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Last week, Panasonic announced the Lumix S 20mm F2.5, a small, full-frame prime for L-mount. We’ve had the chance to take it out for a few shoots to produce a sample gallery and to see how it performs in various conditions.

Hands-on impressions

Mitchell Clark

The Lumix S 20mm F2.5 feels relatively well-constructed, with pleasing tactile controls. Of course, its main focus is being compact and lightweight, a task which it gets full marks for. It only adds a bit of depth compared to my camera’s grip, and I found it very easy to slip into a bag to bring along for everyday outings.

Vingetting is well-controlled; there’s a bit at F2.5 through to F4, but it’s not enough to be distracting. It’s around what we’d expect given that this lens is focused on being small and lightweight, while not being super fast. I did, however, typically have to stop down a bit further to get super-sharp edges and corners, as they’re a bit soft below around F5.6.

To achieve this size, Panasonic – like essentially all other companies making lenses for modern mirrorless systems – has made use of software geometric correction. Without it, there’s substantial pincushion distortion, and, occasionally, darkness in the corners.

The lens is susceptible to some flare under very harsh conditions. On one of the afternoons I was shooting with it, I found a few of my photos had some large purple flares when I was shooting in the general direction of the afternoon sun. In the shots where I was deliberately trying to produce sunstars, I also got a lot of ghosting. This wasn’t too much of an issue in my testing, but if you frequently find yourself shooting in the brightest of light, you may want to consider picking up a lens hood, as it doesn’t come with one.

Mitchell Clark

The lens otherwise behaved quite well in the sun; in shots where it was fully within the frame, it did a very good job of retaining contrast.

Using the lens with the S1RII and original S1R, I never felt like its motors were the bottleneck for autofocus performance. It was very responsive, and could snap from its closest focusing distance – a respectable 0.18m (7.1″) – to objects far away very quickly. I’ve also tested a lot of pancake lenses with unit focus systems, and it was a nice change of pace to use one that focuses internally instead.

Overall, I felt this lens is a nice addition to Panasonic’s lineup, especially for ultrawide shooters. While there are a few technical drawbacks with a lens this small, I was overall quite pleased with the images I got out of it. If you’re the type of person who prefers this field of view for everyday shooting, or a videographer who wants to be able to film themselves, it’s an easy option to carry around, as long as you pair it with the right body.

Sample gallery

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. 

Thanks to Panasonic for the loan of an S1RII to shoot this gallery. All images were processed using our standard lens workflow in Capture One, with the manufacturer’s distortion correction applied but no correction of vignetting. The profile corrects a large amount of barrel distortion, and we’d consider it an essential part of the lens’s optical design.

Panasonic

Panasonic Lumix S 20mm F2.5

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It’s been another big week for camera news, so the DPReview editors have once again gathered to discuss the latest releases from Canon, Sony and Panasonic. As usual, we’ve also worked to incorporate some of the comments from our forum users, commenters and others into the conversation, talking about some of the reactions we’ve seen.

If you prefer to read, no worries; we’ve covered all the products we discussed in-depth in articles, which are linked below. And, as always, you can often find us in the comments below, carrying on the discussion.

• Canon EOS R8 II initial review
• Canon EOS R8 II sample gallery
• Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS and 600mm F6.3 GM OSS announcement
• Sony lenses hands-on
• Sony 400mm sample gallery
• Sony 600mm sample gallery and impressions
• Panasonic S 20mm F2.5 announcement

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It seems like the camera industry wasn’t content with just one busy week. We’ve seen another rush of announcements in the past few days, and we wouldn’t blame you if you missed a few things among all the articles we’ve put out. So let’s recap everything that happened this week.

The Instax Pal gets an unexpected follow-up

Fujifilm

The Instax Pal was always a bit of an odd duck: a gumdrop-shaped camera that only shot digital, despite bearing the name of Fujifilm’s instant film brand. This week, though, the company released a successor with a completely different design, recalling the tiny 110 film cameras of old. (Strangely, not the only one of its kind released this week: Camp Snap announced something similar.) Alongside it, Fujifilm launched an updated version of its Instax Link Wide printer.

Fujifilm

Fujifilm Instax Pal 2

• $170 at B&H

The Canon EOS R8 II

Mitchell Clark

Canon has updated its entry-level full-frame camera, fixing two of our major complaints about the original in the process with the inclusion of IBIS and an autofocus joystick. While we still have our complaints – the tiny LP-E17 battery has been untouched, and the RF mount remains strictly under Canon’s control – we were left with a very positive first impression. Check out our full initial review for all the details.

Canon

Canon EOS R8 Mark II

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Sony’s twin telephoto lenses that won’t break the bank (or your back)

Dale Baskin

The super telephoto game has never been cheap to get into and, make no mistake, it still isn’t. But Sony’s new 400mm F4.5 and 600mm F6.3 GM are steps towards making it a bit more accessible, coming in at $2700 and $3700, respectively (both just under $10,000 less than their faster counterparts). The lenses are shockingly similar, coming within a gram of each other, and their optical formulas have a lot of shared glass.

Sony

Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS

• $2,698 at B&H

Sony

Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS

• $3,698 at B&H

Panasonic’s full-frame 20mm F2.5 cupcake lens

Mitchell Clark

Not one to miss out on the action, Panasonic also announced a new lens: a 20mm F2.5 option for L-mount that’s not quite as small as a pancake lens, but is around the same size as the 40mm F2 option it released earlier this year. Panasonic once described this style of lens as a “muffin” (read: a baked good thicker than a pancake), but reader nologo suggested that calling it a cupcake would be a more fun descriptor (and, potentially, a less internationally confusing one), which I wholeheartedly agree with.

Keep an eye out for a sample gallery from this lens, coming soon.

Panasonic

Panasonic Lumix S 20mm F2.5

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Software news

Capture One, Adobe Photoshop Elements and Affinity Photo all received updates this week, with the former improving tethering and AI-assisted culling and the latter promising its biggest update for photography ever. Canon also launched a piece of software that lets you use pictures from some of its cameras to create 3D models of the real-life object you photographed.

Those were all the major launches this week, but I’ll leave you with a pro tip: if you want to make absolutely sure you won’t miss our best stories, and want to see exclusive content from us, be sure to subscribe to our Today in Photography newsletter.

Earlier this week, Canon launched the EOS R8 II, a new, entry-level full-frame camera that takes the original EOS R8, gives it a redesign and adds IBIS and an autofocus joystick. And, like the original, it’s quite capable for video too, so we filmed part of our first-look video using it.

Keeping focus on a (relatively) still subject isn’t a particularly difficult task for modern cameras, but even Canon cameras as recent as the EOS R6 II would occasionally have some distracting focus pulsing in video. We’re happy to say it’s not something we noticed in the footage from the EOS R8 II, though we’ll have to spend more time shooting with it before we come to any full conclusions.

You’ll also see a variety of sample shots in the video, though if you want to see more – and check out the Raws for yourself – you can browse through our sample gallery.

Oh, and a fun behind-the-scenes fact for our readers: the plane picture at the 3:36 mark in the video was taken with Canon’s RF 400mm F2.8 lens, a massive piece of glass that costs as much as seven EOS R8 IIs.

It’s obviously not a sensible pairing with this camera, but I ended up having access to it for a few hours after attending a Formula Drift with Canon to test out the EOS R1, so I took the opportunity to make a silly video with it because who else would have that kind of opportunity?

Panasonic has announced a slate of firmware updates for several of its cameras, meant to bring improvements to the company’s small, full-frame, creator-focused camera, the S9, as well as the more pro- and enthusiast-oriented S1II-series. It’s also updating its Lumix Lab and Lumix Flow apps.

Updates for the S1II, S1RII and S1IIE

The changelog for the S1II-series of cameras is short, sweet and significant. It reads:

• Improved shutter release time lag and burst shooting performance when using an external flash.
• Improved operational stability.

The last note means what it usually does. The company has fixed bugs and made things work that bit better.

However, we’ve been told, and have experienced ourselves, that the S1II-series of cameras could be laggy when paired with a flash being controlled via TTL. The performance was, frankly, not really acceptable for professional-level cameras, and Panasonic says it heard complaints from wedding photographers in particular. This update should help avoid that, making sure the camera takes a flash photo right when you press the shutter, instead of having to take a bit to think about it.

This update will be coming to all of the S1II-series cameras, including the S1IIN, a variant of the S1II for Chinese and Korean broadcasters with special networking capabilities.

Updates for the S9

Which update for the S9 is more important will depend on who you ask, and whether they’re a videographer. If they are, they’ll likely be quite excited about Panasonic adding new formats of its MP4 (Lite) codec, which is designed to use a lower bitrate, making it faster to wirelessly transfer to a phone and post to the internet.

When the S9 launched, it marked the debut of MP4 (Lite), which was only available in a single resolution – 3.8K open gate – and two framerates, 25 and 30p. While you can crop the 3:2 footage to get an output aspect ratio, that requires an extra step. Now, the camera is gaining some additional modes that won’t require it: UHD 4K/60p, 1080/60p and 1080/120p. These modes were introduced with the Panasonic L10, and it’s nice to see them showing up here for people who want even less work to get their footage ready to post, though I do still wish there was a UHD 4K/30p option, too.

Panasonic

The camera is also gaining full support for the Lumix Flow app, a video-focused program that, among many other things, lets you use your smartphone as a monitor, either via Wi-Fi or USB-C. While that’s handy no matter what camera you have, it’s especially useful for the S9, which is otherwise limited to using Micro-HDMI to output video. Panasonic says many users were “begging” for the camera to work with Flow, which also lets you create storyboards and shotlists, and add metadata to your recorded clips that make it easier to sort through the good and bad takes in post.

Flow will be getting an update to support the S9, which also comes with a few tweaks to how it displays camera information while monitoring and expanded support for using it with your phone horizontally.

Finally, in a move that will please both videographers and photographers, the camera will now let you assign substantially more functions to a lens’s programable button (a feature likely brought on by the company’s release of a second small prime with one that seems like a perfect match for the camera).

Lumix Lab updates

If the firmware updates weren’t enough, the company is also updating its Lumix Lab app, which lets you download images from your camera, as well as manage its libraries of LUT (Look Up Table) color profiles. On top of some UI tweaks and improving the app’s compatibility with Android phones that have “non-standard” processors (read: chips from companies other than Qualcomm, such as Samsung’s own-brand Exynos models), Panasonic is trying to make the app friendlier to those trying to find and download new LUTs from its repository of creator-submitted options.

Lumix Lab will now let you download packs of LUTs as well, so you don’t have to individually pick and choose several separate ones to build a set of aesthetics. It also now lets you filter which LUTs show up based on a series of options, such as what kind of scene or subject you’re shooting, and what kind of colors you want. The company has also added an option to share a link to a LUT’s page in the Lumix Lab app.

Availability

The new firmware for the S1II, S1IIE, S1RII and S9 will be made available for free starting October 13, with the updated versions of Lumix Lab and Lumix Flow launching at the same time.

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Panasonic has announced the Lumix S 20mm F2.5, a small, wide-angle prime designed to complement the 40mm F2 it released earlier this year, while offering a much wider angle that’s ideal for things like landscapes, close-up shots that still give a sense of the environment and, of course, video.

The lens has very similar dimensions to those of the 40mm F2, and the S9’s 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 kit zoom when it’s retracted. It’s the lightest of the bunch by a fraction, coming in at 142g (5oz), and has the same 62mm thread for filters. Panasonic also says it’s splash, dust and freeze resistant; that won’t be a huge deal for S9 owners, since that body isn’t, but for S5 or S1-series users it’s a nice addition.

Optically, the lens is made up of 11 elements in 9 groups, with three aspherical lenses and three ED elements. Its minimum focus distance is 0.18m (7.1″), which lets you get quite close to your subject for a dramatic look that seems to be quite popular these days.

Panasonic says the lens should be relatively sharp edge-to-edge with clean bokeh. We’re working on shooting a sample gallery with it so you can judge for yourself.

In terms of controls, it has what we’ve come to expect from Panasonic: a customizable ring that you can assign different functions based on whether you’re in auto or manual focus mode (a setting controllable with a switch on the lens’s barrel). This lets you use it for things like aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation, Panasonic’s Crop Zoom feature and more when you don’t need it for focusing. There’s also a small, customizable function button.

It’s nice to see Panasonic continue to fill out its line of relatively affordable, small lenses for L-mount. While there are plenty of options available, it doesn’t hurt to have more options, especially ones this light and compact.

The Lumix S 20mm F2.5 will retail for $499, $100 more than the 40mm, and will start shipping in October.

Panasonic

Panasonic Lumix S 20mm F2.5

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Panasonic Lumix S 20mm F2.5 specifications

Ricoh has released its 30th anniversary Ricoh GR IV kit, which includes the camera and a host of extras. The kit was originally announced earlier this summer, and will be shipping on October 21st (which is, from what I can tell, the actual anniversary of the original GR1’s release).

The company is only selling 6000 of the kits, so they’re relatively exclusive. Here’s what they’ll include, according to the company’s website:

• A GR IV with its shutter and rear buttons “finished in a special color inspired by the plated finish used on the first-generation GR1”
  • The camera also has “A special power-off graphic” to commemorate the anniversary
• “A ring cap ‘GN-3 (30th)’ with a diamond-cut design inspired by the design of the GR1 lens area”
• A leather finger strap engraved with “30th Anniversary”
• A steel-gray metal hot shoe cover with the 30th anniversary logo on the front, and “Ricoh GR” on the back
• 16 pins, 14 of which depict past GR models, one of which is the 30th anniversary logo, and the other a GR logo

The latter two pins are exclusive to those who purchase the kit. The rest will be sold individually as accessories, or as a bundle, along with the finger strap and hot shoe cover. (There’s even a version of the latter being made for the GR III series, too.)

The cost for all that? $1800, a $200 premium over the standard GR IV. The official Ricoh site currently has a “keep me informed” button rather than a “buy” one, but some retailers like B&H have opened up preorders.

Will you be lining up for the GR IV anniversary kit, or are you more excited about the GR IVx variant also due out later this year? Let us know in the comments.

The Canon EOS R8 II is an entry-level full-frame mirrorless camera with a 24.2MP CMOS sensor. However, it’s gained in-body image stabilization and a joystick, addressing two of the biggest shortcomings of the original EOS R8.

Key specifications

• 24.2MP FSI CMOS sensor
• IBIS up to 7.5EV center/7EV periphery w/ lens coordination
• Up to 40fps bursts with e-shutter / 6fps mech.
• 1/2 second pre-capture at 40fps
• Full-width 4K video from 6K capture at up to 60p
• 2.36M dot OLED viewfinder (0.7x magnification)
• Optional accessories including grip extention and XLR-adapter

The EOS R8 II is launching at $1900, around $400 more than the original EOS R8 launched for, which Canon says is staying in its lineup. It’s worth noting that inflation since the original R8’s launch could be expected to push its price up by around $150 if it were launched today (and indeed the MSRP appears to have been adjusted up to that at time of writing), and that the EOS R8 II appears to be a slightly better specced, higher-positioned model, to the extent that we might even believe the claim that the two will be sold alongside one another.

Ultimately, it’s also the least expensive full-frame mirrorless camera Canon’s released with image stabilization by a wide margin, even before you take inflation into account. It’s also the company’s lightest camera in that category.

Index

• What’s new
• How it compares
• Body and handling
• Autofocus
• Video
• In use
• Initial impressions
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

Product photos: Mitchell Clark

What’s new

Image stabilization

The EOS R8 II has essentially the same sensor from its predecessor (itself adopted from the higher-end EOS R6 II), but it’s now stabilized with Canon promising up to 7.5EV of correction in the center with 7EV in the periphery. While those ratings are often optimistic, this should make it a bit easier to get sharper shots in low-light situations, assuming your subject isn’t moving. The EOS R8’s lack of IBIS was something we noted as a compromise in our review of it, so it’s nice to see it included here.

A new look

Mitchell Clark

Canon briefed that the EOS R8 II takes design cues from the T80 SLR of the 1980s, though its press materials show it alongside the later EOS 650, with which there’s a more obvious family connection (either way it’ll be entertaining if this distinctly subtle homage turned out to be the source of the many rumors of a ‘retro’ Canon body). To our eyes it looks as much like the original Sony a7 as anything in Canon’s own back catalog. Only nicer.

We think it’s a pretty sharp and attractive camera, especially with its EOS R3 / R1 (/Fujifilm GFX 100 II) style grip material and its low-profile viewfinder hump. The black-on black design with small, well-spaced buttons is something of a departure for Canon, but we rather like the miniaturized minimalism of it all.

Updated autofocus and burst improvements

Canon says it’s updated the EOS R8 II’s underlying autofocus algorithms, making them stickier than the ones in the original. It still has person, vehicle and animal recognition, as well as an auto mode, but gains the company’s Register People Priority mode, which lets you train it to recognize specific people and focus on their face above other ones it recognizes in the scene.

While the camera can’t shoot any faster than its predecessor, still capping out at 40fps in e-shutter mode, it can go for substantially longer with its buffer lasting 30% longer when shooting Raw and 58% longer in JPEG. In our tests, this equated to around 78 shots in Raw+JPEG, and 175 shots in JPEG-only, making the burst mode much more usable. The camera also dispenses with Canon’s Raw Burst mode, which produced a non-standard combined file from which you had to select your frames, and that was required for pre-release capture. Pre-capture is now just an item in the menu you can enable.

A host of new video features

While the EOS R8 II has the same top-line video capabilities as its predecessor – it can shoot oversampled 4K at up to 60p with no crop – Canon has added several improvements to make it easier to use. These are features aimed both at beginners, such as the slow-and-quick mode that lets you get slowed-down or sped-up footage at your preferred framerate straight-out-of camera, and video scene modes, as well as more advanced features from cameras like the EOS R6 V, such as fine-grained control over the camera’s auto white balance system, as well as white balance presets that can be assigned to buttons.

Mitchell Clark

The camera also introduces a new video feature, which lets you press a button to defocus the lens at a predetermined speed, racking to the lens’ closest focusing distance to produce an effect where your subject is slowly (or quickly) pulled out of focus, something that can be difficult to do by hand, especially with stills lenses. The lens will then stay focused to that distance unless you press the AF-On button, which will resume autofocusing. While it’s not quite as advanced as the focus pulling tools that companies like Panasonic build into their cameras, it’s a nice option to add a bit of production value to a video.

How it compares

The market for entry-level full frame cameras is a competitive one, with several capable options. The one most similar to the EOS R8 II is Nikon’s Z5II as it was also designed from the ground up to be a budget option. Both Sony and Panasonic address this part of the market with older models, rather than something directly tailored to it.

In fact Sony now has two older a7 models that sit above and below the price of the R8 Mark II: the 2018-vintage a7 III and the more modern, higher resolution a7 IV. We’re going to include the newer camera here, as its autofocus will be more competitive.

It’s heartening to see just how capable these cameras are, even if their price tags have crept up. The EOS R8 II’s specs are now much more closely matched to those of the Z5II, but its battery life in particular looks underwhelming, especially compared with the big block used by the Sony. The Canon’s video specs are pretty strong and this table can’t capture the likeability of the ergonomics and interface, but its higher price puts it up against some fierce competition.

Body and handling

Despite the significant visual changes, the EOS R8 II’s design is functionally quite similar to that of its predecessor. It winds up being a little heavier and larger, but still feels light and relatively small in the hand (depending, of course, on what lens you have attached). People with larger hands may find their pinkies dangling off the bottom of the camera – Mitchell certainly did – but, as with the RP and R8, Canon will sell a $90 extension grip to solve this issue.

While the design feels like a call-back to the Sony a7, we found the geometric pattern on the rubberized grip reminding us of the very special Bishamon-Tex material Fujifilm uses on some of its GFX cameras.

Controls

Mitchell Clark

The EOS R8 II has a recognizably plastic construction and feels relatively light, rather than hefty, in the hand. The rubberized grip and thumb rest means it sits quite comfortably in the hand and, while it doesn’t feel overtly rugged, it doesn’t give the sense of being flimsy, either. There’s no flex or rattle and it feels like it strikes a good balance between weight and solidity.

The headline feature of the EOS R8 II is that it now includes an autofocus joystick on the back, which its predecessor lacks. This means you’re no longer limited to using the touchscreen or four-way controller to place your autofocus point, which is, to us, a substantial upgrade to usability.

Beyond the joystick, the camera has Canon’s standard set of controls: there’s a mode dial, dual customizable top-plate control dials (the camera’s only dials, as there’s not one on the rear plate), several customizable buttons on the back, including one that defaults to AF On, a video record button (though you can set the camera to start recording with the shutter button in video mode), and an M-Fn button. By default, the latter lets you access a customizable menu that lets you adjust several parameters using the control dials, including ISO, drive mode, AF mode, white balance, flash exposure compensation, and more.

Mitchell Clark

All these controls are largely clustered on the right side of the camera, with the left side only having the menu button. This makes it relatively easy to operate with one hand, though we did find the occasional feature that would require you to confirm something with the far-away menu button.

While you can typically operate the camera without diving into the menus, they’re also relatively easily accessible. The EOS R8 II has the customizable “Q” menu – by default, accessed using a button in the center of the four-way controller – which gives you quick access to your most-used settings. The camera’s color-coded full menus will be familiar to anyone who’s used a Canon before, and are fully navigable using touch, the control dials, the four-way controller, or any combination thereof.

The camera no longer has a dedicated switch for going between stills and video mode, separate from the power switch. Instead, they’ve been merged into a three-way switch that moves the camera from being off, to stills, to video. In our experience, it’s very easy to accidentally overshoot stills and wind up in video mode when attempting to turn the camera on, especially if you’re in a hurry.

EVF and display

Mitchell Clark

The EOS R8 II has the same 2.36M dot viewfinder as the R8: the same OLED panel used an all cameras that are prioritizing compactness as part of their design. The optics in front of the panel deliver the same 0.7x magnification. Given Canon’s professional DSLR’s viewfinders tended to top-out at 0.76x magnification, this isn’t bad going, and the viewfinder is generally pretty nice to use.

The camera is sensible enough to disable the eye sensor when you flip the rear screen out, so you shouldn’t have problems with the rear screen blacking out if something gets too close to the viewfinder.

Ports

Mitchell Clark

The EOS R8 II has largely the same collection of ports as its predecessor, though there wasn’t much room for improvement. It has headphone and mic sockets for video, microHDMI and USB-C for charging and data transfer (at up to 10Gbps speed).

The camera’s single UHS-II SD card slot has also been relocated from inside the battery compartment to the side of the grip, making it easier to access if the camera is on a tripod.

Battery

Mitchell Clark

The EOS R8’s battery life was the one other area we, and many other reviewers, found lacking. Unfortunately, it’s the one thing Canon hasn’t touched, as the EOS R8 II uses the same 7.5Wh LP-E17 model, and is rated to get 270 shots per charge when using the rear screen and a pretty miserable 150 shots per charge with the viewfinder. These improve to 340 and 220 shots per charge, respectively, in power saving mode, but they’re still pretty low.

CIPA numbers always under-represent how many shots you’re likely to get in real-world usage, with getting double the number being pretty common. Still, those viewfinder figures are likely to mean carrying a second battery or some kind of power bank will be necessary. The use of a small battery was something we criticised on the original R8, and the addition of in-body stabilization only exacerbates the problem.

Autofocus

The EOS R8 II has the latest version of Canon’s standard AF system, shared across the majority of its cameras. This offers eight AF point sizes, ranging from the very small “Spot AF” up to “Whole area AF,” where the camera selects a subject based on how near to the center and how near to the camera it is. In between these extremes are three flexible AF zones, which are rectangles whose height and width can be adjusted.

Each of these AF areas can be made to track whatever is under them, by pressing the “Info” button when you’re selecting an AF area. It’s worth noting that the display tells you the current setting, not the setting you’ll access by pressing the Info button.

On top of this you have the subject recognition modes: Human, Animals or Vehicles, with an Auto mode that will try to identify any of the subject types it’s been trained to recognize. You can restrict which of these options appears in the menu but, presumably because there are only three subject types, there’s no option to narrow the ‘Auto’ mode down to just selecting the subjects you expect to encounter.

Beyond this, there’s a menu option for telling the camera how it should expect subjects to respond (ie: whether it should refocus on or ignore another subject appearing in front of its current target). This is a simplified version of the system from Canon’s pro sports cameras and lets you easily fine-tune the AF response if its default behavior doesn’t suit your subject.

Richard Butler

The net result is an easy-to-use and pretty effective AF system that can be adjusted if it’s not giving the results you want. Most of the time we found you could select an AF point size, engage tracking and leave subject recognition turned on. The camera will focus wherever your AF point is, track whatever was under that point and use subject recognition to be more specific, when appropriate, but without getting distracted by 

One of the few things we encountered that gave us any real concern was that the tracking system (not the subject recognition system) will try to decide what object it thinks you’re trying to capture, and will draw a large box around it, overriding your chosen AF point size and meaning you can’t be specific about the exact point you want it to focus on. It’s worth being aware of this in situations where you want to pinpoint something very specific (one part of a flower, for instance).

For most of our use, in both stills and video, we found the EOS R8 II to be a very effective performer that is quick and easy to use. However, it’s worth noting that some of the less expensive lenses with STM motors can be a little slower and more clunky to focus. 

Video

Mitchell Clark

The EOS R8 II’s base video capabilities remain largely unchanged from its predecessor. It can record full-width 4K video at up to 60p, derived from 6K capture, and includes 10-bit, Log and HDR recording options. It gains “slow-and-fast” modes that will give you slowed-down or sped-up footage straight of of camera, rather than requiring you to adjust a clip’s playback speed to match your playback framerate in post.

It also features headphone and microphone jacks – though their placement means they can occasionally interfere with the screen’s articulation – and a multi-interface hotshoe which you can use to connect Tascam’s 4-channel recorder.

Canon has equipped the camera with a wide array of features, both for those who have never shot video before and more experienced users. For the former, there’s the auto mode that lets you control how blurry the background is (basically letting you adjust aperture without having to know that’s what you’re doing) and scene modes that automatically configure your settings to apply skin smoothing or override the camera’s face detection when you’re holding something up to the lens. (Thankfully, experienced videographers can also enable those settings in the standard video modes while retaining control over exposure, audio levels and more).

The EOS R8 II thankfully also gets Canon’s latest white balance system. Alongside inheriting the fine-grained controls from the EOS R6 V, it lets you set a custom WB without having to take a picture and go into a separate menu.

In our limited use, the autofocus system was reliable, and supports the same subject recognition modes that the camera’s stills mode does. And, as is typical for Canon, you can separate your photo and video settings quite well, even if it is a bit too easy to switch between them now that they’re assigned to the same three-position switch.

Like its predecessor, the EOS R8 II’s rolling shutter is very well-controlled across its modes, meaning you won’t have to worry about skewed lines in all but the fastest camera moves.

In use

The EOS R8 II is a camera that, for the most part, won’t present you with a lot of unpleasant surprises or asterisks. As you’d hope for a camera aimed primarily at new photographers and advanced beginners, it does its job largely without a fuss, without too much friction between you can getting the photo you want. It’s a camera designed with its audience in mind, rather than a more advanced one old enough to be sold at a more accessible price point.

With that said, it’s not like Canon has built the entire UI or menu system from the ground up, so, as with pretty much any camera, there are a few behaviors that may be a bit confusing to both newcomers and more seasoned shooters. Thankfully, the auto mode allows you to shoot in Raw… that is, unless you switch into the “Advanced” mode, which can composite multiple shots together in situations where a subject is backlit, or there’s high contrast.

Richard Butler

Outside of that mode, we appreciate Canon’s inclusion of in-camera Raw reprocessing (something that Sony omits in all of its models). However, the fact that there are actually two – a standard mode and one called “Creative Assist” – risks being a touch confusing, though you are able to choose a default.

Both are strangely disconnected from the color filter system. If you want to see what the photo you just took looks like in the camera’s new Positive Filmtone color mode, that’s too bad. Turn off Raw, go back to the part of color section of the menu, switch to the Color Filter mode, and take it again. (The camera doesn’t automatically disable Raw or offer to do it for you when you try to access one of the modes that doesn’t support it, you have to do it manually.)

Richard Butler

Canon has thankfully solved the incorrect “Enable” labeling for its AF tracking feature, but you can still find odd little things like that if you hunt for them. For example, it’s still a bit ambiguous as to whether you’re pressing the Info button to “Enable” part detection for car subject recognition, or if you’re turning it off. Still, the EOS R8 II’s menus are far from the most lost in translation that we’ve seen.

They can mostly be navigated using the dials, four-way controller, or touchscreen, though you’ll still occasionally find an area or two that only work with one or two of those options. The video selection menu is one such example, where you have to use the dials or screen to switch between the resolution, frame rate and codec sections. The latter also only has one option, making us wonder why it’s even there. Also, Canon occasionally insists on making you confirm an action by pressing the “Menu” button, turning what could’ve been a one-handed operation into a two-handed one.

We appreciate just how many options you have to customize the controls at your fingertips, using the M-Fn menu, Q menu and buttons. The layout is sensible for beginners – though it might take a second to get used to the fact that you can’t adjust exposure compensation until you’ve begun metering – but once you start figuring out what you want, you can really dive deep into finding the layout that works for you.

Initial impressions

Mitchell Clark

The EOS R8 II made rather a good first impression on me: the new design is pretty sharp, in an understated kind of way, but without undermining the ergonomics that Canon has carefully refined over multiple generations of camera. Just as with the recent PEN, I’m not a fan of the combined power/stills/video switch, but the rest of the camera feels nice.

You don’t, for a moment, think you’re getting an R6 III-level workhorse, but you’re not paying R6 III money for it. I have large enough hands that I’d definitely consider adding the optional add-on grip extension plate to stop my little finger wrapping under the bottom of the body, but it’s nice to be able to keep the camera small by omitting it, and I wouldn’t consider it an essential.

Inflation means the Mark II looks like a bigger step up than perhaps Canon intended, but the addition of in-body stabilization and an AF joystick mean you get recognizably more camera for your money and one that’s nicer to use, too.

The price essentially brings into line with the list price of Nikon’s Z5II, while also bringing the feature sets much closer to parity. Canon’s features for beginners, inherited from models such as the EOS R50 are arguably a little more powerful and hence welcoming, but they don’t necessarily provide much of a pathway across to taking full control of the camera.

Overall, then, there’s much to like, with the two biggest changes expressly addressing two of the most significant omissions of the Mark 1. However, the addition of IBIS just draws attention to the only major shortcoming that hasn’t been addressed: battery life.

Mitchell Clark

Although the R8 II promises a similar battery rating to the R8 when using the rear screen, its EVF rating is a pretty dismal 150 shots per charge. And, even if you factor-in how excessively conservative the CIPA standard numbers can be, a rating well under 200 shots per charge is going to mean having to constantly stay on top of keeping the camera charged, if you try to use it for much beyond occasional snapshots. A second battery or PD-compliant power bank would be worthwhile additions to any R8 II-based kit.

The bigger concerns, though, would be lens options, beyond the kit zoom. Canon, even more effectively than Nikon, has limited the choice of third-party AF lenses for its RF mount, making it essential to check whether the lenses you want to use are available.

Richard Butler

This was made very apparent to me when I was using the R8 II. I had access to the RF 35mm F1.8 Macro: a lens whose focus motor (and lack of AF limit switch) gives an unwelcome reminder of what 1990s-style screw-drive lenses were like, in its level of vibration and graunching, every time you half-press the shutter button. Conversely, the 85mm F1.4 VCM’s focus is swift, silent and smooth. Unfortunately, so is the movement of its aperture ring, which to me detracted from the photographic experience enough for it to constantly gnaw at me that it costs as much as this camera does. In both cases the results are excellent, and yet neither are lenses I’d choose to buy, distinctly narrowing my options in two of my favoured focal lengths.

If the lenses you want are available for the R8 II (and that may include adapting old DSLR lenses), then the R8 II is an excellent body for newcomers and first-time full-frame adopters. But, to me, being limited to the lenses Canon will let you have feels especially restrictive at the price-sensitive end of the market. Which is a shame, because the camera’s really rather good.

Sample gallery

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 (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don’t abuse it.

Canon EOS R8 II specifications

Affinity has announced that the latest version of its free app is its “biggest photo editing update yet,” making the included Raw editor more powerful and easy to use.

In its press release, Canva, which owns Affinity, says it added “nine new color, sharpening, and detail adjustments” to the app’s Raw development process. It’s also added a Presets system, letting you easily save the changes you’ve made to one Raw file, then apply them across others that you’re editing. You can also use presets across various types of photos, including panoramas, focus stacks and more.

Mitchell Clark

The app can also attempt to deal with tricky corrections, such as getting the white balance right in scenes that have mixed lighting and attempting to reduce motion blur.

Canva has also added a variety of other tools to Affinity’s Raw editing panel. It gains spline-based hue and saturation curves and color-based adjustments, as well as new options for its object selection tool.

Finally, Affinity now has a “Studio” – basically a pre-configured arrangement of windows and tools – for editing astrophotography. It gives you easy access to tools to separate the stars from the background or to remove the background entirely, and to stretch the photo to “reveal faint detail while preserving important highlights.”

All of this is on top of all the things Affinity already does. Around a year ago, Canva folded Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo and Affinity Publisher all into one app, promising that it would be “completely free, forever.” This has, so far, remained true, though you will need a subscription to use some of the app’s AI features. And while the tool can’t replace library management tools like Capture One or Lightroom, for someone who just needs to edit the occasional Raw and doesn’t want to pay for Photoshop to do so, it’s now more capable than ever.

The changes come as part of the 3.3 update to Affinity, which is free to download from Canva. Existing users will be prompted to update the next time they open the app.

Earlier this week, OM System announced the PEN, a small, interchangeable lens camera with a Four Thirds sensor. Our initial review mainly focuses on it versus the higher-end range-finder style cameras that it descends from and competes against, but it’s worth also looking at how it compares to the other cameras at the $1000 price point. Because while it’s true that you can get a larger sensor for the same money, it’s also worth considering what you give up for that additional light-gathering capability.

Meet the contenders

The PEN joins the now-rarified halls of cameras that retail for under $1000 (body only, you’ll still need to add a lens), while still offering a good level of manual control. Nowadays, that list includes some very capable APS-C cameras, such as the Canon EOS R10, Nikon Z50II and Fujifilm X-T30 III. They all boast similar spec sheets, with sensors that range from 20-26MP, relatively fast burst rates and strong video features.

But given that they use larger and therefore presumably slightly more expensive sensors, surely there’s a catch somewhere…

IBIS

OM System’s forebear, Olympus, was a pioneer when it came to including in-body image stabilization in its cameras, and the PEN continues in that tradition. And it’s an undoubtedly useful feature to have, letting you use slower shutter speeds while still shooting handheld, provided you’re shooting a stationary subject.

While Nikon, Canon and Fujifilm offer kit lenses that have optical image stabilization, giving you a similar benefit (at least in stills, not so much in video), the PEN’s stabilized sensor works with any lens, including the primes many photographers will want to pick up. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that primes are typically faster, giving you the option to raise your shutter speed by opening up the aperture, and are often in easier-to-hand-hold focal lengths. Plus, the PEN’s IBIS system is less powerful than what we’re used to, providing only 5.5EV of correction in the center, compared to the up to 7.5 that’s typical in other models (including the OM-5 II, which can achieve it by synchronizing with a lens’s optical stabilization, something the PEN can’t do).

To get an APS-C camera with IBIS, you’re looking at spending several hundred dollars more – the price of one of those fun prime lenses – likely thanks in part to the fact that the system has to be more robust to move around a larger sensor. So while it’s not the end-all be-all, it is a clear point in the PEN’s favor.

Weather sealing

OM System has leaned into its reputation for making rugged, weather-sealed cameras, and the PEN is no exception. It comes with an IPX1 rating, and while the “X” indicates that it hasn’t been tested for dust resistance, OM says it has that, too. That’s a relatively light rating – it means the camera can survive dripping water for 10 minutes, when fitted with a similarly sealed lens (don’t worry, OM System has plenty) – but it’s more than you’ll get with any of the other $1000 cameras we’re looking at today. 

Whether that’s because OM System is able to include it (or pay the licensing fees for an IP rating) because of the lower component costs on its sensors, or that it’s just something the company prioritizes more than the others is hard to say, but it’s peace of mind that’s unusual at this price point.

Computation

Richard Butler

Micro Four Thirds cameras were some of the first attainable ILCs to make use of computational photography, taking multiple shots and stitching them together to produce a higher resolution version, simulate an ND filter and more. Some of these features are enabled in part by IBIS, but it’s also possible thanks to clever algorithms and relatively fast sensor readout speeds, something you won’t get with all of the APS-C options.

Even if the hardware were capable of it, the fact is that Nikon, Canon and Fujifilm haven’t put in the work to replicate these features, so their respective cameras don’t offer anything of the sort. You have to step all the way up to a Panasonic full-frame camera to get anything similar with a larger sensor (even then it’s mainly just the ability to shoot handheld high-resolution multishot), which is a very different size, weight and price point indeed.

Size

A Four Thirds sensor is physically smaller than an APS-C one, which means you can theoretically build a smaller, lighter body around it. However, while the OM System PEN is small, it’s not unbelievably so; there have been other Micro Four Thirds cameras that are appreciably more compact, including other models in the PEN line and the venerable GM1 and GM5 from Panasonic. And, indeed, the APS-C Fujifilm X-M5 manages to be a bit smaller, though it doesn’t have an EVF or sensor stabilization. There are even some full-frame cameras that aren’t too much bigger, such as the Panasonic S9 and Sony a7C II.

Richard Butler

However, the PEN is a fair bit smaller than the cameras we’re comparing today, largely thanks to the prominent grips and SLR-style humps on the EOS R10, X-T30 III and Z50II (though the X-T30 III actually manages to be a touch lighter).

The real size benefit comes from the lenses, though. While there are some size-comparable APS-C lenses on the market, it’ll be easier to gather a collection of Micro Four Thirds lenses that are smaller and lighter than their APS-C counterparts without having to pick and choose focal lengths too carefully to optimize for size. That’s even more true for full-frame options.

Size isn’t the biggest win for the PEN, but it’s definitely still worth considering.

Trade-offs go both ways

Of course, none of this is to say that the OM System is better in every way than its price-comparable competitors with larger sensors. Besides the image quality benefits, Nikon, Canon and, to a lesser extent, Fujifilm, have more modern autofocus systems, and all of them are substantially better options if you wish to shoot video relatively seriously. The APS-C cameras also all have built-in flashes, which some people will appreciate, and most of them manage to match the PEN when it comes to burst rates and pre-capture (not that OM System is pitching this as anything like an action camera).

There are absolutely reasons why some people would go with one of $1000 APS-C camera over the $1000 PEN. Perhaps they’re looking for a camera that’s a bit more capable for sports and wildlife, or are more serious about video. But it’s worth acknowledging that you will be giving up some nice-to-haves in the process, or having to pay way more to get them. 

This week, Apple announced its first foldable: the iPhone Duo. It’s launching into a mature market with lots of competition, though it adopts the still relatively rare passport form factor. This means it’s designed to be short and wide, rather than tall and thin, a decision with relatively fundamental implications on the aspect ratio of its interior screen.

While there are plenty of options to compare it with, we’re choosing some of the more established competitors: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 series (both the passport style phone and the boxier Ultra variant) and the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold. However, we will bring up some of the other foldables on the market at points where they’re relevant.

Cameras

One of the areas folding phones differ the most is in their camera layouts. Some opt for a three camera array, while others opt for two (usually, it’s the telephoto option that gets the axe). But different phones will make different compromises, so it’s up to you to decide what parts of the camera experience you value.

Comparing the options across the foldables from Apple, Samsung and Google to a standard slab phone – in this case the iPhone 18 Pro – a few things become clear. Both Apple and Samsung decided that there just wasn’t room in a passport-style phone for a three camera array (though, notably, Xiaomi managed it).

However, while the larger foldables offer telephoto cameras, they’re usually very compromised compared to what you’d typically get on a standard phone. Samsung’s “Ultra” foldable, the most expensive in this roundup, is also the only one that has what we’d consider to be a flagship-class main camera, though Motorola’s new Razr Fold has a comprable camera layout, albeit with an slightly worse ultrawide and substantially nicer telephoto.

Samsung

As for how the iPhone Duo compares: it’s very similar to the Z Fold 8, and Apple has made a different trade-off than Google, opting for a better ultra-wide with no telephoto rather than relatively poor versions of both. But like the rest of the phones, it’s pretty much no contest between it and the Z Fold 8 Ultra, or the iPhone 18 Pro it launched alongside.

Screens

Apple

Of course, the main reason to get a folding phone is that they come close to the pocketability of a standard phone, will unfurling to give you a large display that lets you run multiple apps at once, or view videos and photos on a much larger canvas. (But while the iPhone Fold is IMAX-shaped, we suspect Christopher Nolan still wouldn’t approve of watching movies on one.)

Your choice of form factor will largely dictate what kind of screen you get, with the passport-style phones offering slightly smaller displays with aspect ratios more suited to viewing content, but not quite as ideal for running apps side-by-side (though both the iPhone Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 8 can). Meanwhile, the more traditional folding phones offer nearly square screens, which offer a multitasking experience that’s almost like having two standard phones next to each other.

Samsung

While you may need to compromise on cameras to get a folding phone, you’re not compromising on screen specs. All the phones in our roundup have incredibly bright displays – Apple and Samsung* offer 3000 nits peak brightness on bother inner and outer screens, while Google ratchets that up to 3600 – with variable refresh rates that go from 1 to 120Hz.

The one place Apple has thought different is in the finish of its inner display; it has a matte “nano-texture” coating, where its competitors have glossy displays. Apple says this does a better job of hiding the crease in the middle – though it’s barely noticeable on the Samsungs either, according to most reviewers – and makes it less prone to scratches. We’ll see what happens when JerryRigEverything does his durability tests on it, though.

Size and Weight

There’s no getting around it: the iPhone Duo is hefty, especially given its size. Despite Apple’s use of titanium in its construction – typically a material that offers incredible strength for its size – it winds up being substantially heavier than even the larger Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

To us, this comparison illustrates Samsung’s experience as the company that’s been making foldables the longest. Its models are substantially thinner and lighter than their Apple and Google counterparts, while having roughly similar battery capacities. Of course, Apple is known to let its devices be a bit heavier to give them a premium feel, but it’s up to you whether the feel in your hand is worth the heft in the pocket.

The rest of the experience

Each brand, will, of course, have its own take on what the foldable experience should be like. These range from macro-level decisions, like how the transition from folded to unfolded should work and how multitasking is handled, to smaller quality-of-life features like Google and Apple’s inclusion of camera features made to make kids smile as you’re taking their picture, and automatically capture group photos when you have your phone set up on a flat surface.

Google

While we won’t know the full scope of those usability differences until all the phones are available, there are a few things we can glean from what we know so far. While all the phones can be stood up on a table in the a-frame-like tent mode for watching video, the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s hinge design means it can’t be used half-unfolded (in a way that makes the phone sort of like a laptop). This is an ability the Ultra version, as well as the Pixel and iPhone, have.

While none of the selfie cameras on the inner screens will be great – they’re designed mostly for video calls – Apple goes the extra step of hiding its one under the display when it’s not in use, so you can get a truly full-screen experience when watching video, without the hole-punch you’ll get in the Galaxies and Pixel. Ironically, this was something Samsung used to do with its foldables, but has dropped in recent years.

The iPhone Duo and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold both offer dust and water ingress protection that’s equivalent to a standard cell phone (which is important given their oh-so-complex hinges and display mechanisms), with an IP68 rating. The Samsung models fall a bit short on the dust protection, only boasting IP48.

If you want to see how the iPhone 18 Pro compares to its traditional smartphone competitors, check out our story below.

* – It’s also no secret that Samsung, innovator in the foldable space, provides the panel for Apple’s foldable; no wonder it has similar performance.

It’s been a week packed full of launches and announcements, so we thought: what better time to bring back our DPReview Discussions podcast series, where we get the editors together to discuss the latest cameras, lenses and more? This episode is a bit wider-ranging than usual. Of course, we cover the new OM System PEN and iPhones 18 Pro and Duo, as well as our audiences’s reactions to them, but we also touch on the new Sigma lenses and the news that Ricoh has discontinued the remaining K-mount Pentax DSLRs.

We hope to make these discussions a more regular thing going forward, so let us know what you think. Do you prefer the longerform conversations, where we cover most of our thoughts in full, or do you prefer tighter episodes focused on just a single topic or two? Sound off in the comments below. 

Gavin Free, one half of the YouTube duo The Slow Mo Guys, is a camera nerd through and through. His 2015 video “Inside a Camera at 10,000fps” was one of the catalysts for me deciding to actually learn about the technical side of photography, rather than treating my camera as a sort of magic box that takes photos. But slow-motion videography and cameras have changed a lot since then, which is why it’s so exciting that he’s taken another run at the subject. 

The video he released today covers way more than the mirror and shutter mechanism of DSLRs, though he goes into that a bit too. It also shows the exact way that electronic first curtain (or, really, mechanical second curtain) shutters work, how they synchronize with a lens’s aperture mechanism and captures a leaf shutter in action. The video also covers various flash sync modes, showing how a camera manages to capture the light from a strobe, and explaining the things that can go wrong in that process (especially when using High-Speed Sync). 

If you’ve never dug into how a camera shutter works, this video is an excellent primer. Sure, you can figure it out by reading metaphors and explainers and looking at diagrams and animations (and those help you go deeper on a subject), but watching extremely slow-motion footage gives you a very visceral understanding of what’s happening. And if you are familiar with a camera’s mechanisms, it’s still fun to see them in action, in both high definition and slow motion. One thing I learned from the video is just how much the blades of a leaf shutter jiggle when it closes; it’s the kind of thing that really makes you appreciate just what a marvel of precision engineering and manufacturing cameras are.

Earlier this week, Sigma fully unveiled the 85mm F1.2 Art, a lens it announced would be coming earlier this year. We had the chance to shoot with it, and mainly focused on testing out its capabilities for portraiture, as that’s the traditional use for fast 85mm primes.

You can check out the sample gallery below to judge its performance for yourself. 

We found that shooting with it was the characteristically refined experience that we’ve come to expect from Sigma’s Art-series lenses. While a quality F1.2 lens will never be the smallest or lightest option, we appreciated that this particular lens is light for what it is; Sigma actually claims it’s the smallest and lightest full-frame 85mm F1.2 with autofocus for mirrorless cameras. It feels like something you could conceivably carry around all day without having to worry about waking up the next morning to an unusably sore arm (though I had it paired with an original Panasonic S1R, so it still made for a relatively hefty setup). 

The controls on the lens are also well-judged. I always appreciate a clicked aperture ring, though Sigma also lets you de-click it if you prefer. It’s also nice that you can lock it either into or out of the ‘A’ mode that hands over control of the aperture to the camera body.

While we haven’t put the lens through a full battery of tests to determine every aspect of its image quality, it’s hard to find much fault with the samples we’ve taken. It’s quite sharp across the frame, even at F1.2 (though obviously you’ll be working with razor-thin depth of field), though there’s definitely some chromatic aberration present. There’s also relatively strong vignetting at F1.2, which isn’t necessarily a surprise given the lens’s size, though it largely clears up by F2.8.

Whether you think the trade-offs of an F1.2 lens are worth it over an F1.4 or F1.8 will largely depend on your thirst for light and background blur. But before now, your options for this kind of lens on E and L-mount were limited to non-existent, so it’s nice that we’re getting a genuinely good option, especially one that comes in at just over half of what Nikon and Canon will charge you for a similarly-speced lens.

This week, Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro, the latest entry in its lineup of high-end smartphones. As we’ve come to expect, the update includes several new camera features, and even some new hardware. So how does it stack up against the last few years of Pro phones from Apple?

Before we get to what’s changed, let’s quickly cover what stayed the same: the 48MP ultra-wide camera, which provides a 13mm equiv. field of view and uses a 1/2.55 (23.5mm²) sensor, is the same model on the iPhones 16, 17 and 18 Pro. Likewise, Apple hasn’t updated the selfie or telephoto cameras on the 18 Pro either; they’re the same ones from the iPhone 17 Pro (though they were upgrades from those of the 16 Pro).

It’s also worth stating up front that the camera layouts on the 18 Pro are the same whether you go with the standard or Max versions, leaving you free to decide whether you want a 6.3″ or 6.9″ display, without having to worry that you’re compromising your phone’s photographic abilities.

The main camera

Apple

So what has changed then? The major hardware change Apple made to the iPhone 18 Pro is the addition of an adjustable aperture to the main 24mm equiv. camera. Unlike the fixed aperture lenses that all previous iPhones have used, this allows you or the phone’s software to choose whether it wants to cut down on the amount of light hitting the sensor, or make adjustments to the depth of field without resorting to software tricks. And if you stop it down all the way, you can even get some sun stars.

The six-bladed aperture has four settings: F1.48, F1.8, F2.8 and F4. Notably, the brightest aperture is faster than the lenses used on the iPhone 17 and 16 Pro, which were fixed at F1.78. While I’m on record saying that an adjustable aperture probably won’t be a ground-breaking change (something I still generally believe), I caveated that statement with the assumption that the phone’s maximum aperture wouldn’t change. At the time, I thought the feature would make for a lens that goes from F1.78 to F4, or F6.1 to F13.7 equiv., letting you switch from a setting with enough depth of field to more than enough. But the difference should be a bit more noticeable now that you’re starting at F5.1 equiv.

Tucker Bowe

While Apple says the sensor behind the lens is new, details are light on what’s changed. It’s still the same size – Type 1/1.28 (71.5mm²) with 1.22µm pixels – as the one used by the 17 and 16 Pro, so it won’t gather any more light; the 50% improvement that Apple references in its presentation is entirely accounted for by the fact that the lens’s maximum aperture is half a stop faster.

Software

Apple

The rest of the camera improvements on the iPhone 18 Pro come from software, and many of the features are only available when using that upgraded main camera. The biggest finally comes from the the “Pro controls” mode, which lets you manually set parameters like white balance, aperture, shutter speed, and view a histogram. (Disappointingly, there’s no mention of manual focus control, for when the AF system doesn’t get things right. While this is theoretically something Apple could port to its older Pro phones, minus the aperture control, of course, its comparison page indicates that it has no intention of doing so.

Apple has also introduced a new “Reference” mode for the main camera, which it says bakes authenticity data into photos taken with the phone into the image on a pixel level. This appears to be an answer to Google Pixel’s inclusion of C2PA Content Credentials in its camera app, though its inclusion as a separate mode means you have to actively decide to use it.

The iPhone 18 Pro introduces Photographic Styles 3, an update to the system that gives you more control over what your phone’s photos look like, letting you adjust things like contrast and color at the point of capture. The system was majorly overhauled with the iPhone 16 Pro, giving you a lot more control and letting you change the style after-the-fact, rather than permanently baking it into the image. The version on the 18 Pro is a much more minor change, adding the ability to “customize texture and grain to soften skin details or achieve an artful film look.”

Finally, Apple is adding a “Smart focus tracking” mode, which will attempt to recognize and stick to a subject after you’ve tapped on it to focus. Again, this feels like something that could come to previous models, but Apple’s comparison tool says it won’t.

Video

Many of the iPhone 18 Pro’s video upgrades are the same as they are for stills: you get the benefits of the variable aperture, and the ability to manually control it and other parameters, along with the tracking autofocus.

Otherwise, the changes are relatively minor: you can now record at up to 4K/60 in the “Cinematic” video mode that adds simulated background blur, where the iPhone 17 and 16 Pro max out at 4K/30. More importantly, though, is that you no longer have to make the on whether to apply the effect or not when recording; you can apply it after the fact. The timelapse video feature is also upgraded to 4K, and Apple appears to have improved its noise reduction as it claims the 18 Pro has better low light video across the board, including on the selfie camera.

The rest

Apple

Of course, a phone isn’t just a camera, and Apple’s made some big changes under the hood that make the iPhone 18 Pro enticing even if you’re happy with your phone’s photos. You can read our launch coverage for the full story, but the top-level summary is that the chip is now substantially faster (especially when it comes to AI tasks, with twice the number of neural cores), and is kept cool thanks to a more advanced vapor chamber design, and some clever engineering choices. The battery life has also gotten a relatively impressive bump, and you can new refill it faster with 60W wired charging, where the 17 Pro topped out at 40W.

You will, however, pay for all these upgrades, in more ways than one. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max start at $100 more than their predecessors for the same spec, and, while they keep roughly the same dimensions as past Pros, are the heaviest ones yet, despite their aluminum, rather than stainless steel, frames. That metal is, however, once again in four colors: black, burgundy, silver and a light blue.

It looks like Viltrox is gearing up to release a lot of lenses, including bringing several of its existing full-frame designs to L-mount. The news comes from the company’s press release about its attendance of the International Broadcasting Convention, or IBC, this week. While the show is typically focused on video, the company says it’ll be showing off several photographic tools there, too.

First are its L-mount lenses. Viltrox is bringing its autofocusing 14mm F4, 20mm F2.8, 40mm F2.5 and 50mm F2 lenses to the mount, which are all part of its “Air” series of relatively lightweight options that were originally launched for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts. Given that the company has only released two autofocusing lenses for the mount since it joined the L-mount Alliance in 2025, this looks like a relatively dramatic expansion of its offerings. What stands out more, though, is that these lenses aren’t all standard fare; sure a 50mm F2 isn’t that exotic, but there aren’t exactly a ton of affordable ultrawide autofocus lenses already on the market for those with L-mount cameras.

The company also says it’ll be introducing two new APS-C lenses, the 18mm (27mm equiv.) F1.2 Pro and 40mm (60mm equiv.) F1.2 Pro. These are also exciting options, as I wasn’t able to find any other lenses like them currently available for sale (assuming they’ll have autofocus). Of course, they’ll probably be quite large and heavy, but for those who want fast glass to pair with an APS-C camera, these could be options to watch out for. 

The company also promises to expand its flash lineup – which has, until now, consisted mainly of small, on-camera models – with a “new high-power” option. Whether that means a particularly bright version of what it’s made before, or a speedlight or standalone strobe to compete with companies like Godox, we’ll have to wait and see.

While Viltrox will be showing these lenses off at IBC, this doesn’t quite seem to be an official announcement yet. We don’t have release dates for the L-mount lenses, nor do we know if they’ll be the same price as the Sony and Nikon versions. Nor do we have much info on the APS-C lenses. But it’s clear that we should keep a close eye on Viltrox in the coming weeks.

September 9th is Sigma’s 65th anniversary of being in business and its CEO, Kazuto Yamaki, has published a letter marking the occasion. While it doesn’t contain any news, it’s well worth a read, as it’s illustrative of what makes the company different.

While Sigma is best known for its lenses, it’s also a company that hasn’t been afraid of trying something a little out there, be that chasing the long-standing dream of a full-frame Foveon camera, creating a radically simplified user interface for its BF camera or even growing rice. And indeed, it’s hard to imagine many other companies taking time in a letter celebrating an anniversary to call attention to the “stern feedback” they received after the times their products or services fell short.

Yamaki states in the letter that the company hopes to “contribute to the development of photographic and visual culture, social peace, and human happiness” in the future. You can read the full letter here, or take a trip down memory lane and read the letter Yamaki wrote for Sigma’s 60th anniversary in 2021, before checking out the company’s history page.

Today, Apple announced the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo, its first foldable, making it seem as if the standard line of iPhones, along with the ultra-thin iPhone Air were untouched. And while those phones haven’t been updated yet, something about them has changed: their prices.

When the iPhone 17 launched in September of last year, it started at $799 for a model with 256GB of storage. Now, that same model is $899. If you want to upgrade your storage to 512GB, it’ll bring the price up to $1099. Apple is no longer selling the 17 Pro that launched alongside it, as is tradition for when it updates a Pro model.

The iPhone Air, launched at the same time as the 17, has also received a $100 price bump, now starting at $1099 instead of $999. 

What’s more painful is what’s happened to the cheaper end of Apple’s lineup. The iPhone 17e, the company’s budget model which originally launched in March, has gone from $599, the same price as its predecessor, to $699. And the now two-year old iPhone 16 now sells for $799, which is the same price that it launched at in 2024.

This move isn’t necessarily a surprise from Apple. The company recently raised prices on many of its other devices like Macs, Apple TVs and more, likely due in part to rising storage and memory costs. However, it had seemed like the iPhone may have been spared, with the price increases coming with the next generation. And indeed, the iPhone 18 Pros announced today start at $100 more than their predecessor. However, it seems like that price increase isn’t just limited to the latest and greatest.

Apple has announced its long-awaited take on the folding smartphone form-factor, and it’s called the iPhone Duo*. It features a “passport” style design, which is relatively short and wide, giving the interior screen an aspect ratio that’s better for watching video, viewing photos, and running apps side-by-side.

Like the iPhone Air, Apple says it’s managed to fit everything it needs to into the phone by putting “critical components” in the camera plateau. Of course, the protrusion also houses the Duo’s camera system, which, appropriately, features two cameras. The main camera features a 26mm equiv. lens and an F1.6 aperture – no adjustable aperture here – as well as a 48MP stabilized sensor. While the company doesn’t typically share sensor size info, the specs are an exact match for the iPhone Air’s Type 1/1.56 (48mm²) main camera, which would make it a substantial step down from the larger sensor used in the Pro phones.

Apple also says it’s using the same 48MP ultra-wide camera as the iPhone 18 Pro, which is almost certainly the same model found in the iPhone 17 Pro, featuring a Type 1/2.55 (23.5mm²) sensor.

Apple

Like Google before it, Apple is using the folding form factor to enhance the camera experience. It has a mode that lets you halfway fold the phone, so it will sit up on a surface with the cameras pointing outwards. The phone will then analyze the scene, taking pictures when it recognizes that everyone’s posing. The company says this makes it easier to take group shots and selfies without having to worry about a timer. There’s also a mode that will play cartoons on the front screen, aimed to make kids smile as you’re taking pictures of them.

Apple says durability was a big focus for the phone, and that the inner folding display is “designed to withstand the wear of everyday use.” Its frame is made from titanium, with the back glass getting Apple’s Ceramic Shield coating that makes it relatively resistant to shattering from drops. The glass covering the outer 5.4″ display uses the scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield 2 coating. The phone has an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, a rarity among folding phones (though Google’s Pixel Fold series has had it since last year).

According to Apple, the Duo has the “largest display for an iPhone” ever, with its interior screen measuring 7.6″ It features a “nano-texture” surface, similar to what Apple’s been providing on its iPads and Macs, that Apple says will minimize the risk of scratches (a common concern with foldables, which typically have a plastic screen protector that can be marked with a fingernail), and the visibility of the crease. Both of the phones’ screens have a 1:1.4 aspect ratio, and are capable of reaching 3000 nits peak brightness outdoors, and 1600 nits when viewing HDR content. Support for using them with the USB-C version of the Apple Pencil stylus will be coming in a later firmware update.

Apple

The phone does away with the FaceID authentication system that’s been ubiquitous on Apple’s phones for the past few years. The phone instead features a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button. The phone also foregoes the customizable “Action” button, but keeps the touch-sensitive “Camera Control” button, which lets you launch the camera and control various settings, like zoom. However, the camera app doesn’t feature the manual control mode debuted on the iPhone 18 Pro, nor does it have the Reference Image content authenticity mode, ProRes Raw recording, Apple Log 2, and a host of other video features that Apple reserves for its pro phones.

The iPhone Duo uses the same A20 Pro system on a chip as the iPhone 18 Pro, which Apple says will provide an up to 35% performance uplift compared to the standard iPhone 17 Pro. It also features Apple’s new, in-house “C2” chip for cellular and wireless connectivity. To that matter, the phone is e-SIM only, world wide; that’s been the case for the company’s US models for a while, but international models have typically come with a slot. However, Apple says it needed as much room for the battery as possible.

Apple

Thankfully, the phone retains Apple’s MagSafe wireless charging system, which it can use to charge at up to 25W. It also has a 10Gbps USB-C port on the bottom. (Though Apple says you can use the phone in any orientation, so who’s to say it’s not the top or the side?) The compnay claims the phone has “all day battery,” though per usual doesn’t provide specific capacity figures. It does, however, say it can do 31 hours of video playback with the inner screen, and 44 hours with the outer screen, putting it a touch behind the 18 Pro Max, which can do 45 hours.

Apple says the iPhone Duo is its thinnest phone ever when unfolded, coming in at just 5.2mm thick. Of course, it takes up a bit more room when folded, at 11.3mm. It’s also relatively hefty at 254g (~9oz).

As is often the case, Apple’s first crack at the form factor is launching into a relatively mature market. Samsung is up to its eighth generation of foldables, which first debuted in 2019. Earlier this year, the company announced the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which features a triple-camera setup, alongside the dual-camera Galaxy Z Fold 8, which features a “passport” form factor that’s a bit wider and substantially shorter. Likewise, Google recently announced its fourth foldable, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, which features three cameras. Companies like Xiaomi and Oppo also have several options, and have experimented with exotic form factors, such as tri-folds.

Apple

The phone will be available in black and silver. It starts at $1999 for a model with 256GB of storage, and the company says pre-orders start on October 16th, with the phone becoming available on the 23rd.

* – Nerdy fact: Microsoft already used this name for a foldable in 2020.

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Alongside the new PEN camera, OM System has announced an upgrade to its 14-42mm (28-84mm equiv.) F3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds. Beyond being one of the kit options for the PEN, The M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 III is more protected from the elements than its predecessor, and can focus closer.

Like the II, the III is made up of eight elements in seven groups, with three aspherical lenses. However, that doesn’t mean it’ll perform exactly the same. OM System says it can now focus as close as 0.13m (5.1″) at the wide end, down from the 0.25m (9.8″) on its predecessor. This helps you get a little tighter, reproducing objects at up to 0.26x, where the previous lens maxed out at 0.19x. However, this minimum focusing distance does extend a bit as you zoom in, going up to 0.3m (11.8″) when you get to 42mm for 0.19x reproduction.

OM System

OM System also says it’s improved the weather resistance of the lens, with it now being IPX1 rated when paired with a dust and splash proof camera. While that’s the lowest tier of IP rating, only requiring a device to survive dripping water for 10 minutes, it’ll still provide a bit of peace of mind for anyone hoping to use it as a travel lens (though if you expect to encounter rain, it might be worth picking up the sold-separately lens hood to keep the front element clear).

The company also says that it’ll focus faster, and support the computational in-body focus stacking features found on many OM System cameras.

These changes have resulted in a lens that’s a touch heavier than its 112g (4oz) predecessor, as it now weighs 125g (4.4oz). It’s also slightly larger, with a 60mm diameter and being 51mm long. This also equates to it taking larger filters; 46mm rather than 37mm. However, it’s still quite a small lens for what it is, made smaller by its retracting design.

The OM System 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 III will be available in late October and retail for $350 standalone. However, we suspect it’ll be more popular as a kit lens for the new PEN, where you can get it for a $100 premium over the body-only price.

You can see several shots taken with the lens in our sample gallery for the OM System PEN.

OM System

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

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