April 2014 news and reviews

Fujifilm has released a firmware update for its X-E2 mirrorless camera, bringing its viewfinder performance up to the standard set by the X-T1. Firmware 2.0 also adds a choice over the color of focus peaking and the ability to apply Face Detection and EVF/LCD Setting to one of the customizable buttons. A 'Suppressed Flash' option has also been added. The viewfinder now operates with a lag of just 0.005 seconds and maintains its faster refresh rate in low light. The firmware is available for download from the company's website.

The Center for Documentary Studies is now accepting submissions for the 2014 Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize. For nearly twenty-five years this competition has provided money to 'encourage collaboration between documentary writers and photographers in the tradition of acclaimed photographer Dorothea Lange and writer and social scientist Paul Taylor'. Learn more

DxO has launched an upgrade of its Optics Pro Raw conversion software. Version 9.1.5 now offers support for the Nokia Lumia 1020's DNG Raw files. The Canon EOS 1200D (EOS Rebel T5), Olympus E-M10 and Stylus 1, and the Nikon Coolpix P340 are now supported as well. An upgraded version (2.1.5) is also available for ViewPoint, DxO's software and plugin for geometric corrections. Learn more

The S5's camera module keeps causing trouble. First there were concerns about problems in the manufacturing process of the S5's new 6-element lens, now Samsung has confirmed that an unspecified number of the flagship phones have shipped with defective cameras. Learn more

Alien Skin Software has announced the latest version of its flagship photography effects software. Exposure 6 now includes a 'Bokeh' focus and lens-simulation feature, an updated image processing engine for instant previews, enhanced user interface for quick workflow, and unlimited creative texture control. The analog film emulation and creative effects software integrates with Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, and Aperture or can be launched as a stand-alone program. Learn more

Ask the average social media user what makes a photo popular online and they'll probably answer 'cats' or 'pretty women'. That gut feeling has now been confirmed by MIT PhD candidate Aditya Khosla who has analyzed more than 2.3 million images hosted on Flickr to answer the question 'what makes an image popular'? Learn more 

Samyang has announced five new manual focus lenses, including a revised 'AE' version of its Canon-mount 35mm F1.4 which allows electronic aperture setting from the camera body. Meanwhile the Reflex 300mm F6.3 UMC CS is a mirror lens designed for APS-C SLRs, which will be available in Canon, Nikon, Sony Alpha and Four Thirds mounts. Finally there are three cinema versions of existing photo lenses - a 10mm T3.1  for APS-C SLRs, a 12mm T2.2 for mirrorless cameras, and a 7.5mm T3.8 fisheye for Micro Four Thirds.  

One of the ways in which you can minimize the amount of work you need to do in post-processing is to calibrate your camera. Many digital photographers are familiar with calibrating their computer monitor to help them get accurate results when adjusting images. But few think of calibrating their camera. Professional travel photographer Steve Davey explains why and how to set up a custom profile. Learn more

In March, stock photography house Getty Images rocked the industry when it announced it would allow people to embed images for free on websites and other electronic uses. Clearly looking to monetize the vast collection of images currently gathering digital dust in its archives, it has launched Photos.com by Getty Images to sell prints directly to customers. Learn more

AppleInsider has discovered another interesting Apple patent. This time the technology giant has patented a 3D-display system that projects digital images into a medium such as a non-linear crystal, using infrared lasers or similar technologies and accepts user input in the form of gestures. Learn more

A good photography backpack is capable of stowing essential elements like a full-size camera body, small family of lenses, laptop, tripod, and all necessary accessories. A truly great backpack can carry all of that while being carry-on friendly and providing a high level of comfort and adjustability. The minds at ThinkTank strove to bring that full package with the StreetWalker HardDrive photo backpack. But does it provide enough bang to justify its $229.75 price tag? Find out in our review

Color photography has been around in one form or another for a very long time, but has only been the norm for around forty years. Their relative rarity makes the discovery of older color images perennially fascinating. After all, early color offers us a view of the past in the colors and tones of our own experience and memories. Which brings us to a box that editor Barnaby Britton found recently in his Grandmother's attic. See photos and read more of the story

More than 50 years after the satellites that captured the first high-res images of the moon plunged to the surface and were destroyed, a Wired article tells the story of a group of people that found the tapes after they ended up in storage in California. Re-engineering the old drives capable of reading the tapes, they've recovered these historically significant images. Learn more

A new Kickstarter project is aiming to make digital images more accessible to those without social media accounts. Famatic is a digital picture frame that connects to Facebook and Instagram - or you can email pictures as well. The idea is to place Famatic on your parents' or grandparents' mantelpiece and send them images of their grandkids and family events straight to the frame. Learn more

Leica's new T (Typ 701) is the company's first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with autofocus. While its 'guts' aren't much different than other cameras in its class, the hand-built body is all Leica. We've been able to spend some quality time with the German manufacturer's latest baby, and have put together our first impressions of it. Find out what we think of it thus far.

Leica has announced the T-System, a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera system with autofocus. The first camera in the system, the Leica T, features a 16MP APS-C sensor. Two lenses - an 18-56mm F3.5-5.6 and a 23mm F2 prime have been announced alongside the camera, with the promise of an 11-23mm F3.5-4.5 wide-angle zoom and 55-135mm F3.5-4.5 telezoom to follow. The camera is milled from a solid billet of aluminum and features a touchscreen that the company says uses a user-friendly operating concept. An optional electronic viewfinder provides an alternative to the 3.7" LCD.

About a week prior to Monday’s running of the Boston Marathon, and a year after the bombing at the 2013 marathon, photographer Gregory Heisler addressed a crowd of thousands gathered at the finish line. The group included runners, first responders and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, all ready to pose for Sports Illustrated's 'Boston Strong' cover photo. Directing the crowd through a megaphone and standing on a raised platform, Heisler captured a portrait of 3,000 proud, resilient Bostonians. Take a peek behind the scenes of this large scale photo shoot. Learn more

When Lensbaby launched the  Kickstarter project for its 'Sweet Spot' selective focus lens at the beginning of April it was initially iPhone only. Now the company has added a pledge level for Android users, too. For $50 you can pre-order the Sweet Spot lens and the Android application for your device. Delivery is expected in October. Learn more

OnePlus is a new smartphone maker based in China founded by a former Oppo executive. Today the company has released its first high-end smartphone, which is simply called the One. With its 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, 5.5-inch 1080p screen, 3GB of RAM and a 13MP camera, the One's specifications are on a similar level as other flagship devices released this year. Learn more

We've been following SmugMug Films' ongoing behind-the-lens series and have found the clips to be an interesting look at people who follow their passions in photography. The latest installment features Joel Grimes. He's been a commercial advertising photographer for more than 30 years and is most known for his composite portraits. Grimes considers himself more than a photographer - an artist and illusionist, creating images that are larger than life. See video and read Q&A

These days shots from a flying drone are a dime a dozen - when engagement shoots are being covered from a hovering photographic robot you know that the technology is ubiquitous. It's getting increasingly hard to impress someone with images or video from drones. So it's lucky that privately-owned SpaceX happens to own its own rockets because it gives them the ability to capture stunning video, like this launch and landing test of its Falcon 9 Reusable rocket. See video

You don’t have to be a New Yorker to appreciate the 900,000 plus images available online through the NYC Department of Records archives. Some are photographs of well-known icons like the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge, while others are Wee Gee-esque in their grit or as mundane as photos documenting local school buildings. Many of the images date back to the late 1800s. Learn more

Microsoft is in the process of acquiring Nokia's Devices and Services division, and in March both companies confirmed the $7.2 billion deal would be closed by the end of April. Now Windows Mobile Power User got hold of a leaked letter which Nokia supposedly had sent out to its suppliers in Finland. In the letter it says that the name of Nokia Oyj will change to Microsoft Mobile Oy. Learn more

Lytro has unveiled the Illum light field camera, its first new hardware since the original Lytro launched more than two years ago. Like its predecessor, the Illum captures information about the angle from which light has arrived, allowing it to calculate images with different perspective and focus. The biggest change is the use of a much larger sensor: now a 1" type, rather than 1/3" type usually found in smartphones. Learn more

Before the launch of Lytro's new Illum camera, we spoke with Lytro CEO Jason Rosenthal and Founder and Executive Chairman Ren Ng about the the new product, to find out what's been added and improved over the original Light Field Camera. Learn more

Blurb, an online self-publishing platform for photo books, is announcing a new program that will allow books created with its online tools to be sold on Amazon. Once a book is created through Blurb, authors may choose to create an ISBN, name a price and list the book for sale with the online retailer. Blurb charges a base price per book to cover printing, and Amazon charges a fee based on list price. Profit left over is paid to the author via Paypal. Learn more

Ever wanted to shoot with the incredible image quality of large-format 4"x5" film? Well now you can without lugging around a massive view camera. Wanderlust’s Travelwide 4x5 camera is small enough to go wherever you go. At 6.3 x 3.9 x 5 inches and 9.7 ounces it’s relatively compact and definitely lightweight. Constructed of glass-filled ABS plastic, the point-and-shoot camera features a focusing screen, focusing marks on the barrel, and a trio of cold shoe accessory mounts. Learn more

Photographer, producer and Senior Photo Editor at National Geographic, Pamela Chen first picked up a camera at around 9 months old. Although she was pointing the camera the wrong way, as children often do, the photo that Chen shares with us in this video is a sweet remembrance. During the video, which is sponsored by Microsoft OneDrive, Chen tells the story of how capturing one blurry photograph when she was a college student changed the course of her life. See video

Toshiba has announced the industry's first microSD memory cards to comply with the UHS-II standard. Also being UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) enabled will allow the new cards, available in 64GB and 32GB capacities, to capture 4K video at constant minimum write speeds of 30MB/s. The 64GB cards offer a maximum read speed of 260MB/s and a maximum write speed of 240MB/s. The 32GB cards have a maximum read speed of 145MB/s and maximum write speed of 130MB/s. Learn more

The Olympus Stylus SH-1 brings the manufacturer's well-regarded 5-axis image stabilization to a fixed lens compact for the first time. The SH-1 looks the part too with its Pen-inspired styling, and offers a substantial 25-600mm equivalent zoom. Who could resist taking it for a spin? That's exactly what we did, and we've come back with a gallery of real-world samples to prove it. See photos

Pixels.com is a new image licensing marketplace that aims to give photographers more control than competing services. Users can set their own prices for images and manage the type of licenses they want to offer. There is even an option to create custom licenses with your own terms and conditions. Learn more

National Geometric is a social enterprise that brings a personal touch to charitable giving. Through the sales of single-edition, 10x15 prints of a person with a specific need, National Geometric helps provide food, water, medical care, tuition for school, and other basic necessities. The cost of each photograph reflects the amount needed to help the person in the photograph. Learn more

So far Google's in-house camera app has only been available on Nexus devices but now a new version of the app is available to anyone in the Google Play Store. The app only works on devices running Android Kitkat 4.4 but Google is planning to make it work on older versions too. It comes with a minimalist design and a brand new feature called Lens Blur to simulate shallow depth-of-field. Learn more

The Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM 'Art' is a fast normal prime for full frame cameras, with an unusually complex optical design. Its premium price tag of $950 / £850 makes it substantially more expensive than either its predecessor, or Canon and Nikon's 50mm F1.4 lenses. However Sigma's recent high-end offerings such as the 35mm F1.4 DG HSM and 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM have been truly excellent, so how does the new 50mm measure up? See the lens test data and our analysis

The 50mm F1.4 DG HSM is Sigma's latest fast normal prime for full-frame cameras, and one of the most hotly-anticipated lenses of the year. But how does it perform in real-world use?  We've been using the lens for a couple of days, and put together a gallery of samples. We've concentrated on large-aperture shots to show sharpness and bokeh, but have also included several taken at smaller apertures. See photos

The maker of popular Wi-Fi SD cards has launched Eyefi Cloud, a private photo-centric cloud service that makes photos instantly available on a smartphone, tablet, PC or smart TV. Once users send images from their camera to mobile device using the Eyefi Mobi SD memory card and updated iOS and Android Eyefi apps, images can now be transferred to Eyefi Cloud for viewing on any browser-enabled device. Learn more

Nikon's latest in a series of behind the scenes videos features photographer Joe McNally. An off-camera lighting wizard, McNally shares some useful tips from three different flash scenarios. No diffusion panel? No worries, McNally explains you can get the same results by placing a bed sheet between the flash and the subject. And as natural light began flowing through his studio, like any good photographer, McNally moved his model to make some pictures — without flash, this time. See video

Getty Images has announced a call for entries for its Getty Grants, a series of photographic grants for editorial and portrait photographers totaling $130,000 (~£77,737). To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its grant program, Getty Images is offering six prizes for editorial photography, three creative grants for non-profits and individual photographers, and one for portrait photographers. Learn more

Fujifilm UK has announced a host of accessories for its X-T1 mirrorless cameras. These include two extra accessory grips for the X-T1, which build on the features offered by the MHG-style grips already available for the X-series cameras. The MHG-XT Small and Large offer a choice grip sizes and include integrated Arca-Swiss compatible flanges, as well as full-time access to the battery port. Other accessories include a deeper viewfinder eye-cup and a handgrip-style strap that's compatible across the X-mount range. Pricing and availability dates have not yet been announced.

Fujifilm has formally announced the TCL-X100, a 1.4x teleconverter for the X100 and X100S that was first shown at CP+ back in February. The converter brings the focal length up to 33mm (50mm equiv.) and features an HT-EBC coating to reduce flare. Owners of the X100 and X100S will need to update their firmware in order to take advantage of the TCL-X100. The teleconverter will be available this May in your choice of black or silver for $349.99.

If you are the kind of person who gets uncomfortable at the thought of somebody recording you on Google Glass, the search company's latest patent application will probably make you feel even more uneasy. In January Google announced its smart contact lens project and now has filed a patent application for a micro camera module to go with the smart lenses. Learn more

Sony has released a firmware update for its QX10 and QX100 camera modules that bring a couple of improvements. The shutter button can now be used to pre-focus with a half-press which allows you to focus and recompose with the QX modules just like you would do with any digital camera. Learn more

Most manufacturers of Android devices have designed smaller versions of their flagship smartphones to cater to those user who prefer more pocketable devices. In this shootout we pit three of those models against each other: the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, HTC One Mini and Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. Learn more

Two New York Times photographers are honored with Pulitzer Prizes in photojournalism this year. Tyler Hicks takes the award for Breaking News Photography for his work documenting a terrorist attack at a mall in Kenya, and Josh Haner's photos of a Boston Marathon bombing survivor take the top award in Feature Photography. Five finalists also receive recognition for their contributions to photojournalism in 2014. Read more

It's hard to resist the opportunity to play with a new medium format DSLR, so we quickly took up Ricoh's offer to try out its 645Z. While it may look intimidating, the 645Z is surprisingly accessible, with an experience that feels strangely familiar to those who have handled Pentax cameras like the K-3. It's also a bargain by medium format standards, and not a huge step up from full-frame. Learn more about the 645Z.

Ricoh has launched the Pentax 645Z, a medium-format camera with a 51.4 megapixel CMOS sensor. Boasting an articulated 3.2-inch LCD, top ISO of 204,800, 3 fps continuous shooting, and 1080/60i video, the 645Z is cold-resistant, dustproof and weather-resistant with 76 weather-seals. It's also compatible with the Pentax FluCard, offering wireless remote control and image sharing from the camera to a smartphone, tablet or computer.

The Fujifilm X-T1 is surely one of the most desirable cameras of the year so far, with its SLR-like styling, huge electronic viewfinder, and wealth of external controls on its compact, weathersealed body. It also promises class-leading autofocus performance, including the ability to track focus on moving subjects -  something that's traditionally eluded this type of camera. But is this enthusiast-oriented mirrorless model really a match for a traditional SLR? Read our in-depth review to find out.

Ten years ago, James and Karla Murray set out photographing New York City's distinct and varied storefronts. The project was known as Storefront: The Disappearing Face of New York. With ten years passed they revisited the same locations and photographed them again, where over and over one-of-a-kind signage has, in fact, disappeared. Banks and fast food restaurants have sprung up in some places, while others decay behind bars and graffiti. See gallery

The World Photography Organization has announced that American photographer Mary Ellen Mark is the recipient of the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Photography. She has published eighteen books, with her nineteenth available this spring. Mark is known for becoming deeply ingrained in the lives of her subjects, providing a unique view of their lives without making those on the edges of society look inhuman. Learn more

Lensbaby, maker of popular selective focus lenses, has announced a 5.8mm F3.5 circular fisheye lens for Canon and Nikon mounts. With a 185° angle of view, the lens produces a full-circle fisheye image when used with APS-C-sized sensor cameras. The lens also allows you to focus as close as 1/4-inch. Lensbaby is taking pre-orders now. The circular fisheye will sell for $299.95. Learn more

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.

Tamron has announced pricing and availability for its 16-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro 18.8x superzoom for APS-C SLRs. The lens, which was announced in February, will go on sale in mid-May at a street price of $629. The 16-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro will offer an unusually wide angle view for its class (24-450mm equivalent), while also allowing close-up shooting with 0.34x magnification. It has an ultrasonic-type autofocus motor, splashproof construction and optical image stabilization. Learn more

Earlier this week Sony got a lot of attention with its Alpha 7S announcement - a 12MP full-frame mirrorless camera with 4k video capabilities and ISO expandable to 409,600 for stills and video. This sounds impressive, but how does it actually perform? See for yourself as Sony just released a video demonstrating the high ISO performance of the Alpha 7S. Watch video

Sigma has released pricing and availability information of its new 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens. First announced in January at CES, the 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art is a completely new lens, rather than a revision of Sigma's existing 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM. The lens employs the company's Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) system and has 13 elements in eight groups. It will be available for Sigma, Sony, Nikon, and Canon mounts in late April for $949. The UK RRP will be £849.99. Learn more 

Designed by Lomography and manufactured in Russia by Zenit, the Russar+ is an update to the 1958 Russar MR-2 wide-angle lens. The new lens is handmade out of brass and offers a 20mm focal length. It's compatible with L39 and M mount cameras. The lens can also be used on mirrorless systems using adapter mounts. Lomography is taking pre-orders now for $649.00, or £499 in the UK. It is expected to ship in July. Learn more

While smartphone processing power, screen resolutions and camera performance have all improved significantly over the last few years, one area of development is seemingly standing still. Under heavy use most smartphone batteries still won't make it through the day, and once plugged in, devices take a long time to charge. Faster charging batteries are certainly welcome news to smartphone and tablet users but could also reduce the need for carrying spare batteries on longer photographic excursions. Learn more

Pentax cameras have always been innovative, and Ricoh has upped the ante with the K-3. Its image stabilization system not only reduces shake, but it can also simulate an anti-aliasing filter. The K-3 marks the latest evolution of one of the best-handling DSLRs in its class. It features a new autofocus system, 24 megapixel CMOS sensor, 8.3 fps continuous shooting, and USB 3.0 support. Has Ricoh put together a top-notch DSLR in the K-3? Read our review to find out

For those who want to take a swim with Nikon's latest 1 System mirrorless camera - the J4 - the company is also releasing both an underwater housing and speedlight. The WP-N3 housing lets you take the camera up to 45m underwater and supports several 1 System kit lenses. It also has a port for connecting to a strobe, such as the new SB-N10, which has a maximum depth of 100m and works with the already waterproof AW1, as well.

Nikon's recently announced flagship V3 1 System camera gave us a look at the latest technology the company has been working on, and many of those features have trickled down to the new, less-expensive J4. The camera features an 18MP CX-format sensor, an improved Hybrid AF system with phase detect points across nearly 100% of the frame, 20 fps burst shooting with continuous AF and, of course, Wi-Fi. Learn more about the Nikon 1 J4.

Nikon introduces the Coolpix S810c, a compact point-and-shoot running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. With a 16 megapixel BSI-CMOS sensor, a 12x (25-300mm equiv.) zoom lens with VR stabilization and built-in Wi-Fi, it replaces the Coolpix S800c. The S810c offers 1080/30p HD video and built-in GPS, both offered in the preceding model, and adds a larger 3.7-inch touch screen LCD with 1.2 million dots of resolution. 

Nikon has unveiled the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 ED VR (27-450mm equivalent). It doesn't replace the company's existing 18-300mm lens - rather it's 1/3-stop slower at the long end and 30% lighter, weighing 19.4 ounces. The new 18-300mm has Nikon's Vibration Reduction system, which can reduce shake by up to 4 stops. Built with three Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements and Nikon's Silent Wave Motor for quieter focusing, the 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 will be available in May for $899.95.

Atomos has released the latest in its series of field video recorders, the Shogun, at the NAB show in Las Vegas. It's capable of 4K Apple ProRes and Raw recording in 24, 25 or 30p, and up to 120p in HD. The device features a 7-inch touchscreen for operation, and accepts two SSD or HDD drives. Additionally the Shogun offers wireless remote control to trigger recording. Learn more

The W. Eugene Smith Grant for Humanistic Photography is seeking entrants to win a $30,000 (~£18,062) grant to work on a current or future documentary project, and up to $5,000 (~£3,010) if a finalist is deemed 'worthy of special recognition'. Up to forty images may be submitted for the grant. Photos must be from an ongoing project but can include past work that is representative of the photographer's vision of a proposed project. Deadline for submission is May 31, 2014. Learn more 

As part of their continuing video series, Photo District News has released an interview with James Estrin, founder of the New York Times 'The Lens' blog. Estrin provides a series of tips for the aspiring photographer. While many of these aren’t groundbreaking, the video has some real gems. Notably, in his advice to photographers looking to document strife or crisis in exotic places, he says to pursue stories that are closer to home. Learn more

The Xperia Z2 is Sony's latest flagship smartphone and replaces the Z1. The full-HD display measures 5.2 inches and offers better viewing angles than its predecessor's 5-inch equivalent. While a new Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM offer plenty of power, the camera specification is nearly identical to the Z1's. Images are captured by a 20.7MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor on a F2.0 lens. Nevertheless, Sony has managed to improve the image quality of its new flagship. Learn more

Adobe has released Lightroom mobile for Apple's iPad as a companion app to the Lightroom desktop application. The app offers many of same image editing and organizing functions found on the desktop version. It also uses cloud technology to synchronize your edits across various devices with the image catalog on your desktop computer. Learn more

Most photographs - especially photojournalistic work - exist in a void with little insight from the photographer that captured the image and what they were trying to achieve. 'The Image, Deconstructed' looks to turn this around. The website provides interviews with photographers, asking them about their techniques, their gear, their preparation, and their mindsets when they photograph. Learn more

Touted as 'the world's smallest broadcast camera with the world's largest viewfinder', Blackmagic Design has announced its new Studio Camera. The Studio Camera employs a 12.48mm x 7.02mm sensor and a Micro Four Thirds lens mount. It also has a 10-inch viewfinder and a four-hour built-in battery. Learn more

AJA has announced the Cion - a production camera featuring a 4K APS-C sized sensor - at NAB in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is AJA Video System's first camera, the company being known primarily as a manufacturer of video interface and conversion products. The camera accepts lenses with a PL mount and records to a single proprietary SSD drive. Learn more

Now that we have our hands on not one, but two PowerShot G1 X Mark IIs, we've running around out taking photos like crazy. This first installment of 24 photos - some of which may look familiar - should give you a taste of what the camera can do, and there are plenty of additional samples on the way. See gallery

Blackmagic Design has unveiled its latest and most expensive camera to date, the URSA. The camera features a changeable sensor design, allowing the user to swap out the Canon EF lens mount and 4K Super 35 image sensor for a similar sensor with a PL mount. The URSA features touch screens for operator control - including a 10-inch flip-out screen. It also has another 5-inch screen showing timecode, histogram, and other indicators such as a spectrum scope for checking focus. Learn more

The Phottix Mitros flash is a high-end TTL flash designed to compete with Canon's 580EX II at well over half the price. The Mitros for Canon shares many features with the 580EX II, including high-speed sync and built-in IR triggering with Master and Slave modes. But is the Mitros mighty enough to match one of Canon's most beloved flash models? Find out in our review

Sony has just announced a 12MP full-frame addition to its Alpha 7 series, designed to output 4K footage over HDMI. We've just got back from Sony's press conference at the NAB show in Las Vegas, where we got a chance to see the camera. We hope to get more hands-on in the coming days, but for now, here's some more details of the Sony Alpha 7S.

The Museum of London is celebrating the acquisition of a collection of images from Christina Broom, the UK's first female press photographer. Self-taught, Broom photographed London life and British military from 1903 to 1939. She started small, learning on a borrowed camera, and in 1904 she became the official photographer for the Household Division. See gallery

The Associated Press is reporting today that veteran AP photographer Anja Niedringhaus was killed, and an AP reporter was wounded, when their car was fired upon by an Afghan police officer. They were traveling in a convoy of election workers bringing ballots to regions outside the city of Khost. Niedringhaus, 48, was pronounced dead at the scene and AP reporter Kathy Gannon was shot twice. She is listed as being in stable condition after surgery to treat her wounds. Learn more

Photographer Corey Rich's most recent project, titled 'Dedicated', is a video detailing the working lives of three other notable photographers - Dave Black, Robert Beck and George Karbus - using Nikon's latest flagship camera, the D4s. Along with the final cut of 'Dedicated', a making-of video that shows the 21-day whirlwind tour to capture the footage and interviews for the documentary project was released. See video

An Olympus camera lost by a Finnish diver on a trip in Thailand has made its way back to its owner. Reported by the travel site Sail In Finland, in January the Finnish diver's tethered camera floated away after some rough weather. The point-and-shoot was found the next day by Krzysztof Torzynski, a Polish diver from Denmark who was in the same waters. He then used photos on the camera to look for the owner. Learn more

Lensbaby is well known among DSLR photographers for its array of special-effect lenses. Now the Portland, Oregon-based company wants to expand into mobile photography and has launched a Kickstarter project to fund the final development stage of its Lensbaby Sweet Spot lens for iPhones. Learn more

Transcend has announced SDXC/SDHC UHS-I Class 3 (U3) rated memory cards with read and write speeds of up to 95MB/s and 85MB/s. The Transcend cards meet requirements to give smooth video capture on new 4K cameras such as the Sony FDR-AX100, Panasonic Lumix GH4 and Canon EOS C500. Featuring 32GB to 128GB capacities, the new cards will available by mid-April in Japan and soon after in the U.S. Learn more

Nokia has launched a new high-end smartphone. The Lumia 930 is the international version of the Lumia Icon that was launched a few weeks ago as an exclusive model for U.S. carrier Verizon. Looking at the specifications, the 930's camera module appears to be identical to the unit used in Nokia's 6-inch phablet, the Lumia 1520. The 1/2.5-inch BSI CMOS sensor offers 20MP and the F2.4 aperture is combined with an optical image stabilization system and a dual-LED flash. Learn more

Some look like impressionistic paintings, while other look like colorful ribbons. It's hard to imagine the subjects of British photographer Linden Gledhill's macro photos are actually butterfly wings. A biochemist by training, Gledhill says, 'I’m completely enchanted by the physical world around me and obsessed by its natural beauty. My career in science has magnified this feeling of awe'. See gallery

With the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil just around the corner, Adidas is getting the ball rolling with an eye-catching video series. They've outfitted a match ball, also known as Brazuca, with six GoPro-style cameras for a unique point-of-view as Brazuca's six 'eyes' provide a 360-degree view around the field from cleat-level. Watch Brazuca in action

There is a large number of third party lens attachments for smartphones available. You can choose from fisheye, wide-angle, macro or tele lenses, or even attach an entire camera module. The Micro Phone Lens Kickstarter project is different though. It's a minuscule lens attachment made from a scratch-proof polymer that turns your smartphone or tablet into a microscope with a 150x magnification factor. Learn more

Goldblatt has photographed everyone from Nelson Mandela to divorced housewives, and is especially noted for his stark portrayal of South Africa during Apartheid years. In a presentation at the 2014 Indaba Conference, Goldblatt talks about the challenge of managing the difference between his corporate work and his personal work. See video

Canon has introduced its new compact XF205 and XF200 professional camcorders aimed at broadcast news and wedding videographers. They come equipped with a wide-angle 26.8 mm (35mm equivalent) 20x optical zoom lens and support two recording formats - MXF, a file format used by broadcast stations, and MP4. The XF205 and XF200 will be available in mid-July for $4,400 and $3,900 respectively. Learn more

Canon has announced its new Cine-Servo 17-120mm T2.95 zoom lens for shoulder-mounted application or as a traditional cinema lens. It has an ENG-style Digital Drive handgrip with zoom rocker switch and will be available in either PL- or EF-mount. Canon has also launched the HJ18ex7.6B portable HD zoom lens for broadcast news and documentary situations. Learn more

The guys at Apple Insider have spotted another camera-related Apple patent at the US Patent Office. A few months ago Apple patented a magnetic lens mount. This time the iPhone maker from Cupertino is looking at interchangeable lenses for mobile devices that will attach via a bayonet mount, just like on a DSLR or mirrorless system camera. Learn more

Mockups have been published showing a new Olympus OM-D OM-G. Apparently released to mark the 30th anniversary of the original film OM-G (sold as the OM-20 in Europe), we understand the OM-G will offer full native support for legacy manual focus Olympus lenses, and a full-frame BSI-CMOS sensor. Details are scarce but rumors suggest the OM-G will offer a hybrid optical and electronic viewfinder with a ground glass focusing screen and six-axis image stabilization. Click through to read more.

Which capable compact, with plenty of control, should I buy?

Adorama's Flashpoint 180 Monolight is a battery-powered 180-watt strobe designed for on-location shooting in the middle of nowhere. The kit comes with everything needed to provide adequate fill light for scenes or soft key-light for portraits, minus the stand, which must be purchased separately. Despite its budget price tag, does the 180 Monolight have what it takes for professional use? Find out in our review

The latest video from SmugMug Films' ongoing behind-the-lens series is a look at water photographer Sarah Lee. She uses the unpredictability of nature and creates art that captures the interplay of people, water and light. SmugMug's videos aim to show people who follow their passions in photography. They plan to release a new clip every two weeks. See video