Breaking news, industry updates, and timely stories from the photography world.
TTArtisan’s new AF 85mm f/1.8 Neo is a full-frame autofocus portrait lens for just $99, undercutting Sony, Nikon, and even Viltrox by a wide margin. Here’s what the price does and doesn’t buy.
A new Japanese survey has Kodak overtaking Fujifilm as the most-used film brand, 71% to 68%, reversing 2024, as Fujifilm’s price hikes reshape the analog market.
The Bolt Hunter is an AI-powered predictive lightning camera trigger that measures your camera’s shutter lag and fires in real time. Built by storm chasers, its Kickstarter closed at over $106,000, and it has since shipped as a finished $349 product.
Weeks after a 7.1 quake halted the Kumamoto sensor plant, Sony and TSMC are reportedly planning a $6.3B joint venture to mass-produce next-gen image sensors there from 2029.
A major UK photography survey reveals 58% of professionals have lost commissioned work to generative AI, with average financial losses surging 142% to £34,900 per photographer. Licensed images are down 65% and photographers are pulling work offline.
Trump signed tariffs of up to 100% on imported drones. Consumer DJI models like the Mini 5 Pro and Air 3S face 25%, effective September 3, and buyers pay it.
A new FCC proposal would pull already-approved DJI drones like the Mini 5 Pro and Air 3S from the US market. It’s not final, and the comment window closes September 2.
Mondo Robotics’ Beni is a real two-wheeled camera robot that follows and films you. It’s charming and verifiably real, but early, and it’s a Kickstarter pledge, not a finished product.
The Insta360 X6 (model CINSABXA) cleared full FCC certification in the United States on July 3, 2026, matching the grant-to-announcement pattern that landed the X4 and X5 within eight weeks. What the filing actually confirms, what the 8K/60 and 1-inch-sensor leaks look like, and how the timing fits into the ongoing DJI-Insta360 patent fight.
iOS 27 beta code points to ‘Apple Reference Image,’ a way to prove an iPhone photo is real. The catch: it may not use the open C2PA standard.
The 3.2-gigapixel LSST Camera released EDP2, its first science data, with a COSMOS field image holding more than 500,000 galaxies.
The Benro Theta raised nearly $2.5M on Kickstarter in 2023. Three years on, many of its 4,494 backers say they have neither the tripod nor a refund, while Benro resells it to new customers.
Sony’s new FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS is a 654g, $849.99 super-telephoto zoom, less than half the weight of the GM. Here’s the catch, and who it’s for.
HoverAir’s new Versa is a pocket gimbal camera that clicks into a caged drone body to become a self-flying drone, one device taking on DJI and Insta360.
Sony has made a non-binding proposal to buy all of Tamron for around $1.2 billion and take it private. Here’s what a Sony-owned Tamron would mean for Nikon, Fujifilm, and L-mount shooters, with the honest proposal-stage caveats.
The FTC granted early termination of the antitrust review for Adobe’s Topaz Labs acquisition on July 29, clearing the biggest hurdle. Here’s what it means for the standalone Topaz license you already own, and your buy-hold-wait move.
A 7.1 earthquake hit Kumamoto, Japan’s camera-sensor manufacturing hub, on July 28. Sony’s Kikuyo fab, which makes up to 4 million sensors a day, is offline with damage under assessment. The 2016 precedent is the real warning.
7Artisans just announced the AF 10mm f/2.5 MAX, a 185-degree full-frame fisheye with autofocus, in three mounts at once. It’s the clearest sign yet that third-party glass is out-innovating the OEMs into the niches they abandoned.
Canon’s shutter-less EOS R6 V shipped with no flash at all. Firmware v1.1.0 finally adds Speedlite support, but a 1/60s sync cap and no 5-pin hotshoe are the catch.
“That’s AI” is now the reflex reply to any great photo. Here’s why the accusation spread to everyone — and a calm, practical playbook for proving your work is real when you’re the one accused.
The EU adopted its final Article 50 AI-labeling Guidelines on July 20, twelve days before the rules apply. Here is the line every photographer needs: which edits stay unlabeled, and which now count as AI-manipulated.
Apple’s late-2026 lineup, decoded for shooters: the iPhone 18 Pro’s rumored variable-aperture camera, the iPhone Fold, M5 MacBook Pros that are already here, and what to buy now versus wait for.
A German court (OLG Dusseldorf, April 2026) ruled that restyling a photographer’s image with AI was not infringement, and found the AI copy belongs to no one. What it means, and how to protect your work.
Polaroid CEO Dan Dossa discusses the brand’s revival at CP+ 2026, from factory investments to Gen Z appeal, and how the iconic instant camera maker is challenging Fujifilm Instax’s market dominance.
DJI set a July 30 global launch for the dual-lens Osmo Pocket 4P, but with no US availability, pricing, or FCC path, here is exactly what an American buyer can do on launch day.
Leaked patents show Insta360 building its first pocket selfie drone, and it looks a lot like a DJI Neo. So does Insta360 actually innovate, or just follow DJI? The honest answer, and what its track record really shows.
The biggest iPhone 18 Pro camera rumor is a true mechanical variable aperture on the main camera, replacing the fixed f/1.78 with real optical control over depth of field and exposure. Here’s what the leaks say, what it would do for your photos, and how much to believe.
Viltrox’s mid-July wave is in retail: the $299 AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO full-frame pancake is shipping at B&H, and the company just launched its first-ever Micro Four Thirds lens, plus a 90mm that undercuts Fujifilm.
A Nature commentary warns that wildlife photographers using generative AI to enhance bird shots are polluting the citizen-science databases scientists rely on. One ‘make it look better’ edit turned a common oriole into a false first-record blackbird.
Sony Alpha Rumors reports the RX10 V and FX5 are lined up for two July 2026 announcements — a credible, well-sourced rumor (now with a camera registration to back it), though Sony hasn’t made it official. The RX10 V would be the bridge superzoom’s first update in nearly a decade.
Chris Graue mounted a 1998 Game Boy Camera (128×112 px, four greys) to Mount Wilson’s 60-inch telescope and photographed Jupiter — then released the 3D-printed adapter files for free. The optics lesson hiding inside a great gear-agnostic story.
A roll of Kodak Portra 400 has roughly tripled since 2016. Here’s the 20-year price curve, why film keeps climbing, and where the new $35 Kodak EC35 fits – plus the catch behind that low sticker.
Meike launched the AF 85mm f/1.4 MIX II for Sony E, Nikon Z, and L-mount at $569: APO optics, weather sealing, an aperture ring, and a day-one 4.5/5 lab review. The first-party portrait flagships suddenly look very expensive.
