Joshua Waller
AP’s Online Editor Joshua Waller has been enjoying a mix of the very latest kit and and an old favourite
Fujifilm X-S20
I’m a big fan of cameras that offer great value for money whilst still offering high-end features. I’m even more of a fan when this is packed into a smaller camera body. This is where the Fujifilm X-S20 excels, as not only does it have some of the latest auto-focus features (including automatic subject detection and animal focus), but it puts this into a compact camera body that is still relatively affordable (£1,149 body only, or £1,249 with 15-45mm kit lens).
My philosophy, when it comes to cameras, is that the smaller it is, the more likely I am to take it with me, and the more enjoyable an experience that will be. The X-S20 takes excellent photos and video, and has a large range of lenses, both small and interesting. The camera also gives lovely images straight from the camera, which saves time when it comes to editing, as you can simply use the photos as they are.
Google Pixel 8
I’ve tested a lot of phones this year, including flip phones from Motorola (Hello Moto!), and folding phones from Samsung, Google, and OnePlus. But if I was going to pick one as my favourite, it’d probably be the Google Pixel 8.
Google’s Pixel phones make the fun bits of photography incredibly easy. Whether that’s smooth waterfalls or long exposures in low light, you can do it all handheld, without the need for a tripod. The phone will work it all out for you, thanks to impressive stabilisation and computational photography. Both the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro (with its 5x telephoto camera) offer macro photography with the ultra-wideangle camera. Portraits are impressive too, with natural-looking colour and bokeh. Even better, Google is now offering seven years of updates with these phones, amazing for a phone that starts at £699.
Sony FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II
This lens offers a more compact and lightweight option compared to Sony’s F2.8 version, but with the added bonus of impressive close-up performance. This means that instead of having to carry around a telephoto zoom and separate macro lens, I can simply use one lens. This makes me very happy because I love taking close-up photos, as you never know what’s going to happen on a day out. This lens meant I was able to capture an image of a tiny duckling, where other telephoto zooms might have
