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.
Yesterday, PetaPixel looked at Map Camera's best-selling new and used cameras of 2024. Now it's time to look at a part of the kit that is just as important: lenses.
In a market crowded with wireless microphone systems, the Godox Cube-C enters with promises of portability, audio quality, and functionality.
A slider can be the secret weapon in a storyteller's toolkit, offering smooth, cinematic movements that transform a shot from ordinary to exceptional.
Map Camera, one of the largest photography retailers in Japan, published its annual breakdown of the 10 best-selling cameras of the year, including new and used models.
Photographer Ralph Man developed a highly versatile new pinhole camera system, the Mania MFZ, which stands for "Multiformat Zoom."
Canon had a strong 2024, launching a new flagship camera, a highly anticipated (and excellent) sequel to the popular EOS R5, and a bunch of diverse new lenses.
After a torrid pace in 2023, during which time Nikon launched a pair of cameras and nine all-new lenses, the company slowed a bit this year, releasing just two new cameras and three lenses. Nonetheless, it was a strong year for the Japanese company and one that helped Nikon continue to claw back market share in the mirrorless era. Plus, Nikon bought RED, so there's that.
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.
Sony had a very solid year. Releasing two cameras and five lenses, Sony wasn't quite as busy as in 2023 but busy enough to maintain its firm grip on the mirrorless camera segment.
Pergear announced an upgraded version of its fast 12mm f/2 wide-angle prime lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras. The new manual focus lens is significantly lighter than its predecessor while still promising strong optical performance and good value.
Very shortly after publishing the dynamic range performance for Canon's latest flagship camera, the EOS R1, the prolific Bill Claff at Photons to Photos added Sony's new flagship, the a1 II, to his ever-expanding library.
Zhuoyao Chen and her partner are both large-format camera enthusiasts from China, now living in Tokyo, Japan. The pair, who especially enjoy landscape and portrait photography, have found existing large-format camera solutions lacking in certain key areas, so like many enthusiasts, they began custom-making cameras -- and now one of these will be available to all as the Smartflex Camera.
Fujifilm was prolific this year, launching four new digital cameras, including the hyper-popular X100VI, a pair of new Instax instant cameras, and four new lenses (although it's more like three).
With firmware version 5.10 launching earlier this month, Nikon has made its flagship Z9 mirrorless camera, released in late 2021, even better. The new firmware is the latest in a long series of free post-launch updates that have made the Z9 even better and much more versatile. Many camera companies believe strongly in post-launch support, but arguably, no camera has benefited more from free firmware updates than the Z9.
The Canon EOS R1 and R3 set new benchmarks for flagship cameras, but a dynamic range comparison by Photons to Photos hints at one taking the edge, and it isn't the newest flagship.
While Sigma absolutely earned its title of PetaPixel's Photo Company of the Year in 2024, legendary German photo company Leica was not far behind. Leica was not only prolific across multiple camera system segments, but the company posted the highest revenue in its 110-year history.
The Leica M2Pi starts with a question few dared to answer: What if the analog purity of a Leica M2 met the experimental, digital world of a Raspberry Pi?
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.
The LincStudio S1 Tablet from LincPlus Studio S1 may look like a standard run of the mill tablet, but this portable pen display has a bit more hidden up its sleeve. The retouching tool is also a fully functional handheld PC that, while not without its shortcomings, has a surprising amount to offer traveling creatives.
Prolific lighting equipment company Godox announced the V100, a new more powerful on-camera flash in the style of the company's V1 and V1 Pro. The V100's claim to fame is the ability to deliver up to 100 watt seconds of power compared to the V1 and V1 Pro's 76Ws output.
With three new lens releases, 2024 was a relatively typical year for Tamron. Last year, Tamron announced two lenses, …
What a fittingly unusual year for Ricoh Pentax, a photo company that itself is quite strange. Always one to march to the beat of its own drum, Ricoh Pentax did things unlike everyone else in 2024, and that's, by and large, a good thing.
Hasselblad was uncharacteristically busy this year, releasing a "new" camera and three new XCD lenses. The premium Swedish camera manufacturer continues to focus heavily on celebrating still photography and the experience of taking photos, and we're here for it.
Gordon Laing of Cameralabs has an early Christmas gift for vintage digital camera enthusiasts, a brand-new Retro Review. Continuing Laing's current Nikon kick, the latest retro camera to go under the microscope is the Nikon Coolpix 990.
It's just a Fujifilm kind of day here at PetaPixel. Alongside some bombshells from an interview and a fresh X100VI teardown at Kolari, some Fujifilm owners have new camera firmware to download and install.
Infrared conversion specialist Kolari routinely shares teardowns of new cameras, such as the EOS R5 II in October, and the Nikon Z8 and Hasselblad X1D II 50C last year. The latest new camera to go under the surgical knife (or screwdriver) is the Fujifilm X100VI.
Amateur Photographer's editor, Nigel Atherton, recently chatted with Fujifilm with Theo Georgiades, general manager of Fujifilm Imaging Solutions UK, discussing a wide range of topics, including Fujifilm's product strategy, performance, and the resurgence of film photography.
Two companies are actively developing products for two distinct camera systems: Fujifilm and Panasonic. In Fujifilm's case, it's the APS-C X Series and the medium-format GFX System. For Panasonic, it's the Micro Four Thirds platform and the L-Mount system, which includes full-frame mirrorless cameras and lenses. We'll look at Fujifilm next week, but for now, the attention is on Panasonic and its rather interesting (and diverse) year of product launches.
Venus Optics launched its Nanomorph LF 1.5x Anamorphic Series lenses, debuting a four-lens lineup of professional-grade anamorphic lenses for full-frame and large-format cameras. The new lenses are designed for high-end and high-budget projects, including theatrical releases.
Buying a camera is like entering into an agreement with the brand. You’re handing over your hard-earned cash, and they are giving you the best product they can, or at least that’s how it used to be.
We're big believers not only in Micro Four Thirds as a platform but OM System as a company. But 2024 was, to put it mildly, a challenging year for OM System.
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.
DJI earned a key win today in an increasingly complicated legal landscape for Chinese companies operating within the United States. The Countering CCP Drones Act was not included in the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed in the United States Congress this week, meaning that DJI is not banned from operating or selling products in the United States.
Viltrox announced a new 35mm f/1.7 autofocus lens for Nikon Z, Sony E, and Fujifilm X-mount APS-C cameras that promises high quality in a compact and lightweight body.
Think "action camera," and visions of snowboarders recording their high-adrenaline run down a slope spring to mind, and with good reason. Action cameras have unlocked new creative options for those wanting to capture their active pursuits on film. The results can be jaw-dropping, thanks to 4K or even 5.7K resolution options, enhanced slow motion, and mind-blowing stability. In short, an action camera can capture footage that looks like it was shot by a film crew rather than a tiny camera mounted to your ski helmet.
It has been a fantastic year for Sigma. While the company did not launch any new cameras, Sigma released six superb new lenses.
Best known for its action and 360-degree cameras, Insta360 also makes cameras for less adventurous scenarios, like video conferencing. The previously teased Insta360 Connect dual-4K camera AI video bar has arrived, as promised.
Tilt-shift lenses have not gotten their due in recent years, with some companies ignoring the lens type altogether in the DSLR-to-mirrorless transition. Venus Optics aims to change that with a pair of new Laowa tilt-shift macro lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras.
Nikon announced a pair of updates that covers a range of its most popular full-frame cameras, starting with a video-centric update to the flagship Z9 and Frame.io camera-to-cloud support for the Z9, Z8, and Z6 III via its NX MobileAir app.
As point-and-shoot cameras are growing in popularity at the same time manufacturers have all but pulled back on making new models, Panasonic is recommitting to the format with the announcement of a new ZS99 -- a successor to the ZS80 and ZS80D.
The Blackmagic Ursa Cine Immersive dual-lens camera system that is designed to capture footage to be viewed on Apple Vision Pro is coming in Q1 2025 and is available to pre-order now for $29,995.
Blending retro Kodak vibes and modern aesthetics, Kodak and skate and lifestyle brand Huf teamed up for a new line of apparel, accessories, a Huf-styled half-frame film camera, and even a film-inspired skateboard deck.
Following this past October's announcement of the Simera-C T1.5 series of cinema lenses for Sony E-mount, Thypoch announced the 21mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 75mm lenses will also be available in Leica M-Mount.
During internal voting and discussions concerning the Camera of the Year, the Canon EOS R1 quickly established itself as a non-contender. This highly anticipated flagship camera has been coming for a long time, but once it finally landed, it felt undercooked, and worse, boring.
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.
In the early hours after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month, one of the first images of the alleged attacker showed him wearing a Peak Design backpack. Rumors in recent days have emerged alleging Peak Design aided in his arrest, and the company's CEO now officially denies this.
Alongside the Nokton 28mm f/1.5 Aspherical lens for E-mount cameras, Cosina announced a new fast, compact apochromatic portrait prime for rangefinder cameras. The Voigtlander APO-Ultron 90mm f/2 lens, available in VM mount, promises excellent optical performance in a portable design that does not obscure a rangefinder's viewfinder frame.
Fotodiox announced the Mamiya 6 to Fujifilm GFX Fusion adapter, which it says is the first-ever lens adapter that can electronically control Mamiya 6 lenses.
A decade ago, in the hallowed halls of the now defunct Photokina show in Cologne, Germany, photographers, journalists, editors, and all sorts of other industry movers and shakers were elbowing each other out of the way to get closer to a trade booth where a brand’s newly launched flagship models were being admired. But the most popular booth of 2014 didn’t belong to Sony, Nikon, or even Canon... it belonged to Samsung.