Market data coming in from Japan for 2023 gives us reason to be optimistic about the future of mirrorless cameras. Data released by CIPA, Japan indicate that the camera market, excluding smartphones expanded by 5.37 % in value over 2022. The total retail value of cameras hit 16 billion dollars. Mirrorless cameras now account for more than 81% of the market up from 69% in 2022. DSLRs are fast dying out. Companies like Nikon have seen the writing on the wall and have already discontinued several of their DSLR models and lenses. Canon, sigma and Tamron are following suit. Compact cameras are rapidly becoming a niche market. Wisely, companies like Leica, Hasselblad and Zeiss have started working with smartphone companies like Xiaomi, Oppo and One Plus and Vivo respectively. Canon is also reported to be exploring a partnership with a smartphone maker. Of course, CIPA does not take into account increasing camera and lens production from China.
Like before, the SP Awards are awarded only to products that have been reviewed by the magazine. As members of EISA, SP acknowledges the input of several EISA technical experts in producing our magazine.
We list below the previous winners of the awards dating back to 2006.
THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS CAMERA OF THE YEAR AWARDS SO FAR
2006 : Nikon D 200
2007: Canon EOS 400 D
2008 : Nikon D 300
2009 : Panasonic Lumix DMC G 1
2010 : Canon EOS 5 D Mk II
2011 : Canon EOS 60 D
2012 : Olympus PEN E-P 3
2013 : Nikon D 600
2014 : Olympus OM-D E-M1
2015 : Sony Alpha 7
2016 : Canon EOS 5 Ds
2017 : Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
2018 : Sony Alpha 7 Mark III
2019 : Sony Alpha 7 R IV
2020 : Canon R 6
2021 : Nikon Z 9
2022 : Sony Alpha 7 R V
BEST VALUE FOR MONEY SMARTPHONE CAMERA OF THE YEAR
The Pixel 7a clinches the prestigious Best Value-for-Money Smartphone Camera Award of the Year with its unparalleled photography capabilities, offering exceptional value for most users, powered by Google’s Tensor G2 processor, delivering top-notch performance and features akin to its predecessor, the Pixel 7.
FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONE CAMERA OF THE YEAR
The iPhone 15 Pro Max offers the best set of cameras (48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera) with exceptional image quality. The phone is loaded with fantastic features and can shoot in RAW, HEIF and JPEG.
BEST INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
Sony surprised the world with its first-ever Global Shutter System in the A 9 III. The conventional shutter system records images sequentially from the topmost row of pixels to the bottom. This leads to possible distortions when photographing fast-moving subjects. The global shutter system reads all the pixels at the same time, thus ensuring that there is absolutely no image distortion of fast-moving subjects.
BEST PHOTO MONITOR OF THE YEAR
The BenQ SW272U earns the Best Photo Monitor Award of the Year, standing out as BenQ’s pinnacle creation for photographers, boasting exceptional colour accuracy, uniformity, and image quality comparable to pricier alternatives in the market.
BEST STANDARD PRIME LENS OF THE YEAR
Whilst zoom lenses have improved dramatically in the last few years, prime lenses have moved the bar further. Sony’s new FE 50 mm f/1.4 GM is not only biting sharp, it also reproduces images with good colour balance and without distortion or chromatic aberrations. Bokeh is also smooth. If you own a Sony body or are intending to purchase one, look no further.
BEST WIDE-ANGLE PRIME LENS OF THE YEAR
The Sigma 16 mm f/1.4 DC DN lens is designed for Sony E-mount camera bodies. Compact, lightweight, and very much affordable, this lens provides very good image quality.
BEST PORTRAIT LENS OF THE YEAR
Nikon had never offered a portrait lens with an aperture of f/1.2 before. The new Nikkor Z 85 mm f/1.2 S lens from Nikon is a stunner! Super sharpness across the frame, good ergonomics in spite of its weight, very fast autofocus and smooth bokeh are some of the characteristics of this gem of a lens. Nikon is on to a winner with this one!
BEST STANDARD ZOOM LENS OF THE YEAR
Camera manufacturers are becoming increasingly innovative in designing new focal ranges for their lenses. Sony’s FE 24-70 mm F/ 4 G provides a wider focal length than other standard zooms on the market. In addition, the Sony provides excellent sharpness across the entire zoom range, is reasonably compact ( in spite of a f/ 4 maximum aperture throughout the range) and is weather sealed. An outstanding lens!
NOMINATIONS
Panasonic Lumix 20 – 60 mm F/ 3.5 / 5.6
BEST WIDE-ANGLE ZOOM LENS OF THE YEAR
This is the new avatar of a wide-angle zoom that Tamron had introduced two decades ago. A fast f/2.8 aperture, fast and accurate focussing and tracking and very high image quality combine to make a very attractive wide-angle zoom. The lens comes with a USB-C port and the Tamron Lens Utility Software allows customisation of lens functions and updation of software.
BEST TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENS OF THE YEAR
Sony has updated its 70 – 200 mm f/ 4 zoom and the results are awesome! Superb autofocus, state of the art image stabilisation and enviable picture quality make the Sony an irresistible buy. Smaller and lighter than its predecessor, the Sony lens also has a macro feature. Excellent build quality and weather sealing complete the picture.
NOMINATIONS
Leica Vario-Elmar 100-400 mm f/4-6.3
BEST MICRO FOUR THIRDS CAMERA OF THE YEAR
Panasonic’s latest launch in the Micro Four Thirds market comes with Phase Hybrid Autofocus and a Dual Image Stabilisation system. Solid build quality, weather sealing and top class video performance are some of its attributes. The G 9 II is a true hybrid camera with special appeal for those shooting video and passionate about wildlife photography.
BEST APS-C CAMERA OF THE YEAR
The Sony a 6700 is a substantial improvement over the 6600 and provides improved performance in a compact, lightweight body. Great stills and video performance, improved autofocus and image stabilisation make the Sony the most desirable APS -C camera in the market today
BEST BEGINNERS’ CAMERA OF THE YEAR
The Indian market has been crying out for a reasonably priced camera for beginners. Canon heard them first and the R 100 is the answer. The R 100 is compact, lightweight and provides very good autofocus capability. Overall performance is also very good. Yes, the plastic body and the lack of weather sealing may be factors to consider. However, all criticism vanishes when you consider the attractive pricing.
BEST FULL FRAME CAMERA OF THE YEAR
Nikon surprised the photographic world with the Z 8, a powerful hybrid camera that offers most of the capabilities of the award winning Z 9 but in a more compact and less expensive body. The Z 8 boasts excellent build quality, great ergonomics and exceptional image quality. Fast and accurate autofocus, lag and blackout free electronic viewfinder and impressive video quality complete the picture. The recent firmware upgrade makes it an even better buy.
BEST MEDIUM FORMAT CAMERA OF THE YEAR
The extra-large (43.8 x 32.9 mm) 102-megapixel (effective) imaging sensor on the Fujifilm GFX 100 II is about 1.7 times the size of the standard 35 mm format sensor and produces mindboggling amount of details with Fujifilm’s outstanding quality G-mount lenses.
MOST PRESTIGIOUS CAMERA OF THE YEAR
The most prestigious camera of the year award goes to Nikon Z8 for its outstanding features, superb build quality, smaller form factor (compared to the Z9) and being comparatively less expensive than its close-competition.
