Welcome to the 588th Digital Photography Review newsletter. We've had fun this week, taking lots of pictures, and writing about a lot of cameras. Our series of camera roundups is almost complete, but we're still working on some buying guide content, and finishing up some of the last major reviews of 2015. We also posted a field test video that I shot back in late September in Texas, using the Sony a7R II with photographer Theron Humphrey - we had fun making it, I hope you enjoy watching it! You'll find a link below. Video Field Test: Theron Humphrey and the Sony A7R II For our latest Field Test video we went not-quite south of the border to Marfa, Texas. There, photographer Theron Humphrey and his internet-famous dog Maddie help us test the Sony Alpha 7R II and a collection of Sony FE lenses. Despite the oppressive heat and rough roads of Big Bend National Park, the impressive sunsets are well worth the trip. Click here to watch our video field test with the Sony a7R II 
Canon EF 35mm F1.4L II USM real-world sample gallery Canon's new EF 35mm F1.4L USM II lens has some pretty big shoes to fill. Its older brother, now on the market for 17 years, has become both a benchmark and a staple of many a pro Canon shooter's kit. We've had the Mark II version for a few days, and we've spent that time shooting some environmental portraits, landscapes and lots more in between. Check out our Canon EF 35mm F1.4L II samples gallery 
Sony Cyber-shot RX1R II real-world sample gallery posted As far as advanced fixed-lens compacts go, it doesn't get much more enticing than the Sony RX1R II. Like its predecessor, it couples a full-frame sensor with a fast, wide-angle prime, but this time it's equipped with a 42.2MP chip to complement its 35mm F2 lens. We were pretty darn excited to get outdoors with the RX1R II and see what it can do. Take a look at our gallery of samples from the Sony Cyber-shot RX1R II 
PIX 2015: Kiliii Fish on Living Wild  It's certainly a rare occasion when a photographer is forced to choose between carrying a bow and arrow or a camera, but that's just the dilemma Kiliii Fish faced. He's made a personal project of joining and photographing a growing movement of people learning primitive survival skills. Check out his PIX 2015 talk and see some of his work.
Click here to watch Kiliii Fish talk about his work Readers' Showcase: Tom Goodman  After taking a 25 year break from photography, Tom Goodman started taking pictures again and hasn't stopped since. With a background in art history and fine art, he took a break from photography earlier in his career to run an agency representing artists and photographers. Having returned to creating images, he says he has 'no time to lose.' Read our Q&A and see his work.
Click here to learn more about Tom Goodman and his work Introducing the PDN & Rangefinder 2015 Gift Guide - with DPReview editor's picks  Our friends over at Photo District News and Rangefinder Magazine have just published their first ever holiday gift guide, with contributions from Rolling Stone, Tiny Atlas Quarterly, TIME and our very own editor, Barney Britton. Click through to read the full guide!
Click here to read the PDN & Rangefinder 2015 Gift Guide What's coming up? We've still got a couple of buying guide articles on the way, as well as reviews of the Canon EOS 5DS/R and Nikon D810, Canon PowerShot G5 X, and Canon's new 'mark II' version of the 100-400mm L telezoom. Watch out too for more field tests, gear overviews and maybe even some new product announcements ahead of the CES show in January. Barney |
| News updates | Published Monday, November 23, 2015 9:02:00 PM GMT Alien Skin Software plans to release a new 'nondestructive' photo editing application called Exposure X by the end of the year. Exposure X will include several changes over Exposure 7, including improvements to the user interface, file management tools, and new keyboard shortcuts. Read more | | Published Monday, November 23, 2015 7:41:52 PM GMT We've been producing more video content than ever before, including tons of content from our recent PIX show, our ongoing series of long-form Field Tests, overviews of the latest cameras and lenses, as well beginners' technique guides and interviews. We post videos right here on our homepage when they're first uploaded, but the best way of not missing anything is to subscribe to DPReview's channel on YouTube. Read more | | Published Monday, November 23, 2015 6:01:00 PM GMT As far as advanced fixed-lens compacts go, it doesn't get much more enticing than the Sony RX1R II. Like its predecessor, it couples a full-frame sensor with a fast, wide-angle prime, but this time it's equipped with a 42.2MP chip to complement its 35mm F2 lens. We were pretty darn excited to get outdoors with the RX1R II and see what it can do. Read more | | Published Sunday, November 22, 2015 1:00:00 PM GMT After taking a 25 year break from photography, Tom Goodman started taking pictures again and hasn't stopped since. With a background in art history and fine art, he took a break from photography earlier in his career to run an agency representing artists and photographers. Having returned to creating images, he says he has 'no time to lose.' Read our Q&A and see his work. Read more | | Published Saturday, November 21, 2015 1:00:00 PM GMT It's certainly a rare occasion when a photographer is forced to choose between carrying a bow and arrow or a camera, but that's just the dilemma Kiliii Fish faced. He's made a personal project of joining and photographing a growing movement of people learning primitive survival skills. Check out his PIX 2015 talk and see some of his work. Read more | | Published Friday, November 20, 2015 9:01:03 PM GMT Sigma is getting Black Friday started early this year, offering discounts on five of its lenses online now through Monday, November 30th including the 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art. Savings range from $100 up to $300 off individual lenses - and considering the current results of our readers' poll, a few of you may be interested. Read more | | Published Friday, November 20, 2015 8:11:28 PM GMT Earlier this month, Sony announced firmware v2.0 for its Alpha 7 II. This update gives the Sony a7 II uncompressed Raw and better autofocus performance with adapted lenses. Previously, the a7 II could only use Contrast Detect AF to acquire focus when using adapted glass, resulting in quite a bit of hunting. Read more | | Published Friday, November 20, 2015 7:51:00 PM GMT Accessories manufacturer Manfrotto has introduced a new series of backpacks designed for photographers who fly drones. The Aviator D1 Drone Backpack holds a medium sized quadcopter such as the DJI Phantom 3 along with all the accessories that go with it, as well as a DSLR, a laptop and a tripod. Read more | | Published Friday, November 20, 2015 7:02:00 PM GMT In July, Panasonic revealed plans to launch a feature it calls Post Focus for select camera models via a firmware update. Panasonic today announced that firmware update will be available via the Lumix Global website on November 25. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8, DMC-G7, and DMC-FZ330 will be supported. Read more | | Published Friday, November 20, 2015 1:00:00 PM GMT In the latest of our roundup we're looking at interchangeable lens models ranging from roughly $1200 - $2000. This price range spans sensor sizes from Four Thirds to full-frame, and contains a diverse range of cameras geared toward fast-action still shooting, ultimate resolution, great video and more. If you are considering this price range for a camera, you have an opportunity to choose the camera that is really right for you based on features, size and operation. Read more | | Published Friday, November 20, 2015 1:17:16 AM GMT A portable photo printer called LifePrint, now seeking funding on Kickstarter, creates 'living' photos by combining a printed photograph with a digital video. An augmented reality app makes this possible, so that when a print is viewed through a smartphone's camera, the video appears where the photo is located, making it seem as if the image - called a HyperPhoto - has come to life. Read more | | Published Thursday, November 19, 2015 7:06:00 PM GMT A story on video blog EOSHD claims that Samsung has discontinued its NX1 mirrorless camera across Europe. An email that one of the site's forum users claims to be from Samsung states that 'in Europe, we will be discontinuing sales of NX1 cameras for now since there is already much better and upgraded cameras'. We're skeptical about this rumor and have reached out to Samsung for comment, so stay tuned. Update: Confirmed in Germany. Read more. | | Published Thursday, November 19, 2015 6:59:00 PM GMT German camera manufacturer Leica has added another rangefinder body to its M system that has a pared-down feature set, an extra quiet shutter unit and a lower price than the M Typ 240. The new Leica M Typ 262 is very much the same as the other M bodies, but does not offer video or live view shooting, even though it uses a CMOS sensor. Read more | | Published Thursday, November 19, 2015 5:34:00 PM GMT Photographer and author Tim Grey argues that sometimes the difference between getting a good picture and a great picture can be as simple as taking a few steps to the right. His PIX 2015 talk highlights 13 smalls changes photographers can make that can add up to some huge improvements in their images. Read more | | Published Thursday, November 19, 2015 1:00:00 AM GMT If you've been shopping for a camera recently you've probably seen the term '4K video' plastered on shop displays and even written on the labels stuck on the front of products. 4K is a new video format that offers considerably higher resolution than standard HD, and even if you're not someone who's particularly interested in shooting video, you shouldn't completely ignore 4K. We've put together an article explaining why. Read more | | Published Wednesday, November 18, 2015 10:00:00 PM GMT Canon's PowerShot G5 X is based around the same 20.2MP 1"-type sensor as its G9 X counterpart. With its SLR-style grip, EVF and bevy of external controls, the G5 X promises an enthusiast-friendly shooting experience in a solid and reasonably compact package. We've now had time to take it around Seattle and put it through its paces. Read more | | Published Wednesday, November 18, 2015 6:55:00 PM GMT In an email to freelance photojournalists this week, Reuters has confirmed a change in its photo submission policy requesting that photographers submit JPEGs rather than edited Raw files to the news agency. The message also states that original JPEGs with 'minimal processing' are acceptable, for example, level corrections and cropping. Read more | | Published Wednesday, November 18, 2015 5:03:00 PM GMT The Sony RX1R II is the kind of camera that turns heads. With a full-frame 42.2MP sensor, fixed 35mm F2 lens, optical variable low pass filter and a 399-point phase-detect AF system that's much improved over its predecessor, it's just about in a class of its own. We've had a full-production model for a few hours - just enough time to get it into the studio to see how it handles our test scene. Read more | | Published Wednesday, November 18, 2015 5:33:00 AM GMT In a brief press release, Nikon announced the development of its D5 digital SLR, which will be the company's next flagship camera. There aren't any real details in the release, other than the expected promise of better performance and image quality. A new SB-5000 Speedlight and WT-6 Wireless Transmitter are also on the roadmap. Read more | | Published Wednesday, November 18, 2015 4:00:00 AM GMT A photographer who has charted the growing up of his daughter and four of her friends has won the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Award with a re-staged picture he entered into the 2008 competition. Five Girls 2014 shows the group six years on from an original image that was taken right before their GCSE school exams (11th grade). Read more | | Published Tuesday, November 17, 2015 11:41:49 PM GMT Hong Kong-based SLR Magic has announced a 50mm F1.1 CINE lens for Sony E mount. Planned for early December 2015 availability, the FE lens will cover a full-frame sensor. Read more | | Published Tuesday, November 17, 2015 8:07:04 PM GMT Adobe has released Lightroom CC 2015.3 and Lightroom 6.3, bringing back the Import tool that had been, to many users' dismay, removed from Lightroom 6.2. The new version also provides fixes for some of the bugs introduced in the last version of Lightroom, along with additional lens profile and Raw support. Read more | | Published Tuesday, November 17, 2015 3:10:00 PM GMT Though it's the fifth model in Sony's full-frame E-mount lineup, the a7R II arguably represents just as much of a technological leap forward as its first mirrorless full-frame predecessors did. Its 42MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor, 399 on-sensor phase detection point AF system and 5-axis IS are just a few reasons why the a7R II is one of the most talked-about cameras of the last year. See how it performed in our comprehensive testing. Read more | | Published Tuesday, November 17, 2015 12:44:00 AM GMT In late 2015, many (if not most) consumers are likely to shop based on price and capability, rather than according to whether a certain model contains a mirror or not. In this category, you'll find both mirrorless and DSLR cameras that are highly capable under a variety of shooting situations, offer built-in high-spec viewfinders - either optical and electronic - and a bevy of external controls. Read more | |
