Olympus Japan has announced the Stylus SH-3, a relatively minor update to the SH-2 model introduced last March. The SH-3 offers 4K video at 15 fps and gains a half dozen new Art Filters. Otherwise, it features the same 16MP BSI CMOS sensor as the SH-2, as well as its predecessor's 25-600mm equivalent F3.0-6.9 24x optical zoom lens, 5-axis image stabilization and night scene capture mode. Read more
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January 2016
February 2016 news and reviews
February 10
Following our recent field test of the Phase One 645DF+ and an accompanying IQ250 back, we thought it would be interesting to see how the same 50MP CMOS sensor is employed by another medium-format beast: the Hasselblad H5D-50c Wi-Fi. Read more
If you're one to be tempted by fancy camera straps, you may be interested to know that street photographer Eric Kim has announced two new 'Henri' straps: the 'Henri' Neck Strap (Mark II) and the 'Henri' Wrist Strap. The newest neck strap is made from a darker leather than the previous version, the same color as 'a good cup of coffee,' according to Kim. Read more
February 9
SLR Magic, a company known for making affordable optics and accessories for filmmakers, has announced a new set of anamorphic cinema lenses that can be adapted to a variety of lens mounts. The PL mount ANAMORPHOT-CINE line of lenses includes the 35mm T2.4, the 50mm T2.8 and the 70mm T4, all of which can be adapted for Canon EF, Nikon F, Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount. Read more
Japanese light and color meter manufacturer Sekonic has introduced a pair of new ambient and flash light meters to the L-478 series that are dedicated to use with Elinchrom and Phottix flash units. Read more
If you're juggling multiple Instagram accounts for personal and professional use, the latest version of the app is about to make life a little easier. Version 7.15 for iOS and Android adds support for up to 5 accounts. Read more
Adobe has released a significant update to Bridge CC, its venerable file management program. Where Photoshop and Lightroom have seen multiple incremental updates over the past few years, Bridge has been left somewhat alone. That all changes today with multiple improvements including improved cache management, and an option to import images from external devices including iOS and Android mobile devices. Read more
The Sony Xperia Z5 currently shares the top spot in DxoMark's mobile rankings with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. With a 23MP BSI CMOS sensor, F2.0 lens and hybrid AF system it's easy to understand how it might have ended up at the top of the rankings. Our full review digs into image quality as well as our experience using the Z5 for photography. Read more
February 8
Fujifilm has released its promised firmware update for its X-E2 mid-range mirrorless camera. The firmware update adds a host of feature and operational improvements, bringing it into line with the X-E2S. The improvements include the AF upgrades from the recent X-T models, as well as a revised user interface and multiple AutoISO settings. Read more
Fujifilm's new X70 compact camera puts the 16MP APS-C sensor from the X100T into a much smaller body, omitting an EVF but adding a 28mm equiv. F2.8 lens and articulating touch-sensitive screen. The X70 is certainly one of the nicest compact cameras to look at, and its specifications are pretty impressive, but what kind of images can it produce? We spent the weekend shooting with a production-quality camera. See gallery
Danish camera manufacturer Phase One has expanded its range of A-Series offerings to include the new 100MP IQ3 digital back. The A-Series kits consist of an Alpa 12TC camera body with one of three lenses and a choice of IQ3 backs in 50-, 60-, 80- and 100 megapixel resolutions. The A-Series is particularly interesting as the cameras have no mirror, so vibrations are kept to a minimum at the time of exposure. Read more
Last month, Fujifilm unveiled the X-Pro2 mirrorless camera with a February 18 release date. Per a statement issued late last week, the camera maker has postponed the release until early March due to an unspecified production delay and higher than anticipated global orders. Read more
Video has previously been one of the great weaknesses of Fujifilm's X-Trans cameras but that's all changed with the X-Pro2. We've shot our test scene, pounded the streets of New York and captured all the visual clichés we could, to show you what the X-Pro2 can do. Read more
February 7
First published in 1991 at the age of 23, portrait photographer Alfie Goodrich has been shooting primarily in Japan since 2007. His eye as a photographer as well as a fluency in both English and Japanese has brought him a diverse portfolio of commercial and editorial clients. He commands an impressive online following with a daily blog and popular Google+ page. See his work and find out more about him in our Q+A. Read more
February 6
At the age of 20, most people are just beginning to figure out what careers they want to pursue. Dixie Dixon got an early start in photography, so by 20 she had years of experience under her belt and a clear direction in mind – fashion photography. As New York prepares to host Fashion Week 2016 in a few days, we're re-visiting Dixon's PIX 2015 talk. Read more
February 5
Sony has made some strong claims about its new G Master lens series. Unveiled earlier this week, the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM is one of three in the lineup to make its debut. We had a few moments to shoot with the lens at Sony's press event in New York. Sharpness is impressive, as is the lack of axial chromatic aberration. Take a look at a handful of samples. Read more
Korean lens manufacturer Samyang has added two new wide angle lenses to its Xeen series of full-frame video lenses. The new focal lengths are 14mm and 35mm, and while the 35mm conforms to the family-standard maximum aperture of T1.5, the 14mm opens only to T3.1. The Xeen system now contains a total of five lenses as these two join the existing 24mm, 50mm and 85mm. Read more
This week, GoPro announced it will discontinue three of its six available action cameras and abandon the entry-level market. This follows the company's preliminary fourth quarter results showing poor holiday sales, leading to staff layoffs. Read more
February 4
Leica has released firmware version 1.5 for the Leica T, adding Wi-Fi Direct functionality for transferring images wirelessly. After updating, Leica T owners can set up a mobile hotspot through which images are shuttled between the camera and an iOS mobile device running the Leica T app. In addition, firmware 1.5 speeds up the camera's wireless reconnection with known networks and improves reconnection reliability. Read more
'We want to make lenses that can be used forever,' says a senior engineer of Sony's new G master lenses. At the launch of the ‘G Master’ range of high end lenses, we spoke to Motoyuki Ohtake, Distinguished Engineer in Sony’s Lens Design Department about the process and the philosophy behind the latest lenses. Read the interview
Panasonic claims that it has achieved 10x higher saturation (more than 3EV greater dynamic range) in a sensor using an Organic Photoconductive Film (OPF) developed by Fujifilm. In addition to greater dynamic range, the new sensor technology promises other benefits that should appeal to both photographers and videographers such as global shutter and more flexible lens design. Read more
Nikon shooters have waited a long time for a D300S replacement, and it appears that they're going to have to keep waiting a little longer. Nikon Japan has released a statement pushing the D500's initial March release to late April 2016. Read more
After Sony showed off its a6300 and trio of new lenses, our staffers were able to grab an a7R II and start shooting. In this gallery we have a small selection of images taken with Sony's new 85mm F1.4 GM portrait lens. View the gallery
February 3
At a press event in New York City, Sony unveiled a new mirrorless camera and three new lenses – but not just any mirrorless camera, and not just any lenses. The Sony a6300 is the much-anticipated followup to the very successful a6000. And for its full-frame range, Sony introduced a new lens class: G Master. We spent some brief moments with all of the new hardware – take a look. Read more
Earlier today Sony introduced its a6300 APS-C mirrorless camera, an update to the very popular a6000 model. DPReview's Richard Butler was at the event in person and had a chance to get some hands-on time with the new body. In this video he gives us a quick look at Sony's new crop-sensor flagship camera. Read more
Sony has just announced the APS-C a6300, an update to the immensely popular a6000. Its technological advances seem poised to break down some of the last remaining strongholds of DSLRs. Sony has released a few videos demonstrating some of these features. Have a look
Sony has created a new lineup of lenses for its full-frame cameras known as G Master (GM). These are the company's high-end lenses that sit above its 'G-series' lenses and, as you might imagine, command a premium price. The first three GM lenses include FE 24-70 F2.8, FE 85mm F1.4 and FE 70-200 F2.8. In addition to the lenses, Sony also released a pair of 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. Read more
Sony has introduced the long-awaited update to its popular a6000 mirrorless camera: the a6300. Featuring a newly developed 24 Megapixel APS-C sensor and a completely revamped AF system with 425 phase-detection AF points, the a6300 sits at the top of Sony's APS-C mirrorless lineup, and arguably addresses one of the biggest shortcomings of mirrorless by offering live view during 8 fps burst shooting. Click through for more details
February 2
The GoPro HERO4 Session is the company's latest action camera release. Unlike GoPros before it, the Session is completely waterproof without the need for any housing. It is also the smallest, lightest GoPro to date, 50% smaller than the HERO4 and 40% lighter. Read more
The Nikon KeyMission 360 action camera was unveiled at an event in early January, and while Nikon offered some details about the model, it did not reveal the price. Now, nearly a month later, the camera has surfaced on German retailer Cyberport's website with a list price of €499 and a features list. Read more
At the end of last year we asked you to vote for the best cameras and lenses of 2015. Across two rounds of voting in December and January DPReview readers did just that, selecting the top overall photography products of 2015. It was no easy feat, as 2015 brought huge advancements in stills and video technology, but with thousands of votes tallied it's time to declare a winner. See how the votes stacked up. Read more
The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is the company's latest flagship DSLR. Its lineage and price tag make clear that it's aimed at professionals, but what does that really mean? We take a closer look at exactly who the 1D X II is for and how those features are relevant. Read more
The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is the company's latest pro-level camera, now built around a 20.2MP CMOS sensor with Dual Pixel AF technology. It uses a body that's a subtle evolution of the classic 1D design, but inside almost every aspect of the camera's feature set has been overhauled. In this article, we'll talk you through the biggest changes. Read more
Canon has announced its new flagship DSLR, the EOS-1D X Mark II. Featuring a new 20.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor with Dual Pixel AF, dual DIGIC 6+ processors, improved AF and metering systems and 4K video capture, the Mark II is poised to be the camera that Canon-shooting professionals have been waiting for. Read more
February 1
Flash and accessory manufacturer Phottix has released details of the second generation of Odin flash controllers that will go on sale mid-February. The Odin II units, which allow wireless TTL control of hotshoe and portable studio flash units, will add two extra control groups and 28 additional channels to the radio trigger’s reach, and will make the user interface easier to handle. Read more
After the official launch of the X-Pro2 recently in Tokyo, Fujifilm invited a select group of press to visit its Taiwa assembly plant in Sendai, to see the camera being put together. As well as the X-Pro2, we were also able to see the assembly lines for the X-T1, X100T and several lenses. So of course, being the nerds that we are, we took a bunch of pictures. Click through to check out our factory tour
Photo Mate, arguably the most comprehensive Raw image editing app for Android, has received a substantial update. Version R3 comes with an all-new rendering engine for both Raw & JPEG editing. This includes improvements to all the important adjustments, such as contrast, shadows, highlights and exposure. Read more
Last week, Nikon Singapore chose an image submitted by photographer Chay Yu Wei as the winner of a 'casual photo contest.' Critics quickly pointed out that the airplane featured in the image had been digitally inserted, given away by the highly visible white square around the plane's silhouette. Nikon and Yu Wei have both issued apologies over the submission. Read more
You really can't tell whether a camera is any good just by looking at it, and most professionals won't base a buying decision on a camera's looks. So why have companies like Olympus and Fujifilm gone to great lengths to create such undeniably attractive cameras? The new Olympus PEN-F got DPR senior contributing writer Damien Demolder musing about the looks of cameras and the role they play in our photography. Read more
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