The Godox AD300ProII redefines portable power for outdoor creators. Packing 300 Ws into a compact 1.2 kg body, it offers fast recycling, approximately 350 full-power flashes per charge, and full wireless TTL/manual support across major camera systems—making it a reliable, ready-to-go option for on-location shoots.
Performance Upgrade
With 300 Ws of output, a rapid 0.01–1.5 s recycle time at full power, and roughly 350 flashes per charge at maximum output, the AD300ProII delivers sustained performance for extended location shoots. That means fewer interruptions, fewer battery swaps, and more usable frames during long assignments—minimal downtime and more decisive shots.
Lightweight & Portable
Weighing just 1.2 kg with a compact footprint, the AD300ProII is easy to carry and quick to rig — It packs neatly in a camera backpack, making it ideal for on-location portraits, editorial shoots, and run-and-gun commercial work.
Visual 16 Color Groups
The group indicator light displays 16 distinct colors, letting you identify and manage flash groups at a glance—even from a distance. Visual grouping speeds multi-light setup and reduces mis-triggering during fast on-location shoots.
Clear & Intuitive Controls
A bright color screen, a smooth metal control dial and a streamlined button layout place common functions within immediate reach. The tactile dial and clear on-screen menus accelerate setup and adjustments so you can stay focused on composition.
Versatile Triggering Options
X3Pro/X3 one-tap sync links AD300ProII instantly—no group or channel setup required. This capability is enabled by the built-in Godox 2.4 GHz Wireless X system. The AD300ProII is also compatible with other X-series transmitters (XPro Series, X2T, X1) for broader control. For wired or alternate workflows, a 3.5 mm sync port is provided, and the USB-C port supports the optional FR433 433 MHz receiver.
Precise Power Control
A 10-stop range from 1/512 to 1/1 with ±0.1-stop increments gives you very fine control over output. That precision is useful when balancing several lights or setting delicate fill: feather under harsh midday sun or go full power to cut through twilight. Small micro-adjustments let you refine exposure fast, reducing test flashes and wasted light.
12 W Bi-Color Modeling Lamp
A 12 W bi-color modeling lamp provides adjustable continuous light for accurate previews and practical on-set illumination. Brightness and color temperature can be dialed to match ambient conditions, helping you preview the final look without firing test flashes.
Comprehensive Pro Modes
The AD300ProII equips photographers with a full set of pro features—Freeze Mode, Color-Stable Mode, HSS and Multi—so you can work confidently across mixed-lighting, fast-action and multi-strobe setups.
Wide Accessory Compatibility
The AD300ProII features the native Godox mount and accepts Godox’s ecosystem of modifiers. Fit the optional S3 bracket to use Bowens-mount accessories. For still broader compatibility, the optional AD-AB adapter accepts mount adapters for Broncolor, Profoto, Elinchrom—opening access to an even wider range of light-shaping tools.
I took this photo of the Abraham Lincoln statue inside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, in 2020 while writing an article about using anamorphic lenses on smartphones for wide-format photography. This image was captured using a Moment anamorphic lens on an iPhone 11 Pro and desqueezed to an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, about the same as CinemaScope, a widescreen cinema format originally developed in the 1950s.
This month, we're celebrating the art of black and white photography. Whether you're focused on the interplay between light and shadows, ethereal high-key images, or using darkness to create mood and mystery, we challenge you to show us the world in monochrome. Strip away the color and show us your best black and white images!
Photos can be submitted between Sunday, December 14, and Saturday, December 20 (GMT). The challenge is open to photos captured at any time.
Important: Images MUST include a title and a caption of at least 25 words to be eligible. We need to be able to share the story behind your photo. We will consider both photos and captions when selecting our winners, so make sure to tell us that story!
Visit the challenge page to read the full rules and to submit your photos for consideration as soon as the challenge opens.
This month, DxO Labs released 1,846 new DxO camera and lens modules for the latest releases like the DJI Mini 5 Pro, Fujifilm X-T30 III, Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II, OM System M.Zuiko ED 50-200mm f/2.8 IS PRO, Panasonic Lumix S 100-500mm f/5-7.1, and Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4.
PhotoRumors readers can use the exclusive discount coupon code RUMORS for 12% offsitewide (stackable with price-drop items, but not multi-item discounts) – the code works only for purchases made on the official SmallRig website:
A quick update to my previous post: the second lens from 7Artisans will be a new 6mm f/2 diagonal fisheye manual-focus APS-C lens with a 220° field of view. The new lens will be available for E/X/Z/MFT/R mount.
Last week, we announced the winners of DPReview's Annual Awards for 2025. As always, the process for selecting them can be a bit contentious, with some heated (but still respectful) debate among the team. This year, we thought it'd be fun to give you a peek behind the scenes, so we recorded a team discussion where we go in-depth on the winners we picked, as well as some of the runners-up.
If you want to hear more about our personal favorite things from this year, even the ones that didn't get an official award, be sure to check out our Gear of the Year columns. Not all of them are out yet, but the rest of the crew's articles will be coming soon.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
Partially stacked sensors are essentially conventional BSI sensors with more complex readout circuitry (seen at the top and bottom of the Z6III sensor, here). This allows boosted DR modes we're seeing from the Panasonic S1II and Sony a7 V.
Image: Nikon
Dynamic range data for the Sony a7 V makes clear that the benefit of partially stacked CMOS isn't just speed: it's the ability to deliver higher dynamic range.
Bill Claff has just published his "photographic dynamic range" figures for the Sony a7 V, making an impressive showing and revealing what's going on behind the scenes, both for the Sony and the recent Panasonic Lumix S1II.
Partially stacked sensors are essentially conventional BSI chips with more complex readout circuitry around the edge (the sensor itself isn't stacked). The Nikon Z6III showed this could bring a speed advantage over existing BSI sensors but the Panasonic S1II and Sony a7 V show that there's much more they can do.
The dynamic range data for the Sony a7 V (black) gives a hint to how it's delivering its excellent results in mechanical shutter mode (blue).
Unlike existing dual conversion gain sensors, which could use either a low gain (high capacity) setting for low ISO and a high gain (lower noise but lower capacity) mode for high ISOs, the new sensors can do both, simultaneously. So you can capture the full capacity of the low gain mode but combine the cleaner shadow data of the high gain mode.
For years, we've seen dismay that the advances in sensor tech weren't giving an IQ improvement. Well here's the step forward in IQ we've all been waiting for'
This process, which we suspect involves sample-and-hold capability in the more complex readout circuitry, takes longer than reading out just a single mode. As a result, it can only be conducted in mechanical shutter mode, where the physical shutter stops any more light accumulating, giving you as much time as you need to read the sensor.
The publication of the e-shutter data for the Sony makes this clear: in e-shutter mode you see the now-familiar shape of a dual conversion gain sensor, but in mechanical shutter mode the low ISO DR is boosted: essentially extending the shadow benefit of the high gain mode back up into the low ISO range. Panasonic's S1II does the same thing.
Compare the results of the Panasonic S1II (orange) with that of the Nikon Z6III, which uses a similar sensor but appears to always use only either its low or high gain mode, and you see the same pattern. We strongly suspect the S1II's e-shutter data would overlap very closely with the Nikon's.
For years now, we've seen dismay expressed that the advances in sensor tech were only giving a speed benefit, rather than an IQ improvement. And those speed improvements were often mischaracterised as solely benefiting video. Well here's the step forward in IQ we've all been hoping for, in addition to the speed boost we see in the single gain readout mode.
This isn't the only way of achieving something like this: Canon has it's own 'Dual Gain Output' technology used in some of its Cinema EOS cameras and there's a similar (though, we're told, not identical) approach used in the most recent Micro Four Thirds cameras from Panasonic.
What does this mean for the a7 V?
The upshot for the Sony is that dynamic range looks excellent in mechanical shutter shooting but you have to give up that DR boost when you switch to any of the e-shutter modes. So, while the Sony still outputs 14-bit files in these modes, there may not be the DR advantage over the Canon EOS R6 III's 12-bit output that some commenters have been (perhaps prematurely) crowing about.
The good news is that Bill had initially marked the a7 V's data as having noise reduction in it. He's now removed this designation as the signal processing he was observing appears to be the combination of the two readout modes, rather than anything murky goings on in the shadows.
Do I need all this DR?
This is certainly a step forward for the industry, and one that doesn't come with the significant costs of a fully stacked sensor design, so it's likely to come to a wider range of cameras. We'd assume a similar approach will appear in the next generation of fully stacked sensors, though it may still require the use of a mechanical shutter.
It's worth keeping in perspective, though. DR numbers do not represent image quality as a whole, and there's nothing to suggest that there's been a big boost in IQ across the whole tonal range of the images. The improvements will primarily be in the shadows, adding editing flexibility for things like daybreak and sunset landscapes.
For a lot of photographers, DR differences were worth considering when some models produced Raw files with relatively little opportunity to exploit shadow capture, beyond what was already present in the JPEGs. But once you reach a threshold of 'good enough' for your style of shooting, any further increase is nice to have but for an increasingly small number of your images, rather than an every-shot benefit.
It's definitely a step forward, though, and if more people start to utilize the capabilities of HDR screens to make their work more striking and lifelike and more often use more of their captured DR, then that will only increase the value of this breakthrough.
Thansk to Horshack, Bill Claff and Bob Newman for their work, insight and feedback on this technology.
We all encounter situations where the environment fights against us: the lighting is too dim, the subject moves too fast, or the focal length just isn’t long enough. You end up with a composition you love, but the photo itself—plagued by high-ISO noise, slight motion blur, or low pixel count from cropping—becomes a headache to process.
Manually correcting these fundamental image quality issues in traditional photo editors often requires tedious fine-tuning to perfectly balance sharpness and natural texture.
Aiarty Image Enhancer is designed to simplify this crucial post-processing step. It acts as an efficient specialist tool that quickly and automatically uses AI to denoise, deblur, sharpen, and upscale your photos. This approach hands you a clean, high-fidelity foundation, allowing you to spend less time fighting pixels and more time on the final artistic grade.
Christmas Special Offer: 49% off Lifetime License + extra $5 coupon
If you are tired of monthly subscriptions piling up, this offer is specifically for you. In celebration of Christmas, Aiarty is offering49% off Aiarty Image Enhancer Lifetime License. And that’s not all! You can also use the limited-time coupon “XMASSAVE” to save an extra $5. Originally priced at $155, now you can grab it for just $74 – the lowest-ever price!
With your purchase, you’ll enjoy:
Full access to all features and lifetime free updates
Installation on up to 3 Windows or Mac computers
30-day money back guarantee
One-time payment, no subscriptions or hidden fees
This is arguably one of the best value propositions in photo enhancement software this year. But is the software worth it? Let’s break down the performance.
Deep Dive: Why Aiarty Image Enhancer Belongs in Your Workflow
1. AI Denoise: The High-ISO Savior
Noise is the enemy of detail. Whether you are shooting indoor events, astrophotography, or wildlife at dawn, pushing your ISO is often necessary. Traditional noise reduction software works by blurring the image to hide the grain, which often results in the dreaded “waxy skin” effect or loss of fine textures like fabric or fur.
Aiarty uses advanced AI denoise technology to intelligently analyze the image. It distinguishes between luminance noise, chroma noise, and actual image detail. It allows you to remove noise from images without sacrificing the sharpness that your expensive lenses provide.
2. De-blur & Sharpening: Fixing the “Almost Perfect” Shot
Blur comes in many forms, and Aiarty tackles them all.
Camera Shake: Even with IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization), handheld shots at slow shutter speeds can suffer from micro-jitters.
Motion Blur: Subjects don’t always stay still. A moving child, a running pet, or a swaying branch can ruin a shot.
Lens Softness: We all love vintage lenses or wide-open apertures, but they often lack sharpness at the edges.
Aiarty doesn’t just apply a “sharpening mask” which increases contrast at edges. Instead, it hallucinates (in a good way) the missing pixel data to reverse the blur. It restores edge definition and clarity without introducing the artificial white halos or “crunchy” look associated with over-sharpening.
3. The Upscaling Powerhouse: From Crop to Print
The freedom to crop is a luxury. Sometimes, your 200mm lens isn’t long enough, and you have to crop 50% or more of the frame to get the composition you want. In the past, such heavy cropping drastically reduced pixel density, rendering images unsuitable for large-format printing.
Aiarty excels in AI upscaling. Leveraging deep learning algorithms, it can enhance image resolution to 4K, 8K, 16K, and even up to 32K. Crucially, it generates new, realistic details and textures—like feathers, individual strands of hair, or intricate fabric patterns—rather than simply stretching pixels. This means you can crop without fear, transforming what would have been small, social media-only images into print-ready, large-format works with every pixel looking sharp and natural.
Furthermore, Aiarty allows for precise control over your output, enabling you to set custom DPI values directly within the software, a critical feature for professional printing workflows.
4. One-Stop Color & Tone Correction
While most professionals stick to Lightroom for grading, Aiarty includes a surprisingly robust set of adjustment tools. This is particularly useful for a “One-Stop” workflow. If you are rescuing an old, faded family photo or a poorly exposed JPEG where the RAW data isn’t available, you don’t need to open another app.
You can adjust temperature, tint, exposure, contrast, highlights, and shadows directly within the interface. It is perfect for quickly reviving the dynamic range and color vibrancy of an image immediately after denoising or upscaling.
Professional Workflow Features
Extensive Format Support (Including RAW)
It doesn’t just handle JPEGs. It supports a vast array of input formats including HEIC, TIFF, PNG, and crucially, RAW files. It works seamlessly with .CR3 (Canon), .ARW (Sony), .NEF (Nikon), .RAF (Fujifilm), .DNG, and virtually every other proprietary RAW format from Leica, Panasonic, Olympus, and Hasselblad. This means you can integrate it right at the start of your editing pipeline.
Hardware Acceleration
Processing AI models is demanding. Aiarty is optimized for GPU acceleration (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel), dramatically cutting down processing time and ensuring a much smoother workflow, particularly when dealing with large-format files or applying complex enhancements across batches.
Batch Processing
Have a folder of 500 shots from a wedding that were shot at ISO 3200? You don’t need to edit them one by one. You can batch process thousands of images.
Granular Control
Flexible Scaling: Many AI enhancement tools restrict control to fixed ratios (e.g., only 2x upscaling). Aiarty provides flexibility. It allows users to freely select the enlargement multiplier or directly set the final target resolution.
Strength Slider: The software offers an intensity slider to manually adjust the strength of the AI enhancement and sharpening. This ensures you can achieve the optimal balance between maximum quality improvement and preserving the image’s natural, artifact-free look.
Verdict: Don’t Miss This Deal
In the world of photography, “saving” a photo used to mean spending hours cloning and masking in Photoshop. Aiarty Image Enhancer turns that into a simple, automated process. It is the perfect companion to your existing RAW editor, stepping in when you need to go beyond the limits of your sensor.
With the Christmas Lifetime Deal, you aren’t just buying software; you are buying an insurance policy for your images. No monthly fees, just permanent access to better image quality.
A self-portrait I created during grad school. Photo: Abby Ferguson
Confession: this year has been a complicated one for me and my relationship with photography. It's been a year of conflicting emotions and unanswered questions about how to move forward with the medium. While I've already shared my reflections on some of my favorite photos taken this year, the end of the year also seems like a good opportunity for broader reflection about my place in the photographic world.
This year, I've been more involved in photography than ever before. On top of working at DPReview (for nearly a year now), I'm also teaching my second semester of photography at a local community college and I've joined local photography groups with regular meetups (a first for me). Photography has seeped into just about every aspect of my life and is part of every single day. It's become an all-consuming activity and topic. And yet, more than ever, I've also grappled with what this photography thing is to me at this point in my life. This year has challenged me to consider what kind of photographer I am and whether I'm creating work that I even want to make.
My thesis body of work from graduate school consisted of digital multiple exposures printed on transparency film and mounted to plexiglass. The work centered around the impact of failing memory, specifically visuospatial working memory. The image on the left is a very small segment of my thesis installation, with a close-up of one of the pieces on the right. Photos: Abby Ferguson
To understand why I've been grappling with this medium, some background may be helpful. I went to school for photography for seven and a half years. My undergraduate degree was a dual major in photography and art education, and I subsequently earned my Master of Fine Arts in the medium. Both my undergraduate and graduate programs were very conceptual, fine-art focused. I loved that side of photography, and it resulted in work that I am incredibly proud of to this day.
There was an interactive component of my thesis show as well. Visitors were invited to take one of the small images hanging from red string (a reference to an old memory trick), which left empty red strings by the end of the show (the image on the right). Photos: Abby Ferguson
Since graduating from graduate school, I have held a variety of photography-related jobs, all of which have been focused on the commercial or general industry side of the field. Being busy with a full-time job (and trying to make money) meant that the art side of my photography was largely pushed aside. I've made the classic excuses, including not having time and not having a dedicated space to create like I did in grad school.
I've continued to dip my toe in the art photography waters from time to time over the past decade, but not with any serious focus. There have been some conceptual self-portraits and a few series that I’ve started and stopped, but I haven't put forth the time or energy to develop anything in earnest or to get my work out there beyond my computer or the occasional Instagram post.
This is one of my more recent conceptual images, though it was taken in 2020. The red string has remained a consistent theme (or thread, if you will) in my work. Photo: Abby Ferguson
I'd already been struggling with missing the art component for some time, which has resulted in something of an existential crisis. I've been questioning whether I still like and am proud of my work since it isn't conceptually based. I've also been thinking a lot about the why. Why do I take photos? And why do I take photos of the things I do?
For a period of time, those questions resulted in my rarely taking photographs. Luckily, this year, I at least got over that hump and started shooting regularly again, largely thanks to the photo clubs. But those groups also brought all of my doubts and confusion into full view, partly because with these new people, I am frequently asked what type of photography I do. Quite frankly, I struggle to answer that question.
Film photography and photo walks with local groups (which this image is from) have brought the fun back to photography for me, though they have also brought some of my dilemmas to the forefront. Photo: Abby Ferguson
To a certain extent, it's always been that way, as I never narrowed down into one small niche as some do (and as I was constantly told to do). But it's been amplified lately. I always feel like I need some long, convoluted reply, or to have an asterisk at the end of it. Am I still a conceptual photographer at this point? I make lots of non-conceptual work, but is any of it any good? And how would I describe that work in a word or two? I can confidently say that I don't consider myself a landscape or wildlife photographer, but what type of photographer am I?
I wish I could say that as we wrap up this year, I've found my answer and can confidently say that I am a [fill in the blank] photographer or that I am in love with my photographs. Unfortunately, that's very far from the truth. While I created images I'm proud of, the big picture is something I am still wrestling with, and likely will continue to. For the time being, I'll just keep making work and perhaps find a renewed urge to put that work out there for others to see.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
Image: Sony
Sony has released an update for its ZV-E10 II that unlocks better slow-motion capabilities from the tiny vlogging-focused camera. While the addition of 4K120p recording is free, it isn’t delivered as a standard firmware‑only update.
Instead of being able to install new firmware, the typical way releases like these are disseminated, ZV-E10 II users will instead need to install a free license file. To do so, users can go to the Sony Creators' Cloud website and sign in with their account to obtain the license. Alternatively, you can generate a license without an account by entering your camera's serial number.
The upgrade also adds support for shooting Full HD footage at 240 fps.
In addition to the 4K/120 mode, the upgrade also adds support for shooting Full HD footage at 240 fps. There are some limitations with both additions, however. First, proxy recording isn't supported with either of the new frame rates. Additionally, Smart Zoom, Clear Image Zoom and Digital Zoom are also restricted when 4K120 recording or "slow and quick*" frame rates of 120 fps or higher.
The higher frame rate also comes with a more substantial crop. At 4K60, the ZV-E10 II uses a 1.1x crop (with stabilization off), while the updated 4K120 mode results in a 1.6x crop, which is a relatively substantial change in your field of view.
While the upgrade license required to unlock the new recording modes requires some extra steps compared to a typical firmware update, it being free makes that a bit easier to swallow. It also makes the ZV-E10 II an even more capable and versatile vlogging camera.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
Images: Sony / Mitchell Clark
It's not terribly often that I get to test something that's unlike any other piece of equipment I've used before, but from the moment I laid hands on it, I knew the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM would provide one of those rare occasions. I'd used both Sony's and Canon's 28-70mm F2s before, but was excited to have that same speed and level of versatility in a telephoto zoom. All the lens had to do was have decent image quality, and I'd have been delighted.
Given that this is a Gear of the Year article, you probably won't be surprised to hear that it surpassed that benchmark. Even wide-open, I was impressed by how sharp it was, capturing as much detail as I wanted (at least, in the razor-thin silver of the scene that was in focus). I was also impressed at how well it handled chromatic aberration, even in relatively harsh conditions. Sure, there's a touch of color fringing in this image, but given that it was taken with a zoom, wide open in direct sunlight, it's more than acceptable in my book.
Beyond any technical aspects, though, there was just something about this lens that I really enjoyed. Perhaps I simply really enjoy this focal range. Or maybe it was the amount of subject separation I could achieve at the long end, the quality of the bokeh at F2, or the fact that I could be taking environmental portraits at one moment, spot an animal in the distance, and get a decent picture of it without having to change lenses or get too close to it.
Realistically, I suspect it's actually that this lens offers all of that, without being impossible to lug around and shoot with. Make no mistake, this lens is definitely a commitment to take with you; it's just not an undue one. In fact, it weighs less than Sony's original 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS, though the newer version of that lens is 30% lighter than the 50-150. I'm not exactly known for packing light, so take this assessment with a grain of salt, but I never hesitated to take it out with me on a photo walk while I was testing it, which hasn't always been the case with other F2 telephotos I've tested (not that those lenses are particularly comparable).
The elephant in the room is the price. At $4000, most of the people buying this lens are likely to be professional sports or wedding photographers, rather than enthusiasts. But having had the opportunity to use it as the latter, I find myself envying those who can justify getting one. While I'll always preach the gospel of finding ways to be creative with what you already have, I'll also acknowledge that sometimes a piece of gear – especially lenses – can just catch you in a certain way, meshing with your creative instinct in a way that others don't.
I got that feeling shooting with the 50-150mm F2; if I had the means, I would definitely be picking one up. The engaging experience of using it made it my favorite example from what's been an impressive run of lenses from Sony: the 16mm F1.8, 100mm F2.8 Macro GM and the 28-70mm F2 from late last year. I'm left wondering what their optical division will come out with next... and impatiently waiting to get to shoot with it.
Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing; we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.
Sample gallery
This widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.
My favorite photo from this past year was of my favorite season, in one of my favorite places and taken with my current favorite camera.
Mamiya RB67 | Kodak Portra 400
I am a notoriously indecisive person and rather hate making decisions in most situations. So, when tasked with choosing my favorite photograph from the past year, I immediately started agonizing. How on earth is one to select only a single photo that, theoretically, represents an entire year?
With that in mind, I started combing through the thousands and thousands of images I've created this year. I've documented hikes, vacations, work trips, family time and quiet moments at home. I've also participated in numerous local photography club photo walks. The end result is an overwhelming number of images across a diverse set of subjects and genres to choose from. As I scanned through all of them, one kept popping back into my head.
If you aren't familiar with the Mamiya RB67, here I am using it at the beach. This wasn't where I took the image at the top of the article, or immediately below, but it is where I took the image of the stilt house in the gallery at the bottom. Photo: Anthony Verdi
I took the image while I was home in Minnesota, where I grew up. I try to make a pilgrimage there every fall, since I've lived in tropical environments for the past six years and desperately miss dramatic seasons. This year, I lugged home my Mamiya RB67, which my husband gave me for Christmas last year and is my new prized possession.
While I've taken plenty of images that I really like with that camera over the course of the year (some of which you can see in the gallery below), this one stands out to me as a favorite. There's no grand story behind it; the light was simply nice on my last evening at home, and I wanted to finish the rolls of film in my cameras before my flight the next day. So I wandered down to the pond in my parents' backyard with my mom and took some images (admittedly with three separate cameras, as any sane photographer would do).
I remember when I got scans back, it stopped me in my tracks. It's an image that I'm very proud of, especially since I managed it on a camera with no built-in light meter and no autofocus. The colors, the light and the subject tick a lot of boxes for me. That it was taken with my beloved film camera in one of my favorite places makes it even better for me. Add to all that the fact that my mom was standing next to me, watching me do my thing, and it's hard to imagine not choosing this image.
Another image that I took on the same roll of film that evening, which others have said is their favorite.
At the risk of rambling about far more than a single photograph – which is the point of this article – let me address the potential elephant in the room: yes, I'm highlighting a film photo at Digital Photography Review. But, you see, 2025 was a year of returning to film (which is how I learned photography) in earnest for the first time since I earned my Master of Fine Arts a decade ago. Some may see that as a foolish or even pointless decision, but I love using film for many reasons. I still use digital cameras constantly (I do work at DPReview, after all), but there were plenty of times this year that I left the digital camera at home in favor of my trusty Pentax K1000, or that I turned to my Mamiya instead of my Sony.
As a result, my list of favorite photos from the past year is a mix of both digital and film (both 35mm film and medium-format). And since I am so indecisive, here are some of those that nearly made the cut of my top image.
Sample gallery
This widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.
In this week's Question of the week, members of the community said the biggest positive changes to their photography came from simplifying their gear and embracing a few smart tools and habits, rather than chasing specs alone.
Some of you pointed to big-ticket purchases, such as returning to interchangeable-lens systems after a long absence or investing in a medium-format body. In contrast, others highlighted inexpensive adapters, flashes, or AI tools that quietly transformed your workflow. A recurring theme was that anything which removed friction, such as lens changes, menu-diving, clunky tripods, or excessive retouching, freed you to focus more on composition, timing, and storytelling.
Read on for a spotlight selection of contributions, and then join our forum community to share your great photos and the stories they tell.
Several community members did point to new cameras or lenses as their standout change, but not only for the specs. What mattered most was how a body or lens made them feel: whether they were more inclined to get out to take photographs, more confident handling the camera or less distracted by constant gear decisions.
Alan Sh: I know it sounds odd, but buying the Fuji X-E5 rekindled my excitement for street photography. The camera just felt 'right' in my hand - much more so than the X100VI I had purchased over 12 months before.
barefeetDave: New gear. Pulled the trigger and picked up the Panasonic Lumix S1R2… It's a heavy kit, but the images I get are terrific. I love the tactile controls of the S1R2 - I rarely have to dig into the menus to change setup.
Poppamies: Getting my telephoto zoom for Fuji, the Sigma 100-400 DG dn os. They say gear doesn't matter, but it does, wildlife is hard with a 16-80mm zoom, haha.
tvgc: The battle of size was the most influential contributor to my photography this past year. Aging brings challenges, and I found myself looking for a camera that I could carry without significant IQ compromises, but wasn't too bulky in size. I was fortunate in that I had the opportunity to try a couple of the Internet's favorite compacts. I had owned a Sony RX1RMK2 and really enjoyed it, a few years ago I foolishly sold it when I moved to the Sony A7C models.
MyReality: In 2025, I shot a lot more video, had a lot of slides scanned, and had an 80-image book printed. I did not buy more gear because my photography is shifting more to video, and I have made no decision on cameras. 2026 will be the year I buy a much more videocentric camera.
Howard V: My photography was most influenced in 2025 by a newly purchased iPhone 16 Pro. I decided to delve more deeply into its features than previously owned models, and into phone photography as a legitimate approach. To reinforce this, I shelved all other photo equipment. At first, it felt novel, but then it became less pleasant as its shortcomings became more evident. But I mostly stuck it out until July.
For others, the biggest impact came from how they worked rather than what they bought. The community described small studio and workflow changes that paid big dividends in consistency, efficiency and enjoyment.
sirhawkeye64: For me, it was just getting out more and shooting more with what I already have. No need for newer/better gear, but just getting out, experiencing new things, and practicing is what had the biggest impact for me over this past year+. I'm at the stage where I don't need/necessarily want the newest, most expensive gear. I just want capable gear, which is what I have for what I shoot. It's not the latest or fastest, but it gets the job done. Now I'm focused more on shooting and making memories.
Sam Bennett: This one's easy - re-adopting the habit of having an 'every day carry' camera. Going to the coffee shop wasn't just about getting caffeinated; it was about getting creative. One of the biggest benefits of this is that the OM-3 has become an extension of my body - I use it so often that it is completely second nature. It has also helped me use my OM-1 differently and more efficiently - I understand that camera better now than I did before I got the OM-3.
Krummj: I’ve been printing more. But printing on the small side, 5x7. Printing is quick with the small size, and the photos look great. For shooting, I've been having fun with adapted Nikon G primes (these were made for full-frame DSLR and film Nikons). Adapted to my ZF and Z7, they work perfectly, and the images have something I like about them compared to the latest Z lenses (don't ask me what).
1) Read all books by Bryan Peterson - they helped in several aspects 2) Started to use Canon Linear profile while doing RAW processing from my Canon RP. 3) Started to use DxO PureRaw, which saved a lot of my ISO 1600+ shots. 4) Bought Canon EF 16-35 F4 IS (used a EF-S Sigma 2.8 before) in addition to my Tamron 35-150 2.8-4.0 and Canon EF 100mm f2.0. 5) Finally started to shoot much more. It improved me very much. 6) Try to shoot as best as I can directly from my camera
AI and software didn’t dominate the thread, but when they came up, readers said they quietly transformed post-processing. The focus was less on flashy effects and more on tools that removed tedious cleanup work.
Vince P: I know it's blasphemous, but the latest AI distraction, reflection removal, etc, has saved me so much time.
Maoby: The new AI features in photo editing software, such as LR, are fantastic when used intelligently and sparingly.
JaredL: Cancelling my Adobe subscription after more than a decade. I'm still getting accustomed to DxO PhotoLab, and it's been fun revisiting and re-editing photos from years ago to see the results.
icexe: Learning how to utilize Adobe Camera Raw better to do post-processing. I've learned a lot of really cool masking and lighting techniques to create just about any look I like without relying on plug-in ‘film packs’ or recipes to do it.
Community, learning, and life‑experience driven shifts
Several readers mentioned that their biggest leap occurred when they changed how they viewed and shared their images. Printing, in particular, emerged as a surprisingly powerful habit.
fotoword: Camera club membership drives me to get out of my chair and my comfort zone to enter the various themed and open competitions in my local club. I think this challenge, along with attending meetings with like-minded individuals, is what mostly gets me motivated.
Acquiring an XT50 earlier in the year and later a Canon 45 mm F1.2 for my R8 helped make those excursions even more interesting. I'm just waiting for my Godox IT32 to arrive to elevate the excitement that photography provides. Of course, it's not about the gear, but it does assist the enthusiasm.
Pavel Vishniakov: I started going to photo workshops and master classes organized by a local photo gear chain. It also pushed me to look at the world differently and capture photos that I wouldn't have thought of myself.
fatplanediaries: 2025 was when I decided to launch myself by doing well in as many photography competitions as I could. It was a humbling experience. I found out how far I still have to go.
It's now the end of 2025, and I can look back at my 2.5-year panorama odyssey with good clarity. There are many obvious lessons to get out of the way. For one, the Dunning-Kruger effect can haunt you at any stage of your creative life. For another, don't have such an ego. I've since received critiques from some really amazing photographers on my photos, and learned about aspects of photography I'd never known before.
Pedrin: Hello, everyone. This is my very first time posting on this website. I am now totally blind, with some light and form perception remaining. I was able to go forward and still photograph for the pleasure of others to see, and for the pleasure of me going back to very basic manual. I am therefore experiencing the joy of my photography as I have throughout my whole life.
Change that brings enjoyment
Across all these stories, it's clear that the most impactful change in 2025 was anything that made it easier to shoot often and enjoy the process - whether that came from a new camera, a smarter workflow or a simple habit that stuck.
Are you interested in participating in this series? Keep watch for the next Question of the week every other Wednesday, posted as an article here on the homepage and also in the forums. We can't wait to read and share your stories.
Connexion
