Image: Laowa

Laowa is continuing to be the torchbearer for bringing tilt-shift lenses to modern mirrorless mounts. The company's latest release is the 17mm F4 Zero-D Tilt-Shift / Shift, which is available for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Fujifilm GFX, Hasselblad XCD and L mount, though the latter comes with a pretty big caveat that we'll cover in a bit.

There are two versions of the lens, both of which use the same optics: 18 elements in 12 groups, with four extra-low dispersion lenses, two glass aspherical elements and five ultra high refraction glass elements. They both have 14-bladed apertures.

One just supports shifting, which gives you the ability to change perspective while keeping the camera level, which can be especially helpful when shooting architecture. The shift-only model supports 11mm of shift in either direction on full-frame system, or 8mm on a medium format camera.

Image: Laowa

The tilt-shift model bumps that up to 12mm of shift on a full-frame, and adds 12° of tilt (10° on medium format), giving you the ability to manipulate the plane of focus. You can use that to either maximize your depth of field without having to worry about diffraction or to create the miniature effect that tilt-shift lenses are famous for.

The company promises that the lens has no barrel distortion, and says it can focus on subjects as close as 0.25m (9.8") away. It has an 86mm filter thread and a built-in Arca-Swiss compatible lens foot. The mount can easily be rotated with a click of a button and has preset rotation positions in 15° increments. It weighs 810g for the tilt-shift model and 770g for the shift model.

Given that the lens is manual focus only, and that Laowa has brought its other tilting and/or shifting lenses to a wide variety of mounts, it's not surprising to see this lens coming to mounts that are usually more restricted. It is, however, worth noting that the company says the L-mount version isn't compatible with some of the system's most popular cameras: the S5II/X, S1II, S1RII and S1IIE. The company told us this is because the overhang of those cameras' EVF housings protrudes forward over the lens mount. While you can physically mount the lens on one of the camera, the barrel will run into the EVF cladding essentially as soon as you try to rotate it, which severely limits the lens' functionality.

Given that we haven't seen major camera manufacturers like Canon or Nikon release tilt-shift lenses for their most recent systems, it's exciting to see Laowa continue to expand its lineup of them.

The 17mm F4 Zero-D Shift costs $999, and the Tilt-Shift costs $1249. Both are available starting today.

Manufacturer samples

Laowa 17mm F4 Zero-D Tilt-Shift specifications

Image: Frame.io

You can now use Frame.io, the video and image workflow platform that integrates with several pieces of editing software, to automatically upload stills files from certain Nikon cameras to the cloud. The software has supported this kind of workflow for video files for a while, but the new JPEG and Raw support could be convenient if you have a Z6III, Z8, Z9 or ZR.

While some cameras from companies like Fujifilm and Panasonic can connect directly to the Adobe-owned service, that's not quite what's going on with Nikon's implementation. As Frame.io's update notes say: "Using NX MobileAir (iOS and Android), images upload directly from the camera to Frame.io—no need to remove cards or manually transfer files before sharing. From there, editors can move seamlessly into Adobe Lightroom for immediate editing and delivery." It feels a bit funny to describe images as being uploaded "directly" when you need another app in the mix to do it, but theoretically it should be relatively hands-off once you establish the connection.

Nikon offers similar capability with its Imaging Cloud service

If this all sounds familiar, it may be because Nikon offers similar capability with its Imaging Cloud service. With it, supported cameras can automatically upload images to Nikon's cloud, which will then transfer them to services like Dropbox, Google Photos or Lightroom.

While that approach is more convenient in some ways – you use it by directly connecting your camera to Wi-Fi, rather than your phone – the Z8 and Z9 famously haven't received support for Imaging Cloud, despite lower-end cameras like the Z5II and Zf having it. This update gives owners of those cameras an easy way to offload the images they take directly to a cloud service, even if it is a little less flexible.

Image: Adobe

Adobe has announced that its "AI Assistant" for Photoshop is now available in public beta. It's designed to let you describe how you want your image changed to a chatbot, and either have the program carry out the edits for you or tell you how to do them. And, if you're willing to use generative AI, you can even draw on your image to have it add new elements or remove existing ones.

When you open a picture in Photoshop for web or mobile and activate the assistant, it analyzes the image to come up with some suggested edits: things like brightening the foreground or cropping in on the subject. The suggestions come in two categories: do it for me, or show me how. If you have your own edits in mind, you can also type what you want done into the box, and it will either go off and do it or tell you what you should do, sometimes complete with links to the tools you'll need.

The company has been working on the feature behind closed doors for a while now, teasing it early last year before finally announcing it at its Max conference in October. When I spoke to a Photoshop product manager at Adobe's Max conference last year, it was clear that the company is thinking of the AI assistant as an automation tool first, and a learning tool second. However, in the little bit I played around with it, the current version seemed to be at its best when instructing, rather than executing.

This is exactly the kind of edit a beginner might need help with, and I think the answer it came up with is pretty decent for that audience, especially since it gives you links to open the tools.

As an example, I asked it how I could brighten the shadows in an image without also raising the highlights. It came up with a genuinely good answer: add a curves adjustment layer, and drag the shadow adjustment point upwards. It even gave me a link that opened up the Curve tool. However, it also told me it could do it for me, so I told it to give it a shot.

Instead of taking the steps it described, the assistant added a brightness/contrast adjustment layer and just raised the brightness of the entire image, blowing out the highlights. The bot then said: "Shadows are now brighter! 🕶️✨ The adjustment layer focused on lifting the dark areas (like faces and clothing), while the highlights stayed crisp and untouched-no blown-out windows here!" (Especially ironic since the chat box was covering most of the image except for the now blown-out window.)

The tool is at its best when using the tools that Adobe's already been working on automating, such as subject masking and adjustment, and removing objects.

Theoretically, this approach would've worked had it created a layer mask, an edit it was happy to do in other situations, but for whatever reason, it didn't decide to do that. Some other issues I ran into: when I asked it to brighten the foreground of an image, its initial selection was completely incorrect, including patches of the sky, resulting in an oddly splotchy result (though, in fairness, at the end the bot realized things hadn't gone to plan). On another photo, one of the suggested edits was to "enhance the colors for a more vibrant look," which would've been a reasonable suggestion had it not been a black and white photo.

The tool showed me the selection as it was making it, and I thought, "Well, that's not going to go well." And, indeed, it did not.*

There were some successes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given all the work Adobe has put into distraction removal, the model did a decent job when I asked it to remove extraneous objects from a photo. It's also worth noting that the AI assistant's edits are broken down in the edit history pane, so if it fell over at the last step, you can just undo that and take control yourself. It also shows the tools being used on screen as it (slowly) runs through each step, potentially making it easier to do it yourself next time.

Adobe has also introduced a tool called AI Markup, which lets you sketch something onto your photo and have generative AI add it in for you. AI image generation in Photoshop is nothing new, but this should make it that bit easier to make sure the elements you're trying to add end up where you want them to.

I'm tired of every tool I use showing me endless pop-ups about their AI assistants, but...

I'm tired of every tool I use showing me endless pop-ups about their AI assistants, but I think there's definitely a place for something like this in a program as complicated as Photoshop. As long as it's not too insistent that you use it, it could wind up being a useful teaching tool for those getting into photo editing, or for more obscure edits that you don't quite remember how to do (not everyone will have memorized CollegeHumor's Photoshop tutorial rap for redeye removal). It seems like Adobe has a bit of work to do before the tool can reliably automate tiresome tasks, but the bones for that system are clearly here.

The AI Assistant is available in Photoshop for the web and mobile, and AI Markup is available in the web version. Adobe says Creative Cloud subscribers will have unlimited image generation with the tool until April 9th; after that, it'll presumably fall back to using however many credits are included in your plan. If you're a free Photoshop for web user, you'll get 20 image generations.

* - In fairness, giving it a JPEG with such high contrast wasn't really setting it up for success, but I at least expected it to select the black part of the image and try to brighten it. I would've tried it with the Raw, but Photoshop for web couldn't open it.

Photo: Abby Ferguson

Google recently released its latest entry-level smartphone, the Pixel 10a. The updates are modest overall, with the most visible change being a redesigned camera array that now sits flush with the back of the phone. We took the 10a on a recent trip to Japan for CP+ to see how its cameras handled a variety of situations.

Despite the slimmer design, the camera hardware is unchanged from the Pixel 9a. Like the previous model, it features a 48MP main camera with a Type 1/2 (~31mm²) sensor and a 13MP ultra wide camera with a Type 1/3.1 (~19mm²) sensor. Google has carried over some of the AI-focused photography features from the 10‑series phones, such as Auto Best Take and Camera Coach, which aim to help users capture stronger images with less effort. Otherwise, the Pixel 10a feels very familiar if you have used the 9a.

"The Pixel 10a feels very familiar if you have used the 9a."

That similarity extends to image quality. You would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between photos from the 9a and 10a. In good light, the phone's two cameras perform well enough. When the light gets dim, though, along comes the noise. That's especially evident in the night photos with vast expanses of open sky or other dark areas, which you can see in the gallery below. Night Mode does seem to help with some of that noise, and also adds some lightness at times. But it's important to note that, unlike other phones, the Pixel 10a does not automatically switch between camera modes. If you want to use Night Mode, you'll need to manually select that in dark conditions.

The Pixel 10a is not aimed at photographers who want to use their phone as a somewhat serious camera; that role remains reserved for the higher-end 10‑series models, especially the Pro versions. But for people who want a compact, relatively affordable phone that can reliably capture everyday memories, the Pixel 10a’s cameras can get the job done.

Mitchell and Abby got to experience the (overwhelming) magic of a Yodobashi camera store for the first time on their trip to CP+. Photo: Abby Ferguson

The DPReview team recently returned from CP+, the camera industry's official trade show held in Yokohama, Japan. Most of our focus was, naturally, on the show and interviewing executives from the major camera and lens companies. However, we also had some time before and after CP+ to wander around, taking photographs and checking out some of Japan's camera store offerings.

This trip marked Abby's first time in Japan, and it was a second journey to the country for me (Mitchell). Now that we've been back for a bit, we wanted to take some time to reflect on our experiences there beyond CP+.

Seeing a new place through the same lens

Nikon Z8 | Viltrox 35mm F1.2 Lab | F8 | 1/400 sec | ISO 64 | Processed in Capture One Photo: Mitchell Clark

Mitchell's thoughts

If you've spent any time on gear-related forums such as ours, there's a bit of advice you've probably seen pop up anytime someone asks about upgrading their equipment: you should spend the money you would've spent on a camera/lens on taking a trip with your current kit instead.

While I obviously don't think that's always true, this trip showed me that there is definitely some wisdom there. Being in a completely new place (I've been to Osaka, which has quite a different vibe from Tokyo and Yokohama), where many things are unfamiliar, helped get me out of my photographic rut. I found interesting new angles to shoot things in, and tried out things I might not have at home, just because I was inspired and excited to be doing photography again. Travel, even if it's mainly for work, was a great way to get my creative energy going (especially after what's been a particularly dull and uninspiring winter at home).

Even when I wasn't taking pictures for work, I was constantly pulling out my phone to capture interesting compositions that I saw. iPhone 15 Pro | Rear wide camera | Cropped to 4:3 Photo: Mitchell Clark

As someone who often shoots at night, I was also delighted to find that Tokyo, in particular, is one of the most well-lit cities I've ever been in. That meant that I was still able to get pictures late into the evening, no matter where I went, something that's definitely not the case in my more rural neck of the woods.

It's also astoundingly dense, its streets and alleyways bursting with people and things to take pictures of. If I'm doing a photowalk in downtown Spokane, it might take me an hour or two to come up with 10-15 good images, especially if I'm trying to find subjects I haven't shot before. In Tokyo, it felt like I could do that or more in fifteen minutes and a few blocks.

Abby's thoughts

The colors, textures and lights in Tokyo and Yokohama were feasts for my eyes. Edited in Adobe Photoshop. Panasonic S1RII | Viltrox AF 16mm F1.8 | F3.5 | 1/80 sec | ISO 500 Photo: Abby Ferguson

I'll start by echoing Mitchell's comments about taking a trip somewhere new. Just like he experienced, this trip to Japan felt like a little rekindling of my photography. It was very refreshing to be someplace new in general, especially somewhere drastically different in almost every way from where I currently live.

Both Tokyo and Yokohama, where I spent all of my time, are absolutely filled with color and lights. The densely packed architecture and infrastructure of both places create lots of interesting opportunities for photography, with rich lines, textures and shapes to play with. It was like a photographer's playground in many ways.

SOOC JPEG Panasonic S1RII | Viltrox AF 16mm F1.8 | F2.2 | 1/20 sec | ISO 640 Photo: Abby Ferguson

Now, this could very well be the case in any major city (which I do not live in at the moment), but it was still fun to have so many opportunities for photographs. I went out with my 35mm film camera on my last day, with just a few hours before needing to catch a train to the airport and easily shot through an entire roll of film. It typically takes me a few days to do that, even when I'm in new locations that I'm excited about.

Another thing I noticed was that we were far from the only photographers wandering around, even well away from CP+. Yokohama is a tourist-rich city, so that may be part of it, but I saw a good number of people walking around with dedicated cameras, which is quite different from what I'm used to. Even though I live in a touristy area, I rarely see photographers out and about. Maybe I felt emboldened by this, but I even worked up the courage to ask two women who were painting near a bridge if I could photograph them, something I never do where I live.

A rich camera history: Shinjuku's used camera stores

I was in constant awe, looking around the used camera stores. Photo: Mitchell Clark

Abby's experience

I love old cameras, particularly old film cameras. Where I currently live, and really everywhere I've lived in the US, options for shopping around for these cameras in person are remarkably slim. There are a few stores more than an hour's drive away from me right now, but the selection is very small at each. That's also more than I had access to in most of the other places I've lived, and this is the seventh state I've called home.

My experience in Japan was completely different. We went to Shinjuku City while in Tokyo, and within just a few block radius, went into six different camera stores. There were more in that immediate area that we didn't check out, too, and countless beyond that one neighborhood. Even in Yokohama, I found a handful of shops within walking distance and a few more within public transportation distance of CP+.

While most of these shops were quite small, they were absolutely filled to the brim with cameras and lenses. Each was packed with glass cases with rows and rows of cameras and lenses, and many also had boxes on the floor with even more to choose from, if you were willing to hunt through them to maybe find a gem. The selection was downright overwhelming at times, especially since I didn't have a specific one in mind (other than my husband's request for a Canon P). I could have easily come home with a suitcase full of cameras if my budget had allowed for it.

I hadn't set out specifically for the Olympus M-1. But I saw one in the last shop I checked out, and looked it up since I hadn't heard of it before. The history (and condition of this one) sold me. Google Pixel 10a | Rear wide camera Photo: Abby Ferguson

It was also fascinating seeing so many brands and cameras that I'd never even heard of. I am kicking myself for not writing some of them down to look up later, because there were some very intriguing names and form factors. I ended up buying an Olympus M-1 for myself, which I hadn't even heard of before I looked it up in the store after seeing one.

Mitchell's experience

My one thought as a 1.8m tall American who was wearing a backpack to carry all our filming gear: these stores were DENSE. I barely had room to turn around, and trying to get to a specific aisle could feel like a sliding tile puzzle if someone was between you and it. I remember one store in particular where it was the three of us, and then another person shopping there; when two more people came in, the shopkeeper laughed, saying, “Too many people!”

This isn’t at all meant to be a complaint – it’s part of the density that gave the city its charm – but it’s worth being aware of if you’re going shopping at them. Had I realized just how small they were, I might’ve opted to film with a phone, rather than my full-size camera and backpack full of supporting gear.

Experience of Yodobashi Camera for the first time

My local Best Buy is a surprisingly competent camera store, but certainly doesn't stock every color of the Nikon Zf... nor practically every other camera and lens that Nikon makes. iPhone 15 Pro | Rear wide camera Photo: Mitchell Clark

Mitchell's thoughts

As part of our trip, our coworker Dale Baskin recommended that we all go to the Yodobashi Camera store in Akihabara, partially for the sheer experience of shopping at a photographic Mecca, and partially because he thought it'd make for a really good video for social media (it did). And despite all the things he told us about it, it still ended up being a much more interesting experience than I'd thought.

The first thing that became apparent right when we walked in was that, despite its name, the store sells much more than camera gear (though I suppose that should've been obvious given that it was seven stories tall). You don't even get to the main photography section until the third floor, after you've gone through a maze of smartphones, computers, monitors, networking equipment, printers and enough cables and accessories for the aforementioned to make a Best Buy blush.

Once you make it to the photo level, though, it is absolutely glorious. They have pretty much every current camera and lens, not just available, but out on the shelves for you to play with. (Though, perhaps unsurprisingly, the one camera I didn't see was a Fujifilm X100VI). Basically, every kind of photography is represented: there were booths for pretty much every brand, as well as displays for various lens makers, video cameras of all shapes and sizes, flashes, film cameras and film to put in them and more. They had pretty much every kind of Instax (which we noted were all completely sold out), and even a wide array of itty-bitty toy cameras for the kids or camera-curious.

It's not all fancy cameras at Yotobashi; they also stock the increasingly popular cheap point-and-shoots and charm-sized cameras. Photo: Dale Baskin

Of course, it's not just the cameras, it's the accessories too. You can get flashes, tripods, printers and paper for them, bags, film, straps, whatever. The experience really highlighted the fact that there's currently nothing even remotely comparable where I live; no stores that I could go to and feel assured that they would have a particular hotshoe cover or filter ring adapter. For most types of photo gear, if I want it, I’ll have to order it and wait a few days for it to arrive. It’s very cool to experience a store that sells basically everything I could ever want as a photographer.

One final note is that I was told to expect complete sensory overload, and I have to say that I was a little disappointed. Sure, the constant music and announcements took some getting used to, but it wasn't particularly overwhelming; I was mostly just excited to be there. However, your mileage may vary: it may just be that I've completely cooked my brain by listening to YouTube videos at 2x while also playing video games, and that others would find the sheer density of products and information to be too much to take in.

Abby's thoughts

Overall, I very much agree with Mitchell's takeaways. I was surprised by the sheer variety of items at Yodobashi, as there's plenty there that has nothing to do with photography. I really enjoyed and appreciated how well-rounded the photography items were, though. There were products for every step of the photographic process. That included a wide range of inkjet papers, which you normally don't see in camera stores.

Where our opinions differ, though, is in regards to sensory overload. I have not destroyed my brain like Mitchell has, so I did find it completely overwhelming. I was very glad to leave the store when we did for the comparatively quiet streets of Tokyo.