If you like quirky bicycle-related inventions, then this list is definitely for you. Yes, it's time once again to present our Top 10 bike products from the past year, that really "did things differently from the rest."
Tags: Cycling
If SUVs were cocktails, the 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE would be an old-fashioned. The bartender won’t raise an eyebrow and you’ll get what you expected without any bougie pretense.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Mercedes-Benz, SUV, Reviews
Over the last few years, smart rings have entered the wearables space to offer an alternative form factor for health tracking and other connected functionality alongside fitness trackers and smartwatches. From the sound of recent announcements, it looks like a new type of digital jewelry will grace your finger: the ultra-compact AI ring.
Category: Wearables, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Fingers, Artificial Intelligence, Gadgets
2025 has been a big year for wild ideas and we've decided it's high time to look back and highlight the best. From building a skyscraper in a rural Alpine village, to massive animal-like power line pylons, here's our favorite examples of unusual architecture.
Category: Architecture, Technology
Tags: Best of 2025, Building and Construction, Skyscrapers, Art, Saudi Arabia, Oddball
If you’re shopping for a used car, you know just how instrumental the smallest details are. Price, brand, mileage, condition… you’re probably juggling everything at once, trying to find the perfect car that offers a mix of all these attributes. But here’s the most important factor you’re probably missing: reliability.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Reliability, Tesla Motors, Lexus, Toyota
Dinosaurs may be long extinct, but 2025 made it abundantly clear that they’re anything but settled science. Over the past year, new fossils, reanalyses of famous specimens and the use of increasingly sophisticated tools have continued to upend what we thought we knew about how these animals lived, moved, fed and evolved.
Tags: Dinosaurs, Paleontology, Archeology, Bones, Historic, Extinction, Evolution, Best of 2025, Animal science
A couple of months back we reported on an e-mobility spin-off from Rivian that launched a modular ebike that rides without a chain or belt. Pre-orders for the T-MB are now open, but Also is already looking to protect your noggin with a light-packing smart helmet.
Season's greetings! As we approach the end of 2025, it's our tradition to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Boxing Day, Happy Kwanzaa, Joyous Festivus, and Happy Holiday to all. As always, we're grateful that you stuck with us for another trip around the sun.
If there's one thread that weaves through everything we've done here at DPReview in 2025, it's a focus on investing in the future of the site.
Earlier this year, we expanded our editorial roster by bringing on Abby Ferguson as our full-time News Editor, providing us with more resources to cover industry news and create educational content. In addition to her writing, Abby is an artist who teaches photography at the college level. In 2026, we're going to find more ways to showcase her photography and share her unique perspectives with you.
"If there's one thread that weaves through everything we've done here at DPReview in 2025, it's a focus on investing in the future of the site."We also made significant investments to ensure the future of our forums, some of which required tough choices. Our forums are a treasure trove of information dating back to the earliest days of digital photography, crowd-sourced by experts for over 25 years. More often than not, when I search for my own photography questions online, the answers are right here in our own forums.
To say the forums are a huge part of DPReview is a dramatic understatement. They're at the core of what we do: a place to share knowledge and make connections. To support this mission, we welcomed Mathew Anderson in July as our first-ever Community Manager. This is the first time in DPReview's history that we've had a full-time member of the editorial team dedicated to supporting our forum users, and it's long overdue.
Another critical investment was migrating our forums to a new software platform. Our previous system was a quarter-century old, and while it appeared stable on the surface, behind the scenes, it was being held together by duct tape and glue. We reached a point where it was no longer sustainable, leaving us with a tough decision: consider a future where we could no longer support the forums, or migrate them to a modern platform that would ensure their long-term viability.
"This is the first time in DPReview's history that we've had a full-time member of the editorial team dedicated to supporting our forum users."We chose the latter solution, even if imperfect, because the alternative was unthinkable. We sincerely appreciate your patience throughout this process. The job isn't done, and we'll be making improvements in the weeks and months ahead based on your feedback..
Finally, we experimented with new media formats, such as our YouTube team discussions, as well as community-focused content like our Question of the Week series and our first full year of Editors' photo challenges. We plan to introduce even more in 2026, including feature articles about our community members and their photography.
Whether you're a regular reader, commenter, lurker or troll, thank you for being a part of the DPReview community. We're looking forward to another great year in 2026.
We certainly saw some major health-related breakthroughs in 2025, including a universal cancer vaccine and human trials for the world's first treatment to reverse spinal cord injuries. But the year was also filled with smaller findings that can still have a big impact on your day-to-day health.
Category: Diet & Nutrition, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind
Tags: Health, Exercise, Fitness, Diet, Well-being
If you're chionoandrophobic, we recommend looking away now. Standing about 62 ft (19 m) tall, measuring roughly 46 ft (14 m) long and 36 ft (11 m) wide, 2025's largest snowman has been erected in northeast China. The smiling icy monster required some 124,000 cubic feet (3,500 cubic meters) of snow, and has already become a big tourist attraction in the city of Harbin.
Category: Environment, Science
Tags: China, Snow, Winter, Construction
From water-skipping robots to elephant-skin inspired cooling materials, engineers have continued to find inspiration in nature in order to move technology forward for humans.
Category: Science
Tags: Engineering, Biomimicry, Animal science, Green+Technology, Robotic construction, Robot, nature, sustainable design
HiSense has already put out a bunch of impressive projectors to suit different needs this year – and with the upcoming XR10, it appears to have pulled out all the stops to tempt laser home cinema enthusiasts.
Category: Home Entertainment, Consumer Tech, Technology
I know I sounded pretty excited when I talked about Valve's Steam Frame headset for VR gaming recently. But let's be honest, that and every other headset are about as subtle as a foghorn in a library. A South Korean hardware brand wants to make your pastime of escaping into immersive content a little less conspicuous, by sneaking a headset into a pair of mostly nondescript headphones.
Category: Wearables, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Headphones, Head Mounted Displays, Immersive Media, 3D, ces-2026
Beginning sourdough bakers can lessen their struggles with Crustello, a Kickstarter from American AI tech company Race Box. It takes the stress out of being a helicopter parent of a sourdough starter kit, by modernizing an ancient baking method.
Category: Around The Home, Lifestyle
Tags: Kitchen, Food, Kickstarter, Cooking
Overflying F-35B at an airshow
Photo: Community member Jon555
In this week's Question of the week, our community reflected on the most significant photography lessons they learned in 2025, ranging from practical gear insights to mindset shifts that changed how they approach shooting. We certainly learned a lot from reading about their experiences, thank you, community.
Some lessons emerged through sheer hard work and expertise in camera technology (in some cases, decades of experience). In contrast, others developed from missed shots or chance successes in the field. The community's lessons reveal how preparation and a willingness to rethink old habits can make a difference to both results and enjoyment behind the camera.
Read on for a spotlight selection of contributions, and then join our forum community to share your great photos and the stories they tell.
Jacques Cornell: Always bring backups for every mission-critical piece of gear to every on-site job. This has been my mantra as an event shooter for decades, but I still had to learn it again when I got sloppy on the second day of a trade show job and brought only what I (wrongly) thought I'd need. SMH.
Paper Wasp: I learned the value of in-body image stabilization. Even with a camera several years old and well behind current technology, I managed to take very nice, sharp photos hand-held in situations that would have made it very difficult without it.
kcccc: If you shoot handheld in aperture mode, don't trust that the camera's auto-chosen shutter speed will always give you unblurred images. Always check the shutter speed, choose a minimum shutter speed that one can feel confident taking sharp photos (depending on zoom level, IBIS, hand stability, etc).
MTiz: To embrace shadows! Negative space is powerful.
GinoSVK: Never, ever touch ‘crop mode’ again! I accidentally engaged it while playing with the settings the day before a wildlife photoshoot. It cost me a few shots until I realized it.
Fawn in Penticton, BC
Photo: Community member Jack Simpson
Jon555: That I can use an e-shutter for a lot of shots I would have assumed it wouldn't work for, like propeller aircraft. 1/160th was enough after all... who knew. I did a whole Air Show that way, and out of 2200 images (what's worse - all in single-shot mode, no bursts), I haven't seen one where the e-shutter damaged it. An F-35 B damaged my hearing, tho... boy, are they loud when hovering.
f1point4andbethere: Every rule you create for yourself will be something you experiment with breaking one day later.
Satyaa: Small things matter as much as the big things. They are often forgotten or ignored, but can be potential pitfalls.
Winterfrost: Enjoy when you accidentally (besides photowalks specifically...) take a good picture that wasn't planned. Always look for chances, opportunities, but expect nothing - stay humble.
I have the habit of setting up my cameras the night before an event. I make sure everything is in place, double-check the settings I want to use, and that batteries are charged, etc. I focus on big things but often miss small things. The exercise of going through this setup the night before often saves me.
sirhawkeye64: Not every shot has to be a hero shot. For many years, I always went into the field thinking I had to get the "perfect" shot or the money-making shot, but later realized that that tends to lead us to disappointment many times (I mean, if you get it, great, and you feel good about it, but if you don't, it can bother you). By shifting my mindset to focus more on what I want to get out of it, and less on what others will think, I have found it helpful.
User4541379541: Stop [always] listening to 'experts.' Find your own style. Don't be a clone. Photography is a personal thing. The freedom to express and convey what you see."
Since then, I saw my world in a different light, and it's beautiful!
Custom-made digital background scene
Photo: Community member Frenchfx
Frenchfx: I took a master class on still life and learned how to apply digital backgrounds properly, and the difference was amazing. My work took on a whole new look. More professional, more appealing, and just all around better.
Swerky: Not going to a photography outing with expectations in mind. I would often go out shooting by saying to myself, for example, that I wanted to do macros today. However, for some reason, I arrive on location and see that circumstances aren’t in my favor. So I either need to adapt and find something else or return home frustrated. This goes with the larger idea of not falling into habit but always pushing your boundaries.
wh1tby: Camera ergonomics really do matter. I had always assumed that if you liked the results from a camera and lens combo, you could adapt to any ergonomic issues, e.g., an over-sensitive shutter, a lack of an aperture ring on Fuji X-series lenses, exposure compensation dials that either locked or were too easy to change, etc.
When I found my bad shot rate was going up, I realised a) they do matter and b) I had to focus on the camera that is easier for you to use and not try to force yourself to ‘adapt’. Some camera and lens combinations are not suitable for you, and they will detract from the primary objective of photography: the photograph.
And wildaboutnature had a list of things to suggest:
Across all these stories, it's clear that the most valuable lesson learned in 2025 was that the perfect shot sometimes comes about by a unique set of circumstances, and being flexible (both in terms of hardware and mentally adapting to the moment) is critical to capturing that magical shot.
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!
At first glance, a flyable airplane made of cardboard sounds almost like a joke – the sort of thing that collapses long before it ever leaves the ground. But YouTuber and serial tinkerer Peter Sripol built one that you could sit in, roll down a runway, and attempt to fly.
Tags: Aeroplanes, Concept Aircraft, Cardboard, DIY, Oddball
As 2025 comes to a close, we're looking back at what happened this past year. We've already shared our favorite gear and photos, but now let's zoom out and look at the bigger picture: the numbers and stats for 2025. We think it provides a fun overview of the status of the camera industry and what happened here at DPReview over the course of the year.
Cameras released: 262025 brought the release of 26 stills and hybrid-focused cameras. We saw a vast range of models from the major players, from pocketable compacts like the Ricoh GR IV to the medium format Hasselblad X2D II 100C and everything in between. The count doesn't include cinema cameras like the Sony FX2. It also doesn't include action cameras, of which there were quite a few, including the GoPro Max2 and DJI Osmo Nano.
It was certainly an interesting year for camera releases, with bold models like the Sony RX1R III, Sigma BF and Fujifilm X half. Of course, there were also plenty of expected announcements, including the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, Nikon Z5II and Panasonic Lumix S1II.
26 is only one shy of the number of releases we saw last year, though that depends in part on how you count them. Both 2024 and 2025 included models that could be considered duplicates, such as the Ricoh GR IV / GR IV HDF from this year. It's also maybe a bit generous to call the Nikon Coolpix P1100 a new release, since it was primarily updated with a USB-C port. Still, it's nice seeing the number so high after a few stagnant years, and we hope 2026 continues the trend.
Zoom lenses released: 212025 was a rather exciting year for zoom lenses, even if there weren't quite as many new ones as 2024. Many of the zoom lenses we saw were updates on standard, bread-and-butter focal lengths. Although that may not sound very exciting, those new offerings often came with some impressive features or innovations.
For example, Nikon's 24-70mm F2.8 S II featured a fully internal zoom design, which we hadn't seen before. Hasselblad's XCD 35-100mm F2.8-4 E offered a standard range in a surprisingly compact body for medium format cameras. We were also excited about Sigma's commitment to APS-C with the 17-40mm F1.8 DC Art, so much so that it earned it a spot on our Product of the Year shortlist.
The zoom releases didn't entirely focus on standard focal lengths, though. This year also brought the standout Sony 50-150mm F2 GM, with its wide telephoto zoom range, fast and constant aperture, excellent sharpness and reasonable size. The price may be eye-watering, but the optical engineering impressed us, earning it the honors of best zoom lens of the year in our annual awards.
Prime lenses released: 37First, a disclaimer: this number does not include all prime lenses that came out this year. Just as we pointed out last year, prime lenses, especially manual focus ones without electrical contacts, are increasingly easier to manufacture. We would have to spend days trying to come up with a complete list if we included all of those. Instead, we've only counted lenses we covered at DPReview or added to our database.
Even with that in mind, we saw a healthy number of new prime lenses in 2025. There were plenty of rather expected offerings, but there were also some pleasant surprises, especially from Sigma. In fact, Sigma achieved a few firsts, such as the first full frame mirrorless 200mm F2 and the first full frame autofocus 135mm F1.4. 2025 also marked the return of Zeiss to the camera lens manufacturing world, with the company releasing two prime manual focus lenses for E, RF and Z mounts.
Interviews with major manufacturers: 11Over the course of the year, DPReview staff spoke with many of the major camera and lens manufacturers. Those interviews covered a variety of topics, including the state of the camera industry, future plans, design inspiration and more. We've linked to every 2025 interview below, so you can check out what each had to say.
It was a busy year for the DPReview team in terms of taking gear out for sample gallery purposes. In total, we uploaded 5016 images to sample galleries, which is to say we took a lot of images this year. After all, that number only includes a small selection of what we actually take while testing gear.
As usual, our sample galleries were centered around cameras and lenses, with a few smartphone galleries as well. Our editors had some personal favorites in terms of images they took, including the Sigma BF and Sony RX1R III galleries for Richard, and the Sony 50-150mm F2 GM and pre-production Fujifilm GFX100RF galleries for Mitchell.
Episodes of the DPReview discussions show: 16This year marked the beginning of our DPReview discussions show, where members of the team regularly sit down to chat about various topics. Most of these conversations centered on new releases, such as the Fujifilm X half, Sigma's 17-40mm F1.8 DC Art lens, the latest iPhone, the Hasselblad X2D II and more. But we also took time to help our community manager pick a new camera, share gift ideas and, of course, discuss our annual awards.
You can watch all of the existing videos on our YouTube channel. The discussion format is one we will be continuing into 2026, and we look forward to seeing where it takes us.
Number of photos submitted to Editors' photo challenges: 2939We continued our monthly Editor's photo challenges in 2025, with themes covering a broad range of topics. Over the course of the year, we asked you all to submit your favorite images of winter sports, water, human-powered travel, summer adventure, landscapes, road trips and more. We even had a few camera-specific challenges, such as one dedicated to smartphone photography and one for images taken with compact cameras.
You all answered the call each time, submitting 2939 images over the course of the year. It was a consistent reminder of just how talented our community is, and we can't wait to see what you share in 2026.
Number of forum posts: 468,425 (and counting)Our forum community is at the heart of what makes DPReview all that it is, largely because of the wide breadth of discussions. From thought-provoking questions and problem-solving tips to providing feedback on work and more, we love seeing what is going on in our forums. And this year, you all kept busy there. At the time of writing, you've created a total of 468,425 forum posts. Of course, that number grows each day, and it's likely to exceed half a million by the end of this year.
Number of sustainable, modern forum systems transitioned to: 1Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention one of the most significant moves for DPReview this year: the new forum system. We'd been operating on a proprietary, custom-built software system since the site's inception 25 years ago. That wasn't viable anymore, so, in order to make the forums easier to maintain, improve and access on all devices, we transitioned our forums to new, modern forum platform in October of this year. To oversimplify things, it was a massive undertaking. But all legacy forum content successfully transitioned to the new platform, and new features were (and will continue to be) unlocked.
We greatly appreciate our community's patience and support during the transition and look forward to exciting improvements coming in 2026.
Issues of our newsletter: 48Lastly, we sent 48 issues of our newsletter this year, two more than last year. If you weren't aware that we even had a newsletter, you may want to consider signing up! It highlights some of our best stories each week, so you can stay up-to-date on what's happening at the site.
Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and the University of Michigan have created the world's smallest autonomous and programmable robots. Each measuring about 200 micrometers wide – roughly twice the width of a human hair – these machines can perceive their surroundings, "think," and act independently without external instructions. According to their developers, such technology could one day monitor the health of individual cells in our bodies or deliver medication to specific locations to treat diseases.
Category: Robotics, Technology
Tags: University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Microbots, Autonomous, Sensors
The Trump administration has announced that it wants to build a new class of battleships. But this is just one element of the Golden Fleet –a larger program of naval reform aimed at a major transformation of the US Navy and its strategy.
Category: Military, Technology
Tags: US Navy, Ships, Marine Innovations
