Night-vision cameras do have a rather limited reputation because of how they’re portrayed in cinema. They’re mostly used by the military or the marines to hunt down terrorists, or by sci-fi spies to catch bad guys, but in all honesty, night-vision cameras are great for consumer-grade use too. From hunting and fishing, to night-life observing, camping, and hobby photography, night-vision cameras are a pretty nifty piece of gear to add to your outdoor kit. However, if you want a consumer-friendly night-vision camera that’s loaded with military-grade specs, the DuoVox Ultra has you sorted. Equipped with a Starvis CMOS sensor, a 7-piece lens, and a 10-hour battery, the DuoVox lets you see in full color up to distances of 1650 feet (500 meters) even in low-light settings, and can take photos or record videos in 1080p full HD. Move over, Samsung. There’s a new Ultra camera in town.
With a compact, camcorder-style handheld design, the Duovox Ultra is your perfect outdoor companion for hunting, camping, fishing, and night safaris. It weighs a mere 280 grams and can be used either as a handheld monocular device or mounted on a tripod with the ability to use your smartphone as the Ultra’s viewfinder over a WiFi hotspot connection. Built with specs that would put even military-grade equipment to shame, the camera comes with an aluminum body, a 7-glass lens for zero-distortion viewing, 5x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom capabilities, and a set of easy-to-access controls on the top that you can intuitively use to operate the camera even in the dark.
The DuoVox Ultra operates in two modes – a color mode that lets you see full color in low-light settings as low as 0.001 lux, and a 7-stage infrared mode (powered by an 850nm IR illuminator) that gives you visibility in even absolute pitch darkness. It also comes with support for whopping 128 gigs of built-in storage thanks to a MicroSD card slot that also makes transferring data between devices easy.
The Ultra builds on its predecessor, the Duovox Mate Pro’s capabilities, with not one but two modes. The full-color mode gives you an enhanced appearance of your surroundings in low light, letting you observe and capture your surroundings in vibrant, vivid colors, while the 7-stage IR mode borders on superpowers. Working in pitch darkness, when even the eyes can’t see objects, outlines, or details, the IR mode gives you a clear picture of what’s around you. The 7-stage setting lets you adjust your visibility, making the camera’s feed dark or bright, and a zoom ring on your lens lets you see objects as close as 0.5 meters away or even as far as 500 meters away with absolute clarity.
A camera is no good if it can’t take pictures, right? Well, dedicated buttons on the DuoVox Ultra let you capture 1080p video or 5MP images, saving footage and images right to the camera’s memory card slot, capable of supporting up to 128 gigabytes. The Ultra can be operated entirely hands-free too, using it over WiFi with your smartphone. The “Viidure” app turns your phone’s screen into a viewfinder, letting you record video and photos through the phone from a safer vantage point.
Priced at a mere $129, the DuoVox Ultra is easily the most advanced night-vision camera in its price range. It weighs 280 grams, or about as much as two iPhones, and is compact enough to fit right into your pocket. A built-in 4,000mAh battery gives it a whopping 10 hours of usage, making the DuoVox Ultra perfect for everything from hunting and wildlife observing, to even classic surveillance and reconnaissance! Just promise us you’ll use your night-vision superpowers for good!
From its symmetrical form to its "Three Main Cameras," the OPPO Find X6 Pro's well-balanced design creates a soothing effect that's perfect for a chaotic modern world.
If you don’t have a design that screams at the viewer, you’re unlikely to get any attention, let alone sales. That seems to have been the unspoken rule in consumer products, especially in the smartphone market, for the past years, giving rise to sometimes eccentric and often impractical designs whose novelty wears off easily. Just like in the larger design field, there seems to be a growing counter-movement in the smartphone industry where phone designs are starting to settle down into something more refined, less obnoxious, and, in some cases, almost minimalist. That said, there’s still plenty of room to make a positive impression with some unique aesthetic that will quickly set the phone apart from its peers. That kind of delicate balancing act is easier said than done, so we take a deep look at the new OPPO Find X6 Pro to see if it manages to pull that dance off with finesse and aplomb.
Designer: OPPO
Aesthetics
Finding a good design that manages to enclose the growing camera sensors in today’s smartphones is a true test of ingenuity and craftsmanship. Some manufacturers seem to be content on just slapping whatever design element is trending these days, though some thankfully give the phone’s second most important feature a lot more thought. It’s not easy to hide the fact that you have multiple large lenses on the back of your phone, and OPPO seems to have decided to simply embrace that fact but present it in a more pleasing manner.
The Find X6 Pro is part of the growing number of phones with a large circular island that encloses the imaging sensors on its back. In a way, it’s not exactly space-efficient because it takes up a lot more area than the sensors themselves. At the same time, however, it spreads out the circular form wider so that it doesn’t look like a wart on an otherwise flat, rectangular back. It also improves the phone’s balance, as we’ll see later.
OPPO’s adoption of a large circular camera design isn’t by accident either. It’s meant to emulate the design of a camera lens from a traditional camera or DSLR, and even the small details were chosen for that purpose. The grooves on the aerospace-grade aluminum bezel around the lens is reminiscent of the grip of camera lenses, while the orange dot on the bottom of that bezel is an homage to the alignment dot found on SLR cameras. Given how cameras have become a core feature of phones, it’s not exactly surprising that some try to look like one as well.
As always, the Find X6 Pro will be available in different colorways, but the one that will attract attention the most will be the brown vegan leather variant. The synthetic material doesn’t cover the entirety of the phone’s back, though, but leaves some room for a metal-like glass surface at the top. This dual-material design is also reminiscent of classic cameras that have some amount of metal at the top, with a different plastic or leather material for the rest of the body. The Find X6 Pro will also be available in Black and Green, both of which employ AG glass that has been polished to the point of looking and feeling like metal.
Ergonomics
High-end flagships these days are usually either too heavy, giving your hand a strain, or too light, giving a bit of anxiety that you might accidentally let go of it. With a 6.82-inch screen and a weight of 218g, the OPPO Find X6 Pro is happily straddling the middle ground and gives owners a sense of confidence when holding the phone in their hand. Beyond those figures, however, the phone’s design also has a few qualities that improve its ergonomics.
The material on the back of the phone, for example, adds to the grip, though that’s mostly true for the brown vegan leather variant. The Green and Black glass models might be a different story, so it’s fortunate that OPPO includes protective cases inside the box. Amusingly, the case for the vegan leather Find X6 Pro mimics the phone’s dual-tone design, even though the material is completely made of TPU plastic.
The large circular camera design also gives the phone a more balanced weight distribution. Rather than having the thicker part of the chassis in a corner, having it in the middle and occupying almost the entire width of the phone’s back spreads the weight more evenly. It also means that the phone won’t wobble on your desk or any flat surface, remaining just as usable when laid down as it is in your hand.
Performance
There is really no fault to find with the OPPO Find X6 Pro when it comes to its specs. It is blazingly fast and responsive, which is what you’d expect from a phone running on a top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with 16GB of RAM, the latter of which can be expanded a bit thanks to virtual memory function. The same can’t be said for the internal storage, though, which is a fixed 512GB in this review unit. There’s a generous 5,000 mAh battery that, thanks to 100W SuperVOOC technology, can charge from zero to full in around 30 minutes. Wireless charging is no less impressive with a 50W AirVOOC that does the same trick in less than an hour.
The 120Hz 2K AMOLED screen is the star of the show when it comes to the front of the phone, and it’s touted to have one of the brightest panels in the market. Your mileage may vary due to settings and environmental factors, but it’s definitely vibrant and crisp under almost any lighting condition. The curved edges of the display may seem more like a holdover from a past generation, though, especially with many flagships now going flat on almost all sides.
If the phone’s design didn’t make it clear enough, the OPPO Find X6 Pro’s signature feature is, of course, its cameras. While almost all smartphone brands will, of course, make similar claims, OPPO really sets the bar higher with its 2023 flagship. It practically breaks down the wall between the “main camera” and “others” by using nearly the same quality hardware on all three cameras. To be precise, all three shooters use 50MP sensors, though their exact configurations still differ according to their purpose.
The “standard” wide camera, for example, gets a large 1-inch 50MP Sony IMX989 sensor that’s partnered with a 1G+7P element lens. The ultra-wide camera isn’t that far behind, with a 1/1.56-inch 50MP Sony IMX890 and a 110-degree field of view. Even more interesting is the telephoto camera that uses the exact same sensor but paired with an f/2.6 aperture lens, perhaps the largest for a smartphone periscope-style shooter. The telephoto camera can handle 3x optical zoom up to 6x hybrid zoom with little loss in detail. On their own, the cameras can take very detailed images and have no problems with low-light situations. They don’t, however, function just on their own.
There is, of course, OPPO’s in-house MariSilicon X Imaging NPU (Neural Processing Unit) that empowers the Find X6 Pro to deliver even more impressive shots, thanks to high-speed autofocus, intelligent resource management, and low-light processing. There is also OPPO’s proud partnership with Hasselblad that brings a distinct Portrait Mode look that simulates the optics expert’s classic lenses, such as the XCD30 and XCD80, to generate beautiful bokehs and portraits. And to prove that those shots were indeed taken in that special mode, there’s a Hasselblad Watermark function that adds details such as shutter speed, aperture, and the like to truly mark that impressive shot.
All in all, the OPPO Find X6 Pro delivers on what it promises, creating a balance between the three cameras, so you don’t have to make compromises in choosing one mode over the other. Transitioning between wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto is seamless and smooth, losing very little quality or detail in the process. It’s almost like simply switching between modes or lenses rather than sensors, which is the camera-like experience that OPPO is aiming for.
Sustainability
Smartphone makers naturally try to make their products durable and long-lasting in order to protect their reputation, but there always comes a time when disasters do happen. Unfortunately, companies don’t make repairing their own phones easy, except if it’s from official yet pricey channels. A phone’s durability goes a long way in making sure it stays in your keep a lot longer than usual. Its ease of repair, however, goes even further in prolonging a device’s life. Unfortunately, the Find X6 Pro isn’t exactly a shining example in that light.
It isn’t exactly a role model in terms of using sustainable materials, and OPPO has been rather silent about the phone’s composition. Vegan leather isn’t exactly a more sustainable option since it’s pretty much synthetic. It’s definitely a missed opportunity for OPPO to boast of its efforts and gains in this area, setting itself apart not just in its design but also in its concrete actions to protect its customers’ future.
Value
If you simply look at the OPPO Find X6 Pro’s core specs, you might get the impression that it’s just another high-end phone in the market, one that has a fancy design on its back, particularly if it’s one made from vegan leather. That’d be selling it short, of course, because what OPPO brings to the table isn’t just another phone but a phone with a symmetrical design in more ways than one. The well-balanced form of the camera bump and the nearly equal qualities of the three cameras make the phone well-rounded in almost every aspect. Unfortunately, its biggest problem isn’t an inherent flaw but a marketing strategy.
As of this writing, there is no clear statement yet on whether the Find X6 Pro will reach its way to global markets. The 6,999 RMB (roughly $1,020) price tag for the 16GB/512GB model becomes a non-issue because it will be difficult to procure one in the first place. Even if you did get your hands on one, though, the lack of official Google Play Support also makes it a deal-breaker for most Android users anyway. That said, most OPPO Find X models do eventually find their way to other regions, so it’s not exactly a done deal just yet.
Verdict
It’s hard to be attracted to phones with rather obnoxious camera bumps that call attention to themselves by screaming into your face. Admittedly, it’s perhaps harder to create a design that balances the contrasting goals of providing enough space for those cameras while keeping things pleasant and minimal. Very few have managed to succeed so far, and OPPO is perhaps a member of that small club. And it does so by embracing the camera enclosure for what it is while also paying homage to the true cameras that came before it.
The OPPO Find X6 Pro emulates the look and part of the feel of an SLR lens in a tasteful and unobtrusive style. It employs a contrast of elements to create a balance that is not only visual but also ergonomic. It also brings that theme of balance to its hardware, particularly with three cameras that are nearly equal to each other. In an industry that thrives on sensational designs and features, the Find X6 Pro is almost like a reminder not only to keep extravagance in check but also to maintain a well-balanced design for the benefit of the user.
Visual impairments should not stop people from pursuing hobbies that they may have previously enjoyed or have continuously done. Unfortunately, not all products that they use have features that may be helpful to them. Photography is a very visual medium of course but is not always that friendly to those who may be suffering from some form of visual impairment. So for a company to go out of their usual way and create something that people can use regardless of their visual status is always welcome.
Designer: Sony and Retissa
Sony has teamed up with Retissa, a company that has designed technology to aid people with low vision, to come up with a camera kit specifically for those who have visual impairments. The Sony DSC-HX99 RNV is made up of the HX99 compact camera and something called a QD Laser Retissa Neoviewer. The latter is a viewfinder that is able to project a digital image directly onto the retina of the user through laser retinal projection. A “crystal-clear image” is projected through a low-power, full-color laser beam.
In other words, the user’s retina becomes the screen so even if you have low vision, you’ll be able to see things clearly through the lens even if you don’t have any corrective lens or eyewear. You also don’t have to look at it through an LCD display or a virtual screen to be able to see the image you’re taking a picture of since this technology is able to deliver light directly to the eyes. The camera itself is Sony’s Cyber-shot travel zoom camera with a 24-720mm equivalent 30x zoom lens paired with an 18.2-megapixel 1/2.3-inch image sensor. It is able to record videos in 4K/30p, and also has Eye AF with fast autofocus feature.
This technology that they are using for cameras for the first time will be pretty useful for those with low vision who would still like to pursue photography. Sony is planning to collaborate with schools for the blind in the U.S and Japan and they are even offering the kit for just $600, taking on some of the costs.
You could somehow figure out how to use your iPhone camera as a desktop webcam… or you could spend $69.99 on the Logitech Brio 300 and get yourself a pretty nifty webcam that’s capable of recording at full HD with auto light-correction and a noise-reducing microphone for a video experience that’s pleasantly surprising and well worth the money.
It’s funny how laptop and desktop manufacturers have absolutely dropped the ball on webcams. Everyone’s so focused on sleek builds and powerful CPUs and GPUs that nobody really managed to realize in the past 3 years that the webcam is now integral to businesses. “We surveyed more than 3,000 remote workers* and found that most non-webcam users struggle with poor lighting conditions, unflattering camera angles, and low-quality sound from their laptop speakers,” said Scott Wharton, general manager of Logitech B2B. The Brio 300 was designed to cater to that audience, who just needed a reliable, budget-friendly work-horse for teleconferencing. The Brio 300 isn’t a cutting-edge 4K camera (like its elder sibling, the Brio 4K), but it handles the basic tasks very well. A 70° field of view captures just the right amount and puts you perfectly in the frame (without showing the clutter around you), while auto light correction helps adjust your picture regardless of whether you’re in a dark-ish room or you have harsh light falling on your face and creating a color-burn. Finally, the built-in noise-reducing microphone focuses on just your voice and not the cacophony of kids playing, dogs barking, or cars honking around you.
Brio 300 series webcams are perfect for those who want to make the easy but substantial jump to significantly improve their video meeting experiences with an external webcam,” Wharton mentions. “And for companies who need to provide certified, simple-to-use webcams to employees’ home or office workstations, Brio 305 is that budget-friendly option.”
The webcam is a compact device that comes with a monitor clamp and a USB-C cable that works right off the bat. The plug-and-play webcam is certified for use with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet, and has a manual privacy shutter that lets you close off the camera lens whenever the Brio 300 isn’t in use.
The Brio 300 sports an unconventional cone-shaped design that feels rather individualistic and comes in three colors – rose, off-white, and graphite (pairing rather harmoniously with Logitech’s mice and keyboards). Like other Logitech products, the camera’s designed using recycled materials. The Brio 300 is made from at least 48% certified post-consumer recycled plastic for the Off-white and Rose variants, and a stunning 62% for the Graphite variant.
It’s a no-brainer. Kids see us clicking photos and I’m sure they feel like doing it too… but let’s be honest, not everyone is comfortable with giving children smartphones. They’re addictive, expensive, and breakable. Besides, try taking your smartphone back and dealing with a crying kid… nobody’s got time for that. Here’s a solution, though – Polaroids for kids. The Children’s Print Camera (the name needs some workshopping) is a nifty low-tech device that allows kids to click pictures. Working pretty much just like a standard instant camera, this one comes with an easier UI and a simple thermal printer that churns out low-cost black-and-white photos of everything kids click. It’s easy to use, entertaining, effective… and the best part, not as addictive and developmentally disabling as giving a kid a smartphone or iPad.
The device’s design is somewhat of a masterclass in creating kid-friendly products. It’s instantly playful-looking, with its vibrant color scheme and liberal use of rounded edges to look fun and bubbly. The camera’s big, making it resistant to drops and flings, as opposed to sleek and breakable. It looks and feels more like a toy, which works extremely well for its demographic.
The camera’s second most important detail is its simplified UI that doesn’t compromise on features. It comes with a shutter button and a flash, with dedicated buttons placed exactly where you’d expect them to be. There’s no text, but the iconography is fairly indicative, allowing kids to understand how to operate the camera in just mere minutes. Click a photo, and a printer inside the camera prints the image out on a roll of thermal paper. There aren’t any fancy ink cartridges or special photochromic films that end up adding to the camera’s cost. The photo prints out, and a serrated plastic edge allows kids to tear the finished print out of its roll once it’s been ‘developed’.
This isn’t the first child-centric camera we’ve seen, though… the myFirst Insta Wi from 2021 claims the title of being the first low-tech children’s instant camera we’ve seen. It did have its own app and smart features, but lacked a flash.
Do you remember the Moto Mods? Sure, they date back to 2016, so I won’t fault you for forgetting about them, but the company announced a series of modular accessories like a battery pack, speakers, and a Hasselblad camera that could basically snap onto the back of the Moto Z phone. Magnets would hold the accessories in place, and connector pins would allow the accessories to interface with the phone. While the logistics of that idea never really worked out (Apple’s MagSafe ecosystem is limited to charging too), the idea seemed rather impressive, and Lenovo (who owned Motorola back in the day) is implementing it with their latest ThinkBook 16p.
The ThinkBook 16p Gen 4 is a commendable 16-inch laptop with the latest 13th gen Intel Core H-series processors and optional discrete graphics up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX. The laptop sports a 165hz 3.2K 16-inch panel with Dolby Vision® support, and has DDR5 memory and dual-SSD storage providing up to 1TB of storage space. It’s an impressive laptop, no less… but there’s one detail that really adds the cherry on this clamshell cake. The outward-facing notch on the top of the display, with various connector pins. This notch acts as the docking spot for Lenovo’s new line of Magic Bay accessories, which completely transform the laptop by adding modular features to it.
The most notable of Lenovo’s Magic Bay accessories is the 4K webcam that simply snaps onto the top of your laptop, giving you a bigger, better camera that’s designed for content creators and streamers. The ThinkBook 16p already has an FHD IR (or optional RGB) webcam built in, but snapping a 4K camera absolutely transforms your setup while eliminating any tabletop clutter like tripods, wires, etc. The webcam sits on a 270° adjustable hinge, allowing you to change its angle to face you, upwards, downwards (at your keyboard), or even in the opposite direction (if you’re producing while shooting another subject). An electronic privacy shutter lets you turn the camera off when not in use, or you can just pull it off the laptop when you don’t need it.
Lenovo Magic Bay 4K Webcam
Close-up of the 270° swivel hinge
Although created as a separate accessory (instead of being bundled with the 4K camera, the Magic Bay Light is an independent module that snaps to the ThinkBook 16p, giving your laptop’s own webcam an additional light source. “Poor lighting is often the cause of user frustration, either too dark or too light, and ambient light frequently creates unwanted or unflattering shadows. Lenovo Magic Bay Light can deliver up to 200-lux of adjustable brightness with minimal power consumption”, says the company.
The final Magic Bay accessory may just be the dark horse. Dubbed the Magic Bay LTE, this module gives your laptop mobile connectivity in remote locations where the internet is unreliable and cafes with sketchy WiFi hotspots. The Magic Bay LTE offers 4G LTE speeds thanks to the SIM card slot in it that lets you easily access mobile networks no matter where you are. An LED indicator on the top lets you know your connection status, and the gadget also comes with a USB-C port that lets you hook it to other devices that don’t have the same docking system as the ThinkBook 16p.
The Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 4 will start at $1349 and is expected to be available starting May 2023. Magic Bay accessories will be available exclusively with the ThinkBook 16p Gen 4.
Canon seems to be following its competitor Sony’s suit by betting big on the metaverse.
There was a time when Canon dominated the camera space. Now, with every smartphone having its own computationally-optimized camera system, it seems like Canon’s parade is getting a little rained on. The company’s finding new avenues for its imaging technologies and systems, however, and it seems like the metaverse may just be the best new territory. At CES this year, Canon announced a few VR/AR focused devices, a notable one being the MREAL X1, their mixed-reality headset and technology that Canon is betting on to revolutionize a variety of sectors, like retail, exhibition, medical, and other experiences. “MREAL is unlike anything Canon has ever developed, a premium visualizer/simulator that helps account for limits of scale, perception, analysis, and participation, and provides superb, almost life-like image clarity and color accuracy,” Canon mentions.
The MREAL X1 is a relatively slim headset that doesn’t cover your entire peripheral vision. Instead, it presents you with virtual elements just within your area of focus (58° x 60°), so you can see important elements in front of you, rather than all around you. Elements within the virtual space are interactive too, as the video above demonstrates how customers can visualize cars without there actually being a physical car in the space. They can tap on the car to have it change color, and even sit inside it, experiencing the interiors in an incredibly immersive way.
The MREAL X1 is currently in its market research phase, and it isn’t entirely clear if this will ever be released as a consumer device, or if it’ll be reserved for enterprise use. Consumers, however, can get a taste of the MREAL X1 at Canon’s booth in CES. The company collaborated with M Night Shyamalan to create a mixed-reality experience around the filmmaker’s upcoming movie Knock at the Cabin. “Visitors to the booth will be able to experience a break-in scene from the movie Knock at the Cabin as if they are a character in the movie”, Canon says.
Who knew Polaroid and espresso were unlikely companions? This concept rather cleverly combines the two into the ‘ultimate coffee machine for amateurs’. If Polaroid brought great retro photography (and photo development) to the masses, the Polaroid Express does the same for instant coffee. Plus, can we just take a second to appreciate how clever the name Polaroid Express is?! (as a play on Polar Express and Espresso)
The coffee machine looks like a massive camera, with the signature friendly rectangular form and the clever use of colors to create that friendly appeal associated with the instant camera company. Designed to be portable (it IS a concept, after all), the apparatus has a rather simple form factor and feels intuitive to operate. All you really have to do is select how many cups you want (the machine can make as many as 4), and hit the ‘shutter’ button and the Polaroid Express gets to work, filling coffee from a set of pre-fed pods into cups at the base of the machine. Lift the top off to reveal the base tray and voila! You’ve got your cups of coffee, freshly made and ready to consume… in an instant!
The Polaroid Express accepts a 2×2 tray of coffee pods, making a total of 4 cups of coffee.
The Polaroid Express’ simple design models itself on the cameras, which only require you to compose your shot and hit the shutter button. Here, all you do is select the number of cups you want to be made and hit the red button and the machine does all the work. It works similarly to how a Keurig or Nespresso machine might. Pods fit into the area right beneath the control panel, and the upper reservoir is filled with water. Once you hit the button, it heats the water up (the rainbow strip on the front acts as a temperature indicator), and as soon as it reaches the right temperature, the machine brews the coffee and dispenses it in the cups right below.
Designed to be perfect for amateurs, the Polaroid Express isn’t just simple to use, it’s fun in its own way too. The rainbow color scheme brings a certain joy to the coffee-making experience (it’s something teens and tweens will appreciate for sure), and the machine’s base comes with a variety of colored trays, allowing you to add a pop of color to your kitchen counter. The trays are paired with matching colorful-base glasses too!
With the explosion of TikTok and the growth of video on YouTube, Twitch, Instagram and other platforms, interest in vlogging has increased exponentially since we last updated our guide. If you’re one of those vlog creators and a smartphone is no longer good enough, it may be time to upgrade to a purpose-built vlogging camera.
Some models are specifically designed for vlogging, like Sony’s ZV-E10 mirrorless camera that launched last year, or Panasonic’s compact G100. Others, like the new Panasonic GH6, Sony A7S III and Canon EOS R6 are hybrid cameras that offer vlogging as part of a larger toolset.
All of them have certain things in common, like flip-around screens, face- and/or eye-detect autofocus and image stabilization. Prices, features and quality can vary widely among models, though. To that end, we’ve updated our guide with all the latest models designed for every vlogger from novice to professional, in all price ranges. Engadget has tested all of these to give you recommendations for the best vlogging cameras, and we’ll even discuss a few rumored upcoming models.
One caveat to this year’s best camera guide is that a parts shortage has limited production of many cameras, causing shortages and higher prices. Sony, for one, halted production of the aforementioned ZV-E10 for a time, and models from Fujifilm and others are also hard to find. The good news is that the shortage appears to be easing, so hopefully we’ll see normal supply levels in the near future.
What do you need in a vlogging camera?
Vlogging cameras are designed for filmmakers who often work alone and either use a tripod, gimbal, vehicle mount or just their hands to hold a camera. It has to be good not just for filming yourself, but other “B-roll” footage that helps tell your story.
The number one requirement is a flip-around screen so you can see yourself while filming. Those can rotate up, down or to the side, but flipping out to the side is preferable so a tripod or microphone won’t block it.
Steve Dent/Engadget
Continuous autofocus (AF) for video with face and eye detection is also a must. It becomes your camera “assistant,” keeping things in focus while you concentrate on your content. Most cameras can do that nowadays, but some still do it better than others.
If you move around or walk a lot, you should look for an action camera with built-in optical stabilization. Electronic stabilization is another option as long as you’re aware of the limitations. You’ll also need a camera with a fast sensor that limits rolling shutter, which can create a distracting jello “wobble” with quick camera movements.
4K recording is another key feature for video quality. All cameras nowadays can shoot 4K up to at least 24 fps, but if possible, it’s better to have 4K video recording at 60 or even 120 fps. If you shoot sports or other things involving fast movement, look for a model with at least 1080p at 120 fps for slow-motion recording.
Video quality is another important consideration, especially for skin tones. Good light sensitivity helps for night shooting, concerts, etcetera, and a log profile helps improve dynamic range in very bright or dark shooting conditions. If you want the best possible image quality and can afford it, get a camera that can record 4K with 10-bits (billions) of colors. That will give you more options when you go to edit your vlog.
Don’t neglect audio either — if the quality is bad, your audience will disengage. Look for a camera with an external microphone port so you can plug in a shotgun or lapel mic for interviews, or at least one with a good-quality built-in microphone. It’s also nice to have a headphone port to monitor sound so you can avoid nasty surprises after you’ve finished shooting.
You’ll also want good battery life and, if possible, dual memory card slots for a backup. Finally, don’t forget about your camera’s size and weight. If you’re constantly carrying one while shooting, especially at the end of a gimbal or gorillapod, it might actually be the most important factor. That’s why tiny GoPro cameras are so popular for sports, despite offering lower image quality and fewer pro features.
The best action and portable cameras
If you’re just starting out in vlogging or need a small, rugged camera, an action cam might be your best bet. In general, they’re easy to use as you don’t have to worry about things like exposure or focus. Recent models also offer good electronic stabilization and sharp, colorful video at up to 4K and 60 fps. The downsides are a lack of control; image quality that’s not on par with larger cameras; and no zooming or option to change lenses.
DJI Pocket II
DJI
Last time around we recommended the original Osmo Pocket, but the Pocket II (no more “Osmo”) has some big improvements. As before, it’s mounted on a three-axis gimbal and has impressive face tracking that keeps your subject locked in focus while video recording. However, the new model has a larger, much higher resolution 64-megapixel sensor, a faster lens with a wider field of view and improved microphones. As before, you can get accessories like an extension rod, a waterproof case and more.
What really makes the Pocket II great for vlogging are the follow modes combined with face tracking. If you’re working solo, you can simply set it up and it’ll rotate and tilt to follow you around. That also applies for walk-and-talk vlogging, so you don’t have to worry about focus or even pointing the camera at yourself. For $346, it’s not only good for beginners, but is a handy tool for any vlogger.
The Hero10 Black is what we called a “big, invisible upgrade” over the Hero9, itself a much improved camera over the Hero8 Black we recommended last time. That’s largely due to the new processor that unlocks features like higher-resolution 5.3K 60p and 4K 120fps video, much improved Hypersmooth 4.0 stabilization, an improved front-screen and more. All of that makes the GoPro Hero10 Black ideal to mount on a drone, vehicle, helmet, bicycle and more, at a very manageable $350 price with a 1-year GoPro subscription.
DJI took a much different approach compared to GoPro with its latest Action 2 camera – no with more Osmo branding. Rather than being a standalone camera, it’s a modular system with a magnetic mount that lets you add a touchscreen module with a secondary OLED display and three additional microphones, or a battery module for longer life and an extra microSD slot. As with the Pocket 2, it offers tons of accessories like a 3-in-1 extension rod and more. It’s a versatile option if you do more than just action shooting, and is priced well starting at $399.
Compact cameras are a step-up option from smartphones or action cameras, with larger sensors and much better image quality. At the same time, they’re not quite as versatile as mirrorless or DSLR cameras (and not necessarily cheaper) and they lack advanced options like 10-bit video. For folks who want the best possible quality without needing to think too much about their camera, however, it’s the best option.
Sony ZV-1
Steve Dent/Engadget
Sony’s ZV-1 came out in 2020 and it’s still the best compact vlogging camera available. Based on the RX 100 V, it has a decently large 1-inch 20.1-megapixel sensor and fixed 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8mm equivalent lens. Based on the RX100 V, it has a 1-inch 20.1-megapixel sensor and fixed 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8mm (equivalent) lens. It also offers a lightweight body, built-in high-quality microphone (plus a microphone port), flip-out display, best-in-class autofocus and excellent image quality. It also has vlogging specific features like “product showcase” and background blur.
While the $799 ZV-1 can’t shoot 10-bit video, it comes with Sony’s S-Log picture profiles that give you increased dynamic range for shooting in challenging lighting conditions. The flaws include a lens that’s not quite wide enough when you’re using electronic stabilization, mediocre battery life and the lack of a true touch display and headphone port. That aside, if you’re looking to step up from a smartphone, it does the job nearly perfectly.
Canon’s G7 X Mark III should also be front of mind for vloggers looking for a compact option. It also packs a 20-megapixel 1-inch sensor, but has a 24-100 mm f/1.8-2.8 35mm equivalent zoom — quite a bit longer than the ZV-1 at the telephoto range. It can shoot 4K at up to 30 fps, while offering optical image stabilization, a microphone input (though no headphone jack) and even the ability to livestream directly to YouTube. The downsides are contrast-detect only autofocus and a screen that tilts up but not to the side. For $749, it’s still a great option, though.
This is the class that has changed the most over the past couple of years, particularly in the more affordable price categories. Interchangeable lens cameras give you the most options for vlogging, offering larger sensors than compact cameras with better low-light sensitivity and shallower depth of field to isolate you or your subject. They also offer better control of your image with manual controls, log recording, 10-bit video and more. The drawbacks are extra weight compared to action or compact cameras, extra complexity and higher prices.
Fujifilm X-S10
Jonas Dyhr Rask/Fujifilm
Fujifilm’s X-S10 has displaced the X-T4 as the best vlogging camera out there, thanks particularly to the more affordable price. It ticks all the boxes for vloggers, offering in-body image stabilization, 10-bit 4K external video with F-Log recording (at up to 30fps) along with 1080p at a stellar 240 fps, a screen that flips out to the side and easy-to-use controls. It also comes with a headphone jack and USB-C port that doubles as a headphone jack. The main downside is the limited touchscreen controls, but you get a lot of camera for just $1,000.
The best Sony APS-C camera for vlogging is now the ZV-E10. While using many of the same aging parts as the A6100, including the 24.2-megapixel sensor, it has a number of useful features for self-shooters. High on the list is Sony’s excellent autofocus, which includes the same background defocus and Product Showcase features found on the ZV-1 compact. It also offers electronic SteadyShot, a fully articulating display and more. The biggest drawback is rolling shutter that can get bad if you whip the camera around too much. If you can find one, it’s priced at $700 for the body or $800 in a bundle with Sony’s 16-50mm F/3.5-5.6 power zoom lens.
Panasonic’s GH5 was an incredibly popular vlogging camera for a very long time and was actually replaced by two cameras, the $2,200 GH6 and more budget-oriented $1,700 GH5-II. The GH6 is a large upgrade in nearly every way, offering 5.7K at 60 fps and 4K at up to 120 fps, along with ProRes formats that are easy to edit. It also comes with the best in-body stabilization on any camera and great handling. The downside is sub-par contrast-detect autofocus and battery life that’s not amazing.
It’s also worth a look at the GH5 Mark II, which is not only $500 cheaper but particularly well suited for live-streamers. It’s not a huge upgrade over the GH5, but does more than most rival cameras for the price, offering 4K 10-bit 60p video, a fully articulating display and excellent in-body stabilization. As with the GH6, the main drawback is the contrast-detect autofocus system.
Panasonic’s G100 is purpose built for vlogging like the ZV-1, but also allows you to change lenses. It has a fully-articulating flip-out screen, 5-axis hybrid (optical/electronic) stabilization, 4K V-Log-L video at up to 30 fps (though sadly cropped at 1.47X for 4K video), 1080p at up to 60 fps, and contrast detect AF with face/eye detection. The coolest feature is the Nokia OZO system that can isolate audio to a specific person via face-detection tracking — something that can theoretically improve audio quality. Best of all, you can grab it right now with a 12-32mm lens for $750.
Another good buy if you’re on a budget is Canon’s EOS M50 Mark II, particularly if you’re okay with 1080p video only. While not a huge upgrade over the original M50, Canon has made it more compelling for vloggers with a fully-articulating display, continuous eye-tracking in video and live streaming to YouTube. It does support 4K, but with a heavy 1.5 times crop and contrast-detect autofocus only. Still, it’s a good option for folks on a budget, selling for $699 with a 15-45mm lens.
If you’ve got the budget for it, Canon’s EOS R6 offers nearly every feature you need in a vlogging camera. You can shoot 10-bit 4K video at up to 60 fps, and the Dual Pixel autofocus with eye and face tracking is incredibly reliable. It also offers 5-axis optical stabilization, a flip-out display and a relatively compact size. As you may have heard, overheating can be an issue, but firmware updates have improved that issue and it only applies to the more demanding video settings.
The Fuijfilm X-T4 is a great all-around mirrorless camera for vlogging. It has everything you need, including a fully-articulating display, continuous eye- and face autofocus, 10-bit 4K log recording at up to 60 fps, 5-axis in-body stabilization, microphone and headphone jacks (the latter via USB-C) and lower noise in low light.
Image quality, especially in the skin tones, is lifelike and the sensor has minimal rolling shutter. It also offers good battery life and comes with dual UHS-II card slots. Finally, it’s fairly light considering all the features, and Fujifilm has a good selection of small lenses ideal for vlogging. What I don’t like is an autofocus system not quite as fast or accurate as Sony’s and the fairly steep $1,700 asking price for the body only.
If you want to look great while vlogging, check out Nikon’s stylish Z fc. It’s largely identical to the Z50, with features like a 20.9-megapixel APS-C sensor, 4K at 30 fps and a reliable phase-detect autofocus system with face detection. However, the Z fc brings a vari-angle touchscreen to the party and has a beautiful vintage body covered with convenient manual controls. It doesn’t have built-in optical stabilization, but you can get that via a lens. The best feature, though, is the price – you can get one for $1,100 with a 16-50mm lens.
If you’re not quite ready to buy, there are some interesting options on the horizon. Canon just announced the EOS R7, a mirrorless EOS R version of its popular EOS 7D DSLR. It has an APS-C sensor and all-new RF-S lenses, meaning that it might replace Canon’s current M-series cameras. Specs include a 32.5-megapixel APS-C sensor, 4K 60 fps video, an articulating display and more. All of that will make it a top vlogging option, if our upcoming review confirms the hype.
On top of that, Canon also announced a cheaper EOS R10 model with a 24.2-megapixel sensor that could also be an ideal vlogging camera. Both cameras are coming out towards the end of 2022.
In addition, Fujifilm just launched the X-H2S, its new $2,500 flagship mirrorless camera. With a 26.2-megapixel stacked and backside-illuminated sensor, it offers a raft of impressive features. Some of the highlights include 40 fps blackout-free burst shooting, faster autofocus, 6.2K 30fps video, a flip-out display and 7-stop in-body stabilization. If you’ve got the budget, this could be a solid vlogging choice when it arrives on July 7th.
Have you ever tried taking a photo of fish in a pond only to realize that your camera is catching the reflections on top of the water instead of the fish IN the water? Or how about trying to take a photo from your airplane window at night, but struggling with the fact that your phone’s reflection keeps coming in the photo? Reflections can sometimes really enhance a photo, but at other times, they’re just a hindrance. Think back to the time when you tried taking a selfie while wearing spectacles and all you got were reflections of things around you instead of the camera capturing your eyes… The way you eliminate those reflections is by using what’s called a polarizing filter – a special piece of glass that can selectively block out reflections and allow certain wavelengths of light to pass through. Designed to do precisely that, Sandmarc’s Drama Polarizer Filter comes with a clip-on feature that lets you easily attach it to iPhone cameras or practically any other smartphone camera. The Drama Polarizer Filter covers all three lenses on the iPhone camera and can be rotated to help you allow certain wavelengths to pass through to your camera. The Drama Polarizer Filter is perhaps the easiest, quickest hack to better photography. You can use it to cut reflections, accentuate colors, and even boost contrast to create photos that just look better because you’ve now got control over the light that makes it into your camera’s lens!
The filter either clips onto the back of your phone, or if you’re using a Sandmarc iPhone case, it screws into the special mounting system built into the case’s camera cutout. To use the filter, just fire your camera app, compose your shot, and rotate the filter to choose what wavelengths to let through. Rotating the filter changes what wavelengths the filter allows, and just the way you’d turn the ring on a camera lens to focus on an object, you turn the polarizer filter to focus on a wavelength. Once you notice a difference and when you feel the composition looks good, click away! Or hey, you could record videos too…
Designed as a part of Sandmarc’s existing line of smartphone camera filters, the Drama Polarizer Filter fits directly onto other Sandmarc lenses, like their Telephoto, Anamorphic and Wide Lenses.
The filter does a variety of things, although cutting glare is probably one of its prime functions. Whether you’re taking photos of someone through a glass window, or of a friend (or yourself) wearing spectacles or sunglasses, or even of a lovely lake or pond, you can now use the filter to eliminate reflections entirely to allow for crystal clear photos with zero glare and great detail.
Sometimes multiple wavelengths of light clash with one another, creating a ‘haze’ of colors. With the Drama Polarizing Filter, you can cut down on unwanted wavelengths to get better color reproduction and higher dynamic range. You could take photos of brilliant blue skies by eliminating all the non-blue frequencies, or take incredible green landscapes by focusing on the green wavelength. The lens does much more than just eliminate glare, it eliminates wavelengths you don’t need either, allowing your camera to capture just the right photo by accentuating and focusing on certain colors and wavelengths… so you can take some truly beautiful photos that look like they were shot on camera, but essentially, they were shot on your smartphone!
