Tag: cameras

The 17 Best GoPro and Camera Deals for Black Friday (2025)

Posted on by faz_business


If you’re in the market for a new camera, this holiday season is the time to buy. There are some great Black Friday camera deals available right now, including one on our favorite GoPro, the GoPro Hero 13 Black. There are plenty of other GoPro camera deals, along with some good buys on cameras from Insta360, DJI, Fujifilm, and more.

For more info about action cams, check out our complete guide. Also, be sure to read our guide to the Best GoPros, Best 360 Cameras, Best Instax Cameras, Best Travel Cameras, and Best Mirrorless Cameras. Head to our full roundup for more Black Friday deals.

Updated November 28: We’ve added a new section of mirrorless camera deals, along with a deal on Polaroid’s latest Now camera.

Do You Need a New Camera?

Probably not. Probably what you need to do is spend a lot more time with the one you have, but if buying a new camera makes you feel like maybe you’re getting better at photography, far be it for me to stop you. Hitting too close to home? I feel you. I mean I want a new camera. I want the Sony A7C R, which is an amazing camera. The autofocus is light year’s ahead of my A7R II, the sensor is bigger, the dynamic range is better, and it’s smaller and lighter. What’s not to love? But it isn’t going to instantly make me take better pictures.

To make better images you have to spend time at it. It takes practice, shooting everyday, even if you only have 10 minutes. Walk around the neighborhood and play with different compositions, try shooting in ways you normally don’t. Experiment with different light at different times of the day. Just get out an shoot more. Most of it will be garbage, but you’ll be learning.

If you need a new camera to get you to do that, then carry on, there are some truly great deals to be had right now.

The Best Action Camera Deal

  • Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  • Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  • Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  • Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

GoPro did not release a new model of its Hero action camera this year. Last year’s Hero 13 is still the latest, but it’s on sale for Black Friday anyway. Last year’s GoPro Hero 13 was the first significant change for GoPro’s flagship action camera in many years. The company added an interchangeable lens system, along with Macro, Ultra Wide, and Anamorphic lenses, plus a set of four neutral density filters. The new interchangeable lens system opens up shooting possibilities that simply don’t exist with other action cameras. For some reason, this camera often gets overlooked. It’s just fun to shoot with.

I think the slickest part of the Hero 13’s new lens and filter system is that the Hero 13 Black autodetects which lens is attached and changes the Hero 13’s settings accordingly. This is especially nice for those who don’t want to fiddle with fine-tuning their camera settings every time they change lenses or pop on a neutral density filter. I’ve been using all three lenses for over a year now, and they’re all nice, but the Ultra Wide is my favorite. I mainly use my GoPro to shoot from the handlebars of my bike, so the wider the shot, the better and more immersive the footage becomes, hence my love of the Ultra Wide. The Hero Black ultrawide edition is also on sale.

Everything that made GoPro a household name is here as well, with industry-leading hypersmooth stabilization, all kinds of helpful shooting modes, and support for GoPro’s Quik app. Also note that if you buy through gopro.com, the company includes a year’s worth of GoPro Premium, the company’s subscription cloud storage service. If the GoPro has a shortcoming, it’s the battery life. It’s OK, but not great. I suggest grabbing an extra battery.

So, given that there was no Hero 14 this year, how future-proof is the Hero 13? I would say very future-proof. I will admit, the newly announced DJI Action 6, which has a variable aperture lens, is very interesting, but it’s still an automated aperture rather than giving you a full aperture priority mode. I’m also a little leery of DJI products, given the ban on imports that starts December 23, 2025. The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 below is also on sale, and I do love that camera as well, especially with the new accessories that turn it into something more like a point-and-shoot. But in the end, when I head out the door for a ride, or a paddle, or, right now, some snowshoeing, the action camera I reach for remains the GoPro Hero 13 Black.

Other Great Action Camera Deals

DJI

Osmo Action 5 Pro

Our top pick action camera for most people, the Action 5 is a great option. It has better battery life than the Hero 13, and better low light performance, though do keep in mind that support in the US will be limited after December 23, 2025.

Insta360

Ace Pro 2

If you’re going to turn your action camera on yourself, the Ace Pro 2 is our top pick for vlogging. It has a great lens and sensor co-engineered with Leica, capable of recording 8K video at up to 30 fps. My only gripe is the lack of 10-bit color, but unless you’re doing your color in post, you won’t miss it.

Deals on Action Camera Accessories

The Best 360 Camera Deal

  • Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  • Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

The GoPro Max 2 is the best 360 camera you can buy, and it’s currently $100 off. The dual 14 mm (35 mm equivalent) lenses of the Max 2 each record to a 1/2.3-inch chip, the largest available in a 360 camera. This gives what GoPro calls “True 8K” video, by which the company means that the actual recorded area of the sensor is 8K, whereas other 360 cameras have an 8K sensor, but only record about 6K or 7K worth of that sensor as the actual image. The short story is that the Max 2’s video is sharper and clearer. Couple this with support for 10-bit color in Log files, and you have footage that the competition just can’t match.

Other 360 Camera Deals

Insta360

X5 360 Camera

Our former top pick, the Insta360 X5 is still an excellent 360 camera. It uses twin 1/1.28″ sensors to capture very near 8K video. The dynamic range is impressive, and the color science here is very good though it does tend toward the oversaturated.

Insta360

X4 360 Camera

This is the best price you’re going to see on a 360 camera. The Insta360 X4 has been superseded by the X5, but it’s still a great camera. The video quality is the same resolution as the X5 (8K), but it lacks the X5’s updated sensors, processor, and improved color options.

A Fun, Screen-Free Digital Camera

A hand holding up a pink Camp Snap Digital Camera

Photograph: Nena Farrell

What if there were a film camera that captured digital images? That’s what the Camp Snap camera is, the screen-free aspect means that, like film, you don’t know how your images look until later— you can keep photographing without getting pulled out of the moment as much. The Camp Snap can hold up to 2,000 photos on the preinstalled memory card, and it comes with a USB-C cable to download the photos onto your computer. This one is a fun gift to give too.

The Best Deals on Instant Cameras

Front view of black instant film camera with the lens extended

Photograph: B&H Photo

Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 99 is the best Instax camera for those who love manual controls and creative effects. The Mini 99 offers some manual focus and exposure controls, as well as some fun color effects, like the ability to simulate light leaks just like those thrift store cameras collecting dust on your shelf. There are two dials on top of the Mini 99. One acts like an exposure compensation dial, allowing you to adjust exposure value (EV) two stops brighter and two stops darker. I found the L (Lighten) and L+ useful when shooting against snow, which has a tendency to overwhelm small sensors like this one. It’s also good for strongly backlit scenes, though those are still not Instax’s strong suit. The Mini 99 has a 60-mm lens made of plastic. It works out to roughly the same field of view as a 35-mm lens in 35-mm format (or if you prefer, somewhere between 1x and 2x on your iPhone). The shutter is fixed at f/12.7, which means you’ll be relying on the flash in all but bright, sunny, outdoor shots. That said, unlike quite a few other Instax models, with the Mini 99 you can turn off the flash for those well-lit shots, and that means far fewer washed-out images.

Image may contain: Camera, Digital Camera, and Electronics

Courtesy of Polaroid

Polaroid’s standard Now camera is close enough to the classic Polaroid that you probably won’t notice the difference. The Gen 3 version is an incremental update of the Gen 2, bringing better auto focus and improved flash. Otherwise, it’s the same basic design we love, with a nice chunky body and easy-to-find buttons.

Other Instant Camera Deals

Fujifilm

Instax Mini 12

This one is nearly always on sale for Black Friday. It’s our pick for best budget Instax as it manages to be a capable, but easy-to-use camera wrapped in a colorful, bubbly design aimed at beginners.

Fujifilm

Instax Mini 41

The Mini 41 is essentially the Mini 12 in a different body. Same capabilities, but looking more like a “camera” should.

Deals on Mirrorless Cameras

Front of the Nikon ZF camera

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

Nikon

Zf Mirrorless Camera

The Nikon Zf is the camera I would buy if I were in the market for a new camera. It’s all about the knobs and dials. Every setting you need to make an image is accessible on a dial or knob: ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation. There’s also a switch to change shooting modes and another to change to black-and-white mode or video mode. Pair that with a great 24-MP sensor and reasonably fast autofocus speeds, and you have a fantastic, reasonably priced camera. The best deal of the bunch here is Adorama’s lens bundle, which comes with a charger, memory card, lens filters, and cleaning kit.

Other Mirrorless Camera Deals

Sony

A7RV

This deal is so good at has its own full write up. This is Sony’s top-of-the-line mirrorless camera at the lowest price it’s ever been. If you’ve been wanting to upgrade, now is the time.

Sony

A7 IV Camera

This is also a great deal on a more hybrid camera, with some video-extras, like 4K/30 fps video oversampled from a 7K sensor region. Be aware that the rumor mill says this one is due for an update, but it’s still a great camera, especially at this price.

The Best Deals on Our Favorite Photo Printing Services

A photograph isn’t a photograph until you print it. Strong words, but I’ll stand by them. Luckily, there are some great deals right now that will let you print your images without spending a fortune.

Person's hand holding printed photographs

Photograph: Mpix

Our favorite place to print photos is holding a 30 percent off sale on its print services. Mpix makes high-quality prints at a reasonable price, even when it’s full price, which makes this a great deal. Mpix prints on Kodak Endura paper and offers a variety of paper options. I tested the E-surface, which renders rich, deep blacks and true-to-life colors. It holds up well over time; the images we printed in 2013 look exactly like they did when we got them. We also like Mpix’s books and calendars.

If you need to print gifts for your family, Shutterfly is having a sitewide 50 percent off sale. We’re fans of Shutterfly’s book printing service, which had the best results so far in our testing of photo printing services. We also like the calendars. The printing is good enough, especially for the price, and shipping is generally speedy.

The highest-quality prints in our testing came from Adorama’s Printique service. It would be the top pick in our print services guide if it were a bit cheaper, which, with this deal, it is. You can choose from a range of papers, and they’re listed by their actual names, like Kodak Endura or Fujifilm Matte. I also like the option to print the date and file name on the back of each image.

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Best 360 Cameras (2025), Tested and Reviewed

Posted on by faz_business


Top 4 360 Cameras Compared

Other Options

Two Insta360 cameras long rectangular black devices on a beachside rock.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

Insta360 X3 for $300: You’ll have to settle for 5.7K footage here, and that’s on a 1/2-inch sensor, which is only 1080p when you crop to a rectangular video format. Still, you get nearly the same form factor as the X4, and you can use it as a 4K, single-lens action cam. At this price the X3 remains a viable option for those wanting to dabble in 360 video without spending a fortune.

Insta360 One RS for $300: The company’s interchangeable-lens action-camera/360-camera hybrid is another option. The video footage isn’t as good as the other cameras in this guide, but you can swap the lens and have an action camera in a moment, which is the major selling point. That said, now that the X3 and X4 can also be used as 4K action cameras, the One RS is less tempting than it used to be. Still, if you like the action-camera form factor but want to be able to shoot 360 footage as well, this One RS is a great camera. The real combo would be the the 360 lens paired with the Leica lens, but the price for that combo is considerably higher.

GoPro Max for $300: The Max is a capable action camera, featuring 6K video in a waterproof form factor with industry-leading stabilization. It’s got all the shooting modes you know from your GoPro, like HyperSmooth, TimeWarp, PowerPano, and more. Like the X4, there’s a single-lens mode (called Hero mode), and, my favorite part, the Max is compatible with most GoPro mounts and accessories. The main reason the Max is not one of our top picks is that the Max 2 is better.

Qoocam 3 Ultra for $599: It’s not widely available, and we have not had a chance to try one, but Kandao’s Qoocam 3 Ultra is another 8K 360 camera that looks promising, at least on paper. The f/1.6 aperture is especially interesting, as most of the rest of these are in the f/2 and up range. We’ll update this guide when we’ve had a chance to test a Qoocam.

360 Cameras to Avoid

Insta360 One X2 for $230: Insta360’s older X2 is different from the X3 that replaced it. The form factor is less convenient. (The screen is tiny; you pretty much have to use it with a phone). It still shoots 5.7K video, but it’s not as well stabilized nor is it anywhere near as sharp as the X3 or X4. Unless you can get it for well under $200, the X2 is not worth buying.

Insta360 One RS 1 360 Edition for $1,199: Although I still like and use this camera, it appears to have been discontinued, and there’s no replacement in sight. The X5 delivers better video quality in a lighter, less fragile body, but I will miss those 1-inch sensors that managed to pull a lot of detail, even if the footage did top out at 6K. These are still available used, but at outrageous prices. You’re better off with the X5.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are two reasons you’d want a 360-degree camera. The first is to shoot virtual reality content, where the final viewing is done on a 360 screen, e.g., VR headsets and the like. So far this is mostly the province of professionals who are shooting on very expensive 360 rigs not covered in this guide, though there is a growing body of amateur creators as well. If this is what you want to do, go for the highest-resolution camera you can get. Either of our top two picks will work.

For most of us though, the main appeal of a 360 camera is to shoot everything around you and then edit or reframe to the part of the scene we want to focus on, or panning and tracking objects within the 360 footage, but with the result being a typical, rectangular video that then gets exported to the web. The video resolution and image quality will never match what you get from a high-end DSLR, but the DSLR might not be pointed at the right place, at the right time. The 360 camera doesn’t have to be pointed anywhere, it just has to be on.

This is the best use case for the cameras on this page, which primarily produce HD (1080p) or better video—but not 4K—when reframed. I expect to see 12K-capable consumer-level 360 cameras in the next year or two (which is what you need to reframe to 4K), but for now, these are the best cameras you can buy.

Whether you’re shooting virtual tours or your kid’s birthday, the basic premise of a 360 camera is the same. The fisheye lens (usually two very wide-angle lenses combined) captures the entire scene around you, ideally editing out the selfie stick if you’re using one. Once you’ve captured your 360-degree view, you can then edit or reframe that content down to something ready to upload to YouTube, TikTok, and other video-sharing sites.

Why Is High Resolution Important in 360 Cameras?

Camera makers have been pushing ever-higher video resolution for so long it feel like a gimmick in many cases, but not with 360 cameras. Because the camera is capturing a huge field of view, the canvas if you will, is very large. To get a conventional video from that footage you have to crop which zooms in on the image, meaning your 8K 360 shot becomes just under 2.7K when you reframe that footage.

How Does “Reframing” Work?

Reframing is the process of taking the huge, 360-degree view of the world that your camera capture and zooming in on just a part of it to tell your story. This makes the 360 footage fit traditional movie formats (like 16:9), but as noted above it means cropping your footage, so the higher resolution you start with the better your reframed video will look.

If you’re shooting for VR headsets or other immersive tools then you don’t have to reframe anything.

I’ve been shooting with 360 cameras since Insta360 released the X2 back in 2020. Early 360 cameras were fun, but the video they produced wasn’t high enough resolution to fit with footage from other cameras, limiting their usefulness. Thankfully we’ve come a long way in the last five years. The 360 camera market has grown and the footage these cameras produce is good enough to mix seamless with your action camera and even your high end mirrorless camera footage.

To test 360 cameras I’ve broken the process down into different shooting scenarios, especially scenes with different lighting conditions, to see how each performs. No camera is perfect, so which one is right for you depends on what you’re shooting. I’ve paid special attention to the ease of use of each camera (360 cameras can be confusing for beginners), along with what kind of helpful extras each offers, HDR modes, and support for accessories.

The final element of the picture is the editing workflow and tools available for each camera. Since most people are shooting for social media, the raw 360 footage has to be edited before you post it anywhere. All the cameras above have software for mobile, Windows and macOS.

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DJI Mini 5 Pro Review: A Heavier Drone Upgrade

Posted on by faz_business


I enquired about the weight, and a DJI spokesperson sent me the following statement: “The DJI Mini 5 Pro has a design weight of 249.9 grams. Due to manufacturing tolerances, the actual weight of the product may vary slightly within a range of ±4 g. Minor weight fluctuations are normal. We recommend that when UK users are operating the drone, local regulations are complied with, which can be found here.”

The company refers to it as a “near-250g drone”—terminology I’d never encountered from DJI. Frankly, it feels a little evasive. This isn’t just pedantic nitpicking over a few grams. I live in the UK, and the 250-gram threshold determines whether you can fly a drone in public parks, on beaches, in towns and cities, near people, and in countless other scenarios without additional certification. Previous Mini models have been just under this limit, and it seems like an oversight during the design process to not keep this one comfortably below it, too.

There’s good news, though: With UK drone rules set to change at the beginning of 2026, I don’t have too long to wait until the Mini 5 Pro (and, interestingly, the much bigger DJI Air 3S) becomes completely legal to fly in built-up areas, public parks, and close to people.

The tidings for US-based pilots aren’t so cheery, though. As with all of its recent products, DJI isn’t officially launching the Mini 5 Pro in the US. You can blame the impending DJI ban, and it’s a real shame, because, weight issues aside, this is a fantastic camera drone.

Big Camera Upgrades

DJI Mini 5 Pro Review A Heavier Drone Upgrade

Photograph: Sam Kieldsen

The Mini 5 Pro’s slight weight increase comes with genuine benefits. The main improvement is the camera, which now features a 12-MP (or 50 MP in Quad Bayer terms) 1-inch sensor, a significant upgrade from the smaller sensors in previous Mini models. The image quality is edging towards DJI’s Air range, which is remarkable for a drone this size. You’re getting professional-level image quality in a pocketable drone.

Insta360 X5 Review: The Best 360 Camera You Can Buy

Posted on by faz_business


Insta360’s X-series 360-degree cameras have long dominated the market. They have great video quality, an easy-to-use interface, and simple editing software, which makes these the most beginner-friendly 360 cameras around. The latest version, the Insta360 X5, continues that tradition while bringing larger sensors with even better-looking video.

The X5 is a worthy upgrade; video quality is better, battery life is improved, and new features like the PureVideo lowlight mode and replaceable lenses make the X5 the most compelling 360 camera on the market.

What’s New

Image may contain Electronics Camera and Video Camera

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

The big news in the X5, and the reason to consider upgrading even if you already have the X4, are the new twin 1/1.28-inch sensors. They’re a considerable step up from the 1/2-inch sensors in the X4. At the same time, the video specs have not changed much at all, with 8K 30 fps and 5.7K 60 fps at the high end. A larger sensor with the same resolution means more detail in that footage, which is exactly what you get here. This is without a doubt the best-looking footage I’ve seen from a 360 camera.

Keep in mind that the 8K refers to the overall 360-degree shot. When you actually frame that footage in the app, the highest resolution you’ll be able to export is 4K. But the 4K footage you’ll get is markedly better than what the X4 delivers.

The footage coming out of the X5 is great for a 360 camera. Bear in mind, though, that almost any other newer action camera is going to have somewhat better video quality. The appeal of the 360 camera is that it can capture what’s behind you, whereas Insta360’s traditional action cam, the Ace Pro 2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends), cannot. This makes 360 cameras perfect for filming when you don’t know exactly how you want to frame your shot, for example while riding a bike, skiing, skateboarding, and so on. In the past, to get this kind of shoot-everything, frame-later flexibility, you had to give up some video quality. While that’s still true to an extent, with the X5 you’re giving up very little in terms of video quality.

Image may contain Photography Electronics Mobile Phone Phone Baby Person Camera and Video Camera

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

The Best Instax Cameras and Printers (2024): Film Types, Tips, and More

Posted on by faz_business


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.