Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 30 October 2013

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 30 October 2013 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Hello! And welcome to the 481st Digital Photography Review newsletter. First, some admin - are you getting this newsletter for the first time? Is it a surprise? Maybe you don't remember ever signing up for it? If so, you're one of the thousands of people who signed up to dpreview at some point between September 2011 and spring this year, who checked 'receive weekly newsletter' but never actually started getting it (oh, how we love system glitches). OK, now that's cleared-up, let's get on! While I was at the Photo Plus Expo in New York last week our Seattle and London teams were finishing up a detailed review of the Olympus OMD-EM1 and an extensive first-impressions review of Olympus's new high-end compact, the Stylus 1 (their near-simultaneous publication was just a coincidence, we swear). Olympus certainly isn't taking its foot off the gas and nor are we - this week we're been shooting with the new Sony A7R, Panasonic GM1, Nikon D610 and GX7, and we just took delivery of a Nikon 1 AW-1, so watch out for some content on all of those cameras very soon. Let's look at some recent highlights. Olympus PEN OM-D E-M1 Review With a rugged, weather-sealed body, hybrid AF system, 5-axis image stabilization, Wi-Fi, and seemingly endless customizable controls, the Olympus E-M1 is arguably the most enthusiast-friendly Micro Four Thirds camera on the market. We've been using the E-M1 intensely for a while, during which we put Olympus' latest OM-D through our usual battery of tests - click the link below to see if the 'Pro' Micro Four Thirds camera has finally arrived. Click here to read our review of the Olympus PEN OM-D E-M1 Olympus Stylus 1 First-impressions Review Up until recently, the only 'real' premium superzoom camera was the Panasonic DMC-FZ200. Recently, Sony made a big splash with their pricey Cyber-shot RX10, which features a 1"-type sensor. The Olympus Stylus 1 slots in nicely somewhere between the two, offering a 1/1.7"-type sensor and constant F2.8, 28-300mm equivalent lens in an OM-D-style body. We had the chance to use one for a few days - click the links below to see what we thought. Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Olympus Stylus 1 Sony A7R Real-world Samples We've been able to get our hands on the highly anticipated full-frame Sony Alpha 7R again, and have posted a gallery of real-world samples using a final production camera. We've put together a preliminary gallery using the Sony FE 35mm F2.8 ZA and FE 55mm F1.8 ZA primes, and we'll be adding more images as soon as we can. Follow the link for some shots taken in the Volunteer State: Tennessee. Click here to view our gallery of real-world samples from the Sony A7R Nikon teases new camera, rumors point to 'retro' styling Rumors have been flying recently that Nikon may be on the cusp of creating a stripped-down, film-era-style camera. If true, it would join consciously 'retro' cameras like Fujifilm's X-Pro 1 and X100S, and Sony's RX-series full-frame compacts. As such it would no doubt appeal to a lot of people. Last week Nikon released the first in a series of short teaser videos for a "pure photography" camera, adding fuel to the flames of rumor. Click here to read more about Nikon's new teaser campaign Nikon D610 real-world and studio samples We're still working on our review of the Nikon D610, but recently shot some real-world samples to put the full-frame DSLR through its paces. With literally just three new features (two of which come from the new shutter mechanism), the D610 should deliver the same top-notch image quality found in last year's D600. We also published new test shots, including downloadable Raw files of both the daylight and low light scene. As usual this allows you to compare the D610 with other cameras, as well as letting you download the images to test with your own workflow. Click here to view our real-world and studio samples from the Nikon D610 What's coming up? Our long-awaited review of the Canon EOS 70D is hours away, and we're getting close to completing our review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 as well. We'll be publishing more real-world samples from the Nikon D610 soon, as well as the tiny (and rather lovely) Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1, plus the usual industry news, articles and some roundups and buying guides for the upcoming holiday season. Time always seems to speed up at this time of year - lots to do! Thanks for reading! Until next time... Barney GearShop update - a message from Laura New to GearShop: Did you like what you saw in the Olympus Stylus 1 announcement? It's a good solution for an all-in-one compact camera with a bright lens, that sits nicely between the Sony RX10 and Panasonic FZ200. Sign up for one by pre-ordering now, and we'll charge you when it ships. Expected delivery is late November. Hot cameras: Nikon D610 bodies and Fujifilm X100S are in stock with free 2-day delivery right now, but selling fast. Finally, based on your feedback, we've made some tweaks to the shopping experience. As you browse our inventory, we hope you find it easier to sort through the results and find all of the information you are looking for quickly and easily. Contact us any time with suggestions or feedback, or feel free to start a conversation on the GearShop forums. 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 Olympus UK teases new 'premium compact' in photo competition launch Published on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 10:11:29 AM GMT Olympus UK has teamed up with exhibtr.com to launch a competition for student photographers, and in the process teased an upcoming 'premium compact' as one of the prizes. The Student Photography Competition 2013/14 has a theme of 'People & Portraits', and the overall winner will receive an OM-D E-M5 12-50mm lens kit, while two runners-up will receive the soon-to-be-announced camera. UK-based photographers will be able to get an 'exclusive preview' of the new model at London's Covent Garden from November 2nd to 9th. Click through for more details.  Read full story → DxO Labs introduces Optics Pro 9 with 'PRIME' noise reduction Published on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 1:53:27 PM GMT DxO Labs has released Optics Pro 9.0, a major update to its RAW conversion and image correction software. It offers improved highlight recovery, adds creative visual presets known as 'Atmospheres', and includes all-new 'PRIME' noise reduction technology that claims to offer significant image quality gains at high ISOs. The software is available to download now, with a special introductory price to November 20th. Click through for full details.   Read full story → Apple Aperture 3.5 adds iCloud Photo Sharing, SmugMug support Published on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 5:30:04 PM GMT While not the major update that many users had been hoping for, Apple did sneak in an update to its Aperture software amongst yesterday's iPad madness. New features include iCloud Photo Sharing, integration with SmugMug, and support for iOS 7 camera filters. In addition, Aperture 3.5 now uses Apple Maps for its 'Places' feature (we're not sure if that's a good thing), and numerous bugs were squashed. Follow the link for the full change log. Read full story → Voigtlander creates VM-E Close Focus adapter for Sony cameras Published on Thursday, October 24, 2013 10:57:04 AM GMT Voigtlander has announced the VM-E Close Focus adapter, which will allow the use of M-mount lenses on Sony E-mount cameras such as the recently-announced full frame A7 and A7R. Unlike most similar adapters, though, Voigtlander's latest includes a focusing helicoid for close-up work, with 4mm travel. This overcomes a limitation of many rangefinder lenses, which tend to have longer minimum focus distances than similar SLR lenses. It's set to be available in December for €289. Read full story → Leica unveils D-Lux 6 Silver Edition Published on Thursday, October 24, 2013 2:41:07 PM GMT Just in time for the holiday season, Leica has announced a 'Silver Edition' of its D-Lux 6 premium compact camera, with a high-gloss black body and silver lens barrel. The camera also gets a new accessory: the Leica Soft Pouch in lambskin nappa leather, which the company says features a 'fascinating wrap-around design'. The camera is otherwise the same as the standard D-Lux 6 (and by extension, very similar to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7).  Read full story → PPE 2013: Hands-on with new Manfrotto 190 tripods Published on Thursday, October 24, 2013 4:22:54 PM GMT We're at the Photo Plus Expo in New York, and this morning we got an opportunity to look at Manfrotto's new 190-series tripods. The 190 series has been among Manfrotto's most popular products for a long time, and the recently announced updates take up less space when folded, and add some interesting and well-thought-out improvements to the design. Click through for a quick hands-on with the new Manfrotto 190-series.  Read full story → Dubble app uses crowdsourcing to create double exposures Published on Thursday, October 24, 2013 7:09:38 PM GMT Dubble, a new community-based photography app takes the concept of double exposures — either a trick or a mistake in which photographers expose a roll of film twice, thereby layering two images in a single frame — and applies it to your smartphone, with a crowdsourcing twist. We take a closer look at Dubble on connect.dpreview.com. Read full story → PPE 2013: Hands-on with Fujifilm's newest cameras Published on Thursday, October 24, 2013 8:31:22 PM GMT One of the busiest stands at this year's Photo Plus Expo belongs to Fujifilm, which is showing off its new XQ1 and X-E2 cameras, as well as this year's other key products, the X20 and X100S. We're running around the show having meetings and trying out all the latest gear, and we made sure to stop by and say hi to Fujifilm. Click through for a quick hands-on look at the latest products. Read full story → Sigma announces pricing and availability of 24-105mm F4 lens Published on Friday, October 25, 2013 5:00:00 AM GMT Buried among all of the cameras announced last week was a new 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM lens from Sigma. The company has announced pricing and availability for this full-frame 'Art lens', which will be available for Canon, Nikon, Sigma, and Sony mounts (in that order). You'll be able to pick one up for yourself starting next month at a retail price of $899. In the UK, the recommended retail price will be £849.99. Read full story → PPE 2013: Hands-on with Panasonic's newest cameras Published on Friday, October 25, 2013 5:00:00 PM GMT We're at Photo Plus Expo in New York, having meetings and learning about all the new products that have recently been announced (and some which are still under wraps). Panasonic's new GM1 is one of the hottest new cameras at this year's show, inheriting a lot of technology from the GX7, and yesterday afternoon we stopped by the stand to get our hands on the gear. Click through for a quick tour of three of Panasonic's latest cameras.  Read full story → Nikon video hints at long-desired 'digital FM' Published on Friday, October 25, 2013 7:20:00 PM GMT The rumors of Nikon creating a stripped-down, film-era-style camera are exciting because it's something people have been calling for, for years. Nikon Rumors has been reporting possible specifications all week. Adding fuel to the flame, Nikon recently released a short teaser video and ad campaign for a "pure photography" camera. Watch the video Read full story → Nikon D610 real-world and test scene samples Published on Friday, October 25, 2013 11:25:00 PM GMT We're still working on our review of the Nikon D610, but recently shot some real-world samples to see if the most recent update still retains the same top-notch photo quality found in last year's D600. Click through for a link to our real-world gallery taken in a range of different environments and our test scene images.   Read full story → PPE 2013: Hands-on with Sony's new A7 / A7R and RX-series cameras Published on Saturday, October 26, 2013 12:59:53 AM GMT Of all the major camera manufacturers, Sony has the most new products on show at the Photo Plus Expo in New York, after the flurry of new Alpha and RX-series cameras released in the past couple of months. We had a fascinating (and fun) interview this morning with Kimio Maki, the brains behind the A7 and RX lines which we'll be writing up soon, but in the meantime, click through for a quick tour of the new cameras.  Read full story → Niki Feijen's haunting images of abandoned houses Published on Saturday, October 26, 2013 10:00:00 AM GMT Dutch photographer and urban exploration specialist Niki Feijen goes behind "do not enter" signs on dilapidated houses to document furniture, clothes, and other ornaments left behind by their former owners. His eerie HDR images reveal remnants of life in rooms across western Europe that are now left to decay. Frozen in time, it's hard not to imagine the people that once occupied the spaces. See gallery Read full story → Measuring the camera capabilities of Samsung's new Galaxy Note 3 Published on Saturday, October 26, 2013 6:00:00 PM GMT Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 makes good on the promise of the 'phablet' thanks to its huge, high-resolution screen and its muscular processing. But how does it fare as a camera? We put the super-sized smartphone through its photographic paces on connect.dpreview.com. Read full story → Nokia's 808 and 1020 compared in our studio test scene Published on Sunday, October 27, 2013 10:00:00 AM GMT Nokia's 'Pureview' technology is still making headlines along with the announcement of the manufacturer's first 'phablet', the Lumia 1520. We felt the timing was perfect for taking a closer look at Pureview by testing the original Nokia 808 in our newly revamped studio test scene, and putting it up against this year's version of the tech found in the 41MP Nokia Lumia 1020. See how the two compare on connect.dpreview.com. Read full story → 'Light Goes On' - stunning video by light painter Darren Pearson Published on Monday, October 28, 2013 5:24:10 PM GMT Darren Pearson is a 'light painter', who creates photographs and videos featuring elements that are 'painted' with light during long exposures. Most photographers have probably tried painting with light at least once, but Pearson takes it to a new level in his video 'Light Goes On', which features a skeleton (one of his common characters) drawn with light, skateboarding through various locations. Click through to watch the appropriately halloween-themed video. Read full story → creativeLIVE's entire photography education catalog on sale until 31st October Published on Monday, October 28, 2013 6:43:38 PM GMT Photography education resource creativeLIVE has announced a sale on all of its online photography workshops from now until the end of this month, plus a free three-day 'Autumn Photo Critique' evaluating submissions in three categories: wedding and family, commercial and fine art and portraiture. Click through for more details of the promotion. Read full story → Canon PowerShot G16 updated with test scene samples Published on Monday, October 28, 2013 7:12:34 PM GMT We just updated our first impressions review of the Canon PowerShot G16 with our studio test scene showing image quality in both JPEG and Raw capture modes. It includes downloadable Raw files of both the daylight and low light scenes. As usual this allows you to compare the G16 with other cameras.  Read full story → Complete control: Olympus OM-D E-M1 review posted Published on Monday, October 28, 2013 7:56:12 PM GMT With a rugged, weather-sealed body, hybrid AF system, 5-axis image stabilization, Wi-Fi, and seemingly endless customizable controls, the Olympus E-M1 is arguably the most enthusiast-friendly Micro Four Thirds camera on the market.  We've put Olympus' latest OM-D through our usual battery of tests - follow the link to see if the 'Pro' Micro Four Thirds camera has finally arrived. Read full story → Super zoom? Olympus Stylus 1 First Impressions Review Published on Tuesday, October 29, 2013 5:00:00 AM GMT Up until recently, the only 'real' premium superzoom camera was the Panasonic DMC-FZ200. Two weeks ago Sony made a big splash with their pricey Cyber-shot RX10, which features a 1"-type sensor. The Olympus Stylus 1 slots in nicely somewhere between the two, offering a 1/1.7"-type sensor and constant F2.8, 28-300mm equivalent lens in an OM-D-style body. If that sounds appealing, then follow the link to read our First Impressions Review of the Stylus 1. Read full story → Hands-on with the Olympus Stylus 1 Published on Tuesday, October 29, 2013 5:00:00 AM GMT The Stylus 1 is Olympus's latest high-end compact camera. With 'mini-DSLR' styling and a constant-aperture F2.8 28-300mm (equivalent) zoom lens, the 12MP Stylus 1 has a lot to offer the amateur and enthusiast photographer. While our Seattle and London teams were busy preparing a detailed preview, editor Barnaby Britton got his hands on the new model at last week's Photo Plus Expo show in New York. Click through for a gallery of hands-on pictures and his initial impressions.  Read full story → Olympus Stylus 1 puts high-end superzoom features into OM-D body Published on Tuesday, October 29, 2013 5:00:00 AM GMT Olympus has thrown its hat into the premium superzoom ring with the Stylus 1. It combines a larger-than-average 1/1.7"-type BSI-CMOS sensor with a 28-300mm equivalent, F2.8 zoom lens, high resolution EVF, 'hybrid' control ring, and Wi-Fi - and packs it all into a compact body that strongly resembles the OM-D EM-5. Other notable features include a built-in ND filter, tilting touchscreen LCD, in-camera Raw processing, and 1080p movie recording. Read full story → Google+ reaches out to photographers with new imaging features Published on Tuesday, October 29, 2013 9:08:09 PM GMT Google is reaching out to photographers once again by announcing a bevy of forthcoming features on its social networking site Google+ that will be a boon to photographers: full-resolution photo backups for iOS users, improved search through advanced photo recognition software, and better image editing tools. See what else is new on connect.dpreview.com. Read full story → Fresh from Tennessee: Sony A7R real-world samples Published on Tuesday, October 29, 2013 9:35:03 PM GMT We've been able to get our hands on the highly anticipated full-frame Sony Alpha 7R again, and have posted a gallery of real-world samples using a final production camera. We've put together a preliminary gallery using the Sony FE 35mm F2.8 ZA and FE 55mm F1.8 ZA primes. Follow the link for some shots taken in the Volunteer State: Tennessee. Read full story →
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