As soon as it emerged from our studio we went straight out shooting with the RX100 III, to give an idea of the results it gives. We'll be adding video and more samples over the coming days but this initial gallery aims to show a range of the camera's capabilities. We set the camera's ND filter to Auto, so we could shoot at wide aperture in good light, and include a real-world shot from the wide and long en of the lens, shot this way. Click through to see more.
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April 2014
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May 2014 news and reviews
May 31
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
Do your pictures need a bit of polish? If you're not comfortable with post-processing, a new service called PicTricks can provide quick photo 'fixes' like whitening teeth, removing unwanted elements from a scene and correcting unflattering lighting or skin tone rendition. Their services start at $5 per photo and a 24-hour turnaround from the 'team of editors' is promised. We've had a look at the service, and you can click through to read more
May 30
We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.
The iStick Kickstarter project combines a USB and Apple Lightning connector for easy file transfer between iOS devices and computers.
We've just gotten ahold of a full-production Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III and we've added studio test scene images to our first impressions review. This third generation of Sony's much-acclaimed enthusiast compact features a 20.1 megapixel 1"-type BSI-CMOS sensor, a pop-up electronic viewfinder and a more consistently fast 24-70mm equivalent F1.8-2.8 lens than its predecessor. See studio results
Roller derby is a bit of an unconventional sport, so it's fitting that James McDaniel uses a somewhat unconventional system to photograph the action. He's been shooting roller derby with Micro Four Thirds cameras and lenses for the past couple of years. With no formal training in sports photography, he found himself with some exciting new equipment and an opportunity to photograph a fast-paced sport up close. He hasn't looked back since - see his work and read our Q&A. Read more
The Panasonic Lumix GH4's headline features revolve around its 4K video capture capability, but it's still a very attractive stills camera. It offers a newly developed 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor, 12 fps burst shooting (7 fps with continuous focus) and up to ISO 25600 sensitivity. A built-in 2.36-million dot EVF and a fully articulated LCD are also provided. Take a look at our gallery of real-world samples and see how it performs in the field. See gallery
May 29
Another update of Google's Camera App includes self-timer, 16:9 aspect ratio and two more panorama modes.
If you shoot primarily with wide-angle and ultra wide-angle lenses, you know how difficult it is to add filters. A lot of wide-angle lenses feature deep petal-style lenshoods and lack normal filter threads, making it impossible to add standard threaded filters. The FotodioX WonderPana uses a threaded ring and mount system which enables the attachment of 145mm round filters and square drop-in filters to several ultra wide-angle optics. Read our review
May 28
Back in 2012, Jesse Chen - now an engineer at Facebook, but then a fresh graduate - wrote a blog post. In that post he explains how to get rid of the 'ugly copyright overlay' typically used in image proofs, posted online or sent out by professional photographers after events. Essentially a short guide to image theft, the post went unnoticed at the time, but two years later it has come back to haunt Chen, creating a storm of righteous anger from photographers on social media. Read more
Adobe has rolled out version 1.6.0.393 of Adobe Creative Cloud, bringing some new features and improved file transfer support. The biggest addition that this update brings to Creative Cloud is the ability to install previous versions of Adobe's design tools directly from the Creative Cloud installer. Graphics professionals and creatives will be able to maintain legacy versions of CC apps without having to juggle multiple serial numbers. Read more
The Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM 'Art' is a fast normal prime for full frame cameras, with an unusually complex optical design. However at $950 / £850 it's substantially more expensive than either its predecessor, or Canon and Nikon's 50mm F1.4 lenses. We've already published lab test data showing that it's optically excellent, but what does this mean in real-world use? Read our detailed review to find out.
We've been following SmugMug Films' ongoing behind-the-lens series, which provide a look at people who follow their passions in photography. The latest installment features Hawaii-based duo CJ Kale and Nick Selway, who have spent the last ten years photographing volcanic lava flows in their home state. We asked them a few questions about how they got started and what keeps them out of harm's way. Read the Q&A
May 27
LG's latest flagship phone comes with an ultra-high-resolution screen and a new type of AF-system in its camera.
The HTC One M8 comes with an unrivaled imaging feature set but can it deliver in the image quality department?
Lomography has announced a new Kickstarter campaign, looking to fund the production of the Lomo'Instant camera. This is the company's first fully instant camera, featuring a 27mm equivalent lens with 0.4m close focusing distance, a built-in flash, tripod mount, fisheye and portrait lens attachments and included color gels. It accepts Fujifilm Instax Mini film, and is estimated to become available in late 2014. Learn more
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 (TZ60 outside of North America) is a compact travel zoom camera with a 30X, 24-720mm equiv. lens and 18.1 megapixel 'high sensitivity' MOS sensor. The ZS40 features both a 3-inch (920k dot) LCD as well as an electronic viewfinder (200k dot). The camera has full manual controls, Raw support, focus peaking, plus a control ring. We've been out shooting with it, ahead of publishing a short review. Click through below to take a look at our real-world samples.
Leica has updated the firmware for its T (Typ 701) mirrorless camera to Version 1.1. In one of the stranger descriptions we've seen, Leica hasn't given any specific details of what's changed, saying instead that "you will get the complete scope of functions and performance as described in the manual of your camera". The firmware is available to download now - click through for the link.
May 26
We're on the lookout for freelance writers to contribute news and short feature content for our homepage. If you're an experienced writer with great editorial instincts who loves ferreting out interesting and unusual photo-related content, we want to hear from you. Click through for more details.
Luke Evans is a student, just coming to the end of a three-year course in graphic design and photography at London's University of Westminster. Since starting the course Luke has received attention from media across the globe for his unusually fresh approach to the challenges of the course. Luke's work is imaginative, technically innovative and thought-provoking, and we spoke to him as he was preparing his final year show. Click through to read our interview and see some of his work.
Have you been lusting after a Leica Monochrom but anxiously hoping for its release in a new body finish? Well your long, nightmarish wait is over. Leica has announced that its M Monochrom, first announced in 2012, is now available in a new limited silver chrome 'color version'. Click through for (not much) more information, or just to take part in the inevitable comments debate about whether chrome and /or black really count as 'color' options.
May 25
Photographer and dpreview.com member Massimo Cristaldi has spent the past five years documenting illegal migration from North Africa into Europe through Sicily and its islands. Last year alone more than 40,000 desperate migrants made the journey, which many did not survive. In 'Touch Ground' Cristaldi focuses not on them directly, but on the places where they came to shore - tired, hungry, and in many cases dead. Click through to learn more and see a selection of images.
The National Park Foundation, a charitable organization partnered with the National Park Service, has announced the 2013 winners of its annual 'Share the Experience' photo contest. Open to U.S. residents, amateur photographers are invited to submit their photos taken within National Parks to compete for a top prize of $10,000. Take a look at the winning photographs from 2013 and submit your photos for this year's competition. Learn more
May 24
Photographer Zack Arias is particularly known for is his street work, and in a new video he shares some street photography tips while shooting with a Fuji X-T1 in Marrakech, Morocco. Even though the video is clearly sponsored by Fujifilm, it’s more than just a video tour of a new camera system. Arias talks about subjects and framing, composition and timing, and shows the resulting images after each technique. Learn more
May 23
We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.
The "Lumia Arc of Wonder" combines 50 Nokia Lumia 1020s to create a "bullet effect".
In a unique spin on the typical Gigapan panorama we've come to know and love, the company teamed up with NASA on Earth Day this year for something big - an image comprised of self-portraits captured by citizens all over the world. When zoomed out, it resembles an image of Earth from space. The final product has been released, with submissions coming in from every continent. Take a look
Update: Following on the release of a significant new v1.4 firmware update for the Pen E-P5 last week, Olympus has issued another fix. Version 1.5 reportedly addresses a problem introduced by 1.4 in which displayed values for shooting parameters did not change. Firmware v1.4 introduced improved Wi-Fi remote control functionality to the E-P5 and a '0 sec' anti-shock setting. The latter was added to help prevent blurred images at certain shutter speeds - our main gripe when we reviewed the camera.
The BBC has posted a video looking at Leica's history, on the German company's 100-year anniversary. The very first Leica camera was designed in 1914 by engineer Oskar Barnack, who refined the basic design through multiple iterations, leading all the way to today's digital M-mount rangefinders. In the video, photojournalist and long-time Leica user Tom Stoddart shares his thoughts on the company, and on some of the classic images that have been captured on Leica cameras over the past 100 years.
In April of this year an avalanche on Mount Everest took the lives of 16 sherpas who were preparing a route for their climbing clients. In the wake of this tragedy, a group of photographers have banded together to create SherpaFund.org, which will sell a collection of photographs to help the Sherpa families in crisis and establish long-term support for the wider community. Learn more
Nikon’s 800mm F5.6 FL ED VR and 400mm F2.8 FL ED VR lenses earn the 'FL' in their names from the coating of fluorine applied to the lens elements. But what exactly is fluorine coating, and why is it important? In this video from Nikon Japan, the coating's repellent properties are demonstrated as a variety of liquids are dripped, drawn and painted onto the lens surface. See video
May 22
Olympus has issued new firmware versions for the OM-D E-M10 and E-M1. The E-M10 gets the same zero-second anti-shock mode recently added to the Pen E-P5 in an attempt to work around shutter shock problems. The E-M1 update adds a variety of new features, including several when used with Olympus OI.Share smartphone app. Learn more
The Nikon D800E, with its 36MP sensor and 'cancelled' anti-aliasing filter, is the highest resolution full-frame SLR on the market. Our friends and collaborators over at DxOMark have been looking into how various lenses score on it, and have now finished testing over 100 different optics from Nikon, Samyang, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina and Zeiss. They've picked out the highest-scoring in several categories, and published the results in a multi-part article. Click through to find out more
DxO Labs has released version 9.5 of its DxO Optics Pro software. This new release adds a non-destructive workflow that is completely integrated within Lightroom. It allows users to transfer Raw images from Lightroom cataloguer to DxO Optics Pro, process them, and then return them to Lightroom in Adobe's open DNG format. Learn more
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has made available access to more than 400,000 digital images in its collection. The museum is calling this new program 'Open Access for Scholarly Content', which provides 'access to images of art in its collection that the museum believes to be in the public domain and free of other known restorations'. Any images listed with the letters 'OASC' on the museum’s website are available to download without a fee. Learn more
May 21
The NX30 uses the same 20MP, Samsung-designed CMOS sensor and Hybrid AF system as the more compact NX300, but puts it into an SLR-style body with a pull-out, tilting electronic viewfinder and generous hand grip. Add in Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity options, a 3" AMOLED display and 1080/60p video, and the NX30 is arguably Samsung's most enthusiast-oriented camera yet. But does it offer anything to standout from other high-performing cameras in its class? Find out in our review
You may have already noticed that we've made a small, but we hope very useful, change to the notifications system, adding on-site notifications for answers to your comments and activity in forum threads you've participated in. Click through for a little more detail on how it works, and to tell us how much you like it / hate it / how it could be improved / report bugs / ask us where the Nikon D4 review is...
The website Lenstag bills itself as a tool for helping photographers find lost or stolen gear, but now it’s branching out to help people find images used without permission, too. Lenstag maintains a database of a user’s lens, camera body and accessory serial numbers and then trawls the web looking for photos posted with those registration numbers in the EXIF data of a photo. Learn more
The GoPro camera is nearly ubiquitous in the adventure sports field. Now, that company is looking to capitalize on its success by preparing to go public. The San Mateo, California-based company is looking to raise about $100M in an Initial Public Offering, a recently disclosed prospectus shows. GoPro says it plans to use funds from an IPO for working capital, repaying debt, and new business and technology investments. Learn more
The Weather Channel and Toyota have announced a photographic contest with a $15,000 top award and thousands more in other prizes for the runners up in three categories. Photographic submissions 'should showcase a passion for nature, adventure, travel or weather'. Open to US residents only, the deadline for submissions is June 15. Learn more
May 20
Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 offers the computing power of a PC in the shape of a tablet.
In conjunction with the announcement of what Lytro is calling its 'professional-grade light field camera', the Illum, the company put its new product in the hands of five leading photographers. Lytro has released a promotional video that takes us behind the scenes as five 'creative pioneers' discover what they can do with this innovative new technology. See the video
According to non-profit organization Professional Photographers of America (PPA) Walmart is 'bullying' a small Arkansas photographic studio over rights to images of the Walton family. The pictures were taken before the family business became the globe-spanning, multi-billion dollar business that it is today. Learn more
May 19
EyeEm has announced its festival to be held in Berlin and world-wide photo competition.
The Centr camera stitches video from four cameras to create 360-degree panoramic video footage.
As we've been spending more time with the Sony RX100 III, we've published some of our initial thoughts on the Operation and Controls of this highly intriguing camera and expanded our impressions of the pop-up electronic viewfinder. We also shot a short video showing what's new so you can get a first-hand look at the 20MP compact with 1"-type sensor and faster, wider 24-70mm F1.8-2.8 lens. Learn more and see video
Apple recently released Digital Camera RAW Compatibility 5.02 for Aperture 3 and iPhoto '11. The update adds Raw image support for the following four cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T5, Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II, Nikon D4S and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10. Get the update
Even longtime Photoshop and Lightroom users sometimes forget the myriad of keyboard shortcuts used to trigger the program’s powerful features. Now web developer Waldo Bronchart has made a web application called 'Application Shortcut Manager' to help you remember. It's an interactive website that displays all the keyboard shortcuts for Photoshop, Lightroom and Blender. Learn more
It’s not that uncommon for a photographer to create a new photographic backpack. But it's unusual for a photographer to put a high-tech photo streaming studio into one, creating a mobile photo transmission solution that shaves precious time off of submitting images to editors. But that's just what New York Times staff photographer Josh Haner did. Learn more
May 18
Inspired by the Titanic ship sinking, photographer Simon Harsent's book, Melt: Portrait of an Iceberg, explores how these huge chunks of ice change over time. Often photographs of icebergs are saturated with color and bright light - looking like postcards - but Harsent took a different approach. The result is a series of images that have a timeless, abstract feel, with a focus on texture and shape. See gallery
May 17
You don’t have to be be a kid to enjoy the beautiful light show from fireflies. There’s something magical about their bioluminescence and the dancing display of lights they create. Photographer Vincent Brady loves fireflies too and his new time-lapse video, shot at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri and around his hometown of Grand Ledge, Michigan, is an artistic look at one of nature’s most alluring insects. See video
May 16
Tokina has officially announced its first optically-stabilized lens - the AT-X 70-200mm F4 PRO FX VCM-S telephoto zoom. Designed for use with full frame SLRs, it has a ring-type ultrasonic motor for autofocus, and the voice coil motor-driven IS system promises three stops of stabilization. When used on APS-C / DX format SLRs, the lens will offer a 105-300mm equivalent zoom range. It will initially be available in Nikon mount, and will go on sale in Japan at the end of May for ¥150,000.
We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.
Few compact cameras have garnered as much attention as the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 and RX100 II. Sony had managed to squeeze a much bigger sensor into cameras only a little larger than the Canon S-series enthusiast compacts. The RX100 III continues the tradition by adding a wider, faster 24-70mm F1.8-2.8 lens and a built-in, pop-up EVF. Along with a 20MP 1"-type sensor, does the RX100 III remain the ultimate compact for enthusiasts? Learn more in our First Impressions Review
Sony has announced the Cyber-shot DSC RX100 III, the most advanced model yet in its 1"-type sensor range of compacts. The RX100 III gains a pop-up electronic viewfinder, a faster lens and the latest Bionz X processor. The RX100 III's zoom now extends across a 24-70mm equivalent range, with a maximum aperture of F1.8-2.8. It also includes Wi-Fi and can run Playmemories Camera Apps. Video has also been upgraded - including full-sensor readout 1080p stored at up to 50Mbps in the XAVC S format. Learn more
Sony has announced pricing and availability information for its Alpha 7S 12MP mirrorless camera. The Alpha 7S is the first full-frame camera able to read out its entire sensor fast enough to output 4K 30p footage without the need for line skipping or pixel binning. It's also not constrained by the AVCHD standard with bitrates of up to 50Mbps. The body will be available in July and sell for $2,499.99. Learn more
May 15
A serious outage has taken login functionality offline for almost 24 hours, leaving subscribers to Adobe's Creative Cloud unable to access their accounts or do much of anything else - including downloading new apps. As yet, Adobe has been unable to offer any indication of how long the outage will last, but a message on the CC homepage states that the company has 'identified the cause [and is] working to restore the service as quickly as possible'. Click through for more details and a link to Adobe's Twitter feed, which is giving live updates.
Xiaomi's Mi Pad is a budget alternative to Apple's iPad Mini.
The HTC One Mini 2 is a downscaled and downgraded version of its One M8 flagship smartphone.
Google has launched an update to Google Plus that allows for easy viewing of manually created 360-degree Photo Sphere images.
The Lifelogger wearable camera attaches to your ear and records video from your point of view.
Lytro’s new Illum camera packs in a few tricks that will appeal to some still photographers, but its aim is really to introduce a new type of imagery. Time will tell if that medium succeeds. Technology writer Liam McCabe spoke with a few players in the light field camera industry to get a sense of where this technology is headed in the next few years and beyond. Learn more
There's a bright future for light field imaging. Even if early cameras like the Lytro Illum don't have a clear purpose, they're helping bring the possibilities into focus. Photographer Liam McCabe breaks down the technology and talks with leaders in light field technology.
A year on from the camera's announcement, Olympus has issued a significant firmware update for its PEN E-P5. The update not only adds a trigger-only 'cable release' mode to its Wi-Fi functions, it also provides a feature to combat the biggest problem with the camera. The new '0 sec Anti-Shock' option provides a work-around for the image shake that held the E-P5 back in our original review. Is the new firmware enough to elevate the E-P5 to the select company of Gold award winners? Find out
May 14
Nokia has released a new version of its Camera Beta app that includes an updated Cinemagraph feature and continuous AF.
Lenovo unveils its latest 10-inch Windows 8.1 tablet, the ThinkPad 10.
Olympus has updated the firmware of its PEN E-P5 mirrorless camera, introducing improved Wi-Fi remote control functionality and a '0 sec' anti-shock setting. The latter should help prevent blurred images at certain shutter speeds - our main gripe when we reviewed the camera. There's also an update for the Stylus 1 enthusiast compact with similarly-enhanced Wi-Fi control. Both updates are available to download and install now.
Nikon has announced US pricing and availability of its J4 1-System mirrorless camera. Originally launched last month, the J4 features an 18MP CX-format sensor with an improved Hybrid AF system. The company has also announced a new WP-N3 waterproof case and SB-N10 waterproof Speedlight. The underwater housing allows the Nikon 1 J4 and S2 cameras to be taken to depths of of 45m (148 ft). The new Speedlight is waterproof up to 100m (328 ft). Learn more
Nikon has announced updated versions of its 400mm F2.8 telephoto lens and 1.4x teleconverter. The AF-S Nikkor 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR promises improved autofocus, exposure accuracy and speed, while being 816g (nearly 2lb) lighter than its predecessor. Meanwhile the AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III features revised optics, and a redesigned barrel for increased moisture and dust resistance. Both will be available in August 2014, with RRPs of $11,999.95 / £10,399.99 and $499.95 / £449.99 respectively. Learn more
Nikon has launched its latest 1-System compact mirrorless camera with the inexpensive S2. It features a 14MP CMOS sensor, hybrid autofocus system, continuous shooting at 20 fps and 1080/60p video recording. The S2 is also compatible with the optional WU-1a wireless mobile adapter for Wi-Fi connectivity and uses microSD memory cards. Learn more
May 13
Nikon has released firmware version 1.10 for its full-frame D800/D800E camera. This update includes support for CompactFlash memory cards greater than 128 GB, a host of feature adjustments and other bug fixes. Nikon also updated firmware for the UT-1 communication unit, two Coolpix models and Nikon 1 mirrorless cameras. Learn more
The headline feature of the Panasonic GH4 is that it's a Micro Four Thirds camera that can shoot 4K video for under $2000, capturing either Quad HD (3840 x 2160) at up to 29.97p or 'Cinema 4K' (4096 x 2160) at up to 24p. Seattle-based photographer Erik Hecht recently took the new Panasonic GH4 for a spin to test the dynamic range and to see how well it takes color correction. See video
After being introduced in Japan and Europe, the white Canon EOS Rebel SL1 (EOS 100D) has made it to American shores. To avoid color clash, Canon also includes a matching EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 STM lens along with this compact DSLR. The white EOS Rebel SL1 will be available in June for $749.
Canon has officially announced a pair of new lenses. First is the EF 16-35mm F4L IS USM, an image-stabilised wideangle zoom for full frame SLRs. There's also an EF-S 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 IS STM wideangle zoom for APS-C SLRs, which gives a 16-29mm equivalent range. The two lenses will be available next month for $1199 / £1,199 and $299 / £299, respectively.
Branding is critical for a successful photography business regardless of the genre, and photographer Art Wolfe has built perhaps one of the strongest brands in his field. Wolfe has been shooting nature and wildlife images professionally for more than 30 years all over the world. This story on Photoshelter's blog gives some insight on how he built his photography business. Learn more
May 12
Rumors have been flying around the Internet in the last week about a pair of new Canon lenses. The first rumored lens is an EF 16-35mm F4L IS USM model, which could be a cheaper version of the existing F2.8 lens, or a replacement for the 17-40 F4L. The other speculated lens is an EF-S 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 IS STM which, according to the rumor mill, should be fairly inexpensive. The word on the street is that these lenses will be announced soon, so we'll keep our fingers on the keyboard just in case.
Parrot has launched its Bebop drone that comes with a 14MP camera and 180 degree fisheye lens.
A new software update improves the startup time of the Galaxy S5 camera and gallery apps.
Some history of Nikon's lens generations and information about the difference between non-AI, AI, AI-S, AF and AF-S lenses.
Known for his conservation projects such as Freedom to Roam, a photographic project designed to encourage the creation of wildlife corridors, photographer Florian Schulz offers some tips and advice for shooting landscapes and wildlife in this six minute video. Learn more
May 11
British adventure and cave photographer Robbie Shone travels into the earth to get stunning images of the world beneath our feet. He's been suspended 200m above the floor of the world’s deepest natural shaft, explored the far ends of a 189 km long cave system and spent nearly four days underground on one shoot. His images take us to places few of us will go and he doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. See gallery
May 10
Indonesia-based photographer Nordin Seruyan's vibrant macro images capture Southeast Asia's insects in great detail. From praying mantises to spiders to dragonflies, Seruyan's playful photographs capture common creatures in an uncommonly attractive way. See gallery
May 9
We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.
A little more than a week after C&A Marketing Inc. announced its Calumet Photographic acquisition, the company is reopening its first Calumet store this Sunday in Oak Brook, Illinois. One of the newer stores in the chain and, according to C&A, one of the most successful, the company promises the Oak Brook location will have the inventory that professionals expect. Learn more
Nokia's head of PureView imaging is leaving the company at the end of June to join rival Apple.
The makers of the Seene 3D photo app are showing off a new 360-degree scanning feature.
Cystic Fibrosis is an incurable, life-shortening genetic disease which affects roughly 70,000 people around the globe. Commonly thought of as a childhood disease, photographer Ian Pettigrew was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at the age of 37. He is currently trying to raise money to support a project entitled 'Just Breathe', which will feature portraits of adults living with CF. Get more details and make a contribution
Renowned advertising and commercial shooter Peter Hurley is the subject of a video in a series called #BehindtheGlass, where the New York and Los Angeles based photographer talks candidly about his non-traditional path into the industry. It’s one of those head-smacking, jaw-dropping stories that shows photography is part skill, some chance and a lot of hard work. Learn more
May 8
The China-only Vivo Xshot phone comes with a 13MP image sensor and an ultrafast F1.8 lens.
Apple has filed a patent for using a camera OIS and software stitching to create high-resolution images.
The NX3000 is Samsung's latest addition to its NX mirrorless camera line. Along with the 3" flip-up display for self-portraits, it has a 20MP APS-C CMOS sensor and can shoot at 5fps. The NX3000 also comes with Wi-Fi and NFC 'Tag & Go' connectivity options. The NX3000 will ship with Samsung’s new compact 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 power zoom ED OIS lens. The camera will be available in black, white or brown. Learn more
Photographers love simple solutions to challenging problems. How many of us have saved a shoot with a strip of duct tape and a piece of cardboard? This three-minute video shows seven clever photographic 'hacks' - from using an egg timer and GoPro for a panorama to creating a Gary-Fong style diffuser with a Tupperware container to creating a neutral-density filter out of welder glass and rubber bands. Learn more
The next time you’re in a thrift shop or antique store, keep a lookout for photographic treasures. While old cameras are always eye-catching, the images captured with those cameras are often more intriguing as Mike Ames and Derek Wong discovered. Ames came across some tins of developed Kodak Panatomic film and Wong bought a roll of developed Kodak Super XX film. They both discovered an unexpected look back at history. Learn more
May 7
NightCap Pro adds iPad support, low-light video recording and an unlimited exposure time mode.
The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II is an ambitious product that addresses some of the shortcomings of its predecessor by adding a 24-120mm F2.0-3.9 lens, faster AF system, tilting LCD, and 5.2 fps continuous shooting. Its 1.5"-type CMOS sensor also allows for image quality that should rival consumer or midrange interchangeable lens cameras. But do these improvements make the G1 X Mark II the large-sensor compact for enthusiasts? Read full review
Just a reminder - you can get a weekly update of all that's new in the digital photography world by subscribing to the Digital Photography Review Newsletter! As well as updates on what we've published, we'll also be sharing sneak peeks at what we've got in the pipeline, as well as a weekly cartoon strip, and occasionally also readers' polls, (bad) jokes and more. Click through for more details.
Huawei's latest flagship phone also comes with a 13MP rear camera and 5-inch full-HD display.
An IndieGoGo project called FlashQ seeks to make wireless flash triggers small in size and stylish to look at. The FlashQ is a 2.4Ghz wireless trigger and receiver system that mounts to a camera’s hotshoe and a flash’s hotshoe adapter. The compact device is aimed at owners of mirrorless cameras and other small camera bodies. Learn more
Fourandsix Technologies, Inc. has launched izitru.com (pronounced 'is it true') a new, free service and companion iPhone app that can determine whether or not an image has been processed. After uploading a JPEG file to the site, izitru runs six image analysis tests that can differentiate whether or not the image has been altered since it was captured with a digital camera. Izitru then assigns the image a 'trust' rating. Learn more
Datacolor has announced its Great Alaskan Photo Expedition Sweepstakes, an online contest that offers an all-expense-paid trip to Cook Inlet, Alaska. Winners will get to spend a week photographing wildlife in Lake Clark National Park with nature photographer David Cardinal. The grand prize has a $10,000 value and includes round-trip airfare to and from Anchorage as well as all meals, lodging and charter flights to the wildlife preserve. Learn more
May 6
We've updated our first impressions review of the Nikon D4S with our JPEG Tone Curve and Dynamic Range measurements. Included are real-world examples of Nikon's Active D-Lighting modes, which can significantly help in dealing with scenes containing challenging ranges of (dark to bright) tones. Have a look and, as always, you can compare the D4S to any other camera in our database. Learn more
On March 18th the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted a patent to Amazon covering a specific method to achieve the common photographic technique of capturing an image of a subject against a plain white background. Patent No.US 8,676,045 B1 describes a setup using multiple lights and a white backdrop which results in images that require no post-process retouching to remove shadows. Learn more
The Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm F0.95 is an ultra-fast prime for Sony E mount cameras, with manual focus and a clickless manual aperture mechanism. It offers full frame coverage, meaning it will work on the Alpha 7, 7R and 7S triplets, opening up intriguing low light options on the latter in particular. It will also work on APS-C E-mount models, offering a 75mm equivalent short telephoto angle of view. The lens is made in China by Shenyang Optical Electronics Ltd, and is available for pre-order now for $799. Learn more
Nick Fancher is a portrait photographer who has shot for clients like EPSN Magazine, Ohio State University and JackThreads - and is also the subject of an inspiring video by director and cinematographer Andy Newman. Fancher talks about opted out of becoming a wedding photographer and has instead focused on the process of picture-making, honing his lighting techniques and trying to find his identity as a photographer. See video
More bad news for photographers looking to use unmanned aircraft for photography - at least those hoping to use drones in Yosemite National Park. The National Park Service has issued a statement that makes it clear these devices are banned in the park under any circumstances. Learn more
May 5
onOne Software is offering its Perfect Effects 8 Premium Edition plugin for free for a limited time. It gives you hundreds of creative presets, fully customizable filters and ability to combine effects. Perfect Effects 8 works as a standalone application (Windows or Mac) or integrates with Adobe Lightroom, Aperture and Photoshop. Go to the onOne Software site to get this fully licensed version - worth $99.95 - for free. Learn more
In the latest of his series of 'Behind the Shot' articles, landscape photographer Erez Marom shows us how he captured a dramatic image of Kirkjufell mountain, overlooking a frozen lake in Iceland. Marom talks about his equipment choice and exposure settings, and also gives a step-by-step look at the post-processing required to achieve the final result. Learn more
Samsung's NX Mini is the slimmest and lightest interchangeable lens camera on the market. It packs a 1"-type, 20MP CMOS sensor into its body, along with Wi-Fi with NFC and 1080/30p video. With the NX Mini, Samsung also introduced a new NX-M lens mount. We've been shooting with the 9mm F3.5 (24.3mm equivalent) prime on the camera and having some fun with the Mini's flip up LCD for the occasional 'selfie'. See gallery
The American Museum of Natural History Research Library announced it has digitized and made available online its entire collection of more than 7,000 historical photographs. This massive archive was previously difficult to access, especially for those not in proximity to New York City. According to the Museum, its goal was to create digital representatives of the original photographs that maintained their integrity. They scanned the negatives whenever possible and scanned prints only when there were no negatives. Learn more
May 4
The World Photography Organization has announced the winners of its 14 Professional categories. American photographer Sara Naomi Lewkowicz was named as 2014's L'Iris d'Or/Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year. Selected from 140,000 entries from 166 countries, Lewkowicz's story is a a stark and intimate look at domestic violence. See gallery of winners
May 3
Color photography has been around in one form or another for a very long time, but has only been the norm for about forty years. Their relative rarity makes the discovery of older color images perennially fascinating. Editor Barnaby Britton found a large collection of 75-year-old color slides recently in his grandmother's attic. We showed you the first set last week. See part 2 of 'England in Color'
May 2
We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.
During pre-launch briefings for the T, Leica was very keen to stress the optical quality of the new lenses. Most interestingly, we were told they relied on optical corrections, rather than software to project the best possible image onto the sensor. So with this in mind, when processing some images from the Leica T, we were surprised by a notification that Adobe Camera Raw gave us. See our results
Less than two months after Calumet Photographic abruptly closed its U.S. retail stores, C&A Marketing Inc. announced it has acquired most of the company’s U.S. assets. C&A, which also licenses Polaroid instant imaging products has recently acquired four Cardinal Camera stores and is also expanding RitzPix.com, plans to 'incorporate the Calumet assets' into its Ritz portfolio. Learn more
The Fujifilm TCL-X100 is a screw-in teleconverter for the X100 and X100S which increases the effective focal length of their 23mm F2 lens to 50mm. We've been shooting with the TCL-X100 for a few days now, in a range of different situations and light levels to see how it performs in everyday use. Click through to read our first impressions, and see our sample images.
Where do you store your image archive? A file cabinet? Drawer? A documentary called 'The Invisible Photograph' created by the Hillman Photography Institute of the Carnegie Museum of Art explores an old limestone mine where Corbis Images keeps its Bettmann Archive, a collection of more than 11 million historical images. Learn more
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is already home to some of the most impressive aviation and astronomical technology in the modern wold, but it has also become the home of one of the most impressive photographs ever taken as well. On display now is a 107 feet wide 'camera-obscura' image of a decommissioned Marine Corps air station. Learn more
May 1
Anyone shooting HD video on a DSLR knows how quickly the battery can drain. You can get AC power adapters for some cameras, but where there’s video, there’s not always an outlet. In this tutorial on DIYPhotography.com, camera hacker Chris Winter shows you how to make an external battery pack system with about nine times the runtime using a $40 battery pack, DC coupler, hot-shoe plate and some Velcro. Learn more
It may look the same as its predecessor, but the Sony SLT-A77 II's insides are quite a bit different. Featuring a new 24MP CMOS sensor and image processor, along with a dramatically improved AF system, this SLT could be one of the best subject-tracking cameras out there. While we've yet to test its performance, we did spend some brief time with the a77 II and have put together our first impressions.
Sony has announced the SLT-A77 II - its latest enthusiast-grade, APS-C fixed-mirror DSLR. The Mark II features the same pixel count as its three-year-old forebear, but delivers it using a new 24MP sensor. The camera also gains a 79-point autofocus sensor, which it combines with the most sophisticated autofocus system on a Sony camera yet. Other upgrades include the customizable 'Quick Navi Pro' function menu but the biggest change is the improved autofocus, which combines with the ability to shoot up to 60 JPEGs at 12 frames per second. The SLT-A77 II will be available this June for $1199 body only.
| Dramatic Changes in the City by alexej_13 from Post-Processing Salvation - # 3 | Down Feather by Kreber from Soft | Wandering in the Moonlight by qhenson from Slow shutter speed challenge - Water | Sunset in Cefalu by cand1d from Landscape Photo with a Low Horizon |