Break-ins at small businesses are always disheartening, but they hit especially close to home when the business is a photography-related one. After all, local camera stores are vital resources and places of community for so many of us. Unfortunately, that's just what happened to The Camera Store in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on October 23.
The Camera Store, also well-known for its YouTube channel, recently shared news of the break-in on its blog. It explained that at approximately 2:50 a.m. MDT, an individual forcefully entered the store. That person targeted two of the store's high-end Nikon and Sony showcases, shattering the glass on the display case and stealing the gear inside. Surveillance video The Camera Store shared shows the thief filling a hockey roller bag with professional cameras and lenses and then fleeing the scene. The thief was in and out in under two minutes.
The store said it lost nearly $100,000 CAD (roughly $71,500 USD) worth of inventory and shared a list of all the stolen gear along with serial numbers in its blog post. That amount doesn't include the extensive damage to its display cases and building, which will result in costly repairs, the store said in its post. "We are devastated by this act that not only impacts our staff and customers but also our ability to serve the local photography community," said Evelyn Drake in the blog post.
This isn't the first break-in for this particular store, either. In 2018, a break-in resulted in $35,000 CAD of stolen equipment; another in 2023 involved a loss of more than $30,000 in inventory.
The Camera Store is offering a reward of $5000 in-store credit toward a shopping spree for information that leads to a conviction. Anyone with information or who witnessed suspicious activity around the location should contact the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234, or if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 using case number CA25462267.
Here at DPReview, we greatly value local camera stores. Earlier this month, we even asked our community about their favorite local camera stores for our Question of the Week series to highlight some of the gems around the world. It’s truly disheartening to hear of a break-in at a store that plays such an important role in the photography community.
Unfortunately, this is just one example of the difficulties these types of stores are struggling with to stay in business. It's a good reminder to all of us to support our local camera stores when possible. Otherwise, we may lose access to these important places.
Disclosure: DPReview is attending Adobe Max, with Adobe covering travel and lodging expenses.
Adobe is holding its Max conference this week, which means we're getting a slate of updates to Photoshop and Lightroom that make some of the features it's been announcing over the year available to the general public.
Perhaps the most exciting one, especially for photographers, is Lightroom's Assisted Culling feature. Adobe said it was working on it earlier this year, but it's finally arriving in public beta. The idea is that it will let you quickly filter through a large batch of images to find the good ones, selecting by angle and how in-focus and sharp they are. The company says the feature will be launching in public beta soon.
The updates coming today include a bunch of small tweaks and features, too. Photo: Mitchell Clark
The company has also brought its automatic dust removal feature in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw out of beta, which can help deal with spots on your sensor that show up in photos. It's part of the Remove Distractions suite of tools, which also lets you use Generative Fill tools to remove people and other objects from your photos, which the company says is now two times faster. The company also says it's improved the reflection removal tool, which it introduced into Adobe Camera Raw last year.
Adobe is integrating a chat assistant into several of its apps, including Photoshop. Image: Adobe
Another feature previewed earlier this year is what Adobe is calling the "Photoshop AI Assistant." Essentially, it's an AI chatbot that you can ask to do various tasks in the app, such as renaming layers and adjusting saturation, potentially saving you some clicks or time that otherwise would've been spent looking up a tutorial or searching for a specific tool. The company is now starting to roll it out, making the feature available in Photoshop for the web as a private beta, via a waitlist that Adobe says it will let people into starting this week.
Of course, several of the features Adobe has announced make use of generative AI. Photoshop's Generative Upscale feature, which was added to the Photoshop beta earlier this year, is launching in the mainline version of the app. By default, it will be powered by Adobe's Firefly model, but now the company says you'll have the option of using Topaz Labs' Gigapixel and Bloom models as well, which could work better on certain types of images. They can, however, cost quite a few AI credits – up to 20 of them – and, depending on when you subscribed, you only get 25 per month with the Photography Creative Cloud plans, so you'll want to use them wisely.
In that vein, the company is also updating Photoshop's Generative Fill to support models other than its own Firefly model. Like Generative Upscale, this feature was announced earlier this year in beta, but is now available to the general public. Additionally, the "Harmonize" feature, which was shown off as a preview at last year's Max and made available in beta this summer, is now widely available. The tool attempts to composite different layers together by matching color and lighting.
Despite Adobe's best efforts, not everything new revolves around AI
Despite Adobe's best efforts, not everything new revolves around AI. The new, more powerful version of Photoshop Mobile, which launched earlier this year for iPhones and iPads, is also now generally available for Android phones, greatly expanding the number of people who can access it. It has a free tier that you can use without a Creative Cloud subscription, but some features will require one. Access is included in the Photoshop Mobile and Web plan, which costs $7.99/month or $69.99 annually.
Image: Adobe
Speaking of Photoshop Web, the company is bringing the stylization effects feature out of beta. These make it easy to add different looks to your image (or specific parts of it), and include options like "glitch," which separates the red, green, and blue channels to make your image look like a poor VHS transfer, "comic" to give it an illustrated look, and motion blur, which adds directional blur to make it seem like something's moving. Each effect has a set of parameters you can tweak. Of course, they're all things you could have achieved in Photoshop before, but having them as one-click options makes the process substantially easier.
Adobe has also updated Camera Raw, giving you the option to automatically mask out snowy parts of landscapes, letting you easily isolate it for editing. There's also now a slider called "Variance" in the color mixer panel, which Adobe says will let you "fine-tune the color and tone of an image to achieve tonal consistency," especially when it comes to skin tones and fine variations in color.
We'll be on the ground at Adobe Max this year, so stay tuned for demos of some of these new features and previews of what we might see over the next year.
Disclosure: DPReview is attending Adobe Max, with Adobe covering travel and lodging expenses.
Adobe has announced new features for its Premiere Pro video editor. The updated tools could make it much easier to achieve effects that previously would've required specialized compositing software.
The first and biggest one is called Object Masks, which lets you select an object, such as a person or product, in the video. Premiere will then use AI to detect the edges and create a mask for it, separating it from the background so you can apply effects or transitions to each part of your video, independently.
The Object Mask feature should make it relatively easy to select and track specific elements of your footage. Image: Adobe
This may sound familiar to Lightroom users; Adobe's photo-editing apps have had similar masking tools for a while now. It's also essentially an automated version of rotoscoping, which has long been one of the most tedious parts of video editing.
Of course, a mask wouldn't be particularly useful if it's only for a single frame. Adobe has also updated the built-in mask tracking features to make them faster and better at dealing with changes in perspective if the object is moving towards or away from the camera. If you're running tracking on an Object Mask, Premiere will try to adjust the mask's shape to match whatever you're trying to track as it moves.
Image: Adobe
The standard shape masks made using the rectangle, eclipse or pen tools have also been updated with a cleaner UI and support for the updated tracking tools.
The updates are launching in public beta today, and will likely be a welcome addition to editors who use Premiere, especially if Object Masks works as well as they do in Adobe's demos.
Exciting as they are, masks aren't the only thing that have gotten an update in Premiere. There's a new auto-censoring feature that uses the automatic transcription to let you bleep out any specific words you don't want included in the final cut. Premiere will also let you use a custom sound, if you'd prefer something other than the traditional swear beep. The feature is launching as a public beta today.
We'll be on the ground at Adobe Max this year, so stay tuned for demos of some of these new features and previews of what we might see over the next year.
Insta360 has announced the X4 Air, a lightweight take on its X series of 360-degree action cameras. Despite shedding some weight, Insta360 promises flagship-level features from the new camera, with 8K 360 video and larger sensors than the X4.
Action cameras are already quite compact and lightweight, but Insta360 cut down the X4 Air to 165g (5.8oz). Insta360 says it is its lightest-ever 8K 360 camera. Still, while the company highlights that as a primary selling point, it's only 35g (1.2oz) less than the X5, and 38g (1.3oz) lighter than the X4. That's around a 19% reduction, but in absolute terms, it's hardly earth-shattering weight savings.
Insta360 X4 Air
Insta360 X5
Insta360 X4
GoPro Max2
Sensors
Type 1/1.8 (37.6mm²)
Type 1/1.28 (71.5mm²)
Type 1/2 (30.7mm²)
Type 1/2.3 (28.1mm²)
Dimensions
114 x 46 x 37mm (4.48 x 1.81 x 1.46")
125 x 46 x 38mm (4.9 x 1.81 x 1.50")
124 x 36 x 38mm (4.87 x 1.42 x 1.48")
69 x 64 x 25mm (2.71 x 2.51 x 1.0")
Weight
165g (5.8oz)
200g (7.1oz)
203g (7.2oz)
190g (6.7oz)
The X4 Air effectively sits in between the X4 and X5, with upgrades over its namesake and both shared and downgraded specs when compared to the X5. Despite the shared specs, Insta360 makes it clear that the X4 Air sits below the flagship model. "Where X5 is engineered for precision, X4 Air is made for freedom," the company says. The most prominent difference is that the new camera uses dual Type 1/1.8 (7.1 x 5.3mm) sensors, which are significantly smaller than those in the flagship model.
Insta360 says the new camera is capable of up to 8K30 when recording 360-degree video, just like the last two X model cameras. What's new, though, is that the 8K resolution is also available when using the 'Active HDR' mode, which is Insta360's wide-dynamic range footage compressed into an SDR space. That's an improvement over the X5's 5.7K 60 max resolution when recording with Active HDR.
Insta360 says the biggest improvement comes from AdaptiveTone, which it describes as its "intelligent exposure algorithm." The company says Adaptive Tone analyzes light from both lenses independently to balance brightness and color better. It says this protects highlight and shadow detail for higher quality 360 images without heavy color grading.
Images: Insta360
The X4 Air also offers durability upgrades over the X4. The company implemented the user-replaceable lenses introduced on the X5 so users can swap lenses themselves if they get scratched or shattered (extra lenses are a separate purchase). The camera is also waterproof to 15m (49") without a separate case.
Otherwise, the X4 Air gets all the standard Insta360 features. That includes a Portrait Mode that automatically detects faces and adjusts brightness and color accordingly, a night mode that promises better lowlight performance and the company's FlowState Stabilization and 360° Horizon Lock. It also supports gesture and voice control, and provides multiple preset recording modes to simplify the editing and sharing process.
The Insta360 X4 Air is available starting today in Graphite Black and Arctic White. The Standard Bundle costs $400, while the Starter bundle, which includes a 14cm Invisible Selfie Stick, Lens Cap and extra Battery, costs $440.
Press release:
Insta360 X4 Air: New Ultralight 8K 360 Camera for Life on the Move
Insta360 is excited to announce Insta360 X4 Air, the newest addition to its acclaimed X Series. Compact, ultralight (165g), and packed with flagship-level features, including Emmy® Award-winning 360 technology, X4 Air brings 8K 360 video and AI-powered simplicity to creators who want to capture life as it truly happens: spontaneous and authentic.
A New Chapter
For over five generations, Insta360's X Series has set the benchmark for 360 imaging, combining intuitive design, refined image quality, and powerful software that make immersive storytelling accessible to anyone. X4 Air carries that legacy forward, redefining portability and creative freedom.
Weighing just 165 grams, X4 Air is Insta360's lightest-ever 8K 360 camera. It is built for the street, the trail, and everyday use, an ideal entry point for anyone looking to explore 360 storytelling for the first time. Dual 1/1.8-inch sensors and advanced image processing capture rich 8K detail and natural colors, while a sleek, travel-friendly body slips easily into a pocket or backpack.
"X4 Air is about capturing life as it happens," said Max Richer, VP of Marketing and Co-Founder at Insta360. "It lets creators stay present while capturing everything around them. It's for anyone who wants to film real life without the weight or complexity—a lighter, simpler way to tell stories."
Sharper, Smarter, Smoother: Everyday Improvements That Matter
X4 Air takes everything creators loved about X4 and makes it lighter, smarter, and more intuitive. The upgrades focus on real-world performance rather than numbers, improving image quality and ease of use in every scenario.
Larger 1/1.8-inch sensors deliver crisper 8K footage with a 134% increase in pixel area per frame vs. X4, capturing better detail and more vivid color straight out of the camera. One of the biggest leaps comes from AdaptiveTone, Insta360's intelligent exposure algorithm. AdaptiveTone analyzes light from both lenses independently to balance brightness and color across the full 360 image, protecting skies and shadow detail without heavy color grading.
Working in tandem is Active HDR. Now available up to 8K30fps, it boosts dynamic range in real time for lifelike highlights and shadows, even in challenging lighting. Portrait Mode complements this by automatically detecting faces and adjusting brightness and color to deliver smooth, natural skin tones without heavy editing. And when the light fades, enhanced algorithms and noise reduction keep night shots clean and detailed, producing vivid, usable footage long after the sun sets.
Durability gets an upgrade, too. X4 Air features user-replaceable lenses with an ultra-hard optical coating that doubles drop resistance compared to X4. Lenses swap in seconds if scratched, while optional lens guards add protection without glare. Waterproof to 49 feet (15 meters) and equipped with Insta360's leading FlowState Stabilization and 360° Horizon Lock, X4 Air is ready for any adventure.
Portability Meets Performance
X4 Air blurs the line between everyday tool and professional camera. While X5 remains the flagship for creators who demand the highest image quality, X4 Air brings many of its best features to a compact, travel-ready design. Both sport 8K30fps 360 video, replaceable lenses, and a built-in wind guard, but X4 Air does it in a 165-gram body designed for movement and ease.
Where X5 is engineered for precision, X4 Air is made for freedom. It's lighter, easier to handle, and compatible with most X5 accessories. For creators who want pro results without the bulk, X4 Air offers the ideal balance of performance and portability.
Your All-in-One Creative Companion
Real life doesn't pause for perfect framing, and neither does X4 Air. Its dual fisheye lenses capture every angle, so you can stay in the moment while the camera records it all. Later, you can easily reframe footage in the Insta360 app to uncover new perspectives and share moments you didn't even know you caught.
Designed to replace an entire kit, X4 Air lets you film sweeping 360 views, immersive 4K60fps POVs, smooth walk-and-talk vlogs, and dynamic drone-like shots with the Invisible Selfie Stick—without the bulk or setup. For added flexibility, InstaFrame Mode records both a shareable flat video and a full 360 version simultaneously, so you can post immediately and still have complete freedom to re-edit later.
Smarter Control, Simpler Shooting
X4 Air is built to keep creators in the moment, with intelligent tools that make capturing easier than ever. Twist to Shoot lets you start or stop recording with a twist of the selfie stick, no need to fumble for buttons or screens. Gesture Control recognizes quick hand signals for taking photos or videos—ideal for group shots or when the camera's mounted out of reach. And with Voice Control, you can command the camera hands-free so you never have to break focus or stop the action.
Whether you're skiing, cycling, or simply recording with friends, X4 Air makes shooting effortless, giving you full creative control even when your hands are busy.
Effortless Editing, Instant Sharing
360 footage once meant hours of complex editing. With X4 Air, it takes minutes—or less. The Insta360 app turns raw 360 footage into dynamic, polished clips using AI-powered tools like Auto Edit, FlashCut, and AI Frame, which automatically identify highlights, apply transitions, and sync footage to music. Preset Perspectives let creators export perfectly framed videos in seconds, no manual reframing required.
X4 Air also integrates seamlessly with brands like Apple, Garmin, and HUAWEI, syncing location, movement, and performance data directly into your videos. Whether tracking your morning ride or a city run, your stats stay in sync across devices, making it easier than ever to tell the full story.
With Insta360+, the integrated cloud service, creators can back up footage automatically, edit from any device, and share their favorite moments instantly via a customizable link. Interactive 360 playback lets friends, family, and followers explore scenes as if they were there with you. Footage stays safe and ready to share, whether from your phone, tablet, or desktop. For a limited time, every X4 Air purchase includes a free one-year Insta360+ subscription with 200GB of storage.
For Every Creator, Everywhere
X4 Air is built for creators who want to capture more and carry less: travelers, vloggers, parents, athletes, and anyone who sees the world as a story waiting to be told. It balances simplicity for first-time users with the features and performance creators demand.
Insta360 X4 Air will be available starting October 28 in Graphite Black and Arctic White from store.insta360.com, Amazon, and select retailers, with US and Canada availability coming soon. The Standard Bundle retails for US$399.99, while the Starter Bundle, including a 114cm Invisible Selfie Stick, Lens Cap, and extra Battery, is priced at US$439.99. Both include a complimentary one-year Insta360+ subscription for a limited time.
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Composite image of Nikon Zf product rendering and Nikon Grain Effect sample photo.
Nikon has just released firmware v3.0 for its Zf classically styled full-frame mirrorless camera, adding a grain effect option and other updates, including a JPEG-only 'C15' 15fps burst mode and UVA/UAC tethered webcam mode.
The latest firmware brings the grain effect we got a chance to preview, earlier this month, as one of what the company says are more than twenty upgrades and enhancements. Nikon has not shared details of all these changes, but it does say they include additional on-screen frame guide options, an option to apply focus peaking only when live view is magnified and an option to manual focus the lens wide open, regardless of capture aperture.
In addition, Nikon says it's added an option to its EVF/LCD auto switching system so that the rear screen doesn't black out if something gets too near the eye sensor when the screen is folded out from the body.
The grain effect option is the biggest update, though, bringing the choice of six intensities of grain and three sizes. Nikon says the pattern constantly changes so that each image looks distinct and video has a convincing randomness to the grain's appearance.
The firmware can be installed via Nikon's SnapBridge software and there's now an option to have it automatically install updates via the Nikon Imaging Cloud service. You can set a time of day at which the camera checks for updates and, if turned off and connected to a power source, it will download and install the firmware.
Nikon Zf firmware v3.0 is available (free) immediately.
Press release:
Nikon releases firmware version 3.00 for the Nikon Z f with NEW in-camera Film Grain feature and more
Get the Newest Firmware Automatically Through Nikon Imaging Cloud
MELVILLE, NY (OCTOBER 28, 2025) -- Today, Nikon announced the release of firmware version 3.00 for the full-frame/FX-format Z f camera. This latest firmware update adds the new in-camera Film Grain feature, perfectly complementing the camera’s iconic heritage design. This update is available at no cost for users of both the original Nikon Z f and new silver edition Z f.
The new Film Grain feature adds a natural-looking grain effect to photos and videos with image processing in the camera, simulating the fun feel and vibe of shooting with an analog film camera. This feature is customizable, letting the user fine-tune the size and intensity of the grain, while the appearance of grain changes with each shot for a truly unique aesthetic in every frame. This feature can also be used in combination with Imaging Recipes from Nikon Imaging Cloud as well as in-camera Picture Controls to create a distinct feel.
There are more than twenty additional upgrades and enhancements in this firmware. Focusing and composing is easier when using manual focus with either NIKKOR Z or legacy NIKKOR lenses with enhancements to peaking and gridlines. Additional improvements to operability and functionality support creators with the overall shooting and workflow experience.
Nikon has simplified firmware updates with the Nikon Imaging Cloud. With your Nikon Z f connected to this free service, your camera can automatically retrieve and install firmware updates from the cloud, with no computer or memory cards needed. Nikon Imaging Cloud also gives you access to a world of Imaging Recipes, which are custom-curated color presets that can be used in camera, and in conjunction with the new Film Grain feature. Learn more about Nikon Imaging Cloud here and sign up for free.
Film Grain feature for unique imaging expression
The Film Grain feature allows users to enjoy a film-like feel by adding a grainy effect to photos and videos with image processing. Users will be able to achieve more creative imaging expression in accordance with the scene and their intent by adjusting grain size (3 options) and intensity (6 options)1. As there is no pattern to the combinations of grain position and shape, the grain effect appears differently with each shot, enabling a unique, film-like shooting experience. In addition, combining this feature with free downloadable Imaging Recipes allows users to easily create unique effects with a simple press of the shutter-release button.
Equipped with features that enable more accurate focusing and framing
An [Only during zoom] option has been added to [Focus peaking]. When selected, focus peaking is displayed only when enlarging the view for more precise manual focusing, and peaking is not displayed at other times. This makes it easier to check both your focus and composition. What’s more, a [Maximum aperture Lv] item that makes it easier to determine the focus peak with manual focusing has been added. New [Grid type] options, [4:3] for still-image live view and [9:16] for video live view, have also been added. These enable you to capture scenes with the ideal composition for social media use.
Other functions
An [Automatic monitor display switch] item has been added. Selecting the [On (when monitor docked)] option prevents unintentional eye-sensor activation of the viewfinder by fingers, body, or straps when the vari-angle monitor is open, allowing for a more comfortable shooting experience.
The electronic shutter sound can be turned on for high-speed frame capture + and Pixel Shift shooting.
The [Record camera orientation] feature now includes a [Video] option, allowing videos recorded in portrait orientation to be played back and edited in portrait orientation on the importing device.
The registration flow of Imaging Recipes in Nikon Imaging Cloud has been simplified with an automatic confirmation dialog on the camera monitor.
For more information about the latest Nikon products, including the wide collection of NIKKOR Z lenses and the entire line of Z series cameras, please visit nikonusa.com.
Canon is already teasing the announcement of the long-rumored Canon EOS R6 Mark III for November 6th at 1:00 am EDT (see the latest R6 Mark III rumored specifications):
Google's newest Pixel 10 smartphone (right) gained a dedicated telephoto camera module, similar to Google's Pixel Pro models.
Image: Google
When Google announced its new Pixel 10 smartphone with a new telephoto camera, giving it a triple-camera array similar to the Pixel 10 Pro, it positioned it as an upgrade over the dual-camera systems of its predecessors. However, as we reported at launch, Google made some cost compromises to squeeze that third camera into the phone: the main and ultrawide cameras were downgraded compared to previous Pixel models.
In a world where new phones generally arrive with better cameras than their predecessors, this raises a key question for owners of models like the Pixel 7, 8 or 9: is upgrading to the Pixel 10 for its telephoto camera worth the compromise?
To find out, we conducted side-by-side photo comparisons of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 across various lighting conditions.
Pixel camera hardware
Comparing the camera specs of the last four Pixel models reveals a significant shift by Google with the Pixel 10. Moving left to right in the table below, we've marked any camera modules that notably improved upon earlier generations in green. Camera models downgraded relative to previous generations are marked in red.
Editor's note: To make comparisons more straightforward, all focal lengths in this article are listed as full-frame equivalents.
Pixel 7
Pixel 8
Pixel 9
Pixel 10
Main (wide) camera
Lens*
24mm F1.85
25mm F1.68
24mm F1.68
24mm F1.7
Sensor
50MP Type 1/1.31 (72mm²)
48MP Type 1/2 (31mm²)
Ultrawide camera
Lens*
16mm F2.2
11mm F2.2
12mm F1.7
13mm F2.2
Sensor
12MP Type 1/2.9 (19mm²)
48MP Type 1/2.55 (24mm²)
13MP Type 1/3.1 (16.1mm²)
Telephoto camera
Lens*
N/A
110mm F3.1
Sensor
10.8MP Type 1/3.2 (15.5mm²)
*Full-frame equivalent focal lengths
Main camera: The Pixel 7, 8 and 9 used a Type 1/1.31 (72mm²) sensor like the ones used on Google's Pixel Pro models and similar to those on recent iPhone Pro models. In contrast, the Pixel 10 uses a Type 1/2 (31mm²) sensor, which has less than half the surface area of the earlier models. A smaller sensor captures less light, creating a disadvantage in low-light conditions that even advanced image processing can't overcome.
Ultrawide camera: The Pixel 10's ultrawide camera is also smaller than its recent predecessors, and 30% smaller than the ultrawide sensor in the Pixel 9. It's also a 13MP sensor, similar to the Pixel 7 and 8's 12MP sensor, but falls behind the Pixel 9's 48MP Quad Bayer sensor that facilitates additional computational processing to improve image quality.
Telephoto camera: The Pixel 10 is the only model in this group with a dedicated 5x telephoto camera module. But don't get confused; it's not the same telephoto camera module found on the Pixel Pro models, which use a larger sensor.
However, it's worth noting that modern smartphones are based on computational photography: a larger sensor (if it's combined with a bright lens) should yield better results, but a smaller sensor might be able to keep up if newer algorithms can combine more images. All things being equal, a larger sensor should be better, but since the computational component of smartphone cameras is somewhat opaque, all things may not be equal. So, we'll need to look at photographic tests to see how the cameras compare.
Photographic tests
We took matched photos using the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 across a variety of lighting conditions to find out how the Pixel 10's new triple-camera array stacks up to its predecessor's dual-camera configuration. A sample gallery with all of these side-by-side photos, and more, is included at the end of the article.
Daylight: main camera
Image Comparison Slider
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In bright light, the main cameras on both phones deliver broadly similar results, at least when viewed on a small screen. At 100% view, however, it's clear the Pixel 9 retains more detail than the Pixel 10. Whether that's a function of the smaller sensor, the lens, or a combination of the two is hard to tell, though in some photos the Pixel 10's lens exhibited slightly more chromatic aberration than the Pixel 9.
Winner: Pixel 9
A close-up view from the main cameras on the Pixel 9 (left) and Pixel 10 (right). The Pixel 9 manages to capture more detail.
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The difference between the ultrawide cameras is more dramatic. Even in bright sunlight, the Pixel 9's ultrawide camera is sharper and retains noticeably more detail than the Pixel 10. The differences can become even more apparent when you get close to the corners.
Winner: Pixel 9
A close-up view from the ultrawide cameras on the Pixel 9 (left) and 10 (right). The Pixel 9 retains noticeably more detail even in bright sunlight.
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Things get interesting when we look at the Pixel 10's headline feature: the new 5x telephoto camera module, a feature absent on the Pixel 9. Instead, the Pixel 9 simulates a 5x camera using a crop of the main camera's sensor. Google markets this as "optical quality zoom," but take that claim with a serious grain of salt.
(Note that while Google describes both models' telephoto settings as "5x," the 110mm equivalent camera on the Pixel 10 is actually 4.6x longer than the main camera, which explains the wider field of view in the comparison shots below.)
A close-up view from the 5x "zoom" on the Pixel 9 (left) and the 5x telephoto camera on the Pixel 10 (right). Look closely at the text on the signs, and you can see that AI upscaling techniques used on the Pixel 9's 5x mode don't quite live up to Google's claims of "optical quality" zoom.
As we've explained previously, cropping is not "optical quality zoom," and while the linked article is about iPhones, Google employs the same basic approach, using AI and computational techniques to maintain image resolution.
A look at the close-up images above quickly reveals the limits of this approach, particularly on the text of the signs in the window. In the Pixel 9 image, much of the text morphs into quasi-hieroglyphics. In contrast, the Pixel 10's dedicated 5x telephoto camera retains perfectly legible text. You'll see similar effects on other subjects, but it's particularly noticeable whenever there's text in a scene.
Winner: Pixel 10
High dynamic range
Image Comparison Slider
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Both models handle HDR (high dynamic range) scenes well, allowing photos to appear more realistic when viewed on HDR displays, such as those found on smartphones. The Pixel 9 retains a bit more detail, but the most noticeable difference is in the processing, where the Pixel 10 tends to lift shadows a bit more aggressively.
On a smartphone screen, HDR images from both models look good. Note that the versions you see here have been flattened to fit an SDR display, so while they do look a little different, it's not the best way to compare photos intended to be viewed using an HDR screen. To really see this difference, you'll need to download the original, full-sized images to a device with an HDR display to compare them.
Winner: Pixel 9 (by a hair)
HDR images from the Pixel 9 (left) and 10 (right) differ in processing, with photos from the Pixel 10 generally having a flatter, more HDR "look" to them.
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Google's Night Sight feature is designed to help smartphone photographers get better results in low light. The Pixel 9's sensor, which has more than twice as much surface area as the Pixel 10's, can make a big difference, and Night Sight photos from the Pixel 9 consistently outperform those from the Pixel 10.
The photo I chose to illustrate this point pushes both cameras to their limits. Upon closer inspection, both images look like watercolor paintings, but the Pixel 9 exhibits less noise and retains more information in the shadows rather than crushing them to black, and the Pixel 10 essentially obliterates all but the most prominent stars. Both cameras can deliver better Night Sight photos in less challenging situations, but the relative performance remains the same.
Winner: Pixel 9
A close-up of Night Sight photos from the main cameras on the Pixel 9 (left) and 10 (right). Neither camera exhibits stellar results in this challenging scene, but the Pixel 9 exhibits less noise and holds onto information in the shadows rather than crushing them to black.
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Night Sight, using the ultrawide cameras with their much smaller sensors, pushes the limits of computational photography even further. The Pixel 10 is particularly challenged because it has a smaller sensor and a slower aperture, giving it about 40% of the light-gathering ability of its predecessor. That difference is clearly visible in Night Sight photos, with the Pixel 9 easily outperforming the Pixel 10 in almost all scenarios.
Note that the Pixel 7 and 8 ultrawide sensors are closer in size to the Pixel 10 (though still about 20% larger), so the difference in performance won't be quite as dramatic.
Winner: Pixel 9
A crop of Night Sight photos from the ultrawide cameras on the Pixel 9 (left) and 10 (right). Both cameras struggle here, but the Pixel 9's 50% larger, Quad Bayer sensor handily outperforms the Pixel 10.
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People photos and portraits represent one of the most common uses for any smartphone camera. We love to take photos of each other, and it frequently happens indoors and in low light.
The Pixel 9's larger sensor wins out here, producing more natural, less pixelated-looking textures and skin. Whether that's important depends on how you plan to use the pictures. If you're sharing photos with people who will primarily look at them on smartphones, it might not. If you want to make a print, it will.
Winner: Pixel 9
A close-up of a low-light photo taken in portrait mode on the Pixel 9 (left) and 10 (right). The Pixel 9's larger sensor allows it to retain more natural-looking details.
While the Pixel 9 came out on top in all but one of the head-to-head comparisons, the choice between the newest Pixel and its recent predecessors is nuanced, and the best option depends on your priorities.
The Pixel 10's dedicated telephoto lens makes the camera more versatile for social media use, and could be a key factor for anyone who uses the telephoto feature a lot, handily outperforming the virtual 5x camera on earlier models. If flexibility outweighs absolute image quality, it could be a good option.
But physics matters, and you're more concerned about absolute image quality, the larger sensors and faster ultrawide lens on the Pixel 9 give it a clear edge. The Pixel 7 and 8 retain that advantage on the main camera, but the difference in ultrawide modules is less pronounced.
What's clear is that Google made a strategic decision to further differentiate the base model Pixel from the Pixel Pro models. Rather than giving Pixel owners the same cameras as the Pixel Pro, but fewer of them, it's setting up the Pixel Pro as the go-to choice for serious photographers while giving Pixel owners a more versatile solution, but at some cost to image quality.
Sample gallery
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The latest Canon Q3 financial report confirms that Trump’s tariffs continue to be an issue for companies:
Profit down due to tariffs in Q3, but thanks to an increase in net sales and effects from last year’s sales structure review, sales and profits up YTD
In our markets, additional U.S. tariffs and geopolitical risks led to trend of postponed investment greater than in Q2
Additional information on the Canon Imaging division:
Financial Results
For the Imaging Group, we posted strong sales growth of entry-level interchangeable-lens cameras such as the EOS R50 and EOS R100, particularly in China and Asia. Sales of compact cameras also expanded thanks to a substantial increase in supply through increased production in response to strong demand. As a result, overall camera net sales increased 5%. For network cameras, we posted a net sales increase of 8% as sales remained solid. As a result, Imaging Group net sales increased by 5.9%.
Financial Projection
For the Imaging Group, starting with cameras, we aim to increase net sales by 9% for the full year. In the fourth quarter, in addition to entry-level interchangeable-lens digital cameras and compact digital cameras, where demand is strong, we will work to expand sales of full-frame interchangeable-lens digital cameras during the year-end selling season. As for network cameras, we aim to increase net sales by 17% for the full year, supported by continued steady market growth in each region. As a result, we expect Imaging Group sales to grow at a double-digit rate as it aims for 1 trillion yen in sales.
Cameras
As for the interchangeable-lens digital camera market in 2025, through the aggressive sales promotion of each company to stimulate demand, particularly in the unit sales of entry-level models, we expect the market to grow 6% to 6.8 million units compared to last year.
In the third quarter, we posted steady growth in camera sales, particularly in China and Asia. As a result, camera net sales increased by 4.6%, further exceeding the high level of sales in the same period last year, which was boosted by the launch of the EOS R5 Mark II, a full-frame mirrorless camera.
Amid growing demand for entry-level mirrorless cameras, we posted strong sales growth as new camera users, including young people looking to step up from smartphones, chose our EOS R50 and EOS R100. Sales of our new EOS R50 V and PowerShot V1, which were launched in the second quarter of this year, also increased due to favorable reviews from users who shoot videos for SNS and Vlogs. As for compact digital cameras, for which demand is increasing, we expanded sales through a substantial increase in product supply by expanding production.
In the fourth quarter, for the year-end selling season, during which demand for cameras is at its highest, we will increase sales of entry-level interchangeable-lens digital cameras through promotional activities and expand sales of full-frame models and interchangeable lenses.. As for compact digital cameras, for which demand is growing, particularly among young people,
by further increasing production, we plan to double our unit sales from the third quarter and increase our net sales of cameras by 8.4% for the full year. (Source)
Adobe's Project Indigo, a powerful camera app for iPhone, is finally available for the iPhone 17. Despite Apple releasing the iPhone 17 over a month ago, Project Indigo wasn't previously compatible with the new phone, reportedly due to the front-facing camera.
A post on Adobe's forum on October 16, as reported by The Verge, shared that the company had issues when developing support for the new iPhone 17 series of phones. "We have run into some issues, especially with the front camera," the post from product manager Boris Ajdin said. "Some of them we flagged to Apple, who have made a fix and will ship it with iOS 26.1. Sadly, that means we need to consider disabling the front camera in Indigo until that version of iOS is shipped."
A screenshot of the App Store update on the Project Indigo page.
For context, the iPhone 17's front camera uses a square multi-aspect ratio sensor, which isn't typical for smartphone cameras. The square sensor allows users to capture landscape or portrait photos and videos without rotating the phone. However, it also apparently complicates things for camera app developers, at least in the case of Adobe's app.
It appears that Adobe has now solved some of those issues. Over the weekend, Adobe's Chris Welch shared on Threads that Project Indigo is now ready for the iPhone 17. Welch shared a screenshot of the App Store listing, which says it required lots of "grinding, sanding, welding and polishing."
While the app is functional on iPhone 17s now, the selfie camera is currently disabled. The App Store description for Project Indigo says that front camera support for 17-series devices will be added in the next version of the app, which will come after Apple publicly releases iOS 26.1.
Sony 100-400mm G (variable aperture, very lightweight)
A new f/2 aperture ultra-wide-angle zoom (hint: a third-party manufacturer has a lens with the same focal length, but only with an f/2.8 aperture – Sony 16-28mm f//2 GM maybe?)
Regarding the camera bodies, Sony is reportedly going to release “bad” camera modes in the next two to three years:
Made from a custom braided nylon and polyester rope that provides strength, padding, and stretch, terminated in glass-reinforced nylon Anchor housings.
Form Leather Straps (MSRP: $79.95)
Crafted from premium ECCO full-grain leather with machined aluminum hardware and a custom sealed finish on the bottom of the strap to provide an optimal balance of glide and grip.
Sizing
Cuff: 8.6″
Neck: 30.9″
Short: 40.75″
Standard: 46.65″
Long: 52.55″
Field Plate (MSRP: $39.95)
Reimagines the traditional camera plate with a pop-up thumb screw that lets photographers apply real torque-no coins or tools required. Fully compatible with Peak Design tripods, Capture clips, straps, and most Arcatype heads.
Additional information:
Peak Design Unveils All-New Minimalist Camera Straps and Custom, Tool-Less Field Plate
Available in woven nylon rope or full-grain leather, Form straps feature Peak Design’s most refined connection system to date
San Francisco, CA – Peak Design, the global leader in camera carry solutions and accessories, announces the launch of an all-new family of minimalist, fixed-length camera straps: Form Rope straps and Form Leather straps. Available in multiple lengths and colors, the Form Strap line is joined by the Field Plate, a next-generation tool-free, thumb-drive camera plate engineered for fast and secure attachment to ¼” -20 threaded camera bodies. Field Plate is fully compatible with Peak Design tripods, Capture clips, straps, and most third-party Arca-type heads.
The new Form straps bring Peak Design’s renowned Anchor Link quick-connection system to its cleanest and most elegant design yet. Ultra low-profile hardware is integrated directly into the strap ends with no visible stitching, O-rings, or bulky connectors. The result is a minimal aesthetic with a faster, flatter connection that can hold up to 200lbs. and blends seamlessly into most any camera setup.
Form Rope straps are made from a custom braided nylon and polyester rope that balances strength, padding, and stretch, and are finished with glass-reinforced nylon Anchor housings for lasting durability. Form Leather straps are crafted from premium ECCO full-grain leather with machined aluminum hardware and a custom sealed finish along the strap’s underside to deliver a smooth glide with just the right amount of grip. Both leather and rope versions are offered in fixed-length neck and cross-body configurations, available in small, medium, and large sizes. Form Leather straps come in Black, Amber, and Tan, while rope straps are offered in black, Ocean (blue), and Kelp (green). Complementing the lineup, Peak Design is also introducing Cuff Leather and Cuff Rope wrist straps, which feature a one-size, quick-cinching design in matching materials and colorways.
Peak Design’s new Field Plate pushes traditional camera plate design into new territory. Instead of relying on coins, keys, or fold-out rings, the Field Plate features a pop-up thumb drive screw that lets photographers apply real torque with their hands alone. A simple press deploys the mechanism; twist to tighten or loosen; press again to stow. The intuitive design delivers a premium feel while maintaining Peak Design’s signature slim stack height and full compatibility with Peak Design camera accessories and most third-party Arca heads.
“For more than a decade, photographers around the world have trusted our quick-connecting camera straps, and it’s incredible to spot our little red Anchor Links almost everywhere cameras are carried, ” said Peak Design CEO and Founder Peter Dering. “The new Form straps are our distillation of that heritage into something streamlined, premium, and classic. And while we were at it, we took a fresh look at the humble tripod plate, resulting in the new Field Plate, which makes mounting your camera as simple as using your thumb.”
The Form Leather Strap is available in Long, Short, and Standard configurations (MSRP $79.95) and as a Neck Strap (MSRP $69.95). The Form Rope Strap is priced at $49.95 (Long, Short, Standard) and $44.95 (Neck). Cuff Leather Wrist straps are priced at $59.95, Cuff Rope Wrist straps at $39.95, and the Field Plate at $39.95.
The Fujifilm X-T30 III is a gentle refresh of the Mark II, bringing it into line with the other models in the lineup.
We shot a sample gallery in a Seattle autumn, to show how its images look. Although the camera itself is a fairly known quantity, its new, ultra-wide XC 13-33mm F3.5-6.3 OIS kit lens is a different story. We focused on this lens when putting the gallery together, to show how it performs.
Sample gallery
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Viltrox will also be releasing new wide-angle 0.8x and tele 1.4x front conversion lenses that attach to the front of the lens (not teleconverters that attach between the lens and the camera). This will most likely come for the Fuji X100 and other popular fixed lens cameras.
With the last wisps of summer in the air and days getting shorter, we challenged you to show us what makes fall special. From vibrant leaves to fall harvests and annual traditions, we asked you to show us what Fall Follies looks like through your lens.
Our community of DPReview photographers didn't disappoint, capturing nature's grand finale in a blaze of color. As usual, we were overwhelmed with great pictures – many more than we can present here. Our favorites, showcasing a diverse range of vision and talent, are presented in random order.
Photographer's statement: I was very lucky with the timing. The leaves were just perfect, and the weather was perfect with the sun at a nice height above the horizon. This was at Thatcher State Park outside of Albany, New York.
Photographer's statement: In Mexico, this time of year means preparations for Day of the Dead, or Día de Los Muertos: the time when departed souls can return to visit loved ones left behind. Marigolds feature prominently, their color and scent helping to guide them.
Photographer's statement: The Moselle, a river between Luxembourg and Germany, is a famous wine region. In October each year, you can find these beautiful grapes on the hillsides separating both countries.
Photographer's statement: An acer, photographed in Durham Botanic Gardens, England. Capturing these leaves involves being there at the right time on the right day to get the light just right.
Equipment: Canon EOS 80D + Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Photographer's statement: This photo was taken from the roadside overlooking a small farm. Underneath is the Tyrifjorden lake, covered by fog. The location is at Sollihøgda (Sunny heights), just north of Oslo.
Equipment: OM System OM-1 + OM System 40-150mm F4.0 PRO
Photographer's statement: Early fall colors at the Kiyomizu Dera in Kyoto. I like the treeline, and the roof of the shops all lead to the pagoda on the opposite side of the footpath
Equipment: Sony a7 IV + Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS II
Photographer's statement: Pink echoes in the valley of Graveyard Fields in Western North Carolina as the forest slowly heals itself year over year after the ravages of Hurricane Helene.
Equipment: OM System OM-3 + Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm F4 Pro
Photographer's statement: We were taking a fall road trip to visit friends in the mountains of Tennessee when I noticed these beautiful cypress trees, living in the water of the lake, at the terminus of the Ocoee River Gorge.
Equipment: Pentax KP + HD Pentax-DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR
Photographer's statement: I was fortunate enough to be in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah with four friends, mountain biking the Great Western Trail. My OM-1 is too heavy and inconvenient while biking through tough terrain, but my new iPhone was great for photography and helped with navigation. I wasn't expecting the incredible fall colors of the aspens. They were the highlight of the trip. I'd never seen such expanses of golden leaves.
Photographer's statement: Autumn is beautiful with its dramatic blend of vibrant, lush colors and the deep lyricism and silence of evening city parks, the already cold and damp air with the amazing taste of fallen leaves, and the warmth of melancholy memories of the past summer.
Photographer's statement: I rarely arise before dawn, these days, with two exceptions: salmon fishing or a photography expedition. I managed to combine both pursuits on this particular morning, as I tried out a lens I had purchased from a local shop for twenty dollars. I couldn't believe my luck when I rested the lens on the handrail of the Depot St. Bridge in Rogue River, Oregon, just as a drift-boat was heading toward me in the fog.
Equipment: Sony a7 + Vivitar series-1 70-210mm f/3.5
Photographer's statement: When the Aspens bring out their fall display, they make for exceptional landscapes like this one on Highway 550 facing north from Silverton, Colorado, toward the town of Ouray, Colorado, on the Western Slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
Photographer's statement: Shot way back when, on Kodachrome. The light was low, the ISO was 64, I was crouched down, elbows tucked in, holding my breath, dialing in some self-timer to get the mirror slap out of the way early, and shooting at maximum aperture.
Photographer's statement: The creeping morning mists herald the arrival of winter. But first, nature delights us with an explosion of autumn colors. Photographed from Mount St. James (Sv. Jakob) in Slovenia.
Photographer's statement: I'm always amazed by the shapes of leaves. They're all different, just like people. I found these personalities and happily placed them side by side.
Equipment: Fujifilm X-T1 + Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R
Photographer's statement: On a walk through the woods, I came across these branches climbing up trees with a display of beautiful autumn colors. It was still early autumn, and most trees were still green, but these leaves stood out.
Photographer's statement: When you hear the words "near peak," you need to make your reservations, cancel pending appointments, and activate your back-up coverage. Charge your batteries, pack the essentials, and pray for good weather. And then, get there early!!! It all fell into place this year, but the only show seemed to be in the area just west of Bishop, California. I'm so grateful that I didn't miss this event!!! Yaahoo!!!
Equipment: Nikon D850 + Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Photographer's statement: After some morning rain showers, a shaft of sunlight spotlights a fallen leaf whose journey from treetop to earth was interrupted by a tangle of branches.
Photographer's statement: Many photos taken here depict a snowy night scene with street and building lights leading to the main Zao Hall building of the Kinpusen-ji Temple (at top right), so I opted for a different take to show the splendid autumn colors instead.
Photographer's statement: I captured this photo in a forest back in 2015, showing a giant beech tree that, I was told, might be around a 100 years old. Its trunk was so wide that it would take about four people holding hands to circle it completely.
The M EV1 is, perhaps, the exception that proves the rule, in the sense that by not conforming the existing pattern it helps clarify the pattern that otherwise exists.
Photo: Richard Butler
The very nature of hubris is, perhaps, that you can't recognize it in the moment.
When the Leica M11 was launched, I mused that the increased versatility and precision offered by its live view system might risk making the optical viewfinder and rangefinder design look irrelevant. Having now used a camera shorn of those features, I appreciate their value more than ever.
But there was another, unexpected, prompt for self-reflection when it came to working out how to describe the M-EV1. Namely: is it a Mirrorless camera?
What is a Mirrorless camera?
It's generally been our position that rangefinder cameras aren't Mirrorless. Somewhat facetiously, I've sometimes pointed out that the rangefinder optics themselves typically contain a mirror, but, more seriously, the point is that rangefinders existed for many decades before we ever had need to describe a camera as Mirrorless. And, given the way they are primarily used is radically different (manual focus via an optical viewfinder, rather than via a liveview feed from the sensor), it seemed unnecessary to retroactively include them in the class of cameras we were trying to give a name to.
The M EV1 throws a spanner in the works, though (or perhaps removes one). In every respect it operates like a Mirrorless camera being used in manual focus mode, so surely it's Mirrorless, in both the small and big 'M' senses. And, if it is, then, by extension, does that mean all Leica Ms are?
"When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean" - Lewis Carroll's Humpty Dumpty
And yet, that's not really how these things work. Mirrorless is an especially awkward example, in that it's become a noun but its origin is descriptive. But most people will recognize that it doesn't apply to literally any camera without a mirror, because that would include all compacts, smartphones and most cameras ever made. At which point we could probably just say 'camera.'
Having helped propose, promote and popularize the term 'mirrorless' in the first place, we're aware of it being an imperfect choice, but it's the one that's stuck. So while I look forward to the accusations of Humpty-Dumptyism, I think it's fair to say enough people recognize what's meant by it, and hence that it's legitimate to use it to mean what we intend, rather than what the word itself seems to imply.
Why do you call it full-frame?
This isn't the only instance of what sounds like an adjective being taken up as a noun in a way that shouldn't be taken too literally. The term full-frame came about because there was a period during which early DSLR users were pairing film-era lenses on cameras with sensors smaller than "35mm" film. Full-frame was a reference to the size of sensor that mimicked the dimensions of that film, using the full imaging circle for which those lenses were designed.
Yes, the German name for the "35mm" format translates as "small image." Award yourself 10 DPR points for trivia knowledge. Then deduct 20 if you think it's a useful contribution to a discussion about digital photography.
Photo: Carey Rose
We only adopted the term because it avoids using milimeters to refer both to focal length and as a descriptor of a format, often in the same sentence. Somewhat ironically, the term "35mm" sensor itself also sounds adjectival, but in reality no part of a "35mm" sensor measures 35mm.
Again, there's little sense arguing over what the words might appear to mean: the majority of people using the term and hearing the term agree what it means. And that's the way language works. It doesn't matter if logically all systems are full-frame, because that's almost certainly not the meaning that's someone's attempting to convey, and it's not the meaning most people would take from it.
What constitutes medium format?
Apparently, there's still room to argue, even when the terminology doesn't appear to describe something specific. For example, the use of 'medium format' to describe formats larger than 35mm.
It's a definition that was already in widespread use, but that some photographers seem determined now to retroactively restrict it solely to formats used in the film era. This ignores the facts that the economies of scaling semiconductors are radically different (and are unlikely to ever make film-mimicking medium and large formats affordable), and that digital significantly outperforms film, so you don't need the same expanses of sensor to achieve excellent tonal quality and resolution.
Full-frame only directly mimics a film format because there were so many people with significant numbers of then-modern film lenses to prompt its continuation.
Photo: Phil Askey
In my opinion, it's senseless to bind a new technology to the specifics of a dead one and insist on the creation of a new term, when 'medium format' serves perfectly well. Especially given that, as we've seen, the resultant neologisms such as full-frame and Mirrorless might prove even more objectionable.
Does it actually matter?
So what of the M EV1? Is it a Mirrorless camera? Sort of. Probably. Why not? You could see it as the exception that proves the rule, or recognize that it's a question to which the answer doesn't matter.
Rangefinders sell in such small numbers that it really doesn't matter whether the person speaking is including them, when they say Mirrorless, or whether the person hearing them assumes they are or aren't. Either way both probably know, from context, what was meant, so the distinction becomes irrelevant.
It's not just photographers who have this problem. The name for modern pedals that cyclists clip their shoes into? 'Clipless.'
Photo: Richard Butler
The remaining ambiguity will leave room in the margins for someone to say "but what about the M EV1?" or "medium format only refers to 645 and larger."
But that brings us back to the issue of self-reflection. It's worth asking yourself: do you really believe the language is unclear, or that anyone's being misled? Or do you just want to beat someone over the head with a piece of arcane, esoteric knowledge that you happen to have acquired?
Earlier this week, Fujifilm released the X-T30 III, its latest entry-level, SLR-shaped mirrorless camera. It is a subtle update over its predecessor, adding a film simulation dial, more film simulations, updated video specs, a new processor and updated autofocus. The company also released a new kit lens, the XC 13-33mm F3.5-6.3 OIS. It offers a wider perspective than most kit lenses and will be familiar to those used to the ultrawide lens on their smartphones.
Editors Dale Baskin, Richard Butler, Mitchell Clark and Abby Ferguson sat down to talk about the new camera and lens. You listen to our discussion in the video above.
Introduction to the WideluxX Prototype: The WideluxX is a revived panoramic film camera developed by SilverBridges, a new company co-founded by SilvergrainClassics’ Editor-in-Chief Marwan El Mozayen, Developmental Editor Charys Schuler, and Jeff and Susan Bridges. It represents a significant milestone for analog photography as the first new handmade film camera designed to last generations.
Historical Context: The original Widelux factory burned down 20 years ago, nearly ending production of the iconic Panon Widelux F8. This revival project aims to preserve its legacy, bridging the history and future of panoramic analog photography.
Prototype Details: Prototype 0001 is a one-of-a-kind, handmade item built in Germany near Wetzlar. It retains the core DNA of the Panon Widelux F8 but includes numerous small improvements; however, it does not reflect the final production model’s appearance.
Development Process and Challenges: The project involved intense effort (“blood, sweat, and tears”) and old-school craftsmanship. An engineer hand-built the prototype, emphasizing artisanal manufacturing over mass production.
Unveiling and Presentation: The prototype was revealed via a special video at the International Association for Panoramic Photography convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The video features Jeff and Susan Bridges, with editing by Ethan Boehme and 16mm footage by Marwan El Mozayen.
Key Quotes:
Jeff & Susan Bridges: “Twenty years ago, the Widelux factory burned down, so we decided that rather than letting our favorite camera die, we’d bring her back to life. We’re keeping it old school; it’s a film camera handmade in Germany, built to last generations.”
Marwan El Mozayen and Charys Schuler: “There will be many small improvements, but its DNA is still the [Panon Widelux] F8. We see ourselves as a bridge between the history and the future of analog photography. It’s about the art and craft of camera manufacturing, and about giving a new generation of film photographers the tools to create with.”
Connexion
prototype 0001, ©SilverBridges GmbH
