Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Saturday, 21 April 2012

Welcome to the 473rd Digital Photography Review newsletter. Samsung refreshes NX range with NX20, NX210 and NX1000 Samsung has replaced its entire NX lineup with three models, all of which feature built-in Wi-Fi. All three are built around the company's 20MP sensor and can shoot at 8 frames per second. The NX20 features a built-in SVGA (1.44M dot) electronic viewfinder and tilt-swivel 'Clear' AMOLED display, while the NX210 is an updated NX200. The NX1000, meanwhile, is a new addition to the lineup, featuring less expensive construction and an accordingly reduced price-tag but retaining a lot in common with the NX210. We've had a chance to get our hands on the NX20 and discuss Samsung's Wi-Fi plans, so do have a read. We'll be publishing more information when we've spent some time with the cameras. Nikon lays foundations for DSLR updates with D3200 Nikon has signalled a shake-up of its DSLR model range is on the cards, with the launch of the 24MP D3200. The company's latest entry-level DSLR adds a couple of extra bells and whistles to the existing D3100 design, including a higher resolution rear screen, headphone socket and the ability to shoot 1080p30 or 25p video, rather than just 24p. The talking point, of course, is the camera's high pixel count. And, while speculation rages about whether it's the same chip Sony is using its high-end A77, what is certain is that the models above it in the lineup will need replacing in short order. We're looking to publish a preview with image samples early next week, but for now there's an announcement to read, including details of the optional Wi-Fi unit and the functions it'll offer. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 review Alongside these new camera announcements, we've published a review of one of the most interesting superzoom cameras on the market. Rather than chasing ever higher zoom figures, Panasonic say it's limited the FZ150 to a 24x range it says it can successfully stabilise and dropped the pixel count to 12MP, which it says improves on the output of the 14MP chip in the FZ100. However, audacious stands against market trends are futile if they don't result in a camera that takes better pictures than its peers. So where does the sophisticated raw-shooting superzoom end up sitting? Read our review to find out. Olympus O-MD E-M5 review coming soon Finally, to give a bit of advanced notice to newsletter subscribers, we can tell you that our review of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 is approaching completion. Amidst all the excitement about the Nikon D800 and 5D Mark III the little OM-D got a bit drowned-out but, if you don't have pockets large or deep enough to stretch to full frame, the E-M5 is an interesting little camera. There are still a couple of things we want to take a look at, but we're aiming to publish towards the end of next week, so please stay tuned. Richard

News updates Making sense of Canon's 4K cameras with EOSHD Published on Saturday, April 14, 2012 1:16:36 AM GMT The announcement of Canon's 4K EOS-1D C DSLR, have caused a lot of uncertainty about what the company is trying to achieve and who they're doing it for. Andrew Reid at EOSHD has taken a look at the camera's capabilities and omissions and what they mean for professional cinema production and how it sits alongside the EOS C500. We also spoke to Canon about how it sees the two models co-existing and who it sees at the audience for each camera. Read full story → Unified Color adds Lightroom 4 compatibility to HDR software Published on Monday, April 16, 2012 7:11:49 AM GMT HDR software make Unified Color Technologies has updates its software to work with Adobe Lightroom 4. Users of both HDR Expose 2 and HDR Exrpess can download free updates to the latest versions, which have been fully tested with the latest version of Lightroom. Read full story → Richard Franiec offers clip-on cable-release mount for Samsung NX200 Published on Monday, April 16, 2012 7:12:15 AM GMT Accessory maker Richard Franiec has announced a clip-on cable-release mount for the Samsung NX200. The NX200 has no infrared or USB cable release option, so Franiec has created an arm that extends from the hot shoe to the shutter button and adds a thread to screw in a traditional mechanical cable release. The mount, made from the engineering polymer Delrin, will cost $19.95. Read full story → Dan Chung asks Canon about EOS-1D C at 4K launch Published on Monday, April 16, 2012 8:07:55 AM GMT Photojournalist and videographer Dan Chung has just got back from Canon's 4K demonstration and product launch, where he saw some footage from pre-production EOS-1D Cs. He also asked some more questions about the EOS-1D C and C500. He spoke to Canon's Tim Smith, who further clarified how the company's Cinema EOS range fits together and says the inability to shoot in PAL-compatible 25p footage 'might need to be looked at.' Read full story → Canon acknowledges 'light leak' in the EOS 5D Mark III Published on Monday, April 16, 2012 6:20:06 PM GMT Canon has published a product advisory notice acknowledging the existence of a 'light leak' issue on the EOS 5D Mark III. Users of the camera have reported that in dark conditions, switching on the top-LCD's back-illumination or shining a light on it alters the camera's metering, suggesting light is leaking into the body and reaching the metering sensor. The company says it is investigating the problem and possible countermeasures, and will make further announcements once a decision has been made on resolving the issue. The full advisory note is on the Canon USA website. Petapixel reported on the issue and has linked to user videos which illustrate the problem. Read full story → Carl Zeiss launches CZ.2 70-200/T2.9 Compact Tele Zoom cine lens Published on Monday, April 16, 2012 7:44:20 PM GMT Carl Zeiss has launched the CZ.2 70-200/T2.9 cine lens at the NAB show in Las Vegas. The company says it allows movie makers to only use one lens to cover the short to long tele range. With a weight of only 2.8kg the lens is also a good addition to smaller and lighter HD video and cine cameras and ideal for hand-held operation.  The Compact Zoom CZ.2 70-200/T2.9 will be available in the fourth quarter of 2012, for a recommended retail price of US$19,900/€14,900 (excluding VAT). Read full story → Blackmagic Designs announces Blackmagic Cinema Camera Published on Monday, April 16, 2012 11:06:37 PM GMT Blackmagic Designs, a company perhaps best known among film-makers for its external recording boxes, has announced its first camera - the Blackmagic Cinema Camera. It captures 2.5K (2432 x 1366) 12bit RAW footage with a claimed 13 stops of dynamic range on a sensor that is, at 16.64 x 14.04mm, slightly smaller than the Four Thirds standard. It features a Canon EF mount and the compact body includes a capacitive touchscreen and a Thunderbolt connection. EOSHD.com has published first impressions of the camera and what it offers the market. Read full story → 2012 Pulitzer Prize photography winners announced Published on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 5:09:54 PM GMT Columbia University has announced the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winners for photography. The prize for Breaking News Photography was awarded to Massoud Hossaini of Agence France-Presse for, 'his heartbreaking image of a girl crying in fear after a suicide bomber’s attack at a crowded shrine in Kabul.' The winner in the Feature Photography category is Craig F. Walker of The Denver Post, 'for his compassionate chronicle of an honorably discharged veteran, home from Iraq and struggling with a severe case of post-traumatic stress.' The annual awards include a cash prize of US$10,000. Information on this year's awards and the winning photographs can be found on the Pulitzer Prizes site. Read full story → Corel releases Service Pack 1.0.1 for AfterShot Pro Published on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 8:13:36 PM GMT Corel has announced Service Pack 1.0.1 for AfterShot Pro, the company's photo management, editing and raw processing solution. With this update Corel has added bug fixes, support for 20 new cameras and enhancements such as  improved highlight recovery processing and a couple of new plugins. Click through for a link to the download and a full list of the new features and supported cameras. Read full story → Olympus releases firmware v1.1 update for OM-D E-M5 Published on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 6:55:50 PM GMT Olympus has issued a firmware update for the OM-D E-M5, fixing a few minor issues. Operation with SDXC cards larger than 48Gb is now more stable and the display of the focal length for powerzoom lenses has been improved. The v1.1 update is available for installation immediately via the Olympus Digital Camera Updater. Read full story → Nikon updates entry-level DSLR with 24MP D3200 and optional WiFi Published on Thursday, April 19, 2012 4:00:00 AM GMT Nikon has announced the D3200 24MP entry-level DSLR that can be used with an optional WU-1a Wi-Fi module. The camera can now shoot up to 1080p30 video (rather than the D3100's 24p) and has a 920k dot LCD, up from 230k dots. Beyond this, and improved continuous shoot rate despite the pixel-count hike, the biggest change is the ability to add the Wi-Fi unit. The WU-1a will sell for a recommended sale price of $59.95/£54.99/€59 and will be able to broadcast to smartphones over a 49ft range. The D3200 is expected in late April at an MSRP of $699.95/£649.99/€699. Read full story → Nikon announces AF-S Nikkor 28mm F1.8 G full-frame wideangle prime Published on Thursday, April 19, 2012 4:00:00 AM GMT Nikon has announced the AF-S Nikkor 28mm f/1.8 G, a fast wideangle lens for full frame SLRs such as the D800. It uses two aspherical elements in its 11 element / 9 group construction, along with Nano Crystal Coat to combat flare and ghosting. It can also be used on DX format cameras, giving a 42mm-equivalent 'normal' angle of view. It will be available from the end of May 2012 at a suggested retail price of $699.95. Updated with specifications. Read full story → Hands-on with Samsung NX20, heading refreshed lineup with NX210 and NX1000 Published on Thursday, April 19, 2012 7:00:01 AM GMT Samsung has completely refreshed its NX series with a range of W-iFi-connected cameras, the NX20, NX210 and NX1000. The NX20 and NX210 replace the NX10 and NX200, while the NX1000 broadens the range with a less expensive, entry-level option. All three cameras are built around the company's 20MP sensor, can shoot at up to 8fps and capture Full HD 1080p24 movies. The NX20 features a high-res SVGA electronic viewfinder and swivel, 'Clear' AMOLED screen with no air gap between the display panel and the protective glass, for improved reflection resistance. The NX210 has the same (non-Clear) AMOLED screen as its predecessor, while the NX1000 has a VGA display. We've had a chance to handle an NX20 and have prepared a first impressions article. Read full story → Samsung brings smartphone-connected Wi-Fi to NX series Published on Thursday, April 19, 2012 7:01:00 AM GMT Samsung's launches of the NX20, NX210 and NX1000 bring the company's smartphone connectivity to its NX series, making them the first large sensor cameras to have built-in Wi-Fi as standard. During a recent visit to see Samsung we got an exclusive opportunity to ask senior executives about their vision for the future of the NX line, and for digital photography in general. Read on to find out what Samsung's 'Smart Camera Ecosystem' is all about. Read full story → Dan Chung speaks to Canon's Chuck Westfall about 4K Cinema EOS cameras Published on Friday, April 20, 2012 12:38:33 AM GMT DSLRnewsshooter's Dan Chung has been speaking to Canon USA Technical Advisor Chuck Westfall for more details about the company's 4K Cinema EOS offerings. Both the 500C and 1D C are skewed towards cinema and high-end television production, rather than documentary and news work, Westfall says, but hints that 'peaking' and 'zebra' focusing and exposure aids could be added to the 1D C if the market demands it. Read full story → 645 PRO app for iPhone offers access to lossless camera output (but not Raw) Published on Friday, April 20, 2012 7:51:57 PM GMT App developer Jag.gr has launched 645 PRO, a flexible photography and processing app that provides access to the lossless output of the iPhone's camera. The company grabs the processed camera output before the phone compresses it, and saves it as a TIFF file. These files, which it slightly optimistically calls 'Developed Raw,' can then be accessed via iTunes. The app also offers a series of features such as spot metering and exposure, focus and white balance lock, as well as a series of film simulation options and aspect ratio options, but it's the uncompressed output that is, as far as we are aware, unique. Read full story →

Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Saturday, 7 April 2012

Welcome to the 472nd Digital Photography Review newsletter. Panasonic unveils latest miniature model Panasonic has given its entry-level point-and-shoot mirrorless model a makeover, with the debut of the GF5. It's not a radical update over the GF3 but features a re-engineered sensor, higher-resolution screen and the latest refinement of the company's user interface. It's a small camera by any standards and, in tandem with the 14-42mm power zoom, is available as an impressively small combination. Click here to read our preview of probably the most pocketable large sensor zoom cameras available. Fujifilm X-Pro1 First Impressions We've been shooting with the Fujifilm X-Pro1 for a little while now and, as part of the ongoing review process, have written about our experiences with the camera so far. Our first impressions article looks at how the camera handles and how many of the X100's quirks have made the leap across to the new camera. It also includes a 30 image sample gallery. Click here to have a read. Canon 5D III production and studio samples To augment the preview samples gallery we shot with a pre-production mode, we've gone out and taken a 'production' samples gallery, using a mass-production 5D Mk III. This 25-image samples gallery includes images taken in a variety of situations with a range of lenses and includes a handful of Adobe Camera Raw conversions. We've also published our standard studio test shots, including Raw conversions, allowing comparison with all the cameras we've reviewed in recent years. Click here to see the samples gallery. Photoshop CS6 Blur Gallery tutorial One of the features added in the Photoshop CS6 beta is the blur gallery - a photographically-styled blur tool that can be used to create a series of depth-of-field-mimicking effects. Ellen Anon has prepared a tutorial, looking at how to use the tools and demonstrating some of the effects that can be achieved. Click here to read her article. Richard

News updates Dpreview product database now mobile Published on Saturday, March 31, 2012 12:33:22 AM GMT We've made our product database available on the mobile version of the site. The addition of the products section (searchable by product name, browsable by brand and product type), is another step towards making the entire site available on-the-go. Our database currently includes cameras, lenses and printers and is probably the most comprehensive on the web. As before, there are small links at the bottom of every page to swap between the mobile and desktop versions. Read full story → Sony announces NEX-FS700 '4k-ready' E-mount camcorder Published on Monday, April 02, 2012 6:40:10 PM GMT Sony has announced the NEX_FS700 pro-grade 4k-capable E-mount camcorder. The camera will initially offer 1080p video, switchable between 50Hz and 60Hz frame rates (including 60p, 50p, 60i and 24p). A later upgrade will enable 4k capture and Raw output from its built-in 3G-SDI connector. The camera is also able to capture slow-motion footage, shooting at up to 960 fps at reduced resolution (240fps in Full HD). It also offers built-in 2- and 4-stop ND filters (which can be combined), to allow lenses to be used at wide apertures in bright light. Read full story → Canon launches EOS 60Da DSLR for astrophotography Published on Tuesday, April 03, 2012 7:04:58 AM GMT Canon has launched the EOS 60Da, a variant of its 60D DSLR tuned for astrophotography. The camera features a re-worked infra-red filter leaving the camera more sensitive to a specific emission frequency (656nm) of hydrogen, key to capturing images of features such as nebulae (gas clouds) in space. The 18MP camera continues where 2005's 8MP EOS 20Da left off. It will be available from a limited number of authorized dealers at a price of around $1499.00/£1174.99. Read full story → Instagram app arrives for Android Published on Tuesday, April 03, 2012 4:41:28 PM GMT Instagram, one of the most popular photo processing and sharing apps is now available for Android. The free app, which works with Android 2.2 or newer, is initially missing a couple of the iOS app's features (such as tilt-shift and blur), which the company will add soon. As well as processing, the app uploads images to Instagram's sharing service, which has recently been expanded to include submissions from other popular apps such as Hipstamatic and Camera Awesome. Read full story → Just Posted: Fujifilm X-Pro1 first impressions, including sample images Published on Tuesday, April 03, 2012 6:29:10 PM GMT Just Posted: First impressions of the Fujifilm X-Pro1. We've been using a production standard X-Pro1 for a little while now, as we work on our review. We took this opportunity to write about our impressions of the camera, including a look at the lenses Fujifilm has developed and whether the Pro1 features the quirkiness of the elegant but initially troubled X100. What's it like to shoot with the X-Pro1 and are the images as attractive as the camera's design? Read on to find out. Read full story → Dan Chung posts 5D Mark III vs. D800 video shootout Published on Wednesday, April 04, 2012 5:37:47 PM GMT Award-winning photojournalist and videographer Dan Chung from DSLR News Shooter has just posted a video shootout pitting the Canon EOS 5D Mark III against the Nikon D800. In the interesting and in-depth article accompanying it, Chung looks at the video features of both cameras in detail and compares them, not only in terms of output quality, but also usability. Read full story → Flickr introduces users to Aviary as Picnik ends Published on Wednesday, April 04, 2012 7:52:15 PM GMT Flickr has added the option to use the Aviary photo editing service, following Google's decision to close the Picnik service that had previously been offered. Flickr users will be able to make basic edits and image corrections using Aviary which, unlike Picnik, is HTML 5-based - allowing its use on non-Flash devices such as the iPad. However, while Aviary offers similar cropping, filter and sticker options, it loses Picnik's paintable curves adjustments and other more advanced options. Read full story → Panasonic DMC-GF5 12MP mirrorless camera announced and previewed Published on Thursday, April 05, 2012 5:00:00 AM GMT Panasonic has formally announced the much-discussed DMC-GF5. We've had a pre-production GF5 for a couple of days, so we've had a look at what's changed and what the diminutive Micro Four Thirds camera offers to compact camera users looking for better image quality but still wanting the option to simply point and shoot. The 12MP camera is a subtle revision over the GF3, but a higher-res screen, refined user interface and the inclusion of Panasonic's retractable 14-42mm power zoom lens for a list price of $749.99/£579 makes it worth looking at. Read full story → Fujifilm issues X100 firmware v1.21, fixing minor bugs from v1.20 Published on Thursday, April 05, 2012 6:17:59 PM GMT Fujifilm has issued another firmware update for the X100, fixing a couple of bugs introduced in the previous update. Firmware version 1.21 fixes some problems with using the AEL/AFL button to perform a focus acquisition in manual focus mode, that occurred with v1.20. It is available for immediate download. Read full story → Carl Zeiss adds 15mm T/2.9 and 135 T/2.1 Compact Prime cine lenses at NAB Published on Thursday, April 05, 2012 7:08:20 PM GMT Carl Zeiss has announced two videography-orientated lenses to add to its CP.2 Compact Prime range, a 15mm and a 135mm. The lenses, to be unveiled at the NAB broadcast industry trade show in Las Vegas, are the CP.2 15mm T/2.9 and CP.2 135mm T/2.1. Both lenses are color-matched to allow consistency in footage shot with different lenses, and feature interchangeable mounts, allowing use with PL, EF, F, MFT and E mounts. The two lenses will be available in the fourth quarter of 2012 at an MSRP of €4,200 / US$5,700 (excluding VAT). Read full story → Tamron gives SP 24-70mm F2.8 Di VC USD price and availability Published on Friday, April 06, 2012 5:54:48 PM GMT Tamron USA has announced pricing and availability of its SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD image-stabilized fast zoom lens. Canon and Nikon mount versions of the lens will be available from April 26th 2012, at a MSRP of $1299. The Sony version, without image stabilization, will follow at a later, unspecified date. The lens is compatible with both full-frame and APS-C cameras, includes a moisture-resistant body, and a rounded aperture for attractive background blur. Read full story → Just Posted: Canon EOS 5D Mark III 'production' sample gallery Published on Friday, April 06, 2012 10:28:07 PM GMT We've just posted a gallery of real-world sample images shot using a production-standard Canon EOS 5D Mark III. We've been out shooting with a range of lenses and in a variety of lighting conditions with Canon's latest full-frame DSLR, superseding our preview gallery that was shot with a pre-production camera. The gallery includes some shots processed with Adobe Camera Raw and a shot using the camera's multiple exposure feature. Read full story →