| Photo: Richard Butler |
Every December, as we approach the end of the year, DPReview editors engage in our annual ritual of choosing our Gear of the Year: the one photography item we’ve enjoyed using the most during the past twelve months. Took. When I think about how much gear comes through the DPReview offices annually, I’m surprised that the decision is usually that easy, but most years, one product is usually the best for me.
It is not so this year. It got complicated.
candidate
Regular readers will know that I love fast, wide prime lenses, especially for astrophotography. In the past, I have selected a fast, wide prime as my gear of the year. at least four timesIt’s not really a tradition, but it’s starting to feel close. I think there were some readers who took bets on whether I would choose the new Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Fisheye This year’s lens.
If you made that bet, you lost. Better luck next year (and maybe diversify your portfolio). However, I came close. That Sigma lens is a beauty, and I would love to have it in my kit. But this time it could not make it to the top spot.
“I’ve chosen a fast, wide prime as my gear of the year at least four times. It’s not exactly a tradition, but it’s starting to feel close.”
The next product I considered was a secret horse: the Panasonic DMC-LX7If you just did a double-take, it’s not a mistake. I almost chose a compact camera 2012 As for my favorite gear of 2024.
Unless your Wi-Fi died in 2020 and you didn’t bother to fix it, you probably know that ‘classic’ compact cameras – and I use the term ‘classic’ loosely – are those Beaches that have become so popular are too young to remember and were disappointed by their image quality at first. (Those were the dark ages, kids.)
So, a few months ago, in a moment of nostalgia-driven curiosity, I took my LX7 out of storage and started using it just for fun. Thankfully, no bell bottoms or disco albums came with it, allowing me to avoid confronting some of the choices my earlier life had to make.
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| Despite being released in 2012, the Panasonic LX7 almost took away my 2024 Gear of the Year award. I rediscovered it earlier this year and enjoy its simple, point-and-shoot style. |
And oh, how much fun I had! I found myself carrying the LX7 around most of the time this year, using it for snapshots and adopting it for the joys of point-and-shoot photography.
I’m sure I’ll eventually grow out of it and go back to more meaningful activities like obsessing over megapixels or arguing about negligible differences in dynamic range, but if I had to choose my gear of the year based on pure enjoyment from a product. , the LX7 will be the clear winner.
The product that ultimately made it to the top spot is the Canon EOS R5 II, a camera I didn’t get to use nearly as much as I had hoped but used enough to be convinced.
EOS R5 II
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| Photo: Richard Butler |
The original EOS R5, introduced in 2020, never made my shortlist for gear of the year. It was a capable performer, but nothing felt special about its shooting. In contrast, the R5 II added three features that made a difference for me.
Stacked Sensor: I don’t need a stacked sensor for most of the shooting I do, and I rarely shoot at the highest burst rates offered by most new cameras. However, after a few years of shooting cameras with stacked sensors, I have come to appreciate the blackout-free shooting experience such cameras provide.
“It’s a little luxury, like heated car seats for your eyes.”
I can’t think of a single instance in which I’ve ever missed a shot due to viewfinder blackout, but I do see blackouts. Call it an increase in quality of life if you want, but it’s becoming more important to me. It’s a little luxury, like heated car seats for your eyes.
Eye-Controlled AF: I’ve been a fan of Canon’s eye-controlled AF since the film days. A few years ago I also wrote an article expressing my wish For Canon to bring it back with a more modern implementation; Four years later, the EOS R3 fulfilled that call to action. Thanks for listening, Canon 😉
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Whether using eye-controlled AF or Canon’s new Action Priority AF mode, the EOS R5 II’s autofocus system is as suitable for work as it is for sport. The pre-burst capture feature allowed me to take photos that I missed. (Processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw.) Canon EOS R5 Mark II | F2.8 | 1/1250 | ISO 4000 Photo: Dale Baskin |
I know eye-controlled AF doesn’t work for everyone, but when it does, it can be a transformative way of shooting. I’m saddened to know that there are many people for whom eye-controlled AF still doesn’t work because it’s a natural way to interact with the camera.
Pre-explosion capture: I’m an expert at shooting some subjects, but an amateur at others, and it’s the latter group where I find pre-capture helpful. This is especially true when shooting sports, but I’ve found it useful for shooting birds or wildlife as well. It has allowed me to capture photographs that I would not have otherwise been able to capture.
“I’m sad to know that there are so many people for whom eye-controlled AF still doesn’t work.”
To be clear, I don’t want to give Canon too much credit here. The R5 isn’t the first camera with a blackout-free stacked sensor, and it’s far from the first to offer pre-capture. However, it is the first camera to offer those features along with eye-controlled autofocus, and, for me, that combination is what makes the camera such a joy to shoot.
There are many other things that the R5 II does better or faster than its predecessor, and some of those things will matter more to other people, but most of them won’t make a big difference to my photography work. The R5 II hits a nice sweet spot for me, and the fact that it does so with excellent ergonomics that deliver excellent image quality is icing on the cake.
