JK Imaging has recently introduced the Kodak PixPro SP360 action camera to its lineup of active photo equipment. The SP360 offers an extreme 360 degree viewing range thanks to its ultra-wide F2.8 lens, which is able to capture full HD video footage along with 10MP photographs. Read more
Articles from October 2014
October 31
C&A Marketing, the company that bought photo retailer Calumet's US operation when it closed its stores in May, has announced that Calumet Rentals is now available online. Cameras, lenses, accessories video and lighting equipment are available to rent through calumetrentals.com. Read more
Sony has launched a 'Pro Support' program with the aim of offering professional photographers the levels of support available from the big DSLR makers. The move presumably comes to help persuade pros to consider switching to the company's SLT and mirrorless camera systems. The program, called Sony Imaging PRO Support, provides 'superior support' so that pros can 'ensure their Digital Imaging products are always ready'. Read more
Olympus has announced the Japan-only release of the Stylus 1s, a successor to its Stylus 1 enthusiast compact camera. Maintaining almost all of the same hardware as the Stylus 1, the Stylus 1s offers an OM-D based design with a fixed lens and provides some software upgrades. Read more
October 30
DxO has taken the wraps off OpticsPro 10, the latest software version that brings with it, among other things, DxO ClearView for correcting atmospheric haze. Joining the new feature are some improvements to the software, not the least of which is enhanced noise reduction promised to trump competing products, as well as interface changes. Read more
Luxury goods brand Brikk has released the price of its forthcoming 'Lux Nikon kit' that has been finished in its trademark yellow gold and which will be on sale this month. Set to cost $41,395, the kit will include a gold plated Nikon Df body, a Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens with gold plated lens cap and lens hood, together with the usual charger, cables and software, and will come in a specially made gold plated Zero Haliburton hard case. Read more
The first Zeiss lens and Hasselblad 500C camera to visit space will be going up for auction on November 13 via RR Auction in Boston. The unit is a piece of history, having joined Wally Schirra during the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission and, later on, Gordon Cooper during the Mercury-Atlas 9 mission. Read more
Sony has introduced a new line of XQD format version 2 memory cards, the G Series. As with other XQD cards, the G Series promises fast read and write speeds that are able to match the demanding needs of select cameras, such as the Nikon D4 and D4s. In turn, Nikon has announced that the D4s will support Sony's version 2 XQD cards, with improved write speeds and burst capacities. Read more
October 29
Ricoh has announced the HD Pentax-DA 16-85mm F3.5-5.6 ED DC WR standard zoom. Covering an equivalent range of 24.5mm to 130mm, this lens uses Pentax's HD coating to cut down on flare and ghosting and offers a weather-resistant construction. It will be available in November for $749.95/£599.99. Read more
We've just added more detail to our Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 First Impressions Review including a summary of our shooting experience. Read our updated preview of Panasonic's latest enthusiast compact and find out how it fares in real-world shooting. Read more
A notebook containing recorded details of plates shot by explorer George Murray Levick during Captain Scott’s final expedition has been found and restored by the Antarctic Heritage Trust of New Zealand. Discovered in melted snow outside the hut that was Scott's base during the British Antarctic Expedition, the notebook is said to contain pencil-written details of 'the dates, subjects and exposure details for the photographs he took during 1911 while at Cape Adare'. Learn more
Mylio, a subscription-based photo organization and storage program, is making a debut at this year's PhotoPlus Expo in New York. Created by MyLO, a Bellevue, Washington-based company, Mylio offers cross-device access to a user's collection of photos, without them having to change their storage structure. We've taken it for a test drive - find out our impressions and find out about the new service. Read more
We recently had the opportunity to sit down with one of the most recognizable names in photography - Anne Geddes. In our interview, recorded in partnership with CreativeLive, DPR's Barney Britton talks with the photographer about how her career started, the transition from film to digital, and her efforts as a global advocate for children. See video
October 28
Ricoh has announced the Theta M15, a second version of its 360-degree camera. The M15 is also capable of 360-degree spherical images, which can be viewed using Ricoh's mobile app or theta360.com. The M15 adds video recording to its portfolio with clips up to three minutes. Learn more
Microsoft has announced that all users subscribed to Office 365 will begin to see their OneDrive cloud storage upgraded to unlimited space for no additional cost. The new change will begin rolling out over the next few months to subscribers of the Home, Personal, and University editions. Read more
October 27
Earlier this month we teamed up with CreativeLive to produce two days of live streaming interviews and discussions about photography, photo gear and industry trends. We've just added the videos to our archive so you can catch anything you missed or want to re-watch. See videos
Chinese lens designer and manufacturer Shenyang ZhongYi Optical and Electrical Company has launched a new 42.5mm f/1.2 lens that is capable of covering an APS-C imaging sensor. Priced $359, and available initially in the Micro Four Thirds mount, the Mitakon 42.5mm f/1.2 appears to be aimed squarely at competing with Panasonic’s Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 for its Lumix G bodies. Read more
October 26
As part of our DPReview Live event earlier this month, we sat down with renowned wildlife photographer Art Wolfe to ask him some questions about his work, vision and philosophy. With over sixty books published and a public television documentary series under his belt, Wolfe has plenty to offer on the subject of wildlife photography. See video
October 25
It's been a busy week here in the office as we're working hard on some post-Photokina reviews and preparing for PPE next week. We also got a serious dose of Pacific Northwest fall weather, and the rainy afternoons and evenings left us plenty of time to go poking around the corners of the internet for important (read: probably not really important) things that happened in the world of photography. Read more
The Natural History Museum has announced winners of its 2014 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. This year's winning photos document all manner of creatures, from a pride of lions in the Serengeti, to a yellow scorpion in the northeast of Spain. The competition recognizes both adult and youth winners and awards the top photo with £10,000 and a trophy. See gallery
October 23
The Canon EOS 7D II is the long-awaited follow up to the 7D, offering a 20.2MP APS-C sensor, dual-pixel AF with a 65-point phase detect system and continuous shooting at 10 fps. It's also equipped with 1080/60p HD video capture and a number of compression options, as well as microphone and headphone ports. We put the 7D II (and its predecessor, the 7D) through its paces in our studio and have updated our first impressions review with the results. Read more
It's not uncommon for a company to patent technologies that might be incorporated into products at some point, though the company might not have any plans to use it in the immediate future. Such a business move appears to be the case with a recent Canon patent, which details the use of variable lens elements in combination with traditional glass elements. Read more
German startup Panono has announced availability and pricing for its ball-shaped Panono Camera. The device shoots spherical panorama images and will cost $549/€549 when it ships worldwide in the spring of 2015. The first to receive the camera will be the backers of the crowd-funding project the company used to get started before the camera goes on general release. Learn more
October 22
Canon has announced the upcoming release of its second-generation EOS C100 Mark II digital video camera. The device houses a Super 35mm 8.3 megapixel CMOS sensor, and is positioned as an affordable solution for film and video production, providing a variety of new design and performance upgrades. Read more
Ricoh Imaging is set to introduce three new colors for the company’s Pentax K-S1 DSLR camera in what it calls the 'Sweets Collection'. Already available in 12 different main body colors, the 20-million-pixel APS-C camera will now also come with a white body featuring cyan, yellow or magenta colored panels. The company has named these Strawberry Cake, Blue Cream Soda and Lime Pie, and each features the trademark colored light strip on the handgrip of the original K-S1 that was launched back in August.
With the increasing affordability of digital full frame cameras, there's been speculation about the future of APS-C as an enthusiast format. But with the launch of the 7D Mark II, Canon has made it pretty clear it believes there's still a high-end market for crop-sensor formats. We spoke to Bettina Hansen, a photographer who regularly shoots Canon and has experience working with the original EOS 7D to see what she made of the new camera
October 21
From the outside, Canon's PowerShot G7 X enthusiast compact looks like the S-series models that came before it, but inside it's an entirely different story. The G7 X offers a 20MP 1"-type BSI CMOS sensor, a 24-100mm equiv. F1.8-2.8 lens and built-in Wi-Fi with NFC. We've made a substantial update to our First Impressions Review of the G7 X including a writeup of our shooting experience and performance tests. Read more
The iPhone 6 Plus, introduced alongside the iPhone 6, offers one distinct feature that its sibling doesn't - optical image stabilization. In all other respects, their 8MP cameras, F2.2 aperture lenses and updated AF systems are the same. On paper the 6 Plus doesn't represent a great leap forward in terms of camera tech, but how does it perform in the real world? Read more
Back in January 2013, Lomography announced that it would be releasing a color negative film called Lomochrome Purple, which was based on Kodak's Aerochrome. With that film, photographers could capture images with shifted colors skewed towards the presence of purple. Today the company has made a follow-up announcement, introducing the Lomochrome Turquoise XR 100-400. Read more
October 20
Sony has introduced a new CMOS sensor, calling it the highest sensitivity sensor of its kind. Developed for automotive use, the new chip can capture color images in light conditions down to 0.005 lux. The sensor is 1/3-inch type with 1.27 effective megapixels, and supports a Wide Dynamic Range system that uses extended exposure times rather than using multiple exposures. Read more
October 19
With all the talk about new equipment at this time of year it's worth remembering why we buy that gear - to make great photos. What better way to do it than to showcase the excellent work of our own community? This week we asked users of our Documentary And Street photography forum to submit their favorite shots for inclusion in our Readers' Showcase. Click through to take a look at our favorites
Nature photographer Erez Marom captures a wide range of subjects, from macro shots of insects to some of the world's most dramatic landscapes. In this article, he shares images from a very unusual location - the ghost town of Kolmanskop, in Namibia. Abandoned over fifty years ago, Kolmanskop was a diamond-mining town, and is currently being reclaimed by the desert. Click through to take a look at Erez Marom's images and learn about his process
October 18
Sony's NEX and Alpha range of E and FE-mount cameras have a lot going for them, but some users have reported a 'wiggle' in the lensmount, especially when heavier lenses, or third-party optics via adapters are used. Fotodiox thinks it has the answer with its new 'Tough E-Mount' - literally a replacement lensmount for E and FE-mount cameras. With a single metal ring replacing the two (one metal, one plastic) originally attached to the camera, the Tough E-Mount should (according to the manufacturer) eliminate any movement between camera and lens. Click through for more details
British filter manufacturer Lee Filters has announced a new polarising filter that features a built-in warm-up effect that it says is aimed at landscape photographers. The 105mm Landscape Polariser has been designed with a shallow mount and with a 105mm diameter so that it will be useful for wide angle views, with the company suggesting it will be compatible with focal lengths as wide as 16mm on full frame SLRs. Read more
October 17
Delkin has introduced a new trio of rugged SD cards suitable for photographers who shoot in harsh environments, reducing the odds of losing photographs because of card damage. Delkin's new 'Black' SD cards are designed to handle extreme temperatures, as well as exposure to dust, water, and crushing forces. Read more
Earlier this year, storage manufacturer LaCie launched an upgraded version of its Rugged hard drive that features improved damage resistance and a built-in Thunderbolt cable. The new Rugged Thunderbolt drive is available with either a hard disk or an SSD, and also has a USB 3.0 port for universal connectivity. Is it a good storage option for photographers who need something that can handle the bumps in the road? Read more
Canon has taken the wraps off its new 50-1000mm CN20x 50 IAS H E1/P1 cinema lens, expanding its cine-servo offerings with what the maker says is the first-ever lens boasting a combined 20x magnification, integrated 1.5x extender, and a removable servo drive. The lens is targeted specifically at nature and sports television productions, as evidenced by its far from enthusiast-friendly $78K price-tag. Click through for more details
October 16
After unveiling its new iPhone models last month, Apple announced two new tablets today - the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3. The iPad Air 2 features a new Apple A8X chipset which Apple claims is 40% faster at the CPU level than the processor used in its predecessor. The iPad Air 2's cameras have been upgraded too, and both new tablets also gains the TouchID fingerprint sensor. Meanwhile Apple also announced a new version of its 27in iMac desktop computer with a 5120 x 2880 screen resolution. Click through to read more
Alongside the new Motorola-made Nexus 6 smartphone Google has also launched a new Nexus tablet, the 8.9-inch Nexus 9. The Nexus 9 is the first HTC-made Nexus device since the original Nexus One in 2010. Despite the different manufacturers the Nexus 9 specifications are equally high-end as those of its smartphone cousin. The new tablet comes with an 8.9-inch IPS LCD display that offers a 2,048 x 1,440 resolution and top-of-the-line interior components. Click through to read more
Following Apple's decision to cease development of Aperture, Adobe has released a plugin for Lightroom that enables erstwhile Aperture users to easily port their old libraries into Adobe's ecosystem once and for all. 'Aperture Importer' is a Lightroom add-on that allows users of Aperture and iPhoto to import their libraries into Lightroom complete with associated data ranging from flagging, GPS information and keywords to star ratings. Click through for a link
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 puts together a solid stills shooting feature set, including a 16MP Four Thirds sensor, 2.36m dot viewfinder, fully articulating 3-inch LCD and 12 fps continuous shooting. But its headline specs are in the video category - Cinema 4K recording and a host of tools for video shooters like focus peaking and zebra settings. We put its capabilities in stills and video to the test. Read review
Like any travel photographer, David Julian is happy to carry less gear whenever possible on his trips. With a photo expedition to Alaska on the horizon, he agreed to take the Canon G1 X Mark II for a spin and try it out from a travel photographer's perspective. No doubt it's easy to carry on a long journey, but is it versatile enough to be a traveler's primary camera? Read more
Google has launched the Nexus 6, its latest showcase phone that comes with a brand new version of Android, 5.0 'Lollipop', and an interesting-looking camera specification. The device comes with the same dual-LED ring flash as the Moto X and a 13MP imaging sensor. However, it adds a slightly faster F2.0 aperture and an optical image stabilization system into the mix. Read more
October 15
The Canon EOS 7D Mark II is the long-awaited replacement to the 7D, which was launched in 2009. It features a 20.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor and dual DIGIC 6 image processors. It has a new 65-point, all cross-type autofocus system as well as an updated version of Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF system. We've just been provided with an early build of ACR 8.7 and we've taken the opportunity to add seven Raw conversions to our previously-published gallery of real-world samples. Click through to take a look
Instagram's straightforward user interface is geared for posting and viewing photos, but if you've got an eye on growing or managing a large following, you'll soon run into the app's limitations. Iconosquare aims to give Instagram users basic metrics about their content and help manage large groups of followers. We tried the service out to see how it works and how useful it is. Read more
We've just added a trio of cameras to our studio comparison tool: the Canon PowerShot G7 X, Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 and the Sony Alpha a5100. The Canon G7 X and Panasonic LX100 were two of the most talked-about cameras to emerge from Photokina 2014, both managing to squeeze large sensors into compact camera bodies. Read more
Nikon has released updated versions of its image processing software, bumping its Capture NX-D software to version 1.0.3 and View NX software to version 2.10.2. Both updates introduce a number of bug fixes for Windows and Macintosh platforms. Learn more
October 14
Flickr has introduced a new service for US users who want to order physical prints of their photographs. Called Flickr Wall Art, the printing feature caters specifically to those looking for high-quality pieces for mounting on walls, with two different options currently being available to registered users. Read more
The DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ is the company's newest flagship consumer drone, outfitted with a 3-axis gimbal, Adobe DNG RAW capture in addition to HD video recording, and operated by the DJI Vision smartphone application. It's capable of producing 14MP JPEGs and Raw images, and could be an ideal tool for a real estate photographer or independent filmmaker looking for b-roll. Does it rise to the occasion? Read our review
Lens manufacturer Sigma has issued an update to the firmware of its USB dock to make it compatible with the new 150-600mm f/5.6-6.3 DG OS HSM S and 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3DC Macro OS HSM lenses. Although these lenses are available in Sigma, Canon and Nikon mounts, the update for the USB dock does not yet cover these lenses in the Nikon fit, and Sigma hasn't indicated when it will. Read more
October 13
PhotoShelter has introduced a new project it has been working on called Lattice, which allows the service's users to browse images that have been aggregated into boards. The way the service works is similar to Pinterest and will be rolling out in phases, the first of which is now available to the public. Read more
Italian film and camera brand Ferrania is set to come back to life after a Kickstarter fundraising project reached its target with over two weeks left to run. A company called FILM Ferrania will use the money raised to re-commission and redesign existing machinery from closed sections of the Ferrania factory to begin the manufacture of film. Initial production will be for 35mm and 120 roll formats for stills, and Super 8 and 16mm movie film. Learn more
October 12
Nicolas Marino has been to 56 countries in his lifetime and has his sights set on the other 140. He's traveling around the world with his camera and he's not taking the easy way, crossing deserts, jungles and everything in between by bicycle. Why? In his words, 'With a bicycle and a humble attitude you can travel to the heart of a culture.' See gallery
October 11
Britain's Natural History Museum has disclosed four of the winning images from the shortlist of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. With a judging panel chaired by Jim Brandenburg, the competition attracted almost 42000 entries from 96 countries this year, and 100 of the best images will form a touring exhibition that the museum says will visit six continents. See gallery
October 10
Cinamatic, Hipstamatic's iOS app for capturing short video clips, has been updated to implement manual control over focus, exposure, white balance, shutter speed and ISO. This has been made possible by changes to the camera API in iOS 8. After the launch of the new OS manual control had been implemented in several still photography apps very quickly but Cinamatic is now the first video app to come with the additional controls. Read more
October 9
Smartphone maker HTC has introduced its first stand-alone camera in the shape of the HTC RE. With no viewfinder, screen or controls other than a shutter release button, the RE is designed to be used either as an independent still and video camera, or as a connected device controlled via a smartphone. Housing a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor that features 16 million pixels, the RE uses a fixed-focus f/2.8 lens that HTC says has a 146 degree angle of view - equivalent to a 6.5mm focal length on a full frame body. Read more
Graham Rowan of Hertfordshire, UK has created a small camera dubbed the "fps1000", and as its name suggests, it is designed solely to record high-frame-rate videos. The goal is to open up high-speed shooting to a wider market by offering a relatively inexpensive product that is highly portable. Learn more
This Thursday and Friday October 9-10th, DPReview is teaming up once again with CreativeLive on a live streaming broadcast. We'll be talking with industry experts and pros about current technological advancements and what they mean to photographers. Additionally, we'll have on hand plenty of new gear announced at Photokina and DPReview editorial staff will discuss the highlights and trends seen at the show. Learn more
October 8
Ricoh has announced the WG-30W and WG-30, expanding its rugged compact camera lineup. The WG-30W provides Wi-Fi connectivity while the WG-30 doesn't, but outside of that the two cameras are identical. Offering a 16MP BSI CMOS sensor, the WG-30W is waterproof to a depth of 40ft / 12m, shockproof to 5ft / 1.5m, crushproof to 220lbf/100kgf and coldproof down to +14F/-10C. Read more
Nikon's newest full frame camera, the D750, made its debut at Photokina this year. It borrows features from the D810 and combines them with a 24MP sensor, boasting a comprehensive video and still photo feature set. We've had access to a full production unit long enough to put together a gallery of real world sample images. See gallery
October 7
UPDATED: When Canon's countdown clock reached zero this morning, the big surprise turned out to be... a 'marketing initiative.' Canon wants to remind consumers that its products can help them 'see impossible,' and it is doing so with an interactive website. The campaign will also include efforts in print, digital and live events. If you were waiting for the next big thing in imaging, it looks like you can keep on waiting.
There's a lot of excitement surrounding Canon's recently announced PowerShot G7 X. This compact camera features a 1" BSI-CMOS sensor and fast 24-100mm F1.8-2.8 lens. We've been using a production G7 X for a few days and ahead of our usual round of studio tests and hands-on assessment, we've created a quick gallery of real-world photos. See gallery
Digital storage company Connected Data has introduced a version of its Drobo Mini that will come kitted with 8TB worth of hard drives. Small enough to be portable and used by photographers and videographers on location, the Drobo Mini 8TB Bundle will be packaged with four Samsung Spinpoint M9T 2TB drives for the four 2.5-inch memory bays of the device. Read more
October 6
Adobe has announced updates to several of its mobile and desktop software applications, just in time to kick off the company's Adobe Max conference. While Photoshop itself only receives a couple of minor updates, such as more 3D printing profiles, there are some interesting new features added to the Adobe ecosystem. Among them is a new Libraries feature, making it possible to save layers and graphic elements for use across apps and platforms. Read more
UPDATED: The Panasonic Lumix LX100 topped our reader poll as the most interesting product to come out of Photokina 2014. Indeed, the LX100's combination of a Four Thirds sensor and 24-75mm equivalent F1.7-2.8 lens is big news. We've been testing out this intrepid compact for the past few days; take a look at a gallery of real-world samples and see what it can do. See gallery
October 3
We're planning some post-Photokina content and wanted to understand what you're thinking. We've created two polls, both looking for your take on the products and trends of Photokina. Let your voice be heard. Cast your vote
U.S.-based LensRentals has announced an expansion to its photo equipment rental service that allows photographers to purchase the gear they've borrowed. This gives renters a try-before-you-buy option and lets those who have become enamored with their rental equipment keep it forever. Learn more
Adobe has announced the availability of Camera Raw 8.7 and DNG Converter 8.7 release candidates. This version adds support for the Nikon D750, Fujifilm X30 and the Sony a5100 among other camera models. A number of lens profiles are also added. Camera Raw and DNG Converter 8.7 release candidates are available for download now from Adobe. Read more
Since the launch of iOS 8, manual camera apps for iPhone photographers have been in the news. Now it seems the makers of Camera51, a new camera app for Google's Android OS, are going the opposite way. The new app not only sets exposure and white balance automatically, but also aims to optimize how your shot is framed. Read more
October 2
Netflix is looking to hire a trio of photographers who will travel the country snapping photos and posting them to the entertainment company's Instagram account. The three Instagram users selected for the roles will travel with expenses paid for two weeks, taking pictures of iconic movie and TV locations. Learn more
The American Air Museum, which is part of Britain's Imperial War Museum, has launched a new wiki-style website designed to allow members of the public to help identify the service men and women depicted in the site's online galleries. Based on 15,000 prints from The Roger Freeman Collection documenting the lives of the US Army Air Forces personnel who served in England during the Second World War, the site records the thoughts and memories of the local population who worked and lived alongside them. Learn more
October 1
A proposed directive from the U.S. Forest Service that aims to protect federal wilderness from commercial exploitation may end up restraining photographers as well. Under the proposed restrictions, any individual or entity poised to reap commercial gain from photographing or filming federal lands in the U.S. will need a permit. Read more
What's so special about the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100? It uses the same sensor as the GX7 but is at a distinct disadvantage not being part of an interchangeable lens system. So why would anyone choose the Lumix LX100 with its expensive body over the flexibility of the only-slightly-bigger Lumix DMC-GX7? Has Panasonic shot itself in the foot? Click through to read more
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