We really like physical photos around these parts. Our guide to the Best Instant Cameras has a collection of modern gadgets that print out pictures that you can stick on your fridge or pin on your walls. But what about the ones that started it all? Polaroid cameras have been fumbling around attics, garages, and storage closets for decades. And if you found one or just bought a cheap used one, there’s good news: You just need some film.
The better news is that, despite huge difficulty in the past, it’s now easier than ever to get film for your old Polaroid cameras. However, despite it being easy to find cheap film on Amazon, there’s a bit more nuance to choosing film than randomly picking whatever shows up first. If you’re not sure what kind of film your camera uses, read on.
A Brief History Lesson
Finding film for older Polaroid cameras can be simple and tricky at the same time. Today, if you come across a vintage camera manufactured by Polaroid—which went bankrupt and shut down in 2001—you can still buy film for that camera from a newer, mostly unrelated company: Polaroid.
Confused yet? Stick with me and it’ll make sense.
When the Polaroid Corporation went out of business, its assets, including the production line for its film and cameras, were sold off or licensed to various investors over the next several years. Film was still produced using the Polaroid brand, until the companies that owned Polaroid’s assets decided to abandon the instant camera business entirely in 2008. Not coincidentally this happened less than a year after the original iPhone came out.
That same year, a company called the Impossible Project was founded to take up the mantle Polaroid was leaving behind. The company bought some of Polaroid’s old equipment and developed new instant film modules that could be used in existing Polaroid cameras. Throughout the following decade, Impossible often worked with whatever company currently owned Polaroid’s assets to manufacture cameras, film modules, and other accessories.
That is, until 2017, when the Impossible Project’s largest shareholder bought the entirety of Polaroid’s assets and intellectual property. Like reforging a sword that had been broken, Polaroid had become whole once again, and in 2020, Impossible rebranded itself as Polaroid.
Which brings us to the situation we have today: Polaroid once again makes Polaroid cameras and film for Polaroid cameras. If you search Amazon for “polaroid film,” you’ll find film made by Polaroid for Polaroid cameras. Convenient, right? However, there are still a few details about the various types of film you need to know.
What Type of Film Do I Need?
Polaroid cameras use a few different types of film, and they’re not generally interchangeable. The first step is to look up what model of camera you have. For example, I have a Polaroid Spirit 600 which takes (surprise) 600 film. Below we’ll go over each type of film, and the special considerations you should keep in mind for each.
Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
If you have a picture in your mind of what “a Polaroid” looks like, this is probably what you’re thinking of. Early Polaroid cameras had low sensitivity to light, and thus were only really good for outdoor photography—unless you had a really bright flash. Polaroid 600 film was created to be more sensitive than previous film types, so you could take photos indoors or in low light and still get a usable photo.
These modules also had a small battery in them to power the camera, which didn’t have power on its own. This means, among other things, that any film manufactured by the original Polaroid Corporation prior to 2008 is probably dead by now. If you hunt for vintage film on sites like eBay, there’s a good chance that the film cartridge won’t work in your older camera. Fortunately, the new Polaroid makes 600 film manufactured this decade that will work just fine.
The Polaroid 600 cameras were popular in the ’90s, but if you have a Polaroid camera from the ’70s or ’80s, it’s more likely to use Polaroid SX-70 film. These have a square shape similar to the 600 film, but they’re much less sensitive to light. Most cameras that use this type of film will struggle to take a good picture indoors unless you have a flash—which many models didn’t come with.
When Impossible Project started making its own cameras in 2016, it made a small change to the film cartridges traditional Polaroid cameras use. Rather than putting a tiny battery in each and every film cartridge, the cameras would provide power themselves. This not only made it possible for film cartridges to last longer, it was better for the environment overall. This new format is the I-Type film.
A comparable pack of I-Type film is sometimes slightly cheaper than more traditional 600 film. However, you’ll need one of Polaroid’s new I-Type cameras to use it. These newer cameras can accept both 600 film and I-Type film, but you’ll usually be better off with the I-Type film, since it doesn’t require a built-in battery like the 600 film does.
Future tech update: The bad news is we’re all still waiting for our personal jetpacks. The good news is that we live in an age where James Bond-level tech is accessible and affordable to anyone.
Exhibit A: The iSpyPen PRO, a sleek and professional-looking pen that doubles as a discreet recording device that was featured by NBC and iHeartRadio. Perfect for students and professionals alike, it can record meetings, lectures and presentations, ensuring you don’t miss a single detail. The best part? It’s already on sale, but you can take an extra $10 off the discounted price through March 24.
Say goodbye to missing important notes and details
You almost have to squint to see the pinpoint dot near the top of the iSpyPen PRO, but it’s an actual camera capable of taking 1920×1080 HD resolution video and pictures that come out crystal clear on your choice of playback devices.
You can use an included plug-and-play adapter to upload your clips onto smartphones, tablets, or laptops, but there’s no rush. The internal battery allows up to 75 minutes of use, which is plenty of time for most meetings or classes, and videos and photos are stored on the iSpyPen PRO for 24 hours.
The 128GB of onboard memory means you have plenty of room for recording videos, as well as still images and sound taken with the pen. Over 4 hours can be recorded at a time, and you can opt to include a timestamp overlay that lets you know the time and date your footage was taken. It comes with the adapter, charger, case and extension cable. And, of course, you can write with the iSpyPen PRO.
Never miss another important detail during meetings, classroom lectures or presentations when you grab the iSpyPen PRO 2021 model for just $149.97 through March 24 at 11:59 PM Pacific. No coupon required.
Samsung’s new Galaxy A35 is very similar to your Galaxy A34 in many aspects but vastly different in others. Camera-wise, the 2024 model borrows almost every sensor from the Galaxy A34 but sports a different 50MP primary wide shooter instead of a 48MP unit. And here’s how big a difference this new configuration makes, according to independent reviewer DxOMark.
The Galaxy A35 captures better photos and records higher-quality videos than the Galaxy A34 while offering improved capabilities in lowlight conditions.
The difference might not be like night and day in every area, but the Galaxy A35 is good enough to climb up DxOMark’s budget camera phone rankings and claim 2nd place, whereas the Galaxy A34 stays 7th.
Galaxy A34 has better zoom but not much else
According to DxOMark’s scores, the Galaxy A34 — the 136th camera phone in the global ranking and 7th in the $200-$400 price bracket — has better zoom than the Galaxy A35.
The 2023 model scores 76 points in the “Zoom” sub-category, while the 2024 sequel scores 71. However, that’s where the Galaxy A34 stops winning over the A35.
Samsung’s new A-series budget phone seems to take better photos and videos in a wider variety of conditions and low light, generates improved Bokeh blur effects, and records better videos. In fact, within the $200-$400 range, it looks like the A35’s camera setup is bested only by the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G.
DxOMark’s summary for the Galaxy A34 also mentions that the phone’s microphones pick up finger noises too easily when recording videos, and audio playback from recordings has a “slight lack of bass.” These issues were not listed in the Galaxy A35 summary, so perhaps the new model no longer has them.
Nevertheless, the source still mentions that the new phone has limited performance in low-light conditions. It is better than the A34, but still not good enough to be deemed a phone geared for low-light photography and videography within the wider scope of the global ranking. Obviously, there are pricier phones that perform better than the A34 and A35 in many areas.
But should you leave the Galaxy A34 behind and buy a Galaxy A35 in hopes of getting more from its cameras? Maybe yes, assuming you can find a good trade-in deal and upgrade from the A34 to the A35 for pennies.
Otherwise, probably not, unless you also want an Exynos 1380 chip instead of the MediaTek Dimensity 1080, an Infinity-O display with better Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection instead of Infinity-U with Gorilla Glass 5 from almost a decade ago, Wi-Fi 6 capabilities, and newer firmware out of the box.
Logitech is expanding its Mevo lineup of live-streaming cameras for creators. The company’s new Mevo Core shoots in 4K, meaning, unlike the 1080p Mevo Start we reviewed two years ago, cropping and digital zooms won’t lead to overly grainy video. However, the tradeoff is pricing, as the new model will set you back three times as much for a three-camera setup.
The Mevo Core continues the lineup’s trajectory of wireless multicam live-streaming directly to platforms like YouTube, Twitch and Facebook. (Of course, you can also record content to upload later.) The $999 package ships as a body only, although Logitech says it will sell lens bundle kits through Amazon and B&H Photo Video. Either way, you’ll need at least one Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lens to get started, and the company says any powered or manual MFT lens will work on day one.
The camera has a large 4/3 CMOS sensor, which Logitech says diminishes noise and improves low-light performance and depth of field compared to the 1080p model. The Core shoots in 4K at 30fps for recording content to upload later; if you’re live-streaming, you can instead use 1080p at 30fps. This model supports WiFi 6E, which could help with network latency and stability if your router also supports it.
Logitech
The camera’s body is noticeably bigger than that of the Mevo Start. At 3.5 x 3.5 x 3.25 inches, it has a similar depth and height but is about twice the width. With its battery installed (and no lenses mounted), it weighs 1.5 lbs.
Logitech says its audio is upgraded, too. It has a built-in three-microphone array with noise cancellation. You can also connect an external mic (or other audio source), which we found essential in the Mevo Start. We’ll have to wait and see if the Core’s built-in mics fare much better.
The Mevo Core’s battery life is estimated at six hours. If you need more time, you can plug an external power source into its USB-C port. It also includes an HDMI port, a 3.5mm one (for analog audio), and a microSD card slot. Logitech says it can double as an (incredibly expensive) wired or wireless HD webcam.
Like previous models, the Mevo Core works with Logitech’s Mevo app (where you can adjust things like focus, zoom, and aperture) and Multicam app to set up multi-viewpoint recording or streaming.
The Logitech Mevo Core is available for $999 for a single (body-only) camera starting today. It’s available from Logitech, Amazon, and B&H Photo Video.
If this information is accurate, the front camera on the next iPad Air would be located in the bezel to the right of the screen when the device is held upright. As a result, the front camera would be positioned at the top of the iPad when the device is in landscape orientation, making it centered with the user’s eyes during video calls. This change would be especially beneficial to those who use the iPad Air with a Magic Keyboard.
On the current iPad Air, the front camera is in the top bezel above the screen, resulting in it being off-center in landscape orientation.
The leaker does not expect the next iPad Air to have any other significant design changes. They also cast doubt on a larger 12.9-inch iPad Air, but that model has been widely rumored by multiple sources, so it would be surprising if it did not launch.
A landscape front camera had already been rumored for both the next iPad Pro and iPad Air, so it is becoming an increasingly likely design change. Apple already repositioned the front camera on the entry-level iPad 10 a few years ago, so it would make sense for the change to be expanded to the entire iPad lineup eventually.
“During Face ID setup, iPad needs to be in landscape with the camera at the top of the screen,” read hidden code in iPadOS 17.4.
Apple is expected to unveil new iPads in late March or in April.
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The 8849 TANK3 PRO is a rugged smartphone sporting a massive 23,800mAh battery, which means you won’t have to worry about running out of juice while on the go.
While the battery should be the main highlight, as the phone also supports 120W super-fast charging, the TANK3 PRO boasts several other unexpected standout features.
Marketed as the ‘Ultimate 5G Projection Rugged Smartphone,’ the IP68 waterproof rated TANK3 PRO comes equipped with a DLP projector, a 200-megapixel camera, and a camping torch.
200MP main camera
The built-in 100 Lumens 120Hz DLP projector allows users to project content onto any surface, making it suitable for presentations or movie viewing – indoors or outdoors – and it features an adjustable focus. The large LED camping light not only illuminates your path at night but can also emit red or blue light for those moments when, 8849 suggests, you want to add “more fun to your life” (perhaps by pretending to be a police car).
The phone features a 6.79-inch FHD screen and is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 processor. It has 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.
TANK3 PRO comes with 16/18GB of memory, which can be increased to 32/36GB, and 512GB of storage space. In addition, the device supports up to 2TB memory cards for expanded storage.
For photography, the phone is equipped with a 200MP AI main camera, 64MP night vision shooter and 50MP selfie camera.
The TANK3 PRO is currently available for pre-order at the official AliExpress 8849 store. A $50 off promotional offer running at the moment means the price comes in at around $600.
Analog photography’s not dead – not if Pentax has anything to do with it. Announced at the end of 2022, the Pentax Film Project has one goal: to develop and launch a new 35mm film camera for the TikTok generation.
Bold as that idea might sound, there’s evidence that Pentax is onto something. With the viral hype around the sold-out-everywhere Fujifilm X100V, interest in retro-style cameras has never been higher.
Two years after the project’s launch, we’re now on the cusp of that camera breaking cover. According to Pentax – or its parent company, Ricoh Imaging – its new film camera is due to be revealed in summer this year.
Thanks to a series of video stories charting the model’s development, we know that it’s aimed at entry-level photographers who are new to the world of film. We also know that it will feature manual elements as a nod to classic analog cameras, including hand-winding film advancement.
To give you a full overview of what Pentax’s new film camera could have in store when it hits shelves, we’ve rounded up all of the information that’s currently available online. From potential release date to price and design, you’ll find all of the latest Pentax film camera news below.
We’ve also given our verdict on which features are most likely to make it into production.
Pentax film camera: Release date and price
Neither the name nor the price of the new Pentax film camera have been officially revealed, but we can draw a few clues from what Pentax has said about the camera’s target market and development process.
We know from Pentax that the new film camera is designed for “younger photographers to fully enjoy taking photos as they enter the world of film photography.” We also know that the camera will shoot half-frame vertical photos (see below), in part as a way to address the high cost of film in 2024 by maximising value from each frame.
Both of these factors suggest that the new Pentax film camera will be priced in a way that’s accessible to younger photographers. But defining entry-level is easier said than done in a camera genre that’s been relatively dormant for more than a decade – particularly when Pentax has spent a full year developing and prototyping the new model.
As noted in an interview with Digital Camera World, Pentax faced several hurdles building a film camera from scratch. Ricoh’s own press release from March 2024 notes that the Film Project team had to “overcome a broad range of difficult and complicated issues,” including the need to procure parts.
Whether this will have an impact on the retail price for the camera remains to be seen. We’ve love to see a $250 / £200 / AU$375 price tag that puts the new model within genuine reach of many new photographers. In reality, we think it will cost significantly more. Arguably its closest rival is the Polaroid I-2 – one of the best instant cameras – which, like the Pentax, features manual controls. It retails at $599.99 / £599 / €699.99, which might be a more realistic ballpark for the Pentax.
Pentax film camera: Design and interface
The Pentax K1000 film camera in shadow (Image credit: Zigmar Stein / Shutterstock)
Pentax has confirmed that the new model will be a “35mm-format compact film camera”. As reported by Digital Camera World, Takeo Suzuki (Product Planner and Designer) has also stated that they want, “people to carry it around like a smartphone.” Both statements suggest that the model will be tidily packaged, with compact proportions that make it easy to travel with.
Beyond this, we know precious little about the styling of the Pentax film camera, although we can surmise from certain references – and the wider context – that it will adopt the kind of vintage look that has made models like the Fujifilm X100V such a huge hit with Gen Z.
According to Pentax, the lens design has been inspired by the Ricoh Auto Half, which launched in 1962, and the Pentax Espio Mini, launched in 1994. Both bear the ‘retro’ hallmarks of their respective eras and, while the styling itself won’t necessarily take cues from those cameras, the signs are promising for photographers in the market for nostalgia.
As for the interface, we know from Pentax that the film camera will offer a hybrid of automatic and manual functions, combining ease of use for novices with the tactile satisfaction of analog inputs. Pentax has confirmed that the camera will have automatic aperture and shutter speed control, allowing users to operate the camera as a point-and-shoot.
But it has also referenced the ability to “manually change some settings”, potentially via “dial control”. Pentax hasn’t elaborated further on what shooting modes might be included on such a dial, but it suggests that the film camera will offer room for manual creativity beyond the default automatic setting.
The element that’s arguably made the most headlines is the camera’s “hand-wound film advance mechanism”. This manual lever harks back to the origins of SLR film photography. Together with the crank that will be used to rewind film when you’ve finished shooting on a roll, it fulfils Pentax’s promise of a genuine analog shooting experience. Pentax itself has admitted that a motorized unit would have made assembly easier, but it wanted users to “enjoy the action and sound of winding/rewinding operations.”
Pentax has also acknowledged that concerns about reliability and repair costs give people pause for thought before purchasing vintage analog cameras, particularly when the cost of a ruined film roll is higher than ever. This suggests that Pentax has considered the robustness of its new camera, something backed up by the inclusion of a full manufacturer warranty.
Pentax film camera: Format and focal length
One of the key features of the Pentax film camera is that it will shoot half-frame images, meaning it will capture two shots per standard frame of 35mm film. This isn’t a new concept: it’s been used on classic cameras like the Ricoh Auto Half mentioned above, as well as more recent experimental models like the Lomography Diana Mini.
Traditionally, the half-frame format has been posited as a way of telling stories by contrasting different scenes and subjects across a composite image. While Pentax references this as one reason for using the format, its other motivations for reviving half-frame photography are very much rooted in 2024.
One is cost: shooting two photos per frame doubles the number of photos you get from a roll of film. That means you’ll get 48 stills from a 24-exposure roll, or a generous 72 on 36-exposure film – assuming none are lost in processing. Given the current price of film, the half-frame approach reduces the cost-per-shot for new photographers, making the experience more accessible.
(Image credit: Ricoh)
Pentax’s other justification is just as prescien. While its new camera might be analog, Pentax knows that its audience is primarily digital, which means most users will, in one way or another, want to share the resulting photos online. And online, a vertical aspect ratio is king. By shooting half-frame, all images will come out portrait. So however photographers choose to digitise their film prints, they’ll be proportioned correctly for social media.
As mentioned above, the optical design of the camera’s lens is inspired by both the Ricoh Auto Half and the Pentax Espio Mini. The former featured a fixed-focus 25mm f/2.8 lens, while the latter deployed a 32mm f/3.5 prime.
(Image credit: Ricoh)
It’s easy to see why Pentax would choose a focal length and aperture combination somewhere between the two.
A 28mm lens would give a natural perspective that’s versatile for framing in the kind of point-and-shoot scenarios where most people are likely to use it, while an aperture of around f/2.8 will nail the shallow depth of field effect that has captured the hearts and minds of Gen Z.
Pentax film camera: Features and performance
As for the mechanics of shooting with the Pentax Film Project camera, Pentax has already revealed a fair amount about how the camera will operate. At its core is an electronic shutter, with automatic aperture and shutter speed to make shooting simple for first-time users.
According to Pentax, the electronic shutter has been customized for use in a film camera, with a view to eliminating the exposure issues that might be faced by someone new to manual photography, therefore limiting the number of wasted frames.
As above, Pentax has confirmed there will be some degree of manual control, although it’s not clear yet how much freedom users will get. Given Pentax’s comments about under/overexposure, we think manual modes may be limited to shutter speed and aperture priority. This would allow users a degree of creative flexibility, while automating the remaining settings to ensure that results remain broadly usable in most conditions.
The focus setup also highlights this hybrid of electronic and manual. Users of the Pentax film camera won’t get the benefit of modern autofocus; instead, they’ll have to master the ‘zone focusing’ technique. Manually adjusted using a ring around the lens, this traditional system sets the focus based on the distance of the subject from the camera.
This pre-set approach works particularly well at focal lengths of 35mm and below, in the kind of street and party settings where the Pentax film camera will presumably be popular.
Pentax has also confirmed that it would like to give new users a helping hand, by way of “a mechanism that tells you the selected focus zone at a glance when you look into the viewfinder.”
This feedback element should flatten the learning curve for beginners, while still leaving room for the happy accidents that result from zone focusing. These happen when subjects become softly defocused at the boundary between one zone and the next, an effect replicated by countless digital filters across Instagram and TikTok.
Pentax film camera rumors round-up
Pentax has been relatively transparent about what we can expect from its upcoming film camera. A compact 35mm model designed with young photographers in mind, it encompasses both analog and electronic features. Taking inspiration from the Ricoh Auto Half, it will shoot half-frame images on standard film rolls, doubling the number of potential exposures while delivering vertical stills that are better suited for sharing online.
Aperture and shutter speed will be controlled automatically, while the film-advance will use a manual lever and rewinding crank. Instead of autofocus, the camera will rely on traditional zone-focusing, with some kind of indicator in the viewfinder to provide extra clarity.
The specifics of some of these features are less certain, such as the degree of manual control, the focal length of the lens and the actual look of the camera. While the model will be targeted at beginners, we don’t have any firm word on pricing – nor do we know when exactly in summer 2024 we’ll get to meet it.
(Image credit: Kodak)
What’s clear is that, when it does finally break cover, the Pentax film camera will aim to inspire a new generation of analog photographers. While some enthusiasts will be disappointed by the lack of interchangeable lenses, the new model is intended to capture the current enthusiasm for vintage photography. If successful, it could prove a gateway to a wider revival of the genre and, potentially, lead to the introduction of other film camera projects by Pentax.
This isn’t the first film camera to hit the market in recent years. But where models like the similarly half-frame Kodak Ektar H35 favored total simplicity with fixed focus, aperture and shutter speed, the Pentax Film Project offers something altogether different.
On the one hand, you have an accessible, hybrid reimagining of an analog camera, designed to ride the retro trend that enjoys viral popularity among Gen Z. On the other, you have a modern half-frame film camera with quality optics, an electronic shutter and zone-focusing, as well as a degree of manual control – all of which should see it appeal to enthusiasts, too.
A camera sensor is among the most important components in a smartphone, and Sony is the world’s number one camera sensor maker. Samsung’s System LSI division also makes camera sensors under the ISOCELL branding, and it is the second-biggest camera maker globally. While Samsung largely uses its own camera sensors in its Galaxy phones, that could change in the future.
Future Galaxy phones may use Sony camera sensors
According to a new report from ETNews, Samsung could use more Sony camera sensors in its smartphones in the future. Sony Semiconductor Solutions (which makes Sony camera sensors) plans to move part of its camera sensor production from Japan to South Korea, reportedly to expand and strengthen Samsung’s supply of camera sensors. It is said to have discussed its plans with back-end semiconductor process companies, including LB Semicon, Doosan Tesna (NGion), ALT, and ASE Korea, for packaging and inspection processes.
Camera image sensor semiconductor wafers will be transferred from Japan to South Korea for packaging processes and turned into individual chips. Sony asked those Korean firms to use Class 10-level Clean Rooms for this post-processing. Class 10-level Clean Roms are those rooms in a manufacturing facility where less than 10 dust particles (larger than 0.5µm in size) are found in one cubic foot of space. These companies will also conduct the reconstruction process, which selects good quality chips and rearranges them.
An industry official familiar with the matter reportedly said, “Samsung’s MX division is encouraging competition by mixing image sensors made by its system LSI division with Sony products in smartphones, and Sony is expanding its back-end process to Korea to respond more actively to its customers. I understand that they are planning to proceed with it.”
Apparently, Samsung MX wants increased competition between Sony Semiconductor Solutions and its own System LSI subsidiary. This will result in faster implementation of newer technologies and lower costs for Samsung. Sony currently has over 50% market share in the global mobile camera sensor market, while Samsung is a distant second at 10%.
Sony is so closely associated with full-frame mirrorless cameras that it’s easy to forget it also sells the A6000 APS-C lineup — particularly since the last one, the A6600, came out five long years ago in 2019. The flagship A6700 finally arrived last year, though, with a feature list that appeared to be worth the wait.
It’s the same price the A6600 was at launch four years ago, but addresses its predecessor’s main flaws by boosting resolution a bit and reducing rolling shutter. At the same time, it’s been likened to a mini-FX30 cinema camera as it has the same sensor and video capabilities.
I’ve never been a big fan of Sony’s A6000 series. But now that the A6700 has been out a while, I was keen to see if it lived up to some of the hype and how it compared to rival Canon and Fujifilm models. As you’ll see, it’s mostly good news with just a little bit of bad.
Sony
The A6700 is Sony’s first APS-C mirrorless hybrid camera in years, but it was worth the wait. It heavily reduces rolling shutter that was a pain point on past models, while bumping image sharpness. It’s an excellent video camera as well, with 4K at up to 120 fps and 10-bit log capture. The main downside is burst speeds well behind the competition, particularly in electronic shutter mode
Pros
Excellent video capabilities
Accurate autofocus
Improved handling
Minimal rolling shutter
Good image quality
Cons
Slowish burst speeds
Overheating
$1,398 at B&H
Body and handling
One of the things I’ve disliked about Sony’s APS-C bodies over the years is the usability and looks, especially compared to Fujifilm’s good-looking and easy-to-use models. I wouldn’t call the A6700 beautiful, but at least Sony has rectified the handling part.
The redesigned grip is larger and more comfortable, making it more comfortable to use over a full day. At the same time, Sony added a new control dial on the front, making the camera easier to use in manual or priority modes.
It includes a new dedicated photo, video and S&Q dial, letting you keep settings separate for each. Menus are a big step up too, as the A6700 uses the improved system from recent full-frame models. The only thing missing is a joystick, but the focus point can be adjusted using the d-pad-like dial on the back.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The A6700 is also the first Sony APS-C camera with an articulating display, so it’s better for vloggers than the flip-up display on past models. The relatively low resolution EVF is a weak point as it’s difficult at times to check focus, but it does the job most of the time. .
Another negative is the single card slot, but at least it supports high-speed UHS-II cards. Luckily, it has the same large battery as full-frame models, which gives it an excellent 570 shot CIPA rating.
Other features include microphone and headphone ports (along with support for Sony’s hot shoe audio accessories), a USB-C port for charging and data transfers and an HDMI port. The latter, unfortunately, is of the fiddly and fragile micro variety.
All of that adds up to a 6000-series camera I’d happily use for most types of work. Previously, I found those models not up to the job, especially for video.
Performance
Steve Dent for Engadget
Performance is more of a mixed bag, though. Lossless RAW bursts are possible at up to 11 fps, either in mechanical or electronic shutter modes. That compares to the 15 and 30fps for the similarly priced Canon EOS R7 and 15/20 fps for the Fujifilm X-T5. That’s quite a deficit considering the latter two have much higher resolution sensors.
The A6700 only stores up to 36 compressed RAW frames before the buffer fills, compared to 45 on the A6600 and comparable to rivals. Based strictly on speed, though, the R7 and X-T5 are better action cameras.
Fortunately, the autofocus is superb and that’s arguably more important for a consumer camera. In continuous mode, you’ll get reliable results even with fast moving subjects. And the AI tracking locks onto eyes and faces, ensuring you won’t miss important shots of rowdy kids, soccer games and more.
Steve Dent for Engadget
It also works with airplanes, animals, birds, cars or trains and insects. Unlike Canon’s auto system, though, you have to tell the A6700 exactly what you’re tracking. Once you’ve set it up the way you want, though, it’s a touch more reliable than Canon’s system, and significantly better than the X-T5..
The five-axis in-body stabilization is good but not great, offering 5 stops compared to 8 on the EOS R7 and 7 on the Fuji X-T5. Still, I was able to take sharp photos down to about an eighth of a second.
Rolling shutter was my main complaint with the A6600, but it’s now much improved and about as good as you get without a stacked sensor. It’s still present, though, so you’ll want to use the mechanical shutter for fast-moving subjects like propellers and trains.
Image Quality
1 / 32
Sony A6700 review sample photos
Sony A6700 review sample photos
With a new 26-megapixel sensor, The A6700 captures more detail than past 24-megapixel models. As mentioned, though, it’s lacking compared to the 32.5-megapixel Canon R7 and 40-megapixel X-T5.
Colors are mostly spot-on, but I still prefer Canon’s skin tones. JPEGs look good out of the camera, if a touch over-sharpened. With 14-bit RAW uncompressed files, I found plenty of room to adjust and tweak images, dialing down bright areas or adding detail to shadows. Keep in mind that when shooting bursts, though, RAW files are captured with only 12-bits of color fidelity.
There is a benefit to the lower resolution. The A6700 is better in low light than rivals, with noise well controlled up to ISO 6400. Images are usable up to ISO 12800, but anything beyond up to the ISO 102,400 limit is for emergency use only. It’s best to emphasize shadow exposure at high ISOs, as lifting those even a couple of stops creates excessive noise.
Video
The A6700 is so far above its predecessor for video that it’s useless to compare them. Rather, think of it as a cheaper, smaller FX30 cinema camera with the same image quality. The main difference is that the A6700 doesn’t have the same cooling capability, as I’ll discuss shortly.
It subsamples the full sensor width for 4K at 30 and 60 fps, so video is sharper than the X-T5 or R7. And the A6700 beats both of those models by having a 4K 120fps mode, though it’s cropped significantly at 1.58x.
Due to the relatively small body and lack of fans, you’ll need to be wary of overheating at 120p, as it’ll cut out after 20-30 minutes. For indoor shooting, you can generally shoot at up to 4K 60p without any stoppages with the “auto power temp” setting on “high.” Outside on a hot day, however, you may hit the limits and need to wait for the camera to cool down.
Like the FX30, you can shoot all video modes with 10-bit with S-Log3 capture. You can also load your own LUTs either to make log footage easier to monitor, or bake it into the final image.
Steve Dent for Engadget
Rolling shutter is still present, so you’ll still need to be careful with whip pans, fast subjects and the like. However, it’s far less bothersome than on past Sony crop sensor models.
It has a video feature that’s actually lacking on the FX3, namely auto-framing. That’s handy for vloggers as it can crop in and follow them as they move around the frame — with less quality loss than the ZV-E1 (this feature is finicky on the A6700 so be sure to test it first). It also offers focus compensation that digitally eliminates breathing, and again, this extra resolution compared to the ZV-E1 results in a sharper result.
Stabilization for video isn’t quite as good as the ZV-E1, though. The active mode is fine for handheld use and slow pans, but doesn’t do a lot to smooth out footsteps, and adds a 1.13x crop.
As for video quality, you’re seeing the same accurate colors and solid low-light capability as with photos. The 10-bit log options allow for plenty of flexibility in post, especially with contrasty images.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent for Engadget
The A6700 is easily Sony’s best APS-C camera yet, excelling at both photos and video, and offering much better handling. Despite being far more capable than the A6600, it carries the same $1,400 price.
As a photo camera, it’s slower than its main competition, the Canon R7 and Fujifilm X-T5, so those models are better for shooting action. Sony’s autofocus is slightly better though, and faster bursts are worthless if photos aren’t sharp.
As a video camera, though, it beats its main rivals across the board. All told, it’s a great option for content creators or hybrid shooters who favor video but do some photography. If that’s you, I’d highly recommend it.
Leica’s SL family has always been the most “mirrorless” looking of its cameras, offering pro photographers handling that’s similar to rivals like Canon and Sony. That continues with the launch of the SL3, a 60-megapixel (MP) model that looks nothing like its famous rangefinder cameras, offering a new phase-detect autofocus system, 8K video capability and more.
The new model has the same sensor as the M11 rangefinder and Q3 compact models, but very much resembles the SL2 and tips the scale at a hefty 767 grams. It’s also IP54-rated so you can shoot in weather conditions ranging from 14 to 104°F without worrying about dust, moisture etc.
Leica
The biggest change in the layout is a new dial on the left top (all the dials are blank as you can customize them any way you want). At the back, Leica moved the three key buttons (play, function and menu) to the right, and changed the power switch to a button.
The SL3 now has a new 3.2″ 2.3m-dot LCD, and unlike past models, it can tilt (but not swivel). The EVF has also been updated to a higher-resolution 5.76m-dot 0.78x OLED version. As for storage, it supports both CFexpress type B and SD UHS-II memory cards. It comes with a full-sized HDMI and USB-C charging ports, along with mic/headphone jacks.
Leica
The new sensor increases resolution from 47 MP on the SL2 up to 60 MP, a significant bump. It’s likely similar to the sensor Sony uses on the A7R V, and supports a wide native ISO range from 50-100,000, with a claimed 15 stops of dynamic range.
It can shoot bursts up to 15fps, but more importantly, offers a new phase-detect AF system that’s faster and more intelligent, according to the company. It combines phase detection, contrast and object autofocus for faster and more consistent performances. That includes face and eye detection, along with a new animal detection feature. It’s also supposed to be better at tracking action, Leica says.
Leica
As for video, the SL3 can record internally in DCI 8K 8192 x 4320 at 30 fps and DCI 4K at up to 60p with a maximum bitrate of 600Mb/s. It can also record externally via the HDMI output, also at DCI 8K and DCI 4K up to 60fps. Those resolutions are all available in 10-bit with the choice of L-Log Rec. 2020 and HLG Rec. 2020. It supports ProRes recording, but only up to 1080p.
As you’re probably expecting, the SL3 isn’t cheap at $6,995, though it is significantly cheaper than the $9,000 M11. It’s now available at B&H Photo Video and elsewhere.
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