Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Thursday, 23 April 2015

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Thursday, 23 April 2015 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Welcome to the 557th Digital Photography Review newsletter. It's been another busy few days here at DPReview. Dale returned from NAB at the end of last week, and we published a roundup of show highlights on Friday. It's worth checking out - especially if you like drones. Fujifilm released a new lens, the very nice-looking XF 16mm F1.4 R WR - a 24mm equivalent fast prime that we've been admiring on the company's roadmap for a while, and it looks like Sony might have some fun new sensors on the way soon, too. Here are some other highlights from our homepage over the past few days: Speed Boost: Sony SLT-A77 II Review The Sony SLT-A77 II uses that company's translucent mirror technology in combination with an AF system that Sony claims is dramatically improved over its predecessor. It boasts 12fps continuous shooting with AF, not to mention a 24MP sensor, built-in Wi-Fi with NFC, 2.4M dot OLED viewfinder and a tilting/swiveling LCD. We put its impressive AF claims to the test. Read our review of the Sony A77 II Art Wolfe: In search of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica Renowned nature and landscape photographer Art Wolfe has been all over the world during his 40+ year career. In this article he describes his first visit to Antarctica in late 1992, where he went in search of emperor penguins. Braving freezing conditions and dangerous under-maintained airplanes, Art spent $25,000 to take the trip - as it turned out, the first of many. Read about Art Wolfe's adventures in Antarctica Scientifantastic - The Time-lapse and Landscape Work of Joe Capra Photographer Joe Capra got started shooting landscapes but in recent years he's been making a name for himself with high-resolution timelapse videos, shot on dedicated stills cameras and painstakingly put together using specialist software. Click through to view some of his stunning imagery and to learn more about his process in our detailed Q&A Take a look at Joe Capra's inspiring timelapse and landscape photography Readers' Showcase: Rodger Kingston Regular DPR readers know that the comment section on a camera review can be, shall we say, a bit heated at times. Recently, something a bit different caught our attention in the Fujifilm X30 review's comments. Rodger Kingston, a happy X10 and X20 user demonstrated that the baby X-series offered everything he needed to finish a self-published book of photography. Click here to view Rodger Kingston's portfolio Accessory Review: Western Digital My Passport Wireless Western Digital's Wi-Fi enabled My Passport Wireless is a hard drive that features a built-in SD card reader. Alongside the drive, it offers a My Cloud app, allowing photo, video and audio files on the drive to be viewed wirelessly from a phone or tablet. With Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities it could be a very tempting device for roaming photographers who want photo backup without the burden of a laptop. Is it a travel photographer's new best friend? Click here to read our review of the Western Digital My Passport Wireless Opinion: Can an Aperture user be happy with Apple's new 'Photos' software? One of the most talked about subjects for photographers using Macs to process and archive their photos is the loss of Apple Aperture and its replacement, simply known as Photos. This new software strongly resembles the iOS software of the same name and while it still offers some of the features from the enthusiast-grade Aperture, quite a few things are missing. Learn more about Photos - both what it offers and doesn't - in this opinion piece from senior writer Jeff Keller. Click here to read more about Apple's new 'Photos' app What else is coming up? After the excitement of the Sony A77 II review we're going to be moving full steam ahead with our reviews of Nikon's D810 and D7200, as well as a roundup of this year's crop of superzoom compact cameras. We're also hoping to receive reviewable samples of Canon's new EOS 5DS/R and Rebel T6s and T6i at some point, too. Fingers crossed we'll get hold of them before they start shipping! Barney
News updates Hands-on with the Pentax K-3 II Published on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 10:00:00 PM GMT The Pentax K-3 II is a modest update to its predecessor, but that doesn't mean that its new features are insignificant. While faster autofocus and more shake reduction is great, we're most excited about the Pixel Shift Resolution feature. While we can't share any samples photographs yet, we can give you an overview of what's new with the K-3 II. Read more Read full story → Ricoh unveils Pentax K-3 II with Pixel Shift Resolution mode Published on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 10:00:00 PM GMT Ricoh has just launched the Pentax K-3 II semi-pro DSLR with an improved image stabilization system that drives a new Pixel Shift Resolution feature. Retaining its predecessor's 24MP sensor, 27-point AF system, and durable construction, the K-3 II now offers sensor-shift IS with a claimed 4.5 stops of shake reduction. Read more Read full story → Kipon adapter to allow AF with Canon lenses on Micro Four Thirds bodies Published on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 9:54:08 PM GMT Chinese lens adapter manufacturer Kipon has announced plans to introduce the first adapter that allows AF operation when a Canon EF or EF-S lens is attached to a Micro Four Thirds camera body. Previous adapters have either been entirely manual or, more lately, offered aperture control, but the Shanghai-based company has said that its next model will allow full frame and APS-C EOS system lenses to focus automatically too. Read more Read full story → Sigma service notice advises of Canon 750D and 760D Live View issue Published on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 7:39:00 PM GMT Sigma has issued a service notice advising that some of its Canon mount interchangeable lenses cannot be used with Live Mode on the Canon EOS Rebel T6s (760D) and the Canon EOS Rebel T6i (750D). Lens owners will receive a free firmware update to fix the problem, though the company has not provided a timeframe for when the update is expected. Both current and discontinued lens models are affected by this issue. Read more Read full story → Adobe Camera Raw 9 released with Merge to HDR and Panorama features Published on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 7:15:53 PM GMT With the launch of Lightroom 6 and Lightroom CC, Adobe has released Camera Raw 9 with some of the some added features. Merge to HDR and Panorama are now available in ACR, using Raw image data to automatically assemble HDR and panoramic images, which are output as DNG files. This eliminates the need to edit files before merging them in Photoshop. Read more Read full story → Zeiss offers full-frame E-mount 'Batis' 25mm F2 and 85mm F1.8 lenses Published on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 6:33:00 PM GMT Zeiss has revealed two new full-frame lenses for Sony's E-mount system, the Batis 2/25 and 1.8/85. They offer autofocus, and are the first Zeiss-produced FE-style lenses to do so. Each lens barrel contains an OLED displaying focus distance and depth of field. A linear motor AF drive keeps operation quiet, and both lenses are sealed against dust and moisture. Read more Read full story → Speed boost: Sony SLT-A77 II review posted Published on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 4:26:55 PM GMT The Sony SLT-A77 II uses that company's translucent mirror technology in combination with an AF system that Sony claims is dramatically improved over its predecessor. It boasts 12fps continuous shooting with AF, not to mention a 24MP sensor, built-in Wi-Fi with NFC, 2.4M dot OLED viewfinder and a tiliting/swiveling LCD. We put its impressive AF claims to the test. Read review Read full story → Firmware update enhances Nikon D4s features, including unlimited continuous shooting Published on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 7:18:00 PM GMT Nikon has issued updated firmware for its D4s professional DSLR, altering the way numerous features operate on the camera. Changes include removing the limitation on the number of images that can be captured in a single continuous burst in the manual and shutter priority exposure modes. Firmware version 1.20 replaces versions 1.00 and 1.10, and appears to fix quite a range of glitches as well as adding functionality to the camera's operation. Read more Read full story → Adobe rolls out Lightroom CC and Lightroom 6 with HDR and panorama tools Published on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 4:01:00 PM GMT Adobe has announced standalone and Creative Cloud versions of its image management and Raw conversion software, Lightroom. Among other new features the latest versions gain simple HDR and Panorama merging tools that create 16-bit DNG files from the merged results.  Read more Read full story → St. Louis Post-Dispatch photo staff and Daniel Berehulak nab 2015 photography Pulitzers Published on Monday, April 20, 2015 9:06:00 PM GMT Photographers capturing the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and turmoil in Ferguson, Missouri. took home this year's Pulitzer prizes for Feature and Breaking News Photography. Daniel Berehulak, a freelancer shooting for the New York Times, was honored for his images from West Africa where he spent four months in the Ebola zone. The Saint Louis Post-Dispatch photography staff was recognized for its coverage of the protests that began there last August following the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Read more Read full story → Epson launches A2 SureColor SC-P800 printer with UltraChrome HD inks Published on Monday, April 20, 2015 5:58:27 PM GMT Printer manufacturer Epson has announced it will introduce an A2 printer that uses its new extended-life UltraChrome ink-set and will accept roll-fed paper via an optional roll holder. The professional photo printer will be able to produce prints of up to 17in high in panoramic formats as long as 1.1m/43.3in, as well as printing on thick art paper via a front media loader. Read more Read full story → Accessory Review: Western Digital My Passport Wireless Published on Monday, April 20, 2015 3:00:00 PM GMT Western Digital's Wi-Fi enabled My Passport Wireless is a hard drive that features a built-in SD card reader. Alongside the drive, it offers a My Cloud app, allowing photo, video and audio files on the drive to be viewed wirelessly from a phone or tablet. With Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities it could be a very tempting device for roaming photographers who want photo backup without the burden of a laptop. Is it a travel photographer's new best friend? Read review Read full story → Art Wolfe: In search of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica Published on Monday, April 20, 2015 12:00:00 PM GMT Renowned nature and landscape photographer Art Wolfe has been all over the world during his 40+ year career. In this article he describes his first visit to Antarctica in late 1992, where he went in search of emperor penguins. Braving freezing conditions and dangerous under-maintained airplanes, Art spent $25,000 to take the trip - as it turned out, the first of many. Click through for the full story Read full story → Scientifantastic - The Time-lapse and Landscape Work of Joe Capra Published on Sunday, April 19, 2015 12:00:00 PM GMT Photographer Joe Capra got started shooting landscapes but in recent years he's been making a name for himself with high-resolution timelapse videos, shot on dedicated stills cameras and painstakingly put together using specialist software. Click through to view some of his stunning imagery and to learn more about his process in our detailed Q&A Read full story → Readers' Showcase: Rodger Kingston Published on Saturday, April 18, 2015 12:00:00 PM GMT Regular DPR readers know that the comment section on a camera review can be, shall we say, a bit heated at times. Recently, something a bit different caught our attention in the Fujifilm X30 review's comments. Rodger Kingston, a happy X10 and X20 user demonstrated that the baby X-series offered everything he needed to finish a self-published book of photography. See gallery Read full story → Sony Semiconductor site gives glimpse of next-generation sensors Published on Saturday, April 18, 2015 11:00:00 AM GMT A 20MP Four Thirds sensor, a high-speed APS-C sensor, and a Stacked CMOS design for enthusiast compacts are likely to be just three of the sensors we can expect to see in cameras over the coming months. Sony's semiconductor division has made these products public with the creation of a new website, which lists some of the chips it offers to potential buyers. Alongside many familiar-sounding sensors are examples we've yet to see in any cameras. Read more Read full story → Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 'dream' portrait lens announced Published on Friday, April 17, 2015 8:33:47 PM GMT Zhong Yi Optics has released information about an 85mm f/1.2 lens it intends to make available in May. The Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2, which the company is calling ‘The Dream’, is aimed at still photographers as well as videographers, and has a covering circle suitable for full frame sensors. Click through for more information Read full story → NAB 2015 Highlights Published on Friday, April 17, 2015 8:32:00 PM GMT With over 100,000 attendees, the NAB Show (National Association of Broadcasters) can be a dizzying experience of cutting edge technology mixed with valuable information and practical tools. Though mainly focused on the broadcast and motion picture industries, the emergence of still cameras that shoot high quality video has driven the development of products and tools aimed specifically at DSLR/mirrorless filmmakers and video shooters, many of which were on display. Read more Read full story → Opinion: Can an Aperture user be happy with Apple's new 'Photos' software? Published on Friday, April 17, 2015 3:44:00 PM GMT One of the most talked about subjects for photographers using Macs to process and archive their photos is the loss of Apple Aperture and its replacement, simply known as Photos. This new software strongly resembles the iOS software of the same name and while it still offers some of the features from the enthusiast-grade Aperture, quite a few things are missing. Learn more about Photos - both what it offers and doesn't - in this opinion piece from senior writer Jeff Keller. Read more Read full story → Apple buys camera-technology company LinX Published on Thursday, April 16, 2015 10:52:40 PM GMT Apple has reportedly acquired camera technology company LinX Computational Imaging Ltd., for approximately $20 million. LinX is a small company based in Israel and specializes in very small camera modules that are suitable for implementation in smartphone cameras. According to LinX, its multi-lens camera modules are capable of a range of special effects such as the ability to refocus an image after it has been captured, measurement of the true dimensions of objects, 3D object modeling and real time background replacement for video calls. Click through for more information Read full story → [UPDATED] Nikon announces new firmware for 300mm F4 VR to fix blur at certain shutter speeds Published on Thursday, April 16, 2015 8:48:00 PM GMT Nikon has announced a firmware update for its new AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR, to fix an issue where at certain shutter speeds on D800-series cameras, images can exhibit 'noticeable blur'. According to Nikon, the problem can occur at around 1/125sec with the lens's VR function enabled in either 'Normal' or 'Sport' modes. Users of affected units are encouraged to return their lenses to Nikon where the update will be applied free of charge. Click through for more details Read full story → Canon adds new Selphy CP1000 to its dye-sub mini-printer line-up Published on Thursday, April 16, 2015 8:38:10 PM GMT Canon has announced it will introduce a new dye-sublimation thermal transfer printer to its Selphy range of compact photo printers this summer. The Selphy CP1000 will have features very similar to the current products, but will additionally offer the ability to print twin ID photos on the same sheet of paper using the new Dual ID mode. The new model features a USB socket for printing from USB Flash storage as well as from a computer. The printer will also have memory card slots that will accept CF and SD type memory cards, and mini/micro SD cards via adapters. Read more Read full story → Columbia University researchers create self-powered video camera Published on Thursday, April 16, 2015 6:30:00 PM GMT Columbia University researchers have created a self-powered video camera featuring a sensor that both captures images and powers the device. Although it can only record low-resolution 30x40 pixel images at 1fps, the photodiodes on the camera's sensor can switch between being photoconductive, and photovoltaic. In the latter mode - given enough light - the photodiodes supply enough power to a built-in supercapacitor to keep the camera operating indefinitely. Click through for more information Read full story → Fujifilm XF 16mm F1.4 moves from roadmap to retailers Published on Thursday, April 16, 2015 5:00:00 AM GMT Another lens from Fujifilm's roadmap is making its way to retailers, and that's the XF 16mm F1.4 R WR wide prime. This lens, equivalent to 24mm, has a nine-blade aperture, flare-reducing Nano-GI coating, and a minimum focusing distance of 15cm/6 in. It's also sealed against weather and dust and can function at temperatures as low as -10C/+14F. More details Read full story →
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