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Surprising favorites: the cameras DPReview readers ended up loving against the odds

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Image: MirageC / Moment via Getty Images

Last week, we wanted to spark some potentially unexpected or controversial responses with our 'Question of the week.' We were curious about the cameras you hate on paper but love in real life. Alternatively, you could share about cameras you love on paper, but the hands-on experience didn't live up to the hype. We wanted to discover cameras that surprised either for good or for bad. Here's what you all had to say.

Cameras that exceeded expectations

You all brought up a very diverse range of cameras, from older DSLR models to brand new mirrorless and medium format options and everything in between. Tony Hall even surprised us with a mention of the Instax Mini. However, there were some common themes across responses.

Nikon Zf

The Nikon Zf was mentioned more than anything else when considering cameras that don't look great in terms of specs or expectations, but are nonetheless loved.

"I bought it on a lark last February just to try out a mirrorless I thought I could not grow too attached to. Just a 'play around' camera. I since have come to enjoy mirrorless cameras as my regular shooting tools," said AWG_Pics. "The Zf is still my most fun camera to shoot. It was definitely my gateway drug into mirrorless." While many complain about the lack of a grip on the Nikon Zf, Pierre Legarde has a different perspective: "The lack of grip makes me hold this camera in a way I'm more involved in shooting. It's something to get used to, but in the end, it's rewarding."

Older models

Another common theme was older models that were pleasant surprises. For example, a few of you highlighted the Sigma SD Quattro. "On paper: grumpy, if usable, autofocus. Uses DSLR lenses from a dead, yet still expensive, mount. Shooting past base ISO in color is a bad idea. Limited dynamic range; both highlights and shadows clip in an ugly way. Overheats even in moderate heat, said Earl Goodson. "In real life: and yet....Those foveon COLORS. Crisp, realistic details. Subtle non-Bayer tonality that makes you want to just study the hues."

Similarly, a few of you mentioned the Nikon Df. "Everything on paper told me that the Df was "wrong" (...and not just for me but for everyone... the hybris!)," said remrebus. "Now I own one and it's the only Nikon that I have and I'll never sell it (...for a numerous reasons that I don't explain here 'cos it would be a long list)."

Multiple people also mentioned the Nikon 1 cameras, including the V1, V2 and J5. "The specs don't look that great and the small sensor was a turn off before I received one as a gift," said lecoupdejarnac. "The system is just plain fun to shoot with and I've gotten lots of good wildlife shots with the killer 70-300mm lens (810mm equivalent!)."

Brian Chichester added that the initial reviews pointed out the Nikon 1 V1's many faults. However, "Much later I got my hands on one, used it, and realised that for me, it worked. I use it mainly as a monochrome camera and I would say that is its strength," he explained. "But it shows that, above and beyond spec sheets, a camera is a tool that either suits your hands and your purposes or it doesn't."

Bridge cameras and compacts

There were also quite a few responses that mentioned bridge cameras or compacts. For example, Smaug01 mentioned that the OM System TG-7 was a camera that doesn't look great on specs but that he has been enjoying. "On paper, it has a tiny sensor, which should kill it for me right there. However, I'm finding that I'm out of my "any visible noise is bad" phase and becoming more open-minded as I ease into middle age," he said. "The ability to actually drop this directly in a pocket without worry about dust being ingested, and the fact that the useful zoom lens is pretty fast made me open my mind enough to open my wallet and buy one."

IEBA1 didn't mention a specific model, but did highlight compact travel zoom cameras as ones to hate on paper but love in use. "In general, I hate tiny, fiddly cameras with minimal buttons and control," they said. "But my favorite travel camera is a too-small, tiny battery, tiny sensor camera. Because I can put it my jacket pocket and I have everything from macro, wide angle, and a 30x zoom."

Cameras that disappointed despite their specs

There were also mentions of cameras with specs that should have resulted in an excellent device, but things didn't play out quite that way. The Sony RX series was one that popped up a few times.

"A few years ago I had a Sony RX100 VII. Great on paper and truly pocket sized," said GeoffNZ. "In reality the menus were too busy and fussy and the controls too fiddly, even for me with average sized hands. The built in flash was a nice idea but was not very powerful - it just about did some fill in flash if the subject was very close. Start up time very sluggish. It also got sensor dust from the moving lens."

Yardcoyote also expressed their dislike for the RX100 series. "I went to buy the first version when the second version came out-- the camera was perfect for me on paper and I had the money in my pocket in cash," they said. "Went into the store, picked it up and couldn't put it down fast enough. Nasty slippery fiddly little thing. Being 'pocket sized' has never been enough to sell me any camera and certainly not that one.)"

You can still share

If you haven't had a chance to throw in your two cents, it's not too late. The post is still open so you can get in there and discuss cameras that surprise or disappoint. Thank you to everyone who took the time to answer, and we look forward to hearing your responses next time!

Click here to answer the Question of the week

Why do my photos look so orange or blue?

Digital Photography Review news -

Photo: Abby Ferguson

Have you ever noticed that sometimes your photographs turn out oddly blue or orange? This common situation has made countless beginner and enthusiast photographers scratch their heads in frustration. Luckily, it has an easily addressable cause: white balance issues related to the color of light in your scene. In this article, we'll cover why your photos might be drastically shifted to one color or another and how to fix it.

Why can colors go awry? Light at sunset can be intensely golden in color, but that may not be something you want to get rid of.
Photo: Mitchell Clark

All light sources have different colors, which appear as color casts. That's even true of natural light, with the color of light shifting throughout the day. For example, late evening light (i.e., golden hour) looks quite orange and warm, while midday sun looks much more neutral and just before sunrise or just after sunset can be quite blue (aptly named blue hour). We often refer to the color of light as warm (golden hour) or cool (blue hour), and it can also have a tint that can lean either green or magenta.

A lot of artificial lights have even more extreme color casts. Incandescent bulbs, for example, are very warm with a strong orange color cast. Fluorescent lights can result in an unattractive green tint. More commonly these days, you've likely noticed that LED light bulbs come in various types of white, such as daylight, soft white, bright white and more.

Our brains instinctively adjust to diverse types of lighting (usually), but cameras can struggle to do the same. When that's the case, you may end up with images with strong color casts. Sometimes that's useful (such as showing the warm glow of golden hour), but other times, it can be quite unpleasant and distracting. When you see extremely orange or blue tints in your photos, it's a sign that your camera's white balance setting is struggling to determine the correct color of the scene.

What is white balance? White balance can also be used to refer to the colors in an image. In this case, the white balance is a little on the warm side, but it's within a reasonable level.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

Put simply, white balance is a camera setting that corrects the colors in photographs by adjusting for the color of light in a scene. To do this, the camera aims to interpret the scene, trying to work out what the color(s) of the objects are and how the light may be influencing them. It will then attempt to compensate for color casts to produce more natural colors in the final image.

This process works best if your photograph contains something neutral (such as white or gray, which is why it's called white balance), as otherwise your camera may have difficulty working out what the colors should look like.

How to manage white balance in-camera Image: coolvectormaker / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

Your camera is, by default, set to an automatic white balance setting. The automatic setting typically works quite well; however, as you've noticed, that isn't always the case. Sometimes, more manual adjustment is necessary.

Beyond the auto white balance, cameras also provide presets for specific types of light. For example, most cameras offer settings for tungsten, incandescent light, fluorescent light and flash. You'll also notice natural light-related presets, including daylight, shade and cloudy. These presets won't be foolproof, but can at least get you closer to a correct white balance in tricky situations or when your camera isn't quite getting things right on auto.

Camera manufacturers are also increasingly adding Auto White, Auto Warm or Auto Cool settings. These are ideal for situations where you want to preserve some of the color cast to keep the original mood, such as at golden hour or around a campfire.

There are more advanced techniques for situations that call for highly precise white balance, but that's a topic for another day. For now, don't be afraid to try out the different presets to determine which one best fits a given situation. Below, you'll see some specific examples for managing orange and blue photos.

Fixing blue photos

On the left: This lamp produces a very warm light (though not as warm as the example below), but on auto white balance, it looks a bit too neutral for my liking.

On the right: Setting the white balance to Tungsten produces a much too blue image.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

If your photograph has a strong blue tint, it's likely because you are working in the shade or under overcast skies, and your camera isn't appropriately adjusting to the cooler light color. Changing your camera to the cloudy or shade settings should warm the photo up to provide a more accurate (and generally more attractive) white balance.

Alternatively, a strong blue tint could be the result of your camera overadjusting for warm light. You may need to take manual control in such instances, choosing a preset that keeps some of the warmth. Or, just as with orange photos, it could be that your white balance was accidentally set to something wrong. In that case, your camera is compensating for warmer light that doesn't actually exist in the scene, turning things blue. In that case, switching your white balance back to auto or another appropriate setting will help you achieve a better white balance.

Fixing yellow or orange photos For this photo, my camera's white balance was set to Cloudy, which isn't appropriate for the scene and produced an excessively orange photo.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

Photos that are too yellow or orange usually happen when you're taking photographs inside. If that's what you're experiencing, it's likely that the room you are in has incandescent bulbs or warm LEDs, which emit an orangish color. Switching your camera to the incandescent setting should get you closer to a correct color.

Overly orange or yellow photos could also be the result of accidentally or unknowingly changing your white balance to a setting meant for bluer lighting conditions. If you aren't shooting in incandescent light or with warm LEDs and are still getting overly warm photos, double-check what your white balance settings are and change to auto or an appropriate setting if it's not there.

How to manage white balance with editing On the left is a corrected version of the orange photo above. It was corrected from the jpeg file and, as a result, has some odd colors, especially in the highlights. On the right is the correction on the Raw file, left slightly warm to retain some of the color of the light.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

If you've already taken the photos and aren't in a situation to retake them, you may not be out of luck. There are ways to adjust white balance in editing programs as well. Most editing apps will feature temperature and tint sliders, allowing you to change how warm or cool (temperature) and pink or green (tint) your photos are. Some will, like your camera, have an auto white balance setting that attempts to even out the color temperature and tint as best it can. However, that won't always work very well.

Some editing programs also feature an eyedropper tool that allows you to point to something that should be white or neutral gray in the photograph, and the software will adjust the white balance based on that. If the presets aren't cutting it, but you can't figure out what it should be with the sliders, the white balance dropper can be a very useful tool, provided you have something neutral. Sometimes, you just have to move the sliders to get something that looks right to your eye.

When fixing white balance in editing, there is one caveat: JPEG files will have a somewhat limited ability to fully correct white balance. You can correct white balance within reason, but if it is substantially wrong, you may run into color issues that can't be fixed all the way. Raw files, on the other hand, contain file information before white balance has been applied, giving you more flexibility to adjust when editing.

Learn to notice the color of light I took this photo almost entirely because of the warm light and shadows. Starting to notice the color and quality of light will help you use it to your advantage.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

Photography is all about light, and recognizing the role that light's color plays in your images is an important factor that you'll learn to manage. At first, you may simply be trying to fix unwanted color casts. But learning to think about light (and its color) from a creative perspective is also critical to developing your photography. After all, it can be a very useful tool in conveying moods and vibes. Once you understand why white balance can go wrong and how to adjust it, you can then use it intentionally to craft powerful images and even develop your own style.

High-rise becomes world's largest skate ramp for record-breaking stunt

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Brazilian skateboarding legend Sandro Dias has broken two Guinness World Records after turning the curved facade of a 22-story high-rise into what Red Bull calls the world's largest skate ramp. The daring skater dropped from a height of 60 m (197 ft) and reached speeds of up to 103.8 km/h (64 mph) during his spectacular descent.

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Category: Lifestyle

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Mediterranean diet improves psoriasis symptoms by up to 75%

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Psoriasis may not have a cure, but new research has found that significant relief could be achieved at the dinner table. In a clinical trial, scientists found that a Mediterranean diet could dramatically improve symptoms, quality of life and overall health. The findings add weight to growing evidence that what we eat plays a powerful role in managing chronic inflammatory conditions.

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Category: Diet & Nutrition, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

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This area of fat is aging your brain faster than others

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While we've known for some time that obesity affects the brain, scientists have found that, more importantly, it's where you carry it that matters. And it's the deep visceral fat around organs that has the biggest impact on aging your brain, affecting areas of reasoning, memory and processing speed.

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Category: Obesity, Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind

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September challenge winners: These incredible photos were all taken with phone cameras

Digital Photography Review news -

The September Editors' photo challenge

The theme for our September Editors' photo challenge was "Pixels in your pocket."

We asked you to share images captured with the camera that's always with you: your smartphone, and the photographers who submitted photos clearly didn't "phone it in." Capturing everything from misty seasides to towering cliffs, in vibrant color and stark black and white, and from far corners of the globe, you proved that small sensors can tell big stories.

As usual, we were overwhelmed with great pictures – many more than we can present here. Our favorites, showcasing a diverse range of vision and talent, are presented in random order.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this photo challenge. If you want to participate in other photo challenges, visit our Challenges page to see currently open or upcoming challenges, or to vote in a recently closed challenge.

Picos clouds

Photographer: Jswell

Photographer's statement: This photo was taken while guiding a climb on Picos Urriellu in Picos de Europa National Park, Spain, on a post-storm morning – a combination of circumstance and position.

Equipment: Apple iPhone 16 Pro

Painting with light

Photographer: DerGatekeeper

Photographer's statement: At the “Zeche Zollverein” in Essen, Germany, there is a closed coal mine. The mining buildings are converted into a kind of industrial museum. The stairs have been illuminated with special lights, giving the scene an impression of being not of this world.

Equipment: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

The way up

Photographer: jaggedhorizon

Photographer's statement: I love skiing and skitouring just as much as I love photography. And the best thing is, being far away from the beaten path in the mountains, I can combine both, whether I carry a camera or a phone. I loved the simplicity of this image showing “skin tracks” and in the background, the Aiguille Rouge, near Arolla in Switzerland.

Equipment: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

Balloons over Myanmar

Photographer: light_reaction

Photographer's statement: This photo was taken while soaring above Bagan, Myanmar. This moment was guided by a UK army veteran piloting our balloon – a tradition in Bagan where British and international pilots work alongside local crews. Ballooning here is more than a visitor’s thrill: it’s a source of pride and support for the local community, with companies employing hundreds of locals and funding projects in education, health, and heritage conservation, ensuring that the ancient temples continue to inspire and sustain those who call Bagan home.

Equipment: Apple iPhone 8

Spiral spiral

Photographer: fatplanediaries

Photographer's statement: I spent a summer with family in Europe. At the time, I only brought a prime for my camera, so I ended up using my Samsung for all other focal lengths. My camera ended up becoming my B cam, as I enjoyed smartphone photography quite a bit that vacation.

Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

Blue is the color

Photographer: Briminkie

Photographer's statement: Breakfast in a Broadstairs hotel on a lovely September day. The man in the cap blended nicely into the frame, and all of a sudden, there was a David Hockney vibe.

Equipment: Google Pixel Fold

Vorderer Gosausee (Front Gosau Lake)

Photographer: supernaut

Photographer's statement: One stop to rest on a long mountain bike ride. This place is really a spot of beauty and helped to regenerate strength for the upcoming challenge.

Equipment: Google Pixel 9 Pro

Nakasendo phone booth

Photographer: slowscan

Photographer's statement: A solitary phone booth lights up a small section of the old Nakasendo, a historical road of 500 km between Tokyo and Kyoto, which passes through the mountains of Japan's interior. I took this photo while walking between Kiso-Fukushima and Agematsu, two towns that operated inns for travelers of this road in the Edo period.

Equipment: Apple iPhone 15 Pro

Picking up the moon

Photographer: Alisher Kabulov

Photographer's statement: This photo of a lone stork was taken in a half-abandoned village in Belarus. Admiring the sunset, the stork had no idea it had become a character in a tale of the stolen moon.

Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Tilt

Photographer: WarthFire GTX

Photographer's statement: There's a hill that I always climb during my lunch break, and I observed this condo and a tree on the hill. I just tilted the phone sideways so the tree appeared straight, and the condo tilted, to get this shot.

Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Værøy, Norway

Photographer: Markku H

Photographer's statement: This place is the Håen viewpoint on the island of Værøy in Norway. It is 438m above sea level. It had just snowed when we hiked to the viewpoint, which also made the place slippery and a bit scary.

Equipment: Samsung S25 Ultra

Breaking waves

Photographer: GeffBourke

Photographer's statement: This photo was taken in the early morning along the shoreline at Pacific Grove, CA. A storm was coming in, and the waves were magnificent, crashing onto the rocks.

Equipment: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Frozen notes, Salida

Photographer: jaberg

Photographer's statement: "Frozen notes Salida" was made as my friend Lucy and I walked the town (Salida, CO) on a day that suddenly turned cold. Our newly purchased Melenzana jackets were conveniently stowed in the trunk of the car, and we were somewhat underdressed. Lucy, Minnesota born and bred, and an artist in her own right, shivered patiently as I worked the scene and ultimately composed this shot, bolstered by the promise of a warming stop in a local microbrewery as our next stop. There, with an eye to the incoming weather, we decided to stay the night in Salida.

Equipment: Apple iPhone XS

Milky Way over Monument Valley, Arizona

Photographer: philzucker

Photographer's statement: I stumbled out of my RV at around half past four in the morning at a campground in Monument Valley, Arizona, in May of 2024. We were scheduled to go for a sunrise tour. Looking up at the dark sky, I was suddenly wide awake; I saw the Milky Way for the first time in my life with my naked eye! I ran back inside my RV, grabbed my phone tripod, and made a couple of 4-minute astro mode exposures with my Google Pixel 7 Pro. This one came out the best, and only looking at the picture later, I realized that the rising sun showed its first dim rays exactly where the Milky Way rose. I have a large print of it hanging in my office.

Equipment: Google Pixel 7 Pro

Milwaukee Art Museum

Photographer: Mike Zweyer

Photographer's statement: I took this picture with a Motorola G4 in 2017. I didn't have a camera at the time, but I was always interested in photography. It all seemed so complex and complicated then, so I used my phone. I got a Fujifilm X10 camera not long after.

Equipment: Motorola G4

Chasing soap bubbles

Photographer: GiorgioDC

Photographer's statement: It was January 6, 2020, Epiphany, a beloved children's holiday in Italy, especially in Rome. I was in Piazza del Popolo with my three-year-old niece, who stopped, fascinated by the soap bubbles, trying to catch them. I was careful to hide the sun behind the obelisk and took the backlit photo.

Equipment: Apple iPhone 11

Alcedo atthi

Photographer: GinoSVK

Photographer's statement: “Rybárik” (a diminutive of fisherman), as we call it here in Slovakia, is returning to our natural landscapes nowadays. Fortunately, Rivers are cleaner, and awareness about preserving untouched riverbanks is growing. This particular photo was captured on the river Váh, which is the longest river in Slovakia and also the one that flows entirely within our national borders. Not long ago, I spotted another specimen deeper in the woods, beside a very small stream, likely thanks to the beaver colony there.

Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Diner

Photographer: Larry_T

Photographer's statement: I visit this diner often and had this photo in mind, sitting at the end of the counter. I used my iPhone 15 and took about 10 shots looking down the counter. The woman looking back at her friend breaks up the leading line of customers facing forward. I was fortunate to capture her eyes and expression.

Equipment: Apple iPhone 15

Pastel sunset

Photographer: Doc Hathaway

Photographer's statement: My wife and I were camping at Southwick on Lake Ontario and took a walk to the beach to enjoy the evening. Clouds were pretty thick on the horizon, so I didn't expect a great sunset, but they started to thin a bit as the sun was crossing the horizon.

Equipment: Samsung S23 Ultra

Carefree butterflies

Photographer: Frenchfx

Photographer's statement: I went fishing at this Bernheim Forest, Kentucky lake. I wasn't having any luck, then I saw these two butterflies hanging around this bush. I pulled out my Samsung S24 phone and had great luck. They didn't pay any attention to me at all. I walked right up to them, and they remained there flying all around the bush. The phone did a great job of freezing the action, too.

Equipment: Samsung S24

Stealthy off-road mini-camper van hails from unexpected US automaker

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Out of the Big 3 US automakers, "Chrysler" is definitely the name that doesn't belong in a conversation about RVs and overland campers. Its siblings Jeep and Ram, sure, and competitors Ford and GM both offer RV-ready trucks and vans, but the actual Chrysler badge? No. That said, Chrysler was the one to introduce a new concept camper van at this year's Overland Expo Mountain West. The Grizzly Peak is a vision for a ruggedized everyday MPV that's as ready to camp on a remote canyon rim as it is to shuffle the kids off to baseball practice and dance lessons.

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