May 2011 news and reviews

Just Posted: Our review of the Nikon Coolpix P300. The P300 is interesting in the way it straddles camera classes - offering enthusiast camera features such as twin control dials and PASM shooting modes but built around a smaller sensor than its apparent peers. This smaller sensor and inability to record Raw files mark it out from the likes of the Canon S95 and Samsung's EX1 but, then again, so does its much more affordable price tag. So does this leave the P300 with the right balance of price and capability or leave it falling short of expectations? Read our concise review to find out...

Just Posted: Our review of the Sony DSLR A580. With all the progress Sony has been making with its mirrorless and 'translucent' mirror technologies, it's easy to overlook the company's continued development of its two-sensor liveview DSLRs. The A580 is the latest (and possibly last?) in a line that started with the promising but quirky A350. The A550 was a big step forwards for these feature-packed enthusiast DSLRs and the A580 takes this progress further with the addition of Sony's excellent 16MP sensor. Offering all the usual Sony processing cleverness - such as sweep panorama, in-camera HDR and multi-shot noise reduction - the only apparent cloud in its sky is the existence of the less expensive, full-time liveview sister model, the SLT A55. So, with an in-house competitor threatening to steal the A580's liveview crown, can its more conventional DSLR design offer the best of both worlds?

We've just published the third in a series of articles by Uwe Steinmueller of Digital Outback Photo on the art of HDR photography. The third chapter (of what will eventually become Uwe's next E-book) covers HDR workflow essentials. Future chapters will cover advanced HDR techniques. For now, enjoy this exclusive third part of what we hope will develop into a useful manual for anyone interested in getting more of the dynamic range they see in the scenes they photograph into the images and prints they produce.

Just posted! Our hands-on preview of Sigma's flagship SD1 DSLR. With its unique 15MPx3 Foveon X3 sensor that captures full color detail at each pixel location, the SD1 caused a something of a stir when it was first announced at Photokina 2010, and possibly an even bigger one when its eye-watering price was revealed recently. We've been lucky enough to get hold of a rare pre-production camera, and have prepared a hands-on preview detailing its design and operation.

Sigma has announced details of the pricing of its SD1 APS-C 15x3MP DSLR, saying it is aiming at users currently shooting medium format. The camera, based on the technology of Sigma's sensor development company Foveon, captures information about three colors for each of its 15 million pixels, rather than just one color per pixel in conventional, 'Bayer' designs. This gives 46 million pieces of color information. It is the company's first move away from the 4.7x3MP sensors used in its existing DSLRs and DP-series fixed lens large sensor compacts. The SD1 features the ability to shoot at 5 frames per second, offers a 3.0" 460,000 dot LCD screen and an 11-point AF system. It is based around the company's own SA lens mount. Cameras will available from the end of June at a price of $9,700 in the US and £6,199.99 (inc VAT) in the UK.

Lexar has launched a high-speed CF and SD card reader, capable of transferring data at up to 500MB/sec. The USB 3.0 device allows compatible computers to take advantage of the increased speeds of the latest UDMA Compact Flash cards as well as the emerging ultra high speed interface (UHS-I) SDXC cards. The device also allows full-speed copying from one card to another, even if your computer communicate with the device at its full speed. The reader features a pop-up design that protects the card slots if you throw it in your bag. It will sell for around $49.99 in the US and £39.99 in the UK.

Flash accessory specialist Gary Fong has launched a version of its 'Puffer' flash diffuser for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The Micro Four Thirds Puffer clips into the hotshoe of the Panasonic GF and PEN E-PL series cameras and hangs a diffuser in front of the pop-up flash. The intent is to mitigate the harsh, direct lighting that can spoil portrait images with on-board flash, though it is likely to further limit the already low-powered internal flash output.

Canon has posted a firmware update for its EOS Rebel T3i / 600D digital SLR. Firmware v1.0.1 clarifies the on-screen feature guide description of the digital zoom function in movie mode, and fixes a bug relating to computer connectivity via USB. The firmware is available for immediate download from Canon's website.

Just Posted: Our in-depth Fujifilm X100 review. The X100 has been an object of fascination and desire amongst photography enthusiasts since it was unveiled at Photokina last September. The camera marries elegant retro looks with an advanced viewfinder and a well-respected sensor. A 35mm equivalent F2 lens completes this modern interpretation of the classic fixed-lens rangefinder concept. However, despite the undeniable attraction of the camera, it won't come as shocking news to hear that it's not an unqualified success. As a result, we've taken a little longer than usual over our review, partly because it's a camera that requires some time to really appreciate it. Mainly though, we wanted to rigorously assess which drawbacks prove to be truely significant after extensive real-life use, and which ones you can be charmed into forgiving.

Nikon USA has announced that its Coolpix S4100 and S6100 models will continue to be available to American customers. This follows a statement from Nikon Japan that the recently-introduced S4100 was being withdrawn as a result of component shortages following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The withdrawal only affects certain markets, says Nikon USA, and confirmed both models will continue to be available in 'The Americas.' We have not yet heard about European availability.

Panasonic has announced the DMC-G3 Micro Four Thirds mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The G3 uses a brand new 16.6MP sensor, producing 15.8MP images and features a considerably downsized body compared to its predecessors. It pushes further towards touch-screen control in an attempt to make the camera ever-more accessible to beginners. We've had a final production standard G3 and have prepared a hands-on preview with both studio test shots and real-world samples.

Phase One has launched Media Pro, a digital asset management program. The package has evolved from software originally created by iView Multimedia and later sold as Microsoft Expression Media. Now called Media Pro, the Phase One version provides a flexible way of cataloging, organizing and accessing stored media. Media Pro includes the raw image rendering engine from the company's Capture One software, allowing Raw files to be previewed (including any adjustments made in Capture One). Media Pro is designed to be independent of platform or software, to allowing use with the best contemporary processing tools, minimising the the likelihood of you having to re-catalog your media in the future.

ABSoft has announced an upgraded version of its Neat Image Pro noise reduction plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Apple Aperture. There are also standalone versions of the software for Mac OS and Linux systems. Version 7 includes a redesigned user interface, support for 32-bit images and and a 'Smart Profile' system to improve noise profiling. Priced at $69.90 it is available for immediate download as a plug-in or a stand-alone application for Windows, Mac and Linux. A simpler version, 'Neat Image 7 Home' with limited features is also available for $39.90.

The PMA has cancelled its 2011 trade show and convention. The show, which was re-branded as CliQ 2011 earlier this year, had been scheduled for September 6-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada, a move away from its traditional spring timing. The show will instead take place alongside the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas as PMA@CES in January next year. The move is likely to give increased importance to the PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo in late October.

Sony has published the instruction manual for a camera called the NEX-C3 on its Czech website. The manual shows the camera as being smaller than the existing NEX-5 model but with a 16MP sensor and a series of Picture Effect modes including Toy Camera and Retro Photo. The camera retains a similar button arrangement to the NEX-3 and 5 but appears to offer greater control over the function of those buttons than the existing models. The manual was placed on a password-protected directory but with the login details publicly posted elsewhere on the site.