Introduction

Today, we’re continuing to go down the list of manufacturers to talk about what we actually expect them to make in 2025, and what we’d like to see them make – sometimes with little to no regard for the probability of our wishes being fulfilled. If you missed the first part of this series, be sure to check it out here. With no further ado, let’s start with…

Sony: What we expect

Sony’s camera lineup is currently in a decent place, especially considering that some of the cameras in it are a few years old at this point. However, comparing it to Canon and Nikon’s, there is one glaring hole: a do-it-all high-resolution, high-performance camera at a price that’s attainable outside of the realm of high-end professional photography.

Sony’s a7R V has the resolution, and the a7s III is great at video, but only the a1 II marries the two – and that camera costs $6,500 and is aimed at professionals. If Sony can lop off some of the professional workflow features and bring the price tag down, it’d have a camera that could truly compete with the Canon EOS R5 II or Nikon Z8, which have similar technical capabilities to the a1 II but cost thousands of dollars less since they’re aimed at a more price-sensitive market.

The a6100 could use an update

On the other end of the lineup, Sony’s also probably due to refresh its entry-level APS-C camera. The a6100 was launched in 2019; since then, Sony has made big improvements to its menu and autofocus systems, and it’d be great to see them available in a camera that costs less than the excellent a6700.

We also wouldn’t be surprised to see an update to its entry-level full-frame body either, though it’s hard to predict what that would look like. The current-gen a7 IV has a 33MP sensor, which is higher-resolution than the ones found on competitors like the Nikon Z6III and Canon EOS R6 II. However, that comes at the cost of relatively high rolling shutter in standard 4K modes.

If Sony wants to fix that, it could potentially use a lower-resolution sensor, though that could be a tough sell. Another option would be bringing the ‘partial stacking’ technology that we saw with the Z6III’s 24MP sensor to the a7 IV’s current sensor, though that also comes with a trade-off to dynamic range. Whatever it ends up doing, we wouldn’t be surprised to see an a7 V this year.

Sony: What we’d like to see

Compact cameras have had a resurgence in popularity recently, but manufacturers haven’t really responded to the trend. Despite having not released a new compact in years, Sony still has the most options available for potential buyers, but that doesn’t mean it should rest on its laurels. We’d love to see a new entry in the RX100 lineup, either a cheaper model using a non-stacked sensor or an enthusiast model with all of Sony’s latest tech and the fast 24-70mm equiv. F1.8-2.8 lens from the RX100V.

Speaking of compacts, we’d also like to see a new RX1. While you can technically still buy the RX1R II, a new model could include a more modern full-frame sensor – perhaps the one from the a7CR – and Sony’s latest AI-derived autofocus tech. And while we’re wishing on stars, it’d be great if its battery life could be measured in hours instead of minutes. While it almost certainly won’t happen, Leica’s Q-series has shown that there’s at least some consumer appetite for a full-frame fixed lens camera; the Q2 and Q3 were both popular enough to get a secondary model.

Finally, we have one lens wish: a 50-150mm F2.8 lens that would be the APS-C equivalent of the venerable full-frame 70-200mm, but smaller, lighter and cheaper. Realistically, we’d want this available on every APS-C system, but we feel like Sony is the only major camera maker that may actually do it*, given its overall commitment to making weirder lenses.

* Apart from Fujifilm, of course. This lens already exists for X-mount.

Panasonic: What we expect

Panasonic has been busy over the past two years, updating large swathes of its lineup. The S1 series, however, has remained untouched. While the S5II handily slots into the S1’s role as the all-rounder full-frame camera, it lacks the more substantial heft that Panasonic said high-end users prefer, but we’re not sure that’s enough to continue the line.

It definitely feels like there’s still room for an upgrade to the video-focused S1H. That would essentially be a full-frame GH7, something with tons of video features that can output 4K video with minimal rolling shutter while including the phase-detect autofocus the current S1H lacks. A new sensor would really be key: the widely-used 24MP sensor not being especially quick to read out.

Updated autofocus would also be welcome in a new high-resolution camera to replace the S1R and compete with cameras like the Sony a7RV and perhaps even the rapid Nikon Z8 and Canon EOS R5 II.

Speaking of autofocus, though, that’s probably the area we’d most like to see some improvement from Panasonic in. While its subject detection tracking has a wide variety of modes, it’s substantially less sticky than the best systems available, and the company’s recently developed phase detection system can still struggle to determine where to drive the lens when a subject is moving at variable speeds.

Panasonic: What we’d like to see

This may be a long shot, but we’d like to see Panasonic return to producing an enthusiast compact or two. Like Sony, it still sells a few point-and-shoots, and it updated one (a tiny bit) recently, but it doesn’t have any recent models that feel like the true enthusiast compact we’re so desperately hoping for.

If we could pick anything, we think something in the LX100 series with a fixed lens instead of a zoom could do well, especially given the recent popularity of Fujifilm’s X100 series. Or with a more responsive (maybe manually operated?) zoom, for that matter.

Fujifilm: What we expect

An X-E5 seems like a safe bet at this point, given the company’s senior management have all-but confirmed it. And whereas we’d like to see a real enthusiast photographer’s ILC with twin command dials, exposure comp and maybe even a four-way controller, we suspect it’ll actually be a stripped-down camera like the X-E4, trying to be as small as possible. Though sitting above the X-M5, we can still hope for a little more (eg the stabilization mechanism from the X100VI, ideally).

There’s a lot of talk about a fixed-lens GFX camera, which doesn’t seem impossible, given the popularity of the X100 series. The question is what lens it should come with. A 45mm lens would give a similar 35mm-equivalent field of view, letting them re-use the complex hybrid OVF/EVF from the X100s. But perhaps a 36mm lens (giving a 28mm equiv FoV) might make more sense for an camera that will inevitably be slower to focus. Though if Fujifilm wants to lean on the legacy of the GZ690 and GS645 film cameras, a 48mm lens, giving a 38mm-equiv image would be more consistent.

Having seen a refresh of the 16-55mm F2.8, we think a refreshed 50-140mm F2.8 with faster focus and, ideally a smaller, lighter body is possible. The original 18mm F2 would definitely benefit from a refresh, too.

Fujifilm: What we’d like to see

Obviously the thing we’d most like to see is continued work on continuous AF algorithms. The past few years have seen such dramatic improvement from Canon and Nikon that Fujifilm’s cameras are looking awkwardly off-the-pace for shooting dynamic situations. We’re not sure what more can be wrung out of the current hardware (with both processing power and AF motor speed potentially holding things back), but further improvement would certainly be on our wish list.

We also wouldn’t rule-out the beginning of the next generation of X-series camera. In an ideal world that would include an X-Pro4, hinting at what the next generation will be capable of, but given the GFX models have only just been updated and we’re still waiting for an X-E5 to round-out the last generation, maybe we’re jumping the gun a little. If it does come, we hope it’ll regain a switchable wide/tele optical viewfinder, rather than using the X100’s.

At the more realistic end of our wishlist would be a refresh of the F2 primes, particularly the 23mm F2, which could be a bit soft on 24MP and really doesn’t make the most of the newer 40MP sensors.

On the topic of 23mm lenses, the final point on our wishlist would be for X100VIs, so that people can actually find them.

Leica: What we expect

Leica is a company that thrives in such unexpected niches that it’s difficult to predict what it might do next. It’s been three years since the main M camera was refreshed, so we’re approaching a sensible timescale to start thinking about a replacement for the M11. That said, most of the developments in sensors we’ve seen have been in terms of speed, which isn’t especially valuable in a camera with no autofocus or video capabilities.

We wouldn’t rule out some more video-focused products, given how much effort had clearly gone into the ability to swipe between stills and video interfaces on the SL3. Beyond that, it’s hard to guess what a company that’s introduced both a film camera and an enthusiast compact in the past couple of years might do next.

Except special editions. We definitely expect to see some of those. But, having previously established tie-ups with brands as Paul Smith and Zagato, it’s almost impossible to guess what they’ll be. How about a Leica x Morgan special edition?

Leica: What we’d like to see

We wouldn’t say no to a Q3 85, as a specialist portrait camera, given how much we’ve enjoyed the 28 and 43mm versions. Perhaps it would have to be a 75mm or 90mm lens just to coincide with traditional M-mount focal lengths, but given the 43mm was a departure from that scheme, maybe that’s not essential. An expensive, portrait-only camera might be too niche even for Leica, but perhaps enough users would want to complete the set, to make it worthwhile.

Beyond that, who can say? Other than that it’ll be priced to ensure exclusivity.

Sigma: What we expect

We need a version of the APO 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM for mirrorless APS-C cameras.

Image: Sigma

There’s been so much chatter about a 50-150mm F2.8 APS-C zoom that we’d be disappointed if one didn’t now appear. The original model was a terrific lens: roughly 2/3 the size, price and weight of a 70-200 F2.8, making it a much more accessible and usable lens. We’re not sure the sales lived up to the promise, and the stabilized second-gen lens gave up many of the promised benefits.

Beyond this, it’s hard to say. Both the Art range and i-series of primes in the Contemporary range are looking pretty complete, so there aren’t any obvious gaps in the lens ranges. The company has talked about a sports and wildlife telephoto lens that has never been seen before, so it’ll be interesting to see what that entails.

The big question mark is around cameras. Is it time to update or expand on the fp concept? Or could the creators of the original large-sensor prime lens compact do something special by going back to the roots of the DP series? We just don’t know, but just can’t bring ourselves to count Sigma out, when it comes to something interesting.

Sigma: What we’d like to see

Oh, so many things. Sigma’s willingness to do things a little differently, but accessibly makes it easy to project lots of hopes and dreams onto the company.

Trying to keep within the bounds of the possible, we’d love to see a refresh of the DC DN range, even if it just meant re-bodying the existing optics in i-series style metal casings with functioning aperture rings. It’d primarily be Fujifilm and Nikon Zfc owners who’s benefit, but we still think it’d be worthwhile. Having previously suggested the idea to owner and CEO Kazuto Yamaki, we don’t have very high hopes of this.

And, while there’s plenty of skepticism around the idea, is there still an appetite for the long-promised full-frame Foveon camera? Given that a great many modern cameras do perfectly well with 24MP Bayer, how would a full-frame Foveon camera with the 25.5MP resolution but without the blurring effect of demosaicing fair? This assumes the nominal resolution of the SD quattro H, but with the larger sensor allowing large pixels and the same sampling resolution in all three layers. Would the larger pixels and marketing that pitched it as a ‘Velvia 50’ camera (only for use in good light but with excellent detail) help address the things that worked against Foveon in the past?

The role of AI

We’ve generally restricted our predictions and hopes to hardware, rather than new features as it’s hard to predict what more could be added until it appears.

We’ve already seen most manufacturers begin to offer 10-bit internal video and we’ll assume that resolutions and frame rates will rise as sensor readout rates allow. A few other brands might try to adopt Raw internal video, but it doesn’t seem like an essential feature for most users of most cameras, frankly.

AI – specifically algorithms developed by machine learning – has been a buzzword both within and beyond the camera industry for a while now, and we’d expect to continue to see novel ways in which it can be applied.

Most camera companies have recognized that, unlike in smartphones, most photographers don’t want features that mess with the image being captured. After all, what’s the point in taking control over the image-making process if your camera then starts adding details of its own? But it’s hard to predict which other challenges, beyond subject or situational recognition, AI could be brought to bear on.

Some kind of AI-enhanced user guide could perhaps be added to manufacturers’ smartphone apps, providing an interactive, natural language guide to how the camera works or how specific features can be used. Or maybe an ‘intelligent’ tone mode trained to brighten the shadows on JPEGs when you’re exposing to protect the highlights?

As always at the turn of a new year, there’s a possibility that something exciting is on the horizon, or that we’ll have to wade through more of the same, or maybe something worse than before. However it unfolds, it’ll be an interesting journey.

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TTArtisan has announced the AF 35mm F1.8 Ⅱ, a second-generation version of its normal focal length lens for APS-C cameras. In addition to being smaller and lighter than its predecessor with a shorter minimum focusing distance, it’s also now available for Nikon Z mount as well as Sony E mount and Fujifilm X mount.

The lens is 49mm (1.9″) long, 16mm shorter than its predecessor, though its diameter is the same at 65mm. At 176g, it’s also a touch lighter than the first-gen, which was 199g. It accepts 52mm filters.

The Nikon version appears to have an extra design flourish that the others don’t, according to TTArtisan’s product photography. Near the lens mount, there’s a notched ring that looks a lot like an aperture control ring, though there aren’t any aperture markings. The company’s website doesn’t mention whether the ring has any functional purpose.

The Z-mount version looks a little different than the E and X-mount ones. Image: TTArtisan

The lens’ optical formula comprises 10 elements in seven groups, with two high index elements and two extra low dispersion elements. It has a minimum focusing distance of 40cm (~16″), down from 60cm (~24″) on the first-gen model.

The lens is a budget model despite having an all-metal housing. It costs $125 and is available now.

Buy Now:

X-mount

E-mount

Z-mount



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Introduction

It’s that time of the year when the prospect of having to write a different number at the end of dates prompts thoughts about what the next twelve months will hold.

We’ve put together a list of what we think we might see from each brand and what we don’t honestly expect but would like to see.

We should be clear that these aren’t rumors; they’re primarily composed of guesswork and hopeful enthusiasm. The office crystal ball isn’t working at the moment. Nothing is based on manufacturer briefings or informed by what rumor sites think is coming.

Canon: What we expect

One of Canon’s best releases in 2024 was its Action Priority AF mode, which aims to make its autofocus even more reliable when you’re shooting certain types of sports. The feature was introduced with the EOS R1, but rather than keeping it exclusive to its flagship sports camera, Canon simultaneously included it on the EOS R5 II as well. We expect that trend will continue and that it’ll make an appearance on most of the new cameras the company releases this year.

Speaking of trends continuing, we’ll also likely see more ‘hybrid’ lenses from Canon with video-focused features like similar sizes, internal focusing and manual aperture rings. In 2024 it released a family of F1.4 ‘hybrid’ lenses in 24, 35, and 50mm focal lengths. Panasonic’s similar line of lenses includes 85mm and 100mm options, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see something like that from Canon.

We also wouldn’t be surprised to see the company release a tilt-shift lens for its RF cameras, as this is a niche Canon has long dominated. Some patents floating around imply autofocus versions are in the works, and if any company is going to be the first to crack that nut, Canon seems like a good bet. Such an advance could help make the move from the EF versions compelling.

Canon: What we’d like to see

Like Nikon, we’d love it if Canon were less restrictive when it came to licensing its RF mount to third-party manufacturers. While it made significant progress on that front in 2024 – Sigma, Tamron and Samyang collectively released eight RF APS-C lenses last year – there are still no fully-featured full-frame RF lenses from the likes of Sigma and Tamron.

Speaking of APS-C, we think there’s room for an EOS R7 II. We’re certainly not desperate for it, but it’d be cool to get the Action Priority AF modes from the EOS R1 and EOS R5 II, and maybe even a slight bump to the e-shutter shooting speeds to further differentiate it from the EOS R8 – though it’s mechanical shutter speeds already do that for anyone paying close attention.

We also wouldn’t mind Canon borrowing a clever trick that Sony introduced with the a1 II: the ability to narrow down what subjects its ‘Auto’ subject detection mode is looking for to increase performance. If you’re only taking pictures of people and animals, your camera doesn’t need to burn cycles trying to find vehicles to focus on.

Finally, we’d love to see the company’s lower-end prime lenses get updated to use the faster nano ultrasonic motors rather than the older stepping motors currently found in lenses like the RF 85mm F2 and 35mm F1.8. We feel it’d make the lenses nicer to use overall, even if it came at the cost of their macro abilities.

Ricoh: What we expect

2024 was a relatively quiet year for Ricoh, with some special editions of the GR, an update of its industry-toughened G series models and a refresh of the Pentax WG line. We’re hoping this means there are more significant updates in the pipeline, rather than there being a reduction in commitment to the business (cameras are part of a division that contributes around 1.5% of Ricoh’s sales by value).

We think an updated GR is the most likely product we’ll see in 2025. Moving to using the 40MP BSI sensor from Sony Semiconductor would represent a significant step forward, and the adoption of either image stabilization or full weather sealing might be enough to convince existing users to upgrade. If there’s room for a larger battery without bulking up the camera too much, we’d love to see that, too.

Ricoh: What we’d like to see

The most obvious thing we’d like to see is a K-1 III, partly to provide signs of a commitment to Pentax users but also because we’d love to see the DSLR continue as a class of camera. It’s hard to know what areas Ricoh could have worked on since 2018, but we would promise both the company and you, the readers, to conduct a full review if it were to appear.

Another possibility, given the amount of R&D the company had to put in to create the Pentax 17, would be another film camera. We think it’s very unlikely that we’d see, say, a modern take on the Pentax K1000, but maybe enough 17 and K-3 III components could be combined to do so.

Sadly, we think it’s unlikely that we’ll see an updated 645Z after all this time.

Nikon: What we expect

Having updated much of its range in the past two years, there are still a few models that seem due for replacement.

The Z fc is the most likely candidate, with the improvements from the Z50II making their way across to the smaller, prettier model. We’d be surprised not to see a ZfcII with improved AF and fewer randomly-placed spaces in its name, in 2025.

Likewise, the Z5 is looking distinctly long in the tooth. An updated version with the newer sensor from the Z6 II and the latest AF capabilities would have plenty of separation from the much faster Z6III. This might risk treading on the Zf’s toes, but it would put up a better fight against Canon’s very capable EOS R8.

There may well be a few more firmware updates to the Z9, perhaps including the provision of C2PA Content Credentials, as the company looks to continue to support it in the face of fresher rivals.

Nikon: What we’d like to see

The thing we’d most like to see is Nikon relaxing its approach to licensing the Z mount to third-party lens makers. We’re not holding our breath, but letting more companies introduce lenses and giving the existing licensees more freedom in terms of which lenses they can produce would only make the system more attractive.

We’d also like to see a more advanced APS-C model to sit above the Z50II. We know IBIS can fit into a relatively small Z-mount body and we know that Nikon’s latest AF could underpin a spiritual successor to the D500. We’ve seen no real signs of any commitment to APS-C as anything other than an entry-point to the Z-mount from Nikon, so this is probably wishful thinking.

Finally, there’s the question of whether there’s room in Nikon’s lineup for a Z7 II successor. Sony’s a7R V suggests that a slow, high-res body with top-notch focus could stand on its own merits, but it’s hard to see how you’d position it without it eating into either Z6III or Z8 sales.

Nikon x Red: What we expect:

It’s probably too soon to expect to see any products wholly designed with input or expertise from Nikon’s buyout of cinema camera maker Red. Cameras tend to take several years to develop, so it’s unlikely that we’ll see a fully-fledged product in 2025, but we think there’s every chance we’ll see the first fruits of the tie-up.

With Nikon announcing the development of a cine-focused zoom it’s not impossible that we’ll see a Red body with the Z-mount on the front. It may even have a Nikon badge on the front, depending on their marketing strategy, but we doubt it’ll be a fully integrated Nikon/Red camera just yet.

Less likely but still distinctly possible would be a new N-Log2 encoding based on input from Red. Current N-Log footage seems less flexible than other brands’ implementations, so this seems like a logical next-step, following the provision of Red-developed LUTs for N-Log footage.

Another possibility would be the ability to set exposure time in terms of shutter angle rather than shutter speed making it to more cameras in Nikon’s lineup. This is especially useful when shooting video of different frame rates, and the company recently added it to the Z9, but it’d be great to see it in smaller bodies, such as the Z8 and Z6III.

Nikon x Red: What we’d like to see:

We’d love to see Red’s Raw clipping warnings start to appear in Nikon products. In the absence of Raw-based zebras or histograms (which are difficult to visualize without making some assumptions about rendering intent), Red-style indicators of when X% of each Raw channel has clipped could be hugely valuable to photographers looking to optimize their exposure. Landscape shooters, in particular, could benefit.

Finally, we wonder whether Red’s exposure to high-end production will spur Nikon to adopt 32-bit float audio capabilities.

Also on the video side, but less directly connected to Red, we’d love to see Nikon working more closely with software makers to provide support for the N-Raw codec. Limited choice of editors significantly reduces the value of in-camera Raw capture.

OM System: What we expect

There’s no easy way to say this, but we’re just not sure if we can expect to see any major camera releases from OM System this year. Its two principle cameras, the OM-5 and the OM-1 II, were relatively minor updates to the Olympus cameras that came before, and both are still relatively recent – the former came out at the end of 2022, and the latter at the beginning of 2024.

OM System did release a roadmap last January, saying it plans to make a telephoto lens that may be somewhere around 40-150mm, but since then, we haven’t heard any additional details. It’s not clear to us the extent of OM System’s ambitions for the system, so we’ll have to wait and see.

OM System: What we’d like to see

That isn’t to say that we don’t want any new OM System products. To start, we think an updated or revived PEN-F digital could be a hit. There’s a bit of a hole in the market for truly compact ILC focused on photographers. That means a mechanical shutter, EVF and interface designed around photography. It seems like the right moment for it – the original had features that have now become en vogue, such as a physical dial for controlling color mode and a retro-inspired design.

There’s also room in our hearts for a fixed lens rangefinder – perhaps OM System could lean into the Olympus heritage and brand it as a revival of the 35RC from the 1970s. It could have the 25MP Four Thirds sensor found in the Lumix DC-G9 II, married to an F2 or brighter 17mm lens. We wouldn’t complain about 14mm either, though, and it could also have the aforementioned color dial from the PEN-F. Essentially, we’re asking for a smaller Fujifilm X100 that’s not permanently out of stock.

Finally, we wouldn’t mind seeing an update to some of OM System’s older primes, which are getting into their teenage years. The 17mm F1.8 could be a good place to start; the company could use a modern optical formula to make it sharper and lighter, and potentially even add weather resistance if it’s feeling generous… though perhaps that wouldn’t be worth it if it meant doing away with the focus clutch.

Tamron: What we expect

Late last year, Tamron shipped its first RF-mount APS-C lens after announcing it back in April 2024, the 11-20mm F2.8. We suspect it won’t be the last; the company’s 17-70mm F2.8 seems like a natural next step, given that it’d provide substantially more reach than the already-existing Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 for RF. Its 18-300mm F3.6-6.3 could also become the de-facto sports lens, given that Canon’s 55-210mm F5-7.1 is currently the farthest-reaching autofocus lens you can get for the system.

Tamron: What we’d like to see

While this seems a little less likely, we’d also love to see Tamron expand its lineup for Nikon’s Z-mount or Canon RF. It currently has 17 lenses available for full-frame E-mount cameras, compared to just 6 available for Z-mount. We’re not champing at the bit for all of those options, but how about the 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 or the ultra-versatile 28-200mm F/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD?

It’d also be thrilling if Tamron was allowed to produce autofocus zoom lenses for APS-C Z-mount, which no other third-party is currently licensed to do… but perhaps that’s too far-fetched even for this section.

Stay tuned…

That’s more than enough prediction and speculation for today, but obviously, there are still quite a few more manufacturers to cover. We’ll be back tomorrow to cover companies like Sony, Sigma, Leica and more.

In the meantime, are there any obviously likely launches you’re expecting to see, or any wished-for features and products you’re still hoping for?

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