Want one of the best mirrorless cameras? Unless it's a Leica or a Hasselblad, right now it'll come from Japan. But a new superpower is rising up in the camera industry, and that's China.

Take DJI, which is headquartered in Shenzhen. It has surpassed GoPro to lead action cam sales, and dominates numerous other sales charts with its pocket vlogging cameras and range of drones.

Insta360, meanwhile, leads the way in 360 cameras. And within interchangeable-lens camera ecosystems, Chinese lens manufacturer Viltrox is a growing force, producing lenses for Sony, Nikon and Fujifilm cameras and, more recently, L-mount.

A string of recent reports and rumors suggest that certain China-based manufacturers are about to break new ground by producing their first mirrorless cameras — and I think this could be the dramatic shake up that the industry needs.

What Chinese mirrorless cameras can we expect?

First, there are the concrete reports. Insta360 CEO Jingkang 'JK' Liu revealed the 360 camera specialist is making not one but two mirrorless cameras. He described one of these as being "a shape no one thought of" that has "the potential to completely change the way we take pictures", while leaked pictures of the other point to a minimalist Micro Four Thirds body.

Liu's reference to a new camera shape, along with the Insta360 CEO's recent post about replacing photographers with "intelligent photography robots" (remarks he clarified somewhat when I interviewed Insta360) has me thinking that a completely new kind of camera could be on the cards.

And it's not just Insta360. Viltrox, which makes superb lenses for multiple camera systems — many of which I have reviewed, most recently a superb 'pancake' optic — is in an excellent position to disrupt Canon and Sony's 70%-plus share of the digital camera market.

Viltrox makes top-quality lenses for a fraction of the price of proprietary optics, though it's yet to produce a zoom lens (I'm expecting one soon enough, though). If it could apply that same value principle to an equally high-quality camera body, it could potentially dominate the beginner segment of the market, with its own lenses already in production. For many, mirrorless cameras are simply unaffordable, and Viltrox could change that situation.

Think about it: Viltrox might have already made the lenses for a future Viltrox mirrorless camera. Currently, it makes optics for the full-frame and APS-C formats (we're yet to see a Micro Four Thirds lens, despite a teaser suggesting we should have some by now).

If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on a beginner-level Viltrox mirrorless camera in the APS-C format, with an L-mount. Why so? We've seen reports of two new Viltrox APS-C format prime lenses for L-mount.

Two new lenses don't mean much in isolation. But when you consider that there are no current APS-C format camera bodies using the L-mount, that begs up the question: why make lenses that no current camera can use, unless you're making that camera yourself?

I might be getting ahead of myself. But an industry that's long been dominated and shaped by the big three — Canon, Sony and Nikon, more recently joined by Fujifilm, which has wrestled third place from Nikon after it sparked a surge of interest in retro cameras — could do with a shake-up.

I don't mean another AI-powered shake-up, along the lines of the Nano banana-equipped Caira camera, which can make live edits to your photos in-camera based on word prompts, but a shake-up that makes mirrorless cameras more affordable, and in which the form factor / handling playbooks are ripped up. Those are the kind of changes I'd be excited to see.

Action cameras are designed to be tough, surviving drops, knocks and being fully submersible. But DJI just upped the ante with the most extreme durability test; fixing twelve unmodified Osmo Action 6's to LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 reusable rocket for its orbital launch and return to earth.

Surviving 500C heat, the consumer-grade action camera successfully recorded the whole thing — China's first successful land-based orbital launch and recovery — and you can watch the uncut, unedited, one-take nine minute POV footage on DJI's global YouTube channel (below).

The video has amassed 750,000+ views and 2,000+ comments so far in its first two days, with viewers amazed by the immersive footage of the rocket's entire journey. ‘The most stunning launch footage I've ever seen’ says one, while another viewer said they 'can't believe it [the Osmo Action 6] survived a full rocket launch and landing'.

It wasn't just the thrilling visuals capturing people's attention. Another comment pinpointed the audio of the video, saying: 'Being able to hear the valves and actuators through the hull of the ship was next level! Loved it!'

DJI's Osmo Action 6 is a consumer-grade action camera that costs from $425 / £329 / AU$669. It can record 4K video up to 120fps onto a 1/1.1-inch sensor, with up to 13.5EV dynamic range (and seemingly continue recording in 500C heat!).

In a press release shared with TechRadar, DJI shared additional behind the scenes pictures of the project, some of which you can see below, and in one picture the charred remains of an Osmo Action 6 that they recovered the footage from. How it kept recording is beyond me.

As well as capturing shake-free footage from twelve key POV perspectives for some of the most immersive rocket footage ever, DJI had a Mavic 4 Pro drone covering angles of the launch from the air, and its upcoming Osmo 360 II for 360-degree cam ground-level shots.

The project is a true showcase of DJI action cameras in, ahem, action, as well as its drones and 360 cameras. For the rest of us, outdoor adventure clips of downhill biking and skiing are the best we can hope for.

GoPro has built its name on cameras you can strap to anything and forget about. The Mission 1 Pro ILS is pretty much the opposite, requiring you to slow down, think about your settings and focus, and work much harder for the shot you want.

It's the third and quirkiest member of the new Mission 1 family, swapping the fixed lens of its siblings for a Micro Four Thirds mount. It's a major change that drastically reshapes the nature of this camera. Instead of a rugged companion for your next surf session or mountain bike run, it's a creative tool that opens GoPro's superb 1-inch sensor up to hundreds of lenses, from cheap vintage primes to specialist optics that would never fit inside a traditional action cam body.

I spent a week shooting with it, mostly paired with a manual Laowa prime, and found it to be a camera that's as rewarding as it is demanding. There's a real skill curve here that longtime GoPro shooters may not be comfortable with, and the payoff — sharper, more considered footage and stills — only arrives once you've put the work in.

Where the ILS earns its keep is its sheer versatility. Want to shoot extreme close-ups a regular GoPro physically can't manage? Fit a close-focusing lens. Chasing a specific look? There's a lens for that too. It's arguably the most flexible camera GoPro has ever made.

That flexibility incurs trade-offs, though — not only is the ILS expensive, it's also less rugged than other GoPro's and lacks autofocus and horizon lock. GoPro's Quik app doesn't make life easier either, constantly nudging you toward a subscription rather than just getting out of the way and letting you shoot. None of that stops the ILS from being a compelling and genuinely different kind of GoPro; it's just one that asks a lot more of you than the ones that came before it.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Price and release date

• $699 / £599.99 / AU$1,099.95 (non-member price)
• $599 / £509.99 / AU$949.95 (member price)
• Other models in the series are the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS is priced at $699.99 / £599.99 / AU$1,099.95, or $599.99 / £509.99 / AU$949.95 if you're already a GoPro subscriber. That's body-only pricing, of course — you'll need to budget separately for a Micro Four Thirds lens (GoPro doesn't sell any of its own). It's a big chunk of money to spend on a little camera, but at the same time there's not much out there to compare it to, and no direct competitors to undercut it.

It officially launches on September 2 2026, alongside a companion iOS app called Mission Monitor.

Interestingly, the ILS costs exactly what the standard Mission 1 Pro did at launch. But at the time of writing, GoPro has quietly dropped the Mission 1 Pro's price by $100, down to $599.99. That means (for now at least) that you're paying a $100 premium for the ILS's interchangeable lens mount over the Mission 1 Pro that also gets you 20m waterproofing, autofocus and a built-in lens — features the ILS lacks. It's worth considering this trade-off carefully, depending on what you actually plan to shoot.

• Price score: 4/5

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Specs

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Design

• Same compact, dual-screened GoPro body, but with a Micro Four Thirds mount up front
• Weatherproof only — loses the standard Mission 1 Pro's 20m waterproofing
• Weighs under 200g before adding a lens

In many ways, you'd struggle to tell the Mission 1 Pro ILS apart from the standard Mission 1 Pro. They have largely the same boxy, dual-screened body, the same 2.59-inch rear OLED touchscreen and 1.4-inch front display, the same big, chunky buttons, the same tripod thread, magnetic clips and mounting fingers on the base (that'll fit any GoPro accessory you already own). GoPro hasn't reinvented the shell here, and given how well the Mission 1 Pro works, that's no bad thing.

What has changed sits right at the front. Instead of the Mission 1 Pro's fixed 14mm lens, the ILS carries a native Micro Four Thirds mount, opening the door to hundreds of compatible lenses — GoPro maintains an official compatibility list if you want to check before you buy, and it already spans everything from fisheyes to vintage manual primes with the right adapter. If you've got a drawer full of old glass, this is the first GoPro that can accommodate it.

That flexibility comes at a cost to GoPro's trademark ruggedness, though: the ILS is weatherproof rather than waterproof. Unlike the standard Mission 1 Pro's 20m dive-ready housing-free design, you shouldn't be dunking this one in the sea. For a company that made its name letting you bolt or strap a camera to anything and dive into the deep blue, it's quite a shift.

Despite the added complexity of a lens mount, GoPro has kept things impressively compact; at 89.6 x 58.7 x 46.1mm and 197g, it's slightly lighter than the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro. Of course, you'll have the weight of a lens to add to that. It's a world away from my everyday MFT camera, the lumpen — if lovable — Panasonic Lumix GH6. If you need to wedge an interchangeable lens into a tight spot, the ILS is hard to beat.

• Design score: 4/5

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Performance

• Manual focus only, with no subject tracking or horizon lock
• Can focus far closer than the standard Mission 1 Pro's 60cm minimum
• Battery life of up to 96 minutes with 8K 4:3 recording

Losing autofocus is the single biggest adjustment coming from a standard Mission 1 Pro. GoPro has equipped the ILS with focus peaking to help you nail manual focus, but on the ILS's small screens I found it a real challenge — my shots weren't always in focus when I thought they were, and I lost a handful of otherwise good clips to softness as a result. Frustratingly, focus peaking doesn't work at all on the front-facing screen, which stings if you're trying to frame up a selfie or vlog shot. I'd like to see GoPro patch that in with a firmware update, since I can't see a technical reason why it wouldn't be possible.

There are better ways to nail focus than squinting at the rear screen, though. GoPro's Quik app offers a focus peaking preview, and there's also the new Mission Monitor app (sadly iOS-only at launch) for a bigger, clearer view. That one requires a wired connection between the camera and your iPhone or iPad, and since I don't own a USB-C to Lightning data cable, I wasn't able to put it through its paces myself. What I could do was hook the ILS up to an external monitor via a USB-C to HDMI adapter, and that worked well as a live-preview solution.

I tested the ILS with two lenses: a Laowa 7.5mm f/2.0 that GoPro loaned to me alongside my review sample, and my own Panasonic 12-60mm zoom. The Laowa — a manual focus, manual aperture prime — is how this camera wants to be used. I couldn't get the Panasonic zoom to focus properly at all. If you've got a stash of vintage manual glass and a MFT adapter, you're in for a good time.

It's important to note that, despite the MFT lens mount, the ILS isn't an MFT camera. Its 1-inch sensor is smaller than an MFT's, which results in a larger crop factor. For example, if you fitted the Laowa 7.5mm lens to a standard MFT camera, MFT's 2x crop means its effective 35mm equivalent focal length is 15mm. The ILS has a 2.7x crop factor, rising to 3x with HyperSmooth stabilization on. So that means the same lens will have a 20.5mm focal length, or 22.5mm with stabilization. Consequently, you'll need a very wide fisheye lens to get the sort of ultra-wide focal length offered by most GoPros, but conversely it's easier to achieve tighter framing for portraits and so on.

I was pleased to discover that the ILS, at least paired with that Laowa lens, could focus far closer than the standard Mission 1 Pro is capable of. The regular Mission 1 Pro has an almost comically long 60cm / 24-inch minimum focus distance that rules out close-up work entirely. The ILS has no such limitation, opening the door to macro-style shots and detail work that's simply off the table on GoPro's fixed-lens model. It's not enough to make me recommend the ILS to vloggers, mind you — the lack of autofocus and subject tracking still counts heavily against it there. The Hero 13 Black with macro Lens Mod is a decent alternative for such uses.

In addition to subject tracking, horizon lock is also unavailable here. Both are present on the standard Mission 1 Pro, and so if you're relying on GoPro's software smarts to keep you level and in frame, you'll need to look at the fixed-lens models instead of the ILS.

Audio quality is solid, if unremarkable — echoing what my colleague Hamish Hector found when testing the Mission 1 Pro's built-in mics, the ILS captures voices and everyday sound clearly, with wind noise capably filtered out of the mix (up to a point).

Battery life is very respectable. GoPro rates the included Enduro 2 battery at 96 minutes for 8K Open Gate at 30fps, or 74 minutes for 16:9 8K at 60fps, and my own real-world testing lined up closely with those figures. Thermal management is similarly solid — I only ran into overheating issues when shooting at the top end of the spec sheet (50/60fps in 8K or 200/240fps in 4K), and with decent airflow around the camera you may not experience overheating at all.

There's no built-in storage, as with virtually every GoPro. You'll need a fast V30, Class A2-rated microSD card, and you'll want it to have lots of space too — those 8K Open Gate files are huge.

• Performance score: 4/5

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Image quality

• Supports 8K video up to 30fps (Open Gate) and 60fps (16:9), plus slo-mo up to 960fps in burst mode
• Maximum bitrate of 300Mbps when using experimental GoPro Labs firmware
• Photos in JPEG and RAW up to 50MP resolution

When I actually managed to nail focus, the results were exactly what you'd hope for from that 1-inch sensor. For video, I shot most of my test footage with the Laowa 7.5mm lens, which plays nicely with GoPro's HyperSmooth stabilization. For anyone planning to color grade their own footage, I'd recommend GoPro's suggested settings — GP-Log2 color profile, 10-bit color depth, and the maximum bitrate available (240Mbps on regular firmware, or 300Mbps if you install the experimental GoPro Labs firmware — less stable than standard firmware but intended for enthusiasts who want to push performance to its limits) — shooting in 16:9 8K at 60fps.

I also tried Open Gate, which is one of the headline features shared with the standard Mission 1 Pro, but found the combination of huge file sizes and a 30fps ceiling too restrictive for how I like to shoot. It's a useful option to have, especially if you want maximum reframing flexibility in post, but it's not where I ended up spending most of my time.

For my main test clip, I mounted the ILS to my car using a single SmallRig suction cup — the camera's light weight meant I didn't need the full triple-cup rig I'd normally reach for, which kept setup quick. I edited the footage by applying one of GoPro's official LUTs before fine-tuning the color in DaVinci Resolve, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I'm no post-production expert, but anyone who is will have a field day pairing this sensor with the right glass.

Stills tell a similarly promising story, with caveats. I took the ILS out with the Laowa lens and GoPro's Point-and-Shoot Grip for a photo walk along the coast, shooting in RAW format at 50MP and, in lower light, 12MP. Editing in Adobe Lightroom afterward, the RAW files gave me a huge amount of latitude to shape the final look — much more than I'm used to getting out of an action camera. The Laowa itself let the side down slightly, with softness and a tendency to flare, but that's a lens characteristic rather than anything to do with the camera; pair the ILS with sharper glass and I'd expect noticeably cleaner results.

Low-light performance carries over the big step up we saw on the standard Mission 1 Pro, the 1-inch sensor being a huge differentiator over GoPro's Hero Black range. As ever with an interchangeable-lens setup, the lens you choose plays a big part in how far that advantage stretches: wide-aperture glass will get you noticeably further after dark than anything narrower.

• Image quality score: 5/5

Testing Scorecard

Should I buy the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

How I tested the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS

• One week of testing with a Laowa 7.5mm F/2.0 C-Dreamer prime lens
• Real-world video shot mounted to a car, plus a coastal stills photo walk
• Battery life and thermal performance checked across the camera's most demanding modes

I spent a week with the Mission 1 Pro ILS, shooting with a Laowa 7.5mm f/2.0 lens that GoPro loaned me for the review.

Video testing included mounting the ILS to my car for real-world stabilization footage, shot largely in 16:9 8K at 60fps using GoPro's recommended color-grading settings, plus a run through Open Gate to see how it held up for reframing flexibility. I edited footage in DaVinci Resolve, applying an official GoPro LUT before making my own color adjustments.

For stills, I took the ILS out on a Sunday photo walk along the coast near where I live, shooting raw at both 50MP and 12MP resolutions with GoPro's Point-and-Shoot Grip attached, and edited the results in Adobe Lightroom.

I also tested the camera's monitoring options, connecting it to an external monitor via a USB-C to HDMI adapter, though I wasn't able to test the iOS-only Mission Monitor app myself, lacking the necessary USB-C to Lightning data cable. Battery life and thermal performance were assessed through everyday use across a range of resolutions and frame rates, including the highest-demand 8K/60fps and 4K/240fps modes.

First reviewed: August 2026

Since Japan Industrial Partners acquired Olympus in 2021, creating OM Digital Solutions and rebranding new cameras as OM System, we've seen upgrades for every Olympus camera series except one: the PEN-F / PEN E-P7 line of digital rangefinders.

The Olympus PEN-F is a camera that's much admired for its stunning retro looks, described by some as the 'best looking camera ever made'. Olympus fans have been calling for a successor to the series for years — and they might finally be about to get their wish.

A YouTube video from OM System (below) just teased what could be the long-awaited successor to the PEN-F, and it's coming on September 9.

The teaser focuses on the experience of using the built-in 'rangefinder'-style viewfinder — a hallmark of PEN cameras — and then reveals the camera's form factor, with some detailing of the top plate.

Based on these low-key visuals, we could be looking at the spiritual successor to the beloved Olympus PEN-F — which inspired the design of the stunning OM-3 — or perhaps a re-imagining of the low-cost Olympus PEN EP-7.

Either way, the rangefinder-style camera is getting Olympus fans excited, if the comments section of the YouTube video are anything to go by. "Let's go!" chime several viewers.

Given the length of time between the original Olympus models — the Pen-F is 10 years old, and the Pen EP-7 five — there are a few upgrades that could find their way into this new camera, including a speedier stacked sensor, improved phase-detection autofocus, and additional computational photography modes.

All will be revealed on September 9, and you can follow the live event on the OM System site, which is advertising a five-day program of live discussions, all seemingly centered on the new camera.

The winners announcement of the Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is one of my favorite dates in the photographic calendar. It seems like every year the winning and commended photographers outdo themselves in capturing vivid, fascinating stories from the natural world.

One thing I also love doing is poring over which cameras the winning photographers are using to capture their spectacular shots. As such, when the Museum released this set of preview images to whet our appetites ahead of the full announcement, I headed straight to the caption information — and discovered to my great interest that the two most-used cameras on the list so far are both Nikon DSLRs!

The full list of cameras used to capture the sixteen shots on the full list is a real mixed bag. As well as a selection of pro and prosumer mirrorless and DSLR cameras, there’s also a DJI Mavic drone and a Leica Q3 43 compact. However, the two cameras that featured most prominently — with two images apiece, representing a quarter of the full list — were the ten-year-old Nikon D500 and the Nikon D850!

The highly commended image ‘Eye of the Storm’ by Dewald Tromp from South Africa, depicting a chameleon battling its way through a sandstorm in Nigeria (above), was captured using the Nikon D850, as was American Ralph Pace’s image of a sea hare gliding through eelgrass in Monterey Bay (below).

Jack Crawford in the UK has been highly commended in the 15-17 Years bracket for his perfectly timed moment of a swift flying underneath the looming bulk of a 747 — shot on a Nikon D500 (below).

And Canadian Shane Gross strapped his Nikon D500 into an Aquatica AD500 underwater housing to capture his highly commended, half-in half-out image of a school of bigeye trevally off the coast of the Seychelles (below).

One thing’s for sure — the DSLR isn’t dead just yet!

If you want to be able to see these images for yourself when the exhibition begins in October, you can grab tickets here.

The D850 and D500

The Nikon D850, released in 2017, is a wildlife photography legend. A full-frame DSLR with a generous 45.7MP resolution, its 153-point AF system may not be as sophisticated as the flagship mirrorless cameras that have succeeded it, but it’s still incredibly tenacious and accurate for moving subjects.

With its pitch-perfect handling and large optical viewfinder, the D850 is a joy to shoot with and has captured many spectacular wildlife images since. There’s a reason that when Nikon came to release its mirrorless wildlife specialist the Z8, the manufacturer branded it as a new D850.

The D500, meanwhile, was released a year earlier — meaning it has just marked its ten-year anniversary! Even so, this capable APS-C shooter made a reputation for being a speedster, thanks to its 10fps burst rate that could go up to 200 RAW files, as well as its simply superb autofocus system. As such, it has been embraced over the years by many wildlife photographers without the budget for the D850 — and as this year’s WPOTY results go to show, this stunning camera still has its share of devotees.

On August 27-28, night sky observers in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Western Asia are in for a treat, with a 96.2% lunar eclipse and 'blood moon' occurring.

It's not a total lunar eclipse — the next one of those takes place on December 31, 2028 (yes, new year's eve!) But for many, this week's eclipse will be the best until then, so it's well worth staying up late/getting up early for.

Here's exactly when and where the lunar eclipse can be seen — and my pro tips for capturing it with your camera of choice.

When and where to see the August lunar eclipse

The lunar eclipse can be seen on the night side of Earth, which on August 27-28 means that large portions of North America and South America, plus the western half of Europe and Africa, will enjoy the best of the eclipse — its maximum.

Further afield, viewers in eastern Europe and western parts of Asia will catch a glimpse of the eclipse — the penumbral and partial phase, but not the maximum 96.2% — while Australia won't see it at all. In total, 44.4% of the global population can catch a glimpse.

A large portion of the US is ideally placed to see the lunar eclipse, including Washington DC and New York, because it reaches its maximum at 12:12am ET time, and the moon will be relatively high in the night sky.

Across Europe, the maximum eclipse occurs at 6:12am (CEST), which is 5:12am BST. In cities including London, Paris and Madrid, the maximum eclipse is around one hour prior to sunrise and as the moon sets, meaning the moon will be very low in the sky — offering the prospect of superb photography opportunities.

Those timings are for the maximum eclipse, but the 'penumbral' eclipse begins almost three hours before, and ends almost three hours after. Even as much as 90 minutes before maximum, the moon will start turning red as it moves into a partial eclipse phase.

• The timeanddate.com website provides exact times, dates and places for every eclipse, including for August 27-28, wherever you are in the world. It's a comprehensive resource, also covering eclipse FAQs, such as what is a lunar eclipse is, why the color of the moon changes and more.

Planning your photos of the lunar eclipse

The full eclipse cycle will last for about five hours in total, but you don't need to be on the alert for all of it. Let's take New York city as an example.

There, the event kicks off with a penumbral eclipse at 21:23pm ET (August 27), but viewing starts to get interesting from 22:33pm when the partial eclipse begins. This is a good time to set up your camera gear, because the moon will begin to lose its brightness, and will start turning reddish at its edge.

You'll soon see the weird sight of a crescent moon with a blurry straight line between the bright and dark areas. That's the line of Earth's atmosphere being projected onto the lunar surface.

At 00:12am ET (August 28), the eclipse reaches it maximum, and the moon will be at a viewing altitude of 38.3 degrees, which is relatively high in the sky. At 96.2%, a sliver of bright area of the moon surface remains, but the rest should be a reddish color to the naked eye. This is the maximum phase, when you should takes lots of photos.

From then on, the bright area of the moon increases once more during the partial eclipse phase, which finishes at 1:51am ET, and the eclipse is fully finished at 3:02am. You may wish to stay up for the entirety in order to capture key phases of the eclipse — great for a montage — but the main activity will be in the hour around its maximum.

Meanwhile, in London the timings are less favorable, but the components for photography could be ideal. The penumbral eclipse begins at 2:23am BST (August 28), the partial eclipse begins at 3:33am, while the maximum eclipse is 5:12am, at which point the moon is close to the horizon, and it's approximately an hour before moonset/sunrise.

In the UK, you'll need a clear vantage point looking west to southwest to see the moon (and a dose of luck, if the forecast for cloud is accurate), and if you can plan to include landmarks/points of interest in the frame, it should make for dramatic images of the eclipse's maximum phase. The moon will have set below the horizon before the partial eclipse (after maximum) ends.

Camera gear for the lunar eclipse

So, how do you do photograph a lunar eclipse? The good news is that you don't need any filters, as you do with a total solar eclipse. The bad news is that since the moon is so small, you're going to need some magnification for the moon to fill most of the frame. That means either using a telephoto lens, whether that's on a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, or a superzoom compact/bridge camera. Taking decent photos of the moon with your phone is going to be a tougher challenge.

In terms of focal length, a 600mm-equivalent lens (25x zoom on a phone, approx) should fill most of the frame with the moon. You might want to use a slightly wider-angle lens to include landmarks in the frame.

On a smartphone, typically the best optical zoom reach you'll have is 5x. The quality of a digital zoom is poor, and only gets worse the more you zoom in. Some flagship devices such as the Oppo Find X9 Ultra have better telephoto reach — 10x in the case of that phone — and a teleconverter accessory to further extend the maximum reach. My advice for most people is to use a camera with a telephoto lens instead.

Whatever camera you opt for, I recommend attaching it to a sturdy tripod support — especially if you're capturing multiple phases of the eclipse with landmarks in the frame. A tripod minimizes camera shake for sharper shots, and delivers the continuity you need for capturing the phases. Alternatively, find a secure surface to rest your camera on. A self timer or a remote shutter further minimizes camera shake, while shooting in the RAW format rather than JPEG/HEIF gives you more flexibility for editing.

A lunar eclipse isn't easy to capture, but you will have plenty of time to play with various settings of your DSLR/ mirrorless/ superzoom compact camera. As well as a wide range of colors, lunar eclipses bring a lot of changes in brightness. Also bear in mind that when zoomed-in, the moon is a very fast-moving target (blame our rotating planet).

Consequently, I recommend setting the white balance manually — the Tungsten setting will maintain the color accuracy of the bright moon and rich blue of the night sky.

You'll also need a high shutter speed. So, as the moon dims in brightness, increase the ISO (try ISO 200 during the partial phase, and ISO 1600 during the maximum phase) and open the aperture (start at about f/11 and experiment).

However, it's not just about getting a sharp image, because during the partial eclipse, the moon will be part-bright and part-dim, so you have to make a choice about which side of the moon to expose for. The answer, of course, is to try both, many times over.

Take a spare battery out with you, make sure your memory card has plenty of space on it, and prepare for a marathon post-processing session. Most of all, cross your fingers for clear visibility — cloud cover puts paid to the best-laid plans!

• Get more tips on how to photograph the moon

HoverAir launched the Versa drone on Indiegogo last week, and a few words in the promotional material suggested that the world's first 2-in-1 pocket gimbal camera and drone had a distinct advantage over DJI: "FCC (Federal Communications Commission) certification."

The claim of FFC approval implied that the Versa would be permitted to be sold in the US, a market which new DJI drones have been fully locked out of since 2025. World-first features, plus US availability — those were two big leg-ups for the Versa.

However, HoverAir's hopes of having that key advantage in terms of market access have quickly been dashed. The FCC contacted TechRadar to tell us that "certification for this device was granted erroneously and has been set aside by the FCC and removed from our public database".

Furthermore, it said the "FCC is considering further action against HoverAir for apparently willfully violating the FCC’s Covered List rules."

It's quite the turnaround for HoverAir. The company must have been licking its lips at the prospect of its innovative innovative 4K drone and pocket gimbal camera having unchallenged access to the US market. Turns out, it's in the same position as DJI after all.

Here's the FCC statement in full:

“Importing, marketing, or selling this [HoverAir Versa] device in the United States is a violation of U.S. law, and the FCC has directed HoverAir to cease any such activity immediately.

"The device in question is on the FCC’s Covered List: the Versa camera alone is a prohibited UAS critical component produced in a foreign country and, when the Flight Kit is included, the device falls under the ban on UAS produced in a foreign country.

"The certification for this device was granted erroneously and has been set aside by the FCC and removed from our public database. The FCC is considering further action against HoverAir for apparently willfully violating the FCC’s Covered List rules.

"Finally, the FCC is sending guidance to all Telecommunications Certification Bodies to strengthen their due diligence of applications to ensure they comply with their legal obligation not to certify equipment on the FCC’s Covered List."

More bad news for drone fans in the US

Following the self-flying X1 and the waterproof Aqua, HoverAir notched up a trio of world-first drones with the Versa, a 2-in-1 pocket gimbal camera and drone.

According to its Indiegogo page, the Versa is tipped for a worldwide launch and for October 2026 delivery to backers. However, despite US pricing (starting at $499) remaining on the crowdfunding page, it looks like the Versa won't be taking to the skies in the US any time soon.

That's a shame for drone fans in the US. Versa's modular design means that its wings (guard-protected propellors) can be removed in a simple motion, switching the device from a 230g self-flying 4K camera to a 163g pocket gimbal camera.

Its key features include 4K video up to 60fps, 4K HDR video up to 30fps with 10-bit color depth, 12MP photos (there's no mention of RAW format) and a 1/1.3-inch sensor.

Controller-free aerial selfies are a breeze, thanks to palm take-off and landing, AI subject tracking, auto framing, plus voice and gesture commands.

Furthermore, the Versa is compatible with HoverAir's Beacon device, which debuted with the Aqua, meaning it can pair with a phone for clear audio. It's said to reach speeds up to 36km/h with a Level 5 wind resistance, and have 14-minute flight times, though realistically battery life will be less than that.

As a gimbal camera, the Versa features a rotating OLED haptic screen, which measures 1.64 inches on the diagonal and hits 800 nits of brightness.

We haven't tested the Versa yet, but we'll share our in-depth review soon. The innovative drone will make its public debut at the IFA consumer electronics show, which takes place in Berlin, Germany, from September 4-8, and you can learn more about it in the YouTube video below.

I used my Pixel's dedicated Long Exposure photography mode, which, unlike the latest iPhones, has its own space in the camera app and makes what is otherwise a fairly complicated technique with my pro mirrorless camera really quite simple.

Is my photo technically perfect? No. I took it and several similar shots handheld while taking a walk on a beach with a friend. If you look closely at the fine detail, it's a little blurry in parts. To really get the best out of this mode, a tripod support or firm surface would have yielded technically better results, but it really wasn't the moment for serious gear.

And considering these images were made with my phone, handheld, the results really are something. I'm not surprised, mind you — the Long Exposure mode was made available to Pixel phones a few years ago, and I have regularly been using it ever since.

If you use a Pixel phone, it's a mode well worth playing around with — you might just bag a frame-worthy shot. And if you shoot with an iPhone, I'll quickly explain how to get this effect in the camera app.

Long exposure, explained

There's very little to run through with the Google Pixel's Long Exposure mode. It has its own place in the camera app, and you simply try to keep the camera as steady as possible during capture, much like you would with the Night Sight mode.

Long Exposure blurs movement, while keeping stationary subjects in sharp focus. It works particularly well for blurring fast movement, say, of moving water or traffic light trails at night, but a Pixel is less suitable for truly long exposure photography — of moving clouds, for instance — because there's a limit on the time of exposure.

Once you've taken a photo using the Long Exposure, the image appears in your gallery alongside the standard photo without the effect applied (see below). For some of the photos in this article, I've taken them into the editor and played around with the exposure and color settings — I think the black and white edit looks particularly striking — and made other edits such as straightening the horizon.

If you shoot with an iPhone, it is possible to get the same effect, but not through a dedicated mode like Pixel has — instead, it's buried in the Live Photo interface (or you can try the Spectre app). At night, iPhone also has Night Mode Max for long exposure astro shots.

For daytime long exposures, you'll need to enable the Live Photo mode (which effectively takes a three-second video and selects the best frame for your gallery). Next, hit the Live button in the top left of your photo in the gallery, select Long Exposure, and your iPhone will produce a long exposure shot from the frames in that Live Photo sequence. This handy YouTube Shorts explainer takes you through the process.

The same advice for technique applies — keep the camera steady. However, we've played around with the iPhone's Long Exposure editor in the TechRadar office, and it's not quite as effective as the Pixel's.

Hopefully, one day we'll see Apple release a dedicated mode for this shooting style, because iPhone users are missing out — it really is the kind of effect that can bag you framable shots.

Have you tried long exposure photography with your Pixel, iPhone, or other camera gear? Do share your experiences in the comments below.

The global shipment numbers for digital cameras sold in 2025 are in from Nikkei Inc (see boxout) and they make for encouraging reading for the industry as a whole. But the news is particularly good if you're a fan of Canon or Fujifilm.

The biggest growth in shipments since the dawn of the smartphone was led by Canon once more, which tops the table with 4.5 million units (a huge increase of approximately one million more units year-on-year), while Sony maintained second place with 2.42 million shipments, following a much smaller increase.

It's a change in rankings, however, that catches the eye — Fujifilm leapfrogged Nikon to complete the top three; while Nikon's shipments saw a small dip, Fujifilm's grew significantly to surpass one million units, shipping 1.16 million versus 740,000 the year before (and 430,000 units the year before that).

Panasonic also enjoyed a major leap in shipments for 2025 to keep hold of position #5, while Ricoh Imaging stole sixth from OM Digital, thanks to the launch of its flagship premium compact, the GR IV.

You'll notice there's no mention of Leica or Hasselblad. That's because the numbers are for Japanese camera manufacturers only, which do in fact make up the vast majority of global digital camera sales.

I've listed the data for the last three years, below, but what can we can learn from the numbers?

The camera shipments data

The brands are listed below in order of camera shipments (and market share), with the year-on-year change in market share for 2025 in bold. You can find this data compiled at Mirrorless Rumors.

2025 ranking

Canon – 4.5 million units (45.7%, +2.5%)
Sony – 2.42 million units (24.6%, -3.9%)
Fujifilm– 1.16 million units (11.8%, +2.8%)
Nikon – 880,000 units (8.9%, -2.8%)
Panasonic – 430,000 units (4.4%, +1%)
Ricoh Imaging – 210,000 units (2.1%, +1.3%)
OM Digital – 150,000 units (1.5%, -0.4%)

2024 ranking

Canon – 3,53 million units (43.2%)
Sony – 2.33 million units (28.5%)
Nikon – 960,000 units (11.7%)
Fujifilm – 740,000 units (9.0%)
Panasonic – 280,000 units (3.4%)
OM Digital – 160,000 units (1.9%)
Ricoh Imaging – 70,000 units (0.8%)

2023 ranking

Canon – 3.34 million units (46.5%)
Sony – 2 million units (27.9%)
Nikon – 810,000 units (11.3%)
Fujifilm – 430,000 units (6.0%)
Panasonic – 260,000 units (3.6%)
OM Digital – 180,000 units (2.5%)
Ricoh Imaging – 60,000 units (0.8%)

What the data tells us (and what it doesn't)

To start with, it's important to understand that the numbers are for shipments only, and do not indicate revenue. Some brands specialize in pricey high-end gear, others cover a broader spectrum, meaning revenue rankings could be different.

For shipments, however, Canon remains the #1 camera brand, enjoying a huge growth in shipments for 2025. It covers more categories than any rival; DSLR, mirrorless and compacts, and has options for all budgets and experience levels, from the PowerShot V1 to the EOS R100 and EOS 5D Mark IV. Sony, meanwhile, has maintained its position in second place.

When we get to the rest, the numbers can be skewed somewhat year-on-year given the smaller numbers, based on busier or quieter product cycles. For example, Ricoh saw a big bump in shipments in 2025 with the launch of the GR IV, whereas it had no flagship new products the previous two years.

Nikon actually had a decent year, with its TechRadar award-winning Z5 II. Even still, it has plateaued somewhat in recent years, now with a shift in focus to cinema gear following its acquisition of RED which may have acted as a potential shipments handbrake in the immediate.

There's no denying Fujifilm's impressive growth, however. Its numbers go beyond individual models, and point to an overarching demand for retro gear, sparked by the success of its own X100 series, especially the X100VI from 2024. Going from 430,000 units in 2023, to 740,000 in 2024 and 1.16 million in 2025 is remarkable, especially with global component shortages and delays to stock (and those numbers do not take into account Instax).

Will the retro boom, which is also seen in Fujifilm's mirrorless cameras such as the X-E5, continue? 2026 has been a pretty quiet year so far for new products — in fact, no new Fujifilm or Nikon models so far — so I'm not so sure.

As a longtime Nikon fan, I'm a little worried. Its last new camera was the Zr from September 2025, and the Z5 II before that in April. It has seemingly abandoned beginner cameras and its Coolpix brand, too. Sony has arguably had the strongest year so far with the new A7R VI, FX5, and the revival of its popular bridge camera series with the new RX10 V, so I expect it to only extend its lead above Fujifilm.

What do you make of the shipment numbers? Which camera brand do you shoot with? Make sure you vote in our poll and have your say below.

While the public backlash against Flock's camera technology continues, it seems it's not damaging the company's bottom line too much: Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley says that drones are "probably our fastest growing business right now", accounting for just under half of forward-looking revenue at the last count.

The comments were made on The All-In Podcast (via Business Insider), in a wide-ranging interview that covered AI, facial recognition, the criticism that Flock is facing, and how the company is improving on safety and misuse. Default data retention for Flock's license plate readers has now been reduced from 30 days to 7 days, for example.

On the drones, these flying machines are being sold to law enforcement agencies and local authorities as DFRs — Drones as First Responders. The idea is that a drone can take off and weigh up a potentially volatile situation before police officers can get there, leading to valuable intel being gathered as quickly as possible.

Langley actually gives an example in his interview: an emergency report in the Dallas-Fort Worth area about a man brandishing a gun. A drone was dispatched, found that the 'gun' was actually a large lighter, and the incident was de-escalated before any face-to-face confrontation had happened.

Privacy concerns continue

Despite Flock's insistence that its drones and license plate readers are more helpful than harmful, privacy groups continue to question the guidelines in place around the technology, and the potential for misuse. The company says it's working hard to stop its cameras being used for unauthorized spying, as has happened in the past.

Without proper oversight, the worry is that drones will be used for an increasing number of surveillance tasks — and not always with the right oversight. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has said that the adoption of drones like the ones Flock sells "jeopardizes privacy in communities across the country".

That's particularly true when automated AI is involved, or vulnerable people are targeted, the EFF suggests. Meanwhile, American Civil Liberties Union analyst Jay Stanley has written about multiple concerns with drones: their use for intimidation and surveillance, a lack of proper oversight, and a squeezing out of consumer drone operations.

Judging by the reactions to The All-In Podcast interview, the general public — or at least those on X — aren't happy about the increased use of drones as first responders,. even if Flock's CEO is. "Do not normalize mass surveillance," comments one user, summing up the overall feeling on the thread.

Since today is World Photography Day, it’s the perfect time for us camera nerds to celebrate our artistic medium and some of its greatest successes. For my part, I’ve been spending this day in the company of these stunning Polaroid collages by the late, great David Hockney.

Hockney, who was born in 1937 and sadly passed away in June of this year, was a long-time photography skeptic, doubting its ability to be useful in the making of great art. But in 1982 his friend, the curator Alain Sayag, suggested he use instant Polaroid photographs as a means of documenting his personal collection, and Hockney became fascinated by the medium.

In short order, he bought thousands of dollars’ worth of Polaroid film and started creating the incredible, fractal scenes, currently displayed on the David Hockney Foundation website — which I find absolutely transfixing. I’m a huge Polaroid fan so I was always going to be predisposed to enjoy these works, but I just love the way he plays with perspective and distance. The collages depict real-world scenes in a way that must have been absolutely painstaking to execute — but they stop short of naturalism.

Sometimes the same person shows up in multiple frames to create a sense of motion. Figures and faces are dismantled and reassembled in a distinctly cubist manner — critics have pointed out how many of the composites resemble the work of Picasso, one of the artists that Hockney most admired. The gaps between the images are folded into the fabric of the final collage, being embraced rather than resisted. It’s brilliant, obviously — not that you’d expect anything less from Hockney.

The artist subsequently became something of a photography convert, eventually replacing his Polaroid camera with a Pentax 110, a tiny interchangeable-lens SLR camera using 110 cartridge film. He travelled the world making more and more collages, even making one of the Grand Canyon! His composites were later shown at the André Emmerich Gallery in New York, in an exhibition titled ‘Drawing with a Camera’.

I think they’re absolutely sublime, a stunning example of a great artist turning his hand to a new medium and immediately making it his own. So, this World Photography Day, why not take a moment to spend some time with a photographer or artist whose work you love?

I've been scanning through the sale today, and you can check out my personal picks just down below, including discounts of up to £270 on the Canon R8, the Canon EOS R6 Mark II, and the Canon EOS R6 Mark III.

- Check out the Canon World Photography Sale in full

Today's sale is particularly good if you're looking to get started in the Canon ecosystem, as there are some great value options. I'd particularly highlight the Canon R8 bundle as a fantastic buy, as you get the camera — which is a really nice lightweight full-frame body — with two very useful lenses. The R6 Mark II bundle is also worth a look, as this full-frame flagship still holds up great despite not being the latest model anymore.

Aside from bundle deals, today's sale at Canon places a heavy emphasis on refurbished listings. These are professionally refurbished models, so they're very much worth considering if you're looking to save a bit of cash. Note that most of the lenses on sale are for the older EF DSLR mount, however, so you'll need an adaptor if you're planning on using them with one of the brand's latest R-mount mirrorless cameras.

Canon World Photography Day: camera deals

Canon World Photography Day: lens deals

Editor's note: HoverAir's promotional material stated that the Versa had received Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification — meaning it's cleared for import, sale and use in the US.

However, the FCC since wrote to TechRadar, stating that the certification was granted 'erroneously' and that it's 'considering further action against HoverAir for apparently willfully violating the FCC’s Covered List rules'.

DJI dominates the drone space, leaving precious little room for others. However, HoverAir has repeatedly had a go at cracking the market, innovating in gaps left by the leading drone maker.

First we had the X1, the first self-flying drone that took off from the palm of your hand for easy aerial 4K selfies, which was followed up by HoverAir's X1 Pro with beefier 8K video. DJI reacted swiftly, answering with the Neo (and consequently Neo 2), which cost much less than HoverAir's.

Then there was HoverAir's Aqua, the world's first waterproof drone, which remains unique today. Now, we have the new Versa — the first 2-in-1 pocket gimbal camera and drone — making a trio of firsts.

The Versa looks like HoverAir's previous X1-series efforts, only its wings can be removed in a simple motion, leaving the drone body as a DJI Pocket-like pocket gimbal camera. Drones and gimbal cameras are two increasingly popular camera categories — and the Versa can be both.

It seems like an obvious move when you think about it. After all, both camera types feature a camera unit supported with a 3-axis gimbal. But can the Versa genuinely serve in both capacities? We'll find out very soon, once our Versa review sample lands.

HoverAir has, it seems, another advantage over DJI, saying the Versa has US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification. This means the Versa can be sold in the US, while DJI is still banned from selling its new products there.

There could be light at the end of the US ban tunnel for DJI, mind you, with recent news that a judge is set to review evidence that has categorized DJI as a Chinese military company. It's a decision that DJI described as "a significant step toward correcting an unjustified designation".

For now, though, the DJI ban remains in place, and it's a huge headache for the leading drone maker — and one that was just compounded by an impressive-looking rival product that will be sold in the US.

The lowdown on the Versa

We learnt more about the Versa when HoverAir launched the product on Indiegogo on August 18, and it will make its public debut at the IFA consumer electronics show, which takes place in Berlin, Germany, from September 4-8.

The self-flying camera shoots 4K video up to 60fps onto a 1/1.3-inch sensor, 4K HDR video up to 30fps with 10-bit color depth and up to 17.5EV dynamic range, plus 12MP photos (there's no mention of RAW format).

It features a host of flight modes that simplify aerial selfies, including palm take-off and landing, AI subject tracking, auto framing, bird's-eye flight mode, plus voice and gesture commands.

It can pair with your phone or HoverAir's Beacon device (debuted with the Aqua) for clear audio, and has a maximum 14-minute flight time (realistically it will be less than that), with flight speeds up to 36km/h and a solid Level 5 wind resistance.

The drone / pocket camera weighs 230g, placing it in the restriction-free category of beginner drones, or just 163g with its propellor guards removed when in use as a pocket gimbal camera.

In the hand, the Versa features a DJI Pocket-like rotating OLED haptic screen, which measures 1.64 inches on the diagonal and can hit 800 nits of brightness.

Overall, those look like a solid set of features for what could be a game-changing 2-in-1 camera. Where HoverAir struggles to compete with DJI, however, is on price.

According to the Versa's Indiegogo page, it will cost $499 for the Versa only, $887 for the Fly More Combo, which presumably will include additional batteries and a charging dock, or $1,270 for the Creator Combo. For the next 24 hours, those prices are slashed for early backers, who do so at their own risk (HoverAir is a reputable drone maker, though if you're in the US it could still be worth proceeding with caution).

HoverAir has shared a product promotional video on its YouTube, below. What are your first impressions of the HoverAir Versa? Let me know in the comments below.

The Thermal Master DV2 is a handheld thermal imaging monocular that the maker positions in different ways depending on which storefront is visited. On its own birdwatching page, it is billed as the first dedicated thermal camera built specifically for spotting birds and wildlife.

Elsewhere in the same company's catalog, and on Amazon, it appears instead as a general-purpose thermal monocular for hunting, camping and rescue work. Whatever your interest, the hardware underneath is identical.

At the centre of the device sits a 256 x 192 sensor with a 12-micron pixel pitch. Thermal Master runs that raw feed through what it calls the RazorX engine, a three-core processing pipeline built from an FPGA, an ASIC and an AI upscaling block badged X³IR. The result is a 512 x 384 output image, twice the native resolution, though this is achieved through interpolation rather than by a genuinely higher-resolution sensor.

Detection is rated up to 1000m for a human-scale target, with shorter recognition distances quoted for smaller subjects such as birds. A 10mm f/0.8 manual focus lens feeds that sensor, and the whole thing is viewed on a 5-inch touchscreen running at 1280 x 720. That screen rotates and folds, making it compact to carry and easy to use. And the camera can be used without a phone, making deployment quicker and easier.

Connectivity can be used for streaming over Wi-Fi or for offloading captured images and video from the camera, and it supports RTSP for near-no-lag transmission. A laser pointer helps mark whatever has been spotted, and a Picatinny rail fitting lets you mount the DV2 on other equipment.

Thermal Master sells the DV2 directly from its own site and through Amazon in several regions. Pricing is $499/£459 via Amazon, which seems reasonable since this isn’t a phone add-on, but a standalone camera.

The value of this product entirely pivots on the use case. If you need to identify animals or people at range, then it could be invaluable, but it's not suitable for every job.

Thermal Master DV2: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $500/£460/€530
• When is it out? It is available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from the Thermal Master website, with shipping from regional warehouses in the US, UK, EU, and China. And via online retailers.

At the time of review, the DV2 carries a price of $489 USD direct from Thermal Master. For that price, you get the camera, a battery charger, one battery and a few accessories, like the Picatinny rail attachment and carry case.

For quick delivery, it can be purchased from Amazon.com for $499, from Amazon.co.uk for £459.99 and from the EU Amazon sites for €529.99.

There aren’t any obvious retail competitors because professional bird watching isn’t something most companies see as a new market opportunity.

A more general-purpose device is the Axion Compact Thermal Monocular, but that’s priced at $1449.97 on Amazon for those in the USA.

A slightly more realistic choice is the TOPDON TS004 and TS004 Pro, monoculars designed for hunting, rather than birdwatching. The standard TS004 has a resolution of 256 x 192 and costs a little over $400, while its Pro brother is $759.95 and sports 384 x 288 resolution. The Pro quotes detection at up to 650 yards, which is less than the DV2.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Thermal Master DV2: Specs

Thermal Master DV2: Design

• Camcorder vibe
• Large touch screen
• Only one battery included
• Confusing buttons

Many handheld thermal cameras still borrow the shape of a barcode scanner or a torch, but the DV2 looks closer to a small camcorder. The optics are at the top end, with a lens cap protecting the manual-focus telephoto. The lens cap isn’t tethered, so I recommend not dropping that black item in the dark the first time you use this device.

Its defining feature is the fold-out 5-inch touchscreen, which rotates 360 degrees and folds 180 degrees, rather than staying fixed in one position. This lets the operator adjust the display if the target area is above or below the camera's natural line of sight.

The rotating, folding screen lets the display angle toward the eye, whether the DV2 is held low, mounted on a tripod, or fitted to a rail system via its Picatinny adapter.

A downside of this design choice is that if you fold out the display at 90 degrees to the camera, its most natural position, the weight causes the camera to fall over. Therefore, at a minimum, you need a small tripod, even if one isn’t included with the DV2.

To operate the device, the red button on the rear is depressed for what seems like an inordinately long time before a fancy video graphic announces that the DV2 is ready for action.

But before you do that, the 21700 battery needs to be inserted into the DV2, something you are told to do, but there are no indicators I could see which end of the battery goes in first.

Eventually, I found a video of someone demonstrating the camera and realised the correct orientation, but it wasn’t labelled or mentioned in the quick start guide.

Documentation for this product isn't a strong point, since months after release there is still no proper manual.

What’s also slightly odd about the battery is that the case has positions for two, but Thermal Master provides only one. And yet, the charger accepts two. Given that the retail unit cost of a 21700 battery is less than $10, and it would be much less than that for Thermal Master, it's confusing why two aren’t provided from the outset.

If you don’t intend to buy another, then the charger is also superfluous, since you can charge the one included in the DV2 by using a provided USB-C cable. Except you might not want to, because you might struggle to power the DV2 while it's on a tripod, since the USB-C port is on the same underside as the threaded tripod hole.

That’s confusing, but the bit that genuinely made me scratch my head was that the second button next to the power on/off one didn’t initiate video and picture capture. No, it toggles through the different colour representations, something most people would set and forget.

To take a picture or video, you have to touch the screen, which, if you're zoomed in on a distant bird or animal, is likely to twist the camera and ruin the framing. Not sure who made the choice not to include a shooting trigger, but it was a poor decision.

Another slightly odd feature is that this device has a laser pointer, activated by a quick press of the power button. I can’t think of anything more likely to cause roosting birds or other wildlife to exit stage left than being shot in the eye with a laser, so why they included this, I’m unsure.

I'm also confused by the addition of the Picatinny rail adapter, which implies that after you've watched the birds, your next step is to shoot them. That's not really the sort of bird watching I'm familiar with, but what do I know?

Overall, the build quality is decent, and it feels relatively robust. From a design perspective, there appear to be numerous aspects where the engineers creating it didn’t really appreciate how it might be used and what potential customers might be expecting.

Design score: 3.5/5

Thermal Master DV2: User experience

• Questionable ergonomics
• Dire mobile app
• Focus challenges
• Recognition vs detection

I might have got the wrong end of the stick, but the primary purpose of this device is to take pictures and video using the thermal sensor, isn’t it?

This seems obvious, but due to how poorly organized the device menus are for doing just that, perhaps I’ve entirely misunderstood this device.

I’ve already mentioned that you can’t initiate capture with a simple button, but the touch screen menu goes one step further. Taking a picture isn’t on the top-level menu; it requires you to go to a second page, and then a third, to do the one task this device is made for.

The top level is full of things you won’t want immediate access to, I’d contest, and this arrangement makes almost no sense I can fathom.

At first, I concluded you were probably meant to use the mobile app to take pictures so you don’t touch the camera, but I was wrong.

Connecting the camera to the phone involves an overly complicated procedure that would make anyone used to Apple or Bambu Labs products incandescent.

For starters, both devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network, so this won’t work in the field unless you bring a portable Wi-Fi access point along.

The phone needs an app that, for Android users, needs to be downloaded from the support pages and then side-loaded onto the phone. I’ve long been critical of Thermal Master apps, and how there is always a new one for each camera, and this one isn’t even on the Play Store.

Once you install the app, you can go to a specific page on the camera with no instructions on which icon it's behind, then get a QR code that connects the two.

To use this feature, you must be in control mode, where the barcode is shown, so you can’t do anything on the camera when the phone takes over. Once the two are connected, you have three features.

One of which is the color control, another is the Thermal Master eye (Red/Green imaging mode), and the other recalibrates on the image. There isn’t any way to change from still image to video, use the aiming reticule, hotspot tracking, or access the picture album, so 80% of what the DV2 does is unavailable.

But also, you can’t take a picture other than using your phone's inbuilt feature to take a screenshot. And, if you capture images using the phone, they are not transferred to the phone.

So anything you manage to capture needs to be downloaded from the camera in a separate exercise using a USB-C cable.

Being brutally honest, it appears that the hardware team started work on the DV2 many months before the software people, who appear to have met it a couple of weeks before it was launched.

I suspect that this connectivity was supposed to use Bluetooth, but time ran out, and it also did for all the other missing features of the phone app.

If you ignore the phone app nonsense - and I recommend you do - and focus instead on the functionality built into the camera, then the user experience is much better, if a little limited compared with some of the other Thermal cameras that this brand makes.

What’s lacking here is a visible-light sensor, the data from which could be used to enhance thermal captures and help with focusing. I’d put focusing as the single most challenging part of using the DV2, because when you're presented with blobs of moving colour on the screen, it's hard to tell whether they’re moving in or out of focus.

Once focus is dialled in, as long as you don’t move the camera, you definitely need a tripod; then you can develop a practical workflow.

What’s important to realise is that this is for capturing things that aren’t especially close, and this hardware would be of zero use to anyone repairing electronics or fixing engine problems. And, because it's not meant for that, some of the features seen on other cameras, like floating temperature text, are missing on the DV2.

Also, the range of this device allows you to identify the thermal signatures of humans and animals long before you can determine where they are going or what they are doing.

Hilariously, to make this understandable, the DV2 datasheet breaks this down into four detection range levels, where the thing being detected will trigger up to three pixels on the sensor. These are 300m for a 1.8m human, 250m for 1 1.5m Hog, 200m for a 1.2m Coyote, and 50m for a 0.3m Dove.

Where I live in England, we have only two of those creatures since Wild Hogs and Coyotes aren’t endemic, but I get the idea. The camera's relatively high frame rate helps with identification, but only when they’re larger than three pixels on the sensor.

Thermal Master marketing takes this capability and extrapolates it to claim the camera can detect human-sized heat signatures at 1094 yards (1000m, or 1km). To be clear, at that range, an adult human would be a single pixel on the sensor, and for them to be recognised as such, they’d need to be four times closer.

I guess the single pixel, if consistently lit, might tell you something is coming, just not what it was.

• User experience score: 2/5

Thermal Master DV2: Camera

Image output is a 512 x 384 frame, built from a native 256 x 192 sensor through the RazorX engine's AI upscaling. As with any interpolated output, this can improve apparent detail without genuinely increasing sensor resolution.

And, in the DV2, this works well enough, making the thermal image clear and readable, with good separation between different heat sources even at a distance.

Digital zoom is available up to 8x, but zooming this way involves taking smaller and smaller sections of the sensor area, which results in grainy/blocky results. When you start with such a low sensor resolution, this is always going to be an issue.

Five colour palettes are available for translating temperature data into a viewable image, along with nine tactical reticule modes in five colours, a feature set that leans towards the hunting and outdoor positioning of the device rather than its birdwatching marketing. Since that type of hunting isn’t common in the UK, I can’t comment on its usefulness for that role.

But in other regions, where the number of people accidentally shot by others during the hunting seasons is significant, it could be a lifesaver.

A 50Hz refresh rate should keep motion reasonably smooth when tracking a moving subject, whether that is a bird taking flight or an animal moving through undergrowth. The issue here is that there is a sweet range where this can happen, but the further out a target is, the more difficult it becomes to track, especially if it moves out of frame.

There is a tendency to scan wildly around, trying to locate the heat source before it moves behind an obstruction or leaves the area entirely.

The camera offers similar technology to what Thermal Master is providing with its accessory phone cameras, but the optics here are predictably better. That results in better end results and clearer images, even if the resolution is still relatively low.

• Camera score: 3/5

Thermal Master DV2: Final verdict

The device's underlying hardware is solid. However, other aspects of this device are less than perfect, and the lack of proper documentation alongside some less-than-polished software detracts from the overall experience.

That’s a shame because the fundamental foundations of this device are good; it just needed to come to market in a more holistic package than it did.

I hope Thermal Master is motivated to finish the DV2 like it patently should have been. With some effort on the interface and software components, it could be something all dedicated birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts will want in their backpacks.

But at this time, especially in terms of the software and menu ergonomics, it still needs some work.

Should I buy a Thermal Master DV2?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

I’m on the record as being a huge Polaroid fan — but this latest unexpected collab from the brand has me wishing I’d waited a little longer before buying my Polaroid Go Gen 3.

Polaroid has teamed up with Pokémon to help celebrate 30 years of the pocket-monster mega-franchise (the first Pokémon games were released for the Game Boy in 1996) and has produced a range of limited-edition Pokémon-themed cameras and accessories.

As you probably agree from the images above, the most eye-catching of the bunch is the Pikachu-styled version of the Polaroid Go Gen 3, colored in the character’s iconic shade of electric yellow, complete with a yellow hand-strap in the lightning-bolt shade of Pikachu’s tail and a drawing of the little guy on the camera body.

There's also the Sylveon-styled version of the same camera, with a strap in the Fairy-type Pokémon’s colors of pink, white and blue. Alternatively, you could pick up a version of the larger Polaroid Now Gen 3, which takes full-size I-Type film, in the classic red, white and black colors of a Poké Ball. Although, in a small touch that I absolutely adore, all three cameras have Poké Ball-shaped shutter buttons.

If you, like me, already own your Polaroid cameras, there are still ways you can get in on the Pokémon fun. The collab also includes Polaroid Go and I-Type film in Pokémon styling, with frames themed after iconic monsters like Charmander, Clefairy and Squirtle in addition to Pikachu and Sylveon, and a Pokémon-themed camera strap. And — I just love these — you can also get a camera case and photo album for your Polaroid Go in the shape and style of a Poké Ball!

The special-edition Go Gen 3 versions in Pikachu and Sylveon styles can be picked up for $99.99 / £89.99 (around AU$140), while the Poké Ball-themed version of the Now Gen 3 starts at $139.99 / £129.99 (around AU$198).

Special editions of I-Type film will be priced at $22.99 USD / £21.99 (around AU$32) while the Go film will be $24.99 / £21.99 (around AU$35). Basically, a couple of dollars over regular Polaroid film.

The whole lot will be available for pre-order from Polaroid and the Pokémon Center in the US, UK and Canada from August 25, and will go on general sale from October 6. And it’s all going to be in limited quantities — so if you’re a die-hard Pokémon fan who wants to get in on the instant-photography fun, you might not want to wait!

Until now, DJI's compact wireless mic lineup has had a clear budget option in the Mic Mini series and a clear flagship in the Mic series, with a gulf of features and price separating the two. The Mic Mini 2S changes things, and slots right into that gulf. It's not quite a flagship-killer, but with this release, DJI now has three tiers of small wireless mic — and this middle one is very appealing.

Much of the flagship DJI Mic 3's DNA has trickled down into the Mic Mini 2S: internal recording, 32-bit float support, AI-driven noise cancellation, adaptive gain modes, fast file transfers. These were all things that, until now, meant paying a premium. The Mini 2S borrows them wholesale, wraps them in the same pocket-sized transmitter and case as the standard Mic Mini 2, and undercuts the Mic 3 comfortably on price.

Audio quality is superb. Whether I was recording via the receiver connected to a camera or going wireless direct to an OsmoAudio device, the results were clean, full-bodied and detailed. An impressive feat for a supposedly budget offering.

Noise cancellation is another highlight. The new AI-assisted system handled everything I threw at it, from a droning desk fan to a chatter-filled pub garden, with a level of polish that puts some real distance between the Mini 2S and its S-less little sibling. It's not quite at the level of the class-leading Insta360 Mic Pro, but it's a comfortable step up from the standard Mic Mini 2's basic noise reduction.

Having tested both the Mic Mini 2 and Mic 3 extensively as well as the Mini 2S, I'd say the average creator might struggle to justify paying the Mic 3 premium now. Those with more demanding needs still have reasons to look past the Mini 2S, though: the Mic 3 offers more than double the onboard storage per transmitter, a touchscreen receiver display for on-the-fly monitoring, dual-file recording, onboard timecode, and more granular gain control — stuff which probably matters for professional productions.

For everyone else, the Mini 2S is the new sweet spot in DJI's range. It's a tiny mic that really punches above its weight.

DJI Mic Mini 2S: price and release date

• Released August 4 2026, priced from £59 / AU$99 to £183 / AU$328
• Sold in four separate bundles, plus individual transmitters, charging cases and cover sets
• Available globally — aside from in the US

The Mic Mini 2S launched globally on August 4 2026, not long after the Mic Mini 2's April 2026 arrival. I say "globally", but as with every other DJI product released recently, it isn't officially available in the US, with the company blaming ongoing regulatory hurdles.

The Mini 2S comes in a wide range of configurations. At the low end, a single transmitter (TX) costs £59 / AU$99, while receivers (RX) add to the cost. The core bundles are the DJI Mic Mini 2S (1 TX + 1 RX) and the DJI Mic Mini 2S (1 TX + 1 Mobile RX + Charging Case), both priced at £79 / AU$149. Stepping up, the DJI Mic Mini 2S (2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case) costs £169 / AU$279, while the priciest option, at £183 / AU$328, has 2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case as well as a Mobile RX.

It's a big price jump over the Mic Mini 2, where equivalent bundles cost roughly half as much: £29 for a standalone transmitter and £89 for the full 2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case kit. It also puts the Mini 2S's 2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case at the same price as the entry-level Mic 3 bundle (£169 for 1 TX + 1 RX).

DJI Mic Mini 2S: specs

DJI Mic Mini 2S: Design

• Looks nearly identical to the Mic Mini 2
• Features swappable magnetic covers in range of colors
• Redesigned charging case now fits the 3.5mm cable

If you've seen the Mic Mini 2, you already know what the Mini 2S looks like. DJI has barely touched the exterior: the transmitters are the same size with the same interchangeable magnetic front covers (available in the same range of colors, from timeless black to a fetching shade of magenta). The receiver, too, is essentially unchanged, which means there's no onboard display to keep an eye on gain or adjust settings; you'll need to open up the Mimo app on your smartphone to do that.

The family resemblance is generally no bad thing. At just 0.4oz / 12g with a cover attached, I barely noticed the transmitter magnet-attached to my shirt, and I couldn't feel it at all when clipped to the peak of a baseball cap. The detachable clip still rotates through 360 degrees (in 90-degree increments) so the mic capsule can be aimed correctly whichever way you've mounted it, and the magnet option remains handy for thinner fabrics where a clip might snag.

There is one small but positive design change: DJI has found room for the 3.5mm cable inside the charging case (something the Mic Mini 2's case couldn't manage) which means the entire two-transmitter setup, cables, windshields and mounting options included, now fits in one pocketable case. With portability being a huge part of the appeal for a mic like this, it's a step in the right direction.

DJI Mic Mini 2S: Performance

• Offers internal recording with 14.5GB of storage space on transmitters
• Includes AI noise cancelling, improving on the Mic Mini 2's system
• Transmitter battery life roughly in line with Mic Mini 2's, and better than Mic 3's

The Mic Mini 2S's marquee upgrade over the Mic Mini 2 is internal recording, which I think is a huge deal. Every previous Mic Mini had to transmit to something — either a receiver, or an OsmoAudio device — to be of any use, but the Mini 2S transmitter can function just fine all on its own. With around 14.5GB of usable storage on each transmitter, it can store up to 28 hours of 24-bit recordings, or around 22 hours of 32-bit float recordings.

For those who aren't familiar, 32-bit float (which is available on the DJI Mic 3 but not the Mic Mini or Mini 2) doesn't inherently make your recordings sound better, but rather dramatically widens the available dynamic range. If levels unexpectedly spike or dip during a recording, 32-bit float gives you far more room to correct for that in post without clipping or losing detail. It's less about raw quality and more about insuring you're covered when recording in unpredictable environments.

Another upgrade over the Mic Mini 2 is 4TX + 1RX support, meaning you can record from four separate transmitters onto a single receiver. I'd say this is a much more situational addition: handy if you're recording podcasts, panel discussions or similar, but not something most solo creators will need day to day.

File transfers are roughly twice as fast as the Mic Mini 2's when pulling recordings off the transmitter via the charging case. If you're regularly transferring lengthy 32-bit float recordings, those saved minutes might add up — but again, it's a situational improvement.

Noise canceling is where I noticed the clearest real-world improvement over the Mic Mini 2. The Mini 2S's AI-assisted system does a better job than the older mic's more basic noise reduction: it very nearly eliminated a loud desk fan running in my office, and noticeably cut through background chatter when I tested it in a busy pub garden so that my and my wife's voices remained nice and clear. For context, I still rate the Insta360 Mic Pro as the best noise-canceling wireless mic I've tested, but it also costs considerably more than this.

Alongside noise canceling, the Mini 2S also gets DJI's adaptive gain features, Clipping Control and Loudness Balance (previously available on the DJI Mic 3 but not the Mic Mini 2). The former automatically pulls back gain to stop sudden loud moments from distorting, while the latter lifts quieter sounds to even out levels — useful if you're recording somewhere volume might swing unpredictably.

The Mic Mini 2S's audio quality is superb no matter how you use it. It supports quality up to 96kHz/24-bit with the receiver connected to a camera, or up to 48kHz/24-bit over a direct OsmoAudio connection, plus the aforementioned 32-bit float. Frankly, I don't think most people (myself definitely included) would be able to reliably pick a Mini 2S recording out from one made on the considerably pricier flagship Mic 3, which says a lot about how good this is for a supposedly budget microphone.

On the battery life front, things are roughly the same as they were on the Mic Mini 2: a transmitter can record for a round 11 hours on a full charge, while the receiver can keep going for around ten. With two transmitters, the receiver and a charging case, you can expect around 40 hours of combined use before needing to track down a power socket.

That's a bit worse than the Mic Mini 2 (which offers 11.5 hours, 10 hours and 48 hours across the transmitter, receiver and charging case), but much better than the Mic 3 (8 hours, 10 hours and 28 hours respectively).

Should I buy the DJI Mic Mini 2S?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

DJI Mic Mini 2S: also consider

How I tested the DJI Mic Mini 2S

• Two weeks of testing indoors and outdoors
• Connected to Panasonic Lumix GH6, iPhone 13, OnePlus Pad and DJI Osmo Action 6
• Also tested using internal recording without a receiver or camera

I was sent a review sample of the DJI Mic Mini 2S (2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case) kit, and tested it for a couple of weeks, putting it through its paces in a range of indoor and outdoor conditions from quiet offices to windy walks and busy public spaces. I paired it with my Panasonic Lumix GH6 mirrorless camera, my iPhone 13, a OnePlus Pad tablet and the DJI Osmo Action 6 via OsmoAudio, testing both wireless transmission and manual connections. I also tested the Mini 2S's headline new feature directly, using the transmitter as a standalone recorder with no receiver or camera involved at all.

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

If you're searching for a high-quality and compact lens for your Sony or Nikon mirrorless camera, then the excellent value Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO is well worth considering.

Compared to Nikon and Sony's own alternatives, the Viltrox 26mm f/2.8 strikes a balance of premium design, compact size and reasonable pricing most compellingly of all.

For $299 / £279 (approximately AU$500), you get a wide-angle prime with bright f/2.8 aperture, rugged metal body that measures just 25.8mm in length, rubber-sealed mount, twin dials and a fabulous magnetic lens cap design.

Not only is the Viltrox lens around half the price of the Nikon alternative, but it packs more features, while Sony's closest alternative is a physically larger and pricier 24mm F2.8.

Viltrox's lens isn't perfect, mind you; optically it's not the sharpest lens I've used and the maximum f/2.8 aperture setting is prone to flare, which reduces contrast. Autofocus can be a little fussy too.

Those drawbacks aside, the Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO is another high-quality hit from the established Chinese lens manufacturer that deserves to live on your Sony or Nikon camera.

Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO: price and availability

• Available in Sony E and Nikon Z-mount versions
• It costs $299 / £279 (around AU$500), with a 10% discount at launch
• A magnetic lens cap and filter is supplied

The Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO full-frame lens launched for Sony E-mount and Nikon Z mount mirrorless cameras. It can also be used with either's APS-C cameras, with which it has an effective 39mm focal length. The lens costs $299 / £279 (not directly available in Australia), but I regularly see 10-15% discounts on the Viltrox site and at Amazon. At the time of writing, there's 10% off the 26mm lens.

Viltrox has another autofocus pancake lens, the 28mm f/4.5, which is just one third of the price. However, that lens is much more basic, and for a fair comparison on value, consider Nikon's own 26mm f/2.8 pancake lens, which has a slightly simpler design yet is almost double the price.

Sony's choices are much more varied — there are low-cost (and lower quality) options such as the 20mm F2.8, while premium options such as the 24mm F2.8 are pricier and physically much larger. TTArtisan sells a AF 27mm f/2.8 pancake lens that costs around $130 / £110 less, but I've not tested that lens.

So while the 26mm F2.8 EVO is hardly cheap for a Viltrox lens, it is still excellent value considering its quality and the available alternatives. I think it's an excellent quality to size and price ratio. For other primes, check out my best Sony lenses and best Nikon lenses guides.

Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO: specs

Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO: design

• Just 25.8mm in length and 6oz / 170g
• Metal components, rubber-sealed mount
• Clever magnetic lens hood

Lightweight, rugged and convenient, the Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO fits the bill for everyday photography.

It's clearly made from premium materials, with a metal barrel and rear mount with rubber seal to keep out moisture and dust.

And despite its compact dimensions, the lens fits an impressive number of controls, squeezing in focus and aperture control rings. Unsurprisingly, each ring is very narrow, and getting a secure grip on the focus ring is a little fiddly, but I certainly prefer having those shrunk-down controls rather than none at all.

The aperture ring is clicked with no option to de-click it for video use. Again, I'm not surprised about this given how small the lens is — there really is no spare space to fit this control.

Like all recent Viltrox lenses, the 26mm pancake features a USB-C port in its rear mount, through which firmware updates can be installed.

The simple optical construction comprises eight elements in six groups, and includes two aspherical elements. The front lens element is tiny. In fact, the 43mm filter thread isn't even built into the lens itself, but the supplied lens hood.

Said dual-purpose lens hood is suitably compact, but I found it didn't provide the sort of protection against lens flare that I would hope for (more on this in the performance section).

The lens hood has a neat trick up its sleeve mind you — it's magnetic. The supplied lens cap snaps onto the lens hood magnetically, doing away with the traditional pinch lock lens cap design. The hood screws onto the lens, but you can bypass the hood because the front of the lens is also magnetic.

Viltrox's neat magnetic system is a revelation, and I hope other lens manufacturers follow suit. It might not be suitable for all lens types mind you, say those with floating lens elements which use electromagnetism, such as Viltrox's own 85mm F1.4 Pro.

Close focusing goes down to 0.2m, which delivers a maximum 0.2x magnification. This is no close up lens, therefore, but I've certainly tested plenty of lenses with a lesser maximum magnification factor.

At launch, the 26mm lens is available in Sony E and Nikon Z-mount versions. There's no word yet on L-mount or X-mount versions (nor Canon RF, as per usual).

To truly appreciate the benefit of its compact dimensions and lightweight 6oz / 170g design, cameras such as the Sony A7C series and the Nikon Z f series are a good bet. And as a full-frame lens, you can also use it with APS-C cameras with a 1.5x crop factor, such as the Sony A6700 and Nikon Z50 II. It could be a fabulous option with the Lumix S9 or Sigma BF too, should an L-mount version land.

Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO: Performance

• Bright maximum f/2.8, but risk of strong lens flare at this setting
• Detail is impressively sharp for such a small lens
• Autofocus is decent, but I've used snappier lenses

Viltrox's smaller 28mm F4.5 lens wins for compact size and price, but for image quality, the 26mm F2.8 EVO is a step up.

True, it's not the sharpest lens I've ever used, but optical quality impresses, especially given how small and lightweight the lens is.

I regularly used the lens' maximum f/2.8 aperture setting, with which it's possible to get shallow depth of field and pleasant enough bokeh. There's no discernible drop in sharpness at this setting from the peak f/5.6 to f/8 settings, either.

However, lens flare is prominent at f/2.8 when shooting towards the sun and strong light sources, which massively reduces contrast. In some scenarios I rather liked the effect — it was at times characterful and dreamy. At other times, I wished the distortion was better controlled.

Vignetting (darker corners) is also visible at f/2.8, though nothing too dramatic, and remains even up to f/8. The worst of these lens distortions would be less noticeable when pairing the lens with an APS-C camera where the outer portion of the image is cropped out. Otherwise, using f/4 to f/11 aperture settings delivered impressively sharp images, generally free from severe lens distortion.

I tested the lens exclusively with a Nikon Z6 II camera. Not the latest mirrorless camera by any means (that'll be the Z6 III), but one with snappy autofocus and subject detection modes. Even still, I found myself fighting focus hunting more than usual when using the Viltrox lens, compared to a lens like, say, my Nikon 24-70mm F2.8 S.

I'll try the Viltrox 26mm lens with another camera when I get the chance, but so far I'm not fully impressed with its autofocus performance.

Should I buy the Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO

• Viltrox sent me the Z-mount version of the 26mm lens
• I paired it with my own full-frame Nikon Z6 II
• I regularly used the lens for a month, across a wide range of scenarios

I used the Z-mount version of the Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO lens with my own Nikon Z6 II full-frame mirrorless camera regularly over the course of one month. My main focus was real world use over technical studio-based tests, though I typically use lenses in scenarios that test their technical capabilities.

For example, I took the same photo in a sequence to see how quality compares using each of the lens' full aperture settings, starting at f/2.8 through to f/16. I checked for bokeh, lens distortion and sharpness at each setting, too.

I was particularly keen to check quality of the maximum f/2.8 aperture, and how the lens copes in strong daylight, especially with such a small lens hood supplied. I photographed landscapes, portraits and documentary-style moments.

First reviewed August 2026

President Trump has levied a new set of tariffs against imported drones and their components for national security reasons.

For ‘particularly sensitive’ drones, such as those over 25kg, those with docking stations, or those with thermal imaging capabilities, the tariffs are 100%.

“President Trump’s drone tariff program will protect the national security of the United States and its defense and defense-adjacent industrial base, supporting and creating American jobs,” the White House fact sheet said.

Strengthening US industry through national security

Drones below the 25kg threshold will still be subject to a 25% tariff, with drones imported from the European Union, Japan, Liechtenstein, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan subject to a 15% tariff. The United Kingdom has a lesser tariff of only 10%.

The intended consequence of these tariffs is to strengthen the US domestic drone construction industry and the wider domestic drone market.

Outside of outright upping the cost of drones in the US as vendors pass on the costs of drones to consumers, the tariffs will also likely increase the costs of an already constrained supply of specialized drones in the US market.

Many drones imported from abroad, particularly those from China, are used for specialized purposes such as search and rescue and power line inspection. As the US does not have the dedicated industries and resources to quickly begin manufacturing these drones, there will likely be a huge increase of demand for a very limited supply.

The new tariffs also close a loophole allowing Chinese parts to be assembled into a drone in the US. The fact sheet states that drones for commercial and US military purposes “rely on foreign sources for critical Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) components, which poses significant risks to U.S. national security and creates cybersecurity vulnerabilities.”

The tariffs are due to kick in on September 3 2026, giving the US drone market just 21 days to adjust or pay massively inflated import costs.

It was a different story for me, however. I was on a family break in the hours before the eclipse reached its 91% peak, where I was in the UK, and was entirely unprepared.

As a photographer in this kind of situation, normally I would be frantically fiddling with camera gear and searching for the best nearby location, but the stars didn't quite align to capture the experience on this occasion.

And despite a flood of spectacular eclipse images being shared online, and the fact that there won't be another eclipse this good in the UK in my lifetime, do you know what? I'm OK with how this eclipse played out for me.

Rather than getting bogged down with gear and camera settings and composition, I simply relaxed and enjoyed the spectacle with family. It was an otherworldly yet unencumbered experience, and I'll always remember that soft golden light over those few minutes, and the eclectic methods that people around us were using to watch the eclipse — from DIY pinhole cameras to colanders. It was a moment shared that brought communities together.

Sure, it might have been a different story if I were in northern Spain on an organized trip for eclipse totality, but to echo my former colleague Phil Berne's sentiments after the 2024 eclipse, I don't think any image I would have taken could do an ounce of justice to the real thing. Watching it, in community, was enough.

It still pains the photographer in me a little that the lead image in this article is of the marina where I watched the eclipse take place, along with the shadow of a colander projecting the sun's mostly eclipsed image onto a wall, both shot with my Pixel, rather than a perfectly composed, awe-inspiring eclipse photo.

However, I have gained more as a human being from making the eclipse a shared experience, and I'm still enjoying the best 2026 eclipse shots by the photographers and creatives who really went for it. You can vote below for your favorite from a selection of shots that stood out to us.

As if a total eclipse before sunset across parts of Europe wasn't enough, the Perseid meteor shower peaked on the same day, August 12 (with a rare six-planet alignment chucked in for good measure).

You'd think that as a professional photographer I would've had all the gear for the 2026 eclipse (which maxed at around 91% where I was in the UK), but I opted to simply enjoy it with my family and a colander. The Perseids on the other hand, were the celestial show that I got my gear out for.

Like the six planets, the conditions aligned for optimum photography of the Perseid meteor shower; a dark new moon and clear dark skies graced where I live during peak activity. It was warm enough to be out in shorts, too.

I set up my Google Pixel 8 Pro phone on one tripod and a Nikon Z6 II mirrorless camera with pro 24-70mm Ff/2.8 S on another side by side in my garden, and sat back with my son. And once our eyes had adjusted to the dark, the fun began within minutes.

How I photographed the Perseid meteor shower

For meteor photography, you absolutely need a method of keeping your camera completely still. I recommend a tripod support, though at a pinch you could prop your gear on a solid surface.

For my Pixel phone, I selected the Night Sight mode in the camera app. Once it had detected that the tripod-mounted device was completely still, the crescent moon on the photo icon changed to stars, indicating that the astrophotography mode had become available.

Hitting the photo icon on screen then starts a +4 minute timer on screen, at the end of which an optimized night sky image appears in the phone's gallery, together with one second-long timelapse video covering that entire sequence.

The alternative is standard the Night Sight mode, though to have any chance of a bright enough exposure, you'll need to manually increase the exposure time to the maximum possible six seconds. The astrophotography option yields much better quality results. For other devices besides the Pixel, check for equivalent photo modes.

Meanwhile, I set my Nikon lens to its widest 24mm focal length and an f/3.5 aperture, and set the Z6 II camera exposure settings manually to 20 seconds and ISO 3200. Any slower and the stars would start to streak (trail) rather than be distinct dots (the astrophotography rule of thumb for crisp stars is calculated as follows: focal length multiplied by shutter speed = 500 or less).

I usually shoot night sky photos in RAW format, and set the white balance to the tungsten setting for a rich blue color. I manually focus the lens to infinity and then dial it back a fraction.

Once the mirrorless gear was ready, I took the meteor photos with a self timer to avoid camera shake that occurs when pressing the shutter button by hand. The Z6 II can take up to nine consecutive images with the timer option, which in this scenario covered three minutes each time (given each photo is 20 seconds long). Alternatively, I could have locked the shutter button down with a remote release and the camera would run all night, which is what I do for star trail photography.

Smartphone vs mirrorless: which rig did I prefer?

Given the need for a tripod support, I didn't really feel that the phone was any more convenient than the bulkier mirrorless system, despite its simpler design.

Furthermore, the astrophotography mode remains illuminated on screen during the 4+ minute process of capturing a single image, which was somewhat of a distraction — you don't want a bright screen in sight when watching a meteor shower. Conversely, the Nikon camera's screen goes dark during each long exposure, which complimented the whole experience much better.

More importantly, I found that I couldn't rely on the Pixel's astrophotography mode auto editing. In almost all of the final photos, there were no visible meteors despite them clearly occurring during the four minute capture and being in frame, confirmed when I watched back the one-second timelapse video sequences (see below).

It seems as though for the most part, the Pixel device edits out meteors (and passing planes) in favor of a clean night sky image. It reminded me of my experience photographing the northern lights with a Pixel a couple of years back — I found the astrophotography mode over-edited.

The Nikon camera, meanwhile, faithfully recorded each meteor in frame during the 20-second-long exposures. And, with a little creative editing, I could composite multiple meteors from multiple photos into one (assuming from images with identical composition) to get a final image with multiple meteors. You can see some of my photos below.

Put simply, I preferred the handling of the mirrorless camera, and the faithfulness of the images it produces, over my experience using a Pixel phone.

The Perseids lowdown for tonight

The Perseids are active up until August 24, but your best best is getting out asap this week. Last night, August 12 into the early hours of August 13, was the peak, but you can expect to see plenty more meteors tonight and in the coming evenings.

During peak activity, you can expect around 50-100 visible Perseid meteors per hour under dark skies in the Northern Hemisphere. Pre-dawn hours are recommended, but I saw plenty at around midnight once I had settled down — you can try any time between 11pm and 5am local time.

You can follow my gear advice above but, honestly, just like with the solar eclipse, the Perseid meteor shower is arguably best enjoyed purely for the magical spectacle that is, without getting bogged down by gear.

I must've been sat with my son for over an hour in the warm weather, watching the night sky intently for where the next meteor would appear, delighting in each one, plus another hour by myself after he had gone inside to bed.

Some meteors appeared like faint white lines, others began as multi-color streaks and finished as blazing fireballs. Sods law the fiercest meteor I saw all night happened after I had packed up the camera gear to call it a night at around 2:30am. Trust me, it really was something.

I plan to head out again tonight to a nearby historic site with both cameras once more to get better framed shots including points of interest, but it's the Nikon that I'll be relying on.

Captured by a small camera crew in rural Spain, the photograph is of Olympic skateboarder Danny León jumping mid-air on a half-pipe as the moon eclipses the sun behind him. Since posting it on Instagram (see below), the image of the synchronized eclipse stunt has gone viral.

León hasn't yet disclosed the equipment used to photograph the epic shot, but has said that he'll share the backstory soon. All of the best images I've seen so far of the August 12th solar eclipse have been taken on mirrorless cameras, so I wouldn't be surprised if this is the same.

What I was surprised to hear was that the majority of TechRadar readers photographed yesterday's eclipse with just their smartphone's camera. Based on a poll of 825 people, close to 50% of respondents said they were planning to capture it with their phone.

Meanwhile, 30% said they wouldn't bother photographing it at all and instead planned to watch it with solar eclipse glasses, or, if you were like me, through a shadow made by a pinhole in a sheet of paper (my version of a DIY box projector or colander).

Of course I couldn't help but sneak a photo of it on my iPhone. Even though it isn't advised because of the potential damage it can do to the sensor, as long as you're only quickly snapping a pic, then you likely won't create dead pixels — it's more if you were to point it at the sun for a prolonged period of time.

If you didn't manage to capture the 2026 solar eclipse, enjoy this selection of some of my favorite shots of the major celestial event, and make sure to let me know which one is your favorite by voting in the poll below.

10 years after Insta360 launched its first 360 camera, the X6 arrives as the anniversary flagship — and it arrives in a much, much busier 360 camera market. This time, Insta360 is defending its home turf against a resurgent GoPro Max 2 and a highly capable debut from DJI in the Osmo 360. There's a feeling, then, that the X6 has to be something more than just an annual refresh.

For the most part, it delivers. The squat body houses a pair of larger 1/1.1-inch sensors, and while I wouldn't call the resulting jump in image quality dramatic when set directly against the X5's footage, its effect on where the X6 sits against the wider field is significant.

The GoPro Max 2 has owned daylight sharpness in this category since launch, and the Insta360 X5 has owned the night. The X6 is the first small 360 camera I've tested that doesn't ask you to pick one or the other — it's excellent in both conditions, which makes it, in my view, the best-performing 360 camera you can currently buy.

It's a similar story with durability. Waterproof to 20m without a case and 60m with one, the X6 comfortably out-swims both the Osmo 360 and the Max 2, and its lenses remain just as easy (and now cheaper) to replace if you scratch one . Battery life is another strong point: Insta360's 140-minute claim at 8K/30fps held up closely in my testing, with zero overheating during continuous filming.

Where things get messier is the software. The X6 introduces some exciting additions for serious creators, like 10-bit color across every shooting mode including low light, native Dolby Vision, and forthcoming native DaVinci Resolve support, but the mobile app I tested struggled badly, crashing repeatedly during editing and export. I'm hoping the launch app is a lot more robust. The desktop app fared much better, but lacks the AI auto-editing tools that make the mobile experience so appealing on paper.

All of this comes at a premium price, too: the X6 is comfortably the most expensive small 360 camera around. Whether that premium is worth paying will come down to how much you value best-in-class image quality and hardware.

I've also directly compared the Insta360 X6 and Insta360 X5 in real video recording scenarios — check out my early verdict.

Insta360 X6 specs

Insta360 X6: Price and availability

• Launched worldwide on August 12, 2026
• Standard bundle costs $699.99 / £619 / AU$1,049.99
• Essentials Bundle is $799.99 / £709 / AU$1,159.99

The Insta360 X6 launched on August 12, 2026, priced from $699.99 / £619 / AU$1,049.99 for the Standard bundle. This gets you the camera itself, a USB-C cable, a protective pouch, a lens cloth and a quick-start guide, but nothing else.

Also available is the Essentials Bundle, priced at $799.99 / £709 / AU$1,159.99. This adds a second Xtreme battery, a 114cm invisible selfie stick, a rubber lens cap, a fast-charge case and an extended warranty, and it might be a sensible starting point if you think you'll use those accessories.

It's quite a price jump over where the X5 launched ($549.99 / £519.99 / AU$929.99 for its own Standard bundle), and it also puts real distance between the X6 and rivals like the DJI Osmo 360 (priced from £409.99 / AU$759 at launch) and GoPro Max 2 ($499.99 / £449.99 / AU$849.95). The X6 is the priciest small 360 camera on the market.

One thing worth budgeting for regardless of which bundle you choose: while the X6 has 47GB of usable built-in storage, 8K footage eats through that fast (more on this in the Design section), so factor in a high-capacity microSD card if you don't already have a spare lying around.

• Price score: 3.5/5

Insta360 X6: Design

• IP68-rated and waterproof to 20m (60m with optional dive case)
• Replaceable lenses claimed to be 5x more scratch-resistant than X5's
• 2.32-inch OLED touchscreen with always-on support

The X6 weighs 6.9oz / 196g, and is noticeably squatter and squarer than its X4 and X5 predecessors, a change I'd put down to the need to accommodate the larger 1/1.1-inch sensors inside. That extra width also allows room for a wider screen (albeit one that's slightly smaller than the X5's): a 2.32-inch OLED display that supports an always-on mode, a step up from the screens on the last couple of Insta360 X cameras.

That screen also introduces a pressure-sensitive, haptic touch interface, requiring a firmer press to access certain options. It's a clever party trick, but in practice I didn't find it added much to the experience — it feels more like a gimmick for now than a true usability upgrade.

For mounting purposes, you get the same setup as the X5: a standard 1/4-inch tripod thread and Insta360's proprietary magnetic clip mount on the bottom. Between these and adapters for GoPro-style mounting fingers, you can securely bolt the X6 to pretty much anything. During testing, I used the supplied selfie stick for on-foot and cycling footage, and also tested the SmallRig Vehicle Suction Cup Support Kit for car-mounted shots, both of which worked brilliantly.

On the durability front, the X6 is IP68-rated and waterproof to 20m without any additional housing, rising to 60m with Insta360's official dive case (which costs a whopping $179.99 / £158.99 / AU$269.99). This comfortably outclasses the competition: the DJI Osmo 360 tops out at 10m (and DJI itself discourages underwater use, citing stitching issues), while the GoPro Max 2 manages just 5m. If unhoused underwater shooting matters to you, the X6 is the clear class leader.

Insta360 says the X6's lenses are five times more scratch-resistant than the X5's, and cheaper to replace, too. I didn't manage to scratch mine during testing — which speaks well of that durability claim — so I didn't get to experience the swap process, but the X6 offers the same easy-replacement design as the X5, with the replacement kit including all the tools you need to quickly remove the old lens, clean up any debris and attach a new one.

Alongside the usual microSD card slot, the X6 packs 47GB of usable built-in storage — enough for around 50 minutes of 8K/30fps footage, and a useful safety net if you forget a card or fill one up mid-session. Getting footage off the camera is quick, too: Wi-Fi 6.0 supports wireless transfers of up to 100MB/s, while wired USB 3.0 hits 450MB/s. Both speeds are worth having, because as I found out during testing, the X6's video files get enormous very quickly (more on that in the Performance section).

• Design score: 5/5

Insta360 X6: Performance

• Insta360 claims 140 minutes of 8K/30fps recording; I got 136 minutes in testing
• On-device AI Director auto-edits your day's footage overnight
• The mobile app was prone to crashing during testing, especially on older phones

The X6's 2600mAh Xtreme battery is rated for 140 minutes of continuous 8K/30fps recording, a claimed 51% improvement over the X5. I put that figure to the test, and got 136 minutes before the battery gave out, so Insta360's number holds up well in practice. I also didn't experience any overheating during that stretch, which is impressive given that I was testing through an unusually hot UK summer. Charging is fast, too: Insta360 claims 0 to 80% in 24 minutes with a fast charger, and I found those figures accurate.

Insta360 positions the X6 as "three cameras in one": a 360 camera, a single-lens action cam, and a subject-tracking gimbal-style vlogging camera. In practice, I gravitated almost entirely toward the 360 mode. The X6's size and shape make it a bit unwieldy for hardcore action-camera use compared to something like a GoPro Hero or Insta360's own Ace Pro 2, so I'd treat that mode as a useful fallback rather than a primary draw. The vlogging mode fares better: InstaFrame 2.0 does a genuinely good job of replicating a gimbal-mounted vlogging camera, keeping a chosen subject framed, horizon-levelled and stabilized regardless of how the X6 itself is positioned. You select your subject with a simple double-tap on the screen.

On the color and post-production side, the X6 supports the 10-bit I-Log flat profile, and — significantly for demanding creators — that 10-bit depth now carries across every shooting mode, including the PureVideo low-light mode, which wasn't the case on the X5. It's also the first 360 camera with native in-camera Dolby Vision. Perhaps the biggest software win here is native DaVinci Resolve compatibility, a first for a 360 camera — though this requires Resolve 22, which wasn't available at the time of testing, so I wasn't able to try it pre-launch. As a Resolve user myself, I'll be checking this out as soon as it lands.

The headline software feature is AI Director, an on-device auto-editing system clearly designed around a simple pitch: shoot footage throughout the day, plug the X6 in to charge overnight, and wake up to a finished (but still adjustable) vlog ready to watch in the app.

Unfortunately, my experience with the Insta360 app itself was rocky. I tested beta versions on both an iPhone 13 and a OnePlus Pad Android tablet, and on the iPhone the app struggled badly, crashing repeatedly during anything demanding — including simply exporting an edited video. This isn't a new problem in my experience reviewing Insta360 cameras, but it was pronounced here; Insta360's own reviewer notes suggest an iPhone 15 is the oldest model considered capable of running the app properly, which is a tough ask given that not everyone upgrades their phone every couple of years.

The app fared somewhat better on the OnePlus Pad, letting me test AI-assisted editing of individual clips, though longer clips took a while to process. Results were generally solid, if not something I'd say beats a hand-edited video. I wasn't able to test the app's other AI editing trick — stitching together multiple shorter clips automatically, complete with transitions and music — on either device: it crashed the iPhone app outright, and simply refused to let me add clips to the editor on Android.

One other app frustration: there's no way to switch between color profiles remotely. If you want to shoot in I-Log or Dolby Vision rather than the standard profile, you have to make that change on the camera itself, which is annoying if, say, the X6 is mounted on a pole on top of your car, as it was during part of my testing.

The desktop Insta360 Studio app, run on my M2 MacBook Air, offered a much more stable experience, though it lacks the AI auto-editing tools found on mobile. What it does offer is more precise manual editing on a larger screen, which I personally find easier to work with regardless of stability. I was able to trim, reframe and export finished clips directly from the X6 to my SSD without needing to move the original files off the camera first, which was a lifesaver given the next issue.

That issue is file size: 8K/30fps footage eats through roughly 1GB of storage per minute, so the X6's 47GB of built-in storage fills up fast, and I ran into storage problems fitting longer clips onto both my phone and my laptop. Factoring in the mobile app's instability — which I do expect to be much improved after launch — I found it far easier to manage and trim footage using the desktop app instead.

Audio is handled by a new 360-degree windproof mic array that "actively filters" wind noise, plus a dedicated hidden mic built specifically for motorcycle riders, designed to cut wind further and clarify engine sound — a niche inclusion, but I suppose a welcome one if it applies to you.

I tested the built-in wind filter, and it works, up to a point: noise was noticeably reduced compared with other modes, but not eliminated. For that, I'd recommend pairing the X6 with Insta360's Mic Pro, which I also tested alongside the camera — it essentially eliminates wind noise altogether, and offers the best noise-cancelling I've experienced from a small wireless mic.

• Performance score: 4/5

Insta360 X6: Image quality

• Dual 1/1.1-inch sensors, up from the X5's 1/1.28-inch pair
• 360 video now tops out at 8K/50fps
• 10-bit available across all video modes, including the PureVideo low-light mode

The X6's biggest hardware change is its new dual 1/1.1-inch square sensors, up from the 1/1.28-inch sensors in the X5; that's 33% more sensor area, and around four times the light intake per frame versus its predecessor. That upgrade also brings a higher frame-rate ceiling in 360 mode, with 8K now available at up to 50fps, versus the X5's 30fps cap. Photo resolution climbs too, topping out at 120MP for 360 shots and 42MP in flat mode.

In good lighting, the difference between X5 and X6 footage is there, but it's incremental rather than transformative. I do have to mention AdaptiveTone 2.0 though, which captures two exposures per frame for noticeably better handling of bright skies and high-contrast scenes than I've seen from Insta360 before. I would have previously said the GoPro Max 2 offered the best 360 image quality in good lighting, but now I think the X6 might have equalled or possibly even bettered it.

It's after dark that the X6 really separates itself from the pack, though. The PureVideo low-light mode was already a strength of the X5, but the combination of the larger sensors and 10-bit color now being supported across every shooting mode — including PureVideo itself — pushes noise levels down further still. Neither the DJI Osmo 360's SuperNight mode nor the GoPro Max 2's standard mode (which lacks a dedicated low-light option entirely) come close. I can comfortably say the X6 is the best 360 camera for low-light shooting currently available.

So that's daylight footage that rivals the sharpest in the category, and the best low-light performance by a mile. The X6 is the first small 360 camera I've tested that doesn't force you to accept a trade-off between the two. Where I'd previously have pointed daylight shooters toward the Max 2, and night owls toward the X5, the X6 simply offers the best all-round image quality on the market, in any light.

• Image quality score: 5/5

Insta360 X6: testing scorecard

Should I buy the Insta360 X6?

Buy it if...

You want the best 360 camera image quality around
The X6 delivers the sharpest, cleanest footage overall of any small 360 camera I've tested — no more choosing between daylight sharpness and low-light performance.

You need serious underwater durability
IP68-rated and waterproof to 20m without a case, or 60m with Insta360's official dive housing, the X6 comfortably out-swims both the DJI Osmo 360 and GoPro Max 2.

You're a demanding video creator
10-bit color across every shooting mode, native Dolby Vision, and forthcoming native DaVinci Resolve support make the X6 suited to serious post-production work.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a budget
At $699.99 / £619 / AU$1,049.99, the X6 is now the most expensive small 360 camera around, and by some margin. The DJI Osmo 360 and GoPro Max 2 both undercut it significantly.

You own an older phone
Insta360's guidance recommends an iPhone 15 or newer to get a stable experience from the mobile app. I found it crashed repeatedly on my iPhone 13, particularly when editing or exporting footage.

You want flawless software out of the box
Between the app's instability and its inability to switch color profiles remotely, the X6's hardware is currently running ahead of its software. This should improve post-launch, but it's worth going in with realistic expectations.

Also consider

How I tested the Insta360 X6

• I tested a full production unit (with beta firmware and software) for three weeks
• I shot day and night footage during a hot English summer
• I tested the X6 with and without Insta360's Mic Pro wireless microphone

I tested the Insta360 X6 for three weeks, shooting throughout an unusually hot English summer to see how it handled sustained use in warm conditions. I recorded both day and night footage across a range of situations, mounting the camera on the supplied selfie stick for on-foot and cycling shots, and on a SmallRig suction cup mount for car-mounted clips.

I tested audio both with the X6's built-in mics and paired with Insta360's Mic Pro wireless microphone, to compare the camera's own wind reduction against a dedicated external solution.

For editing, I reframed and trimmed footage using the Insta360 Studio desktop app before exporting for final edits and color grading in DaVinci Resolve.

• First reviewed August 2026

The Insta360 X5 has sat at the top of TechRadar's best 360 camera guide since its arrival in the spring of 2025, fending off strong challenges from the DJI Osmo 360 and the GoPro Max 2 along the way. Despite the competition, it's been the 360 camera to beat for well over a year.

Now in steps another model, this time from within Insta360 itself; the X6, which arrives as the company's tenth-anniversary flagship. On paper the X5's successor is a significant step up across almost every major spec: bigger sensors, faster frame rates, tougher waterproofing, longer battery life, and a set of pro-video tools the X5 doesn't have.

I've spent time testing both 360 cameras extensively — check out my Insta360 X6 review — and while the X6 isn't a wholesale reinvention of the formula, the upgrades it does bring are real and, in several cases, substantial. Here are the five biggest differences you need to know about if you're deciding between them, followed by my early verdict on which one deserves your money.

1. Insta360 X6 vs Insta360 X5: Sensors and image quality

• New 1/1.1-inch sensors on the X6, up from 1/1.28-inch on the X5
• X6 shoots 360 video at up to 8K/50fps, versus the X5's 8K/30fps ceiling
• 120MP 360 photos on the X6, versus 72MP on the X5

The headline hardware change between these two cameras is sensor size. The X5 introduced dual 1/1.28-inch sensors that were a big step up from the X4's, and the X6 goes further still with a new pair of 1/1.1-inch sensors. Insta360 says that's 33% more sensor area, and around four times the light intake per frame.

In practice, I'd say the difference this makes in good daylight conditions is real but subtle, and not as dramatic a jump as the X4-to-X5 upgrade was. Where the X6 really pulls ahead is in low light. The X5's PureVideo mode was already the best low-light performer in its category, but the X6 pushes noise reduction and detail retention further still, helped by 10-bit color depth now being supported across every shooting mode — including PureVideo, which wasn't the case on the X5.

The maximum frame rate and resolution have both gone up too. The X6 shoots 360 video at up to 8K/50fps, compared with the X5's 8K/30fps cap, giving smoother results at the top resolution. And 360 photo resolution has increased from 72MP on the X5 to 120MP on the X6.

None of this makes the X5's image quality suddenly look poor; it remains excellent for its generation. But if outright image quality, in any light, is your priority, the X6 is a genuine step forward rather than an incremental one.

• Sensors and image quality winner: Insta360 X6

2. Insta360 X6 vs Insta360 X5: Waterproofing and durability

• X6 waterproof to 20m as standard versus the X5's 15m
• Both reach 60m with their respective official dive cases
• X6's lenses 5x more scratch-resistant and cheaper to replace

Both cameras were already rugged by 360 camera standards, but the X6 pushes things further – and deeper. It's IP68-rated and waterproof to 20m without any additional housing, compared with the X5's 15m — a significant improvement if you regularly shoot unhoused underwater footage rather than reaching for a case every time. Both cameras reach 60m with their respective official dive cases, so we can call it even for serious diving use.

Lens durability has improved too. Insta360 says the X6's lenses are five times more scratch-resistant than the X5's, and cheaper to replace on top of that (from $26.99 US / £20.99 UK / AU$35.99 opposed to from $29.99 US / £29.99 UK / AU$54.99). I didn't manage to put either camera's lenses to a real scratch test during my reviews, but the X5's tool-based replacement system was already reliable and affordable, so this looks like a refinement of something that wasn't broken rather than a fix for something that was.

Body design plays into durability too, if less directly. The X6 is squatter and lower-profile than the X5's familiar candy-bar shape (DJI and GoPro rivals are squatter-still), which may make it a more comfortable, less obtrusive fit for helmet mounts or other body-worn setups, and slightly less exposed to knocks in the process.

For anyone whose priority is unhoused underwater shooting, or who's simply hard on their gear, the X6's improvements here feel quite meaningful.

• Waterproofing and durability winner: Insta360 X6

3. Insta360 X6 vs Insta360 X5: Battery life and storage

• X6 rated for 140 minutes at 8K/30fps, X5 at 93 minutes
• X6 showed no overheating in testing while the X5 shut down after 47 minutes
• X6 boasts 47GB of built-in storage, X5 has none

Battery capacity has slightly grown from 2,400mAh on the X5 to 2,600mAh on the X6, but the difference in real-world runtime is substantial. At identical recording settings of 8K/30fps, Insta360 rates the X5 for 93 minutes and the X6 for 140 minutes. I tested the X6 myself and recorded 136 minutes before the battery ran out, closely matching Insta360's claim and representing around a 50% improvement over the X5's figure.

Heat management tells an equally clear story. When I tested the X5, it shut down due to overheating after 47 minutes of continuous 8K/30fps recording at room temperature. The X6, by contrast, showed no overheating at all during my testing. Now, I won't say this'll always be the case, as real-world conditions change, but it does seem worth bearing in mind if you plan on recording for extended periods without a break.

Charging speed is a rare category where the X5 retains the edge: it fast-charges from empty to 80% in 20 minutes, compared with 24 minutes for the X6. It's a minor trade-off against everything else the X6 gains here, but worth knowing if quick top-ups between shoots matter to you.

Overall, the X6 offers a leap in both runtime and heat resilience, with only a slightly slower charge time to show for it.

On the storage front, both cameras carry a microSD card slot, but the X6 also comes with 60GB of built-in storage, 47GB of which is usable for videos and photos. It's a nice little bonus bit of space.

• Battery life and storage winner: Insta360 X6

4. Insta360 X6 vs Insta360 X5: Pro-friendly video features

• X6 supports 10-bit color across every shooting mode, including low light
• X6 is the first 360 camera with native in-camera Dolby Vision
• X6 offers native DaVinci Resolve compatibility (once Resolve 22 arrives)

Beyond the headline sensor and battery upgrades, the X6 introduces a step change for anyone editing footage seriously rather than just sharing clips straight from the app. The X5 supports the flat I-Log color profile for grading, but 10-bit color depth is limited to its standard shooting modes — it isn't available in the PureVideo low light mode. The X6 removes that restriction entirely: 10-bit color now carries across every shooting mode, low light included, giving colorists more to work with regardless of the conditions the footage was shot in.

The X6 is also the first 360 camera with native in-camera Dolby Vision, layering dynamic metadata onto footage frame by frame for wider highlight and shadow detail straight out of the camera. The X5 has nothing equivalent.

Another noteworthy addition for professional workflows is native DaVinci Resolve compatibility, a first for a 360 camera and something the X5 simply can't do (it does have a plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro, and you can expect the same for the X6). This requires Resolve 22, which wasn't available at the time of my testing, so I haven't been able to verify it firsthand yet — but if it works as promised, it should speed up the workflow of any Resolve user who currently has to bounce footage through Insta360 Studio before it's usable.

None of this will matter much if you mostly rely on the Insta360 app's auto-editing tools or straight-from-the-camera videos. But for creators who already work in Resolve, or who want to push their footage hard in post, the X6 offers tools the X5 simply doesn't have.

• Pro-friendly video features winner: Insta360 X6

5. Insta360 X6 vs Insta360 X5: Design and display

• X6 is squatter and lower-profile than the X5's candy-bar shape
• X6's 2.32-inch OLED screen is smaller in diagonal size than the X5's 2.5-inch display
• X6 supports an always-on display; the X5 doesn't

Insta360 has departed from its long-running candy-bar design with the X6, and the change is more than cosmetic. The squatter, lower-profile shape gives up a little of the X5's comfortable in-hand feel, but it's arguably better suited to being worn or mounted — on a helmet, say, or in any setup where the X5's longer body would stick out and catch on things more easily. Both weigh around 200g, though.

The screen tells a similar story of trade-offs rather than a straightforward upgrade. On paper, the X6's 2.32-inch OLED display is slightly smaller than the X5's 2.5-inch screen. But the X6's panel is squarer in shape, where the X5's is more elongated, and in practice I found the X6's screen more comfortable to view and to navigate via touch — menus and framing previews both feel like they have more room to breathe, despite the smaller diagonal measurement. The X6 also adds always-on support, letting you check status or framing without waking the display, which the X5 can't do.

The X6's screen additionally introduces a pressure-sensitive, haptic touch interface for certain functions, though in my testing this felt more like a novelty than a genuine improvement over the X5's straightforward touch controls.

Neither camera is dramatically better designed than the other. It's more a case of Insta360 optimizing for a different set of priorities with the X6, some of which will suit certain shooters better than others.

• Design and display winner: Insta360 X6

Insta360 X6 vs Insta360 X5: Early verdict

Five rounds, five wins for the X6 — though one of those, design and display, was close enough that "win" undersells how competitive the X5 remains.

The upgrades that matter most are the sensors, battery life and pro-video features. Better image quality in any light, and close to 50% more real-world runtime (with none of the overheating I experienced testing the X5), are big gains. What I can't yet fully compare are the software experiences, since I ran into lots of instability in the Insta360 app during X6 testing, and I want to see how it improves once the retail version arrives before judging it properly.

Price is another factor worth considering. The X6's Standard bundle costs $669.99 / £619 / AU$1,049.99, which is quite a step up from the X5's $549.99 / £519.99 / AU$929.99 launch price. And I suspect the X5 is about to get cheaper due to no longer being the company's flagship camera, so it could be a great choice for anyone looking for good all-round performance at a bargain price.

If you already own an X5, the upgrades the X6 brings are real but not so dramatic that you should trade it in right away. If you're buying a 360 camera for the first time, though, things are simpler: the X6 is the better camera, and worth the extra outlay if your budget stretches to it.

If you didn't already know it, there's a total solar eclipse today, August 12. Totality will occur in parts of Spain, Portugal, Greenland and Iceland, and a partial eclipse will be visible further afield across Europe, including the UK, and even as far as northern North America. If you're in any of those regions, it promises to be a truly unmissable spectacle.

A poll on the TechRadar WhatsApp channel showed that plenty of you are planning on photographing the 2026 eclipse (voting is still open, and you can vote below). That's great, and you should definitely go for it — but you should definitely also read our how to photograph a solar eclipse guide and, most importantly, taking precautionary measures to protect both your eyes and your gear.

You'll need solar glasses to protect your eyes while looking directly towards the Sun — with astronomical demand, good luck buying some at this late stage — but also a solar filter for your camera gear.

If you're in any doubt about the risks to camera kit, take this post by Lensrentals, as your warning. The risk to unprotected camera gear when you point it directly at the Sun, even for short periods, is clearly seen in the photos of damaged rental gear returned to Lensrentals following the 2017 solar eclipse in the US (and in the YouTube video below).

Photographing a solar eclipse — the risks to camera gear

Sensors were the most commonly damaged component, whether that was in a DSLR or mirrorless model. The intense light and heat generated as it was focused through the lens without a solar filter attached literally melted sensors — and you can see the permanent damage in the image above.

That's not all. Lensrentals shared photos of melted shutters, lens aperture blades (see the lead image), mirror damage in DSLRs, and even damage to a built-in ND filter system in one of its cinema cameras. All this damage is permanent, and repairs are costly.

You really don't want to take any shortcuts for today's solar eclipse. Protect yourself, and protect your gear! You can find further eclipse safety at the NASA site.

Will you be watching the solar eclipse? If you're photographing it, what gear will you be using? Make sure you vote in our poll below, and share your favorite shots with us at news@techradar.com — we'll feature your best images in our follow-up coverage.

A total solar eclipse is happening on August 12, with totality occurring in parts of Spain, Portugal, Greenland and Iceland; but even if you live further afield across Europe and even as far as northern North America, you will be able to see a partial eclipse.

The spectacular event, which occurs when the Sun disappears behind the Moon, happens every 18 months or so, with areas that experience totality falling into darkness during daylight hours.

However, only a small fraction of the Earth has a good view of each total eclipse, meaning it's effectively a once-in-a-lifetime event in any single place — North America experienced one in 2024, but won't again until 2044, in different parts of the continent.

Former TechRadar Phones Editor Philip Berne shared his experience of the total solar eclipse in 2024 and described it as a "silent, dazzling fury" that proved to be a tough photography challenge. For him, though, simply experiencing the event, photography aside, was magical.

Whether you plan to photograph the eclipse or simply take it in (wearing solar glasses essential to protect your eyes), the event is not to be missed. Below I'll outline key location and timing details about the 2026 total solar eclipse, and share my top tips for capturing this moment with your camera, whether that's a mirrorless, DSLR, or smartphone.

I'd love to hear from you too. Will you be watching the solar eclipse? If you're photographing it, what gear will you be using? Make sure you vote in our poll below, and share your favorite shots with us at news@techradar.com.

Total solar eclipse 2026: where and when

The totality of the 2026 solar eclipse will be visible from the northern half of Spain, the northeast corner of Portugal, eastern Greenland, and western Iceland.

Snæfellsjökull in Iceland will get the total eclipse for the longest period, at two minutes and 10 seconds, from 5:45pm, while at Gijón in Spain totality begins at 8:26pm and will last for one minute and 46 seconds. Barcelona and Madrid will enjoy a 99%+ eclipse at 8:29pm and 8:32pm respectively.

The sun will be 91% obscured for viewers in London at 7:13pm. Fairbanks, Alaska gets a maximum 37% eclipse at 8:27am AKDT, while Presque Isle, Maine will experience 28% at 1:50pm EDT.

Our sister site space.com has a more detailed breakdown of locations and times. For an even more detailed breakdown of the precise time and places to watch the total eclipse you can visit the European Space Agency website, or consult an interactive map at the Time and Date site.

Total solar eclipse 2026: how to photograph it

Pick your spot
Once you've researched if / when the eclipse is taking place where you are, you'll need to figure out a good place from which to observe it. Open areas with a wide, clear view of the sky are a safe bet. Better still, if the sun will be low in the sky during the eclipse where you are, consider including landmarks or points of interest in the shot during the eclipse phases. Bear in mind that the sun's position in the sky will move during the phases.

Gear essentials:
As for the best gear, there's no single right answer, because it all depends on the kind of image you're hoping for. A closeup of the sun requires a telephoto lens (around 500mm, or 20x zoom with a phone), whereas a shot that includes the landscape, other viewers, or points of interest for context works with a wider, standard optic. A DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual exposure control will give you the best chance of nailing the shot, but the best camera phones which also have these features can work too.

I'd advise using your camera's screen to compose the shot rather than a viewfinder — a tilt or articulating screen will make setup easier, as will a tripod support for eclipse sequences, freeing you up to enjoy the experience rather than getting bogged down with gear.

Protect your camera gear:
You'll also need dedicated accessories to protect your gear and get the best shots. A solar filter protects your camera sensor and ensures proper exposure. You'll need the filter for all the eclipse phases when the sun is visible, except the brief moment of totality.

Protect yourself:
Finally, before you settle down to basically look directly at the sun, you absolutely need to be wearing eclipse-approved solar glasses to safely experience the event.

For more detailed advice, check out our breakdown of how to photograph an eclipse, compiled for the previous 2024 event. It covers gear, camera settings and more.

Total solar eclipse 2026: what to photograph

The good folks at mpb.com have shared the following breakdown of the eclipse phases with us, together with photo ideas, and supplied images for this article.

First contact:
The Moon visually begins to overlap the Sun. Opt for a telephoto lens, and a suitable solar filter to capture the eclipse’s progression.

Partial phase:
The Moon gradually covers an increasing portion of the Sun. Use this moment to create a sequence of multiple images from the same frame, or to look for crescent-shaped shadows cast on the ground.

Baily’s Beads and diamond ring:
Just before totality, sunlight filters through the irregular lunar limb, creating small, bright points of light called Baily’s beads. When only one intense flash remains, this creates the 'diamond ring' effect for a very brief moment.

Second contact:
This marks the beginning of totality, when the Moon completely covers the Sun and the corona starts to become visible. It’s at this moment that you can remove the solar filter from your camera — but only for the period of totality.

Totality:
The solar corona appears and the environment changes in a matter of seconds. The light dims, the temperature may drop, and some bright stars may become visible.

Third contact:
This marks the end of totality, and Baily’s beads and the diamond ring may reappear. Replace your filter as soon as sunlight reappears.

Final partial phase and fourth contact:
The Moon continues to move until it no longer covers the Sun. Use this moment to complete your sequence.

Total solar eclipse 2026: share your experience

We'd love to see your solar eclipse photos. Share them with us at news@techradar.com, and vote in our poll below to let us know what camera gear you plan to use to photograph the event with. We'll share the results of the poll, and the best snaps, in the coming days.

If you’ve never seen a total eclipse in person, whatever you’ve seen and what you imagine don’t come close. The best photos, the most stunning video, they won’t match the silent, dazzling fury of the real thing. Your phone or monitor won’t capture the infinite diamond brilliance of the Sun’s corona twinkling around the black Moon.

I set out to shoot the total eclipse with my three best camera phones and my Nikon DSLR, but I am thankful that I decided to enjoy the eclipse in the scant three minutes I was under its totality.

Before I talk tech, I’ll do my best to describe the total solar eclipse if you’ve never seen one in person. April 8, 2024 was my first total eclipse, and before that day I thought it would be my last.

After seeing the total solar eclipse live, I felt like I can’t live the rest of my life without seeing one again. I’ve never seen a photo that was equally compelling. Seeing the real eclipse in person, it was so gloriously beautiful that I was immediately sad that it was so fleeting.

Here's what a total solar eclipse really looks like

There is a bright flash in the instant before the Sun goes dark. The world gets colder suddenly, but the landscape is not pitch dark. Watching the eclipse from the shore of Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont, the view of Mount Marcy and the Adirondacks presented a panoramic sunset, with waning light surrounding me at the horizon on all sides, and the black eclipse at the center.

The Sun’s corona dazzles and flares with wisps of magic. You’ve never seen any light move in such a way. The contrast between the shockingly dark moon and the incredibly bright corona makes the halo seem brilliant and crisply present, as though the Sun is just beyond your grasp, and not seven light-minutes away.

The corona is bright, but not as bright as the face of the Sun. It reaches the limit of what my eyes could tolerate without causing pain. To see something so shockingly intense, after avoiding the painfully bright Sun for the previous hour, is a revelation. It feels like a gift being unwrapped in the sky above. It is a surprise and a joy, and I was not shocked to hear the crowd around me erupt into spontaneous applause.

I was awestruck. I forgot everything I was supposed to do at that moment. I’m now grateful that I decided at the last minute to drive all the way up to Burlington, where the clouds were wispy and few and the totality lasted more than three whole minutes. A good friend traveled farther to experience just over thirty seconds of totality in the Ozarks. Neither of us regrets taking our trip.

Ruining a solar eclipse with too much tech

Back to the tech. My plan was … too much. I brought a telescope, and a DSLR, and three phones, and even smart glasses on my face. I don’t know what I was thinking. The eclipse lasted three minutes. I barely had time to focus one camera, let alone try to shoot with five. My plans fell to pieces, and I gave up quickly. I got a few good shots, then I turned my attention to the sky and just allowed myself to soak it in.

Seeing the eclipse was more rewarding than the best photo I’ve seen of the eclipse.

Here’s the gear I brought to shoot the solar eclipse. I borrowed a Vaonis Hestia telescope, which uses your phone as the viewfinder. I used an iPhone 15 Pro Max to take photos and view the eclipse through that telescope, with a solar filter provided by Vaonis. Those photos turned out pretty good, but it isn’t the most powerful telescope. Plus, an eclipse is a very complicated scene for lighting, especially for a phone camera.

I also had a Google Pixel 8 Pro and a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. I already decided I was not going to try to take telephoto zoom shots of the eclipse with these phones. The 5X range is simply not enough to capture any detail, and the sensor for the longest lens is also the smallest, lowest-quality sensor on the phone. Better to take wide-angle photos.

I set up the Galaxy S24 Ultra to shoot a time-lapse (Samsung calls it Hyperlapse) video of the entire event. I was pretty disappointed with the results. The sun was too high in the sky for even the widest lens to capture the scene around me as well as the eclipse in progress. The camera had trouble balancing the incredibly bright partial eclipse with the surroundings, so it just looks like a sunny day until totality occurs. When the eclipse happens, the camera balances the light in a way that doesn’t present the sunset colors and the changing light in the way I remember it.

I attached a solar filter to the Google Pixel 8 Pro, hoping I would be able to see more of the partial eclipse as it happened. Nope, the filter cut out too much light for the phone to handle. I was barely able to see the Sun through the filter, let alone capture great shots.

At the last minute, I decided to also bring my Nikon D750 camera with a Nikon 80-400mm lens. I don’t have a solar filter for that huge lens, so I planned on shooting only the totality of the eclipse, when it is safe to look at the sun without glasses. I got some pretty good shots, but I was rushing around too much, juggling too many chores. I should have reduced the exposure levels, or used a manual mode to dial back the shutter speed. The photos were blurry and blown out, not very good.

In the end, I got a couple of good shots from the iPhone on the telescope. They were better than the shots my friends took with their phones, and they impressed the people I shared them with. From my own perfectionist standards, I was disappointed with my pics, but I wasn’t disappointed at all with the experience.

In fact, I’m happy that I didn’t try much harder to take great photos, because at the last minute I chose to sacrifice the pics and enjoy the eclipse. It was amazing. It was the greatest natural phenomena I’ve ever seen. For the next eclipse, I’ll bring only one camera, and only one easy plan, and if I screw it up then I won’t even care. The best photo I could get would pale in comparison to the totality of the real thing.

You might also like...

• I shot the eclipse with an iPhone 15 Pro Max, Google Pixel 8 Pro and a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – here's which one did best
• You took amazing smartphone eclipse photos, but reminded me why I didn't use Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's 100x Space Zoom
• How to photograph the total solar eclipse with your camera or smartphone

There's been a ban on new DJI drones and cameras in the US since last December, but now the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is making moves to retroactively take some models off shelves that were approved before the ban came into effect.

Specifically, the FCC wants to pull "military-grade" drones from stores (via PCMag), which apparently includes every model with LiDAR obstacle avoidance or thermal cameras. That would affect drones such as the DJI Air 3S, the DJI Avata 360, the DJI Mini 5 Pro, and the DJI Mavic 3T, for example.

Drones that weigh over 55 pounds (nearly 25 kilograms) will be included in the retroactive ban, as well models that use docking stations. The criteria laid out by the FCC is broad enough to cover a substantial number of drones in DJI's current range.

Now, if you've already bought one of these drones in the US, the FCC isn't going to come and take it off you. However, unless the regulator changes course, these models won't be available to buy in the US from September 2.

You can take action

DJI has already complained long and hard about the original ban, pointing out that its drones were blacklisted for security reasons without any actual security audit taking place. It's also taking a very dim view of the new proposals by the FCC.

"People could continue using DJI products they already own, but the same models in use today might no longer be available to purchase in the future," says DJI in a blog post. "This is a total reversal from the FCC's previous position, and it is U.S. operators that would bear the cost."

DJI argues that safety agencies, small businesses, and farmers in the US who rely on DJI equipment will be faced with more expensive and difficult upgrades in the future, and it's asking for the public's support while the FCC proposal is considered.

You can have your say during the public comment period up until September 2: head to the Drone Advocacy Alliance website to make your feelings known, and to explain to the FCC how you use drones and their capabilities for non-military purposes.

DJI has unveiled the Mic Mini 2S, a new wireless microphone system that arrives just months after the launch of the Mic Mini 2 — and brings some significant upgrades to the table.

The Mic Mini 2S is the first mini wireless mic from DJI with internal recording capabilities, expanding on the recently launched Mic Mini 2 for creators who need to reliably capture every audio detail in a compact, flexible form. The company says it's designed to handle everything from solo shoots to on-the-street interviews, podcasts, and multi-person productions.

The DJI Mic Mini 2S is available to order today, priced from £79 / AU$149 for the single transmitter and receiver bundle, or from £79 / AU$149 for the equivalent mobile receiver kit (1 TX + 1 Mobile RX + Charging Case). The full two-transmitter bundle (2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case) costs £169 / AU$279.

A range of accessories is also up for grabs, including the transmitter on its own (£59 / AU$99), the charging case (£29 / AU$79), and the magnetic front cover sets (£19 / AU$35 for the multi-color set, £35 / AU$69 for the Victo Ngai-designed Time Series set).

DJI says the Mic Mini 2S won't be launching in the US for now, with regulatory authorization still pending. That's become par for the course for the brand, which has essentially been banned from selling new products in the US since the end of last year.

Having reviewed the Mic Mini 2 back in April, I can say the jump to the 2S looks like a far bigger step-up than the minor bump from the original Mic Mini to the Mini 2 was. So without further ado, let's look at what's new.

DJI Mic Mini 2S: everything that's new

1. Internal recording
Upgrades-wise, this one's the headliner. The Mic Mini 2S transmitter packs 16GB of onboard storage, enabling it to record up to 28 hours of audio without the need for a receiver or connected camera. It supports both 24-bit and 32-bit float recording (the higher demands of the latter trimming storage to around 22 hours). It's a feature the Mic Mini 2 doesn't have at all, and one I mentioned as a notable gap when I reviewed it.

2. Four transmitters, not two
The Mic Mini 2's receiver tops out at two simultaneous transmitters. The 2S doubles that to four, opening it up to podcast interviews, small-panel discussions and multi-person shoots without the need for extra hardware. It also adds a new Quadraphonic recording mode alongside the existing Mono, Stereo and Safety Track options.

3. AI-powered noise canceling
DJI has swapped the Mic Mini 2's “active” noise cancellation for an NPU-driven AI system, still offered across two levels (Basic and Strong). DJI claims both levels now deliver clearer vocals with less distortion than their equivalents on the Mic Mini 2.

4. Fast file transfers
The 2S's charging case can pull recorded audio straight off the transmitters at up to 34MB/s, which DJI says is roughly twice the speed of the flagship Mic 3. A 30-minute 24-bit recording reportedly transfers in a zippy eight seconds.

5. A redesigned charging case
The Mic Mini 2S's case now has room for two transmitters, a receiver, the mobile receiver, and a 3.5mm audio cable all at once — a combination the Mic Mini 2's case couldn't accommodate. Invaluable if you like to keep as much kit in one place as possible.

It's not a total win across the board, though. Battery life dips slightly on paper, according to DJI's spec sheet: it's 11 hours for the 2S transmitter and 10 hours for the receiver, versus 11.5 and 10.5 hours respectively on the Mic Mini 2, with total charging-case runtime down from 48 hours to 40. That's presumably the trade-off for fitting in the internal recording hardware, and while it's a fairly minor one, it's worth noting if all-day battery life matters more to you than onboard storage.

Elsewhere, lots of other stuff carries over unchanged: it comes with the same three voice tone presets (Regular, Bright, Rich), the same 400m maximum transmission range with the standard receiver, and the same direct OsmoAudio connection — now extended to the new Osmo Pocket 4P as well, and working with the likes of the Osmo Pocket 4, Osmo 360, Osmo Nano and Osmo Action 6.

DJI had confirmed that the Mic Mini 2S was on the way when it unveiled the Mic Mini 2 back in April, so its arrival isn't a huge surprise — but the scale of the upgrade is more substantial than I was expecting for what is still positioned as an entry-level product. I've been sent a review sample by DJI, so look out for my full Mic Mini 2S review very soon.

Bird-spotting scopes have remained stubbornly analog for a very long time: you point some glass at a distant feathered friend, squint, and hope you remembered your spotter's guide. The GoBirding Vision Master Smart AI Spotting Scope, or the APL-ETF-M1 to give it its slightly snappier model name, wants to drag that experience kicking and screaming into the smartphone era.

It does so by squeezing a 4K camera, on-device AI bird identification and smartphone-friendly connectivity into a 30x optical zoom scope. It's certainly an ambitious concept; and after spending a few weeks testing it, I came away impressed in some ways and frustrated in others.

The build quality is a positive: the scope feels solid rather than plasticky, and the design manages to be fairly discreet too. At 932g with the tripod mount attached, it's not a lightweight in absolute terms, but it's manageable enough for a session in the field. The front and eyepiece caps, though, have an annoying habit of working themselves loose when the scope is packed away in a bag — worth knowing if you're the sort who likes to keep your gear spotless.

The headline feature — AI bird identification — works, but with caveats. GoBirding claims the M1 can ID over 1,500 species offline, and over 10,000 when connected to the internet via your smartphone, and in practice it correctly called out everything from common cormorants and herring gulls to species I hadn't heard of, like the water pipit. It's less confident with distant or backlit subjects, though, and it drew a blank on a peregrine falcon I spotted, likely because the bird was too well camouflaged against its perch for the system to extract enough detail; you need a clean, in-focus shot for reliable results, and that's not always easy to get.

Which brings me to the scope's chief weakness: autofocus. It's sluggish, and for fast or skittish birds, I found myself reaching for manual focus. It's a similar story with the image stabilization; GoBirding recommends a tripod over handheld use, and having tried both, I heartily agree. Mounted up, footage steadies out nicely; handheld, especially at higher magnifications, it completely fails to remain level.

Image quality itself is a mixed bag. 4K/30fps video looks reasonably sharp at native zoom, but push into the digital range beyond 30x and detail falls off fast. Colors also tend toward the oversaturated — skies in particular can look implausibly turquoise — and the bokeh has an odd, angular quality unlike anything I've seen from a superzoom camera, more chain-link fence than creamy blur.

The companion app is spotty too. Second-screening — letting someone else see what you're viewing through the scope on their phone — works well, and is genuinely useful for shared birding trips. But other features feel unfinished: the app never once managed to log my location correctly, defaulting instead to a spot on the equator, and it doesn't automatically record the time or place of AI-identified sightings, which feels like a missed opportunity given how central data-logging is to the scope's appeal.

Pricing, like a skittish sparrow, remains something of a moving target. GoBirding has confirmed an official retail price of $999, with Kickstarter backers able to secure an Early Bird unit for significantly less depending on tier; there will also be an as-yet-unspecified Super Early Bird VIP discount available too. The Kickstarter campaign is expected to arrive around August 20, with shipping to follow in batches after that — but I should caution that all of this remains subject to change.

GoBirding Vision Master: Price and availability

• Official retail price set to be $999 (about £750 / AU$1,450)
• Kickstarter Early Bird pricing from $649 (about £490 / AU$940)
• Kickstarter campaign expected to launch around August 20, 2026

The M1 isn't on sale yet. GoBirding's Kickstarter campaign is expected to launch around August 20, 2026, offering backers an Early Bird price from $649 to $699 depending on tier. That's well below the $999 official retail price, which will apply once the M1 reaches general sale. A further Super Early Bird VIP discount has also been promised, though GoBirding hasn't yet specified the terms.

GoBirding hasn't published official GBP or AUD pricing, so the conversions above are calculated at current exchange rates rather than confirmed figures. Production is reportedly already underway, with shipping to begin shortly after the Kickstarter campaign wraps and orders are confirmed. There's no word yet on wider retail availability beyond that, however.

At $999, the M1 sits close in price to premium bridge cameras like the Nikon Coolpix P1100, but well below high-end AI optics like the Swarovski AX Visio. My gut feeling is that it's a rather steep price to pay for a scope that doesn't feel completely finished in terms of features and has some image-quality issues, but given that there's not really anything else like it on the market, it's hard to say what something like this should cost.

GoBirding Vision Master: Specs

GoBirding Vision Master: Design

• Solid, weatherproof IP65 build
• Tripod-ready straight out of the box
• Weighs around 32.8oz / 930g

Picking up the M1, the first thing I noticed was the heft-to-size ratio — it's a dense, reassuringly solid object, rather than something that feels hollow or plasticky. The forest-green and gunmetal-grey colorway feels like an appropriate choice for a birding tool, and should blend into foliage far better than a garish action-cam-orange scope would.

The controls are nicely tactile and have a rubbery finish, which suits outdoor use: there's a push-pull zoom joystick (which can be tilted left and right to manually focus), a dedicated AI recognition button, and separate stills/video capture controls, and they're all operable by feel alone, which is helpful when you're trying to keep your eyes on a parakeet rather than the top of the scope. The eyepiece itself houses a 1080p micro-OLED display, is angled nicely for extended viewing sessions, and can be twisted to adjust focus. As a glasses wearer, I found it comfortable and easy to get a nice sharp view.

A pull-out rubber flap protects the microSD slot and USB-C port. I found that I wasn't able to transfer videos and images over to my MacBook Air via USB (the scope didn't show up as an openable drive in Finder) so I had to pop out the card, put it in a card reader and do it that way. Also, my sample didn't come with a microSD card, so you may need to buy one if you don't already have one going spare.

A tripod mount is attached to the underside, and given how much GoBirding leans on tripod use for its stabilization claims (more on that in the Performance section below), it's good that they haven't made you buy one separately or hunt for a compatible adapter. The mount can be removed by loosening a nut if you want to slim things down a bit and shoot handheld, but I kept it attached the whole time I was testing.

In the box you get a drawstring storage bag, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and protective push-on rubber caps for both the front element and the eyepiece. The caps are a nice idea in theory, but in practice they had an irritating habit of working themselves loose while the scope was in my backpack.

GoBirding Vision Master: Performance

• AI recognition impresses more often than it disappoints
• Autofocus is the scope's biggest let-down
• Image quality is solid in good light, shakier elsewhere

The M1's AI bird identification is simple to use — you just tap the AI button to toggle on a red box indicator, then center the bird within the box until the name appears on-screen — and mostly delivers on its promise. GoBirding claims 1,500 species identifiable offline and over 10,000 via the companion app, and across my testing it correctly called out common species like cormorants, rock pigeons and herring gulls, alongside less familiar ones — the water pipit, Caspian gull and great black-backed gull all got flagged, the latter two of which I'd wrongly assumed were regular herring gulls. I also tested it on a batch of still photos, and it was accurate the vast majority of the time, with only the occasional misidentification.

It's not infallible, though. The system needs a clean, sharply-focused subject to work with, so extreme-range or backlit birds (reduced to little more than silhouettes) routinely trip it up. It also failed to recognize a peregrine falcon I spotted perched on a distant church tower, most likely due to both the range and because its plumage blended in too well with the stonework for the AI to extract meaningful detail.

Autofocus isn't a strong point. It's noticeably sluggish and inaccurate, and for anything fast-moving or skittish I found manual focus the faster and more reliable option. Combine that with image stabilization that GoBirding itself admits works best with a tripod, and handheld shooting at higher magnifications becomes frustrating. Mounted up, footage steadies out nicely, but when you're shooting freehand, especially at the long end of that zoom range, you'll struggle to keep it level. Even when using a tripod, I found it almost impossible to get steady footage at 120x zoom.

Image quality is a mixed bag, and here the small 1/2.7-inch CMOS sensor is a limiting factor throughout. In good light, 4K/30fps footage and 8MP stills at native zoom look reasonably crisp, but push into the digital zoom range beyond 30x and detail falls away quickly, as you'd expect from a sensor this size.

Colors also look oversaturated by default — skies in particular can be implausibly turquoise — and bokeh has an odd, angular character, more chain-link fence than the smooth, attractive background blur you'd get from a larger-sensor camera.

Should you buy the GoBirding Vision Master?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the GoBirding Vision Master

• Tested over several weeks in several locations including a country park, the seafront, and a local churchyard
• Shot in a range of light conditions during the UK summer
• Tested handheld and tripod-mounted

I spent several weeks testing a review sample of the GoBirding Vision Master supplied to me by the manufacturers, across a range of locations near my home, aiming to put its birding-specific features through their paces in the kind of everyday settings a typical user would actually experience.

A local country park with a birding hide, and my town's seafront gave me a good mix of woodland, marshland and open-water species to test the AI recognition on. A nearby churchyard, home to a resident family of peregrine falcons, gave me the chance to test the M1 against a truly challenging subject: a stealthy bird of prey that spends much of its time perched high and partially obscured.

Across all locations, I tested both handheld and tripod-mounted use. I used the on-device AI identification extensively in the field, and separately tested it against a batch of still photos to assess accuracy outside of live conditions.

All shooting was carried out during a hot, dry summer spell, so while I can vouch for the M1's performance in strong sunlight, I wasn't able to test its weatherproofing in wet or cold weather.

First reviewed July 2026

For some reason, Apple fans are clamoring for new AirPods with cameras built in, and we've been hearing plenty of rumors that they're on the way. But a new report suggests they won't actually be the next Apple earbuds we see.

According to stalwart Apple correspondent Mark Gurman (via his Power On newsletter), Apple has two AirPods models on the go.

The flagship ice-white buds we've been reporting on are set to have tiny AI cameras — and Gurman has now backed up rumors of their being slated for a 2027 release.

But some models are expected in 2026: Gurman mentions another pair of buds (with a lot less known about them) that are likely to come along the 2026 iPhones at the end of the year.

The coverage doesn't specify whether these are AirPods, AirPods Pro or even over-ears, but the latter seem unlikely, because the AirPods Max 2 are only a few months old.

Could it be a possible Beats release? TechRadar's Jacob Krol recently spent a few days at Apple's Beats HQ and pressed the highly successful Apple subsidiary brand on some much teased Beats headphones, spotted on various occasions at the World Cup recently, but the company remained tight-lipped on those.

For now, we'll have to wait and see.

Are cameras worth the wait?

Questions concerning whether AirPods with cameras would even work aside, Apple faces the question — given the recent backlash over glasses that see — over whether most buyers would even want that.

The point of the tech is, apparently, to let an AI assistant see what's going on around you. The hardware is part of a big AI push Apple is undergoing.

That's despite consumers' appetite for AI dropping as fast as companies' desperation for AI increases. I don't see many AirPods buyers opting for a new pair of earbuds without a genuine reason they'd be useful (and no, smarter Siri doesn't count), especially if their whole schtick is that they're always spying on you.

Often when we see a tech product delayed, it's because it's just not ready yet. But with the camera-toting AirPods, it's more likely that we're not ready yet... or maybe we just don't need them.

Do you ever shoot first-person-view (FPV) video content? Well, Insta360 has a new accessory that's designed to simplify the whole experience: the POV Head Tracker. And it might just tempt you to switch to the Luna Ultra.

The coin-sized 0.2oz / 6.4g device connects to the Luna Ultra compact vlogging camera over Bluetooth and, once paired, it synchronizes the camera with your head movement in real time, for what Insta360 says is "immersive POV footage".

It's designed to completely free up your hands, but goes one step further than a simple chest mount by synchronizing head and camera movement, so you shouldn't have to worry at all about composing the shot.

To me, the POV Head Tracker sounded like a dream accessory for shooting video solo — so I had to try it out for myself.

A game-changing accessory?

The IPX4-certified device measures just 1.0 x 1.0 x 0.5 inches and comes in a hardshell USB-C battery case along with an ear mount, strap, clip, adhesive mount and motion adapter. It has has a 7-hour battery life — enough for a full day of shooting.

Insta360 also sent me a neck mount that's designed to hold the Luna Ultra. With the camera slotted into the neck mount and the POV Head Tracker in the supplied ear mount — which is right ear-only — I gave the combo a spin to see if it delivers on its lofty promises.

Setup takes a few seconds, via a simple device calibration process: you look straight ahead for three seconds, then look straight down for three seconds. Done.

Once the devices are paired and calibrated, you control which way the camera points simply by where you look. Doing a hands-on product review? Look down at the product. Doing a travel vlog and the point of interest is off to the left? Look left. It really is that simple.

It really was like the camera was my second pair of eyes — and it's the biggest nod so far to Insta360 founder and CEO Liu Jingkang's 'photography robot' vision, which I spoke to both him and Insta360 about.

Is the POV Head Tracker perfect? I'm not so sure. I found the tracker strayed off sync a little, and that slight difference was highlighted when employing the Luna Ultra's tighter 3x telephoto camera rather than the ultra-wide.

I needed to recalibrate the device from time to time (which can also be done by looking straight ahead and then double-tapping the Luna Ultra's button that recenters the camera).

Still, that's where the camera's detachable LCD screen module came in handy — you can leave the camera on the neck strap over your chest, but view what the camera sees on the detached module, for example if you do need to recalibrate or zoom.

The Luna Ultra with POV Head Tracker felt like a camera setup from the future. A future where people walk around with discreet cameras strapped to their chests, recording what they're looking at. Whether you want that future or not is another matter; but for now Insta360's new accessory feels like a revolutionary device.

It's another form of camera intelligence akin to the Luna Ultra's subject-tracking skills which, when combined with the detachable module, is like having a cameraperson filming you. These smart features make life for solo creators so much simpler, and broaden the range of shots possible.

The POV Head Tracker costs $69.99 / £67.99 / AU$115.99 while the Luna Ultra Neck Mount costs $24.99 / £23.99 / AU$39.99.

The Pocket 4P marks a big moment in DJI’s hugely popular series of compact vlogging cameras, being the first model with two lenses, even if Insta360 stole its thunder with the Luna Ultra, which it released in June.

I’ve already reviewed the single-lens Pocket 4, and it’s a brilliant handheld 4K camera. The ‘P’ version is largely identical but for its dual-lens array and a ‘refined’ 1-inch sensor that's equipped with LOFIC tech, plus a new D-Log 2 color profile.

For the most part, you can discover all you need to know about the Pocket 4P's design and performance in my Pocket 4 review. In this write-up, I'll focus on the new features of the bulkier model, and the real difference they make.

And I can say this right now: now that I’ve tried the Pocket 4P, it’ll be hard for me to return to single-lens models like the Pocket 4. That additional 3x telephoto lens unleashes a wide variety of shooting options to complement the highly capable ultra-wide main camera. On-the-go sequences with DJI's superb subject tracking in play, for example, can be particularly dynamic. It really is like having two cameras in one tiny device.

That being said, there is an inevitable design compromise: twin lenses make for a bulkier camera unit, with inexplicably no protective housing currently available, and a top-heavy design. If you already own a Pocket, and are wondering if the new Pocket 4P is worth it, or if it’s worth jumping ship from DJI to the Insta360 Luna Ultra, check out my Pocket 4 vs Luna Ultra article.

For me, the first-generation Luna Ultra is a compelling alternative with its 8K video and detachable module, but I can also tell that the Pocket 4P is a fourth-generation product — it feels more polished overall. It has neat accessories of its own, too, such as the magnetic fill light and remote module. As such, DJI's dual-lens Pocket 4P is now my top compact vlogging-camera pick.

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P: price and release date

• Announced on May 14 2026 at Cannes Film Festival, available from July 30
• Available in black or white versions, priced from £529 / AU$959. No US availability at launch
• Variety of bundles available, including a Vlog Combo kit for £605 / AU$1,099

Despite essentially having no competition in markets such as drones and, previously, gimbal vlogging cameras, DJI has always priced its products competitively. It usually undercuts rivals where actual alternatives exist, too, such as GoPro and Insta360 action cameras.

Insta360 outright said it wasn’t going to compete on price, but rather on features when speaking about its Luna Ultra, and that has turned out to be the case. Where the Luna Ultra starts at $770 / £650 / AU$1,230, the Pocket 4P comes in at £529 / AU$959 — though it's not available in the US at launch. Meanwhile, the single-lens Pocket 4 costs from £429 / AU$749.

Considering that the Pocket 4P has the extra camera with its own sensor, that price increase over the Pocket 4 feels completely justified, and in my book the Pocket 4P is excellent value, especially when you consider the quality of the 4K video footage it's able to produce.

The Pocket 4P is available in Black or White versions, and there are bundles available. The Vlog Combo, for example, includes the DJI Mic 2 Mini wireless mic, remote controller, fill light, tripod stand and tripod grip, and costs £605 / AU$1,099 — that's the bundle I'd go for.

• Price score: 5/5

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P: specs

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P: Design

• Dual 20mm f/2.0 and 60mm f/1.8 lenses
• Otherwise the same design as the Pocket 4, with rotating screen and gimbal-mounted camera
• USB-C charging and 107GB of internal storage in addition to micro SD

Save for the bulkier dual-camera system and a total weight of 8.1oz / 230g, the Pocket 4P’s design is identical to the Pocket 4; it’s extremely compact, features a 2-inch touchscreen which rotates 90 degrees between vertical and horizontal formats, and a customizable five-button array, with a joystick that controls gimbal movement or zoom.

The extra two buttons, revealed when the screen is rotated to horizontal, help speed up access to various settings. For example, the C button can be assigned for direct access to two custom profiles — handy if you regularly switch between, say, color settings such as D-Log and shooting modes such as slow motion.

It certainly pays dividends to spend time customizing the camera to suit how you use it, so that you’re not fussing with settings when you're out and about.

For me, the single-lens Pocket 4 feels perfectly balanced, and it’s notably smaller than Insta360’s Luna cameras. The 4P, however, somewhat sacrifices that advantage on the alter of dual-camera versatility — it’s a little top-heavy, and I found it more comfortable to use with a tripod grip and mini tripod attached. The Luna Ultra feels more balanced because its handle is bulkier (see the Pocket 4 / 4P / Luna Ultra comparison photos, below).

Gimbal movement still feels smooth, and the shots steady and smooth, despite the extra weight of the cameras.

At launch there's no hard-shell protective case for the Pocket 4P, as there is for the Pocket 3, nor a slimline gimbal protector, like you get with the Pocket 4. This means the bulkier camera module remains somewhat unprotected, which is something DJI needs to be rectify ASAP.

There are also no dedicated ND filter kits from DJI at launch, though I fully expect that situation to change very soon through third parties (it might even have done so by the time you read this).

As with the Pocket 4, there’s the fill-light accessory, which attaches magnetically to the gimbal’s arm and is powered by the camera, and which lets you choose between three brightness levels and three color temperatures.

The light won’t make much of a difference to your images in bright daylight, but in low light and for indoors, it’s game changing for vlogging. I found the warm setting at the medium brightness level was a sweet spot for the times I wanted to use the light.

Then there’s the tiny remote control, borrowed from the Osmo Mobile 8P. This easily connects to the Pocket 4P over Bluetooth, and can be used to remotely view and control the camera. It’s a neat answer to Insta360’s modular controller in its Luna cameras, though the DJI module doesn’t feature a built-in mic, as Insta360’s does.

For occasions when you're taking hands-free shots with the Pocket 4P rested on a surface or support, the remote controller is super-handy. The controls are slightly stripped back versus the camera’s control layout, but the key controls, such as touch subject-tracking, record, and gimbal movement / zoom are there.

• Design score: 4.5/5

DJI Osmo Pocket 4: Performance

• Improved subject tracking
• 107GB of built-in memory added
• Higher-capacity battery extends record times

A major feature in Pocket cameras is subject-tracking autofocus. You really don’t want to be messing around moving the gimbal manually with the joystick, which can be fiddly and jerky. Thankfully, subject tracking, the latest version of which DJI calls ‘ActiveTrack 7.0’, is super-reliable — you double-tap on the subject, and the camera does the rest. For me, it performs slightly better than Insta360 Luna’s tracking, even if it does at times feel like its ‘keeping up’ with fast-moving subjects rather than keeping them central.

Battery life is solid, though you will notice it drop quicker with certain modes, such as 4K 60fps video recording, hyperlapse, and slow-motion 240fps. The camera also gets pretty warm pretty quickly when using these modes, though I’ve not had it overheat and shut down during my testing.

With compact vlogging cameras such as the Pocket series, the battery is non-removable, so you are relying on that USB-C rechargeable internal unit. I found myself conscious of having to charge the camera on heavy use days — that’s life with a Pocket. There is, however, an optional battery grip available to extend shot life.

In addition to a microSD card slot, DJI includes a generous 107GB of built-in storage. That’s enough for a lot of 4K clips, even when utilizing the maximum 200Mbps bit rate.

Recording internally, you'll need to transfer files either over Wi-Fi or wired USB-C. Thankfully, there’s next-gen Wi-Fi 6 and USB 3.1 support on board, delivering fast transfer speeds and making for an efficient workflow on the move.

As with other Pockets, the 4P can get a little warm when you're using its more power-hungry features, such as 4K 60fps and hyperlapse. I've not had any overheating issues to the point where the camera shuts down, but I was aware of the camera warming up while holding it.

• Performance score: 5/5

DJI Osmo Pocket 4: Image and video quality

• 1-inch sensor ultra-wide camera, and a new 3x telephoto, up to 12x zoom
• D-Log2 profile with up 17EV dynamic range
• Low-light further boosts the improved 14 stops dynamic range

There is one minor difference between the Pocket 4P and Pocket 4’s ultra-wide 20mm f/2.0 camera: the ‘refined’ 1-inch sensor, which unleashes a new log color profile, D-Log 2.

DJI says the refined sensor features LOFIC tech — which in simple terms is like super HDR, only it works in real time, which differs to HDR. I first came across the term LOFIC when reviewing the Oppo Find X9 Ultra phone.

The fruit of LOFIC and D-Log 2 is an expanded 17 stops of dynamic range, while the regular Log profile has around 14 stops. D-Log 2 is only available with the ultra-wide camera because it’s linked to the sensor tech, whereas the new 3x telephoto camera uses a separate 1/1.28-inch sensor.

D-Log 2 also isn’t available in every shooting mode, such as Slow Motion 240fps, although like the Pocket 4, that 10x slo-mo is available in 4K, or up to 200fps when using the 3x telephoto camera.

I’ve shot the same clips in D-Log 2, D-Log and ‘Normal’ color profiles (all 10-bit) to make quality comparisons, especially regarding dynamic range, and to see how easy it is to grade the footage for a consistent look. I’ve also shot using some of the built-in color profiles, such as ‘NC film’ and ‘Movie’.

The level of detail that the Pocket 4P is able to hold, especially in D-Log 2, is majorly impressive, especially for such a small and affordable camera. For me, outright 4K image quality is where DJI has the edge over Insta360, and most leading smartphones.

Is D-Log2 enough reason to upgrade from the Pocket 4? Not for me, but there is a more compelling reason: the second camera. The 60mm f/1.8 telephoto optic is essentially a 3x portrait lens, with a pleasant shallow depth of field for upper-body vlogging and shooting closeup details. It’s limited to D-Log or Normal color profiles, but the overall quality is really, really nice, and the footage gives a totally different perspective to the ultra-wide camera's.

Where that 3x lens really shines is when it’s coupled with some of the Pocket 4P’s major features, such as active tracking. With the tighter perspective, creative camera movements tracking a subject on the move can look particularly dynamic, especially where there are other objects in the foreground.

The zoom capabilities are further extended — where the Pocket 4 was limited to a 2x lossless zoom and 4x digital zoom, the Pocket 4P again has the 2x lossless zoom with the ultra-wide lens, plus 6x lossless with the telephoto lens and up to a 12x digital zoom.

The quality of that 12x zoom is okay at a pinch, but if quality is your main concern, I wouldn’t go beyond the 6x setting.

I don’t like the way the heavier dual-camera setup impacts how the camera feels in the hand, but it’s a game-changing feature for this type of camera, and for me it now feels impossible to return to the single-lens format.

The Luna Ultra goes one step further for resolution, with 8K video recording. Personally, I’m happy with a camera that is limited to 4K recording, but whose quality at this resolution, especially regarding dynamic range and color, is more pleasing on the eye. That's the Pocket 4P.

• Image and video quality score: 5/5

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P: testing scorecard

Should I buy the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P: also consider

How I tested the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P

• DJI loaned me the Pocket 4P Vlog Combo kit for a couple of months ahead of the July 30 release
• I shot plenty of 4K footage with the various color profiles, and used the various accessories
• I compared it to the single-lens Pocket 4 and dual-lens Insta360 Luna Ultra

I used the DJI Pocket 4P for almost two months ahead of my review embargo, during which time I regularly shot 4K video using the 20mm and 60mm lenses, the various frame rates up to 240fps, and the range of color profiles, including the new D-Log2. I tried the various shooting modes too, such as hyperlapse, and took photos in the regular and SuperPhoto modes.

In the Vlog Combo kit was a DJI Mini 2 Mini, remote module and fill light, and I tested both those accessories. I generally recorded onto the camera's internal memory, transferred files through USB-C and checked transfer times, ran the camera battery down, and checked recharge times using the supplied USB-C cable.

During my review period I also had the Pocket 4, enabling me to assess the key differences between the single- and dual-lens models. I also had the rival Insta360 Luna Ultra, again allowing me to make direct comparisons.

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

“Our product vision is to build a ‘Cameraman’ — an intelligent photography robot capable of automatically composing shots and capturing moments like a professional photographer, allowing users to remain fully immersed in the present.

"Today, AI is rapidly evolving, we believe the Cameraman’s 'brain' is becoming increasingly capable, unlocking new possibilities for creative imaging.

"In the long term, the ideal end state for cameras is to progressively become imperceptible, even to ‘disappear,’ until recording no longer consumes effort and becomes a natural part of life.”

As a concerned photographer (and as a concerned human being) I wrote a response to that post, and asked Insta360 for comment.

JK provided me with a statement addressing my concerns and elaborating on his vision, and he and Insta360 also answered a number of specific questions I put to them about the company's potentially game-changing plans for its future cameras.

Below you'll find JK's response, followed by my interview with JK and an Insta360 spokesperson.

JK's response: I’ve always believed imaging serves three fundamental human needs: to record, to share, and to create.

AI will undoubtedly reshape parts of this industry, especially in sharing and commercial creation. But when it comes to recording our lives, I believe there is a line AI cannot cross. Technology can make tools easier to use, but it cannot replace the human qualities behind truly meaningful work — judgment, emotion, taste, and the creative energy that come from lived experience.

For me, a photo I take of my daughter’s smile is priceless not because of technical perfection, but because I was there. I felt that moment. AI can generate, enhance, and imitate, but it cannot experience life on our behalf.

Human beings are the measure of all things. You should not hand over experiences that ought to belong to you to algorithms and machines.

So when we talk about the future of the camera, we are not talking about replacing people. We are talking about building tools that help people capture life more freely, more naturally, and with less friction. The future is not about making machines more human — it is about helping humans be more present, more creative, and more themselves.

The interview

TC: What does this 'cameraman' look like? Is it one entity or multiple products?

JK: For us, the future cameraman is a product vision rather than a single device.

Insta360: The core idea is to create a camera that can automatically compose shots, capture key moments, and produce finished content for the user, so people can stay fully immersed in the moment without missing what matters.

When you’re traveling or watching a live event, you often end up holding up a phone the entire time and looking at the screen instead of the experience itself. Our long-term vision is for the camera to work more like a professional photographer: you stay present, and it helps take care of the filming for you.

We’re still exploring what the ideal form factor looks like, so in the near term there won’t be one final ultimate product. But we’re already bringing elements of that vision into existing products. For example, Luna Ultra's POV head tracker enables a more seamless, almost invisible shooting experience, and we see that as an important early form of the future cameraman.

TC: Are we to take it that the 'intelligent photography robot' will be fully automated and independent?

Insta360: First, it’s important to clarify that the future cameraman doesn’t mean a humanoid robot. It’s a product concept and a long-term vision for how cameras should evolve.

The idea is to free users from complicated operation so they can be truly present in the moment while still getting professional-looking results. In that sense, the camera starts to play more of the role of a photographer. Imagine a family outing where the system can automatically frame, capture, edit, and output content end-to-end, without someone constantly needing to manage the device.

That said, this isn’t about a camera acting independently without the user. It’s about highly intelligent operation under user direction, intent, and control. The camera should be able to automate far more of the process, including recording comprehensively when the user wants it to, but always within boundaries set by the user. Our goal is for the experience to feel effortless and natural — even to the point where the camera becomes almost imperceptible in everyday life.

TC: Can you describe the composing, shooting and editing functionalities?

Insta360: To build the future cameraman, a camera needs to do three things well: see, understand, and act.

First, it needs to see more of the world. That’s one reason 360 imaging matters so much to us. A traditional camera captures only a narrow frame, while a 360 camera captures the full scene. That gives both the user and the AI much more context, reduces the risk of missing important moments, and creates a stronger foundation for tracking, reframing, and scene understanding.

Second, it needs spatial intelligence. The camera has to understand depth, motion, orientation, and what’s happening in the environment — not just record pixels, but actually interpret the scene.

Third, it needs to act in real time. That means tracking subjects, stabilizing footage, composing shots, predicting movement, and eventually making smarter filming decisions automatically based on the user’s intent. If it can’t respond instantly, it doesn’t really behave like a cameraman.

JK: The cameraman sits at the intersection of sensing, on-device AI, and computational imaging. The goal is for the camera to stop being just a recording tool and start becoming an active creative partner.

TC: Could you unpack a specific future feature being explored that leads Insta360's camera to being an 'active creative partner'?

Insta360: When we talk about an ‘active creative partner,’ we mean an intelligent imaging solution that better understands the scene and helps users capture it more intelligently. In dynamic environments, it can keep up with subjects with less user intervention, so people can stay focused on the moment while the camera handles more of the technical work.

To support that vision, we’ve already built a strong technical foundation, including panoramic generation and a panoramic metric depth model. We’ve already open-sourced these technologies for the industry, and they have potential applications not only in 360 cameras, but in other products and fields as well.

TC: How is the 'cameraman' different from existing cameras and Insta360 models?

Insta360: Insta360 already has some of the foundational capabilities needed for the future cameraman. Features like AI stitching, FlowState stabilization, subject tracking, reframing, auto-editing, and on-device image processing are all part of the camera’s evolution toward more intelligent and autonomous capture. That said, today’s products are still early versions of what that fully realized experience could become.

We’ve spent years building deep expertise in 360 imaging, and that gives us a strong foundation in spatial intelligence. Compared with a traditional camera that records only a single frame, 360 imaging data provides a complete field of view and continuous spatial context. Combined with our work in spatial modeling and generative intelligence, that helps AI move from simply “seeing” the world toward actually understanding it.

That’s a key difference in how we think about the future of imaging. And going forward, we’ll continue investing in areas like panoramic depth estimation, world models, and autonomous follow systems.

TC: What's the timescale for this 'cameraman'?

Insta360: This is a long-term vision, and we expect to realize it through continuous product iteration over time. Rather than arriving all at once in a single product, we see it developing step by step as the underlying technologies mature and become ready for real-world use.

TC: Does this 'cameraman' record autonomously? If so, couldn't that be a privacy concern?

Insta360: This is one of the most important questions in the age of AI hardware. Our view is that future intelligent imaging devices should be able to automate recording much more deeply — even to the point of capturing everything the user wants preserved — but always under the user’s authorization and control.

The core idea behind cameraman is not uncontrolled, limitless recording. It’s about turning the camera from a manually operated tool into an intelligent companion that understands what the user wants to capture and helps do that more effectively. That may require environmental awareness and autonomous recording when the user explicitly enables them, but those capabilities should always be bounded by clear user intent, permissions, and controls.

In other words, autonomy is important, but user agency is essential. We believe that’s the right balance for the future of intelligent imaging.

TC: Does Insta360 envision the system ultimately replacing professional content creators, or is the vision aimed at consumers?

Insta360: No — this is not about replacing photographers, videographers, or creators. It is mainly about helping consumers capture moments more easily, with less friction and less fear of missing the shot.

For professionals, we see these capabilities as assistive tools, not substitutes for human creativity. Great photography and filmmaking still depend on judgment, storytelling, taste, and human connection. Our goal is to reduce technical friction in capture, not replace the creator behind the camera.

The right side of the line?

It remains to be seen just how autonomous Insta360 cameras could become, but Insta360's response somewhat allays my fears about where its camera tech could be heading. And I get the logic — the ease of use and streamlined workflow of Insta360's consumer cameras in particular, which include leading 360-degree and vlogging cameras, are integral to their success.

Cameras such as the Insta360 X5, and Insta360's companion app are already packed with smart tools that make 360-degree video content easier to capture and edit. So, thinking ahead, why make the process unnecessarily difficult for the sake of user agency, when an intelligent camera knows which direction to point in?

Why pour over lengthy 360-degree video clips to manually piece together an edit, when AI knows where the best action is happening and can suggest / make the edit for you?

It's this intersection of human creativity and automated AI tools where we might start to see more intelligent functions assisting users in shooting, editing and sharing, freeing them up to "be more present" as JK puts it, rather than being bogged down with camera operation. And if any company is in the position to advance this kind of intelligent camera tech, it's Insta360.

Whether you’ve made the switch from a smartwatch to a Casio or you’re taking a trip down memory lane with your old iPod, more users are reverting to analog devices to escape brain-rotting algorithms and indulge in nostalgia. The same goes for the best compact cameras — and Lola is one of the next emerging brands to embrace this simplicity.

In October 2024, Lola launched its flagship $109/ £79/ AU$159 camera, a compact device that leans into early Y2K digital photography but with smartphone connectivity features. The camera was a response to the rising lo-fi tech craze, gaining exponential traction among Gen-Z users, and I grew increasingly curious.

Retro tech has become quite a prominent theme in my life at the moment. Recently I ditched Spotify and spent some time with the Miko cassette player by Gadhouse, but coming across the Lola camera online unlocked memories of my childhood I’d completely forgotten about.

I haven’t used a digital camera for the best part of 15 years, so it was time for a reunion.

A tiny camera, but a big first impression

For the past few weeks, the Lola camera has lived inside my everyday bag, and I used it at every opportunity I could — but I will never forget how I felt when I first took it out of the box.

First of all, the camera is absolutely tiny with dimensions of 3.75" x 0.75" x 2.25" and a weight of 0.5lbs (approximately 225 grams). I can’t remember if that’s always been the standard size for a digital camera, but I felt like a giant holding it in my hands. That said, it’s a handy pocket-sized device with a simple design to go with it.

Just like your average point-and-shoot camera, Lola has a built-in flash, supports SD cards, and packs an array of 19 fun effects, as well as 9 scene modes including Party, Beach, Night, & Portrait. One of the biggest differences is its USB-C charging port, which also comes in handy for transferring images to your smartphone.

Lola has numerous editions of its digital camera, including a cute Betty Boop-themed version and one in a clear shell finish that lets you see the inner workings of the camera. I quite like the stripped-back standard silver version because it’s minimal, but can still turn heads.

Then it was time to put the pedal to the metal.

Classic, but with a twist

Overall, Lola is a camera that’s bound to satisfy casual users who want to revert to a compact smartphone alternative for snapping images and creating memories. It’s great for taking photos to fill up a scrapbook or for your next Instagram photo dump, but it’s not one for established photographers who want crisp results. If anything, it’s for those who want to embrace imperfection.

Going into it, I knew that it wasn’t going to give picture-perfect results like professional cameras, but I developed a quick admiration for it as a beginner-friendly device. While its 8MP resolution is low by modern standards, it’s more than enough in this case, producing clear-looking images with a soft lo-fi finish that looks more authentic than a retro smartphone app filter — particularly for outdoor shots.

I found taking photos outside much easier than taking photos indoors, and for the most part, the camera adapts very well to natural environments. In some cases, however, it can be quite sensitive to sunlight, resulting in harsh, overexposed spills in the images.

This can be fixed with a few minor tweaks in the settings, and they don’t require a lot of photography knowledge. All I did was bring the exposure down to -1, increase the ISO to 100, and enable the Daylight preset in the White Balance setting. You can see the difference it made in the images below.

While these amendments made a big difference, it does mean that some parts of your image will appear darker than others in order to balance out the harshness of the light. In the second image, you can see the footpath and trees are slightly darker, but the grass patch in the background isn’t as overexposed, so for me it’s not too much of a setback.

But another feature that caught my eye was Lola’s surprising x20 digital zoom, which goes further than you think. Of course, the further you zoom in, the more crunchy your image will turn out, but zooming roughly halfway to two-thirds in is great for spotlighting the finer details of architecture and infrastructure, or for framing subjects in an entirely different way.

Lola takes everything you loved about your 2006 digital camera and puts it back into a refreshed device, but this is the 2020s, and the company is fully aware of your social media-posting intentions. This is where the SD card adapter comes in handy.

One of the biggest pain points I found with digital cameras 15 years ago was the importing process, which usually required a laptop or computer to transfer your images, since smartphones weren't as advanced as they are now. Admittedly, I was probably just too lazy to do this.

With the Lola camera, all you have to do is insert the SD card into the adapter, which goes into your phone’s charging port. You can then select the images you want to import right from your camera roll, and they’re imported in seconds, making it a lot easier to share them with your friends. For me, this was the icing on the cake.

Digital photography is timeless

There’s a handful of elements with the Lola camera that could do with some improvement (mainly its sensitivity), but for a $100 digital camera I think it has solid value for casual users. But beyond that, reverting to a digital camera removed the obsession with the finer details, evoking a deeper appreciation for being in the moment.

Sure, you can add effects and filters on the camera, but you can’t fine-tune individual settings such as saturation, contrast, shadows, and highlights on the device itself. That way, you have no choice but to embrace the realness and humanity of capturing what's before you.

I recently attended a bridal fitting for one of my closest friends, and instead of using my phone, I captured everything with Lola (I haven’t shared the images for obvious reasons). Though these photos have since been imported to my iPhone gallery, they stand out differently because I know how they were taken, and I look back at them filled with the same feelings of excitement from that day.

Simple, effective, and raw at its core, I’m going forward with a new attitude to memory-making. For some reason, somehow you remember the joy of each moment more vividly.

Burrard-Lucas took home another award that night, the SWPA 2026 wildlife and nature category, with a series of photos of a rhino, giraffe, elephants and more in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve, captured with remotely-triggered Canon DSLRs. He filled in the blanks for me on how he created these photos — and you can read that interview in full.

He used his self-developed infrared camera 'traps', which can wirelessly connect to a pro-grade camera — Burrard Lucas actually recommends old DSLRs — and trigger the shutter when motion is detected, and which are available on his own website.

These sophisticated devices are called Camtraptions, and their automated function sounded much more appealing than my prior rudimentary setups for garden wildlife photography, which required a lot of involvement on my part that I didn't necessarily have the time or patience for.

And so, I cheekily requested to try out these Camtraptions devices for myself, and Burrard-Lucas happily obliged, sending me a full kit that I planned to test in my garden at home. Could I photograph next-level garden wildlife photos with this newfound setup? I'm here to share my experience.

What is a 'Camtraptions' camera trap sensor and how does it work?

Cameras that use infrared to detect motion and in turn take photos or videos, remotely capturing the action, are nothing new. Two popular examples are budget trail cams and bird feeder cams, and you're not short of choices for either type.

The problem with these convenient devices is the quality they produce; they tend to take JPEG photos just 2-3MB in size and HD video, using a tiny imaging sensor through a sub par lens. In short, they are highly convenient, but image quality is poor. These rugged devices are designed to be left on location for long periods for monitoring purposes — but no serious photographer would prize the quality of the photos they take.

For high-quality and intimate images of wildlife fit for photo contests, that you simply couldn't capture in person, a Camtraptions Passive Infrared (PIR) device with reliable remote capture, paired with a pro camera, could be the ticket.

Burrard-Lucas actually recommends old DSLRs when photographing wildlife remotely using his Camtraptions PIR devices, because he tends to leave the camera on location for months at a time, and these cameras represent a sensible cost to quality ratio. They also work reliably with flash.

There are plenty of great value secondhand options at leading retailers such as MPB (UK) and Adorama (US), but I already had my own Nikon D800 in mind — a 36MP full-frame model from 2012 that I hadn't used for over two years.

The Camtraptions device loaned to me uses infrared to detect motion and wirelessly trigger the camera using its built in transmitter. You simply connect a separate Camtraptions receiver unit to the camera and sync the pair on the same channel. There are detailed manuals on the Camtraptions site — the one I needed being a full 85 pages!

Camtraptions have been developed over years and the most recent is the V4, which is packed with handy features; near and far infrared range options, doors that can narrow the otherwise wide scan area to a focused spot, multiple frames per second triggering and so on.

Ultimately, I breathed new life into my otherwise out of action Nikon D800 and F-mount lenses, setting it up on location in my garden over warm, rainless summer months, in the hope of capturing garden wildlife photos otherwise not easily possible.

My first test — daytime bird photography

I started out with the simplest setup of all; my tripod-mounted Nikon DSLR with 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and the Camtraption device on another tripod. They were a few feet apart, both pointing at an old branch I had collected, which was baited with bird seed.

Because birds are fast moving creatures, I selected a 1/500sec shutter speed, f/9 aperture for sufficient depth of field with the full-frame sensor and 200mm focal length, and auto ISO with a maximum ISO 3200 sensitivity to cover daylight and dawn / dusk. I dialled in -0.7EV exposure compensation, and otherwise left the camera to calculate exposure with that -0.7EV latitude for keeping highlight detail on a bird's bright plumage in sunkissed scenes — better to brighten an image later than suffer highlight clipping.

I placed the setup in a spot of my wild garden that I know is already popular with birds, and I kid you not, a few hours later, having carried on with my day job writing camera articles like this, I returned to the camera to find dozens and dozens of perfectly composed shots of the common birds that frequent my garden — I've added some of my favorites, below, including some moodier shots at dusk.

Besides setting up the scene and the gear, I had no involvement, and came away with multiple keepers. This was too easy, so I gave myself a trickier challenge; nighttime garden wildlife.

My second experiment — nighttime with flash

Deer, foxes and badgers visit my rural garden from time to time, especially in the quiet and nighttime hours. My Birdfy Bird Bath Pro inadvertently recorded a deer munching on a bush in the background at first light one morning, while I recently saw a badger scuttle across my driveway as I pulled in late at night. However, I've never got even close to photographing these creatures.

The first challenge was one pretty much out of my control; knowing where to place the camera and Camtraptions gear. That's because there were no signs of regularly trodden trails, gaps in foliage or dug up routes underneath fencing where I could be confident of capturing the action. No, I had to hedge my bets, and our garden is wild and fairly open.

I opted for visualizing and composing the shot I wanted — a narrow opening between bamboo, where I hoped that wildlife would walk through — and added a little incentive of the culinary persuasion (badgers love peanut butter).

Next challenge was a technical one; lighting. Setting up the gear for the twilight and evening hours outside of bright daylight meant I needed to rely on flash. Flashguns can be purchased at the Camtraptions site, along with the compatible wireless receivers. (Camtraptions wireless receivers and transmitters effectively work in the same way as regular flash triggers from other brands, and are competitively priced.)

So, this nighttime version was more complex than my previous setup, adding two tripod-mounted flashguns each fitted with remote receivers, plus a remote transmitter to the camera which is already fitted with a receiver to accept the signal from the Camptraptions device. It's a chain of command: Camptraptions camera trap sensor transmits to camera which transmits to flash guns.

That's a lot of batteries, by the way, and I needed to splash out for additional ones before I could get started. Each wireless receiver / transmitter required 2x AAA batteries, the flashguns 4x AA batteries each, while the Camtraptions camera trap sensor took 6x AA batteries in a custom FZ casing (but which is compatible with various Sony FZ batteries). In total, I had 22 rechargeable batteries on the go.

Exposure is slightly more complicated, too. I set the camera to 1/200sec — the top speed I could use for synchronizing flash and camera, and the minimum I would want to freeze the action fully — the aperture to f/10, and ISO to Auto with a maximum ISO 3200 given the age of my camera and it's relative poor low light performance. If trying this type of setup out for yourself, do check your own camera's max flash sync speed.

Then in situ in the garden, I took the time to photograph a test subject (me) to ensure the flash power and camera exposure settings were nicely matched for punchy results with a little bit of background detail, as opposed to a fully black background. In this case, the ideal setting was a manual 1/32 strength for the front flash, and 1/64 strength for the rear flash.

I used a wider angle lens than my prior test — a 35mm f/1.4 optic — given I was hoping to photograph larger creatures, and I wanted a closeup wide-angle look that I've rarely achieved, rather than a distant telephoto position. I tweaked composition and so on and lined up the Camtraptions device with its doors narrowed in order to trigger the camera once a creature had walked into a specific part of the frame.

That's the beauty with remote trigger photography — you spend your efforts composing a beautiful shot by visualizing it ahead of time, helped by the Camtraptions camera trap sensor's fine-tuned range. The hard work is put in before, rather than reacting to a moment. Sure, I'd rather the rush of seeing an animal first hand and that feeling of pressing the shutter, but this new technique didn't feel so different — the rush comes later when you revisit the camera to see what you've photographed.

I eagerly returned to the camera after night one, hit the playback button and...a handful of wild rabbit photos appeared. Although I didn't manage to photograph any of the larger mammals that I had hoped for, the technical quality was there — good lighting and rich detail (see below).

That's not bad for my first night with an automated camera setup, and of course I tried again, especially since I could leave the camera gear in situ — it was no extra effort on my part.

I rechecked the battery life of the camera, flashguns and Camptraptions device (which were still full), walked into the Camtraption's infrared scan area to check all the devices were still communicating, and sure enough the camera fired off some shots with both flash guns, so all good on that front, and then left the devices for another night.

More rabbits. Not that I'm complaining. I was going to need patience, but when you have an automated setup like this, time is on your side. And at that rate, I estimated that battery life on the devices would be good for around a month.

I fiddled about with some bamboo cuttings to disguise the camera gear a little better, and with no rain forecast for the following couple of weeks I left the devices be. Of course, for wet weather I would need to protect the gear from the elements, even with rudimentary solutions such as clear plastic bags and cable ties (through which the flashguns would still work fine).

I haven't got the photo I hoped for yet, but I'm confident that I will. And if anything else, I've breathed new life into my old Nikon DSLR gear. The quality of the photos I already have is streets above a regular trail cam, and the basic costs of the setup is pretty reasonable. I might have just found my next photography obsession.

We'd love to hear from you

Burrard-Lucas' Camptraptions gear combined with DSLR camera gear and all the necessary supports and power sources is pretty pricey compared to a regular cheap trail cam, but you're getting reliable gear and professional results fit for a portfolio and, with the right environment and subject, potentially even contest worthy. In that respect, I think it's excellent value.

On that note, I'd love to hear from you — have you had any joy photographing garden wildlife photography? How did you get the pictures that you're happy with? You can share your experiences in the comments section.