Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Tuesday, 4 June 2013

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Tuesday, 4 June 2013 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Hello! And welcome to the 460th Digital Photography Review newsletter. Aaaaargh, this is so frustrating! We've got a lot of stuff that's reallynearlyready to share with you but not quite. We're working hard though and I can promise you that the next few days will be very very busy on the site (check the 'what's coming up' section, below, for a taster). In the meantime, here's a selection of highlights from the last few days, including reviews and articles. Speaking of which, don't forget that we have a large and growing number of technique and opinion articles on the site, including accessory reviews and in-depth software tutorials. You'll find everything at the main articles hub, here. Pentax K-5 II / K-5 IIS review They said we were mad! They said we'd never do it! But we did. It's been in the pipeline for a while, but today we published our review of the Pentax K-5 II, which also includes analysis of its near-twin the K-5 IIS. The only difference between them is that the 'S' doesn't have an anti-aliasing filter on its sensor (weird how manufacturers remove components from cameras but add letters to the model name...) which promises superior resolution and sharpness. Click here to read our review of the Pentax K-5 II/S Canon PowerShot G15 versus Nikon Coolpix P7700 The high-end compact market is as competitive as ever, and in this head-to-head review Canon's PowerShot G15 and Nikon's Coolpix P7700 go up against one another. Both have long, fast (ish) lenses. Both have 12MP sensors. Both are made of metal (mostly). Both have lots of buttons and dials and interesting-looking switches! But which is best...? click the link below to find out. Click here to read our head-to-head review of the Canon PowerShot G15 and Nikon Coolpix P7700 Olympus PEN E-PM2 Review I have to admit to cheating - this review was actually posted the week before last, I just forgot to put it in last week's newsletter. I trust you can forgive me and we can move on. I hope so, because I think the review (and the camera) is pretty good. The E-PM2 is Olympus's second-generation 'Pen Mini' and packs a lot of functionality into its tiny body, including the same excellent 16MP sensor as its (very) big brother the OM-D. It's small, light, fast and it won't put a huge dent in your wallet. Click here to read our review of the Olympus E-PM2 10 Photo Editing Programs (that aren't Photoshop) Adobe's recent announcement that everything beyond Photoshop CS6 will need to be rented as part of its Creative Cloud lineup has caused a fair amount of disquiet (some of which has been pretty loud), but Photoshop isn't the only game in town, and never has been. In this article we take a quick look at ten other pieces of image manipulation software that you might not know about, but which are well worth exploring. Click here to read our article '10 Photo Editing Programs (that aren't Photoshop)' Accessory review: Tamrac 5592 Big Wheels SpeedRoller 2X The Tamrac 5592 Big Wheels SpeedRoller 2X is a serious camera bag, featuring an industrial strength telescoping handle, oversized wheels fortified with ball bearings, and of course loads of space for camera equipment plus a 17-inch laptop. Despite an impressive capacity the SpeedRoller 2X is small enough to carry on to airplanes. It's not cheap though, at a street price of around $400. Do you get what you pay for? Read our review to find out. Click here to read our review of the Tamrac 5592 Big Wheels SpeedRoller 2X What's coming up? Lots of stuff... we're very close to posting several reviews, including the new Canon EOS 700D/Rebel T5i, the Nikon Coolpix A, and Ricoh GR. We're also lining up a review of the Canon 40mm F2.8 STM pancake and we're almost ready to post a gallery of shots from a very interesting lens indeed... (sorry I can't be more specific - keep an eye on our homepage to find out). I've been adding a lot to our forthcoming review of the Fujifilm X100S, and hope to publish that pretty soon as well. We'll also be putting out a series of short reviews of this years' crop of waterproof/tough cameras as we work towards a roundup of the class, later this summer. And don't forget the new 'Mini M' from Leica. As the German manufacturer opens the kimono a little more each week (or should that be loosens the lederhosen?) we're looking forward to seeing whatever it is that finally gets announced later this month. Click here to see what we think it might look like. So, in summary - lots to look forward to! Thanks for reading, Barney WTD #1393 Check out What The Duck in our Link Directory
News updates Raspberry Pi enthusiast sends camera 120,000 feet above England Published on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 6:38:57 PM GMT David Akerman, a ballooning hobbyist based in England has been working with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to use their products for high-altitude photography. Using a Raspberry Pi computer hooked up to the company's new camera module, Akerman created a lightweight 'eye in the sky' that he recently sent up to more than 120,000 feet above the United Kingdom. Click through for more details - and images - on connect.dpreview.com. Read full story → Magic Lantern enables Canon EOS 50D raw video output Published on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 7:15:04 PM GMT Camera feature modifier Magic Lantern has piqued interest in the five-year-old Canon EOS 50D by enabling video recording on this previously stills-only camera. The development work is still in early stages, but a user has posted raw video footage at 1592 x 720 resolution at 24p. Click through to see why videographers are excited about this newly added feature. (via EOSHD.com) Read full story → Samsung releases source code for NX300 and NX2000 mirrorless cameras Published on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 7:53:23 PM GMT Samsung has published the source code for its NX300 and NX2000 mirrorless cameras - the first attempt we've seen at offering public access to a mainstream camera's operating system. The approach, which the company has previously used with its smartphones, stands in stark contrast to other camera manufacturers, which have not engaged with the community of programmers looking to enhance the capabilities of their cameras. Read full story → DPReview is hiring! Content Editor and Software Manager roles available Published on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 8:50:56 PM GMT DPReview is hiring! We have two open positions available: we're looking for an Editor to join our team of writers and reviewers, and a Software Manager. If you're interested in joining our growing team and you have experience either writing photography-related content for the web, or managing developer teams to launch successful projects, you should click through for more details. Read full story → Head-to-Head: Canon PowerShot G15 vs Nikon Coolpix P7700 Published on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 12:03:24 AM GMT We've just posted our head-to-head review of the Canon PowerShot G15 and Nikon Coolpix P7700. These two 12MP zoom compacts have comparable designs and share a lot of similar features, but which one is best for you? We've run them through a series of studio and real-world tests to find out. Click through for links to our head-to-head review. Read full story → Canon announces production of 90 millionth EF lens Published on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 9:42:23 AM GMT Canon has announced that it has now produced 90 million EF lenses since the launch of the EOS system in 1987. The proliferation of digital SLRs has seen a rapid increase in lens production in recent years, and the company's 90 millionth lens - an EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM - was manufactured on May 23 2013, just over 9 months after its 80 millionth. The company's lens lineup currently consists of no fewer than 84 models, ranging from the inexpensive EF 50mm f/1.8 II to high-end exotica such as the recently-announced EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x - the world's first SLR lens with a built-in switchable teleconverter.  Read full story → Lens reviews update: DxOMark data for 400mm telezooms compared Published on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 1:25:00 PM GMT DxOMark has tested two recently-announced announced long telezooms, the Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II and the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR, as well as the older AF Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR. As part of our ongoing collaboration we've added the test data to our lens comparison widget, and to add a little more context we've also included a couple of super-tele primes from Canon. Click through to see how these lenses compare, with links to view the results in our lens widget, and for the full data on DxOMark. Read full story → Canon adds 200-400mm support to EOS-1D Mark IV and EOS-1Ds Mark III Published on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 4:30:06 PM GMT Canon has posted a firmware update for its EOS-1D Mark IV and EOS-1Ds Mark III full-frame DSLRs to allow them to work correctly with the new EF 200-400mm F4 L IS 1.4x lens. Firmware versions 1.1.3 (1D Mark IV) and 1.2.2 (1Ds Mark III) allow the cameras' central AF points to achieve focus with the lens when it is used with an extender, where the combined aperture is F8. Both updates are available for immediate download.  Read full story → Is this the new Leica 'Mini M'? Published on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 6:07:29 PM GMT Leica has announced that it has a 'new family member' coming on June 11th and, as the German manufacturer continues to tease what it's calling the 'Mini M' on its website, a photo has emerged which may reveal more details about the forthcoming camera. A French iPad app has published what seems to be an advertisement for the new Mini M and, if genuine, it reveals that the Mini M will sport a 16MP APS-C sensor and an 28-70mm (equivalent) F3.5-6.4 zoom lens. Click through for more (alleged) details. Read full story → App news for photographers: Google+ updates and more Published on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 6:59:22 PM GMT Connect, our sister site has just published a roundup of this week's photography-related app news. From major updates to Google+'s mobile app to new apps for iOS users including AnalogCamera, Oggl and Viewmatic, there's plenty going on. Click through to connect.dpreview.com for more details.  Read full story → Civic photo diary 'Snap/Shot Galleria' features raw street scenes of L.A. Published on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 7:08:13 PM GMT In this article, the founder of photo site Snap/Shot Galleria Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin explains why he wanted to create a platform for images true to the 'experience' of living in LA. The site features four core photographers who use mobile devices and more to capture city life as they see it, and their gritty visions of street-level Los Angeles highlight the gulf between entertainment industry glitz and everyday struggles. Learn more at connect.dpreview.com. Read full story → Transportation planner creates beautiful visualizations of flight patterns Published on Thursday, May 30, 2013 12:40:17 AM GMT Michael Markieta, a transportation planner at global engineering and design firm Arup, has created a series of beautiful visualizations of aircraft flight paths as they span the globe. Using different shades for short and long-distant flights, the images map the world in a ghostly spiderweb of connections from airports small and large. Markieta has marked more than 58,000 flightpaths and the results are stunning. Click through for images (via BBC.co.uk) Read full story → Nikon UK offers summer cashback on 1 system cameras Published on Thursday, May 30, 2013 11:48:44 AM GMT Nikon UK has announced a summer cashback offer on its 1 system cameras. From 30th May to 4th September, buyers can claim back £50 on the S1 and J3 models, and £80 on the V2 (or €60 and €80 respectively for customers in Eire). The offer applies to both body-only purchases and single- and twin-lens kits, and all colours of camera; cashback has to be claimed by 4th October 2013. Click through for full details.   Read full story → Olympus PEN E-P5 preview updated with more impressions and samples Published on Thursday, May 30, 2013 5:38:45 PM GMT We've had a chance to take another look at an 'initial production' Olympus PEN E-P5, and have updated our preview with some more first impressions and image samples. Olympus has only allowed us to publish downsampled images, but we've still been able to get more of an idea of how well the camera works. We hope to get our hands on a production E-P5 that we can use to shoot full size images towards the middle of June, but until then click through for our updated preview to whet your appetite.  Read full story → Chicago Sun-Times lays off entire photo staff: switches to freelancers Published on Thursday, May 30, 2013 5:49:47 PM GMT According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times has laid off its entire photography staff, and plans to use freelance reporters and photographers in the future to save costs. The layoffs, which are believed to take effect immediately, were announced to the 28-strong photo staff on Thursday morning. In a statement issued by the paper, it suggested that the move was in response to a demand for 'more video content' from its audience. Click through for more details.  Read full story → ACD Systems launches ACDSee 16 with more tools and introductory price Published on Thursday, May 30, 2013 7:30:13 PM GMT ACD Systems has announced the latest version of its ACDSee photo management and editing software for Windows. ACDSee16 gains a range of editing and organizational tools, including features that simulate out-of-focus regions and tilt-shift lens effects. The latest version is available at a reduced price ($50), for a limited time, with existing users being about to upgrade for $30. A 15-day free trial is available from the company's website. Read full story → UK's Focus on Imaging photo trade show to close Published on Friday, May 31, 2013 5:44:23 PM GMT The organisers of Europe's largest annual photographic trade show, Focus on Imaging, have declared that this year's show was the last. Mary Walker Exhibitions had organised the show, held in March at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham UK, for the past 24 years. In a statement Mary Walker announced that the rights to the show would not be sold on, but instead it is simply being brought to an end. Read full story → New CompactFlash card to allow RAID-style 'mirroring' Published on Friday, May 31, 2013 6:37:55 PM GMT Japanese company Amulet is poised to release a 'Wise Duo' CompactFlash card allowing images and video files images to be backed up instantly using RAID-style 'mirroring'. In mirroring mode, the card effectively becomes two storage devices, and records images to both partitions simultaneously. As such, a 64GB card offers 32GB of storage space in mirroring mode. Click through for more details. Read full story → After layoffs, Sun-Times expects reporters to become mobile photographers Published on Friday, May 31, 2013 7:05:46 PM GMT It seems the Chicago Sun-Times is counting on its remaining employees to become mobile photographers. After laying off its entire 28-person photography staff yesterday, the newspaper has announced mandatory training for remaining employees on 'iPhone photography basics'. That's according to media writer Robert Feder. Feder quotes a memo from managing editor Craig Newman: 'In the coming days and weeks, we'll be working with all editorial employees to train and outfit you as much as possible to produce the content we need'. Click through for the full story on connect.dpreview.com.  Read full story → Canon patent describes novel liquid lens design Published on Friday, May 31, 2013 8:10:59 PM GMT Another interesting patent has been discovered by Japanese blogger Egami, which shows a new method devised by Canon to adjust the shape of meniscus lens that seems different from the more straightforward method used by competitors. Canon's method uses the same 'electrowetting' principle as existing designs but does so to create a series of pumps, allowing faster and more precise control over the resultant lens. Read full story → Accessory review: Tamrac 5592 Big Wheels SpeedRoller 2X Published on Friday, May 31, 2013 9:33:59 PM GMT The Tamrac 5592 Big Wheels SpeedRoller 2X is a serious camera bag, featuring an industrial strength telescoping handle, oversized wheels fortified with ball bearings, and of course loads of space for camera equipment plus a 17-inch laptop. Despite an impressive capacity the SpeedRoller 2X is small enough to carry on to airplanes. It's not cheap though, at a street price of around $400. Do you get what you pay for? Read our review to find out.  Read full story → What The Duck #1393 Published on Friday, May 31, 2013 9:53:03 PM GMT We've been fans of Aaron Johnson's comic strip 'What the Duck' for years. 'WTD' is one of the best satirical comic strips in the world, and it's published here every week, as well as being included in our weekly newsletter. Barbed, topical and always amusing, we hope you enjoy WTD as much as we do. Click through for this week's strip. Read full story → Zeiss announces pricing & availability of Touit lenses for mirrorless cameras Published on Monday, June 3, 2013 11:16:14 AM GMT Zeiss has announced that its first two Touit lenses for mirrorless cameras are now available for sale. The 12mm F2.8 wideangle has been designed according to the 'Distagon optical concept', and has an RRP of €920 / US$1,250 excluding VAT. Meanwhile the Planar-type 32mm F1.8 normal lens will cost €670 / US$900 excluding VAT. The lenses will be available to fit Sony NEX and Fujifilm X-system cameras, and include autofocus but lack optical stabilisation. The X-mount versions also feature aperture rings with 1/3 stop detents. The next model in the line, a 50mm F2.8 Macro, is expected to appear at the end of the year. Read full story → Nikon UK announces cashback on SLRs, and Coolpix promotion Published on Monday, June 3, 2013 12:01:17 PM GMT Hot on the heels of its cashback offer for its 1 System cameras, Nikon UK has announced similar promotions on its D600 and D5200 SLRs. Buyers will be able to claim back £50 / €60 on the D5200, and £150 / €180 on the D600, when purchased either body only or with a new Nikkor lens. Meanwhile buyers of various Coolpix compacts will have the chance to win one of over 1200 'exhilarating prizes', including an indoor sky diving experience. Read full story → Roger Cicala gives first impressions of new Zeiss Touit 32mm F1.8 Published on Monday, June 3, 2013 8:46:34 PM GMT Roger Cicala of Lensrentals has published a blog post in which he gives his first impressions of the new Carl Zeiss 32mm F1.8 'Touit' lens, in Sony E-mount. Unlike Roger's normal approach, where he exhaustively tests multiple samples of the same lens, he was only able to look at a single example of the 32mm F1.8 on the Sony NEX-7. Click through for some details of his findings, and a link to the full article at the lensrentals blog. Read full story → Eye-Fi Mobi SD card easily connects cameras and smartphones Published on Monday, June 3, 2013 9:37:01 PM GMT If you own a digital camera without Wi-Fi and want to quickly transfer photos to your smartphone or tablet, then the new Eye-Fi Mobi SDHC card might be for you. Setup is simple: just download the app for iOS or Android, enter a 10 digit code, and you're ready to roll. After that, photos you take on your camera will automatically be sent to your mobile device. For more on the Eye-Fi Mobi, read the full story on Connect. Read full story →
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