Viltrox is making it easier for owners of Fujifilm cameras with silver bodies to accessories. The company has announced “the silver trio” of lenses: the AF 9mm F2.8 Air, AF 15mm F1.7 Air and AF 25mm F1.7 Air for X mount, which you can now get with a coat of silver, rather than black, paint.

Apart from the different coloring, the lenses are the same as the black versions that the company released throughout last year. However, those undeniably looked like many other Viltrox lenses, which themselves have similar styling to the lenses released by other third-party manufacturers. The silver versions might stand out just that bit more, and should better match the myriad cameras that Fujifilm makes in a similar finish. It’s easy to imagine these being mounted to an X-M5, or an X-T30 III.

Despite the “silver trio” name, these lenses join another two X-mount lenses that Viltrox was also producing in silver: the AF 35mm F1.7 Air and the AF 56mm F1.7 Air. 

Of course, there will be those who prefer the black versions, and some people will scoff at the idea that anyone cares about what color their lens or camera body is, and whether those things match. There will also be those that wish the emulation of Fujifilm’s style wasn’t just skin deep, and that the lenses would include things like aperture rings, which both drastically change the aesthetic, as well as the experience of using them.

But whether it makes sense to the function over form crowd, many photographers clearly care about the color and decoration of their gear, as evidenced by the fact that Fujifilm itself sometimes sees fit to create silver versions of its lenses to sit alongside the black ones, and the frequency with which companies like Leica produce equipment in new colors. It’s nice to see a company providing these options on some of its budget-oriented gear as well; the prices vary depending on which lens you’re looking at, but they all come in under the $250 mark.

The silver versions of the lenses are available now from Viltrox’s website, at the same prices of their black counterparts. Humorously, the versions of the lenses for Sony E and Nikon Z mount are still only available in black for the time being (though neither company is as prolific as Fujifilm when it comes to releasing silver cameras).

7Artisans is making its tiny, lightweight 40mm F2.5 lens available to more shooters. The $159 full-frame option launched for Sony E-mount earlier this year after its announcement at CP+, but is now available Nikon Z mount and L mount.

The lens is the same one we saw at the trade show in February. It has a clicking aperture ring, tiny function button, 46mm filter ring and a manual focus ring, as well as a switch to go between manual and auto focus modes. The latter is provided by a stepper motor, and the lens can focus as close as 0.4m (15.7″). Despite this list of features, which is about as complete as you could hope for a compact prime lens, it only comes in at around 90g (3.2oz).

Optically, the lens consists of 7 elements in 6 groups, with one aspheric lens and three high refractive index elements. It has a 9-bladed aperture. 

Zorta / 7artisans

When the lens was announced in February, options for small, lightweight lenses were relatively thin on the ground for Z and L mount users. However, there have since been a few new options released: Panasonic announced its compact 40mm F2, and Viltrox has come out with a tiny 26mm F2.8 pancake for E and Z. Both fit into the same role as a small, walkabout lens (though obviously the 26mm offers a very different focal length), though they are also a fair bit more expensive.

The Z and L mount versions of the 40mm F2.5 are now available through 7artisans’ website, though they haven’t made it to online retailers like Amazon or B&H at the time of writing.

Leica’s product manager for the SL series cameras, Gerrit Gissel describes them as the company’s “technology lighthouse:” the thing that acts as a guide for all the company’s other efforts.

We spoke to Gissel about the SL3-P, who it’s for, how it fits into the lineup, and the challenges of creating a product with more direct rivals than most of the company’s other offerings.

“We see there’s a big potential out there of photographers who just want to have the best technology available, and for us the SL system is the answer to that demand,” he says: “But there are more layers to that.” 

“There’s also an internal perspective where we use the SL system to develop new technologies to see how far we can push certain things, that we then later benefit from in other product lines. Especially in the Q series we see many similarities, but then also in other compact cameras. So the SL is the camera where we develop that, where we invest a lot in, then we can benefit from later on.”

The user interface is an example, he says: “I think we have a quite recent example for that with the SL3 generation. We have for the first time implemented our new user interface that now, last December, was also integrated into Q-Series because we got the feedback from our customers and we carefully listened to them that they liked it a lot. They think it’s very well thought through and also cameras like the Q series could benefit from that.”

Setting the SL3 series apart

We asked whether the company has to approach the SL series differently, given it has more direct competition than the Q or M cameras.

“Well of course we do lots of benchmarking. We know, especially in reviews etc, that we are compared with each other so, whether we want that or not, we will be compared.” says Gissel: “So that’s why we focus on finding our own our own position in that competition out there. We find our our own language, that I think we found quite well with the SL system: being user intuitive, user friendly, not overloaded with features, and just allowing the photographer or videographer to focus on his or her work. This is a bit like the credo that we are following. And of course every decision; feature versus added complexity, is discussed having this in mind.”

This focus on operability, as well as build quality, emerge as two of the things that can set the SL apart, beyond hardware specifications: 

“So the obvious thing is the operation. You will see that immediately once you’re touching the SL, and I think that makes your job so hard because you have to write about it, you can show some pictures, but to really understand that you have to have to touch the camera and feel it.”

But there’s another critical factor, he says:  “of course what is probably the thing we invest the most in is defining and refining our image quality. So if you see the results at the end, then you can understand what the Leica SL system is, compared to the other ones out there. So the way you create and the result in the end, neither thing is particularly visible when looking at a technical data sheet.”

Gissel’s comfort with the SL3-P not necessarily having every possible feature that its hardware would allow, seems in part to come from the confidence that Leica understands its customers well. “It always depends on whom you are designing for. When you try to please everyone, of course you have the tendency to bring all the features in there. I think we have a bit of a clearer mind to our customers. We know our customers maybe a bit better than others and that’s why we can design our solutions a bit more specific maybe and probably it’s easier for us to sometimes say ‘we don’t need that’ because we know that the majority of our customers would be more confused by that than it would be actually helpful.”

This understanding comes from two sources, he says. “one is the, let’s say, the old fashioned, but still very important, way: we just travel around, we visit our stores. I mean we have the big advantage that we have our own store network with people that are in daily interactions with our customers and our salespeople there, and sometimes also when we meet customers there they give us very valuable one-to-one feedback. So we try to do this as much as possible and this always brings value.”

“And then we have a more systematic approach. We have a database, we have a strong customer care department, and capture every feedback and feature request. Also some complaints. They are all tracked in that system, they are tagged to which system they apply so that we really systematically sometimes can say ‘okay this and this feature was asked for by so many people’ so we prioritised this over another one.”

Looking beyond existing customers

But what about the people who aren’t current customers, we asked. “We have one mechanism I didn’t already mention: we do customer research where we not only ask our own customers about their current thoughts and their future wishes but also try to get in touch with people who have cameras from other manufacturers,” he says: “but also even people who are not into photography yet or who are smartphone users that just have a certain tendency. We try to get in touch with these people too we then have professional support to do these surveys, and this is part of our of our work too.”

The importance of this comes through as we discuss our experiences of learning how the camera works: “I think getting this right is important” he says: “I think this camera is very attractive for people who haven’t considered a Leica to switch to us.”

Technology and tradition

The SL3-P came about as much through technology making it possible, as through customer feedback, he suggests. “The bigger portion [of SL buyers] is always the non-S, high resolution variant, so the SL2 and later the SL3. And we just saw that we could, compared to these two cameras, massively improve the autofocus capability. The SL3-P is a bit of a specialty in that customers didn’t know that we were thinking about bringing a third variant in one generation. So this is kind of a of a novelty, right? And that’s why here the decision also came from we saw what will be possible technology wise and we added that to the customer feedback.”

That possibility comes primarily from the fast, high-resolution sensor becoming available, he says. “It’s always the combination [of sensor and processor], so neither of both parts is powerful alone. But if we compare the main difference between SL-3, SL3-S, SL3-P, it is this time the sensor because they all share the same processor platform.”

But creating a new model entails a lot more than just simply changing which sensor sits in the camera, he says: “both in the hardware and software, many things have to be rethought.” 

“You think you would only swap the sensor, but in fact you have to re-think every component of the camera once again. ‘Does that still match?’ ‘Does that still make sense?’ And ‘is this, for the use case we intend this camera for, still the right fit?’

“I have a good example for that for the SL3-P in in a software solution that we came up during a running project.” he says: “So we knew if we integrate this sensor, we knew that we will get a more complex and powerful video setting possibilities. And we ended up with one hundred and fifty seven video options. We then decided we need a more intuitive, dynamic way to select these video settings because otherwise our consumers could be overloaded. And that’s why we came up with the new video setting selector, which was very well received by everyone who’s was testing it. But that was a result out of the decision to go for that new sensor.”

With all this in mind, we circled back to one of our original questions: what does Leica do to ensure the SL offers something distinctive in a crowded, competitive market?

“It consists of, I would, say two elements that if you hear them, at first not are really logic with each other,” says Gissel: “The first is keeping the the heritage of both Leica and what we have achieved with the SL system over the past ten years. So excellent haptics, superior image quality, of course, things like our very strong viewfinder, IP54 rating, so everything the system was known for.” he says: “And then on the other hand, innovation. I’ve learned from my colleagues who have been here much longer than me that innovating and reinventing is also part of the Leica DNA, so that’s why it’s maybe not a contradiciton to combine these two things with each other.”

For example: “the improvements we’ve made with the autofocus in the in the past years, they are just like a reinvention,” he says: “it’s such a big improvement we considered whether it should sit apart from the existing SL3 models.”

Many folks will surely think of their parents, a friend or perhaps a colleague when they think of someone who has inspired them. It’s that special person who has changed the course of your life in some dramatic way.

A key inspiration for me came from a bit further down the family tree. When I was in my single-digit years, just about our entire family would gather at my grandmother’s house for Christmas. It was my favorite time of the year (partly, of course, because of the presents, but my grandmother’s cheesecake was to die for).

My aunt always brought this huge Betamovie camcorder to film everything from the late afternoon dinner to the last present being opened by my grandmother (she always had the last one as a tribute to her being the anchor of the family). While the Betamovie was a camcorder, not a camera, it sparked my initial interest in photographing (and filming when necessary) my life. That very same aunt later would buy me my first camera – a Polaroid Sun 600 LMS.

Ever since then, I’ve looked up to my aunt as the one who helped me remember my life through photography, which I would otherwise have long forgotten much of.

So, with that said…

Who inspires your photography more than anyone else?

Drop a reply in the comments section below, and if you’ve got a photo to include from your mentioned forum sections, it may be selected for next week’s showcase article on this topic!

DJI has announced another offering in its Mic Mini lineup, the Mic Mini 2S. The new addition is a notable upgrade over the Mini Mini 2, bridging the gap to the higher-end Mic 3 with 32-bit internal recording, onboard storage and compatibility with four transmitter microphones.

For many, the standout upgrade in the Mic Mini 2S is its internal recording capabilities. The Mic Mini lineup has thus far lacked any onboard storage, meaning you don’t have a backup if something goes wrong with the device they’re broadcasting to. The Mic Mini 2S, though, offers 14.5GB of built‑in storage per transmitter, which DJI says will provide up to 28 hours of audio.

While internal recording is one safety net, the Mic Mini 2S also offers improved audio flexibility. Instead of being limited to the 48 kHz, 24‑bit wireless feed of the Mic Mini 2, the 2S can capture up to 32‑bit float, the same as the more expensive Mic 3. That mode, which uses a different way of storing audio data, makes it far easier to rescue quiet speech or avoid clipping with sudden loud noises. It also offers DJI’s two-level AI-based noise cancellation to filter out ambient noise.

The Mic Mini 2S can work with up to four transmitters per receiver with output to four independent audio channels, double what the Mic Mini 2 could manage. DJI says it also supports cross-generation compatibility, so users can pair with the Mic Mini and Mini 2 transmitters, or with the Mic Series Mobile Receiver. It’s also compatible with a range of DJI products without the need for an external receiver, including the Osmo Pocket 4, Osmo Pocket 4P, Osmo Action 6 and Osmo 360.

DJI promises up to 11 hours per charge on the transmitters, and up to 40 hours of battery life with the included charging case, 8 hours less than the total runtime of the Mic Mini 2. It keeps the typical tiny design of the Mic Mini lineup, with each transmitter weighing roughly 12 g (0.4 oz). As with other recent DJI mics, it doesn’t work as a wired lavaliere. However, it does accept the colorful magnetic front covers DJI released with the Mic Mini 2 (though those are a separate purchase).

The Mic Mini 2S is available today in most regions for £169/€189 as a bundle with two transmitters, a receiver and charging case. Unsurprisingly, it is not available in the US.

We’ve seen a recent trend of camera accessory companies building in clever hiding spaces for Apple AirTags into their products. Whether it’s a camera cage with a hole for one cut out, or a bag with a tiny pocket for them, there are more and more options for making sure you can find your expensive gear if it gets misplaced or stolen.

Falcam is taking the concept even further, building support for Apple’s Find My network into batteries for Canon and Sony cameras. For those unfamiliar, the trick of Apple’s Find My is that it uses many of the company’s products – including the iPhone – to anonymously track the location of devices on the network. This solves the issue of previous Bluetooth trackers by making it so you’re no longer relying on a relatively small group of people who use the same tracker as you and are running the app to be around the thing you’re trying to find.* The tech is what powers Apple’s ever-popular AirTags.

Falcam

Of course, the main purpose of Falcam’s TagBatts isn’t to find a misplaced camera; it’s to power the device you have in your hand. The company is making two versions: one that’s compatible with cameras that use Sony’s NP-FZ1000 series batteries (which is to say, most of the company’s modern cameras, as well as a host of other devices), and one that mimics Canon’s LP-E6 (again, supported by a wide range of the company’s DSLRs and mirrorless cameras). Falcam’s site also indicates that versions for Nikon and Fujifilm cameras are coming soon.

Both versions of the battery have a 17.4Wh capacity, which is slightly higher than the own-brand models they’re meant to replace. In an FAQ on its website, Falcam says the tracking feature uses a very small amount of power that “does not meaningfully reduce normal camera runtime,” though notes that it won’t work if the battery is completely drained. The battery also has a built-in USB-C port, letting you charge it directly outside the camera if you want, though it’s still compatible with traditional cameras and can also be charged inside the camera.

There are a few caveats to note. The first is that camera manufacturers don’t typically guarantee support for every camera feature when you’re using a third-party battery, and Falcam is new to making batteries, so it might be worth waiting for a few reviews to make sure everything works as expected. The second relates to Find My; many people will be familiar with the AirTag feature that lets you search around for your device, using your phone to point the way. This feature, however, isn’t inherent to Find My devices, and Falcam’s website makes no mention of the ultra-wideband tech that enables it on its product page for the batteries. That means they’ll be useful for seeing where your camera is on a map, but won’t help you figure out which bag you left your spare batteries in.

The Falcam TagBatt costs $70 for the Sony version and $65 for the Canon one, and they are available from the company’s website. That’s definitely pricier than competing third-party models from companies like SmallRig and Wasabi Power, but those don’t include Find My functionality. Neither do the own-brand models, which cost more.

* Though it introduces a new problem in that it’s not particularly cross-platform compatible. Android phones won’t report a Find My device’s location, and the Find My service won’t be particularly useful to you if you don’t have an Apple device. Google has its own version of the system, but the two are broadly incompatible.

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Hungarian photographer Benedek Lampert is famous for creating realistic-looking photos made of Lego bricks, challenging viewers to tell whether they’re looking at a real place or a carefully constructed scene. His Lego Eiffel Tower could have been part of the Paris skyline, and his models of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance and a meticulously detailed Formula 1 racetrack followed suit.

The photos in Lampert’s newest project, ‘The Nature We Replaced,’ don’t use Lego bricks at all. And they’re not meant to look real. In fact, they’re meant to look exactly like what they are: garbage.

Benedek Lampert

“Nature, wildlife and environmental storytelling have always been close to me, and I couldn’t think of a more universal issue than the future of the planet we all share,” he says.

The project consists of eight conceptual miniature photographs, each exploring the relationship between humans and the natural world. Instead of simply documenting environmental problems, Lampert set out to visualize the tension between wildlife and the world humans have built around it.

Benedek Lampert

“Instead of recreating nature, I rebuilt each habitat entirely from the materials that threaten it. Plastic bags become Arctic ice. Fishing nets become oceans. Wood products become forest. Plastic straws become bamboo. Every landscape is constructed from everyday human waste or objects associated with the destruction of that ecosystem,” he explains.

Go behind the scenes to see how Benedek Lampert created the scenes for his ‘The Nature We Replaced’ photo project.

Lampert tells DPReview that the whole idea started with a penguin.

“I recreated a viral penguin story using a miniature figure… and that project made me realize I wanted to do something bigger with wildlife photography. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted the series to be about something beyond the visuals. That’s when the idea of building each habitat from the very materials that threaten it was born.”

Benedek Lampert

He isn’t chasing real-world accuracy. “It’s not meant to show reality exactly as it is,” he tells us, “but to exaggerate it just enough to make people stop and think about what’s happening to these habitats and species.”

Lampert partnered with German company Schleich to provide the animal figurines. “I chose Schleich because of the exceptional quality and realism of their figures. That level of detail was essential – using less realistic models would have taken away from the emotional impact and credibility of the photographs.”

Lampert’s attention to detail extends all the way to the image titles. Each ends with a period: a marker, he says, for the irreversible damage already done. He’s careful to add that hope is not lost, noting that conservation efforts have succeeded. “The period marks what cannot be undone, but not what can still be saved.”

More photos from this series

Benedek Lampert

Benedek Lampert

Benedek Lampert

Sony has announced the FE 100-400mm F5.6-8.0 OSS, a comparatively small, comparatively affordable long tele for E-mount cameras.

Unlike its immediate peers or faster but heavier third-party rivals, the FE 100-400mm F5.6-8.0 is compatible with Sony’s teleconverters, meaning it can be converted into a 140-560mm F8.0-11 or a 200-800mm F11-16, if you need the extra reach and have sufficient light to play with.

Like Canon’s similarly-specced RF 100-400mm IS USM lens, it’s appreciably smaller and lighter than Tamron’s 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 or Sigma’s 100-400mm F5.0-6.3. At 645g (23.1oz) it’s around half the weight of either of those options, though also a fair bit slower, especially as you zoom.

The optical formula consists of fifteen elements arranged in ten groups. These include two extra-low dispersion (ED) elements and two aspheric elements. Focus is powered by a pair of linear motors (though not Sony’s smoother, more powerful ‘XD’ ones). The company says the lens is compatible with the 120fps shooting mode on its a9 III camera.

When retracted the lens is 165mm long and 78mm in diameter (6.5 x 3.1″). It accepts a relatively affordable 67mm diameter filter. It’s designed to be dust and moisture resistant and comes bundled with a lens hood.

Mitchell Clark

Although designed for full-frame cameras, it can also be used on APS-C models, giving a 150-600mm equivalent range, though its relatively slow aperture at the long end is likely to limit you to bright light working, even before you consider adding a teleconverter.

Sony tells us the FE 100-400mm F5.6-8.0 OSS is designed to offer a sub-$1000 entry point to its camera users who want to try their hands at wildlife photography or some sports shooting. Despite this entry-level position in the lineup, the lens has pair of focus hold buttons, positioned so they can be reached in portrait or landscape orientation. It also has a zoom lock switch and a focus limiter switch, that means the autofocus only focuses between 3m and infinity: preventing close-range hunting when you’re shooting distant subjects.

With the switch set to full range, the lens will focus down to 1.13m (3.7′) at the short end of its range and 0.86m (2.8′) at the long end. This gives a maximum magnification of 0.41x.

The lens will be available in September, with a recommended price of $850.

Sample gallery

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Laowa has announced the Aksen, a new series of full-frame “ultra macro” lenses that together cover a 1–10x magnification range. The lineup consists of two offerings: the Aksen 45mm F2.8 1-5x Ultra Macro APO and the Aksen 17.5mm F1.7 5-10x Ultra Macro APO, each offered in both photo and cine versions.

One of the key features of both lenses is the parfocal magnification zoom design. The lenses behave like primes in terms of focal length (the 45mm and 17.5mm focal lengths don’t change), but they incorporate an internal mechanism that changes the magnification. This parfocal magnification system allows photographers to move through the 1-5x or 5-10x range without refocusing or changing the working distance. Additionally, because the zoom is internal, the barrel doesn’t extend and won’t interfere with flash diffusion or subjects.

Another distinguishing feature of the Aksen 5-10x is the option for a version with a coaxial lighting block built into the lens. It delivers high-contrast shadowless illumination, a technique borrowed from machine vision that Laowa says it is now making more accessible. It’s also similar to some of Laowa’s probe lenses, which feature built-in lights. The 5-10x lens is also available without coaxial lighting for $100 less.

Both lenses use an apochromatic (APO) design to reduce chromatic aberrations, which can be exaggerated at such high levels of magnification. Laowa says the Aksen series eliminates fringing for greater clarity. The 45mm 1-5x lens features 13 elements in 9 groups, while the 17.5mm 5-10x lens comprises 17 elements in 12 groups. Both feature an 11-blade aperture diaphragm. The 45mm 1-5x accepts 65mm filters, while the 17.5mm 5-10x uses 42mm filters.

The photo versions of the lenses come in Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and EF, L mount, Fujifilm X and MFT mounts and cost $749, or you can buy both in a bundle to save $100. Laowa is also making video-focused versions with focus and zoom rings geared to work with cine equipment, though those versions are substantially more expensive.

Reports are emerging that Nikon has had one of its Z-mount patents invalidated in China, opening the door a little further to third-party access.

Nikon Rumors reports that one of Nikon’s fundamental patents relating to the Z-mount has been invalidated in China, having been challenged by Viltrox’s parent company.

The report, based on AI translations of court documents, suggests that the patent in question is one that sets out the basic physical description and behavior of the mount, constructed in a way that tries to make well-established features, such as the design to prevent incorrect mounting of the lens and a method for preventing damage to the electrical contacts sound original and novel. Patents are only supposed to protect original inventions that would not be obvious to someone working in that field.

Nikon took Viltrox to court in China earlier this year in a separate case, ostensibly to recover license fees but also, we suspect, in the hope that a Chinese court would establish a precedent of its patents being enforceable. As Professor Robert Newman explained in Amateur Photographer magazine at the time, there are at least 13 patents covering various aspects of the Z-mount’s design and operation, including one he described as relating to “a detail of the physical design of the mount, and I would be surprised if that would withstand court scrutiny.”

This description corresponds well with the details being reported by Nikon Rumors, right down to Prof. Newman’s assessment of its likely fate.

The invalidation of this patent doesn’t, in itself, clear the way to third parties being able to produce Z-mount lenses, as there are multiple other patents that describe the communication methods used by the Z-mount. Those would not be affected by this specific patent being invalidated.

It’s notable, though, that Viltrox has added to its range of autofocus Z-mount lenses since the original court case was meant to be heard. Other third-party makers, such as Meike, which briefly removed reference to Z-mount lenses from its website, also have a range of Z-mount options available again.

If, as seems to be the case, non-licensed third-party makers are feeling emboldened to produce AF Z-mount lenses, it puts Nikon in an awkward position with the companies that have been formally licensed to make lenses for the system. Those companies are presumably paying license fees and have to seek approval on a lens-by-lens basis, while their competitors undercut them without any such restrictions.

We have approached Nikon for a statement on this story.

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Last week, DJI finally launched its dual-camera DJI Osmo Pocket 4P outside of China. If you’re living in the parts of the world where it’s now on sale (a list that unfortunately doesn’t include the US) and are curious about it, here are a few great videos you can watch to get up to speed on it.

DPReview’s overview

Our very own Mykim Dang had the chance to spend 48 hours with the Osmo Pocket 4P, putting it to the test on a trip to Toronto, Canada that DJI put on. Her video breaks down what it is, and how it compares to the pocket camera that many creators already carry around with them: a phone.

The reigning champ versus the upstart

The DJI Osmo Pocket series has been around a while, and has become the de-facto pick for people who want a vlogging camera that produces a high-quality image and steady footage, thanks to the built-in gimbal. But like it did with action cameras, Insta360 is now making a play for the market with its very comparable Luna Ultra camera. Shahbaz Sheikh does a great job of breaking down the differences that don’t show up on the spec sheets, but that really matter.

Stay for the cinematography and story

To test the Osmo Pocket 4P, Brandon Li decided to shoot a beautiful short documentary about a very interesting subject as a preface to his thorough explanation of what the camera is. While the video is sponsored by DJI (a fact that Li is up-front about), he also doesn’t shy away from covering some of the camera’s downsides and some of the things it doesn’t do as well.

Why is this a big deal?

If you’re not sure why people are so interested in a small gimbal vlogging camera, this video by YouTuber Chollette will explain it. It was actually made using a previous version, the Osmo Pocket 3, but it shows what kind of content people are using this tool to create… or, at the least, the kind of videos people imagine they’ll be able to make when they buy one.

Want to go more in-depth?

If you have any more questions about the Osmo Pocket 4P and the market it’s launching in to, our coverage of its launch in China and, later, globally should answer them.

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Updated August 2, 2026

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

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

Our recommendations

• Portable full-frame: Sony a7CR
• All-round compact capability: Sony a6700
• The great travel kit: Fujifilm X-T50 with 16-50mm F2.8-4.8
• The ready-for-anything option: OM System OM-3
• The stylish travel companion: Nikon Zf
• Best pocketable travel camera: Ricoh GR IV
• The classic choice: Fujifilm X100VI
• The fun-to-use compact with a zoom: Panasonic L10
• The portable option with a ton of reach: Sony RX10 V
• The best video camera for travel: DJI Osmo Pocket

Portable full-frame: Sony a7CR

Richard Butler

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

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

Read our full Sony a7CR Review

See the Sony a7CR studio scene

All-round compact capability: Sony a6700

Richard Butler

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

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

Read our full Sony a6700 review

See the Sony a6700 studio scene

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

Richard Butler

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

Read our full Fujifilm X-T50 review

See the Fujifilm X-T50 studio scene

The other APS-C options

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

The Nikon Z50II is also a strong all-around contender, but its lens selection isn’t as strong as Sony or Fujifilm’s, nor does it have a stabilized sensor. However, it does have solid autofocus performance, a viewfinder, and a sub-$1000 price point.

The ready-for-anything mirrorless: OM System OM-3

Mitchell Clark

The OM-3 is well-suited to traveling, as the Micro Four Thirds system lets you use especially compact lenses, and its Stacked sensor gives it fast autofocus, incredible burst rates for shooting even the fastest subjects, and the ability to use computational modes to adapt to a wide variety of situations. It also sports an IP53 rating for dust and water resistance, so you won’t have to worry if it starts raining.

Read our OM System OM-3 review

See the OM System OM-3 studio scene

The other Micro Four Thirds options

OM System’s OM-5 is substantially cheaper than the OM-3, though you give up the speed, USB-C port and advanced subject recognition autofocus, as well as a few of the computational modes. It is, however, slightly more compact if space is at a premium in your pack.

The stylish travel companion: Nikon Zf

Richard Butler

The Nikon Zf is a classically styled full-frame camera built around a 24MP full-frame sensor that’s used by many of its peers. The angular 80s-style body isn’t the most comfortable to hold in your hand for extended periods, but the lack of stick-out grip makes it smaller than many of its rivals, making it a tempting travel companion. However, like with the a7CR, many of the full-frame lenses available for it will greatly increase its size and weight.

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

Read our review of the Nikon Zf

See the Nikon Zf studio scene

Best pocketable travel camera: Ricoh GR IV

Richard Butler

The Ricoh GR IV is the latest entry in the company’s series of classic compact cameras with large APS-C sensors and a 28mm equivalent lens. It’s not the most flexible camera, but it has engaging controls and is one of the most pocketable models with a large sensor, which is probably why the GR series has built up a dedicated following of photographers who find it a joy to shoot with.

Our one concern with using the GR IV for travel is that some users of the previous generation model reported dust getting into the lens. Ricoh has said it’s made a few changes that should help prevent that, but still doesn’t make any claims of weather sealing, so it may be worth keeping it in protective bag and putting it away in particularly unpleasant weather.

There’s also the GR IIIx , which has the previous generation sensor and processor, but with a longer, 40mm equivalent lens. This may be a little tight for documenting your travels, but it’s historically a popular focal length. Ricoh also sells a GR IV Monochrome, though a camera that only shoots black and white probably wouldn’t be our first pick for travel photograph.

Read our Ricoh GR IV review

See the Ricoh GR IV studio scene

Other compacts

Canon has recently announced that it plans to increase its production of compact cameras, citing an increasing number of orders for the PowerShot G7 X III , which has a 24 – 100mm (equiv.) zoom lens, providing a solid range for travel photography. Its autofocus isn’t

The Leica D-Lux 8 features a larger sensor than the G7 X III – it uses up to up to 83% of the area of a Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor, while the G7 X III has a Type-1 (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor – and has a photo-focued interface that we particularly like. However, its slow zoom, only decent image quality and substantial price tag make it hard to recommend to all but the most Leica-faithful.

The classic choice: Fujifilm X100VI

Richard Butler

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

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

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

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

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

Read our Fujifilm X100VI review

The fun-to-use compact with a zoom: Panasonic L10

Mitchell Clark

The L10 takes a lot of what the Ricoh GR IV and Fujifilm X100 VI get right – it’s relatively small, engaging to use, and has great image quality – and pairs it with a zoom lens instead of a prime one. While primes definitely have their place, it can be hard to tell what you’ll run into while traveling. If you want the experience of a compact but the flexibility of a 24-75mm equiv., the L10 is the camera to pack.

Read our Panasonic L10 review

See the Panasonic L10 studio scene

The portable option with a ton of reach: Sony RX10 V

Richard Butler

The Sony RX10 V is built around a Type 1 (116mm2) 20MP Stacked CMOS sensor, and features a far-reaching 24-600mm equiv. F2.4-4 lens.

For many of us, traveling somewhere and looking at faraway things is a big part of vacationing. And with its 24-600mm equiv. zoom, blistering fast burst rates and best-in-the-business autofocus, the Sony RX10 V is the perfect tool for photographing things in the distance (while still being engaging for capturing nearer subjects). It’s not the smallest compact ever, but almost anything else with this kind of reach would be much bigger, heavier and more expensive.

While we haven’t completed our full review of the camera yet, we’ve used it enough to know that it belongs on this list. It provides good image quality, is engaging to use, and features Sony’s latest autofocus tech, which is still among the best in the business.

Read our Sony RX10 V review

See the Sony RX10 V studio scene

The best video camera for travel: DJI Osmo Pocket

Richard Butler

DJI’s Osmo Pocket series of cameras feature a stabilized handheld vlogging camera, designed for on-the-move vlogging. The main cameras on them are built around a type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) sensor mounted on a tiny gimbal, meaning it can deliver stabilized footage with smoother motion than any conventional camera or phone.

When you’re traveling in an unfamiliar place, there are a million things to focus on; the Pockets let you capture it all, without requiring much effort on your part. It can also natively film in horizontal or vertical, which can be useful if you’re looking to share footage from your travels on social media.

The reason we’re referring to multiple cameras is that the Pocket’s availability will vary depending on what region you’re in. If you’re in the US, the latest version you have access to is the Pocket 3. In the rest of the world, though, the Pocket 4 is now available, adding integrated storage, high framerates and better controls, along with a few other improvements. There’s also the Pocket 4P, which adds a second 60mm equiv. camera with a Type 1/1.28 (75mm²) sensor and features better dynamic range on its main camera.

The Pockets’ small sensors mean they works better in well-lit situations, though a reasonably bright F2.0 lens on the main camera mean they’re usable indoors, too.

It can shoot 4K 16:9 video or, by rotating the screen into the upright position, 3K vertical 9:16 footage. A small joystick lets you control the camera’s movement, and tapping the joystick button flips between the camera pointing toward you or away from you.

The older Pocket 3’s reliance on contrast-detection autofocus means its focus can be prone to hunting, though the cameras’ face-detection mode works well enough that this is rarely a problem when talking to the camera.

The video quality isn’t always the highest, and the autofocus can occasionally lead to frustration, but overall the quality and convenience of the Pocket as a package is really hard to beat.

Read our hands-on impressions of the Osmo Pocket 3

Why you should trust us

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

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add DPReview as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Updated August 1, 2026

Not long ago, it seemed like the market for new compact cameras with zoom lenses had mostly dried up, despite the demand from enthusiast photographers who like the form factor and people looking for a nostalgic photographic experience. This year, though, the market has picked up, and not just with subtle refreshes that remove as many features as they add.

You may still have to hunt to find certain models in stock, and if you haven’t bought a compact in a decade or two you’re almost certainly in for some sticker shock. But each category has at least one or two very capable options, and the cameras of today can still offer an experience, image quality or both that can’t be matched even by top-end phones.

Our recommendations:

• Enthusiast camera
  • Best enthusiast compact: Panasonic L10
  • Best long-zoom compact: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 V

• Waterproof cameras
  • Best waterproof compact: OM System Tough TG-7

• Vlogging cameras
  • Best vlogging compact: Canon PowerShot V1

Enthusiast compacts

The final niche in which it’s difficult for a smartphone to compete is for enthusiast photography. No matter how good smartphone image quality gets, it’s difficult for a phone to provide the feeling of connection to the process of taking photos that an enthusiast compact with lots of direct controls can offer.

We’ve picked cameras with large sensors that deliver good image quality, zoom lenses and direct controls. Some have built-in electronic viewfinders for shooting when it’s bright outside, again giving a more pleasant experience than a smartphone.

Best enthusiast compact: Panasonic L10

Mitchell Clark

The L10 combines an engaging control setup with modern connectivity and features and an ambitious lens with a focal range that’s standard for a reason. It’s not particularly pocketable, but is still small enough that you won’t have any reason not to take it with you on a trip, to an event or even just out on the town.

Read our Panasonic L10 review

See the Panasonic L10 studio scene

Honorable Mentions

If you need something that’s more pocketable, the Canon G7 X III offers a similar focal range to the L10 in a much smaller package. It also has engaging controls, but its smaller sensor means there’s a bit of an image quality trade-off, and enthusiast photographers may not prefer its EVF-less design. Its biggest downside, though, is availability. Despite multiple assurances from Canon that it’s working on increasing production, it’s still quite hard to find. If you can get your hands on one, though, it offers a good experience at a great price.

The Sony RX100 VII is similarly pocketable, but features a pop-up EVF and a lens that reaches further, going out to 200mm equiv. Even at its widest, it’s not as bright as the one on the L10 and G7 X III, putting it at an image quality disadvantage, especially as light levels fall, and the camera is seriously expensive thanks in part to the stacked sensor that lets it achieve blistering burst rates. But if you need a little extra reach in something that’s pocketable, it’s still a very capable pick.

Best Long Zoom Compact: Sony RX10 V

Richard Butler

The Sony RX10 V is built around a Type 1 (116mm2) 20MP Stacked CMOS sensor, and features a far-reaching 24-600mm equiv. F2.4-4 lens.

It may be pretty much the only camera left in this category that doesn’t use a minuscule sensor, but it’s not just on this list by default. Sony has equipped it with its latest autofocusing system, menus and battery, and has reworked the ergonomics and controls.

While we haven’t completed our full review of the camera yet, we’ve used it enough to know that it belongs on this list above other cameras that offer similar reach. It provides good image quality and, while not small, is much easier to carry around that most other setups with this kind of reach.

Read our Sony RX10 V review

See the Sony RX10 V studio scene

Waterproof cameras

Waterproof cameras are another specialty that smartphones can’t necessarily displace. Many flagship phones are waterproof to a decent degree but you shouldn’t try to submerge them to any appreciable depth or use them in salt water. Waterproof cameras also tend to be pretty rugged, designed to withstand a lot more mistreatment than a phone will withstand, meaning you can carry them with you at all times, without ever having to worry about it. Great for bikers, climbers and custodians of small, inquisitive but not necessarily careful children.

Best waterproof camera: OM System Tough TG-7

The OM System Tough TG-7 is a rugged, waterproof compact with a 25-100mm equivalent zoom lens. It is fully waterproof down to a depth of 15m (50 ft).

The OM System isn’t the only rugged waterproof still on the market, nor the cheapest, but it has several major factors in its favor. The first is that it lets you shoot Raw images, which gives you the ability to correct the white balance, which even the best cameras tend to get wrong when shooting underwater. Another factor is that there is a range of accessories for the TG-7, including a light guide that directs light from the built-in flash into a circle around the lens, letting you illuminate close-up objects.

Beyond this there are a few details that different users may find handy: it has an unusually wide-angle lens with a bright maximum aperture, helping the performance underwater and in low light. It also has a built-in GPS, compass and pressure sensor that lets you log your adventures. These all add up to a camera that’s worth the added expense, we feel.

Read our hands-on with the OM System TG-7 article

Vlogging cameras

Smartphones are great for vlogging, but a dedicated vlogging camera can shoot better quality video, have more sophisticated microphones (and provide options for connecting better mics), and can autofocus very reliably, dependably delivering YouTube-ready footage.

Best vlogging compact: Canon PowerShot V1

It offers a competitive suite of vlogging features, a built-in ND filter and good stabilization options. It’s also comfortable to hold pointing towards you, and lets you access key settings from the touchscreen. It includes microphone and headphone jacks and a fan for extended recording sessions.

The V1 is a capable option with a useful zoom range, and while its slower sensor may not be the greatest for capturing fast action, it has all the features you’d need to start capturing the world around you.

Read our full PowerShot V1 review

Why you should trust us

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

Zeee

A ton of great content is created by the DPReview community in our forums: lively discussions, posts about gear and photography that we highlight in front page articles, collaborative photo sharing events and more. In this “What you missed” roundup for July, we highlight community activity from the past month, including some of the photography that didn’t make it into articles.

What’s in this article:

• Article of the month: Making DPReview notifications work for you
• ‘What’s in your bag?’ community member spotlights
• This question of the week is debated
• A community photo thread spotlight
• Community discussion: What is your present desktop wallpaper?

Article of the month: Making DPReview notifications work for you

DPReview

Want to be alerted when someone replies to your article comments? Or are you perhaps receiving too many notifications and just want them turned off? There are several options you can use to customize how often you receive these notifications, but it can take a moment to figure out where to go to adjust them and which changes are right for a particular use case.

We wrote up a notifications how-to guide that walks you through all of the options. If you have any questions after reading through them, please let me know. We’re very passionate about getting notifications right for everyone (they help us, too, so we want them to work as expected).

What’s in your bag? A community member spotlight

Every week, we dive into the history of a community member’s unique photographs and gear in our ‘What’s in your bag?’ series. The series walks through a reader’s favorite camera gear and how they use it, what photographs they’ve taken and plenty of helpful tips and tricks for your photography journey.

Max Lowe

Max Lowe shared his portrait photography, featuring a wide variety of shots from the Arctic to his hometown in Montana. Max is an award-winning photographer who’s worked with organizations like National Geographic. He provided us with a ton of extra photos to consider for his article. The one above particularly moved me with its simple beauty, so I chose it for this update. Max had a ton of advice for budding photographers, so if you want those tips and tricks, be sure to check out his complete article linked above.

“Understanding the context of the scene is a major necessity for an artist. Ask yourself: why are you taking that photo? Is it for the benefit of those people? If you’re a photojournalist capturing the story of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine so that the world can understand that pain, does your work have the power to change things for the better?”

Check out this month’s other reader spotlights:

• Andrew Kornylak: He dangles off cliffs for National Geographic – here’s what’s in his camera bag
• John Freeman: Gigapixel photography is the way to go for this DPReview reader
• Kathie Thomas: Meet the bird photographer whose go-to camera is the Nikon P950

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 they’ve discussed elsewhere in the forums, with the results spotlighted on DPReview’s front page and in the forums the following week. There are often many spectacular photos submitted that we don’t get a chance to spotlight in a single article, so you’ll want to regularly check back on what was added to the discussions.

What image made you realize your new gear was worth it?

Leopardfoto

Have you ever met a tiger before? Here is a newly revealed reader’s photo and an excerpt from their story in the latest question.

Featured quote: “Late last year, with an upcoming trip to India to photograph tigers and leopards, I hesitantly decided to purchase a 400 TC to bring along. The trip was costing me a king’s ransom, and adding another $14k for the lens seemed completely financially irresponsible. I didn’t think I could justify it since I might not use it that much.”

“During that trip, it became my favorite lens. I still can’t believe how much I enjoy using it, and it has surpassed my expected ROI by a huge margin. Of all the lenses and cameras I’ve ever owned, for whatever reason, this one stands out as the best purchase I’ve made.” – Leopardfoto

Participate in community-led photo initiatives

19andrew47

The community has a lot of fun with their weekly photo activities and challenges. I was perusing the camera brand forums a few days ago while putting together the latest challenge list, and up popped this rather creatively titled challenge:

Micro Fortnight Thirds General Image Thread

From opsreymike: “Welcome to the Micro Four Thirds general image thread for July 26 – August 8, 2026! Please post your photos that you’ve made recently – or even old faves revisited – with any MFT gear. Besides posting photos, image-related commentary is welcome and encouraged!”

Submissions are open until August 8, so if you’re a M43 fan and have a compatible camera, dust it off and let’s see those photos!

If you intend to participate in any of these photo initiatives, please adhere to their spirit (i.e., don’t post Canon photos in a Nikon-only forum discussion).

Discussion of the month: What is your desktop wallpaper?

ronphoto

Community member, BernardoSC , asked a fun question in the forums that has gained quite a bit of traction. He asked everyone, “What is your present desktop wallpaper?” I was pleasantly surprised by the wide array of images, from racecar action scenes to the more expected calm, tranquil hillside with a single lonely tree on top (my personal favorite).

Here is a peek at what some had to say about their wallpapers:

FrancoD: “At the moment, I have a male Flame Robin. We get them here for 2-3 months, then they disappear again. Right now, we only have one male (not this one) and one female, but they are not a pair. A pair last year did have three chicks, so we had the family of 5 flying about. We get about 170 species of birds here. I have fun walking about, taking some snapshots of them.”

ajscullard: “I use two monitors, so I have a pano I took of the Forth Rail Bridge just after it was fully painted, split into two images so they display side-by-side across both monitors.”

skysurfer5: “My desktop wallpaper is actually a random slideshow of ~300 photos, of which ~75% are mine, and ~25% are Apollo and Artemis mission images. My photos are a mix of landscapes, macros (mostly flowers), astro (mostly star trails), abstracts, birds and animals, architecture, and family. I also like quirky, such as this cloud bull chasing a cloud cowboy on his cloud horse passing through The Gunsight in Yosemite National Park.”

What community content did you enjoy reading, and what more would you like to see in these updates? Let us know in the comments below.

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

Editor’s note: Future editions of this article may 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.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add DPReview as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

There’s little I love more than when I creator I like steps outside of their wheelhouse to cover something I’m passionate about in a new way. Still, I never expected to see a video about photography from Alex Hall, who goes by Alexander the ok on YouTube, as the ex-engineer turned data scientist usually covers things like complex mechanical computers, obscure and interesting air and spacecraft, and the designs of various missiles.

You can imagine my delight, then when I saw a video from him pop up about Polaroid film. And in his typical fashion, he dives deep into the topic, covering the fundamentals on how traditional film photography works, and then going into the clever chemistry that allows instant film to develop in a self-contained packet without a darkroom. It also covers various tangents; nearly 20 minutes is dedicated to his journey of making peel-apart instant film at home, and there’s a section on the interesting modifications and improvements he’s made to his personal Polaroid SX-70.

In other words, it’s a video for real photography nerds, which is why I thought it’d make sense to share it here. I’m sure not every DPReview reader will be interested in watching something over an hour long about film (our bread and butter is digital photography, after all), but I’m also convinced that those who are interested will get a lot out of it. I certainly did, and while I don’t think I’ll be making any instant film anytime soon, I know I’ll have a greater appreciation for the science and art of instant photography the next time I pick up my Instax or Polaroid Time Zero OneStep.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add DPReview as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Photography and consumer electronics giant Sony has offered to buy Tamron, a company well-known for its lenses and optics. This would be, to put it mildly, a massive shake-up in the photography market, that could end up having profound impacts on the lenses available to photographers using other systems in the coming years.

What’s happening?

According to a statement Tamron made to investors, Sony has made “a non-binding proposal” that would result in Tamron being “a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.” Tamron says it’s set up a special committee to review the proposal, but that it currently has nothing else to disclose.

One of the most important things to glean from that statement is that, according to Tamron, it would end up as a subsidiary of Sony. That implies that, at least at the beginning, it would still exist as a separate entity. Keep that in mind, as it’ll be important later on in the discussion.

Why does Sony want to buy Tamron?

Mitchell Clark

There are several potential reasons for Sony to want to acquire Tamron, not all of which have to do with photography. While the majority – 74.2%, in 2023 – of Tamron’s sales come from its “photographic products,” the company’s surveillance, automation, mobility and healthcare divisions also make millions of dollars each year. Sony’s a big player in those spaces, too. While most of us are familiar with Tamron because of its camera lenses, we shouldn’t discount the possibility that those other businesses play a part too.

With that said, Sony told Reuters that its reasoning for the offer is because it thinks the acquisition would be good for Tamron’s shareholders, and that it could help Sony’s imaging business too. That seems to mean that the company’s photography business is one of the main draws for Sony.

Tamron’s place in photography

Tamron, like Sigma and Viltrox, is a third-party lens manufacturer, meaning it produces lenses for a variety of camera systems (unlike, for example, Sony, Nikon and Canon, which make lenses pretty much exclusively for their own cameras). The company is known both for making very good lenses that are much cheaper than the own-brand equivalents, and for making zoom lenses that are a bit out of the ordinary; think the 35-150mm F2-2.8, or the 17-50mm F4. Lenses that some people will find useful, but that might be a bit too niche for other companies to make.

Tamron

It’s worth explicitly saying that every single mirrorless lens Tamron makes is available for Sony’s E-mount; for many, it’s the only mount they’re currently available on. Tamron makes lenses for all the major mounts – Canon, Nikon etc – but, probably as a result of the stricter licensing policies of the other two big brands, it’s only Sony’s E-mount for which is can offer all its lenses. There are also occasionally differences between the Sony versions and the others. The company’s latest release, the 12-20mm F2.8, will be available for both Nikon and Sony, but the E-mount version is coming out first, and for less, with a spokesperson citing volume, manufacturing differences and a different competitive landscape for the price difference.

While Tamron is known for the lenses that bear its name, it’s also a major original equipment manufacturer, or OEM. That work, which includes making lens modules and interchangeable lenses for clients including Nikon, made up 29% of the company’s revenue in 2025, and accounted for 41% of the sales in its photography division in 2023.

So what happens if Sony buys Tamron?

Neither company has commented yet on what will happen if the deal actually goes through, but there are a few possible scenarios that are worth exploring should that happen.

Scenario 1: Tamron continues on with business as usual

Sony could essentially keep Tamron as a relatively separate company under its umbrella in perpituity, leaving it to continue making lenses for other mounts, and doing OEM work for other companies. And in some ways, this seems like the sensible move; why buy a company, and then nix 30% of its revenue?

Sony acting as a steward would potentially benefit it in a few ways. For one, it wouldn’t have to worry about outside forces messing around with a valuable partner; according to PetaPixel Sony was, until recently, the largest individual shareholder in Tamron before an investment firm took that spot, giving it less sway over the company’s decisions. It would also have greater insight into the company’s developments, and could plan its own releases around those, and could apply some of its optics expertise to lenses bound for other company’s cameras, letting it benefit in a way that it wouldn’t have been able to before.

However, there are some potential downsides, too. Sony wouldn’t be capitalizing on the ability to make access to Tamron lenses an exclusive benefit of buying an E-mount camera, and it’s hard to imagine that the company’s relationship with the other camera companies would be completely unchanged if it’s suddenly owned by a competitor. Nikon might think twice about choosing Tamron as an OEM (assuming, of course, that it has other options). Then again, it doesn’t seem in any rush to stop using sensors from Sony’s Semiconductor division, or sourcing its OLED EVF panels.

There isn’t a ton of precedent for this scenario in Sony’s history of acquisitions, though there are parallels. It famously purchased Konica Minolta in 2006, which has completely disappeared into its camera division. The same is true of Toshiba’s image sensor business, which it bought in 2015, though Sony’s sensor group does a lot of business with other camera companies.

To us, this path feels like the best outcome for photographers, if a buyout has to happen. Non-Sony owners would still get to benefit from Tamron’s lenses, and it could act as a competitive force in the market, driving other lens makers to improve their own offerings.

Scenario 2: Tamron stills exists, but only makes lenses for Sony

Tamron

Of course, Sony could keep Tamron around as a lens brand, but make it so the company only produces E-mount options. It’s hard to argue that Sony would need to do this to bolster its cameras – as stated, all of Tamron’s lenses work with them anyways, as do hundreds of options from Sony and others – but it would be a blow to its competitors. Canon and Nikon’s more restrictive licensing policies already limit the choices for their users: losing the few options Tamron provides would only make that situation worse.

In our view, this wouldn’t be good for the camera industry. We’d like photographers to have more options, not fewer.

However, this path is not unfamiliar to Sony, if you look outside of its imaging division. The company has acquired several studios that make video games exclusively for its PlayStation consoles. And while some of those games eventually make their way to other systems years after their original release, it seems like the company may be in the process of walking even that tepid support back.

Scenario 3: Tamron disappears into the behemoth

Tamron could also wind up broken up into pieces, with its medical and automotive divisions becoming parts of Sony’s corresponding groups, and its lens businesses folding into Sony’s. This would simplify things on Sony’s end, where it gets the benefit of the company’s designs and intellectual property without the headache of having two separate, somewhat competing brands. To us, though, it would seem like an odd decision; it’s not like Sony needs help designing lenses (though perhaps this is a play to increase its production capacity), and it would be forfeiting the cahcet of a brand that dates back to the 1950s.

What does this mean for photographers?

If the deal ends up going through, the impact on photographers will depend heavily on which path Sony chooses to take. But even if it went with the first option and mostly let Tamron be, that path wouldn’t be set in stone. Sony could, at any time, decide to cut of other company’s access to Tamron’s lenses and manufacturing, an outcome that wasn’t previously on the table.

While there are exceptions, consolidation in an industry with an already limited number of players isn’t typically in the best interest of the consumer. While it may be, as others have argued, a great option for Sony, that doesn’t mean it would be good for the camera market overall.

That’s not to say that there aren’t potential upsides. Tamron is a publicly-traded company, subject to the desires of its investors. While its latest fiscal reports don’t paint a picture of a company in dire straits (absolutely not financial advice, to be clear), we’ve all seen companies whose products have taken a turn for the worse because the money people decided that they weren’t happy with the current profits. It feels less likely that Tamron would meet that fate were it owned by a company that’s deeply invested in photography than if it were bought out by a private equity firm.

It’s also possible the company’s products could improve if it had access to Sony’s technology, expertise, manufacturing capacity and vast financial resources (Sony’s imaging division alone brought in $11.2 billion in 2025, compared to Tamron’s $533 million).

For now, though, this is all hypothetical. Tamron could choose to reject Sony’s offer, deciding to continue going it alone. But while neither company has commented on the terms of the deal, Diamond Online, the outlet that originally broke this story, has reported that the offer is somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.2 billion, which is around Tamron’s current market cap (or, at least, what its market cap was before the news of a potential acquisition broke).

Community member Andrew Kornylak loves to cling to sheer rock faces with others and stare down at the world below. See what photos he’s taken from such dramatic heights as he shares his story that includes working for Lowpro and writing for National Geographic.

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

Andrew Kornylak

Meet Andrew Kornylak

Home base: Chapel Hill, NC USA

Andrew’s interest in photography began in high school after his older brother gave him a hand-me-down Minolta camera. The hobby grew through years of rock climbing and travel before he left a career in software development to become a full-time photographer in 2006.

“My older brother gave me his old Minolta camera when I was in high school. Taking pictures quickly became a hobby. I eventually got into rock climbing in the early 90s while in college, which was a great subject for photography and really got me motivated to get more serious. When I graduated, I worked as a software developer, traveled around the US and climbed, taking pictures whenever I could.”

Although he embraced digital photography early, Andrew has continued to work with both film and digital throughout his career. He believes shooting film keeps his technical skills sharp and encourages a more deliberate, thoughtful approach to his work.

“I still shoot a mix of film and digital. Shooting film with a strobe is especially challenging, but worth it. I spent years shooting climbing with off-camera strobes, using medium-format film. Keeping one foot in analog has been good, as it helps keep my skills sharp and challenges me to think more deliberately in my approach to projects.”

What’s in Andrew’s bag

Andrew Kornylak

Favorite camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark II

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II sure is a popular camera, as last week’s spotlight also stated it was their favorite. Here’s what Andrew thinks about its 45MP stacked sensor compared to his Nikon gear.

“I’ve shot with and owned almost every major camera system, but I have been primarily a Nikon shooter for my bread and butter. Just this year, I switched to Canon, mainly because all my cinema video cameras are Canon, so I wanted to consolidate lenses. I am currently shooting with the Canon R5 Mark II and about a half dozen lenses.”

Support gear

Andrew Kornylak

Any experienced photographer is going to have a set of gear that works well together and is ready to go at a moment’s notice. Apart from the cameras and lenses above, here’s Andrew’s other interesting gear he takes with him on trips into the mountains.

“I shoot a lot with lighting, both in the studio and on location. For photography, this was mostly Profoto and Broncolor strobes. I’ve been transitioning more to continuous lighting. LED technology has really come a long way, with significant advantages over other lighting options, especially since I also shoot video.”

“Aperture is my go-to brand here. I am FAA drone certified, so there’s that. Though I have a mini warehouse full of grips and accessories, I try to keep things as simple as possible. My Really Right Stuff Apex TVC-34L carbon tripod (which allows me to quickly change out photo and video heads) and RRS BH-55 ball head go with me 90% of the time.”

Favorite bag: “Definitely the Pelican 1510 with Trekpak Dividers and 1519 Photographers Lid Organizer. Hands down, my most useful camera case.”

“For years, I was an ambassador and design consultant with Lowepro, so I’ve been loyal to that brand. The bag I use the most is the Lowepro Whistler BP 450 AW. These days, I mix and match. I have to think about video gear as well. Mountainsmith (for a time), Think Tank and Peak Design all make great bags.”

What’s it like ‘hanging out’?

Andrew Kornylak

Whether suspended hundreds of feet above the ground or in a quiet neighborhood park, Andrew is drawn to photographs that reveal something extraordinary. He believes the most compelling stories are often found in everyday places, where ordinary moments can become unexpectedly transcendent.

“Hanging from a rope hundreds of feet above the ground is a pretty unique perspective. I love shooting in all conditions, high up, underwater, in the rain, and so on. It can sometimes be risky or dangerous. I do enjoy the adversity, but it’s not where you find people most of the time. People occupy mundane spaces – cities, back yards, parks and their automobiles. It’s even more exciting to find something sublime or transcendent in an everyday environment.”

One place that continues to inspire him is the Mississippi River Delta. First photographing the region for National Geographic Adventure in 2007, he has returned several times, captivated by its quiet beauty.

“One memorable place I’ve been to close to home is the Mississippi river. Specifically, in the Delta region. I shot a story on the river for National Geographic Adventure Magazine in 2007 and have gone back several times since. It’s an unheralded landscape, right in the middle of the country. A seemingly mundane place even, but unexpectedly wild, full of mystery and power.”

How do you keep fear at bay?

Andrew Kornylak

“Willpower. For a typical magazine story, I used to just overshoot to make sure I covered all the bases. That is a reasonable approach, and in the moment, you might pick up a few bangers. In reality, that approach is based on fear. You might have some ideas or intentions, but you quickly realize they don’t go as planned, so you embrace serendipity.”

“I do love that about photography, but I think as you gain more experience, you can become bolder with your intentions, really make them come to life instead of assuming they won’t. That’s where the perfect shot happens, not by chance but by intentional visualization and a strong will.”

“What’s the perfect shot, though? I sometimes don’t even realize it until years later.”

Turning photography into published books

Andrew Kornylak

“This year, I am busy working on a couple of multi-year documentary films. I am really used to the constant hustle. That changed during the pandemic, when I was forced to sit still for a while and meditate on what I really wanted from my work. I scanned all my old film (about 30,000 images) and began thinking bigger. I began writing.”

“As a direct result of that, I published my first book last year about climbing in the South – Spare These Stones (Mountaineers Books). Such a small thing, a book, but it feels like the culmination of decades of work. It really has propelled me into the next stage of my career, I think. I have also started teaching. This fall, I will teach two classes at the UNC Chapel Hill Hussman School of Journalism.”

A piece of advice from a rock climber

“My advice is to work hard, but don’t be afraid to take a break and survey where you are headed. Your approach and strategy will change dramatically over time. Embrace every stage of it, and have fun!”

Andrew really enjoyed participating in this spotlight article and would love to hear what you think of his photography and to answer any of your questions in the comments below.

You can check out Andrew’s other work at andrewkornylak.com.

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

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add DPReview as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

After what has felt like an odyssey of a product rollout, DJI’s latest vlogging camera, the Osmo Pocket 4P, is finally here. It’s launching in Europe, the UK, Canada and Australia, after its initial rollout in China a month ago.

Our coverage of that launch has the complete specs, but here are the most important parts, in case you missed them or have since forgotten them. The 4P is an upgraded version of the company’s Osmo Pocket 4 vlogging camera with an integrated three-axis gimbal. Like the standard model, it has around 100GB of built-in storage, and a Type 1 (116mm²) sensor with a 20mm equiv. lens, capable of shooting at 4K/240p in landscape. It can also take 33MP 16:9 stills or 37.7MP 1:1 stills, and a ~3K (1728×3072) vertical crop from the middle of the sensor for portrait-orientation video at up to 60p.

While those specs are similar to the original Osmo Pocket 4, the 4P uses a new sensor that utilizes a LOFIC (lateral overflow integrating capacitance) design to retain more information in the highlights, and a new version of the company’s Log curve, D-Log2, to capture the extra dynamic range. D-Log2’s base ISO is two stops lower than the original’s, meaning it can tolerate up to 2EV additional light.

It’s also not the only camera. The 4P adds a Type 1/1.28 (75mm²) sensor with a 60mm equiv. lens for extra reach, though that one doesn’t have the same dynamic range capabilities – it uses the original D-Log – and caps out at 4K/200p.

Taking a break from specs: what’s the camera like to use? DJI brought our social director Mykim Dang to Toronto for two days to test it, and you can see her impressions, along with sample footage from the 4P, below.

The power of the Osmo Pocket series has always been in its ability to be an all-in-one solution. The cameras provide image quality that’s more than good enough for social media or YouTube, work natively with DJI’s popular wireless lavaliere microphones and produce steadier footage than you can get from a phone alone

As a bit of inside baseball, we recently went through the process of putting together a standard kit for shooting social video here at DPReview and our sister company, Gear Patrol. It includes an iPhone, several accessories like a cage and ND filters, a microphone, tripod, etc. When we were discussing the Osmo Pocket 4P, Mykim said she wished it had existed when she was putting the kit together, because she would’ve just gone with it.

What really sold her was the accessory remote, which provides a wireless live preview, the ability to start and stop recording, and a joystick to control where the camera is pointed at. It doesn’t come with the camera, but is available as part of the Vlog Combo, which also includes a fill light, Mic Mini 2 transmitter and receiver, a mini tripod and more, as well as a pouch to put it all in.

DJI

This does, however, bring us to one of the elephants in the room: Insta360’s Luna Ultra, which is about as similar a competitor as you could ask for. It also puts a Type 1 sensor with 20mm equiv. lens and a Type 1/1.3 sensor for its 60mm equiv. lens on an integrated gimbal, works with the company’s wireless microphones and includes some (but not as much) internal storage. However, it shoots 8K (as well as 4K), and its remote is built-in; you can detach the front with the controls and rotating screen, and use it to remotely operate the camera.

The Luna Ultra launched just as DJI had gathered everyone for its Osmo Pocket 4P event, and apparently struck a nerve at the company. DJI sued Insta360 in US court, accusing it of patent infringement, and Insta360 is countersuing. The second elephant is that, despite DJI’s choice of jurisdiction, the US isn’t among the list of places the Osmo Pocket 4P is launching today. The company tells us “the application for authorization is still pending.”

That’s no surprise given the country’s government’s ongoing actions against the company, and the fact that none of its recent products have been available there (at least, not bearing DJI’s name). Insta360’s offering, however, is, despite the fact that it’s also based in China and sells drones. For those in the regions that the camera is launching in, though, that may all be unnecessary drama, or at most food for thought when it comes to picking between the Osmo Pocket 4P and a competitor.

The black version of the Osmo Pocket 4P is launching today for £529 in the UK and around €599 in Europe, though the exact pricing for the latter will depend on which country you’re in. The Vlog Combo kit is available for around £/€80 more, which feels like quite an aggressive price given everything it includes.

* The two cameras’ vlogging combos are similar, though not exactly the same

Tamron has released a firmware update for its 25-200mm F2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 lens that actually makes a noticeable change to its performance. The company says that now, when you’re shooting at focal lengths between 25-70mm, the lens’ maximum magnification ratio is greatly improved, letting you get much closer to your subject.

When the lens launch, Tamron said it could achieve approximately half-macro, or 1:2, reproduction at its widest end. However, as lens reviewer Dustin Abbot points out, shooting so close at 25mm has practical challenges, and can make it very difficult to get a well-lit photo. By the time you were shooting at 50mm, where you had a more reasonable working distance, the maximum reproduction ratio dropped to 1:3.1, or around 0.32x magnification.

Tamron

This is where the firmware update comes in. At 35-50mm, the lens can now manage a ratio of 1:1.7, or 0.58x, which is a substantial improvement. Tamron also says that it will achieve at least 1:2 reproduction throughout the 25-70mm range. For those that like to get close to their subject, this makes and already versatile lens a lot more flexible.

It’s rather unusual to see a lens firmware update that noticeably changes how you can use the lens. It’s not entirely unique – we’ve seen Laowa launch a macro lens that couldn’t autofocus in its macro range, only to enable that functionality later via software – but it still remains among the more interesting bits of lens firmware news. Tamron’s press release doesn’t include any technical details on how the company was able to achieve this, but we’ve reached out to see if it can share any. We’ll update this story if we hear back.

The V3 firmware is available to download for free via Tamron’s Lens Utility software.

It’s undeniable that, in terms of the tech and experience around its sensor, the Sony RX10 V is an excellent example of how far the camera industry has come in the last 10-ish years when compared to the Sony RX10 IV from 2017. But during that time, we’ve also seen a lot of discussion around how image quality has stagnated, and there’s no obvious difference between the V’s 20MP Type 1 (116mm²) stacked CMOS sensor and the IV’s.

There’s some truth to the idea that gains in image quality are coming slower these days, as much of the past decade’s progress has been more focused on performance in aspects like autofocus and readout speeds. That’s not to say there have been no advancements in image quality, but Sony hasn’t bragged about including them in the RX10 V. The only real way to find out, though, is to put it in front of our test scene.

Studio test scene

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors, and detail types you’ll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes, full even light and low directional light, to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

Unsurprisingly, the RX10 V performs very similarly to the RX10 IV when looking at its Raw images at base ISO, which is a good thing. It captures a good amount of detail, and at 88mm equiv., its lens actually holds up quite well compared to other cameras with Type 1 sensors and lenses with much less ambitious focal lengths. It also provides more detail with less noise than the Nikon P1000, which offers much more reach but uses a lower-res and much smaller 16MP 1/2.3″ (28mm²) sensor.

The RX10 V’s JPEGs are where the decade of progress becomes apparent. The colors are much more pleasing than those of the IV, with more natural skin tones, and the vibrancy of colors turned up where they were lacking, and turned down where they were overbearing. We also found this to be the case in the sample photos we shot with the V. Sony’s progress on this front has been slow and steady, but with so much time between the two models, it’s much more noticeable.

This class of cameras has never been the best pick for low light photography, the RX10 V’s Raws again look as we’d expect. Switch over to JPEG and it’s clear that Sony has upgraded the camera’s noise reduction to some extent, but in higher-contrast, more detailed areas, we’d be hard-pressed to tell its performance apart from its predecessor’s. However, it does outperform Panasonic’s similarly-specced (and now discontinued) FZ-1000 II from 2020 in this regard, and is significantly better at low light than the P1000.

Summary

The RX10 V doesn’t represent a massive shift in terms of image quality from its predecessor, nor, indeed, the RX10 III and RX10 II before it, which both used similarly-specced sensors. When those cameras were released, we called their image quality excellent*, and even these days it’s hard to argue that the pictures the RX10 V produces aren’t very good.

However, it’s hard to ignore that images from smartphones, armed with increasingly sophisticated computational photography tricks, have been getting better and better. Some models even include Type 1 sensors, too, edging in on even the highest-end enthusiast compacts, if only in terms of image quality and not shooting experience. Arguably, the RX10 V, with its massive focal range, is one of the compacts most insulated from this, as phones’ telephotos are often paired with much smaller sensors, and don’t offer anywhere near the level of reach. But it does raise questions about how the next versions of cameras like the RX100 will differentiate themselves.

Going back to the camera at hand, though, regardless of how much the RX10 V has or hasn’t improved when it comes to imaging, it’s still the best in its class… even if it is the only pupil remaining.

* – as long as you set aside their JPEG colors, which the RX10 V has thankfully greatly improved on.