When Fujifilm teased its new X half camera, the industry went into a tizzy trying to figure out if it was a half-frame analog camera or a compact digital. It turns out that the Fujifilm X half is actually not half a camera but more like two cameras in one.
You might think that the world has enough 24-megapixel full-frame cameras by now, but you would be wrong. With image quality having reached a performance plateau, the only way to improve is by going faster. Last year, Nikon released its Z6 III, debuting a new partially stacked sensor. We wondered when another camera might come out that utilizes this same excellent technology, and now that wait is over.
The DJI Mavic is the all-around choice for midrange professional use, and now we get to witness the fourth version in all its splendor. Much like the 3 Pro that comes before it, the Mavic 4 Pro features a three-camera array on a sophisticated gimbal using Hasselblad color science to provide stunning photos and videos.
I love the 75mm focal length. In fact, anything around 70mm to 90mm is more like a normal lens for me than a 50mm. And if the lens has a fast aperture, I'm even more enamored.
Professional telephoto lenses made specifically for wildlife and sports tend to be the most expensive money can buy. They push the envelope of lens technology, not to mention size and weight. What if I told you that Sigma made a lens that delivers the same f/4 aperture combined with a more versatile zoom range but is also only $6,000, substantially less money than the competition? It sounds too good to be true.
Compact point-and-shoot cameras are more popular than ever. I thought they would be gone forever, replaced and surpassed by the modern smartphone but boy, was I wrong. The compact digital camera is experiencing a renaissance and Yashica has jumped into the fray with its City series of cameras to capitalize on the hype.
The PowerShot name belonged to some of the best Canon compact digital cameras ever made but it has faded into obscurity of late. However, in the spirit of excellent cameras such as the Canon PowerShot G1X, we now see a return to the storied lineup. The $900 Canon PowerShot V1 has arrived and this latest vlogging camera has everything charming and powerful about its predecessors.
The Nikkor 35mm f/1.2 changed my mind about the 35mm focal length. You may already know that I am quite vocal about my disdain for this particularly popular prime but the unique look that an f/1.2 aperture can provide finally won me over.
In the camera review game, the continuous grind of lens and camera reviews can get a little monotonous sometimes. But every once in a while, a product comes along that is so innovative and so outside the box that you can’t help but stand in awe. Outdoor Monster represents a moment exactly like this and I had the privilege to test it out for myself.
The original Nikon Z5 is four years old now and probably still represents the best bang for the buck in the affordable full-frame game. With ample controls, excellent 24-megapixel image quality, and even dual card slots, the Z5 had no right to be as affordable as it was.
Every summer as a child, I attended a day camp during the school break because my single-parent mother had to work to make ends meet. Of course, I wanted to stay home and play video games but I soon began to love learning archery, making new friends, and exploring the wilderness without TV or computer screens to distract me. Many wonderful memories were made and I look back on these times fondly. It is this nostalgia for a simpler and more adventurous time that Camp Snap Photo is trying to market with its popular little 103B Camp Snap camera.
Fujifilm's GFX medium format camera line features versatile and relatively affordable cameras in an industry normally dominated by prestigious names like Phase One or Hasselblad. However, Fujifilm also makes the insanely popular X100 series of cameras which make for a perfect compact companion to the traveling urban photographer. So what would happen if you combined the over-your-shoulder convenience of the X100 with the raw image quality of the GFX? The answer is the GFX100RF.
Expanding on our efforts we started last year, we're again taking a look at the best smartphones for photography available in 2025. We have four phones to look at this time: the Apple iPhone 16 Pro, Google Pixel 9 Pro, Samsung S25 Ultra, and a newcomer in the OnePlus 13. I intend to provide some education on what situations some of these phones might excel in versus the other so you can select which is best suited for you.
In the DSLR days, Sigma was well known for making affordable super-zoom lenses that traded convenience for some image quality. However, recently, Sigma has transformed itself into a preeminent optics manufacturer, building high-grade lenses that many professionals prefer over OEM glass options. Now Sigma is back at it, and it's a welcome return.
One of the most fundamental lessons taught in any art form is to strip away the excess; to streamline and distill down to its essence, only the most essential parts. We see this in many art forms such as sculpture, writing, and even photography, and now we have it in a camera. But is it possible to go too far?
Viltrox is steadily expanding its line of lenses and I’ve committed to making 2025 the year that I review more of them. Viltrox lenses have earned a glowing reputation and I very much enjoyed the 135mm f/1.8. But the latest 25mm f/1.7 comes in at an incredibly low price of $179. Can a lens this affordable make a favorable impression or is it too good to be true?
I distinctly remember when the Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 lens first entered the market. It was a lens designed to project a larger circle of light onto the sensor and therefore it was huge. As bulky as it was, this oversized design enhanced the overall sharpness of the lens, especially toward the corners, and quickly cemented itself a legendary status. However, the Zeiss Otus lenses were designed for DSLR cameras and it has been six years since the 100mm Otus was released. A lot can happen in six years and the other manufacturers have had plenty of time to catch up in terms of optical performance.
Alberta, Canada, has been pounded by polar vortex after polar vortex, pushing daytime temperatures down to -25 Celsius before any wind chill factors in. As Alberta-born Canadians, Jordan and I can brave the frigid temperatures for the sake of the show, but with our lavalier microphones refusing to hold a charge and our camera EVFs running at eight frames per second, we pressed on to review a fascinating little lens on what we knew would be a taxing day.
I wasn't looking forward to a trip halfway around the world even though I've always wanted to see northern Norway. My main concern was the two full days of flight time to partake in the two-day-long launch event, but the rumors pointed to a long-awaited S1R replacement so it was worth the toil. The weather turned out to be very wet and very cold, but the camera may have made it all worthwhile.
I have gone on the record with two stances for a while now: manufacturers need to cash in on their classic heritage and someone needs to make a compact Micro Four Thirds body. OM System just announced the new $2,000 OM-3 camera and while it certainly covers the first request, it kind of misses on the second one.
Nikon has created a compelling lineup of prime lenses that feature fast apertures and premium optics. The 135mm f/1.8 Plena anchors the telephoto end and the 85mm and 50mm f/1.2 lenses bring incredibly bright apertures to the normal ranges. It makes sense that the logical foray into the wide-angle is going to start with the new Nikkor 35mm f/1.2 S.
The photographic world tends to flow into a state of normality, order, and conformity. Certain lenses just work for most situations, and the popular choices of the professionals quickly become the traditional tools of the masses. It seems everyone starts with a general-purpose lens that covers a rough full-frame range of 28mm to 70mm or so, and then eventually, you end up with something wider and something longer.
The PetaPixel team flew back to San Jose, California for 2025's Samsung Unpacked event ready to review the new Galaxy S25 Ultra smartphone as a tool for creators. Although all the new S25 phones feature a brand new Snapdragon 8 Elite 3nm processor and similar AI-based tools, it is the $1,299 Ultra which has the latest camera hardware that we want to focus on.
The PetaPixel team is in San Jose, California for the Samsung Unpacked event and is working hard on our review of the latest Galaxy S25 Ultra for photographers. However, we did get an early briefing and first look at the latest high-end phone from Samsung and we have some thoughts about the most exciting features.
Why buy a product from Leica with many of the same internal components and capabilities as the far more affordable entries from the other makers? Leica seeks to answer that question with its latest SL3-S, a 24-megapixel design aimed squarely at cameras like the Panasonic Lumix S5IIX.
The majority of professional photographers pray at the Church of the Holy Trinity. That is to say that they make their daily bread with an ultra-wide f/2.8 zoom, a general-purpose 24-70mm f/2.8, and a 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto. This is a tradition that has held true for decades from the time of the autofocusing film SLR to the modern mirrorless cameras of today. Good things come in threes so today we look at the best three lenses from the three biggest companies.
It's well-known that I am not a fan of the 35mm focal length. It's also well-known that I am in the extreme minority on this. Everyone loves a good 35mm lens which is a prime candidate for a faster f/1.4 aperture. Samyang has answered the call with its latest "Prima" series of lenses which promise to be optical standouts with sophisticated autofocusing.
Viltrox has been making waves in the lens space for a while now, but its LAB series, a new push into professional-grade optics, takes the company's ambitions up a notch (or two). The Viltrox LAB 135mm f/1.8 aims to deliver professional performance at a much lower price. Does it deliver the goods?
Here, we thought that the smartphone would kill the point-and-shoot digital camera. There is, instead, a steady resurgence with more and more (mostly young) people purchasing used point-and-shoot cameras. The Panasonic ZS99 aims to capitalize on the trend, offering a modernized take on an older P&S model.
The Lomography Lomo'Instant Automat Wide Glass aims to be the best instant camera on the market, and in many ways, it lives up to this ambitious goal.
My editor-in-chief, Jaron Schneider, tasked me with a Christmas challenge to review a camera unlike anything I had reviewed before. On my doorstep shows up a Bluey-themed kids' camera with the worrisome "eKids" branding on the bottom. I had a family vacation coming up in Alberta's capital city of Edmonton, so it was the right opportunity to put the camera through a rugged baptism of fire. We planned on shooting at the Royal Alberta Museum, which would give us bright and dark conditions in which to test the camera. Even with low expectations, I came away disappointed.
Jordan and I regularly give our two cents about the lenses we enjoy the most from each of the major manufacturers. Taking each brand in turn, we list our favorite wide-angle, normal zooms, normal primes, portrait, and telephoto lenses. However, we have never tackled the Micro Four Thirds system, which is unique because it has two major OEM manufacturers that can share lenses. This gives us roughly twice as many optics to sift through, but we managed to narrow it down.
Some of the best traditions are holiday traditions. Turkey at Thanksgiving, pumpkin carving at Halloween, and Christmas trees loaded with decorations are some of the cherished classics but undeniably, the greatest of them all is our annual Best and Worst camera gear roundup.
Hasselblad is a name that screams premium optics at a premium price. However, Hasselblad recently developed a line of more compact and somewhat more affordable lenses categorized under the “P” for portable moniker.
I like the ultra-compact Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L lens very much. It’s easy to carry around in the camera bag. It’s very sharp and well-corrected. But the inability to attach a teleconverter is a huge strike against a fast 70-200mm lens and video shooters don’t like the shifting balance as you zoom the extendable lens elements.
Now that Canon has released the R1 and Sony has updated its a1 II platform, the Nikon Z9 has stiff competition. The title of "flagship camera" represents the pinnacle of each company's technological abilities and becomes the outward face of that company for all to judge. Should a flagship camera be able to handle anything that is thrown at it? And is there such a thing as a "best" right now?
I wanted to love this camera so desperately. When I first looked at the X-M5, I was won over by its handsome design and compact nature. And the world needs more stylish little cameras like this, which are within the reach of most people’s budgets. However, we might lose too much to make this lower $799 price possible. Most of the technical specs and features were covered in a previous video and subsequent article, but I want to focus on the make-or-break features today.
I’m an outlier in the photo world, especially regarding glass. I dislike the 35mm focal length, and as much as I love a good 24mm lens, a 28mm lens is even better. Maybe this is why I immediately gravitated to the quirky Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 zoom when it first came out. Despite its massive form factor, this bulbous gem of a lens quickly became a favorite of mine.
The original Sony a1 is one of the most capable, advanced, and expensive flagship cameras ever. When it first came out, it wowed potential buyers with a fast-scanning 50-megapixel sensor without major rolling shutter issues while offering fast burst rates. It has been almost four years since then, and now we have a version II from Sony in our hands. Does the apple fall far enough from the tree to make it worth the $6,500 cost?
My first experience with the Canon EOS R1 was in the sweltering heat of Phoenix, Arizona with a pre-production unit. There is of course, only so much that you can test with a pre-production unit under predefined conditions.
Tamron has been in the lens-making business for decades and was initially known for making affordable optics if not always professional-grade optics. Many enthusiasts flocked to Tamron super-zooms for the inherent convenience and low cost that they represented. However, there is a focal length that gained legendary status amongst amateurs and professionals alike and the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro found its way into even the most discerning camera bags.
Nikon's Z50 II is a long time coming. Although the Nikon Z50 II is -- by Nikon's own admission -- aimed at beginner photographers moving up from smartphones, the first thing you notice is just how capable this basic camera design is for serious photography.
Fujifilm has one of the most expansive stable of lenses you could desire for its illustrious X-mount cameras and it just got two more. This time, it chose to expand its lineup on opposite sides of the focal length spectrum.
Fujifilm's new entry-level X-M5 is very affordable and that is a good thing because mirrorless cameras are expensive. At a cursory glance, it feels like every smartphone and mirrorless camera nowadays is further and further beyond the reach of most people who are nonetheless enthusiastic about the art form.
Pentax's popular Pentax 17 showed the market that there is demand for a new-production analog film camera. It wasn't clear if this risky venture would float, but the Pentax 17 has found a loyal following and now we have another player ready to make waves: Mint's Rollei 35AF.
When I first tested the Panasonic Lumix S9, it took a while to truly understand the intention behind it. Although compact and adorable, the it lacked an EVF and had a very basic control structure. Clearly, the S9 was intended for beginner photographers or creators who desired a simple and approachable camera.
In the past, we did a versus battle between the Sony a7R V and the Nikon Z8 but recently Canon updated its R5 II and we thought it to be the right time for a three-way fight.
There is a recurring theme that sneaks its way into the comments section of the YouTube channel. We’ve heard this same statement on The PetaPixel Podcast many times as well and it goes a little something like this: "Why do I have to pay for the video features on a camera when I just take photos?"
Photographers love fixed-focal-length cameras since a single lens forces you to think carefully about the composition and move within the scene to capture the shot. There is a simplicity and a meditative experience to be had, wandering the streets with a compact camera on your shoulder. Make no mistake though, the Leica Q3 43 is a pricey piece of bling at $6,895.
When the Nikon Zf was announced, it felt like an early look at what the Z6 III would eventually be. But a little less than a year later and the Z6 III came with some important differences compared to the retro-inspired Zf. So, which one should you buy?