Articles by Sam Kieldsen

Sam has been writing about tech and digital culture for over 20 years, starting off in video games journalism before branching out into the wonderful worlds of consumer electronics, streaming entertainment and photography. Over the years he has written for Wired, Stuff, GQ, T3, Trusted Reviews and PC Zone, and now lives on the Kent coast in the UK – the ideal place for a camera reviewer to ply their trade.

Articles by: Sam Kieldsen

Leica M11-D on a table, its back ISO dial reflected in a mirror

Leica M11-V leak suggests controversial camera could be the cheapest M series yet

By Sam Kieldsen published 26 August 25

Leica’s next M series camera could launch in October, and seems set to supplant its costly rangefinder component with a much more affordable alternative.

Crowdfunding begins for the world's first 'water-born flying camera' – here's what you need to know about the HoverAir Aqua

By Sam Kieldsen published 21 August 25

HoverAir's Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for the Aqua is now live, offering backers a discounted pre-order price of $999.

Insta360 Go Ultra and Insta360 Go 3S cameras

Insta360 Go Ultra vs Insta360 Go 3S: 4 reasons to upgrade (and 2 reasons to stick)

By Sam Kieldsen published 21 August 25

Insta360 has just expanded its tiny action camera range with its most powerful model yet – but make sure you read this before you ditch your Go 3 S for the new Go Ultra

Another DJI rival bites the dust – Autel quits consumer drones, here’s what you need to know

By Sam Kieldsen published 21 August 25

With Autel Robotics ending sales and support for two of its most popular drone ranges, it seems that DJI's market competition is drying up.

DJI Mic 2 receiver attached to a mirrorless camera

The best wireless mic for 2025: top wearable microphones for content creators

By Sam Kieldsen last updated 19 August 25

Buying guide Compact, versatile and simple. We rank the best wireless mic you can buy right now.

The DJI Mini 4 Pro flying next to the Insta360 Antigravity A1 drone

I review drones for a living and I’m more excited about the DJI Mini 5 Pro than the Insta360 Antigravity A1 – here’s why

By Sam Kieldsen published 17 August 25

The rumored DJI Mini 5 Pro may be 'just' another Mini drone, but there are some major reasons to think it'll be a massive game-changer – perhaps more than the Antigravity A1.

Insta360's Antigravity A1 drone has landed – here are 5 things you need to know about the world’s first 360 drone

By Sam Kieldsen published 14 August 25

The Antigravity A1 has just been announced, and these are the main things potential buyers need to be aware of, including safety, release dates and control methods.

DJI Mini 4 Pro folded away and next to the R2 Remote Controller, on a rock

New DJI Mini 5 Pro leak suggests it could be perfect travel drone thanks to these two features

By Sam Kieldsen published 14 August 25

More leaked photos of DJI's upcoming drone appear to confirm it'll combine a 1-inch sensor with the magic sub-250g weight mark. And they also show a mystery button...

Hasselblad X2D 100C, DJI Mini 4 Pro and Canon EOS R7 cameras

These 9 new cameras could still land in 2025, according to rumors – here's what to expect from Sony, GoPro and more

By Sam Kieldsen published 13 August 25

The online rumor mill has been working overtime lately, bringing us credible info on these nine upcoming cameras. Here are the ones we could see land in 2025.

Two phones on a blue and green background showing the Photopills app planning page for the Perseids meteor shower

How to watch and photograph tonight's Perseid meteor shower

By Jamie Carter published 12 August 25

Updated The Perseid meteor shower is peaking this week – here's how to watch and photograph the shooting stars.

I tested Camp Snap’s retro video camera – and it’s a cut-price portal to a simpler time

By Sam Kieldsen published 9 August 25

Review Camp Snap has followed up its cult point-and-shoot stills snapper with a similarly stripped-back, nostalgia-fuelled camcorder channelling the spirit of 1960s 8mm analogue technology.

I review drones for a living, and I rarely encounter something as game-changing as this upcoming water sports drone

By Sam Kieldsen published 9 August 25

The drone market has settled into comfortable evolution, but the wet and wild HoverAir Aqua seems set to give things a much-needed shake-up

DJI's first 360 drone could land sooner than expected to take on Insta360's Antigravity debut – here's what to expect

By Sam Kieldsen published 7 August 25

Early reports claim that DJI is preparing a panoramic camera drone powered by dual lens technology, similar to what we’ve seen in its Osmo 360 action camera.

DJI Osmo 360 vs Insta360 X5: the premium 360 cameras battle it out in a hands-on test

By Sam Kieldsen published 5 August 25

How does the new DJI Osmo 360 stack up against the established top 360 camera, the Insta360 X5?

I tested DJI’s impressive first 360 camera, but Insta360 still has the edge

By Sam Kieldsen published 31 July 25

Best in Class

The DJI Osmo 360 is a premium 360 camera at a fantastic price, and the first true threat to the supremacy of the Insta360 X5.

I test drones for a living – here's why Insta360's Antigravity debut is the most exciting one for years

By Sam Kieldsen published 29 July 25

Antigravity is promising to make its first drone easy to master and family friendly – and there are two big ways I can already see how that could be achieved.

A DJI drone carrying the Insta360 Sphere accessory

Insta360 strikes back – surprise 'antigravity' drone leak shows it’s planning to take on DJI in the skies

By Sam Kieldsen published 21 July 25

Action camera maker Insta360 appears to be preparing to launch not one but two aerial drones. Here's how they might differ from DJI's flying cameras.

I spent two weeks shooting with the Fujifilm X-E5, and there are solid reasons for its painful price hike

By Sam Kieldsen published 18 July 25

Recommended

Fujifilm's latest X-series model blends the charm and compactness of the X100VI with the versatility of a mirrorless camera.

Insta360 X5 360 camera on a selfie stick

Insta360 drops a big firmware update and new accessories for its flagship 360 camera, making the best even better

By Sam Kieldsen published 15 July 25

Insta360 has added software improvements to exposure, low-light performance and battery life and released several new add-ons for its superb X5 360 camera.

I tested Insta360's first wireless mic and it's another solid entry-level choice – but it can't quite match the DJI Mic Mini

By Sam Kieldsen published 15 July 25

Despite its budget-friendly price, Insta360's Mic Air works like a charm with the company's X5 and Ace Pro 2 cameras.

Kodak's retro Super 8 camcorder is outrageously expensive, but I've found this super-cheap digital alternative

By Sam Kieldsen published 11 July 25

Heavily inspired by the original 8mm home movie cameras of the 1960s, Camp Snap’s digital camcorder finally has a release date.

I tested Akaso’s first 360 camera and it beats Insta360 and GoPro for value, just don’t take it underwater

By Sam Kieldsen published 7 July 25

Recommended

Akaso's capable 360 camera slots in at a price point where it currently faces little competition from the market's big beasts like GoPro and Insta360.

A TV showing a scene from the movie They Cloned Tyrone on Netflix

Netflix explains how it's quietly upgraded the image quality of your favorite movies and TV shows – and it's all about film grain

By Sam Kieldsen published 6 July 25

Netflix’s AV1 Film Grain Synthesis technology, which brings an evocative cinematic look to video content while improving streaming performance, is being rolled out worldwide.

DJI robot vacuum leak suggests the Roomba rival is getting closer – and could have an unusual design feature

By Sam Kieldsen published 30 June 25

An image posted on X apparently shows the purported DJI Romo cleaner inside its docking station, and the design is quite striking.

Don’t buy a 360 camera – the new DJI Osmo 360 just leaked again, and it’s expected to launch imminently

By Sam Kieldsen published 26 June 25

The DJI Osmo 360, rumored for an imminent launch, resembles a slightly shorter and wider Insta360 X5 in these four leaked images.

1
2
3
4
5
View Archive

Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions: