Image: Nikon

Nikon started operating out of its new headquarters in Tokyo earlier this year, and a few recent posts have shown a few fun Easter eggs hidden around the campus.

Last week, Reddit user tomyan112 posted an image of a manhole cover designed to look like a Nikon lens cap to the site's "Design Porn" board. While it's not the most intricately designed cover in Japan, it does definitely look the part of Nikon's Z-mount lens caps.

I can almost feel that pattern through the screen.

Image: Katsura Iwamoto

Obviously, Reddit posts should be taken with a massive grain of salt, especially in the age of cheap and easy AI generation, but the image appears to be genuine. Before it made it to Reddit, it was posted on X (formerly Twitter), where it was retweeted by Nikon's president and COO, Muneaki Tokunari. There's also another angle of the cover posted by Katsura Iwamoto, a software engineer at Nikon.

Tokunari and Iwamoto have also posted about the floors at the new building. According to Google's translation of an article by the Mynavi news site, the tiles contained bits of crushed glass sourced from lenses that didn't meet quality standards. A translated post from Iwamoto says the chunks are "extremely transparent."

What lens was this glass once destined for before becoming building material?

Image: Katsura Iwamoto

The headquarters covers 18,000m² (almost 4.5 acres), so it seems likely there'll be more design nods to photography uncovered and posted to the internet, especially once the Nikon Museum there reopens to the public. But even if these two examples are all we ever see, it's nice to know that there was care and effort put into making sure the building's construction reflects what the engineers there are building. And PS: if you work for another camera manufacturer and there are similar touches around your campus, definitely get in touch to let us know about it.

Image: Apple

Apple has announced that it will hold a 'special event' on September 9th at 1 PM ET (10 AM PT). The tagline for the event, shown on the invitation sent to members of the press, is "it's glowtime."

In its usual style, Apple hasn't explicitly said it'll announce new iPhones at this event. If history is anything to go by*, we'll almost certainly get our first look at the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro lineup at this event.

While there are a number of rumors swirling around the new phones' photographic capabilities, it seems like it may be a relatively quiet year for Apple's camera hardware, as it was for Google's recent Pixel phones. With the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple moved from a conventional Bayer sensor to one that defaults to delivering 24MP images from a 48MP Quad Bayer chip. The 15 Pro introduced the 5x telephoto lens on the Max model. So far, it doesn't seem like we'll see anything on that level this year, though there is a chance that 5x lens will come to the smaller Pro phone, replacing the 3x one found on the 15 Pro.

The main rumor is that the new crop of phones will include a 'capture button,' which is expected to let you launch a camera app of your choice and then act as an autofocus / shutter button. Currently, you can configure the iPhone 15 Pro's 'Action' button to launch the camera and take pictures, but this new hardware is expected to come to all the phones, and could let Pro owners use the Action button for something else.

There's also a chance that there'll be some significant changes to the iPhone photography experience on the software side – details about how the OS and apps work don't tend to leak as frequently as ones about hardware do. Nowadays, the increasingly advanced processing and availability of AI features set phones' cameras apart almost as much as the hardware, so there's always the possibility that we'll hear about some new 'Apple Intelligence' camera features exclusive to the new models.

* Details for nerds: except for the iPhone 12 models in 2020, Apple's iPhone announcements have all been in September since 2012. Before that, it was more free-form; the 4s was announced in October, the original iPhone in January, and the ones in-between at the Worldwide Developer's Conference in the summer.

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Product images by Richard Butler

The Fujifilm X-T50 is a classically-styled mid-level APS-C mirrorless camera. It's built around the 40MP X-Trans sensor used by the X-T5 and X-H2, and gains image stabilization.

It also gains the majority of the X-T5's features in a smaller, less expensive body.

Key specifications

• 40MP X-Trans BSI CMOS sensor
• X-Processor 5 with majority of capabilities from X-T5
• Image stabilization rated at up to 7.0EV
• 20 Film Simulation modes, including Reala ACE
• Continuous shooting at up to 8fps (20 with E-shutter and crop)
• Subject recognition AF
• Tap to track AF in video mode
• Video capture up to 6.2K/30 in 10-bit up to 4:2:2
• Raw video out over HDMI
• 2.36M dot viewfinder with 0.62x magnification
• Tilting rear touchscreen with 3.0" 1.84M dot LCD
• Battery life rated up to 305 shots per charge (390 in eco mode)
• UHS-II card slot

The X-T50 is available at a list price of $1399, representing a $500 increase over the X-T30 II and a $100 increase, relative to the 26MP, stabilized X-S20. It's also available with the retractable 15-45mm power zoom for $1499 or with the new 16-50mm F2.8-4.8 for $1799.

Fujifilm highlights how many of the X-T5's features it includes, for $300 less. The X-T50 will be available in Silver, Black or a darker silver color scheme called Charcoal.

Buy now:

$1399 at Amazon.com$1399 at B&H Photo$1399 at Adorama Index:

• What's new?
• How it compares
• Body and controls
• Kit lens options
• Image Quality
• Autofocus
• Video
• Conclusion
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

What's new: Image stabilization The X-T50 is still appreciably smaller than the X-T5 but finds room to add an image stabilization mechanism. This has the same rating (up to 7.0 stops of correction) as its more expensive big brother.

The X-T50 gains image stabilization: a first for this line of cameras. Until now you've had to choose between the X-Sx0 cameras, which had stabilization and DSLR-style command dials or the unstabilized X-Tx0 models with a shutter speed dial, whereas now you can simply base your decision on which control system you prefer.

The system is rated as delivering up to 7.0EV of correction, using a combination of gyro data and live-view image analysis to assess and correct movement.

40MP Sensor and X-Processor 5

The X-T50 gains the 40MP X-Trans sensor and latest X-Processor from the X-T5. This combination brings not just the same image quality as the X-T5 but the bulk of that camera's features, too. This includes the latest AF algorithms, as included in the X-T5's f/w 2.0, along with all the subject recognition modes that camera offers.

The X-T50 also includes the Camera-to-Cloud function that lets it upload directly to the Frame.io sharing platform over a Wi-Fi network, along with features such as tap-to-track autofocus in video, recently added to the X-T5.

Film Simulation dial To make the camera's Film Simulation color modes as accessible as possible (and to remind you to experiment with them), there's now a dedicated dial. You can choose which modes are accessed with the FS1, 2 and 3 positions.

After the addition of image stabilization, the most significant update might be the addition of a Film Simulation dial on the camera's left shoulder. This replaces the drive mode control that's been present on previous X-Tx0 models.

It might seem like a small detail, given all Fujifilm models have a selection of Film Simulation color modes, but the addition of a direct control is a smart move for a camera such as this.

There's a world of difference between knowing an option exists in a menu and having a constant reminder of its presence, every time you pick up the camera. A direct control point also significantly lowers the barrier to that feature's use.

The X-T50 fits dedicated shutter speed and exposure comp dials onto its top plate, and even finds room for a customizable button.

Every camera on the market has a series of color modes, some more attractive than others, but Fujifilm's selection of generally subtle, attractive and memorable (thanks to their invocation of film stock names) help deliver some of the best JPEGs out there. The front-of-mind prominence and simplicity of selecting them will undoubtedly prompt more X-T50 photographers to make use of them.

It's not perfect, in that it's a twelve-position dial for a camera that has fourteen film simulations, on which one position passes control off to the camera's command dials. But it's easy enough to customize the three custom positions on the dial, with the option to specify a simulated color filter for the mono modes, once you remember this option is in the main IQ menu, not the setup section.

6.2K video The X-T50 can shoot full-width (but sub-sampled) 4K, 6.2K video from a 1.23x cropped region, or 'HQ' 4K footage derived from this.

The X-T50 offers essentially all the capabilities of the X-T5 on the video side of things, with the ability to shoot 6.2K video at up to 30p (or 'HQ' 4K video derived from it), from a 1.23x cropped region of the sensor. Alternatively it can capture sub-sampled 4K from the full width of its sensor at up to 30p, or up to 60p with a 1.14x crop. As with the X-T5, there's a direct choice to be made between how much detail you wish to capture and how well controlled the rolling shutter is.

Tap-to-track autofocus in video (only added to the X-T5 in late April), F-Log2, a self-timer options, red frame outline when you're recording and control of front and rear tally lamps are also present. The X-T50 can output a data stream over HDMI that can be encoded by Atomos or Blackmagic external recorders as ProRes RAW or Blackmagic Raw, respectively.

How it compares

The X-T50 faces some impressive competition as a result of its price increase. Its price puts it directly in line with Sony's very capable a6700 and much nearer to the cost of Canon's image-stabilized EOS R7 than the less expensive R10 model. Nikon doesn't really have a high-end APS-C camera in its lineup, so we've picked the Z fc, which doesn't offer stabilization but comes closest to Fujifilm in terms of throw-back look and feel.

Fujifilm X-T50 Canon EOS R7 Sony a6700 Nikon Z fc MSRP $1399 $1499 $1399 $959 Pixel count 40MP 33MP 26MP 20MP Viewfinder
(Res/Mag/Eye Point) 2.36M dot
0.62x
17.5mm

2.36M dot
0.72x
22mm 2.36M dots
0.70x
22mm 2.36M dots 0.68x
19.5mm Rear Screen 3.0" 1.84M dot tilting 3.0" 1.62M dot fully-articulated 3.0" 1.04M dots fully articulated 3.0" 1.04M fully articulated Image stabilization Up to 7.0EV Up to 7.0EV Up to 5.0EV Lens only Cont. shooting rate 8fps mech
20fps elec (crop) 15fps mech
30fps elec 11fps mech
11fps elec 11fps mech Video resolution 6.2K/30
4K/60p from 1.18x crop
4K/30p subsampled full-width or with 1.18x crop 4K/30p full-width oversampled,
4K/60p subsampled full-width or with 1.81x crop 4K/60p full-width oversampled
4K/120p with 1.58x crop 4K/30p full-width Video bit-depth 10-bit with HLG and F-Log 10-bit HDR and Log only 10-bit with HLG and Log 8-bit Mic/Headphone sockets Yes / Via USB adapter Yes/Yes Yes/Yes Yes/No Card slots 1x UHS-II 2x UHS-II 1x UHS-II 1x UHS-I Built-in flash? Yes No No No Battery life (CIPA) LCD / EVF 305 / Not given 660 / 380 570 / 550 400 / 360 Weight 438g (15.5oz) 612g (21.6oz) 493g (17.4 oz) 445g (15.7oz) Dimensions 124 x 84 x 49mm 132 x 90 x 92 mm 122 x 69 x 64mm 135 x 94 x 44mm

On paper the Sony is the camera to beat in this company, with its excellent autofocus, its strong video capabilities and impressive battery life making it an easy choice. But there's a lot to be said for the well-honed usability of the Canon, especially now Sigma and Tamron have been allowed to flesh-out the selection of lenses available. This makes life tougher for the Fujifilm, especially in light of its significant price hike. The main area that the Fujifilm stands out is resolution, both for stills and video, and its selection of interesting and attractive 'Film Simulation' color modes.

It's also worth noting that the X-T50 isn't trying to be an enthusiast-focused camera, in the way the Canon and Sony are. As indicated by the Film Simulation dial, the X-T50 is aimed at more casual users growing into photography, rather than experienced camera users.

That said, we've not included the X-T5, one of our favorite APS-C cameras, in this table. Other than battery life, greater feeling of solidity and much nicer viewfinder, the X-T50 matches its specs in many regards. An extra axis of LCD tilt and the inclusion of a second card slot also set the more expensive camera apart though.

Body and handling Part of the reason for the X-T50's small viewfinder is that Fujifilm has left room for a small built-in flash.

Although it maintains the same family appearance as the X-T30 II, the X-T50 is a completely new body. Rather than being essentially a rectangle with rounded corners, when viewed straight down in the plan view, the new cameras has completely curved ends and a forward-jutting extension at the top of the front grip.

It's a wider camera than its predecessor but less deep, despite the addition of in-body stabilization. The revised grip not only helps the camera more closely resemble the X-T5, but also makes it easier to get a firm grip on.

The camera's AEL button has been moved around a little, with it now sitting at the top of three buttons running up the back of the camera, rather than sitting next to the rear command dial. The Q Menu button still sits out on the end of the rear thumb grip.

The X-T50 includes the same AF joystick as the X-T5, but placed a little further down the back of the body, which makes it a little more awkward to control. Its role is made a little less significant by the camera's inclusion of subject recognition AF, though, as it means you don't need to place the AF precisely over your chosen subject, as long as you're trying to capture one of the subjects the camera can recognize.

As with Fujifilm's other cameras, the Face Detection and Subject Recognition modes are completely separate. This is positive in the sense that you can set a button to toggle Eye AF on and off, but means you'll need to configure two buttons if you find yourself wanting to switch from subject mode to face detection and back (engaging one and then disengaging it puts you back in standard AF mode, not with whichever detection mode was previously active).

The viewfinder hump still features a pop-up flash but, as before, this limits the size of the viewinder panel and optics, meaning the X-T50 continues to offer one of the smallest finders in its class.

The X-T50 still uses a 2.36M dot [1024 x 768px] OLED viewfinder panel, which is competitive but not outstanding compared to its peers, but its 0.62x magnification marks it out as being unusually small.

The rear screen is also unchanged, with a tilt up/down read LCD that shares its 3.0", with a very slight res increase to 1.84M-dots [960 x 640px].

Battery

The X-T50 uses the same NP-W126S battery as previous X-Tx0 models. This is Fujifilm's smaller, 8.7Wh battery, which delivers up to 305 shots per charge.

These numbers tend to significantly under-represent how many photos you'll actually be able to take (it's not at all unusual to get twice the rated number of images or more) but they're broadly comparable between cameras. A rating of 305 shots per charge (presumably using the rear screen: Fujifilm doesn't specify), is low for this class, though.

A New Kit Lens

Like its predecessor, the X-T50 is available with Fujifilm's XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, with the kit costing $100 more than the body alone. However, alongside, the X-T50 Fujifilm also announced the 16-50mm F2.8-4.8, which replaces one of the best kit zooms on the market. The previous version has been a key factor in our recommending the company's cameras.

The slightly smaller, lighter and wider 16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR lens makes an impressively capable combination, but it comes at a price.

The new lens loses a little length and around half a stop of brightness at the long end, but it now extends to 24mm equiv, rather than 28mm equiv at the opposite extreme. Between this wideangle expansion and the promises of faster focus and improved optical performance, it'll probably represent a net benefit overall for most uses. It loses optical stabilization just as the X-T50 gains in-body correction and promises weather sealing, but it also adds yet another $100 over the cost of previous kits.

The new 16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR reaches wider and fractionally less far than its predecessor, it's also a little slower at the long end and omits optical stabilization but it moves to an internal zoom design and Fujifilm says it'll be faster to focus and sharper.

Sigma's 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN is a more expensive option, as there are no kit discounts to be had, but it offers over a-stop-and-half benefit at the long end and is smaller. It will soon be available for Canon and Sony, as well as Fujifilm's mount, meaning it's no longer just X-mount that offers an accessible premium zoom option.

Click here to see our Fujinon XF16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR sample gallery

Image Quality

Out-of-camera JPEG shot using the Velvia/Vivid profile.

ISO 125 | 1/420 sec | F4.8 | Fujifilm 16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR
Photo: Mitchell Clark

The X-T50 uses the same 40MP BSI CMOS sensor found in Fujifilm’s X-T5 and X-H2, which has historically beaten its competitors in detail performance. Like its older sibling, the X-T50 has a base ISO of 125.

Studio Scene

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

Image ComparisonThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.

Given their shared tech, it's no surprise that the X-T50 performs nearly identically to the larger and more expensive X-T5 in our studio tests. Comparing Raw images, the X-T50 captures more detail than its competitors with sub-30MP sensors when shooting at base ISO, though it doesn't do much better than the Canon EOS R7, which has 33MP. It's worth noting that part of this may be that Adobe Camera Raw doesn't always get the best out of Fujifilm's proprietary 'X-Trans' color filter design. In areas with fine detail, it displays less false color than its competition.

At higher ISOs, the X-T50 has roughly as much noise as its competitors, though it does fall slightly behind if you pixel-peep on images shot at a very high ISO.

As for JPEG performance, low ISOs the X-T50's image sharpening doesn't look quite as detailed as the EOS R7 and a6700’s, but it’s competent enough that most shooters likely won’t notice any issues. At higher ISOs, it slightly edges out the Nikon's ability to retain details while smoothing out noise, though the Canon and Sony retain an advantage.

What the X-T50 does have is Fujifilm's famed color profiles and a dedicated dial for controlling them. Advanced photographers using a tool like Adobe Camera Raw to convert Raws into JPEGs can expect pleasing results, but the profile dial lets people play around with different looks no matter how much experience they have.

Classic Chrome Reala Ace Velvia Pro Neg Hi Classic Neg Pro Neg Std Nostalgic Neg The film simulation profiles can subtly – or drastically – change the look of your image.

While using the camera, we found that the standard 'Provia' profile makes skin tones and colors pop without going completely over the top. Venturing further around the dial, there's a decent variety of looks. Some won't be for everybody ("Velvia" has colors so saturated they'd put many Instagram filters to shame), but most shooters should find at least a few they like.

The X-T50 can capture detail in highlights and shadows, even when they're several stops apart.

Edited to taste in ACR.

ISO 125 | 1/25 sec | F2.8 | Fujifilm 16-55mm F2.8-4.8 @ 16mm.
Photo: Mitchell Clark

Dynamic Range

Fujifilm's recent cameras have boasted strong dynamic range performance, and the X-T50 is no exception. Its Dynamic Range modes, found in the image quality menu, will automatically adjust the camera's exposure/amplification relationship to preserve detail in the highlights at the cost of some additional noise in the darkest parts of the image.

How aggressively it does this depends on whether you're using DR 200 or 400, and advanced photographers can get similar results with even more control using Raw files and manually reduced exposure. Our in-studio dynamic range tests show that the X-T50's dynamic range capabilities hold up well compared to its competition.

ISO invariance | Exposure latitude

Autofocus

The X-T50 has several autofocus selection modes: in AF-S mode, it has six sizes of single point and zone, as well as a wide mode that samples the entire frame. Switch to AF-C, and the wide selection is swapped out for a tracking mode that will stick to whatever you put it on.

The X-T50 also lets you decide how many AF points you can select from, depending on whether you need speed or precision.

These selection methods can be used in conjunction with Fujifilm's subject detection modes, which are trained to recognize animals, birds, cars, motorcycles/bikes, airplanes or trains. When using one of those modes, the camera will try to select the subject closest to your zone or point.

The X-T50 also has separate settings for human face and eye detection, though using them will deactivate your subject detection if you're using it. That in itself isn't unusual, but once you're done with face detection, you'll have to go back and re-enable subject detection and vice versa. It's a small bit of friction that can be annoying if you're trying to quickly switch between taking pictures of humans and other subjects.

In our tests, the X-T50 did a good job not letting its subject detection get in the way of what we were trying to shoot, meaning we could leave it on even if we were taking pictures of something else. For example, having human eye detection wouldn't stop you from focusing on a flower if there happened to be a person standing a ways behind it.

In terms of ergonomics, the joystick can be difficult to reach while using the EVF, depending on how you grip the camera. However, the ability to use the touchscreen as a trackpad for selecting focus points helps avoid that issue. You can also use the touchscreen to directly choose which subject to focus on.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 The X-T50 aces our basic autofocus test

To test the X-T50's autofocus performance, we used a single AF point and had a subject approach the camera at a consistent speed. Like pretty much all of its peers, it could easily predict where the subject would be and focus on that point.

However, when we tested shooting a subject moving around the frame and approaching at an inconsistent speed, we found that the X-T50's standard tracking mode couldn't keep up. As soon as the subject started slowing down and turning, it lost focus on him and instead focused on the background. In two of our runs it was able to catch back up with the subject and get him in focus for a few frames after the initial turn, but the vast majority of shots were out of focus.

We were able to somewhat improve its performance by choosing an autofocus settings preset meant for an accelerating and decelerating subject. With that change, the X-T50 could hold on to the subject through his first turn, but it would still typically lose focus as he went into the second turn.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Both eye and bike tracking modes were able to keep the subject in focus through both turns. The latter did a slightly better job at keeping up with him, as the eye-tracking system occasionally resulted in slightly soft photos.

We got our best results using the X-T50's subject detection modes. Both eye and bike tracking modes kept the subject in focus for the entire run, though there were still a few slightly soft shots where the camera appears to have slightly misjudged where he would be. We saw similar performance when using the animal subject detection mode on a fast-moving cat; occasionally, the photos would be focused on its ear rather than its eye.

During our other use, there were edge cases where the tracking would fail to track a far-away subject or wander away from a subject. While these scenarios were rare, they're indicative of the fact that the X-T50's tracking performance isn't entirely up to par with competitors like Canon’s EOS R7 and Sony’s a6700, even though it shoots at a slower eight frames per second. (The a6700 manages 11, and the EOS R7 a whopping 15.) There were also a few times when it struggled to lock on to a subject in low light.

If you're a budding photographer, you're probably right within Fujifilm’s target market for this camera, and you may care more about nailing down an aesthetic than high-performance autofocus. However, it's still a factor worth considering for the X-T50. It makes it easy to try out a bunch of looks and produces beautiful images, but you may have to work harder to get pictures in focus or to figure out the settings that will get it to do what you want. Whether that tradeoff is worth it to you will depend on your goals as a photographer and how much you value Fujifilm's built-in looks.

Video The X-T50 has a surprising number of video features despite not having a single button dedicated to movies.

The X-T50 is unusual in having no movie [REC] button: movie mode is accessed via the 'Drive' button on the camera's left shoulder. The camera defaults to a mode called 'Movie Optimized Control' which ignores what your dials are set to, and has you control exposure settings, exposure comp, white balance and color profile using an on-screen display. This lets you have entirely separate settings for your video and photo modes, which is handy when you're switching between the two; you won't have to keep bumping your shutter speed up from 1/48 when you go back to shooting stills.

The downside of overriding the dials is that it makes it harder to select a Film Simulation. You can turn Movie Optimized Control off, but you'll then have to pay attention to your exposure settings when switching between taking stills and videos. But if you do have the option off, you can customize the FS1, 2 and 3 positions on the Film Simulation dial just for movie mode. The camera's clever enough to not change the profile if you bump the dial while recording.

No matter what mode you're in, the autofocus settings are also separate from the stills ones, so you can be set up to take video of humans, and pictures of birds. We found that the tracking in video mode was less reliable and more prone to wander than it was in photo mode.

The X-T50's subject recognition modes are available in video, but don't work as well.

There are some other nice video features included on the X-T50: it has F-Log, a flat profile that gives you more flexibility while color-grading, and includes an F-Log Assist option that will apply a bit of color correction to what you see on screen to keep your preview from looking washed out. It also has the ability to set your shutter speed to 1/48, which is precisely what you want when shooting at 24 FPS.

You will want to keep crop factors and the camera's rolling shutter performance in mind when shooting video. The 6K and HQ 4K modes punch in on your image by 1.23x, which can make getting everything in frame more difficult if you're not using a wide lens and will also result in more noise since you're using less of the sensor. (The 16mm end of the kit lens should still be wide enough for all but the biggest, closest subjects, but any more than that and it could start being an issue).

The higher rolling shutter in these modes also means that fast-moving subjects or quick camera movements may produce a jello-like effect where straight lines turn into diagonals.

6.2K 1.23x (native) crop / 24.9ms 4K (HQ) 1.23x crop / 24.9ms 4K 60p (sub-sampled) 1.14x crop / 13.5ms 4K (sub-sampled) Full width / 15.3ms

If you want to scrutinize the differences between the X-T50's various resolution options, you can check out the comparison tool here. The quick summary is that although the 4K HQ mode is more detailed and the 6.2K mode gives room for cropping in post, we found the sub-sampled 4K mode gave decent levels of detail with much less rolling shutter, no crop and longer recording times. It's probably worth using that most of the time unless you have a specific reason not to.

We've also shot some sample footage, which you can watch below. All settings will be noted on a clip-by-clip basis.

Conclusion

By Mitchell Clark

Pros Cons

• Good image quality in JPEG and Raw
• Great selection of color profiles and a good dial to control them with
• Quick-access Auto lever is a fun touch
• Size and weight make it very portable
• Wide variety of inexpensive, relatively fast primes available
• Built-in flash is a nice-to-have
• Robust video features
• Has enough dials to give you control without being overwhelming

• The price
• Autofocus tracking performance is noticeably a step below peers
• Switching between face and subject detection is a two-step process
• Joystick and Q-menu button can be a little hard to reach
• Tiny viewfinder
• Relatively short battery life

There are a lot of things about the X-T50 that make it good for someone just starting (or re-starting) their photography journey. The Film Simulation dial will help you play around with aesthetics just as easily as you can on your phone, while still getting substantially better image quality.

There's also the centrally-located Auto lever, which acts as an escape hatch if you can't figure out how to get something exposed the way you want it, or if you're just tired about thinking about aperture, shutter speed, and/or ISO. The X-T50 will still let you change the Film Simulation mode and use the exposure compensation dial to adjust brightness if its metering isn't quite right, but you won't have to make any other choices. It'll also still record Raw files alongside the JPEGs (which hasn't always been a given with Fujifilm's entry-level cameras or cameras in general).

The X-T50's controls, including the Film Simulation dial (which my colleague Richard Butler discusses in-depth here) and Auto lever help make it a good option for photographers graduating from a smartphone.

It's also just a lovely camera to take out for a day of shooting, with its relatively lightweight and compact form factor. And while the viewfinder's size has definitely been sacrificed to achieve those dimensions and to make room for the built-in flash, I never had any issues using it, despite wearing glasses.

There are a few things to consider before pulling the trigger on this camera, though. The film simulation dial can be a lot of fun if you're going to constantly be playing around with the 14-ish color profiles that this camera offers, but if you want to find a look or two that you like and stick to them, it'll be far less useful.

There's also the matter of kit lenses; you can get the X-T50 with Fujifilm's 16-50mm F2.8-4.8, which is a standout option. Most other cameras' kit lenses are similar to the alternative 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 in that they're not particularly fast or sharp. If you're going to buy a camera, it's absolutely worth considering going with a lens that won't limit it right out of the box. With the 16-50mm, Fujifilm's giving you the option of getting a high-quality lens at a bit of a discount if you buy it with the body.

Unfortunately, that brings us to the biggest downside of the X-T50: its price. The kit lens setup I mentioned will run you $1,800, and just the body by itself is $1,400. That lens is absolutely superior to the $100 models that you'll find bundled with many competitor's cameras, but it's also hard to ignore that I'm asking you to take a big leap of faith here.

If you have the money and are looking to get into photography, I think this setup will serve you well and give you room to grow, even if your use of the film simulation dial falls by the wayside. But I also acknowledge that it's rough being asked to spend so much to get into a hobby, especially if you're not sure you'll stick with it yet.

Still, if you're shopping for a camera in this price range, the X-T50 should definitely be on your radar. Even though we've focused on beginners for this review, I'm a seasoned photographer and still thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. Its autofocus performance and price are enough to keep it from getting a Gold award, but its versatility as an entry point into photography and the lens ecosystem Fujifilm's built make the Silver well-deserved.

Buy now:

$1399 at Amazon.com$1399 at B&H Photo$1399 at Adorama Scoring

Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.

Fujifilm X-T50Category: Mid Range Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLRBuild qualityErgonomics & handlingFeaturesMetering & focus accuracyImage quality (raw)Image quality (jpeg)Low light / high ISO performanceViewfinder / screen ratingOpticsPerformanceMovie / video modeConnectivityValuePoorExcellentConclusionThe X-T50's autofocus tracking is a step behind its peers, but it offers great image quality and a fun dial.Good forBeginner photographers Hobbyists that want a compact cameraNot so good forPeople hoping to shoot sports or fast-moving wildlife Parents of especially active children85%Overall scoreRegularScoreCompareWidget({"mainElementId":"scoringWidget","mainProduct":"fujifilm_xt50","scoringSchema":{"id":"SLRs","variables":[{"id":"BuildQuality"},{"id":"ErgonomicsAndHandling"},{"id":"Features"},{"id":"MeteringAndFocusAccuracy"},{"id":"QualityRaw"},{"id":"QualityJpeg"},{"id":"LowLightHighISO"},{"id":"ViewfinderScreenRating"},{"id":"Optics"},{"id":"Performance"},{"id":"Movie"},{"id":"Connectivity"},{"id":"Value"}],"categories":[{"id":"EntryLevel","label":"Entry Level Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Entry Level"},{"id":"MidRange","label":"Mid Range Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Mid Level"},{"id":"EntryLevelFullFrame","label":"Entry Level Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Full Frame"},{"id":"MidRangeFullFrame","label":"Mid Range Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Mid Range Full Frame"},{"id":"SemiProfessional","label":"Semi-professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Semi-professional"},{"id":"SemiProfessionalFullFrame","label":"Semi-professional Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Semi-professional Full Frame"},{"id":"Professional","label":" Professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Professional"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEntry","label":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEnthusiast","label":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"VideoCamera","label":"Video Camera","shortLabel":"Video Camera"}]},"helpText":"Choose one or more cameras from the drop-down menu, then roll your mouse over the names to see how their scores compare to the camera on review."}) Compared to its peers

If you think you may wind up caring deeply about having one of the most technically adept cameras, you may want to consider Canon's EOS R7. It's built like a serious piece of equipment, with a deep hand grip that'll help you keep it steady if you're using bigger and heavier lenses. In our tests, the EOS R7 had similar image quality to the X-T50 but had autofocus that's a few steps ahead. It can also shoot at double the frame rate as the X-T50 if you're the type to shoot fast-moving subjects or sports. While the lineup of lenses available for the EOS R7 is slowly becoming more reasonable, Fujifilm's X-mount offers a much wider variety of lenses for most shooting styles and budgets.

The Sony a6700 definitely looks the part of being a serious camera, though in our tests it didn't quite match the X-T50 when it came to image quality. It beat it when it came to autofocus performance, but your aesthetic tastes will play a big part in how you feel about the images it produces (and, yes, how you'll look while you're out shooting those images). Its design is decidedly more utilitarian than the X-T50s, its color profiles aren't as easy to change, and are less exciting to most viewers. If you're into video, though, the a6700 will let you shoot in 40K 60p without a crop, though it does struggle with overheating. Sony's lens selection is decent, but if you start looking for some photography classics (a set of fast, relatively inexpensive primes, an ultrawide, or something similar to the Fujifilm 16-50mm), you may have to turn to third-party options.

The Nikon Z fc is spiritually the closest match to the X-T50 and comes in a wide variety of colors to boot. However, it didn't quite match up to the Fujifilm in our image quality tests, and its autofocus is right with the X-T50's at the back of the pack, especially in video. And while the Nikon may look a bit more like a film camera, it doesn't have that film simulation dial; in its place is an ISO dial that, without an Auto setting, can end up being less useful than you might expect. It also lacks a joystick for selecting focus points and navigating menus. Nikon also falls short in terms of its APS-C-friendly lens lineup, and its third-party support is worse than Canons, as it currently lacks options like Sigma's 18-50mm F2.8.

Sample galleries

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.

The review gallery is mainly shot using the standard Provia profile. Images shot in other color profiles will have it noted in the description.

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab. Pre-production sample gallery Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.

Photo: Dale Baskin

It's time to prepare for another DPReview Editors' Choice photo challenge! August is synonymous with the hot, humid summer days in much of the northern hemisphere, so our challenge theme will be 'The Dog Days of Summer'.

Show us how you embrace the sizzling days of summer! Whether it's a sun-soaked landscape, a summer picnic, playing in the water, or even photos of Sirius (The Dog Star), we want to see your summer photos.

If you're in the southern hemisphere, fear not! We know your summer months come at a different time of year, so we're opening this challenge to any photos taken at any time, though in the spirit of this being a challenge, we encourage you only to submit photos from the past year.

Bring on the heat!

How it works

DPReview editors will review every photo you upload to an Editors' Challenge. We'll publish our favorites in a gallery and celebrate your work on the DPReview homepage.

If you miss participating in this one, please look out for our next editors' challenge.

How to submit your photos Submissions will open on September 1, and you have until Saturday, September 7, to submit. User voting will begin after that and will help inform DPReview Editors' Picks, but will not select them. They are one factor in our evaluation of submissions.

Enter your photos here

Processing rules:

• This is a photo contest, not a post-processing contest. Please, no composite, altered or fabricated images.
• Light post-processing is allowed (white balance, toning, color, etc), but you must tell us what edits were made.

Capture date rules:

• This challenge is open to photos taken at any time, though in the spirit of this being a challenge, we encourage you only to submit photos from the past year.

Additional rules:

• Include a caption that tells us more about the photo, including when and where it was taken.
• Share what gear was used and your camera settings.
• Share a list of edits you made during post-processing.
• Please ensure your account's contact information is current; we may contact you if your photo is selected as an Editor's Pick. User voting will inform DPReview Editor's Picks but will not select them. They are one factor in our evaluation of submissions.
• Our standard copyright and privacy terms and conditions policy applies.

Images: Swiss Rig, Peak Design, Apple

The camera slow season is hopefully winding down, but app developers and accessory makers are still around to drop interesting bits of news throughout the week. This weekend, we're rounding up a few of the things that caught our eyes recently.

Image: Peak Design Peak Design's brown bags

You're in luck if you liked the coyote-color straps Peak Design released earlier this year. The company has just announced that many of its bags – including the photographer favorite Everyday Backpack – will now be available in the same tan shade.

The color change comes with a change in material as well. Most of Peak Design's bags are made of a nylon canvas treated with durable water repellent (DWR) and poly-coated for water resistance. The tan ones, however, are made of a laminated fabric called X-Pac. While the packs made of X-Pac should be just as weather resistant, they will have a different look and texture; laminated fabrics are generally smooth compared to woven ones. (Peak Design describes the 'handfeel' of its coyote packs as 'crisp.') Peak Design says the version of X-Pac it's using is 100% made of recycled fishing nets.

The coyote color also has a diamond pattern, versus the heather look that most of its other bags have. To my eyes, that gives the coyote bags a bit more of a technical look if that's your sort of thing.

These two detailed shots of the Everyday Backpack do a good job of illustrating the differences between the fabrics.

Images: Peak Design

The coyote products come at a price premium and aren't available for all sizes. For larger bags like the Everyday Backpack, Travel Backpack, and Travel Duffel, you'll pay anywhere from $15-25 more for the X Pac version. Coyote versions of smaller bags like the sling, tech pouch, and wash pouch are $5 extra.

Buy Now

Everyday Backpack 20L in Coyote

$299 at Peak Design $299 at B&H

Everyday Backpack 30L in Coyote

$324 at Peak Design $324 at B&H Raw video on iPhone

Developer Swiss Rig has released an iPhone app called sr RAW, which gives you manual exposure and focus controls for video and records files as Raw DNGs. The company says the format will let you get videos that don't have noise reduction, image sharpening, or white balance baked-in, offering more flexibility than even Apple's ProRes Log format, which is available on certain Pro iPhones.

There are a few caveats. First, you can only record at up to 480p in the free version and 1080p in the paid 'Plus' one, and only at 24 or 25 frames per second in either resolution. The paid version is also a subscription, which costs $4.99 a month or $19.99 a year, and there's no one-time purchase option. According to PetaPixel, that pricing is for the initial launch period, so it may go up in the future. There's also reportedly a 'Pro' version coming that'll enable 4K, though there's no word on pricing for that yet.

The company also says the app "requires a USB-C iPhone that supports at a minimum USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds." Currently, that's just the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

Sirui's new 'Rapid System' tripod Image: Sirui

Sirui has announced a new entry in its 'Rapid System one-step height adjustment' tripod line. The model, catchily named the SQ75+VHS10, features two-stage carbon fiber legs and includes a ground spreader and an Arri-mount strap that should make it easier to carry.

Calling the SQ75 legs 'one-step' feels a bit generous; technically, you have to open three flip locks before you can extend it, but once you do, you should be able to extend the tripod to whatever height you need. At its lowest setting, the tripod will be 485 mm (19") high; at its tallest, it'll tower at 1650 mm (65").

The kit also includes the VHS10 fluid head, which mounts with a 75mm half bowl. Together, the tripod and head weigh 5.9 kg (13 lbs) and can hold up to 10 kg (22 lbs) of gear. By themselves, the legs can support up to 18 kg (40 lbs).

The tripod will be released on August 26th and will cost $499, according to PetaPixel.

A big update to Davinci Resolve

Resolve is the Swiss Army knife of editing software; it's a non-linear editor, audio workstation, color-grading suite, and compositor in one package.

Image: Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design has announced it's releasing version 19 of its Davinci Resolve and Resolve Studio editing software. The list of features included in the release is almost book-length, but some standouts are the film look creator that grains up your image, multi-source editing, and the ability to display keyframes and markers.

Like pretty much any software release in 2024 (with some notable exceptions), Resolve 19 includes a heaping of 'AI' features. There's AI-powered tracking, smart reframing, a dead pixel fixer, and text transcription for audio tracks, along with a lot more features that the company says are powered by its 'Neural Engine.'

Davinci Resolve is free, and Resolve Studio costs $295.

Remote control pencil

Finally, there's the Apple Pencil, a tool that's usually more useful to digital artists than photographers. But thanks to a new app called Pencilera, you can now use it as a remote trigger for your iPad's camera (via The Verge). It's free and makes use of the double-tap detection on the Pencil 2 and squeeze detection on the Pencil Pro. The only downside is that, at the end of the day, you're still taking pictures with an iPad. Maybe someday, Apple will follow after Samsung and make its Pencil compatible with its phones, but I wouldn't hold my breath for that. Using a smartwatch as a remote for your phone is probably a better experience, anyway.

Image: Negative Supply

Film equipment maker Negative Supply has been in hot water with Kickstarter backers as its LM1 light meter project reaches its third year without units officially going into production. The company's CEO, AJ Holmes, has assured DPReview that the company is "almost there" and is trying to get a small batch of units out of the door sometime in September, but admits there are still a few concerns about the project.

When Negative Supply launched the Kickstarter for its new light meter in July 2021, it seemed like it would be a relatively straightforward campaign. In the risks section, the company said there were already functional prototypes, which were "close to a final shipping version apart from minor modifications." It predicted the LM1 would start shipping just a few months later. This wasn't Negative Supply's first Kickstarter project, and it raised over $222K from 452 backers – well over the $50K goal.

Now that it's been over three years without backers receiving their units, the comments section on the Kickstarter page is bleak. People accuse Negative Supply of ghosting them, and some have outright called the company a "scam," a "joke," and "crooks." There are threats of legal action and even allusions to showing up at the company's office.

"They were not vaporware. People had hands on with LM1 pre-production units."

The company's communication with backers likely hasn't helped the situation. In a May update seen by DPReview, the company predicted it would finally have units going out by "mid to late June." The next post, titled "nothing new to update," came in August and informed backers that "updates have been slow because progress has been slow." It made no mention of a new shipping date beyond the promise of more info "hopefully" being available "in the coming weeks."

"I'm not arguing that we've done everything right. We absolutely haven't. But I am saying that we're going to get the job done," said CEO AJ Holmes in an interview this week with DPReview. "We're going to get the backers what they've paid for. We're going to make good on our commitments to the industry."

According to Holmes, the company has more details on the way, and "looks forward to sharing that information as soon as possible and to getting that small batch of early shipping units out, ideally in September." He also said that "many backers have given us a tremendous amount of leeway, patience, and grace. We appreciate that. We are almost there, though."

His explanation of why it's taken this long will likely be familiar to anyone who's followed crowdsourced projects before. The stretch goals the company promised turned out to be harder than they'd initially thought, and there were concerns that some features may require not just software but additional hardware (which couldn't just be added via an over-the-air update after the project had shipped). Vendors over-promised and under-delivered, and supply lines the company thought it'd secured fell out of place. The company has had to bring new employees and contractors on to help finish the project and even changed CEOs between the time the campaign ended and now.

The LM1's Kickstarter page promises flash metering, a color temperature sensor, USB C charging, and "an all-metal body" made of aluminum or brass.

Image: Negative Supply

"This has been a project that we weren't expecting this level of support, which was great, but we also weren't expecting this level of problems," said Holmes. "It was our first major electronics project at Negative Supply, besides our film scanning light sources, and our first project heavily involving software. We've learned a lot. We still have a little bit of learning to do."

He says that the goal is to make sure that, when the LM1 does ship, it'll be worth the wait, and will meet all the commitments the company made in the campaign. "At this point, I want to make sure that when these units do ship, we have put our best foot forward," he said. "I think it's absolutely critical that we safeguard as many things as possible with hardware before this product actually ships."

Holmes says there are two problems the company is still working through: the light meter's buttons, and its lumisphere, the dome that measures light. Negative Supply had previously machined "a bunch" of buttons and used them to build working prototypes, but the team thought they could be improved. Now, it has "a small batch" of them machined, anodized, and ready to go, and is busy making more. Those are the ones that are going to be on the first production units, which Holmes says the company is working to get out "as soon as possible."

The concerns with the lumisphere are less resolved. "It worked," said Holmes. "it was doing well, getting good readings, etc. But it wasn't as durable as we wanted it to be." He didn't specify what the plan for moving forward with it was, but said that the LM1 will be durable when backers get it.

Holmes says he understands why backers have been frustrated with the updates provided via Kickstarter. "There should have been more updates this spring and summer. I will be the first to admit that."

"We need to provide more details. We are working on that."

According to him, part of the problem is with how dispersed the work on the LM1 is. Brennan McKissick, the company's business development manager who's been writing updates and comments for Kickstarter, doesn't work in the company's production shop in California. Many of the engineering staff and managers are also remote and spread across time zones, making it hard to get the big picture to share with backers.

"It is very difficult sometimes to get detailed to-the-minute updates from all these disparate parts. Some of these are outside contractors," says Holmes. "They're not people that Brennan or I can just call at any hour and say, 'hey, we need an update.'"

Holmes says that Negative Supply plans to share more updates as soon as the team starts assembling that first batch of LM1s.

While some backers have asked for refunds, Holmes says that "the absurd levels that have been invested into hardware and software on this project" make fulfilling the LM1 the best option. "We've never even seriously discussed a refund strategy because we have been so focused on investing time, resources, other energy, money, etc., into developing and finishing this product." McKissick, replying to a backer on Kickstarter, wrote that "it has always been stated there are no refunds and that we would deliver this project."

The lumisphere has apparently caused some concerns.

Image: Negative Supply

As for whether the LM1 will be available for retail purchase after it's been delivered to people who supported the Kickstarter, Holmes says Negative Supply has made "no advance plans to go beyond that yet because our absolute laser focus is fulfilling the commitments that we've already made to backers around the world. Beyond that, there's an open discussion that will happen at Negative Supply. That has not happened yet because it would be premature."

This isn't the first time we've heard that the project was moving forward. In July 2023, The Phoblographer covered the project's progress, and was told that things were "moving quicker over the last 3 months." Then, on August 13th of this year, the publication was told that "there will be an update later this week or early next that will address many complaints," but that seemingly hasn't materialized beyond what Holmes shared with us this week.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Photo: Phil Askey

Clearly late August was traditionally considered a good time to launch a new camera, given we're able to mark the anniversary of a third historic announcement in the same week. As part of the twenty-fifth anniversary of DPReview, we're looking back at major events that occurred during the site's history. And they don't get much bigger than the arrival of the Canon EOS 5D.

Imaging sensors were expensive to produce in the early days of digital photography, meaning a lot of digital cameras were built around relatively small expanses of silicon. This was fine in compact cameras, where the lens was designed specifically to give a useful field of view in conjunction with those small sensors, but it presented a problem for SLR users.

The first mainstream DSLRs used APS-C sensors, which were less than half the size of the 36 x 24mm film negative used by the dominant 35mm format. This had all sorts of knock-on effects, including cameras with smaller, darker viewfinders. But perhaps the most significant was that these cameras only captured a central crop of the area SLR lenses had been designed to capture, effectively cropping the field of view. This meant that anyone continuing to use the lenses from their film cameras suddenly found they had narrower fields of view and less control over depth-of-field than they'd been used to.

The Canon EOS 5D changed all of this: bringing a 36 x 24mm "full-frame" sensor in a camera that amateur and enthusiast photographers could afford, rather than just the professionals. At $3299 ($5280 in today's dollars), it wasn't cheap, but it brought it within reach of a much wider audience.

At its heart was a 12.8MP CMOS sensor, at a time when most of the market was still using CCD chips. This next-generation tech applied in a sensor around 2.4x larger than its APS-C. Despite this, it's interesting to look back at our original review, which suggests that the 5D didn't seem to bring the degree of image quality improvement that that larger sensor would be expected to bring.

Read our original Canon EOS 5D review

The review concluded that "noise levels are essentially identical to the EOS 20D as is dynamic range." Which sounds like it must be a mistake. Perhaps a result of the site's then (understandable) focus on pixel-level output. But it turns out to be consistent with other testing.

With modern sensors, you'd expect around a 1EV dynamic range difference between an APS-C and a full-frame sensor if you view the output at the same size. But this is because modern sensors have so little read noise that shot noise (the inherent randomness of the light being captured) ends up as the limiting factor. This means the size difference, which dictates how much light the sensor experiences, ends up defining the IQ differences

With the 5D, we can see that read noise was blunting this potential benefit. As ever, though, dynamic range isn't an assessment of image quality as a whole, and neither is noise. Look at DxOMark's SNR 18% measurements (an assessment of the tonal quality of the midtones of the image), in 'Print' mode, and you see that there's an appreciable IQ benefit to the larger sensor, even if it's not quite the 1.3EV advantage over APS-C that we'd expect to see today.

Photo: Carey Rose

The EOS 5D went on to become beloved of a range of photographers, from wedding shooters to keen amateurs wanting the full range of their film lenses back. It also set in place the idea of an upgrade path, on which your APS-C camera was merely a stepping stone on the way to the full-frame promised land. Even at the time of review, Phil recognized distinct pro- and anti- full-frame camps becoming entrenched.

As a consequence of its mid-tier status, the original 5D wasn't as ruggedly built as Canon's pro-focused EOS-1DS models. While there are, no doubt, 5D 'classics' still providing good service, its popularity and workhorse image meant that many were worked into the ground. Stories of mirrors coming loose were becoming common currency more than a decade ago.

In many respects the EOS 5D's place in camera history is set: it would be nearly three years before Canon's rivals would introduce their own single-grip full-framers (including the similarly well-loved Nikon D700). But just as those competitors appeared, Canon would go on to introduce one of the few DSLRs that can challenge the EOS 5D in terms of historical significance: the EOS 5D Mark II.

Canon EOS 5D sample gallery Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.

2024 iPhone Photography Awards

The iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS) has announced the winners of its 17th annual photo competition, showcasing photos shot entirely on iPhones. Winners were selected across 14 categories, ranging from people to cityscapes, in addition to the overall Grand Prize and First, Second, and Third Prize winners. We're sharing the overall contest winners and the First Prize winners of each category, but you can see the complete portfolio of winners on the contest's website.

The iPhone Photography Awards, founded in 2007, is the world's first and longest-running iPhone photography competition. Over the years, photographers from over 140 countries have participated in the contest.

Grand Prize Winner: Erin Brooks (USA)

Title: Boy Meets Shark

Equipment: iPhone 15 Pro Max

Location: Tampa, Florida

The story behind the photo: Grand Prize Winner Erin Brooks of the United States received the Photographer of the Year Award for her image titled 'Boy Meets Shark', captured on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Taken in Tampa, Florida, it portrays a young boy standing in awe before a massive shark, symbolizing the innocence of youth juxtaposed with the mysteries of the deep sea.

© IPPAWARDS - Erin Brooks

1st Place, Photographer of the Year: Glen Wilbert (USA)

Title: Lifeguard Camp

Equipment: iPhone 11 Pro Max

Location: Huntington Beach, California

The story behind the photo: Glen Wilbert of the United States captured 'Life Guard Camp' in Huntington Beach, California, capturing the organized chaos and energy of lifeguards in training.

© IPPAWARDS - Glen Wilbert

2nd Place, Photographer of the Year: Mogli Maureal (USA)

Title: Pupils

Equipment: iPhone 15 Pro

Location: Ta Prohm, Siem Reap, Cambodia

The story behind the photo: Anthony Maureal of the United States took this photo, titled 'Pupils', at Ta Prohm in Siem Reap, Cambodia, illustrating the quiet focus of young monks as they meditate in the ancient temple.

© IPPAWARDS - Anthony Maureal

3rd Place, Photographer of the Year: Wenlong Jiang (China)

Equipment: iPhone 14

Location: Fujian, China

The story behind the photo: Wenlong Jiang of China photographed this image, capturing the vastness and intricate structure of an indoor space. A lone figure provides a sense of scale and solitude within the grand environment in Fujian, China.

© IPPAWARDS - Wenlong Jiang

Abstract – 1st place: Jose Manuel Garcia Gonzalez (Spain)

Title: Pita Pinta

Equipment: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Pravia, Asturias, Spain

© IPPAWARDS - Jose Manuel Garcia Gonzalez

Animals – 1st place: Colin Hoskins (England)

Title: Huntsman, Horse & Hounds

Equipment: iPhone 7 Plus

Location: Cirencester, England

© IPPAWARDS - Colin Hoskins

Architecture – 1st place: Leping Cheng (China)

Title: Entrance to the Fancy Land

Equipment: iPhone 12 Pro Max

Location: Xiamen, China

© IPPAWARDS - Leping-Cheng

Children – 1st place: Daniel de Cerqueira (Brazil)

Title: On the Swing of Childhood

Equipment: iPhone 11

Location: Buzios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

© IPPAWARDS - Daniel de Cerqueira

Cityscape – 1st place: Yanzhou Chen (China)

Title: Paradise

Equipment: iPhone 15 Pro Max

Location: Chongqing, China

© IPPAWARDS - Yanzhou Chen

Landscape – 1st place: Paddy Chao (Taiwan)

Title: Night Sky in Lake Tekapo

Equipment: iPhone 15 Pro Max

Location: Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

© IPPAWARDS - Paddy Chao

Lifestyle – 1st place: Glen Wilbert (USA)

Title: Lifeguard Camp, SoCal

Equipment: iPhone 11 Pro Max

Location: Huntington Beach, California

© IPPAWARDS - Glen Wilbert

Nature – 1st place: Shinya Itahana (Japan)

Title: Stream

Equipment: iPhone 15 Pro

Location: Tottori, Japan

© IPPAWARDS - Shinya Itahana

Other– 1st place: Jun Hu (China)

Title: What's on your mind?

Equipment: iPhone 7

Location: Ormou Athiniou, Santori, Greece

© IPPAWARDS - Jun Hu

People – 1st place: Brooke Wilen (USA)

Title: Oompa Loompa

Equipment: iPhone 6S

Location: Bates Motel, Silver Lake, Los Angeles

© IPPAWARDS - Brooke Wilen

Portrait – 1st place: Artem Koleganov (Germany)

Title: Grace

Equipment: iPhone X

Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

© IPPAWARDS - Artem Koleganov

Series – 1st place: Xingping Zhou (China)

Title: Jumping into Dreams

Equipment: iPhone 13

Location: Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia

© IPPAWARDS - Xingping Zhou

Still Life – 1st place: Dai Fushun (China)

Title: Sweet Summer

Equipment: iPhone 15 Pro Max

Location: Tongliao City, Mongolia, China

© IPPAWARDS - Dai Fushun

Travel – 1st place: Khalid Mahmood (Sweden)

Title: Sahara Surfing

Equipment: iPhone 13 Pro

Location: Erg Chebbi, Northern Sahara, Morocco

© IPPAWARDS - Khalid Mahmood

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Released twenty-three years ago today, the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-F707 showed just how quickly digital cameras were evolving.

As part of our twenty-fifth anniversary, we look back at the most significant cameras from that period. Today marks twenty-three years since Sony launched one of its more interesting compacts: the 5MP Cyber-Shot DSC-F707.

The early days of digital photography saw a lot of experimentation with form factor, as camera makers explored what digital technology, the absence of a roll of film and the ability to preview the scene without an optical path from the lens to the photographer, would allow.

Sony's DSC F707 was just one such example. Like Nikon's early Coolpix 900 series cameras and Casio's QV models, it recognized that you might not always want the screen and the lens to be pointing the same direction. But instead of making the screen adjustable, they put a hinge between the lens and the body.

Our original review concluded that the result was "a surprisingly usable and ergonomic design."

Read our Throwback Thursday article, showing some of the F707's unusual features

It's an idea Sony had been playing with for a while, but the F707 was a major step forward. It looked a lot like its predecessor, the DSC 505V. These were the days before software correction made wide-angle lenses feasible in compact cameras, so both cameras offered a 38-190mm equivalent zoom range: great for the time but somewhat limiting, in hindsight.

But Sony made two very significant changes compared with the previous model: it moved to using a larger sensor and paired it with a much brighter lens, all for the same $1000 price tag ($1770 in today's money).

Freed from the need to pull an expanse of film across the back of the lens or to have an optical path to the viewfinder, the Sony DSC-F707 is an example of some of the fun early camera makers had. So, for that matter, is the "10x" marking on the side of the lens, with "Digital Zoom" in much smaller letters.

You don't need to know much about photography to recognize that this is a big deal. Rather than using a 6.4 x 4.8mm crop of a Type 1/1.8 sensor it jumped up to a Type 2/3 chip (8.8 x 6.6mm). This was an 88% increase in area, giving almost a one stop improvement. The lens was also upgraded from an F2.8-3.3 to an F2.0-2.4 maximum aperture, giving up to another stop's headstart over its predecessor. Add to this the jump from 2.6MP to 4.9MP and it should start to become apparent just how quickly cameras were developing, back then, and how much of a leap forward the F707 must have seemed.

Our review recognized this, saying "its resolution chart (and real life) results are nothing short of stunning," before awarding it our Highly Recommended status.

Click here to read our original Sony DSC-F707 review

The series would eventually reach its pinnacle with 2005's DSC-R1, which moved across to an (approximately) APS-C sensor, making it Sony's first truly large sensor camera. It had a built-in 24-120mm equiv F2.8-4.8 lens, making it more flexible than the models that preceded it. Its CMOS sensor also allowed live view from a large sensor for the first time.

But by that stage, Canon had released the EOS 300D / Digital Rebel, and the same $1000 that the R1 cost could buy you an interchangeable lens camera, with all the upgrade 'opportunities' that implied. The Rebel not only brought the DSLR to a wider audience but also the need to preview the scene through an optical path, arguably both restricting and cementing the public's idea of what a 'proper' camera looked like. Along with its move to a larger sensor, the R1 lost the hinge between the body and the lens, heading towards the predictable DSLR-alike look that 'bridge' cameras settled into.

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-F707 sample gallery Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.

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The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL are Google's newest flagship smartphone cameras. The two models differ in screen size but otherwise share the same hardware and camera modules, including wide (1x), ultra-wide (0.5x) and telephoto (5x) cameras. Both devices capture 12.5MP images by default but can also capture high-resolution 50MP images using Google's Pro photo settings, which differentiates them from the base Pixel 9 model.

This gallery includes photos using all three of the Pixel 9 Pro's rear cameras, including both 12.5MP and 50MP images. We've also included a few side-by-side photos of the same scene shot at both resolutions to allow for comparisons. One thing we haven't had a chance to shoot yet are some Night Mode photos, but we'll add examples to the gallery in the near future.

Note: We typically like to provide Raw files alongside JPEG images for sample galleries. However, Google has recently made changes to Google Photos that make it very difficult to download Raw images from the service in batches. Additionally, its Android File Transfer app for MacOS (our standard OS at DPReview) does not recognize the new Pixel 9 devices. As a result, we haven't included Raw files here.

View our Pixel 9 Pro / Pixel 9 Pro XL 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.

Buy now:

$999 at Amazon.com

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As part of DPReview's twenty-fifth anniversary, we're looking back at some of the most significant cameras launched during the past quarter century. Today, we're highlighting the Canon Digital Rebel / EOS-300D, which launched on this day way back in 2003.

The Digital Rebel is best remembered as the first DSLR to break the $1000 price barrier, arriving at a retail price of just $899 (body-only). Although DSLRs had been around for a few years before the Digital Rebel, the technology was still new and expensive, and earlier models were targeted mainly at professionals and well-heeled photography enthusiasts.

Click here to see Phil Askey's original review of the Canon Digital Rebel

The Digital Rebel was, in fact, a bit of a rebel that disrupted the market, becoming the camera that democratized access to DSLR-quality photography. It appealed not just to enthusiasts but to anyone who wanted an interchangeable lens camera to take photos. It opened the floodgates for photographers of all stripes to jump into the DSLR game, and it sparked a wave of competition that continued until a new disruptor –the smartphone – entered the scene.

By today's standards, the Digital Rebel may not seem impressive. At its core was a 6.3MP CMOS sensor. It would be another four years before most other brands made the move to CMOS sensors, so this was pretty cutting edge at the time. The camera had an ISO range of 100 to 1600 and the ability to shoot at 2.5fps – slower than some film SLRs of the day. Canon also used some cost-saving measures to keep the price down, including a plastic body, the use of a pentamirror in place of a pentaprism, and a single dial interface that defined the Rebel/XX0D series for another decade.

But consumers didn't care. The camera delivered image quality that could compete with 35mm SLRs but with the convenience (and novelty) of a digital workflow. It sparked a wave of competition in the entry-level DSLR market and accelerated the demise of film as the dominant photographic technology. I knew several people who purchased Digital Rebels and immediately relegated their film SLRs to the dark corner of closets from which they never emerged.

The Digital Rebel was the first camera to support Canon's new EF-S lens mount. The EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens cost just $100, keeping the camera's kit price just under the magic $1000 price point.

The Digital Rebel is also notable for another feature: it was the first camera to support Canon's new EF-S lens format (the 'S' stood for short back focus). EF-S featured the same lens mount and electronic contacts as Canon's EF lenses but was designed specifically for APS-C cameras. It allowed for a rear element that extended further into the camera, bringing it closer to the image sensor. Canon packaged its first EF-S lens, the 18-55mm F3.5-5.6, in a kit with the Digital Rebel for an extra $100, which still kept the price of the camera and lens under the magic $1000 price point.

In his original review of the camera, Phil Askey called the Digital Rebel "formidable," not for its build quality or feature set but for its value to consumers and what it could mean for the future of DSLRs across the entire prosumer camera market.

"There's no doubt that there is an important place for cameras such as Sony's DSC-F828 and Minolta's DiMAGE A1," he wrote, "But you would have to be wearing blinkers not to realize that anyone considering spending over $1000 on an all-in-one camera such as that will now put the EOS 300D Kit high on their list."

Canon Digital Rebel / EOS 300D sample gallery Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.

Image: Viltrox

Viltrox has announced its new AF 56mm F1.7 APS-C lens for Sony E-mount cameras. The new lens appears to be an E-mount version of the company's existing AF 56mm F1.7 lens, previously released for X- and Z-mount bodies.

The lens's optical formula consists of 11 elements in 9 groups, including four ED and three high-refractive elements. Viltrox says the lens is designed to deliver both sharp images and pleasing bokeh. It also claims the lens is optimized for video, with minimal focus breathing and an internal focus design that should make it gimbal-friendly.

Autofocus is driven by an STM focus motor to deliver fast, quiet focusing.

Viltrox claims the lens is designed to withstand daily use and challenging environments. It includes a metal lens mount, waterproof and anti-fouling coatings on the front lens, and a 52mm filter thread. It weighs 170g (6oz).

The lens also includes a USB-C port to facilitate easy firmware updates.

The AF 56mm F1.7 APS-C lens for Sony E-mount has a suggested retail price of $180 and is available immediately.

Buy now:

$180 at Amazon.com

Image: Adobe

It's World Photography Day, as good a reason as any to get out there and carpe photum, or something like that. When you get home with a full SD card, that's your time to make some coffee, settle in, and edit everything you captured. Adobe Lightroom is a trusted companion for millions of photographers worldwide because it's a high-performance, feature-rich editing app that can make good photos great and great photos incredible.

To celebrate World Photography Day, we talked to Adobe Lightroom product manager Benjamin Warde, who shared his top five favorite tips and tricks. An accomplished drone photographer, Benjamin is enthusiastic about teaching his fellow users how to get the best results with the fast, modern version of Lightroom included with Adobe Creative Cloud across macOS, Windows, and mobile platforms. What we learned from him might surprise you and change your photo workflow for the better.

Tip 1: Zoom Through Batch Edits with AI

Traditionally, while editing with a mask, you'd need to change the mask every time the composition of your photo changed. That can become tedious every time an object moves in the frame or a person shifts ever so slightly between shots. It's especially frustrating since it's so simple to apply other types of batch edits by copying and pasting settings.

Adobe AI Subject Detection.

Image: Pei Ketron

With Lightroom's new, robust AI subject detection, you can finally copy and paste all your settings, whether they're levels, contrast, or a mask. Anything Adobe Lightroom can detect and mask, it can do so across every shot you're trying to edit, going in and finding the subject, creating the mask, and applying edits all in one go.

Did you know that Lightroom's new Denoise AI feature can also be applied to multiple photos simultaneously? Select all the images you want to apply noise reduction to and go to the “Enhance” option in the Photo menu.

Tip 2: Travel Through Time with Versions

Since basically forever, Adobe apps have had a history feature of some kind, letting the user tweak or undo past edits with precision. Today, Lightroom has Versions, which is like a history on steroids.

Adobe Lightroom Versions.

Image: Melissa Findley

Adobe Lightroom Versions.

Image: Melissa Findley

Not only are edits saved automatically as you work, but you can also create your own custom Named Edits associated with the image. This way, you can do radically different versions of the same image without duplicating the file in your library. By going to the contextual menu in Named Edits, you can export all versions of the image you've created at once.

Tip 3: Get an A+ in Geometry with Guided Uprights

Lightroom's underappreciated geometry tools can help take a distorted, tilted photo and restore a sense of balance. With the Guided Uprights feature, it's as simple as drawing with your mouse or pen on which horizontal and vertical lines need to be straightened, and Lightroom does the rest. And don't forget to hit the "Constrain Crop" button to eliminate any blank areas introduced into the image by the process.

Before Guided Upright.

Image: Pei Ketron

After Guided Upright.

Image: Pei Ketron

Having trouble finding the Geometry Tools? These helpful tools were previously stashed with the other standard editing tools, but you'll find that more recent versions of Lightroom have moved them to where the crop tools are.

Tip 4: Use Targeted Adjustment on a Single Color

If you've used Adobe Lightroom for any amount of time, you've probably used the Hue, Saturation, and Luminance tools to get the colors just right. But did you know there's a super intuitive way of adjusting just a single color?

Adobe Targeted Adjustments

Image: Hiroaki Fukuda

Using the Targeted Adjustment feature, you can click to select the color and drag left or right to brighten or darken the color you’ve chosen instantly. Not only is this quick and straightforward, but it's also a far more precise way to dial in the colors of your image than global adjustments or any of the preselected colors in the Color Mixer panel.

Tip 5: Remove Distractions with Ease

Since Adobe Lightroom has access to the cloud-powered Firefly generative AI system with the new Generative Remove feature, it's super easy to retouch your photos. From dust specks to a pesky ex, Generative Remove can convincingly eliminate objects you'd rather not have cluttering your composition. This can let you declutter your images and draw attention to the main subject instead of distractions in the background.

Before Generative Remove.

Image: Adobe

After Generative Remove.

Image: Adobe

Control freaks, take note: if you're dissatisfied with the results, you're given three versions to choose from, so you're not beholden to what the algorithm comes up with. If you're planning on cropping the image to recompose it, use Firefly first to zap distractions, and then crop the photo down to size.

Download Adobe Lightroom Today.

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The X-T50's size makes it a no-brainer to take with me.

Photo: Mitchell Clark

Most photographers have faced the dilemma: do I take my camera with me, or do I hope my phone will be good enough? In some ways, it's a good problem, but I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling a little guilty on the days I leave the camera at home. Sorry, whoever I'm going to see. Lugging around this piece of equipment all day just isn't worth the really lovely pictures we'd get of whatever we're doing.

I bring this feeling up because I've noticed something while testing the Fujifilm X-T50: I haven't once had that conversation with myself. Am I having dinner with friends? I'm taking the X-T50. Is it board game night at the local bar? I'm taking the X-T50. Am I simply going for a walk around the block? What the heck, might as well bring the X-T50.

This enthusiasm isn't just because it's my job to review it. A lot of it comes down to its size and weight and the fact that its image quality is substantially better than my iPhone 15 Pro's. I wouldn't add another item to my every day carry if it only made my photography experience marginally better (looking at you, broken Canon G5 X Mk. II currently sitting in a drawer somewhere).

This isn't coming from someone who's just discovering midsize APS-C mirrorless systems after shooting full-frame DSLRs their whole life. For years, my personal camera setup has been a Fujifilm X-T3 with the 16mm f1.4 all but permanently fused to it. It's not a massive setup; it easily fits into whatever backpack I'm taking out for the day or weekend and only weighs 906g (roughly 2 lbs). That's in the ballpark of a single full-frame 24-70mm f2.8 lens by itself.

I don't usually take my camera to restaurants, but because the X-T50 is so easy to bring along I was able to capture this tower of chicken wings in all its glory.

Cropped to taste

Photo by Mitchell Clark

But the X-T50 takes it a step further. It's a mere 696g (just a hair over 1.5 lbs) when paired with the new 16-50 kit lens. Swap on my beloved prime, and it's still 50g lighter than the X-T3 setup. The body is also noticeably more compact in the hand.

The size and weight make a specific type of shooting – let's call it vacation photography – easier. I had no problems swinging the X-T50 out in front of me to take a selfie of my wife and I, or holding it in awkward positions to get perfect composition on a food picture. It's not that I never do those things with larger, heavier cameras, but there's a confidence that comes with being able to effortlessly support a camera with one hand.

Knowing that the X-T50 works well for this kind of photography made me want to take it on more casual outings, not just ones where I knew I'd be getting good pictures. Its relatively small size also makes it less intimidating than the traditional big, heavy-duty camera, which is an important consideration when I'm going to be around strangers and friends of friends.

Selfies are almost as easy with the X-T50 as with my iPhone. And the image quality isn't even close.

Photo: Mitchell Clark

To be clear, it's not like I ever forgot I was carrying the X-T50 around. It's not a Ricoh GR III that can disappear in a coat pocket or even an X100-series. But in some respects, that's a good thing. A camera hanging comfortably around my neck was actually even more convenient than my phone; I didn't have to dig it out of my pocket and fumble for my iPhone's less-useful-than-promised Action button. (Seriously, we're almost a year in, and I can't launch the camera with a quick double-tap?)

It feels like Fujifilm has struck an important balance here. Obviously, I'm a photography enthusiast; if push comes to shove, I'll take a big camera out, and you won't hear a word of complaint from me. But it seems like the company is trying to woo smartphone users with the X-T50, enticing them with the promise of easily selectable looks via the film simulation dial.

If it wants them to enjoy the experience of using a dedicated camera, it can't be a burden to bring to brunch or a casual get-together. Thankfully, the X-T50 has proven to be a welcome companion, instead of a brick of obligation.

Photo: Adobe

In a blog published this morning, Adobe has said that it's now possible to make direct connections between Frame.io and Lightroom.

Frame.io, the cloud-based collaboration and workflow platform that Adobe bought in late 2021, was primarily designed for video projects and has gained widespread adoption in that field. But Adobe has made clear that it wants to make it more useful for photographers, too.

Collaborations with Fujifilm and Panasonic have seen the arrival of cameras that can upload directly to Frame.io whenever the camera has an internet connection. The latest announcement is designed to speed up the process of getting images from the camera into Lightroom.

Once connected, you have a choice of whether all your images are automatically imported once they're uploaded, or you can make selections in Frame.io.

Screengrab: Adobe

The connection will allow you to import every image you shoot into Lightroom, as soon as it uploads to Frame.io, or let you make a selection of which ones you want to transfer from Frame.io for final editing.

In the accompanying video, Adobe talks about shooting images at a music festival as part of a social media team, and making the images available to a remote editor. But we suspect plenty of Fujifilm and Panasonic users will simply appreciate a mechanism for getting their images into Lightroom even if they're a hobbyist who's traveling, for instance.

'Connect to Lightroom' is available as a beta feature in Frame.io from today.

Click here to read the Frame.io blog post

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Earlier this week, Google announced a slate of new phones, including the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The latter is a folding phone that Google says has the "largest display on a phone" and is the "thinnest foldable available." It has a price tag to match, too; it starts at $1,799 (or $49.97 a month for a year and a half) and goes up to $1,919 for the 512 GB option.

It'd be reasonable to assume that you'll be getting the best of the best since you're paying hundreds of dollars more than Google's other Pro-branded phones. But if you look closely, you'll see that's not the case at all, especially when it comes to the cameras. In fact, most of the Fold's cameras are worse than those on the regular Pixel 9, which starts at $1,000 less.

Let's break those differences down. Here's a chart comparing the camera setups:

Pixel 9 Pixel 9 Pro Pixel 9 Pro Fold Main (wide) camera

• 50MP, F1.68
• 25mm equiv.

• 50MP, F1.68
• 25mm equiv.

• 48MP, F1.7
• 25mm equiv

Ultra-wide camera

• 48MP, F1.7
• 12mm equiv.

• 48MP, F1.7
• 12mm equiv.

• 10.5MP, F2.2
• 11mm equiv.

Telephoto camera None

• 48MP, F2.8
• 105mm equiv.

• 10.8MP, F3.1
• 105mm equiv.

Selfie camera

• 10.5 MP, F2.2
• Autofocus
• 20mm equiv.

• 42 MP, F2.2
• Autofocus
• 17mm equiv.

• 10 MP, F2.2
• 23mm equiv.

The differences between the rigid phones' main cameras and the Fold's seem relatively subtle based on specs, but those don't tell the whole story. The Fold's sensor is physically smaller; it has an area of 31mm², while the one on the other Pixel 9s is 72mm². As my colleague Dale Baskin calculated, the difference in area equates to the Fold's light-gathering ability being cut down by roughly 1.3 stops compared to the standard models. Ouch.

The ultra-wide and telephoto cameras are also notably slower and lower-resolution compared to their counterparts on the Pro. No autofocus is also a significant loss for the front-facing camera, though it is relatively easy to use the main cameras for selfies with a folding phone.

One could argue that ordinary people aren't going to scrutinize their phone pictures closely enough to notice the difference between the cameras. After all, the Fold has a ton of computational tricks it can use to make sure its photos look passible to most viewers, even when viewed on the phone's large main screen. But I'd counter that the folks spending $1,800 on a phone aren't most people – they're enthusiasts, the type of people who will care that their phone has inferior specs (even if they may not even be able to tell the difference).

They may also be the kind to ask why their Pro 9 Fold is missing software features compared to the regular Pro 9; cinematic blur, action pan, dual exposure, and 8K upsampling are all omitted from the Fold's spec sheet.

What makes the Pixel Fold's weaker cameras even more of a bummer is that there are genuinely some useful photography features on the Fold. Having a cartoon character wave at your kids to get them to smile is something you can't practically do with a regular-style phone (unless it has a mini screen on the back, which no phones from major manufacturers do). And being able to prop your phone up can be a huge advantage when taking a group photo or selfie. With a regular phone, you have to find something stable enough to hold it or AI yourself in later.

I wish my phone could do this while still keeping its superior cameras.

Image: Google

Adding insult to injury, Google's direct competitor, Samsung, hasn't sacrificed camera quality as much on its Galaxy Z Fold 6. The Z Fold series has historically had inferior cameras to its candybar counterparts, but the ones found on this year's model are pretty much as good as those on the S24+. (The S24 Ultra has better specs, but with a $1,299 starting price, it's kind of in a slot above most "Pro" phones in the market.)

So why has Google saddled its most expensive phone with specs that don't match the Pixel 8? Is it because the engineers simply didn't think about it? Or maybe they copied and pasted the camera from the original Fold and forgot to change it?

Probably not. It's more likely that it's a trade-off enforced by physics. To state the obvious, the Pixel Fold's cameras are on a phone that folds in half. That means there's physically less space for them; the regular Pixel 9s are 7.6 mm (0.3 in) thick, whereas the halves of the Fold are 5.1 mm (0.2) thick. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is, again, the thinnest foldable available in the US, and that doesn't leave much room for cameras.

To be fair to Google, that thinness is almost certainly something people shopping for a foldable will appreciate. The more it feels like a regular smartphone in your pocket, the more magical it is to open it up and suddenly have a 204 mm (8 in) screen. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 (which has a smaller 193 mm or 7.6 in screen, by the way) is 19% thicker when closed – you're going to feel that.

However, I know that if I got the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, I'd also feel a slight twinge of regret whenever I opened the camera app. And as someone who's foldable-curious, I don't want that to be the case. I could swallow the high price or the subpar cameras, but both at once makes it just too hard of a sell, no matter how justifiable both aspects are.

It's an exciting time to be a film photographer. After almost two decades without a major new film camera release, Pentax released the 17 earlier this year. Now, there's a chance we may be getting yet another film camera from another famed manufacturer... Lego.

The toy company has a program called Lego Ideas, which lets community members submit their own designs. If enough people vote for an Idea, Lego will review it, and there's a chance it'll get turned into an actual product you can buy. (Some examples of current products that were once ideas: a motorized lighthouse, a typewriter, and a Polaroid OneStep.)

This is why there's a chance we'll get a film camera from the company. User Zung92 has submitted a plan for a real, working film camera that's made up of 595 plastic bricks. They call it the ZH1, and say that it has an actual viewfinder, releasable winding lever, and can even take half- or full-frame images.

If you want to see what photos taken with a camera made with off-the-shelf Lego pieces look like, Zung has posted a gallery on their Instagram. The quality is about what you'd expect from a camera where the exposure length is dictated by how long you hold down the shutter button, but the fact that it produces useable images at all is really impressive. In their Ideas submission, Zung92 says it took a lot of work to get the camera light-sealed while still keeping it portable.

Image: Zung92 on Lego Ideas

The project is actually a few years old at this point, but press from outlets like PetaPixel and Kosmo Foto have recently thrust it into the spotlight. That's likely because it has less than a month left to get the 10,000 votes it needs to be reviewed by Lego's experts. At time of writing it hasn't quite made it, but it seems extremely likely that it will given how quickly the counter is going up.

If it does reach that threshold and makes it to production (which, again, isn't assured even if it gets the votes), it'll be far from the first camera set from the company. It currently sells the aforementioned Polaroid SX-70 reproduction and a 'Retro Camera' kit that even includes film roll-shaped bricks. There have also been various Leica-inspired reproductions over the years. However, none of those have ever let you insert a real roll of film, turn the advance lever, and take a picture.

In an update video, Zung92 shows the process of loading film into the ZH1. Also, check out that viewfinder mounted on the cold shoe.

One final note about using a Lego camera. As I was writing this, I considered whether I should make a joke about how someone using the ZH1 might lose a roll of photos because they dropped the camera, and it shattered into 595 pieces (as Lego creations are wont to do). But it turns out that's already happened. Last year, Zung posted on Instagram: "My Lego Camera took a tumble, shattered into pieces, and even went on an adventure down a street vent!"

That's so much worse than accidentally opening the film door while rewinding the roll.

Image: Lux

Hot on the heels of a summer filled with companies talking about using AI to improve the photography experience, the makers of the iPhone and iPad photography app Halide are promising something different. An update to the app has added what the company calls "Process Zero," a mode that uses "zero AI and zero computational photography."

The company pitches Process Zero as a way to get total control over your images, making your phone a "classic camera." You set your ISO and shutter speed (or let the app do it automatically), press the capture button, and that's it. It snaps a single exposure, and does no post-processing. At the end, you have a HEIF and a DNG.

Halide will let you adjust the exposure, but that's the only editing you can do in the app. The Raws are, of course, compatible with other apps like Adobe Camera Raw.

In its blog post, Lux, the company behind Halide, says that the iPhone's aggressive noise reduction was a big part of what inspired it to add the mode. Previously, the app had a toggle that let users turn off computational features like Deep Fusion and Smart HDR, but it could only do so much. According to the blog post: "Noise reduction is just one of those things that gives iPhone photos their look. Because Halide was built on top of the system processing, we had to come along for the ride."

Default iPhone Camera Apple ProRaw Halide Reduced Processing Halide Process Zero Images exported via Adobe Camera Raw. Taken with the main camera on an iPhone 15 Pro.

Lux makes it clear that the mode won't be for everyone. Since it's only a single exposure, the shots will almost certainly have more noise (or "grain," as the blog post politely puts it) and less dynamic range. That also means no night mode.

Halide Process Zero currently can't capture 48MP Raws on the iPhone 15 Pro, only 12MP ones. According to Lux's blog post, "some flagship features of the iPhone are deeply integrated with algorithms," so getting a full-sensor readout instead of a binned picture "isn't possible." It hints that it may become possible if Apple decides to allow it.

For those looking for the most detail possible, that may put Process Zero at a disadvantage to Apple's own ProRaw format. However, Process Zero doesn't include some of the computational photography tricks that Apple's Raws might. According to a support document, Apple ProRaw doesn't preclude features like Smart HDR, Deep Fusion, or Night mode. Unlike Apple's mode, Halide's new mode will also work on non-Pro iPhones.

In the blog post, the company also announced that it's working on a new version of its app called Halide Mark III. It plans to roll some Mark III features out early, which is why Process Zero launched this week.

As part of the update, it'll also raise the price of the membership that lets you use Halide from $11.99 a year to $19.99 a year, starting next week. (Users who subscribe at $11.99 will have that price locked in.) Alternatively, there's a $60 one-time purchase option, which Lux says will include access to Halide III when it releases.

You can download Halide here.

Image: Google

At its Made by Google event earlier this week, Google introduced the new Pixel 9 series, a lineup of smartphones designed with photography and AI integration at their core. This year, the range includes four distinct models: the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

The first three models follow the familiar smartphone design, with screens spanning from 6.3" to 6.8" in size. Aside from screen size, the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL share identical hardware and imaging capabilities. On the other hand, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold breaks from tradition with its foldable design. Unfolded, it reveals a large 8-inch main display, complemented by a secondary 6.3-inch rear screen. This design comes with implications for the cameras within, which we’ll explore in more detail below.

Given the array of models, each equipped with different combinations of cameras and AI-driven imaging features, there's a lot to unpack. Here, we break down each model to help you determine the best fit for your mobile photography needs.

Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL

We begin with the three traditional, non-folding models: the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL.

Pixel 9 Pixel 9 Pro Pixel 9 Pro XL Pixel 9 Pro Fold Screen size

6.3" (15.8cm)

6.3" (15.8cm) 6.8" (17.3cm)

8" (20.3cm) - main

6.3" (15.8cm) - rear

Main (wide) camera

• 50MP (72mm2)
• F1.68
• 25mm equiv.

• 50MP (72mm2)
• F1.68
• 25mm equiv.

• 50MP (72mm2)
• F1.68
• 25mm equiv.

• 48MP (31mm2)
• F1.7
• 25mm equiv

Ultra-wide camera

• 48MP (24mm2)
• F1.7
• 12mm equiv.

• 48MP (24mm2)
• F1.7
• 12mm equiv.

• 48MP (24mm2)
• F1.7
• 12mm equiv.

• 10.5MP (13.2mm2)
• F2.2
• 11mm equiv.

Telephoto camera N/A

• 48MP (24mm2)

• F2.8
• 105mm equiv.

• 48MP (24mm2)

• F2.8
• 105mm equiv.

• 10.8MP (16mm2)
• F3.1
• 105mm equiv.

Front camera

• 10.5MP, F2.2
• 20mm equiv.

• 42MP, F2.2
• 17mm equiv.

• 42MP, F2.2
• 17mm equiv.

• 10MP, F2.2
• 23mm equiv.

Pro camera controls No Yes Yes Yes Super Res Zoom Up to 8x* Up to 30x** Up to 30x** Up to 20x** Video 4K/60p, 1080/60p 4K/60p, 1080/60p 4K/60p, 1080/60p 4K/60p, 1080/60p Video Boost (cloud) N/A 8K/30p 8K/30p 8K/30p Night Sight video No Yes Yes Yes Super Res Zoom in video 7X*** Up to 20x Up to 20x 20x*** Starting price $799 (128 GB) $999 (128 GB) $1099 (128 GB) $1799 (256 GB)

*Google claims "optical quality" at 0.5x, 1x and 2x
**Google claims "optical quality" at 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x, and 10x
***Digital zoom, but not Super Res Zoom

All three are equipped with the same wide and ultra-wide rear cameras, allowing for straightforward hardware comparisons. The main (wide) camera in each model features a 50MP Type 1/1.31 (9.8 x 7.4mm) Octa PD sensor, which is the largest on any of the devices. Paired with an F1.68 lens and a 25mm equivalent focal length, this camera benefits from both optical and digital image stabilization.

The ultra-wide camera, on the other hand, houses a 48MP Type 1/2.55 (5.6 x 4.2mm) Quad PD sensor, offering an F1.7 aperture and a 12mm equivalent focal length. Though this sensor is slightly smaller than the one used in the Pixel 8 Pro, the faster F1.7 aperture (compared to F1.95 on the Pixel 8 Pro) compensates for the difference.

Where the hardware starts to diverge is with the telephoto camera. The Pixel 9 forgoes a telephoto camera entirely, making this a feature exclusive to the Pro models. Both the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL include a telephoto camera equipped with a 48MP Type 1/2.55 Quad PD sensor, paired with an F2.8 lens that offers a 105mm equivalent focal length. As with the main camera, optical and electronic image stabilization is included.

The Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL include a 5x telephoto camera.

Image: Google

At first glance, you might assume the main difference between the Pixel 9 and the Pro models is limited to telephoto capabilities, but this doesn’t tell the full story. Despite sharing the same wide and ultra-wide cameras, the Pro models offer useful features that distinguish them from the base model.

One standout feature in the Pro models is Google's pro camera controls, which unlock manual control over focus, shutter speed, and ISO, as well as 50MP high-resolution capture. In contrast, the Pixel 9 is limited to 12.5MP images despite having the same high-resolution sensor. While the Pixel 9 can still shoot in RAW format, those files are also restricted to 12.5MP resolution.

All three models leverage Google’s Super Res Zoom technology, which blends hardware, software, and machine learning in an attempt to extend zoom capabilities. The Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL support Super Res Zoom up to 30x, while the Pixel 9 maxes out at 8x.

Google says the selfie camera on the 9 Pro and Pro XL have a 30% increase in light sensitivity.

Image: Google

The front-facing cameras also differ between models. The Pixel 9 inherits the 10.5MP selfie camera from last year’s Pixel 8 Pro, offering a 20mm equivalent field of view. Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL step up to a 42MP front camera with a 17mm equivalent focal length, the widest selfie camera ever on a Pixel device. According to Google, this new front camera also benefits from a 30% increase in light sensitivity over the Pixel 8 Pro, likely due to a larger sensor, as all front cameras share an F2.2 aperture.

Other technology differs across the lineup. While the Pixel 9 is equipped with single-zone LDAF (laser detect autofocus), the Pro models feature multi-zone LDAF, which should further enhance low-light performance and focusing accuracy.

Buy now:

$999 at Amazon.com Pixel 9 Pro Fold Image: Google

Now, let’s turn our attention to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Like the other Pro models, the Fold includes a triple rear camera system, but due to the device’s foldable design, its camera setup is somewhat different. With the phone measuring just 10.5mm thick when folded (0.4 inches), each half is only 5.25mm deep. These depth constraints limit which camera sensors can fit inside.

The Fold’s main camera features a 48MP Type 1/2 (6.4 x 1.8mm) sensor paired with an F1.7 lens and a 25mm equivalent focal length. While the aperture is nearly identical to that of the other models, the smaller sensor means this camera has approximately 1.3 stops less light-gathering capability.

Its ultra-wide camera houses a 10.5MP Type 1/3.4 (4.2 x 3.1mm) sensor with an F2.2 lens and an 11mm equivalent focal length. Compared to the ultra-wide cameras on the other Pixel 9 devices, the Fold’s smaller sensor and slower aperture result in another 1.3-stop reduction in performance.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold's cameras are less robust than the other Pixel 9 models, but the foldable design enables a couple of photography features unique to the Fold.

Image: Google

As for the telephoto camera, the Fold features a 105mm equivalent lens like the other Pro models, but its sensor is smaller – a 10.8MP Type 1/3.2 (4.6 x 3.3mm) sensor paired with an F3.1 lens – resulting in a 1-stop disadvantage in low-light scenarios.

On the front, the Fold comes with a 10MP selfie camera, offering a 23mm equivalent field of view, slightly narrower than the other models.

Despite these differences, the Fold still includes Google's pro camera controls, allowing for full manual settings adjustments. While the telephoto lens may not be as strong as the other Pro models, it's there if you need it. It supports Super Res Zoom up to 20x.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold also brings unique features thanks to its foldable design. In addition to the expansive 8-inch main screen, the Fold has a 6.3-inch rear display that matches the one on the Pixel 9. When the device is unfolded, this rear screen faces your subject along with the rear camera array, opening up different possibilities for photography.

Made You Look uses the Fold's rear screen to keep a child's attention while taking photos.

Image: Google

Google’s Made You Look feature, for instance, is designed to make photographing children easier. It displays an animated figure on the rear screen to hold a child’s attention while you take photos. Another notable feature is Dual Display, which allows both the photographer and subject to preview the photo before it’s taken, offering a more interactive experience. Additionally, the rear screen makes it easy to take high-quality selfies using the main camera.

Buy now:

$1799 at Amazon.com AI and Computational Photography Features

As expected from the Pixel series, Google continues to push the boundaries of computational photography and AI-driven imaging tools. The Pixel 9 lineup is no exception, with several advanced features spread across the models.

Magic Editor

This AI-powered editing tool gets a major update this year with new features like Reimagine and Autoframe. Reimagine allows you to modify photos by simply describing the changes you want. Whether it’s turning brown grass green or adding a starry sky, Reimagine generates several options for you to choose from.

Image Comparison SliderThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. I asked Reimagine to add the Milky Way to the sky in this photo of a tree at sunset. My original photo is on the left, and Reimagine's version is on the right.

Photo: Dale Baskin

Autoframe, meanwhile, analyzes your photo and suggests the best crop – but it can also expand your image, using generative AI to seamlessly fill in new areas that blend with the original scene.

Image Comparison SliderThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. I let Autoframe suggest new framing for this image of the Aurora Borealis. Instead of cropping inward, it cropped outward, using generative AI to fill the extra space created by the larger frame.

Photo: Dale Baskin Add Me

This innovative feature solves the common problem of photographers being left out of group photos. With Add Me, the photographer can leave space in the shot and then step in after the first photo is taken. An overlay of the original photo helps to position the photographer in the scene for the second photo; Add Me merges the images into a single picture.

Add Me is intended to help the photographer be in group photos too.

Image: Google

Zoom Enhance

This AI-driven feature, first announced with the Pixel 8 Pro, is finally rolling out. It uses machine learning to predict and fill in missing details when zooming in on photos, creating sharper, more detailed results. It’s available exclusively on the Pro models and will be extended to the Pixel 8 Pro through a software update.

Panorama with Night Sight

Panorama mode now benefits from HDR+ processing for improved image quality, and Night Sight has been incorporated to enable better low-light panoramas. The shooting interface has also been revamped to make the process more intuitive.

I captured this Night Sight panorama in light that was, to my eyes, so dark that I couldn't see the ground in front of me.

Photo: Dale Baskin

Video Capture

When it comes to video capture, all Pixel 9 models share some common specs. All models support 4K or FHD video capture at up to 60fps, along with the usual Pixel features like 10-bit HDR video, cinematic blur, and slow-motion up to 240fps. However, the Pro models come with additional AI-powered features that set them apart.

Video Boost: This cloud-based processing feature is designed to enhance the quality of your videos by improving detail, color, and lighting. On the Pixel 9 Pros Video Boost can upscale 4K footage to 8K/30p using AI.

"On the Pixel 9 Pros Video Boost can upscale 4K footage to 8K/30p using AI."

Night Sight Video: Available only on the Pro models, this feature enhances low-light video capture.

Super Res Zoom in Video: While the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL support Super Res Zoom up to 20x in video mode, the Pixel 9 and Fold are limited to 7x and 20x digital zoom, respectively.

Additionally, the three non-folding Pixel 9 models feature dual exposure for improved HDR video capture when using the main camera.

Conclusion

The Pixel 9 series offers a wide spectrum of camera and video capabilities, making each model a powerful option for different types of users. For those who simply want to capture and share great photos, the Pixel 9 is more than capable. However, if you’re seeking more advanced control over your photography, higher-resolution image capture, or a telephoto lens, the Pixel 9 Pro or Pixel 9 Pro XL will likely be worth the investment.

As for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, its foldable design offers a unique experience that other models can’t match, even if its cameras aren’t as robust as the other Pro variants. If you’re looking for a phone that blends flexibility with solid photography features, the Fold could be a fit.

Buy now:

$999 at Amazon.com

This week, Fujifilm made several announcements about its Instax brand of instant cameras and film. The first is that it's producing two limited edition colors of its Instax Mini Evo hybrid camera to celebrate the company's 90th anniversary, which occurred earlier this year.

The bundle includes the camera, which can capture digital images and print them out onto Instax Mini film, along with a case, color-matched strap and lens cap. You can get it in 'Dark Silver' or 'Titanium Gold'

Image: Fujifilm

Fujifilm also announced an update to its Mini Link printer, which can print pictures from your phone onto Instax Mini film. (The previous generation model could also connect to certain X-series cameras, though there's no mention of that functionality on the 3's product page.)

The Mini Link 3 adds a bank of 'bright pastel LEDs' that will indicate things like battery life and printing status. And while its battery should last about as long as the 2's, charging it should be much simpler for most users: it now supports a USB C port versus the Micro USB one found on the older model.

The Mini Link 3 also introduces a 'sage green' color option, which replaces the 2's 'space blue.' It's also available in white and pink, like its predecessor. The printer will use the Instax Mini Link app to let users choose which photos to print, add effects and more.

Buy Now - Instax Mini Evo 90th anniversary bundle $229 at B&H $229 at Adorama

Alongside the Mini Link 3, Fujifilm announced a new 'sprinkle' variation of its Instax Mini film. Both items will be available later this month.

Finally, an Instax film variant that's perfect for photographing baked goods.

Image: Fujifilm

One final announcement that's (literally) larger than the rest: Fujifilm has released a driver that lets owners of its Instax Link Wide printers use them with a Windows computer instead of being limited to just using it with their smartphones or specific Fujifilm cameras. According to the driver page, a version for Macs is coming soon.

Buy Now - Instax Mini Link 3 $99 at B&H $99 at Adorama