The GoPro Hero is GoPro’s new entry-level action camera. At half the price of the company’s Hero 13 Black flagship, and about half the size, it’s a small, cheap and rugged mountable camera that keeps the price down by keeping things simple. Perhaps too simple.
While I genuinely appreciate how simple and easy this camera is to use, the fact that it offers little control over image quality, only three recording modes, no way to record audio except via the internal mic, and no way to swap out a battery meant that I butted up against limitations and disappointments all too frequently during my review shoots.
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image quality isn’t terrible, but the 8-bit footage is a long way below what’s possible with the Hero 13 Black and other higher-end action cameras. The Hero also isn’t the smallest action camera around, with DJI and Insta360 offering even more compact, lightweight alternatives.
The bright spots here are the affordable price tag, reliable image stabilization and solid battery life, which make the Hero a camera that retains some appeal despite its weaknesses. If you’re looking for a cheap, simple action camera (one you could hand over to your kids, perhaps) that slots nicely into GoPro’s vast ecosystem of mounting accessories and apps, the Hero is that camera.
GoPro Hero: price and release date
$199.99 / £199.99 / AU$349.99
Available now
The GoPro Hero is available to buy now, priced from $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$349.99. That’s half the price of GoPro’s current flagship Hero 13 Black action camera, and quite a bit cheaper than the mini action cameras offered by competitors too: the aging DJI Action 2 costs $229 / £215 and the Insta360 Go 3 and Go 3S cost $319.99 / £319.99 and $399.99 / £349.99 respectively.
That makes the Hero one of the most affordable current action cameras around at launch, and you’ll probably only find something cheaper by buying secondhand or during sales.
Price score: 4/5
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
GoPro Hero: design and handling
Small, lightweight and sturdy build
Quick-release magnetic mounting system
Waterproof to 20m without a case
Front and rear OLED touchscreens
Like all GoPro action cameras, the Hero is rugged and waterproof. The tough plastic casing feels like it could take a beating, and is sealed against water up to a depth of 16ft / 5m. The camera lens is given extra protection in the form of a toughened, water-repelling glass cover, which can be replaced in the event it gets damaged.
It comes with GoPro's fold-out mounting fingers on the bottom, allowing it to be attached to over 35 GoPro-made (and countless third-party) accessories like selfie sticks, helmet mounts, bicycle mounts and the like. In the box you get a single curved adhesive mount, one mounting buckle and one screw.
The Hero is very small and lightweight, especially by GoPro standards. It weighs just 3oz / 86g, and makes the other ‘tiny’ GoPro model I have to hand, the 2022-released Hero 11 Black Mini, feel quite bulky and awkward in comparison. There are smaller action cameras around, however; the excellent Insta360 Go 3S springs to mind, being half the Hero’s weight and size and able to record 4K video too.
GoPro Hero key specs
Sensor: 1/2.8-inch CMOS Video: Up to 4K/30fps, 2.7K/60fps Photo: 12MP Screens: 1.76-inch LCD touchscreen Video modes: Standard, Slo-Mo Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth LE 5.2, dual-band Wi-Fi Weight: 86g
Despite its small proportions, the Hero has room for a touchscreen on the back (the 11 Black Mini had no screen at all). There’s nothing outstanding about the screen’s quality – it’s LCD rather than OLED – but it does its job well, giving you just enough space to swipe though the shooting modes, adjust settings in the menu screens and review the shots stored on the camera.
Physical controls are nice and simple, with just two large, easy-to-press rubber buttons: one to start and stop image capture, and one to power the camera on and off and for switching quickly between the shooting modes. That, really, is it. There are status lights on the front and back of the camera too, so you’ll know when it’s recording or recharging.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Storage comes courtesy of a microSD card slot, and without one in the box you’ll have to supply your own. It’ll need to have a V30 or faster UHS-3 rating too.
Alongside the card slot is a USB-C port, which can be used for charging the battery or transferring files; GoPro supplies a short USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. Annoyingly, I wasn’t able to use this to drag and drop files from the Hero onto my Mac, just from my PC. The GoPro Quik app running on a Mac recognized that the camera was connected, but instructed me to use a card reader to import the files. Adding unnecessary steps to the process isn’t a smart design choice in my opinion, especially if they require the user to own another piece of hardware.
The battery, incidentally, is built into the camera and is non-removable. Pricier GoPro models support battery swapping, but the Hero’s streamlined approach means you’re stuck with what's in there.
Design score: 4/5
GoPro Hero: features and performance
80-minute battery life
Voice controls
Image stabilization applied by Quik app
Battery life is solid, mind you. I set up my fully charged Hero review sample to record 4K/30p video continuously and it lasted an impressive 80 minutes. In the low-power battery-saver mode, recording at 1080/30p, it’ll record for over 2.5 hours. When recharging, the indicator light doesn’t change color or turn off to show that the battery is fully charged, so it was difficult for me to gauge how long it takes to go from empty to full – but from periodic checking of the battery levels it seems acceptably fast.
In keeping with GoPro’s bare-bones approach to the Hero, the feature set is limited. The Hero’s menu screen features only six options: voice control on/off; beeps on/off; screen saver on/off; orientation lock on/off; battery saver on/off; screen lock on/off. The voice controls work fine, allowing you to stop and start recordings, take a photo, and turn the power off by saying “GoPro…” followed by a command. It recognized my accent and responded accordingly almost every time.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
GoPro’s HyperSmooth electronic image stabilization is available, but it can't be applied in-camera, only externally via the GoPro Quik app. If you want stabilized videos you’ll need to export your videos to a mobile device or Mac computer (there’s currently no Quik app for Windows PCs; GoPro says it’s ‘coming soon’). The good news is that, once you’ve exported them, videos are automatically stabilized very effectively.
The Quik app itself is generally well designed and easy to use, although it did crash on my iPhone 13 several times while exporting large files to my photo roll, and I did bristle a little at the way it was constantly nudging me to buy a GoPro subscription.
The subscription, which costs $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.99 a year (or half that if you’re a new subscriber signing up for your first year) comes with some useful benefits, though: unlimited cloud storage and automatic uploading at full quality for all your photos and videos; automatically edited clip videos, ‘directed’ by AI; money off accessories purchased through the GoPro website and off your next GoPro camera; and up to two replacement cameras per year if your GoPro is lost or damaged. If you own more than one GoPro, I’d say it’s definitely worth it.
Features and performance score: 3.5/5
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
GoPro Hero: image and video quality
12MP stills and 4K/30p video
8-bit color depth and 50Mbps maximum bitrate
Built-in microphones
When I say that GoPro has kept things simple with the Hero, I mean it. There are just three shooting modes available: Slo-Mo, Video and Photo. There’s no room for live streaming, time lapse, burst photos or any of the other modes you find on most action cameras.
And, within the modes you do get, there’s really no way to adjust the settings. The only way to change how image capture works is to flick the camera into battery-saver mode, which reduces video quality in the name of squeezing more juice out of the camera: 4K/30p video becomes 1080/30p and 2.7K/60p slow-motion video becomes 1080/60p; the 12MP still photos remain the same.
Video is captured at 8-bit quality with a maximum bitrate of 50Mbps. There are no options to shoot in a ‘flat’ log color profile for more post-production control; the Hero really is designed to keep things super-simple. As a result, the video quality is poor by GoPro’s standards, and if you’re used to the excellent colors and detail that come out of its flagship models, you’ll immediately notice that the Hero lags a long way behind.
The electronic stabilization may be impressive, but the image quality itself is dull and lifeless in 4K, and noticeably soft in 1080p. And that’s in good lighting. In low light, the quality takes a dive, with increased noise and decreased detail. I’ve edited together a short video to demonstrate the quality in daylight, so that you can see for yourselves what it’s like, and below I’ve posted a few 12MP still photos. I’ve tweaked these photos slightly with Adobe Lightroom to give them more pop, as they look flat straight from the camera.
The Hero limits video clip times. When I left it continuously recording 4K/30p until the battery died it split the resulting video into several files, each about 10 minutes long. You can edit these together to make a single video later, of course, but it does require more work.
Image 1 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 2 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 3 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 4 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 5 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 6 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 7 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 8 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 9 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
So overall, I found the image quality disappointing. Yes, the Hero is cheap by big-name action camera standards, but there are plenty of old models from Insta360, DJI and GoPro that you might be able to pick up at cheap prices and which offer more options and better performance.
I should also talk about audio recording, which really isn’t great. The Hero doesn’t support external microphones, even USB mics, so the only options for recording live audio for your videos is the 2-mic internal setup. It’s far from terrible in good conditions, but on a blustery day there’s nothing to reduce the interference from wind.
Image quality score: 3/5
GoPro Hero: testing scorecard
Should I buy the GoPro Hero?
Buy it if...
You’re invested in the GoPro ecosystem For those who already own GoPro cameras, use the Quik app and pay for a subscription, the Hero will slot neatly into their video creation workflow.
You want a cheap, simple camera With few options, few controls and no add-ons, this is as basic as decent 4K action cameras come. It's also affordable though, making it great for kids or in risky situations where losing a pricier camera would hurt.
Don't buy it if...
You need crystal clear audio With no way to hook up an external microphone, you’re stuck using the Hero’s built-in mic for all audio recording. Not ideal if you’re using the camera for vlogging.
You want butter-smooth 4K video The Hero limits 4K video to 30fps, and requires a drop down to 2.7K quality for a slicker 60fps frame rate. Maximum bit rate is 50Mbps too
You want the smallest action cam around There are several lighter, more compact options on the market – albeit at a higher asking price than the Hero.
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: also consider
Insta360 Go 3S
Tiny and flexible, this camera can go to places other action cams can’t. With easy magnetic mounting and a weight and size that makes the GoPro Hero look positively porky, the Go 3S a great way to grab 4K footage from unconventional angles. It does have limited battery life though, requiring frequent recharges.
There have been three generations of DJI Action camera released since the Action 2 arrived in 2020, but it remains part of the company’s current range. A modular camera made up of one of two cube-shaped elements, it can be very small and light if required, and records stabilised video at up to 4K resolution.
I spent a few days using the DJI Hero at home and in my neighborhood, testing out its video and photo performance in a variety of locations and conditions and mounting the camera on selfie sticks, mini tripods and my bike.
I also tried out GoPro's Quik app on both my iPhone 13 and MacBook Air, and edited footage both using the app and later with DaVinci Resolve Studio 19.
Considering that the DJI Mini 4K is the best budget drone for beginners, it made an understated entrance. There were no bells and whistles, just a quiet appearance on Amazon, and I can see why: it's essentially the same drone as DJI's previous entry-level model, the Mini 2 SE, only with higher-resolution 4K video, which also enables a 2x digital zoom.
Video quality is further bolstered by a higher 100Mbps bitrate, but otherwise this is almost an identical drone to the Mini 2 SE. That's no bad thing – DJI has addressed the former's single weakness – 'just' 2.7K video – and priced its successor aggressively. In one fell swoop, DJI outgunned the growing competition, which includes capable rivals such as the Potensic Atom.
Since the Mini 4K was launched, DJI announced an all-new drone, the DJI Neo, which is even cheaper than the Mini 4K and shoots 4K video. However, the half-size selfie drone is an altogether different proposition. If you want the traditional drone-flying experience, complete with a 3-axis mechanical gimbal and sturdier flight performance including level 5 wind resistance, the Mini series, in which the Mini 4K is the new entry-level model, remains your best bet. If you want even simpler operation, and smart AI-subject tracking features, the Neo is a fun alternative.
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
The Mini 4K offers decent battery life of up to 31 minutes on a single charge, and if you opt for the pricier Fly More Combo bundle you'll get an extra couple of batteries and charging hub thrown in for good measure.
DJI offers perhaps the most rounded experience for beginner pilots, with clear tutorials on the DJI Fly app, through which you control the Mini 4K's flights, complete with a scaled-back selection of DJI Quickshots flight moves, including dynamic movements such as Helix, Circle and Boomerang that will quickly elevate the quality of your aerial videos.
If money is no object, the DJI Mini 4 Pro remains the most accomplished sub-250g choice, with its clever subject tracking and industry-leading flight safety features like omnidirectional object sensing. But if you simply want to see what all the fuss is about with drones without risking a huge amount of money, you can't go wrong with the DJI Mini 4K. It's excellent value, and the most capable sub-$300 / £300 drone on the market, even if the Neo has more flight options.
DJI Mini 4K: release date and price
Released April 29 2024
Not available from the DJI store in Australia
The base kit costs just $299 / £269
Fly More Combo bundle costs $449 / £399
The DJI Mini 4K was announced in April 2024, and is aggressively priced at $299 / £269 for the base kit, which made it DJI's cheapest 4K drone until the DJI Neo was launched in September 2024 (though as mentioned the Neo is a different kind of drone). That launch price was 10% cheaper than that of the DJI Mini 2SE, which is practically the same drone as the Mini 4K, although the former only shoots 2.7K video, making the Mini 4K excellent value by comparison.
Should you want the Fly More Combo bundle, which includes an additional two batteries, a charging hub and a shoulder bag, the price jumps up to $449 / £399. The Mini 4K is currently not directly available from DJI in Australia.
Downward-facing sensors only, no other obstacle avoidance
The DJI Mini 4K is practically a carbon copy of the Mini 2 SE. That means it remains under 250g, and within the regulator-friendly category for most regions (there are no registration or ID requirements for recreational use in the US). Given that it has a camera though, users in the UK will need to register with the CAA for a flyer ID before taking flight.
The Fly More Combo bundle I tested includes replacement propellors and a screwdriver for when you need to swap out old or damaged propellors for new ones, two spare batteries and a charging hub, plus the RC-N1C remote controller. The controller connects to your phone, with a clamp that extends to hold just about any size of phone, plus it comes with USB-C / Lightning cables for a direct connection to your Android phone or older iPhone.
There's a single camera, capable of shooting 12MP photos in JPEG or raw (DNG) format (the latter provides more editing flexibility) and video up to 4K. The camera is supported by a three-axis mechanical gimbal to ensure that your video footage is as smooth as possible.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
Once you have the DJI's Fly app installed and your phone connected to the controller, it takes little to no time to get airborne: press and hold the take-off button and the Mini 4K will rise to a height of 1.2m, and hover while you get yourself in the zone for flying.
Wind resistance is rated for up to level 5 – that's up to 19-24mph / 29-38kph, which is slightly more robust than the DJI Neo, which is only rated up to level 4. I found the Mini 4K was able to withstand a moderate breeze, although of course you can hear and see it fighting to remain stable in such conditions, and I'd advise against attempting to fly in properly windy conditions.
The Fly app, together with the controller, offer several functions: Return to Home (RTH), QuickShots flight moves, and a variety of camera modes, including photo and video capture (with a button on the controller to switch between the two), panorama, and Timed Shot (interval shooting).
If you're getting started with drones, the Mini 4K has plenty for you to sink your teeth into. One notable omission, though, which you won't find on a drone at this price point, is obstacle avoidance. There are two downward-facing sensors that assist the drone for landing and can detect objects, with a precision range of 0.5-10m, but you're not getting the sophisticated omnidirectional obstacle avoidance of the pricier Mini 4 Pro.
I've been using the Mini 4K with the RC-N1C controller for months, and naturally, without obstacle avoidance crashes are almost inevitable. However, I've found that the Mini 4K has withstood minor collisions with tree branches and so on, and the consequent tumbling to the ground, admirably. It might be plastic, but the Mini 4K can take a few knocks.
You can register for DJI Care Refresh within 48 hours of activating the Mini 4K, which covers you for two replacements, water damage and flyaway, and which is probably a good idea if you tend to be more gung-ho rather than overly cautious. Prices for this start at $59 / £35.
Design score: 4.5/5
DJI Min 4K: features and performance
Quickshots for easy flight moves
Normal, Sport and Cine flight modes
Decent battery life of up to 31 minutes
Maximum transmission 10km (FCC) / 6km (CE/SRRC/MIC)
DJI lists the Mini 4K's flight time as up to 31 minutes, but that's measured in a controlled setting. What you actually get in real-world use is almost certainly less, and will be influenced by factors including wind speed and the flight maneuvers you're performing, and overall it's better to keep your expectations on the lower side. That said, with typical use in moderate wind I was averaging over 20 minutes, and I'm not sure that you'll find a better battery performance in another drone at this level.
I was also armed with the two additional batteries included in the Fly More Combo, effectively tripling flight times on any given outing, and the charging hub can be topped up on-the-go via USB-C.
The maximum transmission range is up to 10km, depending on what region you're flying in and what level of interference there is where you're flying. Users in Europe, for example, are restricted to 6km. In any case, beginners are unlikely to get anywhere near those kinds of distances on a single flight, and you'll need to make sure that Return to Home is set up for your take-off point in the likely event you get disorientated as to the drone's position.
You can configure the Mini 4K's max possible altitude and flight distances, and the height at which it rises to when Return to Home is initiated. There's a 500m altitude cap, although if you're playing it safe as a beginner you should stick to 150m or lower, which will likely be the legal limit in your region anyway if you don't have a certificate of competency. Again, max distance can be set up to 5000m or the limit removed entirely, but when you're starting out it's probably a good idea to stick to much closer. The Mini 4K is fed all of this data through GPS + GLONASS + Galileo satellite systems.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
On the controller you'll find three flight modes: Cine, Normal and Sport, each with a different max speed and responsiveness. Cine mode is the slowest of the three, designed to get you the smoothest possible aerial videos, while of course Sport is the niftiest to unleash piloting fun.
Flight speeds in Sport mode top out at 35.79mph and are no match for FPV drones in manual mode such as the DJI Avata 2, but are plenty quick enough while you find your feet and build your piloting skills. Cine mode is significantly slower than that.
And then there's DJI QuickShots flight moves, which include Dronie, Helix, Rocket, Circle, and Boomerang. Circle performs a lateral 360-degree move around your chosen subject – you simply select suggested subjects or draw a box around the chosen subject, and off the drone goes into action. Boomerang does a similar move while gradually gaining height.
These simple flight moves can improve the quality of your aerial videos as you center on points of interest around you. Other DJI drones have additional QuickShots moves in Spotlight and Follow. The Mini 4K does not offer Follow, and it lacks Follow Me subject tracking, which you get with pricier models and even the new Neo selfie drone.
Features score: 4.5/5
DJI Mini 4K: image and video quality
1/2.3-inch sensor
Up to 4K 30fps video, 2.7K up to 60fps
12MP JPEG + RAW photos
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
The Mini 4K's 1/2.3-inch sensor is larger than the sensor found in the Neo, and smaller than the one in the Mini 3 and Mini 4 Pro drones. As such, its 4K video image quality sits somewhere in the middle in terms of color depth, dynamic range and low-light clarity.
That sensor size is roughly equivalent to what you'd find in a standard smartphone, only you don't have the computational photography modes and HDR settings afforded to today's handsets; if the sun is directly in your shot, expect blown-out highlights. However, I still found detail to be very sharp at first light before the sun lapped over the landscape.
Video resolution tops out at 4K 30fps, while cinematic half-speed 60fps videos can be shot in 2.7K and Full HD resolutions. Photos are up to 12MP (in 4:3 aspect, with a 16:9 cropped format also available) and can be shot in either JPEG or raw, with the latter offer more editing flexibility. Files are recorded onto microSD card, with compatibility for cards up to 256GB.
DJI has upped the maximum video bitrate to 100Mbps (it was 40Mbps in the Mini 2 SE). So not only does the Mini 4K offer higher-resolution video than the Mini 2 SE, but its 2.7K video is also less compressed.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
There's a standard color profile for photo and video – what you see is what you get. However, you can easily edit the colors in raw DNG format photos in your choice of photo editor. If you're a keen editor, you'll probably want to shoot photos in both raw and JPEG, just in case the JPEG photos aren't to your taste. However, there's no flat color profile for video, which is pretty normal for a beginner drone, so there's not much scope for color-grading videos.
What's unusual for a drone at this price point is that you can switch from the Mini 4K's Auto setting to a Pro mode for manual control over exposure settings for photo and video, including the 1/30 to 1/8000 shutter speed and ISO 100 to 3200 ranges. That's an excellent feature for discerning image makers, though I suspect most people will keep the Mini 4K in Auto and be pleased with the results.
The three-axis gimbal offer a -110° to 35° tilt range, -35° to 35° of roll and -20° to 20° pan, and works in tandem with image stabilization to give you smooth video footage. Unless you're fighting high winds or making jerky movements on the controller – which requires significant finesse – then you can expect super-smooth video footage, especially in Cine mode.
Image quality score: 4.5/5
DJI Mini 4K sample video 4K
DJI Mini 4K Quickshots
DJI Mini 4K: testing scorecard
(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
Should I buy the DJI Mini 4K?
Buy it if...
You want the best 4K drone under $300 Putting the DJI Neo aside, which is a different proposition, the Mini 4K is the best drone money can buy for under $300.
You’re buying your first drone The Mini 4K is a superb first drone, with decent flight performance and video quality, plus manual control over camera settings.
You want decent battery life Up to 31 minutes from a fully charged battery is very impressive, and you'll get triple that with the Fly More Combo kit.
Don't buy it if...
You want the very best sub-250g drone no matter the cost If money is no object, your best first drone is the DJI Mini 4 Pro.
You're more interested in aerial selfies than flying DJI's Neo is smaller, cheaper and even easier to use, with intelligent subject tracking making selfies on the move an autonomous doddle.
You'd be better off with obstacle avoidance The Mini 4K only has downward-facing sensors primarily designed to aid landing, whereas the Mini 4 Pro has omnidirectional obstacle avoidance that'll help you avoid crashes.
DJI Mini 4K: also consider
Potensic Atom
Not to be confused with the Potensic Atom SE, this accomplished drone for beginners finally gave DJI firm competition at this point of the market, thanks to its 4K video, intelligent flight features and manual camera control. DJI then went and priced the Mini 4K aggressively and it's a slightly more rounded drone overall, but the Atom can be found on sale for less.
If money is no object, then the Mini 4K Pro is the best beginner drone available. Around 3x the cost, it still falls below 250g and therefore within the same category of drone as the Mini 4K, with very few restrictions, plus it's an easier drone to test your wings thanks to omnidirectional obstacle avoidance and smart subject tracking. If however, it's out of your budget, then the older Mini 3 is the next model up from the Mini 4K in DJI's range of beginner drones.
Videos and photos made with all available file formats
I've had the DJI Mini 4K for months, and during this time have become very familiar with it. The Fly More Combo was bundled with the charging hub, two extra batteries and the DJI RC-N1C controller, through which I have controlled the drone, via the DJI Fly app for Android.
The tiny drone has been flown in all kinds of weather, even inclement, showing it's able to withstand light rain and reasonably brisk wind. It's taken a few knocks into tree branches and has so far withstood this rough treatment.
I've made photos and videos with all of the available settings, which includes 4K, 2.7K, Full HD videos, plus 12MP JPEG and RAW photos, in good light and low light at dusk.
Kandao has been making 360-degree cameras for some time now, and the Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra is by far the Chinese company's best 360-degree camera to date. It's an alternative and direct competitor to the highly rated Insta360 X4, and both are among the most interesting of the best action cameras currently available.
The GoPro Max 2 release has been delayed, but when it's finally released we expect this 360-degree camera to also offer up to 8K resolution to further expand the options available for fans of 360-degree shooting. But given this delay, and the fact that the QooCam 3 Ultra and Insta360 X4 are already available, it looks like GoPro could be in danger of missing the 8K boat.
(Image credit: James Abbott)
The QooCam 3 Ultra can capture video in several modes and resolutions up to 8K 30fps for 360-degree video and up to 4K 60fps in Single Lens Mode. Video can be captured in a standard 8-bit Rec. 709 profile or in 10-bit Rec. 2020 (HLG), with LUT support available in QooCam Studio. There's also a Dynamic Range Boost for HDR shooting; this limits resolution when shooting photos, but it's claimed to increase dynamic range by two stops.
This is a versatile action camera that offers IP68 dust and waterproofing to a depth of 33ft / 10m, has 128GB of internal storage alongside a microSD card slot, and can be controlled wirelessly using the QooCam 3 app. It's not a cheap 360-degree camera though, coming in at a higher price than its closest rival, the Insta360 X4.
Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra: release date and price
Launched August 29 2024
Costs $599 / £579 / AU$1,033
Accessories available separately
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: James Abbott)
The Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra was released in August 2024 and is available now for $599 / £579 / AU$1,033. The camera is listed at USD$699 for Australian visitors to the Kandao website. This is considerably more expensive than the QooCam 3 and more expensive than the Insta360 X4 which cost $499.99 / £499.99 / AU$879.99 at launch.
At the time of writing, only the QooCam 3 Ultra base kit that includes the camera, battery, PD cable, lens cloth and soft case is the only option available, so accessories have to be purchased separately.
These include a battery charging case, spare batteries, selfie sticks, a car suction mount and detachable lens protectors. A selfie stick in the kit would be preferable because these are essential for 360-degree cameras.
Price score: 3/5
Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra: specs
Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra: design and handling
Larger and heavier than the competition
Waterproof to 33ft / 10m
1/4-inch screw thread
The QooCam 3 Ultra looks remarkably similar to the QooCam 3 but is both taller and heavier, at 11.85oz / 336g including a battery. This is undoubtedly still lightweight, but at 4.44oz / 126g heavier than the QooCam 3, that's quite a chunk of additional weight. It doesn’t affect handling or usability in most situations, but when attaching the camera to bike handlebar mounts, for instance, you have to be sure that your mount can adequately support the camera.
Build quality is excellent, and the camera certainly feels robust, with dust resistance and water resistance to 33ft / 10m – although as with all 360-degree cameras, the dual fisheye lenses on each side mean that you really wouldn’t want to drop it. Pop-on lens protectors are available separately, and stay attached well to protect from stray stones flying up and minor knocks.
The camera body is designed minimally with a power and mode button on the left, a shutter button below the 2.19-inch rectangular touchscreen, a customizable Q button, a button to change the camera view, and a 1/4-inch screw thread on the bottom. Most settings and functions are accessed by swiping from the top, bottom and sides of the screen, like most action cameras and 360-degree cameras, and this makes the QooCam Ultra 3 intuitive to use.
Image 1 of 5
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 2 of 5
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 3 of 5
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 4 of 5
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 5 of 5
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Using the camera without the phone app works well, but you can also attach it to the QooCam 3 app via WiFi 6 for wireless control. In terms of ports, there's a USB-C port under a waterproof door that can be used to charge the battery and transfer photos and videos on one side of the camera, while on the other is a door keeping the battery and microSD card slot, which can take cards up to 1TB, safe from water ingress. The latter is useful, but with 128GB of onboard storage, it's not always necessary to use a memory card.
In terms of battery life, forgetting anything that Kandao claims, I spent over an hour wandering around a city shooting 8K video, timelapse/hyperlapse videos and photos for well over an hour and hardly dented the battery – it only ran out days later after further shooting.
Of course, this wasn't continuous use, but in real-world terms, I wasn't disappointed. A second or even a third battery is still useful to ensure you can continue shooting when out for the day, and the battery charging case that's available separately makes charging easier, and provides storage for batteries when not in use.
Design score: 4/5
Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra: features and performance
Dual 1/1.7-inch Quad-Bayer sensors
96MP 360-degree photos
10-bit HLG video option
The key features of the QooCam 3 Ultra are pretty much tied into the hardware where the dual 1/1.7-inch Quad-Bayer sensors and the lenses with f/1.6 apertures and 9.36mm equivalent focal lengths take centre stage. 8K video is oversampled to improve image quality. Other features include 96MP 360-degree photos, 10-bit HLG, SuperSteady Stabilization, Spatial Audio, built-in GPS and Single Lens video capture.
Image Stabilization uses a 6-axis gyro and works well, but unless you walk with bent knees, the way that you have to with professional video gimbals, the bob of walking will be noticeable as can be seen in the example video. This was captured this way on purpose to discover whether improvements had been made on the QooCam 3, but both perform identically in this area.
The camera view on the camera LCD and in the app is also stabilized, unlike the QooCam 3 at launch, so you get much closer to what you’re going to get on-screen, which is an improvement. Although, with 360-degree cameras what you get predominantly comes down to reframing video in software.
(Image credit: James Abbott)
QooCam Studio, which is Kandao's desktop editing software for photos and videos still lacks the slick and easy-to-use interface alongside some of the more exciting reframe options of Insta360 Studio. It's still fairly easy to use, and the QooCam 3 phone app still provides more functionality than the desktop version including the ability to use templates, although much work could be done to both to vastly improve them.
Sound quality from the four directional mics for spatial audio capture is pretty good, but don’t be fooled by the choppy sound you'll hear in the QooCam desktop app. Sound is massively improved, and is the way it should be, once videos have been exported. You can also attach external microphones via Bluetooth and USB-C; if sound is important, one of these will be essential to take advantage of the best sound quality possible and to reduce ambient noise.
Single Lens capture is another useful feature that allows you to capture video with one of the lenses rather than both – you can select the camera facing towards or away from you. This is ideal when you know that you simply want a single view and video can be captured in 4K up to 60fps or 3.4K at 100/120fps for slow motion footage.
You still need to run the footage through one of the apps where you can change the field of view – the view captured is square but is cropped to 16:9 with the Reframe Adjustment option. One point to note here is that you can’t actually reframe Single Lens videos because the viewpoint is fixed.
Features and performance score: 4/5
Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra: image and video quality
Up to 8K 30fps video
Up to 96MP photos
Slow motion capture
(Image credit: James Abbott)
360-degree cameras sound almost unfathomable when you first think about them, but they're much less complicated than they sound and open up a wealth of creative possibilities. You can pan, zoom and change camera direction, allowing you to easily film yourself and the entire environment around you. Although an 8K resolution sounds excessive, this resolution covers 360 degrees and greatly improves image quality for 360-degree videos.
360-degree videos can be captured in 8K up to 30fps, 5.7K up to 60fps and 4K up to 120fps, so although 4K provides the ability to capture 360-degree slow motion, image quality is greatly diminished when compared to 8K. 8K file sizes are huge and even 5.7K are pretty hefty, so you do have to consider how much footage you intend to capture and think about whether or not the 128GB of on-board storage needs to be supplemented with a microSD card.
Reframed 360-degree video
Timelapse/hyperlapse
8K 360-degree videos and timelapse videos look great, although there can be a small amount of wobble where lens images are stitched so hopefully this can be improved. Overall image quality is great even with the Standard bitrate (100Mbps), but this can be improved by opting for High (150Mbps). Color profiles available include 8-bit Rec. 709 for in-camera processed footage or 10-bit Rec. 2020 (HLG).
The latter provides a much greater dynamic range with the ability to apply LUTs in QooCam Studio, with 11 LUTs preloaded and the ability to add your own. Unfortunately, there's no ability to dial down LUT strength, and there are no options available for making adjustments such as exposure, white balance, shadows or highlights to video.
When using the phone app you get a histogram to aid with exposure, but when shooting with just the camera in isolation, you only get an exposure warning where blue denotes shadow clipping and red highlight clipping. This is perfectly adequate and provides a quick and easy way to assess exposure.
Dynamic range isn’t great, so you have to watch your highlights, but Dynamic Range Boost for HDR shooting does increase dynamic range by two stops at the expense of photo resolution which is limited to 24MP. There is a noticeable difference between standard and Dynamic Range Boost images, and the processing of the latter is no heavier than the former. Video looks fine because you're forced into capturing in 10-bit Rec. 2020 (HLG) which is a flat profile and offers greater dynamic range.
Image 1 of 10
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 2 of 10
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 3 of 10
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 4 of 10
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 5 of 10
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 6 of 10
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 7 of 10
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 8 of 10
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 9 of 10
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 10 of 10
(Image credit: James Abbott)
The best photo quality comes from the DNG8 shooting feature where eight DNG files are captured and then merged in the RawPlus software for increased detail, lower noise and extended dynamic range. The downside is that it's a convoluted process where you have to merge the eight DNGs into a single DNG in RawPlus, export, edit in Lightroom, export a JPEG and then reframe the JPEG in QooCamStudio before exporting a final JPEG.
Standard photo quality is pretty good with brighter conditions providing the best results like most action cameras and drones with small sensors. But when working with DNGs, you have to edit in Lightroom, export a JPEG and then reframe the JPEG in QooCamStudio before exporting again. This process hasn’t been improved since the QooCam 3, and it could and should be much more streamlined.
ISO handling isn’t bad for a camera of this type with such small sensors, and coupled with the f/1.6 apertures it's well suited to low-light shooting when the situation arises. I tested the camera at night in a dark location at ISO 6400, which is the highest setting available, and the results are useable but it's certainly not a setting you'd want to rely on too often. ISO 1600 is much more useable, but shooting at the lowest possible ISO is always preferable.
Image and video quality score: 4.5/5
Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra: testing scorecard
Should I buy the Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra?
Buy it if...
You want to shoot 360-degree video If you would like to shoot 360-degree video, the QooCam 3 Ultra will allow you to do this and the 8K maximum resolution produces great image quality.
You would like to be able to easily film yourself 360-degree cameras make it incredibly easy to film yourself using a single camera and without the need for a camera operator, which can simplify the process.
You'd like to be able to reframe photos and videos The beauty of shooting 360-degree photos and videos is that you can reframe the viewpoint which provides a huge amount of creative freedom with a single camera.
Don't buy it if...
You're on a budget The Insta360 X4 is less expensive and also offers up to 8K video capture alongside great features in the phone and desktop apps.
You'll only use Single Lens shooting If you have no intention of capturing 360-degree photos and videos, whether to show in their entirety or reframed to a standard aspect ratio, this camera would be a waste of time for you.
You'd like a more compact 360 camera The Insta360 X4 is both smaller and lighter than the QooCam 3 Ultra. For some this won’t be an issue, but smaller and lighter will be attractive for more action-oriented activities.
QooCam 3 Ultra: also consider
Insta360 X4
The Insta360 X4 is a smaller, lighter and less expensive 360-degree camera made by the market leader. It features 8K video, slow-motion video, a 4K single lens mode, excellent build quality, image stabilization and fun video modes.
The QooCam 3 Ultra was tested over several weeks shooting photos and videos in different conditions and locations to test all of the features and functions, alongside handling. With 360-degree cameras, shooting is only half the battle, so the second part of testing was running everything through the QooCam 3 smartphone app and the QooCam studio desktop app to put editing through its paces.
Approaching 360-degree image capture is extremely similar to, yet wildly different to capturing standard photos and videos. So, with this in mind, I was drawing on 30 years of photographic experience and 16 years of working as a photography journalist. Having used these types of cameras before I was aware of what to expect and what to look out for, but with any new product there's inevitably something new to discover.
When I was a photography student I used to constantly complain about the cost of film, despite buying my medium-format 120 films in bulk for a discount, with which you only get between 8-12 photos per roll. How little did I realise how expensive film costs would shoot up in the future, and it's the surge in price, together with a spike in analog photography popularity that has led many to half-frame cameras like the Kodak Ektar H35.
The Kodak Ektar H35 is a point-and-shoot half frame 35mm camera that's as simple as they come. It's part of a fairly recent resurgence of half frame cameras, which is most likely because they provide two exposures for every 35mm frame, which doubles the number of photos you can shoot on a 35mm film. So, that's 48 exposures on a 24 exposure film and 72 on a 36 exposure film.
This is a point-and-shoot camera, much like a disposable camera in many ways including image quality from the lens. The main difference is that you can change the film to reuse the camera, and also the AAA battery that's required to power the built-in flash. The H35 is enjoyable in its simplicity, pocketable, nicely designed and reduces the cost of film. But whether or not it's one of the best film cameras is debatable.
One of the hurdles to this camera for me, alongside other points we'll delve into later is the cost. Remember, this is essentially a stylized disposable camera made reusable, so at $45 / £49 / AU$100 it's not expensive in the wider sense, but it is for what you get in terms of build and image quality, it's arguably overpriced.
Kodak Ektar H35: specs
Kodak Ektar H35: design
The Kodak Ektar H35 may be a Kodak camera by name, but it's actually a licensed use of the trademark and the camera is manufactured by a company called RETO Production. This is neither here nor there because it's a film camera, and it works, but it's worth mentioning that you're not getting a high-quality Kodak camera here.
The H35 is available in four colors: black, brown, sand and sage. I opted for the brown version where the brown leatherette finish set against the brushed chrome, ahem plastic, gives the camera a distinctively 1970s look. Aesthetically, the H35 is a great-looking camera that's bathed in retro charm and is incredibly lightweight and highly portable.
Being made entirely of plastic, except for the electronics used in the battery compartment and for the flash, build quality is pretty low. Like I've said already, it's basically a disposable camera remade as reusable. Although saying that, disposable cameras are probably more robust despite being single-use.
Image 1 of 7
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 2 of 7
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 3 of 7
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 4 of 7
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 5 of 7
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 6 of 7
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 7 of 7
(Image credit: James Abbott)
There's a built-in flash that's activated by turning the wheel around the lens. The power output is impressive for such a small flash, and there's a red light on the back of the camera that indicates that the flash is fully powered and ready to be used. But this setup does make it easy to leave the flash on and waste power in the single AAA battery.
One aspect of the camera that you have to get used to, and it doesn’t take long, is that photos are captured in portrait format when shooting with the camera in landscape orientation, and vice versa. The viewfinder is also small, but it's perfectly adequate for composing shots.
Kodak Ektar H35: performance
Image 1 of 6
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 2 of 6
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 3 of 6
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 4 of 6
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 5 of 6
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 6 of 6
(Image credit: James Abbott)
In terms of overall performance, I have to admit that I wasn't impressed in the slightest. Yeah, I'm a film camera snob and prefer higher quality medium-format, but I also know that there are much better half frame cameras available. Some truly vintage half frame cameras, such as the Canon Demi, don't even cost much more than the H35 and they're much better quality in every way, while if you want the latest albeit pricier option, there's the new Pentax 17.
You'll be lucky to get a sharp shot from the H35's fixed focus plastic 22mm lens (an equivalent 35mm focal length when shooting half-frame). The shutter speed is fixed at 1/100 sec with a fixed f/9.5 aperture, so you may now be wondering how this camera can correctly expose shots.
Cameras like this rely on the fact that print film has an exposure latitude of two stops, which means you can get a printable image from a shot that's anywhere between two stops under and two stops overexposed, so a four-stop exposure window.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image quality generally is low because you're using such a small amount of celluloid, where fewer silver halide crystals create the image compared to a full 35mm frame. This coupled with the poor lens quality certainly creates a lo-fi aesthetic that some will love and others will hate.
In terms of handling, the H35 couldn’t be easier to load with film and use, being a point-and-shoot camera. You can pretty much switch your brain off while using it. When shooting I found it as easy as that, but one thing I did experience was stiffness in the film advance dial when winding the film on. This came and went, but with the all-plastic construction, I did wonder how much stress was being put on the film advance mechanism.
It didn't stop there either; when rewinding the film, the flimsy handle on the dial at the bottom of the camera didn’t feel robust at all, quite the opposite. So once again, I was left wondering how many films you could put through the camera before something breaks. Plastic construction will undoubtedly help to keep the price of the camera down, but I'd rather pay a bit more for something that's better built with the potential to last longer – ideally for years.
Should I buy the Kodak Ektar H35?
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Buy it if...
You want to shoot lo-fi analog photography If you want a lo-fi aesthetic in your shots, the blurry and low-quality images produced by the H35 should be just what you're looking for.
You want to cut film costs With 48 exposures on a 24 exposure film and 72 on a 36 exposure film, shooting with a half frame camera will effectively cut your film and processing costs in half.
You'd like simplicity You can't get any easier than a point-and-shoot camera like the H35, so you don't need you're nervous about exposing film correctly.
Don't buy it if...
You'd like better quality photos All half-frame cameras have quality limitations, but the plastic lens of the H35 compounds this, so for better analog image quality consider a 35mm camera instead.
You'd like a camera that will last The H35 doesn’t feel like it will last very long based on the cheap build quality. There are better options out there both new and second-hand, and not always for much more money.
You don't want film costs Despite getting twice the number of shots per roll of film than with 35mm, film these days is expensive, as is processing and scanning. The cost per film quickly adds up.
How I tested the Kodak Ektar H35
(Image credit: James Abbott)
One roll of film
Point-and-shoot pictures of a city center
I tested the Kodak Ektar H35 over a couple of hours walking around a city like a tourist shooting a range of subjects in different lighting conditions. Being a point-and-shoot camera with only a flash that can be turned on and off, it was simply a case of shooting and seeing how the photos came out at the end.
With this in mind, my main focus was on the handling and build quality of the camera since these were tangible at the point of shooting. A roll of film was enough to get an idea of these aspects of the camera because you have to go through the whole process of loading, exposing, winding on and then rewinding the film manually before processing the film.
If there's one antidote to today's digital imaging with its instant gratification and AI-powered editing trickery, it's analog. And if you want a double dose of the old school, a fully manual rangefinder, such as the Leica MP, will do the trick.
Part of Leica's famed M-mount, the MP isn't as old as it looks, being released as recently as 2003, and it's one of few Leica cameras still being produced today and is therefore available new.
It's arguably the best premium film camera that you can buy new today, but like most Leica's, its price is eye-watering, being available from the Leica stores and leading retailers for $5,995 / £,5080 / AU$10,190, and that's without a lens. I had the MP with the 28mm f2 Summicron-M APSH lens which is around the same price as the camera. Gulp.
Suppose it's the retro camera experience you're after, and the same 35mm film format hits the spot. In that case, you can find alternative analog cameras elsewhere, secondhand, for a mere fraction of the cost of a Leica MP.
But Leica is more than just the retro look. It's an aspiration. That famed red dot means something, whatever depth the admirer's connection is. In the case of the Leica MP, it also means a premium "Handmade in Germany" analog camera that runs as smooth as butter.
Learning the exposure triangle is necessary; how shutter speed, aperture, and the ISO of the loaded film interplay. You can download a free light meter on your phone to take a light reading and adjust shutter speed or aperture accordingly based on the film's ISO, or purchase a dedicated light meter if you want to avoid your phone altogether and be assured that you've bagged the correct brightness in your photo, even if you won't truly know until the developed film is returned. (The MP does also have an LED gauge built into the viewfinder that indicates how much you need to brighten or darken your exposure settings based on its evaluative metering.)
Beyond the exposure triangle, it's the manual focus experience of a Leica rangefinder, such as the MP, that is as challenging as it is addictive. This is a far cry from 2024's best autofocus systems – there's no rushing with a rangefinder, and together with its lens system that's limited between focal lengths of 21mm to 135mm, it's unsuitable for many genres of photography.
You won't be able to nail sharply focused, shallow depth of field portraits of people or animals on the move, unless you get really, really lucky.
Image 1 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 2 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 3 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 4 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 5 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 6 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 7 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 8 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 9 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 10 of 10
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Outside of working with near-infinity focusing and a closed aperture, say f/11, where ultimately everything is just about in focus, your subjects will need as much patience as you while you manually rock the focus back and forth to line up the split image in the marked out central area of the viewfinder to nail sharp focus.
Taking a picture with a rangefinder is slow, purposeful, and frustrating but ultimately a wonderful creative process for those who persevere. It's not a camera for all the time, but it is a camera that could just renew your love for photography. Sadly, however, with the Leica MP, most people are priced out of enjoying the experience.
Leica MP: Specs
Leica MP: Price and availability
Body only: $5,995 / £,5080 / AU$10,190
Many lenses and accessories to choose from
The Leica MP was launched in 2003 and is one of the few Leica analog cameras that is still available to buy new. On the Leica store, it costs $5,995 / £,5080 / AU$10,190.
Lens choice is decent, if costly, with the lower end of the price range close to the price of the MP camera itself. There are third party lens makers such as Thypoch that have created Leica M-mount lenses that cost a mere fraction of the price. with a number available for under $1,000 / £700.
The MP is also compatible with a host of Leica accessories, ranging from leather cases to viewfinders that are dedicated to specific lens focal lengths.
Leica MP: Design
Stunning all-metal build
Can be bought new and its mechanics are reliable
Supported by a range of Leica M lenses
Leica cameras are expensive, but the build quality of these "Handmade in Germany" devices is undeniable. Every mechanical component runs as smooth as butter, from the film crank to move onto your next photo, to the film rewind mechanism once the roll is done.
You'll need to insert a tiny CR 1/3N battery to power the camera's evaluative exposure metering, which is displayed in the viewfinder as a too-bright / too-dark scale and is linked to the ISO setting on the camera's rear ISO dial (the new Leica M11-D digital rangefinder's design pays homage to this). However, as a fully manual camera, you'll need to adjust the shutter speed and aperture yourself. I always use a separate light meter with a Leica just to be doubly sure I've set the exposure correctly.
But you'll need to insert a roll of 35mm film first. Leica's design ethos here is simple and reliable; a fully metal twist lock on the underside must be unscrewed to open up the camera's underside, and you remove the entire bottom plate to gain access to the film's holder. Inserting the film thereafter is a tad fiddly but in truth, once you've done it a couple of times, it's pretty easy.
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
I only tested the Leica MP with a 28mm f2 lens, which again, is a gorgeous bit of kit, offering a generous manual focus grip, handy focus distance scale, and an aperture ring. With Leica you get the whole package; a lens and camera built to high standards and with a complimentary aesthetic.
There's little to say about the camera's external controls. You've got the shutter speed dial on the top, the beautiful film crank that reveals its brass innards through the scuffs picked up over time and heavy use, a shutter button that can accept a screw-in cable release, plus the ISO dial on the camera's rear. The aperture is adjusted on the attached lens.
For me, it's the experience of manually focusing with a rangefinder that is everything about the MP: it's as frustrating as it is addictive. For all the will and the practice in the world, you won't be able to nail sharp focus on a moving subject when focusing closely and with a wide aperture and therefore shallow depth of field.
Sure, you can improve your hit ratio and speed at which you can obtain sharp focus, but ultimately, the Leica MP is a camera that slows you down, and in today's fast-paced world, it's cathartic.
If you're taking portrait pictures, too, that extra moment it takes to get your MP's settings correct can open up your subject as they relax and give you a window to their soul – you're in it together. Or, the slow process just makes them feel super awkward instead, or you miss the moment. It can go either way.
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Leica MP: Performance
Superbly sharp lenses on offer
Reliable mechanics
Shutter speed maxes out at 1/1000sec which is limiting in bright light
One benefit in choosing the MP over another Leica is that it's still available new, and with that comes certain reassurances that you may not be afforded when buying secondhand should you run into any issues. However, I wouldn't expect that of the MP – it's a super-reliable camera that should last you a lifetime.
Naturally, the quality of the photos produced by an analog camera is determined by the lens attached, your shooting technique, and, of course, your film choice.
The Leica MP enjoys a range of excellent albeit eye-wateringly expensive lenses, like the 28mm f2 Summicron-M ASPH that I had for this review. If money is no object, you can pick up a range of Leica M prime lenses that cover the focal range of 21mm to 135mm.
Image 1 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 2 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 3 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 4 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 5 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 6 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 7 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 8 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 9 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
The photos above were made with a roll of Ilford HP5 film, ISO 400.
Next time I use a Leica analog camera, I'd really love to try a 50mm f/1.4-type lens and some of the other lenses for portraits, but the wide angle lens I had for testing is similar if a tiny bit tighter to the field of view of your phone's main camera and an excellent documentary lens.
Here lies the 'Leica quality' that fans talk about. Sure, you'll struggle to beat Leica's sharpness in the analog game, but if you're expecting the clarity you get from one of today's best digital cameras, you might have to think again. One thing that digital can try with all its might yet never quite achieve, however, is the film look.
You aren't buying an analog Leica for its outright image quality over a digital counterpart such as the Leica M11. No, you're buying it because it's film that you want to explore, including its imperfect quality. Plus, it's a rewarding hobby, if you can stomach the ongoing costs of film and development.
Image 1 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 2 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 3 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 4 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 5 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 6 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 7 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 8 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 9 of 9
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
The above photos were made with a very out of date Fujifilm Superior X-Tra ISO 400 roll of film. It's best practice to use a film within date, but you can get some whacky one-of-a-kind effects. Sadly on this occasion, besides a purple-ish hue, the risk didn't pay off – many of the photos came out underexposed.
There are very real limits to the Leica MP, namely its maximum shutter speed which is just 1/1000sec. If you're shooting in bright light and with a wide aperture – like I wanted to shoot at f2 with the 28mm lens – you'll need an ISO 100 film or even slower. However, ISO 400 is a more versatile film speed if you're going to be shooting in mixed lighting. Once the film roll is inserted, you're locked in, you can't switch ISO for every photo like you can with a digital camera.
Should you buy the Leica MP?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
How I tested the Leica MP
Regular use over the course of two weeks
Paired with the 28mm f2 Summicron-M APSH lens
Both color and black and white film developed
Leica loaned me the MP together with the 28mm f2 Summicron-M ASPH lens for two weeks, during which time I photographed everything from sweeping vistas to busy London street scenes. I have shot with both color and black and white film, usually sticking with versatile ISO 400 films.
I sent the films to a lab to be developed and was provided with standard-quality digital scans to assess image quality.
DJI might be the market leader in consumer drones, but when it comes to action cameras the company remains leagues behind GoPro – at least in the public consciousness. That won’t be the case for long though if it keeps turning out products like the Osmo Action 5 Pro.
Even if nobody should get too excited about the ‘Pro’ moniker – this is currently the only model in the range, so there’s no ‘amateur’ model as yet – the Action 5 Pro is a very impressive action camera, and I had a lot of fun reviewing it. Not only is its image quality superb (in daylight, at least – and even at night it’s still better than a GoPro), but it has long-lasting battery life, effective image stabilization, a rugged lightweight build, two beautifully color-rich OLED screens, and genuinely brilliant compatibility with the DJI Mic 2.
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
And while it isn’t as mod-friendly as the recent GoPro Hero 13 Black, the Action 5 Pro’s quick-release magnetic mounting system works with all manner of accessories, from helmet and bike mounts to extendable selfie sticks and mini tripods. It can even be used as a webcam.
This versatility means it’ll suit everyone from food vloggers to divers to mountain climbers, and the sheer range of improvements over the Osmo Action 4 suggests that DJI is deadly serious about surpassing the likes of GoPro and Insta360 to establish itself as the leading action camera brand. There’s still a long way to go if that’s going to happen, but if we keep getting cameras like this, it’s a clear possibility.
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: release date and price
Priced at $349 / £329 / AU$599 for the Combo bundle
Available from September 19 2024
The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is available to order now, priced at $349 / £329 / AU$599 for the Standard Combo bundle, which includes the camera, one battery, one protective frame, one quick-release adapter mount, one curved adhesive base, one locking screw, one rubber lens protecter, one glass lens cover, one anti-slip pad and one USB-C to USB-C cable). There's also an Adventure Combo bundle, which is priced at $449 / £409 / AU$769 and includes all of the above plus a mini quick-release adapter mount, one battery case and one 1.5m extension rod.
DJI has priced the Action 5 Pro aggressively: it’s $50 cheaper than the GoPro Hero 13 Black and Insta360 Ace Pro. Given the specs and performance, which I’ll get into below, that’s impressive. (You can read more about how the Action Pro 5 compares to GoPro's latest in our GoPro Hero 13 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro article.)
Additionally, a wide range of optional accessories, each sold separately, is available alongside the Action 5 Pro, including mounts, extension rods, GPS units and microphones.
Price score: 4.5/5
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: design and handling
Small, lightweight and sturdy build
Quick-release magnetic mounting system
Waterproof to 20m without a case
Front and rear OLED touchscreens
When it comes to rugged reliability, the Osmo Action 5 Pro feels reassuringly well made. The camera itself is small, lightweight (145g) and sturdy, with few protruding parts and a removable, replaceable cover to help prevent damage to the surface of the lens.
It also comes with a frame to further protect the camera body from impact and, while use of this is optional, it adds little to the weight or size of the setup, and leaves buttons and the USB-C chamber fully accessible. In other words, you might as well leave it on all the time. The frame also features mounting points for horizontal and vertical mounting options, allowing you to quickly detach and reattach the camera to magnetic mounts and change orientation for 16:9 or 9:16 shooting as required.
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro key specs
Sensor: 1/1.3” CMOS Video: Up to 4K/120fps Photo: 40MP Screens: 2 x OLED touchscreens Video modes: Standard, Slo-Mo, SuperNight, Hyperlapse, Subject Tracking Connectivity: USB-C 3.0, Wi-Fi 6.0, Bluetooth Weight: 145g
The Action 5 Pro supports the same ‘fingers’ mounting method as GoPro (which means it should be compatible with hundreds of third-party and GoPro-made mounts) while maintaining the magnet-and grip-based quick-release system that previous DJI action cams have used. This setup meant I could unclip the Action 5 from one mount and attach it to another in seconds, rather than having to fuss around with screws and the like. During my review I used a few different mounting systems, including DJI’s own extendable selfie stick and a trio of bike-friendly mounts the company sells. Being able to quickly switch between them all is a godsend.
DJI has buffed the camera’s case-free water resistance even beyond the Osmo Action 4’s impressive 18m depth. The company says the Action 5 can go to 20m (or 65 feet) without a dive case, and 60m with one. That’s double the case-free depth of a GoPro Hero or Insta360 Ace Pro. I wasn’t able to fully test this out myself, but can confirm that it'll take a dunk in the ocean without any ill effects.
The Action 5 Pro also supports a wider range of operating temperatures than its close rivals too, working all the way from -4F / -20C to 113F / 45C. If you’re looking for an all-weather, all-environment consumer camera, this is about as hardy as they come. DJI’s Care Refresh protection plan is available for the camera too, which ensures that you can get a repair or replacement (up to two on a one-year plan, or four on a two-year plan) if the camera suffers accidental damage.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
The controls are simple, with only two physical buttons on the camera: a power/mode button on the side and a large shutter/video button on the top. Other settings are accessed either through the touchscreen menus, which are accessible on both the front and rear screens, or via the DJI Mimo mobile app and a paired smartphone. Having tried both methods, I don’t have a preference; both work well and suit different shooting situations, although those with larger fingers might prefer the app due to the small size of the Action 5’s touchscreens.
The screens are in general excellent, though. Now upgraded to OLED, they’re sharp, clear and colorful, and having one on each side of the camera means that properly framing and composing images and videos never feels like a chore; no matter whether you’re self-shooting or filming something in front of you, there’s a screen right there.
Design score: 4.5/5
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: features and performance
1950mAh battery
47GB of on-board storage plus microSD slot
RockSteady, RockSteady+ and HorizonSteady image stabilization
48kHz Bluetooth recording via DJI Mic 2
DJI makes some bold claims about the Osmo Action 5 Pro’s battery life, saying that a single fully charged 1950mAh battery allows the camera to record up to four hours of video. That’s a 50% improvement over the Osmo Action 4, and DJI says it’s managed this due to the more power-efficient 4nm processor, improvements to battery capacity, and a ‘new algorithm’ that optimizes energy use.
Keen to put these boasts to the test, I set the camera up to record continuously in two video modes: first, 4K at 60fps with RockSteady image stabilization on; then 1080p at 30fps with all stabilization turned off. With the former, a full battery lasted just under two hours – not bad given the relatively high-performance settings. With the latter, it lasted a shade under four hours, just as billed, which is really strong. I should also say that, while the camera was a bit warm to the touch after its two-hour 4K/60fps recording session, it never overheated to the point where it stopped recording.
The Action 5 Pro features a USB-C 3.0 port for in-camera battery charging and file transfer (it also allows the camera to be connected to a computer and used as a plug-and-play webcam). There’s Wi-Fi 6.0 for fast wireless file transfer of up to 80MB/s, which is a big improvement on the Wi-Fi 5.0 of the Action 4; it can also be used for livestreaming, in conjunction with the Mimo mobile app.
Image 1 of 1
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
On the subject of the Mimo app, while I won’t get too much into it in this review for reasons of space, it’s the same app you may have used with older DJI cameras. It’s basically a great remote control for the Osmo Action 5 Pro, giving you not only access to all the settings and controls but the ability to compose and review your photos and videos on a much larger screen than the camera’s own display. It also lets you share your content quickly via social media and messaging apps.
The camera comes with 47GB of built-in storage (enough for about 80 minutes of 4K/60fps or three hours of 1080p/30fps video), as well as a microSD card slot for expansion. That’s a nice setup in my opinion, as users on the more casual side of things can rely on the internal storage, while the more demanding, heavier users can supplement that with extra cards to ensure they never run out of space.
There are three types of electronic image stabilization on board, as well as the option to turn it off (which, as I’ll get into, you may have good reason to do at times). RockSteady is the basic level; RockSteady+ ups the ante at the cost of a larger crop to the frame; and HorizonSteady keeps the video aligned horizontally (to a point) while applying an even larger crop. They’re all very effective at smoothing and/or levelling video, and I have no complaints about them – even with the crops applied, the field of view remains quite wide.
The camera also embeds non-stabilized videos with gyroscope data, allowing you to stabilize clips yourself in post-production (if you’re wondering why you might do this, it conserves battery life while giving you more control over how stabilization is applied). I tried this using the free GyroFlow plugin for DaVinci Resolve 18 and it works brilliantly (you can see the results in my sample videos). For some reason, you need to select the ‘Wide’ field of view when recording though – the stabilization won’t work if you’ve shot using other settings.
Image 1 of 1
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
A new feature that social media creators will love (but the rest of us probably won’t touch) is the ability to track and frame a subject (with a TikTok-friendly 9:16 frame) as it moves around in the camera’s field of view. This seems to work with humans only (my cat didn’t register a response), but it does a good job of recognizing someone and keeping them framed. The output 9:16 video then crops out the rest of the frame.
The final feature worth mentioning is the camera’s superb compatibility with the DJI Mic 2. You can wirelessly link up to two DJI Mic 2 transmitters with it via Bluetooth and have them record pristine 48kHz audio, which I found a great way to record clean, clear voiceover or vlog audio, even in windy conditions. It’s the only action camera that currently allows this – other cameras that support the Mic 2 will only support a 16kHz sampling rate, which won’t sound as clear.
Features and performance score: 5/5
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: image and video quality
Video up to 4K/120fps
4K SuperNight mode for low-light shooting
10-bit, D-Log M and HLG color profile options
The Action 5 Pro uses the same size 1/1.3-inch sensor as the Action 4, but I found its image quality is a clear step above, with strong dynamic range (DJI claims up to 13.5 stops), and beautifully clean colors and excellent detail in good daylight conditions. Rather than wax lyrical about the image quality, I’ll let you watch the embedded videos (below) and see for yourself. I shot most of the footage here in 4K/60fps using the ‘flat’ D-Log M color profile, color-correcting in post-production with Davinci Resolve 18.
The one exception is the 4K SuperNight sequence, which doesn’t allow D-Log M shooting and limits 4K clips to 30fps; I’ve left this footage untouched to demonstrate how it looks direct from the camera. I wasn’t blown away by SuperNight, and when shooting at night in future I’d be tempted to dial the resolution back to 1080p as the 4K footage doesn’t look particularly sharp. But it does a serviceable job of providing clearer images in low light – a situation where action cameras traditionally struggle.
The fact that the Action 5 Pro doesn’t shoot 5.3K or 8K footage doesn’t bother me much, as in my experience 4K is plenty of resolution for an action camera. That being said, those who like cropping their footage might find the extra detail offered by rival cameras like the GoPro Hero 13 Black or Insta360 Ace Pro handy.
Aside from low-light shooting, the one area where DJI could make improvements in the future is by implementing GoPro-style lens mods. The ability to shoot macro images or insert ND filters could add some extra flexibility to what’s already a very impressive action camera.
Image quality score: 4/5
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: testing scorecard
Should I buy the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro?
Buy it if...
You want great reliability Waterproof to 20m, freeze-proof to -25ºC and offering up to four hours of battery life, the Osmo Action 5 Pro is unlikely to let you down.
You own a DJI Mic 2 The pristine 48kHz recording compatibility between this tiny wireless mic and the Action 5 Pro is a game-changer for live voiceover recording. You can even link two mics.
Don't buy it if...
You want crystal-clear night-time footage DJI’s SuperNight mode may produce better low-light video than most action cameras, but it’s still grainy and lacking in detail compared to video from a mirrorless camera.
You want super high-res footage 4K is fine for 90% of users, but those who need more should look at Insta360 and GoPro’s higher-resolution alternatives.
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: also consider
GoPro Hero 13 Black
GoPro’s flagship is a polished performer, recording excellent 5.3K video and supporting a wide range of accessories – including the auto-detected Lens Mods that dramatically widen its creative options. It also features built-in GPS, and finally supports the faster magnetic mounting system already used by rival action cam makers.
The Ace Pro is something of a resolution master, offering 8K video (at 24fps) and 4K slow-mo at 120fps from a 1/1.3-inch sensor. Video enthusiasts won’t like the lack of log recording options, however. Design-wise, it sports a large 2.4-inch flip-up touchscreen, eschewing the dual-screen setup favored by GoPro and DJI.
I spent a week using a pre-release version of the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, capturing vlog-style videos using the including extendable selfie stick and, at times, a paired DJI Mic 2 lavalier microphone. I used DJI’s road cycling mount kit to attach the camera to various points on my bike. I also tested battery life by allowing the camera to continuously record until the battery died.
I recorded video at different resolutions and frame rates, using different color profiles and video modes, and with the various forms of stabilization on or off. Footage was later edited on my PC using DaVinci Resolve Studio 18.6 software, which I used to color-grade and stabilize some clips.
It might be the unmistakable Leica style of the D-Lux 8 that initially grabs the attention, but the pocketable camera with the famous red-dot logo offers more than just good looks. The Four-Thirds sensor is a big upgrade on the 1-inch sensors found in some of the best compact cameras, and the image quality is a massive leap from what you would expect from a mobile phone. Combine that with a physical aperture control ring, a shutter-speed dial, and other tactile controls, and you have a camera that will appeal to fans of a more retro shooting experience. The menu is also straightforward to navigate, partly due to the 3-inch 1.8m-dot touchscreen being useable for changing settings.
However, the Leica D-Lux 8 isn't a major upgrade over its predecessor, which was essentially a rebranded version of the Panasonic Lumix LX100 II, released in 2018. Besides a few new design cues that simplify the design and make it look like the Leica Q3, the main new feature is a 2.36 million-dot viewfinder. This new EVF may seem like a downgrade on the 2.76-million-dot EVF of its predecessor, but the important thing here is that the screen tech is new – the D-Lux 8 uses an OLED panel, which offers a better experience thanks to not having color tearing.
(Image credit: Future)
Leica D-Lux 8: design
The core of the Leica D-Lux 8 is based around a 21-million-pixel Four-Thirds size sensor. Focusing the image on to this sensor is a Leica DC Vario-Summilux 10.9–34 f/1.7–2.8 ASPH lens, the equivalent to a 24-75mm lens on a 35mm or full-frame camera. This lens doesn't create an image circle large enough to cover the entire surface of the Four Thirds sensor; instead, it produces images that are up to 17 million pixels.
Rather than seeing the lack of complete sensor coverage as a negative, Leica has actually used this to its advantage, allowing photographers to change the image aspect ratio in-camera. You can choose between 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, and 16:9, and you can select these via a ring around the base of the lens.
Leica D-Lux 8 price and release date
The Leica D-Lux 8 has a list price of $1,595 / £1,450 / AU$2,790 and is available now, although at the time of writing it's out of stock globally, so you may have to wait for your order to be fulfilled.
The camera comes with an on-camera flash unit.
As mentioned, the D-Lux 8 is very similar to its predecessor, the D-Lux 7, which itself was virtually identical to the Panasonic Lumix LX100 II, which was released in 2018 – that's a long time ago, and we've seen considerable advances in camera technology since then.
Thankfully, its features hold up well, particularly given the lack of competition in the high-end compact camera market, and the Four-Thirds sensor size is significantly larger than the 1-inch sensors typically used in this size compact camera.
Leica users have certain expectations for their cameras: manual controls, simplicity, and a minimalist style that echoes the industrial German design of all of the Leicas that have come before them. Thankfully, the Leica D-Lux 8 offers all of these things, and it both looks and feels like using a Leica camera, notably the Leica Q series.
(Image credit: Future)
Weighing 397g, including the battery, and measuring 130 x 69 x 62mm, the D-Lux 8 is a (jacket) pocketable camera with a manual aperture ring, shutter speed dial, hotshoe, and there's even a cable release screw thread in the shutter button. On the camera's top plate there's a zoom control around the shutter button, a custom dial, and a small on/off button.
The most significant change compared to the D-Lux 7 is the improved electronic viewfinder. The new 2.36 million-dot EVF is a lower resolution than the 2.76 million-dot EVF of the D LUX-7. However, the new viewfinder is an OLED display, whereas previously, it was a sequential display, where the RGB LEDs changed very quickly, given the perception of the correct color. This works well in static subjects but can cause jarring RGB edge effects, particularly when you're panning quickly. The OLED EVF solves this.
For those not using the EVF, there's the 1.8m-dot fixed touchscreen. I have to say that with the camera's manual controls and retro design I found myself gravitating to the viewfinder instead of the touchscreen, or perhaps it was because the screen is fixed rather than the versatile tilting or flip-out type.
The viewfinder has a 0.75x magnification, which, although it isn't huge compared to a mirrorless camera, is large enough that your eye can still roam around the scene and you can see details. And there is, of course, a dioptre adjustment if your eyesight requires it.
Where the screen comes in really useful is its touch functionality. Pressing the Menu button on the rear of the camera pulls up all the current shooting settings, which can be quickly changed using the touchscreen. The touchscreen can also be used to select the AF tracking area.
Overall, the design of the D-Lux 8 could be described as streamlined; all of the key features are easily accessible, without the camera being littered with buttons, dials, and labels. Everything else can be quickly changed using the directional pad on the camera's rear, or easier still, by using the touchscreen.
Image 1 of 8
(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 8
(Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 8
(Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 8
(Image credit: Future)
Image 5 of 8
(Image credit: Future)
Image 6 of 8
(Image credit: Future)
Image 7 of 8
(Image credit: Future)
Image 8 of 8
(Image credit: Future)
Leica D-Lux 8: performance
Leica cameras are known for their popularity amongst documentary photographers, who demand that their cameras can be operated quickly, which is often where compact cameras fall down. After you press the power there's a wait of about a second before you can take a photo with the D-Lux 8, which is an acceptable amount of time. The aperture ring and shutter speed dial make changing the exposure extremely quick, and also easy to do when you're looking through the viewfinder. That said, I'm a left-eye shooter, which made the dial a little more awkward to use with the camera held to my eye, although I largely had the camera set to aperture priority mode, so the camera was adjusting the shutter speed automatically.
Zooming the lens from 24mm to 75mm is steady without ever being fast. If you wish to manually focus the lens, there's a small switch on the barrel of the lens, close to the camera's body. A fly-by-wire electronic focusing ring allows for manual focusing, and it feels naturally responsive, something that's helped by the magnified view presented on the screen or through the viewfinder.
The autofocus system is as comprehensive as you would expect from any mirrorless camera. There are options for eye/face detection and tracking, as well as the more automated Zone Field and Multi-spot autofocus. I generally left the camera set to eye/face tracking, and used touchscreen focus when I wanted to select a particular subject within the scene. I had no issues with the focusing, and the camera felt snappy and responsive.
There are a few continuous shooting modes for moving subjects, each with a varying degree of quality. At 2fps, images can be saved at 12-bit, with autofocus. Shift to 7fps, and the bit rate drops to 10-bit with no autofocus. There's also a higher option of shooting 11fps in 10-bit without autofocus. Everything is kept simple, with these shooting rates working for JPEG, raw DNG, and when in JPEG+DNG mode.
Image 1 of 5
Leica D-Lux 8: Standard (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 5
Leica D-Lux 8: Natural (Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 5
Leica D-Lux 8: Vivid (Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 5
Leica D-Lux 8: B&W High Contrast (Image credit: Future)
Image 5 of 5
Leica D-Lux 8: B&W Natural (Image credit: Future)
One of the more enjoyable aspects of using the Leica D-Lux 8 is Leica's film styles. There aren't an overwhelming number, with Standard, Vivid, Natural, Black and White Natural, and Black and White High Contrast options. The contrast, saturation, and sharpness of each of these can be adjusted, and there's also the option elsewhere to change the I[ntelligent]-DR and Highlight/Shadow settings. I found that images taking using the default settings looked great, although after using the D-Lux 8 for a while I changed the settings to make the shadow areas slightly brighter. It all comes down to personal preference, but having limited options that aren't overwhelming combined with excellent 'default' image quality is refreshing.
The larger Four-Thirds sensor makes a difference in image quality. Images look closer to what you'd expect from an APS-C sensor than the 20-million-pixel 1-inch sensors typically found in compact cameras. The dynamic range is good, with there usually being plenty of detail in highlights and shadows. I was also impressed with the low noise and good detail at higher sensitivities, with the camera performing as you'd expect it to with a Four-Thirds sensor. Images shot at up to ISO 1600 are perfectly useable, and even images taken at ISO 6400 look acceptable when you need to shoot in low light. Beyond this level, the image quality does start to break down, but we need to keep in mind what and who this camera is for; this isn't a camera for shooting landscapes or high-end commercial work. It will most likely be used for travel and street photography; it's a camera that's easy to take with you and can take better images in situations where you may tend to use your phone.
Image 1 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 5 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 6 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 7 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 8 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 9 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 10 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 11 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 12 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 13 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 14 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
Image 15 of 15
(Image credit: Future)
It is a pretty versatile little camera. The maximum f/1.7 aperture creates a shallow enough depth of field when the subject is quite close to the camera, and I tended to shoot a lot with the lens in this setting, particularly when photographing people. It's roughly the same as shooting at f/3.5 on a camera with a full-frame sensor, so it's enough to throw the background out of focus to isolate your subject.
I didn't shoot much video, reserving this for a few family clips and social situations, as this is how I expect the camera to mostly be used, video-wise. This is not a video-first camera. It only offers 4K capture at 30fps at 100Mbps and Full HD at 60fps at 28Mbps, and there's no articulated screen or external mic socket. The Leica D-Lux 8 simply isn't designed to shoot a video longer than a few seconds; even content creators would be better off using their smartphones and being able to upload footage directly.
Should I buy the Leica D-Lux 8 Camera?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
(Image credit: Future)
How I tested the Leica D-Lux 8
I used the camera for a couple of weeks in a variety of situations
I shot documentary images at a local event
I paid close attention to the depth of field the camera captured
I tested the Leica D-Lux 8 over a couple of weeks in the summer in the UK, which included a family holiday. During this time, I used the camera at a local festival, a day out at a farm, and took lots of photos of friends and family.
Overall I aimed to use the D-Lux 8 as an everyday camera, which I believe is how it will mainly be used. Using the camera in this way allowed me to experience it as the target user would, and to try all of the various shooting options in various situations. I also took it with me on a morning walk around London, shooting a few street photos, which I'll admit I am not very good at.
I viewed my images in Adobe Bridge on a computer, examining details in images taken at different ISO settings, and I also edited some images in Adobe Camera Raw to see how much latitude they offered for manipulation.
When I originally wrote my Canon EOS R5 review, I called it the brand’s “best ever stills camera”. Four years later and I'm going to have to repeat myself – this time, however, I have to take it a step further and say that the EOS R5 Mark II is also Canon's most versatile camera yet.
There are quite a few significant differences between the two R5 generations that makes the Mark II feel more like an entirely new series rather than an upgrade. In fact, it has more in common with the Canon EOS R1 than the EOS R5, with the two new flagships sharing the headline features. So, essentially, what the Nikon Z8 is to the Nikon Z9, the R5 II is to the R1 – a smaller, albeit higher-resolution, version.
While the sensor resolution remains at 45MP, the R5 II now uses a stacked design that enables speedier readouts to minimize rolling shutter distortions, just like on the Nikon Z8. This, however, has resulted in a slight loss of dynamic range compared to the R5, but not so much that it will bother most photographers in real-world use.
The R5 II gains a second imaging processor – working in conjunction with the Digic X chip, the Digic Accelerator enables burst speeds of up to 30fps when shooting RAW, with an additional 15 frames available with pre-recording enabled. The Nikon Z8 tops out at 20fps in RAW.
Speed aside, the autofocus accuracy here is also better than what I experienced with the original R5 and, during my testing, the Mark II was more than ready to take on a challenge straight out of the box. In fact, I think the AF performance here is better than the Nikon Z8, which is my daily shooter. Not only has Canon improved its AF algorithm, it’s also added a couple of new features that make it really hard to miss a shot – you can select specific people to prioritize as your main subject in People Priority mode, while the new Action Priority feature uses deep-learning algorithms to tell the camera when a specific action is about to take place and automatically shift the focus point accordingly. The latter, however, is still a work in progress with only three team sports supported at launch.
Canon has been using Eye Control AF in its pro sports cameras – namely the EOS 1D X Mark III DSLR and the EOS R3 – but it’s now available on the R5 II. While it’s been improved in some ways, it’s still hard to calibrate it for all users.
Also new are a couple of AI-driven features that allow you to edit shots in-camera. The Image Upscaling feature can enhance resolution by 4x, after which you crop it in-camera to zoom in closer to a distant subject. It’s a handy feature to have, but only works for images shot as JPEG/HEIF and can be impractical for some photographers in the field. Photographers who find the need to push the limits of a camera’s ISO performance will be glad to know there’s a Neural Network Noise Reduction feature built in that can be employed, but you will need to shoot in RAW for this feature to work and the processed file is then saved as a JPEG.
Video specs have also been improved, with the R5 II capable of shooting 8K/60p clips (versus 30fps on the R5) for up to 120 minutes with a new Cooling Fan Grip. Importantly, Canon’s C-Log2 – the video encoding option previously only available in the brand’s cinema cameras – is now supported on the R5 II, offering better dynamic range and easier color grading compared to C-Log3.
Where it falls short compared to its predecessor is battery life. Despite a new high-powered LP-E6P pack, it’s only rated for 630 shots compared to the 950 that the LP-E6NH was rated for in the R5. To be fair, though, it is powering the new features and the higher speed.
Of course, new features come at a cost, but if they all do what they say on the tin, then it could be argued that the R5 II would be a worthy investment despite a higher price. What makes it even more so is that this camera truly does make pro photography easy and, given it can handle any scenario, it's a remarkably versatile shooter as well. Thankfully, though, Canon has priced its flagship well, with only a 10% increase over the launch price of the EOS R5.
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Canon EOS R5 Mark II review: Release date and price
Body-only price is $4,299 / £4,499 / AU$6,499
Available since August 2024
Three optional grips: Standard BG-R20, battery BG-R20EP and cooling fan CF-R20EP
With a body-only suggested retail cost of $4,299 / £4,499 / AU$6,499, the EOS R5 II is quite competitively priced. It’s slightly more than the R5’s body-only launch price in some markets (which was $3,899 / £4,199 / AU$6,899 in July 2020), and that’s to be expected given the slew of updates it’s got over its predecessor.
Aussie photographers, though, should be overjoyed if they’ve been holding out for a worthy upgrade from an older camera, especially since it’s cheaper than the Nikon Z8’s launch price too ($3,999 / £3,999 / AU$6,999). That said, it’s now possible to find the Z8 at discounts of about $700 / £450 / AU$1,000 – making it a compelling alternative to its Canon competition.
The R5 II was slated for an August 2024 release and is now available to purchase from authorized retailers in the US and Australia, but is still listed as a pre-order in the UK at the time of publication.
It’s possible to also pick up a single-lens kit for $5,399 / £5,749 / $AU$7,999, which bundles the RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS lens with the R5 II.
For the first time for any camera maker, Canon has also released three optional grips that can be purchased separately, which includes a Cooling Fan Grip ($399 / £549 / AU$829) that improves video recording times but lacks the vertical control layout. For that, you’ll need to opt for the Battery Grip that will set you back $349 / £489.99 / AU$699.
• Price score: 4.5 / 5
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Canon EOS R5 Mark II review: Design and handling
Small changes to top plate control layout
Improved blackout-free 5.76m-dot OLED EVF with Eye Control AF
Under-camera cooling vents keep the body slim
At first glance it’s easy to think the EOS R5 Mark II body is identical to its predecessor, but there’s one change Canon has made that makes me rather happy – the power controls that were on the left of the top plate on the R5 are now a ring around the Mode button on the top right of the Mark II. This means it’s a lot easier to switch the camera on and off in one hand. The old power wheel is now the toggle to switch between stills and video capture.
Canon EOS R5 II key specs
Sensor: 45MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS sensor AF system: Hybrid with phase-detect Dual Pixel AF EVF: 5.76m-dot OLED ISO range: 100 to 51,200 (ISO 50-102,400 extended range) Video: 8K/60fps raw, 4K/120fps, 1080p/240fps LCD: 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 2.1m-dots Max burst: 30fps (electronic shutter, continuous autofocus) Connectivity: USB-C 3.2, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 Weight: 656g (body-only), 746g including battery and card
The one other minor change on the top plate is the new hot shoe cover. The R5 test unit that was sent to me for review in 2020 didn’t have such a cover, so this is new to me and I love the clean design – it makes the top of the R5 II look… well, ‘unblemished’ is the only word I can think of to describe it. As much as I like it, the cover is nigh impossible to release. I spent a lot of time trying to get it open and failed, meaning I wasn’t able to get a peek at the hot shoe during my few weeks with the camera.
The rest of the control layout remains exactly the same as on the R5, which is a wise move as Canon’s designs have always been intuitive. It is, however, oh-so-slightly heavier than the older camera, tipping the scales at 26.3oz / 746g. That’s lighter than the Nikon Z8 (32oz / 910g) and more in line with the Sony A7R V. It feels comfortable in the hand during long periods of use, even with the beefy RF 24-70mm f/2.8L standard zoom and RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM telephoto lenses that I used for this review.
Another small but significant refinement is the 5.7 million dot OLED viewfinder – Canon says it’s twice as bright and blackout free. While I can’t vouch for the ‘twice’ part, it’s definitely a significant difference compared to the R5 and I prefer it over the 3.69m-dot EVF on the Nikon Z8. The new EVF also inherits Canon’s Eye Control AF that debuted on the EOS 1D X Mark III. This feature tracks your eye movements as you scan the scene through the viewfinder and shifts the focus point accordingly.
As with all Canon cameras, build quality is excellent. The R5 II features a magnesium-alloy chassis with a fully weather-sealed exterior, and the controls are robust. That said, I found the rear wheel movement on the R5 II a little clunky compared to what it feels like on the R1, where movement is nicely dampened and rotation is smooth.
Image 1 of 6
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 2 of 6
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 3 of 6
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 4 of 6
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 5 of 6
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 6 of 6
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Everything else from a design standpoint is standard fare for a pro camera – an illuminated top LCD display, a textured AF joystick on the rear and dual card slots. One of these supports a CFexpress Type B device while the other supports a SD card with UHS-II speed, but you’ll need to invest in the former if you want to take full advantage of the R5 II’s speed.
Filmmakers will appreciate the fact that the EOS R5 II has a full-size HMDI port (the EOS R5 doesn't) and a tally lamp to indicate when you're recording. Moreover, key shooting information can be displayed on-screen.
There are also cooling vents on the camera's underside and they do an admirable job of keeping temperatures down when shooting high-resolution clips. In fact, temperature regulation is a lot better here than when I first tested the R5 (which was prior to the firmware updates that improved recording times). That said, I found that the R5 II can begin to get warm even when shooting constant bursts with Servo AF engaged, something sports photographers will likely need to do, but the temperature warning that appears on the display (or the EVF) never went beyond the first bar during my testing.
Naturally, there are both mic and headphone ports, plus USB-C for charging. The battery is an improved LP-E6P unit, which delivers up to 640 shots on a full charge, although that number will be a lot higher if you're capturing lots of high-speed bursts. Case in point, I ended up shooting over 8,000 frames during one testing session before the battery life dropped by three-quarters, but I couldn’t do much more as my 128GB CFexpress card was full.
• Design score: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Canon EOS R5 Mark II review: Features and performance
New People and Action Priority modes
In-camera editing features
15 frames of pre-recording
I’ve already listed the R5 II’s feature set at the start of this review, including the new stacked design for the sensor and the second processing unit that aids in maintaining the camera’s speed. Between the two, the R5 II is capable of rattling off at 30fps using the electronic shutter with autofocus engaged, and at a decent 1/160 second. While this helps with keeping rolling shutter distortions down to a minimum, a stacked sensor can reduce dynamic range, which is the case here, but it’s so insignificant that it would hardly be an issue in real-world use.
Buffer memory is better compared to the older R5, with the Mark II capable of saving up to 93 frames (or 3.1 seconds of capture) when shooting RAW to a memory card at 30fps (compared to 83 for the R5) or 230 RAW frames (or 8 seconds) when at 12fps (versus 180 with the R5). Buffer memory is over 1,000 frames when shooting JPG/HEIF, although I found that shooting constant bursts at 30fps in any format can bring up the temperature warning and slow the camera down a smidge.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Despite that, the speed the R5 II offers is great for sports and wildlife photographers alike, and the additional 15 frames of pre-capture means it can be quite hard to miss a shot – that’s an extra half second of captures. Paired with what I think is arguably the best and easiest-to-use autofocus system in the camera world, the R5 II makes pro photography incredibly simple.
And I do mean ‘simple’. Straight out of the box, the camera is ready to shoot, but engage either the new People Priority or Action Priority modes and sports photography becomes incredibly easy – all you need to do as a photographer is get your framing right and the camera will do the rest.
People Priority takes face detection to the next level and is ideal for team sports or wedding photography. Within the camera’s menu system is the option to ‘register’ a face… or 10. You'll need to take a head shot – and it doesn’t even have to be perfect – or capture an image of the person(s) from the internet to Register People Priority. Depending on the order you capture the faces, the camera prioritizes them from 1 (most important) to 10 (least important) and will focus on the people within the frame with the highest priority.
Image 1 of 2
The People Priority feature is intelligent enough to know when to shift subject tracking... (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Image 2 of 2
..and when to stick with it. (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
I didn’t get to try it with the maximum of 10 people during my testing, but it worked with pinpoint accuracy with three people in the frame. I also found that if a person with the highest priority within a scene only has a tiny fraction of their face turned to the camera (aka in partial profile), the R5 II will automatically shift the focus to the next highest priority face if it’s more visible. On the other hand, if a non-registered person appears in the frame, the camera can stick with the main subject even if only the back of the head is visible. That is intelligent autofocus indeed!
Action Priority is perfect for team sports that have a spherical ball in constant play but, at launch, Canon only has this feature set up for three sports – basketball, football (soccer) and volleyball. Using deep-learning algorithms, Canon has figured out how to ‘teach’ the camera to recognize body movements so the focus can shift to a player who either has the ball in possession or is about to get it. That means the R5 II can, in theory, predict where the ball is going next and focus on the right ‘moment’ rather than on a specific player.
I say ‘in theory’ because I didn’t get the opportunity to test this mode out on the three preset sports, but my colleague based in the UK got a chance to test Action Priority using a pre-production camera unit at a basketball game and it seemed to work then. That said, three sports is very limited and it would be great if Canon can start adding more (not just those with spherical balls) as quickly as possible. In fact, it’s the same case with the EOS R1 too, and it's as yet unclear whether the balls need to be a specific size to trigger the camera's response (aka, will it handle sports like tennis or cricket – that use smaller balls – just as well?).
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
There’s no easy way to switch between the two modes without delving back into the menu system, but nearly all the buttons on the camera can be customized. For example, I swapped the AE Lock button to trigger Action Priority and set the AF-On control on the rear panel for People Priority mode. I also set the M-Fn function to trigger Eye Control AF.
Speaking of which, this is the only autofocus feature on the R5 II that I had trouble with. While my colleague was suitably impressed, I just couldn’t get the calibration right – I even reset the camera to try again and failed. And this is despite Canon claiming they’ve made improvements to the Eye Control AF that makes it easier for people who wear glasses (like me) to use it. Seems like this isn’t an isolated problem as others have reported a similar issue.
Even without Eye Control AF, the R5 II’s autofocus and tracking is excellent and Canon has improved low-light AF sensitivity to -7.5EV (compared to -6EV in the older model, although the Nikon Z8 is effective at -9EV). The native ISO range remains steady at 100 to 51,200, or 50 to 102,400 expanded. While noise is very well controlled up to ISO 6400, even images shot at ISO 12,800 are usable if you don't need to crop in to zoom. And if noise at this high ISO is an issue for you, Canon’s new Neural Network Noise Reduction feature can help – it can denoise selected images in-camera by up to 2 stops as long as they're RAW files.
Within the Playback menu settings is the option to Process RAW Files, where the noise reduction editing feature is nestled. There are three options to choose from – Low, Standard and High – and they can be utilized in a pinch to cut down on some grain. The processed file is then saved as either a JPEG or HEIF.
I'm uncertain why Canon choose to enable this processing for RAW files only, and I'm hoping a future firmware update will allow for JPEGs/HEIFs to also be edited in-camera in the same way.
Image 1 of 5
Captured at ISO 1250 (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 2 of 5
Captured at ISO 12,800 (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 3 of 5
In-camera noise reduction applied to a RAW file at ISO 12,800 (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 4 of 5
The original ISO 12,800 file cropped to show noise (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 5 of 5
In-camera processed file to show noise reduction with NR Standard applied (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
In a similar vein, if you want a higher resolution version of a particular image, you can upscale it in-camera to add up to 4x the pixel count using AI to extrapolate the image’s EXIF data, creating stills of up to 180MP from the original 45MP shot. While this is an excellent option for landscape photographers, it turned out to be rather impractical when shooting bursts. Pro sports and wildlife photographers will end up with so many shots that it could be hard to find the specific one you want to select to be upscaled.
Image 1 of 5
The original 45MP resolution (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 2 of 5
A close-up crop of the original 45MP file (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 3 of 5
The same crop on the upscaled 180MP, demonstrating how much bigger the file is (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 4 of 5
The closeup of the original 45MP image again (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 5 of 5
And the upscaled 180MP version at the same size which should appear sharper (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Thankfully Canon has thought of that and you can select a range of images to upscale, but that will eat into your memory card’s free storage. Moreover, I found that Lightroom (my go-to image editing software) struggled with the larger files, crashing four times before I was able to view them – and this is on a MacBook Pro equipped with Apple’s decently powerful M3 Pro processor.
The main caveat for this feature is that it only works for JPEG/HEIF files and not RAW. Perhaps this will change down the line via future firmware updates, but it's still handy to have.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
In terms of video, the R5 II is a powerhouse, with better heat management than its predecessor. Without the Cooling Fan Grip, Canon says the R5 II can shoot up to 18 minutes in 8K/60p RAW internally when ambient temperature is about 23ºC / 73ºF, although during my testing I managed about 4 minutes before I got the temperature warning, then another 2.5 minutes before the temperature gauge went into the red. Another minute later, the camera stopped recording with the warning that no more footage could be captured until the camera cooled down. That’s just 7.5 minutes but, to be fair, the ambient temperature was 26ºC (78.8ºF) and I was standing in direct sunlight.
Recording times increase as the resolution is lowered, with the possibility of up to 45 minutes when shooting 45K/60p without the fan. If you invest in the Cooling Fan Grip, there is theoretically no recording time limits with the fan set to high.
While not all the exciting features on the R5 II work as well as Canon would like us to think (I’m referring to Eye Control AF here), and there are dedicated hybrid cameras that handle pro filmmaking better, it’s really hard to fault the R5 II when everything else makes taking great shots really easy.
• Features & performance score: 5 / 5
Image 1 of 7
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 2 of 7
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 3 of 7
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 4 of 7
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 5 of 7
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 6 of 7
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Image 7 of 7
(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)
Canon EOS R5 Mark II review: Image and video quality
Gorgeous colors but slightly lower dynamic range
Great details and sharpness, even in shadows
Top notch video results
Not everyone needs a high-resolution camera but many prefer it. With 45MP on tap, there's more than enough sensor resolution here to suit most photographers, and having fewer pixels compared to the 61MP Sony A7R V and the 45.7MP Nikon Z8 means the Canon can handle speed better than some of its competition.
Even on a pre-production model of the R5 II, I was able to get excellent results, with colors that I personally find pleasing, plus focus and subject tracking practically pinpoint perfect. And that performance was just as impressive when I tested the final production model.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
It’s been really hard to find fault with the results of the R5 II, despite the limitations of its stacked sensor design. As I’ve mentioned previously, this gives the camera its speed but comes at the cost of a little bit of dynamic range. I didn’t have the older R5 with me to do a direct comparison but, in my real-world testing, I found this compromise to be so small, even when shooting with the electronic shutter, that it’s hardly worth commenting on. Unless you plan on significantly cropping an image, the resulting noise in darker areas will not be a problem because of the lower dynamic range.
Otherwise, images shot using the R5 II are sharp, with very reliable autofocus and subject tracking performance – meaning all a photographer needs to think about is composition.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
I also pushed the R5 II’s ISO sensitivity to see how well it holds up at the higher end of the spectrum and was suitably impressed. While there is some noise at ISO 6400, it’s hard to discern unless you crop significantly. Even at ISO 8000 or 12,800, the noise is decently controlled and, if in a pinch you think there’s too much visible graining, the option to use the Neural Network Noise Reduction feature is there… as long as you’re shooting RAW. And there are always photo editors like Topaz Photo AI that will help reduce the grain.
Image 1 of 6
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 2 of 6
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 3 of 6
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 4 of 6
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 5 of 6
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
Image 6 of 6
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)
While video quality is also very good, I doubt pro creators will opt for the R5 II – there are other hybrid cameras, like the Panasonic Lumix S5 II or the Sony A7S III that would be better suited for professional videography. Still, if it’s 8K video that you’re after, I think it’s as good as the Nikon Z8 / Z9, if not better. And with better recording times out of the box than its predecessor, the R5 II can be a worthy investment for hybrid work.
It uses the full sensor to shoot 8K/60p and 12-bit RAW footage internally, but there are a few different resolutions and frame rates to shoot from if 8K is overkill for your needs. You can shoot in either DCI (17:9) or UHD (16:9), with a bunch of codecs to choose from. Perhaps the best news for videographers is the addition of Canon’s C-Log 2 custom picture profile. This has, so far, only been available on Canon’s EOS cinema cameras, but it offers better dynamic range and more natural colors compared to C-Log 3, which makes it easier for video creators to color grade and produce more appealing visuals.
There is now no 4GB video recording limit and, during my testing, I had no issues with heat buildup with video clips of 50 seconds to 1-minute in duration when shooting in 4K. the temperature gauge, however, will appear on the display (or EVF), which I found handy, as it's a visual indication of how warm (or hot) the camera is getting with use.
Image stabilization for video and stills is also quite impressive. While I’m not a good videographer at the best of times, I struggled to hold the R5 II steady with the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM telephoto lenses at 500mm for durations of over 10 seconds, but found it a little easier to handle at 300mm.
• Image & video quality score: 5 / 5
Should I buy the Canon EOS R5 Mark II?
Buy it if...
You’ve been holding out for a great full-frame high-res camera
Whether you want to upgrade from your Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR or any of the older EOS R-series cameras – or even just keen to change systems – it’s really easy to recommend the R5 II.
You want an easy-to-use pro camera
Its fast and accurate performance aside, the R5 II has very intuitive physical controls and the menu system is simplified, making this pro camera really easy to wrap your head around.
You want a versatile camera for any kind photography
While its in-camera editing features have some caveats, the R5 II will be as comfortable shooting landscapes and nature as it would be in a sports arena or a war zone. It has the chops – and then some – to handle it all, plus even some decent video skills.
Don't buy it if...
You’re a pro video content creator
It might have good video prowess but, if filmmaking is your priority, you might be better off with a camera that was designed specifically for video.
You don’t want to drain your savings
While the R5 II is well priced compared to its predecessor and the competition, I wouldn’t call it ‘affordable’ or ‘cheap’. If money is a constraint, you could consider dropping a sensor size and yet retain high resolution if that was important to you.
You exclusively shoot landscapes or architecture, or do mostly studio work
If you aren’t going to put the R5 II’s speed and accuracy to good use, it might be overkill for your needs. Moreover, some photographers who do more studio work – like portraits or product shots – might be better served with a medium format sensor, and it’s now possible to get one for about the same price or lower.
Also consider
Nikon Z8
In direct competition with the R5 II, the Nikon Z8 is arguably the easiest alternative to recommend. While the physical setup is different to Canon's, and it might lack the new autofocus and in-camera editing features, the Z8 is a superb shooter that offers just as much speed (even more, in fact, if you're willing to forgo some resolution). It even allows you to shoot with a crop (DX) if you want more reach. Read our full Nikon Z8 review
Sony A7R V
If resolution is important to you, then the 61MP sensor in the A7R V might be just what you're after. While you won't be able to get the speed, you will gain Sony's rather good autofocus system with its own nifty AI features, like knowing exactly what to focus on and where. It doesn't have the video chops as the R5 II or the Z8 listed above, but landscape photographers might prefer this high-res shooter. Read our in-depth Sony A7R V review
Fujifilm GFX100 II
Again, if resolution is more important and money isn't an issue, the GFX100 II is arguably the most powerful medium format camera on the market. It can handle both stills (102MP shots at up to 8fps) and video (8K/30p) well, although the lens options will be limited if AF speed is important. Read our full Fujifilm GFX100 II review
How I tested the Canon EOS R5 Mark II
Tested over a period of three weeks; paired with RF 24-70mm f/2.8Land RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lenses
Used to shoot mostly wildlife with high-speed bursts and Servo AF engaged
Captured several video clips to test frame rates and resolutions
Having already tested the original R5, and as a current Nikon Z8 user, I am in a unique position to judge the R5 II as it gives me a couple of different points of comparison.
I had the Canon EOS R5 Mark II for about three weeks for this review and did my best to try it out in different scenarios. While there weren't any local sports to capture during my testing period, I pushed the camera's speed limits by capturing birds at a waterbird refuge. I also took the camera on a whale-watching cruise (sadly the humpbacks weren't very active on that day).
This was done with the camera set to capture at 30fps using the electronic shutter and Servo AF engaged. I used some of these images to test the upscaling feature.
The waterbird refuge is also where I did most of the video testing, using the birds as my subjects.
I also captured some urban landscapes as single shots. My testing of the stills including some indoor captures to test the ISO performance, and I used this to see how well the camera's built-in noise reduction feature works.
One could spend hours pondering why people might want to make small instant prints out of their smartphone snaps – photos they could easily share with each other via WhatsApp or post on Instagram. Personally, I think it’s all about the fun, tactility and immediacy that can be derived from occasionally ‘going analogue’ in this increasingly digital world in which we live. Vive la difference, and all that.
Fujifilm’s Instax mini Link 3 is the latest in the company’s line of portable battery-powered printers which, after linking up with a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, can spit out fast-developing instant photos. These photos, which are roughly the size of a credit card, can be given to friends and family, pinned on your corkboard or stuck on your fridge door or slipped in your wallet to look at whenever you like. It’s a simple device that does what it’s supposed to and does it well.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3 key specs
Film type: Instax mini film
Print size: 62mm x 46mm
Print time: 15 sec. approx..
Developing time: 90 sec. approx.
Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth
Dimensions: 90 x 37.3 x 125mm
Weight: 210g
I’ll talk about the prints themselves first. This won’t be news to anyone who’s used Instax mini film before, but these Polaroid-style photos look really impressive, with beautifully rich and vivid colours and an attractive glossy finish. That’s once they develop, of course: you’re looking at about three minutes in total from the time you starting printing until the finished photo is fully developed. Detail is pretty sharp, but the small print size puts a limit on that. The prints are hardy too: don’t expect them to fade quickly or fall to bits in your wallet.
They are also fairly expensive by portable printer standards however, with a standard 20-pack costing around $20/£15, which means about $1 or 75p a per print. Some rival printers using Zink or dye-sublimation methods offer a smaller per-print cost. I would say the Instax mini photos are better looking and more durable than Zink prints at least.
Part of the selling point with the mini Link 3 is the added functionality that comes from the mini Link companion app, and to be clear the printer is essentially useless without a smartphone to pair it with. The app offers light editing tools and a range of frames, effects and other adornments with which to customise and personalise your photos. These are all a bit cheesy and basic (I suspect few graphic design aficionados will be impressed) but if the point is to have fun, they hit the spot.
You can import photos from your camera roll or take new shots from within the app. In fact, the app’s Instax camera mode turns the printer itself into a Bluetooth remote control, allowing you to set your phone up and take a shot from afar by pressing the printer’s function button.
The app also features an augmented reality (AR) mode that lets you take photos on your phone complete with added-in objects, but to be honest I quickly gave up trying to use it due to the confusing setup and underwhelming effects. With the rest of the app functions being straightforward and easy to immediately grasp, this one feels out of place; I doubt it’ll prove popular with users.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
The mini Link 3 printer itself is an attractive object with its curvy lines, ridged surfaces and three-LED lighting system, which pulses and glows different colours depending on what you’re doing; it usually functions as a battery life indicator. There are three colour finishes available, too: Sage Green, Rose Pink and the Clay White model I was sent to review.
The mini Link 3 is lightweight and compact enough to slip into a large jacket pocket. I wouldn’t have any qualms about tossing it into a backpack either. The plastic body is sturdy and there are few buttons or moving parts that could get damaged: just one button for power, one function button that fulfils a number of functions (such as initiating Bluetooth pairing), a small sliding button to open the rear door when you need to load in a new film cartridge and a tiny flap that opens up to reveal the USB-C port used for recharging the internal lithium ion battery.
Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3 price and availability
The Instax mini Link 3 is available now, priced at £114.99 in the UK (where it’s available at a range of online stores including Amazon, Jessops and My Fujifilm). In the US it’s cheaper at $99.95 and available from the Instax site.
Battery life is excellent. Fujifilm claims you can print around 100 shots from a full charge and while I haven’t personally tested that, being sent only three 10-shot cartridges of Instax mini film with my review sample, I didn’t need reach for the included USB-A to USB-C recharging cable once during my week with the printer (note that there’s no AC adapter in the box). If you do deplete the battery, you can fully recharge it in about two hours.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3: also consider
Fujifilm Instax mini Link 2 The predecessor to the mini Link 3, this model’s advancing age and recent replacement means you may be able to pick it up at a significant discount. It uses the same Instax mini film and works with the same mobile app, so functionality and image quality is very similar.
Canon Selphy Square QX10 This dye-sub portable printer produces 2.7in square photos, with each print taking about 40 seconds to emerge and, according to Canon, are durable enough to last for 100 years. The prints have a peel-and-stick backing means you can mount them quickly too.
Should I buy the Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3?
(Image credit: Sam Kieldsen | Future)
Buy it if...
You want fast, vibrant prints Instax mini prints develop in a matter of seconds and boast vivid, bold colours. They’re robust too, and won’t fade or rub off easily.
Don't buy it if...
How I tested the Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3
One week of use
Tested with iPhone 13
I spent a week using the mini Link 3 in conjunction with my iPhone 13, testing each mode of the mini Link companion app with both freshly taken photos and older images from the smartphone’s camera roll. I also took the printer out ‘in the field’ with me, taking advantage of its battery and compact size to use it on a night out with friends.
If you’ve heard of the HoverAir X1, you’ll already have some idea of what the DJI’s latest drone, DJI Neo is capable of. But in true DJI fashion, the Neo isn’t simply capable of incredibly easy-to-operate autonomous flight to capture photos and videos, it can also be flown like a camera drone and even used as an FPV drone when paired with DJI’s FPV controllers and goggles.
It’s often said that one size rarely fits all, but the Neo does an impressive job of catering to a wide range of drone pilots from absolute beginners looking for pure simplicity to advanced FPV pilots and everyone in between. It’s an interesting and exciting concept that moves the Neo away from simply being a clone of the HoverAir X1.
(Image credit: James Abbott)
It’s still an extremely simple drone, electronics and algorithms aside, with only downward visual positioning and a single-axis gimbal. Stabilization is provided in-camera unless switched off with Rocksteady or HorizonBalancing modes available. Stabilization is achieved thanks to the 1/2-inch sensor providing plenty of pixels to cover up to 45 degrees of horizontal tilt when capturing video.
Photo and video capture is pretty basic with 4K 30fps being the only UHD option, while FHD can be shot at 30, 50 and 60fps. 12MP photos can only be captured in JPEG format and can be set to 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios. This comes as little surprise given the competitive price of the Neo, but with multiple controller and flight options available, a little more functionality in the photo and video department is always welcome.
DJI Neo: release date and price
Released September 5 2024
The base kit costs just $199 / £169 / AU$299
Fly More Bundle costs £299 / AU$539 but not available in the US
The DJI Neo was announced and is available for sale in the DJI Store and other retailers on September 5 2024. Despite the multiple ways the Neo can be controlled, there are two main kits available with the base kit including the drone, battery and accessories costing $199 / £169 / AU$299.
This kit allows for controller-free and app-controlled flight, while the Fly More Bundle includes the drone, a DJI RC-N3 Controller, three Smart Batteries and a Battery Charging Hub. This kit costs $289 (DJI Neo Combo in US which doesn't include the controller) / £299 / AU$539.
The Fly More Bundle allows for controller-free, app control and to fly the Neo like a camera drone using the RC-N3 Controller. The Neo can also be paired with the DJI FPV Remote Controller 3 and DJI Goggles 3 for manual FPV flight, or the goggles and the DJI RC Motion 3 for intuitive FPV control.
If you don’t already own these devices, they will drive up the cost of the Neo substantially to the point where the DJI Avata 2 could be the better option if FPV is your thing.
(Image credit: James Abbott)
DJI Neo: design and handling
Micro whoop design
Enclosed propellers
Single axis gimbal
To cut a corner or two, the easiest way to describe the Neo is to say it’s a little like a mini DJI Avata 2; it has propeller guards, but with top and bottom guards to protect people during autonomous flight, and the camera sits at the front and moves and stabilizes mechanically on a single axis. Horizontal stabilization is applied electronically in-camera.
DJI Neo key specs
Camera: 12MP 1/2-inch sensor Video resolution: Up to 4K Frame rates: 4K 30fps / FHD up to 60fps Video transmission range: 6.2 miles (FCC), 3.7 miles (CE/SRRC/MIC) Flight modes: Sport, Normal, Cine (Manual with the FPV Controller 3) Battery: 1435mAh / up to 18 minutes flight time Charger type: USB-C / Battery Charging Hub Weight: 4.76oz / 135g Dimensions: 5.12x6.18x1.90in / 130×157×48.5mm
In DJI’s signature light grey that’s used for the Mini series of drones, the Neo is incredibly small and lightweight. It’s essentially slightly larger than the palm of your hand, which is ideal for palm take-off and landing, and weighs in at a mere 4.76oz / 135g. This makes it regulator-friendly in most regions since it’s below the all-important 250g threshold, but remember to check local rules if it’s your first drone.
Despite the low weight, the Neo is built to a high quality and feels robust in the hand. The top-mounted propeller guards are removable to allow the propellers to be changed when necessary, but the main propeller guards are part of the airframe. This suggests that home repairs won’t be possible if damage occurs in a crash so if you plan on using the Neo for FPV, taking out DJI Care Refresh would be a good choice.
Image 1 of 6
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 2 of 6
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 3 of 6
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 4 of 6
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 5 of 6
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 6 of 6
(Image credit: James Abbott)
I’ve already listed all of the controller options so I won’t go into detail again, but will instead focus on the DJI Fly app and the RC-N3 Controller, which are part of the standard kits and are likely to be the most commonly used control methods.
The Neo can be flown without an app, using just the mode button on the top to initiate autonomous flight, using the DJI Fly app as a ground station for autonomous flight or using the on-screen controls.
The Fly More bundle include the DJI RC-N3 Controller, which extends the transmission distance from 50m when using the app with the Neo’s WiFi to standard camera drone distances.
These are, of course, governed by the aviation authority where you live. The RC-N3 Controller also makes the Neo behave like a camera drone, with standard controls and features such as Return to Home.
DJI Neo: features and performance
Unremarkable flight speeds
Intelligent flight modes
AI subject tracking
The Neo is pretty pedestrian in terms of flight speed at just 1.11mph in Cine mode, 13.42mph in Normal mode and 17.89mph in Sport mode when flying autonomously or using the RC-N3 Controller. It feels slow but is certainly fast enough to track most subjects, including cyclists, with that top speed.
Flight speed is doubled to 35.79mph when using the DJI FPV Remote Controller 3 in Manual mode, so it does have some grunt tucked up its sleeve if you have the right controller and DJI Goggles 3. Not to mention, the skills and ability to fly in this mode alongside the cash available to purchase the controller and goggles if you don’t already own a set.
For beginners though, these speeds won’t cause any issues and the ability to fly the Neo with or without any other device, through voice control or manually like a camera drone using the DJI Fly app controls or the RC-N3 Controller is ideal. For drone-only use of the Neo, it can take off and land in the palm of your hand once the selected intelligent flight mode has completed, except for Follow mode.
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Intelligent flight modes include Follow, Dronie, Circle, Rocket, Spotlight and Custom (Omni, Helix, and Boomerang). AI subject tracking also aims to keep the subject in the centre of the frame during photo and video capture, so if you’re taking a group photo with the Neo, for example, you’d have to make sure you’re standing centre front.
The overall design of the Neo has safety in mind, and when used with the RC-N3 Controller you can enjoy GPS, an on-screen map and Return to Home. There’s no collision avoidance, but there are downward vision positioning sensors with a precision range of 0.5-10m. Plus, the Neo offers up to level 4 wind resistance, which is 18mph.
When used with the DJI RC Motion 3 Controller, as well as enjoying intuitive motion controls for FPV flight, you can also take advantage of Easy ACRO where you can Flip, Roll and 180° Drift the Neo. It’s an easy way to enjoy acro flight without advanced manual flight skills and is inherited from the Avata 2 when paired with the Motion 3. This is by far the easiest way to fly FPV flight.
DJI Neo: image and video quality
1/2-inch sensor
Up to 4K 30fps video
12MP JPEG photos
The Neo features a 12MP 1/2-inch sensor which allows for 45 degrees of horizontal tilt when using Image Stabilization with either Rocksteady or HorizonBalancing modes. The camera provides a 117.6-degree field of view, with a full-frame equivalent focal length of 13mm, so nice and wide for close-to-subject tracking.
Keeping things simple, the aperture is fixed at f/2.8 with fixed focus providing focus from 60cm to infinity. The ISO range extends from ISO 100 to 6400 in both Manual and Auto shooting modes, with the shutter speed ranging from 1/8000 to 1/10 sec for photos and 1/8000 to 1/30 sec for video.
(Image credit: James Abbott)
Photo and video functionality is pretty basic, but you get everything you need at a consumer level with 4K video locked at 30fps with a bitrate of 75Mbps, so it’s reasonably compressed but not too much.
The color profile is Standard for straight-out-of-camera footage, with no flat profile available for color grading within a professional workflow. Looking at the design of the Neo and the camera, it doesn’t look like it would support ND filters to control shutter speed, but I could be wrong.
Photos can only be captured in JPEG format, which is a shame but no big deal since DJI’s JPEG processing is respectable. Photos can be captured in 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios, with Single and Timed Shot available, so once again basic but adequate for a beginner drone.
There’s no microSD card slot on the Neo, but you do get 22GB of on-board storage which DJI says equates to 40 minutes of 4K 30fps video or 55 minutes of 1080p 60fps video. This can be transferred to the the DJI Fly App when connected to the Neo’s WiFi using Quick Transfer, or downloaded to your computer when the Neo is connected via the included USB-C PD cable.
How I tested the DJI Neo
Limited access to features due to pre-release issues
Flown with the DJI RC-N3 Controller
DJI Fly app options checked
I was flying a pre-release version of the DJI Neo and faced several issues between my phone and the pre-release version of the DJI Fly app, which meant that the camera feed wasn’t showing in the app.
This made simple autonomous flight impossible because the drone needs to see a face before it will take off. It was, however, possible to fly the Neo with my phone connected to the DJI RC-N3 Controller.
There was still no camera feed and capturing photos and video was impossible, but with GPS available and standard flight controls, I was able to test the flight performance. Plus, with the propeller guards.
I was able to confidently fly close to and through tight gaps; it wasn’t FPV, but it was still a clear advantage of the Neo’s design that provided enjoyable flights.
