Samsung has announced three new folding phones, updating its existing models and adding a new one to its lineup, complete with a new form factor.

The flagship model is getting a rebrand. Formerly known as the Galaxy Z Fold series, this year’s entry is called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Like its predecessor, it has a 6.5″ display on the outside, and an 8″ one on the inside. As you’d expect from an “Ultra” phone, it has a triple-camera setup. The main “wide” and telephoto cameras are unchanged from the ones found on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but the ultrawide has been upgraded from a 12MP Type 1/2.5 (25mm²) sensor with an F2.2 lens, to a 50MP one with an F1.9 lens, which Samsung says will let in 33% more light.

Samsung

The company says it has enhanced its HDR mode for the main camera, as well as its low-light “Nightography” mode. The phone’s 8K video also now records in the APV codec, which Samsung says “gives users greater flexibility and quality for editing and production workflows.”

Aside from the upgraded ultrawide camera, Samsung has included the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor with 12 or 16GB of memory (dependent on what storage size you get), along with a higher-capacity 5000 mAh battery, up 600 mAh from the one in the Z Fold 7. The company has also re-engineered the phone’s internal screen to make the crease less visible, while making it brighter and nicer-feeling to open. And despite all this, it weighs the same 215g (7.6oz) as its predecessor, and each half is a hair thinner at 4.1mm.

None of these improvements come cheap, though. Last year’s Z Fold 7 was $100 more than its predecessor, and Samsung has bumped the price again, with the Z Fold 8 Ultra starting at $2100 for the 256GB model.

Samsung

There is, however, now a new option below it: the Z Fold 8, which takes on a slightly different form factor. While the Ultra has a relatively tall and narrow 3:7 outer screen and a nearly-square 1.11:1 inner screen, the new model’s cover is a wider, shorter 10:16, and the inner display is 4:3. The Z Fold 8’s outer display has a 5.5″ diagonal, while the inner one is 7.6″.

While the Z Fold 7 (which was, remember, moreso the predecessor to the phone now called “Ultra”) marked a turning point as a folding phone that didn’t come with big compromises to its camera system compared to its candybar counterpart, that trend hasn’t continued with the Z Fold 8. It drops the telephone camera entirely, and its main 23mm equiv. camera is smaller, slower and lower resolution than the one on the Ultra. The ultrawide, however, is the same 50MP model.

Not everything is a downgrade compared to the Ultra, though. The displays may be a different size, but are still just as bright, and the Z Fold 8 has the same processor and storage options. And while it’s thicker both folded and unfolded, it’s also a touch lighter. Even if you don’t prefer the more passport-style form factor, though, the price may be slightly more attractive than the Ultra’s, as the phone starts at “just” $1900.

Samsung

Finally, Samsung has also updated its Z Flip 8, the smaller model that unfolds to be a similar size to a more traditional smartphone. The company doesn’t seem to have made any changes to its cameras – it still has a wide 50MP Type 1/1.57 (50mm²) and ultra-wide 12MP Type 1/3.2 (15mm²) – but it’s lighter and thinner than its predecessor. The company has also updated the processor to that same Snapdragon model (though there’s no option for one with 16GB of RAM like with the larger models), and has made improvements to the front screen’s interface, making it easier to use if you want to avoid opening your phone and potentially getting sucked in by feeds and apps.

The Z Flip 8 retains its position as Samsung’s least expensive foldable, but its $1200 price tag represents a $100 increase over its predecessor’s.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra, Z Fold 8, and Z Flip 8 are all available to pre-order today, and are set to become available on August 7th.

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The DPReview forums have nearly 100 customized sections to discuss all your gear and photography interests. From reading official DPReview news to talking about camera brands and Nature and Wildlife Photography, there’s a space for everyone’s curiosity.

For visitors who are interested in buying or selling their gear, we also have the For Sale and Wanted forum section. And if you are a mobile phone camera user and love to share your on-the-go photos, not to worry, we have Mobile Photography Talk forum as well.

So, with that said…

Which forum sections are your favorite to visit for both camera brands and digital photography, and why?

I would also like to take this opportunity to ask you which forum sections you would like added that we don’t currently have?

Drop a reply in the comments section below, and if you’ve got a photo to include from your mentioned forum sections, it may be selected for next week’s showcase article on this topic!

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The Sony FX5 is a compact cinema camera capable of up to 4.5K120 and Raw video capture, aimed at independent videographers and small productions. It builds on the legacy of the FX3, adding a host of features we’ve not previously seen from Sony.

Key features

• 16.6MP Full-Frame stacked CMOS sensor
• 4K/60 from 5K capture
• 4K/120 from 4.5K crop
• 4K/240 capability via firmware due in late 2027
• Open gate shooting
• Combined dual gain mode for increased DR
• Three “base” ISO steps
• Internal Raw capture
• Subject recognition autofocuse
• 32-bit float audio compatibility
• Large 16:9 rear LCD
• Waveform display
• Optional EVF

The FX5 will be available, body-only, for $4899, or $5499 with the XLR top-handle, which allows 32-bit float audio capture. Other optional accessories include a removable, tiltable viewfinder and a USB-C-to-BNC timecode cable. It will be available from August.

What’s new

The FX5 is a surprisingly significant upgrade compared to the FX3, suggesting Sony is still working out what this type of camera needs to offer, and iterating. It nominally sits above the FX3 but looks like it’s trying to do what the FX3 did, plus a lot more, making it most directly comparable to the likes of Canon’s C50 cinema camera.

The most visible addition is its ability to capture Raw footage, but that’s just the most dramatic departure from the existing camera. There are also a host of features and UI changes that have come down directly from the company’s pro cinema products, to the degree that it represents not just a major upgrade but will also present an appreciable learning curve for existing FX3 users.

Don’t call it Raw

Interestingly, Sony doesn’t refer to the camera’s Raw mode in those terms, instead settling on the snappy X-OCN, which I’m sure we can agree is clearer. They tell us it’s a 16-bit linear Raw format, which is a lot more detail than we’re typically given about the other Raw video codecs. Linear encoding is a rather inefficient way of doing things but, in theory at least, gives the maximum flexibility in terms of highlight editing and reconstruction.

This “EXtended tonal range Orginal Camera Negative” gives you more flexibility in terms of correcting white balance, applying noise reduction, highlight and tonal adjustment and color grading. It’s a version of the format already used by the Burano and Venice cameras, so should be compatible with DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer and Baselight software.

The FX5 uses the X-OCN LT (Light) version of the codec, used on the Burano cinema camera (and that’s even an option on the company’s flagship Venice 2 model).

New sensor

James Tirado

The FX5 is based around a new stacked CMOS sensor. Sony quotes the pixel count as 16.6MP which, given the FX3 turned out to have a 48MP behind a 12MP color filter array, should make us wonder how similar it is to the 66.8MP sensor in the recent a7R VI.

Sony wouldn’t be specific about any differences, but the significantly higher output speeds make us assume that there’s DRAM or more complex readout circuitry built into the back of the sensor. We know that the a7R VI’s 4K video comes from combining quartets of pixels, so placing that same pixel architecture behind oversized color filters that extend across sets of four pixels would make a lot of sense. Even if you’re not that interested in video, this ability to produce variations of a sensor with different capabilities might still offer an interesting insight into the products we’ll see in the coming years.

In practice, the FX5 is faster at reading out a comparable region of its sensor (around 5.5ms in full-width, 16:9 5K modes, around 24% quicker than the 7.2ms that the a7R VI takes in its ‘5K sampled’ 16:9 modes). Open gate mode read out the full height of the sensor in 8.3ms (1/120 sec).

Sony says the camera has a “Dual Gain” mode that boosts dynamic range by combining the low gain and high-gain signals being read off the sensor. It is available in the camera’s lowest native gain mode (ISO 800) and the modes derived from it (ie up to EI 3200). It can be used at up to 60p in most resolutions or up to 30p in open gate mode.

We’re told it may operate differently from the combined dual gain mode the a7R IV offers in video, though. We were briefed that the image is analysed and the high gain (low noise) data is only utilized in the shadow regions of the image, making the process faster than combining both gain settings for all pixels. Engaging the Dual Gain mode (via the ISO menu) increases the readout time by a factor of 2.1x, which is very similar to the proportion of increase we measured on the a7R VI.

Three “base” ISO settings

Interestingly, Sony also says the FX5 has three “base ISO” settings: 800, 4000, 12,800. To make sense of this, it’s worth noting that there isn’t a fixed or universally shared definition of what ‘base ISO’ means. What it doesn’t directly refer to is conversion gain steps at the sensor level. So, for instance, the FX3 and a7S III had dual conversion gain sensors, but Sony says it does not consider them to be cameras with dual base ISO.*

James Tirado

Instead, Sony tells us its definition of base ISO relates to modes that offer the same dynamic range distribution between highlights and shadows, and have a near-identical noise floor, allowing footage to be intercut between the modes. This makes most sense when working in the camera’s Cinema EI mode, where the camera is locked to one of these “base” states and then delivers ISO settings up to two stops higher or lower by essentially under- or over-exposing the ‘base’ state, then including a metadata tag saying how light or dark the footage is meant to be rendered. This really comes into its own in a Raw workflow, as this is how it’s possible to adjust the “ISO” of footage, after the fact.

The decision of Sony to offer three “base ISO” states shouldn’t lead you to conclude that there are three distinct gain steps at the hardware level, nor should it be confused with the camera’s optional “Dual Gain” mode that combines the output of different hardware states.

*Just to make clear how slippery the concept is, the FX3’s firmware V2 added Cinema EI, including a setting called Base ISO, which has two settings. We are told the higher of these is officially considered a High Sensitivity mode, not a second base ISO.

New UI, wider range of features

Beyond these, the most radical change is to the user interface, with the FX5 gaining an all-in-one settings display borrowed almost directly from the Burano (and closely mimicking the displays that Panasonic borrowed from Arri, etc, etc). Its menus have also been re-worked to make them look more like Sony’s pro cinema models, which will add a bit of a learning curve for existing FX users but brings it closer into line with other production cameras.

The company says it will be adding a vertical version of the UI in firmware 2.0.

James Tirado

Also added are a host of tools that other brands have started offering but that have been absent from previous Sonys at this point in the market. So, in addition to options like the focus map, that highlights blocks of the image that are in and out of focus, the FX5 offers a false color display and waveforms for helping to judge exposure, and a vectorscope display for assessing color distribution. These come on top of tools such as zebras, focus peaking and a histogram, that were already available.

James Tirado

The camera is based around Sony’s latest Bionz XR2 processor, so gains all the subject recognition AF modes that we’ve become used to on the stills side of things, boosting autofocus dependability for run-and-gun shooting.

Body and handling

James Tirado

At first glance, the FX5 looks a lot like the FX3, but the changes reveal themselves, the closer you look. It’s a fraction larger, for a start, having grown a couple of mm in each direction but significantly the body of the camera itself is deeper, within those boundaries, so it feels bulkier. It’s also a fraction heavier, though Sony says it’s a less than 5% increase.

The layout of the camera’s six programmable buttons has been reworked and relabeled to better match what you’d find on the company’s higher-end cinema cameras. It also gains the multi-function dial from the Sony Burano, which can be used to navigate through menus, and make quick changes from the live view screen.

James Tirado

The FX5, like the recent Alpha cameras, gains a second USB-C socket. This can be used for a range of things, from tethering, powering the camera, data transfer or for accepting a timecode signal. As with other recent Sony cameras, the second USB-C socket is actually a USB 2.0 (480Mbps) socket, so can only be used for power and less data-intensive tasks.

The camera’s connectivity is further updated with an upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E, and the addition of an Ethernet port, which will likely find use in many houses of worship.

Display

Sony has upgraded the rear tilting/articulating display to a 3.5″ model with a video-friendly 16:9 aspect ratio. Sony says the latter change makes it a much bigger upgrade to the 3″ display on the FX3 than it appears at first glance, as that screen’s 4:3 aspect ratio meant you were looking at a video that was really only 2.5″. Now, it can fill the entire screen, provided you’re not using an open gate or DCI (“17:9”) recording mode.

James Tirado

The FX5 has two slots, each of which take either CFexpress Type A cards or the slower UHS-II SD cards. The two card types don’t connect to the same connectors: one socket it essentially sited within the other.

Battery

James Tirado

The FX5 becomes the second camera to adopt Sony’s new 20.9 Wh NP-SA100 battery, following the a7R VI. This not only provides higher voltage and capacity than the NP-FZ100 batteries the FX3 used, but should allow for slightly longer record times. Sony says it can shoot for 130 minutes at 4K/60, while the FX3 caped out at 113. Of course, this change means that those with a large collection of batteries will need to spend quite a bit to rebuild it (provided they were running off an internal unit, rather than powering their cameras via an external V or Gold mount battery).

Despite the increased battery capacity, and smaller tweaks to the body like the addition of a second 1/4-20″ socket on the bottom plate to reduce the risk of rotating, Sony says the new camera is close to the FX3’s weight, coming in at 734g (25.9oz), versus 715g (25.2oz)

Accessories

While the camera doesn’t have an integrated EVF – likely a concession to keeping its body as protrusion-free, and therefore gimbal-friendly as possible – Sony is making a removable one as an optional accessory. It features a 3.68M-dot panel that can reach up to 2500 nits peak brightness, and supports a wide color gamut to provide a more accurate preview. It’ll plug into a new port right above the multi-interface shoe, meaning you can’t have it attached if you’re also using the shoe. However, Sony says it’s working with a third-party to create an extension cable for it that will let you place it in more ergonomic position. The EVF, named the DVF-EL1, costs $698.

Another accessory is the XLR handle which, like the ones released for Sony Alpha-series cameras, will enable both the use of professional microphones as well as 32-bit float audio recording. The latter feature will an exciting addition for documentary and event shooters, as its different method for storing data essentially eliminates the risk of clipping, no matter what your gain levels are set to (though your microphone can still be overwhelmed). The handle can be purchased in a bundle with the FX5, or separately for $798

Video modes

Like most of Sony’s previous cameras, the FX5 delivers all its compressed footage in output-ready 4K resolutions: with in the 16:9 UHD or ~17:9 DCI formats. However, in a detail borrowed from cameras like the Venice and Burano they are named in terms of the pixel region used to capture them. So, although the camera has “Imager Mode” options called 5K 16:9, the output is still the standard 3840 x 2160 UHD footage.

James Tirado

The Raw footage, by contrast, arrives in your editor in the resolution in which it was captured. So 5K means 5K.

One of these Raw modes is a 3:2 open gate mode, capturing the full area of the sensor to make it easier to output both landscape and vertical cuts from the same clip (if you can find a composition that’s sensible for both, that is). The camera can also apply a real-time desqueeze correction for anyone using anamorphic lenses, with 1.3x, 1.5x, 1.6x, 1.8x and 2.0x squeeze factors being supported.

Raw recording

When recording to its internal Raw X-OCN codec, the FX5 can shoot at roughly 5K in 3:2, ∼17:9 and 16:9, at up to 60p. There are three levels of compression for the codec, with the standard being “LT,” and C1 and C2 recording at increasingly lower bitrates to reduce file sizes. Sony says C1 will be around 25% smaller than LT.

The company says it plans to release a firmware update sometime in 2027 that will allow for recording 4K/240 footage in Raw, though it hasn’t provided any details on whether the mode will have a crop.

The camera needs to reboot in order to switch into or out of Raw mode. As we’ve seen on other cameras, it also needs to reboot to switch between 24p, PAL and NTSC modes, as the system clock needs to reset to work in multiples of 24, 25 and 29.97 frames per second. Because there’s no separation of Raw/Compressed or 24p/PAL/NTSC, it’s very easy to accidentally prompt the camera to reboot if you select the wrong shooting mode.

Likewise, the camera will only playback footage if it’s in the right system clock mode, and will only show you the Raw clips if you’re in Raw mode and only your compressed clips when in compressed mode.

Compressed footage modes

The FX5 names its video modes by the areas that are sampled, rather than their output resolution. The camera’s “17:9” modes (5K and 4.5K) are output as DCI 4K (4096 x 2160), while the 16:9 modes (5K, 4.5K and 3.2K) are output as 3840 x 2160 UHD.

The DCI modes can only be shot in XAVC S-I (All-I H.264), whereas moving to 16:9 adds the option to shoot XAVC H (H.265) or XAVC S (H.264) with a choice of 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 chroma sub-sampling.

Sony says the FX5 will gain support for shooting 3:2 open gate in XAVC S-I will come as part of firmware 2.0, due in around October 2027.

Super35

The FX5 also provides an option of cropping in to an APS-C-sized region of the sensor, providing compatibility with lenses designed for Super35 cameras. While the FX3’s APS-C mode was sampled from an 1080p region of the sensor, the FX5’s higher-resolution sensor means it can capture a 3.2K (3264 x 1836) region in 16:9. However, this is still output as 1080p when shooting in compressed modes.

Support tools

The FX5 gains a whole host of video-specific tools meant to make it easier to get proper exposure and focus. It has a waveform monitor for clearer and more accurate exposure monitoring, a false color overlay that makes it easy to see at a glance whether your subject is properly exposed and whether any of your highlights and shadows are clipping, a vector scope for more information about your colors and a focus map overlay to assist with focus.

The company has also added more options for desqueezing the preview when shooting with anamorphic lenses, providing several options between a 1.3 and 2.0x ratio.

Initial impressions

James Tirado

The FX5 is an evolution of the FX3 concept that tries to accommodate a wider range of users, and we doubt any one user will want or need the full range of its capabilities. Where the FX3 was essentially an a7S III in a more video-friendly format (or, perhaps, the camera the a7S III should have been, in the first place), the FX5 is a much more capable machine that tries to address multiple different workflows.

Small scale cinematographers can adopt its Raw workflow, while others might choose to shoot open gate and some users will output H.265 UHD files in S-Cinetone. Some people will build it into a rig, others will mount it on a gimble, while others will leave it on ‘sticks.’ The fact that the XLR handle and EVF module are optional suggests that these are option that some people will find essential while others would resent the bulk and cost of something they don’t want. Then there’s the Ethernet port, which allows the camera to be mounted and operated remotely, for applications such as churches, we’re told.

In doing so, though, Sony has made the camera a fraction larger, but probably not to the point that it would alienate many of the run-and-gun shooters who came to love the FX3.

However, the major changes to the user interface, including its frequent decision to reboot, if you accidentally select the wrong frame rate, while changing settings, are likely to make the camera seem surprisingly daunting to existing FX3 users.

James Tirado

Sony talked about adding features and capabilities that have been requested by users, but it also feels like the FX5 is much more a product of the cinema department, like the FX6, rather than having evolved from an Alpha model, as the FX3 appeared to. A lot of the features (not least Raw) might have trickled down from the Burano, but an awful lot of the interface and operational logic has done, too, which is likely to be something of a shock to anyone primarily familiar with the FX3 or 2.

James Tirado

It its favor, it’s stayed in the relatively compact body that has made the FX3 a success, but this means there isn’t room for the variable ND filter system that slides in filters from below the sensor on the bigger camera, that a lot of users were hoping for. Additional options like a USB timecode sync cable aren’t necessarily going to excite a lot of independent FX3 users, but they broaden the camera’s appeal.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Sony decides that the FX5 (or, rather, the existence of both the FX5 and FX2) means that it doesn’t need to create a direct replacement for the FX3.

Viltrox seems poised to start selling lenses for Micro Four Thirds, according to a post on social media platform Xiaohongshu. It shows a puzzle piece about to be slotted into a hole labeled “M4/3,” and teases an announcement coming on July 23rd. While the company hasn’t posted about it on its Instagram pages, the Viltrox US account did comment on a Reddit post about the teaser, saying “Something new coming soon.”

The teaser doesn’t say what to expect, beyond having hashtags that translate to “lens.” But the idea of getting a Micro Four Thirds lens from Viltrox is exciting on its own; the company has become a major player in the world of third-party lenses, and it’s an interesting sign that it’s looking to throw at least some of its weight behind the mount, as we haven’t seen many others do so for a while.

Viltrox

There are a wide variety of companies, well known and not, making manual focus lenses for the system, and a few that continue to sell a handful of autofocus options, too. But beyond Panasonic and OM System, who also make cameras using the mount, there haven’t been any new Micro Four Thirds lenses from a major player in quite some time. Sigma used to have some options for the system, which you can still buy, but they haven’t been updated like we’ve seen with the company’s APS-C and full-frame offerings.

Of course, there are many ways to release a lens for a system. While Viltrox could come out with a lens custom-designed for Micro Four Thirds, with a sensible focal length and a small, compact size. It could also, however, just be swapping out the mount on one of its existing APS-C or, worse, full-frame designs (not that such a move would be unheard of). Even if it is a lens with a larger-than-neccesary image circle, though, it’s still a start. If whatever Viltrox releases ends up being successful, it could lead to the brand giving Micro Four Thirds more attention.

Or it could wind up being something completely unexpected, like a camera that uses the mount. It’s hard to put anything past companies at this point. Whatever it is, we won’t have to wait too long to find out.

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Sony has released a teaser for a new product announcement in its cinema line. As always, the video is very short on details, showing just the silhouette of a camera, tally lights blazing and a top handle attached, and the tagline “lighting the way forward.”

The company is no stranger to posting teaser videos, but, unlike with the one for what turned out to be the RX10 V, it isn’t giving a lot of time for hype to build. The video says the announcement is coming on July 22nd at 7 AM PT (15:00 BST), which is just around 24 hours after the video was published. Whatever the camera is, it seems we won’t have to wait long to get more details.

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The latest version of Adobe Camera Raw, 18.4.1, started rolling out a few weeks ago, but it quietly introduces a feature that I’ve personally wanted for years: the ability to see where your camera’s focus point was set to. This makes it much easier to tell whether it was your camera’s autofocus system that messed up, or if you simply put the focus point in the incorrect place (which is especially important when, say, you review cameras for a living).

The way it works is relatively simple (if a bit of a finger workout): you open up a Raw in ACR, and press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + O on Windows, or Command + Option + Shift + O on Mac. You can also right click on the image and select the “Show Autofocus Points” option. After you do, ACR will draw a red box around the camera’s selected focus point or area.

Screenshot: Mitchell Clark

While the feature isn’t a fool-proof way of assigning blame for an out-of-focus image – if the box is in the wrong place, it could either mean that you put it there in error, or that your camera’s tracking failed – it’s still very nice to have access to this information without having to view it on your camera’s screen, or in camera makers’ own software. Sometimes it’s just nice to be able to check where you were trying to focus, or, to pick a random example, to see where the photographers from your favorite camera review site were focusing in the images they uploaded to their sample galleries.

Currently, the feature is available for Raw files from Canon, Sony and Nikon cameras. We confirmed that we weren’t able to see autofocus points from the most recent cameras from any other manufacturer, so hopefully Adobe will expand the models it’s available to in the future. We’d also hope that this feature, which is currently only available in Photoshop’s ACR module, makes its way to Lightroom and Lightroom Classic, too.

ACR 18.4.1 also adds a “presentation” mode that shows the photo you’re editing full-screen with a customizable matte around it, and which lets you use the arrow keys to move through the photos you currently have open within the tool. It also lets you use the company’s AI-powered “Generative Expand” feature to fill transparent edges, and improves bidirectional gradient masks, adding support for feathering and giving you more precise control over them. You can download the update through the Creative Cloud app, or via the standalone installer.

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The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing a retroactive ban on suspected DJI‑linked drones and cameras, affecting products sold under brands like Xtra and Skyrover. The move escalates last week’s announcement of proposed $25,000 fines against eight companies that allegedly ignored FCC inquiries about DJI‑related gear marketed in the U.S., penalties that were technically for non‑response rather than the hardware itself.

In the past, the FCC’s decisions generally couldn’t touch products that were already approved, but a recent rule adjustment changed that. As The Verge reported, in late 2025, the Commission amended its equipment‑authorization rules so it can now restrict the import and sale of previously approved devices from companies on its national‑security “Covered List,” without formally revoking those original approvals or disabling gear that’s already in users’ hands.

DJI itself was added to the Covered List in late 2025 after a national‑security review under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, a designation that already blocks new DJI radio‑equipped products from receiving FCC approval in the U.S.

Skyrover

This could be the first time the FCC uses its new power, with potential bans on products from Cogito, Fikaxo, Lyno Dynamics, Skyhigh Tech, Spatial Hover, SZ Knowact, WaveGo, Xtra and XAG. The Commission says those products “pose an unacceptable risk” to U.S. national security because they are suspected of containing DJI‑designed radio components under different brand names.

Those who already own products from the at-risk companies won’t be impacted by the FCC’s decision and can continue using them. However, affected drones and cameras are expected to disappear from major online retailers and from the brands’ own sites if the order is finalized, and unsold inventory in the U.S. could need to be written off.

The FCC is accepting public comments for 30 days, so the ban won’t take effect immediately. The Commission says it will consider “specific evidence” that might show the products are compliant, though, as The Verge points out, the organization doesn’t have a great track record of listening to public sentiment. If you would still like to voice your opinion, you can do so via the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System on the FCC website.

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It’s been about two weeks since we launched the new DPReview website, and our team is still hard at work. Along with fixing some critical behind-the-scenes bugs, we’ve been collecting your feedback and have already made some fixes where we could act quickly, with much more to come.

In the whirlwind since launch, however, there’s one new feature we haven’t talked about much: it’s now possible to see fewer ads on DPReview.

Ads were a source of frustration on the legacy site, and the new site gives you an easy way to cut down on them.

How to see fewer ads

It’s simple: use DPReview while logged in. That’s it. Logged-in readers see fewer ads, particularly the most disruptive kinds, like motion-heavy and video ads.

To be clear, this isn’t an ad-free experience; you’ll still see ads, just fewer of them. Consider it our way of thanking logged-in readers for your support as we continue to improve the ad experience for everyone.

Don’t have a DPReview account? Now’s a great time to create one. Just click the Register link to get started.

We know nobody loves ads. Believe me, we don’t either, but they’re a necessity to keep the site running. It costs real money to operate DPReview, and advertising is an important part of how we cover those costs. It’s not our only source of revenue, but it’s one of the things that lets us offer all of our content for free, whether you visit every day or once in a blue moon.

We also get why people use ad blockers. The reasons aren’t lost on us. We just ask you to keep one thing in mind: when you block ads, you’re not only preventing us from earning revenue, you’re actively costing us money. A photography-rich site uses a lot of bandwidth, and that’s a big part of our expenses. Every time you load our content without ads, we lose money, which makes it harder to do things like pay our writers and maintain our servers.

So if you’ve been browsing with an ad blocker, we ask that you try the new site without it (while logged in). We think you’ll find the ads less intrusive than they were on the legacy site, and you’ll be helping us stay on the internet.

In case you missed it

If you haven’t seen our earlier coverage about the new website, a few links are worth your time:

Gear Patrol founder and CEO Eric Yang – a DPReview user for over two decades – wrote about why we needed to rebuild the site from the ground up, including some helpful historical perspective.

If you want to track improvements as we make them, report a bug or usability issue, or just discuss the new site in our forums, we’ve published a guide on how to do that.

Finally, thank you for bearing with us as we improve the site. We know some things aren’t working as expected and that there’s plenty left to fix and improve. We appreciate your patience while our team works overtime to address those issues so we can remove the beta logo from the site.

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After becoming a go-to brand for tripods and various ways to carry your camera around, Peak Design is tackling the next piece of the puzzle: the L-bracket. As is its usual style, the company isn’t content with simply making a piece of hardware that makes it easy to switch between portrait and landscape shooting. Instead, it has built the Field Bracket as a modular system, launching it alongside additional accessories that aim to solve multiple issues.

The Field Bracket takes design cues from the “Field” tripod plate the company released last year. Like the Field Plate, the L-bracket doesn’t require a tool for installation. Instead, it uses the company’s “Field Latch” mechanism, which features a tab that pops up with the press of a button, turning into a thumb-drive handle. That means no more relying on having a hex tool on hand at all times.

Peak Design

The tool‑free design makes it quick and easy to attach the part of the bracket that goes up the side of the camera, transforming from a simple base plate into a full L‑bracket for shooting in portrait orientation on a tripod. Users can also adjust the upright position to provide room for tethering cables, making it easier to use in a studio setup. The Field Bracket is camera-specific, with versions for select Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm and Leica camera systems.

Peak Design says that the Field Bracket is the base of a modular system of accessories. In that spirit, it’s also launching the Beacon Finder Tag, a smaller version of its card-sized tracker that it released with its wallet system and which ties in with Apple’s Find My ecosystem. Peak Design says the tag is the first tracker specifically designed to fit in Arca-compatible camera plates, offering a discreet way to keep track of camera gear.

Peak Design

The company has also created a few additional new accessories for the Field Bracket. Its Cheese Plate adds 1/4″-20, 3/8″-16 and cold shoe mounting points for adding accessories like lights, mics, monitors and more. There’s also a hand strap, making it easier to work handheld with it attached to your camera. No matter which accessories are attached, Peak Design says all your camera’s ports and controls will remain easily accessible. It also allows full integration with existing Peak Design accessories, such as its camera straps and Capture Clip.

As is typical for Peak Design product launches, the new gear will first be available via Kickstarter (its 17th such launch). The Kickstarter campaign will allow users to purchase the system at a discount before the retail release. The camera-specific Field Brackets have an MSRP of $150, while the Cheese Plate, Hand Strap and Beacon Finder tag will be sold separately, starting at $40.

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