Fitness
Best New Cameras to Elevate Your Photography
The advent of digital photography was a game changer for people interested in taking sweet snaps but didn’t want the hassle of film. It provides instant gratification: You can see what you just shot and edit the photo on the camera’s screen. No dropping off rolls at the photo lab and waiting to see what you captured. Now though, with smartphone cameras surpassing what some of the best digital standalone can do, not many folks even have a camera.
But for those interested in taking higher-quality photos, or just want that old-school photography experience, there are still a wide range of new cameras that will inspire and amaze. From retro cameras made from plastic that take funky shots to technical, modern marvels dedicated to massive panoramas, there’s something for the shutterbug in all of us.
1. Lomography Diana F+ Camera and Flash
You can’t get much more retro-fantastic than this kitschy plastic throwback from Lomography. The Diana F+ (shown here in 10th-anniversary trim) is a recreation of an iconic medium-format camera from the ’60s. It has two shutter speeds (daytime and long exposures), comes with color-gel filters, has a pinhole option, and uses 120 film.
[From $89; lomography.com]
2. Chroma Six:9 Medium Format Camera System
The Chroma Six:9 is here to remind you how simple a film camera really is. Basically a high-quality, medium format shell, it’s available with a variety of magnetic bases to match 14 lenses, from 0.4mm pinhole to 135mm telephoto. Two cold shoe mounts, tripod plate, and bubble level are included.
[From $385; chroma.camera]
3. Leica M11
Anyone into photography respects Leica, which has upped the bar again with the M11, a reimagined range finder that blends in new tech seamlessly. At its heart is a superb sensor that can handle 18, 36, or 60 megapixels, along with delivering a sensitivity range from ISO 64 to 50,000.
[$8,995; leicacamerausa.com]
4. Kodak Mini Shot 3 Retro Instant Camera
Digital smartphone camera tech is often mind-blowing, but it still can’t offer the fun that the old instant-printing cameras did. Enter the Kodak Mini Shot 3 Retro. This pocket-friendly shooter prints out your snaps via a four-pass technology that gives you HD, 3×3-inch laminated prints that are waterproof and will last for years.
[$167; kodakphotoprinter.com]
5. Canon EOS R
The workhorses of the DSLR world are mostly made up of Canon cameras. So it’s no surprise that the EOS R, a new mirrorless option, is just as versatile but much more compact. It boasts a 30.3 megapixel full-frame sensor to rival the revered 5D and carries their latest image processor to easily capture low-light (and dark!) shots.
[From $1,799; usa.canon.com]
6. Linhof Technorama 617s III
Yeah, that panorama function on your phone is a hoot, but why not raise the snapshot stakes and go for breathtaking, wide-view photos with the Linhof Technorama 617s III? The darn-tough die-cast shell uses 6x17cm format film (120 or 220) and can accept five lenses, from the wide-angle 72mm to a telephoto 250mm.
[From $7,209; linhof.com]
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