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Making 'Art': We go inside Sigma's lens factory

On our recent visit to Japan to attend the CP+ show in Yokohama we were fortunate to be invited to tour Sigma's factory in Aizu. The Aizu factory is where almost all of Sigma's lenses are manufactured, including the company's impressive new 'Art' line of primes. Click through to take a virtual tour of the factory, in the company of Kazuto Yamaki, Sigma's CEO. 

March 9
Flasher smartphone flash launched on Kickstarter

A poor built-in LED-flash is still one of the smartphone camera's most glaring weaknesses. We've seen a number of accessory makers addressing the problem with different external light solutions. The latest one comes from Vision global which has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund mass production of its Flasher accessory. Read more

March 8
CP+ 2015 Ricoh Imaging interview - full-frame DSLR may have 'something extra built-in'

We recently returned from the CP+ show in Yokohama, Japan, where we sat down with Kazunobu Saiki - General Manager of the Marketing Communication Department, in the Global Marketing Division of Ricoh Imaging. We spoke to Mr Saiki about Ricoh's forthcoming full-frame DSLR, the success of the 645Z and about his desire to improve AF performance in Pentax's DSLRs and lenses. Click through to read the interview

Altitude adjustment: Alpine photographer Jonathan Griffith

Based out of the climbing town of Chamonix, France, Jonathan Griffith has been making 'life threatening' a sport for more than a decade. With exceptional sets of images from extended mountain hikes and nearly vertical ice climbs as well as perilous extreme sports like cliff-face paragliding, the alpinist and photographer has toured worldwide sites from Alaska to the Alps. We asked him a few questions about his photography and passion for climbing. See gallery

March 7
National Media Museum to display three of the world’s oldest photos

Three photographs taken by Joseph Nicephore Niépce, a Frenchman born in 1765, will soon be exhibited by the National Media Museum. These particular images, which their creator called 'heliographs', were taken during the 1820s, and are part of a set of 16 image located throughout the world. All three images are said to be amongst the earliest of photographs ever taken. Read more

March 6
Nikon D5500 real-world samples

A slight update to the D5300, the Nikon D5500 is a midrange DX-format that sports a 24MP CMOS sensor with no optical low-pass filter (OLPF) and the company's latest Expeed 4 processor. This combination offers an ISO range of 100-25600 and 5 fps burst shooting, while the 39-point AF system can track subjects in '3D'. Other features include a fully articulating 3.2" touchscreen LCD with 1.04M dots and 1080/60p video. We've been using it for a few days - click through to view our gallery of samples

Livestream's new Broadcaster mini dongle broadcasts live video

Livestream has introduced its new Broadcaster mini device for live-streaming video directly from a camera. The dongle is compatible with any camera that offers a mini HDMI port, and works wirelessly in conjunction with Android/iOS devices and Livestream's Studio software. The Broadcaster mini will be joined by the Broadcaster Pro next month, which will offer longer battery life, more connectivity options and higher-quality streaming. Read more

March 5
Sony Zeiss Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA real-world samples gallery posted

Sony announced three new FE primes yesterday, including a 28 f/2, a 35mm f/1.4 and a 90mm f/2.8 macro. We got our hands on the Zeiss Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 and shot with it around Seattle. It features a 9-blade circular aperture and a Direct Drive SSM focus system. Check out our samples gallery

World Press Photo revokes prize from Giovanni Troilo

Following an investigation into Contemporary Issues winner Giovanni Troilo's photo story 'La Ville Noir - The Dark Heart of Europe,' World Press Photo has stripped the photographer of his prize. The organization found Troilo to be in violation of contest rules - specifically, a photo he submitted that he alleged to have been taken in the Belgian city at the heart of the project turns out to have been taken in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, Brussels. Read more

Prepare to be impressed: Tamron 15-30 F2.8 vs. Nikon 14-24 F2.8

While we were at CP+ 2015 in Japan, we met with Tamron, and the company was kind enough to lend us their newly announced 15-30mm F2.8 Di VC USD. In Nikon mount, no less. It's a wide range for a full-frame zoom, made more impressive by the inclusion of vibration compensation (VC). With a price tag of $1200, Tamron is taking the Nikon 14-24 head-on, and so we decided to do the same: pit the two against one another in a shootout, which you can view here

March 4
CP+ 2015 Sigma Interview - "small office, big factory"

At this year's CP+ show in Yokohama Japan we made time to sit down with several senior executives from major manufacturers, including Sigma. In this interview with Kazuto Yamaki, CEO of Sigma, we spoke about the challenges of making lenses for ever-increasing pixel counts, the company's 'small office, big factory' philosophy and why the company is continuing to make cameras. Read more

Manfrotto releases XPRO Geared tripod head for precision adjustments with heavy kit

Italian tripod and accessory manufacturer Manfrotto has announced it is introducing a new heavy-weight head to its XPRO range. The XPRO Geared Head is designed for photographers who use weighty equipment and who like to be able to make precise adjustments to their composition. Read more

Nissin launches radio-controlled Di700A and Commander Air 1 wireless flash system

Independent Japanese flash manufacturer Nissin has announced a new wireless flash system that uses radio transmission. The first gun to be compatible with the company’s Nissin Air System (NAS) will be an adapted version of the Di700 flash unit. The Di700A will have the same specification as the GN48m/157ft current model, but will also feature a 2.4GHz radio transmitter that will be able to communicate with other NAS guns and the Nissin Commander Air 1 command unit from a distance of up to 30m. Read more

Chinese maker Xiaomi challenges GoPro with new Yi Action Camera

Chinese company Xiaomi, perhaps best known for its smartphones, has introduced a new GoPro competitor called the Yi Action Camera. This new action camera will only be sold inside of China for the equivalent of approximately $64 USD (399 CNY); the company doesn't, as of now, have plans to sell it elsewhere. This still poses a problem for GoPro, however, which has recently been looking to expand into the Chinese market. Read more

Sony releases 28mm, 35mm, and 90mm macro full-frame primes

Three full-frame prime lenses on Sony's lens roadmap officially arrived today which, including the 24-240, brings the total number of FE lenses to eleven. The least expensive of the trio is the 28mm F2 lens, which also supports ultra-wide and fisheye adapters. Next is the long-awaited Zeiss 35mm F1.4 ZA, which is Sony's fastest FE lens to date. Close-up shooters will be interested in the new 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS lens, which uses a Direct Drive SSM mechanism for ultra-precise focusing. More details here.

Sony brings big zoom power to FE-mount with 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 lens

Another full-frame lens from Sony's roadmap that hit the market today is a consumer-friendly super zoom. This 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 FE lens features optical image stabilization, five aspherical elements and one ED element, and is sealed against dust and moisture. The lens will ship this month for around $1000.

Firmware updates to reduce Sony FE lens startup times on the way

Sony is releasing a pair of firmware updates this month that will reduce startup times when FE lenses are attached to both full-frame and APS-C bodies. The first update, available now, will make your E-mount camera get ready to shoot in less time when using five currently available FE lenses. The second update, due later this month, will do the same for Sony's a7 series, this time for the four new lenses announced today. Read more

Sony adds wide-angle and fisheye adapters for full-frame and APS-C lenses

Sony has officially announced four new conversion lenses - two for full-frame and two for APS-C - that can be screwed onto a select group of lenses. On the full-frame side there are ultra-wide and fisheye adapters for the new FE 28mm F2, which drop the focal range to 21mm and 16mm, respectively. The adapters for APS-C lenses - the 20mm F2.8 and 16mm F2.8 specifically - and reduce the focal lengths by 0.75X for the ultra-wide adapter and 0.6X for the fisheye. More details.

Kowa announces pricing for three Micro Four Thirds lens

Japanese optical manufacturer Kowa has released pricing for the three Micro Four Thirds lenses it first announced a year ago. The trio, Kowa Prominar MFT 12mm f/1.8, Prominar MFT 8.5mm f/2.8 and Prominar MFT 25mm f/1.8 are available now and will come in a choice of black, silver or green finishes. The lenses are all manual focus, and do not feature electrical contacts for communicating aperture or focus distance data to the camera. The company had them on show at the Broadcast Video Expo in London. Read more

March 3
As Triggertrap pulls plug on Ada kickstarter, CEO Haje Jan Kamps responds to comments from unhappy backers

Despite a successful round of funding through Kickstarter, Triggertrap has run into difficulties developing its Ada prototype and has announced that it will not be continuing with the project. As of November last year the company had raised nearly £300,000 in crowdfunding for its latest innovation, Ada - a high-speed shutter and flash trigger. Triggertrap CEO Haje Jan Kamps spoke with us about the response he's heard from disappointed project backers. Read more

March 2
Lowepro launches Echelon luxury bag line

Lowepro has announced a line of new photography bags with a high-end design. The Echelon series includes a roller, laptop brief and attache with premium touches like leather handles and each piece includes a removable All Weather cover. We took the attache model for a spin - find out our first impressions of it. Read more

In the Spotlight: Sony Alpha 7S Review posted

The Sony Alpha 7S is a full-frame interchangeable lens camera sporting a 12.2MP CMOS sensor. It is identical in body design to the Sony a7 and Sony a7R, but don't let that fool you. Unlike the other two, the a7S is specially geared toward video and low-light shooters. It's capable of 1080/60p video with full-sensor readout and can turn out uncompressed 4K footage to an external recorder over HDMI. Read review

Better, buffer: Nikon D7200 First Impressions Review posted

Nikon's D7200 has some big shoes to fill. The D7100 was one of our favorite midrange DSLRs of the past few years, and though it's by no means a radical upgrade, the D7200 presents some notable new features. It has a 24.2MP CMOS sensor with no optical low-pass filter, an updated 51-point AF system sensitive to -3EV, a much larger buffer that can take up to 27 Raw images at 6 fps, and Wi-Fi with NFC. Read more

Hands-on with Nikon D7200

Nikon's new D7200 is an evolutionary upgrade to the D7100, and fixes one of the few major complaints about that model with an increased buffer depth. Other improvements are more subtle, but the addition of -3EV sensitivity to the D7200's 51-point AF array will please low-light photographers. There's also Wi-Fi with NFC, 1080/60p video, and improved battery life. Click through for some hands-on images

A closer look at the Nikon Coolpix P900 megazoom

The Nikon Coolpix P900 has the longest zoom of any camera by a large margin. Whether you're a nature photographer or just spying on your neighbors (not that we'd recommend that), the camera's 24-2000mm should cover any situation. We got our hands on this monster zoom and will run through its most notable features right here.

Nikon D7200 boasts low-light AF improvements and increased buffer depth

Nikon's prosumer line gets an update today in the form of the D7200. With a 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor it offers a very slight resolution increase over its 24.1MP D7100 predecessor, and like that model it lacks an optical low-pass filter. But the D7200's primary enhancements include a next-generation 51-point AF module with increased low-light sensitivity, built-in Wi-Fi with NFC and an improved 100-shot buffer depth when shooting JPEGs or Raw files at 6 fps. Read more

Nikon introduces Coolpix P900 with whopping 83x optical zoom range

Nikon has extended its superzoom range to include the Coolpix P900, offering a 16MP sensor and world's longest zoom lens, which is equivalent to a mind-boggling 24-2000mm. It features built-in Wi-Fi with NFC, 7 fps burst shooting, built-in EVF and a fully articulated 3" 921k-dot LCD. The P900 uses a new Dual Detect optical image stabilization system, claiming up to 5 stops of shake compensation. Read more

February 28
CP+ 2015: Fujifilm interview - 'our lenses are waiting for higher-resolution sensors'

We recently returned from the CP+ show in Yokohama, Japan. When we were there we sat down with executives from most of the major camera and lens manufacturers to get their insights and opinions on the challenges facing their companies and the market as a whole. One of them was Toshihisa Iida, Senior Manager Sales & Marketing at Fujifilm's Optical Device & Electronic Imaging products division. Click through for the full interview

February 26
UK temporarily bans export of 19th century photography album

The United Kingdom is hoping to retain an album containing photographs by Oscar Rejlander, and as such it has instituted a temporary export ban on the relic. The ban will prevent the album from being sold to a foreigner and leaving the country (for now), and will possibly provide enough time to study the collection and its origins. Read more

Tokina to launch water dispersing filter coating and IR-cut ND range

Japanese optical manufacturer Tokina is showing a hydrophilic filter coating that forces water droplets to spread into a thin film so that they become invisible to the camera. The coating will allow photographers to carry on shooting when rain or spray on the lens would otherwise obstruct the optical path. Read more

NPPA and World Press plan ethics symposium following contest disqualifications

The National Press Photographers Association and World Press Photo plan to hold a symposium later in 2015 to talk about ethics in photography, following news that 20% of the photos entered in the World Press Photo contest were disqualified after reaching the penultimate round, due to digital manipulations of some sort being discovered. Meanwhile, the NPPA has called on the photographers disqualified from the contest to release their photos to the public. Read more

Lytro plans to shed jobs as it shifts focus to video

Lytro CEO Jason Rosenthal has announced that the company has raised an additional $50M in funding, but plans to use it to make a strategic shift into video and virtual reality, while shedding some jobs. Although the exact number of layoffs has yet to be decided, website re/code is reporting that between 25-50 of Lytro's 130-strong workforce may be made redundant as the company seeks to hire new employees with video and virtual reality experience. Click through to read more

February 25
Tamron SP 15-30mm F2.8 Di VC USD real-world sample gallery posted

After handling a prototype at Photokina, we brought a final shipping sample of Tamron's new 15-30mm wideangle zoom back from CP+. The stabilized ultra-wideangle lens covers a full-frame sensor, offers a unique double lens hood design for added strength and boasts a very competitive $1200 price tag. We're impressed so far - check out our samples gallery

February 24
Sony Xperia Z3 camera review

The Sony Xperia Z3 is the successor to the Xperia Z2, and in terms of both camera specification and design it's more of an evolutionary update than a major overhaul. In terms of camera specs the new model comes with the same 20.7 MP resolution on a 1/2.3 sensor as its predecessor but the new G-lens offers a wider equivalent focal length of 25mm. Click through to read our full review on connect.dpreview.com

Konost full-frame digital rangefinder in the pipeline for 2016

An American start-up company is promising to bring a 20MP full frame digital rangefinder camera to market for early 2016. The Konost FF will be a 20-million-pixel metal bodied M-mount camera equipped with a 4" LCD. The company has said that the rangefinder system will operate not with mirrors and prisms, as most rangefinders do, but with twin imaging sensors that overlay their images to produce the same dual image effect in the viewfinder. Read more

Historic prints from the beginning of photography to go on auction in London

William Henry Fox Talbot prints from as early as 1844 are part of a collection of over 200 photographs that are due to go to auction in London next month. All of the pictures in the sale come from a single private collection which includes a many well-known and important works, and many of the prints were made at the time the original pictures were taken. See gallery

ARRI announces the ALEXA Mini, a lightweight carbon fiber cinema camera with 4K output

We don't normally write about thirty-thousand-dollar cinema cameras, but the ARRI ALEXA Mini caught our eye. This digital motion picture camera packs a whole lot of firepower into a super compact, carbon-fiber body. The specs also foreshadow what me might expect in future consumer-level cameras, in terms of video capabilities. Read more

February 23
CreativeLive kicks off Photoshop Week 2015

Starting today, the folks at CreativeLive are hosting a week of educational programs designed to help photographers and designers get the most out of Adobe Photoshop. Classes range from tips for beginners to more specialized sessions in landscape, architecture and portrait photography, to name a few. All classes are streaming live for free over the next six days, and will be available for purchase after the event. Read more

Panasonic introduces Lumix G 30mm macro and new 42.5mm portrait prime

Panasonic has announced two new additions to its Micro Four Thirds lens lineup, a 30mm F2.8 macro and 42.5mm F1.7 portrait lens. The company had previously hinted that the 30mm was in the works, and as promised it offers Mega O.I.S stabilization along with 240 fps drive AF. The 42.5mm F1.7 isn't quite as fast (or presumably as expensive) as the existing Leica Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2. Both lenses will be available in May. Read more

February 22
Close Encounters: Will Burrard-Lucas' wildlife photography

Based in the UK, nature photographer Will Burrard-Lucas is highly dedicated to wildlife photography. He's even developed his own remote-controlled camera system for getting as close as you can with dangerous animals like rhinos, lions and… meerkats. The photographer spent an entire year living in Zambia where he used new technologies like drones, camera traps and remote-control devices to capture nature from tricky perspectives. See gallery

February 21
International Garden Photographer of the Year 2015 winners announced

Winners of the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition have been announced, the top prize has gone to Magdalena Wasiczek. She won the overall prize in 2012, and has taken the top prize again with a dramatic rendering of a red Hydrangea petiolaris against a heavily defocused background. See winners

February 20
FAA proposes regulations for commercial drone usage

The FAA's plan to regulate drone usage has been a long running cause of concern among enthusiasts and those hoping to use UAVs for commercial purposes. Thus far speculation has pegged the budding regulations as unnecessarily restrictive, but the new officially revealed FAA proposal shows those concerns to largely be unfounded. Read more

Olympus OM-D E-M5 II First Impressions Review updated with shooting experience

Our first impressions review of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II covered the cameras updates, physical features and (of course) our first impressions on using it. Now that we've had some more time with the camera, we've put together some more thoughts on shooting with the E-M5 II - from grey Seattle to the bright sunshine of Bermuda. Read more

New samples from the Sigma 24mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens

We were recently lucky enough to visit Sigma's factory in Aizu, Japan, where Sigma allowed us to shoot with a pre-production sample of the recently-announced 24mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens. The wintry landscape of the Fukushima prefecture was a nice contrast to the CP+ convention center where we last gathered some samples with this lens, and our recent samples are more representative of lens performance on a native mount body (Canon 6D). Have a look

February 19
Into the woods: a video overview of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II

We thought we'd try something a bit different for our video overview of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II. Given that two of the major changes are improvements in its video features and stabilization, we thought we'd use the camera to shoot its own video and see how it behaves handheld. And, since the camera is environmentally sealed, we thought we'd venture beyond the office for a bit. See video

Sony branches off audio and video business but remains committed to sensor development

Sony has announced that it will be branching off its audio and video departments into a separate subsidiary. Sony previously spun off its VAIO PC business one year ago, and the creation of new departments aims to make the company into a profitable entity. Read more

Adobe celebrates 25 years of Photoshop

Photoshop turns 25 today, and Adobe is marking the occasion with a look back at the software's humble roots, along with a chance for users under the age of 25 to take control of the company's Instagram handle for two weeks. Short of supplying its subscribers with complimentary birthday cake, the company has put together some entertaining graphics comparing Photoshop's icons, toolbars and splash screens for a short trip down the digital memory lane. Read more

February 18
Marumi introduces fixed and variable neutral density filters, including ND100,000 for solar shooting

Japanese filter brand Marumi has introduced a collection of neutral density filters for its DHG (Digital High Grade) range including fixed density strengths of ND 8, 16, 32 and 64 as well as a variable ND filter with a range of ND 2.5-500. The company has also announced a ND filter for shooting solar eclipses. Read more

Astropad turns iPad into drawing tablet for Mac

Two former Apple engineers have just launched Astropad, an app for Apple's iPad and Mac computer that turns the former into a drawing tablet for the latter. It works with most styluses, and allows use of applications like Photoshop for image retouching and editing with more precision. Read more

February 17
Real-world test: the Sony a6000 goes surfing with Chris Burkard

Chris Burkard is a well-established adventure and surf photographer. His landscapes and cold weather surf photos have earned worldwide attention and plenty of high-profile clients. Chris joined us recently in California to take Sony's a6000 for a spin to try out its hybrid AF system on - what else? - sun, sand and surf. See how the a6000 keeps up in our latest real-world test. See video

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