In 2024, the camera of the year was a drone

Apart from the active global shutter Sony A9 III and some cool mirrorless options – the Fujifilm X100 VI, Panasonic S9 and Canon EOS R5 II come to mind – 2024 has been a busy year for cameras filled with small tweaks and minor improvements. Except for DJI’s Neo. For $200, aerial photography is finally within reach of almost everyone.

DJI is very good, not so great year

DJI released its product line this year with a sword of Damocles hanging over its head: the US government was considering ban sales of the company’s products at the end of 2024 due to possible fears of spying. It was only at the last minute that DJI he won a trucethanks in large part to lobbying by public safety groups that rely heavily on their drones. Now he has until the end of 2025 to prove that his products do not pose a risk.

The 2024 camera equipment company list started with the Open 2an FPV drone that has improved almost everything from the popular original at a reduced price. DJI then announced $299 Mini 4K. We also saw the Action 5 ProDJI’s best action cam to date, with the At 3Sa highly capable drone with a relatively large 1-inch sensor camera and the Mic Mini, an accessible wireless mic system.

Its biggest launch, however, was the Neo drone, announced in September. He took the idea of ​​a simple drone for creators, first pioneered (then abandoned) by Snap with the Pixywhile lowering the price and adding AI technology.

The Neo is a very light drone which can be flown without a license and which is safe for people thanks to its wrapped propellers. It is ready to use for beginners straight out of the box without any training – just put it in your hand and press a button, then it will fly and catch cool programmed shots like “dronies”.

Just because the Neo is affordable doesn’t mean it’s basic, though. If you want to pilot the Neo manually, it supports DJI controllers, FPV glasses and can also be flown with a smartphone. It can hit speeds up to 18 MPH or even faster in manual mode, and is very maneuverable. Thanks to the built-in AI functions, it can follow you while walking or cycling, making it a vlogger’s best friend. Finally, it can capture all your footage in 4K 30p, with surprisingly good quality considering the price.

My main gripe with the Neo is the banshee sound it generates, which can be difficult in public places. Overall, though, it’s a very useful product at a good price and has managed to capture the zeitgeist like no other camera product this year.

Canon and Fujifilm were the best of the rest

My favorite mirrorless camera this year was Canon EOS R5 II. It’s not because of some spectacular new technology, but because of the fact that it’s almost a perfect hybrid camera.

That starts with the new 45-megapixel stacked sensor that offers a mix of speed and resolution that we’ve only ever seen on Sony’s A1 or Nikon’s Z9 – both much more expensive. It also has the company’s most advanced AI autofocus system. All that allows for ultra-fast shooting speeds of up to 30fps in RAW mode. Its advanced AF system makes blurry photos a rarity even at those speeds. At the same time, the 45 megapixel photos provide exceptional detail and a relatively high dynamic range, with accurate and pleasant colors.

At the same time, it offers incredible video capabilities, with 8K RAW shooting up to 60fps and 4K 120p. As with photos, video quality is exceptional thanks to the new CLog 2 capture that allows for a higher dynamic range. On top of all that, the EOS R5 II is just a great camera to use, with almost perfect ergonomics.

The other camera I really enjoyed using was Fujifilm’s compact X100 VI. The camera deserved the large amount of press it received this year, as its stripped down nature, vintage look, film simulation and great handling really bring fun to photography. At the same time, it’s a technological marvel with a higher-resolution 40-megapixel sensor, decent shutter speed, stabilization and solid video specs.

Finally, I think Panasonic’s S9 deserves a shout out for trying something new. It’s one of the smallest full-frame cameras I’ve ever seen, but it offers features like 6K video and in-body stabilization. But the primary new trick is the built-in LUT simulation, just like Fujifilm’s X100 VI, but for video. That, combined with the large sensor, makes for an interesting camera.

What awaits in the camera world for 2025

Despite a potential US ban, DJI is likely to continue its ambitious product release schedule in 2025. According to rumors, it is working on a foldable model called DJI Flip and it is also likely to release a successor to the Mavic 3 Pro next year, according to recent reports The FCC files. In addition to this, it tends to have a fast update rate for most of its drones and cameras, so expect to see successors for its Action 5 Pro cam, Mini 4 Pro drone and other models.

Elsewhere, an intriguing rumor that Fujifilm has released an inch, half sensor compact that would be like a digital version of the famous film camera Pentax 17 and can also allow diptych photos (side-by-side).

Otherwise, Sony will release an update for its popular A7 IV launched in 2021 with higher shooting speeds and other specifications to better align with the competition. Canon is very likely to release a new camera in that same price category, the R6 III, even with improved specs. We can see a new Nikon Z5 III model with improved performance. And Panasonic is going to refresh its S1 and S1R models. Manufacturers can jump on the compact train, now that Fujifilm has proven its viable category – something that would be good news for all photographers.