Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 7 May 2014

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 7 May 2014 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Welcome to the 508th Digital Photography Review newsletter. Well last week seemed to go by in a flash, partly I'm sure because of the unseasonable warmth. It's always amazing to me how quickly a city changes during the first few days of summer. People get friendlier, problems seem less serious than they did before, and whatever it is in your kitchen that didn't smell yesterday certainly smells now. And then, if you're in Seattle, no sooner has the sun come out than it starts raining again. Oh well. Enough about the weather - let's look at some recent content highlights! Sony SLT-A77 II First Impressions Review It may look the same as its predecessor, but the Sony SLT-A77 II's insides are quite a bit different. Featuring a new 24MP CMOS sensor and image processor, along with a dramatically improved AF system, this SLT could be one of the best subject-tracking cameras out there. While we've yet to test its performance, we did spend some time with the a77 II and have put together our first impressions. Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Sony SLT-A77 II Leica T lenses: Correcting some distortions During pre-launch briefings for the T, Leica was very keen to stress the optical quality of the new lenses. Most interestingly, we were told they relied on optical corrections, rather than software to project the best possible image onto the sensor. So with this in mind, when processing some images from the Leica T, we were surprised by a notification that Adobe Camera Raw gave us... Read our updated first-impressions review (now including an analysis of in-camera optical corrections) 1939: England in Color (Part 2) 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. This is the second of 2 articles, and contains some images of pre-war London. Read our article '1939: England in Color Part 2'   Fujifilm XF 56mm F1.2 R real-world samples gallery We've been shooting with the Fujinon XF 56mm F1.2 R - the fast 85mm equivalent prime lens for Fujifilm's X mount mirrorless cameras. Its F1.2 aperture means it gives similarly shallow depth-of-field to an 85mm F1.8 lens on a full frame body, making it an useful portrait or low light lens. We also spent time using the X-E2 with an advance version of firmware v2.0 while putting this gallery together. Click here to see the gallery and read about our experience with the X-E2 update Behind the shot: Shredded In the latest of his series of 'Behind the Shot' articles, landscape photographer Erez Marom shows us how he captured a dramatic image of Kirkjufell mountain, overlooking a frozen lake in Iceland. Marom talks about his equipment choice and exposure settings, and also gives a step-by-step look at the post-processing required to achieve the final result. Click here to read Erez Marom's article 'Behind the Shot: Shredded' What's coming up? We're hours away (fingers crossed) from posting a full review of Canon's PowerShot G1X Mark II, and we're tantalizingly close also to finishing up our review of Samsung's flagship interchangeable lens camera the NX30. We're also working on a review of Sigma's latest (and very lovely) prime, the 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | A and we're continuing to add pages to our review coverage of the Nikon D4S. See you next week! Barney WTD #1300 Check out What The Duck in our Link Directory GearShop update - a message from Laura New this week: Sony's latest DSLR with translucent mirror technology is now available for pre-order. The SLT-A77 II features a new 24.3MP CMOS sensor and an enhanced 79-point phase detect autofocus system, and ships in early June. This week's best deals: Purchase the gold-award-winning Fujifilm X-M1 kit with a XC 50-230mm F4.5-6.7 lens and save $250 at checkout. The Fujifilm XF 18mm F2 and X-Pro 1 have serious savings too. Select Panasonic Lumix compact and mirrorless cameras are up to $150 off. The popular and well-reviewed models on sale now include the FZ200, LX7, GF6, and FZ70. Plus, Olympus bundle deals are still in effect, or you can pick from lenses that have standalone instant rebates if you're already covered on the camera front. Until next week - Laura and the GearShop Team
News updates DxO launches upgrade for Optics Pro, now supports Nokia Lumia 1020 Published on Wednesday, April 30, 2014 3:00:00 AM GMT DxO has launched an upgrade of its Optics Pro Raw conversion software. Version 9.1.5 now offers support for the Nokia Lumia 1020's DNG Raw files. The Canon EOS 1200D (EOS Rebel T5), Olympus E-M10 and Stylus 1, and the Nikon Coolpix P340 are now supported as well. An upgraded version (2.1.5) is also available for ViewPoint, DxO's software and plugin for geometric corrections. Learn more Read full story → Call for entries: Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor documentary prize Published on Wednesday, April 30, 2014 4:00:00 AM GMT The Center for Documentary Studies is now accepting submissions for the 2014 Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize. For nearly twenty-five years this competition has provided money to 'encourage collaboration between documentary writers and photographers in the tradition of acclaimed photographer Dorothea Lange and writer and social scientist Paul Taylor'. Learn more Read full story → Fujifilm XF 56mm F1.2 R real-world samples gallery Published on Wednesday, April 30, 2014 5:45:00 AM GMT We've been shooting with the Fujinon XF 56mm F1.2 R - the fast 85mm equivalent prime lens for Fujifilm's X mount mirrorless cameras. Its F1.2 aperture means it gives similarly shallow depth-of-field to an 85mm F1.8 lens on a full frame body, making it an useful portrait or low light lens. We also spent time using the X-E2 with an advance version of firmware v2.0 while putting this gallery together. See gallery and read about our experience with the update Read full story → Fujifilm firmware brings swifter viewfinder and sundry features to X-E2 Published on Wednesday, April 30, 2014 5:45:00 AM GMT Fujifilm has released a firmware update for its X-E2 mirrorless camera, bringing its viewfinder performance up to the standard set by the X-T1. Firmware 2.0 also adds a choice over the color of focus peaking and the ability to apply Face Detection and EVF/LCD Setting to one of the customizable buttons. A 'Suppressed Flash' option has also been added. The viewfinder now operates at 200Hz, meaning a lag of just 0.005 seconds. The firmware is available for download from the company's website. Read full story → Pressy gives your Android phone an extra button Published on Thursday, May 1, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT The power button and volume rocker are typically the only physical controls you'll find on a smartphone as almost all functions are accessed via soft-buttons on the touchscreen these days. The Pressy button is a new accessory that adds an additional programmable hard button to your Android device. It slots into your smartphone's headphone socket and once inserted is hardly visible. Learn more Read full story → A newfound focus: Sony SLT-A77 II First Impressions Review Published on Thursday, May 1, 2014 9:00:00 AM GMT It may look the same as its predecessor, but the Sony SLT-A77 II's insides are quite a bit different. Featuring a new 24MP CMOS sensor and image processor, along with a dramatically improved AF system, this SLT could be one of the best subject-tracking cameras out there. While we've yet to test its performance, we did spend some brief time with the a77 II and have put together our first impressions. Read full story → Sony announces SLT-A77 II high-end APS-C A-mount fixed-mirror DSLR Published on Thursday, May 1, 2014 9:00:00 AM GMT Sony has announced the SLT-A77 II - its latest enthusiast-grade, APS-C fixed-mirror DSLR. The Mark II features the same pixel count as its three-year-old forebear, but delivers it using a new 24MP sensor. The camera also gains a 79-point autofocus sensor, which it combines with the most sophisticated autofocus system on a Sony camera yet. Other upgrades include the customizable 'Quick Navi Pro' function menu but the biggest change is the improved autofocus, which combines with the ability to shoot up to 60 JPEGs at 12 frames per second. The SLT-A77 II will be available this June for $1199 body only. Read full story → Create your own DSLR external battery pack Published on Thursday, May 1, 2014 11:00:00 PM GMT Anyone shooting HD video on a DSLR knows how quickly the battery can drain. You can get AC power adapters for some cameras, but where there’s video, there’s not always an outlet. In this tutorial on DIYPhotography.com, camera hacker Chris Winter shows you how to make an external battery pack system with about nine times the runtime using a $40 battery pack, DC coupler, hot-shoe plate and some Velcro. Learn more Read full story → Fujifilm TCL-X100 teleconverter for X100/S samples gallery Published on Friday, May 2, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT The Fujifilm TCL-X100 is a screw-in teleconverter for the X100 and X100S which increases the effective focal length of their 23mm F2 lens to 50mm. We've been shooting with the TCL-X100 for a few days now, in a range of different situations and light levels to see how it performs in everyday use. Click through to read our first impressions, and see our sample images. Read full story → Photographic treasure trove stored in former limestone mine Published on Friday, May 2, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT Where do you store your image archive? A file cabinet? Drawer? A documentary called 'The Invisible Photograph' created by the Hillman Photography Institute of the Carnegie Museum of Art explores an old limestone mine where Corbis Images keeps its Bettmann Archive, a collection of more than 11 million historical images. Learn more Read full story → Massive 3,000 square foot pinhole photo on display Published on Friday, May 2, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is already home to some of the most impressive aviation and astronomical technology in the modern wold, but it has also become the home of one of the most impressive photographs ever taken as well. On display now is a 107 feet wide 'camera-obscura' image of a decommissioned Marine Corps air station. Learn more Read full story → C&A Marketing acquires Calumet, some services to be restored Published on Friday, May 2, 2014 5:27:00 PM GMT Less than two months after Calumet Photographic abruptly closed its U.S. retail stores, C&A Marketing Inc. announced it has acquired most of the company’s U.S. assets. C&A, which also licenses Polaroid instant imaging products has recently acquired four Cardinal Camera stores and is also expanding RitzPix.com, plans to 'incorporate the Calumet assets' into its Ritz portfolio. Learn more Read full story → Leica T lenses: Correcting some distortions Published on Friday, May 2, 2014 6:41:00 PM GMT During pre-launch briefings for the T, Leica was very keen to stress the optical quality of the new lenses. Most interestingly, we were told they relied on optical corrections, rather than software to project the best possible image onto the sensor. So with this in mind, when processing some images from the Leica T, we were surprised by a notification that Adobe Camera Raw gave us. See our results Read full story → What The Duck #1000 Published on Friday, May 2, 2014 11:27:33 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 → 1939: England in Color (part 2) Published on Saturday, May 3, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT Color photography has been around in one form or another for a very long time, but has only been the norm for about forty years. Their relative rarity makes the discovery of older color images perennially fascinating. Editor Barnaby Britton found a large collection of 75-year-old color slides recently in his grandmother's attic. We showed you the first set last week. See part 2 of 'England in Color' Read full story → Winners of the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards, part 2 Published on Sunday, May 4, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT The World Photography Organization has announced the winners of its 14 Professional categories. American photographer Sara Naomi Lewkowicz was named as 2014's L'Iris d'Or/Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year. Selected from 140,000 entries from 166 countries, Lewkowicz's story is a a stark and intimate look at domestic violence. See gallery of winners Read full story → Samsung NX Mini real-world samples gallery Published on Monday, May 5, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT Samsung's NX Mini is the slimmest and lightest interchangeable lens camera on the market. It packs a 1"-type, 20MP CMOS sensor into its body, along with Wi-Fi with NFC and 1080/30p video. With the NX Mini, Samsung also introduced a new NX-M lens mount. We've been shooting with the 9mm F3.5 (24.3mm equivalent) prime on the camera and having some fun with the Mini's flip up LCD for the occasional 'selfie'. See gallery Read full story → American Museum of Natural History photo archive now online Published on Monday, May 5, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT The American Museum of Natural History Research Library announced it has digitized and made available online its entire collection of more than 7,000 historical photographs. This massive archive was previously difficult to access, especially for those not in proximity to New York City. According to the Museum, its goal was to create digital representatives of the original photographs that maintained their integrity. They scanned the negatives whenever possible and scanned prints only when there were no negatives. Learn more Read full story → Behind the Shot: Shredded Published on Monday, May 5, 2014 6:00:00 PM GMT In the latest of his series of 'Behind the Shot' articles, landscape photographer Erez Marom shows us how he captured a dramatic image of Kirkjufell mountain, overlooking a frozen lake in Iceland. Marom talks about his equipment choice and exposure settings, and also gives a step-by-step look at the post-processing required to achieve the final result. Learn more Read full story → onOne Software's Perfect Effects 8 available for free Published on Monday, May 5, 2014 9:00:00 PM GMT onOne Software is offering its Perfect Effects 8 Premium Edition plugin for free for a limited time. It gives you hundreds of creative presets, fully customizable filters and ability to combine effects. Perfect Effects 8 works as a standalone application (Windows or Mac) or integrates with Adobe Lightroom, Aperture and Photoshop. Go to the onOne Software site to get this fully licensed version - worth $99.95 - for free. Learn more Read full story → 'Why We Create' featuring photographer Nick Fancher Published on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT Nick Fancher is a portrait photographer who has shot for clients like EPSN Magazine, Ohio State University and JackThreads - and is also the subject of an inspiring video by director and cinematographer Andy Newman. Fancher talks about opted out of becoming a wedding photographer and has instead focused on the process of picture-making, honing his lighting techniques and trying to find his identity as a photographer. See video Read full story → National Park Service bans drones in Yosemite Published on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT More bad news for photographers looking to use unmanned aircraft for photography - at least those hoping to use drones in Yosemite National Park. The National Park Service has issued a statement that makes it clear these devices are banned in the park under any circumstances. Learn more Read full story → Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm F0.95 is an ultra-fast prime for Sony Alpha 7 Published on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 6:19:00 PM GMT The Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm F0.95 is an ultra-fast prime for Sony E mount cameras, with manual focus and a clickless manual aperture mechanism. It offers full frame coverage, meaning it will work on the Alpha 7, 7R and 7S triplets, opening up intriguing low light options on the latter in particular. It will also work on APS-C E-mount models, offering a 75mm equivalent short telephoto angle of view. The lens is made in China by Shenyang Optical Electronics Ltd, and is available for pre-order now for $799. Learn more Read full story → Did Amazon just patent the seamless background setup? Published on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 9:06:00 PM GMT On March 18th the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted a patent to Amazon covering a specific method to achieve the common photographic technique of capturing an image of a subject against a plain white background. Patent No.US 8,676,045 B1 describes a setup using multiple lights and a white backdrop which results in images that require no post-process retouching to remove shadows. Learn more Read full story → Nikon D4S dynamic range and tone curve measurements Published on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 10:00:00 PM GMT We've updated our first impressions review of the Nikon D4S with our JPEG Tone Curve and Dynamic Range measurements. Included are real-world examples of Nikon's Active D-Lighting modes, which can significantly help in dealing with scenes containing challenging ranges of (dark to bright) tones. Have a look and, as always, you can compare the D4S to any other camera in our database. Learn more Read full story →
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