Ready to move up from your smartphone camera? Sony's A7 IV and A7R V cameras are top picks in Engadget's camera buying guide and now they're both now on sale at all-time lows for the holidays. Sony's A7 IV, which I said has "the best combination of image quality, performance and video powers" is on sale for $1,998, or 26 percent off the regular price. And the A7R V, which shoots beautiful 61MP images and offers fast and accurate autofocus, has hit at an all-time low of $3,298 or 21 percent ($898) off. Note that these are both "body only" models — you'll need to seek out lenses for these models, too. (Welcome to the world of real photography.)
With a superb score of 90 in my review, Sony's A7 IV is still one of the best hybrid cameras you can get thanks to the high resolution, fast shooting speeds and 4K 60p video. Autofocus is incredible for both video and stills, and it comes with in-body stabilization to help smooth your shots. And for photographers, image quality has never been better thanks to the high dynamic range and enhanced resolution compared to the previous model. Although it does see occasional discounts, I've never seen it drop below $2,000, so if you've been looking, now is a perfect time to buy.
Sony's A7R V garnered a similarly superb Engadget review. With a 61-megapixel sensor, it shoots sharp and beautiful images at a very respectable speed for such a high-resolution model (10 fps). It has equally fast and reliable autofocus, the sharpest viewfinder on the market and in-body stabilization that’s much improved over the A7R IV. Video has even improved, with 8K and 10-bit options now on tap. Again, there's never been a better time to buy one, as Sony told me this is the lowest price it has ever been sold at.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/sonys-a7r-iv-and-a7r-v-cameras-are-on-sale-for-all-time-low-prices-for-black-friday-132107036.html?src=rss
DJI may be the big dog in drones, but it plays third fiddle to GoPro and Insta360 in the action cam market. To better stand out, the company has launched the Osmo Action 6 with a pair of innovative features. The first is a big, square sensor that boosts video quality in low light, while making it easy to output both horizontal and vertical video. The second is a variable aperture for flexible shooting in both bright and dark conditions.
As DJI’s new flagship non-360 action cam, the Action 6 goes up against GoPro’s Hero 13 and the Insta360 Ace Pro 2. Both of those can capture higher resolution footage, so they’re better for most users in daylight conditions. However, if you shoot a lot in dim or contrasty light, DJI’s Action 6 may be your best option.
Variable aperture
I’ve already gone through the Osmo Action 6’s specs in my earlier news post, so check that to see the full details. As for what’s new, the first key feature is the variable f/2.0-f/4.0 aperture — the first ever in an action cam. This allows for brighter video and improved stabilization when shooting at night compared to the fixed f/2.8 aperture on the Action 5 Pro. It also offers shallower depth of field and more flexibility on sunny days.
The first thing I noticed with this feature was the lack of full manual control. You can only set it to fixed f/2.6, f/2.8 and f/4.0 “starburst” modes, or automatic settings ranging from f/2.0-f/4.0 up to f/2.8-f/4.0. That means f/2.0 isn’t available as a fixed aperture, which is too bad as that would be ideal for portraits.
Still, variable aperture is a highly useful feature. In auto mode, it ramps from one setting to another in fine steps (f/2.1 to f/2.2, for example), so I never saw any exposure jumps. In low light, I could dial the ISO range down to avoid excessive noise, giving me higher video quality. However, I’d love to see full manual control in a future update.
New square sensor
Another key feature is the new 1/1.1-inch (0.56 inch diagonal) square sensor that allows a wide range of resolutions and aspect ratios. The Action 6 supports vertical and horizontal resolutions up to 4K, in either 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios for the latter orientation. The best new setting, though, is Custom, which lets you shoot 3,840 x 3,840 square video.
At 60 fps (a standard frame rate for action videos), GoPro’s Hero 13 maxes out at 5,312 x 2,988 pixels, while the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 can hit 3,840 x 2,880 pixels. That makes the Osmo Action 6 the only current action cam with 4K vertical resolution at 60 fps.
The benefit is that you can film for both horizontal and vertical video platforms like YouTube and TikTok, respectively, with no need to rotate the camera and no loss in resolution. If that sounds familiar, it’s the same reason Apple adopted a square sensor on the iPhone 17’s front camera.
I tested the Custom aspect ratio in DaVinci Resolve Studio and it made exports a breeze. First, I created and exported a standard 4K horizontal timeline, then simply copied the contents to a vertical timeline. After reframing a few shots to keep the action centered, I was able to immediately export a 4K TikTok video. That’s a big time saver for busy editors.
Video quality
Sample image from the DJI Osmo Action 6 in "Custom" mode
Steve Dent for Engadget
With a 30 percent larger sensor, the Action 6 is better for night or interior shooting using 6,400 ISO and up. Compared to the Action 5 Pro, I found nighttime video from the Action 6 to be considerably cleaner. DJI also improved the Night setting itself: video is cleaner, noise reduction is applied less aggressively and everything looks more natural.
The new sensor and variable aperture also help DJI’s Rocksteady 3.0 digital stabilization in low light. If you’re filming from a bicycle at night, for instance, the Action 6 will use a higher shutter speed than the Action 5, so video will be sharper. That helps the stabilization algorithm produce a better result with less pixelation and tearing.
In daylight conditions, the Action 6 delivers sharp, color-accurate video that can be used straight out of the camera — just like the Action 5. However, in contrasty scenarios like a sun-dappled forest trail, the Action 6 has a slight advantage. When I engaged the 10-bit D-LogM setting to boost dynamic range, I noticed that dark shadow areas had more detail and less noise than they did in footage from the Action 5 Pro or GoPro Hero 13.
However, the GoPro Hero 13’s extra resolution is an advantage if you mostly use YouTube and other horizontal formats. With up to 5,312 x 2,988 pixels at 60 fps, it offers sharper 4K video after supersampling and more room to reframe shots in post production without any loss in quality.
DJI Osmo Action 6's "Custom" square format shown with gridlines enabled
Steve Dent for Engadget
If you like shooting wide but hate the distortion, DJI’s Natural Wide field of view is a nice addition. The regular Wide setting tends to distort vertical lines, but Natural Wide keeps everything nice and straight while providing a greater field of view.
Finally, I tested the Action 6’s new Film Tone feature that borrows a trick from Fujifilm’s simulations. It’s a way to get some fun looks straight out of the camera, like “pristine and cool tones” or “classic negative film type.”. The results are great for anyone who doesn’t want to fiddle with color in post-production, though DJI needs to add a few more options like black and white or sepia.
Other updates
With its bigger sensor the Osmo Action 6 is slightly larger than the Action 5 Pro in all dimensions, but around the same weight at 5.26 ounces. As before, it can connect to up to two DJI wireless microphones at once, including the Mic 2, Mic 3 and Mic Mini. And it comes with DJI’s new dual-latch Quick-Release Adapter Mount that can be attached in either direction, but supports all of DJI’s past accessories.
Unlike its competition, the Osmo Action 6 comes with 50GB of internal memory (up from 47GB before) along with a microSD card slot. That means you won’t be screwed if you forget a memory card, as most of us have done at one point or another. DJI also doubled the Wi-Fi transfer speeds to 80MB/s and boosted USB-C transfer rates to 800MB/s.
Steve Dent for Engadget
As before, the Action 6 is waterproof to 20 meters (66 feet) by itself, or nearly 200 feet with DJI's waterproof case. And on top of voice control, the Action 6 supports gestures as well, so you can now wave at the camera to start and stop video (like you can with the new Neo 2 drone). With the same 1,950mAh Extreme Battery Plus as before, shooting time between charges is four hours at 1080p and two hours at 4K.
Finally, DJI has introduced two removable lenses for the Action 6, given DJI some competition in that regard. The first is a macro lens with a minimum focal distance of just 4.3 inches, making it ideal for closeup work and portraits. The other is an FOV expansion lens that boosts the field of view from 155 to 182 degrees.
Wrap-up
With a bigger sensor and larger aperture than the competition, DJI’s Action 6 is now the best action cam on the market for night shooting, delivering clean, sharp video with better stabilization than rivals. It’s also ideal for users who output to both YouTube and TikTok.
For regular daytime shooting, though, the extra resolution offered on GoPro’s Hero 13 might be preferable for some users. All that aside, it may come down simply to the price. DJI’s Action 6 starts at $369 ($439 with extra batteries and a charger), compared to $309 for the Hero 13 Black and $420 for Insta360’s Ace Pro 2. These are all great choices, but if low-light capability is more important than resolution, choose the Osmo Action 6.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-osmo-action-6-review-an-action-camera-that-excels-in-low-light-143027343.html?src=rss
Action cams make great gifts, or if you're a photographer, a solid addition to your kit. Black Friday deals usually mean you can pick up new cameras and accessories for less, and this year is no different. One of the best deals we've found is on the GoPro Hero 13 Black action cam, which is down to $310 for Black Friday. That's a discount of 23 percent or $90.
This model topped our list of the best action cameras, and for good reason. It's a fantastic device with all kinds of bells and whistles. It's the most versatile Hero camera that GoPro has ever made. There's a new family of modular lenses and it can shoot up to 5.3K and handle 2X optical zoom.
The battery is bigger than ever before and offers around 90 minutes of continuous shooting in 4K/30FPS. The camera is waterproof up to 10 millimeters, so don't worry about puddles. The full-color front screen is vivid and makes it easy to review footage without getting a computer involved.
There's no internal storage here, but it accepts microSD cards. There's a camera bundle on sale right now that includes a 64GB microSD, three batteries, a dual charger and a case. That pack costs $349, which is a discount of 30 percent.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-action-camera-is-up-to-30-percent-off-with-these-black-friday-deals-160154682.html?src=rss
Canon just barged into the mid-range full-frame hybrid camera arena with a new entry. The 32.5MP EOS R6 III is a dramatic improvement over the EOS R6 II thanks to the higher resolution, faster shooting speeds and better video specs. However, it comes at a relatively high price and lacks a stacked or partially stacked sensor, unlike other cameras in this category.
The new 32.5MP sensor provides a big boost in resolution compared to the R6 II's 24MP chip. At the same time, the R6 III offers higher shooting speeds of 40 fps in burst mode with the electronic shutter, or 12 fps with the mechanical or first-curtain shutter. It also supports 20 frames (a half second) of pre-shooting so you won't miss key moments for wildlife or sports shooting.
Canon
The R6 III uses Canon's fast and dependable Dual Pixel AF system and comes with the company's latest AI tracking algorithms. It can operate in fairly dim conditions down to -6 EV and should be more responsive with Canon's latest Digic X processor, pending our review. It offers subject tracking for people, animals and vehicles, along with an Auto mode that will pick one of those automatically. It also borrowed the "Register People Priority" feature from the R5 II, which lets you keep focus locked on specific subjects that you've previously memorized.
The biggest update for the R6 III, though, is with video. Thanks to the higher resolution sensor, it can now capture up to 7K 60 fps RAW light video, 7K 30 fps "open gate" video and 4K at up to 120 fps, all with Canon's C-Log2 and C-Log3 on tap. There's a dizzying array of other video formats available (12 pages worth in the specs), with HEVC S, AVC-S, RAW, RAW Light and others, at resolutions up to 7K. All the AF subject detection features are available (vehicles, animals and people), and Canon is typically among the best for video AF in terms of speed and accuracy.
Canon
Nobody expects any radical design changes in a Canon camera (the company tried that with the EOS R and it really didn't work), so the R6 III kept the last model's tried and true form factor. That includes two adjustment dials on the top and one on the rear, along with a joystick, photo/video selector, mode dial and a good assortment of programmable buttons.
The rear display flips out as you'd expect for vlogging, but it doesn't tilt like Panasonic's S1 II — so it may obstruct the mic or headphone jacks, and isn't as useful for low-angle photo shooting. The viewfinder has 3.69 million dots of resolution as before, the same as Sony's A7 IV but less than Panasonic's slightly more expensive Lumix S1 II. One big change is the addition of a CFexpress card slot that allows RAW video capture and faster burst speeds, along with an SD UHS II slot. The battery is the same as the one for EOS R5 II and allows up to 390 shots (CIPA rating) with the viewfinder enabled.
Canon
Other features include waveform monitoring that will be much appreciated by pros, plus new focus speed algorithms borrowed from Canon's cinema cameras that offer "natural, professional" behavior, the company wrote. Inputs include 3.5mm mic and headphone jacks, along with high-speed USB-C and a full-sized HDMI port. In-body stabilization has been boosted slight from 8 to 8.5 stops, matching the latest Panasonic models.
Along with the EOS R6 III, Canon introduced some interesting new glass. The RF45mm F1.2 STM lens brings very high speeds and shallow depth of field to a much smaller and lighter .76 pound (346 gram) form factor — less than half the weight of Canon's RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens. It's also shockingly cheap for an f/1.2 lens at $470.
The Canon EOS R6 III arrives later this month for $2,799 (body only) or $4,049 with the RF24-105 F4 L IS USM lens. That's a bit more than the Nikon's $2,500 Z6 III, which has a partially stacked but lower-resolution 24MP sensor. Panasonic's S1 II also has a partially stacked 24MP but can shoot at up to 70 fps and costs $3,200. Finally, Sony's A7 IV has a similar 33MP sensor but lacks the RAW video features of the R6 III.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/canons-eos-r6-iii-arrives-with-7k-raw-video-and-40-fps-burst-speeds-060035923.html?src=rss
When the A1 arrived in 2021, it put the camera world on notice. In more than a few categories, Sony’s full-frame mirrorless camera outperformed rivals like the Canon R5 and came with a lofty $6,500 price to match. However, after nearly four years, the A1 finds itself in an awkward position. Despite its position as Sony’s flagship, the A1 is not the most complete camera in the company’s lineup, with the more recently released A7R V and A9 III each offering features not found on their sibling. That’s changing today with the introduction of A1 II, which retains the performance capabilities of its predecessor while borrowing quality-of-life improvements from the A7R V and A9 III.
To start, the A1 II features the same fully stacked 50.1-megapixel CMOS sensor found inside the A1. As before, Sony says photographers can expect 15 stops of dynamic range for stills. The company has once again paired that sensor with its Bionz XR image processing engine but added a dedicated AI processor to handle subject recognition and autofocus. As a result, the A1 II can still shoot at up to 30 frames per second using its electronic shutter, and the autofocus system once again offers 759 points, good enough for 92 percent coverage of the sensor.
Sony
However, Sony is promising substantial improvements in autofocus accuracy due to that dedicated AI processing unit. Specifically, the camera is 50 percent better at locking eye focus on birds and 30 percent better at eye autofocus when it comes to other animals and humans. Additionally, you won’t need to toggle between different subject-detection modes. Instead, the camera will automatically handle that for you. Sony’s pre-capture feature also offers a one-second buffer that can capture up to 30 frames before fully depressing the shutter button.
That said, the most notable addition is the inclusion of Sony’s most powerful in-body image stabilization (IBIS) to date, with the A1 II offering an impressive 8.5 stops of stabilization. For context, that’s three additional stops of stabilization over the original A1.
When it comes to video, the A1 II is no slouch. It can capture 8K footage at up to 30 fps using the full readout of its sensor. It can also record 4K video at 120 fps and FHD footage at 240 fps for slow motion, with support for 10-bit 4:2:2 recording. If Super 35 is your thing, there you have the option for 5.8K oversampling. In addition to Sony’s color profiles, the A1 II can store up to 16 user-generated LUTs, and the camera offers the company’s breathing compensation and auto stabilization features. Of the latter, Sony says you can get “gimbal-like” footage with only a slight crop.
Sony
On the useability front, the A1 II borrows the deeper grip and control layout of the A9 III. Also carried over from the A9 III is the camera’s 3.2-inch four-axis LCD screen and 9.44-million dot OLED viewfinder with 240Hz refresh rate. Moreover, the new camera includes Sony’s latest menu layout design. Oh, and the company plans to include two separate eyecups in the box. Nice. When it comes to connectivity, there’s a full-sized HDMI connection, USB-C and an upgraded Ethernet port that supports transfer speeds up to 2.5Gbps. For storage, the camera comes with two CFexpress Type A card slots that are also capable of reading and saving to UHS-II SD cards.
Alongside the A1 II, Sony also announced a new 28-70mm G Master Lens with a constant f/2 aperture (pictured above). While not the lightest lens in Sony’s stable, it still weighs under a kilogram. Both the A1 II and the 28-70mm F2 G Master will arrive in December. They will cost $6,500 and $2,900, respectively.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/sonys-a1-ii-features-a-dedicated-ai-processor-and-refined-ergonomics-164840579.html?src=rss
Fujifilm is developing a medium-format, 102-megapixel cinema camera, the company said in a surprise announcement. Due next year, the GFX Eterna will carry a boxy, modular design reminiscent of Sony's FX6 or the new Blackmagic Pyxis and will likely be launched with a top handle, electronic viewfinder and other optional accessories.
The new camera will have a medium format GFX 102-megapixel (MP) CMOS II HS sensor, the same one used on the GFX100 II. That sensor is 43.8mm x 32.9 mm in size, or 1.7 times larger than the full-frame sensor found on the aforementioned FX or Pyxis. That will be one of the largest cinema camera sensors available, even bigger than RED's V-Raptor XL sensor.
The benefits will be extra dynamic range, potentially high resolution and a very shallow depth of field that should allow for cinematic shots when paired with the right lens. That does bring up the fact that Fujifilm currently has no GFX glass designed specifically for film production. However, the company said it's developing a 32-90mm power zoom lens (24-70mm full-frame equivalent) and will have a mount adapter for GFX to PL lenses, which are widely used in cinema.
One other concern might be rolling shutter distortion. RED's V-Raptor XL uses a global shutter that has zero distortion, but the sensor Fujifilm will employ has a fair bit of it . In addition, the GFX100 II captures 8K with a 1.53x crop, negating many of the benefits of a medium format sensor — so, hopefully Fujifilm will resolve those issues with its cinema camera.
Fujifilm will show off the GFX Eterna starting tomorrow at the InterBEE 2024 media exhibition in Chiba City, Japan. It's set to be released sometime in 2025, with an exact date and pricing yet to be announced.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/fujifilm-is-developing-a-102mp-medium-format-cinema-camera-130027537.html?src=rss
Camera companies are starting to get the hang of marketing entry-level cameras with features that help beginners take great photos right away. Nikon's $910 Z50 II mirrorless joins that trend with a dedicated "Picture Control" button that produces fun, social media-ready looks. The new model also promises faster shooting speeds than the five-year-old Z50, improved autofocus and better-quality video.
There's no question that the Z50 II is aimed at the creator crowd with a host of new features borrowed from Sony, Fujifilm and Panasonic. That starts with the Picture Control button (not a dial) that offers 31 presets like Denim, Toy Camera and Carbon, for both photos and video. It also lets you download "Imaging Recipes" from the Nikon Imaging Cloud, with custom presets for color, brightness, hue and more, à laPanasonic's S9. On the video side, it now offers a Product Review Mode that immediately focuses from a creator's face to a product they hold up, exactly like Sony's Product Showcase feature.
Nikon
At the same time, the Z50 II is surprisingly powerful. You can shoot bursts at up to 30 fps (JPEG only) in electronic mode or 11 fps (RAW/JPEG) with the mechanical shutter. Autofocus has been overhauled to be more responsive and now includes 3D tracking with AI modes for animals, birds and vehicles — along with an auto mode that selects the subject for you.
Video is also much improved. It offers oversampled 4K 30p (no crop) and 4K 60p (1.5x crop), compared to just 4K 30p before. Better still, it now offers N-Log 10-bit shooting compared to just 8-bit with no log on the Z50. That should greatly improve dynamic range and give video shooters more room for creativity in the edit suite.
Steve Dent for Engadget
One downside to this camera is the resolution, which is on the low side in this price range at 20.9 megapixels. It also lacks in-body stabilization, so you'll need to rely on electronic stabilization for video (which adds a small crop) or purchase lenses with built in stabilization (VR, as Nikon calls it). I'm also not a fan of the boring body, but I imagine that Nikon will be releasing a Zfc II later with the same features in a retro design.
Other features include a built-in flash, flip-out display, brighter 2.36-million dot EVF (now 1,000 nits), a single UHS-II card slot, mic and headphone jacks, a tally lamp, waveform display, USB streaming support and a wider ISO range up to 512,000. The Nikon Z50 II is now on pre-order for $907 (body only) or $1,050 with a Nikkor Z 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 VR kit lens.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/nikons-z50-ii-targets-creators-with-a-dedicated-film-simulation-button-133037492.html?src=rss
Sony announced that it will stop selling the Airpeak S1 camera drone. Sales of the product will end on March 31, 2025. Sony will also stop selling most of the drone's accessories next year, but replacement batteries and propellers will be available until March 31, 2026. Inspections, repairs and software maintenance will continue through March 31, 2030.
The Airpeak S1 was initially introduced during a virtual presentation at CES in 2021. The drone was intended to capture high-definition footage with Sony's full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens Alpha cameras. It could fly for 12 minutes with a camera attached and achieved a max flight speed of 55.9mph. While the high-end drone would set buyers back about $9,000 even before buying accessories, it had middling to flat-out negative reviews.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/sony-discontinues-its-pricey-airpeak-s1-camera-drone-in-march-234823252.html?src=rss
DJI is a major player in the camera market with its drones and gimbals, so why hasn’t it had the same success with action cams? The answer is simple: GoPro. The company’s Hero lineup has offered superior image quality and stabilization. The same goes for Insta360’s action cams, which have caught the public’s imagination.
Now, DJI’s taking another shot at its rivals with the $350 Osmo Action 5 Pro, which is perhaps the biggest upgrade yet in this series. Nearly everything on the inside has changed, from the sensor to battery life and storage. However, it looks very similar to its predecessor, the Osmo Action 4.
Video quality only goes up to 4K on the new model though, compared to 5.3K for the latest GoPro Hero 13 and 8K for the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 released last week. Still, the Action 5 Pro surpasses its competitors in several key areas and it’s easily DJI’s best action camera yet.
Long battery life and internal storage
The Action 5 Pro now boasts the longest battery life of any action cam and it’s not even close. Thanks to the higher-capacity 1,950 mAh battery (up from 1,770 mAh), it can shoot 4K 60p video for well over two hours and 1080p for four hours. By comparison, the GoPro Hero 13 can only go 88 minutes at 4K 60p with a similar-sized battery. Another rival, the Insta360 Ace Pro 2, can run a bit more than 90 minutes at the same resolution.
With the optional charger (available in the $400 Adventure Combo with two extra batteries), it takes about 30 minutes to fully replenish a battery. Three batteries should be enough for most people to shoot an entire day at 4K 60p without recharging — quite impressive for an action camera.
Steve Dent for Engadget
Another big upgrade on the Action 5 Pro is the 47GB of internal storage, compared to zero before, on top of a microSD slot. This allows you to still capture an additional hour or so of 4K 60p footage when you fill up your memory card. Neither the Hero 13 nor Insta360’s Ace Pro 2 have any internal storage.
At 5.15 ounces, the Action 5 Pro is a bit smaller and lighter than the Hero 23, which weighs 5.6 ounces. On top of that, the Action 5 Pro is waterproof down to 66 feet by itself, which is double the Hero 13’s limit. If you really need to go deeper, DJI’s waterproof case extends the maximum depth for this device to nearly 200 feet.
DJI increased the rear OLED display’s size from 2.25 to 2.5 inches by shrinking the bezels — a small change that makes the touchscreen menus easier to use. The 1.4-inch front OLED panel is also slightly bigger than before. Both screens are sharp and easy to see in sunlight with up to 800 nits of maximum brightness.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The Action 5 Pro’s textured body provides a firm grip, and the record and power buttons are larger and less stiff than on the Action 4. Settings can be changed from the rear display by swiping up and down or side to side, though it can be hard to remember where settings are. You can also connect your smartphone using the Mimo app to operate the camera and gain access to editing features. An interesting addition is the new pressure sensor that shows how deep you’re diving or your altitude when climbing — a useful feature that rival cameras lack.
One thing I’ve loved about DJI’s last few action cameras is the magnetic mounting system. It lets you instantly clip the Action 5 Pro to nearly any accessory, including car, bike, helmet and chest mounts, without the need to fiddle with screws or clumsy brackets. That said, GoPro finally implemented its own magnetic mount on the Hero 13 and the Ace Pro 2 has a similar system as well.
DJI has fallen behind its main rival in the area of optics, though. GoPro’s Hero 13 now supports optional removable lenses, letting you change from a typical wide angle field of view to ultra-wide, macro and more. While they’re fairly expensive, it’s a nice option if you want something other than the usual action camera look.
Sharper video and subject tracking
Steve Dent for Engadget
With a new 1/1.3-inch 40-megapixel sensor, the Action 5 Pro has a sensor that is the same size as its predecessor but is nearly four times sharper. It’s much larger than the GoPro Hero 13’s sensor with more than double the area. That extra size helps the Action 5 Pro produce clearer shots with more detail, especially in lower light.
You can shoot 4K at up to 120 fps, or 1080p at 240 fps for super slow-mo. There’s a new twist, though, with “open gate” 4:3 capture at 3,840 x 2,880 resolution, also up to 120 fps. That squarish frame makes it easier to crop vertically for social media while still retaining full 4K width. Another new feature is 10-bit support for regular video instead of just D-LogM as before. However, the GoPro Hero 13 supports sharper 5.3K video that allows for even more cropping options in post. And the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 can shoot up to 8K 30p video or 4K open gate like the Action 5 Pro.
As with other DJI products, the Action 5 Pro shoots bright and colorful video straight out of the camera. However, to my eye the colors look less natural than on the GoPro Hero 13. Skin tones aren’t as warm, and the colors are too intense for my taste. The ability to shoot 10-bit color in regular mode is a big help, providing extra room to edit without shooting D-LogM, which can be tricky for beginners. My preference is still to shoot D-LogM then apply DJI’s LUT in post. That yields more natural, less saturated colors and gives you up to 13.5 stops of dynamic range in challenging lighting conditions, like shooting in a forest on a sunny day.
Thanks to the bigger sensor, the Action 5 Pro is superior to the GoPro Hero 13 in low light, with far less noise and artifacts. If things really get dark, the new Super Night Mode further brightens video, but the aggressive noise reduction applied can create an artificial look and reduce sharpness. Low-light quality is similar to the Insta360, as both have similar 1/1.3-inch sensors. And while it’s not primarily a photo camera, the Action 5 Pro can shoot 40-megapixel photos compared to 27-megapixel stills for the GoPro Hero 13.
Video stabilization is paramount for action cameras and a big reason why GoPro has dominated for so long. However, the Action 5 Pro is finally up to that level with its latest RockSteady 3.0+ stabilization. I tried it through a mix of sports, including biking, swimming and kayaking and it delivered stable shots with none of the minor weaving or jolting that I’ve seen before. As before, it also offers HorizonBalancing to keep the image level even when the camera tilts up to 45 degrees. Another mode, HorizonSteady, keeps the image level even if you rotate the camera 360 degrees.
A key new feature on the Action 5 Pro is subject centering and tracking that lets creators shoot without a gimbal. As with other DJI products (like ActiveTrack on drones), it detects a subject's position and dynamically adjusts the composition to keep them centered in the frame. Though it’s limited to 2.7K resolution, it worked well to frame me near the middle of the shot during activities like cycling and swimming.
Finally, let’s talk about audio. On top of the built-in microphones that offer decent quality, the Action 5 Pro connects directly to DJI’s Mic 2 transmitters over Bluetooth (up to two at a time). Those mics allow high quality audio capture and automatically reduce noise, even if you’re filming action like a mountain biker on a gnarly descent. It’s easy to set up and should be a hit with creators, given the popularity of the Mic 2.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent for Engadget
The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro costs $350, while the Hero 13 Pro and Insta360’s Ace Pro 2 are priced at $400. The DJI beats both in terms of battery life and is on par with its rivals when it comes to stabilization. The Action 5 Pro also offers superior low-light and log footage, though I prefer the GoPro Hero 13’s video straight out of the camera.
Taking price into account, the Action 5 Pro is a very attractive option. It’s one of the best action cameras I’ve used, with battery life well above rivals, a solid waterproof construction and full support for DJI’s Mic 2. If you feel you might benefit from the extra sharpness, then the GoPro or Insta360 might be a better choice. But, if low-light performance is key, head straight for DJI’s Action 5 Pro.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-osmo-action-5-pro-review-finally-a-worthy-gopro-rival-143027778.html?src=rss
Move over Sony, Canon is trying to take the lead in bleeding-edge tech for mirrorless cameras. The company’s new $4,300, 45-megapixel EOS R5 II offers advanced features like eye-tracking autofocus (AF) that can’t be found on any recent Sony model. The new camera is also pushing Sony’s A1 and other models in the key areas of speed, video and autofocus. And it’s arguably more desirable than Canon’s own upcoming flagship R1 as it has nearly double the resolution.
I’ve had the R5 II for a few weeks, evaluating not only its practicality and speed for both professionals and serious amateurs, but also how it stacks up against Sony's A1, the gold standard for high-resolution mirrorless cameras. And frankly, I'm impressed.
Design and handling
I love the handling of Canon’s mirrorless cameras and the EOS R5 II may be its sweetest design yet.
The body and controls are very similar to the R5, apart from a couple of changes. Canon moved the power switch to the top right where it’s easier to access, and added a dedicated photo/video switch on the left. The company gave photo and video modes their own settings, making it much easier to jump from one to the other. Canon also made a rare change to its menu system, adding a new olive green tab for control customization. This new tab also contains the settings for eye control AF tracking.
Otherwise, the R5 II’s layout is similar to its predecessor. That’s a good thing, as the control placement is the most natural of any camera I’ve used, from the comfortable grip that provides a secure place to hold, to the nicely tactile controls that fall perfectly to hand.
Moving to the displays, the R5’s 2.1-million-dot fully articulating rear touch screen was already sharp and easy to use, so Canon didn’t mess with that. The R5 II has the same sharp 5.76-million dot OLED electronic viewfinder as before, but the company boosted the brightness and redesigned the optics to accommodate the new eye control autofocus.
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The R5 II supports CFexpress Type B cards for capturing 8K RAW video, along with SD UHS II if you’re okay with cheaper and slower media. Other key features include headphone and microphone ports, a full-sized HDMI input and a USB-C port for charging and transfers. Canon also released three new battery grips, including one with a cooling fan that extends video shooting times, as I’ll discuss soon.
I’m a big fan of the R5 II’s design, and my pro photographer friend agreed, saying that like most Canon products, the R5 II's ergonomics are so good the device is comfortable to hold for long periods of time. He also said he slightly preferred the R5 II's handling to his Sony A9 III and A1 cameras, thanks to how easy it is to use with one hand.
Performance
Steve Dent for Engadget
The EOS R5 II offers a blend of speed and resolution that rivals and sometimes even surpasses the Nikon Z8 and Sony A1. That's mostly due to the new stacked 45-megapixel sensor and updated Digic X processor to crunch all those pixels.
The R5 II can shoot bursts at up to 30 fps in electronic shutter mode with a blackout-free view. That’s slower than the R1, but I’ll trade a small hit in performance in exchange for the extra resolution. I was able to capture about 100 RAW frames before the buffer filled. Speeds drop to 12 fps with the mechanical shutter, but there’s rarely any need to use it because there’s no issue with rolling shutter distortion – thanks to the stacked sensor. The R5 II’s new pre-capture mode can record up to 15 photos when you half-press the shutter. That’s great for photojournalists or wildlife photographers who may otherwise miss a shot by a fraction of a second.
Canon’s "Dual Pixel" autofocus has always been good, but on the R5 II it’s the best I’ve ever seen. When shooting bursts with a subject biking toward the camera, 80 percent of my shots were in focus. And the EOS R5 II now tracks animals, birds and vehicles, on top of faces, eyes and bodies of people.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The camera also has a couple of new autofocus tricks, including one called action priority. That keeps the AF focused around the ball in three specific sports: volleyball, basketball and soccer. I didn’t notice any particular AF improvement, as my hit rate seemed to be about the same without it, but dedicated sports photographers might see the difference.
Another new function keeps the tracking point on your subject even if someone crosses in front of them. That did seem to work well most of the time, but it would occasionally wander off and lock onto someone else.
When Canon launched the R5 II and R1 in July, it introduced pre-registered person priority AF that lets your camera memorize up to ten specific people, like star athletes for instance. This feature functioned as advertised, switching AF to a registered person and tracking them instead of other people in the scene.
Finally, I tested Canon’s famous eye control AF that detects where the photographer is looking and moves the subject tracking point there. This is an undeniably cool feature and has improved compared to the first implementation on the EOS R3, but is still too unreliable for professional use.
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In fact, the pro photographer friend I mentioned pointed out that though eye control feels futuristic, it’s still a bit too flakey for paid gigs where focus reliability is paramount.
On the R5 II, in-body stabilization is the best I’ve seen on any Canon camera, keeping the sensor rock-steady for handheld shooting, with up to 8.5 stops of shake reduction. It was so reliable that I never felt the need to carry a tripod when using slow shutter speeds.
I’ve always found Sony cameras to be slightly superior to Canon when it comes to autofocus and speed. I can no longer say that, as the EOS R5 II is very even with Sony’s latest models. My Sony-using photographer friend agreed, saying he couldn’t see any real difference between the R5 II his A1 or A9 III.
Image quality
Image quality on the R5 II is largely the same as the R5, and that’s a good thing. The 45-megapixel sensor produces photos as good as or better than the Sony A1 at a much cheaper price, and compares favorably to Nikon’s similarly priced Z8.
When shooting in RAW mode at lower ISOs, the R5 II offers good dynamic range in high contrast bright and dark scenes. Like other stacked sensor cameras, though, there’s a bit more noise than with regular CMOS sensors. Quality also drops slightly in electronic shutter mode, so it’s better to use the mechanical shutter in tricky lighting conditions.
High ISO performance isn’t too bad for such a high-resolution camera either, with noise staying under control up to ISO 12,800. After that, the R5 II doesn’t quite measure up to models like the Nikon Z7 II or Sony A7R V, as both of those offer cleaner images with less grain.
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If you don’t want the hassle of processing RAW, JPEG rendering is excellent straight out of the camera, with well balanced sharpening and noise reduction. For low-light shooting, skin tones are flattering at all ISO settings, and the best among all cameras in this price range.
One new notable feature on the R5 II is the AI-powered upscaling applied after the photo is taken. The result isn’t quite as good as a dedicated app like Topaz, but it’s not bad considering it’s in-camera processing.
Video
The original EOS R5 would have been a darn near perfect video camera if not for its pesky overheating issues. Canon has improved this to a degree with a new passive cooling design and $400 fan grip. With those updates, heat is only really an issue at the highest resolutions (8K 60p and 4K 120p). However, these limitations are less severe on the rival Nikon Z8.
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Aside from the heating issue, the EOS R5 II has impressive specs. It can shoot up to 8K 60p and 4K 120p video, but does so with far less rolling shutter than the R5, again thanks to the new stacked sensor. The camera now has Canon Log 2 (CLog 2) capability that allows for higher dynamic range capture than the R5.
Video autofocus is outstanding at all resolutions, with rapid acquisition of the subject and reliable tracking. Face- and eye-detection work very well, and I only occasionally noticed AF lag with fast-moving subjects.
As for stabilization, I could shoot smooth footage while handheld in optical mode with no crop, provided I didn’t move the camera too much. Digital stabilization allowed for more movement while only cropping in a touch, and the enhanced setting let me shoot smoothly while walking with a 1.5x crop. Panasonic’s S5 II is still the best in this regard, but the R5 II is close behind.
As for quality, video on the EOS R5 II is extremely sharp, particularly with supersampled 4K HQ. Other 4K modes are subsampled, but nearly as sharp. Rolling shutter is well managed, so you won’t really notice it unless you do whip pans or jostle the camera while shooting.
Canon’s excellent color science delivers warm skin tones and accurate colors. RAW video allows lots of room for adjustments in post, while the CLog 2 brings dynamic range up to 14 stops to enable shooting in contrasty conditions. With all this, the Canon R5 II is now my go-to camera for shooting video — even over Sony and Panasonic models.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent for Engadget
The $4,300 EOS R5 II is Canon’s best camera in years, thanks to improvements in key areas like autofocus, video, shooting speeds and overall feel. Newly introduced tech like eye control AF is less useful, but it’s still nice to see Canon try to innovate, and the feature should improve in subsequent models.
The R5 II is up against some great competition in this price range, especially the $4,000 Nikon Z8 that holds its own against this camera in most situations. However, Canon’s autofocus is slightly faster and more reliable, and I greatly prefer the R5 II’s handling. The only other full-frame option with a stacked sensor and similar resolution is the Sony A1, which costs $2,200 more.
The main issues with the R5 II are overheating, the wonkiness of action priority and unreliable eye control autofocus. However, it now stacks up extremely well against Sony's A1 in terms of speed and autofocus, while offering superior stabilization and handling. Which one you choose may simply come down to brand preference or existing lens collection.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/canon-eos-r5-ii-review-canons-most-powerful-camera-yet-puts-sony-on-notice-160013865.html?src=rss