Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 9 October 2013

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 9 October 2013 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Hello! And welcome to the 478th Digital Photography Review newsletter. It's been an exceptionally busy week here at DPReview and as I write this it's only Tuesday! We finally published our full review of the Olympus E-P5, and both Pentax and Sony announced major new DSLRs this week too. The new Pentax K-3 is a 24MP APS-C DSLR with an innovative switchable AA filter, which can be activated by minute vibration of the sensor. With this virtual AA filter turned off, we'd expect the K-3 to deliver similar image quality to Nikon's D7100, which ships without any sort of anti-aliasing filter, for optimal resolution. Speaking of Nikon, this week saw the launch the of the D610. A barely warmed-over update of the D600, the D610 offers the same 24MP full-frame sensor and enthusiast-friendly ergonomics as its predecessor but it can shoot a little faster (6fps compared to 5.5) and provides a new quiet continuous shooting mode. By what we have to assume is extraordinary coincidence, both features are made possible thanks to a new shutter design. Well now there's a thing! Reading between the lines, we have to presume that the D610's new internals mean an end to the sensor dirt issues that were widely reported with the D600. Olympus PEN E-P5 Review We've had the Olympus PEN E-P5 in our Seattle and London offices for some months now and have just completed our review. The arrival of the E-M1 may have grabbed the limelight in recent weeks but the latest PEN deserves its share of the attention. Although it continues the classic PEN look, it shares most of its specifications with the E-M5, which should make it pretty special - but what's it like to use? Read our in-depth review to find out. Click here to read our in-depth review of the Olympus E-P5 Nikon D610 First-impressions Review The 24MP D610 is Nikon's latest enthusiast-targeted full-frame DSLR. Coming fairly hot on the heels of last year's D600, the 610 gains a new shutter mechanism, which is responsible for two out of the camera's full complement of three new features. We've had the chance to handle the D610 and have prepared a first impressions review of the refreshed enthusiast full framer. Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Nikon D610 Pentax K-3 First-impressions Review Ricoh's Pentax K-3 is the first DSLR we've encountered that allows you to totally disengage its low-pass filtering - letting you choose between maximum detail and moire suppression - it's also the first to wear the new parent company's branding. The more we looked at the K-3 when we were handling it last week the more impressed we were. Click the links below to read our detailed first-impressions review. Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Pentax K-3 iPhone 5s camera review The camera on Apple's iPhones are well-known for their excellent photo quality. The new iPhone 5s features a larger sensor, faster lens, and new 'True Tone' flash. Head on over to connect.dpreview.com to see if the improvements have made the iPhone 5s a top choice for mobile photographers. Click here to read our review of the iPhone 5s camera at connect.dpreview.com Ten items you should have in your camera bag What's in your camera bag? A camera (hopefully) and maybe a lens or two, but that's probably not everything that you need. In this article we'll be looking at ten items that deserve a place in every photographer's kit bag, whatever sort of photography you enjoy doing. Click through for the list. Click here to read our article 'Ten items you should have in your camera bag' What's coming up? Work continues on our reviews of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 and the Canon EOS 70D, as well as the Olympus OM-D E-M1. Although the past few weeks have been very busy from the point of view of new product announcements, we doubt that it's over yet. The next few weeks will almost certainly see more cameras released as manufacturers line up their offerings for the holiday season. As always, we'll be bringing you all the details as soon as they're available. Stay tuned! Thanks for reading! Until next time... Barney WTD #1438 Check out What The Duck in our Link Directory   GearShop update - a message from Laura Recent additions to the shop: The Nikon D610 is the newest iteration of an affordable mid-range full frame DSLR from Nikon, and is available for pre-order in numerous kit configurations and bundles. It begins shipping later this month. Pentax also announced the weather sealed and redesigned K-3 DSLR , which can serve as a replacement for both the K-5 II and K-5 IIs, due to its selectable anti-aliasing filter. Announced alongside it is a new water resistant 55-300mm lens with HD coating. This week's best deals: Save $100 on the new Panasonic Lumix GX7 kit. It's the first Lumix micro four thirds camera with in-body stabilization, plus focus peaking, a tiltable viewfinder and LCD, and built-in Wi-Fi/NFC connectivity. The popular Sigma 18-250mm DC OS all-in-one lens is at its lowest price ever! Now for only $349, you can pick one up for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, or Sony APS-C DSLRs. 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 Nikon Coolpix P7800 real-world samples Published on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 1:01:43 AM GMT Nikon's new Coolpix P7800 arrived in our Seattle office a few days ago and we've been doing our best to get as many sample images as possible on it, despite the unpredictable autumn weather. We've managed to create a small gallery of samples, taken in a range of different conditions to show off what the camera can do. There's more on the way, but for now, check out our gallery of pictures from Nikon's newest zoom compact flagship.  Read full story → DxO Optics Pro 8.3.2 adds Canon EOS 70D and Sony DSC-RX1R support Published on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 1:00:00 PM GMT DxO Labs has released version 8.3.2 of its Optics Pro RAW conversion and image correction software, adding support for the Canon EOS 70D and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R. It also adds 448 extra camera/lens combinations to the library of optics correction modules. Click through for the full press release, including download links. Read full story → GoPro updates with Hero3+ cameras Published on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 3:15:03 PM GMT GoPro has revealed two revised and improved action cameras, as the updated Hero 3+ line. The tiny yet rugged cameras are smaller than their popular predecessors yet still pack some impressive specs. See what's changed in the new Hero 3+ Black Edition and Hero 3+ Silver Edition today on connect.dpreview.com. Read full story → Photo Ninja adds preliminary support for X-Trans Raw images Published on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 8:09:18 PM GMT Another contender has entered the relatively small ring of Raw converters that can work with Fujifilm's X-Trans sensors: Photo Ninja. The latest version of this already-capable image editor has added 'preliminary' support for X-Trans Raw, and early results seem promising. To see how this $129 software performs, click through to see side-by-side comparisons. Read full story → Apple iPhone 5s review: Best iPhone camera yet? Published on Thursday, October 3, 2013 5:51:55 PM GMT The camera on Apple's iPhones are well-known for their excellent photo quality. The new iPhone 5s features a larger sensor, faster lens, and new 'True Tone' flash. Head on over to connect.dpreview.com to see if the improvements have made the iPhone 5s a top choice for mobile photographers. Read full story → Ricoh GR firmware version 2.03 now available Published on Thursday, October 3, 2013 7:28:20 PM GMT Ricoh has released firmware v2.03 for its GR enthusiast compact. The list of updated features includes support for Raw file transfer via Eye-Fi card, the ability to use 1/2500 sec shutter speed with maximum aperture and a 47mm-equivalent crop mode. Also new is a 'Maximum Aperture Priority' setting available in Program and Manual exposure modes. Click through for a link to download the latest firmware version. Read full story → Olympus PEN E-P5 review - just how mighty is the latest PEN? Published on Thursday, October 3, 2013 10:44:39 PM GMT We've been shooting with the Olympus PEN E-P5 for some months now and have just completed our review. The arrival of the E-M1 may have grabbed the limelight in recent weeks but the latest PEN deserves its share of the attention. Although it continues the classic PEN look, it shares most of its specifications with the E-M5, which should make it pretty special - but what's it like to use? Read our review to find out. Read full story → Adobe accounts hacked, data exposed for 2.9 million customers Published on Thursday, October 3, 2013 10:51:00 PM GMT Cyber attackers breached Adobe's security recently, compromising data on 2.9 million customers. Data accessed includes 'customer names, encrypted credit or debit card numbers, expiration dates, and other information relating to customer orders,' according to a company blog post. The attack exposes a weakness in the company's new Creative Cloud subscription model, which omits the 'bits-in-a-box' distribution method in favor of faster access to software updates through a monthly subscription. Click through for more.  Read full story → DxOMark investigates lenses for the Nikon D7100 Published on Friday, October 4, 2013 10:39:34 AM GMT Our friends and collaborators over at DxOMark have recently been looking into how lenses score on specific cameras, and the latest model they've examined is Nikon's 24 MP APS-C flagship, the D7100. The article looks at no fewer than 126 lenses, and gauges the advantage of the D7100's higher pixel count and lack of a low-pass filter compared to the 16MP D7000. As a bonus, there's also an assessment of how the imaging performance of Nikon SLRs has improved over the last decade. Click through for the link.    Read full story → PhotoPlus Expo announces presenters for 30th anniversary show Published on Friday, October 4, 2013 11:00:00 AM GMT PDN PhotoPlus Expo celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The annual conference and tradeshow, held at the Javits Center in New York, will feature a lineup of more than 130 presenters taking part in keynotes, seminars and panel discussions with topics ranging from creative techniques to making a living as a photographer. The show takes place October 24-26th, and registration is open to the public. Click through to read more. Read full story → Ten items you should have in your camera bag Published on Friday, October 4, 2013 6:02:41 PM GMT What's in your camera bag? A camera (hopefully) and maybe a lens or two, but that's probably not everything that you need. In this article we'll be looking at ten items that deserve a place in every photographer's kit bag, whatever sort of photography you enjoy doing. Click through for the list. Read full story → What The Duck #1438 Published on Friday, October 4, 2013 10:33:43 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 → Images from the past: Circular snapshots from the Kodak 1 Published on Sunday, October 6, 2013 11:00:00 AM GMT The first consumer point-and-shoots didn't have art effect modes or face detection smile-shutters. They looked like the Kodak 1, a leather-encased box with a key to wind the film, a shutter release and not much else. Introduced to the public in 1888, each Kodak 1 contained a roll of film with 100 exposures. The UK's National Media Museum owns a collection of prints from these first consumer 'compacts.' Click through to take a look at a set of these early snapshots. Read full story → Photo organization app 'Loom' for iOS updated with RAW support Published on Monday, October 7, 2013 1:55:44 AM GMT Photo organization app Loom is fairly new on the scene but it is already turning heads and getting a plenty of positive reviews. Loom's latest update has improved its user interface to better reflect iOS 7's new aesthetic and also allows for RAW photo uploading. Click through to read more on connect.dpreview.com. Read full story → Zeiss announces 'no compromise' Otus 55mm F1.4 Published on Monday, October 7, 2013 10:04:06 AM GMT Zeiss has announced the Otus 1.4/55, a premium manual focus 'normal' lens for full frame SLRs. It's the first in a new line of lenses aimed at 'uncompromising professional' photographers, with a price tag to match - €2,940 or US$3,999 (excl. VAT). According to Zeiss it's named Otus after 'a type of owl known for its excellent vision in darkness'. On the technical side, it employs a Distagon design that's unusually complex for this class of lens, to minimise aberrations even when shooting at maximum aperture.   Read full story → Canon PowerShot S120 real-world samples (UPDATED) Published on Monday, October 7, 2013 11:02:16 AM GMT Canon's new 12MP PowerShot S120 arrived in our Seattle office a few days ago and we've created a small gallery of samples, taken in a range of different conditions to show off what the camera can do. The PowerShot S120 features a 24-120mm (equivalent) zoom lens which starts at F1.8 at the wide end. We've just added more images to the gallery, to show off the S120's abilities in low light. Click through for a link. Read full story → DxOMark Mobile Report added to our Apple iPhone 5s review Published on Monday, October 7, 2013 4:18:48 PM GMT We have added DxOMark's Mobile Report to our camera review of the Apple iPhone 5s. 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 read our Apple iPhone 5s review and go to page 8 for the DxO Mark mobile report. Read full story → Manfrotto revamps 190 series tripods with updated design Published on Monday, October 7, 2013 4:31:09 PM GMT Manfrotto has updated its popular 190 series tripod range, with a substantially reworked design. The mechanism for switching the centre column to the horizontal position has been redesigned to reduce weight and folded length, and now pops out from the centre casting only when needed. A rotatable bubble level has been added underneath the head platform, and the leg angle selectors redesigned for easier operation. The tripods come in either carbon fibre or aluminium, with a choice of three- or four-section legs. Prices range from £185 to £360.     Read full story → Samsung announces new 13MP camera unit with optical image stabilization Published on Monday, October 7, 2013 5:24:39 PM GMT Samsung has revealed a brand new 13MP smartphone camera unit with optical image stabilization and improved low light performance. Samsung's press release doesn't specifically name any devices that the new camera is slated to appear in, but it's safe to assume that we'll see it next year in the Galaxy S5 and Note 4. Click through for more details at connect.dpreview.com. Read full story → Shaking up the market? Pentax K-3 First Impressions Review Published on Monday, October 7, 2013 10:00:00 PM GMT Ricoh's Pentax K-3 is the first DSLR we've encountered that allows you to totally disengage its low-pass filtering - letting you choose between maximum detail and moire suppression - it's also the first to wear the new parent company's branding. The more we looked at the K-3 the more we found it offers over the existing K-5 models. Read our First Impressions Review to examine the fine changes with no false detail. Read full story → Ricoh announces Pentax K-3 24MP DSLR with selectable low pass filtering Published on Monday, October 7, 2013 10:00:00 PM GMT Ricoh has announced the Pentax K-3 - a 24 megapixel enthusiast APS-C DSLR. In addition to the higher pixel count, the range-topping camera gains a 27-point autofocus system and a more advanced 86,000 pixel metering sensor, compared with the K-5 II. Rather than offering versions with an without an optical low-pass filter, the company has found a way to selectively use the image stabilization system to mimic its effect. It also offers twin SD card slots and USB 3.0 connection. Click through to find out more. Read full story → Ricoh launches weathersealed HD PENTAX-DA 55-300 mm F4-5.8ED WR Published on Monday, October 7, 2013 10:00:00 PM GMT Ricoh has launched the HD Pentax DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED WR, a telephoto zoom that's weathersealed to complement the company's recent SLRs. It also gains Pentax's latest 'High Definition' coating to minimize flare and ghosting. Aside from that, the specifications are practically identical to the existing smc DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED. It'll be on sale in November 2013 for a suggested retail price of $449.95 / £399.99. Read full story → Nikon launches D610 full-frame DSLR with updated shutter mechanism Published on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 4:02:52 AM GMT Nikon has announced the much-rumored D610 24MP full-frame DSLR. Coming just a year after the D600, the D610 appears to be a very minor refresh, with a quiet continuous shooting mode, improved white balance and faster continuous shooting touted as its major changes. Beyond this, the D610 is essentially the same camera as the D600 and, given its launch at the same $2000 SRP, it's extremely likely that the D610 replaces the older camera. Click through for more details. Read full story → Slight improvement? Nikon D610 First Impressions Review Published on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 4:03:03 AM GMT The 24MP D610 is Nikon's latest enthusiast-targeted full-frame DSLR. Coming fairly hot on the heels of the D600, the 610 gains a new shutter mechanism, which is responsible for two out of the camera's three new features. We've had the chance to handle the D610 and have prepared a first impressions review of the refreshed enthusiast full framer. Read full story → Nat Geo photographer takes the iPhone 5S out shooting (and likes it) Published on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 6:57:20 PM GMT When National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson ditched his usual DSLR kit and took an iPhone 5S out to the Scottish highlands, he wasn't sure he was going to get great shots. In the end though, he was surprised by how capable the smartphone's 8MP camera is. He shared his experiences (and some of his images) at National Geographic's 'Proof' blog and we've published extracts over at connect.dpreview.com. Read full story → Apple's Jony Ive and Marc Newson design special edition Leica M Published on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 10:21:05 PM GMT Jony Ive, design mastermind at Apple, and Marc Newson, the creative force behind the thoroughly unconventional Pentax K-01, have collaborated with Leica to design a special edition Leica M for a good cause. The unique M will be sold at auction, at an event raising money for The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The one-of-a-kind camera is the product of 85 days' work and no less than 1000 prototype parts. Click through for the full details. Read full story →
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