Welcome back to iPhoto News, your fortnightly catch-up on everything happening in the world of photography — minus the jargon and the hype.
This time we’ve six stories worth five minutes of your day: a brilliantly affordable new zoom lens, a big Adobe update that quietly does your donkey work for you, and the surprising comeback of the humble compact camera. There’s also a stunning set of contest winners, a fond farewell to a British great, and a familiar editing app growing up.
Grab a cuppa and let’s get into it.
Tamron’s 17-70mm F/2.8 lands on Canon and Nikon — and it’s a cracker
On 24 June, Tamron announced that its popular 17-70mm F/2.8 zoom is finally coming to Canon RF and Nikon Z cameras, with both versions on sale from 2 July at around £749 / $749.
It’s built for APS-C bodies — think the Canon EOS R7, R10 and R50, or the Nikon Z50, Zfc and Z30 — and it’s been a firm favourite on Sony and Fujifilm for years.
So why the fuss over one lens? Because this is that rare thing: a single, do-everything zoom with a constant F/2.8 aperture. That means wide landscapes at 17mm, flattering portraits at 70mm, and everything in between — all with the same bright aperture for lovely background blur and confident low-light shooting.
Is it worth it? If you own a Canon or Nikon crop-sensor camera and you’ve been rattling around with the basic kit lens, then honestly, yes — this is one of the most sensible upgrades you can make.
It won’t suit full-frame owners (it’s APS-C only), but for beginners and improvers it’s the kind of lens you’ll leave on the camera for months. And if you’re not yet sure what focal lengths and apertures actually do for your photos, that’s exactly what we cover, in plain English.
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Adobe’s new AI does the boring bits of editing for you
Around 15 June, Adobe rolled out a batch of updates across Lightroom and Photoshop.
The headline features are clever helpers: Lightroom’s Assisted Culling now sifts through a big shoot and flags the sharpest frames with eyes open, while a new Stacking tool groups near-duplicates so you can pick the best in a couple of clicks. Photoshop’s Remove tool, meanwhile, now runs its AI on your own computer — so it works with no internet connection and resolves faster.
Here’s why that matters for the rest of us. The slowest, most tedious part of editing isn’t the fancy stuff — it’s wading through 300 near-identical shots to find the keepers.
Anything that trims that down means more time actually editing the photos you love. None of it replaces your eye, mind you; it just clears the clutter so your taste can do the talking. If you’d like to feel properly at home in Lightroom rather than poking at sliders and hoping, we can help.
The humble compact camera is having a moment
New figures from the camera industry body CIPA show that around 2.4 million compact cameras were shipped last year — the highest number since 2021. On the second-hand market it’s even starker: one popular Japanese trading app reported that nine of its ten most-traded cameras were compacts. Much of the demand is coming from younger photographers, many of whom are choosing a proper camera over their phone.
Isn’t that a lovely turn-up for the books? For years we were told the compact was dead, killed off by smartphones.
But it turns out there’s real joy in a camera that does one thing well — with actual buttons, a proper grip, and none of the pings and notifications. You don’t need the newest, biggest kit to fall in love with photography; you need something that makes you want to go out and shoot. If that’s the nudge you’ve been waiting for, our free course is a lovely place to begin.
The Hasselblad Masters 2026 winners are breathtaking
On 30 June, Hasselblad crowned the seven winners of its Masters 2026 competition — one for each category, chosen from more than 108,000 entries across 160 countries. Indonesian photographer Yudha Kusuma Putera took the top Art prize for his series Waste Colonialism. There was drama earlier in the process, too: one finalist was disqualified after online sleuths spotted tell-tale signs of AI in a ‘street’ photograph.
It’s a brilliant reminder of two things. First, that a striking photograph almost always starts with a strong idea, not expensive gear — every one of these winners had something to say. And second, that as AI images get harder to spot, honest photography and a real community matter more than ever. That’s exactly the sort of thing we chew over together inside iPhotography PLUS+.
A fond farewell to Martin Parr at Lacock
A new exhibition, Lacock by Martin Parr, opened on 27 June at the Fox Talbot Museum in Wiltshire — the very place where photography was born. It gathers Parr’s final major project, made in 2025, documenting the village and its people. The much-loved British photographer, famous for his witty, brightly-coloured take on everyday life, died in December 2025 aged 73.
If you don’t know his work, do look it up — Parr had a gift for finding the funny, tender and slightly absurd in ordinary British life: deckchairs, seaside chips, garden parties. And that’s the real lesson here. You don’t need to travel to the ends of the earth for a great photo; the richest subjects are often right on your doorstep. Capturing everyday life with honesty and character is the very heart of street and documentary photography.
VSCO grows up — but is it for you?
VSCO, the filter app many of us have dabbled with over the years, is making a serious play for professionals. In mid-June it launched Studio Pro, an iOS app that can batch-edit up to 100 photos at once and match the look of any reference image, with a desktop version promised later this year. It also unveiled VSCO One, an all-in-one bundle for pros at around $500 a year.
Should you rush to sign up? For most hobbyists, honestly, no — a $500 subscription is aimed squarely at busy working photographers, not weekend shooters. But it’s a useful sign of where things are heading: fast, phone-first editing that keeps up with how many of us now shoot. If editing on a phone or tablet is more your speed, there are gentler, friendlier ways to get lovely results.
Final Thoughts
That’s your fortnight in photography. A do-it-all lens that won’t break the bank, editing tools that hand you back your time, and proof that the trusty compact — and everyday subjects close to home — still have plenty to give.
If one of these stories got you thinking, I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Which would you rather have in your bag: the clever software, or the simple camera that just gets out of your way?
I’ll be back in two weeks with another round-up. Until then, keep shooting.