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PANASONIC PLANS Lumix sets the standard A new 40mm prime will soon be joined by further lenses
FROM THE EDITOR
Panasonic has reinforced its commitment to compact full-
People researching a kit purchase are often guided by social media influencers chasing likes or YouTubers poring over spec sheets in exhaustive tech deep dives. That’s why the 2026 TIPA World Awards provides solid recognition from a truly global panel. The Technical Image Press Association’s decision-making panel is made up of invitation-only representatives from world-leading photographic publications who have earned a reputation for trustworthy appraisal. As a TIPA member representing Photography News , I can say that these unique awards are the result of detailed debate between editors who have real-world experience of how these tools are used in their markets. That matters, because the imaging industry is no longer driven purely by headline innovation. The 2026 winners show fewer dramatic leaps but more intelligent refinement – all shaped around how people really shoot. What’s interesting is how broad the awards are. Cameras still matter, but so does lighting, audio, video, software, printing and services. It reflects how image making is not just about capture. The best products aren’t always the most revolutionary, but the most useful. Some innovations may seem small but can make a big difference – something we look at in our Bits and Pixels feature this issue. Like the hardware and software, the awards are
frame mirrorless cameras by launching an affordable Lumix S 40mm f/2 prime and revealing two other lenses on the roadmap. The first will be a fast, wide- angle prime designed to complement the Lumix S9 body, the other a large- aperture telephoto zoom. The brand already has 70-200mm lenses in f/2.8 and f/4 versions, plus 70- 300mm f/4.5-5.6 and 100-500mm f/5- 7.1 options. Currently, there are 18mm f/1.8 and 24mm f/1.8 wide primes. The L-Mount 40mm costs £349, has an overall length of 40.9mm and a weight of 144g, pairing perfectly with the compact body of the S9. The new optic has a dust- and splash-resistant design, focus breathing suppression and micro-step aperture control. Panasonic has also added a Black Titanium edition of the S9 to the range, costing £1299. It has a leather-textured body with titanium accents and, unlike the recent Titanium Gold edition, its run is not limited but widely available.
DYNAMIC DUO The Black Titanium Lumix S9 is a perfect match for the Lumix S 40mm f/2 standard lens
also evolving – not only celebrating innovation, but quietly documenting how photography itself is changing.
As the resurgence for compact cameras continues, Panasonic answers the call with the TZ300, which has a 1.0-type BSI CMOS sensor and a 15x Leica zoom lens covering the equivalent of 24-360mm. The 20.1-megapixel camera costs £869 and can focus as close as 3cm. It records 4K video and high-speed 120p video in HD. panasonic.com Leica lens for TZ300
Editor
EDITORIAL TEAM Editor Adam Duckworth
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ACTION STATIONS GoPro moves into mirrorless market
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GoPro has taken its boldest step yet with the Mission 1 series – and it’s not the 8K video or 50-megapixel sensor that stands out most. It’s the fact that one of the cameras, the Mission 1 Pro ILS, is the brand’s first-ever model with an interchangeable lens mount. Built around a one-inch sensor, the ILS version pairs GoPro’s trademark stabilisation and rugged design with a Micro Four Thirds mount, opening the door to a vast range of possible lenses. It transforms GoPro from a fixed-lens action brand into something closer to a modular cinema system. But there is no AF and it’s not a waterproof action camera like traditional GoPros. The smaller sensor gives a roughly 3x crop, so wide-angle lenses such as the ultra- wide Laowa 7.5mm have an angle of view equivalent to roughly 20mm. Alongside the £599 ILS model sit two more familiar action cameras, the £529 Mission 1 and the £599 Mission 1 Pro, which both use the same sensor and processor but keep the traditional
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all-in-one design. Each one pushes performance further than ever, with up to 8K video at 60fps, 4K at 240fps and high-speed Full HD at 960fps, plus open gate recording for flexible reframing across multiple aspect ratios. GoPro is also launching accessories, including a dual-channel wireless audio system. The cameras already have 32- bit float internal audio. gopro.com
BIG TIME The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS takes Micro Four Thirds lenses
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