Gear of the Month | November 2025

It has been a packed month for launches, with Canon, Leica, DJI, and Rode all rolling out gear that feels ready for the year ahead. There’s plenty to pick from, but two products in particular have turned heads among our team and the wider community: Canon’s long-awaited R6 Mark III and Leica’s Q3 Monochrom. Both are the kind of releases that get even very sensible people questioning whether an upgrade might be on the cards.

If you are building a Christmas list, or simply looking for an excuse to treat yourself, here is everything you might have missed (and other things that you will definitely have heard about; mainly the first item on this list...) Let's get to it!

Let’s start with the biggy. 

Canon’s R6 line has always been the sweet spot for enthusiasts and working photographers who want speed, reliability, and great low-light performance without the price tag of an R5. The R6 Mark III takes that balance and pushes it quite a bit further.

You are getting a new 24.2MP sensor with noticeably improved dynamic range, quicker readout speeds, and excellent noise handling across the ISO range. The autofocus is where Canon has clearly put in the hours; subject detection is quicker, tracking feels stickier, and it performs beautifully in tricky lighting where older Canon bodies start to waver.

On the video side, the R6 Mark III packs 6K internal recording with oversampled 4K that looks wonderfully detailed. Rolling shutter performance is improved, and full-HD at high frame rates offers more creative flexibility.

This is a significant upgrade from the R6 II, and a genuinely exciting one. Anyone shooting events, weddings, editorial, or hybrid work will really feel the changes and see that this camera is refreshingly capable.

Canon’s RF lenses already have a strong reputation for sharpness and character, and the new 45mm f1.2 STM sits in that sweet, slightly unusual focal length that feels natural for portraits, still life, and everyday shooting. The bright f1.2 aperture gives you gorgeous separation and buttery backgrounds, and the STM motor keeps autofocus smooth and discreet. It also has Canon’s familiar weather-sealed build, so it is a dependable option for street photography or low-light work in the winter.

It is not a small lens, and it is not a cheap one, but it brings a distinct look that many portrait and lifestyle shooters will appreciate. If you tend to hover between 35mm and 50mm, this lens meets you right in the middle with a lot of style.

Leica’s Reporter editions always feel designed for photographers who push their kit a little harder than most. The SL3 Reporter follows the same ethos - rugged and ready for real-world scenarios. You still get the outstanding 60MP BSI CMOS sensor, the exceptional colour science, and the intuitive SL-series handling, only wrapped in a more durable, textured finish that feels reassuringly tough in hand.

This is not a camera for everyone. It is for photographers who value reliability, tactile controls, and a system that takes a battering without blinking. As a working tool, it is superb; as a piece of design, it is frankly gorgeous.

If you shoot video on your phone, the Osmo Mobile 8 is the easiest way to give your footage a major lift. DJI has refined the stabilisation again, making pans smoother and movement steadier, even when filming on the go. It folds down neatly, feels more compact than previous versions, and now includes improved tracking that locks onto subjects with impressive accuracy.

For travel videos, interviews, or any quick social content, this is one of those accessories that quietly transforms your workflow.

The Rodecaster Video S is a clever piece of kit for anyone recording interviews, tutorials, or multicam setups. It offers switching, audio control, recording, and monitoring in one device, which is a welcome change from juggling separate bits of gear. The touchscreen interface is genuinely intuitive, and Rode’s preamps provide clean audio even in challenging environments. If you work alone or keep your setup portable, the Rodecaster Video S makes a big difference, keeping everything tidy, reliable, and much easier to manage.

DJI’s Neo 2 is designed as a lightweight drone for casual flyers and beginners, although its image quality and stability will surprise even more experienced pilots. The Fly More Combo adds essential extras like spare batteries and propellers, turning it into a genuinely practical kit for travel and learning. Flight control is stable and predictable, even in breezy conditions, which is perfect for helping you get confident in the air before moving up to something more advanced.

For action-heavy filmmaking, the Osmo Action 6 offers excellent stabilisation and very crisp 4K footage. It is robust, waterproof, and quick to operate, making it a good companion for hiking, cycling, or more adventurous projects. The horizon-levelling technology is especially helpful, keeping shots balanced even when you are not. It is the kind of camera you can throw in a bag without worrying. It’s simple, reliable, and capable in all sorts of environments.

And then we have the Leica Q3 Monochrom; easily one of the most talked-about releases this month. The Q-series already has a loyal following thanks to its fixed 28mm lens, beautiful rendering, and compact build. The Monochrom edition takes that formula and removes colour entirely, giving you a full-frame black-and-white sensor crafted specifically for luminance detail.

The result is extraordinary. You get deeper tonality, richer shadows, and a level of clarity that feels almost sculptural. It encourages a slower, more intentional style of shooting; something that many photographers find refreshing in a world of constant content creation. It is not a casual purchase by any means, but it is a statement of creative intent. For those who love black-and-white photography, nothing else really compares.