Okay, so you know how it absolutely sucks when you're exploring the polar icecaps and your flashlight craps out at sub-zero temperatures because it's simply too cold? Your batteries might be to blame – and the solution might be an alternative to conventional lithium-ion cells.
Category: Outdoors
Tags: EDC, Flashlights, Kickstarter
If you’ve ever wished your cat could tell you when something’s wrong – especially with kidneys, digestion or the bladder – the SiiPet LitterLens might be the closest thing we’ve got to that. And peace of mind comes at only US$59 in December.
Category: Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Pets, Pet-owners, Cats, Smart Home, Monitor, Health, Cameras, Smart Camera, Reviews
Four years after the A7 IV came out, Sony's given its mid-range flagship a glowup – making it a more versatile option that'll better serve your photo and video shooting needs around the US$3,000 mark.
Category: Photography, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Cameras, Sony, Mirrorless Cameras
Hypersonic vehicles aren't much use if you don't know where they're going, so Northrop Grumman is developing new navigation systems for autonomous craft that can stand up to the rigors of flying at speeds of over Mach 5.
Category: Military, Technology
Tags: Aircraft, Hypersonic, Navigation, Northrop Grumman
Bears look like textbook mammals, but hidden in their evolutionary history are two dramatic departures from the standard blueprint of growth and adaptation. For the first time, scientists have unlocked when, and how, ancient bears broke the rules and hacked nature out of need.
Tags: Fossils, Teeth, Evolution, Climate Crisis, History, Animal science
Commercial spaceflight is booming and looks to go into full-on kaboom stage in the near future, sparking the need for an ever-increasing supply of solar panels. To fill this need, Dcubed is developing its ARAQYS system to directly manufacture arrays in orbit.
Tags: 3D Printing, Solar Power
While one staple North American fiberglass 'egg' camper builder was preparing its first-ever off-road-specific trailer, another was putting the finishing touches on its smallest, lightest trailer to date. The all-new E13 shrinks down Escape Trailer's rock-solid insulated fiberglass construction to two-sleeper+ size, creating a tiny habitat that tows and stows with ease. And Escape offers a full baker's dozen of color options that range from explosively retro to three shades of gray.
Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors
Tags: trailers, Camping, Outdoors and Camping, RV, Caravan
As any snowboarder knows, the board does not just float dreamily across soft, puffy snow. It bangs and it shakes and it chatters against the hard-packed slopes, which is exactly where the shock-absorbing ShredLORD is designed to come in.
Category: Outdoors
Tags: Snowboarding, Kickstarter, Suspension
Who doesn’t love beautifully hued clothing? Well, how about Mother Nature? But can you blame her? Industrial dyes are absolute poison.
Category: Environment, Science
Sony announced its a7 V camera today, and included in that announcement was the new version of its standard zoom kit lens. The FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II is a subtle upgrade to meet the demands of Sony's latest camera, making it a well-rounded kit for creatives who do it all.
The primary update in the FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II is improved autofocus capabilities that allow it to handle the faster burst shooting rates of the new a7 V. Sony says it is capable of up to 120 fps with AF/AE tracking and it can track and focus while zooming. It also offers breathing compensation to reduce shifts in angle of view for smooth rack focusing.
Beyond the improved autofocus, the new lens keeps the design and features of its predecessor. That includes the same optics, which are comprised of nine elements in eight groups, with three aspherical elements and one ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass element. It features the same seven-blade aperture and offers Sony's Optical SteadyShot image stabilization. It can focus as close as 0.3-0.45 m (0.99-1.48').
Image: SonyGiven that the optical design remains the same, the new version retains the same size as the previous iteration. It weighs 293g (10.4 oz) and measures 72.5 x 83mm (2.875 x 3.375"). It uses a 55mm filter thread. It offers weather sealing to protect against dust and moisture, and features a fluorine coating on the front element to repel water and oil. There are no on-lens controls, except for a zoom and focus rings.
The FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II will be available in February 2026 for $449, which is the same as the current list price of the original version. A kit with the Sony a7 V and FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II will also be available in February 2026 for $3099. You can pre-order both now.
Preoder now: Lens preorder Sony a7 V kit preorder Specs:Principal specificationsLens typeZoom lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length28–70 mmImage stabilizationYesLens mountSony E, Sony FEApertureMaximum apertureF3.5–5.6Minimum apertureF22–36Aperture ringNoNumber of diaphragm blades7OpticsElements9Groups8Special elements / coatings1 ED, 3 asphericalFocusMinimum focus0.30 m (11.81″)AutofocusYesMotor typeLinear MotorFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight293 g (0.65 lb)Diameter74 mm (2.9″)Length86 mm (3.4″)SealingYesColourBlackPower zoomNoFilter thread55 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarNo
All tiny houses require compromises – it's unavoidable when your home is small enough to tow. However, the Thicket has fewer drawbacks than you'd expect given its relatively compact size, and it looks like it could be a good fit for first-time downsizers.
Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors
Tags: Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home, Building and Construction
Product photos: Mitchell Clark
The Sony a7 V is an enthusiast-tier camera with a new, full frame, 33MP 'partially stacked' CMOS sensor, with a focus on high burst rates, capable autofocus and a complete suite of video features.
Key SpecificationsSony says the a7 V will be available from late December 2025 at a recommended retail price of around $2899.
Index:Buy now:
Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo What's new? New sensorLike its predecessor, the a7 V features a 33MP sensor, but with extra readout circuitry to improve readout speeds (which were one of the a7 IV's weak points). We've seen this "partially stacked" technology in 24MP cameras like the Nikon Z6III and Panasonic S1II, but here it's being applied to a higher-resolution sensor.
Sony says this allows the a7 V to achieve much higher burst rates than its predecessor – 30 fps, up from 10 – and to do so with a full 14-bit readout, rather than requiring Sony's destructively lossy Raw compression. The maximum e-shutter speed has been increased to 1/16000 sec, too. The company also promises it won't have the same dynamic range reduction we saw with the Z6III, where increased read noise was evident if you pushed the shadows in post. Though we'll have to see if these claims are borne out in testing.
The IBIS system has also been upgraded, now stabilizing the sensor by 7.5EV, up from 5.5EV with the a7 IV.
New processor, new autofocusThe sensor is paired with a new "Bionz ZR2" processor, bringing Sony's most up-to-date autofocus system to the a7 line. While the previous camera had human and animal recognition, the a7 V gets the autofocus system found on most of Sony's other modern cameras, with support for recognizing six subject types, as well as a configurable 'Auto' mode.
The Subject Recognition: Auto mode can be fine-tuned so that it only looks for the types of subject you expect to encounter. You can also select how specific the focus is (eg whether it looks for birds' eyes)The Human / Face / Eye recognition is significantly upgraded from the previous camera, with the a7 V trained to recognize humans in all sorts of different positions, so that it continues to track the same person and re-finds their face faster, even if they are partially obscured.
The camera also gains a few new focus area settings, and Sony says it performs autofocus calculations 60 times per second. (It hasn't shared the a7 IV's rate, but says the a1 II does 120 calculations per second.)
The processor is an update to the one found in Sony's earlier cameras, such as the a1 II, a7R V and a6700, which paired their image processors with an "AI" coprocessor to handle autofocusing duties. Now, both functions are bundled onto one chip. Rather than providing for new features, this seems to be a play to make the system more efficient when doing the same tasks.
New Raw formatIn among the new features, Sony says there's a new, 'lightweight' Raw system. We weren't given any more information than this, and there isn't any third-party support for them, yet. The only thing we can say is that they end up being a similar size to Sony's old, damagingly lossy Raw format, but hopefully without the potential pitfalls.
AI-powered featuresApart from autofocus, the new processor allows for several other features that are based on complex algorithms created by machine learning. The first is Auto Framing: a video mode that crops in and then follows your subject around the frame. This lets you set up a wide-angle shot, then have the camera pan around the scene to make it look like you had a camera operator. The feature offers three levels of crop and includes options to show the wide shot first before punching in shortly after your subject enters the frame.
There's also a framing stabilizer option that uses the digital video stabilization to not only move a crop within the sensor to counteract shake, but also to maintain your subject's position in the frame (either centrally or in a position you've defined). In both cases, the video is then upscaled to your chosen resolution.
Pre-burst captureThe a7 V gains the pre-burst capture system that first appeared in the a9 III. This lets you capture images for up to one second between the time you initiate AF and the time you fully press the shutter button. You get quite fine-grained control over the period of time before the full shutter press that gets retained. 1 second is the maximum, 0.03sec (ie, 1 frame at the camera's maximum 30fps) is the minimum, so you can tune it to match your response time, rather than always capturing a full second's worth of images prior to full-press.
Despite the minimum duration being based on 30fps shooting, you can use pre-burst with any of the camera's shooting rates.
A video upgradeThe faster sensor lets the a7 V capture most of its video modes at up to twice the framerates its predecessor could deliver. It also gains the auto-framing and framing stabilizer modes discussed above.
There are a few other nice-to-haves, too, such as the option to upload your own LUTs to let you preview the scene with your intended grading. The camera can also embed the LUT alongside your footage, so that it's also available to whoever's editing the project. However, unlike the FX series cameras, there's no option to simply burn the LUT onto your video.
In contextThe a7 V lands in the most competitive part of the market: between the out-and-out pro models and the somewhat pared-back entry-level models. This puts it up against some very good opposition: the recently-released Canon EOS R6 III, the recently firmware-boosted Panasonic S1II and Nikon's Z6III.
We don't have room to compare all five here, so we're going to include the more expensive Panasonic S1II here, as it's built around a similar sensor to the Nikon Z6III but gets a bit more out of it, in terms of image quality, video and speed. We'll include more about the Nikon in a follow-up article, soon.
Sony a7 V Sony a7 IV Canon EOS R6 III Panasonic DC-S1II MSRP (US/UK) $2899 / $2699 / £2400 $2799 / £2799 $3199 / £2899 Sensor type Partially stacked CMOS BSI CMOS Dual Pixel AF FSI CMOS Partially stacked CMOS Resolution 33MP 33MP 33MP 24MP Viewfinder res/ magnification/eyepoint 3.69M dot3.69M dot
0.76x
23mm
5.76M dot
0.78x
21mm
12fps mech.
40fps e-shutter (12-bit)
10fps mech.
70fps e-shutter (12 bit)
60fps e-shutter (14 bit)
UHD 4K/60 (full-width, oversampled)
UHD 4K/120 (1.5x crop)
1080/240
6K/30 3:2 (Raw / open gate)
5.7K/60 DCI (Raw)
5.9K/60 (16:9)
4K/120 w/ 1.17x crop
Log view assist
Custom LUTs
Auto Framing
Framing
Stabilizer
1x CFexpress type A/UHS-II SD
1x UHS-II SD
* When combined with a stabilized lens
The table works as a striking illustration of just how far behind the latest generation of cameras the a7 IV was, a situation the a7 V has mostly rectified. Sony's E-mount also remains a leader in terms of openness and the availability of a wide range of first and third-party lenses, though it's worth noting that several big players have recently promised to start producing options for L-mount. Sony also only allows third-party lenses to continuously autofocus at 15fps and below, a limitation that wasn't a factor on the a7 IV, but that a7 V users may bump up against.
Other companies are also offering more video options than Sony; both the Canon EOS R6 III and Panasonic S1II have modes for open-gate recording, DCI 4K and internal Raw video, all of which the a7 V lacks. Sony also hasn't implemented exposure assistance tools such as a waveform monitor or false color overlay, though it has AI tricks that Canon and Panasonic don't offer.
Body and handlingThe a7 V uses an updated version of the body from the a7 IV. This means it has two main command dials, a toggle-lockable exposure comp dial on its shoulder and a third, fiddly command dial on its rear plate. However you wish to shoot, the a7 V can be set up to put the parameters you care about at your fingertips.
The front grip has been redesigned to make it feel more comfortable, though it doesn't gain the tilted-forward shutter button design that the company's pro-grade a9 III and a1 II benefit from.
We're still not great fans of the new grip: it's large enough, but the two of us shooting with the camera both found it dug into our fingers a little. This isn't helped by the unyielding grip texture on the camera that does nothing to cushion the hand.
Menus The a7 V uses Sony's latest generation menus, which are certainly an improvement on the ones used in earlier models. They definitely have their foibles still, though.The a7 V uses Sony's newer menu system, which represented a big step forward from the a7 III. It's been updated slightly from the previous model through the addition of a Home/Status Panel screen at the top of the menu. We're not fans, as it's easy to navigate away from by mistake (not ideal for quick settings changes), and it can get in the way of reaching the actual menus. The ability to minimize it as you navigate to the left-hand tabs serves no obvious purpose, beyond reinforcing the sense that it's a potentially good idea shoehorned into a context where it doesn't quite fit.
As with any menu system, you can learn it in time, or use the My Menu system and Fn menu to circumvent the need. But the a7 V's very high level of customization comes with the price of a long, complex menu frequently featuring an odly trunctd nmng systm.
EVF / rear screenThe a7 V uses the same 3.69M dot viewfinder as its predecessor, with the optics giving 0.78x magnification.
It gains a tilting cradle on which its slightly larger, fully articulated rear screen is mounted. This means it can be tilted up or down, close to the back of the camera for waist-level or overhead stills shooting as well as flipping out to the side for videos or selfies. The added movement also lets you move the screen away from the camera, reducing the risk of the screen fouling your cables when you flip it out. The new panel has around 2.1M dots, giving around a 1024 x 682px resolution.
Flipping the screen out over-rides the viewfinder's eye sensor by default, so the rear screen won't black-out if you bring the camera too close to your body when working at waist level. We had occasional issues getting the finder to work when the screen was re-stowed, though (closing the screen seems to put the camera to sleep).
USB portsThe a7 V becomes the second camera we've encountered to have two USB-C ports: one for high-speed data transfer, one for charging, using the USB-PD standard. It's worth remembering which is which: the upper port can transfer files at up to 10Gbps, the lower one is around one twentieth of this speed.
It's perhaps noteworthy that many recent Sony cameras had retained a USB Micro B socket alongside their USB-C data port, to maintain compatibility with the company's "Multi Terminal" accessories. The second slot on the a7 V appears to essentially be a continuation of this USB 2.0 socket in a new shape.
BatteryThe a7 V uses the same NP-FZ100 battery that the a7 series has used for several generations, now. It's a fairly substantial 16.4Wh unit that powers the camera to a rating of 750 shots per charge if you rely on the rear screen and 630 shots per charge if you use the viewfinder.
These are both impressive figures for a camera in this class, especially given that the CIPA-defined tests tend to significantly underestimate the number of shots most people find they actually get. Everyone's usage differs, of course, but so long as you don't spend lots of your time reviewing the images you just shot, it's not unusual to get double the rated number of shots.
VideoThe Sony a7 V records full-width UHD 4K footage at up to 60p, downsampled from 7K capture, and also offers 4K 120p recording from an APS-C-sized region of the sensor.
The camera can also use the sensor's extra resolution to power its AI Auto Framing mode, which will recognize a human in the scene and crop in on them, like a camera operator might if they were zooming in and panning around to keep a subject in frame. You can configure how tight you want the framing to be and how quickly you want the camera to move the frame to keep up with the subject. Similarly, the highest tier of digital stabilization also has a 'Framing Stabilizer' option, which aims to keep your chosen composition locked onto a selected subject, even while the camera is moving.
There's also a slight caveat to the full-width 4K 60p mode; to actually get full-width recording, you have to turn on a mode called Angle of View Priority, which Sony says turns off in-camera noise reduction. The company claims it doesn't affect dynamic range or oversampling, but we'll have to test it out more once we have a production unit.
Sony includes its S-Log3 and S-Cinetone color modes in the a7 V. The former is designed to capture as much dynamic range as possible, but will require color grading before delivery, while the latter is designed to have a subtle, movie-like appearance that's flat enough to provide a little editing latitude.
Recording ModesCompared to its competitors, the a7 V actually has relatively few recording modes, since it only records compressed, 16:9 video. However, it offers a few choices of codecs and compression types, which you can choose between depending on what you're shooting and how capable your editing computer is.
Resolution Rates Crop Compression Type 3840 x 2160 23.98, 25, 30, 60* 1.0x H.265 Long-GOPSony's menus for choosing your recording mode aren't the nicest to navigate, but they get the job done. You start by choosing your file format to determine your resolution and compression, and which are named using Sony's somewhat cryptic branding (XAVC HS 4K for 4K H.265, XAVC S-I 4K for 4K H.264 All-I, etc). Then, you can go into a separate menu to choose your frame rate and bit rate/depth and chroma subsampling settings.
*1.0 crop only with Angle of View Priority on
Rolling shutterAs with other partially stacked sensors we've seen, the a7 V manages to get excellent rolling shutter rates for video. In 4K/24, it reads out the full-width of the sensor in 14.5ms, with similar results for its 4K/60 modes. The 4K/120 mode with its APS-C crop is, obviously, much faster, reading out in 6.9ms.
Temperature limitsWhile the a7 V doesn't have a fan, it has the graphite heatsink introduced with the a7S III built into the IBIS unit for better thermal performance in the camera's more demanding video modes. At roughly room temperature (20°C, 68°F), the company says you can expect to get around 90 minutes of recording time at 4K/60. At a torturous 41°C (105°F), the company claims it should still be able to manage up to 60 minutes of 4K/60. Though it doesn't specify, we assume these figures are for indirect heat and with the overheat warnings relaxed.
Initial assessmentby Richard Butler
The a7 V should mean no Sony user need look jealously at other brands. But the reverse is also likely to be true.The Sony a7 V looks like a hugely capable all-rounder, promising high resolution for its class, paired with fast shooting, the latest AF features and the ability to shoot fast, smooth video. It represents an appreciable step forward for Sony shooters, and perhaps it needed to.
Mitchell's take"The a7 V fills a gap in Sony's lineup; it's had a camera that's good at video, a camera excellent at stills, but the only one that really did both well cost $7000. Now, you can get a genuine hybrid priced for mortals." – Mitchell Clark
The a7 IV was the first mid-range full-frame camera to push beyond 24MP, but this somewhat undercut the video, where any gain in detail was offset by levels of rolling shutter higher than its preexisting rivals. And while, back in 2021, you could fairly confidently address the impossibly complex question: "which of these models has the best autofocus" with the simple answer: "the Sony," much has changed since then.
In the four years since its launch, the rival offerings from Canon and Nikon have caught up in term of generic subject tracking, and moved ahead in terms of the range of subjects they recognize. Both brands have also made big advances in video, offering faster speeds, smoother readout and Raw video capture. Canon's recent EOS R6 III finally matched the a7 IV's remaining standout quality: photo resolution.
Sony FE 35mm F1.4 | F1.4 | 1/1000sec | ISO 100
Photo: Mitchell Clark
The a7 V moves the series forward in several ways. It maintains the resolution of its predecessor but adds a lot more speed. We'll need to confirm Sony's claims that there are no image quality costs to its move to a faster, 'partially stacked' CMOS sensor, but it's certainly not impossible, given what Panasonic achieved with the S1 II. This speed is backed up by the arrival of the company's latest subject recognition modes, along with a tunable Auto subject mode to make it easy to make the most of them. All of which should be welcomed by Sony stills shooters, because it'll only expand the range of photographic scenarios at which the a7 V should excel.
E-mount video shooters also gain some significant improvements. Frame rates and rolling shutter performance are given a boost by the faster sensor and processor, and the a7 V gains the clever auto-cropping mode from the full-frame ZV-E1 vlogging camera, which should be good for single-person projects. These improvements, supported by good battery life and promises of decent thermal performance make should make the a7 V's video competitive with its peers.
It's worth noting, though, that options such as open gate shooting, native resolution video and internal Raw capture that are becoming common elsewhere aren't present here. Maybe Sony doesn't believe enough mid-market hybrid shooters are going to need these features, or perhaps they're being saved for a future FX series camera. Either way, it feels like the a7 IV story all over again, with the a7 V looking competent, rather than excellent for video.
That's why I keep stressing the a7 V's appeal to existing Sony shooters, because while it looks to do pretty much everything very well, there's not a lot, beyond its impressive battery life, that you can point to that screams "it's better than its peers at..."
Maybe we're past the point at which each new camera reaches greater heights than the competition, but Sony's latest feels like a camera that clears the current bar, rather than raising it. The Sony a7 V looks like a hugely capable all-rounder, but that's likely to be more exciting to Sony users than to the wider market, because so do its peers.
Buy now:
Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Sample GalleryPlease 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.
Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.In a major breakthrough in human tissue replication, for the first time ever a 3D-printed cornea has been transplanted onto a legally blind patient's eye, successfully restoring their sight.
Category: Body and Mind
Tags: Eye surgery, Sight, Vision, 3D Printing, Transplant
Japanese company Science is commercially producing its Mirai Ningen Sentakuki – Human Washing Machine of the Future – after an overwhelming response at the Osaka-Kansai Expo this year. Only 50 models will be made, with a price tag of US$385,000.
Category: Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Japan Display, Future, Day Spas, Expo, Well-being, Life Technologies, Artificial Intelligence
With all the technology in our lives today, it can feel overwhelming trying to keep track of the apps we need to control the world around us. Chinese tech company UltraBar has spent the past few years searching for a way to reduce this digital clutter, and it's come up with an interesting solution – a modular system of smart blocks that lets you control everything at once.
Category: Electronics, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Kickstarter, Smart Home, Programming
They’re gorgeous, dazzling, passionately pursued, and worth billions.
Category: Science
Tags: UC Berkeley, Virus, Metals
This recently completed tiny house, by Vagabond Haven, packs a lot of comfort into a compact footprint. Designed to sleep two people, it's fully equipped for off-grid living and is envisioned as a vacation home or rental.
Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors
Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, House, Home, Micro-House, Off-grid
Thermal imaging has become wildly accessible, thanks to technological advancements that have made it more affordable than ever. Thermal Master's Thor 002 sits squarely in that sweet spot. And it's about a third of the price of its main competitors.
Category: Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Thermal Imaging, Cameras, Diagnostic devices, Diagnostic tools, Reviews
After careful consideration, healthy debate and a few heated arguments, we're proud to announce the winners of the 2025 DPReview Annual Awards.
While innovation in the camera industry is often a gradual process, the steady pace of advancement has yielded a diverse range of cameras and lenses this year. We've seen the expected upgrades to mainstream camera models, but also an array of fascinating niche offerings. On the lens side of things, the big camera makers continue to expand and strengthen their mirrorless-mount lineups, while emerging Chinese manufacturers push to challenge them on both price and quality.
Which is to say, it's been a difficult year to pick winners. But a fun one, too. Let us guide you through the products that stood out to us as award-worthy this year.
Best Zoom Lens Shortlist:Like our favorite zoom lens from last year, Sigma's 17-40mm F1.8 DC helps push APS-C systems forward, letting you achieve the same depth of field that you would with a venerable F2.8 full frame lens. Despite its super-fast minimum aperture, it's a reasonable size, weight and price, and unlike Sigma's 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art from 2013, modern cameras are fully capable of focusing with it, so you won't have to second-guess taking it out with you. We're also delighted to see that it has a physical aperture ring (or control ring on the RF mount version) and weather sealing, and that it's coming to a range of mounts, so (almost) any APS-C shooter can pick one up if it matches their shooting style.
Buy now:
Buy at Amazon.comBuy RF mount at AdoramaBuy E mount at B&H Photo Winner: Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GMSony has been releasing some impressive lenses in the past few years, but few have been as attention-grabbing as the 50-150mm F2 GM. The combination of wide, constant aperture and telephoto zoom range isn't something we've seen before, at least not with this degree of optical quality. The result is sharp images with impressive levels of background separation, taken with a lens that doesn't ask you to give up the versatility of a zoom or to break your back carrying it around. Of course, something has to give; it's eye-wateringly expensive, but we're still excited to see what's possible at the highest end of optical engineering.
Buy now:
Buy at B&H Photo Best Prime Lens Shortlist:The Canon 45mm F1.2 STM isn't a great lens. In some regards, it's not radically different from what Nikon did last year with its 35mm and 50mm F1.4 lenses that cost around the same amount but are both sharper. But for Canon users, the ability to get their hands on a very fast normal prime for a sensible amount of money is groundbreaking. It's worth acknowledging that part of what makes it seem so special is that Canon limits what other options are available, but, like the 50mm F1.8 in the DSLR era, it allows a large number of Canon users to explore more of what their camera can do.
Buy now:
Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Winner: Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG II ArtSigma wasn't the only company to introduce a 35mm F1.2 lens this year, and the Nikon version appears to have the edge in terms of optical performance. But the Sigma is 25% shorter, 30% lighter and 45% less expensive and, for us, that makes up for the differences in bokeh rendering.
A super-fast 35mm isn't going to be to everyone's tastes, but if it's a focal length you like, it's a fabulous option to be able to turn to. It's been a great year for lenses, but ambitious lenses like the Sigma 35mm F1.2 II stand out.
Buy now:
Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Best Compact Camera Shortlist: Honorable mention: Fujifilm GFX100RFThe GFX100RF is such an audacious camera that it'd be hard not to give it kudos here. It's designed to be an everyday camera that's as compact as possible... while still being immaculately built and containing a 100MP medium format sensor. In good light, you can get stunning image quality with it (though you'll struggle a bit in lower light thanks to the lack of stabilization and relatively slow fixed lens), but that's not all the big sensor is for. The camera also encourages you to play with your frame, giving you direct controls over aspect ratio and digital zoom, which can dramatically alter the image, at the cost of absolute image quality. Sure, it makes a lot of compromises in the name of size and weight, despite still being relatively large and heavy, but it's such a singular offering that we can't help but appreciate it.
Buy now:
Buy at Amazon.comBuy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Winner: Ricoh GR IVIf we had an award for consistency, the GR series would be a contender for first place. Throughout the years, Ricoh has released new versions of its beloved street photography camera, making small changes each time and introducing new tech to keep it competitive. The GR IV is no exception to that, with a bigger battery, refined controls that let you change your most important settings one-handed and a sensor and lens combo that provides image quality unmatched by any other truly pocketable cameras. It's not perfect, but if you want a camera with a big sensor that you can carry around with you anywhere, there are few better options.
Buy now:
Buy at Amazon.comBuy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Best Entry-Level or Mid-Range Camera Shortlist: Honorable mention: Canon PowerShot V1PowerShot may be one of the longest-running brands in digital photography, but the PowerShot V1 is Canon's first high-end vlogging compact. Built around a Type 1.4 sensor, similar to the G1 series, with a wide 16-50mm equiv. F2.8-4 lens, its announcement garnered significant attention. The V1 unashamedly prioritizes vlogging, delivering excellent 4K video and features like a built-in 3EV ND filter and Canon's C-Log3. Its controls aren't optimized for photography, making it more of a point-and-shoot than an enthusiast's compact, but it produces excellent images, and its ultra-wide-angle lens offers creative possibilities not found in other compacts, provided you don't expect it to handle like the G series.
Buy now:
$899 at Amazon.comBuy at B&H PhotoBuy at Canon Winner: Fujifilm X-T30 IIIAs its name implies, the Fujifilm X-T30 III is an iterative upgrade to a camera that was, itself, an iterative upgrade, and it maintains its position as the least expensive SLR-shaped model in Fujifilm's lineup. The camera features Fujifilm's newest processor, subject recognition autofocus, and 4K/60p video, but a highlight is the dedicated Film Simulation dial. Putting one of Fujifilm's most popular features front and center, with direct hardware control, makes a lot of sense on an entry-level model. It offers a fun, creative way to engage with the camera, particularly for budding photographers experimenting with their own film recipes, at an accessible price. It also serves as a great small camera for travel or as a backup body for established Fujifilm users.
Buy now:
$999 at Amazon.comBuy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Best Enthusiast Camera Shortlist: Honorable mention: Canon EOS R6 Mark IIIThe EOS R6 III feels like an ambitious camera, in the sense that it seems like Canon was trying to match each of its competitors spec-for-spec. And while we're still working on fully testing it, we've seen enough to know that it's one of the most capable hybrid cameras out there, with its 33MP sensor providing great image quality and burst rates, while still being quick enough to offer open gate and full-width high-framerate 4K. Paired with Canon's excellent autofocus system, it's a camera that can handle almost anything you throw at it, at a price that's similar to its competitors.
Buy now:
Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Winner: Nikon Z5IIThe Nikon Z5II is a testament to just how spoiled we are when it comes to cameras these days. Ostensibly, it's Nikon's budget full frame option, and there are clear benefits to more upscale models. But in reality, it asks you to give up very little. It has IBIS, excellent ergonomics and controls, dual card slots, AI-derived subject recognition for autofocus, decent burst rates and preburst capture, good video specs... we could continue, but you get the point. Despite being launched as the fifth cheapest full frame mirrorless camera ever, we suspect most enthusiast photographers would have difficulty finding a situation in which the Z5II limits them. And in a year where seemingly everything got more expensive, we really have to appreciate a budget option that's only stingy with its compromises.
Buy now:
Buy at Amazon.comBuy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Best High-End Camera Shortlist: Honorable mention: Sony a1 IIFrom the wrong angle, the Sony a1 Mark II can look like an overpriced EOS R5 II or Z8 competitor, but stand pitch-side with one and it's much more apparent that it's an EOS R1 and Z9 rival. Along with the lower-res, global shutter a9 III, this is an expression of the most advanced camera Sony can currently build. Which is to say that it's one of the most advanced cameras anyone can currently build. It's a camera that feels almost foolproof in its ability to support you when you need to get the shot. And if you're someone committed to, and familiar with, the Sony system, it's the best camera you can buy.
Buy now:
Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Winner: Hasselblad X2D II 100CFujifilm and Hasselblad revitalized the idea of medium format digital, with the introduction of 44x33mm sensored mirrorless cameras, back in 2016. But whereas Fujifilm's GFX system has increasingly stretched to video, Hasselblad has focused on photography.
The X2D II is built around HDR photography, delivering files that work as standard JPEGs on older equipment but with more lifelike rendering of light on newer, HDR displays, including the panel on the back of the camera. It also becomes the first XCD camera to offer continuous AF, backed by a LiDAR-based AF system borrowed from parent company DJI. It also benefits from a price cut during a period of inflation and trade disputes. The lenses are still quite expensive, but medium format is again looking thrilling like a proper two-horse race.
Buy now:
Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo 2024 DPReview Innovation Award Shortlist:After a fast prime lens, one of the best ways to get more light into your camera is to provide your own. However, the cost and complexity of flash photography can prompt beginners to focus their attention on 'available light' shooting.
Until recently, you would, at the very least, need to buy a remote flash and some kind of controller. This could easily mean hundreds of dollars for two strobes or a flash head and commander unit, if you wanted to use your brand's TTL flash metering system. Then having to spend a similar amount again if you shoot with more than one brand of camera.
Godox has solved all these issues: an affordable modular flash system where a single flash head can attach to one of six brand-specific on-camera bases. Those hot-shoe bases can work as a wireless trigger, so you can get off-camera lighting with just an iT32 flash and X5 transmitter set.
It builds on the work Godox has been doing in recent years, where it's made its on-camera flashes wirelessly compatible with one another, regardless of which brand each was programmed to work with. But, whereas you previously needed two flashguns if you had two systems, now you just need two ∼$20 X5 transmitters.
The iT32 has a rechargeable internal battery, so there's no faffing around with handfuls of half-dead AA batteries, removing yet another hurdle to taking control of your light.
Godox iT32 Mini Flash at B&H Godox X5 Wireless Flash Trigger at B&H Winner: Sigma BFWhatever you think of it – and we suspect part of that will come down to whether you've had a chance to really use one – the Sigma BF is a remarkably innovative camera. Don't let the re-use of the sensor from the six-year-old fp model fool you.
Because, while it's true that the Sigma BF is based around a very familiar sensor, it's also one of the most radical cameras to have been launched since the earliest days of digital. Look past the Braun-esque minimalism of the body and you'll find a genuine attempt to create a UI for modern digital photography. Sigma has clearly looked at which aspects of photography need to be easily accessible and which don't matter, rather than just adding a handful more menu items with each iteration. It's not going to appear on any sidelines or movie sets, but if you just want to take photos, it's refreshingly focused.
Then there's the use of control points that give artificial haptic feedback: making them feel like pressable buttons despite being fixed (think of the implications for weather sealing). But, above all of this, there's the implementation of true HDR photography using a format that people can actually access: the same JPEGs-with-gain-map approach that Google has adopted for its Pixel phones. This last feature alone would have got the BF onto the shortlist, but it's the combination of so much original thinking that takes the prize.
Buy now:
$2099 at Amazon.comBuy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Product of the Year Shortlist: Honorable mention: Sigma 17-40mm F1.8 DC | ArtWe've always appreciated the work that Sigma's done to let APS-C shooters get the most out of their cameras and, for a long time, the high point of that was the company's madly ambitious 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art from 2013. It was a huge step up compared to an F2.8 zoom, but without being an unreasonable size or price. There was just the slight downside that DSLRs had tremendous difficulty focusing it, especially with off-center AF points. We weren't surprised when it developed a second career as an adapted lens for video on mirrorless cameras.
Twelve years later, and mirrorless is well enough established for Sigma to release a successor: the 17-40mm F1.8 DC Art, an updated version that stretches a touch wider, reaches a little further without spoiling the original concept. It's still sensibly small, still usably light and still aggressively priced (it's appreciably less expensive, in real terms, than the original). The difference is, it focuses really well on every format Sigma's been allowed to release it for, so Fujifilm, Sony and Canon APS-C users suddenly get the option to expand their cameras' capabilities.
Buy now:
Buy at Amazon.comBuy RF mount at AdoramaBuy E mount at B&H Photo Winner: Nikon Z5IIThis year has seen the release of some excellent mid-price full-framers, with the Panasonic S1 II and Canon EOS R6 III both raising the level of what can be expected from cameras in their class. But it's the more humble Nikon Z5II that stood out to us more because, while it's not quite as fast as the more expensive models and can't match them for video specs, it comes surprisingly close.
The Z5II, launched for $1700 and now selling for less than that, outperforms the Z6 II, which was Nikon's mid-range model until late last year. Unlike its predecessor, it's adept at both stills and video shooting and, unlike Canon's EOS R8, it offers in-body image stabilization. The ergonomics and handling are transposed almost directly from Nikon's other models, and there are no blatant segmentation plays such as imposing a smaller battery. With Nikon's latest AF system, it's a hugely capable all-rounder and, as we said in our review: very few of us truly need anything more.
Buy now:
Buy at Amazon.comBuy at AdoramaBuy at B&H PhotoMt. Jefferson, a volcano in the Cascade Mountains, is illuminated at sunset near Sisters, Oregon, on November 18, 2025. I had my Olympus OM-1 with me when the sunset suddenly became very intense, and I managed to snap this photo in the brief time before the light faded away.
Photo: Dale Baskin
The DPReview community is full of talented photographers, and we want to showcase your best photos of 2025 on DPReview.
What was your top shot this year? Share one image you captured in 2025 and tell us about it. Make sure to tell us the story behind the photo in the caption and why you chose it as your photo of the year. Pick carefully – you can only submit one photo!
Submissions will open on Monday, December 8th, and you have until Sunday, December 14 (GMT) to submit entries. You can read the full rules on the 'Your best photo of 2025' challenge page.
Essential details: All entries must include a title and a caption that tells us the story behind the picture and why you chose it (minimum of 25 words). Please read the full rules before submitting your photo.
DPReview editors will review every photo you submit, and we'll publish our favorites in a slideshow on the DPReview homepage.
We're using our challenge system to host submissions, so other readers can also vote for your photo. User voting will inform DPReview Editors' picks, but will not select them. They are one factor in our evaluation.
Click here to visit the contest page and read the full rules
