Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 29 April 2015

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 29 April 2015 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Welcome to the 558th Digital Photography Review newsletter. Following March and April's flurry of camera reviews, we're conducting tests and putting in the hours with the next batch of models to keep you informed about the latest models. We've also been writing some articles to address some of the core concepts of digital photography, spoken to Canon about its compact, semi-pro all-in-one video camera, the XC10. Oh, and we found time to get out and shoot some images with Panasonic's CM1 large-sensor smartphone. It's been a pretty busy week, all told. Here are some other highlights from our homepage over the past few days: What's that noise? Or why it's not the ISO you should worry about Noise is one of the limiting factors of image quality in photography, yet it's often poorly understood, as are the means of minimising it. In the first of a multi-part article, we explain that most of the noise you encounter doesn't come from your camera at all and what you can do to minimise it. Read Part One of our look at the sources of noise Hands on with the Pentax K-3 II Ricoh has made clear its commitment to the Pentax brand with the public confirmation that a full frame model is in the works. In the meantime it's given its range-topping K-3 a mid-life refresh. The latest iteration of the DPR Gold-winning DSLR gains a four-shot sensor shift mode that promises to improve colour resolution and lower noise, it also gains built-in GPS, giving access to its Astrotracer mode. We got our hands on a pre-production camera and had a look at what else is new. Find out what's going on inside the Pentax K-3 II NAB 2015 Interview: Canon's Chuck Westfall on the XC10 We met up with Canon's Chuck Westfall at NAB to discuss the design choices that underpin its XC10 compact video camera. We touched on the camera's unusual still/video hybrid ergonomics, its advanced features, such as its 300MB/s video codec and why they chose to go down the 1"-type sensor and built-in lens route. Click here to read our interview with Chuck Panasonic CM1 sample gallery There are times when even the most committed photographer doesn't have their camera with them, but smartphones don't always provide the necessary quality. Panasonic's CM1 smartphone tries to bridge this gap by including the same 1"-type sensor as its FZ1000 super-superzoom. The prospect of a nice, big sensor and 28mm equivalent F2.8 lens generated a lot of interest in the office, so we've tried to put together an appropriately varied sample gallery, including Raw conversions and a handful of its DNG files, to show whether it justified that interest. Click here to explore our Panasonic CM1 samples gallery What else is coming up? We're still waiting for the new Canon Rebels and a couple of other forthcoming cameras of interest but, in the meantime, we've been gathering superzooms and wrangling photons with Nikon's D7200. You'll be able to read about these and more over the coming weeks. Richard
News updates Massive $33,500 2450mm f/8 NASA lens surfaces on eBay Published on Tuesday, April 28, 2015 8:57:00 PM GMT If $180,000 seems a bit steep for the Canon 1200mm f/5.6L lens B&H is currently offering in its used department, then perhaps this $33,500 NASA 2540mm f/8 lens on eBay sounds a bit more reasonable. That's twice the focal length for a fifth of the price! Read more Read full story → US photographer takes top prize in World Photography Awards Published on Tuesday, April 28, 2015 1:00:00 PM GMT American photographer John Moore has won the L'Iris d'Or Photographer of the Year prize in the World Photography Organization's annual competition. The Getty Images photographer submitted a dramatic and emotional series of pictures telling the story of the Ebola crisis in Liberia's capital Monrovia – a series that was credited with being the first to expose the scale of the problem that country faced and the severity of the epidemic. Read more Read full story → DxOMark Mobile report: Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge tops rankings Published on Monday, April 27, 2015 7:48:26 PM GMT DxOMark has just released test results for Samsung's latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 Edge and, by extension, the Galaxy S6. Both phones share the same hardware and specifications, including a 16MP BSI CMOS sensor, F1.9 lens and optical image stabilization. The S6 Edge's camera performance puts it at the top of DxOMark's mobile rankings - find out why. Read more Read full story → DxOMark Mobile report added to our Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review Published on Monday, April 27, 2015 7:48:04 PM GMT DxOMark has just released its test results for the Galaxy Note 4, putting it just behind Samsung's Galaxy S6 but above Apple's flagship iPhone 6 Plus. Our comprehensive review of the Note 4 and its 16MP BSI CMOS sensor, F2.2 lens and optical image stabilization has been updated with DxOMark's findings. See how it stacks up against the competition. Read more Read full story → What's that noise? Shedding some light on the sources of noise Published on Monday, April 27, 2015 4:00:00 PM GMT How would you react if you were told that the aperture and shutter speed you choose make more difference to image noise than the ISO setting? You might be surprised to discover that a lot of the noise in your images doesn't come from your camera at all: it comes from the light you're capturing. Our own Richard Butler explains. Read more Read full story → Winds of Change: Shooting changing landscapes Published on Sunday, April 26, 2015 12:00:00 PM GMT There are more people taking pictures now than ever before, and as a consequence, some of the world's most beautiful views have been photographed to death. In this article, nature and landscape photographer Erez Marom explains the value of shooting 'changing' landscapes, which offer different perspectives every time you visit - or even from day to day, or minute to minute. Click through to read his article Read full story → Readers' Showcase: Janne Voutilainen Published on Saturday, April 25, 2015 12:00:00 PM GMT Janne Voutilainen is a man of relatively few words. In that context, the minimalism of some of his photos makes perfect sense. He's based in Finland and finds himself drawn to landscape photography, as well as astrophotography, which is how we discovered his work. He offered a few insights into his images in our Q&A. His otherworldly images speak volumes too - take a look. See gallery Read full story → Sony introduces touchless shutter app and we go hands-on (off?) Published on Saturday, April 25, 2015 11:00:00 AM GMT Sony has released a beta version of its Touchless Shutter app, immediately available for download through the PlayMemories app store. The app makes use of the eyepiece sensor as a shutter release mechanism and brings all the advantages of a traditional cable release without needing any extra camera gear. All that is needed is a hand wave near the eyepiece and the shutter will release. Read more Read full story → Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 real-world sample gallery posted Published on Friday, April 24, 2015 9:16:00 PM GMT Panasonic's Lumix CM1 has the potential to break new ground in the territory between smartphones and cameras. It offers a 1-inch 20MP sensor, much larger than the typical smartphone camera chip. It also provides an F2.8 Leica-branded lens encircled by a control ring that can be used to adjust various exposure settings. We got out and about with it to see what its images look like. See gallery  Read full story → Manfrotto adds compact and lightweight 190Go! to the 190 tripod series Published on Friday, April 24, 2015 12:00:00 PM GMT Italian accessories brand Manfrotto has announced a new model in the 190 range of tripods that is lighter and more compact than others in the series. The Manfrotto 190Go! is designed for traveling photographers and those working on location who require an eye-height tripod that packs away to take up as little space as possible. Read more Read full story → Free Download: VSCO Film Pack 00 includes Tri-X and Kodak Gold Film presets Published on Thursday, April 23, 2015 8:55:00 PM GMT Who doesn't love free stuff? Visual Supply Co has been churning out Photoshop and Lightroom-compatible film presets for some time now. To date, they've released seven different 'Film Packs' each containing presets that mimic both classic and contemporary film stocks. Now, they're offering one for free. Read more Read full story → Yongnuo creates near-clone of Canon 35mm f/2 Published on Thursday, April 23, 2015 8:39:00 PM GMT China-based manufacturer Yongnuo has produced what looks like a near-clone of Canon's well-liked EF 35mm f/2, a lens that dates back to 1990. With a couple of minor exceptions (one of which being the brand name on the front of the lens) the Yongnuo lens looks very similar to Canon's 25-year-old prime, but at an attractive price of ~$115. Read more Read full story → Interview: Canon's Chuck Westfall on the new XC10 Published on Thursday, April 23, 2015 7:26:00 PM GMT DPReview attended the NAB 2015 show in Las Vegas recently, where we had an opportunity to sit down with Chuck Westfall, Technical Advisor for Canon U.S.A.'s Professional Engineering and Solutions Division. The main topic of conversation was Canon's new XC10 hybrid video/stills camera, which made its first public appearance at the show. Read more Read full story → Apple patent hints at super resolution camera mode Published on Thursday, April 23, 2015 5:00:48 PM GMT Olympus and Pentax have introduced cameras with sensor-shift-driven resolution modes designed to maximize the amount of information collected by their sensors. Apple has also patented a similar system, using an optical image stabilization system to create and combine multiple exposures into a higher resolution image. Read more Read full story → Sony updates 24-70 and 16-35mm A-mount Zeiss lenses with improved AF and image quality Published on Thursday, April 23, 2015 3:00:00 PM GMT As promised last November, Sony has announced two new full-frame A-mount lenses. Compared to their 2008-vintage predecessors the Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II and 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM II feature improved image quality, less ghosting and flare, and a four-fold improvement in subject tracking speed, according to Sony. Another addition are seals that should make these lenses dust and water resistant. More details Read full story → 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 →
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