Sudsville Laundry Fujifilm GFX100S w/ Fujinon GF63mm f/2.8 R WR | F10.0 | 1/20 sec | ISO 500 Photo: Scott Pilla

Scott Pilla (known as spilla in the forums) has a love of the night. His photography journey began with a peaceful walk around his university. Over the years that followed, he came to appreciate how that time of day can make a difference in one's photography.

"I started photography in undergrad at Cornell University, where I was interested in film photography. I spent years photographing landscapes and nature with a variety of gear. However, I didn't really find my own style until I got older and became a dad. I had no time during the day or to travel, and this is when night photography and I found each other."

"It was an escape, a time when I could be calm and unhurried. Gradually, it became the basis of most of my work. I also enjoy the technical challenge of capturing very high dynamic range night scenes, and editing them so they feel natural and tactile."

This story is part of our What's in your bag? community spotlight series. The series showcases the diverse gear and photography of our community, and shares their stories of how that gear helped them to capture the perfect shot.

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Laundromat in Edgemere Fujifilm GFX100S w/ Fujinon GF45mm f/2.8 R WR | F7.1 | 1/15 sec | ISO 500 Photo: Scott Pilla

Meet Scott Pilla (spilla)

Home base: Baltimore, USA

Favorite camera and lens: Scott Pilla’s go-to setup includes the Fujifilm GFX100S camera, praised for its incredible detail and dynamic range, especially in low light. He pairs it with the Fujifilm GF45/2.8 lens, which delivers sharp, natural rendering and resists flare, making it ideal for his night photography and atmospheric shots.

What's in Scott's bag

• Primary cameras: Fujifilm GFX100S
• Lenses:
  • Fujifilm GF30/3.5
  • Fujifilm GF45/2.8
  • Fujifilm GF63/2.8
  • Laowa 20/4 Shift
• Support gear: Scott uses an FLM CP30-L4 tripod with a RRS BH-55 head for most shots, though he often shoots handheld, even in low-light conditions. He’s also equipped with a range of accessories for fine-tuning composition and stability.
• Camera bags: He finds the Think Tank Mindshift Photocross backpack especially useful for its comfort and side-access design, which makes it easy to grab gear quickly when shooting in dynamic conditions.

Scott's camera bag Photo: Scott Pilla

If you had to pick one favorite item from your gear, what is it and why?

"I love my Fuji GF45/2.8 lens. It renders beautifully and cleanly and is good at resisting flares, making it the perfect night lens."

"I also always carry a tripod (FLM CP30-L4, RRS BH-55 head), but often shoot hand-held. Since I'm often out in the weather, a few microfiber cloths are a must to keep the lens dry. That, and a good pair of gloves. I use the Think Tank Mindshift Photocross backpack. It's comfortable, and I like the side access; it's helpful when you need to get the gear quickly."

The Nautilus diner in Timonium, MD, USA Fujifilm GFX100S w/ Fujinon GF45mm f/2.8 R WR | F3.2 | 1/6 sec | ISO 500 Photo: Scott Pilla

What interesting environments and scenes do you shoot in?

"I mostly photograph the area in and around Baltimore, MD. I maintain a list of potential subjects and hit them up when the conditions are right. I also have a series of photographs from central Pennsylvania, near where my wife grew up. We often travel there to visit my wife's parents, and I am exploring that area as well. For example, I have a series from Fantasy Island, the abandoned strip club in Duncannon, PA."

"I find inspiration in mundane things, slices of life that are transformed into something unexpected. I am often out shooting in the weather – fog, snow, rain. My family knows that if it's a foggy night, I'll be home late for breakfast (but I'll bring donuts from Fenwick Bakery). I'm always looking for interesting interactions between natural atmosphere and artificial light."

National Auto Fujifilm GFX100S w/ Fujinon GF45mm f/2.8 R WR | F8.0 | 1/10 sec | ISO 500 Photo: Scott Pilla

What's a great night scene that seems almost too simple but jumps out once it's captured on camera?

"I took a photograph of National Auto at the start of a snowstorm. The structure's color caught my eye, and then I was drawn in by the details – the empty chairs in the window, the neon sign partway through construction, the cone and chain buried in the snow. This was a business transitioning from one thing to another, getting covered up by the natural world. I went for a straight-on composition, simplifying the scene. I took the shot handheld at 1/10s to capture the falling snow through the street lights like little pen flourishes, adding texture."

For eager photographers to capture it all, what would you suggest?

"In editing, I intentionally chose not to perfectly correct the perspective, leaving the building just a little wonky, which, to me, was part of its charm. I do my main editing in Lightroom, then apply film simulations using Dehancer to emulate some of the color and feel of film photography."

World Ends Today Fujifilm GFX100S w/ Fujinon GF45mm f/2.8 R WR | F5.0 | 1/13 sec | ISO 500 Photo: Scott Pilla

Scott really enjoyed writing the content for this spotlight article and would be grateful for you to join him in discussion in the forums. You can also find Scott's work on his photography website. Thanks, Scott, for being featured!

If you'd like to share your photography, tell us about your main camera, lens choices, key settings and strategies. Your photos and story could be featured in the next article!

Editor's note: This article continues a series, 'What's in your bag?', highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself and your photography by filling out this form. If you're selected for a feature, we'll be in touch with next steps.

Submit your photos and story to be featured in 'What's in your bag?'

Photo: Viltrox

Viltrox has announced a new version of its AF 35mm F1.2 Lab lens for Sony E-mount. The AF 35mm F1.2 Lab N FE remains the same as the first-generation model, with the exception of one omission: the display.

The first iteration of the 35mm Lab lens, featured a somewhat chunky rectangular display on the top of the lens. Viltrox has used this type of display on a handful of lenses, which stick out slightly and break up the smooth lines of the lens. Ditching the display results in a cleaner, more streamlined design.

Image: viltrox

Nikon made a similar move with two of its lenses. The Nikon 24-70mm F2.8 and 70-200mm F2.8 both featured a display on the first generation, but Nikon ditched it in the second-gen versions. Nikon also made those models substantially lighter, but that isn't the case with the VIltrox lens. Viltrox shaved off roughly 10 grams (0.3 oz) by removing the screen, but that's it.

Beyond lacking a display, the lens remains exactly the same as the first version. It offers an aperture ring that can be clicked and de-clicked, AF/MF switch, and two customizable buttons. Optically, it is the same lens as the one we tested out earlier this year. If you want to get an idea of how it performs, or just want to see some cool pictures form Japan, check out this article.

The screenless AF 35mm F1.2 Lab N FE will be available alongside the original, so you can choose if you want the screen or not. It keeps the same $999 price as well, and it is available for purchase now.

Photo: Jared Sanders

Photographing rocket launches presents distinct challenges; you get one shot at a seconds-long window, the environment is extreme and the flexibility for creativity is limited. Photographer Jared Sanders has made this his specialty, and for Artemis II, the first crewed Moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972, the pressure was unlike anything he had experienced before.

Despite that pressure, Sanders came home with some striking images and videos of the launch, including an unplanned moment of a newly engaged couple celebrating in front of his lens. To learn about what it takes to create images worthy of the moment, we sat down with Sanders to talk about his background, gear, logistics and more.

From visual effects to the launch pad

Sanders didn't start his career photographing rockets or even using a camera at all. Instead, he went to school for visual effects in 2008 and went straight to California after graduating to work for VFX studios, where he was far from any camera work or filming. That changed when he started working for a rare end-to-end studio – one that pitched, produced and delivered its own projects – and became a visual effects supervisor.

For the first time, he was on set alongside directors and camera operators. "There was no pressure on me to be part of the production in that capacity, but I was still able to absorb all of that knowledge," he said. "Instantly, I was hooked."

"It turned out all the knowledge that I had learned over the years actually was useful"

In 2017, Sanders wanted something different and co-founded a creative marketing agency with a friend. With just two employees and clients to serve, there was no budget to hire a photographer, so Sanders handled the visuals himself. "It turned out all the knowledge that I had learned over the years actually was useful," he told me. "The skill set that I had from working in the studio of how to light things and properly pitch, how to write and direct a project, all that started coming together."

During the pandemic, a second child, a parting of ways with his business partner and a desire to get out of Los Angeles sent him back to the Florida Space Coast, where he had grown up. Starting from scratch, he looked around for what he could capture consistently without traveling far. "I grew up here, I knew about rocket launches, and during this whole time, it had started ramping up with SpaceX, especially," he said. "I was like, I really want to start shooting rocket launches."

Getting access, getting it wrong

Getting to the press site involves some logistics, including buses and a security check of gear. Photo: Jared Sanders

With that goal in mind, Sanders reached out to local photographers to ask about getting access to NASA and how they take their shots. Those photographers pointed him toward Space Explored, a space-focused publication in the 9to5Mac network that was looking for photographers and videographers. He pitched himself, got the green light, and went through NASA's formal media credentialing process.

Access is one thing, but the harder part is getting the shots. His earliest attempts were off-site long-exposure shots from the beach, trying to capture the rocket's arc across a four-minute exposure. Keeping the camera perfectly still for that long, firing at the right moment and waiting while the screen blacks out during exposure and processing made for a steep introduction. "The rocket's gone, and you're like, did I get it?" he said. Frequently, the answer was no.

Photographing launches at night is especially difficult due to the extreme contrast, as shown in this image of the Artemis I launch. Photo: Jared Sanders

Sanders told me that rocket photography has a few big challenges: the short duration of the event and the intensity of the plume. "Even as an experienced photographer, the thing that is really tricky with rockets that I have I've never experienced with anything else... is the speed because you only get one shot at it per attempt," he said. "You get this 30-second arc, and then it's sort of out of sight."

"It's so bright. At nighttime, especially, you're literally exposing for night and the sun at the same time."

The engine plume also complicates things. "It's so bright. At nighttime, especially, you're literally exposing for night and the sun at the same time. So you have to pick and choose your battle," he explained. "Obviously, camera technology has gotten a lot better. So you can sort of fix some of that with modern technology. But at the same time, you're going to lose something in that battle. You're going to lose either your highlights or you're going to lose your shadows. It's just what are you gonna pick?"

For photographers shooting from public sites rather than the press site, location is most of the creative work. From the press lawn, though, everyone is pointing in roughly the same direction across the same arc, three and a half miles from the pad. "It's so hard to make your stuff look different from any other photographer out there," he said. "You either get lucky and pick a spot no one else has, or you figure out a way to treat your footage and photos so they look just a little bit different."

Sanders also photographed the astronauts walking out to the rocket, using his Super 8 camera. Photos: Jared Sanders

Most photographers at the press sites are there capturing typical news shots, which means very minimal color correction and editing. It's what press wires need, but he had the flexibility to try something else. "I edit my rocket photos the way I would edit my normal photography," he said. "The coloring just looks a little bit different. It may lean a little more toward the normal color palette I'd use for my landscape photos or whatever other photos I'd be taking in that series."

Sanders has also brought film to launches to create something different. For Artemis II, he said he was the only person at the press site recording video with Super 8 film. He put a roll of Kodak 500T through the camera, which he recently sent off and is waiting to see if it worked out. "Those are the kind of things that I try to do differently, to set myself a little bit apart from the other photographers."

Remote cameras and technical details

Sanders didn't have remote cameras for Artemis II, but he did have remote setups for the first Artemis launch. Photos: Jared Sanders

Remote cameras come with their own logistical challenges. NASA buses credentialed photographers out to preset zones about a half mile from the pad, where cameras are left unattended until after the launch. Sanders explained that focus is locked manually, and most photographers use sound-activated triggers (Sanders and many others use Miops), which fire the camera the moment the rocket's acoustics reach them.

For a mission like Artemis, installing remote cameras means journeying to the Cape multiple days before launch. "You have to go through a whole security check with your camera gear," he told me. "Then you get on the bus. So it's like a whole day event to get out there and set the cameras up." If the mission gets scrubbed, you'll have to go back out to pick up your gear and set it up all over again at a different date.

"You're still within a half mile of the rocket. I've seen a lot of pitted lenses from like fuel or just debris."

Protecting the camera is also critical. Sanders said you have to bag the camera or have it in a box so that it doesn't get rained on, and he also uses hand warmers to keep the intense Florida humidity out. There's also a physical risk to the gear from the launch itself. "You're definitely putting your gear at risk," Sanders said. "You're still within a half mile of the rocket. I've seen a lot of pitted lenses from like fuel or just debris."

Sanders knew he would lose highlight detail on the plume, but was more concerned with balancing the exposure of the clouds and rocket. Photo: Jared Sanders

In terms of camera settings, Sanders explained that some photographers use aperture priority and let the camera adapt to rapidly changing light. He, however, shoots full manual, preferring greater control and a more consistent sequence of exposures that he can cut together almost like a time-lapse. Choosing the exact settings comes down to the priorities of each shot. For the remote cameras, "that's where you're like, 'Okay, I really want to see detail in the engines and the flames,'" Sanders explained.

The shots from the press sites, which are farther from the launch, serve different purposes. "When you're far away, to me it's more about the story you're telling with the scenery and where you are," he said. That might mean letting the brightest parts of the engines and plume lose detail. "Even from my still shots, I think that the exhaust and the engines were a little bit blown out... The clouds were really nice that day, and I wanted to make sure you could see the clouds and the rocket contrast against the sky."

The setup for Artemis II

Sanders went into the Artemis II launch with a specific plan and an extensive kit in tow to execute. He arrived at the press site with six cameras: a Red Komodo X for a landscape-oriented video, a Nikon ZR for a portrait-oriented video, a Fujifilm GFX 100 II with a 500mm lens for stills, a 360° camera and Insta360 Ace Pro 2 for behind-the-scenes footage and the Super 8 setup on a tripod (which differed slightly from his plan laid out in the video above).

Sanders also packed two lenses for his video cameras: a 1995 parfocal broadcast lens and a Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 Di III VXD. He put the Tamron on his Komodo and planned to use the broadcast lens on the ZR. However, when he arrived on site, he discovered that Nikon had a tent with gear available for anyone to borrow for the launch.

He walked over just to check it out, without any intention of borrowing anything, since he already had so much gear with him. But the Nikon representative mentioned he had the 600mm F4 with him. "It's like a $16,000 lens, and I was like, well, I gotta use it because I'm not gonna buy this lens ever, and I'm not going to rent it. So, I'm going to use it," he said.

When the unplanned makes the shot

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jared Sanders (@hyprlyte)

That 600mm ended up being the key to getting a clip that stood out from the rest, which you can see above (it was also what got my attention and sparked this interview). He knew he had a wide view covered with the Komodo, so he wanted something different from the ZR with the 600mm lens. "I have this prime lens. It's going to have tons of compression. I can at least get some people in the foreground," he explained. "It would be cool to see some scale of the rocket. And that was my main intention." So he set up the camera at a distance from one of the angles that people usually shoot from and chose a low-angle shot looking up.

The rest of the shot was pure serendipity. "I pointed it up, and these people walked in front, and I had no idea anybody was going to be there just yet. But when these people walk in front, they start hugging, and the rocket's right in between them," Sanders recounted. "I'm like, 'Oh, oh my gosh.' If they're there hugging when this thing goes off, that's going to be pretty cool."

Sanders has shot enough previous launches to know that people always react to the wall of sound, and said that the first Artemis launch was especially crazy. So he had high hopes for a cool reaction if they stayed in front of his camera, but it was still a wait-and-see situation. "The press site's really big, so I'm probably like a football field away from the camera where I'm actually shooting," he told me. "I run over at like six minutes to go, and I hit record, hoping I have a full battery. And I was recording at 6K Raw, so I was like 'oh my gosh, I hope it doesn't run out of memory.'"

Three behind-the-scenes images from the launch. You can see a behind-the-scenes video here. Photos: Jared Sanders

He went back to his main spot and captured the launch with the other cameras, taking only a brief moment to look through the viewfinder to revel in the view without taking photos. When he went back to the ZR and reviewed the footage, he saw that the couple who had been hugging before the launch were jumping and cheering during the launch right in front of his camera.

"It ended up being a story within a story."

While everyone else rushed to get their clips and photos up as soon as possible, Sanders opted to go home, spend time with his family and then color grade, finally getting the video up around midnight. He assumed he missed the magical window, but the video blew up on Instagram. At some point, the woman in the video was tagged. She reached out and told him that she and her fiancé are both in the space program, and that they had just gotten engaged at the Artemis II rollout. She even asked if she could use the footage in their wedding video (to which he said yes). "It ended up being a story within a story," he said.

There's also more of that clip that he hasn't released yet: after the rocket clears the frame, the two of them standing still, hands together, staring up at the dissipating plume. "They're like two kids seeing Disney for the first time," he said. He plans to put a reel together around it eventually. For now, it's sitting on a hard drive; it's the kind of footage, he said, that makes you want to back it up in fifteen places.

You can see more of Sanders's work at his website, on his YouTube channel or on his Instagram account.

Minamata (2020) movie trailer cover Image: Samuel Goldwyn Films

Featured films are not necessarily the first thing you consider when selecting a topic for a photography discussion, but we did just that last week when asking our community about their favorite photography-related shows and movies. We were blown away (a bad pun intended, related to the suggested movie, Blowup) by the wide range of results.

Our Reviews Editor, Mitchel Clark, got the jump on the community by suggesting the documentary Side By Side (2012):

"Oh boy, a chance to promote one of my favorite documentaries, 2012's Side By Side. Keanu Reeves talks to a bunch of filmmakers about how the movie industry is transitioning from film to digital, and goes into the pros and cons of each. Obviously, 14 years later, there's been a lot of progress made, especially on the digital side, but I still think it's a fascinating watch." - Mitchell

Check out the top suggestions below, and then let us know in the comments what your favorite photography-related show or movie is!

Movies

Lee (2023) film poster Image: Brouhaha Entertainment and Juggle Films

Morris Trichon: "My favorite Photography movie is Blowup, released in 1966. Blowup had a significant effect on me, and so I wanted to minor in photography. I was majoring in Aerospace Engineering. My advisor would not sign off, telling me I would spend too much time in the darkroom and probably flunk out of engineering and become a starving photographer. In the end, I completed my engineering degree, but have been involved in photography my entire life. Thank you, Blowup."

Swerky: "Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window with James Stewart in his chair and his Exakta VX 35mm SLR."

AbrasiveReducer: "Pecker. The problem is, most movies about photography show the impossible, like prints developing instantly under bright red safelights (bleach & redevelop) or handheld cameras doing surveillance from a quarter mile away, which is then enlarged to show a person's name tag. Even Sony can't do that."

Progman: "The 2024 film Civil War was chilling when it first came out, and even more so when rewatched more recently, given the current political climate. Seeing war photographers putting themselves in harm’s way, and experiencing the accumulated trauma they experience, is moving."

Shows and Documentaries

Ansel Adams (2002) documentary poster Image: Steeplechase Films and Sierra Club Productions

Tunnan: "War Photographer is an Oscar-nominated documentary following James Nachtwey shooting on location and in the darkroom. It is a fascinating film showing his approach to his life and work. I saw it in the cinema 25 years ago when I was just starting out as a press photographer, and although my career has never taken me to war, the film was a great inspiration. While researching this reply, I noticed it has been uploaded to YouTube, so I would give it a watch."

Don Sata: "Sebastiao Salgado's The Salt of the Earth. A beautiful retrospective documentary on the greatest photographer ever."

Lensmate: "Music Through the Lens is an eye-opening, six-part, thrill ride through the amazing world of music photography."

Kodachrome (2017) movie poster Image: 21 Laps Entertainment

There were many other great show and movie recommendations shared in the forums. You'll have no shortage of nostalgic photography-related content to watch.

Keep ready for the next Question of the week to participate in this series. New questions are posted here on the homepage and in the forums every other week. We can't wait to read and share your stories!

Share your favorite photography-related shows and movies!

The Panasonic Lumix S 40mm F2, pictured on an S1II body Photo: Richard Butler

Panasonic has announced the Lumix S 40mm F2, a small, fast lens for L-mount that recalls its much-loved 20mm F1.7 prime for Micro Four Thirds.

The lens gives a fractionally-wider-than-normal field of view on full frame sensors and has been designed to match the dimensions of the 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 kit zoom for the S9, in its retracted, carry-around state.

Panasonic described it to us as "more of a muffin lens than a pancake."

The $400 lens features seven elements in six groups, with three of those elements being aspherics. Its relatively modest price results in a 7-blade aperture design, but despite this, sees seals deployed at all the key points around the lens to provide dust, splash and freeze resistance down to -10°C (14°F).

Likewise, while Panasonic has avoided the cost of including a lens hood (and the costs of designing one to match it), it's made sure to include a lens function button on the side of the barrel. The focus ring has the usual options to control focus throw and focus direction, or act as a control ring.

The S 40mm F2.0 weighs just 144g (5.1oz). It accepts the same 62mm filters as the 18-40mm and its front element has a fluorine coating.

The 40mm F2 will be available from Early June at a recommended price of $399, exc sales tax.

Panasonic Lumix S 40mm F2.0 sample gallery

We've been shooting with the 40mm for a while and, even paired with an S1RII, found it plays a big part in making the camera/lens combination more carryable.

While a distortion correction profile is embedded in the lens, and we've applied it to the images in the gallery, its effects are extremely subtle. The lens is not utilizing high levels of correction.

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.

Panasonic Lumix S 40mm F2 specifications

Image: DxO

Software company DxO has announced the ninth iteration of Nik Collection, its suite of seven creative editing plugins. Nik Collection 9 introduces updated masking tools and new filters for photographers looking to add creative finishing touches to their images.

The most notable update is the addition of more advanced masking tools via the Local Adjustments toolbar. In Nik Collection 8, DxO added the ability to import Photoshop's AI-powered selections (such as Select Subject), but otherwise, selection tools remained rather simple and required direct user input. Now, the company has added AI-powered masking to Nik Collection apps, no Photoshop or manual selections required.

One of the newly added masking tools promises to select parts of a scene based on how far they were from the camera. Image: DxO

The updated AI masks come in two different forms. First, users can select subjects and objects, just like they can in Photoshop. There's also the new Depth Mask option, which uses AI to create a depth map, allowing users to make adjustments to specific areas based on the distance from the camera. Because it's AI-powered, it works without embedded distance data from the camera.

Both types of masking rely on local processing, so images stay on the user's computer. They can be fully adjusted and fine-tuned as needed. To aid with that, DxO added new Mask Overlays that make it easier to see where a mask is. Masks can also be copied and pasted from one filter to another, saving time from having to reselect that same area for a different adjustment.

Halation filter	Blending Modes
Glass Effect	Chromatic Shift

Nik Collection 9 also features three new filters. The Chromatic Shift option recreates the look of ink misalignment from magazine days, with full control over the direction and level of shift and the colors shifted. The Glass Effect filter makes it look like your subject is behind a sheet of textured glass, and the Halation filter aims to replicate the look of the glowing highlights characteristic of certain film stocks.

DxO is also giving users more control over how those filters interact with the image. It has added 18 different blending modes to Color Efex and Analog Efex, which will be a familiar option to Photoshop users. There's also a new Preset Hover Preview option, providing instant, real-time previews of presets without clicking back and forth between the options.

A new Color Grading menu aims to make it easier to adjust the colors in a photo. Image DxO

Lastly, there is now a color grading menu, which keeps all color controls in a single color wheel. Users can select three points for highlights, shadows and midtones, adjusting the color of each area. Additionally, a slider below the color wheel shows the color grade from shadows to highlights and allows users to shift all tones at once.

DxO's Nik Collection 9 is available for download now. It costs $180 for a new perpetual license, or $100 for those upgrading from Nik Collection 7 or 8.

Image: Apple

After months of swirling rumors, Apple CEO Tim Cook has announced that he'll be stepping down from the position later this year. He's been in the role since 2011, after being named as successor to co-founder Steve Jobs.

Replacing him will be John Ternus, who is currently senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, responsible for leading the teams that make the hardware for the iPhone, iPad, Mac and more. In his letter, Cook describes Ternus as "a brilliant engineer and thinker who has spent the past 25 years building the Apple products our users love so much, obsessed with every detail, focused on every possible way we can make something better, bolder, more beautiful, and more meaningful."

Of course, a transition this big isn't happening in a day; Cook will remain as head of the company until September 1st, 2026, and will continue on as executive chairman. (That does mean there's a chance Ternus is the one to announce the next iPhone, as those typically debut in September; a monumental task in your first few weeks as CEO.)

Apple is a massive player in the camera industry

While Apple is, at its core, a computer and phone company, it's also a massive player in the camera industry thanks to the iPhone. When Tim Cook became CEO, the company's flagship product was the iPhone 4, a phone with a single camera taking single-shot exposures that was nevertheless just beginning to have an impact on the sales of compact cameras. Since then, smartphones have largely taken over that market, now sporting much larger sensors, advanced multi-shot stacking and several camera modules to provide a selection of focal lengths.

We'll have to wait and see if Ternus' background in hardware leads him to make different decisions than Cook, who came from the operations and logistics side of the company. And any high-level changes in the iPhone as a camera, or the Mac as an editing platform, won't be immediately obvious starting with their next versions. But over a few years, we'll start to see the impact of having a new person in charge of what is one of the world's largest camera companies.

Image: Viltrox

Viltrox has announced two new full-frame lenses, a 35mm F1.8 and a 55mm F1.8. The lenses are part of its Evo lineup, which it pitches as providing essential focal lengths that are sharp edge-to-edge.

The company says the lenses have apochromatic optical designs to control the color fringing that comes from chromatic aberration. The 35mm has 13 elements in 10 groups with 2 ED elements, 3 HR lenses and 1 UA element and can focus as close as 0.34m (13.4"). The 55mm, meanwhile, is made up of 13 elements in 9 groups with a similar mix of special glass as the 35mm, minus one HR lens. It can focus as close as 0.43m (16.9"). The company says the UA element used in the lenses is the same one that's found in its flagship Lab series of lenses. Both lenses have 9-bladed apertures.

The lenses have all the controls we expect from mid-range primes. We plan to produce a sample gallery with the 55mm F1.8 soon. Photo: Mitchell Clark

Both lenses use an STM motor for autofocus. They also share a similar list of physical features: a customizable FN button, a switch to change the aperture ring from clicked to declicked, and an AF/MF switch. They also have a rubber seal on the lens mount for weather resistance, and a coating on the front lens to repel water and smudges.

The 35mm lens weighs 355g (12.5oz) for E-mount – around 20g more for Z mount – and the Sony version of the 55mm lens weighs 370g (13oz), with the same delta for Nikon. Both are relatively compact at around 76mm long and have 58mm filters.

While Viltrox has long offered both F1.8 35mm and 50mm options that were similarly lightweight and compact, it's nice to see the company build out its Evo line, especially given that it's aiming to offer quite impressive optical designs. The one somewhat disappointing aspect of the launch is mount availability: both modes will be available for Sony E and, somewhat surprisingly, given recent patent litigation, Nikon Z. It would've been nice to see it also launch for L-mount, or to at least get some hint on whether it'll be available on it in the future.

The AF 35mm F1.8 Evo (also known as the AF 35mm F1.8 II) retails for $395, and the AF 55m F1.8 Evo costs $370. They're available now.

Viltrox AF 35mm F1.8 II Evo

Viltrox AF 55mm F1.8 Evo

Viltrox 35mm F1.8 Evo specifications:

Viltrox 55mm F1.8 Evo specifications:

Image: GoPro

Last week, GoPro announced the Mission 1 series, a lineup of what the company says are "compact cinema cameras" with Type 1 sensors, the ability to shoot 4K/120 open gate and, on one of them, a Micro Four Thirds mount. But a key part of the story was missing: the price.

Thankfully, GoPro has just announced it, earlier than expected. The standard Mission 1 will retail for $599, while the Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 Pro ILS will both sell for $699 (though, of course, it's bring your own lens with the latter). If you pay for the company's subscription service, which includes the ability to automatically upload footage from your camera to the cloud, you can get $100 off the MSRP of one of the cameras, or up to $150 off one of the accessory bundles.

If you want to get the full story on the cameras, you can read our coverage here. The prices, added to the fact that the cameras were announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show, and that the camera's maximum bitrate was designed to meet Netflix's requirements, suggest that the Mission 1 series is less consumer-oriented than the Hero series; the Hero 13 Black retails for around $430. They also put the Mission 1 Pro ILS in competition with some other video-focused, APS-C interchangeable lens cameras, such as the Canon EOS R50V and Nikon Z30.

The company has started accepting preorders on its site for the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro, which will be available starting May 28th. The version with the lens mount is still set to arrive in "Q3 2026."

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show is in full swing, and Nikon has joined in, releasing a YouTube video teasing new Z Cinema glass. The video, which is also co-branded with Red, also heralds "a new Nikkor chapter."

The lens(es?) is only shown in shadow, but behind it, videos of older Nikon lenses are projected. Notably, it seems like the footage largely depicts wide-angle lenses, including a fisheye model and a 12-24mm; whether that's a hint or a coincidence, we'll have to wait and see. The video also shows cinema-styled controls, an autofocus/manual focus switch, and a line of lenses, which could hint that what's being announced is a series, rather than a single option.

Whatever Nikon ends up announcing – currently, the video and its description contain no mention of a date – it's interesting to see that the company is working on expanding its options for pro video. It already teased late last year that it was working on cinema-focused lenses, and has released a very video-focused lens in the Z 28-135mm F4 PZ power zoom.

Photos: Mitchell Clark

Thypoch is showing off a groundbreaking lens at the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Show this weekend: the Voyager 24-50mm F2.8, a full-frame autofocus zoom. It's not just a first for the brand; it's the first full-frame autofocus zoom lens we've seen from a Chinese manufacturer.

While this kind of lens has seemed like an inevitability for a while, as we've seen increasingly ambitious primes from the likes of Viltrox, Laowa and Sirui, it's a bit surprising that it's come from Thypoch. The company is mainly known for manual focus primes, though its sister brand, DZOFilm, does make a range of manual focus zooms focused on cinema users.

The company isn't releasing full details for the lens yet – though stay tuned – but you can tell just by looking at it that the goal was to make it relatively compact. It's around the same size as Sony's 24-50mm F2.8 G lens, though Thypoch's lens features an internally-zooming design: this is no clone. It also has a clicking aperture ring, a customizable function button and an AF/MF switch.

The Voyager 24-50mm F2.8 is relatively compact for a fast, full-frame zoom.

The brand teased this lens on Instagram a few weeks ago, but its public unveiling is exciting, as it means it's one step closer to launching. We've seen Chinese manufacturers offer very decent budget prime lenses, and even come into their own with more advanced optics, becoming a competitive force driving the traditional players to come up with interesting offerings. If the same happens for zoom lenses, 2025 may not hold the title of the most interesting year for lenses for that much longer.

We've been able to spend some time with the lens and get some sample images with it, which you can check out below. We'll go more in-depth into image quality in a future article. For now, the high-level overview is that we found it to be relatively impressive, though we noticed some softness at the edges (especially when shooting wide open) and a propensity to flare under bright lighting.

We were impressed by its build quality; the aperture ring is satisfying to turn, and the rubber coating on the zoom and focus rings makes it very easy to handle.

Sample Gallery

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; we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Thank you to Sony for the loan of a Sony a7R V to capture this gallery. All images were processed using our standard lens workflow in Capture One, with no vignetting correction applied.

While video is becoming increasingly popular, and cameras' video features continue to become more sophisticated, there are still plenty of photographers who simply aren't interested in it.

And, in a time where cameras are already so good that the improvements on the photo side tend to be incremental, rather than groundbreaking, it can look like manufacturers are only interested in expanding their video capabilities.

This has, perhaps understandably, led to frustration among sections of the photography community. But it can also lead to the belief that a photo-only camera would be cheaper, which is not generally the case.

Generally, manufacturers only develop separate models if they believe there is a distinct audience to target, which is why, for instance, Nikon's ZR cinema/vlogging crossover camera is intentionally missing some features that would make it more appealing to someone that might otherwise buy a Z6III. Wheras, conversely, a stills-only version of the Z6III would compete for the same audience, leaving people to choose between a full-featured hybrid and a camera with the same components but artificially restricted.

Click here to read a fuller explanation of why taking video out of your camera wouldn't make it less expensive.

This weekend, the National Association of Broadcasters show (NAB) is in full swing. While announcements stemming from it typically focus on professional video, there were a surprising number of announcements this year that may appeal to photographers and camera enthusiasts, including Canon's use of an emerging sensor technology, GoPro releasing a camera with a Micro Four Thirds mount and BlackMagic adding photo editing to Davinci Resolve.

Richard, Dale and Mitchell sat down to discuss these announcements and what impact they may have on the future of photography.

Photo: Getty Images

AI has been a hot topic on the forums for a while now. Recently, members have asked us to develop clear guidelines for the fair, well-defined use of AI tools in the forums, especially when they involve the community's photography.

We're at the early draft stage of this process. Our goal is to craft a simple policy that defines best practices and clear boundaries. As with many major community policy updates around new technologies and tools, rather than just announcing a set of guidelines out of the blue, we want to create them with our community's input and ensure your voices are heard.

If you are part of our forum community or would like an excuse to join one of the many discussions there, please visit our AI thread and tell us what you think.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Share your opinion on AI use in our forums

Photo: Mitchell Clark

A camera companion app can unlock convenience and useful creative controls, provided it actually works well. Every major brand now offers at least one such app, promising remote camera control, wireless image transfer, GPS sharing and more, but the reality is often a mix of useful features and flaky connections.

In this piece, we're taking a closer look at Sony's latest effort – the Creators' App – to see how far things have come from the early, frustrating days of camera apps. The Creators' App supports models going back to the a7S III and is the default for newer bodies. The previous‑generation Imaging Edge Mobile app also works with many of the same cameras, but its newest supported body is the a1 II, so we will be focusing on the Creators' App here.

Index:

• Connectivity and reliability
• Transfer, editing and sharing tools
• Remote control and live view
• GPS sharing
• Firmware and maintenance features

I used the Google Pixel 10a for all of my testing, but my colleague reports a similar experience on an iPhone 15 Pro, except where otherwise noted. Your experience and options may differ depending on your device.

Connectivity and reliability

To do most things in the app, you'll need to use a Wi-Fi connection.

Connecting a camera to the Creators' App for the first time is straightforward and very quick, so it's feasible to do even if you're in a rush. The process uses a Bluetooth connection for initial pairing, along with basic functions like camera status and firmware updates when you open the app each subsequent time.

Most features, though, require either a Wi-Fi connection or a physical USB-C tether between your phone and camera. Using a USB-C cable provides a faster, more stable connection for file importing or camera control than a wireless one, but it also defeats the app's purpose in some use cases, so I've focused on Wi-Fi for my testing. Tapping the "Remote Shooting" or "Import" options will trigger a pop-up that asks which connection type you want to use. This will pop up each time unless you tap the box to "Use Wi-Fi connection from next time."

Left: The pop-up on the left will show up every time you connect to your camera via Wi-Fi unless you disable it. Right: The connection process isn't very speedy.

When you connect via Wi-Fi for the first time on Android phones, you'll see a message from your phone's system informing you that the Creators' App wants to use a temporary Wi-Fi network. Selecting "Connect" will disconnect your phone from any other Wi-Fi networks and pair it with the camera's network.

Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi connection process takes much longer than Bluetooth pairing. Over the course of my testing, it took roughly 16 seconds to connect each time (occasionally faster or slower), which is just long enough to be annoying. The Wi-Fi connection will remain active as long as you remain in the app, or you can end the connection by tapping "Connected via Wi-Fi" just below the camera name.

You can opt to keep the camera connected to your phone even if you leave the app, saving you connection time if you are going back and forth.

If you are going to be in and out of the app during a session and don't want to wait for it to reconnect each time, you can choose to stay connected even when you close the app via the gear icon in the top right corner. Staying connected lets you access the remote control or image transfer options nearly instantly, but it also means that, as long as your camera is on, your phone won't be connected to any other Wi-Fi networks.

The connection was mostly reliable, though there were a few occasions when it dropped unexpectedly, or the camera failed to connect to my Android phone. There was one instance that happened multiple times in a row. These were rare, though, so it didn't drastically impede my use of the app.

Transfer, editing and sharing tools

If you want to transfer Raw files, you'll need to change the "Image Size for Importing" option to "Original," even if you turned Raw on for the import target option.

Many look to companion apps to make sharing photos and videos faster and easier. The Creators' App supports those tools, with options for image and video transfer, cloud syncing and sharing.

On the image transfer side of things, you can choose whether to import 'JPEG and HEIF,' Raw or Raw + JPEG / Raw + HEIF. There are a few important things to note here. First, the camera can't output HEIF and JPEG at the same time, so despite the "and," you'll only be importing one of those.

It's also important to be aware that the app has a setting called 'Image Size for Importing,' which defaults to resizing synced files to less than 2MP. At that setting, the app converts the Raw file to a resized JPEG, and downsizes JPEGs, no matter what you have your file types set to. If you don't change this to 'Original,' you're not actually getting full‑resolution or Raw files.

From left to right: the camera's main folder, images taken on one particular date and the view with one image selected.

When importing photos, the app helpfully organizes your images into folders for each date, so that you aren't looking at a massive wall of images. Once in a date, you can select individual files or select all with the checkbox at the top of the display. You can also tap on an image to see it larger and import from there, but, annoyingly, you'll still need to treat it like you are selecting it by tapping the box in the top left and 'Import' at the bottom.

Differential import will upload any images taken since your last upload without requiring you to select any files.

If you want to simplify the transfer process, the app also offers a "differential import" option, which is essentially a smart sync. With this enabled, when you tap to import files, it transfers all new files that aren't already on your phone. This will prevent you from uploading duplicates of files, and it also serves as a step towards an automatic upload, so you don't have to select individual files. Of course, if you don't want everything on your phone, I wouldn't recommend turning this on.

Photos transferred relatively quickly, even when moving a batch of 30 or so Raw files at once. It's not as fast as using a quality card reader, but it didn't keep me waiting long. I didn't transfer any long videos, but short clips transferred quickly, too. I also didn't have any issues with the connection dropping when transferring batches of images. However, if I wanted to transfer a full shoot of hundreds of images (even just JPEGs), I would likely use a USB-C connection or a card reader to avoid potential issues and speed up the process. For a handful of images here and there, though, it worked very well.

There aren't many options for video transfer settings.

There are only a few options for video imports. If you shoot with proxy recording turned on, you can choose whether to import only the proxy, only the original or both. The only other video import setting is related to Sony's Shot Mark feature, which allows you to drop in-camera markers on video clips to flag important moments. If you've used Shot Mark, you can choose to have the imported clip cut around it (with options for 15-, 30-, or 60-second clips) or not cut at all.

Within the image transfer page, you'll find limited features. You see star ratings applied in-camera and view basic EXIF information. Those same tools are all that's available in the gallery page of the Creators' App, too, but you can add star ratings here instead of only being able to see them. The only other additions are a sharing option that lets you share to apps on your phone, an upload button where you can choose to upload images to a designated folder and a delete button.

There are no editing features, so you'll need to bring your images or videos into a different app for editing if that's part of your workflow. However, there is a menu for managing Look Up Tables, or LUTs, letting you upload the color profiles to your camera from your phone. Unlike some other camera apps, however, Sony doesn't offer a marketplace of LUTs within the app, so you'll need to find those elsewhere and download them to your phone before transferring to the camera.

Remote control and live view

The remote control function gives you control over a lot of settings.

Another reason many people want a camera app is for remote camera controls, and the Sony Creators' app does indeed offer those. Its list of controls is robust, including all the basics you'd expect, like camera mode, shutter speed, aperture, ISO and exposure compensation. You can also toggle between photo and video modes and change many other settings, including focus mode, drive mode, D-Range Optimizer, metering, pre-capture flash, image size, file format, movie file format, touch functions and many more.

While there are plenty of controls for the promise of easy remote shooting, the functionality and reliability are hit-or-miss. At times, it all runs smoothly with very responsive changes. The live view image accurately reflects what the camera is pointed at, it looks natural when I adjust what's in the frame, and the focus changes rapidly when I tap on my phone's display. In short, it works just how I would hope a remote control app would work.

However, that's not always the situation. On a few occasions, live view was incredibly laggy. When that's the case, unless you're photographing still life scenes, it wouldn't be usable, and even then, it would be quite frustrating. The exposure controls can also be slow to actually adjust to your changes at times, resulting in a fair amount of waiting around.

While most of the touch functions work, the "Touch Focus" option has only worked once for me.

Oddly, I haven't been able to get the tap-to-focus feature to work again after my first attempt. It simply never changes the focus point, so that feature is completely unusable for me. Despite that, the other touch functions do seem to work as expected, including the ability to tap on the live view window to set auto exposure.

We didn't experience the same lag and slowness with the iOS version of the app, and tap-to-focus worked as intended.

GPS sharing

You can share your phone's location with your camera to attach GPS information to your images.

The Creators' App enables GPS sharing, which means you can share your phone's GPS information with the camera. That way, you can have locations attached to your images and videos, since cameras lack integrated GPS.

While the GPS sharing feature works seamlessly, it is a bit hidden. To find it, scroll down on the 'Cameras' page of the app and tap on the 'Others' menu option. From there, select 'Setup' and 'Location Information Linkage.' You will have to change some phone permissions to allow the camera to pull location info, but it's very straightforward and quick.

Firmware and maintenance features

Firmware updates are easy with the Creators' App

There are also some maintenance features available in the Creators' App. If there are firmware updates available, the app will let you download and install them via your phone. It was very fast and easy to update firmware via the app, which means I would be much more likely to keep it updated than if I had to download it to my computer and jump through the required hoops for that process.

The Creators' App also lets you save your camera's settings either to your phone or the Creators' Cloud, and then apply those settings to a camera. That way, if you need to reset your camera, you have all of your settings available and won't need to remember what you usually use for each menu item. It could be a big time- and headache-saver. Saving settings only took a matter of seconds, too, so it's very convenient. Unfortunately, you can only apply settings to the same camera model, so, for example, you wouldn't be able to transfer settings from the a7 V to the a7 IV.

Lastly, Sony sometimes offers updates and new features via licenses rather than traditional firmware updates. The app doesn't provide the ability to create those licenses, however, so you'll need to obtain or purchase them through your Sony Creators' Cloud account on the website, and then use the app's License Management menu to install and activate the license on the camera.

Image: Leica

The L-Mount Alliance is gaining another member, with cinematography equipment maker Freefly joining the growing lineup. This addition brings the alliance to 11 members, further expanding the range of products offered to L-mount users.

Freefly built its name on the Mōvi lineup, a series of professional cinema-level gimbals. It has since expanded its offerings to high-end drones and high-speed interchangeable-lens cameras made for extreme slow motion. The company doesn't make any consumer-level products; instead, it focuses on professional cinematographers, industrial operators and scientific users.

Given that Freefly is currently focused on cameras, it seems logical that the company will be adding to the list of L-mount cameras available. We'll have to wait and see whether its first L-mount device is a brand-new product or simply a new version of its existing camera lineup with an updated mount.

Freefly's CEO, Tabb Firchau, says the company wants to put the mount in places it hasn't been before, "from rocket launches to fighting forest fires." Indeed, its current camera lineup is quite different from those of existing alliance members, so it will be interesting to see what comes next for Freefly and the L-mount.

"English Village in the Cotswolds. No EXIF data due to Photoshop processing." Photo: Stephen Felce

Photography has been a lifelong pursuit for DPReview reader Stephen Felce, known in the forums as keepreal. Over more than seven decades, he has developed a passion for street scenes and beautiful landscapes, moving from black-and-white to color film, and then to digital and mirrorless systems.

"I started photographing at the age of nine, learning to print my own film with guidance from my father. My passion for capturing the world around me has never waned. Photography isn't just a hobby, it's a way of seeing and experiencing life more fully."

Stephen works to bring out the beauty of places like the lochs of the Scottish Highlands and the deserts of the American Southwest, highlighting their unique natural lighting. His approach to post-processing has enabled him to turn complex scenes into images that are quite evocative.

This story is part of our What's in your bag? community spotlight series. The series showcases the diverse gear and photography of our community, and shares their stories of how that gear helped them to capture the perfect shot.

Have your photography featured on the DPReview homepage! Find out how.

"Piazza in Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy. This is a panorama shot with extensive Photoshop processing to cope with the dynamic range. No EXIF data due to Photoshop processing." Photo: Stephen Felce

Meet Stephen Felce (keepreal)

Home base: Greater London, UK

Favorite camera and lens: Olympus OM-D E-M5 II with Laowa 6mm and 10mm Zero-D lenses. Stephen likes this setup specifically for landscapes and street shots because it delivers the best detail and edge sharpness. The wide-angle lenses let him capture expansive vistas and architectural subtleties with minimal distortion.

What's in Stephen's bag

• Primary cameras: Olympus OM-D E-M5 II
• Lenses:
  • Laowa 6mm F2 Zero-D
  • Laowa 10mm F2 Zero-D
  • m.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm F4.0 PRO
  • m.Zuiko 75-300mm F4.8-6.7 II
• Support gear: Stephen uses a compact Hama Traveller Mini Pro tripod for most shots and a full-size Velbon Ultra REXi L tripod for larger setups. He also employs custom-made panorama heads, multiple Manfrotto ball heads and quick-release adapters to handle panoramic and detailed landscape compositions with precision.
• Camera bags: He relies on three Crumpler bags – two for camera bodies and lenses, and one for panorama brackets and accessories. For his longest lenses, such as the 75-300mm, he uses a dedicated Nikon lens case.

Stephen's camera bag Photo: Stephen Felce

Any other interesting gear you take with you?

"I kept two Nikon SB-26 Speedlights from my Nikon days, which I can fire wirelessly from the small Olympus FL-LM3 flash to get balanced lighting like studio lights. I mostly use a lightweight Hama Traveller Mini Pro Tripod now, though I also have a full-size Velbon Ultra REXi L for heavier setups."

"I even built my own panorama head from hardwood with sections for horizontal and vertical shots, using Manfrotto quick-release adapters for fast and precise alignment. For printing, I use an Epson Stylus Professional 3880 for prints up to A2 and an Expression Photo XP-8605 for everyday use, both with pigment inks for long-lasting color."

"This is a picture of the River Thames in London, England, that I took when I was twelve years old. My father lent me his Leica IIIa, and I took this shot with the 9cm Elmar, processed and printed myself, toning it sepia. A framed copy hangs in my bedroom." Photo: Stephen Felce

How has your photography changed since you started?

"When I did my own monochrome photography, I settled upon Kodak Panatomic X and Ilford Pan F exposed at about half the nominal ISO. I also developed in the Beutler formula from raw chemicals to give a long scale with beautiful highlights."

"I have always gone for pictures from high-dynamic-range scenes, usually against the light. I rarely consciously decide on contre jour; it just happens, being in my element when those lighting conditions present themselves in brilliant sunshine. You cannot get those Beutler tones on digital, possibly because there is no shoulder to the highlights in a digital image, as the slope there is far too high."

"Still, when I switched to digital, my photography really took off, and somehow I found getting good colors easy, whereas with film I never felt my results were very good."

"When I switched to digital, my photography really took off, and somehow I found getting good colors easy."

How do you post-process a less-than-ideal scene?

"One of my picturesque street scenes, Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset, is familiar to most Brits because of a famous 1973 Hovis Bread advert. I took my picture there on negative color film and processed it myself. Early on in digital, I used to scan my negatives and got a superior result with Gold Hill, partly because of the light in the shot and partly because of the skills I developed with Photoshop Elements 2."

"Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset. No EXIF data due to Photoshop processing." Photo: Stephen Felce

"There was a street sign ruining the picture, weeds growing in the gutters of a nearby dwelling and more distractions spoiling the overall effect. I cloned out the distractions, straightened a wall and changed the creamy cottage to blue as the original looked sad against the white cottage two doors down. Next, I filled in the bald sky and sharpened the out-of-focus wall on the left."

"After two years of digital manipulation and printing, I finally get good results. The photo won me a copy of Photoshop CS2, which I had wanted but cost far too much for my liking."

Have you taken any particularly memorable trips?

"My best holiday ever was to the Southwestern USA in 2011... from San Francisco to LA, 3,000 miles through Utah and Arizona.

"My best holiday ever was to the Southwestern USA in 2011, driving for three weeks from San Francisco to LA, 3,000 miles through Utah and Arizona, as well as in California. I estimated the distance for my route before I went, and amazingly, it was only a mile out."

"I loved Zion National Park, where, unusually, you get different kinds of rock, different textures and colors adjacent to one another, creating a remarkable effect. I loved Zion so much that I had to include it again in a 2018 trip of a similar distance from LA to Denver to see other must-see places like Arches National Park, but I actually preferred Dead Horse Point State Park overall."

"Near the entrance to Zion National Park, Utah. I was lucky with the light, which, though extremely weak, was better than in other images I have seen of this. My favorite self-took picture, so I made an A2 framed print for my living room. No EXIF data due to extensive Photoshop processing." Photo: Stephen Felce

"Spectacular Rocks in Zion National Park, Utah. Unusual to see such variety in adjacent rocks. No EXIF data due to Photoshop processing." Photo: Stephen Felce

When capturing that perfect shot, what are your preferred techniques?

"I always take a spot reading for exposure on the brightest part of the image, more often than not, the sky, and set exposure adjustment to +3 stops. That way, highlights are never blown out, and it works in every natural-light situation. If the dynamic range demands it, I use bracketed exposures."

"On the E-M5 II, it is brilliant because I can set the gaps two or three stops apart and simultaneously use exposure adjustment to increase exposure for the deepest shadows, without having to resort to shorter exposures, which is not necessary."

For eager photographers to capture it all, what would you suggest?

"Most camera buffs feel obliged to take pictures. I don't, as I take very few even in the best of places. I can quite literally return from a trip with nothing, enjoying the outing no less for that. Some scenes are beautiful, but do not lend themselves to the camera. Instead, they can be quite an experience in real life if you are able and willing to see with insight."

"Ennerdale Water. Lovely clouds making a beautiful scene in the Lake District, northern England. No EXIF data due to Photoshop processing." Photo: Stephen Felce

Stephen really enjoyed writing the content for this spotlight article and would be grateful for you to join him in discussion in the forums. Thanks, Stephen, for being featured!

If you'd like to share your photography, tell us about your main camera, lens choices, key settings and strategies. Your photos and story could be featured in the next article!

Editor's note: This article continues a series, 'What's in your bag?', highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself and your photography by filling out this form. If you're selected for a feature, we'll be in touch with next steps.

Submit your photos and story to be featured in 'What's in your bag?'

Image: DJI

DJI has announced the latest iteration of its compact gimbal camera, the Osmo Pocket 4. The new generation brings more subtle changes than the last update, with integrated storage, a bump in frame rate, new controls and the promise of better low-light shooting.

Like the Osmo Pocket 3, the fourth-gen camera uses a Type 1 CMOS sensor and an integrated 20mm equiv. lens with an F2 aperture. Unlike the 3, which topped out at 4K/120, the Osmo Pocket 4 doubles its maximum framerate to 4K/240. It also uses 10-bit D-Log instead of the D-Log M found on the previous model, trading a more contrasty image that took less grading work for one with a bit more latitude. DJI promises the Pocket 4 can achieve 14 stops of dynamic range.

DJI says the new pocket camera will perform better in low light, delivering truer-to-life colors and better-looking skin tones. It also says that it will provide better results in high-contrast scenes as well. Given that the sensor hasn't changed, both changes are almost certainly thanks to improvements in processing.

When the screen is in landscape orientation, users have access to two additional buttons. Image: DJI

The Osmo Pocket 4 keeps the rotating screen that DJI added to the 3, though it adds two additional buttons that are revealed when the screen is in landscape orientation. One button is dedicated to cropping in, allowing users to digitally zoom to 2x or 4x. The second button is customizable, giving users a shortcut to their most-used settings. DJI also says the 5D joystick is new, though it isn't clear what new functions it unlocks compared to the previous iteration.

DJI added 107GB of integrated storage to its latest gimbal camera, compared to the Osmo Pocket 3's full reliance on microSD cards. It's still compatible with 1TB microSD cards as well. It also promises an additional 14 minutes of battery life, for a total of 3 hours of recording at full resolution, or 4 hours at 1080p.

Like many DJI products, the Osmo Pocket 4 supports gesture control and offers multiple subject tracking options to keep subjects sharp and centered in the frame. It relies on DJI's ActiveTrack 7, which it debuted on the Osmo Mobile 7 smartphone gimbal and promises smoother, more natural tracking, better subject reacquisition and the ability to recognize multiple subjects.

The Osmo Pocket 4 is compatible with DJI's vlogging accessories, such as its mic system. Image: DJI

The Osmo Pocket 4 is priced at £445, which is cheaper than the Pocket 3's launch price of £489. That's especially impressive given that the new model gains 107GB of internal storage at a time when that isn't coming cheap.

The camera will be available for immediate sale in the Chinese market on April 16 and for pre-order in all other regions. Official sales will begin on April 22. The standard combo costs £445 and includes the camera, USB-C cable, gimbal clamp, wrist strap, handle, and carrying pouch. DJI is also offering the Creator Combo for £549, and it includes the addition of the Osmo Pocket 3 Wide-Angle Lens, DJI Mic 3 kit, a fill light and a mini tripod.

As expected, the one exception in terms of availability is the US. DJI says the authorization application is still pending in the US, so it will not be available for purchase.

Sigma is now farming rice in Aizu, Japan, where the company's factory is located. According to CEO Kazuto Yamaki, it's an effort to support its own neighbors while maintaining an important Japanese tradition. Photo: Sigma

For Sigma, "Made in Japan" isn't just a marketing ethos; it signifies a commitment to the company's home country, and to the region surrounding the city of Aizu, where its factory is located.

In an industry where most companies manage global manufacturing and supply chains, Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki takes pride in anchoring his company not only in its geography but in its culture. In fact, when Sigma introduced its new logo last year, it also doubled down on this regional connection, making "Made in Aizu, Japan" a core part of its brand identity.

Which explains why we find ourselves in Japan talking to Mr. Yamaki about rice. As we wrap up our interview at CP+, he casually mentions, "Actually, I'm not sure if you know it, but we decided to start growing rice."

Sigma products and packaging proudly emphasize the company's roots in Aizu, Japan. Photo: Richard Butler

Sigma announced its rice-growing ambitions a few days before our meeting, and while we saw the same press materials as everyone else, it was fascinating to hear the story behind the project, and what inspired it, in Mr. Yamaki's own words.

It's about history and ecology

"Aizu is known for many things," he tells us. "But one reason it's well known is for being a good production site for rice. There are many rice fields in Aizu, and they produce top-quality rice. But these days, as you know, Japan is a rapidly aging country. Also, the kids don't want to take over the farmers' business. So the farmers are losing their successors. Actually, this is nothing new. This already started in the 90s or late 80s. But thanks to the tractor and combine, we don't need many people."

"Aizu is known for many things, but one reason it's well known is for being a good production site for rice."

According to Yamaki, this represents an important economic and cultural shift from the past.

"Before World War II, we had many big landowners, but after World War II, property was shared by the farmers thanks to the American government, which occupied Japan at the time. So in Japan, there are many small farmers. Until now, some farmers asked neighboring farmers to take care of their fields because, thanks to tractors and combines, they could grow rice through the neighbors."

The Sigma factory in Aizu, Japan. Under Mr. Yamaki's leadership, the company has leaned into its roots in Japan, focusing on the use of Japanese suppliers and working with local partners. Photo: Dale Baskin

But it's not just a matter of changing demographics. As Mr. Yamaki observes, the disappearance of the small farmer is having a lasting physical impact on the land itself.

"But what is happening today is these kinds of farmers are aging, and they are losing successors. I started seeing many abandoned rice fields or paddy fields in the Aizu area. This creates a lot of problems. Paddy fields contain water, right? There's a particular ecosystem there, so we lose that ecosystem."

"The disappearance of the small farmer is having a lasting physical impact on the land itself."

"Once the land loses its ability to absorb water, it creates floods and also mudslides. And the abandoned fields have unexpected, undesirable plants. It invites bugs and harmful animals from the forest. So it creates a lot of problems. And also, the look of the landscape – I mean the traditional Japanese landscape, including the paddy fields – we are losing. So our aim, our purpose, is to keep the traditional Japanese landscape as it is. We are not going to grow the agricultural business, but our purpose is to preserve the paddy fields as they are."

A view from the train

For Mr. Yamaki, the decision to farm was a deeply personal one, rooted in a final request from his father.

"My father [Sigma founder Michihiro Yamaki] passed away 14 years ago. He had liver cancer. At the very last stage, maybe two or three months before he died, he asked me to take him to Aizu several times."

Kazuto Yamaki's father, Sigma founder Michihiro Yamaki (far right), poses with supporting members of the Sigma Research Institute Co., Ltd, around 1961. Photo: Sigma

"Because of his illness, at first I drove him to Aizu. But at some point, he told me he wanted to go by train. The local train in Aizu runs through the paddy fields. And he was looking at the paddy fields. And I realized why he wanted to go to Aizu by train. He was just looking at the rice fields, and since then, I really like looking at the paddy fields."

"But these days," he explains, "I feel very sad looking at an abandoned paddy field. So I was interested in starting agriculture about three years ago, and finally, we can start this year."

Leveraging the experience already inside Sigma

At the Sigma factory, the line between technician and tradition is closer than one might expect; some of the same hands that craft many of Sigma's world-class lenses are now being tasked with a much older form of craftsmanship: maintaining Aizu's rice paddies.

"Many of our factory workers are farmers. They know how to make rice, and they have machines. So, we can ask people over age 60 or 65, "Could you work at the rice paddy rather than the factory?" And if we rent out their tractor, we can pay. If we rent their tractor for a week, it can be revenue for them. So we already have the resources to make it."

Some of the same hands that craft many of Sigma's world-class lenses are now being tasked with a much older form of craftsmanship: maintaining Aizu's rice paddies. Photo: Dale Baskin

However, don't expect to see Sigma brand rice on store shelves anytime soon. Yamaki has a pragmatic plan for what to do with all that rice: keep it within his own family of employees.

"We consume it ourselves, because we have a cafeteria in the factory and we have one at the headquarters. If we sell to wholesalers, we have to sell it very cheaply. But we can sell it directly to the company that runs the cafeterias. So we may not lose much money. So it's a kind of win‑win situation."

For Mr. Yamaki, Sigma's foray into agriculture is an opportunity to lead by example.

"For Mr. Yamaki, Sigma's foray into agriculture is an opportunity to lead by example."

"It's really important to commit to the local community," he states emphatically.

"Well, of course, as a company, making a profit is the most important responsibility. But in today's society, companies play many important roles in society and have many social responsibilities. I think the contribution to the local community is one of the important responsibilities a company has. So we are just doing what we can do."

"Of course, we cannot save the Earth. We cannot save the whole region. But I like the phrase, "Think globally, act locally." By announcing this kind of activity, it may influence others, and if such activity spreads to the world, people may be able to help the Earth."

Image: Westend61 / Westend61 via Getty Images

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