At the back end of 2021, Lotus was one of the carmakers looking to go all-electric by the end of the decade. Now, barely five years on, the Geely-owned performance marque has backtracked on those plans, instead shifting its focus to a revised roadmap.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Lotus, Supercars, Hypercar, Hybrid, Ferrari, Mercedes, Mercedes-AMG
After teasing its first-ever off-road/off-grid camper earlier in May, American molded-fiberglass trailer builder Oliver Travel Trailers closes out the month by giving the all-new Apex X23 its official introduction. Well, mostly. It's still finishing up the production model and spec sheet, but it has released some more photos of the prototype and a number of key details, including the base price. The new trailer looks to give campers a little more backcountry muscle and versatility combined with Oliver's tried-and-true double-hull construction.
Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors
Tags: Caravan, RV, Trailer, trailers, Off-grid, Off-road, Camping, Outdoors and Camping
Though it only has a modest length of 7.8 m (25.7 ft), the Gerês tiny house manages to squeeze in sleeping space for up to six people. The tiny house also has several optional upgrades available, including running fully off-grid.
Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors
Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home
TJ Walton, Xiaomi's Senior Product Marketing Manager and Global Spokesperson (center) and Pablo Acevedo Noda, Head of Development and Engineering for Leica's mobile division (right), answer questions from the press.
Photo: Abby Ferguson
The best camera, as the saying goes, is the one that's always with you. For most of us, that's a smartphone, and it's been that way for years now. Smartphones haven't just made photography more accessible, but have fundamentally changed the way we communicate.
And, of course, we all want our smartphone cameras to get better – many of us fantasize about the day our phone will rival our dedicated camera – and the smartphone manufacturers know it. That's why every one of them dedicates an outsized portion of each product launch to camera upgrades.
Smartphone cameras have been getting better, but as any camera enthusiast knows, what you can eke out of these cameras is, to some degree, gated by physics. In recent years, the conventional wisdom has been that most improvements to smartphone cameras will come from software, including improved computational techniques, machine learning and AI.
It's certainly a topic we've covered here at DPReview on multiple occasions. But it's not just us: computational photography is widely understood to be the key to smartphone image quality.
In recent years, smartphone manufacturers have largely depended on computational photography and AI technologies to improve image quality. The diagram above illustrates how Google Pixel's Night Sight feature combines data from multiple images to create a single, higher-quality image.
Image: Google
This week, a senior Leica engineer offered a counterpoint to that conventional wisdom: that lenses in smartphone cameras still have room to meaningfully improve.
At a joint Xiaomi/Leica launch event for the new Xiaomi 17T and 17T Pro smartphones, Pablo Acevedo Noda, Head of Development and Engineering for Leica's mobile division, told DPReview:
"There's still a lot of room for improvement in smartphone optics. Of course, the miniaturization is always a challenge, not only in optics, but also in the rest of the components, like the sensor, the focusing motor, stuff like that. Leica will do its best to keep improving where we have the expertise, which is the design of lens elements, to produce the best image possible."
"There's still a lot of room for improvement in smartphone optics."That's notable because one thing we don't often hear smartphone manufacturers talk about is optics or lenses. They love to talk about computational techniques like multi-frame stacking, scene detection and night modes, and they love to talk about sensors, including the fact that they're making them bigger, faster, and, most importantly (at least from a marketing perspective), at ridiculously high resolutions.
In fact, in most cases, the only thing we hear about lenses has to do with increasing zoom ranges, and those headline zoom numbers are often digitally derived rather than optical. (Smartphone manufacturers might also reliably predict that consumers' eyes will glaze over the moment someone starts talking about optical formulas in the middle of a keynote.)
Hearing Leica's head of engineering for mobile say optics is still a bottleneck cuts against that grain.
We spoke with Pablo Acevedo Noda (right), Head of Development and Engineering for Leica's mobile division, at a joint Xiaomi/Leica event in Vienna, Austria.
Photo: Abby Ferguson
What makes the comment noteworthy is its source. Acevedo Noda isn't a marketer – he's the lead engineer for Leica's mobile business, the optical side of the Xiaomi/Leica partnership. And he's stating that there's "still a lot of room for improvement in smartphone optics" at a co-branded launch event focused on camera features.
Leica and Xiaomi began co-engineering smartphone cameras in 2022, with Xiaomi's flagship phones featuring Leica-branded cameras. So when Acevedo Noda suggests there's still room for improvement, he's talking about hardware his own team has been working on for four years.
To be clear, Acevedo Noda isn't claiming optics are the biggest limitation on smartphone image quality – he even highlighted the importance of computational photography in smartphones – but he's calling out that the optics still have meaningful room to improve. Of course, Leica is an optics company, so you might expect it to say that, but if any company has earned the right to say it cares about optical quality over the years, it's Leica.
"If any company has earned the right to say it cares about optical quality over the years, it's Leica."But it's also true that smartphone lenses have to cope with some pretty brutal design constraints. Lenses can only be as deep as a phone's design allows, and we all know manufacturers love making thin devices (I'm looking at you, Apple). That's a real engineering problem: working within a few millimeters of space, engineers turn to things like aspheric elements and exotic coatings to squeeze more out of a lens formula.
One thing we took away from the Xiaomi/Leica event is that Leica definitely has an opinion on what photos should look like, and Acevedo Noda wasn't the only Leica executive to weigh in on the company's image quality philosophy. Marius Eschweiler, Vice President of Leica's mobile business unit, explained that the company had to have "a very tough conversation" with Xiaomi about the look of photos from its co-branded phones.
Although that comment was made in the context of the aggressive processing and tone curves typically applied to smartphone photos, it suggests that Leica isn't just stamping its logo on a phone as a marketing exercise, but has a real interest in making sure images hold up to its own vision of what a camera should produce, optically and aesthetically.
If Leica can leverage its century-plus of optical design experience to develop lenses or lens technologies that advance smartphone image quality, that's a win, not just for its own customers, but for customers of other brands that are trying to keep up with the Joneses. Or, in this case, the Leitzes.
"Ground Control to Major Tom," the evergreen lyrics to David Bowie’s 70s hit, Space Oddity. What’s odd is that, despite huge advances in satellites themselves, much of the physical infrastructure connecting those spacecraft to Earth still relies on large mechanically steered dishes, a model increasingly strained by the rise of massive low-Earth-orbit constellations.
Category: Telecommunications, Technology
Tags: UC San Diego, Antenna, Satellite, Spacecraft
How often do we see snazzy new motorcycles pop up from relatively unknown brands, and how often do most of them seem to be missing a “soul”? Call me crazy, but I sincerely believe some motorcycles have souls. Even electrics.
Category: Motorcycles, Transport
Tags: British, cafe racer, Retro
While it’s not exactly a household name, Boox tablets have steadily made their way into the e-reader market that’s long been dominated by Amazon’s Kindle. But the Boox Go 10.3 Lumi makes a strong argument for reading tablet of choice, because it’s much more than just a device to read a book on.
Category: Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: E-book, E-reader, E-Ink, E-Paper, Books, Portable, Device
With help from its Autech/NMC tuning and customization arm, Nissan has developed out quite a camper van line in Japan, ranging from adorable tiny campers to large wellness-retreat ramblers. Traditionally, those models have all been based on some form of van, but one of the latest Nissan campers to arrive as a factory option comes based instead on Nissan's top-selling SUV platform. The new X-Trail Rock Creek Multi-Bed is a rugged, versatile all-terrain camper wagon, and while it's a pure Japanese-market vehicle for now, it could have micro-camping implications for markets around the world, even the USA.
Category: Campervans, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors
Tags: mini-campervan, Crossover, SUV, Nissan, RV, Outdoors and Camping, Off-road, Camping
Most people don't give a lot of thought to bike cargo trailers … they think of the things as being just little towed carts. The Veolo Bike Trailer 2.0, however, is likely one of the lightest, smoothest-running, most well-appointed offerings you can buy.
Tags: Cycling, Kickstarter
When I reviewed the Luba 2 AWD 3000HX in September, I was seriously impressed. It's quiet, very capable, kind of fun, and made me feel like a neighborhood hero while sending it from house to house mowing everyone's yards.
Category: Around The Home, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Lawnmower, Lawnmowers, Reviews, Garden, Autonomous
Many tiny houses try to pack as much as possible into their compact frame, but this extra-wide model instead leans into simplicity and provides a spacious single-floor interior centered around an open living area.
Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors
Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home
Greetings, DPReview community!
A lot happens across the community every month: lively discussions, feature articles spotlighting community members and their gear, photo events and more, and much of it naturally won't be seen by everyone. As DPReview's Community Manager, I want to change that as much as possible. In this "What you missed" roundup, I'll highlight some of the best community activity from the past month, including some of the things that didn't make it into articles.
Here's just a sampling of what happened in May.
What's in your bag? A community member spotlightEvery week, we spotlight a community member's unique photographs and gear in our 'What's in your bag?' series. The series tells the story of your trials and tribulations getting that perfect shot, and highlights their favorite camera gear and how they use it. You'll also get tips and tricks on capturing your own photography.
As with many of our other community initiatives, we often don't get a chance to cover every detail of a community member's story, so we're selecting an additional photo from each of the previous month's posts that you haven't seen yet. Check them out below.
Feeling artsy
Photo: Roberto De Micheli (roby17269)
Roberto De Micheli, who goes by the username roby17269 in the forums, switched from wildlife photography to focus on his passion for fashion. He also dabbles in travel and kids' photography (mainly family outings). Roberto submitted a wide range of photography on these subjects to us for this article, but we focused on the fashion segment as it's his most recent work.
"Fashion shoots happen in studios or on location. In my heart, though, I still remember my two safaris in Africa (Kenya and South Africa) most fondly, which can be a magical place. The safaris were during my wildlife 'phase'. I was absolutely floored by how rich, colorful and amazing nature was in those places."
Read more about Roberto's photography
The photographer who never stopped chasing the unique shot
Photo: Josh S. Rose
Josh S. Rose has been capturing visceral reactions since the 1970s, when he wandered around a racetrack park as a kid to explore the event. He found himself hanging out at the photo booth and loved to watch a team develop film after each race, calling up the winners to the announcer upstairs, then hearing the crowd wildly react. His career kept him intrigued by those early moments of capturing scenes on film.
"In the beginning, I tried to minimize mistakes. Because I shoot dance and movement a lot, this is exacting work, especially when you're inside – low light and fast movement is a nightmare for a camera. So, I kind of treated dance as one would sports, reaching first and foremost for clarity, focus and split-second timing. It isn't all that hard, honestly. It just takes a certain number of reps."
Read more about Josh's photography
This photographer uses an 800mm lens to lock onto nature's special moments
Photo: Alan Randle (AJRimages)
Alan Randle, known as AJR Images in the forums, has been capturing striking images for decades, with a particular passion for fast-paced subjects. Originally from the UK and now based in Southern California, he has built a body of work that spans airshows, surfing, wildlife and more. Over the years, his photography has evolved from early film experiments to high-precision digital work with top-tier equipment, allowing him to get in close and capture subjects with remarkable clarity and detail.
"I've been taking photographs since the early 1960's, but more seriously for the last 15 years. I moved to California from the UK in 2000, and am now lucky to have great subject matter and good light. I've been fortunate enough to acquire some of the best equipment and now like to get in close to my subjects with the use of long telephotos."
"I also enjoy shooting zoo animals. I like to take portraits rather than the whole of the animal, making good use of my telephoto lenses. Carrying big equipment around a zoo can be tiring. I’ve been asked by docents if I want to check my ‘luggage’ to make life easier!"
Read more about Alan's photography
How this photographer sets up to capture life at the speed of the streets
Photo: Kevin Zhang (fatplanediaries)
Kevin Zhang, known as fatplanediaries in the wider community, began photographing at a young age under his father's influence, a dedicated Leica street photographer. What started as a focus on street photography evolved over time, especially after a chance moment in Shanghai, when he experimented with panoramas using only a prime lens. Since then, his work has developed into a distinctive blend of candid street scenes and highly detailed panoramic images, each discipline informing the other.
"I like to shoot candid street subjects, but I'm often pretty shy about approaching people to get the right shot. The best alternative is to get hired for events instead; everyone's vying to have you shoot them in those kinds of situations. I've had a lot of good practice at my friends' parties before getting to events as a photographer."
Read more about Kevin's photography
This reader mastered a Nikon Z5 to capture diverse European architecture
Photo: Brian Ormerod (ikon44)
Brian Ormerod, who goes by the username ikon44, has a love of architecture of all types and periods across northern Europe. Over the decades, he has traveled extensively, meticulously planning trips to capture selected projects in Vienna, Barcelona, Prague, Paris, Istanbul and beyond. His work has evolved from casual holiday snapshots to carefully composed architectural studies at the School of Architecture in Nottingham, UK.
"I went with an architect friend to Barcelona, which I found to be an architectural wonderland. We photographed works by Antoni Gaudi, but by pre-planning we were also able to visit a number of other projects, including the IMO Eye Hospital by Josep Llinas, The University of Pompeu Fabra Library, which is a spectacular arcaded masonry structure, the Santa Caterina Market, a neo-classical building refurbished by Enrique Miralles and the Fira de Belacaire flea market with a spectacular, fragmented mirrored canopy."
Read more about Brian's photography
Question of the week: we ask, you tellEvery other week, we ask the community a question about their photography, usually on a specific topic, with the results spotlighted on DPReview's front page and in the forums the following week. There are often many great photos submitted that we don't get a chance to spotlight them all in a single article.
Here is a newly revealed reader's photo from each of the previous two weeks' questions.
What accessories are must-haves in your kit?From 'The surprise camera accessories our readers keep with them at all times'
Photo: cbf_si
Featured quote: "Different accouterments. A chamois, a laptop, a notebook and a pen (sometimes two; private and business), tissues, paracetamol (just in case ;-)), and some small things I can't remember. A Wuchuan canvas messenger bag with a Billingham insert and lots of useful pockets. It serves me well, carrying a D850 with one prime (24, 35, 58 or 85, depending on mood and plan, if any)." - Michiel953
Share your answer to this question
What photo book or article has supercharged your photography?From 'The photographer's eye: The books that changed your photography forever'
Photo: Andreas Feininger
Featured quote: "The foundation came before I even owned a camera: Total Picture Control by Andreas Feininger. His main message is that the photographer transforms a moving, three-dimensional world of color into a frozen, 2D (and in the late 1950s) monochrome picture. To communicate what you saw, you need to translate the lost dimensions (depth, movement and color) into your photograph."- Klaus dk
Share your answer to this question
Photo threads of the month: new types of challenges"May we never forget."
Photo: BluesJake
Also every week, new photo thread discussions and mini-photo challenges pop up across the forums, generated by community members. Usually, these start as a discussion about a particular camera brand or type of photography. Our community has hundreds of topics to choose from, so there's no shortage of photography show-and-tell opportunities!
For the month of May, we wanted to highlight BluesJake's Post your Memorial Day photos thread, where community members have been contributing to pay their respects to veterans who lost their lives in conflicts and other events around the world.
Visit our Community photo threads index for all the latest opportunities to share an interesting photo from your collection. To contribute to most of these community initiatives, simply read the OP's (Original Poster) posting guidelines (if there are any) and then reply to the thread with your contribution.
We would also love for you to participate in DPReview's own photo initiatives: Photo exhibitions and the new Collaborative photo chain.
Discussion of the month: Sony's new a7R VIOn May 13, 2026, Sony announced the a7R VI full-frame mirrorless camera. The community was so excited about the news that they beat us to the punch and immediately started discussing the camera in the forums. Here is a peek at what they had to say:
PWPhotography: Nice! $4499, $500 'cheaper' than initially rumored, and it's slightly lighter than a7R V.
CanadianLongbowman: So the TL;DR is that it's a high-res version of the a7R V, in essence, with a similar readout speed and a few extra perks.
In response, PWPHotography said, "I hope so. However, the a7R V uses a partially stacked sensor, while the a7R VI uses a fully stacked sensor. Fully-stacked sensors, as in the A9 and A1 series, used to have a little DR penalty. Sony appears to have overcome this issue by combining the readouts of its low and high gain steps as in a7R V."
kbrkr: Sony announced the a7R VI today, and my mind automatically went to Nikon challenging it with a Z7 III. Some of the features of the Sony are quite impressive, such as 68MP, 30 fps Raw, pre-capture, and speed boost. I hate these leapfrog games, but I really wish Nikon had a high-megapixel camera to replace the Z7 II.
I'd like to consider writing an article like this one on a monthly basis. Future editions could include camera use and photo-taking tips and tricks, additional quotes from community members in various discussions and more. If you are interested in seeing community content presented this way, please let me know.
For even more content posted directly by our readers, join the discussion forums and share your camera gear and photography curiosities!
Hypershell’s new X Series exoskeletons use AI-driven motion control to give you a little extra spring in your step, offering walking and hiking assistance across different terrain, ranges, and support levels.
Tags: Exoskeleton, Wearable, Artificial Intelligence, Mobility, Fitness, Hiking
In microgravity, walking doesn't exist. Balance doesn't exist. What does exist is the need to grip surfaces, manipulate tools, move through narrow corridors, and not go flying every time you push against something. Two legs solve none of those problems.
Category: AI and Humanoids, Technology
Tags: Robots, Space exploration, Maintenance, assistant robot, Humanoid
Do you like driving? Maybe not stuck in an urban jam, dodging potholes or crawling amid draconian speed limits – but out there on the open road, taking sunny corners in a nice car? The roar of the engine as it changes gear, the pleasure of getting the line and the revs right through a corner? Surely even the most dour of modern motorists derive at least some joy from driving’s highlights.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Polestar, Oxford University, Electric Vehicles, Driving
No matter what we throw at fire detection, from drones to advanced prediction models and watch towers, predicting when and where blazes will start remains challenging. And not all fires are created equal.
Category: Environment, Science
Tags: Hanyang University, Fire-Proof Coatings, Wildfires, Detector, Sensors, Electronic, Climate Crisis
Blue Origin's space ambitions have suffered a major setback as its New Glenn rocket exploded in a fireball on the launch pad at about 7:00 pm EDT at Launch Complex 36 (LC-36), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida during an engine test.
Category: Space Systems, Engineering
Tags: New Glenn, Blue Origin, Rocket, Accidents
When trying to capture this scene, most phones would probably try to brighten the shadows. The Xiaomi 17T Pro, shooting in the Leica Authentic color mode, didn't.
Photo: Abby Ferguson
One of the big conversations around mobile photography relates to how images are processed, with many bemoaning the unnatural look that some phones produce by dramatically brightening shadows. Apparently, Leica isn't necessarily a huge fan of the look, either. According to Marius Eschweiler, Vice President of the company's mobile business unit, it had "a very tough conversation" with Xiaomi about how photos from its co-branded phones should look.
The comment was part of an interview at the launch event for Xiaomi's latest phones, the 17T and 17T Pro, which feature Leica's "Vibrant" and "Authentic" profiles. Eschweiler, responding to a question about what the company's goal was with the latter color mode, says it was meant to show the real colors and shadows of a scene.
Leica executives participated in a group interview with Xiaomi for the launch of the 17T.
Photo: Abby Ferguson
The last part was apparently what prompted the discussions with Xiaomi. "That was a very tough discussion we had with the Xiaomi engineering team at the very beginning, because coming from the smartphone world, colorful, shiny images were seen as a benchmark," he says. "Then we came into play and said, 'yeah, but if you see it from the serious photographer's point of view, it's okay that some shadows are maybe not perfectly lightened up to let you see every detail.'"
"That computational imaging was getting too much in the picture for our taste"Pablo Acevedo Noda, Head of Development and Engineering for Leica's mobile division, adds: "Leica Authentic was made more for photographers coming from the photography world," explaining that phones need to do a lot of computational photography to make up for their smaller sensors and lenses. "That computational imaging was getting too much in the picture for our taste."
The solution, he says, was processing the images in a completely different way than the vibrant ones. "In the end, we had to do two different pipelines. The image signal processor (ISP) has two different processing pipelines. One is the authentic, one is the vibrant. They share some common blocks, but the base is different."
A photo taken in the Leica Vibrant mode on the Xiaomi 17T Pro.
Photo: Abby Ferguson
He also says Leica had a hand in tuning the imaging pipeline for the phone's Live Moment feature, which captures a video before and after the shutter is pressed. The feature existed on Xiaomi products before, but now it includes the Leica color profile throughout. According to Noda, the company helped improve the resolution and HDR processing for the feature, as well as the exposure and white balancing for human subjects.
Eschweiler says Leica wants to give photographers a choice: they can go with the Leica Authentic for a more traditional photographic look, or the Vibrant for a more saturated aesthetic that mobile photographers will be familiar with. "It's a different philosophy, and I believe it's good that customers have the choice."
He echoes this sentiment about users having options when discussing the role of AI in mobile photography, after Xiaomi and Google touted the 17T's ability to use generative AI to transform images taken with the phone into videos, or to reimagine them. "Whether you take a serious image or whether you would like to create something with generative AI, I think that's a different use case," he says.
"It's a different philosophy, and I believe it's good that customers have the choice""You likely won't see that on a Leica M, but I think on the 17T series it makes sense," he says. Noda also adds that part of the point of features like Content Credentials, which Leica attaches to photos taken with its cameras, is to make it obvious when someone has tampered with a photo, using generative AI tools or otherwise.
The answers offer a look at some of the considerations traditional camera companies face when deciding to co-brand a phone. There are some fundamental differences in how those devices will produce images compared to a traditional camera, as well as different expectations from consumers, but the Leica name and branding come with their own set of expectations. Of course, not everything will come down to decisions around processing and software, but we'll cover the choices around hardware in a separate article.
Related: What's a 'real' Leica and is your brand just a badge?
Since debuting in 2021, the Campinawe Trailer has established itself as one of the oddest-looking small camping trailers roaming the earth. But besides looking weird, its strangely juxtaposed alu-skinned foam-core panels conceal one of the roomiest, most functional floor plans we've seen on a teardrop-style 15-footer. And that's truer than ever as the company adds an even more spacious, flexible floor plan alternative. The Crossover Solo layout features a pack-away bed that clears room inside for a larger dining or office space. Heck, you could probably use it for yoga when it's too cold or rainy outdoors.
Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors
Tags: teardrop trailers, Caravan, Camping, Outdoors and Camping, RV, trailers, Trailer
