Before you dismiss your kid’s request for a Barbie Video Girl doll/camera hybrid entirely, you should know that this low-res video-capable toy could lead to a future career in filmmaking. Just ask Philip Bloom.
Bloom is a noted British cinematographer and filmmaker who is well known for his work using digital cameras. His experience rangers from documentaries and feature films, having shot scenes with Canon DSLRs for the movie Red Tails. He’s no stranger to employing regular consumer and prosumer digital cameras to get that shot, including the Barbie Video Girl.
The kids at DigitalRev recently presented Bloom with their Cheap Camera Challenge, which called for him to produce a short film around three subjects with the kids’ toy. The 1.6-megapixel camera embedded inside Barbie could capture only 240p video resolution, but that didn’t stop Bloom from taking on the challenge. Check out the video of Bloom playing with Barbie and the film he created.
Fujifilm just gave its most popular instant camera a serious digital upgrade. The Instax Mini Evo 2 now comes with a touchscreen, larger sensor, and a video feature that captures four seconds before each photo. It is set to arrive by the end of November for $289.95.
What's new with the Instax Mini Evo 2?
Full-frame cameras tend to be chunky beasts, but Sigma wants to prove that big imaging doesn't need a big body. Enter the Sigma FP2, the successor to its tiny, boxy fp mirrorless camera. It keeps the same modular design but packs in some serious upgrades, including a 24.5-megapixel partially stacked full-frame sensor, improved autofocus, 6K video recording, and 70GB of built-in storage. Sigma calls it the world's smallest full-frame camera, and while it might be tiny, the same cannot be said for its price tag.
Sigma FP2 brings faster shooting and 6K video
A phone thermal camera is one of those tools you don’t think you need until the first time it saves you from an expensive problem, and the Thermal Master P3 just got easier to try. For Halloween, it’s discounted with the code THERMCAM10, a 10% cut that works out to $107 off the total. It’s also fresh off a win at the 2026 Tom’s Guide AI Awards for best phone thermal camera, which is the kind of third-party nod that separates a serious tool from the cheap clip-on sensors that flood this category.