We're coming up on the end of the year, but are hard at work on getting a few more reviews done by 2025. In case you missed a thing or two here and there, here's a recap of the reviews and testing we've done this year so far!
October
Sony ZV-E10 II: Review
Sony's ZV-E10 II is a stripped-down version of its APS-C flagship, the a6700, with a focus on vlogging. As such, our review mainly takes the form of a video, which you can watch above.
Throughout our tests, the Nikon Z6III proved to be an incredibly capable camera at its price point. Its 24MP 'partially-stacked' sensor provided plenty of detail while also reading data out at a much higher speed, allowing for fast burst rates and video shooting with little risk of rolling shutter. We also appreciated its honed ergonomics and bright, high-resolution viewfinder.
Panasonic's 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 collapsable lens is meant to be an ultra-lightweight and compact companion to the company's S9 camera and is now being sold as a kit with the creator-focused offering.
The X-M5 is an entry-level offering from Fujifilm focused on vlogging and content creation. It's based around the company's 26MP X-Trans sensor and comes equipped with a film simulation dial, AI-trained subject detection autofocus and – unlike many other vlogging-focused options – a mechanical shutter.
Another product Fujifilm launched in October was a second-generation of the company's 16-55mm F2.8 lens. It's essentially an APS-C version of the venerable 24-70, but unlike the first generation, the XF16-55mm F2.8 II is actually around 1/3 lighter than many of its full-frame counterparts. Its smaller size and weight convinced editor Richard Butler to take a preproduction copy with him on vacation to the UK, which gave him the opportunity to capture an incredible sample gallery.
DPReview editor Dale Baskin has had the Lowepro Photo Sport 300 AW II for over 10 years and has put thousands of miles on the pack during his adventures across the planet. Given that it's still going strong and that you can still pick one up today, we decided it was time for a review.
Google's flagship folding phone uses a different camera setup than the regular Pixel 9 Pro, so we shot a separate gallery to get a feel for what kind of performance you can expect from a phone that costs $1,800. Our sample guide article also discusses the experience of shooting with a phone that has a foldable 8" screen.
Sigma's 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN Art is a lens for L-mount and Sony E-mount that's surprisingly compact given its focal range and maximum aperture. We got the chance to shoot with it on a holiday weekend at Glacier National Park.
Another lens released in September was the Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm F3.2-4.5 E, an ultra-wide zoom lens for the company's medium-format cameras. Our sample gallery was shot in Washington, DC and Oregon, giving us an idea of how the lens performs when shooting architecture and landscapes.
Canon's EOS R5 II is the company's latest high-end, full-frame mirrorless camera with a Stacked CMOS sensor and many of the autofocus features of the company's new flagship R1 model. It's so feature-rich that, in some ways, it was a struggle to review it; it's a tool for so many different types of photographers that it was nearly impossible for us to put ourselves in all those shoes. However, it's still clear that the EOS R5 II is an extremely capable camera for most use cases.
The Leica Q3 43 is essentially what it says on the tin: a Q3 with the 28mm fixed lens replaced by a 43mm one, giving the camera a 'normal' focal length that some photographers will find more pleasing. The built-in lens is almost shockingly sharp, and the package as a whole is an impressive and premium photographic tool – as you would hope, given the $6895 price tag.
Sigma announced the second generation of its 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art lens in May, and we were able to shoot with it on our trip to Japan. However, we wound up publishing our sample gallery in August, as we wanted to ensure that the sample we'd used was representative.
Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL: Sample gallery
Photo: Dale Baskin
We shot a sample gallery with Google's latest flagship smartphones, making sure to test out each of the three cameras, as well as the night mode. Spoiler alert: the gallery isn't the last time Glacier National Park will feature in one of our tests.
The Fujifilm X-T50 is a classically-styled mid-level APS-C mirrorless camera that uses Fujifilm's stabilized 40MP X-Trans sensor. We found that it's an excellent choice for those looking to learn the art of photography, or who want to upgrade from a smartphone – as long as they have some cash to spare.
This summer, Sony released the second generation of its FE 85mm F1.4 GM lens, which weighs around 20% less than the first-generation model. We shot a sample gallery with it and were generally impressed with how sharp the results were.
The Leica D-Lux 8 is an updated 17MP enthusiast zoom compact camera, with a switch dedicated to taking different crops of its Four Thirds-sized sensor. It definitely comes at a premium price, but it's also one of the last enthusiast compacts left on the market.
Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN for Canon RF: Sample gallery
Photo: Mitchell Clark
The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN itself isn't new this year, but the version for Canon's RF mount is. It fills a gap in the lineup of fast standard zooms that made sense for Canon APS-C cameras, making them a little easier to recommend.
In July, Canon announced the EOS R1, a new high-end sports and photojournalism camera and the company's first mirrorless camera to bear the 1-series label. It features a 24MP stacked full-frame sensor and can shoot up to 40fps in E-shutter mode.
While attending Canon's North American launch event for the EOS R1, we took a sample gallery using a preproduction model.
Alongside the EOS R1, Canon also announced the EOS R5 II, an update to its high-end, high-resolution hybrid camera. Like the EOS R1, it features sports-focused Action Priority autofocus modes, which is why the sample gallery we shot with a pre-production model features plenty of basketball pictures.
Panasonic's GH-line of Micro Four Thirds cameras has historically been focused on video shooters. While the GH7 is no exception, it also has a surprisingly complete suite of photography features.
In June Nikon announced the Z6III, a full-frame camera designed for hybrid shooters and featuring a 25MP 'partially-stacked' sensor. It can shoot Raw video internally, and has a higher-resolution sensor than its predecessor.
The Pentax 17 is perhaps an unusual product for DPReview to cover, given that it's a film camera. However, it was hard to pass up the opportunity to review the first new film camera we've seen from a major manufacturer in decades.
The Pentax 17 takes half-frame photos, letting you squeeze double the shots out of any given roll of film – a sign of the times in an age where film prices have only been going up.
The Fujifilm X100VI is a photographers' fixed-lens camera that combines a stabilized 40MP APS-C sensor with a 35mm equivalent F2 lens.
We had plenty of good things to say about it when we published our in-depth review in May, but even months later, it's still not easy to buy one. Still, give the full review a read so you know whether you want to jump on the opportunity to get it if one ever shows up – or to just live vicariously through us.
Japan is one of our favorite places to shoot sample galleries, especially when it's raining. We got the opportunity to do one for Google's budget phone while visiting the country to cover the launch of the Panasonic S9.
After Sigma's announcement of the astrophotography-focused 15mm F1.4 DG DN Art, we teamed up with photographer José Francisco Salgado to put it through its paces in the Canadian sub-arctic.
Fujifilm XF16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR: Sample gallery
Photo: Jeff Carlson
The Fujinon XF16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR is Fujifilm's second-generation premium kit zoom, and we were able to take preproduction samples in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Panasonic S9 is a full-frame camera designed specifically with content creators in mind. It has a dedicated button to select a LUT (look up table) to quickly change the look of footage or pictures in-camera.
Alongside our initial review, we published a sample gallery largely shot in Osaka, Japan, which now includes Raws and images with LUTs applied.
Fujifilm X-T50: First look video and preview samples
Photo: Richard Butler
In May, Fujifilm announced the X-T50, an APS-C camera aimed at beginners, featuring a dial dedicated to controlling the company's 'film simulation' color profiles. At launch, we published our initial review, first look video and a sample gallery taken with preproduction hardware.
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.
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.
Adobe announced the latest updates to Photoshop, Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw during its Max conference keynote. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the products are getting a heaping helping of generative AI features, though there are other non-Ai improvements as well.
The Quick Actions are meant to help quicky spice up a picture.
Image: Adobe
The big new feature coming to Lightroom is called Quick Actions, which Adobe says will speed up "fine tune editing." Essentially, Lightroom will give you some suggested edits, and automatically create masks around subjects. Then, you can apply the edits and retouching, and adjust the strength of the effects. The company says the feature will launch in early access in Lightroom Mobile and Lightroom for the web.
The company also says the Generative Remove feature it announced in May is out of early access and is now generally available to Lightroom users in Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Lightroom mobile. The feature lets you select an object in a photograph, which the software will then try to erase, filling in the gaps with imagery generated using Adobe's Firefly AI. The company says it has also improved Generative Remove's selection tool, letting you circle the things you want to erase.
Now, everyone can erase unwanted elements in images without jumping into Photoshop.
Image: Adobe
In an FAQ, Adobe says, "Content Credentials will be automatically attached to photos edited with the feature in Lightroom," which should help people determine if an image was altered with AI as long as the platform they're viewing it supports that metadata – though at the moment, very few do.
Adobe has also continued to make performance improvements to Lightroom Classic, improving the image navigation experience in the Develop module and making the tethered capture experience for Nikon cameras substantially faster.
It's also been working on improving and expanding the HDR editing experience. The company says you can now see HDR content in more views throughout Lightroom and that it now supports embedded ISO HDR Gain Maps. That means you should be able to export one file that will render correctly on SDR and HDR displays rather than having to export separate SDR and HDR files.
Lightroom is getting big improvments if you shoot HDR images on your phone
Lightroom also now supports HDR images from Google's Pixel 9 phones and will let you edit HDR video if you have an Apple silicon Mac or are using Lightroom mobile on iOS.
Adobe is also expanding the availability of its AI Denoise tool, which is available in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw. It'll now work on HDR and panorama DNGs, as well as Apple, Google, and Samsung's flavors of Raw.
Finally, there are the classic quality-of-life improvements. Lightroom Mobile is getting a performance boost on Android, and there are new options for managing how much disk space Lightroom Classic will take up for its preview cache. Additionally, Lightroom Classic will no longer require you to change the name of your catalog when you upgrade it using a newer version of Lightroom.
Frame.io
The company also says the Frame.io changes it announced earlier this year are now generally available. That includes custom metadata features and integration into Lightroom that supports loading images via Camera To Cloud. In theory, that means you could shoot pictures on your camera and have them show up in Lightroom via Frame.io, as long as your camera supports the feature. Currently, the list of stills cameras with Frame.io integration includes the Lumix S5II/X, GH7, and Fujifilm's latest-gen cameras, including the recently announced X-M5.
On that note, Adobe also says that Nikon, Canon, and Leica will join in on supporting Camera To Cloud. The Canon C400 and C80, and the Leica SL3 will be getting updates to natively support the feature, and the Nikon Z6III, Z8, and Z9 will be able to offload to Frame.io via Nikon's NX MobileAir app. The updates enabling Frame.io integration will be coming at various points throughout next year.
Photoshop
Like with Lightroom, Adobe is making many of Photoshop's early-access generative AI features generally available. That includes tools like Generative Fill, Generative Expand, Generate Similar, Generate Background, and Generate Image, all of which use the company's Firefly 3 AI model to do more or less what the names imply. Generative Fill lets you drop AI-generated images in to whatever you're editing.
In addition, it's adding a Generative Workspace tool, which lets you generate images and will keep a record of them in one place.
Speaking of Firefly, the company says there's a new 'fast mode' available for it that will let you generate images up to four times faster, if you're just trying to get a very quick draft that you'll refine later.
Image: Adobe
Adobe is also introducing an automatic distraction removal tool, which uses AI to find distracting elements in an image and remove them.
The company says that, if you want, you are able to turn off generative AI in the remove tool. By default, it will choose "from many technologies to deliver the best result," but there's a setting that lets you set generative AI on or off – you can also leave it on Auto, where it'll use whichever methods it thinks are most suited to whatever you're trying to remove.
There are some non-AI improvements to Photoshop, too. The company says it's expanding the number of tools that work with 32-bit HDR images in Photoshop, meaning you can use things like the dodge/burn tool, Magic Wand, magnetic lasso, Spot Healing Brush Tool, Remove Tool, and more without converting your image down to 16- or 8-bit.
Adobe Camera Raw
Adobe is adding a Firefly-powered Generative Expand mode to ACR, which will use AI to fill in past the borders of your image. The mode will be available as a technical preview.
The company is also announcing a beta for something called Adobe Adaptive Profile, which it says will use AI to make editing images with high dynamic range easier. You apply it like you do the standard 'Adobe Color' or 'Adobe Landscape' profiles, but instead of making the same adjustments for each image, an AI model will automatically adjust Exposure, Shadows, Highlights, Color Mixer, Curves, etc. The sliders will still be at their default values, but the changes the profile makes are meant to act as a base upon which you'll add your own edits.
The photo on the left uses the Adobe Color profile, while the one on the right uses the Adobe Adaptive one.
Image: Adobe
Adobe says it created the profile based on 'thousands of hand-edited photos of people, pets, food, architecture, museum exhibits, cars, ships, airplanes, landscapes, and many other subjects.' It has a blog post that goes into a deep-dive on what exactly it changes and how the company put the profile together. Generally, it's meant to make subjects pop from the background, making them subtly lighter and more colorful. Adobe says it'll automatically generate HDR and SDR looks for an image.
Adobe says the mode will currently only work on Raw images, though it hopes to expand support for other file types in the future.
We're on the ground at Adobe's conference this week, so keep an eye out for some demos of these features. Be sure to let us know if you have any questions so we can keep them in mind during our tests.
Canon's EOS R5 II is the company's latest high-end, full-frame mirrorless camera, which now gains a Stacked CMOS sensor and many of the autofocus features of the company's new flagship R1 model.
Key specifications:
45MP Stacked CMOS sensor
Eye-controlled AF subject selection
Up to 30fps continuous shooting with blackout free viewfinder
In-body stabilization rated at up to 8.5EV correction, coordinated with lens
Pre-burst capture (up to 0.5 sec in stills, 3 or 5 sec in video)
8K Raw video capture up to 60p
Canon C-Log2 profile
Waveforms and false color display
AF trained by machine learning for specific sports
AI-enhanced post-shot noise reduction or upscaling
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
1x CFexpress Type B, 1x UHS-II SD
The Canon EOS R5 II is available, at a recommended sales price of $4299. This is a $400 increase over the original model (though less expensive in real terms if you account for inflation). A kit with the RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM has a suggested price of $5399.
There will also be a choice of three accessory grips, covered later in the article.
The biggest change in the EOS R5 II is the move to a Stacked CMOS sensor. As we've seen before, this allows the camera to read out its sensor much, much faster than conventional BSI or FSI chips. This speed allows the camera to capture 8K video at up to 60p and bursts of stills at up to 30fps.
If 30fps is too much for the shooting you do, the camera can be customized to shoot at 20, 15, 10 or 5fps instead. We found the readout rate in stills mode to be 6.3ms (∼1/160 sec) and that it appears to read out in 16-line chunks. This is a fair bit slower than the likes of the Z8 (∼1/270).
The EOS R5 II's sensor uses Canon's Dual Pixel AF design, with two photodiodes for each pixel location, meaning almost the entire sensor can be used for phase-detection autofocus. But it does not have the cross-type arrangement used in the EOS R1. It also omits the original R5's Dual Pixel RAW option, but we suspect very few people found a good use for this.
Eye-control AF
The EOS R5 II gets the same updated version of Eye-control AF that appears in the R1. Like the first modern version in the EOS R3, this lets you select a subject to focus on by looking in its direction: as soon as you half-press the shutter button or hit AF-On to initiate focusing, the camera will pick the subject nearest to where it thinks you're looking.
The latest version has sensors with a wider field of view, to get a better view of the eye as a whole, and revised algorithms that should work better when the eye is further from the viewfinder. This should be particularly useful for people wearing glasses and is supported with an eyeglasses detection mode, to avoid it getting confused by the additional lens and distance between the sensors and the photographer's eye.
'Digic Accelerator' co-processor
The EOS R5 II has the same 'Digic Accelerator' co-processor used in the R1. The way Canon talks about it is directly comparable to the way Sony describes its 'AI processing unit': a dedicated processor focused on crunching its way through the complex algorithms generated by AI mechanisms, which means the main processor can stay focused on things like distance measurement and communicating with the lens, rather than trying to do everything at once.
Canon says this processor helps run more complex exposure and white balance algorithms, too, boosting the camera's fundamental functions, as well as powering some of its novel features.
Our of camera JPEG
1/125 sec | F2.8 | ISO 51200
JPEG reprocessed with "Neural Network" noise reduction
1/125 sec | F2.8 | ISO 51200
Pre-capture
As with the R1, the R5 II can be set to capture up to 1/2 a second of action before you fully depress the shutter, so long as you have the button half-pressed beforehand. It can also pre-capture 3 or 5 seconds of video.
Action Priority modes
One of the biggest features the R5 II shares with the R1 is its slate of Action Priority AF modes. These are based on machine learning trained on how different sports look: how active players' bodies are positioned and what the ball looks like at key moments. The camera is able to follow the ball and work out which player to prioritize. For instance, Canon says the Football/Soccer mode has been trained to recognize the following actions occurring: "Shoot, header, short pass, long pass, dribble, clear, place kick, save by keeper, throw in, sliding tackle".
At launch, the EOS R5 II will have AF modes for Football ('Soccer' on cameras with US firmware), Basketball and Volleyball. Canon did not say whether it plans to add other sports, via firmware, later, but implied it would be possible.
Pre-registered person priority
In addition to the generic subject types the camera has been trained to recognize, it's also possible to register up to ten sets of ten people in the camera's memory. If engaged, the camera will try to give priority to those individuals if it identifies them in a scene.
This could be used to ensure you get photos of specific players at a sporting event or, for instance, during wedding shoots, where you can set the camera to prioritize the betrothed, rather than risking the camera getting distracted by other members of the wedding party that happen to get closer to your AF point.
You can even create a priority rank of the people you've identified so that the camera knows to focus on the bride ahead of the groom, ahead of the maid of honor, and so forth. Despite giving the camera only a single image of each subject, it proved pretty good at recognizing the people we asked it to prioritize.
AI-derived noise reduction or upscaling
Original image
1/2000 sec | F2.8 | ISO 640
Up-scaled version
1/2000 sec | F2.8 | ISO 640
Like the R1, the R5 II gains two post-shot options to reprocess your files using the full power of its AI-derived algorithms. It's not got the processing power or battery life to apply these as you shoot, so you'll need to select which images to process, after the fact. Even with a dedicated 'accelerator' chip, both processes take several seconds to apply to each file.
The first option is to up-res the images to twice their original resolution (four times the pixel count). This uses machine learning to anticipate what might occur between the captured pixels, to boost the apparent resolution. Somewhat unexpectedly, this process is conducted on JPEG or HEIF images only, rather than the Raw data.
The other option is to apply complex "neural network" noise reduction to files. This again is based on machine learning and attempts to distinguish between noise and detail to give a clean but detailed image. The option can be applied to Raw files but Canon says that the JPEGs that are then created cannot then be up-sized.
Blur/Out-of-Focus detection
The other post-capture cleverness the EOS R5 II acquires is its ability to check how in-focus the chosen subject is. It's based on the camera's subject recognition system, so works best with human faces.
A metadata tag identifying the most precisely focused images is added to the file and can be used to filter your images, either in playback mode on the camera or in Canon's Digital Photo Pro software, when you get back to your computer. There are significant restrictions to when the system works: you need to be using an electronic shutter mode and have subject detection turned on. It also only works for JPEG images: the feature will operate if you have the camera set to Raw + JPEG but you can only check the results or filter your images if the Raw file has been deleted.
The R5 II may not be able to shoot quite as fast as the EOS R1, but any amount of 30fps shooting is likely to make you appreciate the ability to home in on the most focused shots.
Anti-flicker
As with the EOS R3, there are options both to sync the camera's shooting to match the brightest point in the brightness cycle of lights that flicker at 100 or 120Hz in response to 50 or 60Hz electricity, and there's also a High Frequency Anti-Flicker mode that assesses the flicker rate of fast-flickering light sources such as LEDs, and chooses a fractional shutter speed at a harmonic frequency, to minimize visible banding.
Using these modes reduces the camera's maximum shooting speed considerably, as it can only shoot at specific moments in the flicker cycle of the lighting. For 100/120Hz flicker, Canon quotes figures of 12-15fps in e-shutter mode, 8.6fps in electronic first curtain mode and 4.8fps when in mechanical mode.
The EOS R5 II still has a mechanical shutter when needed, though: allowing flash sync at higher speeds, for instance. This can be used with continuous shooting at up to 12 fps.
What's new for video
The EOS R5 II gains a full-sized HDMI socket, over which it can output a Raw video stream
The Stacked sensor underpins many of the leaps forward in the EOS R5 II's video capabilities, but in addition to the newfound speed, Canon has worked to enhance the camera's usability as a video camera, borrowing features from its Cinema EOS line (at last).
So, in addition to the camera's 8K and internal Raw capabilities, the R5 II also becomes the first camera in the main EOS line to gain waveforms, a false color display and zebras and to make it easier to optimize exposure. It also has a tally lamp, to let a person in front of the camera know when it's recording.
The camera can also capture high quality footage (8K Raw or 4K compressed) to its CFexpress card while recording lower resolution and more heavily subsampled and compressed proxy footage to the SD card.
Raw video
The EOS R5 II can capture either 8K Raw footage at up to 60p or 'SRAW' 4K video at up to 60p. Both options use the 1.89:1 aspect ratio DCI format. Canon hasn't given details on how the 4K Raw is generated (downscaling or sub-sampling). The camera uses Canon's compressed 'Raw Light' format for the 50 and 60p footage, to keep file sizes manageable.
Both DaVinci Resolve and Adobe's Premiere appear to support Canon's Raw and Raw Light formats natively, while Apple's Final Cut Pro or Avid Media Composer require the installation of a plugin from Canon.
Resolution (Aspect ratio)
Frame rates
Crop
8K Raw
8192 x 4320 (1.89:1)
59.94 / 50
29.97 / 25
23.98 / 24
1.0x (Full width)
4K SRaw
4096 x 2160 (1.89:1)
59.94 / 50
29.97 / 25
23.98 / 24
1.0x (Full width)
Raw video allows a slightly greater degree of lightness adjustment (often incorrectly described as "ISO" or "Exposure" adjustment), and white balance correction than compressed and gamma-encoded footage. It's not anything like as big a difference as Raw vs. JPEG in stills, though, as 10-bit Log files can fully encode the sensor output and are designed for tonal edits in a way that JPEGs aren't, and the Raw footage is typically 12-bit.
Raw shooting also gives much more control over noise reduction and sharpening, which are typically applied to some degree in gamma-encoded files, giving more freedom but adding an extra step to the workflow.
Compressed video
The R5 II's compressed video options are more extensive, giving the choice of 8K or 4K derived from 8K at up to 30p. Both of these options are available in the 1.89:1 DCI aspect ratio or in the 16:9 UHD shape, which crops the edges of the footage in a little.
The R5 II can also shoot sub-sampled DCI or UHD 4K at up to 120p, while maintaining the same angle-of-view. We measured the DCI 8K as having a rolling shutter figure of 12.6ms (∼1/80 sec), which suggests the main reason to shoot the less detailed sub-sampled footage will be to access those faster frame rates or to avoid any heat concerns, rather than because of any need to lower rolling shutter.
Beyond this there are DCI and UHD 4K options taken from an approximately APS-C part of the sensor. There are also options to capture 2048 x 1080 full-width or edge-cropped Full HD footage at up to 240p, with APS-C versions of each available at up to 120p.
The EOS R5 II gains the ability to capture C-Log2 footage, as well as C-Log3. C-Log3 is a more expansive version of the original C-Log profile, but C-Log2 is a curve designed to encode an even wider dynamic range.
Resolution (Aspect ratio)
Frame rates
Crops
DCI 8K
8192 x 4320 (1.89:1)
29.97 / 25
23.98 / 24
1.0x (Full width)
UHD 8K
7680 x 4320 (16:9)
29.97 / 25
23.98
1.05x (Horizontally cropped)
DCI 4K Fine
4096 x 2160 (1.89:1)
29.97 / 25
23.98 / 24
1.0x (Full width)
DCI 4K
119.88 / 100
1.0x (Subsampled)
59.94 / 50
29.97 / 25
23.98 / 24
1.0x (Subsampled) or 1.61x
UHD 4K Fine
3840 x 2160 (16:9)
29.97 / 25
23.98
1.05x (Horizontally cropped)
UHD 4K
119.88 / 100
1.05x (Subsampled)
59.94 / 50
29.97 / 25
23.98
1.05x (Subsampled) or 1.70x
The EOS R5 II is the first camera outside the Cinema EOS range to be able to capture C-Log2, which makes it much easier to use in a workflow alongside those cameras.
Also aiding cross-compatibility is the adoption of the XF-AVC S and XF-HEVC S formats, which are the same as used on Canon's Cinema EOS and pro camcorder lines. Both options allow 10-bit 4:2:2 capture, but with the H.264-based XF-AVC S format dropping to 8-bit if you select 4:2:0 chroma sub-sampling, whereas the H-265-based XF-HEVC S files give you a choice of 8 or 10-bit for 4:2:0 capture.
The EOS R5 II can shoot 4K derived from 8K at up to 30p.
The EOS R5 II continues to be able to record HDR PQ footage for display on HDR displays. Interestingly, the HDR PQ option can be combined with the HDR Video mode that simultaneously captures normally and unexposed footage to add additional highlights to the end result (at up to 8K/30 or 4K/60).
Dual Shooting
There's also an option to capture UHD 8K (7620 x 4230px) JPEGS to one card while the camera is capturing Full HD video at up to 30p on the other. This feature requires the more powerful LP-E6P battery and, naturally, means that your shutter speed choices will apply to both the video footage and still images, but the camera can grab stills at up to 7.5fps depending on whether you're capturing 30p or 25p video.
Choice of accessory grips
The EOS R5 II can be paired with the $350 BG-R20 battery grip that can also be used with the original R5, R6 and R6 II, but it can also be used with two additional accessory grips that are exclusively designed to work with it. The first is a BG-R20EP battery grip that includes an Ethernet port, giving 2.5 Base-T connections, costing $500.
The CF-R20RP accessory grip adds both a fan and an Ethernet port to the camera, but doesn't duplicate the controls. Image: Canon
The third option is the CF-R20EP Ethernet and fan grip, priced at $400. Unlike the other two grips, this doesn't have duplicate controls for portrait shooting, it's just a fan designed to pull cool air through and lower the temperature of the camera when shooting video. This can extend the shooting duration for all but the most demanding video modes and helps maintain the shooting duration in warmer conditions. It also includes an Ethernet port for fast cabled network connection.
As with the original EOS R5, Canon has published details of how long it expects the R5 II to be able to continue recording video before it overheats. We've published these in full on a separate page so that videographers can check whether the camera meets their needs and whether they'll need the fan grip, but without having to add another large table to the middle of the review.
How it compares
The Canon EOS R5 II is explicitly both a successor to the EOS R5 but also the de facto continuation of the EOS 5D series, a series of cameras for enthusiast and pro photographers and video shooters. As ever, the most directly comparable competitor comes from Nikon, whose Z8 aims to do much the same thing, just as the D800 series of DSLRs did beforehand.
There are no other like-for-like competitors to these two cameras: Sony offers the a7R V for photographers wanting high-resolution stills, but with nothing like the speed or video capability of the Canon and Nikon cameras, or the a1, which offers both speed and some video capabilities but at a price that pushes it very heavily towards the Pro end of the audience. It's a pretty old camera at this point, so can be bought well below its list price, but don't let that hide the fact that its primary intent was to compete with the Z9 and R3/R1s of this world. We're including it here more for interest, than direct competition.
Canon EOS R5 II
Nikon Z8
Sony a1
Canon EOS R5
MSRP at launch
$4299
$3999
$6500
$3899
Pixel count
45MP
45MP
50MP
45MP
Sensor type
Stacked CMOS (Dual Pixel)
Stacked CMOS
Stacked CMOS
FSI CMOS (Dual Pixel)
Shutter type
Mech / Electronic
Electronic only
Mech / Electronic
Mech / Electronic
Max frame rate
E: 30fps M: 12fps
E: 20fps (30fps JPEG)
E: 30 fps M: 10 fps
E: 20fps M: 12fps
Flash sync speed
M: 1/250* E: 1/160
E: 1/200 (1/250 with less power)
M: 1/400* E: 1/200
M: 1/250*
Max video res / rate
8K/60
8K/60
8K/30
8K/30
Video formats
Canon Raw Canon Raw Light XF HEVC S XF AVS S
N-Raw ProRes Raw ProRes 422 H.265 H.264
XAVC HS XAVC S XAVC S-I
Canon Raw Canon Raw Light H.265 MP4 H.264 MP4
Viewfinder
5.76M dots 0.76x
3.69M dots 0.8x
9.44M dots 0.9x
5.76M dots 0.76x
Rear LCD
3.2" 2.1M dot Fully-articulated
3.2" 2.1M dot Two way tilting
3.0" 1.44M dot Tilting
3.2" 2.1M dot Fully-articulated
Waveforms, Corrected Log preview, False color
Yes/Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes/No
No/Yes/No
No/Yes/No
Stills battery life EVF / LCD
250 / 540
330/340
430/530
220/320
Video battery life (LCD) Cont. / Actual
– / –
85min / –
150min / 95min
120min / –
Dimensions
139 x 101 x 94mm
144 x 119 x 83mm
129 x 97 x 70mm
138 x 98 x 88mm
Weight
746g
910g
737g
738g
The upgrades to the EOS R5 II bring the camera at least into line with those of the Nikon Z8, with faster Raw shooting, 8K/60 Raw for those that can handle the file size and adding the level of video support tools that was seeming somewhat lacking in the existing camera.
What this table can't really capture is the fine detail such as Registered Person Recognition mode and the activity-specific autofocus behavior algorithms. How well these work may, at least for the kinds of photographers who shoot the relevant types of subject, define the margin by which the EOS R5 II turns out to have overhauled the Nikon in the eternal game of leapfrog the two companies are locked in.
Body and handling
Other than the power switch moving, Canon hasn't changed much of the R5 II's control layout. Note the large rubber hood that protects the new multi-function hot shoe.
The R5 II's body is extremely similar to that of its predecessor: similar enough that it's BG-R20 battery grip can be used with the existing model. The only major external change is that, like the EOS R6 II, the power On/Off switch on the top left-hand corner is now a stills/video switch, and the power control is now around the rear command dial on the top plate.
This change will no doubt infuriate upgraders who've become used to the handling of the existing R5, but after a couple of days of accidentally flicking to photo mode, rather than finding the power switch, it soon enough becomes second nature.
This is no bad thing, as we really liked the way the original R5 handled: it's a pretty large camera but its grip is very well shaped and proportioned, and the controls were all well placed and comfortable to use for extended periods.
New menu section
The menu options that customize the control of the camera (including whether Eye Control is active), now gain their own menu tab
The EOS R5 II bears witness to that rarest of things: a change to Canon's menu layout. In addition to the familiar menu sections, there's now an olive green tab containing all the control customization options from the menu, so they can all be easily located. This includes control customization for shooting and playback mode.
Viewfinder
The EOS R5 II still uses a 5.76M dot OLED panel and still maintains the 0.76x magnification but the optics have been significantly redesigned to allow the implementation of Eye-control AF. This makes the viewfinder appear larger as you look at the camera, but in practice, it's the same size when you're using it.
What doesn't come across from the spec is that the new OLED panel can go much brighter than the one in the original R5 (though not as bright as the one in the R1), allowing the inclusion of the 'Optical Viewfinder Simulation' mode seen on the EOS R3. It cannot accurately preview HDR PQ shooting, though. There is also 1mm increase in the eyepoint, to 25mm, which means you can see the entire viewfinder panel from a tiny bit further away from the finder.
The rear screen remains the same 3.2", 2.1M dot, fully articulated unit.
Multi-function hotshoe
The EOS R5 gains the multi-function hot shoe from the EOS R3. This has a row of contacts that can be used to feed a digital audio signal into the camera, allowing the use of the DM-E1D digital stereo mic; the contacts can also provide power to the ST-10 radio flash trigger or to provide a wired data connection to an Android smartphone using the AD-P1 adapter.
The shoe itself is sealed, but if you want to maintain a water-resistant seal with a weather-resistant flash, you'll need to use the AD-E1 adapter.
As before, the EOS R5 II has one CFexpress Type B card slot and one UHS-II SD slot. This means you're always likely to have a card that'll work with the camera, but also means there's a longer list of video modes that can't be saved to the smaller, slower card.
Battery
The EOS R5 II takes a new battery but, as is normal for Canon, it's also able to accept existing LP-E6N or E6NH (though not the original E6). The LP-E6P is able to provide more sustained power than previous versions, which is needed for a couple of functions, including Pre-burst shooting, HDMI Raw output, Dual Shooting (simultaneous stills + video) and use with high-powered devices mounted in the multi-function hotshoe. These functions and the camera's highest performance may not be available with older batteries.
The higher res, brighter viewfinder results in a CIPA rating of 250 shots per charge (up about 15% compared with the original R5), while the rating when using the LCD is up 70% at 540. As always, we find the CIPA testing methodology is much more demanding than most people's real-world usage, and they become less and less meaningful the more burst shooting you do. These aren't bad numbers, all things considered.
The camera can be charged over USB but to power the camera using USB you'll need the new PD-E2 power adapter or a high-powered USB PD power source. We don't have specs for the PD-E2 yet, so can't confirm which Power Delivery modes are required to power the camera.
Autofocus
Photo: Richard Butler
The EOS R5 II essentially has the same AF system and setup as the EOS R1, which is designed for the challenges of sideline shooting at the highest level. Despite this, it's not overly complex. Or, at least, need not be.
At its heart, it's quite straightforward: there are 8 different AF area modes ranging from a tiny spot to selecting the entire scene, which lets the camera choose where to focus. These include three customizable focus zones, where you can edit the shape and size of the focus region. Pressing the 'Info' button engages tracking, meaning that the AF point will move to follow whatever you were pointing at when you initiated focus.
There are also versions of the Spot, Single Point and Expanded areas with a padlock symbol, which do not allow around-the-frame tracking. This means you can quickly switch between tracking and non-tracking versions of the same AF area without disengaging tracking overall. As with all Canon's high-end models, there's a menu option to limit which AF areas are available, just to the ones you regularly use, to speed up selection.
Subject recognition
Separate from this are the camera's subject recognition modes, which allow it to detect people, animals or vehicles. There's also an 'Auto' setting that attempts to look for all three.
We mainly used the people mode and found it to be highly effective. The system is guided by your selected AF point, so if you decide you want to focus on a subject on the right of the frame, you can place an AF point to the right and be sure the camera will prioritize that person. And, while the system will follow subjects near to the AF point, not just those directly under it, it's selective enough that we generally found we could leave the people detection mode on, even when capturing other subjects. We wouldn't necessarily recommend the same approach with the Auto mode, though, as there are so many more potential targets for it to select.
Blur/OOF
The camera's Blur/Out of Focus mode is a genuinely clever feature, letting you very quickly narrow your images down to the best-focused shots. There are a few quirks around its use, though.
The fact it only works in electronic shutter mode is reasonable enough, as these are the modes that shoot fastest and are likely to benefit from you being able to filter to just the sharpest focused images. However, the fact that you can't check images if you've shot Raw or Raw+JPEG (unless you offload or delete the Raw image), adds an extra step to think about: it's easy to look back at your images and wonder why the camera hasn't made a sharpness assessment: the answer being that playback mode shows the Raw image and the focus tag lives in the JPEG.
Eye Control
Canon promises improvements to the Eye Control system, but we had a very similar experience to those we had with the EOS R3: at its best it can be a truly intuitive means of selecting a subject to focus on but, to varying degrees, we didn't all find it to operate at its best. For instance I sometimes found the Eye Control target would operate slightly to the left or right of where I was looking, and I'd need to re-calibrate the system to get it to work again. I found it more reliable when wearing glasses than with contact lenses, which makes me suspect I don't always position my eye in precisely the same position, relative to the viewfinder, which may be causing the offset problems.
Eye Control made it possible to select which of the many detected subjects the camera would focus on. It seemed to be improved, compared with the EOS R3, particularly when wearing glasses, but not to the extent that I felt I could depend on it for my shooting.
Overall we found Eye Control works much better as a means of selecting between recognized subjects, rather than for selecting points within a scene to focus on. It's difficult for us to know how well the system will work for different individuals and their shooting needs, but we suspect it'll be useful for some and indispensable to others.
We subjected the EOS R5 II to our standard AF tests, as well as putting it through its paces at a rather more challenging sporting event.
As you'd expect of a modern camera, it aced the simple straight-on test, as it has no problem assessing and predicting distance and driving the focus to the correct point.
What impressed us is the tenacity of the subject tracking modes. A lot of modern cameras can continue to track the subject as it turns the corners, but even some of the best take a beat to come to terms with the change in approach speed as it does so. Without subject recognition, the camera did extremely well, but with subject recognition on, its hit-rate was very high.
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3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
We set the R5 II to its maximum 30fps speed and found it did a really good job of staying consistently focused. Though it does appear to be focusing on the subject's cap, rather than their pupil.
Blur/Out of Focus assessment
The camera's Blur/Out of Focus assessment considered all but one of the images we shot to meet its lowest threshold and all but five to hit its Standard level of acceptable blur. 156 of the 168 images met its highest bar.
Total images in run
Low threshold
Std threshold
High threshold
168
167
163
156
However, in practice, we found that even setting the camera to its most stringent, High threshold ended up selecting some images with motion blur in them, which significantly undermines the usefulness of the function.
This image was rated to the highest standard by the camera, and this one exceeded the Standard threshold, neither of which we'd consider acceptible for use at full resolution.
Image Quality
Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors and detail types you'll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes to see the effect of different lighting conditions.
Image Comparison
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The EOS R5 II is essentially indistinguishable from its predecessor in terms of detail. It can't quite match the resolving power of Sony's 61MP a7R V, but it's consistent with it most direct peer: the Nikon Z8.
The similarities persist as the light levels drop: at moderate ISOs it's consistent both with its predecessor and its peers and perhaps a touch noisier at very high ISOs. Not enough that you're ever likely to notice.
The slightly darker rendering relative to the original EOS R5 makes the comparison a little difficult but the color response of the JPEGs looks very similar. The slightly sandier pink patch at the top left, compared with the Nikon and Sony, is likely to play a part in Canon's rendering of some skin tones being so well-liked.
The default sharpening is well-judged: pulling out a good level of detail but without any sign of over-shoot at high-contrast edges. Color aliasing seems well controlled too, if you compare the finest text with the Nikon.
JPEG noise reduction seems to strike a good balance between detail retention and noise suppression, with subtle detail in similar colored subjects looking natural. It continues to do pretty well even at very high ISO settings, maintaining detail and color, despite how noisy the underlying data is.
Dynamic range
As we've seen with other Stacked CMOS sensors, there's a slight increase in electronic noise, which clips dynamic range a little earlier (at the lowest ISO setting where dynamic range is most critical). This is still more pronounced in electronic shutter mode on the EOS R5 II, so we'd suggest using one of the mechanical modes when you're knowingly shooting high DR scenes, but for many types of shooting, the increased speed is likely to make this trade-off worthwhile.
Whereas its Sony and Nikon rivals offer multi-shot pixel shift options to boost their output resolution, the Canon EOS R5 II uses AI-trained algorithms to interpolate higher-resolution images from JPEG files, on a file-by-file basis.
This has the disadvantage that it doesn't truly capture any additional detail, but also means you don't need to shoot on a tripod and any benefits aren't undermined by moving subjects.
We've added an upscaled version of the standard test scene JPEG to our comparison tool, so you can see how it compares with the results of a pixel-shift mode. We found we got better results by reprocessing the original Raw with less sharpening and less noise reduction before upsampling. Though there's probably a happy middle-ground between the default and minimal setting shown below.
Real-world image, default settings
Real-world image, sharpening and NR reduced
Studio scene image, default settings
Studio screen settings, sharpening and NR reduced
We hope to compare these results to other popular software in the coming months.
Video
The EOS R5 II's core video specs are similar to those of its predecessor: it can shoot 8K at up to 60p in Raw, or 8K/30 in processed and compressed form. It can deliver DCI or UHD 4K at up to 120p but tops out at 30p if you want oversampled footage derived from 8K capture. But, while those specs are similar to the existing model, it exhibits less rolling shutter, thanks to its Stacked CMOS sensor.
Its impressive specs have to be tempered by the fact that it's extremely difficult to process so much data in a relatively small camera body without heat becoming an issue. All the R5 II's most impressive video modes 8K/60 Raw, 8K/30 compressed and the HQ 4K/30-from-8K are best suited to capturing a series of short takes, rather than recording extended performances.
The times quoted by Canon are perhaps a little conservative, but if you are a keen filmmaker, or expect to shoot outside a temperature-controlled environment, the added dependability and shorter recovery times brought by adding the optional fan grip.
The EOS R5 also adds significant improvements for the video shooter, compared to the Mark 1. Not only does the stacked sensor bring lower levels of rolling shutter, but the camera also gains Canon Log 2, which captures a wider dynamic range than the Log or Log 3 options in the existing camera. Not only does it encode a wider dynamic range but it also means you can use a range of LUTs designed for the Cinema EOS range, making it easy to make the most of.
The R5 II also gains four-channel audio input (via the connections in the hotshoe) and offers a waveform display, which makes it much easier to set and assess exposure when shooting Log.
Video performance
Image Comparison
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The EOS R5 II's detail levels are a match for its predecessor. And, as you'd expect, there's an appreciable detail benefit to using the camera's 'HQ' modes that derive 4K from 8K capture. That said, there's no further loss of quality if you use the camera's sub-sampled 4K/60 and 4K/120 modes.
Video modes
Sampling pattern
Rolling Shutter rate
DCI 8K 24/30
UHD 8K 24/30
DCI 4K (HQ) 24/30
UHD 4K (HQ) 24/30
Full-width, all pixels
12.8ms
DCI 4K (Std) 24/30/60/120
UHD 4K (Std) 24/30/60/120
Full-width, sub-sampled
7.2ms
This is no real surprise as the rolling shutter rates for all the sub-sampled 4K modes are the same. Interestingly, while the 8K/60 Raw and (subsampled) 4K/60 SRaw exhibit the same rolling shutter rates as many of the compressed video modes, the 30p and slower versions use a slower readout rate.
Video modes
Rolling Shutter rate
Raw (8K) 60
Full-width, all pixels
12.8ms
Raw (8K) 24/30
17.3ms
SRaw (4K) 60
Full-width, sub-sampled
12.8ms
SRaw (4K) 24/30
17.3ms
We've asked Canon for clarity about this, and what benefits it brings, and will update the review if we get an answer.
Conclusion
Pros
Cons
Excellent image quality in a range of circumstances
Very fast autofocus with very effective subject tracking
Action Priority mode to help capture specific sports
Eye Control can be a rapid and intuitive way to select a subject
Packed with features to suit a wide range of photography
Good video support tools, including waveform display
Choice of Raw or Canon Log 2 workflows
Optional fan grip available if you need longer recording times or faster recovery
Blur/Out-of-focus system helps you home-in on your best shots
New menu arrangement easier to make sense of
In-camera upscaling and de-noising options could be useful
Slight reduction in dynamic range may impact images with extreme processing
Not all users will find Eye Control reliable
Temperature limits require considered shooting in most ambitious video modes
Waveform display is quite small and can't be moved
No way to quickly access Auto ISO minimum shutter speed
Blur/Out-of-focus detection only works for JPEGs with detected subjects in e-shutter mode and isnt great at recognizing sharp images.
The EOS R5 II is improved in almost every respect, relative to the original camera. It can shoot faster, gains a more capable autofocus system, better video tools and, most notably, Canon's Eye Control AF system. Almost regardless of what kinds of photography you enjoy, the EOS R5 II will offer some degree of benefit over the existing model.
The result is a camera that can do pretty much anything you ask of it. Action, landscapes, video, you name it. Along with the Nikon Z8, it's among the most broadly capable cameras we've ever seen, and priced consistently with the historic EOS 5D series. We found it comfortable in the hand, with well-positioned controls and an interface that was pretty quick to familiarize ourselves with (though it would be good to have a quick way of adjusting Auto ISO minimum shutter speed).
For subjects the EOS R5 II has been trained to recognize, it does a great job.
In fact our main concern wasn't anything the camera couldn't do, but that it does so much that it's impossible to put ourselves in the shoes of the vast range of photographers that might opt to buy one. We tried to shoot some action but weren't able to find the time to also shoot landscapes, wildlife, events or shoot as much video as we'd have liked. The EOS R5 II simply does too many things well to get a complete picture of its capabilities.
So, although we were very impressed by the Action Priority mode when shooting Basketball before the launch, we haven't had a further opportunity to put it through its paces. If Basketball or Soccer/Football photography are important to you, we think it could be a decisive benefit, but we'd suggest renting a camera to form your own impressions.
Perspective corrected in Adobe Camera Raw
Canon RF 24-70mm @70mm | F5.6 | /1250 sec | ISO 100 Photo: Richard Butler
If you don't own a recent camera, the EOS R5 II is very easy to recommend: it does a vast range of things and does most of them extremely well: it's not necessarily head-and-shoulders better than the Nikon Z8, but if you have any Canon lenses worth sticking with, it's a really impressive all-rounder.
It's a more complex story if you're thinking about upgrading from the already very good EOS R5. If you shoot video, there are definite benefits. If your photography involves capturing action, the Mark II's more sophisticated autofocus system and better burst shooting might well make it worth upgrading. But if neither of these things are central to what you need, it's a more difficult call.
Scoring
Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.
Canon EOS R5 Mark II
Category: Semi-professional Full Frame Camera
Build quality
Ergonomics & handling
Features
Metering & focus accuracy
Image quality (raw)
Image quality (jpeg)
Low light / high ISO performance
Viewfinder / screen rating
Optics
Performance
Movie / video mode
Connectivity
Value
PoorExcellent
Conclusion
The EOS R5 II, to varying degrees, improves over its predecessor in almost every respect: it's faster, smarter and a little bit more capable. It's all-round strength comes at a very slight cost in terms of base ISO dynamic range, and it can't compete with the endurance of a dedicated video camera, but it's hard to imagine what photo or video need it won't support you in.
Good for
A wide range of photography, from landscape to sports, short-clip videography
The Canon EOS R5 II's most significant competition comes from the Canon EOS R5. The R5 II is, to varying degrees, a better camera in every regard and we think it makes sense to choose the new model over the existing one, almost regardless of what kinds you plan to shoot with it. For many people it'll be worth a significant premium over the EOS R5. However, if don't shoot fast moving subjects or video, it's less clear whether it's worth upgrading, and it may come down to whether Eye Control AF works for you.
The EOS R5 II goes toe-to-toe with Nikon's Z8. They both shoot fast and have very good AF systems, the Canon can shoot Raw stills faster while the Nikon has the slightly better video specs, with details like oversampled 4K/60 straight from the camera. The R5 II's Action Priority AF system and Eye Control could set the two cameras apart, if you shoot the sports it's been trained for, and the Eye Control system works reliably for you. Overall, though, the differences between the bodies won't be as significant as the impact of lenses, for most people. If you have any RF or Z-mount lenses, or have a preference for the specific lenses each brand offers, that probably matters more than the cameras.
Sony doesn't really offer a like-for-like competitor to the EOS R5 II. The pro-focused a1 is significantly more expensive, while the a7R V doesn't come anywhere near the speed of the EOS R5 II. The Sony a7R V has a higher pixel count sensor (and a high res mode if your subjects and workflow lend themselves to combining multiple Raws after the fact). For landscape work, the Sony definitely has the edge, but beyond that niche, it doesn't come near the breadth of capabilities of the Canon.
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.
Review samples
Sample gallery
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Pre-production sample gallery
Sample gallery
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The Nikon Z 50mm f1.4 lens offers the exceptional image quality we have come to expect from the Z-mount lens lineup. Its versatile 50mm focal length closely resembles the natural field of view of the human eye, making it easy to visualise and compose images. Its max f1.4 aperture produces stunning bokeh and subject-background separation, while its compact and lightweight design makes it a perfect choice for travel photography.
Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold is Google's latest foldable smartphone and the first from the company to bear the 'Pro' branding. However, it doesn't have the same camera system as the Pixel 9 or 9 Pro phones, which were launched alongside it.
Unlike the regular Pixel 9 Pro, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a screen on the front, but can be opened to reveal a 20cm (8in) display.
We shot a sample gallery with it to see how it performs, which you can view below. Alongside the regular photography, we also tried out some Fold-specific features, and one of Google's new AI features. Our thoughts on those are below the gallery.
Sample gallery
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One of Google's headlining AI features for the Pixel 9 series is called 'Add Me,' and it's meant to solve the problem where group photos are always missing the photographer. To use 'Add Me,' you select the mode in the camera app and then ask the group you're taking a photo of to leave a space for you. After you take a picture, you get someone from the group to take the next shot, this time with you there instead of them.
The person now holding the phone will be asked to align the shot with the shot you took and press the shutter again. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold will combine those two images, digitally adding you to the group.
AI altered image: the person on the left was added to the group. Created using the 'Add Me' feature on the Pixel Pro 9 Fold.
However, both people we asked to use the feature found it confusing. Some of our test shots didn't turn out because they were taken while we explained how to use the feature. The UI shouldn't be too difficult for someone who's technically-savvy to figure out, but it is complicated enough that you probably won't be able to hand this phone to a parent or grandparent and expect a good group photo.
The 'Add Me' feature is available on all the Pixel 9s, but the Fold has an additional, simpler way to do group photos. You can unfold the phone into an L shape, set it down on a surface that's roughly level with the group, then start a self-timer and join the group.
This picture was made possible by the Pixel Pro 9 Fold's 'tabletop mode.'
While this is also possible with regular phones, you'll have to find something to lean them on; that's not something you have to worry about with the Fold. You will, however, want to be careful where you use this feature. While in this mode, it's resting on the front screen, and it'd be a bummer to pick up your phone and realize the screen's been scratched.
Another benefit of the Fold is that you can see the cameras and the front screen at the same time when it's open, which unlocks a few different features. For one, you can take selfies with the rear cameras, which should give you much better results. You can also display the camera preview on both screens, so the person you're taking a picture of can see how they'll look and adjust accordingly – though it is worth noting that this mode currently doesn't work in portrait mode, which is arguably where it'd be most useful.
Google has also built a twist on that mode called 'Made You Look.' If you're photographing children, you can have the phone display some smiling, animated cartoon features on the front display to try and hold their attention.
Apologies and information regarding product supply status
Thank you for your continued patronage of Canon products. Currently, we are experiencing delivery delays for the following products due to more orders than expected and also due to the impact of global parts supply. We apologize to our customers and business partners for the inconvenience. Products are scheduled to be shipped one after another, but it is expected that the new camera body EOS R5 Mark II will take a long time to ship. We apologize again for keeping our eager customers waiting for such a long time. We will continue to take measures to ensure a stable product supply so that we can deliver the products as soon as possible. We appreciate your understanding.
The Fujifilm X-T50 is a classically-styled mid-level APS-C mirrorless camera. It's built around the 40MP X-Trans sensor used by the X-T5 and X-H2, and gains image stabilization.
It also gains the majority of the X-T5's features in a smaller, less expensive body.
Key specifications
40MP X-Trans BSI CMOS sensor
X-Processor 5 with majority of capabilities from X-T5
Image stabilization rated at up to 7.0EV
20 Film Simulation modes, including Reala ACE
Continuous shooting at up to 8fps (20 with E-shutter and crop)
Subject recognition AF
Tap to track AF in video mode
Video capture up to 6.2K/30 in 10-bit up to 4:2:2
Raw video out over HDMI
2.36M dot viewfinder with 0.62x magnification
Tilting rear touchscreen with 3.0" 1.84M dot LCD
Battery life rated up to 305 shots per charge (390 in eco mode)
UHS-II card slot
The X-T50 is available at a list price of $1399, representing a $500 increase over the X-T30 II and a $100 increase, relative to the 26MP, stabilized X-S20. It's also available with the retractable 15-45mm power zoom for $1499 or with the new 16-50mm F2.8-4.8 for $1799.
Fujifilm highlights how many of the X-T5's features it includes, for $300 less. The X-T50 will be available in Silver, Black or a darker silver color scheme called Charcoal.
The X-T50 is still appreciably smaller than the X-T5 but finds room to add an image stabilization mechanism. This has the same rating (up to 7.0 stops of correction) as its more expensive big brother.
The X-T50 gains image stabilization: a first for this line of cameras. Until now you've had to choose between the X-Sx0 cameras, which had stabilization and DSLR-style command dials or the unstabilized X-Tx0 models with a shutter speed dial, whereas now you can simply base your decision on which control system you prefer.
The system is rated as delivering up to 7.0EV of correction, using a combination of gyro data and live-view image analysis to assess and correct movement.
40MP Sensor and X-Processor 5
The X-T50 gains the 40MP X-Trans sensor and latest X-Processor from the X-T5. This combination brings not just the same image quality as the X-T5 but the bulk of that camera's features, too. This includes the latest AF algorithms, as included in the X-T5's f/w 2.0, along with all the subject recognition modes that camera offers.
The X-T50 also includes the Camera-to-Cloud function that lets it upload directly to the Frame.io sharing platform over a Wi-Fi network, along with features such as tap-to-track autofocus in video, recently added to the X-T5.
Film Simulation dial
To make the camera's Film Simulation color modes as accessible as possible (and to remind you to experiment with them), there's now a dedicated dial. You can choose which modes are accessed with the FS1, 2 and 3 positions.
After the addition of image stabilization, the most significant update might be the addition of a Film Simulation dial on the camera's left shoulder. This replaces the drive mode control that's been present on previous X-Tx0 models.
It might seem like a small detail, given all Fujifilm models have a selection of Film Simulation color modes, but the addition of a direct control is a smart move for a camera such as this.
There's a world of difference between knowing an option exists in a menu and having a constant reminder of its presence, every time you pick up the camera. A direct control point also significantly lowers the barrier to that feature's use.
The X-T50 fits dedicated shutter speed and exposure comp dials onto its top plate, and even finds room for a customizable button.
Every camera on the market has a series of color modes, some more attractive than others, but Fujifilm's selection of generally subtle, attractive and memorable (thanks to their invocation of film stock names) help deliver some of the best JPEGs out there. The front-of-mind prominence and simplicity of selecting them will undoubtedly prompt more X-T50 photographers to make use of them.
It's not perfect, in that it's a twelve-position dial for a camera that has fourteen film simulations, on which one position passes control off to the camera's command dials. But it's easy enough to customize the three custom positions on the dial, with the option to specify a simulated color filter for the mono modes, once you remember this option is in the main IQ menu, not the setup section.
6.2K video
The X-T50 can shoot full-width (but sub-sampled) 4K, 6.2K video from a 1.23x cropped region, or 'HQ' 4K footage derived from this.
The X-T50 offers essentially all the capabilities of the X-T5 on the video side of things, with the ability to shoot 6.2K video at up to 30p (or 'HQ' 4K video derived from it), from a 1.23x cropped region of the sensor. Alternatively it can capture sub-sampled 4K from the full width of its sensor at up to 30p, or up to 60p with a 1.14x crop. As with the X-T5, there's a direct choice to be made between how much detail you wish to capture and how well controlled the rolling shutter is.
Tap-to-track autofocus in video (only added to the X-T5 in late April), F-Log2, a self-timer options, red frame outline when you're recording and control of front and rear tally lamps are also present. The X-T50 can output a data stream over HDMI that can be encoded by Atomos or Blackmagic external recorders as ProRes RAW or Blackmagic Raw, respectively.
How it compares
The X-T50 faces some impressive competition as a result of its price increase. Its price puts it directly in line with Sony's very capable a6700 and much nearer to the cost of Canon's image-stabilized EOS R7 than the less expensive R10 model. Nikon doesn't really have a high-end APS-C camera in its lineup, so we've picked the Z fc, which doesn't offer stabilization but comes closest to Fujifilm in terms of throw-back look and feel.
Fujifilm X-T50
Canon EOS R7
Sony a6700
Nikon Z fc
MSRP
$1399
$1499
$1399
$959
Pixel count
40MP
33MP
26MP
20MP
Viewfinder (Res/Mag/Eye Point)
2.36M dot 0.62x 17.5mm
2.36M dot 0.72x 22mm
2.36M dots 0.70x 22mm
2.36M dots 0.68x 19.5mm
Rear Screen
3.0" 1.84M dot tilting
3.0" 1.62M dot fully-articulated
3.0" 1.04M dots fully articulated
3.0" 1.04M fully articulated
Image stabilization
Up to 7.0EV
Up to 7.0EV
Up to 5.0EV
Lens only
Cont. shooting rate
8fps mech 20fps elec (crop)
15fps mech 30fps elec
11fps mech 11fps elec
11fps mech
Video resolution
6.2K/30 4K/60p from 1.18x crop 4K/30p subsampled full-width or with 1.18x crop
4K/30p full-width oversampled, 4K/60p subsampled full-width or with 1.81x crop
4K/60p full-width oversampled 4K/120p with 1.58x crop
4K/30p full-width
Video bit-depth
10-bit with HLG and F-Log
10-bit HDR and Log only
10-bit with HLG and Log
8-bit
Mic/Headphone sockets
Yes / Via USB adapter
Yes/Yes
Yes/Yes
Yes/No
Card slots
1x UHS-II
2x UHS-II
1x UHS-II
1x UHS-I
Built-in flash?
Yes
No
No
No
Battery life (CIPA) LCD / EVF
305 / Not given
660 / 380
570 / 550
400 / 360
Weight
438g (15.5oz)
612g (21.6oz)
493g (17.4 oz)
445g (15.7oz)
Dimensions
124 x 84 x 49mm
132 x 90 x 92 mm
122 x 69 x 64mm
135 x 94 x 44mm
On paper the Sony is the camera to beat in this company, with its excellent autofocus, its strong video capabilities and impressive battery life making it an easy choice. But there's a lot to be said for the well-honed usability of the Canon, especially now Sigma and Tamron have been allowed to flesh-out the selection of lenses available. This makes life tougher for the Fujifilm, especially in light of its significant price hike. The main area that the Fujifilm stands out is resolution, both for stills and video, and its selection of interesting and attractive 'Film Simulation' color modes.
It's also worth noting that the X-T50 isn't trying to be an enthusiast-focused camera, in the way the Canon and Sony are. As indicated by the Film Simulation dial, the X-T50 is aimed at more casual users growing into photography, rather than experienced camera users.
That said, we've not included the X-T5, one of our favorite APS-C cameras, in this table. Other than battery life, greater feeling of solidity and much nicer viewfinder, the X-T50 matches its specs in many regards. An extra axis of LCD tilt and the inclusion of a second card slot also set the more expensive camera apart though.
Body and handling
Part of the reason for the X-T50's small viewfinder is that Fujifilm has left room for a small built-in flash.
Although it maintains the same family appearance as the X-T30 II, the X-T50 is a completely new body. Rather than being essentially a rectangle with rounded corners, when viewed straight down in the plan view, the new cameras has completely curved ends and a forward-jutting extension at the top of the front grip.
It's a wider camera than its predecessor but less deep, despite the addition of in-body stabilization. The revised grip not only helps the camera more closely resemble the X-T5, but also makes it easier to get a firm grip on.
The camera's AEL button has been moved around a little, with it now sitting at the top of three buttons running up the back of the camera, rather than sitting next to the rear command dial. The Q Menu button still sits out on the end of the rear thumb grip.
The X-T50 includes the same AF joystick as the X-T5, but placed a little further down the back of the body, which makes it a little more awkward to control. Its role is made a little less significant by the camera's inclusion of subject recognition AF, though, as it means you don't need to place the AF precisely over your chosen subject, as long as you're trying to capture one of the subjects the camera can recognize.
As with Fujifilm's other cameras, the Face Detection and Subject Recognition modes are completely separate. This is positive in the sense that you can set a button to toggle Eye AF on and off, but means you'll need to configure two buttons if you find yourself wanting to switch from subject mode to face detection and back (engaging one and then disengaging it puts you back in standard AF mode, not with whichever detection mode was previously active).
The viewfinder hump still features a pop-up flash but, as before, this limits the size of the viewinder panel and optics, meaning the X-T50 continues to offer one of the smallest finders in its class.
The X-T50 still uses a 2.36M dot [1024 x 768px] OLED viewfinder panel, which is competitive but not outstanding compared to its peers, but its 0.62x magnification marks it out as being unusually small.
The rear screen is also unchanged, with a tilt up/down read LCD that shares its 3.0", with a very slight res increase to 1.84M-dots [960 x 640px].
Battery
The X-T50 uses the same NP-W126S battery as previous X-Tx0 models. This is Fujifilm's smaller, 8.7Wh battery, which delivers up to 305 shots per charge.
These numbers tend to significantly under-represent how many photos you'll actually be able to take (it's not at all unusual to get twice the rated number of images or more) but they're broadly comparable between cameras. A rating of 305 shots per charge (presumably using the rear screen: Fujifilm doesn't specify), is low for this class, though.
A New Kit Lens
Like its predecessor, the X-T50 is available with Fujifilm's XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, with the kit costing $100 more than the body alone. However, alongside, the X-T50 Fujifilm also announced the 16-50mm F2.8-4.8, which replaces one of the best kit zooms on the market. The previous version has been a key factor in our recommending the company's cameras.
The slightly smaller, lighter and wider 16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR lens makes an impressively capable combination, but it comes at a price.
The new lens loses a little length and around half a stop of brightness at the long end, but it now extends to 24mm equiv, rather than 28mm equiv at the opposite extreme. Between this wideangle expansion and the promises of faster focus and improved optical performance, it'll probably represent a net benefit overall for most uses. It loses optical stabilization just as the X-T50 gains in-body correction and promises weather sealing, but it also adds yet another $100 over the cost of previous kits.
The new 16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR reaches wider and fractionally less far than its predecessor, it's also a little slower at the long end and omits optical stabilization but it moves to an internal zoom design and Fujifilm says it'll be faster to focus and sharper.
Sigma's 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN is a more expensive option, as there are no kit discounts to be had, but it offers over a-stop-and-half benefit at the long end and is smaller. It will soon be available for Canon and Sony, as well as Fujifilm's mount, meaning it's no longer just X-mount that offers an accessible premium zoom option.
Out-of-camera JPEG shot using the Velvia/Vivid profile.
ISO 125 | 1/420 sec | F4.8 | Fujifilm 16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR Photo: Mitchell Clark
The X-T50 uses the same 40MP BSI CMOS sensor found in Fujifilm’s X-T5 and X-H2, which has historically beaten its competitors in detail performance. Like its older sibling, the X-T50 has a base ISO of 125.
Studio Scene
Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors, and detail types you'll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes, full even light and low directional light, to see the effect of different lighting conditions.
Image Comparison
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Given their shared tech, it's no surprise that the X-T50 performs nearly identically to the larger and more expensive X-T5 in our studio tests. Comparing Raw images, the X-T50 captures more detail than its competitors with sub-30MP sensors when shooting at base ISO, though it doesn't do much better than the Canon EOS R7, which has 33MP. It's worth noting that part of this may be that Adobe Camera Raw doesn't always get the best out of Fujifilm's proprietary 'X-Trans' color filter design. In areas with fine detail, it displays less false color than its competition.
At higher ISOs, the X-T50 has roughly as much noise as its competitors, though it does fall slightly behind if you pixel-peep on images shot at a very high ISO.
As for JPEG performance, low ISOs the X-T50's image sharpening doesn't look quite as detailed as the EOS R7 and a6700’s, but it’s competent enough that most shooters likely won’t notice any issues. At higher ISOs, it slightly edges out the Nikon's ability to retain details while smoothing out noise, though the Canon and Sony retain an advantage.
What the X-T50 does have is Fujifilm's famed color profiles and a dedicated dial for controlling them. Advanced photographers using a tool like Adobe Camera Raw to convert Raws into JPEGs can expect pleasing results, but the profile dial lets people play around with different looks no matter how much experience they have.
Classic Chrome
Reala Ace
Velvia
Pro Neg Hi
Classic Neg
Pro Neg Std
Nostalgic Neg
The film simulation profiles can subtly – or drastically – change the look of your image.
While using the camera, we found that the standard 'Provia' profile makes skin tones and colors pop without going completely over the top. Venturing further around the dial, there's a decent variety of looks. Some won't be for everybody ("Velvia" has colors so saturated they'd put many Instagram filters to shame), but most shooters should find at least a few they like.
The X-T50 can capture detail in highlights and shadows, even when they're several stops apart.
Edited to taste in ACR.
ISO 125 | 1/25 sec | F2.8 | Fujifilm 16-55mm F2.8-4.8 @ 16mm. Photo: Mitchell Clark
Dynamic Range
Fujifilm's recent cameras have boasted strong dynamic range performance, and the X-T50 is no exception. Its Dynamic Range modes, found in the image quality menu, will automatically adjust the camera's exposure/amplification relationship to preserve detail in the highlights at the cost of some additional noise in the darkest parts of the image.
How aggressively it does this depends on whether you're using DR 200 or 400, and advanced photographers can get similar results with even more control using Raw files and manually reduced exposure. Our in-studio dynamic range tests show that the X-T50's dynamic range capabilities hold up well compared to its competition.
The X-T50 has several autofocus selection modes: in AF-S mode, it has six sizes of single point and zone, as well as a wide mode that samples the entire frame. Switch to AF-C, and the wide selection is swapped out for a tracking mode that will stick to whatever you put it on.
The X-T50 also lets you decide how many AF points you can select from, depending on whether you need speed or precision.
These selection methods can be used in conjunction with Fujifilm's subject detection modes, which are trained to recognize animals, birds, cars, motorcycles/bikes, airplanes or trains. When using one of those modes, the camera will try to select the subject closest to your zone or point.
The X-T50 also has separate settings for human face and eye detection, though using them will deactivate your subject detection if you're using it. That in itself isn't unusual, but once you're done with face detection, you'll have to go back and re-enable subject detection and vice versa. It's a small bit of friction that can be annoying if you're trying to quickly switch between taking pictures of humans and other subjects.
In our tests, the X-T50 did a good job not letting its subject detection get in the way of what we were trying to shoot, meaning we could leave it on even if we were taking pictures of something else. For example, having human eye detection wouldn't stop you from focusing on a flower if there happened to be a person standing a ways behind it.
In terms of ergonomics, the joystick can be difficult to reach while using the EVF, depending on how you grip the camera. However, the ability to use the touchscreen as a trackpad for selecting focus points helps avoid that issue. You can also use the touchscreen to directly choose which subject to focus on.
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The X-T50 aces our basic autofocus test
To test the X-T50's autofocus performance, we used a single AF point and had a subject approach the camera at a consistent speed. Like pretty much all of its peers, it could easily predict where the subject would be and focus on that point.
However, when we tested shooting a subject moving around the frame and approaching at an inconsistent speed, we found that the X-T50's standard tracking mode couldn't keep up. As soon as the subject started slowing down and turning, it lost focus on him and instead focused on the background. In two of our runs it was able to catch back up with the subject and get him in focus for a few frames after the initial turn, but the vast majority of shots were out of focus.
We were able to somewhat improve its performance by choosing an autofocus settings preset meant for an accelerating and decelerating subject. With that change, the X-T50 could hold on to the subject through his first turn, but it would still typically lose focus as he went into the second turn.
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Both eye and bike tracking modes were able to keep the subject in focus through both turns. The latter did a slightly better job at keeping up with him, as the eye-tracking system occasionally resulted in slightly soft photos.
We got our best results using the X-T50's subject detection modes. Both eye and bike tracking modes kept the subject in focus for the entire run, though there were still a few slightly soft shots where the camera appears to have slightly misjudged where he would be. We saw similar performance when using the animal subject detection mode on a fast-moving cat; occasionally, the photos would be focused on its ear rather than its eye.
During our other use, there were edge cases where the tracking would fail to track a far-away subject or wander away from a subject. While these scenarios were rare, they're indicative of the fact that the X-T50's tracking performance isn't entirely up to par with competitors like Canon’s EOS R7 and Sony’s a6700, even though it shoots at a slower eight frames per second. (The a6700 manages 11, and the EOS R7 a whopping 15.) There were also a few times when it struggled to lock on to a subject in low light.
If you're a budding photographer, you're probably right within Fujifilm’s target market for this camera, and you may care more about nailing down an aesthetic than high-performance autofocus. However, it's still a factor worth considering for the X-T50. It makes it easy to try out a bunch of looks and produces beautiful images, but you may have to work harder to get pictures in focus or to figure out the settings that will get it to do what you want. Whether that tradeoff is worth it to you will depend on your goals as a photographer and how much you value Fujifilm's built-in looks.
Video
The X-T50 has a surprising number of video features despite not having a single button dedicated to movies.
The X-T50 is unusual in having no movie [REC] button: movie mode is accessed via the 'Drive' button on the camera's left shoulder. The camera defaults to a mode called 'Movie Optimized Control' which ignores what your dials are set to, and has you control exposure settings, exposure comp, white balance and color profile using an on-screen display. This lets you have entirely separate settings for your video and photo modes, which is handy when you're switching between the two; you won't have to keep bumping your shutter speed up from 1/48 when you go back to shooting stills.
The downside of overriding the dials is that it makes it harder to select a Film Simulation. You can turn Movie Optimized Control off, but you'll then have to pay attention to your exposure settings when switching between taking stills and videos. But if you do have the option off, you can customize the FS1, 2 and 3 positions on the Film Simulation dial just for movie mode. The camera's clever enough to not change the profile if you bump the dial while recording.
No matter what mode you're in, the autofocus settings are also separate from the stills ones, so you can be set up to take video of humans, and pictures of birds. We found that the tracking in video mode was less reliable and more prone to wander than it was in photo mode.
The X-T50's subject recognition modes are available in video, but don't work as well.
There are some other nice video features included on the X-T50: it has F-Log, a flat profile that gives you more flexibility while color-grading, and includes an F-Log Assist option that will apply a bit of color correction to what you see on screen to keep your preview from looking washed out. It also has the ability to set your shutter speed to 1/48, which is precisely what you want when shooting at 24 FPS.
You will want to keep crop factors and the camera's rolling shutter performance in mind when shooting video. The 6K and HQ 4K modes punch in on your image by 1.23x, which can make getting everything in frame more difficult if you're not using a wide lens and will also result in more noise since you're using less of the sensor. (The 16mm end of the kit lens should still be wide enough for all but the biggest, closest subjects, but any more than that and it could start being an issue).
The higher rolling shutter in these modes also means that fast-moving subjects or quick camera movements may produce a jello-like effect where straight lines turn into diagonals.
6.2K
1.23x (native) crop / 24.9ms
4K (HQ)
1.23x crop / 24.9ms
4K 60p (sub-sampled)
1.14x crop / 13.5ms
4K (sub-sampled)
Full width / 15.3ms
If you want to scrutinize the differences between the X-T50's various resolution options, you can check out the comparison tool here. The quick summary is that although the 4K HQ mode is more detailed and the 6.2K mode gives room for cropping in post, we found the sub-sampled 4K mode gave decent levels of detail with much less rolling shutter, no crop and longer recording times. It's probably worth using that most of the time unless you have a specific reason not to.
We've also shot some sample footage, which you can watch below. All settings will be noted on a clip-by-clip basis.
Conclusion
By Mitchell Clark
Pros
Cons
Good image quality in JPEG and Raw
Great selection of color profiles and a good dial to control them with
Wide variety of inexpensive, relatively fast primes available
Built-in flash is a nice-to-have
Robust video features
Has enough dials to give you control without being overwhelming
The price
Autofocus tracking performance is noticeably a step below peers
Switching between face and subject detection is a two-step process
Joystick and Q-menu button can be a little hard to reach
Tiny viewfinder
Relatively short battery life
There are a lot of things about the X-T50 that make it good for someone just starting (or re-starting) their photography journey. The Film Simulation dial will help you play around with aesthetics just as easily as you can on your phone, while still getting substantially better image quality.
There's also the centrally-located Auto lever, which acts as an escape hatch if you can't figure out how to get something exposed the way you want it, or if you're just tired about thinking about aperture, shutter speed, and/or ISO. The X-T50 will still let you change the Film Simulation mode and use the exposure compensation dial to adjust brightness if its metering isn't quite right, but you won't have to make any other choices. It'll also still record Raw files alongside the JPEGs (which hasn't always been a given with Fujifilm's entry-level cameras or cameras in general).
The X-T50's controls, including the Film Simulation dial (which my colleague Richard Butler discusses in-depth here) and Auto lever help make it a good option for photographers graduating from a smartphone.
It's also just a lovely camera to take out for a day of shooting, with its relatively lightweight and compact form factor. And while the viewfinder's size has definitely been sacrificed to achieve those dimensions and to make room for the built-in flash, I never had any issues using it, despite wearing glasses.
There are a few things to consider before pulling the trigger on this camera, though. The film simulation dial can be a lot of fun if you're going to constantly be playing around with the 14-ish color profiles that this camera offers, but if you want to find a look or two that you like and stick to them, it'll be far less useful.
There's also the matter of kit lenses; you can get the X-T50 with Fujifilm's 16-50mm F2.8-4.8, which is a standout option. Most other cameras' kit lenses are similar to the alternative 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 in that they're not particularly fast or sharp. If you're going to buy a camera, it's absolutely worth considering going with a lens that won't limit it right out of the box. With the 16-50mm, Fujifilm's giving you the option of getting a high-quality lens at a bit of a discount if you buy it with the body.
Unfortunately, that brings us to the biggest downside of the X-T50: its price. The kit lens setup I mentioned will run you $1,800, and just the body by itself is $1,400. That lens is absolutely superior to the $100 models that you'll find bundled with many competitor's cameras, but it's also hard to ignore that I'm asking you to take a big leap of faith here.
If you have the money and are looking to get into photography, I think this setup will serve you well and give you room to grow, even if your use of the film simulation dial falls by the wayside. But I also acknowledge that it's rough being asked to spend so much to get into a hobby, especially if you're not sure you'll stick with it yet.
Still, if you're shopping for a camera in this price range, the X-T50 should definitely be on your radar. Even though we've focused on beginners for this review, I'm a seasoned photographer and still thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. Its autofocus performance and price are enough to keep it from getting a Gold award, but its versatility as an entry point into photography and the lens ecosystem Fujifilm's built make the Silver well-deserved.
Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.
Fujifilm X-T50
Category: Mid Range Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR
Build quality
Ergonomics & handling
Features
Metering & focus accuracy
Image quality (raw)
Image quality (jpeg)
Low light / high ISO performance
Viewfinder / screen rating
Optics
Performance
Movie / video mode
Connectivity
Value
PoorExcellent
Conclusion
The X-T50's autofocus tracking is a step behind its peers, but it offers great image quality and a fun dial.
Good for
Beginner photographers
Hobbyists that want a compact camera
Not so good for
People hoping to shoot sports or fast-moving wildlife
Parents of especially active children
85%
Overall score
Compared to its peers
If you think you may wind up caring deeply about having one of the most technically adept cameras, you may want to considerCanon's EOS R7. It's built like a serious piece of equipment, with a deep hand grip that'll help you keep it steady if you're using bigger and heavier lenses. In our tests, the EOS R7 had similar image quality to the X-T50 but had autofocus that's a few steps ahead. It can also shoot at double the frame rate as the X-T50 if you're the type to shoot fast-moving subjects or sports. While the lineup of lenses available for the EOS R7 is slowly becoming more reasonable, Fujifilm's X-mount offers a much wider variety of lenses for most shooting styles and budgets.
The Sony a6700definitely looks the part of being a serious camera, though in our tests it didn't quite match the X-T50 when it came to image quality. It beat it when it came to autofocus performance, but your aesthetic tastes will play a big part in how you feel about the images it produces (and, yes, how you'll look while you're out shooting those images). Its design is decidedly more utilitarian than the X-T50s, its color profiles aren't as easy to change, and are less exciting to most viewers. If you're into video, though, the a6700 will let you shoot in 40K 60p without a crop, though it does struggle with overheating. Sony's lens selection is decent, but if you start looking for some photography classics (a set of fast, relatively inexpensive primes, an ultrawide, or something similar to the Fujifilm 16-50mm), you may have to turn to third-party options.
The Nikon Z fc is spiritually the closest match to the X-T50 and comes in a wide variety of colors to boot. However, it didn't quite match up to the Fujifilm in our image quality tests, and its autofocus is right with the X-T50's at the back of the pack, especially in video. And while the Nikon may look a bit more like a film camera, it doesn't have that film simulation dial; in its place is an ISO dial that, without an Auto setting, can end up being less useful than you might expect. It also lacks a joystick for selecting focus points and navigating menus. Nikon also falls short in terms of its APS-C-friendly lens lineup, and its third-party support is worse than Canons, as it currently lacks options like Sigma's 18-50mm F2.8.
Sample galleries
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Pre-production sample gallery
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The camera slow season is hopefully winding down, but app developers and accessory makers are still around to drop interesting bits of news throughout the week. This weekend, we're rounding up a few of the things that caught our eyes recently.
The color change comes with a change in material as well. Most of Peak Design's bags are made of a nylon canvas treated with durable water repellent (DWR) and poly-coated for water resistance. The tan ones, however, are made of a laminated fabric called X-Pac. While the packs made of X-Pac should be just as weather resistant, they will have a different look and texture; laminated fabrics are generally smooth compared to woven ones. (Peak Design describes the 'handfeel' of its coyote packs as 'crisp.') Peak Design says the version of X-Pac it's using is 100% made of recycled fishing nets.
The coyote color also has a diamond pattern, versus the heather look that most of its other bags have. To my eyes, that gives the coyote bags a bit more of a technical look if that's your sort of thing.
These two detailed shots of the Everyday Backpack do a good job of illustrating the differences between the fabrics.
Images: Peak Design
The coyote products come at a price premium and aren't available for all sizes. For larger bags like the Everyday Backpack, Travel Backpack, and Travel Duffel, you'll pay anywhere from $15-25 more for the X Pac version. Coyote versions of smaller bags like the sling, tech pouch, and wash pouch are $5 extra.
Developer Swiss Rig has released an iPhone app called sr RAW, which gives you manual exposure and focus controls for video and records files as Raw DNGs. The company says the format will let you get videos that don't have noise reduction, image sharpening, or white balance baked-in, offering more flexibility than even Apple's ProRes Log format, which is available on certain Pro iPhones.
There are a few caveats. First, you can only record at up to 480p in the free version and 1080p in the paid 'Plus' one, and only at 24 or 25 frames per second in either resolution. The paid version is also a subscription, which costs $4.99 a month or $19.99 a year, and there's no one-time purchase option. According to PetaPixel, that pricing is for the initial launch period, so it may go up in the future. There's also reportedly a 'Pro' version coming that'll enable 4K, though there's no word on pricing for that yet.
The company also says the app "requires a USB-C iPhone that supports at a minimum USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds." Currently, that's just the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
Sirui's new 'Rapid System' tripod
Image: Sirui
Sirui has announced a new entry in its 'Rapid System one-step height adjustment' tripod line. The model, catchily named the SQ75+VHS10, features two-stage carbon fiber legs and includes a ground spreader and an Arri-mount strap that should make it easier to carry.
Calling the SQ75 legs 'one-step' feels a bit generous; technically, you have to open three flip locks before you can extend it, but once you do, you should be able to extend the tripod to whatever height you need. At its lowest setting, the tripod will be 485 mm (19") high; at its tallest, it'll tower at 1650 mm (65").
The kit also includes the VHS10 fluid head, which mounts with a 75mm half bowl. Together, the tripod and head weigh 5.9 kg (13 lbs) and can hold up to 10 kg (22 lbs) of gear. By themselves, the legs can support up to 18 kg (40 lbs).
Resolve is the Swiss Army knife of editing software; it's a non-linear editor, audio workstation, color-grading suite, and compositor in one package.
Image: Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design has announced it's releasing version 19 of its Davinci Resolve and Resolve Studio editing software. The list of features included in the release is almost book-length, but some standouts are the film look creator that grains up your image, multi-source editing, and the ability to display keyframes and markers.
Like pretty much any software release in 2024 (with some notable exceptions), Resolve 19 includes a heaping of 'AI' features. There's AI-powered tracking, smart reframing, a dead pixel fixer, and text transcription for audio tracks, along with a lot more features that the company says are powered by its 'Neural Engine.'
Davinci Resolve is free, and Resolve Studio costs $295.
Remote control pencil
Finally, there's the Apple Pencil, a tool that's usually more useful to digital artists than photographers. But thanks to a new app called Pencilera, you can now use it as a remote trigger for your iPad's camera (via The Verge). It's free and makes use of the double-tap detection on the Pencil 2 and squeeze detection on the Pencil Pro. The only downside is that, at the end of the day, you're still taking pictures with an iPad. Maybe someday, Apple will follow after Samsung and make its Pencil compatible with its phones, but I wouldn't hold my breath for that. Using a smartwatch as a remote for your phone is probably a better experience, anyway.