Latest news with #mirrorless
WIRED
14-06-2025
- WIRED
Fujifilm's X-E5, New Bose Speakers, and Qualcomm's Smart Glasses Chip—Your Gear News of the Week
Plus: Sonos rolls out a software update for its Ace headphones. Courtesy of Bose; Fujifilm All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. Fujifilm announced a new camera this week, the X-E5, the latest in its X-E rangefinder-style mirrorless camera series. Think of the X-E as an interchangeable lens version of the X100. The big news in the X-E5 is Fujifilm's latest 40-megapixel APS-C sensor and 7-stop in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This is the first X-E series camera with IBIS, which Fujifilm says will gain you about 7 stops of handholding. The new sensor also means video specs jump to 6.2K at 30 frames per second (with a 1.23 crop) and 4K 30 fps full sensor video. The X-E5 regains the focus mode switch on the side of the body (notably absent from the X-E4), and adds a new film simulation dial. While many of Fujifilm's enthusiast-level cameras have this control, the one on the X-E5 can store custom presets with your own film recipes. One thing that remains unchanged is the weather sealing, which still doesn't exist here. Also disappointing is that the viewfinder remains small, with the same paltry resolution (2.36M dot, 1025 x 768) as the older model. The X-E5 will be available in the US in August for $1,699 for the body only and $1,899 for a version with Fujifilm's new 23mm f/2.8R WR lens, launching alongside the X-E5. To meet demand (something Fujifilm failed to do with the X-E4), the company won't be selling the lens as a standalone until late 2025. You can preorder it at Adorama or B&H Photo now. — Scott Gilbertson Bose Announces New Buds And Speakers Bose has a trio of new products incoming, including an update to some of our favourite earbuds. The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are getting a whole host of improvements, including better AI algorithms to help them filter out noise spikes more effectively and improve overall voice pickup and call quality. There's also wireless charging out of the box now, a new wax-guard, and a punchy, limited-edition Deep Plum colourway. They'll cost $299/£299, and can be pre-ordered now. Joining the buds are two new speakers, the SoundLink Plus and the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen). No prizes for guessing the big difference between them, but the Plus is a new mid-range portable speaker that sits between the SoundLink Flex and the SoundLink Max in the range, while the Micro is an updated version of the company's smallest Bluetooth speaker. For the latter, Bose is promising improved sound quality—particularly in the upper frequencies—USB-C charging, a better 12-hour battery life and Bose app compatibility. The Plus promises a 'ready-for-anything' design that 'brings the bass,' along with a 20-hour battery, charging USB-C port, and IP67 rating. It'll be available in Black, Blue Dusk and summer-ready Citrus Yellow for $269/£249, while the Micro will cost $129/£119, with colorways coming soon. — Verity Burns Qualcomm Demos a New Chip for Smart Glasses At Augmented World Expo (AWE) this week, Qualcomm demoed its new Snapdragon AR1+ chipset designed for smart glasses, and its capability to run a small language model without the need to be tethered to a smartphone or rely on the cloud for processing. Right now, most smart glasses are designed to stay connected with smartphones, which will handle any processing for AI-related queries, like when you ask Meta AI a question via the Meta Ray-Bans (powered by the original AR1). But that sucks up valuable battery life and can also introduce some delay as the request ping pongs to the phone and back. By integrating the capability to process a small language model directly via the AR1+ chip on smart glasses, you can expect faster response, better battery life, and improved privacy as everything stays on device. That also means you don't need your phone nearby to get a response from an AI chatbot. The AR1+ chipset is also 26 percent smaller than its predecessor, which Qualcomm thinks will help make smart glasses slightly less cumbersome to wear. Improvements to power management also help make the chip more efficient, and the company has added image processing techniques from smartphones to aid smart glasses with built-in cameras to better understand the world around. 'You're not connected," Ziad Asghar, General Manager of XR at Qualcomm, tells WIRED. "You're still able to get a very good response back, such that you have continuity of experiences independent of whether you have your phone next to you or not.' Sonos Updates Its Ace Headphones Sonos this week announced several new software features for those invested in the brand's Ace headphones, including more natural call quality with the addition of voice side-tone, and upgraded noise canceling designed to account for changes in position around your ears from glasses or hats in real time, similar to rivals like Sony's new WH-1000XM6. Sonos has also upgraded the Ace's distinctive home theater functionality. The TV Swap feature, which beams audio from Sonos soundbars to the headphones with a tap, now works with two pairs instead of just one, based on requests from users. The Ace will also offer a new TrueCinema feature designed to emulate your listening space to provide a more immersive, customized experience that 'feels like you aren't wearing headphones,' according to the company's VP of Product, Chris Kallai. The free software update will begin rolling out to Sonos users globally this week. — Ryan Waniata
The Verge
12-06-2025
- The Verge
Fujifilm's new X-E5 is one of its sleekest mirrorless cameras yet
Fujifilm is announcing the X-E5, a new $1,699.95 mirrorless camera due out in August. It has a 40-megapixel sensor, a new control lever on its front, a classic EVF mode with old-school frame lines, and of course a bunch of analog-inspired film simulations. It's yet another retro-looking mirrorless from Fujifilm, but it's one of the more striking designs, with cleaner, straighter lines on its single-piece machined top plate that give it a bolder look than the still hard-to-get X100VI. The two share the same sensor, tilting rear screen, and in-body image stabilization system. And with the new 23mm f/2.8 lens announced alongside it, the X-E5 can even match the focal length of the X100's built-in lens — but with a more pronounced, contoured grip. The lens is initially available only in a bundle with the camera for $1,899.95, but will be sold standalone for $499.95 in late 2025. The new X-E5 is slightly larger than the last-gen X-E4 to accommodate image stabilization, and at 445 grams it's about 80 grams heavier. The new, flippy control lever on its front has five programmable functions for enabling things like Surround View, which lets you see beyond the frame when shooting in cropped aspect ratios. Fujifilm's popular film simulations get a dedicated dial on the X-E5, with a viewing window on the top plate that's reminiscent of frame counters on vintage cameras. There are 20 built-in film simulations in total, and the dial features six of the most popular presets, plus three user-customizable options. The X-E5 has another new feature inspired by retro cameras: a Classic Display Mode for its built-in 2.36-million dot electronic viewfinder. Enabling this mode gives the viewfinder a vintage heads-up interface, with simplified red electronic numerals showing exposure values, rangefinder-like frame lines with rounded corners, and a needle-style light meter on the side. The frame lines look similar to the ones found on a Leica M3, while the light meter takes me right back to my old Pentax K1000 and other 35mm film SLR cameras. Fujifilm is sticking to its playbook of updating its X-series cameras with its latest sensor, stabilization, and autofocus tech. The X-E5 isn't as left-field as the quasi-toy X Half camera, but I wager it's closer to what dedicated X-series fans actually want. And Fujifilm obviously isn't done going to the well for more vintage vibes from classic cameras.
Associated Press
08-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
NIKON TOUR KICKS OFF IN CHICAGO, COMING SOON TO VARIOUS U.S. CITIES
Pop-Up Kiosks & Creator Experience Hub Will Also Bring the Newest Mirrorless Cameras to Regional Creators MELVILLE, N.Y., May 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Be on the lookout for Nikon in your favorite U.S. hotspots starting this spring, as the camera brand kicks off its first-ever Nikon Tour. Nikon's team of experts will be traversing the country in an eye-catching branded SUV, hosting a variety of consumer-focused activations in various US cities, including Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Houston. The Nikon Tour is a combination of mobile and pop-up experiential events with the intent of giving photographers, videographers and content creators time with Nikon experts and the new Nikon Z5II and Z50II mirrorless cameras. 'We want to get our latest mirrorless camera models into people's hands, letting them experience first-hand how Nikon can empower their creative potential,' said Fumiko Kawabata, Sr. Vice President, Marketing and Planning, Nikon Inc. Starting in Chicago, Nikon's team of experts will be traveling across the country to provide creators of all kinds with the opportunity to touch and try Nikon's newest gear. Each stop will offer a different and distinct experience brimming with local flavor and personality. Official Nikon Creators, Ambassadors, local artists and influencers will join the tour to host can't-miss meet-ups, stylized workshops and photo walks focusing on different styles of photography. From captivating portraits to street photography or glorious landscapes and nature, there will be something for everyone. As a bonus, attendees will leave the event with all their captured photo and video content either on an SD card, their smart device or phone to keep and share. In addition to the Mobile Tour, the Nikon Mobile Kiosk will be appearing in four key locations throughout the 2025-2026 season. The Kiosk will be a focal point for guided photo walks, local photo guides and product trial opportunities. The Tour will culminate with a 10-day Creator Experience Hub event that will be open to the public, which will be announced Summer/Fall 2025. The Nikon Tour will kick off in Chicago from May 18 – May 24, featuring photo walks with Nikon Ambassador Audrey Woulard ( @AudreyWoulard ) and Creator Lauren Ashley Grenda ( @LaurenAshleyStudios ). Other future stops for the Nikon Tour include Los Angeles (September 2025), San Diego (September 2025), Phoenix (November 2025) and Houston (December 2025). A more detailed schedule will be available at a later date, and for Information on future tour stops, visit To register for the Chicago events: Click Here Schedule Information for Chicago Mobile Tour About Nikon's Newest Mirrorless Cameras – The Nikon Z5II and Z50II The Nikon Z50II combines a full range of fun, creativity-enhancing features with the superior performance of Nikon's latest mirrorless technology. This is the simple-to-use yet powerful camera that creators will always want to bring along, whether shooting portraits, landscapes, a great night out or an epic trip. This is Nikon's first APS-C / DX format camera to feature the powerful EXPEED 7 processing engine, the same found in the pro-grade Nikon Z8 and Z9. The Z50II makes it easier than ever to experience immersive image quality, with blazing fast and precise autofocus as well as fast frame rates up to 30 fps, superb low-light capabilities, advanced video features and extensive control of colors. The new full-frame / FX format Nikon Z5II is an entirely new generation of intermediate-level camera that miraculously manages to fit the latest high-end features into a lightweight camera body that will help kickstart any creative spark. The new Nikon Z5II uses the high-power EXPEED 7 image processor, affording incredible levels of performance and extremely fast AF with subject detection powered by deep learning (AI) technology. In addition, the new camera now utilizes a highly sensitive back-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor for beautiful rendering of textures and details, even in dimly lit situations such as indoors or nighttime landscapes, with minimal noise. The Z5II further fuels your creative drive with a dedicated Picture Control button and innovative tools like Imaging Recipes and Flexible Color Picture Controls, all of which help users create a truly distinctive look with unparalleled creative control of colors. For more information about the latest Nikon products, including the vast collection of NIKKOR Z lenses and the entire line of Z series cameras, please visit About Nikon Nikon Inc. is a world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and technologies for photo and video capture; globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for an award-winning array of equipment that enables visual storytelling and content creation. Nikon Inc. distributes consumer and professional Z Series mirrorless cameras, digital SLR cameras, a vast array of NIKKOR and NIKKOR Z lenses, Speedlights and system accessories, Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras and Nikon software products. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-US or visit which links all levels of photographers and visual storytellers to the Web's most comprehensive learning and sharing communities. Connect with Nikon on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Facebook and X. Specifications, equipment, and release dates are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Nikon Inc.
