July 2014 news and reviews

Canon India has posted a teaser on its Facebook page showing a 1-series DSLR alongside the words 'Get your camera ready, something BIG is coming'. Being a teaser rather than a leak, the meaning of the post is open to interpretation, although 'get your camera ready' suggests that the new product might be a lens. With Photokina just around the corner, the time is right for new product announcements. Click through for a look at the teaser.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX220 and W810, which have been available in certain markets for several months, are making their way onto US shores in August and September. The WX220 features an 18.2MP BSI-CMOS sensor, Bionz X processor, 25-250mm equiv. lens, 1080/60p video, and Wi-Fi with NFC. The W810 offers a 20MP CCD, 26-156mm equiv. lens, and 720p video. The cameras are priced at $200 and $100, respectively. Click through for details.

500px's new Insights app gives you access to a host of statistical information about your account and the entire site.

We've been out taking advantage of Seattle's sunny July days and have just published a gallery of real-world samples from Canon's new 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 IS STM lens. Smaller, lighter and cheaper than the 10-22mm zoom that precedes it in Canon's lineup, the 10-18mm gives a 16-29mm equivalent range on the APS-C bodies it's designed for. See gallery

Pelican Imaging has released a set of re-focusable pictures taken with its light field camera for smartphones. Instead of placing an array of microlenses between the sensor and the main lens, Pelican uses an array of main lenses - each with a sensor behind it. Pelican's offering is more suitable for smartphones, and their sample images allow for re-focusing, changing DOF, and shifting perspective. Click through for more details and links to the images.

The Boeing 747 - or the 'jumbo jet' as it is commonly known, changed the world. The 747 first flew in 1969, and transformed modern air travel with its ability to carry more people - and more cargo - across the globe than any previous airliner, shrinking it in the process. Seattle's Museum of Flight houses RA001 - the very first 747, which flew as a test airframe from its inaugural liftoff in 1969 through until the early 1990s. The museum is currently restoring RA001 both inside and out. Click through for pictures. 

Tripod and bag manufacturer Vanguard has launched a new range of tripods that are fitted with the company’s latest pistol grip style GH-30 head. The aluminium Alta CA leg-set comes in three or four-section options to achieve maximum heights of either 1565mm (61.6in) or 1550mm (61in) though both models are designed to carry a payload of up to 11lbs (5kg). Click through for more information.

Photo sharing site 500px has announced that it is now supporting images uploaded in Lytro's unique 'Living Pictures' format, and is offering its customers a $250 discount on the purchase of Lytro's Illum camera (MSRP $1599). The Illum is available now for pre-order and is expected to start shipping within the next couple of weeks. Click through for more information.

Hong Kong-based manufacturer Cactus has launched a wireless flash trigger that it claims will work with any hotshoe or PC sync socket-equipped camera and can control the power output from Canon, Nikon and Pentax-compatible flash units all at the same time. According to the manufacturer, even photographers working with multiple flashguns designed for different TTL systems will be able to link them via the wireless trigger. Click through for more information.

Fujifilm has updated the roadmap for its X-mount lenses up to the end of 2015. One extra lens has been added, while a second lens previously included has been formally named. The release order of three others has changed. The new models are the XF 90mm F2 R and XF 16mm F1.4 R, both of which are due by mid-2015. Read on to see the full roadmap and see the new release dates for the other upcoming lenses.

Sony spends $345 million to expand its production of image sensors for smartphone cameras

It's not a surprise that Leica's first autofocus mirrorless system camera is a thing of beauty - nor that it's wildly expensive. The Leica T (Typ 701) uses a 16MP APS-C CMOS sensor, and its operation is almost entirely dependent on a couple of dials and a large touchscreen. It may be beautiful, but a camera can't get by on its looks alone. See how it fared in our field testing. Read more

Registration is now open for PhotoPlus Expo 2014, the annual photographic tradeshow that takes place in New York City, every autumn. This year's show runs from October 29 - November 1 2014 in the Javits Convention Center, and the theme of the event (aside from photography of course) is Halloween. Click through for more details. 

The new Steady app provides digital image stabilization and slow motion video for the iPhone.

Dronestagram, a website that allows drone photographers to share their images and videos, has announced the winners of their 2014 photo contest. Sponsored by National Geographic and GoPro, the competition was open to photographers around the world. The photos taking top prizes are impressive - take a look at a gallery of the winning images. See gallery

Adobe has made Camera Raw 8.6 and DNG Converter 8.6 release candidates available. This version adds support for the Nikon D810, Panasonic Lumix AG-GH4 (GH4 with interface unit) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000. Color profiles are added for the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III, A7S and Alpha SLT-A77 II. Also included are a number of new lens profiles. Learn more

Like its bigger cousin, the G3, the LG G3 Beat comes with a Laser-AF system for faster and more precise focusing.

Microsoft claims its Project Adam will be more accurate and faster at image recognition than current systems.

Nikon has released version 1.0.0 of Capture NX-D, introduced in beta form earlier this year. Capture NX-D is the first version of Nikon's flagship Raw converter since previous developer Nik Software was bought by Google in 2012. The software features a new user interface, batch conversion and a non-destructive workflow that saves adjustments in sidecar files alongside the original image. Read more

Surfing tends to conjure up images of sun-soaked beaches and clear blue water. Surf photographer Chris Burkard looks for his subjects far north of the California beaches you'd normally expect. Cold water surfing pits surfers against the elements, with no more than a few millimeters of wetsuit between them and frigid water. Likewise, Burkard braves the sub-zero temperatures to capture them. SmugMug Films profiles Burkard in its latest episode. Watch the video and read more about the photographer in our Q&A with him. See video

Rode has updated its iXY Mic iPhone accessory to support iOS devices using the new Lightning connector. 

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.

Adobe's latest Lightroom update has made it possible for subscribers to continue accessing their images and edits, as well as some limited functions of Lightroom once a license for it has ended. Key functions, including the ability to use the Develop module, do go away once the subscription is out of date, but users retain the ability to view, organize and export images. Read more

Image sharing and film emulation service VSCO has launched a scholarship fund totaling $1 million. Calling it the Artist Initiative, the program assists photographers and visual artists chosen by the company with funding and promotion of their work. The first round of recipients has been announced, including 12 creatives from across the globe. Learn more 

The simple idea that tripods are inconvenient to carry for extended periods has given birth to a host of attempts to find an easier way to steady a camera during a long exposure. A new device that joins this list is That Steady Thing - a metal boss that sits between a monopod's leg and its head, into which a pair of steadying legs screw. See if it lives up to its name. Read more

HEXO+ is an autonomous camera drone that can track its subjects.

ZTE's Nubia 7 combines a 5.5-inch HQD display with a 13MP OIS camera.

Matterport's new 3D Showcase features incorporates HDR images into 3D models. 

Canon Print Service allows you to print wirelessly from compatible Android devices and HP Slate models.

Equivalence, at its most simple, is a way of comparing different formats (sensor sizes) on a common basis. Sounds straightforward enough, but the concept is still somewhat controversial and not always clearly understood. We thought it was about time we explained - and demonstrated - what equivalence means and what it doesn't. Learn more

Hackers could use smartphone cameras to view reflections of the screen content in the eyes of the users or even capture fingerprints. 

Canon and Microsoft have signed a patent agreement covering "a broad range of products and services each company offers, including certain digital imaging and mobile consumer products." 

The S5 Mini is a more compact and slightly downgraded version of Samsung's flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5.

Camera filter and lighting gel manufacturer Lee Filters has introduced a range of filters and filter holders aimed at extreme sports fans using GoPro action cams. The Lee Bug is available in two forms - the Lee Bug 3 and the Lee Bug 3+ - which are compatible with GoPro Hero 3 and Hero 3+ cameras. Read more

Photographers looking to try out a Sigma dp2 Quattro compact digital camera before making a purchase (and given its radical design, that's a really good idea) can now take advantage of the Sigma 'Try Before You Buy' loaner program, launched today. Under the new program, photographers are invited to test the new camera before it begins shipping. Learn more

When it was introduced last year, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 was peerless. It was the first superzoom to offer a 1"-type sensor, much larger than the 1/2.3"-type chips commonly found in that class. It paired that with an impressive F2.8 constant 24-200mm equivalent zoom. Now the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 has joined the RX10 in this newly-minted category, boasting almost certainly the same sensor and a 25-400mm equivalent F2.8-4 lens. They line up nicely for a head-to-head comparison - and that's exactly what we've done. Read more