It’s time for our Editor’s Choice awards list. The year 2025 saw some really and truly fascinating releases. In some ways, I’ve never been more excited for the future of photography. In other ways, I hope that this year was more than just a wake up call. It proved that it needs to be therapy and a conscious effort to not fall into old habits just to make a few bucks for the camera brands.
A Note From the Editor in Chief
I have to be very real here: this year sucked. The Japanese camera brands have been more or less copying one another for years and this year all that finally imploded thanks in part of major changes in the global economy. No one needs new video features or even needs to shoot something like 8K video when monitors and phones can’t even display that stuff. And how much does one truly need to crop?
Earlier this year, a rep from one of the big three companies messaged me about their own internal affiliate program, asking for advice on commission rates. Eventually, our conversation turned into how it’s been a bad sales year for cameras and the industry. But at least from our affiliate data, folks are still buying cameras and lenses.
At the same time, it’s not always brand new gear that you’re all buying. That says a lot about the traditional camera brands.
What has been eye-opening though, has been all the new camera brands popping up making products that remind us who we are as photographers. We’ve been staring at screens too much that have ended up doing the creating for us. Essentially, we have forgotten how to do magic and instead have surrendered our powers to science and algorithms.
To that end, our press relationships with a lot of these brands have drastically changed. We’ve also changed our standards for what’s really, really worth buying. Billion dollar companies can do so much more for so many of us photographers who don’t have a ton of money.
And in 2026, I truly hope all of this changes for the better interest of the future of real photographers.
With that said, here are the best pieces of camera gear that we’ve reviewed in 2025.
Echolens: The Best Camera for a Jaded Photographer
In our review, we state:
Not everyone wants to shoot video, carry around a bit lens, or stare at screens. It may be too late until the Japanese brands realize that they’re creating something similar to the transition between DSLRs to mirrorless where they’re pigeon-holding themselves with their own fetishes. I, on the other hand, refuse to make images for an algorithm that cares nothing about me. Instead, I make photos built on internal validation that end up putting smiles on the faces of so many other people.
Japan: wake up already.
Camp Snap Pro: The Best Camera for the Hacker
In our review, we state:
Camp Snap is an American company making products in China. And to me, that means that there’s potentially more competition. They’re transparent about where the sensors and the processors are coming from, unlike the Japanese. They fully admit that everyone else is making products just like this but that they’re trying to make something unique by not focusing on the tech as much.
My office is loaded with digicams, retro digital cameras, mirrorless cameras, etc. But the Camp Snap Pro might be one of the only ones that I choose to use during my leisure time. It’s small, fun, doesn’t make me get out of the moment, and it’s reliable.
Chuzhao Camera: The Most Charming Camera of 2025
In our review, we state:
Of course, I’m leaving out the most important part of this review. The Chuzhao camera is one that when you pop out, everyone around you will get curious. You will quite literally suck the air and attention out of the room in a way comparable to how capitalism likes to suck money out of our wallets and how the simple act of going outside seems expensive. If that resonates with you, then you’ll get where I’m coming from.
Sigma 35mm f1.2 DG Art II: The Best 35mm We’ve Seen in Years
In our review, we state:
As I’m typing up this review, I’m looking back on the images I shot for it with fondness. The Sigma 35mm f1.2 II DG Art lens is wonderful mostly because of the working experience that I can have with it. It’s fast, reliable enough, weather resistant, light enough, and is truly a lot of fun to work with. For the most part, it gets out of the way of making great images. But it mostly does that with LUMIX cameras more than anything else. Sony cameras tend to deliver images that lack imagination and give you the sad reality that we’re all trying to escape. Leica can do a great job — but still, nothing is beating LUMIX in this case.
For many years, the only f1.2 lens that I used regularly for work was the Canon RF 50mm f1.2 L. But this beats it in every single way except in the special way that Canon can make something look like it was shot on medium format.
Sigma 135mm f1.4 DG Art: A Portrait Lens With Incredible Capabilities
In our review, we state:
I’ve reviewed almost every 135mm lens that this website has published. And though my favorite is still the Zeiss 135mm f2 Apochromatic, specifically for its rendering, this new Sigma 135mm f1.4 Art is wonderful. In 2017, I reviewed the Sigma 135mm f1.8 for Canon EF mount and liked what that lens could do then. But this is a whole different adventure in the collection of stories about 135mm lenses. It focuses closely, quickly, and accurately. Most importantly, it also does really well in low light with L-mount cameras and people of color with more melanin in their skin tones.
Returning to what I’ve said about the image quality of these lenses being like background noise, I think that you’ll be best served still using it with Panasonic LUMIX cameras along with the Real Time LUT feature. That’s not to say that it didn’t make wonderful photos on my Leica SL2s. But nothing is really going to beat the specific and more fantasy-like look that my LUMIX cameras are giving me.
Viltrox 35mm f1.2 FE Lab: Affordable and Fantastic
In our review, we state:
To recap what I say later on in the review, I’m considering getting rid of all my Sony lenses and just keeping Viltrox around with Tamron for zoom lens coverage. I never thought that a brand would make a 35mm f1.2 lens that I’d want to bring around all day. But this is lightweight enough, small enough, and performs so well. I’m so shocked that this lens exists and I’d gladly take it with me on a vacation as the only lens that I bring with me.