2025 Camera Brand Rankings | Who's Actually Innovating?

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2025 is officially over, and it’s time for "The Judge" to hand out the final report cards. I’m looking back at every major camera and lens manufacturer’s performance this year to determine who innovated, who stagnated, and who failed completely.

We saw huge shake-ups this year—from political bans affecting DJI to Sigma doing the unthinkable with camera design. I also reveal my controversial pick for "Camera of the Year" (Hint: It’s not a full-frame mirrorless) and explain why the iPhone 17 Pro finally earns a spot at the grown-ups' table.

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In this video:

The F Grades: Why DJI lost the US market and why OM Systems is relying on marketing over innovation.

The Middle of the Pack: Why Canon and Sony are "just fine" and the problem with incremental updates like the R6 Mark III and A7 V.

The Winners: The shocking design innovations from Sigma, the perfection of the Hasselblad X2D II, and the rise of AI cameras.

Table of Contents:

0:00 The Judge is In
0:24 Sponsor: Squarespace
1:08 The F Grades: DJI
1:41 OM Systems
2:18 Leica's Mixed Bag (Grade: C)
2:57 Camera of the Year: Hasselblad X2D II (Grade: A+)
4:10 Fujifilm: The Cool Kid (Grade: B)
5:31 Canon: Number One but Boring (Grade: C+)
6:24 Sony: Missed Opportunities & RX1R III (Grade: B-)
7:40 Nikon: P1100 Fail & Z5 II (Grade: B-)
8:37 Panasonic Lumix: Catching Up (Grade: B-)
9:11 Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (Grade: A-)
10:05 The Real Winner: Sigma & The "BF" Camera (Grade: A+)
12:05 - Future Tech: Caira, Viltrox & Godox
13:55 Squarespace Promo

#Photography #CameraReviews #2025Tech #Hasselblad #CanonR6III #SonyA7V #Nikon #Sigma #CameraWars #TechNews