Image: Laowa

When Laowa released its 180mm F4.5 1.5X Ultra Macro APO lens last year, it offered autofocus, but not at macro distances. For those extra close subjects, manual focus was required. Now, Laowa is fixing that limitation with a firmware update.

Laowa’s 180mm macro lens supports a minimum focusing distance of 0.3m (11.8″), but its autofocus only engaged from 1.5m (4′ 11″) and beyond. That’s a pretty good gap between how close you can focus and how close autofocus works. Because of that, subjects at macro distance would require manual focus, which may not be ideal for some photographers and situations.

A small note on Laowa’s product page says that new firmware is available, “enabling autofocus for macro photography,” so that limitation is now gone, potentially making it easier for photographers to get in focus images. The firmware update also unlocks macro focus bracketing, which is a useful tool for macro photographers. Interestingly, the page still warns that “auto-focus is only available for subjects from 1.5m to infinity,” though we suspect this applies only to the old firmware version.

The firmware update is now available for download for Canon EF-, Nikon Z-, and Sony E-mount versions of the lens. The RF and L-mount versions of the lens are manual focus only, so this update does not affect them.

Thanks to DPReview reader Stig Nygaard for the tip.

As content creators wait to learn more about the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P, its biggest competitor, the Insta360 Luna Ultra, is likewise keeping key facts close to the vest.

[Read More]

Today, I decided to try something new. So, join me on a walk through the park with the NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S macro lens. 

[Read More]

The idea is to bring some offload and media management functions into a phone-based setup, rather than relying solely on a larger DIT-style workflow. This is not the only SmallRig product we looked at during the show, but the SSD moves into a different category for the brand: media storage and on-location data management. Recent SmallRig coverage has also included the company’s new camera backpack, SR009 “HawkLock” VCT-14 Type shoulder rig, and RF 20C LED spotlight.

A SmallRig and KOCARD collaboration

The SSD is a collaboration between SmallRig and KOCARD. According to Manny, SmallRig handles manufacturing and sales, while KOCARD provides the media and the software that runs it.

That software is central to what makes the device interesting. This is not only a phone-mounted drive for storing files. It is also designed to offload media, create proxies, verify transfers, and send files to cloud or NAS destinations from a mobile device.

Card slots and instant connection

On top of the unit are an integrated SD card slot and a microSD card slot. A small but practical touch is the connection feedback: instead of searching through menus to confirm that the drive is mounted, a blue light indicates when the SSD is connected and ready to read or transfer media.

In the demo, Manny inserted an SD card, chose a source in the KOCARD app, selected a file, and then chose a destination on the SmallRig SSD. The app can copy the full original file or create a proxy, with the option to verify the file once the transfer is complete.

Offloading, proxies, and cloud destinations

The ability to create proxies on the fly may be one of the more useful parts of the workflow, especially when cloud uploads are slow or when a lighter file is needed quickly. The app can also send files to services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive, or to a connected NAS if one is already set up with the mobile device.

Asked about Frame.io support, Manny said SmallRig and KOCARD are still looking at additional destinations and are gathering feedback at Cine Gear. That seems to be part of the broader approach with this product: the first version is available now, but the company is still asking users what should come next.

Manny said the app can handle a wide range of file types, though his own recent testing has focused mostly on HEVC-style files. He also mentioned using material from Nikon and Canon cameras, along with R3D files, but this is an area where real-world compatibility will matter once more users start testing the workflow.

Power, playback, and compatibility

Power is an important point because the SSD connects to a phone over USB-C. SmallRig has added a USB-C port on the side of this first model, but Manny was clear that it is labeled as PD power-in only. It should not be mistaken for a second data port. Two-way data over that port is something the company is working on for a future iteration.

The drive otherwise behaves like a normal SSD. Users can review dailies or play back footage on the phone, and apps such as the Blackmagic Camera app or the native iPhone camera app can create dedicated folders when recording directly to the SSD. Manny also said the device is compatible with both Apple iOS and Android.

What is still being considered

SmallRig currently offers 1TB and 2TB versions. Manny said the company is gathering feedback on whether there is demand for a 4TB option.

SmallRig is also asking whether users would prefer future support for CFexpress Type A or Type B, either through a dedicated option or by continuing to use a separate card reader. For now, the model includes SD and microSD slots, while the side USB-C port supports PD power-in only.

Price and availability

Both capacities are available now through the SmallRig website. The 1TB model is priced at around $270 in the US, while the 2TB model is priced at just under $495.

Asked whether those prices can hold as memory and SSD prices continue to rise, Manny said time will tell. SmallRig is watching the wider market and hopes pricing can trend in a better direction for users if conditions allow.

Would a phone-mounted SSD with these features change how you handle media on location? Would you like future versions to add support for CFexpress Type A or Type B? Let us know in the comments below.

If you have a drone and you are in Denver, the first question is usually simple: Where can I fly my drone in Denver? But the answer is not always straightforward, as Denver adheres to both FAA regulations and local regulations that impact airport-related airspace, downtown and park restrictions.

This guide covers the legal regulations, safe flight zones, areas of concern, licensing requirements, and local businesses that may have an interest in hiring a drone pilot in the Denver/Aurora area.

While it is possible to fly a drone in Denver, it is important to adhere to federal airspace guidelines, local ordinances, and location-specific regulations to ensure safety. So, let’s get the detailed information!

Can You Fly a Drone in Denver?

Yes, it is possible to fly a drone in Denver, but only with compliance with FAA regulations and city restrictions. Pilots are required to register their drone if necessary, follow approved altitude limits, and not fly near Denver International Airport, downtown Denver or selected city parks. Failure to follow these rules could result in severe penalties.

Federal vs. Local Drone Laws in Denver — What’s the Difference?

Federal Drone Laws in Denver

When people ask if it is legal to fly drones in Denver, the first thing to understand is the FAA. Federal regulations govern registration, altitude, line of sight, and commercial use that apply everywhere in the United States. These rules are even more important in Denver, where the city is surrounded by busy aviation routes and is located under controlled airspace. For a closer look at how these regulations play out in practice, drone aerial services in Denver offer a real-world example of compliant flying done right. Here are some federal drone laws:

·         Registration is required for drones weighing more than 0.55 pounds for the FAA, and the registration is linked to the aircraft.

·         Recreational pilots must keep the drone within visual line of sight at all times.

·         Unless an authorization says otherwise, the normal maximum height is 400 feet above the ground level.

·         Flying over people is limited, except for a waiver or exception.

·         To fly commercially, drones must be flown under an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.

·         Areas of controlled airspace around Denver may need LAANC authorization for takeoffs.

The rules are federal for a reason, as what’s legal in one location can be illegal in another. In addition, the FAA requires pilots to have knowledge of weather, visibility, aircraft performance, and the surrounding area prior to flight. Violations of these rules may result in a fine, enforcement action, or both for the pilot.

Local Drone Laws in Denver

The second level is local rules, which are just as important as FAA rules. Denver can restrict the use of drones in parks, public recreation areas, and event areas. This means a site can appear available on the map, but may not be available for a variety of reasons, including city policy or temporary restrictions. To better understand how professionals navigate these local limitations, Denver video production companies provide a practical example of working within city-specific drone regulations. Below are some of the local drone laws:

·         Drone flights are not generally allowed in Denver city parks unless a permit is issued or special approval is in place.

·         Local rules may vary based on public land, recreation space or private property.

·         Temporary restrictions can be imposed during major events, emergencies or city activities.

·         Local permission does not replace FAA approval when controlled airspace is involved.

·         Private property is still private and will not permit takeoff or landing without the owner’s consent.

·         The rules may change, and verification is necessary prior to each flight.

For anyone asking, are drones legal in Denver? The answer is yes, but with full attention not only to federal rules, but local rules as well. Making assumptions is not a good idea in Denver. The best way to find out is to check the airspace, check the land rules, and make sure it’s a recreational or commercial flight.

Can You Fly a Drone in Downtown Denver?

For everyone who asks Can I fly a drone in Denver or ” Can you fly a drone in Denver, it is the most sensitive part of the city. Because it is a city in controlled airspace, flying in the downtown area of Denver is severely restricted and may even be limited by specific temporary events. In most cases, recreational pilots cannot simply launch and fly without permission.

·         Downtown Denver is a controlled airspace area, and permits are necessary.

·         Temporary restrictions can occur during sporting events, concerts and large events.

·         Rooftop launches do not bypass airspace rules.

·         Typically, hobby pilots require LAANC clearance to fly in the area.

Commercial operators face the same airspace limits, even if they’re certified under Part 107. If approval is requested by a business pilot, the flight will still be subject to any active airspace status and restrictions. That’s why it’s important to always consider downtown Denver as a high control zone, not a free-flying area, as seen in professional drone data collection and processing operations that routinely manage these exact compliance demands. 

Why Downtown Is Complex?

Downtown Denver is complex because several rules can apply at once. Controlled airspace, city activity, event restrictions, and nearby public safety operations can all affect one flight. A pilot who checks only one part may still end up out of compliance.

·         A legal launch point on the ground does not always mean the airspace above it is legal.

·         Events can create short-term no-fly conditions that override normal flight plans.

·         Airspace authorizations are location-specific and time-specific.

·         The pilot is responsible for both the airspace and the land permission.

This is why the question “can you fly a drone in downtown Denver? “ should always be answered with care. In practical terms, downtown is not a relaxed recreational flying area. It requires planning, approval, and constant attention to current conditions.

Where Can You Fly Drones in Denver?

If you are asking where I can fly my drone in Denver or where you can fly drones in Denver, the best approach is to look at places that are generally more drone-friendly, while still checking current conditions. These areas can change depending on park rules, airspace status, and seasonal access. That is why every flight should be verified through a live airspace app before takeoff.

1.       Chatfield State Park: It is often seen as one of the more practical options for drone pilots.

2.      Cherry Creek State Park: may work in certain areas, depending on current airspace status.

3.      Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge: It can include open areas with better operating conditions.

4.      Aurora Reservoir: It is often used for scenic and landscape aerial work.

5.      Jefferson County: This has open space areas that may offer suitable conditions in selected zones.

6.      Designated RC/drone flying fields – AMA-chartered flying fields can give pilots a structured and approved flying environment.

7.       Private property with owner permission: Private property can also work when the owner gives clear permission, and the airspace is clear.

These locations are not automatic green lights. Even the most drone-friendly areas still require a current check before flying. That is why pilots should use a live verification FAA B4UFLY app or Aloft app instead of relying on old posts, outdated articles, or word of mouth.

What to Check Before Flying

A safe drone flight always starts with a simple preflight check. This is especially important in the Denver metro area, where conditions can change quickly. A responsible pilot should confirm both the land rules and the airspace rules before launching.

·         Confirm whether the site is public land, private land, or a restricted facility.

·         Check the current airspace status before takeoff.

·         Review whether the park, refuge, or open space has local restrictions.

·         Look at the weather, wind, visibility, and sun position.

·         Inspect the takeoff and landing area for people, structures, and hazards.

·         Carry the needed documents, including registration and certification if applicable.

This approach supports safer operations and also helps improve image quality. A prepared pilot can focus on composition, movement, and visual storytelling instead of legal uncertainty.

Where Are Drones Not Allowed in Denver?

When people search for where to fly drones in Denver, it is just as important to know where not to fly. Denver has several locations where drone activity is prohibited or heavily restricted. Ignoring these limits can lead to enforcement action, especially near airports and event spaces.

·         Near Denver International Airport without the proper authorization.

·         Inside Denver city parks without the required permit.

·         Above 400 feet above ground level under normal FAA rules.

·         Over moving vehicles on roads, highways, or traffic corridors.

·         Over stadiums and sports venues during event restriction periods.

·         Near federal buildings, monuments, and other sensitive government sites.

·         Overactive emergency scenes where public safety crews are working.

·         Inside controlled airspace without approved FAA access.

For pilots asking can you fly a drone in downtown Denver, these restrictions matter because downtown may sit close to airport boundaries, event zones, or other sensitive areas. A flight may look simple on a map, yet still be illegal because of a temporary restriction or local rule, which is why professionals rely on precise drone imaging services in Colorado to ensure every flight meets current legal and airspace requirements. 

Why These Restrictions Exist

These rules are not meant to make drone use difficult. They exist to protect people, property, aircraft, and active public operations. A drone near an airport or emergency scene can create a serious safety issue very quickly. That is why professional pilots treat compliance as part of the job.

·         Airports require strict airspace coordination because drone interference can affect manned aircraft.

·         Public parks and recreation areas may restrict flights to protect visitors and wildlife.

·         Stadiums and event venues may be protected by temporary no-fly conditions.

·         Emergency response areas must stay clear for police, fire, and medical teams.

The professional standard is simple: know the zone before launch, not after. That rule is especially valuable in Denver, where urban areas and open spaces can be very close to each other.

Who Hires Drone Pilots in the Denver–Aurora Area?

Many pilots search for companies that hire drone pilots in the Denver, Aurora area because the market for commercial drone work is strong. Drone services are now part of many industries that rely on visual documentation, inspection, and marketing content. Denver and Aurora both have active demand for licensed aerial media.

·         Real estate agencies hire drones for listing photos and property videos.

·         Construction firms use drones for progress updates, surveying support, and site visuals.

·         Legal and insurance teams use aerial footage for incident documentation and claims support.

·         Corporate production teams hire drone operators for brand films, recruiting videos, and event coverage.

·         Media outlets rely on drones for news footage and visual reporting.

·         Energy and utility companies use drones for infrastructure inspection and asset monitoring.

·         Government and municipal teams use drones for mapping, planning, and public safety support.

If you are a drone pilot, this market offers a real opportunity, but only if you are properly certified, insured, and able to deliver consistent results. If you are a business, the value is equally clear: drone footage gives scale, context, and visual clarity that ground-based media often cannot match, as demonstrated through professional drone visual inspection services in Colorado that showcase exactly what high-quality aerial imaging can deliver. 

Why Businesses Use Drone Media

Drone photography and videography create a viewpoint that is difficult to achieve from the ground. In industries like real estate, construction, and insurance, this perspective can improve communication, documentation, and trust. It also adds production value to marketing content without needing large crews or complex setups.

·         Aerial photos show property layout, surrounding landscape, and access points.

·         Video footage adds movement, scale, and visual continuity to a project.

·         Inspection footage can reduce the need for riskier manual checks in some situations.

·         Event coverage becomes more dynamic when aerial angles are included.

For businesses in the Denver–Aurora region, working with FAA-certified drone professionals can simplify the process. It ensures the project is handled by people who understand flight restrictions, visual framing, and commercial delivery standards.

Do You Need a License to Fly a Drone in Denver for Business?

Yes. If the flight is for business, the pilot needs a Part 107 certificate. That applies even if the job is small, such as one paid property photo, a single inspection, or a short promotional video. The legal difference between hobby flying and commercial flying is important, and many new pilots miss it.

·         Business drone flights require the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.

·         The certificate is earned by passing an FAA knowledge test.

·         The exam is taken at an approved testing center.

·         Recurrent training is required every 24 months to keep the certificate valid.

·         One paid drone photo or video makes the work commercial, not recreational.

This matters because commercial clients expect more than flight skill. They expect legal compliance, airspace awareness, organized delivery, and professional communication. In other words, Part 107 is only the starting point. The best pilots also understand composition, camera movement, exposure control, and client workflow. And a service provider like “Rocky Mountain Photography’s pilots” is all Part 107 certified.

Why Certification Matters

Part 107 certification is more than just a rule. It shows that the pilot understands airspace, weather, operations, and federal compliance. For clients, that creates confidence and reduces project risk.

·         Certified pilots are better prepared for controlled airspace planning.

·         Commercial projects often require documentation and repeatable standards.

·         Certification supports more reliable coordination with client deadlines.

·   Insurance and liability planning are stronger when the operator is properly credentialed.

Rocky Mountain Photography states that its drone pilots are FAA Part 107 certified and insured, which supports the trust expected in professional aerial production. That level of qualification is especially important for commercial media work in a regulated city like Denver.

Quick Reference Table – Denver Drone Rules at a Glance

Best Practices for Professional Quality

Drone media should do more than show a place from above. It should communicate scale, structure, and story. That requires both legal awareness and production discipline.

·         Use controlled camera movement for smoother footage.

·         Match the altitude and angle to the subject and project goal.

·         Avoid unnecessary or overly aggressive motion.

·         Keep shots stable, clean, and purposeful.

·         Deliver footage that supports the client’s message, not just the novelty of flight.

These are the standards that separate casual drone use from professional aerial production. They also explain why businesses choose trained operators for Denver and Aurora projects.

Wrap up:

While Denver is a great place for drone photography and videography for those who are familiar with the rules and plan accordingly, it is not a safe city for the unqualified and uninformed. The factors that influence the location and manner in which a drone can be flown include federal FAA requirements, local restrictions, and controlled airspace. Can you fly a drone in Denver? Where can I fly my drone in Denver, or is it legal to fly drones in Denver? It all depends on where you’re going, what you’re doing, and who you’re doing it for.

Rocky Mountain Photography provides aerial media services that are FAA certified and full-service media production support for professional aerial media. Check out our website for more details!

FAQ

Q1. Is it legal to fly drones in Denver?

Yes, but FAA rules, city restrictions, and airspace approval requirements must all be followed.

Q2. Are drones legal in Denver?

Yes, drones are legal in Denver for recreational and commercial use when rules are followed.

Q3. Can I fly a drone in Denver without a license?

Recreational flying may not require a license, but business use requires FAA Part 107.

Q4. Can you fly a drone in downtown Denver?

Downtown is heavily restricted and often requires LAANC approval before any flight.

Q5. Who hires drone pilots in the Denver–Aurora area?

Real estate, construction, media, insurance, utilities, and government teams commonly hire them and for hiring check out Rocky Mountain Photography.

The post Is It Legal to Fly a Drone in Denver? The 2026 Complete Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

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The post STUNNING! The RBH Sound Voca Fina MKII Speaker Review. first appeared on Steve Huff Hi-Fi and Photo.

I think it was David Campany who once said that the problem with collage was that it’s too easy to make a decent one, while it’s almost impossible to create something great. Whether or not I am misremembering or paraphrasing I am not sure (obviously, all misconceptions expressed here are mine, no Campany’s). But collage seems easy, and the fact that it lends itself to exercises in graphic design certainly does not help.

Over the years, I have seen a few good books about collage — but nothing great, nothing providing deeper insight of any sorts (besides, possibly, here and there very minor art history which often is mixed with some surface-level knowledge of world history). But now there is Cut Out, subtitled A Feminist History of Photo Collage, Montage and Assemblage, by Fiona Rogers (a photography curator at London’s V&A).

“Art history,” Rogers writes, “suggests a habitual, inherently gendered separation of collage techniques: the conceptual ‘high’ art for by Picasso and Georges Braque in 1912, and the ‘low’ craft or hobby version, defined by an aesthetic or technique and (mostly) practiced by women. The erasure of these latter forms combined with the repetitive, self-perpetuating nature of art history (and those who write it) ensures that such distinctions are upheld and maintained.”

And thus Rogers proceeds to set the record straight, not only by centering the many contributions by women artists (some of them in my book the defining collage artists) but by also compiling a proper art-historical survey of collage from its very beginnings up until the present time.

Depending on what you personally might want to see in such a survey, your mileage might vary. I enjoyed the broadening of the idea of collage and its practitioners both in the relatively distant past and in the present immensely.

You might wonder about collage in this day and age where everything has seemingly gone digital and where print media — once the main source of material for collages — have been hugely diminished. But collage is a principle more than a set of laws, and in the hands of someone with talent and a vision, everything can be brought into the present.

As is usually the case with surveys, Cut Out is structured through a series of chapters (that come with an introduction by Rogers), with supplementary, slightly more detailed study cases added (these feature introductions/text by a variety of authors).

The V&A collection forms the reservoir from which Rogers extracts the material in the book. No doubt there are holes in that collection. However, as is the case with every survey book, someone will always miss something and/or question the inclusion of something else. The strength of a survey book is thus not necessarily formed by the richness of its source material (even though it is very rich here) but by the framework the curator manages to construct around it.

The framework constructed by Rogers is very strong, enabling a viewer/reader to approach the broader landscape of collage with a much wider view for its potential, its possibilities, and the various underlying strata that might determine how or why we see what we see.

This is what for me forms the backbone of a survey book: it should not necessarily feed me with data — names and the like (even though it certainly is wonderful to have this aspect provided as well). Instead, I expect it to enable me to see and understand more widely.

The moment you make someone not only see but understand more widely, you allow them to question their own ideas, effectively outsourcing the discussion around the inclusion and/or exclusion of someone. A good survey book, in other words, is less than a lecture for a passive audience than an introduction to a (hopefully) shared passion of inquiry.

And this is an excellent survey book that, I suspect, might form the basis for how collage will be discussed for a long time.

Crucially, the book provides the only possible retort to the assertion I started out this article with: yes, it is very much possible to make great collages, and yes, collage can still be an incredible medium to speak about aspects of our troubled times.

As the artists featured in the later sections demonstrate, the potential of collage art has not yet been fully explored, and it probably never will be. This fact provides an opening for anyone for whom photography on its own might be too limiting.

And it doesn’t really matter how exactly you might go about making your collages — whether digitally or in a physical fashion — as long as you manage to not only give expression to what drives you but also push the boundaries of expression itself. I suspect that it is especially the latter that might surprise many viewers/readers unfamiliar with, say, Dafna Talmor, Sheida Soleimani, or Cecilia Mandrile.

Recommended.

Cut Out: A Feminist History of Photo Collage, Montage and Assemblage; with essays by Fiona Rogers (ed.), Damarice Amao, Matthew Biro, Justine Kurland, Melissa Meyer, Renée Mussai, Pelumi Odubanjo, Alona Pardo, Tania Sanabria; 240 pages; Thames & Hudson; 2026

If you enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing to my Patreon. There, you will find exclusive articles, videos, and audio guides about the world of the photobook and more. For those curious, there now is the possibility of a trial membership for seven days.

Much like journalism, photography criticism involves a huge investment of time and resources. When you become a subscriber, you not only get access to more of my work. You will also help me produce it (including the free content on this site).

There also is a Mailing List, which I use to send out supplementary materials — anything that has me inspired or that somehow seemed worth noting. Some of it is serious, some is not. You can sign up for free here.

Thank you for your support!

The post Lula Show & Tell – May: Serenity (Part 2 of 2) appeared first on Luminous Landscape.

Previously, iPhone users could remotely trigger the camera using an Apple Watch. With iOS 26, Apple is expanding that functionality to select AirPods models, giving users another convenient way to take photos and start video recordings without touching their phone.

Remote Camera Control Through AirPods

The new Camera Remote setting can be found within the AirPods settings menu in iOS 26. By default, the feature is turned off and must be enabled manually.

Users can choose between “Press Once” or “Press and Hold” gestures depending on their preference. Once activated, pressing the AirPods stem while the Camera app is open can trigger a photo, start a video recording, stop recording, and perform other camera-related actions.

AirPods Max users can access the feature using the Digital Crown instead of the stem controls.

“Capture a photo, start or stop recording, and more using either Press Once or Press and Hold. When using AirPods for camera actions, if you select Press Once, media control gestures will be unavailable, and if you select Press and Hold, listening mode and Siri gestures will be unavailable,” Apple explains.

Useful for Creators and Tripod-Based Shooting

The feature could be especially useful for solo content creators who frequently record themselves while their iPhone is mounted on a tripod or gimbal. Instead of walking back to the camera or relying on a timer, users can simply trigger the shutter from a distance.

It could also be helpful for group photos, self-portraits, and landscape photography. Being able to trigger the shutter remotely reduces the chance of introducing camera shake when the phone is mounted on a tripod.

Limited Device Support

At launch, Camera Remote support is limited to newer AirPods models. Compatible devices include the AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2.

The feature currently works only with Apple’s native Camera app. Third-party camera applications do not yet support Camera Remote functionality.

Photographers will likely be hoping Apple expands support to third-party apps in the future, particularly specialized camera apps that offer features such as long-exposure photography, advanced manual controls, and astrophotography tools.

Availability

The Camera Remote feature is included as part of iOS 26 and is available on supported iPhone models paired with compatible AirPods.

As iOS 26 rolls out more broadly, the feature could become a useful addition for photographers, content creators, and anyone looking for a simple way to remotely trigger their iPhone camera.

The post Apple Users Can Remotely Trigger the Camera Using AirPods appeared first on Imaging Resource.

By the time you’re spending over $3,000, you’re looking at getting one of the best cameras around. You should expect it to deliver exceedingly detailed images and capture high-end video, all without having to compromise much on speed for when the action picks up.

For most applications, a camera around $3000 will be more than enough, but if you and your photography need the very highest image quality or some specialist capability, the cameras in this guide are among the best we’ve yet seen. There are a handful of dedicated sports/photojournalism cameras or luxury models above the $6000 upper limit we’ve set ourselves, but these are usually such singular offerings that we’re assuming you don’t need our help in choosing if you’re seriously considering them.

At this level, there aren’t really any bad picks, so if you have any investment at all in the lens system of one company, this should probably be the deciding factor for you. But we’ll highlight the particular strengths we found in each camera, just in case you are planning to switch systems.

Our recommendations:

• Best high-end camera: Canon EOS R5 II
• Another great option: Nikon Z8
• High-spec high res: Sony a7R VI
• The compact option: Sony a7CR
• IQ above all else: Fujifilm GFX 100S II

Best high-end camera: Canon EOS R5 II

45MP Stacked CMOS sensor | Eye-controlled AF subject selection | Up to 30fps continuous shooting

The EOS R5 II is one of the most all-around capable cameras we’ve tested. Photo: Richard Butler

Read our EOS R5 II Review

See the EOS R5 II Studio Scene

Should I still buy the EOS R5?

Short answer: yes. It lacks some of the newer camera’s features like eye-controlled subject selection, action priority modes and AI noise reduction, but if those don’t matter to you – or aren’t worth the $400 MSRP premium of the EOS R5 II – the EOS R5 is still plenty capable in 2026.

Another great option: Nikon Z8

46MP Stacked CMOS sensor | 20fps Raw, 30fps full-size JPEG shooting | 8K/60 and 4K/120 video

The Nikon Z8 delivers just about everything: speed, AF, video and, most importantly of all, image quality. Photo: Richard Butler

The Nikon Z8 is a fast-shooting stills and video-capable mirrorless camera with a 46MP Stacked CMOS sensor. It’s an extremely strong competitor compared to the EOS R5 II, but Canon’s action sports settings and eye control push it over the edge.

If those things don’t matter much to you, you can pretty much base your decision on whether you prefer Nikon or Canon’s lens lineup. They’re broadly similar, and both brands tightly control which options third-party manufacturers can offer.

Read our Nikon Z8 review

See the Nikon Z8 studio scene

A cheaper option?

At $3300, the Panasonic Lumix S1RII retails for substantially less than the Z8 and EOS R5 II while offering similar resolution, speed and video features. But while we found it to be a quite capable camera, its autofocus UI and performance are a fair bit behind what Canon and Nikon offer, to the point where we’d recommend paying the extra if you think you’ll be frequently shooting moving subjects. If you mostly shoot still subjects and/or videos, though, it may well be worth considering for the savings.

High-spec high res: Sony a7R VI

66MP Stacked CMOS sensor | >30fps with e-shutter, 10fps mech | >4K/120p video

Photo: Mitchell Clark

It’s a camera that focuses mainly on image quality – something it does better than any other full-frame options – but with a sensor fast enough to stretch to shooting action, wildlife and video if needed. Sony has also been less restrictive with what lenses can be made for its mount, meaning you have plenty of options.

Read our Sony a7R VI review

See the Sony a7R VI studio scene

Should I still buy a Sony a7R V?

The Sony a7R V isn’t as fast, but, unlike the a7R IV before it, has Sony’s latest menu system. If you’re only planning on shooting landscapes or other slow-moving subjects, and aren’t that interested in video, it may be worth going with the older model and rolling the savings into a nice lens or two.

The compact option: Sony a7CR

61MP BSI CMOS sensor | 4K/60p video with 10-bit color | Dedicated ‘AI’ processor for AF system

You can’t do much to shrink the lenses, but the a7CR is both the smallest and least expensive camera here. Photo: Richard Butler

The Sony a7CR is a compact, full-frame camera with a 61MP BSI CMOS sensor. Despite its small size, it packs in most of the features found in Sony’s larger bodies while still delivering stunning detail, without sacrificing much performance.

Read our in-depth Sony a7CR review

IQ above all else: Fujifilm GFX 100S II

102MP BSI medium format sensor | In-body image stabilization | 5.76M dot viewfinder

Photo: Mitchell Clark

The Fujifilm GFX 100S II is a 100MP medium format mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with built-in image stabilization.

This camera is perhaps the most specialized pick on this list: it’s not especially fast or versatile but in terms of image quality, it essentially offers the best levels of detail we’ve ever seen. It’s a true step up over even the best of its full-frame rivals (some of which comes from its lenses – the GF primes often being particularly good).

Why you should trust us

This buying guide is based on cameras used and tested by DPReview’s editorial team. We don’t select a camera until we’ve used it enough to be confident in recommending it, usually after our extensive review process. The selections are purely a reflection of which cameras we believe to be best: there are no financial incentives for us to select one model or brand over another.

This article provides a structured overview of the device’s imaging performance based on DXOMARK’s laboratory testing and perceptual evaluations. It highlights some of the most significant results from our testing, supported by selected data extracts and representative image samples captured during the evaluation process.

Overview

Key camera specifications:

• Primary: 200 MP, f/1.9, 35mm (wide), 1/1.12″, 0.7µm, PDAF, gimbal OIS
• Ultra-wide: 50 MP, f/2.0, 14mm, 116° (ultrawide), 1/1.28″, 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS
• Tele: 200 MP, f/2.7, 85mm (telephoto), 1/1.4″, 0.56µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.7x optical zoom

The vivo X300 Ultra delivers a very high level of performance for both portrait and landscape photography. On Portrait photography, the device produces pleasant images with natural skin tones and sharp details in bright conditions. Its 35mm lens contributes significantly to a strong photographic rendering, giving most images a natural and immersive look. Portrait mode (Bokeh) on the vivo X300 Ultra is among the best we have evaluated on a smartphone so far, even though the simulated blur effect is slightly less pronounced than on its sibling, the vivo X300 Pro when using the default settings.

The smartphone delivers balanced photo rendering with bright exposure, vivid colors and wide dynamic range. However, compared with the current top performer in the Photo category, the device still demonstrates some limitations when rendering group portraits, with face rendering consistency varying across subjects positioned at different depths in the scene.

The vivo X300 Ultra also provides top-tier telephoto performance, combining efficient stabilization with a high level of detail preservation. In addition, the device significantly improves over its sibling, the vivo X300 Pro when using the ultra-wide camera module, thanks to notable hardware and image processing upgrades.

On the video side, the performance is slightly less impressive than on the vivo X300 Pro, particularly in challenging low-light conditions, where the device demonstrates limitations in dynamic range management and noise reduction.

Scoring

Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.

Vivo X300 Ultra

170

camera

174
Photo

Main

175

184

Huawei Pura 80 Ultra

Best: Huawei Pura 80 Ultra (184)

Bokeh

180

Vivo X300 Pro

Ultra-Wide

175

Vivo X300 Ultra

Tele

172

Vivo X300 Ultra

162
Video

Main

168

186

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Best: Apple iPhone 17 Pro (186)

Ultra-Wide

147

151

Motorola Signature

Best: Motorola Signature (151)

Tele

139

140

Vivo X200 Ultra

Best: Vivo X200 Ultra (140)

Use cases & Conditions

Use case scores indicate the product performance in specific situations. They are not included in the overall score calculations.

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BEST 169

Top score
%s

Portrait

Portrait photos of either one person or a group of people

BEST 185

Top score
%s

Outdoor

Photos & videos shot in bright light conditions (≥1000 lux)

BEST 180

Top score
%s

Indoor

Photos & videos shot in good lighting conditions (≥100lux)

BEST 149

Top score
%s

Lowlight

Photos & videos shot in low lighting conditions (<100 lux)

Top score

Top score
%s

Zoom

Photos and videos captured using zoom (more than 1x)

In low-light conditions, the device delivers very satisfying image quality and generally achieves a more pleasant rendering than its predecessor, the vivo x200 Ultra. However, some inconsistencies remain. While AI processing can enhance face detail, it may also introduce unnatural texture rendering. Noise noise becomes more noticeable, particularly in flat areas of the image.

In video mode, low-light scenes further expose the device’s limitations with strong noise levels (especially during motion), slower autofocus behavior and a reduced dynamic range. As a result, video performance in challenging lighting conditions remains below that of the vivo x300 Pro.

vivo X300 Ultra – Pleasant skin tones and well exposed portrait under challenging conditions

vivo X200 Ultra – Slight under saturated colors on Portrait

The device delivers excellent performance in portrait use cases, producing natural skin tones, pleasing contrast, and a distinctive photographic rendering supported by its ~35 mm focal length. Portrait mode is particularly impressive, with accurate and natural subject segmentation combined with attractive depth rendering.

In more challenging situations, such as long-distance portraits or low-light scenes, AI processing can occasionally introduce visible artifacts or slightly unnatural skin textures. In addition, the relatively narrow depth of field may limit sharpness consistency in group portraits.

vivo X300 Ultra – Vivid colors, natural skin tones and face details well preserved

vivo X200 Ultra – Lower color saturation and paler skin rendering

Xiaomi 17 Ultra – Some clippings visible in the brightest areas of the face and clothing

Top score

Top score

Zoom

On the vivo X300 Ultra, telephoto performance is outstanding, delivering very high levels of detail across all zoom ranges and particularly excelling at long and very long distances, where the device outperforms most competitors. Video telephoto performance is also excellent, maintaining strong sharpness and zoom consistency. In challenging conditions such as low-light, however, artifacts and increased noise can become more visible, and AI reconstruction may occasionally produce slightly unnatural facial textures.

vivo X300 Ultra – Excellent rendering with telephoto camera

Test summary

About DXOMARK Camera tests: DXOMARK’s camera evaluations take place in laboratories and real-world situations using a wide variety of use-cases. The scores rely on objective tests for which the results are calculated directly using measurement software in our laboratory setups, and on perceptual tests where a sophisticated set of metrics allow a panel of image experts to compare aspects of image quality that require human judgment. Testing a smartphone involves a team of engineers and technicians for about a week. Photo and Video quality are scored separately and then combined into an overall score for comparison among the cameras in different devices. For more information about the DXOMARK Camera protocol, click here. More details on smartphone camera scores are available here. The following section gathers key elements of DXOMARK’s exhaustive tests and analyses. Full performance evaluations are available upon request. Please contact us  on how to receive a full report.

Photo performance is overall very strong, delivering pleasant rendering, natural skin tones, accurate exposure, and a high level of detail in bright conditions, making the device particularly well-suited for portrait and landscape photography. However, some instabilities and inconsistencies remain, including occasional autofocus limitations and noticeable degradation in challenging conditions in low-light conditions where noise, artifacts, and unnatural texture can appear.

Main

175

Vivo X300 Ultra

184

Huawei Pura 80 Ultra

Huawei Pura 80 Ultra

Exposure

133

Vivo X300 Ultra

134

Huawei Pura 80 Ultra

Huawei Pura 80 Ultra

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Photo Exposure?

• Accurate target exposure on both portrait and landscape scenes
• Slightly elevated target exposure can occasionally appear on deeper skin tones
• Wide dynamic range overall, combined with soft and pleasant contrast on portraits
• Reduced background contrast in high dynamic range scenes
• Slight exposure instabilities visible across consecutive shots

Vivo X300 Ultra – Bright portrait with well-balanced contrast

Vivo X200 Ultra – Bright portrait with slightly low global contrast

Xiaomi 17 Ultra – Slight dark portrait with well- balanced contrast

Color

131

Vivo X300 Ultra

133

Huawei Pura 80 Ultra

Huawei Pura 80 Ultra

How does the vivo x300 Ultra perform in terms of Photo Color?

• Pleasant skin tone rendering across most lighting conditions
• Neutral and generally accurate white balance in bright conditions
• Slight rendering instabilities visible across consecutive shots

Vivo X300 Ultra – Accurate color rendering despite challenging environment

Vivo X200 Ultra – Inaccurate color rendering and cold white balance cast

Xiaomi 17 Ultra – Low saturated color with slight cold cast

 

Sharpness & Timing

114

Vivo X300 Ultra

135

Huawei Pura 80 Ultra

Huawei Pura 80 Ultra

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Photo Autofocus?

• Relatively narrow depth of field can limit sharpness consistency in group portraits
• Stable and generally reliable autofocus performance in most shooting conditions
• Occasional slow focus convergence during repetitive refocusing scenarios, which can lead to out-of-focus captures

vivo x300 Ultra – Group portrait showing a blurred background subject, with applied detail enhancement on facial areas

Sharp facial rendering, but with a slightly unnatural appearance

vivo X200 Ultra- Inconsistent facial detail rendering in group portrait scenes

Noticeable loss of facial detail on subjects positioned in the background

Huawei Pura 80 Ultra – Consistent sharpness on face in group portrait

High level of details on background face

Texture

126

Vivo X300 Ultra

132

Vivo X200 Ultra

Vivo X200 Ultra

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Photo Texture?

• Very good detail preservation in bright lighting conditions, with sharp textures and fine details maintained across most scenes
• In low-light conditions, AI-driven face enhancement can occasionally introduce slightly artificial texture rendering and less natural facial details

vivo X300 Ultra – Fine details well preserved on the face

Xiaomi 17 Ultra – Details well preserved on the face

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max – Details well preserved on the face

Noise

128

Vivo X300 Ultra

129

Oppo Find X8 Ultra

Oppo Find X8 Ultra

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Photo noise?

• In bright lighting conditions, image noise is virtually imperceptible, resulting in clean and detailed photos
• In low-light conditions, a slight amount of chromatic noise may be visible, particularly in flat or uniform areas such as skies or walls, but it remains well controlled overall

vivo X300 Ultra – Very well controlled noise

Xiaomi 17 Ultra – Very well controlled noise

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max – Slight luminance noise

Artifacts

82

Vivo X300 Ultra

Highest Score

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Photo Artifact?

• Colored flare can occasionally appear, sometimes accompanied by a slight loss of contrast in the affected areas
• Face rendering artifacts may be noticeable in long-distance portrait shots or in cases where AI processing/enhancement does not perform optimally

Bokeh

180

Vivo X300 Ultra

Highest Score

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Photo Bokeh?

• Very good performance with natural subject separation and pleasing background spotlight effects
• Compared to the vivo x300 Pro, blur intensity is slightly reduced, resulting in marginally less pronounced subject isolation

vivo X300 Ultra – Well exposed image and bright color

Fine details and precise segmentation

Xiaomi 17 Ultra – Well-exposed portrait but under saturated colors

Fine details on face with precise segmentation

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max – Well exposed image with bright colors

Some details lost on face and slight segmentation issues

Tele

172

Vivo X300 Ultra

Highest Score

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Photo Telephoto?

• Telephoto performance is outstanding, delivering highly detailed images across all zoom ranges, with particularly strong results at long and very long distances where it outperforms many competitors
• Despite using a similar camera module and tuning approach, image rendering remains consistent and well controlled
• AI-reconstructed textures are generally natural, although facial rendering can occasionally appear slightly unnatural due to elevated micro-contrast in fine skin details

vivo X300 Ultra

Natural details in bright environments

vivo x200 Ultra

well-preserved details with sharpening

Xiaomi 17 Ultra

Fine details and micro-contrast enhancement

vivo X300 Ultra – Well-exposed portrait and pleasant colors

Fine details on face with some unnatural texture reconstruction and visible smoothing of the skin texture

Xiaomi 17 Ultra – Lower but natural face exposure on the face

Good detail preservation with natural rendering

vivo x200 Ultra – Well exposed portrait

Some fine details lost on the face

UltraWide

175

Vivo X300 Ultra

Highest Score

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Photo Ultrawide?

• The ultrawide camera delivers strong performance, producing highly detailed images with minimal noise
• Detail preservation is significantly improved compared to previous generations, thanks to the new camera module and updated image processing

Main

168

Vivo X300 Ultra

186

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

The video score presented here refers to performance using the 35mm module, which is not the default mode (14mm), but delivers the best overall video quality, especially in low-light conditions where the default mode can exhibit strong ghosting artifacts. vivo explicitly recommends using the 35mm mode in dim lighting. Overall, video performance is solid but does not reach the level of the Pro version. The combination of different hardware, chipset, and tuning provides generally good exposure control, pleasant color rendering, and satisfactory detail in most situations. However, performance becomes less consistent in more challenging scenarios, with limitations in dynamic range, increased noise in low light (particularly with motion), and noticeable temporal instabilities such as exposure and white balance fluctuations, as well as occasional ghosting.

Exposure

126

Vivo X300 Ultra

133

Vivo X300 Pro

Vivo X300 Pro

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Video Exposure?

• Exposure is generally accurate across most lighting conditions
• In some low-light or backlit scenes, facial exposure may appear slightly underexposed
• Dynamic range is limited, especially when compared to the vivo X300 Pro
• Auto-exposure is sensitive to small lighting changes in indoor and low-light environments, which can lead to abrupt adjustments and occasional exposure overshoots

Color

124

Vivo X300 Ultra

131

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

How does vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Video Color?

• White balance is generally pleasant, with natural rendering in outdoor scenes and good preservation of warm ambiance in low-light conditions
• Skin tones can sometimes appear slightly pale, particularly in outdoor bright light and nighttime scenes
• Auto white balance is sensitive to small lighting changes in indoor and low-light environments, which can lead to visible shifts and occasional overshooting during adaptation

Sharpness & Timing

116

Vivo X300 Ultra

124

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Video Autofocus?

• Autofocus is generally accurate and stable across most shooting conditions. However, in very low-light environments, focus can occasionally degrade, leading to noticeable softness and a loss of fine detail
• AF response is slightly slower than expected for a flagship device, with reduced speed in refocusing and subject tracking
• In low-light conditions, focus convergence can also be delayed, resulting in a less immediate lock-on to the subject

Texture

107

Vivo X300 Ultra

118

Huawei Pura 80 Ultra

Huawei Pura 80 Ultra

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Video Texture?

• In natural scenes, texture rendering is generally good, delivering a satisfying level of detail that is on par with competitors such as the iPhone 17 Pro across most conditions
• Low-light texture reproduction is improved compared to the vivo X200 Ultra, with better detail retention and overall clarity in challenging lighting environments

Noise

106

Vivo X300 Ultra

129

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Video Noise?

• Noise is well controlled in bright lighting conditions, resulting in clean and stable video footage
• In indoor and low-light environments, noise becomes visible in darker areas and can be quite pronounced in very low-light scenes
• Motion, whether from the subject or camera movement, further amplifies noise in indoor and low-light conditions, making it more noticeable and unstable
• Overall, noise levels are higher than on the vivo X200 Ultra and also more visible compared to the vivo X300 Pro

Stabilization

118

Vivo X300 Ultra

124

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Video Stabilization?

• Stabilization is effective during static shots and normal walking movements, providing generally smooth and stable footage
• In indoor and low-light conditions, there can be noticeable variations in sharpness between frames, leading to a slightly less consistent stabilized image

Artifacts

81

Vivo X300 Ultra

89

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in Video Artifacts?

• Video artifacts are generally minimal in good lighting conditions.
• In low-light scenarios, artifacts become more noticeable and can impact overall image cleanliness.

UltraWide

147

Vivo X300 Ultra

151

Motorola Signature

Motorola Signature

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in Video Ultrawide?

• The ultrawide video performance delivers excellent sharpness, with strong edge-to-edge consistency that is particularly impressive for this focal length.
• Dynamic range is strong, with well-balanced exposure that handles bright skies and high-contrast scenes effectively, even in wide-angle compositions.

Tele

139

Vivo X300 Ultra

140

Vivo X200 Ultra

Vivo X200 Ultra

How does the vivo X300 Ultra perform in terms of Video Telephoto?

• The telephoto video performance delivers very high levels of detail, with strong zoom consistency and stable sharpness even at longer focal lengths
• In challenging conditions, performance degrades, with increased noise and more visible artifacts, particularly in low-light environments

The post vivo X300 Ultra Camera test appeared first on DXOMARK.

I know… I’m a little late to the party on this one.

But if you’re anything like me, sometimes software updates get downloaded with the best intentions and then life, workshops, editing deadlines, YouTube videos, and approximately 14 cups of coffee later… you finally sit down and properly explore what’s new. Through in an overseas holiday and well, things slide.

And after spending some time looking through the new features in Nik Collection 9, I think DxO may have delivered one of the biggest updates we’ve seen in years.

For those who don’t know, Nik Collection has long been one of my favourite creative editing toolsets, especially for still life work, cinematic portraits, black and white processing, and adding those little artistic touches that would normally take forever inside Photoshop.

What I’ve always loved about Nik is that it lets you experiment quickly. You can go from “nice image” to “ohhh… now we’re talking” in just a few clicks.

And version 9 seems heavily focused on making that process even faster and more creative.

AI Masking Finally Comes to Nik Collection

One of the headline additions is the new AI-enhanced masking tools, including both Depth Masks and AI Masks.

Now, I’ll be honest, I’m generally pretty skeptical when companies throw “AI” into every second sentence like seasoning on hot chips. But this actually sounds useful.

The new Depth Masks analyse the image and create a depth map, allowing you to target adjustments based on distance from the camera. That means you can apply effects to foregrounds or backgrounds without manually painting complicated masks.

For portrait photographers, still life shooters, and anyone working with layered scenes, that could be a genuine time saver.

Then there’s the new AI Masks, which let you click directly on subjects or drag a quick selection box to isolate areas for adjustments.

Again, less fiddling around, more creating.

And honestly? That’s where editing software should be heading.

The New Colour Grading Tool Looks Very Interesting

This is probably the feature I’m most curious about.

Nik Collection 9 introduces a brand-new Color Grading tool inside Color Efex, designed to control shadows, midtones, highlights, and global colour adjustments from a simplified interface.

What caught my attention is the ability to “lock” colour relationships together while grading. So instead of wrestling multiple colour wheels independently, you can maintain harmony between tones while shifting the overall mood of the image.

For cinematic edits, moody still life work, vintage-inspired portraits, or even creative black and white toning, this could be incredibly handy.

And because it’s Nik Collection, it still keeps that “creative playground” feeling rather than becoming overly technical.

Halation, Glass Effects & Chromatic Shift

Now this is where things start getting a bit fun.

Nik Collection 9 adds several new creative effects including:

• Halation
• Chromatic Shift
• Glass Effect

The Halation effect recreates that beautiful soft glow often seen in vintage film stocks, where highlights gently bloom into darker areas.

And honestly… if you’ve followed my work for any length of time, you already know I’m weak for anything cinematic, dreamy, moody, painterly, or slightly nostalgic.

The Glass Effect also sounds like something I’ll absolutely lose an afternoon experimenting with, adding distortion and texture overlays inspired by different glass surfaces.

Meanwhile, Chromatic Shift leans into those imperfect analog printing vibes with subtle colour separation effects.

Used carefully, these sorts of tools can add atmosphere and character incredibly quickly.

Used badly… well… let’s just say not every slider needs to go to 100.

Blending Modes Finally Arrive

Another genuinely useful addition is the introduction of Blending Modes inside Nik Color Efex and Analog Efex.

If you’re familiar with Photoshop blending modes, you’ll immediately understand how much creative flexibility this opens up.

DxO says there are now 18 blending modes available, allowing photographers to dramatically change how effects interact with the image underneath.

This feels like one of those features that won’t necessarily make the flashy headlines, but once you start using it, you’ll wonder how you edited without it.

Workflow Tweaks That Actually Matter

One thing I appreciate is that DxO didn’t just throw in shiny new filters and call it a day.

There are also workflow improvements including:

• Hover previews for presets
• Better mask overlays
• Easier navigation for local adjustments
• Copy/paste local adjustments between images

Small changes? Maybe.

But if you edit a lot of images, those little workflow refinements add up quickly.

Final Thoughts

Nik Collection has always been one of those plugin suites that encourages experimentation. It’s less about technical perfection and more about helping photographers develop a visual style.

And honestly, in a world where so much editing is starting to look identical, I think that matters more than ever.

The new masking tools look genuinely useful, the colour grading additions are exciting, and the new analog-inspired effects feel very much in line with the kind of creative editing many photographers are leaning toward right now.

So yes, I may be a little late talking about Nik Collection 9…

…but better late than never.

And if you’ve been thinking about trying DxO software, don’t forget you can grab 15% off all DxO products for new customers using my affiliate code:

Code: JuliePowell

You can check out the full details on the DxO website and download the free trial if you want to have a play for yourself.

Note: Sample images supplied by DXO

It’s like Canon 5D Mark II vs Panasonic GH1 all over again!

Canon got aggressive with the R8, and finally put the cripple hammer away. This is the bargain value for money full frame camera of our era, they had no choice but to do it – the Sony a7 IV exists. Indeed, the a7 V exists, but it lives in a higher realm of pricing – feature packed for sure, but does it actually offer a better image overall than the R8? I’d say… Debatable.

Then in the Lumix corner, we have the G9 II which on the face of it is not supposed to be a GH7, but it is.

And best of all, this Not A GH7 can be had for around 1200 euros, or less, if you shop around.

The G9 II is an underrated tool. The spec is more aligned with a flagship camera, like the Sony a1 II, than an enthusiast filmmaking tool, and it has far fewer compromises than the EOS R8. If you don’t mind the 2x crop sensor it’s the one to get – but it requires considerate thought in terms of glass. If you’re not careful it can end up looking a bit clinical, but that sensor – the same as the GH7 – is just such a bomb. It’s the closest Micro Four Thirds has ever been to full frame in dynamic range and low light performance, and surpasses all but the very best flagship full frame sensors in terms of speed. The quality of the 4K/120fps is outstanding.

The EOS R8 is a slower camera, and the most glaring omission is the lack of in body stabilisation. If you’re an avid collector of vintage glass or manual focus stuff, you might not miss it – the flagship R1 and R3 behave as if IBIS doesn’t exist when you’re not using native Canon RF mount lenses.

What I do like about the EOS R8 is the straight-forwardness of the body design, how small and thin it is, how good the ergonomics are – a big improvement on the RP – how decent the EVF is, how the cripple hammer was resisted in terms of autofocus and video – two areas where you can barely tell it apart from the much more expensive EOS R6 Mark II.

The lack of IBIS is in some ways a blessing – forcing you to get the sticks out and do stuff properly.

Whereas the G9 II is the closest you can get to the speed and specs of a flagship Sony A1 II, or Nikon Z8 for nowhere near as much money, and you’ll save on the lenses too – and the weight, and the size.

If I were to choose just one…

The EOS R8 does have the full frame image and all the advantages that brings, but to be honest it’s not all just about an ever more shallow DOF – it’s going out of fashion. The full frame advantage is in terms of lenses – a 35mm is a 35mm, a 50 is a 50. With Micro Four Thirds there’s always that nagging crop to factor in.

The G9 isn’t quite as good at very high ISOs, isn’t quite as creamy looking – but it’s a better documentary camera, faster, better battery times, far more feature packed.

And that’s why if I did pick one it would be the Lumix.

The post Battle of the $1000 filmmaking kit: Canon EOS R8 vs Panasonic G9 II appeared first on EOSHD.com – Filmmaking Gear and Camera Reviews.

At AP, we take reviewing smartphones as seriously as we do testing the best cameras – after all, far more images are now shot on smartphones than anything else. I’ve personally reviewed almost every flagship phone in this list, looking at image quality, video quality, editing features, handling, durability, battery life, ease of use, and more, looking at each camera lens and feature in detail. To know more about our testing criteria and what to look for in a smartphone camera, I’ve put together an explainer on how to choose at the bottom of this page.

For most users looking for something for day-to-day photography though, the best smartphone cameras will achieve all that they need, often beating cheap compact cameras. See our smartphone camera photo of the week for inspiration.

• Looking for something cheaper? Check out the best budget and mid-range phones for photography.

So, let’s get stuck into the best camera phones you can buy and don’t forget to download one of the best editing apps for smartphones.

The best camera phones: my quick list

If you want to cut right to it, here’s a quick-reference list of the top rated camera phones me and my team recommend, along with links to get the best prices:

• Best overall camera phone: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Buy now
• Best overall iPhone: iPhone 17 Pro / Max: Buy now
• Best camera phone (but cheaper): Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Buy now
• Best used iPhone: iPhone 16 Pro / Max: Buy now
• Best folding camera phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: Buy now
• Best flagship for sports and action: OnePlus 13: Buy now
• Best value iPhone camera phone: iPhone 15 Pro: Buy now
• Best AI phone overall: Google Pixel 10 Pro (and Pro XL): Buy now
• Best for advanced photographers: Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Buy now
• Best for close-ups and macro: Vivo X200 Pro
• Best small flagship phone: Samsung Galaxy S25: Buy Now
• Best value flagship: Tecno Camon 40 Premier 5G

Looking for the best deal on premium camera phones? Not only will you find the best camera phones, but you’ll also find some of the best camera phone deals, as our ‘Buy now’ buttons are setup to automatically take you to the best prices, from trusted retailers, plus you’ll also find a list of other retailers below each phone, to find the right deal for you. Check out the Best Black Friday deals.

Read on to learn more about each of these phones, including key specs and the results of our review team’s testing…

Best overall camera phone: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Specifications at a glance:

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a minor update to the S24 Ultra with an updated design, new ultra-wide camera and updated screen. The main camera has the same headline-grabbing 200MP sensor that uses pixel-binning technology as its predecessor.

The S25 Ultra builds on the AI introduced with the S24 Ultra, with a range of additional features for searching, including inside the photo gallery. There’s also been some improvements to video recording, with the ability to use AI to improve the audio quality as well as Log tools.

Galaxy S25 Ultra · f/1.7 · 1/7944s · 6.3mm · ISO16

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a great performing device, and it produces excellent photos and videos. It’s a big device, which will be to the tastes of some, but perhaps put off others – I’d love Samsung to introduce a smaller Ultra variety, but perhaps it believes the market isn’t there.

The native camera app has a lot going for it, including the AI editing suite which can really help to improve your photographs. Whether you’re shooting stills or making video content, the S25 Ultra is hard to beat.

Also good for: The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is going to provide excellent results in most situations, including landscapes, low-light and night, as well as video, vlogging, YouTube, and more. In fact many YouTubers use this camera for video thanks to the wide range of lenses available.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review to see what this smartphone is cable of.

Best Apple camera phone: iPhone 17 Pro and Max

Specifications at a glance:

Whichever iPhone 17 Pro you go for (Pro or Pro Max), you’re getting the same updated camera system on both models, the only differences being the phone size (including the screen and battery). This year we’ve got an update to the telephoto camera, which now has a higher resolution 48MP sensor, a 4x telephoto lens, and offers an 8x “optical quality” digital crop/zoom option, that can give nice results. There’s also an updated 18MP selfie camera with a square sensor making it easier to shoot any way you hold the phone.

I reviewed the phone, and found the overall package extremely good in terms of camera features, but I’m still waiting for Apple to improve the macro performance, which has been overtaken by Android phones which now tend to use the telephoto camera (with a periscope design) to give more pleasing macro images.

These updates may be enough to persuade people to upgrade from the 15 and 16 series, but there have been questions raised about the durability of the new aluminium design.

iPhone 17 Pro · f/1.78 · 1/299s · 6.7649998656528mm · ISO64

The iPhone 17 Pro / Max offer the best iPhone cameras, and if you prefer the Apple way of doing things then this is a great choice. The main choice now, will be whether you want the larger phone, or the more compact phone.

Read our full iPhone 17 Pro review.

Best Samsung camera phone (but cheaper): Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Specifications at a glance:

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra succeeds S23 Ultra as Samsung’s flagship model, and is Samsung’s top dog in terms of photography, until that is, the S25 Ultra came out (see above). Its main camera has the same headline-grabbing 200MP sensor that uses pixel-binning technology as its predecessor. However, the telephoto camera has been upgraded to a new 50MP 5x telephoto zoom from the previous 10MP 10x telephoto seen on the S22/S23 Ultra.

A new generation of AI technology is introduced with the S24 series, utilised during image capture and said to improve night photography, noise performance, zoom quality and HDR imaging among others. AI is also relevant in the new on-device and cloud-based editing features like its new Reflection removal tool. Speaking of reflection removal, which is really useful, the S24 Ultra also has one of the best screens on any phone, thanks to the anti-reflective coating on the screen.

Galaxy S24 Ultra · f/3.4 · 1/169s · 18.6mm · ISO32

The S24 Ultra records video up to 8K 30fps, and with AI can also be used to create slow-motion videos by generating interim frames in a video, letting you create slow-motion videos after you record them.

Following our full review, I noted the incremental improvements to the cameras and features in Samsung smartphones, but there were some areas where I’d like to see some additional improvements, namely in macro. I did conclude, though, that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the best camera phones currently available in the mainstream, and I stick by that. Now that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has been announced, look out for S24 Ultra deals.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review to see what this smartphone is cable of.

Best used Apple camera phone: iPhone 16 Pro and Max

Specifications at a glance:

Whether you go for the iPhone 16 Pro or the 16 Pro Max, you’re getting the same camera system, the only differences being the phone size (including the screen and battery). This iPhone update sees the ultra-wide-angle camera updated, as well as a new photo control button on the side that helps give quicker access to photo settings (such as zoom, etc). Hardly as ground-breaking as Apple would make out, but a welcome addition.

I reviewed the phone, and found the new controls useful, but would have liked to see Apple improve the macro performance, which has been overtaken by Android phones, and I’d also like Apple to improve the selfie camera, which struggles in low-light.

These updates may not be enough to persuade people to upgrade from the 15 Pro Max, but if you want a very good iPhone, and don’t want to break the bank, then the 16 Pro / Pro Max is a good choice, especially as prices for used or refurbished are much lower than new models.

iPhone 16 Pro · f/1.78 · 1/8130s · 6.7649998656528mm · ISO80

These are also the best iPhones available for zoom, thanks to the 5x telephoto camera.

Read our full iPhone 16 Pro review, as well as our 16 Pro Max review. JW

Best folding camera phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7

Specifications at a glance:

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is the latest folding phone from Samsung, and until this model, I’ve felt that there was not enough focus on the camera system to be good enough for photographers, however, that has changed with the Z Fold7. The main camera has the same headline-grabbing 200MP sensor that uses pixel-binning technology as the flagship S25 Ultra, and the ultra-wide camera now has auto-focus to enable some nice macro photography.

Like the S25 Ultra there are some nice AI features, with a range of additional features for searching, including inside the photo gallery. There’s also been improvements to video recording, with the ability to use AI to improve the audio quality as well as Log tools.

Galaxy Z Fold7 · f/1.7 · 1/7944s · 6.25mm · ISO50

Where the Zold 7 really stands out is in the folding screen design, which gives you an impressive 8.0inch inner screen, where you photos look amazing, and your video recording and editing has plenty of room. When folded the phone still feels like a normal phone, thanks to the extra thin design. If your budget allows, this truly is a wonderful phone to use.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 review to see what this smartphone is cable of.

Best flagship for sports and action: OnePlus 13

Specifications at a glance:

This flagship phone from OnePlus features an impressive array of specs that make it a worthy contender for the likes of Apple, Samsung and Google. And it does this at a significantly lower starting price of $899 / £899. It has everything you would expect from a high-end phone with AI features, a generous 6.82” screen, sturdy battery life and of course a capable triple-lens rear camera setup.

There is a 23mm wide angle, a 15mm ultra-wide angle and a 73mm triprism lens that provides approximately 3x optical zoom. All three lenses have a 50MP sensor, however, the main wide angle lens uses a larger, 1/1.4inch sensor whereas the others are smaller. Thanks to the firm’s continuing partnership with Hasselblad there’s a 1x, 2x, and 3x Portrait mode that emulates the look from Hasselblad camera lenses.

You can record up to 8K resolution at 30fps but keep in mind the space these videos will occupy, there’s also a 4K 60fps option and of course slow-mo at 1080p 240fps. The OnePlus 13 currently holds the position of highest peak brightness smartphone screen on the market with an incredible 4500 nits, so you can not just record high-quality video but enjoy watching even in very bright sunlight.

Thanks to a dual exposure algorithm that merges a regular and a long exposure shot, photos are sharp with very minimal motion blur, this makes the OnePlus13 ideal for shooting sports, action and fast moving subjects. Combine this with the Burst function in the dedicated Action mode and you won’t miss a shot.

Read our full review of the OnePlus 13

Best Apple camera phone: iPhone 15 Pro

Specifications at a glance:

While not the biggest iPhone on the block – that being the iPhone 16 Pro Max – the iPhone 15 Pro offers a balanced set of features that make it realistically the best option for most users. It’s no great jump from the previous year’s iPhone 14 Pro, but the iPhone 15 Pro makes several clever usability upgrades that improve the experience for the smartphone photographer and videographer. Now that the 16 Pro is out (see above), this phone should be available for less, while stocks last.

For instance, portrait mode can now kick in automatically when the facial recognition system detects a human subject (or a pet, for that matter). What’s more, an image can also be turned into a portrait post-capture. Video shooters get new Log profiles, which allows for much more flexibility when it comes to colour-grading footage. And Apple has finally relented on the port and given us the widely used USB-C connection, rather than its proprietary Lightning port. At last!

In our full review, we concluded that the improvements to the iPhone 15 Pro over the iPhone 14 Pro are relatively marginal, and that it was another excellent device. Neither this model nor its bigger Pro Max cousin has quite done enough to dethrone the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the current king of the hill when it comes to smartphone imaging.

Read our full iPhone 15 Pro review, as well as our comparison piece on the iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro to learn more about this excellent camera phone. Plus read our comparison of the iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Best AI phone for photography: Google Pixel 10 Pro (and XL)

Specifications at a glance:

The Google Pixel series has long been a choice for those who put the photography features before everything else. The Google Pixel 10 Pro continues that tradition with improvements being made to the cameras, as well as shooting features, with enhanced zoom as well, thanks to additional AI improvements.

There’s a great triple camera setup on the back with an ultra-wide camera with AF, a main camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS), and a 5x telephoto camera, also with OIS. The phone also provides a 2x zoom, and a 10x zoom, that uses Super Resolution Zoom to provide ‘optical quality’ zoom, and in my testing, I found this actually worked really well! Beyond 10x zoom the camera system will use AI to add additional detail to images, giving you images that look better than the blurry mess of digital zoom.

There’s also a great selfie-camera, with 42MP, which uses pixel-binning to give 10.5MP images. There’s auto-focus, and the selfie camera is wider than the 8 series, meaning you can get more in the shot. The ultra-wide-angle camera has a bright f/1.7 aperture, compared to the f/2.0 aperture on the Pixel 8 Pro.

Pixel 10 Pro · f/1.68 · 1/10s · 6.9mm · ISO789

As a Google phone, the HDR shooting has been updated, and is now more impressive, with the phone coping with high dynamic range situations incredibly well, whether that’s outdoors, or in low-light conditions. There are further improvements made to the AI features on offer as well, with Add-me being a particularly useful feature for people who want to be in the shot when taking group photos.

Unfortunately the phone doesn’t record 8K video on the phone directly, maxing out at 4K 60fps, so if high-resolution (8K) video is what you’re looking for, other phones do this better. There are also others that also offer 120fps 4K video. Other negatives, include the macro performance of the phone, which is lacklustre. Using the ultra-wide-angle camera and cropping into the shot gives an image lacking in detail.

Google give you a choice of size, with the larger 10 Pro XL, and smaller Google Pixel 10 Pro, both featuring the same impressive camera system, so you can choose which size is best for you.

Best for: AI features that are easy to use, plus night and astrophotography. Google phones have an impressive night mode, as well as support for astrophotography. The AI editing is particularly impressive as well, and Google have hit the ground running with this.

Read our full Google Pixel 10 Pro review to get all the details. JW.

Best for advanced photographers: Xiaomi 15 Ultra

Specifications at a glance:

There’s an awful lot to like about the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, starting with the Leica branded camera system. It’s packed with a great range of features, including a one-inch main sensor, putting it ahead of most rivals. You can shoot using all three lenses in 50MP mode, and the telephoto camera has been upgraded to a 200MP unit for improved telephoto zoom. Video performs pretty well and it has a slew of options including slow motion, night video, video pro mode and a tracking mode.

While the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is not cheap, it fares well when compared to competing flagship models. It is also likely to drop in price more quickly – on the second-hand market too – compared with the likes of the bigger name (at least in certain markets) Samsung and Apple phones. Keep an eye out for an emerging gap in prices.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra · f/1.63 · 1/989s · 8.72mm · ISO50

Our review found it to be an extremely capable smartphone which produces excellent results in a wide variety of different shooting scenarios, with some impressive close-up macro performance as well. In our opinion, it even gives the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra a run for it’s money, which is saying a lot! The only thing lacking is in the selfie-camera, which doesn’t feature auto-focus.

Read our full Xiaomi 15 Ultra review.

Best for close-up photography: Vivo X200 Pro

Specifications at a glance:

This flagship smartphone by Vivo comes with an impressive triple set of cameras created in collaboration with Zeiss. All cameras are equipped with high resolution sensors with auto-focus and OIS (optical image stabilisation), and the 200MP 3.7x periscope camera gives macro features. These specs make the Vivo X200 Pro a formidable competition for the well-known flagships.

The main 23mm f/1.75 camera features a 50MP 1/1.28inch sensor, which is larger than many other phones. It delivers consistently impressive results with plenty of detail, excellent colour reproduction, and reliable exposure. Moreover, the dynamic range is great with HDR automatically turning on when needed.

The Zeiss APO floating telephoto camera is a periscope design, and it gives you amazing looking close-up photos, even in poor lighting, with plenty of detail. It is also backed by a 200MP sensor, helping capture even more detail. Finally, the last ultra-wide-angle 15mm, f/2 camera provides nice results, with good colour and exposure, as well as good levels of detail. The camera app gives you quick access to 0.6x, 1x, 2x, 3.7x and 10x making it feel like you’ve got way more cameras than there actually are.

vivo X200 Pro · f/16 · 1/20s · 22.48mm · ISO2230

In use, the Vivo X200 Pro proved a highly capable camera phone that more than justified its flagship price tag. The larger sensor on the main camera means the high-ISO performance is excellent, making the phone immensely capable in low light. We noted in our review that the selfie camera is a little weak and lacks autofocus. It’s also worth noting that this phone is currently only available in some markets. If you can get hold of one though, it’s an amazing performer with highly capable cameras. Hopefully next years update will be more widely available.

Best for: Macros and close-up, with great low-light performance. This is the phone I use for product photography, with the telephoto lens producing great results.

Read our full Vivo X200 Pro review.

Best Small Samsung flagship: Samsung Galaxy S25/S25+

Samsung Galaxy S25 (4000mAh battery, 6.2inch) / S25+ (4900mAh, 6.7inch):

If your budget is a bit tighter but you still want to get most of the S25 Ultra specs, the S25 or the S25+ is an ideal choice. The biggest differences from the S25 Ultra are the lack of headline grabbing 200MP super-high resolution main sensor, no dedicated macro mode, and only three lenses instead of four. But in reality both are very capable and well performing camera phones.

Both S25 and S25+ feature an identical camera set-up, with a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP main wide camera, 10MP 3x telephoto, and 12MP front selfie camera (with AF), and up to 8K video recording from the main camera. For video or vlogging, the S25/S25+ offer a great setup, as the selfie camera can also be used for 4K video recording.

Galaxy S25+ · f/1.8 · 1/5862s · 5.4mm · ISO80

The only difference between these two flagships are their size, price, and battery life. Both have a smaller body than the S24 Ultra, however the Samsung Galaxy S25+ measures 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3mm and features a 6.7inch Dynamic AMOLED screen which is not far off from the S25 Ultra’s 6.9inch size. If you want to go for a smaller version opt for the Samsung Galaxy S25 with 6.2inch screen, it sits more comfortably in the hand, however its smaller size means smaller battery too.

Best value flagship: Tecno Camon 40 Premier 5G

Specifications at a glance:

The Tecno Camon series of phones is Tecno’s flagship range of smartphones designed for photography. The Tecno Camon 40 Premier 5G is the top of the range model (the Camon 40 Pro sits slightly beneath it), and offers a premium triple camera setup for roughly half the price of flagships from the likes of Samsung, Apple, and Google. However, it’s only available in certain markets, so if you find yourself in that market, count yourself one of the lucky ones. It’s priced so competitively it’s likely to fit both in this list of premium camera phones, as well as our list of the best budget phones.

TECNO CM8 · f/1.8 · 1/3491s · 5.56mm · ISO51

All camera units on this feature a 50MP sensor, and on the back you get cameras that offer ultra-wide angle (14mm equivalent), wide-angle (23mm equivalent), and 3x telephoto (70mm equivalent), and on the front you’ll find a 50MP f/2.4 camera with auto-focus! The phone can also record 4K video at 60fps, has a generous 5100mAh battery, with fast charging, but unfortunately wireless charging isn’t included.

Read our full Tecno Camon 40 Premier review

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

How to choose the best camera phone for the best photos

Sensors and image quality

Comparing the headline specs of camera phones can be a useful way of getting a sense of how they perform, and which ones might be better than others. Digital photography enthusiasts may gravitate towards comparing camera resolution (megapixels or MP for short), however this often doesn’t tell the whole story.

Does megapixel count matter on a camera phone?

In short, no, not really. Most smartphones will use a higher resolution sensor, whether that’s a 50MP, 64MP, 108MP or 200MP sensor, and still give you a 12 or 16MP image. Nobody wants to get 108MP or 200MP photos emailed or shared to them anyway, so no, megapixel count doesn’t really matter on a camera phone, despite what the marketing might claim. There are some small benefits to higher resolution sensors, in the form of cropping and lossless zoom, but beyond that, there are also disadvantages.

Smartphone cameras generally use very small sensors, due to their physical size and shape, and this can mean a lot of image noise in high-resolution shooting, however, some use larger 1inch sensors. Modern phones make up for this by taking multiple shots and merging them together into one photo, allowing for lower noise, and greater dynamic range, so a small sensor isn’t as much of a disadvantage as it once was.

When we talk about a smartphone’s main cameras (i.e. the rear cameras), we’re really talking about more than one, as modern smartphones use a camera array made up of multiple lens modules. This is what allows smartphones to shoot at different perspectives; generally there will be a standard wide lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and then sometimes a telephoto lens or a macro-lens for close-ups.

The different lenses use their own sensors, and as such will tend to have different megapixel counts. Some of the latest smartphones even use quad camera arrays with four modules, while other manufacturers are experimenting with optical zoom lenses, though this tech is in its early days, with mixed results.

Battery life

You should also consider battery life, as some phones last the day while others do not. Most flagship phones have a battery with 5000mAh which should give a good amount of longevity, however, smaller phones often have smaller batteries, so it’s something to be aware of.

Video

The top video resolution will be of interest, almost all flagship phones will offer 4K video, but do they also offer it from the selfie camera? The best phones for video also offer 8K video, or 4K video at high frame rates of 120fps. You’ll also want advanced lens options and good quality audio recording. If you’re shooting video, battery size is particularly important, as it tends to eat away at a phone’s battery faster.

Check out the best smartphones for video if that’s your priority, but otherwise, continue reading.

Is iOS or Android better for photography?

One big thing to think about is whether you want to use a phone that runs iOS vs Android as its operating system. Both systems have their own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to smartphone photography, as well as general use as a smartphone.

If you already use a lot of Apple products like MacBooks then an iPhone will integrate better into your system. However, Android phones offer a lot more choice and flexibility with third-party apps. These days, Android phones from market leaders like Google and Samsung have some of the best cameras in the business.

When choosing a phone, whether Android or iOS, it’s worth checking how many years of updates you’ll get, as some phones give much longer than others, meaning better value for money for you.

You can check out our guide to iPhone vs Android: which is better for photography for a detailed comparison.

Is there a DSLR-quality camera phone?

With smartphone camera technology continually advancing, you may be wondering whether they have equalled or even surpassed the quality of traditional interchangeable-lens cameras like DSLRs or mirrorless models. However, for the time being, the answer is no, and this is largely to do with physical hardware limitations.

A premium digital camera can pack in a physically larger imaging sensor, which allows it to produce images with higher quality, and lower noise without multi-shot processing. In bright sunny conditions, the difference may not be as noticeable, but in low-light conditions, this is where you’re more likely to notice it. The majority of mirrorless and DSLR cameras also provide more resolution, with 24MP, 40MP, 47MP and 61MP (etc) sensors giving the full-resolution, without pixel-binning.

Cameras also have the advantage of interchangeable lenses – being able to put on an 85mm f/1.4 lens is always going to give you better results than a smartphone’s portrait mode. Granted, if you were to look at the two images side by side on a small phone screen the differences might not be so obvious. But the moment you try to view the image on a larger display, or print it, the difference in quality will be obvious.

The acceleration of progress in smartphone cameras has certainly raised the question of whether they can replicate the quality of digital cameras and DSLRs. Ultimately, with their interchangeable lenses, larger sensors, and raw imaging capability, the answer is: not yet. Some genres and shooting situations, such as portrait photography and macro photography are certainly better served by a camera than a smartphone, but phones are catching up quickly.

And, smartphones have their advantages, of course, they’re convenient, they’re always online, and they’re the camera you always have on you. If you’re still not sure which is right for you, then have a look at our guide to Smartphone vs Digital Camera: Which is better?

Why isn’t the Sony Xperia on the list?

We reviewed the flagship Sony Xperia 1 VI phone, and whilst we have seen a number of improvements in the phone from Sony, we found that the telephoto zoom camera on the phone gave disappointing images, and the portrait and low-light images couldn’t match other flagship phones. There are some unique features on the phone, such as a manual focus close-up macro mode, and a lot of manual controls, but for most people, this could end up being a frustrating shooting experience. However, if you do need a phone with a headphone jack and MicroSD slot, this is one of very few flagship phones with these features. Check out our full Sony Xperia 1 VI review to see if it’s right for you.

Recent updates

• October 2025 Update 2: iPhone 14 Pro removed as best value used iPhone, see our guide to the best iPhones for photography for all price options. Google Pixel 8 Pro removed as only available to buy refurbished and second-hand. Intro text clarified, and Google Pixel 10 Pro updated to Best AI phone thanks to all the AI features that make it easier to get great photos. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra removed as newer phones can offer the same level of zoom (through clever hybrid zoom), and S23 Ultra is getting old, and therefore will get less updates compared to newer models. How we test section expanded to explain in more detail how we test the phones.
• October 2025 Update: iPhone 17 Pro review now live on site, and added as the best iPhone camera ever made. Updated low-light photo taken with the Google Pixel 10 Pro.

Now you know the best camera phones for photography, check out our guide to the best camera phone accessories and best camera phone tripods and mounts.

Related reading:

• Best smartphones for macro
• Best smartphones for street photography
• Best smartphones for portrait photography
• Best smartphones for low light

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The post Best camera phones for photography in 2025 appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Well, this is it—the last-ever TOP post on TypePad. TypePad is scheduled to close down tomorrow, although who knows what will happen and when. We’ll all see, I guess.

I will be posting for the foreseeable future over on Patreon, where I urge you to become a visitor or, better yet, a supporter. Voluntary donations from readers have become the biggest income generator for The Online Photographer. It has changed many times over the years, first ads, then affiliate income, then print sales, etc., but that’s where we are now.

This morning, on Patreon, I published the long-promised version of the Dogs Baker’s Dozen with the photographers’ comments attached. It was super easy, and a pleasure. I have to say that during its decline, images had become increasingly difficult to publish here on TypePad. It would sometimes take an hour of work (and frustration) to get one to post successfully. Sometimes I’d have to give up and come back to it later. The folks from TypePad couldn’t figure out what was wrong, and if they couldn’t, I certainly couldn’t. Sigh. The handwriting on the wall wasn’t that difficult to read. 

At the lower right-hand corner of this site it says, or used to say, “Member Since 06 / 2007.” I actually started TOP in 2005 on Blogger—our 20th anniversary is coming right up at the end of November. Considering that my “stretch goal” in 2005 was to keep the blog going for as long as one whole year, that’s pretty amazing. A whole year seemed next to impossible in November of 2005. For the most part, it’s been the perfect job for me. The work suits my skills and interests, and the circumstances (self-employed, set my own schedule, limp when I’m feeling down and crank when I’m feeling energetic) also suit me. I have no idea how many people have come and gone over those 20 years, but it could easily be well into six figures. And I’ve been especially lucky in attracting so many great readers. I initially started ‘Featuring” comments to foster discussion and a sense of community, but something better happened—I attracted a whole lot of thoughtful, intelligent, educated people with extensive knowledge in this and other fields, and provided an outlet for them to share their own knowledge, experience, and musings. I have been so influence by readers I can’t even tell you. Virtually every aspect of my life has been touched by something I learned from somebody who reads my blog. 

It’s still kind of an open question whether TOP will be able to continue—a forced relaunch on a different site, with a different look and a different setup, is a rough transition even when it’s carefully planned for months in advance. Executed pell-mell on short notice and under duress, well, let’s just say the conditions are not favorable. But I’ll try. It’s not like I have much choice. I can’t retire. To repeat one of the jokes I like and repeat again and again, “my retirement plan is to keep working.” 

Well, I don’t want to go on and on, because this could disappear before 24 hours have passed. It’s been a good 18 years and three months since June 2007. That’s 6,700 days, and I’ve written something here on most of them—about 9,400 posts total. 

Sic transit gloria mundi (thus passeth the glory of the world). Good luck to us all, and I hope I’ll be seeing you! 

Kind regards,

Mike

In the heart of the old Burned-Over District

September 2025

     

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Almost 20 years ago to the day, a teenager made an unwise camera choice* to record what he was experiencing in case he might later forget. In reality, the choice was really to consciously notice the world around him and single out the bits that mattered – starting immediately with the things he was involved in, which at the time was the crazy period of growing up known as ‘university’. He’d used the family camera before, of course – for the obligatory vacation and landmark images and with the admonition not to ‘waste film on pictures without people in them.’ University represented freedom and the first time he could decide what to aim the camera at – back then, merely his friends’ silly poses and an image or two without people that he felt compelled to take, but wasn’t sure why. It wouldn’t be until much, much later that the process was a conscious one and more importantly, transcended the medium.

*APSC Fuji 1010 Tiara, if you must know. It was battery hungry, the film was expensive and the image quality was questionable. But hey, it was small and unobtrusive, and the really cool looking Ricoh GR1v was way too expensive for a student, even then.

I had no idea that the decision to start seeing the world around me would not just sustain me through the creative depression of the corporate wilderness for the better part of a decade, but take me to places I’d never even dreamed of. It would give me a respite in lunch-hour sized chunks from the sheer mind numbing boredom of audit. It would bring me to the attention of the watch collecting community – in lieu of actually being able to afford anything at the time – and brand principals in the early days of online forums, and later supply my first professional job. It would take me through a part time contributor position at a magazine that would lead to editor, disagreements over commercial/editorial integrity and the formation of this site, to write the truth and present it how I felt was right, independent of influence or dependency on advertising. It would lead me to make ‘pictures without people in them’ for companies and individuals I’d never thought I’d be involved with, let alone creatively contributing to. It would put me in a position to take user feedback and personal experience to directly develop better products with just about all of the major camera manufacturers – and it would leave a lot of things tainted in the harsh light of reality. It would train me to think like an entrepreneur and be self sufficient, and give me the ability to present the best face of my projects to the world. It would give me a meditative reprieve from times when I didn’t want to dwell too much on my immediate situation. It would lead me to question and seek to understand art, human psychology, my own motivations, and what truly motivates us; it would help me to understand the meaning of balance in more ways than one. Above all, it would make me close friends around the world. For all of that, I’ll always be thankful.

It hasn’t always been an easy ride, as anybody close to me will confirm. I’ve had my fair share of uncertain income, business mistakes, taking on jobs I wasn’t entirely sure I could pull off and unpleasant surprises from clients, unrelated individuals, industry peers and entities and everything in-between. I’ve been the target of jealousy and smear campaigns and entitlement and copyright infringement. Some of that frustration I’ve shared here before. Months of drought alternated – often back to back – with months so full I barely had time to sleep and was running on pure adrenalin. I’ve held anywhere between three and six ostensibly full time jobs at any given time, for most of my full time professional photographic career since 2012 – a close friend once joked that I was doing the work of six for the pay of two and a half, which is not far from the truth. I entered professional photography at a rapidly changing time and probably the last period to really make a run of things before fragmentation into quantity, the whole social media influencer mess; my guess at the time was I’d have 3-5 years before I’d have to figure out what to do next.

During the times I’d previously dabbled in trying to turn pro, I’d figured out that I would have to have a diversified approach: a professional portfolio that was focused enough to look specialised but with enough skills to take on pretty much any job; a public presence to build reputation and audience; something with more consistent income like teaching or education (which turned into workshops and videos); and something to put all of the pieces together to deliver unique value: this would be the consulting side for the camera companies. It seems that the strategy worked a little too well, because to this day people seem to assume all I do is reviews – even though that’s less than 5% of the content of this site. But they played an important part since validation is by far the most commonly searched-for thing photographically. Why that’s the case, I’ll never know – everybody has different objectives and opinions are therefore of at best relative value.

As it turns out, my workload split itself pretty much equally between professional work, education, consulting, and this site. In the last eight and a half years, I shot 202 assignments excluding those for my own watch company; led nearly 50 workshops around the world including smuggling six Americans into Cuba in 2014; produced close to 200 hours of educational video and two years of the weekly photoshop workflow series; wrote 1,815 posts (and owe Robin Wong a big thanks for another 80+) and replied to nearly 99,000 of your comments. At peak, there were nearly a quarter of a million unique visitors every month. I had half a dozen exhibitions internationally and nearly fell out of a plane making a series that in the end, never got shown. I worked with Hasselblad, DJI, Zeiss, Olympus, Leica, Sigma, Sony, was ambassador for three of those brands and nearly started my own camera company. I wore out three keyboards writing this site, and a further four Wacom tablets in retouching and post processing. Lastly: I don’t have an exact number, but my best guess is I shot more than two million images.

That’s a lot of work – an entire lifetime, for some; certainly a career’s worth for me. (And for increasing numbers of dishonest others, a place to steal content to farm ad revenue.)

If things are starting to take on a tone of finality, that’s because this is the point at which I confirm the suspicions you’ve been having: MT the writer and mingthein.com are both going into retirement. Between the demands of my ‘other’ job, not being able to travel, and trying not to repeat myself – I’ve run out of things to say. There really isn’t anything meaningful which we have not covered on this site in the usual rational, systematic fashion with plenty of images – there are certainly subtleties on subtleties about approach and theory and philosophy that we could continue to debate, but at that point, I’d be writing dissertations for an audience of at best, one. The truth is, I’ve said everything I wanted to say and more; I’ve done enough thinking and dissection about how and why I shoot that the whole enormous mass has become intuitive – and I want to go back to applying that and shooting the things that interest me, for me, without feeling the need to create content for the entertainment of somebody else. The internet has a nasty habit of a short attention span: they tend to look at things in tl;dr terms and not bother to use the search function. There is admittedly quite a lot of frustration in having a comment taken out of context and applied without relativity; a really good example is the inability to decouple equipment from process from creative objective. Yes, I go through a lot of gear. No, it isn’t for the sake of having the Next Best Thing or some sort of placebo – it’s because I’m in search of what I think of as envelope; the ability to achieve very specific creative objectives, which change – and therefore so must the tools.

But it does get tiring having to explain this all the time. I’ve always said that the very best position to be in as a photographer is an amateur: a person who engages in the activity for the love of it, without the constraints of shooting to a client’s expectation – be that a social media audience or a paying employer. This is my chance to go back to being an amateur, at least for a little while. The whole COVID situation has enforced a strange motivation on us creatives: at the start, I had one of my most productive periods because there wasn’t a lot else to do being under lockdown and unable to leave the house. But it was productivity in a different avenue – I did a lot of designing, and almost no writing or photographing. I’ve long come to accept that creativity needs multiple outlets; a single medium isn’t enough to fulfil one’s vision. But for photographers, the last few months has been a bad period not just professionally but also creatively: when you’re constrained to the same familiar environment you’ve probably already photographed to death within the first few months of moving in, what’s left? You’re forced to either not shoot, reshoot the same images, or try to see something different in the familiar. Many documented the personal process of lockdown, including myself; but after a while, routine looks the same. But the process of doing it felt oddly familiar: it was like starting to shoot all over again, and I kinda liked it.

The first time you do anything creative is difficult, because you’re not just grappling with trying to get the desired outcome from the building blocks you’ve got, but also the entire mechanical process of things. There are experiments that yield results that move you for reasons you don’t quite understand, and unfortunately cannot repeat; and others that fail completely. It was really that feeling of challenge and constraint again, and with the very same initial backdrop of documenting my personal sphere: it’s very easy to make different images of different subjects you’ve never seen before; it isn’t so easy to make different images of subjects you see all the time, but likely fail to notice. I found myself being forced to real see again, and in the process realised how much I’d been stuck in my comfort zone. The weight of experience becomes a tangibly corporeal thing that can sometimes hold you back from experimenting because of the expectations attached. Ironically, it seems the task of exiting my comfort zone would happen within the most comfortable of zones.

Except this time I had the vocabulary and technique to get the images I saw in my mind’s eye; but I just need that eye to see differently. I needed to not care about who would see the images (i.e. nobody); what I would use them for; what else I had to do with my time – in short, nothing more than whether I liked the result or not. All of the rational means of assessing and curating I use like the four things aren’t so much ignored as practiced and internalised to the point of becoming intuitive. I have had, and can have, pretty much whatever hardware I want; I can extract the full potential from that hardware. I needed an irrational, emotional thing to match an irrational, emotional process – something limited and constrained, but not constraining; something tactile and encouraging but not emotionless and functional. Yes, I did buy something; no, I’m not going to say what it is so I can avoid the risk of having it ‘spoiled’; I don’t need the affirmation of the internet that I made the right choice – I know I made the right choice for me. I enjoy the process of using it and it enables and encourages the kind of images that I’m making now – the images in this post – that move me but require no justification to anybody else. Odd as it may sound, the lack of negative emotional connotations for my tools is very important to me. It’s one of the reasons I have very few holdovers from previous collaborations/jobs/engagements; the creative in me needs a new, clean tool for a new job, and the businessman needs fiscal efficiency and low wastage.

There will always remain the need for dichotomy and contrast, however: I will still continue to produce work for my long-standing clients, and I’m fairly sure this creative loop will result in better work than before. I will still produce all of the images for my watch company because there’s a certain nice continuity between seeing a design that doesn’t exist, to translating it through physical process into an object, to being able to highlight detail and intent. As much as I hate retouching dust (now worse than ever with the kind of resolution media asks for and the insensitive cropping that accompanies it) – we aren’t going to move to CG imaging. Hell, I don’t even composite images – I’ve had more than one client surprised when they find out all of the watch images are a single shot in-camera and you can really see the same thing with your own eyes if the lights are set up right. It is a hard-won and exceptionally masochistic lost art that I have no intention of relinquishing.

At the same time as the world around us is changing and I’m grateful for having had the opportunity to travel to the places I have with the freedom we had previously – the immediate world around me is also changing. My daughter is growing up, and as much as I never quite understood the obsession and lack of objectivity that comes with photographing one’s children – it’s starting to make a little more sense to me. The last coupe of years have seen less photography and documentary of the younger one, offset against being busy with other things or directly involved and not having free hands or mental space to shoot – but I have the sudden realisation that time has skipped a gear and now seems to be progressing faster again. It’s certainly time to for me to put a bit more effort once again into trying to freeze her personality in a defining moment or two. She’s also turned into a bit of a camwhore, but I guess the outcome was always binary with a photographer father: either comfortable with being in front of the lens, or avoiding it entirely. At times I’m probably almost more self-conscious than she is about the camera.

In a post-pandemic world, I’m left wondering if faces are going to become a very personal thing; a mask lends a degree of not just immunological protection but also personality protection; it’s almost like the anonymity of the internet. We’re seeing a lot of bad behaviour that’s a lot harder to do if you know the person in front of you, and they know you; it’s just no longer personal anymore. Maybe if we go back to being able to travel again, we’re never quite going to have the same experience because people won’t look different; the subtle cues we get from the faces and expressions around us will be lost behind the mask. It makes me really want to take up portraiture; not just of the people I know or posed models, but a wide variety of subjects – almost more to feel what’s really going on at the present moment than to make an interesting image. I’ve said previously that portraiture is really the record of the relationship between the photographer and subject; but perhaps it can be more – it’s also the unspoken thoughts and emotions behind what was held back.

There are professions that are always going to be a bit morose no matter how you view them – an undertaker, for example – but photography isn’t one of them. Anything creative (except perhaps accounting) should come with a sense of liberation and the satisfaction of having made order and beauty out of incoherent parts. When that joy is no longer present, then I sincerely believe you’re doing it wrong. There is a tricky balance between focusing entirely on photography and not having any meaning to photograph and focusing on other things and failing to see; the pro almost inevitably errs on the former side, and the majority of the population, the latter. The hobbyist gets lost in the camera store. I look back at the highlight reel of my own work, and realise the images that spoke to me then and still speak to me today are almost all spontaneous, and produced during those fleeting periods where curiosity balanced opportunity – the last day of a work trip set aside for personal meandering; the free afternoon of a workshop; the time when the weather was crap and we shot documentary on the assembly line instead of on location.

Planned images are limited by one’s means and imagination. Serendipitous ones are unlimited by chance and one’s subconscious. I need to travel again, but not hold any preconceptions about what I’m going to see, or inhibitions against photographing it. Development of any kind – creative or otherwise – can only happen if the right things are broken down in the process. It means leaving your comfort zone and trying something new; of not being afraid that the next step may lead down a dead end. Professional photography, this site, teaching, consulting – has gone from being dangerously scary with a side of doki-doki excitement to business as usual; nobody told me what I was supposed to do, but I eventually found a comfortable process. It’s probably going to be harder to break those habits than anything.

I feel like the only obvious thing left is the question of what’s next – Horologer MING is now no longer a new venture; at some point in the last year I got the distinct feeling we’d transitioned from being the new kids to having our own defined niche in the industry establishment. The plan was already brewing during peak photography for me; by 2016 the wheels were in motion and in 2017, our first model was released to much nail biting and eventually success. In the three years since our public debut, we’ve released 16 models, been shortlisted for and won the industry’s biggest award, and become both commercially viable and sought after. We won’t make the mistake of growing too fast and being unable to uphold the level of collector engagement we started off with; instead, we’ll aim for a sustainable point that lets us have meaningful conversations with our buyers, make watches that continue to interest us personally and have the resources, time and mental overhead to make interesting images and drive engaging cars. I’ve come to realize that the spark required to keep one’s enthusiasm alive is maintained both by not fixating too much on one thing and being open to cross-disciplinary inspiration; it’s hard to keep an open mind if you can’t see beyond your immediate situation.

I’m not ruling out another publicly shared/photographic project in future, but right now I have no idea what form that might take – or if it will happen at all. I’ve been so caught up in the ‘business as usual’ of keeping this site/ client commitments/ teaching/ consulting etc. running that I’ve frankly not had a lot of time to think about a major change in format or direction. Perhaps it will eventually come after some time off, and probably like most inspiration – come at the least expected point. The truth is, I’ve been a photographer for so long at this point – longer than I haven’t been one – I can’t stop being one. It isn’t possible to turn off the seeing, it isn’t possible to completely lose that impulse to frame and capture – even if it diminishes from time to time. I do know this, however – it’ll have to be something that lets me make images in line with my creative and personal benchmarks first and foremost; I will always be the “client”. The curation thus remains simple and there is nothing to defend, apologise or make excuses for – or be overly sensitive of an external opinion about.

I started off wanting to record my experiences. At around the same time, I acquired more than a passing interest in watches and cars; I got a ‘real’ job to pay for that and realised it wasn’t at all what I wanted to do, even if I was quite successful at it. I didn’t really become ‘me’ until I accepted that I would have to take some risks and do an unlikely combination of things to make the puzzle work; it came back to photography, and then watches. Even my watch collecting journey has gone in a circle from affordable to knowledgable and off the deep end to back to now producing accessible pieces with the benefit of knowledge obtained after coming back from the abyss – it is somehow therefore fitting that the ‘retirement camera’ is also the descendant of the one that resulted in my biggest previous creative shift, and a company I’d worked with previously. My fate indeed has as strong sense of deja vu about it – but I’m okay with that, because it feels like I got a second chance. Some of you may be disappointed that this post doesn’t contain a sort of retrospective ‘best of’; I’d argue the opposite because it’s instead a glimpse into what’s to come. I’ll leave a clue: it’s really about photographing light first, transients second, and everything else as a supporting actor. Light and timing transcend the subject from what it is most of the time, into what it could be.

It’s been an intense eight and a half years. Thank you to all of you for the support*, encouragement, challenges and friendship – it’s time for me to start making pictures for myself again, and I hope you all continue to do so too. New comments will be disabled from the end of September and I will no longer be replying, but the archive listings will be updated and site itself will remain active for the foreseeable future – producing it was a huge undertaking and there’s a lot of emotional attachment here. It only makes sense to leave it up as a resource – perhaps inspiring some people, perhaps rewarding others with a kernel or two of insight. If it accomplishes that much – I’ve achieved far more here than I set out to do. MT

*And a special thank you to the patrons who’ve donated monthly to keep the site running – I will manually cancel the subscriptions on 1 September.

Finally, for the next two weeks all workshop videos at the teaching store will be 50% off with the code FULLCIRCLE50 (not combinable with other bundles). I’ll also be making the Weekly PS Workflow Archive available for purchase as a set here (92 episodes and 120+ hours of material covering a huge range of examples of both my own and reader images). This is the ideal (and last) chance for you to complete your set if you are missing videos.  

MING 18.01 H41 diver, August 2020 / 3rd anniversary release. In a 40×12.9mm grade 5 titanium case with matching bracelet, synthetic diamond coated bezel, ceramic superluminova X1 and 1km depth rating. Available while stocks last at www.ming.watch

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Images and content copyright Ming Thein | mingthein.com 2012 onwards unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved