With proper cameras getting more and more expensive and cost of living getting higher, a real market has emerged for budget cameras.

This helps explain why the original Camp Snap proved to be something of a modest hit. A simple point-and-shoot that lacks a screen, it captures stills that you can’t see until you download them onto the computer. It has proven to be a welcome antidote to the constant digital noise of modern life, with its ultra-cheap price tag only sweetening the deal.

Now, Camp Snap is hoping to repeat the trick, but this time for video. The C-S8 is another throwback – whereas the previous camera was modelled on disposable film cameras, this one recreates the look and feel of a classic Super 8mm movie camera. Once again, you can’t see your clips until you download them, and once again, it’s a camera that’s very much aimed at the fun and affordable end of image-making. If you want technical perfection, you’re in the wrong place.

So, it looks like kitschy looks and grainy footage are back on the menu, boys. Let’s see how the CS-8 stacks up.

Camp Snap CS-8 Key Features

• 1/2.7-inch sensor
• Fixed focus 19mm equivalent f/2 lens
• Electronic viewfinder
• No screen / screen-free
• USB type-C
• Rechargeable battery (600mAh, non-removable)
• 8x digital zoom
• 4GB MicroSD card included (upgradeable to 128GB)
• 5 image filters
• $199 / £149, or $149 / £112 for pre-orders

Camp Snap CS-8: Build & Handling

The thing that will immediately strike you upon unboxing the CS-8 is, well, that this is a big ol’ hunk of plastic, isn’t it? With a rectangular body that’s approaching the size of a VHS tape and a chunky handle sticking out the bottom, the CS-8 is not the kind of camera you stick in a pocket. This makes sense in a way, given the old Super 8 cameras it’s modelled on, but on the other hand, it’s hard not to notice that this is much more bulk than such a tiny sensor really warrants.

It also means that the CS-8 is not a camera for those who like to blend in. Quite the reverse. I can tell you this from first-hand experience – if you walk the length of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile or a similarly busy street wielding this thing, you will get stares. You will get comments. You will get approached by people politely asking what on earth you’re holding.

Handling is straightforward. You have dials on the side to change aspect ratios and digital filters. For the former, you have the choice of 4:3, 16:9 widescreen, 1:1 square, and 9:16 vertical for Reels and TikToks. For the latter, you get: Standard, Vintage 1 (soft colours), Vintage 2 (warmer), Analog (a scuzzier look with artificial grain, at 18fps rather than 30fps) and B&W (black and white). 

Just like old Super 8 cameras, you have to hold down the trigger to record, meaning you’re realistically going to be creating quite short clips. I found this fine once I got used to it, though it makes misfires very easy, and means once you offload your footage, the first thing you’ll probably have to do is delete a load of one-second junk clips (there’s no delete function in the camera itself).

The CS-8 also has a digital zoom, activated via buttons on the right-hand side – a placement I found irritating, given that I was using my right hand to hold down the trigger. To zoom while using the viewfinder, I had to reach over with my left hand and fumble for the buttons. Lefties will be happy, at least.

Just like the Camp Snap photography camera, there is no LCD screen, meaning you won’t be able to see your footage until you download it onto your computer. Composition is via a decent-enough electronic viewfinder. Also, in a touch that is silly but I nonetheless appreciated, battery and storage levels are indicated via analogue dials on the sides of the camera. Cute.

Camp Snap CS-8: Performance & Video Quality

Let’s be real – this is not a camera you’re going to use for serious video projects. It’s a camera for parties, it’s a camera for fun. It’s a camera for taking on a trip with your friends, passing between each other to mess about with, then cutting together a silly video of your holiday once you get home. So, that’s what I did:

Everyone found the camera extremely funny to look at, and we had a lot of fun playing with it. The lack of the screen meant we were never crowding around to peer at what we’d just shot. It was simple enough that everyone could use it, and the battery comfortably lasted us a week.

On reviewing our footage, there were certainly things I didn’t care for. There’s no stabilisation to speak of, so a lot of your footage is going to be wobbly. The digital zoom is also pretty horrible, making your images unpleasantly soupy and indistinct, and details quickly becoming muddy in a way that entirely defeats the purpose of zooming in on them. Zooming in also compounds the aforementioned wobble problem, and overall it’s best avoided. Maybe that’s why they put the buttons on the wrong side. The mic, meanwhile, is fine for anyone standing within a few metres of the camera, but anyone further away sounds like they’re transmitting from a submarine.

For our holiday video, I kept the settings the same for consistency – VTG1 filter and 4:3 aspect ratio. The footage has a pleasant colouring, though details are often muddy, particularly when the camera moves. Part of me wished I’d used the ANA filter for 18fps and really leaned into the retro vibe; 30fps has an inescapably YouTube look to it. But then I would have had to deal with the ostentatious digital artefacts designed to simulate film grain.

Below, you can see a quick comparison of the different filter and aspect ratio settings:

Camp Snap CS-8: Value for Money

I thought the original Camp Snap camera was priced really well at around $65 / £68. A perfect little impulse purchase, just the right pitch for a camera that’s a bit of fun. Whereas at an RRP of $199 / £149, or $149 / £112 for pre-orders, the CS-8 is a bit more of an ask. It’s still certainly cheap by camera standards, but I think it’ll attract fewer impulse buyers. 

I certainly would have taken a cheaper version of this camera that shot the same footage but wasn’t quite so obsessed with looking and acting like a Super 8 – a camera that I have zero nostalgia for. This is anecdotal, but everyone my age grew up using the kinds of disposables that the original Camp Snap was aping. Comparatively few ever laid hands on a Super 8. You do wonder who this is really for.

Camp Snap CS-8: Verdict

And yet, despite everything, I find myself charmed. The Camp Snap CS-8 is a big, silly camera that has gone a little overboard on the retro kitsch, but it also undoubtedly delivers a fun time making pictures. Just like the previous Camp Snap, it prevents you from worrying about the technical details of your images, or the quality of what you’ve shot before, and keeps you in the moment. You point, you shoot. Everything else is a problem for later.

My friends and I enjoyed our time with the CS-8, and I would consider taking it on our next trip, too. The footage we produced, as you’ve seen, was not particularly cinematic, but that’s very much not the point. There are some aspects that I think are too compromised, most notably the digital zoom, but overall the CS-8 hits the mark it’s aiming for.

For more options, check out our guides to the best cameras for vlogging and the best cameras under $200.

The post Camp Snap CS-8 Review – you point, you shoot appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

There’s a popular saying circulating on social media these days, and it’s ‘if you know, you know’ (or IYKYK for short). It’s a saying well-placed for Ricoh’s GR system. Even in photography, there are a handful of rare occurrences where there seems to be universal understanding, and one of these examples is that the Ricoh’s GR II and GR III cameras punched well above their weight, making them some of the best compact cameras around. Lauded by a cult following of street and travel photographers, the GR III was launched seven years ago, but has remained in demand, so much so that the price tag has actually risen over the years – how many cameras can you say that about?

Ricoh GR IV at a glance:

• $1499 / £1199
• 25.7MP APS-C BSI-CMOS sensor
• 28mm equivalent f/2.8 lens
• ISO 100-204800 (standard)
• 4fps continuous shooting
• 3in, 1.04m-dot fixed touchscreen LCD
• Full HD 60p video recording

Fast-forward to 2025 and Ricoh’s latest GR IV has finally broken cover. Just as the Ricoh GR III was a refinement of the GR II, the GR IV stays true to this heritage, and is best described as an evolution of its predecessor rather than a drastic revolution. This shouldn’t be a surprise to existing GR users as, after all, there is an element of ‘if it ain’t broke’ to the GR range.

However, technology has moved on dramatically over the last seven years. So what is new in the GR IV, is there enough to justify an upgrade, and does this camera offer enough to win over street and travel photographers?

Features

To look at the GR IV at first glance, there really isn’t that much change from the GR III. There’s the same fixed 28mm equivalent focal length lens with an aperture from f/2.8 to f/16, albeit with a slightly different lens construction. Remember though that with the GRIII, Ricoh also offered the GR IIIx variant, which delivers a 40mm equivalent focal length.

One figure that’s sure to jump out, though, is the resolution. Although the GR IV utilises a new APS-C sensor, the resolution increase is incremental – up to 25.7MP from the GR III’s 24MP. That’s not a big jump, but it does return a max file size of 6192×4128 pixels – more than enough to create A3 prints, or to crop in on frames for use on social media without overly compromising on image quality.

Internally, however, there are bigger updates. First up, while the GR III offered 3-axis stabilisation, this is now upgraded on the GR IV to a 5-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) system. In the field, this works impressively well and will come in handy when users are capturing frames in low-light conditions where shutter speeds will be longer.

In another internal change, the GR IV features a substantial 53GB of internal storage, a massive jump from the GR III’s paltry 2GB. This is a huge quality-of-life improvement, as it means you’ll always have a backup storage option, even if you forget to bring a memory card. And, talking of cards, it’s important to note that the new model switches to a microSD card slot instead of the full-size SD slot found on previous GR iterations. This has probably been done to create space for the larger battery that’s found on the GR IV, which will go some way to combating a common groan from GR II and GR III users.

Of course, while a new battery will increase capacity, there is a limit to what Ricoh can do here. The dimensions of the camera are more-or-less the same, and to keep it pocket-friendly, the battery is never going to be able to match the same capacity as a full-frame mirrorless camera. However, users do have the USB-C port to fall back on, where they can simply plug in a powerbank and charge on the go, and this will extend your day out with the camera.

Creative imagery can be captured via the Image Control options, which is Ricoh’s name for picture styles or art filters. With choices including Vivid, four Monotone variants, Negative Film and even and HDR Tone selection, there is plenty to allow photographers to be creative in-camera.

Built-in lens

The lens’s focal length of 18.3mm is equivalent to 28mm in full-frame terms. It’s tried-and-tested and versatile, as it’s the same focal length used on the previous GR cameras. As before, there is an option to employ an in-camera crop feature, which changes the effective focal length to either 35mm or 50mm, but at the expense of resolution. I find 28mm to be a decent sweet spot for this genre of compact camera and would rarely use the crop feature, unless perhaps I was switching from some travel shots to more portraiture work.

The f/2.8 maximum aperture is still a huge boon for the GR system. Delivering rapid shutter speeds in low-light conditions (which street photographers will often have to contend with), the fast aperture also delivers a shallow depth-of-field to throw the background out of focus. When shooting smaller subjects, photographers can engage a Macro mode, which enables users to fill the frame with small subjects and focus up to just 6cm away.

Shutter speeds can be slowed down via the built-in ND filter which, like the GR III, offers two stops of attenuation. On a bright sunny day, that won’t affect the image drastically. But in the city, where tall buildings create shade, it can be enough to introduce blur and movement into your frame, opening up new creative options. This feature benefits hugely from the new IBIS system, which will enable you to hand-hold the camera and keep the frame free from shake while still capturing motion.

Ricoh GR IV – six key points

• Premium image quality: Don’t get caught up in the megapixel numbers, this sensor serves up excellent image quality.
• Super storage: A massive 53GB of internal storage is a game-changer and to fit that amount of back-up storage in such a small body is a huge win for Ricoh
• Redesigned lens: With a seven-element, five-group construction, the updated lens keeps the 28mm focal length seen on previous GR iterations, but has been optically tweaked
• Sure and steady: Changing up from a three-axis to five-axis IBIS system enables the GR IV to offer up to six stops of shake compensation, which will come in handy when shooting in low light.
• Rapid start-up: Street photography is about fleeting moments and the start-up time of the GR IV is just 0.6sec, so you shouldn’t miss any frames.
• Top-up on the go: The sole connector port is USB-C, for data transfer or recharging the battery, including from a powerbank

Build and Handling

When it comes to handling, the GR IV is a very easy camera to pick up and use. This camera is designed for one-handed shooting – you should be able to tap the screen and adjust the dials with just one hand. The ergonomics are excellent; tipping the scales at just 262g, the grip is decent and a wrist strap is supplied. But I would probably invest in a wider wrist strap for long-term comfort and security.

Almost all the dials and buttons are set to the right of the LCD. The shutter button is large and easy to find, so you won’t be fumbling around when trying to take a photo. However, the d-pad is a lot smaller than you’d find on a typically sized mirrorless body. The exposure mode dial has a locking button to prevent accidental changes, which you have to press down before it will twist round.

Two control dials at the front and back are used for changing exposure settings. There are also +/- buttons under your thumb to control Exposure Compensation, so this can be altered quickly on the fly. These buttons were found on the GR II but dropped on the GR III – it’s good to seem them back.

A function button on the left side of the body has a double action. It enables you to switch between Micro SD card / Internal memory, while also helping switch between stills and video mode, with either a long or short press of the button.

Recharge time on the new battery is impressive; I went from ‘battery icon flashing red’ to full in just over 50 minutes via a fast charge plug, and the GR IV carries over the USB-C port from the GR III, making it easy to connect to a powerbank. The battery catch mechanism is okay, but not overly robust and there’s no doubt the Micro SD card slot makes changing memory cards more of a fiddly job.

While talking about protection, as an existing GR user, I tend to slip the camera into a thin wallet to offer a layer of protection to the LCD. It doesn’t have to be much, but, as users may well tend to keep the GR IV in their pockets where car keys can live, it’s well worth taking this step to preserve the condition of the body as much as you can.

Screen

The 3-inch touch-sensitive LCD is still fixed and not tilting, but it feels more premium than the GR III version. It’s rare these days to find cameras without a tilting or vari-angle LCD, but this is the compromise of such a small body. Personally, I may have taken a bump in the size of the camera to accommodate a tilting hinge, but after a few hours you retune into using a fixed LCD. Some will also bemoan the lack of an EVF, but personally, I’m happy to work with the LCD, and 3-inches of screen is generous given the small footprint of the body.

The screen displays plenty of information, and its brightness can be customised via the Menu section. It also features an Auto Dim option to save power after a few seconds of inactivity. But best practice with this camera is to get your shot and then turn the camera off to save battery, so it’s rare that the Auto Dim feature will kick in. Visually, the LCD is pleasant to use in different lighting conditions and when you review an image, it’s easy to zoom in to check your focus is on point.

Autofocus

The hybrid phase/contrast detection autofocus system has definitely benefited from some hard work by Ricoh’s R&D crew. It’s faster and more accurate than the GR III’s system and this in turn gives you the confidence to rely on it. GR cameras include a Snap focusing function, which can be set for different distances, but I preferred to work with Single-point AF and lean on the Face Detection technology when including people in my frame.

RICOH GR IV · f/3.2 · 1/800s · 18.3mm · ISO400

When set to Macro mode, the AF takes a little bit of a hit, and there were a couple of occasions when it would hunt for focus, but this was rare. Manual focus on the GR IV is done by employing the Macro mode and using the -/+ button to change the distance. But given how good the AF system is on the GR IV, I didn’t use the manual focus much at all.

RICOH GR IV · f/2.8 · 1/1600s · 18.3mm · ISO400

With that touch-sensitive LCD, you can tap to select a focus point, which is an incredibly quick way of establishing focus. While the GR IV offers Face/Eye Detection, there is no Subject Detection feature, but how important an omission is this? In my view, not so much, as this camera is a tool for street and travel photography. I don’t think the ability to select Subject Detection for trains or animals is going to be a dealbreaker for any potential buyer, even if the price does stray into territory where rivals offer subject detection.

Image quality

Images can be saved in JPEG or DNG raw file format and there’s an option to record both file types at once. This is useful as if you employ an Image Control profile (such as black & white), the JPEG will save in this profile, while the raw file will serve as a backup copy in case you don’t like the effect and wish to process the image differently.

RICOH GR IV · f/2.8 · 1/1000s · 18.3mm · ISO400

I’m impressed with both the overall image quality and the amount of tonal data in the DNG files. Shadows can be boosted and skies rescued in software such as Lightroom. Because the raw files are DNG rather than some type of proprietary format, there’s no need to wait for Lightroom updates, unlike with other new cameras.

RICOH GR IV · f/7.1 · 1/500s · 18.3mm · ISO640

JPEGs straight out of camera (when the Image Control is set to standard) produce true, natural colours without any over-saturation. Noise is well-controlled and the GR IV has a higher native ISO ceiling than its predecessor (ISO 204,800 vs 102,400). However, it’s unlikely you’d use the ISO pushed right to the limit.

RICOH GR IV · f/2.8 · 1/1000s · 18.3mm · ISO400

The fixed lens is incredibly sharp, even with the aperture at f/2.8. Because of this, I suspect many will fall into the habit of keeping the aperture set wide open.

Ricoh GR IV: Our Verdict

The GR IV, like the GR models before it, is a go-anywhere camera. One to pop into your pocket and take out every day. The control system is well laid-out and, even if you haven’t used a GR camera before, you’ll be able to get up and running in no time. And this is the essence of the GR IV; a camera with decent features, but not overwhelmed with things that will slow you down. In truth, this ‘less is more’ approach will help you live in the moment, capture fleeting scenes and focus on the art of picture-taking.

RICOH GR IV · f/8 · 1/5s · 18.3mm · ISO200

In my opinion, the GR IV is a more efficient camera than the GR III, with a quicker start-up, a faster autofocus system, enhanced IBIS and (albeit marginally) higher resolution. Although it offers Full HD video, this is not a camera for making movies – instead, it’s an excellent option for the times when you don’t want to be loaded down with a heavier body and lens combo. The compact, black design offers a high degree of discretion and to most people, it could well look like you’re taking a snap with a smartphone, when in reality you’re making the most of that APS-C sensor that returns excellent image quality.

There are two (maybe three) key areas where some potential buyers might feel a little disappointed. First up, after seven years, I think we were all expecting a bigger hike in resolution. But the fact that the camera returns such good image quality will quell this niggle. Secondly, it’s very rare these days to find a camera with a fixed LCD. While this does keep the size of the body down, there is part of me that would have accepted a slightly larger form factor if it had meant Ricoh adding a tilting screen, especially for candid street shots taking from the hip. Oh, and finally, it would be great if we saw a monochrome version of the Ricoh GR sometime this year (or next).

Follow AP on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

Ricoh GR IV full specifications

The post Ricoh GR IV review – the ultimate street snapper camera? appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

DJI is a brand that’s no stranger to trying new things. Best known for its numerous drones, this hasn’t stopped DJI from launching into new markets – namely, the action camera and audio spaces with products like the Action 4 & 5 models and the popular DJI Mic 2 system. But now DJI is stepping into the 360 camera arena, which is already competitive thanks to innovative products from brands including Ricoh, GoPro and Insta360.

DJI OSMO 360 at a glance

• 1/1.1-inch CMOS sensor (x2)
• Aperture: f/1.9
• ISO range: 100-51200
• Max stills file size: 6400×4800 (15520×7760 Panoramic)
• Max video resolution: 8K (7680×3840) @ 24/25/30/48/50 fps
• Stabilisation: Electronic Image Stabilsation
• Operating time: 100 minutes of 8K 30p
• Price: $549/£410

Features

DJI’s offering to the party is the OSMO 360; a camera that can capture 13.5 stops of dynamic range and ultra high-resolution 8K 50p footage, matching the resolution offered by Insta360’s flagship X5 camera and beating the 5.6K served up by the GoPro Max 360.

In fact, the OSMO 360 can record 8K for an astonishing 100 minutes, enabling content creators to film for extended periods of time. At the heart of the OSMO 360 are twin f/1.9 lenses and a 1/1.1-inch CMOS sensor, which DJI has designed especially to take on the demands of 360 video and photography.

Check out these sample video clips on YouTube

As you’d expect, other resolutions are on offer; users can capture 6K video at 120fps and this will help you capture footage to use in those slow motion videos. What’s more, users can capture 8x slow-motion videos at 4K and there’s also a dedicated mode for filming at night, along with a Selfie Stick mode and a Hyperlapse option too…

Innovative design – content creating machine

When it comes to build and design, the OSMO 360 steers away from the ‘long and thin’ format favoured by Ricoh and Insta 360 and instead opts for a relatively more compact and wide footprint that’s closer to the GoPro Max camera.

Tipping the scales at just 183 grams, about the same weight as your smartphone or an action camera, the OSMO 360 features a protective rubberised cover to guard the twin lens elements against scratches or knocks. The level of protection is high, but the cover is not connected, so you’ll want to put it somewhere safe when you’re using the camera. Users of DJI’s action cameras will instantly feel at home when using the touch-sensitive LCD, which is intuitive and easy to navigate around.

Two physical buttons below the touchscreen to start/stop recordings and enable further adjustments, plus the unit is waterproof down to 10 metres, so watersports enthusiasts won’t have to worry about getting this camera wet. On one side of the camera, you’ll find a USB-C port for charging on the move via a power bank and on the other side is a slot for a Micro SD card and the battery compartment.

Now, here’s some good news; the OSMO 360 uses the same batteries from DJI’s Action 3, 4 and 5 Pro cameras so the likelihood is that you will have already invested in extra batteries and this synergy between the DJI wider ecosystem should be applauded. However, there’s an even better example of this synergy and it’s the fact that you don’t have to rely on the four internal mics from the OSMO 360 as the device can connect up to DJI’s Mic 2 wireless mic system so you can capture enhanced audio on the move.

Setting up the OSMO 360 is easy, but you will need to download that free DJI Mimo app before you can activate the camera and I really would recommend setting some time aside to learn exactly what the app can do and how it can unlock creative features when you are filming content, but also how it can help you edit footage after you’ve finished recording. This enables users to create a timeline, changing and directing the camera’s viewpoint throughout the clip before exporting the video and sharing it on social media.

This is where 360 camera technology comes alive and effectively enables you to compose video retrospectively. However, there’s an additional way you can edit your footage and it’s thanks to the DJI Studio software, which is available for Mac and PC computers. This is an amazing program that makes the business of adding Key Frames and editing your footage to change perspective, focal point or field of view simple and easy.

For Vloggers especially, I’d recommend the Intelligent Tracking feature, which enables you to drag out a box with the mouse and simply highlight your subject, as the feature will aim to track them throughout the frame. It works impressively well and will save you a huge amount of time.

Stills and video options

Content creators will be pleased to hear the OSMO 360 caters for stills as well as video – capturing imagery at either 12, 20 or 30-megapixels or a panoramic photo with 120MP of resolution. What’s more, you can shoot in JPEG or you can choose to shoot in raw file format to give you more tolerance when editing the image in software such as Adobe Lightroom where you can recover Highlights in the Sky or reveal detail in areas of Shadows.

This is useful and great to have as an extended option, but video is what this camera does best. When it comes to footage options, DJI has included the D-Log and 10-Bit technology from devices like DJI’s drones and action cameras in the brand’s 360 camera. This is a big deal and will not only ramp up production values but also boost your ability as a creator to add your own signature and creative stamp on your footage by grading it to a higher degree in post-production.

The quality from that 1/1.1-inch sensor is impressive and the D-Log profile lends itself well to editing in software such as Premiere Pro. The familiar DJI colour science is present in the OSMO 360, so the footage feels similar to what you’d get from the Action 5 Pro or the Pocket 3 – both of which I own and use for both Vlogging and as B-cameras when filming automotive content.

More features

There are plenty more features potential buyers should be aware of, starting with the built-in 128GB storage, of which 105GB is available to record to, and this will come in mega-useful if you have forgotten or filled up your Micro SD card.

The OSMO 360 also offers Voice and Gesture control, enabling users to control the camera with palm gestures, even when you are wearing gloves. As we’ve mentioned, the device is waterproof to 10 metres without a case – in fact, the OSMO 360 is IP68 rated and you can even connect up Bluetooth headphones so you can clearly hear the audio from the OSMO 360.

And while this may not appeal to everyone – for action sports enthusiasts, the Dashboard feature works with Garmin and Apple devices to import and overlay data such as speed, tilt, and acceleration on the screen.

Value for money

Does the OSMO 360 have any compromises? Well, As with any 360 camera, I do worry about damaging the lenses and 360 cameras are not a small investment – you always tend to pay more for a 360 camera than you would for an action camera. That said, DJI has priced the OSMO 360 competitively – the standard OSMO 360 Combo will set you back around $549 or £410. With the Adventure Combo, you get the extra accessories like a selfie stick and extra batteries.

The OSMO’s most obvious rival, Insta360’s flagship X5 costs $549 / £519, while GoPro’s MAX 360 camera, which has been around a while now, is keenly priced at $369 / £269. However, I think content creators like vloggers will also lump cameras such as DJI’s hugely popular Pocket 3 into the mix too when considering the OSMO 360.

DJI Osmo 360 Verdict

So, how do you sum up a camera like the OSMO 360? As I mentioned at the start of this video, 360 cameras are a fairly niche area, but if you’ve never used them before, I’d encourage you to give the OSMO 360 or one of its rivals a try because 360 cameras really do unlock new creative opportunities to capture something different with your stills or video.

DJI has gone all out with the OSMO 360, and it’s difficult to find any fault with this great device. The combination of a nicely designed unit and a menu system that’s easy to navigate means there’s no fuss to this camera; you can get creating quickly. But it’s the support from both the wider DJI ecosystem and that cool DJI Studio software that really helps the OSMO 360 stand out as an enticing buy.

Excellent for vlogging, though slightly more limiting for stills, the quality of the video is impressive, but for me, it’s the smile on your face that you get when using this camera that’s far more important.

See below for my in-depth YouTube review

DJI Osmo 360 Specifications

• Sensor: 1/1.1-inch CMOS (x2)
• Aperture: f/1.9
• ISO range: 100-51200
• Max stills file size: 6400×4800 (15520×7760 Panoramic)
• Max video resolution: 8K (7680×3840) @ 24/25/30/48/50 fps
• Stabilisation: Electronic Image Stabilsation
• Operating time: 100 minutes of 8K 30p
• Touchscreen: 2-inch touch-sensitive
• Internal microphone: Yes (4 internal)
• Bluetooth /Wi-Fi: Yes
• Storage: 1x Micro SD card (up to 1TB) / 128GB internal storage
• Battery: 1950 mAh Li-ion
• Dimensions: 61×36.3.81mm (LxWxH)
• Weight: 183g
• Waterproof: Yes (to 10 metres)

The post DJI OSMO 360 review – the best 360 camera of 2025? appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

DJI Mavic 4 Pro at a glance:

• $2699 / £1780 (Basic kit)
• $3549 / £2549 (Fly More Combo)
• $4649 / £3209 (Creator Combo)
• Drone with three integrated cameras
• 100MP Hasselblad main camera
• Max video resolution 6K (6016×3384) at 24/25/30/48/50/60fps
• 1063g take-off weight
• 257.6×124.8×106.6 mm (L×W×H) when folded

While the previous Mavic 3 Pro’s specification list was impressive at the time of launch and easily made it to our list of the best drones with cameras, the DJI Mavic 4 Pro takes things to a whole new level. It retains the familiar folding design and triple-camera layout, but almost everything else has been overhauled. This includes its headline features: a 100MP Hasselblad sensor and a 360° rotating gimbal that opens up new avenues for framing and filming.

However, before getting swept up in the excitement of the specifications, it’s worth noting that the Mavic 4 Pro weighs 1063g, meaning it’s subject to greater regulation than sub-250g drones like the DJI Mini 4 Pro. In the UK, you’ll need to hold an A2 Certificate of Competency to fly it within 150m of areas used for recreational, residential, industrial or commercial purposes.

So why choose the Mavic 4 Pro over a sub-250g drone? The extra weight affords a more robust, stable platform that can cope with windier conditions, faster flying, a far more advanced camera system and a larger battery for longer flights. 

Like the Mavic 3 Pro, the main camera in the Mavic 4 Pro’s triple-camera array features a Four Thirds-type sensor. However, its default resolution is 25MP (up from 20MP) and thanks to DJI/Hasselblad’s Quad Bayer technology, this can be transformed into 100MP images. The same technology is used in the other two cameras. Consequently, the medium telephoto camera, which has a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor and a 70mm equivalent focal length, outputs 12 or 48MP images. Meanwhile, the 168mm telephoto camera uses a 1/1.5-inch sensor to deliver 12.5MP or 50MP stills.

The main camera has a 28mm equivalent focal length – 4mm longer than that of the Mavic 3 Pro – but in flight, it’s hardly noticeable; you just need to back off slightly to maintain your usual framing. It’s the intended go-to lens on this drone, though the 70mm and 168mm lenses are very handy for tighter framing and capturing distant detail.

The variable aperture on the main lens (f/2.0 to f/11) gives greater creative flexibility than is available with the other cameras, allowing for control over depth-of-field and starburst effects when shooting into the sun or bright lights. However, as with the other two cameras, at the closest focusing distance (2m), you’ll need to be precise with your focusing when using the widest aperture setting. The two telephoto cameras have fixed f/2.8 apertures and can focus as close as 3m.

The video features are impressive. The headline figure is 6K video recording at up to 120fps with the main camera, while the 70mm and 168mm cameras can record 4K at up to 120fps and 100fps, respectively. All three support 10-bit D-Log, D-Log M and HLG, making colour grading easy and ensuring the footage from each camera matches the others.

Key features

• 360° Gimbal: The camera system is fitted onto a rotating, stabilising mount for creative angles
• Triple Camera System: Three cameras are included with equivalent focal lengths of 28mm, 70mm and 168mm
• Flight Time: You should get up to 51 minutes of flying per battery charge
• Storage: There’s 64GB or 512GB of onboard memory plus a microSD card slot
• Smart Safety: Low-light obstacle detection and intelligent return-to-home functions are included

DJI Mavic 4 Pro – Creative Control

In a significant leap from its predecessor, the Mavic 4 Pro features an ‘Infinity Gimbal’ capable of full 360° rotation. This enables you to capture dynamic videos and true portrait orientation stills or video with any of the cameras. The rotating looks particularly cool in videos when you’re flying through some form of archway or towards a dramatic viewpoint. Unusually, the gimbal can tilt 70° upwards as well as 90° downwards, giving the ability to look up at the sky or straight down to the ground.

Each of the three cameras supports a collection of stills photography modes. Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) is available at all resolutions with up to seven-frame shooting at 0.7EV intervals – that’s especially useful around sunrise and sunset. You can also shoot in timed intervals from 1 to 60 seconds, which is handy for documenting changing light or capturing action sequences.

In addition, DJI’s Free Panorama mode stitches wide landscape images in-camera. Meanwhile, ActiveTrack 360° keeps your subject in-frame and focused, even through complex movements, and both MasterShots and QuickShots make it easy to shoot cinematic footage as the drone executes preset flight patterns.

DJI Mavic 4 Pro – More Flying, More Fun

The Mavic 4 Pro is stable, fast and extremely easy to fly. With improved aerodynamics and a 95Wh battery, in ideal conditions its flight times should stretch up to 51 minutes. That’s a remarkable duration, though in real-world use, I’ve only managed 39 minutes in a light breeze – still more than respectable. Pushing to that limit involves ignoring the drone’s low-battery warnings, which typically leave you four or five extra minutes before auto-return to home really kicks in. Thankfully, the Return to Home feature is exceptionally reliable and will even guide the drone back using visual landmarks when GPS is unavailable.

L3D-100c · f/2.8 · 1/1250s · 14.45mm · ISO160

Naturally, the last thing you want to do with a drone that costs excess of £1,800 (with a controller), is crash it into a tree, and fortunately, the Mavic 4 Pro’s omnidirectional obstacle detection is excellent. Six fisheye sensors, dual processors and AI-assisted visual positioning help it navigate confidently through tight or GPS-poor environments. You can turn it off if you need, or it can be set to fly around any objects it encounters or just stop. It proved capable of detecting spindly twigs and branches in my testing.

Whether you’re shooting video or stills, the Mavic 4 Pro impresses. Its 25MP images are strong and the 100MP files offer excellent results that look sharper and more detailed than images upscaled in Photoshop. Chromatic aberration and flare are both remarkably well controlled, even when shooting high-contrast scenes and with light passing across the front elements.

DJI Mavic 4 Pro – Controllers

One frustration for owners of other DJI drones is that DJI doesn’t sell the Mavic 4 Pro as a standalone drone – you have to buy it with a controller. The standard kit comes with the DJI RC 2, a capable unit with a built-in screen. Alternatively, the Creator Combo includes the DJI RC Pro 2 and costs £3,209 – that’s £1,330 more than the standard kit and £750 more than the Fly More Combo, both of which include the RC 2.

The RC Pro 2 controller is significantly larger and heavier than the RC 2 (750g versus 420g), but it’s also much more capable, with a 7-inch tiltable, rotatable screen and a peak brightness of 7000 nits. Helpfully, the controller powers on when you tilt out the screen, and the control sticks automatically pop into position. It also has a neat trick up its sleeve, if you rotate the screen, the drone’s gimbal rotates to match – you can rotate it back using the controls if you want.

DJI Mavic 4 Pro – Which Kit?

The Mavic 4 Pro is available in three kits. The standard $2699 / £1780 version includes 64GB onboard storage and the DJI RC 2 controller. Spend $3549 / £2,459 and the Fly More Combo adds a bag, spare propellers, two extra batteries, a three-battery parallel charging hub and a 100W charger. At $4649 / £3,209, the Creator Combo is the most expensive option, but it brings 512GB of onboard storage, the RC Pro 2 controller, the parallel hub and a 240W power adapter for faster charging. While I’d struggle to justify the additional expense of the Creator Combo and would likely opt for the Fly More Combo, I love the new controller and fast charging with the pricier package. Disappointingly, none of the kits include any ND filters.

DJI Mavic 4 Pro – Verdict

The DJI Mavic 4 Pro is a major upgrade on what’s gone before in the Mavic range. It’s extremely capable and has plenty to offer enthusiast and professional drone pilots wishing to avoid the weight, cost and additional complication of the Matrice series drones. The new 100MP Hasselblad camera and full-rotation Infinity Gimbal open the door to novel shots, while its video credentials, safety and intelligent features make it easy to fly while capturing great footage. If you can afford the Creator Combo, you won’t be disappointed, otherwise, the Fly More Combo is a winner.

Related reading:

• How to edit an engaging FPV drone video
• Capture your best aerial photos and videos with a drone
• DJI Mini 4 Pro: new lightweight drone released

Follow AP on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

The post DJI Mavic 4 Pro review – Infinity Gimbal and 6K video on board appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Ricoh GR IIIx At a glance

• $1,047 / £999
• 24MP APS-C sensor
• 40mm equiv f/2.8 lens
• ISO 100-102,400
• 3in, 1.04m-dot fixed LCD
• Shake reduction

The Ricoh GR IIIx joined a niche family of unobtrusive compact cameras designed to capture decisive moments; particularly suited to street photography and every day life. With a 40mm equivalent lens, and an APS-C sensor, this camera should be capable of producing high-quality images, and fitting in your pocket. Does it live up to the hype? Read on for our in-depth review…

Since its introduction in 1996, the GR series has evolved through numerous iterations from its pre-digital days to its current tiny digital form. Now, treading totally new ground, the 24MP APS-C sensor GR IIIx sits side by side with the virtually identical Ricoh GR III –  but has a new 40mm equivalent f/2.8 lens.

In Ricoh GR tradition, the GR III has a wide 28mm f/2.8 lens with an angle of view akin to your smartphone’s primary camera. The GR IIIx’s focal length is closer to a normal lens. In other words, the GR III captures what you see, the GR IIIx frames your point of attention.

Of course, there’s a place for each focal length. Do you naturally want to capture the wider scene or the details? Personally, I was more excited about this 40mm f/2.8 lens because it is generally better equipped for photography like portraiture and macro.

Angle of view aside, the real selling point of Ricoh GR’s is their image quality and pocket-power. Of all large sensor, fixed lens, premium compact cameras around, none are as small as a Ricoh GR III, and size makes all the difference.

Cameras like the Fujifilm X100 series sport more features, as do other comparable interchangeable lens cameras with a 40mm pancake lens attached. But all those larger alternatives require a conscious effort to bring along for the ride. Not the GR IIIx.

Features

Features-wise, I must reiterate that the GR IIIx ethos boils down to size and quality. It fits in your pocket like a smartphone, while somehow packing an APS-C sensor. Yes, sensor size is what currently sets the GR IIIx apart from a similarly priced phone, although its lens quality and handling help, too.

Here is a 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor that is approximately 4x bigger than the primary sensor used for the wide-angle lens in a similarly priced £900 smartphone, like the iPhone 13 Pro. Sensor size is so important because a larger sensor realises image quality advantages over the computational modes of a small-sensor smartphone, for things such as depth-of-field control and low light performance.

The new lens provides greater reach, and framing can be further tightened to 50mm or 71mm via the crop mode. Image files are simply reduced in size to achieve this crop, although an optional 75mm tele-conversion lens is also available to extend those full-resolution 6000×4000 pixel files.

The wide-conversion lens for the GR III is not compatible with the GR IIIx. I feel that attaching any conversion lens at all is to dampen the spirit of the Ricoh GR.

Given the GR IIIx is all about shooting handheld, 3-axis sensor-based shake reduction is very welcome, and is a feature not found in most rival cameras. Ricoh claims shake reduction offers around 3 stops of stabilisation, which opens the GR IIIx to more versatile and higher-quality low light shooting. The mechanism also helps keep the sensor clean.

Given the lens’s f/2.8 aperture, I’m not entirely convinced of the usefulness of the built-in ND filter, which can automatically reduce exposure by 2-stops. Still, with the ND filter in play and the GR IIIx on a tripod, long-exposure effects can be created in daylight.

The new HDF version of the GR IIIx released in 2024 replaced the ND-filter with a ‘highlight diffusion filter’ that adds a soft glow to highlights, and essentially creating a more dreamy film-like look.

Shooting modes are straightforward, with no attempt to over-complicate. The GR IIIx is comfortable in its skin, offering useful features such as an intervalometer and in-camera multiple-exposure.

With its longer 40mm lens, the macro mode feels more compelling on the GR IIIx than it does on the GR III. In this mode, the minimum focus distance is reduced from 0.2m down to 0.12m, and with the 71mm crop mode employed, you can get pretty darn close.

In 2024, 4K resolution feels like the bare minimum for cameras that record video. Well, the GR IIIx focuses on photographers over those who do video, and makes no headway from the three-year-old GR III. It’s limited to Full HD, and there’s no external mic input. However, it provides frame rates up to 60p, meaning you can get smooth half-speed videos on the go. The shallow depth-of-field provided by that f/2.8 lens can also help videos stand out.

After shooting some images, it becomes second nature to look at them and do some editing using the versatile in-camera raw Development. After tweaks to settings such as Picture Style and exposure compensation, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity provides a reliable connection to Ricoh’s free ‘Image Sync’ app (from my experience using a Google Pixel phone) to upload JPEG images and even remotely control the camera.

Focal points

• USB power – It might have a modest 200-shot battery life, but the GR IIIx can be charged on-the-go via its USB-C port, through which the battery is charged via a mains charger, supplied.
• Lens ring cap – Rather than offer a control like manual focus, the lens ring is functionless. The lens ring cap can be removed to house an optional 75mm Tele-Conversion lens or for users to personalise their GR IIIx by replacing the cap with a different colour version.
• Touchscreen – The fixed 1.04m-dot touch screen is very responsive and offers a wide range of control including touch focus and menu navigation. Having used the camera for months, a tilting LCD tops my GR IIIx wish list.
• Hotshoe – Optional accessories can be attached via the hotshoe, including a thumb grip (which I recommend), external flash (there’s no built-in flash) and an optical viewfinder. However, there is no compatibility with an EVF.
• Card – The GR IIIx is compatible with UHS-I type SD cards only and so high-speed performance is limited to 4fps and short bursts. Should you forget a memory card, there is 2GB of internal storage.
• Lens – The 26.1mm f/2.8 lens has an equivalent 40mm focal length, while the lens construction comprises 7 elements in 5 groups, two of which are aspherical elements.

Regular firmware updates are released by Ricoh, with both fixes and improvements, as well as the addition of new features. Check you’ve got the latest firmware version on Ricoh’s site.

Build and handling

Most photographers who pick up a Ricoh GR series camera do so because of how small and discreet they are. Put simply, no other current APS-C camera fits in the pocket quite like this one. You’ve heard the phrase ‘the best camera is the one you have with you’. That will usually be a smartphone these days; but the tiny GR IIIx could give you a choice.

Ricoh has maintained virtually the same size, weight and dimensions from the GR III despite the new 40mm f/2.8 lens. In fact, the cameras are practically indistinguishable, save for five extra grammes meaning the GR IIIx weighs a mere 262g with battery and card inserted.

Normally it’s the lens that adds the most significant bulk in a large-sensor camera system, but here it’s compact thanks, in part, to a simple and effective 7-element optical construction. It’s a lens that extends when the camera is in use and retracts when the camera is off or in standby mode, where the GR IIIx measures 35mm deep.

The GR IIIx is both narrower and shorter than a smartphone, as can be seen when side by side with one. Its exterior is simple, giving off the vibe of a modest compact camera. I’ve been out and about plenty of times in public places with the GR IIIx and it feels as unobtrusive as a camera can be, like a phone camera.

It’s nimble, too: the GR IIIx has a lightning fast start up time, shutter response, and offers plenty for experienced photographers to sink their teeth into.

The shooting mode dial has PASM exposure modes as well as three custom shooting modes (U1, U2 and U3). Put in a little time, and the GR IIIx can be set up three ways to accommodate your choice of shooting style for specific scenarios, with immediate recall of the full complement of camera settings.

For street photography, I set up U1 to use Snap Focus at a 2.5m distance (I’ll get on to Snap Focus later), auto ISO with a minimum acceptable shutter speed of 1/125sec, metering set to highlight-weighted and picture style set to Hard Monotone among other things. No need to individually select these settings manually, though if you thrice go down this route you will need to remember which custom mode is which! Watch out that the dial hasn’t shifted between times with the camera, as the lock is slightly loose.

I acquired an optional thumb grip – an excellent addition for single-handed shooting, especially in portrait format. The thumb grip also somewhat guards the rear dial from accidental knocks. But the camera operates comfortably without a grip, too.

The rear dial is one of two dials used to adjust exposure, plus it can be pushed in to reveal a quick access menu for picture style, focus mode, metering, file format and screen brightness. These options are well considered, because I often wanted to tweak the focus mode and metering in particular and appreciated not having to trawl through the main menu to find these options.

Battery life is a sour note. Those 200 shots are soon gone, especially when Bluetooth is active and the screen set to maximum brightness. With some spare DB-110 batteries with me, I could forgive it this drawback, given the overall experience. I also made it a regular practice to charge the camera, which can be done on the go via the USB-C port.

After much time with the camera in and out the pocket, I wanted to protect the lens because the retracting covers can be pushed open. Personally, I’d opt for the optional lens protective cover over a camera case in order to keep the size minimal. Speaking of accessories, the GR IIIx doesn’t come with much, though there is a wrist strap and USB-C mains charger included.

Viewfinder and screen

The GR IIIx has an extremely capable 3in, 1.04m-dot touchscreen. I say capable because its touch function is spot on, being responsive and versatile for controlling everything from focus point selection to menu navigation and image playback. Its default brightness is OK, but it can be increased for clearer daylight viewing at the cost of draining the battery quicker.

Every time I use the GR IIIx, however, there are occasions where I have cried to the heavens for a tilt screen to aid viewing at awkward angles. I can accept other downsides to a camera that is so small because size means everything, but a tilting screen would in theory only add a few grams and a couple of millimetres to overall camera depth.

The viewing experience is the primary design aspect of the GR IIIx that I would change. It also lacks a built-in EVF and, sadly, neither is there an option for one via the hotshoe. An optional alternative is the small optical viewfinder. Frankly, for a discrete snapper like this I can live without a viewfinder: but it really does need a tilt-screen.

Autofocus

A crucial learning curve with the GR IIIx regards focusing. You’ll need to develop both the handling and an understanding of focusing for the scene in front of you. Persevere to the top of that learning curve and you’ll feel like a gunslinging cowboy, hitting the target.

You might not have heard of Snap focus before. It’s rather smart, offering multiple pre-determined focus distance options that range from 1m to 5m plus infinity. Not everyone can judge if a subject is, say, 2m or 3.5m away. Thankfully then, the preset distance can be temporarily overriden via touch focus.

Pairing Snap and touch focusing became my natural choice for most scenarios, while I also appreciated that depth-of-field for the focus distance at any given aperture is displayed on screen in Snap Focus mode.

Other autofocus modes are a bit hit and miss. There’s certainly an AF performance improvement from previous generation Ricoh GR models, but those that are used to the best performing autofocus systems will become somewhat impatient with the GR IIIx’s focus hunting, especially in low contrast light. Tracking AF can struggle to stick to your subject, while face and eye detection AF are not the most responsive I’ve used, either.

Manual focus is controlled by the rear wheel (and not the lens ring) with the focus distance displayed on screen. You’ll need to power through multiple wheel rotations to shift those distances, which is great for micro adjustments but a real drag for extreme changes.

Performance

Starting off the blocks like a 100m sprinter and with its immediate shutter response, the GR IIIx is ready to capture decisive moments. However, action photography is another matter. Its continuous mode of 4fps (approx) is limited to short raw bursts, though you can get as many as 150 JPEGs in a burst before the camera slows up.

Sensor-based shake reduction aids hand-held shooting particularly at this sort of focal length, and the claimed 3-stops of stablisation should in theory enable sharp handheld shots using shutter speeds as slow as 1/4 sec. I got mixed results at this shutter speed – maybe 50/50 were sharp – whereas at 1/10 sec and with a steady hand I had a 100% success ratio.

Elsewhere, evaluative metering does a solid job of getting a good all-round exposure with a risk of losing some highlight detail. After months with the camera, I have settled mostly on pairing highlight-weighted metering and exposure compensation. That way, I protect highlights and when the image appears too dark (which does happen with highlight metering), I can brighten things up quickly via the rear dial.

Image quality

Once you have honed your handling of the GR IIIx – especially focusing and composition – it is an extremely capable snapper. The 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor boasts a wide ISO 100-102,400 sensitivity range which realises excellent image quality in all kinds of lighting conditions.

I’ve tried all of the ISO settings and found that ISO 100 to 1600 is essentially free of noise, up to ISO 6,400 still impresses. Beyond this setting, image detail begins to suffer. ISO 25,600 is still acceptable, though I generally avoid it and anything higher.

Dynamic range also impresses in daylight, with enough scope to recover detail from shadow areas in low-key highlight-metered images. However, brightening images by more than 2EV can reveal muddy shadow detail.

For such a compact lens, the 40mm f/2.8 delivers excellent sharpness across the entire frame. Looking right into the corners of forest scenes and every branch and leaf is as sharp as in the centre of the picture. The lens is slightly softer at f/2.8 and f/16, though that maximum aperture is still fine and delivers numerous other benefits, including shallow depth-of-field for portraiture and macro scenes.

Focus fall-off is where the 40mm f/2.8 lens becomes a more compelling all-round optic than a 28mm one. Place your subjects in a sweet spot within a couple of metres and you’ll get a lovely blurry background at f/2.8.

Not only can you use this lens for portraiture, but a pleasant surprise is its macro prowess. The crop mode is useful for this close-focus photography genre and it’s genuinely possible to achieve a buttery smooth and round bokeh at f/2.8. The closer to your focus point, the larger those lovely bokeh balls can get. From my experience, there is no detrimental effect on image quality with the macro mode in play.

The maximum aperture displays pronounced vignetting. The effect of vignetting is found at every aperture, but it is significantly reduced by dropping the aperture to f/3.5. Ricoh offers in-camera ‘Peripheral Illumination Correction’ to remove this distortion at any stage of the image-making process.

Images are recorded in JPEG and/ or DNG raw format. DNG is universally accepted by software old and new and I’ve generally stuck with the GR IIIx’s raw format and ‘Standard’ profile. It’s a pleasant style in itself and a solid starting point from where extensive in-camera edits can be applied via raw Development.

For example, I’ve often gone for a low-key feel as a starting point to daylight images, applying shadow correction and exposure compensation ±1EV to bring out tonal detail. The Hard Monotone style is also a perfect partner to highlight metering, deepening those shadows for a dynamic mood.

I can’t remember the last time I had so much enjoyment in converting images to black and white. In fact, raw Development in general becomes a natural part of the GR IIIx process, especially considering how easy it is to then upload images on the fly to a smartphone using Ricoh’s ‘Image Sync’ app.

Ricoh GR IIIx Verdict

The Ricoh GR IIIx is a well positioned niche alternative to smartphones and big cameras, offering a wonderful mix of the two. I feel there is enough here to compel smartphone users considering a ‘real’ camera, and experienced photographers who want a ‘proper’ photographic tool in their pocket.

If I’m going to bother using a camera instead of my smartphone, first and foremost it needs to deliver excellent image quality in any kind of light. This has been achieved in the GR IIIx thanks to its 24MP APS-C sensor, DNG raw capture and sharp 40mm f/2.8 lens.

GR III owners can rest assured that the lens quality is as good in the GR IIIx, with sharp detail from centre to edges. And with that new longer focal length, focus fall-off control is greater, the GR IIIx being more capable of ‘big-camera’ looking shots than the GR III. Overall, I prefer 40mm lens because in addition to general scenes, portraits and macro feel way more achievable.

Of course, there were times I wanted to be wider than 40mm and I’d happily have the 28mm GR III in my other pocket too! Who knows, having successfully realised the GR IIIx, perhaps Ricoh will take the Sigma Quattro route and introduce a telephoto version with a 75mm equivalent lens.

The GR IIIx also handles really well. It has a rapid sub-one-second start up time, quick shutter response, comfortable single-handed operation and intuitive controls that has satisfied me as an experienced photographer; especially as I have got to know it and taken the time to set it up how I like.

Crucially, this is a camera that slips easily into a trouser pocket – that’s no mean feat considering the Ricoh-quality optics and APS-C sensor on board. The GR IIIx doesn’t necessarily top the scores in a review format, but ultimately is a camera than I can and want to have in my pocket all the time: the impact its constant presence has had on my creative life cannot be undervalued.

For more options, have a look at the best compact cameras, as well as the best cameras for street photography.

Follow AP on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

The post Ricoh GR IIIx Review – 40mm pocket camera wonder appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Cheered on by social media and Generation Z, point and shoot digital compacts are enjoying an unlikely resurgence. But what can they offer that’s markedly different from our smartphones, or the pocket cameras that came before? Boasting up to ’72 megapixels’, the 10x zoom Yashica City 200 reckons it may have the answer.

We haven’t seen a new point and shoot digital compact for a long time, but now they’re re-appearing like buses. Initially new models tended to be cheap and mostly cheerful examples bearing Agfa or Kodak branding and issued by a third-party license holder. But as I write, Canon and Panasonic have got back in on the action with new PowerShot and TZ series compacts respectively. Fujifilm has also just got (a little) more serious with its one-inch sensor X Half camera.  

The digital point and shoot, once declared dead, is well and truly back. Who’d have thought it? 

The current license holder for Yashica recently issued its pocked-sized Yashica City 100, a 3x optical zoom point and shoot with the grand claim of offering up to 72MP images, even though the sensor at its core provided a native 13MP resolution (any higher and it’s interpolation). Now that model’s bigger brother, the Yashica City 200 is here with the same key features, but noticeably a bigger 10x optical zoom. 

A decade or more since most of us stashed the previous snapshot camera we owned in the back of the cupboard, or eBay’d it, could this iteration have what it takes to reignite our interest in having a dedicated camera for everyday shots? Or is it ultimately something that will only be of interest to hipsters or children (not that there’s anything wrong with that)? Read on to find out. 

Yashica City 200 Key Features: 

• 13 megapixel, 1/3-inch CMOS sensor 
• 10x optical zoom lens, f/2.0-f/3.1, 33.8mm – 338mm in 35mm terms 
• 0.5m to infinity focus range, or from 1m at telephoto setting 
• 2.8-inch LCD screen, 4:3 ratio display 
• MicroSD card slot 
• Up to 5K 5120×2880 resolution video at 30fps video recording 
• Powered via supplied rechargeable lithium ion battery 
• 106.8×61.5×72.5mm in size 
• 238g weight approximately 

Available in serious black or the cool white variant we had to review, as with its City 100 sibling, first impressions of the Yashica City 200 are broadly positive. Yes, we’re not expecting a 1/3-inch sensor camera to compete with the latest Micro Four Thirds, APS-C or full frame mirrorless cameras. I am ready to take it for what it is – but the packaging alone rolls out the red carpet and adds extra value. We don’t just get the camera and quick start pamphlet here, but also accessories including lens cloth, carry pouch, wrist strap, USB lead and key ring featuring a cheery cartoon Yashica mascot. 

While the above might raise a smile, the real talking point here in contrast with its simultaneously released 3x optical zoom Yashica City 100 sibling is obviously the step up 10x optical zoom the Yashica City 200 offers, explored in a little more detail in our comparison section below.  

Given this camera’s cost and the lightweight, plastic-y construction, another surprise here is a maximum selectable 72-megapixel resolution for JPEG only photos and MP4 format video clips up to 5K at 30fps. Once again further options include 4K video at 60fps, with a Full HD option ranging from 30fps up to a slow motion producing 120fps. When powering the camera up, however, the default settings are 13 megapixel stills and 4K 30P video. If we want that whopping 72MP resolution then we select it in the knowledge that digital trickery is at work and this is an interpolated setting; meaning the more closely we examine it, the more visible image artefacts will be. 

A rechargeable lithium-ion battery is provided, though predictably at this price no mains charger or mains plug is included in the box. We do get a USB lead for charging the battery in-camera however, which is standard these days. JPEG stills and MP4 video are, as with the City 100 model, saved to removable microSD memory card (not included).

How does the Yashica City 200 compare to its City 100? 

Whether we choose the Yashica City 100 or 200 model, we’re getting the headline feature of a 13-megapixel resolution from a tiny 1/3-inch sensor typical of point and shoot compacts, as opposed to the 1-inch sensor found in the Fuji X Half or the unique 1.4-inch chip in the Canon PowerShot V1. Both current Yashica iterations offer the same interpolated 72-megapixel maximum setting, as well as a flip-out 2.8-inch backplate LCD for shot composition and review. Again, an adjustable screen isn’t something we’re used to on a humble point and shoot, even if adjustments are rather limited here (it doesn’t tilt up or down). 

A scan of the spec sheet and immediately it’s the difference in zoom power between the two models that jumps out. We’ll pay just a little more for the privilege, but the City 200 delivers a broader focal range courtesy of its 10x optical zoom, offering the 35mm equivalent of roughly 34mm-340mm.

The Yashica City 200 also differs when it comes to the top plate layout in including a rocker switch for the operation of its lens, plus, more usually still for a snapshot model, a toggle switch on the lens barrel for swapping between auto and manual focus. The bigger zoom here has inevitably resulted in a slightly chunkier camera, with a depth of 72.5mm as opposed to 61.3mm on the City 100. 

By contrast, the Yashica City 100 delivers a bog standard 3x optical zoom, giving us the 35mm equivalent of 26mm–76mm, with a brighter f/1.6 maximum aperture. Slightly more basic, there’s less here to get hands on with in terms of operation. But it is less expensive to the tune of a few notes. It all comes down to whether that 3x zoom is enough for you or you feel a 10x zoom would be worth paying that little bit extra for, to pull the further away that much closer or allow for more compositional choice when it comes to framing an image. 

What are the other features of the Yashica City 200? 

Powered by a lithium-ion battery that slots into a compartment at the base of the camera, shared with a slot for microSD card, both the Yashica City 200 and its Yashica City 100 sibling at least superficially stand out from most point and shoot compacts by including an accessory shoe on the top plate, plus the capacity for external microphone attachment. A built-in microphone and speaker are also provided. The former features at the top of the handgrip while the latter is given an unexpectedly prominent and central position on the top plate, nudging the hot shoe for flash to the left of the lens, rather than sitting dead above it. As with the City 100, the lens cap provided with the City 200 is magnetic, so it automatically snaps into place without the need for tethering when the lens is not in use.  

Rather more importantly, images are composed and reviewed via the 2.8-inch, 4:3 LCD screen, which here can be flipped outwards from the body, so it is facing whomever or whatever is in front of the lens. While it distances this model from most bog-standard pocket compacts, the screen cannot be angled or tilted.  

Nonetheless, it’s a pleasant surprise to find a movable screen of any description on a camera at this price, as is the appearance on both models of an auto exposure / auto focus lock button, more commonly found on enthusiast cameras, just behind which is a regular dedicated on/off button. 

Rather than a familiar P/A/S/M shooting mode dial, another feature shared with the ‘100’ model is that we instead get a top plate button marked ‘mode’. Press this and we’re directed to a virtual on-screen dial allowing us to tab between selecting Program, Shutter Priority, Scene selection, macro instead of the infrared setting on the City 100, plus video mode and full auto mode. For those wondering where the usually unmarked shutter release button is, here it’s the one with the ‘camera’ icon, behind which is the toggle switch for extending or retracting the 10x optical zoom. Video gets its own equally obvious red ‘record’ button, sans video camera graphic. The full extent of the zoom is equally accessible in video as well as stills mode, though shooting handheld does introduce some visible image judder thanks to hand wobble the closer we get to maximum telephoto setting. The trick here is to capture to or three images of the same subject and select the sharpest, though they’re still not as crisp as we’d like under close inspection. 

Less of a surprise is access via a press of the backplate ‘OK’ button to digital filter effects. Settings range from the default of ‘standard’ to natural and vivid settings, moving through black and white and negative options, on to sepia-like ‘retro’ and ‘antique’ colour tones, and ending with red, green, blue and yellow overlays. A nod perhaps to the kind of filters most potential users will have in spades via their mobile phones, but personally we found them unnecessary. For example, if we select Vivid or Landscape setting the greens in an image can take on an almost neon-like glow, making grass and vegetation appear irradiated rather than lush. For interior shots we also get a built-in LED flash adjacent to AF assist lamp at the front of the device. 

Handling and design

The backplate of the camera resembles the kind of control layout we’re more used to finding on a pocket-sized point-and-shoot camera. Aside from the LCD screen, which can be rotated outwards from the body at 180 degrees and hogs a good three quarters of the backplate real estate, physical controls are shoehorned to one side. These include a control pad that resembles a scroll wheel – but isn’t, it’s a 4-way direction pad – at the centre of which is a familiar ‘OK’ button for affecting any changes alighted upon in the camera menus. 

Located above and below this pad are buttons in pairs that equally readily fall under the thumb. We get ‘menu’ and ‘info’ above the dial, along with playback and delete sitting just below it. As we’re well used to the occasional dodgy snap, especially from inexpensive point and shoots like this one, having a delete button under our thumb always is a welcome feature. 

One thing to note in terms of handling is that this camera is quite slow to power up, taking around three seconds from an initial press of the power button to its rear panel screen blinking into life. That’s the same on the City 100. Use the toggle switch atop the camera to control the zoom and the response from the City 200 is equally leisurely. It requires approximately four to five seconds to glide from maximum wide-angle to extreme telephoto setting. A half press of the shutter release button and focus is fairly quickly determined, with images near instantaneously committed to memory. 

City200 · f/3.03 · 1/125s · 46.53mm · ISO100

A larger handgrip may have helped when using the full telephoto zoom. The lens doesn’t extend out from the camera lens body. The grip on the City 200 only runs about two thirds of the way up the face plate. There is a small thumb rest at the back, but because of the smooth plastic surface to the camera, gripping it tightly proves impossible and it can feel slippery in the hand. Good job that a wrist strap is provided. 

City200 · f/2 · 1/160s · 4.9mm · ISO100

Yashica City 200 Performance 

There is no eye-level electronic or optical viewfinder offered here, which is always a sad omission for us, so we’re totally reliant on the 2.8-inch 4:3 aspect ratio LCD for composition and review. This reflects the 4:3 default aspect ratio images produced, with the only alternative selectable being 16:9. In bright sunlight it’s inevitably hard to make out fine detail via screen alone however, and the fact that it cannot be tilted to avoid reflections doesn’t make life any easier. In fairness we would not expect a humble point and shoot camera to offer much more than the Yashica City 200 already does. And it’s true that the inability to view a flat screen in direct sunlight has blighted digital cameras since the year dot. 

City200 · f/3.1 · 1/160s · 49mm · ISO200

Ironically, while bright sunshine adversely affects screen visibility, such conditions are when the camera performs best. Overall, as we found with the Yashica City 100, results that hark back to the earliest days of consumer digital photography (courtesy of the tiny sensor at its heart) aren’t a great surprise. A non-enthusiast audience won’t be expecting mirrorless or DSLR-like shallow depth of field effects or an almost three-dimensional look to images, and neither should we. That means visible artefacts such as pixel fringing between areas of high contrast, occasionally unrealistic colours if we stray from the standard default and digital images that look, well, digital. 

City200 · f/2 · 1/160s · 4.9mm · ISO100

In practical terms, what we did notice here with the 10x optical zoom is that it is trickier to hold the camera 100% steady and avoid image blur when shooting towards the maximum telephoto end of the zoom, even in bright daylight conditions. We found it better to take two or three shots in succession, in the hope that at least one will be faithfully sharp. Yes, there is a screw thread for a tripod provided at the base, but since the whole point of a compact camera is portability and convenience, ideally, we don’t want to also be karting a tripod around with us; even one of a ‘travel sized’ variety. While Gen Z-ers may appreciate playing with something that feels like a ‘real’ camera, ultimately most of their smartphones will produce better results. 

City200 · f/3.1 · 1/160s · 49mm · ISO100

Is the Yashica City 200 value for money? 

Photography doesn’t always have to be deadly serious – the beauty of the art is that there is something for everyone – and the Yashica City 200 mines that fun vein also shared by the likes of Lomography’s cameras. Marginally better than the deliberately ‘so bad it’s good’ shots typically derived from a similar priced Lomo film camera, affordable and inexpensive digital alternatives for the undemanding are provided by the likes of the 5x optical zoom Kodak Pixpro FZ55, or much bigger zoom models like the 25x Kodak Pixpro AZ255 that resemble bridge cameras/super zooms of old.  

City200 · f/3.1 · 1/160s · 49mm · ISO400

Yes, we can pay a good deal more and opt for a compact Canon, Panasonic or Fujifilm camera if we’re thinking of a longer-term investment and wanting a step up in terms of image quality. But as something for occasional snapping, a weekend away or overseas trip, the pocket money price of the Yashica City 200 goes someway to alleviating disappointment when it comes to softness of results. Unfortunately it’s got none of the charm of the new Yashica FX-D 100 camera.

Verdict

Those trading up (or down) from a smartphone to this affordable point and shoot won’t find a familiar touch screen, but unusually for the outlay the screen here can be flipped outwards from the body to face the user for inevitable selfies. Ignore the hype about 72-megapixel images on the spec sheet, as this is via interpolation, and instead stick to the 13-megapixel images produced using its native resolution.

Be aware its tiny sensor means photos are no match for a mirrorless camera and prime lens, plus the lack of built-in image stabilisation frequently means blurred results handheld at maximum telephoto setting. Viewed purely as a fun device for the Gen Z crowd at a fair price, the proposition may look viable on paper. In practice the hit and miss results are bettered by most smartphones, even if the 10x optical zoom might tempt those seeking a cheap travel camera. You can also forget about shooting in poor light, as the lack of optical stabilisation and small sensor become a real image quality killer.

The post Yashica City200 Review – return of the purple people eater appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

The Yashica FX-D 100 is Yahica’s newest compact digital camera, but comes with retro classic styling, it literally looks like a film SLR, and promises digital film simulations (and happier times). A simpler time when photography was a slower, more gentle activity, where you’d think more carefully about your next shot, as every shot cost you money. The FX-D 100 is based on the City 100, but lets you shoot like a normal digital camera, or alternatively like a pseudo film camera. Is it any good, and what’s it like to shoot with?

To begin with, it’s worth pointing out that we’re not expecting high image quality, as this camera uses a small 13MP sensor that’s smaller than most smartphone cameras these days. But if it’s fun to use, and gives us some interesting film simulations, then maybe it’s of value. Especially considering the relatively low price – it was $239 on Kickstarter early bird (now ended), but is now priced at $359 (roughly £263 at current exchange rates), and is currently ONLY available to buy on Kickstarter / Indiegogo.

At a glance:

• 13MP 1/3.06-inch stacked Sony IMX 458 CMOS sensor
• 25-76mm equivalent lens with a f/1.6-f/2.8 variable aperture
• 3x optical and 4x digital zoom
• 2.8-inch LCD flip screen display, with 640×480 resolution
• 4K 30p, 2.7K 60p, Full HD 120p video
• SD card slot
• USB-C charging in camera, Lithium-ion rechargeable battery
• JPEG capture

Yashica are also launching the FX-D 300 and FX-D 300S versions, which use a different sensor and lens setup, with a 50MP sensor, and digital/crop zoom available offering 3x “zoom”. The FX-D 300s is also going to come with an electronic viewfinder with 1.44m dots. These two models look to be slower to release, as they are not yet available for review, and come with a much higher price tag.

Yashica has an interesting history, and it’s worth pointing out that this is not the original film company, but instead a rebirth of a new company using the Yashica brand name. There have been a number of releases recently, such as the City100 and 200, as well as previous releases that haven’t been as well received, such as the Yashica Y35, perhaps one of the worst digital cameras ever released. (Yashica probably prefer it if you don’t think about that camera, but rather interesting, to me anyway, the FX-D 100 review sample came in a Y35 box, retail versions will come with the correct box).

Realistic expectations are key when purchasing products launched on Kickstarter. If you’re lucky you’ll be able to read reviews like this, and have a look at results before spending money, but on other occasions you’re left guessing what the product will actually be like, and how accurate or representative the sample and product photos are. Anyway, back to the camera at hand.

The Yashica FX-D 100 comes with six different film simulations: Ruby 60s, Sapphire 70s, Yashica 400, Golden 80s, Mono 400, and B&W 400. It’s not entirely clear what all of these film types are supposed to be. Golden 80s could be similar to Kodak Gold 200 – hence the “Gold” in the name. You can customise these, as well as set up custom settings in the custom modes (C1,2,3,4) on the mode dial, with your own customised colour and film settings, adjusted from the default setting.

Handling and design

Is it a film camera? Or a digital camera? Or some kind of hybrid film camera?

The camera operates in a normal digital mode, and a digital “Film” mode. To enter this you have to pull the “film wind lever” out slightly, this activates the film mode, then you wind the lever on all the way in order to get the camera ready to take photos, without doing this you can’t take a photo. Once you’ve done this, taken the photo, you then need to wind “the film” on again before you can take your next shot. A neat graphic will display on the screen showing the “film” being wound on.

However, if you wind the lever too hard, and you let the spring pull it back, it can easily return to the normal shooting mode, rather than staying in film mode. To take it out of film mode you make sure the film wind on lever is back in its normal position. 

This lever (made of metal) can get in the way of the mode dial, so you need to turn the mode dial from the front/side slightly. The top left dial lets you scroll through the different film modes (in film sim mode), or the different colour modes (in normal modes).

In the auto mode film simulation and colour modes are simply unavailable, and you have to be in one of the other modes in order to use these.  

Zoom operation… 

On the lens ring you’ll find an ‘A’ setting – this lets you control the zoom level from 25 – 75mm equivalent using the back rocker switch. Alternatively you can set the zoom position using the zoom ring on the camera lens barrel, with the options being 25/35/50/75mm equivalent. There are no in-between positions when using the zoom ring. 

The front ring around the lens looks like it should do something, but it does nothing, and is fixed. There’s a 49mm filter thread on the front of the lens, so you can add real filters if you want. 

Build quality

The review sample I received is an early production model so isn’t final. However, the build quality is relatively good. The camera, as you’d expect, is almost entirely made of plastic, but there are a number of parts that are made of metal, which is a nice surprise. For example, the top dials are both metal, the wind-on lever is metal, and the flash hot-shoe is also metal. All of the textured grips are made of rubber, even though they look like a hard plastic. 

The 2.8inch screen is reasonable, but nothing special. Text and images can look pixelated on there. It’s not a touch screen, and it can be turned to face forwards, but there is no ability to angle the screen up or down. There is no viewfinder, despite the looks. For that you’ll need to look at the FX-D 300 S.

The battery is the same as you’ll find in some old Casio Exilim cameras, and other brands, meaning it’s readily available. The NP-40 is a 3.7V 1250mAh battery and provides a reasonable battery life for a compact camera. Remember compact cameras don’t tend to have particularly impressive battery life.

The menus are relatively clear, with options for photo, video, playback settings, as well as the settings menus. In the photo settings there’s also a fisheye effect available, almost as though they didn’t know where to put the option. You can adjust the ISO speed from ISO100 to ISO3200. Digital image stabilisation is an option, cropping into the frame for video.

Performance

You can view these images in detail, simply click any photo to view them at the full size. The colour reproduction can be quite pleasing at times, and when photographing subjects closer to the camera, you can get some reasonable background blur. There are some clear issues with purple fringing and chromatic aberrations, which are visible even without viewing them at full size.

FX-D 100 · f/1.6 · 1/640s · 3.45mm · ISO100

There are also areas of softness, particularly towards the edges of the frame, and there were times when the focus missed. It’s the kind of camera that makes you work for your shots, so be prepared to take a couple of shots if you’re aiming for better images.

Film simulations (shown above) give some mixed results, you’ll either like them or you won’t. I found Yashica 400 similar to the Vivid setting in the normal shooting mode, and I also quite like the Golden 80s look. I wasn’t particularly impressed by the other shooting modes, and I found there was little difference between the different grain settings. It would be nice if the grain could be turned up a bit more, particularly for the higher contrast black and white mode.

The vivid colour option gives images that look more saturated and colourful. Some of the colour filters are better than others, and only a selection is shown here. However, you could also adjust the white balance (to cloudy) for example to get warmer, more film like images.

FX-D 100 · f/2.22 · 1/60s · 7.14mm · ISO100

To get the best results from the camera it can take a number of tries, and the performance of the camera (and image quality) drops dramatically when shooting in poor lighting or low-light conditions. There is no built-in flash or LED, but an accessory can be added. The LED light on the front is used as a focus assist in darker conditions.

Infra-red shooting is possible, and you can see the camera move the ‘hot pass’ infrared filter out of the way when you switch to IR mode. The camera switches to black and white shooting, and your photos are now black and white infrared photos, without any need for processing. It’s not possible to shoot colour infrared photos.

FX-D 100 · f/2.8 · 1/80s · 10.5mm · ISO200

When using the full zoom, you can get some good close-up photos, using auto-focus. Switch to manual focus and you can get incredibly close, focusing on subjects directly in front of the lens.

FX-D 100 · f/1.6 · 1/250s · 3.45mm · ISO100

Shoot with the sun in the frame, and you can create shots with lots of lens flare, you don’t need digital filters for this effect. Looking at the photos I’ve taken with this camera, I’m quite impressed by the look of them. There’s a certain charm, and the infrared shooting is a major bonus, however, whilst I’ve included some of my best shots, there are another hundred or so shots that simply didn’t make the cut, and you can forget about shooting in low light (unless you add a flash or extra lighting).

Verdict

Forget everything about this camera (the amazing looks, the film wind lever, and the film simulations), and there’s one unique feature on this camera that makes this truly magical, and that’s the infrared feature. It also magically gets rid of purple fringing, as the photos are in black and white.

Ultimately this is a relatively fun camera to use, but the film simulations feel lacking in a fairly big way, Yashica don’t have a Fujicolor or Velvia, or Kodak Gold to fall back on, although Golden 80s might be considered Yashica’s version of Kodak Gold. There also seems to be little or no effect when the grain settings are adjusted – more grain would be nice!

FX-D 100 · f/2.8 · 1/80s · 10.5mm · ISO400

And I almost can forgive the camera for this, because I still enjoy using it. It’s a neat little toy camera, that lets you mess around with a tactile device, without worrying about film costs, or trying to get the perfect shot. This camera is not about perfection – it can take some real effort to get some nice looking shots.

The camera LOOKS amazing, it’s like they’ve truly tried to recreate the old 70s film SLR camera, and it’s also fun to hold and to play with. But it’s not especially fun to shoot with, as the digital camera is relatively slow, with controls that feel a little bit awkward at times. At times, it feels like the camera gets in the way of the shooting experience (with the slow focusing and operation of an early digital camera). 

The other thing worth noting is that you will get better photo quality from almost every smartphone, thanks to a number of factors, such as a larger sensor, computational photography (autoHDR etc), and advanced processing. But if you’re one of those people who are bored of taking photos with a smartphone, then the Yashica FX-D 100 may be just the ticket. 

Related reading

• Yashica City 100 review
• Fujifilm X half review
• Best vintage cameras to buy

FX-D 100 · f/2.8 · 1/200s · 10.5mm · ISO100

Follow AP on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

The post Yashica FX-D 100 Review – Classic SLR style meets ‘vintage’ film simulations appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

The Fujifilm X half is a fixed-lens digital compact camera that aims to recreate the experience of shooting film. Not just any kind of film either, but as its name suggests, specifically half-frame 35mm. It’s small, lightweight and pocketable, and it’s a lot of fun to use. It’s never going to count as one of the best Fujifilm cameras in terms of image quality, but that really isn’t the point.

Fujifilm X half at a glance:

• $849 / £699
• 3:4 vertical format shooting
• 32mm equivalent f/2.8 lens
• 17.7MP 1in sensor
• ISO 200-12,800
• 2.4in, 0.92m-dot screen
• Optical viewfinder
• Film camera mode

Let’s get one thing straight from the start of this review. If you’re hoping the X half might be a more affordable version of the firm’s popular enthusiast-focused Fujifilm X100VI, then despite any family resemblance, that’s simply not what you get. Instead, the X half is a very different kind of camera that leans more towards the snapshot brigade. It doesn’t shoot raw files, and it barely panders to video at all.

At $849 / £699, the X half certainly isn’t cheap. If you really want the film experience, you could buy a basic 35mm half-frame camera like the Kodak Ektar H35N, shoot at least 25 rolls of Kodak Gold, and then get them developed and scanned, all for less money. That’s perhaps not an entirely fair comparison, as the X half is a much more sophisticated camera. But even so, is it really worth the money?

Features

The X half is trying to be a ‘digital half-frame’ camera, but what exactly does this mean? Essentially, it’s built around the idea of shooting everything in vertical format with a 3:4 aspect-ratio, primarily for sharing on social media. This being Fujifilm, the firm’s popular Film Simulations are very much to the fore, along with an array of creative filters and film effects. It also has a unique ‘Film Camera Mode’ that I’ll cover in detail later.

That vertical-format design means that the sensor, rear screen and optical viewfinder are all rotated through 90° compared to normal. The sensor itself is a conventional 20MP 1in-type chip, but it’s cropped down to give 17.7MP output. That equates to an active image area of 8.8 x 13.3mm, which is considerably smaller than the 17 x 24mm of half-frame film. But if you care about this, you’re probably not the target audience.

The sensor provides a sensitivity range from ISO 200-12,800, which immediately marks the Fujifilm X half apart from actual film cameras. It’s possible to set timed shutter speeds as long as 15 minutes, or as short as 1/2000sec. There’s no continuous shooting, though – you take one frame at a time. 

The built-in 10.8mm f/2.8 lens is equivalent to 32mm in terms of angle-of-view, and f/8 for depth-of-field (so don’t expect much, if anything, in the way of blurred backgrounds). Despite its small size, it manages to include 6 elements in 5 groups, with 3 aspherical elements. But there’s no stabilisation of any sort, and no filter thread either. When not in use, the lens can be protected by a push-on rubber cap.  

On the back, the main screen is pretty small, but it’s complemented by a second slim vertical screen that shows the film mode while shooting and aids with navigating the menus. Fujifilm lists the screen spec as 2.4in and 0.92m-dot resolution, but this only makes any sense if you accept that both screens are in fact parts of the same panel, masked-off by the camera’s back cover. The one that you use for composing and reviewing your shots works out at about 1.8in and 0.53m-dot; in other words, tiny and very low resolution.

Autofocus employs on-sensor contrast detection, with a choice of either a large central zone, or 9 zones in a square 3×3 grid. The only concession to modernity is that face detection is included. You don’t get any other subject recognition modes, but they wouldn’t make much sense here anyway.

Thirteen Film Simulations are onboard, giving a range of attractive colour looks, and you can select between them easily by swiping up or down on the secondary screen. Switch to filter mode, and you get a choice of 20 effects, some of which have sub-variants. We’ve seen many of these filters before, but Fujifilm has added some new film-inspired options, namely Light Leak, Halation, and Expired Film. You can’t add a filter on top of a film simulation, though – it’s either one or the other.

Video recording is extremely limited, at Full HD and 24fps in vertical-format 3:4, or up to 48fps in slow-motion. A stereo microphone is built-in, but there’s no option to use an external unit. Slightly surprisingly, you can monitor audio via the USB-C port using a 3.5mm adapter.

Smartphone connectivity is provided by built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, using the dedicated X half app. This allows you to copy images from the camera to your phone for sharing, but it doesn’t provide any kind of camera remote control. The app is also used to ‘develop’ your photos in the Film Camera mode. 

One welcome new feature is that the X half can now print directly to Fujifilm’s Instax Link range of instant-film printers via Bluetooth. Given that X-system cameras always used to work with the older Wi-Fi Instax printers, this feels long overdue. The only disappointment here is that the original Instax Mini Link from 2019 isn’t officially supported. I tested it and found that it paired and printed quite happily, but the colours ended up dark and muddy compared to printing the same images on the Mini Link 3.

Fujifilm X half key features:

• Shutter button: The shutter button is threaded to take a screw-in soft release, but old-fashioned cable releases don’t work. In fact, there’s no remote release option at all.
• Cold shoe: There’s a shoe on the top of the camera, but it has no contacts for flash. There’s no mic input either, so it’s not clear what Fujifilm thinks the shoe is for.
• Storage: Your photos and videos are stored on a full-size SD card that slots in beside the battery.
• Flash: A small LED flash is built-in, and enabled via a sliding switch on the side. But it’s not much good for anything.
• Power: Fujifilm’s familiar NP-W126 battery promises 880 shots per charge and is topped up via USB-C.
• Connector: There’s just a single connector port, which is USB-C for battery charging and data transfer.
• What’s in a name? While ‘X half’ is prominently written on top of the camera, the official model designation is actually X-HF1.

Build and handling

Probably the most striking thing about the Fujifilm X half is its size. It’s tiny, weighing a mere 240g including the battery and SD card, and measuring just 105.8 x 64.3 x 45.8mm (including the lens). That makes it very similar in size to the classic Olympus PEN half-frame 35mm compacts from the 1960s, which I suspect is no coincidence.

Fujifilm is offering the X half in three colours: black, silver, and charcoal. Initially I liked silver the best, but I’ve had the charcoal version on loan for a couple of weeks for review, and it has really grown on me. If I were buying, it’s probably the one I’d get.

Despite the camera’s petite size, it feels surprisingly secure in your hand. The body shell is constructed from plastic, and while it doesn’t quite offer the same premium feel as other X-series cameras, it still seems pretty sturdy. There’s a decent amount of space for your fingers, including a large blank area on the back for your thumb. The textured leatherette coating is nice and grippy, too.

That small body means that there isn’t space for many controls, but you do get arguably the two most important ones. An aperture ring on the lens offers settings from f/2.8 to f/11 in whole-stop steps, while a large exposure compensation dial on top covers a range of +/- 3 stops. You also get a manual focus ring on the lens – although I’m not convinced anyone will ever use it.

While you don’t get dials for setting shutter speed or ISO, both can be controlled using the touchscreen. That’s really clunky in practice, though, and personally, I suspect most users will spend their time shooting in either aperture priority or full auto. But it’s nice to have the option of manual control if you need it.

To enter menus and change settings, you also use the touchscreen. Swiping up, down, left or right on the main screen calls up various options, including a quick menu, the main menus, film simulation/filter mode, and film camera mode setup.

In the main menu, the secondary screen is used to select the various sub-sections. Given the limited screen area available, Fujifilm has done a pretty good job of making this all work.

There’s one other major control on top, which resembles a film wind-on lever. This sits flush to the body when the camera is powered off, but flicking the power switch to the On position pushes it slightly outwards, enabling operation by your right thumb. This control has three functions.

In normal shooting, it’s used to create “2-in-1” diptychs: in other words, two frames placed side-by-side. All you do is take the first shot, pull the lever, and take the second. The camera creates the composite file and stores the two individual frames alongside. You can also create a 2-in-1 by selecting the first image in playback mode by pulling the lever, and then shooting the second. Alternatively you can generate them after the event using the X half app on your phone.

Also, pressing the lever inwards brings up a quick review of the last photo you shot; I found this surprisingly useful. Last but not least, in film camera mode you use the lever to “wind on” after every shot.

Viewfinder and screen

In keeping with its film-camera pretensions, Fujifilm has fitted the X half with an optical viewfinder. It’s usable, but not particularly great. It’s rather small, shows obvious barrel distortion, and isn’t particularly accurate, covering somewhat less than the final image area. It’s nowhere near as nice as the viewfinder in my original Olympus PEN from 1959, which is brighter and has nice, clear framelines indicating the expected view.

Like old film cameras, there’s no information display in the viewfinder. However, a small status LED alongside lights up green to confirm focus, and in film camera mode, flashes red if you haven’t wound on. On the silver version of the camera, I found this LED difficult to see when I was shooting outdoors in bright sunlight. But it’s much more visible against the darker background of the charcoal version.

As for the rear screen, it’s tiny and not very detailed at all. But it does at least show your composition accurately, while previewing colour and exposure. If you want, you can display gridlines and an electronic level, too. But it’s not especially bright, which means it’s difficult to see in bright sunlight.

Autofocus

Compared to other modern cameras, the X half’s autofocus system is distinctly primitive. By default, it employs a single, rather large zone in the middle of the frame. This feels suitably film-era and makes perfect sense for viewfinder shooting, but it does mean you need to focus and recompose with off-centre subjects. Alternatively, you can switch to a 9-area mode, which gives a bit more flexibility with off-centre subjects when you’re using the screen.

X-HF1 · f/2.8 · 1/680s · 10.8mm · ISO200

Click on any sample image to see the full resolution version. All the examples in this review are unedited camera JPEGs

Faced with static subjects, or those that only move slowly, the X half’s autofocus works just fine. It’s not exactly fast, but it’s not painfully slow either. I’d say it’s perfectly adequate for the kind of everyday snapshots that the camera is best suited to taking. That 32mm equivalent lens isn’t exactly ideal for sports or action, after all. 

For photographing people, it’s best to enable face and eye detection, as this will attempt to work out where they are within the frame, and focus in the right place. The tracking is spectacularly laggy, though, so I wouldn’t try to focus on people while they’re actually moving.

Manual focusing is available when you need it, but it can be pretty difficult to judge on the tiny screen. The only available focusing aid is a peaking display, in either red, white, blue or yellow. I set it to red for maximum visibility and found this worked quite well. Obviously, you can’t use the optical viewfinder for manual focus, at all.

Performance

The Fujifilm X half isn’t the quickest camera to start up, taking a second or two to get its act together after you flick the power switch. But it’s perfectly responsive while you’re shooting to both the touchscreen and the physical controls. It’s pretty discreet too, with just a barely audible click from the in-lens shutter if you turn off the fake shutter sounds. Nobody will notice that you’re using it.

X-HF1 · f/5.6 · 1/320s · 10.8mm · ISO200

If I have one complaint about the X half’s operation, it comes in playback mode. As there are so few physical controls, this is operated entirely using the touchscreen. There’s nothing wrong with that in principle; you swipe left and right to go through your images, double-tap or pinch to zoom in, and swipe up or down to show/hide exposure data. The problem is that swiping through your photos is painfully slow and laggy, as you often have to wait a second or two for each image to load up properly.

Battery life is great, especially when using the viewfinder, where Fujifilm’s 880-shot rating seems entirely reasonable. Even if you use the screen, you should easily get several hundred frames from a single charge. As you can also top up the battery in-camera, I suspect plenty of users will get by without ever needing a spare.

The lens is a perfectly competent performer, at least as far as can be judged from the JPEG-only output. While I was quite happy shooting with it wide open, I think you probably get the sharpest results overall at f/4 and f/5.6. I’d generally avoid stopping down much further than that, though, as diffraction blurring increasingly destroys any fine detail. 

As usual for Fujifilm, metering and auto white balance are both very reliable. That’s absolutely essential here, given that the camera doesn’t record raw files.

X-HF1 · f/5.6 · 1/1300s · 10.8mm · ISO200

When it comes to colour processing (or indeed black & white), you get all of Fujifilm’s most popular Film Simulations – Provia, Velvia, Astia, Classic Chrome, Reala Ace, Classic Neg, Nostalgic Neg, Eterna, Acros (for black & white) and Sepia. There’s a whole array of attractive looks to play with here; I find it impossible to believe that anyone won’t find several that they really like. Indeed, if there’s one brand that can get away with not letting you shoot raw, it’s Fujifilm.

Credit where credit is due, too, for Fujifilm’s new film-inspired filter modes. Light Leak is really nicely done – it gives realistic effects reminiscent of shooting with toy cameras such as Holgas, but it’s not previewed onscreen and gives a different result each time, so it doesn’t end up looking repetitive in the way it might have done. I also rather like the Expired Film options, which give soft contrast and muted tones, with the option of adding subtle green or red colour tints.

Where things start to fall apart a little, though, comes with the JPEG processing, and specifically with respect to noise reduction and fine detail. At low ISOs, images are absolutely fine when viewed full-screen on my 24in monitor. But if you zoom in and examine your files close-up, they look distinctly rough at the pixel level. To be honest, they’re not as good as I’d expect from a 1-inch sensor in this respect.

This does have to be taken in context, though. If you accept the premise that the X half’s files will mostly be viewed on smartphone screens via social media, then the pixel-level quality simply doesn’t matter. People who care about such things should probably be buying an X100 instead.

Keeping all this in mind, in my view the image quality is acceptable up to about ISO 1600, but it deteriorates rapidly at higher settings. I’d probably set the camera to shoot in Auto ISO with an upper limit of ISO 3200. Most of the time this won’t be a problem, as you can open the lens up to f/2.8 and manually select a slow shutter speed when necessary (Auto ISO will try to maintain a minimum shutter speed of 1/125sec). But really, this is a camera where you’re better off sticking to shooting in good light.  

Film camera mode

While the X half can function as an entirely conventional digital camera, it also has a unique ‘Film Camera Mode’. This goes out of its way to replicate the film-camera experience, forcing you to use the optical viewfinder, ‘wind on’ between shots using the lever, and then ‘develop’ your photos at the end. It’s quite entertaining, and here’s how it works.

First, you need to select a film simulation or filter mode, as you’ll be locked into this for the duration. Then, swipe down from the top of the touchscreen to enter the initial setup. Here you choose the number of shots – 36, 54, or 72 – and your exposure mode, either Aperture Priority or Auto. Press the onscreen ‘start’ button, and you’re ready to go.

At this point, it’s really just a case of choosing your settings, looking through the viewfinder, and shooting. You also need to remember to ‘wind on’ between frames, as otherwise, the LED beside the viewfinder will blink red and the camera will refuse to release the shutter. Just as with film, this can result in frustratingly missed shots.

Once you’re in film camera mode, you can’t use the rear screen for either shooting or playback. Instead, it shows an attractively designed control panel, complete with a faux-LED frame counter. You can choose here whether to have the date ‘printed’ onto your images, and switch between autofocus and manual focus.

As there’s no way of seeing the effects of your exposure settings, or indeed knowing what the camera has focused on, the shooting experience is genuinely quite like using a compact film camera. You can only set the aperture or exposure compensation based on guesswork and experience. Unlike a real film camera, though, the X half will adjust the ISO shot-by-shot, so you can keep shooting indoors or in low light.

If you choose to use manual focus, again it’s essentially guesswork. Rotating the focus ring moves a pointer along an onscreen scale that’s marked in feet and metres, but the camera won’t indicate whether you’ve set the correct distance. There are also four pictograms for landscape, groups, individual portraits, and close-ups, and you can quickly select one of these by tapping the touchscreen.

If you’ve ever used a scale-focusing camera like a Rollei 35 or Olympus Trip 35, or indeed the recent Pentax 17, you’ll know the idea. At least with the X half there’s less risk of getting badly out-of-focus shots, due to the inherently extensive depth-of-field.

Once you’ve taken the specified number of photos, you must ‘develop’ your film. This is done on your phone, using the X half app. The process is quite fun – initially the app shows you strips of negatives, which then turn, one-by-one, into positive images. Once that’s complete, you can browse through your photos and share them directly from the app. If you decide you don’t want to shoot all those frames after all, you can also “rewind” early by double-tapping the small screen.

When you look at your photos, chances are you’ll get a pretty authentic film-camera feeling. A lot of the time, they’ll come out absolutely fine, although they won’t necessarily be perfectly framed and you’ll probably get wonky horizons. But you’ll also get all the failures that will be familiar to anyone whoever shot film, especially with a compact camera.

If you try to shoot closeups, they’ll be wildly off due to parallax error between the viewfinder and lens. If you select large apertures in bright light, that’ll give washed-out, overexposed images. Occasionally, you’ll find your fingers got in the way of the lens. Yes, this all happened to me, and all in my first “roll”, too.

Put like this, you’ll probably wonder why you’d ever use film camera mode at all. Isn’t this exactly why we all switched from film to digital in the first place? There’s no especially good answer to that, other than that it’s fun, and you don’t have to pay for the film or processing. Here’s a selection of images shot in film camera mode.

One last point worth knowing is that images shot in film camera mode can’t be viewed on the camera in normal playback. However, they are stored on the memory card in separate folders, along with a “contact sheet”. So you can still copy them across to a computer normally.

Fujifilm X half: Our Verdict

The Fujifilm X half is a charmingly eccentric little camera that’s quite unlike anything else on the market. It offers much of the experience of shooting film but without the ongoing expense of developing it. You do need to accept, though, that it’s not for enthusiasts who like tinkering with their exposure settings and then perfecting their images in post-processing. If you wanted a cut-price X100, then seriously: this isn’t it.

Instead, the X half is probably best seen as a casual snapshot camera that’s ideal for documenting social events, much like 35mm film compacts used to be. It’s not merely a point-and-shoot, though; I really enjoyed being able to change film mode just by swiping on the screen, while the exposure compensation dial and aperture ring provide extra creative control. There’s a lot to be said for getting Fujifilm’s lovely Film Simulations in such a pocketable package, too.

Features such as the Film Camera Mode, diptych shooting, and the film-inspired filters all add to the appeal. I think it’s fair to say that some of these might never get used again after the initial novelty has worn off, but it’s still nice that they’re there.

Fun as it is, though, the X half does feel expensive for a 1-in sensor compact with a fixed prime lens that doesn’t even shoot raw. For really not that much more money, you could get the Fujifilm X-M5 or X-T30 II with a kit zoom, giving those all-important film simulations, but with much better image quality and the versatility of interchangeable lenses. For enthusiast photographers, either of those cameras would be a better choice. But for those who just want to enjoy shooting with a small, portable camera, the X half still has plenty of appeal.

Follow AP on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

Fujifilm X half: Full specifications

The post Fujifilm X half review – a pocketful of fun appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Ray-Ban Meta glasses at a glance:

• 12MP ultrawide camera
• HD30p vertical video recording
• 3 minutes maximum recording time
• Audio: open ear speakers with 5-mic array
• 32GB Flash Storage 500+ photos or 100+ 30s videos
• 4 hours with a single charge, charging case
• Upload directly to Instagram or Facebook
• AI search, and translation

Ray-Ban Meta glasses mimic the style of the company’s classic Wayfarer shades but offer advanced video and photo capture abilities. I’ve been using these glasses daily for over a year now, and I rarely find a product I like as much as the Ray-Ban Meta glasses. It will be difficult for Ray-Ban to sell me a future iteration of this product since there is nothing lacking in the current version.

Ray-Ban Metas are designed to create vertical content for Instagram and Facebook. The glasses operate in the same manner for posting to both Instagram and Facebook, but from this point on, I will reference only Instagram. When I got my first pair about a year ago, clips were limited to 1 minute in duration. Like Stories themselves, the glasses are created to make it easy for you to share a snippet of your world. A recent update increased the recording time to 3 minutes. Although I was OK with the original recording time, being able to record longer clips is better since I don’t have to think about how much recording time is left while filming.

The Meta app makes it easy to record a clip on the glasses and upload it directly to Instagram. I prefer to transfer the clips to my phone’s camera roll and then to my laptop to make small edits in Final Cut Pro. As a professional photographer, I use the glasses in a variety of ways on my shoots. The glasses are excellent for filming BTS videos of me packing gear, setting up lights, or entering a shooting space. Because the camera is next to my left eye, the glasses see just what I am seeing and allow the viewer to feel like they are experiencing just what I am experiencing.

The cool thing about shooting BTS with the glasses instead of using a phone is that the glasses are already on my face. My phone isn’t always in my hand. And, if I use a phone, I don’t have access to both of my hands so it’s difficult to film my point of view of performing a task like setting up a lightstand. When using Ray Ban Meta glasses in place of my phone, I don’t have to modify my behavior when I am on set, but I can still create a short video to help my followers understand my process.

One of my favourite uses for the glasses is to show my shooting process for street photography. When shooting street, my attention is on interactions between couples on the subway. When I post photos of couples embracing on subway platforms, I am asked if the photos were taken with permission. I explain that some shots are candid and others are taken with permission. But this answer leaves many questions unaddressed. Why did I push the shutter button at that point in time? What happened in the moments before and after I took the photo? How much time do I spend on the creation of a candid photograph? If I indicate that I took the photo with permission, someone may wonder what I said to secure the subject’s compliance. They may wonder how I posed the subjects to create the final image. Using the Ray-Ban glasses, I show the full shooting process, answering each one of the aforementioned questions by merely pushing the capture button. Social media has taught us that people are interested in the process as much as they are interested in the product. One might argue that the process is always more interesting than the product.

The camera in the Ray-Ban Meta glasses is located just outside the left eye, and I use my right eye to compose images when using my Leica M10. When I film a clip, the glasses’ view is unobstructed, allowing the viewer to see the scene just as it is unfolding for me. When I shoot with my Nikon Z9, I compose with my left eye. This means the glasses’ camera is blocked by the Z9, making it impossible to share the shooting process as effortlessly as I can when I use my Leica. When I want to show my Z9 shooting process, I must hold the camera at arm’s length and use the rear LCD for capture so that the glasses can capture my view of the rear LCD and the surrounding environment.

I use the glasses to record contact information for people that I photograph. In the past, if I were at a fashion show where I photographed a dozen models and wanted to tag their Instagram accounts, I would take notes on each person. “Female with blue hair @xxxxxxxxx” or “short model wearing fur @xxxxxxxxxx”. Invariably, when I get home, I would have trouble figuring out which IG account belonged to which model because my notes were not as clear as I thought. Today, I simply push the capture button on my glasses and ask the model to spell out their account and show me the page. It is so simple to do this that I often forget to tell the model that I am recording them. I have several videos in my archive where the model asks, “How are you going to remember that?” I love this method of recording the contact information because I can always match the model to the contact information without trying to decipher the meaning of a hastily composed note.

As a journalist, I like quoting my sources as often as possible. When I am at a photo conference, asking a company rep to explain a product feature or the company’s approach to a problem, I ask them for the correct spelling of their name. Using the glasses, I don’t have to stop to write this information. When interviewing the rep, I let them know that they are being recorded but that the video won’t be used, but quotes will be pulled from the recording. We can then converse as normal without me having to point a phone or camera at them. It makes things comfortable between us and the person I’m talking to feels like they are just having a normal conversation. This is a situation where the 3-minute recording time is a benefit.

One unexpected use of the Ray Bans is to listen to podcasts while on set. I knew I could play audio through the glasses speakers, but for me, this feature wasn’t a selling point. In practice, I have found it very useful. When walking around, I use a rather large pair of Bose headphones to listen to music, but I don’t always like the appearance of the headphones when I am on set or waiting in someone’s office. I feel disconnected from my surroundings when wearing headphones and I don’t like the implication they give others that I am tuned out of our shared environment. The built-in speakers of the Ray Bans are excellent for spoken audio. The sound quality is excellent and I use them for situations where headphones would be inappropriate. The dentist’s chair is perhaps the best, most unexpected usage. In a normal environment, no one else hears what I am listening to as the sound doesn’t bleed much.

The Ray-Ban Meta glasses can be used for music as well, but the sound quality is understandably inferior to my headphones so it is rare that I use them for music. The glasses are excellent for phone calls because you don’t have to take out your phone and connect a Bluetooth earpiece, nor do you have to hold the phone to your ear. Simply answer the call and speak as you normally would, keeping both hands free to continue working. The speakers are remarkable when used to play back clips created with the glasses. The glasses record sound from 5 microphones and when played back into the glasses, the sound comes at you from the front, side, and rear in accordance to where the sound is coming from in the clip. And because the glasses are not closed off the way headphones are, it feels like the sound is coming from your environment rather than a speaker. It isn’t possible to describe this in words, but the clips sound great when played back in the glasses that created them.

There are times when I am working without an assistant and I want someone on set to film a quick BTS clip for me. I like giving them the glasses because they can film the clip with minimal effort. They need only put on the glasses and watch what is going on. I don’t have to provide any instructions aside from asking that they keep their head more still than normal. I don’t feel I am imposing on that person, and I can give the glasses to anyone on set and generate a high-quality clip.

I am so fond of the glasses that I own two pairs. One is fitted with prescription reading glasses for when viewing my iPad, working on my laptop, or reading a book. It is difficult, but not impossible, for me to focus my Leica while wearing this pair. My second pair has standard lenses. I use these for my Leica shots, and when I ask someone else to film for me. One of the best things about the glasses is that they are stylish and don’t look much different from standard Ray-Ban eyewear. You may recall the underrated Google Glass eyewear from a decade ago. They functioned well but looked odd. My Ray-Ban Meta glasses are stylish, and I’d be OK wearing them even if they didn’t have a camera. Both of my glasses have transition lenses that darken in sunlight. They don’t get as dark as standard sunglasses, but do darken sufficiently for me in bright environments.

While the focus of this article is how I use the glasses as a professional photographer, I must mention what I feel to be the single best use case scenario for these glasses. If you have a child around the age of 3-6, there are hundreds of ordinary, but memorable scenes happening throughout the day. Children change quickly, and little moments like being asked by your child to tie their shoes, or confronting your child about who broke the lamp, occur in only one short stage of the child’s development. It isn’t practical to run and grab your phone, open the camera app, and press record. The moments are fleeting, and anything you do that is out of the ordinary will alter the interaction. With Ray Ban Metas, you can interact with your child as normally and whenever you are experiencing something that you might want to preserve, you touch the capture button and create a video showing exactly what your eyes saw at that moment. Years later, the videos captured from your viewpoint with the Ray-Ban Metas will be your favourite videos of your child.

When people ask me about the glasses, I usually describe them as a perfect product. I’ve talked at least 5 people into buying them, and while I’ve yet to meet another user who loves this product as much as I do, I haven’t heard of anyone regretting the purchase either. The return policy is excellent and I purchased and returned 2 pairs with different styles and finishes (matte vs glossy) before settling on the pair I kept. The glasses have an AI feature that can provide information about the things the camera sees. You can ask, “What am I looking at?” and the glasses will provide information. There is also a real-time translation feature for a few languages, including French and Spanish. These features don’t interest me and although I use the glasses daily, I haven’t bothered to check them out.

The features described in this article are more than enough for the money I spent on the glasses. I’m OK if this product is never improved this iteration, but if I had to suggest one change, I would like the glasses to weigh less. They are heavier than standard reading glasses or sunglasses, and I’m aware of this when I use them for extended periods. It’s a minor complaint for such a great product. While I produce most of my Ray-Ban videos for public consumption, the clips that are most special to me are the ones showing the ordinary moments of my life. I can’t wait to see what I capture next.

Follow AP on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

The post A year with the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, here’s why I love them appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

The rise of smartphones, with their slimline convenience and rapid improvements to their cameras, has seriously disrupted the world of dedicated compact cameras. Despite this, Canon, Fujifilm, Ricoh, Panasonic, Sony and Leica continue to make them. We can see why. No phone can match the joy to use and image quality of the best compacts – of which the Fujifilm X100V is certainly one.

Many brands focus on producing ‘premium’ compact cameras; with large sensors, superb electronic viewfinders and fast, high-quality lenses. We rated the Fujifilm X100V as the top retro compact camera in our best compact cameras article. Here’s a summary of its features:e

Many brands focus on producing ‘premium’ compact cameras; with large sensors, superb electronic viewfinders and fast, high-quality lenses. We rated the Fujifilm X100V as the top retro compact camera in our best compact cameras article. Here’s a summary of its features:

At a glance:

• $1,960 (used) / from £1,330 (used)
• 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor
• X-Processor 4
• Fixed 23mm F2.0 lens
• Hybrid Viewfinder (OVF&EVF)
• Two-way tilting touchscreen
• 4K video at 30fps
• Compatible with legacy conversion lenses

Fujifilm’s popular X100-series has gained an excellent reputation with street and travel photographers. The combination of classic design, fast fixed lens, large APS-C sensor and hybrid viewfinder has been its recipe for success.

With the fifth member in the X100-series, Fujifilm found new ways to improve it by listening carefully to those who use its predecessors. But does the X100V still appeal and justify a four-figure price tag? It’s time to find out…

To find out what it’s like to own and use the Fujifilm X100V, have a look at our Fujifilm X100V Field Test.

Features

Viewed from the front, the X100 does not appear so different from its forebears. The soul of the X100 and X100S, X100T and X100F live on in it, yet the X100V changed in many ways.

Rather than inheriting the lens from the X100F, Fujifilm reconfigured it. The configuration of 8 elements in 6 groups remains, but the lens unites a pair of aspherical elements in its construction. Previous generations had just one.

The 23mm fixed focal length (equivalent to 35mm) and aperture range (f/2 to f/16) is the same. It also upholds a minimum focusing distance of 10cm. Fujifilm say the newly added aspherical element results in better edge-to-edge sharpness, lower distortion and improved performance at close focus distances. The lens is, however, prone to extending and retracting very slightly when focusing.

There’s good news for those who own existing adapters or legacy conversion lenses. The dimensions of the lens are identical to existing models, making them fully compatible. You can also unscrew a ring at the front and attach Fujifilm’s wide conversion lens (WCL-X100 II) or tele-conversion lens (TCL-X100 II), turning the X100V’s 23mm lens into a 28mm equivalent (0.8x) or 50mm (1.4x) equivalent.

It’s important to acknowledge that Fujifilm’s first-generation conversion lenses remain compatible. Unlike the second-generation versions, the X100V doesn’t automatically detect these when attached. Instead, you manually select ‘tele’ or ‘wide’ from the conversion lens option in the menu; or from a pre-set function button.

Behind the X100V’s lens lies the same sensor and processor combination as many of Fujifilm’s premium X-series mirrorless models. The back-illuminated 26.1-million-pixel X-Trans CMOS 4 APS-C sensor and quad-core X-Processor 4 bring a number of benefits to the X100V. You get a wider sensitivity range of ISO 160-12,800 (extendable to ISO 80-51,200). There’s also continuous shooting rates of up to 11fps with the mechanical shutter, 20fps with the electronic shutter, or 30fps with a 1.25x crop.

It’s great to see Fujifilm using its latest generation X-Trans CMOS 4 technology inside an X100-series model for the first time. Although, such fast shooting speeds aren’t a prerequisite for its street, travel or documentary users.

The X100V’s autofocus has been improved, too. Like Fujifilm’s premium X-T and X-Pro models, the X100V spreads 2.16-million phase-detection pixels across the surface of its sensor and obtains focus as hastily as 0.02sec. There’s the ability to acquire focus in light levels as low as -5EV. Plus, users get to choose from 117 AF points arranged in a 9×13 formation across the frame, or increase this to a 425-point layout (17×25 grid) for more precise positioning.

The X100V is also equipped with face and eye detection, AF-C custom settings and Fujifilm’s AF range limiter function. You can use the latter to tell the lens to focus across a specific range of distances. This can be useful when the distance to the subject remains consistent and you’d like to stop the lens focusing across a wider AF range than necessary.

As we’ve seen on other X-Series models, the X100V’s mechanical focal plane shutter has a 1/4000sec limit. By activating the electronic shutter, there’s the option to shoot at up to 1/32,000sec. When you’d like to work with wide apertures in bright conditions, this option can be particularly useful. Helpfully, the X100V has its own 4-stop ND filter built-in too, which goes one better than the 3-stop ND filter of the X100F.

Monochromatic colour mode gives users precise control over how warm or cool images appear. Eterna and Classic Negative film simulations are added too and every film simulation is available when shooting video. For more on film simulations, check out our guide to Which camera company has the best film-simulation modes?

You can shoot 4K video footage at 30p/25p/24p with a bit rate of 200Mbps for up to ten minutes. Full HD video at up to 120fps is available for a maximum record time of fifteen minutes. Plus, you can record in 10-bit, 4:2:2 via the X100V’s HDMI port. It’s good to see video mode supporting face/eye detection, too. At the side, the X100V is equipped with a 2.5mm mic input, USB Type C port and HDMI (Type D) micro connector.

Like the X100F, the X100V accepts Fujifilm’s widely used NP-W126S battery. Shooting stamina is upped to 350 frames using the EVF, or 420 shots using the optical viewfinder. In-camera charging via USB is supported, and a USB cable (type A to C) comes supplied in the box. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth feature too, enabling wireless transfer and wireless remote control. Both require you to install Fujifilm’s Camera Remote app on iOS and Android mobile devices.

Weather Resistance

One of the criticisms X100-series models have received in the past is their lack of weather resistance. Many photographers want to have the option of shooting in all weather. So, Fujifilm added weather resistance around the body and to the viewfinder to ensure the X100V is more durable. In addition, it released an optional weather-resistant kit that consists of an AR-X100 adapter ring and PRF-49 protection filter.

The kit seals the lens from water, moisture, dust and sand. It costs $109 / £99 and is available in black or silver to match the two available camera finishes. You can find used versions of the weather-resistant kit online from $95 / £75.

Build and Handling

I’d say the X100V has received the biggest shake up in the history of the X100-series in terms of build and handling. You’ll notice the finish to the edge of the body is sharper, as the top and bottom plates are single pieces of aluminium.

The aluminium covers are built around a magnesium alloy frame to uphold a high level of robustness. These are exquisitely finished in a satin coating. Furthermore, the all-black version is anodised rather than painted to give it a deep black finish.

Fujifilm have removed the four-way buttons from the rear on this model. And the drive dial is where the view mode button was on the X100F. You’re forced to nudge the joystick to navigate the menu as a result. There aren’t any buttons beneath your thumb for quick access to customised functions, either.

Shifting the Q-menu button to the right a little has helped prevent accidental presses. However, it is slightly too small. There were times when I was searching for it with the viewfinder raised to my eye. The rear dial, like the front dial, benefits from a better-knurled finish. You can be depress both to activate user-defined functions.

Like the X100F, the X100V features an ISO dial built around the shutter speed dial on the top plate. To address criticisms that it was too fiddly on the X100F, Fujifilm redesigned it. It’s similar to the arrangement on the X100F – you lift the outer portion of the dial to adjust the ISO value. Another plus is it no longer requires lifting it and rotating it simultaneously. Pull the outer ring up and you can rotate the ISO dial freely with your thumb before you push back down to lock it in place.

To adjust sensitivity on the fly, you can set the ISO dial to its ‘C’ setting and use the front dial. This has always been my preferred way of working when needing to setup and shoot quickly. As we’ve seen before, the on/off switch encircles the X100V’s threaded shutter button that accepts traditional style screw-in cable releases. Although the button next to it is no longer labelled as a function button, you can hold it down to assign it a setting.

Like previous generations, the X100V feels solid and well constructed. It can sustain some rough and tumble as well as daily wear and tear. Its premium build quality is immediately obvious when you pick it up. Better still, it’s neither too big or heavy that it feels a burden to carry on days out.

Another benefit of its new weather resistance is that it allows you to head out with just one camera. In the past, many X100-series users have been known to carry a weather-sealed X-series body, such as an X-Pro2, in their bag for when wet weather strikes. Pack or attach the weather resistant kit before heading out and a second weather-sealed camera is no longer a necessity.

Viewfinder and Screen

Once again the X100V sports a hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder. In its optical mode, the finder provides parallax-corrected frame lines, detailed exposure information and other icons that reveal battery status, film simulation and image quality settings around the outside of the frame. I should point out, though, that you can’t always view these easily in bright or backlit conditions.

Compared to the X100F’s optical viewfinder, which offered 92% coverage and a 0.5x magnification, the X100V’s has increased to 95% coverage and 0.52x magnification. The EVF is the best we’ve ever used on an X100-series model. To activate EVF, pull the switch at the front of the body. The jump in resolution to 3.69-million dots, higher 0.66x magnification and improved brightness, contribute to a clear and refined viewing experience.

An entirely new LCD screen compliments the upgraded viewfinder, and you can use this for composition and playback purposes. The X100V is the first X100-series model to feature a two-way tilting 3in, 1.62-million-dot touchscreen. This assists with shooting from the hip or any awkward angles.

Fujifilm has implemented a tilting screen without adding any bulk by making it thin but not flimsy. One thing to note is when you angle the screen down you need to pull it out a little first. The touchscreen control extends to the quick menu, but not the main menu. You can control both with Fujifilm’s entry-level X-A7 and X-T200 mirrorless camera screens.

Performance

I conducted side-by-side tests with an X100F that MPB.com kindly loaned to us. Just like the X100F, the X100V produces impressive corner-to-corner sharpness with minimal distortion and chromatic aberration.

At long focus distances, the X100V’s lens produces marginally sharper results towards the edge when used at its maximum aperture. Where the obvious difference lies though is at close focusing distances (see above examples). Images taken on the X100F appear very soft when you attempt to focus on subjects as close as 10cm. Identical shots I took on the X100V revealed that sharpness at close distances is far superior. You won’t find that you’re forced to stop down to f/4 or smaller like you are on the X100F.

These findings confirm that the changes to the optical design have made a notable difference. That said, the lens does continue to exhibit veiling flare in instances when you shoot directly towards the sun. The lens hood (LH-X100) that Fujifilm makes for its X100-series can be purchased for $87/£69 to help mitigate flare.

The camera’s start-up time is rated at 0.5secs. That’s slightly slower than the X-Pro3, but not something I found to be a deal-breaker. The auto power off function can be set between 15secs and 5 minutes. By setting this up you can preserve battery life, plus it saves you using the on/off switch quite as often.

The advantage that comes with having many more phase detection points spread across the sensor is more responsive autofocus acquisition. The X100V doesn’t tend to hunt as much as the X100F. I picked up on that behaviour when the focus point was positioned towards the edge of the frame and I attempted several shots in a dim indoors environment.

The fact the lens moves in and out during focusing does mean it can’t perform at the same rapid speed of today’s internal-focus lenses. Saying that, I didn’t encounter any missed opportunities during my testing because it failed to achieve focus fast enough. Just like Fujifilm’s latest mirrorless cameras, face and eye detection makes critical focusing a breeze when you’re shooting portraits. A yellow square inside the green face detection box reveals which eye it’s locked onto.

From the main menu, the X100V provides a plethora of options to aid with day-to-day shooting. The mechanical shutter is very quiet. However, there’s the option to take images in silence by activating the electronic shutter. This feature is great for street photographers who’d like to go about their work unnoticed.

A couple of batteries should suffice for a day’s shooting. However, be warned that transferring images wirelessly can see the battery level drain very quickly. The option to plug the X100V into a USB power-bank or USB car adapter is very convenient.

There are no surprises in terms of the X100V’s sensor output. In typical Fujifilm fashion, the quality of images straight out of the camera sees faithful colour and accurate exposure met by high levels of detail and excellent noise control.

The new Classic Negative simulation has quickly become a favourite of many X-Photographers. It produces a vintage film vibe with increased saturation and more contrast than you get using Classic Chrome. Returning to Standard/Provia mode after using some of the rich film simulation modes colours can appear a little dull and lacking in vibrancy.

Experimenting with the tone curve using the highlight tone and shadow tone options found in the Q menu or main menu lets us maximise the dynamic range in JPEG images without affecting raw files. Increasing the highlight tone to a positive value brightens the highlights and decreasing it to -1 or -2 retains detail in brighter areas.

As for the shadow tone, increasing it to a positive figure darkens the shadows, whereas decreasing the value to -1 or -2 retains detail in the darkest areas. One slight peculiarity you’ll need to get your head around when adjusting these settings is the counterintuitive operation of the rear dial.

A fast burst performance isn’t the be all and end all for street and documentary photographers, nevertheless it’s something we always make a point of testing. Loaded with a fast SDHC UHS-II card capable of 260MB/s read and 240MB/s write speeds the X100V managed to record 18 raw files at 8fps or 11fps using its mechanical shutter. This figure increased to 40 frames at 11fps when the image quality was set to Fine JPEG.

Engaging the X100v’s electronic shutter allowed 17 raw files to be recorded at 20fps before slowdown occurred – one frame more than was recorded at 30fps with a 1.25x crop. Approximately 33 Fine JPEGs were recorded at 30fps before the camera showed signs of slowing.

Image Quality

The X100V features the tried and tested 26.1-million-pixel X-Trans CMOS 4 APS-C sensor that’s used by the X-T4, X-T3, X-Pro3 and X-T30. It has a back-illuminated structure to enhance low-light performance and with no optical low-pass filter users will find extremely fine detail is preserved high into the ISO range.

While the finest image quality is achieved by shooting in Raw, the quality of JPEGs straight out of the camera is astonishingly impressive. JPEGs don’t suffer from being too heavily processed, with colours remaining punchy and true-to-life.

Resolution

The level of detail recorded by the X100V’s sensor is comparable to the detail resolved by the X-T3, X-T30 and X-Pro3. It resolves a maximum of 3,400l/ph between ISO 100 and ISO 400, with resolution dropping ever so slightly at ISO 800 to 3,200l/ph. Pushing past ISO 800 sees the level of detail stand up extremely well with 3,200l/ph being resolved at ISO 1600 and 3,100l/ph at ISO 3200. Detail dips below 3,000l/ph when the sensitivity is pushed beyond ISO 6400. The detail resolved at ISO 12,800 (2,900l/ph) remains high and the sensor even manages to resolve 2,400l/ph when shooting in the expanded ISO 51,200 setting.

Noise

The X100V is the fourth Fujifilm X-series camera we’ve tested that uses the 26.1-million-pixel X-Trans CMOS 4 APS-C sensor. Shoot between ISO 80 and ISO 800 and you’ll be guaranteed wonderfully clean images free of noise. It’s only when you select ISO 1600 that you start to notice noise appearing under close inspection. Noise is so well controlled at the ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 settings that users won’t find themselves shying away from using them. ISO 6400 is useable too with some noise reduction applied, but luminance noise does start to become a little more pronounced in images captured at ISO 12,800. The detail that’s resolved at ISO 12,800 isn’t quite what it is at ISO 3200, however this wouldn’t put me off pushing the X100V to ISO 12,800 in low-light situations. The extended settings should be given a wide berth if you want to preserve optimum image quality.

Fujifilm X100V Review: Verdict

It’s clear that Fujifilm has a good thing going with its X100-series. We’ve seen it evolve a long way and the X100V preserves the iconic design and classic styling that X100-series cameras have become known and loved for.

With the X100V, Fujifilm didn’t simply add their latest X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and fastest processor: they advanced it to the nth degree. The result is a better tool for photographers who like the simplicity of a fixed lens compact, and others who like a beautifully designed camera that fits a jacket pocket, and can be accessed easily to capture truly stunning images.

The X100V excels in many crucial areas, not least its lens, which contributes to much sharper, crisper images when shooting close subjects at wide apertures. Then there’s the autofocus system, which is snappier in operation and covers a wider area of the frame. The ability to record 4K video, albeit up to 10 minutes in length and without being able to employ the ND filter, is good to have too and the tilting screen is so thin it allows users who’d like to shoot inconspicuously from the hip to do so without adding any extra bulk to the body.

There will be some who’d prefer it if it was weather sealed out of the box or supplied with the weather resistant kit at no extra cost, but this is a minor gripe on what is otherwise a very robust and extremely well finished camera. The removal of the four-way buttons at the rear is my only real criticism, which I’d like to have seen preserved like they are on Fujifilm’s X-T3 and X-T4. Though I accept the touchscreen can be swiped to access different functions, this isn’t the same in my opinion to having physical buttons below your thumb that you can quickly and easily access with your right hand.

To conclude, the X100V is a gorgeous little camera that’s as satisfying to look at as it is to shoot with. It has a special thing going for it in the way it inspires you to venture out and take pictures, which I put down to how easy it is to carry and the great images it creates straight off the bat. Anyone who buys the X100V can’t fail to fall in love with it.

If your budget doesn’t quite stretch to the fabulous X100V, check out the best Fujifilm cameras, and don’t miss our guide to the best Second-hand Classic Compact Cameras. If you can’t find the X100V, then have a look at our guide to the best retro Fujifilm X100V alternatives. 

Our first impressions – what follows are our observations when the camera was first released:

Fujifilm X100V: At a glance

• $1,399 / £1,349
• 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor
• X-Processor 4
• 23mm F2.0 lens
• Hybrid Viewfinder (OVF&EVF)
• Two-way tilting touchscreen
• 4K video at 30fps
• Compatible with legacy conversion lenses

Hot on the heels of its latest entry-level mirrorless release, the X-T200, Fujifilm has unveiled its fifth model in its iconic and stylish X100 series. The all-new Fujifilm X100V replaces the Fujifilm X100F from 2017 and introduces a number of improvements to make it the most advanced premium fixed lens compact in Fujifilm’s history.

Top of the list of new and improved features are a redesigned 23mm F2.0 fixed lens, a two-way tilting screen and advanced weather resistance – things we’re told Fujifilm has received many requests for from existing X100 users.

We recently laid hands on the X100V at Fujifilm’s X-Summit 2020 live broadcast in London where we got a chance to study it in detail and form some early impressions.

Features

The X100V is the latest X-series camera to inherit Fujifilm’s 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 APS-C sensor and quad-core X-Processor 4. These are also used in the X-T3, X-Pro3 and X-T30. Together they deliver a sensitivity range of ISO 160-12,800 (extendable to ISO 80-51,200), along with continuous shooting rates of 11fps with the mechanical shutter, 20fps with the electronic shutter, or 30fps with a 1.25x crop.

To compliment the X100V’s sensor, Fujifilm has designed a new 23mm F2.0 lens for the X100V that promises better resolution, lower distortion and improved performance in the corners and at close focus distances. The good news is that the improvements to the optics have had no influence on the size of the lens, meaning it remains fully compatible with existing adapters and legacy conversion lenses.

Photographers can use the wide conversion lens (WCL-X100 II) or tele-conversion lens (TCL-X100 II) to extend the X100V’s fixed 23mm focal length (equivalent to 34.5mm in 35mm terms) to a 28mm equivalent (0.8x) or 50mm (1.4x) equivalent lens.

In addition to weather sealing around the body and viewfinder, Fujifilm has designed a weather resistance kit for the X100V (£99) to enhance its operability in poor weather. The adapter ring (AR-X100) and protection filter (PRF-49) make the X100V fully weather resistant and for UK customers this kit will be sold at half price (£49.50) when purchased with the camera.

Like its predecessors, the X100V features a hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder. In its optical mode, the finder continues to provide parallax-corrected frame lines, along with detailed overlaid exposure information, but now offers wider 95% coverage and a higher 0.52x magnification. As for the EVF, this has been upgraded to offer a clearer viewing experience with a 3.69-million-dot resolution, 0.66x magnification and improved contrast and brightness.

The X100V’s autofocus performance goes one better too. It can now focus down to -5EV in low light and spreads no fewer than 2.16-million phase-detection pixels across the surface of its sensor. Users can select from 117 AF points laid out in a 9×13 formation, which can be increased to a 425-point layout consisting a 17×25 grid.

Furthermore, the X100V provides enhanced face and eye detection and is equipped with Fujifilm’s focus limiter function that can be used to set the lens to a specific range of distances, which can be useful when the distance to the subject photographed remains consistent and fast focus is required.

Other new additions include built-in 4-stop ND filter, which improves on the X100F’s built-in 3-stop ND filter, and a wider selection of film simulation modes. These include the Classic Negative mode that made its debut in the Fujifilm X-Pro3.

Videographers benefit from having the ability to record 4K video at 30p or Full HD at up to 120fps. Those who’d like to record in 10-bit, 4:2:2 can do so via the X100V’s HDMI port, it has a 2.5mm microphone input at the side, and film simulation modes, such as Eterna, can be applied to video footage.

Another welcome improvement is the X100V’s improved battery life. This lasts for 350 frames when using the EVF, or 420 frames using the optical viewfinder (OVF). With a USB Type-C port at the side, users have the option to charge on the go, and just as you’d expect, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is built-in to enable wireless transferring and remote control with devices running Fujifilm’s Camera Remote app.

Build & Handling

The X100V shares the same charm and elegance with its predecessors, however there are quite a few differences that aren’t immediately obvious. With regard to its build quality, the top and bottom plates are now manufactured from single pieces of aluminium, resulting in a much cleaner and crisper finish around the edge of the body than previous versions.

The aluminium covers, which are built around a magnesium alloy frame to uphold a high level of robustness, are also exquisitely finished in a satin coating, with the all black version being anodised rather than painted to give what Fujifilm calls a ‘deeper black finish’.

On the top plate, the X100V, like the X100F, benefits from an ISO dial that’s built around the shutter speed dial. It’s rather similar to the arrangement you’ll find on Fujifilm’s X-Pro3 in that the outer portion of the dial is lifted to adjust the ISO value, but it’s also vastly improved in the way it doesn’t have to be lifted and rotated simultaneously. Pull the outer ring up and the ISO dial can be rotated freely with your thumb before it’s pushed back down to lock it in place. It’s a much-improved design that we can see other X-series models benefiting from in the future.

At the rear of the camera some further changes have been made. The most significant is the new two-way tilting 3in, 1.62-million-dot touchscreen that replaces the fixed screen of old. By designing the screen unit incredibly thinly, users get the benefit of a tilt screen with no additional bulk – indeed you wouldn’t really know it’s a tilt screen if it wasn’t for the cut-out at the bottom corner of the body that makes it easier to pull out.

Touchscreen control extends to the quick menu, however the X100V doesn’t support navigation of the main menu by touch like we’ve recently seen on Fujifilm’s entry-level X-A7 and X-T200 mirrorless cameras.

The other change at the rear is the absence of a four-way controller. Instead users are encouraged to use the joystick and the Menu/OK, playback and DISP/Back buttons that are aligned beneath. A quick menu button remains, but this has been shifted to the right a little to prevent accidental thumb presses.

Though the thumb grip is said to have been refined, the feel of the X100V in the hand when you’re shooting is almost identical to its predecessor, the X100F.

First Impressions

It’s clear that with the X100V, Fujifilm has listened carefully to what existing X100 users have had to say and responded by making a series of valuable improvements to key areas of its operation and design.

If the examples we were shown of how the new lens resolves sharpness is anything to go by, we can expect the X100V to produce far better image quality in the corners, plus with the addition of weather resistance, photographers will no longer be afraid of using it, or feel forced to switch to a different camera when the weather conditions takes a turn for the worse.

Adding a tilt screen will be of huge benefit to street photographers who like to shoot inconspicuously from the hip and other tweaks such as improving the hybrid viewfinder, refining ISO control from the top plate and giving it an even more premium finish are likely to allure existing X100 users into thinking about an upgrade. We instantly fell in love with the X100V in the short time we used it. This review declares the Fujifilm X100V camera as small and great.

The post Fujifilm X100V review – A camera great and small appeared first on Amateur Photographer.