90%

Overall score

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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.

Key specifications

• 24MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor
• In-body image stabilization rated up to 8EV
• Dedicated Monochrome mode
• Up to 14fps continuous shooting (JPEG), 11 fps Raw
• 'C30' JPEG-only 30fps mode with pre-burst function
• AF system with tracking and recognition of 9 subject types
• 4K/30 video from 6K capture, 4K/60 with crop, 10-bit N-Log recording
• 32-shot high-res mode to give 96MP images
• SD and MicroSD card slots

The Zf sells at a recommended price of $2000, the same as the launch price of the Nikon Z6 II, which gives a reasonable idea of the camera's ambitions.

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Index:

• What's new?
• How it compares
• Body and controls
• Initial impressions
• Operation and handling
• Image quality
• Autofocus
• Video
• Sample video
• Conclusion
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

What's new?

Sensor/Processor

Nikon isn't making any claims about the Zf's 24MP BSI CMOS sensor being new and, other than wider AF coverage, most of its performance appears to be consistent with the elderly but well-respected sensor in the Z6 II.

The adoption of the latest 'Expeed 7' processor brings significant changes, though. For a start, it brings subject recognition to the camera's AF system as well as a Z9-like implementation of the company's '3D Tracking' along with the 9-type subject recognition system. In addition, there's context-sensitive noise reduction that more aggressively smooths areas that appear not to have detail. It's this noise reduction in the JPEGs and HEIF files that convinced Nikon to let the camera's ISO range expand up to 204,800 (the unexpanded limit also rises to 64,000).

The move to the latest processor also allows the Zf to capture Raw files compressed with the more efficient High Efficiency compression system we first saw on the Z9.

The Zf can shoot at up to 11fps in Raw (in Continuous High Extended mode, that we suspect won't include live view refreshes between shots), and up to 15 or 14fps depending on the use of electronic or mechanical shutter for JPEG mode. There's also a JPEG-only 'C30' mode that uses a video stream to shoot 30fps images, with a pre-burst option like that on the Z8 and Z9.

B&W mode

Commanding its own position on the control that selects between stills and video shooting, the camera's black and white mode gives a choice of mono profiles, including a low-contrast 'Flat mono' and 'Deep tone mono' that accentuates red details in the scene. These profiles can be applied to both still images and video footage, and emphasize Nikon's focus on the creative process.

Video capabilities

Unlike the Df, which promised photographic purity by omitting any video features, the Zf is a pretty capable video machine. It can shoot up to 4K/60 from an APS-C (DX in Nikon speak) crop of the sensor or can capture 4K up to 30p from the full 6K pixel width of its sensor.

The camera we used was pre-production but the 22ms rolling shutter we measured for 30p capture is consistent with the existing sensor in the Z6 models. We doubt it's a coincidence that Panasonic's S5 II models also have to crop into an APS-C region to deliver 60p capture while showing similar readout speeds.

It also adds waveforms, which helps, when trying to assess exposure for video, especially now that we have 10-bit internal capture, allowing Log recording.

Multi-shot pixel shift

Nikon joins the ranks of camera makers using its image stabilization system to offer a multi-shot pixel shift mode, moving the sensor by precise degrees to ensure the capture of each color at every pixel location or in fractions of a pixel to boost the resolution of the output image. Nikon's system offers four modes, all of which require that Raw files be combined in desktop software: a four-shot mode that captures full color at each pixel, an 8-shot mode that does this twice, to further improve tonal quality and noise, a 16-shot mode that also boosts image resolution 96MP, and then a 32-image version that repeats the process, again boosting noise/tonal performance.

Image Stabilization linked to AF point

As companies try to maximize the performance of their IS systems, it's becoming more and more difficult to offer further improvements. Nikon says the Zf's performance has been improved by linking the IS system to the chosen autofocus point.

The logic is that pitch and yaw movements (tilting up/down and rotation to the left and right) cause greater shifts in the image away from the center, particularly when using wide-angle lenses. The Zf's IBIS system can use the chosen AF point as the central point of its corrections, rather than the center of the image, helping to provide more effective stabilization when using off-center AF points with wide lenses. This approach should help maintain sharpness at the point you're focused on, helping the camera to its 8EV stabilization rating, when tested to the CIPA standard.

How it compares

The Zf arrives in the hotly contested ∼$2000 corner of the market, where there are plenty of very capable full-frame options available. What's interesting to note is that, while its styling brings something you won't get from its immediate rivals, Nikon hasn't used this as an excuse to offer a lesser specification.

Other than the space-saving decisions around card type and their location in the camera, the Zf appears perfectly competitive.

Body and controls

The most obvious thing to say about the Zf's body is that it very closely resembles the Nikon FM2 film camera from the 1980s. Placed side-by-side it's apparent the new camera is larger but the proportions have been kept, so it still looks the part.

The Zf has primarily magnesium alloy construction (with some plastic panels to act as a radio window to let the Wi-Fi work), which Nikon says is 'dust and drip resistant.' Its adherence to the traditional look means that there's no protruding hand grip yet, like the FM2 and cameras of its vintage, it can be used quite comfortably. The few millimeters of added depth don't make it hard to grasp and the dials feel well-positioned such that they can be operated without feeling like you're going to drop the camera.

There was some criticism of the smaller Z fc, that its light weight made it feel flimsy, an impression compounded by rather plasticky dials. The added heft of the Zf avoids this problem: it feels more substantial and the feel of the controls is consistent with that.

Card slots

Perhaps the most baffling decision on the Zf: two card slots hidden in the battery compartment, one of which is a UHS-I Micro SD slot.

Nikon has given the Zf two card slots, but to keep its size under control, has opted to make the second card slot a MicroSD type. These are pretty small and can be fiddly to insert and remove from the camera, so it might make sense to leave a fast microSD card in the camera at all times as overflow, rather than planning on removing it too often. That said, while the SD slot is UHS II compatible, the Micro SD is only UHS I.

The slots are positioned next to one another in the battery compartment, adding an extra layer of inconvenience, especially for tripod users, though the speed of the USB-C port means it's easy enough to get data off the camera or power into it, without accessing the underside door at all.

Viewfinder

The Zf has a 3.68M dot EVF, which is not especially high by today's standards. Without the super-fast dedicated readout path that the Z8's sensor offers, it can't match the near-zero-lag experience that that camera does. Overall, it's a pretty middling viewfinder experience, but one definitely improved by the pretty good 0.8x magnification.

Screen

The Zf's rear touchscreen is fully articulated: a choice that made more sense on the more video and social media-focused Z fc. It's a 2.1M dot LCD that we found to work well even in bright light, but I suspect we won't be alone in having preferred the two-way tilt arrangement of the Z8's screen, which could potentially have made the camera a fraction slimmer.

Battery

The Zf uses the same EN-EL15c battery as the majority of Nikon's mid-range cameras, which powers it to a respectable rating of 380 shots per charge (LCD) and 360 shots per charge (EVF). These numbers rise to 430 and 410 shots per charge if you turn energy saving mode on. It's rechargeable over the camera's USB C port, of which, unlike the Z8, there's just one.

Unlike the Z6 II, there's no option to mount a battery grip to the Zf.

Initial impressions

By Richard Butler
Published Sept 20 2023

When Nikon introduced the smaller-sensor Z fc model, it made very clear that it was a camera designed for social media content creators, hoping to attract some of the younger photographers who've perhaps learned the craft on second-hand 70s and 80s film SLRs. But Nikon can't have missed the number of established photo enthusiasts who said they wanted a full-frame version.

That said, Nikon is also likely to remember that the initial buzz generated by the teaser videos for its last retro full-framer (the rather half-baked Df) didn't turn into the sales success it was hoping for.

However, where the Df was a rather misproportioned lump that commanded a significant premium over the D610 on which it was heavily based, the Zf is an altogether more handsome affair (and if you're aiming to attract a style-conscious audience, that matters), and one that out-specs the Z6 II while selling for the same price.

In fact, in the absence of a Z6 III, the Zf becomes the company's best-specced camera around the high-contested $2K price point. It still seems to use the same image sensor as the previous Z6s but features the newer Expeed 7 processor from the Z9 and Z8, which brings updates such as the mirrorless camera implementation of the company's '3D Tracking' system.

"In the absence of a Z6 III, the Zf becomes the company's best-specced camera around the high-contested $2K price point"

These days we can simply call it 'tracking,' as the majority of brands have now adopted a comparable approach of simply following whatever is under your chosen AF point (or near to it, in the case of most subject recognition systems). It's such an obvious approach that, for once, the term 'intuitive' might almost be appropriate, but the idea of integrating tracking into the main AF interface really started with Nikon, so it's great to see the Zf catch up to the 'best practice' approach that Nikon itself pioneered.

Multiple multi-shot modes

In a more reactive manner, Nikon has also become one of the last brands to add a multi-shot high-res mode to its camera. Multi-shot modes that try to cancel out the effect of the Bayer filter or oversample the scene to produce more detailed images have become increasingly common as engineers look for ways to exploit the presence of in-body stabilization mechanisms.

In many instances, they're not terribly useful: often requiring tripods and near-static subjects, with a combination of images often requiring proprietary desktop software. There are clearly lots of patents protecting different implementations, as almost every brand appears to take its own approach (in terms of the number of shots and degree of in-camera processing).

The Zf offers a range of modes, including one that takes a staggering 32 images, collected in around four seconds, to deliver a 96MP final image. That's a long time during which your subject might move, which undermines its usefulness, but there are at least other options if your subject doesn't include much motion. So, perhaps primarily in the interest of people who like to wage brand wars over the obscure ends of the spec sheets, Nikon now offers the feature.

In use the Zf was enjoyable during the period I got to use it. The distinctive styling was something of a curse, given Nikon's concerns about it being seen out in the wild, but from today onwards, it's more likely to be an asset. The camera I used was the all-black version, but six other leatherette color schemes will also be available. There's no news of a silver/black version. It's not clear whether this is because of the challenge of delivering matched silvers across different materials to maintain the camera's premium character or because Nikon plans a special edition at some point in the future.

The pre-production camera I was using started to show temperature warnings after around two hours of stills shooting, but it should be noted that I was shooting in 32°C (90°F) conditions, often in direct sunshine. It didn't get warm enough to start a countdown to auto shutoff, though.

AF tracking isn't as sticky as with the Z8 and Z9. This isn't a huge surprise but, for instance, when I tried to pick out a particular part of a flower, the Zf's tracking target would sometimes wander off the specific detail I'd been wanting it to track. Performance with a recognized subject appeared excellent, though, with seemingly unerring tracking of eyes, for instance.

Ultimately, though, the Zf moves things forward from the Z6 II and finally seems to deliver the camera that so many people hoped the Df would be. Now if only the barriers to Sigma introducing its compact, aperture ring-sporting i-series primes for Z-mount could be overcome, then things would get very interesting indeed.

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Operation and handling

It's been interesting to encounter such a squared off camera after decades of increasingly large stick-out grips. The Zf's weight and squareness meant I found it would cut into my little finger if I didn't make a conscious effort to maintain most of the weight using my left hand, supporting the lens. This was particularly acute when the Zf was combined with a heavier lens, such as the 24-70mm F2.8.

We also found the Zf offers a little less customization than we'd expect of a camera at this level. The Zf appears to have five customizable buttons, as the Z6 II does, but one of these is the Playback button, effectively leaving you with four if you actually want to be able to review your images. Similarly, the Zf includes the usual options to change exposure comp without pressing a button, and letting you choose whether the front or rear command dial changes the setting, but these only have any function if the dedicated exposure comp dial is deactivated by turning it to its 'C' position, so for much of the time one of the camera's command dials has no function. No one has considered letting you assign ISO to a command dial, for instance, so quick access to ISO requires a button press and takes up one of your precious custom buttons, and again this button stops working if you select a specific ISO value from the dial. Oddly, this means you also lose the ability to disengage or engage Auto ISO, if you turn the ISO dial. The overall effect is quirky, to say the least.

The dials play a central part in the camera's retro appeal but the way they interact with some button and dial functions takes some getting used to.

Unlike previous Nikons, there's no way to quickly access the 'minimum shutter speed' value if you use Auto ISO. Some previous models let you assign this option to the camera's My Menu list, meaning you could gain quick access by setting a custom button to 'Access top item in My Menu,' but the Zf doesn't allow this. Overall it feels like no one has really thought through the full impact or opportunity of adding the dedicated shutter speed and exposure comp dials to the camera.

Combine all this with the lack of AF joystick – the four-way controller defaults to AF point positioning but isn't as quick or as well-positioned – and the Zf is not as fast or fluid a camera to use as the Z6s were, nor the likes of Panasonic's S5 II, its most closely-priced competitor.

It gets a lot right, though: its on-screen interface is relatively clean, in an era succumbing to increased clutter, and the menus are pretty well laid out, albeit very, very long. It's hard to escape the suspicion that the same components in the form of a Z6 III would be a much more effective photographic tool. Albeit one that's nothing like as pretty.

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.

The Nikon Zf is based on the widely-used 24MP BSI CMOS sensor, so there are no great surprises to its image quality. In terms of detail capture, it does exactly as you'd expect a 24MP sensor to. And the performance both at moderately high and very high ISO is very good, as you'd expect.

Nikon's default JPEG sharpening is very large radius, so it appears to be capturing much less detail than its peers (even though we know from the Raws that this isn't the case). Color exhibits standard Nikon response with lots of punch and saturation. Yellows are vibrant with no green or orange tint but the pink closest to a generic caucasian skintone is notably brighter and more pink than either the Sony or Canon renderings. We tried to include plenty of portraits in the gallery so you can decide what you think of this.

The Zf's noise reduction at high ISO smooths away noise pretty well but takes a lot of the fine detail with it. Overall it's a very similar performance to the Z6 II, which we really liked.

Dynamic range

Again there are no surprises from the Zf's sensor. It's been around for a few years, but we've not encountered any chips that are significantly better in a mid-priced camera. At base ISO the camera adds very little noise, so there's scope to reduce exposure to protect highlights, with the reduction in exposure being the main source of noise and the limit on how far you can push things. Its dual gain design means there's even less shadow noise from ISO 800 upwards, and minimal benefit to increasing the ISO above that point. In low light scenes with bright highlights, underexposing ISO 800 by three stops and then brightening should give similar noise to ISO 6400 but with three additional stops of highlights preserved in the Raw.

Exposure latitude | ISO Invariance

White balance in the real world

Auto WB (Keep overall atmosphere)	Reprocessed in-camera: Natural light Auto WB

The camera’s auto white balance lets you decide how completely the camera tries to cancel-out the effect of the color of the light you’re shooting under. It defaults to ‘Keep overall atmosphere,’ with a more extreme ‘Keep white (reduce warm colors)’ option or a less severe ‘Keep warm lighting colors’ setting. We found the last of these to give the nicest results: even the default middle-ground setting can tend to render subjects a little cold/blue. There’s also a ‘Natural light Auto’ mode that works better for outdoor shooting. It’s definitely worth switching to this mode when you know you’ll be shooting outdoors, but it’s bit of a disappointment that the standard auto mode isn’t as set-and-forget as you might hope.

Autofocus

The Nikon Zf is the first mirrorless model to include 3D Tracking autofocus but not have a super-fast readout Stacked CMOS sensor to drive it. The distinction between this and the tracking on previous models is twofold: firstly it's an AF area mode, just like any other, rather an optional feature engaged separately from area modes and, secondly, it doesn't need to be disengaged once initiated: release the AF-On or shutter button and the AF point reverts to wherever it was originally placed: no 'cancel' required and no resetting to the center of the scene.

The Nikon Zf’s AF tracking is generally very good and noticeably improved, compared with the previous generation models, such as the Z6 II and Z5. The 3D tracking mode does a good job of staying on the target you’d pointed it at. The performance improves still further if you select one of the camera’s subject recognition modes to run alongside it.

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In our basic AF tracking test the basic 3D tracking mode would tend to lose track of the subject as it passed through one of the corners (where the subject’s approach rate changes, as well as its direction). It would typically find the subject again when it returned near to the center of the frame, where the AF was initially placed. This was a somewhat surprising result, as we didn't encounter this often in our more general shooting. The camera gave the same result repeatedly, though, which suggests performance can vary with subject.

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However, engaging human/face detection ensured the camera didn’t ever lose the subject. It continued to work, regardless of whether the subject was wearing dark glasses, obscuring part of the face.

However, it’s also noticeable that portraits taken with face detection aren’t always perfectly focused on the eye itself. The camera’s detection and the persistence of its tracking is very good but the precision isn’t always as high as some of its immediate peers, with a tendency to focus just in front of the eye itself. That said, eye detection and the way it respects the selected AF point make it a really valuable feature on the camera, meaning you can focus on the camera’s other settings and on interacting with your subject, rather than having to think about focus.

The improved AF tracking extends to video mode, where it was recognizably weaker on previous models. Overall we got the sense that the Zf’s autofocus doesn’t quite match the pro-level performance of the Z8 and Z9 but brings Nikon’s AF behavior and handling to the point it’s very competitive with its rivals.

Video

Despite the 80's styling, the Zf has mic and headphone sockets to support its pretty capable video feature set. The HDMI socket is of the rather sensitive 'micro' variety, so we wouldn't plan on making it the center of our workflow.

The Zf's 24MP sensor was one of the first full-frame sensors from which manufacturers squeezed 4K footage. It reads out quickly enough that the Zf can deliver 4K video derived from 6K capture at up to 30p or it can shoot 60p if you crop into an APS-C region of the sensor ('DX' in Nikon's terminology).

But the Zf does more with the sensor than the Z6 or Z6 II did, gaining internal 10-bit capture with Log and HLG recording, giving more flexibility to the editing and output options. It also gains waveform displays for helping you expose your Log footage, making it a much more usable video camera.

The Zf's 24p footage is more detailed than it was from the Nikon Z6 II, but it becomes noticeably less sharp in its 60p mode. You probably wouldn't notice this difference, intercutting between footage from the two, but the smaller capture region used for 60p will mean it gets noisier, faster, as will the need to use shorter exposures, so for indoor shooting, expect cuts to slowed-down 60p to have a little extra graininess to them.

Rolling shutter for the full-width footage measures around 22ms. This is reasonable (Panasonic's high-end, video-centric S1H from a few years ago gives a very similar performance), but it's not great. 22ms is slow enough that attempts to pan the camera or capture fast movement across the frame will see vertical lines become horizontally skewed, and this distortion can interact badly with the camera's attempt to shift the sensor to stabilize its footage, causing slight jitter in the footage.

The use of a relatively slow UHS-I Micro SD card as the camera's second memory card slot means it's not really practical to leave a card in the smaller slot and use it as internal memory for shooting video to. You can shoot video to the SD slot and stills to Micro SD but you risk blunting the camera's performance that way.

Image stabilization

The camera's image stabilization is pretty good, with digital stabilization applying a 1.25x crop that gives the camera room to move that crop around within the video capture region in order to cancel out unintended motion. The stabilization is quite smooth, gently drifting around rather than trying to maintain a tripod-like lock on proceedings. But, as mentioned, there is some vertical jitter introduced when stabilization is active, presumably as the camera moves the region its capturing while the existing area was still being read-out.

Sample video

We shot this video entirely handheld and you can see the camera does a good job of stabilizing the image. However, you can definitely notice the jitter that gets introduced by eVR in the clips where we're moving the camera to keep pace with our subject.

All shots in the video were also taken using autofocus, using custom-shaped AF areas and, where appropriate, human detection. We reduced the AF speed and nudged the AF target box to conduct the far-to-near focus pull in the middle of the video, but most other shots were left at the default focus speed, and the camera did a good job of maintaining focus without drawing attention to any changes in focusing distance.

The camera's waveform monitor was particularly useful for exposing the N-Log footage used on the ferry, where there's a vast difference in brightness between the overcast grey outside and the low-lit interior. Nikon hasn't yet published a LUT for the Zf's implementation of N-Log, so we had to use the one for the Z6 II, which pushes the highlights very bright and the shadows quite dark, so it's hard to assess how well exposed these clips are, but the waveform display meant we were able to protect the highlights from clipping.

Overall the Zf was a more capable video camera to shoot with than its retro styling might suggest.

Conclusion

The Nikon Zf looks a lot like the camera everyone was hoping the Df would be: a cutting-edge camera styled to look like one of Nikon's classic models from the early 80s, without too much additional size or weight. And I think most people would agree it succeeds spectacularly from an aesthetic perspective.

We're a little less convinced when it comes to the camera's handling. Even compared with the cameras it's modeled on, the Zf can become uncomfortable to hold after a while, and we found it hard to shake the perception that Nikon's engineers hadn't really thought-through the full implications of having dedicated dials when they copied over most behaviors from their other cameras.

The Zf is a lovely camera to sling over your shoulder when you're out for the day. Until you mount a heavy lens on the front. Nikkor Z 24-70mm F2.8 S @ 40mm | F5.6 | 1/100 sec | ISO 100 Processed in Adobe Camera Raw: straightened, highlights reduced, white balance adjusted Photo: Richard Butler

The Zf works less and less well, the larger the lens you mount on it, and Nikon's range of lenses doesn't have many small, light options. Worse still, there's plenty to suggest that it's blocking third-party makers from filling that gap. Relatedly, Nikon's Z lenses tend not to have aperture rings, but the Zf mimics the control layout of cameras from a system in which they did, which isn't ideal.

So, while the Nikon offers a distinct image quality benefit over the likes of Fujifilm's X-T series, the Fujifilm cameras have size, weight and a wide choice of small lenses with aperture rings on their side. This and a higher level of operational consistency has the unfortunate effect of showing how this concept can be delivered more successfully.

Improved autofocus tracking and subject recognition give the Zf a distinct edge over previous mid-range Z series cameras. Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S | F8.0 | 1/160 sec | ISO 720 Photo: Richard Butler

The Zf's performance is very good, though. It's built around a excellent, well-proven sensor and delivers very good autofocus performance, particularly with subject recognition engaged. It's also a remarkably capable video camera, providing a level of flexibility and capability that its classic styling might otherwise disguise. Again this was supported by its much-improved autofocus.

We're sure a lot of enthusiast photographers will happily work around the Zf's quirks and oddities, in return for getting to own and use a camera that has so much character to it, and they won't be let down by the photos it produces. But having used Fujifilm X-T cameras so much, and knowing what the likes of Sigma's i-series lenses would add, it's hard not to contemplate what might have been.

Speaking as someone for whom the Zf's styling has a powerful resonance, I thought I was going to love this camera. But having used it for several months, my head says Silver, even though my heart says Gold.

Scoring

Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.

Compared to its peers

The Canon EOS R6 II is still the camera to beat in this class. It's more expensive than the Nikon and no longer offers such an advantage in terms of autofocus, but it can shoot full-width 4K/60p, can capture faster bursts and is simply nicer from a handling and operation perspective. Both cameras are restricted to relatively limited lens ranges, with Nikon at least allowing some third-party options in, but it's worth checking that the lenses you want are available at reasonable prices before opting for either camera.

The Sony a7 IV is another strong contender at this price. It offers slightly higher resolution (and more sophisticated JPEG processes emphasize the difference) and slightly more dependable autofocus than the Nikon. It's not especially strong as a video camera, though, and costs more than the Zf, making it a slightly less capable all-rounder. The wider choice of lenses comes out clearly in favor of the Sony, with the likes of Sigma's affordable i Series optics making a great match.

The i Series lenses are also available for the L-mount used by Panasonic's S5 II and S5 II X. The operation and handling of the Panasonic pair are also significantly nicer than those of the Nikon. However, even with phase detect AF having been added to the S5 II, the Zf has a simpler and more dependable AF system than the Panasonics. And, perhaps unexpectedly, the Nikon's video capabilities are a good match for those of the S5 II, so overall we found the Nikon to be that bit more usable.

Finally, it's worth considering the comparison with Fujifilm's similarly-styled X-T5. The Fujifilm is based around a smaller sensor, giving the Nikon an immediate image quality advantage and greater flexibility in terms of depth-of-field. The X-T5 is also arguably less good at video: it seems to offer better specs on paper but varying crops and rolling shutter means that advantage disappears when the bits hit the memory card. But the Fujifilm is nicer to use, despite its ostensibly similar control ethos, and the smaller size, lighter weight and slight front bulge make it more comfortable to use. And, of course, the X-mount offers many, many more lenses, including a vast range of primes, that work well on the X-T5. On balance it's a more difficult choice than it might initially seem.

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Image: Richard Butler

As we bid March adieu, it's a good time to take stock of the wealth of new cameras and lenses announced so far this year. Here's a list of everything we've seen, updated for April 2024!

March 2024

Leica SL3

Image: Richard Butler

Leica released the SL3 in March, making it the highest-resolution SL camera in its line. The 60MP DSLR-shaped mirrorless camera is built around Leica's L-mount and brings a lot of technology from the Leica M11 models into its radically redesigned interface. Shutterbugs didn't have to wait long for it to arrive. It was available the same day it was announced.

Read our SL3 initial review

Logitech Mevo Core

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Logitech revisited the Mevo line of streaming cameras to give them a larger Micro Four Thirds sensor and its corresponding lens mount (the previous version was fixed lens). Geared toward users in need of live-feed video, it sports a 6-hour battery rating and supports Wi-Fi 6E up to 4K/30p streaming.

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Leica limited edition black Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4

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Leica, whose commitment to the rangefinder style is so strong that it makes actual rangefinder cameras, announced it was producing 200 copies of the M-Summilux 35mm F1.4 with an anodized black coating on its aluminum shell. The design has many elements inspired directly by a lens Leica produced in the 60s and reintroduced in 2022 as part of the Leica Classic line.

Read our Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 story

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Ricoh creates GR III HDF and GR IIIx HDF

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The Ricoh GR III HDF and GR IIIx HDF are variants of the company's existing fixed-lens APS-C premium compacts. They feature a unique "highlight diffusion filter" instead of the ND filter fitted in the standard versions of both cameras. When turned on, the HDF creates a diffusion effect, particularly visible in highlight areas. Both cameras will arrive in April, with preorders starting April 2.

Read our GR III HDF and GR IIIx HDF story

Buy GR III HDF now:

Buy GR IIIx HDF now:

Nikkor Z 28-400mm F4-8 VR

Image: Nikon

A superzoom Z-mount lens with a 14.2x zoom range, Nikon tells us the lens is designed to meet the needs of both photo and video users. Autofocus comes in the form of a stepping motor to deliver fast and quiet autofocus, and manual focus includes support for a linear focus response, which should appeal to video shooters. It is set for release in mid-April.

Read our 28-400mm F4-8 VR story

Meike 55mm F1.4 APS-C

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Meike Global's first autofocus APS-C lens arrived for Fujifilm, Sony and Nikon cameras in March. The new 55mm F1.4's $200 MSRP is targeted at photographers looking for a fast and light prime lens who don't want to shell out for more expensive options.

Read our Meike 55mm F1.4 APS-C story

7Artisans 50mm F1.8 AF

Image: 7Artisans

7Artisans also introduced its first autofocus lens in March and it too runs about $200: a 50mm F1.8 for full-frame Sony E-mount bodies. The company has built up an extensive collection of manual focus lenses (for numerous mounts), and we imagine that this "nifty fifty" is the first of many AF lenses to come.

Read our 7Artisans 50mm F1.8 story

Sigma 50mm F1.2 DG DN Art

Image: Sigma

The 50mm lenses just kept on coming in March (calling it now, it's going to be a hot nifty-fifty summer if this keeps up). Sigma's second F1.2 lens for the E and L full-frame mirrorless camera mounts is one of the lightest lenses of its type. Sigma also says it's designed to give full detail levels even at maximum aperture. It hits stores on April 18.

Read our Sigma 50mm F1.2 DG DN Art story

Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2

Image: Tamron

Tamron's popular 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2 fast standard zoom is coming to Nikon's Z-mount. Built with a newer, linear motor drive, it also features improved optical performance when compared to the G1 version of the lens. The announcement adds a more affordable option for Nikon's Z-mount users, and some hope that Nikon may relax restrictions around the mount.

Read our Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2 story

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February 2024

An extra long February brought us a wealth of new cameras and lenses during CP+ 2024.

Fujifilm X100VI

Image: Richard Butler

Arguably one of the most hyped-up cameras of the year, the Fujifilm X100VI was announced and made available for preorder this February. It is shipping now, but already backordered at some retailers.

Read our X100VI initial review

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Sony a9 III

Photo: Richard Butler

Sony's latest high-speed pro sports camera and herald of the 'global' shutter, the a9 III, was announced in 2023 but began shipping on February 8th.

Read our Sony a9 III initial review

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OM System OM-1 Mark II

Photo: Shaminder Dulai

The OM System OM-1 Mark II is a high-speed Micro Four Thirds camera based around a 20MP Stacked CMOS sensor. As the name implies, it's an updated version of the flagship OM-1, with hardware and firmware improvements. Announced and available for preorder in January 2024, it started shipping in February.

Read our OM System OM-1 Mark II initial review

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OM System 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS

Image: OM System

Alongside its new flagship, OM System announced a 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 super telephoto zoom (equivalent focal length range of 300-1200mm) as well as a new version of the Olympus 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 (18-36mm equivalent) with an updated body and OM System branding in January. Both are now shipping as of February 2024.

Learn more

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Sony 24-50mm F2.8 G

Image: Sony

Sony's 24-50mm F2.8 G fast, compact walk-around lens was announced this February during CP+ but is not slated to ship until May of this year.

Learn more

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Fujifilm X100VI: Limited Edition

Photo: Richard Butler

While the Fujifilm X100VI itself is easy to pre-order, there is also a limited edition with Fujifilm's founding logo from 1934 that will be a bit harder to find and a bit more expensive. Ask at your local dealer for the chance to pay a $400 premium for this limited run.

Learn more

Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN "Art" diagonal fisheye

Image: Sigma

Sigma's 15mm F1.4 DG DN "Art" diagonal fisheye is shooting to be an astrophotography workhorse with a 180-degree field-of-view, manual focus lock button, lens heater support and a weather-sealed body. It's available for preorder today, with an estimated ship date of mid-March.

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Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports

Image: Sigma

Sigma's 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS "Sports" lens is lighter and a fraction shorter than the similar Nikkor lens for DSLR, despite not using the same phase-fresnel technology Nikon does. It's available for preorder now in E-mount and L-mount favors, with a ship date in mid-March 2024.

Learn more

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Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 macro travel zoom

Image: Panasonic

Launched during CP+, Panasonic's Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS for L-mount is, according to the company, is the smallest and lightest long zoom lens for mirrorless systems (where 'long zoom' is defined as 7x or greater zoom range). It's available for preorder now, and set to ship at the end of April.

Learn more

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Venus Optics Laowa 10mm F2.8 Zero-D FF

Image: Venus Optics

The Venus Optics' Laowa Zero-D FF is, according to its makers, the world's widest F2.8 full-frame rectilinear lens. It's also the first lens with autofocus in the company's Laowa line. Available for preorder now, it will ship next month for $799.

Learn more

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Sony PDT-FP1 5G transmitter

Image: Sony

Sony's PDT-FP1 5G transmitter accessory, which was already announced in Japan, is now coming to the United States and other markets. It can be preordered now and has a shipping window of "early summer" 2024.

Learn more

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Apple Vision Pro

Image: Apple

Announced in 2023, Apple Vision Pro got a February 2nd shipping date during CES 2024. It's now available to order on Apple's website for $3,499. Apple Vision Pro is not primarily a camera, of course, but it is, in part, a device for capturing photos and videos. The Vision Pro will be able to capture spatial photos and video using a button along the top edge of the goggle part of the device.

Learn more

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January 2024

The start of the year was no time for rest, we hit the ground running with several product announcements.

Hasselblad CFV 100C

Image: Hasselblad

Hasselblad has announced a 100MP version of its CFV digital camera back, which combines with the 907x camera to create the smallest medium format camera on the market. It's available for pre-order now and expected to ship in late March to early April.

Learn more

Preorder:

Panasonic Lumix S 100mm F2.8 macro

Image: Panasonic

In conjunction with CES 2024, Panasonic has announced the Lumix S 100mm F2.8 Macro lens for full-frame L-mount cameras. Panasonic calls it "the world’s smallest and lightest medium-telephoto fixed focal length macro lens." However, as important as its size and weight is versatility: Panasonic tells us its goal was to produce a macro that can also handle portraiture and medium telephoto shooting with vanishingly few drawbacks. It was announced and shipped in January 2024.

Learn more

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DJI Mic 2

Image: DJI

This January, DJI announced the Mic 2, the sequel to its first wireless microphone system released back in 2022. We were fans of the original, especially the details of its interface and user experience, and the Mic 2 expands on that with some additional creature comforts, 32-bit float backup recordings and a new transparent design. It was available for purchase at its announcement in January.

Learn more

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Photo: Richard Butler

We're almost a third of the way through the year already! Here's a recap of the reviews and testing we've done this year so far, with more (and more and more) to come as the year goes on!

April

Panasonic S5II: Review

Photo: Richard Butler

The Panasonic S5II had the unfortunate luck of landing in our office right about the time we found out that our parent company planned to close DPReview in 2023, so it never went through our regular review process. We've been looking for an opportunity to review it ever since we joined forces with Gear Patrol last summer and finally found the time.

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.

Read the review

Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G: Sample gallery

Photo: Shaminder Dulai

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.

See the sample gallery

March

Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G: Sample gallery

Photo: Eric Limer

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.

See the sample gallery

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Leica SL3: Initial review

Photo: Richard Butler

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.

Read the 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.

See the sample gallery

Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 II: Studio scene

Photo: Brendan Nystedt

As we enter the final phase of our Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 II review, we've added the test scene images to our image comparison tool.

See the studio scene

Sony a9 III: Sample gallery updated

Photo: Carey Rose

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.

See the sample gallery

The Panasonic S5IIX goes to Japan: Sample gallery

Photo: Dale Baskin

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.

See the sample gallery

Panasonic Lumix G9 II: Review

Photo: Brendan Nystedt

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.

Read the review

Sigma 50mm F1.2 DG DN Art: Sample gallery

Photo: Jeff Carlson

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.

See the sample gallery

Nikon 28-400m F4-8: Pre-production sample gallery

Photo: Dale Baskin

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.

See the sample gallery

February

Hasselblad 907X / CFV 100C: Sample gallery

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.

See the sample gallery

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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.

Read the review

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Nikon Zf: Video reel update

Photo: Richard Butler

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.

Read the review

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Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II: Studio scene

Photo: Richard Butler

As we complete our Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II review, we've run the camera through our recently revitalized studio test scene to see how it performs against the competition.

See the results

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Fujifilm X100VI: Initial review

Photo: Richard Butler

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.

Read the review

See the sample gallery

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OM System OM-1 II: Sample gallery

Photo: Shaminder Dulai

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.

See the sample gallery

Read the initial review

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January

Sony a9 III: Initial review

Photo: Richard Butler

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.

Read the review

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Lumix S 100mm F2.8 Macro: Sample gallery

Photo: Shaminder Dulai

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.

See the sample gallery

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Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II: Sample gallery

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

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.

See the sample gallery

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iPhone 15 Pro Max: Sample gallery

Photo: Jeff L Carlson

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?

See the sample gallery

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Canon EOS R100: Review

Photo: Shaminder Dulai

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.

Read the review

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Fujifilm XF23mm F2 R WR: Review

Photo: Mike Tomkins

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.

Read the review

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$449 at Amazon

$449 at B&H

$449 at Adorama

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Sony ZV-1 Mark II: Review

Photo: Shaminder Dulai

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.

Read the review

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$898 at Amazon

$898 at B&H

$898 at Adorama

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Tenba Axis V2 18L backpack: Review

Photo: Tim Barribeau

The Tenba Axis V2 18L ($200) is a well-made, quietly competent but otherwise uninteresting backpack. Tenba has been in this industry long enough to know the basics of building a functional bag, but this simple black rectangle struggles to stand out against a field packed with more interesting, stylish, or specialized options like Peak Design's exceedingly versatile Everyday Bag or LowePro's hiking bag that happens to hold cameras well too.

Read the review

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One of the nifty benefits of technology is that we live in a world where products can be updated or upgraded after buying them. This includes obvious things, like computers, phones and tablets, and less obvious ones, like TVs, cars, or remote pet feeders. To my surprise, I recently discovered a firmware update for my oven, but since the release notes don't say, "This update fixes a bug that will burn down your house," I haven't bothered to install it.

This also extends to cameras, and it benefits photographers because new firmware can enhance a camera's performance and extend its lifecycle beyond original expectations.

In the early days of digital photography, receiving firmware updates for cameras was rare; they existed, but almost solely to fix bugs. More recently, manufacturers began rolling out firmware upgrades, which go a step further to add new features or improve the performance of existing ones. Today, it's not an uncommon expectation that many products will receive one or more substantial upgrades over their lifetime.

Promises vs. expectations

The operative word in that last sentence is expectation. An expectation isn’t a promise. It’s rare for camera manufacturers to promise future firmware upgrades in advance, though it happens. Case in point: when Panasonic announced the GH5 II and GH6, it explicitly stated that it would release firmware upgrades after launch to add features to those models.

But expectations and promises are two entirely different things, and we frequently encounter camera owners who criticize companies for not releasing more significant firmware upgrades for their favorite product.

The Panasonic GH6 is one of the few camera models that promised a future firmware upgrade when announced.

Further, when a new model comes out, we sometimes hear from owners who contend that a manufacturer could have (or should have) added its new features to existing products via firmware. This often occurs when a newer or higher-end product is based on hardware similar to existing models. Most recently, we saw examples of this following the OM-1 Mark II release, though it's by no means unique.

This raises the question: Are manufacturers obligated to provide you with firmware upgrades when you buy a new camera?

A manufacturer's obligation to you

We all want the products we’ve already purchased to be improved. It’s a benefit of technology that didn’t exist until recently, and it's a meaningful one. But don’t mistake the benefits of getting a nice firmware upgrade with a manufacturer’s obligation to give you one.

"Don’t mistake the benefits of getting a nice firmware upgrade with a manufacturer’s obligation to give you one."

When you buy a camera with a specific set of features, the manufacturer's obligation is to deliver those features to you. Assuming it does, you received what you paid for, even if the hardware is capable of doing more. Increasingly, cameras are built on platforms that use similar parts, and manufacturers may segment products based on features enabled in firmware. Those willing to spend more will get more sophisticated features or higher performance.

The Nikon Z9 has received multiple firmware upgrades since its release, adding features as varied as 8K/60p internal Raw video capture and bird subject recognition.

Similarly, when your favorite manufacturer comes out with a shiny new model, know that it will likely do things your current model won’t, even if the hardware could support it.

I'm not suggesting that camera manufacturers shouldn't provide upgrades to existing products. Quite the opposite. It's good business, shows goodwill toward customers, and instills a sense of loyalty to a brand. I'm saying there's no guarantee you'll get one for any particular product, however, so you should plan accordingly.

Upgrade considerations when buying a camera

First, unless it was promised, don't assume that your camera will ever do more than it did on the day you bought it. You can only plan your purchase based on what a product is now, not what it might be or what you hope it will become. If an upgrade is released at some future date, that’s a bonus.

Second, accept that you decided the camera was worth what you paid for it when you made the purchase. If a new or more expensive model comes out, you're not entitled to any additions it brings, even if you believe your camera could offer them.

The OM-1 is the OM System's flagship camera, but some users have expressed frustration that it hasn't received more substantial firmware upgrades.

I’m not an absolutist. Are there times when a camera manufacturer has an obligation to provide updates? Sure. If something doesn’t work or there’s a legitimate bug in a camera's operation, companies should fix that and make it right. But that’s very different than owing you future features or performance enhancements just because you hope or assume you’ll get them.

If getting firmware upgrades is essential to you, buy a camera from a company that promises one before you buy it, but even then, understand there's a chance it won't materialize if the company changes business priorities down the road.

The good news is that even if your camera never gets an upgrade, that won’t prevent it from doing everything it did when you took it out of the box. And when your favorite manufacturer comes out with a new model to replace the old one, don't dwell on the fact that your camera doesn't get the latest features. Instead, celebrate the many photos your existing camera has allowed you to capture since you acquired it, and know that you didn't miss opportunities while waiting for a new model to arrive.

Nikon has released firmware version 2.0 for its Z8 high-end mirrorless camera, adding features for still and video shooters.

Fans of avian photography will be pleased to see the addition of a dedicated bird detection mode. As with the Z9, Nikon claims improvements in recognition, tracking, and AF performance in various circumstances. The mode (distinct from that included as part of animal detection mode) should be able to recognize a wider range of birds in a wider array of poses, even against complex backdrops.

A new Auto Capture feature will take a photo or video when one or more specified criteria are met. Those criteria are distance, motion, and subject detection so, for instance, as soon as that deer enters the frame headling right to left, the Z8 can go to work.

The Pixel Shift feature first seen on the Zf has also arrived. The camera can take 4, 8, 16, or 32 photos by shifting the sensor by 1/2 or 1 pixel and then saving them as individual NEF files. The 4 and 8-shot modes provide improved color resolution and less noise at the sensor's native 46MP resolution, while the 16 and 32-shot modes produce whopping 180 Megapixel files with even more detail. The files must be merged in NX Studio before they can be shared or edited.

A new Picture Control mode has been added for portrait photographers. The "Rich Tone Portrait" mode retains skin details while preventing highlights from clipping, making it ideal for wedding and portrait photography.

The camera also gains a wider choice of shutter sound effects to indicate the firing of the camera's silent electronic shutter. Options include sounds that mimic the shutter of the Nikon F5 or S-series rangefinder, rather than the default DSLR-style sound effect.

Other improvements include:

• The number of functions and operations that can be assigned to custom control has increased.
• A function has been added that enables users to exit zoom with a half-press of the shutter-release button when focus mode is set to manual focus.
• An option that allows users to choose the width of focus-point borders has been added.
• An option that allows users to choose not to record shooting orientation information in image EXIF data has been added.
• A new [Prefer focus point (face priority)] option has been added that centers the display on a face when one is detected while scrolling through photos during playback zoom.

Version 2.0 of the Z8 firmware can be found on Nikon's website.

Nikon has released NX Tether 2.0, which brings numerous features from the "classic" Camera Control Pro 2 software to modern mirrorless cameras.

NX Tether 2 now offers full-time live view for both stills and video, even wirelessly when using the Z8/Z9. Users can now adjust a lot more settings than in the original NX Tether software, such as Active D-Lighting, file format and Picture Control mode. The user interface has been enhanced and is more customizable than in version 1.0.

NX Tether 2 is compatible with models such the Z6 and higher-end Z-series cameras as well as the D6 and D780 DSLRs but the new liveview capabilities are not available with the Zf, Z5 or Zfc. It can be downloaded free of charge from Nikon's website.

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

It’s okay to be curious – the Megadap ETZ21 Pro is an affordable and surprisingly compact AF-capable accessory for adapting Sony E-mount glass to Nikon Z-mount bodies, including both full-frame and cropped lenses/cameras.

Priced at $250, the ETZ21 Pro supports electronic communication for full autofocus, autoexposure, image stabilization and aperture control. EXIF data is also transferred from lens to camera body. But how does it perform? Read on.

Key features

• Adapts Sony E-mount lenses to Nikon Z-mount camera bodies
• Compatible with full-frame and crop lenses/bodies
• Electronic contacts for full AF, AE, IS and aperture control
• EXIF data transfers between lens and camera
• Thin, stainless construction
• $250

The Megadap ETZ21 Pro Sony E- to Nikon Z-mount is available now for $250.

Buy now:

Competition

The ETZ21 Pro is seriously thin. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

There are a number of similarly-priced and spec’d adapters out there promising full AF/AE compatibility, including options from FotodioX and Techart. The former looks like it could have shipped out of the same factory as the Megadap. The latter looks a whole lot like Megadap’s prior generation Sony-to-Nikon accessory and which you can read more about in our review.

The discontinued Megadap ETZ11 is the predecessor to the current ETZ21. It offers similar function, but less speedy performance overall and a less robust build quality. Given the option, go for the newer version.

There are also, of course,

Design

This diminutive piece of tech is delightfully powerful. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The Megadap ETZ21 Pro is a remarkably diminutive accessory. It adds only 2mm to the length of a lens, but that's not an arbitrary amount. This positions your adapted E-mount lenses at the 18mm mount-to-sensor distance they were designed for instead of the 16mm distance a Z-mount camera provides.

Built from stainless steel, it feels reassuringly solid and well-made in hand. However, the fit can be worryingly tight with certain lenses and camera bodies. It continues to take some considerable effort to dismount the Megadap from my Nikon Z50.

The metal tab on the adapter acts as a lens lock. Beyond that, there’s not much to discuss design-wise besides the electronic contacts and mounting marks. Ultimately, it’s a refreshingly straightforward piece of tech.

Performance

Face and eye detection work great. Nikon Z8 + Sony 24-70mm F/2.8 GM II. Out of camera JPEG. ISO 450 | 1/250 sec | F/2.8 | 70mm Photo: Dan Bracaglia

I tried out the Megadap ETZ21 Pro using two different setups: a Nikon Z8 with Sony’s latest 24-70mm F/2.8 GM II and a Nikon Z50 with an ancient E 16-50mm f/3.6-5.6 kit lens attached.

AF speeds and precision impressed me in decent lighting conditions and with the latest-gen Nikon camera and Sony lens. Nikon’s subject detection and focus tracking work almost as if a native lens is attached. AF speeds slow down a little in lower light but are still very good. In general, I was able to use Face and Eye detection on the Z8 with great success, despite having a Sony lens attached.

Nikon Z8 + Sony 24-70mm F/2.8 GM II. Out of camera JPEG. ISO 64 | 1/250 sec | F/3.2 | 24mm Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The Z50 and Sony 16-50mm combo performed modestly in decent light. Keeping in mind this lens is so long in the tooth, it might as well be a stalactite, I was again impressed with the performance. In low light, however, I ran into plenty of hunting and mis-focused shots, which is exactly what I expected. That said, I don't doubt that more recent, faster-aperture Sony primes, like the Sony E 15mm f/1.4 G, will perform admirably via the Megadap on my Z50.

It’s also worth mentioning that not all third-party Sony E-mount glass is currently supported by this adapter. Some folks report AF issues with especially long telephoto lenses. The takeaway? If you’re considering the Megadap ETZ21 Pro, try to take it for a spin with your current setup before committing to buy or put it through its paces during the return window.

I was able to use Sony’s 16-50mm kit zoom on the Nikon Z50, but not without a little (well, a lot) of vignetting. Out of camera JPEG. ISO 12,800 | 1/320 sec | F/3.5 | 16mm Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Making lens corrections

My Z8 photos look ridiculously sharp, despite the unusual pairing of gear but not every lens will fare as well. Because your Nikon camera can't recognize your adapted E-mount lenses, geometric distortion and vignetting corrections can't be applied to the camera's JPEG output. This presents a challenge for any lens that was designed with the expectation these corrections be taken care off automatically.

Processing the Raws gives a little more flexibility, but these files left Adobe Camera Raw somewhat stumped on how to approach lens corrections. For the Z8 combo, ACR automatically defaulted to the Nikon 24-70mm F/2.8 when I selected Auto Lens Correction. For the Z50, ACR didn’t even bother to provide a lens profile when I clicked the auto option. Capture One provided similar results. You can manually select the corrections in ACR but it's worth checking if your preferred software will let you apply corrections for lens combinations its creators hadn't anticipated.

Conclusion

The Megadap ETZ21 is a solid product built for a rather specific crowd. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The Megadap ETZ21 Sony E-mount to Nikon Z-mount adapter is a reliable method for attaching Sony mirrorless lenses to Nikon Z-mont mirrorless bodies without sacrificing autofocus, autoexposure or lens stabilization capabilities. Performance is impressive but it’s no magician.

You’ll still have better overall AF performance and precision sticking to native-mount lenses, sans adapter. And older Sony lenses tend to struggle when adapted in all but the best lighting conditions. Additionally, it may not always be possible to apply the lens correction that is an essential element of some lens designs.

However, 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.

The Megadap ETZ21 is truly a barely-there lens adapter. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

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For those waiting for Sony's innovative a9 III pro sports camera, we have good news: it's available to buy today, weeks earlier than expected. This $6000 camera is the first mirrorless camera to use a global shutter, which allows for 120 fps burst shooting with no rolling shutter. Another perk is the ability to sync with an external flash at any shutter speed, all the way up to 1/80000 sec.

Other features on the a9 III include in-body image stabilization, 4K/120p video capture, a super-high-res electronic viewfinder, AI-driven subject recognition, a fully articulating 2M-dot LCD, and dual SD/CFExpress card slots.

For a lot more information about the a9 III, check out our review in progress.

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Photo: Richard Butler

As we complete our Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II review, we've run the camera through our recently revitalized studio test scene to see how it performs against the competition.

You can now select it as an option within any review, and you can also view it below.

The S5 II is built around a full-frame, 24MP BSI CMOS sensor with on-sensor phase detection, a first for Panasonic. Panasonic describes the S5 II's sensor as new, but it shares its fundamental specs with the S5, suggesting a closely shared lineage. Under the hood, the video-centric S5 IIX shares the same sensor, with additional video features like Raw video output, internal ProRes recording and external SSD support.

The S5 II also sports a new processor, created as part of a co-development project with Leica, which helps enable the S5 II's ability to shoot at 30fps in e-shutter mode and improved subject recognition tracking system.

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Introduction

The Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II and Nikon Zf look like very different cameras but they currently represent their respective manufacturer's main offering for keen photographers in the circa-$2000 part of the market.

Sony and Canon have both nudged their competing models up to the $2500 mark, leaving the Panasonic and Nikon looking quite keenly priced, by comparison. And, while they might outwardly look rather different, the two cameras are both based around the same 24MP BSI CMOS sensor and offer a lot of features in common.

We'll have a look at what each camera offers, discuss their relative strengths and weaknesses and hopefully help you understand which (if any) might be right for you.

Sensor and specs

Where they're the same: Both cameras share the same full-frame 24MP BSI CMOS sensor that's almost certainly from Sony Semiconductor Solutions (by far the camera industry's largest supplier). Both have phase detection autofocus, support 4K video up to 30p derived from the full width of the sensor but need to apply a 1.5x crop (to an APS-C sized region) to deliver their 4K/50p and 60p modes.

Where they differ: The Nikon can shoot JPEGs at up to 15fps in e-shutter mode, or Raws at up to 11fps using its mechanical shutter mode, whereas the S5 II can shoot at up to 30fps with continuous AF using its e-shutter or up to 7fps if your subject needs a mechanical shutter.

Handling

Where they're similar: Both are mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras with some external controls, electronic viewfinders and fully articulated rear displays, but that's where the similarities end.

Where they differ: Handling is perhaps the biggest difference between the two. The Panasonic has a pronounced, hand-shaped grip at the front, increasingly standard on modern cameras, whereas the Nikon Zf has a more classic design that hearkens back to the brand's cameras from the early 80's.

Modeled on the company's original pro and enthusiast-focused DC-S1, the Panasonic has a host of dedicated buttons and switches to change drive mode or AF-S/AF-C/MF and more at a moment's notice, plus an AF joystick. There's a control point for just about everything, and a wide range of customization options. The Zf has no joystick, no focus mode control and a more limited range of customizable buttons, leaving you more dependent on the on-screen menus.

Autofocus

Both cameras represent major steps forward in autofocus for their respective brands.

For Nikon, the Zf sees the arrival of the machine-learning-trained subject recognition system from the high-end Z8 and Z9 cameras. It also gains a version of the 3D Tracking system from Nikon's DSLRs, which makes selecting a (non-recognized) subject to track much quicker and simpler. The performance isn't quite as consistent as on the latest Sony and Canon cameras around the same price, but it's very close and is a significant step forward.

The Panasonic S5 II is the first of the company's cameras to gain phase detection autofocus, meaning it can directly assess the distance to a subject, rather than trying to infer it, as previous models did. This, combined with Panasonic's subject recognition algorithms produce a camera that can be more decisive than existing Lumix cameras but our experience is of a system that isn't as predictable or reliable as the best in class. The Panasonic's tracking is less good at sticking to subjects (recognized or not) and can occasionally refuse to focus altogether, if you're really unlucky.

High-resolution mode

Where they're similar: Both cameras offer some degree of multi-shot high resolution mode, combining multiple shots into an image with a higher resolution than the sensor can capture in one go. Panasonic developed its mode before so many patents restricting multi-shot modes arrived, so has a more complete implementation.

Where they differ: Panasonic introduced its system much earlier than Nikon, and its system is generally more advanced and usable than the Zf's. The S5 II shoots eight images with slight offsets to boost the nominal resolution to 96MP. What sets the Panasonic apart is its ability to combine its images in-camera, compare frames, and apply motion correction (using the data from a single image for parts of the image that have moved). It also added a hand-held high res mode, which we'll be testing as part of our full review.

The Nikon offers a four-shot mode that uses whole pixel sensor movements to ensure at least one red, green and blue value is captured for each pixel location, removing the need to demosaic and preventing false-color from aliasing. There's also an eight-shot mode that performs this routine twice to boost noise/total performance. The sixteen-shot mode is more like that of the Panasonic, adding smaller offsets to increase the nominal resolution to 96MP. Then there's a 32-shot version that again boosts image quality through the weight of numbers.

Video

Where they're similar: Both cameras can shoot 4K footage at up to 30p using the full 6K width of their sensors or can shoot 60p footage from an APS-C crop. Both cameras can record this output in 10-bit precision, giving flexible Log files or ready-to-use HDR video to the HLG standard. The Zf is one of the few cameras to match Panasonic's provision of a waveform display for assessing exposure, putting the two cameras on what appears to be a pretty level footing.

Where they differ: But the deeper you delve, the more the S5 II delivers. The Panasonic can shoot 'open-gate' footage from the full sensor region. Alternatively, it can output the standard 16:9 video region in its native 5.9K resolution or 1.89:1 video as either DCI 4K or 6K footage. The S5 II also has a built-in fan for more dependable video capture and a full-sized HDMI socket for more secure connection to external devices. If video is really your thing, then the slightly more expensive S5 IIX model adds a series of additional video features, such as All-I codecs, Raw video output over HDMI and the ability to capture video directly to an SSD.

All that said, we've found Nikon's video AF more dependable in our use so far (though its digital stabilization introduces a degree of jitter).

Lenses

Where they're similar: both cameras use relatively modern lens mounts, meaning the bulk of the lenses available were designed specifically for mirrorless cameras using the latest design and manufacturing techniques.

Where they differ: The S5 II uses the Leica-developed L-mount, which went full-frame in late 2015. The Zf uses Nikon's Z-mount system, which emerged three years later and has a comparatively less developed lens ecosystem.

In terms of native, modern designs, the Panasonic has a distinct advantage. Leica formed the L-mount alliance with Panasonic and Sigma, significantly boosting the range of lenses available. This openness to working with other manufacturers means the S5 II users can add the premium lenses from Leica or the often excellent options Sigma has made for full-frame mirrorless, in addition to Panasonic's own creations.

The Nikon Z-mount has a relatively sparse lineup by comparison. There are some excellent lenses starting to appear but third-party support has been limited, though there are some Nikon-branded versions of some popular zooms available. However, the Zf can also mount, via an adaptor, the majority of the company's F-mount DSLR lenses, with varying levels of function preserved.

Summary

The Panasonic S5 II and Nikon Zf represent two very different ways to attract enthusiast photographers into the full-frame fold. There are cheaper models on the market: Canon's EOS R8 and Nikon's own Z5 in particular, but both the S5 II and Zf promise broader feature sets, larger batteries and, in their own ways, a more engaged or engaging shooting experience.

So how do these more cost-conscious alternatives to the Sony a7 IV and Canon EOS R6 II compare? We found the Nikon's autofocus to be more dependable and competitive with the performance of those two more expensive cameras in many circumstances. Its handling makes it less flexible than the Panasonic, but it exerts a certain appeal, despite its occasionally quirky behavior.

The Panasonic has the edge in terms of video, though not by much, and the more expensive 'X' version is even better equipped if that's a major focus for you. But although it's the better handling camera, we found it still lags the group in terms of autofocus reliability.

What would really shake the market up might be a hypothetical Z6 III, which offered more of the S5 II's hands-on control with the capabilities of the Zf. But as things stand, you have to choose from the cameras that actually exist.

The Olympus XA sports a sharp, fixed 35mm F/2.8 lens. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Olympus Cameras, now OM Digital Solutions, has been in the photography business long before most of us were born. From the original analog Pen F to the cult-status Stylus Epic (Mju II), there’s no shortage of legendary models to drool over. And I’m not just talking about film cameras – the modern digital Pen F is a sure-fire classic, too, as is the OG Pen E-PL1.

However, of all the brand’s releases – from 1936 to 2024 – my favorite is the charmingly petite Olympus XA rangefinder point-and-shoot from the late 1970s.

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Olympus XA design and history

The XA is made for shooting from the hip. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Gone are the days when a simple sliding mechanical door doubled as a lens cover and an on/off switch. And that’s a shame. Sure, the aughts had their fair share of crappy, sliding-door, CC-sensor compacts. While some photographers certainly revel in that nostalgia, it's still mostly a Gen Z thing.

Launched in May 1979, the Olympus XA goes back a little further. Built for maximum portability without the need for a case, it's an aperture priority-only camera, and features a rather unique vertical lever for setting one’s F-stop, located to the left of the lens. Other controls include a small manual focus lever at the bottom, a large red square shutter release on top, and… that’s about it.

Olympus XA sample. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Given the lens's teeny, tiny size, you might have some low expections of the optics. But peruse our samples below, and those on the greater internet, and you’ll come to one conclusion: it punches well above its weight. The optical formula is unsurprisingly simple: six elements in four groups – but sometimes, uncomplicated is better.

Olympus XA sample shot with the side-mounted Olympus A11 flash attached. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The XA has a four-bladed aperture but no onboard flash. Olympus sold several side-mounting accessory flash units alongside the XA. The Olympus A11 flash, in particular, produces some lovely, well-balanced results (see above). That said, the flash recycle time is comically long.

Olympus XA in use

A focus depth scale on top of the lens makes nailing sharp shots a breeze. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

It’s cute, it’s capable, and it’s a bit of a pain in the ass to shoot with, mostly due to the small size of the focus tab and viewfinder. That said, once you conquer the Olympus XA learning curve, i.e., learn to shoot without relying too much on the undersized viewfinder, it’ll be smooth sailing.

Depending on the condition of your particular XA, the center focus patch in the viewfinder can be faint. This is not an issue I’ve encountered, but it is well-documented. Fortunately, an easy-to-read focus distance scale on the top of the lens serves as a reliable method for nailing sharp subjects.

A lever on the bottom of the camera pulls triple duty. In position one, it adds 1.5EV exposure compensation. Push it one position further, and it checks the battery with a delightfully piercing beep. In the furthest position, it engages the self-timer. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Semi-auto or not, the XA doesn’t leave you in the dark about its exposure decisions. A match needle display on the left of the viewfinder indicates the camera’s current shutter speed of choice. Want to override that? You have one option: a lever on the bottom, when engaged, adds +1.5EV.

Olympus XA's modern digital equivalents

The XA has no true digital equivalent, but the Ricoh GR IIIx comes close. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

There are no tit-for-tat modern digital equivalents to the legendary film Olympus XA, but the Ricoh GR IIIx comes closest. Sporting a fixed 40mm equivalent F/2.8 lens and an APS-C sensor, it’s similarly built for shooting from the hip. Snap Focus mode allows users to set a default focus distance of choice, which is particularly handy for candids and street photography.

The next nearest digital equivalent is probably the Fujifilm X100 series. Though considerably larger than the XA and GR, these retro beauties boast a comparably faster 35mm equivalent f/2 lens paired with an APS-C sensor. They also sport a nifty hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder and plenty of old-school charm.

If you want to stick with the Olympus DNA, the rugged and compact OM System TG-7 is a great bet. Though it sports a smaller sensor than the cameras mentioned above (and can zoom), it’s highly pocketable, fairly simple to use and built to take a bruising.

Final thoughts and samples

Olympus XA sample. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The Olympus XA may be a relatively uncomplicated, semi-automatic relic of the analog photography era, but it’s still darn fun to shoot with and seriously capable, particularly given its diminutive size. A sharp lens in a tough-built, simple-to-use (once you get the hang of it) package — what’s not to love? And it’s full-frame!

These days, the cat’s out of the bag, and XA prices have gone through the roof. As little as seven years ago, tracking down a minty one for under $50 was a fairly simple feat. Now, you can expect to pay around $250.

Olympus XA sample. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

However, don’t let the price deter you, especially if you’re curious about experiencing the joys of shooting with this charmingly little rangefinder. After all, you can always resell a working XA to another film fiend if the vibes aren’t meshing, without taking a financial shellacking. The fixed-lens 35mm compact camera market remains as hot as ever.

But I suspect that few who experience the XA will end up going that route. Moreover, if you’re lucky to come across a truly clean model with a bright focus patch, I have no doubt it’ll serve you well for years to come.

What’s your favorite fixed-lens 35mm camera? Let us know in the comments below.

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Olympus XA sample photos

Sample images are owned by Dan Bracaglia and provided to DPReview. Please do not reproduce them without written permission from the photographer. All images are digital scans with light processing.

Fujifilm has used its X Summit event in Tokyo to announce the X100VI, the latest version of its premium large sensor compact. We've been shooting with the new camera for the past few weeks. Click here to read our initial review and see our sample gallery.

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Fujifilm Holding's President and CEO Teiichi Goto says this year marks the 90th anniversary of the company. As the company's original business, image making will remain at the heart of the business, he says.

Fujifilm Holding's President and CEO Teiichi Goto reveals the X100VI

And, with that, the company has unveiled the latest version of its premium large sensor compact camera: the X100VI.

The X100VI is a 90th anniversary product, says Yuji Igarashi, head of the company's imaging group. X100VI represents the core value of Fujifilm, he says.

The new camera uses a 5th generation processor and 40.2MP X-Trans 5 HR sensor and adds 5-axis in-body image stabilization, rated to 6.0EV of correction. The lens "seamlessly resolves 40 megapixels," says Justin Stailey from the company's product development team. He describes IBIS as "essential" to getting the most out of the high resolution sensor but the team was determined not to make the camera significantly larger.

It has a base ISO of 125 and gains the subject detection autofocus system we've seen in recent X series models.

The camera retains the external dials and the hybrid optical/electronic hybrid viewfinder used in previous X100 cameras. It adds the Reala ACE film simulation: first seen in the GFX 100 II and arriving for the first time in the X series.

It's able to shoot video at up to 6.2K/30p resolution in up to 10-bit 4:2:2 detail, internally. The X100VI also becomes the first X-series camera to offer tap-to-track AF in video, and the first to allow camera-to-cloud direct upload to Adobe's Frame.io collaboration platform without the need for any accessories.

The X100VI gains 43g (1.5oz) compared with the previous model but the addition of IBIS only adds 2mm (0.08") of depth.

Despite the addition of IBIS, the camera is able to achieve a battery rating of 450 shots per charge, an increase over the figure delivered by the X100V. This is made possible by "the power saving features of the X-Processor 5" says Stailey.

The camera will be available from late February at a price of $1599, in black or silver.

One more thing:

Fujifilm likes to add a surprise reveal at the end of these events. In this case it's announced an addition to its X lens roadmap: with the XF16-50 F2.8-4.8, a successor to its well-respected 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 OIS, intended for the fifth-generation cameras.

The company has also promised improved subject detection when used with electronic shutter for the fifth-gen cameras: X-H2S, X-H2, X-T5 and X-S20. AF Tracking will also be improved for all but the X-H2. Reala ACE will come to all four models. The two X-H models will also gain direct camera-to-cloud uploading, using their internal Wi-Fi. These updates will come in Spring 2024, it says.

In addition, Igarashi has announced the X100VI limited edition: a 90th Anniversary model limited to 1934 units, sold with a specially-designed box and kit.

This won't be the only X Summit event this year, he says: with the announcement that the next event will be held in Sydney, Australia, later this year.

In the entranceway of the Tokyo Midtown building, is a display showing the 20-year history of film simulations, dating back to the S3 Pro DSLR and 2008's Finepix S100fs, which was the first to name the modes after historic filmstocks.

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Fujifilm's X Summit presentation live feed:

Photo: Richard Butler

Today in Japan, Fujifilm announced the X100VI, the long-awaited successor to the virally popular X100V that has been almost impossible to buy at retail for the better part of several years. Whether you managed to snag an X100V before it became so hard to come by or were stuck hoping to find a reasonably-priced one on the used market, the X100VI absolutely changes the calculus.

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Does the X100VI have a better sensor than the X100V?

The X100V has a 26MP X-Trans APS-C sensor it shares with the X-T4 and X-S20 as well as both cameras' previous versions. We found the sensor's image quality impressive (especially in low-light) when it turned up in the X-T3 and we liked the sharpening and color profile of the X100V's JPEG engine.

But the X100VI ups the ante with the 40MP BSI CMOS sensor found in Fujifilm's X-T5 and X-H2 which captures an impressive amount of detail for an APS-C camera. It's higher resolution and arguably better for stills but it's worse for video.

Does the X100VI have a better lens than the X100V?

No. While the internals of the X100VI have changed over its predecessor, the glass is the same. The X100V's 23mm F2 pancake was redesigned from its forebear, the 2017 X100F, adding one more aspherical element and a stronger built-in ND filter, and correcting haziness issues that cropped up with that then 7-year-old (and now 13-year-old) design.

The X100VI sports this same improved-for-2020 23mm F2 lens, and that's not a problem; the improved performance of the X100VI rests on what the new sensor is able to pull out of that same great lens.

Does the X100VI have in-body image stabilization?

Yes. One of the biggest quality-of-life improvements the X100VI offers is 6.0EV of correction (but only 5.5EV if you're using the hybrid viewfinder in optical mode). The X100V, by contrast, has no IBIS, which makes shooting with low shutter speeds in lower light a dicier proposition. The X100VI's stabilization also makes it considerably more suitable for video, but that's not the only reason why.

Is the X100VI better for video than the X100V?

The X100VI is probably better overall, but it's not clear cut. First, there is the in-body stabilization, but also the X100VI has Fujifilm's latest and greatest X Processor 5, which brings many of the same video features as the X-T5. That includes 10-bit recording, 6.2K capture from a 1.23x (43mm equiv) cropped region, and sub-sampled 4K at up to 30p from the sensor's full with or at up to 60p with a 1.14x crop. That, plus machine learning-trained subject recognition AF. It also has tap-to-track AF in video and the ability to track non-recognized subjects.

The X100V is limited to 8-bit 4:2:0 files without an external recorder, and the lack of stabilization makes it less-than-practical as a first resort for recording video unless you've got a gimbal on hand. But it can also shoot oversampled 4K from its full width with less rolling shutter.

Does the X100VI look different than the X100V?

No. The easiest way to tell them apart is to look at where the model number is printed. There are a few differences, technically. The X100VI is 2mm deeper and 43g heavier, but we found it hard to notice the difference even when they were sitting right next to each other. If you see them weeks, days, or even minutes apart, you will have a very difficult time noticing any difference.

Should you upgrade to the X100VI from the X100V?

As always, the answer is conditional. The addition of in-body stabilization is probably the biggest quality of life improvement, which will make the X100VI much more practical for low-light shooting, so if that's a major element of your craft and you've found the X100V lacking, the X100VI will be sizable step up. There is also, of course, the increased resolution of the sensor if the X100V's has left you wanting.

Otherwise, there are a lot of other creature comforts – a screen with slightly more articulation, subject recognition AF - none of which are revelatory enough to recommend an upgrade on their own, but which can help you justify your decision.

Is the X100V still worth buying?

It depends in part how the used market shakes out over the next days and weeks. For the past few months, X100Vs have been selling on eBay for as much as $2,000, well in excess of both the X100V's $1,399 list price and the new X100VI's $1,599 price tag. That overheated market is destined to cool. If you have an X100V, the best time to sell was yesterday. If you're in the market, the best bet is to wait.

While the X100VI is a plainly superior camera, the X100V isn't suddenly prehistoric. Its excellent lens and still-capable sensor remain a terrific pair. And its retro-vibe that remains basically unchanged with the X100VI means you'll look just as cool out on the street.

But if the waiting game isn't your speed and you've got a few hundred extra bucks to spare, the X100VI has one objectively unbeatable advantage: you can go pre-order it new right now.

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The Fujifilm X100VI is a photographers' fixed-lens camera which combines a stabilized 40MP APS-C sensor with a 35mm equivalent F2 lens.

Key features:

• 40MP BSI CMOS APS-C X-Trans sensor
• 35mm equiv F2 lens
• In-body IS rated at up to 6EV of correction
• Hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder (3.69M dot OLED panel)
• Machine-learning trained subject recognition AF
• 14 film simulations
• 6.2K video capture and 10-bit recording
• Built-in ND filter
• Tilt up/down rear touchscreen

The X100VI will be available at an MSRP of $1599, a $200 increase over the previous models. It will be available from early March 2024.

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Index:

• What's new?
• Body and controls
• Initial impressions
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

What's new?

The biggest change in the X100VI is the addition of in-body image stabilization.

Interestingly, Fujfilm says the IS performance drops from 6.0EV of correction to 5.5EV of correction if you use the viewfinder in optical mode. We weren't given a reason for this, so can only speculate that the 6.0EV figure is achieved with some degree of analyzing images for shake that for some reason doesn't occur when the live view feed isn't being used. We'll correct this if Fujifilm provides any further explanation.

Very little appears to have changed on the back of the X100VI, except the disappearance of the phrase 'Made in Japan.' We traditionally don't take a position on such issues but feel it's worth mentioning when it comes in conjunction with a price rise.

The X100VI also sees a move to the 40MP BSI CMOS sensor used in the X-H2 and X-T5. It's a sensor that delivers high levels of detail capture, and from what we've shot so far, we don't have much concern about the lens's ability to make the most of this resolution bump.

The VI also features Fujifilm's X Processor V, that brings with it the machine-learning trained subject recognition algorithms. This means the X100VI has modes to recognize animals, birds, automobiles, motorcycles and bikes, airplanes or trains. As with other recent Fujifilm cameras, human face and eye detection is a separate mode, so you'll need to configure two buttons or positions on the Q Menu if you plan to swap between photographing people and a different subject type.

Film simulations

The X100VI gains the Reala ACE film simulation first seen in the GFX 100 II. Alongside this are added the Nostalgic Neg and Eterna Bleach Bypass simulations, taking the total number to 14 simulated filmstocks or 20 if you include the faux-color-filtered variations of the mono modes.

This is a lot to choose from, even for experimenting with them after the fact, using in-camera Raw conversion. For the most part the options available represent film responses that you might actually choose to use, but the distinction between some of the modes are becoming quite subtle and there's a balance between providing useful options and feature-bloat.

Camera to cloud

The X100VI becomes Fuijfilm's first camera to support the camera-to-cloud (c-2-c) system using its built-in Wi-Fi. This comes in addition to the usual Wi-Fi-to-smartphone options. It lets you pair the camera with a Wi-Fi network and then have the camera upload images and video directly to Adobe's Frame.io cloud-based collaboration platform. Even on the preproduction model we have we found it was easy to set up and gives the option to auto upload files as they're created or to let you manually select the ones you wish to upload. You can select specific file types, too, so that it only uploads video or JPEGs, or just Raws or HEIFs, as you prefer.

Video

The X100 series has always offered video to some degree, but we've not heard of a lot of people making use of that capability. The X100VI offers essentially the same options as the X-T5 (itself not the company's most video-focused model), so you gain 10-bit recording, 6.2K capture from a 1.23x (43mm equiv) cropped region or 'HQ' 4K derived from this footage. This exhibits appreciable rolling shutter. Alternatively there's sub-sampled 4K at up to 30p from the sensor's full with or at up to 60p with a 1.14x crop.

Like the recent GFX 100 II, the X100VI now has AF tracking in video mode, and this isn't restricted to the subjects it's been trained to recognize.

The X100VI has a mic input and can use its USB-C socket for audio monitoring though, unlike the X-T5, no USB-to-3.5mm adapter is provided.

It's interesting to note that many of the movie mode's settings are now accessible only when the camera is in Movie drive mode. This way there's only a single page of basic video functions in the menu when you're shooting stills.

Other changes:

In addition to the updates of some of the camera's main specs, the X100VI also inherits many of the smaller refinements and updates that Fujifilm has developed in the four years since the last model was released. These include:

• HEIF capture
• Skin smoothing effect
• White priority and Ambience Priority Auto WB modes
• Custom AF zone areas
• Option to limit available AF area types for AF-S or AF-C shooting
• Pre-shot bursts (E-shutter + Cont H)
• Self timer lamp on/off
• Interval shooting with external timer
• Interval priority mode (prioritizes chosen interval, irrespective of exposure time)

Body and controls

The X100VI is 2mm deeper than the existing X100V, and 43g heavier. In practice, neither of these changes are especially noticeable. The camera still doesn't feel overly heavy.

The body's dimensions are similar enough that it'll still fit in the existing LC-X100V leather camera case. It's also still compatible with the existing tele and wide-angle converter lenses. It uses the same lens as the previous model, so you can weather-seal the camera if you add the filter ring adapter and a filter of some sort.

The rear screen on the X100VI is a refinement of the tilting touchscreen on the previous model. It now tilts down a little further (45° rather than 30°) and pulls away from the body and viewfinder a little when tilted up for waist-level shooting. It's a small change, but a welcome one.

Controls

The control layout is identical to the previous model, with dedicated controls for aperture, shutter speed, exposure comp and ISO (albeit an ISO control that's fiddly to the point of primarily being decorative). As with previous models and many historic film cameras, the exposure mode is dictated by the position of the dedicated dials. Essentially you turn the dial to 'A' if you want the camera to control that value:

Exposure compensation is available in all modes, including Manual, if you have Auto ISO selected. And, since the shutter speed dial only has whole-stop steps, you can use a command dial to give you 1/3rd stop precision, ±2/3 EV from the value selected on the dial.

Command dials

In addition there are two pressable command dials on the front and back of the camera, which can have a series of functions applied to them if the dedicated controls aren't being used.

This is where things get a little complicated: the exposure comp and ISO dials have dedicated 'C' positions to pass control over to the command dials. The shutter speed dial doesn't have a C position, so instead should be turned to its 'T' (Time) setting. The aperture ring doesn't have a C position but its 'A' (Auto) position can be reconfigured to act as 'C', via the menus. This may not be obvious, given the ISO dial has both an A and a C position, but this is where the X100 series development has brought us to.

We find it hard to imagine many people are assigning three settings to the command dials, and hence needing the pressable dials to make their function toggleable, but for most permutations we can anticipate, we think you can configure them only to the functions you want to control, so at least you won't accidentally press the dial and adjust anything unexpected.

Disappointingly, if you set ISO to 'A' you can't use a command dial to select between the three Auto ISO presets that you can configure. For that you'll need to select 'C' and be careful not to scroll the command dial too far and disengage Auto ISO altogether.

Hybrid viewfinder

The X100VI has the same hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder as its immediate predecessor. This has three modes: fully electronic, fully optical and optical with an inset electronic display.

As with all viewfinders that are offset from the lens and sensor, it's affected by parallax: when focused at infinity, the difference in position between the lens and viewfinder is irrelevant, but becomes increasingly important as the focus distance decreases. Not only does the framing of the photo diverge at closer focus distances, the position of the AF points effectively moves down and to the right as you focus on closer subjects.

The X100VI finder includes the improvements made in firmware 2.0 for the X100V. A 'Corrected AF point' option (AF/MF Settings pg 3) that displays a bracketed indicator in the OVF, showing where your AF point will move to if you focus close to the camera. Another menu option, 'Bright Frame Position Memory' (Setup/Screen Setup pg 1) lets you decide if you want the AF box to revert to infinity after each shot or stay at the correct position for the last time you focused. Between these two options you should be able to get the OVF to work the way you're most comfortable with.

Battery

The X100VI uses the same NP-W126S battery as the previous few X100 models. It's an 8.2Wh unit from which the camera is rated to deliver 450 shots per change using the optical viewfinder or 310 shots if you use the EVF. The usual caveats come into play: in many shooting scenarios you can expect to get around double this number.

Initial impressions

Richard Butler

It's easy to be a little underwhelmed by the X100VI at first. It looks so much like its predecessors that it's hard to appreciate what's new. I rarely have the need for vast pixel counts, so appreciate the move to 40MP without being especially thrilled.

Likewise, the addition of subject recognition AF is a pleasant enough addition, but like the arrival of 10-bit video and tap-to-track focus in video, it feels a lot like a feature that makes a lot more sense for a camera such as the X-H2S, instead of on a camera with a fixed 35mm equiv lens. The byproduct of Fujifilm's developments elsewhere in its range, rather than things that the X100 series was crying out for.

And, as we noted when the lens was updated with the X100V, the new lens isn't especially fast to focus: its design moves most of the lens to focus, prioritising sharpness over speed. So, even if you decided that you want to go birding with a 35mm-equiv camera, it's not going to keep up with fast-moving subjects, no matter how much more sophisticated the AF algorithms are.

But then I started digging a little deeper, and started to research a look back at the development of the series. As someone who bought the original model and remembers the buzz in the office when Fujifilm first presented it to us, and who's been involved to at least some degree in reviewing all the subsequent versions, I was still caught a little offguard by how many changes the company has made with each iteration.

So here we have the addition of a major feature: in-body image stabilization, but also a host of little tweaks and refinements. There are the subtle physical tweaks like the screen that tilts further down and pulls further away from the viewfinder when turned upwards. But there are also minor updates, such as the addition of HEIF capture, the option to use an external intervalometer and the ability to modify which of the camera's many AF area modes are available when you go to select them. All individually minor, and probably each relevant only to a subset of users, but cumulatively these little adjustments build up into something.

For both better and worse, the X100VI operates a lot like an X100V: the model where we finally felt Fujifilm's 'use it however you prefer' approach to operation risked overwhelming the camera's original simplicity. But it also behaves like an improved, more refined X100V, which itself behaved like an improved, more refined X100F, and so on. At its heart it's still the latest incarnation of the camera that more DPReview writers have spent their own money on than any other.

With each release of the X100 series, the question of whether owners of the current model should upgrade has typically been a fairly nuanced one. But the answer for new inductees to the question "which one should I get?" has always been "the latest one."

Plus ça change...

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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 (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Photo: Richard Butler

The Fujifilm X100VI is here, and you can preorder it right now. Does that feel just a little too easy? You're in luck! The X100VI is also being released in a limited edition variety, with Fujifilm's founding logo, in a run of just 1934 units, with quantities varying based on geographic location.

Image: Fujifilm

Each of the 1934 cameras in the run (a number that harkens back to Fujifilm's founding 90 years ago) will be adorned with the original Fujifilm logo on the lens cap and along the top of the camera, along with an individual serial number. The camera also comes in a fancy box with some "Fujifilm history cards" and a special strap.

Image: Fujifilm

The special edition comes at a MSRP of $2,000, which is a $400 premium over the X100VI's $1,600 list price, itself a $200 increase over the launch price of the X100V. Getting your hands on one will require a little sleuthing; Fujifilm instructs interested parties to "contact your local Fujifilm sales and marketing company to explore the opportunity to purchase." That is, if you don't want to try and buy one of the secondary market for an additional markup.

Otherwise, the vanilla X100VI is waiting for you.

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Sigma has announced its 15mm F1.4 DG DN "Art" diagonal fisheye lens at CP+ in Japan. The lens is well-suited for astrophotography, with a 180-degree field-of-view, manual focus lock button, and lens heater support. Sigma claims that the lens has "unparalleled resolving power" thanks to its use of FLD and SLD elements.

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The lens is weather-sealed and offers an aperture ring that can click or rotate smoothly. There are a grand total of 21 elements inside the lens, and the AF glass is driven by a linear motor. For those looking to use filters, you'll find a drop-in slot on the mount. An Arca-Swiss tripod adapter is included in the box.

The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN "Art" will be available for E and L mounts next month for $1999.

Press Release

Sigma announced a pair of lenses at CP+ in Japan, and the larger of the two (literally) is the 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS "Sports". Despite that range, the lens is relatively compact and light. It's 234mm (9.2") long and weighs in at 1.4kg (3 lbs). It will be available for Sony E-mount and bodies that support L-mount glass.

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The 500mm F5.6 has 20 elements in 14 groups and has both FLD (similar to fluorite) and SLD glass. The focus groups are driven by an "HLA" linear motor, which Sigma claims is quick and quiet. You'll want stabilization on a lens like this, and the "OS2" algorithm reduces shake by up to 5 stops, according to the company. The lens supports Sigma's 1.4x and 2x teleconverters as well as its USB dock.

The lens is sealed against dust and moisture and has a number of switches on its left side, one of which is customizable. A button near the aperture ring is also customizable.

You'll be able to pick up the 500mm F5.6 for yourself in March for $2999.

Manufacturer's sample gallery

Press release

At first glance, you'd be forgiven to assume that Fujifilm's X100VI doesn't deviate too far from its predecessor. The exterior is virtually identical and it's easy to confuse the two. But under that nostalgia-inspired body lies improvements to the sensor, autofocus and the introduction of in-body image stabilization (IBIS).

The camera also remains very pocketable and we took it along through city streets, coffee shops, nightlife and across oceans from our home in Seattle to Fujifilm's turf in Japan.

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A darling of Tik Tok, the X100V became the must-have camera of the last couple of years. We gave the former model high marks for its image quality, lens, and video performance, and we agreed, that it did feel like an "object of desire."

The X100VI seems to retain everything that worked well in the X100V and ratcheted it up a notch. We'll be looking to see how well it meets that expectation in our final review after additional testing and some longer-term use.

View our Fujifilm X100VI 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 (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Image: Sony

Sony has announced a compact 24-50mm F2.8G lens for its full-frame mirrorless cameras. Coming in at just 440 grams (just under 1 pound), this lens covers the most popular focal lengths for everyday shooting in a chassis 92mm (3.6") long.

Sony claims that they've made no compromises with the lens. It has an 11-blade circular aperture, uses ED and aspherical elements, and has twin linear motors for responsive and quiet focusing. Sony says that the lens can keep up with the 120 fps burst mode of its flagship a9 III.

The lens has focus, zoom, and aperture rings; the latter can be "de-clicked" for video shooting. There's also a focus hold button, whose function can be customized. The lens is dust and moisture-resistant (but not 100%, Sony points out), and the front element has a fluorine coating to fight off water and oil.

The 24-50mm F2.8G will be available in May for $1100.

We have the lens in hand, and will be adding sample images to this story in the coming days.

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