Xiaomi has announced the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, two new flagship smartphones featuring Leica-branded triple-camera systems. The company says the lineup will reach global markets (except the US), a first for its Pro phones. The phones are also the first powered by Qualcomm’s newly released Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips.

Cameras

Unlike their predecessors, the two phones share identical camera setups. They pair a 200MP main camera with a 200MP periscope telephoto, a notable bump in resolution from the 50MP main and telephoto cameras found on the 17 Pro series. Those two cameras also benefit from faster apertures. Additionally, the phones feature a 50MP ultrawide, though it stays consistent with its predecessor’s.

The main camera uses a Type 1/1.28 (74.4mm²) sensor with LOFIC technology, which is designed to improve highlight handling and dynamic range. Xiaomi is among several phone makers now using the sensor architecture in high-end models. That main camera also features a Leica Summilux lens design, which combines precision glass and plastic elements, and Xiaomi says it offers CIPA-rated seven stops of shake correction.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi also introduced “Legendary Moment,” a new imaging system that the company says combines on-device and cloud-based processing with Leica color science. Xiaomi says the feature can apply camera-inspired styles, though it hasn’t provided many details yet.

Displays and design

Xiaomi

Both phones add a hardware-level Privacy Display feature, which looks broadly similar to the privacy-display technology Samsung introduced on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Xiaomi says it can limit off-axis viewing for an individual app and automatically apply the protection to associated notifications, floating windows and split-screen views, while leaving the rest of the display unaffected.

The new phones also retain the secondary display on the back of the phone from the 17 Pro generation. In addition to showing notifications and widgets, it can serve as a live viewfinder when using the rear cameras, making it easier to frame higher-quality main-camera selfies or vlog clips without switching to the front-facing camera. It also allows users to set custom wallpapers and can interact with the phone’s AI assistant.

Xiaomi

In terms of primary display, the 18 Pro features a 6.4-inch panel, while the Pro Max is a larger 6.9 inches. Both use 120Hz LTPO AMOLED displays with 4000-nit peak brightness and Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support.

The 18 Pro uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, while the 18 Pro Max receives the higher-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. Qualcomm announced both platforms on September 22, only one day before Xiaomi introduced the phones.

Pricing and availability

Xiaomi has launched the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in China, where they start at CNY 5,999 (about $895) and CNY 6,999 (about $1045), respectively. Xiaomi says the phones will reach global markets later this year, excluding the US, but it has not shared a specific launch schedule.

The updated site may still be in beta, but we’re pleased to be able to announce the return of one of its most requested features: full-spec camera comparisons.

As well as big changes like this, we’ve been making continued improvements and fixes behind the scenes, but we’re now in a position to address one of the most common requests: a camera comparison feature that makes proper use of our specs database.

We appreciate how important it is to the community that the tool works well, and recognize that it wasn’t up to your expectations at the site’s launch. Having worked hard to build and maintain our database for more than 26 years, this was always something we planned to do, so we’re pleased to be able to add it back to the site.

The camera comparison feature works slightly differently than before but should also present the data in a way that’s both easier to read and to compare, especially on mobile. We’ll be making some adjustments in the coming days and weeks, and as always, we welcome your feedback about how it can be further improved.

This isn’t the end, by any means, though. A light theme version of the site is already being tested, to make sure it works reliably across the site, so please bear with us as we continue to improve the website.

Apple recently released the iPhone 18 Pro, which became fully available for purchase last week. As a result, reviews and hands-on tests are trickling in, so we’re learning more about the phone. If you’re curious what people are finding, here are some videos that showcase different features or aspects, all with a main focus on the camera system.

JerryRigEverything’s teardown

If you like seeing the electronic guts inside phones and cameras, you’ll like JerryRigEverything’s teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro. His video reveals the hardware behind its variable aperture main camera, camera stabilization system and internal cooling. For those who only care about the camera components, you’ll need to skip to roughly 7:02, or 9:25 to see the variable aperture camera.

A photographer’s perspective

Tyler Stalman walks through the new phone from a photographer’s perspective. He explains the aperture controls in plain language, then digs into Apple’s Image Effects, Reference Image mode and AI-based editing tools. He also shoots film alongside the iPhone to see how convincingly its new film-inspired looks reproduce the real thing.

A field test in Colorado

Austin Mann takes the iPhone 18 Pro to Colorado for both a written and video review. Along with testing the new variable aperture for night scenes and shutter-dragged motion blur, he demonstrates Focus Tracking in video and shows why it could be useful for moving subjects and close-up work. He also covers 4K time-lapse, Reference Image and Apple’s latest Photographic Styles. You can read his written review on his website as well.

A cinematographer’s perspective

Matt WhoisMatt Johnson looks at the iPhone 18 Pro as a filmmaking tool. His review focuses on the updated subject tracking, exposure control without always needing ND filters, heat management and the optical side effects of stopping down, including pronounced sunstars and changes to ghosting.

Jimmy Chin’s campaign images

Jimmy Chin shared behind-the-scenes material and finished images from his Apple collaboration involving the iPhone 18 Pro and two other photographers. It’s more of an ad than a review, but it shows an example of the polished, exhibition-oriented imagery Apple is using to promote the phone (and Jimmy Chin’s work is always cool to see).

Want to go deeper?

Dale Baskin

Our own Dale Baskin has the iPhone 18 Pro in hand, courtesy of Apple, and is working on some testing to share how the cameras stack up. He’ll soon have a sample gallery to share, and we have more planned, too. Be sure to stay tuned, but in the meantime, let us know if you have any specific questions about the latest iPhone.

Adobe has announced that its acquisition of AI company Topaz Labs has been completed, with it and its products have joined Adobe’s ranks.

Topaz Labs is best known for tools like Topaz Photo, Topaz Video and Topaz Gigapixel, which use a variety of proprietary AI models to do various tasks, like denoising or upscaling photos and video, sharpening pictures or applying a slow-motion effect to standard footage. Adobe announced its intentions to acquire the company earlier this summer, but said it was contingent on regulatory approval, which it has clearly received.

As part of the announcement, Adobe has clearly reiterated its intentions for Topaz’s existing products, at least in the near term: Adobe says the branding, apps and models will continue to be available as standalone products, suggesting you won’t need to also be a Creative Cloud subscriber to access them.

If you do have a Creative Cloud subscription, Adobe says it plans on “integrating Topaz Labs’s tools and models into everyday Creative Cloud workflows,” as well as optimizing the performance of its AI models. Some Topaz Labs models have already been available in tools like Photoshop, but it sounds like that could expand into the company’s video tools as well.

There’s certainly been no shortage of compact, vintage-inspired digital cameras lately, and we may soon have yet another option courtesy of Yashica. The company recently announced the development of the Y16, a compact digital camera inspired by the 1959 film camera of the same name.

While full details haven’t been released, the camera will feature a 12MP sensor and be able to record photos and videos, as Digital Camera Watch reports. It will offer an optical viewfinder and a small display for reviewing images.

Yashica

Unlike the LED lamps found on many novelty-style digital cameras, the Y16 uses a xenon flash tube, a true photographic strobe that produces a short, brighter burst of light, potentially giving it better low-light reach and more ability to freeze motion. The flash will offer three brightness levels.

The digital Y16 camera looks remarkably similar to the 1959 version, with its slim rectangular shape and large, knurled black control dial on top. Even the seven different color options of the upcoming Y16 look similar to the film version. The original was a 16mm film camera that used 10x14mm negatives and featured a fixed-focus Yashinon 25mm lens. There’s no word yet on what focal length the digital model will use.

Yashica

Of course, like other historic camera brand names in use today, the Yashica name on this camera is not entirely straightforward. Despite the familiar name, the Y16 does not represent a revival of the original Japanese Yashica camera maker. Kyocera, which acquired Yashica in the 1980s, ended production of Yashica- and Contax-branded cameras in the early 2000s.

The Yashica trademark was later acquired from Kyocera and is now operated through a Hong Kong-based brand and distribution structure, which markets a range of retro-inspired digital cameras and accessories under the name. The company has not disclosed who designed or manufactures the new Y16.

Yashica

The announcement follows two similar cameras in just the past few weeks. Fujifilm announced the Pal 2, a palm-sized rectangular camera, on September 15, followed by the Camp Snap 110D, a screen-free option inspired by 110 film cameras popular in the 1970s.

Pre-orders for the Yashica Y16 will reportedly begin in October, with orders scheduled to ship in November.

Earlier this month, DJI announced the Osmo 360 II, a second-generation version of its camera designed to capture everything around it. This week, the company held an event to show it off, where we’ve been able to get hands-on access to it.

It’s a relatively minor upgrade from its predecessor, with one of the most major updates being its user-replaceable lenses for greatly improved repairability. It can capture 360 video at up to 8K/60, and features a pair of square Type 1/1.1 (92mm²) sensors that, when stitched together, add up to roughly the same area as a 4:3 Type-1 (128mm²) sensor. Of course, unless you’re mainly shooting for the few people who still watch immersive video in a headset, you won’t be using that whole area (or even the majority of it) in most of its modes.

You can check out our unboxing video of it below, but while we have it, we want to know: are there any questions you have about it and how it works? If so, leave them in the comments and we’ll try to answer them.

Vivo has launched its X500 flagship series in China, comprising the X500, X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max. The range is built around Vivo’s camera and video ambitions, with Zeiss-branded triple-camera systems across all three models. The Pro and Pro Max receive the most advanced imaging hardware and video modes, while the standard X500 acts as the more affordable entry point to the series.

Cameras

Vivo

The X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max both feature 24mm equiv. main cameras built around the 50MP Type 1/1.28 (74.4mm²) Sony Lytia L910 sensor. That sensor uses LOFIC technology, promising greater dynamic range by capturing clean shadow detail while providing extra capacity to retain bright highlights. You can learn more about LOFIC technology in our explainer.

On the telephoto end, the X500 Pro uses a 64MP, 85mm equiv. telephoto camera. The Pro Max shares the same focal length (though not the same lens), but uses a 200MP Type 1/1.4 (62.7mm²) sensor behind a Zeiss-branded APO periscope lens.

The three 50MP ultrawides appear similar on paper, but the X500 uses Samsung’s JN1 sensor, while the Pro and Pro Max use the newer Samsung JN5.

For its other two cameras, the X500 features a 50MP main camera that uses the same Sony Lytia LYT-828 sensor as in the X300 Pro. The 64MP telephoto camera offers slightly less reach, at 72mm equiv.

Vivo

The X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max are both compatible with Vivo’s optional Zeiss Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra, which Vivo says provides a 400mm equiv. focal length.

Vivo’s largest video step also belongs to the Pro models. The X500 Pro and Pro Max can record 4K video at up to 240fps for slow motion and support 10-bit 4:2:2 Log capture and ACES color-management workflows. The X500 retains 4K/120p slow motion and 10-bit Log recording. All three phones include 4K/60p cinematic portrait video.

Displays and design

*The black X500 Pro Max is 225g (7.9 oz); other finishes are 229g (8.1 oz).

The X500 Pro is the most compact option of the bunch, with the base model featuring a larger display and, as a result, slightly larger dimensions and weight. Unsurprisingly, the Pro Max is the largest and heaviest.

The Pro and Pro Max use 144Hz LTPO AMOLED displays with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support. Vivo rates both at up to 4500 nits peak brightness. The X500 likewise has a 144Hz AMOLED display with 4000-nit peak brightness.

Vivo

All three phones promise IP68 and IP69 ingress protection and run OriginOS 7, which is based on Android 17. All three support up to 90W wired and 40W wireless charging. The X500 Pro and Pro Max also support reverse wireless charging, while the X500 includes Bypass Charging 2.0.

The X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max are among the first phones to use MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 Pro, the company’s new flagship smartphone system-on-chip and successor to the Dimensity 9500. The standard X500 uses the Dimensity 9600M instead.

Price and availability

Chinese pricing starts at CNY 5499 (∼$820) for the X500, CNY 6499 (∼$970) for the X500 Pro and CNY 6999 (∼$1045) for the X500 Pro Max. The X500 and X500 Pro Max are scheduled to go on sale in China on September 24, followed by the X500 Pro on September 29. Vivo has not announced U.S. availability, global pricing or a wider release schedule.

Bird Photographer of the Year has announced the winners of the 2026 edition of the competition. This year drew more than 24,000 entries from around the world, with organizers describer it as the largest bird photography contest.

The contest features eight categories in the adult competition: Best Portrait, Birds in the Environment, Bird Behavior, Birds in Flight, Black and White, Urban Birds, Conservation (Single Image) and Creative Perspectives. Additionally, there was a Conservation Award, Portfolio Award and Video Award and three youth competition categories.

“In a world where AI-generated imagery is becoming increasingly common, this year’s winners are a powerful reminder of the value of authenticity,” says Will Nicholls, Director of Bird Photographer of the Year. “Every image in the competition represents a real moment in the wild, earned through patience, dedication and a genuine connection with nature. People will always value real stories told by real people, and this year’s extraordinary photographs celebrate the beauty, wonder and authenticity of our natural world.”

The competition awards a £3,000 grand prize, and all winning images will be featured in a hardback coffee-table book published by Graffeg. The competition also donated more than £5,000 to its partner charity, Birds on the Brink.

You can see a small collection of the winning images below, or head to the competition website to see the full 2026 winners gallery. The next competition cycle, BPOTY 12, is now open for entries at birdpoty.com.

Bird Photographer of the Year 2026

Henley Spiers

Photographer: Henley Spiers, United Kingdom
Award(s): Birds in the Environment — Gold Award; Overall Winner, Bird Photographer of the Year 2026

Image title: Sunball Rocket

Bird: Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)

Image location: Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom

Caption: A northern gannet seems to burst through the sun as it pierces down through the water. The handsome northern gannets lead a dualistic existence. In the nest, their newborn is carefully nurtured, and a couple’s bond is reinforced by pointing sharp beaks to the sky as they tenderly stroke their white necks together. In flight, hunting mode takes over, and piercing yellow eyes, fringed with blue circles, scour the sea for prey. Their long wingspan and streamlined bodies make flying look effortless, gliding along with just the occasional pulse of their wings. When fish are spotted, the gannets fly into the wind and stretch out their wings as brakes, precisely adjusting their position in relation to their quarry. Moments later, with wings tucked in tightly, the gannet shape-shifts into a pointed torpedo, diving into the water at speeds of up to 86 km/ph. Even Olympic divers will not exceed 60km/ph, and these seabirds are specially adapted for the impact: muscles along the neck lock their vertebrae into place and air sacs in the face and chest act as airbags. Even their nostrils are evolved for this aquatic existence, located internally to prevent water ingress during fishing dives.

Technical details: Nikon Z 8 | Nikon 8-15mm F3.5-4.5E @ 15mm | F11 | 1/200 sec | ISO 500

Young Bird Photographer of the Year 2026

Parham Pourahmad

Photographer: Parham Pourahmad, United States

Award(s): 15–17 Years — Gold Award; Young Bird Photographer of the Year 2026

Image title: Moonlit Night

Bird: Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

Image location: Los Gatos, California, United States

Caption: One bird I found a pair of Great Horned Owls nesting in a park next to my house. I headed out at dusk, hoping to capture a strong portrait of the owls. However, my aim shifted when I saw the full moon rising on the horizon. One of the owls flew down to a pine tree, and I quickly moved into position to frame it against the moon.

Technical details: Canon EOS Rebel T5i | Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary @ 275mm | F5.6 | 1/500 sec | ISO 6400

Video Award – Winner

Videographer: Liron Gertsman

Details: Bald Eagles are incredibly opportunistic predators and scavengers, gathering wherever there is an abundant food source. One such eagle feasting event involves hake, a fish in the cod family. Near Vancouver Island, Canada, hake are rapidly forced to the surface by naturally occurring tidal currents passing through narrow ocean channels. This sudden movement from the depths to the top of the water column causes their buoyancy-regulating swim bladder to overinflate, leaving the fish stuck at the surface where they are vulnerable to predators. Bald Eagles (and a multitude of other wildlife) gather by the hundreds to take advantage of the easy prey. As the tidal current picks up each day, more and more eagles gather, until the feeding frenzy begins. After photographing the annual event for several years, I dedicated some time to filming, and put together this short video to highlight this remarkable phenomenon.

Best Portrait — Gold Award

Thomas DeLiberto

Photographer: Thomas Deliberto, United States

Award(s): Best Portrait — Gold Award

Image title: Radiant

Bird: Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

Image location: Utah, United States

Caption: A male greater sage-grouse during its courtship display. As the sun was rising over the shadowed sagebrush hill behind him, it illuminated the bird’s tail feathers such that they appeared to radiate light. I was fortunate to visit a sage-grouse lek, an area in which the birds congregate to mate. Arriving at the lek before sunrise, I crouched behind some rocks, facing east to get a backlit photo of a male. As the sun rose above the hill behind the lek, I was able to capture this male in full display. Greater Sage-Grouse are the largest native grouse in North America. As their name implies, these birds are intimately tied to the sagebrush ecosystems of the Intermountain West. Their populations in recent years have declined precipitously due to a loss of habitat.

Technical details: Nikon Z 9 | Nikon Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S | F5.6 | 1/160 sec | ISO 64 | 1.4x teleconverter

Best Portrait — Silver Award

Volker Widmann

Photographer: Volker Widmann, Germany

Award(s): Best Portrait — Silver Award

Image title: Sunset Puffin

Bird: Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica)

Image location: Skomer Island, United Kingdom

Caption: I spent several days on Skomer to photograph the Atlantic Puffins in the early morning and late evening, when the day tourists had left the island and you had the birds almost to yourself. This evening, I waited at the puffin colony until the sun went down and photographed this bird against the reflections in the ocean.

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 | Canon EF 500mm F4L IS II USM | F4 | 1/400 sec | ISO 100

Bird Behavior — Gold Award

Donald Chin

Photographer: Donald Chin, Australia

Award(s): Bird Behavior — Gold Award

Image title: I’m Keeping Everyone Dry

Bird: Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)

Image location: Perth, Australia

Caption: Rain threads through the forest. Camouflaged against bark and shadow, a fledgling tawny frogmouth stretches its wings in what looks like covering its other siblings from the water droplets. Stillness is its field, with patience its inheritance. In the hush between falling drops, resilience becomes a form of quiet strength. His big round eyes and open mouth make it a cute capture.

Technical details: Sony a9 III | Sony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS | F5.6 | 1/200 sec | ISO 4,000 | 1.4x teleconverter

Bird Behavior — Silver Award

Mark Carwardine

Photographer: Mark Carwardine, United Kingdom

Award(s): Bird Behavior — Silver Award

Image title: Spread Eagle

Bird: Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Image location: Great Bear Rainforest, Canada

Caption: The Great Bear Rainforest on the west coast of Canada, as its name suggests, is a wet place, and on this particular day, it had been raining nonstop. I was on a Zodiac slowly meandering along an inlet in the forest when I spotted this magnificent juvenile bald eagle with its wings spread open. This behaviour is usually associated with either cooling down or drying feathers, but it seemed an almost impossible task in such relentless rain. Still, the eagle held its posture with determination.

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 | Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM @ 280mm | F4 | 1/200 sec | ISO 800 | 1.4x teleconverter; 280mm

Birds in Flight — Gold Award

Ivan Sjögren

Photographer: Ivan Sjögren, Sweden

Award(s): Birds in Flight — Gold Award

Image title: Eye-to-Eye with a Short-Eared Owl

Bird: Short-Eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Image location: British Columbia, Canada

Caption: A short-eared owl courses over the salt marshes of British Columbia’s Fraser River Delta. This was a magical evening, with five owls feeding around me as dusk fell. I witnessed both fights between owls and, later, displays in which they clapped their wings together. I took this photo by positioning myself strategically, hunkering down in the grass after anticipating the owls’ hunting routes. I was lucky that the owl turned its head to look at me as it passed silently by.

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 | Canon EF 500mm F4L IS II USM | F5.6 | 1/2500 sec | ISO 5000 | 1.4x teleconverter

Birds in Flight — Silver Award

Alex Pansier

Photographer: Alex Pansier, Netherlands

Award(s): Birds in Flight — Silver Award

Image title: Patterns

Bird: Guillemot (Uria aalge)

Image location: Hornøya, Norway

Caption: Captured in March 2025 on Hornøya, this image reveals a mesmerizing swarm of guillemots in flight. What first appears as an Escher-like illusion is nature’s own design, organized chaos in motion. The sky becomes a canvas of repetition and rhythm, where the boundaries between order and disorder dissolve before your eyes.

Technical details: Sony a1 II | Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II @ 37mm | F5.6 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 3200

Birds in the Environment — Silver Award

Åsmund Keilen

Photographer: Åsmund Keilen, Norway

Award(s): Birds in the Environment — Silver Award

Image title: Majesty

Bird: Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

Image location: Urke, Ørsta, Norway

Caption: A majestic golden eagle drifts in dark silhouette across the face of the moon, its outstretched wings cutting a powerful shape through silver light. Below, winter-clad peaks rise in quiet stillness, their frozen ridges layered through in-camera multiple exposure to shape the visual expression I envisioned. The composition feels both graphic and atmospheric—a meeting of shadow and glow, strength and silence. Suspended against the luminous moon, the eagle becomes a timeless presence in the cold, breathless vastness of the alpine night.

Technical details: Canon EOS 5DS R | Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 360mm | F5.6 | 1/8000 sec | ISO 400 | In-camera multiple exposure

Black and White — Gold Award

Rahul Sachdev

Photographer: Rahul Sachdev, India

Award(s): Black and White — Gold Award

Image title: An Ostrich Horizon

Bird: Ostrich (Struthio camelus)

Image location: Amboseli, Kenya

Caption: An ostrich makes its way towards the dry lake bed of Amboseli. In black and white, the stark landscape emphasizes the bird’s solitary journey across the dust and heat.

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 | Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 IS USM @ 300mm | F11 | 1/800 sec | ISO 250

Black and White — Silver Award

Raoul Slater

Photographer: Raoul Slater, Australia

Award(s): Black and White — Silver Award

Image title: Grass Tree

Bird: Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera)

Image location: Pomona, Queensland, Australia

Caption: At our neighbor’s gate is a grass tree, also known as a Xanthorrhoea. These slow-growing succulents are native to Australia, and there are 30 species. They produce spectacular flower spikes that drip with nectar, attracting birds like this little wattlebird, butterflies and native bees. I’ve photographed this tree for a decade, but with never more than two spikes. This year was a great one for rain, and the tree responded with 5 spikes. As I drove out our gate each morning, I passed an exact point where they lined up beautifully. The car, with a towel draped across the window, provided a perfect hide. What you can’t see just below the edge of the photo is the house of the next neighbor along. It took some explanation to convince him that I hadn’t set up covert surveillance on his front door.

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 | Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary @ 347mm | F14 | 1/1600 sec | ISO 1600

Creative Perspectives — Gold Award

Åsmund Keilen

Photographer: Åsmund Keilen, Norway

Award(s): Creative Perspectives — Gold Award

Image title: Sundance

Bird: Common Swift (Apus apus)

Image location: Oslo, Norway

Caption: On a blazing summer day, a common swift slices through the air, captured in an in-camera multiple exposure reflected in the glossy roof of our blue car. The sun burns at the center of the frame, radiating heat and brilliance, while drifting birch seeds scatter across the reflection like a fleeting flock echoing the swift’s movement. Sky, light, and motion blend into one shimmering composition, transforming an ordinary surface into a stage for midsummer energy—weightless, restless, and alive with warmth.

Technical details: Canon EOS 5DS R | Canon 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM | Aperture not provided | 1/8000 sec | ISO 640 | In-camera multiple exposure

Creative Perspectives — Silver Award

Henley Spiers

Photographer: Henley Spiers, United Kingdom

Award(s): Creative Perspectives — Silver Award

Image title: Turbulence

Bird: Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)

Image location: Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom

Caption: What if the most impressive animal you could encounter in British waters wasn’t a fish or a whale, but a bird? That was exactly how it felt to me in the frigid sea at Britain’s northernmost point. The dark water was repeatedly shattered by the dives of dozens of northern gannets, plunging after their prey. Visibility vanished as the birds hit the surface with astonishing precision, streaking underwater in cascades of bubbles. My heart pounded with adrenaline as I scanned the turbid water, until the gaze of a gannet met mine—its blue-yellow eyes unmistakable even through the haze. The aim was to convey the explosive movement of the hunt using a slow shutter and intentional camera movement. I understood the technical settings required, but the gannets’ speed and unpredictability made success elusive. After many failed frames, this image emerged as the one that best captured the energy and intensity of the moment.

Technical details: Nikon D850 | Nikon 28-70mm F3.5-4.5 @ 31mm | F22 | 1/8 sec | ISO 80 | Intentional camera movement

Urban Birds — Gold Award

Gianluca Damiani

Photographer: Gianluca Damiani, Italy

Award(s): Urban Birds — Gold Award

Image title: Alter Ego

Bird: Yellow-Legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Image location: Rome, Italy

Caption: In Rome, tall buildings function for yellow-legged gulls much like coastal cliffs, offering nesting, roosts and perches to survive within the city. This individual was photographed on a rooftop where a small colony had settled. The dry pet food visible on the windowsill reflects a routine practice by local residents of feeding urban birds, especially since COVID-19. I did not place or add any food, but a small, removable sticker was temporarily applied to the wall as a neutral visual element, without altering resources or influencing the bird’s behavior. As a researcher studying urban birds for my PhD project, I observed and recorded this scene without interfering with the animals, and encouraged people to stop feeding birds without awareness. The image highlights the bold and assertive behavior that enables gulls to thrive in close proximity to people.

Technical details: Nikon Z 9 | Nikon VR 70-200mm F2.8G @ 112mm | F5 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 2200

Urban Birds — Silver Award

Romain Barats

Photographer: Romain Barats, France

Award(s): Urban Birds — Silver Award

Image title: Deception’s Hope

Bird: Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua)

Image location: Deception Island, Antarctica

Caption: This picture was taken on Deception Island, near the Antarctic Peninsula. Many disasters happen on Deception Island. Home of a fur seal trade leading to an almost extinction of seals, a whaling station, and then many volcanic eruptions leading to the destruction of scientific stations, this island looks like it is cursed. But since then, Nature has taken back its rights, like these gentoo penguins posing in front of a rusty whale blubber warehouse like guards. It gives a bit of Hope in Deception. I took the picture during a sailboat expedition to Antarctica.

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 Mark II | Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM @ 237mm | F14 | 1/200 sec | ISO 2000 | 1.4x teleconverter

Conservation (Single Image) — Gold Award

Kent Stuart

Photographer: Kent Stuart, United States

Award(s): Conservation (Single Image) — Gold Award

Image title: Not a Good Day Fishing

Bird: Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Image location: Washington, Warren County, New Jersey, United States

Caption: This image was taken at a local pond that I frequent. It has limited access, so I hike in from a cornfield on the back side. I was wearing chest waders and worked my way out to a mud flat. I used a ground pod with a gimbal and had a camouflage net covering me. I was attempting to get shots of wood ducks, sandpipers and killdeer when this great blue heron (with a bobber and fishing line around his beak) flew in and landed right next to me. He was so close I could only get a head shot.

Technical details: Nikon Z 9 | Nikon Z 800mm F6.3 VR S | F6.3 | 1/800 sec | ISO 500

Conservation (Single Image) — Silver Award

Yann Bigant

Photographer: Yann Bigant, France

Award(s): Conservation (Single Image) — Silver Award

Image title: Birds in the Red

Bird: Egret and Bittern species

Image location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Caption: Yellow bitterns and other waterbirds for sale in downtown Phnom Penh, Cambodia. An investigation into bird hunting and trade, during which this photo was taken, found wild birds sold illegally throughout the country, including in several markets of the capital. This seller often has different species of birds—weavers, egrets, watercocks and even larger openbill storks—occasionally sold alongside snakes, bats and cats. Catching birds is common across Southeast Asia, especially in unprotected farmland. Up to 500 species have been found hunted in recent years in the region, endangering several rare species. Already known for its ‘empty forests’, bird conservationists now fear that the region will soon face ‘empty wetlands and farmlands’.

Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV | Canon EF 24mm F2.8 IS USM lens | F5.6 | 1/40 sec | ISO 800

12–14 Years — Gold Award

Paula Czaeczine

Photographer: Paula Czaeczine, Germany

Award(s): 12–14 Years — Gold Award

Image title: Acrobat of the Skies

Bird: Red-Necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)

Image location: Rost, Lofoten, Norway

Caption: On a small island in Norway, I observed Red-Necked Phalaropes foraging for food. One bird was swimming on a pond, pecking insects from the surface. Suddenly, it raised its head, stretched upwards, spread its wings, and fluttered into the air. Luckily, I had selected a high frame rate and was able to capture this fascinating moment, as well as the small moth the bird had caught.

Technical details: Nikon Z 8 | Nikon Z 600mm F6.3 VR S lens | F6.3 | 1/2000 sec | ISO 1100

11 and Under — Gold Award

Alberto Román Gómez

Photographer: Alberto Román Gómez, Spain

Award(s): 11 and Under — Gold Award

Image title: Emerald Eye

Bird: Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Image location: London, United Kingdom

Caption: The Great Cormorants in the area where I live are elusive and do not easily allow themselves to be photographed. However, in London, they were far more trusting and allowed people to approach within a few metres. I was able to observe them calmly and see that they are beautiful black birds with a metallic sheen. What really caught my attention, though, were their emerald-green eyes, so I decided to take a close portrait of the bird’s head.

Technical details: OM System OM-1 | OM System 100-400mm F5-6.3 @ 321mm | F6.3 | 1/80 sec | ISO 2000

Adobe Premiere mobile has arrived on Android, roughly a year after its debut on iPhone. Adobe says it brings the same pro-quality editing tools to Android users at no cost and with no login requirement.

Adobe Premiere Mobile for Android features

According to Adobe, the Android version of Premiere mobile supports frame-accurate editing on a multi-track timeline, letting users layer video, music, voiceovers, text and effects. It can handle editing and exporting up to 4K.

Adobe

For those who aren’t familiar with editing using the traditional timeline interface, the app also has a template system that you can drop clips into to produce a cut. Adobe calls it the “Mini Editor,” and it will automatically set clips to specific lengths based on the template, with those clips set to the beat of the music. It will also allow you to publish to YouTube Shorts right from the app. The feature should make it quick and easy to create YouTube-specific content, even if you don’t have extensive editing experience. You can also switch to the full editor from the Mini Editor if you want more control.

Adobe also touted the app’s audio tools. That includes the Enhance Audio feature, which promises to reduce background noise and improve recording clarity in one tap. The company says it will provide studio-quality audio even if you’re recording without a microphone.

Adobe

Firefly-powered generative AI tools, including Generative Fill, Image-to-Video and Generate Sound Effects, are also included. However, those generative AI tools require logging in to an Adobe account and purchasing Firefly generative credits if you don’t already have a Creative Cloud subscription that includes them.

Adobe says the app is purpose-built for Android, with an adaptive UI designed to support a range of devices, including foldables. The free app carries no upgrade prompts, no requirement to log in and no watermark on exported footage.

What’s still coming

Adobe says several features are on the roadmap for a future release, including Adobe Fonts support, enhanced captions, keyframes, cropping, beat detection and the ability to continue editing a project in Premiere on desktop.

Requirements and availability

Adobe Premiere mobile requires Android 13 or later and a minimum of 5GB of RAM. The app is available now in the Google Play Store and is free to download and use.

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Despite joining the L-mount Alliance just over a year ago, the brand’s releases for the system have been few and far between, leaving some to wonder if it was all that dedicated to it. Until now, it’s only released two of its autofocus lenses in L-mount, despite having launched several lenses in the past year for Z and E. Today, though, the company is greatly expanding its offerings, bringing four of its “Air” series of autofocus primes to L-mount.

The new L-mount options include Viltrox’s  14mm F4.0, 20mm F2.8, 40mm F2.5 and 50mm F2.0. As part of the Air lineup, all of the lenses are very compact and lightweight (as the name hints). The 50mm F2.0 is the heaviest of the bunch, weighing 205g (7.2 oz), while the 20mm F2.8 is the lightest at 159g (5.6 oz).

All four of the lenses are also light on controls. In fact, beyond a manual focus ring, there aren’t any to speak of. They are simplistic, focusing instead on lightweight design and budget-friendly price points. The lenses do offer autofocus, though, which is powered by a stepper motor in each, and they feature a USB-C port for firmware updates.

Viltrox

The 14mm F4.0 lens offers a 112.6° field of view. The optical design comprises 12 elements in 9 groups with 4 ED, 2 HR and 2 aspherical elements. It can focus as close as 0.13m (5.1″) and offers a maximum magnification of 0.23x. The lens is compatible with 58mm filters.

The 20mm F2.8 can focus as close as 0.19m (7.5″) with a maximum magnification of 0.17x. Its optical design features 10 elements in 8 groups, with 2 ED, 1 HR and 2 aspherical elements. It accepts 52mm filters.

Viltrox

The 40mm F2.5 offers a minimum focusing distance of 0.34m (13.4″) and a 0.14x magnification ratio. It has 10 elements in 6 groups with 1 ED, 3 HR and 1 aspherical element. The filter thread accepts 52mm filters.

Lastly, the 50mm F2.0 features 13 elements in 9 groups with 3 ED, 4 HR and 1 aspherical element. It has the largest minimum focusing distance, coming in at 0.51m (20.1″). The maximum magnification is 0.11x and it accepts 58mm filters.

The Viltrox AF 14mm F4.0, 20mm F2.8, 40mm F2.5 and 50mm F2.0 Air lenses are available for purchase now for $199, $168, $176 and $199, respectively.

Viltrox

Viltrox AF 14mm F4.0 Air

• $199 at B&H
• $199 at Amazon

Viltrox

Viltrox AF 20mm F2.8

• $176 at B&H
• $168 at Amazon

VILTROX 40mm F2.5 Z for Nionk Z Mount, 40mm f/2.5 Z-Mount Full Frame AF Prime Lens Wide Angle Lens for Nikon Z Mount Z8 Z9 Z6 Z7 Z6

• $168 at Amazon
• $158 at B&H Photo

Viltrox AF 50mm F2.0 Air

• $199 at B&H
• $199 at Amazon