Podcast Episode Details

2025 Photo Gear of the Year, with Kevin Rickert

In case you didn't already know, 2025 marks 10 years since we started the B&H Photography Podcast, making today's show our tenth annual Photo Gear of the Year episode! A lot of cameras have come down the pike since that first recap, along with a veritable roller coaster of marketing strategies and photographic trends.

To follow up on a trend discussed last year, we start out with a nod to point-and-shoots, a craze that, according to Kevin, has "become fever pitch." To expand on this theme, we look back in time to when digital point-and-shoots were losing ground to the ubiquitous camera phone, leading to Mike's theory that the current digicam trend is "real nostalgia for mid-aughts frivolity." We also point to a multi-tiered strategy among manufacturers, allowing them to cater to different user bases—from vloggers to professionals to hybrid shooters to the all-important enthusiast market.

This lighthearted banter leads into our main course, focused on new releases from Canon, FUJIFILM, Godox, Hasselblad, Leica, Nikon, OM SYSTEM, Panasonic, Peak Design, Ricoh Pentax, Sigma, and Sony.

Finally, in addition to predictions for 2026, we wrap things up with Kevin's picks for travel-friendly photo accessories to catch his eye this year. Stay to the end to learn about Peak Design's latest travel bags and tripods, plus the innovative modular design behind a new flash system from Godox.

Guest: Kevin Rickert

Episode Timeline

• 2:50: Kevin looks back at recent camera trends, and identifies separate tiers for vlogging, high resolution cameras, hybrid cameras, and the nostalgia for old point & shoots.
• 9:11: Canon releases: R50 V, R6 Mark III, Powershot V1… plus a nod to the older G7 X Mark III
• 18:00: FUJIFILM releases: X-half digital camera, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100RF, Instax Wide EVO
• 33:10: Hasselblad release: X2D II 100C
• 37:37: Leica releases: M EV1, Q3 Monochrome, SL3-S, SL3 Reporter

43:30: Episode break

• 43:52: Nikon releases: ZR 6K, Z5 II, and a Z6 III firmware update
• 54:22: OM SYSTEMS releases: OM-3, OM-5 MK II
• 57:38: Panasonic releases: S1R II, S1 II, S1 IIE
• 1:02:48: Ricoh release: GR IV
• 1:05:40: Sigma release: BF Mirrorless
• 1:09:48: Sony releases: RX1R III, FX3A, FX2, a7 V
• 1:23:50: Kevin's recommendation for a better editing workflow when travelling with an Apple iPad Pro
• 1:26:06: Peak Design releases: Roller Pro Carry-On & Pro Carbon Fiber Tripods with Ball Head
• 1:28:45: Godox release: iT-32 TTL

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  Published on 18 hours ago