While the world’s been living on a prayer of a Tesla phone some day, designer Antonio De Rosa had a much better idea – why not build a phone centered around a much more smartphone-centric company? The Object-X is every microblogger’s dream device, with its own dedicated display unit just for Twitter (ahem, X). You can see notifications, browse the app, send tweets, and even access your Tesla right through the rear display. For everything else, a normal front display serves its purpose. Oh, and extra points if you noticed the X-shaped camera bump…
Designer: Antonio De Rosa
Just given the company’s (and its founder’s) trajectory over the past year, the Object-X may not be for everyone, but as a concept and design exercise, it makes for a pretty nifty piece of hardware. It builds on all of Elon’s companies’ most smartphone-centric features, from the social media app to Tesla integration, AI-based computational photography, and even enhanced connectivity thanks to Tesla SpaceLink.
The Object-X sports a 6.9-inch (nice) screen on the front, with a slightly asymmetric design and a sharper corner on the bottom right, with a dedicated X button that doubles as an Action Button, allowing you to do things like fire up the social media app, start your Tesla, or even chat with Grok (X’s ‘free speech’ AI chatbot). No, it probably isn’t made from the same metal as the Cybertruck, but it’s nice to think that maybe this could be possible one day.
The rear display is the Object-X’s most visually iconic feature, giving Twitter-addicts their dedicated supply of the microblogging platform. Although it’s really impossible to get any typing done on that small screen, it’s perfect for browsing tweets, retweeting, checking notifications, and liking tweets from your feed. A sidebar lets you also toggle between Twitter and Tesla applets, so you can also do things like locate your car, auto-park it, unlock it, or even remote-start your vehicle.
If the secondary display didn’t excite you, the quad-cam system probably might. Shaped to look like the X logo, the cameras are augmented by Twitter’s GROK AI that processes the photos to give you great images every time… or at least that’s what designer Antonio De Rosa envisions with the phone. The four cameras cover a wide range of scenarios, while a flash in the middle handles low-light photography.
The Object-X is clearly just a concept phone, but it explores possibilities more than it does feasibility. I doubt most people would trust Musk with a smart device that knows everything about you (no single person deserves all that power), but hey, you never know… the Cybertruck still has 1.9 million preorders as of last year, with no clear delivery in sight. People clearly have money to spare when it comes to Musk’s visions.
Almost all smartphone makers try to advertise their design-centric processes and products, but few actually live up to the expectations they set. Of those few, realme has had a track record of teaming up with big names in the industry to come out with a variety of designs that target different audiences, from youngsters to travelers to connoisseurs. This year, it seems that realme is aiming to tickle the fancy of watch lovers with a flagship that takes deep inspiration from these masterpieces of design and craftsmanship. Of, the realme 12 Pro isn’t just a pretty face and promises to also elevate your mobile photography with a new premium telephoto camera.
Designer: realme x Ollivier Savéo
In the past, smartphone telephoto cameras could only use digital tricks to get closer to a subject, but the development of periscope-style lenses finally enabled true optical zoom without bulking up the phone too much. With the realme 12 Pro, the brand is taking that to the next level with a combination of innovative elements and engineering to deliver a premium telephoto experience. In addition to a state-of-the-art periscope telephoto lens, the flagship phone utilizes the latest OmniVision OV64B, a 64MP 1/2-inch sensor that’s twice as large as your typical telephoto camera, including the one on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. These two pieces work together to provide not just 3x optical zoom but also 6x in-sensor (hybrid) zoom, getting you close and personal without the usual degradation associated with simple image cropping.
Of course, the realme 12 Pro’s main camera isn’t going to be left behind. With a 50MP Sony IMX890 1/1.56-inch sensor, the primary wide shooter promises rich details even at night. This is further enhanced by the MasterShot algorithm developed in collaboration with Qualcomm, enabling the phone to process RAW images directly, among other process-intensive capabilities. Along with the ultra-wide shooter, this camera system supports a wide range of lossless zoom levels, from 0.6x to 6x, similar to that of more expensive handsets.
Although the cameras are a focal point of the realme 12 Pro (pun intended, the phone’s design takes its cue from a different kind of luxury product. Teaming up with luxury watch designer Ollivier Savéo, the phone bears the aesthetic and tactile hallmarks of an elegant and premium timepiece. A fluted bezel wraps the circular camera island, giving the semblance of a classic watch face, while the vegan leather material that covers the phone’s back is akin to the leather straps of these luxurious accessories.
The realme 12 Pro takes this a step further with a 3D jubilee bracelet, similar to a metallic strap, that runs down the middle of the phone. With its three-dimensional rhomboid precision splicing, this minute detail adds a new texture and a touch of class to an already stylish phone. The realme 12 Pro is set to launch this month, with availability details and exact specs still to be disclosed.
Almost all smartphone makers try to advertise their design-centric processes and products, but few actually live up to the expectations they set. Of those few, realme has had a track record of teaming up with big names in the industry to come out with a variety of designs that target different audiences, from youngsters to travelers to connoisseurs. This year, it seems that realme is aiming to tickle the fancy of watch lovers with a flagship that takes deep inspiration from these masterpieces of design and craftsmanship. Of, the realme 12 Pro isn’t just a pretty face and promises to also elevate your mobile photography with a new premium telephoto camera.
Designer: realme x Ollivier Savéo
In the past, smartphone telephoto cameras could only use digital tricks to get closer to a subject, but the development of periscope-style lenses finally enabled true optical zoom without bulking up the phone too much. With the realme 12 Pro, the brand is taking that to the next level with a combination of innovative elements and engineering to deliver a premium telephoto experience. In addition to a state-of-the-art periscope telephoto lens, the flagship phone utilizes the latest OmniVision OV64B, a 64MP 1/2-inch sensor that’s twice as large as your typical telephoto camera, including the one on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. These two pieces work together to provide not just 3x optical zoom but also 6x in-sensor (hybrid) zoom, getting you close and personal without the usual degradation associated with simple image cropping.
Of course, the realme 12 Pro’s main camera isn’t going to be left behind. With a 50MP Sony IMX890 1/1.56-inch sensor, the primary wide shooter promises rich details even at night. This is further enhanced by the MasterShot algorithm developed in collaboration with Qualcomm, enabling the phone to process RAW images directly, among other process-intensive capabilities. Along with the ultra-wide shooter, this camera system supports a wide range of lossless zoom levels, from 0.6x to 6x, similar to that of more expensive handsets.
Although the cameras are a focal point of the realme 12 Pro (pun intended, the phone’s design takes its cue from a different kind of luxury product. Teaming up with luxury watch designer Ollivier Savéo, the phone bears the aesthetic and tactile hallmarks of an elegant and premium timepiece. A fluted bezel wraps the circular camera island, giving the semblance of a classic watch face, while the vegan leather material that covers the phone’s back is akin to the leather straps of these luxurious accessories.
The realme 12 Pro takes this a step further with a 3D jubilee bracelet, similar to a metallic strap, that runs down the middle of the phone. With its three-dimensional rhomboid precision splicing, this minute detail adds a new texture and a touch of class to an already stylish phone. The realme 12 Pro is set to launch this month, with availability details and exact specs still to be disclosed.
Remember the $1,599 probe lens Laowa made for DSLRs? Well, Shiftcam built one for 1/5th the price… and it mounts onto your iPhone for the most surreal macro videos ever.
A probe lens for smartphones was definitely not on my 2024 bingo card, but it seems like Shiftcam had other plans. When Laowa launched the first probe lens in 2019, it instantly became the talk of the photography community. The lens had a distinct design, shaped less like a cylinder and more like a projectile. Its design was the perfect example of form following function, because the probe lens could shoot macro unlike any other lens on the market. The only problem, it cost an eye-watering $1,599.
At CES, Shiftcam’s broadly achieved two incredible feats. Not only has it debuted its own probe lens for an ultra-affordable $299, it’s also redesigned it to work with iPhones, bringing the incredible experience to pretty much any smartphone photography enthusiast.
Designer: Shiftcam
Shiftcam’s Probe Lens has that same unmistakable design, with its long, tubular form factor. This pretty much lets you sneak your way into places where most smartphone camera lenses wouldn’t, allowing you to get what’s called a ‘bug’s perspective’ on things. Aside from being able to prod your way into tree trunks, aquariums, and other tight nooks, the distinct benefit of a Probe Lens is the fact that it doesn’t have an extreme DoF. This keeps things in your frame relatively clear, unlike most macro lens that aggressively blur foregrounds and backgrounds out to focus on a singular subject.
The Probe Lens boasts a wide-angle 25mm focal length, quite similar to Laowa’s 24mm lens. The results are incredibly similar too, but it’s a constant endeavor to remind yourself that while Laowa’s $1500 lens fits on expensive high-end cameras, Shiftcam achieves the exact same thing with a $299 price tag and the ability to mount onto any iPhone.
The lens builds on your smartphone’s camera specs, basically leveraging the iPhone’s wild 4K@60fps shooting ability. It relies on Shiftcam’s existing mounting cover cases, which means the lens can attach onto older versions of the iPhone too.
Shiftcam’s announced two versions of the Probe Lens at CES 2024. The regular variant sports a $299 price tag, while the $399 Pro variant boasts extra features like a built-in LED ring, variable DoF adjustment, and a waterproof front tube that lets you point the tip of your lens into water.
Remember the $1,599 probe lens Laowa made for DSLRs? Well, Shiftcam built one for 1/5th the price… and it mounts onto your iPhone for the most surreal macro videos ever.
A probe lens for smartphones was definitely not on my 2024 bingo card, but it seems like Shiftcam had other plans. When Laowa launched the first probe lens in 2019, it instantly became the talk of the photography community. The lens had a distinct design, shaped less like a cylinder and more like a projectile. Its design was the perfect example of form following function, because the probe lens could shoot macro unlike any other lens on the market. The only problem, it cost an eye-watering $1,599.
At CES, Shiftcam’s broadly achieved two incredible feats. Not only has it debuted its own probe lens for an ultra-affordable $299, it’s also redesigned it to work with iPhones, bringing the incredible experience to pretty much any smartphone photography enthusiast.
Designer: Shiftcam
Shiftcam’s Probe Lens has that same unmistakable design, with its long, tubular form factor. This pretty much lets you sneak your way into places where most smartphone camera lenses wouldn’t, allowing you to get what’s called a ‘bug’s perspective’ on things. Aside from being able to prod your way into tree trunks, aquariums, and other tight nooks, the distinct benefit of a Probe Lens is the fact that it doesn’t have an extreme DoF. This keeps things in your frame relatively clear, unlike most macro lens that aggressively blur foregrounds and backgrounds out to focus on a singular subject.
The Probe Lens boasts a wide-angle 25mm focal length, quite similar to Laowa’s 24mm lens. The results are incredibly similar too, but it’s a constant endeavor to remind yourself that while Laowa’s $1500 lens fits on expensive high-end cameras, Shiftcam achieves the exact same thing with a $299 price tag and the ability to mount onto any iPhone.
The lens builds on your smartphone’s camera specs, basically leveraging the iPhone’s wild 4K@60fps shooting ability. It relies on Shiftcam’s existing mounting cover cases, which means the lens can attach onto older versions of the iPhone too.
Shiftcam’s announced two versions of the Probe Lens at CES 2024. The regular variant sports a $299 price tag, while the $399 Pro variant boasts extra features like a built-in LED ring, variable DoF adjustment, and a waterproof front tube that lets you point the tip of your lens into water.
After years of developing some of the world’s leading aerial drones, DJI debuted the Avata last year, their first-ever ‘FPV’ racing drone… and that got designer Kim Seung-cheol asking – Why must there be separate drones for aerial photography and first-person racing? Why can’t one drone successfully do both? To that end, the DJI FPV2 does the unthinkable by being the world’s first ‘hybrid’ drone capable of FPV racing as well as stabilized aerial photo and videography, thanks to its clever design that borrows the best from both worlds.
Designer: Kim Seung-cheol
The FPV2 drone doesn’t have a radically different design, but rather relies on a few tweaks to its appearance and control system to give it the power of rapid directional flight as well as controlled hovering for stable videography. It relies on a leaning propeller format that’s ideal for FPV-style racing drones. The propellers are located at a slant and positioned diagonally, making the drone look like it’s bending forward. This is perfect for allowing the drone to lunge ahead as it takes off, giving it a significant advantage when racing with other drones or when trying to reach high speeds. However, for aerial photography and videography, the drone simply leans backwards, allowing the propellers to now be parallel to the ground. The gimbal-mounted camera makes up for this while in aerial photography mode.
As an obvious upgrade to its Avata and Mini lines, the FPV2 has a new dual-lens camera system powered by Hasselblad (a partnership continuing from their collaboration on the Mavic 3). Quite similar to the Air 3 drone, the FPV2 has a dual-lens gimbal-mounted camera that can look in all directions for filming sceneries, focusing on subjects, and racing. This doesn’t include the multiple cameras located around its periphery for tracking its environment, avoiding objects, and navigating routes.
A large, easily replaceable battery powers the FPV2, allowing you to quickly hot-swap modules to keep your FPV2 running without downtime for charging. The battery’s mass and its rear location help it counterbalance the drone’s forward-leaning stance, or rather the inverse. The drone races forward with a raised back, preventing the battery pack from dragging it down or influencing its course.
To accompany the drone, Kim Seung Cheol also designed a new set of MR goggles and a controller handle. The compact goggles come with their own pass-through cameras, and sport flip-out antennas for better signal during flight (especially FPV racing). A cushioned headrest with a built-in battery keeps the equilibrium of the headset while also ensuring you can wear it for longer hours without feeling any strain.
Given the immersive nature of the MR headset, the FPV2 also comes with its own RC Motion 2-inspired handheld control that you can intuitively use to maneuver your drone while in flight. The single handheld controller has a gyroscope that detects when it’s being tilted forward or backward, translating that into instructions for the drone to follow. A trigger lets you accelerate, while a joystick gives you more precise control. A large button on the front marked M lets you alternate between racing and aerial modes.
What really gives the FPV2 its edge is the case it comes in, which doubles as a massive battery pack for the drone, controller, and MR headset. Think TWS earbud charging case but bigger and better. Designed to hold your gear when not in use, the carrying case also juices your device batteries while giving you a battery status indicator in the bottom right corner, so you know which particular gizmo needs a recharge.
What the DJI FPV2 proposes isn’t too radical. Some drones are built for racing, others for stabilized content creation… so why not build a drone that can do both? It’s not like the hardware is massively different between the two drone types, and as far as the overall design goes, I’m sure both functions can be achieved within a specially tuned form factor. Maybe DJI is working on something like this, it’s difficult to tell. The company hasn’t debuted a Gen-2 of its Avata FPV drone, so we’re due for an updated racing drone from the consumer/professional-grade UAV manufacturer.
The Nikon Zf mirrorless camera finally gets the right mix of a classic design that photographers love and the modern performance that photographers need.
The powerful cameras inside our smartphones were touted to spell the end of dedicated cameras, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Not only are smartphones severely limited by their sizes, mobile photographers actually graduate into pros and switch to these more powerful and larger cameras. Digital cameras, both DSLR and mirrorless, have also been progressing in their designs, though some seem to have hit a wall in bringing classic aesthetics to present-day specs. Nikon has had a few hits and misses in the past, but that hasn’t stopped it from trying yet again. With the Nikon Zf, the brand makes another attempt at reviving its classic SLR aesthetic for the 21st century, and we give it a good look to see if it manages to finally pull it off.
Designer: Nikon
Aesthetics
Unless you count outliers inspired by Polaroid-style instant cameras, the basic design of cameras hasn’t changed that much in decades. Sure, there are new components like LCD touch screens, D-pads, joysticks, and buttons, but the shape, knobs, dials, and even the location of these elements have mostly stayed the same. There is definitely staying power in the classic camera designs, and Nikon has been trying to bring back those memories and grow a new appreciation for them with the new Nikon Zf, and to much success, we’re happy to say.
The Nikon Zf accurately captures the look and feel of the brand’s early SLRs almost to a fault. It has that all-black finish on a simple and almost featureless rectangular body, wrapped in leatherette covering, and topped by a collection of chunky dials made from brass. The back does have modern amenities like a touch screen, a directional pad to navigate certain options, and buttons as shortcuts to most-used functions, but the overall look remains classic and vintage to some degree. Unfortunately, Nikon opted to really stick close to the old design of cameras like the 80s FM2 to the point that it barely added a hand grip that has become a necessity in this day and age.
Unlike the camera maker’s previous attempt, namely the Nikon Zfc, the Nikon Zf feels just as premium as it looks. You can definitely feel the magnesium alloy body that gives it a solid build, and the brass controls add more to that heft, for better or worse. Unfortunately, the choice of materials may have limited Nikon’s color options, as there is no combination that uses a silver finish for the top section, though there are other leatherette colors available to match your preferred style.
Ergonomics
The Nikon Zf’s solid construction helps it feel premium, but that also works against it in one particular manner. The mirrorless camera has quite a bit of heft to it, which wouldn’t be a problem except for one design quirk. Unlike some cameras today, the Nikon Zf doesn’t have a substantial hand grip that would have improved the ergonomics of the design. It does have a small elevation on the right side of the camera body, but not exactly enough to offer confidence and stability. And that’s not even considering the weight of the lenses you will be attaching to the camera.
You can add a hand grip courtesy of an official Nikon accessory, but that’s an added $40 on top of the camera’s already substantial price tag. There are Nikon cameras that do have such a large hand grip built-in, so it’s not like it’s an alien concept for the manufacturer. It just intentionally chose to stick to this old-school design that, unfortunately, didn’t have that kind of focus on ergonomics.
Fortunately, using the Nikon Zf isn’t that much of a difficult chore, with most of the important dials and buttons within easy reach of your right thumb. The analog dials give a satisfying tactile experience while switching modes, ISO levels, and more. The vari-angle LCD screen makes it possible to capture photos and videos even from difficult angles, though the mushy circular directional pad makes it a little less enjoyable to navigate the camera’s menus, at least compared to a joystick.
Performance
It might look vintage, but the Nikon Zf is definitely equipped to handle the challenges of modern photography. In addition to the tried and tested 24MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor that it has been using on well-received mirrorless cameras, Nikon has installed a newer Expeed 7 processor that opens up more possibilities for photographers, particularly when it comes to subject recognition and object tracking with autofocus. It’s quite an impressive combination that puts the Nikon Zf on par with many modern digital cameras these days. Admittedly, it’s not exactly a revolutionary new feature but at least it won’t be lagging behind its peers.
The images the Nikon Zf produces are definitely no joke, with clear and crisp details matched with accurate colors that are neither too warm nor too cold. The 8-stop in-body image stabilization makes short work of shaky hands, though you’ll still want to grab a tripod for features like pixel-shift multi-mode that composes multiple shots together for a higher-res image, or 14fps continuous shooting. The Nikon Zf has plenty of other interesting modes that let photographers flex their artistic muscles. Black and white modes offer basic Flat or red filter Deep Tone controls, and it even has a dedicated switch on the dial for this mode. You can also record videos, something the original SLRs couldn’t, at up to 4K 30fps (full-frame) or 60fps (1.5x crop).
The mirrorless camera, powerful as it may be, also has a few design quirks when it comes to hardware. Some of them look good on paper, while others might leave you scratching your head. There’s a second memory card slot that can be used for backup, for example, but it can only fit a slower microSD card compared to the main UHS-II SD storage. There’s also an HDMI port for an external monitor, but it’s of the older and somewhat rare micro HDMI variety, not even a mini HDMI port. Not exactly deal breakers, but something you might want to keep in mind when buying accessories.
Sustainability
The choice of magnesium alloy for the body and brass for the controls gives the Nikon Zf a bit of an edge when it comes to sustainable materials. Sure, there is still plenty of plastic inside, especially in places where Wi-Fi radio signals have to pass through, but the amount of plastics used is reduced to some extent.
Those materials also help preserve the camera’s longevity and long-term value. The solid construction adds to the product’s durability, while the magnesium alloy shell is advertised to be dust and drip-resistant. The brass metal components also gain character as the surface develops unique patinas over years of use.
Value
One of the biggest hurdles that aspiring photographers have to climb over is the seemingly insurmountable price tag attached to these cameras. You could easily buy two or even three of the most powerful smartphones for the price of a single mirrorless or DSLR camera and you’d be able to use those devices for more than just photography. Of course, this is comparing apples to oranges, but it’s a challenge that all budding photographers will have to overcome someday.
The Nikon Zf, for example, goes for a hefty $1,999.95, and that’s for the camera body alone, which you can’t use as-is. You’ll need to attach a lens, and if you’re scratching from scratch, you’ll need to throw in another $400 or more for a complete kit. Might as well add the $40 SmallRig to get the extension grip that will help prevent accidents that will flush that expensive investment down the drain. In the end, the Nikon Zf is exactly that: an investment. It definitely has the right mix of features that will let you capture stunning and potentially award-winning shots or videos, features that won’t become obsolete in just a few years, unlike smartphones.
Verdict
The digital camera market is far from dead, though some will definitely say it is crawling to a stop. That doesn’t mean there’s no more room or opportunities for improvement, especially when trying to find the right mix of design, performance, and price. We only need to look back to the past to see where we went wrong and what we did right, and the Nikon Zf is definitely putting those hard-earned lessons to heart in order to bring a fusion of the past and the present while looking toward the future.
It’s far from being the best mirrorless camera in town, even among Nikon’s roster, but it strikes a good mix of essential features that photographers from all ranges will be able to appreciate and utilize. It packs those in a design that embraces Nikon’s legacy wholeheartedly, as if trying to prove that those designs are far from being obsolete, even decades later. Sure, there are some things we wished Nikon did differently, especially with the grip, but those don’t detract from the fact that the Nikon Zf is one solid and stylish mirrorless camera that photographers need to take note of.
The Nikon Zf mirrorless camera finally gets the right mix of a classic design that photographers love and the modern performance that photographers need.
The powerful cameras inside our smartphones were touted to spell the end of dedicated cameras, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Not only are smartphones severely limited by their sizes, mobile photographers actually graduate into pros and switch to these more powerful and larger cameras. Digital cameras, both DSLR and mirrorless, have also been progressing in their designs, though some seem to have hit a wall in bringing classic aesthetics to present-day specs. Nikon has had a few hits and misses in the past, but that hasn’t stopped it from trying yet again. With the Nikon Zf, the brand makes another attempt at reviving its classic SLR aesthetic for the 21st century, and we give it a good look to see if it manages to finally pull it off.
Designer: Nikon
Aesthetics
Unless you count outliers inspired by Polaroid-style instant cameras, the basic design of cameras hasn’t changed that much in decades. Sure, there are new components like LCD touch screens, D-pads, joysticks, and buttons, but the shape, knobs, dials, and even the location of these elements have mostly stayed the same. There is definitely staying power in the classic camera designs, and Nikon has been trying to bring back those memories and grow a new appreciation for them with the new Nikon Zf, and to much success, we’re happy to say.
The Nikon Zf accurately captures the look and feel of the brand’s early SLRs almost to a fault. It has that all-black finish on a simple and almost featureless rectangular body, wrapped in leatherette covering, and topped by a collection of chunky dials made from brass. The back does have modern amenities like a touch screen, a directional pad to navigate certain options, and buttons as shortcuts to most-used functions, but the overall look remains classic and vintage to some degree. Unfortunately, Nikon opted to really stick close to the old design of cameras like the 80s FM2 to the point that it barely added a hand grip that has become a necessity in this day and age.
Unlike the camera maker’s previous attempt, namely the Nikon Zfc, the Nikon Zf feels just as premium as it looks. You can definitely feel the magnesium alloy body that gives it a solid build, and the brass controls add more to that heft, for better or worse. Unfortunately, the choice of materials may have limited Nikon’s color options, as there is no combination that uses a silver finish for the top section, though there are other leatherette colors available to match your preferred style.
Ergonomics
The Nikon Zf’s solid construction helps it feel premium, but that also works against it in one particular manner. The mirrorless camera has quite a bit of heft to it, which wouldn’t be a problem except for one design quirk. Unlike some cameras today, the Nikon Zf doesn’t have a substantial hand grip that would have improved the ergonomics of the design. It does have a small elevation on the right side of the camera body, but not exactly enough to offer confidence and stability. And that’s not even considering the weight of the lenses you will be attaching to the camera.
You can add a hand grip courtesy of an official Nikon accessory, but that’s an added $40 on top of the camera’s already substantial price tag. There are Nikon cameras that do have such a large hand grip built-in, so it’s not like it’s an alien concept for the manufacturer. It just intentionally chose to stick to this old-school design that, unfortunately, didn’t have that kind of focus on ergonomics.
Fortunately, using the Nikon Zf isn’t that much of a difficult chore, with most of the important dials and buttons within easy reach of your right thumb. The analog dials give a satisfying tactile experience while switching modes, ISO levels, and more. The vari-angle LCD screen makes it possible to capture photos and videos even from difficult angles, though the mushy circular directional pad makes it a little less enjoyable to navigate the camera’s menus, at least compared to a joystick.
Performance
It might look vintage, but the Nikon Zf is definitely equipped to handle the challenges of modern photography. In addition to the tried and tested 24MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor that it has been using on well-received mirrorless cameras, Nikon has installed a newer Expeed 7 processor that opens up more possibilities for photographers, particularly when it comes to subject recognition and object tracking with autofocus. It’s quite an impressive combination that puts the Nikon Zf on par with many modern digital cameras these days. Admittedly, it’s not exactly a revolutionary new feature but at least it won’t be lagging behind its peers.
The images the Nikon Zf produces are definitely no joke, with clear and crisp details matched with accurate colors that are neither too warm nor too cold. The 8-stop in-body image stabilization makes short work of shaky hands, though you’ll still want to grab a tripod for features like pixel-shift multi-mode that composes multiple shots together for a higher-res image, or 14fps continuous shooting. The Nikon Zf has plenty of other interesting modes that let photographers flex their artistic muscles. Black and white modes offer basic Flat or red filter Deep Tone controls, and it even has a dedicated switch on the dial for this mode. You can also record videos, something the original SLRs couldn’t, at up to 4K 30fps (full-frame) or 60fps (1.5x crop).
The mirrorless camera, powerful as it may be, also has a few design quirks when it comes to hardware. Some of them look good on paper, while others might leave you scratching your head. There’s a second memory card slot that can be used for backup, for example, but it can only fit a slower microSD card compared to the main UHS-II SD storage. There’s also an HDMI port for an external monitor, but it’s of the older and somewhat rare micro HDMI variety, not even a mini HDMI port. Not exactly deal breakers, but something you might want to keep in mind when buying accessories.
Sustainability
The choice of magnesium alloy for the body and brass for the controls gives the Nikon Zf a bit of an edge when it comes to sustainable materials. Sure, there is still plenty of plastic inside, especially in places where Wi-Fi radio signals have to pass through, but the amount of plastics used is reduced to some extent.
Those materials also help preserve the camera’s longevity and long-term value. The solid construction adds to the product’s durability, while the magnesium alloy shell is advertised to be dust and drip-resistant. The brass metal components also gain character as the surface develops unique patinas over years of use.
Value
One of the biggest hurdles that aspiring photographers have to climb over is the seemingly insurmountable price tag attached to these cameras. You could easily buy two or even three of the most powerful smartphones for the price of a single mirrorless or DSLR camera and you’d be able to use those devices for more than just photography. Of course, this is comparing apples to oranges, but it’s a challenge that all budding photographers will have to overcome someday.
The Nikon Zf, for example, goes for a hefty $1,999.95, and that’s for the camera body alone, which you can’t use as-is. You’ll need to attach a lens, and if you’re scratching from scratch, you’ll need to throw in another $400 or more for a complete kit. Might as well add the $40 SmallRig to get the extension grip that will help prevent accidents that will flush that expensive investment down the drain. In the end, the Nikon Zf is exactly that: an investment. It definitely has the right mix of features that will let you capture stunning and potentially award-winning shots or videos, features that won’t become obsolete in just a few years, unlike smartphones.
Verdict
The digital camera market is far from dead, though some will definitely say it is crawling to a stop. That doesn’t mean there’s no more room or opportunities for improvement, especially when trying to find the right mix of design, performance, and price. We only need to look back to the past to see where we went wrong and what we did right, and the Nikon Zf is definitely putting those hard-earned lessons to heart in order to bring a fusion of the past and the present while looking toward the future.
It’s far from being the best mirrorless camera in town, even among Nikon’s roster, but it strikes a good mix of essential features that photographers from all ranges will be able to appreciate and utilize. It packs those in a design that embraces Nikon’s legacy wholeheartedly, as if trying to prove that those designs are far from being obsolete, even decades later. Sure, there are some things we wished Nikon did differently, especially with the grip, but those don’t detract from the fact that the Nikon Zf is one solid and stylish mirrorless camera that photographers need to take note of.
Apple is known for moving slowly but surely, changing things only when it really makes sense and after numerous tests. That can be especially seen in the iPhone’s cameras, which don’t change year after year, unlike the general trend in the mobile industry. Whether it’s the hardware itself or the design of the camera bump, Apple has been careful and meticulous in introducing changes. That’s why it’s a bit of a big thing that Apple is rumored to be changing the iPhone 16’s camera design for the first time in three years, but it’s a change that will bring a significant change in functionality, at least for the base iPhone models, and possibly a very different aesthetic as well.
Designer: Apple (via MacRumors)
Apple has traditionally been modest with its camera hardware because it is able to pull off great images even with sensors that look outdated on paper. It also doesn’t change the design of the camera island as often as other brands, introducing a pill-shaped bump in the iPhone 8 Plus in 2017 and only switching to a square enclosure in the 2019 iPhone 11. In the 2021 iPhone 13, it moved the position of the lenses so that they’d be diagonally opposite to each other, creating a visually more interesting composition than the plain vertical arrangement of the iPhone X.
According to rumors, however, Apple is switching back to a vertical design for the iPhone 16 cameras, and it’s unlikely just on a whim. There is a chance that this change will enable the Spatial Video function that’s only available on the iPhone 15 Pro models, a feature that allows recording video in three dimensions. This, however, requires using both the main wide camera and the ultrawide shooter in tandem, in which case these two sensors have to be aligned vertically or even horizontally.
What’s a little more interesting is that Apple is reportedly testing a different design for this new camera as well. There is one that looks exactly like the iPhone 11 and 12, with the cameras vertically arranged. Another potential design, however, places the vertical pill shape of the iPhone X on top of the square bump of the iPhone 15. As interesting as that may look visually, it’s a rather distracting design and would be a bit complicated and inconsistent with the current iPhone design language.
Changing the camera arrangement to enable Spatial Video recording is another sign that Apple is aiming to bring Pro features to the base iPhone 16. An earlier leak claimed that a redesigned Action Button will be available on all iPhone 16 models. That button will supposedly switch from a mechanical button to a pressure-sensitive capacitive surface, a feature that could expand what the button is capable of doing.
Apple is known for moving slowly but surely, changing things only when it really makes sense and after numerous tests. That can be especially seen in the iPhone’s cameras, which don’t change year after year, unlike the general trend in the mobile industry. Whether it’s the hardware itself or the design of the camera bump, Apple has been careful and meticulous in introducing changes. That’s why it’s a bit of a big thing that Apple is rumored to be changing the iPhone 16’s camera design for the first time in three years, but it’s a change that will bring a significant change in functionality, at least for the base iPhone models, and possibly a very different aesthetic as well.
Designer: Apple (via MacRumors)
Apple has traditionally been modest with its camera hardware because it is able to pull off great images even with sensors that look outdated on paper. It also doesn’t change the design of the camera island as often as other brands, introducing a pill-shaped bump in the iPhone 8 Plus in 2017 and only switching to a square enclosure in the 2019 iPhone 11. In the 2021 iPhone 13, it moved the position of the lenses so that they’d be diagonally opposite to each other, creating a visually more interesting composition than the plain vertical arrangement of the iPhone X.
According to rumors, however, Apple is switching back to a vertical design for the iPhone 16 cameras, and it’s unlikely just on a whim. There is a chance that this change will enable the Spatial Video function that’s only available on the iPhone 15 Pro models, a feature that allows recording video in three dimensions. This, however, requires using both the main wide camera and the ultrawide shooter in tandem, in which case these two sensors have to be aligned vertically or even horizontally.
What’s a little more interesting is that Apple is reportedly testing a different design for this new camera as well. There is one that looks exactly like the iPhone 11 and 12, with the cameras vertically arranged. Another potential design, however, places the vertical pill shape of the iPhone X on top of the square bump of the iPhone 15. As interesting as that may look visually, it’s a rather distracting design and would be a bit complicated and inconsistent with the current iPhone design language.
Changing the camera arrangement to enable Spatial Video recording is another sign that Apple is aiming to bring Pro features to the base iPhone 16. An earlier leak claimed that a redesigned Action Button will be available on all iPhone 16 models. That button will supposedly switch from a mechanical button to a pressure-sensitive capacitive surface, a feature that could expand what the button is capable of doing.
