June 2014 news and reviews

Leica has released a firmware update for its M Typ 240 camera with a huge list of improvements and bug fixes. Firmware 2.0.1.5 adds a few new interesting features such as expanded Auto ISO options and the ability to use live view with any lens. The new firmware is available now. Read more

The Nikon 1 V3 offers an 18.4 megapixel 1"-type CMOS sensor, a significant gain in resolution over its 14.2 megapixel V2 predecessor. It also offers impressive 20 fps burst shooting with continuous AF and a Hybrid AF system using 171 contrast-detect and 105 phase-detect points. The V3 might just be the most promising mirrorless camera Nikon has offered enthusiasts yet, and our full review is well underway. In the meantime, take a look at our first impressions and shooting experience. Read more

Fujifilm has announced firmware updates for a number of X-series and FinePix cameras. Full details of the firmware updates were announced on the company’s blog, and the new firmware versions are now available for download from the global Fujifilm site. Included in this round of updates are the X-T1, X-Pro 1, X-E1, X-E2, X-M1, X-A1, XQ1, FinePix S1, FinePix XP70 and FinePix XP200. Read more

The Nikon D810 might seem like an incremental update to the older D800 and D800E but under the hood there are some significant new features. In this article, contributing writer Damien Demolder tells us why the numerous small changes that Nikon has made in the D810 add up to a big difference in the final product. Click through to read his opinion piece.

Apple has announced that it is ceasing development of its Aperture photo editing application. The company will instead be focusing on the upcoming Photos for OS X software, which will be included in the next version of Mac OS X (Yosemite). Apple will ensure compatibility with the next version of OS X and will allow you to import your Aperture library into the new Photos app. This certainly bodes well for Adobe, since even more Aperture will be defecting to Lightroom.

Nikon's new D810 replaces two models, the D800 and D800E. It brings a number of refinements, some of which are minor, but some that are potentially very significant. The D810's specification sheet is enormous and it's easy to miss things - in this article we're cutting through the PR jargon and breaking out the D810's main selling points. Click through to read more

The image sharing platform and marketplace EyeEm has released an update to its mobile app for Android devices. The new version includes some modifications under the hood to improve performance and make future upgrades easier, but it's the cleaner, redesigned interface that most users will notice first. Read more

Tamron has announced the addition of profiles for two of its lenses to Adobe Camera Raw. The Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD for Nikon mount and the 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro for both Canon and Nikon mount have been profiled for use with Adobe's tools for lens aberration correction for users of Adobe Photoshop CC, Adobe Photoshop CS6, Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom 5.

The Nikon D810 replaces both the D800 and D800E, and the changes that Nikon has made in the new DSLR are significant. There's no OLPF to get in the way of resolution, and as well as a lower base and higher maximum ISO sensitivity the D810 is 25% faster than its forebears, offers a slightly improved AF system and boasts 1080/60p video with built-in stereo recording. We had a chance to get our hands on a pre-production D810 recently, and we've prepared a detailed look at its key features. Click through to read our First Impressions Review

Nikon has announced its latest midrange FX-format digital SLR: the D810. The camera replaces both the D800 and D800E, and features a 36.3MP CMOS sensor with no low-pass filter. The EXPEED 4 engine from the D4s has been incorporated, allowing for a wider ISO range, improved image quality and metering as well as faster burst shooting. Nikon has also redesigned the mirror mechanism and introduced an electronic first-curtain shutter option to reduce the risk of 'shutter shake' reducing resolution. Click through to read more

The Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD is one of a select group of supertelephoto zooms for full frame SLRs that reaches or exceeds 400mm focal length, while still being reasonably portable. Its trump card over its closest competition lies in its longer focal length - at 600mm full zoom, it'll let you get your subjects that bit larger in the frame. But does this result in an unacceptable compromise in optical quality? See the lens test data and our analysis

Camera bag maker Tamrac has been acquired by the Ogden, Utah-based Gura Gear. Tamrac, under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since January, will see its brand and assets handed over when the acquisition is finalized later this month. At that point Tamrac's assets will be relocated to Gura Gear's Utah headquarters.

Our DIY forum isn't a month old and we've already seen it fill with interesting projects. Some solve a problem, while others are pure fun. Decidedly in the latter category, dpreview forum member vkphoto has put a Sony NEX-F3 'digital back' on a vintage ICA Toska camera from the early 1900s and a Carl Zeiss Tessar 135mm 1:6.3. See how he brought new life to an antique with a $15 modification. Learn more

Chinese smartphone maker Huawei has announced the Honor 6, a high-end model that is squarely aimed at the the competition's flagship devices such as the Apple iPhone 5s and Samsung Galaxy S5. Though not necessarily groundbreaking, the camera specs are decent with a 13MP 1/3-inch BSI CMOS sensor that we've also seen on the OnePlus One. The lens offers a fast F2.0 aperture but there is no talk of an optical image stabilization system. Learn more

Apocalypse Now star Dennis Hopper is set to get his first London photography exhibition, four years after his death. The show, entitled 'The Lost Album', will be a rerun of an exhibition Hopper held in 1970 at the Fort Worth Art Centre in Texas, and will comprise the original 9.5x6.5in silver gelatin prints that were first displayed over thirty years ago. Incredibly, the 400 prints were only found after Hopper's death in 2010, having lain 'lost' since their first airing. Click through for more information.

Kodak is arguably the most famous name of all in photography, but it ultimately failed to manage the transition from film to digital, and ended up exiting the consumer imaging business altogether in 2013. But now JK Imaging, which licenses the Kodak name, has created an interchangeable lens camera. The Pixpro S-1 is an entry-level model that's designed to attract budding photographers who are buying their first system camera. Click through to read our first impressions.

While many American cities have experienced the pains of a large population shift from the urban core to suburbs, there's a poignancy to the abandoned storefronts in downtown Rochester, New York. The city's name is inextricably tied to the name Eastman Kodak. Swiss photographer Catherine Leutenegger spent time photographing Rochester and Kodak's headquarters, first in 2007 and again in 2012, and answered a few of our questions about the project. See gallery

After filing one last month, Apple has applied for another camera-related patent. The document an artificial muscle structure being used to replace traditional motors to control focus and aperture in a camera module. The design is interesting because it can carry relatively large and heavy optics and consumes very little power. Read more

Edgar Martins is drawn to documenting off-limits places. This was part of the appeal for him in a project titled 'The Time Machine,' in which he gained access to hydro-electric power plants in Portugal, the country where he was born. Built between 1950 and '70, these facilities were designed to accommodate dozens, even hundreds of employees working side-by-side with state-of-the-art technology. They're now operated with only a handful of personnel and are largely disused. He answered a few questions for us about the project. See gallery

We've just added the Sony A7S to our studio test scene comparison. The A7S is a 12 megapixel full-frame mirrorless camera capable of shooting at ISO 409,600. It's as much designed for video as it is for stills, but for now take a look at its low light performance in our test scene and compare it to an ever-growing list of cameras. See studio results

From over 10,000 entries, the shortlist selection has been revealed for the 2014 Atkins Ciwem environmental photographer of the year competition. In its seventh year, the competition sponsored by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (Ciwem) encourages entrants from around the globe to showcase work that 'will inspire people around the world to start taking care of our environment'. See gallery

Tamron has revealed that it will be making its 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III VC superzoom in Canon EF-M mount. In a week of unparalleled excitement for EOS M owners, it becomes the fifth autofocus lens for the two year old system, and the first from a third-party manufacturer. With a 29-320mm equivalent range, it features a stepping motor for silent autofocus, and optical image stabilization. Sales will start in the USA on June 26, at $499.

Tamron has officially launched its 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD superzoom lens (Model A010) for full frame SLRs. A near-twin of the 16-300mm F3.5-6.3 for APS-C, it's distinguished from the previous model by featuring an ultrasonic-type 'Piezo Drive' autofocus motor, splashproof construction and more-compact design with a 67mm filter thread. It'll be available in Canon and Nikon mounts on June 26th for $849.

Tamron has announced the 14-150mm F/3.5-5.8 Di III (model C001), a superzoom lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras which offers a 28-300mm equivalent range. It uses a stepper motor for silent autofocus (including during video recording), but doesn't include image stabilisation. This means that it's rather less suited to Panasonic cameras than it is to Olympus models. It will be available on June 26th for $589.

This morning Adobe announced a new photography-focused plan for Creative Cloud subscribers, new feature additions to Photoshop CC and two apps - an iPhone version of Lightroom Mobile and Photoshop Mix. We've written about all of these things individually, but if you're thoroughly confused about what it all means, click through for the main takeaways.

Adobe has announced a new pricing plan for photographers that bundles Lightroom 5 and Photoshop Creative Cloud together for $9.99/£8.78 per month. This plan makes it possible for photographers whose only interest is image editing to make use of both of these apps without signing up for a much costlier subscription to the complete Creative Cloud suite. No previous version of Photoshop is required. Read more

Following last week's video teasing the release of a new feature coming to Photoshop CC, Adobe has made the update official. In addition to the 'Focus Masks' feature that we already knew about, today's official announcement brings a host of mostly minor new features including new blur effects, updates to content aware fill, and improvements to tools like smart guides. Read more

Adobe has announced that Lightroom Mobile - first released for the iPad back in April - is now available for the Apple iPhone. Available for owners of Lightroom 5 for desktop, Lightroom Mobile essentially allows you to work on images on an Apple iPad or iPhone and sync adjustments between mobile and desktop versions of the software. Click to read more at connect.dpreview.com

Adobe has announced Photoshop Mix - a new image organization and manipulation app which can sync with Photoshop CC for desktop computers and Lightroom Mobile via Adobe's Creative Cloud. Photoshop Mix allows you to access local files on your iPad, as well as import pictures from Creative Cloud and social media sites like Facebook. You can apply one of several preset filter effects, as well as crop and edit files using touch-based selection and masking tools. Click through for more information on connect.dpreview.com

The sensors inside digital cameras are - generally - flat. But curved sensors promise greater sensitivity, better image quality, and provide scope for simpler lenses. Recently, Sony showed off some examples of curved image sensors, including (tantalizingly) a full-frame chip. Device manager Kazuichiro Itonaga claims: "The team has made somewhere in the vicinity of 100 full-size sensors with their bending machine. We are ready." Read on to learn more about this exciting new tech, how it imitates the human eye, and how it may find its way into consumer products.

Fujifilm has announced a firmware update for three of its X-Series camera, allowing them to print images instantly from the instax Share SP-1 printer. The Fujifilm XQ1, X-M1 and X-A1 cameras updated with the new firmware will be able to send photos directly to the compact instax printer, rather than by way of mobile device as is currently the case. The firmware should be available in late June, and Fujifilm plans to add the feature to more cameras. Learn more

If you want to bring the intensity of a full contact sport to the way you transport your camera gear, ThinkTank's new Airport Roller Derby bag may interest you. It's a large rolling bag built to accommodate a 15-inch laptop, up to two standard DSLRs with lenses attached and six to seven standard zoom lenses or strobes. With four dual wheels it will roll upright, tilted back or on its side. Read more

For those of us here in the Northern Hemisphere summer is upon us. We're celebrating the arrival of longer days and seaside vacations with our annual waterproof compact group test. This year's test includes the Canon PowerShot D30, Nikon Coolpix AW120, Olympus Tough TG-3, and Ricoh WG-4 GPS. See which of these rugged compacts came out on top.

Just in time for summer, a look at the 2014 crop of rugged waterproof digital cameras.

The Olympus Stylus SP-100 EE is a superzoom camera with a built-in dot-sight that enables you to easily track moving subjects while the lens is zoomed in. The dot-sight pops up just above the high-resolution electronic viewfinder. To make long zoom focusing easier, the SP-100 also features a focus limiter, which lets the user choose what distances the camera searches. The SP-100 combines a 16MP BSI CMOS sensor with a 24-1200mm 50x optical zoom that captures 1080/60p HD video. We've been playing with it for a couple of weeks, to see how well it performs. See gallery

Fujifilm has announced its first weather-resistant lens, the Fujinon XF 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR, which is designed to match the high-end X-T1 mirrorless camera. Offering a versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range, the lens claims to have the world's most advanced image stabilisation system, which uses high precision gyro sensors to give a claimed 5 stop benefit. It also has an air ventilation system to help prevent dust being sucked into the lens by the zoom operation. It'll be available in July for £749.99 / $899.95.

The iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS) has announced the winners of its 7th annual Photographers of the Year contest, along with top photos in many individual categories. Entries to the 2014 competition came from photographers in in seventeen countries, and naturally, all were taken with an Apple iPhone, iPod or iPad. Click through to take a look at the winning photos. See gallery

Canon USA has released a video explaining how to take care of your camera gear. In the video, hosted by Holly Groder of Canon's call center, Canon gives a series of recommendations for things to avoid, and things to get into the habit of doing, to keep your gear clean and fully functional. If you mentally delete the word 'Canon' from every other sentence there's plenty of sensible advice for caring for your gear - whatever the manufacturer. Click through to see the video.

Samsung has launched two new high-end tablets. The Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and 10.5 have very similar specifications and mainly differ in screen size. Both devices offer high-resolution SuperAMOLED displays with 2560x1600 pixels. Samsung's earlier Tab Pro models came with the same resolution, but this is the first time Samsung combines such dense displays with SuperAMOLED technology. Learn more at connect.dpreview.com

The AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G is Nikon's latest moderate wideangle prime, designed for full frame SLRs like the D610. It sits in the lineup between the budget, DX-only AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G and the premium, half-stop faster AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G. It also faces stiff competition from the highly-regarded Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM. So how does it measure up in terms of optical quality? See the lens test data and our analysis

Benjamin Von Wong isn't afraid of a little drama. His work incorporates elements of fantasy, turning models into otherworldly creatures and fire-breathers. So who else might you expect to find at the helm of an underwater shoot with two models, a team of divers and a shipwreck? Yep, he went there. Take a look at some of the photos and watch a behind the scenes video to see how he pulled it off. See gallery

Sigma has announced US pricing and availability for its latest camera the dp2 Quattro. Featuring a newly-developed ~19.6 million pixel APS-C Foveon sensor and a completely new body design, the dp2 Quattro has a 30mm F2.8 lens (45mm equivalent) and will be available in the USA in early August at a street price of $999. Click through for the press release.

Sigma UK has revealed pricing and availability for its dp2 Quattro, along with much more information about the camera than we got when it was announced in February. The latest, 45mm-equivalent, model features dramatic styling and a fundamental re-think of the company's Foveon multi-layer sensor design. It will be available in early July with a suggested retail price of £899.99 including VAT. In the USA availability is estimated as early August and the street price will be $999. Learn more

Since its arrival in our office, the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 has hardly had a moment's rest. The superzoom with a 25-400mm equivalent lens and 1"-type sensor is truly one-of-a-kind. We've put it through the paces of a first impressions review and taken it outside in some very un-Seattle-like weather for extensive shooting. In the process, we've assembled some hands-on photos of the camera so you can get better acquainted with the FZ1000. See slideshow

Superzoom cameras offer DSLR-style ergonomics and enormous zoom ranges, which make them very popular among novice photographers and enthusiasts looking for a 'take everywhere' option for travel and day-to-day shooting. They have not, traditionally, impressed us with their image quality. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 is a very different beast though, and has impressed us with its specification, performance and price. In this short article, editor Barnaby Britton explains why the FZ1000 is definitely not 'just another superzoom'. Read more

Up until now, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 was the only game in town for those seeking a big zoom camera with a larger-than-average sensor. Panasonic has thrown its hat into the ring with the Lumix DMC-FZ1000, which offers a 1"-type, 20.1MP CMOS sensor, plus a longer (but slightly slower) zoom lens. The FZ1000 is also the first compact camera to support 4K video recording. Perhaps the biggest story is the price: $899. We've gotten our mitts on a product model and have some initial thoughts to share. Find out more

Panasonic has announced its Lumix DMC-FZ1000 superzoom camera, which features a 1"-type CMOS sensor and F2.8-4.0, 25-400mm equivalent lens. The sensor is not only the same size as on Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 - it's also the same resolution (20.1MP). The FZ1000 features both a fully articulating LCD as well as a high resolution OLED viewfinder. The FZ1000 is also capable of recording 4K video at a bit rate of 100Mbps, from which 8MP stills can be grabbed. The camera will be priced at $899 / £749.99.

Adobe has released a video sneak-peek of a new feature due to be introduced into Creative Cloud which the company is calling 'Focus masks'. In the video, Zorana Gee, senior Photoshop product manager explains that with focus masks, Adobe is 'adding a new way to make an automatic selection based [on] pixels that are in focus versus out of focus'. Click through to watch the video and learn more. 

Alien Skin Software has launched an update to its popular photography effects software, Exposure. Announced in April, Exposure 6 has a new processing engine for instant image effect previews, a new user interface for a faster workflow and tools for 'Bokeh.' It's available for download now at $149 for new users and as a $69 upgrade for existing users. Read more

The Olympus Tough TG-3 is a slightly more enthusiast-focused rugged compact, offering a 25-100mm equiv. F2.0-4.9 lens, 16 megapixel sensor, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi. It's waterproof to 15m/50 ft, shockproof to 2.1m/7 ft and freezeproof to -10° C/14° F. Like its peers it records 1080p HD video. We put its waterproof claims to the test - find out how it did in the real-world. See gallery

The Ricoh WG-4 offers a 16 megapixel sensor and a 25-100mm equivalent F2.0-4.9 lens. Identical to its WG-4 GPS sibling in almost every way except for the obvious (one has GPS and a front-facing display, one doesn't) the WG-4 is waterproof to 14m/45 feet, freezeproof to -10° C/14° F and shockproof to 2m/6.6 feet. Take a look at our real-world samples. See gallery

Nikon's Coolpix AW120 features a 16 megapixel sensor and is waterproof to 18m/59 ft. It offers a 24-120mm equiv. lens, along with built-in Wi-Fi and GPS. The AW120 will withstand a drop from 2m/6.6 ft and is freezeproof to -10° C/ 14° F. Among nearly all of its peers it offers the widest lens, though at F2.8-4.9 not as fast at the wide end as the Olympus TG-3's or Ricoh WG-4's. Take a look at what the AW120 is capable of in the real-world. See gallery

Waterproof to 25m/82 ft, the Canon PowerShot D30 is capable of diving deeper than its current competitors. The 12.1 megapixel D30 also features a 28-140mm equiv. lens and built-in GPS. In addition to its impressive waterproof specification, it's coldproof to -10° C/14° F and shockproof to 2m/ 6.5 ft. See how it performs in the real world, both on land and under the waves. See gallery

Location-based search for restaurants, taxis or other services, as offered by Yelp, Uber and a multitude of other apps, have been around for a quite a while. Now, a new service called Picquest wants to apply the same concept to photography. The Android and iOS app allows you to find photographers on a map or get notified of photographers in your geographical proximity. It's an interesting potential social networking and business tool for photographers. Learn more

As soon as it arrived we wasted no time getting out with the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III, and in the past few days we've also added a lot to our first-impressions review, including a movie page, shooting experience and studio comparison images. This weekend presented an opportunity to update our gallery of real-world sample images too, bringing our gallery to 87 images, including a handful of raw conversions. See more.

Adobe’s Lightroom 5 is a powerful program, but that power comes at the expense of a learning curve that some find pretty steep. In this excellent video shot at B&H, Photographer Robert Rodriguez, Jr. walks photographers through the functions and features of Lightroom’s Develop module in an hour-long hands-on tutorial as he covers just about every panel and slider in the Develop module. Learn more

One of the most talked about new features of the HTC's latest flagship smartphone, the One M8, is the Duo Camera. Using the primary camera and a second sensor to create a shallow depth-of-field effect, the Duo Cam produced less-than-perfect results in our testing. But thanks to an update to the Gallery app, the effect can now be adjusted. Learn more

Our first impressions review of the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III just keeps growing. The latest aims to answer one of the most important questions potential owners ask about a camera - 'What's it like to use?' With promising specifications like a 20 megapixel 1"-type sensor, a fast 24-70mm equiv F1.8-2.8 Zeiss-branded lens and a pop-up EVF, the RX100 III looks excellent on paper. Does that hold up in real-world use? Read more

Nikon's 1 V3 is the newest model in the company's enthusiast mirrorless interchangeable lens camera system. The V3 is built around an 18.4 MP CX-format sensor, and uses a hybrid contrast (171 points) and phase detect (105 points) AF system. The V3 boasts a continuous shooting speed that outpaces DSLRs at 20 fps with full autofocus. The camera is also capable of 1080/60p Full HD video. Click through to see how it performs.

We're looking for an editorial writer and a web developer to join our growing team based in Seattle, WA. Responsibilities for the editorial role include testing and producing reviews of digital system cameras, compact cameras and other photographic equipment. Successful applicants for the web developer role will have strong visual design skills to help us craft the look, feel and functionality of dpreview.com. Click though for more information

Seventy years after the D-Day landings in Normandy, the Royal Air Force remembers June 6, 1944 by recreating some historic images from the day - though not the kind you might expect. As naval forces made landfall on D-Day, a II (AC) Squadron Mustang took to the sky above, bringing back some of the first images of the landings. The reconnaissance mission was recently mimicked by two Tornado GR4s carrying more sophisticated imaging equipment. Compare the photos and fly along with the modern jets in a behind-the-scenes video. See more

Canon has jumped into the crowded online image storage space with the launch of its new Irista image hosting and sharing site. The result of a several-year-long beta testing program, the new Irista website competes with online storage tools like those from Dropbox, Google, Microsoft and Apple. Naturally, Irista caters to photographers with the ability to upload any standard photo file type including Raw. Though anyone can sign up for a free account, paid accounts are only available to residents of certain European countries. Read more

A collection of images, including 24 photographs taken the day after the bombing of Nagasaki, were up for auction this week at Bonhams. According to the auction house, these are the only thorough record from the scene of the August 9, 1945 destruction. Twelve of these photos are though to be prints from original negatives belonging to the photographer, Yosuke Yamahata. The album was expected to fetch between $25,000 and $35,000 at auction. Read more

It seems that Olympus might be planning to jump on the wearable camera bandwagon with a device that looks similar to Google's 'Glass'. A newly published Oly patent (JP2013/075623) describes a wearable device that comes with either one or two transparent screens in front of the wearer's eye. Click through for more information on connect.dpreview.com.

Offered in 160W ($70) or 300W ($100) power intensities, Adorama's Budget Studio Monolights are geared toward studio photographers who are just starting out and are constrained by modest budgets. At a fraction of the price of professional heads, can the Flashpoint Budget Studio lights do the job? Find out in our review

Amazon has scheduled a product launch for later this month at its headquarters in Seattle, WA. We are not being told what type of device we should expect but Amazon has started to tease the new model with a picture of one of its corners and a video showing users looking down at a device and reacting with statements like "It moved with me". The teaser seems to support rumors from late last year that Amazon could be planning a smartphone with a 3D eye-tracking user interface using multiple cameras. Click through for more information at connect.dpreview.com.

The inside of a dishwasher isn't the most likely place you'd think of putting a rugged action camera, but that's exactly what one GoPro Hero 3 owner has done. The camera, along with a couple of light sources and an assortment of dishes, made the trip through a full wash cycle. The resulting video is surprisingly entertaining. See video

We wrote Monday about some of the imaging related changes that Apple announced with the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 8, at its annual developers event WWDC. Now that users have had a day or so to play with the beta version of iOS 8, a few more photo features have been discovered that were not mentioned in the keynote. Here's a quick summary. Read more

A new firmware updated for the Ricoh GR adds a 'High Speed' AF mode and claims to improve operational performance for aperture preview. Other additions include a 'Shift Crop' effect mode designed to reduce perspective distortion by removing a portion of vertically-oriented images, and improved stability when connecting via USB to a Mac. Read more

If you've always wanted a Hasselblad camera, but found the real thing too bulky and the rebadged Sony cameras too ridiculous, smartphone manufacturer Vertu has just given you another option. Vertu's latest model, the Signature Touch, comes with a "Hasselblad-certified" camera. Despite a vague statement that Vertu has worked with Hasselblad to "perfect the image tuning of the camera onboard Signature Touch," it's almost certainly using a standard 1/3-inch CMOS sensor. Read more

If you like most things about HTC's current flagship smartphone, the One M8, but are, like ourselves, a little disappointed with its 4MP camera, HTC might just have launched the right phone for you. The HTC One E8 takes most of the M8's components, wraps them up in a polycarbonate unibody frame instead of the M8's brushed metal hull and provides a more conventional camera module. The E8 replaces the flagship's Duo Cam with a 13 megapixel, 1/3-inch BSI CMOS sensor and F2.2 maximum aperture lens. Read more

Nikon has revealed that it allocated ¥1.8bn (~ $17.6m / £10.5m) to cover the cost of warranty repairs and replacements for its D600 SLR in the last financial year. The camera has been plagued since its launch by a tendency to accumulate oil spots on its sensor, resulting in Nikon offering to replace the shutter mechanism or even the entire camera for free if necessary. In an investor relations statement on its website, the company says that it is taking the matter very seriously, and 'will be taking steps to restore confidence in the Nikon brand'.

The Sony a6000 offers some considerable advantages over its Sony NEX-6 predecessor. It has a 24.3 megapixel APS-C sensor and an updated hybrid AF system with 179 phase-detect and 25 contrast-detect points. Also included is a built-in 1.44 million-dot EVF and a tilting 3.0-inch display with 921,600 dots. With an impressive AF system, fast 11 fps continuous shooting with subject tracking and lots of extras, the a6000 is poised very competitively in the mirrorless class. Read the review

The Sony World Photography Awards are now accepting entries for 2015. The contest is open to professionals and amateurs alike, from anywhere in the world. Submissions will be accepted until early January 2015 for four different competitions: Open, Professional, Youth and Student Focus with a number of categories in each group. Winners receive cash prizes and Sony gear. Read more

A pair of scientists and experts in photomicrography have been using an unusual new tool in their research - a Nokia Lumia 1020. Taking advantage of the device's mobility, image stabilization and high pixel-count camera, they've used it with a state-of-the-art microscope to help digitally zoom in for a better view of detail of bacteria. Read more

Phase One has announced a new leaf shutter lens for its 645 camera platform. The new Schneider Kreuznach 40-80mm LS f/4.0-5.6 joins the existing Schneider Kreuznach 75-150mm f/4.0-5.6 leaf shutter zoom lens, and allows for flash synchronization up to 1/1000sec. Supposedly on a par with prime lenses in terms of critical image quality, the new lens is available now for $8990 / €6990. Click through for the press release

The Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III may have photographers drooling over its fast lens and pop-up electronic viewfinder, but it gains some serious video-related updates too. It now features full sensor readout for higher image quality (as previously seen on the RX10), and also supports the XAVC S codec which allows higher bit-rates. In the latest update to our First Impressions Review, we take a detailed look at its movie mode. Click through to read all about it.

The Vanguard Heralder 51T combines the conveniences of a backpack with the travel-friendliness of a rolling case. At almost ten pounds it's no day bag, but it is equipped with loads of compartments and pockets, a large removable interior tray, tripod sling, laptop storage and a rain cover. Is it the best of both worlds, or would you be better off with a dedicated backpack or roller? Read our review

An ongoing war in eastern Congo has killed more than 5 million people since it started in the early 1990s. How do you draw attention to an armed conflict the world is largely ignoring? Photographer Richard Mosse spent years in the region documenting combatants with infrared film to make the camouflaged soldiers of the Democratic Republic of Congo stand out rather than blend in with their surroundings. Last week, Mosse won the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize for his installation The Enclave. Read more