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The gray colorscheme, 30th Anniversary logo, 'diamond' knurling on the control ring around the lens and the price set the Anniversary edition apart from the standard G7 X III.

Image: Canon

Canon is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its PowerShot line of compact cameras with a premium-priced special edition of its hard-to-find G7 X Mark III enthusiast compact.

It features a gray top plate and different knurling on the control ring, along with 30th Anniversary branding on the flash. Other than that, it's identical to the standard G7 X Mark III that's reliably unavailable.

As such it has a 24-100mm equiv. F1.8-2.8 lens in front of a 20MP Type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) Stacked CMOS sensor. It also has a clicking control dial around the lens, a dedicated exposure comp dial and a rear screen that flips 90 degrees down and 180 degrees upward, helping it become something of a TikTok favourite, as well as being an excellent enthusiast compact.

Canon North America will also provide a leather PeakDesign wrist strap with the 30th Anniversary logo but this isn't included in all markets.

The Anniversary Edition is described as a limited edition, but the extent of its availability has not been disclosed.

Image: Canon

Canon refers to it as a "limited edition" but declined to specify how many units the edition is limited to. Canon North America told us it will run a lottery for people wanting to buy them from its own website but it'll be left up to retailers to decide how to allocate the units they get into stock.

The special edition G7 X Mark III will be available from April 2026 in unspecified numbers at a cost of $1295. This is a $420 premium over the regular version that isn't formally limited. A company spokesperson said that supply constraints on the standard version "should get better, later in the year."

In the UK, the special edition will cost £860, only a £40 increase over the cost over the standard model. Though you don't get the custom wrist strap. It will go on sale on April 23rd.

European outlets are reporting that the Anniversary edition and all G7 X III's will move over from the NB-13L battery to a new unit called the NB-15L. Batteries with the new designation differ only in that they won't attempt to charge if they've been over-discharged, as a safety feature.

Canon's PowerShot Compact Digital Camera Turns 30

Limited Edition PowerShot G7 X Mark III Camera Available

MELVILLE, N.Y., February 4, 2026 - Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that its parent company, Canon Inc. celebrates that 2026 marks the 30 year anniversary of Canon's PowerShot compact digital camera. To commemorate this anniversary, a limited edition PowerShot G7 X Mark III camera with a limited color body design and 30 year anniversary logo is currently scheduled to be released in April 2026.

Since the launch of the original PowerShot 600 in July 1996, PowerShot has expanded its lineup to meet the diverse needs of its users. The PowerShot line, which was developed with the aim of making it easy for users to enjoy high-quality still images and video, is popular among a wide range of users, from camera beginners to amateurs, and as of February 20261 over 200 PowerShot cameras in the Americas have been released.

Currently, Canon offers a wide range of products tailored to each user's lifestyle, including the G Series, which combines a compact, lightweight body with high image quality and multiple functions, the V Series, which allows users to enjoy full-fledged video recording with ease, and the SX Series, which offers high-magnification zoom.

Canon will continue to contribute to the further development of photographic and imaging culture by pursuing advanced technologies and high expressivity in response to user needs within the PowerShot line.

PowerShot 30 Anniversary Edition Available

To celebrate 30 years of PowerShot cameras, a limited edition version of the PowerShot G7 X Mark III camera is scheduled to be available later this year. The 1.0 inch PowerShot G7 X Mark III is a compact digital camera featuring a stacked CMOS sensor with approximately 20.1 million effective pixels2 and a large aperture and bright 4.2 x optical zoom lens for versatile video expression. In addition to still image capture, the "Video Blog" mode, which is specialized for Vlog shooting, enables comfortable video capture. This limited edition model uses a unique color "graphite" for the camera body and the front ring has a diamond knurling to create a design that combines luxury and quality. In addition, the 30 year anniversary logo is printed on the body to create a special feeling suitable for limited edition models.

Availability

The PowerShot G7 X Mark III Graphite Kit - PowerShot 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Camera, which will be available with a Limited Edition Peak Design Cuff Wrist Strap and a 32GB SD card, is currently scheduled to be available in April 2026 for an estimated retail price of $1,299.003. For more information about Canon's latest innovations and products, please visit www.usa.canon.com

Select Key Models in PowerShot History

Product name

Launched

PowerShot 600

July 1996

PowerShot A5

April 1998

PowerShot Pro70

November 1998

PowerShot S10

October 1999

PowerShot G1

October 2000

PowerShot S100 DIGITAL ELPH

May 2000

PowerShot SD100

May 2003

PowerShot TX1

March 2007

PowerShot SX100 IS

October 2007

PowerShot E1

September 2008

PowerShot D10

May 2009

PowerShot N

April 2013

PowerShot V10

June 2023

1 Number of models in the United States of America.
2 The total number of pixels is approximately 20.9 million.
3 Pricing, specifications and availability are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III Specifications PriceMSRP$880 / £820 ($750 / £750 at launch)Body typeBody typeCompactSensorMax resolution5472 x 3648Image ratio w:h1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9Effective pixels20 megapixelsSensor photo detectors21 megapixelsSensor size1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm)Sensor typeBSI-CMOSProcessorDIGIC 8Color spacesRGBColor filter arrayPrimary color filterImageWhite balance presets6Custom white balanceYesImage stabilizationOpticalUncompressed formatRAWJPEG quality levelsFine, normalFile format

• JPEG (Exif v2.3)
• Raw (Canon CR3)

Optics & FocusFocal length (equiv.)24–100 mmOptical zoom4.2×Maximum apertureF1.8–2.8Autofocus

• Contrast Detect (sensor)
• Multi-area
• Center
• Selective single-point
• Tracking
• Single
• Continuous
• Touch
• Face Detection
• Live View

Autofocus assist lampYesDigital zoomYes (4x)Manual focusYesNormal focus range5 cm (1.97″)Macro focus range5 cm (1.97″)Screen / viewfinderArticulated LCDTiltingScreen size3″Screen dots1,040,000Touch screenYesScreen typeTFT LCDLive viewYesViewfinder typeNonePhotography featuresMinimum shutter speed30 secMaximum shutter speed1/2000 secMaximum shutter speed (electronic)1/25600 secExposure modes

• Program
• Shutter priority
• Aperture priority
• Manual

Scene modes

• Self Portrait
• Portrait
• Panning
• Star Portrait
• Star Nightscape
• Star Trails
• Star Time-Lapse Movie
• Handheld Night Scene
• High Dynamic Range
• Fireworks
• Standard Movie
• Short Clip
• Manual Movie
• Time-Lapse Movie
• iFrame Movie

Built-in flashYesFlash range7.00 mExternal flashNoFlash modesAuto, on, slow synchro, offDrive modes

• Single
• Continuous
• Self-timer

Continuous drive30.0 fpsSelf-timerYes (2 or 10 secs, custom)Metering modes

• Multi
• Center-weighted
• Spot

Exposure compensation±3 (at 1/3 EV steps)Videography featuresFormatMPEG-4, H.264Modes

• 3840 x 2160 @ 30p, H.264
• 1920 x 1080 @ 120p, H.264
• 1920 x 1080 @ 60p, H.264
• 1920 x 1080 @ 30p, H.264

MicrophoneStereoSpeakerMonoStorageStorage typesSD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I compatible)ConnectivityUSB USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)USB chargingYesHDMIYes (micro-HDMI)Microphone portYesHeadphone portNoWirelessBuilt-InWireless notes802.11b/g/n + BluetoothRemote controlYes (via smartphone or wireless remote)PhysicalEnvironmentally sealedNoBatteryBattery PackBattery descriptionNB-13L lithium-ion battery and chargerBattery Life (CIPA)235Weight (inc. batteries)304 g (0.67 lb / 10.72 oz)Dimensions105 x 61 x 41 mm (4.13 x 2.4 x 1.61″)Other featuresOrientation sensorYesTimelapse recordingYesGPSNone

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Canon

Canon has announced the 14mm F1.4 VCM L, the latest in its family of similarly-sized F1.4 lenses designed for shooting both stills and videos. With the exception of the company's "Dual" lenses designed for VR, this becomes Canon's widest-angle prime for RF mount.

The lens is made up of 18 elements in 13 groups, with a litany of special glass and coatings: there's a fluorite lens, a UD lens, a Blue Refractive "BR" optical element for correcting chromatic aberration, and three glass-molded aspheric elements, as well as a fluorine coating for anti-fouling and the company's SWC and ASC coating for reducing flare, ghosting and reflections. It can focus on subjects as close as 0.24m (9.4") away, providing up to 0.11x magnification.

Physically, the lens is a similar weight to the rest of Canon's VCM lenses, coming in at 578g (20.4oz). At 112mm (4.4") long, it'll stick out a touch further from the camera than the others, though that's primarily down to its integrated lens hood. Speaking of, the front element is slightly bulbous, meaning the lens can't be used with filters that screw on to the front. It does, however, have a holder for pre-cut gelatin filters on the back of its mount. A special lens cap that clips on is included.

The 14mm F1.4 VCM accepts gelatin filters at the back of the lens. There doesn't appear to be room behind the optics to use the slot-in filter modules used on the co-announced 7-14mm L fisheye lens.

Image: Canon

It has plenty of controls and switches, including a customizable function button, a manual / auto focus switch, Canon's control ring and an (unfortunately clickless) aperture ring, which can be locked into "Auto" mode. As with the rest of the VCM lenses, the latter can be used in video mode across Canon's RF camera lineup, but can only be used in stills mode on the relatively recent EOS R1, R5 II, R6 III and R50V.

The RF 14mm F1.4 VCM L fills a hole in Canon's mirrorless lineup, which previously lacked a fast, high-end ultra-wide prime, the kind that's the bread and butter of astro-photographers. Of course, there are plenty of other uses for this focal length, but some of those will have already been covered by lenses like the 10-20mm F4 zoom.

We wouldn't have necessarily guessed that this would be Canon's next choice for a VCM lens, partially because the company has always stressed its focus on making the lenses good for both stills and video. While the company says it has well-controlled breathing, the lens still falls a bit short for the latter use case since its front element makes it difficult to attach filters. Presumably for reasons of space, Canon hasn't used the drop-in filter port included on the fisheye lens launching alongside this one, which would've made at least some affordance for a variable ND. Still, we're glad to see the company finally offering a high-end ultrawide prime for full-frame RF.

The RF 14mm F1.4 VCM L will be available near the end of February and will retail for $2499.

Buy now:

Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H PhotoBuy at Canon Sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab. Canon Continues Wide Angle Optical Excellence with Launch of RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM Zoom Lens and RF14mm F1.4 L VCM Prime Lens

MELVILLE, N.Y., February 4, 2025 — Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the launch of the RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens and the RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens. Building on Canon's legacy of innovative optics, these new RF-mount lenses expand the diverse lineup for professional photographers, videographers, and hybrid creators. The RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens introduces the world's widest angle zoom lens1 with a 190° field of view, ideal for dynamic fisheye imagery in sports, landscapes, and virtual reality. The RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens delivers Canon’s brightest ultra-wide1 angle interchangeable lens ever produced, a 14mm lens with a bright f/1.4 aperture, perfect for astro, architecture, and video applications.

Canon RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens redefines versatility in ultra-wide angle fisheye imaging. Continuing the heritage of the groundbreaking EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM, the world's first fisheye zoom lens2, this new RF lens pushes boundaries further for professionals seeking impactful, distorted perspectives. It supports a wide range of unique use cases including sports, landscapes, starscapes, video, and virtual reality.

Key features include:

• Canon's widest single lens3 with a maximum 190° field of view, achieving both circular 190° fisheye at 7mm (wide), and diagonal 180° fisheye at 14mm (telephoto), with its’ 7-14mm zoom range.
• Variable maximum aperture of f/2.8 at 7mm (wide) and f/3.5 at 14mm (telephoto), brighter than its EF predecessor for enhanced low-light performance and background separation.
• Built-in support of Canon EF-to-EOS R mount adapter drop-in filters (Clear, CPL, Variable ND) plus Lens Lock/Limit, Lens Function button and Control Ring.
• High image quality with 5 UD lens elements, 2 replica aspheric lenses, and Air Sphere Coating (ASC) applied in 3 locations to reduce ghosting.
• Leadscrew-type STM focus drive with position sensors for smooth, video-capable operation and reduced focus breathing (0.4% at wide, 1.5% at tele).
• Fisheye images shot with the RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L STM zoom lens can be converted using Canon EOS VR Utility for viewing on a PC or head-mounted display. Conversion of 2D VR images is possible with cameras such as: EOS R5C, EOS R5 Mark II, EOS R5, EOS R6 Mark II.
• This lens appeals to professional photographers and videographers seeking dynamic imagery and VR studios desiring a lens for monoscopic shooting, offering wider angle zoom, brighter aperture, and more video capabilities than the EF 8-15mm.

The Canon RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens empowers professional photographers, and hybrid creators with Canon’s brightest ultra-wide-angle interchangeable lens ever produced, an extremely compact and lightweight ultra-wide lens with incredible optical performance. Updating the legacy of the EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM, this lens provides ultra-wide angle views with a fast f/1.4 aperture and controlled distortion and rectilinear characteristics from the center to image. It's designed for pro still photographers capturing landscape, astro, and starscape imagery, as well as architectural and real estate shooters, and videographers and time-lapse creators.

Key features include:

• Canon’s brightest ultra-wide-angle (14mm) interchangeable lens for hybrid Photo / Video use.
• Ultra-wide 14mm prime with f/1.4 aperture for outstanding low-light performance and background separation, brighter aperture than the EF 14mm f/2.8. Dual VCM (Voice Coil Motor) focusing for fast, precise autofocus in photo and video, with reduced focus breathing (3.0%, or 2.3% up to f/20).
• Compact and light weight at 4.4” (L) x 3.0” (D) and just 1.27lbs, providing a similar size, weight and design complimenting the comprehensive F1.4 L-series lens series (RF20mm/24mm/35mm/50mm/85mm F1.4 L VCM lenses).
• Amazing optics for high image quality and sharp rendering of point light sources with Canon’s first Fluorite element in an ultra-wide-angle lens, and featuring BR Optics, 1 UD lens, and 3 GMo aspheric lenses, plus Sub-wavelength coating in 1 location and Air Sphere coating in 2 for minimized ghosting.
• 11-blade aperture for smooth, circular bokeh.
• Iris ring compatible with EOS R1, EOS R5 Mark II, and EOS R6 Mark III cameras; plus Lens Function button and Control Ring.

Availability

The Canon RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens and RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens are currently expected to be available by the end of February 2026, for estimated retail prices of $1,899.00 and $2,599.00 respectively4. For more information about Canon's latest innovations and products, please visit www.usa.canon.com.

1 As of February 3, 2026 according to Canon data

2 As of August 23, 2010 according to Canon data

3 Among full-frame lenses manufactured by Canon with a focal length wider than 20mm

4 Specifications, availability and prices are subject to change without notice.

Canon 14mm F1.4 VCM L specifications: Principal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length14 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountCanon RF, Canon RF-SApertureMaximum apertureF1.4Minimum apertureF16Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades11OpticsElements18Groups13Special elements / coatings1 flourite, 1 UD, 1 BR, 3 aspheric, SWC, ASC, flourine coatingsFocusMinimum focus0.24 m (9.45″)Maximum magnification0.11×AutofocusYesMotor typeLinear MotorFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight578 g (1.27 lb)Diameter77 mm (3.03″)Length112 mm (4.41″)SealingYesColourBlackFilter notesSlot for rear gelatin filtersHood suppliedYesHood product code14BTripod collarNo

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Canon

Canon has announced the RF 7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM, which it says is the first zoom lens of its kind to provide a 190° field of view at its widest setting. The lens also has a few other tricks up its sleeve, including a way to use filters – even variable ones – despite its hemispherical front element.

The lens is made of 16 elements in 11 groups, with two aspheric elements and 5 UD lenses. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.15m (5.9") across its zoom range, providing up to 0.35x magnification at 14mm. When paired with a full-frame camera, its widest angle offers a circular field of view, which becomes a diagonal fisheye field of view at the 'long' end.

It has a dual-purpose locking / limit switch, which you can use for different purposes, depending on what kind of system you're using it on. If you're shooting on a full-frame camera, you can use it to lock the zoom at 7mm, making sure you maintain the full circular fisheye effect. If you're using it with an APS-C body, however, you can use it to lock the lens in to only use focal lengths that fill the entire frame, starting at around 8.7mm.

To help with this mode, there's a "C" indicator on the zoom ring, which lines up with the limit switch once you've reached that focal length. Of course, there's nothing stopping you from using this limit setting on a full-frame camera, too, but the focal lengths it limits you to won't have any particular significance on a larger sensor.

The lens also has Canon's control ring, a programmable button and an autofocus / manual focus switch.

You can use the slot-in circular polarizer previously offered with Canon's EF/RF adapter, this has a small, geared wheel (shown towards the upper left of this image) to let you rotate the filter inside the lens.

Image: Canon

It weighs 476g (16.8oz) and is 109mm (4.3") long. While its front element makes it impossible to use standard screw-on filters, Canon has borrowed a trick from one of its EF to RF adapters, building in a slot for drop-in filters into the lens. It ships with a clear filter, but it can accept any of the ones used by that adapter, meaning there's already a circular polarizer, gelatin filter holder and even a variable ND filter for it. The circular polarizing and vari ND filters come with a geared wheel that lets you rotate the filters while they're mounted in the lens.

The Canon RF 7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM will be available later this month at an MSRP of $1899. As you'd expect of an L-series lens, it's weather sealed and comes with both a lens hood and lens pouch.

Sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab. Canon Continues Wide Angle Optical Excellence with Launch of RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM Zoom Lens and RF14mm F1.4 L VCM Prime Lens

MELVILLE, N.Y., February 4, 2025 — Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the launch of the RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens and the RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens. Building on Canon's legacy of innovative optics, these new RF-mount lenses expand the diverse lineup for professional photographers, videographers, and hybrid creators. The RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens introduces the world's widest angle zoom lens1 with a 190° field of view, ideal for dynamic fisheye imagery in sports, landscapes, and virtual reality. The RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens delivers Canon’s brightest ultra-wide1 angle interchangeable lens ever produced, a 14mm lens with a bright f/1.4 aperture, perfect for astro, architecture, and video applications.

Canon RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens redefines versatility in ultra-wide angle fisheye imaging. Continuing the heritage of the groundbreaking EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM, the world's first fisheye zoom lens2, this new RF lens pushes boundaries further for professionals seeking impactful, distorted perspectives. It supports a wide range of unique use cases including sports, landscapes, starscapes, video, and virtual reality.

Key features include:

• Canon's widest single lens3 with a maximum 190° field of view, achieving both circular 190° fisheye at 7mm (wide), and diagonal 180° fisheye at 14mm (telephoto), with its’ 7-14mm zoom range.
• Variable maximum aperture of f/2.8 at 7mm (wide) and f/3.5 at 14mm (telephoto), brighter than its EF predecessor for enhanced low-light performance and background separation.
• Built-in support of Canon EF-to-EOS R mount adapter drop-in filters (Clear, CPL, Variable ND) plus Lens Lock/Limit, Lens Function button and Control Ring.
• High image quality with 5 UD lens elements, 2 replica aspheric lenses, and Air Sphere Coating (ASC) applied in 3 locations to reduce ghosting.
• Leadscrew-type STM focus drive with position sensors for smooth, video-capable operation and reduced focus breathing (0.4% at wide, 1.5% at tele).
• Fisheye images shot with the RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L STM zoom lens can be converted using Canon EOS VR Utility for viewing on a PC or head-mounted display. Conversion of 2D VR images is possible with cameras such as: EOS R5C, EOS R5 Mark II, EOS R5, EOS R6 Mark II.
• This lens appeals to professional photographers and videographers seeking dynamic imagery and VR studios desiring a lens for monoscopic shooting, offering wider angle zoom, brighter aperture, and more video capabilities than the EF 8-15mm.

The Canon RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens empowers professional photographers, and hybrid creators with Canon’s brightest ultra-wide-angle interchangeable lens ever produced, an extremely compact and lightweight ultra-wide lens with incredible optical performance. Updating the legacy of the EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM, this lens provides ultra-wide angle views with a fast f/1.4 aperture and controlled distortion and rectilinear characteristics from the center to image. It's designed for pro still photographers capturing landscape, astro, and starscape imagery, as well as architectural and real estate shooters, and videographers and time-lapse creators.

Key features include:

• Canon’s brightest ultra-wide-angle (14mm) interchangeable lens for hybrid Photo / Video use.
• Ultra-wide 14mm prime with f/1.4 aperture for outstanding low-light performance and background separation, brighter aperture than the EF 14mm f/2.8. Dual VCM (Voice Coil Motor) focusing for fast, precise autofocus in photo and video, with reduced focus breathing (3.0%, or 2.3% up to f/20).
• Compact and light weight at 4.4” (L) x 3.0” (D) and just 1.27lbs, providing a similar size, weight and design complimenting the comprehensive F1.4 L-series lens series (RF20mm/24mm/35mm/50mm/85mm F1.4 L VCM lenses).
• Amazing optics for high image quality and sharp rendering of point light sources with Canon’s first Fluorite element in an ultra-wide-angle lens, and featuring BR Optics, 1 UD lens, and 3 GMo aspheric lenses, plus Sub-wavelength coating in 1 location and Air Sphere coating in 2 for minimized ghosting.
• 11-blade aperture for smooth, circular bokeh.
• Iris ring compatible with EOS R1, EOS R5 Mark II, and EOS R6 Mark III cameras; plus Lens Function button and Control Ring.

Availability

The Canon RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens and RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens are currently expected to be available by the end of February 2026, for estimated retail prices of $1,899.00 and $2,599.00 respectively4. For more information about Canon's latest innovations and products, please visit www.usa.canon.com.

1 As of February 3, 2026 according to Canon data

2 As of August 23, 2010 according to Canon data

3 Among full-frame lenses manufactured by Canon with a focal length wider than 20mm

4 Specifications, availability and prices are subject to change without notice.

Canon RF 7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM specifications: Principal specificationsLens typeZoom lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length7–14 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountCanon RF, Canon RF-SApertureMaximum apertureF2.8–3.5Minimum apertureF22–29Aperture ringNoNumber of diaphragm blades8OpticsElements16Groups11Special elements / coatings2 asph., 5 UDFocusMinimum focus0.15 m (5.91″)Maximum magnification0.35×AutofocusYesMotor typeStepper motorFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight476 g (1.05 lb)Diameter77 mm (3.03″)Length109 mm (4.29″)SealingYesColourBlackZoom methodRotary (internal)Power zoomNoZoom lockYesFilter notesDrop-in filter slotHood suppliedYesHood product code7-14Tripod collarNo

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The gray colorscheme, 30th Anniversary logo, 'diamond' knurling on the control ring around the lens and the price set the Anniversary edition apart from the standard G7 X III.

Image: Canon

Canon is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its PowerShot line of compact cameras with a premium-priced special edition of its hard-to-find G7 X Mark III enthusiast compact.

It features a gray top plate and different knurling on the control ring, along with 30th Anniversary branding on the flash. Other than that, it's identical to the standard G7 X Mark III that's reliably unavailable.

As such it has a 24-100mm equiv. F1.8-2.8 lens in front of a 20MP Type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) Stacked CMOS sensor. It also has a clicking control dial around the lens, a dedicated exposure comp dial and a rear screen that flips 90 degrees down and 180 degrees upward, helping it become something of a TikTok favourite, as well as being an excellent enthusiast compact.

Canon North America will also provide a leather PeakDesign wrist strap with the 30th Anniversary logo but this isn't included in all markets.

The Anniversary Edition is described as a limited edition, but the extent of its availability has not been disclosed.

Image: Canon

Canon refers to it as a "limited edition" but declined to specify how many units the edition is limited to. Canon North America told us it will run a lottery for people wanting to buy them from its own website but it'll be left up to retailers to decide how to allocate the units they get into stock.

The special edition G7 X Mark III will be available from April 2025 in unspecified numbers at a cost of $1295. This is a $420 premium over the regular version that isn't formally limited. A company spokesperson said that supply constraints on the standard version "should get better, later in the year."

In the UK, the special edition will cost £860, only a £40 increase over the cost over the standard model. Though you don't get the custom wrist strap. It will go on sale on April 23rd.

European outlets are reporting that the Anniversary edition and all G7 X III's will move over from the NB-13L battery to a new unit called the NB-15L. Batteries with the new designation differ only in that they won't attempt to charge if they've been over-discharged, as a safety feature.

Canon's PowerShot Compact Digital Camera Turns 30

Limited Edition PowerShot G7 X Mark III Camera Available

MELVILLE, N.Y., February 4, 2026 - Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that its parent company, Canon Inc. celebrates that 2026 marks the 30 year anniversary of Canon's PowerShot compact digital camera. To commemorate this anniversary, a limited edition PowerShot G7 X Mark III camera with a limited color body design and 30 year anniversary logo is currently scheduled to be released in April 2026.

Since the launch of the original PowerShot 600 in July 1996, PowerShot has expanded its lineup to meet the diverse needs of its users. The PowerShot line, which was developed with the aim of making it easy for users to enjoy high-quality still images and video, is popular among a wide range of users, from camera beginners to amateurs, and as of February 20261 over 200 PowerShot cameras in the Americas have been released.

Currently, Canon offers a wide range of products tailored to each user's lifestyle, including the G Series, which combines a compact, lightweight body with high image quality and multiple functions, the V Series, which allows users to enjoy full-fledged video recording with ease, and the SX Series, which offers high-magnification zoom.

Canon will continue to contribute to the further development of photographic and imaging culture by pursuing advanced technologies and high expressivity in response to user needs within the PowerShot line.

PowerShot 30 Anniversary Edition Available

To celebrate 30 years of PowerShot cameras, a limited edition version of the PowerShot G7 X Mark III camera is scheduled to be available later this year. The 1.0 inch PowerShot G7 X Mark III is a compact digital camera featuring a stacked CMOS sensor with approximately 20.1 million effective pixels2 and a large aperture and bright 4.2 x optical zoom lens for versatile video expression. In addition to still image capture, the "Video Blog" mode, which is specialized for Vlog shooting, enables comfortable video capture. This limited edition model uses a unique color "graphite" for the camera body and the front ring has a diamond knurling to create a design that combines luxury and quality. In addition, the 30 year anniversary logo is printed on the body to create a special feeling suitable for limited edition models.

Availability

The PowerShot G7 X Mark III Graphite Kit - PowerShot 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Camera, which will be available with a Limited Edition Peak Design Cuff Wrist Strap and a 32GB SD card, is currently scheduled to be available in April 2026 for an estimated retail price of $1,299.003. For more information about Canon's latest innovations and products, please visit www.usa.canon.com

Select Key Models in PowerShot History

Product name

Launched

PowerShot 600

July 1996

PowerShot A5

April 1998

PowerShot Pro70

November 1998

PowerShot S10

October 1999

PowerShot G1

October 2000

PowerShot S100 DIGITAL ELPH

May 2000

PowerShot SD100

May 2003

PowerShot TX1

March 2007

PowerShot SX100 IS

October 2007

PowerShot E1

September 2008

PowerShot D10

May 2009

PowerShot N

April 2013

PowerShot V10

June 2023

1 Number of models in the United States of America.
2 The total number of pixels is approximately 20.9 million.
3 Pricing, specifications and availability are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III Specifications PriceMSRP$880 / £820 ($750 / £750 at launch)Body typeBody typeCompactSensorMax resolution5472 x 3648Image ratio w:h1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9Effective pixels20 megapixelsSensor photo detectors21 megapixelsSensor size1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm)Sensor typeBSI-CMOSProcessorDIGIC 8Color spacesRGBColor filter arrayPrimary color filterImageWhite balance presets6Custom white balanceYesImage stabilizationOpticalUncompressed formatRAWJPEG quality levelsFine, normalFile format

• JPEG (Exif v2.3)
• Raw (Canon CR3)

Optics & FocusFocal length (equiv.)24–100 mmOptical zoom4.2×Maximum apertureF1.8–2.8Autofocus

• Contrast Detect (sensor)
• Multi-area
• Center
• Selective single-point
• Tracking
• Single
• Continuous
• Touch
• Face Detection
• Live View

Autofocus assist lampYesDigital zoomYes (4x)Manual focusYesNormal focus range5 cm (1.97″)Macro focus range5 cm (1.97″)Screen / viewfinderArticulated LCDTiltingScreen size3″Screen dots1,040,000Touch screenYesScreen typeTFT LCDLive viewYesViewfinder typeNonePhotography featuresMinimum shutter speed30 secMaximum shutter speed1/2000 secMaximum shutter speed (electronic)1/25600 secExposure modes

• Program
• Shutter priority
• Aperture priority
• Manual

Scene modes

• Self Portrait
• Portrait
• Panning
• Star Portrait
• Star Nightscape
• Star Trails
• Star Time-Lapse Movie
• Handheld Night Scene
• High Dynamic Range
• Fireworks
• Standard Movie
• Short Clip
• Manual Movie
• Time-Lapse Movie
• iFrame Movie

Built-in flashYesFlash range7.00 mExternal flashNoFlash modesAuto, on, slow synchro, offDrive modes

• Single
• Continuous
• Self-timer

Continuous drive30.0 fpsSelf-timerYes (2 or 10 secs, custom)Metering modes

• Multi
• Center-weighted
• Spot

Exposure compensation±3 (at 1/3 EV steps)Videography featuresFormatMPEG-4, H.264Modes

• 3840 x 2160 @ 30p, H.264
• 1920 x 1080 @ 120p, H.264
• 1920 x 1080 @ 60p, H.264
• 1920 x 1080 @ 30p, H.264

MicrophoneStereoSpeakerMonoStorageStorage typesSD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I compatible)ConnectivityUSB USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)USB chargingYesHDMIYes (micro-HDMI)Microphone portYesHeadphone portNoWirelessBuilt-InWireless notes802.11b/g/n + BluetoothRemote controlYes (via smartphone or wireless remote)PhysicalEnvironmentally sealedNoBatteryBattery PackBattery descriptionNB-13L lithium-ion battery and chargerBattery Life (CIPA)235Weight (inc. batteries)304 g (0.67 lb / 10.72 oz)Dimensions105 x 61 x 41 mm (4.13 x 2.4 x 1.61″)Other featuresOrientation sensorYesTimelapse recordingYesGPSNone

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Canon

Canon has announced the 14mm F1.4 VCM L, the latest in its family of similarly-sized F1.4 lenses designed for shooting both stills and videos. With the exception of the company's "Dual" lenses designed for VR, this becomes Canon's widest-angle prime for RF mount.

The lens is made up of 18 elements in 13 groups, with a litany of special glass and coatings: there's a fluorite lens, a UD lens, a Blue Refractive "BR" optical element for correcting chromatic aberration, and three glass-molded aspheric elements, as well as a fluorine coating for anti-fouling and the company's SWC and ASC coating for reducing flare, ghosting and reflections. It can focus on subjects as close as 0.24m (9.4") away, providing up to 0.11x magnification.

Physically, the lens is a similar weight to the rest of Canon's VCM lenses, coming in at 578g (20.4oz). At 112mm (4.4") long, it'll stick out a touch further from the camera than the others, though that's primarily down to its integrated lens hood. Speaking of, the front element is slightly bulbous, meaning the lens can't be used with filters that screw on to the front. It does, however, have a holder for pre-cut gelatin filters on the back of its mount. A special lens cap that clips on is included.

The 14mm F1.4 VCM accepts gelatin filters at the back of the lens. There doesn't appear to be room behind the optics to use the slot-in filter modules used on the co-announced 7-14mm L fisheye lens.

Image: Canon

It has plenty of controls and switches, including a customizable function button, a manual / auto focus switch, Canon's control ring and an (unfortunately clickless) aperture ring, which can be locked into "Auto" mode. As with the rest of the VCM lenses, the latter can be used in video mode across Canon's RF camera lineup, but can only be used in stills mode on the relatively recent EOS R1, R5 II, R6 III and R50V.

The RF 14mm F1.4 VCM L fills a hole in Canon's mirrorless lineup, which previously lacked a fast, high-end ultra-wide prime, the kind that's the bread and butter of astro-photographers. Of course, there are plenty of other uses for this focal length, but some of those will have already been covered by lenses like the 10-20mm F4 zoom.

We wouldn't have necessarily guessed that this would be Canon's next choice for a VCM lens, partially because the company has always stressed its focus on making the lenses good for both stills and video. While the company says it has well-controlled breathing, the lens still falls a bit short for the latter use case since its front element makes it difficult to attach filters. Presumably for reasons of space, Canon hasn't used the drop-in filter port included on the fisheye lens launching alongside this one, which would've made at least some affordance for a variable ND. Still, we're glad to see the company finally offering a high-end ultrawide prime for full-frame RF.

The RF 14mm F1.4 VCM L will be available near the end of February and will retail for $2499.

Buy now:

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Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab. Canon Continues Wide Angle Optical Excellence with Launch of RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM Zoom Lens and RF14mm F1.4 L VCM Prime Lens

MELVILLE, N.Y., February 4, 2025 — Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the launch of the RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens and the RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens. Building on Canon's legacy of innovative optics, these new RF-mount lenses expand the diverse lineup for professional photographers, videographers, and hybrid creators. The RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens introduces the world's widest angle zoom lens1 with a 190° field of view, ideal for dynamic fisheye imagery in sports, landscapes, and virtual reality. The RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens delivers Canon’s brightest ultra-wide1 angle interchangeable lens ever produced, a 14mm lens with a bright f/1.4 aperture, perfect for astro, architecture, and video applications.

Canon RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens redefines versatility in ultra-wide angle fisheye imaging. Continuing the heritage of the groundbreaking EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM, the world's first fisheye zoom lens2, this new RF lens pushes boundaries further for professionals seeking impactful, distorted perspectives. It supports a wide range of unique use cases including sports, landscapes, starscapes, video, and virtual reality.

Key features include:

• Canon's widest single lens3 with a maximum 190° field of view, achieving both circular 190° fisheye at 7mm (wide), and diagonal 180° fisheye at 14mm (telephoto), with its’ 7-14mm zoom range.
• Variable maximum aperture of f/2.8 at 7mm (wide) and f/3.5 at 14mm (telephoto), brighter than its EF predecessor for enhanced low-light performance and background separation.
• Built-in support of Canon EF-to-EOS R mount adapter drop-in filters (Clear, CPL, Variable ND) plus Lens Lock/Limit, Lens Function button and Control Ring.
• High image quality with 5 UD lens elements, 2 replica aspheric lenses, and Air Sphere Coating (ASC) applied in 3 locations to reduce ghosting.
• Leadscrew-type STM focus drive with position sensors for smooth, video-capable operation and reduced focus breathing (0.4% at wide, 1.5% at tele).
• Fisheye images shot with the RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L STM zoom lens can be converted using Canon EOS VR Utility for viewing on a PC or head-mounted display. Conversion of 2D VR images is possible with cameras such as: EOS R5C, EOS R5 Mark II, EOS R5, EOS R6 Mark II.
• This lens appeals to professional photographers and videographers seeking dynamic imagery and VR studios desiring a lens for monoscopic shooting, offering wider angle zoom, brighter aperture, and more video capabilities than the EF 8-15mm.

The Canon RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens empowers professional photographers, and hybrid creators with Canon’s brightest ultra-wide-angle interchangeable lens ever produced, an extremely compact and lightweight ultra-wide lens with incredible optical performance. Updating the legacy of the EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM, this lens provides ultra-wide angle views with a fast f/1.4 aperture and controlled distortion and rectilinear characteristics from the center to image. It's designed for pro still photographers capturing landscape, astro, and starscape imagery, as well as architectural and real estate shooters, and videographers and time-lapse creators.

Key features include:

• Canon’s brightest ultra-wide-angle (14mm) interchangeable lens for hybrid Photo / Video use.
• Ultra-wide 14mm prime with f/1.4 aperture for outstanding low-light performance and background separation, brighter aperture than the EF 14mm f/2.8. Dual VCM (Voice Coil Motor) focusing for fast, precise autofocus in photo and video, with reduced focus breathing (3.0%, or 2.3% up to f/20).
• Compact and light weight at 4.4” (L) x 3.0” (D) and just 1.27lbs, providing a similar size, weight and design complimenting the comprehensive F1.4 L-series lens series (RF20mm/24mm/35mm/50mm/85mm F1.4 L VCM lenses).
• Amazing optics for high image quality and sharp rendering of point light sources with Canon’s first Fluorite element in an ultra-wide-angle lens, and featuring BR Optics, 1 UD lens, and 3 GMo aspheric lenses, plus Sub-wavelength coating in 1 location and Air Sphere coating in 2 for minimized ghosting.
• 11-blade aperture for smooth, circular bokeh.
• Iris ring compatible with EOS R1, EOS R5 Mark II, and EOS R6 Mark III cameras; plus Lens Function button and Control Ring.

Availability

The Canon RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens and RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens are currently expected to be available by the end of February 2026, for estimated retail prices of $1,899.00 and $2,599.00 respectively4. For more information about Canon's latest innovations and products, please visit www.usa.canon.com.

1 As of February 3, 2026 according to Canon data

2 As of August 23, 2010 according to Canon data

3 Among full-frame lenses manufactured by Canon with a focal length wider than 20mm

4 Specifications, availability and prices are subject to change without notice.

Canon 14mm F1.4 VCM L specifications: Principal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length14 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountCanon RF, Canon RF-SApertureMaximum apertureF1.4Minimum apertureF16Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades11OpticsElements18Groups13Special elements / coatings1 flourite, 1 UD, 1 BR, 3 aspheric, SWC, ASC, flourine coatingsFocusMinimum focus0.24 m (9.45″)Maximum magnification0.11×AutofocusYesMotor typeLinear MotorFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight578 g (1.27 lb)Diameter77 mm (3.03″)Length112 mm (4.41″)SealingYesColourBlackFilter notesSlot for rear gelatin filtersHood suppliedYesHood product code14BTripod collarNo

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Canon

Canon has announced the RF 7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM, which it says is the first zoom lens of its kind to provide a 190° field of view at its widest setting. The lens also has a few other tricks up its sleeve, including a way to use filters – even variable ones – despite its hemispherical front element.

The lens is made of 16 elements in 11 groups, with two aspheric elements and 5 UD lenses. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.15m (5.9") across its zoom range, providing up to 0.35x magnification at 14mm. When paired with a full-frame camera, its widest angle offers a circular field of view, which becomes a diagonal fisheye field of view at the 'long' end.

It has a dual-purpose locking / limit switch, which you can use for different purposes, depending on what kind of system you're using it on. If you're shooting on a full-frame camera, you can use it to lock the zoom at 7mm, making sure you maintain the full circular fisheye effect. If you're using it with an APS-C body, however, you can use it to lock the lens in to only use focal lengths that fill the entire frame, starting at around 8.7mm.

To help with this mode, there's a "C" indicator on the zoom ring, which lines up with the limit switch once you've reached that focal length. Of course, there's nothing stopping you from using this limit setting on a full-frame camera, too, but the focal lengths it limits you to won't have any particular significance on a larger sensor.

The lens also has Canon's control ring, a programmable button and an autofocus / manual focus switch.

You can use the slot-in circular polarizer previously offered with Canon's EF/RF adapter, this has a small, geared wheel (shown towards the upper left of this image) to let you rotate the filter inside the lens.

Image: Canon

It weighs 476g (16.8oz) and is 109mm (4.3") long. While its front element makes it impossible to use standard screw-on filters, Canon has borrowed a trick from one of its EF to RF adapters, building in a slot for drop-in filters into the lens. It ships with a clear filter, but it can accept any of the ones used by that adapter, meaning there's already a circular polarizer, gelatin filter holder and even a variable ND filter for it. The circular polarizing and vari ND filters come with a geared wheel that lets you rotate the filters while they're mounted in the lens.

The Canon RF 7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM will be available later this month at an MSRP of $1899. As you'd expect of an L-series lens, it's weather sealed and comes with both a lens hood and lens pouch.

Sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab. Canon Continues Wide Angle Optical Excellence with Launch of RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM Zoom Lens and RF14mm F1.4 L VCM Prime Lens

MELVILLE, N.Y., February 4, 2025 — Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the launch of the RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens and the RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens. Building on Canon's legacy of innovative optics, these new RF-mount lenses expand the diverse lineup for professional photographers, videographers, and hybrid creators. The RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens introduces the world's widest angle zoom lens1 with a 190° field of view, ideal for dynamic fisheye imagery in sports, landscapes, and virtual reality. The RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens delivers Canon’s brightest ultra-wide1 angle interchangeable lens ever produced, a 14mm lens with a bright f/1.4 aperture, perfect for astro, architecture, and video applications.

Canon RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens redefines versatility in ultra-wide angle fisheye imaging. Continuing the heritage of the groundbreaking EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM, the world's first fisheye zoom lens2, this new RF lens pushes boundaries further for professionals seeking impactful, distorted perspectives. It supports a wide range of unique use cases including sports, landscapes, starscapes, video, and virtual reality.

Key features include:

• Canon's widest single lens3 with a maximum 190° field of view, achieving both circular 190° fisheye at 7mm (wide), and diagonal 180° fisheye at 14mm (telephoto), with its’ 7-14mm zoom range.
• Variable maximum aperture of f/2.8 at 7mm (wide) and f/3.5 at 14mm (telephoto), brighter than its EF predecessor for enhanced low-light performance and background separation.
• Built-in support of Canon EF-to-EOS R mount adapter drop-in filters (Clear, CPL, Variable ND) plus Lens Lock/Limit, Lens Function button and Control Ring.
• High image quality with 5 UD lens elements, 2 replica aspheric lenses, and Air Sphere Coating (ASC) applied in 3 locations to reduce ghosting.
• Leadscrew-type STM focus drive with position sensors for smooth, video-capable operation and reduced focus breathing (0.4% at wide, 1.5% at tele).
• Fisheye images shot with the RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L STM zoom lens can be converted using Canon EOS VR Utility for viewing on a PC or head-mounted display. Conversion of 2D VR images is possible with cameras such as: EOS R5C, EOS R5 Mark II, EOS R5, EOS R6 Mark II.
• This lens appeals to professional photographers and videographers seeking dynamic imagery and VR studios desiring a lens for monoscopic shooting, offering wider angle zoom, brighter aperture, and more video capabilities than the EF 8-15mm.

The Canon RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens empowers professional photographers, and hybrid creators with Canon’s brightest ultra-wide-angle interchangeable lens ever produced, an extremely compact and lightweight ultra-wide lens with incredible optical performance. Updating the legacy of the EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM, this lens provides ultra-wide angle views with a fast f/1.4 aperture and controlled distortion and rectilinear characteristics from the center to image. It's designed for pro still photographers capturing landscape, astro, and starscape imagery, as well as architectural and real estate shooters, and videographers and time-lapse creators.

Key features include:

• Canon’s brightest ultra-wide-angle (14mm) interchangeable lens for hybrid Photo / Video use.
• Ultra-wide 14mm prime with f/1.4 aperture for outstanding low-light performance and background separation, brighter aperture than the EF 14mm f/2.8. Dual VCM (Voice Coil Motor) focusing for fast, precise autofocus in photo and video, with reduced focus breathing (3.0%, or 2.3% up to f/20).
• Compact and light weight at 4.4” (L) x 3.0” (D) and just 1.27lbs, providing a similar size, weight and design complimenting the comprehensive F1.4 L-series lens series (RF20mm/24mm/35mm/50mm/85mm F1.4 L VCM lenses).
• Amazing optics for high image quality and sharp rendering of point light sources with Canon’s first Fluorite element in an ultra-wide-angle lens, and featuring BR Optics, 1 UD lens, and 3 GMo aspheric lenses, plus Sub-wavelength coating in 1 location and Air Sphere coating in 2 for minimized ghosting.
• 11-blade aperture for smooth, circular bokeh.
• Iris ring compatible with EOS R1, EOS R5 Mark II, and EOS R6 Mark III cameras; plus Lens Function button and Control Ring.

Availability

The Canon RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM zoom lens and RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens are currently expected to be available by the end of February 2026, for estimated retail prices of $1,899.00 and $2,599.00 respectively4. For more information about Canon's latest innovations and products, please visit www.usa.canon.com.

1 As of February 3, 2026 according to Canon data

2 As of August 23, 2010 according to Canon data

3 Among full-frame lenses manufactured by Canon with a focal length wider than 20mm

4 Specifications, availability and prices are subject to change without notice.

Canon RF 7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM specifications: Principal specificationsLens typeZoom lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length7–14 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountCanon RF, Canon RF-SApertureMaximum apertureF2.8–3.5Minimum apertureF22–29Aperture ringNoNumber of diaphragm blades8OpticsElements16Groups11Special elements / coatings2 asph., 5 UDFocusMinimum focus0.15 m (5.91″)Maximum magnification0.35×AutofocusYesMotor typeStepper motorFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight476 g (1.05 lb)Diameter77 mm (3.03″)Length109 mm (4.29″)SealingYesColourBlackZoom methodRotary (internal)Power zoomNoZoom lockYesFilter notesDrop-in filter slotHood suppliedYesHood product code7-14Tripod collarNo

A muddied construction site in Indonesia during the wet season got revenge on this camera.

Photo: I Beam

In last week's Question of the week, the community didn’t just swap specs or talk wishlists; you traded reports from a diverse set of danger zones in photography. We were amazed by how many cameras managed to survive such incredible disasters. Cameras were flung off boats, buried in mud, run over by construction trucks and even pulled from rice paddy firefights. Yet, amazingly, many of them remained functional with just a bit of cleanup needed to get them going again.

Read on for some of those intense stories that pitted cameras against the wrath of nature.

Your camera disasters revealed

Bearly There: A bear tried to eat my GoPro. I had it sitting on a fence post along an animal trail attached to a Gorillapod and set the GoPro to take a photo every five seconds. I left it there for a few hours before going back to retrieve it, only to find it on the ground, covered in slimy slobber.

Hike Pics: Early 90s, on our 1st anniversary, my wife and I were down in Savannah, Georgia. I was stepping out of one of the many shops facing the Savannah River. I missed the first step, causing my 80-200mm to flip out of my front-facing fanny pack (that I forgot to zip) and land on the street. I heard glass break. I tossed it and the fanny pack into the garbage can. I NEVER got another fanny pack!

woxx: I was on a beach in Iceland with my Fujifilm GFX 50S and GF45 on a cold spring day with high wind and rough water. They say never turn your back on the water, but I stupidly did. Right then, a wave pushed about a foot of water up, knocking me down onto my hands and knees. The wave completely submerged my GFX 50S in cold Atlantic saltwater.

Dropped Ricoh Caplio R6 survived in sand, but did not survive a second, more disastrous drop.

Photo: ThvdW

RecklessCoding: Over a decade ago, I was doing my mandatory military service. There was this big event, an unveiling of a monument for a dead war hero. The president of my country, ambassadors, generals, etc, were all set to come as they would double the event as a full-on inspection of the guard. I was asked to take photos at the event.

During the president's speech, I thought of getting up on the platform he was standing on to take a nice portrait. I took the first step, and bam, I lost my balance. My camera bag was open, and one of the lenses flew out in front of the president's face and landed somewhere on a bush behind him. Longest second of my life.

The Squirrel Mafia: Back in 2014, I went to Disneyland with the family. I took my 10 MP Sony A200 DSLR. By midday, we got on the Jungle Cruise. I took the camera strap off my neck and took a few photos. Then I put the camera on my lap. When the boat got back to the dock, I thought I had the camera strap on my wrist. As I got up, the camera flew off my lap and fell upside down onto the hard floor of the boat. The camera survived, but the flash mechanism didn't. Had I turned the other way, it would have fallen right into the "river".

Kowa Super 66 was shot dead by a deer rifle due to the owner's frustration at not being able to repair the camera.

Photo: KICK14

deep7: I was out on a horse trek with some friends. We weren't far from base when my Olympus Mju film camera fell out of my backpack. I went back for it once the horses were sorted, to find that an eight-ton horse truck had driven right over it! The camera had a massive crack and didn't function, but pressing the film rewind button made it work. I retrieved the film, completely undamaged. Tough little cameras, no wonder they sold millions of them.

The Point and Shoot Pro: During the days when I was shooting 4/3s cameras, I was talking to a nice older gentleman who had an E-1. He was on one of these Nikon "Mentor" trips, shooting by a slow-running river. A few Canikon fans were there, sort of talking crap about his "inferior" Olympus setup. So he walked over to the river, dropped his camera in, looked at the boys, and said, "Go ahead, do that with your gear".

Vetteran: We took a day trip in Iceland (all 4.5 hours of sunlight in January) to the infamous Reynisfjara "Black Sand Beach" known for sneaker waves. Of course, I was about 100 feet from the surf when a sneaker wave came in. The wave hit my camera bag hard. The result: both of my Leicas, D109 and VLUX Type 114, which were in my Domke camera bag, slipped off my shoulder, and the interior of the bag was water-drenched, ruining both cameras.

Sometimes, putting your camera in harms' way to get the shot works out. Other times it doesn't.

Photo: Mitchell Clark

These tales feel less like minor mishaps and more like war stories from the front lines, with cameras hurled off boats, buried in mud, drowned in surf and even dragged through firefights. Hard lessons learned: trust your straps, respect the weather, zip the bag, spread the tripod legs, and always have a plan for when gravity or water wins.

So many other great stories we couldn't fit in this article are shared in the forums. Thanks to everyone who took the time to write up a fascinating account of your camera accidents.

Keep watch for the next Question of the week every other Wednesday to participate in this series. New questions are posted here on the homepage and in the forums. We can't wait to read and share your stories!

Had a camera destroyed? Click here to share your story!

A muddied construction site in Indonesia during the wet season got revenge on this camera.

Photo: I Beam

In last week's Question of the week, the community didn’t just swap specs or talk wishlists; you traded reports from a diverse set of danger zones in photography. We were amazed by how many cameras managed to survive such incredible disasters. Cameras were flung off boats, buried in mud, run over by construction trucks and even pulled from rice paddy firefights. Yet, amazingly, many of them remained functional with just a bit of cleanup needed to get them going again.

Read on for some of those intense stories that pitted cameras against the wrath of nature.

Your camera disasters revealed

Bearly There: A bear tried to eat my GoPro. I had it sitting on a fence post along an animal trail attached to a Gorillapod and set the GoPro to take a photo every five seconds. I left it there for a few hours before going back to retrieve it, only to find it on the ground, covered in slimy slobber.

Hike Pics: Early 90s, on our 1st anniversary, my wife and I were down in Savannah, Georgia. I was stepping out of one of the many shops facing the Savannah River. I missed the first step, causing my 80-200mm to flip out of my front-facing fanny pack (that I forgot to zip) and land on the street. I heard glass break. I tossed it and the fanny pack into the garbage can. I NEVER got another fanny pack!

woxx: I was on a beach in Iceland with my Fujifilm GFX 50S and GF45 on a cold spring day with high wind and rough water. They say never turn your back on the water, but I stupidly did. Right then, a wave pushed about a foot of water up, knocking me down onto my hands and knees. The wave completely submerged my GFX 50S in cold Atlantic saltwater.

Dropped Ricoh Caplio R6 survived in sand, but did not survive a second, more disastrous drop.

Photo: ThvdW

RecklessCoding: Over a decade ago, I was doing my mandatory military service. There was this big event, an unveiling of a monument for a dead war hero. The president of my country, ambassadors, generals, etc, were all set to come as they would double the event as a full-on inspection of the guard. I was asked to take photos at the event.

During the president's speech, I thought of getting up on the platform he was standing on to take a nice portrait. I took the first step, and bam, I lost my balance. My camera bag was open, and one of the lenses flew out in front of the president's face and landed somewhere on a bush behind him. Longest second of my life.

The Squirrel Mafia: Back in 2014, I went to Disneyland with the family. I took my 10 MP Sony A200 DSLR. By midday, we got on the Jungle Cruise. I took the camera strap off my neck and took a few photos. Then I put the camera on my lap. When the boat got back to the dock, I thought I had the camera strap on my wrist. As I got up, the camera flew off my lap and fell upside down onto the hard floor of the boat. The camera survived, but the flash mechanism didn't. Had I turned the other way, it would have fallen right into the "river".

Kowa Super 66 was shot dead by a deer rifle due to the owner's frustration at not being able to repair the camera.

Photo: KICK14

deep7: I was out on a horse trek with some friends. We weren't far from base when my Olympus Mju film camera fell out of my backpack. I went back for it once the horses were sorted, to find that an eight-ton horse truck had driven right over it! The camera had a massive crack and didn't function, but pressing the film rewind button made it work. I retrieved the film, completely undamaged. Tough little cameras, no wonder they sold millions of them.

The Point and Shoot Pro: During the days when I was shooting 4/3s cameras, I was talking to a nice older gentleman who had an E-1. He was on one of these Nikon "Mentor" trips, shooting by a slow-running river. A few Canikon fans were there, sort of talking crap about his "inferior" Olympus setup. So he walked over to the river, dropped his camera in, looked at the boys, and said, "Go ahead, do that with your gear".

Vetteran: We took a day trip in Iceland (all 4.5 hours of sunlight in January) to the infamous Reynisfjara "Black Sand Beach" known for sneaker waves. Of course, I was about 100 feet from the surf when a sneaker wave came in. The wave hit my camera bag hard. The result: both of my Leicas, D109 and VLUX Type 114, which were in my Domke camera bag, slipped off my shoulder, and the interior of the bag was water-drenched, ruining both cameras.

Sometimes, putting your camera in harms' way to get the shot works out. Other times it doesn't.

Photo: Mitchell Clark

These tales feel less like minor mishaps and more like war stories from the front lines, with cameras hurled off boats, buried in mud, drowned in surf and even dragged through firefights. Hard lessons learned: trust your straps, respect the weather, zip the bag, spread the tripod legs, and always have a plan for when gravity or water wins.

So many other great stories we couldn't fit in this article are shared in the forums. Thanks to everyone who took the time to write up a fascinating account of your camera accidents.

Keep watch for the next Question of the week every other Wednesday to participate in this series. New questions are posted here on the homepage and in the forums. We can't wait to read and share your stories!

Had a camera destroyed? Click here to share your story!

It's become increasingly common for cameras to be able to capture Raw video without the need for an external recorder, making it that bit more accessible.

Photo: Mitchell Clark

Raw video looks set to become increasingly common on cameras, with cameras from Panasonic, Canon and Nikon all offering internal Raw capture options. We thought it was a good time to take another look at the pros and cons of Raw video, whether it's worth the effort and whether you should consider it an essential feature, next time you buy a camera.

It's not as significant as for stills

The first point worth reiterating is that the benefits of Raw shooting aren't anywhere near as significant as they are for stills shooting. The main reason for this is that the alternative to shooting Raw stills is typically an 8-bit JPEG with a high-contrast S-curve applied to it, ready for viewing which leaves relatively little scope for significant brightness and tonal edits. Whereas the alternative to Raw in video tends to be 10-bit footage encoded with a Log response curve which is specifically designed to maintain tonal flexibility.

"A 10-bit log file can comfortably retain all the meaningful content of a 12-bit linear one"

It also tends to be the case that most video is derived from 12-bit sensor readout, rather than the 14-bit modes used on most large pixel cameras. Reducing the readout bit-depth boosts the readout speed but puts a limit on the amount of DR that can be retained. That said, many modern cameras increasingly oversample for their core video modes, an act that helps reduce noise and boost DR.

Little information is given about most 'Raw' video formats, but if they are encoded in a linear manner, as delivered by cameras' ADCs, it's worth pointing out that a 10-bit logarithmic file can comfortably retain all the meaningful content of a 12-bit linear one.

It's more that there's a well-established alternative to Raw capture, rather than any weakness of the Raw footage, that leads us to stress that the benefits are more modest than you might expect, if you're coming from a stills-shooting background.

So what benefits do you gain?

Control over white balance and ISO

The easiest benefit to spot is that, as in Raw photos, Raw video typically doesn't apply multipliers to its color channels and 'bake' a white balance into the file. This retains maximum flexibility in the edit, as it eliminates the risk that a badly judged white balance has prematurely clipped a channel that you then want to recover.

In practice, there isn't going to be a big difference between this and a 10-bit Log workflow, if you get the white balance quite close at the point of capture.

Raw footage should let you adjust the white balance and brightness rendering of the footage, after the fact. In this instance the interface gives you "ISO", "Exposure Offset" and "Color Temperature" tools. There's no setting for adjusting the Magenta/Green 'tint' axis.

Screengrab: DPReview from Final Cut Pro 11.1

Another benefit of the better Raw implementations is the ability to change ISO after the fact. Strictly speaking, you can't edit ISO after the fact any more than you can adjust "exposure" in a stills Raw converter, but you can see why they might choose to label the control that way.

Typically what's actually happening is that your camera is shooting at its base amplification setting (or its second gain step) to prevent unnecessary clipping, then brightening the footage in post, based on the "ISO" value to assign in your editor. As with white balance, this lets you second-guess your decisions at the point of shooting, but the end results are unlikely to be radically different to having shot Log in the 'correct' ISO, at the time.

Control over sharpening and noise reduction

What you definitely gain is much greater control over the sharpening and noise reduction being applied to your footage. Even at their minimal settings (and different brands have a very different idea of what minimal processing looks like), most hybrid cameras will apply quite a lot of noise reduction and sharpening to their processed output.

Shooting Raw gives you much more choice about the level and complexity of noise reduction and sharpening being applied. Of course, this also means you need to come up with a sharpening and noise reduction strategy in your workflow.

Support

Support for Raw video has been improving in recent months, with Adobe adding beta support for Nikon's NRaw and related R3D formats. Between plugins from the manufacturers and third-party options such as Color Finale Transcoder 2, you can use most Raw formats in the most popular editing software.

Canon Raw / Raw Light

Nikon
NRaw/R3D Apple ProRes Raw Blackmagic
BRaw Adobe
Premiere Yes Yes Yes Via free Blackmagic plugin Apple
Final Cut Pro Via free Canon plugin Via third-party plugins Yes Via third-party plugins Davinci
Resolve Yes Yes Yes Yes

This is particularly useful as, for instance, Nikon cameras derive their native Raw and their ProRes Raw output on different sensor modes, so the quality and available framerates can differ between them.

Lens corrections

Another consideration is that a great many modern lens designs only deliver the combination of angle-of-view, size and price they offer, because they use software corrections as part of their design. Not all Raw video workflows maintain the necessary correction parameters, meaning you'll need to find correction plugins to mimic them, if you want to use many modern hybrid lenses.

The Nikon ZR lets you choose between capturing Nikon's N-Raw or the related R3D NE format. Alternatively you can capture the more widely supported ProRes Raw format, though not at the higher frame rates offered in its native formats.

Screengrab: Mitchell Clark

This isn't an issue if you're adapting manual focus lenses, but it's worth testing whether the Raw format you hope to use will maintain the lens correction information if you're planning to use most systems' native AF lenses. For instance, Nikon writes its lens corrections parameters to its NRaw and R3D Raw formats, but doesn't embed them in ProRes Raw mode.

Canon's lens corrections are provided as part of its Raw files. Premiere honors the lens settings, whereas DaVinci Resolve lets you hack around them, if you prefer. And, although correction support has been added to ProRes Raw, Panasonic's cameras don't yet add the metadata to present its lenses correctly.

File sizes

Raw video tends to be larger than processed footage, not just because of increased bit-depth but also because chroma sub-sampling and sophisticated compression tends to be used on processed files. However, another factor is that truely Raw files are typically created from the sensor's native resolution. Sub-sampling the sensor by line-skipping would reduce the quality of the footage and rendering it then downscaling wouldn't be very raw. Some cameras let you crop in to a 4K region of the sensor but this effectively reduces the sensor size of your camera, lowering the quality of the footage.

This means you typically end up with roughly 6K or 7K footage with modern hybrid cameras. Differences in file size then add up very quickly. Here we've put together some typical bitrates and then extrapolated from that to work out roughly how much footage you can fit on a 256Gb memory card.

Bitrate Approx footage on a 256GB card Nikon R3D 6K/24
(ZR) 1520 Mbps ∼22 min Canon Raw 7K/24
(EOS R6 III) 2150 Mbps ∼16 min Canon Raw Light 7K/24
(EOS R6 III) 970 Mbps ∼35 min ProRes RAW HQ 5.8K/24
(DC-S1II) 3400 Mbps ∼10 min ProRes RAW 5.8K/24
(DC-S1II) 2200 Mbps ∼15 min H.265 4:2:2 All-I 4K/24
(DC-S1II) 400 Mbps ∼1hr 25min

If you want the additional resolution, many recent cameras can also record processed, compressed 10-bit footage at their native capture resolutions (around 6 to 7K), which is typically captured at similar bit-rates to the 4K footage, though often with 4:2:0 chroma sub-sampling.

But, as the table above should make clear, you can expect to get less than a third as much Raw footage on your memory card. Or, to put it the other way 'round: you'll need to buy at least three times as much media and storage in order to capture a project in Raw.

Is it worth it?

Overall then, is it worth it? Ultimately that's up to you, what you shoot and whether you want to maintain some flexibilty / pass extra work to the editing stage of your workflow.

Increasingly the tools are becoming available to let you work with Raw footage, but it's definitely worth considering whether the additional workflow steps and added storage requirements are worth it for the marginal gains in post-processing flexibility.

As things stand, we don't believe Raw video should be a deciding factor when choosing a camera unless you're absolutely certain that it's essential for the work you plan to do.

It's become increasingly common for cameras to be able to capture Raw video without the need for an external recorder, making it that bit more accessible.

Photo: Mitchell Clark

Raw video looks set to become increasingly common on cameras, with cameras from Panasonic, Canon and Nikon all offering internal Raw capture options. We thought it was a good time to take another look at the pros and cons of Raw video, whether it's worth the effort and whether you should consider it an essential feature, next time you buy a camera.

It's not as significant as for stills

The first point worth reiterating is that the benefits of Raw shooting aren't anywhere near as significant as they are for stills shooting. The main reason for this is that the alternative to shooting Raw stills is typically an 8-bit JPEG with a high-contrast S-curve applied to it, ready for viewing which leaves relatively little scope for significant brightness and tonal edits. Whereas the alternative to Raw in video tends to be 10-bit footage encoded with a Log response curve which is specifically designed to maintain tonal flexibility.

"A 10-bit log file can comfortably retain all the meaningful content of a 12-bit linear one"

It also tends to be the case that most video is derived from 12-bit sensor readout, rather than the 14-bit modes used on most large pixel cameras. Reducing the readout bit-depth boosts the readout speed but puts a limit on the amount of DR that can be retained. That said, many modern cameras increasingly oversample for their core video modes, an act that helps reduce noise and boost DR.

Little information is given about most 'Raw' video formats, but if they are encoded in a linear manner, as delivered by cameras' ADCs, it's worth pointing out that a 10-bit logarithmic file can comfortably retain all the meaningful content of a 12-bit linear one.

It's more that there's a well-established alternative to Raw capture, rather than any weakness of the Raw footage, that leads us to stress that the benefits are more modest than you might expect, if you're coming from a stills-shooting background.

So what benefits do you gain?

Control over white balance and ISO

The easiest benefit to spot is that, as in Raw photos, Raw video typically doesn't apply multipliers to its color channels and 'bake' a white balance into the file. This retains maximum flexibility in the edit, as it eliminates the risk that a badly judged white balance has prematurely clipped a channel that you then want to recover.

In practice, there isn't going to be a big difference between this and a 10-bit Log workflow, if you get the white balance quite close at the point of capture.

Raw footage should let you adjust the white balance and brightness rendering of the footage, after the fact. In this instance the interface gives you "ISO", "Exposure Offset" and "Color Temperature" tools. There's no setting for adjusting the Magenta/Green 'tint' axis.

Screengrab: DPReview from Final Cut Pro 11.1

Another benefit of the better Raw implementations is the ability to change ISO after the fact. Strictly speaking, you can't edit ISO after the fact any more than you can adjust "exposure" in a stills Raw converter, but you can see why they might choose to label the control that way.

Typically what's actually happening is that your camera is shooting at its base amplification setting (or its second gain step) to prevent unnecessary clipping, then brightening the footage in post, based on the "ISO" value to assign in your editor. As with white balance, this lets you second-guess your decisions at the point of shooting, but the end results are unlikely to be radically different to having shot Log in the 'correct' ISO, at the time.

Control over sharpening and noise reduction

What you definitely gain is much greater control over the sharpening and noise reduction being applied to your footage. Even at their minimal settings (and different brands have a very different idea of what minimal processing looks like), most hybrid cameras will apply quite a lot of noise reduction and sharpening to their processed output.

Shooting Raw gives you much more choice about the level and complexity of noise reduction and sharpening being applied. Of course, this also means you need to come up with a sharpening and noise reduction strategy in your workflow.

Support

Support for Raw video has been improving in recent months, with Adobe adding beta support for Nikon's NRaw and related R3D formats. Between plugins from the manufacturers and third-party options such as Color Finale Transcoder 2, you can use most Raw formats in the most popular editing software.

Canon Raw / Raw Light

Nikon
NRaw/R3D Apple ProRes Raw Blackmagic
BRaw Premiere Pro Yes Beta support Yes Via free Blackmagic plugin Final Cut Pro Via free Canon plugin Via third-party plugins Yes Via third-party plugins Resolve Yes Yes Yes Yes

This is particularly useful as, for instance, Nikon cameras derive their native Raw and their ProRes Raw output on different sensor modes, so the quality and available framerates can differ between them.

Lens corrections

Another consideration is that a great many modern lens designs only deliver the combination of angle-of-view, size and price they offer, because they use software corrections as part of their design. Not all Raw video workflows maintain the necessary correction parameters, meaning you'll need to find correction plugins to mimic them, if you want to use many modern hybrid lenses.

The Nikon ZR lets you choose between capturing Nikon's N-Raw or the related R3D NE format. Alternatively you can capture the more widely supported ProRes Raw format, though not at the higher frame rates offered in its native formats.

Screengrab: Mitchell Clark

This isn't an issue if you're adapting manual focus lenses, but it's worth testing whether the Raw format you hope to use will maintain the lens correction information if you're planning to use most systems' native AF lenses. For instance, Nikon writes its lens corrections parameters to its NRaw and R3D Raw formats, but doesn't embed them in ProRes Raw mode.

Canon's lens corrections are provided as part of its Raw files. Premiere honors the lens settings, whereas DaVinci Resolve lets you hack around them, if you prefer. And, although correction support has been added to ProRes Raw, Panasonic's cameras don't yet add the metadata to present its lenses correctly.

File sizes

Raw video tends to be larger than processed footage, not just because of increased bit-depth but also because chroma sub-sampling and sophisticated compression tends to be used on processed files. However, another factor is that truely Raw files are typically created from the sensor's native resolution. Sub-sampling the sensor by line-skipping would reduce the quality of the footage and rendering it then downscaling wouldn't be very raw. Some cameras let you crop in to a 4K region of the sensor but this effectively reduces the sensor size of your camera, lowering the quality of the footage.

This means you typically end up with roughly 6K or 7K footage with modern hybrid cameras. Differences in file size then add up very quickly. Here we've put together some typical bitrates and then extrapolated from that to work out roughly how much footage you can fit on a 256Gb memory card.

Bitrate Approx footage on a 256GB card Nikon R3D 6K/24
(ZR) 1520 Mbps ∼22 min Canon Raw 7K/24
(EOS R6 III) 2150 Mbps ∼16 min Canon Raw Light 7K/24
(EOS R6 III) 970 Mbps ∼35 min ProRes RAW HQ 5.8K/24
(DC-S1II) 3400 Mbps ∼10 min ProRes RAW 5.8K/24
(DC-S1II) 2200 Mbps ∼15 min H.265 4:2:2 All-I 4K/24
(DC-S1II) 400 Mbps ∼1hr 25min

If you want the additional resolution, many recent cameras can also record processed, compressed 10-bit footage at their native capture resolutions (around 6 to 7K), which is typically captured at similar bit-rates to the 4K footage, though often with 4:2:0 chroma sub-sampling.

But, as the table above should make clear, you can expect to get less than a third as much Raw footage on your memory card. Or, to put it the other way 'round: you'll need to buy at least three times as much media and storage in order to capture a project in Raw.

Is it worth it?

Overall then, is it worth it? Ultimately that's up to you, what you shoot and whether you want to maintain some flexibilty / pass extra work to the editing stage of your workflow.

Increasingly the tools are becoming available to let you work with Raw footage, but it's definitely worth considering whether the additional workflow steps and added storage requirements are worth it for the marginal gains in post-processing flexibility.

As things stand, we don't believe Raw video should be a deciding factor when choosing a camera unless you're absolutely certain that it's essential for the work you plan to do.

CIPA's latest data, expertly visualized by one of our forum members, doesn't shine any light onto how any particular camera model is doing, but it does show that cameras with built-in lenses are on the rise.

Image: Richard Butler

The Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) has released its annual figures on camera and lens shipments for 2025, and the statistics paint an interesting picture about the state of the camera industry. As a whole, it's back to growth, but one category of cameras is making far larger strides than the others. DPReview forum user Funtaril has put together a collection of visualizations based the data, which help illustrate those changes.

Before we take a look, there are some important things to note about where the CIPA data comes from. It's an industry group that gets statistics from member companies, including all of the major camera companies currently producing cameras for the market, and most of the major lens manufacturers. However, according to the most recent data available on CIPA's site, companies such as JK Imaging (which sells the Kodak-branded Easyshare cameras that frequently top Amazon's sales charts), Viltrox, 7artisans, Laowa and a host of other popular Chinese lens producers don't participate. That means the statistics offer a useful, but not comprehensive view of the market as a whole.

Image: funtaril

With that said, perhaps the most interesting datapoint is that 2025 saw a 11% growth in digital camera shipment volumes compared to 2024, which itself was the first year to see the market expand, rather than contract, since 2020. While sales of mirrorless cameras showed moderate growth, shipments of cameras with built-in lenses grew by 30%, making them 25.8% of the total volume of shipments for 2025. Clearly, manufacturers have taken notice of compacts' increased popularity.

It's also worth reiterating that these percentages represent how many units were shipped, rather than their value. That means that, if there was a rush to buy expensive fixed-lens cameras like the Sony RX1RIII or the Fujifilm GFX100RF, that's not skewing this particular data. And as noted before, that figure likely undersells how popular compacts have been, since it doesn't account for many of the models being sold at Costco, Amazon, or via TikTok Shop.

This is made all the more interesting by the scarce availability of the few compacts still on available on the market. It's hard not to wonder if the growth could have been even greater if cameras such as the Canon G7X Mark III were being produced in sufficient numbers to satisfy demand.

The Canon EOS Rebel T7, the last of the entry-level DSLRs, is almost unbelievably cheap at American retail giant Costco, going for $639 in a kit with two lenses, a backpack, and an SD card.

Photo: Jeff Keller

While it's exciting to see growth in the camera market, it's also clear that DSLRs are playing a smaller and smaller role in it. Funtaril's chart shows that shipments of them dropped 31% year over year in 2025, making it their sixth year in decline. As it stands, they only made up 7.3% of overall camera shipments last year.

According to CIPA's data, the 690,911 DSLRs shipped in 2025 were worth around ¥30.4 billion (∼$195 million). That means that each one was valued around $282, compared to the average value of a mirrorless camera at approximately $711. To be clear, these numbers represent the revenue manufacturers earn when selling the cameras to wholesalers, not the retail price the consumer ends up paying, but the difference is stark, suggesting that a lot of the remaining sales are the $639 Rebels being sold at Costco, rather than the latest $2000+ mirrorless cameras.

Image: funtaril

It's interesting to drill down to where exactly those DSLRs were going to. The CIPA numbers show that the vast majority are going to the Americas and Europe, where they accounted for 14.9% and 11.7% of the cameras shipped to those regions, respectively. By contrast, they made up only 1.2% and 1.5% of shipments for China and Japan, respectively (though the later is hardly representative of the market as a whole; 52.7% of its shipments were cameras with built-in lenses).

Shipments of full-frame and medium format cameras only increased by about 2%

Despite 2025 seeing the release of the excellent Nikon Z5 II (and its existing low-cost rivals hitting ever lower prices on sale), shipments of full-frame and medium format cameras only increased by less than 2%, and made up a slightly smaller percentage of overall cameras shipped in 2025 than the year before. While 36.3% of the market is nothing to sneeze at, cameras with smaller sensors still made up the bulk of shipments at 63.7%.

Image: funtaril

The story is a little different when it comes to lenses. In 2025, Funtaril shows lenses for crop sensors making up 54.9% of shipments, with full-frame and larger lenses making up 45.1%. While crop lenses still make up the majority, the delta is much smaller. Again, this number is based on the absolute number of units, not the value, so the full-frame lenses' higher per-unit value doesn't affect this data.

One last interesting, but somewhat thorny, trend revealed by the data is regarding overall lens shipments from manufacturers that are part of CIPA. Funtaril calculated the attachment rate (how many lenses were being shipped for each interchangeable lens camera being shipped), and the number of full-frame and larger lenses shipped per camera has been dropping precipitously since the early 2020s (when CIPA started breaking out that data by sensor size).

Image: funtaril

It's hard to pin down exactly what that tells us for a variety of reasons; the lack of historical data means that it's always possible the numbers from 2020 and 2021 were artificially high due to people buying new lenses as they switched to mirrorless. It's also worth noting that owners of crop sensor cameras also purchase full-frame lenses, though the data doesn't tell us anything about the quantities in which they do so. These factors make it hard to tell how much of the drop in shipments is due to lack of interest, or the growing might of Chinese lens makers.

It's worth taking a look at Funtaril's full post on our forum, as there are over 30 charts and graphs to dig into, showing things like how regions' buying habits have been changing over time, and breakdowns of prime lens sales versus zoom lens sales. Funtaril also posted another thread late last year that looked at cameras' lifecycles, in an attempt to predict which cameras might get an update this year.

Check out the full thread

CIPA's latest data, expertly visualized by one of our forum members, doesn't shine any light onto how any particular camera model is doing, but it does show that cameras with built-in lenses are on the rise.

Image: Richard Butler

The Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) has released its annual figures on camera and lens shipments for 2025, and the statistics paint an interesting picture about the state of the camera industry. As a whole, it's back to growth, but one category of cameras is making far larger strides than the others. DPReview forum user Funtaril has put together a collection of visualizations based the data, which help illustrate those changes.

Before we take a look, there are some important things to note about where the CIPA data comes from. It's an industry group that gets statistics from member companies, including all of the major camera companies currently producing cameras for the market, and most of the major lens manufacturers. However, according to the most recent data available on CIPA's site, companies such as JK Imaging (which sells the Kodak-branded Easyshare cameras that frequently top Amazon's sales charts), Viltrox, 7artisans, Laowa and a host of other popular Chinese lens producers don't participate. That means the statistics offer a useful, but not comprehensive view of the market as a whole.

Image: funtaril

With that said, perhaps the most interesting datapoint is that 2025 saw a 11% growth in digital camera shipment volumes compared to 2024, which itself was the first year to see the market expand, rather than contract, since 2020. While sales of mirrorless cameras showed moderate growth, shipments of cameras with built-in lenses grew by 30%, making them 25.8% of the total volume of shipments for 2025. Clearly, manufacturers have taken notice of compacts' increased popularity.

It's also worth reiterating that these percentages represent how many units were shipped, rather than their value. That means that, if there was a rush to buy expensive fixed-lens cameras like the Sony RX1RIII or the Fujifilm GFX100RF, that's not skewing this particular data. And as noted before, that figure likely undersells how popular compacts have been, since it doesn't account for many of the models being sold at Costco, Amazon, or via TikTok Shop.

This is made all the more interesting by the scarce availability of the few compacts still on available on the market. It's hard not to wonder if the growth could have been even greater if cameras such as the Canon G7X Mark III were being produceds in sufficient numbers to satisfy demand.

The Canon EOS Rebel T7, the last of the entry-level DSLRs, is almost unbelievably cheap at American retail giant Costco, going for $639 in a kit with two lenses, a backpack, and an SD card.

Photo: Jeff Keller

While it's exciting to see growth in the camera market, it's also clear that DSLRs are playing a smaller and smaller role in it. Funtaril's chart shows that shipments of them dropped 31% year over year in 2025, making it their sixth year in decline. As it stands, they only made up 7.3% of overall camera shipments last year.

According to CIPA's data, the 690,911 DSLRs shipped in 2025 were worth around ¥30.4 billion (∼$195 million). That means that each one was valued around $282, compared to the average value of a mirrorless camera at approximately $711. To be clear, these numbers represent the revenue manufacturers earn when selling the cameras to wholesalers, not the retail price the consumer ends up paying, but the difference is stark, suggesting that a lot of the remaining sales are the $639 Rebels being sold at Costco, rather than the latest $2000+ mirrorless cameras.

Image: funtaril

It's interesting to drill down to where exactly those DSLRs were going to. The CIPA numbers show that the vast majority are going to the Americas and Europe, where they accounted for 14.9% and 11.7% of the cameras shipped to those regions, respectively. By contrast, they made up only 1.2% and 1.5% of shipments for China and Japan, respectively (though the later is hardly representative of the market as a whole; 52.7% of its shipments were cameras with built-in lenses).

Shipments of full frame and medium format cameras only increased by about 2%

Despite 2025 seeing the release of the excellent Nikon Z5 II (and its existing low-cost rivals hitting ever lower prices on sale), shipments of full frame and medium format cameras only increased by less than 2%, and made up a slightly smaller percentage of overall cameras shipped in 2025 than the year before. While 36.3% of the market is nothing to sneeze at, cameras with smaller sensors still made up the bulk of shipments at 63.7%.

Image: funtaril

The story is a little different when it comes to lenses. In 2025, Funtaril shows lenses for crop sensors making up 54.9% of shipments, with full frame and larger lenses making up 45.1%. While crop lenses still make up the majority, the delta is much smaller. Again, this number is based on the absolute number of units, not the value, so the full frame lenses' higher per-unit value doesn't affect this data.

One last interesting, but somewhat thorny, trend revealed by the data is regarding overall lens shipments from manufacturers that are part of CIPA. Funtaril calculated the attachment rate (how many lenses were being shipped for each interchangeable lens camera being shipped), and the number of full frame and larger lenses shipped per camera has been dropping precipitously since the early 2020s (when CIPA started breaking out that data by sensor size).

Image: funtaril

It's hard to pin down exactly what that tells us for a variety of reasons; the lack of historical data means that it's always possible the numbers from 2020 and 2021 were artificially high due to people buying new lenses as they switched to mirrorless. It's also worth noting that owners of crop sensor cameras also purchase full frame lenses, though the data doesn't tell us anything about the quantities in which they do so. These factors make it hard to tell how much of the drop in shipments is due to lack of interest, or the growing might of Chinese lens makers.

It's worth taking a look at Funtaril's full post on our forum, as there are over 30 charts and graphs to dig into, showing things like how regions' buying habits have been changing over time, and breakdowns of prime lens sales versus zoom lens sales. Funtaril also posted another thread late last year that looked at cameras' lifecycles, in an attempt to predict which cameras might get an update this year.

Check out the full thread

Image: Godox

Godox has announced the V1mid, a round-head on-camera flash unit. The company's latest flash sits in the V1 lineup and aims to provide a relatively affordable option for photographers who need more than a strictly budget-level flash but in a compact package.

Godox hasn't published any information on the V1mid's guide number or power, so those specs are unclear at this point. The company does specify a 1.7-second recycle time, which is just slightly lower than the V1's 1.5-second recycle time. It also promises up to 650 full-power flashes on a single charge, which is more than both of the other V1 flash units.

The V1mid mostly relies on a touchscreen for control.
Image: Godox

The Godox V1mid is smaller than the V1 and V1Pro, making it a more compact and lighter option for photographers on the go. It weighs 413g (14.6oz), compared to the V1's 530g (18.7oz) weight. To accommodate the smaller size, Godox did away with most of the buttons and dials found on the V1 and V1Pro, with the V1mid instead relying on a two-inch touchscreen and dial.

The V1mid supports TTL, manual and multi-modes. It is also compatible with high-speed sync up to 1/8000 sec, or 1/80000 sec with Sony cameras with global shutters. The flash also supports first- and rear-curtain sync. Flash power is adjustable from 1/256 to full power. It can function as both a sender and receiver using Godox's 2.4 GHz 'X' wireless radio system, making it possible to use in multi-flash setups. It also supports wired sync via a 2.5mm sync port.

Image: Godox

Like the existing V1 models, some features of the V1mid are camera-dependent. For example, only certain versions offer a 2W LED modeling lamp. Additionally, the Canon version supports camera menu control. All versions are compatible with the Godox AK-R1 round-head magnetic accessory system, making it easier to modify the light.

The Godox V1mid is available for purchase today for $179 in versions for Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus/Panasonic and Sony.

Buy now: $179 at B&H

Image: Godox

Godox has announced the V1mid, a round-head on-camera flash unit. The company's latest flash sits in the V1 lineup and aims to provide a relatively affordable option for photographers who need more than a strictly budget-level flash but in a compact package.

The Godox V1mid is smaller than the V1 and V1Pro, making it a more compact and lighter option for photographers on the go. It weighs 413g (14.6oz), compared to the V1's 530g (18.7oz) weight. To accommodate the smaller size, Godox did away with most of the buttons and dials found on the V1 and V1Pro, with the V1mid instead relying on a two-inch touchscreen and dial.

The V1mid mostly relies on a touchscreen for control.
Image: Godox

Despite the compact size, there are plenty of useful features on the V1mid that make it suitable for demanding situations like weddings and events. Godox promises even and powerful output, though it doesn't provide an actual power specification. It offers a 1.7-second recycle time, which is just slightly lower than the V1's 1.5-second recycle time. Godox also promises up to 650 full-power flashes on a single charge, which is more than both of the other V1 flash units.

The V1mid supports TTL, manual and multi-modes. It is also compatible with high-speed sync up to 1/8000 sec, or 1/80000 sec with Sony cameras with global shutters. The flash also supports first- and rear-curtain sync. Flash power is adjustable from 1/256 to full power. It can function as both a sender and receiver using Godox's 2.4 GHz 'X' wireless radio system, making it possible to use in multi-flash setups. It also supports wired sync via a 2.5mm sync port.

Image: Godox

Like the existing V1 models, some features of the V1mid are camera-dependent. For example, only certain versions offer a 2W LED modeling lamp. Additionally, the Canon version supports camera menu control. All versions are compatible with the Godox AK-R1 round-head magnetic accessory system, making it easier to modify the light.

The Godox V1mid is available for purchase today for $179 in versions for Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus/Panasonic and Sony.

Buy now: $179 at B&H

Shooting open gate video uses the entire sensor, not just a 16:9 or 17:9 window of it.
Photo: Richard Butler

Nowadays, the internet is often abuzz with discussions about open gate video recording, especially when a new camera adds (or fails to add) it as a feature. But for the uninitiated, it can be hard to tell why people care enough about it to leave endless "no open gate, no buy" comments, and there's even a risk of overemphasising its usefulness in all the excitement.

What is open gate? A still from footage shot using the Canon EOS R6 III's ~7K open gate mode.

In case you've missed it, open gate is a recording mode that captures the entire area of a sensor. In hybrid stills/video cameras, that typically means producing a 3:2 or 4:3 image, rather than a 16:9 or 17:9 one, like most people will be used to. This often, but not always, also results in a much higher-resolution file; some cameras that don't offer >4K modes for the more standard aspect ratios will give you access to the sensor's full resolution in open gate mode.

The feature has been gaining popularity in consumer-focused cameras since Panasonic added it to the GH5 via a firmware update. Its inclusion has seemingly corresponded with sensors getting faster readout speeds: since the camera has to read out more of its sensor's height than when it's recording 16:9, the sensor has to be fast enough to read out its entire area in 1/24, 1/30 or 1/60th of a second to deliver video.

Why would you use it?

The feature came to hybrid mirrorless cameras as a way to give videographers a better experience when shooting with anamorphic lenses that have a high squeeze factor. By capturing a taller image, then squishing it down, you can get a stronger "look" (ovular bokeh and interesting compression when focus racking) without having a toothpick-thin aspect ratio like you'd get if you'd originally shot it in 16:9.

If that all sounds like Greek to you, don't worry too much; it can be complicated to shoot anamorphic lenses 'properly,' which is why doing so isn't particularly common. If that was all open gate shooting let you do, it would have likely remained an extremely niche feature. However, users – and manufacturers' marketing departments – quickly discovered that there are other reasons to capture the entire sensor.

Chief among them is that it gives you room to manipulate your footage without having to crop in beyond your native resolution. If you're shooting at 3:2 or 4:3 and delivering to 16:9, you have quite a bit of freedom to choose which part of the frame you want to take your crop from. You also have more leeway to reposition your subject in the frame, rotate the footage, or stabilize it in post, without losing too much resolution or substantially changing your original horizontal framing. The additional vertical space and, often, resolution, let you crop in further to simulate an additional, tighter focal length. You can also move the crop around, simulating a pan or tilt to add a sense of dynamism without the need for an actual camera operator.

This illustration from the S5II's product page shows one of the main selling points manufacturers push when talking about open gate.
Image: Panasonic

What may be driving increased interest in open gate shooting is the ability to take that reframing to the extreme, pulling two entirely different formats from a single shot. That extra vertical headroom makes it easier to take a vertical crop out of your video, letting you shoot one clip and then cut it for horizontal platforms like YouTube and vertical ones like TikTok or Instagram. As these platforms have gained popularity, so too has the desire to take video shot for other, more landscape-focused platforms, without having to do two separate takes.

A 9:16 vertical crop taken from a 3:2 open gate image. Plenty of room for captions and overlaid UI. A 9:16 vertical crop taken from a 16:9 image. Which could come across as a bit tight.

While this is technically possible with 16:9 footage, it can be quite difficult to find a framing that works for both horizontal and vertical with such a narrow aspect ratio.

What are the downsides? This open gate shot, taken on a Panasonic S1II, can technically be split into vertical and landscape shots, but as often happens, one won't be as nice a composition as the other.

Of course, open gate footage isn't necessarily immune from this problem, either. When producing videos for our YouTube channel, we sometimes shoot in open gate when we plan on also uploading a cut to social, and we've found that it can be tricky to find a framing that will work for both. In the example above, the vertical crop shows off the interesting glass sculpture hung in the treetops, but any horizontal crop that includes the presenter will look either off-balance or just make it look like he's standing in a featureless forest.

Open gate footage also usually takes up more storage space, owing to its higher resolution, which is something to keep in mind. It may also be a bit harder to edit on lower-end hardware, depending on what you're trying to do with it.

Finally, there's the issue of framing. Unless you're delivering video in your sensor's aspect ratio, shooting in open gate means you'll have to crop in on your footage when editing, which is an extra step in the process, requiring you to decide what the best framing is on a shot-by-shot basis. If your camera has the ability to display framelines, you can try to make sure your framing is relatively consistent while shooting, but there may still be the temptation to endlessly fiddle in post, trying to get the perfect crop.

So should I actually care? The Sony a7 V doesn't have open gate. Some people view this as a dealbreaker, which it may very well be for them. But that doesn't mean it will be for everyone.
Photo: Mitchell Clark

If you've reached this point in the article and have found yourself thinking something along the lines of "I can't ever imagine needing/wanting to do any of this," you're probably not alone. People have gotten along very well with cameras that only shoot 16:9 for years, and while there's definitely an element of "I can't go back now that I've tried it" to open gate, many of its benefits are decidedly niche.

Of course, if you fit into that niche, open gate can be a valuable tool. Personally, I find it most valuable as a way to give myself more leeway when I'm trying to record myself, or when I feel artistically called to deliver video in a more square aspect ratio.

The point is not to prescribe where on that spectrum you should fall, but to highlight the fact that open gate isn't a universally useful feature. There will be those for whom it's a nice-to-have, but not necessarily a reason to pick one camera over another, and others whose needs make it a must-have feature (and still others who won't ever use it, plus those who are mad their camera even shoots video at all).

Shooting open gate video uses the entire sensor, not just a 16:9 or 17:9 window of it.
Photo: Richard Butler

Nowadays, the internet is often abuzz with discussions about open gate video recording, especially when a new camera adds (or fails to add) it as a feature. But for the uninitiated, it can be hard to tell why people care enough about it to leave endless "no open gate, no buy" comments, and there's even a risk of overemphasising its usefulness in all the excitement.

What is open gate? A still from footage shot using the Canon EOS R6 III's ~7K open gate mode.

In case you've missed it, open gate is a recording mode that captures the entire area of a sensor. In hybrid stills/video cameras, that typically means producing a 3:2 or 4:3 image, rather than a 16:9 or 17:9 one, like most people will be used to. This often, but not always, also results in a much higher-resolution file; some cameras that don't offer >4K modes for the more standard aspect ratios will give you access to the sensor's full resolution in open gate mode.

The feature has been gaining popularity in consumer-focused cameras since Panasonic added it to the GH5 via a firmware update. Its inclusion has seemingly corresponded with sensors getting faster readout speeds: since the camera has to read out more of its sensor's height than when it's recording 16:9, the sensor has to be fast enough to read out its entire area in 1/24, 1/30 or 1/60th of a second to deliver video.

Why would you use it?

The feature came to hybrid mirrorless cameras as a way to give videographers a better experience when shooting with anamorphic lenses that have a high squeeze factor. By capturing a taller image, then squishing it down, you can get a stronger "look" (ovular bokeh and interesting compression when focus racking) without having a toothpick-thin aspect ratio like you'd get if you'd originally shot it in 16:9.

If that all sounds like Greek to you, don't worry too much; it can be complicated to shoot anamorphic lenses 'properly,' which is why doing so isn't particularly common. If that was all open gate shooting let you do, it would have likely remained an extremely niche feature. However, users – and manufacturers' marketing departments – quickly discovered that there are other reasons to capture the entire sensor.

Chief among them is that it gives you room to manipulate your footage without having to crop in beyond your native resolution. If you're shooting at 3:2 or 4:3 and delivering to 16:9, you have quite a bit of freedom to choose which part of the frame you want to take your crop from. You also have more leeway to reposition your subject in the frame, rotate the footage, or stabilize it in post, without losing too much resolution or substantially changing your original horizontal framing. The additional vertical space and, often, resolution, let you crop in further to simulate an additional, tighter focal length. You can also move the crop around, simulating a pan or tilt to add a sense of dynamism without the need for an actual camera operator.

This illustration from the S5II's product page shows one of the main selling points manufacturers push when talking about open gate.
Image: Panasonic

What may be driving increased interest in open gate shooting is the ability to take that reframing to the extreme, pulling two entirely different formats from a single shot. That extra vertical headroom makes it easier to take a vertical crop out of your video, letting you shoot one clip and then cut it for horizontal platforms like YouTube and vertical ones like TikTok or Instagram. As these platforms have gained popularity, so too has the desire to take video shot for other, more landscape-focused platforms, without having to do two separate takes.

A 9:16 vertical crop taken from a 3:2 open gate image. Plenty of room for captions and overlaid UI. A 9:16 vertical crop taken from a 16:9 image. Which could come across as a bit tight.

While this is technically possible with 16:9 footage, it can be quite difficult to find a framing that works for both horizontal and vertical with such a narrow aspect ratio.

What are the downsides? This open gate shot, taken on a Panasonic S1II, can technically be split into vertical and landscape shots, but as often happens, one won't be as nice a composition as the other.

Of course, open gate footage isn't necessarily immune from this problem, either. When producing videos for our YouTube channel, we sometimes shoot in open gate when we plan on also uploading a cut to social, and we've found that it can be tricky to find a framing that will work for both. In the example below, the vertical crop shows off the interesting glass sculpture hung in the treetops, but any horizontal crop that includes the presenter will look either off-balance or just make it look like he's standing in a featureless forest.

Open gate footage also usually takes up more storage space, owing to its higher resolution, which is something to keep in mind. It may also be a bit harder to edit on lower-end hardware, depending on what you're trying to do with it.

Finally, there's the issue of framing. Unless you're delivering video in your sensor's aspect ratio, shooting in open gate means you'll have to crop in on your footage when editing, which is an extra step in the process, requiring you to decide what the best framing is on a shot-by-shot basis. If your camera has the ability to display framelines, you can try to make sure your framing is relatively consistent while shooting, but there may still be the temptation to endlessly fiddle in post, trying to get the perfect crop.

So should I actually care? The Sony a7 V doesn't have open gate. Some people view this as a dealbreaker, which it may very well be for them. But that doesn't mean it will be for everyone.
Photo: Mitchell Clark

If you've reached this point in the article and have found yourself thinking something along the lines of "I can't ever imagine needing/wanting to do any of this," you're probably not alone. People have gotten along very well with cameras that only shoot 16:9 for years, and while there's definitely an element of "I can't go back now that I've tried it" to open gate, many of its benefits are decidedly niche.

Of course, if you fit into that niche, open gate can be a valuable tool. Personally, I find it most valuable as a way to give myself more leeway when I'm trying to record myself, or when I feel artistically called to deliver video in a more square aspect ratio.

The point is not to prescribe where on that spectrum you should fall, but to highlight the fact that open gate isn't a universally useful feature. There will be those for whom it's a nice-to-have, but not necessarily a reason to pick one camera over another, and others whose needs make it a must-have feature (and still others who won't ever use it, plus those who are mad their camera even shoots video at all).

The January Editors' photo challenge

The theme for our January Editor's photo challenge was "Silly signs."

Most of the time, our Editors' photo challenges focus on technical excellence or powerful storytelling. However, sometimes photography is just about having a bit of fun and a good laugh. That's what we tried to do this month with our "Silly signs" photo challenge. We asked you to share the weird, wacky and downright silly signage you've stumbled across while out and about with your camera.

As always, we received many more great photos than we can feature here. Our favorites, showcasing a diverse range of vision and talent, are presented in random order.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this photo challenge. If you'd like to participate in other photo challenges, you can visit our Challenges page to see currently open or upcoming challenges, or to vote in a recently closed challenge.

Glad they warned me!

Photographer: Stephen_D

Photographer's statement: I found the idea of warning people not to walk on cacti with huge spines quite ridiculous. I almost titled this "No sh#t Sherlock!" Taken in a botanical garden in Sydney, Australia

Equipment: Samsung S23 Ultra

Don't drown!

Photographer: Dusty Roads

Photographer's statement: Tides are very deep in Rye, England. Must have been out for a while when I was there. You can see seagull tracks in the mud.

Equipment: Sony Alpha NEX-7 + Sony E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS

The deterrent

Photographer: arrow501

Photographer's statement: That bull was definitely cheating. If he'd been at the other end of the field, I reckon I could have beaten him *wink*. I photographed this a few years ago. It took a few visits before I got the bull in the same shot as the sign.

Equipment: Canon PowerShot G15

Tom bilen for tyven

Photographer: Andreas Graf

Photographer's statement: Travelling north from the Danish island of Falster to the main island of Zealand in early May 2024, I quickly stopped at a parking lot right after the famous Faro South bridge. And there it was, that sign telling people not to leave their valuables in the car.

In the original Danish language, "Tom bilen for tyven" means something like "Empty your car before a thief does," which matches well with the silly scene pictured in the sign. The English phrase "Don't leave valuables behind," however, is really not such a good match for that. But the main reason I took this picture at the time was an entirely different one, namely that the car in the sign looks almost the same as the one I drive, including the red color.

So, it would be sort of fun for me to show this picture to my friends back home who know my car. Little did I know at the time that, less than two years later, I would be submitting this picture for the "Silly Signs" photo challenge.

Equipment: Nikon D750 + Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm F4G ED VR

Bark is worse than its bite?

Photographer: protapic

Photographer's statement: I discovered this sign at the head of a trail leading down to the Clear Fork Mohican River in Ohio. The sign warns visitors of unsafe hiking. The sign's safety, however, is compromised as it learns that tree bark can bite.

Equipment: Olympus PEN E-PL1 + Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH

No shooting? Oh shoot!

Photographer: HobbyPhotog

Photographer's statement: There was a certain irony in discovering that the ‘No Shooting’ sign had been shot. On the brighter side, the timing was perfect to line up the sun through the bullet hole and capture a rather photogenic sunstar.

Equipment: Canon EOS R5 + Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM

Shakespear

Photographer: BGLeduc

Photographer's statement: While walking with my wife along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland, I thought it might be fun to break out a bit of Hamlet or perhaps King Lear. Unfortunately, the good people of Edinburgh do not take kindly to such unsolicited performances.

Equipment: iPhone 14 Pro

Water ahead

Photographer: Ellipse Optical

Photographer's statement: At the cruise ship terminal on the island of Corfu, Greece, a sign has been posted to alert drivers to the peril of driving off the end of the pier.

Equipment: Canon PowerShot G12

God's too busy

Photographer: DFPanno

Photographer's statement: I saw this sign while walking the High Line in Manhattan. A great way to encourage people to give up all hope of finding free street parking!

Equipment: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 + Sony 35/2

Information overflow

Photographer: SPHDE

Photographer's statement: Came across this sign near a small creek. The intention to warn about sudden surges is somewhat compromised by the pictogram's lack of seriousness and its obvious neglect. Nevertheless, seeing it should keep you from acting silly.

Equipment: Nikon Z6 + Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm F4.5

Broken door

Photographer: DuckShots

Photographer's statement: Always exploring with my camera. Makes me feel safe, confident and creative. Never know what you will come across. Here, inside a dilapidated building slated for demolition, was this sign. I wonder what happened to the person who opened the door?

Equipment: Leica Q3 43

Understatement

Photographer: Mister Spock

Photographer's statement: Taken in the car park of our local Aldi, which was flooded due to heavy rain. Not sure if this is just an understatement or irony. You decide.

Equipment: iPhone 5s

Beware of the undertoad

Photographer: A Sharma

Photographer's statement: This parking lot sign is proof that the staff of Rondeau Provincial Park in southern Ontario has a curious sense of humor.

Equipment: Canon EOS R7 + Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM

Anyone for a dip?

Photographer: RussellP

Photographer's statement: Many years ago, while visiting Vanuatu, we visited some sort of aquarium at a resort. It wasn't very good, but the sign made me laugh. Just being prepared for tourists who may not know sharks are dangerous. Having said that, I have since swum with reef sharks in Tahiti, and those at least are harmless.

Equipment: FujiFilm FinePix S5200 Zoom (FinePix S5600)

Conundrum

Photographer: papapa

Photographer's statement: While walking in my neighborhood came across this sign. My CONUNDRUM - to obey the sign's command, you must first disobey the sign's command. What do I do?

Equipment: Samsung Galaxy A53 phone

So, it's...

Photographer: KBTinto

Photographer's statement: I was walking past a building one evening when I noticed a bright green door lit up below street level, with steps leading down to it. Just read the top sign, thought "Okay," then noticed the second one immediately below. Wonder what would happen if I decided one day to go there and knock on the door?

Equipment: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII

Looking for a man who will go the distance

Photographer: Hooyat

Photographer's statement: This picture of the sign was taken at the annual racing events for professional and amateur runners. The events promoted physical activity by offering different race distances, including a marathon, a half-marathon, etc. The events raised funds for local charities. Residents lined up the route to support the runners with cheers, bells and signs.

Equipment: Sony a7 IV + Sigma 24-70mm F2..8 DG DN II

Lost in translation

Photographer: Tubeslover

Photographer's statement: The words in Chinese actually meant "Be careful not to fall off the cliff." Hope this has already been corrected, and there were no casualties due to anyone following the instructions in English.

Equipment: Nikon D750 + Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8E ED VR

Kraken ahead

Photographer: Monkachino

Photographer's statement: Unfortunately, we initially missed this sign, but we managed to swim back to shore, and my kid got this picture with his (waterproof) iPhone 15 Pro. We then set out on foot for the local car rental business on Block Island, RI.

Equipment: iPhone 15 Pro

Redrawn, laughable "No Entry" street sign

Photographer: Molarjung

Photographer's statement: While strolling around Florence, Italy, I encountered numerous "No Entry" signs, like this one. I felt this one was transformed by imaginative artists into humorous works of attractive creativity.

Equipment: Nikon D750 + Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED

The January Editors' photo challenge

The theme for our January Editor's photo challenge was "Silly signs."

Most of the time, our Editors' photo challenges focus on technical excellence or powerful storytelling. However, sometimes photography is just about having a bit of fun and a good laugh. That's what we tried to do this month with our "Silly signs" photo challenge. We asked you to share the weird, wacky and downright silly signage you've stumbled across while out and about with your camera.

As always, we received many more great photos than we can feature here. Our favorites, showcasing a diverse range of vision and talent, are presented in random order.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this photo challenge. If you'd like to participate in other photo challenges, you can visit our Challenges page to see currently open or upcoming challenges, or to vote in a recently closed challenge.

Glad they warned me!

Photographer: Stephen_D

Photographer's statement: I found the idea of warning people not to walk on cacti with huge spines quite ridiculous. I almost titled this "No sh#t Sherlock!" Taken in a botanical garden in Sydney, Australia

Equipment: Samsung S23 Ultra

Don't drown!

Photographer: Dusty Roads

Photographer's statement: Tides are very deep in Rye, England. Must have been out for a while when I was there. You can see seagull tracks in the mud.

Equipment: Sony Alpha NEX-7 + Sony E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS

The deterrent

Photographer: arrow501

Photographer's statement: That bull was definitely cheating. If he'd been at the other end of the field, I reckon I could have beaten him *wink*. I photographed this a few years ago. It took a few visits before I got the bull in the same shot as the sign.

Equipment: Canon PowerShot G15

Tom bilen for tyven

Photographer: Andreas Graf

Photographer's statement: Travelling north from the Danish island of Falster to the main island of Zealand in early May 2024, I quickly stopped at a parking lot right after the famous Faro South bridge. And there it was, that sign telling people not to leave their valuables in the car.

In the original Danish language, "Tom bilen for tyven" means something like "Empty your car before a thief does," which matches well with the silly scene pictured in the sign. The English phrase "Don't leave valuables behind," however, is really not such a good match for that. But the main reason I took this picture at the time was an entirely different one, namely that the car in the sign looks almost the same as the one I drive, including the red color.

So, it would be sort of fun for me to show this picture to my friends back home who know my car. Little did I know at the time that, less than two years later, I would be submitting this picture for the "Silly Signs" photo challenge.

Equipment: Nikon D750 + Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm F4G ED VR

Bark is worse than its bite?

Photographer: protapic

Photographer's statement: I discovered this sign at the head of a trail leading down to the Clear Fork Mohican River in Ohio. The sign warns visitors of unsafe hiking. The sign's safety, however, is compromised as it learns that tree bark can bite.

Equipment: Olympus PEN E-PL1 + Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH

No shooting? Oh shoot!

Photographer: HobbyPhotog

Photographer's statement: There was a certain irony in discovering that the ‘No Shooting’ sign had been shot. On the brighter side, the timing was perfect to line up the sun through the bullet hole and capture a rather photogenic sunstar.

Equipment: Canon EOS R5 + Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM

Shakespear

Photographer: BGLeduc

Photographer's statement: While walking with my wife along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland, I thought it might be fun to break out a bit of Hamlet or perhaps King Lear. Unfortunately, the good people of Edinburgh do not take kindly to such unsolicited performances.

Equipment: iPhone 14 Pro

Water ahead

Photographer: Ellipse Optical

Photographer's statement: At the cruise ship terminal on the island of Corfu, Greece, a sign has been posted to alert drivers to the peril of driving off the end of the pier.

Equipment: Canon PowerShot G12

God's too busy

Photographer: DFPanno

Photographer's statement: I saw this sign while walking the High Line in Manhattan. A great way to encourage people to give up all hope of finding free street parking!

Equipment: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 + Sony 35/2

Information overflow

Photographer: SPHDE

Photographer's statement: Came across this sign near a small creek. The intention to warn about sudden surges is somewhat compromised by the pictogram's lack of seriousness and its obvious neglect. Nevertheless, seeing it should keep you from acting silly.

Equipment: Nikon Z6 + Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm F4.5

Broken door

Photographer: DuckShots

Photographer's statement: Always exploring with my camera. Makes me feel safe, confident and creative. Never know what you will come across. Here, inside a dilapidated building slated for demolition, was this sign. I wonder what happened to the person who opened the door?

Equipment: Leica Q3 43

Understatement

Photographer: Mister Spock

Photographer's statement: Taken in the car park of our local Aldi, which was flooded due to heavy rain. Not sure if this is just an understatement or irony. You decide.

Equipment: iPhone 5s

Beware of the undertoad

Photographer: A Sharma

Photographer's statement: This parking lot sign is proof that the staff of Rondeau Provincial Park in southern Ontario has a curious sense of humor.

Equipment: Canon EOS R7 + Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM

Anyone for a dip?

Photographer: RussellP

Photographer's statement: Many years ago, while visiting Vanuatu, we visited some sort of aquarium at a resort. It wasn't very good, but the sign made me laugh. Just being prepared for tourists who may not know sharks are dangerous. Having said that, I have since swum with reef sharks in Tahiti, and those at least are harmless.

Equipment: FujiFilm FinePix S5200 Zoom (FinePix S5600)

Conundrum

Photographer: papapa

Photographer's statement: While walking in my neighborhood came across this sign. My CONUNDRUM - to obey the sign's command, you must first disobey the sign's command. What do I do?

Equipment: Samsung Galaxy A53 phone

So, it's...

Photographer: KBTinto

Photographer's statement: I was walking past a building one evening when I noticed a bright green door lit up below street level, with steps leading down to it. Just read the top sign, thought "Okay," then noticed the second one immediately below. Wonder what would happen if I decided one day to go there and knock on the door?

Equipment: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII

Looking for a man who will go the distance

Photographer: Hooyat

Photographer's statement: This picture of the sign was taken at the annual racing events for professional and amateur runners. The events promoted physical activity by offering different race distances, including a marathon, a half-marathon, etc. The events raised funds for local charities. Residents lined up the route to support the runners with cheers, bells and signs.

Equipment: Sony a7 IV + Sigma 24-70mm F2..8 DG DN II

Lost in translation

Photographer: Tubeslover

Photographer's statement: The words in Chinese actually meant "Be careful not to fall off the cliff." Hope this has already been corrected, and there were no casualties due to anyone following the instructions in English.

Equipment: Nikon D750 + Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8E ED VR

Kraken ahead

Photographer: Monkachino

Photographer's statement: Unfortunately, we initially missed this sign, but we managed to swim back to shore, and my kid got this picture with his (waterproof) iPhone 15 Pro. We then set out on foot for the local car rental business on Block Island, RI.

Equipment: iPhone 15 Pro

Redrawn, laughable "No Entry" street sign

Photographer: Molarjung

Photographer's statement: While strolling around Florence, Italy, I encountered numerous "No Entry" signs, like this one. I felt this one was transformed by imaginative artists into humorous works of attractive creativity.

Equipment: Nikon D750 + Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED

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Earlier this week, Leica announced the Noctilux M 35mm F1.2 Asph., a new wide-angle entry in its famous line of fast lenses that has previously been limited to normal and telephoto options. Luckily, we got the chance to shoot with it. While the Pacific Northwest winter weather was naturally uncooperative, we were at least able to test the lens out in conditions that reflected its name; "Noctu" is Latin for "night," and "lux" translates to light.

You can learn more about the lens and its construction in our article covering the announcement, here.

See the sample gallery

Buy now:

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Earlier this week, Leica announced the Noctilux M 35mm F1.2 Asph., a new wide-angle entry in its famous line of fast lenses that has previously been limited to normal and telephoto options. Luckily, we got the chance to shoot with it. While the Pacific Northwest winter weather was naturally uncooperative, we were at least able to test the lens out in conditions that reflected its name; "Noctu" is Latin for "night," and "lux" translates to light.

You can learn more about the lens and its construction in our article covering the announcement, here.

See the sample gallery

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