UPDATE: We have spoken to Canon UK and the EISA Awards who have indicated that due to unfortunate timing, the Canon EOS R1 and Canon EOS R5 II missed the cutoff time for EISA awards 2024-2025.
The deadline for the EISA awards this year was May 20, however, the new Canon cameras were not officially released until July 17.
I did find it strange that the new Canon flagship cameras were not included as they boast some exceptional new features and are among the best mirrorless cameras on the market at the moment – this explains why!
ORIGINAL STORY (Aug 15 2024): The EISA Awards has announced the winners for the best cameras and lenses for 2024-2025, with Nikon and Sony scooping a total of 10 awards between them.
Every year EISA (the Expert Imaging and Sound Association) deliberates over the best cameras and lenses released over the past year. Its photography category honors different formats of cameras and various styles of lenses – and this year, 20 awards were given to the best of the best.
Six cameras were announced as winners, with the Sony A9 III scooping the biggest honor of Camera of the Year. It is no surprise by now that the A9 III has taken the photography industry by storm, winning multiple awards since its release and setting a new benchmark for pro sports cameras.
The camera introduces the first global shutter sensor on a photography camera, enabling lightning-quick flash sync speeds, minimal distortion, and the ability to capture your scene at 120fps in full 24MP RAW.
The A9 III was not the only Sony camera to win an award, however, as the much loved Sony A6700, won for best APS-C Camera.
Nikon continued a great award-winning year by picking up two camera awards, the Nikon Zf winning best Full-frame Camera and the Nikon Z6 III taking home Advanced Full-frame Camera.
The Zf has delivered on being a great hybrid option between retro and modern, offering users the looks and style of a film camera with the conveniences of modern technology. This EISA Award will sit on the camera's mantlepiece along with its Red Dot and TIPA Awards.
The other cameras picking up trophies include the Panasonic Lumix G9 II for Micro Four Thirds Camera and the Fujifilm X100VI for Compact Camera.
There does seem to be an obvious exclusion from the list of camera winners; considering it has released two brand new bodies in 2024, Canon is conspicuous by its absence. That being said, it is likely that the Canon EOS R1 and the Canon EOS R5 Mark II were released after the judging period. However, as the award is for 2024-2025, it does raise questions.
Cameras weren't the only photography product to win awards, with no less than 14 lens category winners.
The categories covered everything from telephoto to super-wide angle and everything in-between. Among the top picks was the Lens of the Year, awarded to the Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN Art. A major win for Sigma and a great representation of how third-party lens manufacturers are producing some exceptional glass.
And the EISAs weren't a total write-off for Canon, as it picked up awards for two of its best RF lenses: Photo/Video Zoom Lens and Ultra-wide Angle Zoom Lens for the Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8 L IS Z and Canon RF 10-20mm f/4L IS STM respectively.
The final award was that of Creator Smartphone, which was awarded to the Sony Xperia 1 VI. Smartphones are becoming a more and more viable option for photography, and the Zeiss optics and triple camera setup of the Xperia saw it take the gong.
The full list of winners can be found on the EISA website, and it makes for some interesting reading.
You may also be interested in our guides to the best mirrorless cameras, the best lenses, and the best smartphone for photography.
