October 2013 news and reviews

The Royal Air Force's annual photographic competition invites photographers employed in the service of the RAF to submit photos in eleven categories. Winners are recognized in an awards ceremony and finalists' photos are available for viewing online. Take a look at a selection of our favorites. The images are a captivating peek inside the RAF on the ground and in the sky. See gallery

We've just completed our review of Canon's EOS 70D. With its Dual Pixel AF system and built-in Wi-Fi, it's an unusually radical departure for a series that's tended to progress fairly conservatively between generations. So how well does it work? Are these high-tech additions enough to fend off the competition from Nikon's very capable D7100 or Olympus's rather impressive E-M1? Read our review to find out.

The Alpha 7 is Sony's latest full-frame E-mount mirrorless camera. It's identical to the A7R in almost every respect. The key difference: a 24 megapixel CMOS sensor with on-chip phase detection. We recently got our hands on a production model Alpha 7 and shot some real-world samples using the Sony FE 24-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS, 35mm F2.8 ZA and FE 55mm F1.8 ZA lenses. See gallery

Canon has released firmware version 1.2.3 for the EOS 5D Mark III, which fixes four bugs (including one in which the flash may not fire when the shutter is pressed) and adds the ability to adjust LCD brightness when an HDMI cable is connected. For the full list of fixes - and a link to the update - follow the link.

A security breach at Adobe Systems earlier this month is more widespread than first reported. Adobe now says hackers stole information from at least 38 million customer accounts, including part of the source code to Photoshop, the widely used photo editing software. Earlier in the month, Adobe said data from 2.9 million user accounts were hacked. Learn more

The Sony RX10 is a 20MP zoom compact camera with a 1"-type sensor and a 24-200mm (equivalent) constant-aperture F2.8 lens. We were impressed by its features and handling when we used it recently, and this week we've been using a production-quality sample, in an effort to get a feel for what it can do. Click through for a gallery of real-world samples shot on the RX10 in a range of different environments and lighting conditions. 

DxOMark has recently tested the Sigma 120-300mmm DG OS HSM, and as part of our ongoing collaboration we've added the test data to our lens widget. We've also added a range of Nikon telephoto lenses including the AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G ED VR, which can be compared with each other and their Canon counterparts. Click through for more details and analysis.

A year ago this week Superstorm Sandy devastated the New York area. The Museum of the City of New York looks back in an exhibition featuring images taken by professional photographers and everyday people. The inclusion of so many images by novice photographers, both in the exhibition and in media at the time of the storm, is an indication of the power of today's 'citizen journalists'. See gallery

Crossword puzzles, sudoku, and listening to classical music won't keep your mind as sharp as you once thought. New research found people who only participated in passive activities such as playing games got little memory benefit. However, learning photography showed significant gains in memory. Read more

Sigma has released updates for its SD1 and SD1 Merrill cameras - as well as for its Photo Pro software - to add support for the recently released 18-35 F1.8 DC HSM lens. On the camera side, the SD1 firmware update improves color in peripheral areas of the image when the aperture is wide open. As for software, Sigma's Photo Pro v5.5.3 is now optimized for Raw (X3F) images taken with the SD1 camera and 18-35 lens.

Google is reaching out to photographers once again by announcing a bevy of forthcoming features on its social networking site Google+ that will be a boon to photographers: full-resolution photo backups for iOS users, improved search through advanced photo recognition software, and better image editing tools. See what else is new on connect.dpreview.com.

Up until recently, the only 'real' premium superzoom camera was the Panasonic DMC-FZ200. Two weeks ago Sony made a big splash with their pricey Cyber-shot RX10, which features a 1"-type sensor. The Olympus Stylus 1 slots in nicely somewhere between the two, offering a 1/1.7"-type sensor and constant F2.8, 28-300mm equivalent lens in an OM-D-style body. If that sounds appealing, then follow the link to read our First Impressions Review of the Stylus 1.

The Stylus 1 is Olympus's latest high-end compact camera. With 'mini-DSLR' styling and a constant-aperture F2.8 28-300mm (equivalent) zoom lens, the 12MP Stylus 1 has a lot to offer the amateur and enthusiast photographer. While our Seattle and London teams were busy preparing a detailed preview, editor Barnaby Britton got his hands on the new model at last week's Photo Plus Expo show in New York. Click through for a gallery of hands-on pictures and his initial impressions. 

Olympus has thrown its hat into the premium superzoom ring with the Stylus 1. It combines a larger-than-average 1/1.7"-type BSI-CMOS sensor with a 28-300mm equivalent, F2.8 zoom lens, high resolution EVF, 'hybrid' control ring, and Wi-Fi - and packs it all into a compact body that strongly resembles the OM-D EM-5. Other notable features include a built-in ND filter, tilting touchscreen LCD, in-camera Raw processing, and 1080p movie recording.

We just updated our first impressions review of the Canon PowerShot G16 with our studio test scene showing image quality in both JPEG and Raw capture modes. It includes downloadable Raw files of both the daylight and low light scenes. As usual this allows you to compare the G16 with other cameras. 

Photography education resource creativeLIVE has announced a sale on all of its online photography workshops from now until the end of this month, plus a free three-day 'Autumn Photo Critique' evaluating submissions in three categories: wedding and family, commercial and fine art and portraiture. Click through for more details of the promotion.

Darren Pearson is a 'light painter', who creates photographs and videos featuring elements that are 'painted' with light during long exposures. Most photographers have probably tried painting with light at least once, but Pearson takes it to a new level in his video 'Light Goes On', which features a skeleton (one of his common characters) drawn with light, skateboarding through various locations. Click through to watch the appropriately halloween-themed video.

Dutch photographer and urban exploration specialist Niki Feijen goes behind "do not enter" signs on dilapidated houses to document furniture, clothes, and other ornaments left behind by their former owners. His eerie HDR images reveal remnants of life in rooms across western Europe that are now left to decay. Frozen in time, it's hard not to imagine the people that once occupied the spaces. See gallery

Of all the major camera manufacturers, Sony has the most new products on show at the Photo Plus Expo in New York, after the flurry of new Alpha and RX-series cameras released in the past couple of months. We had a fascinating (and fun) interview this morning with Kimio Maki, the brains behind the A7 and RX lines which we'll be writing up soon, but in the meantime, click through for a quick tour of the new cameras. 

The rumors of Nikon creating a stripped-down, film-era-style camera are exciting because it's something people have been calling for, for years. Nikon Rumors has been reporting possible specifications all week. Adding fuel to the flame, Nikon recently released a short teaser video and ad campaign for a "pure photography" camera. Watch the video

We're at Photo Plus Expo in New York, having meetings and learning about all the new products that have recently been announced (and some which are still under wraps). Panasonic's new GM1 is one of the hottest new cameras at this year's show, inheriting a lot of technology from the GX7, and yesterday afternoon we stopped by the stand to get our hands on the gear. Click through for a quick tour of three of Panasonic's latest cameras. 

Buried among all of the cameras announced last week was a new 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM lens from Sigma. The company has announced pricing and availability for this full-frame 'Art lens', which will be available for Canon, Nikon, Sigma, and Sony mounts (in that order). You'll be able to pick one up for yourself starting next month at a retail price of $899. In the UK, the recommended retail price will be £849.99.

Dubble, a new community-based photography app takes the concept of double exposures — either a trick or a mistake in which photographers expose a roll of film twice, thereby layering two images in a single frame — and applies it to your smartphone, with a crowdsourcing twist. We take a closer look at Dubble on connect.dpreview.com.

We're at the Photo Plus Expo in New York, and this morning we got an opportunity to look at Manfrotto's new 190-series tripods. The 190 series has been among Manfrotto's most popular products for a long time, and the recently announced updates take up less space when folded, and add some interesting and well-thought-out improvements to the design. Click through for a quick hands-on with the new Manfrotto 190-series. 

Just in time for the holiday season, Leica has announced a 'Silver Edition' of its D-Lux 6 premium compact camera, with a high-gloss black body and silver lens barrel. The camera also gets a new accessory: the Leica Soft Pouch in lambskin nappa leather, which the company says features a 'fascinating wrap-around design'. The camera is otherwise the same as the standard D-Lux 6 (and by extension, very similar to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7). 

Voigtlander has announced the VM-E Close Focus adapter, which will allow the use of M-mount lenses on Sony E-mount cameras such as the recently-announced full frame A7 and A7R. Unlike most similar adapters, though, Voigtlander's latest includes a focusing helicoid for close-up work, with 4mm travel. This overcomes a limitation of many rangefinder lenses, which tend to have longer minimum focus distances than similar SLR lenses. It's set to be available in December for €289.

DxO Labs has released Optics Pro 9.0, a major update to its RAW conversion and image correction software. It offers improved highlight recovery, adds creative visual presets known as 'Atmospheres', and includes all-new 'PRIME' noise reduction technology that claims to offer significant image quality gains at high ISOs. The software is available to download now, with a special introductory price to November 20th. Click through for full details.  

Olympus UK has teamed up with exhibtr.com to launch a competition for student photographers, and in the process teased an upcoming 'premium compact' as one of the prizes. The Student Photography Competition 2013/14 has a theme of 'People & Portraits', and the overall winner will receive an OM-D E-M5 12-50mm lens kit, while two runners-up will receive the soon-to-be-announced camera. UK-based photographers will be able to get an 'exclusive preview' of the new model at London's Covent Garden from November 2nd to 9th. Click through for more details. 

In addition to announcing a trio of new mobile devices today, Nokia is also making headlines by offering Raw photo support for one of those Lumia models, the new 1520 'phablet.' The oversized smartphone will have the option to save uncompressed Digital Negative (DNG) files. The feature will also come to the 41MP Lumia 1020 early next year. Learn more about the new devices and new Raw support on connect.dpreview.com.

DxOMark has recently tested the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, which in some markets will be sold as a 'kit' zoom with the latest D5300 SLR. As part of our ongoing collaboration, we've added the test data to our lens widget, so you can compare it with Nikon's other current DX standard zooms. We've included test data on both the D7000 and D7100 - the latter should be a good indicator of its performance on the D5300. Click through for the data and analysis. 

Canon has announced upcoming firmware updates for its top-of-the-range SLRs, the EOS-1D X and video-optimised EOS-1D C. Version 2 for the EOS-1D X adds a range of additional autofocus settings, along with substantially improved Auto ISO options. It'll be available to download in January 2014. Meanwhile the EOS-1D C gains improved audio recording, and support for aberration corrections with cinema EOS lenses. The update will be available from November, and requires the camera to be sent to an authorized Canon Factory Service Center.

In the latest "Behind the Shot" article, landscape photographer Erez Marom walks through how he got this Aurora Borealis image in the Mývatn district of northern Iceland. Marom talks about his equipment choice and exposure settings. He also gives a step-by-step look at his post-processing technique. Click through for the full article. 

Triggertrap, maker of several camera triggering tools, is seeking support via Kickstarter for another product aimed at trigger-happy photographers. Redsnap is a modular triggering system that starts with the Redsnap base block to which you can add sensor blocks, each designed for a different kind of photography. Four sensor blocks are currently in the works, including a high-speed laser sensor, high-speed sound sensor, high-speed light sensor and a Passive Infrared Sensor. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com.

Can cheap filters damage your expensive lenses? LensRentals' Roger Cicala decided to look into the possibility, after seeing a number of lenses returned with odd circular scratches on the front element. His investigations provide a cautionary tale against skimping on buying a new protective filter after buying an expensive lens. Click through for a link to his full article.

Nearly everyone has seen photographer Steve McCurry’s striking 1985 National Geographic cover portrait of Afghan refugee Sharbat Gula, but it was nearly left on the cutting room floor. He revels the story behind the picture in his new book, "Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs." McCurry only took a handful of frames before the young girl got up. Editors at National Geographic came close to picking a different image for their cover, but made a change at the last minute.

Forget the Zeiss Otus 55mm F1.4, Sony Alpha 7R and RX10, Nikon 58mm F1.4 or the tiny Panasonic GM1 - last week's real news was Lomography's introduction of an 'Experimental Lens Kit' for Micro Four Thirds. Comprising a 24mm F8 standard lens, a 12mm F8 wideangle and a 160° F8 fisheye, the kit costs £79 / €89. Each of the lenses even has a built-in shutter with speeds of 1/100sec and Bulb, allowing in-camera multiple exposures, plus a T mode to hold the shutter open for normal live view. In addition all three have a slot for colour gel filters. Click through for full details.

Last week was incredibly busy here at dpreview, with major new cameras from Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm and Panasonic as well as new lenses from Samyang, Sony and Sigma. It was a week of late nights and early mornings, and now that the dust has settled and we've had some time to breathe, we've prepared a quick look back to last week for some highlights of what what you might have missed. Click through for a recap. 

Gypsies are not just a thing of the past. Photographer Iain McKell followed a group of modern-day travelers in the English countryside for more than 10 years. His images are an intimate and insightful look at people who seek simplicity in living in horse-drawn caravans, yet still use modern technology such as Facebook. His photographs make real and raw the often-romanticized lifestyle of these modern nomads. Click through for a look at his images. 

What is 'hipster photography'? Photographer Marco Bohr has written a blog post in which he attempts to define 'a new genre of photography which is apparently produced, promoted and disseminated by trend conscious people who are in contemporary visual culture referred to as hipsters'. In his post, Bohr argues there is a distinction between a photograph of hipsters and a photograph by hipsters. He aims to deconstruct these images, and see beyond the thick black-framed glasses, quirky haircuts, and geeky watches. Click through for more details. 

The X-E2 represents the start of Fujifilm's refresh of its X-series mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. It features a 16MP X-Trans CMOS II sensor that gains on-sensor phase detection over the one used in previous models. This and a 1.04m dot LCD are the major hardware changes - the X-E2 is mainly about handling and operations tweaks. We've got to grips with the camera's handling to see how it's changed, compared to the X-E1. Click through to find out more.

The Fujifilm XQ1 - the follow up to the stylish XF1 - is the company's latest attempt to make a splash in the high-end compact camera segment. The big change on the XQ1 is its use of the X-Trans II sensor with on-chip phase detection, which promises higher photo quality and snappy focusing. If that sounds intriguing, then read our initial thoughts in our first impressions review of the Fuji XQ1.

Fujifilm has announced the X-E2 - its latest mid-range mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The X-E2 gains many of the upgrades seen in the X100S, including on-sensor-phase-detection that underpins the company's unique digital-split-image focus aid. Beyond this the 16MP X-Trans camera has received a series of hardware adjustments and revisions in response to feedback about the X-E1.

Fujifilm's new XQ1 enthusiast compact takes the fast lens and slim design from last year's XF1 and adds a 12 megapixel 2/3" X-Trans II CMOS sensor with hybrid AF. The XQ1 features a 25-100mm (equiv.) F1.8-4.9 lens with optical image stabilization and claimed focus times as fast as 0.06 seconds. Other features include a 3-inch LCD, lens control ring, focus peaking, Raw support, 1080/60p video, and Wi-Fi. You'll be able to pick one up for yourself this month for under $500.

One of the remaining arms of the Kodak legacy, Kodak Alaris, is working to remain relevant by focusing its efforts on moving photos from smartphone to print, via one of its 105,000 photo printing kiosks worldwide. The company recently released its API to lure developers into adding Kodak kiosk printing capabilities directly into their mobile photography apps. Learn more at connect.dpreview.com.

Various rumor sites are today reporting Hasselblad is poised to release a $10,000 camera called the 'Hasselblad Solar,' a rebadge of the Sony A7 that was announced just yesterday. Some even report it as if it's a real product. Even just a cursory glance at the image suggests it's a quick Photoshop job to add a wood grip and lighten the tint of the body. The serial number on the lens suspiciously matches the product shots Sony released yesterday as well. What do you think?

It's not every day when you see a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that can fit in the palm of your hand. That's why we jumped at the chance to take a look at Panasonic's new Lumix DMC-GM1, which offers many of the features of its larger siblings, in a much smaller package. Read our first impressions review after the link.

Nikon's latest consumer DSLR, the D5300, evolves the design of its predecessor but raises the feature bar, bringing it closer to the D7100. In fact, it's likely that the 24MP D5300 even uses the sensor of its big brother since it also lacks an AA filter. The D5300's larger LCD and viewfinder serve to further close the gap, while built-in Wi-Fi, GPS, and 1080/60p video recording go beyond what the D7100 offers. We've had some time with a pre-production D5300, and you can click through to read our first impressions review.

One of the original promises of the Micro Four Thirds system was to permit the design of small mirrorless cameras. Today Panasonic released its Lumix DMC-GM1, a tiny camera which can literally fit in the palm of your hand. Don't be fooled, though: it shares the same 16 megapixel sensor as the GX7 and also offers silent shooting at shutter speeds as high as 1/16000 sec, Wi-Fi, and 1080/60i video recording. It's bundled with a new 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 lens (also available separately) that rivals a pancake lens for compactness when 'collapsed'.

Nikon has announced its new D5300 midrange DSLR which, as you might have gathered, is the follow-up to the D5200. New features include the omission of an AA filter from its 24MP CMOS sensor, a larger 3.2in articulated LCD and also a slightly larger optical viewfinder, 1080/60p video, and built-in Wi-Fi and GPS. Nikon claims that the D5300's Expeed 4 processor improves performance (allowing for 5 fps burst shooting) and photo quality, while reducing power consumption. You'll be able to pick up the D5300 this month, in your choice of black, red, or gray. Click through for more details. 

Want to know more about Nikon's new premium AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G? Click through to see our pictures taken of the lens at Nikon's UK press event, with the latest D610 acting as the model, along with our first thoughts of this sizeable and distinctly pricey optic.

Nikon has announced the AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G, a premium standard prime for full frame SLRs that's designed to deliver the best possible images, even at maximum aperture. It's highly corrected for coma, meaning that point light sources are rendered correctly right across the frame, and is specifically designed to give an attractive rendition of out-of-focus regions of the image. It can also be used on Nikon's DX format SLRs, on which it will behave like a classic 85mm 'portrait' lens. This all comes with a hefty price tag, though; $1699.95 / £1599.99. It'll be on sale in selected retailers at the end of this month.

Samyang has announced that it will be making five full frame lenses in E mount, which will be the first third party optics compatible with the A7 and A7R. The lenses are all based on existing designs, namely the 14mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMC, 24mm f/1.4 ED AS IF UMC, 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC, 85mm f/1.4 AS IF UMC, and the T-S 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC tilt-and-shift. All feature manual focus and aperture operation, and will be available within 2 months. As these are essentially SLR lenses with an adapter tube permanently fitted, they won't offer any of the size advantages achievable by 'native' lenses.

Sony's new A7 and A7R bring full-frame imaging to the company's mirrorless ILC lineup, using the established E-mount. While they're not quite the 'full-frame NEX' that some loyal Sony users might have been imagining, the 24MP A7 and 36MP A7R are impressive, innovative products that demand to be taken seriously (with a price-point to match). We've had the opportunity to use pre-production samples of both new models, and we've prepared a hands-on first impressions review covering off their key features, operation, and early indications of their performance. Click through to read more. 

Sony's Cyber-shot RX10 marries the 20MP 1"-type BSI-CMOS sensor from the RX100 II with a 24-200mm Zeiss Vario-Sonnar zoom lens, with a constant maximum aperture of F2.8. On paper it's an impressively versatile package for both still and video capture, and we've spent a few days with a pre-production sample to get a feel for how Sony's most powerful Cyber-shot yet performs. Click through to link to our first impressions review. 

Sony has announced the A7 and A7R - the world's first consumer-oriented full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. Externally, the two bodies are nearly identical and feature a pentaprism-like EVF housing, generous handgrip and plenty of manual controls. The differences are internal - sporting a 36 megapixel sensor, the A7R has no optical low-pass filter and is limited to contrast-detect autofocus, while the less expensive A7 has a 24 megapixel sensor with a low-pass filter and on-chip phase detection. Both bodies are designed around the Sony NEX E-mount, though new 'FE' lenses are needed to take advantage of the larger sensor. Click through for more details.

Sony has announced an addition to its RX-series of premium fixed-lens cameras, the Cyber-shot DSC-RX10. With the same 1" sensor as the RX100 II, the RX10 offers a Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* 24-200mm equivalent zoom lens with an F2.8 constant maximum aperture. It uses a Bionz X image processor with offers improvements in resolution, noise reduction, and diffraction reduction. Other features include a tilting 3-inch LCD, OLED electronic viewfinder, Wi-Fi with NFC, and 60p video recording. Click through for more details.

Sony has announced no fewer than five 'FE' full frame E-mount lenses to accompany the A7 and A7R. First up is the FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS, an image-stabilised 'kit' zoom for the A7. There are three premium lenses with Zeiss badges: the FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*, the FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*, and the FE 24-70mm F4 Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar T*. The fifth lens is a 'G' class telezoom, the FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS. Sony has also updated its Alpha-mount fast telezoom to make the 70-200mm F2.8G SSM II. 

Canon has announced special edition versions of its PowerShot G16 and S120 digital compact cameras. The 'premium' versions appear to be intended for the Japanese domestic market, and will be available in different color finishes, with a custom engraving option. Color customization appears to comprise the option of red, gold, silver and black finished on select components and both cameras are supplied with unique accessories - a cowhide leather pouch for the S120 and a leather hard case for the G16. Click through for pictures.

What's it like to visit one of the world's most secretive countries? Singapore-based photographer Aram Pan wanted to find out for himself. North Korea is notorious for stage-managed and highly restricted access for foreigners, but Pan decided to have a go at simply asking North Korean authorities whether he could enter the country and document what he saw. Click through for extracts from his story, and some of his stunning images.

Nikon Inc. has announced a lawsuit against Sakar International Inc. over the design of the Polaroid iM1836, a planned Android camera that bears a resemblance to one of the Nikon 1 series of mirrorless cameras. Announced this morning in a Japanese language press release on Nikon's Japanese website, the lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit seeks an injunction against both manufacture and sale of the Polaroid iM1836 digital camera.

We've been fans of Aaron Johnson's comic strip 'What the Duck' for years. 'WTD' is one of the best satirical comic strips in the world, and it's published here every week, as well as being included in our weekly newsletter. Barbed, topical and always amusing, we hope you enjoy WTD as much as we do. 

There's no better view of the earth than the one you get from space. The European Space Agency's mission is to 'find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the Universe', and as such, every year it produces thousands of high-resolution images of earth from orbit. Click through for a selection of stunning photographs and links to the ESA's website (which, unlike NASA's US government-funded site, is still online). 

Sigma USA has announced availability of the Nikon-mount version of its 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art fast zoom for APS-C DSLRs. The Nikon version will retail for around $799, the same price as the Canon version, and will be available from November. We've been shooting with one for the past few days, and have put together a sample gallery of images showing what it's capable of.

Canon's latest enthusiast digital SLR sports a radical new sensor-based autofocus system, where nearly every pixel is dedicated to phase-detect autofocus. As we come close to completing our review of the Canon EOS 70D, we've run the new AF system through a battery of tests to see what, if anything, it means for the enthusiast shooter. Click through for the whole nine yards, as well as new information about the camera's movie autofocus and Wi-Fi functions.

Good news for iPhone photographers. Flickr has released an update to its iOS application that allows users to automatically upload their photos to Flickr's free terabyte of cloud storage. In addition to the automatic uploading feature, users now have access to an easy auto-straightening tool. Read more on connect.dpreview.com.

After months of teasing and speculation, Samsung has finally announced its curved smartphone. The Galaxy Round is a 5.7-inch device with a curved 1080p, AMOLED display. Like its Galaxy S4 and Note 3 predecessors, the Galaxy Round features a 13-megapixel camera. The Galaxy Round's unique shape allows for a different user experience. According to Samsung, the phone is more comfortable to hold than flat phones and users can take advantage of some features unique to the curved device. Click through for more details at connect.dpreview.com

When National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson ditched his usual DSLR kit and took an iPhone 5S out to the Scottish highlands, he wasn't sure he was going to get great shots. In the end though, he was surprised by how capable the smartphone's 8MP camera is. He shared his experiences (and some of his images) at National Geographic's 'Proof' blog and we've published extracts over at connect.dpreview.com.

The 24MP D610 is Nikon's latest enthusiast-targeted full-frame DSLR. Coming fairly hot on the heels of the D600, the 610 gains a new shutter mechanism, which is responsible for two out of the camera's three new features. We've had the chance to handle the D610 and have prepared a first impressions review of the refreshed enthusiast full framer.

Nikon has announced the much-rumored D610 24MP full-frame DSLR. Coming just a year after the D600, the D610 appears to be a very minor refresh, with a quiet continuous shooting mode, improved white balance and faster continuous shooting touted as its major changes. Beyond this, the D610 is essentially the same camera as the D600 and, given its launch at the same $2000 SRP, it's extremely likely that the D610 replaces the older camera. Click through for more details.

Ricoh has announced the Pentax K-3 - a 24 megapixel enthusiast APS-C DSLR. In addition to the higher pixel count, the range-topping camera gains a 27-point autofocus system and a more advanced 86,000 pixel metering sensor, compared with the K-5 II. Rather than offering versions with an without an optical low-pass filter, the company has found a way to selectively use the image stabilization system to mimic its effect. It also offers twin SD card slots and USB 3.0 connection. Click through to find out more.

Ricoh has launched the HD Pentax DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED WR, a telephoto zoom that's weathersealed to complement the company's recent SLRs. It also gains Pentax's latest 'High Definition' coating to minimize flare and ghosting. Aside from that, the specifications are practically identical to the existing smc DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED. It'll be on sale in November 2013 for a suggested retail price of $449.95 / £399.99.

Samsung has revealed a brand new 13MP smartphone camera unit with optical image stabilization and improved low light performance. Samsung's press release doesn't specifically name any devices that the new camera is slated to appear in, but it's safe to assume that we'll see it next year in the Galaxy S5 and Note 4. Click through for more details at connect.dpreview.com.

Manfrotto has updated its popular 190 series tripod range, with a substantially reworked design. The mechanism for switching the centre column to the horizontal position has been redesigned to reduce weight and folded length, and now pops out from the centre casting only when needed. A rotatable bubble level has been added underneath the head platform, and the leg angle selectors redesigned for easier operation. The tripods come in either carbon fibre or aluminium, with a choice of three- or four-section legs. Prices range from £185 to £360.    

We have added DxOMark's Mobile Report to our camera review of the Apple iPhone 5s. The report includes DxO Lab's usual industry-standard scientific measurements and analyzes 14 aspects of mobile imaging including detailed image quality assessment, flash performance, autofocus reliability and more to calculate a final score. Click through to read our Apple iPhone 5s review and go to page 8 for the DxO Mark mobile report.

Canon's new 12MP PowerShot S120 arrived in our Seattle office a few days ago and we've created a small gallery of samples, taken in a range of different conditions to show off what the camera can do. The PowerShot S120 features a 24-120mm (equivalent) zoom lens which starts at F1.8 at the wide end. We've just added more images to the gallery, to show off the S120's abilities in low light. Click through for a link.

Zeiss has announced the Otus 1.4/55, a premium manual focus 'normal' lens for full frame SLRs. It's the first in a new line of lenses aimed at 'uncompromising professional' photographers, with a price tag to match - €2,940 or US$3,999 (excl. VAT). According to Zeiss it's named Otus after 'a type of owl known for its excellent vision in darkness'. On the technical side, it employs a Distagon design that's unusually complex for this class of lens, to minimise aberrations even when shooting at maximum aperture.  

Photo organization app Loom is fairly new on the scene but it is already turning heads and getting a plenty of positive reviews. Loom's latest update has improved its user interface to better reflect iOS 7's new aesthetic and also allows for RAW photo uploading. Click through to read more on connect.dpreview.com.

What's in your camera bag? A camera (hopefully) and maybe a lens or two, but that's probably not everything that you need. In this article we'll be looking at ten items that deserve a place in every photographer's kit bag, whatever sort of photography you enjoy doing. Click through for the list.

PDN PhotoPlus Expo celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The annual conference and tradeshow, held at the Javits Center in New York, will feature a lineup of more than 130 presenters taking part in keynotes, seminars and panel discussions with topics ranging from creative techniques to making a living as a photographer. The show takes place October 24-26th, and registration is open to the public. Click through to read more.

Our friends and collaborators over at DxOMark have recently been looking into how lenses score on specific cameras, and the latest model they've examined is Nikon's 24 MP APS-C flagship, the D7100. The article looks at no fewer than 126 lenses, and gauges the advantage of the D7100's higher pixel count and lack of a low-pass filter compared to the 16MP D7000. As a bonus, there's also an assessment of how the imaging performance of Nikon SLRs has improved over the last decade. Click through for the link.   

We've been shooting with the Olympus PEN E-P5 for some months now and have just completed our review. The arrival of the E-M1 may have grabbed the limelight in recent weeks but the latest PEN deserves its share of the attention. Although it continues the classic PEN look, it shares most of its specifications with the E-M5, which should make it pretty special - but what's it like to use? Read our review to find out.

Ricoh has released firmware v2.03 for its GR enthusiast compact. The list of updated features includes support for Raw file transfer via Eye-Fi card, the ability to use 1/2500 sec shutter speed with maximum aperture and a 47mm-equivalent crop mode. Also new is a 'Maximum Aperture Priority' setting available in Program and Manual exposure modes. Click through for a link to download the latest firmware version.

Commercial photography is like any other business in that there are many day-to-day functions for the business to succeed. This blog explores the typical demands and tasks I exert to run my photography business. I include some business strategies todifferentiate your business to increase profits.

An Explanation of why and how to use Av + Auto-ISO

The camera on Apple's iPhones are well-known for their excellent photo quality. The new iPhone 5s features a larger sensor, faster lens, and new 'True Tone' flash. Head on over to connect.dpreview.com to see if the improvements have made the iPhone 5s a top choice for mobile photographers.

GoPro has revealed two revised and improved action cameras, as the updated Hero 3+ line. The tiny yet rugged cameras are smaller than their popular predecessors yet still pack some impressive specs. See what's changed in the new Hero 3+ Black Edition and Hero 3+ Silver Edition today on connect.dpreview.com.

DxO Labs has released version 8.3.2 of its Optics Pro RAW conversion and image correction software, adding support for the Canon EOS 70D and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R. It also adds 448 extra camera/lens combinations to the library of optics correction modules. Click through for the full press release, including download links.

Nikon's new Coolpix P7800 arrived in our Seattle office a few days ago and we've been doing our best to get as many sample images as possible on it, despite the unpredictable autumn weather. We've managed to create a small gallery of samples, taken in a range of different conditions to show off what the camera can do. There's more on the way, but for now, check out our gallery of pictures from Nikon's newest zoom compact flagship. 

Leica has announced the Elmarit-S 45 mm f/2.8 ASPH lens for its medium format S system. With an angle of view equivalent to a 35mm lens on full frame, it offers a classic moderate wide-angle field of view. Like several of the other S lenses it'll be available in two versions, either with or without an in-lens 'Central Shutter' (that allows flash sync at shutter speeds up to 1/1000 sec). At the same time, Leica is offering firmware updates for its S, S2 and S2-P cameras to give 'optimum functionality' with the lens. The Elmarit-S 45 mm f/2.8 ASPH will be in dealers this month at a price of £4650, or £5500 for the CS model.

We all know that smartphones are being equipped with better and better cameras, but few of us would ever consider using one for 'serious' photography except in an emergency. Nokia's 'conversations' blog is featuring an interesting project by its own 'camera expert', Ari Partinen and colleague Marko Saari, who wanted to see whether the new Nokia Lumia 1020, which features a 41 megapixel 'PureView' sensor, could hold its own in a studio fashion shoot. The results might surprise you.