Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 18 March 2015

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 18 March 2015 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Welcome to the 552nd Digital Photography Review newsletter. Hello from sunny Seattle, half-way through another week. The winter illnesses that knocked many of us out over the past couple of weeks has finally passed - and not a minute too soon. Allison's arm is still broken but that's what she gets for participating in Roller Derby (more on that shortly). In the meantime, here's what's been going on over the past few days. Rock steady: Olympus OM-D E-M5 II reviewed The Olympus OM-D E-M5 II follows-up on the groundbreaking original E-M5 and brings extra control points (a lot of them) a 40MP high-res mode, better video, improved image stabilization and a host of other refinements, large and small. We've been shooting a lot with the E-M5 II over the past few weeks, and that work has culminated in a full review, with our usual combination of studio and real-world tests. Click here to read our review of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II Aloha! We go shooting with Samsung's new NX500 The Samsung NX500 is essentially a scaled down version of Samsung's flagship NX1. It uses the same 28MP BSI-CMOS sensor, advanced hybrid AF system, and DRIMe V processor as the NX1, with the main differences being the form factor (resembling a rangefinder rather than an SLR), burst mode (9 vs 15 fps), and viewfinder (none vs electronic). We've been using a production NX500 for a couple of days, and we've put together a gallery of real-world samples. View our real-world samples from the Samsung NX500 Readers' Showcase: Maxime Siegler Maxime Siegler is a DPR reader who caught our eye with his contributions to our black and white Readers' Showcase. We wanted to share more of his work, and he was kind enough to answer a few questions about his photography. Find out how he stays inspired and why he's so fond of monochromatic photography. Click here to view DPReview reader Maxime Siegler's portfolio Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7 real world samples gallery After several iterations, Panasonic's GF- series compact mirrorless camera line has settled into a comfortable position: providing mass market point-and-shoot appeal while giving photographers the option to fully control settings. The latest camera in the series, the Lumix DMC-GF7, continues this trend. Click here to view our gallery of sample images from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7 What else is coming up? We're done with the OM-D E-M5 II now, so we're directing our energies towards finishing our review of the Sony Alpha a7 II (now complete with new firmware which improves its IBIS system) and Samsung NX1. We're also working on a field test of the new Tamron 15-30mm ultrawide zoom and we'll have some sample images from Canon's new 11-24mm F4 L online very soon too! Keep an eye on our homepage for all that and more. Barney
News updates Novo to produce filter range using sapphire crystal and Gorilla Glass Published on Tuesday, March 17, 2015 9:24:00 PM GMT A new filter manufacturer called Novo is promising a range of filters that will be made from super-durable sapphire crystal and Gorilla Glass, which should have enhanced scratch resistance. The company also claims its filters will have extremely thin brass frames, and will feature 'superior coatings'. Read more Read full story → Nikon releases ViewNX-i image browsing software Published on Tuesday, March 17, 2015 6:35:42 PM GMT As promised earlier this month, Nikon has made its ViewNX-i software available for download today today. Building on the camera maker's previous View NX 2 software, the new application works in conjunction with Nikon's NX-D photofinishing software for editing photographs, and bundles Nikon's ViewNX-Movie Editor for editing videos. Read more Read full story → Aloha! We go shooting with Samsung's new NX500 [UPDATED] Published on Tuesday, March 17, 2015 7:22:00 AM GMT UPDATED: We just added several images to this gallery, converted from raw. The Samsung NX500 is essentially a scaled down version of Samsung's flagship NX1. It uses the same 28MP BSI-CMOS sensor, advanced hybrid AF system, and DRIMe V processor as the NX1, with the main differences being the form factor (resembling a rangefinder rather than an SLR), burst mode (9 vs 15 fps), and viewfinder (none vs electronic). We've been using a production NX500 for a couple of days, and we've put together a gallery of real-world samples. Click through for the updated gallery Read full story → First images from upcoming Samsung S 300mm f/2.8 ED OIS Published on Monday, March 16, 2015 10:48:00 PM GMT It hasn't even entered production yet, but Samsung's S 300mm f/2.8 ED OIS telephoto lens is certainly shaping up to be a very nice addition to the NX line. We were fortunate enough to be allowed access to a pre-production engineering sample of this new lens for a few hours. As a result we've put together a small gallery of images which should give some idea about the lens's likely performance once it becomes available. See gallery Read full story → Lytro opens an interactive studio in Tokyo Published on Monday, March 16, 2015 10:24:00 PM GMT Lytro has announced the launch of Lytro Studio in Tokyo. The studio is open to the public so that anyone can visit to learn about light field imaging and the technology behind it. This includes training on how to use Lytro's platform and software, as well as demonstrations of how its cameras and related technology work. Read more Read full story → Lowepro launches weather-proof Fastpack backpacks for traveling photographers Published on Monday, March 16, 2015 9:27:00 PM GMT Bag manufacturer Lowepro has introduced a pair of new backpacks to its Fastpack range, with added weather-proofing and a compartment for a laptop or tablet. The Fastpack BP 150 AW ll and BP 250 AW ll are basically the same bag in two sizes, and each is divided into three sections that allow storage of camera equipment as well as other everyday items for photographers on the move. Read more Read full story → Readers' Showcase: Maxime Siegler Published on Sunday, March 15, 2015 4:42:00 PM GMT Maxime Siegler is a DPR reader who caught our eye with his contributions to our black and white Readers' Showcase. We wanted to share more of his work, and he was kind enough to answer a few questions about his photography. Find out how he stays inspired and why he's so fond of monochromatic photography. See gallery Read full story → Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7 real world samples gallery posted Published on Saturday, March 14, 2015 12:01:00 PM GMT After several iterations, Panasonic's GF- series compact mirrorless camera line has settled into a comfortable position: providing mass market point-and-shoot appeal while giving photographers the option to fully control settings. The latest camera in the series, the Lumix DMC-GF7, continues this trend. Check out our sample gallery Read full story → Adorama launches Flashpoint Ring Li-On 400ws ringflash Published on Friday, March 13, 2015 11:38:30 PM GMT Adorama has launched a 400ws ring flash which uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Part of the Flashpoint brand, it features a circular flash tube with an aperture capable of accommodating a lens barrel with a diameter of up to 3.5in/95mm. With a guide number of 82ft/25m the ring is powerful enough not only for macro work, but also headshots and full-length portraits. Read more Read full story → Enlight for iOS launches with high-end photo editing tools Published on Friday, March 13, 2015 6:34:29 PM GMT The developers behind Facetune have created a new app called Enlight, a general purpose image editor. It challenges apps like VSCO Cam and Adobe's own mobile image editors, with adjustment tools, presets and various filters. Read more Read full story → Think Tank introduces new low-profile 'Urban Approach' bags for compact system cameras Published on Thursday, March 12, 2015 8:28:00 PM GMT Bag and accessory manufacturer Think Tank has announced that it will introduce a new range of shoulder bags and a backpack for compact system camera users in April this year. Dubbed the ‘Urban Approach’ range the bags are said to be ‘low profile’ to allow the photographer to carry equipment without standing out, and will be finished in low-contrast matte black. Click through for details Read full story → Eyefi launches Mobi Pro card with wireless Raw transfer Published on Thursday, March 12, 2015 3:49:40 PM GMT Eyefi, the maker of Wi-Fi memory cards, has today launched Eyefi Mobi Pro, a new 32GB WiFi SD card. It improves the existing Eyefi Mobi model by adding wireless transfer of Raw image files, along with new photo categorization and search functions. Read more Read full story → Tenba announces Switch bags for mirrorless cameras and lenses Published on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 7:45:17 PM GMT Tenba has unveiled a new customizable camera bag designed for mirrorless cameras and their accessories. The product is called Switch, a name derived from its interchangeable front flap. A total of three sizes are offered, all of which are now available through Tenba's website. Read more Read full story → Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 real-world samples Published on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 6:33:00 PM GMT The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 (TZ70 outside North America) earns its travel zoom designation with a 30x optical zoom range, equivalent to 24-720mm. It features a 12MP CMOS sensor, full manual controls, Raw shooting and a built-in 1.2M dot electronic viewfinder. Find out what it's capable of doing in the field. See gallery Read full story → Erez Marom: Why you shouldn't always believe the forecast Published on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 12:00:00 PM GMT Landscape photographer Erez Marom has taken photographs all over the world in all manner of locations, in all kinds of weather conditions. But whereas many landscape photographers are slaves to the weather forecast, Marom has learned that some of his best shots come from the most unlikely situations. Click through to read more, and see some stunning images Read full story → A Compact PEN: Olympus Stylus SH-2 Hands-on Published on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 6:00:00 AM GMT The Olympus Stylus SH-2 is a compact long-zoom camera that bears a remarkable resemblance to the company's PEN series of mirrorless cameras. While it shares the design and 5-axis image stabilization of some of the PEN models, the similarities end there, as the SH-2 is very much a point-and-shoot camera. Learn more about the SH-2 in our hands-on preview. Read more Read full story → Olympus offers Stylus SH-2 with Raw support Published on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 6:00:00 AM GMT Olympus has announced an update to its Pen-like travel zoom: the Stylus SH-2. The SH-2 replaces the SH-1 with added support for Raw shooting, while maintaining the previous model's 24x zoom (25-600mm equiv.), 16MP BSI CMOS sensor, 5-axis image stabilization and built-in Wi-Fi. Read more Read full story →
How to unsubscribe To unsubscribe from the Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) weekly newsletter, visit the newsletter homepage (http://www.dpreview.com/news/newsletter/), enter your email address into the Your email address box, then click on Unsubscribe.