TJ Walton, Xiaomi's Senior Product Marketing Manager and Global Spokesperson (center) and Pablo Acevedo Noda, Head of Development and Engineering for Leica's mobile division (right), answer questions from the press. Photo: Abby Ferguson

The best camera, as the saying goes, is the one that's always with you. For most of us, that's a smartphone, and it's been that way for years now. Smartphones haven't just made photography more accessible, but have fundamentally changed the way we communicate.

And, of course, we all want our smartphone cameras to get better – many of us fantasize about the day our phone will rival our dedicated camera – and the smartphone manufacturers know it. That's why every one of them dedicates an outsized portion of each product launch to camera upgrades.

Smartphone cameras have been getting better, but as any camera enthusiast knows, what you can eke out of these cameras is, to some degree, gated by physics. In recent years, the conventional wisdom has been that most improvements to smartphone cameras will come from software, including improved computational techniques, machine learning and AI.

It's certainly a topic we've covered here at DPReview on multiple occasions. But it's not just us: computational photography is widely understood to be the key to smartphone image quality.

In recent years, smartphone manufacturers have largely depended on computational photography and AI technologies to improve image quality. The diagram above illustrates how Google Pixel's Night Sight feature combines data from multiple images to create a single, higher-quality image. Image: Google

This week, a senior Leica engineer offered a counterpoint to that conventional wisdom: that lenses in smartphone cameras still have room to meaningfully improve.

At a joint Xiaomi/Leica launch event for the new Xiaomi 17T and 17T Pro smartphones, Pablo Acevedo Noda, Head of Development and Engineering for Leica's mobile division, told DPReview:

"There's still a lot of room for improvement in smartphone optics. Of course, the miniaturization is always a challenge, not only in optics, but also in the rest of the components, like the sensor, the focusing motor, stuff like that. Leica will do its best to keep improving where we have the expertise, which is the design of lens elements, to produce the best image possible."

"There's still a lot of room for improvement in smartphone optics."

That's notable because one thing we don't often hear smartphone manufacturers talk about is optics or lenses. They love to talk about computational techniques like multi-frame stacking, scene detection and night modes, and they love to talk about sensors, including the fact that they're making them bigger, faster, and, most importantly (at least from a marketing perspective), at ridiculously high resolutions.

In fact, in most cases, the only thing we hear about lenses has to do with increasing zoom ranges, and those headline zoom numbers are often digitally derived rather than optical. (Smartphone manufacturers might also reliably predict that consumers' eyes will glaze over the moment someone starts talking about optical formulas in the middle of a keynote.)

Hearing Leica's head of engineering for mobile say optics is still a bottleneck cuts against that grain.

We spoke with Pablo Acevedo Noda (right), Head of Development and Engineering for Leica's mobile division, at a joint Xiaomi/Leica event in Vienna, Austria. Photo: Abby Ferguson

What makes the comment noteworthy is its source. Acevedo Noda isn't a marketer – he's the lead engineer for Leica's mobile business, the optical side of the Xiaomi/Leica partnership. And he's stating that there's "still a lot of room for improvement in smartphone optics" at a co-branded launch event focused on camera features.

Leica and Xiaomi began co-engineering smartphone cameras in 2022, with Xiaomi's flagship phones featuring Leica-branded cameras. So when Acevedo Noda suggests there's still room for improvement, he's talking about hardware his own team has been working on for four years.

To be clear, Acevedo Noda isn't claiming optics are the biggest limitation on smartphone image quality – he even highlighted the importance of computational photography in smartphones – but he's calling out that the optics still have meaningful room to improve. Of course, Leica is an optics company, so you might expect it to say that, but if any company has earned the right to say it cares about optical quality over the years, it's Leica.

"If any company has earned the right to say it cares about optical quality over the years, it's Leica."

But it's also true that smartphone lenses have to cope with some pretty brutal design constraints. Lenses can only be as deep as a phone's design allows, and we all know manufacturers love making thin devices (I'm looking at you, Apple). That's a real engineering problem: working within a few millimeters of space, engineers turn to things like aspheric elements and exotic coatings to squeeze more out of a lens formula.

One thing we took away from the Xiaomi/Leica event is that Leica definitely has an opinion on what photos should look like, and Acevedo Noda wasn't the only Leica executive to weigh in on the company's image quality philosophy. Marius Eschweiler, Vice President of Leica's mobile business unit, explained that the company had to have "a very tough conversation" with Xiaomi about the look of photos from its co-branded phones.

Although that comment was made in the context of the aggressive processing and tone curves typically applied to smartphone photos, it suggests that Leica isn't just stamping its logo on a phone as a marketing exercise, but has a real interest in making sure images hold up to its own vision of what a camera should produce, optically and aesthetically.

If Leica can leverage its century-plus of optical design experience to develop lenses or lens technologies that advance smartphone image quality, that's a win, not just for its own customers, but for customers of other brands that are trying to keep up with the Joneses. Or, in this case, the Leitzes.

DPReview's Community Manager, Mathew Anderson, shamelessly presenting an ice cream cone as if it were part of Ikea's product lineup. Ice cream cone courtesy of Ikea's cafeteria. A symbol of his light-hearted but still serious attitude toward community development. Photo: Mathew Anderson

Greetings, DPReview community!

A lot happens across the community every month: lively discussions, feature articles spotlighting community members and their gear, photo events and more, and much of it naturally won't be seen by everyone. As DPReview's Community Manager, I want to change that as much as possible. In this "What you missed" roundup, I'll highlight some of the best community activity from the past month, including some of the things that didn't make it into articles.

Here's just a sampling of what happened in May.

What's in your bag? A community member spotlight

Every week, we spotlight a community member's unique photographs and gear in our 'What's in your bag?' series. The series tells the story of your trials and tribulations getting that perfect shot, and highlights their favorite camera gear and how they use it. You'll also get tips and tricks on capturing your own photography.

As with many of our other community initiatives, we often don't get a chance to cover every detail of a community member's story, so we're selecting an additional photo from each of the previous month's posts that you haven't seen yet. Check them out below.

Feeling artsy Photo: Roberto De Micheli (roby17269)

Roberto De Micheli, who goes by the username roby17269 in the forums, switched from wildlife photography to focus on his passion for fashion. He also dabbles in travel and kids' photography (mainly family outings). Roberto submitted a wide range of photography on these subjects to us for this article, but we focused on the fashion segment as it's his most recent work.

"Fashion shoots happen in studios or on location. In my heart, though, I still remember my two safaris in Africa (Kenya and South Africa) most fondly, which can be a magical place. The safaris were during my wildlife 'phase'. I was absolutely floored by how rich, colorful and amazing nature was in those places."

Read more about Roberto's photography

The photographer who never stopped chasing the unique shot Photo: Josh S. Rose

Josh S. Rose has been capturing visceral reactions since the 1970s, when he wandered around a racetrack park as a kid to explore the event. He found himself hanging out at the photo booth and loved to watch a team develop film after each race, calling up the winners to the announcer upstairs, then hearing the crowd wildly react. His career kept him intrigued by those early moments of capturing scenes on film.

"In the beginning, I tried to minimize mistakes. Because I shoot dance and movement a lot, this is exacting work, especially when you're inside – low light and fast movement is a nightmare for a camera. So, I kind of treated dance as one would sports, reaching first and foremost for clarity, focus and split-second timing. It isn't all that hard, honestly. It just takes a certain number of reps."

Read more about Josh's photography

This photographer uses an 800mm lens to lock onto nature's special moments Photo: Alan Randle (AJRimages)

Alan Randle, known as AJR Images in the forums, has been capturing striking images for decades, with a particular passion for fast-paced subjects. Originally from the UK and now based in Southern California, he has built a body of work that spans airshows, surfing, wildlife and more. Over the years, his photography has evolved from early film experiments to high-precision digital work with top-tier equipment, allowing him to get in close and capture subjects with remarkable clarity and detail.

"I've been taking photographs since the early 1960's, but more seriously for the last 15 years. I moved to California from the UK in 2000, and am now lucky to have great subject matter and good light. I've been fortunate enough to acquire some of the best equipment and now like to get in close to my subjects with the use of long telephotos."

"I also enjoy shooting zoo animals. I like to take portraits rather than the whole of the animal, making good use of my telephoto lenses. Carrying big equipment around a zoo can be tiring. I’ve been asked by docents if I want to check my ‘luggage’ to make life easier!"

Read more about Alan's photography

How this photographer sets up to capture life at the speed of the streets Photo: Kevin Zhang (fatplanediaries)

Kevin Zhang, known as fatplanediaries in the wider community, began photographing at a young age under his father's influence, a dedicated Leica street photographer. What started as a focus on street photography evolved over time, especially after a chance moment in Shanghai, when he experimented with panoramas using only a prime lens. Since then, his work has developed into a distinctive blend of candid street scenes and highly detailed panoramic images, each discipline informing the other.

"I like to shoot candid street subjects, but I'm often pretty shy about approaching people to get the right shot. The best alternative is to get hired for events instead; everyone's vying to have you shoot them in those kinds of situations. I've had a lot of good practice at my friends' parties before getting to events as a photographer."

Read more about Kevin's photography

Brian Ormerod, who goes by the username ikon44, has a love of architecture of all types and periods across northern Europe. Over the decades, he has traveled extensively, meticulously planning trips to capture selected projects in Vienna, Barcelona, Prague, Paris, Istanbul and beyond. His work has evolved from casual holiday snapshots to carefully composed architectural studies at the School of Architecture in Nottingham, UK.

"I went with an architect friend to Barcelona, which I found to be an architectural wonderland. We photographed works by Antoni Gaudi, but by pre-planning we were also able to visit a number of other projects, including the IMO Eye Hospital by Josep Llinas, The University of Pompeu Fabra Library, which is a spectacular arcaded masonry structure, the Santa Caterina Market, a neo-classical building refurbished by Enrique Miralles and the Fira de Belacaire flea market with a spectacular, fragmented mirrored canopy."

Read more about Brian's photography

Question of the week: we ask, you tell

Every other week, we ask the community a question about their photography, usually on a specific topic, with the results spotlighted on DPReview's front page and in the forums the following week. There are often many great photos submitted that we don't get a chance to spotlight them all in a single article.

Here is a newly revealed reader's photo from each of the previous two weeks' questions.

What accessories are must-haves in your kit?

From 'The surprise camera accessories our readers keep with them at all times' Photo: cbf_si

Featured quote: "Different accouterments. A chamois, a laptop, a notebook and a pen (sometimes two; private and business), tissues, paracetamol (just in case ;-)), and some small things I can't remember. A Wuchuan canvas messenger bag with a Billingham insert and lots of useful pockets. It serves me well, carrying a D850 with one prime (24, 35, 58 or 85, depending on mood and plan, if any)." - Michiel953

Share your answer to this question

What photo book or article has supercharged your photography?

From 'The photographer's eye: The books that changed your photography forever' Photo: Andreas Feininger

Featured quote: "The foundation came before I even owned a camera: Total Picture Control by Andreas Feininger. His main message is that the photographer transforms a moving, three-dimensional world of color into a frozen, 2D (and in the late 1950s) monochrome picture. To communicate what you saw, you need to translate the lost dimensions (depth, movement and color) into your photograph."- Klaus dk

Share your answer to this question

Photo threads of the month: new types of challenges

"May we never forget." Photo: BluesJake

Also every week, new photo thread discussions and mini-photo challenges pop up across the forums, generated by community members. Usually, these start as a discussion about a particular camera brand or type of photography. Our community has hundreds of topics to choose from, so there's no shortage of photography show-and-tell opportunities!

For the month of May, we wanted to highlight BluesJake's Post your Memorial Day photos thread, where community members have been contributing to pay their respects to veterans who lost their lives in conflicts and other events around the world.

Visit our Community photo threads index for all the latest opportunities to share an interesting photo from your collection. To contribute to most of these community initiatives, simply read the OP's (Original Poster) posting guidelines (if there are any) and then reply to the thread with your contribution.

We would also love for you to participate in DPReview's own photo initiatives: Photo exhibitions and the new Collaborative photo chain.

Discussion of the month: Sony's new a7R VI

On May 13, 2026, Sony announced the a7R VI full-frame mirrorless camera. The community was so excited about the news that they beat us to the punch and immediately started discussing the camera in the forums. Here is a peek at what they had to say:

PWPhotography: Nice! $4499, $500 'cheaper' than initially rumored, and it's slightly lighter than a7R V.

CanadianLongbowman: So the TL;DR is that it's a high-res version of the a7R V, in essence, with a similar readout speed and a few extra perks.

In response, PWPHotography said, "I hope so. However, the a7R V uses a partially stacked sensor, while the a7R VI uses a fully stacked sensor. Fully-stacked sensors, as in the A9 and A1 series, used to have a little DR penalty. Sony appears to have overcome this issue by combining the readouts of its low and high gain steps as in a7R V."

kbrkr: Sony announced the a7R VI today, and my mind automatically went to Nikon challenging it with a Z7 III. Some of the features of the Sony are quite impressive, such as 68MP, 30 fps Raw, pre-capture, and speed boost. I hate these leapfrog games, but I really wish Nikon had a high-megapixel camera to replace the Z7 II.

Discuss the Sony a7R VI

I'd like to consider writing an article like this one on a monthly basis. Future editions could include camera use and photo-taking tips and tricks, additional quotes from community members in various discussions and more. If you are interested in seeing community content presented this way, please let me know.

For even more content posted directly by our readers, join the discussion forums and share your camera gear and photography curiosities!

When trying to capture this scene, most phones would probably try to brighten the shadows. The Xiaomi 17T Pro, shooting in the Leica Authentic color mode, didn't. Photo: Abby Ferguson

One of the big conversations around mobile photography relates to how images are processed, with many bemoaning the unnatural look that some phones produce by dramatically brightening shadows. Apparently, Leica isn't necessarily a huge fan of the look, either. According to Marius Eschweiler, Vice President of the company's mobile business unit, it had "a very tough conversation" with Xiaomi about how photos from its co-branded phones should look.

The comment was part of an interview at the launch event for Xiaomi's latest phones, the 17T and 17T Pro, which feature Leica's "Vibrant" and "Authentic" profiles. Eschweiler, responding to a question about what the company's goal was with the latter color mode, says it was meant to show the real colors and shadows of a scene.

Leica executives participated in a group interview with Xiaomi for the launch of the 17T. Photo: Abby Ferguson

The last part was apparently what prompted the discussions with Xiaomi. "That was a very tough discussion we had with the Xiaomi engineering team at the very beginning, because coming from the smartphone world, colorful, shiny images were seen as a benchmark," he says. "Then we came into play and said, 'yeah, but if you see it from the serious photographer's point of view, it's okay that some shadows are maybe not perfectly lightened up to let you see every detail.'"

"That computational imaging was getting too much in the picture for our taste"

Pablo Acevedo Noda, Head of Development and Engineering for Leica's mobile division, adds: "Leica Authentic was made more for photographers coming from the photography world," explaining that phones need to do a lot of computational photography to make up for their smaller sensors and lenses. "That computational imaging was getting too much in the picture for our taste."

The solution, he says, was processing the images in a completely different way than the vibrant ones. "In the end, we had to do two different pipelines. The image signal processor (ISP) has two different processing pipelines. One is the authentic, one is the vibrant. They share some common blocks, but the base is different."

A photo taken in the Leica Vibrant mode on the Xiaomi 17T Pro. Photo: Abby Ferguson

He also says Leica had a hand in tuning the imaging pipeline for the phone's Live Moment feature, which captures a video before and after the shutter is pressed. The feature existed on Xiaomi products before, but now it includes the Leica color profile throughout. According to Noda, the company helped improve the resolution and HDR processing for the feature, as well as the exposure and white balancing for human subjects.

Eschweiler says Leica wants to give photographers a choice: they can go with the Leica Authentic for a more traditional photographic look, or the Vibrant for a more saturated aesthetic that mobile photographers will be familiar with. "It's a different philosophy, and I believe it's good that customers have the choice."

He echoes this sentiment about users having options when discussing the role of AI in mobile photography, after Xiaomi and Google touted the 17T's ability to use generative AI to transform images taken with the phone into videos, or to reimagine them. "Whether you take a serious image or whether you would like to create something with generative AI, I think that's a different use case," he says.

"It's a different philosophy, and I believe it's good that customers have the choice"

"You likely won't see that on a Leica M, but I think on the 17T series it makes sense," he says. Noda also adds that part of the point of features like Content Credentials, which Leica attaches to photos taken with its cameras, is to make it obvious when someone has tampered with a photo, using generative AI tools or otherwise.

The answers offer a look at some of the considerations traditional camera companies face when deciding to co-brand a phone. There are some fundamental differences in how those devices will produce images compared to a traditional camera, as well as different expectations from consumers, but the Leica name and branding come with their own set of expectations. Of course, not everything will come down to decisions around processing and software, but we'll cover the choices around hardware in a separate article.

Related: What's a 'real' Leica and is your brand just a badge?

Image: Lecia

Leica has announced a new finish option available for the M11-P, Q3 and D-Lux 8: "Metal Gray." (Calling it a new color would be a touch generous; it's no Safari green or burgundy.) The company says the new paint was "specially developed at the Leica factory," and will be available as an option alongside the existing finishes for each of the products.

The Metal Gray M11-P will be the first camera available with the finish, but the changes aren't limited to just a coat of paint. Rather than the leatherette-style wrap, it has what Leica calls "diamond-patterned leather," which has a pattern similar to the one found on the Q3.

Given that it's an interchangeable lens camera, it makes sense that Leica is also launching a color-matched lens: the APO-Summicron-M 50 F2 ASPH. Like the silver version of that lens, its focal length and the feet distance markings will be red. It will also have a gray front lens cap.

Image: Leica

The Q3, meanwhile, basically looks like an inverted image of the original, which had a black body with a gray wrap. The Metal Gray version, meanwhile, has a gray body with a black wrap. The control dials and lens remain black, but the yellow accents on the lens are now a deep red, instead. The D-Lux 8's design is very similar to the Q3's: gray body, black grip and lens, though the company also says its function buttons will be gray as well.

Of course, Leica doesn't expect people to buy a gray camera and then use accessories that don't match. A gray battery will be available for the M11-P (since it has a plate that's visible from the bottom of the camera), and there are dark brown protective cases for the M11 and Q3, and a "cognac" one for the D-Lux 8. There will also be a variety of black and brown straps available.

The Metal Gray M11-P, and its corresponding lens and accessories, will be available starting today, while the Q3, D-Lux 8 and their accessories are coming on July 16th. In the US, the cameras cost the same as their black counterparts – silver typically comes with a bit of an up-charge – while the lens will cost $45 more than the black version. Given that both lenses are around $10,000, though, that only represents a 0.45% increase.

Leica M11-P Metal Gray

"This may look like we were directly on the beach, but actually quite a distance away." Phase One IQ180 | 50mm | F11 | 1/500 sec | ISO 35 Photo: Roberto De Micheli

Roberto De Micheli, who goes by the username roby17269 in the forums, switched from wildlife photography to more recently focusing on his passion for fashion. He also dabbles in travel and kids' photography (mainly family outings). Roberto submitted a wide range of photography on these subjects to us for this article, but we focused on the fashion segment as it's his most recent work.

This story is part of our What's in your bag? community spotlight series. The series showcases the diverse gear and photography of our community, and shares their stories of how that gear helped them to capture the perfect shot.

Have your photography featured on the DPReview homepage! Find out how.

"I love the mood and color of this one, which was shot in the attic of an old building." Canon EOS-1D X | Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II | F3.5 | 1/50 sec | ISO 1600 Photo: Roberto De Micheli

Meet Roberto De Micheli (roby17269)

Home base: Jersey City, USA

Favorite camera and lens: Roberto’s current favorite setup is the Hasselblad X2D II 100C paired with the XCD 90mm f/2.5. For fashion work, he also regularly uses the XCD 35–100mm, appreciating the look and rendering that medium format delivers.

I am a sucker for big sensors, so currently the X2D II is my favorite tool. Plus, it is undoubtedly the most gourgeous camera on sale right now.

What's in Roberto's bag

Roberto's camera bag Photo: Roberto De Micheli

• Primary cameras: Hasselblad X2D II 100C, and Canon EOS R5 for travel
• Lenses:
  • Hasselblad XCD 50mm f/2.5 (primary fashion and editorial lens)
  • Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5
  • Hasselblad XCD 35–100mm f/2.8–4
  • Canon RF 50mm f/1.2
  • Canon RF 85mm f/1.2
  • Canon RF 100–500mm
  • Canon RF 35mm f/1.4 (travel)
• Support gear: Roberto’s fashion setup includes a heavy Manfrotto tripod with a geared head for catalog and studio work. For lighting, he uses Broncolor Siros L 800 strobes and a Profoto B1 500, paired with a variety of modifiers for both studio and location shoots. When traveling, he’ll often pack a drone, typically either a DJI Mavic 4 Pro or Mini 5 Pro, to complement his still photography.
• Camera bags: Roberto currently uses an older backpack that has stayed with him through years of shoots and travel. While he appreciates beautifully designed, high-end gear, he values intentional shooting and adaptability far more than carrying excessive equipment.

"I am a sucker for big sensors, so currently the X2D II is my favorite tool. Plus, it is undoubtedly the most gorgeous camera on sale right now."

"A lot of work went into setting up the table and the style of all four models. Group shots are tricky to make all the models look good at the same time." Photo: Roberto De Micheli

What types of scenes do you like to focus on (pun intended)?

"My father was a film photography hobbyist, but somehow his passion never rubbed off on me. With the advent of digital photography, something clicked in my engineer brain and I bought a Sony DSC-F717 around 2003. I started with opportunistic travel photography and the compliments I received went straight to my head. From there, things started snowballing onwards with more professional opportunities every year."

"Fashion shoots happen in studios or on location. In my heart, though, I still remember my two safaris in Africa (Kenya and South Africa) most fondly, which can be a magical place. The safaris were during my wildlife 'phase'. I was absolutely floored by how rich, colorful and amazing nature was in those places."

"Experimental" Phase One IQ180 | 300mm | F9.5 | 1/350 sec | ISO 35 Photo: Roberto De Micheli

When capturing that perfect shot, what techniques come to mind?

"For fashion, I do not have a preferred recipe. The best 'technique' I know is to work with great talent and to create a good atmosphere on set. I will also be bold and try different angles, poses and light setups. For travel, I like taking panoramas with a long lens (RF 100-500). For kids, I like to 'disappear' and take photos while they play for the best expressions. For drones, practice those flying maneuvers!"

Should photographers spend what they can to get the best shot?

"I'd say two things: don't spend too much until you find your niche and decide to be serious about it, and learn to take control of your photography!"

Roberto really enjoyed writing the content for this spotlight article and would be grateful for you to join him in discussion in the forums. You can also visit his work at rdmfashionphoto.com. Thanks, Roberto, for being featured!

If you'd like to share your photography, tell us about your main camera, lens choices, key settings and strategies. Your photos and story could be featured in the next article!

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 to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself and your photography by filling out this form. If you're selected for a feature, we'll be in touch with next steps.

Submit your photos and story to be featured in 'What's in your bag?'

Left: Xiaomi 17T Pro. Right: Xiaomi 17T Photo: Abby Ferguson

Xiaomi has announced the latest entries in its extensive phone lineup: The 17T and 17T Pro. The updates are overall fairly incremental over the 15T series of phones (Xiaomi skipped 16 in its lineup), but brings its 5x Leica co-branded telephoto camera to the base model for the first time.

The main change on the 17T in regard to cameras is the telephoto lens. The 15T featured a 46mm equivalent (2x) telephoto camera, which doesn't offer a true telephoto view. Now, like the Pro model of the T lineup, the base phone features a 5x, or 115mm equivalent lens. That comes with a bit of a tradeoff, though, as the aperture is now F3.0 compared to the F1.9 of the wider lens. Otherwise, the 17T keeps the same main and ultrawide cameras as the previous generation.

The 17T Pro has even more subtle changes to its camera system. Xiaomi upgraded the sensor in the main camera from its Light Fusion 900 to Light Fusion 950, though it isn't clear what the practical implications of that are. The aperture of the main camera has also been ever-so-slightly changed, moving from F1.62 on the 15T Pro to F1.67 on the new model. Otherwise, the telephoto and ultrawide cameras remain the same as the last generation.

Beyond camera hardware, Xiaomi has added what it's dubbed "Leica Live Moment" to both of the new T-series phones. While the previous generation supported live photos (which capture a short video clip around a still image), those did not have specific Leica color profiles associated with them. Now, users can select between the Leica Authentic and Leica Vibrant profiles even when Live Moment is turned on.

The 17T Pro gets a new chip, the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, which also features an updated image signal processor (ISP). The new chip and ISP promise to bring some processing and autofocus improvements to the table, in addition to providing general speed and efficiency gains. The 17T also gets a new chip, though it's more of a modest refresh. Xiaomi also updated the batteries on both phones, promising slightly longer battery life. The 17T still lacks wireless charging, though.

The Xiaomi 17T will be available in blue, purple and black at a starting price of €749, while the 17T Pro comes in purple, white, blue and black for a starting price of €899. These prices represent a move up-market for the T series, as the previous versions started at €649 and €799, respectively.

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.

Image: 7artisans

Earlier this year at CP+, 7artisans showed off a full-frame autofocusing 135mm F1.8 lens. Now, the company is launching it for Nikon's Z mount, and has fully unveiled the specs and price.

The AF 135mm F1.8 (7artisans occasionally adds "Max" to the end of the name, but not consistently) has 16 elements in 13 groups, with six extra-low dispersion lenses and five high refractive index elements. It has a 0.68m (2' 3") minimum focusing distance, and can achieve up to 0.25x magnification. Its aperture has 12 blades, which the company says will provide "naturally circular bokeh" and 12-point starbursts.

Autofocus duties are handled by a stepper motor, and the lens has a switch for going between manual and auto focus. It also has two function function buttons, though it's not entirely clear whether they can be programmed to do different things, or if it's the same function but easy to access whether you're shooting in portrait or landscape. It also has a customizable control ring.

Image: 7artisans

At 1014g (35.8oz), it's relatively hefty, though a touch lighter than Viltrox's AF 135mm F1.8 Lab. Part of that is likely down to its aluminum construction. It's 130mm (5.1") long, and accepts 82mm filters. The company says the mount has a gasket to keep out dust, and that the front element has a coating to repel fingerprints, moisture and oils.

At CP+, the company said the lens would also be coming to L and Sony E mount, and there are references to those versions in recent Instagram posts and product photos. However, at time of writing those don't appear to be available for sale yet. Those versions will have a dedicated aperture ring, rather than the Z mount version's customizable control ring.

The Z mount version of the lens is available now for $690. That's quite an aggressive price point, as Samyang's 135mm F1.8 retails for around $800, with the Viltrox option selling for $100 more.

7artisans AF 135mm F1.8 specifications:

Image: Lux Camera

Lux Camera, the company behind the Halide camera app for iPhones, has announced Halide Mark III, the third generation of the popular app. The new version includes several upgrades and new features, including one that caught us by surprise: the ability to process Raw files from several popular camera brands.

Photo looks

According to CEO Ben Sandofsky, the company put significant effort into developing the app's photo processing capabilities. As part of that effort, it teamed up with a Hollywood colorist to build a custom photo processing pipeline designed around the specific dynamic range and color gamut of the iPhone camera. The result is a new set of Halide Looks.

Halide Mark III ships with five: Valencia, which features saturated colors and heavier contrast, designed for landscapes and cityscapes; Rembrandt, a portrait look with extra mid-tone contrast that "emphasizes bone structure and lighting," along with uniform skin tones; Nova, a colorful look with strong contrast and "smooth, peachy highlights," also intended for landscapes and cityscapes; Zephyr, a more neutral look designed to mimic the subtle contrast of film with the character of a traditional print; and Chroma Noir, a black-and-white look with medium contrast.

The new looks join Halide's existing Process Zero, which bypasses the computational processing typically applied to smartphone photos, resulting in a grittier, more retro photo look.

Camera design

Sandofsky says the camera interface has been redesigned to keep the most important controls within thumb's reach. This includes a tile in the lower right corner representing your currently selected look – inspired by the windows on film cameras that allowed you to see what film was loaded in your camera.

Other new tools include aspect ratio options to match popular camera formats: 3:2, 1:1, and a 65:24 panoramic format, plus a dynamic aspect ratio for Instagram that adjusts depending on whether you're shooting landscape or portrait. New composition overlays add a uniform grid, the golden ratio and the rabatment of the rectangle to the existing rule-of-thirds grid.

Halide Mark III's new camera interface. Image: Lux Camera

Additional controls are accessible via a three-dot "More" menu. In a nod to photographers more comfortable with the previous layout, there's an option to revert to the Halide Mark II interface.

The Photo Lab

The updated app also includes a new Photo Lab module for reprocessing Raw files. It's designed to let you quickly try different looks, adjust exposure, toggle HDR, and make other basic adjustments.

The new Photo Lab module is designed to quickly try out different looks Image: Lux Camera

Photo Lab also supports Raw files from several camera brands. Sandofsky says that during development, the team felt Halide Mark III's output was beginning to rival their dedicated cameras, and wanted a way to bring that processing to files shot on those cameras.

The result: Halide Mark III can process Raw files from Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, Leica, and Hasselblad. The company currently classifies this as a beta feature.

Pricing and availability

Halide Mark III is available on the iOS App Store as a one-time purchase for $60, or via a $20/year subscription. Users who purchased Halide Mark II will receive a free upgrade.

Image: Westend61 / Westend61 via Getty Images

Welcome back to our Question of the Week series! This reader-focused series aims to get our photographic community to share thoughts on all sorts of photography-related topics in our forums. We pose questions about gear, favorite camera stores, advice, problem-solving and more, and you share your thoughts and opinions.

This week, we’re leaning into the holiday spirit! The season of giving (and occasionally re-gifting) is upon us, and that means it’s time to unwrap some memories – both heartwarming and hilarious.

What are the best (and worst) photography-related gifts you've received?

What’s the best photography-related gift you’ve ever received? Maybe it was a dream lens that caused you to take on an adventure deep in the mountains, or a handmade camera strap that’s now an essential part of your kit. And what about the worst? Perhaps someone thought you needed yet another "World’s Best Photographer" mug, or that odd lens filter set that turned every photo a shade of green.

In this edition of our Question of the Week series, we want to hear your gift stories: the memorable, the useful and the truly baffling. Share your favorites (and flops) in the forum link below. Photos of the gifts (or what you created with them) are also more than welcome! We'll highlight some of your most entertaining and heartfelt responses in next week's roundup.

Click here to answer the Question of the week

The Panasonic DC-L10 is an enthusiast compact with a Four Thirds sensor and an optically stabilized 24-75mm equiv. F1.7-2.8 lens with motorized zoom. Like the Panasonic's LX100 and Leica's D-Lux series of cameras, the camera doesn't use its entire sensor, instead letting you preserve the same diagonal angle of view from 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 crops of it, which use up to 81% or around 183mm² of the sensor.

Key Specifications:

• Up to 20.4MP images from a 26.5MP BSI CMOS Four Thirds sensor
• 10.9 - 34mm (24-75mm equiv.) F1.7-2.8 lens with OIS
• 2.36M dot OLED viewfinder
• 1.84M dot 3" fully articulating display
• Phase detect autofocus with 6 subject recognition modes
• Metal body
• 5.2K open-gate up to 30p
• 1x UHS-II SD card slot

The L10 will be available in June, with the black and silver versions costing $1499. There will also be a special edition "Titanium Gold" version for $100 more, which will be available from limited outlets and include a threaded shutter button, leather strap and a color-matched automatically-opening lens cap (the latter accessory will be available to buy separately for the standard editions in silver and black).

Index

• What's new
• How it compares
• Body and handling
• Autofocus
• Video
• Initial Impressions
• Sample gallery
• Specifications

What's New?

The LX100 II (left) is a fair bit smaller than the L10 (right).

Panasonic is pitching the L10 as the start of a new line of compacts, rather than a direct successor to the LX100 II from 2018, but the cameras' shared DNA and place in the market make it worth seeing what else the removal of an X and a zero has changed. The biggest difference is, of course, the design, which will be covered in the body and handling section.

Updated sensor

The L10 uses the same 26.5MP Four Thirds (225mm²) sensor that's found in the GH7 and G9 II. This results in images that have better dynamic range and are slightly higher resolution than you could get out of the LX100 II: up to 20.4MP in its 4:3 mode, rather than 17MP.

The L10 continues Panasonic's tradition of cropping in on its sensor to produce a multi-aspect ratio shooting experience, where the different crop modes it offers generally have the same diagonal angle of view. Graphic: Richard Butler

The bigger improvement, though, is the addition of phase detect autofocus. The L10 has essentially the same autofocus we've seen in all of Panasonic's most recent cameras, with algorithms for recognizing six kinds of subjects (humans, animals, cars, motorcycles/bikes, trains and planes), as well as part priority (e.g., focusing on a rider's helmet, or the cockpit of a plane) derived from machine learning.

New processor

Panasonic has used its latest processor in the L10, the same one found in recent models like the S1RII. The camera runs Panasonic's latest-generation of firmware, so it's compatible with the company's Lumix Lab app and has features like HLG HEIF output, Live View Composite (a multi-exposure mode that shows you the image as it builds up, and lets you stop it when you choose), in-camera processing of focus stacking bursts and the Real-Time LUT system, which lets you bake custom-designed color profiles into your JPEGs and videos.

A cornucopia of colors

While the Real-Time LUT system (for which there's a dedicated button on the rear plate) lets you use custom color modes for your JPEGs, the camera includes a few new built-in color modes too, which Panasonic says are "film‑inspired." These are "L.Classic," which the company says is low-saturation and highlights greens, and "L.ClassicGold," which gives your photos a very warm, amber look.

Standard Color Profile	L.Classic Neo	L.Classic	L.Classic Gold

The decision to include these new modes was apparently based on the popularity of the L.ClassicNeo profile that it's included in its cameras for years. For video shooters (or photographers looking for a video-like look), the camera also includes a suite of "Cinelike" modes designed to give you a pleasingly flat look that, unlike the also-included V-Log, can be used for output, but which also offer some editing flexibility in post.

How it compares

One of the most exciting things about the L10 is that it's a new enthusiast compact camera aimed at photographers, which is something we haven't seen in quite a while. Companies like Canon and Sony still sell the latest entries in the G7X and RX100 lines, but both cameras were introduced in 2019, around 7 years ago.

While it can be tempting to compare the L10 to cameras with fixed prime lenses like the Ricoh GR4 and Fujifilm X100VI, the use of a zoom lens means that it's targeting a different kind of photographer. Likewise, vlogging compacts like Canon's PowerShot V1 and Sony's ZV-1 II are much more focused on pleasing videographers than photographers.

By virtue of being the newest camera on this list by at least seven years, the L10 has the benefit of many modern features we've come to expect: subject recognition for more than just faces, fast wi-fi transfers to a modern app, pre-burst capture, full-width video even at ambitious resolutions and frame rates and more. And while Panasonic typically hasn't matched the autofocus performance of Sony and Canon's latest systems, the systems used by the compacts discussed here are noticeably less advanced.

Body and Handling

The L10 isn't a tiny camera by any means; it's noticeably larger and heavier than its Type-1 competitors, and even the LX100 II, though it's essentially the same size as Fujifilm's ever-popular X100-series. It feels solid, with ample grip and some breathing room for its controls. While the top plate controls aren't the most premium feeling – they're similar to the S9's – they're well-placed for one-handed use.

Controls and customization

The L10 has a wide variety of customizable dials, buttons and switches along almost every surface. While this affords a lot of flexibility to customize the camera how you want – you can easily set it up in a way that lets you largely avoid the main menus while shooting – some of the defaults aren't the most sensible in our view.

As an example, when you're in aperture priority or manual mode, the top plate command dial is set to control aperture... which it won't do unless the dedicated aperture ring is in the 'A' setting. If it's not, turning the wheel does nothing, wasting the camera's single top plate dial. In our view, it'd have made more sense to control exposure compensation by default, at least in aperture priority mode.

Most of what were dedicated controls on the LX100 cameras have become customizable. What was previously a shutter speed dial is now a mode dial, and what was once a marked exposure compensation dial is now a customizable dial with a button in the middle.

Speaking of aperture, though, we appreciate that the ring is clicked, and that it handles the variable aperture in a sensible manner. For example, if you have it set to F1.7, but have the lens at 75mm equiv., it'll set the aperture to F2.8. The aperture setting will stay the same as you rotate it, until you hit F2.8, at which point it'll begin to change.

Behind the aperture ring is a customizable control ring. By default, it's set to control the power zoom (another redundancy; the toggle rocker around the shutter button does that, too), but you can have it control things like exposure compensation, ISO, white balance, AF mode and more.

Switching between the 'A' setting on the lens and the aperture range takes a bit of force – it'd be difficult to accidentally knock it out of your preferred position. Conversely, we found the focus mode switch to be a bit too easy to knock into macro mode.

Finally, there's the four-way switch on the top barrel of the lens. By default, it controls your aspect ratio, and you can customize what the 1, 2 and 3 positions do; the first position hands off control to the body. If you prefer, you can remap the control to do something else, like switching between three color modes, focal lengths or subject recognition settings.

You can also set any of the physical zoom controls to work linearly, smoothly zooming in through the lens' entire range, or to jump between common preset focal lengths (24, 28, 35, 50, 70 and 75mm equiv.). You can also have the camera remember what focal length it was at when you turned it off, and return to it when you start it up again.

EVF and display

The OLED panel in the L10's view finder is bright and high-resolution for a compact. While its eye point is only 20mm, we found it was relatively easy to see, even when wearing glasses. Thankfully, the color tearing of the field sequential displays that Panasonic used in the LX100 series is no longer an issue.

The rear monitor is fully-articulating, offering nearly unlimited flexibility in what angle you shoot from, though not the quickest deployment if you're just trying to shoot from above or below. Panasonic has created a vertical version of its on-screen UI, so if you're shooting in portrait, the details on the screen will be much easier to read, as they'll be in the correct orientation.

Ports

You can have audio input, but you can't monitor due to the lack of a headphone jack.

The L10 doesn't have an immense amount of input and output options. There's a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, which it can do at 10Gbps, and a 3.5mm microphone jack. The camera also has a fully functional hotshoe, which can be used to connect to a flash, digital microphones, and even Panasonic's XLR2 accessory that lets you record four-channel and 32-bit float audio, all but eliminating the risk of clipping.

Battery

The SD card slot gets its own dedicated door, rather than having to share one with the battery.

The L10 uses the same 16Wh BLK22 battery found in many of Panasonic's full-frame mirrorless cameras, providing a CIPA-rated 410 shots per charge when using the EVF, and 420 shots when using the display. It's not unusual to get double those ratings in real-world use, so many users may be able to get through even relatively heavy weekends of shooting without having to recharge.

Autofocus

The L10's autofocus can recognize several types of subjects, not just humans. Panasonic L10 | 30mm equiv. | F2.1 | 1/60 sec | ISO 800

The L10 has several modes for selecting your autofocus point: the fine-grained pinpoint, a resizable single area, area-plus, a customizable zone, horizontal/vertical zone, full area, and tracking.

It doesn't have an autofocus joystick, so selecting your AF point will require using the touchscreen, or setting up the four-way controller to move it around. You can also set the screen or a portion of it to act as a touchpad to move it when your eye is up to the viewfinder.

Besides pinpoint, all of those modes can be combined with subject detection, which can be set to recognize several different types of subjects. If there are multiple recognized subjects, the camera draws a box around each of them, highlighting which one is selected, and allowing you to switch to another one. In general, it does a good job of respecting your chosen AF point; it won't jump to a recognized subject unless it's quite close to your selected area, letting you leave it on most of the time.

The L10's tracking mode won't fall back to generic tracking if it doesn't recognize a subject

The one exception is if you're a fan of the track to recompose method. Like the S1II-series, the L10's tracking mode won't fall back to generic tracking if it doesn't recognize a subject. The AF point will stay in the same place in the frame, instead of trying to stick to whatever you placed it over. This means you'll have to constantly engage and disengage subject recognition mode depending on what you're shooting, which you can do with a custom button or using the lens's four-way switch.

Video

The L10 has a lot of video capabilities, but cuts down on at least some complexity due to its lack of advanced codecs like ProRes and ProRes Raw (which would likely be too much for an SD card to handle).

While the company mainly pitches it as a stills camera, the L10's use of the GH7's sensor means it has an extremely robust set of video features. In its H.265 mode, it can capture 5.2K 4:3 open gate at up to 30p, and full-width 4K at up to 120p. As we'd expect, there are a lot of other options too; 60 in total, with All-I recording modes, 17:9 aspect ratios and >4K options.

It also incorporates Panasonic's MP4 (Lite), which is designed to produce files that are good enough quality for social media, but that are relatively small and therefore easy to transfer and upload. That codec supports 4:3 open gate at around 4K at 30p, which gives you the flexibility to take both horizontal and vertical crops for different platforms, as well as output-ready UHD 4K and FullHD, but, strangely, only in 60 and 120p.

The L10 mostly continues the tradition of offering every video assist feature

The L10 mostly continues Panasonic's tradition of including every video feature under the sun*. It has Log and HLG recording modes, and view assist tools for them, waveform exposure monitoring, multiple customizable frame guides, the Focus Transition tool that lets you do automated, repeatable focus pulls and more. All of its autofocus subject recognition modes are available in video, even when shooting at high frame rates, and you have a lot of control over which settings are or are not shared between your stills and video modes.

This means that it can be used as both a simple point-and-shoot video option for photographers who occasionally want to just capture something in motion without thinking too hard about it, and as a tool for someone serious about getting good video (though its form-factor comes with plenty of inherent limitations, despite its 43mm thread technically allowing you to attach an ND filter).

* There are a few omissions: unlike other Panasonic cameras, it doesn't offer a false color overlay for judging exposure, nor is there the option to use shutter angle instead of shutter speed.

Initial Impressions

By Mitchell Clark

Since the L10 launched, I've read hundreds of comments about it, a large portion of which focused on what the writers wished it was instead; a Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens camera, a prime-lens compact, a smaller, more direct successor to the LX100 II, a full-frame follow-up to the S9, the list goes on. And while I understand why people want the cameras of their imaginations, we should set our dreams aside and focus on what it actually is: an enthusiast compact with modern tech.

At a high level, there are a few reasons to get a compact camera: you might want something that's flexible, but still provides an engaging experience without being a burden to carry around. Or you want a step up from your phone to something that's still relatively easy to use, but that has better zoom and subject separation.

I suspect the L10 produces better photos than my iPhone 15 Pro. I know it's more fun to use. Panasonic L10 @ 33mm equiv. | F2.8 | 1/125 sec | ISO 125

To me, the L10 checks those boxes handily. Having the latest autofocus with several subject recognition types makes it easier to use for beginners, and features like pre-capture and capable video expand the envelope of what an experienced photographer can easily do with it. It lets you easily get the look you want in camera with LUTs and aspect ratios, then offload them to your phone, but doesn't preclude editing in post. And its EVF and copious control points provide an engaging shooting experience, though you might have to spend some time in the customization menus to get a setup you find truly satisfying to use.

While none of this is revolutionary for cameras in general, it's not something you get with many of the other compacts on the market, with the closest competitors to the L10 dating back to 2019 (read: before ubiquitous 5Ghz Wi-Fi and fast USB C).

There are still frustrations with it. While the camera's UI is snappy and responsive, the lens, which is an older design, can be ponderous. It takes around two seconds to extend when booting the camera up (and to retract when shutting it down), and another few beats to make its way through its zoom range. And while I've found the tracking AF performance to be decent so far, there have already been times where it fell down, making me wish I had a direct control for my focusing point. It also doesn't feel quite as premium as the marketing and price tag lead me to expect.

I remain enthusiastic about this compact.

Figuring out how those affect the shooting experience, and if there are any other hidden gotchas, will require a bit more time with it. But at the moment, my dreams of what this camera could be haven't been shattered by actually using it.

Sample Gallery

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

Photo: Abby Ferguson

Xiaomi is gearing up to announce its next T-series phones: the 17T and 17T Pro. Ahead of the launch, the company sent us the new devices so we could check them out. We spent some time specifically shooting the Pro model to see what the camera is like. You can check out the resulting images in the gallery below.

We'll be able to share more details at launch, so stay tuned to hear more on May 28th at 3:00 PM CEST (GMT+2) / 9:00 AM EDT.

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.

Sony a7R VI | Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS | 320mm | F4.5 | 1/800 sec | ISO 800 Photo: Richard Butler

Alongside the a7R VI, Sony launched an ambitious new telephoto lens: the FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS. It has a constant aperture through its range, internal zoom, and a wide selection of controls, making it clear that it's aimed towards professional sports and action photographers.

We were able to shoot it alongside the a7R VI, taking it to a rugby game, a bird sanctuary and the streets of New York City to test it in a variety of scenarios. And, now that we have Raw support for the a7R VI, we can provide a closer look at how the lens performs, without having to worry about what corrections the body is applying and JPEG noise reduction. You can see the results in the gallery below.

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.

While we typically process images for a lens sample gallery using Capture One, we used the Sony a7R VI to test the lens, which isn't currently supported by that program. We've reverted to processing these images using ACR. We've worked to use settings similar to our standard C1 recipe while also using the lens' built-in correction profile. No correction for vignetting was applied, and we'll replace the images with ones processed in Capture One when a7R VI support becomes available.

The BBC has been sharing footage from its archives on YouTube, and one video caught our attention. The clip is from the Tomorrow's World programme, and it was originally broadcast on BBC One on February 22, 1990. In it, three broadcasters look back at some of the cameras they'd covered in the past that were meant to change photography, and how successful they ended up being.

The segment walks through different types of camera innovations, starting with a digital "video stills" camera that recorded images on floppy disks and Minolta's hybrid camera that supported film and video stills using a very bulky detachable back. They also walk through 3D cameras, autofocus and disposable cameras.

It's a fascinating look back at some of the technology that led to (and, in video stills' case, was eventually supplanted by) the digital cameras we rely on today. There are plenty of modern videos that look back at old technology, but I think it's especially interesting to see footage like this when it was contemporary and looked like it could be the future, as predicted in 1990.

The BBC also shared a separate video that looks back at when cameras first appeared on phones. It was a move by cell phone makers to boost sales, and was considered a bold move that we now know paid off big time. Interestingly, the cameras in those phones were based on technology originally developed for NASA, which you can learn more about in another video we shared.

We've spent the last week and a bit testing the Panasonic L10 in earnest, as it's not every day that we get a new compact camera aimed at enthusiast photographers. Abby, Dale and Mitchell sat down to discuss the camera, what it could mean for the industry and more, in the video you can see above.

If you want to take a more in-depth look at the L10, you can check our our hands-on article, our size comparison of it and the LX100 II and our initial sample gallery. And stay tuned, because our initial review of it is coming very soon.

The prompt for the photo chain is a feast for the eyes. Photo: Dale Baskin

In case you missed it, DPReview is gearing up for our biggest redesign in 25 years. As part of that transition, we've had to temporarily pause our long-running challenge system. Despite that, we don't want to miss out on seeing all of your incredible photographs.

To help provide an outlet during this pause, and in response to a recent article on collaboration in photography, we've launched a collaborative photo chain in our forums. The prompt is simple: share one photo (new or old) that responds directly to any visual element in the most recent image.

Read more about the photo chain and share your images!

We can't wait to see where this chain goes and are looking forward to highlighting the amazing variety of photographers in our community!

This was from one of my most recent collaborative projects, a double exposure series with a friend. Photo: Myra Holt and Abby Ferguson

If you're anything like me, photography most often feels like a solo endeavor. I typically go out to take photographs on my own. I edit alone. And, at least these days, I create images without any feedback or different perspectives.

Admittedly, all of that isolation is somewhat done on purpose. Photography for me is frequently quite personal. It can be a time for me to reflect, decompress or even work through things. Plus, as an introvert, doing things alone comes naturally.

Photography will always have a solitary side, since for many of us, that's part of the appeal. But I've been realizing that some of the most meaningful growth in my own work has come when I've let other people into the process. Thankfully, collaboration can take many forms and works well even for an introvert like me.

The number of ways to collaborate is essentially endless, so I won't be providing an exhaustive list of the possibilities here. But I will share some of the things that I have experience with and that have been meaningful for my practice.

Collaborative projects

When most people think about collaboration in photography, they likely think about projects worked on with someone else. I've previously written about using photo projects to find renewed creative motivation, but those were largely personal projects, not collaborative ones. Projects done in collaboration with others can also be very helpful for finding your creative voice again, and lead to some really cool work.

Double exposures

Two images from different rolls of our double exposure project. Photos: Myra Holt and Abby Ferguson

One ongoing collaboration I've been tackling lately is a double exposure project with a friend from graduate school. We live in different states, but we wanted a way to work on something together, so we schemed this up. We each shoot a roll of film, mail it to the other person, and shoot the roll of film again to create double exposures.

Thus far, the project has largely been about troubleshooting to get better results, so we've purposely kept the subject matter completely open. It's something we hope to narrow down and do something more specific with at some point, but for now, it's mostly just playing around. It's been a fun way to stay connected to a friend and a good excuse to get out with my camera (which I need to do, since I'm overdue in shooting a roll that she sent me).

Of course, this collaborative project requires access to film, film cameras and the means to develop and scan negatives. But the unpredictable results make it a fun way to work with someone, and it's an opportunity to have some fun with photography.

Photo challenges

One of the prompts during the photo challenge project was "fear." While I don't think this image does a perfect job of conveying that, it did get me to dust off some skills I hadn't used in a really long time, but that I really enjoy. Photo: Abby Ferguson

Another project I worked on for a while was a challenge project with a friend. Each week, we would alternate who picked the topic, and then we had to make an image with that in mind. The topics varied from broad, like black and white, to somewhat more specific, such as fear. We would typically each take more than one, sharing our top three picks at the end of the week before a new topic was selected.

When I started the project, I had been in a bit of a rut with my photography. The weekly challenge was a good way to flex my creative skills again. It pushed me to think outside the box for the first time in a while, which was refreshing and motivating. In this case, collaboration was a method for accountability, helping me to pick up my camera for something other than work on a more regular basis. I like the images I made, but it was more about the process and collaborative act than anything else.

There are plenty of variations on this type of idea, too. My local photo group is currently gearing up for a bingo challenge for our next photo walk, with a board created collaboratively as well. There are also group color hunting challenges (which the DPReview team tackled in Tokyo this year), and more. I've also seen collaborative editing ideas, from as simple as editing each other's photos to creating composite photos with elements from different people.

Shows as collaboration

Last fall, a friend put together a collaborative show to raise money for a wildlife area near us. Photo: Anthony Verdi

While not an area everyone will have interest in, group shows can be an excellent form of collaboration. I'm currently scheming up a show with two of my colleagues at the school I teach at, and last fall I participated in a group show with friends dedicated to wildlife and nature in our state.

A show could be based around a theme or simply an opportunity to show your work together, whatever it may be of or about. It could be in a formal gallery space, or maybe just the local coffee shop. No matter what, the process of planning and coordinating the show is a fantastic way to connect with others.

Seeing your images next to those created by someone else can give you a fresh perspective on your work and give you ideas for where to take it next. Plus, it's always nice to see your photographs up on the wall in some form.

Feedback as collaboration

Collaboration doesn't have to mean making something together, either. While feedback may not be the first thing people think of when it comes to collaboration, it can be a very useful form of it. Inviting someone else into the process, even after the photographs are made, can change how you understand the work and where you take it next.

Formal critiques

I have a somewhat unique experience in that I went to school specifically for photography, spanning both undergraduate and graduate degrees. As a result, I had 7.5 years of getting regular feedback on my work via critiques. In undergrad, every single project was critiqued, which meant one every couple of weeks.

"Those critiques could be difficult, but they forced me to consider how other people were reading my images."

Graduate school was less structured, since there wasn't a definitive end to projects, but there were still regular and formal group critiques. Those critiques could be difficult, but they also forced me to consider how other people were reading my images, not just what I intended when I made them.

School isn't the only place formal critiques can happen, either, so you're not out of luck if you don't go to school for photography. Some photography groups will host critiques, either in person or virtually, so it's worth checking locally. Photo conferences and expos will also often hold portfolio reviews or critiques, giving you the chance to receive feedback from experienced reviewers or significant names in the industry.

Informal feedback

My studio space in graduate school allowed for lots of impromptu discussions about my work. Photo: Abby Ferguson

While the structured critiques in graduate school were worthwhile, even better were the impromptu critiques that happened when a classmate would pop into my studio to say hi and we would end up discussing my work. They inevitably involved a mix of straightforward feedback and brainstorming on what could work better for a given piece or series.

Those casual conversations were often just as valuable as structured critiques, if not more so. They were more conversational and often served as a time for problem-solving rather than simply being told something isn't working, as can happen in a critique. They also happened in the middle of making the work, so they could help me think through problems before a project felt finished or fixed. That often meant I was more open to feedback, too.

Informal feedback is often easier to recreate outside of school than a structured critique. It can be as simple as sending a photograph to someone you trust to ask what they think or how they would suggest improving it. Or maybe inviting a friend over to flip through some of your recent images on a laptop to see if they have any suggestions. It can also be as simple as a conversation about something you're stuck on, either technically or visually. Or, you can even head to our forums to get input from our incredible community.

Learning to be open to feedback

Since leaving school, I haven’t sought out feedback nearly as much as I should, but I know how useful it can be. Formal and informal critiques have led to significant breakthroughs in my work, leading me to produce projects I'm still proud of to this day.

"If you find yourself in a position to have your work critiqued, be open to it."

If you find yourself in a position to have your work critiqued, be open to it. It can be scary, especially since not everyone knows how to deliver feedback well, but getting a glimpse into how others perceive your work can be a valuable opportunity to grow.

At the same time, staying open doesn't mean taking every comment as truth or instruction. Feedback is information, not a command. It also helps to remember that, no matter how personal the work is, the feedback is a comment on the photographs, not you as a person.

Start small

Collaboration doesn't have to feel like a chore or an overly structured project. It can be as casual or simple as trading prompts with a friend, asking someone you trust to look at a series or single image, or putting your work in conversation with another photographer's. For those of us used to working alone, even small forms of collaboration can be enough to shake something loose and open up renewed creativity and motivation.

If you have collaborated with others in meaningful ways, share those in the comments! It might give someone else an idea to try out as well. We've also started an easy collaborative project in our forums, so head over there to participate!

'The Grace Project' dancer: Joy Isabella Brown Leica M (Typ 240) | Leica Summicron-M 35mm F2 ASPH. | F11 | 1/750 sec | ISO 400 Photo: Josh S. Rose

Josh S. Rose has been capturing visceral reactions since the 1970s, when he wandered around a racetrack park as a kid to explore the event. He found himself hanging out at the photo booth and loved to watch a team develop film after each race, calling up the winners to the announcer upstairs, then hearing the crowd wildly react. His career kept him intrigued by those early moments of capturing scenes on film.

We virtually sat down with Josh to see where that early racetrack experience took him. His experiences and photos are gathered below.

This story is part of our What's in your bag? community spotlight series. The series showcases the diverse gear and photography of our community, and shares their stories of how that gear helped them to capture the perfect shot.

Have your photography featured on the DPReview homepage! Find out how.

'LA Dance Project' Dancer: Anthony Bryant Leica M (Typ 240) | Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm F3.4 ASPH. | F3.5 | 1/180 sec | ISO 100 Photo: Josh S. Rose

Meet Josh S. Rose

Home base: United States

Favorite camera and lens: Josh’s main setup centers around the Hasselblad X2D with 25mm, 38mm and 90mm f/2.5 lenses for his more artistic and environmental work. When shooting live performance and dance, he switches to the Nikon Z9 paired with 14–24mm, 24–70mm and 70–200mm zooms for speed and flexibility. A Nikon Zf stays in the bag as his everyday and backup camera.

What's in Josh's bag

• Primary cameras: Hasselblad X2D, Nikon Z9 and Nikon Zf
• Lenses:
  • Hasselblad 25mm F2.5, 38mm F2.5 and 90mm F2.5
  • Nikon 14–24mm F2.8, 24–70mm F2.8 and 70–200mm F2.8 zooms for performance work
  • Josh also carries and collects vintage lenses, including Leica Summicron and Super Elmar primes, a Helios and his favorite oddball lens, the vintage Nikkor 43–86mm F3.5 pre-AI zoom
• Support gear: ND and polarizing filters, prism and glass filters and Loop earplugs and AirPods to stay focused and comfortable during long shoots and performances.
• Camera bags: Josh rotates between several bags depending on the assignment, including the Nomatic Luma Camera Sling 12L, Domke F2, LowePro BP 300 backpack, Tenba Roadie Air Case and an SKB iSeries hard case with Think Tank dividers. He tailors each setup to the specific shoot, travel schedule or creative mood.

Josh's camera bag Photo: Josh S. Rose

"My set-ups are generally based on the physical ins and outs of the shoot. I do 100–200 shoots a year, so I’m always trying to streamline without sacrificing options. If I’m parking next to a venue and starting quickly, I’ll bring a bigger hard case. If I’m flying, I pack chargers, extra batteries and other essentials. For a recent shoot with Esa-Pekka Salonen at Disney Concert Hall, the small Nomatic bag was ideal, since we were moving fast and had little time to experiment. The process is to understand the shoot first, then rely on memory of similar shoots to decide what will help most."

A lot of great equipment! What's your absolute one-pick favorite?

"My Tanner Goods Cognac SLR Camera Strap that goes on my Nikon Z9 is probably my favorite thing in my bag. In photography, as in life, there are very few things that get better over time. That strap has been with me for so many years. Like a country singer's guitar, it has been the constant companion for me. Camera bodies come and go, lenses are a bit of a commodity, even the vintage ones. But that strap only gets more and more personalized, more and more beautiful and more and more comfortable as the years pile on."

What other equipment propels your photography forward?

"For me, photography is about creative flow. I feel like I have to be on, with energy and positivity, so that I can both generate ideas and not forget anything or screw anything up. So, all non-photography things in my kit are around keeping me energized and positive, starting with food and energy drinks (I admit a bit of an addiction to C4 and Bang, which I'm quite certain are poison, but they bring me joy and focus. Also, my partner hates energy drinks, so it's sort of my little rebellion, too – shh, don't tell her)."

Ate 9 Dance Company Leica M (Typ 240) | Leica Noctilux-M 50mm F0.95 ASPH. | F1.0 | 1/750 sec | ISO 1000 Photo: Josh S. Rose

You mentioned to us you have 10 different camera bags...

"Okay, so don't judge me, but I have at least that many bags. I like to pack specifically for any event, trip or shoot. The bag is sort of an expression of how I'm feeling that day."

"For a minimal set-up, I'll use the Luma Camera Sling 12L. When I'm feeling my inner photojournalist, I'll throw the Domke F2 over my shoulder. When I'm in a bit more creative mood, I'll throw everything into a vintage black patent leather Coast S-1 shoulder bag that I borrowed/stole from my producer. For long travel assignments, I usually go with the LowePro BP 300 backpack or, if I need more space, the Tenba Roadie Air Case. For performances, when I need the full arsenal, I go with the SKB iSeries hard case with Think Tank dividers and a lid organizer. And we haven't even gotten into my cinema cases..."

"A little travel hack I have learned over the years is to always bring a small satellite bag and stuff it inside a bigger bag. The smaller bag is great for little day trips or side quests."

A little travel hack I have learned over the years is to always bring a small satellite bag inside a bigger bag. The smaller bag is great for side trips.

How has your photography changed since you started?

"In the beginning, I tried to minimize mistakes. Because I shoot dance and movement a lot, this is exacting work, especially when you're inside – low light and fast movement is a nightmare for a camera. So, I kind of treated dance as one would sports, reaching first and foremost for clarity, focus and split-second timing. It isn't all that hard, honestly. It just takes a certain number of reps."

"What helped far more was learning how to embrace the elements of the camera in ways that break the normal image-capturing techniques, in pursuit of something less ordinary and more evocative. I use a lot of double exposure, slow shutter and dragged shutter techniques in my work. Also, I use glass filters, found framing and just about anything else to make the images feel less technical and more creative, alluring, beautiful or evocative."

Photo from 'The Grace Project' Leica M10-P | Leica Noctilux-M 50mm F0.95 ASPH. | F4.0 | 1/500 sec | ISO 100 Photo: Josh S. Rose

What excites you most about capturing dance performance?

"My most well-known work is in dance and performance. I have traveled the world as a photographer, often with dance groups and artists. Many times, I am inside shooting a performance, but it is the most special to me when art intertwines with art."

"For example, when I get to shoot dancers and a choreography among works of art, often with live music, something special occurs in this blend of art forms that is unlike anything else. To be an artist, working in and among other artists, to me, is the dream. I just love art so much. I feel like I am always and forever a student of art."

When capturing that perfect shot, what techniques come to mind?

"The 'perfect shot' is, of course, a loaded question. I've shot what I consider three perfect shots in my life, and they were all different from each other."

"One was with the Japanese rockstar, Yoshiki. We were high up in a hotel room with a bunch of people around. It was tense as we were awaiting some kind of press event to happen. Suddenly, a window washer came rappelling down, recognized Yoshiki through the window, and they had a funny moment. I had the presence of mind to see it occurring and move myself in real time to get the shot. The complexity of the shot is insane when you consider everything that had to happen for that to play out the way it did."

'The Window, with Yoshiki' Leica M10-P | Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm F3.4 ASPH. | F3.5 | 1/180 sec | ISO 400 Photo: Josh S. Rose

"Another was in Qatar, in and around probably the most beautiful sculpture I've ever seen in my life: Shadows Traveling on the Sea of the Day, by Olafur Eliasson. A dance group led by Bouchra Ouizguen, for her piece Corbeaux, entered the space. It was absolutely overwhelming to me how much geometric beauty was happening all at once. It's the kind of thing that often overwhelms me, but I had gotten to the location early and spent two hours walking around and finding a composition I felt was really special. One of the dancers walked alone into the space, which I had no idea was going to happen. I happened to be present enough to remember where I had stood for that composition, and ran over to it just in time to get a shot that's still among my absolute favorites."

Photo from 'Festival In Motion, Qatar' Leica M11 | Leica Summicron-M 50mm F2 | F5.6 | 1/2000 sec | ISO 400 Photo: Josh S. Rose

"And the other one I'm thinking of is a shot I got on stage, looking out toward the house at the famed Koch Theater with the New York City Ballet. This was just one image in a set of many that I had planned for a giant mural for The Lincoln Center. We placed the bodies in the locations and composed them perfectly. I took the shot, and then I had this incredible moment I'll never forget. It is always my instinct to keep shooting until the bell rings. I just can't turn off. I keep pushing and pushing to see if there's a better angle or a different physical shape a dancer might try. But not on this day. I had already visited this place twice before. This, to my eye, was the best shot there was. I was done. There was no more to get. I have never felt that at a shoot before. It moved me."

'NYC Tableau' for The Lincoln Center, NYC Hasselblad X2D 100C | Hasselblad XCD 25mm F2.5 V | F8.0 | 1/20 sec | ISO 1600 Photo: Josh S. Rose

What would you say to a struggling photographer looking to break in?

"The biggest job of my life came from doing years and years of unpaid work in the field of dance. A lot of people (including family) didn't really get why I would keep shooting things without it being an official shoot where I was getting paid. Nonetheless, I stayed at it for years. Eventually, I got an artist residency, then another one, and suddenly these dominoes started falling for me."

"Find your weird, singular little passion first. And fight off the self-doubts and the disbelievers. Protect the passion like a butterfly. Don't be surprised if even your closest people don't quite get you."

Josh really enjoyed writing the content for this spotlight article and would be grateful for you to join him in discussion in the forums. Thanks, Josh, for being featured!

If you'd like to share your photography, tell us about your main camera, lens choices, key settings and strategies. Your photos and story could be featured in the next article!

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 to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself and your photography by filling out this form. If you're selected for a feature, we'll be in touch with next steps.

Submit your photos and story to be featured in 'What's in your bag?'

Sony a7R VI | Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II @ 24mm | ISO 100 | 1/20 sec | F11 | Mech. Shutter | Edited to taste in Adobe Camera Raw Photo: Richard Butler

With the a7R VI, Sony is promising something that, historically, has been difficult to achieve: a camera that is both the fastest in the series, while offering better dynamic range than its predecessors. To help achieve this, it's using a technique that we've recently seen popularized by cameras with partially stacked sensors: combining the readouts of the camera's low and high gain steps, getting the benefits of both higher capacity and lower noise.

Looking at the dynamic range tests we shot in our studio, the results are what we've come to expect. We can see a touch less noise in the deepest shadows than with the already very good a7R V when shooting with the mechanical shutter (including in electronic front curtain mode), where the camera has enough time to do both readouts.

The sensor also performs very well in lower light, when dropping to lower ISO settings to preserve highlights, then raising your lightness in post. We see very little difference in deep shadow noise between a shot at ISO 6400, and a shot with the same exposure settings but at ISO 100, pushed 6EV in Adobe Camera Raw.

ISO Invariance | Exposure Latitude

While these improvements compared to the a7R VI are measurable – we can see them in our test scene, and they'll show up on DR charts – they'll be subtler in the field. If you weren't able to capture a scene with the a7R V, the a7R VI probably won't be able to handle it either. But if you often find yourself digging into the darkest tones of your image, you'd get a little less noise with Sony's latest.

It's worth repeating that this is only for modes where the exposure is ended by the mechanical shutter. The a7R VI's e-shutter mode, which is required for its fastest burst rates, has slightly noisier shadows than the mechanical shutter mode. But again, while this shows up in our test charts, you'll likely be harder-pressed to see the difference in day-to-day use.

As an example, Richard Butler took an image of a sunset over Seattle, seen at the top of this article, where the difference between the light coming from the sun and the darkest shadows under the bridge was around 13EV. He shot the same exposure with both the mechanical shutter and electronic shutter.

If you really pixel-peep, you can see that there's a bit of extra noise in the e-shutter version, but the difference is almost impossible to see when viewing the whole images (which you can do in our sample gallery, where you can also download the Raws).

To keep things in perspective, though, the benefits and differences we're discussing are only in the deepest shadows of the image, and it's rare that you'll need to exploit those in situations where you'll also need your highest burst rates. If you're not using those parts of your Raws, the a7R VI's extra dynamic range won't benefit you.

Still, the R series of cameras have historically been made for the types of people who would want to do that; landscape shooters, and anyone who needs the maximum image quality and flexibility. And, as with our standard studio scene tests, our DR tests show that Sony not only avoided making sacrifices in the name of speed, but even managed to eke out some improvement. The camera's greater flexibility to capture a wider array of situations and subjects doesn't come at the cost of its peak dynamic range and IQ.

"An external power bank. For some steampunk events and science fiction conventions, I disguise my camera in other things, and I've been using external power because it often takes me 1/2 hour to remove the camera from the disguise to change the batteries." OM System OM-1 | Olympus Zuiko Digital 14-54mm F2.8-3.5 II @ 27mm | F3.2 | 1/60 sec | ISO 2000 Image: Michael Meissner

Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! For the latest Question of the week, we were curious about what accessories are must-haves in your camera kit or bag. You replied with everything from external power banks and filters to more exotic items like a collapsible kabuki brush and loop earplugs. Some of you even provided an entire list of things that would arguably be a great fit for a "bug-out bag".

Check out the top accessory suggestions below, then let us know in the comments which ones will make your GAS expand.

Your must-have camera accessories

A collapsible Kabuki brush for dusting off equipment.

Hike Pics: I have several collapsible kabuki brushes that I keep in my car, bags and around the studio. When I head out, a brush goes with me.

madecov: Ziplock bag with Q-tips. Sometimes you just need them to clean something off.

Fabian Joya: A great pair of shoes.

Jacques Cornell: Oh boy, here goes... A few items have earned permanent spots in my grab & go basic event kit:

1. First, an 80W USB charging block with a built-in retractable USB-C cable and USB-C and USB-A ports.
2. Downstream of this, a Tilta 4-battery or Limeta CR2Go (discontinued?) 2-battery charger. The Limeta has its own built-in battery, so it can recharge camera batteries without plugging into AC and can also serve as a general-purpose power bank.
3. A pair of retracting USB charging cables rated for 100W, with convertible USB-A/-C tips on one end and convertible USB-C/Lightning tips on the other.

Click Jacques's name above to view several additional inclusions!

"My barebones lightweight event kit." iPhone 17 Pro Max Image: Jacques Cornell

cbf_si: In the last six months, I have mostly been shooting with adapted lenses, so my bag contains various adapters for Sony/Minolta A-mount and Canon EF-mount. I also have various macro extension tubes and reverse rings for macro photography in the bag.

Since I started taking up film photography again, various filters for B&W photography are also in the bag. Luckily, I kept my Cokin filters for the P system, which I can use with any lens using adapters.

Michiel953: Different accoutrements. A chamois, a laptop, a notebook, and a pen (sometimes two; private and business), tissues, paracetamol (just in case ;-) ), and some small things I can't remember. A Wuchuan canvas messenger bag with a Billingham insert and lots of useful pockets! It serves me well, carrying a D850 with one prime (24, 35, 58, or 85, depending on mood and plan, if any).

Vello WB-DU Universal White Balance Handheld Disc. It's worth its weight in gold for setting Custom WB in theatrical settings.

Michael Meissner: I am not a fan of OEM neck straps. I rotate between various straps depending on mood, etc. Because I shoot with multiple cameras, each camera has a different strap so I can quickly identify which camera is which. Mostly, I prefer the 1.5" straps. For lighter-weight setups, I might go to the Peak Designs Leash straps, but I'm not as much of a fan of the wider Peak Designs Slide Lite or Slide straps. All neck straps and hand straps use the Peak Designs anchor system, so I can quickly switch them or take them off. I have hand straps, but I rarely use them.

If you thought Jacques list was extensive, be sure to click on Michael's name above for his complete list!

MGradyC: Vello WB-DU Universal White Balance Handheld Disc. It's worth its weight in gold for setting Custom WB in theatrical settings and under the lighting in high school and small college stadiums and gyms.

"Right-angle viewfinder, excellent for getting right down even to the ground level." Pentax KP | smc Pentax-FA 31mm F1.8AL | F14 | 1/160 sec | ISO 250 Image: KPM2

DrHook59: I've taken to using my home-made monopod a lot recently, not just for macro (à la Mark Berkery), but also for landscapes and low-light situations... and yes, I mention it because it fits in my camera bag or a pocket and only weighs just over 300gms. It's nothing clever, but it's easy to put together and may help anyone who suffers from encroaching old age, a lack of grip, or any of the many ailments that may cause tremors; and it helps in dark places a little 😁. It's also probably the cheapest monopod out there.

Mac McCreery: Small Vanguard Vesta Aspire 25 bag holding a Pentax K3ii and DA 15, 20-40 and 70 Limited lenses. Lenspen, spare batteries, grip, remote release, a pen, and polariser. Oh, and a plastic shopping bag (it's multi-purpose). I can sit or kneel on it, wrap it around the camera bag or use it to protect the camera and lens.

A lens Flipper Versatile. Allows me to quickly access a second lens and safely swap between them without risking one lens falling.

John Crowe: Whichever camera I take, and I don't carry a backup, has its own individual case. Individual camera cases vary depending on format. These can range from a PacSafe V2 camera holster (for one of my two Sony Nex/@ systems) to Pelican Micro cases for each small-sensor (such as 'tough') camera, to cite two examples.

From here, it gets more complex, but it works.

Part of the Jeep Wrangler roll bar system is a transverse bar that goes across the vehicle just behind the bucket seats (there is no rear seat, having been replaced by a carpeted dog platform). Hanging from this transverse bar, and adjustable for location across the roll bar, are three magnetic fly-fishing net releases (which would allow a net to be pulled and then have it in hand).

edge_cl: Single most important accessory: lens Flipper Versatile. Allows me to quickly access a second lens and safely swap between them without risking one lens falling.

"RGBACL light panels for very high CRI quality." Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Image: Alberto Tanikawa

Alberto Tanikawa: I do a lot of still-life photography, such as knives and bourbon bottles, as well as macro and focus-stacking, so I always need to have my lights, along with mini tripods and magic arms.

RetCapt: For tightening/loosening tripod plates, I have a large-diameter washer tethered to each tripod, which is easily detachable. This gives more leverage on the slots since there is more surface area for the fingers to grasp. These washers come from the hardware store. I find that when I am trying to 'engineer' something new (fairly common), the hardware store is a great resource. That and mountaineering shops for carabiners, etc.

No matter what else I carry in my bag, a right-angle viewfinder is always with me (and almost always attached to the camera).

cyuill2007: My “must-have” accessories these days are lens hoods and extra batteries. Lens hoods minimize unwanted flare and help protect front lens elements. During a session where I end up doing a lot of shooting, I find that my newer mirrorless bodies with features like image pre-capture drain batteries much faster than my DSLRs used to. These days, I make sure I have a fully-charged extra battery whenever I am out shooting.

KPM2: No matter what else I carry in my bag, a right-angle viewfinder is always with me (and almost always attached to the camera). With this tool, it is easy to get right down even to ground level – and in doing so, you capture perspectives that are simply nice.

There are many other great accessory recommendations shared in the forums. You'll have no shortage of nostalgic photography-related content to watch.

Keep ready for the next Question of the week to participate in this series. New questions are posted here on the homepage and in the forums every other week. We can't wait to read and share your stories!

Share your must-have accessories!

Photos: Mitchell Clark

While Panasonic's new L10 compact bears the name of a new series, its lens, sensor, and set of features make it a clear continuation of the work the company did with the LX100 II line. But these similarities also invite comparison on one of the areas where the two cameras are substantially different: size.

As I've been testing the L10, I intellectually knew it was larger than the LX100 II; a glance at the spec sheet will tell you that. The newer camera is 127 x 74 x 67mm (5.0 x 2.9 x 2.6") and 508g (17.9oz), while the older one is smaller in every dimension: 115 x 66 x 64mm (4.5 x 2.6 x 2.5") and 392g (13.8oz). But knowing those numbers didn't really prepare me for just how much more compact the LX100 II would feel once I got my hands on it.

To be clear, I don't think it'd be fair to call either camera a "pocket camera." One thing that hasn't changed is the size of the lens, which protrudes far enough off the body that even the largest of pants pockets would struggle to contain it. However, I'd say the LX100 II is just small enough that it could comfortably fit in a jacket pocket without being too much of a burden (or on a, I've been told, very in crossbody strap in warmer seasons). But while I've been able to (uncomfortably) fit the L10 in the massive drop pocket of my Patagonia R1, it's definitely approaching the size where I'd want to put it in a bag, rather than in my coat.

While the cameras use the same size sensor and same class of lens (Panasonic says it's updated it in some way, but wasn't specific), there is still a benefit to the L10's larger size. It now uses the much larger 16Wh BLK22 battery, the same one that powers the company's full-frame mirrorless cameras, like the S1RII. The LX100 II, meanwhile, uses a 7.4Wh model. The difference in longevity should be quite noticeable; the LX100 II is rated to get around 270 shots per charge using the EVF, and 340 using the LCD. The L10, meanwhile, is rated for 410 EVF shots, and 420 ones using the display.

There are other upgrades with the L10, though it's unclear what, if any, of them have to do with its size. Those are features like autofocus recognition for a variety of subjects, crop zoom, open-gate video recording, and more. It also has a fully articulating display, rather than a fixed one, and has an upgraded EVF, fixing what was one of the major complaints with the LX100 II.

There's always the possibility that the L10 isn't bigger because it has to be, but simply because Panasonic chose to make it so. It's almost exactly the same size as Fujifilm's X100 VI a camera that has proven to be slightly popular, so it's possible the company is targeting a similar target audience (which it knows for sure is willing to buy a camera that large). It may be that it started with a different concept for the L10 than it did with the LX100, partially evidenced by the fact that this camera wasn't called the LX100 III.

The size isn't the only change to the camera's build quality. When Panasonic announced the L10, it touted its "signature saffiano leather-textured finish" and "high-quality metal exterior with magnesium alloy front case." Holding the L10, it feels slightly more solid than the LX100 II, and not just because the thicker grip fills out my hand more.

The LX100 II's rubber thumb rest versus the L10's hard plastic one may be one of the biggest differentiators when it comes to feel.

The rest is a bit more of a mixed bag, though. The top plate dials and buttons feel decidedly cheaper and more plastic-y to me. The rear plate buttons aren't especially pleasing to me either, though I appreciate that they're more prominent and easier to press. I also prefer the leatherette wrap on LX100 II to the L10's; it feels grippier and softer to the touch, while the L10's essentially just feels like textured plastic.

When I took the LX100 II out of the box my coworker had shipped it in, I'd been using the L10 for a few days, and I was immediately struck by how much nicer the LX felt. I wasn't the only one with that impression. I handed my wife the LX100 II and then the L10 without any context. Upon receiving the later she immediately said "this one feels cheap." Of course, these are two subjective opinions – I'm sure some people will prefer the L10 – but we both preferred the feel of the older model.

It's not an unalloyed win for the LX100 II, though. I find the L10's aperture ring feels and sounds quite a bit nicer, though I appreciate the noticeable detent when going into and out of 'A' mode on both.

We'll be comparing these two cameras in more detail later, after we finish our initial review of the L10. But given that we have both available, and that the L10's size has become one of its more widely-discussed aspects, we felt it was worth taking the time to show what that difference looks like side-to-side.