Photo: Denis Baskin

With experience comes wisdom. And for photographers, few things are as satisfying as sharing that wisdom with those just starting their photographic journey. It's a chance to mentor, guide, and give back to the community that helped us grow.

Recently, a discussion in our forums caught our eye. The question posed was simple: "What have you learned that you would tell beginners?" The responses were insightful, offering a trove of knowledge perfect for sharing. In this article, we've gathered some advice from experienced DPReview forum users and some thoughts from our own editors.

The advice broadly falls into three categories: gear, technique, and the photographic process itself. Read on to discover what your fellow DPReview users said, and make sure to share your own hard-earned wisdom in the comments!

Gear: Don't get distracted by shiny objects

It's easy to get caught up in the allure of new cameras and lenses, but gear is only one piece of the puzzle. As sirhawkeye64, who started the forum thread, wisely points out, "I would have focused more on skill...and less on gear or having the latest gear or buying gear that I really never used, and perhaps instead learning to really use the gear I had."

User yardcoyote echoed this sentiment, advising beginners to trust their instincts and avoid getting swept up in trends: "Almost all my mistakes happened because I didn't trust myself and my photographic instincts. Now I know and trust that I don't want zoom lenses, I don't want wide angle, I don't want burst... I don't want to shoot Raw and do extensive work in post."

It's easy to get caught up in the allure of new cameras and lenses, but gear is only a piece of the puzzle. Learn to use the gear you have, and don't hesitate to buy used or refurbished gear. Photo: Richard Butler

"It used to bother me a lot that I wasn't in the mainstream and that many people think I am not a 'real' photographer, at least partly because of these things. Now, I don't care as much. I'm just gonna go over here and take pictures."

Finding the right lenses can be a journey in itself. Editor Richard Butler suggests careful consideration: "Take some time to work out which other lenses you might need. A lot of people buy wide-angle or telephoto zooms, but you may find something like a portrait lens, a macro, or a bright 35mm prime if you like to capture the world as you see it."

"The key thing is that you don’t need all of these; you may not need many lenses at all. But you need to work out what you enjoy and what you want to photograph before you make an informed decision about what lens to buy next."

"I would have focused more on skill...and less on gear..."

For some, considerations of comfort and practicality are key. User mmartel wishes they had prioritized ergonomics: "I've found that grams and millimeters don't matter to me at all, and big EVFs are great... Just because a camera is larger or heavier doesn't mean it's less comfortable to carry and use."

User Leo_Yai emphasizes the importance of a manageable kit: "Keep the body size reasonable. Too small is too fiddly, too big stays in the garage too often, not taking images. Same for lenses... If you ever think, 'Should I change the lens?' then your carrying system is too cumbersome." Ultimately, the best gear is the gear you actually use.

Many experienced photographers suggest buying used gear. If you don't want to buy from a private party, you can often buy reliable used gear from shops like MPB.com (above). Some manufacturers sell refurbished products through their own websites.

Finally, Editor Dale Baskin offers this reassuring advice: "Don’t obsess about having fancy gear or the newest camera. Buy something used in good condition... Don't hesitate to buy refurbished or used gear."

Technique: Master the fundamentals

While gear is essential, mastering photographic techniques is crucial for creating compelling images. User GreenEyesGTA advocates for learning manual focus: "My biggest leap in photography was when I stopped [using] AF/burst so much and took my time with MF [manual focus]."

User Claus H keeps it concise, suggesting a focus on the basics: f-stop, focal length, shutter speed, ISO, composition, leveling your camera, and color vs. black and white, along with skills like focusing on composition and leveling your camera.

Focus on learning the fundamentals – both the fundamentals of photography and of your camera. Photo: Dale Baskin

"React emotionally to your pictures," Claus says. "Make them as good as you can, don't become a technophobe about them. If an image has soul, it has soul, regardless of what it was shot with. Learn the technical, but educate your eyes. Once you have the basics down, carry a camera as often as you can, and shoot, shoot, shoot."

Shooting a lot will help you get to know your camera, but Editor Mitchell Clark highlights the importance of exploring your camera's features. "My photography journey started well into the digital age when even basic cameras had capable auto modes and a litany of complex features. In a lot of ways this was a blessing, but it also let me build some bad habits that took years to undo."

"Once you have the basics down, carry a camera as often as you can, and shoot, shoot, shoot."

"I shot in manual but pretty much ignored everything else. This helped give me a solid understanding of exposure, but it also left huge gaps in my knowledge about how cameras worked and what they were capable of."

"Don't make that mistake," he implores. "While you probably shouldn't read your camera's manual cover to cover, I recommend taking a day to dive through the menus and make sure you have an understanding of what most of the options do. Today's cameras have so many features and capabilities, and it'd be a shame if you didn't use all the ones that fit your shooting style and needs."

The photographic process: Find your voice

Beyond gear and technique, photography is about capturing moments, expressing creativity, sharing your vision with the world, and being true to yourself and your vision.

"Make the images [you] want to make, don't be afraid to experiment, and don't assume that what 'everyone thinks' and 'everyone does' are the right things for you, says yardcoyote.

SeeingSomeThingsMissingMany emphasizes the importance of finding your passion: "[Choose] a subject matter you really like that makes you want to photograph it a lot; [Find] an easy-to-use camera you enjoy that makes you want to use this camera again and again."

Choose a subject matter you really like and photograph it a lot. Finding your own niche in photography allows you to build expertise and shoot something you really enjoy. Photo: Dale Baskin

Finding your voice and vision is about more than just taking great photos, though. Dale Baskin offers this helpful hint: "Find a niche. When you're in learning mode, it's tempting to take pictures of lots of subjects without much creative focus, which is natural because you're learning your craft. As you get better, find one or two things you really love to shoot and get really good at shooting them. It allows you to become an expert and take your experience to the next level."

While feedback is valuable, staying true to your vision is essential. As Mitchell Clark notes, "If the images you're taking make you happy, it doesn't really matter what other people think of them." He also encourages sharing your work freely, reminding us that perfection shouldn't be an obstacle to sharing our creativity.

"Make the images [you] want to make, don't be afraid to experiment..."

With that in mind, user teejaywhy offers a simple but powerful reminder: "When sharing photos to friends or family (or random internet people, for that matter), remember: LESS IS MORE."

Richard Butler agrees: "One of the key skills of photography is to be able to critically assess your own work. This not only lets you focus your efforts on the photos most worthy of processing and editing, but also helps you learn which things work and which things don’t, helping you develop as a photographer."

Which brings us to the other thing he says he wished he’d known earlier: "Don’t judge your efforts too harshly at first: remember that everyone else is only sharing their best work."

Image: Retrospekt

Retrospekt, a company known for refurbishing and reselling classic consumer electronic devices, has announced a limited run of 24-karat gold-plated Rollei 35 film cameras called the Retrospekt 24K Gold Edition.

There's no denying the current fascination with film and digital vintage cameras, and the Rollei 35 is one of the most famous compact film cameras ever made. It was initially launched at Photokina in 1966, and at the time of its introduction, it was the smallest 35mm film camera available; over two million were eventually manufactured.

According to Retrospekt, its limited edition gold-plated cameras are fully-restored vintage Rollei 35 film cameras, with each camera being disassembled and its internal mechanicals refurbished to like-new condition. Each camera's exterior metal parts are electroplated with 24-karat gold.

Original Rollei 35 models usually had 40mm F2.8 or F3.5 Zeiss lenses. Retrospekt's gold-plated cameras include a Zeiss Tessar, Rollei Tessar or Schneider Kreuznach Xenar 40mm F3.5 lens.

Image: Retrospekt

Each camera comes in a presentation box, with a leather case and a wrist strap. The company says the case and strap are made of new materials modeled after the camera's original accessories.

Retrospekt did not disclose how many cameras the limited run would include.

The Rollei 35 is one of the most iconic film cameras in history. Earlier this year, a company called Mint Camera started taking orders on the Rollei 35AF, a modern version of the design that incorporates autofocus.

The Retrospekt 24K Gold Edition sells for $999, including case and accessories, and can be ordered from Retrospect beginning today.

Buy now:

These are just a few of the 100,000 portraits Sami Aziz captured in a single year along Philadephia's iconic South Street. Images ©Sami Aziz

Can a creative project change your life? Photographer Sami Aziz (Instagram: @southstreetsam) discovered that it can. Armed with his camera and a lot of determination, he embarked on a project to shoot portraits every day for an entire year, capturing images of more than 100,000 people along a single iconic street in his hometown of Philadelphia.

It was a journey of exploration and discovery for Aziz. His presence on South Street became a source of positive energy for the city of Philadelphia, strengthened his own ties to the community, and helped him find a path to becoming a full-time photographer.

Shortly after reaching the one-year milestone, Aziz shared his motivations behind the project and its transformative impact on his life.

Forging a path

"I've been doing street photography for a while. I picked it up when I went to college in New York City. While I was living there, Brandon Stanton was doing the Humans of New York project, and it really inspired me."

After college, Aziz traveled across Morocco and the United States, exploring different regions and taking photos.

Image ©Sami Aziz

"Everywhere from Casablanca, Marrakech, and Tangier – to California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. I had a van and was driving around the country, just taking pictures of people. I like the model of focusing on just one place in a city. It's an effective way of honing your skills and building a sense of community."

Aziz eventually felt drawn back to his hometown of Philadelphia but was faced with the task of creating a sense of belonging. "Although I was born and raised in Philly, I didn't feel at home here for the longest time. I didn't have a sense of community yet," he explains. But he did have a dream he wanted to make real.

Image ©Sami Aziz

"Coming back to Philly at 26 was almost like a coming-of-age journey for me. I was like, 'Alright, I want to make something of my photography career now.'"

Becoming South Street Sam

"Leading up to this project, I spent about a year working as a delivery driver. One day, as I was picking up a lunch delivery on South Street, I thought to myself, 'What if I made an Instagram called South Street Sam?' My parents' first date was on South Street. My father had a store here, and my mom worked at a Greek restaurant, South Street Souvlaki, that's been around for 40 years," he explains.

Image ©Sami Aziz

"I planned to make it a side project and didn't expect it would ever become something big."

Aziz initially used his trusted Canon 5D Mark IV and Zeiss Otus 55mm F1.4 lens. However, he realized he needed more flexibility for his project. "There were limitations to using one focal length. I love 50mm – it's probably my favorite because it was my first ‘big boy’ lens – but sometimes, like in these Philly row homes or on a busy sidewalk, it's harder to take group photos with a 50mm."

"Many people don't realize that all the photos on my page are hand-focused."

He kept working as a delivery driver to fund his gear purchases. "I ended up buying the Zeiss Otus 28mm F1.4 and 100mm F1.4 lenses as well. They're all manual focus, cine-style lenses. But after I bought these great lenses, I realized my 5D Mark IV wasn't cutting it anymore because it didn't have certain focus assist tools, which make shooting with manual focus lenses a lot easier."

Image ©Sami Aziz

"Many people don't realize that all the photos on my page are hand-focused. I was basically eyeballing it the whole time with the Canon 5D IV because it didn’t have focus peaking."

Before I quit my delivery job, I decided to make one more investment in an updated camera body and ended up going with the Canon EOS R3. It was the best Canon had to offer with a vertical grip, articulating screen, and, most importantly, manual focus assist tools."

"It was a game-changer. After getting the Canon R3, I started shooting portraits daily and building a streak. When you start, there’s always talk about starting local, but I started hyper-local. I focused on just one street. I knew early on that I was going to be focusing on this street – no pun intended; I mean, it's in my Instagram handle. I'm South Street Sam."

A Turning Point

Aziz reached a crossroads where he realized he had to choose between his delivery job and his passion for photography. "There came a point where I quit the delivery job. I remember a distinct moment on a busy delivery day. I had my keys and was walking toward my car, but I had already started this new page and thought to myself, 'Am I going to go to work today, or am I going to shoot?'"

Image ©Sami Aziz

"I decided to shoot. I didn't care if I was down to my last dollar. I dreamed of being a working street photographer and of being able to pay my bills with photography. It was almost a Forrest Gump-type moment. I just decided to take pictures daily and see what would happen. I never could have imagined this was where my photography career would take off."

He started taking pictures of people along South Street, capturing the diverse faces of the neighborhood. "It picked up steam pretty quickly. My first 10,000 followers were people I photographed and asked, 'Hey, can you follow my Instagram page?' Then, the second I started posting reels, I think I went from 10,000 to 50,000 followers in about three weeks." He used a DJI Osmo Action 4 camera to provide a behind-the-scenes view into his process.

"I decided to shoot. I didn't care if I was down to my last dollar."

As his Instagram page grew, people started recognizing him on the street. "One night, I went out to shoot around 11 pm. I walked up to a girl and said, 'Hey, I'm a street photographer. Can I take a portrait of you?' She recognized me immediately and was like, 'Oh my God, Sam!'

While I'm doing that, another guy driving by backs up in full reverse, rolls down his window and asks if I'm South Street Sam. I'm thinking to myself, I'm out here at 11 pm on a weeknight, and people recognize me. This is crazy. It demonstrates how important this project became to people in my city."

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A post shared by Sami Aziz (@southstreetsam)

"I never could have predicted it would grow the way it did. I’m now approaching 300,000 followers and just surpassed 60 million video views. It's very humbling. At the same time, this is probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. To do something every single day for a year, especially when it's raining or below freezing outside... there were times when I asked myself, ‘What on Earth am I doing?’"

"And for the record, I even picked up a fully weather-sealed Canon RF 85mm F1.2 for days when it was raining or snowing too heavily to use my Otus lenses."

After spending an entire year taking portraits on this iconic street, South Street had become home for Sam. He felt the sense of community he’d always longed for, and it was there to stay.

Living in the moment

"I go out, I shoot, I come home, I upload. The next morning, I edit, I post, and go out to shoot again," Aziz says of his daily routine.

He's so focused on his work that he once didn't recognize a famous actor while taking his photo. "I walked up to him and asked to take his portrait. 'You know I'm an actor, right?' he asked me. And I'm like, 'Great, let's take a photo.' While heading back towards my apartment, I Googled Michael Peña and realized that I'd watched one of his movies, and thought to myself, wow, I just walked up to a Hollywood actor completely clueless."

South Street Sam out during a weekend night taking portraits. Photo courtesy of Sami Aziz

Aziz emphasizes the importance of confidence and positive energy when approaching people for street portraits. "An important lesson I've learned is to approach people with the right energy."

"If you walk up to people expecting them to say no, more likely than not, they're going to say no. If you approach them in a confident way, with good energy, more often than not, they're going to say yes. It takes practice. You can't be discouraged if people say no. Just keep moving, keep rolling, and don't take it personally."

Image ©Sami Aziz

He also believes in giving back to the community by sharing his work. "Everyone gets a copy of their photo. Every night after shooting, I upload an album to Google Drive. All people have to do is follow a link in my story to find their photo in the album and download it. I've never charged anybody for the street portraits. I do, however, give them an option to tip if they’d like to support my creative mission."

Reflecting on the Journey

"I took 100,000 portraits of people, most of which were on five blocks in one city. I can't even wrap my head around the number 100,000. The amount of diversity and human interaction in just five blocks is crazy. That's what I love about portrait photography: just being able to connect with people of different backgrounds and walks of life, particularly in a city like Philadelphia."

Aziz hopes his experience will inspire others to pursue their passions. "If you have a dream, just keep at it. Be consistent. Practice. There are no secrets. It's like in any field; you need to put in the work and pay your dues, and you'll eventually see the result."

"It's so cool to look back at all these years of photography and say I've found my niche."

Early morning flog clings to the autumn landscape in the UK. Photo: Richard Butler

The November edition of the Editors' Photo Challenge is open for submissions! Our theme this month is 'Fog'.

Fog provides endless creative possibilities for photography, from soft, diffused landscapes to ghostly cityscapes. It can add an ethereal quality to a scene, transforming the familiar into something magical. Show us the magic and mystery of mist with your favorite fog photos.

This challenge is open to photos taken at any time, and you may submit up to three photos. Photos must be submitted by Saturday, November 9 (GMT).

Visit the challenge page to read the full rules and to submit your photos for consideration.

Enter your photos here

Images: Sony, Profoto, Sennhesier

After a week without an accessory round – mainly owing to a dearth of accessories – we're back and better than ever. Today, we'll look at a powerful flash, an exciting firmware update, a versatile set of microphones, and more. Before we get to that, though, let's see what's on sale.

Photo: Brendan Nystedt

Panasonic's G9 II is a substantial upgrade from its predecessor, and is now much more capable when it comes to video. It's large for a Micro Four Thirds camera, but that allows for a plethora of controls and a full-size HDMI port. It's currently $200 off MSRP.

Photo: Brendan Nystedt

Canon's EOS R8 is also $200 off, which makes it an even better deal as an entry-level full-frame camera. However, it may be worth spending some of those savings on an extra battery or two, as battery life isn't the EOS R8's strongest suit.

Light, camera, action

Image: Profoto

This week, Profoto announced the D30, a bright monolight flash that's still compact and lightweight. It has a range of 11 F-stops, outputting between 0.5 and 500Ws of light.

It also has a continuous dimmable LED modeling light, with an adjustable color temperature ranging from 2,800 - 7,000K and a >94 CRI. Its recycle time depends on what type of mains electricity you have it hooked up to, but it ranges from 0.1 seconds to a maximum of 0.9 seconds.

The D30 is undeniably a professional tool and has a price tag to match: it comes in at $1,995, and adding a handle is an extra $50. But if you need a lot of lighting power and are making money from your photography, it's certainly an interesting option.

A versatile mic kit

Sennheiser's new Profile wireless microphone system could be an interesting option if you're looking for a plug-and-play audio kit that covers a lot of bases. It includes a few components: two microphone packs, a dual-channel receiver, a charging bar, and a host of accessories, such as wind blockers, a 3.5mm TRS cable, and mounts.

The simplest setup involves clipping the two microphones to your talents' lapels and having them record to their 16GB each of internal memory. Of course, if you're filming those people, you can also have the microphones transmit to the receiver, which can output to a camera's mic jack.

If you'd rather them not be conspicuously in the shot, both packs have locking 3.5mm inputs and can act as transmitters for more traditional lav mics.

Clipping one or both of the microphones into the battery bar lets you use it as a handheld microphone.

Here's where things get exciting though; the microphone capsules and receiver all fit into the charging bar, which makes sure their batteries are topped up. However, that charging bar can also become a handheld wireless microphone if you're doing a piece to camera and want to look official.

It also has a tripod mount, letting you use it as a desktop microphone. You could connect it to your computer via a 3.5mm cable or USB-C... or you could snap on the included USB-C adapter to the receiver and plug it into a phone or computer, letting it work wirelessly in that mode, too. That adapter's also useful if you want to use any of these configurations while recording video with a phone instead of a dedicated camera.

Given just how many roles this setup can fill, it comes at a surprisingly reasonable price of $299. The company also says there's no app required to use it; you can manage all the settings using the receiver's touchscreen.

Focus bracketing comes to the a7 IV

Photo: Richard Butler

If you have a Sony a7 IV and haven't updated it in a while, now might be the time. Sony recently released firmware version 4.0 for the camera, which adds support for focus bracketing, letting you automate the process of taking several images to get an object entirely in focus.

The update includes several more features and fixes, such as the ability to continue taking pictures while your camera transfers images to your phone.

The firmware can be downloaded from Sony's website.

Magical control

Image: Blackmagic

Speaking of updates, the Blackmagic Camera app for iOS recently got support for the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro's new Camera Control button, and the ability to launch the app from the lock screen or control center. The 2.1 update also adds bitrate selection options for when you're recording in H.264 or H.265.

Click to see the previous accessory roundup

Silicon Film's e-film concept has generated a lot of interest over the years, but ultimately came to nothing. Later concepts included a separate processing module attached outside the camera. Photo: Phil Askey / DPReview.com

Early in the digital camera era there were multiple attempts to find a way to convert existing film cameras to work with the new capture technology.

Perhaps the most famous was Silicon Film, whose e-Film EFS-1 digital cartridge got to an advanced state of development before the company collapsed under the weight of development costs, continued engineering challenges, existing patents and insufficient orders. All of which was revealed in the subsequent lawsuit.

Now, around a quarter of a century later, a Swiss team, funded via Kickstarter, looks like it's about to deliver on that dream, despite all the challenges.

I'm Back has partnered with the current owners of the Yashica name to announce that its three crowdfunded projects are now available to order as fully-fledged retail products. The one that really catches our eye is the I'm Back Film, which promises to let you add digital capabilities to a wide range of original SLRs or film rangefinders, by mimicking the Silicon Film concept. Its website lists the unit at 645 Swiss Franks (∼$750).

The Silicon Film dream is back

Like the Silicon Film concept, the I'm Back Film is shaped like a 135 film cassette with a tongue extending from one side, on which a digital sensor is mounted. A ribbon cable extends from here to a box that screws into the tripod socket, containing the processing circuitry, a battery and a small touchscreen to control the unit's settings. A small red button then connects to the processing unit to activate the sensor.

The film module being installed in a camera with the processing module attached below. Yashica branding appears to have been added to this image. Image: I'm Back

To shoot an image, you first press the red button to start the sensor's exposure, safe in the knowledge that the camera's shutter speed and aperture settings will define how much light the sensor actually experiences.

The challenges

I'll admit I've been deeply skeptical about how far I'm Back would get, in part because so many attempts had failed, and how many hurdles these attempts had shown there to be, so I tip my hat to the I'm Back team for overcoming so many of them.

Back in 2017, when I'm Back announced what it now calls the "I'm Back 35," I simplified the challenges, as encountered when large companies such as Nikon looked at the problem, into a list that included:

• Sensor/film plane alignment
• Syncing the SLR shutter and digital exposure
• A means of changing the digital settings
• Compatibility across the dwindling supply of film SLRs
• Keeping the cost reasonable
• Space for batteries and processing hardware
• Sufficient image quality to make the whole ordeal worthwhile

This earlier I'm Back project – including a ground glass that fits in the film plane, photographed by a compact camera sensor mounted in a clumsy plastic periscope attached to the back of the camera – only made the whole idea look less credible. I'm Back 35 only worked for cameras whose film doors could be removed and offered dedicated cases for some cameras, taking us further away from the simple 'drop in a digital cassette' ideal.

The combination of bulk and limited image quality potential made it easy to dismiss as a serious attempt to extend the life of older cameras. At least for anyone who isn't engaged with the Lomography-style 'the imperfections are the appeal' aesthetic. Perhaps the I'm Back 35 will gain traction with the generation embracing wilfully limited early compacts.

I'm Back Film

An image of the I'm Back Film module, with Yashica branding added. Image: I'm Back

The I'm Back Film is a rather different prospect. It's built around a Four Thirds sized sensor (the 20MP IMX269 made by Sony Semiconductor). This use of a smaller-than-full-frame sensor reduces the level of precision needed to align the sensor with the film camera's exposure area, as well as keep costs and power usage under control.

Using a relatively large modern sensor opens up the potential for very good image quality, and the option of Raw capture means you're not solely dependent on the company's JPEG processing expertise (which we've yet to experience). I'm Back has already built-up experience of designing touchscreen interfaces to solve the problem of changing the sensor's settings, addressing another of the original challenges.

The use of a Four Thirds sized sensor, while more impressive than the 2.6x crop chip that Silicon Film originally planned, still confers a significant limitation on anyone trying to use their old film lenses. I'm Back provides a frame that can be stuck into the camera's viewfinder to mask-off the unused area and offers a 0.45x wide-angle converter lens that screws onto the 52mm filter thread used by many film-era 50mm lenses, to help compensate for the crop.

Continuation vs Vinylism

Who doesn't want to breathe some new life into that much-loved film camera currently collecting dust? Image: I'm Back

To me, the significant crop and the rather quirky way around it suggests the aims of the I'm Back Film are quite different to those of Silicon Film's attempt. After 25 years, the goal isn't to let you continue to use your film SLR instead of a dedicated digital camera – the 'accessible' full-frame DSLR arrived long ago, and the move to mirrorless means most legacy lenses can be adapted to a wide range of cameras – but to revive old cameras for the fun of it.

This is perhaps for the best, as most of the film cameras it's designed for are a quarter of a century older than they were when Silicon Film was trying the same thing. Warranties have long-ago elapsed and the ability to repair many film-era cameras continues to diminish.

Now that a quarter of a century has passed, the role that a digital module for film cameras must play has arguably changed. Image: I'm Back

But once you see the aim as being to have some fun with some old, beautifully-engineered cameras that would otherwise be collecting dust or acting as lifestyle signifiers on statement bookshelves, we enter the world of Vinylism: the embrace of an old technology for the sake and the aesthetic of it.

Most people recognize that vinyl isn't a better medium in any measurable sense, and no one claims it's more convenient or practical than digital alternatives. But there's an undeniable charm to the experience, whether it's the large-format sleeves, the ritual of manual intervention or simply the way it looks and feels. As such the way the I'm Back Film should be judged has nothing to do with how it compares with mainstream modern cameras, because, unlike Silicon Film, it's not trying to usurp them.

Even if you disagree with that position or don't subscribe to the Vinylist ethos, to have come this far when so many have failed is truely impressive. I'm Back said it was unable to send us a Film unit in the build-up to this launch, but we'd happily review it, on its own terms, if they ever choose to.

The X-E1 was the first model in Fujilm's X-E camera series. It was originally intended to broaden the X-series’ appeal following the launch of the Flagship X-Pro1.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Fujifilm announced the X-M5, the first new model in its entry-level X-M series in over a decade. The appearance of this long-dormant line sparked renewed interest in Fujifilm’s other compact X-series cameras, and we couldn’t help but wonder if a new X-E camera might be on the horizon.

At a recent event, we posed the question to a Fujifilm executive, asking whether X-E owners should be worried about the product line's future. "We haven't lost focus on any of our existing range," we were told. We expect to see another X-E model, but what might we anticipate from an X-E5?

Over time, there's been some drift in who the X-E series was aimed at as the company's various product lines evolved, and to a degree, it seems like even Fujifilm is still trying to figure out precisely who the series is for. To see where it might be headed, let’s look back at previous X-E models to understand where it's been and how it's trending.

The X-E1: Where it all started

Announced: September 2012

MSRP: $999

Fujifilm’s X-E1 was only the second interchangeable lens camera in the X-series, following the flagship X-Pro1 that launched the X system a few months earlier. When launched, it was intended to broaden the X-series’ appeal and effectively became Fujifilm's enthusiast-oriented camera body.

The X-E1 represented a more affordable option that mimicked the X-Pro1’s design philosophy and control layout. It used the same 16MP sensor and image processor, ensuring it could deliver photo quality on par with the more premium X-Pro.

It didn't include the X-Pro1’s hybrid optical viewfinder, opting instead for a 2.36M-dot OLED EVF – impressive for 2012. However, it added a pop-up flash, which the X-Pro1 lacked.

It became a popular choice for those who wanted Fujifilm's retro styling and manual controls at a more approachable price point. Some users even thought of it as an X100 with interchangeable lenses since the two series followed very similar design cues.

The X-E2: Still the enthusiast's camera

Announced: October 2013

MSRP: $999

When the X-E2 arrived just 13 months after the X-E1, it reinforced the X-E series' position as Fujifilm's enthusiast camera, with X-Pro continuing to occupy the premium bracket and the recently announced X-A1 and X-M1 slotting in at more entry-level positions.

The X-E2 brought relatively few changes in design, many of which were internal improvements in response to user feedback, including face detection autofocus and autoexposure, along with configurable Auto ISO, including maximum and minimum ISO and minimum shutter speed.

Its hardware was nearly identical to the X-E1’s; the Q button was relocated to prevent accidental presses, and separate AE-L and AF-L buttons replaced the X-E1’s combined button, allowing for more customization by advanced users. It was also Fujifilm's first interchangeable lens camera to offer its 'Lens Modulation Optimizer', which used lens correction profiles with variable sharpening to try to compensate for diffraction.

The X-E2s: Change is in the air

Announced: January 2016

MSRP: $699

Something important happened between the X-E2 and X-E2s: in January 2014, just three months after the launch of the X-E2, Fujifilm announced the X-T1, another model aimed at enthusiast photographers. Feature-wise, the X-E2 and X-T1 were very similar, leaving two models vying to be the enthusiast favorite, with the main difference being the camera's shape.

Although the X-T1 arrived with a higher body-only cost of $1299, it proved wildly popular and almost certainly outsold the X-E2. With two models aimed at what was essentially the same audience, it seems likely that Fujifilm went back to the drawing board to reassess the future of the X-E line.

The result was an X-E2s that was essentially a mid-life refresh of an existing model, being all but identical to the X-E2 with the newest firmware installed. It also bought the company time to work out how the X-E and X-T lines should evolve relative to one another.

The X-E2 launched with a substantial $300 price cut. While X-E2s buyers surely appreciated the lower cost, this decision was probably driven, at least in part, by not wanting to tick off distributors who still had the original X-E2 on store shelves rather than signaling a price recalibration.

The X-E3: Finding a new identity

Announced: September 2017

MSRP: $900

The X-E3 was the most significant reimagining of the X-E series' basic design to date and reflects Fujifilm's efforts to differentiate it from the X-T series. How do you do that? Make it smaller, remove a few hardware controls, simplify the camera, and lower the price. Oh, and make it a little sexier in the process.

The upshot is that the X-E3 arrived with a more modern, streamlined look. It shrunk a bit, losing 8mm in width, lost the four-way controller on the back in favor of a joystick and gained a large 3" touchscreen, which allowed users to use finger swipes as a proxy for hardware controls previously found on the four-way controller. Notably, it lost the built-in flash found on all previous X-E models.

The result was still an enthusiast-friendly camera but one that got a little more compact, a bit more sleek, and had a simplified layout with fewer control points to differentiate it from the X-T series. It also saw a $100 price drop compared to the X-E1 and X-E2, further distancing it on price as well.

The X-E4: Settling into a niche

Announced: January 2021

MSRP: $850

The X-E4 continued the series' trend toward a modern-looking design, with more straight edges, flat surfaces and simplified controls. The body became so streamlined that it had neither a grip on the front nor a thumb rest on the back. Another casualty was the 'M-C-S' ('Manual,' 'Continuous' and 'Single') focus mode control on the front of the camera, which provided a quick way to adjust AF settings. (Fujifilm sold an optional grip for those who wanted one.)

Most importantly, the rear command dial found on previous models was omitted, effectively making the X-E4 a single-dial camera, taking it still further from its enthusiast roots. Fujifilm also dropped the price of the X-E4 down to $850.

The camera did gain some enthusiast-friendly features: the 3" touchscreen became a tilting touchscreen, providing a lot more flexibility when using the camera, and upgraded video specs brought DCI 4K video without a crop, including F-Log gamma.

However, signals abounded that the X-E4's role had shifted further relative to the X-T4, its contemporary at launch.

In addition to losing a command dial, it had a lower resolution viewfinder, continued to rely on a single UHS-I card slot instead of the dual UHS-II slots on the X-T4, and it couldn't match the X-T4's ability to capture 4K/60p or 10-bit video despite having the same sensor/processor combination.

In effect, the X-E4 had been shunted downmarket; the X-T line offered everything-including-the-kitchen-sink controls, while the X-E series was distilled into a smaller, simplified camera with enthusiast-oriented features. It still served a broadly similar audience but more likely as a small, convenient secondary camera or a camera for travel rather than the main workhorse.

What might this tell us about a future X-E5?

Over time, the X-E series has gently drifted away from its roots to differentiate it from the X-T line. The design became more sleek and distinct without becoming as plasticky or simplistic as the X-A or X-M series or morphing into an entry-level model. It's still a camera for serious photographers, but photographers who want something smaller or possibly more fashionable.

So, what might we expect from a future X-E camera? We think there's room for an X-E5 that doesn't tread on the X-T5's toes but doesn't need to appeal to entry-level users to be successful, either.

"Over time, the X-E series has gently drifted away from its roots to differentiate it from the X-T line."

We expect an X-E5 will likely be an X-E4 but with Fujiflm's flagship 40MP sensor. Since Fujifilm has developed a small image stabilization unit for the X100VI, we hope to see that as well. However, we doubt if an X-E5 will get the fancy two-way tilt screen found on the X-T5, given the emphasis on size and cost, and we don't anticipate seeing a film simulation dial since those have generally appeared on Fujifilm's more beginner-friendly models.

However, we hope to see the X-E series regain some of its enthusiast street cred. We're not expecting it, but we'd like to see the return of the second command dial, at least, which makes the camera much more enjoyable to use.

The X factor could be price. Several years of inflation have driven up prices across the industry, and a new X-E will almost certainly come in a fair bit higher than the X-E4's $850 launch price. Based on the X-M5 and X-T50 prices, we anticipate it will fall somewhere in the $1300 range, though we're happy to be proven wrong on that.

Let us know what you would like to see in a future X-E5 in the comments.

Updated October 2024

Travel can expose you to once-in-a-lifetime sights and experiences, and a good camera can be the perfect way to preserve those memories. We've looked at a range of models that offer great image quality, good autofocus and excellent video, so you'll be prepared to capture whatever you run into.

We've also tried to select relatively small cameras so they don't interfere with your trip, though it's worth touching briefly on lens size. If you choose a system with a Four Thirds or APS-C sensor, you'll be able to use lenses that are lighter and more compact than their full-frame counterparts. Full-frame sensors, however, offer the potential for even better image quality, so it's worth considering whether portability or image quality matters more to you and doing some research on what types of lenses you'd like to use and how big the full-frame versions are.

Our recommendations

• Portable full-frame: Sony a7CR
• All-round compact capability: Sony a6700
• The great travel kit: Fujifilm X-T50 with 16-50mm F2.8-4.8
• Truly compact mirrorless: OM System OM-5
• The stylish travel companion: Nikon Zf
• The classic choice: Fujifilm X100VI
• Best pocketable travel camera: Ricoh GR III

Portable full-frame: Sony a7CR

61MP BSI CMOS sensor | 4K/60p video with 10-bit color | Dedicated ‘AI’ processor for AF system

Photo: Richard Butler

The Sony a7CR is a relatively compact full-frame camera with an image-stabilized 61MP CMOS sensor. You sacrifice the convenience of an AF joystick and get a pretty small and basic viewfinder to keep the camera's size down, but there's little else that delivers this much image quality in such a compact package.

You'll need to pick your lenses carefully to keep the camera portable but the a7CR's autofocus means it can respond rapidly to just about anything you encounter on your travels.

Read our Sony a7CR initial review

All-round compact capability: Sony a6700

26MP BSI CMOS sensor | 4K/60p video capture | Fully articulating screen

Photo: Richard Butler

The Sony a6700 is built around a 26MP APS-C-sized sensor. Its excellent autofocus performance means it excels at both stills and video capture. There's a good choice of relatively compact lenses available, too. We'd suggest avoiding the really small 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 though: it's not the lens to get the most out of this camera.

Fast, dependable autofocus with a selection of subject recognition modes means the a6700 will help maximize your chances of capturing the unexpected moments on a trip.

Read our full Sony a6700 review

See the Sony a6700 studio scene

The great travel kit: Fujifilm X-T50 w/ 16-50mm F2.8-4.8

40MP APS-C BSI CMOS sensor | In-body image stabilization rated to 7EV | 6.2K 10-bit video recording

Photo: Richard Butler

The X-T50 can be purchased with Fujifilm's excellent 16-50mm F2.8-4.8 kit lens, which provides a versatile focal length for travel and should be able to keep up in darker environments. Fujifilm also sells a wide variety of relatively fast, compact primes.

Read our full Fujifilm X-T50 review

See the Fujifilm X-T50 studio scene

The other Fujifilm

We haven't fully reviewed the Fujifilm X-M5 yet, but if you're looking for an APS-C camera that's even smaller than the X-T50, it may be worth considering. It's substantially cheaper, though it's easy to see where the company has saved money: it uses a lower-resolution 26MP sensor, which isn't stabilized, and there's no EVF. It does have the same film simulation dial and autofocus subject recognition modes, though, so those tradeoffs may be worth it if size or price are your top priority.

Truly compact mirrorless: OM System OM-5

20MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor | 4K/30p video | In-body stabilization rated to 6.5EV (7.5 with some lenses)

Photo: Brendan Nystedt

The OM System OM-5 is a compact interchangeable lens camera with a 20MP Four Thirds sensor in a compact body with plenty of external control.

That relatively small sensor means it can remain fairly small, even with a lens attached, and the Micro Four Thirds lens system provides extensive options in that regard, from compact zooms to small prime lenses.

Read our OM System OM-5 review

See the OM System OM-5 studio scene

Another Micro Four Thirds option

The Panasonic Lumix G9 II is more expensive and less compact than the OM-5, though it still uses the same size lenses. For the extra bulk and cost you'll get a modern USB-C charging port, dual card slots and improvements in image quality, autofocus tracking performance and video features. However, the weather sealing likely won't be as good as OM Systems, which has an official IP53 rating.

The stylish travel companion: Nikon Zf

24MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor | Full-width 4K/30 video, cropped 4K/60 | Stabilization rated to 8EV

Photo: Richard Butler

The Nikon Zf is a classically styled full-frame camera built around a 24MP full-frame sensor that's used by many of its peers. The angular 80s-style body isn't the most comfortable to hold in your hand for extended periods, but the lack of stick-out grip makes it smaller than many of its rivals, making it a tempting travel companion.

At least in its all-black form, there's a chance of it being mistaken for a film camera, which may help avoid the wrong kind of attention when you're out and about in an unfamiliar setting.

Read our review of the Nikon Zf

See the Nikon Zf studio scene

Best pocketable travel camera: Ricoh GR III

24MP APS-C sensor | 28mm equiv. F2.8 lens | Wi-Fi + Bluetooth

The Ricoh is a pocketable compact with a large APS-C sensor. Photo: Barney Britton

Buy now:

The Ricoh GR III HDF is the latest entry in the company's series of classic compact cameras with large APS-C sensors and a 28mm equivalent lens. This version is almost identical to the regular GR III, but swaps the built-in ND filter for a highlight diffusion one, which can be activated to give photos a dreamy look.

It's not the most flexible camera, but it's one of the most pocketable and has built up a dedicated following of photographers who find it a joy to shoot with. Unfortunately, most GR III models are currently difficult to buy, as they're out of stock or unavailable almost everywhere.

Our only concern, in terms of using the GR III for travel are that some users have found dust can get into the lens. So it's worth trying to find some sort of protective bag to keep it in.

There's also the GR IIIx, a variant with a longer, 40mm equivalent lens on it. This may be a little tight for documenting your travels, but it's historically a popular focal length.

Read our Ricoh GR III review

See the Ricoh GR III studio scene

The classic choice: Fujifilm X100VI

40MP BSI CMOS APS-C X-Trans sensor | 35mm equiv F2 lens | Hybrid viewfinder

The Fujifilm X100VI is a refinement of everything that made the X100V great, but it's still difficult to buy. Photo: Richard Butler

Like the Fujifilm X100V before it, the Fujifilm X100VI is a classically styled fixed lens camera with a 35mm equivalent F2 lens. Updated with in-body image stabilization rated at up to 6EV of correction and a 40MP BSI CMOS APS-C X-Trans sensor, the X100VI is a significant upgrade over its predecessor despite looking virtually identical. And those improvements in part explain the X100VI's $200 increase in list price to $1,600.

It's not smallest or most inconspicuous camera, but its fixed focal length means you develop an 'eye' for the photos it'll take, essentially making it a better quality, more engaging alternative to snapping away with your phone.

The addition of subject-detection autofocus has given the X100VI the ability to recognize animals, birds, automobiles, motorcycles and bikes, airplanes, and trains though human (face/eye) detection is a separate mode. However, the lens the X100VI shares with the X100V is not the fastest to autofocus, prioritizing sharpness over speed.

The X100VI brings a level of polish you would expect from a sixth iteration of a camera. Fujifilm has done a great job keeping the X100-series up to date without messing with the formula that's made it so popular. No surprise, this is the best X100 yet.

Unfortunately, despite ramped-up production, demand for the X100VI seems to have outstripped supply with the camera already on backorder at virtually all dealers.

Read our Fujifilm X100VI review

Why you should trust us

This buying guide is based on cameras used and tested by DPReview's editorial team. We don't select a camera until we've used it enough to be confident in recommending it, usually after our extensive review process. The selections are purely a reflection of which cameras we believe to be best: there are no financial incentives for us to select one model or brand over another.

Image: Apple

Apple has announced its new suite of MacBook Pros, which now come equipped with the M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. The company is also making its 'nano-texture' matte display option available for the first time in its laptop lineup.

Apple says the new laptops also come with an upgraded webcam that supports Center Stage, a feature which crops in on the subject, keeping them in the middle of the frame even if they're moving around.

The display can also now go up to 1,000 nits in SDR mode; previously, you could only attain that brightness while looking at HDR content. That should make it easier to see the monitor, even in harsh lighting conditions. If you consistently work outside or in front of a window, it may also be worth considering the $150 'nano-texture' display option, which Apple says will "reduce glare and reflections in bright spaces."

As with the previous generation, there's one computer that stands a little apart from the others: the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the regular M4. It starts at $1,599 and includes a 10-core CPU and GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. While it has most of the features of the other models, it misses out on Thunderbolt 5, which promises up to 120Gbps transfers, instead getting stuck with the previous-generation 40Gbps interface. However, it now has a third Thunderbolt port on the right side of the computer; the previous model only had two, both on the left side.

The M4 Pro was announced yesterday alongside the refreshed Mac Mini, but the M4 Max is new to the lineup. CPU-wise, it starts at the same level as the top-end M4 Pro with 14 cores, but you can add two more. The GPU is also much more powerful; it starts at 32 cores and goes up to 40. This also allows it to support up to four external displays, while the M4 and M4 Pro models can only handle two.

The M4 Pro and Max models are available with both 14- and 16-inch displays; the base M4 is only available in the 14-inch chassis.

One minor disappointment that won't surprise anyone who's been following the iMac and Mac Mini announcements: the new MacBook Pros are still using Wi-Fi 6E instead of the newer Wi-Fi 7. It's an easier flaw to overlook on desktop computers that mostly come equipped with Ethernet ports, but on a mobile-first computer, it's a bit of a strange decision. Otherwise, the MacBook Pros have very similar connectivity to their predecessors: three Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, an SD card reader and MagSafe power adapter.

The new MacBook Pros are available for pre-order today and will ship on November 8th.

Image: Apple

Apple has announced that the M2 and M3 MacBook Air will now come standard with 16GB of RAM, fixing a major flaw on otherwise great computers.

The laptops previously came with a restrictive 8GB of memory, forcing people to decide whether they wanted a computer that could struggle when multitasking or to pay the exorbitant $200 upgrade fee to jump to 16GB. Now, that's no longer a consideration; the MacBook Air now just comes with double the RAM for the same starting price: $999 for the M2 model and $1099 for the M3-equipped version.

If this news has made you consider getting one – they are quite capable laptops for their price and can handle a fair amount of photo editing – you should be a bit cautious. 8GB models will likely still be floating around at various retailers for a while. At the time of writing, Best Buy is currently selling a 13-inch M3 MacBook Air with a lower amount of RAM for $1,099, the same price as the 16GB model now costs from Apple.

Image: Apple

Apple has announced its new suite of MacBook Pros, which now come equipped with the M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. The company is also making its 'nano-texture' matte display option available for the first time in its laptop lineup.

Apple says the new laptops also come with an upgraded webcam that supports Center Stage, a feature that crops in on the subject, keeping them in the middle of the frame even if they're moving around.

The display can also now go up to 1,000 nits in SDR mode; previously, you could only attain that brightness while looking at HDR content. That should make it easier to see the monitor, even in harsh lighting conditions. If you're consistently working outside or in front of a window, it may also be worth considering the $150 'nano-texture' display option, which Apple says will "reduce glare and reflections in bright spaces."

As with the previous generation, there's one computer that stands a little apart from the others: the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the regular M4. It starts at $1,599 and includes a 10-core CPU and GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. While it has most of the features of the other models, it does miss out on Thunderbolt 5, instead getting stuck with the previous-generation connector.

The M4 Pro was announced yesterday alongside the refreshed Mac Mini, but the M4 Max is new to the lineup. CPU-wise it starts at the same level as the top-end M4 Pro with 14 cores, but you can add two more. The GPU is also much more powerful; it starts at 32 cores and goes up to 40. That also lets it support up to four external displays, while the M4 and M4 Pro models can only handle two.

The M4 Pro and Max models are available with both 14- and 16-inch displays; the base M4 is only available in the 14-inch chassis.

The new MacBook Pros are available for pre-order today and will ship on November 8th.

Developing... this story will be updated.

Image: Nikon

Nikon has said it is developing a Nikkor Z 28-135mm F4 PZ power zoom long standard lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras.

The power zoom design will make it particularly suited to video work, with the company highlighting documentary work by small or solo video teams as a possible target audience. The company has provided a single rendering of the lens, showing a short but substantial lens with a removable tripod foot, that's unusual for a lens of this range and aperture, but making it easy to mount directly to sticks or a monopod.

No details of price, availability or expected development date have been provided.

Comparing the rendering to other Nikkor lenses, we estimate the lens will be in the region of 173mm long and 105mm wide. The image shows the lens as taking a 95mm filter, though a matte box is likely to be just as common as the use of filters when used for video.

Image: Canon

Canon has announced the RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z, a telephoto zoom lens aimed at professional photographers and videographers, and designed to work with both EOS and Cinema EOS cameras.

The lens features a non-extending, internal zoom design, with the big news for many users being that it works with Canon's 1.4x and 2x RF-mount teleconverters, enabling focal lengths up to 400mm. It will be available in two colors.

Canon's original 70-200mm F2.8 lens for RF-mount, the RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM, featured a collapsible design for compact size but didn't include teleconverter compatibility. A Canon representative told us the new lens should appeal to people who haven’t upgraded from their EF lenses because the original RF version didn't meet their needs. We're told both will remain in the lineup.

Optically, the lens features 18 elements in 15 groups, including two Super UD, one UD, and three aspherical elements. It also includes Canon's Air Sphere coating to control ghosting and flare and has a fluorine-coated front element and an 82mm filter thread.

Image: Canon

A focusing lens group and a floating focus lens are each driven by Nano USM motors. This design helps give the lens a minimum focus distance of 0.49m (1.61ft) at 70mm, but its maximum magnification of 0.3x occurs at 200mm.

Optical image stabilization is rated up to 5.5 stops at the center of the image and up to 7.5 stops at the center (7.0 stops at the corners) when used on a camera with in-body image stabilization.

The new lens has the same 89mm (3.5") diameter as the collapsible RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM, but at 199mm (7.8") in length, it's a full 53mm longer. A more apt size comparison is Canon's EF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS III USM, the last such lens it made for EF mount, which shares the same dimensions. However, at 1115 g (2.5 lbs), the new lens is about 25% lighter than the EF version.

Canon's telephoto zooms have historically sported a white paint job, but the RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z will be available in both black and white variations, including a matching lens hood, reflecting the differing preferences of video and stills shooters.

Image: Canon

In response to one of the most frequent requests it received from owners of its existing 70-200mm lenses, Canon redesigned the zoom ring to operate more quickly, making it possible to "go from 70 to 200mm with the flick of the wrist."

In a nod to hybrid shooters, the lens uses the exact same housing and internal mechanics as the RF 24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z, making it easy for video users to switch between the two lenses on a rig without adjustment. It includes weather-sealed electrical contacts and mounting points for Canon's PZ-E2 power zoom adapter, and a clickless aperture ring (compatible with the EOS R5 II and EOS R1) to allow for stepless iris control when shooting video.

Canon claims the lens exhibits minimal focus breathing, though a representative told us it will exhibit the best performance on a camera body that includes breathing corrections.

Price and availability

The RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z is expected to be available in November at a suggested retail price of $2999. That's $200 more than the existing, retractable RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM, which retails for $2799 and will remain in Canon's lineup.

Press release:

RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z specifications

RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM. Image: Canon

Canon has announced two prime lenses: the RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM and RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM. Both lenses are part of its new 'hybrid' series of lenses designed to work with both EOS and Cinema EOS cameras.

According to Canon, the new lenses are aimed at users who need to switch between photo and video frequently or quickly, including professional shooters, journalists and in-house production creators.

Both lenses are intended to match Canon's previously announced RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM. All three lenses share the same design and have a unified exterior with the same dimensions, at 77mm (3.0") in diameter and 99mm (3.9") long. They're also very close in weight, ranging from 515g (1.1 lbs.) for the 24mm lens to 580g (1.3 lbs.) for the 50mm lens. The 35mm lens sits in the middle at 555g (1.2 lbs.)

RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM. Image: Canon

In principle, the matched size, control layout, and similar weights should make it much easier for video shooters to use the lenses on a video rig or gimbal without requiring adjustments with each lens change.

Other common lens features include an iris ring for controlling aperture while shooting (compatible with the EOS R5 II and EOS R1), customizable control and focus rings, a lens function button, and a 67mm filter thread.

Optically, the 24mm F1.4 comprises 15 elements in 11 groups, including two UD and one aspherical element. It has a minimum focus distance of 0.24m (9.4") and a maximum magnification of 0.17x. Canon says it should be a good lens for astrophotography, delivering sharp corners and stars without distortion.

The 50mm F1.4's design is made up from 14 elements in 11 groups, including one UD and two aspherical lenses. It has a minimum focus distance of 0.4m (15.7") and a maximum magnification of 0.15x.

RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM mounted on the EOS R5 II. Image: Canon

Both lenses include Canon's Air Sphere Coating, Super Spectra Coating and a fluorine-coated front element. The wide-angle 24mm F1.4 also includes Canon's Sub Wavelength Coating for controlling internal reflections from light approaching with a high angle of incidence.

Canon claims both lenses will deliver fast, quiet and precise autofocus thanks to a combination of VCM and Nano USM motors. Their independently-driven twin focus group designs also allow the lens to achieve minimal focus breathing for video work.

Price and availability

The RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM and RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM are expected to be available in December. The RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM has a suggested retail price of $1499, and the RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM has a suggested retail price of $1399.

For additional information, please see Canon's press release.

RF 24mm F1.4 L VCM & RF 50mm F1.4 L VCM specifications

Image: Canon

Canon has announced the RF-S 7.8mm F4 STM Dual, the latest addition to its EOS VR System, designed for social media content creators and enthusiast videographers. It says the lens offers an affordable way to start exploring the world of VR and spatial content creation.

Canon told us previously that it expects a lot of growth in the VR space and that it's seeing demand from creators for VR, 3D and spatial creation tools, and Apple teased the RF-S 7.8mm F4 STM Dual during its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference keynote in June.

With a 7.8mm focal length and a 63º angle of view, Canon says the lens will capture photos and video using a square aspect ratio. Its stereoscopic lenses use a straight optical path that's much less complex than those found in its more expensive RF-S 3.9mm F3.5mm STM and RF 5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye lenses.

The interpupillary distance between the two lenses is 11.6mm, and the strongest spatial effects will occur with objects between about 15 and 50cm (6–20") from the lens, so Canon says placing objects in the foreground will enhance the spatial effect. Where necessary, the focus/control ring can be used for fine left/right focus adjustments, and users can swap between the right and left views on the rear screen to confirm focus, though Canon suggests this isn't something that needs to be done regularly.

The RF-S 7.8mm F4 STM Dual mounted on the EOS R7. Image: Canon

After capturing video, users can use the EOS VR plug-in for Adobe Premiere to convert footage to 3D 180º VR or the EOS VR Utility software (subscription required) to convert footage into 3D 180º VR, 3D Theater, or spatial video for consumption on a device like the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3.

Canon says the lens was designed for simplicity and operates similarly to a standard 2D camera lens and that the $449 price reflects its intention to make it a cost-effective option for creators wanting to experiment with 3D or spatial content.

The RF-S 7.8mm F4 STM Dual is compatible with the EOS R7 running firmware 1.60.

Price and availability

The RF-S 7.8mm F4 STM Dual is expected to be available in November for a suggested retail price of $449.

Press release:

Canon RF-S7.8mm F4 STM Dual specifications

Image: Apple

Apple has announced a new Mac Mini, which introduces a new design for the desktop computer featuring two front-facing 10Gbps USB-C ports and a high-impedance headphone jack. Also new is the M4 Pro, a more powerful version of Apple's latest chip, though you can also get the Mac Mini with a regular M4 as well.

Apple says the new case for the Mac Mini is just 12.7cm wide, 12.7cm deep, and 5 cm tall (5" x 5" x 2"). The previous M2 model was 19.70 cm x 19.70 cm x 3.58 cm (7.75" x 7.75" x 1.41").

Another big change from the previous model is the lack of USB-A ports. On the back are three Thunderbolt ports – which generation depends on your choice of chip – an HDMI port, and an Ethernet port, which is Gigabit by default but can be optioned to support 10Gbps. The computer also supports Wi-Fi 6E – not Wi-Fi 7 – and Bluetooth 5.3.

So long USB-A, hello Thunderbolt 5 (on some models). Image: Apple

Back to the ports on the rear: The ones on the regular M4 Mac Mini are the standard 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports that have been on Apple's computers for a while now. However, if you get the M4 Pro model, you'll also get the first Mac with Thunderbolt 5, which can support data transfers at up to 120Gbps.

The M4 Pro, which is only available on the highest-end Mac Mini, starts with 8 'performance' CPU cores, 4 'efficiency' CPU cores and a 16-core GPU; there's also a model with two more performance cores and four more GPU cores. It also has over double the memory bandwidth of the regular M4 and can be configured with up to 64GB of RAM versus the 32GB that the regular M4 appears to top out at.

Both the M4 and M4 Pro variants support up to three displays, though the latter can support up to three 6K displays at 60Hz; the M4 can only manage two 6K/60Hz displays, and the third one will have to be 5K or lower.

The one disappointment for photographers is that the redesign doesn't add an SD card reader like the Mac Studio has. There will almost certainly be custom-made third-party docks that add one – and USB-A ports – but it would've been nice to see one included.

The Mac Mini starts at $599, with the entry-level model sporting a 10-core CPU and GPU M4, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The M4 Pro model is much pricier at $1,399, though it starts with 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. If you're budgeting for the computer, though, do keep in mind that it doesn't include a keyboard, mouse, or monitor. You can pre-order the Mini today, and it will be available on November 8th.

Apple's also touting the new Mac Mini as its first 'Carbon Neutral' Mac, a feat it says it's achieved by making it out of 50% recycled materials, manufacturing it with 100% renewable energy, and prioritizing shipping via ocean instead of air. The company has stated that its goal is to be completely carbon-neutral by 2030.

The computer is the second Mac Apple's announced this week, after the M4 iMac. In the Mac Mini announcement video, the company says it will make its third announcement tomorrow, the 30th.

Image: Peak Design / Carryology

Well-known camera accessory brand Peak Design has teamed up with gear review publication Carryology to release special editions of several of its popular photography accessories. The brands' 'Essentials Collab' contains special editions of Peak Design's Capture Clip, Mobile Tripod and Cuff, as well as its Slide, Slide Lites and Leash straps.

The Capture Clip is the standout product in the collaboration. Normally it comes in black or silver, and is meant to give you an easy anchor point for your camera that can be mounted onto a backpack strap or belt. The Carryology version, however, includes a hexagonal print pattern on the back and is the same bright orange that features on several other Carryology Essentials products – though you'd be forgiven for initially mistaking it with the Cinnabar orange that Sony uses for its Alpha branding.

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While the orange accents on the Carryology-branded straps and Cuff are decidedly more subtle, they actually have a functional difference compared to the standard Peak Design versions. According to the press release, they "incorporate Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene" threads to add durability and cut resistance.

The regular Slide strap is purely made of tubular nylon webbing, whereas the Carryology version also includes UHMWP. Image: Peak Design/Carryology

UHMWP—often sold under the brand name Dyneema—is a material well-known in the outdoor gear world, with its strength-to-weight ratio often being a big selling point. According to Peak Design, its inclusion in the straps could make it more difficult for someone to cut them in an attempt to steal your camera off your body. However, that does raise the question of whether you want an accessory that will frustrate criminals who are standing very close to you with a blade.

Putting that aside, using UHMWP should help make the strap more durable and could help give you a bit more confidence if you often use your camera around sharp objects such as rocks or industrial equipment. The orange hardware also definitely stands out compared to the black, grey, and silver levers that typically come on Peak Design's straps.

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The final product in the lineup is the Mobile Tripod, which is designed to work with Peak Design's 'Everyday' phone cases or other MagSafe-compatible cases. Like the Capture Clip, it also has a hexagon-like print, though there's far less orange in the design.

The Mobile Tripod is a foldable stand that stores away on the back of your phone. Image: Peak Design / Carryology

Peak Design says the Carryology editions will sell for 10-15% more than the versions without the cobranding, and will be available today on Peak Design's site.

2024 inductees: International Photography Hall of Fame

Clockwise from top left: James Balog, Sam Abell, Martin Parr, Eve Arnold, Richard Misrach, Paul Caponigro. (Not pictured: Anne Wilkes Tucker)

The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum (IPHF) has announced its 2024 class of inductees, a group that includes photographers, visionaries and historians who exemplify the artistry, passion and evolution of the photographic arts. The IPHF class of 2024 will be formally inducted on November 1st.

According to a statement by the museum, "The [2024] inductees, though widely differing in style and practice, are individually seen as significant innovators in their respective fields. They are all risk-takers who introduced the world to new means of artistic representation and expression."

The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, located near St. Louis, Missouri, is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the achievements of the inventors, pioneers and pivotal artists throughout the history of photography. Its permanent collection includes works from more than 500 artists and more than 10,000 photographs.

Sam Abell

Same Abell (b. 1945) is one of America's most influential documentary photographers, celebrated for his in-depth color photo essays for National Geographic magazine, where he photographed more than 20 articles covering topics from culture to wilderness subjects.

Abell learned photography from his father, a high school geography teacher, while growing up in Sylvania, Ohio. From 1971-2001, he was a contract and staff photographer for National Geographic.
In 1990, his work was the subject of a one-person exhibition and monograph titled Stay This Moment at the International Center of Photography in New York City.
He has published four additional collections of his work: Seeing Gardens, Sam Abell: The Photographic Life, The Life of a Photograph and Sam Abell Library. 


Abell maintains a career as a writer, teacher and lecturer on photography.
He has served on the boards of the George Eastman House and the University of Virginia Museum of Art.
In 2024, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Photo Society.

Photo ©Sam Abell

Eve Arnold

Eve Arnold (1912-2012) was a pioneering American photojournalist celebrated for her candid and empathetic portraits of people from diverse walks of life. Born in Philadelphia in 1912, Arnold began her career in the 1950s and quickly gained recognition for her insightful documentary photography. Arnold was a member of the prestigious Magnum Photos agency, the first woman to be invited to join. Her work spanned a wide range of subjects, including political figures, celebrities, and marginalized communities. Arnold's most notable projects include her intimate portraits of Marilyn Monroe, her documentation of the Civil Rights movement, and her exploration of life in China and Afghanistan.

Arnold's photographs are characterized by their warmth, honesty, and compassion. Her legacy as a trailblazer in photojournalism continues to inspire generations of photographers worldwide. In 1980, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Magazine Photographers, and the National Book Award for In China. She was later made a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and named a Master Photographer by New York’s International Center of Photography.

She published twelve books in her lifetime. She passed away in January 2012 at the age of 99.

Photo ©Eve Arnold

Paul Caponigro

Paul Caponigro (b. 1932) is known for his captivating and mystical landscape images. His exquisite silver gelatin prints depict images of nature, including flowers, cloud formations, and forest settings, and his work forms a visual bridge between the material world of physical forms and the living spirit behind them. He studied at Boston University College of Music in 1950 before focusing on photography at the California School of Fine Art, where Ansel Adams had established one of the first photography programs in the United States.

Caponigro is best known for his interest in natural forms, landscapes, and still lifes. His subjects include Stonehenge and other Celtic megaliths of England and Ireland; the temples, shrines and sacred gardens of Japan; and the deep mystical woodland of New England.

His twelve books include Sunflower, Megaliths, and The Wise Silence. He has received two Guggenheim Fellowships and three National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants. In recognition of a sustained, significant contribution to the art of photography, Caponigro was awarded The Royal Photographic Society’s Centenary Medal and Honorary Fellowship in 2001 and the Lucie Awards Outstanding Achievement In Fine Art Photography in 2021

Photo ©SPaul Caponigro

Richard Misrach

Richard Misrach (b. 1949) is one of the most influential photographers of his generation. In the 1970s, he helped pioneer the renaissance of color photography and large-scale presentation that are in widespread practice today.

For five decades, Richard Misrach has been one of the most significant and influential photographers of the American landscape. He is best known for his monumental epic, Desert Cantos, a multifaceted study of our political, cultural and environmental relationship to the natural world. Recent projects mark departures from his work to date. In one series, he has experimented with new advances in digital capture and printing, foregrounding the negative as an end in itself and digitally creating images with astonishing detail and color spectrum. In another, he built a powerful narrative out of images of graffiti produced in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, made with a 4-megapixel pocket camera.

Misrach's museum exhibit, Border Cantos, a collaboration with experimental composer Guillermo Galindo, traveled to the San Jose Museum of Art; Amon Carter Museum of Art, Fort Worth; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; Pace Gallery, New York; Samek Art Museum; and the Missoula Art Museum. The exhibition and the accompanying publication - Border Cantos (Aperture, 2016) - explored complex issues surrounding the US-Mexico border through Misrach’s photographs of landscapes and objects left behind by migrants, together with Galindo's haunting musical instruments, sound installations, and scores.

Photo ©Richard Misrach

Martin Parr

Martin Parr (b. 1952) is one of the best-known documentary photographers of his generation. With over 100 books of his own published and another 30 edited by Parr, his photographic legacy is already established. Parr also acts as a curator and editor. He has curated two photography festivals, Arles in 2004 and Brighton Biennial in 2010. More recently, Parr curated the Barbican exhibition Strange and Familiar.

Parr has been a member of the Magnum agency since 1994 and was President from 2013 - 2017. In 2013, Parr was appointed as the visiting professor of photography at the University of Ulster. Parr’s work has been collected by many of the leading museums, including the Tate, the Pompidou and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Martin Parr established the Martin Parr Foundation in 2017.

In 2019, the National Portrait Gallery in London held a major exhibition of Parr’s work titled Only Human.

Photo ©Martin Parr

James Balog

The International Photography Hall of Fame has announced that James Balog will receive its 2024 Visionary Award.

For nearly 40 years, photographer James Balog (b. 1952) has broken new conceptual and artistic ground on one of the most important issues of our era: human modification of nature. He has been a leader in photographing, understanding and interpreting the natural environment for three decades. An avid mountaineer with a graduate degree in geography and geomorphology, James is equally at home on a Himalayan peak or a whitewater river, the African savannah or polar icecaps.

To reveal the impact of climate change, James founded the Extreme Ice Survey (EIS), the most wide-ranging, ground-based, photographic study of glaciers ever conducted. The project is also featured in the 2009 NOVA documentary “Extreme Ice” and the feature-length documentary “Chasing Ice,” premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2012.

James is the author of seven books, including "ICE: Portraits of the World’s Vanishing Glaciers." Among his other books are Tree: A New Vision of the American Forest and Survivors: A New Vision of Endangered Wildlife. His work has been extensively published in the world’s major pictorial magazines, including National Geographic, The New Yorker, National Geographic, Life, American Photo, Vanity Fair, Sierra, Audubon, and Outside. In 1996, James was the first photographer ever commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service to create a full sheet of stamps.

Photo ©James Balog

Anne Wilkes Tucker

Anne Wilkes Tucker (b. 1945) is the curator emerita of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, having, in 1976, become founding curator of the photography department for which she acquired 30,000 photographs made on all seven continents. She curated or co-curated over 40 exhibitions, most with accompanying catalogs, including surveys on the Czech Avant-garde, the history of Japanese photography, and the history of war photography.

She has also contributed articles to over 150 magazines, books and other catalogs and has lectured throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia. Her honors, fellowships, and awards include being selected as “America’s Best Curator” by Time magazine in 2001 in an issue devoted to America’s Best.

Photo ©Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Image: Apple

Apple has announced a new iMac, which comes equipped with its latest M4 processor and 16GB of memory standard – double what the previous generation started with. The computer, which is a popular pick for creatives and photographers who don't necessarily need the computer power or modularity of Apple's higher-end models, is available in seven colors: blue, purple, pink, orange, yellow, green and silver.

Like before, Apple's selling a base model that has two Thunderbolt ports, and a less powerful processor. The two-port model has an M4 chip with 4 performance CPU cores and 4 efficiency CPU cores, along with an 8 core GPU. The upgraded four-port models add two efficiency and GPU cores. They also max out at 2TB of storage instead of 1, and 32GB RAM instead of 24.

Those four ports are all full Thunderbolt 4 now; the previous-gen four-port iMac had two Thunderbolt ports and two USB 3 ports, which were substantially slower.

The built-in 24" display appears to be unchanged from the previous model. It's still a 4.5K 'Retina' panel with a max brightness of 500 nits and support for P3 color. However, there's good news for fans of external displays: the four-port models with 10-core GPUs can drive up to two 6K/60Hz displays alongside the built-in screen or a single 8K display at 120Hz. The previous-generation iMac only supported one external display, though that's unfortunately also true for the new two-port iMac as well.

Four full-speed ports is good if you want to use a bunch of displays. Like with previous models, the four-port iMac also includes a gigabit ethernet port built into the power brick. Image: Apple

Another downside for the two-port model is that you can't add the 'Nano-texture' display option like you can with the higher-end models. Apple says the $200 add-on, which wasn't available on the previous M3 iMac, will "reduce reflectivity and glare while maintaining outstanding image quality." Essentially, it's a matte display option for those whose computers are often in direct sunlight.

The new iMac also has some other small upgrades. The 1080p webcam now supports Apple's 'Center Stage' and 'Desk View' features that work to keep you in the frame and show off what's on the desk in front of the computer, respectively. The included color-matched peripherals now use the near-universal USB-C to charge instead of the old Lightning; the keyboard included with the four-port model includes a Touch ID sensor, which is missing on the keyboard that comes with the two-port model.

Overall, the new iMacs should continue the tradition of being decent all-in-ones for photo editing, light video work and general use, especially now that they're no longer blighted by a woefully inadequate 8GB of RAM – a change Apple will hopefully bring that change to the rest of its lineup too. The base storage, however, is still stuck at 256GB, and Apple still charges a pretty penny for its bigger SSDs.

It's also nice to see that Apple hasn't raised the base price of the iMac in the US: the base model still starts at $1,299. However, it's arguable that most people should spend the $200 upgrade to the four-port model, as you get a lot of bang for your buck. If you go with the base model, though, you'll be glad to hear that Apple's now selling it in all seven colors, while the previous base iMacs only came in a limited selection.

The new iMacs are available for pre-order now, and will start hitting store shelves on November 8th. Apple says it has two more Mac announcements coming this week.

The Aether x Leica Reporter Jacket was developed in collaboration with four of Leica's sponsored 'Ambassador' photographers. Photo: Aether

US travel/adventure clothing brand Aether has collaborated with Leica and some of its sponsored photographers to develop a jacket with photographer-friendly details.

The Aether x Leica Reporter Jacket is waxed cotton field jacket with pockets designed specifically for camera batteries and SD card holders, with an additional SD card pocket in its collar. The army green jacket is designed to match the color of Leica's 'Reporter' special edition cameras.

There's also a rear pocket that Aether says is large enough for a tablet. The jacket has waterproof zips on its pockets but the company only considers the jacket to be "water-repellent". Which feels almost like a comment on the promises of 'weather resistance' by camera makers.

Like a rubber gasket on the back of a high-end lens, the waterproof zips indicate some consideration of weather sealing. Photo: Aether

But, now photography no longer requires us to lash rolls of film to a khaki vest, do these design details really make the jacket that much more photo friendly? Do you regularly find yourself wishing you could stash a spare memory card in the neck of your jacket? And, if you're going to buy a jacket made in collaboration with Leica, shouldn't it at least have a red top button?

Aether will make just 125 examples of the jacket, which will cost $795 and be available from its website and stores.