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Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards have released their annual shortlist of 25 nature images for public voting in the people's choice category. Anyone can help whittle down the finalists to select one overall public vote award winner and four runners-up.

In its 59th iteration, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year recognizes some of the year's best images of the natural world. London's Natural History Museum, which develops and produces the completion and exhibition, received 49,957 entries from 95 countries this year.

The judging panel is only allowed to select 100 images and 25 are thrown to a public vote to round out the final list of winners. This year, there are images of a sleeping polar bear, an elephant savaging for food, Moon jellyfish under an aurora borealis, moments that remind us of human impact and more from around the globe.

Public voting is open through January 31, 2024, and the top five winners will be announced on February 7, 2024. Anyone wishing to cast a ballot can do so online or in person at London's Natural History Museum. The people's choice winners will join the 100 winners already selected by the award jury and join the public exhibition until it closes on June 30, 2024.

Tender touch Photo: Andy Parkinson/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Two courting mountain hares come together to touch noses in the Monadhliath Mountains in Scotland, UK.

For 15 years photographer Andy Parkinson has photographed hares in the region, but he says he's never witnessed a moment like this. He was expecting the female to jump away from the male’s advances so he kept a wider frame to capture the action, but instead, the two came together.

Location: The Monadhliath Mountains, Scotland, UK

Technical details: Nikon D4s with 200-400mm | 1/1000 at F7.1 | ISO 400

Aurora jellies Photo: Audun Rikardsen/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Moon jellyfish swarm in the cool autumnal waters of a fjord outside Tromsø in northern Norway. It’s common for this species to gather in groups of hundreds under the aurora borealis.

Photographer Audun Rikardsen used a long exposure where he also adjusted focus and aperture. This allows him to expose the reflection of the sky’s colors on the surface of the water as well as use a flash to light the jellyfish.

Moon jellyfish are common in all oceans and are easily recognized by their four rings, which are in fact their genitals.

Location: Tromsø, Northern Norway

Technical details: Canon EOS-1D X with Laowa 12mm | 34 sec at F2.8-22 (changed during exposure) | ISO 1600 | two Canon 600 flashes in underwater housing

A rare sight Photo: Axel Gomille/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

There are only a few hundred Ethiopian wolves left, making them the rarest species of wild dog in the world. Photographer Axel Gomille saw this one taking a rest among the highland vegetation of Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains National Park, which hosts their largest population.

The wolves are threatened by habitat loss and diseases, such as rabies and canine distemper, which they catch from domestic dogs.

Location: The Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

Technical details: Nikon D4s with Sigma 150-600mm at 600mm | 1/1250 at F11 | beanbag

Tough negotiation Photo: Axel Gomille/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Standing on a rock in the Judean Foothills of Israel, a red fox cub locks eyes with the shrew it had thrown up in the air moments earlier.

Photographer Ayala Fishaimer watched a red fox den and it wasn’t long before four cubs appeared and started to play. This cub lost interest in its siblings and started sniffing around, finding a shrew in the sand. It started knocking the shrew around like a ball and threw it into the air. As it landed, Fishaimer caught this frame.

Location: Judean Foothills, Israel

Technical details: Nikon D850 with AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm | 1/500 at F5.6 | ISO 140

Bull in a garbage dump Photo: Brent Stirton/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A bull elephant kicks over garbage as it scavenges for rotten vegetables and fruit at a dump in Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka.

The male elephants in the region have recognized that there is food in the garbage, which has led to stand-offs with people using gunfire to frighten the elephants away from crops and people. This elephant has a scar from a gunshot wound on the upper left front leg and another wound high on its back.

Location: Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 with 24-70mm | 1/500 at F8 | ISO 400

Fashion victims Photo: Britta Jaschinski/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

These coats made from the skins of a snow leopard, jaguar, ocelot and other big cats were confiscated by European customs officers and held for forensic tests before being used for educational events.

Hamburg’s Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change conducted forensic tests before using them to educate the public on the harm animal coats have on endangered species, as well as ensure they never return to the black market.

During the photoshoot, photographer Britta Jaschinski learned that on average the fur industry uses 12 animals to make one coat. Together with a biologist, she tried to identify how many cats were killed to produce the fashion items in this image, "but they stopped counting as they felt it was just too shocking."

Location: Hamburg’s Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Germany

Technical details: Leica SL2 with Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm at 50mm | 1/10 at F4.5 | ISO 400 | tripod | pattern metering | honeycomb continuous light

Duckling huddle Photo: Charles Davis/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A wood duck and its brood are caught in a late spring snowstorm in Smiggin Holes, New South Wales, Australia.

It would normally be warm and sunny when these ducklings hatch from their nest high up in a tree hollow, but warmer waters in the western Pacific Ocean due to La Nina have produced a wetter and colder spring and summer.

Photographer Charles Davis was there to see the ducks try to make their way through the winter conditions as their mother frantically tried to lead them to open water.

Location: Smiggin Holes, New South Wales, Australia

Technical details: Nikon Z9 with 400mm | 1/1250 at F10 | ISO 500

Rubbish drinks Photo: Claire Waring/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The Celebes crested macaques at Indonesia's Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve have learned that clear plastic bottles have water and colored bottles have surgery drinks.

Here, park rangers had collected piles of plastic bottles for recycling, as part of clean-up efforts. The monkeys are often seen chewing the caps off bottles or taking them into the forest for later.

Location: Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, Indonesia

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 with 100-500mm | 1/1000 at F5 | ISO 1600

Starling murmuration Photo: Daniel Dencescu/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A mass of starlings swirl into the shape of a giant bird on their way to communal roosts above Rome, Italy.

Photographer Daniel Dencescu said he was mesmerized by the colossal shapes they formed in the sky, known as murmurations. Each day, as they returned from foraging the birds gathered in large numbers in the evenings. Dencescu says he spent hours following the starlings around the city until on one cloudless winter’s day, the flock swirled into the shape seen in the image.

Location: Rome, Italy

Technical details: Nikon D850 with 150-600mm | 1/1250 at F5.6 (+0.3 e/v) | ISO 2500

Snowshoes Photo: Deena Sveinsson/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A snowshoe hare pulls its feet to its head to make the next big hop across the soft, deep snow in the forests of the Rocky Mountain National Park, USA.

It was a late spring morning and photographer Deena Sveinsson was snowshoeing deep in the forest when she noticed this hare sleeping on a small snow mound. She positioned herself in front of it and hours later the hare woke and hopped toward Sveinsson. Using a high frame rate, she captured the exact moment in its hop where the hare pulled its large back feet up next to its head.

Its large feet prevent the hare from sinking into the deep, soft snow, acting like snowshoes, hence its name.

Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, USA

Technical details: Sony a1 with 70-200mm at 200mm | 1/2500 at F8 | ISO 3200

Homecoming Photo: Dvir Barkay/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A pygmy round-eared bat returns to its termite-nest home as two well-camouflaged family members look out from the entrance in the lowland forests of Costa Rica. The bats exhibit a unique roosting behavior, resting in hollows that they carve out with their teeth inside the nests of termite colonies.

Using a nearby branch to support his camera, photographer Dvir Barkay set up an infrared trigger near the entrance along with three diffused flashes. It took over two months to get images of the rarely photographed bat.

Location: The lowland forests of Costa Rica

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 with Tokina 10-17mm | 2.7 sec at F16 | ISO 2000 | Godox wireless flashes | Sabre infrared trigger

Incoming Cuckoo wasp Photo: Frank Deschandol/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A rare cuckoo wasp flies toward the entrance of a mason bee’s clay burrow as a smaller cuckoo wasp cleans its wings below, near Montpellier, France.

Photographer Frank Deschandol witnessed the larger wasp try to enter the sealed burrow containing a mason bee's eggs. unable to get in, the wasp flew away to retrieve water, which it would use to soften the clay so it could dig into the bee’s sealed-up burrow. Once inside it lays its own egg and reseals it. When the cuckoo wasp’s egg hatch, they feeds on mason bee larvae inside the burrow.

Location: Near Montpellier, France

Technical details: Canon EOS RP with 100mm macro | 1/1250 at F6.3 | ISO 1250 | reflector

Curiosity Photo: Gerald Hinde/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A lion cub walks toward photographer Gerald Hinde, who was watching from a vehicle in South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park.

Lion cubs are vulnerable to predators such as leopards and hyenas, but often the main threat is from invading male lions. For the first six weeks cubs are kept hidden away, after which they’re introduced to the pride.

Location: Greater National Park, South Africa

Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark lll with 200-400mm and 1.4x extender | 1/640 at F5.6 | ISO 320

Swallow over meadow Photo: Hermann Hirsch and Jan Lessman/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A barn swallow flies over a meadow of cornflowers, catching insects during springtime in eastern Germany. As their name suggests, barn swallows prefer to nest inside buildings and usually return to the same spot each year.

Photographers Hermann Hirsch and Jan Lessman knew where the birds were likely to go and positioned their camera with a remote trigger to make this frame.

Location: Eastern Germany

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 with 24-105mm | 1/3200 at F22 | ISO 6400 | wireless remote control

Looking at me, looking at you Photo: John E. Marriott/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A grizzly bear rises up on its hind legs and glances toward the photographer before returning to fish for salmon in the Chilko River in British Columbia, Canada.

Photographer John E. Marriott was leading a tour on the Chilko River when his group came across the bear. Their small boat slowly floated by the bear while Marriott photographed.

Location: Chilko River, British Columbia, Canada

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 with 500mm | 1/1000 at F4.5 | ISO 5000

Missed sip of milk Photo: Karim Iliya/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A humpback whale calf misses some of its mother’s milk, which drifts and swirls in the currents off the coast of Rurutu, French Polynesia. The whales don’t have lips, so the calves can be clumsy and on very rare occasions miss some of the milk.

In the seven years and hundreds of hours photographer Karim Iliya has been documenting humpback whales, he says he has only seen whale milk floating in the water twice. Both times were on a diving trip off the coast of Rurutu, with the same whale and her calf.

Location: Off the coast of Rurutu, French Polynesia

Technical details: Canon EOS R3 with 15-35mm at 15mm | 1/400 at F5.6 | ISO 500 | Nauticam housing

The grassland geladas Photo: Marco Gaiotti/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A gelada suckles its baby alongside a female companion at the edge of a plateau in photographer Marco Gaiotti's photograph made in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia.

The gelada family unit, known as a harem, usually consists of one male and a small number of related females and their young. Gelada monkeys live only in the high mountain meadows of Ethiopia, where they spend most of their time on the ground grazing. "However, with the number of domestic livestock increasing, their grazing grasslands are now diminishing, pushing them into restricted areas."

Location: The Simien Mountains of Ethiopia, Ethiopia

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 with 16-35mm at 16mm | 1/100 at F7.1 | ISO 400

Shared parenting Photo: Mark Boyd/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

"A pair of lionesses groom one of the pride’s five cubs in Kenya’s Maasai Mara."

Early in the morning, photographer Mark Boyd watched the adult lions return from an unsuccessful night hunt. While away, they'd hidden the cubs in dense bushes and were now calling for the cubs to come out into the open grassland. Females raise each other’s cubs as their own, sharing parenting duties.

Location: Maasai Mara, Kenya

Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III with 100-400mm | 1/320 at F5.6 | ISO 12800

Opportunity fox Photo: Matt Maran/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A young red fox searches a trash receptacle on a street in London, UK.

Over a two-month period, photographer Matt Maran watched the fox learn the best time to climb into this street bin, it figured out that Monday evenings shortly before the weekly collection was when discarded food was close to the top and easy to get at.

"An urban fox’s diet is made up of more than 50% natural food, such as earthworms, wild birds, seeds and fruits. As a result, these animals play an important role in the urban ecosystem."

Location: London, UK

Technical details: Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 with 50mm | 1/80 at F2.5 | ISO 5000

Ice bed Photo: Nima Sarikhani/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Photographer Nima Sarikhani was on an expedition vessel when they encountered a younger and an older male polar bear on some sea ice off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. Sarikhani watched the bears for nearly eight hours until just before midnight, the young male climbed onto a small iceberg and clawed away at it to carve out a bed for himself.

Location: Off Norway's Svalbard archipelago, Norway

Technical details: Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with 70-200mm at 200mm | 1/500 at F5 | ISO 400

Neighbourhood dispute Photo: Ofer Levy/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A mudskipper defends its territory from a trespassing crab in Roebuck Bay, Australia. Photographer Ofer Levy watched the two continually confront each other out on the mud flat with the mudskipper always initiating the clash. The fish's display of an open mouth and raised dorsal fin are meant to be a threatening display.

"Mudskippers can live both in and out of the water as long as they remain wet. They thrive along the intertidal mudflats and mangroves of Western Australia. These amphibious fish are fiercely territorial, often building mud walls around their territories where they feed and breed."

Location: Roebuck Bay, Australia

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 with 800mm | 1/5000 at F11 | ISO 6400

Hope Photo: Roberto García-Roa/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A rescued chimpanzee looks on from its enclosure at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in the Republic of Guinea. Located in the National Park of Upper Niger, the center rehabilitates orphaned chimpanzees that have been rescued from being sold as pets after their mothers were killed for bushmeat. The goal is to release them back into the national park.

"Once abundant in Guinea, the western chimpanzee population is declining, and the species is now classified as critically endangered."

Location: Chimpanzee Conservation Center in the Republic of Guinea

Technical details: Canon EOS R5 with 16-35mm | 1/2000 at F5 | ISO 1250

Troublemaker Photo: Stefan Christmann/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

An Adélie penguin approaches an emperor penguin and its chick during feeding time in Antarctica’s Atka Bay. Photographer Stefan Christmann watched the exchange to see how the interactions between these three penguins would play out.

"Adélie penguins only appear in Antarctica’s Atka Bay for a short period during the southern hemisphere summer. They’re opportunists and can be a nuisance for emperor penguins and their chicks. If the chance arises, Adélie penguins will try to cause the adult or the chick to drop its food while the chick is being fed, snatching any that falls to the ground."

Location: Atka Bay, Antarctica

Technical details: Nikon D500 with AF-S Nikkor 400mm | 1/800 at F5.6 | ISO 200

The happy turtle Photo: Tzahi Finkelstein/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Photographer Tzahi Finkelstein was positioned in a hide in Israel’s Jezreel Valley photographing shore birds when he spotted a Balkan pond turtle walking in the shallow swampy water. He says he was more interested in watching the birds, but then a northern banded groundling dragonfly flew past his lens in the direction of the turtle.

The dragonfly unexpectedly landed on the turtle’s nose, but instead of snapping up the insect, the turtle held its mouth open and watched it.

Location: Jezreel Valley, Israel

Technical details: Nikon D500 with 500mm | 1/3200 at F5.6 (-0.3 e/v) | ISO 320

Autumn glow Photo: Uge Fuertes Sanz/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

To photographer Uge Fuertes Sanz, this river scene with bulrushes and quaking aspens seemed as if it had been painted.

"The light and the composition of the plants between the trunks, together with the shapes and colors of the autumn leaves, created texture and balance."

He took more than a hundred images from the banks of the Cabriel River in the Sierra deAlbarracín Mountains in Spain and made this frame under the soft light of a passing cloud.

Location: Cabriel River in the Sierra de Albarracín Mountains, Spain

Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III with Tamron 150-600mm at 428mm |1/640 at F9 | ISO 1250

Voting now open

Public voting closes on January 31, 2024.

Entries for the next competition are also open until December 7, 2023. To commemorate the competition's 60th anniversary, there are fee waivers for over 100 countries. Photographers of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to submit their work.

I shot two 35mm rolls of LomoChrome '92: one with an Olympus Stylus Epic and the other with a Nikon FM2. This photo, lightly processed to taste in Lightroom Classic, was snapped with the latter.

I remember 1992 well: Bill Clinton was elected president, Barcelona hosted the Olympic games, Dr. Dre released The Chronic and film photography was at the height of its popularity. Okay, maybe I don't remember all of those things – I was only four years old – but I do recall the presence of cameras in my life from an early age: My family was all about documenting special moments.

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These photos, often shot on cheap drugstore film, have become cherished memories from a time long gone. Coincidentally, the era I speak of is now having a moment, especially amongst Gen-Z. And like so many hip brands in 2023, Lomography is tapping into the 1990s nostalgia craze with its recent release of LomoChrome ‘92 film stock. This ISO 400 color negative film is available in 35mm, 120 and 110 formats and is meant to mimic the look of that once ubiquitous drugstore film.

Buy now:

$12.90 at Lomography Who is Lomochrome ‘92 for?

If you’re searching for a color film stock that accurately captures the hues and tones of real life, this isn’t it. Lomography even says that LomoChrom ‘92 users should expect “fascinating blue hues, vibrant reds and delicate pastel undertones.”

Unlike common ISO 400 color films, like Kodak UltraMax or Fujifilm Superia, LomoChrome ‘92 is significantly more experimental in nature. To shoot with it is to embrace the unexpected, from strange color shifts to odd textures and oversized grain. If you want to fully enjoy LomoChrome ‘92, you’ll need to let go of some creative control.

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In the digital age, this can be difficult. Indeed, I was a bit disappointed when I first got my scans back by how muted and somewhat 'blah' many of them looked, especially compared to how I visualized them in camera. But that feeling quickly passed.

What does Lomochrome ‘92 look like?

First, without any digital adjustments, my LomoChrome ‘92 scans came back flatter and less punchy than I expected despite shooting in a wide range of lighting scenarios, both with and without a flash.

The grain also appears rather chunky for an ISO 400 film stock. Some of my shots additionally have an unappealing greenish hue in the shadow regions, which, thankfully, is easy enough to correct with a bit of help from Adobe. And that’s exactly what I did.

I'm not entirely sure what caused the light leak here, but I dig it. This is the type of image you can't plan for. Shot with the Olympus Stylus Epic. How to make LomoChrome ‘92 shine

With a good night’s rest and fresh eyes, I reapproached my LomoChrome ‘92 shots with a new perspective: The ‘bones’ of the images were good; they just needed some toning and exposure adjustments to shine.

Seeing as I edit all of my own film scans digitally using Lightroom Classic — repeat after me, ‘It’s okay to digitally edit film scans,’ and if you think otherwise, keep it to yourself — I figured I’d give these shots the same treatment.

Unedited LomoChrome '92 scan. Edited scan with green cast removed.

After all, a little white balance, exposure and contrast adjustment never hurts. Moreover, I wanted the results I shared in this review to be as close to something I’d share with my own social media.

Beyond basic adjustment to exposure variables, white balance and curves, I used the color mixer in Lightroom to lower the saturation levels of those pesky green tones plaguing some of my shadows. However, after experimenting with noise reduction on several images, I ultimately decided to leave it off and embrace the film’s oversized grain.

Other thoughts on LomoChrome ‘92

Ultimately, polishing most of these up took little effort. But I’m still somewhat perplexed by the assortment of light leaks and partially exposed frames I ended up with.

LomoChrome '92 features big grain and cool tones. Shot with the Nikon FM2.

For the sake of variety, I purposely shot two rolls of film with two different cameras, the Nikon FM2 and the Olympus Stylus Epic. However, both rolls came back with the anomalies mentioned above. It's also worth noting that I've shot with both cameras recently, with no mechanical issues or light leaks to report. Hm.

Shot with the Olympus Stylus Epic.

Either way, these happy surprises didn’t ruin any crucial shots and even added additional character to others, like the car image above. So, even though my results were not quite what I expected, ultimately, I am pretty happy with the outcome. And isn’t that the Lomography way?

What’s the point of LomoChrome ‘92?

In one word: fun. Lomochrome ‘92 isn’t for those wanting the tightest grain and cleanest reds, yellows and blues. It’s for folks who want to experiment with 35mm and – gasp! – not take film photography too seriously. After all, serendipity is one of the best parts of the analog photography experience.

So, does LomoChrome ‘92 really evoke a feeling of the long-gone 1990s? Absolutely. These shots bring me right back to my childhood, from the big grain to the slightly-too-cool tones. LomoChrome ‘92 is far from a perfect film stock, but it's definitely nostalgic. And that's the whole point.

Shot with the Nikon FM2.

Moreover, I’m excited to see Lomography expand its film lineup with this whacky yet enjoyable stock. It might not be my go-to choice for everyday use, but it's definitely an interesting one to experiment with from time to time. And I encourage other analog avengers everywhere to give it a spin through their favorite cameras.

A 35mm roll is $12.90 and develops in C-41.

Sony's gridline update adds up to four customizable grids to which users can add color codes and apply transparency masks.

Photo: Sony

Earlier this week, Sony announced a $150 update to bring custom gridlines to its Alpha line of cameras starting March 2024. The a7 IV will be the first camera to have access to the update, with others likely to follow soon after.

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You may have noticed the news that users will soon be able to create and import up to four customized original gridlines, which may help portrait, commercial and business clients produce large batches of consistent images. For example, Sony cited the need for school portraits that require the same head position across hundreds of photos.

But there's one thing the initial news missed.

Gridlines aren't the story here. Even the snark of poking fun at this being a 'boring' update isn't the story here. The real story is what this means for the future of camera firmware and feature updates.

Years from now, will we look back at this as the camera industry's BMW heated seats moment? The beginning of a new era of microtransactions and subscription fees to unlock an a la carte selection of features on our cameras? If you want to unlock 100fps burst mode, will you need to pay to unlock it the same way Mercedes requires $1200 to unlock higher output from its EV engines?

This isn't a first for Sony. It had a similar model to charge users for camera features such as time-lapse and multiple exposures through its PlayMemories camera apps. Sony stopped shipping cameras with PlayMemories support in 2016, and earlier this year, it formally announced that the app store would be closing down.

With the gridlines announcement, the concept of charging users for individual feature updates is back.

In the realm of video, we've seen manufacturers position pay-to-play video-centric add-ons as a way to avoid making still photographers pay for features they don't need. Panasonic charged GH4 users for V-LogL, Canon charged 5D IV users for C-Log and EOS R owners for stop-motion. But it's not a standard practice for still photo camera updates.

In 2015, Panasonic became one of the first manufacturers to introduce paid video feature updates, when GH4 users were offered V-LogL for $100.

Photo: DPReview

Similar to the video argument, Sony has suggested that custom gridlines aren't a feature most users will need. In essence, it says custom gridlines are aimed at a very specific use case – business and commercial clients – so it's not depriving the average user by charging for the feature.

Whether you accept the rationale or not, it does present a potential slippery slope and opens the door to asking users to pay to add features to their cameras. Further, in our commercial shift toward subscription models for everything from software to entertainment, does paying for upgrades also open the door to subscription models? And, if upgrades are tied to a purchaser, what happens if we want to sell or pass our camera on to a friend? Will the paid-for features be allowed to transfer to a new owner?

Perhaps this $150 feature update isn't a thing to roll our eyes at. Perhaps it's our wake-up call as camera lovers and consumers. Following BMW's announcement that it would charge $18 every month to unlock heated seats, consumers spoke up, and BMW backed off this idea, so use your voice.

We contacted Sony for comment but did not hear back in time for this report.

Sony Press Release Sony Electronics Announces Custom Gridline License Available for Alpha Camera BodiesVarious camera bodies starting with the Alpha 7 IV, etc.

SAN DIEGO – Nov. 28, 2023. Today, Sony Electronics announces a new custom gridline license planned for the Alpha 7 IV[1] in March 2024 onward, and more camera bodies[2] in the future.

The new license offers the ability to import up to 4 customized original gridlines. The gridlines can be displayed on EVF (electronic viewfinder) and LCD (Monitor on the rear of the camera) when shooting which makes for easier, more consistent images. For example, staff at schools, photo studios, theme parks, cruise ships, malls, etc. will now have the ability to update their cameras with ease and utilize this tool for quick and precise, more professional shots. Imported customized gridlines are replaceable and color gridlines are available. Once gridlines are registered, it can be displayed with HDMI output as well. After shooting, users can check the images with the grid lines overlayed on EVF and LCD.

"The ability to import customized gridlines into a mirrorless camera is an essential feature for all of our photographers to capture images consistently," says Frank Lombardo, National Photography Manager for Inter-State Studio and Publishing. “These simple gridlines keep head sizes the same for all our products and improve our production time. They also allow us to know where the edge of print will be during capture."

"With a focus to improve both the consistency and quality of school photography, this advancement is a great foundation to a platform geared for volume photographers across the globe. Sony's commitment to continually innovate along with their unparalleled support aligns perfectly with Strawbridge Studio's, Inc. mission to provide the best picture day experience for schools across the country," says Nic Davidson, Director of Photography of Strawbridge Studios, Inc.

"Sony's commitment and support for this industry is unprecedented, from their support in student photography across the US to their training of future photographers and videographers and now, developing a camera system that will radically change the volume photography space for years to come," says David Crandall, the Executive Director of School Photographers of America (SPOA).

"Now anyone can make a pattern, import it, then change and improve it to their liking. The possibilities are endless - simply rotate the four favorite patterns you need for the job at hand. Sony gives us real practical solutions, allowing the School, Sports and Volume Photography industry to produce better, more accurate compositions. The ability to import any four graphics, then scroll between them makes our jobs easier and results better than ever before," says John Rak, member of the School Photographers Association of California (SPAC).

Not only can this be utilized as gridlines, they can also be used as partially filled transparency masks. In addition to school and sports photography, Sony has positioned this to be used for businesses such as cruise lines, theme parks, nature photography, ID photography, dentistry, and CG photography. Sony hopes that this custom gridline feature will help improve the creativity and work efficiency of photographers in a variety of industries.

The license will be available at a suggested retail price of $149 USD through the Upgrade and License Management Suite at https://ulms.sony.net as of Spring 2024.

[1] A license must be downloaded from Sony’s camera upgrade website: pro.sony/ue_US/digital-imaging/custom-gridline and installed in the camera.

[2] Future compatible models will be announced through the web site below: https://pro.sony/en_ME/digital-imaging/

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The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus represent Apple’s entry-level iPhone models designed to appeal to a wider swathe of customers than the Pro models. On the photographic side, resolution is this year’s big story: a 48MP main camera sensor brings high-resolution image capture to non-Pro owners in two forms: the default option to capture a pixel-binned 24MP version or shoot full-res 48MP 'max' images. Both are steps up from the 12MP available on previous models.

You won’t escape that 12MP base entirely, though. The ultra-wide camera still uses a 12MP sensor, and 12MP is captured in Night mode, when the flash is used, or when any of the Portrait Lighting modes (such as the Studio Light option) is active. However, speaking of portraits, you do get the new ability for the phone to automatically save a depth map when it detects a person or pet, even if you’re not specifically in Portrait mode.

Choosing one of this year’s non-Pro iPhones means you forgo camera features found on the Pro models, such as a dedicated telephoto lens, macro mode, and the ability to capture Raw images. To see examples of what the iPhone 15 Pro can produce, be sure to check out the iPhone 15 Pro Sample Gallery.

The photos in this gallery were made with an iPhone 15 Plus, which has identical camera specifications to the iPhone 15. The images were captured in the device’s default HEIF format, and exported from Apple Photos as full-size JPEGs with JPEG quality set to maximum. Several photos may appear to be identical but are the same subject captured at 48MP and 24MP (or 12MP, depending on the circumstance). All photos are straight out of camera, except where noted.

This is the version of the Kodak Super 8 Camera we saw at CES in 2017.

As reported last week by The Verge, Eastman Kodak's Motion Picture division – not to be confused with Kodak Alaris, which sell photographic film – will finally release the Kodak Super 8 Camera, a traditional Super 8 movie camera that incorporates modern digital technologies.

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To give you an idea of just how long the road to productization has been for the Super 8 Camera, we first saw it at CES in January 2016, the same year that Rio de Janeiro hosted the Summer Olympics, Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar for The Revenant, and Pokémon Go briefly took over the world. To say it missed its anticipated Q4 2016 launch date is an understatement, so you can imagine our surprise to discover it's finally coming to market eight years later.

We got our first look at the Kodak Super 8 Camera at CES 2016.

The Super 8 Camera is a hybrid of old and new technology. At its heart is a Super 8 movie camera, a format released by Eastman Kodak in 1965. But it also incorporates digital elements that provide a more modern shooting experience and bring audio to your movies.

Most notably, the Super 8 Camera includes a 4" LCD that can display aspect ratio overlays and audio meters and works by using a split prism to redirect some of the light entering the lens to a digital sensor. We got to try a much older version of the camera at CES 2017, and the live view image was hazy, grainy and difficult to use for judging focus, not wholly inconsistent with the analog Super 8 experience. Hopefully, it's been improved since then. Movies can be captured at either 18, 24, 25, or 36 frames per second.

Kodak's sizzle reel for the Super 8 Camera offers a glimpse of the Super 8 film look. While it's possible to apply film effects to video in post-processing, it's still difficult to achieve the organic look of real film.

The Super 8 Camera captures audio using a built-in or external microphone. Audio isn't captured on the film, but to an SD card, allowing you to synchronize sound after your film is processed and scanned. Audio capture is limited to 24 or 25fps shooting.

The camera includes a 6mm F1.2mm C-mount lens, providing approximately 35mm equivalent coverage in full-frame terms. C-mount is compatible with lenses going back many decades, and there are a lot of C-mount lenses out there, many of which can likely be found in your local thrift store.

"The Super 8 Camera is a hybrid of old and new technology. At its heart is a Super 8 movie camera, a format released by Eastman Kodak in 1965."

Kodak is touting the camera's 'Extended Gate' capture. The Super 8 format captured a 4:3 aspect ratio (1.33:1), but the Super 8 Camera is designed to use a wider area of the film such that each frame is 11% larger than the Super 8 standard in a 1.5:1 aspect ratio (or 3:2 as photographers tend to think about it), which Kodak says is closer to the 16:9 format that has come to dominate playback in the decades since Super 8 was a mainstream format.

Kodak's 'Extended Gate' capture uses a wider area of the film, resulting in a frame in the 3:2 aspect ratio that's 11% larger than the Super 8 standard.

Interestingly, the original camera we saw in 2016 included a full-sized HDMI and type A and B USB sockets. When we next saw it in 2017, this had morphed into a micro-HDMI and micro-USB socket (for charging), which appears to remain unchanged seven years later.

Kodak provides several film stocks, including three Kodak Vision3 color negative films, Tri-X black and white and Ektachrome color reversal film. Each 15m (50 ft.) film cartridge will set you back $32 ($43 for Ektachrome) but includes processing, scanning, and transfer to the cloud.

Kodak Vision3 200T is one of three color negative films to choose from, along with Tri-X and Ektachrome stocks. One 15m (50 ft) cartridge will get you two and a half minutes of footage when shot at 24fps.

Before taking the plunge, take note: shooting your next project with this camera will cost a pretty penny. At 18fps – a frame rate that will definitely look vintage – you'll run through an entire film cartridge in just 3 minutes and 20 seconds. Step up to 24fps, and you'll be down to just two and a half minutes per cartridge.

What may be the biggest surprise about the Super 8 Camera is its price. When it was first shown in 2016, we were told to expect the camera to sell for between $400 and $750. Inflation over the past eight years has been stiff, but that doesn't explain an MSRP that has jumped to $5495, which includes the camera, a Pelican case, the 6mm F1.2 lens, a pistol grip with trigger, and various accessories.

The Super 8 Camera includes a micro-HDMI port and a micro-USB port for charging, the same as the prototype we saw in 2017.

The price point suggests that Kodak hopes it'll find favor among commercial users or creative agencies looking to provide something unique to their clients rather than the nostalgia crowd who want to have fun with film. Perhaps a few social media influencers will also pick these up, though no provision is made for shooting vertical video.

Either way, this is a significant cost for a format whose 6.3 x 4.2mm capture region is very similar to the Type 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.5mm) sensors used in compact cameras. Even with an F1.2 lens, Super 8mm is going to deliver the '60's home movie' look that you might need if you want to make the title sequence of a TV show about wealthy, dysfunctional families.

According to The Verge, Kodak expects the camera to go on sale in limited quantities in the US on December 4, but you'll need to sign up for a reservation on Kodak's website. If you were already on the reservation list (you'd be forgiven if you can't remember at this point) and want to maintain your priority position, you'll need to sign up again using the new waiting list by midnight Eastern time on November 28.

What does this beautiful Celebes crested macaque have to do with landscape composition? How would you think about the composition here regarding the principles introduced in this series?

Canon 5D4, Canon 16-35mm F2.8
27mm | F2.8 | 1/100 sec | ISO 800
Tangkoko NP, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia

So far, in my landscape photography series, I've talked about compositional elements, their weights and how to use their properties to balance the composition by imagining a balance of torques around the middle axis of an image. I also discussed balancing negative space, the perception of subject direction, and the often-overlooked importance I reserve for the separation of elements.

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I then discussed the perception of depth and how to use sky in a landscape image, and finally, how to connect the elements in a way that makes sense. I suggested one idea to guide the photographer when composing in the field and showed how widely known photographic techniques are, in fact, private cases of the framework I explored in the articles.

"My good friend Ian Plant always says, 'If you can shoot landscape, you can shoot anything.'"

My good friend Ian Plant always says, "If you can shoot landscape, you can shoot anything." I agree because composition takes the highest importance in landscape photography compared to other genres. If you don't have a good composition when shooting landscape, you have achieved nothing. This isn't necessarily true in street photography, where what's happening in the frame is most important, even more than composition.

As an addendum to the series, I'd like to show in this final article that the ideas I presented can be extended beyond landscape photography. This makes a lot of sense since, except for the article about sky, nothing I wrote talks about landscape elements exclusively. I could have called this series 'About Composition' as well. I only chose landscape because I'm most knowledgeable and experienced in this area, so to give the series the last stroke of validity and to persuade you of its merit, let's look at a couple of photographic fields and discuss what principles apply to them, especially. I have added a lot of examples - I urge you to examine the images and think to yourself how what you've learned in this series reflects in what you see.

A female yellow-cheeked gibbon perched high up in the trees at sunrise. What would you say about the composition here compared to the landscape compositions you're used to seeing in this series? Specifically, how would you treat the main compositional mass if it weren't an animal but a non-living subject such as a flower?

Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm
421mm | 1/1000sec | F6.3 | ISO 3200
Cat Tien NP, Vietnam

A strawberry poison dart frog in the jungles of Panama. How well did I do balancing the compositional masses and minding subject direction?

Work dogs being gathered to shelter during a powerful snow blizzard. A nice example for balancing compositional masses around the middle axis, but one may ask - isn't this a landscape shot?

Canon 5D4, Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6
200mm | F8 | 1/800 sec | ISO200
Uummannaq, Greenland

Composition in Wildlife Photography

Wildlife may be the closest genre to landscape, in essence, and in the considerations one takes to produce a shot. The animal you are shooting is situated in nature, where everything else is basically landscape, and thus, the ideas governing landscape composition are very much valid here.

When it comes to animal subjects, the prominence of the mass associated with that subject is almost always very large. An animal is almost always the center of importance in a wildlife shot, even if it isn't very large in the frame, and thus requires everything that a landscape subject of large prominence would require, and more: a large amount of negative space, for starters, and then a special consideration of subject direction (since we have a clear direction in which the animal is looking). Separation is also critical - the animal should not overlap other elements in a disturbing way.

A massive male Komodo dragon. Aside from the subject direction, which is pretty clear, I think the most important aspect of this composition is the separation of elements. The dragon's head (the main focus of the image) is situated in the opening between the trees in the background, which contributes to depth perception and helps us avoid tension.

Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm
226mm | 1/640 sec | F5.6 | ISO 1600
Komodo Island, Indonesia

A massive male Komodo dragon. Aside from the subject direction, which is pretty clear, I think the most important aspect of this composition is the separation of elements. The dragon's head (the main focus of the image) is situated in the opening between the trees in the background, which contributes to depth perception and helps us avoid tension.

Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm
226mm | 1/640 sec | F5.6 | ISO 1600
Komodo Island, Indonesia

This gorgeous Indri Indri lemur did its best to challenge me regarding subject direction, as its face was pointing in the opposite direction to its body!

Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm
516mm |1/500 sec | F6.3 | ISO 1600
Andasibe, Madagascar

Framing is an idea that's utilized in wildlife photography much more often than in landscape (and produces a stronger effect) since animals tend to position themselves in natural frames. The clever photographer also knows how to position himself to use existing natural elements to frame a subject by juxtaposing these elements with the animal.

A female Sumatran orangutan and her baby. The animal was hanging from a branch that supplied a perfect frame.

Canon 5D4, Tamron 24-70mm F2.8
45mm | 1/200 sec | F2.8 | ISO 1600
Gunung Leuser NP, Sumatra, Indonesia

A Decken's Sifaka perched on a Y-shaped branch.

Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm
275mm | 1/640 sec | F5.6 | ISO400
Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, Madagascar

It took a lot of work and sweat to perfectly frame this golden bamboo lemur in a heart-shaped frame of leaves.

Canon 5D4, Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6
300mm | 1/250 sec | F5.6 | ISO 2000
Ranomafana, Madagascar

In wildlife photography, if the animal (or animals) serving as the main subject is interesting enough, it can, admittedly, dampen the need for a proper composition. Still, the best wildlife images are those that show the animal in its natural surroundings and include interesting elements from its habitat. Better yet, if the animal is interacting with its surroundings.

A beautiful red-shanked Douc feeding in a fig tree - the source of its favorite food.

Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm
283 mm | 1/400 sec | F5.6 | ISO1600
Son Tra peninsula, Vietnam

An adult male Bornean orangutan showing off a power pose as it's taking a break from traversing the canopy. How did the pose contribute to the overall composition? Hint: lines.

Canon 5D4, Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6
150mm | 1/400 sec | F6.3 | ISO 800
Tanjung Puting NP, Kalimantan, Indonesia

A male yellow-checked gibbon leaping between tree branches high in the canopy.

Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm
600 mm | 1/1000 sec | F6.3 | ISO1600
Cat Tien NP, Vietnam

Street and Portrait Photography

I'm not much of a people photographer, but I have done a bit of it during my travels. While the photographic ideas and principles here are further away from landscape photography, the framework of thought still very much applies. For me personally, the compositional ideas I presented in this series are very much present when shooting people.

Separation of elements is applied here by way of lighting. How do the different elements counterbalance each other in this image?

Thank you for staying with me throughout this long series. I hope it's been helpful, and I hope that it made you think about composition differently. and take a moment before you click the shutter to ensure the subjects are in place and nicely separated!

Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveller based in Israel. You can follow Erez's work on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates and to his YouTube channel.

If you'd like to experience and shoot some of the world's most fascinating landscapes with Erez as your guide, take a look at his unique photography workshops in Svalbard, Greenland, Madagascar, the Lofoten Islands, Namibia and Vietnam.

Erez also offers video tutorials discussing his images and explaining how he achieved them.

More in The Landscape Composition Series:

• Part 1: Masses and Lines
• Part 2: Balancing the Weights
• Part 3: Negative Space
• Part 4: Subject Direction and Lead Room
• Part 5: Separation of Elements
• Part 6: Depth
• Part 7: The Thing about Sky
• Part 8: Connecting the Dots
• Part 9: One Idea to Rule them All
• Part 10: Servants to Composition

Selected Articles by Erez Marom:

• On Originality in Landscape Photography
• Lava Frenzy: Shooting Fagradalsfjall Volcano
• Parallelism in Landscape Photography
• Winds of Change: Shooting Changing landscapes
• On Causality in Landscape Photography
• Shooting Kīlauea Volcano, Part 1: How to Melt a Drone
• The Art of the Unforeground
• Whatever It Doesn't Take

Updated Nov 23, 2023

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Long gone are the days when all of us owned some kind of compact camera: the convenience and increasing quality of smartphones saw to that. But there are still some situations in which a compact can do things a smartphone can't. In fact, there are several types of compact camera that each offer capabilities that aren't easily replicated by even the best smartphones.

We'll try to spell out what these capabilities are, and what the best compact camera is to provide them. Because there are definitely still some circumstances in which a compact camera still makes sense.

Our recommendations:

• Long zoom camera
  • Best long-zoom camera: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV
  • Best ultra-zoom camera: Nikon Coolpix P1000
• Compact superzoom cameras
  • Best compact superzoom: Panasonic Lumic DC-ZS200
• Waterproof cameras
  • Best waterproof compact: OM System Tough TG-7
• Vlogging cameras
  • Best vlogging compact Sony ZV-1 Mark II
• Enthusiast camera
  • Best enthusiast compact: Canon PowerShot G7X III
  • Best do-it-all compact: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII

Long zoom cameras

Perhaps the greatest weakness of smartphones is their lack of zoom. Many of the best phones have a camera with a slightly longer focal length and then try to crop into their images and use AI algorithms to try to approximate the fine detail to give the impression of zooming, but this has its limits.

Dedicated cameras aren't constrained by the need to slip into your pocket, which can afford them the space to have an optical zoom lens to gain you more reach than your smartphone can deliver. There can be a trade-off: the small sensors required to put lots of zoom in a relatively small camera will be outshone by the computational cleverness that modern smartphones will bring to bear on their images. But superzoom cameras can gain you the kind of reach that no current smartphone can get near.

Best long-zoom camera: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV

20MP 1"-type Stacked CMOS sensor | 24-600mm equiv. F2.4-4 lens | 4K video

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Buy now:

$1698 at B&H $1698 at Adorama $1698 at Amazon What we like:

• Long, very sharp lens
• Very good image quality
• Impressive subject tracking
• Excellent video quality and features

What we don't:

• Very expensive
• Large and heavy
• Some camera features locked while buffer clears

The Sony RX10 IV is a superzoom cameras with a large Type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) Stacked CMOS sensor and a 24-600mm equivalent F2.8-4.0 zoom lens. The large sensor gives it image quality up there with the best smartphones while the lens delivers a 24x zoom that smartphones can't come close to matching.

The RX10 IV has been on the market for a while, so its autofocus isn't as good as Sony's newer cameras, but its fast Stacked CMOS sensor and excellent face detection system means it'll track action very well. This combines with its ability to shoot at 24 frame per second to stretch its capabilities even further beyond those of a smartphone.

The RX10 IV offers a reasonable degree of direct control and customization, including a dedicated aperture ring, exposure comp dial and controls that can be kept silent for video shooting. It has a hefty, weather-sealed body along with a tilting touchscreen display and high-res OLED viewfinder. "The RX10 IV offers a high level of competence across an impressively broad range of shooting situations" The F2.4-4.0 lens means you can get a decent amount of light to the sensor at any focal length, which helps get the most out of the camera's 1"-type sensor. The JPEGs' color isn't our favorite but the sophisticated sharpening and noise reduction mean they remain detailed even in fairly low light. The camera's oversampled 4K is some of the most detailed available and exhibits little in the way of rolling shutter. Mic and headphone sockets, along with a selection of tools to help judge exposure make the RX10 IV a very flexible all-in-one package. The RX10 IV is an expensive camera but it's also unique in its combination of zoom range, image quality, autofocus and excellent video with a lot of detail. It's not the best possible solution to any one question but it offers a high level of competence across an impressively broad range of shooting situations.

Read our Sony RX10 IV review

See the Sony DSC-RX10 IV studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"1816870055","isMobile":false}) }) Best ultra-zoom camera: Nikon Coolpix P1000

16MP 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS sensor | 24-2000mm equiv. F2.8-8 lens | 4K video capture

Photo: Barney Britton

Buy now:

$997 at B&H $997 at Adorama $997 at Amazon What we like:

• Focal range cannot be matched by any camera
• Respectable image quality, given camera's purpose
• Raw support
• Well-built, with logical control layout

What we don't:

• Large and unbalanced when zoom is extended
• Lens is slow at long end, reducing sharpness
• No touchscreen
• Poor battery life

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 is a small sensor camera with a vast zoom lens. The Type 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.55mm) sensor will be out-performed by a good smartphone's clever merging of multiple images but the Nikon's gargantuan 24-2000mm equiv lens is its selling point.

The small sensor means image quality isn't the camera's strength, but its frankly ludicrous zoom reach means it can photograph distant subjects in a way no other device (smartphone or dedicated camera) can.

The P1000 is a large camera that weighs a substantial 1.4kg (3.2lbs). We found it can be difficult to compose a photo at 2000mm equiv since the stabilization can't fully correct hand movement. A 'snapback' function quickly zooms out so you can locate your subject. The P1000's fully articulating LCD, is not touch-enabled. Connectivity to smartphones works well. "When it comes to zoom power, there's no camera that comes close to Nikon's Coolpix P1000" The P1000's image quality depends greatly on the focal length. Photos are generally on par with other small-sensored cameras, with pleasant colors and a bit too much noise reduction. It offers Raw, though, so you can choose your noise/detail balance and modestly brighten shadows. Heat haze, coupled with the lens's slow maximum aperture limit image quality at the longest focal lengths. The P1000 has very good video quality for a camera with point-and-shoot roots. It can capture 4K video at 30p (with no crop) as well as 1080/60p and time-lapse/super-lapse clips. There's a manual exposure mode, a zoom microphone and a socket for addition an external mic. Electronic Vibration Reduction is available at 1080p and below. When it comes to zoom power, nothing comes close to Nikon's Coolpix P1000. Whether it's taking a portrait from 2 blocks away or getting up close and personal with a bird in the distance, this lens can do it. That said, while other cameras can't match that lens, many will offer better image and video quality for the same money, especially those with larger sensors.

Read our Nikon Coolpix P1000 review

See the Nikon Coolpix P1000 studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"3036062247","isMobile":false}) }) Compact superzooms

Another class of camera that offers the kind of zoom range that a smartphone doesn't is the compact superzoom, also known as travel zoom cameras. These feature 10x or more zoom ranges (much more in some cases) in relatively small, convenient bodies. The downside is they typically use very small sensors that, without the sophisticated image combination that smartphones regularly do in the background, only offer their best image quality in good light. Canon and Panasonic (which invented this type of camera) still make compact superzooms, so if what you need is a bit more reach from something pocketable, this is what you're looking for.

We haven't had a chance to try Canon's SX740 HS, with its 40x zoom, but it's a continuation of a series that has always produced attractive color from cameras with simple, user-friendly interfaces. The small sensor and very slow aperture at the long end of the zoom mean it's going to be a camera for outdoors and good light only, really. Similar things can be said of Panasonic's 30x zoom ZS80, though this no longer appears to be available in Europe.

Best compact-superzoom: Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200

20MP 1"-type BSI-CMOS sensor | 24-360mm equiv. F3.3-6.4 lens | 4K video capture

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Buy now:

$648 at B&H $648 at Adorama $648 at Amazon What we like:

• Good balance of zoom and size
• Built-in EVF
• 4K video capture

What we don't:

• Soft lens
• 1.5x crop when recording 4K video
• Some may be bothered by 'color tearing' on EVF

The more expensive Panasonic ZS200 (TZ200 in Europe) is based around a larger Type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm), which is four times larger than the one on the cameras mentioned above. The zoom is a more modest 15x, but that's more than enough for most photography, and it shouldn't be as readily embarrassed by your phone, when it comes to image quality.

The ZS200's metal body is well constructed and easy to grip thanks to rubber-like material on the front and back. The touch interface is responsive and the camera offers twin control dials: one top plate and one around the lens. Some users might find the field sequential EVF bothersome. But overall, the camera is easy to operate and customize. "Ultimately, the ZS200/TZ200 is is the furthest-reaching Type 1 pocket camera on the market" The ZS200 captures 4K UHD at up to 30p, but a 1.5x crop means it's noisier than many of its competitors and prevents any wide-angle shooting. Dropping down to 1080p results in better quality with just a slight crop when using the 5-axis 'hybrid' IS system. Autofocus has to hunt in low light situations and some rolling shutter is visible if there's any vibration present. There's no option for external audio, which is a drawback. Ultimately, the ZS200/TZ200 is the furthest-reaching Type 1 pocket camera on the market, and its combination of (so-so) 4K capture, touch-based interface, EVF, and twin control dials make it both versatile and easy to use. The cost of having all of that zoom power is a lens that isn't always sharp across the frame. If you're willing to trade some image quality for zoom reach, then the ZS200 is worth considering.

Read our Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 review

See the Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"1484710012","isMobile":false}) }) Waterproof cameras

Waterproof cameras are another specialism 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. 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 necessarily careful children.

Best waterproof camera: OM System Tough TG-7

25-100mm equiv. F2.0-4.9 lens | 12MP Type 1/2.3 sensor | Waterproof to 15m (50ft)

Buy now:

$550 at B&H $550 at Adorama What we like:

• Bright, wideangle lens
• Built-in GPS, compass and manometer
• Raw image capture allowing creating edits
• Range of accessories

What we don't:

• 12MP is fairly low
• Lens isn't very bright at long end
• Limited battery life
• Relatively expensive

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

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.

"The TG-7 is relatively expensive but packs in a host of useful features that help it stand out"

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

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"2897065950","isMobile":false}) }) 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 camera: Sony ZV-1 Mark II

20MP Stacked CMOS sensor | 24fps burst shooting | 4K/30p, 1080/120p video

Photo: Shaminder Dulai

Buy now:

$898 at B&H $898 at Adorama $898 at Amazon What we like:

• Low rolling shutter
• 3-way mic array
• Touchscreen interface for vlogging

What we don't:

• Limited body buttons/dials
• No stabilization for stills
• 8-bit color not ideal for grading

The Sony ZV-1 Mark II is one of three ZV-1 models and is by far the best. Its wide-angle 18-50mm equivalent F2.8-4.0 lens is ideally suited to self-shot video. Its excellent autofocus includes options such as 'Product Showcase' that focuses on the presenter, unless an object is held up to the camera.

A vlogging beast for smartphone users wanting to upgrade to a dedicated device for more control over exposures, file workflow, sound and optical zoom without a large learning curve. The ZV-1 Mark II is primarily touchscreen-controlled to allow control while vlogging or shooting selfies. It's lightweight and easy to hold but has limited control points if you want to take more manual control. The ZV-1 Mark II is a big improvement on the original thanks to a more selfie-video-friendly zoom range. Video footage and autofocus are both very good. It is a camera that thrives in auto modes, making it best suited for users seeking a simple-to-use camera.

See the Sony ZV-1 Mark II studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"1506965461","isMobile":false}) }) Enthusiast compacts

The final niche in which it's difficult for a smarphone 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 three cameras with large sensors that deliver good image quality, zoom lenses and direct controls. Both Sony models have built-in electronic viewfinders, for shooting when it's bright outside, again giving a more pleasant experience than trying to use a smartphone.

Best enthusiast compact: Canon PowerShot G7X III

20MP 1"-type stacked CMOS sensor | 24-100mm equiv. F1.8-2.8 lens | 4K/30p video capture

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Buy now:

$749 kit at B&H Photo $749 at Adorama $749 at Amazon What we like:

• Nice grip and well-placed controls
• 4K/30p recording with live streaming to YouTube
• Fast burst shooting

What we don't:

• Lens is soft at wide-angle
• Limited battery life
• Contrast-detect only autofocus

The Canon PowerShot G7X III is an enthusiast compact built around a 20MP Type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) Stacked CMOS sensor with a bright 24-100mm equivalent F1.8-2.8 zoom.

The large sensor, and zoom that covers a really useful range help set it apart from a smartphone but it's really the clicking control dial around the lens and the dedicated exposure compensation dial that help you feel you're in the driving seat of the photo-taking process that makes us enjoy it so much.

"If you're after a pocketable high-quality compact, the Canon G7 X Mark III is well worth a look" Though it's jacket-pocketable, the G7 X Mark III has a decent-sized grip and feels secure in the hand. The 'clicky' control rings around the lens and on the rear of the camera give good control over aperture, shutter speed and ISO, and the exposure compensation dial on the top plate is a nice touch. The touchscreen interface on its tilting 3" LCD is polished and responsive. Overall, we're impressed by the upgrades on this model. The Mark III brings improved video and continuous shooting performance while maintaining excellent controls and a competitive price point. If you do a lot of wide-angle shooting, there are options with better lenses, but if you're after a pocketable high-quality compact, the Canon G7 X Mark III is well worth a look.

Read our Canon Powershot G7X III review

See the Canon Powershot G7X III studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"1816870055","isMobile":false}) }) Also worth considering

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VA is also worth a look, offering a short, bright 24-70mm equivalent zoom. This is a little shorter than the one on the Canon but we've found it to be more consistently sharp, on the units we've tested. It has a pop-up viewfinder, adding to the appeal but also to the price. The Sony's autofocus is faster and more dependable than the Canon's but we prefer the handling of the Canon, thanks to its exposure compensation dial and clicking front control wheel.

Best do-it-all compact: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII

20MP 1"-type Stacked CMOS sensor | 24-200mm equiv. F2.8-4.5 lens | Hybrid AF system

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Buy now:

$1298 at B&H $1298 at Adorama $1298 at Amazon What we like:

• Industry-leading autofocus
• Excellent image quality
• Oversampled 4K video

What we don't:

• User interface can be overwhelming
• Low light performance limited by slow lens
• Slippery grip
• Expensive

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII is built around a 20MP Stacked CMOS and a long, flexible 24-200mm equivalent lens. It's not as bright at the long end as the zooms on the Mark VA or the Canon G7X III but it provides a lot more reach, still in a compact package.

The RX100 VII is the most capable pocketable camera ever made The RX100 VII has a limited number of direct controls, but offers extensive customization for making the most of them. A touchscreen can be used for choosing a focus point or initiating AF tracking in video. The camera also includes the single-press pop-up viewfinder we liked so much on its predecessor. The RX100 VII is easily the most-capable compact camera on the market thanks to its great image and video quality, fast shooting, versatile lens and a highly-capable, easy-to-use AF system, though all of that comes with a high price tag.

Read our Sony RX100 VII review

See the Sony DSC-RX100 VII studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"5874815271","isMobile":false}) }) 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.

Photo: Sony

Sony has announced the completion of a month-long field test with the Associated Press to evaluate the performance of C2PA in-camera authenticity technology. In addition to the hardware-signed authentication written by the camera, the tests included working with 'Photo Mechanic' maker Camera Bits to develop a workflow in which this signature was preserved and any changes tracked.

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Sony had previously announced business users of the a7 IV would be able to add secure signatures to their images, and has said this capability will now be expanded to other models.

Image manipulation has been a growing concern dating back to the beginnings of digital photography and photo editing software, even more so recently in the wake of AI tools that make manipulating and faking images far easier. Newsrooms and photojournalists are keenly aware that fake and manipulated images can sow confusion, mislead the public, and most concerning, undermine trust in factual journalism.

Sony hasn't historically been the camera of choice for photojournalists, Canon and Nikon having dominated the sector for decades. But following its partnering with the AP in 2020, and its work as a steering committee member for C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity), a project that brings together the efforts CAI (Content Authenticity Initiative) and Project Origin to address image provenance and authenticity, it's making inroads.

Leica last month announced a camera that could digitally sign images and append C2PA-compliant metadata to its images, and Nikon has shown a prototype Z9 that does the same, suggesting the there may finally be some sort of industry consensus on the best approach to take.

Sony says it plans to add C2PA authentication via a firmware update for the a9 III, a1, and a7S III next Spring, signalling that the encryption hardware is already present in these models. That timing is likely intentional, as it'll arrive just ahead of the Summer Olympic games and the US Presidential race, both key opportunities for a camera manufacturer courting photojournalists.

Sony Electronics and The Associated Press Complete Testing of Advanced In-Camera Authenticity Technology to Address Growing Concerns Around Fake Imagery

New In-Camera Signature Solution Attaches Digital Certificate to Photos at the Point of Capture to Certify Legitimacy

SAN DIEGO – Nov. 21, 2023 – Today, Sony Electronics announces the completion of a second round of testing for Sony’s in-camera authenticity technology with Associated Press. This in-camera digital signature allows for the creation of a birth certificate for images, validating the origin of the content.

Sony’s authenticity technology provides a machine-based digital signature, removing the opportunity for undetected manipulation at the start. The digital signature is made inside the camera at the moment of capture in the hardware chipset. This security feature is aimed at professionals wanting to safeguard the authenticity of their content and provides an extra layer of security to aid news agencies in their fight against falsified imagery.

“While the rapid evolution of generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) brings new possibilities for creative expression, it has also led to growing concern about the impact of altered or manipulated imagery in journalism,” says Neal Manowitz, President and COO of Sony Electronics. “The dissemination of false information and images has real world social impact that brings harm not only to our photojournalist and news agency partners, but to society as a whole. We care deeply about this challenge and are committed to using our resources to help solve it. Through Sony’s work on the steering committee for C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity), we have helped set the current industry standard for the tracking of editing and manipulation of imagery. Additionally, our in-camera authenticity technology has shown valuable results, and we will continue to push its development towards a wider release.”

“Fake and manipulated images are a major concern for news organizations. Not only do they contribute to mis- and disinformation but ultimately, they erode the public’s trust in factual, accurate imagery,” said David Ake, AP Director of Photography. “We are proud to be working alongside Sony Electronics to create an authentication solution that can help combat this problem.”

Sony and AP’s most recent field test was completed during October of 2023. In this month-long test, both capture authentication and workflow process were evaluated. To accomplish this, Sony partnered with Camera Bits – the company behind the industry standard workflow tool, Photo Mechanic. Alongside Sony and AP, Camera Bits created technology in Photo Mechanic that preserves the camera’s digital signature all the way through the metadata editing process.

“We appreciate the significant challenge that manipulated imagery poses for our partners, and we are highly motivated to play a role in helping solve it,” says Dennis Walker, President and Founder of Camera Bits. “Photo Mechanic has been used by the photojournalism industry for 25 years and continues to evolve as the industry introduces new technology. We are committed to ensuring Photo Mechanic remains a trusted and authentic workflow solution.”

Sony’s new in-camera signature and C2PA authentication is planned for release in a firmware update in the newly announced Alpha 9 III, Alpha 1, and Alpha 7S III in the Spring of 2024 <1>.

<1> Timing for countries and regions may vary. Firmware support for C2PA formats may initially only be available to news agency partners.

In recent years there's been an explosion of affordable "creator" monitors from companies like BenQ, ASUS, MSI, and Dell. Monitors aimed at prosumers who want to make the most of their creative pursuits but aren't in the market for professional-grade monitors from brands like EIZO and NEC. That explosion has been paired with a growing interest in monitor calibration, because if you're going to pony up the extra cash on a "color accurate" monitor you want to (a) confirm the company wasn't lying to you, and (b) make sure it stays accurate for many years to come.

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Unfortunately, all of that consumer interest in color accuracy kind of hits a wall when it comes to educational content. Basic explainers on colorimetry and color calibration are few and far between (there are some excellent exceptions), and many of the ones that do exist are penned by companies that are trying to sell you something. If I type "Hardware vs Software calibration" into Google the first three results are from BenQ, EIZO, and ViewSonic... not exactly the unbiased educational content you're looking for.

As the long-time photo-video nerds of the Internet, we're trying to fill that gap with a few high-quality explainers and how-to articles on color measurement and calibration. Last month, we went over the basics of Colorimetry: how we measure and plot color, how the "Delta E" color distance metric is calculated, and how colorimeters work. Today, we'll move on to the next topic: explaining exactly how monitor calibration actually works.

How Monitor Calibration Works

Technical articles on display calibration can get very confusing, but that confusion often comes down to the technical jargon that gets thrown around assuming you know what it all means. Terms like "calibration curves," "tone response curve," "gray balance" and "gamut coverage" are often glossed over and the difference between a "profile" and "calibration" is never fully explained.

To try and avoid this confusion, we're going to stop and explain each of our key terms as we go along.

By the end, you should understand what your calibration software is trying to do every step of the way, and how the final product of a display calibration – typically an ICC profile – changes the colors that are being shown on the screen so that they're more accurate.

Step 1: Calibrating Brightness and White Point

When you start a calibration, the first step is to manually adjust your brightness and (if possible) your white point using the on-screen controls available on the monitor. Every monitor gives you the option to adjust the brightness manually, but some will let you change the Red, Green, and Blue "gain" as well, so that you can manually adjust your white balance.

The white point is simply the point in color space where your display's pure white will sit, and that exact point is determined by how much energy the red, green, and blue primaries contribute when they're each turned up to 100%. For digital work, we're usually aiming for a white point of D65, which sits at (0.3127, 0.3298) in xy Chromaticity space and correlates to a color temperature of 6500K (hence D65).

Here's the color gamut of an AERO 16 OLED laptop display that I recently tested. The red, green, and blue points are the primaries, and the white dot is my white point.

The color gamut of the 2023 Gigabyte AERO 16 OLED's built in display.

When calibration starts, the software will display a patch of pure white and it will ask you to adjust your monitor settings manually until you've reached your target values. This is usually accompanied by a helpful little dialog box that shows you how close (or far) you are and which way to adjust each setting in order to properly dial things in.

White point and luminance calibration in DisplayCal

This screenshot from the free open-source calibration software DisplayCal shows a before and after image of this dialog box. In this case I was aiming for a luminance of 150 candelas per square meter (aka Nits) and a white point of D65, and once I reach those values I can click "stop measurement" and then "continue on to calibration."

Step 2: Measuring Tone Response and Gray Balance

Once you've dialed in the brightness and white point to the greatest extent that your monitor will allow, the software will take the reins. It will measure a full gray ramp from pure black (0, 0, 0) to full white (255, 255, 255), keeping track of your monitor's tone response curve and gray balance as it goes.

These two terms describe two different aspects of your monitor's ability to create smooth and color accurate transitions from your darkest to your lightest gray values.

1. Tone Response

Tone Response describes the relationship between the input value that is being sent from your GPU and the output that's actually being shown on the screen. As you probably already know, your display doesn't show perfectly spaced linear brightness steps between pure black and pure white; instead, the output follows a gamma or "transfer function" that is usually a power of approximately 2.2.

This calculation is actually applied to values ranging from (0, 0, 0) for pure black to (1, 1, 1) for pure white, and then the values are multiplied by 255 to give us the 256 color values from 0-255 that we're used to seeing for 8-bit RGB.

This way, a value of 0 and a value of 1 both remain unchanged (because 02.2 = 0 and 12.2 = 1), but all the values between 0 and 1 should follow a smooth exponential function. In the graph below, I measured nine points from pure black to pure white on my MacBook Pro 14 and plotted them against the idealized gamma of 2.2:

In "Photography - P3" mode, my uncalibrated MacBook Pro 14's tone response gets close, but can't quite match a gamma of 2.2. 2. Gray Balance

Tone response describes how smoothly the gray values ramp in terms of their luminance relative to pure white, but this isn't the whole story. We don't just want the brightness of gray to ramp smoothly from black to white, we also want "gray" to stay "gray." If there are color shifts along the way, your "neutral" colors won't be truly neutral.

This is where gray balance comes in. As it's measuring the luminance of the gray values, the software is also plotting their location in color space, AKA their chromaticity.

Remember from our intro to colorimetry, chromaticity ignores luminance and only tells us about color, so every gray value would ideally plot to the same point in this (x, y) space. This would mean they are all the exact same color, changing only in brightness. Of course, in practice, this is almost never the case. In the graphs below I've plotted the gray balance of my MacBook Pro. Since the points are so close together, the right panel is zoomed in so you can actually see the distribution:

Gray balance of the MacBook Pro 14's display in even steps from dark gray to pure white. Zoomed in on the right hand side for visibility.

And here is the gray balance of an MSI gaming monitor I had nearby, which has a very similar color gamut but is far less accurate. This monitor prioritizes speed over color accuracy, and that's obvious when you look at the gray balance. The darker grays have a significant green cast that gradually goes away as the grays get lighter and lighter:

Gray balance of an MSI gaming monitor in even steps from dark gray to pure white. Zoomed in on the right hand side for visibility.

If the gray value is moving around a bunch, this means that the red, green, and blue components of the signal aren't properly balanced as you increase from black to white, and this will need to be adjusted during calibration in order to produce a smooth tone response curve and a stable white point.

Step 3: Adjusting Your Monitor's Output

After making these measurements, the software has everything it needs to adjust the output of your monitor so it more closely resembles some ideal target values that you can set in software. And it does this using something called calibration curves.

Calibration curves contain instructions for fixing the little imperfections in how your monitor displays color and brightness information. A typical display calibration will produce three different calibration curves, or 1D look up tables (LUTs): one for the red channel, one for the green channel, and one for the blue channel. Each one tells your GPU "hey, when you want to send out this value, send this one instead."

For example, the first few entries might look like this:

Input Value Red Output Green Output Blue Output 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 2 2 3 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 ... ... ... ...

And graphically, the calibration curves might looks like this:

Made up calibration curves that show the adjustments made to "correct" the response of the red, green, and blue values from 0 (darkest) to 255 (brightest).

If the display were perfect, these lines would be perfectly straight and overlapping from 0 to 255. But because the display has some imperfections the calibration software has created three independent corrections for the red, green, and blue channels that will try to do two things at once:

1. It will try to get your tone response curve to match some gamma target like 2.2, 2.4, or the special gamma curve specified by the sRGB standard.
2. It will try to fix your gray balance so that every gray value plots to the same point in color space as your white point.

Additionally, if you aren't able to adjust your white point using manual controls in Step 1, the calibration curves will also attempt to adjust this by clipping the brightest red, green, and blue until the balance is right.

The better your monitor is out of the box – with a smooth tone response and stable gray balance – and the more closely you can dial in your white point using manual monitor controls, the less these calibration curves will need to do. But if you're starting with a very low quality monitor or you can't be bothered to take the time to manually calibrate your white point, the curves might have to work very hard, and aggressive calibration curves can produce banding artifacts and other issues.

Step 4: Creating an ICC/ICM Profile

Once the software is done measuring and adjusting your display, it will save the result as a monitor profile, typically an ".icc" or ".icm" file (they are identical). This profile contains two very important pieces of information.

1. Display characteristics

First, the profile includes information about your monitor's key characteristics, like the XYZ values of your red, green, and blue primaries, the brightness and color coordinates of your white point, and the tone response curves for your red, green, and blue channels.

The color coordinates of your RGB primaries is what allows you to calculate the "gamut coverage" by comparing your monitor's color gamut against standards like sRGB or AdobeRG. For example, here's the gamut of that OLED laptop display I mentioned earlier plotted against the sRGB, AdobeRGB, and DCI-P3 gamuts:

The AERO's display covers 100% of sRGB, 99.8% of DCI-P3, and 97% of AdobeRGB. In other words, the monitor won't be able to accurately reproduce the 3% of colors that fall inside the AdobeRGB triangle but outside the AERO triangle.

When you read that a display covers "98% of AdobeRGB" what they mean is that the triangle formed by the Red, Green, and Blue primaries of the display overlaps with 98% of the triangle formed by the standardized RGB primaries of the AdobeRGB color space (the green triangle above).

But it's not just about advertising your monitor's specs. The display information contained in the profile allows color-managed apps like Photoshop to accurately display other kinds of content.

For example, the AERO display's pure red and pure green are way more saturated than the sRGB standard, so if you tried to show an sRGB-encoded image on this monitor without any kind of color management, the reds and greens would be way too saturated. Color-managed apps can use the information in your monitor profile to display an sRGB image the way it was meant to be shown. Since it knows where your monitor's pure red (255, 0, 0) actually sits in color space, it can do a little bit of math and decide that pure red for an sRGB image, which is far less saturated, will be matched by your monitor at (245, 8, 12).

2. Calibration Curves

The second important bit of information contained in a profile is the calibration curves. Note that a profile does NOT have to include any calibration information. You can profile your monitor without calibrating it, and that will still make it more accurate when using color-managed applications because of what we mentioned above. In fact, a bare-bones profile usually still includes "calibration curves," they're just straight lines from 0 to 255.

However, if you do calibrate your display, the profile created by your calibration software is where the calibration curves will be stored.

Now, when the profile is loaded into the operating system properly, the calibration curves will adjust the colors coming from your GPU to make all your output more accurate, whether or not you're using a color-managed application. The information about your RGB primaries and white point will still be used by color-managed apps to convert between different color spaces, but it's the calibration curves that will be used to fix your monitor's gray balance, adjust your white point, and tweak your tone response so it's closer to the ideal output.

Step 5: Verification

The final step in the calibration process is a check or "verification." Not all software will do this, but most will apply your newly created profile and display a bunch of color patches – usually a standard set of 20-40 colors, plus a gray ramp – measure the output, and compare it against the color coordinates it was expecting to see.

This will produce a "report" where you can see the Delta E color distance between the color that your display showed and the one that it should have shown:

Profile verification report from DisplayCal. Since we're checking the accuracy of a profile that was just created, all the values should be nearly perfect (and they are).

Since we're checking a profile that was just created, and we're using the same colorimeter to verify the profile that we used to create the profile, the results should always be pretty good. This is just a double check to make sure that something hasn't gone horribly wrong, or your display isn't so fundamentally bad that it's unsalvageable.

Note that we didn't calibrate for these exact colors: we simply created a profile that tells the computer how our monitor behaves, and we corrected for gray balance and tone response. By checking a bunch of random colors evenly spaced throughout the monitor's gamut, we can see how accurate the monitor's color reproduction actually is given the newly corrected red, green, and blue channels.

Optional Extras

These are the five steps that every basic software calibration goes through to characterize your display's output and fix imperfections that it might find, but there are at least two more advanced options that I should mention. These are 3D LUT calibration, which is a more advanced and powerful way to calibrate your display's output, and Hardware Calibration, which is an option you'll find on many high-quality photo- and video-editing monitors.

3D LUT Calibration

3D or "Cube" LUT calibration is a more advanced and precise calibration that can address things that your standard 3-by-1D LUT calibration curves simply can't touch. As you can tell from the examples above, standard calibration curves adjust each color channel individually for the values 0 - 255. This only really allows you to smooth out the tone response, adjust the white point, and/or fix the gray balance, because the only "color" where the red, green, and blue channel are all the same value is gray.

However, if you want to totally re-map your monitor so that it mimics another color space (like sRGB, for example) or if you want to fix issues with specific colors in the middle of your monitor's gamut, three separate 1D LUTs just can't do that.

A 3D LUT can do both of these things because it contains corrections for all combinations of red, green, and blue, not just the response of the individual primaries. Visually, a 3D LUT looks something like this, where each point represents one specific combination of red, green, and blue that can be precisely adjusted.

A graphical representation of a 17x17x17 3D LUT with a total of 4,913 entries. A 3D LUT of this size could precisely adjust each of these color combinations, relying on interpolation to accurately adjust the millions of values in between.

The limitation of 3D LUTs is that you can't possibly calibrate for every single value. In a standard 8-bit display you have 256 values per channel (0-255) and a total of three channels, which comes out to 2563 = 16,777,216 possible colors. To get around this issue most 3D LUTs are created by sampling a smaller subset of values ranging from 5 to 64 values per channel, and interpolating the rest using special algorithms that vary from company to company.

A typical 3D LUT calibration will combine a Cube LUT with three 1D LUTs to get the best possible results. The 1D LUTs will take care of the gray values to produce a near-perfect tone response curve, while the 3D LUT takes care of color corrections for every other combination of red, green and blue.

The nuances and details of 3D LUT calibration are beyond the scope of this explainer, and you won't find this option on consumer grade software, but high-end calibration solutions like Portrait Displays and Light Illusion that are used by professional studios rely on 3D LUTs for hyper-accurate color calibration and/or color space simulation.

Hardware Calibration

Finally, there's hardware calibration. Everything we've talked about so far is software-based, meaning that the calibration curves (or 3D LUT, for that matter) lives on your computer and tells your GPU what values it should be sending to your display. If your monitor isn't accurate, the new values will make it more accurate.

The problem with this approach is that your calibration curves can't create new values, it can only adjust the 256 values per channel that are being sent from your GPU. Because of this limitation, every single adjustment eats away at your color depth by removing one value and replacing it with another. In the worst cases where your monitor is way off and you can't adjust your white point manually, the calibration curves may have to do a lot of work to fix the output. This can produce uneven results where some values are skipped altogether and others are repeated multiple times, producing banding and/or crappy gray balance.

A gray ramp that should look like this:

Might end up looking like this instead:

This is an exaggeration, but it highlights the problem of having a limited number of values to work with. You can make small adjustments without anyone noticing, but large imperfections can't be fixed without creating problems elsewhere.

With hardware calibration, the calibration curves or 3D LUT are saved to a chip in the monitor itself at a much higher bit-depth (often 14- or 16-bit) and then applied at the level of the monitor rather than adjusting your GPU output. So the GPU can continue sending all 256 values unaltered, and the monitor applies its own high-accuracy correction by using the 14- or 16-bit LUTs stored on that chip to adjust to the signal that's sent to each pixel.

Hardware calibration also means that the calibration is "sticky" because it's stored in the monitor itself, so no matter what computer you connect, the display will always show the same accurate colors. With software calibration, the ICC profile containing your calibration curves for that monitor have to be generated and stored on each computer that you use with that particular display.

In practice, a software calibration will produce similar results to a hardware calibration if you're using a high quality monitor that's designed for photo or video editing. Issues with software calibration are more pronounced if your calibration curves have to do a lot of work to fix a low-end monitor's janky output. But the convenience and improved accuracy of a monitor that's compatible with hardware calibration makes this a prized feature among creatives.

Conclusion

Unsurprisingly, we're big believers in the power of understanding how something works, and understanding monitor calibration is crucial if you want to get the most out of the software and hardware that's available to you.

This series of articles on color measurement and monitor calibration started as a review of a single colorimeter, but we quickly realized that the review would be meaningless to readers who didn't understand how color measurement or calibration actually works, and when we went looking online for solid explainers that we could point to, we came up empty.

Now that we've laid the foundation, we can move forward with the remaining articles in this series.

Next, we'll publish a step-by-step guide to calibrating your photo- and video-editing display at home, using the info above to show you how to get the best possible results using the consumer-grade hardware and software that's available to most people. Then we'll move on to high-quality technical reviews of that hardware and software, so you can decide where to spend your hard-earned money.

In the meantime, if you have additional questions about colorimetry or calibration, drop them in the comments below! As ever, our goal is to provide a high-quality technical resource that's accessible enough for hobbyists but not so basic that the experts are sitting in the audience gritting their teeth. Let us know how we did, how we could do better, and anything else you might want us to cover on this topic in the future.

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 that you can capture whatever you encounter on your travels. We've also tried to select relatively small cameras so they don't interfere with your trip.

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Our selections include relatively compact cameras with fixed lenses, perfect for just documenting what you saw on your trip; they also include Micro Four Thirds and APS-C models that allow smaller camera/lens combinations, if you're looking to travel light. Full-frame cameras open up the potential for even better image quality but the lenses can get pretty big, so it's worth checking how big the total package is, before committing to a large-sensor model.

Our recommendations

• Best pocketable travel camera: Ricoh GR III
• The classic choice: Fujifilm X100V
• Truly compact mirrorless: OM System OM-5
  
• All-round compact capability: Sony a6700
• The great travel kit: Fujifilm X-S20 with 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 OIS
• The stylish travel companion: Nikon Zf
• Portable full-frame: Sony a7CR

Best pocketable travel camera: Ricoh GR III

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

The Ricoh is a pocketable compact with a large APS-C sensor.

Photo: Barney Britton

Buy now:

$997 at B&H Photo $997 at Adorama $1016 at Amazon What we like:

• Excellent image quality
• Good controls and ergonomics
• Truly pocketable

What we don't:

• Short battery life
• No built-in flash
• Sluggish AF in low light

The Ricoh GR III is the latest in a series of classic compact cameras with a large APS-C sensor and an 28mm equivalent lens. It's not the most flexible camera but it's one of the most pocketable and has built up a dedicated following of photographers who find it a joy to shoot with.

The GR III handles well, despite its size, thanks to well-placed controls, flexible customization options and a responsive touchscreen. The grip is just the right size for easy one-handed operation. The GR III focuses swiftly and accurately in good light, but it slows significantly as light levels drop. There's also a Snap Focus option, where the user can preset a focus distance the camera 'snaps' to with a full press of the shutter button. The GR III's battery life is disappointing, at a rated 200 shots per charge. "Offers direct control and excellent image quality in a pocketable camera"

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

The Ricoh GR III offers direct control and excellent image quality in a pocketable camera. Its short battery life and fixed focal length lens mean this camera certainly isn't for everyone, but it's a compelling offering for travel, street and casual photographers alike.

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

Read our Ricoh GR III review

See the Ricoh GR III studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"7380089310","isMobile":false}) }) The classic choice: Fujifilm X100V

26MP APS-C X-Trans sensor | 35mm equiv. F2 lens | Hybrid viewfinder

The Fujifilm X100V makes an excellent travel companion, if you can find one.

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Buy now:

$1399 at B&H Photo $1399 at Adorama $1399 at Amazon What we like:

• Fujifilm's latest sensor is excellent
• Tilting, touch-enabled screen
• Remarkably strong video features
• Excellent build quality

What we don't:

• Lens's AF speed on the slow side
• No stabilization of any kind
• Arguably too many dials

The Fujifilm X100V is a classically styled fixed lens camera with a 26MP APS-C camera sited behind a 35mm equivalent F2 lens.

The X100V isn't the 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.

It's worth noting that, despite being one of our picks, supplies have been limited for a while: we wouldn't recommend paying significantly over the $1399 list price.

Controls and handling are excellent. The addition of a tilting touchscreen is welcome, and it doesn't add much in the way of bulk. The combination of dedicated and customizable control dials gives users a number of options for how they want to control the camera, but some may find it overwhelming. Adding a filter adapter lets you completely weather-proof the body. "The X100V continues the series' tradition of providing excellent image quality in a compact package." Overall performance is good for this type of camera, though the redesigned lens isn't much faster to focus than the older models. It can shoot 20 fps with autofocus, there's no appreciable operation lag and battery life is above average. Autofocus subject tracking is reasonable, low light autofocus is dependable, and face/eye AF is improved as well (though unavailable in optical viewfinder mode). The X100V brings a level of polish you would expect from a fifth 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, and is the best prime-lens compact camera currently on the market.

Read our Fujifilm X100V review

See the Fujifilm X100V studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"4841377113","isMobile":false}) }) Truly compact mirrorless: OM System OM-5

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

Photo: Brendan Nystedt

Buy now:

$999 at B&H Photo $999 at Adorama $999 at Amazon What we like:

• Attractive JPEG output
• Selection of clever photo features
• Excellent image stabilization
• IP53 rating supports claims of weather sealing

What we don't:

• AF tracking is disappointing
• Image quality is behind larger sensor cameras

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

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

The OM-5 has a compact body but a decent number of control points and offers a high degree of customization. Its menu system is quite cluttered by the camera's extensive array of features. Viewfinder and rear screen are typical for the price. It has good phase-detect autofocus with face detection, but tracking for other subjects is distinctly unreliable. Using a single point or zone of focus and trying to keep up with the subject yields best results, but is somewhat awkward due to the lack of an AF joystick. "Its combination of IP-rated weather sealing, image stabilization and compact size helps the OM-5 offer something different" The OM-5's 4K video isn't the most detailed, but this is made up for by some of the best image stabilization on the market, making the OM-5 a competent hand-held video option. Video AF tracks faces and people decently, but can struggle with other kinds of subjects. The OM-5 offers strong all-round capability with excellent image stabilization in a compact IP53-rated weather-sealed body and access to one of the largest mirrorless camera lens systems.

Read our OM System OM-5 review

See the OM System OM-5 studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"0126081229","isMobile":false}) }) All-round compact capability: Sony a6700

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

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$1398 at B&H Photo $1398 at Adorama $1398 at Amazon What we like:

• Front and rear command dials
• Excellent AF in stills and video
• 4K/120p capture (with crop)

What we don't:

• No AF joystick
• JPEG sharpening can be aggressive

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.

The a6700 has a thumb-and-forefinger dial interface missing from Sony's less expensive models. It’s just slightly larger than previous models in the line, but in exchange, you also get a fully articulating display. However, it lacks the AF joystick found on many cameras in its class.

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.

"Excellent photo and video quality with best-in-class AF in stills and video make it an excellent choice for enthusiasts." The camera produces very detailed 4K video up to 60p with 10-bit color, with good rolling shutter performance. There’s also a 4K/120p mode, albeit with a 1.58x crop. Autofocus performance is top-notch, with a well-designed touch interface. It's a strong option both for videographers and vloggers. Excellent photo and video quality, best-in-class AF in stills and video, and a deep set of features to support both make it an excellent choice for enthusiasts. Sony's E-mount also includes a good range of available lenses.

Read our full Sony a6700 review

See the Sony a6700 studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"7692340468","isMobile":false}) }) The great travel kit: Fujifilm X-S20 with 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 OIS

26MP X-Trans APS-C sensor | Up to 6.2K/30P 10-bit video | In-body image stablization

Photo: Shaminder Dulai

Buy now:

$1699 w/ 18-55mm at B&H Photo $1699 w/ 18-55mm at Adorama $1699 w/ 18-55mm at Amazon What we like:

• Excellent still and video quality
• Long battery life
• Comfortable, simple ergonomics

What we don't:

• AF tracking still lags behind peers
• Small electronic viewfinder
• Micro HDMI instead of full-size

Fujifilm's X-S20 is also worth considering. Like the a6700, it's built around a 26MP BSI CMOS sensor and is strong at both stills and video. Its autofocus isn't as simple and powerful as the Sony's, but its JPEG color modes produce really attractive results, and there's a wide choice of lenses including compact prime and the well-priced, supremely useful 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 OIS, which is a great travel option.

The camera has an approachable layout with two customizable dials set into a large hand grip. The camera is well-built and feels robust thanks to its partial metal construction. The EVF is a little small, though. "The X-S20 delivers a long list of options to still shooters and vloggers alike, all while offering solid battery life." Overall image quality is very good. JPEGs have pleasing color, and Film Simulation modes make it easy to change the style of your photos. Some cameras capture more detail at low sensitivities, but the X-S20 is more competitive at high ISOs. The camera's sensor gives you plenty of latitude when processing Raw images. The X-S20's video specs are impressive, with 10-bit 4K capture at up to 60p. Videographers will appreciate its F-Log capture, while the Eterna color profile is attractive if you want a simpler workflow. An optional fan extends record times but autofocus isn't especially dependable. The X-S20 takes Fujifilm's higher-end still and video features and puts them into a simple, cleanly designed body with built-in image stabilization. Image quality is great, autofocus is good in most situations, and the breadth of video features is impressive.

Read our Fujifilm X-S20 initial review

See the Fujifilm X-S20 studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"7569171898","isMobile":false}) }) The stylish travel companion: Nikon Zf

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

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$1997 at B&H Photo $1997 kit at Adorama $1997 at Amazon What we like:

• Distinctive design with direct controls
• Effective subject recognition
• Strong stills and video features

What we don't:

• Weight and minimal grip can become uncomfortable
• Slow MicroSD second slot
• Few custom buttons

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

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

The Zf gives the choice of using the dedicated control dials or customizable command dials. In most respects it copies its well-polished control system from other recent Nikons. Not everyone will enjoy the angular early 80's handling but it handles just as well as the cameras it resembles. The Zf's autofocus is impressive, with both subject recognition and AF tracking both working well. It's perhaps not quite as confidence-inspiring as the latest Sony cameras, but it's not far off. It'd be nice to have an AF joystick but the rear control pad does a decent job. "The Zf's looks may date from 1981, but its performance is completely contemporary" The Zf has a very solid video feature set. Oversampled 4K/30 and cropped 4K/60 is standard for this sensor, but the Zf also adds a waveform display that's especially useful for exposing its 10-bit Log footage. The Zf uses a very familiar 24MP BSI sensor that has underpinned numerous cameras in recent years, and the results are predictably good. There's plenty of dynamic range and enough detail capture for all but the most demanding applications. The Nikon Zf's performance lives up to its looks. It's not as comfortable to hold for long periods as more modern designs, but it's also distinctive and engaging in a way they're arguably not. We're still completing our testing, but it hasn't disappointed yet.

Read our initial review of the Nikon Zf

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"6922569214","isMobile":false}) }) Portable full-frame: Sony a7CR

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

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$2998 at B&H Photo $2998 at Adorama $2998 at Amazon What we like:

• Big camera features in a small body
• Outstanding AF performance
• Auto Framing video mode

What we don't:

• Small, low-res viewfinder
• No joystick control
• No fully mechanical shutter

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.

The a7CR is impressively small for a full-frame camera. The addition of a front control dial improves handling significantly. Notably, there’s no joystick for positioning the AF point, and the viewfinder is small and very low resolution for a camera costing this much. Autofocus performance on the a7CR is very good and is helped by a dedicated processor for crunching complex machine learning-trained algorithms. Subject recognition is quick, and the AF system tracks subjects tenaciously around the frame in either stills or video. 8 fps burst shooting with continuous AF results in a dependably high hit rate. "If you're looking for maximum resolution in a travel-sized body, the a7RC is tough to beat." The a7CR captures 4K video at up to 60 fps. The most detailed, oversampled footage results from a 1.2x crop of the sensor, which makes it challenging to maintain wider focal lengths. Auto Framing mode uses AI algorithms to mimic the way a camera operator might punch in on subjects, keeping them framed and in focus. The a7CR's 61MP sensor can capture a lot of detail, putting it ahead of most full-frame rivals; though it is a little noisier in low light. JPEG colors are pleasing, and excellent sharpening makes the most out of the 61MP sensor. Raw files provide plenty of latitude to pull up shadows at base ISO. The a7CR delivers impressive results for its size. It essentially provides the same level of image quality, and most of the same features, as Sony's a7R V, but in a smaller package. In exchange for the small size, you make a few compromises, like no AF joystick, but if you're looking for maximum resolution in a travel-sized body, the a7CR is tough to beat.

Read our Sony a7CR initial review

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"0740273820","isMobile":false}) }) 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.

Editor's Note: This year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday events have officially ended. However, we expect many of the deals below to remain active through the 2024 holiday season. If there's something you plan to buy, it's worth clicking our link to see if the deal is still available.

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It's that time of year again when people rush out to stores to climb over each other to buy $99 TVs and heavily discounted toys. While Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving for those outside the U.S.) has usually been a brick-and-mortar event, you can generally get the same prices from the comfort of your bed.

Below are the deals that caught our eye. Remember that prices are subject to change, and these early discounts may be cheaper on Black Friday itself. This page is continuously changing, so check back often!

Apple | Canon | GoPro | Fujifilm | Nikon | OM System | Panasonic
Rokinon / Samyang | Sigma | Sony | Tamron | Bags & Accessories | Software

DPReview award winners on sale

There are a lot of items on sale over the next several days, so we'll save you the scrolling and share the discounts on our favorite products right here.

Gold award winners

Canon EOS R6 Mark II body only
$2299 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$2299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Fujifilm X-H2S body with VG-XH battery grip
$2299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Nikon Z8 body only
$3696 at Adorama - Save $300
$3696 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$3696 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Sony a7 III body only
$1498 at Amazon.com - Sony $500
$1498 at B&H Photo - Save $500
$1499 at Moment - Save $500

Sony a7 IV body only
$2298 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$2298 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Sony a7R III(A) body only
$1998 at B&H Photo - Save $200
$1999 at Moment - Save $200

Sony a6400 with 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS lens
$848 at Amazon.com - Save $150
$848 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Silver award winners

Canon EOS R8 body only
$1299 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Canon EOS R10 Content Creator Kit with RF-S 18-45mm lens, stereo mic, Bluetooth remote, mini tripod
$1099 at Amazon.com - Save $200

Canon EOS R50 with RF-S 18-45mm F4-5-6.3 IS STM lens
$699 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$699 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Canon EOS R50 Content Creator Kit with RF-S 18-45mm lens, stereo mic, Bluetooth remote, mini tripod
$799 at Amazon.com - Save $200

Fujifilm X-H2 body with VG-XH battery grip
$1849 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Nikon Z30 Creator's Kit (includes Røde mic, mini tripod, and Bluetooth remote)
$697 at Amazon.com - Save $300

OM System OM-1 body only
$1899 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$1899 at B&H Photo - Save $300

OM System OM-5 with 12-45mm F4 Pro lens
$1399 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$1399 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 with 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 lens
$899 at Amazon.com - Save $200

Panasonic DC-GH6 body only
$1697 at Amazon.com - Save $500
$1697 at B&H Photo - Save $500

Sony a7R V body only
$3498 at Amazon.com - Save $400
$3498 at B&H Photo - Save $400
$3499 at Moment - Save $400

Sony a6100 with 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS lens
$698 at Amazon.com - Save $150
$698 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Sony a6600 body only
$998 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$998 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Apple

AirPods Max
$449 at Amazon.com - Save $100

MacBook Pro 14" (M1 Max, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD)
$2499 at B&H Photo - Save $1600

MacBook Pro 14" (M2 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
$1599 at Best Buy - Save $400

MacBook Pro 16" (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)
$1829 at B&H Photo - Save $870

Mac mini (M2 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512TB SSD)
$1149 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Canon Cameras

Canon EOS R3 body only
$4999 at Amazon.com - Save $1000
$4999 at B&H Photo - Save $1000

Canon EOS R5 body only
$2999 at Amazon.com - Save $900
$2999 at B&H Photo - Save $900

Canon EOS R6 Mark II body only
$2299 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$2299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Canon EOS R8 body only
$1299 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Canon EOS R10 Content Creator Kit with RF-S 18-45mm lens, stereo mic, Bluetooth remote, mini tripod
$1099 at Amazon.com - Save $200

Canon EOS R50 with RF-S 18-45mm F4-5-6.3 IS STM lens
$599 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$699 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Canon EOS R50 Content Creator Kit with RF-S 18-45mm lens, stereo mic, Bluetooth remote, mini tripod
$799 at Amazon.com - Save $200

Canon EOS R100 with RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
$449 at Amazon.com - Save $150 with coupon

Lenses

Canon RF 14-35mm F4 L IS USM
$1199 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$1199 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
$499 at Amazon.com - Save $50
$499 at B&H Photo - Save $50

Canon EF-M 22mm F2 STM
$199 at Amazon.com - Save $50
$199 at B&H Photo - Save $50

Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM
$1899 at Amazon.com - Save $500
$1899 at B&H Photo - Save $500

Canon 50mm F1.8 STM
$169 at Amazon.com - Save $30
$169 at B&H Photo - Save $30

Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM
$2299 at Amazon.com - Save $500
$2299 at B&H Photo - Save $500

Canon RF 70-200mm F4 L IS USM
$1399 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$1399 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM
$499 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$499 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Canon RF 100mm F2.8 L Macro IS USM
$999 at B&H Photo - Save $400

Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM
$599 at Amazon.com - Save $50
$599 at B&H Photo - Save $50

Photo printers

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 11x19" inkjet printer
$699 at Amazon.com - Save $200

Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 17x22" inkjet printer
$999 at Amazon.com - Save $300

Fujifilm Cameras

Fujifilm GFX 100S body only
$4399 at Amazon.com - Save $1700
$4399 at Moment - Save $1700

Fujifilm X-H2 body with VG-XH battery grip
$1849 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Fujifilm X-H2S body with VG-XH battery grip
$2299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Fujifilm X-S10 body only
$899 at B&H Photo - Save $100
$899 at Moment - Save $100

Lenses

Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
$1099 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$1099 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Fujifilm XF 56mm F1.2 R WR
$899 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$899 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Fujifilm XF 80mm F2.8 R LM OIS Macro
$1099 at B&H Photo - Save $100
$1099 at Moment - Save $100

Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR
$849 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Fujifilm XF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR
$1499 at B&H Photo - Save $400
$1499 at Moment - Save $400

Instant Cameras

Fujifilm Instax Mini 11
$59 at Amazon.com - Save $17

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6
$89 at Amazon.com - Save $30

GoPro

GoPro Hero 9 Black 5K/30p action cam
$199 at Amazon.com - Save $30

GoPro Hero 11 Black 5.3K/60p action cam
$299 at Amazon.com - Save $50

GoPro Hero 12 Black 5.3K/60p HDR action cam
$349 at Amazon.com - save $50

Nikon Cameras

Nikon Z5 body only
$996 at Amazon.com - Save $400
$996 at B&H Photo - Save $400

Nikon Z6 II body only
$1596 at B&H Photo - Save $400

Nikon Z7 II body only
$2296 at B&H Photo - Save $700

Nikon Z8 body only
$3696 at Adorama - Save $300
$3696 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$3696 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Nikon Z30 Creator's Kit (includes Røde mic, mini tripod, and Bluetooth remote)
$696 at Amazon.com - Save $300

Nikon Z50 with 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 VR lens
$896 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$896 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Lenses

Nikon Nikkor Z 14-24mm F2.8 S
$2296 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$2296 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Nikon Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4 S
$1146 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Nikon Nikkor Z 17-28mm F2.8
$996 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$996 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Nikon Nikkor Z 24mm F1.8 S
$896 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm F2.8 S
$2096 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$2096 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Nikon Nikkor Z 28mm F2.8
$276 at Amazon.com - Save $20

Nikon Nikkor Z 28-75mm F2.8
$896 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$896 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm F1.8 S
$696 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S
$2396 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S
$696 at B&H Photo - Save $100

OM System Cameras

OM System OM-1 body only
$1899 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$1899 at B&H Photo - Save $300

OM System OM-5 with 12-45mm F4 Pro lens
$1399 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$1399 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Lenses

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm F4 Pro
$899 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$899 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5-6.3 IS
$1299 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Panasonic Cameras

Panasonic Lumix DC-G100 with 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 lens and tripod grip
$497 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$497 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 with 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 lens
$899 at Amazon.com - Save $200

Panasonic DC-G95 (OLED) with 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 F3.5-5.6 lens
$697 at Amazon.com - Save $300

Panasonic DC-GH6 body only
$1697 at Amazon.com - Save $500
$1697 at B&H Photo - Save $500

Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 body only
$997 at Amazon.com - Save $800
$997 at B&H Photo - Save $800

Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 with 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 lens
$1297 at Amazon.com - Save $800
$1297 at B&H Photo - Save $800

Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II body only
$1697 from B&H Photo - Save $300

Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II with 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 lens
$1997 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Lenses

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 ASPH (Micro Four Thirds)
$1497 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$1497 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm F2.8-4 ASPH (Micro Four Thirds)
$897 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$897 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm F2.8-4 Power OIS (Micro Four Thirds)
$797 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$797 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Panasonic Lumix G II Vario 100-300mm F4-5.6 Power OIS (Micro Four Thirds)
$497 at Amazon.com - Save $150

Panasonic Lumix S Pro 16-35mm F4 (L-mount)
$997 at Amazon.com - Save $500
$997 at B&H Photo - Save $500

Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm F4 Macro OIS (L-mount)
$997 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$997 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Panasonic Lumix S Pro 70-200mm F4 OIS (L-mount)
$1197 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$1197 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Rokinon / Samyang

Samyang AF 14mm F2.8 for Sony FE
$466 at Amazon.com - Save $230
$499 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 for Sony FE
$279 at Amazon.com - Save $120
$299 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Rokinon AF 35mm F1.4 II for Sony FE
$499 at Amazon.com - Save $100

Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 II for Sony FE
$500 at Amazon.com - Save $89

Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 II for Sony FE
$599 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$599 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 for Sony FE
$679 at Amazon.com - Save $320
$679 at B&H Photo - Save $320

Sigma

Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art for L-mount
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art for Sony FE
$1209 at B&H Photo - Save $170

Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 Contemporary DG DN for Sony FE
$699 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Sigma 30mm F1.4 Contemporary DC DN for Fujifilm X-mount
$268 at B&H Photo - Save $70

Sigma 30mm F1.4 Contemporary DC DN for Sony E-mount
$289 at B&H Photo - Save $50
$289 at Moment - Save $50

Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN for Sony FE
$799 at B&H Photo - Save $100
$799 at Moment - Save $100

Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro Art for L-mount
$699 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro Art for Sony FE
$699 at B&H Photo - Save $100
$699 at Moment - Save $100

Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports for L-mount
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports for Sony FE
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Sony Cameras

Sony a7 III body only
$1498 at Amazon.com - Sony $500
$1498 at B&H Photo - Save $500
$1499 at Moment - Save $500

Sony a7 IV body only
$2298 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$2298 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Sony a7R III(A) body only
$1998 at B&H Photo - Save $200
$1999 at Moment - Save $200

Sony a7R V body only
$3498 at Amazon.com - Save $400
$3498 at B&H Photo - Save $400
$3499 at Moment - Save $400

Sony ZV-1F Vlog Camera
$398 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$398 at B&H Photo - Save $100
$398 at Moment - Save $100

Sony a6100 with 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS lens
$698 at Amazon.com - Save $150
$698 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Sony a6400 with 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS lens
$848 at Amazon.com - Save $150
$848 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Sony a6600 body only
$998 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$998 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Lenses

Sony E 15mm F1.4 G
$648 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$648 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G
$798 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$798 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sony FE 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* OSS
$698 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$698 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS
$1198 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$1198 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM
$1298 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$1298 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sony FE 35mm F1.8
$648 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$648 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Tamron

Tamron 20mm F2.8 Di III OSD for Sony FE
$249 at B&H Photo - Save $50
$249 at Moment - Save $50

Tamron 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD for Fujifilm X-mount
$599 at B&H Photo - Save $100
$599 at Moment - Save $100

Tamron 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD for Sony E
$599 at B&H Photo - Save $100
$599 at Moment - Save $100

Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2 for Sony FE
$799 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$799 at B&H Photo - Save $100
$799 at Moment - Save $100

Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Di III RXD for Sony FE
$699 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$699 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 Di III VXD for Sony FE
$1799 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Bags and Accessories

Lowepro Flipside 200 AW II Camera Backpack
$107 at Amazon.com - Save $25

Lowepro Flipside BP 400 AW III Camera Backpack
$140 at Amazon.com - Save $60

Lowepro Nova 200 AW II Messenger Case
$93 at Amazon.com - Save $17

Manfrotto Befree Advanced Camera Tripod
$161 at Amazon.com - Save $75

Moment DayChaser 35L Camera Backpack
$179 at Moment - Save $130

Peak Design 30L Everyday Backpack
$269 at Peak Design - Save $30

Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap
$50 at Peak Design - Save $9

Peak Design Travel Tripod (aluminum)
$322 at Peak Design - Save $50

Samsung T9 2TB Portable SSD
$149 at Amazon.com - Save $90

WANDRD PRVKE 31L Camera Backpack
$191 at Moment - Save $50

Software

Adobe Creative Cloud
$30/mo for the first year - Save $30/mo

Adobe Creative Cloud 1-year Photography Plan 1TB (Photoshop + Lightroom CC)
$89 at Newegg - Save $139 with coupon code BFCY2Z793

DxO Film Pack 7
$89 at DxO Shop - Save $50

DxO PhotoLab 7 Elite Edition
$169 at DxO Shop - Save $60

DxO PureRaw 3
$89 at DxO Shop - Save $40

Nik Collection 6
$99 at DxO Shop - Save $50

It's that time of year again when people rush out to stores to climb over each other to buy $99 TVs and heavily discounted toys. While Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving for those outside the U.S.) has usually been a brick-and-mortar event, you can generally get the same prices from the comfort of your bed.

Recent Videos!function(n){if(!window.cnx){window.cnx={},window.cnx.cmd=[];var t=n.createElement('iframe');t.src='javascript:false';t.display='none',t.onload=function(){var n=t.contentWindow.document,c=n.createElement('script');c.src='//cd.connatix.com/connatix.player.js?cid=a1b625fb-cd44-410e-9479-699e835fd645',c.setAttribute('async','1'),c.setAttribute('type','text/javascript'),n.body.appendChild(c)},n.head.appendChild(t)}}(document); (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=1cad57d1-aae3-42ce-aa46-cb49bb02d99a&cid=a1b625fb-cd44-410e-9479-699e835fd645';cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "1cad57d1-aae3-42ce-aa46-cb49bb02d99a" }).render("0f952e209d6147a793d43f13d9e1cfa2"); });

Below are the deals that caught our eye. Remember that prices are subject to change, and these early discounts may be cheaper on Black Friday itself. This page is continuously changing, so check back often!

Adobe | Apple | Canon | Fujifilm | Nikon | OM System |
Panasonic | Samyang | Sigma | Sony | Tamron | Bags & Accessories

Adobe

Save 25% on Photoshop for the first six months

Apple

AirPods 2nd generation with Lightning charging case
$99 at Amazon.com - Save $30

AirPods Max
$449 at Amazon.com - Save $100

MacBook Pro 14" (M1 Max, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD)
$2499 at B&H Photo - Save $1600

MacBook Pro 16" (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)
$1949 at B&H Photo - Save $750

Mac mini (M2 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512TB SSD)
$1149 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Canon Cameras

Canon EOS R3 body only
$4999 at Amazon.com - Save $1000
$4999 at B&H Photo - Save $1000

Canon EOS R5 body only
$3399 at Amazon.com - Save $500
$3399 at B&H Photo - Save $500

Canon EOS R6 Mark II body only
$2299 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$2299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Canon EOS R8 body only
$1199 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$1199 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Canon EOS R10 Content Creator Kit with RF-S 18-45mm lens, stereo mic, Bluetooth remote, mini tripod
$999 at Amazon.com - Save $300

Canon EOS R50 with RF-S 18-45mm F4-5-6.3 IS STM lens
$699 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$699 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Canon EOS R50 Content Creator Kit with RF-S 18-45mm lens, stereo mic, Bluetooth remote, mini tripod
$799 at Amazon.com - Save $200

Canon EOS R100 with RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
$449 at Amazon.com - Save $150

Lenses

Canon RF 14-35mm F4 L IS USM
$1199 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$1199 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
$499 at Amazon.com - Save $50
$499 at B&H Photo - Save $50

Canon EF-M 22mm F2 STM
$199 at Amazon.com - Save $50
$199 at B&H Photo - Save $50

Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM
$2099 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$2099 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Canon 50mm F1.8 STM
$169 at Amazon.com - Save $30
$169 at B&H Photo - Save $30

Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM
$2499 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$2499 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Canon RF 70-200mm F4 L IS USM
$1399 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$1399 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM
$499 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$499 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Canon RF 100mm F2.8 L Macro IS USM
$999 at B&H Photo - Save $400

Fujifilm Cameras

Fujifilm GFX 100S body only
$4399 at Amazon.com - Save $1700

Fujifilm X-H2 body with VG-XH battery grip
$1849 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Fujifilm X-H2S body with VG-XH battery grip
$2299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Fujifilm X-S10 body only
$899 at B&H Photo - Save $100
$899 at Moment - Save $100

Lenses

Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
$1099 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$1099 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Fujifilm XF 56mm F1.2 R WR
$899 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$899 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR
$849 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Instant Cameras

Fujifilm Instax Mini 11
$59 at Amazon.com - Save $17

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6
$89 at Amazon.com - Save $30

Nikon Cameras

Nikon D850 body only
$2496 at Amazon.com - Save $500
$2496 at B&H Photo - Save $500

Nikon Z30 Creator's Kit (includes Røde mic, mini tripod, and Bluetooth remote)
$746 at B&H Photo - Save $250

Nikon Z5 body only
$996 at B&H Photo - Save $400

Nikon Z6 II body only
$1596 at B&H Photo - Save $400

Nikon Z7 II body only
$2296 at B&H Photo - Save $700

Lenses

Nikon Nikkor Z 14-24mm F2.8 S
$2296 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$2296 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Nikon Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4 S
$1146 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Nikon Nikkor Z 17-28mm F2.8
$996 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$996 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Nikon Nikkor Z 24mm F1.8 S
$896 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm F2.8 S
$2096 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$2096 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Nikon Nikkor Z 28-75mm F2.8
$896 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$896 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm F1.8 S
$696 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S
$2396 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S
$696 at B&H Photo - Save $100

OM System Cameras

OM-1 body only
$1899 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$1899 at B&H Photo - Save $300

OM-5 with 12-45mm F4 Pro lens
$1399 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$1399 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Lenses

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm F4 Pro
$899 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$899 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5-6.3 IS
$1299 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Panasonic Cameras

Panasonic Lumix DC-G100 with 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 lens and tripod grip
$497 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$497 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 with 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 lens
$899 at Amazon.com - Save $200

Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 body only
$997 at Amazon.com - Save $800
$997 at B&H Photo - Save $800

Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 with 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 lens
$1297 at Amazon.com - Save $800
$1297 at B&H Photo - Save $800

Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II body only
$1697 from B&H Photo - Save $300

Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II with 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 lens
$1997 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 with 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II and 45-150mm F4-5.6 OIS lenses
$647 from B&H Photo - Save $150

Lenses

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 ASPH (Micro Four Thirds)
$1497 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$1497 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm F2.8-4 ASPH (Micro Four Thirds)
$897 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$897 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm F2.8-4 Power OIS (Micro Four Thirds)
$797 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$797 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Panasonic Lumix S Pro 16-35mm F4 (L-mount)
$997 at Amazon.com - Save $500
$997 at B&H Photo - Save $500

Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm F4 Macro OIS (L-mount)
$997 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$997 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Panasonic Lumix S Pro 70-200mm F4 OIS (L-mount)
$1197 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$1197 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Samyang

Samyang AF 18mm F2.8 for Sony FE
$299 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$299 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Samyang AF 35-150mm F2-2.8 for Sony FE
$999 at Amazon.com - Save $400
$1199 at B&H Photo - Save $400

Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 II for Sony FE
$521 at Amazon.com - Save $128

Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 II for Sony FE
$599 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$599 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 for Sony FE
$699 at Amazon.com - Save $300
$699 at B&H Photo - Save $300

Sigma

Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art for L-mount
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art for Sony FE
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $170

Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro Art for L-mount
$699 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro Art for Sony FE
$699 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports for L-mount
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports for Sony FE
$1299 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Sony Cameras

Sony a6100 with 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS lens
$698 at Amazon.com - Save $150
$698 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Sony a6100 with 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ and 55-210mm F4.5-5.6 OSS lenses
$898 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$898 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Sony a6400 with 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS lens
$848 at Amazon.com - Save $150
$848 at B&H Photo - Save $150

Sony a6600 body only
$998 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$998 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Sony a7 III body only
$1498 at Amazon.com - Sony $500
$1498 at B&H Photo - Save $500

Sony a7R V body only
$3498 at Amazon.com - Save $400
$3498 at B&H Photo - Save $400

Sony ZV-1F Vlog Camera
$398 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$398 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Lenses

Sony E 15mm F1.4 G
$648 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$648 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G
$798 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$798 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sony FE 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* OSS
$698 at Amazon.com - Save $200
$698 at B&H Photo - Save $200

Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS
$1198 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$1198 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM
$1298 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$1298 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Sony FE 35mm F1.8
$648 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$648 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Tamron

Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2 for Sony FE
$799 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$799 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Di III RXD for Sony FE
$699 at Amazon.com - Save $100
$699 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 Di III VXD for Sony FE
$1799 at B&H Photo - Save $100

Bags and Accessories

Lowepro Flipside 200 AW II Camera Backpack
$107 at Amazon.com - Save $25

Lowepro Flipside BP 400 AW III Camera Backpack
$140 at Amazon.com - Save $60

Lowepro Nova 200 AW II Messenger Case
$93 at Amazon.com - Save $17

Manfrotto Befree Advanced Camera Tripod
$161 at Amazon.com - Save $75

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Mirrorless cameras now dominate the interchangeable lens camera market, fifteen years after Panasonic introduced the first example. They include cameras designed for a wide range of photo and video pursuits, and models at everything from budget to professional price points.

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We've used and tested just about every current mirrorless camera on the market and picked out what we think are the stand-out models. We'll start with the most affordable models, then work our way up from there. In general terms, the more expensive ones are better, offering better image quality through the use of larger sensors, or higher resolution, faster burst rates or superior video capture. We'll call out why we've made each pick and try to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.

Our picks:

• Best value: Sony a6100
• Best APS-C mirrorless camera: Sony a6700
• Best bargain full-frame: Canon EOS R8
• Best mirrorless camera under $2000: Nikon Zf
• Best mid-priced mirrorless camera: Canon EOS R6 II
  
• Best high-end mirrorless camera: Nikon Z8
• Compact high-resolution: Sony a7CR

Best value: Sony a6100

24MP APS-C sensor | Hybrid AF with Real-time Tracking | 4K video capture

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$848 w/ 16-50mm B&H Photo $848 w/ 16-50mm at Adorama $748 body only at Amazon What we like:

• Excellent autofocus system
• 4K/30p video recording
• Tilting touchscreen LCD

What we don't:

• Less robust build quality
• Rolling shutter 'jello effect' present in 4K video
• Crop when recording 4K/30p video

The Sony a6100 is an entry-level APS-C mirrorless camera. It's equipped with a 24MP sensor, a touchscreen for easy focus placement and Sony's excellent autofocus tracking which makes it especially easy to focus on people and pets.

The a6100 is happiest if you prefer to point-and-shoot in an auto mode, supported by its very good autofocus. The wide range of lenses available for it give you somewhere to grow if you find yourself catching the photography bug.

The a6100 is the most basic model in the a6000-series and doesn't feel quite as robust as its step-up siblings. It offers a lower-resolution electronic viewfinder, and twin control dials that are both thumb-operated. Its touchscreen flips upward 180-degrees for easy selfie framing and vlogging. Sony's autofocus system has been trained to recognize people and pets as subjects, and will follow them flawlessly throughout the frame. Coupled with the ability to touch the screen to place a focus point, it's a system that will serve beginner users very well, whatever they're shooting. "The a6100's autofocus can effortlessly track whatever you point it at" The a6100 makes it easy to record 4K footage or slow-motion 1080 video. There's a socket to connect an external mic but no way to connect headphones for monitoring. It can be set up for tap-to-track autofocus in video, too. There's significant 'jello-effect' distortion in the 4K footage though, especially in 24p mode. The a6100 is a good entry-level camera with a very powerful, easy-to-use autofocus system. We're not huge fans of the kit zoom and the interface isn't especially welcoming, but with a few settings changes, it can help you get excellent shots, easily.

Read our Sony a6100 review

See the Sony a6100 studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"7727683859","isMobile":false}) }) Best APS-C mirrorless camera: Sony a6700

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

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$1398 at B&H Photo $1398 at Adorama $1398 at Amazon What we like:

• Front and rear command dials
• Excellent AF in stills and video
• 4K/120p capture (with crop)

What we don't:

• No AF joystick
• JPEG sharpening can be aggressive

The Sony a6700 is an enthusiast-level APS-C mirrorless camera built around an image-stabilized, 26MP BSI CMOS sensor. It includes an impressive collection of features for both photo and video shooters.

The a6700 might look a lot like the a6100 but it's a much more advanced model with better build, greater capabilities in both stills and video, and more hands-on control points.

The a6700 has a thumb-and-forefinger dial interface missing from Sony's less expensive models. It’s just slightly larger than previous models in the line, but in exchange, you also get a fully articulating display. However, it lacks the AF joystick found on many cameras in its class. Autofocus on the a6700 offers class-leading subject detection and tracking capabilities. Combined with a dedicated ‘AI’ processor, it effectively tracks subjects around the frame even when shooting at the maximum 11 fps burst shooting rate. "Excellent photo and video quality with best-in-class AF in stills and video make it an excellent choice for enthusiasts." The camera produces very detailed 4K video up to 60p with 10-bit color, with good rolling shutter performance. There’s also a 4K/120p mode, albeit with a 1.58x crop. Autofocus performance is top-notch, with a well-designed touch interface. It's a strong option both for videographers and vloggers. Excellent photo and video quality, best-in-class AF in stills and video, and a deep set of features to support both make it an excellent choice for enthusiasts. Sony's E-mount also includes a good range of available lenses.

Read our full Sony a6700 review

See the Sony a6700 studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"7692340468","isMobile":false}) }) What are my other APS-C options?

Although the Sony a6700 is the most capable APS-C camera, if you consider autofocus performance, image quality and video capabilities, there are several other worthy contenders to the title. We like the combination of affordability and likeability of Nikon's Z fc, now that there are a handful of prime lenses to use with it, and we respect the Sony-rivaling capabilities of several of Canon's APS-C RF models.

Fujifilm's X-S20 is also worth considering if you're looking at APS-C cameras

Photo: Richard Butler

But it's the Fujifilm X-S20 we think deserves most consideration, if you conclude the a6700 isn't for you. We think it's a pretty good-looking camera, and one that shoots great video, as well as attractive stills. Touches such as the AF joystick make it that bit more engaging and enjoyable to shoot with, than the Sony.

Its autofocus tracking isn't anything like as reliable as Sony or Canon's latest cameras, but where it really shines is in the selection of lenses available for it. Fujifilm makes a broad selection of prime lenses and the excellent 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 OIS zoom, that's significantly better than the lenses bundled with most of these cameras. Third party support is strong, too, meaning the camera can grow with you as your photography develops.

Full-frame mirrorless

Full-frame cameras (those with image sensors the same size as traditional "35mm" film) offer the opportunity for better image quality than smaller formats, simply because they have a larger area on which to capture light. However, you don't get something for nothing: even if you can find an affordable full-frame camera at a good price, the lenses needed to make the most of it will be larger and will typically cost more than the lenses for APS-C or Four Thirds sensors. Broadly speaking there's a balance to be struck between image quality, size and price, which is worth contemplating before you make the assumption that full-frame is the best (or even 'better') format.

Best budget full-frame mirrorless: Canon EOS R8

24 MP full-frame CMOS sensor | 4K/60p 10-bit video recording | 8 fps burst shooting

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$1399 at B&H Photo $1399 at Adorama $1399 at Amazon What we like:

• Great image quality
• Very good AF subject detection and tracking
• Good starting price

What we don't:

• No in-body image stabilization
• Short battery life
• No AF joystick

The Canon EOS R8 is a surprisingly capable compact full-frame mirrorless camera that has the features and image quality of Canon's EOS R6 II at a much lower price.

The EOS R8 has a comfortable grip and twin dials, giving a good level of direct control. There aren't many buttons so more committed users may want to move up to the EOS R6 II, rather than rely on the quick menu for changing settings. Autofocus is the R8's strong suit: tracking and subject detection are simple to use and very effective. There's no AF joystick, so you'll have to use the touchscreen or select a subject and recompose. Battery life is very limited for an entry-level full-frame camera, though it can charge over USB, at least. "If you're partial to Canon and are new to full-frame mirrorless, the EOS R8 is a great place to start your photographic journey." The R8 shoots attractive video, including 4K footage at up to 60p. The lack of in-body stabilization means you'll need a stabilized lens or a tripod to get the best results. Photos are on par with more expensive full-frame cameras, with great high ISO performance, detail-preserving noise reduction, and Canon's pleasing JPEG colors. The 40 fps burst mode is prone to rolling shutter distortion, reducing its usefulness for capturing action. The EOS R8 offers the image quality and many of the features of Canon's more expensive models but battery life, viewfinder resolution and lack of sensor stabilization are part of the price you pay for that. The RF mount is still fairly new so it's worth researching your lens options before buying, but an adapter allows the use of EF DSLR lenses if you have them.

Read our full review of the Canon EOS R8

See the Canon EOS R8 studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"1916332853","isMobile":false}) }) What are the other entry-level full-frame options?

We also think the Nikon Z5 is worth considering, if you're looking for a comparatively affordable way into a full-frame system. It's older than the Canon and its autofocus tracking and video capabilities lag somewhat behind as a result. Like Canon's RF system, Nikon's Z-mount lens system is also somewhat short on affordable lenses to pair with an entry-level camera, though Nikon has allowed a couple of other brands to make selected lenses for the system.

What really makes us bring it up here is its usability. The Z5 has a larger, higher-resolution viewfinder, much longer battery life, in-body image stabilization and an AF joystick, all of which can make it a rather more enjoyable camera to shoot with. Definitely worth a look.

Best mirrorless camera under $2000: Nikon Zf

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

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$1997 at B&H Photo $1997 kit at Adorama $1997 at Amazon What we like:

• Distinctive design with direct controls
• Effective subject recognition
• Strong stills and video features

What we don't:

• Weight and minimal grip can become uncomfortable
• Slow MicroSD second slot
• Few custom buttons

There are some exceptionally good cameras in the $2000-$2500 price category, but few of them are as eye-catching as the Nikon Zf. While the styling is distinctly 1981, the performance is much more contemporary, with very competitive autofocus and the strong balance of stills and video capabilities that we've come to expect from a camera at this price.

The Zf gives the choice of using the dedicated control dials or customizable command dials. In most respects it copies its well-polished control system from other recent Nikons. Not everyone will enjoy the angular early 80's handling but it handles just as well as the cameras it resembles. The Zf's autofocus is impressive, with both subject recognition and AF tracking both working well. It's perhaps not quite as confidence-inspiring as the latest Sony cameras, but it's not far off. It'd be nice to have an AF joystick but the rear control pad does a decent job. "The Zf's looks may date from 1981, but its performance is completely contemporary" The Zf has a very solid video feature set. Oversampled 4K/30 and cropped 4K/60 is standard for this sensor, but the Zf also adds a waveform display that's especially useful for exposing its 10-bit Log footage. The Zf uses a very familiar 24MP BSI sensor that has underpinned numerous cameras in recent years, and the results are predictably good. There's plenty of dynamic range and enough detail capture for all but the most demanding applications. The Nikon Zf's performance lives up to its looks. It's not as comfortable to hold for long periods as more modern designs, but it's also distinctive and engaging in a way they're arguably not. We're still completing our testing, but it hasn't disappointed yet.

Read our initial review of the Nikon Zf

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"6922569214","isMobile":false}) }) Best mid-priced full-frame mirrorless: Canon EOS R6 II

24MP Dual Pixel AF CMOS sensor | 40fps burst shooting | 4K/60 from 6K capture

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$2499 at B&H Photo $2499 at Adorama $2499 at Amazon What we like:

• Simple, powerful AF for stills
• Fast 40fps shooting with continuous AF
• Excellent battery life

What we don't:

• AF less reliable in video mode
• SD cards limit burst duration
• E-shutter can distort fast-moving subject

The EOS R6 Mark II is Canon's second-generation full-frame enthusiast mirrorless camera, and is based around a stabilized 24MP Dual Pixel CMOS sensor.

The Canon EOS R6 II stands out from strong competition by doing everything really well. Its autofocus is only a fraction behind the Sony a7 IV, but its video is better, with less rolling shutter and no need to crop to achieve 4K/60p. This gives it performance ahead of the Panasonic and Nikon offerings at this price, and its ergonomics are a match for the best of them. It's just a really all-round solid package.

The R6 II has a substantial hand grip and well spaced controls that pair with a simple touchscreen interface and logically-arranged menu system. It fits comfortably in the hand even with larger lenses. The EOS R6 Mark II is a great stills and video camera, with fast burst shooting being its standout feature. Autofocus performance is consistently reliable, even when capturing images at 40fps. A wide variety of subject detection modes and a surprisingly clever 'Auto' detection mode allow the camera to choose appropriate AF areas and algorithms for many commonly-photographed subjects. Video is substantially improved over the original R6, with full width oversampled 4K up to 60p, and greatly improved thermal management. Video autofocus still has a tendency to jump to the background, requiring the user to continually redirect the camera to your chosen subject while filming. Rolling shutter is surprisingly well controlled in 40fps electronic shutter mode, though like most of its peers, the R6 Mark II drops to 12-bit capture, reducing dynamic range. In the less fast modes, the image quality is excellent. Aside from the maximum burst rate, the Canon R6 Mark II might look like a minor upgrade from its 2020 Camera of the Year precursor, but the impressive number of small improvements add up to one of the most well-rounded full-frame cameras in its price range.

Read our full review of the Canon EOS R6 II

See the Canon EOS R6 II studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"7953502801","isMobile":false}) }) The mid-priced rivals

There are plenty of other cameras worth considering, in the around $2000 price category. The Canon and Nikon are the real stand-outs, but you're unlikely to regret your decision, whichever you opt for. The Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II would probably be our choice if you want to shoot both stills and video, despite it having to crop in to capture 4K/60, which the Canon doesn't. It's the level of supporting tools that makes it so videographer-friendly, with a wide variety of capture formats, waveform displays and the ability to set exposure as shutter angle making it stand out. The S5 IIX is even stronger in this regard, with the ability to record very high quality video straight to an external SSD.

Sony's a7 IV is also a solid enough choice, with excellent autofocus and slightly higher resolution capture than its peers. It's the smaller, less expensive a7C II that we prefer, though. Its autofocus is a generation newer and it's appreciably smaller than its rivals. The viewfinder is small and there's no AF joystick though, which are the main reasons it's not one of our main picks.

Best high-end mirrorless camera: Nikon Z8

46MP Stacked CMOS sensor | 20fps Raw, 30fps full-size JPEG shooting | 8K/60 and 4K/120 video

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$3997 at B&H Photo $3997 at Adorama $3997 at Amazon What we like:

• Superb autofocus
• Fast shooting
• Excellent video

What we don't:

• Large, heavy body
• Relatively low-res (though fast) viewfinder
• Not all subject detection modes equally good

The Nikon Z8 offers essentially all the capabilities of Nikon's pro-focused sports camera, the Z9. It's somewhat larger than its immediate peers, but its combination of resolution, speed, autofocus capability and video features means it will support you in just about anything you ask of it.

The Z8 has a large, comfortable grip with well-placed controls. There's a good level of customizable controls and ergonomics that match the pro-focused Z9. The viewfinder resolution is low but the brightness and lack of lag make it one of best-suited to action. The Z8 can be set to track whatever's under the AF point and does so dependably. It can also prioritize recognized subjects near the AF point if you prefer. 20fps Raw shooting or 30fps full-res JPEG capture (with pre-burst option) make the Z8 very rapid. "The Nikon Z8 is one of the best cameras we've yet tested, combining fast shooting, great AF, strong video and top-notch IQ" Video quality is excellent with a choice of Raw and 10-bit gamma/compressed formats with up to 8K/60 or 4K/60 derived from it. There's also a less-detailed 4K/120p option. Tools such as waveforms and dependable AF make it easy to shoot with. Image quality is excellent, with high detail levels maintained into fairly low light. JPEG color is attractive and the there's no sign of degradation if you use the more compressed Raw options. The Nikon Z8 is a hugely capable all-rounder, combining resolution, autofocus performance and video capabilities not seen before at this price. It's not a small or light camera but it makes you feel ready for anything, photographically while you're carrying it.

Read our Nikon Z8 review

See the Nikon Z8 studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"6045530466","isMobile":false}) }) Compact high-resolution: Sony a7CR

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

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$2998 at B&H Photo $2998 at Adorama $2998 at Amazon What we like:

• Big camera features in a small body
• Outstanding AF performance
• Auto Framing video mode

What we don't:

• Small, low-res viewfinder
• No joystick control
• No fully mechanical shutter

The Sony a7CR takes most of the features of the more expensive a7R V and provides them in a smaller package. The viewfinder is disappointing for such an expensive camera, but nothing gives you so much image quality in such a small, capable package.

The a7CR is impressively small for a full-frame camera. The addition of a front control dial improves handling significantly. Notably, there’s no joystick for positioning the AF point, and the viewfinder is small and very low resolution for a camera costing this much. Autofocus performance on the a7CR is very good and is helped by a dedicated processor for crunching complex machine learning-trained algorithms. Subject recognition is quick, and the AF system tracks subjects tenaciously around the frame in either stills or video. 8 fps burst shooting with continuous AF results in a dependably high hit rate. "If you're looking for maximum resolution in a travel-sized body, the a7RC is tough to beat." The a7CR captures 4K video at up to 60 fps. The most detailed, oversampled footage results from a 1.2x crop of the sensor, which makes it challenging to maintain wider focal lengths. Auto Framing mode uses AI algorithms to mimic the way a camera operator might punch in on subjects, keeping them framed and in focus. The a7CR's 61MP sensor can capture a lot of detail, putting it ahead of most full-frame rivals; though it is a little noisier in low light. JPEG colors are pleasing, and excellent sharpening makes the most out of the 61MP sensor. Raw files provide plenty of latitude to pull up shadows at base ISO. The a7CR delivers impressive results for its size. It essentially provides the same level of image quality, and most of the same features, as Sony's a7R V, but in a smaller package. In exchange for the small size, you make a few compromises, like no AF joystick, but if you're looking for maximum resolution in a travel-sized body, the a7CR is tough to beat.

Read our Sony a7CR initial review

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"0740273820","isMobile":false}) }) What are the other high-end options?

Just about all the cameras in the >$2500 price bracket are, unsurprisingly, rather good. We go into a little more detail about their relative merits in our 'High-end camera buying guide.' As at any price, the key things to consider are what types of photography you plan to do (and hence, which features and capabilities are most important to you), and whether the lenses you need are available at a price you're willing to pay.

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.

Photo: Tim Barribeau

These days, it’s not often I need a full camera bag – if I’m using my camera, I usually bring it along to something else, it's not the sole reason I leave the house. Which makes the PhotoSport Outdoor Backpack BP 24L AW III ($250) a smart compromise: it’s half hiking daypack, and half camera bag. And while it doesn’t truly excel at either, it does them well enough that it’s a bag I’d be happy to bring with me any time I head into the woods.

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Key Features:

• Hiking friendly features
• Good layout and useful pockets
• Removable (and useful) camera insert

Specs (from manufacturer):

• Size: 27x22x50cm (10.5x8.75x19.75 in)
• Weight with dividers: 1.5kg (3.3lbs)
• Hydration pocket size: 3L
• Capacity: 24L (backpack), 5L (removable camera pouch)
• Example loadout: single camera, 2-3 lenses, accessories

Buy Now:

$249 at B&H $249 at Adorama $249 at Amazon Hiker’s delight The PhotoSport looks like it was designed for the trail. Photo: Tim Barribeau

The PhotoSport Outdoor Backpack’s name tells you just about all you need to know: it’s a photo and outdoor backpack. It looks like just about any hiking day pack you could pick up at your favorite outdoor retailer but with the extra utility of carrying a camera and lenses while you're out for the day.

"Like most hiking backpacks, the PhotoSport's build focuses on weight support and distribution."

Like most hiking backpacks, the PhotoSport's build focuses on weight support and distribution, more so than most other packs I’ve tried. Unlike the Wotancraft New Pilot or Peak Design Everyday Backpack, the PhotoSport has a hip strap built-in rather than as an optional add-on, and it has enough padding to put the bag’s weight on your hips where it belongs.

The sternum strap has a whistle (which isn’t really important but is fairly common in outdoor gear), and the back panel does a decent job of providing comfort and airflow. However, I’m 6’2”, and the hip straps hit a bit too high for me to use them properly. In the larger sibling models to the 24L backpack, the smaller and larger sizes can account for height differences, but in this one, you have one choice for where the straps land.

The hydration pocket (which can double for laptops in a pinch)...

...and included rain cover are all hallmarks of a decent hiking backpack.

Photo: Tim Barribeau

There’s a hydration pocket that holds up to a 3-liter water reservoir, with a passthrough for the straw, which is absolutely necessary if you’re going to spend any appreciable amount of time hiking. It also has loops to store your hiking poles, a flexible external pocket for stowing a jacket or helmet, a water bottle pocket and even a rain cover. All practical, outdoor-focused features.

Plus, you have the usual medley of pockets, including one on the hip strap, a small top flap pocket for stashing things you need to get to easily, like your sunglasses, a water bottle pocket, and a large drawstring pocket at the top of the bag for storing all your non-camera gear.

Camera Storage

When the camera insert is stowed, it's easy to get to via the side entry...

Photo: Tim Barribeau

To stash your camera gear, the PhotoSport has a single side access pocket (on your left side) where the included LowePro camera insert lives. It’s large enough to hold a body with an attached zoom lens, and 1-2 extra lenses, as well as some assorted bits and pieces like SD cards. While that’s not a lot, if you’re going for a hike, more than that will weigh you down quickly.

...and the insert can also be pulled out to free up space or carry on its own.

Photo: Tim Barribeau

Because the bag uses an insert system, you can quickly pull the camera section out if you just want to carry that or set it aside (somewhere safe) if you want to use all of the bag’s internals for non-camera reasons. The insert can be attached to the bag's hip strap, carried on its own with an included neck strap, or even attached to the bag's shoulder straps to sit against your chest. And those same attachments can be used with your camera directly if you want your camera clipped into your bag rather than directly around your neck.

Jack of all trades, master of none

Unfortunately, while splitting the difference between a hiking pack and a camera pack, there have been losses on both sides of the equation. Some of them are small; for example, there’s no place to clip the hydration straw or the single water bottle pocket. And some are substantially more noticeable – a better hiking backpack these days will have better back padding and ventilation system than the PhotoSport provides. Even after just thirty minutes of carrying it on a warm day, and I was sweating against the cushioning.

On the camera side of things, while the insert is stowed, you only have access to the contents from one side of the insert, so any that are on the other side of a divider are out of reach until you pull the whole thing out.

Photo: Tim Barribeau

None of this is anything that's a deal breaker, as long as you go into using the bag knowing what it is and what it isn't. This isn’t a camera bag that works well as a commuter bag. There’s no specific dedicated laptop slot (though you can use the hydration pouch area), and it has a huge number of straps and flaps that look aggressively outdoorsy. It’s also not a camera bag. This should seem self-evident, but don’t go looking for a way to stash multiple bodies, lenses, and accessories into the PhotoSport – if you do, you’ll just be disappointed when it’s not that. And it's not a hiking backpack to take all of your gear for days of trekking through the wilderness.

But if you're trying to do a little bit of all of the above? Then it's great.

Conclusion

If you’re going for a hike, and want to bring your camera so you can capture some interesting images along the way, the PhotoSport Outdoor Backpack BP 24L AW III is all but perfect, with space for just enough gear, both camera and otherwise, to support you through the day. But don’t go expecting it to be as good for hiking as a dedicated hiking backpack, nor as good for carrying camera gear as a dedicated camera backpack.

What we liked What we didn't like

• Good shoulder and waist straps
• Hydration pocket
• Rain cover
• Handy removable camera insert

• Not as good as either a hiking bag or camera bag on their own
• Straps, straps, and more straps
• Fixed sizing won’t work for everyone
• Single side access pocket

Buy Now:

$249 at B&H $249 at Adorama $249 at Amazon

Sony's a9 III is the first full-frame mirrorless camera with global shutter, which means rolling shutter and having to think about flash sync speeds should be a thing of the past. But that's only part of the story, Sony is positioning the camera as a game-changer for the industry, but is it?

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DPReview's Richard Butler and Dale Baskin spent a long day with a pre-production a9 III and a closer look has yielded some interesting takeaways. Check out the video for five key features that make the a9 III notable and worth paying attention to.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV when they go live.

Buy Now:

$5998 at B&H $5998 at Adorama $5998 at Amazon

Sigma 70-200mm DG DN OS | Sports initial impressions

Product photos: Carey Rose

Sigma's latest release, the 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports, provides a new constant-aperture telephoto zoom for users of Sony, Panasonic, Leica and Sigma full-frame mirrorless cameras. The lens itself isn't much of a surprise, what with the existing 'pre-announcements' that have been floating around the web for a while now, but we've been able to get our hands on a copy to shoot some samples, to get an idea of how it stacks up against the existing first- and third-party competition.

Key specifications:

• Focal length: 70-200mm (105–300mm with APS-C crop)
• Aperture range: F2.8 – F22
• Stabilization: Yes
• Filter thread: 77mm
• Close focus: 0.65m (25.6") at 70mm; 1m (39.4") at 200mm
• Maximum magnification: 0.19x (at 70mm)
• Diaphragm blades: 11
• Hood: Included
• Weight: E-mount 1335g (2.94 lb); L-mount 1345g (2.96 lb)
• Optical construction: 20 elements in 15 groups (6 FLD, 2 SLD, 3 aspherical)

The lens comes with a recommended price of $1499, which represents a fair discount from most camera maker's own options, and Sigma says it will be available on December 7, 2023.

Handling and build

At nearly one-and-a-half kilos (∼three pounds), the Sigma 70-200mm DG DN OS is no lightweight, but it does feel lighter than you might expect given its dimensions and capability. It also balances well on the a7R V that we've had it mounted to.

It's no lightweight, but it's not really a heavyweight, either.

Build quality is just about faultless. The exterior is a mix of textured high-quality polycarbonate and metal, and the ribbed zoom, focus and aperture rings are easy to find by feel. The aperture ring is particularly well-executed. It allows for both clicked- and clickless operation, and it can be locked in either 'A' (which, depending on your shooting mode, passes aperture control off to a command dial or the camera's autoexposure algorithm), or it can be locked out of A, meaning you can use the ring to freely select your exposure, but you won't accidentally override the ring with an overly enthusiastic adjustment.

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There are switches aplenty, including a C1-C2 switch for selecting between two sets of optical stabilizer or focus limiter settings (though this is an L-mount-only feature requiring Sigma's UD-11 USB dock). There is also a three-setting focus limiter (Full, 3m–infinity, minimum distance–3m), an autofocus selector and the aforementioned aperture click and lock controls. Finally, there are three programmable pushbuttons on the barrel between the zoom and focus rings; one on the top of the lens, one on the bottom and one on the left as you are looking down the barrel towards your subject. But keep in mind that though there are three buttons, you can only program a single function for them (at least, that's the case on our Sony a7R V).

An Arca-Swiss cutout on the tripod foot is always a nice touch.

For the tripod enthusiasts among you, the (included) tripod foot comes with an Arca-Swiss dovetail cutout and the tripod collar has nice, pronounced detents at each 90-degree rotation. And for the video shooters among you, you'll be happy to know that zooming the lens doesn't meaningfully change the overall weight distribution, so you can zoom away even while shooting on a balanced gimbal.

This overlap (full zoom ring shown on left side, hood overlap shown at right) proved to be irksome for me, but your mileage may vary.

If there's one concern we have with the handling of the Sigma 70-200mm DG DN OS, it's with the included lens hood. The build of the hood itself is fantastic, constructed out of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic and it secures to the lens with a textured thumb screw. The problem is that, when it's mounted in the shooting position, it covers 3–4mm of the front edge of the zoom ring. That may not sound like a lot, and to be sure, there's still plenty of ring to grab onto, but nonetheless, my hand kept running into the hood as I was going to adjust the zoom setting. This may be something that clears up with prolonged usage and muscle memory, however.

Image quality and autofocus impressions

A good 70-200mm F2.8 lens can be a worthy companion for a wide variety of photographic pursuits.

Sony a7R V | Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 @ 200mm | ISO 100 | 1/500 sec | F8
Slightly straightened, edited in Capture One
Photo: Carey Rose

While we need to reserve final judgment of the lens' optical characteristics until we've had time to do more formal testing, our initial impressions are largely positive. While the lens is certainly sharp enough at F2.8 on the 61MP sensor of the a7R V, particularly for portraits, you will find that stopping down to F4 and F5.6 will get you greater clarity for landscapes and the like. Vignetting is present but is pretty subtle even at F2.8.

We found the bokeh (characteristics of out-of-focus regions of the image) to be pretty smooth and rarely distracting, even with busier backgrounds and more moderate apertures. However, if you're not a fan of the cat-eye effect of out-of-focus highlights, you'd best steer clear – the effect can be very pronounced at wider apertures. Shooting into the sun can induce a slight loss of contrast, but we didn't find it to be extreme, and chromatic aberrations are very well controlled indeed. We'll be looking more closely at sunstars and flare when the sun emerges for more than a few moments at a time here in the Seattle region.

A fast 70-200mm lens isn't just for outdoor use, either.

Sony a7R V | Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 @ 173mm | ISO 800 | 1/200 sec | F2.8
Processed in Capture One
Photo: Carey Rose

Autofocus speeds are quick, and though they're not as close to instantaneous as some other options on the market, we don't think you'll have trouble tracking most any moving subject. We'll need more sporting opportunities to know for sure. The manual focus ring is wonderfully damped, and focus breathing is well-controlled across the zoom range, so this is shaping up to be a solid option for video shooters interested in this focal range.

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.

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({"containerId":"embeddedSampleGallery_9327447997","galleryId":"9327447997","isEmbeddedWidget":true,"selectedImageIndex":0,"isMobile":false}) }); Takeaways

Overall, the Sigma 70-200mm DG DN OS | Sports is a welcome addition to the constant-aperture telezoom market. It's not the absolute sharpest option on the market, nor is it the lightest, but between its excellent build quality, impressive aberration control and relatively reasonable price, we think photographers will find a lot to like here.

Is the Sigma 70-200mm DG DN OS going to find a place in your camera bag? What do you make of Sigma's latest telezoom release? Let us know in the comments.

The Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports, which does not change in size as you zoom.

Photo: Sigma

Sigma has announced the 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS lens for full-frame Sony E-mount and Leica, Sigma and Panasonic L-mount cameras that it's been promising for some weeks now.

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Its latest 70-200mm design features an internal focus design and sits in the company's "Sports" series of lenses. It uses dual "High-response" linear actuators to drive two focus groups. This helps the lens achieve a minimum focus distance of 65cm (25.6") at its widest focal length (100cm (39.4") at the long end).

It features 20 elements in 15 groups, including 6 'fluorite-like' FLD elements, 2 super-low dispersion elements and 3 aspherical lenses. It includes the latest iteration of Sigma's stabilization algorithm, which provides up to 7.5EV of correction at the wide end and 5.5EV at the long end, per CIPA standard testing.

The reverse of the lens with hood attached.

Photo: Sigma

For video shooters, Sigma says the internal focus and internal zoom design results in minimal change in center of gravity during operation, making it easier to use on a gimbal. It also says focus breathing has been minimized at both ends of the zoom, and there's an aperture ring that can be declicked to allow smooth transitions.

The lens weighs 1345g (47.4oz) in the L-mount form, and 10g (0.3oz) lighter for E-mount. It includes a detachable, Arca-Swiss compatible tripod shoe and a barrel-type hood made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic.

The lens will available from December 7th 2023 at a recommended price of $1499, making it significantly less expensive than most camera makers' own-brand lenses.

SIGMA Announces Release of 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports Lens

Ronkonkoma, NY, November 16, 2023 – SIGMA Corporation of America, the US subsidiary of SIGMA Corporation (CEO: Kazuto Yamaki. Headquarters: Asao-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, Japan) is pleased to announce the official release of the highly-anticipated SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports lens.

A reliable and lightweight large-aperture telephoto zoom lens designed exclusively for full-frame mirrorless cameras, the 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports is available for Sony E-mount and Leica L-Mount. Combining high-speed AF, remarkably effective OS, exceptional mechanical reliability, and superior optical performance, this high-performance lens is purpose-built to meet the rigorous demands of professionals, and is suitable for a wide range of styles and genres including nature, wildlife, photojournalism, action sports, wedding and portraits. The lens will retail for $1,499 USD and will be available through authorized retailers on December 7, 2023.

Dust and splash-proof construction, high-performance optical stabilizer (OS), and an inner zoom mechanism that does not affect barrel length, are all features designed for the most demanding photographic conditions. It is also the first SIGMA DN zoom lens to be equipped with an aperture ring (click/declick type).

Streamlined optical design and a multi-material structure featuring magnesium and TSC have resulted in a lightweight lens body. A new compact tripod collar and foot also help minimize weight, as does a CFRP (carbon fiber-reinforced plastic) lens hood. Compared to the 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports for DSLR cameras (1,805g for SA mount), the 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports is significantly lighter (1,345g for L-Mount).

Featuring Dual HLA-driven floating focus for fast, accurate AF, the focus lens is driven using a high-thrust HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) as the focus actuator, and a floating focus is used to achieve high-speed AF drive. The floating configuration of this lens, in which the two focus groups are driven in opposite directions, reduces the amount of movement of each focus group to about half that of a single group focus system, achieving extremely fast AF that is highly responsive. The latest OS2 stabilization algorithm achieves image stabilization performance of 7.5 stops at the Wide end and 5.5 stops at the Tele end.

The SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports has very minimal focus breathing on both the wide and tele ends, making it a powerful lens for video applications. The minimal change in center of gravity enables stable shooting in all situations, including handheld, on a tripod, and with a gimbal. During zooming, five groups are moved to suppress aberration fluctuation, achieving high optical performance throughout the zoom range.

S | Sports
SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS

Performance, reliability, and mobility at its highest level.

• High-speed AF and optical stabilizer function that maximize superior optical performance
• Top-level build quality condensed into a highly mobile lens
• A wealth of functions to assist professionals

Available mounts: L-Mount, Sony E-mount

Launch date: December 7, 2023

Packed with all the technology SIGMA has to offer.

The large F2.8 aperture provides stable and high descriptive performance at all zoom and focus ranges. The high-speed AF with a dual HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) based on a floating focus structure, and the Optical Stabilizer function with the OS2 algorithm with up to 7.5 stops of correction effect*, ensure that users can take the right shot when there is no room for error. The highly mobile lens with high durability, rigidity, and texture is equipped with a wealth of functions to assist comfortable shooting, including an inner zoom mechanism for easy handling, as well as an aperture ring and switches with various customization functions. The flagship SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports, combined with the best of SIGMA's latest technologies to meet the high-level demands of professionals, has finally arrived.

* Based on CIPA guidelines (Measured at 70mm and 200mm with a 35mm full-frame image sensor)

[Key Features] 1. High-speed AF and optical stabilizer function that maximize superior optical performance

The SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports, developed with professional use in mind, offers not only high optical performance, but also high-speed AF with a dual HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) and an optical stabilizer function with up to 7.5 stops. The Sports line lenses offer high optical performance, and all functions are based on state-of-the-art technology.

High descriptive performance at all zoom and focus ranges

The latest optical design, which employs luxurious glass materials including 6 FLD and 2 SLD elements of special low-dispersion glass, delivers high resolving power throughout the entire zoom range. Three aspherical lenses are used, as they are now indispensable for superior optical performance and streamlined lens construction. The exceptionally high precision of the aspherical lenses, which take advantage of the technical capabilities of SIGMA's only production facility, the Aizu factory, further improves optical performance. The incorporated floating focus is advantageous in improving short-range performance, ensuring a stable, high-level image quality throughout the entire range from the minimum focusing distance to infinity.

High-speed AF with a dual HLA

The SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports with floating focus has a structure in which the two focus groups move in opposite directions, thereby reducing the amount of focus lens movement by about half. In addition, the use of an HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) motor in each of the two focus groups enables high-speed autofocusing. In addition to being fast and accurate, the lens also employs a control program that is designed to be quiet, so users can shoot movies comfortably without worrying about noise.

OS2 algorithm in optical stabilizer function

The latest OS2 optical stabilization algorithm provides an extremely high image stabilization effect of 7.5 stops at the wide end and 5.5 stops at the telephoto end*. The lens is equipped with two OS modes: Mode 1 is suitable for general shooting, and Mode 2 is ideal for panning shots of motorsports and other sports. In Mode 2, SIGMA's Intelligent OS, an algorithm specially designed for panning shots, enables effective image stabilization even when the camera is moved vertically or diagonally, irrespective of the horizontal and vertical orientation. This ensures that the subject's movement can be captured without losing the panning shot effect.

* Based on CIPA guidelines (Measured at 70mm and 200mm with a 35mm full-frame image sensor)

Designed to minimize focus breathing

The lens has been designed to suppress focus breathing. The change in angle of view due to focus shift is minimized, creating a natural-looking focus shift when recording video.

Designed to minimize flare and ghosting

Flare and ghosting, which reduce image quality, are addressed under all conditions of incident light based on the most advanced simulation technology. High backlight resistance enables clear and sharp images under any lighting conditions.

2. Top-level build quality condensed into a highly mobile lens

SIGMA is committed to excellent build quality in all its lenses. Among them, the SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports, which is part of the Sports line, offers not only high weather resistance performance for shooting in harsh environments, but also improved quality and durability through the use of cutting-edge materials in appropriate places based on a streamlined optical and mechanical design. At the same time, a high level of mobility is also realized, resulting in a professional equipment that can be used with confidence over the long term.

High quality and durability despite its small size and light weight

The latest optical and mechanical design streamlines the lens configuration and internal structure, resulting in a significantly smaller and lighter body than the previous SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports model. The body, including the hood, features a "multi-material structure" that optimally arranges materials such as magnesium, CFRP*1, and TSC*2. Even with enhanced mobility, the lens features SIGMA's renowned excellent build quality, including high durability, reliable rigidity, and various control rings and switches that have been carefully designed to feel good.

* 1 CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic), a light but strong material used in the interior and exterior fittings of aircraft, among many other applications.
* 2 TSC (Thermally Stable Composite) is a type of polycarbonate with a thermal expansion rate similar to that of aluminum. It has high affinity to metal parts which contributes to high quality product manufacturing.

Adoption of inner zoom mechanism

The zoom mechanism employs an inner zoom. Since the total length of the lens does not change with zoom operation, it is easy to handle when shooting hand-held, highly stable when installed on a gimbal, and resistant to dust and water droplets.

Weatherability of Sports line specifications

The mount connection, manual focus ring, zoom ring, switches, switch panel and exterior connection are all dust and splash resistant* to prevent dust and dirt from entering the lens. Further, the front element of the lens features a water and oil repellent coating to facilitate maintenance when water droplets or dust adhere to the lens.

* The structure is designed to be dust and splash resistant, but not waterproof. Be careful not to bring the lens in contact with a large amount of water. Water inside the lens may cause major damage and even render the lens unrepairable.

3. A wealth of functions to assist professional photographers

In addition to an aperture ring, a magnesium tripod mount, and various switches, the highly mobile lens has a wealth of functions available, enabling a more comfortable and versatile shooting experience for users.

Equipped with an aperture ring

This is the first SIGMA zoom lens for still photography to be equipped with an aperture ring. It is also equipped with an aperture ring click switch and an aperture ring lock switch, allowing for aperture operation suited to the shooting application.
Newly developed tripod socket

The lens body incorporates an Arca-Swiss compatible magnesium alloy tripod socket. The detachable leg is newly designed for the SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports in order to achieve a compact and lightweight design.

Customizable functions

Equipped with a Focus Limiter switch, the lens enables users to limit the focus driving range during AF when necessary, allowing quick and precise focusing.
Further, the lens features three AFL buttons* ready to be assigned to preferred functions using the camera. The AFL buttons are easy to operate regardless of how the camera is oriented or which settings are used. For the L-Mount version, the SIGMA USB DOCK UD-11 can be used to set OS operation or focus limiter range for the Custom Mode switch.

* Only on compatible cameras. Available functions may vary depending on the camera used.

Tele Converter for L-Mount (1.4x / 2.0x)

The L-Mount version of the lens is compatible with the SIGMA TELE CONVERTER TC-1411 (1.4x) and TC-2011 (2.0x). Using a tele converter, the focal length can be multiplied by 1.4x and even 2x, for AF-enabled shooting at ultra-telephoto focal lengths of up to 400mm.

Cover-type lens hood included

A lightweight, high-strength, exclusive cover-type lens hood made of CFRP* is included. In addition to its slim design that does not impair the mobility of the lens, the tip of the hood is rubberized to protect the lens from abrasion and scratches caused by placing the lens upside down.

* CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic), a light but strong material used in the interior and exterior fittings of aircraft, among many other applications.

[ Additional Features ]

• Lens construction: 20 elements in 15 groups (6 FLD, 2 SLD, 3 aspherical elements)
• OS (Optical Stabilizer) function with the latest "OS2" algorithm
• Inner zoom
• Inner focus system
• Compatible with high-speed autofocus
• HLA (High-response Linear Actuator)
• Compatible with Lens Aberration Correction

  * Function available on supported cameras only. Available corrections or auto correction functionality may vary depending on the camera model.
  
* On cameras where lens aberration correction is controlled with 'ON' or 'OFF' in the camera menu, please set all aberration correction functions to 'ON' (AUTO).
• Supports DMF and AF+MF
• Compatible with AF assist (Sony E-mount only)
• Nano Porous Coating
• Super Multi-Layer Coating
• Water and Oil Repellent Coating (front element)
• Aperture ring
• Aperture ring click switch
• Aperture ring lock switch
• AFL button (3 buttons)

  * Only on compatible cameras. Available functions may vary depending on the camera used.
• Focus Limiter switch
• Focus Mode switch
• Support for switching between linear focus / non-linear focus ring settings (for L-Mount only)
• Function available on supported cameras only.
• OS switch
• Custom Mode switch
• Dust and Splash Resistant Structure
• LENS HOOD LH860-01
• TRIPOD SOCKET TS-151 (detachable lens foot type)
• Compatible with SIGMA TELE CONVERTER TC-1411 / TC-2011 (sold separately / for L-Mount only)
• Compatible with SIGMA USB DOCK UD-11 (sold separately / for L-Mount only)
• Designed to minimize flare and ghosting
• Every single lens undergoes SIGMA's proprietary MTF measuring system
• 11-blade rounded diaphragm
• High-precision, durable brass bayonet mount
• Mount Conversion Service available
• "Made in Aizu, Japan" craftsmanship

Learn more about SIGMA's craftsmanship here:
https://www.sigma-global.com/en/about/craftsmanship/

[ Contact ]

For further information, please contact your local authorized SIGMA Service Station listed here:
https://www.sigma-global.com/en/world-network/

[ Information ]

SIGMA Corporation:
https://www.sigma-global.com/en/

Product information:
https://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/s023_70_200_28/

Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports specifications Principal specificationsLens typeZoom lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length70–200 mmImage stabilizationYesLens mountL-Mount, Sony FEApertureMaximum apertureF2.8Minimum apertureF22Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades11Aperture notesRounded bladesOpticsElements20Groups15Special elements / coatings6 FLD, 2 SLD, 3 asphericalFocusMinimum focus0.65 m (25.59″)Maximum magnification0.19×AutofocusYesMotor typeLinear MotorFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight1345 g (2.97 lb)Diameter91 mm (3.58″)Length205 mm (8.07″)MaterialsMagnesium alloy and thermally-stable compositeZoom methodRotary (internal)Zoom lockYesFilter thread77 mmHood suppliedYesHood product codeLH860-01Tripod collarYes

Updated: Nov 15, 2023

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It's not so long ago that $2000 would buy you the lowliest, entry-level full-frame camera. Now, for around the same money, you get a choice of high spec cameras that shoot excellent stills and video, and include autofocus systems approaching the performance of professional sports cameras.

Choosing a camera also means committing to a lens mount, and the wider system that goes with it, so we advise checking whether the lenses you want to use are available at a price you're willing to pay. Not all camera makers allow other lens makers to produce lenses for thier mount, for instance, which can limit choice.

It's worth noting that the latest lens designs for mirrorless cameras regularly out-perform their older DSLR counterparts. If you have any lenses already, it's worth considering whether they're good enough that you need to stick with a camera to which they can be adapted. You might get better results by selling-up and buying modern equivalents of your most-used lenses.

Several cameras have arrived in this price bracket fairly recently, and we've not yet completed our full reviews. We've only recommended cameras we've used extensively enough to be confident you'll be happy with them.

Our recommendations:

• Best camera around $2000: Canon EOS R6 II
• Best camera under $2000: Nikon Zf
• The compact, versatile option: Sony a7C II
• Best for stills and video: Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II
• Best for vlogging: Sony ZV-E1

Best camera around $2000: Canon EOS R6 II

24MP Dual Pixel AF CMOS sensor | 40fps burst shooting | 4K/60 from 6K capture

Photo: Dale Baskin

Buy now:

$2499 at B&H Photo $2499 at Adorama $2499 at Amazon What we like:

• Simple, powerful AF for stills
• Fast 40fps shooting with continuous AF
• Excellent battery life

What we don't:

• AF less reliable in video mode
• SD cards limit burst duration
• E-shutter can distort fast-moving subject

The EOS R6 Mark II is Canon's second-generation full-frame enthusiast mirrorless camera, and is based around a stabilized 24MP Dual Pixel CMOS sensor.

The R6 II has a substantial hand grip and well spaced controls that pair with a simple touchscreen interface and logically-arranged menu system. It fits comfortably in the hand even with larger lenses. Autofocus performance is consistently reliable, even when capturing images at 40fps. A wide variety of subject detection modes and a surprisingly clever 'Auto' detection mode allow the camera to choose appropriate AF areas and algorithms for many commonly-photographed subjects. The EOS R6 Mark II is a great stills and video camera, with fast burst shooting being its standout feature. Rolling shutter is surprisingly well controlled in electronic shutter mode, though like most of its peers the R6 Mark II drops to 12-bit capture, reducing dynamic range. In the less fast modes, the image quality is excellent. Video is substantially improved over the original R6, with full width oversampled 4K up to 60p, and greatly improved thermal management. 1080p/180 slow motion represents a 50% increase. Video autofocus still has a tendency to jump to the background, requiring the user to continually redirect the camera to your chosen subject while filming. Aside from the maximum burst rate, the Canon R6 Mark II might look like a minor upgrade from its 2020 Camera of the Year precursor, but the impressive number of small improvements add up to one of the most well-rounded full frame cameras in its price range.

Read our full review of the Canon EOS R6 II

See the Canon EOS R6 II studio scene

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"7953502801","isMobile":false}) }) Best camera under $2000: Nikon Zf

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

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$1997 at B&H Photo $1997 kit at Adorama $1997 at Amazon What we like:

• Distinctive design with direct controls
• Effective subject recognition
• Strong stills and video features

What we don't:

• Weight and minimal grip can become uncomfortable
• Slow MicroSD second slot
• Few custom buttons

The Nikon Zf is a retro-styled camera built around an image-stabilized 24MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor.

The Zf gives the choice of using the dedicated control dials or customizable command dials. In most respects it copies its well-polished control system from other recent Nikons. Not everyone will enjoy the angular early 80's handling but it handles just as well as the cameras it resembles. The Zf's autofocus is impressive, with both subject recognition and AF tracking both working well. It's perhaps not quite as confidence-inspiring as the latest Sony cameras, but it's not far off. It'd be nice to have an AF joystick but the rear control pad does a decent job. "The Zf's looks may date from 1981, but its performance is completely contemporary" The Zf uses a very familiar 24MP BSI sensor that has underpinned numerous cameras in recent years, and the results are predictably good. There's plenty of dynamic range and enough detail capture for all but the most demanding applications. The Zf has a solid but not flashy video feature set. Oversampled 4K/30 and cropped 4K/60 is standard for this sensor. But the Zf also adds a waveform display that's especially useful for exposing its 10-bit Log footage. The Nikon Zf's performance lives up to its looks. It's not as comfortable to hold for long periods as more modern designs, but it's also distinctive and engaging in a way they're arguably not. We're still completing our testing, but it hasn't disappointed yet.

Read our initial review of the Nikon Zf

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"6922569214","isMobile":false}) }) The compact option: Sony a7C II

33MP BSI CMOS sensor | 4K/60p video with 10-bit color | Dedicated ‘AI’ processor for AF system

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$2198 at B&H Photo $2198 at Adorama $2198 at Amazon What we like:

• Big camera features in a small body
• Outstanding AF performance
• Auto Framing video mode

What we don't:

• No joystick control
• No fully mechanical shutter

The Sony a7C II is a compact, full-frame mirrorless camera with a 33MP BSI CMOS sensor.

The a7C II's viewfinder is a little small and rather low resolution for this price, but it's part of what helps the camera stay so compact. Modern full-frame lenses are often so large as to make the difference in camera size fairly trivial but Sony's E-mount has the widest range of lenses available, so there are some relatively compact options.

The a7C II is impressively small for a full-frame camera. The addition of a front control dial improves handling significantly and brings it closer to its peers. A fully articulating screen anchors the back and features an extremely responsive touch interface. Unlike many cameras at this price, there’s no joystick control. Autofocus performance on the a7C II is fantastic and is helped by having a processor dedicated to handling machine learning-derived algorithms. Subject recognition is quick, and the AF system tracks subjects tenaciously around the frame in both stills or video. 10 fps burst shooting with continuous AF results in a dependably high hit rate. “The a7C II is a surprisingly capable camera for its size.” The a7C II's 4K/30p video is downsampled from 7K, but with fairly high rolling shutter. There's also 4K/60p from an APS-C crop, all in 10-bit color. S-Log3 and S-Cinetone profiles provide flexibility in post, and the camera supports internal LUTs. Auto Framing mode punches in on subjects, keeping them framed and in focus. The camera includes mic and headphone jacks. The a7C II is a surprisingly capable camera for its size. It essentially provides the same level of image quality, video capabilities, and AF performance as Sony’s a7 IV, but in a smaller package. In exchange for the small size, you make a few tradeoffs, like no AF joystick, but if compact size is a priority the a7C II will get you there with few compromises.

Read our full review of the Sony a7C II

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"0861943200","isMobile":false}) }) Should I buy the Sony a7 IV, a7 III or a7C?

The Sony a7 IV is, in several ways, a better camera than the a7C II. It has a much nicer viewfinder and slightly better ergonomics. It also has a full mechanical shutter, which means there's no risk of the slight image glitches that can occur if you shoot images at very high shutter speeds with wide apertures. But it's also larger, heavier and offers less effective image stabilization than the newer, generally less expensive model. If compactness doesn't matter to you then it might be worth your while to pay a little extra for the a7 IV's larger, higher resolution viewfinder, but only if the price difference is small.

It's a similar story with the a7 III and a7C. These are from an older generation of products with less sophisticated autofocus, video and image stabilization. They also use an older, more awkward-to-navigate menu system which we'd happily pay to avoid ever having to use again. The a7C lacks the version II's front control dial and features an even smaller viewfinder, so we'd be inclined to save up for one of the newer models.

What about APS-C?

There are a couple of high-end APS-C cameras that fall in the realms of our 'around $2000' guide, and they're certainly worth a look. The smaller APS-C sensor format generally gives the Canon EOS R7 and Fujifilm X-T5 an image quality disadvantage, compared with the full-frame models in this guide, but also means they can give smaller lens/camera combinations. They're also markedly less expensive than the other cameras we'd recommend.

In the case of the Fujifilm X-T5, you gain access to a wide range of lenses that includes some well-priced options and a healthy selection of prime lenses, that can be fun to shoot with. Fujifilm's X-T series significantly pre-dates Nikon's Zf and Z fc throwback models and arguably has a more refined shooting experience. Its autofocus isn't up with the best cameras in this guide, nor is its video output, but it's a camera we really like, if a compact kit and prime lenses appeal to you.

Best for video and stills: Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II

24MP BSI CMOS sensor | 6K/30p 10-bit video | 96MP high-resolution mode

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$1998 at B&H Photo $1998 at Adorama $1998 at Amazon What we like:

• Great ergonomics
• Effective subject recognition
• Fan gives long video record periods

What we don't:

• Subject tracking could be stickier
• E-shutter not as fast as rivals
• Middling battery life

The Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II is an enthusiast-level camera with impressive feature sets for both stills and video, It's built around a 24MP CMOS sensor and uses the L-mount shared with Leica and Sigma.

The S5 II can't quite keep up with the latest Sony and Canon bodies for AF reliability, but it's pretty close, and its video feature list is particularly strong. Features such as waveforms and a built-in fan for recording dependability make it the strongest option in its class if you plan to shoot both stills and video.

The mid-sized, weather-sealed body has good ergonomics. It includes a lot of external control points, including a dedicated AF mode switch, which isn’t common at this level, and an articulating rear screen. The menu system and touchscreen interface are among the best at any level. Phase detect autofocus provides more predictable AF than previous Panasonic models. Human subject recognition is effective, prioritizing the eyes, followed by faces, heads, and bodies. An 8-way joystick makes manual AF point selection easy. 30fps bursts use e-shutter, with moderate risk of rolling shutter distortion. “The Panasonic S5 II is one of the most well-rounded cameras in its class... For an enthusiast-level camera, there’s a lot to like.” The S5 II captures detailed video in a variety of resolutions and aspect ratios, all in 10-bit color. There are also advanced video tools that are rare or unique in this class of camera, including waveform and vectorscopes, shutter angle, and advanced audio options like dual input gain.

There's also an S5 IIX model which can record video directly to an external SSD, allowing higher quality capture in All-I and ProRes codecs. It's a better choice if you're serious about video.

The Panasonic S5 II is one of the most well-rounded cameras in its class. Its excellent ergonomics make for great handling, and its AF system is adept at identifying subjects, though subject tracking could be stickier and more decisive. It produces great photos and video and includes one of the deepest video feature sets for its price range.

Read our initial review of the Panasonic DC-S5 II

$(document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({"galleryId":"1023117505","isMobile":false}) }) What's best for video?

If you're only interested in video, Sony's FX30 might be a better choice than the S5 II or S5 IIX. The Panasonics offer full-frame 4K up to 30p, which give a potential image quality benefit over the APS-C FX30, but the Sony will exhibit less rolling shutter distortion. The FX30 also has the benefit that its 60p footage isn't cropped-in, compared with its 24 and 30p capture, meaning you won't have to zoom or swap lenses if you change frame rates. It applies a heavy crop for its 4K/120p mode, but that's something the Panasonics can't offer at all.

The S5 II also offers a waveform display and control in terms of shutter angle, which the Sony lacks, but the Sony's gimbal or rig-friendly design and superior autofocus make it the better choice if video is your primary focus.

Best for vlogging

Full-width 4K/60p, 120p with minor crop | Auto cropping/framing modes | Subject recognition AF

Photo: Richard Butler

Buy now:

$2198 at B&H Photo $2198 at Adorama $2198 at Amazon What we like:

• 4K footage up to 120p
• Auto-cropped modes aid one-person operation
• Effective autofocus

What we don't:

• Recording times can be short in warm conditions
• 12MP resolution not optimal for stills
• Cropped footage is upscaled to 4K

The Sony ZV-E1 is a full-frame E-mount mirrorless camera aimed at vloggers and ambitious content creators.

The ZV-E1 is a specialist tool designed for vlogging. It shares many of its capabilities with the more expensive FX3 and a7S III but adds a series of modes that automatically frame and follow a presenter around the scene, if you're trying to shoot video single-handed. The lack of fan and single card slot significantly dent its recording endurance, so it's unlikely to work as a cheaper alternative to the FX3 for serious video work.

The ZV-E1 has two command dials, both on the back of the camera, which makes manual video control a little fiddly, there's a touchscreen-led interface to encourage more automated presenter/operator working, though. The ZV-E1's subject recognition system is highly reliable. The lack of a fan means it's much more susceptible to overheating than the otherwise similar FX3. It adds automated modes that crop and follow a recognized subject around the frame, adding dynamism to single-operator footage. "The ZV-E1 has some clever automated modes but can be a bit fiddly to operate. It's hard to match the power for the price, though" The camera's 4K footage (up to 120p) is detailed with relatively little rolling shutter, but you'll want to use the strongest level of image stabilization (with crop) for hand-held shooting as it's a little juddery in less intensive modes. The camera's 12MP sensor takes perfectly attractive images with plenty of dynamic range and pleasant JPEG color but the low resolution means it wouldn't be our choice if stills shooting is important to your work. The ZV-E1 tries to marry the capability of the FX3 cinema camera with automated ease-of-use, but can end up being quite confusing in the auto modes and quite fiddly if you try to take a more hands-on approach. It's hard to match the power for the price, though.

Read our initial review of the Sony ZV-E1

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.

The Air 3 (left) and the Mini 4 Pro (right) were released months apart in 2023. They share many similarities and a few differences. Which one is right for you?

Photo: Kara Murphy

Drones have been accessible to the general public for about a decade and continue to grow in popularity. They’ve become a valuable tool for videographers and photographers alike, providing unique vantage points that otherwise would have required renting a helicopter. With Skydio and Autel recently announcing a departure from the consumer drone market, DJI has emerged as the leader in this particular niche.

Buy the DJI Mini 4 Pro:

$759 at Amazon $759 at B&H $759 at DJI

Buy the DJI Air 3:

$1099 at Amazon $1099 at B&H $1099 at DJI

DJI’s Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro are ushering in a new era of safer, more reliable flying. Both models offer 360º omnidirectional obstacle detection, superior connectivity between the remote and drone with DJI’s OcuSync 4 (O4) transmission technology, and a variety of automated features that make capturing polished and professional-looking imagery feasible – all at a relatively affordable price.

The Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro have updated gimbal clamps that protect the wide-angle fisheye cameras on the front of their bodies.

Photo: Kara Murphy

These drones have a lot in common, but they each have specific features that make them more suitable for certain people, depending on budget. We’ll explore what the Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro offer and see which is the best option for most drone pilots. Is it worth investing in one of these newer models? Let's find out.

By the numbers: DJI Air 3 vs. Mini 4 Pro

The Air 3 is larger, heavier, and costs more than the sub-250g Mini 4 Pro. [A sub-250g does not need to be registered with the FAA in the US or with analogous agencies in many other countries, as long as it’s being used for recreational purposes.] This will make any Mini or sub-250g drone more appealing for some folks as Remote ID becomes effective in March 2024.

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Weighing 720g, the Air 3 is heavier and will fare much better in high winds and other elements than the lightweight Mini 4 Pro. If you are in urban areas where wind tunnels form between buildings or if you fly your drone along the coast near large bodies of water, a lightweight drone is not your best option. And, yes, due to its weight, you'll need to register it to comply with Remote ID.

DJI Air 3 Mini 4 Pro Price

$1,099 with RC-N2

$1,349 Fly More Combo with RC-N2

$1,549 Fly More Combo with RC 2

$759 with RC-N2

$959 with RC 2

$1,099 Fly More Combo with RC 2

$1,159 Fly More Combo Plus with RC 2

Camera

Dual-camera system

Type 1/1.3 sensor

12MP (AEB 3/5/7) or 48MP (AEB 3/5)

F2.8 (fixed), 70mm, F1.7 (fixed)

Type 1/1.3 sensor, F1.7 (fixed)

12MP (AEB 5/7, 2X zoom)

48MP (AEB 3)

Digital Zoom Wide-Angle Camera: 1-3x

Medium Tele Camera: 3-9x

4K/60p

1-3x, up to 4K/60p

4x, up to 1080p/60p

Max Video Resolution 4K/60p, 150 Mbps 4K/60p, 150 Mbps Video Transmission OcuSync 4.0 (O4), 20 km OcuSync 4.0 (O4), 20 km Log Video 10-bit D-Log M 10-bit D-Log M Intelligent Flight Features

Waypoints

Cruise Control

FocusTrack

MasterShots

QuickShots

Waypoints

Cruise Control

FocusTrack,

ActiveTrack 360º

MasterShots

QuickShots

Obstacle Detection and Avoidance Omnidirectional, 360º Omnidirectional, 360º Flight Time 46 minutes 34 minutes/45 minutes* Dimensions 207×100.5×91.1 mm (8.15x3.96x3.59 in) 148×94×64 mm (5.83x3.7x2.52 in) Weight 720g 249g Vertical Shooting 2.7K/60p True Vertical, 4K/60p

*45-minute flight time requires a heavier battery, increasing the Mini 4 Pro's weight to >250g.

The Mini 4 Pro is the first DJI drone to offer ActiveTrack 360º, which allows you to follow a subject from any angle, in any direction, including the front. The Air 3 will not allow you to track a car or person from the front.

The Mini 4 Pro also allows for True Vertical Shooting, meaning the camera's entire sensor is used without cropping in any FocusTrack mode or while recording video at up to 4K/60p. This also applies to still images. Vertical shooting is available on the Air 3, but only at a maximum resolution of 2.7K/30p as of this writing. Since this camera does not rotate, the image is cropped.

DJI Air 3 vs Mini 4 Pro: Battery life and runtime

DJI made the front legs of the Mini 4 Pro longer. This makes launching and landing much easier than the Mini 3 Pro.

Photo: Kara Murphy

The Air 3 has brand-new, larger-capacity batteries that snap into the back of the drone. At up to 46 minutes of battery life, the Air 3 has the same flight time as the much more expensive Mavic 3 series.

If you use a standard Intelligent Flight battery on the Mini 4 Pro, you’ll get up to 34 minutes of flight time. The Intelligent Flight Plus batteries give you up to 45 minutes. However, using the bigger Plus battery will place the Mini 4 Pro's weight above 250g, and you’ll need to register it before flying.

Both the Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro have charging consoles that secure the batteries when charging. Because you can’t see how much a Mini battery is charged, the console will display the remaining amount of power for each one. As a bonus, the Air 3’s console is designed to allocate all the power from the other two batteries to one so you can take a full flight.

DJI Air 3 vs Mini 4 Pro: Remote compatibility

The Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro are compatible with the RC-N2 and RC 2 remote controllers. These are your only remote options since there's no backward compatibility with older models. Both remotes have DJI’s O4 technology, which gives the drones a 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) range. While you never would fly that far beyond visual line of sight, this robust transmission can help deliver uninterrupted connectivity and a 1080p/60p low-latency stream to your remote’s screen.

DJI's RC 2 remote looks similar to the original DJI RC. The difference is the antennas included for superior transmission between the drone and its remote.

Photo: Kara Murphy

DJI Air 3 vs Mini 4 Pro: Cameras

The Air 3 is the first in its series to offer a dual-camera system and support native vertical (9:16) shooting. The bottom main camera has a 24mm equiv. fixed F1.7 wide-angle lens and 82º FOV. On top is a 70mm medium telephoto camera (giving you the equivalent of 3X optical zoom from the main camera) with a fixed F2.8 aperture with a 35º FOV. Both cameras use Type 1/1.3 CMOS sensors that support 12MP pixel-binned and 48MP full-resolution photos.

The Mini 4 Pro has a single camera with the same Type 1/1.3 CMOS sensor, 24mm equiv. focal length and fixed F1.7 aperture as the Mini 3 Pro. Instead of relying on a separate telephoto lens, you can crop in up to 2x digitally when shooting 12MP photos, which does result in a hit to image quality.

The Air 3 is the first in its series to offer a dual-camera system.

Photo: Kara Murphy

The Air 3 allows for 4K/60p video recording and 4K/100p for slow-motion clips, all of which can be captured using DJI's D-Log M color profile for more flexible post-processing. The Air 3 also includes Night Mode, introduced with the Mavic 3 series; this feature allows you to record up to 4K/30p video at an ISO up to 12800. D-Log M (10-bit) is not supported, however.

The Mini 4 Pro can also record up to 4K/60p video and Slo-Mo 4K/100p footage. The Mini 4 Pro has D-Log M, too; however, as with the Air 3, it's unavailable while shooting in Night Mode.

Intelligent Flight Modes

Both the Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro offer QuickShots – Dronie, Circle, Helix, Rocket, Asteroid, and Boomerang. MasterShots – which performs a series of QuickShots and stitches them all together in the DJI Fly app – is available on both models. FocusTrack, which allows you to select a subject, typically a car or person, and follow it using Point of Interest, ActiveTrack, or Spotlight, is also included.

The Mini 4 Pro is the first DJI drone to introduce ActiveTrack 360º. Building on the original ActiveTrack, this iteration allows you to track a subject from all angles. While the Air 3 allows you to track your subject from the sides or behind, the Mini 4 Pro can also track from the front. A large trace wheel will appear at the bottom left-hand corner of your remote's screen, and you can use your finger to create a custom path for the drone to fly around the subject.

The Mini 4 Pro introduced the ActiveTrack 360º feature. You can draw a path with your finger, and the drone will automatically follow that same course around your tracked subject.

Screenshot: Pilot Institute

What makes either the Mini 4 Pro or the Air 3 a worthwhile investment, however, is the inclusion of the Waypoints Flight feature. This feature allows you to set a predetermined flight path by customizing various parameters for each waypoint, including altitude, speed, and the camera's orientation so that you can repeat a shot multiple times. The drone will then fly the course automatically in the order you designated or in reverse.

On the Air 3 and more advanced drones, including the Mavic 3 series, you'll get more information in your app's interface, including how long the drone takes to complete its course. On the Mini 4 Pro, you get sparse information and will know how long your pre-planned course will take when it starts. All missions can be saved and repeated.

DJI squeezed an auxiliary light onto the Mini 4 Pro while keeping it under 250g. It will activate when you launch and land the drone at night or in low-light conditions.

Photo: Kara Murphy

Another feature available on both drones is Cruise Control. You need to set either the 'C1' or 'C2' button in the Fly app to activate it. You'll fly at a certain speed, and as soon as you hit the designated button, your drone will fly at a consistent speed. This is useful for longer flights and allows you to focus on camera maneuvers, altitude, and other effects.

I already own a Mini 3 Pro or Air 2S. Is it worth the upgrade?

The Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro are both significant upgrades from their predecessors. The Air 3 performs much better in flight, especially in higher winds, has obstacle avoidance in all directions, the Waypoints Flight feature, and far superior battery life. The Air 2S camera has a 20MP, 1-inch CMOS sensor. While the Air 3's Type 1/1.3 camera can produce 48MP images, it uses a quad-bayer sensor and can sometimes produce less refined results.

Starting with the Mini 3 Pro (right) and now the Air 3 (left), DJI has significantly improved the design and functionality of its battery charging consoles.

Photo: Kara Murphy

The Mini 4 Pro's camera uses the same Type 1/1.3 sensor as the Mini 3 Pro, and both are capable of True Vertical Shooting. Where this model shines is, once again, omnidirectional avoidance, Waypoints Flight, and the new Active Track 360º feature that can track a subject from every angle. It's worth noting that if you're like me and ever accidentally flew into a tree due to a lack of sensors on the side, having obstacle detection on every possible side is extremely helpful.

"The Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro are both major upgrades from their predecessors."

Now that we've established that the Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro are, in fact, significant upgrades, we also need to talk about why they may only be for some. Even though they are more budget-friendly than the Mavic 3 series, they still need to be purchased with a new remote. If you already have a DJI RC or RC-N1 controller that you're using with another drone, the Mini 3 Pro or Air 2S are more economically friendly choices. Ultimately, it comes down to what you're willing to spend and what features you're most excited about.

Which one is best for you?

Let's try to answer this article's underlying question: Which DJI drone, released in 2023, is right for you? I've flown both extensively and came to the following conclusions.

The Air 3

the Air 3 is ideal for photographers and videographers looking to shoot at different focal lengths and fly at higher altitudes or along coastlines where wind speeds pick up.

The Air 3's body is 470g heavier than the Mini 4 Pro. That added weight makes it ready to scale tall buildings or mountainous areas. Plus, you get more advanced video and photo features – the maximum 8-second shutter speed can create cool light trail effects or enhance lower-light settings, for instance. The added flight time and extra camera can both be very nice to have, too.

Even though the Mini 4 Pro has omnidirectional obstacle detection and avoidance, it is still susceptible to colliding with small twigs or power wires. Same with the Air 3 or any other DJI drone. A prop cage, pictured, is a great tool for preserving the drone if it crashes or runs into a wall.

Photo: DJI

The Mini 4 Pro

The Mini 4 Pro is ideal for two types of remote pilots: the casual flyer or the professional remote pilot needing additional perks. As we covered in our extensive article on the forthcoming Remote ID ruling, any drone weighing less than 250g at takeoff does not need to be registered with the FAA – so long as it's flown recreationally. That means you get some of DJI's best features at your disposal without needing to register it with the FAA.

"The Air 3 is ideal for those looking to shoot at different focal lengths and fly at higher altitudes or along coastlines where wind speeds pick up."

What I appreciate about the Mini 4 Pro or any Mini-series drone is that DJI has constructed a light prop guard cage that makes operating indoors a breeze. Whether you have the Mini 4 Pro, with omnidirectional obstacle detection and avoidance, or one of the original models with no sensors, the cage, in most cases, will cause the drone to bounce off a wall or object and keep moving.

The Air 3's (right) build resembles the more advanced Mavic 3 (left). Both drones will likely hold up better in higher altitudes and windy conditions than smaller DJI models, such as the Air 2S and Mini series.

Photo: Kara Murphy

I taught my daughter to fly in our house, and we practiced during the winter when it was too cold to operate outside. It should be noted that the FAA's airspace regulations do not apply indoors. A tiny, lightweight drone like the Mini 4 Pro is perfect for this use case.

"The Mini 4 Pro is ideal for two types of remote pilots: the casual flyer or the professional remote pilot who needs some additional perks."

Ultimately, you'd want a Mini 4 Pro for affordable access to cool features such as ActiveTrack 360º and True Vertical shooting – this model is highly versatile thanks to its lengthy feature list. Although it's less capable outdoors and has weaker imaging specs, you do get a lot for your money with this model. Ultimately, there are some distinct differences between the Air and Mini models, and you'll need to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of both based on what you're hoping to do with a drone.

Buy the DJI Mini 4 Pro:

$759 at Amazon $759 at B&H $759 at DJI

Buy the DJI Air 3:

$1099 at Amazon $1099 at B&H $1099 at DJI

Photo: Ricoh

Ricoh has announced the WG-90, an update to its WG series of rugged compact cameras. The big change is the WG-90 sees a badging switch back to Pentax. The switch in branding, according to Ricoh was to capitalize on Pentax's reputation for, "developing dustproof, waterproof and weather-resistant products."

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The WG-90 is designed to be rugged and waterproof with a 28mm to 140mm equivalent 5x optical zoom lens with integrated ring light. It's built around a 16MP Type 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.55mm) BSI CMOS sensor. It has stated water resistance down to a depth of 14m (46'), shockproof against a fall from a height of 1.6m (5') and freeze-proof against temperatures as low as -10°C (14°F).

The WG-90 is available in two new colors: blue and "Classic" black.

The WG series of waterproofs was begun by Pentax in 2011, the same year Ricoh bought the company, and was marked as such for the next three generations. The series was moved under the Ricoh name in 2014, with the Pentax name solely used for interchangeable lens cameras, but the launch of the WG-90 sees it revert to its original branding.

Price and availability

Ricoh has yet to share pricing but did say this model would replace the WG-80 in early 2024. The WG-90 will be offered in either blue or black body finishes.

Ricoh announces PENTAX WG-90 waterproof digital compact camera

WG series to be marketed under PENTAX brand, joining other dustproof, waterproof and weather-resistant products

PARSIPPANY, New Jersey, November 14, 2023 — Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation today announced the PENTAX WG-90 digital camera. The WG series all-weather adventure cameras – known for their rugged chassis, plus waterproof and shock-resistant features – will now be offered under the PENTAX brand which is regarded industry-wide for developing dustproof, waterproof and weather-resistant products. The PENTAX WG-90—available in early 2024—effectively replaces the current-model RICOH WG-80 camera, which will continue to be available through the holidays and into the new year.

The PENTAX WG-90 is a compact, waterproof digital compact camera with a lightweight body that features a high-performance, five-times optical zoom lens with a focal-length coverage from 5mm to 25mm (equivalent to approx. 28mm to 140mm in the 35mm format). Its back-illuminated, 16-megapixel CMOS image sensor and high-performance imaging engine deliver a top sensitivity of ISO 6400 and produce super-high-resolution images.

Offered in either an attractive blue or classic black body finish, the PENTAX WG-90 assures outstanding reliability and operability even under harsh conditions where ordinary compact cameras and smartphones may be unusable. Its outdoor-friendly monitor swiftly optimizes the image brightness level to improve the visibility of a scene in bright outdoor locations. It also features a built-in ring light with adjustable illumination levels that powers the PENTAX-original Digital Microscope mode, allowing the user to capture clear, vivid images of a microscopic world normally undetectable to the naked eye. The PENTAX WG-90 can be used for a wide range of scenes and subjects, ranging from casual snapshots to outdoor and underwater photography, and even in specialized worksite applications.

The PENTAX WG-90 is designed to be waterproof down to a depth of 46 feet (14 meters), shockproof against a fall from a height of five feet (1.6 meters), and freeze-proof against temperatures as low as 14°F (-10°C).

|Main Features of the new PENTAX WG-90| 1. Heavy-duty construction assuring underwater shooting down to 46 feet (14 meters), for up to two hours of continuous operation

The WG-90’s solid, airtight body is not only waterproof down to a depth of (46 feet) 14 meters for up to two hours of continuous operation (equivalent to IPX 8 or JIS Class 8), but is also shockproof against a fall from a height of five feet (1.6 meters),* and dustproof (equivalent to IPX 6 or JIS Class 6), freeze-proof to temperatures as low as 14°F (-10°C), and crushproof against weights up to 100kgf (kilogram force).** Thanks to this heavy-duty construction, the WG-90 performs superbly and dependably even in harsh, demanding outdoor conditions.

2. Exceptional image quality

The WG-90 is equipped with a back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, which assures excellent high-sensitivity and low-noise characteristics and high-speed readout of image data signals. Coupled with a high-performance imaging engine, this image sensor delivers a top sensitivity of ISO 6400 and super-high-resolution images with approximately 16.0 effective megapixels. It also provides advanced image processing functions, made possible by super-resolution technology, to deliver sharper, clearer, higher-resolution images. It even offers such innovative shooting features as Handheld Night Snap mode, which automatically produces a single, blur- free composite image using several images of the same nighttime scene.

3. Six Macro Lights to assist close-up photography

Ideally positioned around the circumference of the lens barrel for macro shooting, six LED Macro Lights provide bright, uniform illumination on a subject when the Digital Microscope mode is selected to magnify a given subject on the LCD monitor, closely observe the microscopic world undetectable with the naked eye and capture the subject in a high- resolution macro image. In the Macro Lighting mode,*** the camera even allows the user to adjust the illumination intensity in five levels, and optimize the close-range flash photography based on the subject or the photographer’s creative intention.
In order to minimize the effects of camera shake and subject movement, the Instant Illumination Enhance function lets the photographer use a higher shutter speed by automatically raising the discharge level of the Macro Lights at the moment of shutter release. The Self-Portrait Assist mode uses the blink of an LED lamp to check if the subject’s face has been safely captured within the picture frame, while the LED Lighting mode makes the Macro Lights function as a lighting device in the dark.

4. 2.7-inch LCD monitor with Outdoor View Setting mode

The WG-90 comes equipped with a 2.7-inch LCD monitor with horizontally expanded 16:9 proportions and approximately 230,000 dots. Thanks to the AR (Anti-Reflection) coating applied to its surface, the monitor minimizes annoying glare and reflections to assure a sharp, clear on-screen image, even in the harsh sunshine often encountered during outdoor shooting. It also provides the Outdoor View Setting mode, which automatically optimizes the monitor’s brightness level for a given lighting condition to improve the visibility of the on- screen image.

5. Underwater-exclusive shooting modes

Based on the data of images captured underwater, the Underwater and Underwater Movie shooting modes are programmed to effectively compensate for the loss of contrast caused by the diffusion of light in the water, while enhancing the reddish hues which fade away in the water. These underwater-exclusive modes capture sharp, clear images of underwater scenes.

In the Underwater mode, the Flash Off + Flash On option allows the user to consecutively capture two images with a single shutter release — one without flash and another with flash.

6. 5X optical zoom lens with a 28mm wide-angle coverage

The WG-90 features a high-performance, five-times optical zoom lens with focal-length coverage from 5mm to 25mm (equivalent to approx. 28mm to 140mm in the 35mm format) to accommodate a wide range of scenes and subjects, including sweeping landscapes. It also provides other user-friendly shooting functions such as: the Intelligent Zoom function that extends the zoom range by approximately 36 times**** (equivalent to 1008mm in the 35mm format) for super-high-magnification telephotography without compromising image quality; and an interval shooting mode that comes in handy for fixed point photography.

7. Triple anti-shake protection to prevent blurred images in all applications

(1) Pixel Track SR mechanism:
When recording still images, this advanced shake-reduction mechanism effectively compensates for camera shake by digitally processing affected images.
(2) Digital SR mode:
When the camera detects low-light conditions in still-image shooting, this mode automatically raises the sensitivity to as high as ISO 6400, making it possible to use a higher shutter speed and effectively minimize the adverse effect of camera shake and subject shake in poor lighting conditions.
(3) Movie SR mode:
During movie recording, this mode effectively compensates for the misalignment of images caused by camera shake through the use of exclusive software to produce beautiful, blur-free movie clips.

8. Full HD Movie recording for extended shooting of high-quality movies

The WG-90 provides Full HD movie recording using the H.264 recording format, letting the user capture high-quality, extended movie clips (1920 X 1080 pixels, 16:9 proportions) at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. To add some creative touches to movie recording, it also features a high-speed camera function***** for slow-motion playback of captured movie clips, and an interval movie function. A micro-HDMI terminal (type D) is also provided on the camera body for simultaneous output of Full HD movie clips and sound to external audio-visual devices.

9. Other features:

(1) Macro stand (included) to maintain a minimum focusing distance of one centimeter to the subject during extended observation and shooting of macro images
(2) Auto Picture mode to automatically select the most appropriate shooting mode from 16 different scene modes
(3) High-speed Face Detection function to capture as many as 32 faces in focus in approximately 0.03 seconds (minimum); Smile Capture function to automatically release the shutter when the subject’s smile is detected
(4) Outdoor-friendly Style Watch function to display the current time on the LCD monitor, using an extended push of the OK button when the camera’s power is turned off
(5) Delay-free, pushbutton start of the playback mode, using an extended push of the playback button while the camera’s power is turned off
(6) Compatibility with the optional O-RC1 Remote Control unit****** to facilitate wireless, remote shooting
(7) Compatibility with the optional O-CC1252 Protector Jacket to protect the camera from stains and scratches

* Measured using RICOH IMAGING-original testing standards — from a height of 1.6 meters, onto a surface of 5cm-thick plywood — conforming to Method 516.5-Shock of the MIL- Standard 810F.
** Measured using RICOH IMAGING-original testing standards.
*** The Macro Lights can be used in Program, Movie and Report modes.
**** This function is available when the recorded size of 640 is selected.
***** When this function is selected, the recorded size is fixed at 1280 X 720 pixels.
****** This accessory cannot be used in the water.

Pentax WG-90 specifications PriceMSRP$279Body typeBody typeCompactBody materialComposite, metalSensorMax resolution4608 x 3456Image ratio w:h1:1, 4:3, 16:9Effective pixels16 megapixelsSensor size1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm)Sensor typeBSI-CMOSColor spacesRGBColor filter arrayPrimary color filterImageISOAuto, 125-6400White balance presets6Custom white balanceYesImage stabilizationDigital onlyUncompressed formatNoJPEG quality levelsFine, normal, basicFile format

• JPEG (Exif v2.3)

Optics & FocusFocal length (equiv.)28–140 mmOptical zoom5×Maximum apertureF3.5–5.5Autofocus

• Contrast Detect (sensor)
• Multi-area
• Center
• Tracking
• Single
• Continuous
• Face Detection
• Live View

Autofocus assist lampYesDigital zoomYes (7.2X)Manual focusYesNormal focus range50 cm (19.69″)Macro focus range1 cm (0.39″)Number of focus points9Screen / viewfinderArticulated LCDFixedScreen size2.7″Screen dots230,000Touch screenNoScreen typeTFT LCDLive viewYesViewfinder typeNonePhotography featuresMinimum shutter speed4 secMaximum shutter speed1/4000 secExposure modes

• Auto
• Program

Scene modes

• Auto Picture
• Program
• HDR
• Handheld Night Snap
• Movie
• High Speed Movie
• Digital Microscope
• Landscape
• Flower
• Portrait
• Underwater
• Underwater Movie
• Interval Shot
• Interval Movie
• Surf & Snow
• Kids
• Pet
• Sport
• Night Scene
• Night Scene Portrait
• Fireworks
• Food
• Digital SR
• Report
• Green

Built-in flashYesFlash range5.50 m (at Auto ISO)External flashNoFlash modesOn, offDrive modes

• Single
• Self-timer
• Continuous
• Burst
• Remote control
• Auto Bracketing

Self-timerYes (2 or 10 secs, remote)Metering modes

• Multi
• Center-weighted
• Spot

Exposure compensation±2 (at 1/3 EV steps)AE Bracketing±2 (3 frames at 1/3 EV steps)Videography featuresFormatMPEG-4, H.264Modes

• 1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 1280 x 720 @ 120p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 1280 x 720 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
• 1280 x 720 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM

MicrophoneMonoSpeakerMonoStorageStorage typesInternal + SD/SDHC/SDXC cardStorage included68MBConnectivityUSB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)HDMIYes (micro-HDMI)Microphone portNoHeadphone portNoRemote controlYes (Wireless)PhysicalEnvironmentally sealedYesDurabilityWaterproof, ShockproofBatteryBattery PackBattery descriptionD-LI92 lithium-ion battery & chargerBattery Life (CIPA)300Weight (inc. batteries)193 g (0.43 lb / 6.81 oz)Dimensions123 x 62 x 30 mm (4.84 x 2.44 x 1.18″)Other featuresOrientation sensorYesTimelapse recordingYesGPSNone