Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 26 February 2014

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 26 February 2014 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Welcome to the 497th Digital Photography Review newsletter. I'm back! In body if not in spirit. I spent last week and much of the week before in Japan, inside conference centers, meeting rooms and various trains planes and automobiles. I was attending the CP+ show in Yokohama, reporting on the latest gear and interviewing executives from the major manufacturers. A lot of content is already online, and more is on the way including an interview with a senior Olympus executive which should be going up in a few hours. Hit the link below to read all of our CP+ coverage, and if you have any jet-lag cures, please - let me know. OK, let's take a look at some recent content highlights! A camera for all weather? Shooting with the Fujifilm X-T1 + Samples! We first laid our hands on the Fujifilm X-T1 about a month ago when it was announced. Now that we've had some time to shoot with it extensively, we've gathered our thoughts on using the latest X-Trans camera from Fuji. The X-T1 offers much of what the X-E2 does, including a 16 megapixel APS-C sensor with on-chip phase detection. More than that, it offers an SLR-style sculpted handgrip and weather-resistant sealing. Click the links below to find out what the X-T1 is like to use in the field. We've also added 40 images to a gallery of real-world samples taken in Japan, during and after the recent CP+ show in Yokohama and a separate gallery of images taken with a pre-production version of the new Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS. Click the links below to get to the good stuff. Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Fujifilm X-T1 Click here to go straight to the real-world samples galleries Nikon D4s announced and previewed Nikon's latest flagship body, the D4s, gets an updated 16 megapixel full-frame sensor, Expeed 4-level processing, 1080/60p video recording and can now autofocus at up to 11fps. Beyond that it boasts a laundry list of small (but potentially meaningful) improvements over its predecessor. After spending some time with the camera, we've prepared some first impressions of the pro-level body, and I also got some insights from its designers during a private meeting in Japan. Click the links below to read both pieces of content. Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Nikon D4s Click here to read our hands-on look at the Nikon D4s, with insights from its designers CP+ complete show coverage I spent a few days in Japan recently, covering the CP+ show in Yokohama. CP+ is Japan's biggest camera trade show and it's a public event which enthusiasts from all over the country flock to in order to get their hands on the latest gear. As well as reporting on the hardware I also had a series of meetings and conducted several interviews with high-level executives from the major manufacturers. Some interviews are already online, some are in the pipeline, but if you bookmark the link below you'll be able to keep track of everything. Click here to read our complete show reporting from CP+ 2014 Hands-on with the GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition GoPro's latest fleet of little action bricks are fortified with several advanced features that cannot be found elsewhere in the market. The GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition ($399.99) is the newest flagship model, replacing the GoPro Hero 3 by adding some key upgrades. Having owned the first HD Hero and Hero2, our writer Mike Perlman wanted to know if the Black Edition was worth the extra cash. Click here to read our review of the GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition Weak Yen masks hard times as Mirrorless and DSLR sales decline Manufacturers are putting on brave faces as compact sales continue their decline and interchangeable lens camera sales fail to shine. Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon and Olympus have all put out their financial results covering the Christmas period, and there's little to be positive about, with falling sales of interchangeable lens cameras being reported by the industry's biggest players. Click here to read our writeup of the current state of the consumer digital imaging market What's coming up? Plenty of things - thanks for asking. We're putting the finishing touches to our review of the Fujifilm X-E2 and work proceeds on our reviews of the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 and the Pentax K-3. We're also a review of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 and hopefully we'll have a sample of the Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM | C in the office soon for a quick lab report. Lots to look forward to! Barney GearShop update - a message from Laura GearShop update - a message from Laura Just announced: Now available for pre-order, Nikon's newest flagship, the D4S. For the most demanding professionals, the D4S improves upon the D4 to give users enhanced image and video quality, improved autofocus, faster performance, and ISO range up to 409,600. Now Shipping: GearShop has recently begun carrying select Samsung cameras and lenses! The NX30 kit is now in stock, and we even have an interactive 360-degree view. Give it a spin! We also just added Rokinon's 85mm F1.4 and 14mm F2.8 lenses for Fujifilm X-mount, Micro Four Thirds, and Sony E-Mount. This week's best deals: Save up to $300 on popular Sigma lenses, including the 150-500mm, 50-500mm, 85mm F1.4 and more. Olympus lens rebates are still available with the purchase of select mirrorless cameras, making it a great time to pick up an OM-D. Until next week - Laura and the GearShop Team
News updates Exposing another side of Sochi Published on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT Hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sochi has absorbed an influx of athletes, fans and media for two weeks of competition. What isn't apparent from the coverage is what Sochi looks most of the rest of the year - a seaside, summer resort town. Since 2007 photographer Rob Hornstra and writer Arnold van Bruggen have been documenting Sochi as they saw it change from quiet summer getaway to a world stage. Take a look at a different Sochi, as seen through Hornstra's lens. See gallery Read full story → Hands-on with the GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition Published on Thursday, February 20, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT GoPro's latest fleet of little action bricks are fortified with several advanced features that cannot be found elsewhere in the market. The GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition ($399.99) is the newest flagship model, replacing the GoPro Hero 3 by adding some key upgrades. Having owned the first HD Hero and Hero2, our writer Mike Perlman wanted to know if the Black Edition was worth the extra cash. Read our review Read full story → Don't leave pictures stranded: Eye-Fi Mobi SD card review Published on Friday, February 21, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT If you're looking for a Wi-Fi card that's simple to setup and blasts images off into cyberspace in a matter of seconds while you take advantage of your camera's far superior image quality (compared to a phone), you can't go wrong with the Eye-Fi Mobi. How does the Mobi stack up against the pricier Eye-Fi Pro X2 card? Find out in our review Read full story → Fujifilm firmware updates: 56mm lens compatibility and improved OIS Published on Friday, February 21, 2014 5:31:28 PM GMT Fujifilm has announced firmware updates for five X-series cameras and three zoom lenses. It adds XF 56mm F1.2 lens compatibility to the following cameras: X-Pro1, X-E1, X-E2, X-M1 and X-A1. Improved optical image stabilization functions are added to the XC16-50mm, XF18-55mm and XF55-200mm lenses; the latter two also gain improved AF focus tracking on the X-E1 and X-T1. Get the updates Read full story → Adobe update adds Fujifilm color profiles to Adobe Camera Raw 8.4 RC Published on Friday, February 21, 2014 7:22:00 PM GMT Adobe has updated Adobe Camera Raw, adding color profiles for Fujifilm cameras, as well as Raw support for some recent models. The Release Candidate versions of ACR 8.4 for Photoshop CS6 and CC are now better able to mimic Fujifilm's Film Simulation modes - at least in terms of color response. We've prepared a comparison to see how well Adobe's color profiles match those in the cameras. The camera and profile updates are available on Adobe Labs for CS6 customers, as well as Creative Cloud subscribers. Read full story → Google's Project Tango creates 3D-maps of your surroundings Published on Saturday, February 22, 2014 12:56:04 AM GMT Google has announced Project Tango, an initiative that aims to develop mobile devices that are capable of capturing 3D-maps of your surroundings. Formerly a division of Motorola, Google's Advanced Technology and Projects group (ATAP) has been working with academic and industrial partners from nine countries, and used research from the last decade in the areas of robotics and computer vision. According to Google the goal of the project is 'to give mobile devices a human scale understanding of space and motion.' Click through for more. Read full story → Meet 'The Archivist' at National Geographic Published on Saturday, February 22, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT Ever wonder who looks after at all the old photographs in National Geographic's archive? Well, now you can meet that man. His name is Bill Bonner and they call him 'The Archivist'. For 31 years he's worked mostly by himself in the basement of National Geographic’s Washington, D.C. headquarters and has handled hundreds of thousands of photographs. In total, Bonner is responsible for about eight million images in the vintage collection. See the video Read full story → Enter the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition Published on Sunday, February 23, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT Think you have a striking picture of vast galaxies millions of light years away, or a dramatic night sky scene taken much closer to home? The Royal Observatory Greenwich, in association with Sky at Night Magazine, has launched its 2014 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. Entries must be submitted by April 24. Learn more Read full story → Shooting Raw with the Nokia Lumia 1020 Published on Monday, February 24, 2014 8:05:00 AM GMT The Nokia Lumia 1020 comes with one of the best smartphone cameras we have tested. After installing the Nokia "Black" firmware update you can now also capture images in DNG Raw format. Just how much more detail can you squeeze out of it? Find out on connect.dpreview.com Update: Added raw sample images for download. Read full story → SanDisk ups microSD capacity to 128GB with new card Published on Monday, February 24, 2014 6:22:00 PM GMT SanDisk has announced its new 128GB Ultra microSDXC UHS-I memory card. The new card increases storage capacity options for Android smartphones, tablets and other microSD enabled devices, while delivering Class 10 performance, with read speeds up to 30MB/s. It also ships with an SD adapter to use the card with digital cameras and computers. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com Read full story → Weak Yen masks hard times as Mirrorless and DSLR sales decline Published on Monday, February 24, 2014 6:27:15 PM GMT Manufacturers are putting on brave faces as compact sales continue their decline and interchangeable lens camera sales fail to shine. Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon and Olympus have all put out their financial results covering the Christmas period, and there's little to be positive about, with falling sales of interchangeable lens cameras being reported by the industry's biggest players. Read full story → Fujifilm X-T1 and XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS (beta) samples gallery Published on Monday, February 24, 2014 6:56:00 PM GMT We've just returned from the CP+ show in Japan, where Fujifilm was kind enough to loan us a beta sample of its new 10-24mm zoom lens for the X-series interchangeable lens cameras. Although this is a beta (not final) sample, Fujifilm is confident enough about its performance to allow us to post images. We've prepared a gallery of sample images taken in various conditions at various ISO sensitivity settings on the X-T1 for you to take a look at. See gallery Read full story → Sony Xperia Z2 brings 4K video to its flagship smartphone Published on Monday, February 24, 2014 7:34:00 PM GMT Sony has launched the latest iteration of its Xperia Z-line of flagship Android smartphones. With a 20.7 MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor the camera specifications look identical to the Z1 but the new model is now capable of recording 4K video. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com Read full story → Samsung Galaxy S5 adds 16MP camera with 4K video Published on Monday, February 24, 2014 10:44:00 PM GMT Samsung's latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, has been announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It features a 16MP camera that shoots 4K video, a 5.1-inch screen and new water resistant shell. Also new is a fingerprint scanner for biometric screen locking and mobile payment. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com Read full story → New and improved: Nikon D4s First Impressions Review posted Published on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 4:00:00 AM GMT Nikon's latest flagship body, the D4s, gets an updated 16 megapixel full-frame sensor, Expeed 4-level processing, 1080/60p video recording and can now autofocus at up to 11fps. Beyond that it boasts a laundry list of small (but potentially meaningful) improvements over its predecessor. After spending some brief time with the camera, we've prepared some first impressions of the pro-level body. For a detailed analysis of what's new in Nikon's top-of-the-line, take a look at our first impressions review. Read full story → Nikon D4s: CP+ Hands-on and interview Published on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 4:00:00 AM GMT Nikon has officially launched its new flagship DSLR, the D4s. Offering a number of improvements over its predecessor the D4, the D4s features greater ISO sensitivity in stills and video mode, a new 60p video capture option and some minor design changes. At the recent CP+ show in Yokohama, Japan editor Barnaby Britton was able to sit down with the new camera and two of the men responsible for creating it. Click through for a hands-on tour of the D4s and insights from its creators.  Read full story → Nikon announces flagship D4s professional DSLR Published on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 4:00:00 AM GMT Nikon has released an update to their flagship D4 pro DSLR: the D4s. While not a major upgrade to the camera (hence the 's' in the name), the D4s packs more processing power, a refined autofocus system, faster continuous shooting, and more video features (including 1080/60p support). Two other items pros will appreciate are a 'small' Raw size and a noticeable improvement in battery life compared to the D4. The camera will be available in early March for $6499.95 / £5,199.99. Read full story → Nikon releases beta version of next-generation Capture NX software Published on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 4:39:59 AM GMT Nikon has released a beta version of an update to its Capture NX software, a product which has been relatively stagnant in recent years. Capture NX-D is the first version of Nikon's Raw converter to be made since previous developer Nik Software was bought by Google in 2012. The software features a new user interface, batch conversion and a non-destructive workflow that saves adjustments in sidecar files alongside the original image. Find out how to try Capture NX-D for yourself. Read full story → A camera for all weather? Shooting with the Fujifilm X-T1 + Japan gallery Published on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 7:24:00 PM GMT We first laid our hands on the Fujifilm X-T1 about a month ago when it was announced. Now that we've had some time to shoot with it, we've gathered our thoughts on using Fujifilm's latest X-Series camera. The X-T1 offers much of what the X-E2 does, including a 16 megapixel APS-C sensor with on-chip phase detection, but  more than that, it offers an SLR-style sculpted handgrip and weather-resistant sealing. Find out what the X-T1 is like to use in the field.  Read full story → Huawei MediaPad X1 takes on Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD Published on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 7:57:43 PM GMT Chinese manufacturer Huawei has launched its 7-inch MediaPad X1 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The MediaPad X1 comes with a 13MP Sony Exmor R BSI sensor in the rear camera and a 5MP front-unit. Imaging features include panorama shooting, 10-level auto-facial enhancement and voice-activated capture. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com Read full story → Elevate your movement: Cinetics Axis360 review Published on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 10:00:00 PM GMT Panning, tilting and sliding are essential actions in both photography and video. To elevate the quality of camera movement, particularly in video, you need professional-grade equipment, and it's usually very expensive. But the folks at Cinetics aim to bridge the gap with the Axis360, an affordable, motorized tripod head and slider to help photographers create dynamic video and time-lapse photography. Read our review Read full story →
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