2025 Photo Gear of the Year, with Kevin Rickert

2026-01-01

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In case you didn't already know, 2025 marks 10 years since we started the B&H Photography Podcast, making today's show our tenth annual Photo Gear of the Year episode! A lot of cameras have come down the pike since that first recap, along with a veritable roller coaster of marketing strategies and photographic trends. To follow up on a trend discussed last year, we start out with a nod to point-and-shoots, a craze that, according to Kevin, has "become fever pitch." To expand on this theme, we look back in time to when digital point-and-shoots were losing ground to the ubiquitous camera phone, leading...

To follow up on a trend discussed last year, we start out with a nod to point-and-shoots, a craze that, according to Kevin, has "become fever pitch." To expand on this theme, we look back in time to when digital point-and-shoots were losing ground to the ubiquitous camera phone, leading to Mike's theory that the current digicam trend is "real nostalgia for mid-aughts frivolity." We also point to a multi-tiered strategy among manufacturers, allowing them to cater to different user bases—from vloggers to professionals to hybrid shooters to the all-important enthusiast market.

This lighthearted banter leads into our main course, focused on new releases from Canon, FUJIFILM, Godox, Hasselblad, Leica, Nikon, OM SYSTEM, Panasonic, Peak Design, Ricoh Pentax, Sigma, and Sony.

Finally, in addition to predictions for 2026, we wrap things up with Kevin's picks for travel-friendly photo accessories to catch his eye this year. Stay to the end to learn about Peak Design's latest travel bags and tripods, plus the innovative modular design behind a new flash system from Godox.

Guest: Kevin Rickert

Episode Timeline

2:50: Kevin looks back at recent camera trends, and identifies separate tiers for vlogging, high resolution cameras, hybrid cameras, and the nostalgia for old point & shoots.
9:11: Canon releases: R50 V, R6 Mark III, Powershot V1… plus a nod to the older G7 X Mark III
18:00: FUJIFILM releases: X-half digital camera, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100RF, Instax Wide EVO
33:10: Hasselblad release: X2D II 100C
37:37: Leica releases: M EV1, Q3 Monochrome, SL3-S, SL3 Reporter

43:30: Episode break

43:52: Nikon releases: ZR 6K, Z5 II, and a Z6 III firmware update
54:22: OM SYSTEMS releases: OM-3, OM-5 MK II
57:38: Panasonic releases: S1R II, S1 II, S1 IIE
1:02:48: Ricoh release: GR IV
1:05:40: Sigma release: BF Mirrorless
1:09:48: Sony releases: RX1R III, FX3A, FX2, a7 V
1:23:50: Kevin's recommendation for a better editing workflow when travelling with an Apple iPad Pro
1:26:06: Peak Design releases: Roller Pro Carry-On & Pro Carbon Fiber Tripods with Ball Head
1:28:45: Godox release: iT-32 TTL Mini Flash system
1:30:12: Revisiting the current point and-shoot craze and the digicam look
1:34:52: Kevin's upcoming travel plans, and thinking ahead for the total eclipse in mid-August 2026
1:39:00: Kevin, Derek, and Mike share their predictions for 2026

Guest Bio:

Kevin Rickert is B&H Photo's Senior Sales Trainer for Photography and Lighting. It's Kevin's job to keep in touch with camera and lens manufacturers and get details about all the latest releases and updates. His role is to make sure the world-renowned B&H staff has all the information to answer your who, what, why, and other questions that you may ask, so they can satisfy all your wants and needs.

Born and raised in New York, Kevin is an intrepid street photographer, an avid traveler, and a baseball fan with 23 years in electronic retail, the last 11 of which have been spent as a sales trainer at B&H.

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