Leica SL3-P: One-minute review

The Leica SL3-P is not a camera for everyone, and it knows it. There's no red dot logo on the front — that easy-to-spot symbol of prestige has been deliberately omitted in favor of a clean, all-black anonymity. Only the word 'LEICA' in white block capitals above the lens mount gives the game away. This is a camera built for photographers who'd rather be invisible than show off, and that philosophy runs all the way through it, with minimal controls, a stripped-back UI, and a design language that says a lot through everything it leaves out.

Getting to grips with it takes some patience if you're arriving from a more conventional mirrorless system. With only four labelled buttons on the body, a lot of control is handed off to the touchscreen, which is polished and logically organized once you learn its rhythms. The rear LCD tilts but doesn't swivel, which is an unusual limitation for a camera at this price — and with a serious L-mount lens fitted, the combined weight is considerable. But pick it up, hold it to your eye, and look through that large, crisp EVF, and something clicks. This is a camera that feels like it was made to be used, not admired.

Image quality is exceptional — unsurprising given the 44.7MP BSI sensor, which is of the same type used by the superb Panasonic Lumix S1R II — and battery life is impressive. The autofocus is competent and handles moving subjects well enough, though it won't trouble Sony or Canon on raw speed. At around £5,150 (US pricing TBC), it's an expensive proposition. But as a pure expression of what a modern Leica should be, the SL3-P makes a very strong case for itself.

Leica SL3-P: Price and availability

• Priced at $6,690 / £5,150 body-only
• Also available in three zoom lens kits

It's unlikely to come as a shock to you that the Leica SL3-P is a very expensive camera. Its launch price, for the body only, is $6,690 / £5,150 (Australia pricing is still TBC at the time of writing).

Leica is also releasing the camera in three kit bundles, each of which includes at least one Vario zoom lens. The SL3-P with a Leica 28-70mm lens is $7,790 / £6,100; with a Leica 24-70mm it's $8,390 / £6,480; and with both the 24-70mm and a 70-200mm it's $10,995 / £8,560.

Leica SL3-P: specs

Leica SL3-P: design

• All-black, badge-free design with minimalist controls
• Premium full-metal construction with IP54 weather sealing
• Large, comfortable EVF with twist-barrel diopter adjustment

The absence of Leica's red dot is the first thing you notice, and it sets the tone for everything that follows. The SL3-P is clad entirely in black, with only 'LEICA' in white block capitals on the EVF housing to identify it. Four buttons across the whole body are labelled (one of which is the power button). It's a stealthy, understated thing — clearly designed for people who want to use a Leica but aren't fussed about being seen with one.

The German-made full-metal body felt exactly as solid and premium as I'd expect from the brand, and comes with IP54 weather sealing for extra outdoors reassurance. There's a large grip covered with a textured material that provides a secure hold even when conditions aren't ideal, and the supplied neck strap is thick and well-padded, which I appreciated given how much weight a serious L-mount lens adds to the equation.

With so few physical controls, much of the camera's operation is routed through the touchscreen. The UI is stylish and well organized, with photo and video modes color coded distinctly in red and yellow respectively. And while the layout takes some adjusting too if you're used to a more button-heavy system, the logic is coherent, and settings are never difficult to locate. Touch-to-focus on the screen works exactly as expected, and custom button assignments help flatten the learning curve further.

The EVF is large, crisp and comfortable thanks to its 5.76-million dot resolution and 0.76x magnification, and as a glasses wearer I really liked the satisfying diopter mechanism that simply requires twisting the EVF barrel rather than hunting for a small dial.

The top-plate display is a genuinely useful feature, giving you a quick rundown of current settings without you having to lift the camera to your eye. The rear LCD, however, only tilts: up to 90 degrees upward and around 45 downward. That covers most tripod and arm's-length scenarios, but there's no forward-facing position for self-shooting, and no side-to-side articulation, which feels like an unusual limitation at this price.

On a practical note, I will say that the SL3-P is not a lightweight system, especially when teamed with some high-quality glass. The Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 lens I used with it added over a kilogram to the body, and while the grip is secure and comfortable, a long day of handheld shooting (covering a child's birthday party, in my case) does become fatiguing. That's less a criticism — after all, there are plenty of heavy cameras around — and more of a warning about how and when it can be used.

Leica SL3-P: Performance

• Exceptional image quality from a 44.7MP BSI full-frame sensor
• Competent hybrid autofocus with broad subject detection, including birds
• Impressive battery life and extensive video options including 8K and ProRes

The SL3-P shares its 44.7MP BSI full-frame CMOS sensor with the Panasonic Lumix S1R II — a camera I've tested and rate very highly — and the image quality is, predictably, exceptional.

Raw files processed in Lightroom offer tremendous latitude, with smooth tonal gradation, wide dynamic range and excellent high-ISO performance. JPEGs are very good straight from camera too, and five film-look presets — three color, two monochrome — add some welcome creative options. The high-contrast black-and-white preset is particularly striking, and feels authentically Leica in character.

Video capabilities are more extensive than the camera's photographer-first positioning might suggest: 8K Open Gate, ProRes to 5.8K, 4K at 120fps, L-Log, 12-bit RAW and 4:2:2 10-bit are all available. It's a serious toolkit, even if the handling feels more naturally attuned to stills.

The hybrid autofocus combines 315 contrast AF points with 819 phase detection points, with human, animal (including birds) and car detection. Tracking held up well in practice; testing on an active cat, the camera maintained focus through erratic movement without significant trouble.

Outright acquisition speed with the Summilux 50mm f/1.4 in AF-C is where it falls short of class leaders; it's capable rather than decisive, and anyone shooting fast action should look elsewhere. For portrait, street or documentary work, though, it certainly gets the job done.

Five-axis IBIS rated at up to five stops works quietly and effectively, and battery life is a genuine highlight. After a full charge I shot well over 100 frames across a lengthy session, and the indicator remained full. That seems in line with Leica's claimed 383 shots per CIPA standard cycle.

Should you buy the Leica SL3-P?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Leica SL3-P

• Leica loaned me a sample for over a week, along with a 50mm prime lens
• I used it indoors and outdoors for several days, shooting photos and video
• All sample photos were shot in raw and processed in Adobe Lightroom

Leica loaned me a review sample of the SL3-P camera to test out in real-world use, a few weeks ahead of the official release.

I reviewed the Leica SL3-P over the course of a week, using it exclusively with the Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. prime lens. My shooting covered a wide range of scenarios: street photography and candids outdoors, landscape work, and indoor shooting in both natural daytime light and normal interior lighting at night — the latter without flash or studio lighting assistance of any kind.

All sample images were captured in raw format and processed in Adobe Lightroom.

First reviewed June 2026

If you’re thinking about buying your first proper mirrorless camera, or upgrading your current system, Amazon Prime Day is the time to do it. I’ve just found one of the best deals I’ve seen on a full-frame camera in a long time — but you might have to act fast to take advantage of it.

The Canon EOS RP was one of the first cameras in Canon’s EOS R series, released in 2019. Designed to be a lightweight alternative to the then-flagship EOS R, it puts a 26.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor into a lightweight SLR-styled body with ergonomic controls and excellent handling.

The EOS RP was designed to be the camera for everyone, a user-friendly and inexpensive route into what was then a new system. However, time marches on, and while the EOS RP hasn't been officially discontinued, Canon recently added the 'Sales Ended' tag to its page on its official Japanese store — which is a sign that a camera is about to ride off into the proverbial sunset.

Currently, you can get hold of this full-frame mirrorless camera for as little as $799 in the US, and an amazing £645 in the UK. For such a popular camera of such high quality — one that launched at a body-only asking price of $1,299/£1,399 — that is absolutely incredible.

But you might want to act fast. That 'Sales Ended' tag means no more Canon EOS RP models will be coming off the factory lines — once current stock gone, it's gone for good!

Today's best Canon EOS RP deals (US)

Today's best Canon EOS RP deals (UK)

The ideal gateway into full-frame

Shooting with a full-frame system camera feels like a tangible step up. The level of depth and dynamic range achievable with a physically larger sensor is immediately striking. If you've only ever been shooting with a smaller-sensor compact camera, or just your phone, you'll immediately notice the difference.

The EOS RP is currently one of the most affordable routes into full-frame. It offers sumptuous image quality backed by Canon's excellent color science, and also benefits from advanced features like Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus, with 4779 selectable points. Long regarded as one of the best autofocus systems in the business, Dual PIxel CMOS continues working quickly and accurately even when the light gets low.

When Matt Golowczynski reviewed the Canon EOS RP back in 2019, one of his key criticisms was the lack of native lens options for the RF-mount. Well, seven years down the line that is categorically not a problem any more — Canon has been busy releasing RF-mount upgrades to all its major lens archetypes, from wide-angle zooms to telephoto primes.

There are loads of affordable options to pair the camera with, too — you can pick up the RF 50mm f/1.8 STM for as little as $199 / £189. That would still see you spending less than a grand for a complete full-frame setup — and believe me, that's not always an easy thing to achieve!

Or, if you prefer a zoom lens, Amazon will let you bundle up your EOS RP with an RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 lens, a lightweight travel-friendly optic designed for day-to-day photography, spanning wide-angle to telephoto. In the US, this combination will run you a still-respectable $1,099, while in the UK, it's a frankly mad £791.99

Also, if you already own a Canon DSLR and a couple of lenses — perhaps ones that have been sitting in a cupboard untouched for a few years — it's easy to adapt your EF-mount lenses to work with the EOS RP. Simply add the EF-EOS R adapter, and all of your DSLR lenses will work with full electronic functionality of autofocus and stabilization, if they have it.

Granted, the EOS RP is an older camera. This means you're not going to get some of the more exciting features we've seen in cameras from the past few years, such as AI-powered subject-recognition autofocus, which has even started to appear in more entry-level models.

But the best thing about the EOS RP, in my view, is that it's a gateway into one of the most comprehensive and exciting mirrorless camera systems in all of photography. If you get to a point where you think you've outgrown it, you have a broad range of fantastic EOS R cameras to upgrade into. You'll be able to offset some of the cost by trading in your EOS RP — and all your RF or EF lenses will still work with the next model.

So, if you're thinking of jumping into full-frame photography, this could well be your moment. But like I said — don't hang around for too long!

More of today's best Canon deals

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £24.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Father's Day: up to 50% off gifts & drinks
• Headphones: up to 50% off
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock
• Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from £36.99

Truly low-cost cameras that are actually worth buying are hard to come by, and that's what makes the Lumix G97 so special today in this unbeatable deal ahead of Prime Day.

In our Lumix G97 review of its 2025 release, we awarded this beginner mirrorless camera 4.5 stars out of 5, saying its "competitive price point makes it a very appealing camera for novice photographers and vloggers". And B&H Photo just slashed that already great price by $260 — you can grab Lumix G97 with 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens kit for $597.99 at B&H Photo and other leading retailers.

I've included links to the best deals below, many of which include handy extras to get you started. For example, B&H Photo throws in a memory card and shoulder bag for no extra cost!

The deal is less impressive for shoppers in the UK — the Lumix G97 with 12-60mm lens costs £649 at Amazon (was £749). That's still excellent value, but if price is your main concern, then there are decent alternatives worth considering, such as the Canon EOS R50 for £659 at Amazon (was £900). Conversely, the deals for the Canon camera are less impressive in the US.

In its favor, the EOS R50 has a larger 24MP APS-C sensor and superb autofocus. However, lens choice is pretty limited. On the other hand, the Lumix G97 — despite being a refresh of the much older Lumix G95 / G90 — still very much packs a punch, with decent 20MP micro four thirds sensor, superb ergonomics and a huge choice of affordable lenses. Trust me, it's a fabulous first camera.

Whichever model you prefer, you are getting standout prices for one of the best beginner mirrorless cameras. I've included more deals below for other top models, including the Fujifilm X-M5 and Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV.

Today's best Lumix G97 camera deal (US)

Today's best Lumix G97 camera deal (UK)

Best beginner mirrorless camera deals today — including Canon, Fujifilm, Lumix and more

In my in-depth Sony A7R VI review, I called it "the perfect camera"; but just how much better is it than its predecessor, the A7R V — and is it worth upgrading, or switching systems for, say from Canon and Nikon?

The previous A7R model launched in November 2022, so that makes three-and-a-half years between cameras, and gives me plenty to talk about. I'll cover the headline upgrades here, including the new sensor, design improvements and, notably, Sony’s first new battery for mirrorless cameras in nine years.

The answer to my 'upgrade or switch' question very much depends on what kind of photographer you are — so let’s dive straight into it…

1. Sensor

• A7R VI: 66.8MP stacked full-frame sensor
• A7R V: 61MP ‘standard’ full-frame sensor
• Canon and Nikon rivals have a 45MP stacked sensor

Sony’s ‘R’ nomenclature indicates resolution. If you buy an ‘R’ camera, you buy it for pixels — and lots of them — and images from both the A7R V and A7R VI are detail-rich.

With a stabilized 61MP full-frame sensor, the A7R V had the joint-most pixels in a full-frame camera, along with other Sony models including the A7C R and RX1R III, and some cameras from other brands, including Leica’s Q3 and the Sigma Fp L.

That 61MP sensor was debuted in the even older A7R IV, which is now seven years old (there's an updated A7R IVa still available for less than half the price of the A7R VI). Sony’s latest model has, however, upped the ante with a 66.8MP sensor, and it now leads the pack.

If it’s pixels alone that you’re concerned about, then that might seem like a small bump in resolution, especially when Sony rumors have regularly speculated about a 100MP sensor. A quick look at various Sony forums following the A7R VI's announcement makes it clear that some would-be upgraders are disappointed.

Is an extra 6MP worth upgrading for (read: spending a whole load more cash on)? On the surface, no. However, there’s more to a sensor than its pixels. The new sensor here is a ‘stacked’ type, which means it has a much faster readout speed, making it more capable for capturing fast-moving action and for video recording, with less rolling shutter distortion.

The A7R VI does, therefore, have the highest-resolution full-frame sensor, and it’s a speedy stacked type. It has stepped out of the ‘R’ series lane which prioritized quality, and into the speed and quality category occupied by Sony’s 50MP A1 II, which is slightly faster again but has less pixels.

In my book, the A7R VI’s sensor is the perfect marriage of speed and quality, and it's narrowed the market for the pricier A1 series to top sports photography pros. For everyone else, the A7R VI doesn’t miss a beat.

As for Sony and Canon rivals, their top cameras for detailed images include the Nikon Z8 and Canon EOS R5 Mark II, and those cameras max out at 45MP (as does the Lumix S1R II). Canon has a neat in-camera upscaling trick which quadruples resolution for pictures you’ve already captured to 180MP, but this is achieved by smart (and convincing I must add) upscaling.

2. Performance

• A7R VI: a stacked sensor and new Bionz XR 2 processor / combined AI chip
• A7R V: a regular sensor, Bionz XR processor and twin processor / AI chips
• Canon and Nikon rivals also feature a stacked sensor

The A7R VI’s stacked sensor has a faster readout speed than the A7R V, but Sony says the A1 II is even faster. Until lab testing is done, that’s as much detail as we have, because, unlike some other brands, Sony doesn’t divulge sensor readout-speed specifics.

A quicker sensor readout speed addresses rolling shutter distortion, making the A7R VI a better camera than its predecessor for video and fast-moving subjects when the electronic shutter is in play. Put simply, the A7R VI is more of an all-rounder than the A7R V, but there’s no advantage over the Nikon Z8 and Canon EOS R5 Mark II, which also have stacked sensors.

Following the lead of the Sony A7 V, the A7R VI has a combined Bionz XR 2 processor and AI chip, whereas in the A7R V the processor and AI chips are separate. Burst-shooting speeds are technically the same at 10fps using the mechanical shutter, and up to 30fps using the electronic shutter, but you should be able to squeeze out longer high-speed sequences with the mark VI versus its predecessor.

During my in-depth test of the A7R VI, I found that autofocus performance is marginally better too. It also adds an ‘auto’ subject-detection autofocus mode, meaning you don’t have to select a dedicated subject-detection mode, which is infinitely helpful when you’re regularly swapping between subject types.

The new processor and sensor combine for class-leading dynamic range, at least in theory, which is extended by one stop to 16 stops, with new dynamic range boost settings in the mix. Oh, and image stabilization performance has been marginally improved, measured at 8.5 stops to 8 stops (center) or up to 7 stops (periphery).

3. Battery

• A7R VI: New NP-SA100 battery with 2,670mAh capacity
• A7R V: The NP-FZ100 battery with 2,280mAh capacity
• Canon and Nikon rivals can't match the A7R VI’s battery life

Sony has introduced a completely new battery — the NP-SA100, which is physically bigger than the NP-FZ100 battery used in all of Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras for the last nine years. That battery was already legendary, delivering rival-beating capacity, and compatibility with a range of third party accessories such as external monitors.

The new battery is even better. How much better? It has 17% extra capacity at 2,670mAh compared to 2,280mAh. Battery life is one area where the A7R VI beats its predecessor, and indeed its rivals.

The bad news for existing Sony shooters is that the new battery is a different fit and physically larger, meaning there’s no forward or backwards compatibility with the older NP-FZ100 battery. If you’re looking at the A7R VI, your NP-FZ100 batteries are of no use, and additional batteries are going to be an extra cost to factor in.

4. Handling

• A7R VI: larger grip, illuminated buttons, brighter viewfinder, but otherwise much the same
• Both cameras feature a 3.2-inch 4-way vari-angle display and 9.44m-dot viewfinder

The larger battery is housed inside the camera’s grip, which is in turn physically larger than the one in the A7R V. I’m a fan of the larger grip, it’s even more comfortable to hold. Otherwise, the camera’s design is pretty similar to that of the A7R V’s — it’s a game of spot the difference.

Playing that game, I’ve found a few welcome tweaks. There’s a new lamp button on the top plate. Press it, and the control buttons around the body light up. I love this feature for low-light shooting, which makes locating buttons all the easier.

Speaking of lights, there’s also a tally lamp on the A7R VI, which is a handy visual aid letting you know the camera is recording, whereas the A7R V doesn't have one.

The displays are mostly the same. The 3.2-inch 2.1m-dot touchscreen has a four-way tilt hinge — you can tilt it up from the body, or pull it out to the side and rotate it for selfies, for vertical and horizontal shooting at just about any angle. The EVF is again a 9.44m-dot unit, but on the A7R VI it's 3x brighter, and I can attest that it’s an even nicer viewfinder to use — the best I’ve used on a camera this size, and up there with the very best of any camera I’ve used.

On the side of the new camera, each port has its own rigid door now, whereas some share a door in the A7R V. By the way, I much prefer this type of door to the soft doors found in most other cameras, which can get in the way.

5. Price

• A7R VI: Body-only: £4,500
• A7R V: Now £3,000 (launched at £4,000) while the A1 II is £6,200
• Nikon Z8: Now £3,000 (launched at £4,000)
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II: £4,500

Compared to the A7R V, the A7R VI is a pricier upgrade, especially since the A7R V is over three years old, and its price has dropped by about 25%. It started out at £4,000, but can now be had from Sony’s site and other leading retailers for around £3,000.

I’m not surprised by the bump in price, considering the time between the two cameras and the A7R VI's new sensor and battery.

The A1 II is much pricier than either, costing around £6,000, and making the A7R VI look like excellent value by comparison. That being said, Sony’s latest ‘R’ camera costs the same as the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, and is in turn pricier than the Nikon Z8 which is closer in price to the A7R V.

In summary, the A7R V costs significantly less, but the A7R VI gives you more camera, and offers decent value compared to rival models.

Conclusion

I already loved the Sony A7R V, with its 61MP full-frame sensor and speedy autofocus. The A7R VI is, however, better on both the quality and speed fronts, and even plants a foot on A1-series turf.

For me, as someone who shoots a wide range of photography genres, covering anything from landscapes to portraits and sports, the A7R VI is a dream camera, and it now tops my Sony camera wishlist.

Before the A7R VI was announced, I would have opted for Canon and Nikon rivals, given the various compromises in its predecessor, but the A7R VI changes the equation. It's a strong upgrade for a range of photo and video subjects, and could even be worth switching systems for. It also offers superior battery life, and a range of lenses for all budgets that Canon and Nikon owners wish they had. For me, the A7R VI is the professional camera to beat.

The stunning new Sony Alpha A7R VI has been one of the biggest camera launches of the past few months, and with good reason - our review has praised it as a near-perfect full-frame flagship.

The release of a new model, however, also means great price cuts on slightly older (but still great) iterations. Right now, for example, you can get a record-low price on both the Sony A7R V and the Sony A7R IV thanks to a 'Summer Sony Sale' at Adorama.

Currently, you can pick up the Sony A7R V for $3,298 (was $3,798), while the older A7R IV is retailing for $2,798 (was $3,698). While still pricey, you're potentially saving up to $900 versus the original price here on full-frame flagships with the extreme levels of resolution that the Sony R series is known for. An impressive 61MP, in fact!

Today's best Sony Alpha A7R deals

• See more: check out all of today's camera deals at Adorama

Is it still worth buying these with the release of the Sony A7R VI?

Absolutely! Both the A7R V and IV are still up there with some of the best mirrorless cameras you can buy if you're looking for a full-frame camera with heaps of resolution.

Of the two, the A7R V is the easiest to recommend. While it shares the same 61MP sensor as the IV, you get a very compelling set of upgrades. Alongside AI-assisted subject detection modes, the V features a better EVF, multi-angle screen, better IBIS, and support for 8K video. It's just a much more fully-featured and modern camera overall, although you will need a pricier CF-Express Type A card to fully utilize its full set of features.

Right now, the latest A7R VI is retailing for an eye-wateringly high $4,498 at Adorama, so the A7R V looks like a good middle-ground. Having personally used the A7R VI, I can attest that it's a fantastic camera - but there's no doubt it comes at a serious premium.

The Adorama Memorial Day sale has yielded quite a few gems this year, but my favorite deal is definitely the Nikon Z5 II for $1596 (was $1,849).

I highly recommend you snap up this excellent model before the sale draws to an end this Sunday, as it's not only a great discount, but a record-low price on a body that has to be one of the best value full-frame cameras on the market.

I was really impressed by the Nikon Z5 II when I reviewed it last year. Coming from the older Z-Mount bodies, I knew roughly what to expect, but the Z5 II's compelling mix of image quality, video specs, and price really stood out to me.

In particular, I thought the Z5 II's autofocus was a real highlight. It's an area that older Nikon models have struggled with, but the Z5 II is on par with the brand's latest higher-end cameras. In short, it's fantastic for everything from everyday shooting to action, now with excellent tracking and greatly improved subject detection.

As previously stated, Adorama's Memorial Day sale ends this Sunday, so you don't have long to secure the Z5 II at this price. While we'll surely see this deal crop up again, it's hard to say exactly when, so it's definitely a good time to consider picking one up.

Today's record-low Nikon Z5 II price

Note, if you're interested in comparing the above Nikon Z5 II deal to other models from the brand, I've attached a few more discounts just below. Adorama's Memorial Day sale also includes some fantastic deals on the Nikon Z6 III and the Nikon Z8.

Arguably, these models aren't quite as good bang-for-the-buck as the Z5 II, but they're still great value compared to some rival brands. And, they're great options if you're looking for a more fully-featured camera for video or action photography.

More Nikon camera deals to consider today

Now the big day itself has passed, this year's Memorial Day sales will gradually start to wind down. That means there are only a few days left to score a discount over at the specialist retailer Adorama.

Right now, the retailer's deals include record-low prices on many of our favorite models from Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, and many others. I've been scanning through the sales, and I've found quite a few noteworthy listings - which you can check out just below.

Admittedly, most of these discounts are essentially 're-runs' of record-low prices we've seen before over the past few months, but they're still great discounts. In fact, today's deals include the Canon R5 Mark II, the Nikon Z6 III, and the Sony a7CR, which are very popular models (and highly reviewed on TechRadar). You can also get a fantastic discount on the Nikon Z5 II right now, which might just be the best value full-frame camera on the market currently.

As previously mentioned, the Memorial Day sales are very much winding down now, but you do have a few days to consider. Adorama's sale specifically is set to end this Sunday, after which I anticipate most of these deals will vanish accordingly.

Memorial day camera deals - Canon

Memorial day camera deals - Nikon

Memorial day camera deals - Sony

Memorial day camera deals - other brands

The Sony A7R VI is, without question, one of the most impressive cameras ever made. Our Cameras Editor Tim Coleman called it the first perfect mirrorless camera he's used after 15 years in the business, and I'm not about to argue with that.

But its arrival last week has had a great side effect for anyone who doesn't want to spend flagship money on their next mirrorless camera. The Sony A7R V, its 61MP predecessor, has just hit its lowest-ever price of $3,298 at both Amazon and Adorama, down $500 from its previous price — and I think that makes it one of the more compelling camera deals you'll find in the Memorial Day sales.

• See more: check out all of today's deals at Adorama

The Adorama deal in particular is worth a closer look, because on top of that price drop it comes with three free items bundled in: a 256GB memory card, a spare battery, and a camera bag. These extras have a combined value of almost $400; pretty generous additions in my book.

So why is the A7R V worth your attention when its superior replacement is already out there? The short answer is that the gap between these two cameras is narrower than the gulf in their prices (now more than $1000) suggests.

The A7R VI's headline upgrade is its new 66.8MP stacked sensor, which brings faster readout speeds, reduced rolling shutter and up to 30fps burst shooting. Those are major improvements, but they're also improvements that many A7R buyers simply don't need. The 'R' series has always been aimed at photographers who value resolution above all else: landscape shooters, portrait and studio photographers, and anyone producing large-scale prints or requiring extensive cropping latitude. For that audience, the A7R V's 61MP sensor remains outstanding. You're talking about a measly 6MP difference between the two cameras; in practice, that's barely visible even at 100% magnification.

• View Amazon's full Memorial Day sale

The A7R V is still a rock-solid premium camera

The resolution story goes deeper than raw megapixel count, too. The A7R V even has a trick up its sleeve that the VI doesn't vastly improve upon: a multi-shot high-resolution mode that combines 16 frames into a single 241MP composite image (complete with automatic compensation for minor subject movement). It's a feature that could offer real professional applications in commercial, architectural and fine-art photography, and one of those things that tends to make you feel slightly silly for thinking you needed more pixels.

Elsewhere, the A7R V's autofocus system — which was a major overhaul over the A7R IV when it launched — holds up extremely well today. Its AI-powered subject recognition covers humans, animals, birds, insects, vehicles and aircraft, with eye, face and body-shape detection. Yes, the A7R VI refines this further, but the V is no slouch, and it remains capable of serious wildlife and portrait work.

Dynamic range checks in at 15 stops — the VI adds one more, but a one-stop difference is negligible in most real-world situations. Eight stops of in-body stabilization, a 9.44M-dot OLED EVF and a 4-axis fully articulating touchscreen LCD round out a spec sheet that was class-leading at launch and remains highly competitive today.

There's also one practical consideration that's easy to overlook: the A7R VI introduces a brand-new NP-SA100 battery that's incompatible with Sony's existing NP-FZ100 battery ecosystem. So, if you already own Sony batteries, the A7R V may slot straight into your existing kit better than its successor.

One caveat that need mentioning is that the A7R V's conventional (non-stacked) sensor means it's more susceptible to rolling shutter, and its modest burst shooting buffer won't satisfy sports or action photographers. But those shooters were never the A7R V's target audience — and at $3,298, with three free accessories thrown in at Adorama, I believe this camera is an extraordinary deal for the type of photographer it was built for.

• View Amazon's full Memorial Day sale

More of today's best Memorial Day sales

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
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• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• DreamCloud: up to 60% off mattresses, 66% off bundles
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Like many photographers, filmmakers and tech journalists, I’ve picked up a Lumix camera at various times in the 25 years since Panasonic started making cameras.

I’ve reviewed countless Lumix cameras and lenses down the years, and decided to part with my own cash for a Lumix GH5 to level up my video quality just before moving to East Africa in 2015.

I've used that camera for multiple video projects, and 10 years on, paired with a 12-60mm f/2.8-4 Leica lens, it’s still my go-to camera for my product photos, which you can see in my reviews and other articles on TechRadar.

To commemorate 25 years of Lumix cameras in my own small way, I decided to buy another model, the Lumix G1, which was in fact the very first mirrorless camera ever made — at 18 years old, it even predates TechRadar, and this is our first proper write-up about it!

The Lumix G1 was a true innovation, marking a new era of cameras that would eventually replace the best DSLRs, and which dominate the market today. Was it easy to find one? Surprisingly enough, it was.

A vintage bargain

My original idea to mark 25 years of Lumix was to buy the very first Lumix camera, the DMC-LC5 compact. However, after many hours of fruitless searching I diverted my attention to the OG mirrorless camera.

I quickly found a secondhand Lumix G1 for just £41 at MBP (about $50 / AU$90), or double that with an original 14-45mm kit lens. If I was willing to pay a little extra, I could get the camera in what I’d describe as a dark shade of red instead of the original black.

Given that these cameras are 18 years old, there are very few excellent-condition models still available, so I settled for a ‘well-loved’ version.

I wanted the authentic experience rather than using my own 12-60mm Leica lens, so I bought the camera with the original kit lens. A few days later, the gear arrived in an original box with all the original accessories — there was even the user manual on a CD.

Back when the Lumix G1 was launched, proper plug-in battery chargers came as standard — and the original charger was in the box too, which was a novelty, because these days you don’t typically get a charger with USB-C-ready cameras. And I got all of this — camera, lens, charger and all original items — for just £80. Bargain.

Once the battery was charged and inserted, I connected the camera and lens, and got a feel for the DSLR-style body. The immediate downside to a camera of this age and design is that the exterior was sticky and peeling in parts — not a particularly pleasant experience.

On turning the camera on, I was greeted with an old-school white background menu with vintage typeface and a time / date set page, with the year set to 2008 — yes, the Lumix G1 is a full 18 years old! Numerous hits of the D-pad later, with the correct time and date set, I was ready to go.

Despite its age, there’s a familiarity about the way the Lumix G1 feels and handles, though there are exterior controls that feel somewhat quirky 18 years later, but which offer an insight into what features were all the rage of that time — for example, there's a 'film mode' button for color profiles aped today by Fujifilm, and an autofocus mode dial. That said, camera design really hasn’t moved on that much, and I felt immediately at home handling the G1.

They don’t make ‘em like they used to

So what about the technology inside?

What Panasonic did well when it started out making micro four thirds mirrorless cameras was to give us compact-sized models that made the most of the ‘half-size’ sensor format.

With its DSLR-style design (read: viewfinder hump), the Lumix G1 was larger than other Lumix models such as the GF series and legendary GM1, but nonetheless it feels small, and the pronounced grip fits in the hand comfortably.

The range evolved over the years, and quite literally grew in size as more features were added, and the Lumix G1 better realizes the micro four thirds concept than, say the Lumix GH7.

The electronic viewfinder is understandably quite small and basic, but it’s still what I like to use to compose images in bright light. The vari-angle screen is not touch-sensitive, which certainly makes the Lumix G1 feel somewhat primitive in 2026.

Menus, therefore, need to be navigated using the camera’s buttons, including the function button for the quick menu. I might have missed a trick, but by my reckoning it takes a four-step process of tapping different buttons to access exposure compensation, which became tedious after prolonged use.

Thankfully, for the most part, the menus in the Lumix G1 are refreshingly simple. I suppose that’s because it has less going on versus the feature-rich Lumix cameras of recent years. But in a way, it’s feature set is not so different.

You might expect autofocus speed to be archaic, but honestly the contrast detection-based AF still felt pretty snappy in good light, easily latching on to most subjects, and it was decent enough even in low light.

Sure, there are fewer autofocus points, and the percentage coverage across the frame is smaller compared to today’s models, but autofocus was generally reliable.

And get this: there’s human subject-detection autofocus, and it works pretty well. Leading brands are still tinkering with advanced subject-detection autofocus 18 years later, throwing ‘AI’ into the mix covering pose recognition for humans, animals, and more, but the truth is that the foundation for this tech has been around for many years — and the Lumix G1 is proof of that. It's autofocus is simpler than today's mirrorless cameras, but sufficient for everyday photography.

Enough for the everyday

The camera packs a 12MP micro four thirds sensor (aka MFT / M43), a megapixel count which 18 years later is more than doubled by flagship cameras in this format — the top micro four thirds cameras like the Lumix G9 II offer 26MP, and a high-res mode that can quadruple that resolution.

Picture quality isn’t just about pixels, though, and the Lumix G1’s sensor is also pretty dated in terms of low-light performance, with an ISO sensitivity range of just ISO 100-3200 — yes, it tops out at ISO 3200.

Low-light quality is the main drawback of the micro four thirds format versus full-frame mirrorless models which came several years later (but were predated by full-frame DSLRs), especially in earlier models such as the Lumix G1.

Still, a pop-up flash is handy at a pinch for party portraits, with manual exposure control for attractive fill-flash effects. And I dig the overall quality — many of today’s cameras recreate vintage effects with various color profiles, whereas here every photo as a dated look to it.

Burst-shooting speeds are understandably much slower than the latest cameras, and I’m not about to take the Lumix G1 to my kid’s sports day. Its top speed is just 3fps, a rate that the camera can sustain when shooting JPEGs until the card is full. Add RAW format into the mix, however, and the camera slows up after just a couple of seconds.

After using the 14-45mm lens exclusively, I decided to throw my cheap Olympus 45mm f/1.8 portrait lens into the mix — after all, lens choice and cross-brand compatibility was and is the beauty of the micro four thirds system, even if you don’t always get the full suite of features when mixing and matching brands.

The 45mm f/1.8 was typically the second lens that Olympus (now OM System) users would purchase, and it leveled up the quality of my portraits and other shots with its improved light-gathering capabilities. Aesthetically, the camera and lens pairing still look the part too.

Are old cameras worth it?

For me, cameras are a bit like cars. Vintage models, such as the Lumix G1, have a certain rough-around-the-edges charm about them that has been lost with modern design and increased capabilities.

Sure, the Lumix G1's capabilities pale in comparison to, say, the Lumix G9 II, which is the latest version in the series. That camera has an incredible suite of features, including Panasonic’s hybrid phase-detection autofocus and blazing-fast performance.

For all the Lumix G9 II’s excellence, however, I’m charmed by the original model. Of course, I wouldn’t use it for serious work or once-in-a-lifetime trips like I would the current day model. But for photographing the everyday, I’ve enjoyed reaching for the Lumix G1, and I’ve been loving taking photos just for the fun of it.

The Lumix G1 is still a decent beginner camera all these years later — and it's available secondhand for a ridiculously low price. So, in the spirit of celebrating 25 years of Lumix, I toast Panasonic for producing the mirrorless camera that started it all, and for all the cameras it has given us down the years.

Preorders on the stunning Panasonic Lumix L10 are currently open, and the brand's new model looks like a fantastic choice for those on the hunt for a premium compact camera.

I can't help but think, though, it's still a little on the pricey end. Sure, the premium design, lens, and LUTs arguably make it a compelling alternative pick to the likes of the Fujifilm X100VI. But, it's $1,499 — that's still a significant outlay.

And, when I look at L10, I can't help but think that the Micro Four Thirds system already has some fantastic compact options.

For example, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV can be scored for just $699 (was $899) right now with the excellent 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens thanks to the Adorama Memorial Day sale.

The EM-10 Mark IV is an older camera now, and more budget-oriented than the L10, but I think it's a great value alternative. For example, with the kit lens here, you're getting a very similar range in terms of focal length, a comparable 20MP sensor in the camera, and you're still getting that small, compact retro look.

A fantastic camera for not a lot of cash

• See more: check out all of today's deals at Adorama

Is the Olympus EM-10 still worth it in 2026?

The Lumix L10 does have quite a few advantages over the Olympus. For one, the L10's in-built lens features a f/1.7 aperture at its widest, which means you'll get a bit more bokeh and light-gathering capability. The L10 is also a much more modern camera in terms of autofocus, menus, and the various in-built JPEG settings, meaning it will probably be easier to nail that 'film-like' look straight out of camera.

The EM-10 is a great little camera, however. That's especially the case if you're willing to put in a bit of post-processing legwork in Lightroom or the like. You can simply shoot in RAW, then apply one of hundreds of film-like presets that are readily available online. It's an extra step, but you can definitely still get that vintage, retro look easily with the Olympus.

I also think the bundled M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ is a really great deal here. You can opt for the body-only listing for just $599, but I think it's worth getting the kit lens here for an extra $100. It's a very, very small pancake zoom that's actually quite impressive at the wider end, and I've taken some great travel shots with it over the years. The downside of this lens is that it's not weather-sealed, but then again, neither is the Lumix L10!

This time of year isn't traditionally known for camera deals, but Adorama has just launched a Memorial Day sale ahead of next week, offering a range of great discounts.

I've been scanning the retailer's sale to find the best deals today, and while there aren't many new record-low prices, there are quite a few deals that match previous records. That includes bodies from Canon, Nikon, Sony, and many other leading brands.

I've rounded up all of today's best prices below, including models we've personally tested and reviewed here at TechRadar. In fact, quite a few of our favorites are included here, such as the Canon R5 Mark II, the Nikon Z6 III, and the Sony a7CR. I've also spotted discounts on Fujifilm, Panasonic, and OM System bodies, which are fantastic if you're looking for alternatives to the 'big three'.

Finally, If you're interested in other products, we'd also highly recommend bookmarking our main Memorial Day sales page. That's being updated ahead of the big day itself next week with not just cameras, but staff-picked deals on TVs, laptops, and other tech.

Memorial day camera deals - Canon

Memorial day camera deals - Nikon

Memorial day camera deals - Sony

Memorial day camera deals - other brands

There's an open nature reserve with a wetland, encircled by woodland, about a 10-minute drive from my house, and it’s one of my favorite places to go running. Sunrise on a cold morning here can be magical for photography too — the sun-kissed mist hovering over the water makes for dreamy conditions.

Throughout the year, the nature reserve attracts a range of migratory and rare species of birds, making it a popular spot for birding — people will drive a good hour or more to visit with their long lenses, spotting scopes and binoculars.

I've never tried serious bird photography myself, chiefly because I'm way too young for that (joking), but also because the longest lens I've ever owned is a 70-200mm, which doesn't get me nearly close enough.

Recently, however, I had the chance to test Sony's longest lens, the FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS, and the idea of trying bird photography suddenly became very appealing.

I paired the super-telephoto zoom lens with the new Sony A7R VI. My logic was that the camera’s stellar bird-detection autofocus skills, blazing-fast shooting speeds of up to 30fps, and 66.8MP stacked sensor were perfect for bird photography when armed with the 400-800mm focal length.

One visit led to another, and before I knew it, I was out the door at 5am every morning, gear in hand.

I had just found my new hobby. It happened a few years earlier than I care to admit, but why resist the inevitable? Yes, I'm now into birding, and I have this incredible Sony camera gear to blame.

The super-supertelephoto lens

When I first saw Sony’s 400-800mm lens in 2024, I thought it was a peculiar focal length. But after my bird photography testing, it feels like the perfect range for this genre.

For most bird photography — in the wild at least — you’ll want a focal length of at least 600mm to get close enough, but I found that even longer, at 800mm, was my most-used setting.

I wouldn’t want an 800mm prime lens, mind you, even if that meant benefitting from a slightly faster aperture. When you're locked in on a bird at 800mm, and it moves, which it will, it can be tricky to locate them again. That’s why quickly zooming out to 400mm is handy.

With a wider perspective at 400mm, you can locate the subject more easily, and then zoom back in again. In any case, about 10% of the time, the 400mm focal length was actually the better pick when I was lucky enough to get physically close.

Optical image stabilization is handy, smoothing out camera shake and consequently making this lens totally usable handheld. The focus range limiter is neat too, but I tended to keep the focus range set to 'full' given the birds could be located any distance from me at any point — in one spot, there are gauze bushes next to a boardwalk.

The one thing against the lens is its maximum aperture, which is f/6.3 at 400mm and reduced to f/8 at 800mm. I usually opted for a 1/1000sec shutter speed at 800mm to freeze action, and at f/8 in anything but good light, you’ll find ISO needs to be bumped up, which impacts image quality.

Depth of field is not an issue, though. At 800mm and f/8, backgrounds are delightfully blurred, just about all of the bird is in sharp focus, and the photos looks great.

An upshot of the limited maximum aperture is that the lens is much lighter than Sony’s professional fast-aperture telephoto primes, such as the 600mm F4, and it’s much, much cheaper, too. For amateur bird photography, I think the 400-800mm F6.3-8 is the practically perfect lens.

The speedy, highly detailed camera

If the 400-800mm F6.3-8 is the ideal lens for bird photography, the A7R VI proved to be its perfect partner. Like its predecessor, the camera features subject-detection autofocus with a dedicated option for birds, but it adds an auto option, which is handy when you’re regularly switching between subjects.

For bird photography, however, I selected the dedicated AF mode on the assumption that this could help improve the camera’s scan rate, with less in the scene for it to be looking for — after trying both options, I would advise you to do the same.

I also tried bird photography with the 400-800mm lens and the older Sony A7R V, and it felt like autofocus was slightly slower compared to the new camera. I don’t have numbers to back this up or give a measurable difference, just my experience.

I was impressed by how the camera could latch onto birds even when they filled just a small portion of the frame. Check out the example below — the A7R VI easily located the distant male stonechat.

With continuous burst shooting set to 10fps using the mechanical shutter, bird-detection autofocus in play, camera and lens image stabilization active, I had a dream setup, on the foundation of a high-resolution stacked sensor and extreme dynamic range.

Sony says the A7R VI has a 16-stop dynamic range, which is 1-stop more than the A7R V and most other professional cameras. It also has the most pixels in a full-frame sensor — all 66.8MP of them.

What I appreciated about the high-resolution sensor was the ability to crop into images where the subject filled a small portion of the frame, even when shooting at 800mm.

Just how much can you crop? Well, the camera's APS-C crop mode (1.5x) is still 28MP, and in that mode the 800mm setting of the lens effectively looks like a 1200mm lens (see the sequence above at 400mm, 800mm, and 800mm with the 1.5x crop mode). It's possible to crop in much more than that and still get a detail-rich image, especially for images displayed on mobile devices. You might not need such big files in terms of output, but for bird photography, being able to crop is supremely helpful.

The birdlife

That’s the gear covered — but how was my experience itself? I had an absolute blast — in the space of a week, I went from a complete novice to confidently identifying a range of bird species for inquisitive passersby impressed by the camera gear in my hand. Yep, I had become one of those guys.

The nature reserve is home to a wide range of birdlife. My very first snaps were of Canada geese on the water, mainly because the light and mist were magical. But venturing further along the boardwalk, I saw ground-nesting birds and more.

There were Chats, Finches, Woodlarks, and I even saw a family of Dartford Warblers. I tuned in my ear for birds; the car alarm-like shrill of a Lapwing and the peculiar call of a Curlew — I was told that I was looking at the only nesting pair in this county. Common Cuckoos were present too, though I never got the camera tracked onto one of those.

I photographed European Stonechats who had caught dragonflies and grubs, and watched a Reed Bunting go back and forth gathering nest-building material. The delightful contrast of a (European) Goldfinch amidst the pale green leaves of a birch was spectacular.

Seemingly, it was my time — I was becoming a bird enthusiast. I had given in to the inevitable. I was hunting for birds, enjoying the thrill of getting the shot, but with a camera and not a rifle.

And honestly, it was the most fun I'd had with the camera in ages. This didn't feel like work, but something that fed me. And, yes, I did ask Sony to extend the loan of the lens, because I wasn’t ready to give it back. Once I bid farewell, I’ll be looking into buying a super telephoto zoom lens of my own (but I'm not quite ready for a bird spotting journal...yet).

Interested in trying bird photography out for yourself? Check out our selection of the best wildlife photography cameras.

Sony A7R VI: Two-minute review

Highly-detailed images or blazing-fast performance — historically, you'd have to pick one or the other when choosing a camera. However, Sony has now given us both in one model — the A7R VI — and for me, it's the perfect mirrorless camera.

I've shot everything from detail-rich landscapes to fast-moving wildlife photography while testing the A7R VI, and it hasn't missed a beat. I've really appreciated the huge number of pixels I have to play with, which means that heavily cropping into images is entirely possible.

Its new 66.8MP stacked full-frame sensor resolves more detail than the sensor in the 50MP A1 II — Sony's previous flagship camera for quality and performance — and most of that camera's speed in terms of sensor readout.

I say 'most', because its readout speed is half that of the A1 II, and able to support autofocus up to 60fps, but it has certainly been sufficiently speedy for just about every scenario I've used it in. And rolling shutter distortion is minimized compared to the A7R VI's predecessor, the A7R V — I shot with both cameras at the same time in order to make direct performance comparisons.

Even better, the A7R VI costs £4,500 / AU$6,999, which seriously undercuts the pricier A1 II. Considering what the A7R VI can do, the A1 II feels somewhat redundant, especially when the speed-specialist A9 III is also on the scene for the likes of pro sports photographers who demand the absolute fastest performance.

Of course, that's still a decent chunk of anyone's money, and the A7R VI costs a lot more than the still-incredible A7R V, which has fallen in price since its launch in 2022, and is probably the better value pick if detail is all that matters to you.

However, given the upgrades here, which also include a new and higher-capacity battery type, the A7R VI's starting price feels justified. I've been reviewing cameras for 15 years, and I think Sony just made the first one that's perfect. I could happily dine out on its skills for many years to come.

Sony A7R VI: price and release date

• Announced on May 13 2026
• The body-only price is £4,500 / AU$6,999

Yes, the A7R VI'S £4,500 / AU$6,999 launch price is higher than that of the A7R V, which cost £4,000 / AU$5,499 on its announcement late in 2022, and which can now be had for around £3,000 / AU$4,799. That said, the A7R VI is more camera — it's not just a resolution king, but a speed demon too.

When you consider what the A7R VI is capable of versus the Sony A1 II, which costs more than £6,000 / AU$9,999, it feels like excellent value.

• Price score: 4.5/5

Sony A7R VI specs

Sony A7R VI: Design

• Still lightweight and small versus rival high-resolution full-frame cameras
• Rugged design and excellent ergonomics
• Touchscreen features a 4-way axis, the detailed EVF detail packs 9.44m dots

For recent models, Sony has made great strides in improving how its cameras handle, and how easy the menus and controls are to navigate. It's no longer the case that rival Canon and Nikon cameras are simply easier and more intuitive to use.

For starters, Sony has improved the design of the grip — on the A7R VI it's even bigger and more pronounced than before, no doubt to house the upgraded and physically larger new battery type which debuts here (more on this in the performance section).

The new bulb button on the camera's top plate illuminates key buttons in low light, making them easier to find in the dark, and there's a tally lamp for video recording. Each port sits behind its own rigid door, which when in use sits neatly out of the way. These are all lovely additions to what is otherwise a very similar design to the A7R V.

Like before, we get three control wheels for exposure adjustments (one of which is lockable), four custom buttons (though not one on the front of the camera, sadly), a grippy AF joystick and a four-way control dial which also includes drive mode and ISO shortcuts.

There's a neat 3.2-inch touchscreen with 4-way articulation, meaning the screen can be flipped out to the side and viewed at awkward angles, whether you're shooting in vertical or horizontal format. There's a highly detailed 9.44m-dot EVF, too, but this time it's a HDR DCI PW display which Sony says is 3x brighter than the one in the A7R V.

We get twin card slots again, and each slot accepts either an SD card or one of Sony's CFexpress Type A cards. Per gigabyte, CFexpress Type A cards are among the most expensive, more so than CFexpress Type B used in rival cameras. Of course you can use cheaper SD cards, but you'll want a CFexpress card to get the A7R VI's speediest performance for burst shooting and so on.

Naturally, with this being a pro body, the A7R VI is weather-resistant. I'm not in the habit of wrecking cameras, and certainly not review samples that I have to send back, but you can feel that the A7R VI is rugged too. The back-right control dial has a tiny bit of give, and could be a weak point, but it performed fine during my review.

If I was to have one criticism, it's that the camera body still feels a little cramped — many of the controls are small and tightly packed together. You'll also want a vertical grip when pairing the A7R VI with big lenses for better balance, such is its compact design. But overall, the A7R VI is as good a camera body as Sony has ever made.

• Design score: 5/5

Sony A7R VI: Performance

• The sensor is stacked with rapid readout speed, minimizing rolling shutter distortion
• A new higher-capacity NP-SA100 battery makes its debut
• Subject tracking autofocus performance further boosted with new chip

While the A7R VI's design is a minor upgrade, its performance reaches new levels thanks to a new 66.8MP stacked sensor, new Bionz XR 2 processor, combined processing and AI chip (as in the Sony A7 V), and an entirely new battery. Let's look at each of these in more detail, starting with the sensor.

Not only is the sensor the highest-resolution for the full-frame format at 66.8MP, it's a stacked sensor, which means a faster readout speeds, and a half-stop boost in image stabilization performance, now up to 8.5 stops.

Stacked sensors power everything from rapid autofocus speed to minimizing rolling shutter distortion. The A7R VI's is faster than the A7R V's regular 61MP sensor, but not quite as quick as the A1 II's 50MP stacked sensor, nor the A9 III's 24MP global shutter.

We also get a next-gen processor, the Bionz XR 2. Top features include 10fps burst shooting (mechanical shutter) for up to 535 frames in compressed RAW, and up to 30fps blackout-free (electronic shutter) for up to 150 shots — the latter is a three-second burst.

One of the buttons can be assigned as a burst-shooting boost, meaning you can tick over at, say, 10fps in using the electronic shutter and up this to 30fps when a key moment occurs.

Burst shooting is also supported by the pre-capture feature, where up to one second of shots can be buffered with the shutter half-pressed, before you fully press the shutter to engage a sequence.

Like in the A7 V, the A7R V combines the processing chip with the dedicated AI chip — the setup found in previous-generation cameras like the A7R V — into a single chip, for greater efficiency and power conservation, and for smarter autofocus and accurate auto white balance and color rendition.

In addition to a boost in the maximum possible length of burst shooting sequences before the camera slows up, there's an auto subject-detection mode this time around, which is very handy if you regularly switch between subject types, plus dedicated subject-tracking modes for as humans, birds, animals and vehicles, with the camera able to recognize head, eyes and even body shape (human pose), to intelligently understand where exactly to focus on, with a super impressive hit ratio of sharp shots.

I photographed a lot of birdlife, and found the bird detection autofocus super reliable, and even able to pick out subjects when they only took up a small portion of the frame. Those who like to use spot focusing will enjoy seeing the size options expanded, with new XL and XS options for wider or even more precise focusing.

And then there's the new battery, a NP-SA100 unit with 2,670mAh capacity. For Sony photographers, this one is a big deal — the first new battery for Sony mirrorless cameras in nine years, since the legendary NP-FZ100.

The new battery is physically larger and has a 17% bigger capacity than the NP-FZ100's 2,280mAh, which already delivered rival-beating power, so that's the good news.

The bad news is that the batteries are not forwards / backwards compatible. You can't use your stock of NP-FZ100 batteries in the A7R VI, nor can you use the new NP-SA100 in an older Sony camera.

Batteries, along with the continued use of Sony's own CFexpress Type A cards, are another potential costly extra, which will no doubt irritate some Sony fans keen on the A7R VI. I certainly enjoyed having two NP-SA100 batteries and a charging dock for long weekends of heavy shooting, and would personally factor that into a purchase. The bottom line, though, is that the new battery's life is better — and who wouldn't want that?

• Performance score: 5/5

Sony A7R VI: Image and video quality

• The highest-resolution full-frame sensor in a mirrorless camera, and it's a stacked type
• 66.8MP equates to 28MP with a 1.5x (APS-C) crop
• Dynamic range boosted by one stop to a class-leading 16 stops

The 'R' series of A7 cameras have always been about detail — delivering the highest-resolution stills that Sony cameras are capable of. And the A7R VI boosts the series further, from 61MP to 66.8MP, and this is achieved with a substantial boost in performance thanks to the stacked sensor.

There are some who would have preferred an even bigger boost in resolution over a boost in speed — there was a time when the A7R VI was rumored to come with a (regular) 100MP sensor. For me, however, as someone who photographs everything from landscapes to portraits and wildlife, I prefer the versatility of the A7R VI's sensor. It's basically perfect for my needs.

With a stacked sensor, there's a risk of some compromises in image quality, especially in low light. Thankfully, in the case of the A7R VI, the opposite is true, and dynamic range is further boosted from 15 stops to 16 stops.

I don't usually need 66.8MP stills, but being able to crop into such large files can be super handy. For example, I took a lot of bird photos, and even with Sony's 400-800mm lens, which is its longest telephoto lens, the tiny, distant subjects at times appeared small in the frame.

No problem: I could crop right in and still enjoy super-sharp detail. To give you an idea, the 1.5x (APS-C) crop mode is still 28MP, which is a huge file size. Employing that crop with the 400-800mm lens is effectively like having a 1200mm lens! This is where high-resolution cameras can be particularly helpful.

Color is also improved, with the subject-detection AI chip analyzing the scene for better auto white balance (AWB). For example, where older AWB systems might look at a lush green woodland scene and compensate with the opposing tone, resulting in an overly magenta hue, the A7R VI knows it's a woodland, or a person in the shade, and will select the right tone for the scene.

Video recording looks similar to the A7R V's going by the numbers: 8K up to 30fps and 4K up to 120fps, and still no open-gate recording, but the new stacked sensor minimizes rolling shutter distortion, making the A7R VI a better option for video than its predecessor. It's also equipped with more filmic color profiles.

• Image and video quality score: 5/5

Sony A7R VI: testing scorecard

Should I buy the Sony A7R VI?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Sony A7R VI: also consider

How I tested the Sony A7R VI

• Sony loaned me the A7R VI four weeks before it was announced
• I had four lenses to use with it, plus twin batteries and a charging dock
• I've taken photos and videos of a wide range of subjects to test key feature

I had the chance to test the Sony A7R VI for four weeks ahead of its announcement, and used it with four lenses: a small 24mm f/2.8 prime, the 28-70mm F2 GM, 70-200mm F4 G OSS II Macro and 400-800mm F6.3-8 telephoto zoom. I was also supplied with two batteries and the twin charging dock.

Given the camera's high-resolution stacked sensor and latest processor, which incorporates the previously separate AI chip, I wanted to test the camera's image quality and performance in a wide range of scenarios, which included landscape photography, wildlife photography, portraiture and more.

I also tested its burst-shooting skills, shooting in both the mechanical and electronic shutter modes, and noting how many photos the camera could capture before slowing up.

Sony also loaned me the A7R VI's predecessor, the A7R V, so I was able to make various performance comparisons, especially around high-speed photography.

• First reviewed: May 2026
• Read more about how we test

In case you didn’t know it, there’s an "explosive growth in video-first products". That’s according to Canon, which just unveiled another 'V' mirrorless camera, the EOS R6 V.

With this latest arrival, Canon now has 22 EOS R mirrorless cameras in its arsenal, and the range caters for every niche and need, even if its naming convention can get a little confusing.

It was telling that, during a video briefing ahead of the EOS R6 V's launch, Canon showed several slides explaining who its various cameras are for, yet one attendee was still compelled to ask “why did you call it the EOS R6 V?”

So let’s unpack what the new camera is, where it sits in Canon's range, and which type of user it's aimed at. Here are 5 things you need to know…

1. Who’s the EOS R6 V for?

Canon started its ‘V’ series of cameras with the EOS R50 V, with the ‘V’ denoting video. Or perhaps it’s vlogging; I’m actually not sure. Either way, photography is a secondary function of the range.

You see, Canon believes that video-first products are where the market is going, and now it's given the ‘V’ series the full-frame treatment with the EOS R6 V, which rivals the Sony ZV-E1 and Nikon Zr — cameras with serious video skills, but pared back design when compared to pro cinema cameras.

In Canon’s range, the EOS R6 V sits above the EOS R50 V which is a vlogging-style version of the EOS R50 with an APS-C sensor. Both omit a viewfinder in favor of a host of video-friendly features and design touches, including a tally lamp, vertical and horizontal tripod mounts, auto-rotating menus (for video), and long record times.

If the EOS R50 V is a starter camera for vlogging and video creators, then the EOS R6 V is a supercharged version for upgraders, or those with pro-level skills who are looking to dive straight in. But things get more complicated — the R6 V inherits a sensor found in two other Canon cameras; the EOS R6 III and EOS C50.

The EOS R6 III is a photography-first camera which can also shoot great video, while the EOS C50 is a cinema camera with pro-level connectivity that happens to take photos; the EOS R6 V is somewhere in the middle.

Those three cameras share many of the same features, but are designed differently, and the EOS R6 V targets the same market as the Sony ZV-E1 and Nikon Zr. That should hopefully clear some things up, but let’s dig a bit deeper…

2. Sensor

Logically, the main reason that the new camera is called the EOS R6 V is because it features the same sensor as the EOS R6 III (but not previous EOS R6 models). However, not even the Canon spokesperson could confirm the reasoning behind the naming when presenting the product. The EOS C50 cinema camera also has the same sensor — it’s a 32.5MP full-frame sensor rated for 7.5 stops of image stabilization.

Each of the three cameras are capable of recording 7K video up to 60fps, internal RAW recording with Canon’s C-Log color profiles, the option for open-gate recording (from the full height and width of the 3:2 aspect ratio sensor), oversampled 4K up to 60fps, 4K /120fps and 2K up to 180fps. By comparison, the cheaper and smaller EOS R50 V’s video skills are very limited.

The EOS R6 V can shoot superb stills too, like the EOS R6 III — that's 32.5MP stills up to 40fps, with pre-capture. Not bad at all. Where the cameras differ the most is in their design.

3. Design

The EOS R6 V is a much bigger camera than the EOS R50 V — you can see the differences between the various cameras in the images above. However, it's similarly styled, with a similar control layout and shape.

Neither camera has a viewfinder — a growing trend that we’ve seen in new cameras, and one that isn't going down well with TechRadar readers. You'll be composing images using the camera’s 3-inch 1.62m-dot vari-angle touchscreen (which pales in comparison to the Nikon Zr’s gorgeous 4-inch display).

The bulkier body of the EOS R6 V packs the larger sensor, and features cooling vents, adding to the camera’s depth but equipping it with what are effectively unlimited record times. Canon told me that with the fan enabled, record times at any resolution, including 7K, are over two hours. In reality, you’ll run out of battery or space on your memory cards before the camera needs a break.

The EOS R6 V is a highly customizable camera, too, with 12 buttons that can be assigned your choice of function. It offers live streaming through full-size HDMI, a vertical tripod mount, and a zoom lever which can be used for a digital zoom, but also with 'power zoom' lenses. Speaking of ‘PZ’ lenses…

4. A new ‘kit’ lens

Alongside the camera, Canon announced the RF 20-50mm F4L IS USM PZ lens, and the two are designed to work together. The ‘PZ’ stands for power zoom, which is a smooth zoom function via a control on the lens, plus the camera itself also has a zoom lever.

By contrast, standard RF lenses paired with the EOS R6 III and other photography-first mirrorless cameras are manual-zoom only, and that jerky motion is not particularly something you’ll want during recording, or to be evident in your videos.

The lens itself weighs 420g, and coupled with the EOS R6 V, which weighs 688g with battery and card (598g without), balances well on a gimbal. It's equipped with 24cm close focusing and a decent 0.33x maximum magnification. Given it’s an L-series lens, build and optical quality are top drawer, and it costs a fair whack. How much? Here are the prices for the camera and lens…

5. Pricing

The EOS R6 V costs £2,400 / AU$3,599 (I’m rounding up UK prices by a penny because all those 99s are tedious), and will be available from June 24. You’ll be able to buy the camera in a kit with the RF 20-50mm F4L IS USM PZ lens, and together they’ll set you back £3,550 / AU$5,399 — that’s a saving of almost £300 / AU$400 versus buying the two separately. The lens will be available separately for £1,440 / AU$2,199, but I don’t have details on the launch date of the lens on its own yet, which I believe will be later than that of the kit. I'll also update this article with US pricing as soon as I can.

That pricing means the EOS R6 V is the most cost-effective way to bag Canon’s 32.5MP sensor — it’s cheaper than the EOS R6 III, and much less than the EOS C50. It’s the same story with the Sony ZV-E1 — it packs the same 12MP full-frame sensor and 4K recording as other pricier Sony cameras, including the A7S III and FX3.

Say what you will about these vlogging-style cameras — they do cost less versus other designs. I’ve had some brief hands-on time with the EOS R6 V, but not nearly enough time to form any meaningful conclusions. Stay tuned for our full review further down the line.

• Sony teaser announces new 'R' camera next week
• No details confirmed, but it's likely part of the high-res 'A7R' series
• Has potential to be the highest-resolution full-frame camera yet

Next week is going to be a big one for camera fans. After a drought of major releases in 2026, we've now seen the second of two teaser announcements from big manufacturers. Canon was first out of the gates, teasing an all-new camera with a full announcement date of May 13th — based on clues in the teaser, we predict it'll be a full-frame vlogging model. And now, it's Sony's turn.

On its YouTube channel, Sony has posted a short 40-second clip heralding a new camera announcement. There's no imagery in the clip, just a single line of text, reading 'Ready for the next R', with the announcement time and date listed below. And that date? You guessed it: May 13th, the same day as Canon. The precise timing will be 06:30 PT / 09:30 EDT / 14:30 BST / 23:30 AEST.

So, what is it? If you're not familiar, 'R' refers to Sony's Alpha 7R line — its range of full-frame mirrorless cameras that place the focus on high resolution (the nomenclature has been afforded to the travel-friendly A7C R, too). The A7 cameras are all-rounders, the A7S cameras are made for low-light sensitivities, the A1 cameras are top-end pro models, the A9 cameras are sports-focused speedsters. Whereas if you buy an A7R camera, it's because you want pixels, and lots of them.

The most recent in the series is the Sony A7R V, which was originally released in 2022, and is still one of our best full-frame camera picks. Equipped with a 61MP full-frame CMOS sensor, it was and still is the highest-resolution full-frame camera available, though this is a title it shares with a few other models in the Sony range, including the travel-friendly Sony A7C R and the previous model in the mainline series, the Sony A7R IV, which came out in 2019.

It's that last stat that makes me think that Sony could be cooking up something special here — and makes me much more excited to see what the new Sony camera is than I am about Canon's offering. That 61MP sensor has now been in play since 2019 – seven years ago. If Sony is bringing out a new camera in the A7R series, surely we're getting something new. The question is: what?

Why this might be the highest-resolution full-frame camera yet

You might reasonably be wondering — if Sony already holds the title of the highest-resolution full-frame camera, why does it need to go bigger? But the game has changed considerably since 2019. Mirrorless medium format cameras like Fujifilm's GFX 100S II and Hasselblad's X2D II 100C have brought 100MP sensors within the reach of the same photographers who are buying A7R cameras, since the prices aren't that different, and the operational speeds of these cameras have been improved enough to shake off the stereotype of 'cumbersome medium-format'. They can't shoot and focus as quickly or reliably as full-frame models — but they're not that far off.

And there have been interesting advances from other quarters. Canon's full-frame EOS R5 Mark II has a native resolution of 45MP — on paper, that lags behind Sony's 61MP. However, the EOS R5 Mark II uses clever in-camera upscaling technology to enhance an image's quality by up to 4x — spitting out 180MP files. The results are hugely impressive, and if I were looking for maximum resolution to deliver gigantic prints, I know which camera I'd go for.

That's why, in my view, there's no way Sony can be planning to just stick the same 61MP sensor in a refreshed camera body and keep calling it the highest-resolution full-frame camera. Things have changed too much, and the new A7R VI — assuming that's what we're getting — is going to have to do better than that to make a splash. Will Sony up the pixel count on its full-frame sensor? Will it ape Canon's in-camera upscaling? Or, are we about to see something completely new?

Make no mistake, this new camera is not going to be cheap. But I do think it's going to be interesting, and that's why I'll be tuning into Sony's announcement next week with a lot more interest than Canon's. Another full-frame vlogging model? Sorry, but I'm not blown away with excitement.

• The Fujifilm X-T6 is tipped for a September release date
• There's no word yet on what upgrades it could have
• However, the X-T5 is still in many ways the best APS-C camera ever made

We reviewed the Fujifilm X-T5 back in November 2022 and described the stills-focused mirrorless camera as 'the best full-frame alternative around'. Three-and-a-half years later, and with just a smattering of major new APS-C cameras released — including the Sony A6700 and Nikon Z50 II — it's the same story.

The X-T5 still has an unrivalled 40MP sensor with in-body image stabilization, which is tidily packaged into a lightweight retro body that's a joy to use, and is supported with a wide range of X-mount lenses.

And despite its age, the X-T5 remains the 'best overall' in my best Fujifilm cameras guide and I absolutely still recommend it in 2026 — even if its price is practically the same at is was at launch, and even with the rumored Canon EOS R7 II and the X-T5's successor (presumably called the X-T6) potentially on the horizon.

That being said, a successor to the X-T5 will undoubtedly get Fujifilm fans excited, and the current model can be improved upon. I believe that with the following upgrades, the rumored X-T6 could be a crop-sensor masterpiece.

1. The next generation processor

Since the X-T5, Fujifilm has gone about putting the X-Processor 5 chip it introduced into consequent models, such as the X-E5, X100VI, X-T30 III and X-M5. We're now due a next generation processor.

What benefits a new processor will bring, we can't know for sure, but typically we can expect improved power efficiency (read: better battery life) and a boost in burst shooting speed and length. Indeed, while the X-T5 is very quick — it can shoot at 15fps with the mechanical shutter, or up to 20fps with the electronic shutter (but with a 1.29x crop) — its buffer is limited.

That 15fps speed can be maintained for 119 JPEGs or just 19 raw files, which is pretty modest, while the 20fps rate lasts for 168 JPEGs / 23 raw. I'd expect the X-T6 to shoot for longer, making those top speeds more useable. Adding pre-capture for burst shooting would go down well with me, too.

Another way to improve burst shooting performance would be to adopt the faster CFexpress Type B card type, saving one of the two slots for that type of card, rather than twin SDs.

2. Improved autofocus

The X-T5's subject detection autofocus is really good, but rival systems from Canon, Sony and even Nikon are better overall. So, if you shoot a wide range of subjects and rely on autofocus, then a step up in autofocus performance will be appreciated in the X-T6.

For example, the very best autofocus systems today don't just recognize subject type, be it people, birds, animals or vehicles, but also body shape and even detect the type of action to determine which subject to focus on and where. Some such as Canon's EOS R1 and EOS R5 II even offer face registration so you can prioritize specific people — handy for scenarios such as weddings and team sports.

Should the X-T6 introduce any of the above and indeed provide reliable and accurate autofocus, then it'll be a notable step up in autofocus performance from the X-T5.

3. A new sensor

The X-T5 already has a fantastic 40MP sensor. No other APS-C camera can beat it for resolution, plus it's stabilized which helps for sharp shots when shooting handheld. So what could Fujifilm do with a next-gen sensor?

I suspect in the X-T6, we could be looking for a stacked sensor for faster readout speeds, though if Fujifilm goes down this route, it places the high-speed X-H series in question. A stacked sensor would level up the X-T series hybrid skills and make it an even better camera for action photography and video. However, if there's still life in the X-H series yet, then perhaps a partially stacked sensor would make for a sensible middle ground.

Combined with a new processor, a new sensor could also deliver improved dynamic range and better low light quality, bringing the X-T series closer to full-frame quality.

4. Design tweaks

The X-T5 is a treat in the hand, but a few design tweaks could make the X-T6 even better.

Starting with displays, the tilt screen could be swapped out for a versatile vari-angle display. I personally don't mind a tilt-only screen which can feel more robust and doesn't interfere with side ports, but I can appreciate the clamor from would-be upgraders for the vari-angle type which can be seen from more angles.

I would, however, like to see a boost in EVF quality and performance. A brighter, higher-resolution display with a faster refresh rate feels like a sensible upgrade.

5. New lenses and kits

OK, so this isn't camera-specific and would also apply to the X-T5, but Fujifilm built up a lot of excitement when it hosted a live event in March, asking viewers to vote for their favorite of 14 Fujifilm lens concepts.

Two weeks later the results were confirmed, and the XF 16-80mm F2.8 concept (24-120mm effective) proved most popular, followed closely by the XF 18-50mm F1.4.

I bring the top lens up here because it could conceivably be part of an X-T6 lens kit, while the current kits for the X-T5 aren't quite as exciting.

Now to be clear, this is a concept and Fujifilm hasn't said if it will indeed make any of the concept lenses it presented to fans. But if it were to — and Fujifilm Rumors has also suggested there could be two lenses coming alongside the X-T6 in September this year — then it could be one of the best camera kits available.

Overall, I don't think there will be great strides in outright image quality improvements, but I predict an X-T6 will be a more rounded camera that cements Fujifilm's place at the top of the APS-C tree.

• Teaser shows new camera ahead of May 13 launch
• Camera body has tally lamp and no viewfinder bulge
• Appears to be a larger variant of the EOS R50 V body shape

Canon has taken to social media to tease an all-new camera, and we don't have long to wait, with an official reveal set for May 13. The teaser, posted across Canon's social channels, is accompanied by the tagline "One camera, many stories" in the UK (and the slightly more flowery "Every moment has a story waiting to be told. One camera. Endless possibilities." for US audiences), and promises a 6am PT / 9am EDT / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST reveal next Wednesday morning.

That messaging isn't exactly subtle. Between the storytelling language and the teaser footage — which shows someone holding the camera at arm's length and shooting using the rear screen — it's pretty clear this is a video-centric, creator-focused device. The teaser also appears to conclude with two red triangles forming a "V" shape, which would suggest this new camera is set to join Canon's existing line of "V" series models.

Look closely at the camera's silhouette in the teaser and a few more details emerge. There's no viewfinder hump and a tally lamp is just about visible — two features associated with Canon's video-first offerings. Most intriguingly, the body appears to be noticeably larger than the current entry-level member of the V family.

That camera is the Canon EOS R50 V, which I reviewed for TechRadar in May of last year. It's a compact, APS-C-sensor mirrorless model aimed squarely at beginner content creators, priced at around $650 / £630 body only. Based on the silhouette in the teaser, whatever Canon is about to announce looks like a beefed-up version of that same design language — and "beefed up" in camera terms often means a bigger sensor.

Why a full-frame EOS R50 V makes sense

The EOS R50 V is a solid starter camera. In my testing, I found it lightweight, easy to use and capable of producing lovely-looking video and stills thanks to Canon's reliably excellent color science. Its Dual Pixel CMOS AF II autofocus system is also class-leading for the price. But the APS-C sensor does impose some limitations — particularly in low light, where the relatively slow kit lens doesn't help matters — and the lack of in-body image stabilization means you're relying entirely on whatever stabilization the attached lens offers.

A full-frame variant would address several of those issues at once. A larger sensor gathers more light, which means better performance in tricky conditions and more natural background separation — both of which matter enormously for the YouTube-and-Instagram crowd this camera would presumably target. Done right, it could sit neatly above the R50 V in Canon's lineup as an aspirational step-up for creators who've outgrown their beginner gear but still want something approachable.

The big question is price. If Canon can keep it genuinely affordable, it could make a serious dent in the full-frame vlogging market. A more premium price tag, though, and it'll have some stiff competition from Sony and Nikon — specifically the ZV-E1 and Zr — to contend with. We'll find out next Wednesday.

• OM System rumored to be launching a monochrome-only OM-3 variant
• Leica, Pentax and Ricoh currently offer monochrome cameras
• With no color filter, monochrome-only sensors can provide sharper images

There's an interesting pattern emerging in the camera industry. At a time when the mass-market camera segment is shrinking (you can blame the excellence of smartphone cameras for that), camera manufacturers are doubling down on the niche (or dare I say weird?) stuff. Retro-styled bodies. Fixed lenses. Film simulations. And increasingly, cameras limited to shooting only in black and white. It may seem like a counter-intuitive trend, but it's happening all the same.

The latest evidence comes courtesy of 43Rumors, a site that deals in Micro Four Thirds gossip. According to a new tip (which, to be clear, is labeled as a "super wild rumor"), OM System may be planning a monochrome version of its OM-3 mirrorless camera, potentially to arrive as soon as this autumn. Nothing is official, of course; OM System hasn't said a word. But the idea is less out there than it might first appear.

For the uninitiated: a monochrome camera captures images in black and white and nothing else — there's no color mode to fall back on. What makes this more than just an affectation is what happens at the sensor level. Standard color sensors use a Bayer filter array that assigns red, green or blue data to each pixel, requiring software interpolation to produce a final image. Remove that filter and every single pixel captures pure luminance data, which should result in sharper images, cleaner high-ISO performance and a tonal richness that color-to-mono conversions can't match.

It's a concept Leica essentially invented by launching the original M Monochrom back in 2012. The company has since expanded the idea across two major lines: the M11 Monochrom rangefinder and, more recently, the Leica Q3 Monochrom, a 60MP full-frame fixed-lens compact that launched in November 2025 for an eye-watering $7,790. At the (slightly) more affordable end of the spectrum, Pentax released its K-3 Mark III Monochrome (a 26MP APS-C DSLR) in 2023 for a little over $2,000, and Ricoh followed in January 2026 with the pocketable premium point-and-shoot GR IV Monochrome at a similar price. That's three major manufacturers that have already gone down the monochrome route.

Which brings us back to OM System. The brand has form when it comes to niche OM-3 variants; the OM-3 Astro, optimized for night-sky photography, proved the company isn't shy about tinkering with a sensor for a specialist audience. The standard OM-3 already ships with a dedicated monochrome profile and a creative dial for toggling between color and mono modes; it's one of the camera's most celebrated features, in fact. Building a dedicated mono version would require relatively minimal additional engineering. The business case, in other words, isn't outlandish at all.

Is limitation the new luxury?

The broader story here may be what this rumor says about the camera market. We're in an era where technical perfection is basically a given — every modern sensor can resolve extraordinary detail, handle high ISO with aplomb and track a moving subject with wizard-like accuracy. With that settled, photography enthusiasts are actively seeking cameras that impose creative constraints to force a particular way of seeing. Monochrome-only cameras are perhaps the most extreme expression of that impulse

If that trend has a problem, it's accessibility. The Leica Q3 Monochrom is a stunning piece of kit but its sky-high price puts it far out of most users' reach. Even the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, impressive as it is, carries a price premium significant enough that it's hard to justify over the standard GR IV. A mirrorless, interchangeable-lens monochrome camera priced below $2,000, which an OM-3 variant could conceivably be, would be a real first. It would open the dedicated monochrome experience to photographers who are serious about black and white, but don't have the money for a Leica.

There is one elephant in the room worth acknowledging, and it's a four-thirds-sized one. The gains from a monochrome sensor are real at any size, but they're amplified most dramatically on larger sensors, where the increased pixel area captures more light and the absence of the Bayer filter's light-sapping effect is most pronounced. A Micro Four Thirds monochrome sensor would still outperform its color equivalent, but it wouldn't hold a candle to the Leica Q3 Monochrom's full-frame output.

Whether that matters depends entirely on who's buying it. For photographers who want the purity of a dedicated mono without remortgaging the house, a small-sensor trade-off sounds like an entirely reasonable bargain. And if OM System can pair it with the OM-3's superb IBIS and weather sealing, the result could be a truly compelling camera, even if it's unlikely to trouble Leica's gilded corner of the market.

Adorama has had some fantastic deals on Sony and Canon cameras in the past few weeks, but now, it's Nikon's turn. At the specialist retailer this week, you'll find discounts of up to $900 across a number of bodies and lenses - including some of our favorite models here at TechRadar.

The highlight, for me at least, is the excellent Nikon Z5 II for a record-low price of $1,596 (was $1,849). This isn't the brand's highest-end body, but it's one that really impressed me when I reviewed it last year. The combination of image quality, autofocus, and rugged ergonomics makes the Z5 II a fantastic choice for most people - and, at this price, it's an absolute steal considering how much camera you get for the money.

If you're a serious videographer, however, then you could also consider the excellent Nikon Z6 III for $1,996 (was $2,696). The Z6 III isn't quite as good a value as the Z5 II (in my opinion), but you get support for 6K video up to 60fps, which makes it a fantastic choice for professional work.

Finally, another highlight has to be the superb Nikon Z8 for $3,396 (was $4,296). If you want a stunning high-end camera that melds a 45.7MP stacked sensor with 8K video capabilities and rugged ergonomics, this is our top recommendation. Of course, it's not cheap, but today's discount brings this one down to the lowest price for the year so far.

Today's best Nikon camera deals

By now, we've seen dozens of incredible and inspiring Artemis II mission images, all taken with a range of cameras, including something similar to the iPhone you have in your pocket. Some of the best, though, were captured with pro-level, mirrorless cameras like the Nikon Z9, a powerful, behemoth of a 45.7MP shooter equipped with a 400mm lens.

For the past few weeks, I've been shooting with that very same kit, though, in my case, Nikon loaned me a massive 180 mm to 600 mm lens (Nikon told me it's like the newer version of the 400mm lens the astronauts used) and added a 2x teleconverter for good measure. It's inarguably the most camera I've ever used.

The Nikon Z9 is a robust (and at $4,996.95 expensive) camera that NASA chose because it can work in some pretty extreme environments. In addition to its most recent work on the Artemis II mission, it's currently on the International Space Station and is scheduled to join the Artemis III mission, which should land astronauts on the surface of the moon in 2027. The camera should, with a special enclosure, join the astronauts for space and moon walks.

When we reviewed the Nikon Z9 in 2022, we called it Nikon's "most powerful camera" yet, and I have to say it can be both powerful and complex. There are auto shooting modes, including nearly 500 points of auto focus capabilities, but the more I shot with the camera, the more I took control of the aperture, shutter, speed, and ISO, all in an effort to take the best moon shots of my life.

I mostly succeeded while also failing, largely because of my own fault.

The weight of the moment

When the full kit arrived, I realized how much I'd underestimated the size and scale of this equipment. Without a lens, the Nikon Z9 weighs almost three pounds. Part of that is to accommodate one of the largest batteries I have ever encountered in a mirrorless camera (it lasts for days). Even the storage media is larger: the camera uses a pair (one is for instant backup) of pricey Compact Flash Express cards (slightly smaller than classic compact flash).

Even though the Nikkor 180 mm to 600 mm lens ($2,095.96) features an internal zoom mechanism, it's still a foot long. Add the TC-2.0x teleconverter ($280), and it sticks out almost two more inches. The overall weight had to be close to 10 pounds, and I was glad I had a sturdy unipod, which came in handy during my first few days of trying to shoot the moon and various birds.

Let me start with a warning: if you don't have a pro-level, industry-grade tripod, keep walking. The Nikon Nikkor lens arrives with a collar that lets you attach the camera to your tripod with the weight properly balanced between the lens and the camera. That was a huge help for my unipod, but my tripod, which had been more than effective for my Sony Alpha a6000 and 200MM lens, was totally overmatched by this kit. It was barely strong enough to hold the thing still for long exposures.

A lot of my star or astrophotography was ruined by imperceptible vibrations. The other issue, I do blame on Nikon: No matter how hard I tried, I could not connect the camera via Bluetooth or WiFi to the SnapBridge app on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. With it, I could've used a remote shutter. At least I figured out how to gently touch the display to trigger a photo. When I did that, the camera would pause for a second and then snap the shot.

While the camera does not default to this setting, I chose to take every photo in both the highest resolution RAW and JPEG compressed. The former meant I could take all the information the sensor captured for every photo and pour it into Adobe Lightroom, where I would apply maximum adjustments to perfect each image.

Getting hooked

Yes, the Nikon Z9 with that massive lens is expensive and a bit overwhelming, but all it takes is one great photo to hook you, and let me tell you, I got hooked.

My first few days were spent taking some backyard bird photography. I had installed the 2X teleconverter, which essentially doubles your zoom but also amplifies any lens issues and removes a couple of lower f-stops (bigger aperture for more light), meaning you either need to increase the ISO or slow down the shutter.

The first bird photos I took on a cloudy day were grainy, even with some work in Lightroom; I didn't love them. So I opted to remove the teleconverter. After all, the birds weren't that far away (closer than the moon, at least), and with 45MP of sensor to work with, I could crop in quite a bit.

I saw instant improvement, and really appreciate the clarity and speed of the lens. The level of detail I was capturing, say, of local cardinals was stunning.

The big moment

Standing outside with the Nikon Z9 resting on my unipod, I scanned the sky for distant objects. The day was clear, and I noticed a fast-moving jet thousands of feet overhead. Mostly, I could see it's chemtrails, but I pointed the long lens at it and, for this shot, let auto settings (and autofocus do its work).

In the preview on the touch-screen viewfinder, I could see the plane, but I also thought I noticed a faint crescent nearby. Quickly, I opened Lightroom on my MacBook Pro and used the Nikon-supplied card reader and a USB-3-to-USB-C adapter to import the NEF file. That's when I saw it.

Not only had I captured the airplane, but the thin crescent moon; to have them both in frame like that was an incredibly lucky shot. In Lightroom, I did some adjustments to correct the sky color and help bring the moon and jet plane into dual focus.

You can see the photo above.

The moon and stars

I need to make something clear. The Artemis II astronaut's moon photos with the Nikon Z9 and other cameras are even more amazing when you realize that they captured these detailed views with relatively modest lenses. The Nikon Z9 they had was equipped with a 400mm lens. Nothing to sneeze at, but you look at what I captured with the Nikkor 600mm lens and then with the doubling 2x converter (akin to 1,200mm) and realize that my view is still not even remotely as close and clear as NASA's Integrity spaceship astronauts were.

It's humbling, really.

Even so, I did my level best to capture sharp, clear images of the moon and stars. As I noted above, the astrophotography was something of a bust. To do it well, you need not only to change all your settings to manual (including focus), but also to use the Nikon Z9's nifty Starlight setting on the large display viewfinder. It's an ultra-low-light view that helps immensely when you want to view the stars in your frame during what can be a challenging situation: outside, at night, in the dark.

I also had to adjust my ISO far higher to capture more light (I tried everything from 400 to 1250) and slow down the shutter speed, anywhere from 1 second to 30. My problem was the tripod, which, when I tried pointing the camera almost vertically at the stars, could not hold still. Most of my star shots have some starlight squiggles (not the tech term). Ultimately, I captured a couple of semi-usable images of Jupiter and its moons. One is super tight, and you can just make out some moons very nearby.

Fly me to the moon

I had better luck with the moon. It's a lot closer than constellations and planets, and far brighter, which meant I could lower my ISO (for less grainy shots), close down my aperture a bit, and use faster shutter speeds (usually 125th of a second).

I did not have the benefit of a full moon during most of my shooting window, but the 3/4 moon I saw the other night was still impressive. As before, I put the shots in Lightroom and did some adjustments to reduce the exposure and increase the contrast. I didn't adjust sharpness, and therefore the level of detail I can show you here (yes, I did crop the image) is still impressive. Since I didn't travel with the Artemis II crew, my photos still only represent the side of the moon we all see. They used the Nikon Z9 to show us the dark side in ways we had never seen before (and to capture views of our home looming in the distance).

There's no frustration that I could not fully match Team Artemis II's photographic accomplishments. Instead, holding that camera in my hand, I imagined what it must have felt like to look through the viewfinder and see the weathered face of our Moon in such impressive, almost touchable detail.

For the briefest moment, I felt a kinship with those astronauts, and while I'm aware that the onboard iPhone 17 Pro Max also captured some inspiring images, I know there's no substitute for a pro camera and big lens when it comes to capturing unforgettable, lucky, and sometimes historic astro and nature images.

The specialist retailer Adorama is hosting a huge 'Sony Alpha April sale' this week, with price cuts of up to $900 across a wide range of the brand's popular mirrorless cameras. If you were thinking about that next upgrade, or perhaps picking up a new camera as the weather improves, now's a great opportunity to score a record-low price.

I've been scanning through the listings today, and I've spotted great discounts on the A7R V, the A7 IV, and the a7C II — all favorite models here at TechRadar.

Editor's note: the a7C II was orginally $1,998 at the time of this article's publication. It's now $2,099, which is no longer a record-low price for this model.

Just below, you can check out today's best Sony deals at Adorama, starting at $849 for the still-great (and affordable) a6400. Where applicable, I've made sure to point out the record-low prices for these models. In general, most of these are prices we've seen before, and they match previous prices from Black Friday and other sales events.

Note that the Adorama Sony sale is due to end on April 26, so there are a few days to consider these deals. We'll probably see similar price cuts over the upcoming Memorial Day sales, but those are still a few weeks away at time of writing.

Today's best Sony camera deals

When Panasonic launched its full-frame Lumix S9 mirrorless camera, I remember thinking that we needed more tiny lenses to complement its compact form factor, besides the collapsible 18-40mm kit lens and the oddball 26mm f/8 pancake. A full two years later, and the dinky S 40mm F2 has arrived.

I had a few days testing the fast prime ahead of its announcement, fitting it to the shiny new 'Black Titanium' special edition of the Lumix S9 — which is a sharp-looking colorway, I must say (it's pictured below) — and the lens is a perfect match, with the fast-aperture versatility that many Lumix photographers have been crying out for from such a small lens.

The Lumix S 40mm F2 lens costs $399 / £349 / AU$699 and is available in black and silver versions, while the new 'Black Titanium' special- edition Lumix S9 costs $1,899 / £1,299 (it won't be available in Australia), adding to what I count are at least 10 other color variants, including another special-edition 'Titanium Gold' version. There really is a color for every taste, and the latest is particularly classy.

Panasonic also revealed its latest lens road map alongside the 40mm F2, and two future lenses have been added: a wide-angle prime that sits somewhere between the 18mm and 24mm focal lengths, plus a large-aperture telephoto zoom, spanning somewhere 50-200mm, which could potentially go wider than Panasonic's two existing 70-200mm lenses.

My short review period has given me enough time to get a feel for the 40mm F2 lens when paired with the Lumix S9, and for its image-quality potential — here are my first impressions.

Finally… a tiny and high-quality L-mount Lumix prime

This is one tiny lens. Yes, the Lumix S 26mm f/8 pancake is an even smaller lens, but it's little more than a glorified body cap. What the new S 40mm F2 possesses that the pancake lens lacks is proper optics and the versatility of a fast f/2 aperture — in a size that I'd typically expect for a f/2.8 of f/4 prime lens.

And it's not that much bigger than the pancake lens – being similar in size to the 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 zoom (when that lens is collapsed), measuring just 1.6 inches / 40.9mm in length, and tipping the scales at 5.1oz / 144g. For full-frame, that's miniscule.

There are alternative optics, mind you — full-frame Lumix cameras are part of the L-mount alliance, which has 11 members and counting, including Sigma, other third-party lens makers and, most recently, Freefly, an American company specializing in drones, gimbals and cameras for commercial use.

Perhaps the closest lens in size and specification is the TT Artisans 40mm f/2, which costs around half the price, measures 1.7 inches / 43mm in length and weighs 5.9oz / 166g — those are negligible differences. I prefer the look of the TT Artisans lens, though I can't speak of it's optical quality.

Sigma's pricier Contemporary 45mm F2.8 DG DN is a high-quality alternative that's heavier at 7.6oz / 215g and a fraction longer at 1.8 inches / 46mm. Again, I prefer the look of the Sigma lens — and looks matter when we're talking lenses for the Lumix S9.

I think the rather conventional design of the Lumix S 40mm F2, which is consistent with other Lumix L-mount lenses, is its biggest drawback, especially if you're pairing it with attractive cameras such as the Lumix S9.

As you can see from the pictures above, however, the 40mm F2 is truly an ideal match with the Lumix S9 for size, and it would be equally at home on larger bodies too, such as the Lumix S5 II.

Build quality is solid — the lens is dust- and splash-resistant and features a proper metal lens mount, while autofocus speed is rapid.

The control ring operates smoothly, and its function can be customized — deep within a Lumix camera's menu is the Custom > Lens/Others > Focus Ring Setting During AF option. I started off with it controlling aperture, and the adjustments are precise, being ideal for smooth exposure control during video recording. There are nine other options to choose from, such as shutter speed, exposure compensation, and Photo Style.

Naturally, the same control ring operates focus when the lens is set to manual focus — there's an AF/MF control for switching between manual and autofocus — with helpful assist tools available for precise manual focusing, such as magnification.

Focus breathing is suppressed, making the lens a valid option for video as well as photography. Overall, I have no complaints with how the lens handles, and really enjoyed its compact size and lightweight design.

Image quality is impressive, too

Considering its size and weight, the 40mm F2 lens shoots sharp images, paired with that versatile f/2 aperture which is ideal for low light and blurring backgrounds.

It close focuses down to 11.8 inches / 30cm, which delivers a magnification of around 0.15x. That's fairly flexible for photographing small details, but this is no macro lens. The aforementioned TT Artisans lens can only focus down to 15.7 inches / 40cm, making the Lumix option the more versatile of the two.

I was able to give the lens a proper test during sunset in an idyllic setting surrounded by bluebells (it's that time of year in the UK). Taking portraits and close-up pictures of bluebells in bright light allowed me to test optical clarity, potential lens flare and distortions, and bokeh characteristics — I tested the latter by taking the same picture in a sequence, stopping the aperture down in full stops from f/2 to f/8.

For reference, I turn off in-camera lens corrections and shoot in RAW and JPEG format, which allows me to see the extent of lens distortion in uncorrected raw files versus processed JPEGs.

When shooting at f/2 away from sunlight, bokeh is gorgeous, being round and smooth. You can really see the difference in bokeh size between f/2.8 and f/4, which highlights how useful the f/2 aperture is, especially for portraiture. I took self portraits remotely using the free Lumix Lab app on my phone (which easily paired with the camera and worked flawlessly, by the way — this is one of the better camera apps I've used).

I then turned the lens to shoot towards the sun, backlighting the bluebells, and to shoot more portraits. This approach provided the most difficult of tests for this (and any) lens, and as you can see in the images above, there are instances of lens flare, a little fringing in bluebell silhouettes at f/2 (chromatic aberration), and bokeh fringing (LoCA).

I'd hardly call these lens distortions problematic, though, and with lens corrections applied in JPEGs most of the fringing is gone, though nothing can be done about lens flare.

There's only minor vignetting at f/2, which is basically gone by f/4, which is also the aperture at which you first get the sharpest detail the lens is capable of — and it really does look sharp. Overall, optical quality is impressive, especially for such a small lens with such a big f/2 aperture, and I wouldn't hesitate to call upon this lens for everyday photography.

I'd say the rather conventional styling better suits Panasonic's DSLR-style mirrorless cameras such as the Lumix S5 II. Nonetheless, and certainly with regards to its size, this is the lens that Panasonic's small full-frame cameras like the Lumix S9, and future compact Panasonic mirrorless cameras, have been crying out for, and I can easily recommend it.

• An intriguing new Insta360 camera has just leaked
• It looks like a traditional Micro Four Thirds mirrorless model
• The camera has been spotted once before

Just days after GoPro introduced a new action camera with a Micro Four Thirds lens mount — making it compatible with hundreds of external lenses — a new camera from Insta360 has leaked that promises to keep the Micro Four Thirds trend going.

The leak comes from Reddit (via 4/3 Rumors), and we get a decent look at the design of the device. There's no viewfinder here, but Insta360 seems to have kept everything relatively compact, and we get the white finish that Insta360 is keen on for its cameras.

We have actually seen a leak for this camera before, back in January when Insta360 CEO Jingkang Liu posted a mysterious shot to social media: it showed this camera in action, with the rear screen on display while a photo was being framed.

That previous leak pointed to 20MP photo capture and a fixed or interchangeable f/1.8 lens, but it now seems a Micro Four Thirds mount could be on board. The software interface looks to be similar to the one we're already familiar with from the Insta360 Ace Pro action camera.

Either 'hideous' or 'fresh'

A new M43 camera, from insta360. The rumor turns out to be real. from r/M43

While plenty of questions remain around this camera — such as whether the mount will come with autofocus and aperture control for existing MFT lenses — it's likely to be welcomed by those who have been missing new models in this specific category.

Reactions online have been somewhat mixed, with various commentators describing it as "hideous", "fresh", and "infinitely more useful... than whatever GoPro just released". Another more positive reaction was "this is amazing for mft [Micro Four Thirds]", with the argument being that it could fill a gap left by both OM System and Panasonic in the system for a truly compact mirrorless camera. We're going to reserve judgment until it's actually been made official.

Given Insta360's track record, this is likely to be beginner-friendly, while also trying to do enough to tempt the more professional crowd as well. Vloggers will no doubt be interested, as they will in the upcoming Insta360 Luna that's already been previewed.

With Micro Four Thirds camera launches few and far between in recent years, it's interesting that both GoPro and Insta360 are now investing in the technology again — but we'll have to wait and see what the demand for these models is like.

I spent an entire month last year using the Xiaomi 15 Ultra as my primary camera. It ticked a lot of boxes for me as a long-time photographer, and has become my favorite camera phone, not least for the natural photo quality from its large 1-inch sensor.

That phone was recently updated with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which appears to be a relatively minor upgrade, but which shares the same hardware as Leica's first globally available phone (other than in the US), the co-branded Leitzphone. (There was no Xiaomi 16 series, as Xiaomi hopes to "directly [compete] with the iPhone in the same generation.")

Both phones pack a triple-camera unit comprising the main 1-inch sensor camera, a 3-4x optical-zoom telephoto camera, and an ultra-wide camera, and which is powered by Qualcomm's latest and most powerful mobile chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Leica has added its own design twist on the phone's exterior and it's a characteristically classy one, with a black finish and a knurled silver trim, plus a unique mechanical control ring that surrounds the circular camera unit and which can control zoom, but which be assigned to another control instead, such as exposure compensation.

There's also a nod to Leica's camera UI, with the camera app UI sharing the same style and typeface, which will be familiar to folks who have used a digital Leica camera such as the D-Lux 8. And, perhaps inevitably, when it comes to price there's also the 'Leica tax': the Leitzphone costs £1,700 / AU$2,299 (around $2,000), which is around 20% more than the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.

I approached my time with the Leica Leitzphone effectively treating it as an upgrade of my favorite camera phone, and so I couldn't resist comparing its image quality to that of my pro mirrorless camera in a few tests.

I'll soon share a deep dive on my experience with the Leitzphone as a photographer, based on using it every day over two weeks, but here I'm going to highlight one aspect of that experience: comparing the same portrait taken with the Leitzphone's telephoto camera and with my Nikon Z6 series camera paired with the superb Viltrox 85mm f//1.4 Pro lens.

Leitzphone vs full-frame mirrorless

Before I take you through how I shoot and edit portraits with the Leica Leitzphone, let's take a look at the two photos together, and see if you can spot which one is which.

One photo is taken with the Leica Leitzphone's telephoto camera, the other with a Nikon Z6 II and Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Pro. For context, the kind of quality that my camera and lens pairing is capable of is equivalent to camera gear costing in the region of $5,000 / £4,500 / AU$8,000.

Reckon you know which photo was taken with which camera?

How I shoot portrait photos with the Leitzphone

You might have an idea already, but before I reveal which photo is taken with which camera, allow me to unpack how I came to the final edit of the portrait shot with the Leitzphone.

I used the Leitzphone's 3-4x telephoto camera to get a similar perspective to the stunning Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 lens used in this comparison. However, the 1/1.4-inch sensor of the phone (for the 3-4x camera), while bigger than the sensors in most other phones and able to blur backgrounds nicely, is dwarfed by my full-frame mirrorless camera's, and therefore the background blur, or bokeh, needs an additional helping hand.

For portraits, the Leitzphone offers a 'portrait' mode. It utilizes the 3-4x telephoto camera, and the captured photo looks the same as if you'd used the camera's regular photo mode. However, there's one key difference: the edit.

Selecting portrait mode enables a bokeh effect option — you can use a slider to dial in (fake it) a wider aperture effect. I selected f/1.4 to match my mirrorless camera's aperture setting (see the screen recording below).

It's also possible to select a bokeh shape — I opted for the natural (and desirable for purists) circular bokeh shape, while the Viltrox's bokeh is a little more cat's-eye in places, so now it might be a little more obvious which image is which.

Another tell is that the Leitzphone captures a greater depth of field than a full-frame 85mm lens at f/1.4, so the detail in the subject is sharper throughout, whereas the Nikon mirrorless camera portrait's depth is shallow — see the end of the beard, which is out of focus.

If you haven’t already worked it out, the top image was taken with the Leitzphone, and the bottom one with my Nikon Z6 II and Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 lens. I don't blame you if you struggled to tell the difference, especially if you're reading this feature on mobile — the differences between the two are minor, and proof of just how smart smartphone cameras have become.

In a way, the Leitzphone offers the best of both worlds in this scenario – big bokeh (albeit achieved computationally) with more depth in the subject. At a pinch, you could stop the mirrorless lens aperture down for more depth in the subject and go through the same edit process to increase bokeh size.

While I was at it, I did a light edit on the brightness, sharpness and tones of the Leitzphone portrait to get the look I liked. The preview makes the bokeh effect look ugly when you view the edit close up, but once the image is saved, most of those artifacts around the subject are gone (see before and after, below).

Honestly, when you look at the end result from the Leitzphone's portrait mode, it's mind-blowingly good.

I don't know about you, but the effect is so convincing, especially when viewed on a smart device, that I would happily use the Leitzphone for portraiture. It's not about to replace my mirrorless camera, but it might just make me think twice about packing it.

I've added a few more photo comparisons below. I hope you enjoy — and let me know what you think about the Leitzphone in the comments below.

• A photographer has captured the "first-ever" underwater shots of a rare seal
• The Ross seal was photographed in Antarctica using a Sony A1
• The photographer Justin Hofman called it "a bittersweet encounter" due to climate change

Imagine this — it's your fifteenth expedition in Antarctica and you're snorkeling by the ice edge photographing krill, with a Sony A1 in hand, when you see an ultra-rare species enter the water close by.

This was the moment facing pro sealife photographer Justin Hofman recently as a Ross seal entered his view. It was only his second sighting of a Ross seal, and he knew that the species has never been photographed in its habitat underwater before.

I asked Justin about the encounter, specifically the story around getting the pictures you see in this article. After setting up for photographing krill, Justin said: "My camera setup was, on paper, the absolute worst thing you could use to photograph big animals.

"If I was going to shoot seals or bigger animals I would generally have a wide-angle zoom on a dome port and hope to work very close to the animal to maximize impact and make the viewer feel like they’re in the water with the animal. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect this to happen, let alone that I would shoot it with a 90mm macro!" he added.

There was also one non-technical factor that helped the stars align. Justin added: "The thing that saved me, and probably lead to a more natural behavior by the seal, was the early season super clear water. Since the plankton bloom hadn’t happened yet, the water was incredibly clear which allowed me to stay far enough away from the seal to not bother it, and allowed me to use the reach of a 90mm macro lens. It’s total dumb luck that the encounter happened but I’m so fortunate to be able to use the camera and the conditions to my advantage."

"I was shooting with an external monitor as well, which allowed me to get the camera a little deeper, away from the surface, and have more precision with my composition," he added.

These monitors are typically associated with shooting video, but they can be a godsend for tricky conditions like underwater shooting. "Some people think that external monitors are only for shooting video, but I always use a monitor on top of my housing," Justin said. "I find that it allows me to get the camera into more interesting positions because I don’t have to worry about shooting through the viewfinder or struggle with the back LCD. It has been a game-changer to me," he added.

Yet for such a memorable moment, it was also a "bittersweet encounter" for Justin.

A bittersweet encounter

The Sony A1 was able to pick up the face and eye of the seal and track it across the frame, despite the slow focusing speeds of the 90mm macro, which is an old lens now and has since been updated with the five-star 100mm F2.8 Macro GM OSS.

By using smaller autofocus zones, the camera could prioritize and track the face of the seal, for off-center compositions.

Justin used a continuous high burst shooting mode to make the most of this chance encounter. He uses manual exposure mode because underwater metering is tricky, on account of the shifting/flickering light. He often uses strobes, but given the water was so clear, there was enough light to get these photos, without disturbing the seal.

And despite not being able to use his favored lens, I think you'll agree that the resulting photos are stunning. However, Justin was keen to point out that "the only reason that I was able to get these photos is because of climate change impacts on sea ice."

There's a wider story at play here. Justin told me: "2025 had one of the lowest levels ever recorded for sea ice formation in Antarctica, which allowed our expedition ship to venture much further south much earlier than ever before.

"On a 'normal' year, the Ross seal’s habitat is inaccessible because of the thickness and extent of the sea ice. But last season the ice levels were at an all-time low which meant we could access the refuges that Ross seals were using to complete their molting after the breeding season.

"So it’s a bit of a bittersweet encounter that wouldn’t have happened if the polar ecosystems weren’t in a state of drastic change. Antarctica is one of the fastest warming places on Earth and in my 16 years of working down there, I have seen a lot of changes that concern me."

Spring is finally here, and with brighter days and better weather on the way, it’s the perfect excuse to upgrade your camera gear. Specialist retailers Adorama and B&H are certainly thinking so, as both have excellent Spring specials on a range of well-reviewed models this week.

• Check out today's sales at Adorama and B&H Photo

Right now, you can get a great deal on models like the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, the Nikon Z5 II, the Sony A7R V, and a range of the latest OM System cameras. In some cases, we're actually seeing prices that are as good as the previous record-low discounts on these bodies. Most of those were from Black Friday, all the way back in November of last year.

I've been scanning through this weekend's retail events to find the best discounts today. If you’re thinking about upgrading your kit or jumping into photography for the first time, you’ll find my top picks just below - including links to our in-depth product reviews here at TechRadar.

This weekend's best camera deals

• Nikon Z5 II, Z6 III and ZR mirrorless cameras all affected
• Only certain serial numbers require recall and repair
• Repairs will be free – even if the unit is out of warranty

Nikon has issued a service advisory warning, revealing that certain units of three of its camera models were built using substandard components, and that the defect could cause affected cameras to stop working entirely.

The advisory, published today, covers a specific range of serial numbers across the Nikon Z5 II, Nikon Z6 III and Nikon ZR.

The Z5 II and Z6 III are full-frame mirrorless cameras pitched at enthusiast photographers, while the ZR is a more cinema-oriented camera aimed at professional video shooters. The fact that the issue spans such a wide range of Nikon's lineup (from mid-range stills shooters to professional cinema gear) means this is a pretty notable quality control moment for Nikon.

Nikon hasn't disclosed exactly what the faulty parts are or the precise nature of the failure, but has made it clear that the potential consequences are serious. The company explicitly states that affected units "may become inoperable." That's bad news for anyone relying on these cameras professionally, particularly ZR owners who may have thousands of dollars tied up in their shooting setup.

Does your Nikon need fixing?

The good news is that Nikon appears to be handling the situation responsibly. Not only has the company been forthcoming about the issue, but it has committed to providing free repairs for any affected units, regardless of whether the camera remains under warranty or not. It will also cover shipping costs both ways, so you won't be out of pocket for the fix, should you need it.

To find out if your camera is affected, you'll need to check the seven-digit serial number printed on the label inside the camera body, which will be visible when the monitor is opened. Nikon has set up separate serial number lookup tools for each model on its website (click here for Z5 II, here for Z6 III and here for ZR), and if your unit is flagged as affected, you'll be walked through the repair request process. Repair requests will be accepted starting March 23 2026.

If you own any of these three cameras, it's well worth taking a few minutes to run your serial number through Nikon's checker, particularly if you rely on your gear for paid work. A camera that becomes inoperable mid-shoot is never a good situation, and catching the issue before it manifests is obviously preferable to dealing with it in the field.

If you're anything like me, musing on dream camera gear can be a bit of a habit. That lens you wish you owned, or the one missing from your camera system's line up. Fujifilm just democratized the process... of sorts.

During a 'Focus on Glass – Untold Stories' live event, the retro digital camera maker proposed 14 lens concepts, and it wants you to have your say on your favorite(s).

Fujifilm's Yukitaka Takeshita and Yumi Miyauchi, leads in the X-mount product planning team, unpacked each option throughout the 38 minute presentation (see the YouTube video below), covering Character Rich, Wide Aperture, Reviving Legendary and High-Magnification Zoom categories.

Three options included mark II variations of the original 35mm f/1.4 prime, but I expect various new 'wide aperture' options will get Fujifilm fans especially pumped.

The front runners

There's scope for picking your three favorites, and I've cast my vote. Fujifilm has set the vote results to live, meaning that once you've voted you can see the front runners, with the voting updated every 5 minutes.

I'm hardly surprised which two options are pulling away from the pack in the opening 24 hours; the XF 16-80mm f/2.8 and XF 18-50mm f/1.4 – two versatile, fast aperture zooms, taking 32% of the entire vote at the time of writing.

Remember, X-mount lenses are APS-C format, meaning the above lenses have equivalent 24-120mm and 27-75mm focal lengths in full-frame terms respectively. The f/2.8 zoom is expected to weigh between 400-500g, the f/1.4 zoom less than 800g, so both are moderately lightweight and compact considering the optical construction.

The XF 16-80mm f/2.8 is likely to top the votes overall – it feels like the perfect travel lens. For me, however, I'd be really keen to see one of the 'character rich' options – an XF 90mm f/2 APD. If you're unfamiliar with what APD means, it refers to an apodization element – a rarity in today's lenses and which is designed to add extra dreamy bokeh effects for portraiture.

Fujifilm's option is the equivalent of a 135mm focal length in full-frame terms, and harks to a Nikon F-mount lens I owned for many years before cashing in for more than I paid for it, the legendary 135mm f/2 DC. Sony has such as lens in its lineup too, a 135mm STF (smooth transition focus).

I'm sure you'll have your own ideas too. So if you're keen to have your say, head over to the Fujifilm site to see all the options, which also includes an XF 33mm F1.0, and cast your vote. You can pick up to three of the 14 options.

Of course, there are no guarantees that any of these lenses will be made. However, I'm a big fan of Fujifilm involving the public in such processes, and I'm sure if either or both of those two frontrunners are produced, they would be super popular.

The Canon EOS R5 was so future proof when it launched all the way back in July 2020, that even now it's considered one of the best full-frame mirrorless cameras money can buy. And it remains my workhorse body when I need professional results whether I’m shooting weddings, commercial property or product photography.

My only change during my ownership of the EOS R5 has been to add a battery grip to make it better to hold when shooting in portrait mode. I’ve also added a Canon EOS R6 Mark II to my kit bag, too — it has a lower resolution 24.2MP sensor which compliments the hi-res 45MP EOS R5 rather nicely, and is the better option when I’m shooting in low light.

I was lucky enough to attend the launch event of the Canon EOS R5 Mark II as well as the Canon EOS R1 in 2024, and I was blown away by some of the tech shown off. Truth is, however, when the excitement of playing with a brand-new shiny toy wore off, I found few compelling reasons to upgrade.

Putting the cost of forking out for a new camera to one side, I've compiled my reasons for sticking with the perfectly good original EOS R5. Do you agree, or do you prefer the latest and greatest features? Have a read, and let me know what you love about Canon’s EOS R5 and EOS R5 Mark II in the comments, and what you’d like to see from Canon for the EOS R5 Mark III.

Bigger isn't always better

To house all of the new tech found in the new EOS R5 Mark II, Canon had to make the body larger, seen in the additional space behind the LCD screen which houses the air vents for better passive cooling.

There’s also a larger viewfinder which features a sensor for eye tracking AF so you can move the AF point with your eyeball – very cool technology, but I’ve found its results to be quite hit and miss and tended to opt for other autofocus methods.

Bigger isn’t always better - I much prefer the smaller EOS R5 body to attract a little less attention when shooting street photography, and as a travel photographer every bit of space saved in my kit bag is a win.

I appreciate that the size probably isn’t going to go down when a successor to the EOS R5 Mark II does eventually come out – most likely around the 2028 Summer Olympics in LA – but that’s a bullet I reckon I'll have to bite when the time comes. I’ll continue to enjoy using the slightly smaller EOS R5 body until then.

The OG is sporty enough for me!

The EOS R5 Mark II was launched in tandem with the EOS R1 ahead of the 2024 Olympics, and while some of its more athletic features will be a hit with pro sports photographers, I’d bet that most of us regular folk don’t need a camera quite as kitted out as this one.

One area where the Canon EOS R5 Mark II does see a big leap forward is for autofocus when shooting sports such as soccer, basketball and volleyball. It has an Action Priority mode powered by its secondary processor called a Digic Accelerator. This is also the same powerful mode found in the $6,799 / £6,999 Canon EOS R1 flagship. The R5 Mark II also has register face priority, allowing you tell the camera which star players on the field to prioritise when acquiring focus.

Now don’t get me wrong, these are impressive features. But as I don’t personally shoot a lot of sporting events regularly, it’s not reason of its own to merit an upgrade.

I do however shoot a lot of weddings, which is an area where the register face priority function could be very handy for registering the bride, groom and key family members to prioritize them. However, it’s not a deal-breaker for me at the moment – plus the EOS R6 Mark III has this feature so I may still benefit from it when I eventually upgrade my EOS R6 Mark II.

Resolution king

I will admit the one area that I can see the EOS R5 Mark II being particularly desirable for stills photos is its new sensor. While they both have a healthy 45MP resolution – the Mark II’s stacked sensor is new, and works with a second processor called the Digic Accelerator to boost readout speeds to reduce rolling shutter defects. It’s also backlit, placing the wiring behind the sensor, which gives it a boost for low light performance.

Even still, Canon’s EOS R5 is a formidable high resolution beast when it comes to stills. Its 45MP resolution serves pretty much all of my needs when supplying my clients with high quality images. The mechanical shutter of the EOS R5 is also rated to half a million shots, so mine has plenty of life left in it yet!

When it comes to video the EOS R5 can shoot up to 8K/30p or 4K/120p, and although it’s limited to a 30 minute record time and doesn’t have the better cooling design of the Mark II, it’s still overkill for what I need from a video camera. If you need the 8K/60p, 10-bit recording, 4:2:2, longer recording times, active cooling and Canon Log 2, the R5 Mark II will be a fantastic improvement.

Lenses sure can be expensive for mirrorless cameras. When I first bought a Nikon Z camera, I picked up the versatile 24-70mm F2.8 S to go with it, and that fabulous lens tied me over for a few years until I could afford a second one.

Recently, I have been able to pick up a few more optics because I have found an affordable alternative that doesn't compromise on quality, and that's Viltrox.

I have a few Viltrox prime lenses now, and couldn't be more impressed. Take the new 35mm F1.2 Lab – it's a pro-quality prime ideal for reportage photography and, despite being Viltrox's priciest lens for mirrorless cameras, it costs just one-third the price of Nikon's. It's the same story across the range.

Viltrox makes autofocus lenses for full-frame and APS-C mirrorless cameras, focusing on Sony E, Nikon Z, and Fujifilm X, and recently released its first L-mount lens, the AF 16mm F1.8.

All Viltrox lenses are well-made, shoot sharp shots, and cost so much less. The only real compromise versus pricier proprietary alternatives is that Viltrox lenses can be a little heavier, and autofocus speed in older models can be a fractionally slower. Otherwise, you're getting the same performance and quality at a significantly lower price.

Viltrox currently only makes prime lenses, ranging between 14mm and 135mm focal lengths for full-frame, or between 9mm to 75mm for APS-C. I've included some of my top picks below, and for the full range, check out viltrox.com.

9 of my favorite Viltrox lenses

• OM System announced that Songdian's parent company, Sonida, has joined the Micro Four Thirds System
• Songdian is a Chinese company that makes cheap digital cameras
• New M43 Songdian-branded products are expected imminently

If you are a Micro Four Thirds system user, you might have felt a little ignored lately. While there have been some new cameras from OM System such as the fantastic OM-3 and OM-5 Mark II, plus genuinely progressive lenses including the 50-200mm F2.8 IS Pro, there have been concerns that Panasonic might be winding down its M43 division.

Lumix models like the Panasonic Lumix G9 II and Lumix GH7 are still very popular, but there hasn’t been a significant announcement from the company that kicked off the M43 mirrorless format since 2024.

With news that some of the best Lumix lenses for the M43 mount are set to be discontinued, such as the much-praised Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH, many devotees of the system will be concerned about how much of a future it has, if one of the two biggest players in the market is withdrawing.

If that’s you, then one piece of news that might pick up your spirits is the rumor that camera manufacturer Songdian is about to release a new Micro Four Thirds model.

If you’ve never heard of Songdian, I won’t blame you. The mysterious Chinese company is one of a raft of new players seeking a foothold in the low-cost camera market. It’s a division of the Shenzhen-based Sonida Technology Company which, despite proudly touting itself as having produced cameras for 16 years on its website, is largely limited to the domestic Chinese market.

It does sell cameras internationally, but not at the scale of other Chinese brands like Yongnuo, Laowa, and Viltrox, which make some of the best third-party lenses for major camera systems. So what could this obscure company offer established M43 shooters?

The new cheap Micro Four Thirds camera?

While details are still somewhat scarce, we can expect a new M43 model from Songdian soon. According to OM Digital Solutions, speaking on behalf of the Micro Four Thirds alliance, Songdian has joined the group and is expected to launch new products shortly. It might not be worth getting too excited, however, as Songdian products aren’t known for their mind-blowing quality.

The Sonida DC202, a 2024 digital camera, was even branded a ‘fake X100’ by reviewers and failed to impress many photography journalists on any metric. The image quality was pretty bad, the autofocus was exceptionally slow, and there wasn’t even much information given about the sensor size used. At least we can be sure of the latter detail on the new camera.

Exactly why the M43 alliance accepted Sonida and its Songdian-branded cameras into the fold is also a mystery. However, forever one to be positive about these things, I see an indirect benefit of increasing investment in the system, even from companies that are, themselves, unlikely to bring with them a huge amount of useful technology.

This news alone maintains interest in the M43 sensor format and its many (potential) advantages, when correctly applied, may encourage other more experienced brands like the aforementioned Laowa and Viltrox to increase their offering of lenses and accessories.

The company released a new teaser for the camera, which also didn't give away many details other than the appearance of the Micro Four Thirds logo, confirming what we already knew. It'll be interesting to see if Sonida goes all-in and produces an interchangeable lens camera, which would open up access to the fairly hefty range of high-quality optics from Lumix and OM System, or if it will be a fixed-lens model like the DC202. The former would obviously be the preferred choice since the lens on that camera also didn't win any awards.

It's hard to know what this new partnership can bring to the table. Speaking honestly, I can only really see there being an immediate advantage to Sonida, who can add the logo to their website and advertise a new range of 'large sensor' cameras (they will be compared to their other cheap compact cameras). For the other M43 system members and, by extension, the buying public, I haven't got my breath held for a camera that will revolutionize photography.

The camera that's the talk of the town right now is the Sony A7 V. It remains the best-selling camera since its December 2025 release, and it has dethroned Nikon to sit in the top spot of my best camera guide.

And with good reason – the mid-range full-frame camera features a 33MP partially-stacked sensor, incredible dynamic range, 30fps burst shooting, powerful autofocus and decent handling. It's a true hybrid mirrorless camera.

If you've bought or are interested in buying an A7 V, you'll no doubt be wondering what's the best glass to go with it. Well, you've come to the right place – I've tested many of the best Sony lenses (plus third-party alternatives) and have had plenty of hands-on time with the A7 V itself, meaning I have a real feel for which E-mount lenses match up nicely to the A7 V's design and performance.

If you love macro photography, Sony's new FE 100mm F2.8 GM OSS is a top pick, while events and wedding photographers will love the versatile FE 50-150mm F2 GM (I gave it my 2025 'lens of the year' award). I rate the 20-70mm F4 as a decent hybrid kit lens, while the older 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS covers off many scenarios for wildlife photographers.

Mind you, Sony lenses can be pretty pricey and there are quite literally hundreds of affordable third-party alternatives that I'd recommend, especially from Sigma and Viltrox. If you've got the cash for just one lens, the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II can cover a range of scenarios. Elsewhere, Viltrox's AF 85mm F1.4 Pro is a superb portrait lens that costs a third of the price of Sony's – it's incredible value, as are most of the Chinese lens maker's optics.

From hundreds of options, I've whittled down the list to just nine lenses which cover a range of needs and budgets. If you still can't find the perfect lens in my collection, and would like further recommendations, please comment below with your question. And enjoy your Sony A7 V – it's one hell of a camera!

9 of the best E-mount lenses for the Sony A7 V

My day job usually revolves around recommending discounts on products we love here at TechRadar, but occasionally, I get to test a really great model. One of my favourites from 2025, hands down, was the Nikon Z5 II – so, naturally, I'm going to recommend it when it goes on sale.

Right now, the camera starts at £1,259 (was £1,599) at Wex and Jessops, which is a new record-low price for the body only. It's a discount that appears to be tied to the January / Winter sales at these retailers, but it's a deal that actually beats the record from Black Friday last November.

It's a great price on a model that we gave TechRadar's 'camera of the year' award for 2025, thanks to its value for money, image quality, and usability. Of course, higher-end cameras do beat the Z5 II in areas such as video specs or burst rates, but Nikon's 'entry-level' model is a fantastic option for most people – even those looking to take photography or videography seriously.

Today's best Nikon Z5 II deal

• See more: check out all of today's deals at B&H Photo

One of 2025's best value cameras

When I tested the Nikon Z5 II, the thing that impressed me the most was its excellent autofocus. Previously, the brand's older Z cameras tended to lag behind the competition when it came to autofocus, but the Z5 II finally brings similar performance from the higher-end Z8 and Z6 III to a more reasonable price.

It's a feature that makes the Z5 II a very compelling option in its own right. If you don't need the speedy burst rates or video specs from the Z6 III, then the Z5 II is the natural option for everyday shooting – and one that's almost £500 cheaper today at major retailers.

At this price, the Z5 II is also a strong contender to the likes of the Sony A7 III (£1,169) and Canon EOS R8 (£1,099). In terms of specs, the A7 III is the closest to the Z5 II, but Nikon's camera is much newer and features more effective IBIS, a better EVF, and a useful flip screen. The EOS R8 is a great choice if you want something super lightweight, but it does lack the Z5 II's excellent IBIS, so bear that in mind.

If there's one camera that we're always happy to recommend to most people, it's the excellent Nikon Z5 II. This camera was one of 2025's most surprising launches - so much so that it earned our camera of the year award.

Right now, it's an even better value, too, as B&H Photo currently has the body listed at just $1,596 (was $1,846), which is a match for the record-low price from Black Friday.

The Z5 II's price has had a pretty wild ride over the past year. It was originally debuted at $1,699, then was hiked up to $1,799 within a few months due to tariffs. A couple of deals reduced it back down to $1,699, but the first 'real deal' on the camera was this same price cut over Black Friday.

Essentially, I see this as a $100 discount on the body itself, but B&H is also throwing in a free SD card and premium camera bag as gifts here, which really makes this a nice overall package.

Today's best Nikon Z5 II deal

• See more: check out all of today's deals at B&H Photo

The best full-frame at this price right now

I had the opportunity to really put the Nikon Z5 II through its paces last year, and I found it a really compelling package overall.

What impressed me the most, aside from the value, is that Nikon has managed to really nail the autofocus performance on a relatively affordable body - something that the brand had really struggled with previously. Now, you get roughly equivalent autofocus with the brand's higher-end models like the Z6 III, Z8, and the ZF.

The Z5 II does lag behind the other models in terms of burst rates (and video specs), but it's a very, very good compromise for most people. If it were my money, I'd probably opt for the Z5 II over the Z6 III simply because I don't need the super-speedy burst rates that the latter's partially stacked sensor provides.

We've always been big fans of the OM System OM-3 here at TechRadar. We love its looks, computational features, and versatile selection of lenses. At $2,000, however, we did think that it was a pricey buy versus some of the competition.

The camera is now listed at $1,699 at Adorama today, which is a brand new record-low price for the body-only. It's a deal that beats the previous record from Black Friday by $100, in fact.

As a brief overview, the OM System OM-3 is a Micro Four Thirds camera that melds a vintage retro vibe with an excellent range of the latest tech. Under the hood, it's essentially the same camera as the flagship OM System OM-1 Mark II, which means a 20MP stacked sensor with blisteringly quick burst rates, innovative computational modes, and excellent subject-detect autofocus. It's a camera that looks retro, but you still get all the latest features and ease of use.

OM System OM-3 record-low price at Adorama

• See more: check out all of today's deals at Adorama

A viable alternative to Fujifilm at this price

At this price, the OM-3 is much closer to APS-C rivals like the Fujifilm X-T50 and Fujifilm X-E5 - both of which are carrying the brand's latest 40.2MP sensor. In comparison, the OM-3 doesn't boast anywhere near as much resolution, and you're also lacking support for 6K video and Fujifilm's famous film sim recipes.

It's a closer run thing than you would think, however. If you don't need that resolution, for example, then the stacked sensor in the OM-3 is a real selling point. Not only does it enable handy little tools like Live ND and Live GND, but you get 50fps burst rates and very minimal rolling shutter in video. If you need more resolution, then there's also the option to use the 50MP hand-held high-res feature, which works well for static scenes.

In short, it's very easy to recommend the OM-3 as a versatile photography option because you can leave the filters and tripod at home. That's particularly good for landscape or travel photographers, but I think street photographers will also appreciate the OM-3's wide selection of excellent (and relatively cheap) Micro Four Thirds lenses.

The top position on our best travel cameras guide is taken by the Mark II version of the OM System OM-5. Despite not having the top-line specs for resolution, sensor, or autofocus, it more than makes up for it in portability, weather sealing, and stabilisation.

Better still, thanks to a £200 cashback deal, you can now snap up the silver variant of the five-star OM System OM-5 Mark II at Wex for just £855 (was £1,055). Black and the rather fetching Beige alternatives are also available for £899.

The cashback can be claimed on the official OM website once you've purchased the camera. It's as simple as entering in a few details about the camera before submitting the form. You'll also get a 5-year warranty and a battery thrown in for free, further sweetening the deal on this exceptional travel camera.

Today's best OM System OM-5 Mark II deal

It's not every day that we give out five stars, but we had absolutely no reservations about doing that for the OM System OM-5 Mark II. We said, "If what you need is a small, affordable and supremely versatile camera that can follow you anywhere, then this is it."

We found the detail rendition to be excellent with OM Pro lenses like the 12-45mm f/4 pro and OM primes like the 17mm f/1.8, 25mm f/1.8 and (especially) the 45mm f/1.8. The dynamic range is fantastic, although not as accomplished as a larger-sensor camera.

One of the highlights of the design is the weather sealing, which means you can use it in wet weather conditions without any concern of damaging the internals. It's also got excellent top-mounted twin control dials

If you're looking for a higher-specced alternative and aren't concerned about a little bit of additional weight, why not check out our guides to the best cameras for photography and the best mirrorless cameras?

• The Sony A7 V is best-selling model at US and Japanese stores
• It also tops two of our main camera buying guides
• Strong all-round capabilities key to its appeal

The Sony A7 V is currently smashing it on the sales front, and that comes as no surprise to me – after all, our in-depth review from late last year described it as writer Peter Fenech's "favorite Sony camera ever".

But before I get into why this 33MP full-frame camera exudes so much appeal, let's look at the latest sales figures. Japanese site Getnavi.jp reports that retailer Yodobashi ranks the A7 V as its top selling camera for the period covering the second half of December 2025, despite it being a brand-new release. Meanwhile, Sonyalpharumors.com reports that the camera is also the top seller at US retailer B&H Photo.

That's impressive stuff, considering it's a model that costs US$2,899 / £2,799 / AU$4,699 body only and has only just been released. But the Sony A7 V also tops two of TechRadar's own lists, being recently ranked number one following updates to our Best Camera for Photography and Best Mirrorless Camera buying guides.

Why we rate the Sony A7 V so highly

Here's why the sales figures don't surprise us: the Sony A7 V is a truly wonderful camera. It all starts with its 33MP full-frame sensor, which is partially stacked and delivers a class-leading 16 stops of dynamic range while fixing the rolling shutter problems that plagued the A7 IV.

The camera also offers blistering 30fps continuous stills shooting and the best autofocus performance we've seen from a Sony body. And, thanks to ditching the separate AI-powered autofocus and processing chips of previous Sony models in favor of a single chip that does both, battery life is class-leading to boot.

That's not to say the A7 V is the perfect mirrorless camera, of course – our review mentions the fact that less experienced buyers will find its extensive toolset a little too complicated for comfort, plus fact that video-first users may find the lack of open gate or 6K/8K recording a bit disappointing.

But, for the money, the Sony A7 V is a hell of a camera and arguably the best Sony camera overall, and for hybrid users who want to make use of both its stills and its video capabilities, it's a very, very tempting prospect – particularly for those who've already invested in Sony E-mount lenses.

The Nikon Z6 III has sat at the top of our best mirrorless cameras buyer's guide ever since it was released in 2024. It's an outstanding midrange flagship, and we're committed to letting our readers know whenever you can get a great deal on it.

That time is now because the Nikon Z6 III is on sale at Adorama for $2096.95 (was $2696.95). That's unbelievable value for money, and a return to the record-low price that we last saw on Black Friday back in November.

With both the recently released Sony A7 V and Canon EOS R6 Mark III retailing at $2,799, the discounted price of the Z6 III looks especially tempting. While the rivals have very much provided stiff competition to the Z6 III, Nikon's mid-range hybrid is still a winner if you're looking for maximum bang for the buck this week.

Today's best Nikon Z6 III deal

Everything you need to know about this incredible five-star mirrorless camera is contained within our extensive Nikon Z6 III review. We run through the design, features, performance, and of course the image quality. We found the camera boasted incredible stills output, fantastic autofocus and one of the best EVFs we've ever used.

As you'd expect with new cameras these days, there are a lot of features directed towards video content creators. These include the impressive 6K video and the new articulating screen that makes it easy to record selfie videos.

In terms of handling, our reviewer found it a pleasure to use "with a class-leading viewfinder and a mostly intuitive button setup." Overall this is a solid and reliable performer that is guaranteed to get the job done.

Even at this price, it's still a heck of a lot of money to part with. We'd therefore recommend checking out our extensive guide to the best mirrorless cameras. We offer up a range of the best options and lead you through all the pitfalls of buying a new camera.

It's not every day you see deals on Fujifilm cameras, and it's even rarer to see 'freebies' like the one that Adorama is currently offering. Right now, you can actually claim a free Fujifilm X-Half camera when you buy a Fujifilm X-T5 bundle for $2,399 (was $2,499).

As originally reported by DPReview, this freebie is a little bizarre in the fact that it's only available with a black X-T5 and 16-80mm kit combination. Using any other color/lens combination, or body only, means you can't claim the X-Half.

The Fujifilm X-Half has proven to be a pretty divisive camera - which, alongside the X-T5's relatively advanced age, is probably why Adorama is throwing it in as a bundle. With that said, it's definitely an interesting freebie -and the X-T5 itself is $100 off right now as a seasonal bonus.

Get a free Fujifilm X-Half with an X-T5 at Adorama

• See more: check out all of today's camera deals at Adorama

I suspect that some photographers will baulk at this bundle, but I think it's one of the best Fujifilm deals I've seen in a long time. There's a small $100 price cut on the X-T5 right now, and the X-Half is still worth $649 bought new.

Yes, the X-Half is more of a novelty, but I actually think it's a great accompaniment to the X-T5. The X-T5 is perfect for 'serious' work, while the X-Half is more of a fun point-and-shoot that enables you to really stretch your legs creatively. You still get access to Fuji's excellent film simulations, as well as a unique 'film roll' mode and a tool for composing side-by-side diptychs. It's a cool and quirky option for a lightweight everyday camera, for sure.

And, the X-T5, of course, is a great choice by itself if you need a powerful hybrid camera that can handle both stills and video. Our Fujifilm X-T5 review showcases what the camera's 40.2MP APS-C sensor is capable of, with an in-depth overview of performance and features. Scoring an impressive four and a half stars out of five, the X-T5 is still a great choice - even three years after its initial release.

Canon EOS R6 Mark III: two-minute review

The Canon R6 Mark III is the brand's latest enthusiast-level hybrid camera, and successor to one of Canon's most popular models. It's perhaps the clearest expression of a 'hybrid' Canon camera yet within its price range, with a fresh 33MP sensor that not only offers a significant bump in resolution (from 24MP), but a host of new video features such as 7K open-gate.

Outwardly, you could be mistaken in thinking that the Mark III offers a relatively iterative upgrade versus the previous generation. The overall design of the camera is essentially identical. Under the hood, however, subtle tweaks and improvements provide an upgrade that's bigger than the sum of its parts.

Everything is just a little bit better with the Mark III. You get a nice bump in resolution, a massively expanded video tool-kit, and useful autofocus features from the higher-end bodies like Priority People Detect. Even minor annoyances like video white balance have been smoothed out. Overall, it's an incredibly refined and well-designed camera that simply just works without any fuss. That's high praise, indeed.

In real-world testing, the R6 Mark III is also a stunning stills and video camera, capable of producing superb results in both fields. In a field where competitors are eager to champion stacked BSI sensors, the Mark III proves that you need neither to achieve great performance. Images are detailed with great dynamic range and flexibility, and you still get an impressive 40fps burst rate, despite the significant jump in resolution.

Perhaps the biggest stumbling block for the R6 III isn’t necessarily the camera itself, but the increasingly competitive field it sits within. Rival brands are not only producing exceptional cameras currently, but they do so on democratized and open lens mounts.

For example, the Nikon Z6 III undercuts the R6 on price, the Panasonic S1 II features more powerful video tools, and the Sony A7 V falls back on its vast lens ecosystem. In comparison, the R6 III looks like the jack of trades - a safe, if somewhat unexciting pick in the best mirrorless cameras landscape.

Those already faithful to the Canon RF-Mount will be overjoyed with this camera, however. As previously stated, there's a refined assuredness to the R6 Mark III that makes it a reliable hybrid workhorse. Regardless of whether you're a professional wedding photographer, amateur videographer, or even a serious beginner, it's hard not to recommend the R6 Mark III because of its compelling mix of usability, image quality, and value. Yes, it's pricier than the Mark II, but considering the new sensor (and inflation), you definitely get a good amount of camera for the money here.

Canon EOS R6 Mark III specs

Canon EOS R6 Mark III: Price and availability

• Announced November 6th, 2025
• Body only price of $2,799 / £2,799.99 / AU$4199.95
• Kit options available, including RF 24-105mm f4 L IS

The R6 Mark III retails for $2,799 / £2,799.99 / AU$4199.95, which makes it pricier than the previous iteration by a few hundred dollars / pounds. Interestingly, the EOS R6 II isn’t being discontinued (at least, immediately), and instead will be available for a list price of 1,979 / £1,918 / AU$3,099.

The Mark III is essentially slotting in the market between its two major competitors - the Sony A7 V for $2900 / £2800 and the Nikon Z6 III for $2700 / £2500. Of the three, however, it’s worth noting that the Z6 III has been on the market for the longest time and tends to be particularly partial to price cuts. You’ll likely have to wait a while to find an R6 Mark III or Sony A7 V for anywhere near as cheap as Nikon's alternative.

• Price score: 4/5

Canon EOS R6 Mark III: Design

• New CF-Express Type B card slot
• 3.69M dot 120Hz OLED EVF
• 3.0-inch 1.62M dot panel articulating rear display

What can I say about the design of the R6 Mark III? Well, it’s typical Canon, in the most refined and best manner possible. If you’re familiar with the Mark II, the design is essentially identical, with only a few minor tweaks to the buttons surrounding the shutter, a new tally light, and revisions to the mode dial.

Is it boring? Well, it’s certainly sensible. All of the camera’s main functions are laid out in a purposeful and meticulous manner. The thumb, for example, naturally rests next to the back-button focus, an AF joystick, and an autofocus mode quick select. On the top, you have the typical three-way on-off switch, top-mounted dial, and extremely useful M-Fn quick dial menu that are again extremely easy to operate.

All of the above, of course, are fully mappable with the camera’s extensive customization options. A total of nine buttons are fully mapable, so you have plenty of options here for both video and photo applications.

If you’re already a Canon shooter, no doubt you’ll be right at home here. My only minor criticism is that I wish Canon would add a second ring/middle finger button on the front of the body next to the grip. It’s something that’s featured on the higher-end Canon bodies, but it’s conspicuously missing from the R6 and R5 line. With such expansive customization features, it would be a fantastic addition to the body in my opinion.

In the hand, the R6 Mark III is sturdy and solid, with a generous grip that pairs well with popular lenses like the 24-70mm f/2.8. As part of the review process, Canon also sent me the EOS R8, and in comparison to the lower-end model, the R6 Mark III is much better suited to the chunkier RF glass. Unlike the feather-weight R8, the R6 Mark III balances well with fast primes like the 20mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4 - both of which are noticeably front-heavy on the entry-level model.

In terms of viewfinder and display, you get a 3.69M dot 120Hz OLED and 3-inch 1.62M dot panel respectively; both of which are holdovers from the previous model. The R6's displays are bright, relatively wide, and easy to use. No complaints here, although it's worth noting that both the Nikon Z6 III and Sony A7 V do have a slight edge over the R6. In the case of the Nikon, you get a higher-res 5.76M dot EVF, while the Sony A7 V features a 2.1M dot rear display that both articulates and tilts - a handy feature for both stills and video.

For ports, one of the main changes from the second-generation model is that the Mark III now features one CFexpress Type B slot and one UHS-II SD instead of two of the latter. Upgrading to a CFexpress card will incur a slight cost, but you’re going to need it if you want to record Raw video internally or make full use of the uncapped 40fps burst rate. Videographers will also be pleased to note that the Mark III now features a full-size HDMI port rather than the MicroHDMI on the previous iteration.

The R6 Mark III now utilizes the newer LP-E6P battery from the R5 Mark II. The older LP-E6NH batteries are still technically supported, but you'll need to use the newer iteration to fully unlock all the R6 Mark III's features. In this case, smartphone connectivity and the full array of 6K open-gate video modes.

Note that the R6 Mark III's battery is rated for 270 shots with the viewfinder and 510 with the rear screen. On paper, that's significantly lower than the Sony Alpha A7 V's rating of 630 / 750 shots respectively. I wouldn't say battery life is particularly poor, however. In real-world testing, I found the battery life to be far better than the ratings would suggest, with more than enough juice for a full day of stills photography. Videographers may want to pack a second battery just in case, though.

• Design score: 5/5

Canon EOS R6 Mark III: Performance and features

• Reliable autofocus for stills and video
• Registered People Priority mode
• 7K footage at 30p ‘open-gate’

The R6 Mark III is interesting in that it lacks a few of the high-end features from the R5 II like the ability to control the focus point with your eye, in-camera 'AI' upscaling, and Action Priority modes. What it does offer, however, is rock-solid performance for a vast range of both photo and stills applications.

As the ‘enthusiast’ level body in the range, the R6 has a lot of ground to cover, but it essentially achieves the mark on all counts. Using the camera, is again, a very refined experience in terms of operation and ease-of-use.

For example, the R6’s autofocus performance is accurate and reliable even with fully automated operation. A simple press of the ‘set’ button will engage subject tracking, which is easily one of the ‘stickiest’ I’ve ever used on a camera. Even without the advanced bells and whistles of the R5, the R6 Mark III is exceptional at both subject tracking and detection.

There were only a few rare occasions when the autofocus missed the mark. For example, a case in a relatively dimly-lit room where the camera failed to focus on my parents’ cat’s eyes. This subject, with his black coat, is notoriously difficult to photograph. Even specifically engaging the R6 MIII’s animal detection mode gave me a few examples where the camera focused on his ears or whiskers rather than his eyes.

Another extreme example was a moving human target in a low-light situation. Even with a high-contrast backlit scene the camera slightly missed the mark when shooting with a 20mm prime fully wide open at f/1.4.

Are these fair use cases? Well, certainly they are extreme situations where any camera would be tested. By most accounts, the R6 Mark III’s autofocus is still one of the best I’ve ever used on any camera.

We’re reaching a point now where all major camera brands have excellent out-of-the-box autofocus performance on reasonably priced bodies, but Canon does still have a few unique tricks. The Registered People Priority mode, for example, is the closest thing to a 'killer-app' I've seen on an enthusiast-level camera.

As a brief overview, this feature allows you to map autofocus tracking to specific faces, with the idea that the camera will prioritize them even in crowded scenarios. If you have a reference shot like a group headshot, then the camera detects and allows you to pick a specific face via the RPP mode.

During my testing, I didn't have a scenario where I could really stress-test this feature with large groups. In small groups of two to three people, however, the tracking was reliable. Overall, the Registered People Priority mode definitely has the potential to be a useful feature for certain scenarios, like event or wedding photography.

In terms of video, the R6 Mark III features an impressive array of recording options. There's not only the option for oversampled 4K up to 120p, but 7K footage at 30p ‘open-gate’ on the camera’s native 3:2 aspect ratio. For maximum post-production flexibility, there’s the option to shoot in Canon’s proprietary Cinema Raw format or the brand’s Clog 2 or Clog 3 profiles.

If all these features look familiar, it’s because the R6 Mark III shares the same sensor and bones as the Canon EOS C50. Unlike its video-centric sibling, however, the R6 doesn’t feature an in-built fan, so you will face restricted recording times for the heavier open-gate and 7K capture modes. That's also a key advantage of the rival Panasonic S1 II, alongside support for 120p at 4K.

One other upgrade for the Mark III is the camera’s overall burst-rate performance. While the camera lacks the Action Priority autofocus mode from the higher-end Canon bodies, it manages to retain the 12fps mechanical / 40fps e-shutter burst rates from the previous model despite the significant jump in resolution. You’ve still got the helpful inclusion of pre-burst capture here, but unlike the Mark II, the III doesn’t feature a standalone “Raw Burst mode” to enable it. It’s instead now integrated into the standard drive mode menu.

• Performance score: 5/5

Canon EOS R6 Mark III: Image quality

• 33MP resolution (up from 24MP)
• Pleasing, warm colors
• Sharp video with flexible profiles

The Canon R6 Mark III is somewhat unusual in its peer group in that its sensor is neither back-side-illuminated nor ‘stacked’ like rivals from Sony or Nikon. It's an interesting distinction because rivals have long trumpeted the various advantages of these additions in a world where sensor development has seemingly slowed in recent years.

On paper, a stacked sensor does enable faster readout speeds, whereas a back-side-illuminated sensor should, in theory, give you cleaner images at high ISO. Recent testing has even proven that the Sony A7 V and Panasonic S1 II have slightly better ISO invariance than the Canon R6 Mark III thanks to dual-gain readouts.

So, does the Mark III lag behind the competition in terms of image quality? I'd have a hard time believing so. Based on real-world testing, I've found the camera to produce consistently excellent stills.

Out in the wild, I imagine the differences between all of these cameras is likely to be so minimal that you'd almost certainly not notice outside of incredibly niche use cases. It certainly shouldn't be the main deciding factor behind these cameras; ergonomics, video features, and available lenses are all much more important.

In terms of dynamic range, for example, you have heaps to work with here. Despite the significant increase in resolution from the previous iteration, the R6 Mark III produces lovely, clean RAW files (and even JPEGs) with ample headroom.

On several test shots, I was able to salvage significant details from a scene without much color cast or noise. Zooming in, noise is certainly still present, but it's relatively well controlled and very much in line with other modern full-frame bodies.

In low light the R6 Mark III handles exceptionally well, too. I shot a few hundred images in a local indoor amusement park that features a host of strobe and fluorescent lighting. It's the kind of environment that not only tests autofocus to the extreme, but often results in strange colors that are a nightmare to post-process.

When I pull up the files from the R6 Mark III, colors are well captured, even at ISO 10,000 and over. The first example in the gallery below was shot at that ISO, and the colors are absolutely spot-on for the scene, despite there being noise present in some of the shadows. Again, the R6 Mark III is an extremely capable stills camera in real-world testing.

Briefly touching on resolution; the upgrade from 24MP to 33MP does give you a nice bump in cropping potential without resulting in massive file sizes. Arguably, 24MP is still more than enough for most use cases, but 33MP is definitely a 'nice to have'. I certainly appreciated the little bit extra when cropping all the sample images on this page from the camera's native 3:2 to a web-friendly 16:9 format.

Colors are gorgeous, too. Even with RAW files, the images have a pleasing warmth to them without being overbearing. Skin tones look great straight from the camera, and in all cases, the files were great to work on in Adobe Lightroom.

In the gallery below, you can see a selection of RAW files. The opening shots are tweaked in Lightroom to my own tastes, whereas the following portrait shots show you both RAW files and a few of the camera's built-in JPEG profiles.

For video, you have a flexible set-up thanks to the R6 Mark III's myriad record modes and support for Clog2 and Clog3 formats. Of the two, the former gets you a flatter image with the most dynamic range possible for color grading, while the latter offers a more saturated and clean image for quick and easy editing. In either case, you can upload your own LUTs to the camera, and white balance can also be set in video mode, which was a common annoyance with the previous model.

As you'd imagine with a body that shares the same sensor as the Canon EOS C50, the R6 Mark III captures excellent footage. In my testing, I mostly used Canon's proprietary Canon 709 standard color profile (non-flattened), and the 4K footage in particular was fantastic. Colors were rich but true-to-life, the image was detailed, and there was plenty of dynamic range.

For an easy video workflow, there is very little to fault the R6 Mark III on. Even if you're a video-heavy hybrid shooter, don't overlook the Mark III in favor of the C50. You get a great video toolkit here with the added benefit of image stabilization and a mechanical shutter for stills.

• Image quality score: 4.5/5

Canon EOS R6 Mark III: testing scorecard

Should I buy the Canon EOS R6 Mark III?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Canon EOS R6 Mark III

• I tested a full production model
• I used several lenses, including the RF 24-105mm f/4 kit lens
• Samples were shot in a diverse range of environments, including low light
• Subject detection was tested using real-world situations

Canon loaned me the R6 Mark III alongside the R8, R6 Mark II, and several lenses for an extensive three-week period. In that time, I was fully able to test the camera in a range of scenarios for both stills and video.

As an overview, the lenses used include the RF 20mm f/1.4, the RF 85mm f/1.4, the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L, and the RF 24-105mm f/4 - the latter of which is available as a kit lens for the R6 III. All of the above image samples on this page were taken with these lenses in various scenarios, including both mid-day and difficult low-light environments.

• First reviewed December 2025

A recent questionnaire for Nikon's Financial Results for the 2nd Quarter of 2025 hints at the company being focused on producing new APS-C cameras. These smaller bodies are said to be outperforming their larger and more expensive full-frame counterparts, with Nikon stating “market trends show increased popularity of APS-C products over full-sized products”, which is hardly surprising given the cost of living crisis.

If you need to, you can check out our APS-C vs full-frame explainer which unpacks the key differences, including the pros and cons to each sensor format. In short – APS-C sensors are smaller and therefore more affordable than full-frame sensors, meaning camera bodies (and lenses) can be made smaller and for less.

In fact, you can fit two APS-C sensors inside a full-frame 35mm one with a little room to spare. The drawback is that it's more difficult to squeeze so many pixels on to such a small chip without degrading image quality and noise handling. Depth of field also cannot match a full-frame chip, but shallow depth of field effects (blurry backgrounds) are still much better than on cameras with smaller sensors such as compacts and smartphones. Image quality is known for being very good, too.

Fujifilm, Sony, Canon, Nikon and Ricoh / Pentax all have their skin in the APS-C game and, according to tipsters, Nikon could up the ante in this format this year. So as we transition into 2026 let’s have some fun crystal ball gazing and try to make some predictions on what Nikon could bring out this year if it did bring out some new APS-C mirrorless cameras.

Nikon Z500

The Nikon D500 holds a special place in my heart because it was one of the first ‘professional’ cameras I owned. The now 10-year-old APS-C DSLR was aimed at professionals who demanded the speed of rapid burst rates and smaller files that came from its smaller APS-C sensor and was a hit with wildlife, sports and events photographers.

I used my Nikon D500 for all sorts of photography that required a high frame rate, from confetti throwing at wedding ceremonies to long summer evenings in my local kingfisher hide hoping that its 10fps would catch the precise action moment I was looking for. The Nikon D500 was of course a DSLR and it hit the shelves in 2016, but since then we’ve seen Nikon make the shift to mirrorless cameras and this flagship APS-C line has seemingly been left behind. Could 2026 be the year that this changes?

We of course have the Z50 II, Z30 and Zfc, all of which I think have their own chance of being updated soon (read more below). However, these cameras aren’t too different from the now decade old D500, with all having a 20.9MP APS-C sensor and top frame rate of 11 fps. Mirrorless cameras can however, shoot much faster than this so if Nikon were to bring out a D500-style mirrorless – let's call it a Z500 – camera I would expect it to have more resolution, possibly 26MP or 30MP, a faster burst rate and a more professional body with comprehensive weather sealing, possibly even borrowing the body of the Nikon Z6 III. I would also want a joystick on the back of the camera to change the AF point quickly.

Nikon doesn’t really have a flagship APS-C camera for professionals at present, yet Canon dropped its EOS R7 some time ago, which has a weather-sealed body, 32.5MP APS-C sensor and 15fps burst mode. With the Canon EOS R7 coming up to four years old it’s likely due an update soon, so Nikon will need to bring out something special to compete with it, so here's hoping whatever Nikon brings out it's an absolute belter!

Nikon Z30 II

August this year marks the four year anniversary of the Nikon Z30, the company’s popular APS-C camera which is a great choice for those getting into photography with its budget-friendly price point and great image quality from its 20.9MP sensor.

The Nikon Z30 lacks some desirable features like an EVF (electronic viewfinder) and headphone jack, but its low price of $697 / £479 make it the most affordable mirrorless APS-C camera currently in the Nikon lineup. An updated Z30 II could feature more megapixels to go head-to-head with Sony’s 24.2MP ZV-E10 II and Canon’s 24.2MP EOS R50V, because at just 20.9MP it does lag a little behind the competition.

The Nikon Z30 is no slouch when it comes to video though, so I think its 4K capabilities will be enhanced, with potentially better heat management or more efficient processing included to help extend recording times. I also think it would be a good move for Nikon to include open gate recording which will make it more appealing to video and content creators.

In-body image stabilization (IBIS), an EVF and a headphone jack would be welcome upgrades. Sadly, I don’t think we’re likely to see these as Nikon tends to save them for its more premium cameras and omitting them also helps keep the price of the Z30 range down so that it’s more accessible to entry-level photographers.

Nikon ZR C

While we have no concrete evidence, several rumor sites online claim that we’ll see a Nikon ZR C in Q4 of 2026. If true, the ZR C will be a cheaper alternative to the already popular Nikon ZR released back in October 2025 and was the company's first Nikon-Red hybrid camera to employ Red color science and R3D RAW workflow.

The Nikon ZR uses a partially stacked full-frame 24.5MP chip and is therefore quite expensive, costing around $2200 /£2199. There could therefore be room for a more affordable video-centric Nikon-Red body using a smaller APS-C chip which would make it more affordable.

Smaller APS-C video-first cameras have been all the rage in recent years, with Canon creating a video version of its popular entry level Canon EOS R50 with the Canon EOS R50 V, and the Sony Cinema Line FX30. I would guess if Nikon did come out with a Nikon ZR C it would sit towards the higher end for more professional video creators and go toe-to-toe with Sony’s FX30.

Nikon Z fc II

It’s been a hot minute since we’ve had a new retro-style camera from Nikon, with the likes of the Nikon Z fc in June 2021 and the Nikon ZF following shortly after in September 2023.

While the ZF came out more recently, it’s a full-frame body costing more than twice the price of its APS-C Nikon Z fc counterpart. June this year will take us to the five year anniversary of the Nikon Z fc, so it could be the perfect time for Nikon to bring out an updated replacement and money is tight so we’d all appreciate the more attractive price-point that comes from an APS-C sensor body.

• Check out our Best Nikon cameras guide

Technology moves fast in the world of photography and a lot has changed since June 2021 when the original Nikon Z fc was released. If a mark II update did come to fruition I would expect Nikon to improve its 20.9MP APS-C sensor, boosting the resolution perhaps to either 26MP or 32MP to make it a bit more competitive to its Canon and Sony rivals. I would also like to see the sensor become partially, or preferably fully, stacked to bolster the dynamic range, too.

The Expeed 6 processor found in the Nikon Z fc is also a bit long in the tooth now and I would expect this to be updated to the current Expeed 7 processors used in cameras such as the Nikon Z8 and Nikon Z9. This could mean faster burst frame rates than the Nikon Zfc’s 11fps, I would also expect video features to be improved as a result, too.

Potential full-frame updates

I’d be astonished if Nikon kept the new camera releases solely to APS-C this year. And of the full-frame updates we're overdue, both the Nikon Z9 and Nikon Z7 II are likely candidates. Could 2026 be the year we get new models in these lines?

Many rumors pointed to an announcement window in October / November 2025 for the long-awaited Nikon Z9 II, though this never materialized. The original Nikon Z9 made its debut in October 2021 so the camera is over four years old at this point and with Sony and Canon timing their flagship full-frame models around the Olympics, it could perhaps be a good strategy for Nikon to time its release of its Z9 II for the winter Olympics this year.

If a Nikon Z9 II did hit the shelves (and slopes) this year, a global shutter, Expeed 8 processor, 4-axis screen and Red video tech would be high up on my personal wishlist.

Lastly, we have the Nikon Z7 series and with the Nikon Z7 II releasing all the way back in 2020 it’s seriously overdue an update. I’d expect to see a higher pixel count than the Z7 II, potentially 61MP or greater to compete with the Sony A7R V, Expeed 7 processor for faster frame rates and better video, potentially 8K 60p, too. But we’ll just have to wait and see what 2026 brings for Nikon and to see which of our predictions come true.

If you ask me which of the many cameras I tested and reviewed in 2025 was the hardest to return at the end of my loan period, there’s one model that stands out: the gorgeous Hasselblad X2D 100C II.

And that’s saying something considering that I also reviewed several other stunners this year, including the Fujifilm X-E5, Sony A1 II, OM System OM-3, Sigma BF, Panasonic Lumix S1 II, Leica M-EV1 and Nikon ZR.

Not only is the X2D II the finest camera for photography ever made – that is if outright image quality is your top priority – but it also saw a huge price drop from its predecessor, which bucked an unwelcome industry-wide rise in prices. Yes, $7,399 / £6,400 / AU$12,650 is still mega pricey, but Hasselblad is moving in the right direction, and competing with Fujifilm's GFX line.

Hasselblad also unveiled a stunning zoom lens alongside the camera: the XCD 35-100mm F2.8-4 E, which was the lens I tested the camera with. They're a formidable pairing, especially for landscape and portrait photography.

So what is it that makes the X2D II such a special professional camera – especially considering its limitations, which include no video recording and no color profile choice? Let me explain why it was such heartbreak so say goodbye to the X2D II, and why it now tops my wishlist.

Unparalleled design

I was already a fan of the original Hasselblad X2D, with its stunning minimalist design, pronounced grip, and large touchscreen. Put simply, no other brand makes premium cameras like Hasselblad.

Having used the X2D, I was right at home with the X2D II, but it includes two highly useful design upgrades – there's now an AF joystick, while the large tilt touchscreen can be pulled away from the body, clear from the viewfinder hump for unimpeded viewing.

The touchscreen performs flawlessly, with smartphone-like responsiveness, while the stripped-back menus are refreshingly uncluttered, even with subject-detection autofocus options entering the fray.

Having the choice between storing images on an internal 1TB SSD or CFExpress Type B card is super-handy too. Considering the large 44 x 33mm sensor size (full-frame is 36 x 24mm), X2D cameras are impressively compact, lightweight and always premium-quality.

Unmatched photo quality

No other cameras shoot such natural-looking photos either. Trust me: I compared the original X2D to my full-frame Nikon, and the colors are another level.

There's a wonderful simplicity to Hasselblad cameras – they rely on Hasselblad's color science alone for natural-looking portraits and landscapes, only in the X2D II we go up another level with a new option for end-to-end HDR capture, which increases the dynamic range in stills while somehow maintaining a natural look. It's really impressive.

Natural colors and impressive dynamic range are combined with a highly-detailed 100MP resolution and pin-sharp lenses, for some of the finest looking photos I've taken.

The X2D II also addressed a major drawback to the original X2D – poor autofocus. The X2D's autofocus was particularly slow and unreliable, which is far from ideal when, say, shooting portraits on location.

That all changed with the X2D II, which features Hasselblad's best-ever autofocus. In fact, it's Hasselblad's first ever continuous autofocus system; a hybrid phase- and contrast-detection system, with subject detection and LiDAR sensing. To me, it felt as capable as Fujifilm's AF; finally, I could rely on a Hasselblad camera's autofocus to give me that peace of mind in a range of scenarios.

There's also improved in-body image stabilization in the X2D II. Hasselblad rates it for an industry-leading 10 stops, and while in my experience it wasn't quite as effective as that, I could still happily shoot handheld with a 100MP camera and premium lens for sharp detail, even with a shutter speed as slow as one second, which is quite staggering really.

Yes, many of the same limitations from the original model remain, including a pedestrian three frames per second burst shooting speed, and the omission of video recording. And despite the camera being an improvement in all the right ways, there are of course better alternatives for high-speed photography and video work, available for much less.

However, for portrait photography and landscape photography I can't think of another camera that I would rather have in my hand. The X2D II is the kind of camera that motivates you to go out and shoot.

Nikon's Z6 III launched in 2024, and while there have been numerous newer competitors released since, it still firmly holds its place as the best mirrorless camera. However, its long list of upgrades over the Z6 II meant prospective buyers have been slugged with a retail price that's a lot higher than its predecessor's.

Thanks to this early Boxing Day discount, however, it's now available for its lowest Australian price yet – AU$2,891.50 for the body alone.

If you'd prefer to get a kit with a lens to get you started, then even the single-lens kits are significantly cheaper – all on Amazon via the same listing. In fact, one of the kits is cheaper than the AU$4,499 RRP of the body.

So, if one of your new year resolutions is to learn photography or improve your skills, trust me when I say this is the camera for you. I already use the Nikon Z8, but if I had to rethink that choice, I'd have bought the Z6 III instead.

Kogan is listing the Z6 III body for a lower price – AU$2,730 – but it's a marketplace listing from a third party, and I'm usually wary of those. The Amazon listing, however, is being shipped and sold from Amazon AU, although delivery will be post Christmas.

Admittedly, the 24.5MP sensor resolution on the Z6 III might put some people off – particularly landscape photographers looking for around the 40MP or 60MP resolution – but that's overkill for most people. And even though I myself use a 45.7MP full-frame camera, I'll be the first to admit that sensor resolution can be superfluous for the average user.

The Z6 III more than makes up for that in other ways, like speed. The partially stacked sensor is a first for Nikon and it's 3.5x faster than the one on the Z6 II. Not only can it rattle off up to 120fps bursts when shooting in the DX APS-C crop mode, it delivers up to 60fps using the full sensor. And you won't need to worry about buffer memory, as long as your chosen card can keep up. There is a CF-express slot.

It has the same autofocus speed and performance as the mighty (pro-level) Z8 and Z9 cameras, although the array of subjects is narrower, but that in no way impedes it from finding a subject and tracking it effectively.

The sensor is also better stabilised than the predecessor, with up to 8 stops of compensation for camera shake. And let's not forget the video performance too – 6K footage at up to 60fps N-RAW internal recording – which makes the Z6 III a fabulous hybrid camera.

According to TechRadar's Cameras channel editor, Timothy Coleman, the EVF on the Z6 III is the "best" he's seen on "any Nikon camera". I'm going to take his word for it as he's been a long-time Nikon user – I switched to Nikon less than two years ago after being a Canon fan for 13 years.

All these upgrades are arguably worth the higher price, but with these huge Amazon discounts you can snag the Z6 III for cheaper than ever.

Thinking about picking up a new camera for Christmas? It's not a bad idea to consider the last-minute sales this week, as several retailers have prices that are good – if not better – than those from Black Friday.

In fact, this week's deals at Adorama and B&H Photo offer some of the lowest prices I've seen all year on some of our favorite cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, and other leading brands.

• Check out today's sales at Adorama and B&H Photo

Record-low prices include the Canon R5 Mark II, Nikon Z5 II, and the Sony A7 IV; all are amazing choices at their respective price points. I've rounded up all of today's deals below and pointed out the record-low prices along the way.

In general, camera prices have been a real rollercoaster this year, with the various tariff-induced price hikes. In rare cases, however, some of these cameras are actually even cheaper than they were before the price adjustments.

As someone who tracks camera prices all year round, I can confidently say these are easily the best batch of deals I've seen for a few months now, so it's definitely a good time to consider picking up a new body.

Last-minute camera deals - Canon

Last-minute camera deals - Nikon

Last-minute camera deals - Sony

Last-minute camera deals - Other

Leica M EV1: two-minute review

The Leica M EV1 concept is polarizing: strip out the optical rangefinder that Leica M cameras have been famed for for over 70 years, and replace it with an electronic viewfinder (EVF).

It's yet another example of Leica tweaking and evolving its tried and tested rangefinder series design, however, and another reason that the oldest active lens mount still in production today has many years of life still in it.

You'd think the whole experience of taking photos with the M EV1 would be wildly different – but in fact, for me, in many ways it isn't.

Technically speaking, the Leica M EV1 shares many similarities with the Leica M11 / M11-P and Leica Q3 / Q3 43) – all use Leica's 60MP full-frame sensor, which delivers the most detailed photos among full-frame cameras.

It's like a Leica Q3 / Q3 43 premium compact but with Leica's M mount, which felt pretty intuitive to me straight away, as I've used other Leica M series and Leica Q series cameras extensively.

I can see the appeal for many Leica fans already in camp M EV1 – it has useful elements of Leica's Q series (minus autofocus, tilt screen and video recording), combined with the versatility of the Leica M mount and a wide choice of lenses. For some, that's the best of both worlds.

On the plus side, the EVF offers focus peaking, which is an extremely useful visual aid for manual focusing; trust me, it will increase your percentage of sharp shots compared to being guided by Leica's optical rangefinder, at least when you're manually focusing in the moment, rather than sticking to a set focus distance as some street photographers do. You lose a little of that old school rangefinder magic, but the EVF is way more practical in my experience.

Build-wise, there's greater similarity with the M11 – not just the M mount and interchangeable lenses, but also the control layout and fixed rear screen, although I'd rather have more Q3 attributes in the design.

For me, the Q3’s tilt screen is super-useful – I generally find myself switching between the viewfinder and rear screen, and I enjoy waist-level shooting for street photography, for which a tilt screen is hugely useful.

That meant I used the 5.76m-dot viewfinder more often with the EV1, and thankfully it works a treat. Rangefinder-style cameras like the EV1 are fairly inconspicuous too, making them ideal for street photography.

There is of course the other camp, for whom the M EV1 is the worst of both worlds, for whom the M EV1 makes less sense as a package. Sure, it costs less than the M11, but it costs more than the Q3, which is much more camera, with its built-in lens, autofocus, tilt screen and video recording. It's a natural comparison when you take the optical rangefinder out of the equation.

The M EV1 makes sense in some ways, especially if you already own multiple Leica lenses, but if you're starting out, or generally shoot with one or two lenses, it doesn't.

Nuts and bolts, the M EV1 makes less sense when I talk about it. However, I have to go with my gut, having used the camera extensively with the Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux-M Asph lens for a week. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Yes, it feels slightly less organic than the M11, but if you don't mind an EVF then the EV1 feels like the new Leica M camera to go for.

Leica M EV1: price and release date

• Costs $8,995 / £6,840 / AU$13,990 for the body only
• Additional leatherette hand grip costs $460 / £340
• Available from October 23, 2025

Price-wise, the Leica M EV1 sits in between the Leica M11 and Leica Q3, which makes sense because an EVF is cheaper to manufacture than an optical rangefinder.

Ultimately, the EV1's list price makes the Q3 / Q3 43 feel like much better value, especially if you're not going to be swapping lenses a lot. The Q3 is much the same camera, for less, with additional features – and you get a built-in lens.

With the EV1, you're paying for the luxury of being able to swap lenses, and every Leica lens costs in the thousands.

Personally, if I had a spare $14,000 / £12,000 for Leica camera gear, I'd rather pick up both the Leica Q3 and Leica Q3 43 over the EV1 with a lens such as the 35mm f/1.4 Summilux, which together cost the same as two Q3s.

The M EV1 is supplied with a black leather strap.

• Price score: 3/5

Leica M EV1: specs

Leica M EV1: Design

• Compact rangefinder design
• 5.76m-dot EVF instead of an optical rangefinder
• Modest-size 2.95-inch fixed touchscreen

The obvious place to start when talking about the M EV1's design is its viewfinder, which is the same 5.76m-dot EVF found in the Leica Q3. It's also placed in the corner of the camera where the rangefinder traditionally sits, easily accessed with your right eye.

I was shooting with Leica's 35mm f/1.4 Summilux lens for this test, often wide open at f/1.4 where depth of field is really shallow, and getting sharp manual focus is historically a challenge with Leica M cameras. This changes somewhat with the M EV1.

Focus peaking is indeed supremely helpful for this manual focus-only camera, outlining the hard edges of your subject that's in focus – I had the camera set to red focus peaking, which in general is the color most easily seen. However, you shouldn't totally rely on the accuracy of focus peaking, especially with a shallow depth of field.

Focus magnification gives you a closer look, making it much easier to make fine adjustments and ensure sharp focusing where it matters, assuming you have time to use it. My ratio of in-focus shots has been much higher using the M EV1 than I would expect with a camera like the M11.

As a rangefinder-style camera, the EV1 is really compact, plus the shutter action is dampened for minimal vibration and noise, making for discreet picture taking.

The 2.95-inch rear screen feels a little on the small side, and being fixed it's less useful that a moveable screen, say a tilt or vari-angle type. The quality and feel of the display is top-drawer, though – with 2.3m dots it's packed with detail, and touch response feels smooth.

With the screen being less useful than I would like – I prefer the Q3's tilt screen – I leaned more into using the viewfinder, which is a lovely experience, even if traditionalists will turn their nose up at such a digital display. Sure, you lose a little of the rangefinder magic, but the EV1 is a more practical not just for focusing but also composition.

Like all high-end Leica M cameras, the EV1 is made in Germany and the body is fully metal – both aluminum and magnesium, with a leatherette finish. This is a classy bit of gear.

The style, profile and control layout of the EV1 are largely familiar – this feels like an M11, save for the omission of an ISO dial (which is a real shame) and of course that new type of viewfinder. I'm a fan of minimalist design, and thoroughly enjoyed shooting with the EV1.

• Design score: 4/5

Leica M EV1: Performance

• Manual focus only
• Poor battery life
• Content credentials included
• 4.5fps for up to 15 RAWs

Battery life, I must say, is pretty poor by today's standards, rated up to 244 shots. It's little wonder given that the camera uses Leica's BP-SCL7 battery with its modest 1,800mAh capacity.

Still, the M EV1 isn't the kind of high-speed photography and video-making heavyweight with which users would quickly drain a battery. The photography process here is slow and considered, and as such I typically got through a whole day without needing to charge the battery (which is done via the USB-C port on the underside of the camera).

Burst-shooting top speeds are a modest 4.5fps. The buffer memory is rated to 3GB, which means you can shoot 15 full-size raw files or 100 JPEGs at that top speed before the camera slows up, assuming you're using a high-speed UHS-II SD card. Put simply, this is no high-speed shooter.

Following the Leica M11-P, the EV1 is equipped with content credentials, which is the most widely adopted industry standard for authenticating the origin of digital images. It does so through a secure digital label, holding details such as names, dates, and any edits made to an image’s metadata.

GPS geotagging data can also be added to images via the Leica Fotos app, which is available on the Apple store and Google Play store for iPhone and Android devices. It's also possible to wirelessly transfer images to your device from the M EV1 through the app, as well as remotely control the camera.

I tested the EV1 before its official launch, which meant that it wasn't registered on the Leica Fotos app. However, I have plenty of experience with the app, such as with the screen-less M11-D, and it's one of the more reliable and pain-free app experiences from leading camera brands.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Leica M EV1: Image quality

• Same 60MP sensor as the M11 and Q3, with digital crops
• Manual focus only
• No video recording

If you want a detail-rich full-frame camera there are none better than those that use this 60MP sensor, as Leica's current crop of M cameras do, along with the Sony A7R V.

Leica offers two digital crop modes: 1.3x and 1.8x, with a reduced 36MP and 18MP resolution respectively. With the 35mm lens I had for this review, those crops give a perspective equivalent to 45mm and 63mm lenses.

The ISO sensitivity range starts at ISO 64 and tops out at ISO 50,000, so images taken in good light with the base ISO are particularly clean and crisp.

Leica uses the widely adopted DNG raw format, with a 14-bit output and a limited number of color profiles to choose from – I mainly stuck to standard profile, and made color edits to raw files afterwards.

Sticking with the Leica M ethos, the EV1 doesn't shoot video at all. For video recording with a Leica, you'll need to look to the Leica Q series.

Would it have harmed Leica's reputation to add video recording to an M mount camera for the first time, in the same swoop as an EVF? No! I think the same video recording skills as a Q3 series camera could have been an excellent string to the M EV1's bow.

To conclude, assuming you nail focusing and are using one of Leica's high-quality M mount lenses, then photo quality is top drawer.

• Image quality score: 4.5 / 5

Leica M EV1: testing scorecard

Should I buy the Leica M EV1?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Leica M EV1: also consider

How I tested the Leica M EV1

• Leica loaned me the M EV1 for a week ahead of its launch
• I had one lens to test it with – the Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux-M Asph
• I've used the M EV1 as an everyday camera, documenting the world around me

My experience with the Leica M EV1 was wonderfully simple. I had it close to hand for a whole week ahead of the global announcement, with the Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux-M Asph lens attached to it the whole time.

I'm a fan of this lens for reportage photography, and naturally found myself documenting the world around me, mostly making use of the EVF and focus peaking to manually focus.

Of course, there's a decent range of Leica M lenses to choose from, making the most of the M EV1's design advantages over the Leica Q3 premium compact with its fixed lens.

• First reviewed: October 2025
• Read more about how we test

The Sony A7 V was announced today, and we waxed lyrical about it in our A7 V in-depth review, awarding the full-frame mirrorless all-rounder a perfect 5 out of 5 rating. I have followed up on that review with a Sony A7 V vs Sony A7 IV article that highlights the key differences between the two cameras, should you like to find out more.

There's an extra layer to those comparisons now – the new low prices available for the older model in the wake of the A7 V's launch, and the slate of Cyber Monday camera deals. In fact, you can now grab the Sony A7 IV for $1,998 at Adorama (was $2,699) / Sony A7 IV for £1,549 at Amazon UK (was £2,399) – that's a record-low price in the UK, and the lowest price this year in the US.

With the new A7 V costing $2,899 / £2,799, those price drops bring the A7 IV to practically half the price of the latest model in the UK, and the best part of $1,000 cheaper in the US.

• Shop Amazon's full Cyber Monday sale

Yes, you're not getting the latest Sony, but the shiny new A7 V could be overkill – I explain more below. If you'd like to discover more camera deals, I've put together a comprehensive list of the best prices in my Cyber Monday Camera deals roundup, which is up to date with post-Cyber Monday deals. There are more great deals at TechRadar's live Cyber Monday coverage.

Today's best Sony A7 IV deals

The Sony A7 IV was announced in November 2021, so it's around four years old now. And naturally, the Sony A7 V is a more complete camera in just about every regard, being so much fresher.

It has a newly developed, partially stacked 33MP sensor and a new Bionz XR 2 processor with an AI processing unit, which, combined, deliver a slew of performance improvements. I've unpacked these differences in greater depth in that Sony A7 V versus Sony A7 IV article.

Of course, the A7 V brings about the latest tech and is the more complete all-rounder camera, especially if you shoot a lot of video and action photography. However, if you mostly photograph less demanding subjects, such as landscape photography, then you might not notice as keen a difference between the two cameras as that price gap reflects – they both shoot 33MP stills after all.

For a certain user, the Sony A7 IV at the deal prices listed above is arguably the better option. And there's no doubt the Sony A7 IV is now an excellent value even against rival Canon and Nikon full-frame cameras in these post-Cyber Monday deals. Remember – Sony cameras like the A7 IV have an enviable selection of lenses, including affordable third-party options, so it's a fantastic system to adopt.

More Cyber Monday deals in the US

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

More Cyber Monday deals in the UK

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

It has been a long time coming, but the Sony A7 V has landed four years after the Sony A7 IV, which was cutting edge back in 2021, and which as a full-frame mirrorless all-rounder sat in top spot of TechRadar's best camera and best mirrorless camera guides for a long time, before being replaced by the Nikon Z6 III.

So is the Sony A7 V reason enough to upgrade from the A7 IV, and on a separate note might it take back the best camera crown from Nikon? In this A7 V vs A7 IV article, I will be addressing the first point, and on that front, the two camera looks pretty similar at first.

However, before Sony fans feel disappointed, the A7 V has Sony's latest processor and a new kind of sensor, which combined deliver a raft of performance improvements. There are several tweaks to the A7 V's design too, which go some way to enhancing the user experience, as we found out during our product-testing period.

Without further ado, let's dig in to the key differences between the Sony A7 V and Sony A7 IV, based on real world testing.

1. Sony A7 V vs Sony A7 IV: sensor

• Both cameras have 33MP full-frame sensors
• The A7 V's is partially stacked, which delivers performance improvements
• On the flipside, partially stacked sensors historically reduce light sensitivity

The A7 V is Sony's first foray into partially stacked sensors and is a key difference from the regular sensor in the A7 IV (much like how the Nikon Z6 III upgraded the Nikon Z6 II). The pricier Sony A1 II has a next-level fully stacked sensor.

Both deliver 33MP stills, but the read out speed of the A7 V's sensor is faster, which delivers several performance improvements, including a better handle on rolling shutter distortion, which the A7 IV is notoriously bad for.

On the flipside, partially stacked sensors historically reduce light sensitivity, which should impact low light image quality and compromise dynamic range. Sony states on the contrary, noting the improved 16EV dynamic range of the A7 V over the A7 IV.

We didn't have the two cameras side by side for testing and making such comparisons, but it would seem from our A7 V testing that the new model's dynamic range is certainly no worse than the A7 IV's, even if 16EV seems ambitious.

Somehow, Sony has been able to deliver the performance improvements from the new sensor type, without image quality compromises.

• Sensor winner: Sony A7 V

2. Sony A7 V vs Sony A7 IV: autofocus and speed

• The Sony A7 IV has a new Bionz XR 2 processor
• It features an integrated AI processing unit and improved autofocus
• Max shooting speed is bumped from 10fps to 30fps, and now includes pre-capture

In a first for Sony, the A7 V features a new Bionz XR2 processor, which integrates an AI processing unit. This unit is separate from the main processor in the A7R V and A1 II which therefore have two processors, but here it is combined into one and delivers the 'AI' performance improvements you'd hope for, such as improved subject detection autofocus and white balance accuracy.

Sony says AF performance is ‘dramatically’ enhanced, because human subject recognition now includes eye, face, head and body, there is a wider range of detected subjects, plus a useful auto subject recognition mode. The A7 IV's autofocus, though highly competent, is much simpler.

Shooting speeds are also boosted, up from 10fps to 30fps using the electronic shutter. Those speeds can be maintained for 185 JPEGs or 95 RAWs, or for 1,000+ images at at 10fps. The A7 V's mechanical shutter is capped at 10fps, which matches the top speed of the A7 IV, whichever shutter type used. Pre capture up to 30 frames (so one second) is also now possible – that's new to the series.

In short, the A7 V can shoot at higher speeds for longer, with more versatile autofocus.

• Speed winner: Sony A7 V

3. Sony A7 V vs Sony A7 IV: performance

• The A7 V's in-body image stabilzation is rated up to 7.5EV to the A7 IV's 5.5EV
• Battery life is up from 580 shots to 750
• Video recording lasts longer in high heat

Other less glamorous but highly useful performance improvements include improved in-body image stabilization, battery life, and more durable video recording. For example, the A7 V's in-body image stabilization is rated up to 7.5 stops in the center and 6.5 stops at the periphery, whereas the A7 IV's is rated at 5.5 stops.

Battery life has been improved too; the A7 V's is rated at 750 shots using the LCD or 630 shots using the viewfinder, whereas the A7 IV's is 580 shots and 520 shots respectively. The A7 V's battery life is one of its standout features, not only over the A7 IV, but also over Canon and Nikon rivals.

Video record times are much the same, rated at 90 minutes in 25°C heat. However in particularly high 40°C heat, video recording is now up to 60 minutes versus just 10 minutes in A7 IV.

• Performance winner: Sony A7 V

4. Sony A7 V vs Sony A7 IV: image and video quality

• Both shoot 33MP stills with similar dynamic range, 14-bit RAW in the A7 V
• Video recording is improved, now 4K 60p (oversampled from 7K and no crop)
• Auto white balance accuracy has been improved

If you're mostly shooting landscape photography and easy static subjects, then you might not notice a huge difference in image quality between the A7 V and the A7 IV. For such photographers, the improved auto white balance accuracy will likely be the most notable upgrade. We found it the A7 V handled particularly trickily lit scenarios with ease, rendering lifelike and pleasing colors. Sadly, aggressive JPEG processing remains.

The image quality improvements for photographers are largely a fruit of the A7 V's improved performance, such as better autofocus accuracy and versatility, the elimination of rolling shutter distortion, and faster shooting speeds.

It is the video recording capabilities of the A7 V that enjoy a bigger upgrade. 4K video recording up to 60 frames per second is achieved with no crop and can be oversampled from 7K, while 4K at 120 frames per second has been added, albeit with a 1.5x crop.

One trick that the A7 V has is what Sony calls 'high-res raw processing', which is a mode that combines 16 images (using Sony's Imaging Edge desktop app) into a single file for better noise reduction and more resolution. This mode is particularly useful for static subjects such as landscape photography.

• Image quality winner: Sony A7 V

5. Sony A7 V vs Sony A7 IV: design

• 3.2-inch LCD touchscreen is now a dual-axis vari-angle, versus single axis
• The same EVF, but there's no blackout in the A7 V's
• Improved ergonomics in the A7 V

At first, the A7 V and A7 IV are strikingly similar looking cameras. This means that if you are familiar with Sony cameras, the switch between these two will be straightforward.

After extended time with the new A7 V, however, we noticed a few useful and subtle improvements in how it handles over its predecessor. For one, the grip has been redesigned and is more comfortable to hold for longer periods.

In addition to the improved grip shape, the rear 3.2 inch LCD touchscreen is now a dual-axis vari-angle type, whereas the A7 IV's is a single-axis vari-angle type. In practice, the dual-axis hinge can bring the screen away from the ports so the swivel of the screen is not impeded by any cabling that's connected to the camera. It also enables clear viewing in both vertical and horizontal shooting at awkward angles. We get the same EVF in both cameras, however, the A7 V's EVF has no blackout whatsoever – I know a few photographers who are taking note on this point.

As for ports, there are now two USB-C ports, one 3.2 and a 2.0. They can be used simultaneously to transfer data, connect to a gimbal and / or charge the camera. Sony says the internal mic quality has been improved too, especially in its ability to reduce background noise.

• Design winner: Sony A7 V

Sony A7 V vs Sony A7 IV: early verdict

Somewhat unsurprisingly, it's a clean sweep for the Sony A7 V, which is a better camera than the Sony A7 IV in just about every regard, even if the improvements feel evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

Still image quality is roughly the same, but the A7 V has next-level speed, which makes it a more versatile all-rounder. Also, its video quality has been improved, with a better handle on rolling shutter distortion, and no crop at 4K 60 frames per second recording. Auto focus performance has been improved, as has overall color rendition thanks to smarter subject detection skills.

I also prefer how the A7 V handles; its refined grip is more comfortable in the hand, while the dual-axis vari-angle screen is particularly helpful if you want to shoot in vertical and horizontal formats at awkward angles.

The only thing going for the Sony A7 IV in this battle is its price; because since it's four years old, it now costs much less than it did at launch, and than the A7 V. You can pick it up for around $1,000 / £1,000 less at the time of writing. And if you generally shoot still subjects and don't need the performance improvements, it could be the wiser choice of the two cameras.

Sony A7 V: two-minute review

Some photographers, possibly even those working at Sony, see the A7 range of mirrorless cameras as the firm’s entry-level full-frame models. On paper alone, this may seem a reasonable suggestion when comparing the specifications to the most premium models. However, the Sony A7 IV, launched in October 2021, carries a 33-megapixel 36x24mm sensor, ISO50-204,800 sensitivity range, 5.5EV in-body image stabilization system, and a top continuous shooting rate of 10 frames per second. It’s by no means a slouch and this is all available for under $2500, so while it might be one of Sony’s more affordable E-mount bodies, it has been able to give pro-spec cameras a run for their money for several years.

On the face of it, the A7 V seems more of an iterative upgrade to its predecessor, rather than a revolution. However, once you dig deeper, there is a lot of exciting new technology to explore. Debuting the new partially-stacked sensor and new Bionz XR 2 processing engine, this camera represents a significant step forward for photography enthusiasts and semi-professionals. It’s more responsive than the A7 IV, both in focusing reaction time and accuracy, and delivers superior performance from the ground up.

Images are sharply detailed, and noise is well-controlled, especially for a model equipped with a 33MP resolution. It certainly matches or outperforms the current generation of competing cameras, such as the Canon EOS R6 Mark II or Panasonic Lumix S5 II, although I’ll be interested to see how low-light capabilities compare to the likes of the Canon EOS R6 Mark III when it inevitably comes to market, which is likely not too far in the future.

If you’ve used other Sony Alpha cameras, you’ll fall right into step with the A7 V. Some might call Sony’s conservative approach to design unimaginative, but it means that you can allow muscle memory to play its part on shoots where speed matters most. A few useful practical refinements notwithstanding, the A7 V is very similar to models that came before it, and on picking it up, you get a feeling of coming home, a comforting sensation when other stressful elements of a photoshoot come into play.

These days, I’m more likely to be blown away by enthusiast-level products than flagships, which rarely offer many surprises, as pro technology trickles down the rankings to more affordable offerings. The niche this camera inhabits has the potential to provide unbeatable value to the greatest range of photographers, and happily, the A7 V fulfills this promise. It’s an impressive upgrade to an already outstanding camera, serving up great responsiveness, useful features and exceptional image quality. I still wouldn’t call it revolutionary, and there are some quirks that I’d like to see refined, but if you’re an aspiring wildlife, event, or travel photographer, I’m confident you’ll fall in love with it, and that it will trouble TechRadar's best cameras and best mirrorless camera guides.

Sony A7 V specs

Sony A7 V: Price and availability

• Released December 2, 2025
• Body only price of $2,899 / £2,799 / AU$4,699
• Kit options will be available, including with a new FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II

The Sony A7 V launched worldwide on December 2, 2025 priced $2,899 / £2,799 / AU$4,699, alongside a new FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II kit lens. The lens costs $449.99 / £429 separately / AU$699 and will be available separately from February 2026.

Ahead of then, the FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II kit lens can be purchased as a kit with the A7 V for $3,099 (UK / Australia TBC). There will be other kits available, TBC.

This pricing is right on par with the Canon EOS R6 Mark III (and just $100 / £100 / AU$200 more than the Nikon Z6 III was at launch, but which is now available for much less).

• Price score: 4.5/5

Sony A7 V: Design

• Larger 3.2-inch rear LCD
• Versatile multi-pivot articulated monitor
• Hybrid memory card slot

Externally, I’d be very impressed if anyone could distinguish the A7 V from the A7 IV on looks alone. Apart from the name, discreetly emblazoned on the top plate, just to the left of the viewfinder, there isn’t much else to identify the latest iteration. However, a closer inspection reveals a redesigned handgrip. It’s very slight, with a tiny shift to the angle of the shutter button to account for the modest increase in weight from the Mark IV, but it makes a natural refinement to the ergonomics of the camera.

In terms of handling, the A7 V is supremely comfortable to hold, perhaps more so than most other Alpha bodies in the range. Logically, I know there is significant continuity between models, but something about the A7 V felt more balanced to me. I’ve always found Sony cameras to be too boxy for my tastes, especially when shooting for longer periods and when using larger lenses. The A7 V is unmistakably a Sony product, but it just fit my hands a lot better than I remember the A7 IV doing.

Shooting all day around London with the FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G lens, the setup was perfectly balanced, the center of gravity seemingly right where the optics meet the lens mount. This made shooting one-handed a breeze, even when holding the camera at arm's length over my head to shoot a street performer over the heads of a large crowd.

I appreciated that the playback and delete buttons are located on the same side of the camera body and immediately adjacent to each other on the back plate. This is a personal preference, of course, but I find this makes quickly making in-the-field quality control decisions quicker, rather than having to work two-handed and hunting for a control on the opposite side of the body to preview and delete obviously blurry shots.

Another excellent feature that seems unique to Sony cameras is dual-function card slots that fit both SD and CFexpress. As someone with more high-performance SD cards than I’d like to think about, I love this. Although I am gradually filling out my stock of CFexpress, I still like to have the choice, and a camera that supports both, while still allowing dual card functionality with either format is hugely thoughtful.

With a Canon EOS R5 Mark II, for example, you need to take a supply of both card types if you want the benefits of in-the-field backups, while the Canon EOS R6 Mark II requires two SD cards only, delaying investment in CFexpress until a future upgrade (which will no doubt be an expensive ordeal). On Sony cameras, there are no such compromises.

It’s a shame the A7 V only has one of the two slots capable of accepting CFexpress Type A, but perhaps this is what you pay the extra money for when buying a camera like the Sony A7R V.

Another excellent design flourish is the extra control wheel above the Auto Exposure Lock button, which by default is set up to adjust exposure compensation in P, A or S modes. I enjoy not having to hold down another button to change this, and the additional dial allows you to amend the aperture and image brightness with single controls each. Naturally, each dial can be reassigned a custom function from within the A7 V’s Operation Customize menu, found under Setup.

The build quality is of an exceptionally high standard. I didn’t have the opportunity to test the camera’s weather resistance – unusual for a British reviewer in November – but nevertheless, there are no obvious compromises in the integrity of the construction. Apart from the hollow battery and memory card bays, no other part of the body reverberates excessively when tapped, giving the sensation of it being milled from a single piece of metal.

All of the dials are beautifully knurled and easy to twist, but with enough resistance that it isn’t too easy to nudge them by accident.

We also can’t talk about the design of the camera without mentioning the versatile dual-hinged main LCD. Sony has gone back and forth with its approach to screen articulation over the years, and as far back as the A99 II DSLR camera, the multi-point design has allowed the user to both tilt and swivel the LCD. Some photographers prefer the vertical tilt format, while others like myself appreciate a full swivel function.

Users of the A7 V don’t have to choose – unlike with the A7 IV which is single-axis vari-angle only – which I found useful when shooting ground-level street photos of graffiti artists under Waterloo Station. It’s a clever strategy also found in recent Lumix cameras, and which I’d like to see more brands adopting.

• Design score:4.5/5

Sony A7 V: Performance

• New Bionz XR 2 processor
• No dedicated AI autofocus processing engine
• Long 750-shot battery life

Speaking of LCD screens, the model featured on the A7 V is both larger and more detailed than its predecessor. It measures 3.2 inches, up from 3 inches on the A7 IV, while resolution has doubled the 1,036,800 dots previously available. I found it to be very crisp, and colors look natural. This is a attribute of camera screens that isn’t talked about enough. Monitors might be super contrasty and saturated as standard, but this won’t always give the most useful preview of the images about to be captured.

The touch sensitivity is just right, and I found it to be more responsive than both the Mark IV and the A7R V, demonstrating the difference that three years can make. It’s not that those cameras were particularly unresponsive, but this latest monitor gave me no sense that it was standing between me and the settings I wanted to access.

I especially liked the reaction time for touch focus; with a single tap the camera activates the AF and immediately snaps to the object selected. I don’t always use touch focus features, but combined with the versatile LCD pivot points, I found myself using them frequently during my testing of the A7 V.

Autofocus itself is smooth and super-fast. Built around a new system of 759 Phase Detection AF points that cover 90% of the frame, the A7 V can focus in lighting as low as -4EV. Although the camera did slow down as ambient lighting dropped, with the rate of focus hunting increasing, it still did a sterling job of finding and tracking the subject. It’s also incredibly precise.

Interestingly, the A7 V doesn’t feature a dedicated AI processor, as found on the Sony A1 II. This might surprise many industry observers, in an age where AI is king and excluding such features might seem a retrograde step. However, the new Bionz XR 2 moves all AF computations on-chip, instead of dividing the workload between two units.

Sony says the up-specced processor brings the same benefits of a separate AI engine, namely better AF target recognition, but with the added advantage of reduced heat emissions, superior speed, and improved battery life. After all, powering one chip is better than supplying two.

I didn’t have an A1 II body available to test the cameras side-by-side, but rarely did the A7 V struggle to locate my subject. There are plenty of options to customize subject recognition, and the camera coped well with human figures, cars, and airplanes, in the chaos of Central London and at Heathrow Airport.

Also new to the A7 V are the options to change AF responsiveness and to select an extra small or large AF point. While I didn’t find much need to alter these settings during my test, I could see where this might be of huge benefit. Turning down AF responsiveness if it’s likely that other objects will pass between the camera and the subject, like when shooting across a busy road or players on a football field, will help keep the focus sticky on your subject.

I can also vouch for the stated 750-shot battery capacity. After 300 frames, in the relative chill of a winter afternoon, I still had 75% charge, and by 650 shots, this sat around the 40% mark. This excellent, rival-beating performance included shooting both long still exposures and video.

In terms of shooting speed, the A7 V is one quick camera in operation. Startup is near instantaneous, and exposure assessment is now done at twice the number of calculations per second compared to the A7 IV.

Using the electronic shutter, it’s now possible to capture images at up to 30fps, up from 10fps on the previous camera. Pre-capture is also possible up to a user-selectable 30fps, meaning the camera is always ready and able to cover the action in the briefest of moments. Without wanting to sound like an advert for Sony (remember, this review is completely independent), there were times when I felt I was having to keep up with the camera. This isn’t something I encounter often, and it kept me on my toes.

It’s a very minor point, but I found the shutter release to be just a little too sensitive for my liking. There were a few occasions when I was simply trying out a composition and accidentally fired off a burst of shots – a bit of a laborious situation when the camera makes 30 frames every second! I’d definitely recommend re-assigning focussing to the AF-ON button to work around this.

• Performance score: 5/5

Sony A7 V: Image quality

• Excellent Dynamic Range
• Superior high-ISO performance
• Ultra-effective IBIS system

One of the headline features of the A7 V that is certain to get people talking is the new semi-stacked sensor. This CMOS design has developed somewhat of a bad rep because of its deployment in other cameras with limited success, such as the Nikon Z6 III. There is a risk of significant trade-offs in dynamic range for the additional readout speed a semi-stacked (or partially-stacked) sensor provides. Sony is confident enough, however, to claim a DR of up to 16-stops with the A7 V – that's an additional stop versus the A7 IV – so I couldn’t wait to see how the camera performed in the real world.

I’m not entirely convinced by the 16EV claim, as there were times when there was less highlight texture than I had anticipated, and clipped shadows where I hadn’t expected. However, the results were still impressive. In the majority of shots, there was recoverable detail across the range. From memory alone (and not having yet taken the A7 V into the lab for testing, that’s all I have to work on), I would place the dynamic range on an even footing with models like the 24MP Canon EOS R6 Mark II and Nikon Z6 III. Clearly, Sony deserves some applause for this, as it’s a clear indicator that the A7 V is a next-gen competitor.

Now let’s talk about color. Traditionally, this hasn’t been my favorite aspect of Sony cameras. I’ve always felt that, compared to Canon and Fujifilm models, Sony color science was a bit sterile. Accurate, maybe, but lacking warmth and ‘flavor’. These traits are present in the A7 V, as is to be expected, but I noticed colors seemed more organic than I’ve seen from its stablemates.

The auto White Balance system hardly ever missed a trick, even when shooting wall art comprising overlapping primary colors in mixed natural and artificial lighting: quite possibly a condition that cameras have nightmares about. The A7 V handled the situation beautifully. I could wax lyrical here for three more paragraphs, but I’ll summarize with this: if the camera could cope this well under these conditions, it could cope anywhere.

I don’t always believe rumors, but in this case the suggestion that Composite RAW capability was to be included on the A7 V has turned out to be true. Previously seen on the Sony A9 III, this mode captures a sequence of RAW files that are then combined to produce a higher-resolution file with reduced noise. It works nicely and does what it says on the tin – if you shoot landscapes or in the studio, this is a great feature for squeezing every oodle of quality out of the sensor.

Of course, it works less well with moving subjects, even when shooting at a high frame rate, so I chose not to use it for street photography. If you can support the camera, it would also be beneficial for capturing poorly-lit interiors at higher sensitivities.

Even without Composite RAW active, the signal-to-noise ratio will put a smile on your face. I spent most of my shoot at ISO 6400 and above, and the camera delivered a commendable balance of sharpness and grain. I wasn’t blown away by the in-camera treatment of JPGs though, and as low as ISO 800, there was smudging of detail through quite aggressive noise reduction. Weirdly, this didn’t seem to get much worse up to ISO 3200.

Further proof that the dynamic range is noteworthy is highlight retention at the extended low ISO settings. At ISO 50, which is essentially an overexposed image with the exposure digitally reduced, there was still data present at the right side of the histogram.

One of my favorite features of the A7 V is the IBIS system. Compensating for up to 7.5EV of shake in the center of the frame and 6.5EV at the edges, up from 5.5-stops on the A7 IV, the stabilisation enables hand-held shots at ridiculously slow shutter speeds. I was able to capture usable images at exposures of around one second – unthinkable just a few years ago. This enabled me to capture the movement of objects within the frame while rendering static areas sharp. It’s one of my go-to street and urban photography techniques.

It doesn’t quite match the 8-stop hybrid IBIS-lens-based system seen in the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, Canon EOS R3, and Canon EOS R7 on paper, but it performs exceptionally well.

Note from the Editor

Hi – it's Tim Coleman, TechRadar's Cameras Editor here. I've also used the Sony A7 V, and you can see some of my favorite images in the gallery below. They are all JPEGs taken with Sony's standard color profile (I'm going to check out the RAWs when those profiles are available to me).

My takeaways? For me, skin tones look spot on – which is not something I've always been able to say about Sony gear. Burst rates are both quicker and last longer too, meaning I was able to freeze the perfect moment of fast moving dancers. The A7 IV was already an impressive all-rounder, but the A7 V takes things up a notch.

Furthermore, I'm actually pleasantly surprised by the starting price of the A7 V. Yes, the A7 IV has dropped in price considerably now, but the A7 V is a lot of camera for your money.

• Image quality score: 4.5/5

Sony A7 V: testing scorecard

Should I buy the Sony A7 V?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Sony A7 V

• I tested a full production model
• The A7 V body was accompanied by the FE 20-50mm f/2.8 G and FE 70-200mm f/4 Macro G OSS II
• Images were taken in a range of lighting conditions, using each ISO setting so noise levels could be compared throughout the range

I always like to push a camera to the edges of its capabilities and, to that end, I shot using the extremes of the ISO range. In bright light, I set the camera to the extended low ISO of 50, and then explored several low-light locations to test the camera all the way up to the expanded high setting of 204,800. I left the White Balance set to auto throughout the review to see how the camera responded to different lighting conditions. I also shot in RAW+JPG mode, so I had unprocessed files and compressed images for the sake of comparison.

• First reviewed December 2025

Cameras are expensive investments – I suppose it's fair to say that you won't be buying a 'real' one unless you plan to put it to good use. But did you know that a 'real' camera will take better photos than your phone because of the larger pixels on the bigger sensor?

Also, a capable camera can actually end up being cheaper than buying one of the best camera phones. Case in point: the Canon EOS R100.

It's a very basic, entry-level mirrorless camera. Don't let that fool you, though, because it's one of the best entry-level cameras and even one of the overall best cheap cameras on the market.

Even at full price, the camera with a single lens is AU$999 in Australia. This single-lens kit is now on the receiving end of a rather generous 27% discount on Amazon, dropping it to its lowest price yet of just AU$727. Want to step it up? Even the twin-lens kit is under a grand now on Amazon via the same listing!

Add to that the additional savings that could be had thanks to Canon's current 2025 Summer Cashback program and you can save an additional AU$50 on the single-lens kit or AU$100 on the twin-lens bundle.

The bundled lens isn't the only reason for my recommendation. I've used Canon cameras for 13 years and have tried several of the models in that time, but I was genuinely surprised at the value the EOS R100 offers.

If you don't want to take my word for it, TechRadar's camera editor also wasn't sure what to expect from it, but he too was impressed, as you can tell from his in-depth Canon EOS R100 review.

With a comfy grip and a simple menu system, Canon has made it very easy to begin your photography journey with the EOS R100. It might miss out on the fancy features of more high-end cameras, but it has everything an entry-level camera needs. And it performs really well too.

Its 24MP APS-C sensor is the same one used in the pricier EOS R50 and EOS R10, and boasts Canon's reliable dual-pixel autofocus system. With 3,975 autofocus points covering 143 zones, it's easy for anyone to get good, sharp shots. Its image quality is actually really good!

Take a look at some of the samples from the camera:

It won't serve you too well if you want to take action shots like sports, as its maximum continuous shooting speed tops out at 6.5fps, but sometimes that's all you need... at least to get started on learning the ropes.

It can shoot 4K video, but it will be cropped with a maximum frame rate of 24fps, but Full HD (or 1080p) footage is captured using the full width of the sensor. Admittedly this isn't as good as more expensive cameras, but you won't do better at this price.

Its 3-inch rear LCD screen is fixed, which might deter some potential users as an articulating screen can help with framing a variety of shots, but I still don't think it's a deal breaker for a beginner. It more than makes up for that with a very comfortable grip, which can make a world of difference if you need to carry it around all day on your travels, plus it's lightweight too.

If you were contemplating what to get a young photographer-in-the-making, this is a great choice. Or if you're keen to learn the fine art of photography yourself? This camera will help you without burning a massive hole in your pocket.

• Keen on vlogging? Take a look at our picks for the best cheap video cameras
• If you want to step it up a little, check out our picks for the best beginner mirrorless cameras in 2025
• Or you can peruse our picks for the best cameras in 2025, which includes options across several budgets and use cases

I concede that DSLRs aren't exactly cutting edge cameras anymore – that's a better descriptor for the best mirrorless cameras – however, don't write them off. After all, it was only last month that I reported on how the Nikon D850 was the camera used to take the winning image at the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 contest, beating a host of younger and fresher cameras.

Clearly, the 45MP full-frame D850 is still a powerful tool today (and in my opinion it's the greatest DSLR ever made). And there's a tempting Black Friday deal currently available for the body only – the Nikon D850 for $1,996.95 at Adorama (was $2,596.95) / Nikon D850 for £1,699 at Park Cameras (was £2,399).

• Check out my Black Friday camera deals roundup

That same photo contest delivered another surprise – the most popular camera overall among the contest's entrants was the Canon EOS R5 – a full-frame mirrorless camera released in 2020. That 45MP camera also sinks to a new low price too – since it has been upgraded with the EOS R5 Mark II – now available for just $2,599 at Adorama (was $3,299).

Find out more details about these deals below, and feel free to check out TechRadar’s live Black Friday coverage for more tech deals.

(Not in the US or UK? See today's best deals in your region below)

Today's best Nikon D850 Black Friday deals

More contest-winning camera deals

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