Almost every time a camera maker announces a new model, I spot a few comments that follow a familiar script: someone sees the price, winces, and declares the company “greedy.”

It’s not just cameras. The same charge gets thrown at smartphone makers, appliance manufacturers, and even app developers who choose to charge a subscription. I see it far more often today than I did ten years ago, and in most cases, I think it’s misguided.

Don’t get me wrong. I understand sticker shock, and I feel it too. My colleague Richard Butler has done a great job explaining why your sense of camera prices might be out of date and why launch prices always seem high. Even with that perspective, though, we still feel the sting of higher prices. But a price that makes us cringe isn’t evidence of greed.

Mitchell Clark

Few people start a business to give something away, and camera companies aren’t charities. Like most companies, their goal is to make money, ideally as much as they can. That’s not wrong – it’s business.

Consider what that means. Camera makers want the highest price they can get today. But they wanted the same thing five years ago, and ten years before that. Their appetite for profit didn’t suddenly appear when prices went up, and that appetite always has to be tempered by what people are willing or able to pay. What has changed is what it costs to design and build a camera, and what we’re comparing new prices against.

In fact, it can be in our interest for camera companies to be profitable. Profit keeps them in business and pays for R&D. And let’s be honest – making cameras isn’t exactly a gold mine. Olympus sold off its camera business, and Samsung walked away from the market entirely, just as it was emerging as a more serious player.

Additionally, we always want more. I’ve never seen a camera launch where everyone said, “That’s it. This camera is perfect. It’s all we’ll ever need.” There’s always a “but.” But if it only had this one feature… The catch is that nobody agrees on what that feature is, so manufacturers have to keep developing. That requires money.

Am I suggesting that manufacturers never overreach? Of course not. We’ve all seen a company swing for the fences on price, sometimes to the point of being laughable. As Richard pointed out, launch prices in particular are essentially an opening bid, the most a company will ever get for a product, and they’re often optimistic.

However, consumers have power too: we can choose not to buy. If a camera sits on shelves, its price will come down. It almost always does. And if it sells out at full price, that tells us something too, even if we don’t like what it says.

Richard Butler

Is the system perfect? No. A handful of brands dominate the camera market, and once you’re invested in a system, switching is neither easy nor inexpensive. Companies do have real leverage over pricing, and it tends to show up where you’re locked in: proprietary batteries, pricey accessories, or even mounts that restrict the use of third-party lenses. Those are fair targets for criticism. But it’s a much more specific complaint than “this camera costs more than I want to pay, so the manufacturer must be greedy.” And when it comes to the cameras themselves, you have alternatives.

The next time a new camera’s price makes you cringe, try asking a different question. Instead of “why are they so greedy?”, ask “is this worth it to me?” If the answer is no, don’t buy it. It’s the most effective message a camera buyer can send.

That message has its limits, though. Holding off on buying might bring an optimistic launch price down, but it can’t make a camera cheaper to manufacture. If enough people decide the answer is yes, that price may simply be the new normal. If enough decide it’s no, we’re more likely to get a cheaper camera than the same camera for less.

Last month, Yashica announced it was working on the Y16, a tiny pocket camera that mimics the design of the Y16 released in 1959 by the original Yashica company. While details on the camera were slim, the company has now fully revealed it, giving us its specifications, price and release date.

The Y16 has a 12MP ~18mm² sensor paired with a 27mm F12 equiv. lens. Like many of the other cameras the company makes, this means its image quality will be far lower than that of a typical smartphone, though for some, that’s part of the charm. Alongside the announcement, Yashica has shared some sample images from the camera, which you can see in the gallery below.

What phones don’t have is a proper xenon flash built-in, which will help in low-light situations. The company says it should work at up to 2m (6’6″) away from your subject. The camera also features an optical viewfinder, and a 1.45″ display.

Yashica

Physically, it’s minuscule, weighing only 93g (3.3oz). It measures 91 x 45 x 29mm (3.6 x 1.8 x 1.1″), so it should fit in most pockets and pretty much any purse or bag.

The Y16 has a microSD card slot for storage, and actually comes with an 8GB card. While that’s not huge, it should hold quite a few of the relatively small JPEGs the camera produces. Plus, given the price, it’s hard to complain about included storage: the Y16 will retail for $119. The company says it’s currently still in production, but it’s available for pre-order now and is expected to ship in late November.

The Yashica of the 1950s isn’t the same as the one today, as in the 1980s it was sold to Kyocera, which has since licensed the name to other companies. The current crop of Yashica cameras appears to be sold by the Hong Kong-based 100 Enterprises.

Manufacturer samples

Godox has announced the A2, a flash that’s designed to attach to the back of your phone. While almost every smartphone has a flash built-in, they’re almost always LEDs, which aren’t particularly powerful, and don’t really produce the look most people associate with flash photography. The A2, meanwhile, has a xenon flash tube, like you’d find on a traditional compact or flash gun.

It magnetically connects to the back of your phone, providing the classic front-on flash look that is nostalgically associated with photos from compact cameras. However, since it’s wireless, you’re also free to detach it from your phone and use it as a bounce or fill light. The company says its bluetooth connection should work at up to 15m (49′) away.

Godox

Unlike most cameras, phones don’t really expect you to be using them with an external flash, which means you can’t use the A2 with your phone’s built-in camera app. Instead, Godox is providing its own app, which lets you either shoot in auto mode, which decides how bright the flash should be and your exposure settings for you, or in a fully manual mode that gives you control over all those settings.

Godox

Godox says that, at launch, the app will work with the iPhone 15 or newer running at least iOS 18. The company promises that versions for Android and Huawei’s HarmonyOS are in the works.

The flash is small enough to fit in most pockets once detached from your phone, so it’s not surprising that it’s not the most powerful light out there, with a guide number of 15. The company says that, for best results, you should have the flash within 2m (6’6″) of your subject. But while it’s not particularly powerful in the world of standalone flashes, it’s still much brighter than the flash included on your phone.

The A2 also has a 3W bi-color modeling light built-in, which you can use to make focusing and composing easier in dark environments, or as a video light with adjustable color temperature. The company says you should be able to leave it running at full power for up to an hour off of the 500mAh internal battery, which is also good for up to 400 full-power flashes.

Alongside it, Godox is releasing several optional accessories that you can use to shape the light and change its look, and that give you more options for positioning it. The magnetic ring that lets you attach the flash to your phone also means you can theoretically mount it to any magnetic surface.

The A2 seems like a very interesting product for anyone who’s serious about phone photography, and we’ve enjoyed Godox’s flashes in the past. It will, however, be interesting to see how well its camera app works, and whether it comes with a hit to image quality. So much of mobile photography comes down to multi-shot exposures and computation, and it’s unclear whether Godox’s app will have any of that (and, if it does, how well it’ll play with flash).

Godox

Thankfully, Godox isn’t demanding too high a price for the A2: it retails for $85, and comes with a diffuser dome and carrying case. It’s also available in four colors which, perhaps unsurprisingly, match this year’s crop of pro iPhones: silver, black, light blue and dark red.

Meet Jim Kasson

Home base: United States

Jim Kasson, a long-time member of DPReview’s moderator team, has been taking and processing photographs since he was given a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye in the early 1950s. His work has since ranged from documentary and photojournalism to fine-art series, and his current kit includes the Nikon Z8, Hasselblad X2D II and Fujifilm GFX 100 II.

In this spotlight, Jim shares the practically boundless diversity of cameras and lenses he uses today, the lessons learned through years of darkroom and digital work and why he believes a photographer’s own images will show them how to improve.

“In 1951 or 1952, when I was eight or nine, my parents bought me a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye camera. It took a dozen 2 1/4-square pictures on a roll of 620 film, was made of Bakelite, and had a not-very-precise waist-level finder and a shutter release you pressed with your thumb. I loaded it with Super-XX film and started making a pest of myself behind the camera ever since.”

Our ‘What’s in your bag?’ community spotlight series features readers sharing their favorite gear and photography, including from past DPReview collaborators. See below for what today’s guest has to share.

What’s in Jim’s bag

Jim Kasson

Favorite cameras(s):

• Nikon Z8 with the 105mm macro or Plena lens
• Hasselblad H2D II with a 35-100mm lens
• GFX 100 II with a 110mm F2 or Rodenstock 105mm F5.6 HR Digaron macro lens

Favorite lens(s):

• Nikkor AF-S 105mm F1.4 ED
• Zeiss Otus 55mm and 85mm
• Leica 280mm F4 Apo-Telyt-R
• Cosina-Voigtländer 125mm F2.5
• Jenoptik 60mm F4 IR-VIS-UV

“In the past, I’ve used a Graflex Speed Graphic 4×5, Minolta Autocord, Mamiya 330, Hasselblad 501 and 503, Linhof Technika, Plaubel Makina, Nikon F, F3, F4, F5, D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, Leica M8, M9, M10, Sony Alpha 7 and 9. As you can see, I’ve used a lot of cameras.”

Favorite gear: “My favorite piece of gear is the one that best enables me to realize my current vision for a series. So that changes from series to series. Currently, I’m using the Fujifilm GFX 100 II and the Rodenstock 105mm F5.6 HR Digaron Macro, and liking the results.”

How did you get started in photography?

Jim Kasson

“Early on, I did what a lot of photographers did: I worked for the school newspaper and yearbook, entered student contests, etc. Then I was photo editor of the Stanford Chaparral. After that, I took photos of auto racing for Competition Press and AutoWeek.

After getting the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye camera, it soon became obvious that drugstore processing was too expensive. So, my father purchased a rudimentary darkroom kit: a plastic Kodak developing tank with an apron that took a day to dry, a Kodak Tri-Chem pack (developer, stop, and fixer in tiny foil packets), a 15 W light bulb that’d been dipped in red dye, three plastic five-by-seven trays, and a small contact printing frame. I’d load the film into the developing tank in a closet and develop and print in the bathroom, washing the film and prints in the sink. This didn’t exactly endear me to my mother, but I loved it.

In the spring of 1957, I was a freshman at Choate. During spring break, I got the idea of taking pictures for the school newspaper. I talked my father into loaning me a Weston Master II light meter and his folding Zeiss Ikon camera: 16 pictures on a roll of 120mm film, in a format we’d today call 6×4.5. It had no rangefinder, and the film traveled from side to side so that the normal orientation of the picture was portrait.

What was developing film at the school like?

Jim Kasson

“Back in school, I presented myself to the newspaper staff, and they decided to give me a trial assignment.

“Do you know how to develop film?” they asked. “Sure,” I answered, thinking of all the rolls that I’d put through the Kodak tank. I went off to make the picture. It was a boring shot: all the seniors elected to cum laude that year lined up in two rows. It was 7:30 am when I was done, and paste-up was supposed to start at 10:30 am.

I headed for the school darkroom. I found the chemicals, but the developing tank was like nothing I’d ever seen before. It said “Nikor” on it. Totally unrelated to Nikkor lenses. The tank itself, the lid, and the cap seemed to be easy enough to figure out, but the stainless-steel spiral befuddled me. If I’d had any sense, I would’ve used an unexposed roll of film to teach myself how to load the reel, but I just turned out the lights and struggled for 10 minutes.

After the film was fixed, I opened the tank to see how bad off I was. It was bad; the film was stuck to itself in lots of places, and those places weren’t fixed. I finally found an intact frame. While the film was drying (I turned the drier thermostat up so high I’m lucky the film didn’t reticulate), I turned to the enlarger. I’d never seen one before. After the prints were washed, I even figured out the print drier.

I got the prints in on time, and my career as a photojournalist had truly begun.”

How has your photography changed since you started?

Jim Kasson

“In my high school and college years, my photography was mostly documentary. I was a photographer for my high school newspaper and yearbook. Most of that was headshots, candids, sports and event coverage. I was photo editor for the Stanford Chaparral, and that was mixed editorial work and ads. The Chappie told the advertisers that if they didn’t have photos, they’d provide them, and that task fell to me, including recruiting models.

For many years, I just did family photos, but in 1980 I built myself a proper darkroom, bought a Hasselblad, then a Linhof Master Technika, and tried to make art in earnest.

Doing the work was the biggest factor in my improvement, but I took a lot of workshops, which helped immensely, by the way. I’ve had the pleasure of taking workshops with Ansel Adams, George Tice, Eugene Richards, Chris Newbert and many others. All of them have helped me be a better photographer.”

Tell us a little bit about the places you like to shoot

Jim Kasson

“For five years I made images of people working in the fields in the Salinas Valley and around Yuma, Arizona. I produced a body of work of which I am proud. Much of this work was exhibited in 2003 at the Hartnell College Gallery, which Eric Bosler curated. It was titled Pastures of Plenty. Keeping to the Woody Guthrie theme, I call the whole series This Green Growing Land. The series was also exhibited at Hartnell about 15 years later.

I get bored easily, and I work in series. I go where the series I create takes me. For Alone in a Crowd, that was train stations in New York, Zurich, London and other cities around Europe. For Nighthawks and Staccato, it was Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Las Vegas. For underwater work, I mostly worked in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea and various other locations.

What suggestions do you have for others on improving their photography?

Jim Kasson

“Usually, it takes me two to five years to work through a set of ideas, and then I move on. I don’t really have a default style, though I naturally develop one for a series that is strong by the end. I believe that if you pay attention, your work will tell you what you need to do to improve it.

Strategies and techniques evolve over time in response to results. When I start out on a series, I don’t know what will work and what won’t, so there’s quite a bit of flailing and missteps. After I get on top of things, I know what I need to do.

A big factor in my improvement as a photographer was letting go of trying to copy other people’s styles and, even worse, their subject matter. I learned to follow my work where it takes me, try to ignore what others are doing in the moment while learning from them about broad approaches that resonate with me. My mantra is, “Your work will tell you what you need to do to make it better, if you are willing to listen to it.”

Jim really enjoyed participating in this spotlight article and would love to hear what you think of his photography and to answer any of your questions in the comments below.

You can check out Jim’s other work and photography discussions right here on DPReview in the community forums, or visit his blog.

Editor’s note: This article continues a series, ‘What’s in your bag?’, highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like your photography to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself by filling out this form.

Launched in February 2009, the Fujifilm F200 EXR was an update to Fujifilm’s popular “F” series of large(r than typical) sensor compacts. It had a 28-140mm equivalent zoom lens in front of a Type 1/1.6 (8x6mm) that was around 65% larger than most compacts of the day.

But it’s the specifics of that sensor that make it interesting. The F200 EXR was the first instance of what proved to be the final iteration of Fujifilm’s Super CCD concept.

Richard Butler

Richard Butler

Previous versions of the Super CCD concept had essentially rotated the standard Bayer filter pattern by 45 degrees: exploiting the fact that the standard Bayer layout has better resolution capture along diagonal axes than along its vertical or horizontals. Later versions partially masked some pixels to mean that they captured less light during a given exposure and hence didn’t clip when the larger pixels did, allowing better highlight capture.

SuperCCD EXR expanded on both of these concepts. It continued to use the rotated Bayer pattern idea but this time re-arranged to put pairs of same-colored filters next to one another. This means you have pairs of adjacent pixels whose information can be easily combined. This, in turn, let Fujifilm offer three distinct modes:

• High Resolution (HR) mode – This would render a 12MP image using all the pixels
• High Sensitivity (SN) mode – This combined the output of pairs adjacent pixels in low light, to give 6MP images with improved signal-to-noise ratio
• Dynamic Range (DR) mode – This stopped the exposure early for alternate lines of pixels, meaning they were less prone to clipping. Adjacent pairs of bright and darker exposures were combined to give a 6MP image with better highlight retention.

Sound familiar? Because those three modes are essentially the three ways in which Quad Bayer and TetraCell sensors are used in modern smartphones. These have an oversized Bayer pattern (the same R,G,B,G pattern but expanded so that each color covers four photosites), rather than a rotated version. But they end up with sets of adjacent pixels that sample the same color. This means they’re able to pixel-bin for improved performance in low light or expose alternate lines of their sensors for different periods of time, then combine the result.

So, even though the SuperCCD concept was eventually abandoned, some of the ideas in introduced are at the heart of many of the images from today’s most popular smartphones. Even if the user isn’t necessarily aware of that.

Getty Images has said it plans to go through the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process as a step to being taken private by members of the Getty family and Koch Inc’s investment arm, who will together invest up to $533M in the business.

“Under the Plan, vendors will be unaffected and paid in full in the ordinary course of business,” the company said: “There is no anticipated impact on content contributors, partners, customers, or employees across the Company’s worldwide network.”

The stock image library had given up on its attempts to buy rival ShutterStock after the UK competition body forced revisions to the deal. The heavily indebted company has now been delisted from the New York Stock Exchange and its two largest shareholders say they’ve developed a plan to take the company private.

Although the company said it expects a reduction in revenue from its iStock division, “due to reduced eCommerce
demand,” it said it still expects to see growth in its editorial business that provides images to news outlets.

This plan, if approved by the remaining creditors, will be implemented via a “prepackaged” Chapter 11 bankruptcy: a mechanism by which a company can be significantly reorganized, overseen by a bankruptcy court but under the control of the existing owners, in order to remain as a going concern. Some existing lenders have agreed to write-down and restructure some of the company’s debts as part of the process, and the company confirmed “the requisite majority of creditors have committed to vote in favor of the plan.”

It says the restructuring process should be complete by the end of the year.

News agency (and competitor) Reuters reports that competition from AI-generated imagery and heavy debt have played a role in the move. It highlighted that the company’s total debt was around $2.1B at the end of June, whereas its market valuation had slipped to just under $21M when markets closed last Friday. The company’s revenue estimate for 2026 is $920M.

In an accompanying financial update, Getty Images said it had spent around $105M on the failed ShutterStock acquisition, along with $17M in ongoing costs relating to its copyright infringement cases against Stability AI, which it accuses of using its images to train an image generation model.

The Association of Photographers, or AOP, has announced the winners of its 2026 Emerging Talent Award, highlighting up-and-coming photographers who have been working in the field for fewer than three years.

This year’s Gold winner is Austin Bradley, who photographed a highline across Sólheimajökull Glacier in Iceland, intent on illustrating how much the glacier has been shrinking due to climate change. The Silver award goes to Ritchie Elder, who documented the last day of class at a newly-established Ukrainian Saturday School in Scotland.

You can see some of that work, and read more of the story behind it, below. If you want to see the work from other finalists, you can find a gallery on AOP’s website.

Gold award: 57 Metres : Iceland’s Shrinking Glacier by Austin Bradley

Austin Bradley / AOP

According to AOP’s press release, Bradley’s goal was to visually show how far a specific glacier was retreating every year. “He rigged a 57-metre highline across Sólheimajökull Glacier in Iceland, with the length of the line representing approximately how far the glacier retreats each year due to a warming climate. Over several carbon offset days Bradley worked with highliners, a small film crew and a glaciologist, to document the process, which will later be released as a documentary.”

Austin Bradley / AOP

The shots were taken on a DJI Mini 5 Pro, though there are others in the series that appear to have been taken on a standard camera.

Silver award: Saturday School by Ritchie Elder

Ritchie Elder / AOP

According to the press release, the series by Ritchie Elder documents a school that “provides Ukrainian children displaced by the war with the opportunity to learn Ukrainian language, culture, and history alongside their mainstream education and plays an important role in helping young people maintain a connection to their heritage while building new lives in Scotland.”

Ritchie Elder / AOP

Most of the shots are portraits, taken with a Canon EOS R6 and Canon RF 50mm F1.2 L USM lens, with Ritchie working “closely with the children, their parents, and school staff to create this series.”

Last week’s Question of the week asked: what one camera feature that doesn’t yet exist would you like to have? More than 100 DPReview readers responded with ideas ranging from practical improvements to hilarious and ambitious reimaginings of what a camera could do.

Built-in GPS, a true raw histogram and smartphone-style computational photography came up repeatedly. So did requests for more durable travel cameras, universal flash triggering, sensor-based tilt control and a return to smart depth-of-field modes. Below, we’ve gathered 10 of the most interesting suggestions – and a few wonderfully unconventional ones.

#1 – Built-in GPS, and why it’s harder than it sounds

GPS and geotagging were the most requested new camera features, with several posters adding location tracking and anti-theft locking to this bucket type. This makes sense. Who doesn’t want to know where they and their gear are at all times… right?

mach21photo asked for “a way to remotely brick your stolen camera.”

thielges explained why in-camera GPS has been unpopular: “it can take minutes to re-lock, and keeping it on drains the battery”. His suggested fix is to tether the camera to a phone over Bluetooth and stamp the phone’s location into the EXIF data. A winning solution.

#2 – Computational photography, but on the photographer’s terms

Several of you want smartphone-style processing in “real” cameras. Cameras and phones seem to be ever growing closer together, so you may actually get this wish someday.

jande9 wants a camera that constantly takes pictures in the background, so that pressing the shutter produces an image that averages each pixel to reduce noise, and that sends the result straight to the phone, much as a phone does today.

Mario F. described a very specific use case: an in-camera “window pull” HDR mode for real estate and interior photographers, who currently spend hours blending brackets for every property.

jesbe took that idea even further and asked for in-camera raw processing that runs while the camera is on standby or charging, using full Lightroom-level profiles, plus a compact with a real zoom, real flash and larger sensor but phone-level processing tricks.

Getty Images

#3 – A true raw histogram

If computational photography isn’t of interest, how about a real raw histogram, raw-based zebras and a waveform display tech?

The community drilled down on a technical level as to why JPEG-based histograms mislead, with nobru1958 explaining the in-camera processing behind it and mcantsin noting that digital cinema cameras already offer raw exposure tools.

#4 – Cameras you can open up, lock down and trust

Franck Mee had three “simple” requests: standard Bluetooth audio support, file encryption (“a matter of life and death for reporters”) and open-source firmware, so that poor operating behavior can be fixed and security updates can be applied.

Others added their support, including patrol_taking_9j, who put it in two words: “Open firmware.”

A very practical set of considerations.

#5 – Designed for how people really shoot

IEBA1 wants more ruggedness in compact travel zooms. After, unfortunately, two of his had died, including one dropped while being pulled from a pocket (whoops), IEBA1 would happily accept a slightly larger body with a magnesium frame and a grip.

Chris Cookson wants a waterproof camera small enough for a rock pool or shallow creek, with at least a Micro Four Thirds sensor and strong macro capability, asking: “More of the earth is under water than in air, so why is it impossible to find a more capable go anywhere camera?” Great point, Chris!

#6 – Built-in wireless TTL flash triggering

Wireless flash control was a recurring wish, often accompanied by complaints about proprietary systems. psartman kept it short: “Built-in wireless TTL flash triggering.” When a reply pointed to a Nikon body that does this through its pop-up flash, psartman answered that many advanced and professional bodies don’t have a built-in flash.

Phill L wants to end the problem at the hot shoe, literally: “The end of proprietary hot shoes. Get with the game and have all brands’ flashes work on all cameras, with at least most of the functionality. Just add a digital communication bus so each brand can add their own special features and communicate through it. Sort of like USB but for flashes.”

Getty Images

#7 – In-camera back tilt movements capability

Several of you want the camera to do what a tilt lens does, using the sensor stabilization system. dan pv had a good take on the idea:

“In-camera back tilt movement capabilities. The sensor could be tilted for a close-to-far sharpness at any f-stop in landscape or product photography. It could be done by the camera IBIS, extended a bit. One could choose on the LCD screen 2-3 points of sharpness, and the processor could compute and automatically apply the needed sensor tilt.”

L Lenson agreed and suggested where it could start: “At least medium format backs should have this capability. They are already expensive as it is, so adding the extra cost would perhaps not matter so much.” L Lenson also noted that the closest thing available today is a lens with a defect in which one side focuses closer than the other.

#8 – Borrowing tricks from astronomy

Perhaps the most ‘out there’ answer came from geekyrocketguy, who wants cameras to read the sensor non-destructively during an exposure:

“My background is astronomy, and this is a standard technique for the detectors there. It’s called ‘read up the ramp’ or ‘sample up the ramp.’ Basically, the sensor gets read out many times during an exposure and is only reset at the start. This offers the potential to greatly reduce read noise.”

This is actually a big deal. If a bright object saturates after three of ten reads, its brightness can be extrapolated from those three reads, which greatly extends dynamic range. For night and landscape work, geekyrocketguy calls it “game-changing.”

#9 – Bringing back DEP/A DEP

Not every idea was for something new. Several of you asked for the return of a feature that older Canon film and digital cameras already had: depth-of-field modes that work out the aperture for you, based on the nearest and farthest points you want sharp.

The idea came up in more than one post, and the most developed version, which drew some of the most reactions in the thread, came from Tony Hall, who would also like it updated for modern subject detection.

“Bring back DEP (or A-DEP) in which the camera calculates depth of field for you, either automatically or by defining a start and end point for your depth of field. Today, it would probably be called “smart aperture”. It could have various modes you could toggle by assigning a button to flip through them:

• Portrait: Both eyes in focus, eyes and ears or entire head in focus
• All detected faces in focus
• Only registered faces in focus
• Touch screen: touch near limit, touch far limit
• Similar settings for animals and other detected objects

While they’re at it, throw in some zone focusing modes you can assign to a button.”

rawdinal described how the original worked on the Canon EOS 5: “Focus on the closest point, focus on the farthest point. Then shoot.” He added a mysterious bit about the mode: “Nobody knows why this wonderful Mode was ripped off.”

Getty Images

#10 – Old ideas that deserve a revival

Anyone remember the Contax AX, which focused by moving the film plane rather than the lens? It imagined a smaller modern take that could autofocus vintage primes.

ismith talked about it and said that he wanted “cool cameras” back, such as a new take on Sony’s DSC-R1.

A few bonus ideas for fun

When writing this article, I knew we would come across some wild ideas, but this one is extra unique. “A rope-pull starter for an internal combustion camera”, from focal yokel. It was noticed by our own reviews editor, Mitchell Clark, who said it would only work “if it takes, like, 5 times to get it running like most of the lawnmowers I’ve used.”

hieronymusevers asked for “the absence of 95% of all features a modern camera has,” which drew plenty of agreement from fans of simpler cameras. We can all relate to this sentiment at times, I bet.

Thanks to our inventive community for coming up with some truly unique and interesting new features that help us get the most out of our gear. I’ll take two of those internal combustion cameras, please.

Do you have a new feature to suggest? Join the discussion in the forums and tell us (and by extension, your favorite camera company) the feature you’d most like to see.

It’s been a busy week for APS-C enthusiasts. First, Sigma released a lens that many of us – Richard Butler especially – have requested for years: a sensibly-sized and priced 70-200-ish equiv. lens for APS-C. Alongside that, it released its first APS-C zoom lens for Nikon’s Z-mount, and, later in the week, Tamron released a new fast, standard zoom for pretty much every APS-C system.

A few of us on the DPReview team got together to discuss the news, and what it means for for APS-C as a format. We also reacted to some of our community’s commentary about the new lenses, and your reactions to Richard’s op-eds about full-frame not being the full story, and lenses being the key to making a format shine.

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Tamron has announced the 16-50mm F2.8, a fast standard zoom for all the most popular APS-C mirrorless mounts.

The compact, unstabilized lens arrives in the lineup alongside the existing 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A VC RXD and will be available for Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Sony E and Nikon Z mounts. This makes it one of the few instances of a lens Nikon has lisenced that competes directly with one of its own lenses.

Richard Butler

Elsewhere, the 16-50mm offers a wider alternative to Sigma’s 18-50mm F2.8 and, while it’s physically longer, it takes the same 55mm diameter filter.

The lens delivers a 24-75mm equivalent range on Sony, Fujifilm and Nikon bodes, or a 26-80mm range on Canon RF bodies, making it a useful fast everyday lens as a kit zoom replacement.

At 80mm (3.2″) long and with a diameter of a little over 64mm (2.5″) maximum diameter, it is around half the volume of the stabilized 17-70mm F2.8 VC. And with a weight of 305g (10.8oz), it’s 42% lighter. It’s only 4% longer than the Sigma 18-50mm in their retracted states and around 5% heavier, despite covering an appreciably wider range.

Richard Butler

The new lens features 14 elements in 10 groups, these include one LD low-dispersion element, two molded glass aspherics and two hybrid aspherical lenses. It can focus as close as 15cm (6″) at wide angle, giving 0.22x magnification. Its 7 aperture blade design is the main area you can see costs being cut, vs the 9 blades on the more expensive 17-70mm.

Sadly, we’ve not had a chance to shoot with the 16-50mm yet, but we hope to in the coming weeks.

Richard Butler

The Tamron 16-50mm F2.8 A benefits from the company’s simplified naming system, with “A” indicating that it’s for APS-C and a code number (B091) to distinguish it from any future lenses with similar specs. The Canon, Sony and Nikon versions include a USB-C port, to allow firmware updates. We’re told this is not present on the X-mount version.

The 16-50mm F2.8 will arrive for Sony E-mount and Canon RF users in late October, with Fujifilm X following a month later and Nikon Z hitting the shelves just before the end of the year. It will sell with a list price of $529 for the Sony E and Fujifilm X versions and $549 for Canon and Nikon users. These are at least $170 less expensive than the larger, stabilized 17-70mm F2.8 VC will set you back.

It’s also significantly less than the camera makers’ own-brand 16-50-something F2.8s, which range from $900 for the Nikon 16-50mm F2.8 VR to $1700 for Sony’s 16-55mm F2.8 G.

Fujifilm has announced a new Instax camera, the Square 2. As its name suggests, it takes the company’s square instant film, and it offers some new ways to change how your photos look.

The headline feature of the Square 2 is what Fujifilm is calling “Mood Filters.” With the flick of a switch, you can change “the overall color, tone, or mood” of your photo, putting it into “Warm” mode for a “subtle golden tone” or “Cool” mode for “crisp, blue-toned color.” Of course, you can also shoot without a filter, to get the familiar standard Instax colors.

The Square 2 has also been redesigned. Somewhat ironically, it now features a more rounded design than the boxy SQ1, which was essentially all right angles. However, it comes in the same mix of colors, just with updated: white, red and blue.

Fujifilm

It retains several features from its predecessor, including a selfie mirror mounted to the lens, landscape, close up and standard shooting modes, and automatic exposure and flash settings. The 32mm F6.2 equiv. lens and flash also appear to be unchanged; the camera can focus as close as 0.3m (11.8″), and will take around 7.5 seconds to recharge between flash photos.

The Square 2’s electrical system, however, has been redone. Rather than requiring two somewhat specialized CR2 lithium batteries, it now runs off of four standard AA cells. Fujifilm says you should still be able to get through around 30 packs of film before having to replace them, but, when you do, it should be a bit easier and a lot cheaper.

Alongside the Square 2, Fujifilm has announced a new variant of its square Instax film. While the company will typically tweak the borders around the image, the new variant, called “Soft Haze” changes how the photo itself will look. Fujifilm says it features “color tone with reduced saturation and contrast” and “glowing highlights and warm, diffused shadows.”

The Square 2 will retail for $120 when it launches in late October, and will include a hand strap and batteries. The Soft Haze film, which will work with any camera that shoots the Instax Square format, will be launching around the same time for $18.99 a pack.

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For years, Pelican has dominated the arena of hard-sided roller cases meant to keep camera gear safe while traveling across land, air and sea. And while several competitors have started to crop up, none have really had the same brand recognition.

That may change today, though. Yeti, a company made famous by coolers that has branched out to other outdoorsy gear, has introduced its LoadOut GoBox cases, the smallest option of which is aimed squarely at photographers and videographers.

Yeti

Like most of these kinds of cases, the GoBox is focused on durability. Yeti says it’s designed to withstand “serious impact” and that it’s IP65 and IP67 rated to withstand even total immersion. It also has points that let you lock it closed, and tie-down slots for securely mounting it. Interestingly, Yeti has opted for a segmented, telescoping handle for use when rolling it around.

Unlike Pelican, Yeti isn’t offering a foam insert that you can customize to fit your exact gear. While the case comes empty by default, you can equip it with the company’s “Kor” protective insert, which basically vacuum seal into the shape of your gear. This makes them substantially more reconfigurable than foam, though they cost a pretty penny: Pelican demands about $40 for a roller-bag-sized foam insert (when you purchase it with the case), while the Kor will run you $250.

Yeti

Of course, you can also fill the case with more traditional packing and camera cubes. Yeti sells its own, but they don’t really seem to have the padding you’d want for valuable camera gear.

Like Pelican, Yeti is selling other accessories, too, including multiple organizers for the top lid, which let you keep small bits and bobs oriented.

The GoBox 28 is slightly heavier than the Pelican Protector 1510, which has a similar size and volume: Yeti’s is 6.1kg (13.5lb), versus 5.4kg (12lb). Both companies promise the cases will fit as a carry-on for most airlines, though obviously both will eat into any weight budgets that might exist.

Yeti

Photographers aren’t the only market Yeti’s targeting with the GoBoxes, but with this latest product (and its recent, smaller boxes) the company is clearly starting to take an interest in protecting people’s cameras. It’ll be interesting to see if these start showing up on sets, rather than their Pelican or Nanuk counterparts, though getting people to trust you with their most valuable gear can sometimes be an uphill battle.

The LoadOut GoBox 28 costs $350 by itself, and comes in tan, black and orange. The company also makes much larger 68 and 88 options, but they’re larger than most photographers and videographers would use.

Yeti

Yeti LoadOut GoBox 28

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It’s once again time for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards, where the Natural History Museum, London, presents some of the best images of the natural world across 19 categories. The competition has been going for 62 years, and, in 2026, garnered 65,000 submissions.

The winning photos depict animals in their natural – and sometimes unnatural – habitats, as well as plants, fungi and more. As usual, the museum is holding an exhibition of 100 images from the competition, starting this week and running into July 2027. If you want to see some (still very good) images that didn’t quite make the cut, you can check out our article covering 15 other entries that were highly commended.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 / Behaviour: Mammals – The Aftermath, Federico Veronesi

Federico Veronesi

Caption: Federico was tracking elephants when he came across an unusual pattern of drag marks in the sand of a dry riverbed. The source became clear when he caught up with a family group. A female emerged with the calf, its leg wedged between her tusk and trunk.

Behaviours centring on death have been observed in both Asian and African elephants, including vocalisations, guarding the dead, inspecting and handling bones, and carrying the deceased. Some researchers suggest these behaviours could indicate an elephant’s journey to understanding death, while others interpret these actions as possible displays of grief.

Location: Huab River Valley, Damaraland, Namibia

Technical details: Nikon Z8 | Nikon Nikkor Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S | F2.8 | 1/1000 | ISO 72

Animals in their Environment – The Meeting Place, James Lewin

James Lewin

Caption: While there was no shortage of subjects and action around this waterhole, James had to deal with the harsh, unforgiving light. He chose to soften the light using a camera converted to infrared, creating this dream-like scene.

Waterholes can act as vital lifelines during severe droughts. Larger animals, such as elephants, have priority over others for access to waterholes. Herbivores spend more time at these drinking spots when elephants are present, possibly because their size deters predators, although competition for access to water may also prolong herbivores’ stay.

Location: ol Donyo Lodge, Chyulu Hills National Park, Makueni County, Kenya

Technical details: Nikon Z 7II (infrared converted) | Nikon Nikkor Z 28–75mm F2.8 lens | 45mm | F7.1 | 1/800 | ISO 800

Animal Portraits – A Watchful Eye, Aaron Sanders

Aaron Sanders

Caption: Aaron had been diving off Porthkerris Beach when he noticed the footprints of octopus suckers through a thin blade of kelp, and a single eye slowly emerging. ‘We remained perfectly still, watching one another with a seemingly shared curiosity,’ says Aaron.

In recent years in the waters off southwest England, there has been a dramatic increase in sightings of common octopuses, a species more frequently found in warmer Mediterranean waters. The influx or ‘bloom’ of these cephalopods has been linked to above-average springtime sea temperatures.

Location: Porthkerris Beach, Cornwall, England, UK

Technical details: Nikon Z8 | Nikon Nikkor Z 24–50mm F4–6.3 | 27mm | F7.1 | 1/40 sec | ISO 125 | Nauticam WWL-C wet lens | Inon Z-240 and Z-330 underwater strobes

Behaviour: Birds – Scenes from the Swamp, Isak Pretorius

Isak Pretorius

Caption: Exploring the swamp in a narrow canoe with a guide, Isak felt exceptionally lucky to see not one but two elusive shoebills. The birds pulled out vegetation, dropped it and then repeated the process several times. It’s likely this is a breeding pair gathering nesting material.

Though often called the shoebill stork, these large birds are more closely related to pelicans, herons and ibises. Fewer than 5,300 mature shoebills survive across their entire range and their numbers are decreasing.

Location: Mabamba Swamp, Wakiso District, Uganda

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 | 500mm F4 | F4 | 1/2500 sec | ISO 1250

Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles – Protective Pose, Anton Sorokin

Anton Sorokin

Caption: Anton hadn’t seen this pose before, despite documenting newt behaviour each winter. The pond was too dirty to swim, so Anton waded along the edge, carefully dipping his camera and lighting beneath the surface to record this remarkable view of parental care.

California newts interlock their back feet to protect the clutch, which are vulnerable to predation by other newts. They will stay like this until the gelatinous mass around the eggs has swollen too large to be eaten and has solidified onto the stem.

Location: Contra Costa County, California, USA

Technical details: Nikon D850 | Nikon AF-S 8–15mm fisheye F3.5-4.5E ED | F18 | 1/100 sec | ISO 400 | Nauticam housing | Seacam 60D strobes

Behaviour: Invertebrates – Shifting Sand, Sitaram Raul

Sitaram Raul

Caption: Exploring the dunes at night near the village of Sam, Sitaram saw many scorpions searching for prey. But as sunrise approached, they started burrowing to avoid the intense heat. Sitaram timed the exposure so that the excavated sand was suspended in mid-air.

Just one known species of Buthacus scorpion is from India. It uses its pincers to dig into large piles of sand. Stiff, elongated bristles or ‘sand combs’ are used like snowshoes to stop it from sinking into the dunes.

Location: Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

Technical details: Nikon D750 | AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm F2.8G IF-ED | F14 | 1/250 sec | ISO 125 | Godox flash

Oceans: The Bigger Picture – Night-Time Catch, Alex Lindbloom

Alex Lindbloom

Caption: Alex started searching for sharks around dawn when the nets were still in the water. Initially lacking natural light for his drone’s camera, he found these sharks illuminated by the bagan’s bright lights.

Local fishing communities are using the predictable occurrence of whale sharks at bagans to attract tourists. Although contact with bagans can cause some minor injuries to whale sharks, this isn’t a major cause of mortality. The species’ significant decline in the Indo-Pacific region over the past 75 years is primarily driven by ship strikes, entanglements with fishing gear and illegal fishing.

Location: Off Cenderawasih Bay, Papua, Indonesia

Technical details: : DJI Air 3 | 24mm F1.7 lens | F1.7 | 1/60 sec | ISO 3200

Plants and Fungi – Shedding Light, Agorastos Papatsanis

Agorastos Papatsanis

Caption: On the lower slopes of Greece’s Mount Olympus, Agorastos experimented with ultraviolet (UV) illumination until it revealed the strongest fluorescent response from these mushrooms known as ‘beautiful bonnets’.

While humans cannot see UV light, we can get an inkling of its effect, thanks to the phenomenon of fluorescence. Mycologists are harnessing this phenomenon to distinguish closely related species of fungi by the colours and patterns they reveal under UV.

Location: Litochoro, Pieria, Greece

Technical details: Nikon D810 | Laowa 15mm F4 | F20 | 8.0 sec | ISO 400 | UV light | focus stack of 6 images

Natural Artistry – Escape Artistry, Michał Michalski

Michał Michalski

Caption: Michał was in a field of unharvested sunflowers that had attracted mixed flocks of birds, especially goldfinches and bramblings. As they took to the sky, startled by a sparrowhawk, Michał blurred the movement against a backdrop of leafless birches.

There is evidence that flocks containing multiple species forage more efficiently, partly because each brings different skills to the group. With more eyes on the lookout for predators, individuals can also afford to devote more time to feeding.

Location: Miłochowice, Lower Silesian Township, Poland

Technical details: Nikon D500 | Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR | F8 | 1/30 sec | ISO 250

Under Water – Making Morays, Tony Wu

Tony Wu

Caption: Tony has been working with biologists to address a knowledge gap in the social behaviour of this eel species. Guided only by a dim red-light source to minimise disturbance, and using a customised fisheye camera lens, he has studied this male since 2024 as it visits females that dwell in crevices on the reef.

This is likely the first time Abbott’s moray eel courtship and spawning have been documented, and the observations from Tony’s work with biologists are feeding into published scientific studies.

Location: Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan

Technical details: Sony a1 | Customised Nikon fisheye 13mm F2.8 | F11 | 1/320 | ISO 500 | 2x Backscatter Hybrid HF-1 strobes

Urban Wildlife – Urban Jungle, Seth Forestson

Seth Forestson

Caption: The challenge wasn’t finding these lizards, but catching them in action, as they spend most of the day basking in the sun. When Seth spotted this one, he lowered himself down onto the mud to frame this city dragon against the Bangkok skyline.

Common water monitors have successfully adapted to living within cities across South and Southeast Asia. They will take whatever food source is available, such as the plentiful supplies of catfish and koi in the lakes of Bangkok’s Lumphini Park.

Location: Lumphini Park, Bangkok, Thailand

Technical details: Google Pixel 7 Pro | Main camera | F1.9 | 1/291 | ISO 47

Wetlands: The Bigger Picture – The Great Divide, Alex Visbal

Alex Visbal

Caption: This photograph is part of Alex’s long-term project documenting the industrial footprint on bodies of water.

The distinctive pink colour on the left is caused by bright pink microbes that thrive in extremely saline water, which happens when an area is cut off from a supply of fresh water. The ecology of the lake is in sharp decline due to industrial use, upstream diversions and climate change. Since this image was taken, the State of Utah has brought the area under conservation management.

Location: Stansbury Bay, Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 Mark II | Canon EF 70–200mm F2.8 IS II USM | 70mm | F3.2 | 1/640 sec | ISO 1250

Photojournalism – Warning Sign, Francisco Negroni

Francisco Negroni

Caption: Tied to the fence and presented as a hunting trophy, this display was one Francisco had ‘never witnessed or photographed before’. In 2025, Santa Cruz banned the hunting of pumas, but illegal persecution continues.

Livestock predation is one of the major causes of human–puma conflict, and it’s suggested that enclosing sheep at night and using guard dogs can significantly reduce the loss of livestock without resorting to hunting. In southern Chile, some owners have even abandoned sheep farming in favour of puma tourism.

Location: Route 40, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 | Canon RF 70–200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z | 70mm | F3.2 | 1/640 | ISO 100

10 Years and Under – Flight of the Bumblebee, Amelie Davis

Amelie Davis

Caption: Amelie had been taking photographs of bees for several months. On this August afternoon the garden was ‘teeming with bees’. Without her camera, Amelie borrowed her dad’s smartphone and was able to record the delicate detail of a single wingbeat.

Bees perceive plants and flowers in many ways. Distinguishing one colour for nectar and another for pollen helps them make rapid decisions when foraging. Their vision is tuned to blue, green and ultraviolet wavelengths, so they can see markings that are invisible to us.

Location: Surrey, England, UK

Technical details: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max | Ultrawide lens | F2.2 | 1/895 sec | ISO 40

Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 / 11-14 Years – Labour of Love, Oscar Whitfield

Oscar Whitfield

Caption: Using a fast shutter speed and high light sensitivity, Oscar lay flat on the ground to photograph the beetle at eye level, with the sunshine and heat creating dry dust all around him.

There are more than 5,000 species of dung beetle found around the world, and they play a vital role in their environments. Breaking up dung and burying it prevents the conditions required for methane production, reducing the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions. Burying dung also helps it decompose faster, reducing the number of pests affecting livestock and wildlife.

Location: Zambezi National Park, Hwange District, Zimbabwe

Technical details: Canon EOS R6 Mark II | Sigma 150–600mm F5–6.3 DG OS HSM | 500mm | F6.3 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 3200

15-17 Years – Birdsong Painted in Light, Konrad Gräeter

Konrad Gräeter

Caption: Konrad had to crouch down low on the steep slope of the vineyard and point his camera through a gap in the foliage to frame the blackbird within its landscape.

Blackbirds can be heard singing at different times of day, but their songs have the most complex compositions at dawn. During the spring breeding season, the males sing from elevated vantage points to proclaim their territory and to attract a mate. Females respond with a softer sound, known as a subsong, during courtship.

Location: Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Technical details: Fujifilm X-H2S | Fujifilm XF 150–600mm F5.6–8 R LM OIS WR | 600mm | F8 | 1/800 sec | ISO 400

Photojournalist Story Award – Wily Coyotes of San Francisco, Loren Elliott

Loren Elliott

Caption: A coyote pads along a trail in Bernal Heights Park, overlooking the city and bay of San Francisco. This individual is part of a resident pack that Loren observed hunting rodents in the park, which is also popular with people and dogs.

Around 100 of these urban-adapted wild canines live alongside more than 800,000 human inhabitants, and attitudes towards them are mixed. While coyotes sometimes prey on domestic animals, they also bring benefits such as controlling disease-carrying rodents.

In this portfolio, Loren invites us to reconsider our perceptions of these wild animals and their place in urban environments, living alongside humans.

Location: San Francisco, USA

Technical details: Sony a9 II | 20mm F1.8 | F5.6 | 1/800 sec | ISO 250 | 2x Pocket Wizard Plus IIIe radio triggers

Rising Star Award – Hidden Depths, Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas

Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas

Caption: When Alexis spotted this robber fly, it had already impaled the flesh fly with its needlelike mouthparts. The bubbles forming in the victim’s eyes indicate that the robber fly has injected digestive enzymes that liquefy its internal tissues before they are sucked out.

A previous winner of the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award, Alexis got his first camera aged ten. His focus shifted to macro photography during the Covid-19 lockdowns, when he was unable to venture farther than the urban habitats close to home in Berlin, Germany.

By experimenting with focus stacking techniques, which involve combining multiple images with different planes of focus to increase the depth of field, Alexis wants to bring Winner Rising Star Award attention to species that often go unnoticed.

Location: Germany and Northern Ireland, UK

Technical details: Fujifilm X-H2 | Laowa 65mm f2.8 macro | F5.6 | 1/200 | ISO 200 | Godox V860III flash + Cygnustech diffuser | focus stack of 24 images

Portfolio Award – Secret Worlds, Kutub Uddin

Kutub Uddin

Caption: Fine threads, known as capillitium, emerge on the round, yellow-green bodies, which will eventually help disperse reproductive spores. Kutub says they appear like ‘tiny clusters or unusual textures on the wood, often appearing as minute pins, spheres or dust-like groupings’.

Kutub became interested in slime moulds in 2024, and as a macro photographer now devotes much of his time to revealing this tiny hidden world. He loves exploring his local woodlands in southeast England, where fallen logs and damp forest floors provide opportunities for discovering these fascinating organisms.

Slime moulds occur throughout the world, mostly growing on dead wood or leaf litter while feeding on other micro-organisms. The structures depicted in this portfolio are just one to two millimetres high (less than 1/12 of an inch).

Location: West Sussex, England, UK

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 | Canon MP-E 65mm F2.8 1-5x Macro Photo | F3.2 | 1/4 sec | ISO 400 | diffused flash | Cognisys StackShot macro rail | Benro Bat tripod | focus stack of 124 images

GoPro has announced a free firmware update for its Mission 1 series of cameras aimed at making them nicer to use for photography, as well as adding greater support for anamorphic lenses and upgrading its external monitoring software.

One of the big new features in the release is the addition of a burst mode, which will let you hold down the shutter button to capture more than 100 12MP stills (or over 20 Raws in the camera’s 50MP mode). The company says the camera will have an on-screen indicator for when the buffer is getting full. The company doesn’t say what burst rates the camera will shoot at, or whether you’ll be able to change them, but we’ll be sure to update this article as soon as we can test it for ourselves.

The company also says it has changed the sound that plays when you take a picture, updating it to a “modernized shutter sound delivers clear, distinguishable audio confirmation for each photo as it’s captured.”

Mitchell Clark

More importantly, it’s also attempted to reduce the amount of lag between you tapping the shutter button and the camera taking a photo. While I haven’t found it to be particularly bad while testing the Mission 1 Pro ILS, it does take a considerable amount of time to process and save the photo after taking it, so it’ll be interesting to see if the update lets you quickly take one photo after another, even if you’re not in Continuous mode.

The update isn’t just for photographers, though. The company is adding beta support for anamorphic lenses to the Mission 1 Pro ILS, its model with a Micro Four Thirds mount. GoPro says this update will make its digital image stabilization work with anamorphic lenses, and will add metadata to your files that tell your editing software what squeeze ratio it was recorded in, with support for 1.33x, 1.5x, 1.6x, 1.8x and 2.0x. The update doesn’t include a way to preview desqueezed footage on the camera, but the company says that feature will be “coming soon.”

Finally, alongside the firmware upgrades, GoPro is updating its Mission Monitor app, which is designed to let you control the camera from an iPhone or iPad, and to see the preview on a larger screen with some pro-level assist tools and overlays. The app can now work wirelessly, rather than requiring a USB-C tether, and supports controlling the new photo modes.

It also gains support for four new assist tools: histogram and waveform exposure monitors, a false color overlay, which displays your image in a variety of colors according to their brightness level, and an RGB parade display to let you see scopes for all three of your color channels side-by-side.

It’s nice to see GoPro making improvements to the Mission 1 line, even if I’m still not entirely sold on the concept of using an action camera in lieu of a compact. (More to come on this later, but I’ve found the photo cage accessories from GoPro and others to be quite unsatisfying, especially when paired with touchscreen controls.) Still, it’s hard to complain about a product getting better at taking pictures; for someone carrying it around to take video, it’ll make the experience of grabbing the occasional still nicer.

The updated firmware for the Mission 1, Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 Pro ILS is now available through GoPro’s website or the Quik app.

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When Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro in September, the headline camera story was a mechanical variable aperture on the main camera, a first for the iPhone. It also came with Apple’s new Pro controls, which include the ability to set aperture, shutter speed and white balance manually.

What Apple hasn’t highlighted is a trade-off photographers should know about: if you set shutter speed manually, the iPhone 18 Pro appears to stop combining multiple frames into each photo. That means giving up some of the computational processing the iPhone relies on for image quality, particularly in low light.

What Pro controls do, and what they stop doing

Like every smartphone, the iPhone relies on computational photography to overcome the limits of its small sensor. All else being equal, a small sensor captures less light than the larger sensors found in most dedicated cameras, and less light equates to noisier images. To compensate, the phone shoots a rapid burst of frames, then aligns and merges them into a single photo, averaging those frames to reduce noise and improve dynamic range. (This is often referred to as frame stacking or frame blending.)

Here’s where it gets interesting: when you use Pro controls to set shutter speed manually, that process appears to stop. Instead, the phone captures one frame at the shutter speed you chose. Night mode also becomes unavailable. In contrast, setting the aperture manually doesn’t have this effect; the iPhone will keep stacking frames, just as it does on full auto.

There’s a defensible logic to this approach. Multi-frame capture often blends frames of different durations, which runs counter to the idea of choosing your own shutter speed. The phone could, in principle, stack several frames at your selected shutter speed instead, but a burst takes longer to capture than a single frame, and the resulting image would be a blend of several moments in time rather than a record of a single moment.

Tests: auto vs. manual exposure

We shot static scenes on a tripod with the main camera, in conditions ranging from bright daylight to night. Each scene was shot four ways: full auto, manual aperture, manual shutter speed and both set manually.

We matched the aperture and shutter speed across each set. (In bright daylight, auto mode often chose shutter speeds you can’t select manually, such as 1/2500 sec, in which case we used the closest available.) Pro controls don’t include ISO, so the camera selected automatically, but it was typically identical or within a third of a stop across image sets. We also disabled night mode to remove it as a variable.

The comparison below illustrates the impact of using manual shutter speed in low light.

F1.48 | 1/15 sec | ISO 10000 | Night mode disabled

The next example is slightly less extreme, but there’s still a noticeable difference between images.

F1.48 | 1/30 sec | ISO 640 (auto exposure)
F1.48 | 1/30 sec | ISO 400 (manual shutter)

Not surprisingly, when there’s a surplus of light, the difference is much less noticeable, as in this photo of some aspen trees on a sunny day.

F1.8 | 1/2500 sec | ISO 64 (auto exposure)
F1.7 | 1/2000 sec | ISO 50 (manual shutter)

Manual aperture mode produces essentially the same results as full auto mode. However, any configuration with a manually selected shutter speed can result in more noise, regardless of whether the aperture was set manually; it’s most noticeable in low light or deep shadows.

Why it matters

Low light is often where photographers want deliberate control over exposure, and it’s where the trade-off is most noticeable.

Apple hasn’t advertised this behavior, and we don’t read much into that; it’s a level of detail most consumers probably don’t want from a product launch. (Though Apple has explained its image processing in detail at past launches.) However, if you plan to buy an iPhone 18 Pro because of Pro controls, it’s worth understanding what’s happening behind the scenes.

When to use manual, and when to let the iPhone take control

Save manual shutter speed for when creative choices require control over exposure time, like creating motion blur or freezing action and accept that you’re getting a single-frame image. If it’s a photo you couldn’t have achieved without manual control, then the trade-off was likely worth it. But unless you have a deliberate reason for doing so, auto shutter speed will give you a cleaner image, particularly in low light.

To be clear, we don’t think Apple got this wrong. In fact, this approach arguably gives you just what you would expect when manually setting the shutter speed on a camera. But photographers should be aware that the trade-off exists.

Finally, if you’re thinking of upgrading to the iPhone 18 Pro for an improved camera, we recommend reading our comprehensive upgrade guide, which compares the 18 Pro’s camera and photography features to every iPhone Pro going back to the iPhone 12 series.

As a camera reviewer, my job often requires me to travel to check out new products, not only to test them, but to also cover them so I can share them with you all. That process requires a bit of supporting gear, and I thought it would be fun to do a run-through of everything I brought with me on a recent trip where I planned on producing three videos, among other tasks.

One of those videos was for this article, where I basically unpack my bag in a (reasonably) quiet section of an airport to show everything that’s in it, and to explain why I use it. Below, I’ll include a list of all the things I cover in the video, and sprinkle in any additional fun facts or info that didn’t make it in.

One last programming note: apologies for the slightly ropy photos: I’ve been between airports for most of this week, and haven’t been able to find a nice backdrop where I wouldn’t have felt exceedingly self conscious taking pictures with a camera. Filming in an empty section of an airport was already enough!

Cameras and lenses

Mitchell Clark

This trip was primarily focused on shooting a few videos, so my main camera was the Canon EOS R6 V. I’ve already shot several videos with it, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get a few more under my belt as I finish up the review. That was paired with its kit lens, the RF 20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ, which, while being a surprisingly competent stills lens, really shines for the fast-paced filming I was doing this week. (The results of which you’ll see in due time!)

I typically use my PolarPro 2-5 variable ND filter, which magnetically attaches to a screw-on adapter, making it very easy to swap it between lenses. However, weather, indoor filming locations and late shoots meant it mostly stayed in the bag.

Mitchell Clark

I also brought the Panasonic S1II with a 100mm F2.8 macro lens for detail shots and product photos. It’s a setup I really like and, when I’m not testing a video camera, that kit plus Panasonics 24-60mm F2.8 is my go-to filming setup. If you keep up with our YouTube channel, you’ve seen quite a few videos shot with it.

Finally, another camera I’m reviewing in the background: the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS, which I’ve paired with a Laowa 6mm T2.1 and Meike 12mm F2.8 lens. Why those, in a world filled with great Micro Four Thirds lens options? Because the GoPro doesn’t work with any of them that require electrical contacts for aperture and focus control which, it turns out, is most of them.

I stored all of that in two Peak Design camera cubes. And, because I know someone will ask, no, this article isn’t sponsored in any way by PD, despite featuring a lot of it’s gear; I bought everything in this kit with my own money, not necessarily because it’s the absolute best, but because it mostly works well together and meets my needs.

The supporting cast

I won’t cover absolutely every accessory that I pack with me – those are pretty well covered in the video – but I’ll call out some of my favorites, and go into a bit more of the nerdy details that our audience may appreciate.

Mitchell Clark

For this trip, specifically, I brought a Godox iT32 flash and an Aperture MC RGBWW light for taking detail shots. I also brought my Peak Design Travel Tripod that I’ve had pretty much since it launched, which is handy to have when filming yourself (even if I found myself missing the fluid head I got to test with the company’s Pro line, which I just can’t quite justify the price of).

There are a few things that live in my pack (a Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L) full time, because I always need to be able to access them no matter what I’m working on:

• A gray card
• A selection of memory cards (I also keep a spare SD in my wallet, which has saved me countless times)
• Two extra tripod plates
• Filter ring adapters for common and uncommon sizes
• Peak Design wrist strap and extra anchors (pro tip: the anchors come in different colors now, so feel free to get the pinkish-orange ones if you like to have fun, or the all-black ones if you’re frustrated with the decidedly not-stealth red ring that’s traditionally graced them)
• Dual port USB-C charger (35W) and Nitecore NB10000 battery bank
• Crankbrothers M10 multitool for installing and removing said plates (could we please standardize on hex key or flathead?)
• Sensi bulb blower and cleaning cloth
• 2m (6.6′) 20Gbps USB4 cable; great for tethering, offloading, charging, anything really, and long enough to do it (without the crazy ThunderBolt tax)
• Pens and business cards
• A snack or two
• Hand sanitizer

Sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed that I had no fewer than three different kinds of tripod plates in attached to cameras throughout the video: Peak Design’s own-brand one, the Leofoto NP-65 QD quick release plate and the SmallRig quick release plate on the EOS R6 V.

One thing I’ve been careful about is only buying Arca-style plates that will fit onto my Peak Design tripod without needing an adapter, so I almost never have to switch out tripod plates mid-shoot. If I do, that’s where the multitool comes in; despite my best efforts, I haven’t quite achieved a completely toolless tripod plate setup, though the Peak Design Field Plate has helped a bit with that, even if I’m still annoyed at how expensive it is and that it doesn’t come standard. I carry a spare in my bag, though.

Further reading

If you enjoy these kinds of gear breakdowns, I highly recommend checking out our What’s In Your Bag series, where we take a look at great photos taken by members of our community and talk to them about the gear used to produce them.

Easy smartphone connection is one of the most asked-for features we hear when talk to people about cameras, so we thought we’d investigate the current state of all the brands’ apps. Beyond a few frustrations, we found Canon’s Camera Connect to be one of the better options, at least with the recent cameras we had available to test.

Getting started

Before you can even use Canon’s Camera Connect app, you need to create a “Canon ID” using an e-mail address and password and log-in, which can be frustrating: it’s not entirely clear what benefit there is to the user of this. The app will also regularly ask you if you wish to register your camera with your Canon ID and will then remind you that you can do so, even if you say No. There’s no ‘do not show this message again’ option.

Richard Butler

To first connect the camera, you need to select your camera model from the app’s list of available models. This helps, in that it means the app should be able to guide you through the appropriate workflow for your camera model. 

Connecting the relatively recent PowerShot V1 to an Android phone was a case of using the displayed QR to download the app then starting the pairing process from the camera. With the app open and the camera trying to establish a connection, a pop-up box with the camera’s ID appeared on the app, letting me confirm Bluetooth pairing. I then had to confirm on the camera, too, then was good to go.

Richard Butler

Richard Butler

Once the two devices were paired, it was just a case of opening the app and waiting for a bluetooth connection to be established. As soon as the bluetooth icon lights up in the app, you get the choice of importing images from the camera or to engage live view remote shooting. 

Wi-Fi connectivity

Selecting either of these options tells the camera to turn its Wi-Fi on, and after a few moments the phone asks permission to connect to the Wi-Fi network the camera has established. Click ‘Connect’ and it establishes a connection fairly quickly.

Richard Butler

Richard Butler

On iOS you have to approve the network connection each time you re-establish a camera-to-phone Wi-Fi connection, whereas Android is happy to trust it, once you’ve given it permission the first time.

Richard Butler

The “Imaged on camera” option, once the Wi-Fi connection has been established, shows all the images currently on the camera’s card. On Android, you can only import JPEGs, and the camera will generate a JPEG if you try to import a Raw file. On iOS, the app is happy to transfer JPEG, HEIFs or Raws, probably because all three file types are supported by Apple’s operating system, so it knows what to do with the files. If you try to import an HDR HEIFs using the Android app it’ll tell you you have to manually convert the HEIF to a JPEG (and drop down to SDR) on the camera, first.

Remote live view shooting

Engaging remote live view shooting is a similar process: pressing the button in the app initiates a Wi-Fi connection that you’ll need to approve each time on the iOS version. You’re then given a live feed from the camera with an interface that lets you control a lot of the camera’s settings.

Richard Butler

You can adjust exposure settings, drive mode, AF mode, white balance and so forth. You can’t change exposure mode, though or, at least, not on a camera whether that’s set using a physical dial. You don’t get fine-grained control like WB fine tune and some functions can be greyed-out for reasons that aren’t obvious.

Richard Butler

Although not enabled by default, you can set the app to let you double-tap to zoom in the live view display to the area around the AF point. With this done, the manual focus function that lets you drive the focus forward or backward with three degrees of subtlety becomes much more useful, though the zoom only punches in to the 5x level of zoom, not the really fine 10x option you can get on the camera’s rear screen.

Richard Butler

Taking photos in live view shooting mode does not transfer them to the camera: you’ll need to leave the live view shooting option and switch back to the “Images on camera” function. You can review your images and even give them a rating, but that’s it.

Further functions

Away from the App’s Home tab is another called “Functions,” which will show the other modes and functions available with whichever camera you currently have connected.

Richard Butler

So, for example, most cameras have an Auto Transfer option, that lets you automatically send images from your camera to your phone, as you take them. With this function you have the choice of whether to downsize the files (to 1MB 1620 x 1080px files) before transfer and the option to remove location data from the transferred images.

This mode only continues to function while a Wi-Fi connection is maintained and the Auto Transfer function is still active in the app. Auto Transfer can’t be used in conjuction with the live view shooting mode, frustratingly. Auto Transfer can’t send Raws and won’t send HDR PQ HEIFs, either.

Also in the Functions tab are a ‘Bluetooth remote control’ function, an option to share the smartphone’s location data with the camera, to add it to images as you shoot them, and the ability to send your phone’s date and time to the camera, with the option to update these settings every time you reconnect the app. This last feature sounds especially useful when traveling across time zones.

Richard Butler

Richard Butler

There’s also the option to set your camera up to connect to local Wi-Fi networks, which then lets you engage its Cloud upload and Live Streaming features. You can also do this from the camera itself, but it’s likely to be easier to find and connect to Wi-Fi networks from the app in your phone, rather than having to navigate an on-screen keyboard in the camera’s menus.

Newer cameras may include the option to download Custom Picture color profiles for video from Canon’s LUT library. This downloads standard .cube LUTs to your phone, from where you can push them to your camera. Via a rather convoluted process, you can then save these LUTs into one of the Custom Picture slots in your camera and save them to the SD card to simplify the process in future.

The final option in a link to the camera’s online instruction manual. The precise behavior may depend on how your local Canon subsidiary uploads its manuals, but in the US, at least, you get the choice of the user manual as html pages or in pdf form.

USB connection

What really sets Camera Connect apart from many other manufacturer apps is the ability to connect the two devices directly with a USB cable. Canon’s recent cameras have a “Choose USB connection app” menu option at the end of their network settings menu. Android users can leave it in the default “Photo Import/Remote Control” setting, whereas Apply users will need to select “Canon app(s) for iPhone.”

Richard Butler

Once this is set, connecting a cable between the devices lets you jump straight into features such as image import, live view control or auto upload, that usually require a Wi-Fi connection. The Android version even asked whether you want Camera Connect to be automatically opened, when you connect your camera.

Richard Butler

This USB route is much faster than Wi-Fi and doesn’t require any pairing in advance. The camera doesn’t need to recognize the phone and you won’t need to select which phone to connect to, if you have more than one pairing registered: you just plug in and go. Even with a USB connection, the Android app won’t let you transfer Raws.

Other Apps

Finally, beyond the Functions tab, the Camera Connect app has an ‘Apps’ tab that lets you download Canon’s other smartphone apps, including its Selphy printing app and the EOS Webcam Utility Pro app.

Richard Butler

Richard Butler

Each time you open the app, it connects to Canon’s servers and checks for firmware updates for the currently active camera model. If an update is available, the app can show you the change log and let you download the firmware to your phone. It’ll then establish a Wi-Fi connection to the camera to transfer the firmware update file. 

Only once that file has transferred completely to the camera are you asked if you want to update the firmware, so you don’t have to worry about connection status during the update.

Photo and video competitions have had to deal with fakes and forgeries since their invention, a task that’s become increasingly difficult in the age of generative AI. Many competitions have had to deal with revelations that entries – sometimes even winning ones – were faked or enhanced by AI. Now, it’s happened with one sponsored by Nikon.

The company has disqualified the video that won first place in its Small World in Motion competition, stating it “did not comply with the competition rules regarding generative AI.” That rule is relatively simple: “AI generated videos are not permitted and Sponsor holds the right to request the original video for verification.”

The video in question supposedly showed “abnormal beating of airway cilia in a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a rare genetic disorder affecting respiratory function,” and the original press release announcing it as the winner had several paragraphs describing the importance of the imagery and how it was captured.

Nikon’s statement says the decision came “after thoroughly re-evaluating the video and supporting materials and consulting with members of our judging panel.” It also clarifies that the decision “is based solely on the submitted video’s eligibility under the rules outlined for this competition” and “should not be interpreted as a judgment of the entrant’s professional reputation, scientific contributions, or intent.”

What the statement doesn’t say is what role generative AI played in the video’s creation; whether it was fully synthetic, or if it was used to edit something that was once a real image. You can still see it in news coverage of the competition and it looks otherworldly, but, to me, that’s the case for authentic microscopy videos, too. The BBC says the winner “acknowledged using AI,” and reports that other scientists raised the alarm about the video, with one expert in PCD saying that the cells in the video “look nothing like those from PCD patients.”

The company says the incident shows it needs to re-evaluate its rules and procedures moving forward, though as AI tools and people’s familiarity with them and willingness to use them advance, it seems likely that this will continue to happen, despite a growing market of tools designed to identify AI-generated or edited content. The reality is that many of the existing tools are, essentially, guessing, or rely on watermarks embedded by tools made by companies acting in good faith. Someone looking to enter a doctored or generated video into a competition would be able to bypass those relatively easily.

In light of the incident, Nikon has changed the rankings of the Small World In Motion competition, which awards a prize of $3000 for first place. That spot has been awarded to the former second place winner, Nguyen Nam Nhat, who submitted a video of “a tiny roundworm and a single-celled Dileptus” moving around. Second place now belongs to Benedikt Pleyer’s video of jellyfish larvae, and third place goes to Dr. Andrew Moore for their video of “synchronized cell division in neighboring cells.” You can view all the winners on the Nikon Small World website.

Google has made its free tool for identifying SynthID watermarks available to the general public, potentially making it easier to tell whether what you’re looking at was created by or edited with generative AI. While the tool is only looking for a watermark, rather than analyzing the image to see if it’s AI-generated, an increasing number of companies are starting to add SynthIDs to the images, video and audio generated by their AI tools.

The tool, called SynthID Detector, is relatively simple. You can upload an image, video file or audio clip to it, and it will scan for a SynthID. Google says that AI tools from itself, Nvidia, OpenAI and Kakao use the standard, so the tool should be able to tell whether AI was used to create the thing you’ve uploaded. Apple has also promised to start using SynthIDs to watermark its AI-powered photo manipulation tools later this year.

Mitchell Clark

Rather than try to add easily-removed metadata, SynthIDs are invisible watermarks added to AI-generated media, which should theoretically survive modification like cropping, adjusting colors or being compressed by a platform that isn’t even attempting to preserve the watermark. Also importantly, the watermark shouldn’t be detectable in the final output.

There is one somewhat annoying gotcha with the tool: it requires you to sign in with a Google, Apple or OpenAI account to actually check anything. This extra friction may be enough to dissuade someone from casually checking an image, and doesn’t really feel like it should be necessary.

It’s also worth noting that it is very limited. While many major players are represented in the list of companies on board with SynthID, there are plenty that aren’t. As the tool’s homepage warns, it doesn’t detect whether the image was made by AI, it can only tell you whether it was made with a specific subset of models. It’s also binary, only telling you if an image has a watermark or not. Unlike more robust (and, in some ways, more limited) tools like Apple’s Reference Image system or Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) Content Credentials, there’s no way to see the original image, or tell whether the AI simply tweaked a real photo or created an image wholesale.

Mitchell Clark

Still, it’s an important piece of the puzzle as SynthID is gaining popularity. After all, a watermark isn’t particularly useful if it’s invisible and you have no way of checking it. You’ve been able to ask Google Gemini if an image has a SynthID watermark in it for a while now, and Google’s Chrome browser and Search engine will flag images with them in some cases, but the detector is a much lighter-weight solution, and provides an option for those who may be checking an image because they’re morally opposed to using AI, and who likely wouldn’t view being able to ask an AI chatbot about it as an acceptable option.

I’m going to argue that Sigma’s 50-120mm F2.8 is one of the most interesting lenses this year. And not just because I’ve been asking for something like it, for years.

Different formats have different strengths and weaknesses, generally offering a different balance of size, price and image quality. But they can only live up to their full potential if they have lenses that let them deliver the size or price benefits they should be capable of.

For various reasons that have very little to do with the merits, or otherwise, of APS-C, most of the biggest camera makers have heavily focused their lens development on full-frame. This has left us in the odd situation where Canon, Nikon and Sony all make some quite nice APS-C bodies, but with lenses for them being distinctly few and far between.

But, as was the case in the DSLR era, third-party makers such as Sigma and Tamron have helped fill the gap. And, refreshingly, for the most part, the big camera makers have let them.

Finally, with the arrival of Sigma’s new 75-180mm equiv zoom, APS-C users across multiple systems can put together some pretty flexible kits that take full advantage of the size, price, image quality balance that the format should be able to provide.

Richard Butler

Incrementally, the choice of compact primes for APS-C has expanded, with autofocus options from the likes of Sigma, Tokina and Viltrox spanning a wide range of focal lengths. In terms of zooms there are a choice of wide-angles, and both Tamron and Sigma offer some interesting fast standard zooms

Even the camera makers themselves seem to recognize this need, with Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm all offering 16-50-ish F2.8 options. And, collectively, these options will cover a wide range of photography situations.

The addition of a modern approximation of a 70-200mm equiv for APS-C rounds out this lineup. It means you can keep your kit small and relatively affordable across an even wider range of photography. And it’s hard to convey just how small the Sigma 50-120mm is, until you see it in person.

Obviously, a 50-120mm F2.8 is not fully equivalent to an F2.8 75-180mm lens on full-frame (120/2.8 ≠ 180/2.8), but it lets you do the things that make a 70-200mm lens on full-frame so popular, while maintaining the size and price benefits you get in return for the image quality trade-off.

I loved the original APO Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX II HSM in the DSLR era because it was two-thirds the size of a 70-200 and two-thirds the price. It was a much easier to handle and less potentially intimidating lens than a 70-200, helping give me the confidence to shoot some of my first public portraits. And it was much easier to carry than the second-hand 70-200mm F2.8 I’d previously bought and that sat at home unless I was absolutely sure I’d need it.

Richard Butler

The new Sigma not only repeats that trick but improves on it. It’s so much smaller and lighter than an actual 70-200mm lens (even compared with Canon’s RF 70-200mm F4 with which it’s approximately equivalent) that it means I can keep it with me, even if I’m not anticipating needing it.

So, APS-C users, you have a choice: you can believe the bottom-line-benefitting talk of ‘upgrade paths,’ and saddle yourself with a heavy, expensive 105-300mm equiv lens (which can have their uses, but that aren’t necessarily the same as those of a 70-200mm), or you opt for the Sigma, and gain approximately 70-200 utility in a lens you can fit in a coat pocket. As an APS-C shooter, I know which makes sense to me.