In many ways, the new Toyota Highlander is a landmark model: the company’s first three-row electric SUV in the US and the first to use batteries from the new Toyota plant in North Carolina.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Toyota, Electric Vehicles, Crossover, SUV
Before the days of memory cards, your analog camera would only take rolls of film that came in their own little plastic canisters. Loading them into the camera was an essential tactile part of photography back in the day – and now, you can kinda sorta relive it with this replica keychain that has a clever trick up its sleeve.
Category: Photography, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Camera, Gifts, Video Cameras
Much like Ford and its 40 years of Nugget camper vans, Mercedes has been working with Westfalia on its own little mini-camper since the 1980s. In fact, the Marco Polo launched two years before the Nugget and four years before the Westfalia-converted Volkswagen California. Now, Mercedes follows Volkswagen in leaving Westfalia behind and pulling its small camper van production entirely in-house. So, more literally than any other vehicle on the planet, the newly updated 2026 Marco Polo is the Mercedes of RV life.
Category: Campervans, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors
Tags: mini-campervan, Campervan, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes, RV, Outdoors and Camping, Camping, smart RV
Many readers will remember the MetaFly, a remote-control robotic insect that flies by actually flapping its wings. Well, its inventor is back with a much more capable robotic swift (you know, the bird), which is currently on Kickstarter.
Tags: Biomimicry, Kickstarter, Flight
The Sony World Photography Awards has announced the 10 category winners and 120 shortlisted photographers of its 2026 Open Competition. The contest, which is in its 19th year, aims to recognize the best single images taken in the past year. The 2026 edition received over 430,000 images from more than 200 countries and territories. The entries showcase a diverse range of imagery, including dramatic landscapes, humorous portraits and more.
The Open Photographer of the Year will be announced at the awards ceremony in London on April 16. The winner will receive a $5000 cash prize along with Sony imaging equipment. A selection of winning and shortlisted images will be on display as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House from April 17 to May 4, 2026.
You can see all of the shortlisted images at the World Photography Organization website.
ArchitecturePhotographer: Markus Naarttijärvi
Image name: Industrial Layers
Description: Taken on a dark night, this view of the paper mill in Obbola, Sweden, reveals layers of shadows, concrete, clouds and sky.
Technical details: Fujifilm GFX100s II | GF110mm F2 LM WR | F2.8 | 1/18 sec | ISO 3200
Copyright: Markus Naarttijärvi, Sweden, Winner, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026
CreativePhotographer: Siavosh Ejlali
Image name: Lost Hope
Description: In this image the photographer describes how the black plastic covering most of the woman’s face is a sign of ‘dark thoughts and the imposition of beliefs’, while the red balloon falling to the ground could be ‘her lost hope’. The background evokes Iranian urban society, which has been the setting for the recent demonstrations involving Iranian women, noting that 'the red clothes and lips are the bloody price that women have paid.’
Copyright: Siavosh Ejlali, Iran, Islamic Republic Of, Winner, Open Competition, Creative, Sony World Photography Awards 2026
LandscapePhotographer: J Fritz Rumpf
Image name: Shapes and Patterns of the Desert
Description: An early morning glow brings out the rich pastel colours of the Sossusvlei dunes in Namibia. The contrast of the green and delicate peach colours almost overwhelms the senses; the patterns and textures emerging from the shadows give the landscape a distinctive, painterly look.
Technical details: Nikon Z8 | Nikkor Z 180-600mm F5.6-6.3 VR | F13 | 1/400 sec | ISO 200
Copyright: J Fritz Rumpf, United States, Winner, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026
LifestylePhotographer: Vanta Coda III
Image name: Charlotte and Dolly
Description: Charlotte lies with her cow Dolly, keeping cool in the cow barn between events at the 100th State Fair of West Virginia in Lewisburg. Outside, the temperature is upwards of 32°C.
Technical details: Canon EOS R3 | RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM | F2.8 | 1/320 sec | ISO 500
Copyright: Vanta Coda III, United States, Winner, Open Competition, Lifestyle, Sony World Photography Awards 2026
MotionPhotographer: Franklin Littlefield
Image name: Sailboat
Description: A punk show in Providence, Rhode Island, featuring the band Sailboat.
Technical details: Fujifilm X-S20 | XF 16mm F2.8 R WR | F2.8 | 1/2 sec | ISO 200
Copyright: Franklin Littlefield, United States, Winner, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026
Natural World & WildlifePhotographer: Klaus Hellmich
Image name: Arctic Fox in Blizzard
Description: A blue arctic fox in a blizzard, photographed on the Varanger Peninsula, Norway.
Technical details: Nikon Z8 | Nikkor Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S | F2.8 | 1/50 sec | ISO 1000
Copyright: Klaus Hellmich, Germany, Winner, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026
ObjectPhotographer: Robby Ogilvie
Image name: Colour Divides
Description: Taken in the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood of Cape Town, South Africa, this image centres on a parked car set against a sharply divided colourful facade. The composition balances geometry and saturation; everyday architecture becomes graphic and deliberate, reflecting how colour and place shape urban identity.
Copyright: Robby Ogilvie, United Kingdom, Winner, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026
PortraiturePhotographer: Elle Leontiev
Image name: The Barefoot Volcanologist
Description: On the ash plains of Mount Yasur, on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu, Phillip, an internationally recognised, self-taught volcanologist, stands barefoot atop a volcanic rock bomb. Wearing a lava-protection suit gifted to him by some visiting researchers, the volcano smoulders behind him, sending a plume of gas and sulphur into the sky. Phillip grew up beneath the active volcano, and this portrait captures him in his element.
Technical details: Sony a7 III | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | F16 | 1/250 sec | ISO 320
Copyright: Elle Leontiev, Australia, Winner, Open Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026
Street PhotographyPhotographer: Giulia Pissagroia
Image name: Between the Lines
Description: A family marvels at the view from Ørnevegen (Eagle Road), Norway, in this candid shot.
Technical details: Sony a7 IV | FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS | F22 | 1/200 sec | ISO 1250
Copyright: Giulia Pissagroia, Italy, Winner, Open Competition, Street Photography, Sony World Photography Awards 2026
TravelPhotographer: Megumi Murakami
Image name: Untitled
Description: The Abare Festival has been passed down for 350 years in Japan's Noto region. This image captures the festival’s finale, as men leap into the river amidst fiercely burning torches that send sparks flying everywhere. They rampage wildly, believing the more they rage, the more the deity rejoices.
Copyright: Megumi Murakami, Japan, Winner, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026
What do nine-time Grammy-winning billionaire Rihanna, stunning beaches, and a potential 50-megawatt wave-energy project have in common? Barbados! The island nation is deploying a unique type of wave energy technology to convert its renowned ocean waves into sustainable electricity and freshwater.
Category: Energy, Technology
Tags: Wave Power, Renewable Energy, Clean Energy, Desalination
South Metro Atlanta is set to become home to a demonstration pilot for a publicly accessible automated transit network using autonomous electric vehicles on dedicated guideways. This system promises to end nail-biting traffic congestion, delivering a rail-like capacity at bus-fare prices without the traditional cost or construction timelines.
Category: Urban Transport, Transport
Tags: Autonomous Vehicles, rapid transit, Public Transport, Electric Vehicles, Infrastructure
DPReview has been selected as one of four founding Global Media Partners for CP+.
Each year in February, the camera industry gathers in Yokohama, Japan, for CP+ Expo, the industry's official trade show sponsored by the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA). What's more, DPReview has been selected as one of four founding Global Media Partners for CIPA's CP+ partnership program, bringing you exclusive news, insights, and hands-on access to the event.
CP+2026 runs from February 26th to March 1st. We've created a dedicated CP+ show page to help you track all the news from CP+ in one place. This is where you'll find our latest updates – including content that may not appear on our homepage – ranging from breaking news and hands-on impressions to behind-the-scenes looks at the event and more.
Let us know if there's anything specific you want us to watch for, and we'll keep our eye out!
Earlier this year, Nikon announced the Nikkor 24-105mm F4-7.1, a new, budget full-frame zoom lens designed to be kitted with its entry-level full-frame offering, the Z5II. We've put in some time with it to see how it performs.
As a note, while we've spent some time with the lens on a Z5II, our sample gallery was produced using the higher-resolution Z8; it's probably not a pairing you'll see often out in the wild, but we want to show the lens's image quality in as much detail as possible.
Speaking of, I'll admit that I had certain expectations coming into shooting with this lens. If you've ever used an inexpensive lens with a wide focal range and a relatively slow, variable aperture, you're probably aware that it's not a formula for great image quality. Despite that, I found the 24-105mm to be decently sharp for most of the frame, even wide open. Vignetting was also quite a bit better than I'd have guessed; it's there at F4, and doesn't fully go away until F8, but even wide open it's not too noticeable unless you're specifically taking comparison shots.
The shooting experienceNikon used a stepper motor to power this lens' autofocus, which is what we'd expect for this price range. It performs well; the lens is quick to focus, even when you're going from close up to near infinity. While it's not lightning fast, it'll get the job done for most types of shooting.
The 24-105mm extends quite a way out when you're zooming in, but despite this, its center of gravity doesn't change that much. It's a small thing, but it's nice not having to adjust your grip as you change focal lengths. I also didn't find that the lens forced me to hold it in a way that made me accidentally activate the customizable control ring.
It's not all sunshine, though. Even with modern cameras with stabilized sensors and decent high ISO performance, F7.1 is still quite slow. You don't get down to it until you're almost entirely zoomed in – even at 85mm, the lens can still maintain F6.3 – but it will limit what you can do with it. You won't want to shoot fast-moving subjects unless they're in bright sunlight, and while its longer focal lengths are theoretically decent for portraiture, you may not be able to get as much subject separation as you'd want.
With a faster lens I could've caught it, but instead, this moment is lost like tears turkeys in rain.
Nikon Z8 | Nikkor 24-105 F4-7.1 | 105mm | F7.1 | 1/125 sec | ISO 2800
As an example of how this can be frustrating, on one of my photo walks one evening, I came across a rafter of wild turkeys. They wouldn't let me get too close, so I had to shoot at 105mm, but as I raised my camera, one hopped down from the raised wall to the sidewalk. The combination of the lens being at F7.1, the late afternoon light, and my relatively conservative maximum ISO settings meant that what would've been a cool shot just ended up a blurry mess.
Still, if you prefer the wide-end, it's worth noting that the maximum aperture stays relatively fast for a while. At 35mm it's F4.2, and it stays at or under F5.6 until around 62mm.
SummaryWhile these kinds of lenses are rarely the most exciting, Nikon has built a decent selection of kit zooms for its Z mount cameras. Retailing for $550 on its own and adding $350 to the retail price of the Z5II, this is the company's least expensive full-frame offering in that category by a fair margin. The 24-200mm F4-6.3 VR retails for $400 more, and adds an additional $450 onto the price of the Z5II. And while that lens is well-regarded, has stabilization and is faster at its long(er) end, it's also a fair bit heavier and a bit larger, though the size gap between them isn't as big as you might think given its extra reach.
While the 24-105mm isn't the kind of lens that most photographers will keep around forever, it seems like it offers a decent place to start for those who aren't sure yet where their photography journey will take them.
Sample GalleryPlease 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; 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.Lumberton, Texas-based startup Ecoute Audio made a splash with its first-ever product back in 2023, when it unveiled its TH1 headphones aimed at hi-fi enthusiasts.
Category: Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Headphones, Audiophile, Bluetooth, Vacuum Tube, Hi-fi, Kickstarter
Maxi scooters have always lived a strange life. They’re not exactly small, city scooters, and they’re not exactly motorcycles. They’re sort of both – built in the shape of scooters but have enough power and space to go longer distances with the comfort of motorcycles.
Category: Motorcycles, Transport
Tags: Scooter, Suzuki, urban transport, Touring
The earliest ancestors of all backboned animals, including humans, may have viewed the world with four eyes, not just two. The remnants of those extra eyes persist in the human brain today as the pineal organ, which is deep inside our brain, regulating our sleep cycle, but no longer forms images.
The Chillhouse is a compact tiny house created with self-sufficient living in mind. Designed to operate off-grid, the towable home has a snug and storage-packed interior that comfortably accommodates two people.
Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors
Tags: Building and Construction, Micro-House, Tiny Footprint, House, Home
Smart projectors are a great shout for those looking to replace the living room TV. But if you want to load in your own big-screen entertainment over cabled connections, Optoma has just launched a 4K shiner that can throw visuals at up to 300 inches.
Category: Home Entertainment, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Optoma, 4K UHD, Laser, Projectors, home theater
The Huckleberry tiny house may be compact, but it doesn't skimp on home comforts. Featuring an extra-wide layout, it has a spacious apartment-like interior that's packed with character and includes a bathtub, an antique stove, and more.
Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors
Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home
Mastering your autofocus settings lets you capture almost anything.
Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 @ 77mm | F2.8 | 1/1250 | ISO 110
Photo: Richard Butler
If you've recently picked up your first camera and find yourself frequently getting out of focus images, it may be a sign that you need to tweak your focus settings. While autofocus seems like it should be simple and straightforward, camera manufacturers offer a long list of settings to adjust autofocus performance for different situations. All of those options can be incredibly confusing, especially if you’re new to photography. In this guide, we'll break down the most basic focus terms and settings to help you identify which are best for you and the subjects you photograph most often.
Focus modes Some cameras have a physical control for autofocus mode, but most will handle it through their on-screen menus.The first autofocus setting to consider is your camera's autofocus mode, which changes how the camera behaves once it starts focusing. Most cameras offer Continuous Autofocus (often referred to as AF-C or AI Servo on Canon) and Single Autofocus (AF-S on many brands, and One Shot on Canon). Many cameras also offer Automatic or Hybrid Autofocus (often called AF-A or AI Focus on Canon).
Single AFAF-S focuses once, and then locks focus at that distance as long as you keep the button half-pressed. It's an ideal option when your subject is still, such as landscapes or product photography. This mode lets you focus and recompose if needed, knowing the focus won't change until you lift your finger.
Continuous AFAF-C keeps updating focus as long as you hold the button, hence the continuous in the name. It adjusts in real time to moving subjects. As a result, you'll want to choose AF-C for any moving subjects, such as sports, wildlife, street photography, candid portraiture and more, as the camera will attempt to maintain sharp focus even as the subject changes position. Additionally, most modern cameras are very good at handling AF-C, so is the option we'd suggest most people stick to.
Auto AFLastly, Hybrid/auto AF lets the camera decide if AF-C or AF-S is best for a given situation. It's meant for times when you're not sure if things will stay stationary or start moving. It doesn't always do a great job of deciding when to switch, though, and leaving it set to this may limit other autofocus features you can use on certain cameras.
Focus area Cameras give you multiple options regarding where in the frame it focuses.The next consideration is the focus area setting. Focus areas indicate where the camera should focus within the frame. Each manufacturer provides slightly different options, but broadly speaking, these options vary from the camera detecting what it thinks should be in focus across the entire frame to ones that let you choose a precise spot.
Wide / AutoThe first option that many cameras offer is a Wide focus area. Many brands use some variation of Wide in the name, while others may call it something similar to Auto-area. This setting hands over control to the camera so it can select where to focus automatically across the frame. It's a convenient option for casual use, but it doesn't give you any input into what the camera will focus on. Because of this, you may end up disappointed by the results, especially if your subject isn't obvious or is partially blocked by something in the foreground.
Zone Many cameras feature preset zone sizes, alongside customizable ones.Zone, sometimes called Group area, gives you a step more control than wide/auto. It uses a group or block of AF points that you can move to different areas of the frame. The camera then decides where within that block it should prioritize focus. Like with wide/auto, it favors the closest subject or detected faces, making it good for group shots or sports where you know the player's general position.
Expanded pointThe expanded point option starts from a chosen point, just like single-point AF, but adds a small cluster of surrounding points if the subject drifts off your main selection. It's an ideal everyday choice for moving subjects such as kids and pets, because it balances control with some camera assistance. It goes by many names depending on your brand, including Expand AF (Canon), Dynamic-area AF (Nikon), Expand Flexible Spot (Sony), Zone (Fujifilm), 1-Area+ (Panasonic) or Group Target (OM System).
Single-point Canon calls its single-point focus area "1-point AF."Single‑point is the most precise option and gives you the most control, but it’s best for still or slow-moving subjects. It lets you pick one focus point and place it exactly where you want sharpness, such as an eye in a portrait. Each brand has its own name for this, but most are something similar to Single-point AF or 1-point AF. Sony, however, calls it Flexible Spot. Some brands will also provide size options for that spot to give you more flexibility.
Tracking areas Some cameras only give you one size of tracking box, while others let you choose from a few options.Most modern cameras now offer some form of tracking AF. In this mode, you set your focus point on a subject, and the camera then moves the active point(s) around the frame to keep that subject in focus as you recompose or as the subject moves. It's an ideal option for erratic motion, such as sports, birds, pets or kids, especially when you combine it with continuous or auto AF and subject detection.
Each camera manufacturer handles tracking areas slightly differently, but there are generally three methods. Some brands allow you to choose any AF area mode and simply toggle tracking on or off. Others create tracking-specific duplicates of each area mode, though only when in AF-C. Lastly, some simply have one Tracking AF area mode (which Nikon calls 3D Tracking).
Subject detection and tracking Canon's subject selection screen.While tracking is a focus area setting, modern cameras also offer additional subject detection and tracking controls in separate menus. These settings are typically layered on top of whatever focus area you choose, meaning you can use your chosen method for selecting a subject while knowing the camera will better track a subject if it's one it recognizes.
Depending on your camera, you may have access to various subject types, including human, animal, birds and vehicles. With these modes, the camera will search for that specific subject and prioritize it if it's near your AF point. Additionally, most recent mirrorless cameras support some level of face/eye detection, which means the camera attempts to find faces or eyes within your chosen focus area and prioritizes them.
With each of these, your camera still primarily targets your AF point. That means that if something like a face shows up in the frame that isn't near your AF point, your camera won't suddenly ignore where you've specified it should focus. As a result, you can generally leave subject detection modes on without worrying that your camera will go rogue trying find faces or trains.
Each brand has its quirksThe above items are a general overview of basic autofocus terms. It's important to keep in mind, though, that each brand has its own naming conventions as well as quirks associated with all of the different features. In a later article, we'll provide a more in-depth look at brand-specific quirks so you can confidently set your autofocus for more consistently focused images.
After an analysis of health data from over 131,000 people tracked for up to 43 years, researchers found that drinking coffee and tea daily seems to guard against the development of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline.
Category: Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind
Tags: Coffee, Tea, Dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Harvard, MIT, Mass General Brigham, Caffeine
One of the more out-there concepts to emerge from CMT 2026, the Wingcube is a unique style of trailerable expanding camp pod. It folds up into a tall cube slim enough to tow comfortably aboard a utility trailer, even around the narrowest roadways. After parking, the cube grows to more than three times its packed size, dropping its wings into sheltered bedrooms and sliding out an open-air dining area.
Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors
Tags: Caravan, trailers, Trailer, RV, Folding, Foldable, Camping, cmt-2026, Outdoors and Camping
DARPA and Raytheon have teamed up to tackle one of the growing threats to commercial and logistical shipping: attacks by drones. The Pulling Guard project aims to develop a towed platform that trails behind ships, providing detection and countermeasure capabilities.
Category: Military, Technology
You may have forgotten that the once Italian bike brand Morbidelli was still around. Well, it is, and under QJMotor’s Chinese leadership, it has been on an upswing of sorts – especially in European, South American, and Asian markets. Now, it looks like the company is headed to America … with two exciting adventure offerings.
Category: Motorcycles, Transport
Tags: Adventure Bikes, Off-road, qjmotor, China, V-Twin, Ducati, Honda
