Content creators have become a key segment in the mirrorless camera industry, and Sony fully embraced them back in 2020 with the launch of the ZV1 camera. It has since added no less than four models to its ZV lineup, with the latest being the 12-megapixel full-frame ZV-E1 — its most capable model by far.

It uses the same sensor as the $3,500 A7S III, a video-focused camera that’s also a low-light marvel. However, the ZV-E1 costs $1,300 less, so of course it’s missing some key features like an electronic viewfinder (EVF), dual high-speed card slots, a mechanical shutter and some physical controls.

At the same time, the ZV-E1 has some functions that the A7S III lacks, surprisingly enough. Most of those are in the area of AI, and very useful for vloggers, like auto-framing, advanced subject detection and dynamic stabilization. With the sensor and AI features combined, it’s not a spoiler to say that this camera is both a mini A7S III and a powerful vlogging camera at the same time. The sheer number of advancements also make it a technological tour de force.

Body

The sensor might be the same, but the ZV-E1 looks radically different from the A7S III. Instead of Sony’s classic A7-style mirrorless form, the body is squat and chunky like an A6700 or full-frame A7C. It’s also significantly smaller and weighs a third less than the A7S III at 483g, making it Sony’s smallest full-frame camera to date.

Sony boasts that it’s built of recycled plastic, and that makes the camera feel significantly cheaper and less grippy than the A7 series. The grip is also smaller, but I was still able to get a reasonably firm grasp considering the lighter weight. Despite the lower-end materials, it is dust and moisture resistant.

As we’ve seen on numerous recent cameras, there’s a switch for photos, video and slow & quick, and each has its own dedicated settings. It has a prominent red record button on top, and like Sony’s other mirrorless vlogging camera (the APS-C ZV-E10) it has a zoom rocker for supported zoom lenses, and also works with Sony’s “Digital Zoom” feature.

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Other than that, it’s significantly stripped down compared to the A7S III. While it does have a few vlogging-specific buttons like Product Showcase and Background Defocus, there’s just a single control dial on top (at the back) and no dial on the front – making it difficult to operate the camera using physical controls in full manual mode.

That said, the ZV-E1 is one of Sony’s first cameras that can be fully operated using touch controls. Most of the key settings (shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc) can be changed in that way, and it also lets you tweak the display settings by swiping left or right. And of course, the LCD screen fully articulates for vloggers, though it’s a bit low-res at 1,030K dots.

Where the A7S III’s 9.44 million-dot EVF is the best on the market, there’s no viewfinder at all on the ZV-E1. I missed that feature when shooting on bright days, but the EVF does have a “sunshine” mode that automatically maxes out brightness.

It uses the same battery as Sony’s flagship models, so you get a generous 95 minutes of 4K 30p video recording and 570 photos on a charge. Luckily, the USB-C Gen 3.2 port lets you charge while shooting, and also supports high-speed transfers.

Along with headphone and mic ports, it’s got a micro rather than a full sized HDMI port, which isn’t ideal for a vlogging camera. It has just a single high-speed UHS-II card slot. Oddly the lack of a fast CFexpress type A slot doesn’t appear to limit video capture compared to the A7S III.

Video

As you’d expect for a camera based on the powerful A7S III, video specs are impressive. It can handle 4K UHD video at up to 60 fps, though it’s lightly supersampled from the 12-megapixel, 4,240 x 2,832 sensor – so it’s slightly less sharp than higher-resolution Sony cameras like the A7 IV. Thanks to a recent firmware update, it can also shoot native 4K at up to 120 fps with no supersampling.

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You can choose from high- and low-quality MP4 longGOP options, all with up to 4:2:2 10-bit color depth and 280 Mbps data rates. There’s also an I-mode at up to 4K 60p with 4:2:2 10-bit color that offers a more fluid editing experience with no transcoding. That setting uses higher data rates at up to 600Mbps (60 fps), so it requires expensive, high-speed V90 UHS-II cards.

Sony’s S-Log3 boosts dynamic range to 14-plus stops, and you can preview footage using Sony’s LUTs or install your own. If you don’t want the hassle of log, S-Cinetone also boosts dynamic range and is easier to tweak and edit later on.

What about overheating? Since it lacks the thermal capabilities as the A7S III, continuous recording times are shorter, particularly at 4K60 and up. In that mode you can expect less than an hour depending on the outside temperature. Content creators might be OK with that, but event shooters may need to look elsewhere.

Autofocus and AI

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When it comes to autofocus, the ZV-E1 actually outshines the A7S III. That’s because it uses Sony’s new AI processor introduced in the A7R V, so it behaves more like that model –- particularly when it comes to image tracking.

It can now track human heads and bodies, not just faces and eyes. And besides people, it has specific settings for animals, birds, insects, cars, planes and trains. Unfortunately it does lack an auto setting, so it can’t automatically select the type of subject — you have to dive into the menus and do that yourself.

Subject tracking sets a new speed and reliability standard for mirrorless cameras, nailing autofocus consistently – even in tricky settings with fast moving subjects. That’s hugely important for vloggers, who often work alone. That said, even Sony’s system isn’t perfect, as it can occasionally lose a subject’s eyes in busy backgrounds.

AI powers other features too. For example, the built-in microphone is now directional, and can automatically aim toward the front, rear or all around, based on subject detection.

A key AI feature lets you digitally zoom an extra 1.5 times without much noticeable loss in quality. It works with the zoom rocker, and unlike with past ZV implementations, includes full subject tracking. That ability to zoom smoothly and automatically scale the image powers other features as well

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That starts with the ZV-E1’s in-body stabilization. Optical-only offers 5 stops, enough to smooth handheld video without much movement. Active stabilization considerably boosts performance, but adds a slight 1.1x crop. However, dynamic stabilization is new and quite remarkable. It adds a 1.3x crop, but can effectively remove bouncing from footsteps, making it like using a dedicated gimbal – albeit with some loss in sharpness. With that feature, the ZV-E1 is the first camera that can really match the smoothness of the latest GoPro action cams.

The digital zoom teams up with subject tracking on two other new features as well. One is the Framing Stabilizer, which crops into the image, steadies the shot and keeps the subject in the center of frame, allowing for dolly-like smoothness.

Auto Framing, meanwhile, gives the illusion of camera movement. It first digitally zooms into the subject, then tracks it within the frame. You can choose a small, medium or large crop, different tracking speeds and more. You can even send an uncropped video to HDMI so you have two versions.

It also carries vlogger-centric features seen on other ZV models, including Product Showcase and Auto Depth of Field. As before, the latter automatically defocuses the background by instantly opening the aperture as much as possible. Product Showcase, meanwhile, ignores eye detection and quickly shifts focus to any foreground object brought in front of the camera. Finally, Breathing Compensation uses a slight digital zoom to maintain constant framing when changing focus.

Video Quality

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As mentioned, 4K 30p and 60p video is slightly softer than Sony’s 30-megapixel A7 IV due to the lower resolution. On the plus side, the absence of pixel binning means no there’s no aliasing or other ugly artifacts that can ruin a shot.

The other positive aspect is far less rolling shutter than the A7 IV at the full sensor width. That means you can make quick pans or film fast-moving subjects without worrying about skewed video.

Apart from sharpness, image quality is superb. It delivers nearly 15 stops of dynamic range in C-Log3 mode, up there with the best mirrorless cameras. That allows for plenty of detail in dark shadows and bright highlights, even on sunny or dark days. S-Log3 mode, meanwhile, gives editors room to tweak video. Sony’s colors are accurate, though skin tones can lack the warmth I’ve seen on Canon models.

The ZV-E1 can’t be beat in low light. It has dual native ISOs at 640 and a whopping 12800. That allows for low-noise video all that way up to ISO 25,600, and manageable levels even at 51,200 – letting you shoot by moonlight or candlelight. In fact, Sony’s FX3 cinema camera with the same sensor was recently used to shoot a feature film called The Creator, specifically because it’s so good in low light.

Photography

Since it doesn’t have an EVF or mechanical shutter, I wouldn’t recommend the ZV-E1 for photography alone. That said, like the A7S III, it’s more than competent in a pinch.

The AF works just as well with photography, and has the same features and tracking modes. So you can count on this camera to grab sharp photos, even when shooting bursts at up to the maximum 10 fps or in low light. It’s actually a pretty good street photography or travel camera, as it’s small, silent and discreet. And with so little skew, I rarely missed the mechanical shutter.

Photo quality is outstanding, particularly in very low light. RAW images can easily be tweaked, even at high ISOs, and colors are accurate. The biggest drawback is again the lack of sharpness. That means there’s not a lot of room to crop into photos later, so you’ll want to get your framing right when you take the shot.

Wrap-up

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With all that it can do, Sony’s ZV-E1 is the best vlogging camera on the market and its rivals aren’t even really close. It delivers everything creators need like 4K 120p video, high dynamic range, unbeatable low-light capability, great ergonomics, the best AF on the market and a boatload of useful AI features. The main drawback is a lack of sharpness — but that’s only really noticeable if you’re pixel peeping.

The ZV-E1 costs $2,200, so its rivals include the $2,200 Panasonic S5 IIx, the $2,500 Canon EOS R6 II and Sony’s own $2,500 A7 IV. All of those cameras have sharper 4K video and electronic viewfinders, so they’re better hybrid cameras for both photography and video

The ZV-E1 beats them in nearly every other way, though, while breaking new ground with its innovative AI features. If you’re a content creator looking for a full-frame camera in that price range, I’d highly recommend the ZV-E1.

With its latest Instax camera, Fujifilm has separated the camera from the printer. The Instax Pal is a tiny palm-sized 4.9-megapixel (MP) camera that takes digital photos, then lets you print them to the bundled Instax Mini Link 2 printer with a variety of effects via the new Instax Pal app. Designed for users 13 and up, the idea is to "capture life's spontaneous moments for photo printing," the company says. 

The camera is automatic, but aperture and shutter settings cover a wide range of shooting conditions, from interior to exterior. It's equipped with a wide angle lens and flash, and lets you shoot in a variety of ways. You can capture images by pushing the large shutter button on the back, or trigger it remotely using the Pal app. It supports interval shooting to capture scenes with 3, 6, 11 or 21 continuous images at three-second intervals. 

Fujifilm

There's a detachable ring for use as a finger strap, simple viewfinder (lol) or a camera stand for remote shooting. Other features include a speaker for audio prompts, a USB-C port for charging, a microSD card slot (the internal memory can hold 50 images) and even a screw mount for a tripod. 

Via Bluetooth, the Instax Pal app gives you a view through the camera's lens for composing images and triggering the shutter. Images are then automatically copied to the app. You can adjust the exposure by +/- 2 EV and choose two between two quality settings, Rich mode (vivid, with more detail) and Natural mode. When you're ready to print, there's a bundle of effects that includes sepia, cool, vivid and soft, along with controls for brightness, contrast, rotate, crop, text, stickers, emojis and more. 

Fujifilm

Printing from the app is possible, but unfortunately requires a second Fujifilm app for the printer. It lets you print Instax Mini pictures (2.13 x 3.4 inches) in about 15 seconds, with a 1.5-minute development time. Quality is about the same as you'd get with an Instax Mini camera like the SQ40, since the process is the same — the only difference is that the Pal's camera is separated from the printer. The advantage to the second app is that you can also print photos from your smartphone's camera reel. 

Photos can also be sent to friends via the Pal app, or posted to social media — all fitting for a camera marketed to teens. The only challenge is that it isn't cheap. The Instax Pal bundle arrives in late October (along with the app) for $200, while the new Soft Lavender Instax film designed for the bundle is $15.75 for a 10 pack (regular Instax film is about $13 for a ten pack). If you only need physical photos, other Instax Mini models are far cheaper at less than $100 — but the Pal does support both physical and digital photos, while giving you a smartphone printer to boot. 

So there’s a new GoPro in town. Maybe you saw a bunch of new features and wondered if the new camera is worth the upgrade from an older model? Maybe you want to know if it’s a better fit than a rival camera like DJI’s Action 4? Here we’ll go through everything that’s new with the Hero 12 and hopefully, by the end of it, you’ll feel ready to make an informed decision. There are some useful new tools, some neat hardware tweaks and of course, an important aesthetic update this time around. All of which we’ll get to below.

Battery life

Okay, deep breath for this one as there’s a bit to unpack. Battery life has always been a bit of a pain point for action cameras. Their smaller form-factor, exposure to different and high performance needs (shooting 4K slow-mo, and so on) means they are constantly battling basic physics. GoPro’s claim then, that the Hero 12 offers “2x runtime” will have seen even the most ragged of outdoor filmers crack a smile. But remember, runtime isn’t the same as “record” time.

What we’re seeing here is an extension of the amount of time the camera can run at high power drain modes before it reaches its thermal limit and has to stop. So the claim is really that you should get about twice the recording time at the most demanding settings. If you’re shooting at good ol’ 1080p/30, for example, battery performance is only extended by a few minutes.

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

To test this, I pitted the Hero 12 against the Hero 11 in two scenarios, each at the opposite ends of the “intensity” spectrum. On the high end, we set the cameras to record at 4K/120 while walking with the camera on a standard grip. On the other end of the scale we recorded a basic 1080/30 video for as long as the camera could. Both were performed outside to allow for airflow, which is what the camera was optimized for.

In the 4K tests, I was surprised to see there was no noticeable difference between the Hero 12 and the Hero 11 with the same settings. I repeated the test a couple of times and the 12 was only able to best the 11 by about five minutes. On one occasion, the Hero 11 actually outlasted the Hero 12. The average duration for one continuous video was 35 minutes. Other outlets and reviews have had more success here, so I'm currently speaking with GoPro to see what might be causing this disparity in results. The 1080p tests were also comparable, with both cameras lasting around an hour and a half which is expected, as GoPro doesn’t claim large advances in battery life at these settings.

Bluetooth audio

I don’t think anyone was expecting this one, but it’s a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Using a microphone with a GoPro typically involves using the Media Mod, which is usually an $80 additional purchase. Even with that, going wireless requires having a compatible microphone. With the new Bluetooth capability, you can use the AirPods (or other Bluetooth headset) that you may already own.

I wouldn’t recommend using a microphone over Bluetooth if you can avoid it, as they’re typically designed for calls rather than delivering a standup to camera. That said, the quality is good enough for impromptu vlogs and or live commentary as you take part in your activity of choice. Either way, it’s a neat new feature that’s really easy to set up. I was worried about latency — a common problem with Bluetooth audio generally — but any there might be is barely perceptible.

This functionality also allows you to control your GoPro from afar using voice commands. I might wager that this is equally, if not more useful to a lot of people. GoPro’s voice commands are fairly reliable, so it’s nice to be able to ask the camera to take a photo from a distance so you don’t need to set a timer. Likewise, you can end a video without having to record those final seconds of you walking back to the camera to press the button. All these little time saves add up!

8:7 everywhere

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

The big news with the Hero 11 Black was a larger sensor that meant you could do cool things like punch out different aspect ratio videos in 4K from the same source material. That source video was also usable on its own, if square-ish 8:7 video was something you needed. With the Hero 12, 8:7 mode is now available everywhere, including TimeWarp, TimeLapse and Night Effects modes.

An 8:7 TimeWarp is a fun addition, but the real gain here is the option to shoot in that mode, capture every pixel available to you, and then have the flexibility to do more with it later. For Night Effects, for example, you could output a vertical version for social media, and a 16:9 one for YouTube and both of them would be in full resolution. This is the only new direct video feature this time around, which will disappoint some potential upgraders, but for fans of those specific modes it’s good news.

Vertical capture

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

Now that 8:7, full-sensor recording is available across the board, GoPro is seeking to make some of its use cases even easier. One such example is vertical capture mode. In short, since the Hero 11 there’s no technical reason why you need to rotate or mount the camera vertically as you can achieve full resolution 9:16 videos even with the camera positioned horizontally.

Essentially, this feature provides a way to record a video for social media without having to either remount it or to punch it out in 9:16 via the app. Thus, vertical capture greatly smooths the process from shooting on the camera to sharing with your followers. There’s not much more to say here other than it works as advertised and should save a fair amount of time for those who use that aspect ratio frequently.

HDR video in ultra-high resolutions

Dynamic range may sound like a technical setting for pro photographers, but it’s important even for casual users. As a camera tries to capture a shot, it will assess the lighting and adjust its exposure to maintain the best balance (unless you’re using all manual settings). When there are bright and dark areas in the same shot, the camera has to make a best guess. To improve on that, modern cameras have HDR modes specifically for times when there’s a “High Dynamic Range (HDR).” In short, the Hero 12 Black claims to be better than its predecessors in these situations.

Technically, the Hero 11 is capable of outputting HDR video (the Hero 12 and Hero 11 share the same internal hardware), but you usually had to do some legwork in post to get there. The Hero 12 has “HDR” as one of the shooting modes right in the menus making it a simple button push to get those more natural tones.

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

In side by side testing, there’s a marked difference between the Hero 12 and last year’s camera. In the same, sunny conditions during the day I found the sky was sometimes blown out on the Hero 11 when there were also a lot of shaded areas in shot as the camera tries to expose for both. The Hero 12 was able to handle the same lighting conditions without blowing out bright areas or under exposing the shade giving a more balanced image overall.

(Speaking of HDR, the GoPro 12’s implementation isn’t true HDR in the sense that it captures using the BT.2020 HDR color space — i.e., if you plug it into your Samsung HDR TV you won’t see it in HDR, but just regular TV mode. Rather, it takes two images of each frame in quick succession — like bracketing on a photo camera — one exposed for shadows and one for highlights, and combines them into a single image. The end result is more detailed skies, shadowy areas, etc.)

Better selfies

Back in the olden days, there was a light “hack” for getting the best selfie out of a GoPro: put the camera into Time lapse Photo mode and grab multiple shots just to be sure. In newer GoPros you have to grab a frame from a time lapse via the app as the camera automatically outputs a ready-to-share video. Interval Photo, then, revives some of that old functionality in a new, improved way. The basic gist is that you don't need to use a timer, instead you can capture multiple photos and pick the one you like best, such as the one below where I had all the time in the world to perfectly place my hand on top of the towers.

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

To prevent confusion, Interval Photo is a setting under the Photos menu and not the Time Lapse menu. From there you can set a wide range of intervals — from half a second up to two minutes — and use this with all photo types, including HDR and SuperPhoto (GoPro’s “auto” mode). This differs from a time lapse where the images are processed in a way that prevents sudden changes in exposure between photos for a smooth video. That’s to say, images are optimized for the resulting video. With Interval Photo, they’re standard photos for use as photos with no further processing.

Night Effects come to photos (kinda)

Another feature that builds on something that was introduced in the Hero 11 is the extension of the Night Effects (Star Trails, Vehicle Lights and Light Painting) to create a photo. These three effects use long exposures and witchcraft (maybe) to create videos with these dramatic light-based effects. With the Hero 12, you will now be presented with a photo alongside the video. There’s no extra action required to get this, it’ll just show up in your gallery automatically.

What you won’t see are any controls or any way to choose at which point of the video the image will be extracted from, the image appears to be based on the final frame of the video, which makes sense. That said, in our testing it generally produces good results (assuming your video was good in the first place!). Again, you’ve pretty much always had the option to extract frames from videos and with the Quik app that’s easier than ever before, but having one ready for you, is another welcome convenience.

Log

Steve Dent contributed the following section.

GP-Log is designed to give creators more control over images by increasing dynamic range, specifically by allowing more detail in shadows and highlights. That can be combined with 10-bit encoding which boosts the total number of colors to billions, meaning subtle gradients (mainly in skies) will show less banding.

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

As ever with log, it can be a challenge to get a nice image out of it. The LUTs supplied by GoPro do an OK job, but significant tweaking is still required by the editor to gain any major benefits. Plus, it’s not a very aggressive log setting, so the boost in dynamic range is small, akin to DJI’s D-Log M setting. It does give editors who know what they’re doing more options, but if you’re unfamiliar with log, HDR is a much easier way to improve dynamic range – with no adjustments required.

New mounting option

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

If you’ve been using GoPros for any amount of time, you’ll be familiar with the “finger” mount system. It’s… fine. It’s certainly sturdy, which is what you want in an action camera, but it’s also fiddly and those thumb screws can get real tight, so tight that sometimes it feels personal. Sometimes you wish you could just use the tripod or selfie pole you already have without having to dip into your bag of adapters. Well, now you can.

Flip the GoPro Hero 12 Black over and lo and behold, you’ll be presented with a 1/4 inch thread (along with the sound of angels harmonizing, possibly). I have a bunch of the aforementioned GoPro-to-tripod mount adapters, but I can never seem to find them when I need them. I also have a bunch of small tripods that will get a lot more usage now that they are directly compatible with the GoPro. Not to mention, if you use your GoPro as a webcam, it’s not a lot easier to use with other streaming mounts and boom arms. I’m not sure what it says about the Hero 12 when this is my personal favorite new feature, but here we are!

Nikon has unveiled its latest full-frame camera, the 24.5-megapixel Zf with retro style and technology borrowed from the company's high-end Z8 and Z9 cameras. With a new sensor and processor, it promises powerful features like 14-fps max shooting speeds, advanced AI autofocus and 4K 60p video. At the same time, it's a highly manual camera with a lot of old-school touches and multiple colorways, all designed to touch that vintage-loving nerve. 

The body and handling emphasizes manual controls, with no less than five dials on top to control shooting mode, video/photo/B&W, aperture, shutter speed and exposure compensation. It also has a pair of shooting dials front and back and a D-pad style controller, but no joystick. The "grip" is just a small ridge. With all that, the Zf really does look like a an old school Nikon film camera — right down to the chrome-plated shutter release button.

Nikon

The Zf's magnesium-alloy body is smallish, but not very light at 710 grams (Sony's A7 IV is 659 grams). It does offer "high dust- and drip-resistance" though, Nikon says. 

The high-resolution 2.1-million-dot vari-angle touch display fully articulates for vlogging and selfies, while allowing touch function controls and focus point selection. For astro shooters, it has a "Starlight view mode" that boosts display brightness in dark scenes. Meanwhile, the OLED viewfinder has a decent 3.68-million dot resolution and 0.8 times magnification.

It has two card slots, but with a serious caveat. One is a high-speed UHS-II card slot, but the other is a UHS-I microSD slot — the only model with that combo as far as I know. The battery is a weak point, offering only 380 shots on a charge, compared to 580 for the Sony A7 IV. Other features include a USB 3.2 Gen1 port with charging support, mic/headphone ports and a micro HDMI connector. 

DIXIE_DIXON2022 for Nikon

Inside, it has a backside-illuminated (BSI) 24.5-megapixel sensor and Expeed 7 processor borrowed from the high-end Z models. That gives it autofocus powers inline with the Z8, including Nikon's 3-D tracking plus AI-powered subject detection that can find people, dogs, cats, birds, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, trains and planes. It'll even detect far-away faces that take up as little as 3 percent of the frame's longest side. 

As for image quality, the standard ISO range of 100 to 64,000 promises good low-light capability, and it has a pixel shifting mode that boosts resolution up to 96-megapixels for static scenes. In line with the retro styling, Nikon has a dedicated black & white mode (with its own dial setting), that enables multiple monochromatic settings ranging from flat to high-contrast "Deep Tone Monochrome." 

It can hit 11fps shooting speeds in RAW mode (14fps with JPEGs) in electronic shutter mode (Nikon doesn't list specs for mechanical shutter) and offers a reduced-quality 30fps JPEG-only mode with a pre-burst option to ensure you won't miss a shot. The five-axis IBS (or vibration reduction, as Nikon calls it) reduces shake by up to 8 stops with a supported lens. Stabilization can be linked to the focus point, rather than just the center of the image as with most systems. 

Nikon

On the video side, the Zf can record full-frame 4K at 30p from a supersampled 6K image, or 4K60p with a DX (1.5 times) crop, along with 1080p/120p. Video can be captured with 10-bit H.265 recording, which will give users better color fidelity and more options in post. However, H.265 files require a powerful computer, meaning you might have to convert them to another format for editing. 

Based on the specs, the Nikon Zf looks like a solid camera that can compete against models like Panasonic's S5 II and Sony's A7 IV. However, it sets itself apart from those models based on its retro styling and manual controls, which should appeal to a certain segment of buyers. The Nikon Zf arrives in October 2023 at a competitive $2,000 price for the body only, or $2,240 with the retro-styled Nikkor Z40 f/2.0 SE lens. If you want one of the other colors (Indigo Blue, Sepia Brown, Bordeaux Red, Sunset Orange, Moss Green, StoneGray), you'll pay $2,100 for the body only. 

Fujifilm has taken the wraps off the GFX100 II medium format camera, a successor to the original GFX100 launched back in 2019. It carries the same 102-megapixel resolution of the original model, but has a new sensor and processor that delivers faster shooting speeds, improved autofocus, full-sensor 4K (and even 8K) video and a lot more. At the same time, it's more like the GFX100S in terms of size and price.

Where the GFX100 was gigantic in size due to the built-in battery grip, the GFX100 II has separated those two things, so the camera body alone is considerably smaller (the grip is sold separately for $500). It has a new 9.44 million-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF), the highest in the industry, that's removable as before. That allows the use of an optional $569 tilt adapter that makes low-angle shooting easier. The rear touch display tilts up, down and a bit to the side, but doesn't flip out (sorry, rich vloggers).

Fujifilm

With the latest X-Processor borrowed from the X-H2S and X-H2 cameras, the GFX100 II can shoot at 8fps (up from 5fps before), pretty darn fast for a medium format (43.8 x 32.9mm) sensor camera. It now comes with subject-detection autofocus with face/eye detection, and can also track animals, birds, vehicles and other fast-moving subjects like insects and drones — both for photos and video.

The body looks more like the X-H2/X-H2S than other X-series cameras, with just a single mode dial and a large LCD display on top. It offers 5-axis in-body stabilization with up to 8-stops of shake reduction. In terms of storage, it supports dual cards with one CFexpress Type B and one SD UHS-II slot — and you can also capture video to an external SSD via the USB-C port. Other features include headphone/mic ports, a full-sized HDMI port and an ethernet port. It even supports timecode jamming for video via the Atomos AirGlu BT.

Fujifilm

If you want to shoot video with a nearly 70mm-sized frame, the GFX100 II can do that impressively well also. It supports 4K at up to 60p using the full width of the sensor, and even keeps rolling shutter to a reasonable level — likely via line skipping or pixel binning. There's even an 8K mode, albeit with a 1.53 times crop, that reads the sensor pixel-for-pixel with some upscaling. On top of 8K, UHD and 4K DCI modes, it can shoot anamorphic video at up to 4.8K. 

It can record Apple ProRes vide in three formats (422 HQ, 422 and 422 LT), along with H.264 and ProRes 422 proxy files. The higher-quality codecs require CFexpress Type B or USB SSD capture. 

Fujifilm clearly thinks that pros will use the GFX100 II for video, as it offers waveform and vectorscope overlays to help nail exposure. It has front and rear tally lamps, the ability to use fractional shutter speeds to avoid flicker and an optional fan accessory that allows for unlimited 4K/60p recording times. And as mentioned, it supports timecode sync and jamming, so it can work in a multi-camera shooting environment. On top of all that, it supports up to four channels of audio.

Along with the camera, Fujifilm introduced a new $2,300 55mm f/1.7R WR lens (44mm equivalent in full-frame terms), along with two tilt-shift 30mm and 110mm lenses for architectural an artistic shooting ($4,000 and $3,500 respectively). The GFX100 II launches in "early fall 2023 for $7,500, compared to $6,000 for the GFX100S and $10,000 for the GFX 100. 

Panasonic has unveiled the Lumix G9 II, its first Micro Four Thirds camera with hybrid phase-detect autofocus. A successor to the 20-megapixel photo-centric G9 released way back in 2017, it comes with a new 25.2-megapixel (MP) sensor, and offers features like 60 fps burst speeds, 5.7K and 4K 60p ProRes video, USB-C SSD recording and 8 stops of optical image stabilization. It instantly becomes Panasonic's best Micro Four Thirds camera and should appeal to users ranging from wildlife photographers to content creators. 

The key feature is the new 25.2-megapixel dual native ISO sensor. It carries the same resolution as the GH6, but adds hybrid phase-detect (PDAF) autofocus with 779 points that's married to Panasonic's AI subject tracking. The new system allows not only for faster tracking, but better AF in backlit conditions, low illumination and other tricky conditions. It recognizes not just faces and eyes, but also human bodies, and can track animal eyes, cars and motorcycles. 

Panasonic is promising blackout-free burst speeds of 60 fps with continuous AF and the electronic shutter, or 10 fps in mechanical mode. At the same time, the buffer takes three seconds to fill, meaning you can grab around 160 RAW+JPG images before shooting slows. It's also got a pre-burst shooting function (0.5-, 1- or 1.5-second settings), meaning photographers won't miss a decisive moment if they're a bit late on the shutter.

Panasonic

Panasonic also borrowed the "Dynamic Range Boost" function from the GH6. It's essentially an HDR photo mode that combines low and high ISO images to produce a composite with both low noise and high saturation. The G9 II also has Panasonic's handheld high-res mode that combines multiple images to create a 100MP JPEG photo with extra detail. It uses the camera's IBIS mechanism to keep the camera steady, meaning no tripod is required.

As for the IBIS, it's also borrowed from the GH6 and delivers 8 stops of compensation, or 7.5 stops in 5-axis Dual IS 2 mode (used for longer telephoto lenses). As with other recent models, the G9 II also offers Active IS for shooting on the move, and Enhance IS to correct larger shake when running or walking. 

The G9 II has a weather-resistant design, a new 8-direction joystick and supports an all-new optional $350 camera grip (also compatible with the S5 II/S5 IIx). The 1,840K dot LCD display fully articulates for vloggers and self-shooters, of course, and it comes with a decent 3,680K dot OLED. Other features include microphone/headphone ports and a full-sized HDMI port.

Panasonic

Panasonic downplayed it a bit, but the G9 II is now the company's most powerful Micro Four Thirds mirrorless model for video, thanks largely to the PDAF. It can shoot 4:2:0 10-bit 17:9 5.7K video at up to 60 fps, or 10-bit 4K at up to 120p. It also offers 4:3 open gate (5.8K) and 4:3 anamorphic shooting (4.4K). Plus, it supports regular MP4 formats (including I-frame) and Apple ProRes — not bad for a camera aimed at photographers.

You can shoot V-Log/V-Gamut video with 13+ stops of dynamic range, while applying your own LUTs in real time to see how graded footage will look. Panasonic also has a few new creative looks including Leica Monochrome "for deep black-white contrasts." 

Other handy video features include a red rec frame indicator, a frame marker and AWB (auto white balance) lock. You can capture video not just to the dual UHS-II SD cards (relay, backup and allocation recording), but also to an SSD via the USB-C Gen 3.2 port. It also supports external ProRes recording via HDMI. The major drawback compared to the GH6 is the lack of a fan and a dedicated cooling design — so it may shut off during long recordings at high frame rates in hot conditions. 

Panasonic

The Panasonic G9 II arrives to the US in early November for $1,900. That's $200 more than the original G9 at launch, but a bit less than OM System's OM-1 Micro Four Thirds camera. Along with the G9-II, Panasonic introduced the new $1,600 Leica DG 100-400mm f/4-6.3 II Power OIS lens (200-800mm 35mm equivalent), ideal for wildlife and macro photography. It also unveiled the $1,150 Leica DG 35-100mm f/2.8 (70-200 35mm equivalent). 

Logitech just announced a new webcam called the Reach with a flexible and articulating arm, allowing for easy movement and even downward-facing video footage. The company says this is the perfect tool for non-digital show-and-tell presentations, as the downward angle allows you to capture video of the stuff on your desk. In other words, use the Logitech Reach for interactive remote meetings, online tutoring, livestreams and all kinds of other presentations.

The company recommends that users “lay out the content to show first, then position the camera.” To that end, the articulation follows multiple axes, sort of like a microphone stand, for increased versatility in what you can capture. There’s a button for vertical movement and lossless zoom up to 4.3x, with a grip to move the camera along the vertical plane. There are even built-in guidance indicators to help the image stay upright as the camera moves. These axes combine to “create novel vantage points” that remove the pain points of sharing non-digital content.

The camera is an enhanced version of the popular Logitech Streamcam with better glass optics and a new smart autofocus feature. Other than that, the specs are the same so expect 1080p/60fps video capabilities. Logitech touts a plug-and-play experience for the device, as it connects via USB and automatically integrates with most computers and streaming platforms. It also ships with a low-profile edge clamp for a more compact experience during use.

Logitech’s being a bit cagey regarding pricing and availability, but there’s a survey on the official site that indicates a discounted price point for early adopters at $300 to $400. As a note, the Streamcam costs around $180 by itself. The Reach won’t be sold via official means, as Logitech's turning to Indiegogo Enterprise to fund the camera. There’s no concrete start date for the campaign.

If you’re wondering if you can buy the mount without the camera, so you can add your own, the answer looks to be no. Logitech product lead Gaurav Bradoo told The Verge that the team considered this move but market research indicated they should go with “an end-to-end solution and not just a mount.”

Of course, Logitech is a multi-tentacled beast and the camera division is just one of many. The company’s been making moves in other areas lately, with a recent refresh to the Pebble line of keyboards and an update to the G Pro X Superlight gaming mouse.

What exactly constitutes “high-end” when it comes to a Polaroid camera? At least for the modern incarnation of the company, there really hasn’t been such a thing until now. That’s not terribly shocking since, for much of its existence, Polaroid has been associated with instant gratification and point-and-shoot simplicity. Of course, in the digital age, waiting 10 to 15 minutes for a Polaroid to develop can seem like an eternity. And the soft, saturated images they create have a decidedly lo-fi feel when put side by side with the razor-sharp photos even the lowliest smartphone can capture.

The new Polaroid I-2, however, retains all of the quirks and charm people turn to instant film for, but packs a number of modern amenities and features that might appeal to a more serious photographer. There’s a lot to like, but there is one immediately obvious obstacle: the price. At $599, the I-2 costs four-times as much as the next most expensive camera in the company’s lineup, the Polaroid Now+.

That premium does buy you the fastest lens in the current Polaroid lineup. It’s 98mm f/8 which, according to the company, is roughly the equivalent of a 50mm f/2.8 on a 35mm camera. I can’t vouch for the math there, though. I punched the numbers into a few online calculators and those figures (on the larger film of a Polaroid camera) came closer to 42mm at f/3.1 on 35mm. That’s not an exceptionally wide aperture, but it's larger than most other Polaroid cameras which often top out at f/11 or even f/16. And you’d have to go quite a ways back (to at least the 1980s as far as I could tell) to find something faster than f/8 from Polaroid.

The lens is made of acrylic and polycarbonate, instead of glass. But the company claims that the difference in quality was negligible without dramatically driving up the cost of the camera. Again, though, this is an area where I’ll have to take the company's word, as I have no viable means of testing the claim.

Polaroid is very proud of this lens, though, regardless of how the specs might appear on paper. It’s pitching the camera as a love letter to the instant cameras of yore, and even pulled two Olympus engineers out of retirement to help design it.

Terrence O'Brien / Engadget

It took roughly four years of development to bring the I-2 to fruition and while holding it, you do get the sense that this was a labor of love. Yes, it's almost entirely plastic, but it feels solid and, in my opinion, looks gorgeous. The matte black body with dark silver and red accents is decidedly classier than the more brightly festooned Now line. Almost every bit of the camera feels fussed over, right down to the underside which features a quote from Polaroid cofounder Edwin Land.

This is also the only camera in the current lineup that can use standard lens filters. This means you can just walk into B&H and grab a 49mm ND filter off the shelf and slap it on. That might be necessary too, since the I-2 has a top shutter speed of only 1/250 of a second. When combined with the 640 ASA of standard i-Type film, it can be tricky to get a proper exposure in bright sunlight.

Terrence O'Brien / Engadget

That shutter speed also means you’re not gonna be freezing any fast-paced action in your frames. That being said, it’s still faster than the Now+ which tops out at 1/200. Oddly the $99 Polaroid Go can actually reach 1/300 of a second, making it the fastest camera in the family, and with a nearly as large f/9 aperture, too. That said, it does use smaller Go film.

What the I-2 has that the Go and all other current generation Polaroid cameras lack is on board manual settings. While the Now+ does offer some options via an app, only the I-2 gives you complete control of the aperture and shutter speed on the camera itself. Both are adjusted via a single ring around the lens, though, so you have to press a button to switch back and forth between them. It’s much easier to opt for aperture or shutter priority mode where you only have to worry about one variable with the ring.

I generally stuck to shutter priority to give me the best chance of avoiding too much camera shake. The placement of the shutter button on the front, while perhaps traditional, isn’t very ergonomic. That might just be down to my tiny hands and the relatively bulky camera. But I did find it introduced slightly more movement than a top-mounted shutter button.

One way of avoiding that would be to use the app, which is excellent, but does kind of defeat the purpose of having all the controls on the camera itself. The app connects immediately when you power the I-2 on. There’s no pairing and almost no delay. If you change a setting in the app it is immediately reflected on the tiny screen on the camera, and vice versa. Having spent the last couple of years fighting with Fuji’s app to even connect, this felt like a revelation.

The app would definitely come in handy, though, if you’re using the I-2 on a tripod. This is going to be particularly useful for landscapes and long exposures. You could even do some night photography and light painting by setting the shutter to bulb mode. There’s also a 2.5mm TS jack for connecting to an external flash if you wanted to go full professional studio with your Polaroid.

The one thing the app can’t do is provide you with a live view of what the camera sees. You will have to physically look through the viewfinder for that. But, I have some good news there: the viewfinder is spectacular. It’s large, bright and there’s a small display underneath that gives you exposure information as well as your shutter speed and aperture. If I have one complaint about the viewfinder it’s that it’s a little tough to figure out where your frame ends on the right side, especially when you’re trying to navigate around the eyepiece with glasses on. But I've run into similar trouble on other cameras too.

You can just point the camera in the general direction of your subject and hope for the best however, since the I-2 has a true continuous autofocus system that uses LiDAR. That’s in stark contrast to the other Polaroid cameras which are either focus free or have basic two zone focus systems. You can even press the shutter button halfway on the I-2 to lock your exposure and focus then reframe your shot before taking a picture.

Terrence O'Brien / Engadget

I would still suggest looking through the viewfinder, though. Not because the autofocus is unreliable, but because Polaroid film is too damn expensive for a shoot and pray approach. Even i-Type, the cheapest film compatible with the I-2, is $17 for an eight-photo pack. That’s $2.25 per picture. That’s way too much for you to be hoping a shot comes out the way you planned.

If you’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop in this review, this is it. I shot six packs of film over my couple of weeks with the I-2 and spent a lot of that time just hoping a shot would come out. Even in full auto mode I got inconsistent results. Setting the exposure compensation to -1 could still deliver blown out photos in bright sunlight. And I suspected this is largely down to the pairing of a maximum shutter speed of 1/250 of a second with 640 ASA film. But when I tried SX-70 film with its lower 160 ASA I routinely got underexposed shots regardless of mode. I also shot a pack of black and white i-Type film that repeatedly jammed and only gave me two usable shots.

Yes, part of the charm of analog photography is the unpredictability. As someone who recently got back into shooting film I can appreciate that fact. But this was a tad too unpredictable, especially considering the high cost of Polaroid film and the I-2 in particular. Now, it’s possible I have a faulty unit. I’ve been in contact with the company and I will update if troubleshooting turns up anything. It’s also possible that a firmware update will solve many of my problems. Or maybe this all just a really embarrassing case of user error.

But at the end of the day it’s hard to imagine that anyone but the most experienced and most fanatical of Polaroid shooters will be comfortable spending $600 on a camera only to hope it can deliver more hits than misses at over $2 a pop.

Today, GoPro unveils its latest camera: The Hero 12 Black. This time around, the updates are mostly on the user experience, with a slight focus on pro users and creators. Perhaps the most exciting new “feature” for regular GoPro users will be the claimed extended battery life. The company says “Up to two times” the runtime of previous cameras. Battery life has long been a pain point, so we’ll be keen to see what that looks like in real terms.

There are some new shooting modes, with 8:7 (full sensor) recording now available across the board, including TimeWarp and the Night Effect modes for the first time. Recording in 8:7 allows you to “punch out” different aspect ratio content from the same source material while maintaining a high resolution. The camera’s HDR mode has also been tuned for even better handling of mixed lighting conditions. Hypersmooth, GoPro’s in-camera stabilization is now on its sixth iteration —- but it’s been solid right from the start, so we’re interested to see what difference this makes in practice.

For the pros (or the aspiring ones) two new additions will be of particular interest. First there’s “GP-Log” which is GoPro’s take on logarithmic shooting mode — which makes color grading in post much more flexible. Secondly, there’s the addition of Timecode Sync, so if you’re recording with multiple GoPro Hero 12’s, they can easily be synchronized for airtight edits in post.

As for creators, again there’s a brace of updates that will be of interest. Interestingly, the Hero 12 Black now works with Bluetooth headsets for both playback and recording — including AirPods. Now, videos can use Bluetooth headphone microphones which can be blended with the in-camera mic recordings as you wish. You can even use your headset to use GoPro’s voice activation, opening the door for more creative shots taken without having to be near the camera or use the app/remote accessory.

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

The second creator-friendly feature is vertical capture. You’ve always been able to hold a GoPro at 90 degrees, and on later models the menus would also rotate for ease of use. This time around, you can simply activate vertical mode even while the camera is mounted horizontally. It takes advantage of the new sensor introduced with the Hero 11 that’s big enough to punch out a full 9:16 vertical video at 4K/30FPS without having to re-mount or re-orient the camera.

If it’s important to you for other people to know you have the newest camera, this year that’ll be a little easier as the Hero 12 Black has a speckled faceplate in a break from the usual monochrome design. But there’s one other physical change that will elicit a small peep of joy from long-time users: The camera now has a regular tripod mount (1/4 inch 20 thread ) built-in on the bottom, nestled right between the fold out mounting fingers. No more adapters needed for all those other camera accessories you might have lying around.

One last change this time around is that GoPro seems to have dropped the need to sign up for its cloud subscription service to get a better price on the camera — the Hero 12 Black will simply cost $400 for everyone. Pre-orders open today and the camera lands in retail September 13.

Sony has just split its small form-factor full-frame A7C series into two, effectively offering lower-cost versions of higher-end cameras — much as it did with the ZV-E1 vlogging camera. The new models are the 33-megapixel A7C II (based on the A7 IV), and the 61-megapixel A7C R, a mini-me version of the A7R V. Both are nearly as powerful as the larger versions and offer key ergonomic updates, but lack features that many pros find essential. 

Sony A7C R

We'll start with the A7C R, since it's an all-new model. It features a softer, grippier material along with a deeper handle. It also comes with an add-on grip that extends the length, giving you a place to put your pinky finger — a nice addition that unfortunately also makes the camera less compact. 

Sony

Still, those are key improvements that address ergonomic issues I've noticed on past Sony models — particularly when using them for a long day of shooting. Sony also added a front dial so you can more easily adjust aperture/shutter speed/exposure compensation, along with a dedicated video/photo/S&Q dial. And of course, the A7C R weighs just 515 grams (18.2 ounces) compared to the A7R V's 723 grams (25.5 ounces) and is nearly half the size. That makes it a better choice for street photography and more. 

It has a flip-out one-million dot display and 2.36-million dot OLED electronic viewfinder with slightly improved .70X magnification over the A7C II. It also offers full in-body stabilization with 7.0 stops of compensation (depending on the lens) — a nice feature in such a small camera. Other features include mic/headphone ports, USB-C 3.2, a micro HDMI connector a and single UHS-II card slot. The latter feature is a show-stopper for many pros, as there's no backup for potentially priceless photos. 

Sony

In terms of photo specs, it's close to the A7R V with a few notable differences. You can shoot 61-megapixel RAW images at up to 8fps, compared to 10fps on the A7R V. The A7C R has a smaller buffer, though, and the single lower-speed SD UHS-II card slot (the A7R V has dual high-speed CFexpress Type A and SD UHS II slots), so you won't be able to capture nearly as many photos in a burst. Like the A7R V, the A7C R has 693 autofocus points and 79 percent coverage. It uses the same processor, so should offer roughly the same AF performance in terms of burst shooting, AI tracking and more.

Most importantly, you can expect identical image quality to the A7R V. As I said in my review of the latter, with the very high resolution and the lack of an anti-aliasing filter, only Hasselblad and Fuji’s 100-megapixel medium format cameras offer greater detail. It also offers Sony’s Pixel Shift Multi-Shot that can quadruple resolution to 240.8 megapixels.

Sony

The A7C R can't shoot 8K video like the A7R V, likely due to heating issues with the smaller body. However, it still offers 4K 60p full-frame video (with pixel binning) and 6.2K oversampled 1.5x cropped 4K 60p video. It comes with S-Log3, S-Cinetone and S-gamut3 Cine, records 10-bit 4:2:2 sampled video and can shoot at up to 120 fps in 1080p mode. Data rates top out at 600Mbps in XAVC S-I 4K mode, but you'll need a (pricey) V90 SD card to shoot that. 

That takes us to a very important consideration: the price. The A7C R costs $3,000, or a full $900 less than the A7R V — something that will give many buyers extreme pause. It arrives in fall of 2023. 

Sony A7C II

As mentioned, the A7C II has the same 33-megapixel sensor and many of the same specs as the A7 IV. In terms of the body and handling, the form factor and weight are identical to the A7C R — so you get the same extra dial, updated grip, improved EVF and other previously-mentioned features. Unlike the A7C R, though, it doesn't come with the add-on grip extension in the box.

Shooting speeds are a bit faster at 10 fps in mechanical or electronic shutter mode. By the way, neither the A7C II or A7C R have full mechanical shutters, but use electronic first curtain shutters. This can create bokeh issues when using lenses with very fast apertures, but otherwise isn't noticeable. 

Sony

What's interesting about the A7C II is that autofocus is superior to the A7 IV because it has the same dedicated AI processing unit as the A7C R (and A7R V) that's missing on the A7 IV. That means you can expect improved subject detection, tracking and other features compared to the A7 IV. When compared to the A7C, though, Sony promises a 40 percent improvement for animal and bird AF tracking, 60 percent for eye AF and 20 percent for auto exposure tracking. 

Again, image quality should be the same as the A7 IV. That latter delivers sharper photos than the A7 III thanks to the extra resolution, but offers superior low-light capability despite the smaller pixels. A downside to the A7 IV is rolling shutter, so expect the same issue on the A7C II. 

Sony

In terms of video, the A7C II is actually a better option than the A7C R. It offers sharp full-frame 4K 30p video with 7K oversampling, or 4K 60p with a 1.5x crop. You get 10-bit 4:2:2 color sampling with S-Log3 and S-Cinetone, with LUTs available in camera. 

The Sony A7C II is available in silver and black, and arrives this fall for $2,200. That price is a significant $300 less than the A7 IV and it's actually a better camera in some ways — provided the lack of a second card slot doesn't bother you.