Introduction
Despite all the headwinds being faced by the camera industry (or perhaps because of them), 2024 has been an excellent year for photographers, in many regards.
We’ve seen breakthrough technologies and a general raising of the levels of speed, autofocus and video performance that we can expect cameras to offer. And in terms of lenses we’ve been spoiled by a selection of fast zooms that help underpin their respective systems’ promise of performance and a variety of primes that expand what their systems can do. We’ve even seen lens choice for Canon and Nikon’s mirrorless systems start to expand to include at least a degree of third-party involvement.
It’s made selecting the key products to highlight particularly difficult. But after some lively discussion, we’ve reached something like a consensus. The following are the options that stood out to us as the most deserving of the year.
Best Zoom Lens
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Shortlist:
- Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z
- Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR II
- Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art
- Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G
Honorable mention: Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G
2024 was a year full of interesting lenses, to the point that Sony’s 28-70mm F2 GM got crowded out of a very competitive shortlist. But, while we admire the ambition of that lens and Sigma’s shorter but substantially less expensive 28-45mm F1.8, Sony’s 24-50mm F2.8 G takes the runner-up spot. Its range may seem a little short, but the result is a usefully small F2.8 zoom that lets a7 and a7C shooters access a good chunk of their cameras’ IQ capabilities without completely undermining their relative compactness.
Winner: Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR II
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The Fujifilm isn’t the most eye-catching lens in this company, but we like it nonetheless. A fast standard zoom is a key lens for any system, and we’ve really enjoyed the latest version. It’s significantly smaller and lighter than its predecessor, but still performs very well optically and is priced the same as the original was in 2015. The more compact design makes it easier to travel with and lets cameras like the X-T5 deliver on the promise of offering more compact packages than full-frame. And that’s ultimately the appeal: a lens that helps deliver on the potential of the system.
Best Prime Lens
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Shortlist:
- Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM
- Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm F1.4
- Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Art
- Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II
Honorable mention: Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm F1.4
We still don’t entirely understand Nikon’s logic of making a line of premium F1.8 primes then inserting a line of more affordable F1.4s with less clinically perfect image quality below them, but we’re enjoying the outcome. The more characterful Nikkor 35mm and 50mm F1.4s are still very good lenses, optically, but they help put bright primes within reach of more people. And that’s good news for anyone who’s looking to get more out of their Z-series camera, without committing to the premium ‘S’ line.
Winner: Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II
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The Sony 85mm F1.4 GM II isn’t a particularly flashy lens, but it addresses the few shortcomings of the Mark 1 lens to deliver a really good product overall. It’s lighter and slightly sharper, but most critically, its focus is smoother and swifter than its predecessor, which still relied on DSLR-era ring-type focus motors. The move to linear motors means the GM II becomes the kind of lens where you don’t even notice how it behaves; it just does its job. Which is exactly what’s required of a workhorse: consistent excellence you simply take for granted.
Best Entry-Level or Mid-Range Camera
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Shortlist:
- Fujifilm X-M5
- Fujifilm X-T50
- Nikon Z50II
Honorable mention: Fujifilm X-M5
The Fujifilm X-M5 comes at an interesting moment. It’s one of the increasing number of cameras focused on creators who want to take pictures and videos that are easy to get onto the internet but that will stand out on a feed full of images taken with smartphones. Like many of its peers, color plays an important role in that workflow: Fujifilm put its popular Film Simulations front-and-center by dedicating an entire dial to them. But despite its focus on video – it even has a vlog setting on its mode dial – it manages to retain photography essentials like two top-plate control dials and a mechanical shutter, which aren’t always a given. It’s also not for nothing that, at a time when everything is getting more expensive, including some of Fujifilm’s other models, it’s the first mirrorless camera we’ve seen with a price point well under $1,000 in quite some time.
Winner: Nikon Z50II
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Sometimes, it’s enough to just nail the basics. The Nikon Z50II doesn’t break any new ground – it uses the same unstabilized sensor as its predecessor, which hails back to the days of the D500, and has the same processor as cameras like the Z6III, Z8 and Z9. However, that means it gets some of the best autofocus tracking around: it can recognize up to nine subject types and automatically switch between them, giving beginner photographers one less thing to think about. That, paired with a nice, bright viewfinder, up to 11fps Raw burst shooting with pre-capture, and a control scheme that borrows heavily from Nikon’s more expensive cameras, make for a very capable stills camera for not a lot of money. And while its full-width UHD 4K video still maxes out at 30fps, video shooters will appreciate the addition of a headphone jack, waveform monitoring, and N-Log for when they want to go beyond the built-in color modes.
Best Enthusiast Camera
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Shortlist:
- Fujifilm X100VI
- Nikon Z6III
- Panasonic Lumix DC-GH7
- Panasonic Lumix DC-S9
Honorable mention: Fujifilm X100VI
The Fujifilm X100VI is like catnip for photographers and people in love with the aesthetic of photography, which is probably why it’s still out of stock almost a year after its announcement. It took a winning formula for Fujifilm – a fixed 35mm equiv. F2 lens, a hybrid optical / electronic viewfinder, Film Simulations and a retro design – and updated it with a modern 40MP stabilized sensor and an autofocus system with AI-derived subject detection. It may not be a camera for everyone, but given that it’s one of the best examples of its kind, it’s no surprise that so many people want one.
Winner: Nikon Z6III
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The Nikon Z6III is one of the most well-rounded cameras out there. It’s one of, if not the best in its class for image quality, autofocus performance, burst rates and video shooting capabilities, all built into a body with excellent ergonomics. It’s one of those midrange cameras that really makes you wonder why you’d spend more – of course, there are more capable cameras out there, but unless you have a specific and compelling reason to want one, it’s hard to imagine the Z6III not being able to meet your needs. We’d say more, but – mild spoiler alert – this won’t be the last you read about the Z6III on this list.
Best High-End Camera
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Shortlist:
- Canon EOS R1
- Canon EOS R5 II
- Leica Q3 43
- Sony a9 III
Honorable mention: Sony a9 III
The Sony a9 III is a breakthrough camera, both in terms of its outright shooting speed and the newfound abilities brought by its global shutter sensor.
120 frames per second is a major step up from the 20 or 30fps of its immediate peers. It’s not going to be necessary for a lot of situations but could prove highly beneficial in others. Likewise, the image quality impact of its global shutter sensor will make it less well suited for certain pursuits but prove invaluable for others. It’s this ‘niche-within-a-niche’ level of specialization that counts against it for this award, even though we recognize what a breakthrough it represents within that specialist realm.
Winner: Canon EOS R5 II
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The Canon EOS R5 II had the unenviable task of having to improve on the already impressive EOS R5 Mark 1. But with a move to a Stacked CMOS sensor and a number of other innovative additions, the EOS R5 II manages to both improve on its predecessor and justify its place in Canon’s well-regarded ‘5’ series.
The addition of Eye Control AF and the context-recognition Action Priority AF mode are the standout features but it’s the improved subject recognition AF, the added video features and the lower rolling shutter that makes its fastest burst modes more useful that combine to make it a better camera for a wider range of applications than the Mark I. It’s just a hugely capable camera, whatever you ask of it.
2024 DPReview Innovation Award
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Shortlist:
- Canon: Action Priority AF
- Nikon: Partially stacked sensor
- Sony: Global shutter sensor
Honorable mention: Sony: Global shutter sensor
Global shutter: the ability to capture the entire frame instantaneously, has been a long-sought dream in photography. Leaf shutters come close and global shutter sensors have existed for some time in other applications, but both have come with drawbacks in terms of cost or quality. Instantaneous capture makes it possible to capture full-power flash at high shutter speeds, it eliminates rolling shutter in video and it reduces the types of anomaly that fast-refresh LED displays can cause in photos. There’s still an image quality cost to the system in the a9III, but the benefits it brings for certain types of photography can make this trade-off more than worthwhile.
Winner: Canon: Action Priority AF
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Canon’s Action Priority AF system is the first to move beyond subject recognition and apply machine learning to the challenge of situation recognition. It has been trained to identify pivotal moments in several specific sports and to know which player to direct focus to, in those moments.
The system has made its debut in Canon’s pro-sports EOS R1, where most users will already be more than familiar with anticipating key moments in a sport. But we’re more excited about the prospect of it becoming available more widely across the camera world, because not all of us are professional sports photographers with years of experience spent learning the dynamics of a sport. If cameras can give the rest of us a helping hand, it could make capturing important memories easier for more people.
Product of the Year
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Shortlist:
- Canon EOS R5 II
- Fujifilm X-M5
- Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR II
- Nikon Z6III
Honorable mention: Canon EOS R5 II
It’s almost impossible to decide between Canon’s EOS R5 II and Nikon’s Z6III for product of the year. Both bring impressive levels of AF performance, speed and video capability to their respective parts of the market, to deliver hugely accomplished cameras that will support their users across an even wider range of photographic challenges than their predecessors did. We’ve already recognized the R5 II’s ‘Action Priority AF’ mode in our awards, so the greater accessibility of the Nikon just pips the excellent R5 II to the title.
Winner: Nikon Z6III
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The Nikon Z6III is a hugely capable camera that shoots faster, focuses more dependably and comes with a hugely expanded range of video features compared to its forebears. Anyone pushing base ISO images to exploit its full dynamic range will find its files less malleable than its predecessors, but in every other respect it’s a significantly more capable camera than the Mark II.
With its higher res viewfinder, significantly improved autofocus and 10-bit video, it’s a camera that will serve more people well, across a wider range of photographic styles. An all-rounder that excels even against fierce competition.