OM System's Director of Marketing Communications, Nobuaki Tanaka, and SVP of Global Brand & Marketing Strategy, Kazuhiro Togashi, at CP+ 2026. Photo: Abby Ferguson

The interchangeable-lens camera market may be holding steady, but OM System executives say the ground beneath it is shifting. In a recent interview at CP+, they pointed to smartphones, rising prices and changing expectations surrounding computational photography as forces reshaping where they compete and what they focus on.

At this year’s CP+ show in Yokohama, we sat down with OM System's Kazuhiro Togashi, Senior Vice President of Global Brand & Marketing Strategy and Nobuaki Tanaka, Director of Marketing Communications, to talk through those questions from their perspective. In a wide‑ranging conversation, we discussed everything from compact cameras and the future of Pen to lenses, OM System's outdoor positioning and how far they’re willing to go with AI.

Changed opinions on compact cameras

For now, the Tough series is OM System's most current compact camera, with the TG-7 coming out in 2023. Image: OM System

Last year at CP+, Togashi made it clear that OM System had no plans to develop a compact camera beyond the TG series. Instead, he told us, "We feel that this is a temporary trend," in terms of enthusiast compacts. He also added that high-end compacts would require too much investment in "research and development [and] also in reestablishing a high-end compact brand image" to allow for a profitable product.

"We are closely monitoring and analyzing this trend"

Now, though, Togashi seems to have changed his mind. "We are closely monitoring and analyzing this trend," he tells us. "The situation is very clear," he says, adding that "the compact camera segment has shown signs of growth over the past two to three years." As Togashi sees it, "some users who originally intended to purchase an ILC but were unable to do so due to higher prices are increasingly considering premium compact cameras as an alternative."

While this apparent change in stance doesn't necessarily mean we should expect an OM System compact this year (or at all, for that matter), it could leave the door open for hope among compact fans looking for a truly new option.

A new Pen is underway

The last Pen came out under the Olympus brand. OM System made it clear that a new model is in the works, though. Image: Olympus

Togashi also told us last year that it was too soon to expect a new Pen. "We think the camera's design must realize the concept of the product, so we don't start to decide the camera design before deciding the camera's concept," he said at the time, adding that, "we haven't decided on the product concept" for the Pen.

"The new Pen’s concept progress is on schedule"

It appears that process has progressed, though. "The new Pen’s concept progress is on schedule," he says. "We already started creating the design concept. So we already started some kind of Pen camera project. Progress is good." While that was the extent of the detail he is able to share, Togashi adds that the "new Pen will satisfy many, many younger generations in the future." It certainly is an exciting-sounding teaser, at the very least.

"The new Pen will satisfy many, many younger generations in the future."

"The Pen series is very important for us," Togashi says. But he also has a clear understanding that, given how long it's been since the last Pen (2021 for the Pen E-P7), some reeducation will be necessary to help people understand the legacy of that line. "We will explain about the Pen again to the market," he says. "Because you are specialists, right? You know a lot of insight for the camera industry and manufacturing history, but maybe younger generations, they don't know what 'Pen' is."

AI and computational photography

OM System's latest cameras, the OM-3 and OM-5 II, have a new button that lets you directly access their computational photography features. Photo: Mitchell Clark

While the Pen is centered around nostalgia, OM System is also focused on advancing technology to offer photographers something new in camera bodies. Togashi says this comes in the form of three key points: updated hardware (such as image processing engines, new sensors or AI chips), enhanced computational photography and AI features.

AI, in that framework, is something Togashi describes as having "two faces." On the positive side are things OM shooters already rely on, like subject detection, AF and noise reduction that can squeeze more usable files out of smaller sensors. "AI subject detection AF will continue to be advanced by AI technology advancement, and noise reduction functions can also be improved by AI," Togashi says.

"There is potential to provide generative AI in the camera body,"

There is a concerning side, too, however. "Generative AI can easily make fake images," Togashi acknowledges. "Therefore, we also need to take into consideration this concern." Even so, he isn't closed off to the idea of generative AI in a camera. He tells us that there is "potential to provide generative AI in the camera body," but frames it as an option on the table rather than something inevitable.

Despite seeing potential, Togashi and his colleagues stress that they feel a responsibility to protect "the real shooting experience." Tanaka put it bluntly: "Is it real photography or not? It’s a very important key for us."

"We shouldn't hide from new technologies in our cameras"

Still, Tanaka is remaining open to the idea. "In my personal opinion, we shouldn't hide from new technologies in our cameras," he says. No matter what, the team makes it clear that it is interested in providing options for users, giving them the power to decide whether to use generative AI or not.

The importance of OM System's lenses

OM System has been mostly focused on telephoto lenses in recent years, but Togashi says there are plans for more wide angle and prime lenses in the future. Photo: OM System

Some users have questioned whether lens development at OM System has stalled because of a thin lens roadmap compared to the past, but Togashi assures us that is far from the case. "For our lens lineup, we'd like to expand more and more," he says. Lately, that expansion has largely been focused on longer telephoto lenses, "but we also have a plan to expand small wide-angle lenses and prime lenses in the future," he adds.

"We also have a plan to expand small wide-angle lenses and prime lenses in the future"

Togashi emphasized that lens size is a focus for the team moving forward. After all, the Micro Four Thirds format allows for more compact lenses compared to APS-C and full-frame. "The other systems are compact – maybe other competitors have smaller camera bodies, but not lenses," explains Togashi. "Our lenses are very small and compact in the right way. This is a clear differentiation from our competitors."

Compact lenses are especially important following the launch of the OM-3. "I think we need appropriately designed brand‑new lenses for OM‑3, as many of the existing lenses are relatively large for this type of camera," Togashi says.

Aiding the promise of OM System's lens lineup is the company's financial situation. Togashi tells us that the company is generating operating profit continuously. "Our fundamental financial situation is very stable and stronger than it was before," he informs us. "We can invest in human resources or new technologies, not only for camera bodies but also for lenses. Therefore, we will develop new lenses in the future."

This article is based on an interview by Dale Baskin and Abby Ferguson at CP+ 2026. It has been edited for clarity and flow.

Western Grebe rushing on a lake in San Jose, California. It is their mating ritual. Nikon Z9 w/ Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 S | F5.6 | 1/2500 sec | ISO 800 Photo: Shun Cheung

DPReview community member Shun Cheung, known as shuncheung in the forums, has taken up the challenge of writing about what he carries in his camera bag on photography journeys for our What's in your bag? spotlight series. The series showcases the diverse gear and photography of our community, and shares their stories of how that gear helped them to capture the perfect shot.

Check out Shun’s gear and fascinating nature photography experiences below. His remarkable journey began in the early 1970s and has evolved through the film, DSLR and mirrorless eras, so he has quite a wide range of photography from it all.

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

Meet Shung Cheung (shuncheung)

Home base: San Francisco, CA USA

Favorite camera and lens: Nikon Z8 paired with the Nikon 600mm F4. Shun favors this combination for wildlife photography because the latest version of the 600mm is significantly lighter than earlier models and includes a built-in 1.4x teleconverter, allowing him to switch between 600mm and 840mm when photographing birds and animals.

Typical photo scenes: Wildlife and nature photography, especially birds and coastal habitats around the San Francisco Bay Area. Shun also photographs landscapes and travels internationally to destinations such as Antarctica, Africa and the Galapagos Islands for wildlife and nature photography.

“I’ve been photographing since the early 1970s, when one of my high school teachers took a group of us hiking and introduced us to photography using a Minolta SRT-101. Several of us bought the same camera so we could share lenses, and I’ve been hooked ever since.”

Sally Light Foot crabs in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. Nikon D7000 w/ AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F4 ED VR @ 250mm | F5.6 | 1/200 sec | ISO 200 Photo: Shun Cheung

What's in Shun's bag

• Primary cameras: Nikon Z8 and Nikon Z9 for stills, and a Nikon Zr for video.
• Lenses: Nikon 600mm F4, 400mm F4.5, 100–400mm, 70–200mm F2.8, and 24–120mm F4. The 600mm F4 is a favorite because the new version is much lighter than earlier models and has a built-in 1.4× teleconverter for quick reach between 600mm and 840mm.
• Tripod: A sturdy Gitzo tripod, often accompanied by hex wrenches and a Leatherman tool for adjustments in the field.
• Filters and accessories: Spare batteries, charger, external microphone for video, and sunscreen. Shun also highly suggests to always carry insect repellent...
• Camera bags: MindShift BackLight 26L and 36L, as well as the Gura Gear Kiboko 30L. These carry two or three camera bodies and several lenses, with the Kiboko being especially useful for two long telephoto lenses.

Shun's camera bag Photo: Shun Cheung

What are your favorite destinations?

Shun describes himself as a nature and wildlife photographer who loves to explore exotic destinations like Antarctica, but also appreciates the appeal in returning to familiar locations to capture the best seasonal activity. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area gives him easy access to parks, wildlife refuges and coastal habitats, where he often photographs a variety of domestic birds.

"My favorite destinations for nature photography are Antarctica, Africa, and South America, especially the Galapagos Islands. I was fortunate to have visited all three, for the first time, in the 1990's. Since then, I have been back to each one several times."

King Penguins in St. Andrews Bay on South Georgia Island Nikon D700 w/ AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm F2.8 @ 70mm | F8 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 200 Photo: Shun Cheung

Any of those destinations uniquely memorable?

"My most memorable experiences include visiting the king penguin colony on St. Andrew's Bay on South Georgia Island, where thousands of noisy penguins are calling nonstop. Also just as memorable was the wildebeest migration crossing the Mara River in Tanzania. For those international destinations, I tend to travel with a photo group with a dozen or so photographers."

Wildebeest migrating across the Mara River in the Serengeti, Tanzania Nikon Z9 w/ Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 S | F5.6 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 400 Photo: Shun Cheung

What's special about local scenes vs international ones?

"While I visit international "exotic" locations once or twice a year, I capture many of my best images locally. I tend to revisit those locations over and over, so I understand them thoroughly and can visit only when the weather and lighting are favorable. I am fortunate to live in San Francisco, with many local parks and seashores."

"For example, the pride of Madeira flowers tends to bloom from late March to mid-April every year along the San Francisco Bay, and the Anna's hummingbirds will have a feeding frenzy on those flowers. During that time of the year, I may visit the flower hot spots two to three mornings a week between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., capturing several hundred images a morning. Digital photography is, of course, the norm now, but 20 years ago, I told myself I could never have done that with film. Film and processing costs would have been prohibitive to use five rolls of film a day, three times a week."

Anna's hummingbird feeding on Pride of Madeira flowers. Nikon Z9 w/ Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 S | F4.5 | 1/2000 sec | ISO 1250 Photo: Shun Cheung

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

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

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

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

Image: DJI

DJI has announced the Avata 360, a compact 360-degree drone meant for immersive FPV footage. The new drone, which takes on Insta360's Antigravity A1, promises 8K 360° video and 120MP stills. It also offers a list of features expected in a DJI drone, such as obstacle sensing, compatibility with DJI's accessories, tracking and more.

Like other similar cameras (including the flightless varieties), the Avata 360 uses two lenses to stitch together 360° images and videos. DJI says the "360° lens uses 1-inch-equivalent sensors," however, that language is a bit misleading. Like the Osmo 360, the company's 360 action camera released last year, the Avata 360's two sensors combined result in roughly the same area as a Type 1 sensor; each sensor is not a Type 1 sensor on its own.

Image: DJI

The Avata 360 drone appears to use the same sensor as the action camera; it features 2.4 μm pixels and can capture up to 120MP stills. The drone is capable of recording 8K 60fps for 360° footage or 4K 60fps in single-lens mode. Like other cameras of this type, the 360° videos allow users to reframe footage after the fact.

Beyond 360-specific features and footage, the drone should be very familiar to DJI users. It relies on DJI's flagship "O4+ video transmission system," which promises 1080p 60fps transmission and a range of up to 20km (12.4 miles). It offers an all‑direction obstacle sensing system even in low-light conditions, integrated propeller guards for better safety when flying, and multiple tracking modes. It also sports replaceable lenses, so users can replace them on their own if they get damaged, provided they buy the separate kit to do so.

The drone allows users to replace lenses with a separately purchased kit. Image: DJI

DJI promises 23 minutes of flight time from the drone. It offers 42GB of internal storage and supports Wi-Fi 6 for fast transferring, even of large files. It's a compact and lightweight drone, coming in at approximately 455g (1 lb) and measuring 246x199x55.5mm (9.7 × 7.8 × 2.2").

As with previous DJI releases, the Avata 360 will not be available in the US through official channels. It is available for immediate purchase in the Chinese market and for pre-sale in all other regions, with shipping dates estimated for April. The standalone drone costs £409.

Image: LK Samyang

LK Samyang has announced the AF 35mm F1.8 P FE, a new addition to its "Prima" series of lenses, which are designed to be accessible to people starting out in photography or videography.

The full-frame prime weighs 216g (7.6oz) and is around 72mm (2.8") long, making it noticeably lighter and smaller than the company's 35mm F1.4 Prima lens, which comes in at 470g (16.6oz) and 99mm (3.9"), respectively. The company says its larger lens is focused on "maximum brightness and high-end optical performance," while the F1.8 version "offers a lighter and more compact alternative optimized for everyday shooting." Features-wise, the lens is Spartan; its only controls are a focus ring and an AF/MF switch, though there's also a USB-C port on the bottom for firmware updates.

There's not a ton to the lens, but it has the basics, plus a few extras like weather sealing. The knurling on the focus ring also seems quite nice. Photo: LK Samyang

Samyang says the lens also features weather sealing, which should offer some peace of mind if you're out shooting and conditions deteriorate. The lens is threaded for 62mm filters.

The 35mm F1.8 P FE has 10 elements in 8 groups, with two aspherical lenses and two "XHR" (Extra High Refractive) elements. The company also says the lens has a coating to reduce flare and ghosting. It has a nine-bladed aperture.

The lens's autofocus system is powered by an STM motor, which the company says will provide quick, quiet focusing for both stills and video. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.27m (10.6"), good for 0.19x magification.

While there's no shortage of autofocus 35mm F1.8 lenses for E-mount, it's still nice to see new ones hitting the market, especially since the previous Samyang/Rokinon offering has received relatively mixed reviews for autofocus performance.

The lens will be available for Sony E-mount cameras starting in "late March." While LK Samyang is a member of the L-Mount Alliance, there's no word on whether this lens will come to that mount. The company hasn't announced how much the lens will cost in the US, but its Korean website has it listed for 399,000 won, which is around $265.

LK Samyang AF 35mm F1.8 P FE specifications:

Tamron's booth at CP+ 2026 was decked out with a headline-grabbing Back to the Future display (complete with an actor dressed as Doc Brown). The theme extended to a wall showing some of the company's most significant lenses from the past. Photo from video: Dale Baskin

"The most significant shift across the entire imaging landscape has undoubtedly been the mainstream adoption of AI-generated imagery," says Kei Nagai, the section manager of Tamron's Overseas Sales Department, when asked about the most important trend in imaging of the past year.

Out of all the companies we interviewed at the CP+ trade show this year, Tamron is one of the few to bring up that particular elephant in the room. But the company thinks the newfound popularity of computer-generated images could make real-world photography more relevant, not less.

"While it has become much easier to create an image that matches one’s specific intent, we believe this will change what people demand from photography," Nagai says. "While the importance of expressiveness and authenticity remains fundamental, we anticipate that the intrinsic value of the experience of taking a photograph – the act of capturing a moment yourself – will become even more significant than before."

It wasn't the only time AI came up in the interview, which covered a range of topics from the health of the overall market to how Tamron comes up with which focal ranges its zooms should cover.

An opportunity to grow

Asked to describe the overall health of the camera industry, Nagai says that the mirrorless camera and lens ecosystem has matured significantly, making it easier for people to find gear that matches their goals. Despite that maturation, Tamron still thinks it has room to grow.

"While CIPA forecasts suggest the overall market remains relatively flat, we see this as an opportunity to grow our share by continuing to introduce truly compelling and innovative products," says Nagai. He cites lenses like the 35-150mm F2-2.8 as options that give Tamron the opportunity to win in a certain niche.

Nagai says that taking on the risk of developing those kinds of lenses with non-traditional focal length ranges is at the heart of what the company does. "We believe that these challenges are our 'Significance of existence' – our very reason for being," he says.

Tamron's latest lens, the 35-100mm F2.8, is relatively small and lightweight for a fast zoom with its zoom range. Photo: Mitchell Clark

"By listening closely to user feedback and challenging ourselves with unique focal ranges, perhaps by slightly shifting a standard range or offering a faster aperture, we aim to provide lenses that strike a perfect balance between performance, size, and price in ways that traditional zoom ranges cannot."

While Tamron has seen a lot of success with its strategy of making "unique focal ranges," it'll be interesting to see if it'll face more competition in that field in the mid-term. As companies flesh out their mirrorless lineups and start branching out into more obscure or ambitious focal ranges (see: Sony's 50-150mm F2, which is a similar concept to Tamron's 35-150mm F2-2.8, though much more expensive), their lenses may seem less out there and more mainstream.

As for deciding whether to come out with new lenses that fill the gaps left by camera manufacturers' first-party lineups or bring existing designs to new mounts, Nagai says Tamron tries to do both.

"We are moving toward simultaneous multi-mount launches"

"In the past, we often expanded to other systems after launching the Sony E-mount. However, with recent releases like the 16-30mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2 and the upcoming 35-100mm F/2.8 Di III VXD, we are moving toward simultaneous multi-mount launches." He says the company believes "it is essential to take a holistic view of the entire market and existing lineups to carefully determine which spec and mounts to prioritize."

One potential area of growth that we didn't hear about was the possibility of adding new mounts to its repertoire. We asked if the success the company had seen with its APS-C lenses for Canon's RF system meant there was any possibility that we might see some of its full-frame options make it to the system, but Nagai says he can't offer any comment on that matter.

Balancing innovation and value

Tamron's 70-180mm F2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 may miss out on 20mm compared to a traditional 70-200mm F2.8, but it's less than half the price of Sony, Nikon and Canon's flagship offerings. Photo: Mitchell Clark

As we've seen manufacturers start to release second-generation iterations of their mirrorless lenses, it hasn't been uncommon to see them come with higher price tags than their predecessors. While some of Tamron's G2 lenses have been slightly more expensive than the originals, they're still usually substantially cheaper than many of their peers. Nagai says the company "sets a target cost based on a comprehensive analysis of market conditions" for each lens.

"To achieve these targets, our optical design, mechanical design, and electronic R&D teams collaborate closely with our procurement department from the earliest stages," he says, which lets the company hit the price points it does.

Our improved AF performance is a direct result of our ability to control our VXD linear motors

Despite the focus on an "accessible" price tag, Nagai says the company has been able to find ways to improve autofocus and stabilization performance, including utilizing new types of autofocus motors. "Our improved AF performance is a direct result of our ability to control our VXD linear motors at a much higher level," he says, citing improved speed when running calculations and the ability to stop the motors faster.

He also says the company has continued to use AI, along with a variety of other methods and devices, to improve its stabilization systems. He says the 28-300mm F/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD has the latest iteration of the tech, adding: "We hope our users look forward to what we have in the pipeline." He also says the company will "continue to develop 'smart' features that allow users to customize their gear," as it did with the Tamron Lens Utility app and Link connector, which let you do things like execute focus pulls and adjust the response curves of your focus rings.

This article is based on an interview with Tamron at CP+ 2026, which was expanded via email to include more comprehensive detail. It has been edited for clarity and flow.

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

The DPReview forums received an updated user interface in October. Since then, we've been working on tweaks and improvements based on your feedback.

Since the launch of a major forum upgrade late last year, we've been making tweaks and changes here and there as you've reported issues and suggested features.

Today, we've rolled out a major package of improvements specific to the forums, including visual enhancements, new direct message features, an improved search algorithm and more. Check out the notes below and let us know if you have any questions.

Style and Visibility

• Added an option in your profile to remove avatars showing up on the left sidebar on certain pages, especially when viewing the forums on a mobile device.
• On mobile devices, several UI elements were removed to prevent overcrowding. This includes limiting which EXIF data appears for an image. (This adjustment was made to prevent EXIF data from covering up too much of the image.)
• Increased contrast between Unread vs Read alerts and direct message notifications, both in the dropdown and within the landing pages (additional work on this soon).

Direct Messages (aka Private Conversations)

• Sticky (aka 'pin') a message at the top of your direct message list.
• Hosts ('OP' of a conversation) can now remove participants from a direct message.
• Improved view of who's in a direct message.
• View who has left a direct message.
• Delete a direct message with the ability to rejoin later if there are still users within it.
• Auto-respond to new messages, such as sending a notice while on vacation.
• Added a Labels function for admins and moderators to establish universal categories for your direct messages.
• Select multiple direct messages to sticky or take other actions as offered.
• Set an "on vacation" type auto-response to new messages received.

Alerts/Notifications

• Unread alerts are sorted to the top of the drop-down menu.
• Per-alert 'mark read' links on each alert.
• Multi-select ability to mark alerts as read or unread.
• Option to prevent marking messages as read when accessing the alerts pop-up.
• Option to prevent summarization when accessing /accounts/alerts page.
  • Option to adjust summarization threshold
• Only mark alerts that are viewed on alert page/alert pop-up, not all alerts
  • Per-alert 'alert bell reads' configuration
• Direct message alerts now have a hover preview of the message contents

Forum Search

• Added option to search by user for threads they start (not posts within a thread)
• Thread pagination now shows under the original thread start as well as at the end for most thread types (except the general, which we're working on implementing).
  • Keeps the original thread starter post at the top
• Allow users to select the default search order independent of the forum-wide setting
  • Re-adds the global option for the default search type
• Display search terms on the search results page
• Add "Search only X" search criteria, where X is thread/direct message/ticket/etc. instead of searching thread/post etc.
• Option to extend search syntax to permit;
  • + signifies AND operation
  • | signifies OR operation
  • - negates a single token
  • " wraps a number of tokens to signify a phrase for searching
  • * at the end of a term signifies a prefix query
  • ( and ) signify precedence
  • ~N after a word signifies edit distance (fuzziness)
  • ~N after a phrase signifies slop amount
  • In order to search for any of these special characters, they will need to be escaped with \.

Other Improvements

A new 'Reply' button was added to the post interface to make responding to posts more efficient.

• Added a 'Reply' button to each post in a thread (next to the 'Quote Reply' button) to offer another way to quickly access the reply editor.
• Removed 'Public Profile Posts' profile menu option (It was not being used, and could be confused for private message use. Possible new use for it someday.)

Let us know if you experience any issues with these changes, or have any questions.

Related, we are still working on removing the dropdown Read references, so you only see Unread notifications come up in this space. Similar contrast and other readability improvements are still on the list to adjust as well. And we are hoping to make adjustments to main website areas that link to or use the forums in various ways. This includes resolving page errors associated with user review creation and similar product page links.

Visit the forum announcement to discuss these changes with our community.

The DPReview forums received an updated user interface in October. Since then, we've been working on tweaks and improvements based on your feedback.

Since the launch of a major forum upgrade late last year, we've been making tweaks and changes here and there as you've reported issues and suggested features.

Today, we've rolled out a major package of improvements specific to the forums, including visual enhancements, new direct message features, an improved search algorithm and more. Check out the notes below and let us know if you have any questions.

Style and Visibility

• Added an option in your profile to remove avatars showing up on the left sidebar on certain pages, especially when viewing the forums on a mobile device.
• On mobile devices, several UI elements were removed to prevent overcrowding. This includes limiting which EXIF data appears for an image. (This adjustment was made to prevent EXIF data from covering up too much of the image.)
• Increased contrast between Unread vs Read alerts and direct message notifications, both in the dropdown and within the landing pages (additional work on this soon).

Direct Messages (aka Conversations)

• Sticky (aka 'pin') a conversation at the top of your conversation list.
• Hosts ('OP' of a conversation) can now remove participants from a conversation.
• Improved view of who's in a conversation.
• View who has left a conversation.
• Delete a conversation with the ability to rejoin later if there are still users within it.
• Auto-respond to new messages, such as sending a notice while on vacation.
• Added a Labels function for admins and moderators to establish universal categories for your conversations.
• Select multiple conversations to sticky or take other actions as offered.
• Set an "on vacation" type auto-response to new messages received.

Alerts/Notifications

• Unread alerts are sorted to the top of the drop-down menu.
• Per-alert 'mark read' links on each alert.
• Multi-select ability to mark alerts as read or unread.
• Option to prevent marking messages as read when accessing the alerts pop-up.
• Option to prevent summarization when accessing /accounts/alerts page.
  • Option to adjust summarization threshold
• Only mark alerts that are viewed on alert page/alert pop-up, not all alerts
  • Per-alert 'alert bell reads' configuration
• Direct message alerts now have a hover preview of the message contents

Forum Search

• Added option to search by user for threads they start (not posts within a thread)
• Thread pagination now shows under the original thread start as well as at the end for most thread types (except the general, which we're working on implementing).
  • Keeps the original thread starter post at the top
• Allow users to select the default search order independent of the forum-wide setting
  • Re-adds the global option for the default search type
• Display search terms on the search results page
• Add "Search only X" search criteria, where X is thread/conversation/ticket/etc. instead of searching thread/post etc.
• Option to extend search syntax to permit;
  • + signifies AND operation
  • | signifies OR operation
  • - negates a single token
  • " wraps a number of tokens to signify a phrase for searching
  • * at the end of a term signifies a prefix query
  • ( and ) signify precedence
  • ~N after a word signifies edit distance (fuzziness)
  • ~N after a phrase signifies slop amount
  • In order to search for any of these special characters, they will need to be escaped with \.

Other Improvements

A new 'Reply' button was added to the post interface to make responding to posts more efficient.

• Added a 'Reply' button to each post in a thread (next to the 'Quote Reply' button) to offer another way to quickly access the reply editor.
• Removed 'Public Profile Posts' profile menu option (It was not being used, and could be confused for private message use. Possible new use for it someday.)

Let us know if you experience any issues with these changes, or have any questions.

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The recent Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II Art was released during a particularly gray Seattle February, but Richard had a UK trip lined up, and apparently doesn't know the difference between work and vacation.

Read about our experience with the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II Art

A friend was kind enough to shoot a short video as he fleshed out the gallery with some portraits from London, so join us for a quick stroll around London's Soho, to see one of the ways we collect sample images.

The Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II Art made a pleasantly compact travel companion. Photo: Richard Butler

You can see our full gallery below and, as always, download the original Raws, to form your own conclusions.

Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II Art sample gallery

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

Thank you to Panasonic for the loan of a Lumix DC-S1RII to capture this gallery. All images were processed using our standard lens workflow in Capture One, with the manufacturer's distortion correction applied but no correction of vignetting. There is extremely minor pincushion distortion before the correction is applied: we do not consider it to be an essential part of the lens design, if you prefer not to use it or your preferred software does not support lens corrections.

Image: Panasonic

Panasonic has announced the Lumix DC-ZS300, which will be known as the TZ300 outside North America. It's a pocketable compact with a 15x, 24-360mm equiv zoom lens in front of a Type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) BSI CMOS sensor. But, unlike its predecessor, there's no viewfinder if your travel takes you to sunnier climes.

For those who have memorized Panasonic's compact lineup, the specs set out in the company's press release will be very reminiscent of its ZS200 / TZ200, announced in February 2018. Other than the absent viewfinder, the other significant change is the adoption of the newer USB-C socket. The actual interface is likely to be the same as before as, like the previous model, the ZS300 can be charged, but not powered, over USB.

The ZS300 has a zoom covering an impressive 24-360mm equivalent range. Its maximum aperture drops from F3.3 at the wide end to F6.4 by its full reach. The Type 1 sensor means there's a 2.72x crop factor at play.

The ZS300's Macro mode can focus down as close as 3cm (1.2") at its widest focal length, but this increases to 100cm (39.4") at the long end of the lens. Based on what we've been shown and told, it's likely to retain the fixed 1840K dot (960 x 640 px) fixed rear screen from the mid-life ZS200D update, along with a small pop-up flash.

We wonder whether Panasonic has found it difficult to source the field-sequential viewfinder panels used in older models, but still think a travel zoom will be limited by the absence of any sort of viewfinder. Image: Panasonic

Focusing on the positives, though: the announcement of the ZS300 as a new model suggests you might actually be able to buy one. The deletion of the viewfinder means that, unlike the more EU-compliance updated G97 model, its price has only gone up by a relatively modest $100 in the eight years since the Micro-B USB version was launched.

We're still awaiting full specs and availability information, but we're told the ZS300 will be available in silver or black variants for $899, ex tax. It will be £869.00 in the UK.

Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS300 specifications

Left: Mitsuhiro Suzaki, Deputy General Manager of the Lens Technology and System business unit. Right: Yasufumi Machitani, General Manager of Sony's Camera Business Department Photo: Dale Baskin

"In terms of imaging quality, needless to say, the image sensor is one of the most important factors," says Yasufumi Machitani, General Manager of Sony's Camera Business Department, addressing where he thinks the next noticeable improvements to stills will come from.

"Sony Group has the Sony Semiconductor Solutions Group, which develops and produces image sensors," he says. "So the image sensor development group and the camera and lens group closely communicate. That means we can discuss future products: What kind of image sensor there should be, or what kind of signal processing we can do on the camera side. We can align the image sensor technology and the camera development together, which we think is a great advantage for us."

Advancements in image quality were just one of the topics we discussed with Sony executives during our interview with them at CP+ 2026, but it, and the company's desire for innovation, is something that came up a lot during our discussion.

"There is still solid demand"

Sony says vlogging cameras like the ZV-E10 II have been received well by the younger generations. Photo: Richard Butler

Discussing the state of the camera market, Machitani says he thinks the market will continue to grow. "If you look at the CIPA numbers, there was growth this year. I think there's still solid demand from customers, in terms of our core business of camera bodies and lenses." According to him, the growth comes from several places, citing conventional uses and also newer use cases, such as live streaming and 3D photogrammetry. "We think that creators are diverse and their demands are varied. But in general, [stills/video] hybrid usage is popular," he says.

While there have been concerns that the growth may be temporary, spurred by people switching from DSLR systems to mirrorless, Sony also talked a lot about the next generation of photographers: younger people who may be buying their first camera.

"In general, hybrid usage is popular"

"We see generational differences in how people shoot," he says. "Especially younger customers stepping up from smartphones, they often shoot both photos and video. They are a different type of customer from traditional enthusiasts. They start recording their life with smartphones, but they want more creative control, which is hard to get. So they switch to compact cameras or to the Alpha system for photography. And then they try to shoot video too."

Another interesting generational divide Sony sees has to do with colors and editing. Atsushi Ueda, General Manager of the Imaging Marketing Division's Marketing Communication Department, says more experienced photographers will value specs like a claimed 16 stops of dynamic range. "Advanced photographers tend to shoot Raw, while many younger photographers enjoy the real-time creativity using Creative Look for different color and tones. So, with our Alpha lineup, we can cover different types of customers," he says, referring to the customizable color modes that apply to your JPEGs and HEIFs.

The compact question

The last entry in Sony's RX100 series, the VII, came out in 2019. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Machitani says that Sony has seen the compact camera market growing, and specifically cites the ZV series of vlogging cameras (which are a mix of interchangeable and fixed lens designs) as being particularly well-received by younger generations. "I think there are two aspects," he says. "Everyone is now getting used to taking photos with their smartphone. They start to become eager for better devices or tools to capture great image quality or express their feelings. So that's why a dedicated camera is necessary. And the second point is, at the same time, interchangeable mirrorless cameras are also getting bigger. Photo enthusiasts, or even professionals, need a more compact one to carry around every day, or for holidays and family time."

"Users of our competitors' mirrorless cameras also love this RX1 series"

In the case of Sony's latest compact, the RX1R III, he says the audience for it isn't just people who already own another Sony camera. "The people who buy an RX1R Mark III also tend to have a mirrorless camera. Not only a Sony camera, but users of our competitors' mirrorless cameras also love this RX1 series."

An RX1R III, cut in half at Sony's CP+ booth. Photo: Dale Baskin

While the RX1R III and the ZV-series cameras fill their own niches, Machitani says Sony hears customers who are asking for a new entry in the more all-rounder' RX100 series. "We understand the necessity and requests for the RX100 series," he says. When asked if Sony views its vlogging compacts as a good solution for photographers looking for a fixed lens camera, he adds: "I think ZV-series and RX series are different concepts, so they meet different needs." In other words, it seems the vlogging cameras aren't intended to be a replacement.

"This is a basic model, but we try to raise the standard"

Machitani cites the a7 V's "4-axis multi-angle monitor" as a feature requested by creators and hybrid shooters that also benefits purely stills photographers. Photo: Mitchell Clark

Despite the references to hybrid shooters and younger generations interested in video and color profiles, Sony made it clear that the innovations that benefit those users aren't wasted on people purely interested in photography.

"If you look at the a7 Mark V, which we recently just launched, this camera is also very good for traditional photographers," Machitani says. "We think creators and their demands are very diverse, and sometimes there are conflicts. But we try to understand their needs, and try to meet them in our future products or services, and deliver several solutions to meet their diverse demands."

When we asked if there were any specific features from the a7 V that were good for hybrid users and photographers, he gave us a few examples. "We renewed the image sensor and BIONZ XR2 processing unit. Although we say this is a 'basic model,' we try to raise the standard for the camera industry so that everyone can easily capture the decisive moment or the important scenes in their lives. So the BIONZ XR2 processor is now combined with AI processing unit functions from the latest Alpha-series cameras. So this is a basic camera, but the basic is great." He also cites blackout-free shooting and the combination tilting/swivel screen as features, and says the latter was requested by lots of creators.

Finding the balance

The idea of balancing the needs of different audiences came up again in our discussion of lenses with Mitsuhiro Suzaki, Deputy General Manager of the Lens Technology and System business unit. "We continue to expand the E-mount lens lineup in order to meet our diverse creators' needs," he says, citing the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM as an example of a new offering that's popular with both photographers and videographers.

"If we tried to make a 50-200mm F2, the size and weight would increase significantly"

As for how they decide what kind of lenses to make, Suzaki says they start by thinking about how they can create something that gives people new options. For the 50-150mm, they started with the concept of a fast zoom lens that was still compact, and experimented with a few different focal lengths, trying to find the right balance of weight, optical performance and balance. "Some people said 'we wish Sony made the 50-150 compatible with teleconvertors' or that they'd prefer a 50-200 F2. But if we tried to make a 50-200mm F2, the size and weight would increase significantly, and it would become a much more specialized lens," he says. "We believe this specification is the most reasonable and versatile choice for many creators."

When it comes to actually bringing a lens like that to market, Suzaki says it requires a lot of different disciplines. "We combine optical design, lens element technology, actuator technology, and mechanical engineering. Together, these technologies enable lenses with this level of performance." He also says it's not just a matter of selecting the right material to create lens elements, but also turning it into a precision surface that can be mass-produced. "This kind of development requires a long period of time and a great deal of trial and error."

On affordability, value and innovation

The a7 V has more all-around capability than its predecessor, but is also launching at $400 more than the a7 IV (which itself was $500 more than the a7 III). Photo: Mitchell Clark

As prices for enthusiast-tier cameras creep higher, especially in the US, we thought it would be interesting to ask how affordability factors into their product planning. Machitani mostly demurs, saying that the company will "determine product specifications by comprehensively considering overall product value and balance," but Ueda points out the company's strategy of keeping older generations of its products on sale at different prices, such as in the case of the a7 V ($2899), IV ($2199), and III ($1699).

"We need to do something unique, something different for our customers."

Ueda adds that people look to Sony for something else: "Basically, from the customer's point of view, their request to Sony is innovation. So we need to do something unique, something different for our customers. That's our purpose." It's an interesting response, as "innovative" and "affordable" are labels rarely shared by the same products.

This article is based on an interview by Dale Baskin and Mitchell Clark at CP+ 2026. It has been edited for clarity and flow.

83%

Overall score

Jump to conclusion

Ricoh has released a monochrome version of its GR IV enthusiast compact camera. The GR IV Monochrome features the same 26MP BSI CMOS sensor and 28mm equiv F2.8 lens as the color version, but is black-and-white only.

Key specifications

• 26MP BSI CMOS sensor with no color filter array
• On-sensor phase detection
• ISO 160-409,600
• In-lens shutter allows flash sync to 1/4000th sec
• E-shutter allows use of F2.8 at up to 1/16,000 sec
• Built-in red filter, giving punchier blues.
• 53GB of internal memory
• 250 shot-per-charge battery rating
• UHS-I Micro SD memory card slot

The GR IV Monochrome sells for a recommended price of $2199. This is a 46% premium over the list price of the standard GR IV, suggesting Ricoh feels that the mono version will have a smaller audience to foot the development costs. The MSRP in the UK is £1599, which is only a 33% mark-up over the standard version's original list price.

Index

• What is it
• Body and handling
• Image quality
• Autofocus
• In use
• Conclusion
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

What is it?

As the name implies, the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome is a black-and-white only variant of the GR IV.

You get all the usual benefits and costs of a mono-only sensor: a higher base ISO, because less light is being lost to a color filter array (a 2/3 of a stop increase, in this instance), and much sharper detail, as there's no demosaicing taking place.

You also get better noise performance at any given ISO: again because there's no color filter sapping any light, but with that advantage disappearing if the color version can use its lower base ISO.

However, with only a single color channel, there's a lot less flexibility to the Raw files: once the image appears to be clipped, there's no way to approximate highlight data from unclipped channels.

The electronic shutter can deliver exposures down as low as 1/16,000 sec, letting you use the maximum aperture even in good light

To prevent overexposure when shooting at F2.8, the GR IV Monochrome lets you switch from its in-lens shutter to an e-shutter. The electronic shutter can deliver exposures down as low as 1/16,000 sec, letting you use the maximum aperture, even in good light, despite the camera not having an built-in ND filter. As with the regular GR IV, the mechanical shutter has an upper limit of 1/2500 sec at F2.8: you need to stop down to F5.6 to achieve the 1/4000 sec maximum.

Interestingly, Ricoh says the GR IV Monochrome's autofocus is the same as that on the GR IV, which means it has on-sensor phase detection. This would imply that, unlike the Leica Q3 Monochrom, it has to do some degree of interpolation during processing, to hide any disparity from the output of those phase-detection pixels. We've not seen any negative impact from this in our tests, even when trying to induce flare to highlight any issues.

The company also says that the sensor is not the same one used in the K-3 III Monochrome, though it wasn't specific about how the two differ.

Red Filter

Other than the lack of color filter array, the other difference is that the GR IV Monochrome has a slot-in red filter, rather than the neutral density filter in the color version. This selectively lowers the impact of blue and green light on the sensor, which gives more dramatic skies and higher contrast, generally.

The filter in the GR IV Monochrome reduces the overall light to the camera by around 3 stops, for a neutral subject (it's around a 4 stop cut for blues, 3.5 for greens and closer to a single stop for reds).

Body and handling

As you might expect, the GR IV Monochrome looks and handles exactly like the regular GR IV: it's a tiny camera for having such a big sensor and yet it manages to put a lot of control at your fingertips without seeming too cramped. The control logic is well worked through, as you'd expect for the eighth generation of a design (prior to 2013's GR, with its APS-C sensor, there were four iterations of GR Digital, which used a much smaller Type 1/1.7 sensor in a very similar body).

By default, the front and rear top-panel dials allow you to control exposure parameters, with the -/+ rocker acting as exposure compensation if you have any automatically-controlled settings (including Auto ISO in manual mode). In practice, this layout makes it easy to make changes one-handed, without having to adjust your grip too much. The multi-directional controller is also easy to reach, giving you either access to four customizable functions or direct AF point control.

The Adj. menu gives you one-handed control over your most important settings, without taking you out of the moment by forcing you to dive into a full-screen menu. You can choose up to five parameters and arrange them in the order of your preference.

This ethos goes beyond adjusting exposure, though. Click in on the rear dial, marked Adj., and it opens up a function menu which can be navigated using touch, the multi-directional controller, or the two command dials. You can use it to adjust settings such as autofocus mode, aspect ratio, flash settings, drive and self timer modes, etc. It has five banks that you can fill with the parameters that are most important to you, in the order you want them, giving you near-instant access to them without having to dive into the main menu.

The finish of the camera is also a little different, with a less textured matte black finish. The shutter button is also black and the GR logo on the front is a very dark grey, rather than white. The green LED ring around the power button is also white, to keep with the monochrome theme. Sadly, Ricoh has not borrowed the beautiful 'Monochrome' typography from its Pentax K-3 III Monochrome DSLR.

Despite its size, the GR IV's magnesium alloy body makes it feel very solid, without being overly weighty. And, unlike almost all other modern cameras, it will sensibly fit in a pocket.

Ricoh says the GR IV's lens was specifically designed to reduce the risk of dust ingress, but that they had to make the choice between the small form factor that a retractable lens makes possible and complete weather sealing, so there are no promises around the level of sealing.

Image Quality

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors, and detail types you'll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes, full even light and low directional light, to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

Like its color sibling, the GR IV Monochrome's 26MP BSI CMOS captures a very good level of detail in its Raws. However, thanks to the lack of demosaicing, the black and white images look noticably sharper, even compared to the files from the higher-resolution Fujifilm X100VI.

The Monochrome doesn't have a noise advantage if you compare its base ISO performance to that of the color version, but its base ISO is 2/3EV higher, so it's delivering a comparable result despite being exposed to less light. Once you bump up to ISO 200, and give the two versions the same exposure though, the difference starts to become apparent: the GR IV Monochrome has less noise than its APS-C counterparts, and comes much closer to full-frame cameras.

This continues to be the case through mid to high ISOs, and the GR IV Monochrome continues to produce passable images well into ranges that we wouldn't bother with on a color camera; in addition to not losing light to any color filters, it probably helps that luma noise won't be as distracting as chroma noise to most viewers. Ricoh lets you go all the way up to a ludicrous ISO 409,600, though by that point the image has, unsurprisingly, truly fallen apart.

As we saw with the GR IV, Ricoh's JPEG engine doesn't quite manage to include all the detail that the camera's Raws do, though the results are still very nice to look at. At higher ISOs, though, the effects of noise reduction on the Monochrome's images are less noticeable; the JPEGs show more detail than their color counterparts, even if you compare images that received a stop less light".

This is typically where we'd discuss the JPEG colors but, of course, the GR IV Monochrome doesn't capture any. There is a cost for the extra detail and improved noise, after all.

Exposure Latitude | ISO Invariance

Like the standard GR IV, the Monochrome offers excellent dynamic range performance with relatively low read noise, giving you room to boost shadows, or to shoot at ISO 160 for maximum dynamic range and brighten to your preferred lightness in post without introducing too much additional noise.

With that said, it's worth remembering that once your highlights are clipped on a monochrome camera, they're gone. With a color camera, you have the chance of pulling back at least some detail from one of the three color channels, but that's not an option with the Monochrome.

If you want to go into more detail on the 28mm equiv. F2.8 lens that this camera shares with the original GR IV, you can check out our review of that camera. The short version, though, is that it's impressively sharp edge-to-edge given its size, even wide open, though it has a fair amount of vignetting throughout its aperture range.

Autofocus

You have several autofocus area settings, and can easily access them from the Adj. menu.

The GR IV Monochrome has essentially the same autofocus system as the color version. There are four single-focus modes: whole area, where the camera decides what to focus on, zone select, with a single, non-resizable zone, and then two single-point modes, one more precise than the other. It has two continuous modes, too: one with a mid-size selection point, and a tracking mode where the point attempts to stick to whatever you placed it over.

You can control where the focus point is by tapping on the screen or by using the multi-directional control; whether you first have to press a button to use the latter or not is up to you.

Face/eye detection works in the single-focus modes, and if you have it on and the camera recognizes a face in your frame, it will override your chosen focus point to select the face. (If there are multiple faces, it highlights them, and you can pick between them to choose which one to focus on.) You can then choose to move the focus point elsewhere in the scene if you want, but it can be jarring to have the focus point suddenly move without you asking it to, and it means you'll want to think about whether you want to leave it on all the time. There is, however, an option to only use face/eye detection in the auto-area AF mode. Regardless of your settings, face/eye detection isn't available in the tracking or continuous AF modes.

The tracking autofocus mode only gives you a single selection option, which turns green when it's locked onto a subject, or red if it fails to start tracking (something that wasn't rare in our tests).

The GR IV Monochrome's autofocus system isn't particularly flexible, as there's no customization for how large your zones are, and you can't use continuous tracking with a variety of selection point sizes. However, the camera has particularly powerful manual focusing tools; the magnification assist is quite clear, and it's one of the few compacts that will retain the same focus distance even if you turn it off.

There's also the Snap Focus feature, which is highly touted by some of the GR faithful. When using it, the camera will focus to a pre-chosen distance as soon as you press the shutter. While some people may use the camera exclusively in this mode, gaining a sense for how far away things are and keeping their camera at a preset shooting distance, it can also be used with autofocus: you can configure the camera to autofocus if you half-press the shutter, but to snap to a certain distance if you immediately fully press the shutter. This can be a lightning-quick way to shoot, once you're used to it.

Autofocus performance

In single focus modes, the GR IV Monochrome is generally quick and accurate, though it occasionally misses the mark by a touch or has to hunt for a second or two, especially (but not exclusively) in dark or low-contrast conditions.

Its continuous autofocus mode is less confidence-inspiring, hunting relatively frequently and sometimes failing to figure out the correct focus. The tracking autofocus is also off-the-pace compared to its contemporaries. In good conditions, it can do a good job of sticking to your selected subject, but it will frequently wander away from the subject or fail to keep up with it if it's moving. Generally, it's not particularly easy to trust, which makes us hesitant to use it.

Compared to the standard GR IV, the GR IV Monochrome's autofocus appears to perform quite similarly. While it's nice that it's able to reach the same bar – you aren't giving anything up by going black and white – it certainly isn't the highest performer. Some of that may be down to the fact that it has a unit focus lens, which trades responsiveness for edge-to-edge sharpness in a compact form. It's also, arguably, less essential for a camera designed for street photography with a fixed wide-angle lens to have cutting-edge autofocus tracking, but fans of the track-and-recompose method will likely find themselves having to get used to this camera's limitations if they're coming from another system.

In use

By Mitchell Clark

I'll try to avoid reiterating everything I said in the standard GR IV's "In use" section (though it all still applies), but one thing bears repeating: the control scheme is really enjoyable to use. Having direct control of all your exposure parameters via the two top-plate command dials and the + / - rocker switch, and the ability to quickly access and change the settings that are most important to you with the Adj. menu makes the GR IV Monochrome one of the easiest cameras to use one-handed that I've ever encountered.

Given that this is a camera that's designed to focus on the absolute essentials of photography, I also think it makes sense to praise the little touches that Ricoh adds to the GR series. Things like it telling you how many photos you've taken today and overall, when you turn it off, and the absolutely obscene level of customization you can do. Want to use the shutter button as a "confirm and close this menu" button? There's a setting for that. Picky about which dial does what? You can set them to almost any configuration. Don't like the default level UI (despite it being very good)? There are literally two other options that look completely different.

You can gain access to up to five settings in the Adj menu, or strip it down to the few parameters you care about the most.

None of this is specific to the Monochrome in particular, but when you're considering paying a premium for a photography-first experience with a focused device, these are the kind of small things that make a difference. It's not just a do-it-all mirrorless crammed into a small, fixed-lens body.

In lieu of the standard GR IV's built-in ND filter, the Monochrome's new electronic shutter mode allows for shooting in bright sunlight. However, its moderate rolling shutter rate means you might get some distortion on fast-moving subjects, or banding under artificial lighting (not that there are too many shooting scenarios where you'll need to shoot over 1/4000 sec without the aid of the sun).

The Monochrome's new electronic shutter mode allows for shooting in bright sunlight

The good news is that using it isn't a matter of selecting mechanical shutter or e-shutter mode; with it enabled, the camera will use the mechanical shutter up to its max speed, and the e-shutter if it still needs to tamp down on exposure. The red filter can also be used to cut down on some light hitting the sensor, but it can dramatically change the look of your image depending on the color of the subject you're shooting.

When I reviewed the GR IV, I thought its rear display was fine, but nothing to write home about. However, when trying to compose a black and white image, I found it that bit more difficult to work with at off-axis angles. It doesn't lose much brightness when you're not viewing it straight-on, but the lack of color means there are fewer hints about where the edges of your frame are, and distractions are harder to catch in the moment if they're shades of dark gray near the black bezels of the display.

Conclusion

By Mitchell Clark

I often find myself saying "not everything is for everyone," but it's rarely as applicable as it is in the case of the GR IV Monochrome. It's an extremely niche proposition because of how focused it is: when you're shooting with it, you have to see the world at 28mm, and in black and white: the camera doesn't allow you to capture it any other way.

Many (most?) won't see the appeal in a camera so inflexible, but the GR IV Monochrome makes a strong argument for why you should want to. Its image quality is the best you'll find in a camera this small (though there's the obvious caveat that its color performance is very poor), and the controls, customizability and UI all do a great job of getting out of your way and letting you get into the groove. And it's worth saying outright: if this is a style of shooting you enjoy, there's essentially nothing else out there that provides the exact same experience.

However, there are still parts of that experience that could use some improvement. We wish the JPEGs got the absolute most out of the detail available in the Raws (though it still captures more than most color cameras of a similar resolution), and that the autofocus was at least closer to comparable with what we expect from modern systems. And while the black and white being a hardware decision rather than a software one forces a discipline you can't get from a standard GR IV set to a monochrome profile, the premium Ricoh is charging means you'll have to really consider how much you personally value that.

If the answer is "a lot," the GR IV Monochrome is easy to recommend, because it mostly does what it does really well. However, the autofocus performance and inaccessibility to the achromatic-curious make it hard to give it our highest award. But if you're truly devoted to the style of photography this camera provides, consider it a gold, captured in monochrome.

Scoring

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

Compared to its peers

There are very few cameras that truly compare to the GR IV Monochrome. There is, of course, the standard GR IV, which is essentially identical except for the fact that it shoots color. It's a fundamental difference, and has some impact on IQ – the color filter array eats up around 2/3EV – but depending on your disposition using that camera in a black and white color mode may get you close to having the same experience (while giving you a bit of room to fall back if you shoot something that needs color, or if you overexpose a touch).

The Leica Q3 Monochrom comes the closest to being a like-for-like comparison with its truly monochrome sensor and 28mm lens. However, while its full-frame sensor, tilting screen, and EVF might thrill some people who wish the GR series included such features, they also make the Q3 a much bigger and heavier option; it's almost three times as heavy as the GR IV, and you couldn't fit it into most pockets. And if you thought the GR IV Monochrome was hard to bear, bad news: the Monochrom's price tag has over three times the heft, too.

Sample Gallery

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

The first shop you encounter at the entrance of the camera shop mall. From the street entrance, you might assume this was it, until you turned around and saw the escalator up to another floor. iPhone 17 Pro Max | F1.8 | 1/129 sec | ISO 64 Photo: Mathew Anderson

Cameras and our photography give us a way to share a timeless window into someone else's world.

This is why I take every opportunity I can get to travel around the world, bring my camera(s) with me, and find someone or something that deserves that timeless capture. In that spirit, this week I visited family in China and brought my new iPhone 17 Pro Max and a very capable OM-1 Mark II with a versatile 12-100mm lens. I have been to China several times over the years, and I would like to share with you some of those experiences through my photography.

As DPReview is all about digital photography, it made sense to hunt down some actual camera stores. I arrived in Hong Kong, the perfect place to find one, and began my search in a dense and bustling central shopping district called Mong Kok.

Just outside the camera store mall, as you look toward the first visible intersection. iPhone 17 Pro Max | F1.8 | 1/1812 sec | ISO 100 Photo: Mathew Anderson

Another general view of the area outside the camera store mall. The mall entrance is kitty corner across the street. iPhone 17 Pro Max | F1.8 | 1/1812 sec | ISO 100 Photo: Mathew Anderson

The closest analogy we have in the United States is in select parts of downtown New York and, to a lesser extent, in Chicago, complete with labyrinthine subway networks (though they're much cleaner and more modern in most Asian cities, from my experience). Take a stroll around SoHo in New York, increase the density further by 2-3x or so in storefronts, rearrange it a bit haphazardly with crowded alleyways of street vendors and random staircases leading to unknown places, and you have what I am about to show you today.

"Hidden among the storefronts shown above is one of the largest camera 'malls' in all of China."

This arrangement is at its peak in Hong Kong's central business districts. Hidden among the storefronts shown above is one of the largest camera 'malls' in all of China. I was actually fooled by the first store I came across on the main level. I walked up, and admit, I was a bit disappointed, saying to myself, "This is it? My community is not going to be very impressed." I then heard a baby cry behind me. I turned my head, and there was a non-assuming escalator up to what felt like some sort of attic storage space.

It was no attic storage space.

An escalator leading up to the second floor of the camera store mall. You can see some of the shops to the right. iPhone 17 Pro Max | F1.8 | 1/100 sec | ISO 250 Photo: Mathew Anderson

What's interesting about China (and many eastern Asian cities) is that stores aren't spread out and megalithic like your typical United States suburban Walmart or Target. Parking spaces are at a premium, if they exist at all, and storefronts are often obscured by other storefronts. You may even need to go through someone else's store to get to an entirely separate small shop in the back. It's not at all clear where you entered from, and more often than not, it's an obscure exit somewhere else that you leave from.

Since space is at a premium, shops must compete for attention and ease of access on every single level. What you see in the photos below was replicated across multiple interconnected coordinators on five different levels (possibly more, as I didn't have time to explore it all, and of course, the path up to the next level is somewhere else entirely).

The camera store mall had a labyrinthine, hall-like nature. Here is one such hallway with a shop sign indicating an entrance to the left. iPhone 17 Pro Max | F1.8 | 1/555 sec | ISO 100 Photo: Mathew Anderson

One of the more interesting hallway displays to promote the associated camera store. iPhone 17 Pro Max | F1.8 | 1/100 sec | ISO 64 Photo: Mathew Anderson

Nearly every modern camera brand, and then some, were present, with the notable exception of OM System in the shops I had time to visit. I walked into the next shop and asked the clerk if they had any OM-1's around. He looked up, his eyes widening for a brief moment as he realized I wasn't his typical customer, and asked me in quite fluent English, "Would you care for a Leica or Kodak?", as he had no OMs. I got him to eventually point me down a corridor that led to more shops (and more corridors), but still no OM cameras in sight. Even so, I unfortunately didn’t have time to explore everything, as the mall was vaste.

"Especially in places like this camera mall, they will bargain down to the bottom of the barrel if it means your business."

Business competition is fierce in China. There are many boba tea shops, hair stylists, and taxi drivers (I paid just $0.53 USD for a 10-minute trip across town in a mainland city a few days after this trip to Hong Kong). They don't want to send you to the next shop that sells nearly the same equipment as their own. Especially in places like this camera mall, they will bargain down to the bottom of the barrel if it means your business.

A camera store in the mall. iPhone 17 Pro Max | F1.8 | 1/235 sec | ISO 80 Photo: Mathew Anderson

A camera store in the mall. iPhone 17 Pro Max | F1.8 | 1/100 sec | ISO 125 Photo: Mathew Anderson

A camera store in the mall. iPhone 17 Pro Max | F1.8 | 1/121 sec | ISO 64 Photo: Mathew Anderson

I nearly ended up buying a Fujifilm X100VI, which was surprisingly at several shops. Not only is it a compact camera, perfect for my immediate needs, but it's simply gorgeous. (The OM-1 Mark II and 12-100mm lens is an amazing camera, but it's somewhat bulky for my fast-and-furious travels). I love how Fujifilm has built a sleek, metallic retro design and would love to own one just for the sake of it. I'm in the area for the next few days, so I suppose there's still time to change my mind...

I hope you enjoyed this brief glimpse into the Chinese camera store scene, and would love to know what you think of the experience in the comments below.

CP+ 2026 is in the rearview, but there are still aspects of the crew's experience there to talk about. Mitchell and Abby discuss their first time getting to experience some aspects of the photo culture at the show and in Japan, and go deeper on what it was like to shop at one of the biggest camera stores out there. Plus, Abby reveals whether she eventually went back and got the other film camera she had her eye on. (Spoiler: not exactly, but... well, you'll see.)

We're still hard at work on writing up the interviews we carried out with manufacturers at the show, so keep an eye out for those over the coming weeks. If you want to catch up on the rest of our show coverage, check out our show page.

Modern cameras are complex and they all benefit from some degree of setup and customization. We've already taken a look at some of the basic things you might want to do immediately, but here we're going to dig a little deeper and describe the settings we always change when we use Sony cameras.

Sony changed the menu system on most of its cameras starting with the a7S III in 2020. All our screengrabs represent the newer menu layout but we've also described where the comparable options live in the old menu structure if you're using a camera with the tabs arranged along the top of the menu screen, rather than down the left-hand side.

Engaging AF-C

Sony cameras are set to AF-A mode, when you first start them up. This is a mode that automatically switches between single AF acquisition and continuous attempts to refocus, if it detects subject motion. Which sounds clever but prevents you from using one of your camera's best features: its autofocus tracking.

Focus Mode is found at the beginning of the AF/MF section of the menu and often in the Fn Menu. Once you've selected AF-C, you'll find that, at the bottom of the list of AF area types and shapes, you now have one with an arrow pointing to a button, at the lower right of the icon. This is a subject tracking version of the AF area represented, and you'll find that you have a tracking version of each of the camera's AF areas. Now, when you half-press the shutter or press AF-On to initiate focus, the camera will continue to follow and focus on the subject under the AF target, even if it moves or you move the camera.

AF-C generally works very well on Sony cameras, so it'll be rare that you have to switch to AF-S. The tracking is useful both for following moving subject and for letting you choose a subject to focus on before recomposing your shot.

Limiting the number of AF areas

Sony's approach to tracking is to add a separate, 'tracking' version of each of the camera's AF area modes, meaning your choice of AF areas typically jumps from 12 to 24, as soon as you engage AF-C: tracking and non-tracking versions of each.

Sony cameras with the newer menu system have an option to let you limit which AF areas you can access, so that you don't have to scroll through lots, each time you want to switch. We'd suggest using the camera for a bit, getting a feel for which AF area sizes and shapes work for you and your shooting, then limiting the camera to only show the ones you use, it makes everything cleaner and quicker to use.

You can find this in the AF/MF tab, in an option called "Focus Area Limit."

Electronic first curtain shutter

By default, most Sony cameras use an electronic first curtain shutter, turning the sensor on one row at a time, to initiate the exposure, then using a mechanical shutter to end it. Some models, such as the a7C series, don't have a set of mechanical shutter blades for starting exposures, so always use this mode.

This is generally a sensible approach, and helps make the camera a little more responsive. However, if you shoot very short exposures when using a lens set to a very wide aperture, it can cause the out-of-focus highlights to become chopped off. If you find yourself shooting wide-aperture photos outdoors, it's worth knowing how to engage the mechanical first curtain, if you camera has one. This can be found in the Shutter/Silent section of the camera menu on newer models or the Camera Settings 2 tab on older ones.

Setting the Auto ISO Minimum Shutter speed

Auto ISO can be a very useful way of shooting, but key to getting the most out of it, particularly in P or A exposure modes, is telling the camera what the slowest shutter speed you can tolerate is, so that it doesn't bump up the ISO sooner than it needs to.

ISO AUTO Min. SS can be found either in the Exposure tab on newer cameras or the Camera Settings 1 section of older ones. If you frequently use auto ISO, we recommend assigning the setting to a button or putting it in the FN menu for easy access.

You have two options: you can either select a specific shutter speed, which can be useful if you're trying to maintain a fast enough shutter speed to prevent your subject's movement being blurred. Or you can set an 'Auto' value, which sets a shutter speed limit based on your focal length. This is the best choice if your primary concern is camera shake, but remember to reset it afterwards to avoid unnecessarily limiting your camera's exposure speed.

The 'Std' setting will increase the ISO to maintain a shutter speed of 1/equivalent focal length (ie: 1/50 seconds if you're using a 50mm equiv lens). For steady shooters, there are Slow and Slower options, which will reduce the shutter speed by one or two stops compared to the standard setting. The Fast and Faster options will raise ISO to maintain a shutter speed that's one or two stops faster than standard, which we typically wouldn't recommend, as the camera may end up choosing exposures that are too fast with telephoto lenses, or too slow with wide ones.

Turning on Raw shooting

We'd generally recommend shooting Raw, because it gives you more editing flexibility later, if you want it. Sony is the only major brand that doesn't let you process its Raw files in the camera, so we'd suggest shooting Raw + JPEG. This can be set using the File Format setting: in the Camera tab on new cameras and Camera Settings 1 on older models.

Once this is set, there's a separate menu setting [RAW File Type] directly below File Format to choose what type of Raw file your camera shoots.

On older models, you'll typically have the following choices:

• Uncompressed
• Compressed

The Compressed option is much smaller, but uses a lossy compression system. The limitations of this system only become apparent at high-contrast edges if you make quite significant tonal adjustments. For most types of shooting, this won't particularly matter, but it's worth being aware of: if your photography involves really exploiting the camera's full dynamic range, you may wish to consider using the Uncompressed mode for shots you expect to have to process heavily.

Newer models have a Lossless compression option, which we'd recommend. These files aren't quite as small as the Compressed ones, but you won't encounter any nasty surprises, even if you push your files extensively. The only benefit to the Compressed mode is that your camera may be able to shoot faster bursts in this mode.

The very newest models have a different set of options:

• Lossless
• Compressed HQ
• Compressed

We've not had time to test the new compression modes yet. As before, the Compressed option lets you shoot longer bursts, while the HQ version maintains greater quality. These two new compression options aren't widely supported by Raw conversion software yet, so we'd recommend using Lossless compression for now.

It's also worth noting that, while you can shoot Raw files alongside the newer HEIF format, if you want something with 10-bit color and more efficient than JPEG, you can't capture high dynamic range HEIFs and Raws simultaneously. The much more widespread support for JPEG means we'd stick with this.

Selecting which settings carry over from stills to video

Newer Sony cameras let you specify which settings carry over from stills to video shooting and which are configured independently. If you're using your camera to shoot both stills and video in the same sessions, we'd strongly consider adjusting these to make sure you don't accidentally shoot a load of stills at 1/50 sec shutter speeds or find yourself trying to color-correct clips in which Auto White Balance was constantly adjusting.

The option "Different Set for Still/Mv" can be found in the Setup / Operation Customize section of cameras with the newer, left-tabbed menus.

Customizing the camera to your needs

Sony is good at allowing lots of buttons to be customized and typically allows most of its menu options to be assigned to most buttons, rather than giving you a restricted option.

Older cameras let you customize the buttons using a menu option called "Custom Key" in the Camera Settings 2 section of the menu. You can set different settings for stills shooting, movie shooting and playback modes. In the new menu system, there are separate "Custom Key/Dial Set." menu items for stills, movie and playback modes. These live in the Setup / Operation Customize section.

The latest Sony cameras let you define different Fn menu layouts for stills and video shooting.

The Fn menu of the camera can be completely customized, with your choice of 12 functions that you use most often.

On older models this option [Function Menu Set.] can be found towards the end of the Camera Settings 2 section.

Newer cameras with the left-tabbed menus place it in Setup / Operation Customize. On these models it's called Fn Menu Settings and has the stills and movie icons next to it. On these cameras you can select define different Fn menus for stills and video shooting.

Sony a7R V | Tamron 35-100m F2.8 | 35mm | F8 | 1/100 sec | ISO 100 Photo: Mitchell Clark

Last month, Tamron announced the 35-100mm F2.8 Di III VXD, a full-frame zoom lens that focused on offering a fair amount of reach and a fast aperture while still being compact and lightweight. We've had the chance to shoot with it a bit to get a feel for what it's like to use and how it performs.

The first thing that stands out about this lens is the weight. If you're used to shooting with a 24-70mm F2.8, this lens is noticeably smaller and lighter than most full-frame options. That's not to say that the focal length ranges are particularly comparable – they're not, especially on the wide end – but it's a good frame of reference.

The lens is quite small and light, which would make it a good pairing for some of the more compact full-frame bodies. It also includes a customizable mode switch and function button.

Despite the light weight, the lens feels solidly built. To my hands, the materials and design of the zoom and focus rings actually feel a touch nicer than other recent Tamron lenses that I've tried. While most wouldn't consider a $900 to be cheap by any stretch, it feels more premium than its price tag might suggest.

Paired with an a7R V, the autofocus was very snappy, and it never felt like the lens was holding back the camera.

The lens extends a bit when zooming in, but not enough to throw off the balance or meaningfully change the center of gravity.

While this isn't a full review of its optical quality, I was pleased with how sharp the samples I got with this lens were, even when I was shooting wide-open. As we've seen with many recent F2.8 zooms, especially ones that focus on size, it has a fair amount of vignetting at F2.8 and even still some at F4, but it largely clears up by F5.6. I also find the out-of-focus rendering to be perfectly fine; it's not distracting, and the falloff is pleasant enough, though if you inspect the specular highlights in the bokeh, there is some cats-eye effect.

Toward the edges of the frame, you'll start to see some cat's-eye bokeh. (Note that the lights on the left edge of the frame aren't being distorted by the glass cups.) Sony a7R V | Tamron 35-100mm F2.8 | 100mm | F2.8 | 1/100 sec | ISO 500

In the past few years, we've seen companies playing focal length ranges, such as Sony's 20-70mm F4 and 24-50mm F2.8, so it's interesting to see someone experimenting in the other direction. However, we suspect many people who learned photography after the era of the 35-70mm might feel restricted by a lens that only barely dips its toe into the wide-angle range, especially if they were trying to use it as an all-around standard zoom.

However, I found I really enjoyed working with this zoom range, especially given the size and weight of the lens. I could easily see being happy with just it and a wide (or maybe even ultrawide) prime, though your mileage may definitely vary, especially if you're someone who often finds themselves wishing they could go wider than 24mm, rather than someone like me who often wishes they could reach past 70mm. In that respect, I prefer this to Tamron's own 28-75mm F2.8, as it feels like I get more for giving up something on the wide end (though obviously it's a greater sacrifice).

For most people, though, this lens might make more sense as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, a standard zoom, especially if their standard zoom is a variable-aperture kit option. It offers F2.8 and some of the most popular portrait focal lengths with more flexibility than a prime, and without the need to carry around a giant piece of glass like a 70-200mm.

Sample gallery

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

Thank you to LensRentals for loaning us a Sony a7R V to shoot this lens gallery, and to Tamron for loaning us the lens. All images were processed using our standard lens workflow in Capture One, with the manufacturer's distortion correction applied but no vignetting correction. Before correction, the images have some minor pincushion distortion, but we wouldn't consider the profile to be an essential part of the lens design if you prefer not to use it, or your preferred software does not support lens corrections.

A Playfight with two Asian Elephants Canon EOS 400D w/ EF70-200mm f/2.8L USM @ 200mm | F2.8 | 1/400 sec | ISO 400 Photo: Jagdeep Rajput

DPReview community member Jagdeep Rajput, known as J Rajput in the wider community, is our latest spotlight in this series about what's in your camera bag. This series explores the gear our community members bring along on their photography journeys and shares the stories behind how that equipment helps them capture memorable moments.

Culminating from more than three decades of wildlife photography, below is Jagdeep's amazing story and photos, along with the gear used to capture them.

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

Meet Jagdeep Rajput (J Rajput)

Fujifilm X-T4 w/ XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR @ 100mm | F8 | 1/340 sec | ISO 320 Photo: Jagdeep Rajput

Home base: Delhi, India

Favorite camera and lens: Canon EOS R5 II paired with the EF 500mm F4 IS II – a powerful combination Jagdeep relies on for capturing distant wildlife and dramatic animal behavior in the field.

Typical photo scenes: Wildlife photography, especially large mammals and wetland birds in national parks and open natural habitats.

"I started photographing in the early 1980s, and over the years it has grown into a lifelong passion for observing and documenting wildlife."

Jagdeep is a wildlife photographer who enjoys working with small groups of like-minded friends. Most of his photography takes place in India’s national parks, where he spends a lot of time sitting still, patiently watching and waiting for the right behavior or interaction with animals to unfold.

Fight during courtship season Canon EOS R5 w/ EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4x III | 700mm | F5.6 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 1250 Photo: Jagdeep Rajput

What's in Jagdeep's bag

• Primary cameras: Two Canon EOS R5 II bodies
• Lenses: RF 24–105mm F4 for versatility, RF 70–200mm F2.8 VCM for action and medium telephoto work, and a 100–400mm F5.6 for additional reach. For distant wildlife, Jagdeep relies on the EF 500mm F4 IS II, often paired with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters.
• Support and accessories: A beanbag is an essential part of his kit, especially when shooting from vehicles in wildlife reserves. He also carries a close-focusing tube to allow tighter framing when subjects approach closer than expected.
• Camera bags: Jagdeep prefers backpack-style camera bags, typically from Lowepro, Tamrac or Think Tank. For bird sanctuaries and longer walks, he uses a larger Tamrac backpack along with a tripod and gimbal head to support long lenses. When photographing from a vehicle, he relies on a beanbag for stability.
• Other Essentials: A sun hat is always packed for field protection, and gloves come along during the cooler winter months.

Photo: Jagdeep Rajput

What other gear makes a difference?

"I like to keep my setup fairly simple in the field, but a few accessories are always important. A beanbag is something I rely on often, especially when photographing wildlife from a vehicle, as it provides quick and stable support for long lenses. I also carry a close-focusing tube, which allows me to get tighter shots when an animal or bird comes closer than expected.

Other than that, I usually pack a sun hat to deal with the intense sunlight during long hours, and gloves during the winter months when mornings in the field can be quite cold."

Mock Charge of an Asian Elephant Canon EOS 5D Mark IV w/EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 117mm | F5 | 1/400 sec | ISO 500 Photo: Jagdeep Rajput

What has been one of your most amazing moments out in the field?

While India remains his primary shooting ground, Jagdeep also travels to Africa, photographing wildlife in places like the Masai Mara, Amboseli and Tsavo. One of his most memorable moments occurred at Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur.

"Once, I went to Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, India, to photograph a nesting Sarus Crane. A Bluebull happened to venture close to Sarus's nest, the crane opened its huge wings and attacked the bull from behind. Since I liked to shoot animal behaviour, I pressed my continuous shutter, and the image I captured was unbelievable; it was 'Pegasus'."

A Territorial Call of Indian Sarus Crane Canon EOS 5D Mark III w/ EF500mm f/4L IS USM| 500mm | F5.6 | 1/640 sec | ISO 160 Photo: Jagdeep Rajput

Jagdeep's advice for other photographers

"Good subjects are hard to find. If you come across one, don't give up easily. Go for a couple of exceptional frames rather than hundreds of good frames."

Discuss with Jagdeep his photography and gear in the forums.

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

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

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

Toshiyuki Tsumura, Executive Vice President and Director of Panasonic Imaging Solution Business Division. Photo: Abby Ferguson

Consumers' priorities have changed significantly in recent years, a Panasonic executive told us at this year’s CP+ show in Yokohama, Japan. Meeting those new priorities is part of the challenge, and Panasonic sees new energy not exclusively in full-frame flagships, but also in the small, portable cameras that smartphones never fully replaced.

At CP+ in Yokohama, Japan, we sat down with Toshiyuki Tsumura, Executive Vice President and Director of Panasonic's Imaging Solution Business Division, Takayuki Takabayashi from the Imaging Solution Business Division and Takashi Yamahara, head of the Global Marketing Division and Master of Project Design at Panasonic. In a wide‑ranging conversation, the team shared their candid thoughts on where the camera market is headed, how Lumix plans to serve a new generation of creatives and the role of AI in imaging.

The changing camera market and why compact cameras are booming again

Panasonic's LX100 II was a well‑liked enthusiast compact, but it dates back to 2018. Photo: Jeff Keller

"In general, the camera market is growing," says Tsumura. "For several years after COVID, the camera market shrank, but since then, it has been growing gradually every year. Last year it was up seven percent compared to the previous year." That's certainly good news for photographers, as a healthy camera industry means more support moving forward.

However, Tsumura is quick to point out that it's not the same market that peaked a decade ago, and consumers now have different priorities. "Previously, the driving force was high-end full-frame cameras. But recently, the value-zone cameras are driving the market, such as entry-level mirrorless cameras or compact cameras," Tsumura explains.

"The trend is shifting toward compact cameras," Tsumura goes on to say. "The reason is that a lot of people enjoy making and sharing photos and videos, and they want better image quality as much as possible. Many people feel that smartphones cannot fully satisfy their desire for good image quality."

"The trend is shifting toward compact cameras."

In Tsumura's view, compact cameras offer three distinct advantages over phones: better low-light performance, longer (and higher-quality) zoom, and options like genuine waterproofing. He points out that younger generations see images and videos constantly, and their analysis of those users found that they can distinguish the quality difference between smartphone images and those made with dedicated cameras.

For Panasonic, that shift could create a new kind of opportunity. Whether that means we should expect a new Lumix compact camera remains to be seen, but it is clear that Panasonic recognizes the shift in priorities and isn't ignoring it.

The future of Micro Four Thirds

The GH7 was Panasonic's last truly new Micro Four Thirds camera, though it was closer in size to full-frame hybrid cameras, rather than leaning into the compactness of the format. Photo Dale Baskin

Given the interest in smaller camera systems, we also asked the Panasonic team about Micro Four Thirds cameras. "Every year, we strengthen the Micro Four Thirds lineup, and we would like to continue this kind of development," Tsumura says.

The reason comes back to the same shift that's reshaping the broader market. Micro Four Thirds' core strengths are still compactness and low weight, and when you factor in lenses, the overall package can be significantly smaller than an equivalent full‑frame kit. That matters for the entry‑level and step‑up users Panasonic is increasingly targeting. "That's what entry users are requiring right now – portability and compactness so they can bring the camera everywhere," Tsumura explains. "So we are studying what kind of value we can propose to those users now and in the future with Micro Four Thirds."

"In the past, the 'battlefield' of cameras was resolution and sensor size. Now it's a little bit different"

At the same time, the company's expectations for the system have evolved. "In the past, the 'battlefield' of cameras was resolution and sensor size. Now it's a little bit different," Tsumura says. Panasonic now sees new customers who are more focused on the experience of using a camera and how it fits a specific purpose.

There's still room for more pro‑oriented full‑frame body

The S1H is the only S-series camera that hasn't seen an update. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

On the other end of the spectrum, the S1II is one of the most capable hybrid mirrorless cameras for video, but Panasonic thinks there's room to take it even further. While the original S1H remains the only first‑generation S‑series body without a direct successor, Tsumura avoids promising an exact S1H II. Instead, he frames the project more broadly: "Video production for the 'prosumers' is getting more and more important," Tsumura explains. "We are now investigating what kind of professional features we need to incorporate into new professional-type video cameras."

For what's next, the team is studying real applications, usage patterns and system requirements for higher‑end production, rather than just stacking on specs. As Tsumura puts it, they are looking beyond the current S1 II, "which already incorporates a lot of good video features, we are studying what we need to improve and what we need to add. That's what we're working on now," he says.

AI and computational imaging as core pillars

Computational photography has been a focus for Panasonic for some time, and AI is now an additional area of consideration. Inside Panasonic, AI isn't treated as a side project but as a central pillar of future camera development. "We put a high priority on computational imaging," Tsumura says. "This is very important for us. In order to evolve this area, we utilize AI technology."

"We can't say which companies, but we are talking with many partners and getting advanced technologies from them."

Panasonic isn't tackling AI integration alone, though. "To incorporate concrete AI technologies, we are now contacting lots of AI technology partner companies," Tsumura tells us. "We can't say which companies, but we are talking with many partners and getting advanced technologies from them. We then select and incorporate these technologies into specific features."

Twenty‑five years of Lumix

Finally, this year marks the 25th anniversary of Lumix, though internally, it seems Panasonic frames the milestone less as a victory lap and more as an obligation. "We were almost the last player to enter this camera market, so we feel we have a duty to continue this journey because of the customers who have supported us," says Yamahara. "The 25th anniversary is a kind of milestone, but we also need to continue beyond it."

In a nod to the anniversary, we ask Tsumura which single product he sees as the most important in Lumix history. Without any hesitation, he responds: "the G1, one of the first mirrorless cameras. That product created the mirrorless market and changed camera culture."

This article is based on an interview by Dale Baskin and Abby Ferguson at CP+ 2026. It has been edited for clarity and flow.

Some of the Camera Intelligence team, all holding Cairas. Left: Vik Kumar, COO. Middle: Vishal Kumar, CEO. Right: Liam Donovan, CTO. Photo: Mitchell Clark

"I think a lot of people mistake our product as a gadget," says Vishal Kumar, CEO of Camera Intelligence, the company behind the Caira, a Micro Four Thirds camera that attaches to the back of an iPhone. "That's the wrong way to think about it," he says. "We're building the full technology stack, we believe, for the future of cameras."

While the company is currently wrapping up its Kickstarter campaign for the Caira, it has much bigger ambitions than selling an accessory that makes your phone a better camera, or even than selling dedicated cameras. Ultimately, it says, it's trying to change how cameras are made, and trying to convince the established camera companies that its tech is the way to photography's next step forward.

What is Caira?

The Caira has a Micro Four Thirds mount and an 11MP sensor. It doesn't work standalone – it requires an iPhone and has a corresponding app. Product photos: Mitchell Clark

While Camera Intelligence's ambitions clearly go beyond its first product, it's worth looking at where they're taking root. If you didn't catch the announcement in October, the Caira mounts to the back of an iPhone using MagSafe and connects to it via Wi-Fi. From there, you get your image preview and can control it using an on-screen interface or via voice.

Its big trick, though, is that it's not just a lens mount and an 11MP Four Thirds quad-Bayer sensor from Sony Semiconductor (think Panasonic GH5S). It also has a Snapdragon processor, which it uses to power its AI autofocus and to make decisions about white balance and exposure. It also handles the processing for the camera's computational multi-shot modes.

"At the moment, it's mainly designed for denoising," says Liam Donovan, Camera Intelligence's CTO. "It's optimized for reducing noise in low light and giving you more dynamic range." He explains that the algorithm, which the company is still working on but is shipping on production cameras, takes up to 17 shots: eight before you press the shutter, one when you press the shutter, and eight after. "There's an algorithm that runs on all of those shots to align them all. It moves the frames about so that they match the central frame, and then blends them together. And one of the hardest bits of the algorithm is making sure that there are no artifacts."

This Photo from the Caira was created by stacking eight frames together. Click here to see the original in HDR. Caira | OM System 20mm F1.4 | F2.8 | 1/710s | ISO 951

While the multi-shot capabilities are currently implemented as a separate low-light mode, the company is working on expanding what it can do with them. "We're working very hard on making it do super resolution, where you can actually increase the resolution of the images that it produces quite significantly," Donovan says. "Low-light mode is kind of a stepping stone on the way to that, because super resolution is much more difficult than denoising on its own."

The intensity of those algorithms is part of why the camera needs its own processor, despite being attached to a very powerful phone. "It takes quite a lot of time to transfer Raw photos off the camera, and it has to be the full Raws that go into the stacking algorithm," says Donovan. "So that all happens on the camera, and it's enabled by the fact that we have a very powerful smartphone-style processor from Qualcomm in the camera itself, which is pretty novel." He says it's much more powerful than the processors you'd typically find in more traditional cameras.

Influencing

While Camera Intelligence has obviously put a lot of work into the Caira and its predecessor, the Alice Camera, it has its eyes on a bigger prize: convincing other camera companies that this architecture is the way forward. "We're not just in Yokohama for CP+," says Kumar, who spoke to us at the Camera Intelligence booth, where the company is showing off Caira to attendees at the show.

"We're having deeper conversations with some of the camera brands to see if that resonates"

"We have more than a couple of meetings. We believe that the way in which we have gone about building our camera is more akin to how cameras in the future should be built. Because we use the image sensors from traditional mirrorless cameras, but we're using the processor from a smartphone. And that smartphone processor unlocks a whole bunch of things," he says. "So we're having deeper conversations with some of the camera brands to see if that resonates."

It's not just the features like AI-powered voice control, focusing, or exposure, he suggests. The company also wants to be able to implement other AI features, such as large language or image generation models; the current Caira app lets you edit images using Google's Nano Banana model, but it currently has to run in the cloud, rather than locally, and requires a subscription.

It's not all AI, though. "I think it's the full stack," Kumar says. "It's everything from the decisions we made on the electronics, the operating system layer that we've built, which is called Camera Intelligence OS, the image signal processing pipeline that we've built, which is entirely software-based, and can be updated over the air. And then it's also the user interface with the app and the large language model. It's that entire stack that we think is interesting."

In that respect, the Caira is almost a means to an end. "That's the product that we sell at the moment to prove that architecture and infrastructure can actually be robust. And we need to ship these units because it allows us to stress-test the architecture and the units. And it allows us to do those software and hardware improvements. But it's more to it than just a camera that attaches to your phone."

In that vein, Kumar tells us that the Caira is on schedule to start shipping to the 611 people who backed it on Kickstarter last year by the end of March. He also says they triple-tested a batch of 25 from the production line in their office in London to make sure they were ready to go. We have our hands on a pre-production model and have been doing some testing with it, so keep your eyes peeled for further coverage.

Tied to Apple

To start, Kumar says the Caira's target audience is smartphone shooters who want better image quality. "Smartphones, for better or for worse, have automated large parts of the three A's and everything else for almost a decade. And we always tell our users, 'You need to learn basic photographic theory because it will help you take better photos, take better videos, et cetera.' But we're approaching it from the point of view of: 'OK, how can we automate a lot of this complexity so that the UX matches up with the UX that our target customer base is familiar with?' Not something that's like a minefield for them to navigate."

The app lets you get at a level of manual control, letting you manually set aperture, shutter speed, and ISO (though there's currently no affordance for exposure compensation). "We're starting from a point of view of: 'let's automate as much as possible and then give you control,' rather than 'let's give you full control and then automate after.' Because our customers don't really want that."

There's also a hardware benefit; instead of having to build everything themselves at great expense, Camera Intelligence gets to benefit from the phone's display and connectivity. "I think the main reason was just a lack of resources," says Kumar. "So we were building the electronics. We're building the OS layer. We're building the Image Signal Processor. We're also building the actual physical body. So we thought, okay, why don't we just use the iPhone as the interface, as the screen?"

Donovon also points out that the displays on iPhones, which are up to 6.9" and can reach up to 3000 nits of brightness, far outclass those found on traditional camera models. That brightness, along with readily available software libraries, allowed them to easily add gain-map HDR to the camera, with results you can see as soon as you've taken the picture. The feature is similar to what we've seen with the Hasselblad X2D II; while the Sigma BF also pulls a similar trick with its files, you can't actually appreciate the effect with the screen built into the camera.

Kumar notes that Apple has put a lot of resources into ecosystem features like the App Store, APIs and AirDrop. "So it made sense for us to attach to the phone for our V1 and V2."

For us, our entire product relies on the UX being good.

Of course, that implies that there's a chance the company will try to produce a fully-featured standalone camera in the future, but Kumar says it'd take more than just money to make it happen. "I think we can only promise bringing a product like that to fruition when we have more resources. Not just in terms of money in the bank, but team and the right skill sets. Because if you get that wrong... We've seen a few camera brands release Android-based cameras with standalone screens in the last five years. And they didn't quite execute the concept as well as it could have been done, but those camera companies can absorb that because for them it's just experimenting. For us, our entire product relies on the UX being good."

This article is based on an interview by Mitchell Clark at CP+ 2026. It has been edited for clarity and flow.

Toshiyuki Tsumura, Executive Vice President and Director of Panasonic Imaging Solution Business Division. Photo: Abby Ferguson

Consumers' priorities have changed significantly in recent years, a Panasonic executive told us at this year’s CP+ show in Yokohama, Japan. Meeting those new priorities is part of the challenge, and Panasonic sees new energy not exclusively in full-frame flagships, but also in the small, portable cameras that smartphones never fully replaced.

At CP+ in Yokohama, Japan, we sat down with Toshiyuki Tsumura, Executive Vice President and Director of Panasonic's Imaging Solution Business Division, Takayuki Takabayashi from the Imaging Solution Business Division and Takashi Yamahara, head of the Global Marketing Division and Master of Project Design at Panasonic. In a wide‑ranging conversation, the team shared their candid thoughts on where the camera market is headed, how Lumix plans to serve a new generation of creatives and the role of AI in imaging.

The changing camera market and why compact cameras are booming again

Panasonic's LX100 II was a well‑liked enthusiast compact, but it dates back to 2018. Photo: Jeff Keller

"In general, the camera market is growing," says Tsumura. "For several years after COVID, the camera market shrank, but since then, it has been growing gradually every year. Last year it was up seven percent compared to the previous year." That's certainly good news for photographers, as a healthy camera industry means more support moving forward.

However, Tsumura is quick to point out that it's not the same market that peaked a decade ago, and consumers now have different priorities. "Previously, the driving force was high-end full-frame cameras. But recently, the value-zone cameras are driving the market, such as entry-level mirrorless cameras or compact cameras," Tsumura explains.

"The trend is shifting toward compact cameras," Tsumura goes on to say. "The reason is that a lot of people enjoy making and sharing photos and videos, and they want better image quality as much as possible. Many people feel that smartphones cannot fully satisfy their desire for good image quality."

"The trend is shifting toward compact cameras."

In Tsumura's view, compact cameras offer three distinct advantages over phones: better low-light performance, longer (and higher-quality) zoom, and options like genuine waterproofing. He points out that younger generations see images and videos constantly, and their analysis of those users found that they can distinguish the quality difference between smartphone images and those made with dedicated cameras.

For Panasonic, that shift could create a new kind of opportunity. Whether that means we should expect a new Lumix compact camera remains to be seen, but it is clear that Panasonic recognizes the shift in priorities and isn't ignoring it.

The future of Micro Four Thirds

The GH7 was Panasonic's last truly new Micro Four Thirds camera, though it was closer in size to full-frame hybrid cameras, rather than leaning into the compactness of the format. Photo Dale Baskin

Given the interest in smaller camera systems, we also asked the Panasonic team about Micro Four Thirds cameras. "Every year, we strengthen the Micro Four Thirds lineup, and we would like to continue this kind of development," Tsumura says.

The reason comes back to the same shift that's reshaping the broader market. Micro Four Thirds' core strengths are still compactness and low weight, and when you factor in lenses, the overall package can be significantly smaller than an equivalent full‑frame kit. That matters for the entry‑level and step‑up users Panasonic is increasingly targeting. "That's what entry users are requiring right now – portability and compactness so they can bring the camera everywhere," Tsumura explains. "So we are studying what kind of value we can propose to those users now and in the future with Micro Four Thirds."

"In the past, the 'battlefield' of cameras was resolution and sensor size. Now it's a little bit different"

At the same time, the company's expectations for the system have evolved. "In the past, the 'battlefield' of cameras was resolution and sensor size. Now it's a little bit different," Tsumura says. Panasonic now sees new customers who are more focused on the experience of using a camera and how it fits a specific purpose.

There's still room for more pro‑oriented full‑frame body

The S1H is the only S-series camera that hasn't seen an update. Photo: Dan Bracaglia

On the other end of the spectrum, the S1II is one of the most capable hybrid mirrorless cameras for video, but Panasonic thinks there's room to take it even further. While the original S1H remains the only first‑generation S‑series body without a direct successor, Tsumura avoids promising an exact S1H II. Instead, he frames the project more broadly: "Video production for the 'prosumers' is getting more and more important," Tsumura explains. "We are now investigating what kind of professional features we need to incorporate into new professional-type video cameras."

For what's next, the team is studying real applications, usage patterns and system requirements for higher‑end production, rather than just stacking on specs. As Tsumura puts it, they are looking beyond the current S1 II, "which already incorporates a lot of good video features, we are studying what we need to improve and what we need to add. That's what we're working on now," he says.

AI and computational imaging as core pillars

Computational photography has been a focus for Panasonic for some time, and AI is now an additional area of consideration. Inside Panasonic, AI isn't treated as a side project but as a central pillar of future camera development. "We put a high priority on computational imaging," Tsumura says. "This is very important for us. In order to evolve this area, we utilize AI technology."

"We can't say which companies, but we are talking with many partners and getting advanced technologies from them."

Panasonic isn't tackling AI integration alone, though. "To incorporate concrete AI technologies, we are now contacting lots of AI technology partner companies," Tsumura tells us. "We can't say which companies, but we are talking with many partners and getting advanced technologies from them. We then select and incorporate these technologies into specific features."

Twenty‑five years of Lumix

Finally, this year marks the 25th anniversary of Lumix, though internally, it seems Panasonic frames the milestone less as a victory lap and more as an obligation. "We were almost the last player to enter this camera market, so we feel we have a duty to continue this journey because of the customers who have supported us," says Yamahara. "The 25th anniversary is a kind of milestone, but we also need to continue beyond it."

In a nod to the anniversary, we ask Tsumura which single product he sees as the most important in Lumix history. Without any hesitation, he responds: "the G1, one of the first mirrorless cameras. That product created the mirrorless market and changed camera culture."