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Photo: Mitchell Clark
We've taken a look at how the Sony a7 V performs when it comes to stills, now it's time to turn our attention to video. The company's latest hybrid is once again in front of our studio scene, and we aim to see how the 4K footage it delivers stacks up compared to its predecessor and competitors.
Image Comparison
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The a7 V's 4K/24 video is oversampled from 7K capture by default, with no option (or real need) to drop down to a subsampled or line-skipped mode. Thankfully, the footage from that mode has good levels of detail and is competitive with the oversampled modes from cameras like the Canon EOS R6 III and Panasonic S1II. However, both those cameras have higher-resolution recording options (7K for Canon, 6K for Panasonic) that allow you to capture a good deal more detail, something the a7 V lacks, but that could be helpful when you're shooting subjects with very fine detail, or want some room to crop in post.
Moving up to 4K/60, the story is slightly more complicated, as the a7 V has an "Angle of View Priority" mode that you have to turn on if you want to get full-width recording at higher framerates; leaving it off will incur a 1.17x crop. While Sony says that enabling the mode turns off noise reduction, we didn't see a major difference at base ISO. With Angle of View Priority on, the a7 V's 4K/60 footage is a touch more detailed than that from the Canon or Panasonic.
Rolling shutter
4K/24
14.5ms
4K/60, Angle of View Priority on
13.3ms
4K/60, Angle of View Priority off
14.7ms
4K/120
6.9ms
The a7 V requires a 1.52x crop to record 4K/120, thus using less of its sensor (and changing the framing more) than the S1II with its 1.24x crop, and the EOS R6 III with its subsampled but full-width 4K/120 recording. As with 4K/60, with Angle of View Priority off, there's a further crop, adding up to 1.79x.
All that said, the a7 V's 4K/120 footage is substantially more detailed than the EOS R6 III's, and is competitive with the S1II's. We also don't see an observable reduction in detail going from the 4K/24 APS-C mode to the 4K/120 mode.
The 'missing' pieces
There's been a lot of discussion about the features the a7 V is 'missing,' compared with its rivals. But it's worth considering whether these are relevant to you or are just people point-scoring about brands.
Whereas Panasonic and Canon allow open-gate shooting, capturing the whole sensor output, the Sony only shoots in 16:9, UHD 4K. If your workflow requires higher resolution capture, the use of anamorphic lenses or you're trying to compose for both vertical and horizontal delivery, simultaneously (which is an aesthetic challenge, even when it's technologically possible), then those other cameras will be a better choice.
Likewise, if your shooting benefits sufficiently from the increased workflow complexity and storage challenges of shooting raw video (the advantages of which are much less pronounced than in stills shooting), then this isn't the camera for you. But a great many people find that shooting high quality 4K footage is more than sufficient for their needs, and the a7 V appears competitive in this regard.
The previously reported Brightin Star MF 50mm f/1.05 full-frame manual focus lens will be officially announced on January 16th. Here are the details (check the Brightin Star website for updates):
For Z/E/RF/L mount
7-group, 10-element optical design with 2 high-refractive index elements
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Sample gallery
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Product photos: Richard Butler
Ricoh has released a monochrome version of its GR IV enthusiast compact camera. The GR IV Monochrome features the same 26MP BSI CMOS sensor and 28mm equiv F2.8 lens as the color version, but is black-and-white only.
Key specifications
26MP BSI CMOS sensor with no color filter array
On-sensor phase detection
ISO 160-409,600
In-lens shutter allows flash sync to 1/4000th sec
E-shutter allows use of F2.8 at up to 1/16,000 sec
Built-in red filter, giving punchier blues.
53GB of internal memory
250 shot-per-charge battery rating
UHS-I Micro SD memory card slot
The GR IV Monochrome will sell for a recommended price of $2199. This is a 46% premium over the list price of the standard GR IV, suggesting Ricoh feels that the mono version will have a smaller audience to foot the development costs. The MSRP in the UK is £1599, which is only a 33% mark-up over the standard version's original list price.
As the name implies, the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome is a black-and-white only variant of the GR IV.
You get all the usual benefits and costs of a mono-only sensor: a higher base ISO, because less light is being lost to a color filter array (a 2/3 of a stop increase, in this instance), and much sharper detail, as there's no demosaicing taking place.
You also get better noise performance at any given ISO: again because there's no color filter sapping any light, but with that advantage disappearing if the color version can use its lower base ISO.
However, with only a single color channel, there's a lot less flexibility to the Raw files: once the image appears to be clipped, there's no way to approximate highlight data from unclipped channels.
The electronic shutter can deliver exposures down as low as 1/16,000 sec, letting you use the maximum aperture even in good light
To prevent overexposure when shooting at F2.8, the GR IV Monochrome lets you switch from its in-lens shutter to an e-shutter. The electronic shutter can deliver exposures down as low as 1/16,000 sec, letting you use the maximum aperture, even in good light, despite the camera not having an built-in ND filter. As with the regular GR IV, the mechanical shutter has an upper limit of 1/2500 sec at F2.8: you need to stop down to F5.6 to achieve the 1/4000 sec maximum.
Interestingly, Ricoh says the GR IV Monochrome's autofocus is the same as that on the GR IV, which means it has on-sensor phase detection. This would mean that, unlike the Leica Q3 Monochrom, it has to do some degree of interpolation during processing, to hide any impact of those phase-detection pixels. We've not seen any negative impact from this in our preliminary shooting, even when trying to induce flare to highlight any issues.
The company also says that the sensor is not the same one used in the K-3 III, though it wasn't specific about how the two differ.
Red Filter
Other than the lack of color filter array, the other difference is that the GR IV Monochrome has a slot-in red filter, rather than the neutral density filter in the color version. This selectively lowers the impact of blue and green light on the sensor, which gives more dramatic skies and higher contrast, generally.
The filter in the GR IV Monochrome reduces the overall light to the camera by around 3 stops, for a neutral subject (it's around a 4 stop cut for blues, 3.5 for greens and closer to a single stop for reds).
Body and handling
As you might expect, the GR IV Monochrome looks and handles exactly like the regular GR IV: it's a tiny camera for one with such a big sensor and yet it manages to put a lot of control at your fingertips without seeming too cramped.
The finish of the camera is also a little different, with a less textured matte black finish. The shutter button is also black and the GR logo on the front is a very dark grey, rather than white. The green LED ring around the power button is also white, to keep with the monochrome theme. Sadly, Ricoh has not borrowed the beautiful 'Monochrome' typography from its Pentax K-3 III Monochrome DSLR.
The control logic is well worked through, as you'd expect for the eighth generation of a design (prior to 2013's GR, with its APS-C sensor, were four iterations of GR Digital, which used a much smaller Type 1/1.7 sensor in a very similar body).
Despite its size, the GR IV's magnesium alloy body makes it feel very solid, without being overly weighty. And, unlike almost all modern cameras, it will sensibly fit in a pocket.
Ricoh says the GR IV's lens was specifically designed to reduce the risk of dust ingress, but that they had to make the choice between the small form factor that a retractable lens makes possible and complete weather sealing, so there are no promises around the level of sealing.
Ricoh was kind enough to lend us a pre-production GR IV Monochrome, to let us get a feel for the handling, but we were asked not to make measurements or publish images from it, as it's not necessarily representative of final production performance.
But, even in the limited time we've spent with the camera, its appeal shines through: it forces on you that same way of looking at light and shade that Leica's monochrome cameras bring. And I maintain that using a camera that can only capture black and white is a completely different experience to using a normal camera in mono mode. Knowing that you can't switch, no matter how appealing the colors are in your scene means you solely focus on light, shadow and contrast.
The inclusion of a built-in, switchable red filter is a brilliant idea, letting you add that punch to your images at the touch of a button, without having to add a filter ring adapter or carry filters round with you. I'm sure there'll be people who would have preferred a different color, but red seems like a sensible option since they had to choose one. And the option to engage electronic shutter, so that you can still shoot wide-open in bright conditions feels like a reasonable work-around.
Even more so than the standard GR IV, the Monochrome version is going to be a niche proposition. Some people will immediately know they want one, while I suspect a great many people will be baffled at the idea that a regular GR IV in mono mode wouldn't be similar enough. And cheaper.
The price of adopting a decidedly niche camera is that there are fewer people to share the development costs with. The Ricoh is just over a quarter of the price of the other dedicated mono compact on the market – though the Leica Q3 mono has a sensor more than twice the size and a maximum aperture that's over a stop brighter, so can capture more than four times as much light – but there's still something inherently counter-intuitive about having to spend more, for less.
All photographers inevitably deal with creative droughts or periods when they feel their skills have plateaued. At the end of last year, I wrote about part of why (and how) that's manifested for me over the past few years. For me, one common tool I fall back on to combat such feelings is tackling a specific project or goal related to photography, which I just wrote about as well.
I've completed multiple 365s (a photo a day for a year) and 52-week projects (one photo each week for a year). Most recently, I've accidentally stumbled into a project with a friend that involves alternating who picks a theme each week, and then each creating a photo around that theme. We don't have a set end date, so it could be less than a year or more than a year, but so far, we're about 12 weeks in.
Those are the projects that have helped me, but there are countless other iterations and other types of projects. No matter what, though, the main goal is to force yourself to pick up your camera either to try to generate some creativity or learn new skills.
With that in mind, I'm curious to hear from you all:
What projects are you undertaking to move your photography forward?
Some of you shared a glimpse into your projects in the comments on my recent article, but we'd love to see more. Maybe it's a project you're working on now, or maybe it's something you've done in the past. It could be a week-long project, or maybe a multi-year undertaking.
No matter what, we're curious what projects have helped, or are helping you bring back inspiration or forward momentum to your photography. Even better, share some of the images you've taken for such projects! Your responses and images may even be featured in next week's front-page update.
The mini Evo Cinema hybrid instant camera features a first for instax cameras – the Gen Dial, which allows users to apply photo effects from 10 different eras to their image – from the grainy, pale tones of the 1930s, to the vibrant colors of the 1980s, to the sharp, rich imagery of the 2020s, each era is designed to capture the look and feel of the imagery of that time.
Degree Control Dial
Content created in each era can be fine-tuned with the Degree Control Dial. By simply rotating the dial to precisely adjust color, contrast, and noise expression, users can create up to 10 creative variations per era.
Frame Switch
Once an era is chosen and the intensity of the era is selected via the Degree Control Dial, users can continue to personalize by adding a frame to every shot or video clip utilizing the Frame Switch. There’s a frame for every era, each paying homage to the characteristics, media, and playback devices that defined that time.
Cine/Still Mode
Users can easily switch between “Cine” and ”Still” modes to capture either a video or photo, respectively, with ease. In Cine mode, users can shoot a series of clips – up to 15 seconds in total – and the camera will stitch them into one smooth video automatically. Via the free, downloadable instax mini Evo smartphone app, users can connect via Bluetooth® and extend video creations to 30 seconds by adding or reordering clips.
Zoom Lever
Mini Evo Cinema features built-in digital zoom. The tactile Zoom Lever lets you dial up the intimacy of the shot or pull back for greater scope and more atmosphere.
“My Gallery”
Within the instax mini Evo app, the My Gallery section provides users a secure place to store the images and videos they create, segmented into categories including Favorites, Printed, Video, Photo, Projects. Through this function, users can also save printed images digitally to their smartphone’s camera roll, finished with the iconic instaxTM mini border.
Video Printing
Users can access videos via a one-of-a-kind instax mini instant photo printed with a QR code ready to be scanned and played back on a smartphone. Video and audio data is securely stored for 24 months.
Timeless Design
With sleek black, glimpses of green, and analog-inspired details, this hybrid instant camera is crafted for those who appreciate tactile functions alongside beauty and elegance. Additional camera features include:
Remote shooting capability (via app)
Integrated Selfie Mirror and Self-Timer
1.54-inch high-resolution LCD Monitor
Print Lever
The camera features an analog-style printing operation lever – lift and twist to print a photo.
Accessories
mini Evo Cinema includes viewfinder and grip attachments, and a premium hand strap.
USB-C & Micro SD Card Slots
Integrated flash/continuous light source
Pricing and Availability
instax mini Evo Cinema hybrid instant camera will be available in early February 2026 at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $409.95 USD and $479.99 CAD.
Last week, Fujifilm Japan launched a surprising and rather controversial new offering in its Instax lineup, the Instax Mini Evo Cinema. The company has now announced the global release of the hybrid camera, providing more details about its features and capabilities.
The Instax Mini Evo Cinema offers a hybrid experience by combining the ability to take digital images, instant film photos, and record video. It is designed to produce retro-looking videos and photos, and the sensor appears to be a throwback as well. It's built around a shockingly small 5MP Type 1/5 (∼2.8 x 2.2mm) CMOS sensor, which is smaller than even the most budget-focused smartphones. It features a 28mm equiv. lens with F2.0 aperture.
The sensor may be far from impressive, but the Instax Mini Evo Cinema includes plenty of features for those wanting a more playful camera experience. The "Gen Dial," which was referred to as the "Eras Dial" in the Fujifilm Japan press release last week, allows users to apply effects from 10 different eras, including grainy, pale tones for the 1930s, vibrant colors for the 1980s and "sharp, rich imagery of the 2020s."
A lever on the side, intended to evoke a film winding lever, triggers a print. Image: Fujifilm
Users can fine-tune the look of each preset with a dial on the lens, which adjusts color, contrast, and noise in 10 variations per era. There's also a Frame Switch, which allows users to add a frame based on each era to images or video clips.
There's a zoom lever that allows for digital zoom during video recording, though Fujifilm doesn't specify the exact capabilities of that feature. A switch on the side of the camera allows you to change between photo ("Still") and video ("Cine") modes. Videos in most modes are limited to a disappointing 800 x 600px resolution, with only the 2020 mode allowing a 1440 x 1080 capture.
Video clips max out at 15 seconds, but you can combine clips to create videos up to 30 seconds long in the Instax Mini Evo smartphone app. If you choose to print a still image from a video, it features a QR code that, when scanned, allows for playback. Fujifilm specifies that clips are only stored for 24 months, though, so you'll want to be sure to download them before that.
Image: Fujifilm
The camera uses a microSDXC card for storage, and images and videos can also be stored in the Instax Mini Evo app. It features a 1.54-inch LCD and an integrated light that can be used as a flash or a continuous light source. It supports remote shooting with the app and offers a self-timer as well. The camera uses Instax Mini instant film.
The price may be as much of a shock as the sensor size: $410. And you'll also have to buy instant film on top of that, too. Fujifilm says it will be available for purchase at the beginning of February.
Press release:
Lights, Evo, Action: Fujifilm Introduces instax mini Evo Cinema™ Hybrid Instant Camera
VALHALLA, N.Y., January 13, 2026 - FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Imaging Division, today announced the introduction of instax mini Evo Cinema™ (mini Evo Cinema) hybrid instant camera. mini Evo Cinema offers multiple ways for users to make highly personalized, one-of-a-kind content through still photos, short-form video (15-second clips), and instax™ mini photo prints via the free, downloadable instax mini Evo™ smartphone app. This 3-in-1 camera is designed to give users one of the most dynamic creative experiences the instax™ brand has offered.
"mini Evo Cinema offers the best of both worlds – the vintage look of an 8mm video camera, with all of the modern functionality of a hybrid image creation tool, integrating photo, video, and print in one unique package," said Bing Liem, division president, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Imaging Division. "mini Evo Cinema delivers a smooth, unique photographic experience that gives the user a myriad of ways to turn casual moments into unforgettable ones."
Main Features:
Gen Dial™
The mini Evo Cinema hybrid instant camera features a first for instax™ cameras – the Gen Dial™, which allows users to apply photo effects from 10 different eras to their image – from the grainy, pale tones of the 1930s, to the vibrant colors of the 1980s, to the sharp, rich imagery of the 2020s, each era is designed to capture the look and feel of the imagery of that time.
Degree Control Dial
Content created in each era can be fine-tuned with the Degree Control Dial. By simply rotating the dial to precisely adjust color, contrast, and noise expression, users can create up to 10 creative variations per era.
Frame Switch
Once an era is chosen and the intensity of the era is selected via the Degree Control Dial, users can continue to personalize by adding a frame to every shot or video clip utilizing the Frame Switch. There’s a frame for every era, each paying homage to the characteristics, media, and playback devices that defined that time.
Cine/Still Mode
Users can easily switch between "Cine" and "Still" modes to capture either a video or photo, respectively, with ease. In Cine mode, users can shoot a series of clips – up to 15 seconds in total – and the camera will stitch them into one smooth video automatically. Via the free, downloadable instax mini Evo™ smartphone app, users can connect via Bluetooth® and extend video creations to 30 seconds by adding or reordering clips.
Zoom Lever
Mini Evo Cinema features built-in digital zoom. The tactile Zoom Lever lets you dial up the intimacy of the shot or pull back for greater scope and more atmosphere.
"My Gallery"
Within the instax mini Evo™ app, the My Gallery section provides users a secure place to store the images and videos they create, segmented into categories including Favorites, Printed, Video, Photo, Projects. Through this function, users can also save printed images digitally to their smartphone’s camera roll, finished with the iconic instax™ mini border.
Video Printing
Users can access videos via a one-of-a-kind instax™ mini instant photo1 printed with a QR code2 ready to be scanned and played back on a smartphone. Video and audio data is securely stored for 24 months.
Timeless Design
With sleek black, glimpses of green, and analog-inspired details, this hybrid instant camera is crafted for those who appreciate tactile functions alongside beauty and elegance. Additional camera features include:
Remote shooting capability (via app3)
Integrated Selfie Mirror and Self-Timer
1.54-inch high-resolution LCD Monitor
Print Lever
The camera features an analog-style printing operation lever – lift and twist to print a photo.
Accessories
mini Evo Cinema includes viewfinder and grip attachments, and a premium hand strap.
USB-C & Micro SD Card Slots4
Integrated flash/continuous light source
Pricing and Availability
instax mini Evo Cinema™ hybrid instant camera will be available in early February 2026 at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $409.95 USD and $479.99 CAD. For more information, please visit https://www.instaxus.com/cameras/instax-mini-evo-cinema/.
1 instax™ mini instant film required, sold separately.
2 The text QR code itself is a registered trademark and wordmark of Denso Wave Incorporated.
3 Smartphone required (sold separately). Download of free instax (insert correct name of app) smartphone app required
After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the world’s first Sirui Astra 50mm/75mm/100mm 1.33X full-frame autofocus anamorphic cine lenses (E/Z/L) are now available for purchase
Viltrox Nexus PL to E Pro cinema adapter with full AF capabilities coming to Kickstarter on January 15 (will provide autofocus to manual focus lenses – will turn PL cinema lenses into Sony E-mount with autofocus)
Eric Fossum, the inventor of the modern CMOS image sensor and a longtime friend of DPReview, was recently awarded the 2026 Charles Stark Draper Prize for Engineering. The award, which is granted every two years by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), is one of the most prestigious honors for engineering achievement.
Fossum, a John H. Krehbiel Sr. Professor for Emerging Technologies at Dartmouth, also serves as vice provost for entrepreneurship and technology transfer. The NAE recognizes him "for innovation, development, and commercialization of the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor active pixel image sensor," which remains central to the vast array of cameras we use today. "Eric Fossum is a pioneering semiconductor device physicist and engineer whose invention of the CMOS active pixel image sensor, or 'camera on a chip,' has transformed imaging across everyday life, industry, and scientific discovery," the NAE said in announcing the prize.
"Eric Fossum’s inventions have revolutionized digital imaging across industries"
This is far from the first award for Fossum. It's the latest in a list of well-deserved accolades, including the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, the National Medal for Technology and Innovation, awarded at a White House ceremony last year, a Technical Emmy Award, the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, induction into the US Space Foundation Technology Hall of Fame in 1999, Edwin H. Land Medal recipient and more. His inventions and research have had a revolutionary impact on imaging across many industries, including our own.
"We’re working on sensors that can count photons, one at a time"
An article on the Dartmouth website details the history of Fossum's development of the CMOS sensor, including how it originated as a project to create smaller, energy-efficient cameras for NASA spacecraft. It also discusses Fossum's recent invention, the quanta image sensor, which enables high-resolution imaging in extremely low-light conditions. "We’re working on sensors that can count photons, one at a time," he says."Imagine being able to take a photo in almost complete darkness or measuring extremely faint signals in biology. It’s like turning the lights on in a place that was previously invisible to us."
Fossum has been an active participant in the DPReview forums for many years and has consistently been very helpful to community members. We are honored to have him as part of our community, and wish him a hearty congratulations on his latest award.
Press release:
2026 Draper Prize for Engineering Recognizes the "Camera-on-a-Chip" Inventor
January 06, 2026
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Jan. 6, 2026 – Eric R. Fossum, Ph.D., a pioneering semiconductor device physicist and engineer, is the recipient of the 2026 Charles Stark Draper Prize for Engineering. The prize, endowed by Draper and awarded every two years by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), is one of the world’s preeminent awards for engineering achievement.
The NAE recognized Fossum "for innovation, development, and commercialization of the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel image sensor ‘camera-on-a-chip.’" Originally developed to miniaturize cameras for NASA spacecraft, the technology makes high-quality imaging smaller, faster, and more energy efficient. It now powers billions of smartphone cameras and enables applications ranging from video communication and social media to medical tools, automotive safety systems, industrial vision, and space exploration.
"The innovative work led by Dr. Fossum produced dramatic improvements in what active pixel sensors can deliver and brought digital imaging to the masses," said Jerry M. Wohletz, Ph.D., president and CEO at Draper. "The wide range of applications for this technology and its impact on society are profound and clearly worthy of the Draper Prize."
Fossum was part of the research team at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory that developed the breakthrough CMOS sensor. Further refinements with pinned photodiode (PPD) technology led to CMOS sensors that eventually exceeded the performance of charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors. CMOS sensors are generally less expensive and use less power than CCD sensors, making them ideal for use in battery powered devices. More recently, Fossum invented the Quanta Image Sensor, a CMOS-based photon-counting image sensor that enables high-resolution imaging in extremely low light conditions.
Fossum is the John H. Krehbiel Senior Professor for Emerging Technologies at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, where he teaches, directs the Ph.D. Innovation Program, and conducts research in image sensors. He also serves as Dartmouth’s Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer. His professional recognition includes induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF), election to the National Academy of Engineering, the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, the National Medal for Technology and Innovation, a Technical Emmy Award, and the Edwin Land Medal.
Fossum received his Bachelor of Science degree in physics and engineering from Trinity College in Connecticut, and his Ph.D. in engineering and applied science from Yale University. He has published over 300 technical papers and holds 185 U.S. patents.
The Charles Stark Draper Prize for Engineering was established and endowed in 1988 at the request of Draper to honor the memory of "Doc" Draper, the father of inertial navigation, and to increase public understanding of the contributions of engineering and technology. The biennial prize honors an engineer whose accomplishments have significantly impacted society by improving quality of life, providing the ability to live freely and comfortably, and/or permitting access to information. Recipients receive a $500,000 cash award.
Apple has announced a new app bundle for creatives dubbed Apple Creator Studio. The subscription serves as somewhat of an alternative to Adobe's Creative Cloud, as it includes apps for photo, video and music editing, plus Apple's general productivity apps. Along with the bundle, Apple announced new features for the included apps, including Final Cut Pro, Pixelmator Pro and Logic Pro.
The Apple Creator Studio is a subscription-based bundle designed for video editors, designers, music producers and other creatives. It includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and Pixelmator Pro on Mac and iPad; Motion, Compressor and MainStage on Mac; and Keynote, Pages, Numbers and Freeform for iPhone, iPad and Mac. All of these apps are combined into one subscription, eliminating the need to pay for each app separately.
Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for Mac were, and still are, available as one-time purchases, but the iPad versions have always been subscription-based. The Creator Studio may not be much of a shift for some users, then. Additionally, while all of the apps are still available for purchase (or free, in the case of Keynote, Pages, Numbers and Freeform) separately, the Creator Studio bundle unlocks AI capabilities and other features not available in the standalone apps, such as premium content in Keynote, Pages, Numbers and Freeform.
Pixelmator Pro is now available on the iPad. Image: Apple
In Pixelmator Pro, Creator Studio subscribers will have access to a new Warp tool, allowing users to twist and share payers however they like. Apple says subscribers will also have access to a collection of Warp-powered product mockups. Additionally, Pixelmator Pro is now available for iPad for the first time (including outside of the subscription), offering a new touch- and Apple Pencil-optimized interface. Users can also switch between the iPad and Mac for a more flexible editing experience.
Apple added new search options in Final Cut, making it easier to find specific clips. Image: Apple
Final Cut Pro also gets multiple new features. Transcript Search and Visual Search make it easier for editors to find specific clips, either based on specific soundbites or by searching for an object or action. Beat Detection makes editing to the rhythm of a song easier, thanks to an AI model from Logic Pro. Montage Maker in Final Cut Pro for iPad utilizes AI to automatically analyze and edit a video, making it faster to start an edit or rough cut.
Creator Studio subscribers will also get full access to Motion, a tool for creating 2D and 3D effects. Plus, Apple has added the AI-powered Magnetic Mask tool to Motion, giving graphics creators AI-based masking and tracking without a green screen. The subscription also includes access to Compressor, which fully integrates with Final Cut Pro and Motion.
Logic Pro now offers a tool for turning recordings into chord progressions. Image: Apple
Logic Pro also comes with a host of new features, including a Synth Player in the AI Session Player lineup and Chord ID, which turns recordings into chord progressions. There's also a new Sound Library in Logic Pro, and its Quick Swipe Comping feature is now available on iPad. Finally, Keynote, Pages, Numbers and Freeform will remain free for all users, but Creator Studio subscribers will have access to new "intelligence features."
The Apple Creator Studio will be available on January 28 for $13 per month or $129 per year with a free one-month trial. College students and educators can subscribe for $3 per month or $30 per year.
For those looking for an Adobe alternative, those prices could be quite enticing. After all, Adobe's All Apps plan for individuals costs $70 per month. Adobe's discounted student and educator plan is $25 per month, which isn't much less than the annual cost of Apple's Creator Studio. Plus, you can still access one-time-purchase versions of these apps if you don't want to deal with yet another subscription, something that isn't an option with Adobe.
Press release:
Apple introduces Apple Creator Studio, an inspiring collection of the most powerful creative apps
Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage — plus new AI features and premium content in Keynote, Pages, and Numbers — come together in a single subscription
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today unveiled Apple Creator Studio, a groundbreaking collection of powerful creative apps designed to put studio-grade power into the hands of everyone, building on the essential role Mac, iPad, and iPhone play in the lives of millions of creators around the world. The apps included with Apple Creator Studio for video editing, music making, creative imaging, and visual productivity give modern creators the features and capabilities they need to experience the joy of editing and tailoring their content while realizing their artistic vision. Exciting new intelligent features and premium content build on familiar experiences of Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and later Freeform to make Apple Creator Studio an exciting subscription suite to empower creators of all disciplines while protecting their privacy.
Final Cut Pro introduces exceptional new video editing tools and intelligent features for Mac and iPad to improve the efficiency of even the most complex workflows.1 For the first time, Pixelmator Pro is coming to iPad with a uniquely crafted experience that is optimized for touch and Apple Pencil.2 Music creation with Logic Pro for Mac and iPad introduces even more intelligent features like Synth Player and Chord ID to inspire anyone to write, produce, and mix a range of popular music.3 And with Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and Freeform, Apple Creator Studio subscribers can be more expressive and productive with new premium content and intelligent features across Mac, iPad, and iPhone.4
Apple Creator Studio will be available on the App Store beginning Wednesday, January 28, for $12.99 per month or $129 per year, with a one-month free trial, and includes access to Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro on Mac and iPad; Motion, Compressor, and MainStage on Mac; and intelligent features and premium content for Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and later Freeform for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. College students and educators can subscribe for $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. Alternatively, users can also choose to purchase the Mac versions of Final Cut Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage individually as a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store.5
"Apple Creator Studio is a great value that enables creators of all types to pursue their craft and grow their skills by providing easy access to the most powerful and intuitive tools for video editing, music making, creative imaging, and visual productivity — all leveled up with advanced intelligent tools to augment and accelerate workflows," said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. "There’s never been a more flexible and accessible way to get started with such a powerful collection of creative apps for professionals, emerging artists, entrepreneurs, students, and educators to do their best work and explore their creative interests from start to finish."
Video Creation Gets Smarter and Faster
Final Cut Pro for Mac and iPad empowers content creators, video editors, and filmmakers to elevate their projects with intuitive features. One-time-purchase Mac users and Apple Creator Studio subscribers can experience blazing-fast performance with Apple silicon for the most demanding workflows, and get into the creative flow faster than ever with new on-device intelligent features that make video creation effortless and easy.
With Transcript Search on Mac and iPad, users can now easily find the perfect soundbite in hours of footage by simply typing phrases into the search bar to see exact or related results.6 Video podcasts and interviews can be assembled quickly, eliminating extensive time spent skimming through footage. Looking for a specific video clip also gets an intelligence assist with Visual Search.7 Now, users can quickly pinpoint exact moments across all footage by searching for an object or action, and then add that visual to their timeline in seconds.
Final Cut Pro for Mac and iPad also makes editing video to the rhythm of music fast and fun with Beat Detection, an amazing new way to see musical beats, bars, and song parts right in the project timeline. Beat Detection uses an AI model from Logic Pro to instantly analyze any music track and display the Beat Grid, so users creating fast-paced videos can quickly and visually align their cuts to the music. Re-editing music tracks to different lengths is also easier than ever.
The new Montage Maker in Final Cut Pro for iPad lets users kick-start their edit in just seconds. Using the power of AI, Montage Maker will analyze and edit together a dynamic video based on the best visual moments within the footage, with the ability to change the pacing, cut to a music track, and intelligently reframe horizontal videos to vertical with Auto Crop to simplify sharing across social platforms.
Apple Creator Studio also unlocks full access to Motion, a powerful motion graphics tool for creating cinematic 2D and 3D effects with intelligent features like Magnetic Mask, which effortlessly isolates and tracks people and objects without a green screen. It also includes Compressor, which integrates with Final Cut Pro and Motion to seamlessly customize output settings for distribution.
Taking Music Creation to the Next Level
A new lineup of features for Logic Pro for Mac and iPad supports musical artists and helps creators deliver original music for their video content as an Apple Creator Studio subscriber or one-time-purchase Mac user. The new tools are sophisticated, intuitive, and intelligent to inspire beat making, songwriting, remixing, and more.
Synth Player joins the AI Session Player lineup,8 delivering incredible electronic music performances with a diverse range of chordal and synth bass parts — all powered by AI and the advanced software instrument technology of Logic Pro. Using Synth Player is like having access to a skilled synthesist that can instantly take a musical idea in new directions when needed. Developed in-house using Apple’s own team of expert sound designers, Synth Player delivers incredible realism and fidelity fueled by the vast array of software synthesizers and samplers in Logic Pro. And like every AI Session Player, creators can direct Synth Player using intuitive controls for complexity and intensity, while additional parameters unlock access to advanced performance capabilities. Synth Player can also access any third-party plug-in Audio Units, or even control an external hardware synthesizer.
Tapping into the power of AI, Chord ID becomes a personal music theory expert by turning any audio or MIDI recording into a ready-to-use chord progression, eliminating tedious manual transcription and bringing demo ideas to life even faster. Designed to help everyone get the most out of the Session Player experience, Chord ID can analyze complex harmonic content from nearly any recording to automatically populate the chord track in Logic Pro. And since the chord track drives the performances of any AI Session Player, users can quickly audition different players, styles, and genres, allowing them creative freedom to experiment and dial in their favorite vibe.
The new Sound Library in Logic Pro for Mac delivers Apple-designed packs and Producer Packs with hundreds of royalty-free loops, samples, instrument patches, drum sounds, and more. Additionally, Logic Pro for iPad users will now have access to the industry-leading Quick Swipe Comping feature from Logic Pro for Mac, an indispensable tool for vocalists and producers who want to create seamless performances inside or outside the studio.
Logic Pro for iPad also presents Music Understanding features with natural language search in the Sound Browser to help users describe a loop or find similar loops — no tags, guesses, or filters required. AI-based awareness of the massive collection of loops in Logic Pro makes it easy to search either through natural language or a recording to find a similar or complementary loop or sound.
Apple Creator Studio also unlocks access to MainStage, which turns Mac into an instrument, voice processor, or guitar rig. Now, the sound users love in their recording can be the sound their audience hears. Setup is fast, teardown is faster, and everything in between is more reliable.
Creative Imaging Designed for iPad
Pixelmator Pro, the award-winning image editor for Mac, comes with the all-new Apple Creator Studio, bringing an approachable and professional editing experience to even more creators. Pixelmator Pro is packed with powerful image editing tools, empowering Apple Creator Studio subscribers and one-time-purchase Mac users to design, draw, paint, and refine their creative vision, and so much more. For the first time, Pixelmator Pro is coming to iPad, bringing an all-new touch-optimized workspace, full Apple Pencil support, the ability to work between iPad and Mac, and all of the powerful editing tools users have come to appreciate on Mac. Pixelmator Pro for iPad offers fast and efficient image editing, leveraging the blazing performance of Apple silicon and built from scratch for the latest iPadOS.
Intuitive touch controls make it even easier to create desktop-class designs wherever users take their iPad. The full-featured Layers sidebar allows creators to build designs using a range of unique elements like images, shapes, text, and even video. Smart selection tools help users isolate and edit specific parts of images effortlessly, and with advanced bitmap and vector masks, users can hide or reveal discrete portions of their designs. The deep integration of hardware, software, and Apple silicon unlocks features like Super Resolution for intelligently upscaling photos, Deband for removing compression artifacts, and automatic composition suggestions with Auto Crop. With full support for Apple Pencil, digital artists can enjoy painting in the most natural way with a beautiful collection of pressure-sensitive brushes. And unmatched Apple Pencil precision — combined with features like hover,9 squeeze,10 and double-tap11 — gives creators the ability to craft pixel-perfect designs.
Additionally, for Apple Creator Studio subscribers, both Pixelmator Pro for Mac and iPad bring a powerful new Warp tool for twisting and shaping layers any way creatives can imagine, alongside a beautiful collection of Warp-powered product mockups.
Supercharging Visual Productivity
For more than 20 years, Apple’s visual productivity apps have empowered users to express themselves with beautiful presentations, documents, and spreadsheets using Keynote, Pages, and Numbers. And Freeform has brought endless possibilities for creative brainstorming and visual collaboration.
With Apple Creator Studio, productivity gets supercharged with all-new features that bring more intelligence and premium content to creators’ fingertips so they can take their projects to the next level. The Content Hub is a new space where users can find curated, high-quality photos, graphics, and illustrations. A subscription also unlocks new premium templates and themes in Keynote, Pages, and Numbers.
In addition to Image Playground, advanced image creation and editing tools let users create high-quality images from text, or transform existing images, using generative models from OpenAI.12 On-device AI models enable Super Resolution to upscale images while keeping them sharp and detailed, and Auto Crop provides intelligent crop suggestions, helping users find eye-catching compositions for photos.
To help users prepare presentations even more quickly in Keynote, Apple Creator Studio includes access to features in beta, such as the ability to generate a first draft of a presentation from a text outline, or create presenter notes from existing slides. Subscribers can also quickly clean up slides to fix layout and object placement. And in Numbers, subscribers can generate formulas and fill in tables based on pattern recognition with Magic Fill.
Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and Freeform will remain free for all users to create, edit, and collaborate with others, including Apple Creator Studio subscribers. These apps will continue receiving updates, with the latest versions adopting the beautiful new visual design language with Liquid Glass on all platforms, and supporting the new windowing and menu bar improvements in iPadOS 26.
Pricing and Availability
Apple Creator Studio will be available beginning Wednesday, January 28, for $12.99 (U.S.) per month or $129 (U.S.) per year. All new subscribers will enjoy a one-month free trial of Apple Creator Studio, and with the purchase of a new Mac or qualifying iPad,13 customers can receive three months of Apple Creator Studio for free.14
Education savings are available for college students and educators15 for $2.99 (U.S.) per month or $29.99 (U.S.) per year.
Apple Creator Studio is available to download on the App Store as a universal purchase.
Up to six family members can share all of the apps and content included in Apple Creator Studio with Family Sharing.
One-time-purchase versions of Final Cut Pro ($299.99 U.S.), Logic Pro ($199.99 U.S.), Pixelmator Pro ($49.99 U.S.), Motion ($49.99 U.S.), Compressor ($49.99 U.S.), and MainStage ($29.99 U.S.) are available on the Mac App Store.
Free versions of Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and Freeform continue to be available and are included with every new iPhone, Mac, and iPad.
1 The Apple Creator Studio version of Final Cut Pro for Mac will be compatible with Mac models with Intel or Apple silicon chips running macOS 15.6 or later. Some features require Apple silicon. Final Cut Pro for iPad will be compatible with iPad models with the A16, A17 Pro, or M1 chip or later running iPadOS 18.6 or later.
2 Pixelmator Pro for iPad is compatible with iPad models with the A16, A17 Pro, or M1 chip or later running iPadOS 26 or later. The Apple Creator Studio version of Pixelmator Pro requires macOS 26.
3 The Apple Creator Studio version of Logic Pro for Mac requires macOS 15.6 or later and a Mac with Apple silicon. Logic Pro for iPad requires iPadOS 26 or later and an iPad with the Apple A12 Bionic chip or later. Some features require the Apple A17 Pro chip or later.
4 Apple Creator Studio versions of Keynote, Pages, and Numbers will require iOS 18.0 or later, iPadOS 18.0 or later, or macOS Sequoia 15.6 or later. Some intelligent features including image generation will require iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS Tahoe. Premium content and features in Freeform are not currently available and are expected to be included in the Apple Creator Studio subscription later this year.
5 The one-time-purchase versions of Final Cut Pro requires macOS 15.6 or later, Logic Pro requires macOS 15.6 or later, and Pixelmator Pro requires macOS 12.0 or later. MainStage is available for any Mac supported by macOS 15.6 or later. Motion requires macOS 15.6 or later. Compressor requires macOS 15.6 or later and some features require a Mac with Apple silicon.
6 Transcript Search in Final Cut Pro requires a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 15.6 or later, or an iPad with the Apple M1 chip or later, iPad (A16), or iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPadOS 26 or later. Available only in U.S. English.
7 Visual Search requires a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 15.6 or later, or an iPad with the Apple M1 chip or later, iPad (A16), or iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPadOS 26 or later. Available only in U.S. English.
8 Session Players require iPad with the Apple M1 chip or later or Mac with Apple silicon is recommended.
9 Apple Pencil hover works with iPad Pro 13-inch (M4), iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (6th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (M4), iPad Pro 11‑inch (4th generation), iPad Air 13-inch (M2), and iPad Air 11-inch (M2).
10 Apple Pencil squeeze is only available when using Apple Pencil Pro with iPad Pro 13- and 11-inch (M4 and M5), iPad Air 13- and 11-inch (M2 and M3), and iPad mini (A17 Pro).
11 Apple Pencil double-tap works with Apple Pencil (2nd generation) with iPad mini (6th generation), iPad Air (4th and 5th generations), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations), and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generations); and with Apple Pencil Pro with iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad Air 11-inch and 13-inch (M2 and M3), and iPad Pro 11-inch and 13-inch (M4 and M5).
12 Some features of Apple Creator Studio require an Apple Intelligence-capable device. For a list of Apple Intelligence availability and technical requirements, see support.apple.com/121115. Some artificial intelligence features of Apple Creator Studio utilize third-party models and may have usage limits and restrictions.
13 A new Mac or iPad purchased from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller. iPad must have at least 6 GB memory and an A16, A17 Pro, or M-series chip or later.
14 New and qualified returning subscribers only. Plan renews at $12.99 per month or $129 per year based on plan selected. Only one offer per Apple Account and only one offer per family if they’re part of a Family Sharing group, regardless of the number of devices that they or their family purchase. This offer is not available if the account holder or their Family have previously accepted an Apple Creator Studio subscription three months free offer. Offer good for the latter of (i) three months after eligible device activation or (ii) three months after first availability for subscription to Apple Creator Studio. Plan automatically renews until cancelled. Restrictions and other terms apply.
15 New subscribers only. Education Savings Plan automatically renews at $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year based on plan selected until cancelled. Offer good for college students and educators only and does not extend to a Family Sharing group. Verification required. Terms apply. Limited-time offer; offer may end at any time.
With no sign of faster SD cards, the CFexpress format is currently coming out on top.
Photo: Richard Butler
This year's CES trade show came and went with no apparent progress for the SD memory card format, despite higher speeds and capacities supposedly being in the pipeline. And we believe the camera industry is playing its part in that, having seemingly decided that SD will remain a slower, lesser format.
It's been nearly 18 months since Western Digital said it was planning to launch SDUC cards in 2025, but they're still yet to arrive.
SDUC (Ultra Capacity) cards, which allow capacities to expand beyond the 2TB limit of SDXC cards, up to a maximum of 128TB, should you wish to capture just about every photo you'll ever take on a single card. However, the SDUC standard only pertains to capacity: in theory, SDUC cards can use the original (pre-UHS) interface that ran at a maximum of 25MB/s, and much slower in practice.
More critically, there's also been no sign of any UHS-III cards, the faster standard announced back in 2017, nor any cameras adopting the SD Express interface from 2018, leaving us with an inviting combination of vast capacities and significant lag, while we wait for faster cards.
An inviting combination of vast capacities and significant lag, while we wait for faster cards
Instead, it appears camera makers have decided that high-speed cameras should use the CFexpress format, with SD stalled at the UHS-II interface originally announced 15 years ago.
The challenge is that one of SD's key selling points was backward compatibility: UHS-II slots could still use all previous SD cards at their full speeds. However, the SD Express format adopts the same NVMe protocol used by the CFexpress format, maintaining only 2009 UHS-I speeds when used with existing cards (and vice versa: even the most expensive SD Express card will run as UHS-I speeds if you try to use it in any current camera).
The 2009 UHS-I standard promises up to 104MB/s transfers but none are rated as being able to deliver more than 30MB/s read/write in a sustained manner.
We don't know whether camera makers' reticence to adopt SD Express stems from the potential confusion this limited backward compatibility would risk, or because, once you've included the hardware for NVMe compatibility, you may as well use the well-established, more robust CFexpress format, but we've still yet to see any cameras that use SD express, eight years after it was announced.
Micro SD Express cards exist, but the only major device to use them, so far, is Nintendo's Switch 2 portable console.
Image: Samsung
For reference, there was a three-year lag between the SD Association announcing the UHS-II standard and it first being adopted in a camera (the Fujifilm X-T1), meaning the SD Express format appears to currently be running around five years behind schedule.
So, just as we predicted a few years ago, it seems CFexpress looks set to dominate the high-speed, pro-grade end of the market with SD remaining as the more affordable, lower performance option. With unfortunate consequences for mid-range cameras that use a mixture of the two.
Here is some additional information on the previously reported SG-Image AF 35mm f/2.2 pancake lens for E/Z/L mount (SG-Image lenses are sold on Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress):
Focal length: 35mm
Maximum aperture: f/2.2
Autofocus: Yes
Metal square lens hood included
Foor E/Z/L mount
The Sony E & Nikon Z versions will be released in late January, and the L-mount will probably come in February/March
The visual design of the final version may change (the lens top displayed should only show “xxmm Fx.x”)
The British Journal of Photography has announced the winners of Portrait of Britain Vol. 8. The contest, which began in 2016, aims to celebrate the diverse mosaic of individuals who make up Great Britain by showcasing portraiture from across the country. This year's edition features 100 winning images, selected from a shortlist of 200 and thousands of overall submissions.
The selected portraits spotlight individuals who were born and raised in the UK, those who have moved there, and those simply passing through, telling the stories of veterans, scientists, fishmongers, ballerinas, farmers, and more. The British Journal of Photography explains that the collection serves as "a reminder that the most compelling stories of Britain do not emerge from geography or ideology but from the extraordinary variety of people who inhabit it."
In addition to the online showcase, Portrait of Britain is committed to bringing photography into public spaces. To that end, the 100 winning images will be displayed on JCDecaux UK’s digital screens across the country from January 12 through February 8. The 200 shortlisted images will also be featured in the Portrait of Britain Vol. 8 photobook, published by Bluecoat Press and sponsored by WePresent, WeTransfer’s arts platform. The book is available for pre-order now.
You can see all the winning and shortlisted images and learn more about the contest on the Portrait of Britain website.
Caption: Portrait of Giles Duley, photographer, writer, chef, presenter and CEO: "Photography is relatively simple. You point a camera in the right direction and press a button. But it has taken me 40 years to determine which direction to point the camera. I realised then with photography, I was not going to be noticed because I wasn’t the best photographer. I was doing nothing particularly unique, and I would have to find a way to ensure my work was seen."
Caption: A photograph inspired by the paintings of queer British painter and sculptor, Glyn Philpot. Particularly through his works and portraits of Henry Thomas, circa 1934-35.
Caption: As Emerson emerged from the mist on Margate Beach, his vibrant winter clothing and bicycle created a striking contrast against the soft, foggy backdrop. This scene felt like something straight out of a children’s adventure book, full of mystery and possibility. The coastal atmosphere, combined with the burst of color from Emerson’s attire, made for a uniquely enchanting moment, which also felt singular and rare for my seaside project.
Caption: Tangled together by kinks, coils and care. The importance of Black siblinghood and Black hair and how it is a rich, layered theme that beautifully weaves together identity, heritage, and connection. We are our own protectors of us and our culture. We must stand united. Be proud.
Caption: Kae Tempest backstage at Victoria Warehouse during the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival in March 2025. This shot was taken shortly after Kae came off stage, where he performed new material from the album Self Titled for the first time. It was a personal and emotional moment which I felt incredibly privileged to be present for.
Dr. Marco Schioppo (back) and Adam Parke (front) monitoring the ultrastable laser at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Teddington, London
Photographer: David Severn
Image title: Dr. Marco Schioppo (back) and Adam Parke (front) monitoring the ultrastable laser at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Teddington, London
Location: Teddington, London
Caption: National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in Teddington operates the UK’s national time scale UTC (NPL) and the UK primary frequency standards, and uses these to contribute to global atomic timekeeping. Atomic timekeeping underpins technologies that are part of our daily lives, such as telecommunications, the internet and global navigation systems. NPL is developing and characterizing a new generation of atomic clocks which are based on laser-cooled trapped ions and atoms with ultra-narrow optical transitions. These optical atomic clocks outperform existing caesium-based atomic clocks in terms of accuracy and stability, with the potential to deliver time and frequency uncertainties 100 times better. The laboratory participates in European collaborations to verify the international consistency of the new optical atomic clocks, and it is expected that this work will lead to a redefinition of the SI unit of time, the second. Such unprecedented measurement precision would unlock new timing applications, enhanced Earth- and space-based navigation, and new tests of physics beyond the Standard Model.
This portrait shows Marco Schioppo (back) and Adam Parke (front) monitoring one of the ultrastable lasers developed by them at NPL. These systems generate the most stable frequency of light in the UK, which contributes to enabling state-of-the-art measurement precision of the optical atomic clocks at NPL.
Caption: "I came to the UK in 2012 to join my daughters, who were already living here. I have no other children, and it was important for me to be close to them. Leaving Iran wasn’t easy. What I found most difficult was missing my sisters. When I first arrived, it was okay – my children took care of me, and that made all the difference. Still, there are things I miss about home: the food, and the weather in particular.
"Not speaking the language has been my biggest challenge. But being surrounded by family has brought me the greatest joy. Their presence has made this place feel like home. If someone I knew was planning to come to the UK, I’d tell them to expect bad weather. But beyond that, I would hope they’re met with kindness.
"What I wish most now is to live the rest of my life in comfort. I would also like the native people to show more understanding towards migrants. That would mean a lot."
Effat Saadat was born on November 14th, 1935, in Iran and arrived in the UK in 2012. I photographed her as part of the 100 Years 100 Migrants project, which features 100 people from 100 different countries and across 100 different ages living in London.
Caption: The Kirati Rai are an ancient indigenous group from Nepal. This work explores the Kirati Rai diaspora in the UK, highlighting how their cultural heritage has endured and evolved through celebrations, memories, and migration. The influence of British culture, informed by centuries of Gurkha involvement in the British Army, is quietly evident in their dress and jewellery, the two interwoven cultures creating something entirely unique to this group.
Caption: Drag artist, author and singer-songwriter, Bollyvvitch is preparing to release her debut album that showcases her creative expression, as a practicing witch and her lived experiences as a South Asian trans woman.
Caption: Elvira owned an independent shop on Clapham High Street. Anyone who has walked along that road would recognise her impeccable dress sense and infectious smile. Unfortunately, like many independent shops, it has now closed and is another vacant storefront on a high street.
Caption: Go Back to Where? explores identity and belonging through the lens of second-generation immigrants. The subject, half-Moroccan and half-French, was born and raised in the UK, yet his identity is often questioned.
Shot against the vast British moors, a landscape deeply tied to national identity, he wears a Gandoura, a traditional Moroccan garment. This contrast visually represents the duality of his experience, balancing heritage with the reality of growing up in Britain. His layered styling, blending tradition with contemporary streetwear, reflects the fluidity of identity.
The title challenges the all-too-common demand for immigrants and their descendants to "go back", a phrase that disregards their lived reality. But where is "back" when you are from multiple places at once? This portrait invites the viewer to reconsider what it truly means to belong.
Caption: I met Judy at a party, and was instantly drawn to her sincere and whimsical character. She invited me to visit her home, and I knew such an interesting woman would have a house to match. Her eccentric property seemingly stretched on forever, full to the brim of antiques and artifacts she had collected for over 50 years. It was her "secret" garden that caught my eye the most. Like her, it was bursting with colour and character.
Caption: The Foresters of Carlton in Coverdale. In the misty light of the Yorkshire Dales, three generations stand shoulder to shoulder. The keepers of a quiet tradition that spans centuries. They are members of the Foresters, part of the rich but fading tapestry of Friendly societies in the UK. Dressed in ceremonial sashes and heritage green, they mark not just a ritual, but a way of belonging.
Once widespread across Britain, friendly societies offered mutual aid, solidarity, and community in times before the welfare state. Though their numbers have dwindled, echoes remain, gathered in villages like Carlton, where custom and care still bind neighbors together. The young boy in the center, horn slung across his body, represents the future of this tradition. His father and brother beside him, steady and proud, hold ceremonial staffs signifying protection, unity, and leadership. Their presence is more than costume; it is continuity. This is a testament to the resilience of rural identity and the deep social roots that run through these hills. In a country often rushing forward, the Foresters remind us of what endures when communities come together. Not in competition, but in care.
Caption: Almost Synchro is a collective of twenty Bristol-based swimmers, bound by a shared passion for outdoor swimming and the art of moving together in water. The group first formed in 2019 for a mass synchronised performance marking the centenary of Bristol’s Henleaze Swimming Lake. In the years that followed, through the quiet persistence of a smaller core, Almost Synchro emerged as a dedicated ensemble. Their performances, staged both in open water and on dry land, combine playfulness with purpose. While they celebrate the beauty of collective movement, they also use their work to draw attention to urgent issues – from the fight against water pollution to the campaign for safe and accessible bathing spaces for all. This project was originally commissioned by The Simple Things magazine as part of their series on Modern Eccentrics.
Caption: You have to be tough to compete as a cyclist. It’s even harder to progress if you are a woman. Beth cycles for a Scottish development cycling team. She dedicates time, effort and focus over months in order to achieve at a competition. I wanted to capture the emotion after the race, when all the training, the excitement and the effort is over. The portrait is in that moment of exhaustion and vulnerability. Beth works as hard as the male cyclists and deserves the same opportunities.
Caption: Lisa was working on one of the machines behind when I asked to take her photograph. She seemed surprised, but I loved the way she held herself, her look felt timeless in the old factory, one of the few workers wearing the traditional machinist jackets and doing so with an ease that felt so natural.
Caption: In the run up to their wedding this year, I wanted to capture the couple at home. An exciting moment of change. The gentleness of their touch and the symmetry in their body language really showed the intertwining moment between them.
Caption: My niece Florence, photographed as part of an ongoing series, Is There Instagram on Mars? A reactionary project about our obsession with social media, in the same way I was obsessed with aliens and UFO’s as a child. Neither make sense but both bring an idea of a different life.
Caption: Green Grass’ is a series of medium format portraits, capturing people who inspire me in my hometown. Everyone has heard the phrase ‘the grass is greener on the other side'. I grew up believing in this statement, which resulted in never feeling peaceful within myself or content within my life.
Through this ongoing work in progress personal project, I’ve decided to challenge the original concept and rather ‘water my own grass’ by paying attention to where I am and focusing on finding inspiration in the place I’ve spent most of my life so far, a place so ordinary to me. Meeting interesting individuals who have given me a fresh perspective - one which is more positive. I am beginning to find that inner peace and contentment I’ve been seeking elsewhere for so many years.
Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my project so far and has helped shift my mindset into a much more hopeful and enlightened one. I hope this project can be a reminder to others that ‘the grass is greener where you water it’.
Caption: I have been photographing fashion, art and music icon Princess Julia for almost twenty years. We often shoot together, just the two of us, in locations around Julia's East London flat, no stylist, no hair or makeup, just the two of us collaborating. Julia first found fame as one of the faces of the New Romantic movement, and her outfit in this image, at Fellow Court in Hoxton, harks back to that era of fashion.
Caption: Portrait of Alaa, a member of the Muslim Women's Association of Edinburgh. This image is from my documentary project 'Faith', which examines the diversity of religious experience and identity in Edinburgh. This work seeks to foster a deeper understanding of how spirituality shapes daily life, culture, and community. It highlights the unique expressions of religion across different communities, exploring the intersection of faith and personal.
Caption: This is Adam, a tattoo artist from Norwich, and his Nan, Janet. I met them both in the city center after they'd just had tea together at a local department store. I was on my lunch break and happened to cross paths with them. With my camera in hand, I approached, focusing on Adam: tall, handsome, and heavily tattooed. Janet, on the other hand, was small, neat and compared with Adam, conservative looking. A fine pair indeed. They agreed to a street-style portrait, which I later sent to Adam to share with his family. They were thrilled with the photo. I eventually plucked up the courage to ask if I could photograph them again, explaining that I thought they would be perfect subjects for the Portrait of Britain exhibition.
They kindly agreed, and months later, we met at Nan's house. We drank tea, ate biscuits, and spent time getting to know one another while making some simple photos. I asked Adam to show his Nan some of his other tattoos, and we all agreed that they added something special to the portraits. Adam's Nan, clearly fond of the tattoos, remarked, "I'd have a tattoo if I wasn't so old." Their closeness and ease with each other was a true cure to the modern anxieties we all face, offering a beautiful example of the family bond.
Emmanuelle and her dog Alix, at the Brighton beach
Photographer: Rona Bar and Ofek Avshalom
Image title: Emmanuelle and her dog Alix, at the Brighton beach
Location: Brighton, United Kingdom
Caption: Emmanuelle is a model with a disability, living in Brighton, UK, photographed with her dog Alix, at the beach in Brighton, wearing a design by one of her favorite fashion designers. Emmanuelle works as a model and a fashion figure and influencer, she's represented by Zebedee Talent Agency, a modeling agency in the UK that represents people with disabilities and visual differences.
Location: Kings Park Secondary School, Glasgow, Scotland
Caption: From the project: Kings Park: a portrait of diversity. Working alongside teachers and pupils called "Diversity Ambassadors", we created a project celebrating diversity in an urban Glasgow school.
Image title: Before We Were Proud – Peter and David
Location: London
Caption: Part of an ongoing series featuring older members of the LGBTQ community. David and Peter have been together for over 30 years. "We may have met in a sleazy leather bar, but we have so much in common. We both love gardening, classical music, and theatre. We’re so compatible."
"Neither of us was looking for love. The relationship just developed beautifully. And we’re very happy together."
Caption: Jacob Amwa, 23, is completing his final year in marine biology in 2025. With roots in Ghana, Nigeria and England, and having grown up in Switzerland, his background is as diverse as his interests. He is passionate about ocean conservation, especially protecting sharks and rays in the Mediterranean. "I want to work somewhere like Spain or Italy, close to the sea and making a difference," he says. Plymouth stood out to him for its strong academic support and coastal environment. "The lecturers care about what they teach. That made me care too." Music is a big part of his life. He finds comfort in artists like Frank Ocean and Daniel Caesar. "I sing by myself in the shower," he says with a smile.
Through photography, I seek to explore identity not only as a personal experience but as something rooted in place, heritage and belonging. A project like this is a form of cultural preservation. In capturing people like Jacob in their present moment, we create a human archive that reflects the richness and diversity of our time. In the future, when we look back at the people who lived in the early twenty-first century, I hope this portrait serve as a reminder of the beauty of difference, the complexity of identity and the shared humanity that connects us all.
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Product of the Year 2025: the results
The final round of voting has closed, and it's time to reveal the winners of our 2025 Readers' Choice Awards! Beginning in December, DPReview readers picked their favorite cameras, zoom lenses and prime lenses released in 2025. The winners of the first round of voting were then pitted against each other for the title of Product of the Year. Take a look and see which products came out on top.
Second runner-up: Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM
The Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM won our Readers' Choice Award for Best Zoom Lens of 2025, so it's not surprising to see it land in one of the top three positions in the Product of the Year competition. It pulled in 13.8% of the vote total, just edging out the Canon RF 45mm F1.2 STM for the second runner-up position.
To be sure, the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM was one of the most interesting lenses of 2025, offering a combination of fast aperture, a versatile zoom range, and top-notch image quality that can deliver impressive levels of background separation. Even better, its relatively compact size makes it manageable to carry around. We have no doubt this will be one of Sony's most popular lenses for the foreseeable future.
The Sony a7 V secured the first runner-up position in our Readers' Choice Product of the Year vote, pulling in 19.5% of the votes cast. That's a solid performance for a camera announced so late in 2025 that it came within a couple of days of missing the deadline for this year's award voting.
We're not surprised it did so well, though. It significantly improves upon its predecessor, the a7 V, arriving with an updated 33MP "partially stacked" sensor that supports 14-bit readout even when shooting at bursts of 30fps. It also features the most up-to-date AF system in Sony's a7 series, pre-burst capture, and much improved video specs, including 4K/60p video derived from 7K capture. And even with its partially stacked sensor, it still manages to deliver impressive dynamic range. We expect this to be Sony's workhorse enthusiast camera for the next several years, and based on your votes, it looks like the a7 V delivers where it counts.
Winner: Nikon Z5II
And the winner of our 2025 Readers' Choice Product of the Year Award is the Nikon Z5II, marking Nikon's third consecutive win, following the Nikon Z8 in 2023 and theNikon Z6III in 2024. That's an impressive run by any measure. Clearly, Nikon is doing something right.
More notably, the Z5II made a clean sweep of all our awards this year. A few weeks ago, we named it the Best Enthusiast Camera of 2025 in our DPReview Annual Awards, as well as our DPReview Product of the Year for 2025. It also won Best Camera in our 2025 Readers' Choice awards, before you chose it as your Product of the Year.
Wow. Just wow.
However, the most impressive part might just be that the Z5II wasn't the most impressive camera introduced this year by any measure, except possibly one: value. It delivers excellent still and video quality, includes in-body image stabilization, Nikon's latest autofocus system, and the fantastic ergonomics we've come to expect from Nikon. And, as we said in an earlier write-up, it comes at a price that's low enough to make you wonder if there's a catch. (There isn't.) To sum up our own Nikon Z5II review, "Very few of us truly need anything more."
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