Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Saturday, 17 September 2011

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Saturday, 17 September 2011 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 250,000 subscribers
Welcome to the 458th Digital Photography Review newsletter. Canon CMOS compact comeback Having used 10MP CCD sensors in its previous two 'S' series models, Canon had turned to its own sensor division for the 12MP CMOS chip in its latest model, the PowerShot S100. Although it resembles the S95 at first glance, the latest model has a number of changes, not least a wider lens and the addition of GPS. We've given it a close look and assessed what those changes will mean for photographers. Click here to read our hands-on preview. Ricoh refreshes GR Digital Ricoh has also updated its flagship compact - the GR Digital. Unlike the Canon, it sticks with the well-respected 10MP CCD and its design changes are even more subtle. Under the skin there have been changes, however, with the GR Digital IV becoming the first in the series to feature sensor-shift image stabilization. It also receives the company's latest processing engine and marks the first use we've seen of the high brightness/low power consumption 'WhiteMagic' LCD. We've also prepared a hands-on preview of the GRD 4 - click here to find out about the changes. Samples galleries and articles As well as these previews, we've also published a series of articles, including book reviews, interviews and technique guides. We were also invited to the press launch of the recent Sony SLTs and NEX cameras, from which we've published pre-production samples from the NEX-7 and another gallery from the forthcoming E-mount Sony/Zeiss 24mm F1.8 lens. There'll be more coming over the next few days, including an introduction to mountain bike photography by top shooter Seb Rogers, some more sample galleries and a review we're just putting finishing touches to. Please stay tuned, or whatever it is one does in the ever-expanding digital environment. Richard
News updates Just posted: 3D Video Primer, Part 1 Published on 12 September 2011 21:33:13 GMT These days it seems like every other movie in theatres is 3D, and retailers' shelves are groaning with 3D televisions and home cinema systems. In this first part of our two-part 3D video primer, we look at the history of 3D, the present state of the technology, and take a glimpse at the future. Read full story → Pentax unveils Optio RZ18 compact superzoom Published on 12 September 2011 22:05:46 GMT Pentax has announced the Optio RZ18 - a compact superzoom camera with 18x zoom lens. The RZ18 combines a very flexible zoom range (25-450mm equivalent) with a 16MP image stabilized CCD sensor. It also features a 460,000 dot LCD and can shoot 720p HD video at 30 frames per second. The RZ18 will be available from October at a recommended price of $299. Read full story → Just Posted: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V preview gallery and video sample Published on 12 September 2011 23:40:06 GMT Just posted: Our Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V preview samples gallery. The HX100V is the latest offering in Sony's H series of superzooms. It combines a 30x zoom lens (26-810mm equiv.) with Sony's latest 16MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor. We've put together a sample gallery that uses the camera in a variety of shooting conditions and including several sweep panorama examples. Read full story → Just posted: Book review - Linda McCartney, a Life in Photographs Published on 13 September 2011 00:45:15 GMT Linda McCartney's marriage to Paul sometimes risks overshadowing her photographic work. An established photographer when they met, Linda spent the rest of her life documenting her family's private and professional lives. A career retrospective and memorial to a life cut short, 'Life in Photographs' showcases a rare talent. Read full story → Olympus offers firmware v1.2 for E-5 Four Thirds DSLR Published on 13 September 2011 16:30:33 GMT Olympus has announced a firmware update for its flagship E-5 DSLR. Firmware version 1.2 ensures the movement of the dial on the optional HLD-4 battery grip matches the movement of the selected AF point. The update can be installed either via the Olympus imaging software or by downloading a stand-alone installer. Read full story → Panasonic brings seven Micro Four Thirds lenses to HD standard Published on 13 September 2011 16:42:23 GMT Panasonic has reclassified seven of its existing Micro Four Thirds lenses as 'HD' lenses, four of them following a firmware update. Firmware v1.1 aims to improve the image stabilization performance and reduce the focusing noise during video capture. An apparent reassessment of its 'HD' standard sees these four, plus three other existing lenses, reclassified. The firmware can be downloaded immediately from the Panasonic website. Read full story → Just posted: Book review - The dawn of the color photograph Published on 13 September 2011 18:42:25 GMT 'The Dawn of the Color Photograph: Albert Kahn's Archives of the Planet' by David Okeofuna presents the early color photographs collected from all over the world by French banker Albert Kahn. The book was published in conjunction with the BBC television series The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn and brings together over 300 of these early 'autochromes.' Read full story → Just posted: The story of a picture - Sydney Harbor Bridge Published on 13 September 2011 23:09:23 GMT Industrial photographer Geoff Helliwell tells us how a business assignment at Sydney Harbor Bridge led to the creation of one of his favorite images. Read full story → Panasonic DMC-LX5 firmware v2 studio shots posted Published on 13 September 2011 23:12:40 GMT Just posted: Panasonic LX5 studio shots updated with firmware v2.0. The latest firmware for the DMC-LX5 is now available, so we've taken the enthusiast compact back into the studio to see what differences it makes. As well as improvements to the already impressive AF speed, Panasonic has also added an extra 'Noise Reduction' option in the menu. This applies additional noise reduction at ISO 1600 and 3200 (the highest full-resolution settings). We've included both NR on and Off in our comparisons at these settings. Read full story → Richard Franiec says E-PL3 accessory grip also suitable for PEN Mini Published on 14 September 2011 00:12:23 GMT Richard Franiec has announced that his accessory grip for the Olympus E-PL3 will start shipping on September 15th and has confirmed it will fit the PEN Mini (E-PM1). The aluminium grips are available at a cost of $34.95 plus shipping. Read full story → SanDisk launches 90MB/s SDXC cards and Eye-Fi cards in Europe Published on 14 September 2011 17:42:22 GMT Sandisk has announced a series of cards including SDXC UHS-I cards capable of 95MB/s transfer speeds and Eye-Fi wireless cards for the European market. The SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-I cards are based on the SD 3.0 standards and can write at 90MB/s to allow bursts of large Raw files or 1080p60 video. They will be available in sizes from 8 to 64Gb. Meanwhile there will be 4 and 8Gb SanDisk/Eye-Fi co-branded cards available in Europe. It's not clear if these differ from the existing Eye-Fi products. (via Megapixel) Read full story → Just Posted: Sony NEX-7 pre-production samples gallery Published on 14 September 2011 18:04:09 GMT Just Posted: Sony NEX-7 pre-production samples gallery. We've been shooting at the press launch of Sony's latest cameras, affording us a chance to shoot with a pre-production NEX-7. We've put together a samples gallery in a variety of lighting conditions, giving an idea of what the camera will be capable of. We've also tried its sweep-panorama mode in circumstances where conventional panorama shooting would have been challenging. We'll be adding to the gallery over the coming days. Read full story → Just posted: Studio in the Wild Published on 14 September 2011 18:18:27 GMT Strobe lights, reflectors and translucent backdrops are not limited to the pristine confines of a studio. Learn how nature photographers are bringing the 'studio' to their subjects for unique interpretations of the nature around us. Read full story → Kodak announces Easyshare M5370 touch-screen 5x compact Published on 14 September 2011 21:33:14 GMT Kodak has released three cameras, including the Easyshare Touch M5370; a 16MP, 5x zoom touch-screen compact. It features a 28-140mm equivalent lens and follows Samsung's trend of using MicroSD cards. The company has also created the Z5010 14MP 21x (25-525mm equiv.) superzoom and the M5350, which appears to offer a similar spec to the M5370 but without touch-screen and taking full-size SD cards. Read full story → Just Posted: Ricoh GR Digital IV hands-on preview Published on 15 September 2011 06:00:55 GMT Just Posted: Ricoh GR Digital IV hands-on preview. We've been loaned a pre-production GRD 4, which we've closely examined to see what this latest model offers. Although the core specification (28mm equiv. lens and 10MP CCD sensor) appear unchanged, there have been plenty of updates. These include the addition of image stabilization, 'Hybrid AF' and the first application we've seen of Sony's 'WhiteMagic' RGBW high-res LCD. Click here to find out how Ricoh has refreshed its high-end enthusiast compact. Read full story → Ricoh unveils GR Digital IV 10MP enthusiast compact with 'Hybrid AF' Published on 15 September 2011 06:00:55 GMT Ricoh has unveiled the Ricoh GR Digital IV - the latest in its series of high-end, fixed focal-length compacts. The GRD IV is still built around a 10MP 1/1.7" CCD sensor but gains sensor-shift image stabilization. It also adds 'Hybrid AF' that uses twin CMOS AF sensors allowing the camera to assess focus distance and bring focus times down to 0.2 sec (twice the speed of the GRD III). This, combined with the camera's distinctly photographer-focused interface and compact size, prompts the company to tout the GR Digital IV as a street-shooting tool. The camera also gains a high-resolution RGBW 1.23M dot LCD. There will also be a limited-edition white version for the first time. Read full story → Just Posted: Canon PowerShot S100 hands-on preview Published on 15 September 2011 12:01:36 GMT Just Posted: Canon PowerShot S100 hands-on preview. We've had a chance to use the S100 and find just what's changed from the much-liked S95. The example we had was too early for us to be allowed to shoot with but we've studied the details (such as the maximum available aperture through its zoom range), to give you an idea of what Canon's latest enthusiast compact brings. Read full story → Canon announces PowerShot S100 12MP CMOS enthusiast compact Published on 15 September 2011 12:01:36 GMT Canon has announced the PowerShot S100 - the latest in its line of small enthusiast compacts. The S100 features a broader, 5x lens range (24-120mm equiv.), the company's latest image stabilization and built-in GPS. The interesting specification, from our perspective, is the 12MP CMOS sensor. It's the company's second compact camera sensor, following the slightly disappointing example in 2008's PowerShot SX1. As with the S95, the sensor remains of the larger 1/1.7" type used in high-end compacts. Read full story → Canon launches PowerShot SX40 HS 35x CMOS superzoom Published on 15 September 2011 12:01:36 GMT Canon has launched the PowerShot SX40 HS - a 12MP CMOS-based superzoom with 35x zoom. The SX40 steps into the place of the SX30 and offers a 24-840mm equivalent zoom range. It can shoot at up to 10.3 frames per second for 8 shots and can capture 1080p24 HD video. An 'Intelligent IS' system attempts to assess the shooting conditions and use the most appropriate stabilization mode, to make the camera's huge lens range usable. Read full story → Just posted: Book Review - Subway by Bruce Davidson Published on 15 September 2011 17:21:21 GMT Adam Koplan reviews the third edition of Magnum photographer Bruce Davidson’s classic series of images of New York City subway riders from all walks of life - including 25 never-before-published photos. Read full story → Just posted: Photographer profile - Jody Kingzett Published on 15 September 2011 23:24:20 GMT Jody Kingzett is a London based commercial and PR photographer. Read our profile and interview to find out how he started his career, what inspires him and what equipment he prefers to shoot with. Read full story → Just Posted: Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA / NEX-7 samples Published on 16 September 2011 09:00:22 GMT Just Posted: Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA preview samples gallery. At the press launch we've had a chance to shoot with Sony's latest E-mount prime lens: the Zeiss-branded 36mm equivalent 24mm F1.8 ZA. We've been shooting the lens on a pre-production NEX-7 to show its performance in front of a 24MP sensor. As usual we've tried to shoot the lens in a variety of conditions and at a variety of apertures to give an idea about how it behaves. Read full story → Just posted: What we want in a macro shot - part 2 Published on 16 September 2011 18:27:30 GMT In this latest part of his series on macro photography Erez Marom demonstrates the important role the background plays in creating a successful macro photograph. Learn how to take control of this image-defining element. Read full story → Ricoh adds features with final GR Digital II firmware update Published on 16 September 2011 19:21:35 GMT Ricoh has announced it will update the firmware of its GRD III enthusiast compact camera. The update, due in mid October, is the fifth feature-adding revision for the high-end model and includes several additional features that have come from its GXR and GRD IV cameras. These include the ability to assign an additional option to the 'Adj.' lever and the locking of the power button if the optional new GL-1 metal lens cap is fitted. The company says this will be the final update for the GRD III. Read full story →