TTArtisan has announced the AF 85mm F1.8 Neo, a budget-friendly, full-frame portrait lens for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts. The lens strips out any on-lens controls, including the aperture ring and focus ring, opting for simplicity to keep the price just below $100. 

The new lens is the second in TTArtisan’s minimalist Neo series. Until now, the lineup consisted solely of the AF 50mm F1.8 Neo, another design with no on-lens controls. Experienced shooters may find the lack of manual focus unusual, but it is one of the compromises that come with the low price. Aperture, which ranges from F1.8 to F16, is adjusted through the camera body.

TTArtisan

One interesting feature of the Neo lineup is the ability to add 3D-printed shells to the lens. TTArtisan promoted this with the 50mm F1.8 Neo, highlighting the ability to customize the look of the lens to your liking. The shells aren’t included and TTArtisan doesn’t sell them directly, but it does provide downloadable 3D lens-model files for users to design and print their own. 

TTArtisan

In terms of lens specifications, the 85mm F1.8 Neo is lightweight for its class. The shell is made from reinforced fiberglass, and it weighs just 332 g (11.7 oz). It measures 90.5 mm (3.6″) long and accepts 62mm front filters. Its optical formula consists of 12 elements in 8 groups and includes 2 extra-low-dispersion and 2 high-index elements, which TTArtisan says provide “optimal” sharpness. It also features an 11-blade aperture diaphragm.  

The TTArtisan AF 85mm F1.8 Neo is available for pre-order now for $99 with versions for Nikon Z and Sony E mounts. 

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Our Pixel 11 Pro XL sample gallery is now live and covers the newest camera modes on Google’s flagship smartphone, including Magic Capture and Camera Looks. We shot photos using all three rear cameras on the Pixel 11 Pro at their maximum 50MP resolution. 

If you’re considering a Pixel 11 Pro or Pro XL for its camera upgrades, this gallery offers real-world output files you can evaluate before you buy.

We’ve been shooting a Pixel 11 Pro XL production unit since launch day and have done our best to capture photos that reflect real-world scenarios across a range of lighting conditions and scenes. Since the Pixel 11 Pro XL and the smaller Pixel 11 Pro share the same triple-camera system, the results here are representative of what you would get from either model.

Dale Baskin

In addition to JPEG files, we have included downloadable Raw files for every mode that supports them. That means you can pull the files into Lightroom, Capture One or any other Raw-capable editor and draw your own conclusions rather than relying solely on the out-of-camera samples. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that on any modern smartphone, the manufacturer’s computational and AI technology is an important part of the image processing pipeline.

The gallery includes several examples captured using Google’s new Magic Capture mode and Camera Looks.  Magic Capture lets you capture video while AI analyzes the footage to select what it considers the best frames, converting them into 12MP stills. Since Magic Capture works from video frames, it doesn’t produce Raw files, so those samples appear in the gallery as JPEGs only.

Camera Looks lets you dial in a visual style before you shoot rather than applying a filter after the fact.  We photographed two distinct scenes, one rural and one urban, using every available Camera Look, so you can see how each style performs across different types of subject matter. For more information on how both features work, see our hands-on look at Magic Capture and Camera Looks.

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. 

Barely four months after the Osmo Pocket 4’s debut, and less than two months after the Pocket 4P arrived, DJI is already rolling out a substantial firmware update for both pocket gimbal cameras. The updates promise to make both devices more useful as self-contained capture tools, adding background uploads to cloud storage to the pair, along with expanded tracking and control options for the Osmo Pocket 4 and 10-bit D-Log slow-motion recording on the Pocket 4P. 

Coming to both the Osmo Pocket 4 and 4P is DJI’s Camera Cloud Service. The feature allows users to automatically upload footage to supported cloud services or compatible network-attached storage (NAS) when the camera is idle. DJI says the service supports Google Drive, OneDrive and NAS, potentially making it easier and faster to offload clips after a shoot, provided you can connect the camera to a Wi-Fi network. 

DJI

On the Osmo Pocket 4, the update adds a new subject-tracking option that can identify and select a person or object more quickly, then use the gimbal to keep it in-frame as it moves. The camera also gains additional tracking controls, including the ability to zoom while tracking, and the ability to retain the last Smart Gimbal Mode used after the camera is powered off.

DJI has also expanded customization tools. The physical Custom Button’s hold action can now be assigned to either zoom out or open the custom-settings menu. In portrait orientation, the on-screen custom button can be mapped to single press, double press, triple press and press-and-hold actions.

Mykim Dang

The most notable change for the Pocket 4P is that its slow-motion mode can now record in 10-bit D-Log rather than relying on a baked-in color profile as before. It’s important to note, though, that DJI lists this specifically as D-Log, not the newer D-Log2. Still, it provides a more flexible starting point for users who want to grade footage or match it to other cameras. DJI has also updated its D-Log-to-Rec.709 and Rec.709 Vivid LUTs to version 2.0.

Finally, the Pocket 4P joystick now supports 45-degree inputs, allowing diagonal gimbal moves that combine pan and tilt in a single control motion.

Both updates are available now through the DJI Mimo app.

Meet Johan O E

Home base: Sweden

Community member Johan O E, known as Ocoloy in the forums, has a passion for minimalist black-and-white photography. Many of his photos are portraits of ordinary people going about their daily lives, each with a unique angle that tells a particular part of their story.

“Since as long as I can remember, I´ve been in love with photography. From the album covers I saw as a child in the 80s to the surf and music magazines in the 90s. I´ve been photographing for nearly 30 years, but the last 15 years have been more intense. My dad is a photographer as well, but he has never influenced me in any form when it comes to photography. I was never allowed to use his cameras.”

Our ‘What’s in your bag?’ community spotlight series features readers sharing their favorite gear and photography, including from past DPReview collaborators. See below for what Johan has to share.

What draws you to a minimalist view?

Johan O E

“I shoot whatever inspires me. Preferably, there needs to be a person in the shot, but some of my best shots are free from people. I tend to go more for a minimalistic black-and-white vibe when I’m out and about. Been photographing all over the world. New Zealand has been my favorite by far. I also love portraits and candid moments.

I am in my third year with one camera, one lens, and a one-year project, OCOLOY. This time it is the Nikon ZF and the Voigtlander 40mm F1.2, and I only shoot in black and white. Accepts 36 images in color. I made a list of 36 things I love, which I will later print in color A4 and save.”

I like rough, wild and different environments. From stormy seas to deep jungles or the backstreets of towns in Europe.”

What’s in Johan’s bag

Johan O E

Favorite cameras(s): Nikon Zf

Preferred camera bag: “I carry with me the simplest Caselogic bag available on the market. It has just enough space for the camera and barely anything more. I have two different camera bag setups, depending on my mood. My main bag is just my camera, an extra battery, a CPL and a mist filter. If I am out working, I also bring my tablet for editing and an Instax printer for special moments to give away prints.”

Must-have accessories: “I always bring music. I make playlists for different moods and photowalks. In fact, I am recording a song about photography at the moment in my recording studio. I got a crystal from a chandelier and sometimes put it in front of my lens to create different images. I try to carry as little as possible when I am out and about.”

Why is New Zealand on your visit list?

Johan O E

“I have been on the road for the past 26 years, spending many years in New Zealand, Spain and Sweden. I’ve seen remote places in Asia, done a total of 12 months of van trips throughout Europe, spent 5 months in Sri Lanka, and taken surf trips to Hawaii and the Lofoten Islands. My most memorable photography trip was probably the COVID year, when I was 6 months into my time in New Zealand. I made a bucket list and got most of the shots, which later on boosted my photography career.”

Any strategies you’d pass along to your fellow photographers?

Johan O E

“It builds confidence to capture something unique and what I have not seen before. I use my eyes rather than predefined or scripted techniques. I almost always shoot in M mode, mostly with manual lenses, to create exactly what I want. I want a photograph to create emotions and make people look again.”

Photograph what you love and do not photograph purely for likes. Also, a good professional photography lesson will give you way more than any new camera or lens.”

Do you peer into Johan’s photos and see another person’s unique life looking back at you? He enjoyed participating in this spotlight article and would love to hear what you think of his photography in the comments below.

You can check out Johan’s other work at www.stayuntilforever.com,

Editor’s note: This article continues a series, ‘What’s in your bag?’, highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like your photography to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself by filling out this form.