Some of the best traditions are holiday traditions. Turkey at Thanksgiving, pumpkin carving at Halloween, and Christmas trees loaded with decorations are some of the cherished classics but undeniably, the greatest of them all is our annual Best and Worst camera gear roundup. We get together to battle it out with some inspired competitive challenges and drink more than we should, all while trying to coherently convey our opinions about the past year’s gear releases.
Last year was our tenth-anniversary episode so we made a big splash with our friends at Toolshed brewing company. This year, however, we wanted to return to our roots with a more understated event at my house, just like the good ol’ days. We fought through three different games and I have to say, after a couple of years of hard-won victories for Jordan, this year was an easy sweep for me. I heartily encourage you to check out our video and see the shenanigans for yourselves. But for those who are here for just the selections, let’s get to it.
The Bests of 2024
Zoom Lenses
Canon came out with an innovative 70-200mm f/2.8 Z lens that is solidly aimed at video shooters and we saw a lot of super-zooms return to the market, too. But another blast from the past made it to second place in our competition and further cements Sigma’s dominance in the optics field this year.
In third place for best zoom lens is the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 II Art which gives the excellent Sony version a run for its money. Although the Sony is a hair better optically, the Sigma provides a similar experience for less money and is still a stellar lens capable of handling any professional requirement. The Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 DG DN ART brings back a classic focal range but gives it a fast f/2.8 aperture all the way through. The lens was fun to use and versatile, making it an ideal event lens and our runner-up.
The winner is a niche product that may not find mass appeal but damn is it a fun lens. The Sony G-Master 28-70mm f/2 is like having a bag of primes in one lens. The bokeh is beautiful and the lens is sharp anywhere in its range. Sony even managed to make it smaller and lighter than the Canon version and it was my personal favorite.
Prime Lenses
2024 was an amazing year for optics and we saw so many innovative and improved designs across the board. A good prime lens is always enjoyable to shoot due to its improved optical quality and faster apertures. The Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro Di III was a standout lens, ideal for both close-ups and portraits but it didn’t quite make the top three.
In third place, we chose the excellent Sigma 50mm f/1.2 ART lens for its outstanding performance shooting wide open and more affordable price compared to the competition. The second-place lens was a hotly debated topic but ultimately went to the Sony G-Master 85mm f/1.4 II. The original 85mm needed improving and Sony fixed everything wrong with it. This lens is near perfect and smaller as well.
The winner, though, has to go to the Sigma 500mm f/5.6 Sport with its easy-to-carry dimensions and essentially perfect image quality. The focus is quick and the rendering of busy backgrounds is ideal. This is such a great choice for any wildlife or sports situation.
Video Camera
Sony made a handy little vlog-style camera with the ZV-E10 II and Fujifilm wowed us with an incredibly capable X-M5 gimbal-ready camera. Top honors belong to the more serious system cameras and Nikon starts things off in third place with the Z6 III. This versatile camera seems to be able to do just about anything. The partially-stacked sensor helps deal with rolling shutter issues and Nikon N-log has plenty of dynamic range. Couple that with the new Red luts and the Z6 III can handle anything you need to do.
The runner-up is the Panasonic GH7. We used this camera for the majority of the year to produce our show and it never disappointed. There are excellent lenses for the M43 platform and the video quality is amazing. Tons of dynamic range and 32-bit float audio make the GH7 a powerful tool for any commercial videographer.
However, the best video camera of the year goes to the Sony a9 III. The fact that such a specialized sports camera can also be the best video camera of the year is a testament to the unique technology Sony has put inside it. The global-shutter sensor eliminates any sort of rolling shutter and Sony put in the video tools and proper log formats to maximize image quality. It may be expensive but the fact is, no one else makes anything in the mirrorless market like this and probably won’t for a long time to come.
Photographic Camera
Deciding on the top three cameras of 2024 was a brutal slog due to the plethora of excellent products this year. Stand-outs included the Fujifilm X100VI, Nikon Z50 II, Canon EOS R1, and Sony A9 III. We really tried to stick to bodies that we would use on a more regular basis which eliminated some of the more sports-oriented cameras so our third-place winner is the Fujifilm GFX 100S II. The GFX system is dominating the medium format market but the latest S model is the best of them all. You get 100-megapixels of detail and Fujifilm’s latest AF algorithms but you also get a simple and portable package that can travel almost anywhere.
In second place is the Nikon Z6 III which would probably find its way into most people’s top choice. It is great value for the dollar and the epitome of versatility, all in a compact and ergonomic body design. I loved using it and only placed it in second place because the winner gave me a little more of what I was looking for perfectly.
My choice for the best photographic camera goes to the Canon R5 Mark II. I get 45 megapixels with some of the most innovative autofocus performance around, borrowed directly from the flagship R1. The camera has excellent video capabilities and the versatility to compete with the esteemed Nikon Z8.
The Worsts
The Worst Lens of 2024
Okay, now is the time we all look forward to every year. It’s time for the worst products of 2024 and to kick things off, let’s start with the worst lens. Normally it is very difficult to choose the worst optic because there is almost always a good reason for it to exist. However, this year it was a no-brainer. The worst lens goes to the Panasonic 26mm f/8 pancake which was released with the S9 camera in what feels like a very rushed stopgap kind of situation.
There are no distance markers on the manual focus only lens and the results aren’t amazing even when the lens is properly focused. It is also a slow lens with no options for filters and amounts to a very expensive lens cap. It almost single-handedly soured the Panasonic S9 release but luckily Panasonic recently launched the far better 18-40mm kit lens.
The Worst Video Camera 2024
In development for years, Kodak’s development time finally came to fruition this year with the release of the new Super 8 camera. Blending both a modern digital interface and LCD panel with analog Super 8mm media should have been a runaway success and it garnered a lot of attention.
Turns out that the experience of using it is far from ideal. The body design is cool-looking from afar but a bit of a mess to use and hold in person. Big gaps between the housing and back panel allow all sorts of schmutz into the interior and the digital LCD panel is hard to use and offers no exposure assistance. The fact is, any number of lightly used 8mm cameras on the market will do a better job and give the same fun experience of shooting a classic format, but there is no denying that the new Kodak 8mm camera can lead to an enjoyable experience, even if the price is relatively exorbitant.
Worst Photo Camera 2024
It seems like we are waging an all-out war against analog with our worst camera picks of the year but I hope that I can assure you that we are not. Reviewing the Pentax 17 was an incredibly enjoyable experience earlier this year but the Mint Rollei 35AF was sadly not.
We did have a difficult time with the camera and some of the issues have been resolved in current models but it doesn’t change the fact that the 35AF is more style than substance. It looks gorgeous from a distance and the thumb-winder and rewind knob experience feels legit. But the camera itself is difficult to use and the overall experience feels cheap. The price is quite the opposite, however. I think some users will find joy in the unique look and feel of the camera but I’d rather have the vintage Rollei experience instead.
Well, another year has almost come to a close and 2024 has turned out to be one of the most exciting years for product launches in recent memory. We saw a lot of innovative mirrorless camera bodies and some stellar optics from almost every major player. We also had a battle of wits, a battle of dexterity, and a battle of speed, leading to full redemption for myself this time around, so everything feels right again in the universe. Now we turn our attention to 2025 and eagerly await the early launches that are soon to come.
