Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 30 April 2014

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 30 April 2014 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Welcome to the 507th Digital Photography Review newsletter. Hello from a lovely day here in Seattle. I spent part of this morning out shooting with Fujifilm's new TCL X100 teleconverter for the X100/S, which increases the effective focal length of its 23mm lens to 50mm (equivalent). Also in my pocket was the new Samsung NX mini - look out for sample galleries on both products in the next few days. Now let's take a look at some recent highlights... Leica T (typ 701) First Impressions Review Leica's new T (Typ 701) is the company's first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with autofocus. While its 'guts' aren't much different than other cameras in its class, the hand-built body is all Leica. We've been able to spend some quality time with the German manufacturer's latest baby, and have put together our first impressions of it. Find out what we think of it so far. Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Leica T (typ 701) Updated: Sony a6000 First-impressions Review The Sony a6000 features a 24MP APS-C sensor that includes phase detection AF points across 92% of the frame and 11 fps continuous shooting with subject-tracking. It's the first E-mount camera of its style not to be branded 'NEX'. As we work toward a full review, read our shooting experience report and check out our real-world samples gallery to find out if the a6000 is more than a refreshed NEX-6 by another name. Read our first-impressions review (now including shooting report) View our gallery of real-world samples 1939: England in Color Color photography has been around in one form or another for a very long time, but has only been the norm for around forty years. Their relative rarity makes the discovery of older color images perennially fascinating. After all, early color offers us a view of the past in the colors and tones of our own experience and memories. Which brings us to a box that I found recently in my Grandmother's attic. Click through to see photos and read more of the story. Read our article '1939: England in Color'   Sony patent hints at RX compact with even greater pocket power Sony has patented the design of a series of bright zoom lenses, including a roughly F1.8-2.8 lens that would give 26-100mm equivalent coverage on a 1"-type sensor. The designs suggest the company intends to further develop its RX range of compacts. Such a lens would allow for a camera that made better use of its comparatively large sensor, even at the long end of the zoom. Click here to read about Sony's new patent, and why it might be significant ThinkTank StreetWalker HardDrive backpack review A good photography backpack is capable of stowing essential elements like a full-size camera body, small family of lenses, laptop, tripod, and all necessary accessories. A truly great backpack can carry all of that while being carry-on friendly and providing a high level of comfort and adjustability. The minds at ThinkTank strove to bring that full package with the StreetWalker HardDrive photo backpack. But does it provide enough bang to justify its $229.75 price tag? Find out in our review Click here to read our review of the ThinkTank StreetWalker HardDrive What's coming up? We're getting very close to the end of the process of reviewing Samsung's flagship NX30 and Canon's latest high-end compact the PowerShot G1 X Mark II. We're also doing some work on the Nikon D4S, with the aim of publishing more test data in the next couple of days. I'll also be publishing the second part of my 2-part story about the recent discovery of a collection of color slides from 1939 in my late grandmother's attic, so if you liked part 1, keep an eye on our homepage this Friday! Barney WTD #1300 Check out What The Duck in our Link Directory GearShop update - a message from Laura This week's best deals: Save up to $300 on select Canon lenses with Canon's just announced mail-in rebates. You can also save $200 on the Gold Award winning Canon EOS 5D Mark III via mail-in rebate. Get ready for summer adventures with one of our waterproof cameras. Save $20 on the Olympus TG-850, or pre-order the Canon D30 or Olympus TG-3. Until next week - Laura and the GearShop Team
News updates NYC Department of Records archives showcase city's history Published on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT You don’t have to be a New Yorker to appreciate the 900,000 plus images available online through the NYC Department of Records archives. Some are photographs of well-known icons like the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge, while others are Wee Gee-esque in their grit or as mundane as photos documenting local school buildings. Many of the images date back to the late 1800s. Learn more Read full story → Drone films SpaceX rocket launch and landing Published on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT These days shots from a flying drone are a dime a dozen - when engagement shoots are being covered from a hovering photographic robot you know that the technology is ubiquitous. It's getting increasingly hard to impress someone with images or video from drones. So it's lucky that privately-owned SpaceX happens to own its own rockets because it gives them the ability to capture stunning video, like this launch and landing test of its Falcon 9 Reusable rocket. See video Read full story → SmugMug Films: Master of illusions Published on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 3:30:00 PM GMT We've been following SmugMug Films' ongoing behind-the-lens series and have found the clips to be an interesting look at people who follow their passions in photography. The latest installment features Joel Grimes. He's been a commercial advertising photographer for more than 30 years and is most known for his composite portraits. Grimes considers himself more than a photographer - an artist and illusionist, creating images that are larger than life. See video and read Q&A Read full story → OnePlus launches 13MP, 4K video smartphone at bargain price Published on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 5:46:00 PM GMT OnePlus is a new smartphone maker based in China founded by a former Oppo executive. Today the company has released its first high-end smartphone, which is simply called the One. With its 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, 5.5-inch 1080p screen, 3GB of RAM and a 13MP camera, the One's specifications are on a similar level as other flagship devices released this year. Learn more Read full story → Sony a6000 shooting experience and samples gallery Published on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 6:05:00 PM GMT The Sony a6000 features a 24MP APS-C sensor that includes phase detection AF points across 92% of the frame and 11 fps continuous shooting with subject-tracking. It's the first E-mount camera of its style not to be branded 'NEX'. As we work toward a full review, read our shooting experience report and check out our real-world samples gallery to find out if the a6000 is more than a refreshed NEX-6 by another name. Learn more and see gallery Read full story → Behind the photo: Sports Illustrated's 'Boston Strong' cover Published on Thursday, April 24, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT About a week prior to Monday’s running of the Boston Marathon, and a year after the bombing at the 2013 marathon, photographer Gregory Heisler addressed a crowd of thousands gathered at the finish line. The group included runners, first responders and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, all ready to pose for Sports Illustrated's 'Boston Strong' cover photo. Directing the crowd through a megaphone and standing on a raised platform, Heisler captured a portrait of 3,000 proud, resilient Bostonians. Take a peek behind the scenes of this large scale photo shoot. Learn more Read full story → Lensbaby adds Android option for its selective focus lens Published on Thursday, April 24, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT When Lensbaby launched the  Kickstarter project for its 'Sweet Spot' selective focus lens at the beginning of April it was initially iPhone only. Now the company has added a pledge level for Android users, too. For $50 you can pre-order the Sweet Spot lens and the Android application for your device. Delivery is expected in October. Learn more Read full story → Updated: Creating the Leica T Published on Thursday, April 24, 2014 1:00:00 PM GMT No one will deny that Leica cameras are expensive. But there's more to the cost than just that red dot on the front. Each of the company's new 'T' mirrorless cameras are built by hand in Germany with incredible precision. View the transformation from aluminum brick to finished product. We've just updated this slideshow with some insights from Leica's head of product management, Stefan Daniel. Click through to see (and read) more.  Read full story → All teed up: Leica T First Impressions Review Published on Thursday, April 24, 2014 1:00:00 PM GMT Leica's new T (Typ 701) is the company's first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with autofocus. While its 'guts' aren't much different than other cameras in its class, the hand-built body is all Leica. We've been able to spend some quality time with the German manufacturer's latest baby, and have put together our first impressions of it. Find out what we think of it thus far. Read full story → Leica T and lenses herald arrival of mirrorless T-system Published on Thursday, April 24, 2014 1:00:00 PM GMT Leica has announced the T-System, a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera system with autofocus. The first camera in the system, the Leica T, features a 16MP APS-C sensor. Two lenses - an 18-56mm F3.5-5.6 and a 23mm F2 prime have been announced alongside the camera, with the promise of an 11-23mm F3.5-4.5 wide-angle zoom and 55-135mm F3.5-4.5 telezoom to follow. The camera is milled from a solid billet of aluminum and features a touchscreen that the company says uses a user-friendly operating concept. An optional electronic viewfinder provides an alternative to the 3.7" LCD. Read full story → Lost 1960s moon photos recovered from analog tapes Published on Friday, April 25, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT More than 50 years after the satellites that captured the first high-res images of the moon plunged to the surface and were destroyed, a Wired article tells the story of a group of people that found the tapes after they ended up in storage in California. Re-engineering the old drives capable of reading the tapes, they've recovered these historically significant images. Learn more Read full story → Famatic connects generations through digital picture frame Published on Friday, April 25, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT A new Kickstarter project is aiming to make digital images more accessible to those without social media accounts. Famatic is a digital picture frame that connects to Facebook and Instagram - or you can email pictures as well. The idea is to place Famatic on your parents' or grandparents' mantelpiece and send them images of their grandkids and family events straight to the frame. Learn more Read full story → 1939: England in Color (part 1) Published on Friday, April 25, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT Color photography has been around in one form or another for a very long time, but has only been the norm for around forty years. Their relative rarity makes the discovery of older color images perennially fascinating. After all, early color offers us a view of the past in the colors and tones of our own experience and memories. Which brings us to a box that editor Barnaby Britton found recently in his Grandmother's attic. See photos and read more of the story Read full story → ThinkTank StreetWalker HardDrive backpack review Published on Friday, April 25, 2014 4:00:00 PM GMT A good photography backpack is capable of stowing essential elements like a full-size camera body, small family of lenses, laptop, tripod, and all necessary accessories. A truly great backpack can carry all of that while being carry-on friendly and providing a high level of comfort and adjustability. The minds at ThinkTank strove to bring that full package with the StreetWalker HardDrive photo backpack. But does it provide enough bang to justify its $229.75 price tag? Find out in our review Read full story → What The Duck #1300 Published on Friday, April 25, 2014 10:02:51 PM GMT We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend. Read full story → 12 stunning images from Smithsonian's photography contest Published on Saturday, April 26, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT Smithsonian.com has announced 60 finalists for its 11th annual photo contest. More than 50,000 photographs were submitted by photographers from 132 different countries. Ten images were selected from each of six categories: The Natural World, Travel, People, Americana, Altered Images and Mobile. See gallery Read full story → 'City of Samba': Rio Carnival in tilt-shift Published on Sunday, April 27, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT The breathtaking 'City of Samba' video chronicles the festival of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro through a creative mashup of stop-motion and tilt-shift photography. The world of Carnival is even more impressive when it feels like an immersive model, a cartoon come to life. Captured from a vantage point above the fray, the 'City of Samba' shows the hectic celebration as a crazy animated dance. See video Read full story → Getty Images now lets you hang iconic photos on your wall Published on Monday, April 28, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT In March, stock photography house Getty Images rocked the industry when it announced it would allow people to embed images for free on websites and other electronic uses. Clearly looking to monetize the vast collection of images currently gathering digital dust in its archives, it has launched Photos.com by Getty Images to sell prints directly to customers. Learn more Read full story → Apple patents 3D interactive hologram display system Published on Monday, April 28, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT AppleInsider has discovered another interesting Apple patent. This time the technology giant has patented a 3D-display system that projects digital images into a medium such as a non-linear crystal, using infrared lasers or similar technologies and accepts user input in the form of gestures. Learn more Read full story → Get more accurate color with camera calibration Published on Monday, April 28, 2014 8:00:00 AM GMT One of the ways in which you can minimize the amount of work you need to do in post-processing is to calibrate your camera. Many digital photographers are familiar with calibrating their computer monitor to help them get accurate results when adjusting images. But few think of calibrating their camera. Professional travel photographer Steve Davey explains why and how to set up a custom profile. Learn more Read full story → Samyang announces 'AE' 35mm F1.4 for Canon, and 300mm F6.3 for DSLRs Published on Monday, April 28, 2014 6:52:00 PM GMT Samyang has announced five new manual focus lenses, including a revised 'AE' version of its Canon-mount 35mm F1.4 which allows electronic aperture setting from the camera body. Meanwhile the Reflex 300mm F6.3 UMC CS is a mirror lens designed for APS-C SLRs, which will be available in Canon, Nikon, Sony Alpha and Four Thirds mounts. Finally there are three cinema versions of existing photo lenses - a 10mm T3.1  for APS-C SLRs, a 12mm T2.2 for mirrorless cameras, and a 7.5mm T3.8 fisheye for Micro Four Thirds.   Read full story → Sony patent hints at RX compact with even greater pocket power Published on Monday, April 28, 2014 7:51:00 PM GMT Sony has patented the design of a series of bright zoom lenses, including a roughly F1.8-2.8 lens that would give 26-100mm equivalent coverage on a 1"-type sensor. The designs suggest the company intends to further develop its RX range of compacts. Such a lens would allow for a camera that made better use of its comparatively large sensor, even at the long end of the zoom. Learn more Read full story → MIT algorithm predicts photo popularity Published on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT Ask the average social media user what makes a photo popular online and they'll probably answer 'cats' or 'pretty women'. That gut feeling has now been confirmed by MIT PhD candidate Aditya Khosla who has analyzed more than 2.3 million images hosted on Flickr to answer the question 'what makes an image popular'? Learn more  Read full story → Alien Skin Software announces Exposure 6 plugin Published on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 12:00:00 PM GMT Alien Skin Software has announced the latest version of its flagship photography effects software. Exposure 6 now includes a 'Bokeh' focus and lens-simulation feature, an updated image processing engine for instant previews, enhanced user interface for quick workflow, and unlimited creative texture control. The analog film emulation and creative effects software integrates with Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, and Aperture or can be launched as a stand-alone program. Learn more Read full story → Some Samsung Galaxy S5 units shipped with defective camera Published on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 4:09:48 PM GMT The S5's camera module keeps causing trouble. First there were concerns about problems in the manufacturing process of the S5's new 6-element lens, now Samsung has confirmed that an unspecified number of the flagship phones have shipped with defective cameras. Learn more Read full story → Samsung launches Galaxy K Zoom with 10x optical zoom Published on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 4:19:41 PM GMT Smartphone imaging components have improved a lot in recent years but the lack of an optical zoom is still a major disadvantage compared to traditional compact cameras. Now Samsung is aiming to make its hybrid model more attractive to consumers and has launched the second generation of the Galaxy Zoom series. Learn more Read full story →
How to unsubscribe To unsubscribe from the Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) weekly newsletter, visit the newsletter homepage (http://www.dpreview.com/news/newsletter/), enter your email address into the Your email address box, then click on Unsubscribe.