Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 29 January 2014

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 29 January 2014 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Hello! And welcome to the 494th Digital Photography Review newsletter. Hey, I just realized we're only six weeks away from our 500th newsletter! I should bake a cake... this is my 37th newsletter since taking it on last spring, and writing it is one of the highlights of my week. Thanks as always for reading and please keep your feedback coming. The big news this week is two small cameras - both mirrorless, and both very nice indeed, albeit aimed at different audiences. The much-rumored, much-teased and much-leaked Fujifilm X-T1 is Fujifilm's most serious X-series model yet, with a design inspired by the chunky Fujica SLRs of yore. We can't wait to start shooting with it. Meanwhile, Olympus has come out with the OM-D E-M10. The E-M10 is essentially a slimmed down version of the venerable E-M5, with a sprinkling of DNA from the flagship E-M1. Can cameras get much smaller while still offering SO MANY external controls? Answers on a postcard please (or in a comment on our article). OK, let's take a look at some recent content... Ready for anything: Fujifilm X-T1 first-impressions review The Fujifilm X-T1 offers many of the same inner workings as the X-E2, including its 16MP X-Trans CMOS II sensor with on-chip phase detection. On top of that it adds a revamped EVF, an OLED panel boasting 2.36M dot resolution with 0.77x equivalent magnification and a claimed lag time of 0.005 seconds. It also outdoes existing X-series models with 8 fps continuous shooting while tracking a subject. Fujifilm's engineers have wrapped all of this up in an SLR-styled body that's freezeproof as well as dust- and water-resistant. We've spent some time getting to know the X-T1; read our first impressions review and see what we think of this impressively specified mirrorless camera. Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Fujifilm X-T1 Olympus OM-D E-M10 proves good things come in small packages The Olympus E-M10 wraps much of the E-M5's feature set into a smaller, more compact body. It retains core OM-D features like twin dials, a built-in EVF and a 16 megapixel Four Thirds sensor, but manages to fit them into a body that's more Stylus 1 than ILC. It sits below its E-M5 and E-M1 siblings in terms of both price and specifications, but with features borrowed from two very strong predecessors it's potentially a very impressive camera in its own right. We've spent some time getting to know an early-production unit. Take a look at our first impressions and sample gallery - shot using the new M.Zuiko Digital 25mm F1.8 and tiny M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ lenses. Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 DxOMark tests Nokia Lumia 1020's Raw image quality When the Nokia Lumia 1520 was launched in October 2013 it was the first smartphone to offer Raw image capture. Now the same feature was recently added to the older model Lumia 1020. Our partners at DxOMark have put the Lumia 1020 through its Raw-based sensor testing. The results are worth checking out. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com. Click here to learn more about the Nokia Lumia 1020's Raw image quality 10 essential time-saving Photoshop tips Fashion and fine art photographer Thomas Park shares the shortcuts that he finds most useful, along with tips for combining them in a fast, fluent manner. While many of these shortcuts and techniques may be familiar to you already, they can be combined to minimize context switches for maximum efficiency. Click here to read Thomas Park's tips to save time in Photoshop What's coming up? Thanks to two major new product releases, the status of our upcoming reviews is much the same as it was last week. Our review of the Sony a7R is in the pipeline, and reviews of Nikon's D5300, the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 and the Pentax K-3 are progressing nicely. Voting remains open in our poll to find your favorite product of last year, and we'll be announcing the overall winner next week (at this point you can probably guess what it will be!) Thanks for reading - see you next week! Barney WTD #228 Check out What The Duck in our Link Directory   GearShop update - a message from Laura GearShop update - a message from Laura New releases: You probably know by now that Fujifilm and Olympus have announced a slew of interesting cameras and lenses this week. If anything has caught your eye, get in line by pre-ordering now. We never charge you until the product is ready to be shipped, and we'll send your order with free 2-day shipping when it's available. Check out the new weather-resistant Fujifilm X-T1, shipping in early March, or the affordable Olympus OM-D E-M10, which we expect to start shipping in about two weeks. Learn about the other new products Olympus announced yesterday, including a superzoom compact with a unique focusing aid, a waterproof compact, and some interesting new micro four thirds lenses and accessories. Until next week - Laura and the GearShop Team
News updates Nikon issues firmware updates for Df, D5200 and D3200 Published on Wednesday, January 22, 2014 7:19:29 PM GMT Nikon has posted firmware updates for the Df, D5200 and D3200. As well as a number of minor bugs and performance issues, support has been added to the D3200 and D5200 for the new collapsible AF-S DX 18-55mm F3.5–5.6G VR II, allowing them to display an error message if the camera is turned on with the lens in its collapsed state. Read more and get the updates Read full story → Sony Alpha 7 review: Full-frame mirrorless is here Published on Wednesday, January 22, 2014 8:40:00 PM GMT By putting a 24 megapixel full-frame sensor into a body nearly the same size as the Olympus E-M1, the Alpha 7 is arguably the most ambitious camera Sony has ever made. Never before has there been a full-frame camera this small - and one that supports nearly every 35mm lens format ever made, as well as Sony's own E-mount lenses. Does Sony get enough things right with the Alpha 7 to compete with more conventional full-frame cameras such as the Canon 6D and Nikon D610? Read our full review to find out Read full story → creativeLIVE's John Greengo gives 5-day course on digital photography Published on Thursday, January 23, 2014 7:44:10 PM GMT creativeLIVE is hosting a five-day course on the fundamentals of digital photography presented by John Greengo. The course is free to watch live, and runs through tomorrow, Jan 24th. Some of you may remember John as one of the expert photographers that contributed to our Cyber Monday 'DPReview Live' broadcast. Click through for a link to the course at creativeLIVE. Read full story → Pictures emerge showing widely-leaked Fujfilm 'X-T1' Published on Thursday, January 23, 2014 8:12:24 PM GMT Last week, Fujifilm teased a new, apparently high-end X-series camera. Inevitably this has lead to a flurry of new rumors, much speculation about the camera's specification, and now a slew of product photographs courtesy of Japanese site digicame-info.com, apparently showing an 'X-T1'. At this point, we're not sure whether Fujifilm will have anything new to announce when the camera finally gets officially launched. Click through for a taste of what's (probably) coming up.  Read full story → AP cuts ties with Pulitzer-winning photographer Published on Thursday, January 23, 2014 10:00:00 PM GMT The Associated Press news organization has cut ties with freelance photographer Narciso Contreras after he admitted to digitally altering a photo taken last September in Syria. The photo in question shows a Syrian opposition fighter taking cover during an exchange of fire. In the original photo, a fellow journalist's video camera can be seen in the lower left corner. Contreras cloned out the camera before sending back to AP editors. Learn more Read full story → 10 essential time-saving Photoshop tips Published on Thursday, January 23, 2014 10:30:00 PM GMT Fashion and fine art photographer Thomas Park shares the shortcuts that he finds most useful, along with tips for combining them in a fast, fluent manner. While many of these shortcuts and techniques may be familiar to you already, they can be combined to minimize context switches for maximum efficiency. Learn more Read full story → Samyang announces 14mm F2.8 filter holder, Cokin to make filters Published on Friday, January 24, 2014 6:00:00 AM GMT Samyang Europe has introduced the SFH-14 filter holder for its 14mm 1:2.8 ED AS IF UMC lens. Along with the holder, three rectangular filters will be manufactured by Cokin. The SFH-14 will come in standard and V-DSLR cine versions. The holder comes with double slideways to use one or two filters at the same time and can be used both vertically and horizontally. Learn more Read full story → Fujifilm files patent for color filter array with different-sized pixels Published on Friday, January 24, 2014 6:00:00 AM GMT Fujifilm has filed a patent for an image sensor that uses a novel layout, with green and clear rectangular pixels which are larger in area than their neighboring blue and red pixels. The idea behind it is apparently to reduce luminance noise at the expense of color noise, on the grounds that the human eye is less sensitive to the latter. Learn more Read full story → Phase One announces IQ250 50MP CMOS medium format back Published on Friday, January 24, 2014 1:06:53 PM GMT Phase One has announced the 'world's first CMOS-based digital camera back' - the 50MP IQ250. It uses a 44x33mm sensor - 68% larger in area than 35mm full frame -and promises the widest ISO range of any medium format camera system (100-6400). It sports a high-resolution 3.2" touchscreen for live view, playback and changing settings, and has built-in Wi-Fi. The IQ250 is available now, with prices starting at €24,990 / $34,990. Learn more. Read full story → What The Duck #228 Published on Friday, January 24, 2014 10:00:06 PM GMT 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. Read full story → Ricoh GR firmware version 3.00 now available Published on Saturday, January 25, 2014 2:03:48 AM GMT Ricoh has released firmware version 3.00 for its GR compact camera. The list of updated features includes two options for folder name settings, ability to develop RAW images in different aspect ratios, and customization to assign various AFL Focus Settings to the AF button when the AF function switching lever is set to AEL/AFL (previously only Spot AF was available). Get the update Read full story → DxOMark tests Nokia Lumia 1020's Raw image quality Published on Saturday, January 25, 2014 8:32:29 AM GMT When the Nokia Lumia 1520 was launched in October 2013 it was the first smartphone to offer Raw image capture. Now the same feature was recently added to the older model Lumia 1020. Our partners at DxOMark have put the Lumia 1020 through its Raw-based sensor testing. The results are worth checking out. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com.  Read full story → Russian Mother captures atmospheric photos of sons on farm Published on Sunday, January 26, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT Elena Shumilova's atmospheric photographs show a special bond between her sons Yaroslav and Vanya and their animals, on the family farm in rural Russia. Her images are deliberately dreamlike and highly evocative, capturing the bond between her young sons and their animal playmates. See gallery Read full story → Compare present day 'retakes' of U.S. National Parks to 1930's originals Published on Monday, January 27, 2014 6:19:22 PM GMT The past and present collided when the National Parks Service recreated a number of 1930's panoramic photos of fire lookouts, this time with modern photographic technology. The results are viewable in an interactive format that's helping the NPS study the changing landscape of U.S. National Parks. Learn more Read full story → Fujifilm X-T1 First Impressions Review Published on Tuesday, January 28, 2014 4:30:00 AM GMT The Fujifilm X-T1 has a lot in common with its X-series siblings - bearing an important distinction: it's weatherproof. It does in fact offer many of the same inner workings as the X-E2, including its 16MP X-Trans CMOS II sensor with on-chip phase detection. On top of that it adds a revamped EVF, an OLED panel boasting a claimed lag time of 0.005 seconds. Consider also that it shoots 8 fps with subject tracking and it all adds up to a very well specified package. Read our first impressions review Read full story → Fujifilm X-T1 offers weather-resistant body and improved EVF Published on Tuesday, January 28, 2014 4:30:00 AM GMT Following its first appearance in a teaser ad last week (and a comprehensive leak), the Fujifilm X-T1 makes its official debut. It's a weather-resistant, SLR-styled mirrorless camera bearing a 16MP X-Trans CMOS II sensor, a chip it borrows from its X-E2 sibling. What really separates it from the X-E2 is the X-T1's giant electronic viewfinder and triple control dials on its top plate. The X-T1 also has Wi-Fi built-in, and supports remote control from a smartphone. Read full story →
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Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 22 January 2014

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 22 January 2014 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Hello! And welcome to the 493rd Digital Photography Review newsletter. Since I last wrote to you almost the entire editorial team has been focused on pushing out our review of the Sony a7 which just went online as I'm typing this. It was a lot of work, as befits such an interesting and complex camera. If you're holding out for a review of the a7R that's just around the corner but (obviously) much of the a7 review is relevant to both models, and you'll find image quality comparisons of both cameras in there as well. We hope you enjoy it. For my part, I contributed a short article describing my experience of shooting with third-party lenses on the a7 and a7R via adapters. I had fun writing it, and even more fun reading some of the comments. You'll find links to the review and article below. Without further ado, let's take a look at some recent content highlights! Full-frame mirrorless is here! In-depth Sony a7 review By putting a 24 megapixel full-frame sensor into a body nearly the same size as the Olympus E-M1, the Alpha 7 is arguably the most ambitious camera Sony has ever made. Never before has there been a full-frame camera this small - and one that supports nearly every 35mm lens format ever made, as well as Sony's own E-mount lenses. Does Sony get enough things right with the Alpha 7 to compete with conventional full-frame cameras such as the Canon 6D and Nikon D610? Read our full review to find out. Click here to read our in-depth review of the Sony a7 Using third-party lenses on the Sony a7 / a7R In theory, if you've got a collection of old or obscure lenses for long-defunct 35mm film cameras, the full-frame Sony a7 / a7R may allow you to breathe new life into them. Lenses for a great many systems can be attached to the a7 / a7R without huge cost via a range of third-party mount adapters. Click through to read about editor Barnaby Britton's experience of shooting with older third-party lenses on the a7 and a7R. Click here to read our article about using third-party lenses on the Sony a7 / a7R DPReview Live Cyber Monday broadcast now available for replay Back in December we hosted a day of live video broadcast with our partners creativeLIVE covering the best products of 2013, live technique demonstrations, shooting advice and a guest panel discussion. If you missed any or all of the live broadcast, don't worry! We're proud to (finally) announce that all of the segments of our Cyber Monday live broadcast are now available for replay, in our videos section. Click through to go straight there. You'll laugh, you'll cry... well, you get the idea. Click here to watch our archived videos from the Cyber Monday broadcast Fujifilm teases upcoming SLR-style X system camera Fujifilm is teasing an upcoming SLR-style mirrorless body on its X system page. The camera sports top-plate shutter speed, exposure compensation and ISO dials, along with a prominent central viewfinder 'hump'. It will be formally announced on January 28th, and as usual we'll bring you full details then, but until then, click through to read more about what we (think) we know. Click here to read more about Fujifilm's teaser for a new X system camera What's coming up? Our review of the Sony a7R is in the pipeline, following publication of the a7 review and work is underway on reviews of Nikon's D5300, the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 and the Pentax K-3. Voting remains open in our poll to find your favorite product of last year, but one of last year's most innovative companies, Fujifilm, looks set to release a new high-end body pretty soon (see teaser above) and we'll be bringing you more information about that as soon as we can, too. Thanks for reading - see you next week! Barney WTD #1450 Check out What The Duck in our Link Directory   GearShop update - a message from Laura GearShop update - a message from Laura Now Shipping: Do you miss the experience of shooting instant film, but want a little more control than just point and shoot? Fujifilm's latest Instax Mini camera, the mini 90 Neo Classic, is finally here! Not only is it small stylish, but it also uses a rechargeable li-ion battery, has brightness control, kids mode, party mode, landscape mode, macro mode, bulb exposure mode, double exposure mode and more. Don't forget to pick up a couple packs of Instax mini film too! This week's best deals: Save up to $60 on Manfrotto's line of advanced and professional camera bags and backpacks. Visit our deals page to keep tabs on new discounts and bundles, where we've got some amazing prices on compact cameras. We've got a handful of feature-packed options for under $300 and bundles on popular system cameras from Olympus, Nikon, and Canon. Until next week - Laura and the GearShop Team
News updates Wyoming's stunning weather and landscapes in time-lapse Published on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 6:00:00 AM GMT Photographer Nicolaus Wegner's dedication to his craft has produced a captivating time-lapse video of the wild weather and beautiful landscapes of his home state. In the 14 months it took him to complete his Wyoming Wildscapes II project, he saw it all — from meteor showers, to lightning across hills and prairies, and 60mph winds. Watch video Read full story → DPReview Live Cyber Monday broadcast now available for replay Published on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 8:01:00 AM GMT Back in December we hosted a day of live video broadcast with our partners creativeLIVE covering the best products of 2013, live technique demonstrations, shooting advice and a guest panel discussion. If you missed any or all of the live broadcast, don't worry! We're proud to (finally) announce that all of the segments of our Cyber Monday live broadcast are now available for replay, in our videos section. Click through to go straight there. Read full story → Adobe adds Perspective Warp and 3D printing to Photoshop CC Published on Thursday, January 16, 2014 5:21:14 PM GMT Adobe has released a major update to Photoshop for Creative Cloud subscribers. The most notable new features are Perspective Warp, Linked Smart Objects and 3D printing capability. Other improvements include enhancements to Scripted Patterns and fills, performance boosts for Smart Sharpen, Adobe Generator improvements for rescaling Smart Objects and adding padding, and font transformations and shape selections. Learn more Read full story → What The Duck #1450 Published on Friday, January 17, 2014 12:34:12 AM GMT 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. Read full story → Open source Lux camera is a DIY project for ambitious photographers Published on Friday, January 17, 2014 8:00:31 AM GMT Kevin Kadooka's Lux is an experiment in DIY camera building. With a waist-level viewfinder, it accepts 120 roll film. Rather than borrowing parts from old cameras as he's done in previous projects, Kevin's Lux camera is comprised of off-the shelf parts. All of its construction specifications are available to enterprising individuals looking to build their own. Click through to learn more Read full story → Review: Photo Mate R2 brings Raw processing to Android devices Published on Friday, January 17, 2014 6:33:43 PM GMT Ever since the original Apple iPad was launched in 2010 tablets have been the image viewing and presentation device of choice for many photographers. Tablets can also be a good alternative to fully-fledged laptops for those who prefer to travel light. However, up to now, tablets have not been a serious option for those photographers who prefer to shoot in Raw format. Enter Photo Mate R2: a fully-featured raw converter for Android. Read our review to find out how (and how well) it works.  Read full story → Reminder: Vote now for your product of 2013 Published on Saturday, January 18, 2014 2:48:25 AM GMT Last month you voted for the best gear in five categories, and now's your chance to let us know which of the winning products was the most impressive. The poll stays open until the end of this month, and if you haven't voted yet this is your chance! Click through for a look at the 2013 category winners from our five classes, and a chance to cast your vote. Read full story → Adobe leaks 'Lightroom Mobile' app Published on Saturday, January 18, 2014 3:13:17 AM GMT Is Adobe planning to release a mobile version of its Lightroom editing program? It seems so, judging by an accidental leak on its own website earlier this week. A private page on Adobe's website - quickly removed - appears to have revealed details of a planned iOS version of Lightroom, including a price of $99 for an annual license. Click through for more (albeit not much more) detail. Read full story → Tamas Dezso offers glimpse into post-Communist Romania Published on Sunday, January 19, 2014 8:00:01 AM GMT Tamas Dezso is a fine art documentary photographer based in Budapest. Since 2011 he has been documenting the disintegration of former Communist Romania's infrastructure in a series of photographs called 'Notes for an Epilogue'. In his own words, the purpose of the project is to 'render a world which may disappear forever imperceptibly and very rapidly due to the transitional nature of the [Communist] era'. See gallery Read full story → Fujifilm teases upcoming SLR-style X system camera Published on Monday, January 20, 2014 8:50:24 AM GMT Fujifilm is teasing an upcoming SLR-style mirrorless body on its X system page. The camera sports top-plate shutter speed, exposure compensation and ISO dials, along with a prominent central viewfinder 'hump'. It will be formally announced on January 28th, and as usual we'll bring you full details then. For now, though, click through for a few more thoughts and a larger version of Fujifilm's teaser image.  Read full story → Exposure: Alex Washburn looks for where the Autopista Ends Published on Monday, January 20, 2014 6:23:56 PM GMT Alex Washburn used to be a photographer for Wired.com until she quit her job, put her belongings into storage and set off on a journey around the world. Last October she and her boyfriend embarked on an epic trip by motorcycle from San Francisco to the southernmost tip of South America. At present Alex is somewhere in Columbia, posting images to her Instagram account as she journeys south. Click through to see a selection of her stunning travel photographs.  Read full story → Richard Franiec creates custom grip for Panasonic GM1 Published on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 4:45:00 PM GMT Accessory grip maker Richard Franiec has created a custom grip for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1. The grip is made from anodized aluminium alloy and should improve handling when using the GM1 with larger Micro Four Thirds lens. It weighs about 20g and leaves the battery/card door and tripod socket unobstructed. It should be available later this month and cost $34.95 plus shipping. Learn more Read full story → Hasselblad replaces CEO, announces 50MP CMOS medium-format camera Published on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 6:49:30 PM GMT Hasselblad has announced a new camera, the H5D-50c which incorporates a 50MP CMOS sensor. This is a step away from the CCD sensors that have been standard in digital medium-format imaging up to now. The H5D-50c comes weeks after Hasselblad was reported to have quietly replaced its CEO, Dr Larry Hansen. He was the man responsible for the tie-up with Sony that created the Hasselblad Lunar and has been replaced by former chief operating office Ian Rawcliffe. Learn more Read full story → Using third-party lenses on the Sony a7 / a7R Published on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 8:21:27 PM GMT In theory, if you've got a collection of old or obscure lenses for long-defunct 35mm film cameras, the full-frame Sony a7 / a7R may allow you to breathe new life into them. Lenses for a great many systems can be attached to the a7 / a7R without huge cost via a range of third-party mount adapters. We're planning on publishing our full review of the a7 within the next 24 hours, but until then, click through to read about editor Barnaby Britton's experience of shooting with older third-party lenses on the a7 and a7R. Read full story → Rumored Sony Xperia 'Sirius' reported to shoot 4K video Published on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 9:14:58 PM GMT Information has leaked about the Android 4.4.2. KitKat OS to be included in Sony's next flagship Xperia handset that points to 4K video capability. Codenamed 'Sirius,' the high-end device will reportedly carry many of the same camera features that the current flagship Sony Z1 offers like manual exposure control, and along with 4K video is expected to add some new features like 'timeshift video,' a high frame rate movie mode with the option to apply slow motion effects. Read more on our sister site connect.dpreview.com. Read full story →
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Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 15 January 2014

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 15 January 2014 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Hello! And welcome to the 492nd Digital Photography Review newsletter. So, we're safely back from CES, ensconced again inside the Tupperware box that is Seattle in the wintertime. In case you missed it, we produced a lot of content from the show which you can find links to below. Show reports, roundups and hands-on with some new gear as well as all of the usual product news that accompanies any major trade show. We also got our hands on the new Panasonic Leica 42.5mm F1.2 lens for Micro Four Thirds and produced a gallery of samples which we think prove that this new fast portrait prime is something rather special... Without further ado, let's take a look at some recent content highlights! CES 2014: New releases, show reports, roundups and more Last week we were at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, having meetings, eating bad food, being briefed on upcoming products, eating more bad food and getting our hands on the gear that was announced at the show. Click the links below to take a look at all of our coverage from this year's CES (minus the curved TV screens). Click here to read our CES show coverage Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 samples gallery We got our hands on the recently announced Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 ASPH OIS at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. It's an ultra-fast portrait prime for Micro Four Thirds that offers an 85mm equivalent field of view. We shot some samples mounted on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and Olympus OM-D E-M5, including an aperture progression series. Click here to view our gallery of samples from the Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 Battle of the titans: Top ball heads tested There is no denying the advantages of a tripod for improving your images in the studio or in the field, but a tripod is only three legs. It's the tripod ball head that lets you point it wherever you'd like. Too many are content to stick with the head that comes with their tripod, but there are a variety of head types that can improve your experience with the best set of tripod legs. We've reviewed 10 similar ball heads in an effort to find out their relative strengths and weaknesses. Follow the links to read our conclusions. Click here to read our roundup of ball heads Fast and portable: Using the Apple MacBook Air in a pro workflow Photographers often need to find the most powerful solutions possible and cram them into the smallest places. While the Apple MacBook Air once satisfied only the size part of the equation, the newest member of the family makes it a compelling choice for photographers. The Apple MacBook Air provides a professional level of power in a diminutive package without sacrificing functionality. Click here to read our article 'Using the Apple MacBook Air in a pro workflow' What's coming up? Our review of the Sony a7 and a7R is in the very final stages of preparation, and we're also starting work on reviews of Nikon's D5300, the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 and continuing work on the Pentax K-3 with a fresh set of Pentax 'Limited' lenses including the recently-announced 20-40mm. Also remember that although 2013 already seems like a distant dream voting remains open in our poll to find your favorite product of last year. Thanks for reading - see you next week! Barney GearShop update - a message from Laura GearShop update - a message from Laura My feet are still a bit sore from walking the floor at CES last week, looking for cool new products to work into the GearShop selection. I'm very excited about the new line of redesigned Domke bags, a staple for enthusiasts and pros, now with better functionality and customization. Keep an eye out for new stuff in the coming months, and as always, feel free to make suggestions directly to me. This week's best deals: Looking for a great deal on a pocket camera? Fujifilm's XF1 premium enthusiast camera is a steal at only $199! Save $200 on some of our favorite Olympus lenses when you purchase one or more with an OM-D EM-1, OM-D E-M5, or E-P5 mirrorless camera. Save up to $300 on Sony Alpha APS-C SLTs, plus get additional discounts on lenses. Get a free battery grip when you buy an SLT-A77! Now shipping: If you've been waiting for a bright, standard prime for your new Sony a7 or a7R, the Sonnar T* FE 55mm F1.8 lens is now in stock with free two-day delivery. Until next week - Laura and the GearShop Team
News updates GearShop videos: Advice and recommendations on camera technology Published on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 1:24:02 AM GMT We’ve added four new clips to our series of informative videos hosted by professional photographer Ryan Phillips. In this installment, he explores how sensor size can help you decide on your next camera, the benefits of shooting video on mirrorless cameras, Fujifilm’s unique technologies, and if image stabilization really makes a difference in your photos. See videos Read full story → CES 2014: What we experienced at Pepcom Digital Experience Published on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 2:36:16 AM GMT CES 2014: Every year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Pepcom holds a 'Digital Experience' showcase event before the main show opens, to showcase the best of the technology that is being exhibited. It's also a good opportunity for informal meetings, networking and general gawking at cool new things before the noise and fury of the main event in Las Vegas Convention Center. And did we mention it's also really strange? This year's theme was the Wizard of Oz. Our intrepid editorial team were there.  Read full story → CES 2014: Nikon Stand Report Published on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 5:12:38 PM GMT CES 2014: Nikon's booth, near the back of the Central Hall, showed off their latest products, and also had a live demo of their 'HD SLR' cameras, replete with models. We've already had some hands-on time with the new D3300, 35mm F1.8G lens and a behind-glass D4S, and we spent our time at the booth checking out the new Coolpix lineup. Tour Nikon's CES 2014 booth Read full story → Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 samples gallery Published on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 9:53:11 PM GMT CES 2014: We got our hands on the recently announced Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 ASPH OIS at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. It's an ultra-fast portrait prime for Micro Four Thirds that offers an 85mm equivalent field of view. We shot some quick samples mounted on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3, including an aperture progression series. See gallery Read full story → CES 2014: Panasonic Stand Report Published on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 9:56:54 PM GMT CES 2014: Panasonic typically has a truly large presence at CES, and this year is no exception. Just beyond the acres of curvy 4K displays are some of the most interesting photo-related announcements at the show - the Leica Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 with Power O.I.S., for example, along with some prototype lenses on display with the diminutive Lumix GM1. We also got some hands-on time with Lumix compacts announced for the show. Take a look at what's new for Panasonic at CES 2014 Read full story → CES 2014: Fujifilm Stand Report Published on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 10:30:51 PM GMT CES 2014: Fujifilm's stand was bustling, with most of the attention centered around their X-series lineup. While most of the new products were compact cameras - such as the world's first rugged superzoom - we also spent some quality time with the new 56mm F1.2 and 10-24mm F4 lenses. Join us for a virtual tour of the Fujifilm booth Read full story → CES 2014: Samsung Stand Report Published on Thursday, January 9, 2014 12:17:20 AM GMT CES 2014: Samsung's biggest announcement thus far this year (okay, we're only a handful of days in) came the week before CES with the NX30. That didn't stop them from announcing a few more compacts for the show, continuing the theme of connectivity by including Wi-Fi in all of them. We checked out the always-impressive Samsung booth and got a first look at the latest fleet of smart cameras.  Read full story → CES 2014: Sigma Stand Report Published on Thursday, January 9, 2014 1:00:00 AM GMT CES 2014: Sigma Photo had a good-sized booth and were showing off their latest lenses, as well as some old favorites. The new lenses are a budget-friendly 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 superzoom, as well as a 50mm F1.4 Prime. Click to see them in action. Read full story → JK Imaging updates Kodak line with superzooms and 'Smart Lenses' Published on Thursday, January 9, 2014 12:21:20 PM GMT CES 2014: JK Imaging has announced an array of Kodak-branded cameras, including a superzoom compact with a 65x optical zoom and a couple of 'Smart Lenses' designed to clip onto smartphones (very much like Sony's QX cameras). It's also given more details about its long-in-development Pixpro S-1 Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera. Click through to learn more. Read full story → CES 2014: Canon Stand Report Published on Thursday, January 9, 2014 9:21:26 PM GMT CES 2014: We already snagged a little quality time earlier in the week with Canon's latest PowerShots at Digital Experience, but a visit to the booth was still in order. If nothing else, we wanted to see some really nice lenses chopped in half. Take a look at what Canon has in store for CES attendees this year. Read full story → CES 2014: Hands-on with Kodak's M43 Pixpro S-1 and 'Smart Lenses' Published on Thursday, January 9, 2014 9:28:52 PM GMT CES 2014: Among the cameras launched at this year's CES were a handful from JK Imaging, a worldwide licensee for Kodak 'PIXPRO' digital cameras and lenses. JK doesn't have a booth at the show, but we visited them in a hotel suite for a briefing and some hands-on time with the new S1 Micro Four Thirds camera, and the company's two new 'Smart Lens' camera modules. Click through to read more, and see some pictures of the new cameras.  Read full story → UPDATED: Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 samples gallery Published on Friday, January 10, 2014 1:37:05 AM GMT CES 2014: We got our hands on the recently announced Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 ASPH OIS at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. It's an ultra-fast portrait prime for Micro Four Thirds that offers an 85mm equivalent field of view. We shot some quick samples mounted on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3, including an aperture progression series. We've just added 16 more images to our previously-published gallery, taken with the new lens attached to an Olympus OM-D E-M5. See gallery Read full story → Canon updates firmware for EOS-1D X Published on Friday, January 10, 2014 5:03:15 PM GMT Canon has released firmware version 2.0.3 for its flagship EOS-1D X full-frame DSLR. The update improves accuracy and versatility to AF and exposure systems, as well as adding significant customization options. Some of the new features include: AF point switching according to camera orientation, improved low-light performance, and expanded minimum shutter speed in auto ISO. Get the update Read full story → CES 2014: Best of the show (minus the bendy TVs) Published on Saturday, January 11, 2014 5:38:03 AM GMT The DPReview team has returned from the annual Consumer Electronics Show in las Vegas, Nevada, back to the gloriously cloudy, wet skies of Seattle (and we're not being sarcastic when we say that it's a welcome contrast). CES is mostly about home audio, communication and apparently drones, but there were plenty of new photography-related products launched this year, and the show gave us an interesting insight into the future of some key developing technologies. Click through for a look at our show highlights. Read full story → Things we found stuffed down the back of CES 2014 Published on Sunday, January 12, 2014 10:17:54 PM GMT CES 2014: After all of the meetings, hands-ons and reports were done, we spent a little time wandering the CES 2014 show floor, as we always do when time allows, and found a few interesting products on the side streets between the towering booths of major manufacturers. Many photo-focused products this year related to mobile in some way, standing beside an endless array of iCases, iKeyboards and iEverything else. Click through to see what we found when we left the beaten path... Read full story → Battle of the titans: Top ball heads tested Published on Monday, January 13, 2014 6:00:00 AM GMT There is no denying the advantages of a tripod for improving your images in the studio or in the field, but a tripod is only three legs. It's the tripod ball head that lets you point it wherever you'd like. There are a variety of head types that can improve your experience with the best set of tripod legs. We reviewed 10 similar ball heads. Find out which one best fits your needs. Learn more Read full story → Mount St. Helens images found decades later Published on Monday, January 13, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT New images of Washington's Mount St. Helens have been recently discovered. Reid Blackburn, a staff photographer for the The Columbian newspaper, took photographs in a flight over the volcano in April 1980. When he got back to the paper's studio his roll was set aside and never developed. Until now. Learn more Read full story → DxOMark recommends lenses for the Pentax K-3 Published on Monday, January 13, 2014 7:31:34 PM GMT The Pentax K-3 was a justified winner in our reader poll for the Best DSLR of 2013, and now our friends and collaborators over at DxOMark have been looking into how various lenses score on it. In the process, they've also reviewed many of Pentax's lovely 'Limited' primes in their latest 'HD' incarnations. See DxOMark's latest reviews Read full story → Sakar shows QX-style, Vivitar-branded modular smart camera Published on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 12:41:51 AM GMT One of the stands we didn't get a chance to visit at CES 2014 was that of Sakar International. Its Vivicam IU680 (as seen by digitalcamera.jp) at first looks like a competitor to Sony's QX models and JK Imaging's Kodak Smart Lenses. However, a closer look reveals that the lens module is interchangeable. We say lens module, rather than lens because it appears to be the same 10-30mm lens/sensor combination shown by Sakar at last year's CES under the Polaroid brand. Read full story → Fast and portable: Using the Apple MacBook Air in a pro workflow Published on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 6:00:00 AM GMT Photographers often need to find the most powerful solutions possible and cram them into the smallest places. While the MacBook Air once satisfied only the size part of the equation, the newest member of the family makes it a compelling choice for photographers. The MacBook Air provides a professional level of power in a diminutive package without sacrificing functionality. Learn more Read full story → Fujifilm launches updated grips for X-E and X-Pro cameras Published on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 9:08:47 PM GMT In amongst the product releases of the past few months, Fujifilm announced a pair of accessory grips for its X-E and X-Pro cameras. The MHG-Xpro and MHG-XE improve on the original HG designs by providing continued access to the cameras' battery/card compartments. In addition they reposition the tripod mount so that it's in line with the optical axis. The MHG-XPro and HMG-XE are available now priced at $150 and $130 respectively. Read full story →
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