"The horse is symbolic of that ridden by Hussein, the great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was slaughtered over 1400 years ago and still revered in the modern era. This is an important day in the Muslim calendar – the ‘Muharram Jaloos’ procession."

Fuji X-H1 | Fuji 16mm F1.4 | F5.0 | 1/125 sec | ISO 200
Photo: Mark Lamb

Mark Lamb, known as Dark Inventions on the forums, serendipitously submitted a portrait photography spotlight to us right before we announced our community self-portrait mini challenge. This is a great capper for a week of luminous portrait photography among multiple community initiatives. Be sure to stop by the community forums to check them all out. In the meantime, see Mark's story and the people he photographed below.

This story is part of our What's in your bag? community spotlight series. The series showcases the diverse gear and photography of our community, and shares their stories of how that gear helped them to capture the perfect shot.

Have your photography featured on the DPReview homepage! Find out how.

Home base: United Kingdom

"Photography has been part of my life for over forty years. What began as an interest in recording people and places gradually became an exploration of memory, identity and the passage of time. I have always been drawn to portraits because they allow me to connect with people from every walk of life."

"In recent years, my work has become centered on a long-term project called One Thousand Contemporary Portraits, an attempt to create a broad and inclusive portrait archive of contemporary Britain. The project has taken me from fishing communities and military veterans to Goths, performers, campaigners, artists and ordinary people whose stories might otherwise go unrecorded."

Photo: Mark Lamb

Favorite camera: Sony a7R V

"The camera has become less important than the conversation that happens before the photograph. The image is often the final stage of a much longer process of listening and understanding."

• Lenses:
  • Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM
  • Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM
  • Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM
  • Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM
  • Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM
  • For the Olympus PEN-F: 12mm and 17mm lenses (equivalent to 24mm and 35mm full-frame).

• Support gear: Mark typically carries a silver/white foldable bounce board and, when using the Olympus PEN-F, its compact flash unit. Away from photography gear, he considers a notebook and pen essential, along with calling cards featuring contact information and samples of his work. He keeps the kit flexible primarily by changing lens combinations rather than adding equipment, usually choosing either a 24mm/50mm/135mm trio or a lighter 35mm/85mm pairing.
  
  
• Camera bags: Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L and a second Peak Design sling.
  
  "I use two Peak Design slings, but usually only carry one of them on a shoot. Despite its modest size, the 10-liter sling will fit an a7R V with a 50mm lens and another a7R V with a 135mm lens. If I'm carrying a third body with the wide-angle lens, it will be on a QD sling outside the bag. I love these bags because I'm never tempted to overload them, and they are reassuringly waterproof."

"The girl’s precious rabbit was initially hidden, but a cooperative mom negotiated an appearance
from him. Whitby Goth Gathering."

Sony a7R V | Sigma 65mm F2 | F2 | 1/3200 sec | ISO 200
Photo: Mark Lamb

"I am primarily a portrait photographer. I am interested in people who carry visible traces of their lives in their faces, clothing, surroundings and personal histories."

"Many of my photographs are taken in northern England, particularly around Scarborough and Whitby. Whitby has been especially important because it brings together people from remarkably diverse backgrounds. The annual Goth events provide opportunities to photograph individuals who have consciously created identities that challenge conventional ideas of age, beauty and self-expression."

"Alongside this, I photograph travelers (gypsies), circus, religious groups, family members, veterans, theatrical performers, dancers, and any of the charismatic people I encounter in my everyday life. My aim is always the same: to create portraits that are honest, empathetic and respectful."

"Beamish, near the city of Durham in the north of England."

Sony a7R V | Sony 24mm F1.4 | F2.8 | 1/250 sec | ISO 2500
Photo: Mark Lamb

"I'm not getting any younger (my vintage is 1956), so I'm in a constant battle with myself to lose weight from my bag by shedding all but essential gear. I'm definitely more patient than I used to be and make a lot of effort to engage fully with my subjects."

"I tend to use a simpler visual language these days, and I think it helps give my work a recognizable stamp. I've been fairly successful in the last year or so since I made an effort to put my work out there (rather than sitting on a hard drive) and, as a result, found success in the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, when a portrait of my wife was selected in the English National Portrait Gallery in London. I've also had exhibition success and appeared in a few magazine articles."

Leica Q2 Monochrom | Summilux F1.7 28mm ASPH | ISO 200
Photo: Mark Lamb

"I'm a frequent attendee at the Whitby Goth Weekend, which happens twice a year, in the historic streets of this old fishing village. I also attend community events, special-interest meetings such as comic cons, and turn up regularly at cultural events such as gypsy horse fairs, religious processions and so on. In short, I will go anywhere that I can expect to find interesting people."

"As a younger man, I traveled the world extensively (circa 170 countries), but these days I don't feel the need to leave the UK in my search for subjects. I'm pretty certain that if I lived closer to London, I wouldn't need to travel outside the M25 (the motorway that encircles the city). Instead of traveling, I prefer to spend my effort in returning repeatedly to the same communities, which allows me to build relationships over time."

Sony a7R IVa | Sony 50mm F1.2 | F1.2 | 1/640 sec | ISO 100
Photo: Mark Lamb

"The perfect portrait usually happens after the planned photograph. Once the subject believes the session is over, the performance often drops away and something more truthful emerges. I pay close attention to conversation, body language and silence. Technical decisions are important, but the most important part of portrait photography is creating an environment in which people feel comfortable enough to reveal themselves."

"The only advice I could possibly offer to someone I don't know is to shoot what you know and not what you'd like to be seen shooting. That's how I view my ongoing One Thousand Contemporary Portraits project. I'm also continuing work on memory, aging, and identity, and I have a burning desire to create a lasting portrait record of contemporary Britain."

Mark really enjoyed participating in this spotlight article and would be grateful for you to join him in discussion in the forums.

You can check out his other work at darkinventions.com.

Thanks, Mark, for being featured!

Editor's note: This article continues a series, 'What's in your bag?', highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself and your photography by filling out this form. If you're selected for a feature, we'll be in touch with next steps.

Submit your photos and story to be featured in 'What's in your bag?'

You know how rejuvenating a bath feels after a long day of work? Almost like you're renewed. Turns out that's not exclusive to humans. Scientists at Cornell University have developed an electrochemical bath that restores spent lithium batteries to nearly 100% capacity.

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Category: Energy, Engineering

Tags: Batteries, Cornell University, Recycling

Product photos: Mitchell Clark

The Leica SL3-P is a high-speed, high-resolution full-frame camera built around a 44MP BSI CMOS sensor. It's the latest in the company's SL range and perhaps the most polished and all-round capable camera in the series so far.

• 44MP BSI CMOS full-frame sensor with phase detection
• up to 40fps shooting with AF in 12-bit mode. Up to 15fps in 14-bit.
• Subject recognition AF
• 8K open-gate video up to 24p (7.2K open-gate up to 30p)
• Full-width 8K (UHD or ∼DCI) up to 30p
• Full-width 4K up to 30p, 4K/60 and 4K/120 with increasing crops
• Content Credentials image certification
• Battery rated to 383 shots per charge
• IP54-rated all-metal construction

The Leica SL3-P will be available at a recommended price of $6695 excluding tax in the USA, or Euro including sales tax.

• What is it?
• How it compares
• Body and handling
• Video
• Autofocus
• In use
• Initial impressions
• Specifications
• Leica press release

Thus far, Leica has produced high-resolution SL models and high-speed SL-S versions. The SL-P appears to be something of an attempt to merge the two lines, offering both high speed and high resolution.

The result is something akin to Sony's recent a7R VI or, perhaps more pertinently, the Panasonic S1RII: not an out-and-out sports camera but more a studio and landscape camera that's happy to venture further afield. That Panasonic comparison is unavoidable as the 44MP, 40fps headline spec is shared between both cameras, as are their processors, even if the branding of them differs.

However, our experience of the SL3-P and the S1RII reminded us of how different you can make two cameras, even if you start with many of the same components and have similar destinations in mind.

Leica talks a good game about building cameras that last, and that's immediately apparent in the feel and heft of the SL3-P. But what's really striking is how few control points the Leica seems to have. That minimalism, honing the camera down to its core functions and little more extends to the menus and interface, meaning it gives a very different experience to the Panasonic. Or, indeed, any other mainstream camera.

Although it offers both high speed and high resolution, the SL3-P doesn't match the do-everything levels of capability of the Nikon Z8 and Canon EOS R5 II, with their stacked CMOS sensors. Instead it's closer in ethos to the Sony a7R VI or, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Panasonic S1RII, essentially delivering a studio and landscape camera that isn't scared of a little action, rather than a camera you might pick for sports work.

We've also compared it here to the SL3, which offers higher resolution but less speed, if absolute image quality is more important to you than the added speed.

8K/24 open gate
UHD/DCI 4K/120 (up to 1.17x crop)
4K/60 (up to 1.1x crop)
4K/30 full-width

Wi-Fi 5
1x 10Gbps USB-C
HDMI
Mic / Headphone jacks
2.5mm remote

Wi-Fi 5
1x 5Gbps USB-C
HDMI
Mic / Headphone jacks
Flash sync

1x CFexpress Type B
1x UHS-II SD
External SSD

It probably shouldn't come as a surprise to find that the SL3-P's specs are a very close match for those of the S1RII. The differences between the two cameras aren't something readily captured in a specs table.

The original SL3 offers a slight boost in resolution capture but at the cost of a lot of the new camera's flexibility. Sony's a7R VI offers both though: higher resolution and competitively fast shooting with excellent autofocus and slightly wider dynamic range. It's hard to imagine how two user interfaces and user experiences could be more different, for two cameras ultimately trying to do the same thing, though.

The SL3-P uses the same body as the existing SL3 models: a solid, angular block of a thing with a few large control points and a substantial grip to wrap your hand around. The Leica branding across the viewfinder hump is so beautifully proportioned that it's easy to assume that this series (and, perhaps, a series of film cameras before it), have always looked this way. So it was a shock to see the original SL in the company's archives and see how far the design has evolved.

There are two buttons on the front of the camera, two on the top and one on the back, none of which have marked functions. Instead they can be re-programmed with a long press. In addition there are three marked buttons on the back of the camera: Play, Fn and Menu.

Then there are the three large command dials: one towards the front of the top plate, one protruding from the rear of the right shoulder and a third on the top left of the camera (which I kept forgetting about, as it's such an unorthodox place to find one).

Beyond this there's a small rubber joystick on the back of the camera, and that's about it. Relatively few control points and still fewer dedicated ones. No switches for focus mode or AF area, not even the seemingly obligatory stills/movie switch: that's controlled by swiping left or right on the rear screen.

We'll touch more on the user interface in the 'In use' section of the review, but Leica is continuing to refine the rather elegant and focused interface it introduced in the SL3. For instance, in this latest camera, the company has re-worked the way you select a video mode: letting you select the parameters that are most important to you: frame rate, resolution, codec, etc, then filtering down the available list from a seemingly unmanageable 193 down to the handful that fit your requirements. It sounds obvious once you've seen it done, but it's cleaner and simpler than most cameras we use.

The SL3-P has the same viewfinder as the other SL3 models: a 5.76M dot OLED panel (1600 x 1200px) with 0.76x magnification and a 21mm eyepoint. A large circular rubber cushion makes the camera comfortable to use if you wear glasses and there's a -4 to +2 diopter adjuster set behind that cushion.

The rear screen is a 2.33M dot (1080 x 720px) panel mounted on a tilt up/down mechanism.

The SL3-P has the same port arrangement as its sister models, with 3.5mm headphone and mic sockets and a full-sized HDMI socket under a large, rubber flap on the left flank of the camera. Below these is a USB-C socket that can be used for data transfer (10Gbps), tethering (including to an iPhone) or charging.

The camera uses the same BP-SCL6 battery as its siblings: a 15.8Wh unit that powers the camera to a rating of 383 shots per charge, when tested to the CIPA protocol. As always, this tends to significantly under-represent the actual number of shots you can expect to get, but a rating of nearly 400 shots per charge is the sort of number that should means an enthusiast photographer rarely has to worry about topping-up on a day's shooting. It's only intensive shooting such a weddings, or anything involving a mixture of video and stills that are likely to call for you to have a spare to hand.

The Leica's autofocus behavior is as innovative and unconventional as the rest of the UI.

The camera has three AF area modes, but offers more than three AF areas. The first is called "Spot / Field," the second is called "Multi-Field / Zone" and the last is called Tracking.

The clue is in the forward slashes. Spot / Field lets you select a single AF point of various sizes, while Multi-Field / Zone lets you choose between an adjustable AF zone and all-area AF, where the camera selects a subject from anywhere within the frame. Once you've chosen an AF zone mode, you can adjust it by pressing the AF area on your rear screen or long-pressing anywhere on the live preview. This then lets you use the rear dial to adjust the focus area size.

Like Panasonic's recent cameras, the camera will track recognized subjects when you have subject recognition turned on, but won't track non-recognized subjects at all. So you'll need to turn subject recognition on and off depending on what you're trying to photograph. We'd definitely recommend configuring a button to do this.

By default, the camera's Tracking AF mode gives you a small rectangle that resets to the center of the frame at the end of each burst. However, while you can't change the size of the initial target, you can configure the tracking target to revert to wherever you last triggered it. So, for instance, if you want to track a car down through a series of curves, across your frame, then have the camera jump back to where the next car is likely to arrive, you can.

One of the Leica's most compelling aspects isn't something you can see from product photos or interpret from the spec sheets: the user interface.

The SL3-P uses the latest iteration of the back-to-basics interface Leica has been refining over the past few years.

At its heart, it's designed around putting the key photographic parameters at your fingertips and minimizing the extent of, and need for, menu options. For instance, holding down a customizable button or long-pressing any of the on-screen icons brings up a list of other functions you can assign to it. In fact one of the few options present in the main menu is one to filter-down which options are presented to you, when you long-press a control point to customize its function.

The result is an interface very focused on the fundamental settings of photography. It affords you the luxury of just ignoring what's going on in the interface, much of the time, and just letting you concentrate on the settings assigned to the two big dials, and what you're seeing in your viewfinder.

This minimalist approach extends to the body and its control points, too, with a smattering of custom buttons, a joystick and three large, solid-feeling command dials being your points of contact. It's remarkable how few dedicated control points there are and while, for my shooting, I found myself sometimes wishing for an AF mode selector, with a little work it's very likely that you can set the camera up in a way you find very quick and easy to work with.

Because it's such a different way of working, the interface takes a little bit of getting used to, though. It rewards you for taking the time to adjust to its design philosophy. One aspect of which is learning to save your setup as a user profile, or risk discovering that selecting the default profile erases any customization you've started applying.

It's also worth recognizing what is and isn't included in these profiles. Exposure mode is, but specific exposure settings aren't, so my attempt to build a profile for freezing the action and another one, with a slower shutter speed, for panning ended up being unsuccessful. Likewise, it's worth carefully planning your profiles before saving them: I thought it would be handy to define a custom button to switch between profiles. Which was great until I pressed the button and switched to a profile with different custom buttons settings, so couldn't get back.

Overall it works very well, though, giving a very photo-focused shooting experience where, for all the cleverness that modern cameras have brought, you end up remembering that the only things that really matter are shutter speed, aperture value, composition and where you're going to focus.

Despite us saying that the SL3-P has a very photo-focused interface, it's probably better to say that it's a very exposure-focused. Swipe left on the camera's settings panel and you get a similar but now video-centric display, with yellow, rather than red accents.

The SL3 offers an incredible range of video modes: 157 in total. These range from 8K open-gate capture, that uses the full extent of the sensor, via 8K in either 1.89:1 or 16:9 aspect ratios and on to 4K capture, again with a choice of aspect ratios. But the camera also offers a selection of other resolutions for each of these capture regions, letting you strike a balance between resolution capture and speed.

Like Panasonic's S1RII, the SL3-P doesn't quite have enough pixels to capture DCI 8K (8192 x 4320px) footage so instead outputs 8132 x 4288px footage. UHD 8K is no problem, though, so you can also select the more conventional 7680 x 4320 resolution, if you prefer.

As you'd expect of a modern camera, you get the choice of 10-bit Log or HLG, or 8-bit if you don't plan to color grade, and you're targeting SDR displays.

As with the Panasonic S1RII, the SL3-P has a Dynamic Range Expansion mode in video, which reads each exposure in both low conversion gain mode for maximum highlight capture and in high conversion gain mode, for cleaner shadows, and combines the two, to boost DR.

This is available in any resolution mode but only at frame rates up to 30p. In each case it increases the readout rate by around 33%. So, for instance, the UHD 8K/24 mode increases from 23.9ms to 31.9ms.

The Leica SL3-P is the fastest-shooting camera Leica has ever made and should, in principle, be the only SL model they need to persist with. It offers an awful lot of what the SL3 offers, in terms of resolution, and it outperforms the more speed-focused SL3-S.

The subject recognition AF performs impressively well: finding subjects very quickly and following them well (especially when it's a subject the camera has been trained to recognize). Just as the user interface as a whole takes some getting used to, it's worth digging around in the menus and familiarizing yourself with the SL3-P's AF logic before you go out shooting. Without an instruction manual it wasn't obvious that Leica had grouped its AF area modes, or how to switch between them, nor that you can override the camera's default behaviour when it comes to AF tracking.

Some issues you can't overcome, though. The sensor is fast, but it's not as quick as the best stacked CMOS sensors. So the camera will start showing a slideshow of the images you've just shot, when you're shooting at its fastest rates, making it very difficult to keep pace with the action. Similarly, we were advised to shoot Raw-only and to disengage Content Credentials, to get the best performance.

Rolling shutter can become visible if the camera or subject moves too quickly. The camera makes clear whether it's shooting in 12 or 14-bit readout mode, which significantly affects the rolling shutter rate.

Leica Vario Elmarit 24-90mm F2.8-4.0 @ 75mm | 1/320 sec | F6.3 | ISO 100
Photo: Richard Butler

And, even with that done, the camera's approximately 20ms (1/5 sec) readout rates in 12-bit mode mean that rolling shutter will be apparent if you're trying to follow really fast action.

In this respect it's a lot like the Sony a7R VI we recently reviewed: very fast for a high-res studio/landscape camera, meaning it'll handle itself very confidently in a much broader range of circumstances than that. It's not quite the high-res, high-speed all-rounder that Canon's EOS R5 II and Nikon Z8 are, but it'll still be more than enough camera for a very broad range of photographers, taking a very broad range of photos.

The challenge, as ever with Leica, is the price. It's a beautifully built object, constructed in Portugal and Germany, that wears the Leica name and is likely to sell in relatively small numbers, when compared to the volumes of the large Japanese manufacturers. As such, the price is high.

For that money you get the fruits of some very clever design work, in a body that feels like it's designed to last decades. However, parts availability and the continued march of technology (we can already see that sensors and AF will continue to get faster), will make it difficult to match the sense of longevity that a Leica film camera gave you. So, as always, part of the calculus comes down to: how important are those five letters to you?

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.

Alongside the SL3-P, Leica has announced two new full-frame L-mount lenses: the Summilux-SL 50mm F1.4 Asph., and the APO-Macro-Elmarit-SL 100mm F2.8. The former is an update to an existing model, offering the same focal length and speed in a much smaller and lighter package, while the latter is a new addition to the company's mirrorless lineup.

The 50mm F1.4 features an optical design with 11 elements in 6 groups, with 2 aspherical lenses. It has an 11-blade aperture, and can focus as close as 0.5m (19.7").

The 100mm F2.8, meanwhile, can focus as close as 0.29m (11.4"), providing 1:1 reproduction. Its optical formula consists of 17 elements in 12 groups, and Leica says its apochromatic correction lets it provide "outstanding imaging performance right to the edges." It has a 9-blade aperture.

The company says the 100mm F2.8 is designed to honor one of its classic designs, the 1987 APO-Macro-Elmarit-R 100 F2.8. It's 138mm (5.4") long, and weighs 862g (30.4oz)

The 50mm F1.4 is 76mm (3") long, and weighs 584g (20.6 oz). This is compared to Leica's previous Summilux-SL 50 F1.4 Asph., which was 124mm (4.9") and 1065g (37.6oz), making the new much nicer to carry around.

Both lenses feature an aluminum build painted black, and are sealed against dust and splashes. The 50mm features an extremely minimal design; its only control is the large focus ring. The 100mm has one too, as well as a focus limiter switch. Both are threaded for 67mm filters. For the 50mm, this represents a substantial downsizing from its predecessor, which used 82mm filters.

The Summilux-SL 50mm F1.4 Asph. will retail for $4950, and the APO-Macro-Elmarit-SL 100mm F2.8 will cost $2700. Both lenses are scheduled to launch at the end of the year.

Press release:

Leica is expanding its SL-System for performance-oriented photography and videography with the release of its most advanced full- frame camera to date, accompanied by two new SL-Lenses, offering greater creative freedom

Teaneck, June 25th, 2026 – When it launched the SL-System in 2015, Leica set a new standard for creative photography and video production. Based on the L-Mount, the system combines technological innovation with the precision and quality that the company is known for. Developed in close consultation with professional users, the SL-System continues to be refined, drawing on practical experience. The result is an expanding full-frame system that meets the highest photographic and cinematic standards, while also offering non-professional users easy access to high-quality image and video production thanks to its convenient, intuitive operation. Looking to the future, Leica is now significantly strengthening the SL-System by presenting the Leica SL3-P, the brand’s most comprehensive full-frame camera to date, alongside the innovative Summilux-SL 50 f/1.4 ASPH. and APO-Macro-Elmarit-SL 100 f/2.8 lenses.

At the heart of the SL3-P’s features are a new sensor and a new hybrid autofocus system. The 44- megapixel BSI full-frame sensor provides an ideal balance of high resolution and exceptional image quality. With a dynamic range of up to 14 aperture stops, even the finest tonal gradations are captured. The Multishot mode delivers extremely high-resolution, detailed images with up to 176 megapixels. The ISO range of 50 to 200,000 ensures high image quality and flexibility, even in challenging lighting conditions. The new hybrid autofocus system combines three focus technologies – phase detection (PDAF), depth mapping (object detection AF), and contrast detection (contrast detection AF) – to achieve quick, precise, and reliable focusing. With continuous shooting at up to 40 frames per second with full autofocus support, improved tracking performance with 819 AF points, and smart subject recognition, the SL3-P can handle even the most dynamic of subjects with ease.

In terms of video, the latest addition to the SL3 family enables recording at resolutions of up to 8K. This includes 8.1K Open Gate in 3:2 format at up to 24p, HDMI RAW 8K Open Gate, and 8K at 30p. For smooth motion rendering, the camera offers 5.9K recording at up to 60 frames per second as well as detailed slow-motion footage in 4K at 120p. Integration of the Apple ProRes codec at up to 5.8K guarantees outstanding image quality. Together with the two new in-camera LUTs – Leica Pure and Leica Cine – for the L-Log color space, this provides maximum freedom in professional post- production. This not only makes the SL3-P suitable for demanding film productions but also for high- quality hybrid workflows. It allows footage to be optimized for various channels and formats, and framing to be determined retrospectively without any loss of quality.

Manufactured in Germany, the SL3-P features a deliberately minimalist design with black control elements and without the red Leica logo. Its solid, full-metal body ensures maximum stability and reliability, while IP54 certification provides effective protection against dust and water splashes. The SL3-P also features the L-Mount, offering maximum flexibility for photography and filming with the exceptionally wide range of compatible lenses from L-Mount Alliance partners.

The SL3-P offers a unique combination of outstanding image quality, precision, feel, reliability, and speed as well as an unrivalled Leica user experience. This is based on well-conceived ergonomics, fully customizable controls, and a captivatingly clear user interface. The minimalist icon and menu design, which strictly separates photo and video modes, ensures particularly efficient navigation. A special color code – red for photos and yellow for videos – visually distinguishes between the two modes. In addition, the user interface automatically adapts to the camera’s orientation, displaying all information clearly and legibly on the high-resolution tilting screen in both vertical and horizontal positions. The exceptional Leica user experience is maintained through ongoing, uncompromising development. Regular firmware updates based on customer feedback are conveniently made available for the SL3-P via the Leica FOTOS App. This means that the camera embodies both modernity and longevity – from the choice of materials and continuous software improvements. It is a future-proof investment that offers a complete Leica experience from the very first use.

The SL3-P’s comprehensive connectivity ensures a seamless professional workflow. The Leica FOTOS App uses fast Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections to link the camera directly to mobile devices. This enables fast downloads of DNG, JPG, and video files as well as full remote control via a smartphone or tablet.

Leica Looks can be applied as soon as the shutter is released, and their intensity can be adjusted either in the camera or later in the Leica FOTOS App. Native tethering support for Lightroom Classic and Capture One provides a stable, direct connection between the camera and computer, facilitating immediate image review in the studio. With Camera-to-Cloud via Adobe Frame.io, photos and videos can be transferred directly from the camera to the cloud, making them available for post-production immediately. In addition, the SL3-P is equipped with pioneering Content Credentials technology, developed in line with the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), which enables images to be signed with tamper-proof metadata if desired, thereby protecting creative professionals’ intellectual property.

The Leica SL-System is renowned not only for its high-performance cameras, but also for its range of lenses offering exceptional optical quality. With the Summilux-SL 50 f/1.4 ASPH., Leica once again demonstrates its innovative strength in lens manufacturing by presenting the world’s most compact autofocus lens with this focal length and a lens speed of f/1.4. The large aperture lets you capture high-quality images even in challenging lighting conditions, while also producing precise subject isolation and a soft, natural bokeh. Its compact dimensions are the result of state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, ensuring “Made in Germany” finesse. With a diameter of 74 mm (2.9″), a length of just 75.5 mm (3″) and a weight of 584 g (1.3 lbs.), it combines maximum portability with the exceptional image quality for which Leica is renowned. Eleven aperture blades, two aspherical lens elements, and perfectly matched, high-quality glass types produce the lens’s distinctive image aesthetics. The fast autofocus enables rapid operation and focuses by means of a particularly quiet mechanism. With a close focus distance of just 50 cm (1.6 ft), an E67 filter thread, and an L-Mount, the new Summilux-SL is a highly versatile standard focal length lens. The precision-crafted, full-metal lens body forms a unit with SL-Cameras that is protected against dust and water splashes as per the IP54 standard. The AquaDura coating also ensures reliable protection even under demanding conditions.

The Leica APO-Macro-Elmarit-R 100 f/2.8 was a milestone in optical craftsmanship when it was released in 1987. To honor this classic lens, Leica is now introducing the new APO-Macro-Elmarit-SL 100 f/2.8. Like its predecessor, this SL-System macro lens delivers outstanding imaging performance right to the edges thanks to apochromatic correction. With a close focus distance of just 30 cm (1 ft) and a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:1, this lens reveals details that are invisible to the naked eye. It is also ideal for use as a telephoto lens in portrait photography. The nine-blade aperture, in conjunction with the entire optical design, ensures a harmoniously rendered background. The robust, full-metal L-Mount body is 137.6 mm (5.4″) long and weighs 862 g (1.9 lbs.), including the supplied lens hood. The front element is protected from external influences by an AquaDura coating, while the E67 filter thread opens up additional creative possibilities.

Starting June 25th, 2026, the Leica SL3-P will be available worldwide from Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store, and authorized dealers. The retail price is $6,690.00 Leica is also offering three attractive kit deals for the SL3-P to mark its launch, providing customers savings up to $2,450.00, when compared to purchasing items separately. These are the SL3-P 28–70 Vario Kit, priced at $7,790.00, the SL3-P 24–70 Vario Kit, priced at $8,390.00 and the SL3-P 24–70 & 70–200 Vario Kit, priced at $10,995.00.

The Leica Summilux-SL 50 f/1.4 ASPH. and the Leica APO-Macro-Elmarit-SL 100 f/2.8 will be available worldwide from Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store, and authorized dealers at the end of 2026. The retail prices are $4,950.00 for the Summilux-SL 50 f/1.4 ASPH. and $2,700.00 for the Leica APO-Macro-Elmarit-SL 100 f/2.8.

LK Samyang has announced the AF 60-180mm F2.8 FE, a compact and versatile lens for Sony full-frame systems. The new lens joins the company's AF 14-24mm F2.8 FE and AF 24-60mm F2.8 FE lenses, completing the trio of lightweight zoom lenses designed in collaboration with Schneider-Kreuznach.

Like the other two lenses in the set, the 60-180mm offers a constant F2.8 maximum aperture and a compact, lightweight design. It weighs just 730 g (1.6 lbs), which LK Samyang says is the lightest in its class. For comparison, while it offers a slightly different range, Sony's 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II weighs 1045g (2.3 lbs). LK Samyang's lens is also lighter than the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2, which comes in at 810 g (1.8 lbs).

The lens uses an external zoom design, with a difference of 25mm (roughly 1") when zooming in or out all the way.

Photo: Chris Konesky / LK Samyang

The lens consists of 17 elements in 14 groups. These include one high-refractive, seven extra-low dispersion and two aspherical elements, aimed at minimizing aberrations and helping produce sharp images. It uses an extending zoom design, with the length increasing from 149mm (5.9") at the wide end to 174mm (6.9") when zoomed in.

The 60-180mm F2.8 features a floating focus system to help maintain image quality across the focus range. At the wide end, it offers a minimum focusing distance of 0.35m (1.2') and a maximum magnification of 0.26x (a ratio of 1:3.8), making it useful for close-up images. A linear stepping motor drives its autofocus system, which LK Samyang says is quiet and precise.

In terms of lens controls, it features an AF/MF switch and a zoom lock to keep the zoom constant even when moving. It accepts 77mm filters, the same as the LK Samyang 14-24mm F2.8 lens. Unfortunately, the 24-60mm F2.8 lens takes 72mm filters, so one set of filters won't be compatible with the entire lens set. There's also a USB port for firmware updates and weather sealing.

The 60-180mm F2.8 joins the 14-24mm F2.8 and 24-60mm F2.8, completing what LK Samyang calls "The Perfect F2.8 Trinity System."

Photo: Horia Vlad Bogdan / LK Samyang

The lens is only available for E-mount for now. However, LK Samyang recently released an L-mount version of the 14-24mm, and it says that the series will "continue to grow with L-mount." It isn't clear when we can expect it, but L-mount users should be able to count on the full trio coming to their system at some point.

The LK Samyang AF 60-180mm F2.8 FE lens is available for purchase starting today, though it hasn't specified a price. The company also says it will gradually launch across global markets with no set dates for specific regions.

Key Message

• Only 730g, exceptional lightweight performance in its class
• Constant F2.8 and 0.26x magnification for enhanced versatility
• Seamless focal range coverage from 14mm to 180mm with just three lenses

July 02, 2026 - South Korea, LK SAMYANG, a global optical specialist, announces the upcoming launch of the AF 60-180mm F2.8 FE, developed in collaboration with Schneider-Kreuznach, scheduled for release this July.

As camera and lens performance continues to advance, the burden of heavier gear has also increased. Carrying multiple lenses to cover a wide focal range remains a challenge for creators. LK SAMYANG set out to rethink this balance with a simple question: "What if you could carry less, capture more, without compromising performance?". This philosophy led to the development of the "Compact Zoom Series" in collaboration with Schneider-Kreuznach aimed at redefining the balance between performance and portability. The new AF 60-180mm F2.8 FE further extends this vision.

Together with the AF 14-24mm F2.8 FE (445g) and AF 24-60mm F2.8 FE (494g), the new lens
completes a truly lightweight zoom system, covering the entire focal range from 14mm to 180mm using just three lenses. Each lens in the series reflects LK SAMYANG’s consistent design philosophy delivering compact size, reduced weight, and practical usability without compromise.

Key Features

A New Standard in Lightweight Telephoto Zoom: Only 730g

The AF 60-180mm F2.8 FE weighs 730g and features a compact length of 149mm (wide) / 174.4mm (tele), offering exceptional portability within the F2.8 telephoto zoom category. Compared to traditional 70-200mm lenses, its significantly lighter design reduces fatigue during extended shooting sessions and enhances mobility in dynamic environments.

Constant F2.8 with Enhanced Close-Up Capability

With a constant F2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range, the lens ensures stable performance in low-light conditions and delivers smooth background separation, making it ideal for portrait photography. It also offers a maximum magnification of 0.26x (1:3.80), enabling detailed close-up shots and expanding creative possibilities across various shooting scenarios.

Compact Zoom Series, Co-Engineered with Schneider-Kreuznach

Developed in collaboration with Schneider-Kreuznach, the AF 60-180mm F2.8 FE embodies the core philosophy of the Compact Zoom Series, balancing optical performance and portability. The advanced optical design consists of 17 elements in 14 groups (including 1 HR, 7 ED, and 2 ASP elements), effectively minimizing aberrations while delivering sharp and clear images. A floating focus system ensures consistent image quality across the entire focus range.

Designed for Real-World Use

Equipped with a Linear Stepping Motor, the lens delivers fast and precise autofocus, making it suitable for both photography and video applications. Weather sealing enhances durability across various environments, while intuitive controls such as the AF/MF switch improve usability. In addition, the Zoom Lock function prevents unwanted zoom extension (zoom creep) during movement, keeping the lens securely in place. This ensures stable handling and a consistent user experience from transport to shooting.

Lightweight Coverage from 14mm to 180mm

The AF 60-180mm F2.8 FE expands the design philosophy of the Compact Zoom Series, enabling creators to cover a wide focal range with minimal weight. With three lenses weighing approximately 445g, 494g, and 730g, users can achieve seamless coverage from 14mm to 180mm while maintaining exceptional portability.

Availability

The LK SAMYANG AF 60-180mm F2.8 FE lens will be available for purchase starting today, with sales gradually launching across global markets through LK SAMYANG’s distribution network and authorized retailers. (For more information, please visit www.lksamyang.com)

Aurora Flight Sciences just announced that the triangular wings of the X-65 have arrived at its Virginia assembly facility, where they are now being integrated onto the fuselage. With that milestone cleared, DARPA – the Pentagon's advanced research arm – and Aurora are targeting a first flight before the end of 2026.

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Category: Aircraft, Transport

Tags: aurora, DARPA, Aircraft, X-Plane, drones, Stealth

A once-a-day, low-impact oral GLP-1 pill known as CX11 has passed its efficacy test on US patients to advance to the first North American Phase 3 trial. It's already cleared its first Phase 3 study in China.

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Category: Obesity, Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind

Tags: GLP-1 receptor agonists, Weight Loss, clinical trials, Fat cells, peptide, Pharmaceuticals, BioLogic, Experimental, Obesity

Chris Kirkland, Curtin University/The Conversation

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Category: Astronomy, Science

New Zealand outfit Fortress Trailers specializes in developing some of the most secure, rugged utility trailers out there – essentially uncrackable wheeled safes that tow along from job site to job site, keeping expensive essentials like tools and building materials secure in any environment. Now that it's turned attention to camping trailers, outdoor travelers can rest assured that they're pulling along an ultra-rugged survival vault optimized for supplying basic living comforts in extreme environments. That's the new Fortress Explorer camper in a nutshell.

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Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

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The tiniest, flexiest mini-pickup the American market has seen in decades is on its way. Slate Auto's delightfully compact, customizable e-truck was originally positioned to start under $20K. Sadly, that won't be the case anymore, but it will still be the cheapest brand-new truck in the US when it rolls out later this year. And buyers will be able to build it into the tiny pickup of their dreams, whether that means transforming it into an old-school SUV or swapping out stock body panels for a more personalized look.

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Category: Automotive, Transport

Light could put the brakes on material diffusing through a solution, and the reason why touches on some of the stranger corners of quantum mechanics.

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Category: Physics, Science

Tags: Quantum Mechanics, Electrons, Water, Carbon, Liquid

Meta's been adding tech to glasses for the last few years now, in partnership with Ray-Ban and Oakley. It's now launched a new range of smart glasses with AI smarts on board, sans those brand names.

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Category: Wearables, Consumer Tech, Technology

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Product Photos: Mitchell Clark

The Panasonic DC-L10 is an enthusiast compact with a Four Thirds sensor and an optically stabilized 24-75mm equiv. F1.7-2.8 lens with motorized zoom. Like the Panasonic's LX100 and Leica's D-Lux series of cameras, the camera doesn't use its entire sensor, instead letting you preserve the same diagonal angle of view for 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 crops of it, which use up to 81% or around 183mm² of the sensor.

• Up to 20.3MP images from a 26.5MP BSI CMOS Four Thirds sensor
• 10.9 - 34mm (24-75mm equiv.) F1.7-2.8 lens with OIS
• 2.36M dot OLED viewfinder
• 1.84M dot 3" fully articulating display
• Phase-detect autofocus with 6 subject recognition modes
• Metal body
• 5.2K open-gate video up to 30p
• 1x UHS-II SD card slot

The black and silver versions of the L10 cost $1499, and there's a special edition "Titanium Gold" version for $100 more, available from limited outlets (typically direct from Panasonic). It includes a threaded shutter button, leather strap and a color-matched automatically-opening lens cap (the latter accessory is available to buy separately for the standard editions in silver and black).

• What's new
• How it compares
• Body and handling
• Autofocus
• Video
• In use
• Conclusion
• Sample gallery
• Specifications

Buy now:

Panasonic is pitching the L10 as the start of a new line of compacts, rather than a direct successor to the LX100 II from 2018, but the cameras' shared DNA and place in the market make it worth seeing what else the removal of an X and a zero has changed. The biggest difference is, of course, the design, which will be covered in the body and handling section.

The L10 uses the same 26.5MP Four Thirds (225mm²) sensor that's found in the GH7 and G9 II. This results in images that have better dynamic range and are slightly higher resolution than you could get out of the LX100 II: up to 20.3MP in its 4:3 mode, rather than 17MP.

The L10 continues Panasonic's tradition of cropping in on its sensor to produce a multi-aspect ratio shooting experience, where the different crop modes it offers generally have the same diagonal angle of view.

Graphic: Richard Butler

The bigger improvement, though, is the addition of phase detect autofocus. The L10 has essentially the same autofocus we've seen in all of Panasonic's most recent cameras, with algorithms for recognizing six kinds of subjects (humans, animals, cars, motorcycles/bikes, trains and planes), as well as part priority (e.g., focusing on a rider's helmet, or the cockpit of a plane) derived from machine learning.

Panasonic has used its latest processor in the L10, the same one found in recent models like the S1RII. The camera runs Panasonic's latest-generation of firmware, so it's compatible with the company's Lumix Lab app and has features like HLG HEIF output, Live View Composite (a multi-exposure mode that shows you the image as it builds up, and lets you stop it when you choose), in-camera processing of focus stacking bursts and the Real-Time LUT system, which lets you bake custom-designed color profiles into your JPEGs and videos.

While the Real-Time LUT system (for which there's a dedicated button on the rear plate) lets you use custom color modes for your JPEGs, the camera includes a few new built-in color modes too, which Panasonic says are "film‑inspired." These are "L.Classic," which the company says is low-saturation and highlights greens, and "L.ClassicGold," which gives your photos a very warm, amber look.

The decision to include these new modes was apparently based on the popularity of the L.ClassicNeo profile that it's included in its cameras for years. For video shooters (or photographers looking for a video-like look), the camera also includes a suite of "Cinelike" modes such as Cinelike D2, which is designed to give you a pleasingly flat look that, unlike the also-included V-Log, can be used for output, while still offering some editing flexibility in post.

One of the most exciting things about the L10 is that it's a new enthusiast compact camera aimed at photographers, which is something we haven't seen in quite a while. Companies like Canon and Sony still sell the latest entries in their G7X and RX100 lines, but both cameras were introduced in 2019, around 7 years ago.

While it can be tempting to compare the L10 to cameras with fixed prime lenses like the Ricoh GR IV and Fujifilm X100VI, the use of a zoom lens means it's targeting a different kind of photographer. Likewise, vlogging compacts like Canon's PowerShot V1 and Sony's ZV-1 II are much more focused on pleasing videographers than photographers.

By virtue of being the newest camera on this list by at least seven years, the L10 has the benefit of many modern features we've come to expect: subject recognition for more than just faces, fast Wi-Fi transfers to a modern app, pre-burst capture, full-width video even at ambitious resolutions and frame rates and more. And while Panasonic typically hasn't matched the autofocus performance of Sony and Canon's latest systems, the systems used by the compacts discussed here are noticeably less advanced.

The L10 isn't a tiny camera by any means; it's noticeably larger and heavier than its Type-1 competitors, and even the LX100 II, though it's essentially the same size as Fujifilm's ever-popular X100-series. It feels solid, with ample grip and some breathing room for its controls. While the top plate controls aren't the most premium feeling – they're similar to the S9's – they're well-placed for one-handed use.

The L10 has a wide variety of customizable dials, buttons and switches along almost every surface. While this affords a lot of flexibility to customize the camera how you want – you can easily set it up in a way that lets you largely avoid the main menus while shooting – some of the defaults aren't the most sensible in our view.

As an example, when you're in aperture priority or manual mode, the top plate command dial is set to control aperture... which it won't do unless the dedicated aperture ring is in the 'A' setting. When it's not, turning the wheel does nothing, wasting the camera's single top plate dial. In our view, it'd have made more sense to control exposure compensation by default, at least in aperture priority mode.

Speaking of aperture, though, we appreciate that the ring to control it is clicked, and that it handles the variable aperture in a sensible manner. For example, if you have it set to F1.7, but have the lens at 75mm equiv., it'll set the aperture to F2.8. The aperture setting will stay the same as you rotate it, until you hit F2.8, at which point it'll begin to change.

Behind the aperture ring is a smoothly-rotating, customizable control ring. By default, it's set to control the power zoom (another redundancy; the toggle rocker around the shutter button does that, too), but you can have it control things like exposure compensation, ISO, white balance, AF mode and more.

Finally, there's the four-position sliding switch on the top barrel of the lens. By default, it controls your aspect ratio, and you can customize what the 1, 2 and 3 positions do; the first position hands off control of your selected parameter to the body. If you prefer, you can remap the control to do something else, like switching between three color modes, focal lengths or subject recognition settings.

You can also set any of the physical zoom controls to work continuously, smoothly zooming in through the lens's entire range, or to jump between common preset focal lengths (24, 28, 35, 50, 70 and 75mm equiv.). If you're using the sliding switch for zoom control, you can also set it to take different levels of crop from the 75mm setting for additional reach, though they'll just take you to 75mm equiv if you're shooting Raw. You can also have the camera remember what focal length it was at when you turned it off, and return to it when you start it up again.

The OLED panel in the L10's view finder is bright and high-resolution for a compact. While its eye point is only 20mm, we found it was relatively easy to see, even when wearing glasses. Thankfully, the color tearing of the field-sequential displays that Panasonic used in the LX100 models is no longer an issue.

The rear monitor is fully-articulating, offering nearly unlimited flexibility in what angle you shoot from, though not the quickest deployment if you're just trying to shoot from above or below. Panasonic has created a vertical version of its on-screen UI, so if you're shooting in portrait, the details on the screen will be much easier to read, as they'll be in the correct orientation.

Fully-articulating screens aren't to everyone's taste, but this represents a big increase in flexibility over the LX100 cameras, on which we found the wide-angle lens and fixed screen were an awkward combination. And, while some photographers will inevitably have preferred a flip-up rear panel to keep things discreet, anyone traveling is likely to appreciate the ability to fold the screen in, leaving it protected from scratches when thrown in a bag.

The L10 doesn't have an immense amount of input and output options. There's a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, which it can do at 10Gbps, and a 3.5mm microphone jack. The camera also has a fully functional hotshoe, which can be used to connect to a flash, digital microphones, and even Panasonic's XLR2 accessory that lets you record four-channel and 32-bit float audio, all but eliminating the risk of clipping.

The L10 uses the same 16Wh BLK22 battery found in many of Panasonic's full-frame mirrorless cameras, providing a CIPA-rated 410 shots per charge when using the EVF, and 420 shots when using the display. It's not unusual to get double those ratings in real-world use, so many users may be able to get through even relatively heavy weekends of shooting without having to recharge.

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.

Shooting in Raw at its base ISO, the L10 captures a good amount of detail, on par with the Sony and Canon, and slightly more than the LX100 II. Despite using the same amount of sensor area as the LX100 II, it provides an image that can be 1EV cleaner thanks to its ability to gather more light by shooting at ISO 100 instead of 200. Likewise, it produces slightly less noise than its Type-1 peers, thanks to its 66% additional sensor area.

This advantage continues through to higher ISOs, though if you find yourself shooting in the dark often, it's worth considering the noise advantage that APS-C compacts like the Ricoh GR IV or Fujifilm X100VI provide, at the cost of less versatility thanks to their prime lenses. The L10's JPEG engine does a decent job of retaining details while reducing noise, though the older cameras that act as its competition are decent in this regard, too.

Where Panasonic's processing has improved is when it comes to its JPEG colors. Overall, they're pleasing and more punchy, and we've enjoyed them in the pictures we've taken with it outside of the studio. And if you don't enjoy the colors in its built-in modes, it's almost infinitely customizable thanks to the L10's Real Time LUT system, which lets you download new looks from its app, or create your own.

The L10 provides plenty of latitude to shoot to preserve highlights, then brighten in post.

Panasonic L10 | 75mm equiv. | F2.8 | 1/500 sec | ISO 100 | Edited to taste in Adobe Camera Raw
Photo: Mitchell Clark

The sensor used in the L10 has been shown to have very good dynamic range in the other cameras we've tested that use it, and we're happy to say the L10 is no exception. While its deepest shadows aren't quite as clean as those of the cameras that use the sensor's entire area, you still have plenty of room to exploit them. There's perhaps not as much difference as we might expect from a camera that can combine high and low gain readout in a 16-bit space, vs the 12-bit, single-read approach from the LX100 II, but you should still find them pretty flexible.

Exposure Latitude | ISO Invariance

Likewise, the sensor has very little read noise, giving you the option to choose an exposure, then lower your ISO to preserve highlights in low light situations, without having to worry about a ton of additional noise showing up in post when you raise the shadows. Shots at ISO 100 pushed 4EV will show a little more noise than shooting at ISO 1600 in the first place, but even by ISO 200 the difference isn't particularly distinguishable.

When we reviewed the LX100 II in 2018, we said that camera's 17MP sensor was showing the limits of the lens. With the L10 essentially using the same optics, paired with a higher-resolution sensor, that's even more true today, with noticeable softness in the corners even when stopped down to F4 or 5.6 (though doing so provides noticeable improvement versus faster apertures like F2.8).

The bright, complex, foldable lenses on compacts of all brands are quite susceptible to sample variation. Putting them in the studio scene also pits them against extremely high-quality primes, many of which are larger and heavier than the L10 in its entirety, and holds them to a higher standard than most would expect from their real-world shooting. In the process of shooting our sample gallery, we haven't come across many situations where the L10's lens felt inadequate for what we were trying to capture.

The L10's autofocus can recognize several types of subjects, not just humans.

Panasonic L10 | 30mm equiv. | F2.1 | 1/60 sec | ISO 800

The L10 has several modes for selecting your autofocus point: the fine-grained pinpoint, a resizable single area, area-plus, a customizable zone, horizontal/vertical zone, full area, and tracking.

It doesn't have an autofocus joystick, so positioning your AF point will require using the touchscreen, or setting up the four-way controller to move it around. You can also set the screen (or a portion of it) to act as a touchpad to move it when your eye is up to the viewfinder.

Besides pinpoint, all of those modes can be combined with subject detection, which can be set to recognize several different types of subjects. If there are multiple recognized subjects, the camera draws a box around each of them, highlighting which one is selected, and allowing you to switch to another one. In general, it does a good job of respecting your chosen AF point; it won't jump to a recognized subject unless it's quite close to your selected area, letting you leave it on most of the time.

The one exception is if you're a fan of the track to recompose focus method. Like the S1II-series, the L10's tracking mode won't fall back to generic tracking if you have subject recognition on and doesn't recognize a subject. The AF point will stay in the same place in the frame, instead of trying to stick to whatever you placed it over. This means you'll have to constantly engage and disengage subject recognition mode depending on what you're shooting, which you can do with a custom button or using the lens's sliding switch.

As we've come to expect from Panasonic's current autofocus system, the L10 is at its most accurate and snappy when you're using one of its subject recognition modes, which we've found work well in a wide range of scenarios. They occasionally need tuning for best results – choosing the right human detection mode depending on how active your subject is, or manually switching between subject types, as there's no auto mode – but for most uses it's not something you'll have to worry about.

The generic tracking mode works well in proper lighting, but can lose track of subjects in darker settings, or if they're moving erratically. We found, though, that for the types of photography we'd typically use this kind of camera for, the system worked well without requiring too much attention (beyond the mild awkwardness of controlling the selection point).

While the company mainly pitches it as a stills camera, the L10's use of the GH7's sensor means it has an extremely robust set of video features. In its H.265 mode, it can capture 5.2K 4:3 open gate at up to 30p, and full-width 4K at up to 120p. As we'd expect, there are a lot of other options too; 60 in total, with All-I recording modes, 1.89:1 'DCI' aspect ratios and >4K options.

It also incorporates Panasonic's MP4 (Lite), which is designed to produce files that are good enough quality for social media, but that are relatively small and therefore easy to transfer and upload. That codec supports 4:3 open gate at around 4K at 30p, which gives you the flexibility to take both horizontal and vertical crops for different platforms, as well as output-ready UHD 4K and FullHD, but, strangely, only in 60 and 120p.

The L10 mostly continues Panasonic's tradition of including almost every video feature under the sun*. It has Log and HLG recording modes, and view assist tools for them, waveform exposure monitoring, multiple customizable frame guides, the Focus Transition tool that lets you do automated, repeatable focus pulls and more. All of its autofocus subject recognition modes are available in video, even when shooting at high frame rates, and you have a lot of control over which settings are or are not shared between your stills and video modes.

This means that it can be used as both a simple point-and-shoot video option for photographers who occasionally want to just capture something in motion without thinking too hard about it, and as a tool for someone serious about getting good video (though its form-factor comes with plenty of inherent limitations, despite its 43mm thread technically allowing you to attach an ND filter).

* There are a few omissions: unlike other Panasonic cameras, it doesn't offer a false color overlay for judging exposure, nor is there the option to use shutter angle instead of shutter speed.

Where the L10 really shines is being so easy to bring along if there's any chance at encountering interesting things to photograph, without having to worry about lugging something big and heavy around for no reason. When there are photographs to be taken, it's proven capable at capturing most of what I've asked it to, without demanding I compromise on features and autofocus capabilities I've grown used to from Panasonic's interchangeable lens cameras. And having something like that with me all the time has lead to me feeling more creative in my photography than I have in a while.

There are a few annoyances. Chief among them is the lens, which is ponderous to deploy and zoom. It takes around two seconds to extend when booting the camera up (and to retract when shutting it down), and another few beats to make its way through its range. And while I have no reason to doubt its build quality, it doesn't quite feel as premium as its price tag suggests.

The L10's use of a leaf shutter means you can sync flash at any speed, which can be a lot of fun when paired with a relatively inexpensive Godox iT32.

Panasonic L10 | 24mm equiv. | F1.7 | 1/2000 | ISO 100 | Shot with external flash | Cropped and edited to taste in ACR

By default, the camera only uses its mechanical shutter, which I found frequently left me wishing for an internal ND, as it maxes out at 1/2000 sec. Switching the shutter type to Auto, and allowing it to go faster using the electronic shutter – up to 1/32000 sec – helped in most scenarios, though it introduces the risk of rolling shutter, and won't help if you're trying to shoot video with traditional amounts of motion blur. Any external ND you add will need to be pretty small to avoid putting too much force on the lens.

Conversely, it's lovely to be able to sync flash all the way up to that 1/2000 sec limit, because of its use of a leaf shutter, so there are definitely pros as well as cons.

The rear dial is extremely fiddly, to the point of it being a constant frustration when scrolling through the main menus, often deciding to jump to different pages or levels. This means the best navigation option is directly using the touchscreen; something you can, thankfully, do, but that usually requires two hands.

Where the dial is more annoying is in certain shooting modes. Panasonic has made the odd decision to move away from the dedicated shutter speed and exposure comp dials on the LX100 cameras, which closely mimicked the early Fujifilm X100 models and meant you rarely had to use the fiddly rear face dial. Instead the L10 can, particularly before customization, feel like it's running a different camera's firmware: a camera with front and rear command dials.

While there were plenty of complaints around the original LX100's propensity to gather dust, we've seen fewer about the LX100 II, after Panasonic said it worked to mitigate the issue. Realistically, it's a bit of a concern with most compacts – even more so if you put them in your pocket – and we wouldn't be more concerned about dust or weather resistance with the L10 than with, say, a GR IV or X100 VI (though the latter camera gives you the option of screwing on an adapter and filter for additional sealing if it starts to rain).

by Mitchell Clark

• Very good image quality and DR
• Autofocus is usually accurate and easy to use
• Ambitious zoom lens is versatile
• EVF is a pleasure to use
• Extensive battery life
• Modern connectivity and app experience
• Some good color modes, and near-infinite customizability with LUTs
• Wide range of usable video modes
• Flip-out screen can be folded in to protect screen

• Controls won't match everyone's tastes
• No dedicated autofocus control
• Not particularly pocketable
• Lens can be sluggish to zoom
• Feel doesn't consistently match premium price
• Lack of a headphone jack and IBIS limits video capabilities
• Flip-out screen won't be to everyone's taste
• A fraction more reach on the zoom would significantly expand capabilities
• Possibly prone to switching on in bags

The L10 is, essentially, the camera we asked Panasonic for in our LX100 II review. If you look at our list of cons for that camera, almost all of them have been addressed. Add to that the other improvements – its battery has gone from good to great, and it has a majority of the company's latest and greatest features – and it feels like it should be an instant classic. After a string of great prime lens compacts, the people who want the versatility of a zoom finally have something to be excited about.

It gets close to that exciting potential. You can set the controls up to provide an engaging shooting experience, and its sensor and relatively ambitious lens provide image quality that's a step above what you can get from a camera with a Type 1 sensor or a phone (especially when you're comparing its telephoto performance with the latter). Its autofocus is among the most capable and responsive we've seen on a compact, and that, paired with blistering burst rates and precapture, means it can adapt to a wider range of moving subjects than the LX100 II.

I suspect the L10 produces better photos than my iPhone 15 Pro. I know it's more fun to use.

Panasonic L10 @ 33mm equiv. | F2.8 | 1/125 sec | ISO 125

Despite its clear focus on enthusiast photographers, it offers a lot to people looking for a capable and portable video camera, or beginners looking to upgrade from shooting on a phone, too. It may not be the perfect option for either camp – the lack of a headphone jack and IBIS limit its video ambitions, and the price may be a bit steep for someone looking for their first camera – but it's certainly a workable one, and it offers people just beginning their photography journey a lot of room to grow while still being approachable.

"There’s a lot to like about the L10, even though every change made to its controls feels like a step backward, to me. It still isn't quite the X100-with-a-zoom that it wants to be, possibly as a result of the distancing effect of the zoom lag or because the image quality doesn’t ‘Wow’ in the way the X100’s can. But the larger battery, protected screen and added responsiveness make it a cracking travel camera and I really like it." – Richard Butler

But despite all of that praise, the L10 isn't quite the unalloyed success that it seemed at first glance. While the new battery brings with it a lot of benefit, and there's not a centimeter of wasted space on or in it, the fact of the matter is that you used to be able to get this lens in a substantially smaller package (though with a slightly less impressive sensor, and much less advanced autofocus). And while the buttons now have room to breathe, that benefit is offset by its somewhat clumsy new control scheme and stuffed menus that feel grafted on from another camera, rather than custom-made to match the experience this camera wants to provide.

We appreciate the lens's fast aperture, but the actual experience is better described as sluggish. There just enough lag from when you push the zoom rocker and when it actually starts zooming to be annoying, and it's not in any hurry to make it through its range.

Despite those complaints, we've always said that a Gold isn't meant to say that camera is perfect. It indicates that if you're shopping for this kind of camera, the model in question should be at the top of your list. And the L10 should be. Not just because it's the first truly new enthusiast zoom compact we've seen in nearly a decade, but because it actually delivers the benefits of modern sensor and processing tech in a body that can provide an engaging shooting experience.

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

Compared to the Panasonic LX100 II (and its updated and more pedigreed sibling, the Leica D-Lux 8), the L10 is noticeably larger, no longer comfortably fitting in a jacket pocket. However, for the reduction in portability, you get better battery life, a much nicer viewfinder, and modern autofocus and connectivity. Its controls and interface aren't as refined as those of its predecessor or the Leica, but it's also capable of capturing a broader range of subjects and scenarios.

We find the L10 more engaging to shoot with than the Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 series, and appreciate its lens' speed (even if we wouldn't mind having at least a bit of the extra reach provided by Sony's most recent VII models). The L10's modern USB-C port and compatibility with Panasonic's most recent app are also big conveniences over the Sony as well. The cameras are relatively equally matched when it comes to autofocus performance, but the L10's inclusion of more extensive subject recognition will make it easier to capture certain kinds of subjects.

The Canon PowerShot G7X III suffers from being perpetually out of stock, but matches many of the L10's modern conveniences, while offering that bit extra reach at the cost of a bit of image quality. We find the L10 a bit more engaging to shoot with, perhaps because of its EVF, and despite the G7X III's focus on content creators, it doesn't come close to matching the L10's video capabilities.

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Welcome back to our Question of the Week series! This reader-focused series aims to get our photographic community to share thoughts on all sorts of photography-related topics in our forums. We pose questions about gear, favorite camera stores, advice, problem-solving and more, and you share your thoughts and opinions.

This week, we’re leaning into the holiday spirit! The season of giving (and occasionally re-gifting) is upon us, and that means it’s time to unwrap some memories – both heartwarming and hilarious.

What’s the best photography-related gift you’ve ever received? Maybe it was a dream lens that caused you to take on an adventure deep in the mountains, or a handmade camera strap that’s now an essential part of your kit. And what about the worst? Perhaps someone thought you needed yet another "World’s Best Photographer" mug, or that odd lens filter set that turned every photo a shade of green.

In this edition of our Question of the Week series, we want to hear your gift stories: the memorable, the useful and the truly baffling. Share your favorites (and flops) in the forum link below. Photos of the gifts (or what you created with them) are also more than welcome! We'll highlight some of your most entertaining and heartfelt responses in next week's roundup.

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