It may not seem like there’s much separating Canon’s PowerShot V10 from a smartphone when it comes to snapping pics or shooting vids. Both feature capable cameras that you can vlog from directly. The PowerShot takes the lead with its flippable touch screen and is comfortably one of the better selfie cameras on the market thanks to its wide-angle 4K skills. It also goes toe-to-toe with flip phones that offer solo shooting thanks to its nifty built-in stand. There’s no question that the PowerShot would be handy for any vlogger but is it worth the extra pocket space?

Handy but hardly a handful

The 211g PowerShot V10 fits comfortably into your palm. It’s compact and simple to use, with a record button up front under the lens and a simple keypad under the screen. It may be a little too simple as there were numerous times we found it accidentally recording — but that got better with practice.

A small, capable compact camera can be a boon when shooting content in the field but there were times we felt that the PowerShot’s size worked against it. Users with larger hands may find difficulty handing the dinky little keys without frustration.

The flippable screen makes recording selfies or vlogs simple without compromising camera quality, as is often the case with smartphones. Touch controls give you access to playback functions, camera mode selection, and exposure and colour temperature controls.

There were times when the touch controls got in the way but thankfully you’re able to toggle them off. The onscreen buttons came in handy when we were using the built-in stand in selfie mode and couldn’t see the rear panel.

The PowerShot V10 is designed for very specific uses. That doesn’t mean you’re completely limited to those uses but we found, when placed on our desk, the angle isn’t the most gratifying. Good thing there’s a 20 UNC thread underneath which unlocks further mounting possibilities when paired with the tripod you’ve doubtless got lying around.

Small camera, big videos

The PowerShot V10 may be smaller than a phone but it records big videos — up to 4K at 30 fps if you want to max it out. For scenes with more movement, it can shoot 60 fps at FHD. The downside to shooting 4K videos in standard mode is the fact that the camera’s battery and temperature take a big hit. The light version of 4K shooting uses IPB digital compression to produce smaller videos that put less strain on the battery.

The battery life of the PowerShot V10 is its biggest weakness. We got about 65 minutes of footage on one charge, shooting in FHD. Shooting in 4K resulted in a temperature warning after about 6 minutes. After just under 20 minutes of shooting the camera shut itself down. Even shooting 4K video in light mode has the unit overheat in the same amount of time.

While the PowerShot has some very glaring shortcomings, it has features to mitigate them. After our light mode overheating session there was enough battery to continue recording once the camera cooled down. It’s also worth noting that while the battery may die quite quickly, charging it takes no longer than 25 minutes.

Swiss pocket camera

While not the main draw, stills with the PowerShot are decent enough, even though their resolution won’t exceed 5,472 x 3,648. That, together with the limited picture adjustments, tells us snapping pictures is more of a value-add than a feature.

The PowerShot’s physical 6.6mm lens is a 35mm equivalent with a 19mm focal length. Effectively it’s a wide-angle lens that’s great for capturing surroundings while vlogging. Pairing it with the flippable screen was a masterstroke for selfie shooting, helping to effectively frame your shots. That’s only for landscape mode though, portrait mode comically shrunk our subjects so we avoided it. It would be nice to have a dedicated portrait option but you can work around that with your framing.

The PowerShot V10 comes with various shooting modes to enhance video footage, namely: ‘auto’, ‘smooth skin’, ‘Movie IS’ (image stabilisation), and ‘manual’. Although we did most of our shooting in ‘auto’, ‘Movie IS’ came in handy for shots with a lot of movement. It’s no action camera but it makes a noticeable difference. ‘Smooth skin’ would probably be useful for beauty vloggers while we found the manual mode useful in low-light conditions as you’re able to manually set exposure, ISO, and aperture to your liking.

Beyond shooting modes, the PowerShot V10 offers other ways to enhance footage with the Q button. That includes resolution and framerate selection and switching between facial recognition, autofocus, and specific frame focus. You’ll need to adjust the former when filming fast-moving scenes while the latter makes changing from handheld to hands-free a breeze.

14 preset colour filters and a colour tone slider make up the colour temperature control while white balance settings are found in the camera menu. There is 3x digital zoom, which we don’t recommend, but we appreciated the ability to do some basic video trimming in the gallery.

Mainstream app

The most noteworthy part of the PowerShot’s connectivity feature is its live streaming. This is done directly to a YouTube or Twitch channel, a Facebook page, or a direct streaming URL. Unfortunately, it only supports FHD at 30 fps but there is a choice between 3.5 and 6 Mbps upload speed. Beyond that, the camera remote works the way most camera apps do.

Shooting with the BT remote provides all the controls found on the touch screen and a view of what the camera sees. The only added benefit is the ability to adjust the white balance without having to go to the PowerShot’s menu. Importing works the same way a printer would by transferring the files through a shared Wi-Fi network. Bluetooth transfer is also an option but it’s slower.

Canon V10 PowerShot verdict

Canon’s PowerShot V10 is a camera with a clear purpose — being the best option for a vlogger on the go. The flippable screen and wide-angle lens make framing yourself effortless and almost justify the purchase alone. Its compact size and weight make it super easy to pull out on a scenic hike, pumping concert, or family gathering and its built-in stand means a tripod isn’t strictly required for stationary shots.

On the other hand, while the PowerShot V10 gives you the option of shooting in 4K you won’t get very far before you’re hit with a temperature warning or run out of battery.

The PowerShot V10 comes in at just under R10,000 so purchasing a smartphone for roughly the same price would probably be better value for most people. But most people aren’t vloggers and don’t need to shoot videos of themselves while simultaneously playing a mobile game, reading their stream’s live chat, and trying not to get hit by traffic.

Honestly, it’s in action so often that it barely has time to cool down. It’s a good thing that the retro stylings of Fuji’s snapper were very cool to begin with.  It bloody better be. Any camera that starts at more than R27,000 has some justifying to do if you’re expected to opt for that figure over something that costs ten grand or less. Happily, you get more than you paid for here.

Metal head

Fuji has done a few interesting things with its camera designs of late, chief of which is stripping back the number of manual controls in some models. That’s not the case with this compact system camera, for which we’re extremely grateful. A full set of knobs and dials within easy reach of questing fingers while you stare down the OLED electronic viewfinder.

You can perform the same task while lining up your shots from odd angles thanks to the 3in touchscreen. Fuji has opted for a three-axis design, making it better suited for stills rather than video. The Fuji X-T4 used a vari-angle screen that positioned it on vloggers’ radars but it turns out that more actual photographers like Fuji’s X-T lineup. Hence the return to what worked before.

The camera’s compact metal body, suitably armoured in a grippy rubber, is assuringly solid. Fuji’s gone and weatherproofed the thing, giving you options when it comes to inclement weather, but you’re likely to be using the X-T5 in less trying settings than a monsoon or blizzard.

Shooting range

There’s a 40.2MP sensor and one of Fuji’s X-Processor 5 image processors inside the X-T5. That might sound like a familiar setup but that’s just because the Fujifilm X-H2 uses identical internal hardware. If you’re a video fanatic and don’t have the tactile need to twiddle real knobs, you could opt for that setup instead. It swaps out the Fujifilm X-T5’s physical dials for more ephemeral controls and a larger buffer. The X-T5 is much more concerned with stills, with its dual SD card slots optimised for RAW bursts of up to 19 shots.

Plenty is possible without cracking the camera open, either. If you lack a second battery — and you might well get away with that, since it’ll outlast about 700 frames in the more basic shooting modes — you’re able to top up the battery with a USB-C cable and a decent battery booster of the sort most South Africans now own. See, load shedding hasn’t been completely useless.

There’s a mini-HDMI alongside the USB-C charge port, which has numerous uses. These include a video passthrough mode that allows you to use the Fujifilm X-T5 as a very expensive webcam. Maybe you’re a frequent remote guest on a TV show or are a seriously stripped-down YouTube creator. Using that 40.2MP sensor to look your best on your platform is a sensible idea, from a business perspective.

Stay still

As mentioned several times so far, performance has been optimised for still photography. You’ll still squeeze some excellent video from the Fujifilm X-T5 but you’ll have to be content with a maximum of 6K footage. If you’re keen on a minimum of 60fps, 4K is the X-T5’s limit. For 8K video, the X-H2 is your guy. This fellow is more concerned with capturing single slices of time in as artistic a manner as you’re capable of.

To that end, users have access to mechanical bursts of up to fifteen shots per second or up to twenty if they’re using the electronic shutter. Autofocus is speedy enough to keep up when tracking your object at that speed and there are plenty of internal smarts that offer focus options for various common objects. The only drawback there is that you’ll have to preselect your target. It won’t switch from animals to aircraft unless you tell it to. That speaks to the manual elements of photography that Fuji is favouring here.

Shots are almost uniformly excellent. The high megapixel count provides editing headroom while inbuilt image stabilization and dynamic range offer clear, detailed images regardless of when or where you’re shooting. Colour reproduction is vibrant and noise is kept to a minimum. There’s obviously a limit to this latter point but you’ll be surprised at how long it takes to get to that point.

Fujifilm X-T5 verdict

Speedy, accurate autofocus, a range of features including built-in filters, in case you want to use your R30,000 CSC like Instagram’s in-app camera, and an emphasis on really attractive still shots are the main highlights of the Fujifilm X-T5. It’s no one-trick pony, however, since it’ll handle video just fine unless you’re feeling especially demanding. For the average-to-advanced photographer, Fuji’s camera is all that’s required for most uses.

You’ll get better results from something like the Fujifilm GFX 100 II but if you’re qualified to use that thing, you’ll probably squeeze some amazing shots out of the X-T5 as well. Anyone willing to learn and then later exploit the details controls that Fujifilm is placing under their fingers will find themselves producing shots and even video beyond what was possible for them before. Of course, if you’ve used one of the X-T series from the company before, you already know this.

Pretty in Mint Green

Instax’s Mini 12 is hardly revolutionizing the not-so-retro instant-film camera space. We’d forgive you for mistaking Instax’s twelfth generation for its Mini 11 at a glance. It’s only when you start digging deeper that you’ll notice the differences. Like the more refined and rounded design that makes for a prettier camera on paper but adds a level of slipperiness that creates an altogether more anxiety-inducing affair than we’d have liked.

We get it. Fujifilm is trying to make this thing more appealing to the younger generation, and a bubblier design might do that. Still, we’d have liked at least a bit of rubber to grip onto here and there, even if it does disrupt the flow Fujifilm is going for. It’s not all bad, though. Each box includes a colour-matching strap. Use it. Wii owners will best understand why.

On that, our review model rocked up sporting a Mint Green hue, though Blossom Pink, Clay White, Lilac Purple and Pastel Blue are also on offer.

Not all the changes are at the cost of the user, however. The biggest (and best) change has nothing to do with looks, and everything to do with functionality. Fujifilm’s removed the physical on/off button that’s caused much ado, and replaced it with a twisty lens that sits on the front of the camera’s face. It’ll also let you fiddle with the camera’s one other shooting mode, but more on that later.

Light on features, heavy on vibes

You won’t struggle to get the Mini 12 set up and going, whatever your affinity towards cameras. Fujifilm is marketing this thing towards younger adults and teenagers. That also means it’s not exactly packed with features, though the Mini 12 has got a few more to streamline the process. One of those is the already mentioned twist-lens, which doubles as the on/off switch and the close-up feature that’s carried over from the Mini 11.

That twisty lens is probably our favourite addition to the line-up. When the lens is closed, the device is off. Twist it once and the device will power on in the standard mode that you’re most likely to use. Twist it again and it’ll switch to taking 11.8-inch (0.3m) close-ups instead of the standard 19.7-inch (0.5m) shots. We won’t pretend we figured it out instantly. We had to peek at the manual to get ourselves moving in the right direction.

Another addition is parallax correction, Fujifilm’s answer to the complaints of previous models that massively helps out the viewfinder’s accuracy to better match what you’ll see printed. It’s a small but effective change we’re surprised took as long as it did to show up.

Flash is still a must-have, as in, you don’t get a choice. As one of the bigger complaints from the Mini 11, it’s nice to see Fujifilm has partially addressed it by adding auto flash exposure. You won’t get rid of the flash entirely, but it’ll adjust the intensity depending on what the camera sees in its 0.3m to 2.7m range. An improvement, but it’s a decision we’re hoping is down to the user and not Instax by the time the Mini 13 rolls around.

Over Exposed

Otherwise, not much has changed. The Mini 12 still sports the same 60mm f/12.7 lens you’d find in the Mini 11, and a close-up mode that’ll reduce the focus from 0.5m to 0.3m. Shutter speeds are carried over, ranging between 0.5 and 1/250 seconds along with a set ISO-equivalent of 800.

That’s always been a problem with Instax’s lineup. If you’re an owner of an older model, you’ll already be familiar with the Mini’s aversion to sunlight. Although you do get some great night or indoor shots, which is where the Mini 12 shines. You’ll still have to know what you’re doing, as the whole Instax gimmick is a lack of trial and error. Unless you’re loaded and don’t mind the nearly R300 price tag for a twenty-pack of film, of course. We do, so we wanted to get our shots right the first time.

Fortunately, thanks to the addition of parallax correction, and the auto flash exposure that mostly did its job well (apart from a few hiccups on our end), that was the case for most of our prints. Those will take around 90 seconds to develop so be patient.

The App

If you thought this was going to be a purely analogue affair, think again. Fujifilm’s gone and included a mobile app available on iOS and Android known as Instax Up! Its purpose? To turn those rather expensive pieces of film into digital media. It works by “scanning” (also known as photographing) your physical print, uploading them to the app and allowing for some basic customization like cropping, removing reflections or colour corrections.

Personally? We used the app to make sure it worked – it does – but that’s as far as we went. At that point, we’d be better off using our smartphone camera to take a better image that’s instantly shareable without having to spend thousands on film packs. Not that we were completely averse to it – we can appreciate its uses, and it’s an entirely optional experience. If it’s your thing, you might be more willing to try out one of Instax’s printers that cost a little less and remove the whole camera bit from the equation.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 verdict

For a device that’s going to be the trendy instant film camera for the next three years, we don’t have much to complain about. Apart from the slight changes to the design that make it more of a pain to hold, we’re mostly happy with the changes Fujifilm has put out this year. We’d have preferred manual flash control, but auto flash exposure is a decent compromise when coupled with a more accurate viewfinder.

It’s worth noting the price – coming in at R1,350 – roughly R150 more than the Mini 11 launch. Is it worth the extra cheddar? Yes, especially if you’re a newcomer to the market. If you’re already rocking a Mini 11 however, it might be worth waiting ‘til the Mini 13 hits shelves.

This is only really a beginner’s camera in the sense that it’s less intimidating than Fuji’s really high-end kit. The pricing difference between this and the company’s X-T4 (and even the T5) isn’t large at all, though you’ll probably forgo a lens to spend the same amount of money. But you don’t have to, especially if you’re just getting into the game and are looking for something versatile.

Has the body for it

Fuji’s X-S20 sports a similar look to the X-S10, the lineup’s immediate predecessor. It’s recognisably Fujifilm’s handiwork. The black textured body and right-hand grip section are common across most of the brand’s cameras. There are just enough knobs and dials to make users feel like they’re using a ‘proper’ camera but not so many that they just stick the X-S20 into ‘Auto’ and leave it there. That’s for poseurs.

An optical viewfinder dominates the top strip but newer-school snappers also have a 3in flip-out LCD screen to play with that allows for some interesting angles. It also allows for vlogging, which is one market Fuji’s after with this camera. In fact, there’s almost no target audience left untouched here. Even serious pros will want to check this out. You don’t always need all of the manual controls to have fun with a camera, after all.

Fuji’s X-mount lenses are all compatible here but you’ll probably find yourself wielding the included 18-55mm kit lens until you get used to throwing the X-S20 around. After that, you can look at macro, pancake, and zoom options. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Just keeps going…

Of the claims Fuji makes about this camera, the hardest to believe might be that the company has doubled the battery life over the X-S10. As it happens, that’s completely correct. The X-S20 has cribbed the X-T5’s battery to dramatically increase your still-shot uptime. It’s still possible to punish it while shooting video — you can run down the entire battery in just under an hour-thirty if you’re shooting 6.2K video. Since this is the first Fuji to launch with a dedicated vlogging mode, that’s just what the company expects you to do. Handily, the battery can be topped up via an in-body USB-C charge port.

But if video is on your mind, the X-S20 does have a few points to keep in mind. Concessions have been made for external mics — there’s a headphone port on one side and a mic port on the other. The hot shoe up top lets you stack some more advanced accessories for a better overall end-product but there’s only a single UHS-II SD card slot to play with. We told you this is aimed at the most casual user, didn’t we?

Another familiar face

Internally, there are aspects of this camera available elsewhere. The 26.1MP X-Trans 4 sensor is the same one seen in previous Fuji cameras, including the outgoing X-S10. If you’re upgrading from the previous model, it’s worth asking if you need the improved battery and vlogging mode that much. It’s still worth making the switch, though. The X-Processor 5 engine is new and promises to perform better for users in most circumstances. It’s that whole ‘video is king’ ethos rearing its head again.

The Fujifilm X-S20 is capable of eight frames per second if you’re shooting mechanically but that ramps up to 30fps if you let the digital shutter take over (and cut down the sensor size a little). Autofocus is great, particularly with human subjects, and Fuji’s eye-tracking tech is particularly noteworthy. When it comes to stills, the X-S20 is as brilliant as the lineup ever is. Shooting in JPG+RAW gives options for post-processing as well as instant gratification while switching everything over to Auto lets the camera take over and apply the film simulation effect it thinks works best for your shot.

But it’s video performance that Fuji really wants to wow users with. Shooting with 10-bit 4:2:2, ProRes, or Blackmagic RAW are all options, if you output via HDMI to a recorder. For video content, that’s a boon. As mentioned, it’ll record up to 6.2K (but kiss your battery goodbye), but only at 30fps. Step down to 4K and you can have 60fps. Drop it lower, to HD, and you can ramp that up to 240fps. After that, your video depends on framing and imagination. There’s not much more the camera can do to help with that.

Fujifilm X-S20 verdict

The Fujifilm X-S20 is an excellent update of the X-S10. It’s got what it takes to make stills and video photographers very happy, though the video types are getting the better part of this deal. The only real issue is its positioning. The X-S20 is angled at the more casual user, with those looking to take photography (at however many frames per second) more seriously firmly in the company’s sights. But that R28,700 price, even if it includes a kit lens, might be hard for newbies to swallow. Still, if you’re looking at making a move in the content creator space and have the post-processing skills to back it up, this is something you should include in your photography arsenal.

What nobody tells you where you look at one of these in a store is how hard it is to design a portable photo printer that stands out from other portable photo printers. Fuji has tried here and it’s managed to do something a little unique. But sadly, the new feature is easily copied and even easily included in older versions of the hardware. That doesn’t exactly make the Instax Square Link a compelling buy.

Solid as ever

The design of the Instax Square Link has loads in common with the other devices in the series. As with most tech, there isn’t really much room for flamboyancy. Every smartphone looks like a smartphone. And every portable photo printer looks like… well… this. It’s a sturdy plastic rectangle, with a single physical button front and centre. That button is used to power on and set it up for connection to the mobile app.

Up top is the slot where your images slide out and the rear panel is a massive door for loading in your photo packs. There’s no other way to interact with it, save by charging. Here is where the one design change is present. Fuji’s included a USB-C port for charging, so now you can have it back up to full even faster than ever. Since it’ll print about 100 images on a charge, that’s a lot of consumable spend flowing into the company’s coffers. But you’re not supposed to think about it in those terms.

Nothing (really) new

In operation, Fuji’s Instax Square Link operates almost entirely the same way as the other products in the lineup do. It’s an instant camera without the camera. You’ll spend time picking the best images on your camera roll and wirelessly sending them for printing, ensuring that every shot is perfect. Or maybe you’re weird and will print the blurred images that you wouldn’t post online. You know, for the authenticity. Hipsters gotta hipster, but the main draw here is that every one of your fridge photos will look as perfect as instant film can make it.

As such, you’re more concerned with the app than the actual hardware. Fuji’s got the hardware locked up. The popularity of the brand’s Instax cameras alone proves that. The app for using its portable photo printer, though, looks like every bit of photo editing software released since about 1994. You know the type. Overly simplistic menus, large and obvious iconography, and ease-of-use aimed at the lowest common denominator. Whatever that is. Setting up and printing images, whether you’re editing, adding graphics or text, or making tiny collages and printing those, is as easy as it gets. Even if it’s not exactly slick.

Reality sets in

There’s one brand new feature, enabled by the Instax Square Link’s software — meaning this ‘feature’ can also be applied retroactively. If only it was worth getting excited over. Augmented reality (AR) would seem like the ideal addition to an instant photo but Fuji’s execution is a bit lacking.

It works like this — you can assign various AR effects to your image, which is then printed out with a tiny little QR code on it. Rather than simply letting users access the digital version of the image (which is hosted by Fuji until it decides not to do that any more) with a simple scan, anyone trying out this fancy new feature has to download the same app used to create said fancy image.

The photo itself isn’t anything remarkable. The AR feature is just a link to open a tweaked version of it in a mobile app that you aren’t going to need otherwise. It feels like an addition dropped in to justify another product rather than something that’s actually useful. It lets you put the term ‘augmented reality’ on the box, after all…

Fujifilm Instax Square Link verdict

Fuji’s compact printer tries something new but it suffers from the same drawbacks as the other models in the series — it’s very expensive for what you’re getting, it relies entirely on similarly pricey film packs to function, and you’ll spend about as much on film as you did on the printer itself before you run the fully-charged battery down the first time.

It’s a money pit. A potentially awesome one, depending on how you use it, but you’ll need a serious taste for retro in order to stick this product in your home-based Pile’o’Tech. At R2,500 — the Instax Square Link’s current price and down from the R2,900 RRP — you could just snag the Instax Square SQ1 kit and experience instant photography the way it was always supposed to be. Rough, dirty, and just a little bit more fun.

We’ve been expecting the Mini Link 2 to turn up since July this year. It’s finally come (and since gone from the Stuff offices). Here’s what we found out about it, over the course of some twenty instant photographs.

Magic box

The Instax Mini Link 2 is, obviously, the second in the series. This portable photo printer comes out of the box as a single unit. There’s nothing needed for setup beyond unwrapping and sticking a film cartridge in the back. It uses Instax Mini film packs, which start at about R160 for ten images.

The printer also includes a rechargeable battery, a couple of physical buttons, and an ejection slot. That’s where the pictures come out. There’s little else to see in the plastic rectangle because all of the working parts are on the inside. You’ll hear the motors whirring as it spits out your image but, mostly, the Link 2 talks to your smartphone via an app. Its functions are more or less invisible.

The same old problems

There are a few issues with the Instax Mini Link 2. The printer is about as expensive as an Instax camera but without the charm. Part of the fun of instant photos is the spontaneity of snapping and developing a photo. That’s lost here. You can fake it using the app to select your most natural shots but the temptation to touch up reality detracts from the charm of on-the-spot images.

Then there’s the battery. Fuji reckons it’ll manage about 100 images on a charge. We only had twenty images to work with. That chewed up about a quarter of the battery, so we’d estimate it’s closer to 80 images per charge. That’s… roughly R1,300 in photos, given that the average pack of ten costs about R160. We’re not sure about you, but spending R1.3k every time we charge a device isn’t our idea of fun.

Making printers fun? 

Fuji tries its damnedest to make the Instax Mini Link 2 a fun experience. Mostly it falls flat, but it tries. The app is exactly what you’d expect from a photo printing application. The style hasn’t changed much since the early 2000s, when your computer-obsessed relative only had two programs installed — some Canon printing software and The Sims. That said, it’s easy to use. Images can be selected from the gallery, tweaked as needed, have a filter slapped on, and then printed. You can even swipe your completed design up for a more tactile experience.

Speaking of tactile, Fuji’s gone and added motion controls to the Link 2. Print a picture, rotate the printer, and tap the power button and it’ll reprint your last photo. Or you can just print two in the app.

Fuji’s also added a new Rich Mode, which offers up brighter colours. You might prefer the washed-out look of instant film, but the option for something a little more natural is there. You can also go zany. There’s a so-called ‘Fun Mode’, which gives you wackier options for laying out and decorating your images. It’s activated by changing the position of the printer itself. There’s a chime when you do so and then all the colours change…

Something unnatural is the addition of two new modes. There’s Instax Camera, which lets you control your smartphone camera’s zoom with the printer, for instance. It’s… look, it’s a feature that exists. Use it, don’t use it. Actually, just the second one.

Then there’s Instax Air, which is a neat addition. Kinda. The Instax Mini Link 2 can be used as an air gesture device to draw on your photo in the app. It’s one way to custom-create a filter. A batch of preset options, stickers, and other bits may be combined to make an image your own. We’re not really sure who would find this amusing. It’s not us, but maybe the younger crowd will find it entertaining.

Instax Mini Link 2 verdict

If you’re still using a standard Mini Link or the Link Wide, there’s not much call for an upgrade. If you don’t own one and can stand the expense, the Mini Link 2 is a neat addition to a party or outing where you want everyone to have a souvenir. Particularly one that doesn’t have any flaws. If you want reality, buy a (basic) Instax camera.

The gesture and other features are certainly parts of this product, but they’re not really high on the list of selling points. Using the printer to control the zoom level of the camera, printing using gestures, or using a bulky plastic box as a paintbrush are all things you can do. We’re just not entirely sure why you’d want to do them. Still, it’s a small printer that spits out instant photos. If you’ve got R2,000 for the printer and then another R1,300 on hand for every charge, it’s actually not a bad purchase. Just an expensive one.

Tech Specs

Supported image formats: JPEG, PNG, HEIF, DNG
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2 (BLE)
Charging: MicroUSB
Images (pack): 10
Charge time: up to 2 hours
Prints on a charge: 100 (approx.)

A boring box

The Instax Link Wide is, in a nutshell, an instant camera that’s missing the camera bit. Another way to describe it is as a very specialised Bluetooth printer. But that doesn’t sound nearly as sexy, does it? The Link Wide isn’t really a sexy device though. It’s just a blocky white rectangle, with a slot for prints to slide out of, and a charge port in the base.

That’s… about it. It looks like a particularly boring Discman knockoff — one without the contoured edges Sony favoured back in the day. The plastic casing is marked by broad textures, mostly to ensure it doesn’t slip, and there’s also a strap attached, in case you need even more security.

Bigger on the inside

But the Instax Link Wide is all about what comes out of it, and you’re going to handle the bulk of that. Like we said, it’s a plain old picture printer. It loads Instax Wide film (20 sheets will run you about R250). That, plus a Bluetooth connection, and you’ve got yourself the perfect instant camera. That is; one that isn’t instant at all.

See, the charm of an instant camera is that you get what you get. The moments captured tend to look and feel real as a result. There’s just no going back and doing it again. But sometimes you want the feel of immediacy but none of the faulty shots. After all, it comes down to about R12.50 a picture here. Who wants to waste that on an out-of-focus shot of beach sand because they tripped while holding the camera?

So what you do is send your best and brightest, via the Instax Wide app, to the printer. You lose some of the reality, but the past two years have proved that reality was always a little overrated. So that’s fine.

Designs on something good

The app is a glorified print centre. It’s a decent place to scroll through your images and find the ones you’d like to stick on the fridge, but the interface is a little stodgy. Still, it gets the job done. Especially if you’re not especially interested in making alterations. Even then, there are some basic filter options to play with prior to swiping the print button. After that, it’s a case of waiting out the print and then the gradual development.

There are a few other options to be found in the app as well. You can create collages by picking an image template and dragging your chosen images into the empty blocks. This works well enough, but the 62 x 99mm don’t leave you a lot of space to work with. Of slightly more interest are additions to the image. There’s a simple design suit in the app that might get some use if you’re fond of kitsch. Otherwise, it’s more likely that you’ll play with a few of the templates and then never bother with that section ever again. Or maybe we just have no poetry in our souls, who knows.

Fujifilm Instax Link Wide Verdict

Fuji’s Instax Link Wide is little more than a glorified portable printer and yes, it’s going to cost more money to use than it will to buy. The printer is about R2,000 (depending on where you buy it). Printing 100 images — which is a single charge of its battery — will cost around R2,500. It’s… a speciality item then, but one that you’ll probably appreciate having around if you’re fond of that retro Polaroid look when it comes to decorating your home. Your snaps will only be as real as you want them to be, which is just what everyone seems to want in a world dominated by social media. Might as well make your physical media follow suit.

Tech Specs

Supported image formats: JPEG, PNG, HEIF, DNG
Print time: 12 seconds (approx.)
Images (pack): 10
Charge time: up to 2 hours
Prints on a charge: 100 (approx.)

The One R is a versatile piece of camera hardware that serves up excellent software, fantastic image stabilisation and up to three modules (you’ll pay more for the privilege of owning them) that really level up the idea of versatility of these cameras feature.  But, just like how every tablet is an iPad, your folks will probably still end up calling it a GoPro.

A modular device that works

There’s a very specific design for the Insta360 One R — the camera is divided into three sections — a core (which has the touch display, memory card slot and USB-C charge port), a camera module (this is where your three options come in) and then the battery base. These all connect to each other and make up the One R.

No matter which of the available modes you own, the One R is a lightweight little pocket-wonder that’ll all but disappear when you’re lugging it around. There’s a cage and mount adapter included in the box, so you can use GoPro mounts and harnesses, should you already have some gear lying around. If you’re feeling froggy, you can also purchase an additional adaptor that will let you connect the camera to a DJI Mavic 2 or Mavic Pro drone.

It’s a sturdy little creature, waterproof up to five metres and resistant to impact. Two of its camera modules include built-in lens covers while the third is supplied with a lens cover. There’s also a transparent cover that does the same, but it messes with image quality a little too much for our liking.

Jack of all trades

The Insta360 One R’s got a massive list of features, so much so that you’ll wonder where to start. The company leverages a lot of AI, basically asking you to follow certain parameters so that it can make you look as good as possible. The software tries to take as much out of your hands as you’d like it to. Either you follow the instructions or you know what you’re doing. Either way, footage looks good.

But there’s also voice control, 5G WiFi (which works to link the camera to your phone and the app), a microSD slot (that supports up to 256GB cards) and USB-C for charging and image transfer (if you’re a fan of the wires). The included battery lasts about an hour at max resolution before conking out — but you can always just clip on a spare battery and just keep on filming.

The three musketeers

And you’ll want to keep filming. There are three camera modules — either a 4K wide-angle which makes up the very base model, a dual-lens 360° camera (known as the Twin Edition) and there’s also a Leica-made 1in wide-angle sensor that’ll give you some impressive video in low-light settings. All of them are locally available but not as a bundle. Buy the 4K standard model and you’ll spend an extra R12,100 buying the 360 and 1in Leica lens mods.

There are a range of resolutions and frame rates available, depending on which mod you’re using. You can go up to 5.7K for the 360-cam (which is normal for video shot in all directions and isn’t as high-res as it sounds.) You can get the 360-cam to 100fps, but will need to drop resolution to attain that target.

The 4K camera looks sharper overall, because it’s not trying to look everywhere at once. Its frame-rate maxes out at 200fps, but you’ll also need a lower resolution to hit that upper limit. Image stabilisation is excellent and auto-stitching for the 360° module is also competent — provided your target isn’t too close to the lens, after which it gets wonky. If you’re using a stick to wave your camera about, it’ll remove the prop and give you video with little effort on your part. Just show it what you want to film, really.

What a looker

Image quality is decent — it doesn’t quite jump the fence to being mind-blowing — which is what we’d expect from an action-cam (before we run the footage through post-processing.) There are HDR and Night modes to play with, if you’re looking for new ways to use your modular hardware, which add in their own processing during filming to improve your results in those conditions.

Each of Insta360’s modules has their place, with the 1in Leica module (obviously)  providing the best image quality. But for standard action footage the 4K module is plenty and you’ll be well-impressed with the capability of the 360° module as well (even if image quality takes a bit of a dip. You’ll find that images can be edited the way you like, with RAW stills and flat video logs being a feature. 

Insta360 One R Verdict

The Insta360 One R starts, here in South Africa, at around R7,600 for the base model of the camera, but with pricier versions to explore and several mods and extras to add to your shopping cart, owning one could get mighty expensive. As such, it’ll keep you busy for absolutely ages.

It’s hugely versatile, extremely easy to use and the parent company is constantly working on improvements to its app and device firmware. You’re buying into an evolving product lineup, which could be a good thing. It could also be terrible but we’ve seen no evidence of that here. A One R will get you recording action footage for less than the price of a top-end GoPro and choosing to expand your investment will just improve what you’re able to capture. Is it a GoPro? Nah. But it’s mighty close to one, and it’s an essential if you’re after 360° footage.

Full-frame sensors are large, which makes the A7 series cameras some of the chunkiest you can get. Enter the A7C, Sony’s littlest mirrorless to date. It’s officially the smallest and lightest interchangeable lens full-frame camera on the market. Despite its trim dimensions, it aims to deliver the same premium performance and features as other models in the range. Let’s see if it actually does.

Not cutting corners

It’s got a full-frame sensor, but that doesn’t mean its sizeable. It’s actually closer to the size of Sony’s crop sensor APS-C models like the A6000. Think the compact rangefinder-style body of the A6000, rather than the chunky miniature DSLR-style shape of previous A7 models.

You also don’t lose too many of the flagship features from the A7 range. Here you’ve still got weather-sealing, in-body image stabilisation, a vari-angle LCD touchscreen and an OLED viewfinder. That said, the viewfinder is a lot smaller than those on older, larger A7 cameras, and while it does its job well enough it’s less pleasing to use.

The screen, however, is able to swing sideways around to face fully forward just like the display on the A7S III. That makes it ideal for self-shooting and, along with the camera’s low weight, this is arguably Sony’s best full-frame lens-swapper for vloggers.

The A7C comes with a multi-interface hot-shoe up top for flashes and other attachments (including all-digital microphones), plus a decent connection selection. Video makers might have appreciated an HDMI output, but they do get both mic and headphone sockets, while the USB-C port can handle both fast data transfer and battery charging duties. There’s a single SD card socket rather than the dual setup you’d find on the A7S III.

Focus, fast!

With 10fps continuous shooting and Sony’s fast, accurate autofocus system onboard, the A7C is quite the speed demon. You can rattle off shots at a nice brisk pace, while the AF’s tracking and uncanny ability to focus on what you want it to means that capturing elusive or fast-moving subjects is relatively painless.

The AF system has excellent eye- and face-tracking, which works really well for video too: you can wander back and forth within the frame and the A7C will keep your face in focus the whole time. Oh, and it works for animals’ eyes as well as human peepers.

The in-body 5-axis image stabilisation gives you plenty of leeway when shooting handheld or in difficult conditions, but the A7C also comes with a built-in gyroscope which embeds motion metadata in image files. In post-production, Sony’s Catalyst Browse desktop software can use this data to automatically stabilise videos. This method isn’t perfect (it requires at least a slight crop to the frame, and that you turn off in-body stabilisation before recording) but it’s extremely effective, particularly when it comes to compensating for the jerky motion that arises from walking. It’s almost as impactful as using a gimbal, without all the fuss and fiddliness that actually using a gimbal entails, and vloggers, in particular, will adore it.

The A7C’s battery life is also a strong point. It uses the newer Sony battery design (the same as seen on the A7S III), which gives it a big chunk of power to feed on. Sony claims you can record over well 200 minutes of video on a single charge, or take over 700 photos. That’s best-in-class level – and our field testing suggests it’s broadly accurate.

One thing that disappoints is the menu system. The A7S III, which arrived earlier this year, had a fully redesigned UI that made the on-screen menus much easier to navigate; Sony hasn’t used that design here, instead of sticking with the older, labyrinthine system. It’s not particularly intuitive and sometimes finding an option takes too long, and we’re a little confused why Sony made this choice.

Post-production for the win

We’ve put together a couple of sample videos (one in 1080p at 120fps, one in 4K at 24fps) to illustrate what you can achieve straight out of the camera, but it also offers various picture profile modes like S-Log2, S-Log3, Cinema and Hybrid Log-Gamma that will appeal to videographers who want to grade and tweak footage in post-production.

After using the A7S III, with its ability to record in 4K at up to 120fps, the A7C’s 30fps limit for UHD material feels restrictive – but then again the A7S III costs twice as much as the A7C, so perhaps we’re just being unreasonable. For most, 30fps for 4K will feel fine.

Sony A7C Final Verdict

Who would’ve thought that putting a full-frame sensor in a smaller body could evolve to this point. It’s definitely one of Sony’s strengths in the A7 range, and it’s blown our minds with the newest entry.

For photographers and video makers who want a compact body with the interchangeable lens option on a mirrorless, the A7C is the perfect companion coming in at R35,000. It isn’t a budget model by any means, but despite its small size this isn’t a starter model – it’s an enthusiast camera, capable of producing stunning photos and videos.

Design and Screen

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of the Hero 9 Black, let’s take a second to admire and analyse it’s outward appearance. Actually, before we do even that, let’s talk about the package for the Hero 9 Black. Gone is the hard plastic container that made transporting the previous GoPros a little to clunky and instead we’re given a fabric zip pouch, a solid change that makes the camera even more portable. Better yet, it even has place for accessories and mounts. What more could you ask for?

Okay but now let’s talk about the actual camera. The Hero 9 Black has a front screen, presumably for vloggers, and around the back you’ll find a touchscreen that measures in at 1.95″, the biggest of any GoPro to date. It’s a beefy screen that’s easy to read even in direct sunlight…even if it’s a tad unresponsive at times.

The whole device is only slightly larger than last year’s Hero 8 Black at 71mm wide, 33.6 deep and only weighing 158g. Problem with that is that old accessories won’t work or fit with the Hero 9 Black, a fact that feels very… Apple.

Photo and Video

Yeah look, the Hero 9 Black is wildly impressive. Frankly, we’re shocked at the kind of quality this little block of a camera is able to push out. The 23.6MP resolution sensor allows the Hero 9 Black to shoot in 5K quality, easily surpassing what you’d see in most top-of-the-range smartphones and DSLRs. The video quality supports an improved dynamic range in most shots, creating images that looke sharper than you’d expect. Of course, capturing that kind of content causes the device to become very warm to the point where “overheated” just feels generous. That’s what mounts are for, right?

What about new features? Well, the Hero 9 Black comes with Linear Horizon Leveling which takes those janky panorama shots and smooths them out so it looks like a human hand wasn’t constantly shaking as it turned. Oh, and HyperSmooth makes an expected (yet always welcome) return, ensuring your footage’s stability resembles that of a gimble-assisted camera.

Oh, and my personal favourite feature: Hindsight. Selecting this option dials the Hero 9 Black back in time for five seconds to begin capturing before you even hit the record button. Of course, this depends entirely on the camera being on in the first place but come on, that’s so cool.

If you’re looking at snapping some stills, the Hero 9 Black is able to deliver photos captured at 20MP in a variety of different modes, including HDR, RAW and so-called Super Photos. Just make sure you’re lighting is good enough because despite the Night Mode, middling lighting just doesn’t turn out well.

Battery

Like everything else about the Hero 9 Black, the battery has been substantially improved. Upgraded from a 1220mAh to 1720mAh battery, the Hero 9 Black is able to film in 1080p for upwards of two hours and ten minutes and capture in 5K for 30 minutes. Come on, it’s 5K. You can’t expect a feature length movie out of that.

Connections

What would a GoPro be without an assortment of accessories to choose from? Swappable lenses are an option now but you’ll need to fork out a little extra cash to make use of them. While the GoPro Hero 9 Black does come stocked with a surprisingly wide-angle lense, you’ll need to pay extra for the Max Lens Mod which shoots a 155˚ FOV at up to 2.7K resolution (60fps).

You can also connect the Hero 9 Black up to your PC or laptop via the USB-C connection, you’ll be able to live stream in 1080p, a feature that’s very handy if you’re running a video game streaming channel (Shameless StuffPlays plug).

Verdict

What can we say, you already knew that the GoPro Hero 9 Black was going to be one of best action cameras on the market. With it’s bulkier battery, dual screens and suite of impressive software features, the Hero 9 Black is a camera that we could recommend to anyone from biking enthusiasts looking to capture footage of their latest trail or nerds walking around a convention wanting to capture footage of the weirdos cosplaying as Deadpool. It’s a tremendous camera, proving that GoPro still knows exactly what it’s doing.