Photo: onuma Inthapong / E+ via Getty Images

Buying used camera equipment can be a great way to save money while still expanding your creative toolkit. After all, used cameras and lenses are typically much less expensive than their new counterparts. It can be intimidating to shop for used gear, though, as there are certainly risks involved. However, by taking some precautions and educating yourself, you can make wise online purchases to better protect yourself.

Online purchases

For most of us, online sources are the primary (if not only) option for buying used gear. Shopping used online certainly adds a layer of convenience, but it can make vetting the piece of equipment more challenging and comes with its own set of risks. To help protect yourself, there are several things to look out for when shopping for used camera gear online.

First and foremost, while there are countless platforms for buying used gear out there, not all are created equal. Some offer more protection for the buyer than others, which is especially important if you're paying for an expensive piece of equipment like a camera or lens. You don't want your order to arrive only to discover that the camera isn't in working order or otherwise not as advertised, with no option to get your money back.

Whenever possible, it's best to order from reputable sites.

Whenever possible, it's best to order from reputable sites that offer some form of buyer protection. MPB, for example, offers a 6-month warranty for equipment purchased through its site, along with a 14-day return policy. KEH offers a 180-day warranty covering defects and a 21-day return policy. These types of sites also photograph the actual piece of gear you are buying, instead of using generic stock imagery.

eBay also offers some protection through its Money Back Guarantee policy. It outlines that buyers can get their money back if an item didn't arrive, is faulty or damaged, or doesn't match the listing. Sites that offer such policies give you a layer of protection in case something isn't right after your purchase.

Buying peer-to-peer

DPReview has a forum for buying and selling gear.

There are times when buying from dedicated reseller websites isn't an option, though. Marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist can still offer worthy purchases. Additionally, DPReview’s For Sale and Wanted forum provides space for individuals to list used equipment. While these sites can offer good deals, it’s crucial to remember that transactions are not covered by specific buyer protection or warranties. As a result, it's essential to thoroughly vet the listing to avoid potential scams.

Start by researching the typical price of the item you are considering. If the price on a particular listing is far below that, it may be a sign that it's too good to be true and there's something nefarious at play.

Depending on the site, you may also be able to research the seller by checking their profile or selling history. If their account lacks a profile picture or history, it could be a fake or spam account, and it's best to move on. Opt for sellers who have a proven track record and good feedback. It's also a red flag if the seller wants communication to happen somewhere other than the platform where the listing is. If they want you to reach out to WhatsApp or some other way, proceed with caution (if at all).

Opt for sellers who have a proven track record and good feedback.

When possible, ask for additional images or videos, especially for high-ticket items. That can help verify that they have the product in hand, and it isn't just a fake listing. It's also smart to ask clarifying questions if any part of the listing is vague, such as simply stating a camera is in "good shape."

There are also some general payment aspects to consider. If the seller asks for a deposit before you receive the item, that's generally not a good sign, and you should keep looking. Avoid any seller that requests payment through wire transfer, gift cards or 'friends and family' payment options, as those don't offer recourse for recovery should something not work out. Whenever possible, pay with a credit card, which allows you to dispute the charge, or something like PayPal, which offers some purchase protection.

Finally, trust your gut. If the seller seems pushy, evasive to certain questions, or something just feels off, your best bet is to keep looking elsewhere.

Visual inspections

Always perform a thorough visual inspection, even if it's after you order something. Photo: NickyLloyd / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

Getting to assess a used piece of gear in person is always ideal. That way, you can visually inspect the item and see for yourself what its condition is, rather than relying on photos and descriptions. Even if you purchased something online, giving it a thorough inspection as soon as it arrives is best. You want to catch any inconsistencies or potential issues as soon as possible, as otherwise you may not have any recourse should something be amiss.

Whether you're buying a camera or lens, it's smart to bring either a compatible body or lens that you already own (or can borrow) so that you can do some testing. You'll also want to have a memory card with you, and some way to view those files on the spot. It's worth asking the seller about the history of the item, and if they have any receipts, have had it serviced and what accessories come with it. Always take your time and feel free to walk away if anything seems off.

How to inspect cameras

This type of damage is obvious, but don't forget to look through the viewfinder for more subtle issues when buying a used camera. Photo: Boy_Anupong / Moment via Getty Images

If you are able to have some hands-on time with the item, start with a general once-over to check for scratches, dents and other signs of abuse. Make sure that all port doors close, latches catch where they should and so on. Some dents and scratches are fine, but others could seriously impact the functionality or be a sign that something else is broken beneath the surface.

After an exterior inspection, take a look at the sensor (and mirror in the case of SLRs and DSLRs). Inspect carefully for any scratches or damage. If possible, take a photo of a plain background (a white wall, blue sky, etc.) at a small aperture and inspect for any dust spots or sensor defects. While sensors can be cleaned of dust and certain types of smudges, there could be more significant damage going on that's not fixable.

There could be more significant damage going on that's not fixable.

It's also important to check the battery, battery compartment and all other electronic ports for any corrosion, residue, or damaged contacts. Press all the buttons, dials and switches to check for responsiveness, and to make sure they don't stick. Examine the viewfinder and rear display for potential dead pixels, lines and other issues, and if it's a flip-out display, make sure it moves as expected.

Checking the shutter is also crucial. Fire the shutter at various speeds and listen carefully for any unusual sounds or potential timing issues. This is also a good time to check that the autofocus works as expected. Finally, if possible, check the number of shutter actuations. Lower counts are better.

How to inspect lenses

Photo: Luen Wantisud / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

Like cameras, you should first check the lens you're looking at for obvious scratches and dents. That includes checking the lens mount to verify it's free from corrosion and dents, and examining the front filter thread for dents or cross-threading.

Shining a flashlight through the lens can help you identify if there are any signs of scratches, chips, haze, fungus or dirt inside the lens. Small amounts of dust aren't a deal breaker, but if you spot signs of fungus, that signals deeper issues.

If possible, change the aperture (either via an aperture ring on the lens or with a camera) to make sure it moves smoothly. Rotate the zoom (when applicable) and focus rings to ensure those also move smoothly without any odd grinding or catches. If you are able to connect the lens to a compatible camera, check that the autofocus works. It's also important to verify that any switches or buttons on the lens body perform as they should.

Final thoughts on buying used gear

No matter how or where you are buying used camera gear, it's always worthwhile to check what accessories come with it. Dedicated resellers typically list them, but for more general marketplaces, you may need to ask specifically. The more complete picture you can get of the condition and what comes with the gear, the better.

Buying used is typically a great opportunity to save some money while building out your kit. There are certainly risks, but by shopping smart and doing your research ahead of time, you can prevent getting caught in a bad situation.

Image: Westend61 / Westend61 via Getty Images

Welcome back to our Question of the Week series! This reader-focused series aims to get our photographic community to share thoughts on all sorts of photography-related topics in our forums. We pose questions about gear, favorite camera stores, advice, problem-solving and more, and you share your thoughts and opinions.

This week, we’re leaning into the holiday spirit! The season of giving (and occasionally re-gifting) is upon us, and that means it’s time to unwrap some memories – both heartwarming and hilarious.

What are the best (and worst) photography-related gifts you've received?

What’s the best photography-related gift you’ve ever received? Maybe it was a dream lens that caused you to take on an adventure deep in the mountains, or a handmade camera strap that’s now an essential part of your kit. And what about the worst? Perhaps someone thought you needed yet another "World’s Best Photographer" mug, or that odd lens filter set that turned every photo a shade of green.

In this edition of our Question of the Week series, we want to hear your gift stories: the memorable, the useful and the truly baffling. Share your favorites (and flops) in the forum link below. Photos of the gifts (or what you created with them) are also more than welcome! We'll highlight some of your most entertaining and heartfelt responses in next week's roundup.

Click here to answer the Question of the week

Image: Viltrox

Viltrox has announced that its Pro series portrait lens is now available for Nikon Z mount. The AF 85mm F1.4 Pro, which was initially released for full-frame Sony E mount earlier this year, offers a classic portrait focal length, a fast aperture, and pro-level features at a budget-friendly price.

The Z mount version of the Viltrox 85mm F1.4 Pro uses the same design as the Sony E mount model. The optical formula consists of 15 elements in 11 groups, with 3 ED, 9 HR and 1 UA elements to improve sharpness and manage aberrations. Viltrox promises pro-grade image quality from the lens, with excellent sharpness and accurate colors even in tricky lighting conditions. The lens features an 11-blade diaphragm, which Viltrox says results in "creamy bokeh."

Image: Viltrox

Viltrox built the 85mm F1.4 Pro with its Dual HyperVCM autofocus system. It promises fast, silent and precise autofocus that's compatible with face and eye detection and subject tracking. The lens can focus as close as 0.79m (2.6').

Despite its budget-friendly price, the Viltrox lens offers numerous higher-end features. That includes metal construction with a dust and splash-resistant design to protect the lens from inclement conditions. It also features a customizable Fn button, an AF/MF switch, an aperture ring and a switch to click and declick the aperture.

Like the E mount version, it uses a 77mm filter thread and features a USB-C port for firmware updates. The Z mount model is slightly heavier than the E mount counterpart, coming in at 835 grams (29.5 ounces).

The Viltrox AF 85mm F1.4 Pro for Nikon Z is available for purchase for $598.

Buy now:

National Geographic Pictures of the Year 2025

National Geographic has revealed the Pictures of the Year 2025, highlighting images by Nat Geo photographers that inspired and defined the past year. This year's showcase features 25 images that cover the full spectrum of National Geographic coverage. It consists of wildlife portraits and human narratives to sweeping composites of changing landscapes and scientific discoveries.

The top 25 images were selected from hundreds of thousands of images captured in the field this year across more than 20 countries. The collection includes groundbreaking moments, such as the first underwater photograph of a great white shark in Maine, the precise moment an egg transforms into a chick. It also contains images that show the largest religious gathering in the world, the last Indigenous people of Europe, the largest land migration documented by drone, a new benchmark record set for a nuclear tokamak reactor and more.

"PICTURES OF THE YEAR is a project that is always inspiring and thought-provoking," said Nathan Lump, editor-in-chief of National Geographic. "Each year, our photographers and editors sift through thousands of images, searching for those rare moments that stop us in our tracks. Individually, these photographs speak to beauty, fragility, and wonder. Taken together, I see a collective sense of urgency — a call to preserve what’s in danger of being lost, as well as a reminder of the poetic beauty to be found in carrying on, in daring to dream of a better future."

You can see the full selection at natgeo.com/photos and in the December 2025 issue of National Geographic, which includes behind-the-scenes anecdotes.

Great white

Photographer: Brian Skerry

Caption: Photographer Brian Skerry has been chronicling marine life for decades, but this is his first picture of a great white shark off the coast of Maine, where he encountered one from four feet away. Sightings of sharks like this 10-footer are increasing from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia, due in part to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which allowed seal populations to rebound.

Transformation

Photographer: Anand Varma

Caption: For years, photographer Anand Varma has attempted to document when an egg yolk can still be seen but a bird form has clearly emerged. He experimented by incubating embryos in artificial shells before finally capturing the transformation at 12 days old. Varma separately raised some embryos to chicks, which he donated to people in the community.

King Mwene Chivueka VI

Photographer: Jasper Doest

Caption: In the misty highlands of Angola, entry to one of southern Africa's least studied ecosystems is controlled by King Mwene Chivueka VI, leader of the Luchazi people. For generations, his community has venerated an elusive herd of elephants native to the area—which outside scientists have only recently begun tracking, with the king's permission.

Nuclear fusion

Photographer: Paolo Verzone

Caption: With an eye toward solving the global energy crisis, scientists are developing powerful nuclear fusion devices called stellarators. This model was created at a German lab where international researchers built a much larger one that generated an astonishing 54 million-degree-Fahrenheit reaction. For a record-breaking 43 seconds, it was the hottest entity in the entire solar system—including the sun's center.

Day to Night

Photographer: Stephen Wilkes

Caption: Over the course of one action-packed day, photographer Stephen Wilkes watched animals charge toward a meager water hole at the height of extreme drought in Botswana's Okavango Delta. Elephants flared their ears. The legs of antelope and zebras splayed in a mad dash. One hippo dipped its head to charge an elephant calf, while another opened its mighty mouth in an intimidating display. Wilkes applied his signature Day to Night technique, in which he takes as many as 1,500 pictures from one vantage point over the course of 18 to 36 hours, seamlessly layering the 50 or so best moments to create a final image.

National Geographic Pictures of the Year 2025

National Geographic has revealed the Pictures of the Year 2025, highlighting images by Nat Geo photographers that inspired and defined the past year. This year's showcase features 25 images that cover the full spectrum of National Geographic coverage. It consists of wildlife portraits and human narratives to sweeping composites of changing landscapes and scientific discoveries.

The top 25 images were selected from hundreds of thousands of images captured in the field this year across more than 20 countries. The collection includes groundbreaking moments, such as the first underwater photograph of a great white shark in Maine, the precise moment an egg transforms into a chick. It also contains images that show the largest religious gathering in the world, the last Indigenous people of Europe, the largest land migration documented by drone, a new benchmark record set for a nuclear tokamak reactor and more.

"PICTURES OF THE YEAR is a project that is always inspiring and thought-provoking," said Nathan Lump, editor-in-chief of National Geographic. "Each year, our photographers and editors sift through thousands of images, searching for those rare moments that stop us in our tracks. Individually, these photographs speak to beauty, fragility, and wonder. Taken together, I see a collective sense of urgency — a call to preserve what’s in danger of being lost, as well as a reminder of the poetic beauty to be found in carrying on, in daring to dream of a better future."

You can see the full selection at natgeo.com/photos and in the December 2025 issue of National Geographic, which includes behind-the-scenes anecdotes.

Great white

Photographer: Brian Skerry

Caption: Photographer Brian Skerry has been chronicling marine life for decades, but this is his first picture of a great white shark off the coast of Maine, where he encountered one from four feet away. Sightings of sharks like this 10-footer are increasing from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia, due in part to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which allowed seal populations to rebound.

Transformation

Photographer: Anand Varma

Caption: For years, photographer Anand Varma has attempted to document when an egg yolk can still be seen but a bird form has clearly emerged. He experimented by incubating embryos in artificial shells before finally capturing the transformation at 12 days old. Varma separately raised some embryos to chicks, which he donated to people in the community.

King Mwene Chivueka VI

Photographer: Jasper Doest

Caption: In the misty highlands of Angola, entry to one of southern Africa's least studied ecosystems is controlled by King Mwene Chivueka VI, leader of the Luchazi people. For generations, his community has venerated an elusive herd of elephants native to the area—which outside scientists have only recently begun tracking, with the king's permission.

Nuclear fusion

Photographer: Paolo Verzone

Caption: With an eye toward solving the global energy crisis, scientists are developing powerful nuclear fusion devices called stellarators. This model was created at a German lab where international researchers built a much larger one that generated an astonishing 54 million-degree-Fahrenheit reaction. For a record-breaking 43 seconds, it was the hottest entity in the entire solar system—including the sun's center.

Day to Night

Photographer: Stephen Wilkes

Caption: Over the course of one action-packed day, photographer Stephen Wilkes watched animals charge toward a meager water hole at the height of extreme drought in Botswana's Okavango Delta. Elephants flared their ears. The legs of antelope and zebras splayed in a mad dash. One hippo dipped its head to charge an elephant calf, while another opened its mighty mouth in an intimidating display. Wilkes applied his signature Day to Night technique, in which he takes as many as 1,500 pictures from one vantage point over the course of 18 to 36 hours, seamlessly layering the 50 or so best moments to create a final image.

Canon announced the EOS R6 III, its latest-generation enthusiast full frame camera, earlier this month, but to some, the news of what the company was doing with the previous generation was even more exciting. It's keeping the EOS R6 II in the lineup indefinitely – not just selling through remaining stock – but cutting the list price from $2499 to $2299.

For potential buyers, it raises the question of whether to go with the still extremely capable EOS R6 II or to spend the extra $500 to get the newer model with all its additional features and resolution. In this article, we'll go through the differences between the two models so you can decide which one is right for you or whether you should upgrade from one to the other.

Sensor

The EOS R6 III's sensor is a new, higher-resolution model.

The EOS R6 III uses a new 33MP FSI sensor, which provides around 16% more linear resolution than the 24MP model found in its predecessor. Despite having more pixels to read out, both cameras have very similar readout speeds, so you're not giving up rolling shutter performance in e-shutter mode to get that extra detail. It is worth noting, however, that both cameras drop into 12-bit mode when reading out from their electronic shutter, meaning the images will have less dynamic range and noisier deep shadows than if they were taken with the mechanical shutter. Importantly, this is something their competitors with faster readout speeds don't have to do.

The company is also promising slightly better stabilization, rated at 8.5EV versus 8EV for the EOS R6 II. However, the EOS R6 III's expanded ISO setting tops out at 102,400, a stop below its predecessor's maximum of 204,800 (not that we've found such high settings to produce particularly usable images).

Autofocus

At a glance, the two cameras' autofocus systems are very similar; they support human, animal and vehicle detection, and have an 'auto' setting that will make the camera highlight any detected subjects in the scene.

However, Canon says it's updated the algorithms for the EOS R6 III, re-using the ones from the higher-end EOS R5 II and R1. We'll have to do more testing to see how much of a difference that makes in the real world, but the company says the system should be even more reliable. While we found the EOS R6 II's system to be capable for most situations, we would occasionally run into issues with it, particularly while recording video.

Also new on the EOS R6 III is Canon's 'Register People Priority' feature, which lets you take a picture of someone, then tell the camera to prioritize them when running subject recognition. This could be useful for group events or sports, where you want to make sure the camera doesn't jump to other recognized faces when it should be sticking to, say, the bride at a wedding. The system supports up to 10 faces, and lets you rank them in order of priority.

The EOS R6 III also has a few new focus selection modes that will always have subject detection and tracking turned off, letting you switch between area modes without losing your subject recognition settings when you switch back. It also gains the ability to assign a preset focus distance to a custom button to a preset focus distance, letting you press it to instantly focus the lens on a specific point.

Connectivity and storage

The EOS R6 III has received a few updates to its ports and card slots. It now features a full-size HDMI connector, rather than the rather fragile micro one, and replaces one of its predecessor's dual UHS-II SD card slots with a CFexpress Type B one.

While both cameras support the UVC protocol, allowing them to be used as webcams without additional drivers or software, the EOS R6 II could only do so at 1080p, while the newer model can stream up to 4K60p to your computer. While this will likely be overkill for standard video calls, it could be a big upgrade for streamers.

Finally, the EOS R6 III's USB-C port now supports 10Gbps speeds, while the EOS R6 II's topped out at 5Gbps.

Burst rates and pre-capture

As with autofocus, both cameras are very similar on first blush; they support burst rates of up to 40fps in e-shutter mode, and around half a second of pre-burst capture. However, the EOS R6 II required a special workflow for the latter, making you switch into a 'Raw Burst' mode that didn't record JPEGs and required special processing before you could bring the files into standard programs like Lightroom or Capture One.

The EOS R6 III does away with Raw Burst mode.

The EOS R6 III does away with this, making the pre-capture option a standard menu option that doesn't come with any of those caveats. Like with its predecessor, though, you can only access it in the "H+" drive mode, meaning you can't have pre-capture when shooting at slower burst rates.

Software

While the two cameras' operating systems are very similar to one another, the EOS R6 III's menus have some big quality-of-life improvements. Setting a custom white balance, for example, no longer requires taking a still image of your desired middle gray and then going into the menus to select it; you can simply do it from the Q menu.

The EOS R6 III's video menu is much more friendly.

The video modes are also much easier to navigate. The EOS R6 II would give you a list of every possible combination of resolution, frame rate, and compression type. The EOS R6 III, however, lets you set those parameters independently.

Video

The EOS R6 II was no slouch when it came to video, but the III adds features like open gate, internal Raw and full-width 4K/120.

Video is where most people will probably notice the big differences between the EOS R6 III and its predecessor. While the EOS R6 II was no slouch – it offered full-width 4K/60 – Canon's latest model borrows a lot of inspiration from advancements that other companies have added to their enthusiast cameras, such as the adoption of an open-gate recording mode, internal Raw recording and waveform monitoring.

The new sensor's extra resolution also affords greater than 4K recording modes. While the EOS R6 II's 4K modes were oversampled from 6K capture, the EOS R6 III gains the ability to actually record in 7K in its DCI Raw and open-gate modes. It also gains a full-width 4K/120 mode, though it almost certainly makes use of sub-sampling or line skipping to achieve those speeds.

Other video improvements include the addition of a front-facing tally lamp to the EOS R6 III, C-Log 2 and the ability to bake in a custom LUT to your footage, so you don't have to spend time grading it in post. The shooting display has also been improved, letting you punch-in to check focus while recording, and retain your spirit levels, which disappear when you start rolling on the EOS R6 II.

Body and battery

The video record and M-Fn buttons on the EOS R6 III (left) now have secondary functions activated in playback mode. The mode dial also replaces the 'Hybrid Auto' setting that captures video alongside stills with a 'Slow and Fast' mode for recording over- or under-cranked video.

The two cameras have identical dimensions and feel essentially the same to hold, despite the EOS R6 III being slightly heavier on paper. The control layouts are largely unchanged*, though Canon's latest camera has a few new default functions assigned to buttons, such as the "Rate" control on the top left of the back plate; in the shooting mode, it now brings up the "Color" menu.

The EOS R6 III ships with Canon's latest LP-E6P battery. It can be used with the LP-E6NH used by its predecessor, though some features will be unavailable, such as network and smartphone connectivity. Despite both batteries having a rated 16Wh capacity, the R6 III is rated to get noticeably fewer shots per charge than its predecessor. We're told the camera's processor has been updated, despite having the same Digic X branding, which may account for some of that discrepancy.

* - Impossibly nerdy detail: the stills/video switch no longer has an embossed circle surrounding the center ridge. This didn't affect what it was like to use in the slightest.

Summary

Overall, the EOS R6 III represents a relatively sizable step up from its predecessor when it comes to shooting video, with the changes on the stills side being welcome, but more iterative. We find it hard to complain about extra resolution, but think most current EOS R6 II owners would have a hard time justifying the upgrade, unless they had serious video ambitions.

Canon EOS R6 II

The decision line for new buyers falls along similar lines. If you mostly shoot stills and don't need the top-tier of autofocus for shooting sports and action or slightly higher resolution, it'll likely make more sense to pick up the EOS R6 II and an extra lens, rather than an EOS R6 III. If you shoot a lot of video – especially for social media – or think you'll be pushing the camera to its absolute limits, it may be worth considering spending the extra on the EOS R6 III.

Canon EOS R6 III

We'd also recommend checking out our comparisons between the EOS R6 III and the higher-end EOS R5 II, as well as our article comparing it to competitors from other brands.

Image: DJI

Hot on the heels of launching an entry-level drone and smartphone gimbal, DJI has announced yet another new product: the Osmo Action 6. The company's latest action camera promises to up the ante with a larger, custom-designed square sensor and a feature that most other action cameras can't match.

The DJI Osmo Action 6 gains a variable aperture lens, which is a standout in this field. It also features a wider maximum aperture of F2.0 (compared to the typical F2.8), which should improve low-light performance. It can also be adjusted to F4.0 for a deeper depth of field, though DJI didn't specify what increments are available.

In Auto mode, the camera offers various aperture range options, allowing for some additional creative control without requiring manual adjustments. For example, the Starburst mode promises to turn lights into starbursts by using a smaller aperture.

The Osmo Action 6 is compatible with DJI's Macro Lens and FOV Boost Lens. Image: DJI

How much of a difference the F2.0 to F4.0 aperture range actually makes for achieving different looks remains to be seen, but it's interesting that the company is adding the option at all. Action cameras are typically only used for capturing broad views while recording action, but this inclusion shows that DJI is attempting to make the format more widely applicable, allowing creators to stick to one camera for more types of content.

The other notable change on the Osmo Action 6 is the sensor. DJI built the Osmo Action 6 around a custom square Type 1/1.1 (98mm²) sensor – a step up from the Osmo Action 5 Pro's 4:3 Type 1/1.3 (75mm²) sensor – with 2.4 μm "fusion large pixels." DJI hasn't clarified what exactly that means, but it wouldn't surprise us if it turns out the camera is binning pixels from a quad-bayer design in some of its modes. The larger sensor should also improve low-light performance, a traditionally weak area for action cameras and their small sensors. DJI says that the new sensor offers 13.5 stops of dynamic range.

Image: DJI

The square sensor format, which we recently saw in the selfie camera of Apple's latest iPhone, gives the camera more room for electronic image stabilization and unlocks the ability to adjust aspect ratio in post more easily. The Osmo Action 6 enables this through its new 4K Custom mode, which allows users to crop to various aspect ratios fit for different social media platforms. You can also use DJI's 10-bit D-Log M mode for even more flexibility in post.

In terms of video resolution, the Osmo Action 6 tops out at 4K 120fps in a 4:3 ratio. It's also capable of 4K 60 fps in 'SuperNight' mode, DJI's setting to maximize performance and quality in low-light situations. DJI also says the camera can "generate" 32x Super Slow Motion, just as the Osmo Action 5 Pro can. To do so, DJI says its software interpolates frames recorded at 1080p 240fps, essentially digitally generating extra frames to produce the equivalent of 960 fps when played back at 1080p 30fps.

The Osmo Action 6 is compatible with DJI's extensive list of accessories, including the ND filter set. Image: DJI

The Osmo Action 6 also offers the standard features typically found on DJI's action cameras, including its RockSteady stabilization modes and Horizon Balancing modes. It also supports six built-in film tones, a Portrait Mode that optimizes exposure on the subject for better skin tones and Subject Centering and Tracking to keep the subject in the center of the frame.

The new action camera offers an IP68 rating and is waterproof to 20 meters without a case and 60 meters with the waterproof case. An integrated pressure gauge also records dive data. DJI promises four hours of battery life and the ability to charge to 80% in 22 minutes. It offers 50GB of on-board storage.

The Osmo Action 6 is available beginning today for £329/€379. Once again, US customers are missing out, as the camera isn't officially available in the US.

Owners of cameras like the X-H2S will be getting a more flexible way to use the company's famed Film Simulations.

Fujifilm has made several of its well-regarded Film Simulation color modes available as standardized LUT (Look Up Table) files. While they were released as part of the release of the Eterna 55, the company's new cinema camera, they can also be applied to footage from many recent Fujifilm cameras that can shoot F-Log2.

Those cameras have long been able to apply film simulations to video at the time of recording, but doing so was a commitment; once they were baked in, they were part of the footage forever. (Which could be especially noticeable with the less subtle ones like the black and white Acros or super-saturated Velvia.) This meant you had to choose between getting the aesthetic or flexibility. With the LUTs, though, you can apply the Film Simulation looks to video shot using F-Log2 in post, letting you experiment with which one works best and giving you more latitude to tweak the looks if you choose.

The LUTs only work with footage shot in the newer F-Log2 profile, which is available on most of the cameras released since the introduction of the X-H2, even including lower-end models like the X-T30 III and X-M5.

Fujifilm has previously provided a LUT that grades F-Log2 to look like its video-focused Eterna film simulation. Until now it's been possible to shoot in the subtle 'cinematic' Eterna profile and then match-up footage shot in circumstances where Log shooting was necessary, now you can do the same thing for a much wider range of film simulations.

• Acros
• Astia
• Classic Chrome
• Classic Neg.
• Eterna Bleach Bypass
• Pro. Neg.
• Provia
• Reala Ace
• Velvia

The LUTs are also available for footage taken using the company's wider gamut F-Log2C mode, available on higher-end cameras.

Fujifilm isn't the only company that has brought LUTs to its consumer cameras thanks to work done by its cinema arm. Last year, Nikon released three LUTs designed to be comparable with ones created for its Red cinema cameras.

Stay tuned for some sample footage graded using the newly released LUTs. They're available for free on Fujifilm's website.

The Canon EOS R6 III's specs have prompted some people to wonder if its more expensive sibling is worth the extra. Photo: Mitchell Clark

The Canon EOS R6 III takes over as Canon's mid-range, enthusiast-focused full-frame mirrorless model. It brings a number of updates and improvements over the Mark II, including faster readout, more extensive video capabilities and a higher resolution sensor.

This boost in pixel count closes some of the gap between the R6 series and the more expensive R5 series. The EOS R5 II has a list price of $4400 (a substantial 57% premium over the R6 III) but, given it's been on the market nearly a year and a half and the R6 III is just hitting the shelves, the delta between the two is often smaller.

So, what is the real-world difference? And does anyone really need the more expensive camera?

Image quality

The EOS R5 II is based around a 45MP Stacked CMOS sensor, which can be read-out in 1/160 sec in 14-bit mode, with relatively little impact on image quality. It maxes-out at 30 fps shooting.

By comparison, the EOS R6 III has an FSI sensor, that drops to 12-bit readout for its e-shutter mode. This takes around 1/75 sec to read out its sensor, meaning it takes nearly twice as long, but it's able to shoot at up to 40 fps. We've not yet had an opportunity to fully test it, but we'd expect the move to 12-bit readout to limit its dynamic range in e-shutter mode, meaning noisier deep shadows and less room for adjustment.

As ever, it's worth considering whether your shots that need to be shot at 40 fps are the same ones that require maximum DR. If you're not shooting fast-moving subjects that you then expect to make significant tonal edits to, at base ISO, then this may not be a meaningful restriction to your shooting.

Body and handling

The more expensive EOS R5 II has a top-plate display and a mode button, rather than mode dial, if you like that sort of thing. It also has a weather-sealed hotshoe cover that's a pain to remove. Photo: Richard Butler

The outward designs of the EOS R5 II and R6 III are pretty similar, with the most visible difference being the provision of a top-plate status LCD on the R5 II. Some people love a status display, especially when shooting the camera from a tripiod, others see them as a vestigial hangover from late-era film cameras, that didn't have full settings displays in the viewfinder and on a tilt-out rear screen.

The bigger difference is that the EOS R5 II has a magnesium alloy shell, as Canon's pro-grade cameras typically have, whereas the R6 III has a polycarbonate shell on a mag-alloy chassis. For most people this isn't going to be a meaningful difference: large numbers of people buy mid-range cameras and there aren't floods of reports of them breaking, physically. The R5 II is certainly more likely to survive the rough-and-tumble of life in the company of a photojournalist or even the rigours of attending weddings, week-in, week-out, but as an enthusiast, you'll be fine as long as you make some effort to look after either camera. There's not much of a weight saving for this difference, though: the R6 III is just 6% lighter than the R5 II.

The EOS R5 II's enormous-looking viewfinder is a result of the sensor used for Eye Control AF. And if it works for you, it's brilliant. Photo: Richard Butler

Another critical difference is that the EOS R5 II has a higher-resolution viewfinder. Both have optics delivering 0.76x magnification but the R6 III uses a 3.69M dot (1280 x 960px) panel, rather than the 5.76M dot (1600 x1200px) panel in the R5 II. And, built into the R5 II's viewfinder is the eye-detection system that you can use to position your AF point, or select a subject to track. We've had mixed experiences with 'eye-control' AF but when it works, it's excellent, making the R5 II the quicker camera to work with.

Continuous shooting

The EOS R5 II's electronic shutter can shoot at up to 30fps, compared with the R6 III's 40fps, but the R5 II captures more resolution with greater bit-depth and less rolling shutter. Canon EOS R5 II | F3.2 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 640 Photo: Richard Butler

The Canon EOS R6 III can shoot at faster rates than its higher res sibling. Both max-out at a very respectible 12fps in mechanical shutter mode but, as is becoming standard, it's the electronic shutter modes that deliver the fastest performance.

The R6 III can shoot at 40fps in electronic shutter mode, while the R5 II can only hit 30fps: a rate that's slower in approximate proportion to its higher resolution. However, this isn't the whole story: the R5 II's Stacked sensor can read out much faster than the R6 III's can, with a rolling shutter time of 6.3ms, compared to 13.5ms, despite having to read out more pixels.

This faster shutter (taking 1/159 sec to open and close, compared with around 1/74 sec) is also delivered while reading the pixels' output in 14-bit mode, capturing closer to the camera's full dynamic range, whereas the R6 III is having to drop to 12-bit readout mode to achive such speeds. For most applications this won't especially matter, but it highlights how much quicker and more advanced the more expensive sensor in the R5 II is.

It's also the reason Canon allows the R5 II to use flash in e-shutter mode: it can sync at shutter speeds as fast as 1/160 sec, whereas the you have to use the mechanical shutter mechanism to use flash on the R6 III.

Autofocus

Canon promises the use of AF algorithms from the R5 II in the R6 III, so its autofocus performance should be broadly comparable. We've not yet had a chance to directly test them alongside one another, so can't comment on any differences.

However, the EOS R5 II has the "AI" co-processor used in the flagship R1 sports model, which the R6 III lacks. At the very least, this allows the R5 II to deliver Canon's 'Action Priority' AF mode that's been trained to recognize key moments in a number of popular sports, so that the camera follows the most relevant player at key moments. The EOS R6 III shares all its subject recognition modes with the R5 II but doesn't get quite as clever, for key sports.

Battery life

Both cameras use the same LP-E6P battery, and can use older batteries with some feature restrictions and reduced battery life. Photo: Mitchell Clark

Both cameras are built around the same 16Wh LP-E6P battery and, despite having very different sensors and viewfinders, both cameras deliver very similar battery life figures. The EOS R6 III has a rated battery life of 270 shots via the viewfinder, compared with the R5 II's 250, wheras the R5 II pulls ahead if you use the rear screen. Despite using a higher-resolution panel (2.1M dots vs 1.62M), the R5 II hits a rating of 540 shots per charge, to the R6 III's 510.

These numbers are subject to the usual caveats about the eccentricities of the CIPA battery standard (in practice most people will regularly get many more than the rated value), and both cameras offer more efficient 'economy' modes. The difference is that, while a sub-300 shot rating is disappointing in an ethusiast model, it's downright concerning in a camera that pros are likely to use more heavily. If your usage is intensive, you'll need a second battery or a suitable USB PD charging bank for either camera.

The pro-grade distinction

Eye-control AF, Action Priority AF, the more substantial construction and the faster, higher-res sensor will be enough to sway a lot of pros towards the EOS R5 II, but the level of support those users recieve goes beyond this.

Both cameras can be used with the same add-on BG-R20 battery grip. However, the Ethernet capability of the BG-R20P verion only works with the EOS R5 II (the R6 III can still use its battery and portrait orientation control points), so pros needing add-on Ethernet will have to opt for the EOS R5 II.

Additional features

A 179MP JPEG created by "AI" upscaling in the EOS R5 II

In addition to the Action Priority AF mode, the EOS R5 II offers two "AI" trained post-processing options that are delivered using the dedicated co-processor. The first allows you to apply more sophisticated noise reduction to Raw images shot with the camera. The second allows JPEGs to be upscaled to 179MP resolution.

Video

The most obvious difference between the two cameras on the video front is that the EOS R5 II has enough pixels to deliver 8K footage, whereas the R6 III doesn't. However, like most other Stacked sensor camera, the EOS R5 II can't use its fastest readout modes for its video capture, so it doesn't have a crushing advantage over the cheaper camera, in terms of rolling shutter. Its figure of 12.8ms for oversampled 'Fine' 4K is better than the R6 III's nearer 20ms when it generates its 4K from 7K capture. The EOS R6 II offers a 4K/60 'Fine' mode, which the R5 II doesn't, but Canon says this may not match the quality of the oversampled footage captured at 30p and slower, so we won't assume this to be a benefit until we've had a chance to look closer at the output.

Beyond this the two camera's feature sets are pretty similar: Raw video capture and support tools such as waveforms and false color displays. Both cameras have fairly limited recording times for their more ambitious video modes. The difference is that the R5 II can be used with the CF-R20RP fan grip, whereas the R6 III can't.

The EOS R5 II can use the optional CF-R20RP fan unit, the R6 III can't. Image: Canon

Of course if video is your primary concern, Canon offers the video-focused, fan-cooled EOS C50 as part of its Cinema EOS line, offering a more comprehensive set of video modes and extended recording times derived from a similar sensor to the one in the R6 III.

Summary

The EOS R6 III doesn't easily perform all the roles of the R5 II but it's more likely to end up in more people's hands. Photo: Mitchell Clark

Unsurprisingly, the closer you look, the more advantages and benefits the EOS R5 II offers over its enthusiast sister model. For the most demanding users, these differences add up, and it's unlikely that the EOS R6 III would make a sensible alternative.

But for the majority of people who enjoy photography but don't have to make a living from it, the R6 III offers an awful lot of Canon's latest technologies in a much more affordable package. We doubt the arrival of the R6 III is going to make any meaningful dent in R5 II sales, but it puts a lot of its capabilities in a lot more people's hands.

I captured this photo of a trio of metal sunflower sculptures while testing the Canon Powershot G9 X II back in 2017. I enjoyed the way these man-made objects blended into the natural environment. Photo: Dale Baskin

Our November Editors' photo challenge theme is "Compact Camera Bonanza."

This month, we're celebrating the power and creativity of the compact camera. Share your best shots taken with a camera with a built-in lens – no interchangeable lenses allowed! Our favorite images will be featured in an article on DPReview later this month. (Please note that photos taken with smartphones, drones or tablets do not qualify for this challenge.)

Photos can be submitted between Sunday, November 16, and Saturday, November 22 (GMT). The challenge is open to photos captured at any time.

Important: Images MUST include a title and a caption of at least 25 words to be eligible. We need to be able to share the story behind your photo. We will consider both photos and captions when selecting our winners, so make sure to tell us that story!

Visit the challenge page to enter your photos for a chance to be featured on the DPReview homepage later this month.

Enter your photo in the challenge

On Tuesday, November 18th, from 12 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time, we'll join you in our forums to answer questions live and discuss the future of the community.

Canon brought an FSI sensor to a partially Stacked party.

Last week, Canon announced the EOS R6 III, an update to its enthusiast-tier full-frame mirrorless camera. It gains a new sensor, much more capable video specs and upgrades to the autofocus system.

Our initial review goes in-depth on how the EOS R6 III compares to its predecessor, so we'll largely avoid re-treading that ground here. Instead, we'll discuss the three major competitors: the Nikon Z6III, Panasonic S1II, and Sony a7 IV.

Price

In the US, the EOS R6 III, Z6 III, and a7 IV are all priced similarly, with the S1 II standing out as substantially more expensive than the rest. It's less of an outlier globally, though, with it and the EOS R6 III sitting at a few hundred pounds higher than the other two models.

The one thing we'll note about the EOS R6 II is that Canon is keeping it in its lineup for $2299. It's still an extremely capable camera, and those mainly shooting stills will likely want to consider how much it's worth to gain better resolution and upgrades to its (still competitive) autofocus system.

Resolution and readout speed

33MP can capture a lot of fine detail. Canon EOS R6 III | Canon 85mm F1.4 L VCM | F7.1 | 1/40 sec | ISO 100

The EOS R6 III and a7 IV are higher resolution models that utilize more familiar sensor tech, featuring 33MP FSI and BSI sensors, respectively. Nikon and Panasonic, meanwhile, both use a 24MP 'partially Stacked' sensor, which uses more complex circuitry to dramatically improve readout speeds compared to more traditional designs.

Both the Canon and Sony offer an approximately 16% increase in linear resolution compared to the 24MP models, which isn't quite as large an improvement as you might expect just based on the numbers, but will still provide a benefit in capturing fine details.

While the EOS R6 III has the fastest readout speeds, it's worth noting that it achieves this by producing 12-bit Raws, compared to the 14-bit ones its competitors offer. This will limit its dynamic range and result in noise in the deepest shadows compared to its competitors, but it's worth noting that it will only be an issue when shooting in e-shutter mode (though that's also when rolling shutter rate is the biggest concern). While the Z6III also suffers from slightly noisier than typical shadows, that's instead due to its higher levels of read noise, an issue interestingly not shared by the S1II, at least in its mechanical shutter mode.

Rolling shutter rates are especially pertinent when it comes to the a7 IV, which has substantially slower readout speeds than its peers. These make it so you can't use its electronic shutter mode to capture most moving subjects without risking motion artifacts.

Autofocus

The EOS R6 III comes with an upgraded autofocus system, which Canon says uses the algorithms from its flagship EOS R1 and R5 II models. Like most of the other models, it's been trained to recognize several types of subjects, and has several options for selecting your autofocus point.

While the S1II lacks an automatic subject detection mode, the bigger concern is performance. In our tests, we've found it to be less reliable at tracking than we've come to expect from Nikon, Canon and Sony and, unlike its competitors, it doesn't fall back to generic tracking in subject recognition mode, so you have to be more aware of your settings for some types of shooting. It does, however, have an "Urban Sports" recognition mode designed to recognize humans even when they're in odd body positions, such as when they're breakdancing or skateboarding.

The Sony a7 IV isn't as far behind as the table may imply, as its tracking system is still extremely capable. However, it doesn't have Sony's latest AF system, which relies on a coprocessor and supports more subject types and complex human recognition.

Continuous shooting and pre-capture

One of the EOS R6 III's notable upgrades is the fact that its pre-burst capture mode no longer requires going into the special Raw Burst mode, which didn't capture JPEGs and stored captured images in a new, not widely supported format until you exported them into a standard Raw after the fact. Now, it's simply an option you can activate when in the "H+" 40fps drive mode and using the electronic shutter.

The Canon, Nikon and Panasonic cameras all have some level of inflexibility when it comes to burst and pre-burst shooting. The Canon and Panasonic, for instance, don't let you adjust your framerates in each burst mode, though this is especially noticeable on the S1II, which has no options between the pedestrian 10fps and buffer-destroying 70fps. Nikon gives you more control in this regard, but its fastest burst rates and pre-burst options are JPEG-only, giving you less room for adjustments in post.

The a7 IV, meanwhile, hails from an era before pre-burst capture was standard in this class of cameras, and doesn't include any option for it. Its burst rates are also quite slow, as it has to rely on its mechanical shutter; its electronic shutter just isn't fast enough for continuous shooting.

Viewfinder and screen

The EOS R6 III's EVF and screen aren't bad, but they're no longer state of the art.

The Canon EOS R6 III uses the same EVF and rear display as its predecessor, both of which feel perhaps a bit behind the times compared to the larger, higher-resolution ones found on the Nikon Z6III and Panasonic S1II.

What really sets the S1II apart, though, is its articulation mechanism. It lets you tilt it up or down in-axis with the camera's sensor, while also allowing you to fully articulate it for easier video shooting. The extra tilt mechanism also gives you more clearance if you have things plugged into the ports, such as headphones, microphones and HDMI. While the Z6III has a more standard full-articulating screen, the company says its viewfinder is the brightest out there, reaching up to 4000 nits.

The Canon, Nikon and Panasonic will emulate a blackout-free experience in some of their burst modes, but they operate by showing you the previous frame captured, rather than a live view of what you're shooting.

Video - resolution, framerates and workflow

The EOS R6 III's biggest upgrades come to its video recording capabilities. It catches up to the rest of the market, gaining internal Raw recording, tools like waveform and false color and, blessedly, the ability to set white balance live, without having to take a still first.

The EOS R6 III may be one of the best options for slow-motion shooters, as it offers not only oversampled, full-width 60p, but also full-width 120p. However, it presumably achieves this by sub-sampling the footage, which isn't necessarily the case with the cropped modes on the partially Stacked sensor cameras.

The S1II remains one of the most capable hybrid options on the market, offering pretty much every conceivable recording option and assistance tool. Perhaps its biggest leg up, though, is its internal fan, which helps push its recording times past what some of the other cameras on this list can handle. It's also the only hybrid mirrorless camera in this class to support 32-bit float audio recording, though you'll need an external XLR adapter to enable it (unlike Nikon's more video-focused ZR model, which can do it internally). It also has a Dynamic Range Boost mode that allows for greater dynamic range capture, at the cost of the rolling shutter rates jumping to above 30ms, making them not particularly practical for shooting most moving subjects.

Most cameras in this class excel at both stills and video

The Z6III is also very capable at shooting video, with the only real drawback compared to the EOS R6 III and S1II being its lack of an "open gate" mode, which provides more flexibility in post to reframe, or to take horizontal and vertical video from a single clip.

This option is also missing from the a7 IV, but it shows its age in other, more critical ways. Despite having a higher-resolution sensor, it tops out at 4K recording, though this is at least oversampled from 7K capture. It also doesn't offer internal Raw recording, and doesn't include many of the now-standard assistance tools.

Video - rolling shutter

The EOS R6 III has impressive rolling shutter performance for not having a partially Stacked sensor, even in its oversampled modes, which are derived from 7K capture.

The Panasonic, Nikon and Canon cameras all feature more than usable rolling shutter rates in all of their modes, with the exception of the S1II's DR Boost setting. This means you don't really have to worry about whether your subject or camera will be moving too fast for your specific settings.

The Sony is a different story, as the only mode it has capable of capturing fast-moving subjects without too much distortion is its 4K/60 mode, which comes with a 1.5x crop, dramatically changing its field of view. It's possible to work around this limitation, but it's definitely worth considering if you plan on doing a lot of video work.

Ports and storage

This section has perhaps the least to discuss, as most of the brands have settled into a relatively standardized layout. The EOS R6III, Z6III and S1II all have a CFexpress Type B slot paired with a UHS-II SD card slot, headphone and microphone jacks and full-size HDMI.

The odd one out is Sony. While the a7 IV has the same selection of ports, it opts for CFexpress Type A instead. This is a dual-format slot that can also be used with standard SD cards, which could make dual-card shooting cheaper, depending on your needs, but with the camera limited to UHS-II speeds.

Canon and Sony have also equipped their cameras with digital hotshoes, which can be used not only for flash, but with other accessories, such as microphones or XLR adapters.

Battery

The EOS R6 III uses Canon's latest battery, but it's clearly using a lot of power.

The one area where the EOS R6 III is noticeably worse than its predecessor is when it comes to battery life; the extra features come at a cost of it getting around 12-15% fewer shots per charge than the EOS R6 II.

As always, the CIPA ratings tend to under-represent the literal number of pictures you can capture with a single charge; it's not unusual to get double the rating in real-world use. However, it's clear that Canon and, to a lesser extent, Nikon and Panasonic have traded some longevity for their advanced features.

Sony, meanwhile, is the standout. While we might recommend bringing a spare battery or two for a weekend of heavy shooting with the EOS R6 III, Z6III or S1II, we'd be pretty confident leaving the house with only a single fully-charged battery for our a7 IV.

The extras

Like the Nikon Z6III and Panasonic S1II, the EOS R6 III's ergonomics are well-honed.

There are things that don't fit easily into a spec sheet. For example, while the cameras in this roundup are in roughly the same class when it comes to size and weight (though the S1II is the heaviest of the bunch by a fair margin), we find that the a7 IV doesn't feel quite as comfortable to hold as the other models in this roundup.

There's also the matter of HDR output, which is becoming an increasingly interesting option as the industry settles on broadly compatible image formats, and as more and more devices boast screens that can properly display HDR content. While all the cameras can record HDR video, it's worth noting that the a7 IV's HLG HEIF function comes at the cost of Raw recording. The other cameras in this roundup can capture both Raw and HDR HEIF files simultaneously, but Sony makes you choose one or the other.

It's also worth noting that both Canon and Nikon exert more control over what lenses get made for their mounts and Sony or Panasonic do; both companies have shown a willingness to disallow third-party lenses they don't want made. Sony, however, isn't entirely blameless in this regard either; while companies like Sigma, Viltrox, 7artisans and more have produced a wide array of third-party E-mount lenses, they're all limited to 15fps shooting, a restriction not placed on the L-mount versions.

Summary

At this point, it should be clear that the EOS R6 III is a competitive entry in the enthusiast-tier full frame camera market, though it's not entirely dominant. Each model in this range has some trade-offs compared to the others; choosing the Panasonic nets you one of the best display designs and suite of video features, at the cost of less reliable autofocus, while Nikon has great autofocus, but doesn't include things like open-gate recording or Raw stills shooting in its fastest burst rates. And both have less resolution than the Canon, but have faster sensors.

As has been a running theme, the a7 IV is really the odd one out at this point. It's far older than the others, and that age shows in quite a few aspects of its design and capabilities for both stills and video. Still, the selection of lenses available for it is unassailable, and its autofocus is still at least in the conversation with Nikon and Canon, despite being a generation behind Sony's best.

The new Pocket Printer in the Flash Print Bundle turns the Ace Pro 2 into an instant camera. Image: Insta360

Insta360 has unveiled four more accessory bundles for its Leica co-branded Ace Pro 2 action camera, along with updated firmware. The new print and videography kits, which include cinematic lenses, updated Leica color profiles, a screen hood, a portable printer and more, are aimed at helping users get more out of the tiny camera.

Perhaps the most interesting of the new accessories is in the Flash Print Bundle. The kit includes a pocket-sized printer that Insta360 says is the first portable printer made specifically for action cameras. Unlike many tiny instant printers, it doesn't use Instax Mini film. Instead, it creates three-inch, dye-sublimation prints from what Insta360 says is a "signature paper cartridge" with 10 sheets per pack.

Image: Insta360

Interestingly, the prints feature not just an Insta360 Ace Pro 2 logo on the edge, but also appear to list the camera's sensor size, aperture, and Leica-branded lens name. At the time of writing, you can only buy cartridge refills (for $10 per pack) through the Insta360 website, so it isn't clear how widespread or long-lasting support for the printer will be.

Beyond the printer, the Flash Print Bundle also includes a flip-up screen hood for the camera that promises to make it easier to see the screen even in bright light. It also comes with a leather case and the Xplorer Grip Pro kit (detailed below).

The Xplorer Pro Grip adds dedicated controls. Image: Insta360

Insta360 also released an updated version of its Xplorer Bundle, which was released earlier this year. The new Xplorer Pro kit is an all-in-one grip that features a built-in battery and camera controls. It allows users to adjust digital zoom (the lens itself is fixed), filters, exposure and modes from the grip itself, no menu diving necessary. There's also a more prominent shutter button with a removable, threaded design, allowing for customization. Insta360 says the Xplorer Pro Bundle is exclusive to the US.

Finally, the company also unveiled two video-focused bundles. The Videography Bundle Limited Edition comes in a custom-designed box and includes the Xplorer Grip Pro Kit and 'Cinematic' Lens. The lens allows users to create 2.35:1 widescreen footage, and Insta360 says it "delivers a film-like look straight from the camera."

Both video bundles come with the Cinematic Lens. Image: Insta360

The Ultimate Videography Bundle also takes advantage of the Xplorer Grip Pro Kit and Cinematic Lens. Additionally, it includes an ultra-wide lens and close-up lens, plus the flip-up screen hood.

In addition to hardware, Insta360 has released Firmware V2.0.3 for the Ace Pro 2. The new version adds two additional Leica color profiles: the Leica Eternal and Leica B&W High Contrast. Those join the existing Leica Natural and Leica Vivid options. There are also newly added in-camera film filters, such as Retro Neon and Vintage Vacation, that aim to provide a more polished look without color grading.

All of the bundles are available to purchase today. The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Flash Print Bundle is available for $580, and the Xplorer Pro Bundle is $520. The video-centric kits are more expensive, with the Videography Bundle Limited Edition coming in at $605 and the Ultimate Videography Bundle at $740. You can also buy each of the accessories separately if you already own the Ace Pro 2.

A VistaVision camera on the set of Bugonia. Image: Variety / Focus Features

What are you willing to put up with to get the exact aesthetic you're looking for? For some Hollywood directors like Yorgos Lanthimos or Paul Thomas Anderson, the answer is a lot, at least according to The Wall Street Journal. The publication recently put out a story titled "The Biggest Diva in Hollywood Is a Camera," going over the on-set headaches brought on by using old VistaVision cameras on productions like Bugonia and One Battle After Another.

The issues are numerous: film jams and other "moody" behaviors that occasionally required some percusive maintenance to fix, and the racket that comes with running 35mm film horizontally, rather than vertically, through the camera. The article recounts ruined takes, on-set slowdowns and the need for insulated boxes and special software to keep the sounds of the camera from ruining dialogue. Overall, it turns out that using cameras whose heyday was in the 50s can be a bit of a pain.

Presumably, those issues didn't come as a surprise to the directors

Well... duh. I could've told you that, and I don't even have an IMDB page (yet). Presumably, those issues didn't come as a surprise to the directors and cinematographers who have chosen to work with them either. (Though the actors may be a different story.) So why did they choose to do it?

I'm sure part of it had to do with the experience. As with shooting stills, there's a texture to shooting movies with film that would take a lot of work and discipline to replicate with digital. To paraphrase Reed Morano in Side By Side*, people may take things a bit more seriously when they hear the money running through the camera, kind of like how photographers are more considered with their compositions when they only have 36 exposures.

Of course, you can get that experience using more modern film cameras that won't have so many issues. The WSJ goes a bit into why the artists chose VistaVision specifically, and cites a variety of reasons, with the foremost being the look. Shooting a movie on what is essentially a stills photography format gets you more detail than you'd typically be able to achieve with a 35mm movie camera, while still having the look of film.

The result is an aesthetic that's somewhat familiar, but grandiose, a callback to tentpole films like North by Northwest and The Searchers. Sure, there are modern digital cameras from Red and Panavision with similarly large sensors, but do they have the heritage?

Maybe not, though I am left wondering whether the audience will truly notice the difference. Certainly, those watching the movie on their phones during their commute or their uncalibrated TVs sitting right in front of a window won't, but there's also the argument to be made that we shouldn't make art for the lowest common denominator viewing experience. And realistically, if you want that specific aesthetic, you either have to go with old film cameras, spend a lot of time in post, bending digital footage to make it look like film, or shoot Imax. And the latter has a lot of the same problems unless, of course, you're Christopher Nolan and can just get Imax to make you an updated camera**.

The Wall Street Journal article is well worth a read, even though most people who have touched a camera before will likely be unsurprised by the initial premise. It's still an interesting look at the lengths some artists will go to fully realize their vision, and the eccentricities of the movie business and old tech.

I'd be interested in hearing from you, though. Do you often find yourself putting up with an annoying camera purely because of the look it produces? Do you find the look of VistaVision or other large film formats compelling enough that you totally get it? Are you happy to have left film behind forever? Let us know over on our forums.

* A documentary hosted by Keanu Reeves interviewing a who's who of cinematographers and directors about digital cinematography, which you should definitely watch if you've made it this far into this article.

** And if you are Christopher Nolan: Hi. Big fan. Don't listen to the haters, I thought Tenet was pretty good.

Image: DJI

DJI has announced a new iteration of its tiny, beginner-friendly camera drone. The DJI Neo 2 introduces several changes designed to make the drone easier and safer to fly, such as obstacle sensing, a new display, and better wind resistance. DJI also gave a boost to the video specs, promising higher-quality footage from the palm-sized device.

DJI's Neo drone is the company's entry-level offering meant for true beginners. However, the original had a tendency to run into obstacles mid-flight, since it could only collect data about what was beneath it, rather than around it. The Neo 2, however, aims to make controlling the drone less stressful, as it can now sense obstacles in any direction, thanks to its "monocular vision system," forward-facing LiDAR and downward-firing infrared sensors. As a result, it's able to sense obstacles in real time to avoid collisions.

The Neo 2 still supports gesture control, or it can be controlled via the DJI smartphone app or compatible DJI controllers. Image: DJI

Another improvement that enables easier drone control comes from improved handling in windy conditions. The original Neo could withstand moderate breezes of 20–28 kph (13-18 mph) while the Neo 2 can handle winds of 29–38 kph (19-24 mph). It should be more stable in open environments, even with some gusty wind, as a result.

The Neo 2 keeps the 12MP Type 1/2 (30.7 mm²) sensor found in its predecessor, but the camera sees other improvements. It's now capable of 4K 100fps recording, up from 4K 30fps. Vertical recording is upgraded to 2.7K (compared to 1080p on the Neo). DJI also increased the aperture of the lens from F2.8 to F2.2.

DJI added a new two-axis gimbal on the Neo 2, which should provide better stabilization over the first version's single-axis gimbal. Additionally, DJI says it improved tracking performance with the new drone, enabling faster response time and better stability at speeds of up to 12 meters per second.

The Neo 2 features a small screen that displays the shooting mode. Image: DJI

The Neo 2 now features a small display on the front near the camera, which shows the current shooting mode to make operation easier when you're using the gesture and / or voice control modes without a controller. DJI has also increased the onboard storage from 22GB to 49GB. All of the new features and hardware changes come with some added weight, of course. The Neo 2 weighs 151g (5.3 oz), which is slightly more than its predecessor.

The Neo 2 keeps other useful beginner tools, such as a selection of "Quick Shot" presets that carry out a pre-programmed move and quick launch tools. It can also be paired with the DJI RC-N3 remote and used with the company's FPV goggles and motion controller for a more immersive experience.

US customers are, once again, out of luck. As with all other DJI releases this year, the Neo 2 will not be officially available in the US thanks to a looming DJI ban. For those outside of the US, the Neo 2 is available beginning today at a starting price of €239/£209 for the drone only.

What's the most memorable photograph you've taken?

Last week, we asked you to look beyond specs and sensors and dig into the true heart of photography: the images that etch themselves into your memory. It wasn’t about the sharpest lens or the newest tech – it was about the stories and emotions behind the frame, whether born from quiet, unassuming moments or from rare, lightning opportunities (literally in our community's cases).

We invited you to share not just your photos, but the context behind them – what, where, who, and most importantly, why these moments stand out. True to form, the DPReview community responded with a dazzling assortment of personal stories. Some are dramatic, others gentle; together, they create a mosaic of what it means to be a photographer at any level.

In the spirit of our previous "Diamonds in the rough" feature – where beloved camera shops became the scene of fond memories and surprises – this week’s entries prove that the greatest treasures in photography are the stories behind the images.

View the above slideshow to check out the 10 selected memorable photographs.

Thank you to everyone who shared their stories! Discuss these spotlight entries in this week's forum thread.

Photo: Collage of entries for this week's Question of the week article

Sundre (Europe)

A fire performance, a flash of inspiration, and the birth of both an unforgettable image and a friendship.

"I took a photo and made a friend. One of my first fire shows, with a new camera (Sony A9), I wasn't sure what I was doing. Somehow, everything came together to create an image I only realized I had when I went home to edit. This entire sequence lasts around 3-4 seconds, and the performer is only visible among the flames from a very specific angle for maybe 0.5 seconds. That day, I happened to nail both the angle and the timing." - Sundre

pwmoree (Netherlands)

Rescue at sea, captured on film - a story as memorable as the photo itself.

"I found this mantaray in my anchor chain when sailing around the world about 44 years ago. The ray was realy stuck but I managed to save tne animal and also save my precious anchor. This was of the coast at Islas Perlas in the Gulf of Panama in 1981." - pwmoree

Tailwagger (USA)

An unexpected heron, perfectly still among rapids, makes a simple landscape session unforgettable.

"I turned around to return to my car and saw a heron, standing dead still in the rushing water just below a little dam, presumably waiting for lunch to come by. It remained so motionless that I was able to capture it with a long enough exposure amid the river's chaos.

The shot is memorable to me not so much for the image but as a reminder that around every corner, even when you're not looking for it, you can find something interesting, perhaps even extraordinary. No matter how good the equipment might get, it's the photographer who makes the result, though a combination of skill, awareness, and most especially luck. A thought I carry with me that helps me persevere whenever I'm out looking, but not finding anything I'm particularly satisfied with.." - Tailwagger

wvdvegte (Netherlands)

The stillness of a cold Polish morning brings lasting peace and a sense of nostalgia to an analog classic.

"Lagów, Poland, 2002. Visiting a conference, I decided to go for a morning walk before breakfast. Around 7AM, this tranquil scene of a solitary angler sitting on a frosted jetty caught my eye." - wvdvegte

DJ STU-C (UK)

Chasing storms at the coast, risking the elements for one amazing frame.

"This is my most memorable, as it earned a place in Practical Photography magazine as a double-page spread. Ironically, a friend and I went out to photograph sunset in the North Sea (Technically it's over land, but from certain parts of North Yorkshire it appears to set in the sea in summer), as we got there, the weather had taken a massive turn and a huge storm was circling overhead. We decided to set our cameras up near the cliff edge, just north of Staithes, and set the timer to shoot continuously. I'll never forget it." - DJ STU-C

MSTR Photography (USA, AK)

Proving that sometimes the most memorable glamour isn’t planned, but found after dozens of creative resets…and a golden rose.

"As a Glamour photographer for over 20 years, I always strive to create something special. Of all the images I have created, the attached image is one that took over an hour of shooting and reshooting with my model to make all the lines, curves, and perspective I envisioned. We started with the idea of capturing the model shaving her legs. Shooting in the bathroom just didn't seem to make the image special. We moved to the kitchen sink and shot about 40 images.

Between each shot, we moved props in and out of the image while adjusting the positions of the objects, paying careful attention to the alignment of the faucet, leg, arm, face razor, the curvature of the belt for the robe, and the angle of the light. But the final adjustment was adding the gold rose in a steel vase to the image. When we saw the finished image on the camera, we knew that we had captured a perfect image, and we broke out laughing." - MSTR Photography

mcxxrr (Italy)

History and destiny, revealed in a morning at Ground Zero.

"Hard question, but this image, taken in NYC back in 2007, showing Ground Zero, gave me Travel Photographer of the Year in 2008 and somehow opened my path as a photographer." - mcxxrr

Yanina G

Sometimes, the photograph that calls to you for years isn’t the sharpest or the boldest. It’s just…yours in the moment.

"The portrait of my grandmother, aged 95. She had finally agreed to pose. She'd never liked her looks, always dismissing my pleas for a "real" portrait: "Why do you want a photo of an old woman? You should shoot the beautiful young people," her shaking hand sweeping the room filled with kids, grandkids, great-grandkids.

She'd been ailing. Her hearing is all but gone. Once an avid reader and an exquisite seamstress, her eyes by then could only make out blurry shapes. A photo session would cheer her up, I thought. "Grandma," I said, "you are beautiful. When a young person is beautiful, they have only their parents to thank. The beauty of old people is earned by them."

The day of the shoot, we didn't have much time. My grandmother tired easily. In her tiny apartment, we helped her to a chair in front of the window. My 13-year-old niece Zoë was holding up a scarf as a backdrop. My 10-year-old niece Sophia diligently propped up a reflector, I shot off a dozen images. "Done," I said. My mother leaned in to hug Grandma, saying, "Good job." And my grandmother beamed up at me. I snapped this last image. The last image I would ever take of her." - Yanina G

Alan Grinberg (USA, CA)

The "most expensive photograph I have ever taken," shot during king tides, cost a camera and some bruises, but delivered drama and a story for the ages.

"I had my Sony a6500 and Zeiss 24 - 70 mm lens set at rapid fire to take 11 frames per second. I saw this wall of water coming over the edge, so I held the shutter button down to catch a series of images. Well, the water kept coming and coming, and within half a second, it pushed the deck furniture against the house, got me soaked, knocked me down, and pushed me through the alley gate. I cut my leg on something I don't know what, my eyeglasses went missing, and the camera was drenched.

I did not feel scared; actually, it was rather exhilarating...Fortunately, the SD card was still sound, and I recorded 7 frames of the event. This is the first photo. The last photo is a solid wall of gray." - Alan Grinberg

Bill Ferris (USA, AZ)

An adrenaline-spiked moment - catching a mountain lion in the wild, a reminder of why we adventure with a camera at our side.

"Just before 8 a.m., I'd quietly gathered & packed my gear, and made my way through the trees to an old logging road that paralleled the forest's edge. I planned to use the ponderosa pines as cover and work my way closer to the pronghorn. If lucky, they wouldn't see us hear me coming.

When I heard the sound of snapping branches as some unseen animal off to my right sprang into action, I instinctively reached for my camera, which was hanging on a shoulder strap against my right hip. My right hand wrapped around the D500's grip, index finger poised above the shutter release. My left cupped the 200-500mm zoom lens.

It was then that I saw the big cat - a mountain lion - leap across the road, no more than 100 feet from me, and continue its sprint. Raising the camera to my eye, I was pivoting at the waist to follow the cat's movement. I caught a brief flash of its head in the viewfinder, pressed my thumb against the AF-ON button, and mashed the shutter release while continuing to pan.

One second later, I lost the animal amidst a dense tangle of fallen branches, raised my head to peer over the camera, and saw the cougar sprinting up a slope toward the top of a low mesa.

Five seconds had passed since I'd heard the mountain lion break from cover. Now, it was gone. Had it been stalking the same pronghorn family I'd been watching?

My heart was racing, and I sat down at the base of a tree, trying to wrap my mind around what had just happened. Had I really just had a close encounter with a mountain lion?" - Bill Ferris

Photo: Meike

Meike has announced the SE Series 85mm F1.8 Mark II lens for full-frame L mount, Z mount and E mount cameras. The third-party lens manufacturer promises improvements across the board with the updated model, while maintaining its budget-friendly price.

Meike changed the optical design for the second iteration, with the new model featuring 11 elements in 7 groups. The company claims that it has reduced chromatic aberration and improved overall image quality as a result. There are also now 11 aperture blades, compared to 9 in the previous model, with Meike promising "outstanding bokeh."

Image: Meike

The lens can focus as close as 0.65m (2.1'). The previous model offered a minimum focusing distance of 0.85m (2.8'), so photographers who like to get close will get at least a little improvement on that front. It uses a stepping motor for autofocus, which Meike also says is improved for faster focusing compared to the first version.

Meike's 85mm F1.8 is compact and lightweight, coming in at 369g (13 oz) and 100.2mm (3.9") long. It features a 62mm filter thread and a USB-C port for firmware updates.

The Meike 85mm F1.8 SE Mark II lens is available today for L mount, E mount and Z mount for $230.

Meike SE Series 85mm F1.8 Mark II specifications:

Editor's note: This article was originally published in 2017. We’re republishing it now as a resource for photographers looking for insight into capturing the Aurora during the current auroral event.

After publishing my recent 2017 Gear of the Year article, in which I highlighted a lens I used for shooting the aurora borealis, numerous people reached out to ask if I would write a follow-up article on how to photograph auroras. So, I decided to team up with DPReview contributor, astrophotographer, and aurora tour guide, José Francisco Salgado, to share some insight into capturing this amazing natural phenomena.

The aurora is the Earth's own special effects show, seen here from Grundarfjörður, Iceland. ISO 2500 | 30 sec. | F2.8 Photo by José Franciso Salgado

What causes the lights?

The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, are natural displays of light that occur in the upper part of Earth’s atmosphere due to interaction between charged particles from the Sun and the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere.

The Sun releases charged particles (including electrons) into space in a continuous stream, called solar wind, as well as in sudden and violent releases called Coronal Mass Ejections. Several days after leaving the Sun, these particles can reach our planet. Most are deflected by the Earth's magnetic field, but some find themselves inside the magnetic field and populate reservoirs within the field. Different events, including interactions with the solar wind, accelerate these particles towards an oval around the magnetic poles.

The Northern Lights are produced when these charged particles, guided by the magnetic field of the Earth, precipitate through the atmosphere and collide with nitrogen and oxygen. These collisions lead to atomic processes called ionization and excitation, which result in the emission of lights of varying color. A corresponding phenomenon in the southern hemisphere is called the Southern Lights, or aurora australis.

The aurora occurs when charged particles, guided by the Earth's magnetic field, collide with nitrogen molecules and oxygen atoms in the upper atmosphere. ISO 6400 | 3 sec. | F2.8 Photo by José Francisco Salgado

Getting to where the auroras are visible

Auroras are typically produced in a band known as the auroral zone, which can be 3° to 6° wide in latitude and between 10° and 20° from the geomagnetic poles. This means that auroras are normally seen at very high latitudes (north and south). The region where auroras occur at any given time is called called the auroral oval. Auroras are also produced in the dayside of the Earth, but since sunlight is about a million times brighter this renders them invisible during the day.

Although it's easier to see auroras at higher latitudes, solar activity can cause the auroral oval to enlarge, making them visible at lower latitudes, including the northern regions of the continental US. Since geomagnetic activity responds to solar activity several days later, it's possible to forecast auroral activity to help with your planning.

NOAA provides long-term (3 days) and short-term (30 min) aurora forecasts online. Also, there are several alert systems including email notifications from spaceweather.com or smartphone apps that can provide alerts when the aurora is active at your location, such as My Aurora Forecast & Alerts (iPhone; Android) and Aurorasaurus (iPhone; Android).

NOAA's 30-minute forecast shows the intensity and location of the aurora forecast for the time shown at the top of the map.

When Northern Lights are forecast to be visible, find an open field with an unobstructed view of the north. If you don't want to wait for that to happen, or if you want to see the most intense aurora, you'll need to move to higher latitudes. Before traveling to a particular northern location, consider three factors:

• Is the location within the auroral zone?
• Is the weather usually clear at that location during the month you're planning to visit? (Clouds occur at much lower altitudes than auroras, which occur above 100 km.)
• Will local light pollution impede your observations and photography? The website Lightpolutionmap.info can be of assistance here.

Some locations to consider are:

• Fairbanks, Alaska
• Yellowknife, NT, Canada
• Churchill, MB, Canada
• Outside Reykjavik, Iceland
• Norwegian Lapland, Norway
• Swedish Lapland, Sweden
• Finnish Lapland, Finland

Some locations to see the aurora australis:

• Stewart Island, New Zealand
• Ushuaia, Argentina
• Antarctica

Photographing the Northern (or Southern) Lights is not very difficult, but you do need to get to a location where you can see them. One of the advantages of shooting from frozen lakes in Yellowknife, Canada, is the unobstructed views they provide of the entire sky. ISO 5000 | 5 sec. | F2.8

Remember, locations at extreme latitudes will have almost no nighttime close to the summer solstice, so avoid visiting these place from mid-April to mid-August in the northern hemisphere, or mid-October to mid-February in the southern hemisphere.

Equipment

There’s no ‘correct’ gear for taking pictures of the auroras, but having the right equipment can translate into higher quality images and provide more creative options.

Camera: A camera with a full frame sensor will provide better high ISO performance than those with smaller sensors. That said, modern sensors are extraordinarily good, and it’s possible to get great aurora photos even if you don’t have a full frame sensor, so don’t let that stop you. On a recent trip, some friends of ours captured great aurora pictures using a Sony RX100 III, a camera with a 1”-type sensor.

This photo was captured using a Sony RX100 III, a camera with a 1"-type sensor. The Big Dipper and Ursa Major can be seen in the sky behind the aurora. ISO 3200 | 6 sec. | F1.8 Photo by Steve and Colleen McClure

Lens: A fast, wide lens will let you capture as much light as possible. Anything wider than 24mm will work, though a 14mm or 16mm lens will allow for more dramatic shots. A lens with a maximum aperture of F2.8 is a good starting point, but faster is better. For example, a lens with an aperture of F1.8 has 2.5x the light gathering ability of a F2.8 lens. That’s a big difference in low light.

Tripod: Exposures are usually measured in seconds, so a sturdy tripod is a must. ‘Sturdy’ is the key word. It doesn’t have to be a fancy, state of the art carbon fiber model. As long as it holds your camera steady it will do the trick.

There are some optional accessories worth considering as well. If you plan to capture time-lapse sequences, an intervalometer is required, and these are included on many cameras today. A remote trigger, such as a cable release or smartphone app, will make it easy to trigger the shutter without touching your camera. Finally, since you’re working in the dark, a headlamp that allows you to see what you’re doing while leaving your hands free to work will be useful. (Fellow observers will appreciate you using a headlamp with a red light.)

Taking photos

Shooting aurora isn’t technically difficult, but every night is different and you may need to experiment a bit. It’s best to operate your camera in manual mode, with manual focus, for predictable, consistent results.

File format: Set your camera to capture Raw files. This provides the best image quality and the most latitude for making adjustments in post processing, particularly useful if you need to tweak settings like exposure or white balance. Don't depend on a manufacturer’s baked-in Jpeg profile.

Focus: Focusing directly on the aurora is little bit like trying to focus on smoke. Fortunately, relative to your position, the aurora is effectively at infinity. It may be tempting to just rotate the focus ring on your lens to the infinity marker, but on many lenses that’s really more of an approximation.

Aurora in Canada's Northwest Territories. ISO 3200 | 4 sec. | F2.8 Photo by Dale Baskin

If you’re focusing at night, use your camera’s live view feature. Point the camera at the brightest star you can see, magnify the view to the maximum, and rotate the focus ring until the disk of the star looks the smallest. Once you think you’ve achieved critical focus, take a test shot and review the image for sharpness. If adjustment is needed, repeat.

Once focus is achieved, a useful technique is to lock the focus ring in place with gaffer’s tape to prevent it from moving. Alternatively, you can place marks on the lens with a marker in order to return the ring to the same position. These methods can also be used if you want to focus on a distant object during the day and save the focus position for later.

Aperture: Set your lens to its widest aperture to let in as much light as possible. If you’re concerned about optical performance wide open you can stop the lens down a bit, but doing so will quickly reduce the amount of light reaching the sensor. If at all possible, shoot at F2.8 or wider.

Shutter speed: Optimal shutter speed will depend on the brightness of the aurora and how quickly it’s moving. A short shutter speed will capture detail and structure that would otherwise be averaged out over a longer exposure. On the other hand, a slight motion blur can make an aurora photo more aesthetically pleasing. Take a few test shots to find the optimal balance, but 5-10 seconds is a good starting point to work from.

If the lights are dancing around quickly, shorter shutter speeds will let you capture more of the detail and structure of the aurora that would be otherwise be averaged out in a longer exposure. ISO 1600 | 3.2 sec. | F1.8 Photo by Dale Baskin

ISO: Set your ISO to the highest level that gives you acceptably clean results on your camera. This will allow you to keep shutter speeds as low as possible in order to capture more detail in the aurora. Depending on conditions, you may be able to get by with ISO 800, though you may have to go to 6400 or higher.

Long exposure noise reduction: If you’re planning to take individual photos, turning this on will provide some benefit; however, it will effectively double exposure time while the camera shoots a dark frame. If you plan to shoot time-lapse sequences, leave this feature off to avoid long delays between exposures.

Other considerations

Embrace the landscape. Part of what makes the aurora interesting are the remote places where it’s frequently seen. In Alaska, photos may contain mountains. In northern Canada, it might be silhouettes of trees in the taiga forest. Iceland might present you with glaciers. Each place is unique and part of the story behind the photo.

Embrace landscape features and even man-made objects to enhance your aurora photos. ISO 6400 | 8 sec. | F2.8 Photo by José Francisco Salgado

When creating compositions, think about other features or objects you could include. Snow and water can reflect light from the aurora, though in very different ways. Man-made structures can provide interesting elements in a scene or silhouettes. Since a wide aperture will produce a shallow depth of field, avoid objects close to the camera unless you want them to be way out of focus on purpose.

Know your equipment. Depending on where you are, aurora can quickly go from being a slow, undulating wave to a rapidly moving, multi-colored light show. Be prepared to shift gears and adjust your settings quickly to avoid missing great photo opportunities.

Finally, be patient. Mother Nature works on her own schedule, and you’ll need to work around it. If at first you don’t succeed, keep trying. It’s worth it.

Photo: Sony

Lens names can be quite complicated, with some brands including every detail about the lens in their name. Thankfully, Sony takes a more simplistic approach. Its lens names are generally concise and straightforward, without an extensive list of acronyms and abbreviations to decipher. Still, there are some terms included in Sony lens names that are important to understand.

Lens format

Before the focal length of the lens, Sony includes information about what size sensor the lens is compatible with.

FE and E

The E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II lens is designed for APS-C cameras, as the 'E' at the start of the lens name shows. Image: Sony

First and foremost, as with other companies, Sony includes a lens's sensor compatibility at the very beginning of a lens name. Lenses that start with FE, such as the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II, are designed for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. These can be used on any Sony E mount camera, including its crop sensor offerings.

The E at the start of a Sony lens name means that it is made for the company's APS-C mirrorless cameras. While these lenses will work on Sony's full-frame E mount cameras, they cover a smaller image circle and will result in heavy vignetting (black corners). You can set the camera to crop automatically to avoid vignetting, but doing so means the camera will use a smaller APS-C-sized portion of the sensor.

Lens features

After the focal length and maximum aperture, there may be a few other abbreviations, depending on the lens. These refer to either specific lens features or the lens lineup to which it belongs.

OSS

The FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS offers optical stabilization. Image: Sony

OSS stands for 'Optical SteadyShot.' This terminology is Sony's phrasing for optical stabilization. As with any other brand's stabilization, it aims to reduce blur from camera shake when using slower shutter speeds.

PZ

A 'PZ' in the lens name means that it offers power zoom capabilities. This feature isn't exclusive to Sony; Canon, for example, also manufactures power zoom lenses and adapters. Power zoom lenses enable motorized control of the zoom ring, making it ideal for smooth and consistent zoom operation during video work.

DDSSM, RDSSM and XD

Sony also uses acronyms to refer to its brand-specific autofocus motors. These autofocus motor acronyms aren't in the lens names, but you will see them mentioned in lens descriptions. The Direct Drive Super Sonic wave Motor, abbreviated as DDSSM, is designed for precision autofocus with larger and heavier full-frame lenses. Sony promises quiet autofocus from these motors, making them ideal for video applications.

The Ring Drive Super Sonic Wave Motor (RDSSM) is a piezoelectric motor that promises smooth, precise and silent autofocus operation. Lastly, the Extreme Dynamic Linear Motor (XD LM) is Sony's version of a linear motor, developed to offer higher thrust and efficiency, allowing it to meet the demands of high-speed cameras.

Lens series

Sony's lens lineup also includes various lens classes to meet the needs of different types of creatives. These include its in-house classifications, the G and GM series, and a series of lenses that also feature Zeiss branding.

G, GM

The FE 50-150mm F2 GM is part of Sony's top-tier GM lineup. Image: Sony

You may see either 'G' or 'GM' in Sony lens names. These refer to specific Sony lens lineups. The G lineup, which stands for Gold Standard, is Sony's advanced enthusiast series of lenses that sits above the company's basic kit lenses. They promise good sharpness, reliable autofocus and weather sealing. They come at lower prices than Sony's top-tier lenses, and, as a result, offer slightly slower maximum apertures and less specialized optical formulas.

GM stands for G Master, which is Sony's top-of-the-line series. GM lenses are professional-grade and designed for the most demanding photographers and videographers. They feature advanced optical designs for maximum sharpness and clarity, more robust weather sealing, faster autofocus motors, improved bokeh and faster maximum apertures. Of course, all of those improvements come with a larger, heavier build and higher prices than other Sony lenses.

Sonnar T*, Vario-Sonnar T*, Distagon T*, or Planar T*

The Sonnar E 24mm F1.8 ZA lens was made in collaboration with Zeiss. Image: Sony

Some Sony lenses may have additional words before the lens format, plus a 'ZA' (Zeiss Alpha) at the end. These lenses are co-branded with Zeiss, the German optics company, which provided support to Sony throughout the optical design and development process. ZA lenses sit above the G range, promising improved performance over G lenses. However, Sony appears to have stopped licensing the Zeiss name after it began developing its GM series of lenses, which meet even more stringent standards than those required by the Zeiss collaboration.

Sonnar lenses, such as the Sony Sonnar T* FE 35mm F2.8 ZA, use an optical design originally developed by Dr. Ludwig Bertele in 1930. These are prime lenses that are relatively simple in design, lightweight and offer fast maximum apertures. Vario-Sonnar lenses also use the Sonnar optical design, but with zoom capability. Like the prime versions, they are designed to be compact but with greater flexibility, thanks to the zoom capabilities.

The Distagon FE 35mm F1.4 ZA is also a co-branded lens from Sony and Zeiss. Image: Sony

The Distagon lens design was created in 1952 to produce quality results from wide-angle lenses. As a result, Distagon lenses, such as the Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA, are all wide-angle lenses. They also offer fast maximum apertures.

Lenses with 'Planar' in the name, such as the Sony Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA, use the Zeiss Double-Gauss design. These promise low distortion and excellent flat field sharpness, which is ideal for edge-to-edge detail.

You'll notice that all of these lenses have 'T*' in the name. That designation refers to the T* coating, which promises improved color fidelity and image clarity.

A cut-in half Canon EF 400mm F2.8L IS II lens from 2010, shown surrounded by all the components from which it's made, in the foyer of Canon's Utsunomiya factory. Photo: Richard Butler

"RF lenses are better," said Go Tokura, head of Canon's Imaging Group: "they are adjusted digitally, giving more consistent results."

These words tumbled around my head as the Tohoku Shinkansen raced us from Tokyo towards the Canon lens factory in Utsunomiya, about 110km (70mi) north of the capital.

I'd been fortunate enough to be seated at Tokura's table at dinner the night before. Despite the language barrier, we were able to talk a little about lenses over scribbled sample variance graphs. It had been clear he wasn't referring to digital distortion corrections, but I couldn't be totally sure what he meant. The Utsunomiya factory is home to both a production facility and much of Canon's lens development facilities, so I was hoping I'd find my answer there, in amongst the messages the company wanted to communicate.

The E5 series train of the Tohoku Shinkansen that took us from Tokyo to Utsunomiya. Photo: Richard Butler

Canon describes Utsunomiya as its flagship lens facility, where it builds its broadcast lenses, as well as many of the high-end, L-series photographic lenses and optics for semiconductor manufacture. Canon also has factories in Taiwan and Malaysia, where many of its less expensive lenses are produced.

Canon says it builds its different products to different tolerances, with L-series super telephoto lenses requiring 15x the precision of the lenses in its point-and-shoot compacts, whereas broadcast lenses are made to 70x the precision and its industrial applications (including equipment for semiconductor lithography) demand tolerances 1500x finer.

That was a recurring aspect of everything we saw in the factory: different processes and varying technologies depending on the scale of production and the cost of the end products. And while, understandably, Canon wanted to demonstrate the highest precision work it does, it was the degree to which this know-how filters down and gets mimicked or adapted to large- and mass-production scales that interested me.

Varying aspherics

A Canon master craftsman demonstrates a glass element following machine polishing. Photo: Richard Butler

For instance, the company says it uses four different types of aspherical elements in its different products. Sometimes the size of the element dictates which technology is used but the production scale: how many it has to make, also plays a critical role.

At one end of the scale are conventional ground glass aspherics, which need to be carefully polished to yield the perfect shape. To achieve the perfect shape, meticulous adjustments must be repeated over and over. It’s a delicate process that demands a significant amount of time and precision.

However, the process is too time-consuming and expensive to apply when you're making large numbers of lenses, so Canon has developed a series of other aspheric technologies. This includes glass molded aspherics, where molten glass is pressed between metal molds. As we this was being explained, it was impossible to ignore the heat and light radiating from the array of large metal and glass equipment stretching to fill the rest of the room. During the time it took to show us glass elements being polished, those molding machines continued their work, pressing and forming element after element.

The $2600 Canon RF50 F1.2L on the left includes a polished glass aspheric element as well as other, unspecified aspherics. The $470 Canon RF1.2 STM on the right uses a less expensive plastic molded aspheric that is more easily produced in large volumes. Photo: Richard Butler

These glass-molded elements still need a degree or polishing, but can be created in much greater numbers. Sitting between these two technologies are what Canon calls "replica aspherics" where a molded resin layer is bonded onto a (compartively easy to make) spherical glass element. We were told this technology has been refined since it was first used on EF lenses, and is now able to deliver several times more deviation from spherical shapes and with several times more accuracy for elements used in the latest RF-mount designs.

Plastic molded aspherics, used in compact camera lenses and the likes of the RF28mm F2.8 STM and the new RF45mm F1.2 STM are made in other facilities, allowing the use of complex elements in lower cost products.

The company says its lens polishers continue to get better, meaning the lens designers can design even more ambitious lenses and know they can be manufactured. But they also say they're constantly trying to recreate some of the skills in automated processes. And it's this ability to produce aspherics on larger scales, and improvements in the quality of those elements that is driving up the performance of a lot of the lenses we encounter.

Material advances

Much of the factory visit was built around showing-off details like this. For instance, Canon demonstrated the Blue Refractive optics glass that bends short wavelengths of light to a greater degree than longer wavelengths, allowing its use to correct axial chromatic aberrations (the colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights). The glass was first used in Canon's EF35mm F1.4 L II USM but has been the continuously developed since then, with an improved version being deployed in the recently released RF20mm F1.4 L VCM. As with the improvements in replica aspheric production, we were told how much more effective the new material was, but asked not to report the specific number.

Assembly and alignment

A Canon technician inspects a lens element before it's installed into an assembly of an RF100-300mm F2.8L IS USM. Photo: Richard Butler

Towards the end of our tour, we followed the assembly process of the RF100-300mm F2.8L IS USM (there are videos on YouTube showing this part of the tour). It's a multi-stage process of assembling, aligning and adjusting lenses, with a series of technicians each focused on one step of the process, overseen by a highly experienced staff member known as a 'meister.'

Much of the process is done by hand, with checks of each process along the way. Then, at the end, one technician's job is to ensure the different groups are correctly aligned. The 100-300mm has 23 elements arranged in 18 groups, and each attempt to correct the alignment of one group or assembly can then highlight an issue with another, resulting in an iterative process, bringing the lens closer and closer to the designed performance level.

This way of working, with around six technicians and a meister, allows Canon to produce nine 100-300mm lenses per day. It has the advantage that the technicians can easily turn their attention to the construction of other lenses, when a batch of 100-300s is complete. The same workstations can also produce Canon's 400, 600, 800 and 1200mm RF lenses, along with the EF400mm F2.8L IS III USM, which we were told is the last EF ultra-tele still in production.

A workstation in which multiple assemblies are brought together as an RF100-300 F2.8L IS USM comes together. Photo: Richard Butler

Further along on the tour we were shown a large rectangular box, the size my last flat in London, full of robotic arms and conveyor belts, that conducts many of the same steps: inserting and UV-bonding circuit ribbons into lens assemblies, adding rollers and springs on which internal cams can move, attaching and assembling the USM motors around the focus groups. Lens elements already positioned in plastic lens assemblies were fed in at one end of the machine and a series of robot arms carefully conduct each step of the process as the lens passes through cubicles within the box, each containing a machine playing the role of a single technician.

The machine we were shown was making EF 24-105mm F4L IS II USM lenses but can be reconfigured to make EF 16-35mm F2.8L III USM: the two lenses having been designed with similar layouts and a high degree of shared componentry to allow one series of robots to build either lens. Unlike the hand-made approach, the whole setup would need to be significantly redesigned and rebuilt to be able to assemble any other lens, at significant investment cost.

A technician iteratively adjusts the different elements of an RF100-300 F2.8L IS USM, carefully monitoring the ways in which each adjustment improves and degrades the performance. Photo: Richard Butler

Alignment checking wasn't done within this machine, instead being conducted later, manually. But we were then whisked past a machine assembling RF lenses and told that this machine performs the iterative process of assessing and fine-tuning lens alignment, automatically. Here was the digital adjustment that Go Tokura had been referring to, when he said that RF-mount lenses are being built to a higher standard and with greater consistency: automated fine-tuning of alignment, in a way that was previously only possible for ultra high-end lenses produced by hand.

Trickle-down technology

It's not just Canon making constant improvements, of course. But it's interesting to get an insight into the small improvements that, cumulatively, have seen lenses improve dramatically over the last ten or so years. Aspherics becoming easier to make and hence more readily used in new lens designs, constant improvement of optical materials and advances in production processes all keep pushing lens performance upwards.

The visit to the Utsunomiya factory let me find out what the head of Canon's camera business, Go Tokura (left) had told me, the evening before. Photo: Canon

The Utsunomiya factory is primarily focused on very high-end lenses, but what stood out to me is the way Canon has tried to adapt its highest-precision but labor-intensive manufacturing methods so that some of those benefits can appear in lenses we can actually afford. I could see why Tokura wanted to share his enthusiasm for that.

This article was prepared as part of visit to Japan paid for by Canon. You can read more about it, including insights from senior managers, in this original article.