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Tag: cameras

  • Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi Review: A Top-Tier Light and Security Camera

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    Smart home cameras are just better when they’re wired. Yes, it’s a pain in the ass to install them, but if you can manage it, you’ll never have to change a battery or climb a ladder to get a camera down and charge it, or wait very long for its video feed to load in an app. If they’ve got a wired internet connection, all the better, but as Wi-Fi cameras with wired power go, the $220 Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi camera is one of the best.

    The Elite Floodlight WiFi reminds me a lot of Google’s Nest Cam with floodlight, at least as looks are concerned, thanks to its curvy white plastic and two articulating floodlights with frosted white covers. One big difference is that the Elite Floodlight WiFi uses two separate camera sensors, their footage stitched together to form one long, 180-degree field of view.

    Reolink Elite Floodlight Floodlight WiFi

    Reolink’s Elite Floodlight WiFi is a easy to install wired camera with seemingly endless customization and no need for an internet connection.

    Pros


    • Crisp, clear video

    • Tons of customizability

    • Local video

    • No subscription or internet connection required

    • Easy setup and installation

    • Stable, reliable Wi-Fi

    Cons


    • No microSD card included

    • No cloud storage options

    • FTP storage requires managing

    • No wired internet connection

    • Limited smart home support

    It also uses 5GHz Wi-Fi, which means it can transmit clearer, higher-bitrate video to your phone for its live feed and to your local FTP or real-time streaming protocol (RTSP) server, if you’ve got such a thing on your home network. If you don’t, not to worry: the camera also saves footage to an SD card that you can access from the Reolink app.

    Great specs, but winter could be an issue

    © Wes Davis / Gizmodo

    Initial setup involves powering the camera with an included USB-C cable, then downloading the Reolink app to your iOS or Android device and scanning a QR code on the Elite Floodlight WiFi. The app walks you through connecting to the camera and configuring its Wi-Fi setup—it uses 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi 6—for a few minutes, then you’re ready to install the camera.

    See REOLINK Elite Floodlight WiFi at Amazon

    The camera’s app-guided installation is clear and straightforward, and very doable if you’ve set up cameras or floodlights before. It involves screwing a base plate onto the wall or soffit, hanging the camera from a hook on the plate, connecting it to your home using color-coded wires—ideally after you’ve shut off power to those wires so you don’t electrocute yourself!—and then screwing the camera onto the plate. All in all, I got the camera up and running within about 30 minutes.

    After setup, I ran it through some paces and found that the Elite Floodlight WiFi consistently delivered motion notifications from the Reolink app within about four seconds. That’s way faster than any of the battery-powered cameras I currently have installed, including the Reolink Altas that I recently reviewed, which all frequently take 10 or more seconds to tell me they’ve spotted something or someone.

    Reolink Elite App
    © Wes Davis / Gizmodo

    4K resolution never means you’re getting the kind of video quality you’d see in something like a decent smartphone camera, but the Elite Floodlight WiFi gets closer than most. Reolink bills it as a 4K camera, but you can ignore that as marketing speak—it records 5120 x 1,552 resolution video, which is not an apples-to-apples comparison to, say, a 4K monitor. Still, the image it shows you, even when streaming straight from the camera, is crisp enough to see details through the patio table in the screenshots above, day and night.

    Elite Day Night Cropped Images
    © Wes Davis / Gizmodo

    My backyard is always lit thanks to a bright street light next to my house, which makes it hard to tell much of a difference between the Elite Floodlight WiFi’s footage with and without infrared. That said, Reolink’s software brightens the dark area from the screenshots (below) enough that you could at least tell if a person is moving in that area. And the floodlights do a good job of lighting the space in front of the camera almost as well as daylight, although it can wash out details depending on where an object in view is, so you’ll want to be careful how you choose to angle them.

    Reolink Elite Night Comparison
    © Wes Davis / Gizmodo

    The Elite Floodlight WiFi is nice and sturdy, with an IP66 weather rating that should mean it’s safe from dust intrusion and jets of water. Two violent wind-and-rain storms pummeled it during my testing, and it’s no worse for the wear; the camera portion didn’t even seem to budge on its ball joint. It also reliably sent me notifications while I was away on a camping trip—mostly about a rabbit that took our absence as an opportunity to dig around in our garden for tasty vittles.

    If you live somewhere with actual winter temperatures, you might pause on hitting the buy button—the Elite Floodlight WiFi is rated to operate up to as high as 131 degrees Fahrenheit, but only as low as 14 degrees. Incredibly—as I have learned (not first-hand, thankfully) since moving to the upper Midwest—break-ins still happen when the season is at its most treacherously cold.

    No cloud subscription required—or available

    Most of the big-name smart home cameras rely heavily on cloud services for their features, and in many cases that includes accessing your recordings. While some—but not all—offer local recording too, you may still need a subscription to access machine-learning-powered (or AI-powered, if you must) detection features that let you choose what actually triggers the camera’s notifications and recordings. That’s not the case with the Elite Floodlight WiFi, which handles all of that on-device, and isn’t covered under any of Reolink’s cloud subscription plans in the US.

    That makes this camera a boon if you’re looking for a way to capture what’s happening around your home without shipping the footage off to some distant server you have no control over. Of course, you’ll want to at least put the Elite Floodlight WiFi on your home network if you want easy access to its recordings and live feed via the app, and it does need an internet connection for smartphone notifications.

    Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi review
    © Wes Davis / Gizmodo

    As for storing the Elite Floodlight WiFi’s monitoring and recording, you’ve got options. The camera’s underside has a microSD card slot tucked behind a screwed-in panel that’s accessible in software using the Reolink app. You can configure the camera for exclusively events-based recording or for continuous recording, and there’s an option to encrypt its video files so that if someone happens by with a screwdriver and steals the card, they wouldn’t be able to view its recordings.

    The Elite Floodlight WiFi also supports saving files to a computer or network-attached storage (NAS) via FTP, but you’ll need to consider storage space. The app can overwrite one file or alternatively overwrite between two files, but there’s no built-in mechanism for, say, overwriting the oldest file once your FTP server’s space has filled up. Instead, you’re left manually deleting files or hunting down scripts that can automate the process for you.

    See REOLINK Elite Floodlight WiFi at Amazon

    Setting the Elite Floodlight WiFi up to use RTSP requires using a PC or Mac; you can’t configure with the smartphone app. Still, that’s better than the Altas, which requires you to buy a $99 Reolink Home Hub to get RTSP operational.

    While it’s nice that this camera is so useful without a cloud storage service, there are conveniences you’ll miss out on, like having a professional monitoring service that can contact the police on your behalf or even employ call center reps to try to ward off would-be intruders by talking through your camera to them. And although you can remotely access recordings saved to a microSD card inserted into the Elite Floodlight WiFi, that won’t work if your home internet happens to have gone down when you try to look. Then again, you also don’t necessarily have to worry about the camera volunteering your recordings for unpleasant police state-style surveillance, either.

    Custom everything

    Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi security camera review
    © Wes Davis / Gizmodo

    The Reolink app is about as user-friendly as security camera software gets, with a main screen that shows you its live feed, complete with current bitrate and buttons for things like turning on the floodlight or manually recording a clip.

    Go into the Elite Floodlight WiFi’s settings, and you’re treated to a staggering number of options. Like its battery-powered Altas sibling, the camera allows you to customize seemingly every aspect of its detection and recording, from the resolution of the videos to when you’d like it to record, alert, or notify you—and what triggers each of those things to happen. Video too bright or dim? You can tweak that. Think the floodlight is too intense or overly cool? The app has brightness and warmth sliders, too. You can even record your own custom audio for the siren, which is a very fun feature that I wish every piece of smart home tech that makes any noise had. The siren isn’t especially loud, but anyone in the Elite Floodlight WiFi’s field of view should be able to hear it.

    With such a wide camera feed, it’s hard not to point the Elite Floodlight WiFi outside of the area you actually want to record, something Reolink handles with a feature it calls Smart Event Detection Zones. With it, you can set the camera to record or blare its siren only when someone crosses a virtual line, enters an area you’ve defined, or even loiters in a region of the camera’s view for longer than an amount of time you determine. And if you want to be a good, privacy-respecting neighbor, you can exclude specific areas from recording or even black out portions of the feed.

    Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi security camera review
    © Wes Davis / Gizmodo

    At the risk of making the Elite Floodlight WiFi sound like a person trying to describe their greatest weakness in a job interview, Reolink almost offers too many options. The menu system feels a little convoluted—some of the options, like for the floodlight, should all be in one place, yet they aren’t—and it’s hard to remember where everything is, but easy to make a change that has an unintended consequence. I wouldn’t give up any of the options, but they stand to be better organized.

    Also, if you’re hoping to connect the Elite Floodlight WiFi to the smart home system of your choice, prepare to be disappointed. This camera only connects to Google Home, which is a shame if you, like me, are already too deeply invested in a different ecosystem to turn back. Still, Reolink offers a robust enough set of features in its own app that I only sometimes missed having all my camera feeds in one app.

    Worth it if you’re tired of the cloud

    The Reolink Elite Floodlight Camera is a great, reliable way to cover a huge region of your home’s yard or the area around a business. Its onboard object recognition, speedy delivery of notifications, fast Wi-Fi connection, and deep well of customization combine with its cloud subscription-free and internet-not-required operation to be one of the best wired security cameras you can buy today.

    Those who like the convenience of cloud storage may not find everything they want here, but they also might want to try anyway. Yes, it’s pricier, at $219.99, than similar floodlight alternatives offered by Arlo and Ring, but considering the ever-increasing price of those companies’ subscriptions, it may not be long before you make up the difference. Plus, with local storage via a microSD card that’s accessible even away from home, you may find that the experience of using it is nearly identical to that of more well-known brands, minus some of the trappings of cloud-based AI features or remote monitoring.

    See REOLINK Elite Floodlight WiFi at Amazon

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    Wes Davis

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  • The Insta360 Go Ultra Has a New Mode to Capture a Kid’s POV

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    Another place I found the Ace Pro 2 footage remains superior is in fast pans or fast footage of busy scenes, like filming from a bike on single-track through trees or bushes. The Ace Pro 2 retains more detail in these scenarios, possibly due to the nicer lens.

    Most of the time, though, the footage from the Go Ultra and Ace Pro are close enough that it’s hard to tell the raw footage apart. I would generally say the same is true of the X5, though of course in that case you’re capturing 360 degree footage, which has its advantages.

    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

    The Go Ultra has most of the shooting modes you’ll get in Insta360’s other cameras, include 8-bit HDR, which is still a head scratcher (to really get true HDR footage, you need 10-bit footage like you’ll get from GoPro and DJI cameras). There are a couple new modes here, including one called Toddler Titan, which is designed to work with the hat clip accessory and capture your chunky monkey’s POV.

    Stabilization is excellent and matches what you’d get in the rest of Insta360’s action cameras. At this point, every action camera I’ve tested has stabilization down, and the Go Ultra is no exception.

    Probably the best thing about the Go Ultra, after the video quality improvements, is that it now takes a microSD card, rather than having only built-in storage. That means you can now put in up to 2-TB and shoot all day without worrying that you’ll fill up the built-in storage.

    Another bonus is the wider field of view (FOV), up to 156 degrees from the Go 3S’s 150 degrees. That may not sound like much, but every bit helps in this case. For reference, the GoPro Hero 13 Black has a FOV of 156 degrees, and with the Ultra Wide Lens Mod that jumps to 177 degrees. Also new on the Go Ultra is the ability to shoot 4K video at 2X zoom. HDR is also available with 4K footage.

    Downsides

    Insta360 Go Ultra Review Better Video but Bigger Package

    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

    There are two things I don’t like about the Go Ultra. The first is that the pod is not waterproof out of the box, so you’ll need a different lens cover, which is larger and somewhat awkward when using it out of the water. Despite that, I just leave mine on there all the time and deal with the size because most of the time I want an action camera, it’s probably because it’s going to get wet.

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • DJI’s Mic 3 Takes the Best Wireless Microphone and Makes It Better

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    I tested the Mic 3 with cameras, computers, and smartphones, using both direct connection and receiver connection methods. It paired painlessly with everything I threw at it, from my mirrorless camera to my iPhone, and the audio quality remained consistently excellent across different devices and environments. It’s part of the OsmoAudio system too, meaning the transmitter can directly link with DJI cameras like the Osmo 360, Osmo Action 5 Pro, and Osmo Pocket 3, bypassing the receiver entirely while still offering high-quality audio.

    Missing Pieces

    Photograph: Sam Kieldsen

    The Mic 3 isn’t perfect, but I found little to complain about. The transmitters no longer include a 3.5-mm input for connecting external lavalier microphones, which might frustrate people who prefer to hide their mics completely. DJI has also dropped the Safety Track recording mode that was available on the Mic 2, but it’s entirely possible to rig one up using the available options.

    US availability remains uncertain; like other recent DJI products, the Mic 3 isn’t officially launching in America due to ongoing tariff concerns. US consumers may be able to source units through third-party retailers, but that’s far from ideal for a product that should really be widely available. At $329 for the complete two-transmitter, one-receiver, and charging case package, the Mic 3 is actually cheaper than the Mic 2 was at launch, which I think is a remarkably good value for a product that’s superior in almost every way. DJI’s decision to sell individual components separately is welcome too. It means users can start with a basic setup and expand over time, or replace a damaged or lost component without too much fuss.

    The DJI Mic 3 essentially combines the best aspects of both the Mic 2 and Mic Mini into a single, well-rounded package. It’s more compact and practical than the Mic 2, and far more advanced than the Mini. For content creators, filmmakers, and podcasters looking for a wireless microphone system that just works, it’s very hard to find fault with it.

    The only real question is whether existing Mic 2 owners need to upgrade. If the improved portability and expanded feature set appeal to you, the Mic 3 represents a solid step forward. But the Mic 2 remains an excellent microphone in its own right, so there’s no urgent need to make the switch unless those new features and upgrades genuinely solve problems you’re currently facing.

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    Sam Kieldsen

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  • I Would Walk 500 Miles Wearing Any of These GoPro Cameras

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    The Top 3 GoPro Hero Cameras Compared

    GoPros to Avoid

    GoPro doesn’t sell anything older than the Hero 12, but there are plenty of Hero 11s and even Hero 10s out there for sale on the internet. We suggest avoiding them. They may work fine, but modern accessories designed for later models won’t work, and these cameras have likely been through the wringer. (They are action cameras, after all.)

    GoPro

    Hero 11 Black

    GoPro no longer sells the Hero 11, but it’s still commonly available on Amazon and other retailers. Unfortunately it’s usually the same price as the Hero 12 (around $300) and therefore not worth buying.

    GoPro

    Hero 10 Black

    The Hero 10 is really showing its age at this point, but it can sometimes be found on sale for $200, but the video quality and stabilization aren’t nearly as good as the Hero 13, which also sells for about $220 and is better in every way.

    What About the GoPro Max?

    Photograph: GoPro

    What most people call a “GoPro” is in fact the Hero Black camera. GoPro makes a few other cameras as well, most notably the Max. The Max is GoPro’s attempt at three cameras in one. It can shoot 360 footage and Hero-style video and photos, and it works as a vlogging camera. While the 360-degree time lapse feature is awesome, and the sound is pretty good, it’s been a while since GoPro updated it, and there are better 360 cameras. Our top pick is Insta360’s X5. The GoPro Max might be more durable, but in nearly every other way the X5 bests it. Hopefully, GoPro will update the Max in 2025.

    The Best GoPro Accessories

    GoPro Media Mod accessory

    Photograph: GoPro

    Should you buy a bundle? Generally, I say no. Get the camera, figure it out, and see how you end up using it. When you find yourself trying to solve a problem, start looking for an accessory. Here are some of my favorite things that I’ve tested and used, but if you have favorites you think I should try, drop a comment below.

    A good MicroSD card for $60: According to GoPro’s recommendations, you want a microSD card with a V30 or UHS-3 rating. That said, GoPros can be finicky about SD cards. I’ve had good luck with, and recommend, the Samsung linked here. Another card I’ve used extensively is the Sandisk Extreme Pro.

    GoPro Media Mod for $80: By far my most used accessory, the media mod does add some bulk, but in most cases this is more than made up for by the fact that you can plug in a real microphone (I use mine with a Rode Wireless). Sound quality is radically improved with this one. This may be less necessary if you get the Hero 12 or later, since those models do have support for Bluetooth mics.

    GoPro Handlebar Mount for $40: I’ve been doing a lot more riding lately and this mount pretty much lives on my bike these days. It’s been rock solid in my testing, and beats any of the third-party mounts I’ve tested.

    GoPro Tripod Mount Adapters for $30: Unless you have the Hero 12 or 13, which have a tripod mount built-in, you’ll need a few of these to mount your GoPro to a tripod like the GorillaPod above.

    GoPro Floaty for $35: If you’re getting anywhere near the water, grab one of these. Trust me, you will drop your GoPro and when you do, you will glad you have this (unless the water is clear and you’re a good free diver.) GoPro also makes a Floating Hand Grip ($23), which not only floats but has a leash for diving or surfing.

    GoPro Selfie Stick for $80: This 48-inch extension pole collapses up surprisingly small and isn’t very heavy. It’s the best selfie stick I’ve used. I rarely use it for selfies, but it makes a great monopod on soft ground, like a sandy beach.

    DaVinci Resolve Studio for $300: This is my video editing software of choice. There is a free version, but I got tired of converting media to fit the restrictions of the free version. Best money I ever spent when it comes to making better videos.

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • The MicroCam X1 Microscope Camera Is a Bargain-priced Close-up Photography Gadget

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    | |

    This gadget combines a regular camera, a 400x microscope and a macro shooter for less than $100. Simply twist its rotating lens to flip between modes. The MicroCam packs a Sony sensor for 4k video and 12 MP photos. It has a built-in ring light and a 3.5″, 264ppm display for previewing images, and stores images on a MicroSD card or connects to your PC via USB.

    When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    MicroCam X1 Microscope CameraMicroCam X1 Microscope Camera

    MicroCam X1 Microscope CameraMicroCam X1 Microscope Camera

    Crowdfunded projects pose a degree of risk for buyers, so be sure to do your research before paying your hard-earned money.

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    Paul Strauss

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  • Wear a Tiny Version of Your Favorite Camera with these Official Exclusive Pins

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    Official Exclusive makes some of the coolest enameled pins out there. Their extensive collection includes pins based on classic cameras including rangefinders, SLRs, medium format, and 8mm. They also make mini synthesizers, lighting gear, vintage stereo receivers, and other fun goodies for geeks. Their Dinosaur Photographer is cute too.

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    Paul Strauss

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  • DJI’s Osmo Action 5 Pro Camera Raises the Bar With Long Battery Life

    DJI’s Osmo Action 5 Pro Camera Raises the Bar With Long Battery Life

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    DJI’s new Osmo Action 5 Pro is here to compete with the new GoPro Hero 13 Black. The company’s latest action camera is smaller and lighter, has 47 GB of built-in storage, and has battery life that GoPro owners don’t even dare to dream about.

    Throw in a new, higher-resolution image sensor, improved low-light capabilities, subject tracking, and out-of-the-box support for the DJI Mic 2 wireless microphone, and you have a camera that’s not only capable of getting that shot but has the battery life to keep getting the shot long after the competition has shut down.

    Go Longer

    The Osmo Action 5 Pro stands out from the rest of the action camera market for its battery life. It can shoot well over two hours at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, which is far and away the longest run time of any action camera I’ve ever tested (and I’ve tested a lot). I mention this first because something that often gets lost in reviews and spec comparisons is the simple fact that any footage is better than no footage.

    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

    To provide a concrete example, I don’t love the color rendering of the Osmo Action 5 Pro in 10-bit Normal color mode, but I’ll take it over no footage at all, which is what the GoPro Hero 13 would offer me after the 1-hour-and-45-minute recording mark when its battery would die and the camera would shut off. Battery life matters, and in the case of action cameras, given that all else—sensors, stabilization, ergonomics—can be so similar, it might be the most important factor in getting the shots you want.

    The Osmo’s camera design hasn’t changed—the body is lightly textured, making it easy to hold, and it remains the same size, retaining the magnetic mounting system. (I’ve always liked that the cage for the Action series allows both vertical and horizontal mounting.) While I don’t have any accessories other than some neutral-density (ND) filters, everything that fits your Action 4 should continue to work with the Action 5. And the more capable battery? It’s backward compatible with the Action 4.

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • GoPro’s Hero 13 Black Sets the Stage for an Upgrade-Worthy Successor

    GoPro’s Hero 13 Black Sets the Stage for an Upgrade-Worthy Successor

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    GoPro has a few tricks here and there worth mentioning, though. As someone who likes to handle color grading in postproduction software, the new, improved Log video support is very welcome. I would go so far as to say this is the best Log profile I’ve seen in an action camera. The Hero 13 Black also has a new slow-motion burst mode which can record 5.3K footage at 120 frames per second. It pulls that off for only five seconds, though, so this is best used for situations like your kid going off a jump on their bike or diving in the pool—quick moments you want to slow down later.

    Another big video improvement is HDR support and hybrid log-gamma (HLG) HDR video. The Hero 12’s HDR support was not great, but HLG HDR is a widely used open source HDR format that offers much better compatibility with non-wide-color-gamut displays. The footage also looks much better than the previous version.

    I said above that the Hero 13 is the same size, which is true on the outside, but internally that’s not the case. GoPro has enlarged the battery compartment to fit a bigger battery that the company claims will last 10 percent longer than the Hero 12’s battery. I found this to be roughly true. Shooting a 4K video with the Hero 13, I consistently coaxed it for about an hour and 45 minutes, sometimes up over the 1:50 mark if there was more ventilation (riding a bike for example).

    GoPro Hero 13 Black: Ultra Wide Lens

    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

    The GoPro Hero 13 Black a small camera with a digital screen on the left and a circular lens on the right

    GoPro Hero 13 Black: Macro Lens

    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

    The opposite was also true. Shooting through the window of a vehicle for instance, with almost no ventilation, saw recording time go down to around an hour. I have not had a chance to test it in cold weather, but GoPro claims improvements there too. Overall that’s about 15 to 20 minutes longer across the board than I generally get with the Hero 12, which is great, but it’s well behind the new DJI Action 5 Pro, which had no trouble running well over 2 hours and 30 minutes in the 4K test. The Hero still has the worst battery life in the action camera market and the new battery, while improved, also means your old batteries won’t work, adding a sizable cost to those looking to upgrade.

    One interesting battery-related addition to the Hero 13 Black is the new magnetic charge door, which GoPro calls Contacto. It’s a USB-C pass-through door with a magnetic charger on the outside, allowing you to power the GoPro using an external battery without keeping the battery door off. There have long been USB-C pass-through doors available from third-party sellers, but this is the only one I’m aware of that’s waterproof, which means if you forget you have it on and jump in the ocean, you won’t fry your GoPro.

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • The DJI Air 3S Is a Formidable Flying Camera

    The DJI Air 3S Is a Formidable Flying Camera

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    As a UK resident currently without the certificate, I had to be quite careful where I flew the Air 3S. Living on the coast at least meant I was able to fly it out over the sea, where it could easily be kept the requisite distance from people, buildings, parks, and beaches. If I lived in the middle of a large town or city here, however, I’d find the restrictions too frustrating to deal with and opt for an ultra-lightweight, fly-anywhere drone such as the DJI Mini 4 Pro. I suspect most casual drone users feel the same way.

    Photograph: Sam Kielsden

    DJI Air 3S low light sample

    Twice as Nice

    Those who decide to pass the courses and deal with the paperwork will enjoy excellent rewards for their time, patience, and money. If the older Air 3’s camera performance was impressive, the Air 3S’s is stunning. The new 1-inch sensor delivers 14 stops of dynamic range and excels in challenging lighting, producing detail-rich, low-noise images at dusk and even at night. I shot the sample photos (above) in DNG RAW (the wide-angle camera shoots 50-megapixel stills; the telephoto 48-megapixel) and edited them using Adobe Lightroom, while the sample video was captured in 10-bit D-Log M and color graded and corrected with DaVinci Resolve Studio. I had a blast editing the footage, with the 10-bit original files offering a huge amount of scope to work with. You don’t have to shoot in D-Log M, however; the cameras support standard color profiles in both 8- and 10-bit quality and 10-bit HLG.

    There’s a wide selection of superb video and photo options available. While the Air 3S can’t shoot 5.7K footage (something offered by the DJI Mavic 3 Pro), it can shoot regular 4K videos at up to 60 fps, 4K slow-motion clips at 120 fps and Full HD slow-motion clips at 240 fps. It can also shoot 9:16 portrait-format videos, ideal for quick posting to social media channels, at a more than acceptable 2.7K resolution and 60 fps.

    I wouldn’t call the cameras perfect, of course. The lack of adjustable apertures makes a set of neutral density (ND) filters almost a compulsory purchase for anyone shooting video during the day, and even then, changing the filters is a fiddly process. Hopefully that’s one upgrade we’ll see DJI introduce with the Air 4, whenever it arrives.

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    Sam Kieldsen

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  • Leica Q3 43 Pocket Shooter Captures Photos from a Natural Point of View

    Leica Q3 43 Pocket Shooter Captures Photos from a Natural Point of View

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    The newest member of Leica’s Q series has the same 60MP full-frame CMOS sensor as its predecessor, paired with a new APO-Summicron 43mm f/2 lens. Its focal length is about the same as that of the human eye, making it perfect for portraits and street photography. Meanwhile, the lens’ apochromatic design also means incredibly accurate colors.

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    Lambert Varias

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  • This LEGO Camera Actually Works and Takes Photos on 35mm Film

    This LEGO Camera Actually Works and Takes Photos on 35mm Film

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    Zung Hoang’s LEGO ZH1 is a fully functioning 35mm film camera. The ZH1’s components are all standard, available LEGO pieces, including the magnifying glass lens. It captures soft, dreamy photos in daylight conditions. It achieved the 10,000-supporter milestone in LEGO Ideas, so it might become an official set. Lens expert Mathieu Stern tested a prototype.

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    Lambert Varias

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  • Shooting a Movie with the Smallest Camera

    Shooting a Movie with the Smallest Camera

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    Technology has gotten to the point where you can buy a full HD camera that fits on your keychain. Filmmaker Isaac Carlton picked up one of these tiny cameras from Amazon to see if he could shoot an entire short film using it. This fun behind-the-scenes video explains how he created the film, but if you want to cut to the case, here’s the 3-minute movie.

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    Paul Strauss

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  • Which Instax Camera Should You Buy?

    Which Instax Camera Should You Buy?

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    Instax Mini 90 Camera for $210: Once my favorite Instax, the Mini 90 seems to have been superseded by the Mini Evo. The price isn’t too different, yet the Mini Evo is more capable, especially since the Mini 90 is fully analog. That said, the Mini 90 delivers the highest-quality image of the Mini series (equal to the Mini Evo), so if you want the fully analog experience and the highest quality image, this is the camera to get. It regularly dips below $150, so avoid paying more.

    Instax SQ 6 Camera for $130 to $210: This one is a head-scratcher. As I noted above, the SQ 6 is a better camera than the SQ 1 or SQ 40, which seem to have jointly replaced the SQ 6. Heck, there was even a Taylor Swift version of the SQ 6 (I’d hate to see what that’s going for on eBay these days). Whatever the case, Fujifilm no longer lists the SQ 6 on its Instax website. But if you find it, and like the square format, the SQ 6 is a fantastic camera. It has several manual features not found in the others—I especially like the Lighten and Darken modes that can be used like exposure compensation—in addition to the fully automatic mode of the SQ 40. Other nice extras include a self-timer, close-up mode, and the option to turn off the flash. There is stock out there, so try to only buy it if you find it for around $100 to $150.

    Instax Mini Link 2 Printer for $100: The Instax Mini Link was replaced by the Mini Link 2, but the upgrades were minor, and, honestly, I can’t tell any difference in print quality. If you can find the original Mini Link for less than the price of the Link 2, go for it. The Link 2 sells for $100 most of the time, so don’t pay as much for the original Link. They’re both great printers.

    Avoid These Instax Cameras

    Instax Mini 11 for $80 to $120: I mentioned this above, but the Mini 11 is rarely worth buying. It’s only a few dollars cheaper than the newer Mini 12 and lacks most of the features that make the Mini 12 such a good buy. If you can find this one for under $50, maybe it’s worth it. But otherwise, avoid the Mini 11.

    Instax 7s/Instax 8/Instax 9: These are all older, low-end Instax models. They use a fixed 1/60 shutter speed, whereas the comparably-priced Mini 12’s auto exposure can choose between 1/2 to 1/250 second shutter speeds, making it much more flexible. Given that most of these are hard to find anyway, skip them.

    Do You Want a Camera, a Printer, or Both?

    Once you’ve picked the size of film you want, the next question is, do you want a camera, a printer, or a hybrid that can do both? The latter is more expensive but gives you the best of both worlds—our top pick is a camera and a printer. Note that if you want Instax Square or Instax Wide prints, there is no hybrid model.

    If you have nostalgia for what I still think of as “the Polaroid experience,” an Instax camera is the way to go. They aren’t the highest-quality cameras (most have plastic lenses), but they take decent photos, and you get to watch them develop seconds after you shoot. It’s the more fun option, but the disadvantage is that if you have an image you love on your phone and want to print it, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • The Best 360 Cameras to See the World Around You

    The Best 360 Cameras to See the World Around You

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    It’s a small world after all, and these cameras can capture all of it at once, giving you a 360-degree view.

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • The Best Compact Cameras That Really Fit in Your Pocket

    The Best Compact Cameras That Really Fit in Your Pocket

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    I was recently thumbing through a photo book at the library and ran across a double-page spread of a crowd surrounding a celebrity taken in 2008. The photo itself wasn’t great, but something jumped out at me—everyone was holding a compact camera. Canon Powershots, Nikon Coolpix, Sony Cybershots, and others I didn’t recognize littered the scene. Fast forward a few years, shoot the same image, and those cameras are now smartphones.

    I get it. The phone is always with you and good enough for the selfies and snapshots most people capture. But … shooting with your phone isn’t much fun. I think this is why we’ve seen a huge resurgence in interest in compact cameras. People love “vintage” compact digital cameras, and some laughably bad cameras from the early aughts are selling on eBay for more than they did new, thanks to viral videos. To save you from overspending, I’ve tested and ranked all the compact cameras I could get my hands on—these are the best point-and-shoot cameras I’ve tried.

    Check out our many camera buying guides, like the Best Mirrorless Cameras, Best Action Cameras, Best GoPro Hero, Best Instax Cameras, Best Camera Bags, and our step-by-step instructions on How to Choose a Camera.

    Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that’s too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.

    What to Look for in a Compact Camera

    If you want to upgrade from your smartphone to a dedicated camera, there are three key things to look for:

    Size and weight: If it doesn’t fit in your pocket, are you going to carry it around? Part of the appeal of a pocket camera is that, ahem, it actually fits in your pocket. Except for the Fujifilm X100VI, all the cameras in this guide are small and light enough to carry in your pocket.

    Image quality: The larger the sensor the better, but also, the better the lens, the sharper and more contrasty your images will be. I’ve mainly suggested fixed-lens cameras for this reason; they typically have faster, sharper lenses.

    Extra features: Phones are decent snapshot cameras, but they rarely have good macro lenses, built-in neutral density filters, or fast autofocus. If you’re investing in a pocket camera, look for nice extras like these.

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • The Ricoh GR III Is 5 Years Old, but It’s Still Nearly the Perfect Camera

    The Ricoh GR III Is 5 Years Old, but It’s Still Nearly the Perfect Camera

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    Despite the compact size, the GR III packs a 24.2-MP APS-C sensor, which is why it’s my favorite compact camera. At the time of writing, there is no other camera this small with an APS-C sensor. (There used to be two others in this class, Fujifilm’s x70 and Nikon’s Coolpix A, and both have been discontinued). While sensor size isn’t everything, the GR III’s sensor can deliver remarkably crisp, contrasty, detailed images on par with what I get from my Sony.

    The original GR III launched in 2019 with the equivalent of a 28-mm lens. Ricoh followed this up in 2021 with the GR IIIx, which is almost the same save for the 40-mm equivalent lens. They’re both fantastic. I happen to love 40-mm lenses so I’ve spent more time with the GR IIIx, but for most people who want an all-around capable pocket camera, I’d suggest the 28-mm version is more versatile.

    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

    Ricoh GR IIIx

    Both lenses are capable of tack-sharp images with an impressive, soft bokeh you don’t usually get with a camera and sensor of this size. There’s also a nice macro mode that adds a bit of versatility to an already impressive package. That said, if you want a zoom, this is not the camera for you (that’d be the Sony RX100 VII).

    Three things set the Ricoh GR III above the compact camera pack. The first is the APS-C sensor. The second is the size. This camera can go everywhere with you and it doesn’t get in the way. I often find, no matter how discreet I try to be, pulling out a full-size camera with a decent (read: large) lens on the front, and everyone in a scene notices and subtly changes. The GR III, on the other hand, is small enough that you can pull it out without attracting attention or ruining a scene (it also doesn’t make you look like a rich tourist when traveling).

    The third reason I, and legions of other photographers, love this camera is all the little extras. I mentioned the macro mode, but there’s also a useful built-in neutral density filter for shooting longer exposure images without overexposing (think blurring flowing water, for example). The other mode I love is snap focus.

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • The English Premier League Has a New, iPhone-Powered Offside Detection System

    The English Premier League Has a New, iPhone-Powered Offside Detection System

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    “If a harder problem comes up in the future, it’s relatively easy for us to work on the install base, or the technical background that we have in a venue, and just go add 10, 20, 30, 40 different cameras,” he says. “Maybe we want to focus them on certain parts of the field or deploy them for specific purposes.”

    This kind of scalability also brings to the table the concept of the “digital twin” in sports. By capturing streams of video and positioning data as a player moves on the field, that player can be re-created virtually—their movements, likeness, and hand gestures, all rendered digitally in real time. This is something that’s typically been possible with only the types of high-priced cameras and computer systems used in Hollywood and in video game creation.

    If digital twins can be created in sports, their uses go beyond officiating. Broadcasters can use them in digital overlays that show real-time stats, or in virtual reality, so you can watch a game inside your VR headset.

    Soccer is merely the first playground for this tech. Just about any sport can draw value from digital twin creation, and Genius hopes to make inroads in basketball and American football soon.

    But as intriguing as a soccer digital twin sounds, can Dragon actually remedy the game’s offside-detection issues? After all, constant issues with prior VAR systems have inspired no confidence in motion-capture technology among soccer’s main stakeholders nor with fans.

    Genius says it’s been testing Dragon for several years, both in the EPL and several other venues, in multiple formats. The company employs several internal analysts who project tracking data into a video format, then go frame by frame alongside broadcast video to detect any discrepancies. This allows the team to continuously retrain its models until such errors are, in theory, eliminated. Genius analysts consider this the foundational testing level, a baseline on top of which others are layered.

    Dragon’s inputs have been compared side by side with VAR and detection systems to validate their basic accuracy. They’ve also been validated manually: Engineers spent long hours with various sport stakeholders (coaches, players, management), running through complex plays and confirming that the system’s outputs make sense. Every client considering use of Dragon also has internal teams who scrutinize the system and validate its outputs.

    “We’ve done this with groups like FIFA, where we’ve gone through extensive tests,” D’Auria says. “The Dragon system is FIFA-validated. They’ll do tests where players wear a Vicon [motion-capture] system, and we track them, and they compare datasets and look for errors. We’ve gone through five or six machinations of this.”

    It should be noted that both Genius and EPL representatives declined to provide any specific testing information or results to WIRED, stating that, despite evaluating the iPhone system side by side with VAR, comparisons to prior motion-capture systems are tricky due to order-of-magnitude differences in the quantity and quality of data being created. Interestingly, again both the EPL and Genius refused to give any indication on how much more accurate its smartphone tech is compared with VAR.

    Of course, the real evaluation will be made by fans and players, who will need to see Dragon in action to believe it actually makes a difference. The last few years of VAR absurdity have left an understandably bad taste in many mouths where optical tracking is concerned.

    But when that first semiautomated offside call comes in this season in the UK, remember that this isn’t just the same old setup in different wrapping. It’s the next generation of motion capture, one that stakeholders across sports and in the AI community will be watching closely. Fans won’t have much, if any, tolerance for further issues with motion-capture-based systems. Genius and the EPL are confident they’re up to the challenge. We shall see. Let the games begin.

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    Ben Dowsett

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  • Capture Your Adventures With Our Favorite Action Cameras

    Capture Your Adventures With Our Favorite Action Cameras

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    Choosing the right action camera used to be simple: Go with GoPro. That’s still good advice, in that the GoPro ranks high on our list and is our top pick for most adventure-seeking photographers, but there are also some worthy competitors, some of which can do more than the GoPro.

    To figure out which cameras are the best, we dove with them, climbed with them, surfed with them, and handed them to reckless 12-year-olds on bikes. We found a number of great options that will record, and survive, your adventures on the ski slope, beach, or skate park.

    If an action cam isn’t your speed, be sure to check out our other guides, including the Best Compact Cameras, Best Mirrorless Cameras, and Best Instant Cameras.

    Updated August 2024: We’ve added the Insta360 X4 and Go 3S, updated our recommendations, added some new accessories, and updated prices throughout.

    Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.

    If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • The Insta360 Go 3S Is a Tiny, Fun, 4K Action Camera

    The Insta360 Go 3S Is a Tiny, Fun, 4K Action Camera

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    Insta360’s Go 3 was an incredibly fun action camera. It could morph from a more traditional GoPro-like camera to a unique, pendant-style wearable. It made shots possible that you just couldn’t get with more traditional GoPro-style cameras.

    This year, the company released the Go 3S. The updated camera adds support for 4K video, higher bit rates for smoother video, and improved battery life.

    Sensor Improvements

    Externally the Go 3S is difficult to distinguish from the Go 3. They’re the same size, the rear flip-up screen is unchanged, and the USB-C port is in the same spot. The main visible difference is the lens guard, which is bigger and thicker. I like this change because it makes it much easier to pull the lens portion out of the Action Pod, as Insta360 calls the body portion of the design.

    The only other minor external changes I found are the more-textured, easier-to-grip edges for the camera lens portion and the power and Q buttons on the side. Otherwise, all the significant changes in the Go 3S are inside the camera.

    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

    The headline feature of the Insta360 Go 3S is undoubtedly the 4K video. I said in my review of the Go 3 that “I never once noticed the 2.7K footage from the Go 3 being 2.7K, which is to say, unless you shoot side-by-side with a [4K camera], most people would never be able to tell the image quality difference.” I stand by that. But when you are putting 2.7K side by side with 4K in the same video, you can tell the difference. For instance, I always found it difficult to mix footage from the Go 3 with footage from my GoPro, which I often shoot in 5.3K. This is where the real appeal of the new Go 3S lies. The 4K footage does objectively look better (though again, you need to put it side by side to see it). More importantly, it mixes naturally with 4K footage from other cameras like the GoPro Hero 12 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) or the Insta360 Ace Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends).

    What impressed me most about video from the Go 3S wasn’t so much the additional sharpness, which is there, but the lack of pixelation, particularly in motion shots. Where the Go 3 tended to get quite pixelated in motion shots (e.g., while riding a bike), the Go 3S does not. This improvement is likely due more to the Go 3S’s higher bit rate (120 Mbps versus 80 Mbps) than the 4K video, but either way it’s a welcome improvement.

    That said, there is still a good bit of pixelation at higher frame rates, so I recommend avoiding them. Shooting at 120 fps isn’t too bad, but the 200 fps mode is often unusable. (The quality of the footage depends a lot on lighting, but even in pretty good light, 200 fps is too much for this sensor and lens to handle well).

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • The Best Gadgets of June 2024

    The Best Gadgets of June 2024

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    Image: Gizmodo Staff

    Who has time for summertime sadness when there are new gadget releases to check out? This month, we got an update on the Insta360 GO and a new mini-LED QLED from Sony. We also went hands-on with the ROG Ally X, which boasts a bigger battery than the Steam Deck. These waterproof JBL speakers are affordable and perfect for going out on the boat, bike, or wherever blasting music is somewhat socially acceptable. Here’s what we loved in June 2024.

    Vizio’s Latest TVs Go All Quantum

    Insta 360 GO 3S

    A photo of a cat with a collar sporting an Insta360 GO 3S camera.

    Image: Insta360

    The $400 Insta360 Go 3S isn’t just an action camera for pets, but why would you use it for anything else? This is the update to last year’s GO 3 with up to 4K shooting at 30 fps—up from a maximum of 2.7K on the regular GO 3—so there’s less distortion as you move. The GO 3S has a wider lens than the regular GO 3—16mm compared to the previous GO’s 11mm—which helps cut down on edge distortion.

    Samsung Odyssey OLED G8

    Image for article titled The Best Gadgets of June 2024

    Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo

    The $1,300 4K Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 brings all the saturation and vividness of the brand’s smartphones to your gaming experience on a PC or console with a 240Hz maximum refresh rate. If that isn’t enough, the Odyssey will let you stream all your favorite apps and games without a console.

    ROG Ally X

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    Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo

    The $800 ROG Ally X launched this month, barely a year after its predecessor hit the scene. But it’s already boasting more promising battery life and performance due to its bigger battery pack and increased memory offering. The chassis has also been redesigned to be more comfortable for long-term gaming sessions.

    Asus ProArt Laptops

    Image for article titled The Best Gadgets of June 2024

    Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo

    Asus’s new ProArt laptops are two-in-one devices with AMD and Qualcomm chips. They are part of the Microsoft Co-Pilot+ rollout, but at least they seem more promising than the other manufacturers’ AI-first PCs. The base ProArt P16 laptop is basically an ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop in a thinner, tote-able chassis.

    Sony Bravia 7 Mini-LED QLED 4K TV

    Image for article titled The Best Gadgets of June 2024

    Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo

    Sony TVs continue to be compelling buys. The $2,000 65-inch Sony Bravia 7 doesn’t stand out from the other QLEDs’ designs, but its HDR colors are bright and beautiful for watching content. The only caveat is that you need to ensure you don’t have any direct light shining toward the TV since it tends to produce glare.

    JBL Clip 5 and Go 4

    photo of jbl clip 5

    Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo

    Summertime is the perfect time to invest in a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, especially if you’re heading somewhere where you can enjoy listening to music. The JBL Clip 5 and Go 4 each weigh less than one pound, which makes toting them around in a backpack or beach bag an easy sell. They’re $80 and $50, respectively.

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    Florence Ion

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