INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
It's fair to say the camera world has changed a bit in the last decade
Back in 2010, our idea of a cameraphone was the Nokia N8 and drones were still military aircraft.So which photographic trailblazers have got
us the most excited in the last ten years? It's a tough choice that had be narrowed down from a longlist of dozens of contenders, but after
these are the 12 that really rattled our shutters, sharpened our snaps or generally inspired us to reach for questionable photographic
hyperbole.The great camera evolution (2010-2020)Before we head into the list, it's worth looking at exactly where we've come from since
only just beginning in the early part of this decade
also been the unstoppable march of the smartphone
Early cameraphones like the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 and Nokia N8 were surprisingly capable in a hardware sense, with 8MP and 12MP sensors
really taken smartphones well beyond compact cameras and into the territory of so-called 'enthusiast' cameras
Of course, there are still many reasons to buy a dedicated camera, whether it's DSLR or mirrorless, not least the image quality when viewing
or printing photos at larger sizes than a phone screen
that have taken photography to new heights in the last decadeSamsung NX10 (2010)(Image credit: Future)Why it was exciting: Big sensors come
cameras that paved the way in this area
market altogether with its last released in February 2015.Up until then, mirrorless cameras made use of smaller sensors that were inferior
was exciting: Well, just look at itBack at the very start of the decade, Fujifilm was stuck in the doldrums
Once a giant of film photography, it had lost its way and was pushing underwater compact cameras, 3D technology and other niche
It demonstrated the fantastic image quality that the rest of the X-series has since demonstrated, as well as showing off new technologies
that the company had developed, including a hybrid optical / electronic viewfinder.Today, the X range boasts a large number of different
options, which have rightly proved hugely popular with both hobbyists and pros
The X100 is where it all started.Sony RX100 (2012)(Image credit: Future)Why it was exciting: The compact camera was rebornNamed as one of
Until then, image sensors inside compact cameras had always been small and low in power.At this point, Canon had pretty much sole control of
the 'premium compact' market, with its popular G and S series models
Over the years, various other innovations have been made, including 4K video, super-fast frame rates, a longer lens and an inbuilt
Future)Why it was exciting: It was the big bang moment for today's cameraphonesIf you were expecting to see a Pixel or iPhone in this list,
Huawei and Samsung now tread very familiar territory in pushing their phone camera tech, we can trace a lot of that back to the Nokia Lumia
1020.It used PureView technology, which works by oversampling pixels to bring out finer detail and work better in low light
The sensor was a whopping 41 megapixels at a time when others were barely going above 8 (in fact, the iPhone is still only 12), and also had
perhaps the first nail in the coffin of dedicated compact cameras.Leica Q (2015)(Image credit: Future)Why it was exciting: A magical
combination of full-frame and fixed lens compactFujifilm had already proved there was a big appetite for super-large sensors in compact
truly desirable.By including features like optical image stabilization in the 28mm lens, a touch-sensitive screen, a very usable electronic
been replaced with the Leica Q2, while the latest Sony variant is the Sony RX1 II
But the original Leica Q still stands tall as one of the decade's classic cameras.Canon EOS 5DR (2015)(Image credit: Future)Why it was
exciting: Super high-res sensors go mainstreamBy the middle of the 2010s, mirrorless was the big story in cameras, but Canon clearly hadn't
barrier was broken by the 61MP Sony A7R IV in 2019, with the Nikon D850 coming fairly close with its 45.7MP sensor (see below).The Canon EOS
5DSR showed the world that super high-resolution sensors were truly achievable in bodies that weren't professional-only bricks.Olympus PEN F
cameras, rather than backup or travel models.Arguably, the first really good compact system camera was the Olympus E-M5 Mark II, which
brought with it some truly appealing specs and even made professional photographers sit up and take notice.But it was the PEN F that showed
even-more video-centric model, with its expanded 4K options including the ability to shoot DCI 4K at higher frame rates.Nikon D850
(2017)(Image credit: Future)Why it was exciting: It was, and still is, the best DSLR ever madeIn a world that's rapidly moving away from
anniversary, it included a 47.5MP sensor that answered the demands for high-resolution photos, while at the same time being more than
capable at capturing fast-moving action
It also became the first DSLR to achieve a score of 100 points from independent analysts DxOMark.A durable and well-built body met the
demands of working professionals, while it also offers the kind of battery life that, as yet, mirrorless cameras can only dream of.DJI Mavic
time before drone photography and videography being an everyday part of the media landscape
bought that same capability into the hands of us ordinary consumers, too
huge 102 megapixels to play with
