everyone will enjoy the angular early 80's handling but it handles just as well as the cameras it resembles.
The Zf's autofocus is impressive, with both subject recognition and AF tracking both working well. It's perhaps not quite as confidence-inspiring as the latest Sony cameras, but it's not far off. It'd be nice to have an AF joystick but the rear control pad does a decent job.
"The Zf's looks may date from 1981, but its performance is completely contemporary"
The Zf has a very solid video feature set. Oversampled 4K/30 and cropped 4K/60 is standard for this sensor, but the Zf also adds a waveform display that's especially useful for exposing its 10-bit Log footage.
The Zf uses a very familiar 24MP BSI sensor that has underpinned numerous cameras in recent years, and the results are predictably good. There's plenty of dynamic range and enough detail capture for all but the most demanding applications.
The Nikon Zf's performance lives up to its looks. It's not as comfortable to hold for long periods as more modern designs, but it's also distinctive and engaging in a way they're arguably not. We're still completing our testing, but it hasn't disappointed yet.
The Sony a7CR is a relatively compact full-frame camera with an image-stabilized 61MP CMOS sensor. You sacrifice the convenience of an AF joystick and get a pretty small and basic viewfinder to keep the camera's size down, but there's little else that delivers this much image quality in such a compact package.
You'll need to pick your lenses carefully to keep the camera portable but the a7CR's autofocus means it can respond rapidly to just about anything you encounter on your travels.
The a7CR is impressively small for a full-frame camera. The addition of a front control dial improves handling significantly. Notably, there’s no joystick for positioning the AF point, and the viewfinder is small and very low resolution for a camera costing this much.
Autofocus performance on the a7CR is very good and is helped by a dedicated processor for crunching complex machine learning-trained algorithms. Subject recognition is quick, and the AF system tracks subjects tenaciously around the frame in either stills or video. 8 fps burst shooting with continuous AF results in a dependably high hit rate.
"If you're looking for maximum resolution in a travel-sized body, the a7RC is tough to beat."
The a7CR captures 4K video at up to 60 fps. The most detailed, oversampled footage results from a 1.2x crop of the sensor, which makes it challenging to maintain wider focal lengths. Auto Framing mode uses AI algorithms to mimic the way a camera operator might punch in on subjects, keeping them framed and in focus.
The a7CR's 61MP sensor can capture a lot of detail, putting it ahead of most full-frame rivals; though it is a little noisier in low light. JPEG colors are pleasing, and excellent sharpening makes the most out of the 61MP sensor. Raw files provide plenty of latitude to pull up shadows at base ISO.
The a7CR delivers impressive results for its size. It essentially provides the same level of image quality, and most of the same features, as Sony's a7R V, but in a smaller package. In exchange for the small size, you make a few compromises, like no AF joystick, but if you're looking for maximum resolution in a travel-sized body, the a7CR is tough to beat.
This buying guide is based on cameras used and tested by DPReview's editorial team. We don't select a camera until we've used it enough to be confident in recommending it, usually after our extensive review process. The selections are purely a reflection of which cameras we believe to be best: there are no financial incentives for us to select one model or brand over another.
The update adds a variety of new 'welcome screens' which are displayed when the camera turns on, if the feature is enabled. It also adds background color options for the information display, and fixes a bug related to assigning Release Mode to a Fn button in AUTO mode.
The Leica SL3 is a 60MP DSLR-shaped mirrorless camera built around Leica's L-mount. It brings a lot of technology from the Leica M11 models but also features a radically redesigned interface.
Key specifications
60MP BSI CMOS sensor
5-axis in-body image stabilization rated at 5.0EV
ISO 50-100,000 (base ISO 100)
Hybrid phase/contrast-detect autofocus
Eye/face/body and animal detection AF
DCI 8K video in H.265, 1080p in ProRes all with no time limits
5.76M dot OLED EVF with up to 120fps refresh
2.33M dot tilting rear touchscreen
4fps 14-bit shooting with AF, 5fps in 12-bit mode, up to 15fps, 12-bit with focus and exposure locked at first frame.
The Leica SL3 is available immediately at a recommended price of $6995. This is a $1000 increase over the price of 2019's SL2, though inflation means this is lower in real terms.
The Leica SL3 is the fourth in the company's range of full-frame, L-mount cameras, following 2017's 24MP SL, the 47MP SL2 from 2019 and the video/stills hybrid SL2-S from 2020. The SL3 adopts a 60MP BSI CMOS sensor, making it both the highest resolution SL camera yet and also the one most likely to play nicely with Leica's M series rangefinder lenses (BSI sensors are better at receiving light from close-mounted lenses, as their photosensitive region is closer to the surface).
As with the M11 cameras, the SL3 can output Raws or JPEGs in your choice of 60MP, 36MP or 18MP resolution, with the option for different resolutions for each file type.
The available ISO range of the sensor stretches from 50 to 100,000, but the company says the native gain steps of this dual gain sensor are ISOs 100 and 320 (200 and 640 in L-Log, 400 and 1250 in HLG).
The SL3 accepts CFexpress Type B slot in addition to UHS-II SD.
The sensor has on-sensor phase detection elements, allowing depth-aware focusing. This combines with a subject recognition system we suspect stems from the L² technology partnership with Panasonic. It can be set to recognize human bodies, faces and eyes, and will track and focus on the smallest of these that's available. It also has animal detection including birds.
The camera uses the same "Maestro IV" processors as Leica's Q3 model, with an 8Gb buffer that's double the size of that in the SL2. Despite this processing power and buffer the SL3's continuous shooting rate is very low by modern standards, hitting just 4 frames per second if you want autofocus and the sensor's full 14-bit readout. This increases to 5fps if you drop to 12-bit mode and then trebles if you don't need focus or exposure updates between shots. This is especially odd given the camera has enough grunt to deliver 8K video.
8K video
The SL3's includes a full-sized HDMI port, as well as headphone and mic sockets
The SL3 can capture 8K video (in 1.89:1 or 16:9 aspect ratios) at up to 30p in 10-bit. This uses the H.265 codec and can record 4:2:0 to the CFexpress slot until you run out of card space or battery. It will also output 4K in 10-bit 4:2:2 over the HDMI socket if you shoot Log or HLG, or are recording to a card at the same time. HDMI output is 8-bit 4:2:0 UHD 8K if you're not in one of these modes and not recording to a card.
The 4K (UHD or DCI) is taken from the 8K capture when shooting at up to 30p. It appears to line-skip to deliver up to 4K/60p from the same region of the sensor.
Frame rates
Crop
Bit-depth
Chroma
Codec
Bitrate (Mbps)
Rolling shutter
C8K mode
Internal (DCI 8K)
30, 25, 24, 23.97
1.17
10-bit
4:2:0
H.265
300
31.5ms
HDMI* (DCI 4K)
4:2:2
8K mode
Internal (UHD 8K)
30, 25, 24, 23.97
1.24
10-bit
4:2:0
H.265
300
31.5ms
HDMI* (UHD 4K)
4:2:2
C4K mode
DCI 4K
60, 50, 48, 47.95**
1.17
10-bit
4:2:2
H.265
600
15.6ms
30, 25, 24, 23.97
400
31.5ms
4K mode
UHD 4K
60, 50, 48, 47.95
1.24
10-bit
4:2:2
H.265
600
15.6ms
30, 25, 24, 23.97
400
31.5ms
*C8K or UHD 8K is output over HDMI in 8-bit 4:2:0 if you are not recording internally and not in L-Log or HLG modes. **Camera outputs 4K/24 or 23.98 over HDMI in 4K 48p or 47.95p modes
The camera offers five preset slots in which you can define resolution, frame rate, codec, compression, with the choice of gamma encoding, Log or HLG capture. This lets you jump between pre-defined modes, rather than risking changing one setting and forgetting to change another (or forgetting to change a contingent setting back, when you revert to your main shooting mode).
The SL3 also has the ability to sync timecode over a flash sync socket on the side of the viewfinder hump.
Body and controls
The third command dial on the right of this image sets the SL3 apart from its predecessors
The body of the SL3 looks a lot like the previous SL models but is recognizably a little smaller. And, while the overall appearance is consistent with prior models, there are more changes, the closer you look at the camera.
The biggest change is the addition of a third command dial to the left of the camera's viewfinder. This allows default behavior that puts the key exposure controls, shutter speed and aperture, on the main two command dials and ISO on the new left-hand dial, giving immediate access to all the fundamental photographic settings.
The other really obvious alteration is that the array of three buttons (Play, Fn, Menu) have been shifted across to the right-hand side of the rear screen, so that a tilting screen design can be implemented without conflict between the screen and the buttons.
The on-off switch on the left of the camera has been replaced by a button that you hold down to wake the camera. This is surrounded by an LED indicator that glows green when the camera is charging, pulses white when the camera is in sleep mode and is constantly illuminated white when the camera is awake.
Despite the articulated screen, the SL3 continues to offer the IP54 water and dust protection rating as its predecessor.
It has a 5.76M dot (1600 x 1200 pixel) viewfinder with 0.76x magnification that can run at up to 120fps and a 2.33M dot (1080 x 720 pixel) rear screen that tilts up or down.
Interface
Where the SL3 stands out is in its user interface (UI). Leica has been working on variations of a touch-led interface all the way back to its first L-mount camera, the Leica T (long enough that the mount was still called the T-mount at that point). The SL3's UI isn't quite as radical as its APS-C forebear but it still feels quite innovative compared with most cameras.
The primary means of interacting with the camera is through the three command dials, as you might expect. Their functions can be reconfigured for each of the camera's exposure modes but with the choice of a second configuration if you're using adapted M lenses (ie: if you're using a lens with an aperture ring, you may choose not to assign a dial to aperture value).
The bulk of the camera's other settings are adjusted through its touch-operated settings menu, with a relatively shallow menu system sitting behind this. Holding your finger on one of the onscreen buttons lets you customize its function (the exposure and ISO settings can't be repurposed).
Swipe left and the photo settings give way to the video settings and yellow highlighting (reflecting the color scheme of the distance scales on Leica's Cine lenses).
The settings panel shows either the stills settings or, if you swipe a finger across the screen, the video settings. The settings screen and menus have red indicators when you're in stills mode and yellow to denote video mode.
The camera's live view displays can also be customized, with a choice of which settings appear onscreen, and whether the screen is re-arranged for portrait orientation. Up to six banks of presets that include button and screen customization can be named, saved and exported, so that you can quickly set the camera up for your preferred way of working.
The menu includes touch toggles, meaning you don't need a separate screen for binary choices. On this screen you can limit which options are available when you customize the action of the Fn button, to make operation faster.
The menus themselves include nice touches such as toggle switches for on/off settings, so that you don't need to go into a deeper level of the menus just to switch settings on and off. You can also slim down the list of which settings are available to be assigned to buttons, to make selection quicker.
On top of this, the camera lets you define up to four presets of capture assistants (grids, levels, highlight warnings, etc). The camera will use whichever of these presets you last used and will retain separate settings for capture and playback.
Battery
The SL3 uses a new, higher power BP-SCL6 battery which now offers 15.8Wh capacity (up from 14.4). The camera is still compatible with the older BP-SCL4 batteries but some video functions are only available with the newer version. The camera is rated at a rather low figure of 320 shots per charge per the CIPA standard. But Leica says that it will deliver 1350 shots per charge if the camera auto power off function is used every 50 shots, rather than the standard's 10, giving an insight into why the CIPA standard tends to significantly underestimate most people's real-world usage
A DC-powered dummy battery is available, allowing the camera to be powered using USB-C for extended periods and without tying up the camera's USB-C socket.
Initial impressions
By Richard Butler
The Leica SL3 is an interesting camera, bringing the sensor and many of the developments of the recent M11 models to the L-mount for the first time. The body is appreciably smaller without sacrificing any of the solidity or consistency of look from the existing cameras.
The size reduction and increased contribution from Leica's technology tie-up with Panasonic doesn't mean the SL3 is simply a rebadged DC-S5 II. The three-dial layout makes it distinct both from the Panasonic and the existing SL models, and this felt informative, regarding the camera's intent.
It's that focus on the fundamentals, and the back-to-basics rethink that led to it, that leaps out about the SL3. The rest of its specifications aren't particularly different to most of its peers, but the way it's operated is.
The SL3's interface will be unfamiliar to almost everyone at first, in that it doesn't particularly resemble the behavior of most cameras we've encountered. But this is perhaps a good time to remind ourselves that, while the word is often used, almost no aspect of camera operation is literally "intuitive". You don't know how to use a different brand's cameras because it's innately obvious, you do so because it behaves like something you've learned. And our first impressions are that the SL3's interface, while unfamiliar, is simple, sensibly arranged and should be quick to learn.
Leica says it redesigned every one of the camera's icons, and even went so far as to adopt a new typeface for its menus, but these are merely the outward signifiers of a fairly 'ground, up' approach to rethinking how a camera should work.
We suspect we'll find a few quirks and oddities, as we get to use it day-in, day-out, but in a landscape of cameras that can often look and feel interchangeable, with only lens choices to distinguish between them, it's interesting to encounter a camera that tries to do something different. And, in keeping with its maker's reputation, the SL3 seems to be searching for a way to make a camera that's focused on photography's fundamentals.
That said, it's hard not to notice that the SL3 costs around 80% more than Sony's excellent a7R V which also features a 60MP, dual conversion gain BSI CMOS sensor. And that's a significant premium to have to pay for an innovative interface. So the wisdom of choosing the SL3 may come down to your belief in the quality of Leica's lenses, meaning the decision essentially does come back to lens choice.
Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.
The acquisition comes after RED sued Nikon for allegedly infringing on patents it held for video compression technology in 2022 and Nikon, in response, squared off the fight the allegations before the case was ultimately dismissed in April of 2023.
It's easy to assume there's some connection between these two events, but irrespective of this, the purchase makes a lot of sense for Nikon from a business perspective. RED has established a toe-hold in Hollywood and with the rental houses used by independent production teams, in a way that would take Nikon years to achieve. Likewise, absorbing a company that's already developed an industry-accepted set of tools could let Nikon sidestep the teething troubles that it might otherwise encounter as it continues to expand its video features.
Nikon to Acquire US Cinema Camera Manufacturer RED.com, LLC
Accelerating Expansion in Professional Digital Cinema Camera Market
March 7, 2024
TOKYO - Nikon Corporation (Nikon) hereby announces its entry into an agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding membership interests of RED.com, LLC (RED) whereby RED will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nikon, pursuant to a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement with Mr. James Jannard, its founder, and Mr. Jarred Land, its current President, subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions thereunder.
Since its establishment in 2005, RED has been at the forefront of digital cinema cameras, introducing industry-defining products such as the original RED ONE 4K to the cutting-edge V-RAPTOR [X] with its proprietary RAW compression technology. RED's contributions to the film industry have not only earned it an Academy Award but have also made it the camera of choice for numerous Hollywood productions, celebrated by directors and cinematographers worldwide for its commitment to innovation and image quality optimized for the highest levels of filmmaking and video production.
This agreement was reached as a result of the mutual desires of Nikon and RED to meet the customers’ needs and offer exceptional user experiences that exceed expectations, merging the strengths of both companies. Nikon's expertise in product development, exceptional reliability, and know-how in image processing, as well as optical technology and user interface along with RED’s knowledge in cinema cameras, including unique image compression technology and color science, will enable the development of distinctive products in the professional digital cinema camera market.
Nikon will leverage this acquisition to expand the fast-growing professional digital cinema camera market, building on both companies' business foundations and networks, promising an exciting future of product development that will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in film and video production.
Lensrentals, the US's largest photo and video gear rental company, is buying competitor BorrowLenses. The acquisition will significantly increase Lensrentals' rental and used gear inventory.
Recent Videos
In addition to shipping equipment in sturdy Pelican cases, LR customers can now pick up their gear at BorrowLenses' San Carlos, CA, location. Lensrentals currently has pickup options in the Nashville, Memphis, and Boston areas.
The terms of the acquisition were not made available at the time of publication. Lensrentals previously snapped up Concord, Massachusetts-based LensProToGo in 2017.
Lensrentals Acquires BorrowLenses Brand and Select Assets to Expand Largest Resource of Inventory for Creatives and Production Teams Seeking Photo and Video Equipment for Rental in the United States
Renowned for stellar customer service, Lensrentals maintains vital gear rental resource for anyone from movie and entertainment productions, professional sports leagues, to all videographers, photographers and content creators nationwide
Memphis, TN – March 7, 2024 – Lensrentals, the leading and largest online photo, video, audio and lighting equipment rental and production resource company, announced the acquisition of select assets of the BorrowLenses business, an online marketplace for photographic and video equipment rentals.
The acquisition will expand Lensrentals’ loyal customer base while augmenting its enormous inventory of more than 400,000 copies of over 6,000 different lenses, cameras, drones, lighting, audio and other high quality production equipment and accessories, in every format, from every major manufacturer available in the market. Additionally, the used gear program known as Keeper will also receive a significant boost in inventory.
Lensrentals has long maintained the largest inventory of photo, video, audio, lighting and accessories and has attracted more than a million orders since its founding. Additionally, the company’s expertise as a production resource and high quality customer service has enabled Lensrentals to align with brands that include world leading box office movie and entertainment companies, professional sports leagues and the journalism professionals that cover them.
Similarly, BorrowLenses has provided cutting-edge photo and video gear for rental, convenient pick-up and shipping options, and exceptional service to its loyal base of creatives and professionals with more than one million orders over sixteen years.
“As a big group of employee-owners, via our Employee Stock Ownership Plan, I think I speak for all employees when I say: we’re collectively delighted and genuinely grateful to strengthen the Lensrentals family with the addition of the BorrowLenses brand, alongside whom we’ve served customers for nearly two decades, while pushing each other to excel. The acquisition will enable us to extend our high-quality rental and production experience to a growing customer base that demands the highest-quality technical equipment a creative needs to produce movies, video and audio, and photographic content, without the up-front expenses associated with buying gear outright and continued maintenance,” said Tyler Beckman, CEO of Lensrentals. “We’re proud of our reputation as the most reliable video and photo gear rental experience online. We employ experienced team members with hands-on video and photo experience to provide the right counsel and ensure the gear which our customers use is not only the highest quality professional grade, but also curated for individual scenarios, down to the right cables and extra batteries for cold conditions. We look forward to welcoming all BorrowLenses customers to the Lensrentals experience.”
With operations in San Carlos, CA, BorrowLenses provided photographers and videographers with a similar range of equipment for rental as Lensrentals. BorrowLenses has offered local pickup in California, like Lensrentals and LensProToGo in Tennessee and Massachusetts respectively, as well as nationwide shipping options.
Lensrentals has long been renowned for providing the highest quality of customer service, by an experienced team of photo and video industry professionals. The customer service team recommends, troubleshoots, and offers counsel on what equipment will work best for each scenario presented. Whether the production is a box office movie, a televised multi-team race around the world, the sidelines of a professional or college sporting event, a new family member, a solar event, a road trip or a wedding, the customer service team operates like a trusted first assistant.
Every piece of gear in the Lensrentals and LensProToGo inventory is cleaned and inspected optically and physically to guarantee orders arrive on time with compatible, working equipment. All technical equipment is shipped in weatherproof hard shipping cases and arrives with a return label in the box, to facilitate an easy return at the end of a rental.
About Lensrentals
Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Memphis, TN with additional facilities in Tennessee and Massachusetts, Lensrentals provides photography, video, audio, lighting gear and drones, amongst more than 400,000 equipment items, for lease from the largest inventory of equipment in the United States. The company ships to customers throughout the 50 states with pickup and return services available to local customers in Memphis, TN and Concord, MA. Lensrentals provides services to hundreds of thousands of photographers annually, maintaining the values of its founder; sharing the best available equipment, at its optimum quality and educating its users to make sure they can achieve their goals as a professional, amateurs and enthusiasts. The company maintains the highest quality of available equipment with the lowest equipment failure rate in the industry.
Many (all?) companies got into the habit of announcing product shortages "becuase of high demand". For the most part, I consider this to be a marketing strategy, but in the case of the new Fujifilm X100VI camera, I believe the hype is real after getting some feedback from retailers - the X100VI demand is very high and it exceeded all expectations. Today FujiFilm Japan issued an official notice about it:
"Please note that since the announcement, we have received a far greater response than expected, so please note that it may take some time for the product to be delivered. We will do our best to increase production so that we can deliver the products as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding."
Panasonic's newest zoom lens, the Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS, covers a range of popular focal lengths for travel photography, so I decided to take it on a recent trip to Japan as my sole travel lens, using it to photograph everything from snow monkeys near Nagano to night scenes in Yokohama.
A couple of notes about this gallery: All the photos were captured using a Panasonic S5IIX camera, a 24MP body, as we're working on finishing up our review of the S5II and S5IIX, and this was the camera I had with me in Japan. We'll add photos from a higher-resolution body at a later date. Similarly, we'll add some macro images to the gallery when we get a chance.
Note: Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.
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