credits: Godox Not only did Ulanzi release a new mini flash this week, but Godox also announced the launch of its iT20 and iT22 flashes. Weighing 45 grams, these flashes are designed for pocket-sized convenience while still offering key features like smart TTL metering, manual control and fast recycle times. Godox says the internal lithium battery can deliver over 700 full-power flashes per charge, with a recycle time of 1.5 seconds. Power levels can be precisely adjusted, which makes it easier to balance flash with ambient light. Switching between TTL and manual modes is done with a single button press, allowing for quick exposure changes. While they lack wireless triggering features found in larger Godox models, the compact footprint and fast operation should make them ideal for simple on-camera setups. A key feature of the new flashes is their support for a magnetic accessory system. This includes optional snap-on modifiers like diffusers, colour filters, and grids, all designed to expand the creative possibilities without adding bulk. Although Godox hasn’t announced a specific release date or pricing yet, the iT20 and iT22 look to be competitive options in this growing market of lightweight, camera-mounted flashes. You can see full details on Godox’s website here

credits: Lomography Lomography has revived its classic Petzval lens design with a modern twist, announcing the new Joseph Petzval Focus-Coupled Bokeh Control Art Lens Series. Designed for full-frame mirrorless systems, the new lineup spans five focal lengths (27mm, 35mm, 55mm, 80.5mm, and 135mm) and blends vintage optical character with modern usability. Inspired by Joseph Petzval’s 1840 portrait lens, the refreshed designs now feature mechanical bokeh controls tied to the lens’s focus ring, creating a more fluid transition of bokeh as focus shifts. Other upgrades include refined manual controls and native mirrorless mounts (Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z). The standout feature of these lenses is the adjustable swirling bokeh, a hallmark of the Petzval look. Each lens now offers seven levels of bokeh intensity, controlled by a chrome ring near the lens mount. The swirl effect varies naturally depending on how far the subject is from the background, and thanks to the new focus-coupled system, this transition now happens smoothly during focus pulls. That’s paired with a fully de-clicked aperture ring, a 180° focus throw, and standardised 0.8 pitch gears across the series for use with follow-focus systems. Three lenses (the 35mm f/2, 55mm f/1.7, and 80.5mm f/1.9) are available for preorder now at $499 each, while the 27mm and 135mm models are still in development. Each lens features a compact optical design, with the 35mm offering a five-element/four-group formula and the others using four-element designs. All three currently announced lenses share a 67mm filter thread. Lomography is also planning discounted multi-lens bundles for those who want to build out a full Petzval kit. You can see full details on Lomography’s website here

credits: Ulanzi Ulanzi has officially introduced the SL03 Spark Lite, a compact and affordable camera flash fort photographers who need a lightweight, travel-friendly lighting option. Measuring just 2.7 by 1.7 by 0.9 inches and weighing 43 grams, the unit is notably smaller than most flashes on the market and is built with a durable plastic shell. It charges via USB-C and is powered by a 300mAh battery, which provides up to 500 full-power flashes per charge. The flash is compatible with a wide range of cameras via a single-pin hot shoe, though it lacks support for brand-specific features like TTL metering. The SL03 Spark Lite includes both a traditional flash mode and a constant light mode. In flash mode, users can cycle through four power levels, with a maximum Guide Number of 8 at ISO 100. Recycle times range from near-instant at lower power levels to around 2.5 seconds at full power. The constant mode offers a fixed 1W output at roughly 130 lux from half a meter, with a stable color temperature of 5600K and a CRI around 97, which should be suitable for basic video or ambient light support. At a price of $25, the SL03 positions itself as a basic little utility tool rather than a high-performance lighting solution. While it won’t replace more powerful or feature-rich flashes, it could serve as a useful backup or entry-level option, especially for casual shooting scenarios or beginners. You can see full details on Ulanzi’s website here

credits: Fujifilm Fujifilm just announced the new Frontier DX400W photo printer. Designed as a more compact and capable follow-up to the popular DX100, this new model is 30% smaller but actually adds some impressive upgrades, including two extra ink colours and larger ink capacity. The DX400W now uses six colours: cyan, magenta, yellow, black, sky blue, and pink. These new additions improve skin tone reproduction and overall colour accuracy. Fujifilm says this expanded colour palette brings a noticeable improvement to photo quality. Ink capacity has also been bumped up from 200ml to 250ml, thanks to a switch from traditional ink tanks to soft pouches. That change not only makes the printer more compact, but also a bit more eco-friendly. Beyond its size and print quality, the DX400W includes Fujifilm’s “Image Intelligence” tech, which automatically corrects common exposure issues like underexposed shots or harsh backlighting. It supports both USB and wired LAN connections, making it versatile for fixed retail setups or mobile operations. Maintenance is front-access, keeping things simple, and the rated lifespan of 400,000 prints marks a solid upgrade from the previous model. While pricing hasn’t been announced yet, the DX400W is expected to start shipping in September and it will probably land close to $2,300 (the original price of the old DX100). You can see full details on Fujifilm’s website here

There’s one huge rumour in the photography world that everyone seems to be talking about: DJI, best known for its drones and gimbal cameras, is working on a full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. While nothing has been confirmed, the idea isn’t that far-fetched and it actually does make a lot of sense. DJI acquired a controlling stake in Hasselblad back in 2017, and sources have long suggested that the legendary Swedish camera maker now operates more or less as a DJI division. Hasselblad’s expertise in high-end camera design could give DJI everything it needs to build a good mirrorless camera. But DJI isn’t just borrowing experience from Hasselblad, the company has its own impressive imaging lineup. From its Mavic 3 Pro with a Hasselblad-engineered sensor to the Inspire 3 drone with a 44.7-megapixel full-frame sensor, DJI has shown it can produce advanced imaging tech. The Osmo Pocket 3 and Action 5 Pro cameras further prove the company’s ability to design compact, high-quality tools. Then there’s the Ronin 4D, a cinema-focused gimbal system with an interchangeable lens mount, LiDAR autofocus, and support for M, E, and L-mount lenses. That last bit matters a lot: DJI joined the L-Mount Alliance in 2022! Fueling the speculation is a cryptic (and quickly deleted) tweet from DJI hinting at a “mysterious new product,” posted in response to a user asking about a mirrorless camera. That’s the only direct hint from DJI, but discussion around the rumoured camera has continued to circulate for more than a year. Well, we will see what the future holds.

credits: TTartisan TTArtisan has officially launched its new 23mm f/1.8 autofocus lens for Sony E-mount cameras, adding another affordable and compact option to its growing lineup. Designed for APS-C sensors, the lens offers a 35mm full-frame equivalent field of view, making it a flexible pick for street, portrait, and travel work. Weighing around 210g, it feels solid thanks to a 5052 aviation-grade aluminum body and comes with a matching lens hood. The lens features 11 elements in 9 groups and uses a 9-blade aperture for pleasing bokeh and smooth background separation. Autofocus is driven by an STM (stepping motor), which keeps things quick and quiet, a plus for video shooters as well as still photographers. The minimum focusing distance is 0.3 meters, letting you get fairly close to your subject. The wide 62° angle of view and 52mm filter thread round out a feature set that’s fairly robust for a lens at this size and price point. Maximum aperture is f/1.8, closing down to f/16 for when you need more depth of field or shooting in brighter conditions. One quirky but thoughtful design detail: the USB-C firmware update port is hidden in the rear lens cap instead of on the lens body itself, keeping the sleek, classic design intact. Pricing for the lens is at $127. You can see full details on TTArtisan’s website here

credits: Canon Canon’s massive 410-megapixel full-frame image sensor made its first public appearance last week at the P&I 2025 show in Shanghai, giving attendees a glimpse at one of the most extreme imaging sensors ever built. At 24,592 by 16,704 pixels, the LI8030SA produces files that are nearly 200 times the resolution of Full HD video and 12 times that of 8K. Despite all those pixels, Canon says the sensor is surprisingly fast. Thanks to a stacked design that includes both layered pixels and signal-processing circuitry, it can shoot full-resolution images at up to eight frames per second, and even output 100-megapixel video at 24p via pixel binning. The sensor is built in the standard 35mm full-frame format, which means it can work with existing full-frame lenses, a big deal for reducing system size and making it more versatile in the field. Canon’s now accepting info requests from potential buyers. Canon also had a lot more on display at the show, including the EOS R50V and PowerShot V1 as well as its flagship R1 and R5 II bodies, the EOS C400 cinema camera, and its pro-level printers. Canon China’s VP, Eiji Hirano, pointed to a booming demand for video gear in the country, driven by the fact that over a billion people in China regularly consume short-form video. You can see full details on Canon’s blog here

credits: Samsung Semiconductor Samsung has pulled back the curtain on its new “nanoprism” sensor tech, a tiny optical redesign that promises to improve smartphone camera performance by capturing more light. In a blog post, the company explained that this approach tackles a major issue in mobile photography: shrinking pixel sizes. As phone makers chase higher resolutions without increasing camera size, pixels get smaller, and collecting light becomes harder. Less light means noisier, blurrier low-light photos. While many brands rely on software tricks to compensate, Samsung is betting on hardware innovation. At the heart of this is the microlens, a tiny lens that sits above each pixel to direct incoming light. In traditional sensors, each microlens lines up with one pixel and its color filter, but light that doesn’t match that color is typically lost. Samsung’s nanoprism design changes that. Instead of using a conventional rounded lens, it places a nanoscale prism-like structure over each pixel. This structure bends and redirects light to the right color channels, meaning less light goes to waste. Samsung says this shift increases light-gathering efficiency and boosts overall sensitivity by 25% compared to previous sensors with the same size and specs. The new sensors, under the name Isocell JNP, are already in production and have quietly made their way into some upcoming smartphones, though Samsung hasn’t revealed which ones yet. It is also worth noting that Google and Apple are working on new sensor technologies too, which is great news for photographers. Let’s see what the future holds and what new technologies these companies bring to the market! You can read the blog post on Samsung’s website here

credits: Rollei Rollei, the once-legendary camera brand now mostly known for tripods, just announced something unexpected: a compact digital camera called the Powerflex X8 Dual Lens 64 MP. A camera that has two lenses, one on the front with 8x optical zoom and another selfie lens awkwardly placed on the back, right where you’d expect an electronic viewfinder. Rollei claims it can shoot 64-megapixel photos with its small 1/2.8-inch sensor, but that’s likely thanks to some digital upscaling. In real-world use, it will probably be outperformed by most modern smartphones. The zoom lens covers a range equivalent to 38-310mm with a variable f/1.8 to f/2.6 aperture, decent telephoto reach though not quite wide enough at the short end. That’s one area where it might offer something most phones can’t. The selfie lens has its own tiny 1/3.06-inch sensor and a wide-angle field of view, but Rollei hasn’t provided details about its resolution. The camera can also record 5K video at 25p and 4K at 30p, with Full HD maxing out at 60p. It’s built in the style of a small SLR, with a couple of dials on top (though oddly, Rollei hasn’t shown what they do). At €299 (around $350), it’s kind of a hard sell, especially since many people suspect it’s a rebranded version of one of the many Amazon/Aliexpress-tier “4K cameras” floating around. You can see full details on Rollei’s website here

credits: Canon Canon has announced the Speedlite EL-1 Version 2, a slight update to its flagship flash that originally debuted back in 2021. The original EL-1 was well-received but notoriously hard to get, spending most of its life out of stock at major retailers. Now, with the V2 officially on the way and already available for preorder, it’s looking like Canon’s real fix might not be in the specs, but simply making the thing actually available. In terms of actual changes, this new version is almost identical to the original. It still covers the same 24–200mm focal range (with 14mm coverage using the built-in diffuser), still includes 180-degree swivel and 120-degree tilt, and still offers a fast 0.9-second recycle time. It runs on the same rechargeable battery, uses Canon’s same wireless radio system, and even has the same size, weight, and weather-sealing. One difference is the guide number: it’s slightly lower on the V2—58 meters at 200mm versus the original’s 60 meters. Oddly enough, that small drop in power gives the V2 five more full-power pops (340) before needing to recharge, compared to 335 on the original. All of this would be easier to swallow if the price hadn’t jumped. The EL-1 V2 comes in at $1,349, which is $250 more than the original’s launch price. That means you’re paying more for slightly less power and mostly the same specs. For die-hard Canon users who need the reliability and weather sealing of a pro-grade flash, it might still be worth it, but it’s a steep ask for a minor refresh. You can see full details on Canon’s website here

credits: Ricoh Ricoh unveiled a new companion app for its popular GR series cameras called GR World. The mobile app makes it easier to move photos from your GR to your phone, control the camera remotely, and embed GPS data in your shots. It’s compatible with all GR III models (including the HDF and IIIx variants), plus the older GR II if it's updated to firmware 1.10 or higher. For users frustrated with Ricoh’s previous app, Image Sync, this is essentially a full refresh with a better interface and some new features. The app lets you register your camera, so once it’s paired, reconnecting is simple. You can also check your camera’s battery level, SD card space, and network status right from the app. There's control over basic settings like syncing your phone’s date/time with the camera or adding GPS location tags to photos automatically. You can create albums in the app and even pin them as widgets to your phone’s home screen, which feels tailored to the GR’s cult following of street photographers and travelers who want a quick way to organize and show off their work on the go. While the image transfer tools are front and centre (letting users browse, select, and import photos) the remote control features are more limited. You get basic shutter release and a self-timer, but not much else in terms of manual shooting adjustments. GR World launches July 23 and will be free to download on the App Store and Google Play. You can see full details on Ricoh’s website here