Nikon Z8 at $3,296, Leica's carbon-fibre F1 Q3 43, and a $1,399 Summilux clone

Leica Q3 43 Formula 1 Edition — swaps the usual metal shell of Leica's 60MP, 43mm fixed-lens compact for carbon fibre, with a grip covering modelled on a racing steering wheel and red accents on the controls. Nothing optical changes, so this is a read on where Leica is putting its effort right now — trim and licensing rather than sensors — and worth knowing about mainly so you are not waiting on a Q3 43 refresh that is not coming. On sale now at $9,950 / £7,300 / €8,500, with an exclusive high-contrast 'Formula 1' colour profile that loads only through the Leica FOTOs app. Amateur Photographer

Light Lens Lab 35mm f/1.4 Aspherical "11873" — is a modern M-mount rebuild of the 35mm Summilux Double Aspherical that Leica made for about four years from 1990, of which roughly 2,000 were produced. Recreations like this are how the rangefinder end of the market is moving: Fstoppers' reviewer, who shoots his own Summilux 90 percent of the time, rated it outstanding and said the logical buy at this focal length is the cheaper lens. Fstoppers

NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S — gets measured by Dustin Abbott against SongRaw's 85mm f/1.2 AF, which costs about $650 against Nikon's near-$3,000 asking price. This is the Z-mount pattern worth tracking before you spend: Nikon has let third-party autofocus glass in freely, so what the first-party premium now buys is sealing, motor behaviour and service, not necessarily resolution. On a 45MP Z8 the SongRaw was sharper at f/1.2 in the centre and mid-frame, while the Nikkor held together better to the corners; the Nikkor weighs 1,160 g and runs on dual stepping motors rather than Nikon's newer voice coil design. Fstoppers

Nikon Z5IIC — is Nikon's $1,400 full-frame body with stabilisation and internal raw video but no viewfinder, which Taylor Jackson carried around Japan beside a wedding photographer shooting the Sony a7CR. Both cameras use Sony sensors, so the comparison lands on handling and money — the questions you actually face if a compact second body is on your shortlist. At B&H prices the Z5IIC sits roughly $1,100 below the a7C II and about $2,000 below the a7CR, which Jackson reckons is travel-zoom money. Fstoppers