Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 5 March 2014

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 5 March 2014 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Welcome to the 499th Digital Photography Review newsletter. First, a bit of admin. Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that I skipped a number - last week's newsletter was the 488th, not the 487th, which makes this week's the 499th! Only one more to go before we break a cool half-thousand. Until then, thanks to everyone who replied to last week's appeal for jet lag cures. All were appreciated, and I'll be trying out a couple next time I go on a long trip. OK, without further ado let's take a look at some recent content highlights! Fujifilm X-E2 review Fujifilm's idea of a mid-range camera is a remarkably photographer-friendly affair, and the X-E2 is the latest example of that. It's superficially similar to its predecessor, the X-E1, but adds the X-Trans CMOS II sensor that includes on-chip phase detection elements to allow continuous autofocus. It also has a nicer rear screen and built-in Wi-Fi, along with a host of small operational and feature tweaks. Is the X-E2 a photographic tool that lives up to the promise of its classic looks and control layout? Find out in our full review! Click here to read our in-depth review of the Fujifilm X-E2 Shooting with the Olympus OM-D E-M10 The Olympus OM-D E-M10 was announced about a month ago, the third addition to the digital revival of the OM line. It lacks the weather sealing of its siblings but inherits a number of excellent features from the existing OM-D models. Sound enticing? We've gotten familiar with the E-M10 over the past few weeks. The full review is on the way but for now, read our shooter's report, and compare the E-M10 to a growing list of cameras in our new studio test scene. Click here to read our updated preview of the OM-D E-M10 with shooting experience Canon Interview: 'We don't see the smartphone as an enemy' Recently, I had the opportunity to interview senior figures at Canon Inc. on two occasions, in Japan. The first meetings were held in late 2013 at Canon's headquarters in Tokyo, and a follow-up interview was arranged at the recent CP+ show in Yokohama. Topics covered include the future of Canon's mirrorless system, how Canon is innovating in its DSLRs and what 4K video means for photographers. Click through for the full interview. Click here to read our interview with senior Canon executives at CP+ 2014 Elevate your movement: Cinetics Axis360 review 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. Click here to read our review of the Cinetics Axis360 review Camera ready in two shakes: Motorola Moto X camera review Born from the brief union between Google and Motorola, the Moto X bears several unique features worthy of both names, including instant activation when removed from a pocket and constant attention to voice commands. Two shakes of the handset brings up the Moto X's simplified camera interface, which is where we come in. How does the Moto X measure up? Read our Motorola Moto X review to find out. Click here to read our review of the Motorola Moto X camera What's coming up? We're putting a lot of energy into our reviews of the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 and the Pentax K-3, and we're getting close to publishing our full review of the Olympus OM-D E-M10. As I mentioned last week, we're also expecting a Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM | C in the office in the next couple of days for a quick lab report so expect some sample images on the site very soon. Barney WTD #1457 Check out What The Duck in our Link Directory GearShop update - a message from Laura GearShop update - a message from Laura Just Announced: Manfrotto recently overhauled its 190 tripods with a new center-column design, new leg locks, and an easy link connector for attaching flex arm. Learn more. Now Shipping: Nikon's latest batch of Coolpix are now shipping. Get a new super zoom, Raw-shooting pocket camera, or waterproof point and shoot for your next vacation. Also in stock now – the Samsung NX300M mirrorless camera. We're one of the few US retailers offering this version of the NX300 that operates on the open-source Tizen OS. This week's best deals: Save $100 on the Fujifilm X-E2 camera body or lens kit. Until next week - Laura and the GearShop Team
News updates Nikon to offer D600 shutter replacement to address 'dust' issue Published on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 4:00:00 AM GMT Nikon has issued a worldwide technical service bulletin regarding 'dust' issues on its D600 DSLRs. Nikon says that it has evaluated user reports and has 'determined' that spots on the sensor are caused by dust particles which are visible in images taken in certain situations. The company will be offering all D600 owners a full inspection, cleaning, and replacement of the shutter mechanism in their cameras, free of charge and regardless of warrantee status.  Read more and find out how to get your camera serviced. Read full story → CP+ 2014: Olympus - 'our reason to exist is to push the envelope' Published on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT After the CP+ show in Yokohama closed last week, editor Barnaby Britton journeyed out to Olympus's design facility in Hachioji to speak to executives and engineers. Among the people he spoke to was Hirofumi Imano, Division Manager of Product Strategy. In a broad-ranging interview, Mr. Imano explained the company's strategies for competing in a tough market, the genesis of the OM-D line, opportunities in video and why he thinks Canon and Nikon might not be making high-end mirrorless cameras.  Read full story → Olympus OM-D E-M10 shooting experience and studio tests published Published on Thursday, February 27, 2014 6:33:00 PM GMT The Olympus OM-D E-M10 was announced about a month ago, the third addition to the digital revival of the OM line. It lacks the weather sealing of its siblings but inherits a number of excellent features from the existing OM-D models. Sound enticing? We've gotten familiar with the E-M10 over the past few weeks. The full review is on the way but for now, read our shooter's report, and compare the E-M10 to a growing list of cameras in our new studio test scene.  Read full story → What The Duck #1457 Published on Friday, February 28, 2014 10:51:14 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 → Snapseed features creep into Google+ for Android app Published on Friday, February 28, 2014 11:04:24 PM GMT Google has launched an update for its Google+ for Android app, which offers many features found in the popular editing program Snapseed. Most of the new features are imaging-related and make Google+ a more powerful image editing, storing and sharing platform. Integration with Google+ allows continuous editing across devices, and editing is non-destructive. See more on connect.dpreview.com. Read full story → Two photographers re-imagine city potholes Published on Saturday, March 1, 2014 2:00:00 PM GMT In the spirit of making lemonade out of lemons, two photographers have re-purposed city potholes and put them to clever new uses in a slightly surreal photo series aptly titled 'Potholes.' Davide Luciano and Claudia Ficca took to the streets of New York, Los Angeles, Montreal and Toronto, turning ordinary potholes into fishing ponds, diving pools, rabbit holes and more. All photos were staged without interrupting traffic, and all scenes were created with models and props - nothing has been added in Photoshop. Take a look at their photos - they bring a whole new meaning to street photography. Read full story → Red Epic Dragon jumps to top of DxOMark Sensor charts with score of 101 Published on Monday, March 3, 2014 2:30:00 PM GMT Over the past few years, DxOMark's tests and scores have provided a numerical measure for the Raw image quality potential of cameras. They've therefore been debated at some length by enthusiasts looking to see where their favourite model stands in the rankings. Now there's a new DxOMark Sensor score champion, but perhaps surprisingly, the first camera to break the 100-point barrier isn't a full frame model from Nikon or Sony, but the RED Epic Dragon movie camera. Click through for details and a link to the full report.  Read full story → Canon Interview: 'We don't see the smartphone as an enemy' Published on Monday, March 3, 2014 5:14:00 PM GMT Recently, editor Barnaby Britton had the opportunity to interview senior figures at Canon Inc. on two occasions, in Japan. The first meetings were held in late 2013 at Canon's headquarters in Tokyo, and a follow-up interview was arranged at the recent CP+ show in Yokohama. Topics covered include the future of Canon's mirrorless system, how Canon is innovating in its DSLRs and what 4K video means for photographers. Click through for the full interview. Read full story → Hasselblad officially launches 50MP medium-format CMOS camera Published on Monday, March 3, 2014 11:50:16 PM GMT Hasselblad has started shipping the 50MP CMOS sensor camera that was first announced in mid-January. The new H5D-50c is a step away from the CCD sensors that have been standard in their medium-format digital cameras. Hasselblad says the H5D-50c can shoot up to ISO 6400 with dynamic range of up to 14 stops. What will the H5D-50c cost? A cool €20,900 (~$28,702).  Read full story → Camera ready in two shakes: Motorola Moto X camera review Published on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 6:00:00 AM GMT Born from the brief union between Google and Motorola, the Moto X bears several unique features worthy of both names, including instant activation when removed from a pocket and constant attention to voice commands. Two shakes of the handset brings up the Moto X's simplified camera interface, which is where we come in. How does the Moto X measure up? Read our Motorola Moto X review to find out Read full story → Fujifilm UK previews customized X-series cameras at TPS Published on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 10:07:00 PM GMT Fujifilm UK is preparing a new service allowing certain X-series cameras to be customized with a range of different colors and body textures. The company has shown customized cameras at The Photography Show this week in Birmingham, UK, and pages for an 'X Signature' service are live on its website, but some pages lead to errors and the company has not enabled purchases yet. Click through for more information. Read full story →
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