Digital Photography Review Newsletter: Wednesday, 25 June 2014

	Digital Photography Review Newsletter Wednesday, 25 June 2014 The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 300,000 subscribers
Welcome to the 515th Digital Photography Review newsletter. We're keeping busy here in the dpreview office, during the relative calm before the storm that is Photokina - the world's biggest photo tradeshow which takes place in Germany this September. Already there are rumors and rumblings about what's coming up and if even half of it is true, we should be in for an interesting couple of months. For now, here are a few content highlights from the past few days: Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III in-depth review In this third generation compact, Sony offers a 20.1 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and a couple of important new features - a faster 24-70mm equiv F1.8-2.8 lens and a pop-up EVF with 1.44M dots. With these additions to what was already an impressive camera, does the RX100 III earn our highest recommendation? Find out in our in-depth review. Click here to read our in-depth review of the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III High ISO Compared: Sony A7S v. A7R v. Canon EOS 5D III The A7S is Sony's newest entry in its full-frame mirrorless lineup. But where the 'R' in A7R stood for resolution, the 'S' in the 12MP A7S stands for sensitivity, topping out at an impressive maximum ISO sensitivity setting equivalent to ISO 409,600. We've had an A7S for a few days - just long enough to create a real-world comparison of high ISO stills from the camera against the 36MP A7R and Canon's EOS 5D Mark III. Click the links below to see the results. Take a look at how the Sony A7S compares to the A7R and Canon EOS 5D Mark III at high ISO Budget M43: Kodak Pixpro S-1 First Impressions Review Kodak is arguably the most famous name of all in photography, but it ultimately failed to manage the transition from film to digital, and ended up exiting the consumer imaging business altogether in 2013. But now JK Imaging, which licenses the Kodak name, has created an interchangeable lens camera. The Pixpro S-1 is an entry-level model that's designed to attract budding photographers who are buying their first system camera. We've been using it for a little while and it's not bad at all. Click here to read our first-impressions review of the Kodak Pixpro S-1 Sony Alpha 7S added to test scene comparison tool We've just added the Sony A7S to our studio test scene comparison. The A7S is a 12 megapixel full-frame mirrorless camera capable of shooting at ISO 409,600. It's as much designed for video as it is for stills, but for now take a look at its low light performance in our test scene and compare it to an ever-growing list of cameras. Click here to see how the Sony A7S compares in our studio What's coming up? Our review of the Nikon 1 V3 is progressing and we'll be pushing out a lot of content on that camera very soon. We're also close to completing a first-look at how the new Panasonic FZ1000 compares against its main rival the Sony RX10. We haven't yet managed to prise the Sony A7S out of Rishi's hands, and he's hard at work creating more side-by-side tests to find out how well Sony's low-light flagship compares in stills and video mode against the competition. If you're a registered dpreview user (I'd recommend you sign up if you haven't already) watch your message inboxes, because our friends at DxO have a special offer for you. From now until July 4th you can download a full version of their popular film-emulation program FilmPack 3 free of charge. Details have been sent in a private message. If you don't want to get told about offers like this don't worry - we understand. After this one, you will never get another unless you choose to opt-in from your profile settings page. A final reminder that we're hiring right now so if you think you've got what it takes to join our Seattle-based team, please do get in touch. We're also looking for freelance news and features writers to help out our in-house editors - click here for more information! See you next week! Barney WTD #1461   GearShop update - a message from the team New this week: The Panasonic DMC-FZ1000 superzoom covers the distance with an impressive zoom range equivalent to 25-400mm, and advanced capabilities such as 4K video output and 120fps quarter-speed HD recording. We are now taking pre-orders for this camera, which will ensure your place in line when they begin shipping this month. The Nikon D7100 2-lens bundle can save you $480 off list price, just in time to catch all those summer memories in Gold-award quality. There is also a considerable savings when you add either the 18-105mm lens, or the 18-140mm to the D7100 body for a complete DSLR package. Until next week - the GearShop Team
News updates Sony's curved sensors may allow for simpler lenses and better images Published on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 12:09:00 AM GMT The sensors inside digital cameras are - generally - flat. But curved sensors promise greater sensitivity, better image quality, and provide scope for simpler lenses. Recently, Sony showed off some examples of curved image sensors, including (tantalizingly) a full-frame chip. Device manager Kazuichiro Itonaga claims: "The team has made somewhere in the vicinity of 100 full-size sensors with their bending machine. We are ready." Read on to learn more about this exciting new tech, how it imitates the human eye, and how it may find its way into consumer products. Read full story → Adobe to offer Lightroom and Photoshop CC for $9.99 monthly Published on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 3:31:00 PM GMT Adobe has announced a new pricing plan for photographers that bundles Lightroom 5 and Photoshop Creative Cloud together for $9.99/£8.78 per month. This plan makes it possible for photographers whose only interest is image editing to make use of both of these apps without signing up for a much costlier subscription to the complete Creative Cloud suite. No previous version of Photoshop is required. Read more Read full story → Adobe announces new 'Focus masks' feature in CC update Published on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 3:31:00 PM GMT Following last week's video teasing the release of a new feature coming to Photoshop CC, Adobe has made the update official. In addition to the 'Focus Masks' feature that we already knew about, today's official announcement brings a host of mostly minor new features including new blur effects, updates to content aware fill, and improvements to tools like smart guides. Read more Read full story → Adobe Lightroom Mobile now available for iPhone Published on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 3:31:00 PM GMT Adobe has announced that Lightroom Mobile - first released for the iPad back in April - is now available for the Apple iPhone. Available for owners of Lightroom 5 for desktop, Lightroom Mobile essentially allows you to work on images on an Apple iPad or iPhone and sync adjustments between mobile and desktop versions of the software. Click to read more at connect.dpreview.com Read full story → Adobe announces 'Photoshop Mix' for iPad Published on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 3:31:00 PM GMT Adobe has announced Photoshop Mix - a new image organization and manipulation app which can sync with Photoshop CC for desktop computers and Lightroom Mobile via Adobe's Creative Cloud. Photoshop Mix allows you to access local files on your iPad, as well as import pictures from Creative Cloud and social media sites like Facebook. You can apply one of several preset filter effects, as well as crop and edit files using touch-based selection and masking tools. Click through for more information on connect.dpreview.com Read full story → Adobe CC Announcements: What you need to know Published on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 7:46:00 PM GMT This morning Adobe announced a new photography-focused plan for Creative Cloud subscribers, new feature additions to Photoshop CC and two apps - an iPhone version of Lightroom Mobile and Photoshop Mix. We've written about all of these things individually, but if you're thoroughly confused about what it all means, click through for the main takeaways. Read full story → Amazon Fire phone packs 6 cameras for 3D effects and object scanning Published on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 9:38:58 PM GMT Amazon has officially announced its much-rumored smartphone, the Fire. Packing in six cameras in total, four of them are dedicated to enabling a new 'Dynamic Perspective' 3D-user interface possible, whereby the device can track a user's face and change how content is displayed. The main 13MP rear-facing camera has an F2 aperture and optical image stabilization. As well as being used for capturing photographs is also enables a new feature called Firefly, which can scan and identify millions of items. Read more Read full story → Tamron announces 14-150mm superzoom for Micro Four Thirds Published on Thursday, June 19, 2014 8:53:00 AM GMT Tamron has announced the 14-150mm F/3.5-5.8 Di III (model C001), a superzoom lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras which offers a 28-300mm equivalent range. It uses a stepper motor for silent autofocus (including during video recording), but doesn't include image stabilisation. This means that it's rather less suited to Panasonic cameras than it is to Olympus models. It will be available on June 26th for $589. Read full story → Tamron officially launches 28-300mm F3.5-6.3 full frame superzoom Published on Thursday, June 19, 2014 9:19:00 AM GMT Tamron has officially launched its 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD superzoom lens (Model A010) for full frame SLRs. A near-twin of the 16-300mm F3.5-6.3 for APS-C, it's distinguished from the previous model by featuring an ultrasonic-type 'Piezo Drive' autofocus motor, splashproof construction and more-compact design with a 67mm filter thread. It'll be available in Canon and Nikon mounts on June 26th for $849. Read full story → Tamron makes 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III VC for Canon EOS M Published on Thursday, June 19, 2014 9:20:00 AM GMT Tamron has revealed that it will be making its 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III VC superzoom in Canon EF-M mount. In a week of unparalleled excitement for EOS M owners, it becomes the fifth autofocus lens for the two year old system, and the first from a third-party manufacturer. With a 29-320mm equivalent range, it features a stepping motor for silent autofocus, and optical image stabilization. Sales will start in the USA on June 26, at $499. Read full story → Atkins Ciwem Environmental Photographer of the Year 2014 shortlist Published on Thursday, June 19, 2014 10:00:00 AM GMT From over 10,000 entries, the shortlist selection has been revealed for the 2014 Atkins Ciwem environmental photographer of the year competition. In its seventh year, the competition sponsored by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (Ciwem) encourages entrants from around the globe to showcase work that 'will inspire people around the world to start taking care of our environment'. See gallery Read full story → Adobe Camera Raw 8.5 and DNG Converter 8.5 now available Published on Thursday, June 19, 2014 11:00:00 PM GMT Update: Amidst a slew of announcements yesterday, Adobe also made final release versions of Camera Raw and DNG Converter 8.5 available for download. A few new cameras are now supported including the Canon Powershot G1 X Mark II, Olympus OM-D E-M10, Panasonic GH4 and Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III. Camera Raw 8 users with Photoshop CS6 will get new camera support, lens profiles and bug fixes, but a few new features are added for Photoshop CC subscribers. Read more Read full story → Sony Alpha 7S added to test scene comparison tool Published on Friday, June 20, 2014 7:00:00 AM GMT We've just added the Sony A7S to our studio test scene comparison. The A7S is a 12 megapixel full-frame mirrorless camera capable of shooting at ISO 409,600. It's as much designed for video as it is for stills, but for now take a look at its low light performance in our test scene and compare it to an ever-growing list of cameras. See studio results Read full story → Step into Edgar Martins' Time Machine Published on Friday, June 20, 2014 2:00:00 PM GMT Edgar Martins is drawn to documenting off-limits places. This was part of the appeal for him in a project titled 'The Time Machine,' in which he gained access to hydro-electric power plants in Portugal, the country where he was born. Built between 1950 and '70, these facilities were designed to accommodate dozens, even hundreds of employees working side-by-side with state-of-the-art technology. They're now operated with only a handful of personnel and are largely disused. He answered a few questions for us about the project. See gallery Read full story → Apple files patent application for artificial muscle camera lens actuator Published on Friday, June 20, 2014 6:11:20 PM GMT After filing one last month, Apple has applied for another camera-related patent. The document an artificial muscle structure being used to replace traditional motors to control focus and aperture in a camera module. The design is interesting because it can carry relatively large and heavy optics and consumes very little power. Read more Read full story → What The Duck #1461 Published on Friday, June 20, 2014 9:30:00 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 → 'Kodak City' documents former imaging giant's headquarters Published on Saturday, June 21, 2014 4:29:00 PM GMT While many American cities have experienced the pains of a large population shift from the urban core to suburbs, there's a poignancy to the abandoned storefronts in downtown Rochester, New York. The city's name is inextricably tied to the name Eastman Kodak. Swiss photographer Catherine Leutenegger spent time photographing Rochester and Kodak's headquarters, first in 2007 and again in 2012, and answered a few of our questions about the project. See gallery Read full story → Air Stylus turns your iPad into a graphics tablet Published on Saturday, June 21, 2014 4:29:37 PM GMT Avatron, the developer of Air Display, has today released a new iPad app. Air Stylus extends your computer screen to your iPad display and, in combination with a pressure-sensitive pen, turns the latter into a graphics tablet that works with a range of imaging applications including Adobe Photoshop and Apple's Aperture. Read more Read full story → High ISO Compared: Sony A7S v. A7R v. Canon EOS 5D III Published on Sunday, June 22, 2014 11:02:00 AM GMT The A7S is Sony's newest entry in its full-frame mirrorless lineup. But where the 'R' in A7R stood for resolution, the 'S' in the 12MP A7S stands for sensitivity, topping out at an impressive maximum ISO sensitivity setting equivalent to ISO 409,600. We've had an A7S for a couple of days - just long enough to create a real-world comparison of high ISO stills from the camera against the 36MP A7R and Canon's EOS 5D Mark III. Click through to see the results. Read full story → Third time's a charm: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III Review Published on Monday, June 23, 2014 1:05:00 PM GMT We've just posted our full review of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III. In this third generation compact, Sony offers a 20.1 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and a couple of important new features - a faster 24-70mm equiv F1.8-2.8 lens and a pop-up EVF with 1.44M dots. With these additions to what was already an impressive camera, does the RX100 III earn our highest recommendation? See for yourself. Read review Read full story → Budget M43: Kodak Pixpro S-1 First Impressions Review Published on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 10:01:20 AM GMT Kodak is arguably the most famous name of all in photography, but it ultimately failed to manage the transition from film to digital, and ended up exiting the consumer imaging business altogether in 2013. But now JK Imaging, which licenses the Kodak name, has created an interchangeable lens camera. The Pixpro S-1 is an entry-level model that's designed to attract budding photographers who are buying their first system camera. Click through to read our first impressions. Read full story → Actor Dennis Hopper gets first London exhibition - 4 years after death Published on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 4:03:00 PM GMT Apocalypse Now star Dennis Hopper is set to get his first London photography exhibition, four years after his death. The show, entitled 'The Lost Album', will be a rerun of an exhibition Hopper held in 1970 at the Fort Worth Art Centre in Texas, and will comprise the original 9.5x6.5in silver gelatin prints that were first displayed over thirty years ago. Incredibly, the 400 prints were only found after Hopper's death in 2010, having lain 'lost' since their first airing. Click through for more information. Read full story → Zenfolio launches Photographer Central, an online photographer directory Published on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 4:12:04 PM GMT Photographer Central, a new service from portfolio-hosting site Zenfolio, aims to help professional photographers and clients find each other. Available only in the US, the online directory allows photographers to list their business for a yearly fee. Potential clients can browse photographers in a Yelp-like fashion, with the ability to sort results by price, location and style. Learn more Read full story →
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