Image: Sony

Last year, Wired reported that 28 Years Later, the upcoming sequel to the classic zombie flick 28 Days Later, was being filmed using an iPhone 15 Pro Max. A new IGN interview with the film's director, Danny Boyle, now confirms that at least some parts of the movie were shot with the phone and sheds even more light on that process.

Apparently, several iPhone shooting rigs were used on the production. According to IGN, there was one that held eight phones, one that held ten, and one that held up to 20, which could be used to create what Boyle calls "basically a poor man’s bullet time."

The phone rigs could be attached to cranes or carried by people. Photo: Sony

He also says that having so much coverage also provided options in post. "It gives you 180 degrees of vision of an action, and in the editing you can select any choice from it, either a conventional one-camera perspective or make your way instantly around reality, time-slicing the subject, jumping forward or backward for emphasis." Boyle also called it "a wonderful tool" to keep the actors on their toes. "They get to know where the cameras are and they get to know lenses and they get to know what they're doing. But [the multi-camera rig] throws them."

As for why Boyle decided to use iPhones at all for the production, he says it's a callback to the vibe of the original. IGN points out that when 28 Days Later came out footage of an apocalyptic event would've been shot on cheap digital camcorders, similar to the ones they used to make the movie. Nowadays, such an event would be recorded on smartphones.

With that said, it's hard to say that the footage from the trailer looks like phone video. With some movies shot on iPhone, like Sean Baker's Tangerine or Steven Soderbergh's Unsane, the shot-on-a-cell-phone aesthetic is strong, but, to my eye, 28 Years Later just looks like a movie. That's not necessarily a surprise, though – on-set photos from Sony show the crew using full-blown cinema lenses in front of the phone's built-in cameras.

If you're at all interested in the movie, the full interview is well worth the read. It goes into how Boyle and his team use the widescreen 2.76:1 aspect ratio to put the audience on edge, and how the movie's story (penned by Alex Garland, like the original) was inspired by major events over the past two decades, such as Brexit. 28 Years Later is set to hit theaters on June 20.

Canon EOS R50 V vs. Sony ZV-E10 II: which is the best vlogging camera?

With the EOS R50 V, Canon has joined the fray of manufacturers selling boxy, EVF-less APS-C cameras aimed mainly at vloggers and videographers. Those who have been considering other models, such as the very capable Sony ZV-E10 II, may find themselves swayed by the EOS R50 V's much lower price tag.

In this article, we'll break down the differences between the two, so you can figure out if it's worth saving the money, or springing for the more expensive option.

Vlogging-specific features

Both cameras have loads of vlogging-specific features to make it easier to get the look and feel that you want. The EOS R50 V has a product demo mode that overrides its facial recognition autofocus so the camera will focus on whatever you're holding up to show it, a cinematic mode that bakes black bars onto your footage to emulate a movie-like aspect ratio and the ability to be used as a USB webcam without any additional drivers or software. Its vlogging controls will switch between vertical or landscape depending on the camera's orientation, and it has two record buttons: one at the top and a front-facing one on the right-hand corner.

Except for that front-facing record button, the ZV-E10 II has all those features plus a background defocus mode that you can switch on to prioritize a wide-open aperture for a blurry background. There are also a few other features handy for vloggers that we'll cover in later sections.

Rolling shutter

The EOS R50 V's sensor is quite slow compared to more modern models and therefore has quite poor rolling shutter performance in its standard 4K 24p mode. You'll have to be careful about how you move the camera and what subjects you shoot to avoid the dreaded jello effect.

The ZV-E10 II's sensor is much faster and has good rolling shutter performance. You'll still see a bit of artifacting if you're shooting a very fast-moving subject or whipping the camera around, but it won't be something to worry about in most circumstances.

4K 60p recording

Both cameras can record in 4K 60p, letting you shoot slow-motion video, or achieve a hyperreal look that some viewers appreciate. However, the EOS R50 V has to crop in to a 1.56x center region of its sensor in order to read out the data fast enough for 60p recording. This will significantly tighten your frame, which may not be ideal for vlogging, depending on what lens you're using.

The Sony has to crop in far less – 1.1x – to shoot at 4K 60p.

The ZV-E10 II's 4K 60p mode has a much smaller 1.1x crop, so switching to it won't change your field of view nearly as much. Its 4K 60p footage is also oversampled from 5.6K, while the EOS R50 V's is a native 4K capture, so it can produce slightly more detailed results.

Color modes

The EOS R50 V and ZV-E10 II both have standard, punchy-rather-than-accurate color profiles, the ability to shoot 10-bit footage with an HLG response curve for HDR playback and a Log mode for those looking for more color-grading flexibility.

While both cameras have 'Log assist' modes to give a corrected preview to help with getting exposure right, the Sony also lets you load in custom LUTs and overlay them, to let you preview your 'look' of choice, though they won't be baked into the footage. The ZV-E10 II also has Sony's S-Cinetone profile, which is lower contrast than the standard color mode and thus gives you more room to make edits, without requiring as much grading as full-on Log.

Both cameras also include a variety of other color mode presets that you can tweak, which are meant to emulate certain styles if you don't want to spend the time to do it yourself in post.

Autofocus

Sony and Canon's autofocus systems are both at the top of the pack. Their tracking algorithms are generally reliable, and their subject recognition modes are even more so.

The ZV-E10 II has fewer of those available, though; it can recognize humans, animals, and birds, but the EOS R50 V can pick out all of those, plus vehicles. It also has an "Auto" mode that will automatically detect those subject types if they're in the frame, which can be handy if you frequently switch between filming humans and animals, people and cars, etc.

In both instances, these systems work hand-in-hard with the rest of the AF system: only selecting a recognized subject near your chosen AF point, if you want to specify.

Audio

Both cameras have microphone and headphone sockets and can support four-channel audio when paired with certain their respective multi-function shoe accessories. However, while the EOS R50 V has a standard stereo internal microphone, the ZV-E10 II has a three-capsule model that lets you choose whether you want it to bias towards sounds coming from a certain direction.

More importantly (the audio quality from multi-capsule mics usually isn't anything to write home about), the ZV-E10 II includes a fluffy wind blocker for its built-in microphone. You'll have to buy one separately for the EOS R50 V to get usable audio outdoors without an external microphone.

Shooting stills

Neither camera is particularly fun to use for shooting stills, thanks to their lack of an EVF and second top-plate control dial. However, the EOS R50 V does have the advantage of a mechanical second-curtain shutter, whereas the ZV-E10 II only has a fully electronic shutter. That means the Canon has a much higher flash sync speed: 1/250 sec vs 1/30 sec for the Sony.

Flash aside, both cameras can produce pleasing images with good colors. The Sony technically has a higher resolution sensor with 26MP compared to the Canon's 24MP, but such a small difference isn't noticeable in real-world use.

The extras

Both cameras have a few little things that stand out. For example, the EOS R50 V has a second tripod socket on its side, which makes shooting vertical video as simple as attaching your tripod plate to a different part of the camera. It also includes false-color monitoring, which can help you nail exposure for skin tones.

The ZV-E10 II distinguishes itself with a side-mounted SD card slot, meaning you'll never have to remove your tripod plate to get at your videos, something that can happen with the EOS R50 V. However, the 10Gbps USB-C port on the Canon is twice as fast as the Sony's, so there is an alternative option for getting data off it.

Sony also chose to use a much larger battery in the ZV-E10 II, which could be helpful on longer shoots. The battery life on the EOS R50 V isn't bad, and both cameras can charge via USB-C while in use, but you won't have to reach for a power lead as often with the Sony.

Kit lenses

Both cameras can be optioned with powerzoom lenses that have focal lengths suited to vlogging. Canon launched the EOS R50 V alongside a 14-30mm F4-6.3 lens (22-48mm equiv.), which is wide enough that most people's arms will be long enough to vlog with it, even with the 1.56x crop for 4K 60p (giving 35-75mm equiv). You can get it for $200 when purchased with the EOS R50 V.

The 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 (24-75mm equiv.) Sony lens is more versatile: it can zoom in much further, is faster at both ends and only adds $100 to the price. And while it doesn't go as wide as the Canon, in the ZV-E10 II's 60p mode it ends up being a 26.4mm equiv. compared to the Canon's lens which ends up as a 35mm equiv. thanks to its more severe 60p crop. However, we're not particularly thrilled by the Sony lens' image quality – we wouldn't be surprised if many ZV-E10 II owners end up wanting something sharper, though they'll likely have to give up the powerzoom feature to get it.

Conclusion

While the EOS R50 V is a capable camera with some interesting features like its side-mounted tripod socket, the ZV-E10 II's faster sensor and larger battery make it the overall more powerful camera for video. However, that comes at a price, literally – it costs $350 more. Depending on what you're filming, it may not be worth paying the extra; if you're mostly shooting semi-static subjects indoors, the rolling shutter and 4K 60p crop may not be as big a concern.

It's also hard to ignore that you could buy a cheap gimbal with your EOS R50 V and still come out ahead while getting much less shaky handheld video. However, if you're shooting faster moving subjects, or prefer extra bells and whistles like the background defocus button and microphone pickup area selector, the Sony definitely still justifies its price tag.

Read our Sony ZV-E10 II review

Read our Canon EOS R50 V review

Photo: Richard Butler

There's a funny thing that can happen with technology. Sometimes, products will get so good, and so easy to use that manufacturers start adding throwbacks to years past that reintroduce a bit of the friction. Think home arcade machines that still require you to put in a quarter, phones that purposefully can't run most apps, and, yes, cameras that make you wait to see your pictures.

Fujifilm's recently announced X half is just the latest example. It includes a film camera mode that prevents you from seeing the pictures you've taken until you've shot an entire "roll" and then used an app to "develop" it. This isn't the first time a digital camera has required an extra step to see your photos either; there are several apps that emulate that experience on your phone. One example is Dispo, an app that gained whirlwind popularity a few years ago that makes you wait until 9 AM the next day to see the photos you've taken.

As with anything, these nostalgic recreations have elicited scoffs from some, and confusion from others. Isn't the whole appeal of digital photography that we don't have to live with these sorts of limitations? Why artificially undo decades of progress in user experience and design?

Disposable cameras and apps that emulate them are another example of doing things the hard way despite having "better" options

The answer is that, sometimes, it's fun to get a break from what you're used to. A person in the 1990s probably wouldn't find these cameras at all charming since they're just recreating everyday photography for them. For them, having to wait for their photos, perhaps with some anticipation about whether they even turned out, is a frustration they're obligated to put up with. Nowadays, though, that ritual can be an endearing throwback to a style of photography that we haven't had to deal with for years or, perhaps, ever.

To borrow a term from wrestling, there's a kayfabe – a playing pretend – to these sorts of experiences. Case in point: you can take the SD card out of your X half and get at the film mode pictures the second after you take them. Or if you really can't miss the moment, you can take out your phone – a do-everything device that would've seemed miraculous in film's heyday – or another, more traditional modern camera and use it to take a picture instead.

Temporarily going without the extras can help you focus

The limitations are artificial, just like they are in so many of the other activities we participate in; football players agree not to ruin the game by picking the ball up, and going camping doesn't mean permanently converting to an 1800s lifestyle without running water, electricity and toilets.

Sometimes, temporarily going without the extras can help you focus on something else that you'd typically pay less attention to. If you know you won't be able to immediately review your photo and fix something if it doesn't turn out, you may take a bit more time composing it and making sure your exposure settings are correct. Or you may enjoy not worrying about those things, and letting the photos be a surprise when you do finally see them. And when you choose to use a camera with all the modern features instead, you may find a newfound appreciation for them.

Of course, there will be those who just don't enjoy these kinds of modes, and that's okay too. On most of the cameras that include them, they're entirely optional. For cameras where it's not optional, such as the Camp Snap or the disposable film cameras it emulates... well, consider that a good reason to save your money instead.

Do you want to shape the online experience for one of the world's largest audiences of photography enthusiasts? DPReview is hiring! We're looking for a full-time Community Manager with experience building active and engaged online spaces to join our Editorial team and help grow our online forums.

Community Manager, DPReview

The Role

We're looking for an experienced and passionate Community Manager to lead the charge in revitalizing and growing our online forums. This is a critical role for someone who thrives on building active, engaged online spaces and understands how to foster a positive and inclusive environment. You won't just be managing; you'll be innovating, strategizing, and executing plans to boost participation and breathe new life into our community discussions. If you have a proven track record of growing online communities and a knack for building active, engaging, and welcoming forums or discussion groups, we want to hear from you.

This role requires a high-energy self-starter with a strong bias for action. You see opportunities for engagement and growth and pursue them independently, without needing constant oversight. You’ll be a key ambassador, bridging the gap between our editorial team and our users, and you’ll play a vital part in shaping the future of our community.

What you will do:

• Own the strategy: Define, own, and execute the community growth strategy, setting measurable goals for participation, engagement, and user satisfaction. Identify opportunities to increase forum engagement and participation.
• Analyze and refine: Regularly analyze community data and user feedback to identify trends, report on progress, and refine strategies to boost forum participation.
• Engage and connect: Be an active, visible presence in our forums. Engage directly with users, answer questions, and spark conversations. Act as the primary liaison between our community and the editorial team.
• Innovate and program: Design and implement engaging community programs, campaigns, and events (e.g., Q&As, contests, themed discussions) to foster interaction and attract new members.
• Lead and develop moderators: Provide guidance and structured training to our dedicated team of volunteer moderators. Ensure moderation is consistent and aligned with our community guidelines. Develop resources and programs to support moderator effectiveness, handle recruitment and orientation, and arbitrate conflicts when they arise.
• Help create and publish content: Proactively seed discussions and solicit user contributions in the forums to develop unique, community-driven stories, and identify existing organic content opportunities, transforming both into engaging, publication-ready articles that meet DPReview's high editorial standards.
• Advocate: Serve as the primary advocate for the community within DPReview, channeling user feedback to the editorial and product teams.
• Manage and administer: Oversee the moderation queue, review and approve flagged posts, and handle user requests.

What You Bring:

• Proven community growth experience: Significant (3+ years preferred) experience managing large-scale online communities (forums, social media groups, etc.). Crucially, you have demonstrated success in growing communities, ideally including experience in revitalizing forums with declining engagement
• Initiative and drive: You are a proactive, energetic self-starter who doesn’t wait to be told what to do. You can identify needs, formulate plans, and execute them quickly and effectively.
• Exceptional writing skills: You possess exceptional writing skills with demonstrated experience authoring and publishing written content for a publication with high editorial standards. You can craft engaging articles that are ready for publication.
• Diplomatic communication: You possess excellent communication skills, capable of interacting clearly, professionally, and with empathy, especially when navigating sensitive community disputes or moderation issues.
• Strategic and analytical thinking: You can analyze the landscape, identify factors influencing community health, use data to make decisions, and develop creative solutions.
• Passion for photography (highly desired): A genuine interest in and knowledge of cameras, photography, and related technology is strongly desired and will be invaluable for connecting with our community.
• Authentic voice: An understanding of how to communicate authentically and establish a trusted, approachable presence that aligns with the DPReview brand.
• Experience with volunteers (a plus): Familiarity with managing or working alongside volunteer teams is beneficial.
• Flexibility: Ability to work flexible hours as needed to engage with a global community.

What a typical week might look like:

This is a new full-time position at DPReview, and as such, the role will likely evolve. However, we think it’s safe to say your week will be driven by strategic action. Your primary focus will be advancing initiatives designed to revitalize and grow our forums, analyzing results, and planning your next moves. Alongside strategic work, you'll spend time actively participating in key forums, talking with users, and getting a feel for the community pulse. You'll check in with moderators, provide support and training, and ensure moderation standards are applied consistently. You'll dive into community discussions to unearth interesting content ideas and dedicate time to writing articles for the main site. You'll also manage user support requests and review flagged posts.

Why DPReview?

We’re a small, passionate team dedicated to the world of cameras and photography. This is a chance to make a tangible impact on one of the most respected photography communities online. You'll have the opportunity to shape strategy and see your ideas come to life. If you're ready to roll up your sleeves and build something special, we'd love to talk.

How to Apply:

Please send your CV/resume, LinkedIn profile link, and cover letter to the Managing Editor, Dale Baskin (dbaskin@dpreview.com), with the subject heading: “Community Manager.”

• A brief introduction of yourself that includes an overview of why you believe you are a good fit for the Community Manager Position.
• In your message, please include examples of past work managing and growing communities that you believe are most related to this role.

Only those candidates considered for an interview will be contacted. Please regard your resume as having been received unless your email bounced back.

The salary range and final title for this position is $70,000 to $90,000, depending on the candidate's experience. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; the associated discipline; market considerations, budgetary considerations, geographical considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee's/applicant's background, pertinent experience, and qualifications.

DPReview strives to be a diverse and inclusive company. We firmly believe that different voices, experiences and points of view are an essential component of our current and future success. We do not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s gender, age, race, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, genetics or any other personal characteristics protected by law.

We've arrived at an important anniversary for a tool that many photographers use: Google Photos turns ten this week. When it was launched in 2015, Google pitched it as a "standalone product that gives you a home for all your photos and videos, helps you organize and bring your moments to life, and lets you share and save what matters."

It still essentially does that, but now with a heaping helping of AI assistance for finding the photos you're thinking of and making edits. As part of its look back, Google is also announcing a few new features. We'll take a look at those and then look back at the last decade to see how things have changed.

Image: Google

The first is a redesign for its photo editing experience, which the company says will bring together all its editing tools and provide suggestions on what changes to make to your photos. The editor will – of course – include traditional editing controls for cropping, etc., but also brings together a lot of the disparate AI features that Google's introduced over the years such as photo unblur, auto-framing and more.

You'll also be able to tap on certain parts of the photo, such as a person who's acting as the subject or the background, and get suggestions on what specific edits to make. The company says the update will start rolling out in Photos for Android next month and for the iOS version later this year.

It's also getting easier to share Google Photo albums, with the company adding a share via QR code option. You can then show people the QR code or even print it out, and people will be able to interact with the album, seeing the pictures with it, or even adding their own if you've given them permission. It should be a much easier way to share pictures with people, even if you don't know their email address or don't want to go through and manually add everyone in a group.

Google Photos launched into a world that's quite different from the one we live in today

Despite 2015 still feeling very much like the modern age, complete with near-ubiquitous smartphones and widespread social media adoption, Google Photos launched into a world that's quite different from the one we live in today. It and its main competitor, iCloud, were part of a series of apps and services that represented a shift in how many people share photos. They made it way easier for people to share their collections with friends and family without needing a ton of technical know-how or the willingness to pay for photo hosting sites like Flickr.

While photographers may have had plenty of ways to distribute their work beforehand, Google Photos helped bring that ability to the masses. Anecdotally, these services have made it way more likely that I'll get to see the photos taken by people other than myself. It's rare that I'll go on a trip with friends without receiving a link to Google Photos shortly after we get home or that family vacations don't result in a shared iCloud Photo album or two.

While not everyone will have use for these tools, it's good to see that they're still going strong after all this time. In its 10 year video, Google says it's storing over 9 trillion(!!!) photos and videos, and that the app has over 1.5 billion monthly users. It probably helps that it's the default photo viewer on many Android phones, but that's still a staggering number of people for a service that's still relatively new in the grand scheme of things.

Image: Fujifilm

Fujifilm will be holding its next X Summit event on June 12th at 5AM ET (2AM PT), where the company says it has "exciting news." The event will be held in Shanghai.

It currently hasn't released any teasers for what it plans to cover at the event, but in the X half announcement video from last week, Yuji Igarashi, Divisional Manager of Professional Imaging Group said the theme for the event is "Classic" and that it will be "showcasing exciting updates inspired by the concept of classic photography."

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The company has historically used the events to launch new cameras: the GFX100RF was announced at the company's X Summit in Prague, and last October, it used the event to announce the X-M5 alongside new lenses. The company did just launch a new camera last week, so it'll be interesting to see what it has in store for this upcoming event.

Updated May 29, 2025

It's sad to say, but the golden age of compact cameras is pretty much over, thanks to the rise of smartphone cameras that are, in many cases, good enough for most people. Manufacturers seem to realize this, too; the major players have only released a small handful of compact zooms in the past few years, and most were very minor updates on old designs. The ones that remain can be difficult to find in stock, even when the companies that make them promise they're still a part of their lineups.

However, that doesn't mean the category is completely dead. Even today, there are several types of compact cameras, and some have capabilities that pretty much no phone can match. This list calls out the few that are still available and looks at what they're good for – because there are still cases where a compact camera is a great option.

Our recommendations:

• Enthusiast camera
  • Best enthusiast compact: Canon PowerShot G7X III
  • Best do-it-all compact: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII
  • Best interface: Leica D-Lux 8

• Waterproof cameras
  • Best waterproof compact: OM System Tough TG-7

• Long zoom camera
  • Best long-zoom camera: Sony RX10 IV
  • Best ultra-zoom camera: Nikon Coolpix P1100

• Vlogging cameras
  • Best vlogging compact Sony ZV-1 Mark II

Enthusiast compacts

The final niche in which it's difficult for a smartphone to compete is for enthusiast photography. No matter how good smartphone image quality gets, it's difficult for a phone to provide the feeling of connection to the process of taking photos that an enthusiast compact with lots of direct controls can offer.

We've picked cameras with large sensors that deliver good image quality, zoom lenses and direct controls. Some have built-in electronic viewfinders for shooting when it's bright outside, again giving a more pleasant experience than a smartphone.

Best enthusiast compact: Canon PowerShot G7 X III

20MP Type 1 Stacked CMOS sensor | 24-100mm equiv. F1.8-2.8 lens | 4K/30p video capture

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The Canon PowerShot G7 X III is an enthusiast compact built around a 20MP Type-1 (13.2 x 8.8 mm) Stacked CMOS sensor with a bright 24-100mm equivalent F1.8-2.8 zoom.

The large sensor, and zoom that covers a really useful range help set it apart from a smartphone but it's clicking control dial around the lens and the dedicated exposure compensation dial that really help you feel you're in the driving seat of the photo-taking process that makes us enjoy it so much.

This camera is frequently out of stock, but Canon has told investors it was ramping up production of its compacts, citing the popularity of the G7 X III, and has assured us it's still in production.

Read our Canon Powershot G7X III review

See the Canon Powershot G7X III studio scene

What about the PowerShot V1?

Canon recently released the PowerShot V1, which may tempt photographers hungry for a new compact thanks to its large Type 1.4 (18.4 x 12.3mm) sensor. However, it's clearly designed for vlogging; its cooling fan makes it relatively thick, which, paired with its shallow grip, makes it a bit hard to handle. Its controls – especially the free-rotating lens dial – also aren't optimized for stills, and it lacks the G7 X III's dedicated exposure compensation dial. For photography, we'd recommend sticking with Canon's older compact if you can find one, though we're still evaluating the PowerShot V1's vlogging capabilities.

Best do-it-all compact: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII

20MP Type 1 Stacked CMOS sensor | 24-200mm equiv. F2.8-4.5 lens | Hybrid AF system

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII is built around a 20MP Stacked CMOS sensor and a long, flexible 24-200mm equivalent lens. It's not as bright at the long end as the zooms on the now-discontinued Mark VA or the Canon G7 X III, but it provides a lot more reach, still in a compact package.

Like the Canon, the RX100 VII can be difficult to find, but Sony tells us it's still making it. It also uses micro USB to charge instead of the near-ubiquitous and, in the EU, legally-mandated USB-C. US buyers should also be conscious of price; the camera launched at $1200, but when it's available, it now seems to be selling for around $1700, though Sony hasn't said if this is the result of tariffs or other factors.

Read our Sony RX100 VII review

See the Sony DSC-RX100 VII studio scene

Best interface: Leica D-Lux 8

17MP crop of Four Thirds sensor | 24-75mm equiv F1.7-2.8 | 4K video

Photo: Richard Butler

The D-Lux 8 combines an enjoyable shooting experience with a large sensor and bright lens. It's expensive, for sure – a situation made even worse for US buyers thanks to tariffs – but it is one of the few enthusiast compacts to receive a refresh in recent years, so we felt we should include it.

Read our Leica D-Lux 8 review

See the Leica D-Lux 8 studio scene

Waterproof cameras

Waterproof cameras are another specialty that smartphones can't necessarily displace. Many flagship phones are waterproof to a decent degree but you shouldn't try to submerge them to any appreciable depth. Waterproof cameras also tend to be pretty rugged, designed to withstand a lot more mistreatment than a phone will withstand, meaning you can carry them with you at all times, without ever having to worry about it. Great for bikers, climbers and custodians of small, inquisitive but not necessarily careful children.

Best waterproof camera: OM System Tough TG-7

25-100mm equiv. F2.0-4.9 lens | 12MP Type 1/2.3 sensor | Waterproof to 15m (50ft)

Buy now:

The OM System Tough TG-7 is a rugged, waterproof compact with a 25-100mm equivalent zoom lens. It is fully waterproof down to a depth of 15m (50 ft).

The OM System isn't the only rugged waterproof still on the market, nor the cheapest, but it has several major factors in its favor. The first is that it lets you shoot Raw images, which gives you the ability to correct the white balance, which even the best cameras tend to get wrong when shooting underwater. Another factor is that there is a range of accessories for the TG-7, including a light guide that directs light from the built-in flash into a circle around the lens, letting you illuminate close-up objects.

Beyond this there are a few details that different users may find handy: it has an unusually wide-angle lens with a bright maximum aperture, helping the performance underwater and in low light. It also has a built-in GPS, compass and pressure sensor that lets you log your adventures. These all add up to a camera that's worth the added expense, we feel.

Read our hands-on with the OM System TG-7 article

Long zoom cameras

Perhaps the greatest weakness of smartphones is their lack of zoom capabilities. Many of the best phones have a camera with a slightly longer focal length and then try to crop into their images and use AI algorithms to try to approximate the fine detail to give the impression of zooming, but this has its limits.

Dedicated cameras aren't constrained by the need to slip into your pocket, which can afford them the space to have an optical zoom lens to gain you more reach than your smartphone can deliver. There can be a trade-off: the small sensors required to put lots of zoom in a relatively small camera will be outshone by the computational cleverness that smartphones bring to bear on their images. But superzoom cameras can gain you the kind of reach that no current smartphone can get near.

Best long-zoom camera: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV

20MP Type 1 Stacked CMOS sensor | 24-600mm equiv. F2.4-4 lens | 4K video

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The Sony RX10 IV is a superzoom cameras with a large Type-1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) Stacked CMOS sensor and a 24-600mm equivalent F2.8-4.0 zoom lens. The large sensor gives it image quality up there with the best smartphones while the lens delivers a 24x zoom that smartphones can't come close to matching.

The RX10 IV has been on the market for a while, so its autofocus isn't as good as Sony's newer cameras, but its fast Stacked CMOS sensor and excellent face detection system means it'll track action very well. This combines with its ability to shoot at 24 frames per second to stretch its capabilities even further beyond those of a smartphone.

Like Sony's other compacts, availability is a big issue; it's only occasionally in stock at some stores, so getting one may require some patience.

Read our Sony RX10 IV review

See the Sony DSC-RX10 IV studio scene

Best ultra-zoom camera: Nikon Coolpix P1100

16MP 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS sensor | 24-3000mm equiv. F2.8-8 lens | 4K video capture

Photo: Barney Britton

The Nikon Coolpix P1100 is a very slightly refreshed version of the P1000, with the biggest difference being the adoption of a USB connector. Its Type 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.55mm) sensor will be out-performed by a good smartphone's clever merging of multiple images but the Nikon's gargantuan 24-3000mm equiv. lens is its selling point.

The small sensor means image quality isn't the camera's strength, but its frankly ludicrous zoom reach means it can photograph distant subjects in a way no other device (smartphone or dedicated camera) can.

Read our review of the existing P1000 model

See the Nikon Coolpix P1000 studio scene

Vlogging cameras

Smartphones are great for vlogging, but a dedicated vlogging camera can shoot better quality video, have more sophisticated microphones (and provide options for connecting better mics), and can autofocus very reliably, dependably delivering YouTube-ready footage.

Best vlogging camera: Sony ZV-1 Mark II

20MP Stacked CMOS sensor | 24fps burst shooting | 4K/30p, 1080/120p video

Photo: Shaminder Dulai

Buy now:

The Sony ZV-1 Mark II is one of three ZV-1 models and is by far the best. Its wide-angle 18-50mm equivalent F2.8-4.0 lens is ideally suited to self-shot video. Its excellent autofocus includes options such as 'Product Showcase' that focuses on the presenter unless an object is held up to the camera.

Read our Sony ZV-1 Mark II Review

See the Sony ZV-1 Mark II studio scene

Why you should trust us

This buying guide is based on cameras used and tested by DPReview's editorial team. We don't select a camera until we've used it enough to be confident in recommending it, usually after our extensive review process. The selections are purely a reflection of which cameras we believe to be best: there are no financial incentives for us to select one model or brand over another.

Photo: Fujifilm

Last week, Fujifilm announced the X half, a camera with a vertical Type-1 sensor, optical viewfinder and a Film Camera mode that turns off live view and forces you to pull an advance lever before you can take your next picture. It's far from an ordinary release, and it seems to have stirred up a lot of feelings. People flocked to our comments section and others to talk about it.

We here at DPReview sat down to discuss some of those reactions and to add a few more of our thoughts. You can listen to the video below.

Photo: Thiago Piccoli (CC BY 2.0)

Earlier this year, the film world lost a true original: director David Lynch, a Hollywood legend, passed away at 78. He was widely seen as one of the most innovative filmmakers ever, directing classics like Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man, Eraserhead, and Dune (the 1984 original, not the recent remake). And, of course, he created the unforgettable cult TV series Twin Peaks, a show that proved just how strange TV could be.

PSA to Lynch fans: You now have a chance to own some of Lynch's actual camera and filmmaking gear. Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles has listed over 400 items from the David Lynch Collection, offering unique insight into the tools he used, ranging from production gear to espresso machines.

One of Lynch's cameras up for auction is his Canon 5D Mark III and 24-105mm F4 L lens. Photo: Julien's Auctions

Among the items up for bid are Lynch’s personal cameras, including a Canon 5D Mark III and Sony a7R II and a7S II mirrorless cameras, which come with a Lensbaby lens and three of Lynch's SD cards. (Would you bid on these just to find out if there's anything on those cards?) There are also classics like a Leica R6.2 and some Polaroids.

And what could be more David Lynch than the fever dream that was the Hasselblad Lunar, which appears to have a prototype lens labeled "No. 015." It's bundled with another Sony camera and a Pentax medium format model.

Imagine the images those cameras might have captured over the years!

The gear isn’t limited to cameras, though. You can also find tripods, lights, video cameras, and even a production slate – real nuts-and-bolts production gear.

Three of David Lynch's SanDisk memory cards are included in an auction for a pair of Sony a7R II and a7S II cameras and lenses. Would you bid on them just to find out if there's anything on the cards? Photo: Julien's Auctions

For real Lynch aficionados, the auction goes way beyond just filmmaking gear, and this is where you get a real peek into Lynch’s creative universe. You can find scripts and even a few props from some of his famous films and TV shows, musical instruments, books, art and even his coffee making gear. It gives you some insight into the different things Lynch was into and paints a picture beyond the director’s chair.

The David Lynch Collection officially goes up for auction at Julien's on June 18, though it seems online bidding might already be open. It’s a rare opportunity for serious fans to grab a tangible piece of film history from a man who showed us how weird and wonderful the world could be.

Photo: Dale Baskin

With summer approaching, many kids will soon head off to summer camp, toting duffel bags filled with sunscreen, bug spray, and, often, a camera to capture their memories. The Camp Snap ($70) is a point-and-shoot camera designed specifically for this purpose. It’s super simple – no LCD screen, no complex settings – and its price means it won’t be a disaster if it ends up at the bottom of a lake or covered in s'mores.

Crucially, its screen-free design helps address a common challenge: many camps restrict or ban smartphones and regular digital cameras, aiming for an immersive, screen-free experience for campers.

Key features

• 8 Megapixel resolution (4.6 x 3.2mm sensor)
• 35mm (equivalent) F1.8 lens
• LED flash
• 4 GB microSD card included
• USB-C port
• Internal battery

The case for a dedicated summer camp camera

Summer camp can be one of the most magical experiences kids can have. I admit I might be biased; not only did I attend camp in my youth, but I also ran a summer camp for several years when I was a bit older. I won’t lie – it was probably the best job I ever had.

"Its screen-free design helps address a common challenge: many camps restrict or ban smartphones and regular digital cameras."

One of the best things about camp is it provides an opportunity to immerse kids in an experience different from their normal lives, focusing on new activities and the environment. Fortunately for me, I ran a camp before smartphones were everywhere. If kids brought cameras, they were film cameras, and they had to wait until they got home to see the photos.

Camp Snap camera | F2.8 | 1/750 sec | ISO 100 Photo: Dale Baskin

Today’s camp directors face a very different challenge. To ensure kids get that immersive experience, many camps restrict or prohibit smartphones or regular digital cameras. Constant digital interaction is a distraction, and many camps insist on a screen-free experience. That’s where the Camp Snap comes in. It lets kids capture memories without a screen, complying with camp rules.

In use

The Camp Snap camera is super easy to use because there’s very little to control – perfect for most kids. In fact, it's a lot like using a disposable film camera. There's only one button, the shutter button, and there’s an optical tunnel-type viewfinder. A tiny LCD on the back displays the shot count.

The Camp Snap camera has only two physical controls: the shutter button on top (which doubles as an on/off switch) and a switch for the flash setting (on, off or auto). Photo: Dale Baskin

The only other physical control is for the LED flash, which can be switched to on, off, or auto. This simplicity ensures kids won’t come home with unviewable photos because a setting was accidentally changed.

It ships with a 4GB microSD card, which Camp Snap says should hold about 2,000 photos. Based on my usage, it's probably closer to 1,500, but that's probably ample for a week at camp, and you have the option to put in a larger card if needed.

"The Camp Snap camera is super easy to use because there’s very little to control – perfect for most kids."

Notably, the microSD card slot is hidden behind a panel that requires a small Phillips screwdriver to remove. This prevents kids from casually removing the card and, more importantly, losing it. Trust me, kids are really good at losing things at summer camp.

The manual flash control is a pleasant surprise, though I suspect most kids will either leave it off or set it to auto. The flash is an LED type, similar to a smartphone, which can result in that same washed-out look.

The microSD card is located on the bottom of the camera behind a screw-in panel that discourages kids from trying to remove the card. The USB-C port can be used for charging or to plug the camera into a computer for direct file transfer. Photo: Dale Baskin

There's a slight delay between clicking the shutter and taking a photo. It's not as fast as a DSLR, but it's more responsive than many compact cameras I've used. The shutter button also doubles as an on/off switch. You press and hold it for about three seconds to turn the camera on, at which point the shutter button glows green. A flashing red light indicates a low battery. (I only ran into this once during testing.) Holding the shutter button down for another three seconds turns the camera off.

There's one small quirk to the on/off process. When pressing the shutter button to turn off the camera, the camera emits the shutter click sound, followed by another sound about three seconds later when it powers down. Initially, I thought I was taking an extra photo every time I turned off the camera. That turned out not to be the case, but it was confusing.

Camp Snap camera | F2.8 | 1/160 sec | ISO 100 Photo: Dale Baskin

In my opinion, the 35mm equivalent lens is a good choice. It’s wide enough for activities like boating or building a monkey bridge, but not so wide that friends look distorted in group shots. The optical viewfinder doesn’t provide 100% coverage, meaning photos should have a bit of extra room around the edges, which can be helpful for cropping. Unfortunately, the viewfinder itself is tiny and exhibits distortion. It's functional, but not great.

The camera can capture photos using several preset filters, including Standard, B&W, Vintage, KodaClone and 101Clone. Only one filter can be loaded into the camera at a time. Interestingly, it ships with the 'Vintage' filter installed by default, something I didn’t realize until I was well into testing. Camp Snap claims the battery should last for about 500 photos, and it recharges via the USB-C port; I never ran out of power when testing it.

Image quality

Let’s set appropriate expectations: the Camp Snap aims to survive summer camp and provide a screen-free experience, not win image quality awards. Photos are OK, but the camera's sensor is smaller than the ones found on the main cameras of most smartphones and half the size of those in most older compact models, and it will perform accordingly.

Camp Snap camera | F2.8 | 1/100 sec | ISO 100 Photo: Dale Baskin

In short, if you have a modern Android phone or iPhone, don't expect the same level of image quality, particularly since the Camp Snap doesn't benefit from the sort of computational wizardry those devices employ. However, the photos should be good enough to capture those core camp memories.

The camera uses a fixed-focus lens design, so there's no autofocus system to worry about. In even light, the metering does a pretty good job, but it struggles with strongly back-lit scenes. White balance is generally on target, though some of my photos exhibited a slightly green color cast.

The most visible artifacts you're likely to observe are clipped highlights on bright objects or skies, and if you zoom in, you’ll probably see compression artifacts.

This photo illustrates the types of artifacts you're likely to see in some photos from the Camp Snap camera. Look closely at the sky: you'll see banding in the blue areas and places where the color is clipped, making the sky appear cyan and white. Camp Snap camera | F2.8 | 1/640 sec | ISO 100 Photo: Dale Baskin

As mentioned, this camera isn't going to win awards for image quality. Does it matter? When I look back at the grainy, often over- or under-exposed photos 12-year-old me took at summer camp with a film camera, I don’t worry much about the quality because those photos captured important memories. I think the same applies here, particularly if the alternative is having no camera at all due to technology restrictions.

"This camera isn't going to win awards for image quality. Does it matter?"

One minor annoyance: most of the photos I shot are tilted slightly to the right, suggesting the sensor may not be perfectly aligned with the camera. However, considering how many of the photos I shot as a 12-year-old were off-kilter anyway, I'm not sure this is a showstopper.

Should you buy it?

If your child is headed to summer camp and you need to navigate a screen ban – whether it’s a camp policy or your own rule – the Camp Snap is worth considering. In my opinion, it's best suited to younger kids. Older kids (13 and up) might find it a bit simplistic. Just set your expectations appropriately; a modern smartphone will take better photos, but those may not be allowed at many camps.

It’s worth considering other screen-free options, too. A disposable film camera won’t violate screen bans, and if your child can change film rolls, a used point-and-shoot film camera could work. Instax or other instant cameras offer instant fun, though film costs can rise quickly. That’s one area where a digital camera like the Camp Snap, with its large capacity and one-off price, has an advantage.

Summer camp is special, creating memories that last a lifetime, and If your kid has an interest in photography, I encourage you to support that enthusiasm. Whether it’s with the Camp Snap camera or something else, camp is a great place to begin, or feed, one’s photography journey.

Image: Sony

Sony has announced the FX2, a cinema camera built around a full-frame 33MP BSI sensor. Despite its presence in Sony's Cinema line, it's also surprisingly capable as a stills camera – the company says its goal was to have the same photo features as the a7 IV – which could be a sign of even more interesting things to come in Sony's video-focused lineup.

Key Specifications:

• 33MP BSI CMOS sensor
• 4K <30p derived from full-width 7K capture
• 4K <60p with APS-C crop
• AI-based autofocus tracking and video cropping modes
• Mechanical shutter and stills mode switch
• 3.68M dot tilting EVF
• 1x CFexpress Type A/SD slot, 1x SD slot

The camera's design borrows a lot from previous cinema cameras; it has several standard 1/4 20" mounting points and lacks a viewfinder hump, which is nice when attaching it to a gimbal.

The variable-angle EVF can be flipped up depending on your shooting angle. Image: Sony

It does, however, add a variable angle EVF with 0.70x magnification and a 33mm eyepoint, which Sony says will let you monitor your video without having to put your eye completely up to it. A loupe-style eyecup, which can be swapped for use with your right or left eye, enhances that experience. It also has a much deeper grip than the FX3 and FX30, and even more custom function buttons, with a new one on the EVF.

Sony has greatly expanded the camera's stills capabilities

Sony has also greatly expanded the camera's stills capabilities. On the FX3, getting into photo mode required pressing four buttons. Now, there's a switch right on the camera to go between stills and video, and each mode has its own menus suited to the task at hand. It also features a mechanical shutter, 10fps burst, and a flash sync speed of 1/160. Sony has also added the ability to shoot full-resolution stills with a Log response curve, saved as either 8-bit JPEGs or 10-bit HEIFs. You can use the View Assist feature to preview the effect of a LUT on these files but will need to use external s/w to apply one.

Despite the expanded stills mode, it's still very much a cinema camera, with a lot of DNA from models like the FX3 and FX30. It has All-I and HEVC codecs, the ability to adjust gain in terms of exposure index rather than ISO and professional workflow features such as timecode sync, support for Sony's Catalyst software, and more.

The use of a 33MP sensor, with Sony hinting that rolling shutter numbers could be similar, suggest the use of a very similar sensor to the a7IV. Like that camera, the new one has to crop to an APS-C region to deliver 4K/60. Sony's post processing Catalyst software can attempt to correct some rolling shutter distortion from full-frame mode.

The color modes, especially, speak to its cinema-first design; it comes with the S-Cinetone mode, an expanded suite of "Creative Look" presets, and the ability to load user-created Luts to the camera, which can previewed, applied to your footage, or linked to standard S-Log footage with a metadata tag.

Beyond the Movie / Still switch, the FX2's control layout is still very clearly designed for video. Image: Sony

The FX2 also introduces Sony's AI co-processor to the company's cinema line, which brings with it an improved AI autofocus system. It can track insects, animals, birds and vehicles while recording video, and should be better at tracking humans than the previous-generation system.

Some more updates this camera has over the FX3:

• Slow and quick mode is replaced with a variable FPS mode
• Has two tripod mounting points on the bottom
• "Big6" menu option, inspired by the Sony Venice cinema camera
• Dynamic active stabilization mode for improved smoothness when shooting handheld
• UVC/UAC support for driver-free streaming to a computer over USB
• Updated fan and heatsink for up to 13-hour record times in 4K60p

It'll be interesting to see where Sony goes from here. It's hard to imagine it did all this design work for one camera that's on the low end of the FX line. But if the rumored second-generation FX3 has the same body and stills features, it's hard to imagine there being any reason for the company to continue making the a7S cameras that are so popular with video shooters.

The FX2 will cost $2699 body-only and $3099 for a bundle with the company's XLR-H1 audio adapter/handle. It's available for pre-order starting today, and the company says it expects to start shipping it in August.

Image: 7artisans

7artisans has officially released its full-frame AF 24mm F1.8 lens for Sony E-mount. The company is pitching it as a do-everything option for landscape, astro and environmental portraiture shooting.

The lens is made up of 14 elements in 11 groups, with two aspherical lenses, two high refractive elements and three ED elements. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.32m (12"), and its aperture has 11 blades. Its autofocus abilities are provided by a stepper motor.

The AF 24mm F1.8's body is made of metal and weighs in at 424g (~15oz). It can accept 62mm filters and has a clickless aperture ring. It also includes a customizable function button and a USB-C port on the mount for software updates.

The lens costs $329 and is available now.

7artisans AF 24mm F1.8 Specs:

Sample gallery

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84%

Overall score

Jump to conclusion

Product Photos: Mitchell Clark

The Canon EOS R50 V is a small mirrorless camera designed for vloggers and consumers looking to take video. It's built around the same 24MP APS-C sensor found in the more stills-oriented EOS R50.

Key Features

• 24MP Dual Pixel AF CMOS sensor
• Full-width 4K up to 30p, derived from 6K
• 4K 60P w/ 1.56x crop
• Front-facing tally lamp
• Dual record buttons and zoom toggle
• Canon Log-3 profile, HDR PQ and HLG options
• Extra 1/4-20" tripod thread for vertical shooting

The EOS R50 V is available for $649 body-only, and in a kit with the RF-S 14-30mm F4-6.3 IS STM PZ power zoom lens for $849.

Index:

• What's new
• How it compares
• Body and handling
• Video
• Conclusion
• Sample gallery
• Specifications

What's New

Video-first design

Despite the camera's name associating it with the EOS R50, the two cameras actually have very different designs. The EOS R50 V lacks a viewfinder and built-in flash, has an almost entirely redesigned control scheme and features a headphone port, which its sibling lacked. It also adds a tally light on the front to make it obvious when you're recording, a front-facing record button, a zoom toggle switch and an additional tripod thread on the right side of the camera, which lets you easily mount it for vertical shooting.

The front grip is also substantially less pronounced than that of the standard EOS R50. While this makes it less comfortable to hold in the traditional way, depending on your hand size it may be quite a bit more comfortable to hold the camera facing yourself for when you're vlogging or taking selfies.

The mode dial also gets a redesign, with stills shooting relegated to a single space. The rest is taken up by video modes.

Somewhat oddly, the close-up demo mode, which over-rides the camera's face detection autofocus when you hold an object up close to the camera, can't be accessed in the rest of the video modes. That also means you can't use it with your chosen exposure mode; you're stuck with letting the camera automatically pick the settings, which you can only influence by using exposure compensation.

More video capabilities

Unlike the regular EOS R50, the V can shoot 4K video at 60p, though doing so incurs a 1.56x crop. It also features Canon's C-Log 3 color profile, which lets you capture low-contrast footage designed to be color-graded later. It also includes a 'false color' exposure assistance mode and a Log / HDR view assist mode that shows you what your footage will look like after grading, though you can't use both assist modes at the same time.

The EOS R50 V has an upgraded menu system that lets you choose your codec and bitrate independently.

Canon has also upgraded the video menu system to the one found on its higher-end cameras like the EOS R5 II, allowing more granular control over codecs and bitrates than the EOS R50 provides. One annoyance is that it doesn't automatically match your frame rate to your chosen mode; if you switch to the 4K Crop resolution, it won't automatically select the 60p framerate. Instead, you get a message saying, "These items cannot be combined," which you have to push past to choose the correct framerate or resolution. This also happens when you're switching back to the non-crop mode; the camera makes you select both the frame rate and crop mode, even though one of the crop modes only has a single frame rate option.

Like most cameras, the EOS R50 V risks overheating if you record for extended periods. You can raise the temperature threshold at which it cuts out, if you're not planning on holding it. Canon says it'll cut out after around 55min of 4K capture at room temperature, with no limit if you set the threshold to 'high.'

The slow and fast mode, which lets you record higher framerates that are saved as slow-motion videos at lower framerates, is also new for the EOS R50 V. There's also a new "Cinema View" mode that bakes black bars onto your footage for a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and a product demo mode that tunes the autofocus system to focus on objects being held up to show the camera, rather than on the person holding the product.

Vlogging UI

The on-screen user interface has been redesigned to give you access to all your vital video settings without having to go into the menu, which is useful when you have the camera mounted to a tripod facing you. Tapping the "Q" button on the screen or using the hardware Q button brings up a scrolling menu that lets you change things like your shooting mode, autofocus area, autofocus subject detection, resolution and framerate, digital stabilization settings, color mode and more.

For some operations, the camera will bring you into its more traditional menu system, though the relevant sections have clearly been optimized for touchscreen operation. However, unlike the Q menu and live view info display, they don't rotate when you're using the camera in portrait orientation, which can make them a bit awkward to use depending on how you have the camera mounted.

A video-focused kit lens

Alongside the EOS R50 V, Canon introduced the RF-S 14-30mm (22-48mm equiv.) F4-6.3 IS STM PZ powerzoom lens. Its zoom range is well-suited for vlogging, letting you get wide enough that it's easy to film yourself even if you're using a mode with digital crop – though things will start to get tight if you combine the 60p mode with the most aggressive digital image stabilization. However, the lens's optical stabilization means you're less likely to have to do that, and its power zoom lets you get smooth pushes in or pulls out.

How it compares

The market for entry-level cameras with no viewfinder, a boxy design, and vlogging-focused features is relatively robust; most brands have a camera they market toward creators, though some have a much more extensive list of video features than others.

Aside from its rolling shutter rates, the EOS R50 V compares relatively well to the competition when it comes to shooting video. It also has many of the vlogging-specific features that are also available on the Sony and Fujifilm, though it doesn't have an easy background defocus setting to tell the camera whether to prioritize a wide open or stopped-down aperture.

For shooting stills with flash it benefits compared to the Sony by having a partially mechanical shutter, but suffers compared to the Fujifilm by having a Canon multi-function shoe, rather than a standard hotshoe (though you can buy an adapter).

Body and handling

The EOS R50 V doesn't feel appreciably smaller than the regular EOS R50, though the lack of a viewfinder hump and minimal grip give it a boxier design that should play well with handheld gimbals.

The top plate shutter button is styled as a record button and has a toggle switch to control focal length for power zoom lenses or the digital zoom function available when recording in FHD. You can also use it to change which top-level section you're in when navigating the camera's menu.

The default button assignments make a lot of sense for run-and-gun videos.

Behind that is the camera's only top-plate control dial. If you want to control a second parameter, you'll have to use the small, rear plate dial which can be a bit fiddly given how sensitive it is, and the fact that it also acts as a multi-directional controller, so you can accidentally activate another function if you press down too hard in one area.

The camera has two other programmable buttons on the back, alongside a menu, playback, and info button, and a programmable button on the top plate, as well as a "Lock" button that deactivates the camera's control dials. That's especially handy, since it's really easy to bump them while you're vlogging, potentially ruining a shot. By default, the "Color" button lets you access the menu to control the standard color mode, as well as the 14 color filters Canon includes to let you add various looks to your footage and the more advanced response modes such as C-Log or HLG.

Screen

The camera is mainly made to be controlled using the 3" articulating touchscreen, which lets you adjust your settings and shooting parameters and navigate through the menus. Like most cameras' displays, it can be challenging to see in direct sunlight, especially if you're trying to judge exposure.

Ports and slots

The EOS R50 V has a particularly quick 10Gbps USB-C port, which should be handy if you want to offload footage without taking off your tripod plate to get at the SD card. It also supports UVC/UAC streaming to a computer, letting you use it as a 4K webcam*.

It also has a headphone jack so you can monitor audio and a mic port so you can attach an external microphone. Also included is an ever-fragile micro HDMI port, which you can use to output video to a monitor or to a streaming box if your setup doesn't support USB.

* You'll be limited to 1080p if you want your camera to also draw power over USB instead of relying on its battery.

Battery

The battery and card slot are both under a door on the bottom of the camera.

The EOS R50 V uses the same 7.5 Wh LP-E17 battery that can be found in many of the company's other small ILCs, such as the original EOS R50. The company says it's good for 390 shots based on the CIPA rating. As always, the main use of the rating is as a common reference point among cameras, as the literal number of shots you get will depend on many factors.

Canon hasn't publically published CIPA video test results for the EOS R50 V. However, the camera's manual says you can expect around 70 minutes of 4K 30p recording on a charge, and about double that if you're shooting in 1080p. Those numbers are for single autofocus.

Video

Video Quality

The EOS R50 V's standard 4K footage is derrived from 6K capture and provides a good level of detail for most vlogging uses. The 4K 60p setting uses a smaller region of the sensor and has less detail than the >30p modes, but still provides a very usable image if your audience is mainly people watching videos on the web.

Recording Options

The EOS R50 V has four different recording formats, which can be used with any framerate and resolution.

While the camera has a screen for selecting your compression type, the only option is Long GOP.

Autofocus

The EOS R50 V offers several autofocus area options, ranging from spot to whole area autofocus. You move the point using the touchscreen, and in whole area autofocus you can use tap-to-focus to track a specific area. You can also use the four-way controller to select your focus point, provided you configure a button to engage AF point selection mode.

It can recognize three types of subjects: people, animals (including birds) and vehicles. There's also an "auto" mode that will track any recognized subjects in those categories. The subject recognition can be used with any of the autofocus area options, and the camera does a good job of honoring your selected area, rather than trying to jump to a subject not under your focus point the moment it recognizes one.

Autofocus settings, like most of the rest of the camera's settings, are separate between video and stills modes.

We found that the autofocus tracking was reliable at keeping whatever we were shooting in focus, especially when using subject recognition mode. There are also several options to tune it if the initial settings don't work for your needs: you can make the focus speed faster if you want it to quickly jump between points or slower if you want longer focus pulls, and you can also adjust how willing the camera is to refocus to a different distance or subject.

We also found that it was relatively tenacious, even when tracking a non-recognized subject. We could tap an object on the screen and be relatively sure it would keep it in focus as we moved the camera around, provided the movements weren't too extreme and that the subject mostly stayed in the frame. It also didn't tend to lose subjects after zooming in or out and was quick to refocus after zooming.

Rolling Shutter

There's no way to sugar-coat it: the EOS R50 V's rolling shutter performance is quite poor. If you pan the camera even at a moderate speed or point it at something moving relatively quickly, you'll get jello-like skewing, which can be quite distracting depending on what you're shooting.

The problem is far less pronounced in the 60p 4K crop mode due to the fact that it's sampling a smaller portion of the sensor, which takes less time. This leads to good rolling shutter performance, which is also the case in the 1080p modes.

Electronic image stabilization

Unsurprisingly, given its price, the EOS R50 V doesn't have a stabilized sensor, which means you'll have to rely on optical stabilization, a gimbal and/or electronic image stabilization to reduce shake when shooting handheld. The EOS R50 V has two electronic stabilization modes: normal and "Enhanced." Both crop in on the image, with the latter adding more crop than the standard mode. Both also work in the 4K Crop mode required for shooting in 60p, but you will end up with a substantially tighter image.

We found the electronic stabilization can work well for static shots or shots with slow movements, but isn't a great fit for walking and talking shots, especially if you pan the camera. It has a noticeable grab-and-release effect that can make your footage look stuttery, and while it does take out the most intense shakes, you can wind up with video that looks a little wobbly instead of steady.

Conclusion

Given the EOS R50 V's heavy focus on vlogging, we've filmed the bulk of our conclusions as a vlog, which should help provide an idea of what kind of results the camera can produce.

Outside of vlogging, it's worth touching on the photo-taking experience with this camera. Put simply, stills aren't what this camera is designed for. From a technical perspective, it's quite capable; it has pretty much every photo feature the EOS R50 does (including a mechanical second curtain shutter), and its image quality is solid. You can check out the studio scene here.

The experience of taking photos with it, however, just isn't all that fun. It could've actually been an improvement on the EOS R50 by having two control dials instead of one – we're no fans of rear control dials, but they're better than nothing – but the top plate dial being at the back of the camera instead of the front means that you'll have to manage both dials with your thumb. That minimizes the speed benefits that you typically get from having a second command dial.

That, along with the missing EVF, means that the EOS R50 V is best suited to taking occasional photos rather than being a really good stills camera that also excels at video. While you can absolutely use it to capture some great photos, people who split their time more evenly between stills and video will want to consider a less vlogging-focused model.

While the rolling shutter performance, crop in 4K60p and few UI quirks make it hard to recommend this camera to absolutely anyone interested in video, it's undoubtedly still worth considering if you're looking to get into vlogging or videography, especially if budget is a concern. The value the EOS R50 V provides with its image quality, autofocus system and feature set is what earns it a silver award.

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 Fujifilm X-M5 offers a complete experience for both stills and video shooters than the EOS R50 V thanks to its two top-plate control dials and especially robust lens ecosystem. Its open-gate recording mode can also provide a bit more flexibility over framing in post and still has better rolling performance than the EOS R50 V despite its taller aspect ratio. However, Fujifilm's autofocus tracking performance won't be as good for unrecognized subjects.

Compared to the EOS R50 V, the Sony ZV-E10 II's much faster sensor means it'll have far less rolling shutter, and will be able to shoot in 4K60p with far less crop, making it better for fast moving subjects or shooting styles. Ergonomically, the side-mounted SD card slot means you'll never have to take off your tripod plate to get at your footage, though, like the rest of the competition, it lacks the Canon's vertical tripod mounting thread. But while the EOS R50 V's battery life is sufficient, the ZV-E10 II's massive battery will let you record for substantially longer.

The Nikon Z30 struggles to keep up with the newer cameras on this list. It can't shoot 4K60p at all, which means you'll have to drop down to 1080p if you want to shoot in slow motion, and it also doesn't support 10-bit color or Log, meaning you'll be more limited in post when it comes to color grading. The lack of a headphone jack will also make it harder to tell if your audio is turning out correctly.

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.

OOC diptych: Classic Neg (L), Provia (R) Photo: Richard Butler

Last week, Fujifilm announced the X half, a compact camera with a vertical 3:4 Type-1 sensor and a 32mm equiv F2.8 lens. We were able to spend some time shooting with it to see how it performs and what kinds of images it produces.

The sample includes several of the in-camera diptychs the camera makes if you pull the film advance lever while using it in its standard photo mode. You can also see a few examples of the new filters, such as light-leak and expired film.

See the sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing; we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Photo: JulyProkopiv / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

Travel season is here for many. Whether you're looking to start a travel blog or simply want to document your trips, you may be trying to figure out what gear you'll need. While dedicated cameras have advantages for vlogging and video creation, smartphones are much more convenient. After all, you'll likely have it on you at all times anyway, and it takes up much less room in a bag.

While phones are highly capable these days, picking up some accessories can help you get the most out of your device when recording video. There is also plenty of overlap with what smartphone accessories are best for travel photography, such as lenses, power banks and lens cloths, so be sure to give that a look, too.

Bluetooth mic

Photo: DJI

Bluetooth microphones are an excellent accessory for anyone shooting video. They are often more critical than fancy cameras, since viewers will forgive bad image quality but not bad sound. There are now many options for compact Bluetooth mics that play well with phones, including from DJI, Rode, Sennheiser and Hollyland. These come in the form of shotgun mics, lavalier mics and more. Be sure to check compatibility with your device before purchasing, though, as not all will work across iPhone or Android systems.

Gimbal

Image: Insta360

Shaky video is also a big turnoff for many viewers. While your phone has some level of stabilization to smooth out video while you're moving, it's generally somewhat limited, especially if you want to use higher recording quality options. Gimbals will give you much better stabilization while also making it easier to hold your camera. Plus, many gimbals double as a tripod or stand, making them even more worthwhile, especially if you want to record hands-free at times. DJI, Insta360 and Hohem are brands worth considering.

SSD

Photo: Samsung

Videos consume a lot of storage space on your phone very quickly, especially if you use the highest quality settings. You'll want to invest in an SSD to keep your phone from filling up. Some phones and apps will even allow you to record directly to an SSD, so you don't need to remember to transfer files. Brands like Samsung, PNY, Lexar, Seagate and Planck all offer reliable yet tiny SSDs that work well with phones.

Add-on filters

Photo: Moment

Whether using your phone's built-in lenses or detachable smartphone lenses, having the option to use filters will open more filming opportunities and give you more creative control. Two popular choices are neutral density (ND) filters and polarizers. ND filters reduce the amount of light entering your camera, allowing you to blur movement or backgrounds even in bright conditions. Polarizers help cut down on glare on shiny or reflective surfaces. Sandmarc, Moment, Beastgrip, PolarPro and SmallRig all make quality filters and filter mounts.

Cage

Photo: Beastgrip

Phone filmmaking cages offer multiple benefits. First, they typically provide grips off to the side of your phone, making it easier to hold while filming while ensuring no fingers get in front of the camera. Second, larger ones often provide attachment points for accessories such as filters, mics, SSDs, lights and more. That way, you don't have to fumble with holding all your accessories together. As you might expect by now, Moment, Beastgrip, PolarPro and SmallRig are brands worth looking at for cages and grips.

LED light

Photo: Lume Cube

Finally, a compact light may be useful to keep on hand, especially if you plan on filming in conditions other than bright ones. Some function as ring lights that clip directly onto your phone, like Westcott's offering. Others, from brands like Lume Cube, Joby and Sandmarc, will require a cage or mount. All options are easy to use with a phone and are tiny, so they won't take up much room in your bag.

Acessories for smartphone photography

Human-Powered Travel: May Editor's Challenge Winners

In this month's Editor's photo challenge, we asked you to share your photos fearing human-powered travel. Our community biked, skated, trekked and kayaked to submit some amazing photos of people moving under their own power.

Our top picks on the following pages are presented in random order. You can see all the photos submitted here.

Carrying Water

Overlooking the Laramie Plains

Cooling Off

SloMoe- Life in the Slow Lane

San Francisco Grand Prix

Kyoto Rickshaw

Sunrise at the 2023 Backyard Ultra World Championship

Pretty Big Jump

Evening Commute

Photographer: Raptor142

Photographer's description: After an afternoon of hard surfing in the chilly waters on Cape Town's West Coast, you could take a bus home .... but what fun would that be?

Equipment: Nikon D90 + Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR

Persistence pays off

Cambie Bridge Rush Hour

Parra City Roller

The Great Wave off Mallorca

Ski Touring Moroccan High Atlas

Mom-Powered Travel

Fighting The Flow

Riding on UFOs

One of these must be mine

Looking for more?

We're hard at work on our next Editor's challenge, but until then, consider checking out some of the other community challenges on the site. REHS is hosting a "Texture" challenge that starts taking submissions today, and you can submit photos to DRLex's "Fortnight 52: My Best Non-bird Photo Shot after 2025-05-12" challenge starting Monday.

Photos: Polaroid, OWC, Godox and Laowa

It's the weekend, so we're checking in to share some accessories announced this past week. It was a surprisingly busy week for accessories and camera equipment, with a long list of releases from brands like Polaroid, OWC, Laowa and more. First, though, the deals.

Deals of the week

Photo: Nikon

Nikon's Z6III is an extremely well-rounded camera, ideal for a wide range of photographic genres, including sports, studio, wildlife and everything in between. It's also got solid video chops. Right now, you can grab the Z6III for $400 off the regular price.

Image: Nikon

If the Z6III isn't quite in your budget, the Nikon Z7II is a slightly more affordable option. Despite that, it is still plenty versatile and offers excellent image quality. It's less expensive than its peers when full-priced, but right now it is $500 off.

Get a grip

Photo: Sony

Sony announced the Wireless Shooting Grip/Tripod (GP-VPT3) and the Wireless Remote Commander (RMT-VP2). Both devices work with Sony’s Alpha and vlog camera systems via Bluetooth connectivity. The grip is designed to make it easier to hold your camera, and can support cameras up to 1.5kg (3.3lbs). It can be used handheld or as a small tripod, and offers control over key camera operations like zoom and focus.

The detachable remote commander features a Movie button, Zoom/Focus button, and C1 (Custom) button, making it easier to control your camera with one hand from a distance. It offers a range of up to 10m (32.8').

Both will be available for purchase in June but are up for pre-order now. The grip, which comes with the remote, will cost $160. You will also be able to purchase the remote separately for $90.

A MoMA collaboration

Photo: Polaroid

Polaroid and MoMA teamed up again to release a MoMA-themed Polaroid Now Generation 3 instant film camera along with limited edition film. The camera is the same as existing Now Gen 3 models, though with a bright blue body featuring a bold MoMA typeface on the front. It comes with three vibrantly colored wrist straps as well. You can purchase the collab version from the Polaroid or MoMA websites for $130.

The limited-edition color film includes four frames with the MoMA logo and four frames with quotes from artists in MoMA’s collection. It works with Polaroid I-2, Polaroid Flip, Polaroid Now, Polaroid Now+, Polaroid Lab, OneStep 2 and OneStep+ cameras. The film can be bought separately for $22.

Epic close-ups

Image: Laowa

Laowa announced a new offering for dramatic macro shots. The Laowa 15mm F4.5 Wide Angle Macro lens offers 0.5x magnification, with the ability to focus as close as 12.9cm (5"). It features 16 elements in 11 groups, which includes 2 aspherical elements, 3 HR elements and 3 ED elements. It's a manual focus lens, but allows for auto aperture and Exif data on Sony E, Nikon Z and Canon EF mount cameras. The lens is also compatible on Nikon F, Canon RF and L mount cameras, though without auto aperture capabilities. It's available to purchase through Laowa's website or for pre-order through B&H for $400.

A tiny flash

Photo: Godox

Godox announced the iT30 Pro, its tiniest TTL flash yet. The pocket-sized device, which weighs just 120g (4.2oz), can work as a flash sender, receiver or trigger thanks to Godox’s 2.4GHz X system. Despite its diminutive size, the flash packs a punch. It offers a guide number of 49.2 feet at ISO 100. Its power is adjustable from 1/1 to 1/128 and has flash compensation from -3 to +3 EV. It features a full-color 2.8-inch touchscreen, rotary dial and built-in diffuser. The flash is available in versions compatible with Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Olympus and Panasonic cameras. It's available for pre-order for $75.

Simplify your workstation

Image: OWC

If you're tired of dealing with a slew of dongles and docks, this offering from OWC may be just what you need. The new Thunderbolt 5 Dock provides 11 ports through a single cable input, which OWC says is the highest bandwidth available. The front of the dock offers a Thunderbolt 5 port, a USB 3.2 port, a headphone jack, an SD card slot and a microSD card slot. On the back is the power input, a 2.5Gb Ethernet port, two USB 3.2 ports (one 10Gb/s and one 5Gb/s), and three Thunderbolt 5 ports. One of those rear Thunderbolt 5 ports can deliver 140W of power to keep your laptop charged. You can pre-order now for $330.

Mobile creativity

Image: Sandmark

Smartphone creatives have a new tool available courtesy of Sandmarc. Its Star Filter creates multi-point flares from direct light sources. The filter is adjustable, giving users more control over the final look. It can be attached to iPhones using Sandmarc's attachment system, or used as a clip-on attachment. You can pre-order the filter now for $80; shipping will begin mid-June.

Nikon has revealed that it will increase its prices in the US due to the recent tariffs. The company has thus far been silent on the matter but released a brief statement on its site announcing the change.

Nikon didn't provide specifics on what the price increase would look like, simply stating that "Due to the recent tariffs, a necessary price adjustment for products will take effect on June 23, 2025." Nikon's statement went on to say that it will be monitoring tariff developments and may further change pricing "as necessary to reflect the evolving market conditions." While the United States and China agreed to a 90-day suspension of most tariffs on May 12, the situation is still uncertain. It isn't surprising that Nikon is leaving room for more changes.

Nikon is just the latest in a long list of brands announcing similar increases due to the US tariffs. Earlier this month, Sigma said its prices would increase by an unspecified amount on June 2 for US orders. Leica also announced substantial price increases in the US earlier this month. Those prices, which include a 20% increase on the Leica D-Lux 8 and Leica Lux Grip, are already in place. Sony hasn't made any official announcements, but some of the prices of its cameras and lenses have gone up on sites like B&H, as PetaPixel reported.

On April 28, Canon released its Q1 financial results, which included a statement that it will be increasing prices on June 1. Canon assumed those pricing increases would be local to the US, but added, "if the tariff issue were to trigger a global recession, our assumptions will change." Blackmagic was one of the first to increase prices in the US because of the tariffs. Like Nikon and Sigma, it didn't specify the amount of the increase.

Some brands have announced changes in production plans or availability instead of pricing increases. Tamron said it's shifting where its lenses are made because of the tariff situation. Fujifilm announced last month that it is pausing pre-orders of its X100VI, GFX100RF and X-M5 (Black) models.

Of course, all things tariff-related are in flux. What happens after the 90-day "pause" is unclear, making it hard for companies to plan appropriately. The pricing increases from these brands could change substantially depending on what happens in the coming days and months.

Comparing the S1II lineup

Panasonic is now selling three hybrid cameras housed in the exact same body with similar features: the S1II, S1RII, and S1IIE. However, they all have different sensors, making them better suited to a particular type of shooting.

We'll go over those differences and, in the process, discuss who each model is best for.

Overview

All the cameras in the S1II series are generally aimed at hybrid shooters who take both stills and video. What sets them apart are their sensors. The S1IIE has the most familiar option of the bunch, with a standard 24MP BSI CMOS sensor that's also shown up in cameras like the Lumix S9 and S5II.

The S1II is still 24MP but steps up to a 'partially stacked' sensor with faster readout circuitry. It's aimed at people who need higher burst rates or higher framerates in video with less rolling shutter. The S1RII focuses on resolution versus speed and comes equipped with a 44MP BSI CMOS sensor, which will capture more detail in stills and allows for 8K video recording, while the other models top out around 6K.

Photo Burst Rates

All the cameras in the S1II series can shoot at up to 10fps with their mechanical shutters, which are rated for 400,000 actuations and can be configured to close when you shut down the camera to protect the sensor from dust. The differentiation happens when you start using the electronic shutter.

None of the cameras are billed as action cameras, but it's worth noting that their different burst rates and resolutions also affect how many photos you can take before their buffers fill up. The S1II can shoot Raws at its max speed for around three seconds, taking around 200 images, while the S1IIE can go for around six, capturing around 180 images. The S1RII can shoot for around a second and a half at its max burst rate, taking around 70 frames.

Base ISO

The second-gen S1 cameras all have dual conversion gain sensors, which will produce cleaner images at high ISOs. However, each camera has different low and high settings in their standard photo style response mode.

The low and high ISOs will change depending on what response mode you're shooting in and, for the S1II and S1RII, whether you're using their respective Dynamic Range Boost and Expansion modes. It is worth noting that these two modes work quite differently – with the S1II, there isn't even a second gain mode in DR Boost – but we'll cover that in more depth later.

Video Resolution

The S1RII is the only camera in the S1II line that can shoot at 8K UHD, though it can't quite handle DCI 8K; instead it has an 8128 x 4288 '8.1K' mode with the same 1.89:1 aspect ratio. Those could theoretically be delivery resolutions, as there are 8K displays on the market, whereas the >4K options for the S1II and S1IIE are more likely to be used because they offer a bit of extra wiggle-room or detail in post rather than because someone's looking to deliver to a 6K display.

However, those looking for flexibility may also want to use a 3:2 open-gate resolution. Both the S1II and the S1IIE can also shoot 6K open-gate, using the full sensor to produce a 5952 x 3968 3:2 image at up to 30fps. The S1RII can currently shoot in 6.4K open-gate at up to 30p, but Panasonic has promised to add an 8.1K open-gate mode to the S1RII via a firmware update, though the company hasn't given a date for when that will be available.

Video framerates

While the S1II and S1IIE have the same maximum resolution and framerate, the differences become stark the moment you move away from 6K open-gate.

Despite its length, this table only shows a selection of each camera's video modes. However, it is broadly illustrative of their high-level capabilities. The S1IIE can only manage full-with 60p in 4K when using the quite short 'Cinescope' aspect ratio, which still only captures a roughly APS-C-sized portion of the sensor. The S1II, meanwhile, can capture full-width 4K and 5.9K up to 60p without a crop. The S1RII will need to apply a small crop to achieve 60p at those resolutions but actually manages to have a slightly smaller crop than the S1II at 4K120p.

Rolling Shutter

The faster the rolling shutter rate, the less risk there is of getting the jello-effect when panning in video or shooting fast-moving subjects when using the electronic shutter.

When it comes to readout speed, the S1II is the fastest of the bunch; it can read the data it needs for its standard UHD 4K mode in 12.5 ms, something the S5IIE takes 21.6ms to do. The S1RII, meanwhile, takes 23.9ms. While those numbers are generally indicitive of how the cameras compared to each other in rolling shutter performance, the S1II and S1RII both have modes that can drastically reduce their performance. But to talk about those, we need to talk about...

Dynamic Range

Panasonic says the S5II, S1II can capture "14+ stops+ of dynamic range when shooting in V-Log, while the S1RII is claimed to be capable of 13 stops. However, both the S1II and S1RII have modes that, when activated, will capture an extra stop of dynamic range.

However, they work in very different ways and have different limitations. Both end up raising the base ISO (in order to expose to capture the additional DR). They also both have an impact on rolling shutter rates, but to very different degrees.

The S1RII's mode achieves this by simply reading out at a higher bit-depth, slowing the readout by around 30%. And whereas the standard mode's rolling shutter is comparable to that of cameras like the S1H, the DR Expansion mode means you'll probably want to reserve its use for scenes with little movement.

Panasonic says the S1II's DR Boost mode uses some combination of its readout modes with different gain levels. It doesn't have the parallel readout system of the GH6 and GH7, and results in a more than doubling of the rolling shutter rate. It also means there's no second gain step to move up to for low-light work.

Conclusion

There's a lot going on in Panasonic's second-generation S1 line, but by and large, the cameras occupy their own space. The S1IIE is a hybrid camera with solid workflow features and ergonomics but an otherwise relatively basic spec sheet, while the S1II is made for speed, and the S1RII is made for high-resolution shooting. All three are extremely capable when it comes to shooting video, though the aforementioned benefits of the non-E models still apply.

Where things are a bit more complicated is price. The S1IIE retails for $2500, which is substantially cheaper than the S1II's MSRP of $3200 and the S1RII's $3300 price tag. The relatively small price difference between the latter two cameras means that your use, not your budget, should be the deciding factor between the two.

Photo: Charles Brooks

The photo above may look like a city or some sort of industrial plant, but it's not: it's actually the inside of a pipe organ, photographed by Charles Brooks. It's one of the many pictures he's taken from the inside of musical instruments, a process that's substantially more complicated than it may seem, especially since he's often working with rare, historically significant objects.

Charles Brooks spent much of his career as a principal cellist, traveling to perform with renowned orchestras from China to Chile and Brazil. But beyond his music, he also has experience with photography, going back to when he was young. It was a natural combination, then, when he stepped back from playing and picked up his camera. The project that kicked things off for him was when he started capturing the inside of instruments. Brooks was kind enough to talk with me over video chat, sharing his background, what drives him, and unique insight into his Architecture of Music series.

"The inside of a heavily restored Double Bass by Charles Theress, circa 1860, one of the finest bass makers in the history of the instrument. Photographed in Wellington, New Zealand, with the aid of it's present owner Matthew Cave." Photo: Charles Brooks

Brooks had been living in New Zealand and photographing musicians when COVID-19 happened, which quickly brought things to a halt. During that time, though, he noticed that since musicians couldn't play, they were sending off their instruments for repair. As a result, workshops were filled with fantastic instruments, sparking an idea. Brooks said he had seen a few photographs of the inside of instruments before, including some taken for the Berlin Philharmonic, but those always looked like parts had been removed to create the images. He wanted to find a way to photograph the inside of instruments with everything intact.

Inside a 2021 Selmer Paris Saxophone. Photo: Charles Brooks

Luckily for Brooks, Laowa had released its first probe lens not too long before. His first attempt was on a cello, an instrument he is very familiar with. "That wasn't too hard, since you can take the spike at the bottom off and getting the probe lens in is easy," he explained. He said he thought it was a nice shot, so he decided to see if he could sell a few and posted it on Reddit. It blew up there, so Brooks started scheming how to continue with other instruments, including smaller ones.

He quickly realized the Laowa probe lens was too big for most instruments. To fix this, the first thing he did was use a heat gun to melt off the waterproof casing to make it a bit smaller (though he doesn't recommend others do this). That allowed him to photograph pianos, but what he really wanted was to capture the inside of a Stradivarius violin. Violins only have a 5mm hole at the bottom, which is much too small for anything except medical cameras (called scopes), which are not made for high-resolution photography. And so began the rabbit hole that Brooks has found himself going down.

"Inside a French violin crafted by Nicolas Augustin Chappuy in 1770. This violin was brought to New Zealand by Le Violin Rouge luthiers (Auckland). They will spend the next year or two restoring it. It's a stunning old instrument that has been unplayed for quite a while and needs careful care and attention to bring it back to a playable state." Photo: Charles Brooks

Brooks says he started by buying 20 to 30 adapters that allow you to attach medical scopes like endoscopes or arthroscopes to cameras. These introduced many problems, though. First, they are made to cover tiny sensors. You could adapt it to a full-frame camera, but most of the resulting image would be black. So he had to find a combination of adapters and magnifiers. "I sort of stacked them on top of each other to get that image circle as large as I could," he said.

"This remarkable photo captures the interior of the first violin I successfully photographed. Initially, it was presented to me as a Hopf, but I believe it is actually a 19th-century replica. This particular violin has been played but never repaired or opened since its creation, a rarity for an instrument of this age. This photograph marks the first time anyone has seen the inside of this violin." Photo: Charles Brooks

Unfortunately, every time you add more glass, it degrades image quality. Making things more complicated, "these scopes are so small, they're right at the limits of diffraction," Brooks explained. "So even if you do blow it up, you're going to get a larger image, but it's not necessarily going to give you any more data. It's just a bigger blurry image." He spent a lot of time playing around with adapters and magnifiers and talking to the manufacturers to see what he could do.

In the end, Brooks decided to use the Micro Four Thirds Panasonic Lumix G9 II with his scope setup. "That's as large as I could get it magnified without it sort of falling to pieces," he explained. Then, he uses the high-res mode to get larger images, which especially helps because there's still some vignetting he needs to crop out.

Unfortunately, figuring out the camera and adapter combination didn't solve everything. He explained that with all the magnification, he was shooting at roughly the equivalent of F250, meaning there was essentially no light. His solution was to use a bunch of flashes at the highest power possible, but that adds a lot of heat, and old instruments don't tolerate heat well. To keep these expensive instruments safe, he has to ensure that the varnish doesn't get over 28°C. So, he constantly measures the temperature and pauses between each shot to keep everything cool.

A photograph of the inside of a Geminhardt Elkhardt Alto Flute, which is the result of combining 960 individual images. Photo: Charles Brooks

After lots of trial and error, Brooks landed on a process involving a combination of focus stacking and panoramic stitching. He uses the probe to rotate around the inside of the instrument, almost like a clock. However, the probe only focuses on roughly 2mm at a time. He wants it all in focus so that it doesn't look like a classic macro shot, so he's taking 20 to 30 images to get it all in focus. He also takes dark frames, like astrophotographers, to prevent hot pixels. Plus, given that the probe lens isn't made for photography, the light transmission isn't even across the frame. So, he photographs a piece of paper to identify where the vignetting starts, determining where he needs to take additional photos to compensate.

"Deep inside the action (the moving parts) of one of the world's finest grand pianos. Fazioli make around 100 of these instruments a year, each handcrafted with over 8000 individual parts. Shot with a Lumix S1R and a Laowa Probe lens, 100 images at various focal distances have been stacked together for sharpness from front to back, giving a distinct architectural appearance reminiscent of a concert hall or film set." Photo: Charles Brooks

If you're thinking that sounds like a lot of images, you're right. Brooks says that there isn't a single final image with fewer than 100 shots stacked together, and some have more than 1,000 individual frames stacked. It's an incredibly time-consuming and technical process, both while shooting and in post-production.

Every part of his process is intentional because he doesn't want the images to look like miniatures. The focus stacking helps him avoid the typical aesthetic of macro photography by reducing the amount of background blur and focal compression. Creating an image that looks like it was taken with an ultra-wide-angle lens also results in leading lines we associate with normal-sized things, like streets and buildings, which tricks your brain into thinking the subject is not small. He also uses lighting to make it look like the sun is shining down, emphasizing the feeling that you are standing inside something. Finally, when Brooks displays prints, they are massive, adding to the feeling that you are inside a grand structure. For example, one upcoming show will have prints that are five by seven meters (16 x 23').

"This is a photograph showcasing the interior of one of the world's most exceptional violas, a magnificent 1619 creation by Nicolò Amati. The instrument is on a long-term loan from The Adam Foundation to the New Zealand String Quartet. It is presently being played by Gillian Ansell, a founding member of the quartet, and one of the greatest viola players to emerge from New Zealand." Photo: Charles Brooks

His unique way of photographing the instruments is part artistic and part documentary. He's photographing some of the finest instruments in the world. While they may look the same on the outside, with finely polished finishes and pristine surfaces, inside is a historical record. His photographs reveal the maker's marks, repairs, signatures and imperfections from use or cleaning the instruments. Because of this, he has no plans to slow down and has a list of famous instruments he'd like to photograph someday. You can see more of Brooks' photographs and read stories behind some of the instruments on his website.