Welcome to the 598th Digital Photography Review newsletter. It's a bumper newsletter this week, thanks to major announcements from Canon and Sony. I also wrote up my recent tour of Fujifilm's assembly plant in Sendai Japan, and Dan had fun with the GoPro HERO4 Session. You can find links to all of these pieces of content below, along with our gallery of samples from Sigma's 20mm F1.4 'Art' prime, Carey's experience of shooting with the Olympus PEN-F in Austin Texas, and a showcase of DPReview reader Christopher Michel's work. Phew! Also, thanks to everyone that voted in our 2015 readers polls - you can see the results of our final poll here. Canon unveils flagship EOS-1D X Mark II The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is the company's latest flagship DSLR. Its lineage and price tag make clear that it's aimed at professionals, but what does that really mean? In these articles, we take a closer look at exactly who the 1D X II is for and how those features are relevant. Click here to read our launch content on the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II 
Sony introduces a6300 mirrorless camera and new FE lenses Sony has introduced the long-awaited update to its popular a6000 mirrorless camera: the a6300. Featuring a newly developed 24 Megapixel APS-C sensor and a completely revamped AF system with 425 phase-detection AF points, the a6300 sits at the top of Sony's APS-C mirrorless lineup. A brace of new FE lenses completes the picture from the recent launch event in New York City. Click here to read more about Sony's new a6300 and FE lenses  >
Behind the scenes at Fujifilm's X-Pro2 assembly plant After the official launch of the X-Pro2 recently in Tokyo, Fujifilm invited a select group of press to visit its Taiwa assembly plant in Sendai, to see the camera being put together. As well as the X-Pro2, we were also able to see the assembly lines for the X-T1, X100T and several lenses. So of course, being the nerds that we are, we took a bunch of pictures. Click here to read our description of a tour inside Fujifilm's Sendai factory 
GoPro HERO4 Session review The GoPro HERO4 Session is the company's latest action camera release. Unlike GoPros before it, the Session is completely waterproof without the need for any housing. It is also the smallest, lightest GoPro to date, 50% smaller than the HERO4 and 40% lighter. Click here to read our full review of the GoPro HERO4 Session 
Readers' Showcase: Christopher Michel  It's telling that DPR regular Christopher Michel corresponded with us about this piece while en route to Antarctica. He considers freelance photography his third career, one that has taken him to the proverbial ends of the earth and beyond. From a U-2 spy plane to the North Pole, he's searched all over for stories and images that inspire. See some of his work here and find out more about him in our Q&A.
Click here to read more about DPReview reader Christopher Micheal Pride and joy: shooting the Olympus PEN-F in Austin  With its new 20MP sensor, high-resolution electronic viewfinder and slick rangefinder styling, the new Olympus PEN-F has been receiving Texas-sized portions of praise around the DPReview offices. But it's not all southern hospitality for the PEN series' newest flagship. DPReview writer Carey Rose been shooting with it in Austin all week; find out how it fared.
Click here to read about our experience shooting with the PEN-F in Austin Sigma 20mm F1.4 'Art' lens real-world sample gallery  The Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | A is the newest member of Sigma's family of 'Art' lenses. It's also the widest member of the Art lens family, and with a maximum aperture of F1.4 Sigma claims that it's the fastest 20mm lens in the world. We shot this lens on both 5DS R and 7D Mark II bodies, and since we had an EOS mount we even tried it on the Sony A7R II as well.
Click here to view our gallery of sample images on the Sigma 20mm F1.4 'Art' Thanks for reading! Barney  |
| News updates | Published Wednesday, February 3, 2016 10:24:00 PM GMT At a press event in New York City, Sony unveiled a new mirrorless camera and three new lenses – but not just any mirrorless camera, and not just any lenses. The Sony a6300 is the much-anticipated followup to the very successful a6000. And for its full-frame range, Sony introduced a new lens class: G Master. We spent some brief moments with all of the new hardware – take a look. Read more | | Published Wednesday, February 3, 2016 10:05:00 PM GMT Earlier today Sony introduced its new a6300 APS-C mirrorless camera, an update to the very popular a6000 model. DPReview's Richard Butler was at the event in person and had a chance to get some hands-on time with the new body. In this video he gives us a quick look at Sony's new crop-sensor flagship camera. Read more | | Published Wednesday, February 3, 2016 6:25:00 PM GMT Sony has just announced the APS-C a6300, an update to the immensely popular a6000. Its technological advances seem poised to break down some of the last remaining strongholds of DSLRs. Sony has released a few videos demonstrating some of these features. Have a look | | Published Wednesday, February 3, 2016 4:19:00 PM GMT Sony has created a new lineup of lenses for its full-frame cameras known as G Master (GM). These are the company's high-end lenses that sit above its 'G-series' lenses and, as you might imagine, command a premium price. The first three GM lenses include FE 24-70 F2.8, FE 85mm F1.4 and FE 70-200 F2.8. In addition to the lenses, Sony also released a pair of 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. Read more | | Published Wednesday, February 3, 2016 3:18:00 PM GMT Sony has introduced the long-awaited update to its popular a6000 mirrorless camera: the a6300. Featuring a newly developed 24 Megapixel APS-C sensor and a completely revamped AF system with 425 phase-detection AF points, the a6300 sits at the top of Sony's APS-C mirrorless lineup, and arguably addresses one of the biggest shortcomings of mirrorless by offering live view during 8 fps burst shooting. Click through for more details | | Published Tuesday, February 2, 2016 8:00:00 PM GMT The GoPro HERO4 Session is the company's latest action camera release. Unlike GoPros before it, the Session is completely waterproof without the need for any housing. It is also the smallest, lightest GoPro to date, 50% smaller than the HERO4 and 40% lighter. Read more | | Published Tuesday, February 2, 2016 7:16:00 PM GMT The Nikon KeyMission 360 action camera was unveiled at an event in early January, and while Nikon offered some details about the model, it did not reveal the price. Now, nearly a month later, the camera has surfaced on German retailer Cyberport's website with a list price of €499 and a features list. Read more | | Published Tuesday, February 2, 2016 6:44:00 PM GMT At the end of last year we asked you to vote for the best cameras and lenses of 2015. Across two rounds of voting in December and January DPReview readers did just that, selecting the top overall photography products of 2015. It was no easy feat, as 2015 brought huge advancements in stills and video technology, but with thousands of votes tallied it's time to declare a winner. See how the votes stacked up. Read more | | Published Tuesday, February 2, 2016 4:00:00 AM GMT The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is the company's latest flagship DSLR. Its lineage and price tag make clear that it's aimed at professionals, but what does that really mean? We take a closer look at exactly who the 1D X II is for and how those features are relevant. Read more | | Published Tuesday, February 2, 2016 4:00:00 AM GMT The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is the company's latest pro-level camera, now built around a 20.2MP CMOS sensor with Dual Pixel AF technology. It uses a body that's a subtle evolution of the classic 1D design, but inside almost every aspect of the camera's feature set has been overhauled. In this article, we'll talk you through the biggest changes. Read more | | Published Tuesday, February 2, 2016 4:00:00 AM GMT Canon has announced its new flagship DSLR, the EOS-1D X Mark II. Featuring a new 20.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor with Dual Pixel AF, dual DIGIC 6+ processors, improved AF and metering systems and 4K video capture, the Mark II is poised to be the camera that Canon-shooting professionals have been waiting for. Read more | | Published Monday, February 1, 2016 8:39:00 PM GMT Flash and accessory manufacturer Phottix has released details of the second generation of Odin flash controllers that will go on sale mid-February. The Odin II units, which allow wireless TTL control of hotshoe and portable studio flash units, will add two extra control groups and 28 additional channels to the radio trigger’s reach, and will make the user interface easier to handle. Read more | | Published Monday, February 1, 2016 8:27:00 PM GMT After the official launch of the X-Pro2 recently in Tokyo, Fujifilm invited a select group of press to visit its Taiwa assembly plant in Sendai, to see the camera being put together. As well as the X-Pro2, we were also able to see the assembly lines for the X-T1, X100T and several lenses. So of course, being the nerds that we are, we took a bunch of pictures. Click through to check out our factory tour | | Published Monday, February 1, 2016 8:16:00 PM GMT Photo Mate, arguably the most comprehensive Raw image editing app for Android, has received a substantial update. Version R3 comes with an all-new rendering engine for both Raw & JPEG editing. This includes improvements to all the important adjustments, such as contrast, shadows, highlights and exposure. Read more | | Published Monday, February 1, 2016 7:01:00 PM GMT Last week, Nikon Singapore chose an image submitted by photographer Chay Yu Wei as the winner of a 'casual photo contest.' Critics quickly pointed out that the airplane featured in the image had been digitally inserted, given away by the highly visible white square around the plane's silhouette. Nikon and Yu Wei have both issued apologies over the submission. Read more | | Published Monday, February 1, 2016 3:45:00 PM GMT You really can't tell whether a camera is any good just by looking at it, and most professionals won't base a buying decision on a camera's looks. So why have companies like Olympus and Fujifilm gone to great lengths to create such undeniably attractive cameras? The new Olympus PEN-F got DPR senior contributing writer Damien Demolder musing about the looks of cameras and the role they play in our photography. Read more | | Published Sunday, January 31, 2016 1:00:00 PM GMT It's telling that DPR regular Christopher Michel corresponded about this piece while en route to Antarctica. He considers freelance photography his third career, one that has taken him to the proverbial ends of the earth and beyond. From a U-2 spy plane to the North Pole, he's searched all over for stories and images that inspire. See some of his work here and find out more about him in our Q&A. Read more | | Published Saturday, January 30, 2016 1:00:00 PM GMT 'If I Can...' is the motto Chris Koch lives by. Born without arms and legs, the Canadian travels as a motivational speaker, challenging his audiences to live their lives to their greatest potential and push beyond difficulties. Portrait and wedding photographer Anna Tenne happened to meet Chris before he gave a presentation in her hometown, and not long after the two fast friends headed on a journey to Southeast Asia. Read more | | Published Saturday, January 30, 2016 3:07:00 AM GMT Sony Corp. released its third quarter 2015 earnings report, in which the company discloses notable drops in both camera and image sensor sales. Revenue in the imaging products unit dropped by 5%, due to decreases in units sales of digital cameras. The devices unit had an even larger drop (12.6%) due mainly to a 'significant' decrease in sales of image sensors (as well as batteries). Read more | | Published Friday, January 29, 2016 10:59:00 PM GMT Manfrotto has launched a new lighter version of its 190Go travel tripod that is made with carbon fiber. The new model joins the aluminium version of the existing 190Go, and is essentially the same other than the amount it weighs – and costs. Read more | | Published Friday, January 29, 2016 7:41:00 PM GMT A new pocket-sized camera called YoCam, claiming to be the world's smallest waterproof wearable camera, has been successfully funded through Indiegogo. Available for pre-order now, Molify’s YoCam features a versatile design suitable for a variety of situations, including underwater recording. Read more | | Published Thursday, January 28, 2016 10:36:00 PM GMT Nikon has released details of price increases it will implement in the Japanese market from the beginning of March this year. The changes will affect a total of 73 of its DX and FX lenses, as well as three teleconverters. In addition, 21 lenses for the Nikon 1 system will be included, the FT1 mount adapter and six Speedlite flash units along with the systems associated wireless remotes. Read more | | Published Thursday, January 28, 2016 7:55:00 PM GMT A patent was recently granted to Apple describing how a spherical image sensor can be used to design a very compact camera module. The sensor is spherically curved and eliminates the need to correct for curvature of field, meaning a simpler, brighter and ultimately smaller lens design can be used. Read more | | Published Thursday, January 28, 2016 7:16:00 PM GMT In September 2015, Ricoh published a teaser website for a Pentax full-frame DSLR set to launch in spring 2016. Additional teasers have been released on occasion since the website went live, including a new one today. In a post, Ricoh has released a pair of sample photos alongside details about the HD PENTAX-D FA 24-70mm F2.8ED SDM WR lens and how it functions with the upcoming full-frame camera. Read more | | Published Thursday, January 28, 2016 6:03:00 PM GMT The Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | A is the newest member of Sigma's family of 'Art' lenses. It's also the widest member of the Art lens family, and with a maximum aperture of F1.4 Sigma claims that it's the fastest 20mm lens in the world. We shot this lens on both 5DS R and 7D Mark II bodies, and since we had an EOS mount we even tried it on the Sony A7R II as well. How did it do? Take a look | |
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