credits: Viltrox Viltrox has been teasing a couple of new lenses at The Photography and Video Show in Birmingham, including two upcoming Evo Series primes, an AF 35mm f/1.8 and an AF 55mm f/1.8. The company has had a busy stretch lately, coming off CP+ 2026 in Japan and WPPI in Las Vegas, and while it did not have a dedicated booth at CP+, it was still quietly showing off some of these upcoming products. Now in Birmingham, the lenses are being shown publicly, giving a slightly closer look at what is coming next. Both of these new Evo lenses are built around what Viltrox calls a true apochromatic (APO) optical design, something the company is putting a lot of emphasis on. In simple terms, APO lenses are designed to bring red, green, and blue light into focus at the same point, which helps eliminate colour fringing and improves overall sharpness. Viltrox also makes it clear that it does not use the APO label lightly, pointing out that some lenses on the market carry the name without fully meeting that standard. Internally, the company refers to these designs as “Hyper APO,” suggesting it sees them as a step above typical implementations. Details are still pretty limited at this stage, but a few basics are already confirmed. The lenses will be full-frame primes available for Sony E, Nikon Z, and L-Mount systems, and they will join the existing AF 85mm f/2 Evo in the lineup. There is no word yet on release timing or pricing, but for reference the 85mm is $275.

credits: Canon New details are starting to give a clearer idea of what the Canon EOS R7 Mark II might look like, with fresh reports pointing to a 39-megapixel stacked BSI sensor. That lines up pretty well with earlier rumours from late 2025 that suggested something around 40 megapixels. Compared to the current EOS R7’s 32.5 megapixels, it is a noticeable bump, but not a huge leap. The bigger story here is not the resolution though, it is the type of sensor Canon is reportedly going with. The latest info suggests the R7 Mark II will use a back-illuminated stacked sensor, which would be a first for Canon in an APS-C camera. That kind of design is usually all about speed. Faster readout should mean less rolling shutter, better performance for fast action, and improved burst shooting overall, all areas where the original R7 had some limitations. The same reports also say this stacked sensor tech will stay exclusive to the R7 Mark II for now, instead of showing up in other APS-C models anytime soon. Outside of the sensor, things are still a bit unclear, but a few details are starting to line up. Earlier reports point to a more robust body, closer to something like the EOS R6 series, along with support for the LP-E6P battery and dual card slots, including CFexpress Type B and SD. There is still no new mention of features like 8K video, with sources apparently waiting for more solid info. As for timing, nothing has really changed, the camera is still expected somewhere between mid-May and early June 2026, with a possible EOS R10 Mark II showing up later in the year.

credits: 7Artisans 7Artisans has introduced a new PL Mount Adapter Kit meant to bring professional cinema lenses to a wide range of modern mirrorless cameras. At the center of it is a PL mount adapter paired with interchangeable mounts for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, and L-Mount cameras. Swap the mount, and you can move the same lens between different bodies. Fujifilm X is not included here, though there are separate adapters out there if you need it. PL lenses are standard in the cinema world, mostly because of their solid build and consistent optical performance, and this adapter is supposed to carry that over to mirrorless cameras. It uses a rotating locking mechanism to secure the lens, along with a raised handle and textured ring to make mounting a bit easier. That setup is designed to handle the weight of heavier cinema lenses without things shifting around mid-shoot, which is always a concern when adapting larger glass. 7Artisans says the adapter maintains accurate flange distance and tight tolerances to avoid any play between the lens and camera mount. That matters with PL lenses, since even small misalignments can throw off focus. The kit includes the main adapter body, the interchangeable mounts, screws, and a hex key, and the whole thing is meant to be fairly straightforward to set up. While it is obviously built with video in mind, it is easy to see it being used by photographers as well who want to experiment with cinema lenses across different mirrorless systems and their characteristic looks. The adapter is priced at $179.

credits: ULH The creators of the Ultimate Lens Hood have launched a new campaign featuring three updated products meant to help photographers and videographers shoot through glass without reflections or glare. The lineup includes versions designed for traditional cameras, smartphones, and action cameras. The main product in the new campaign is the ULHpro, which the company describe as the smallest version of the Ultimate Lens Hood so far. One of the biggest changes is the addition of integrated suction cups, allowing it to attach directly to glass for hands-free shooting. Earlier versions had to be held against the window while taking photos. The ULHpro can still be used that way, but the suction mount means you can now keep both hands free to adjust settings or compose your shot. Like earlier versions, the hood is made from flexible silicone that stretches around a wide range of lenses. Compatibility depends on the diameter of the lens barrel rather than focal length, and it is designed to fit lenses roughly 55mm in diameter up to well over 100mm, which typically covers lenses with 52mm filters or larger. The campaign also introduces two additional versions. The ULHmobile is designed for smartphones and features a 40mm opening intended to fit modern phone camera modules, attaching with a flexible clip that stretches over most phone cases. The ULHaction adapts the same concept for action cameras, fitting models such as the GoPro Hero 7 and newer cameras as well as DJI Osmo Action. According to the campaign page, manufacturing tooling has already been completed, and a ‘‘Full House” bundle that includes all three versions is listed at $55.

credits: Fujifilm At the CP+ 2026 show in Yokohama, Fujifilm shared a few insights into where its camera division is heading, including confirmation that the X-Pro series is not going away. In an interview with the French photography publication Phototrend, several Fujifilm representatives, including Jun Watanabe from X-Series product planning, Makoto Oishi from GFX planning, and marketing manager Shugo Kiryu, talked about the company’s current momentum and some of the ideas shaping future products. Financially, the imaging division appears to be doing well, during the first nine months of 2025, revenue grew by about 14 percent, while operating profit rose by nearly 18 percent. Watanabe confirmed that the X-Pro lineup will continue, although he did not give any timeline for the next model. The last camera in the series, the X-Pro3, was released back in 2019, so a successor has been widely anticipated for some time. He also did not go into detail about how a future X-Pro camera might differ from something like the X-E5. Elsewhere in the lineup, Fujifilm’s compact X half camera is reportedly selling well in Asia, though its reception in Europe has been more modest. Watanabe also suggested that the 1-inch sensor used in that camera might show up in other products in the future, although positioning a camera with that sensor size somewhere between APS-C models and smartphones could be a challenge. Fujifilm also hinted at a few possible lens and software developments. Alongside compact lenses like the 27mm f/2.8 and the newer 23mm f/2.8, the company is considering additional pancake lenses, possibly including a wider focal length better suited to small camera bodies. On the medium-format side, the GFX 100RF has apparently brought quite a few new users into the GFX system. Fujifilm also suggested that film simulations might eventually expand beyond JPEG files, which has not been possible so far. At the same time, the company says it is taking a cautious approach to AI, emphasising that photography itself should remain the focus while improvements in autofocus, image quality, video performance, and image authentication continue to develop.

credits: Camera Intelligence Caira Camera, developed by Camera Intelligence and previously known as the Alice Camera, drew a lot of attention last year when the company announced plans to integrate Google Nano Banana directly into its imaging pipeline. The idea was to let users make major changes to photos using simple prompts, essentially bringing generative editing into the camera itself. The announcement quickly sparked debate among photographers, and the company now says it is dialling those features back. According to CEO Vishal Kumar, the early version of the tool was intentionally experimental and allowed users to type open-ended prompts to change their images. That open approach turned out to be more confusing than expected. When Camera Intelligence sent early preview units to creators like Tony Northrup, Jimmy Cheng, and Emily Lowrey, the company found that many people simply typed vague or random prompts instead of carefully describing the edits they wanted. Feedback from those creators, YouTube comments, and small workshops with photographers pushed the team to rethink the system. Instead of an open prompt window, the camera now uses 12 curated buttons and templates for specific edits. These include tools for removing clutter from photos as well as stylised “era” looks that mimic the colour styles of different decades, ranging from the 2000s all the way back to the 1920s. Beyond the generative tools, the camera also includes several computational photography features that do not rely on generative AI at all. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the system can stack multiple handheld exposures in low light to reduce noise and improve detail, something smartphones have done for years but is still fairly unusual in interchangeable-lens cameras. The camera’s JPEG files also include a hidden HDR gain map, allowing them to display properly on HDR screens. Camera Intelligence is also experimenting with handheld super-resolution, which could boost the camera’s output from 11 megapixels to 44 megapixels by combining several images into a single frame.

credits: Freewell Freewell has introduced a new support system called the Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1, designed to switch between several different configurations depending on how it is being used. The system can operate in Tripod Mode, two different Monopod Modes, Desktop Mode, and Trekking Pole Mode, essentially combining several types of supports into one piece of gear. The idea is simple enough, instead of carrying separate equipment, photographers can reconfigure the same tripod depending on what they need at the moment. In its standard configuration, the Real Multi works as a full-size tripod with a maximum payload capacity of 44 pounds for the legs, while the included ball head is rated for 22.04 pounds. The tripod weighs 3.64 pounds, including the head, and is built from a mix of aluminium alloy and carbon fibre. It has a minimum height of 175mm and can extend up to 1,570mm. The centre column can also be removed or inverted, which allows you to position the camera very close to the ground for macro work or low-angle shots. The tripod can also be reconfigured into several other setups. In Desktop Mode, the long legs are removed and replaced with shorter ones, turning the system into a small hi-hat style support for shooting on a table or other flat surface. It can also function as a monopod by attaching the head directly to one of the tripod legs, and those same short legs can be added to the bottom so the monopod can stand on its own. One leg can even be detached and used as a trekking polewhen hiking. The tripod also includes an Arca-Swiss plate with a built-in smartphone clip, allowing it to hold either a camera or a phone. Pricing is at $279.

credits: Sigma Sigma still doesn’t make lenses for Fujifilm’s medium-format GFX system, and based on recent comments from the company, that unfortunately won’t change anytime soon. With Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts largely closed to Sigma’s full-frame autofocus lenses, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the company look for opportunities elsewhere. One obvious option would be Fujifilm’s GFX mount, which uses a larger sensor than full-frame cameras. But according to Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki, the numbers simply are not there yet. Yamaki has said in the past that he is personally interested in building lenses for larger sensor systems. Back in 2024 he mentioned that medium format was appealing from a technical perspective, even though it remains a relatively small market. Since then, Fujifilm’s GFX lineup has continued to grow. Cameras like the GFX100 II and the newer GFX100S II have strengthened the system with better autofocus, improved in-body stabilisation, and updated displays. The GFX100S II in particular seems to be selling well, with some retailers reportedly struggling to keep it in stock. Even with that progress, Yamaki says the GFX ecosystem is still too niche for Sigma to invest in right now. The company has a long list of potential projects, and it ultimately has to focus on products that reach the largest number of users. Compared to the full-frame market, the number of GFX photographers is still relatively small, which makes the return on investment harder to justify. That said, Yamaki has not completely closed the door on the idea. He described developing lenses for GFX as something that still sits on his personal wishlist, even if it is not currently a priority for Sigma.

credits: Adobe Adobe has brought its promised ‘agentic AI assistant’ to Photoshop, Express, and Acrobat. The first version is fairly limited for now and is currently available as a public beta in Photoshop on the web and mobile, but not on desktop yet. Still, it gives us an early look at how Adobe plans to bring more autonomous AI tools into the Creative Cloud. Inside Photoshop, the new AI Assistant lets you describe the edits you want using simple language. You can ask it to remove distractions, swap backgrounds, change lighting, or adjust colours. From there, you can choose whether the assistant should automatically apply those edits or instead walk you through the process step by step. Thinking about it, that second option could actually be pretty useful for learning Photoshop, since the software still has a reputation for being difficult for beginners. The assistant works through text prompts, and in the Photoshop mobile app it can also respond to voice commands. There are also a few new AI tools tied into the system. In Photoshop for the web, a new AI Markup tool lets you draw directly on an image and add prompts explaining what should change in that specific area. At the same time, Adobe continues to expand its Firefly ecosystem, which powers features like Generative Fill, Generative Remove, Generative Expand, Generative Upscale, and Remove Background. These tools are now also available inside the dedicated Firefly Image Editor, and Firefly itself now supports more than 25 different AI models, including systems from Google, OpenAI, and Black Forest Labs. The AI Assistant beta is available now in Photoshop for web and mobile (iOS and Android), while the new Firefly editing tools have already started rolling out. You can see full details on Adobe’s blog here

credits: Canon A newly surfaced Canon patent shows some unusual catadioptric zoom lens designs, and it might offer a hint at how a very fast f/1.4 zoom lens for the RF system could be built without becoming extremely large. Recently there have been multiple reports that Canon is working on a constant f/1.4 zoom, which would fit into the broader trend of increasingly fast lenses. Even Fujifilm has been exploring extremely bright designs, recently floating concepts like a 33mm f/1.0 and an 18–50mm f/1.4 as possible future lenses. The interesting part is how Canon might actually pull something like this off. The patent, numbered 2026-033938, describes catadioptric zoom lenses designed to achieve very bright apertures. For those of you that don’t know, catadioptric designs combine traditional glass elements with mirrors that fold the light path inside the lens. Instead of traveling straight through the optics, light is reflected several times, which allows the lens to be much shorter than a conventional glass design with similar specifications. Canon has explored similar ideas before, including patents for 400mm f/3.6 and 800mm f/5 mirror lenses, although those never ended up becoming real products. Of course, mirror lenses come with their own compromises. Because of the central secondary mirror, highlights often appear as donut-shaped bokeh, and many classic mirror lenses had fixed apertures and slightly softer rendering compared to traditional optics. The patent itself outlines several possible zoom designs, including 28–45mm f/1.2, 28–55mm f/1.4, and 35–70mm f/1.4 lenses for full-frame cameras, along with a potential 15–35mm f/1.4 APS-C version. As always with patents, these are just design concepts for now, but they do line up fairly well with the recent rumours about Canon working on a fast new RF zoom.

credits: Kase The previously reported Kase 150mm f/5.6 reflex autofocus lens is now officially here. What makes the lens interesting is that it combines a mirror (reflex) optical design with autofocus, something you do not see very often. It is launching for Sony E-mount and Canon EF mount, with the possibility of additional mounts later on. Another more unusual feature is the magnetic front ring, which allows filters and the lens cap to attach magnetically instead of relying only on traditional screw threads. The optical design uses five elements arranged in four groups, following the folded light path typical of reflex lenses. That design helps keep the lens relatively compact compared to traditional lenses with a similar focal length. The lens has a fixed f/5.6 aperture, a minimum focusing distance of 1.5 meters, and supports both autofocus and manual focus. It is designed for full-frame cameras, and the optical layout tries to reduce chromatic aberration while still producing a characteristic bokeh-look. Physically, the lens is relatively compact for a 150mm. The Sony E-mount version measures about 82 × 105mm and weighs around 529 grams (about 554.5 grams with the hood). The Canon EF version is slightly shorter at 82 × 82mm and weighs roughly 487 grams (around 512.5 grams with the hood). The lens supports 67mm filters, including both standard threaded filters and the magnetic filter system. It also includes an AF/MF switch and a textured focus ring for manual adjustments.

credits: Manfrotto Manfrotto has expanded its ONE-series lineup with a new tripod called the ONE Photo, and unlike last year’s ONE Hybrid tripod, this one is meant specifically for photographers. According to Manfrotto, the tripod uses a redesigned structure with a non-rounded leg profile that improves torsional rigidity and overall stiffness. The idea is to provide better stability for high-resolution cameras and long exposures. The tripod incorporates Manfrotto’s XTEND mechanism, which allows all leg sections to extend simultaneously with a single action. It also includes a sliding centre column for precise height adjustment and ground-level shooting. Manfrotto’s Q90 horizontal column mechanism is built in as well, allowing the column to swing into a horizontal position for overhead shots, macro work, flat-lay setups, and product photography. The company says the system makes it easier to quickly switch between shooting orientations without disassembling the tripod. Unlike the ONE Hybrid, which came in both aluminium and carbon fibre versions, the ONE Photo is available only in aluminium. It can be purchased as a legs-only or as part of two kits. One version pairs the tripod with Manfrotto’s XPro ball head, while the other includes the XPro 3-Way Head, which offers independent axis control. The tripod also includes Manfrotto’s Easy Link connector, allowing accessories like lights or reflectors to be attached directly. Pricing starts at $329.95 for the tripod alone, while the two head kits are priced at $514.95.