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Are Mirrorless Cameras Doing Too Much of the Thinking for us?
The latest from the Phoblographer for February 11th, 2026
Chris Gampat
February 11, 2026
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Here’s the latest:
Nikon May Be Building the Ultimate Street Photography Camera
By Nilofer Khan
February 11, 2026
Nikon has adapted to the mirrorless world with some interesting cameras over the years. For instance, the Z9, Z7 II, Z6 III, and Zf are cameras that have catered to the varying needs of creators around the world. While the company promised to not launch much in 2025, it appears that will not be the case in 2026. It has now come to our attention that Nikon may launch a new camera, which will further help street photographers get the best of their work.
OM System Will Do Anything Else But Make the Pen F2. So Here’s What You Do
By Chris Gampat
February 11, 2026
After yesterday's announcement of the OM System OM3 Astro edition, something became really evident: this company will do literally anything else but make the Pen F2. The Olympus Pen F is, without a doubt, the single most beloved digital camera that the company (in all its iterations) has made. When I reviewed it a decade ago, I was absolutely smitten with it. And I remember going on the press trip and telling all the journalists that I'm not going to do lab tests and instead shoot only in black and white mode. Lo and behold, that's what all the other journalists were doing too. Seriously, I still can't remember a single product that had journalists that excited about a camera. Yet if you spend money on cameras, you'll believe that OM System is acting like a local grocery store that can sell you everything but the one yogurt brand you really want.
Mirrorless Cameras are Doing Too Much of the Thinking for Us
By Chris Gampat
February 11, 2026
For a while now, I've been thinking something: mirrorless cameras are doing too much of the work for us. I thought this about cameras when the Sony a9 III was announced and even when the A1 was announced. On the phone with a Fujifilm rep speaking about it, he stated that the camera was doing all the work for us and that, technically, we didn't even need a photographer at that point. And because photographers are essentially just pointing, clicking and shooting; he's right. Aperture priority, which I often joke and call amateur priority, is something that does the decision making for us. Sometimes we need that. But these days, it's done simply for convenience. This is only one of the ways that the cameras are doing all the thinking for us.
The Canon R5 is a Workhorse that You Still Don’t Need to Upgrade
By Nilofer Khan
February 11, 2026
Canon cameras have evolved spectacularly over the decades, offering high-end specifications to the masses at a considerable price. They achieved this with models such as the AE-1, the 5D Mark II, and the Canon R. In the mirrorless race, they challenged Sony on multiple occasions, but the one camera that really stood out in recent years is the R5. Here is why you should not upgrade the device anytime soon.
It’s 2026. And I Bought the Nikon D850. Here’s Why.
By Chris Gampat
February 11, 2026
My email signature has said for a very long time, "Make Art, Not Content." And it's something that I still think about and adhere to every time that I pick up a camera. In 2024, I had two eye surgeries that stabilized my vision well enough so that I could get contact lenses that would make me function normally instead of being legally blind. So with that said, I wanted an optical viewfinder camera: specifically a Leica M11D. I've always shot with mirrorless cameras like they're glorified DSLRs -- but I know many people don't. And the way that many folks shoot these days seems like people who are suffering from brain rot and letting the camera make so many decisions for them instead. But after a lot of consideration, I bought the Nikon D850 instead.
The OM SYSTEM OM-3 ASTRO Helps You Reach For The Stars
By Feroz Khan
February 10, 2026
Last Updated on 02/10/2026 by Chris Gampat Astrophotography is something we all love, but many of us struggle with this challenging genre. Camera brands don’t often bring out specialized astrophotography camera models. The two of note from the last decade that come to my mind are the Nikon D810A and the Canon EOS Ra, both …
In 2025, We Did Something No One Else Did
By Chris Gampat
February 10, 2026
So last year, I, as the Phoblographer's publisher, sold no ads to the big camera manufacturers. Instead, I took the plunge into just telling an even more authentic truth. Can any of the other big photography websites say the same and that they weren't at all affected by those advertising dollars? We've always been transparent at least. And that's why this is so important.
VSCO Revives Its Iconic Film Presets for Lightroom
By Nilofer Khan
February 10, 2026
Over the past decade, VSCO has introduced a range of film packs for digital photographers. The company, which has been pushing photographers to get a distinct look, is now back with a new set of film presets for Adobe Lightroom. As vintage image quality gains popularity, this move will certainly benefit VSCO, especially since many creators are keen on achieving distinct photos. Without further ado, let's have a look at what they have to offer.
Viltrox 50mm f1.4 Review Update: Nikon’s Best 50mm Lens?
By Chris Gampat
February 10, 2026
With everything going on right now amidst the Nikon and Viltrox lawsuit, Viltrox is still producing lenses for the Nikon Z mount. Today, they’re announcing their 50mm f1.4 being available. I reviewed this lens for Sony E mount in 2025, and found it to be really nice. In fact, it reminded me of older Zeiss …