LG may not make smartphones anymore, but it's still building components for them. The company's LG Innotek arm just unveiled a periscope-style true optical zoom camera module with a 4-9 times telephoto range. That would allow smartphone cameras to retain full image quality through the entire zoom range, while potentially reducing the size and number of modules required.
Samsung developed a similar camera module, also known as a "folded" lens, with a four times zoom first used in the Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphone. LG Innotek provided a previous version of its zoom module to Sony for the Xperia 1 IV smartphone.
Most smartphone cameras use hybrid zoom setups that combine digital zoom and multiple camera modules. Certain zoom ranges (typically 2x, 3x, 10x, etc.) use individual cameras, with a digital zoom to fill in between those (2.5x, 4.5x, etc.). As a result, sensor resolution and thus detail can be considerably reduced.
LG's "Optical Zoom Camera," however, contains a zoom actuator with movable components, similar to what you'd seen on a zoom lens in a mirrorless or DSLR camera. It operates quickly and precisely down to the micrometer, according to LG, while saving battery life. It also has a built-in optical image stabilizer to reduce blur, something that can be a problem for telephoto lenses that magnify hand movements. (iFixit shows exactly how such modules work here.)
With the module installed, a sensor would retain full resolution through the entire 4-9x zoom range, providing more detail on telephoto shots. LG also pared down the module's thickness to reduce the size of the camera bump.
The company partnered with Qualcomm to integrate the tech in the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform. "It will enhance the image tuning custom for the optics, which includes Auto-Focus, Auto-Exposure, Auto-White Balance, lens shading correction and much more. Users will be able to focus quickly. And the photos and videos will have stunning image quality," LG wrote.
The new module will appear in smartphones announced at CES 2023 starting January 3rd. LG didn't reveal any brands or models, but there are a number of smartphones coming soon with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset that could potentially use it. Those include the OnePlus 11 series, Xiaomi 13, Motorola X40 and Oppo Find X. Apple is also a large customer of LG Innotek and could use the zoom module in next year's iPhone 15 series, according to previous reports.
Fujifilm recently launched the best, albeit most-expensive, APS-C camera yet – the X-H2S. But it wasn’t done. Today, we’re looking at its stablemate, the 40-megapixel X-H2. It’s the highest-resolution APS-C camera ever released and boasts impressive video powers.
You can shoot 15 fps RAW photos at full resolution, and it’s the first APS-C mirrorless camera with 8K video. It also offers improved in-body stabilization, an upgraded autofocus system with new AI subject recognition, and more.
At $2,000, it’s a full $500 less than the X-H2S, but that’s still a lot for an APS-C camera. With that in mind, I wanted to see if it’s that much better than rivals like Canon’s $1,500 32.5-megapixel EOS R7, and even how it stacks up against full-frame cameras like the Sony A7 IV or original Canon EOS R6 that cost just a bit more.
Body and handling
Other than the fact that the X-H2S has an “S” logo painted on the front, the X-H2 looks identical. It even weighs the same at 660 grams, or slightly more than the X-T4. That’s up there in full-frame territory, so it’s not exactly a pocketable street camera like other Fuji models.
Most Fujifilm cameras also have multiple dials for shutter speed, ISO and exposure compensation, but not the X-H2. Instead, it’s more like Canon, Sony and Nikon models, with front and rear dials, a mode selector, a joystick and a D-pad control. As a nod to street photographers who shoot from the hip, it does have a top screen that displays aperture, shutter speeds and other key info.
I was never a huge fan of the classic Fujifilm layout because it’s not ideal for video, so I like the X-H2 layout – but I know that many Fuji fans don’t.
I also love the fully articulating 3-inch, 1.5 million dot display, which makes it easier to shoot low and high-angle photos or selfies. The new X-T5, which packs the same 40-megapixel sensor, has a display that’s limited to tilting. Meanwhile, the 5.76-million dot, 120Hz EVF is nice and sharp and offers blackout-free shooting in silent electronic shutter mode.
Like its namesake, the X-H2 has a high-speed USB-C port with power delivery, along with microphone and headphone ports. You also get a full-sized HDMI port, which should be more robust than the fiddly micro-HDMI inputs found on rival cameras. That was a smart decision by Fujifilm, because external RAW video is a key feature on this camera.
Battery life is slightly reduced compared to the X-H2S, with 680 shots per charge instead of 720 – not surprising considering the extra resolution. And it has both UHS-II and high-speed CFexpress memory card slots. The latter is required for high-resolution ProRes video and to reduce buffering when shooting 15 fps, 40-megapixel bursts.
Performance
Steve Dent/Engadget
Normally, high-resolution cameras are among the most expensive models. However, the 26.2-megapixel X-H2S actually costs more than the 40-megapixel X-H2. That’s because it has a stacked sensor that delivers extra speeds and reduces rolling shutter in silent shooting mode.
Rolling shutter isn’t a huge issue on the X-H2 for photos, though. It’s actually faster in mechanical than electronic shutter mode, with full-resolution RAW bursts up to 15 fps compared to 13 fps. That’s impressive, considering it’s designed more for detail than speed.
What’s more, you won’t need silent mode often because the mechanical shutter is among the quietest I’ve ever heard. And if you really do need the electronic shutter, rolling shutter is present for fast moving subjects, but surprisingly well controlled. It’s considerably better than other APS-C cameras like Sony’s A6600 or the Canon EOS R7.
The autofocus system can keep up with the burst speeds as well. It sticks tenaciously to subjects, giving a decent hit rate even if they’re moving quickly. It’s not quite as accurate as Sony’s AF, though, particularly when light levels drop.
Steve Dent/Engadget
Like the S model, the X-H2 has new AI smarts, with the ability to track birds and animals, along with cars, motorcycles, bikes, airplanes and trains. Face and eye detection is much improved over past models like the X-T4 too, tracking subjects smoothly and reliably.
I’d certainly choose the X-H2S over the X-H2 for sports and wildlife, as the stacked sensor lets you shoot at an awesome 40 fps. Sony and Canon’s latest cameras beat them both, though, as they have superior AI and the autofocus is smoother and more reliable. Still, the X-H2 offers good autofocus and burst performance considering the high resolution.
The 7-stop in-body stabilization also worked well, letting me capture sharp shots handheld down to about a quarter second. And if 40 megapixels isn’t enough, you can take 160-megapixel photos with a tripod using Fuijfilm’s Pixel Shift Combiner feature.
Image quality
The X-H2’s 40-megapixel X-Trans backside-illuminated sensor may not be stacked, but it’s a new state-of-the-art sensor. And it really delivers where it counts in terms of image quality.
To start with, the extra pixels give you more detail that’s useful if you need to crop in or make large prints. And yet, the extra resolution doesn’t hurt image quality in low light at higher ISO settings. Noise is well controlled at ISO 6400, and images are usable at up to ISO 12800 if exposure is set correctly.
In-camera processing of JPEG and 10-bit HEIF files is impeccable, with pleasant, accurate colors and a nice balance of noise reduction and detail. If I wanted to share photos right away, I could often do it with no need for any processing.
The X-H2 can take uncompressed, lossless or compressed RAW photos with 14 bits of color. That gives plenty of room for fine-tuning, even in bright or dark areas. However, if you underexpose shots and try to boost levels, noise can get out of hand. That’s one of the main drawbacks of APS-C compared to full-frame sensors, of course.
And of course, the X-H2 offers Fujifilm’s full array of film simulation modes. You can experiment with popular looks like Velvia, Eterna or Acros black and white, and still have a full-color RAW backup. They’re not for everyone, but I love them.
Video
The X-H2S is still the best APS-C camera for video, mostly because of the extra speed and reduced rolling shutter. But the X-H2 is superior in a couple of ways. It gives you more resolution, up to 8K at up to 30 fps, along with supersampled 6.2K 16:9 (no 3:2) and supersampled 4K HQ at up to 30 fps. Subsampled 4K can also be shot at up to 60 fps with some loss of detail, while 240 fps super slow-mo is available at 1080p.
All of these resolutions can be saved in three 10-bit ProRes codecs, HQ, standard and LT. These offer more quality and are easier to edit than the 8-bit H.264 and 10-bit H.265 codecs. And the choice of three gives users the choice between quality and smaller, more manageable file sizes. They use high data rates that peak at an enormous 3,520 MBps, though, so you must record them to high-speed CFexpress cards.
F-Log and F-Log2 picture modes are also on tap, though processing is done at 12-bit rather than 14-bit as with the X-H2S – so the latter offers a bit more dynamic range. And you can save either ProRes or Blackmagic RAW video to Atomos or Blackmagic external recorders at up to 8K for more robust files that are easier to adjust later on.
Steve Dent/Engadget
Even with regular ProRes or H.265, I had plenty of room for creative color correction and shot adjustments. Color reproduction favors accuracy on the X-H2, with pleasant and accurate skin tones. Shooting at ISOs down to 6400 is feasible, with noise becoming an issue beyond that.
As with the S model, autofocus is much improved over other Fujifilm cameras, though still not up to par with Canon and Sony. It generally tracked subjects well, but could occasionally lose focus. While bird and animal tracking tended to be erratic, eye and face tracking was reliable.
Rolling shutter for video is more of an issue on the X-H2 than the X-H2s due to the lack of a stacked sensor. It’s especially pronounced with full shutter readouts at 8K, 6.2K and 4K HQ. You’ll want to be careful to avoid fast pans, and you’ll see a fair amount of skew when shooting objects that move rapidly across the frame. Still, it’s not actually not nearly as bad as I expected, and far better than on Sony’s A6600 and other APS-C cameras.
Overheating can be an issue at 8K with the X-H2, though Fujifilm hasn’t said exactly how long you can shoot at that resolution. If you’re planning to do that, though, you can buy a small fan that screws to the back to allow 8K filming for extended periods.
Finally, as with most cameras, the in-body stabilization is really only good for stationary handheld video. Video can jolt while vlogging or doing other rapid actions, even with the electronic assist turned on.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent/Engadget
After testing both of Fujifilm’s latest cameras, I think the X-H2 is a better option for most people simply because it’s a better value. While not as fast as the X-H2S, it offers an ideal balance between image quality and speed. And for video, it’s better if you need the highest resolution and sharpest video possible.
$2,000 is a lot for a crop-sensor camera, though. For that, you could get a full-frame camera like Canon’s $2,100 EOS R6 or spend $500 less on the EOS R7 APS-C camera. It’s also a tough sell against Fujifilm’s own $1,700 X-T5, which uses the same 40-megapixel sensor but has manual dials that many fans of the brand prefer.
Still, it’s a better video camera than either the A7 IV, EOS R6 and X-T5, thanks to the 8K, RAW output, fully-articulating screen and more. And with Fujifilm’s deep lens lineup that’s considerably cheaper than full-frame glass, the X-H2 will likely cost you less than any full-frame camera in the long run.
As the name suggests, the Hero 11 Black Mini is a smaller version of GoPro's latest top-end action camera. Right now it's seeing a 42 percent discount at GoPro's website when you bundle it with a GoPro subscription. By itself, the camera goes for $400, but when you add the $50 yearly subscription, GoPro will knock $150 off the price. As part of GoPro's holiday sale, when you add the camera to your cart, you'll see an additional 15 percent discount. That brings the total for the camera plus the subscription down to $262.50. Not bad considering the Hero 11 Mini by itself is going for $400 right now at Amazon.
We did a hands-on with the Mini when it came out this November and were impressed by what it can do. True, it only has a small status-only display instead of a touchscreen, there's no photo mode and the unit did get a bit hot shooting in 5.3K at 60fps indoors. That said, you can control the Mini via the app on your phone, you can pull stills from video to get around the no-photo-mode limitation and the overheating disappears when shooting at lower definitions.
Limitations aside, where the camera excels is as a helmet- or body-mounted action cam, or as a secondary shot-getter. It has a second pair of mounting fingers that make it easier to face the camera forward and it includes many of the features — like horizon lock and Hyperview mode — that make its larger sibling so capable. Battery-wise, we got about a hour of continuous recording at the highest quality and almost two hours recording at lower definitions.
It's worth noting that the larger camera, the Hero 11 Black is also $150 off with a GoPro subscription and is also getting that extra 15 percent off at checkout. If you decide you do want a screen, this is a good time to grab the bigger version.
As for the subscription, it's a $50-per-year service that gets you unlimited cloud storage and automatic uploads when the camera is plugged in. It also grants you a camera replacement should you smash yours in service of getting a particularly good shot. The subscription also gets you up to 50 percent off at GoPro.com, and could theoretically pay for itself if you plan on buying a lot of accessories.
You can always cancel the service before you're charged again next year, so there's little reason not to go for the $150 off. The extra 15 percent discount means it's the lowest price we've seen the Mini yet, making today a good one to add another GoPro camera to your collection — or get that collection started in the first place.
Xiaomi's 13 series flagship smartphones are here, and as usual, they're loaded with the latest technology and features. With the 13 and 13 Pro, Xiaomi is the second manufacturer to use Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform, following Vivo with the X90 Pro and IQOO 11 series. They also have new camera modules with improved image quality, ultra-fast charging and more.
As with the previous models, the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro have separate designs. The 13 Pro uses a wrap-around 6.73-inch 2K+ AMOLED screen (3,200 x 1,400) with vegan leather or ceramic back versions. Meanwhile, the 13 has a flat 6.36-inch 2,400 x 1,080 AMOLED display, iPhone-like aluminum sides and either glass or leather back options. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform offers hardware accelerated ray-tracing and improved gaming performance, so both phones have 120Hz displays to keep up.
Xiaomi
The Xiaomi 13 Pro has top-flight camera specs, too. It packs a 50-megapixel (MP) f/1.9 main camera with a Type 1-inch sensor (like other Type 1-inch sensors it's really only 8.8 x 13.2mm, but still significantly larger than on most smartphones). It also includes a 50MP 3.2 zoom camera (75mm equivalent) with optical image stabilization (OIS) and a floating lens, as pictured above. Finally, it has a 50MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera (14mm equivalent), and 32MP punch-hole selfie cam.
The Xiaomi 13 (below), meanwhile, has the same selfie camera, a 50MP f/1.8 OIS main camera with a smaller sensor, a 10MP 3.2x zoom OIS zoom camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide (15mm equivalent) camera.
Xiaomi 13
Xiaomi
The 13 Pro offers impressive 120W charging (more than many laptops), bringing the 4,820mAh battery from zero to a 100 percent charge in just 19 minutes. That's fast, but still significantly slower than Redmi's Note 12 Discovery Edition. Wireless charging happens at "just" 50 watts, or 36 minutes to a full charge. The Xiaomi 13, has a slightly smaller 4,500 mAh battery and is limited to 67W wired charging (38 minutes to 100 percent) and 50W wireless charging (48 minutes to a full charge).
Other features include LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage on both models (8GB and 128GB up to 12GB and 512GB on both models), Dolby Atmos on the Pro model and Leica camera tech. For the latter, Xiaomi and Leica built a color model based on 4,700 scenes, presumably allowing for improved accuracy. Prices start at 4,999 yuan ($720) for the Xiaomi 13 Pro and 3,999 yuan ($570) for the Xiaomi 13. Those are seriously good prices for such high spec phones, but as usual, you likely won't be able to buy them in North America.
Many smartphones these days offer artificial bokeh in their portrait photography modes, but with the help of a retractable camera, you can achieve true optical bokeh without missing any edges. Chinese brand Tecno is now bringing such a feature to its latest flagship device, the Phantom X2 Pro 5G, which packs a "world-first" pop-out portrait lens. This is just a little over two years after Xiaomi showed off a retractable 120mm-equivalent wide aperture lens, but it never left the prototype stage.
Tecno's intriguing portrait camera has a 50-megapixel resolution with a relatively large 1/2.7-inch sensor and 1.28um pixel size. Optically, this 2.5x zoom lens offers an f/1.49 aperture, 65mm focal length and 18.9cm depth of field. When you switch to portrait mode in the camera app, you can see (and hear) the portrait lens physically pop out on the back of the phone. This is complemented with Tecno's "self-developed" beautification mode with upgraded make-up settings — up to three faces are supported in each image.
I had a chance to shoot some portraits with my Phantom X2 Pro 5G earlier today, and with the exception of the aggressive skin smoothing, my subjects were quite pleased with the natural bokeh, optimized brightness and virtually non-existent distortion.
Richard Lai/Engadget
There's more on this amusingly large camera island. The 50-megapixel main shooter uses Samsung's 1/1.3-inch GNV ISOCELL 3.0 sensor, which offers 1.2um pixel size and is supported with an f/1.85 aperture. You'll also find a 13-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera nearby, as well as a 32-megapixel front camera on the other side of the phone — in the form of a punch-hole near the top of the curved 6.8-inch AMOLED screen (2,400 x 1,080 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate; Gorilla Glass Victus).
The Phantom X2 Pro 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9000, which is a 4nm octa-core processor — similar to the faster Dimensity 9000+ found in ASUS' ROG Phone 6D series. It also packs 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, along with a generous 5,160mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. While this phone lacks an IP rating, a company rep claimed that the retractable portrait lens is waterproof and dustproof — the interior of the lens is apparently sealed, and likewise with the connection between the lens and the body. Still, it's probably best to avoid the water when you're carrying this device.
Tecno's new phone runs on a customized Android 12 system dubbed HiOS 12, which features an AI gallery with face recognition and editing functions, along with some productivity tools (built-in translator, file scanner with text and PDF conversion etc.) and a connection speed optimization engine. Tecno added that its device passed TÜV Rheinland's fluency test over a 36-month simulation, meaning its storage memory performance shouldn't deteriorate much (read: fragmentation) during the same period in real life; but we'll take this claim with a pinch of salt for now.
Tecno will initially be launching the Phantom X2 Pro 5G in markets including India, Nigeria, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Turkey, and the Philippines from the end of December, and it'll reach over 60 markets globally later (we're waiting for specific details on Western markets). The device will be available in "Stardust Grey" and "Mars Orange," with the latter featuring an eco-friendly back cover composed of plastics recovered from the shores around the Indian Ocean. Tecno claims that this "Eco-Friendly Edition" reduces carbon emissions by approximately 38 percent when compared to virgin plastics, "with each individual cover producing an estimated 2.4g fewer emissions on average."
If you manage to come across a Phantom X2 Pro, the asking price is around $930 (based on the 3,499 Riyal price tag in Saudi Arabia), which is probably difficult to justify for just some natural bokeh. There's also the Phantom X2 which is around $215 cheaper and looks very similar, but it only has 8GB of RAM and lacks a retractable portrait camera; you'll instead get a 64-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel depth camera, along with the same 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera and 32-megapixel front camera as the Pro model. The orange option is also replaced by a "Moonlight White" design.
GoPro’s annual Hero Black update came with a small surprise this year. Instead of just the usual flagship camera, a “Mini” version was also unveiled. Alas, only the regular Hero Black was available when they were announced, so if the diminutive version caught your eye you had to wait until Oct 25th. And then you had to wait just a little bit longer. But finally it’s here and it’s an interesting proposition.
Of course, the pitch is simple: A Hero 11 Black but smaller. The Mini is about 3/4 of an inch narrower than the regular Hero 11 Black when you look at it head on. But it’s also a teensy bit taller and about 5mm deeper. It’s obviously smaller overall, but there’s much less of a difference than there was with the Session cameras and the flagship of the time. As with that camera, though, the main trade off is the lack of viewfinder/displays. That’s a big deal, so that reduction in size really has to appeal to your use case. And I can say right up top here, for most people, it likely doesn’t.
To put things in perspective, at the time of writing, the Mini sells for $299.98 with a GoPro subscription, while the regular Hero 11 Black is listed for $349.98 with the same deal ($449.98 / $549.98 respectively if for some reason you can’t take the subscription offer). That’s either a $50 or $100 difference, depending, for the overall compromises and relatively minor difference in size. And there are additional differences beyond the lack of screen that you’ll want to consider. For example, there's no photo mode this time around.
James Trew / Engadget
To be clear, yes you can get photos out of the camera (there’s one right above this sentence) but you’ll be pulling frames from video. And while that’s pretty easy, it’s definitely not as simple as choosing photo mode and pressing a button (also your photos might end up 16:9 if that’s what the source material is). Taking photos is definitely something you might assume you can do natively and I am obliged therefore to tell you that you cannot.
Of course, as mentioned, there’s no touchscreen which affects how you access the menu. You can navigate the settings via a small display on the top that will send GoPro veterans right back to the Hero 4 (and earlier) days. The options here are slightly limited, with just shooting mode, mode settings and some (but not all) general settings up for grabs. Everything else you’ll be doing through the app.
I personally prefer doing most things on the camera itself, and then use the app when the camera is mounted out of reach, but I didn’t find it hard to transition to doing most everything in Quik. This only really becomes an issue if you’re doing something where your phone isn’t nearby. Surfing, for example, might need a little bit of pre-planning to make sure you’re set up before you get in the water.
James Trew / Engadget
Relatedly, I noticed the camera goes into standby very quickly. After just eight seconds of inactivity the Mini will turn itself off (15 if you’re in the settings menu). This is obviously to save battery life, but it also means if you were just pausing for thought, you have to turn the camera back on, and possibly re-connect to the camera over WiFi and then pick up where you left off. It feels like an easy fix to add an option to change the amount of time, but for now, that’s how it is.
If you are used to using GoPro’s video presets, it’s worth knowing there’s only one here on the Mini. Unlike the regular Hero 11 that offers many along with the option to create your own for different shooting scenarios, the Mini has the essentials and not much else. It just means you need to change your video settings on a per-shot basis (like life before GoPro introduced presets) but it was something I found myself missing.
As for battery life, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that the sealed-design means you can’t swap out a new cell should you run out of juice. The better news is that the Mini uses the new longer-lasting Enduro battery. GoPro claims you should get about an hour of continuous recording at the highest quality, or nearer to two hours are less demanding settings. This feels about right based on the short time we’ve had with the camera and also inline with the Hero 11 Black, which uses the same battery.
Since the latest redesign and addition of 5.3K video modes, some people had issues with the camera overheating while recording indoors, with the camera in a fixed position. The company issued a software update in response including a new “stationary/tripod” mode.
James Trew / Engadget
When we tested our Hero 9, 10 and 11, we didn’t experience that issue, but with the Mini, it happened pretty quickly (in under 10 minutes) when recording at 5.3K/60fps. In less power-hungry modes the issue disappeared, so anything 1080p, for example, was fine. GoPro’s messaging here is that the Mini is an outdoor camera, designed for mounting on you or your gear. So, if you were looking at this for a potential static/indoor application, it’s not the camera you want, even according to GoPro.
If that seemed like a lot of words about things you can’t or shouldn’t do, then the good news is that, from here on out, it’s all about what the Mini can do. The short version of that is, mostly everything it’s bigger sibling can. But it’s worth calling out some specifics, and even a couple of things that are unique to the smaller camera.
The first thing I wanted to confirm was that the Mini had full 360-degree horizon lock. This was something new to the Hero 11 Black and it was one of the standout features this year. There was no reason why the Mini wouldn’t be able to do this, with it having the same sensor and all, but consider this confirmation of that nonetheless.
The same goes for the new Hyperview mode, which squeezes every pixel from the sensor into a 16:9 video. It’s incredibly immersive and makes even the most mundane of activities seem surprisingly dynamic. And of course, full-frame shooting is also here, so you can grab everything the sensor sees and then punch out different mobile-friendly or desktop videos from the same source file.
James Trew / Engadget
Where the Mini excels, unsurprisingly, is with anything body mounted. The smaller form-factor and lighter weight make it a much nice experience for head or helmet mounting. In fact, I’d go as far to say that the Mini is all about being a helmet cam. Not least because of the second pair of mounting fingers on the rear that make it easier to fix in a forward-facing position.
And this really feels like what the Mini is all about. If you don’t want all the bells and whistles and just want an honest-to-goodness action camera with all the Hero 11 Black video credentials, then the Mini is it. It also feels like it would make a good secondary camera for a different angle. Similarly, if you use a full-size GoPro for drone FPV footage (rather than the dedicated “Bones” camera) then the Mini is also a great option for that - plus you get a camera you can use elsewhere, too (unlike Bones).
If I’m honest with myself, my one true hobby is collecting hobbies. I play guitar and record electronic music. I picked up painting last year. (I am objectively horrible at it.) I cook. I brew beer. I dabble in DIY electronics. I’m an avid hiker. An on-again-off-again runner. I’ve flirted with boxing. Oh, and I write. Obviously.
Now I’ve added photography to the list. I explored it a bit back in high school and college, but had only picked up a camera (that wasn’t built into my phone) outside of work a handful of times since. Then in 2021, after a couple of years exclusively using my phone’s camera for review photos, I decided I desperately needed to upgrade. I eventually settled on the Fujifilm X-T30, in part because I had a limited budget. But, while I went out in search of an affordable workhorse to up my photo and video game at Engadget, what I ended up with was the perfect camera to rekindle my interest in the art of photography.
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
Let’s start with what attracts many people to the Fujifilm family in the first place: the controls. My first photography experiences were with film. Sure, it’s been a long time since I last used a film camera, but at least I have some level of comfort there. Unlike most digital cameras, Fujifilm’s X series mimics the look and feel of a 35mm film camera. There are dedicated dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation, and many of Fuji’s first-party lenses have physical aperture rings. If I had sprung for the X-T3 I’d have even gotten a dedicated ISO dial. But there are two programmable dials that can be mapped to control ISO and aperture, even if you’re using a lens without an aperture ring.
This makes the X-T30 far more tactile and satisfying than other digital cameras I’ve used, whereas I would usually just put them in aperture priority and forget about it. Without a PASM dial (Program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority and Manual) as a crutch, I’ve been forced to learn the camera’s various options inside and out. I also have to think more carefully and critically about each exposure. Yes, you can essentially put the X-T30 in shutter or aperture priority mode by changing certain settings to auto, but you can’t just turn a dial and be done with it.
Terrence O'Brien
The other big thing for me is the film simulations. Fuji cameras have a built in set of profiles that are supposed to mimic particular film stock. Think of them kind of like Instagram filters, but less terrible. Astia is tuned for portraits, Velvia is perfect for landscapes, Eterna gives you that low-contrast cinematic look, and so on.
And that’s just scratching the surface: You can tweak the settings further to fine-tune your straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) JPGs to achieve various styles and approximations of other films. There’s even a whole little Fujifilm subculture dedicated to “film recipes” that aim to capture the general vibe, if not the look of many classic film stocks. One of the best resources for this is Fuji X Weekly, where Ritchie Roesch shares and shows off various recipes to try and recreate things like Kodak’s Portra 400 or Ilford Delta.
Because I’m someone who likes to obsess over tiny details and tweak things, this is perfect for me. When I first discovered Fuji X Weekly I spent several days going through the recipes that were compatible with my particular camera (and some that weren’t), punching in the settings and taking test photos, saving my favorites to Evernote for easy recall. Fuji makes it simple to load up to seven of these presets with the Q menu, so I can essentially go out with seven different “films” loaded in my camera and switch between them as the situation dictates.
What I like most about this setup is that I can just go out and shoot, and come back with great looking photos that don’t need any editing. I can decide in the moment: Would this be better with a warmer color palette? Should I be turning up the saturation here? How would this scene look in high-contrast black and white? And I don’t need to do a lot of menu diving to test different looks out.
Terrence O'Brien
I always shoot in RAW + JPG, in case I change my mind later or if something doesn’t come out quite how I wanted. But being able to basically see the finished product and focus on actually composing photos, as opposed to spending even more time sitting at a laptop is great. It’s exactly what I need in a hobby: less staring at a computer screen.
Without getting absurd and gimmicky – artificially limiting how many pictures I can take or using only one preset for at least 24 shots in a row – this feels about as close to shooting film as I’m gonna get on a digital camera. And while, yes, I know I could always just go back to shooting on film, I’d really rather not. I like many of the modern conveniences afforded by a digital camera. Plus, 35mm film and quality development services have gotten quite expensive. Even expired rolls of lower-end stock can fetch a decent price on Craigslist.
It’s not all roses, though. The X-T30 is limited to recording 10 minutes of 4K video at a time, which can make shooting reviews a PITA. And, perhaps more importantly, I may have joined the Fujifilm flock at the exact wrong time. For years the company cultivated a loyal fan base with its philosophy of “kaizen,” which saw it continuously updating even older devices to bring new features and bug fixes. Unfortunately, the company has started to move away from that in recent years.
The X-T30 last received a firmware update over one year ago, in early October of 2021, and that was almost entirely minor bug fixes. It wasn’t even three years old at that point. The company introduced the X-T30 II around the same time which from a hardware point of view is almost identical, but it has a host of new software features and film simulations. There seems to be no technical reason that many of those features couldn’t be ported over to the slightly older camera, especially the film sims, but Fuji has left some of its users out in the cold.
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
Here’s hoping Fujifilm remembers that it attracted dedicated followers by focusing on the experience and delivering regular meaningful updates to users. Because, while I love my camera, and do think it is probably the best camera for me, I’m a little concerned that I discovered the Fuji community just in time for it to evaporate.
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra surprised us with its 1-inch camera sensor and Leica co-branding back in July, but it turns out that the Chinese brand was working on something far more ambitious at the same time. Earlier today, the "Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept Phone" was unveiled with an appearance almost identical to the namesake flagship device, but with a second 1-inch 50.3-megapixel sensor occupying the middle of the camera island instead. Let that sink in for a bit. Not only that, but this new sensor is designed to work with an interchangeable Leica M lens.
Xiaomi
Interestingly, Xiaomi has instead chosen to shield this additional 1-inch sensor — also a Sony IMX989 with 10-bit RAW support — underneath a large, circular piece of durable sapphire glass, as opposed to cutting out an opening for it as you'd find on traditional interchangeable lens cameras. While this would protect the sensor against dust and larger foreign objects, we do wonder how this extra layer of glass would affect the overall optical transmittance. But hey, better safe than sorry.
Meanwhile, the 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera that was originally positioned in the middle of the camera island has been shifted to the side, taking up the space that once housed a 48-megapixel periscopic telephoto camera.
Agatha Tang
As shown in Xiaomi's video, in order to install an interchangeable lens onto this 5G concept phone, you must first unscrew the protection ring around the rear camera island, then by way of an adapter, you'll be able to mount any Leica M lens. As captured by a Xiaomi staffer in the above photo, the full assembly with a Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH lens looks rather impressive from the side. Previously, the closest thing to this intriguing combination would be one of those Yongnuo 4G-connected Android cameras (which never left China). Or you may travel further back in time and reminisce the good old days with the Samsung Galaxy NX.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi stopped short at saying whether the 12S Ultra Concept Phone will ever be mass produced. All we know is that this project was developed alongside the actual 12S Ultra, and in the end, only 10 units of the former were made. A few of those samples were seeded to some lucky influencers for some quick hands-on time, but with each unit costing around 300,000 yuan or about $41,210 to make, they better not drop them.
Just two years after the launch of the original EOS R6, Canon has unveiled its successor, the $2,500 EOS R6 Mark II. It brings a number of key improvements, like a higher-resolution 24.2-megapixel sensor and faster shooting speeds. Most importantly, Canon has significantly reduced the previous model’s issues with overheating.
The EOS R6 was the best camera in this important price range when it launched, thanks to the speed, powerful video features and excellent Dual Pixel hybrid autofocus. However, once Sony’s $2,500 A7 IV came along with comparable abilities, more resolution and no overheating problems, the R6 lost that particular crown.
At a preview event in San Diego, Canon let me shoot with R6 Mark II prototypes for a couple of days in a variety of sports situations. As it’s not a production model and still had a few bugs, this isn’t a final review – but it gave us a chance to share some early impressions.
Body and handling
The EOS R6 II isn’t just a slightly updated ‘A’ version of the original. It has significant physical and performance changes, starting with the new 24.2-megapixel sensor. It’s not, as rumors suggested, the stacked backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor from the EOS R3; there’s a reason that model costs so much. But it does offer some benefits over the 20-megapixel chip on the R6.
Canon promises improved image quality beyond just the extra megapixels, thanks to the updated image processing. It also offers improved low-light sensitivity despite the slightly smaller pixels. And Canon says that rolling shutter is reduced over the R6.
The R6 features some changes on the outside as well. The power/lock/off switch is now positioned at the right where it’s easier to access yet harder to hit by accident. It also has a new video/photo mode switch that keeps those functions, and all their settings, separate. Flipping it also changes the menus, and Canon has introduced a convenient video-specific Q menu.
Steve Dent/Engadget
Otherwise, it's roughly the same weight and size as the R6, and has an identical grip, menus, control layout and handling. It also uses its predecessor's, nice flip-out display for vlogging or selfies, dual UHS II card slots and 3.67-million-dot electronic viewfinder. And, of course, it comes with microphone and headphone ports, along with a USB-C socket and (unfortunately) a microHDMI jack. It has a new in-body stabilization (IBS) system, but it offers the same 8 stops of shake reduction as the EOS R6.
The battery is identical, too, but Canon has boosted efficiency, from 510 shots max on the R6 to 760 on the R6 Mark II. In one day, I shot over 2,000 photos without changing the battery, mostly using the mechanical shutter – quite impressive.
Performance and image quality
Mechanical shutter bursts speeds are unchanged at 12fps (RAW, full-frame), which is good considering the extra resolution. However, you can now fire RAW shots in silent mode at an exuberant 40 fps. What’s more, the R6 II now comes with a pre-shooting option (RAW burst) that captures RAW files for a half second before you push the shutter. That lets you catch a moment even if you react slowly, albeit at the expense of some battery life. When trying the feature, I found that it perhaps let me capture a few shots (out of thousands) that I might’ve missed otherwise.
Steve Dent/Engadget
Those speeds are superb, but if photos are marred by excessive rolling shutter (hello Sony), they aren’t that useful. Luckily, rolling shutter is present but better controlled than on the R6, and much less severe than I saw on the A7 IV. It can take a fairly large number of shots (about 70-75 uncompressed RAW files, or 140 compressed RAWs) before the buffer fills, and it resets fairly quickly with fast UHS-II V90 cards. Still, it would have been nice to see a CFexpress slot for faster shooting and better quality video files.
The autofocus on the R6 II is more advanced than any Canon model to date, including the R3, the company says. It now handles people, animals and vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, trains and horses. And it now has an auto-select option that lets the AI decide what to track, which should be a requirement on every mirrorless camera.
The AI smoothly tracked my subject’s eyes, but it occasionally got lost and wasn’t quite up to Sony’s high standards. In regular spot continuous mode (no AI), the autofocus seemed as accurate as the R6, nailing shots in most circumstances. It was occasionally confused by the background or close subjects, but again, this was a prototype unit; these issues could be improved by the December release date.
Image quality is also hard to judge at this point, as RAW files aren’t yet ready to be seen. But JPEG files looked great, with usual Canon-like warm skin tones and accurate hues. Low-light capability was surprisingly solid, with noise well-controlled at ISO 6400 and even beyond.
Video
My biggest issue with the original EOS R6 was video, and specifically the overheating issues. That model could only shoot 4K 60p for 30 minutes, and only for another 10 minutes or so after it cooled enough to shoot again. Suffice to say, that’s a serious problem for professional shooters.
Those issues are effectively gone, and Canon also removed the 30-minute time limit for recording. You can now shoot 4K 60p uncropped for 40 minutes and it can normally go well beyond that. Cropped 4K 60p has a 50 minute limit, and supersampled 4K 30p has no limitations.
Steve Dent/Engadget
It also has better video specs overall. Internally, you can shoot 4K 60 fps supersampled from a 5.1K portion of the sensor (or the full sensor width with some pixel binning). 4K at 30 fps is supersampled from 6K using the full sensor width. And it now supports 180 fps for 1080p, up from 120 fps before. Capture files are still limited to MP4 and Quicktime with no ProRes internally – likely a limitation of the UHS II cards. Like photos, there's a no pre-shooting option that captures 3 or 5 seconds of video in a loop before you push the record button.
Additionally, the camera supports 10-bit 4K video and increased dynamic range with either HDR PQ or CLog3. And you can even shoot 6K RAW to an external Atomos recorder, though that feature wasn’t ready yet for testing.
As with photos, AF for video tracks humans, animals and vehicles. In my limited testing, it performed well, only occasionally focusing on the background. So far, subject tracking isn’t quite as reliable as I saw on the A7 IV, but again, it may improve with some firmware or other tweaks.
Video was sharp and I didn’t run into any overheating issues in San Diego, where temperatures hit about 80 degrees in the sun. 1080p 180p video seems a bit soft, as it’s captured with some pixel binning, and cropped 4K also lacked sharpness compared to full-frame 4K. I was happy with the colors, and low-light video capability was good to excellent.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent/Engadget
By minimizing heat issues, the R6 II is already a big improvement over the original R6. But it also looks like a better camera for photography thanks to the higher resolution, faster speeds and improved image quality – with no stacked sensor required.
Canon’s entire RF ecosystem keeps getting better, too. Its latest lens is the impressive 135mm f/1.8, joining 26 other full-frame prime and zoom lenses. So, this system has become surprisingly mature, considering it only launched four years ago. I can’t give you a final evaluation for key features like image quality and autofocus, as it’s still in the prototype stage. However, we expect to revisit the Canon EOS R6 Mark II in the form of a full review once it launches in December.
It took several months, but Snap's promised video editing suite is finally available. The social network is now rolling out "Director Mode" to all Snapchat users on Android and iOS. As teased in April, the feature lets creators add polish to their Snaps with virtual green screens, camera speed changes and quick editing for multiple clips.
You can also use the BeReal-style Dual Camera functionality within this mode, although it's currently limited to iOS users. Android users will have "limited" access to two-camera recording in the weeks ahead. Dual Camera is also available through the regular Snapchat cam.
Director Mode will be useful for influencers who want to produce videos for Spotlight, Snapchat's home for TikTok-like short videos. It may be particularly helpful for verified users (Snap Stars in company lingo) who want more of the sheen they apply to all their online content.
Snap isn't alone in chasing after TikTok and similar rivals. Instagram has been testing a Candid Challenges feature that mimics BeReal, and it's no secret that social media heavyweights have routinely lifted elements from each other in a bid to remain competitive — to the point where they've occasionally had to walk back their plans after mimicking designs too closely. Like it or not, social networks are harmonizing to the point where differences may only be subtle.
