The OM System PEN brings a lot of camera (interchangeable lenses, twin command dials, an EVF, in-body stabilization and a rated degree of weather sealing) to not a lot of camera (it’s usefully small).

Here’s our hands-on overview of a camera that brings together familiar components in a form that we haven’t seen (at least in North America) for some time.

It’s more an E-P7 with a viewfinder than a direct PEN-F successor, but that delivers an interesting, relatively affordable option for everyday and travel photography.

If you want to read about the PEN in more depth and see more sample images, check out our written review.

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Laowa has announced that it is bringing its 180mm F4.5 1.5x Ultra Macro APO lens to Fujifilm X-mount and Nikon F-mount. The lens was originally released almost exactly one year ago for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon EF, Canon RF, and L-mounts, and the new additions mean that most photographers, no matter their system, have access to an affordable macro lens, though not every mount offers autofocus. 

Laowa

The Fujifilm X-mount version, like the E, Z, and EF-mount iterations, is an autofocus lens and marks the first autofocus Laowa lens for X-mount cameras. The Canon RF, L-mount and Nikon F versions, though, are manual focus only. Complicating matters further, the autofocus versions of the lenses only have their full abilities from 1.5m (4.9′) to infinity. For subjects between 1.5m and the lens’ minimum focusing distance, 30cm (11.8″), you only get “limited autofocus assistance for focus stacking.”

On Fujifilm X-mount cameras, the lens offers a 270mm equivalent field of view. Optically, all mounts are the same, with an apochromatic design and 12 elements in 9 groups, which Laowa says results in excellent sharpness and reduced chromatic aberration. It features a nine-blade aperture diaphragm. 

Laowa

The exact weight depends on the mount, but the Fujifilm X version is the heaviest of the bunch, weighing 526.2g (1.2 lbs). All iterations are compatible with 62mm filters. 

Laowa’s 180mm F4.5 1.5x Ultra Macro APO for X and F-mounts is available for purchase today for $499. 

Laowa 180mm F4.5 1.5X Ultra Macro APO

• $499 at B&H Photo
• $499 at Laowa

It looks like Viltrox is gearing up to release a lot of lenses, including bringing several of its existing full-frame designs to L-mount. The news comes from the company’s press release about its attendance of the International Broadcasting Convention, or IBC, this week. While the show is typically focused on video, the company says it’ll be showing off several photographic tools there, too.

First are its L-mount lenses. Viltrox is bringing its autofocusing 14mm F4, 20mm F2.8, 40mm F2.5 and 50mm F2 lenses to the mount, which are all part of its “Air” series of relatively lightweight options that were originally launched for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts. Given that the company has only released two autofocusing lenses for the mount since it joined the L-mount Alliance in 2025, this looks like a relatively dramatic expansion of its offerings. What stands out more, though, is that these lenses aren’t all standard fare; sure a 50mm F2 isn’t that exotic, but there aren’t exactly a ton of affordable ultrawide autofocus lenses already on the market for those with L-mount cameras.

The company also says it’ll be introducing two new APS-C lenses, the 18mm (27mm equiv.) F1.2 Pro and 40mm (60mm equiv.) F1.2 Pro. These are also exciting options, as I wasn’t able to find any other lenses like them currently available for sale (assuming they’ll have autofocus). Of course, they’ll probably be quite large and heavy, but for those who want fast glass to pair with an APS-C camera, these could be options to watch out for. 

The company also promises to expand its flash lineup – which has, until now, consisted mainly of small, on-camera models – with a “new high-power” option. Whether that means a particularly bright version of what it’s made before, or a speedlight or standalone strobe to compete with companies like Godox, we’ll have to wait and see.

While Viltrox will be showing these lenses off at IBC, this doesn’t quite seem to be an official announcement yet. We don’t have release dates for the L-mount lenses, nor do we know if they’ll be the same price as the Sony and Nikon versions. Nor do we have much info on the APS-C lenses. But it’s clear that we should keep a close eye on Viltrox in the coming weeks.

Meet James Fawcette

Home base: Los Altos Hills, CA USA

For this spotlight series, we sometimes get a variety of photos from an individual to share with you, and then there are also specialist photographers like James Fawcette, known as JimLosAltos in the forums. James has spent decades since junior high school covering sports games. He started with the NBA (basketball) using a Kodak Tri-X, and is now aiming a Nikon Z9 at professional tennis events.

“When camera companies use the term ‘prosumer’, I suppose that’s what I am. I’m an amateur photographer who extends my enjoyment of tennis by capturing photos of pro tennis players. And I’ve been able to sell enough of these to more than pay for generations of my camera equipment.”

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 James has to share.

What got you into photographing sports?

James Fawcette

“Since the 1960s, as a junior high school student, I sold my first photos of the Boston Celtics and Killington, Vermont ski resort to the local newspaper, the Rutland Daily Herald. I first worked in the Herald’s darkroom, where I learned to develop negatives “by observation.” I had to learn how to “push” the Tri-X from 400 to – who knows. There were no numbers to guide us, so we had to do it by eye. We had pushed the boundaries of that era’s film to its limits.

I managed to get more time behind the camera after the Herald published an on-court shot I took of Wilt Chamberlain. Then I got assignments, first to shoot Killington when it was sub-zero and the NYC tourists were getting frostbite, when my lens literally froze. I couldn’t turn the focus ring. Then I turned an assignment on a new shopping mall into something publishable by getting a private plane ride. I asked the pilot to help me “shoot straight down”. So, he did a wingover, and I was looking literally straight down. Nearly threw up right then and there.”

What’s in James’s bag

James Fawcette

Favorite cameras(s): Nikon Z9 & Nikon Z7

Favorite lens(s):

• Nikkor Z 14-24mm F2.8 S
• Nikkor 24-140mm F4 S
• Nikkor 105mm F1.4 F1.4E ED
• Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II
• Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 VR S
• Viltrox AF 85mm F2.0 Evo

“When I first started, I used what I’m pretty sure were Herald’s Honeywell Pentax reflex cameras that had a long lens of 100m or 135mm, I think. When I had more time for photography years later, I started using lower-end Nikon film equipment, then progressed from the D810 to the D850, and finally to the Z7 and Z9.

Most of my pro tennis shots have been taken by rentals from the likes of old Borrow Lenses to Lensrental, because I do events sporadically, and the physical location varies so widely. My go-to lens for many of my most successful shots after moving to the Z-mount was still an F-mount lens: the 500mm PF on an FTZ converter with a Nikon Z7, then my Z9. It’s remarkably sharp, compact enough to fit in a transparent NFL bag and quick focusing.”

What’s your favorite bag and accessories?

Must-have accessories: “Tile trackers (for theft prevention and tracking) and rubber lens hoods from Kurvd. And of course, the more expected items like backup storage, batteries and a MagSafe Tripod for the phone.”

Favorite bag(s): “I’m totally not satisfied here. This is an endless quest. Frankly, I have a Peak bag I ‘bought’ from that company’s first Kickstarter program. Loved it at first, then the knife-edge shoulder strap, combined with having to spend so much time reconfiguring it every time I changed lenses, turned me off.

Being plenty frustrated with specific camera bags, I now use a regular Tumi or Oakley, which is just a bag with no dividers. I place foam dividers around whatever combination of equipment I put in there.

What’s probably my most unique setup? That’s tough to decide, but freezing on a Killington chairlift in sub-zero temperatures or on my nose looking down from an airplane, I think, qualifies.”

What do you like to shoot?

James Fawcette

“My main focus is professional tennis. I’ve captured images of players from Roger Federer to Jannik Sinner and from Serena Williams to Coco Gauff, which have appeared in all sorts of media. Since I like tennis, my focus is more on playing tennis than on reaction shots, which bore me (sorry). I attempt to capture the energy, the technique, the athleticism of these great players. That passion evolved into photo-illustration.

Sometimes I have media credentials and shoot from the edge of the court. Other times, I shoot as a ticket-buying fan (something that is becoming near impossible, as another subject of your spotlight series stated in his article. I find that very sad and short-sighted.)”

How do you photograph constantly moving objects, such as sports players?

James Fawcette

“It’s kind of impossible to keep up with the quick movements of professional athletes, so knowing the sport well enough to anticipate action helps. Also, I’ve learned a few tennis-specific tricks, but I imagine they have parallels in other sports.

One such example is trying to time the ball’s impact with the racket’s strings. Pros are so precise, and their skills make them so consistent, you can often watch for the ball to get in the right position with confidence that’s where they’ll make contact. I suppose another example would be that of a high cross in soccer (a pass kicked through the air from one side of the field to the other), which will lead to a header (when a player uses their head to play the ball).”

What would you say to other photographers about building a lasting career?

James Fawcette

“As photography gets commoditized, being able to add value to the photo has helped me. The photo-illustrations differentiate my work. In some cases, I’ve created cover images for a set of photos using typography on the names or headlines that graphically overlap the image. But if I’m trying to get an image published, rather than simply for fun, the illustration or abstraction has to serve a purpose.

For example, a photo-illustration I called “Sinner Hydra” was inspired by a tennis analyst, the excellent Brad Gilbert, saying “He gives you nowhere to go. Everywhere you look, Sinner has a weapon”. So, I created an image of Sinner with four arms holding a racket. Point made.

Another tactic that has worked for me is to understand the publication’s or site’s mission and create packages that fit that. A more pragmatic example is a set of images where I overlaid pop-up windows showing close-ups of how tennis players grip their rackets for a website that caters to teaching tennis pros. That’s added value. Differentiating your product is key.”

James 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 James’s other work at jfawcette.myportfolio.com/work.

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.

Insta360 has announced the global launch of the Luna Pro, a compact, single-lens gimbal camera designed for vlogging and social-first video. The camera is Insta360’s second entry in the category after the dual-lens Luna Ultra, sharing the more expensive model’s Type 1 sensor, Leica-branded 20mm-equivalent F1.8 lens and 8K Dolby Vision video while omitting its dedicated telephoto camera. You can learn more about the camera in our full coverage.

A spec sheet is one thing, but we wanted to see how the Luna Pro holds up in the real world. To that end, we brought it into a dim listening bar, attached it for first-person rock-climbing footage and took it aboard a working lobster boat. The videos above and below look at stabilization on moving water, the effectiveness of the camera’s zoom, and its close-up shooting abilities with animals and other natural subjects.

The resulting footage offers a more practical look at how Insta360’s lower-priced Luna model handles unpredictable, active settings, and where the single-lens design may be enough for creators who do not need the Luna Ultra’s dedicated telephoto camera.

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Insta360 is continuing its challenge to DJI’s popular Osmo lineup with its second gimbal camera in just three months. The Luna Pro is a single-lens device designed to take on the DJI Osmo Pocket 4, targeting creators who want a more portable option for stabilized, social-ready video without the higher price tag of the dual-lens Insta360 Luna Ultra.

The Luna Pro shares the Luna Ultra’s headline Type 1 sensor and Leica-branded 20mm-equivalent F1.8 lens specifications, but lacks that model’s dedicated telephoto camera. The Luna Pro can record HDR video in Dolby Vision at 8K/30, as well as 4K/120 footage for slow motion. It features a dedicated low-light mode called PureVideo that uses AI to reduce noise and enhance brightness and detail, which works up to 4K60. The camera can also record 4K/30 vertical video using 6K oversampling for social-first sharing and can take up to 37MP still photos.

Insta360

Insta360 says the Luna Pro offers a 2x zoom mode that crops in on the center region of the sensor, which still provides a 4K window, plus 4x ‘HighRes Zoom,’ which Insta360 says uses AI to maintain detail and quality. It supports 10-bit I-Log, preserving more color, highlight and shadow detail for grading and supports ACES workflows. It also features in-camera Leica color profiles and other filters for those who are after more polished looks straight out of the camera.

As a gimbal camera, it offers 3-axis stabilization, promising smooth footage even when moving. It also offers multiple subject tracking modes, including single person, multi-person and pets. 

Insta360

Like its sibling, the Luna Pro features a detachable two-inch touchscreen that can be used as a remote control. Insta360 promises up to 4 hours of use, and it also supports fast charging. It includes 47GB of built-in storage, though it also accepts microSD cards up to 2TB for those who need more storage space. It weighs 215g for the black version, though the white comes in 3g heavier. The camera is also compatible with a range of accessories, including Insta360’s mics and its head tracker, which you can see in action in our hands-on footage.

The Luna Pro will be available globally beginning September 10 for $600, or $170 less than the dual-lens Luna Ultra. For U.S. customers, the Luna series has a clear advantage over DJI’s current Osmo Pocket models, which are not officially available in the country because DJI is affected by the FCC’s Covered List restrictions on newly introduced foreign-made camera equipment. For those in the U.S. who like the idea of a gimbal camera but find the Luna series a bit steep, the Osmo Pocket 3 remains available for $439 because it was released before DJI was added to the FCC’s Covered List.

Insta360

Insta360 Luna Pro

• $600 at Insta360

September 9th is Sigma’s 65th anniversary of being in business and its CEO, Kazuto Yamaki, has published a letter marking the occasion. While it doesn’t contain any news, it’s well worth a read, as it’s illustrative of what makes the company different.

While Sigma is best known for its lenses, it’s also a company that hasn’t been afraid of trying something a little out there, be that chasing the long-standing dream of a full-frame Foveon camera, creating a radically simplified user interface for its BF camera or even growing rice. And indeed, it’s hard to imagine many other companies taking time in a letter celebrating an anniversary to call attention to the “stern feedback” they received after the times their products or services fell short.

Yamaki states in the letter that the company hopes to “contribute to the development of photographic and visual culture, social peace, and human happiness” in the future. You can read the full letter here, or take a trip down memory lane and read the letter Yamaki wrote for Sigma’s 60th anniversary in 2021, before checking out the company’s history page.

Today, Apple announced the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo, its first foldable, making it seem as if the standard line of iPhones, along with the ultra-thin iPhone Air were untouched. And while those phones haven’t been updated yet, something about them has changed: their prices.

When the iPhone 17 launched in September of last year, it started at $799 for a model with 256GB of storage. Now, that same model is $899. If you want to upgrade your storage to 512GB, it’ll bring the price up to $1099. Apple is no longer selling the 17 Pro that launched alongside it, as is tradition for when it updates a Pro model.

The iPhone Air, launched at the same time as the 17, has also received a $100 price bump, now starting at $1099 instead of $999. 

What’s more painful is what’s happened to the cheaper end of Apple’s lineup. The iPhone 17e, the company’s budget model which originally launched in March, has gone from $599, the same price as its predecessor, to $699. And the now two-year old iPhone 16 now sells for $799, which is the same price that it launched at in 2024.

This move isn’t necessarily a surprise from Apple. The company recently raised prices on many of its other devices like Macs, Apple TVs and more, likely due in part to rising storage and memory costs. However, it had seemed like the iPhone may have been spared, with the price increases coming with the next generation. And indeed, the iPhone 18 Pros announced today start at $100 more than their predecessor. However, it seems like that price increase isn’t just limited to the latest and greatest.