Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 16 October 2013

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 16 October 2013 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Hello! And welcome to the 479th Digital Photography Review newsletter. As predicted, we've seen even more new products announced over the past few days, and this month is on course for being one of the busiest that we can remember for major new camera and lens announcements (and we're only half-way through!) This week we published in-depth coverage of Sony's new A7 and A7R - the world's first consumer-oriented full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, and the new Cyber-shot RX10, which marries the 20MP 1inch BSI CMOS sensor from the RX100 II to a 24-200mm equivalent F2.8 zoom lens. Sigma also came out with a new prosumer 24-105mm F4 zoom this week, and Samyang announced some new Sony E-mount lenses too. And let's not forget Canon's special-edition 'PREMIUM BOX' PowerShot G16 and S120... OK, without further ado let's look at some recent highlights! Sony A7 / A7R First-impressions Review Sony's new A7 and A7R bring full-frame imaging to the company's mirrorless ILC lineup, using the established E-mount. While they're not quite the 'full-frame NEX' that some loyal Sony users might have been imagining, the 24MP A7 and 36MP A7R are impressive, innovative products that demand to be taken seriously (with a price-point to match). We've had the opportunity to use pre-production samples of both new models, and we've prepared a hands-on first impressions review covering off their key features, operation, and early indications of their performance. Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Sony A7 and A7R Sony Cyber-shot RX10 First-impressions Review Sony's Cyber-shot RX10 marries the 20MP 1"-type BSI-CMOS sensor from the RX100 II with a 24-200mm Zeiss Vario-Sonnar zoom lens, with a constant maximum aperture of F2.8. On paper it's an impressively versatile package for both still and video capture, and we've spent a few days with a pre-production sample to get a feel for how Sony's most powerful Cyber-shot yet performs. Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 Canon EOS 70D Dual Pixel AF Investigated Canon's latest enthusiast digital SLR sports a radical new sensor-based autofocus system, where nearly every pixel is dedicated to phase-detect autofocus. As we come close to completing our review of the Canon EOS 70D, we've run the new AF system through a battery of tests to see what, if anything, it means for the enthusiast shooter. Click here to read our analysis of the Canon EOS 70D's Dual-pixel AF Compact camera buying guide If you're looking for a compact digital camera, you have a lot of choices. Although the past couple of years has seen a serious erosion of the entry-level, sub-$100 class thanks to the emergence of powerful smartphones, improvements in technology have meant that if you've got a couple of hundred dollars or more to spend, you can get yourself a very capable camera. In this guide, we examine the major classes of compact cameras, and discuss their relative strengths in order to help you make an informed buying decision. Click here to read our compact camera buying guide Sigma announces 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM full frame standard zoom Sigma has announced the 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM - an image stabilized normal zoom for full frame DSLRs. The 24-105 becomes the latest addition to the company's 'Art' series of lenses designed to offer high image quality. The lens features a 19 element/14 group design including Sigma's FLD glass and both single- and double-sided aspherical elements which the company says will minimize aberrations. It has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm throughout its range, giving a maximum magnification of 1:4.6. Click here to read our coverage of the new Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM What's coming up? In the 'downtime' between product launches we're continuing to work on our reviews of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 and the Canon EOS 70D, as well as the Olympus OM-D E-M1. We should be getting hold of reviewable samples of the new Nikon D610 and Pentax K-3 pretty soon, so we'll be publishing studio work and real-world images as soon as we can. We're also working on updating our buying guides and creating new content to help you choose the right cameras and lenses this holiday season. Finally, as I've hinted earlier, there's likely to be more new products announced in the coming weeks as well, so keep an eye on our homepage for all the latest news! Thanks for reading! Until next time... Barney WTD #1439 Check out What The Duck in our Link Directory   GearShop update - a message from Laura This week's best deals: Build a GearList and earn $50 to spend on any camera or lens in the store! Get it fast with our everyday offer of free two-day shipping. GearShop uses the GearList to make our customers personalized offers, so by creating one you become eligible to receive future promotions and information based on the contents of your GearList. It's easy. Tell us what you own, we'll give you exclusive offers like this one. New to the Shop: On Monday, Manfrotto launched a new line of camera bags for professional and advanced photographer. They're meant to protect your camera gear while also providing comfortable and accessible carrying options for a tablet, laptop, tripod, or other accessories as well. Many styles are currently in stock, with more on the way. Check out the new line now. Last night, Sony announced a new line of full frame E-mount cameras, the a7 and a7R. They can use existing E-mount lenses by cropping in camera, but a new line of FE full frame E-mount lenses has also been announced to complement their larger sensors. New lens adapters expand your options for using Sony A-mount lenses on these new bodies. Check out all the newest gear from Sony now. As always, everything in the store ships free with 2-day delivery on top of these big savings. Until next week - Laura and the GearShop Team
News updates Samsung unveils new curved smartphone, the 'Galaxy Round' Published on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 5:26:20 PM GMT After months of teasing and speculation, Samsung has finally announced its curved smartphone. The Galaxy Round is a 5.7-inch device with a curved 1080p, AMOLED display. Like its Galaxy S4 and Note 3 predecessors, the Galaxy Round features a 13-megapixel camera. The Galaxy Round's unique shape allows for a different user experience. According to Samsung, the phone is more comfortable to hold than flat phones and users can take advantage of some features unique to the curved device. Click through for more details at connect.dpreview.com Read full story → Compact cameras buying guide (Autumn 2013) Published on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 11:59:28 PM GMT If you're looking for a compact digital camera, you have a lot of choices. Although the past couple of years has seen a serious erosion of the entry-level, sub-$100 class thanks to the emergence of powerful smartphones, improvements in technology have meant that if you've got a couple of hundred dollars or more to spend, you can get yourself a very capable camera. In this guide, we examine the major classes of compact cameras, and discuss their relative strengths in order to help you make an informed buying decision. Click through for a link.  Read full story → Flickr announces auto-upload feature for iOS app Published on Thursday, October 10, 2013 5:37:13 PM GMT Good news for iPhone photographers. Flickr has released an update to its iOS application that allows users to automatically upload their photos to Flickr's free terabyte of cloud storage. In addition to the automatic uploading feature, users now have access to an easy auto-straightening tool. Read more on connect.dpreview.com. Read full story → Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 samples gallery updated Published on Thursday, October 10, 2013 6:04:41 PM GMT We've been taking plenty of photos while working on our upcoming review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7. Our samples gallery has been updated with an additional fifteen photos to tide you over until the review is posted. Follow the link to see glass sculptures, a beautiful sunset, and a defunct nuclear plant. Read full story → Canon EOS 70D Dual Pixel AF: for better or for worse? Published on Friday, October 11, 2013 12:13:54 AM GMT Canon's latest enthusiast digital SLR sports a radical new sensor-based autofocus system, where nearly every pixel is dedicated to phase-detect autofocus. As we come close to completing our review of the Canon EOS 70D, we've run the new AF system through a battery of tests to see what, if anything, it means for the enthusiast shooter. Click through for the whole nine yards, as well as new information about the camera's movie autofocus and Wi-Fi functions. Read full story → Real-world samples from the Nikon-mount Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Published on Friday, October 11, 2013 3:00:00 PM GMT Sigma USA has announced availability of the Nikon-mount version of its 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art fast zoom for APS-C DSLRs. The Nikon version will retail for around $799, the same price as the Canon version, and will be available from November. We've been shooting with one for the past few days, and have put together a sample gallery of images showing what it's capable of. Read full story → Incredible photos of Earth from the European Space Agency Published on Friday, October 11, 2013 4:01:00 PM GMT There's no better view of the earth than the one you get from space. The European Space Agency's mission is to 'find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the Universe', and as such, every year it produces thousands of high-resolution images of earth from orbit. Click through for a selection of stunning photographs and links to the ESA's website (which, unlike NASA's US government-funded site, is still online).  Read full story → What The Duck #1439 Published on Friday, October 11, 2013 9:16:39 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.  Read full story → Ten things we learned this week Published on Friday, October 11, 2013 10:00:17 PM GMT It's been a busy few days here on DPReview.com, with new products being released in both the camera and mobile industries, news, previews and of course plenty of in-depth reviews still in progress. In this short article we look back at some of the things we've learned over the past week or so from the industry and from you, our readers. Click through to read more.  Read full story → DxOMark Mobile Report added to our Nokia Lumia 1020 review Published on Saturday, October 12, 2013 9:30:00 AM GMT We have added DxOMark's Mobile Report to our camera review of the Nokia Lumia 1020. The report includes DxO Lab's usual industry-standard scientific measurements and analyzes 14 aspects of mobile imaging including detailed image quality assessment, flash performance, autofocus reliability and more to calculate a final score. Click through to go to page 8 of our Nokia Lumia 1020 review for the DxO Mark mobile report. Read full story → 5 new must-have photo editing apps Published on Sunday, October 13, 2013 11:30:25 AM GMT Apps come and go, but every once in a while, a newcomer will jump on the scene and make you shake up your mobile photography routine. Over the past few weeks, a number of photo editing apps have emerged on every mobile platform and a few have the potential to change our mobile photography workflow. Click through for our list of five new must-have photo editing apps. Read full story → 30 years after rollout, take a tour of Space Shuttle Discovery's flightdeck Published on Monday, October 14, 2013 2:57:49 AM GMT Space Shuttle Discovery was rolled out from the factory thirty years ago this month, and in an operational career spanning 39 missions, she spent 365 days in space and travelled almost 150 million miles. Discovery can currently be found on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Virginia but if you're curious about what it looks like inside, click through for a 360-degree interactive panorama of the flight-deck of the most travelled shuttle ever to fly.  Read full story → Nikon sues Sakar for infringement with Polaroid iM1836 Android camera Published on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 7:15:33 AM GMT Nikon Inc. has announced a lawsuit against Sakar International Inc. over the design of the Polaroid iM1836, a planned Android camera that bears a resemblance to one of the Nikon 1 series of mirrorless cameras. Announced this morning in a Japanese language press release on Nikon's Japanese website, the lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit seeks an injunction against both manufacture and sale of the Polaroid iM1836 digital camera. Read full story → Photographer creates 'virtual panoramic tour' of North Korea Published on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 11:00:26 AM GMT What's it like to visit one of the world's most secretive countries? Singapore-based photographer Aram Pan wanted to find out for himself. North Korea is notorious for stage-managed and highly restricted access for foreigners, but Pan decided to have a go at simply asking North Korean authorities whether he could enter the country and document what he saw. Click through for extracts from his story, and some of his stunning images. Read full story → Canon announces Japan-only special-edition PowerShot S120 and G16 Published on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 6:12:56 PM GMT Canon has announced special edition versions of its PowerShot G16 and S120 digital compact cameras. The 'premium' versions appear to be intended for the Japanese domestic market, and will be available in different color finishes, with a custom engraving option. Color customization appears to comprise the option of red, gold, silver and black finished on select components and both cameras are supplied with unique accessories - a cowhide leather pouch for the S120 and a leather hard case for the G16. Click through for pictures. Read full story → Sony Xperia Z1 impresses in DxOMark Mobile Report Published on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 6:32:27 PM GMT The Sony Xperia Z1 is Sony's top-of-the-line smartphone, and for photographers, the really big news is the Z1's camera. At 1/2.3-inch the sensor in the Sony's camera module is larger than the 1/3-inch sensors that are common in the current crop of smartphones. Our partners at DxOMark have put the Sony Xperia Z1 through their comprehensive image quality testing regime. Click through to find out if the Z1's impressive specs translate into great image quality. Read full story →
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