If you’re anything like me, sometimes you like to put on a calming video for casually watching in the background while you work on something. The video below from Leica is the perfect option for just that.

The video is 2.5 hours long, and it documents the full restoration of a 100-year-old Leica I from the Leitz family. The video description explains that the camera was dealing with porous shutter curtains, resulting in light leaks and compromised shutter operation.

It showcases every step of the process, from start to finish. What I like best is that there are no dramatic cuts and no flashy music. There’s not even any commentary. It’s just pure camera repair ASMR, making it perfect to keep on in the background. Of course, it’s also neat seeing all of the inner workings of such a camera and all of the tools required for such work.

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I’m a big fan of cameras that are focused on fun, and I’m always interested when companies take a distinct approach to that idea. After all, there are countless highly capable cameras on the market today that are more serious, and you’re sure to find one that fits your needs, no matter what type of photography you enjoy. There are even options for small travel cameras after a bit of a lull in that segment.

What is the Godox C100

Abby Ferguson

When I saw that Godox had released the C100, its first camera, I was intrigued. The palm-sized camera uses a vastly different design from most. It features a transparent viewfinder (though calling it that is a bit generous) that doubles as a minimalist display. You can’t review your photos there, as it’s more like a heads-up display, but it shows which mode you have selected and frame lines. When in light meter mode, it displays ISO, aperture and shutter speed settings.

The white body is a slim rectangle with a central button to trigger the shutter or light meter, arrows to cycle through aspect ratio or exposure settings, and a side switch to select photo, video, light meter, or turn the camera off. It’s remarkably easy to operate from a settings standpoint, as there really aren’t any. It takes just a few seconds of pushing buttons to figure out how to use it.

Using the Godox C100

Abby Ferguson

While the buttons are easy to navigate, using the camera as, well, a camera, is not so pleasant. The large, transparent viewfinder is certainly novel and a playful idea. But using it as a viewfinder is far from ideal. For starters, judging what’s in the frame depends entirely on how close you hold the viewfinder to your face and at what angle. It isn’t a consistent or reliable way to compose images, though I did better than I thought when I actually reviewed them, aside from a few major misses.

The bigger issue I had was that my eyes struggled to decide what to focus on when using it. My eyes would jump back and forth between focusing on whatever was beyond the viewfinder and on the camera itself, which was rather headache-inducing for me. So you see: not so pleasant.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on image quality. Godox hasn’t published any details about the camera in terms of sensor size, aperture, shutter speed, and so on, and none of those details are captured in metadata. So I can only comment on what I’m seeing in the roughly 2MP images.

Abby Ferguson

It should come as no surprise that the image quality is what you’d expect from a toy camera. It admittedly isn’t as bad as I expected (I had very low expectations), and this isn’t a camera meant for pristine image quality anyway. But there are some notable issues.

The dynamic range is very small, and it tends to massively overexpose highlights in favor of exposing for the shadows. In fact, it’s so intense that my colleague Mitchell described it as a “highlight brick wall” as opposed to a highlight roll-off. The fixed focus also isn’t very close, so subjects need to be relatively far away to be sharp (or at least as sharp as this setup can produce).

Abby Ferguson

In bright light, it handles moving subjects reasonably well; my dog wasn’t just a blur, suggesting a reasonable shutter speed. Low-light images are, naturally, quite rough-looking, though that isn’t a surprise given how small the sensor likely is.

Overall, the camera produces images that very much fit into the low-fi aesthetic that seems to be popular right now. The experience of using it isn’t all that pleasant for me, but I could see that being less of an issue for others.

Light meter use

Abby Ferguson

Given the image quality and framing annoyances, I think the Godox C100 actually makes the most sense as a light meter, since it offers a specific mode for that. As a film photographer, I can see the advantage there, as it is significantly smaller than my Sekonic light meter, meaning I can easily keep it in my pocket when I’m out shooting.

There are plenty of excellent smartphone light meter apps (even free ones), but that means I need to have my phone on hand. It also requires I unlock my phone every time I want to take a meter reading, and potentially navigate to the app if I’ve done something else in the meantime, which I’ve found a bit annoying when on a photo walk or something similar.

In my testing, I found the meter mode to be very accurate. I compared it to the measurements from various mirrorless cameras, and it was exactly the same every single time. I would feel confident using it for film.

Abby Ferguson

It’s also nice because you can select which two parameters you want control of versus which the camera should give you a reading for. With what I photograph, I’m most often interested in adjusting my own aperture, and I have a set ISO since I’m shooting film. So I set my ISO and aperture, push the center button, and it gives me a reading for what my shutter speed should be.

The one small issue with light meter mode is the range of each setting. Aperture ranges from F1.0 to F64, and shutter speed from 1 sec to 1/8000 sec, which are both plenty broad (much more than any of my film cameras can use, in fact). ISO, however, only covers from 100-800.

Most of the film I shoot falls in that range, but there are popular film stocks well above 800, or below 100. I’m currently working on a roll of CineStill 800T that I’m shooting at 1600. So that narrow ISO range is potentially a bit limiting. But, for those who know how to calculate equivalent exposures, it could at least help dial in an appropriate setting.

Final thoughts

When looking at a camera like this, it’s important to keep in mind what it actually is and who it’s meant for. This is supposed to be a novel, fun camera, and in most ways it is. For those who aren’t precious about framing or image quality, I could see it being a fun toy to take out and about.

The visually challenging process of trying to actually use the viewfinder will keep me from using it as a camera. But, I think it will make a home next to my film cameras that don’t have built-in meters on photo walks, as it is easier to carry around than my dedicated light meter and more convenient than using a smartphone app.

Godox

Godox C100

• $45 at B&H

Earlier this year, GoPro announced a bit of a departure from its usual products with the Mission 1 Pro ILS. The camera kept the company’s rugged, compact body design, but featured a Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Now, that relationship is formalized, with OM Digital Solutions and Panasonic announcing that GoPro is a member of the Micro Four Thirds standards group.

The announcement could be seen as a vote of confidence in Micro Four Thirds. GoPro brings a new kind of small, rugged video body into the mount’s ecosystem, and its support could help encourage more specialty lenses and accessories built around it.

Still, the Mission 1 Pro ILS isn’t a gateway to the full breadth of Micro Four Thirds glass. Its mount lacks electronic contacts, so it works only with compatible manual-focus lenses and manual or fixed-aperture designs, not the autofocus lenses that make up much of the existing OM System and Panasonic lineup. But it marks an interesting move in the industry, and we’ll be eager to see what, if anything, comes of it.

It’s also worth noting that action camera rival, Insta360, has said it’s working on its own mirrorless cameras, rumored to be built around a Micro Four Thirds mount as well.

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Camp Snap, the company known for its simple, screen-free digital cameras, has announced a new offering in its lineup with a substantially different look. The 110D is a narrow, rectangular camera reminiscent of the classic 110 analog cameras popular in the 1970s.

As the name hints, the Camp Snap got its start as a camera meant for kids to take to camp, without the risk of sending more expensive cameras with your child or the distractions found on other digital cameras. The 110D keeps that legacy alive, and like the company’s other cameras, it lacks a display for viewing photos, prompting users to stay in the moment and look at their photos later.

The only display on it is a monochrome reflective segmented LCD for checking settings. There’s a small optical viewfinder on the side for composing images.

Camp Snap

The camera keeps other kid-focused design features, too. That includes a screw-secured door where the memory card slot and a small selection of buttons to adjust settings live. However, those screws can be removed for those who don’t necessarily need to lock things down.

Also consistent with previous models are the built-in digital filter looks. The 110D offers five filters – Standard, Vintage 1, Vintage 2, Analog and Black & White – that can be changed on the camera itself with a slider. It also features a 30.5mm filter thread for those who want to use physical screw-on photo filters.

Camp Snap says the camera offers a near-instant shutter response, minimizing the delay between pressing the shutter button and capturing the image. It is also designed to maximize battery life by automatically entering sleep mode when it’s inactive. When you’re ready to take a photo, the company says you simply have to press the shutter button and don’t need to wait for the camera to fully boot up. Camp Snap says it can manage around 500 photos per charge.

Camp Snap

One thing even many adults will appreciate is that the camera can be used without an app. In fact, it doesn’t offer any sort of connectivity beyond a USB-C port. That means no fussing with connecting the camera to a phone or dealing with all the other things that come with it when a child is using it. Images can simply be transferred to a phone, tablet or computer using that USB-C port.

In terms of the nitty-gritty details, the 110D features an 8MP Type 1/3.2 (15.7mm²) CMOS sensor. It uses a 4.2mm F2.0 (26mm F11.5 full-frame equivalent) lens and offers a dual-tone LED flash, with options for 6500K and 3000K. Unsurprisingly, it only captures JPEG files, and it has fully automatic exposure and white balance. It features a pre-installed 4GB microSD card that stores roughly 2000 photos, though it can be upgraded as well.

Camp Snap

The Camp Snap 110D is available for pre-order now for $75. It comes in two colors: black and gray (called Back in Black), and white and orange (dubbed Dreamsicle).

Camp Snap

Camp Snap 110D

• $75 at Camp Snap

Over the last seven months, Samsung, Google and Apple have all released their latest flagship smartphones. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra arrived first, followed by Google’s Pixel 11 Pro and Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro. With its 6.9-inch display, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is more akin in size to the XL and Max variants of the Pixel and iPhone, but, unlike Google and Apple, Samsung doesn’t make a smaller version with otherwise identical specs.

Here’s how their cameras, displays, battery life and other core specifications compare.

Cameras

There’s a lot of overlap when comparing the camera systems of these three flagships. Each has an advantage over the others in some way; some are rather substantial, while most are only small differences.

The three phones use main-camera sensors that are effectively the same size, all coming in at Type 1/1.3 (72mm²). The notable difference is resolution: the Galaxy S26 Ultra uses a 200MP main camera, compared with 50MP on the Pixel 11 Pro and 48MP on the iPhone 18 Pro. Despite the variety in resolutions, all three models will, by default output at lower resolutions; the iPhone and Galaxy at 24MP, the Pixel at 12.5. They all, however, offer modes that let you use the sensor’s full resolution, but due to the nature of Quad Bayer sensors, they’re typically best used in good lighting where you don’t need maximum dynamic range.

Apple

Apple’s main camera has its own edge, though, as it’s the only one here with a variable-aperture lens (though Samsung briefly experimented with something similar around a decade ago). It can be set to F1.48, F1.8, F2.8 or F4, promising a bit more creative control and exposure flexibility, especially when shooting video.

Samsung has the broadest rear-camera system, adding a dedicated 3x camera between its main and 5x cameras. Its long telephoto reaches 111mm equiv., narrowly exceeding the Pixel’s 106mm and iPhone’s 100mm equiv. lenses, and the 67mm equiv. provides a nice bit of flexibility that the others don’t. However, the Pixel’s telephoto sensor remains the largest in that class of the group.

All three phones support close-focus shooting with their ultrawide cameras, though, naturally, each brand handles it slightly differently and uses distinct names. Apple lists macro photography, Google specifies Macro Focus on the Pixel 11 Pro ultrawide, and Samsung’s Focus Enhancer can automatically switch to the Galaxy S26’s ultrawide camera for nearby subjects.

Video

Google

On the video side of things, Apple lists the most extensive video feature set. The iPhone 18 Pro records 4K Dolby Vision video at up to 120 fps and supports ProRes, ProRes Raw with external recording, Apple Log 2 and ACES color workflows. It is also compatible with Genlock, which lets the iPhone 18 Pro synchronize its frame timing with other cameras and video devices.

Lastly, the iPhone has finally caught up with the Pixel and Galaxy phones with the addition of manual camera controls for aperture, shutter speed, white balance and histogram monitoring (which also work in photo mode).

The Pixel 11 Pro records up to 4K/60p on the phone itself, while its 8K/30p option uses cloud-based processing. It also offers separate modes for low-light video, extra handheld stabilization and enhanced zoomed video, plus a post-capture tool for reducing distracting background sounds.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra records up to 8K/30p and 4K/120p. It also supports Samsung’s Advanced Professional Video codec, an open, professional-oriented format intended to preserve more image information while using storage more efficiently than conventional uncompressed video. Samsung also includes an enhanced stabilization mode designed to keep handheld footage level during movement (a feature Apple replicates with the iPhone’s “Action” mode).

Displays and battery

While all three sit in the flagship-phone class, Samsung takes a different physical approach with the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s substantially larger display. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro share the smaller 6.3-inch format, while the Samsung is closer in scale to Apple’s Pro Max-class phones and Google’s Pixel Pro XL models.

The three offer the same 120Hz maximum refresh rate, and their pixel densities are broadly similar despite their different screen sizes and resolutions. The Pixel has the highest stated brightness rating, while the iPhone’s specification is specifically an outdoor-brightness figure.

In terms of battery specs, Apple rates the iPhone 18 Pro for up to 36 hours of video playback and it says the phone can reach 50% charge in around 15 minutes with a compatible 60W-or-higher USB-C adapter. The Pixel 11 Pro has a stated 30-plus-hour mixed-use runtime and charges to 55% in around 30 minutes with a 30W USB-C PPS charger. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra supports up to 60W wired charging, and the company promises up to 31 hours of video playback.

Size and weight

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is much taller and wider than the iPhone 18 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro, reflecting its 6.9-inch display and four-camera system. At 214g, it is also the heaviest, though only by a small margin. It’s just 3g heavier than the iPhone and 10g heavier than the Pixel, but it is thinner than both.

Key differences

Outside the camera system, the three phones still share a premium baseline: all start with 256GB of storage, use USB-C, support Wi-Fi 7 and are rated IP68 for dust and water resistance. The main hardware differences are scale and camera configuration rather than basic connectivity or durability.

Apple supports MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging, including up to 25W MagSafe charging, while Google’s Pixel 11 Pro supports the Qi2.2-based Pixelsnap accessory system. Samsung supports wired, wireless and reverse wireless charging, and its Ultra model adds S Pen support and a built-in Privacy Display feature.

Software remains a fundamental distinction. The iPhone 18 Pro runs iOS 27 and integrates with Apple’s hardware and services. The Pixel 11 Pro runs Android with Google’s Pixel interface and a stated seven years of operating system, security and feature updates. The Galaxy S26 Ultra runs Android with Samsung’s One UI, Galaxy AI tools and S Pen software features.

The three phones are also close in price. In the U.S., the Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at $1300, the Pixel 11 Pro at $1099 and the iPhone 18 Pro at $1199. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s larger display, S Pen support and fourth rear camera position it differently from the two 6.3-inch Pro models, but it also places all three phones within a $200 launch-price range.

Alongside the new EOS R8 II, Canon has announced Dual Pixel 3D, a new Windows-based software tool, free at launch, that turns a single compatible camera image into an immersive 3D photo, a 3D model or a short 3D video clip. It does so using sensor data rather than requiring a dual-lens or dedicated 3D camera setup, meaning photographers can create 3D content without purchasing separate, specialized equipment.

How it works

The Dual Pixel 3D Converter uses depth and phase-detection data from a single compatible image, either a Dual Pixel Raw file shot with a supported camera, or a JPEG containing distance information captured by the EOS R8 Mark II. Users will need to ensure that the setting to record distance data to JPEGs is turned on, however.

The tool can export the resulting 3D content as OBJ or GLB model files, or as an MP4 video that creates a shifting, three-dimensional perspective. Canon says the tool is best suited to close-up, stationary subjects with clear depth and defined edges, such as products, plants and food.

Canon’s documentation of the feature highlights the need for a sharp source image. As a result, it recommends using an aperture between F5.6 and F8, specifying that anything beyond F8 will result in “a 3D conversion error.” The company also suggests an ISO of 1600 or lower to minimize noise. Finally, it cautions that subjects with fine details, transparency, reflections, repeating patterns or heavy blur may not produce ideal results.

The app then provides some controls for customization over the degree of depth. Users can increase depth for a stronger 3D effect or reduce it for a more subtle look. It also allows users to remove or replace the background before exporting the final file.

Compatible cameras

Canon says the new tool is compatible with eight EOS R-series cameras, listed above. While users don’t need a dual-lens setup, the feature only works with select Canon lenses, also listed above. The company notes that feature availability and viable output will depend on the camera, source file type, lens and shooting conditions.

Dual Pixel 3D could be particularly useful for photographers and small businesses that want to create rotating product visuals or shareable 3D-looking clips without investing in dedicated scanning hardware. It is not a firmware update that adds a new shooting mode to every Canon body. Instead, Canon’s new software converts depth information in compatible images captured with supported camera-and-lens combinations into 3D content.

Adobe has announced Photoshop Elements 2027 and Premiere Elements 2027, new versions of its consumer-focused photo and video editing apps. Both updates add AI-powered tools and features intended to make editing more approachable for beginners. Adobe has also updated Elements Organizer, its companion app for managing photo and video libraries.

Photoshop Elements 2027

Adobe

Photoshop Elements 2027 adds Generative Expand, which lets users extend an image beyond its original frame by using AI-generated content to fill the new areas. The new version also includes Generative Upscale, an AI-powered tool designed to improve the apparent clarity of low-resolution images as they are enlarged.

A new Creative Filters feature applies styles including Embroidery, Oil Painting, and Duotone. Users can adjust the intensity, texture and color of each effect for a more customized result.

Adobe is also bringing its AI Assistant to Photoshop Elements as a beta feature. The tool allows users to describe the edit they want to make, and it then carries out the tasks (at least simple ones). It debuted earlier this year on Photoshop for web and mobile before expanding to the Photoshop desktop beta.

Lastly, Photoshop Elements 2027 adds an AI Tools Hub that brings the app’s AI-powered editing features into one place, reducing the need to search through multiple menus and panels.

Premiere Elements 2027

Adobe

Premiere Elements 2027, Adobe’s consumer-focused video editor, is also gaining new AI tools (though, like Photoshop Elements, those may be subject to AI credit rules). Users can generate images from scratch to fill gaps in a timeline or create overlays, while Generative Title Art turns plain text into stylized graphics using text-based prompts.

Adobe is also adding sample photos and videos so users can experiment with tools and try editing techniques without importing their own footage. Contextual Toolbars help users locate relevant editing tools by describing the task they want to complete, serving a similar beginner-friendly purpose to Photoshop Elements’ AI Assistant.

Lastly, the video editor adds Editing Indicators, which help users quickly identify effects, transitions and text formatting while editing.

Elements Organizer

Adobe has also updated Elements Organizer to make growing photo and video libraries easier to manage. The update is designed to help users find specific files, reduce duplicate clutter and share finished work more quickly.

A new Semantic Search feature lets users use natural-language descriptions to find photos and videos, even when their search terms do not exactly match existing tags. Semantic Search is currently an English-only beta feature.

The update also improves duplicate-file detection and adds Share to Phone, which uses a QR code to transfer edited photos directly from a desktop computer to a mobile device.

Availability

Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements 2027 are available now. The bundle of both programs costs $150, or each program is available separately for $100.

Interestingly, Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements are limited to a three-year term license. Once that period ends, users will lose access to the editing apps, although Adobe says their media catalog will remain accessible in Elements Organizer. That means owners cannot simply continue using an older version indefinitely if they decide the newer features are not worth upgrading for.

It’s important to note that Adobe’s AI-powered features typically cost one credit per use. When purchased as standalone apps, Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements each come with 25 credits per month, while the bundle includes 100 generative credits per month. The company also offers a way for you to purchase more through its dedicated AI subscription.

Capture One has announced the latest version of its desktop and mobile software. The updates bring 2nd Gen Wireless Tethering to two more Canon cameras. They also include immediate support for Canon’s newly released EOS R8 II and an enhanced version of Capture One’s AI-powered culling tool.

One of the more broadly helpful features is the updated version of Assisted Review, Capture One’s AI-powered culling tool that entered Beta in the May 2026 release. The tool promises to automatically flag images with issues like closed eyes, missed focus and exposure problems. Its initial release required users to manually trigger it, but now, the tool can run automatically while shooting tethered. That means photographers can have culled images by the time the shoot is done, potentially saving quite a bit of time. It’s only available on desktop for now, and is still in beta.

Capture One has also expanded compatibility for its 2nd Gen Wireless Tethering system, adding support for the Canon EOS R3 and Canon EOS R6 III. The feature launched in May 2026, with support limited to the Canon EOS R5 II and EOS R1. It

The second-generation system sends a smaller, fully editable Raw file almost immediately while the full-resolution file transfers in the background, allowing photographers to review and begin editing images without interrupting a shoot. With standard wireless tethering, the complete Raw must transfer before it appears in Capture One, a process that can take several seconds, or longer with high-resolution files or a weaker Wi‑Fi connection. Capture One says the feature works on both desktop and mobile.

Capture One

Lastly, Capture One is also providing immediate support for the new Canon EOS R8 II. Photographers working with Canon’s latest camera won’t have any delay in terms of editing files in Capture One, either on desktop or mobile. It’s important to note, though, that it uses the standard wireless tether feature, not the 2nd generation version.

Capture One version 16.8.6 for desktop and version 4.1 for mobile are available now.

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Sony has announced the FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS and FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS. The company claims that both are the lightest super-telephoto lenses in their class, promising superb sharpness in a compact package.

The two lenses have a lot in common, including using a lightweight construction. The 400mm weighs 994 g (2.2 lbs), with the 600mm coming in at only a single gram more. For comparison, Nikon’s 400mm F4.5 and 600mm F6.3 are both over 1000g. They are also especially light compared to Sony’s faster 400mm and 600mm lenses.

Each lens uses two of Sony’s linear motors, with one for each focus group. Sony says both lenses provide fast and precise autofocus, with the ability to maintain focus tracking at up to 120 fps or during 4K 120p recording.

The 400mm F4.5 and 600mm F6.3 are each compatible with teleconverters, providing even more reach when needed. They both feature an 11-blade aperture diaphragm and are compatible with 95mm filters.

The on-lens controls are consistent between each lens, too. They feature 4 focus hold buttons around the barrel and a customizable function ring. There’s a focus range limiter (full range and infinity to 7m) and full-time manual focus override. A switch enables three different stabilization modes: one for normal camera shake, one for panning and one designed to keep the viewfinder image more stable while tracking fast, erratically moving subjects.

The lenses are dust and moisture-resistant, with sealed seams and silicone rubber gaskets around the switches and buttons, plus a sealed lens mount ring. The front elements feature a fluorine coating to repel oil and water. The lenses include a removable tripod foot.

Sony

The main physical difference between the 400mm and 600mm, besides focal length and aperture range, is the optical design. The 400mm features 22 elements in 16 groups, while the 600mm comprises 24 elements in 17 groups. However, both utilize 3 Super ED elements and 1 ED element.

Both lenses also feature a design with only a single front lens element. Sony says this helps keep the overall weight down, and also shifts the weight towards the camera body for better balance when holding the setup and smoother panning. Naturally, Sony promises superb sharpness from both.

There’s also a $1000 price difference between the two. The FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS is listed at $2700, while the FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS is $3700. They are available for pre-order as of today, with initial orders expected to begin shipping in October.

Sample galleries

We expect one of the most common applications for both new lenses to be wildlife photography, so we’ve primarily built our sample galleries around this use case. Most of the photos you see in these galleries were shot at Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge in Montana, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Bison Range in Montana, and at the Oregon Zoo.

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing; we do so in good faith, so please don’t abuse it. 

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Fujifilm is refreshing two of its Instax products with second-generation models. The Pal 2 is a complete redesign of the company’s tiny, playful, digital-only camera, while the Link Wide 2 is a subtly updated version of its portable, smartphone-connected photo printer that uses the larger Instax Wide film. Both are designed to work in conjunction, with the Pal 2 capturing images that users can then print with the Link Wide 2.

The original Pal, launched in 2023, was a palm-sized camera that looked like an even more miniature Instax Mini. It offered no controls beyond a shutter button and had no display. Notably, it arrived roughly two years before Kodak’s viral Charmera keychain camera helped propel tiny digital cameras into the spotlight, and Fujifilm has acknowledged that the camera was divisive. “When we introduced the original Pal in 2024, some consumers weren’t sure what to make of it,” said Bing Liem, division president, Imaging Division, Fujifilm North America Corporation, in the press release for the launch.

In light of that, and citing customer feedback, Fujifilm took the Pal 2 in a different direction. The new version is still palm-sized, but it looks like a classic analog camera, sporting a long, rectangular shape instead of the bubbly Instax Mini-esque design. It now also sports an optical viewfinder, helping users frame their shots instead of relying on blind luck, and keeps the flash from the original for illuminating subjects.

Fujifilm

The Pal 2 features a one-inch LCD screen on the top, which lets you review your photos or adjust various settings and controls. That includes the ability to switch between the Pal 2’s five filter themes, with each offering a further six adjustments. It also lets you switch between Instax Mini, Square or Wide instant film and frameless formats before printing, so you can better visualize how your print will look.

Fujifilm has also added a new shooting mode, called Animation. The new mode captures 10 frames and turns them into a flipbook-style animation. There’s a switch on top of the camera that lets you quickly switch between single-photo and Animation mode.

Fujifilm

The Pal 2 uses a 10.7MP Type 1/3.06 (13.4 mm²) CMOS sensor. While that’s a fair bit bigger than the 4.9MP Type 1/5 (6.4 mm²) found in the original, it’s still quite small, even compared to what you’d find in a compact or phone. It features a 28mm equivalent lens with an F2.2 aperture, and objects as close as 8cm in front of it will be in focus. It offers a self-timer and exposure compensation from -2.0 to +2.0 EV. The camera weighs just 41g (1.4 oz).

As a digital-only camera, the Pal 2 doesn’t take film like most other Instax cameras. You can, however, print with the Instax Link series, Instax Mini LiPlay or Instax Mini Evo devices either from the Instax Pal app or directly from the camera. The camera features integrated storage that can hold up to 100 photos at a time, and it’s also compatible with microSD cards.

Fujifilm

Along with the new camera, Fujifilm also announced the Instax Link Wide 2. This is more of an incremental update than a complete refresh, and most of the original’s features are retained. In fact, the changes all come from the app. It adds a Photo Mixer feature that lets users select images from their camera roll and, by tapping the “Mix it” button, generate multiple collage-style layouts to choose from. Users can remix these up to five times, and then make custom edits before printing or sharing images online.

The app supports numerous frames, filters, emojis, color modes and text, along with 1600 in-app stickers to customize prints. Lastly, users can add QR codes to the Instax Wide photos to share links, locations, hidden messages or sound clips. As the name suggests, it uses Instax Wide instant film, which produces photos that are roughly 7.62 cm x 12.7 cm (3” x 5”).

The Instax Pal 2 will be available in late September in either white or black/silver for $170. That’s substantially more expensive than the Charmera, though that doesn’t offer Bluetooth connectivity and features a smaller 1.8MP Type 1/4 (9.7 mm²) sensor.

The Instax Link Wide 2 will also be available in late September for $180 and comes in two colors, Duo Beige or Duo Blue.

Fujifilm

Fujifilm Instax Pal 2

• $170 at B&H

Fujifilm

Fujifilm Instax Link Wide 2

• $180 at B&H

Almost every photographer has lost a lens cap at some point. They roll under car seats, disappear into the bottom of camera bags and, apparently, tumble into Yellowstone’s hydrothermal features.

A recent post by the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory on the U.S. Geological Survey website and Instagram account details the record-breaking amount of trash Yellowstone National Park staff have removed from hydrothermal areas this year. Most notable for photographers: as of early September, the park’s Geology Program had recovered 54 camera lens caps from thermal areas. They were the most common item found beyond the usual plastic and paper trash.

The photos shared with the post appear to show other photography-related items as well, including at least one lens hood, several eyecups, a handful of instant photographs and plenty of binocular caps. The collection also included 47 hair ties, 42 pencils, 36 pairs of sunglasses, 20 hotel key cards and 17 pacifiers. All were recovered from hydrothermal features, not simply from the boardwalks.

Margery Price / National Park Service

It may be easy to dismiss a dropped lens cap as a minor annoyance, but Yellowstone’s thermal features are highly sensitive to foreign objects. The park’s Geology Program warns that debris can clog a feature’s water supply, alter runoff channels and introduce chemicals or sediment. Morning Glory Pool, for example, famously changed color during the 20th century after visitors repeatedly tossed trash into it.

The post is a useful reminder for photographers: When you remove a lens cap, put it securely in a pocket or camera bag. Better yet, if you know you will be moving quickly between shots, leave it in your car, cabin or campsite. And, whatever you do, don’t balance it on a handrail where it’s liable to get knocked or blown off into a sensitive area

If you absolutely must keep the cap handy, consider a cap keeper, a small tether that connects the cap to the lens barrel. It is not the most elegant accessory, and some attachment methods may not hold up to the gusty winds possible in places such as Yellowstone. Still, it is better than letting another piece of plastic become part of a sensitive landscape.

This year started out quite quiet for new cameras and almost as quiet for photography-related gear in general. We saw some lenses and a few cameras trickled out in the first half of the year, each of which told us something interesting about the market, but there have been fewer releases than in past years. Thankfully, this week marked a bit of a shift, and we suddenly had some actually new products to share. In case you missed some of it, here’s all we saw over the last seven days. 

OM System PEN

Richard Butler

Perhaps the standout launch this week was the OM System PEN, a compact, Micro Four Thirds camera built around a 20MP sensor that marks the first time in a decade that a Pen camera has been sold in North America. The camera is aimed at travel and everyday use, offering a compact build with retro styling at a very reasonable price.

OM System M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 III

OM System

Released alongside the PEN was an updated model of OM System’s standard zoom, the M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 III (28-84mm equiv.). The new version is a small upgrade, but it finally offers weather sealing and lets you focus more closely. It is slightly larger than its predecessor, but it’s still quite small for what it is, fitting nicely on cameras like the new PEN. 

Laowa 180mm F4.5 1.5x Ultra Macro APO for X and F-mount

Laowa

While not a new lens, Laowa announced this week that the previously released 180mm F4.5 1.5x Ultra Macro APO is now available for Fujifilm X-mount and Nikon F-mount. It is the first autofocus Laowa lens available for X-mount, and offers a 270mm equiv. field of view on Fujifilm’s APS-C cameras. The price is also a pleasant feature: it costs just $499. 

Sony FE 8-14mm F3.5 Fisheye G

Dale Baskin

Sony released a lens this week that is a first in its lens lineup. The FE 8-14mm F3.5 Fisheye G is the company’s first standalone fisheye lens for E-mount, and it says it’s the most compact lens of this type. At 8mm, the lens provides a circular fisheye image, which will be very familiar to anyone who watched 90’s skateboarding or music videos, while zooming to 14mm results in an image that fills the frame. 

Sigma 20-60mm F2.8-4 DG Contemporary

Sigma / Jack Redgate

Sigma announced two lenses this week, one of which was the 20-60mm F2.8-4 DG Contemporary, a kit lens upgrade for E and L-mounts that is remarkably compact. It weighs 385g (13.6oz), and is 88mm (3.5″) long at its shortest (it extends as you zoom). It is limited in on-lens controls, but Sigma says it’s dust and splash-resistant, and at $849, it’s relatively affordable, too. 

Sigma 85mm F1.2 DG Art

Sigma

For those looking for a more portrait-focused lens, the new Sigma 85mm F1.2 DG Art may be of interest. Like the above lens, it is available for E and L-mounts and is the company’s third F1.2 prime lens, joining 35mm and 50mm options. A lens of this type will have some bulk, but Sigma says it is the “smallest and lightest in its class,” and it weighs just 905g (31.9oz). It’s also significantly more affordable than the Canon and Nikon 85mm F1.2 lenses, coming in at $1599. You can see sample images from the lens here. 

Nine Nikon cinema lenses

Nikon

Not to be left out of the slew of announcements this week, Nikon announced it will be releasing a series of nine T1.9 cinema lenses. Details are still sparse on most of them, including availability, pricing and focal lengths, but it did say one of the nine lenses will be a 50mm. We’ll have to wait for more details, but it does appear Nikon is busy at least.

Fujifilm XF 400mm F4.5 R LM OIS WR

Abby Ferguson

Fujifilm released the XF 400mm F4.5 R LM OIS WR at the end of last week, but for the sake of thoroughness, we’re including it here. The $3200 super-telephoto prime lens rounds out its trio of such lenses, joining the XF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR and XF 200mm F2 R LM OIS WR. It provides a 609mm equivalent focal length on X-mount cameras, and is relatively compact and lightweight for what it is. 

Apple iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo

Apple

Shifting gears away from lenses, this week marked the release of Apple’s latest iPhone lineup, which includes the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and Duo. The most notable update from a camera perspective is the variable aperture found on the main camera of the 18 Pro and Pro Max, which ranges from F1.48 to F4. It also finally unlocks manual control over some settings within the native camera app.  

The Duo is Apple’s long-awaited entry into the folding phone market, and while it doesn’t feature very advanced cameras, it does offer some camera tricks. 

Insta360 Luna Pro

Mykim Dang

Lastly, Insta360 announced the global release of its Luna Pro, a single-lens gimbal camera aimed at creators who want a portable, stabilized camera for social-ready video. It keeps the specs of the main camera found on the Luna Ultra, and comes in at $600, $170 less than its dual-lens sibling. You can see our hands-on footage here. 

Photographers usually discuss focal length in millimeters. But the San Diego Air & Space Museum’s newly unpacked reconnaissance camera is identified in inches: 24 of them, or roughly 610mm. According to the museum, an even longer 48-inch version followed. 

The camera was part of a cache of unused 1960s-era equipment supplied with the museum’s Lockheed A-12, the CIA’s Mach 3 reconnaissance aircraft and the predecessor to the SR-71 Blackbird. The video is nearly 20 minutes long and begins with substantial background on the A-12 (it is an aviation channel, after all) so photographers may want to jump to the 11:47 mark, where the museum gets into the cameras and how they were used. 

In the video, host Gordon Permann walks through some of the challenges of making a sharp photograph from about 80,000 feet while traveling at roughly 2500 mph. The ground would move hundreds of feet beneath the aircraft during an exposure, resulting in a blurred image. Making matters worse, neither the aircraft nor the terrain would necessarily be level. The solution was motion compensation: the camera itself would “skew,” or make a small movement as its aperture opened, counteracting image smear.

Another fascinating feature is simply how much film these systems used. Permann first shows the standard film canister used in reconnaissance aircraft from the 1950s through the 1990s, which he says held roughly 1200 feet of film. But the A-12 and SR-71 Blackbird needed still more film, so a larger canister was made. The museum has one of those, too, which Permann lifts in the video. He explains that the larger camera used a five-inch-wide film strip, with around 4.5 inches of usable image area. Each individual frame measured about six feet long.

Permann says the system could image more than 100,000 square miles in a single hour, capturing huge swathes of land or sea at once. He also recounts a Blackbird making a turn with its camera running and pointed out to sea. When the film was developed, analysts reportedly spotted a U.S. destroyer on the horizon, 94 miles away, and were able to identify the ship’s type despite the distance.

A separate, still-factory-wrapped camera in another crate is the real mystery: its 1953 date predates the A-12 project by six years, so it couldn’t have come from a Blackbird-family aircraft. The museum is seeking the public’s help to identify what airplane it may have been used on, so anyone with a theory can head to the video and share it in the comments.

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Laowa has announced that it is bringing its 180mm F4.5 1.5x Ultra Macro APO lens to Fujifilm X-mount and Nikon F-mount. The lens was originally released almost exactly one year ago for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon EF, Canon RF, and L-mounts, and the new additions mean that most photographers, no matter their system, have access to an affordable macro lens, though not every mount offers autofocus. 

Laowa

The Fujifilm X-mount version, like the E, Z, and EF-mount iterations, is an autofocus lens and marks the first autofocus Laowa lens for X-mount cameras. The Canon RF, L-mount and Nikon F versions, though, are manual focus only. Complicating matters further, the autofocus versions of the lenses only have their full abilities from 1.5m (4.9′) to infinity. For subjects between 1.5m and the lens’ minimum focusing distance, 30cm (11.8″), you only get “limited autofocus assistance for focus stacking.”

On Fujifilm X-mount cameras, the lens offers a 270mm equivalent field of view. Optically, all mounts are the same, with an apochromatic design and 12 elements in 9 groups, which Laowa says results in excellent sharpness and reduced chromatic aberration. It features a nine-blade aperture diaphragm. 

Laowa

The exact weight depends on the mount, but the Fujifilm X version is the heaviest of the bunch, weighing 526.2g (1.2 lbs). All iterations are compatible with 62mm filters. 

Laowa’s 180mm F4.5 1.5x Ultra Macro APO for X and F-mounts is available for purchase today for $499. 

Laowa 180mm F4.5 1.5X Ultra Macro APO

• $499 at B&H Photo
• $499 at Laowa

Insta360 has announced the global launch of the Luna Pro, a compact, single-lens gimbal camera designed for vlogging and social-first video. The camera is Insta360’s second entry in the category after the dual-lens Luna Ultra, sharing the more expensive model’s Type 1 sensor, Leica-branded 20mm-equivalent F1.8 lens and 8K Dolby Vision video while omitting its dedicated telephoto camera. You can learn more about the camera in our full coverage.

A spec sheet is one thing, but we wanted to see how the Luna Pro holds up in the real world. To that end, we brought it into a dim listening bar, attached it for first-person rock-climbing footage and took it aboard a working lobster boat. The videos above and below look at stabilization on moving water, the effectiveness of the camera’s zoom, and its close-up shooting abilities with animals and other natural subjects.

The resulting footage offers a more practical look at how Insta360’s lower-priced Luna model handles unpredictable, active settings, and where the single-lens design may be enough for creators who do not need the Luna Ultra’s dedicated telephoto camera.

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Insta360 is continuing its challenge to DJI’s popular Osmo lineup with its second gimbal camera in just three months. The Luna Pro is a single-lens device designed to take on the DJI Osmo Pocket 4, targeting creators who want a more portable option for stabilized, social-ready video without the higher price tag of the dual-lens Insta360 Luna Ultra.

The Luna Pro shares the Luna Ultra’s headline Type 1 sensor and Leica-branded 20mm-equivalent F1.8 lens specifications, but lacks that model’s dedicated telephoto camera. The Luna Pro can record HDR video in Dolby Vision at 8K/30, as well as 4K/120 footage for slow motion. It features a dedicated low-light mode called PureVideo that uses AI to reduce noise and enhance brightness and detail, which works up to 4K60. The camera can also record 4K/30 vertical video using 6K oversampling for social-first sharing and can take up to 37MP still photos.

Insta360

Insta360 says the Luna Pro offers a 2x zoom mode that crops in on the center region of the sensor, which still provides a 4K window, plus 4x ‘HighRes Zoom,’ which Insta360 says uses AI to maintain detail and quality. It supports 10-bit I-Log, preserving more color, highlight and shadow detail for grading and supports ACES workflows. It also features in-camera Leica color profiles and other filters for those who are after more polished looks straight out of the camera.

As a gimbal camera, it offers 3-axis stabilization, promising smooth footage even when moving. It also offers multiple subject tracking modes, including single person, multi-person and pets. 

Insta360

Like its sibling, the Luna Pro features a detachable two-inch touchscreen that can be used as a remote control. Insta360 promises up to 4 hours of use, and it also supports fast charging. It includes 47GB of built-in storage, though it also accepts microSD cards up to 2TB for those who need more storage space. It weighs 215g for the black version, though the white comes in 3g heavier. The camera is also compatible with a range of accessories, including Insta360’s mics and its head tracker, which you can see in action in our hands-on footage.

The Luna Pro will be available globally beginning September 10 for $600, or $170 less than the dual-lens Luna Ultra. For U.S. customers, the Luna series has a clear advantage over DJI’s current Osmo Pocket models, which are not officially available in the country because DJI is affected by the FCC’s Covered List restrictions on newly introduced foreign-made camera equipment. For those in the U.S. who like the idea of a gimbal camera but find the Luna series a bit steep, the Osmo Pocket 3 remains available for $439 because it was released before DJI was added to the FCC’s Covered List.

Insta360

Insta360 Luna Pro

• $600 at Insta360

Apple has announced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at its annual fall keynote. Although the company started the event with AI features, the standout change in the new models’ camera system is the adjustable aperture.

Apple is pitching the new aperture system as a way to get more “creative control” while taking images and videos. Contrary to the rumors, the adjustable aperture is available on both sizes of the iPhone Pro. The company says it comprises six laser-cut blades, each thinner than a human hair.

Like the 17 Pro models, the 18 Pro and Pro Max feature a 48MP main camera with a 24mm equiv. lens. The ultrawide and telephoto cameras are also unchanged from their predecessors, both of which use 48MP Type 1/2.55 (23.5mm²) sensors.

Apple

The main camera is the only one that features the new adjustable aperture system, which can go from F1.48 to F4 (the 17 Pro’s main camera had a fixed F1.78 aperture), allowing for four adjustments. Apple is also finally adding “Pro Controls,” which allows users to manually control aperture, white balance and shutter speed, something people have been asking Apple to add for years. Additionally, its Photography Styles option now supports control over grain.

For video features, the camera supports 4K time-lapses, and you can now use cinematic mode (which adds fake background blur) at up to 4K/60.

Apple also touched on image authenticity, a hot-button topic in the age of AI. We’ve seen other phone manufacturers, like Google, implement C2PA content credentials in their cameras, letting you verify that a photograph hasn’t been altered since it was taken. Now, Apple is following suit, characteristically introducing its own system called Apple Reference Image.

Apple

The company says it’s made possible by a new sensor in the main camera that “can sign every pixel it sees.” Photos taken in the “Reference mode” will capture “signed sensor data that Private Cloud Compute develops into an unalterable reference image.” Oddly, the Apple Reference Image authenticity feature is not available in China, and won’t be available in the EU to start.

The company also says it’s adding support for the SynthID standard, which adds an invisible watermark to images created or edited using AI.

The iPhone 18 Pro features an A20 Pro system on a chip, which has a 6-core CPU with 2 “super” cores and 4 efficiency cores. It also features a 7-core GPU that Apple says is 40% faster than the previous generation. It should offer double the AI processing capacity as a result of double the neural cores. Apple also says it’s doubled the battery life, despite the battery being smaller. It supports faster wired charging, letting you charge it to 50% in 15 minutes.

Apple

Apple is offering the Pro in four color options this year, where it’s traditionally been three. It will be available in black, silver, “Glacier” blue, and “Burgundy.” Last year, some people were upset that there wasn’t a black option, so this will likely be a welcome addition to the lineup.

The iPhone 18 Pro will cost $1199 for the 256GB version, while the Pro Max comes in at $1299. Both the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are $100 more than their predecessors.

I love watching adventure stories, especially when they pull back the curtain on the work required to tell them well. Salomon’s short documentary, The Women Who Took Over UTMB, does exactly that, following an all-women photo, video, and social team as they cover UTMB, one of trail running’s largest and most demanding events.

The team is there to document 23 Salomon athletes across five races and nearly 400 kilometers of mountain terrain over six days. They’re navigating unpredictable weather, road closures, long drives around the Mont Blanc massif, patchy connectivity, tight turnaround times, and the physical effort of carrying heavy camera kits to the places where the most compelling moments might unfold.

The film covers a lot, including the logistics of capturing an event like this. It is easy to see a dramatic mountain-running image or polished race recap and forget the chain of decisions behind it: where to position a photographer, how to get a camera operator ahead of an athlete, when to stop shooting and start transmitting and how to keep creating after little sleep. The crew has to make those calls constantly, while contending with rain, snow, exhaustion and a mid-race course adjustment.

I’ve helped a runner during a far less intense ultramarathon and got a small taste of just how grueling the experience can be, even without the pressure of covering it or the burden of camera gear. Calling this assignment demanding would be an understatement, and the team did a phenomenal job producing photo, video, and social coverage throughout the event.

The fact that the content team is made up entirely of women adds a welcome dimension in a space that has been male-dominated. The film touches on why this team was assembled in the first place and on some of their experiences as women in the field. It also highlights that these are simply experienced creatives doing incredibly difficult work at a very high level, supporting one another and finding the human stories within a massive endurance event.

For anyone interested in adventure, storytelling, sports photography, filmmaking, or the often-invisible labor behind major event coverage, it’s a compelling watch.

Earlier this week, Fujifilm announced the XF 400mm F4.5 R LM OIS R, a super telephoto prime lens for its APS-C X-mount system. We had the chance to test it out ahead of its launch, putting the compact, 609mm-equivalent lens to work photographing birds and other distant subjects.

Bird photography is not a genre I have spent any time with, but the lens made the process feel approachable (and I’m not determined to get the perfect bird photo). Its autofocus moved quickly from the 2.7m (8.9′) close-focusing distance out to infinity, which was helpful when I wanted to switch from a near subject to one in the distance. It isn’t entirely silent, but the autofocus is quiet enough that I didn’t worry about its sound disturbing the wildlife I was trying to photograph, especially at the distances I was shooting from with this focal length.

Abby Ferguson

The XF 400mm F4.5’s manual focus ring has a relatively long throw distance, so I wasn’t able to react quickly with subject changes while on manual focus. But that proved useful for fine adjustments. It has enough resistance to make precise changes easy, and its texture feels especially good under a fingertip. The clicked aperture ring has a deliberate, satisfying action, and it can be locked into place for operation through the camera’s dial.

The XF 400mm features a maximum aperture of F4.5, which gives it a slight advantage over the company’s XF 500mm F5.6 when light is limited. It gave me some flexibility when photographing birds, but I still had to rely on fairly high ISO settings while shooting in the woods at dawn or trying to freeze fast-moving subjects. Photographers who regularly work in very dim conditions may want more light-gathering ability, but F4.5 should be plenty practical for wildlife and action in brighter conditions. It also keeps the price and size much more reasonable than they otherwise would be.

Abby Ferguson

At 1245g (2.7 lb), this is still a substantial lens (as all super telephoto lenses are), but it is impressively manageable for its reach. I wouldn’t shoot one-handed with it, though I was comfortable carrying the camera and lens that way while walking around. Fujifilm says the lens is weighted toward the rear for better maneuverability when panning, and it felt well matched to the X-H2 I was using.

I didn’t have enough time with the XF 400mm F4.5 for a full technical evaluation, but I came away happy with the images it produced. More importantly, it made my first more deliberate attempt at bird photography mostly enjoyable (minus the biting flies I had to deal with on one trail).

Sample gallery

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Lomography recently launched the Fisheye No. 2 Graffiti, a redesigned version of its long-running Fisheye No. 2 camera that pairs a 170° fisheye lens with a graffiti-styled 35mm body. It sits below the brand’s LomoApparat in price, and Lomography says it packs bulb mode, multiple-exposure capability and a built-in flash into a compact, beginner-friendly body.

The Graffiti edition shares its core optics and feature set with the standard Fisheye No. 2 but distinguishes itself with its graphic design. It still is a point-and-shoot camera with a fixed F8 aperture and 1/100 sec shutter speed. There are also no ISO settings. Its bulb mode allows for long exposures, and multiple-exposure support lets photographers play with layered images in camera for unexpected results. 

Lomography

Lomography describes the lens as producing heavy vignetting and spherical distortion, characteristics that the brand frames as exciting features rather than flaws. The camera focuses as close as 10cm, which opens up the opportunity for exaggerated wide-angle close-up shots. The beginner-friendly features and its relatively affordable price make it an ideal option for experimental shooters looking for an easy entry into analog fisheye photography.

This isn’t the most affordable camera Lomography has launched this year, either. The brand recently added a $35 half-frame camera that gives photographers twice the frames on a single roll of film. These build on a broader industry trend of releasing beginner-friendly film cameras, a pattern Kosmo Foto’s Stephen Dowling recently argued is good for the medium.

The Fisheye No. 2 Graffiti is available now for $69 through the Lomography shop.