Skylum Luminar Neo: Pricing & plans

• A welcome one-off fee
• Subscription options for regular updates
• Keep all features you buy if you cancel

You can pick up Luminar Neo with a 7-day free trial by clicking here.

First the good news: it’s multi-platform, available for both Windows, Macs and mobile platforms (Android, iOS and Chrome). And here’s even better news: you’re not expected to rent this software; it’s a one-time purchase.

The desktop-only version (for either platform) will set you back just under €100. Choosing the ‘All Platforms’ options for around €130 gives you cross device editing, be it on desktop or mobile machines. That tier also allows you to upload your chosen shots to a web gallery.

Finally, the top level will allow you to edit your shots online (that feature isn’t yet ready for prime time), and incudes one year of ‘Luminar Prime’, for €160.

It’s worth focusing on that subscription for a little bit to explain something important: this is a true subscription. It’s like when you subscribe to a magazine: cancel your subscription, and you still have those issues that dropped through your letterbox. Here, subscribing to Luminar Prime unlocks new features over time, and these unlocked features remain yours once your cancel. This is a very important distinction. Once the first year is done, it will cost you around €5 a month or €60 a year to keep using it.

Between you and me, that’s what all subscriptions should be about. Anything else is just rentals.

Be aware that these prices fluctuate a lot and there might be better deals available when you check their website.

Skylum Luminar Neo: Interface

• Clear menus remove the guesswork when editing
• Easy to choose the right tool when you need it

The installation process offers you the option of adding a Luminar plugin to either Photoshop, Lightroom, or both, which would offer you all the tools inside a more familiar interface. I though it was important to mention, even though I won’t be looking into this option in this review.

Reviewing so many similar apps as I have, you end up recognising the interface instantly as most are incredibly similar. Sure the sidebar may be on the left instead of the right, but the tools and especially the icons used to activate them are immediately recognisable.

Not so with Luminar Neo, and that’s actually a very good thing. Rather than handing you a bunch of icons for you to use on your photos, the tools are divided into categories. And forget about icons: each section is clearly labelled. Take ‘Essentials’ for instance. That’s where your usual color correction is located, in such submenus as ‘Develop’, ’Enhance’, ‘color’ and ‘Detail’.

Working on a Landscape? Then you need to explore the ‘Landscape’ category, where you’ll find such tools as ‘Sky’, ‘Atmosphere’ and ‘Water Enhancer’. Taken a photo of a person? ‘Portrait’ is where you need to go. ‘Professional’ is where some more advanced options are stored, and ‘Creative’ allows you to let loose and have a little more fun with your image manipulation. Clear, simple, and effective.

Skylum Luminar Neo: Tools

• Tools work extremely well
• Simple to make even complex changes to your photos

A good, intuitive, and easy to use interface is one thing, but if the tools aren’t up to scratch, it’s just a fancy wrapper full of useless features.

Thankfully, Luminar Neo is far from that.

Let’s start with Presets. Luminar Neo comes with a bunch of them, many of which are free. Those that aren’t can be identified with a small shopping trolley icon top right of their thumbnail. As always when it comes to presets, their results will vary but what I appreciated was the fact the software analyses your image and presents you with categories that should match what you’re working on.

For instance I brought up a photo of a sunrise, and was offered ‘sunsets’, ‘scenery’, and ‘easy landscapes’ menus for me to explore. Easy, simple, and of course you’re by no means forced to go down that selected road, but it’s nice when an app feels like it’s working with you.

How you work on an image is done with the help of sliders, which makes the process very simple to do and undo. If you’re more of a ‘type the value into a field’ kind of person, you’re free to do that too. You’re also able to work with multiple layers, letting you perform more complex effects on a photo with ease.

You can achieve very good results on your own that way, especially if you know what you’re doing. This is very similar to practically every other image manipulator out there. But what about all that AI I mentioned at the start? That’s where it gets more interesting.

Skylum Luminar Neo: AI

• Many AI-based tools to speed up workflows
• Doesn't feel like it's taking over the creative process

This is not generative AI. There are no text prompts or anything like that. This kind of AI is a collection of complex algorithms designed to facilitate a particular task. Think of them as a powered screwdriver as opposed to a manual one. If that’s still not your thing, you can recognise them in the sidebar as those tools are all labelled with a small orange ‘AI’ next to their name.

But I wouldn’t dismiss them out of hand so quickly myself. Let’s take a look at a few examples, starting with ‘Sky’.

This is the big tentpole feature you might have seen in adverts as it offers the most striking alteration: Luminar Neo can analyse your image, identify the sky and replace it with another. You have 35 to choose from, with the option of acquiring others.

Replacing the sky can be seen as a simple process: just mask what’s blue, cut it out, and add a new sky behind it on a separate layer. But ‘Sky’ goes further, noticing where the sky is reflected somewhere in the image and applying the change there as well, even going as far as altering the colors of the rest of the photo so it blends in with its new sky.

The result can be fantastic. I have a photo of the Eiffel Tower I use to test such features out, as the complex metallic mesh can be a challenge to mask, and Luminar Neo passed with flying colors.

It’s not always perfect of course, but most of the time the results were impressive, and achieved in seconds whereas it would’ve taken me ages to do the same manually.

Speaking of masks, Luminar Neo doesn’t have a dedicated tool in its list, but that’s because it’s embedded into pretty much all the others: select a tool, and switch to its ‘Masking’ tab to affect the image solely on a section of your choice. AI does the selection based on your input. For instance I told it to select the human in a photo, and after a few seconds, the mask was perfectly done with no further input needed from me.

The Bokeh AI tool is also excellent, giving you control over where the effect should be thanks to an easy to understand interface where you drag a slider up or down to limit the extent of the effect.

Perhaps the tool I was most impressed by was the Light Depth Tool. Somehow, it does its best to recreate the 3D environment the photo was taken from, allowing you to alter the light in various ways, even placing it in between objects. It’s most impressive.

Skylum Luminar Neo: Extras

• Good selection of additional fine-tuning tools
• Pales in comparison to Lightroom for organizing photos

And that’s not all: there’s an ‘Extras’ section where you’ll find tools to help you restore old photographs, increase the resolution of an image, stitch shots together to create a panorama, and more.

Luminar Neo offers you a wealth of features to help you fine tune your images to perfection.

If there’s one thing I’m not that impressed by though, is its organisational feature. Sure you can find folders on your computer and add them to the left sidebar, or create albums and add photos to them, but to be honest, that kind of functionality has been available for years and has been surpassed by most of its competitors.

Put it this way: it’s no threat to Lightroom on that front and maybe that’s why you were given the option to insert Luminar's tools into Lightroom upon install: this software knows its limitations.

Should I buy Luminar Neo?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested Skylum Luminar Neo

As always, when an app is compatible with multiple platforms, I choose the underdog (ie the Mac). I used a laptop running a high-end Apple Silicon chip for my testing, and my machine had no problem with the software.

I did notice that when using some AI tools, it can take a few seconds for the analysis to be done, and the computer’s thinking process was too subtle for me.

Yes there’s a small message beneath the image saying ‘Analysing’. But if you’re more focused on the sliders at the time, you could end up wondering why dragging them isn’t having any effect - until the AI work is done and your slider went to 100, blowing the image up. Thank goodness, like all modern image processing app, everything you do to a photo is non destructive.

For more picks, we've tested the best photo editors.

Sigma's FP2 is a successor to the world's smallest full-frame mirrorless camera, the FP, and it's even smaller, despite coming with a bunch of handy upgrades.

The FP2 packs a partially stacked 24.5MP full-frame sensor — one we've seen before in the Nikon ZR and Lumix S1 II. And like those cameras, it shoots 6K open gate video, only with Sigma's L-Log color profile, and RAW video through an external SSD.

It comes with 70GB built-in memory, plus a higher capacity battery — the same unit found in recent full-frame Lumix models like the S1 II and Lumix S9 — and it features a 3.15-inch tilt-touchscreen. All decent upgrades.

Autofocus performance has been improved too — the hybrid phase detection system can track more subjects, with what Sigma says is a 15% boost in speed and accuracy.

And these features are packed into a diminutive and sturdy metal body with a delightfully simple design and user experience — I love how the photo and video functions are neatly distinguished. It's an attractive package, and a camera that I thoroughly enjoyed having in my hand.

When considered purely as an upgrade to the original FP, the FP2 is a solid camera. However, Sigma's mission to make the smallest full-frame mirrorless camera comes with compromises, which means the FP2 won't be for everyone. For one, the camera doesn't have in-body image stabilization, whereas the Lumix S9, Lumix S1 II and Nikon ZR do.

There's also no built-in viewfinder, though unlike some rivals, there is an optional EVF and it's a fantastically bright and detailed 5.76m-dot unit that tilts for waist-level shooting.

When shooting photos, I regularly found myself bringing the camera up to my eye, only to remember it didn't have a viewfinder – photo and video creatives will absolutely want to pick up the optional EVF.

That for me is where the FP2 comes undone, somewhat. It's starting price is reasonable, but when you factor in the cost of accessories, the package starts to feel pricey.

There is a miniaturisation premium — Sigma isn't alone in this, however. Overall, there are better value conventional alternatives, but if size and feel matters to you, then the Sigma FP2 is well worth a look.

Sigma FP2: Price and release date

• Announced on October 23, 2026, priced from $2,199 / £1,899
• Can be purchased with various kits; with the Electronic Viewfinder EVF-21 or 50mm F2 DG | Contemporary lens
• Goes on sale from November 11

At first, the Sigma FP2 feels like excellent value — it's a beautifully designed and rugged full-frame camera with impressive specs for $2,199 / £1,899. However, that body-only price is just the beginning for a camera that works best with optional accessories — and for those the cost soon stacks up.

For example, photographers will want the divine EVF-21 5.76m-dot tilt electronic viewfinder, which which adds $500 / £500 to the cost when bought with the camera, and it costs even more when purchased separately. Or how about the camera and lens kit with 50mm F2 DG | Contemporary, which I had for the review and you can see in the pictures, which costs $2749 / £2419.

Other accessories include the Hot Shoe Unit HU-21 (same flash terminal as OM System / Lumix), base plate BPL-21, LCD viewfinder LVF-21 and battery charger BC-91. Sigma is still a decent value brand, but you just need to be aware that this camera system benefits from costly extras, and if you're upgrading that the likes of the EVF are not forwards / backwards compatible with the original Sigma FP.

Sigma FP2 specs

Sigma FP2: Design

• Even smaller than the original FP, but a fraction heavier
• Modular design with handy (albeit pricey) accessories, such as the lovely EVF
• Wonderfully simple user experience and interface

The FP2 carries the DNA of the original FP, but comes with some welcome design improvements. Crucially, it stays true to Sigma's core mission with this series — make the smallest full-frame mirrorless camera available.

It's designed as a photo and video hybrid, with a chunky switch to choose between the two and a neatly arranged menu for each discipline — the settings remain unique when you move between the two.

There's a chunky exposure dial, and a line of buttons neatly arranged under the screen, including one for color profiles (there are 13 presets, Log and RAW video options).

The 3.15-inch touchscreen is a tilt-type — impressive considering the camera is thinner than the FP, which has a fixed screen. Pulling the screen out reveals vents which presumably keep the camera cool during high-resolution video recording.

We don't get an EVF, which is no surprise given the size of the camera. However, Sigma sells the FP2 in a kit with the EVF-21 electronic viewfinder.

I actually think the modular design makes perfect sense. Shooting video and don't need a viewfinder? You have the tiniest full-frame shooter. Out taking photos and want the display? Add it on.

And I really did enjoy the display — albeit my brief experience with it. It connects to the camera's side through one of the two USB-C ports, and it's a 5.76m-dot tilt type.

Sigma has added internal memory, with 70GB of usable memory, plus there's the SD card slot. I used the internal memory a lot, and had no operational issues — I wish more cameras included internal memory like the FP2 does.

And then there's the battery — the same type as used in recent Lumix cameras, for a healthy shot-life that belies the compact size of the camera. I don't think I've seen such a large battery squeezed into such a small space before — Sigma really has worked wonders to keep the FP2 this small.

Naturally, there are compromises for the handling of such a small camera, besides the lack of viewfinder and flash. For one, it's flat-fronted, meaning there's no sculpted hand grip for a secure hold. That's no such problem with small lenses, but the FP2 is so small that even compact primes feel chunky by comparison.

It's true: when stripped back to its basic setup, there is no smaller camera in this class. But to get the most out of the camera, it needs bulking out, all adding to the cost.

What I will say is that the FP2 does modular very well indeed. Its two screw mounts for accessories are handily placed, and they can host the (supplied) loops used to secure the camera's strap, which is a neat bit of design.

The FP2's design isn't for everyone, but after almost two weeks of shooting with the camera, I really did appreciate and enjoy it, and can see how it will appeal to certain users.

Sigma FP2: Performance

• 24.5MP partially stacked full-frame sensor, no stabilization
• 6K open gate video recording up to 60fps, plus 4K slow motion up to 120fps
• 13 color profile presets and Log, but RAW video must be recorded through an external drive
• Improved autofocus performance and built-in memory

We've seen the 24.5MP partially stacked sensor before in various Panasonic Lumix and Nikon models, including the Lumix S1 II and Nikon Z6 III. In the Sigma FP2, however, the sensor is not stabilized, which makes handheld video recording much trickier.

I've included a sample reel below, which demonstrates how challenging it can be to record steady video handheld, even with a steady hand. There is a solution, mind you, and that's to record gyro data which can be used to apply stabilization to footage afterwards using specialist software. Alternatively, of course, the camera can be mounted to a gimbal.

I love the photo and video quality I was able to get from the Sigma FP2 and 50mm F2 DG Contemporary lens: 6K open gate video with a choice of 13 color presets make for quick and versatile output, in various aspect ratios for social media (4K vertical video is possible), while the Log profile is a better bet for users who want to edit after the fact.

Photos can be recorded in RAW and JPEG format, and Sigma cameras use the DNG RAW format, which is universally accepted in editing software. For high-speed action, the FP2 can shoot at a rate of up to 20fps, and for sequences up to 180 frames before the buffer slows up — a decent performance.

Sigma says that autofocus performance has been improved by 15% over the FP, with a broader range of subject detection. I found autofocus snappy on people, and it was smooth and subtle enough for video, too, but haven't had the chance to try it out extensively on other subjects, including animals.

There's 70GB of usable built-in memory, which proved reliable during my test. However, it's not possible to record the memory-hungry RAW video using built-in memory or SD card — you'll need an external SSD for that.

Sigma FP2 sample photos

Sigma FP2: also consider

How I tested the Sigma FP2

• I had the camera for 1-2 weeks before its announcement, along with the 50mm F2 DG Contemporary lens
• I tried the EVF-21 electronic viewfinder
• I shot a variety of photos and videos, all handheld

Sigma introduced the camera to TechRadar a week or two ahead of its global launch, where I saw the FP2, 50mm F2 DG Contemporary lens and various accessories, including the new 5.76m-dot EVF for the FP2.

I was loaned the camera and lens only for my review, and have made the most of that time, taking the gear with me on a break to Lisbon in Portugal where I used it extensively for portraiture and travel photography.

All my images and videos were shot handheld, with no stabilization for video footage. I tried the various color profiles for video and shot in 6K and 4K.

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

Smart bird feeders have quietly become one of the busiest corners of the camera world. Hang one in your yard, garden or on a balcony railing and it’ll snap and film every feathered visitor automatically, often identifing the species for you, too. We’ve tested plenty of them here at TechRadar — you’ll find the best in our guide to the best bird feeder cameras — and the Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro is the latest to land in my garden.

If it looks familiar, that’s because it’s clearly a descendant of the Kiwibit Beako, which we tested last year. The headline upgrade is in the camera: Kiwibit says this is the first bird feeder camera to combine 4K HDR with phase-detection autofocus (PDAF), the kind of focusing tech you’ll find in a decent smartphone. The other big change is a roof with solar panels built into it, so there’s no separate panel to mount and wire up.

That roof turns out to be one of the feeder’s best features. After an initial charge I never needed to plug it in again during testing, and the battery hovered near full. The rest of the hardware impresses too: the plastic shell is tough and well finished, mounting it took minutes, and lifting out the two-chamber seed hopper for a refill or clean is about as easy as it gets.

The camera is a game of two halves, though. Photos and 4K clips are crisp, and the autofocus generally locks on to birds reliably — though ones that hop right into the seed tray can get too close for it focus. The biggest frustration is motion: 4K is limited to 15 frames per second, which makes footage look juddery, and the 120fps slow-motion mode currently produces clips that are little better than slideshows. The 1080p 60fps mode is the pick of the bunch.

Then there’s the app, which is cluttered and hard to navigate, and keeps its most compelling feature — AI species identification — behind a Kiwibit Plus subscription. That ID system was accurate in my testing, even if it can only name one species per clip. Taken as a whole, the Bird Feeder 2 Pro’s hardware is impressive, but its software and video modes need to catch up.

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: price and availability

• $279.99 in the US with 'lifetime AI' included, or $219.99 without
• £289.99 in the UK; launching Q1 2027
• Kiwibit Plus subscription priced from $7.99 per month

The Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro is currently on sale in the US for $219.99, or $279.99 with a lifetime subscription to the Kiwibit Plus service. It’s due to arrive in the UK in the first quarter of 2027, priced at £289.99.

That price puts it in premium territory, alongside the likes of the Bird Buddy 2. And there’s a running cost to factor in, because AI species identification and several other app features require a Kiwibit Plus subscription, which costs from $89.99 (a UK price is TBC) per year or $7.99 a month.

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: key specs

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: design

• Solar panels built into the hinged roof
• Removable 1.7l dual-compartment hopper
• IP65 rated and works in -4F to 122F (-20C to 50C) temperature range

Side by side with the Kiwibit Beako, the Bird Feeder 2 Pro is almost a dead ringer. The one key difference is up on top, with the solar panels now built into the roof. It’s a smart move that cuts down on clutter, as you don’t need to find somewhere else to mount a panel or route a cable.

The same roof also hides one of the feeder’s best design touches. Flip it up (it just requires you to press a button to release a latch) and you can lift the seed hopper straight out to clean or refill it. That hopper has two compartments, so you can offer two different seed mixes if you like, and each one has its own sliding door for shutting off the supply.

The body is almost entirely plastic, which won’t appeal to everyone. There are wooden and metal bird feeder cameras out there, and personally I’d prefer either material on something that lives in my garden. I also wonder whether the green plastic will fade in the sun over time, although I didn’t notice any change in my few weeks of testing.

On the plus side, this is solid, hard-wearing plastic, and the feeder feels sturdier than others I’ve reviewed — the hinged roof, for instance, opens and closes without a hint of rattle. It’s IP65 rated and Kiwibit says it’ll work in temperatures from -4F to 122F (-20C to 50C), so bad weather shouldn’t be a worry for the electronics inside.

My review sample came with three mounting options: a fabric strap for wrapping around a tree or lamppost, a pole mount for stick it on the top of poles up to one inch (25.4mm) in diameter, and a wall bracket. I used the bracket to fix the feeder to a trellis against the back wall of my courtyard garden, and it took no time at all. A positioning sticker in the box shows you where to drill two guide holes, then two screws (also supplied) hold the bracket in place. There are wall plugs in the box too, should you need them.

The feeder itself attaches to the bracket with four small hex screws, and the same screws secure the perch. An Allen key is included in the box, but make sure you keep it somewhere safe or have a spare, as you’ll be in a pickle without one. My sample also came with a water beaker that clips on to the perch.

Power comes from a rechargeable, removable battery that’s topped up by the solar roof panels, and the combination works very well. I fully charged the battery via USB-C before installation, as the manual instructs, and haven’t charged it manually since — weeks later, it’s still sitting at 99% capacity. To be fair, my testing took place in a sunny late summer and early autumn, and I positioned the feeder to catch a few hours of direct sun each day. I’m curious to see how it copes with the gloomier winter months here in southeast England.

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: performance

• 4K video capped at 15fps
• AI species ID requires a Kiwibit Plus subscription
• Phase-detection autofocus with a 130-degree view

Some bird feeder cameras I’ve tested have struggled to stay connected to my home Wi-Fi, but the Bird Feeder 2 Pro’s dual-band connection was stable throughout, even though the signal was rarely at full strength. The live feed kicked in from my phone without much delay, whenever I requested it.

Everything runs through Kiwibit’s app, and frankly it isn’t very well designed. There are too many sections with vague names, I regularly forgot where things lived, and getting to my photos and videos took more taps than it should. A simpler, pared-back layout would make a big difference.

There are some nice touches, mind you. Each species gets a written description, the Nature Expert section answers your bird questions, and the Collection page gives you a quick rundown of every species your camera has spotted. The catch is that many of the best features — especially the AI species identification, which feels like a core reason to buy this feeder — sit behind a Kiwibit Plus subscription. Kiwibit gave me a code for a year’s access, but for everyone else it’s an extra $89.99 on top of an already premium price, and the feeder feels noticeably less capable without it.

The identification itself was largely accurate. Only five species visited during my testing period, and the feeder correctly named four of them. That one miss was interesting, though: in a clip featuring a robin, a sparrow and a blue tit, only the robin was identified. That was the only clip containing a blue tit, so it appears the system tags just the first species it spots in each video. I’ve no doubt it would have recognized the blue tit on its own, but it’s a shame it can’t log multiple species in one clip.

Image quality is a more complicated story. 4K videos and photos generally look good, with plenty of sharpness and clarity, and the autofocus is accurate. There's even a microphone to capture sound, and it's nice to hear the birds chomping away on seeds or tweeting at each other. But 4K video is capped at just 15fps, which I found baffling. It makes clips look jerky, and it put me off using the 4K mode altogether. Why couldn't it just be 24fps or 30fps?

Shooting in 4K does have one perk: the software may automatically pull a 12MP Ultra HD “Keyshot” still from your footage. These are sharpened and upscaled for extra detail, but I found them a little over-sharpened, and they’re oddly large files at around 10MB each, given the modest resolution. You can’t pick the frame yourself, either — the software chooses for you, and it doesn’t always choose well. There’s a second type of auto photo, called SwiftShot, which is generated in Ultra Slow Motion mode and is meant to freeze birds in flight. That never happened for me; every SwiftShot I got showed a bird sitting on the feeder, and in noticeable less detail than with the Ultra HD Keyshots.

Video clips are 10 seconds long by default, but extendable to three minutes. I’d have liked to catch birds flying in more often, but my videos generally started with the visitor already perched.

There are two slow-motion modes, both 1080p: 60fps and 120fps. The 120fps mode doesn’t appear to work properly at the time of writing. Whatever settings I tried, the footage seemed to be captured at 15fps, so it plays back like a slideshow when slowed down. I was expecting something akin to the iPhone's buttery-smooth slow-motion mode, but this is in the single digits frames-per-second wise. I’ve reported this to Kiwibit and I hope a firmware update fixes it, because for now it’s useless as a video mode. It may be intended mainly for grabbing crisp stills of birds in motion, but since you can’t choose the frame yourself and have to rely on Kiwibit’s cloud processing to pick it, that’s not much consolation.

The 60fps mode is far better. Played back at half speed you get smooth 30fps slow motion, or at quarter speed you get the same 15fps as the 4K clips. It lacks the fine detail of 4K, but its smoothness at normal and half speed makes it the sweet spot of the lineup for me. One quirk to note: neither slow-motion mode records sound, even when you play clips back at normal speed.

Autofocus is generally reliable, but birds that came right into the seed tray, rather than staying on the perch, were sometimes out of focus. They seem to be inside the minimum focus distance, which was also an issue with the Beako. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s annoying when a bird’s body is sharp and its eyes and beak are soft.

Sharing and saving photos and videos is easy – you just hit the share button when viewing in the app and you get the option to download the file to your phone, or share via a variety of means. Subscribers also get cloud storage for all their files.

Should you buy the Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: also consider

How I tested the Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro

• Mounted on a garden trellis for several weeks in late summer/early fall
• Tested all video modes, including both slow-motion settings
• Used the app with a Kiwibit Plus subscription

I installed the Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro in my garden in southeast England using the supplied wall bracket, fixing it to a trellis in a spot that got a few hours of direct sunlight a day. After fully charging the battery via USB, I left it to run on solar power for the rest of the testing period, which ran through late summer into early autumn.

I tested the feeder with the Kiwibit app on my phone, using a year’s Kiwibit Plus subscription supplied by Kiwibit to access the AI species ID and other premium features. I tried every video mode, including 4K and both 1080p slow-motion settings, compared the automatically generated KeyShot and SwiftShot stills, and checked the AI identifications against the birds I could see in each clip.

• First reviewed October 2026

Sony’s ECM-W5 is a prosumer wireless microphone system cut from the same cloth as the DJI Mic 3, Insta360 Mic Pro and Rode Wireless Pro. Like all those, it's available in a package featuring two clip-on transmitters, a receiver that plugs into your camera or phone, and a charging case to keep everything topped up. At £350 for the full kit, however, it costs more than any of them — so it needs to bring something extra to the table.

It does just that. The headline feature is in-camera 32-bit float recording, something no other wireless mic I’m aware of can do. Rivals will happily record 32-bit float files to their transmitters' internal storage, but that leaves you syncing separate audio in the edit. With the ECM-W5 mounted on a Multi Interface Shoe camera such as the Sony A7 V, that extra headroom is baked straight into your video files. Most people won’t need it day to day, but if you’re shooting somewhere unpredictable, where a sudden bang or boom could clip your audio, it’s a useful safety net.

There’s plenty more for pros to like. Each transmitter has a 3.5mm lav mic input with a screw-lock connector (a feature DJI dropped after the Mic 2), along with a generous 62.5GB of usable internal storage. There’s timecode support and an optional 96kHz/24-bit Hi-Res Audio mode, too. The claimed 500m range is the longest I’ve come across, and in my testing the signal held up flawlessly through two floors of my house — a situation where other mics have faltered.

Sound quality is clean and clear, though in fairness that’s true of every decent wireless mic these days. The noise reduction is on the gentler side and less effective than what DJI and Insta360 offer, but it doesn’t introduce any odd artifacts.

The trade-offs are size and price. The transmitters are noticeably chunkier than the DJI Mic 3’s, the receiver’s touchscreen faces backwards when it’s mounted on a camera, and Sony doesn’t even include a 3.5mm audio cable in the box. Even so, for Sony shooters in particular, the ECM-W5 is one of the most capable wireless mic systems you can buy.

Sony ECM-W5: price and release date

• $399.99 / £350 / AU$619 for two transmitters, a receiver and a charging case
• Transmitters $189.99 / £110 / AU$179 and receiver $189.99 / £180 / AU$289 individually
• Available from November 2026

The Sony ECM-W5 will be on sale from November 2026, priced at $399.99 / £350 / AU$619 for the full kit, which includes two transmitters, a receiver and a charging case. Individual transmitters are available for $189.99 / £110 / AU$179, and the receiver on its own costs $189.99 / £180 / AU$289, which is handy if you want to expand your setup or replace a lost unit.

That makes it more expensive than its closest rivals. The DJI Mic 3 launched at £259 for an equivalent two-transmitter kit, for example, so you’re paying a premium of around £90 for the Sony. Given the ECM-W5’s unique features, I think that’s justifiable for the right buyer — but it’s a premium nonetheless.

Sony ECM-W5: specs

Sony ECM-W5: Design

• Chunky transmitters with fixed clips and 3.5mm lav mic inputs
• Receiver’s touchscreen faces backwards when camera-mounted
• No audio cable included, and no room in the charging case for windshields

In terms of size, the ECM-W5’s transmitters are closer to the original DJI Mic and Mic 2 than to the much smaller (and current, at the time of writing) DJI Mic 3. Each of the ECM-W5's transmitters has a fixed clip for attaching to clothing (it can’t be removed or rotated), and Sony includes small button magnets for thinner shirts. Despite the extra bulk, the transmitters are light enough that I barely noticed them once they were clipped on. Sony also says the system is dust- and moisture-resistant, but stops short of guaranteeing full IP-level protection.

Controls are simple: a power button, a record button (double-press it to toggle noise reduction on or off) and a USB-C port for charging and file transfer. More interesting is the 3.5mm input with a screw-lock connection for plugging in an (unsupplied) lavalier mic, which pros will appreciate. The furry windshields cleverly slot into this jack too, so they sit more securely than on some rivals. Each transmitter also packs around 62.5GB of usable internal storage (64GB before formatting). That's almost double the 32GB you get in the DJI Mic 3 and Insta360 Mic Pro transmitters.

The receiver can be fitted with either a USB-C connector or a Multi Interface Shoe adapter, and the latter also slots into standard hot and cold shoes (albeit without the MI Shoe’s digital connection). There are 3.5mm audio in and mic out ports, plus a small touchscreen for adjusting settings. My one real frustration is that this screen faces backwards when the receiver is mounted on a camera, so when I was filming myself I couldn’t see it to make changes. It’s a common problem with wireless mic receivers, and I’d love to see a manufacturer make the display rotatable.

The charging case holds both transmitters, the receiver, the adapters and the magnets, but there’s no room for the windshields. Sony doesn’t include a 3.5mm audio cable in the box either, so if your camera lacks an MI Shoe you’ll need to buy one separately. A soft drawstring bag is supplied, though, and it’s big enough for the case, the windshields and a couple of cables.

Sony ECM-W5: Performance

• World-first in-camera 32-bit float recording
• Rock-solid signal and a claimed 500m transmission range
• Noise reduction is less aggressive than Insta360 and DJI rivals

The ECM-W5’s standout feature is its ability to record 32-bit float audio directly in-camera, as well as onto each transmitter’s internal storage. Rivals such as the DJI Mic 3 and Insta360 Mic Pro can only record 32-bit float files on the transmitter itself, which you then have to sync up in the edit. I don’t think many people need 32-bit float day to day, but if you’re recording in uncontrolled environments where sudden loud noises might occur, having that headroom baked into your footage is a real advantage.

There’s both automatic and manual gain control, with the latter offering a nicely granular range of -12 to +12. I mostly left it on auto and found it worked well. Sound quality is good, but then so is that of pretty much every decent wireless mic. The difference compared with the built-in mic on your phone, computer or camera is night and day, particularly outside on a windy day. Sony also offers a 96kHz/24-bit Hi-Res Audio option, which beats the maximum quality of most rivals I’ve tested, though that’s reflected in the higher price.

Sony claims a range of up to 500m between transmitter and receiver, which is much further than its rivals. I can’t think of many situations where you’d need that much, and I didn’t test it to the limit, but it’s reassuring to have in reserve. Sony also says the connection is around three times more stable than that of its predecessor, the ECM-W3.

More tellingly, when I left the camera and receiver downstairs and walked up two flights of stairs to my bedroom with a transmitter, the signal stayed crisp and clear throughout — something other mics have struggled with in my home.

The single-level noise reduction isn’t especially aggressive, and I think DJI and Insta360 offer markedly better cancellation. That said, it noticeably reduced the hum of a fan at home without adding any odd artifacts, so you can probably just leave it switched on all the time.

Sony quotes up to seven hours of battery life for the transmitters and receiver, rising to 11 hours for the transmitters if you top them up from the charging case. And when the receiver is mounted on a compatible camera’s MI Shoe, it draws power from the camera and switches on and off with it, so there’s one less battery to keep an eye on. Add up to two extra transmitters (sold separately) and you can also record up to four audio channels in-camera, which should appeal to anyone shooting multi-person interviews.

Sony also offers wireless monitoring via compatible Sony wireless headphones that support Bluetooth LE Audio, so you can keep an ear on your audio without a headphone cable, and compatible models such as the WH-1000XM6 can even be used as mics for binaural recording. I didn’t have a compatible pair of headphones to hand (and the binaural feature wasn’t available before launch), so I wasn’t able to test either feature.

The ECM-W5 also supports timecode, another feature that'll appeal to professionals.

Should I buy the Sony ECM-W5?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Sony ECM-W5: also consider

How I tested the Sony ECM-W5

• One week of testing indoors and outdoors
• Connected to Sony A7 V camera via Multi Interface shoe and OnePlus tablet via USB-C

Sony loaned me a review sample of the full ECM-W5 package along with a Sony A7 V camera for the purposes of this test, which allowed me to fully test the Multi Interface Shoe connection. I also tested the USB-C connectivity, by attaching the receiver to a OnePlus Pad tablet and recording video.

I used the mic system for about a week, recording in both 24-bit and 32-bit float modes and testing the noise reduction capabilities both indoors and outdoors in a variety of situations. I also tested its range and signal stability by leaving the receiver downstairs and walking up two floors of my house with a transmitter.

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

While many of the best dash cams on the market come with plenty of features and functions, not all of them boast 4K shooting capability. The dual-channel 70mai 4K A900 Ultra captures 4K footage not only with its front-facing camera, but also with the rearward-facing unit that makes up this potent dash cam bundle.

This camera combo benefits from Sony Starvis 2 IMX678 sensors in both units too, which combined with the 4K, HDR and 70mai’s own Night Owl Vision 2.0 processing, means the bundle is perfect for capturing footage night and day. The resolution is impressive, with the f/1.8 front lens capable of shooting 3840 x 2160P (4K) at 30fps, and the f/1.6 rearward camera able to shoot the same 4K quality at 25fps. The field of view for both units is a generous 130 degrees.

The rest of the specification is similarly impressive, with the chunky main camera featuring a 3-inch rear-facing screen and four control buttons, which makes adjusting settings and previewing footage easy. There is a 5-system built-in GPS, and buffered emergency recording that captures up to 3 minutes and ten seconds before and 30 seconds after an incident.

Bonus appeal is delivered with the likes of 70mai’s Smart Parking Surveillance 2.0 (subject to hardwiring the unit into a vehicle), a Driver Fatigue Alert, and 4G Cloud+ 2.0 compatibility that delivers a live view, remote playback and two-way voice communication that covers all bases on the security front.

While capturing 4K footage soon amasses lots of chunky files, the 70mai 4K A900 Ultra features Wi-Fi 6, which means the transfer of footage and general file management is both quick and easy, with speeds of up to 45MBps. Another plus of the 70mai 4K A900 Ultra comes via compatibility with 70mai’s Battery Pack Mini, which gives assured backup power, and up to 30 days of parking surveillance without draining your vehicle’s battery.

Topping off an impressive set of features is hands-free voice control, while the unit itself features supercapacitor technology that offers more durable performance across the ranged of temperatures that occur inside vehicles over time.

All of this is squeezed into a compact box-shaped design for the main camera unit, while the rearward-facing camera is a fairly typical tube-shaped design. Both units can be attached to screen glass using supplied adhesive pads, and everything needed for the job comes inside the box.

The 70mai 4K A900 Ultra is therefore a one-stop solution, although it is worth noting that a hardwire kit, which unlocks the potential of around-the-clock surveillance monitoring, will need to be purchased separately. Otherwise, the units can be powered via a standard 12V in-car power socket, for which an adapter is supplied. The 70mai Battery Pack Mini is also sold as an optional extra.

70mai 4K A900 Ultra: price and availability

In the US, the 70mai 4K A900 Ultra is priced at $299.99, but at the time of writing can be purchased directly from the US 70mai website for $239.99. In the UK, the 70mai 4K A900 Ultra is priced at £231, but is currently available for £185 from the 70mai website.

70mai 4K A900 Ultra: specs

70mai 4K A900 Ultra: Design

I’ve tested several dash cameras from the 70mai stable, and always found them to be well designed and very nicely made. The 70mai 4K A900 Ultra follows that theme, with a good-looking exterior for the main camera unit that sits upfront. Meanwhile, the tube-shaped rear-facing camera looks fairly conventional, but is also very well put together.

The main camera unit feels great in the hand, weighty and chunky. It also features a built-in mounting bracket, which is non-detachable. The angle-adjustment bracket that joins the camera unit, and the sticky attachment that fits to the windshield felt quite stiff to adjust, but this makes sense when you consider how much vibration and bumping around the unit will be subjected to over time, and should mean that the position of the camera remains consistent over time.

Up front, the lens protrudes from the front of the camera unit, but not so far as to be intrusive when fitting to the windshield. The side of the unit has a slot for microSD cards up to 512GB capacity, and the port for connecting the power and rear camera cable. I like the way 70mai does its connectors, with a push fit for the camera wire that feels almost locked in place once it has been pushed in. Again, having a durable design for components like this means there’s less chance for failure over time.

There’s a 3-inch screen on the back of the front dash camera unit, which is a good size for previewing footage and the like, as well as making the setup process nice and easy. It took me mere minutes to power-up the camera using the supplied 12V power plug and cable. From there, picking through the installation options and setting the language, time and date options was easily achieved via the four plastic buttons directly below the screen.

Both cameras can be fixed to the glass using the supplied self-adhesive pads. In the case of the front unit this has to be applied to the bracket and then stuck to the screen. There are static sheets for anyone who wants to stick these to the glass first, which isa good option if you think you’re going to need to peel it off and move to another vehicle at some point. The rear camera has its sticky pad already fixed to the bracket.

Getting this into position in a rear window can be tricky, depending on the vehicle, but the good news is that the lens barrel can be rotated into its optimal position, and the view it captures checked within the front-facing screen on the front. This is presented as a picture-in-picture view, so any tweaks can be made if the view doesn’t look quite right. 70mai does sell an optional hardwire kit for anyone wanting to access the entire suite of features and functions, including round-the-clock vehicle surveillance.

70mai 4K A900 Ultra: Performance

I found the 70mai 4K A900 Ultra dash cam very easy to use once I’d got it installed and ready to go. As mentioned, the initial setup procedure is very straightforward, and can largely be done without consulting the manual thanks to the simple step-by-step process, which includes formatting the memory card. I especially liked the way the chunky buttons on the back of the camera could be used for making adjustments. Combined with the 70mai app, which I’ve used before, this combination makes light work of everyday file management duties.

Which brings us to the subject of the video. The 4K quality produced by this twin-channel camera combination is excellent, and I found the after-dark footage it captured was as good as footage shot in daylight. The 70mai engineers have clearly put some effort into squeezing the maximum detail from their HDR software, and the results are clear to see in the clips on this page.

The cameras also coped admirably with variable light quality and weather conditions, as well as sudden changes in lighting such driving through a tunnel, as illustrated in the clips here. Importantly, there's good definition in details such as license plates and road signs.

One of the more interesting features of this dual-channel dash cam is its use of low-voltage differential signaling, or LVDS. 70mai claims this means the 4K feed from the rear camera is relayed as a digital signal, with no re-encoding, which ultimately means there's no compression carried out, even though there is quite a long cable connecting the two camera units. 70mai also says the connection features 20ms ultra-low latency. In essence, that should mean that if you're using the feed from the rear camera when reversing, you'll see it in real time, without any lag. On a more practical note, the more efficient cabling seems thinner than usual too.

Overall, the 70mai 4K A900 Ultra dash cam is a potent package that left me wanting for nothing. Naturally, the files are chunky, but the latest Wi-Fi transfer capabilities of this bundle and a rock-solid app means file management really isn’t an issue. Granted, the microSD card tops out at 512GB before it starts looping, but I found that transferring files from the camera to cloud-base storage was about as easy as it gets.

As always, one important thing to note is that anyone wanting to use the parking-monitoring feature will to purchase the optional hardwire kit.

you'll need the optional hardwire kit. Th

Should you buy the 70mai 4K A900 Ultra dash cam?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the 70mai 4K A900 Ultra dash cam

• I installed the dash cam in an SUV for a test period of around four weeks
• I used it during daily commutes as well as for longer trips on a mix of roads
• I installed the 70mai app and used it to view, manage and save 4K files

70mai loaned me the 4K A900 Ultra dash cam along with everything I needed to test it, including a microSD card.

I installed the twin-camera bundle in a test vehicle using the supplied cables and connectors. I didn't call on the option of using a 70mai hardwire kit, which offers a more permanent means of supplying power, and enables parking-surveillance features. I didn't get to try the 70mai Battery Pack Mini either, which is another option offered by the company.

I did, however, make good use of the supporting 70mai app. I've tested this before, and it's received a few tweaks here and there since I last used it. As a result, the app works very well indeed, especially when it comes to managing the larger files generated by the higher-quality 4K setup.

• First reviewed October 2026

Given the ongoing component shortages and price pressures, producing an affordable camera in 2026 is no mean feat — and that's exactly what OM System has achieved with the new PEN.

It has delivered the rangefinder-style mirrorless camera many PEN fans have been crying out for, and equipped it with in-body image stabilization, twin displays, a retro weather-proof design (IPX1-rated), and a range of fun computational photography modes — and kept the price to $1,000 / £850 / $AU1,800. Need a lens? The 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III kit (see below) is just $100 / £100 / AU$300 extra.

Beyond that kit lens, the OM PEN is part of the Micro Four Thirds system, with hundreds of lenses to choose, covering just about any situation, though any of these will add to the cost. I found it to be a great pairing with the low-cost Olympus 45mm f/1.8 for portraiture.

There's little that's new here, mind you — we have the same 20.4MP CMOS sensor with 5-axis image stabilization as previous models, including the OM System OM-5 II, and the same 121-point hybrid phase-detection autofocus, with stripped back subject-detection options. The vari-angle touchscreen and 2.36m-dot EVF are borrowed from previous models, too.

However, the OM PEN remains utterly compelling because it's so much fun to shoot the everyday with, so easy on the eye, and kind on the wallet. Sure, the PEN could be better in various areas (some of the controls are particularly fiddly), but all is forgiven when you consider the overall package, and that price tag.

Having used the camera for several weeks (and made direct comparisons with the excellent Lumix 10 premium compact), I think the OM System PEN as an ideal starter camera for smartphone upgraders — and it's the best beginner camera for 2026 so far.

OM System PEN review: Price and release date

• Announced in September 2026
• Costs $999.99 / £849 / AU$1,499 (body-only) or $1,099 / £949 / AU$1,799 with new 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III kit lens
• Available in two colorways: all black, and black with silver trim

After years of rumors, OM System finally put its name on a successor for the Olympus PEN series of cameras. And like the OM-5 II before it, the OM System PEN is excellent value for money in an industry otherwise feeling the effects of component shortages and price hikes — where else can you find a new interchangeable-lens camera with a viewfinder and in-body image stabilization for less $1,000?

That price is for the body only, mind you, and if you're starting from scratch the best-value package is the camera with the new 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III zoom lens, and that costs $100 / £100 / AU$300 extra. The third-generation kit lens was announced alongside the camera, and gains a splash-proof design, matching the OM PEN camera.

The camera is available for preorder now in two colorways: black, and black with silver trim.

OM System PEN review: specs

OM System PEN review: Design

• Compact, IPX1-rated body that weighs just 13.9oz / 393g
• Twin displays: 2.36m-dot EVF and 1.04m-dot vari-angle touchscreen
• USB-C charging, mic port and hotshoe

There's no shortage of OM System bodies, but the PEN is the first OM-branded rangefinder proper, with its 2.36m-dot EVF neatly tucked into the top-left corner of the compact, IPX1-rated retro body.

It's the same EVF that you'll find in the slightly pricier OM-5 Mark II — a camera that we awarded a 5-star rating, and which sits in top spot in TechRadar's best travel cameras guide.

The key difference between those two bodies is that the OM-5 Mark II has higher-rated weatherproofing, a pronounced viewfinder bump, and a larger grip — meaning it's better suited to inclement weather, outdoor photography, and use with larger lenses. The OM PEN is also a superb travel camera, but you'd typically use it on city breaks, for everyday and street photography with smaller lenses.

It has the retro charm we've come to expect from Olympus / OM System bodies, and I particular liked the black and silver version I had for this review. It's equipped with a hotshoe for accessories such as an external flash (there's no built-in flash), a Mono / Color profile switch, a USB-C port for charging, micro HDMI, mic jack and a single SD card slot.

Most of the buttons are small and can be a little fiddly. I found accessing the computational photography a pain — you need to hold down the 'CP' button while rotating the top dial (that the shutter button is set within) to access the menu. Why not require just a press of the CP button to open the menu?

The on/off switch is poorly designed, too — good luck trying to land on the photography setting without skipping past it to the video mode. If you have moderately large hands like I do, the whole layout might feel a little fiddly. And I'm sure there are some retro camera fans who will be disappointed that there's no cable-release thread in the shutter button. All that being said, I still very much enjoyed using the PEN.

OM System PEN review: Performance

• 20.4MP CMOS sensor with 5-axis stabilization
• BLS-7 battery with 410-shot CIPA rating
• 121-point hybrid phase detection autofocus with subject tracking

A 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds sensor is nothing to get too excited about in and of itself when you consider the larger-sensor, higher-resolution alternatives that are available.

Computational photography modes can close the gap where there are drawbacks; addressing the fewer pixels and lesser dynamic range versus larger-sensor alternatives, though they don't work for every scenario. (I've included some examples, above.)

With 5.5EV image stabilization, the High Res Shot mode can be used handheld to increase resolution from 20MP to 50MP, though it won't work for scenes with movement in them. The same can be said for the HDR modes, which also work by combining several images captured sequentially together into one, and would otherwise have ghosting in them where there's movement in the scene during capture. For still scenes, HDR works perfectly well for increasing dynamic range.

As a starter camera, however, the level of detail this tried and tested sensor is able to capture is easily sufficient for travel and everyday photography. Add a decent lens — and there are hundreds to choose from, including the low-cost 45mm f/1.8 for portraiture — and you have the foundation for smartphone-beating images.

There's nothing wrong with OM System's 121-point hybrid phase-detection autofocus system, despite its stripped-back selection of subject-detection options that includes humans or animals (cats and dogs).

I've used other systems with a wider range of subject-detection modes, but for the most part you'd struggle to see a major difference in performance — when tracking birds, for example, I found the animal-detection autofocus to be sticky. There's not the same degree of complexity for face and eye detection, though — it's reliable, but you can't manually switch which eye the camera autofocuses on.

Battery life is decent, being rated at 410 shots, but video specs are fairly basic for 2026 — 4K up to 30fps / C4K up to 24fps, with a wide choice of color profiles including OM System's flat OM-Log400 profile, but just 8-bit color depth. The slow and quick mode unleashes up to 120fps slow-motion recording, or down to 1fps quick motion, but in 1080p only. Image stabilization works for video, though, which is a major draw for a camera at this price point.

Should I buy the OM System PEN?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

OM System PEN review: also consider

How I tested the OM System PEN

• OM System loaned me the black and silver version of the PEN and the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III kit lens for several weeks
• I also used it with Olympus 45mm f/1.8 / Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 lenses
• I took the camera to China for a work trip, and used it in a variety of scenarios, trying out the various computational photography modes

OM System sent me the black and silver version of the PEN with the new 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III kit lens, and I used the kit regularly for several weeks, including during a work trip to China. I also paired the camera with an Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens and a (Panasonic) Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 lens.

I've tried the various computational photography modes, used slow shutter speeds, and shot video handheld to test the image stabilization effectiveness, and tried out various autofocus modes.

I've used the camera in light rain and in bright light, testing its splash proof credentials and the brightness of its displays. Along the way, I compared the PEN to the Lumix L10, a similar MFT camera.

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

The Bird Buddy 2 is the next-gen smart feeder on from the sleek, popular Bird Buddy Smart Feeder Pro. It shares the same integrated solar roof panels but has a new circular magnetic camera unit that pops out and rotates instantly between 9:16 portrait and 16:9 landscape modes.

More than six months after first hanging the Bird Buddy 2 in my garden, I'm delighted with its build quality and solar efficiency; however, it's fair to say my relationship with this smart feeder is still a mix of genuine appreciation and lingering frustration.

The feeder's integrated solar roof has kept the camera powered continuously for over half a year without me needing to bring it inside to charge once (which is good, as this is a fiddly job).

Combine that with its neat, easy-wipe, plastic build, clean refill design, and a charming app full of postcards and daily highlights, and I think it remains one of the most enjoyable, albeit pared-back smart feeders on the market. The equally popular Birdfy ecosystem offers more functionality, whereas I see Bird Buddy aiming for a simpler user experience.

Although it's easily rotatable, the camera is fixed facing forward, and framing isn’t quite right for landscape mode. The shallow seed tray means smaller birds sitting right in the seed for a good munch get cropped at the bottom of the frame. But now that 2K Ultra video resolution is available to Premium users, it takes the clarity of footage to an impressive level.

As I’ve said, one of the big selling points of the Bird Buddy app is how user-friendly and engaging it is, but this can come at the detriment of basic usability features – such as having customizable sleeping hours – meaning my camera regularly missed the earliest (and often most active) morning visitors because it’s not awake to record them.

But I do love how easy it is to keep your feed organised. New postcards will stay in your active feed for a week. From here, you can choose to collect or discard them (and the collection is where postcards stay permanently), which means the onus is on you to curate your sightings and choose the best clips and stills.

I'm not sold on the app feature to give images filters and birds outfits – but if it helps entice younger users into birdwatching, then maybe it's not such an awful idea. There's also a lot of educational content, with Birdy Buddy feeding you tidbits of facts about identified species.

• Interested what other options are available besides the Bird Buddy 2? Check out our best bird feeder cameras guide.

I found live streaming to be occasionally laggy, sometimes not loading at all, and even when I set the camera to Frenzy Mode, the AI postcard capture missed birds I could clearly see sitting on the feeder from my kitchen window. It’s not the most reliable feeder I’ve used, and not ideal if you want to capture every single bird and build a picture of their visiting habits; however, it does stop your feed from getting clogged with thousands of similar clips.

Despite these niggles and quirks, I really enjoy the core experience. The AI bird identification is almost perfect, the postcard collection system provides a handy highlight reel, and the solar roof means near-continuous use.

The Bird Buddy 2 is a sleek, low-maintenance smart feeder with strong app design and best-in-class solar performance. For now, it earns its spot in my garden (and believe me, I have four smart feeders on the go), though I can’t help thinking about its price and hope tighter bird detection lands in future updates.

Bird Buddy 2: Price and availability

• Wider release rolled out in mid-2026
• Available via Amazon US and Amazon UK
• $299 in the US (approx. £300)

At $299 in the US and about £300 on Amazon UK, the Bird Buddy 2 sits firmly at the premium end of smart bird feeders. It demands a serious investment compared to standard single-camera setups and sits noticeably higher than competitors like the Birdfy range (even the dual-lens Birdfy Feeder 2 Pro at $279).

Bird Buddy is fully functional without a paid subscription, however, giving you AI species identification, live streaming, and daily Postcards for free. The Bird Buddy Pro subscription ($5.99/month or $59.99/year) is optional and unlocks longer video clips, 2K Ultra Resolution, Alexa integration, species-specific AI filtering and more.

US buyers can order directly from Bird Buddy or Amazon, but the brand doesn't currently ship the Gen 2 directly to the UK via its official site. That leaves Amazon UK (around £300) as the main route for UK buyers to get hold of one.

That price tag covers the built-in solar roof, but you don't get accessories like a wall mount in the box, and mounting poles are separate, too (less surprising). The Bird Buddy 2 is undoubtedly a steep purchase, with extra costs for the Premium features like 2K Ultra footage. I think a handful of keen and more technically-minded birders spending this much might feel short-changed.

Bird Buddy 2: Specs

Bird Buddy 2: Design

• Flush solar roof for cable-free, continuous power
• IP67-rated weatherproof housing
• Magnetic camera module for quick portrait and landscape switching

I found setting up the Bird Buddy 2 pretty painless; a booklet in the box details assembly, plus an app walkthrough. Like all smart feeders, you need to download the app first, then follow a series of illustrated steps to set up the Wi-Fi connection between your phone and the camera. It takes no more than five minutes and has been well thought through.

Initially, I connected the Bird Buddy 2 to my main internet router (likely about 12 metres away), as it said there was a strong signal. But each day I checked the app status, and it flagged that there was a low, unstable signal, and this may affect the number of postcards I was getting. Well, reader, it did just this, as I regularly watched a couple of blue tits land, feast and fly off from my kitchen window without any notifications.

I then added a wireless extender much closer to the garden and the camera. You can't change the Wi-Fi network on the camera directly in the app and instead have to factory reset the device and pair it again as a new one. This doesn’t lose postcards and your history as I thought it would; it’s more just a faff.

I’ve tested over ten smart bird feeder cams in my garden before, and the Bird Buddy 2 stands out for its clean aesthetics. It’s still plastic (recycled ASA plastic with an IP67 weather rating) rather than wood or bamboo, but the housing feels solid and has resisted any signs of UV fading over a very hot, bright British summer. Crucially, I’ve also found it fairly easy to keep clean, but you can't dunk the whole feeder in water to avoid getting the USB-C charging point wet.

On earlier units, you could pop the camera out to charge and leave the feeder hanging outside. With the Gen 2, because the solar roof and camera housing are wired together, offline charging requires unhooking the entire dirty feeder or wrestling with the mounting bracket outdoors. At least the solar roof panels sit flush against the top without trailing cables or awkward side arms. Top-ups are easy thanks to a rear-sliding tray that lets you pour seed in without spilling. There’s less room for access than other feeders I’ve tried where the lid totally comes off, but it’s nice and secure.

The biggest design change on this second-generation unit is its circular, rather than pill-shaped camera module. It attaches in a magnetic socket behind a scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass lens, and can be twisted 90 degrees to flip between vertical (9:16) and widescreen (16:9) modes on the fly. For bird photographers who are more accustomed to landscape framing, I think it’s a welcome addition.

However, I found that the seed tray depth negates some of the benefits of having two different views. Because the tray floor sits close to the lens mount, small garden birds often drop low into the seed to feed. In both portrait and landscape orientation, this leaves their bodies cut off by the bottom lip of the frame, resulting in video clips that showcase plenty of background trees but only the top of a bird's head.

There are several ways to mount the Bird Buddy 2. The easiest is to use the metal hanger wire included in the box, which keeps the feeder suspended from a hook or branch in your garden. I used this option and found the wire very strong, though the Feeder did sway slightly in high winds.

A bottom bracket adapter is included in the box, though Bird Buddy sells a metal mounting pole separately. A wall mount for fence panels and outside walls is another optional add-on, which is a shame, as rival Birdfy usually includes this option in the box.

Bird Buddy 2: Performance

• Flawless solar power over months
• 5MP images detailed in bright light; quality drops off in shade
• Engaging app experience, though the live stream is laggy

If there’s one good reason to buy the Bird Buddy 2, it is the battery performance. Over six months of continuous outdoor use, the solar roof kept the battery topped up continuously and is still at 100% as I write this review. I haven't needed to bring the camera inside to plug it into a wall outlet even once—a massive win for an outdoor smart device—even if I have had to bring it in for cleaning and firmware updates.

Like any camera, the Bird Buddy 2’s image quality depends on the light quality. When mounted in gentle, direct sunlight, I found the 1080p videos and 5MP photos captured were crisp and vibrant. Close-ups show some feather textures, eye reflections, and accurate colors, particularly on bright birds like blue tits. The 2K Ultra footage (available to premium users) truly has the sharp look you might expect at a $299 / £300 price point.

For smartphone viewing and social media sharing, both the 1080p and 2K Ultra clips look great – colorful, sharp, instantly recognizable, and easy to download and share to your camera roll. It's a shame that the downloaded images have the Bird Buddy watermark, but this isn't unique to the brand.

The wider 135-degree field of view also gives a nice sense of surrounding garden action, but I still find it frustrating how much of the bird gets cut off when sat straight in the feeder.

Like most small-sensor outdoor cameras, image quality drops off noticeably in flat or shaded light, and noise becomes noticeable. In high-contrast situations (like bright sun filtering through trees), the dynamic range struggles, leading to blown-out highlights or heavy shadows on dark-plumaged birds. The built-in microphone is clean enough for the app's AI audio identification features to work effectively.

As for AI species identification, only a handful of entries weren't identified, usually because the bird in question (Common wood pigeon) was too close to the camera, but you can edit the species manually if you want. When it does trigger automatically, however, the digital Postcards are delightful. Instead of spamming your phone with hundreds of motion-alert notifications like standard security cameras, the AI compiles a daily highlight reel with accurate species identification. It turns checking your garden activity into an enjoyable daily routine rather than notification clutter.

Detection consistency is an area needing refinement. The app prioritizes simplicity over granular controls, which means you can’t adjust the camera's sleep and wake hours. As a result, the feeder frequently stayed asleep past dawn, missing early-morning feeding rushes.

Even when I toggled it to Frenzy Mode for maximum recording sensitivity, the feeder frequently ignored birds clearly visible with the naked eye. Live streaming initially suffered similar latency issues, often taking 15 to 20 seconds to establish a connection, but improved with time. Maybe like the hobby of birdwatching itself, the Bird Buddy 2 just requires a bit of patience and learning to get into the swing of things.

Should you buy the Bird Buddy 2?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Bird Buddy 2

• Tested for 6 months
• Hung in a UK garden between April and September
• Tried HD and 2K video and stills

I tested the Bird Buddy 2 for more than 6 months, hanging it from a pole in my UK garden where small birds and squirrels visit regularly through the seasons. I left the feeder in the same spot, only bringing it inside briefly once a month for cleaning.

I paired the feeder to my iPhone 15 Pro using the Bird Buddy app, and set up a nearby Wi-Fi extender in my kitchen to ensure it always had a strong connection. I tested the feeder's reliability for recording sightings, assessed the AI recognition and tested all the features and settings available in the Bird Buddy app.

Before May, I filled up the feeder more fully with a premium garden bird seed mix. During the summer months, I followed RSPB guidance on feeding birds and left small amounts of mealworms and suet in the base of the feeder.

First reviewed October 2026

I’ve never seen my teenage son more animated about a camera than he was about the Instax Pal 2 — and he’s seen his fair share over the course of my years reviewing gear.

It’s tactile and sensory, with its exaggerated sound effects, clicky winding lever, joystick, dampened dial, and pop-out USB-C connector. For my son, it was like a fidget toy. And I have to confess it was for me too.

The emphasis here is on toy, mind you — he could happily fiddle with the controls for hours without taking a single photo.

Even with my Serious Camera Reviewer hat on, I’m enamored with the Pal 2; it's cute, it's dinky, and there’s enough here to keep my attention.

There's the winding lever that scrolls through the Instax mini, square and wide film formats (or no border at all); the dampened dial for the various picture effects; the joystick that you use to navigate a sub-menu with options for self-timer, flash and display modes, and which you can also press to open the main menu.

Then there’s the cut-out optical viewfinder, and a top-down, 1.3-inch screen for waist-level photography, a red playback button and clear ‘back’ button. Every control is unique, and characterful.

Fujifilm’s design department clearly knows its market — the Pal 2 is latest in a long line of quirky, retro fun models that include the original Pal, the X half and the Instax Mini Evo Cinema.

In a way it’s easy to forget that this palm-sized bundle of retro fun is a camera at all; but that's what it is, and it’s one with very basic tech inside: a tiny 1/3.06-inch sensor with 10MP JPEG photos, shot through a 28mm equivalent f/2.2 lens, with an LED flash for close-up low-light shots. There's no video here, just a 10-shot Animation mode.

It’s also Wi-Fi / Bluetooth-equipped, meaning users can wirelessly connect to a smart device and use the Instax Pal app for image uploads and sharing (the Pal app wasn't updated for the Pal 2 at the time of my review), or to one of Fujifilm’s Instax link printers for uploads or direct printing onto Instax film. There’s that pop-out USB-C for charging, too.

But — and it's a big but — it’s very expensive. The Pal 2 is not priced like the toy camera it is.

You can get four Kodak Charmeras for the price of one Instax Pal 2 and have some change left over. Yes, the Pal 2 is more camera than the Charmera in every way, but they are in the same novelty camera category, and the Charmera knows its place better.

Yes, my son loves the Pal 2, but it’s not in pocket-money saving territory, and it would be a stretch as a birthday gift.

It's easy to be won over by the Pal 2 — this is a retro, pocket digital camera with wireless image uploads and Instax printing. But when the Instax Mini Evo costs the same, and that camera has a larger body and screen, and can print images selected from the gallery directly, the Pal 2 feels like a stretch. If its price comes down, like the X half's did (by about 40%), then it might be a different picture.

Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 review: Price and release date

• Announced in September 2026
• Priced at $169.95 / £149.99 / AU$249
• Available in two colorways; black with silver trim, or white with silver trim

The Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 costs $169.95 / £149.99 / AU$249 and is available in two colorways: black with silver trim, or white with silver trim. It comes with a small rubber selfie stand, which fixes in place by slotting around the lens, and a wrist strap.

Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 review: specs

Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 review: Design

• Weighs just 3oz / 87g, fits in a pocket
• Cool retro look and multi-sensory controls
• Twin displays: LCD and cutout optical viewfinder

It might share the name as the original Pal, but the two cameras bear little resemblance to each other. The original Pal’s golf ball-like exterior is cast aside in favor of retro-style, mini Fujifilm camera-like body.

Fujifilm has packed a lot of controls and features into the tiny, palm-sized body, including a cut-out viewfinder, 1.3-inch top LCD, winding lever, on/off dial, a joystick set within another dial, playback and back buttons, a pop-out USB-C, and a tiny selfie mirror, tripod mount, microSD card slot, and LED flash.

Each control has its own distinct character, and it took me no time at all to memorize each one, meaning I could instinctively locate them.

For the most part, I only found myself scrolling through the Instax film types (glorified aspect ratios) using the winding lever, and using the six picture styles, and the flash settings, self-timer and display mode options in the sub-menu. There’s little else to experiment with, besides perhaps exposure compensation, which is buried in the menu.

You can choose whether to display the selected picture style on the LCD display (kind of like a film roll), or the live view, when composing images. I'd hardly say composition is critical though, because the lens is a wide-angle 28mm optic, meaning you can blindly point the Pal 2 in the direction of your subject and it will be in the shot.

There’s plenty to like about the design of the Instax Pal 2. It’s a highly enjoyable camera to play around with, and it earned plenty of admiring comments from other tech journalists when I was attending another event.

Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 review: Performance

• Wide-angle 28mm f/2.2 lens
• 10MP JPEGs, plus a 10-shot animation mode
• Bluetooth / Wi-Fi equipped for wireless image uploads and printing

The charming, tactile and dinky design is the major appeal of the Instax Pal 2 — you’re not buying it for its technically impressive images and high-speed performance.

Take the JPEG-only photos (up to 10MP, depending on the aspect ratio) from the tiny 1/3.06-inch sensor and 28mm f/2.2 lens. There's no getting away from the fact they're lo-fi images; they're Better than the Charmera’s, but no match for your phone’s.

Don’t expect much detail in highlights, either — they blow out with the camera’s exposure metering left to its own devices, although ±2EV exposure compensation is buried in the camera’s main menu, so it is possibly to go for dark, moody photos too.

The six color profiles are all towards the vintage end of the scale, with options for Soft, Muted, Cool, Flare, Mono and Pure (see below). If you want a punchy, vivid setting, you’re out of luck. The picture style and aspect ratio used at the time of shooting, whether that’s mini, square, wide or no border, are locked in.

Technically this is a photo-only camera, but if you turn the winding lever clockwise (instead of counter clockwise for the Instax film borders), you can enter a burst-shooting 'animation' mode that takes up to 10 photos in a sequence and then pieces them into a single stop motion-like clip (see above).

There’s a built-in battery that's recharged through USB-C — and you’ll need to do that regularly, because battery life is poor. A combination of me playing around with the camera settings and taking around 50-75 images saw battery life depleted by three quarters, so you’ll struggle to get through a full day of shooting.

Shutter lag — the time between pressing the shutter button and the camera actually taking the photo — can get really frustrating, and it’s made worse with the LED flash active. You'll need to hold the camera steady after pressing the shutter, and hope that your subject stays still, otherwise you'll miss the shot

I had the flash mostly set to auto, and it mostly only fired in low light — this isn’t a flash-on for every photo setup, as is the case with some Instax mini cameras.

As with any wide-angle camera, but especially so with the Pal 2's small picture size, it pays to have your subject close and filling the frame to maximize the impact of the photo — this isn’t a camera for taking landscape images, in which detail will be lost.

A curiosity is that the camera limits users to 100 shots between connections to the Pal app, whether that's shooting onto the internal memory or the microSD card. This isn't an issue when shooting onto the internal memory, since there's only space for 100 shots, but I found it a frustrating and unnecessary restriction when shooting to the card.

The original Instax Pal app is also designed for the Pal 2, but at the time of writing there wasn't an update for the app, so I haven't been able to try it out with the latest camera yet. I'll update this review once I've tried wireless uploads and printing.

Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax Pal 2?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Fujifilm Instax Pal 2 review: also consider

How I tested the Fujifilm Instax Pal 2

• Fujifilm loaned me the black and silver version of the Instax Pal 2 for three weeks
• I kept the camera with me at all times, and took it to China for a work trip
• I've shot around 150 photos using the various picture styles and aspect ratios (Instax borders)

Instax loaned me the black-with-silver-trim version of the Pal 2 for a few weeks, during which time I’ve kept it on me as an everyday camera, and taken it to China on a work trip.

I’ve used the various picture effects, aspect ratios (Instax film types), the self-timer and the LED flash, and tried the 10-frame animation mode.

At the time of my review, the Instax Pal app wasn't updated for use with the Pal 2 (on Android, at least). I'll update this review once I've paired the camera with the app and used it properly.

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

It might look like a Sony or Nikon, but I can assure you that the EOS R8 Mark II is a Canon camera. It's the realization of a long-rumored model that was expected to be a digital remake of the AE-1 analog SLR camera to mark that camera's its 50th anniversary, only those rumors proved unfounded, with Canon working in a "modern twist".

I can see the faint resemblance between the two cameras, and I like the EOS R8 Mark II's angular look, but I also think Canon has missed a trick by not going all-out retro here, in the way Nikon did with its Zf.

Design should have been the major selling point here, but instead we have a camera that blends in, and that's not a compliment. This makes it harder to forgive the dated elements of the camera that have been carried over from the original EOS R8.

That's not to say the EOS R8 Mark II isn't a decent upgrade from the EOS R8 — it adds in-body image stabilization that's rated up to 7.5EV to the 24MP full-frame sensor, plus an AF joystick (Canon calls it a multi-controller) which makes autofocus selection simpler.

Video specs are also improved, autofocus performance enhanced, and pre-capture appears for the first time in a Canon camera at this price point.

The EOS R8 Mark II is a better camera than the EOS R8, but it also carries the same LCD and EVF displays, and the same tiny battery and entry-level build quality. These dated elements only highlight how much better a camera the Nikon Z5 II is — and that camera from 2025 costs less.

Still, if you're a Canon fan and committed to its system, the EOS R8 Mark II is a solid upgrade of the EOS R8, and a sensible alternative to the pricier EOS R6 Mark III for users who don't need the premium design, superior battery life and various high-end features.

Canon EOS R8 Mark II: Price and release date

• Announced on September 16, 2026, priced from $1,899 / £1,729 / AU$2,529
• Available in 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM kit for £2,119 / AU$2,859 (or with the 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens for $2,099) in the US
• Dedicated Extension Grip (EC-G2) costs $99 / £89 / AU$169
• Goes on sale from October 20

Canon is expected to sell the EOS R8 Mark II from October 20, with a body-only price of $1,899 / £1,729 / AU$2,529, which rises to £2,119 / AU$2,859 for the 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM kit (not to be confused with the pricier 24-105mm F4 L IS USM), while in the US there's a 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM kit for $2,099. Other bundles will be available, including one with an additional battery.

Canon also launched a grip for the EOS R8 Mark II, which costs $99 / £89 / AU$169. It's a grip only, and doesn't feature a battery, but it does feature a hinge allowing direct access to the camera's battery door.

Canon EOS R8 Mark II specs

Canon EOS R8 Mark II: Design

• Major new look for an interchangeable-lens Canon camera
• Multi-controller and tally lamp added
• Single SD card slot relocated to a dedicated side access door
• Same LCD and EVF displays as the EOS R8
• Body not weather resistant

I've already covered the new look of the EOS R8 Mark II. Whether that fresh design is going to be worked into other Canon cameras or remain exclusive to the R8 series, or if an unadulterated retro mirrorless body is on the way, we'll have to wait and see. I asked a Canon spokesperson about the prospect of an all-out retro body, and they didn't rule it out.

I've included a side-by-side photo of the EOS R8 and and EOS R8 Mark II, below, and you can see the sharper lines, and the deeper and textured grip of the new model, which for me evoke the look of Sony bodies more than Canon heritage.

One welcome addition is Canon's multi-controller button, which can be used to select the autofocus point among other things, and is a much loved feature by users who like to control to how their camera autofocuses, included point selection.

I really appreciated the placement of the multi-controller alongside the AF-ON (autofocus) button, which are both within a slight move of your thumb where it naturally rests in the grip. As such, it was entirely possible to hold the camera and make autofocus point selection one-handed.

A tally lamp has been added to indicate when video recording is active, while the single SD card slot has been relocated to a dedicated door on the grip-side of the camera, whereas in the EOS R8 it was found behind the same door as the battery on the underside.

Sadly, Canon hasn't used the space saved in the battery compartment (and deeper handgrip) to fit in a larger-capacity battery. The EOS R8 Mark II uses the same battery as its predecessor — shot life was already a major weak point — and has an even lower battery life when the power-hungry image stabilization feature is active, being rated at 220 shots when using the viewfinder (or 340 shots with the LCD).

Nor has the quality of the body been improved — Canon notes that the EOS R8 Mark II's body materials are part aluminum alloy, part polycarbonate, and it's not weather resistant. The controls, and the build quality, really do feel entry-level.

The 3.0-inch 1.62m-dot vari-angle LCD and 0.39-inch 2.36m-dot EVF displays are unchanged from the EOS R8, and look fairly dated when you compare them to the Nikon Z5 II's displays.

Canon EOS R8 Mark II: Performance

• 24.2MP full-frame sensor now equipped with 7.5EV image stabilization
• Digic X processor unique to the camera, 40fps burst shooting
• 4K video up to 60fps, oversampled from 6K, plus 1080p up to 180fps

The addition of in-body image stabilization (IBIS) is the major upgrade offered by the EOS R8 Mark II, and its effectiveness is rated up to 7.5EV. This feature makes life simpler shooting handheld in many scenarios — whether that's for sharp images in low light or with telephoto lenses, creative long-exposure shots, or run-and-gun video.

The sensor that incorporates the IBIS is otherwise the same as the one in the EOS R8 — a full-frame 24.2MP CMOS unit which is a decent all-purpose sensor. Nothing too exciting in 2026, but dependable.

Maximum burst-shooting speeds are once again up to 40fps, using the electronic shutter. Not that there's a choice — if you didn't already know it, the EOS R8 Mark II, like its predecessor, doesn't have a mechanical shutter.

Canon has added Pre-Continuous Shooting (more widely known as pre-capture) to the EOS R8 Mark II. In short, the camera is able to continually buffer up to 0.5 seconds while the shutter is half pressed, before the user fully presses the button to take photos. In this case, you get up to 20 photos spanning the half-second before you start photos — it's a really useful feature for wildlife and action photography, for when your reactions aren't otherwise up to speed. The feature was introduced in the EOS R5 Mark II, and the EOS R8 Mark II is the first Canon at this price point to get it.

Video recording has been improved in several ways. First of all, 4K footage is oversampled from 6K, so it should look sharper. Secondly, 4K frame rates have been upped to 60fps, while 1080p goes up to 180fps — that's 6x slow motion. Thirdly, there's the aforementioned IBIS, which makes smooth handheld shooting all the more possible. And then there are additional color profiles to choose from, including 'filmtone' looks and other picture styles which can be added using the Canon EOS Utility app.

Canon has also added a new 'defocus' feature, which can add a creative blur effect (not aperture dependent), and alter the speed of focus transitions. I haven't had the time yet to test any of the EOS R8 Mark II's video features, but I will do for my upcoming in-depth review.

Dual Pixel CMOS AF II powers the camera's autofocus, which like before includes subject detection of people, animals and vehicles, but which Canon says offers an improved performance. For example, the camera's focus sensitivity in low light has been improved, being rated to -7.5EV.

‘Register People Priority’ is a neat addition — users can select specific people’s faces, storing up to 10 people for the camera to prioritize. It's a handy feature for scenarios like a wedding, where you might want to keep the bride and groom in sharp focus among a sea of faces.

Canon EOS R8 Mark II: also consider

How I tested the Canon EOS R8 Mark II

• I had a two hour hands-on session with the camera and kit lens
• I spent the time getting a feel for the camera, and took some sample photos
• Canon provided the EOS R8 and EOS R6 Mark III for comparisons

I've only used the EOS R8 Mark II for a couple of hours at Canon Europe's offices in London. During this time, I got a proper feel for the camera, and paired it with the 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM lens that the camera is available with in a kit.

Canon supplied me with the original EOS R8 and EOS R6 Mark III, so I was able to make direct comparisons between the three cameras, though only how they handle — I didn't have time to take like-for-like pictures.

I took a stroll in the outside space, and took various photos of birdlife, foliage and buildings. Look out for our in-depth review of the EOS R8 Mark II, coming soon.

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

The Instax Mini 13 is the newest instant-print camera in Fujifilm’s long-standing lineup of budget, easy-to-use party snappers. These film cameras are a great way to capture memories at shindigs, weddings and the sort, and this latest model is no different.

Like most Instax mini cameras, the Instax Mini 13 has a 60mm f/12.7 optical-grade plastic lens, making it ideal for close-up snaps and selfies that require a fixed field of focus. It even has an additional close-up mode to give you a little extra control over the focal length.

These are all features already found in the Instax Mini 12, which we rate as the best instant camera for most people for its point-and-shoot simplicity — but the Instax Mini 13 does have a few small tricks up its sleeve to warrant it being the step up model in the range.

The biggest upgrade from its predecessor that was released in 2023 is the addition of a self-timer, which is normally found on more expensive models like the Instax Mini 99 that retails for more than double the price.

And while the self-timer is the most significant upgrade from the Instax Mini 12, there are other small differences, including a fresh, playful ribbed design with new pastel colors, and a small, rubber wedge that hangs on the strap for propping the camera up on a table.

If I were to sum up the Instax Mini 13 in three words, I'd say it's cheap, cheerful and charming, which is exactly what you want from a fun instant camera that's a piece of cake to use.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 13 review: price and release date

• Announced in March 2026
• Shipping began in Australia on March 31
• Released in the US and UK in late June
• Priced at $94 / £79 / AU$139

As noted in our Instax Mini 12 review, many of us camera nerds have come to expect a new Instax Mini instant camera every three years from the brand, so it was surprising that this model ended up having a staggered global rollout, without much fanfare. Aussies were the first to get their hands on the new camera on March 31, followed by the US and UK on June 25.

Even more surprising is the fact that those of us in the UK didn't see the same 15% price jump from the cost of the previous generation, with the Instax Mini 13 being priced at £79 — the same as the Instax Mini 12 at launch. Those in the US and Australia weren't as lucky, however, with the Instax Mini 13 seeing an 18% increase from the Instax Mini 12 to $94 and 16% to AU$139.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 13 review: specs

Fujifilm Instax Mini 13 review: design

• A fun, ribbed design for added grip
• Five different color options to choose from
• Comes with a handy accessory on the strap for propping the camera up

The most striking update to the Instax Mini 13 is the rounded, ribbed design and five new pastel colorways, which have been called Candy Pink, Frost Blue (featured in this review), Clay White, Lagoon Green and Dreamy Purple.

Although the new design does bring a new poppy look to the camera, the trade-off is that it's a bit bulkier and heavier than the likes of the Instax Mini 12. If that's a problem, and you're more so after a slimmer and compact build, take a look at our Instax Mini 99 review instead.

That model also has a built-in tripod thread at the bottom of the camera to help with taking group shots, which is one of the reasons why it's the more expensive, premium model. But the Instax Mini 13 brings a thoughtful budget accessory to help you stabilize shots: a rubber wedge attached to the strap that you can use to adjust the angle of the camera when placed on a surface.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 13: performance

• Incredibly easy to use — just point-and-shoot and print
• Best for taking short-range images, like selfies
• For optimum results, make sure to hold the camera about 30cm away

The biggest selling point of the Instax Mini 13 is the fact that it's so straightforward and easy to use. Simply load up Instax’s credit card-sized Mini Film pack of 10, spin the lens dial to turn it on, and you’re all set to go.

With a shutter speed range between 1/2 a second and 1/250 a second, and a film sensitivity rating of ISO 800, it's best used in well-lit spaces, as you'll run the risk of overexposing a shot if you were to shoot in direct, bright sunlight.

At night, the constant-firing flash will automatically adjust itself to different light levels on its own, but it's important to keep in mind the distance of your subject. As mentioned earlier, it's best to use it for close-up shots to get the best quality images. And the optimum range for the flash is the same, with a distance of 30cm to two metres being the most effective.

To make selfies ever easier to capture, the Instax Mini 13 has a self-timer that works brilliantly to stabilize any photograph by reducing the chances of blurring from pressing the shutter button. You simply have to spin the dial that's fitted around the shutter button to activate it. One rotation sets the timer at two seconds, which you can tell is on by the blinking light, while holding it down activates the 10 second timer.

My only gripe is that the self-timer doesn't give you a countdown light for when it's about to take the picture (say, the blinking light speeding up). Yes, I know I can simply count the seconds down myself from pressing the button, but when you're already trying to frame yourself in the small mirror that can easily be forgotten to do.

Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax Mini 13?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Fujifilm Instax Mini 13 review: also consider

How I tested the Fujifilm Instax Mini 13

• I took the Instax Mini 13 to several events over the course of two months
• Experimented with holding the camera at different distances to determine the best for image quality
• Printed 20 Instax Mini prints, which were scanned into the Instax UP! app

Being an instant camera fan, I knew the best places to bring the Instax Mini 13 to. From a friend's 30th birthday party to a Harry Styles concert, I snapped away to see how it performed in different lighting environments.

I went through two packs of Instax Mini film — the classic white border type and the Instax Mini Rainbow edition that prints out different colors. Unfortunately, the Pastel Galaxy film that was launched alongside the Instax Mini 13 wasn't available to test.

To show off some of the sample pictures I snapped over the two months that I tested the camera for, I scanned the prints onto my phone using the Instax UP! app.

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

Many have tried and failed to produce drones to rival DJI's, but the Potensic Atom 3 is a DJI drone alternative that's actually worth considering — and not just on paper, but in actual flight conditions.

The folding quadcopter impresses with level 5 wind resistance and a 10% bigger battery than its predecessor, the Atom 2, making for robust flight performance even in tricky conditions. It's gargantuan RC PTD 2 touchscreen controller (in the pricier bundle) feels top-drawer, too.

Its 3-axis gimbal camera isn't half-bad, either — being equipped with a 1/1.3-inch sensor and offering 4K video up to 60fps in standard, HDR or Log profiles, slow-motion recording, and up to 50MP stills in RAW and JPEG.

The larger sensor, higher 4K video frame rates and bitrates, plus improved battery life and transmission range are all meaningful upgrades on the Atom 2, and make the Atom 3 a compelling DJI Mini rival, especially given Potensic's competitive pricing.

Despite a few handling issues (which I'll get into below), the Atom 3 could have pinched top spot in our beginner drones guide... six months ago. The bad news for Potensic is that the DJI Lito X1 is now in the picture, raising the bar for any would-be challengers.

For practically the same money, the Lito X1 is the slightly more polished drone overall — and it features object sensing, which the Atom 3 lacks, delivering this incredibly useful feature at a new-low price point (compared to DJI's Mini 5 Pro). Ultimately, the Lito X1 gives consumers so much for the money that the fight here feels unfair.

Would I still recommend the Atom 3? Absolutely. It's way better than the Ruko U11Mini 4K, which we recently tested, and the next best thing for consumers who don't want, or can't buy, a DJI drone (US pricing is displayed on the Potensic website, suggesting it could become available there, unlike new DJI products, but currently Potensic is locked out of the US too). Ultimately, Potensic's best drone yet is a highly capable beginner option — but it remains one big step behind the DJI competition.

Potensic Atom 3: Price and availability

• Priced from $429.99 / £339.99
• Touchscreen RC3 controller bundle costs $424.99 / £499
• Available now direct from Potensic and via Amazon; not available in Australia at launch

The Potensic Atom 3 is available now directly through Potensic's website and via Amazon in the UK. There's US pricing on the Potensic site, but the company told me the Atom 3 is not available there, while it's yet to hit stores in Australia.

Pricing varies considerably depending on the region and the bundle. In the UK, the base package costs £339.99, with the price rising to £579.99 for the Fly More Combo with RC PTD 2 bundle (which I tested), which includes two additional batteries, a charging hub, case, and the touchscreen RC PTD 2 controller in place of the standard smartphone-based remote.

US pricing starts at $429.99, while the Fly More Combo, which includes the standard smartphone-based remote, costs $549.99. At the time of writing only two of the five bundles have pricing — none of which include bundles with the touchscreen RC PTD 2 controller. However, despite pricing being on the Potensic site, the drone is not available there "due to FCC regulations", Potensic told me, and that "our team is actively working on the relevant certification to make it available in the future".

At the time of writing, the Potensic Atom 3 is not available in Australia, but Potensic does have a dedicated Australia website which is the best place to check for future availability.

DJI's Lito X1 is the Atom 3's obvious rival, and it costs from £359 at Amazon UK, so just a little extra money gets you that drone's massively useful object-sensing feature. However, like other DJI drones, the Lito X1 is not available to buy in the US.

• Price score: 4/5

Potensic Atom 3: Specs

Potensic Atom 3: Design and build quality

• Folding mini design, weighing under 249g
• USB-C charging and MicroSD card slot, but no internal storage
• Optional touchscreen RC PTD 2 controller is huge

The Atom 3's hard-plastic design is strikingly similar to recent models in DJI's Mini and Lito series of sub-250g folding quadcopter drones. It's a familiar formula — the drone folds down to a coat pocket-able size and, like most beginner models, weighs under 249g. Sub-250g drones are exempt from the strictest drone registration requirements in most regions, including the UK and US.

At the rear of the drone is a USB-C slot for charging the device directly, and for transferring images from the inserted microSD card. The card slot is also at the rear — there's no internal storage.

I was able to transfer files directly onto a MacBook Pro via that USB-C wired connection, but when I tried connecting the memory card directly my computer was unable to read it. Another option for file transfer is to download the desired files through the Potensic app, which is a reliable albeit slower process.

A clip-on cover ably protects the camera and gimbal mechanism when the drone isn't in use, and this is locked in place with a rear clip by stretching an elasticated band that connects the two (see above).

The Fly More Combo (with RC PTD 2 remote controller), which Potensic supplied for this review, comes with a padded zipped case that holds the drone, the charging hub with its two additional batteries, and the sizable controller. The case is notably larger than the one for the equivalent DJI Mini 4K bundle.

The touchscreen controller feels high-quality; the screen is huge, detailed, and provides a 1080p feed up to 60fps, with Potensic's latest PixSync 5.0 video transmission system boosting the range from 10km to up to 16km, and reducing latency to 150ms. In short, the on-screen feed is smooth and immersive beyond distances that you'll ever realistically fly over.

I found certain movements of the controller's joysticks a little jerky, which spoiled some of my footage, but with practice I was able to find the sweet spots of those controls for smoother moves.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Potensic Atom 3: Features and flight performance

• Battery life quoted at up to 40 minutes; the drone typically lasted around 20 minutes in real-world testing
• No object sensing, just the usual downward-facing sensors for landing and takeoff
• Decent selection of flight and tracking moves, but some have frustrating restrictions

Potensic quotes a battery life of 40 minutes for the Atom 3, which is an improvement over the Atom 2, thanks to a 10% (approx) higher-capacity 2,590mAh unit, and on paper, this performance beats the comparable DJI; however, I didn't get close to this in real-world use.

The best battery performance I got during testing was more like 25 minutes on a calm day, while in windy coastal conditions I rarely, if ever, got more than 20 minutes. The drone's level 5 wind-resistance rating (19-24mph) seems fair, though — I used the Atom 3 in such conditions, and I found flight to be impressively stable and smooth, even if headwinds further drained the battery as I fought to bring the drone home when power was low.

When battery life drops to 10%, the drone automatically initiates landing (avoiding it simply dropping from the sky), so that's something to bear in mind, especially if you're flying over risky areas such as bodies of water.

The Atom 3 has downward-facing sensors for takeoff and landing, with the useful Return to Home feature, but there are no front-, side- or rear-facing sensors, like you get with pricier drones equipped with omni-directional object sensing.

Six months ago I wouldn't have expected any more from a drone at this price point, but DJI has since brought object sensing to the much more affordable Lito X1. If Potensic is to go up a level, adding this incredibly useful feature is the logical next step for the Atom series.

Return to Home (RTH) worked flawlessly, with the drone automatically updating its position at takeoff — there's also an on-screen guide indicating where the RTH position is in relation to where the drone is in the air. It's possible to update the RTH position mid-flight, say if you move to a different location during flight and want it to land at your new location.

For regular flight, there are three speeds to choose from, with the Sport Mode being the quickest at 16m/s (horizontal), 5m/s ascent and 4m/s descent. It's not the quickest drone around, but it's zippy enough for beginner use.

I really did miss object sensing, given that I regularly fly in object-packed areas to capture dynamic footage, so I needed to be extra cautious about where I flew the drone. It is possible to get smooth and stable-looking footage, though, after much practice to get a feel for the controller's joysticks.

There's a good selection of DJI-style 'QuickShot' flight moves, which perform an automated move using a selected subject as the reference point. To do this, you drag a box over the subject using the controller's touchscreen (or your smartphone's screen if using the basic controller). There are seven automated moves in all, including pull-away, rocket and boomerang.

I was happy to see three tracking modes too: Follow, Parallel and Spotlight, each of which keep your subject in the center of the frame as they move. 'Follow' tracks your moving subject from behind (though remember there's no object sensing), while 'Parallel' does the same but from the side. 'Spotlight' simply keeps the subject central as they move around the frame.

The tracking modes are hamstrung by several frustrating limitations, while the omission of object sensing further limits where you can fly. For example, to initiate Follow, the angle of the camera needs to be pointed down a certain degree — in other words the drone needs to be quite high up.

For me, the most dynamic 'follow' footage would be from a lower angle. It's possible to override the limit in the app's menu, which requires checking the option to say that propellor guards are installed (whether in reality they are or are not). Even with the options selected to free up the drone for tracking from a lower altitude, I regularly found that the drone reset itself, reimposing the restriction.

I also found that the tracking functions gave up altogether in less-open areas, when the GNSS (GPS/ GLOSNASS / Galileo / BeiDou) signal was weak. One example was trying to get tracking video of myself biking in my local woods — the drone kept stopping just a second or so into sequences. I had no such issues in the same scenario when testing the DJI Mini 5 Pro (which also has omni-directional object sensing).

Those flight moves are great to have, but adding object sensing, and addressing the other limitations, would make them way more useful for dynamic footage.

• Flight performance score: 3.5/5

Potensic Atom 3: Image and video quality

• 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor, 4K video up to 60fps
• Wider 24mm f/2.8 lens (vs 26mm f/1.8 lens of the Atom 2)
• RAW stills and flat P-Log video color profile provide editing latitude

Video and photo quality are an upgrade from the older Atom 2, with the Atom 3's camera using a larger 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor that's comparable to those in the DJI Mini 4 Pro / Lito X1, rather than the Atom 2's 1/2-inch sensor. There's also a slight change to the lens — it's a wider 24mm f/2.8, where the Atom 2 uses a 26mm lens with brighter f/1.8 aperture, which somewhat counters the sensor-based advantage the Atom 3 has.

4K video recording up to 60fps can be done the easy way or the hands-on way, using the standard or detail-rich HDR profiles for ready-to-go footage, or the flat P-Log profile, which holds more detail in highlight and shadow areas, but which requires editing to taste later.

I tried all three profiles at 30fps and 60fps, and then took P-log footage to Adobe Premiere Pro for editing and compared the footage. There are incremental image quality gains when using P-Log, but on the whole I found myself happy with the quality of HDR footage, saving myself the editing hassle.

In addition to 4K video, there's slow-motion capture up to 7x, but only in 1080p HD resolution. Meanwhile, stills are reasonable: 12.5MP as standard, or 50MP in the '8K' mode, with JPEG and RAW formats available.

Where photo quality impresses is in how much tonal depth is retained, although images benefit from a little sharpening afterwards. Another option for further increasing shadow and highlight detail is the 'bracket' mode, which combines multiple photos at different brightness values into one with a wider range of tones, but the standard mode already does a good job.

Interval and burst shooting modes are also included, while a panorama mode combines multiple images into one ultra-wide perspective that covers 180 degrees, with the drone automatically capturing multiple frames one after the other.

I'd say image quality is just about on par with the DJI Lito X1 / Mini 4 Pro, and it's clearly a cut above the recent Ruko model.

• Image and video quality score: 4.5/5

Potensic Atom 3: Testing scorecard

Should you buy the Potensic Atom 3?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Potensic Atom 3: also consider

How I tested the Potensic Atom 3

• I tested the Atom 3 in a range of conditions — in daylight and at dusk, and in both calm and windy weather
• I shot video at every available resolution and frame rate combination, and still photos in all modes
• I assessed battery life and wind resistance over several flights in various conditions

Potensic sent me the Atom 3 Fly More Combo kit with the RC PTD 2 touchscreen controller. The kit included the drone, battery hub with three batteries, controller, ND filter pack, spare propellors and a USB-C to USB-C charging cable.

I conducted multiple flights in daylight and in low light at dawn / dusk, and in both calm and particularly windy coastal conditions. I tried the various flight settings and modes, and regularly ran the three batteries down, making notes of real flight times and flight stability.

I took the same video sequences in the various color modes; standard, HDR and P-Log, and at 30fps, 60fps and 6x slow motion, and compared the 4K footage. I also tried the various photo modes, including RAW & JPEG capture, panorama and 8K (48MP) modes. I edited photos in Adobe Camera Raw and videos in Premiere Pro.

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

I'll be honest: my first reaction to the Insta360 Luna Pro wasn't really about the camera itself — more its price tag. At $599.99/£599.99/AU$859.99, it sits close enough to the flagship Luna Ultra model (at least in the USA and UK) that I've been wondering whether Insta360 has left itself room for a proper budget option in this range. The Pro doesn't offer a significant saving over the Ultra, which I suspect will drive many buyers into opting for the latter simply because it features a second lens for a similar price.

That's not a knock on the Luna Pro itself, though, because it handles its actual job — smooth, hands-free footage you don't have to think about — with real aplomb. Popping the touchscreen module free from the body and using it as a standalone remote is a neat trick, and it's just as handy here as it was on the Ultra. Tracking is another standout feature for me: click the joystick once, or tap a subject on screen, and the Luna Pro locks on and stays locked on, whether I was walking, gesturing or just generally being difficult to follow. But all that is also available on the Luna Ultra.

I did come away with a couple of gripes concerning the Pro (both of which, incidently, one could also level at the Ultra). The little wire tripod tucked into the handle is more fiddly than useful once you're off a flat surface. Battery life also isn't quite what Insta360 claims — you can expect closer to 90 minutes than the quoted 240 (for 1080p) if you're shooting 8K with the screen switched on.

Photos are also an afterthought here — they're soft and low on contrast, and in most cases a smartphone will do a better job. Video is a much stronger story, particularly once you dip below the headline 8K resolution into the more practical 4K modes, and vertical shooters will get unexpected bragging rights over owners of the Ultra thanks to the Pro's sharper 9:16 footage. The fact that the Pro has just the one lens does affect things, of course: push the digital zoom past 2x and the drop-off in detail becomes obvious immediately.

So where does that leave the Luna Pro? As a piece of hardware, it's a likeable and very capable little camera that does almost everything I wanted it to. As a purchase decision, it's a trickier sell than Insta360 probably intended, sitting just a little too close to its more versatile sibling for comfort.

Insta360 Luna Pro: Price and release date

• Launched on September 10, 2026, priced at $599.99 / £599.99 / AU$859.99
• Only one bundle available at launch
• Costs $170 / £50 / AU$370 less than the flagship Luna Ultra

At $599.99 / £599.99 / AU$859.99, the Luna Pro undercuts Insta360's flagship Luna Ultra ($769.99 / £649 / AU$1,229.99) by a relatively modest margin, especially in the UK, where the difference works out to less than £50, or $170 in the US. That's a narrower gap than I was expecting, given the Pro features only one lens while the Ultra has two, and it puts the newer camera in a slightly awkward position; it's not quite the budget-friendly alternative you might expect a single-lens model to be (like the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 is).

Insta360 Luna Pro specs

Insta360 Luna Pro: Design

• Effectively a single-lens version of the Luna Ultra
• Clever detachable touchscreen module, complete with its own built-in mic
• A rubber cap replaces the Ultra's bulky protective case

Strip away the second lens and the Luna Pro is basically the Luna Ultra all over again. The dimensions and weight between the two cameras are barely different (the Pro is about half an inch shorter and 20g lighter than its dual-lens sibling), so if you've read my colleague Tim Coleman's take on the Ultra's design, most of the same applies here too: the Pro, like the Ultra, has a stick-like, gimbal-topped body that sits comfortably in the hand, with the option to extend the included handle for a more secure grip.

Its signature design feature is unchanged, too: the entire touchscreen-and-controls module pops free, working as a standalone remote with a 20m range and its own built-in microphone. It's just as useful here for solo shooting as it is on the Ultra.

One design compromise that did stand out to me during my time with the camera is the thin wire tripod that extends from the handle base — another thing carried over from the Ultra. On a genuinely flat surface, like a tabletop, it holds the Luna Pro upright well enough, but it offers little stability on uneven ground, and it's fiddly to pull out in the first place. Thankfully there's a standard tripod thread on the base too, so a proper mini tripod is only ever a few twists away.

The included protective case is also more basic than the Ultra's: it's just a rubber cap over the lens and gimbal, which trades some protection for a slimmer profile and much easier removal and replacement.

Insta360 Luna Pro: Performance

• Dual-chip setup (4nm flagship chip plus dedicated imaging chip)
• Sticky, reliable subject tracking, and smooth stabilization whether shooting horizon-level or FPV-style
• Video up to 8K 30fps or 4K 120fps in 16:9 mode, 4K 30fps in 9:16

The Insta360 Luna Pro pairs the same 1-inch sensor and 20mm-equivalent f/1.8 lens found on the Ultra's main camera with a leaner dual-chip setup — a 4nm flagship chip and a dedicated imaging chip. The Ultra has three chips.

On paper that sounds like a step down, but in practice I rarely found the Luna Pro underpowered or sluggish. Subject tracking is a particular highlight: a single joystick click will pick out people and animals automatically, or you can tap a subject on the touchscreen and even adjust its position within the frame, which is useful if you don't want it to be dead center. It's sticky and dependable throughout. Stabilization is equally impressive, delivering smooth, level footage on the move, with the option to switch to a more dynamic FPV-style movement if you want it.

Insta360 rates the 1,550mAh battery at 240 minutes, but that figure is sneakily based on 1080p 24fps recording with the screen and Wi-Fi both switched off, which isn't how most people will use this camera. Shooting 8K at 30fps with the screen active, a much more realistic scenario, drained the battery in around 90 minutes during testing. That's still a respectable battery life in my book, so I'm not sure why Insta360 saw fit to base its claims on an underpowered setting.

The camera runs a little warm under sustained use of its more demanding modes like 4K120fps and 8K30fps in particular, but during my testing, it took more than 75 minutes of continuous 8K recording before it shut itself down. What I'd consider normal use never triggered any overheating issues.

The four microphones (three on the main body, one on the detachable module) handle audio reasonably well, and 32-bit recording is on offer for anyone editing seriously. Still, anyone prioritizing audio quality should consider buying an Insta360 Mic Air or Mic Pro, both of which pair directly and add proper wind protection and noise cancellation.

Moving on to image quality, and photos are the camera's weak point: detail and contrast are both underwhelming, and it's not a device worth buying for stills alone. Frankly, in most cases you'd be better off using your smartphone for snaps than pulling out the Pro.

Video is a different story: footage looks clean and sharp in good lighting, across Standard, Dolby Vision and I-Log color profiles, though the 120Mbps maximum bitrate (shared with the Ultra) seems quite modest. 8K is the headline spec, of course, but I think 4K is a much more practical everyday choice thanks to its smaller files, greater range of frame rate options (up to 120fps), and the fact it still offers plenty of detail.

Slow motion goes up to 4x at 4K (120fps) or 8x in 1080p (240fps) and, surprisingly, vertical shooters get a genuine edge over the Ultra here: 4K30fps in 9:16 (built from 6K oversampling) versus the Ultra's ceiling of just 3K. One thing to note about vertical footage though: while the Ultra can hit 60fps in that mode, the Pro tops out at 30fps.

The digital zoom is the clearest trade-off for losing that second lens, and the Pro lacks the reach of its pricier cousin. Up to 2x magnification, Insta360's "lossless zoom" claim holds up in practice, but push it further and the digital crop shows, with softer detail and muddier edges.

Should I buy the Insta360 Luna Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Insta360 Luna Pro: also consider

How I tested the Insta360 Luna Pro

• Insta360 sent me the Luna Pro's basic box bundle ahead of launch
• I shot footage and photos at all available resolutions, and tested the slow motion and PureVideo special shooting modes
• I tested battery life and thermal management by running the camera continuously

I was sent a Luna Pro sample ahead of the launch day, allowing me time to test the Luna Pro over a few days. I shot a mix of horizontal, vertical and slow motion video across its available resolutions and color profiles, and put its subject tracking and stabilization through everyday use. I also took photos in and outdoors, in both JPEG and DNG format. I ran the camera's battery down twice to test its battery life, and tested its thermal performance too, to see how real-world use compares to Insta360's claims.

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

If you thought bridge cameras (aka superzoom cameras) were a thing of the past, you’re probably not alone. This area of the photography market hasn’t received too much attention over the past few years, especially now that the lower end of the mirrorless camera arena has some solid options, providing decent specs at a reasonable price.

However, the main selling point of bridges camera has always been the expansive zoom range, something the Kodak PixPro AZ653 has in absolute abundance. The 24-1560mm equivalent zoom lens will cover just about every subject you could possibly hope to encounter, from everyday street scenes to distant wildlife. My favorite lens is my 70-200mm f/2.8 'trinity' zoom, but after having such a long zoom range at my fingertips, it has been tough to go back to a mere 2.8x zoom, even if that lens' wider aperture and quality are streets above for quality.

If you’re after a lightweight camera to take with you on your travels, and you don’t know exactly what photographic opportunities you’re likely to come across, the AZ653 is a petite option that will cover every base.

Autofocus is smooth, if not the fastest you can find on a camera at this price point. It certainly won’t be able to keep up with the fastest animal subjects, so if you’re looking for a wildlife camera, you might be better off with an interchangeable lens model that uses high-end phase detection AF. For slower animals at a distance, however, the massive focal range positions the AZ653 as a good, budget-friendly safari camera.

Image quality, meanwhile, is impressive for a bridge camera, especially one with such a small sensor. The limited area of the chip does place limitations on what the camera can achieve, because of the tiny photo sites, but in good light at least, images are sharp and detailed, even if they do suffer from extreme color noise.

Handling, meanwhile, is decidedly DSLR-like, which is a good thing if you’re used to a larger camera body. It’s comfortable to hold and to operate single-handed, while all of the controls are logically placed. Having a manual control ring on the lens is a huge bonus too, giving the AZ653 a premium edge and a professional look to boot.

It might not be an image quality match for a pro-level mirrorless camera, nor is it going to outgun even the entry-level interchangeable lens offerings from Canon or Nikon, but the Kodak AZ653 is a powerful bridge camera that goes easy on the shoulder and on the bank balance.

Kodak PixPro AZ653: Price and release date

• $449 / £349 / AU$ 750.99
• Available worldwide now
• Limited availability/ backorder lists current in the UK

The AZ653 is designed largely for entry-level users who aren’t ready to invest in an interchangeable lens system, or photographers looking to minimize their kit. The camera is available globally, priced affordably at $449 / £349 / AU$ 750.99.

This makes it significantly cheaper than buying a mirrorless camera with a comparable specification and adding a super telephoto lens. For example, a Canon EOS R100 and RF800mm F11 STM telephoto prime lens would set you back a combined price of approximately $1228 / £1359 / AU$ 2000.

It also costs around 7x less than the Sony RX10 V — a premium bridge camera launched this year, which is superior in most regards except for its lesser zoom range.

• Price score: 4/5

Kodak AZ653: Specs

Kodak PixPro AZ653: design

• Small and lightweight body made possible by the small sensor format
• Reasonable build quality, though mostly plastic
• Fixed 3-inch LCD makes composing shots difficult

Bridge cameras are, by definition, designed to bring together the size and weight benefits of a compact camera with the superior handling characteristics of a DSLR or mirrorless model. By bridging this gap, cameras like the AZ653 are able to offer a generally unrivalled balance of portability and versatility. At least, that’s the objective.

Of course, this was far more of an obvious benefit before the advent of the mirrorless revolution. The difference in size and weight between a Bridge camera and a DSLR such as the Nikon D850 was far more pronounced than between the AZ653 and an entry-level mirrorless model like the Canon EOS R100 or Nikon Z30. Even higher-end cameras like the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, Nikon Z50 II, Sony a7C II, or Fujifilm X-T5 with a standard zoom lens have a comparable footprint.

That last part is important, though. The lens on the AZ653 is anything but standard. As soon as you take the vast zoom range into account, the projected weight differences diverge dramatically. I say projected since the exact dimensions of a mirrorless equivalent to the 65x zoom can only be estimated – no such lens exists.

The EFL (Effective Focal Length) 24-1560mm F2.9-6.7 optic is only possible because of the smaller 1/2.3in sensor at the heart of the camera, and if you were to try and build a similar lens with an image circle big enough to cover an APS-C or full-frame sensor, it would be more like a telescope than a photography optic.

The Kodak AZ653 is well-proportioned and very comfortable to hold. The deep handgrip is reassuring and allowed a firm grip even with my large-ish hands. Despite the body’s small size, there is ample room for around three fingers on the lower part of the grip at one time, while the forefinger sits precisely over the shutter button.

The zoom control surrounds the shutter release and operates with minimal travel, allowing rapid activation of the power zoom. A nice touch is the ability to zoom using the control ring on the lens instead, which is a far more intuitive action for photographers who have committed two-handed camera work to muscle memory. The downside is an artificially long zoom travel; it takes multiple twists of the ring to zoom from the widest focal length to the longest.

The feel of the zoom indicates it's an electronic fly-by-wire system, where the ring isn’t physically connected to anything mechanical, but merely acts as a switch that drives a motor to move the lens elements.

With an optical system this long, the operation is slow and at times, a little stuttery – the zoom stops halfway through its journey and there’s an obvious pause while the onboard computer recalculates where it should be placing the elements. This proved frustrating during my testing, and resulted in multiple missed shots.

Manual focus was a little more successful when using the ring, and I could make relatively precise adjustments. You can access this by moving the position of a switch on the lens barrel, which is another nod to the DSLR influence and adds to the professional experience. The magnified preview image is low-resolution, however, and isn’t especially useful.

The camera features a PASM mode (exposure) dial on the top plate, next to the power button. This provides access to the usual array of control modes, including full Manual and Auto, along with several creative shooting positions, including Scene modes, a Wireless mode for remote operation and file sharing, Movie Mode, Face Beautifier mode for in-camera retouching, and a Custom setting position.

The dial itself is too easily moved in my opinion. In several cases, I’d switched mode without realising, either because I’d nudged the dial with my finger or while getting the camera in and out of my bag, which again meant some missed shots.

The build quality is actually quite good. It is largely made from plastic, but this feels reinforced and not significantly inferior to many recent mid-range mirrorless cameras. I wouldn’t necessarily trust its resistance to rain and dust as such, but the outer shell doesn’t give the impression of cheapness, while the rubberised grip and viewfinder surround lend a more premium edge.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Kodak PixPro AZ653: performance

• The power zoom system is slow, especially when using the lens control ring
• The camera is not as quick to boot up and shut down as comparably priced mirrorless models
• Focus speed itself is quite snappy

With such a long zoom range, there’s always a risk of sluggish autofocus performance. This is often purely because of the additional glass elements needed to provide such a great magnification, making it a more demanding task for the autofocus motors. That being said, the actual dimensions of the optical system are much smaller than the effective image results – the lens is a physical 4.3mm to 279.5mm unit.

As such, the elements are quickly moved into position once the camera has found the correct focus distance, with minimal delay. It’s not quite as smooth as the stepper motors or ultrasonic drives found in many top-level mirrorless optics, nor is it as quiet, but it puts in a respectable performance for the price.

The limiting factor is going to be the autofocus system in the camera itself. Unlike the majority of mirrorless cameras, which use phase-detection AF, the AZ653 shares the slower contrast detection system found in many compact cameras, smartphones and older interchangeable lens bodies.

Without dwelling for too long on the technical specifics, phase-detection autofocus uses specialized sensors to measure the focus position of the lens by looking at how front- or back-focused the light projected through it is. Meanwhile, the AZ653’s contrast-detection AF merely looks for edges of objects in the frame to estimate how far it has to move the lens to get the maximum contrast.

As such, contrast detection has a tendency to hunt, moving the lens elements back and forth to test the correct placement. As expected, this slows down reaction times and isn’t suitable for rapid sports and animal subjects.

The EVF is small but fairly detailed. All of the relevant camera settings are displayed, and it is sharp enough to judge focus with ease. The LCD, on the other hand, is underwhelming. It makes use of only 460K dots, which isn’t enough to accurately assess the quality of captured images.

All files look smudged, not helped by the matte texture of the screen itself. The non-glossy surface makes it easier to preview images in bright light, but critical sharpness is almost impossible to check with any sense of confidence.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Kodak PixPro AZ653: Image quality

• Surprising quality in good lighting
• Mushy JPEGs even at low ISO settings
• Limited to Full HD (1080p) video - no 4K or greater

Image quality is quite surprising. In good light, RAW format files from the AZ653 are rich in detail, and the lens is able to deliver crisp results. Having the RAW capability is a huge bonus and can honestly be considered a staple feature of an enthusiast camera now that many smartphones come equipped with their own RAW mode.

Kodak has been smart not to overstretch the sensor with resolution. The 20 million pixels are more than enough for everyday uses, and by keeping pixel count lower than most APS-C and Micro 4/3 cameras, the AZ653 is able to maintain a workable level of noise control and a reasonable dynamic range.

Sure, highlights clip more easily than when shooting the same scene on both the AZ653 and an APS-C model like the 26MP Fujifilm X100VI, but the performance is better than many larger-sensor cameras of last decade.

In-camera JPEG shooting is a different matter, and the quality is far less impressive. Default noise reduction is too aggressive and fine detail is rapidly obliterated, creating a smudged look common to compact cameras. Color noise reduction itself isn’t especially effective either, leaving behind too many colored blotches.

When shooting RAW, I was able to increase the ISO to about 800 before grain became a major problem which is, once again, impressive. My advice would be to increase the sensitivity of the AZ653 rather than to brighten underexposed RAW files — unlike many of the more ISO-invariant cameras we see today — this should produce a better balance of image texture and noise pattern.

Regarding lens quality, sharpness does drop off towards the long end of the zoom range. The slightly blurred results reminded me of shots taken with a budget Tamron 70-300mm DSLR lens I used to own back in the day – fine detail just isn’t present, almost as if your shots were taken through a greasy window. Files are usable on Instagram, but won’t be suitable for prints.

• Image quality score: 3/5

Testing Scorecard

Should I buy the Kodak PixPro AZ653?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

How I tested the Kodak PixPro AZ653

• I spent around two and a half weeks with the AZ653
• Images were taken in both good light and low-light conditions, shooting in JPEG mode and RAW
• Most images were shot handheld to test the usability at longer focal lengths

I spent several weeks shooting with the PixPro AZ653, taking in multiple different lighting conditions. I shot in both JPEG and RAW formats to see how differently the built-in processing algorithms might process the images to my own RAW workflow.

Since one of the reasons to buy a bridge camera is for weight saving, I decided to shoot mainly handheld, as this would be how many users would experience the camera. I wanted to thoroughly check the ease with which someone might capture sharp images at the longer focal lengths.

I mainly used Aperture Priority (A) and Manual (M) modes for both creative freedom and to test the auto exposure systems.

To explore the noise performance, I shot with the camera at each ISO setting, from 100 through to 3200, using a tripod to ensure any drop in sharpness was not due to camera shake at the lower sensitivities. I also worked through the focal range, capturing the same scenes from the widest to the longest zoom settings.

First reviewed: September 2026

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

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