As a weekly magazine, AP tests more cameras than any other UK publication and our tests are respected around the world for their independence, quality and depth.
Consequently, the AP Awards, which have been an annual highlight in the photography calendar for over 40 years, are held in higher regard within the global camera industry than any other UK award.
Just like in past years, we were truly spoiled for choice – but our thorough testing identifies the strengths and weaknesses of each product to help you choose the right camera, smartphone or drone that is the finest in its class. In addition to our favourite innovation and products of the year, we have included the AP Readers’ Choice Award-winning camera that resonated most with you, the camera-buying public.
See our picks for the best camera, smartphone, and drone for 2025 below.
Enthusiast Camera of the Year and Readers’ Choice Camera of the Year – Nikon Z6 III
$2,196 / £2,699 l nikon.co.uk
Why we like it:
- Excellent autofocus
- Super-fast shooting
- Superb viewfinder and fully articulated screen
- Refined handling and control layout
This superb 24MP full-frame mirrorless model is designed for serious enthusiast and semi-professional photographers. It’s the first camera to use a ‘partially stacked’ image sensor, which brings many of the benefits of a stacked sensor, as seen in the pro-spec Nikon Z8 and Z9, but at a considerably lower cost. In practice, this means you get excellent autofocus and super-fast shooting in a smaller and more affordable package.
Another notable feature is a truly superb new viewfinder. It offers impressive levels of detail, at 5.76m-dots, is extremely bright, at 4,000 nits, and the colour gamut is unusually large too, encompassing the DCI-P3 colour space. The practical upshot of this is a truly stunning viewing experience. Below it, you now get a more versatile fully articulated (rather than tilt-only) screen compared to the previous Z6II.
Nikon has also significantly improved the Z6III’s autofocus capability. Its subject recognition system detects people, animals, vehicles, and planes, with the ability to select automatically between different types. You also get the firm’s proven 3D-tracking technology for shooting moving subjects. This is backed up by rapid continuous shooting, at up to 20fps in full-resolution raw, 60fps in 12MP JPEG, and 120fps in 12MP JPEG with a DX crop. Video specs are impressive too, including 6K recording at 60fps and internal RAW recording.
The camera offers robust build quality and refined handling, with a large grip and well-designed control layout. Most key functions have their own dedicated external buttons, and pretty much the entire interface can be operated using the touchscreen, too.
User favourite
Most importantly, the Z6III is a joy to use and delivers outstanding results. Everything about the camera just works, and really well. The shutter is quiet and discreet, image stabilisation is very effective, while continuous shooting and autofocus performance is superb. You get reliably excellent image quality, too, thanks to well-judged metering and white balance.
Ultimately, this is an extremely accomplished camera that’s capable of tackling anything you might ask of it. Regardless of what you’re shooting – sports, portraits, wildlife, or landscapes – it’ll deliver great results. And it’s not just us who were impressed, either. It also topped our public poll, earning it the title of our Readers’ Choice Camera of the Year.
Read our full review of the Nikon Z6 III.
Compact Camera of the Year – Fujifilm X100VI
$1,599 / £1,599 l fujifilm-x.com
Why we like it:
- Fabulous retro design
- Detailed 40MP images
- In-body image stabilisation
- Unique hybrid viewfinder
This sixth-generation model in Fujifilm’s classic line of APS-C compact cameras comes with significant updates over its predecessor, the X100V. It gains a 40MP sensor, in-body image stabilisation, and subject recognition for autofocus. It’s so popular that, even a year after its launch, you still won’t find the camera in-stock anywhere.
So what makes the X100VI such a hit? All the usual ingredients of the X100 line are present and correct – a lovely-looking retro design, analogue control dials for shutter speed, aperture, ISO and exposure compensation, and a unique hybrid viewfinder that offers a choice between optical or electronic modes. You also get Fujifilm’s peerless Film Simulations, which deliver lovely colours directly from the camera while offering plenty of scope for tweaking and experimentation. Despite the addition of image stabilisation, the camera is still slim enough to slip into a large pocket.
If you are looking for a fixed-lens compact, then there’s very little to dislike here, and a lot to love. It’s a joy to look at, enjoyable to hold, and great to shoot with. The photos you get back will look fantastic too. If you’ve been turned cold by cameras that have no soul, this is the perfect antidote.
Read our full review of the Fujifilm X100VI.
Film Camera of the Year – Pentax 17
$496 / £499| pentax.eu
Why we like it:
- High-quality lens
- Lightweight
- Easy to use
- Economical half-frame design
Last year saw an unexpected and delightful mini renaissance of the 35mm compact film camera. This included the quirky Alfie Cameras Tych+ and the Rollei 35AF – Mint Camera’s affectionate homage to a classic 1960s design. But it was the Pentax 17 that charmed us the most.
Not only is this the firm’s first new 35mm film camera in almost two decades, but also its first half-frame concept. It brings a modern twist to traditional design, with the clear aim of targeting a young, trendy social media audience that craves the analogue nostalgia of film photography.
It includes design elements inspired by previous Pentax film cameras, such as a lens design derived from the Espio Mini.
Overall, the camera is easy to use and lightweight enough to carry around all day. Focusing is manual, via six zones marked on the lens, while exposure is automatic. But you do get some nice creative features, including an exposure compensation dial and a bulb mode for long exposures. Loading, advancing and rewinding the film are all manual.
Images produced have nice detail, especially in bright lighting conditions, with the standard Program mode giving reliable results. If you can live with zone focusing and the lack of manual exposure controls, it’s a great choice for budding film photographers.
Read our full review of the Pentax 17.
Consumer Camera of the Year – Fujifilm X-T50
$1,399 / £1,299 l fujifilm-x.com
Why we like it:
- Impressive image quality
- Small body with excellent handling
- New Film Simulation dial
- Great new 16-50mm kit zoom lens
Fujifilm’s double-digit X-T series cameras have long been among our favourites in the highly competitive entry-level class. The X-T50 continues with the same winning blend of compact size, engaging handling
and excellent image quality. But it gains some significant updates, including a 40MP sensor, 6K video recording, in-body image stabilisation, and subject detection autofocus. Together, these place it right at the top of its class.
You get the attractive retro design that’s characteristic of the X-T series, including analogue dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation. There’s also a new dedicated dial for selecting between Film Simulation modes. Some people will love this, others will not: we’re very much in the former camp. You also get a perfectly serviceable electronic viewfinder and a screen that tilts up and down, although it can’t face forwards.
To go with the X-T50, Fujifilm also announced a compact new 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 kit zoom. While it adds a fair amount to the price, it provides great image quality and a versatile range, and we’d highly recommend it over the cheaper 15-45mm powerzoom. When you take into account the wide range of relatively compact Fujifilm X-mount lenses, the X-T50 is a real winner if you’re looking for a lightweight and affordable, yet capable setup.
Read our full review of the Fujifilm X-T50.
Premium Compact Camera of the Year – Leica Q3 43
$6,895 / £5,900 | leica-camera.com
Why we like it:
- Superlative lens
- Stunning raw image quality
- Robust build quality
- Engaging controls
How do you improve on the best fixed-lens compact camera in the world? That was the question facing Leica when following up its exceptional Q3. But now the firm has gone even better, by replacing the original’s 28mm lens with a brand-new, and absolutely stunning 43mm f/2 optic.
So what makes this camera so special? Fundamentally, it’s a combination of classic design and full-frame image quality. The Q is deliberately styled to resemble Leica’s iconic M-series rangefinders, with a similar array of traditional analogue controls for exposure settings and a corner-mounted high-resolution electronic viewfinder. Inside is a 60MP full-frame sensor that’s shared with the company’s M11 rangefinder and SL3 mirrorless camera.
At this point, readers may well be wondering about that odd-sounding 43mm focal length. The idea is that this is equal to the diagonal of the sensor, and lenses of this ilk bring a particularly natural-looking perspective to your images. It’s a Goldilocks option between the slightly-too-wide 35mm and slightly-too-narrow 50mm. And that’s what really makes the Q3 43 special: it delivers images with absolutely stunning technical quality that appear completely uncontrived, as if you’re really there, standing on the edge of the scene looking in.
Read our full review of the Leica Q3 43.
Video/Hybrid Camera of the Year – Panasonic Lumix GH7
$1,997 / £1,999 | panasonic.com
Why we like it:
- Excellent handling and controls
- Transformed autofocus
- Superb in-body stabilisation
- Vast range of advanced video features
This latest model in Panasonic’s long-running line of videocentric cameras takes everything we liked about the excellent GH6 and transforms it with the addition of phase detection autofocus. It also gains upgraded subject detection, ProRes support, and greatly enhanced audio recording via the optional DMW-XLR2 mic adapter. The result is an incredibly impressive hybrid camera.
Indeed, while it’s easy to think of the GH7 as essentially being a video camera, it also excels at stills. You get ridiculously fast continuous shooting at 75 frames per second with focus fixed, or 60fps with continuous AF. A new 25MP backside-illuminated sensor incorporates Panasonic’s Dynamic Range Boost, promising 13 stops of dynamic range for both stills and video. In-body image stabilisation is rated for an impressive 7.5 stops of shake suppression and performs exceptionally well in practice.
The camera handles extremely well too, with a plethora of external controls. It boasts both a large electronic viewfinder and a versatile LCD that combines tilting and vari-angle mechanisms. There’s a huge range of compact, optically excellent Micro Four Thirds lenses available, and you can cover huge focal-length ranges without excessively weighing down your bag. Ultimately, no other camera can quite provide the same combination of advanced video features and system portability.
Read our full review of the Panasonic Lumix GH7.
Innovation of the Year – OM System Live ND Grad Filter
Why we like it:
- Mimics ND grad filters
- Choice of densities
- Easy to move and angle
- Real-time live preview
OM System has long been at the forefront of introducing innovative camera features, many of which go on to be widely copied by other makers. Its most recent models are stacked full of clever computational modes, with Live ND Grad being its latest addition. Introduced on the OM-1 Mark II and also available on the latest OM-3, this replicates the effect of using a graduated neutral density filter in front of the lens, allowing a darkening effect to be applied selectively across the frame. It therefore lets you balance bright skies against dark foregrounds without having to carry a bag full of filters.
Live Grad ND filter gives a number of options, including 1, 2 or 3-stop densities, as well as soft, medium and hard graduation settings. Once it’s enabled, you can move the position of the gradient and adjust the angle, with the display updating in real-time so you can preview the settings. The front command dial gives quick adjustments, whereas the rear dial gives more precise adjustments, and you can also use the touchscreen to reposition the line.
OM System also understands that advanced features such as this need to be easy to access and use, with a new ‘CP’ computation photography button on the OM-3 dedicated to the task.
Smartphone Camera of the Year – Xiaomi 15 Ultra
From $1,640 / £1,299 l mi.com
Why we like it:
- Class-leading image quality
- Four high-resolution cameras
- Cameras developed in partnership with Leica
- Useful Photography Kit available as an extra
A range of enticing photographic specifications make this smartphone really stand out. Its headline attraction is a main camera with a 23mm equivalent f/1.63 lens and a large one-inch type 50MP sensor. It’s joined by a further three cameras, comprising a 50MP 14mm f/2.2 ultrawide, a 50MP 70mm f/1.8 ‘floating’ telephoto and a 200MP 100mm f/2.6 ‘periscope’ telephoto. All four of the lenses are Leica branded, which gives you an idea of the optical excellence that you can expect.
Its larger-than-average main sensor is the best performer, but the other three give great results, too. In our review, we found that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra excelled at a wide range of subjects, including macro, portraits, low light and landscape.
A very useful Photography Kit can also be purchased as an add-on accessory. This gives you a thumb grip, real buttons and dials for the shutter, zoom, video and other parameters, plus a 67mm filter adapter ring for using polarising, neutral density, or other filters.
Overall, this is a smartphone which is really designed with photography at its heart, and for that reason, it deservedly takes its place as the best you can buy right now.
Read our full review of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
Drone Camera of the Year – DJI Air 3S
$1,099-1,599 / £959-£1,439 l dji.com
Why we like it:
- Great-quality still images
- Excellent 4K video
- Stable footage even in buffeting wind
- Portable folding design
This mid-range drone strikes a particularly compelling balance between portability, performance and value. It’s considerably more robust than lightweight sub-250g drones while being far more affordable than DJI’s premium Mavic models. You get a pair of well-matched cameras, the drone’s arms fold against the body to make it easier to transport, and sensors placed around the body help it avoid objects and stay safe during flight.
At the heart of the drone is a dual-camera system, comprising a primary camera with a 50MP 1in sensor paired with a 24mm equivalent f/1.8 lens, and a telephoto camera with a 70mm equivalent f/2.8 lens backed by a 48MP 1/1.3in sensor. This enables a level of creative flexibility familiar to anyone who is used to zooming from 24mm to 70mm on a full-frame camera, or 16-50mm on APS-C.
Both cameras support 12MP or full-resolution stills shooting, plus 4K video recording up to 60fps, or 120fps in slow motion mode. Advanced video modes include D-Log M recording and HDR, with DJI promising up to 14 stops of dynamic range. As a result, it’s capable of producing impressive video footage and still images that stand up to scrutiny.
Overall, this is an excellent drone whose dual-camera setup, advanced safety features and robust flight performance make it a versatile choice for photographers and videographers alike.
Read our full review of the DJI Air 3S.
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For more options, have a look at our guide to the best cameras for professionals.
