Adventure photographer and filmmaker Jimmy Chin recently sat down for a Q&A with Canon, sharing tips for finding your creative voice.
Canon
Jimmy Chin is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, National Geographic photographer, author and elite mountain athlete. Known for telling epic adventure stories from remote corners of the world, Chin is also a Canon Explorer of Light. He recently sat down for a Q&A session on Canon’s YouTube channel, sharing his insight on his gear considerations and general approach to photography.
One thing I found particularly interesting was that he’s reduced the amount of gear he brings on shoots. Instead of hauling a huge kit, he’ll only take a couple of lenses, or sometimes just a single lens. “I’ve found that when you are working within certain constraints, it actually pushes you creatively,” he says. “It makes you find creative solutions to the different problems and challenges that you face on a shoot.” Of course, for the type of photography and videography he does, having less gear is also helpful logistically and physically, but I appreciate his mindset of using less to grow creatively.
Adaptability is also a key trait according to Chin, both in terms of gear and overall mindset. “Adaptability is a huge part of being a great photographer and being able to roll with the punches on shoots,” he says. “Sometimes you get really focused on the single shot that you really want, and you’re missing all kinds of other shots. So you have to keep your eyes open and your mind open.”
Chin also recommends looking at a lot of photography and, specifically, paying attention to many genres, even beyond what you’re personally interested in. “Look at all the greats. Understand kind of the approach that all these different artists have come to their craft,” he says. “I think that understanding and the thought processes of creating images is a really good place to make photography fun for you, because all of a sudden you are looking at the world in these different ways and then you kind of find your own language and your own ideas for how you think about photograph, and that’s what makes your photography special.”
The video has plenty of other great advice, too. It’s well worth a watch, especially for newer photographers trying to figure out how to move forward.
About the Author: Abby Ferguson holds an MFA in photography and blends a fine-art background with extensive editorial and commercial experience. She built and led an in-house imaging program for a large vacation rental company and has served as an associate editor at Popular Photography. She also teaches at a local community college and serves on its Photographic Technology Program Advisory Board, sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for the medium.
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The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has fined multiple companies over alleged imports of DJI technology into the United States.
Xtra
Xtra is one of the eight companies facing potential penalties.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing $25,000 fines against eight companies after they allegedly failed to respond to questions about DJI‑related products sold in the United States. The agency is examining whether these firms played a role in bringing cameras, drones and other wireless devices based on DJI technology into the country under different brand names.
The companies named in the action are Cogito Tech, Fixaxo Technology, Lyno Dynamics, Skyhigh Tech, Spatial Hover, SZ Knowact, WaveGo Tech and Xtra Technology. According to the FCC, the proposed penalties stem from the companies’ refusal to answer formal letters of inquiry, rather than from a final determination that specific products violated U.S. equipment rules. Each firm has until July 20 to respond before the Commission decides whether to proceed with the fines or take further enforcement steps.
This latest action builds on a series of moves that have steadily tightened U.S. scrutiny of DJI. In late 2025, the FCC added DJI to its “Covered List,” a designation that prevents new DJI radio‑based products from receiving equipment authorization, effectively blocking future models from entering the U.S. market. Existing, previously approved drones can, however, continue to be sold and flown. As DPReview reported at the time, that shift marked a turning point in the long‑running debate over a possible “DJI ban” and pushed creators toward stockpiling current models or looking at alternative brands.
Xtra’s products have drawn comparison to DJI’s Osmo Action and Osmo Pocket lineups.Xtra
Xtra’s inclusion in the new enforcement action is particularly notable for photographers and filmmakers. The brand has been selling cameras and gimbal systems in the U.S. that closely resemble DJI’s Osmo Pocket and Osmo Action lines, effectively providing a path for DJI‑style hardware to reach U.S. buyers despite the Covered List restricting new DJI‑branded products.
What this could mean for DJI’s U.S. prospects
In the short term, the FCC’s move does not mean that existing DJI or Xtra products are suddenly banned or pulled from shelves. Equipment that already holds valid FCC authorizations remains legal to own and operate. However, if enforcement pressure causes these lesser‑known brands to scale back or exit the U.S. market, the supply of DJI‑adjacent “clone” or rebadged devices could become more limited.
Longer term, the enforcement push could complicate DJI’s efforts to return to the U.S. under its own name rather than help it. By formally targeting companies suspected of funneling DJI‑linked technology into the country, the FCC is reinforcing the idea that this hardware poses enough concern to warrant ongoing scrutiny. That may strengthen the case for strict controls and keep political and regulatory pressure on DJI high, even as the company continues to challenge its inclusion on the Covered List and push for a path to get new products approved again.
We’ll have to wait and see what the outcome will be, but the direction from regulators is clear: companies tied to DJI‑linked technology are expected to fully cooperate with FCC investigations, and a lack of cooperation could result in additional enforcement action beyond the currently proposed fines.
About the Author: Abby Ferguson holds an MFA in photography and blends a fine-art background with extensive editorial and commercial experience. She built and led an in-house imaging program for a large vacation rental company and has served as an associate editor at Popular Photography. She also teaches at a local community college and serves on its Photographic Technology Program Advisory Board, sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for the medium.
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The Godox iT32 flash and wireless controller make off-board flash more accessible than ever.
Mitchell Clark
The Godox iT32 is a pocketable, $80 flash. And it essentially sweeps away all the hurdles that stood in the way of me using flash.
I suspect I’m not alone in having found the cost of flash systems off-putting, when I first started photography. I’d scrabbled together enough money for a camera body with a nice kit zoom and immediately turned my attention to additional lenses. Flash was always the next thing on my list. And, two decades later, it still is.
You learn early on that flashes are most effective, creatively when they’re positioned away from the camera, but this invokes all the costs of remote triggers and off-board flashes, or being limited by the length of cables, because I’d bought an entry-level DSLR that couldn’t act as a flash commander, and I didn’t feel confident enough to start with manual, rather than TTL-controlled flash.
Mitchell Clark
The iT32 solves that off-camera problem because it connects to your camera via a small, hotshoe-mounted radio-frequency controller. The cost of this controller? between $20 and $34, depending on which brand of camera you use.
The X5 controller slots into your camera’s hotshoe and the iT32 attaches magnetically to the controller. Or you can disconnect the flash and fire it remotely. The flash itself communicates using Godox’s own communication protocol and can pair with any X5 controller, providing TTL compatibility whatever brand camera you own. It also means that you can buy a single iT32 and make it work even if you have cameras from more than one brand.
Additional X5 controllers are available for most popular systems, meaning it’ll cost around $20 to add compatibility to any system you happen to use.Richard Butler
Godox Transmitter
MSRP
Canon
X5 C*
$20
Fujifilm
X5 F
$20
Leica (limited models)
X5 L
$34
Nikon
X5 N
$20
Olympus /Panasonic
X5 O
$20
Sony
X5 S
$25
*Godox says Canon cameras with multi-interface hotshoes should use an adapter to mount the X5 C. It makes a “X5 Cm” version for these newer cameras but has limited its sales to China.
The X5 can only control flashes operating in a single group, so you can’t use it as the basis of a complex multi-group setup, but the iT32 itself can operate in different groups, so will still be usable, if you decide to expand your setup, later.
So far, I’ve just been using the X5 and iT32 combination and have found it to be a really low-risk place to start experimenting with flash. It’s a genuinely small unit, that makes it easy to keep with me. It has a guide number of 18m, so it’s not especially powerful, but it’s enough of a step up from any camera’s built-in flash that, especially combined with the ability to use off-camera, is enough to make it worth carrying around.
In-use
The iT32 comes with a diffuser, two warming gels that attach magnetically and a small stand (which has a tripod thread on its base), to which it can attach magnetically or via the hotshoe mount of an X5.Mitchel Clark
For such a small unit, the iT32 has a surprising number of control points. There’s a power/flash test button, a Set button and a Menu button, along with a dial on the side, used for quick control. But the iT32’s small rear screen is also touch-sensitive, so it’s really quick to operate, rather than requiring odd combinations of button pressing and dial turns.
To turn the unit on you hold the power/test button for two seconds then scroll the control dial upwards to confirm that it’s not just pressed against something in your bag.
You can access the menu by pressing the Menu button or swiping down on the screen. In the menu you’ll find options for controlling the modelling lamp on the front of the flash, a control for switching between TTL, Manual and multi-flash (strobe) modes, as well as deciding whether the flash is in on-camera mode, sender or receiver.
The rear screen of the iT32. It’s (very) touch sensitive, to the point that I found it easier to lock the screen (swipe down and tap the lock button), then control everything from the X5Mitchel Clark
The iT32 automatically switches to receiver mode when you detach it from the on-camera X5, so you don’t need to give most of this much thought.
In use you can set exposure compensation by turning the dial on the side of the flash, by swiping left or right on the touchscreen or, when the iT32 is working remotely away from the base, by pressing the small + and – buttons on the back of the X5 controller.
If you have a pair of iT32s you can your their controls to set them to different manual flash values (or flash exposure comp values if in TTL mode). You can still use the X5 to increase and decrease these values remotely, but any increase or decrease will be applied to both flashes, so you can’t remotely adjust them independently, as you would in a proper system of grouped flashes.
The iT32 has a built-in battery that can be recharged over its USB-C socket.Mitchel Clark
When working handheld, I found the touchscreen to be very sensitive and the control dial very easy to jog, so tended to make use of the ‘Lock’ function in the menu, to stop myself accidentally changing the flash settings. Once lock is engaged, you need to hold ‘Set’ for two seconds to re-activate the controls.
The iT32 has its own, built-in battery, so you don’t need to hunt around for a fresh set of AAs all the time. It recharges over its USB-C socket, which is also used for updating firmware for both the flash and the X5. The X5 unit has its own battery, which charges up when connected to the iT32. You can check the battery level on the menu of the flash, when it’s connected, or long-press the – button, where it will communicate its charge level with between zero and four flashes of its tiny red LED.
A little bit of flash, fired from off the left of the shot, helps to balance the daylight streaming in from the right.
Generally, getting started with the iT32 is simplicity itself. The two units pair with one another when physically connected, switching the flash to the correct camera brand’s protocol, and then auto switches between on- and off-camera operation. It’s only two swipes on the touchscreen to manually engage receiver mode, if you power the flash on again later and don’t want to have to physically re-connect them each time.
This simple, sub-$100 set overcame pretty much all of my previous concerns about cost, compatibility or batteries
As you use the setup more, it’s worth scanning through the manual, as there are some differences between camera brands about how to access modes such as high-speed sync and rear curtain flash sync, but there’s nothing that a complete novice should find off-putting at all.
Overall, though, I found the X5 / iT32 pairing to be a remarkably cost-effective way to access the world of flash photography. And, significantly, the realm of off-board flash. This simple, sub-$100 set overcame pretty much all of my previous concerns about cost, about compatibility and around batteries, leaving me with no excuse.
About the Author: Richard graduated as a scientist but had a lot more fun writing and shooting for his university magazine. A number of years spent variously as a reporter, writer and editor on science and engineering titles combined his knowledge of science with his interest in images and words. But it was spotting the connections between emission spectra, white balance and all the nonsense he’d taught himself playing around in Photoshop that helped kindle an interest in digital photography. Searching for a camera led to him discovering DPReview and Richard was recruited by Phil Askey in 2007. He’s been combining his love of photography, communication and attention to detail (pedantry?) ever since.
He has unusually strong opinions about lenses for the APS-C format.
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We spoke with Capture One CEO Rafael Orta about what it means to build software for professional photographers.
Capture One
Capture One CEO, Rafael Orta.
Capture One has built its reputation as the professional standard for commercial and beauty photographers thanks to its precise color management and tethering tools. But the company is also in the midst of an expansion, adding tools for new types of photographers, from photojournalists to those working with film.
We sat down with CEO Rafael Orta to talk about what that growth looks like, how the company approaches AI, and how it differentiates itself from other editing platforms.
Who it’s for
Capture One recently added support for Raw files from three Hasselblad cameras, expanding to even more professional photographers. Capture One
While some editing platforms aim to serve everyone, Capture One is intentionally more narrow in its scope. Orta is clear about who the company builds for: photographers who have made photography their career choice, whether as a primary income source or a serious secondary one.
The professional lens shapes everything from feature priorities to how the company talks about its product. Capture One is often considered the commercial standard for beauty and product photography, but Orta says it has deliberately expanded into professional portrait, wedding and family photography in recent years as well. It’s also seen lots of growth in its enterprise segment, with the Associated Press coming on as its first photojournalism client last year.
The key is that all of these are genres where client relationships and deadlines can define the work. “We have a really good understanding of how photographers work with clients, work under deadlines and how clients are the ultimate judge of your work,” Orta says. “It’s a tool that has been built with professional standards in mind.”
AI on its terms
There’s no getting around the fact that AI is everywhere these days, and it’s reshaping many aspects of the photography software market. But Orta is careful about how Capture One positions itself within that shift, and it comes down to trust in the company’s identity. “We are not confused about who we are,” he says. “We are a photography company first, not a software company that happens to serve photographers.”
“We are a photography company first, not a software company that happens to serve photographers.”
Rafael Orta
That identity, according to Orta, is what allows the company to incorporate AI responsibly. He tells me that Capture One owns more cameras than it has employees and that many of the photos on its website and in its marketing are taken by Capture One team members, who are photographers. “We are incredibly protective of usage rights; even in internal presentations, you need to credit the photographer,” he explains. The company also runs a monthly internal photography competition with winning images adorning the walls of their offices.
Orta explains all of this to make it clear that AI tools in Capture One are built by people who take photography seriously; they aren’t added simply to keep pace with competitors. “It’s why we’ve been able to bring AI into Capture One without the backlash others have faced,” he says. “We built it as a participant in the industry, not an operator standing outside it looking in,” he says.
A pulse on the community
Earlier this year, Capture One released a negative film conversion feature. While this could seem like an odd move for an editing platform dedicated to commercial work, Orta sees it as the perfect example of how in-tune with the industry the company is.
“It’s the perfect example of our connectivity in the industry,” Orta says. “We saw early on that there was a resurgence of film photography, and it quickly began to enter the commercial space.” He explains that they want to offer a better way for commercial photographers to integrate all their work into a single platform. Doing so enables photographers to maintain a more consistent workflow and create a more coherent look across both film and digital.
Because we’re precious about quality, some of these things may take a bit of time.
Rafael Orta, CEO of Capture One
Orta is also clear about how intentional the company is with new features and the work involved in creating those. “We are soaking in the industry, and we listen and respond to the requests,” he says. “But because we’re precious about quality, some of these things may take a bit of time. We spent the best part of two years on negative conversion to make sure the results would be good.”
As an example of how dedicated the team is to its new features, Orta tells me that a few weeks ago, the company held its annual gathering and handed out disposable film cameras to everyone there. Now, the employees are using the negative conversion tool to scan in their own negatives. It’s another example of the team getting real-world experience with the features they develop.
Pricing adjustments
Capture One
Capture One has never been the cheapest option for photographers, and recent pricing increases have made that especially true. The editing platform has raised its prices twice in recent years, and another 6% increase took effect this month. The new price is more than double the cost of Adobe’s Lightroom, a gap that is certainly hard to ignore.
Orta doesn’t shy away from the pricing question, though. “What we have committed to is yearly pricing increases, and we will do them in a modest way,” he says. As for the why, Orta simply cites inflation and foreign exchange as factors in the decision.
Naturally, he points to what subscribers get in return. Orta says that Capture One has been pushing more than one update per month to at least one of its platforms, bringing a constant stream of improvements. He explains that these include server-side updates to things like its collaboration tools (Live, Live for Studio) and admin platform, not just desktop and mobile app updates. Some of these updates are visible to a user, while others aren’t. He adds that the company has simplified its product lineup in recent years to make pricing tiers clearer. Overall, Orta frames the increases less as a burden and more as a reflection of ongoing investment in the product.
A clear vision for the future
For Orta, all of Capture One’s recent changes, including the newly added Hasselblad support, point in the same direction: a company that’s clear on who it is and who it’s building for. “We try to serve specific genres and build products and services that are perfectly adapted to the needs of each one,” he says. For a company with its roots in commercial studios, that’s a wider net than it used to be, but it doesn’t mean that the focus is any less intentional.
About the Author: Abby Ferguson holds an MFA in photography and blends a fine-art background with extensive editorial and commercial experience. She built and led an in-house imaging program for a large vacation rental company and has served as an associate editor at Popular Photography. She also teaches at a local community college and serves on its Photographic Technology Program Advisory Board, sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for the medium.
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A trip to San Francisco gave a fresh perspective and the chance to experiment with the RX10 V’s ridiculous range
Richard Butler
The Sony RX10 V arrived just before a trip I had planned to San Francisco, giving me some more interesting / less familiar shooting opportunities, the chance to play with an extremely long lens, and a lesson in how hard it is to re-create Todd Walker’s famous 1964 photo of California Street.
I made sure to grab some low-light photos as well as some trams, sunshine and marine-layer gloom.
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About the Author: Richard graduated as a scientist but had a lot more fun writing and shooting for his university magazine. A number of years spent variously as a reporter, writer and editor on science and engineering titles combined his knowledge of science with his interest in images and words. But it was spotting the connections between emission spectra, white balance and all the nonsense he’d taught himself playing around in Photoshop that helped kindle an interest in digital photography. Searching for a camera led to him discovering DPReview and Richard was recruited by Phil Askey in 2007. He’s been combining his love of photography, communication and attention to detail (pedantry?) ever since.
He has unusually strong opinions about lenses for the APS-C format.
Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add DPReview as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.
Insta360 and Bambu Lab have launched a contest built around official Luna Ultra design files on MakerWorld, inviting creators to submit 3D‑printable accessories and related content.
Insta360
Insta360 is teaming up with 3D printer company Bambu Lab to encourage custom accessories for the new Luna Ultra gimbal camera. To that end, the pair has launched a co-branded Luna Ultra Design Challenge and made official design files available for creatives.
The challenge is hosted through Bambu Lab’s MakerWorld platform, a community where creators can share and 3D‑print custom designs. To make things easier for those interested in creating accessories, Insta360 has published official 3MF and STL design files for the Luna Ultra. Insta360 is the first camera brand with an official presence on MakerWorld, and it’s certainly not typical to see a company sanctioning third-party 3D-printed, precision-fit accessories for its cameras. That hasn’t stopped people from making their own accessories, but having an easier means to do so will likely be appreciated by many users.
The contest has two entry tracks: Track A is about designing and uploading actual 3D-printable parts for Luna Ultra, while Track B is about showcasing or pitching those ideas through content across major social platforms.
We see a shift where creativity doesn’t stop at capturing images—it extends into building and shaping the tools themselves.
Max Richter / Co-founder & Vice President of Marketing, Insta360
Track A is geared toward 3D designers and engineers and is meant for fully realized models. It consists of two categories: The Practical Add-ons category includes things like stability mounts, filming rigs and advanced creator tools, while the Creative Mods category focuses on aesthetic covers, playful themes and stylistic upgrades. Those submitting to Track A should use #PrintForLuna within MakerWorld.
Track B can include finished 3D-printed products, but it’s also open to hand-drawn design concepts and creative accessory ideas, so even those without a 3D printer can still take part. Those interested in submitting projects in Track B should tag their posts with #PrintForLuna, #BambuLab and #Insta360LunaUltra on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook or Reddit (r/Insta360).
Insta360
The challenge has prizes up for grabs. Insta360 says there are a total of 40 joint awards, with selected winners receiving the Insta360 Luna Ultra camera and either the Bambu Lab X2D Combo or A2L Combo 3D printers. There will also be other hardware prizes, along with gift cards and coupons. Additionally, the company says the best ideas may be selected for further development and possibly turned into an official product. Creators of those designs will have access to “exclusive collaboration opportunities and additional rewards, with full details confirmed with the winners directly.”
The Luna Ultra Design Challenge runs from now through August 9, with winners announced on August 20. You can download the 3MF and STL design files from MakerWorld, and learn more about submission requirements on the challenge page.
Press release:
“Let’s Make It”: Bambu Lab and Insta360 Launch Luna Ultra Design Challenge on MakerWorld
Opening up camera hardware customization for the first time, this collaboration gives the maker community official Luna Ultra design files to let their imaginations run wild and compete for the latest products from both brands.
July 10, 2026 — Bambu Lab and Insta360 today announced an official co-marketing collaboration, launching the Insta360 Luna Ultra Design Challenge on MakerWorld. Running from July 10 to August 9, 2026, this joint initiative democratizes accessory customization by releasing public 3MF and STL files for creators to build precision-fit camera gear. With the launch of its official brand page, Insta360 also becomes the first camera brand to establish an official presence on MakerWorld.
Expanding Camera Customization Through 3D Printing Think Bold. Print Bold. That’s the ethos driving this first-of-its-kind collaboration between Insta360 and Bambu Lab. This collaboration gives creators the freedom to think outside the box, shifting the experience from simply operating a camera to personalizing its look with custom-made camera gear. By moving past the limits of off-the-shelf parts, creators can now build custom, user-driven gear perfectly tailored to their unique taste or shooting environments.
The official 3MF and STL design files for the Luna Ultra are now available for public download on MakerWorld, empowering anyone to immediately begin building and printing custom hardware around the camera body.
“We see a shift where creativity doesn’t stop at capturing images—it extends into building and shaping the tools themselves. This collaboration between Insta360 and Bambu Lab brings together imaging and the maker community for the first time in this way, bringing creators the freedom to push the boundaries of what’s possible. ” — Max Richter / Co-founder & Vice President of Marketing, Insta360
How the Challenge Works To celebrate this collaboration, Insta360 and Bambu Lab are launching a dual-track competition designed to engage with designers, engineers, and creative minds. Participants can enter either—or both—of the following tracks:
Track A: Model Design Challenge Built for 3D designers and engineers to create and upload their custom creations using the hashtag #PrintForLuna. Download the official Luna Ultra 3MF or STL design files on MakerWorld to build and upload precision-fit physical camera gear. Submissions focus on two core categories: Practical Add-ons (stability mounts, filming rigs, advanced creator tools) and Creative Mods (aesthetic covers, playful holiday themes, stylistic upgrades). With MakerWorld’s 1-click printing via the Bambu Handy App, these community-designed assets can be instantly brought to life by users worldwide. Full contest details, rules, and model submission guidelines are available at https://makerworld.com/zh/contests/153?name=Let%27s+Make+It%EF%BC%9AMaker World+%C3%97+Insta360+Luna+Ultra+Design+Challenge#tab-Detail.
Track B: Social Content Challenge Built for creators, filmmakers, and imaging enthusiasts. Share your original Luna Ultra gear, DIY modifications, hand-drawn design concepts, or creative accessory ideas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, or Reddit (r/Insta360). Submissions can be photos, videos, or written ideas, and can be captured using any filming equipment. To enter, tag your post with the hashtags #PrintForLuna , #BambuLab , and #Insta360LunaUltra. Follow our official brand social media accounts to find full details and updates for this challenge.
Prizes & Timeline A total of 40 joint awards are up for grabs across both competition tracks, featuring an extensive lineup of hardware prizes, gift cards, and coupons valued at a total of US$11,160. Top creators will walk away with the ultimate setup featuring the newly released products from both companies: the Insta360 Luna Ultra camera paired with the Bambu Lab X2D Combo or the Bambu Lab A2L Combo 3D printers. Submissions will be open for one month (July 10–August 9), and there will be regular prize announcements throughout the challenge, culminating in the final winners’ announcement on August 20, 2026.
You Dream It. We Help Build It. The best ideas from either track may be selected by Insta360 and Bambu Lab for further development, with the incredible possibility of being turned into an official product. Selected creators will unlock exclusive collaboration opportunities and additional rewards, with full details confirmed with the winners directly.
About the Author: Abby Ferguson holds an MFA in photography and blends a fine-art background with extensive editorial and commercial experience. She built and led an in-house imaging program for a large vacation rental company and has served as an associate editor at Popular Photography. She also teaches at a local community college and serves on its Photographic Technology Program Advisory Board, sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for the medium.
Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add DPReview as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.
Three years after acquiring DPReview from Amazon, Gear Patrol’s founder reflects on the unglamorous, expensive work of rebuilding the site from the ground up.
Photographers and creators, the new DPReview is live in beta.
Or, in DPReview terms, let’s call it slightly pre-release firmware.
Holy smokes, this thing was not easy to pull off. We still have a lot to do, but this feels like the right moment to pause, crack my knuckles, and walk through how we got here.
The acquisition came to us under circumstances we did not expect, but it fit something I believed and still believe deeply: enthusiast communities matter. Product journalism still matters. And there is still a bright future for brands built around expertise, trust, and obsession, especially where a product sits at the heart of a passion.
That is what cameras are for: photographers and creators.
Teaching my youngest son, Everett, how to use my new camera, the Sony RX1R III. It’s so confounding but I love it. Aren’t the quirks what make camera gear so great?Hannah Yang
But it was also a real risk.
Dedicated cameras may no longer be the default for everyday photography. For many people, the iPhone is enough.
But I actually see a world where photography is building an exciting future. There is incredible innovation in both the products and creatives. Engineers and designers are still building tools that allow people to capture images and video in ways they could not before. Even film, monitors and printers are exciting. And yes, some bad-ass and occasionally questionable new product ideas are still making it to market.
I take that as a good sign. It means there is still some appetite for risk out there, and that the entire industry is not just trying to make the most pin-sharp 24-70mm f/2.8 lens in the world.
Acquiring DPReview was not easy for us. Working with Amazon put me in rooms with people above my pay grade. But we made a bet that we could be good stewards of one of the most important archives of photography knowledge on the web, one of the most deeply invested communities online, and a deeply respected editorial team.
I am still thankful Amazon agreed, because they certainly did not need to pick us.
Product journalism still matters.
But we also inherited a rabbit hole of aging infrastructure.
It’s staggering to even say this out loud, but until this week, DPReview was still operating without a responsive site for mobile users.
The job has been hard. We knew it would be. We have been working toward this launch for three years, with a couple of false starts along the way. We have been hammering on code, design, migration, UX, ad tech, editorial workflow, product decisions, and budgeting, so much budgeting, in earnest for well over a year.
It has taken a lot of resources, meaning cash, to get here. And as an independent media company, every dollar had to be earned and stretched.
I have questioned my own judgment more than once. I have worn out Ben Bowers, my partner in this whole endeavor, with an onslaught of meme GIFs; Sanford and Son was particularly poignant when I was bereft of productive words. I bought a monitor that I put into portrait-orientation so I could help debug CSS and stare into the abyss that was (and still is) the bug tracker.
There are times when no one knows how to say it better than Fred G. Sanford.
Thankfully, we are now at a place where we can go live, knowing full well that we still have so much work to do.
We first rebuilt the forums last year, migrating them to XenForo. And now we’ve moved the publishing side to WordPress VIP. We also modernized the tech stack. We rebuilt signature tools like the Image Comparison Tool and product comparisons. We made the site responsive. And we paid off huge chunks of technical debt that had accumulated over many years.
There have been moments where the project has felt bigger than I thought we were ready for.
But thankfully, I work with real pros. Many of them have lived and breathed DPReview for the majority of their careers. That is why being honest about how difficult this has been feels important. We are proud of the step forward, but we are not pretending the work is done. Those career-DPR staffers would never let me.
The new DPReview is live, but it is far from finished.
We launched in beta, and beta means what beta has always meant: bugs, fixes, feedback, and iteration.
This beta reminds me a little of the industry’s shift from DSLRs to mirrorless. The first bodies were not perfect. Autofocus had to improve. Lens ecosystems had to catch up. Firmware updates did real work. But the foundation was right, and the direction was clear. You had to start somewhere.
But DPReview is alive. It is moving forward. And it now has a new foundation we can build on.
That foundation matters. The legacy site was running on aging, increasingly expensive infrastructure that was getting harder to maintain and harder for modern internet users to find, understand, and share. Audience traffic and engagement are the lifeblood that keep DPReview free and alive.
Subscriptions can help, but we’ve done the math and are clear-eyed that they cannot carry the entire site on their own. People already have enough subscriptions in their lives, and we want DPReview to remain open and accessible.
So this is not just a redesign. It is the start of making DPReview sustainable for its next chapter. We will keep tuning, fixing, and improving it in public. Feedback is welcome. Patience is appreciated.
This beta reminds me a little of the industry’s shift from DSLRs to mirrorless. The first bodies were not perfect. Autofocus had to improve. Lens ecosystems had to catch up. Firmware updates did real work. But the foundation was right, and the direction was clear.
I am grateful to the team that carried this work through the unglamorous middle, where most of the real difficulty lives.
I am also grateful to the DPReview community for caring enough to keep pushing, questioning, and showing up. I know you still have real feelings about threaded views. We’re working on light mode. Maybe the new logo too. I get it. I have been reading this site and lurking in the forums for more than two decades as well.
Most of all, though, I am proud that we made this bet.
Joe Tornatzky (Creative Director) and I working side by side in the Culver City studio on designs with Scott Everett (GM, Product and Technology) and Caitlyn Shaw (Director, Growth Strategy & Development). I’m sure Richard Laws (Sr. Software Development Engineer) is in one of those windows too. There’s still much to do and we’re excited to get that rolled out in the future.Eric Yang
The future of media is not just algorithms. It is trust. It is inspiration. It is expertise. An example of that future we’re hoping to be a part of is supporting a community of people who care deeply about specific, ultra-niche things that only fellow enthusiasts fully understand, and can debate endlessly online and over beers. That is a special, very real thing.
That is why people trust DPReview’s little corner of the internet.
And today is a big step toward making sure it remains one.
Thanks for letting us take care of DPReview. We do not take the job lightly.
Eric Yang Founder, Gear Patrol
Huge shout-out to the launch team: Mathew Anderson, Dale Baskin, Mike Bailey, Ben Bowers, Richard Butler, Mitchell Clark, Mykim Dang, Scott Everett, Abby Ferguson, Richard Laws, Caitlyn Shaw, Joe Tornatzky, Anthony Wybornyand our talented counterparts at Fueled.
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A promotional video for Olivia Wilde’s “The Invite” offers an unpolished look inside Kodak’s film processing lab.
Kodak / A24
A new video from Kodak and movie studio A24 follows actress Olivia Wilde as she tours Kodak’s Film Lab in New York City. The tour is technically a promotional stop for “The Invite,” a recently released dark comedy Wilde both directed and stars in, though it doesn’t come across that way. Instead, the four-minute video offers a short glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes when movies are shot on film.
In the video, Wilde walks through various parts of the lab with technicians who briefly explain what they do, from loading the film in the darkroom to running it through the development steps and splicing it all together. What struck me is how very low-budget the space looks. Aside from the required specialized equipment (I especially love the fancy machine used to dry the negatives), it looks like any gritty big-city studio/lab space. Piles of miscellaneous items are piled everywhere, there are old radiators with paint rubbed off, and the people working there don’t seem fussed by any of the attention. It’s far from a glamorous space.
The video is a short watch, so it absolutely doesn’t get into the nitty-gritty details of the process. But it’s a nice overview of how the lab turns exposed negatives into usable images, and it’s always neat to see behind-the-scenes looks like this.
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The Sony DSC-RX10 V comes a whole nine years after the Mark IV. Can the latest technology possibly justify its 2026 price-tag?
Product photos: Richard Butler
The Sony RX10 V is an update to the company’s long-zoom large-sensor compact. It’s built around a 20MP stacked Type 1 (116mm2) sensor and a 24-600mm equiv, F2.4-4.0 stabilized zoom.
It’s a long-zoom ‘compact’ whose newfound processing power means it can shoot a range of subjects from landscapes to wildlife and maybe even a little sport. We’d be tempted to make the comparison to a Swiss Army knife, only the RX10 is far from pocketable.
Key specifications
20MP Type-1 (116mm2) stacked CMOS sensor
24-600mm equiv. F2.4-4.0 lens
Up to 30fps shooting
4K up to 120p with crop (60p full width) in 10-bit
3.68M dot EVF
1.62M dot tilting rear LCD
UHS-II SD card slot
630 shot/charge battery life rating
The RX10 V will be available in early August with a recommended price of $2,300. This is exactly in line with the US consumer price index inflation rate applied to the $1700 launch price of the RX10 IV, nine years ago. To use a different benchmark, it’s cheaper, relative to the a7 V and that camera’s peers, than the Mark IV was, relative to its contemporary a7 model.
It’s been eight years since the RX10 IV and Sony has made big steps forward in both technology and ergonomics in the meantime: the RX10 V benefits from both.
On the technology side, the RX10 V gains the Bionz XR processor and “AI processing unit” from the previous generation of Alpha cameras. This brings the full range of subject recognition modes, including birds, animals, cars, planes and the “human pose estimation” system that is designed to recognise people-shaped things in the scene, even when the face or eyes aren’t visible, to help the camera continue to track the same subject.
The added processing power allows the RX10 V to shoot at up to 30 frames per second with a blackout free viewfinder. You also gain the Speed boost function that lets you temporarily engage a faster (or slower) shooting mode, when you hold a customized button down, but you don’t gain the pre-capture function.
Autofocus has come a long way in the nine years since the previous RX10 was released, and the new model feels like a thoroughly modern camera. The other area of significant improvement over the same period is video, and the RX10 V is a bit step forward in that regard, too, with a host of Sony’s latest options including, significantly, the ability to capture 10-bit and H.265 footage, both of which make it more pleasant to work with.
Sony says it’s the same lens as on the RX10 IV, despite different reported focal lengths
Sony says it’s the same lens as on the RX10 IV but CIPA standards for reporting focal length have apparently changed in the meantime, meaning it’s quoted as a 9.1-210mm zoom, rather than the 8.8-220mm figures printed on the side of the previous two models. We suspect the figures now quoted are the literal focal lengths, rather than the effective focal lengths after corrections has been applied. The end result is the same, though: a 24-600mm equiv range with an F2.4-4.0 maximum aperture and in-lens stabilization.
It’s hard to get your head round just how much flexibility a 24-600mm lens gives you until you use it. There are cameras that offer even more range, but all of them are based on much smaller sensors, so you pay a price in terms of image quality, if any survives the heat haze.
The lens has a built-in shutter which can go as fast as 1/1000th of a second at wide apertures, and 1/2000 sec at F8 and slower. This is great for flash, as you can sync up to those maximum speeds but quickly becomes limiting in bright light. You can switch the camera to e-shutter mode which, with a rolling shutter rate of 15.7ms (1/64sec) is still pretty fast, but this requires you to switch to the lossy compressed Raw format. There’s no auto mode to let you use mechanical shutter up to its limit, then e-shutter beyond that.
Body and handling
Richard Butler
The RX10 V is a substantial camera but that’s to be expected for something trying to deliver a 24-600mm equivalent zoom range. It’s been a long time since we handled an RX10 IV but the grip shape seems improved, offering a sturdy grip on the dense, polycarbonate body.
There’s no front dial, the logic presumably being that you’ll use your index finger for operating the zoom rocker. This means the two command dials on the rear shoulder are both operated with your thumb. There’s also a rather fiddly dial on the rear plate of the camera but thankfully, with the provision of two customizable command dials and an aperture ring, there’s rarely need to use it (it’s not used in photo mode, by default).
The RX10 V gains a USB-C socket in addition to its mic, headphone, micro-HDMI and USB Micro-B/Multi port, which is now essentially just an accessory terminal.Richard Butler
Unlike recent Sony cameras, the RX10 V has a 10Gbps USB-C socket for fast data transfer but then retains the USB Micro B ‘Multi’ socket for attaching external accessories. This can no longer be used for charging the camera, reducing its usefulness to being an accessory port.
The RX10 V still uses a single SD card but the interface now uses the slightly newer UHS-II standard, rather than the UHS-I slot on the previous model. This is quick enough to accommodate the 600Mbps (75MB/s) data rate required for 4K/60 video capture with All-I compression.
Viewfinder
Richard Butler
The viewfinde gets an upgrade to 3.68M dots (1280 x 960px), which is a decent step up from its predecessor. The resolution drops a little if you engage the high refresh rate mode, and battery life drops, too, but whichever mode you choose, the resolution is maintained, even when using C-AF, so you don’t get the potentially distracting drop in detail when you half-press the shutter.
Screen
The screen is also refreshed, with the Mark V using a 1.62M dot (900 x 600px) screen that matches the sensor’s aspect ratio, rather than the 4:3, 800 x 600px panel on the previous model. The screen is still mounted on a tilt up/down cradle, which gives a decent level of flexibility but isn’t well suited to portrait orientation shooting.
Battery
Richard Butler
Other than the improved autofocus, perhaps the biggest change on the Mark V is the move to the much larger NP-FZ100 battery. This is the 16.4Wh battery that has powered the various a7 models for the past nine years. It has a capacity more than twice that of the FW50 battery used in previous RX10 cameras, giving much better battery life in a way that seems appropriate for a camera so likely to be used for travel and long shoots outdoors.
In use
When you first start up the camera, you’re confronted with a very simple, compact-camera display, with five large touchscreen buttons arrayed down both sides of the screen. This ends up feeling somewhat nostalgic, having not encountered a mainstream point-and-shoot for some time, and rather at odds with the more Alpha-styled controls and main menu.
The touch-panel interface that’s on by default feels strangely dated and out-of-place on such a capable camera with such obvious influence from Sony’s ILCs.
Anyone not wanting to use touchscreen buttons, or wanting a less cluttered display can remove them (the option to do so is under Touch Operation / Touch Panel Settings, rather than with the display options in Operation Customize).
With this done, the RX10 V feels a lot like an Alpha-series camera, with the new menus representing a big improvement over the ones in the previous models. It’s not without its foibles but for the most part it’s well grouped and organized, and with a little customization of the Fn menu and custom buttons, you can minimize your need to visit it.
The RX10 V gains Sony’s latest menu system, which is a big step forward from those in the RX10 IV.
The RX10 V has the same issue as other Sony cameras in terms of a couple of incompatible settings: you’ll need to disengage Raw and switch to HEIF format before you can engage the camera’s HLG Stills mode to shoot true HDR images, and you’ll have to switch your Raw format if you want to engage the electronic shutter mode. All of which leaves the risk that you forget to switch back.
Richard Butler
Also, somewhat disappointingly for such a travel-friendly camera, Sony remains the only major brand not to offer some kind of in-camera Raw conversion. So if you take a nice shot but want to tweak the white balance, color mode or DRO level before sharing it, tough luck, you’ll just have to messily hack the JPEG around on your phone.
There’s a lot to like, though. The dials and joystick give a good sense of direct control, letting you feel you have direct command over the camera’s really rather impressive capabilities. It has its limits, though: it will try to keep focusing if you zoom with the ring around the lens (you can’t use the zoom rocker), but it definitely struggles, which can limit some sports or action shooting. But the ability to quicky zoom with the rocker under your index finger and fine-tune the framing with the lens ring helps keep the power zoom feeling pretty engaging.
Video
The previous RX10 V’s video topped-out at 4K/30, despite the use of a fast, stacked CMOS sensor. The Mark V pushes way beyond this, with the option to shoot 4K/120 with a significant 1.38x crop or oversampled 4K/60 from the full width of the sensor. As you’d expect from a modern camera, this can all be done in 10-bit, making Log, and in particular, the more ambitious S-Log3 curve, much more usable.
A 72mm filter thread means it’s easy to add ND filters to the RX10 VRichard Butler
But video improvements over the past nearly decade go further than speed. The RX10 V lets you shoot in the attractive, S-Cinetone color mode and it lets you upload LUTs for previewing your preferred color grade, or to burn directly into the footage. It has Sony’s Auto Framing mode that identifies a subject, punches in and follows them around, upscaling the footage and giving a camera operator dynamism to what are actually locked-off shots. There’s also the Active Mode IS that corrects a wider range of movement, available at up to 4K/60.
Then, on the audio side of things, the RX10 V can capture up to four-channel audio, if you attach an accessory to its multi-interface connectors in the hotshoe. A 72mm filter thread allows you to attach ND filters as needed.
Above all of this, though, the RX10 V’s video also benefits from its improved autofocus system, which is much more tenacious and dependable in terms of subject tracking, especially if your subject is of a type the camera has been trained to recognize.
Initial impressions
The long lens on the RX10 V wouldn’t be my usual choice but I enjoyed the way it made me look for photos I couldn’t usually take.
Sony RX10 V | 435mm equiv. | F4.0 | 1/1000 sec | ISO 100Richard Butler
It’s been nine years since the last RX10 model was released and, although things have been pretty quiet on the compact front, the rest of camera technology and performance have continued to make advances. Much like watching a young relative you rarely get to see grow up through a series of infrequent visits, the prolonged gap really makes you notice how much has changed in the meantime.
The RX10 V is a dramatically more advanced camera than its predecessor: faster to focus and much more dependable at subject tracking. The menus and ergonomics have come a long way, too, and its video capabilities are leagues ahead of where the RX10 IV had brought us to.
I’m not generally a fan of long-zoom cameras, as I’d usually prioritize compactness over that additional reach that I rarely find myself wanting to use. But the enhanced AF performance and speed capture add a lot to what was already a camera with a strong following. They vastly expand what the RX10 V can do, and the changes to the controls and battery are significant benefits, too.
Unlike the recent L10, that doubling of battery capacity hasn’t led to much of a change in body size, and it wouldn’t have made much difference anyway, on a body so dominated by that vast lens.
It’s striking to get to see what nearly a decade’s worth of improvements, delivered all in one go, look like.
There can be a few delays, here and there, waiting for the lens to initialize, and it was disappointing to have to swap shutter modes (and Raw filetype) or stop down when hitting the 1/1000 sec limit of the mechanical shutter. But overall I’ve found the RX10 V to be a pleasant travel companion whose lens constantly challenged me to think of photos that I couldn’t otherwise take.
Whether that makes it worth $2300 is for each individual to decide, but it’s striking to get to see what nearly a decade’s worth of improvements, delivered all in one go, look like.
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.
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Sony DSC-RX10 V specifications
Quick Specs
Body Type
SLR-like (bridge)
Effective pixels
20.0 megapixels
Sensor type
Stacked CMOS
Lens Mount
None
LCD
Tilting
LCD size
3.0″
LCD dots
1620000 px
Shortest exposure time
1/2000 sec
USB – Port 1
USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbit/sec)
Weight
1111 g
Max resolution width
5472 px
Max resolution height
3648 pixels
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
File format – still (structured)
JPEG, HEIF, RAW
SensorSizeHeight
8.8
Press release:
Sony Electronics Introduces RX10 V – The Fifth Generation of the All-in-One Super Zoom Camera for Travel, Wildlife, and Sports Photography
AI-powered Real-time Recognition AF and High-speed Performance with a 24-600mm*1 Zoom.
San Diego — July 9, 2026 — Sony Electronics announces the RX10 V, the fifth generation of its RX10 all-in-one camera series. A single body covers wide-angle to super-telephoto through a large-aperture ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-600mm*1 (25x optical zoom) F2.4-4.0 lens.
The RX10 V keeps the series’ resolution, super-telephoto reach, and integrated lens design, and adds AI-powered Real-time Recognition AF (auto focus) for accurate subject identification. Paired with blackout-free continuous shooting at up to 30 fps2 (frames per second) with full 60 fps/sec. AF/AE (auto exposure) tracking, it holds focus on fast, unpredictable subjects. A 20.1 megapixels (approximately effective) 1.0-type stacked Exmor RS™ CMOS sensor and BIONZ XR™ processing engine drive both stills and up to 4K 120p3 video, covering a wide variety of scenarios spanning from everyday moments to wildlife to school sports. The large aperture and 1.0-type sensor render soft, natural background blur.
The RX10 V borrows its button layout and grip design from the α™ (Alpha™) mirrorless series for intuitive control. A larger4 Quad-VGA OLED electronic viewfinder shows fine detail clearly in bright sun or indoors, helping you compose precisely. The Z-series NP-FZ100 battery extends still shooting to approximately 630 shots5, roughly 50% more than the previous model*4.
“The RX10 series camera became a cult classic because it is a joy to shoot with in real life scenarios, and its range is unparalleled in a compact camera body. With the camera’s fifth generation we are bringing valuable features from our Alpha line to make the RX10 V an unbeatable choice for any passionate wildlife, birding, or sports photographer,” said Yang Cheng, Vice President of Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics.
Pricing and Availability: The RX10 V will be available for a suggested retail price of $2,299.99 US / $2,899.99 CAD from August 2026.
RX10 V Key Features
Wide-angle to super-telephoto image quality in one camera
A ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* F2.4-4.0 zoom covers 24mm to 600mm1 (25x) with optical image stabilization, spanning everyday shots to sports and wildlife. Macro focusing reaches approximately 3cm (1.18-inches) at 24mm1 and approximately 72cm (28.3-inches) at 600mm*1 for tele-macro.
The BIONZ XR™ image processing engine keeps noise low at mid-to-high ISO, including indoors and in low light. Skin tones, skies, and greenery hold high resolution with accurate color and texture.
Twelve Creative Look presets set color and texture in-camera, and you can customize each one. The updated D-Range Optimizer (DRO) balances highlights and shadows across a wider range, up to Lv8, lifting shadows in strong backlight for more natural portraits.
AI-powered subject recognition and high-speed performance
Real-time Recognition AF, driven by an AI-processing unit, recognizes people, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains, and airplanes, with an Auto mode that identifies the subject type for you.*6 Human pose estimation tracks people even when they turn away or wear helmets or sunglasses. Touch a subject to start Real-time Tracking, which follows it steadily while you focus on composition.
Track fast movement and capture decisive moments up to 30 fps2 while keeping your view uninterrupted with blackout-free continuous shooting. Up to 60 AF/AE calculations per second7 maintains precise focus and exposure on wildlife, sports, and other fast-moving, unpredictable subjects, so you can stay locked on the action from start to finish.
The Continuous Shooting Speed Boost function*2 increases burst speed when selected during a sequence.
Video features
The RX10 V records up to 4K 120p video3, including 4K slow motion at up to 5×8. Active Mode stabilization steadies handheld footage. The Multi Interface (MI) Shoe™ supports a digital audio signal with compatible microphones (sold separately) for clean recording. AI subject recognition also drives an Auto Framing function*9 that keeps the subject centered during recording.
S-Cinetone™ gives cinematic color straight away, and S-Log3 leaves room for post-production grading. You can import up to 16 user LUTs and monitor the graded look while shooting in Log.*10 Time-lapse and still-image extraction with Shot Mark round out the video tools.
Handling and reliability
A 0.5-type Quad-VGA OLED viewfinder with approximately 3.68 million dots and approximately 0.78x magnification*11 shows the subject clearly for composition. A 3.0-type LCD monitor, upgraded to approximately 1.62 million dots, displays fine detail.
The NP-FZ100 battery supports approximately 630 shots5 per charge, roughly 50% more4 than the previous model.
A button layout and grip based on the α series, plus a responsive eight-direction multi-selector, keep operation intuitive even through the viewfinder.
A dust- and moisture-resistant design12 suits varied conditions, and Wi-Fi (2.4/5 GHz) handles fast, stable transfers.13 USB Type-C® supports high-speed transfer and 4K 30p live streaming.
Creators’ App connects the RX10 V to your smartphone to send files to the cloud or phone, control the camera remotely, and update software.
Exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new RX10 V and Sony’s other imaging products can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, a site created to inform, educate, and inspire content creators.
Learn more about the RX10 V from the newly released in-depth course on AlphaCameraAcademy.com, a free education site for beginner creators.
*1. Angle of view (35mm format equivalent). *2. Using the electronic shutter. Sony internal measurement. Continuous shooting speed may be reduced depending on shooting conditions. *3. 4K (QFHD 3840 x 2160) 120p recording results in a slightly narrower angle of view. *4. Compared to the RX10 IV. *5. CIPA standard. When shooting stills using the LCD monitor. Up to approximately 570 shots when using the viewfinder. *6. The intended subject may not be recognized in some situations. Manually selecting the intended subject in [Recognition Target] may resolve the issue. *7. Actual performance varies based on settings, environmental conditions, storage, and usage. Battery capacity degrades over time as they age. Sony does not guarantee the life span of the battery. *8. Post-production editing and S&Q mode recording are required. Audio recording is not available in S&Q mode. *9. Available in movie mode only. Cropping from a 4K-resolution image area results in a narrower angle of view. *10. LUT (Look Up Table): A file containing preset contrast and color information. Supported file formats are 17-point or 33-point CUBE files (.cube). *11. 35mm equivalent, with a 50 mm lens focused at infinity and diopter set to -1 m⁻¹. *12. The camera features a dust and moisture resistant design but is not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof. *13. Supported frequency bands vary by country and region. *14. Download app at Google Play and the App Store. Network services, content, and operating system and software subject to terms and conditions and may be changed, interrupted or discontinued at any time and may require fees, registration and credit card information.
About the Author: Richard graduated as a scientist but had a lot more fun writing and shooting for his university magazine. A number of years spent variously as a reporter, writer and editor on science and engineering titles combined his knowledge of science with his interest in images and words. But it was spotting the connections between emission spectra, white balance and all the nonsense he’d taught himself playing around in Photoshop that helped kindle an interest in digital photography. Searching for a camera led to him discovering DPReview and Richard was recruited by Phil Askey in 2007. He’s been combining his love of photography, communication and attention to detail (pedantry?) ever since.
He has unusually strong opinions about lenses for the APS-C format.
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The company’s latest release is made for cinema thanks to its power zoom capabilities.
Fujifilm
Fujifilm has announced the GF19-35mmT3.5 PZ OIS WR, a cinema power zoom lens. This marks the second power zoom lens for the GFX system, joining the GF32-90mmT3.5 PZ OIS WR.
The GF 19-35mm T3.5 offers a 35mm equivalent focal length of 15-28mm, providing an ultrawide perspective. It offers the widest angle of view for the GF format, though it just achieves that by only 1mm over the GF 20-35mm F4 R WR. Like Fujifilm’s first power zoom lens, the 19-35mm T3.5 covers the GFX Eterna 55’s full sensor, making it compatible with the camera’s open gate recording mode.
The lens’s built‑in focus motor enables the GFX Eterna 55’s full suite of autofocus modes, making it suitable for everything from handheld documentary work to more controlled studio productions. Its internal servo system lets users control focus, iris (aperture) and zoom directly from the GFX Eterna 55 body for more precise, integrated operation on set. It features built-in image stabilization, ideal for run-and-gun filming.
Fujifilm
The lens consists of 23 lens elements in 15 groups, including four extra-low dispersion (ED) elements and three aspherical elements, which Fujifilm says successfully suppress aberrations. Fujifilm says its optical design suppresses focus breathing, keeping the angle of view consistent as the focus is adjusted. It features a 13-blade aperture.
The GF 19-35mm T3.5 shares the exact exterior dimensions as the GF32-90mmT3.5 PZ OIS WR, measuring 222mm (8.7″) and weighing 2.1 kg (4.6 lbs), making it possible to use the same accessories and setups. It also shares the same controls, with geared rings for focus, iris and zoom, all of which use the same 0.8m gear pitch as existing Fujinon cinema lenses.
The GF19-35mmT3.5 PZ OIS WR will be available on July 23 at a suggested price of $5499.95.
Press release:
Fujifilm Adds Second Cinema Power Zoom to GF Lens Lineup: FUJINON GF19-35mmT3.5 PZ OIS WR
Widest angle of view available in GF format expands versatility for the GFX System
VALHALLA, N.Y. – July 9, 2026 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Electronic Imaging Division, today announced the release of FUJINON GF19-35mmT3.5 PZ OIS WR (“GF19-35mmT3.5”), the second FUJINON cinema power zoom lens for the GFX System. With a native G Mount, GF19-35mmT3.5 provides the widest angle of view available in the GF format, offering filmmakers at all levels of production a large format cinema zoom with expanded cinematic versatility and exceptional optical performance in a compact, lightweight design.
GF19-35mmT3.5 pairs perfectly with FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55, particularly alongside FUJINON GF32-90mmT3.5 PZ OIS WR, with which it shares identical exterior dimensions, enabling the use of shared accessories for seamless rig setups. In addition, the operability of zoom and focus functions is standardized between the two lenses. Used together, this combination enables a streamlined filming style that minimizes equipment requirements and crew workload, not only enhancing production efficiency, but significantly expanding creative flexibility, opening up new possibilities in filmmaking.
“GF19-35mmT3.5 not only continues Fujinon’s legacy in optical design, but as the first expansion of the GF cinema zoom line, it emphasizes Fujifilm’s commitment to products designed specifically for filmmaking,” said John Blackwood, director, Brand & Product Marketing, Electronic Imaging & Optical Devices Divisions, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “The expansive large format angle of view helps preserve natural perspective across the frame, allowing filmmakers to anchor their vision for cinematic storytelling.”
Designed for immersive, location-based storytelling where scale, movement, and reliability matter, GF19-35mmT3.5 pairs an ultra-wide 19-35mm focal range (equivalent to 15-28mm in 35mm film format) with purpose-driven optics, consistent geometric rendering, and minimal focus breathing.
Maintaining the ability to cover the Open Gate recording of GFX ETERNA 55, GF19-35mmT3.5 reflects the practical demands of ultra-wide cinema work, where flexibility across filming setups is essential. Purpose-built for G Mount, its lightweight (approx. 4.6lbs/2.1kg) and compact (approx. 8.74 in./222mm) build supports more camera configurations while still providing the desirable focal lengths for wider shots.
Product Features
Fujifilm’s second motorized power zoom lens1 designed for filmmaking with a constant T3.5 aperture
This cinema power zoom covers 19-35mm focal length (equivalent to 15-28mm in 35mm film format), from ultra-wide angle to standard, delivering the widest angle of view in a compact cinema zoom within GF format, for tight spaces and expansive views.
Internally motorized focus enables the use of FUJIFILM GFX ETERNA 55’s many autofocus modes – especially useful in documentary, handheld, and interviews – and internal servo operation allows focus, iris, and zoom control directly from GFX ETERNA 55’s camera body.
The lens consists of 23 lens elements in 15 groups including four extra-low dispersion (ED) elements and three aspherical elements, effectively suppressing aberrations, achieving a compact size while maintaining bright maximum aperture of T3.5 and consistent optical performance throughout the zoom range.
Constant T3.5 expands possibilities, delivering footage with consistent exposure across the zoom range in real-world environments.
Combines cinema lens operability with compact, lightweightdesign
Inheriting the optical performance characteristics of the widely praised FUJINON Premista Series2 zoom lenses for cinema cameras, GF19-35mmT3.5 measures just over 8.74 inches (222mm) in length and achieves a lightweight design at approximately 4.6 pounds (2.1kg) by adopting an optical design and DC motor optimized for motorized power zoom.
Equipped with a three-ring system that allows independent manual control of focus, iris, and zoom, all operating rings use the same 0.8M gear pitch3 as the existing FUJINON cinema lenses. This standard gear pitch enables compatibility with essential filmmaking accessories such as follow focus systems and lens motors.
The focus ring features a wide 200-degree rotation angle, allowing precise focusing with smooth torque even in shallow depth-of-field scenes.
Outstanding image quality supported by advanced optical design technologies
Equipped with Nano GI coating to suppress flare and ghosting caused by light entering at oblique angles, reducing reflection loss and improving light transmission for clear, sharp images.
By optimally positioning proprietary optical design and the internal lens barrel components, the lens suppresses sudden angle-of-view changes during focusing (breathing), enhancing framing stability while focusing.
A 13-blade iris achieves a nearly circular bokeh. This improves the roundness of out-of- focus elements, even when slightly stopped down.
Powerful image stabilization and fast, smooth, high precision autofocus
Powerful, built-in image stabilization is achieved through improved shake sensing accuracy and optimized stabilization mechanism design. This is especially effective in the situations such as documentaries and run-and-gun4 style filming that require high mobility.
By directly driving the motors at high speed in response to focus, zoom, and aperture (iris) ring operations, the lens achieves both excellent responsiveness and high accuracy of indicator position.
Pricing and Availability
FUJINON GF19-35mmT3.5 PZ OIS WR lens will be available from July 23, 2026, at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $5499.95 USD.
1 At the time of release, motorized power zoom control is supported only on the “GFX ETERNA 55“. Support for other GFX series mirrorless digital cameras will be added sequentially through firmware updates. 2 The “Premista” Series is a lineup of zoom lenses designed for high-quality filmmaking, compatible with cinema cameras featuring large-format sensors. The series includes wide-angle, standard, and telephoto types. 3 The distance between the teeth on the gear engraved on the control rings. 4 A shooting technique where the filmmaker moves around holding the camera, quickly adjusting framing and positioning according to the situation.
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Buying a new camera is an exciting feeling. For this week’s community question, we’re asking readers: what image made you realize your new gear was worth it?
Abby Ferguson
This image was taken with an Olympus M-1, which Abby bought while in Japan for CP+. It was from the first roll of film she put through the camera, and while the subject matter is near and dear, it was also one of the images that made her especially happy she purchased the camera.
With the updated DPReview website, new things are all the rage today. We’ve previously asked you about your first and favorite new cameras, about your first and favorite photos, and now we’d like to combine the two for this week’s community question.
What image made you realize your new gear was worth it?
We’d love to hear the story behind the piece of gear – whether it’s a lens, camera, flash or something else – and see the images that sparked that appreciation. It could be a piece of equipment that was only new to you, as was the case for the camera used to take the image at the top of the article, or something fresh out of a box.
Drop a reply in the comments section below, and if you’ve got a photo to include, it may be selected for next week’s showcase article on this topic!
About the Author: Mathew Anderson is a proud Community Manager for the technology industry and a past visitor to DPReview.com for all his camera needs. He is currently the lead of DPReview’s community and primary communication link between the community and DPReview’s team.
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Have a question about DPReview’s new website? Find the answers here.
DPReview has an all-new website, our first redesign from the ground up in over 25 years. For the full story, see our announcement article. If you just want a quick answer, you’re in the right place.
If your question isn’t covered here, post it in this forum thread or in the comments below, and we’ll get you an answer. If it’s something others would find useful, we’ll add it here.
General questions
Q: Does the new site signal a change in DPReview’s coverage? A: Our editorial mandate isn’t changing. We’ll continue to bring you the same authoritative, unbiased coverage of cameras and photography you’ve come to depend on, written by the same people.
Q: Was the old site broken? If not, why change? A: Not broken, but overdue. The site has been running on the same aging codebase for over 25 years, and maintaining it has become increasingly costly and limiting. Moving DPReview onto a modern platform means we can invest in new features and improvements far more efficiently than we could on legacy infrastructure while keeping DPReview’s editorial identity fully intact. The old system was a ceiling. This removes it.
Q: Does the new site have a ‘light’ mode? A: No. At this time, the site is exclusively in dark mode.
Account and history
Q: Do I need to do anything to update my account? A: No, your account will transfer over to the new site automatically.
Q: Will my comments, forum posts and history carry over? A: Yes, your previous account history, including comments, will follow your account to the new site.
Q: Do I need to log in again or reset my password? A: No, you should not need to log in again on the new site.
Article comments
Q: What happened to my old comments? A: Your comments are all being migrated and won’t be lost. Older comments take longer to move over, so they’ll appear in stages: the most recent should return within a few hours of launch, comments from earlier this year within a day, and older comments over the following days.
Q: Why did you change the commenting system? A: Our previous commenting system was deeply integrated with the old website, and it wasn’t feasible to bring it over to the new one. We know commenting matters to many members of our community, so keeping it meant building a new system on a new foundation. Comments still appear under articles, but they work a bit differently.
Q: Why aren’t comment replies nested anymore? A: They’re not, and we want to be upfront about it. The old system nested replies one level deep, to indicate which reply belonged to which comment. The new system works differently. Instead, you can quote the comment you’re replying to, so it’s still clear who you’re responding to.
Q: How do I reply to someone now? A: Click the “Reply” button under their comment to start a reply. If you want to quote the other person for clarity, you can click the “Quote Reply” button and the system will quote the other user above your text.
Ads
Q: How do I get fewer ads? A: Log into your DPReview account when browsing the site. If you’re not registered, creating a free account and signing up for our newsletter takes a minute and gets you the same benefit.
Q: I’m logged in. Why do I still see ads? A: This isn’t meant to be an “ad-free” experience. You’ll still see ads, but fewer of them. We still rely on advertising to help fund DPReview, but as a thank-you to our registered users, we’re giving logged-in visitors a cleaner page.
Q: Is there a paid ad-free subscription? A: Not currently, but it’s something we’re exploring for the future.
Challenges
Q: What happened to Challenges? A: As we mentioned in April, our old Challenges system was tied closely to the previous site and couldn’t move over as-is. Rather than rebuild it exactly as it was, we’re building a new Challenges system from the ground up that reflects a lot of the feedback you’ve given us over the years. It’s actively in development.
Forums
Q: Does the new website impact the forums? A: No, the forums are not affected. They run on a separate platform that isn’t part of this migration, so you can keep using them exactly as before. To get there from the new homepage, click “Discussions” in the navigation bar, which links directly to our most popular forums, or select “All Forums” to see the full index.
The Beta label and site speed
Q: Why does it say “Beta” at the top of the site? A: It’s our way of being upfront that we’ll keep refining things over the coming weeks. That includes addressing known issues and dialing in details as we go. Separately, a small number of features, like Challenges, aren’t live yet and are being rebuilt from the ground up; you can read more about that below.
Q: How long will it stay in beta? A: We expect the site to stay in beta for several weeks. We’ll drop the label once we’re confident the site has earned it.
Q: Why are some pages loading slowly? A: In the first days after launch, some pages, especially photo-heavy ones, may load more slowly than usual. The site caches an optimized version of each image and page the first time it’s viewed and serves the fast cached copy thereafter. Right after launch, those caches are still filling in, so the first visit to a given page does more work than subsequent visits, which should load more quickly.
Getting help and bug reporting
Q: I have a question or need help. Where do I go? A: Please visit the community forums to ask questions and discuss the site redesign. You can also report issues there as well. If you are unable to log in or have other access issues that prevent you from posting in the forums, please email us and include your account username, along with a brief description of the issue, at community@dpreview.com.
Q: How do I report a bug A: If you discover a bug you’d like to share with us, please report it using this forum thread. Note that we will keep an updated list of reported bugs in the first post of the thread, so take a moment to review that list in case your bug has already been reported.
About the Author: Dale Baskin is a professional photographer, writer, and filmmaker based in the Pacific Northwest. He is the Managing Editor of DPReview.com.
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Having worked out where the L10’s extra bulk comes from, Richard wonders whether the benefits might be worth it.
Mitchell Clark
The much larger battery in the L10 takes up almost 1/3rd of the body’s volume, so it’s no surprise that the camera is larger than the LX100 models.
The Panasonic L10 is appreciably larger than the LX100 models that came before it. This has caused some people to dismiss it as no longer making sense, once it’s comparable to the size of the smallest ILCs and their retractable lenses.
It’s also brought into question our use of the term “compact camera” which we’ve historically used for cameras with built-in lenses, but that’s an issue for another day.
Handling the L10, it quickly becomes apparent why it’s so much larger, with the new, much larger battery taking up approximately 1/3rd of the body space. This is because the L10 uses a battery with over twice the capacity of the one used in the LX100s: 15.8Wh, rather than 7.4.
The camera has also become a little deeper, because the screen is now articulated, rather than fixed (something we found frustrating on cameras with such a wide-angle lens). The L10 also has a separate door for its SD card, rather than it slotting in behind the battery, though sadly the door is so close to the tripod socket that this separation doesn’t bring any particular benefit.
Having traveled with the camera for a while, I found myself appreciating those two changes more than I was put off by the loss of pocketability. With a wrist-strap, it’s small enough to comfortably carry all day, but now with the battery life to sustain it over prolonged periods, and the ability to turn the rear screen in for protection, when stuffing it into a camera bag or carry-on luggage.
Does it have as much flexibility as an ILC? No, but its lens is brighter (in both absolute and equivalent terms) than ILC + kit lens pairings that come close to its size. And, like the Fujifilm X100 cameras, that are the same height and width as the L10, there’s a certain appeal to a self-contained device that does one particular thing, rather than a camera that could, theoretically, do anything. If you don’t see that appeal, then it’s not the L10, or its size, you dislike, it’s compact/fixed-lens cameras.
About the Author: Richard graduated as a scientist but had a lot more fun writing and shooting for his university magazine. A number of years spent variously as a reporter, writer and editor on science and engineering titles combined his knowledge of science with his interest in images and words. But it was spotting the connections between emission spectra, white balance and all the nonsense he’d taught himself playing around in Photoshop that helped kindle an interest in digital photography. Searching for a camera led to him discovering DPReview and Richard was recruited by Phil Askey in 2007. He’s been combining his love of photography, communication and attention to detail (pedantry?) ever since.
He has unusually strong opinions about lenses for the APS-C format.
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Canon is trying something new with its latest power zoom to make it more appealing to photographers. Does it work?
The key to the Canon RF 20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ for photographers is the switch to go between power and manual zoom mode.
Alongside the EOS R6 V, Canon introduced the 20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ. Like most power-zoom lenses, it’s clearly mainly focused at video users who have access to a zoom toggle at their fingertips. But Canon made the unusual decision to take a hybrid approach; with the flick of a switch, you can control the zoom in the traditional manner by rotating a ring on the lens barrel between two fixed points.
We’re in the process of testing the EOS R6 V, but thought it’d be worth taking the lens out to shoot a few photos, too, to see if it also makes a decent photo lens on a camera without that zoom lever.
To answer the most obvious question first: no, the manual zoom mode isn’t mechanical. The lens’s focal length is still controlled by the power zoom motors, and there is an ever-so-slight delay between you turning the ring and the lens arriving at its destination. The lens is pretty quick, so it’s not too noticeable if you’re just zooming in slightly, but you can definitely see (and maybe hear) it if you’re going from 20mm to 50mm.
This somewhat breaks the illusion of direct control that the manual zoom portion of the lens is designed to add. It also doesn’t help that the ring is just a bit too easy to turn. That both makes it easy to accidentally change your zoom level when you didn’t mean to, and acts as another signal to your brain that you’re actually remote-controlling something, rather than physically moving parts of the lens yourself.
The good news is that, unless you bump the zoom ring, the lens will retain its focal length setting when you turn the camera body off; unlike with a compact camera, you don’t have to wait for it to move back through its range to 50mm when you turn your camera back on. However, if you move the zoom ring while the camera’s off (accidentally or otherwise), you’ll have to wait an extra moment or two for the lens’s motors to change its focal length when you turn the camera back on, during which time you won’t have any live view preview.
I also found the 20-50mm focal length to be quite enjoyable to shoot. I’m a fan of 50mm, so I don’t mind it ending there if it means a smaller lens, and being able to go that bit wider came in handy quite often.
Canon EOS R5 II | Canon RF 20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ @ 21mm | F8 | 1/250 sec | ISO 100 | Processed with Capture One
While I imagine some photographers may be disappointed reading the above, I’ll also say this: after about an hour or two of shooting with the lens, I mostly stopped noticing the quirks. That’s not something I can say about any of the other power zooms I’ve shot photos with, which were always that bit more annoying to use. Sure, the experience of using the 20-50mm isn’t the same as using a mechanically zooming lens. But it’s also much
nicer for photography than a traditional power zoom that can only be controlled with a rocker or finicky on-lens control.
The W – T control on the lens isn’t just a toggle. If you only push it a bit towards either end, it’ll move through the range slowly. Push if further, and the zoom will happen faster.
For those who care about video, the story is more straightforward: this lens is really nice to use, especially if the camera it’s on has a zoom toggle. Even if it doesn’t, the power zoom control on the lens works well. With a bit of finesse, you can use it for slow, purposeful pushes or pulls, or for crash zooms, depending on how far you push it to the W or T side.
There are also times when it’s nice to use it in the manual zoom mode, where how easy the ring is to turn becomes a feature, rather than a bug. I’ve always found it quite difficult to get smooth zoom pushes or pulls using a lens’s traditional mechanical zoom ring, but with this lens, it’s a breeze, while still offering a bit finer-grained control than the traditional power zoom control.
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For 13 years, Stuart Palley has been creating striking images of wildfires that keep getting bigger, faster and harder to predict.
From the Airport Fire in the Santa Ana Mountains in Southern California in September, 2024.
Fujifilm GFX100 II | GF 20-35mm F4 R WR | 25mm equiv. | F5/0 | 1/20 sec | ISO 800Stuart Palley
When Stuart Palley began photographing California wildfires in 2013, the data already pointed toward more serious wildfire problems ahead. Over the next 13 years and nearly 200 fires, he watched that prediction come true. Fire seasons grew longer, fires burned faster and more aggressively, and January 2025 brought an inferno to the hills of Los Angeles at a time of year that usually felt like a safe time.
Through all of it, Palley has been there with a camera, building a visual record of the American West’s fire crisis. I had the opportunity to chat with him about his journey capturing wildfires, the toll it takes and Terra Flamma, his current ongoing series dedicated to a fresh perspective.
Fire as light
From the Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in July 2025.
Nikon Z8 | Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S | 70mm | F2.8 | 30 sec | ISO 6400Stuart Palley
While Palley is still very focused on the journalistic side of his photography, his Terra Flamma series blends the boundaries between documentary and fine art. The project involves using long exposures to photograph fires at night, and Palley was drawn to making these images in part because of the colors they allow.
Palley explained that he frequently thinks about a quote from Vincent van Gogh, who said, “I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.” Van Gogh’s paintings, like “The Starry Night
,” were direct inspiration for Palley’s fire-lit nightscapes. “That use of color and night scenes just always stuck with me from growing up, and I just loved access to the color palette that wasn’t otherwise available,” he said.
The Mateo Fire burns at the edge of Camp Pendleton and the Cleveland National Forest southeast of San Clemente in San Diego County on the Orange County Line Monday June 15th, 2026.
Fujifilm GFX100 II | GF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR | F5.6 | 60 sec | ISCO 1600Stuart Palley
The images grasp onto that idea, showcasing landscapes in a manner we don’t often see. “Fire is its own light source, and it bathes everything in this warm light,” Palley explained. “When you add in smoke and other geographic features, it can either be an enormous warm softbox, or it can paint everything in orange and red, and then contrast it against a more blue or purple night sky. So it creates this incredible color palette that is only available when the fires are happening.”
Terra Flamma isn’t just about color, though. The long exposures give you a different look at the fire’s behavior, too. “You see what it’s doing, you see where the smoke’s going, and it sort of illuminates the scene,” said Palley. The long exposures also showcase the landscape, providing a bigger view of the situation. “Ultimately, the goal of Terra Flamma is to take these landscape photos of fire and put them in the context of where they are,” he said. “Is this happening in the mountains in the middle of nowhere? Is it happening near downtown LA?”
Palley doesn’t only photograph wildfires. This was taken at the Lineage Logistics warehouse fire in Los Angeles, California, at the end of June 2026. He’s also starting to capture drone footage (video and photo), which you can see on his YouTube channel.Stuart Palley
Palley has also expanded the series to include stories beyond the fire itself, including firefighters, crews, communities, air quality, forestry management and more. “The fire has become part of a broader ecosystem when it comes to storytelling about climate and natural disasters here in the American West,” he told me.
While Terra Flamma occupies the fine art end of his work, it represents only part of what Palley does at a fire. During the day, he’s working as a photojournalist documenting firefighters, crews and affected communities with the same immediacy as any news photographer. The long-exposure landscapes come when the sun dips down.
Putting gear in the line of fire
Palley’s longer exposures are typically shot from a safe distance from the fires, but sometimes, he’s right in the mix. This image was handheld, so he could move more freely.
This image is from the Eaton fire in Altadena, California, in January 2025. You can see a video of the scene here.
Fujifilm GFX100 II | GF 55mm F1.7 R WR | F1.7 | 1/35 sec | ISO 3200Stuart Palley
Of course, long exposures create logistical challenges that daytime images don’t. Fires are dynamic and can change rapidly, and setting up for a long exposure requires time. Thankfully, most of his long exposures give him the benefit of distance as a safety buffer. “A lot of times when I’m doing these longer landscape exposures, it’s from further back, looking at the fire in context across a canyon or down a hill,” he said. “So, I typically have some space built in that gives me both geographic safety and the time to make these images.”
That’s not always the case, though. Palley remembered one image in particular where he was much closer to the fire, with a 30-second exposure capturing embers swirling around him. “I had to stand there holding my camera in the wind, getting pelted by embers,” Palley said. “I’ve got like a hood, a helmet, goggles and all this stuff. So, I was fine. But I decided at that point that it was worth making that picture because it showed the ember cast in such a wild way that it was worth sitting there for the 30-second exposure.”
From the Eaton fire in Altadena, California, in January 2025.
Fujifilm GFX100 II | GF 80mm F1.7 R WR | F7.1 | 1/160 sec | ISO 800Stuart Palley
Thankfully, fires haven’t been the direct cause of damage to Palley’s gear. “I’ve certainly damaged and destroyed multiple cameras at these fires, but it’s not necessarily from negligence,” he said. He recalled one time in 2015 when he dropped his camera after getting attacked by a displaced beehive because they were attracted to his yellow Nomex suit. Another time, he melted a lens hood because it fell into burning grass.
The most common issue, he says, is smoke. “The cameras smell like ashtrays,” he said. “You get smoke and ashes on it, but you get alcohol wipes, and you wipe the cameras down every day to reduce smoke exposure and things like that.” He also sends them off yearly for a cleaning to maintain his gear. “But ultimately, it’s a tool and tools used in challenging conditions just often need more maintenance,” he explained.
Training is key
A Cal Fire Boeing 747 air tanker drops flame retardant to slow the El Dorado fire in California in 2020.Stuart Palley
While Palley, of course, wants to create incredible photographs, he draws a clear line. “The key thing here is no photo is worth me getting hurt or getting in the way of firefighters,” he said. He’s always putting his safety and the job of firefighters first.
That focus on safety has only increased over the years, too, as fires have become more intense. “I’ve always been safety oriented, but I’m very, very conservative now on how I approach these fires because the fire behavior is so extreme,” he said. “From having been at almost 200 wildfires at this point, the fire behavior continues to surprise me with how aggressive and rapid it is.”
A Cal Fire engine crew member sprays hotspots at the Tenaja Fire in Murrieta, California, in 2019.Stuart Palley
Palley’s safety record is no accident. Since early on in his career, he has devoted a lot of time to making sure he is well-trained, knowledgeable about fires and has the right gear. “When I first started photographing fires, I had basic Nomex PPE, but the boots didn’t quite fit right. I didn’t have the right fire shelter,” he told me. “So within the first year, I went to a private wildland fire school for a week to get my general wildland firefighter training.”
“When I’m at fires, I want to be there to tell the story, not become part of it”
He’s also careful to continually update his gear so that it meets current standards. For example, he recently purchased a $3000 radio because many agencies have updated their radios, and he needs an easy way to listen to what’s going on to stay safe and out of firefighters’ way. “When I’m at fires, I want to be there to tell the story, not become part of it,” he said.
A home covered in fire retardant after an aircraft drop was a few hundred feet off at the Tenaja Fire in Riverside County, CA, in 2019.Stuart Palley
Palley has also started sharing his knowledge with others. He recently led a two-day wildfire media safety course for 20 Reuters staffers and freelancers. “It’s a blend of some very general wildland fire behavior and training that’s standardized for firefighters, but it’s sort of customized in a curriculum I just developed to teach journalists,” he explained. That information can then help other journalists stay safe, while producing informative coverage of these events.
That directness extends to how he talks about irresponsible coverage more broadly. Palley is a genuine believer in the democratization of media and is all for more people covering these events. But he has little patience for journalists or creators who treat dangerous situations carelessly. “When I’ve seen so many extreme fires, fatality fires, homes burn down, I don’t have time to sugarcoat these explanations,” he said. “Sometimes you have to just be direct and tell people to get their shit together. This is serious stuff happening. It needs to be taken seriously.”
Building trust and the ethics of wildfire photojournalism
From the Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in California, in November 2018.Stuart Palley
Trust is also a factor when photographing these fires. Palley is often working in the vicinity of firefighters, and they need to know that he’s not a liability and that they can trust him to be responsible and safe. “If you’re a journalist there, to a wildland firefighter, you’re the X-factor,” he said. “Trust is one of the biggest things, and that’s the reason why I’m big on having the right gear and the training and knowing how to use it.”
Trust extends beyond wildland firefighters and safety crews, too. Palley often photographs communities when people return to their homes after fires, a traumatic and emotional experience. “When you’re photographing people on the worst day of their lives or the most stressful day of their lives, sometimes they don’t want that to be photographed,” he described.
“I want to respect the dignity that people deserve in these situations.”
“I want to respect the dignity that people deserve in these situations and build that trust,” Palley said. Because of that, he gives people space when requested, moving on to other areas and photographs. “To me, that’s more important than making that picture,” he told me.
The cost of the work
Smoke from the Dixie Fire in August 2024 fills the sky over the drought-impacted Lake Oroville in northern California.Stuart Palley
Palley considered conflict photography early in his career before deciding against it, in part because of the mental health toll he knew it could take. The irony is that wildfire photography has its own cost.
“Journalists deal with vicarious trauma, and if it’s not treated, it essentially develops into PTSD,” he said. He’s clear about what the work actually demands. “When these fires happen, you’re working 16, 18-hour days on assignment. It’s just very intense,” he said. “The human body and mind are not designed for that level of stimulation for that amount of time.”
There’s been a growing movement in both journalism and the firefighting world to acknowledge this, and Palley learned it firsthand. In 2023, he was feeling the burnout and stepped back from photographing fires for about a year.
Palley documenting the Palisades fire in Los Angeles County, California, in January 2025.Chiara Dollak
Recovery, for him, has meant therapy, stepping away from social media during intense fire periods and making space to decompress. “When it’s been a really intense fire reporting period, just kind of be present, literally touch grass, rest, get away from the digital screen,” he said.
The cost of this work is real, but so is Palley’s commitment to it. He returned to the fire line when the LA fires broke out in January 2025 and hasn’t stepped back since. For those looking to stay informed, he recommends Watch Duty, a free nonprofit app he volunteers for that sends real-time alerts about fires and evacuations across the United States.
His parting advice, after 13 years and nearly 200 fires, is straightforward: “If you’re worried about a fire and you haven’t gotten an evacuation order, you don’t have to wait for an evacuation order to leave. You can always leave.”
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Modern cameras are marvels of software engineering. But as physical objects, they’re much simpler than what came before.
Mirrorless cameras have largely taken over from DSLRs. That transition has lead to a different kind of engineering taking the lead role.DPReview
I have an admission: there’s just something I don’t love about shooting with the Nikon Z8. Pressing the shutter and hearing the speaker go “click” just isn’t the same experience as hearing and, more importantly, feeling, a mechanical shutter fly open and slam closed at 1/200th of a second.
There are absolutely benefits to this approach: the e-shutter won’t wear out, no matter how many times it’s used, you don’t have to worry about shutter shock*
and the sensor never being blocked means the EVF has a constant feed of what’s happening in front of the lens. Were the Z8 the only camera I shot with, I’m certain I’d grow used to it and, in time, probably come to love the experience of an e-shutter-only life.
I think, though, that this mild dissatisfaction has less to do with the Z8 specifically, and a… let’s not call it an issue, but perhaps a quirk
of mirrorless cameras in general and how they interact with my specific experience. They are, unquestionably, technological marvels, better in almost every way than what came before. But they aren’t mechanical wonders.
None of this is meant to pick on the Z8 specifically, I’ve just been shooting with it a lot. While most other mirrorless cameras still have a mechanical shutter, their most ambitious modes don’t use it, and they’re still mechanically much more simple than even basic DSLRs.Richard Butler
I’m approaching 30 years old, which means my entire life has taken place after the digital revolution, both in cameras and the world at large. There is no Before Computers for me; some of my earliest memories are messing around with the settings of the family desktop when I was four.
As I grew older, I turned that interest into a job, building and fixing computers and, eventually, programming them and writing about technology. As a result, I understand how they work at a pretty fundamental level. While I might describe a mirrorless camera’s autofocusing and subject recognition capabilities as “magical,” I know they’re not. I’m familiar with how machine learning works, and could explain it in excruciating detail. I can recognize great software engineering, but I’m not astounded by it.
This isn’t the case for DSLRs. While I have a decent understanding of how they do what they do, I still find it incredible that it’s all possible at all. What do you mean you can use a system of mirrors,
optical splitters and custom-made line sensors
to let you look through the lens and autofocus at the same time? And the mirror and shutter coordinate to flip up and fire at precisely the right time to expose the sensor? 10 times a second? And they figured this out in the 90s?
A diagram of the autofocus sensor assembly for the Canon EOS 5D II. If you want to get an idea of how mechanically complex that camera is, go check out all the technical diagrams in our review.Canon
It’s even truer for film, where you have a similar level of SLR complexity, but the computer part – the stuff I understand – is replaced by a strip of chemicals that physically change when exposed to light. Again, I have some knowledge of what’s actually going on. I’ve done the reading. But every time I pull developed film out of the tank and look at the negative, it just feels like witchcraft. How could pressing a button on a mirrorless camera and kicking off the take picture function in its computer ever compare?
Until you look at the pictures and realize that the Z8 can track a subject from the very edge of the frame, and have it in focus the entire time. And that it can capture it at 20fps, with no viewfinder blackout. And sync with flash at 1/250 of a second, without a mechanical shutter
. It’s old news today, but versus any (D)SLR, it’s revolutionary.
SLRs and their digital counterparts are like mechanical watches, full of complex moving parts. Mirrorless cameras are like a smartwatch; still a feat of engineering, but of a completely different kind.Richard Butler
This effect extends beyond cameras, too, in our increasingly computerized world. I’ve pretty much exclusively worn digital watches of some form, but my coworker Richard says the obvious point of comparison is intricately made and fully mechanical watches versus computer-powered smartwatches. The silicon models are simpler, easier to understand, and more accurate than a mechanical model could ever be. But where’s the soul?
For me, the more obvious point of comparison is one more familiar to me (but no less clichéd): internal combustion engine vehicles versus electric ones.**
Like with mirrorless systems, I understand at a fundamental level how EVs work. And no matter how many truly excellent explainers
I watch, and even how often I work on my own cars, I still can’t really wrap my mind around how a combustion engine does what it does. (You expect me to believe all these precise operations can be synchronized by a belt or a chain?) But like with cameras, that complexity, beautiful as it is, comes with a cost: I know some prefer the traditional experience, but driving an EV, it’s hard not to see it as the future.
I still can’t really wrap my mind around how a combustion engine does what it does
With all this said, there are still mechanical wonders around; both the kinds you’d expect, and ones that are a bit easier to overlook. As an example of the former, take Leica’s M-series cameras; the rangefinder mechanisms are intricate and precise, the kind of thing an unskilled technician could take apart, but not put back together. And while the company was, at one point, only producing a few hundred of its film rangefinders a year, they’ve seen a surge in popularity again, indicating a demand for that mechanical, analog experience.
There’s plenty of complex physical engineering to be found in the mirrorless world, too. Stabilization systems, both in-camera and in-lens, are an impressive dance between gyroscopic sensors, software and actuation mechanisms, and become even more so when coordinating together. And gimbals take this to an even higher level; seeing one in action can be so mesmerizing that you’d be forgiven for forgetting that the device that you’re watching corrects for the movement it’s detecting in real-time and moving a who-knows-how-heavy camera setup to match only costs $300.
I also fully realize that there will be those for whom the wonder is flipped; a mechanical engineer might be more awestruck by complex algorithms than mechanical linkages, no matter how delicate or ingenious. And some folks may be completely flummoxed by cameras new and old, alike. But whichever makes most sense with your brain, it’s worth stopping to remember that cameras aren’t just technology. They are, of course, impressive pieces of tech. But they’re also doing something special, whether we understand how it’s happening or not.
* – Which becomes an increasing concern as sensor resolution increases; there’s a reason the Sony a7R series use electronic front curtain, which avoids shutter shock, by default.
** – Apologies for choosing three particularly contentious examples.
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Sony is gearing up for an announcement of what seems to be a new bridge camera in a few days
Sony
Sony is set to announce a new model of its RX10 enthusiast long zoom compact next week, according to a teaser video. Captioned “The wait is over. A new RX10 is coming 7/9/2026,” it shows off a silhouette of what appears to be the camera’s lens and body.
The reference to a wait is apt. The RX10 IV, which featured a 20MP Type 1 sensor (116mm²) and a 24–600mm equiv. lens, was released in late 2017, and hasn’t been available to buy new for a while now. That absence has been felt even stronger because of the lack of other cameras in this class. Panasonic’s FZ1000 II was one of its closest competitors, but is also now unavailable.
Other bridge cameras, like the Nikon P1100 or Panasonic ZS300, fill similar roles of offering a ton of zoom range, but with different sets of trade-offs. The P1100 offers a massive 24–3000 mm zoom range, but uses a Type 1/2.3 (28mm²) sensor that makes even the RX10 IV’s look massive by comparison. And while the ZS300 also uses a Type 1 sensor, its 24–360mm is decidedly less ambitious with an aperture range of F3.3–6.4, compared to the RX10 IV’s F2.4-4 (equivalent to F9-17.4 and F6.5-10.9, respectively).
Sony’s teaser has essentially no other information on what upgrades it has made to the RX10 IV’s formula in the near decade since it launched, but we don’t have long before we find out. According to the video, the announcement will be at 07:00 Pacific / 15:00 BST on July 9th.
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How to go beyond taking pictures of fireworks with your phone, or sticking your camera into fireworks mode.
Canon EOS 5D | F8 | 3 sec | ISO 250Rishi Sanyal
This weekend, people and cities across the US will be celebrating the Fourth of July with the traditional large firework displays. If you’re trying to capture those, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind if you want to get pictures that truly sparkle.
We’ve outlined the most important ones in a video, which you can watch below:
If you’re looking for a more in-depth look at how to shoot fireworks, including tips from someone who’s done it professionally, we have a few articles you can dive into, too. Stay safe, have fun, and get some great shots!
PS: not American? These tips will work just as well on November 5th, December 31st or any other day with big fireworks displays. It’s never too early to start planning!
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Fujifilm has announced two new QuickSnap single-use cameras to celebrate 40 years of the lineup.
Fujifilm
Fujifilm is celebrating the 40th birthday of the QuickSnap series of single-use 35mm film cameras. To mark the occasion, the company has announced two new additions: the QuickSnap Black and White and Active.
The QuickSnap Black and White is Fujifilm’s first one-time-use camera that uses monochrome film. That perhaps isn’t too surprising; while Fujifilm has produced black and white film under its Neopan brand since 1952, the line has been whittled down over the years to just a single stock, Neopan 100 Acros II.
The simply named QuickSnap Black and White is the company’s first monochrome single-use film camera in the lineup.Fujifilm
The new disposable camera uses 400 speed film, but Fujifilm hasn’t specified an emulsion. Given that Fujifilm’s only black and white film in production right now is 100 speed, it isn’t that. But it isn’t clear if this is a proprietary emulsion made for the camera, or if it’s sourced from a third party like Ilford. Either way, Fujifilm says the film stock is “designed to capture rich contrasts, tones and textured grains.”
The black and white camera uses a 1/140 sec shutter speed and a plastic, 32mm lens with fixed focus and F10 aperture, as is typical on single-use film cameras. It features a built-in flash with a range of roughly 3 meters (10′), and a switch to turn the flash on and off. It offers 27 exposures and can be developed with C-41 chemistry.
The QuickSnap Active replaces the QuickSnap Waterproof, though it is functionally the exact same.Fujifilm
The QuickSnap Active replaces the previous waterproof QuickSnap. It’s designed to withstand rain and underwater adventures up to 10 meters (33′), thanks to an integrated waterproof housing. It also uses a 32mm plastic lens with F10 aperture and fixed focus, though a slightly slower 1/125 sec shutter speed.
The Active uses an 800 speed color negative film. The previous waterproof camera likely used Superia X-TRA 800, but it isn’t clear yet if that continues in the new Active. Unlike the black and white offering, the Active does not feature a flash. It is capable of 27 exposures and can be developed with C-41 chemistry.
The Fujifilm QuickSnap Active and Black and White will be available for purchase in early September for $25 and $23, respectively.
Press release:
FUJIFILM QuickSnap™ One-Time Use Cameras Celebrate 40 years with New Product Announcements
New Black and White Variety and an Updated Waterproof Camera Introduced
VALHALLA, N.Y., June 30, 2026
— FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Imaging Division, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the introduction of its QuickSnap™ one-time use camera line with the introduction of two new varieties of its popular portable camera lineup – QuickSnap Black and White™, and QuickSnap Active™, which replaces the current waterproof QuickSnap™ camera.
“For 40 years, FUJIFILM QuickSnap™ cameras have been trusted companions for people making images on the go,” said Bing Liem, division president, Imaging Division, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “In the age of endless smartphone imagery, one-time use cameras have always offered something unique – intentionality. A dedicated device in your hand solely used for image-making – a departure from the constant beeping, buzzing, or alerts from our electronic devices. QuickSnap™ reminds us to take a breath, be authentic, and capture a raw moment, filter-free. These latest new varieties take that intentionality a step further, bringing users the artistic flair of black and white photography, or the go-anywhere capability of a durable all weather camera.”
Key features of QuickSnap Black and White™:
Designed to capture rich contrasts, tones, and textured grains with its integrated ISO 400 135 Black and White negative film
Built-in flash with a range of approximately 10 feet
Switch for flash
27 exposures
35mm film (film processing not included)
Developed with C-41 chemistry for easy developing
Key features of QuickSnap Active™:
Designed for unpredictable, all-weather, all-terrain adventures with a protective housing and wrist strap
ISO 800 135 Color negative film
No flash
27 exposures
35mm film (film processing not included)
Developed with C-41 chemistry for easy developing
Waterproof up to 35 feet
Pricing and Availability
FUJIFILM QuickSnap Black and White™ is expected to be available early September 2026 at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $22.90 USD and $34.99 CAD. FUJIFILM QuickSnap Active™ is expected to be available early September 2026 at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $24.75 USD and $36.99 CAD.
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Our new website will go live next week. Here’s what you need to know.
Back in April, we shared some big news
: for the first time since DPReview went live in 1998, we’ve been rebuilding the entire site from the ground up. This isn’t just a cosmetic update or a new coat of paint, but a rebuilding of the entire codebase and migration to a modern web platform we can support for years to come.
After months of work, we’re ready to make the switch. This has been a massive undertaking. Beyond building everything that’s new, we’ve had to migrate more than 25 years of content, product databases, widgets, and more to an entirely new system.
It took a little longer to wrap up than we expected, and that was deliberate: we wanted certain things working properly out of the gate rather than rushed. A good example is our Image Comparison Tool
, the widget that lets you compare studio scene images between cameras. We haven’t just rewritten it for the new site; we’ve redesigned it to work well on phones and tablets, too.
Here’s what to expect over the next few days, and how the change might affect your use of the site.
What to expect
The migration begins tomorrow, Friday, July 3. You can keep using the site as usual during this period, with a couple of limitations:
Comments on articles will be frozen so we can migrate them to the new system.
Creation of new DPReview accounts (including forum accounts) will be temporarily unavailable.
On Wednesday, July 8, we plan to flip the switch and turn on the new site. From that point, you’ll see the new DPReview website in place of the current one.
The forums will not be directly impacted by the migration. If you’re already a registered forum user, you can carry on as normal.
Once the new site goes live
Launch day is the start, not the finish line. As with any project of this scale, some things will take some additional time to wrap up. We’ll make sure to share a list of work still in progress, along with FAQs covering the new site and how to get support.
We will also set up a dedicated forum thread to log known issues and provide a place to report bugs and ask questions. Some bugs will inevitably slip through, and we appreciate your patience as we track them down and fix them.
In the meantime, we’re re-sharing the FAQ we published a few weeks ago, in case anything comes up before launch. Once the new site is live, we’ll add more FAQs to cover additional questions we know you’ll have.
None of this would have been possible without you. Your feedback over the years – including all comments, direct messages, emails, and the occasional rant – helped shape the new site. We’re looking forward to sharing the results and building the next phase of DPReview alongside you.
FAQs
Is the current site broken? If not, why change?
Not broken, but overdue. The site has been running on the same aging codebase for over 25 years, and maintaining it has become increasingly costly and limiting. Moving DPReview onto a modern shared platform with our sister site Gear Patrol means we can invest in new features and improvements far more efficiently than we could on legacy infrastructure while keeping DPReview’s editorial identity fully intact. The old system was a ceiling. This removes it.
Will this affect DPReview’s editorial content?
Our editorial mandate isn’t changing. We’ll continue to bring you the same authoritative, unbiased coverage of cameras and photography you’ve come to depend on, written by the same people.
When can I see what the new site looks like?
We hope to share some sneak peeks in the weeks leading up to launch. You’ll be able to see the full site on launch day.
Will the new site be faster?
Yes, the new site will be faster and more reliable for most things. That said, some functions are limited by factors outside our control. Downloading a large sample image, for example, still depends on your connection speed. We can make the site faster, but we can’t speed up the entire internet 🙂
Will the review archive and the camera and lens databases be available at launch?
Yes. We are migrating all our existing content, including articles, reviews and the camera and lens databases.
Will the site still be optimized for desktop users with large monitors?
Absolutely. While mobile is an important part of the new design, we have no intention of short-changing desktop users. We love big, beautiful photos, and if you’re on a large monitor, we want you to get the full benefit of that experience.
Will my saved bookmarks still work?
Yes, existing bookmarks will continue to work.
Why do you need to freeze the Challenges system?
The current Challenges system will not be carried over to the new site – we’re building a new one that will launch after the site goes live. To avoid any challenges starting under the old system that can’t be completed during the transition, we’re freezing new challenge creation on April 25th. Any challenges already underway will complete normally before the switchover.
Will this affect the forums?
The new website will not change how our forums work. There may be minor cosmetic updates to align with the new site design, but the forum experience will remain fundamentally the same.
Will the new site have ads?
Yes. Advertising is one of the ways we fund DPReview’s operations, and that won’t change with the new site.
Will my account and post history be preserved?
Yes. Your account, comments, forum posts, and history will all carry over to the new site.
Will there be further updates after launch?
This is the beginning, not the end. We’ll continue to make improvements after launch, and the new codebase will make it significantly easier to introduce new tools and features going forward.
How can I provide feedback?
You can leave a comment below or reach us at community@dpreview.com
. Once the new site is live, we’ll have a dedicated area of our forums where you can ask questions, discuss the changes, and share feedback.
About the Author: Dale Baskin is a professional photographer, writer, and filmmaker based in the Pacific Northwest. He is the Managing Editor of DPReview.com.
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