Ask any photographer what made 2025 strange and brilliant: you’ll hear the same themes — refinement over revolution, a surprise lens juggernaut, and a few cameras that feel like the safest bets in a chaotic year.
The year’s conversations split into two useful lenses (pun intended). On one side are the critics and lab tests that feed Metascore-style rankings; on the other, the opinions of working photographers and editors voting in the PetaPixel Awards. Together they tell a nuanced story about where mirrorless and optics land right now.
Scores, votes, and why they don’t always match
Technical roundups leaned toward image-centric flagships. RedShark’s Metascore-style ranking put the Hasselblad X2D II 100C near the top with a 92 for its uncompromising stills quality; Sony’s a7 V earned a 90 and was praised as an all‑round hybrid; Canon’s EOS R6 Mark III — dependable, ergonomic, very usable — scored 88; and Nikon’s video-first ZR landed around the high 80s as well.
Yet those numbers don’t fully predict the awards table. PetaPixel’s staff — photographers and filmmakers voting via ranked choice — crowned the Canon R6 Mark III Camera of the Year. The a7 V followed closely as an official selection and the Nikon Z5 II and Z5 II also earned strong recognition. That split speaks to a practical truth: reviewers obsess over specs and lab scores, while working pros weigh workflow, lens ecosystems and day‑to‑day reliability.
(If you want a closer look at Canon’s new entry and its spec sheet, Canon’s launch story remains the best primary source: Canon’s EOS R6 Mark III Debuts with 32.5MP Sensor, 7K RAW and an Affordable f/1.2 Prime.)
What photographers actually rewarded
PetaPixel’s voters rewarded versatility and value. The Canon R6 Mark III was described as comforting and reliable — the sort of camera you pick up without thinking and get the shot. That practical appeal also won the People’s Choice award in their poll, where the R6 III beat dozens of rivals by a wide margin.
Sony’s a7 V was close behind and picked up kudos for its autofocus, video chops, and a standout new 33MP partially stacked sensor. That sensor mattered: it represents the kind of hardware-level innovation that filters into better speed, autofocus performance and real-world usability without forcing photographers into expensive pro-only territory.
Then there’s the contrarian pick: the Hasselblad X2D II 100C. It’s not fast, and it costs a lot, but for stills-focused image-makers who prize color and sheer resolution, it’s a specialist’s dream. That divergence — speed versus pure image fidelity — is one of the clearest fault lines of 2025.
Lenses stole a lot of headlines
If cameras were the actors, lenses were the scene‑stealers. Sigma dominated PetaPixel’s awards with multiple wins: the 300–600mm f/4 sports zoom, the 200mm f/2 sports prime and the 135mm f/1.4 Art got major applause. Reviewers repeatedly called Sigma’s output an underpriced optical triumph: big-range telephotos with unexpectedly high resolving power, and a set of primes that deliver character and clinical sharpness in equal measure.
Sony and Nikon also showed strength in zoom and prime categories, but the consensus was clear: Sigma pushed optics forward in ways that changed the conversation for sports, wildlife and portrait shooters.
Video-first cameras are getting bold
Nikon’s ZR is a good example of a camera built around filmmakers’ needs — it borrows RED’s imaging pipeline and packs cinema tools into a compact body, at the cost of some compromises like EVF availability and crop modes. That kind of trade-off is intentional: companies are willing to give up generalist features to make devices that serve a specific creative workflow well.
Why this matters for buyers
A few practical threads run through both the Metascore lists and the awards.
- Ecosystem still matters. Lens mounts and available glass influence long-term purchase decisions as much as specs do. That partly explains Canon’s appeal: a familiar layout and a deep lens catalog make it an easy choice for many working pros.
- Innovation is subtle. Big, flashy paradigm shifts are rare; instead we’re seeing sensible, hardware-level improvements like Sony’s partially stacked sensor that deliver measurable gains without dramatic trade-offs.
- Lenses = leverage. Optical advances from companies like Sigma mean you can change the character and capability of a kit faster than swapping camera bodies.
- Camera of the year (voters): Canon EOS R6 Mark III — praised for balance, ergonomics and reliability.
- Editors’ favorite sensor innovation: Sony’s 33MP partially stacked design inside the a7 V.
- Pure-image winner (by review consensus): Hasselblad X2D II 100C.
- Lens story of the year: Sigma’s trio of winners that ranged from telephoto monsters to portrait primes.
- Smartphone attention: PetaPixel highlighted the Vivo X300 Pro as a creative phone with unique modular accessories — an example of how mobile imaging still pushes camera companies to rethink features. For those tracking Vivo’s wider availability, the brand’s global moves are worth watching: Vivo X300 Ultra Could Go Global — and May Pack Two 200MP Cameras.
A quick look at standout categories
Where the market seems to be heading
Manufacturers are leaning into specialization. There’s a clearer split between slow, image‑first models (think medium-format approach), hybrid all‑rounders that balance stills and video, and video-first bodies that borrow cinema workflows. The result: more choice, but also more careful decision-making for buyers. You must now match the camera’s personality to the job, not just buy the one with the highest sensor number.
If you’re shopping, try to answer two questions before you spend: what glass will you actually use most of the time, and which workflow — fast run-and-gun autofocus or deliberate frame-by-frame fidelity — do you need?
Photography in 2025 feels richer for it. The big camera brands kept iterating where it mattered, small players like Sigma pushed optical boundaries, and sensor-level tweaks changed daily experience for both shooters and reviewers. Translation: whether you want the kind of quiet reliability that wins people’s votes or the kind of pixel‑perfect quality that earns top lab scores, there’s something built for you this year.