Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Tuesday, 5 August 2014

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Tuesday, 5 August 2014 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Welcome to the 521st Digital Photography Review newsletter. We're keeping very busy here, working hard on several reviews and preparing for a busy time ahead as Photokina - the world's biggest photography show, held in Germany next month - looms just around the corner. Although much is still unknown, we're looking forward to major releases from some of the biggest brands, even if a recent Canon teaser did end up being a bit of a let-down. Here are a few content highlights from the past few days: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 / Sony Alpha 7S Comparative Review (Pt. 1) Though they come with vastly different sensor sizes and price tags, the Panasonic Lumix GH4 and the Sony Alpha 7S are similar in spirit. They're both meant for video recording as much as they are for stills. To that point, the 12.2MP full frame A7S and 16MP Micro Four Thirds GH4 are both capable of 4K video output and offer extensive video features. Our comparative review takes a detailed look at how these cameras perform in terms of video and stills, as well how they stack up against one another. Click here to read part 1 of our comparative review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 / a7S Samsung NX Mini real-world gallery updated with 17mm F1.8 samples You'd know just by looking at it that the Samsung NX Mini is the slimmest and lightest interchangeable lens camera on the market. Tucked inside is a 1"-type, 20MP CMOS sensor along with Wi-Fi with NFC and 1080/30p video. The aptly named Mini also introduces a new NX-M lens mount. We've updated our existing NX Mini samples gallery with images from the 17mm F1.8 prime. View our gallery of samples from the NX Mini and 17mm F1.8 prime lens Readers' showcase: Nature and Wildlife Photography In all the talk about new gear, it's easy to overlook the end result of our shared passion - the pursuit of stunning images. Among our large community there are some incredibly talented photographers who share their work in our forums, galleries and photo challenges, and from time to time we like to showcase some of the best work on our homepage. This week we asked users of our Nature and Wildlife forum to submit their favorite shots and as usual, the submissions were excellent. Click here to view this week's readers' showcase Portfolio: Michel Lamoller's space and time-bending tautochronos project In his series 'tautochronos', Berlin-based artist and photographer Michel Lamoller takes multiple pictures of the same scene at different times, before physically combining the prints and using a scalpel to cut through the layers. In doing so, Lamoller's 'layerscapes' offer a vision of time and space that would be impossible in a conventional single exposure. His work is hard to describe in words - click through to read our Q&A and take a look. Click here to take a look at Michel Lamoller's tautochronos project What's coming up? We're nearly done with a gallery of shots from Fujifilm's new high-end standard zoom for the X-series, the XF 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR, and we're working on publishing more content on the new Nikon D810 and Sony SLT-A77 ii as well as adding more to our comparative review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 and Sony a7S. Fun (and busy) times! See you next week, Barney WTD #1330   GearShop update - a message from the team Big savings come in small packages. Although it has been replaced by a newer model, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 is still a great option for travel and everyday use. With a savings of $149 off list price and free 2-day shipping, you will appreciate the sharp 24-480mm Leica lens and touch screen control in this pocketable travel zoom. Also in the arena of small-yet-powerful cameras is the Olympus XZ-2. It's not as small as the ZS20 but a current discount of $300 compared to the list price makes it worth looking into. For only $299 the XZ-2 offers 12-bit Raw shooting, 1080p video, and a bright F1.8-2.5 28-112mm lens for low-light captures. Until next week - the GearShop Team
News updates Ricoh expands Q series with Pentax Q-S1 Published on Monday, August 4, 2014 10:01:00 PM GMT Ricoh has announced the Pentax Q-S1, its latest compact interchangeable lens camera with a Q lens mount. It offers some cosmetic updates, but the internals like a 12MP 1/1.7-inch BSI CMOS have remained largely unchanged from the previous Q7 model. The Q-S1 will be sold in 40 different color combinations when it becomes available in September for a price of $499.95/£379.99 with kit zoom. Read more Read full story → Ricoh adds HD Pentax-DA645 28-45mm F4.5ED AW SR to medium format lens lineup Published on Monday, August 4, 2014 10:01:00 PM GMT Ricoh adds a new lens to its 645 medium format lineup, the weather-resistant HD Pentax-DA645 28-45mm F4.5ED AW SR. Covering a 22-35.5mm equivalent range in full-frame terms, it uses 17 elements in 12 groups. It's Pentax's first optically stabilized lens, with SR Shake Reduction technology that claims to compensate for camera shake for an additional 3.5 stops. The lens is dust- and weather-resistant, becoming available in August for a price of $4,999.95/£3,399.99. Read more Read full story → Part one: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 / Sony Alpha 7S Comparative Review Published on Monday, August 4, 2014 2:30:00 PM GMT Though they come with vastly different sensor sizes and price tags, the Panasonic Lumix GH4 and the Sony Alpha 7S are similar in spirit. They're both meant for video recording as much as they are for stills. To that point, the 12.2MP full frame A7S and 16MP Micro Four Thirds GH4 are both capable of 4K video output and offer extensive video features. Our comparative review takes a detailed look at how these cameras perform in terms of video and stills, as well how they stack up against one another. Read part one Read full story → Portfolio: Michel Lamoller's space and time-bending tautochronos project Published on Sunday, August 3, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT In his series 'tautochronos', Berlin-based artist and photographer Michel Lamoller takes multiple pictures of the same scene at different times, before physically combining the prints and using a scalpel to cut through the layers. In doing so, Lamoller's 'layerscapes' offer a vision of time and space that would be impossible in a conventional single exposure. His work is hard to describe in words - click through to read our Q&A and take a look at his work.  Read full story → Readers' Showcase: Nature and Wildlife Published on Sunday, August 3, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT In all the talk about new gear, it's easy to overlook the end result of our shared passion - the pursuit of stunning images. Among our large community there are some incredibly talented photographers who share their work in our forums, galleries and photo challenges, and from time to time we like to showcase some of the best work on our homepage. This week we asked users of our Nature and Wildlife forum to submit their favorite shots and as usual, the submissions were excellent. See gallery Read full story → Photographing Thailand with the Nokia Lumia 1020 Published on Saturday, August 2, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT It would seem that a trip somewhere as exotic as Thailand would require a pro camera and a heavy bag of lenses. Photographer Jan Ras took a lighter approach on a recent trip to Thailand, photographing some of the native inhabitants of a village (monkeys, to be precise) with a Nokia Lumia 1020. He captures their expressive, curious nature in a documentary style, all while forgoing traditional photographic equipment. See gallery Read full story → What The Duck #1330 Published on Friday, August 1, 2014 9:52:00 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 → Canon's 'something BIG' is... a photography competition. Oh well. Published on Friday, August 1, 2014 5:47:00 PM GMT Just when Canon India had us all excited... it looks like the company's 'something BIG is coming' teaser was referring to a competition. 'Photomarathon India' is open for registration from August 5th, and prizes include a trip to Japan, worth $5000. This is great news for Indian photographers, but likely to disappoint those of us hoping that 'something BIG' might refer to new hardware. Oh well.  Read full story → Samsung NX Mini real-world gallery updated with 17mm F1.8 samples Published on Friday, August 1, 2014 7:14:32 AM GMT You'd know just by looking at it that the Samsung NX Mini is the slimmest and lightest interchangeable lens camera on the market. Tucked inside is a 1"-type, 20MP CMOS sensor along with Wi-Fi with NFC and 1080/30p video. The aptly named Mini also introduces a new NX-M lens mount. We've updated our existing NX Mini samples gallery with images from the 17mm F1.8 prime. See gallery Read full story → Lens Rentals Canada halts service citing 'serious issues' with Canada Post Published on Friday, August 1, 2014 12:00:00 AM GMT Lens Rentals Canada has announced that it is temporarily not accepting new orders. A brief notice on lensrentalscanada.com cites 'serious issues' with Canada Post Corporation, and states that current orders will be shipped using Purolator Courier. An email that a reddit user claims was sent to him by Lens Rentals Canada is more to the point, stating that a Canada Post employee has stolen equipment in transit. No estimated timeframe has been given as to when orders will be accepted again. Read more Read full story → Adobe Camera Raw 8.6 and DNG Converter 8.6 now available Published on Thursday, July 31, 2014 7:16:00 PM GMT Adobe has made final release versions of Camera Raw 8.6 and DNG Converter 8.6 available. This update adds support for the Nikon D810, Panasonic Lumix AG-GH4 (GH4 with interface unit) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000, as well as several bug fixes. 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 Read full story → Canon India teases 'something big' coming soon Published on Thursday, July 31, 2014 5:35:17 PM GMT 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. Read full story → Sony brings Cyber-shot DSC-WX220 and W810 to the US Published on Thursday, July 31, 2014 5:00:00 PM GMT 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. Read full story → Hollywood studios strike deal to keep Kodak movie film in production Published on Thursday, July 31, 2014 12:30:00 AM GMT A group of big name Hollywood directors has nudged studio executives into talks with Kodak, negotiating a deal that would keep the company's movie film in production. With support from the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, and J.J. Abrams, the deal would see studios commit to buying a certain amount of film from Kodak for the next few years. Read more Read full story → With greater clarity: Nikon D810 Shooting Experience Published on Wednesday, July 30, 2014 7:32:48 PM GMT The Nikon D810 represents a consolidation of its two predecessors, the D800 and D800E. The 36MP full frame DSLR lacks an anti-aliasing filter to make the absolute most of its high resolution sensor and provides a number of meaningful updates over the previous generation. After some extensive shooting in the field we've updated our First Impressions Review with a shooting experience. Read more Read full story → Real-world samples added to Sony SLT-A77 II First Impressions Published on Wednesday, July 30, 2014 4:42:00 PM GMT The Sony SLT-A77 II is that company's latest DSLR using translucent mirror technology. With a 24MP CMOS sensor, it has a newly-designed 79-point AF system and offers 12fps continuous shooting with autofocus. That's all very impressive on paper, but what's it like in the real world? We've pulled together a sample gallery and added it to our a77 II First Impressions Review. See gallery Read full story → Flickr launches image marketplace initiative Published on Tuesday, July 29, 2014 10:21:00 PM GMT Flickr has announced that it is expanding its photo licensing opportunities for users. Alongside its partnership with Getty Images, Flickr will now allow users to opt in to an 'image curation' initiative called Marketplace. Participating members may have their images featured across Yahoo's network of sites along with other media outlets including the New York Times and the BBC. Read more Read full story → Canon EF-S 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 sample gallery Published on Tuesday, July 29, 2014 10:00:00 AM GMT 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 Read full story → Canon introduces inexpensive PowerShot SX400 IS and SX520 HS superzooms Published on Tuesday, July 29, 2014 4:48:00 AM GMT Canon has introduced a pair of budget-friendly superzooms: the PowerShot SX400 IS and SX520 HS. These cameras have 24-720mm and 24-1008mm equivalent lenses, respectively. The SX400 sports a 16MP CCD and 720p video, while the SX520 uses a CMOS sensor (likely BSI) that can produce Full HD movies. Canon claims that autofocus performance has been improved on both models compared with their predecessors. You'll be able to pick up the SX400 IS in August for $249.99, with the SX520 HS following in September for $399.99.  Read full story →
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