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The Digital Photography Review Newsletter
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Thursday, February 17, 2022

Welcome to the DPReview newsletter.

It's been a busy couple of weeks in the camera world, particularly in the Micro Four Thirds system, with OM Digital Solutions launching a new model and Panasonic promising a reveal of the GH6 next week. Yet again we won't be able to attend the CP+ trade show in Japan, which is probably for the best, since it's going to be online-only, this year. We're hoping there'll still be some announcements, though.

In the meantime, I'd like to apologize for the gap between the last newsletter and this one. We're currently somewhat, what's the business speak for this?, resource constrained, which means focusing our efforts on bringing you all the latest news and insights. As a result, the newsletter might not stick to a weekly schedule. Coincidentally, if you're interested in joining the team...

We will keep you posted on big updates, though and will resume normal service as soon as we can. And there's plenty to catch up on.

Richard


OM System OM-1 launch

OM Digital Solutions, new owner of the former Olympus camera division, has released its flagship camera: the OM System OM-1. On first glance, it's a 20MP Micro Four Thirds camera, but its quad-pixel AF Stacked CMOS sensor turbo-charges it computational photography modes and allows 50 fps shooting with full AF (and the option of pre-shot buffering). Read more

Sony a7 IV review

The high bar set by the a7 III means the Mark IV doesn't stand out as much as its predecessor did. A higher price and increasingly capable competition just makes the job hard. But we found it to be a hugely capable all-rounder. Read our full review.

High-end shootout

Chris and Jordan like a challenge so, with a little help from some friends, set out to compare the latest full-frame pro cameras from Canon, Nikon and Sony. The stacked CMOS trio all prove to have their strengths and weaknesses, leading to something of a photo-finish. See what they found.

Z9 interview

We spoke to pro photographer Mark Pain about his experience of shooting with the Nikon Z9. He discusses what it's like to move from DSLR to mirrorless and also found some unexpected quirks of the way the Z9's electronic shutter works.

 

 

Sigma 20mm gallery

Sigma's 20mm F2 is part of the company's mid-priced 'Contemporary' range, providing a (comparatively) affordable fast ultra-wide prime option for E and L-mount cameras. We shot a sample gallery, showing what it can do.

News updates
Published Thursday, February 17, 2022 7:12:00 PM GMT

The lens is designed for Nikon Z-mount APS-C sensors, but will also work with full-frame Z-mount cameras when set to DX format.

Published Thursday, February 17, 2022 6:58:00 PM GMT

In a new video, Sony Semiconductor Solutions engineers explain the new '2-layer Transister Pixel' design that will improve both dynamic range and noise performance of future sensors by splitting the photodiode and pixel transistors onto separate layers of substrate using an advanced bonding technology.

Published Thursday, February 17, 2022 3:00:00 PM GMT

Hybrid cameras that shoot both stills and video have been around for years, but haven't always been optimized to support both features. Canon's EOS R5C may be the first one to really get hybrid design right.

Published Wednesday, February 16, 2022 7:42:00 PM GMT

Intel has announced the acquisition of Israeli chipmaker Tower Semiconductor for $5.4 billion. The move, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, will significantly expand Intel's Foundry Services operations.

Published Wednesday, February 16, 2022 7:04:00 PM GMT

The compact prime lens is fully manual and will come in both black and silver colorways for Leica VM-mount and Leica screw mount thread (L39) camera systems.

Published Wednesday, February 16, 2022 4:26:00 PM GMT

The partnership will see Oppo introduce Hasselblad's imaging technology, such as its color science, into Oppo's flagship mobile devices, starting first with its next flagship Find X series, which is set to be released in the coming months.

Published Wednesday, February 16, 2022 3:00:00 PM GMT

The data, which comes from retail data aggregator The NPD Group, also notes the Sony a7 IV broke a four-year record for the most mirrorless interchangeable lens camera units sold in a single week.

Published Wednesday, February 16, 2022 2:00:00 PM GMT

The OM-1 is the first camera launched by OM Digital Solutions after taking ownership of Olympus' camera division. We go hands-on with this intriguing new model to look at it in more detail.

Published Tuesday, February 15, 2022 6:37:00 PM GMT

Venus Optics is bringing its compact 85mm F5.6 2x macro lens to full-frame and APS-C L-mouint camera systems, offering impressive magnification at a reasonable price point.

Published Tuesday, February 15, 2022 5:15:00 PM GMT

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has captured its first images of Venus' surface in visible light. The images show distinctive areas on the planetary surface, including continental regions, plains and plateaus.

Published Tuesday, February 15, 2022 6:00:00 AM GMT

It says Olympus on the front, but the OM System OM-1 is about the future, not the past. It may still produce 20MP files, but a quad-pixel AF Stacked CMOS sensor, 50 fps shooting with full AF and genuine, IP rated weather sealing show OM Digital Solutions' ambition.

Published Tuesday, February 15, 2022 6:00:00 AM GMT

Chris and Jordan have had a couple weeks to work with the new OM System OM-1. Contrary to some rumors, Micro Four Thirds is alive and well. Find out what makes this camera different.

Published Tuesday, February 15, 2022 6:00:00 AM GMT

It's been a while since we've seen a new Micro Four Thirds sensor. Check out our sample gallery from the new OM System OM-1 and new lenses to see how image quality from this new sensor 'stacks' up.

Published Tuesday, February 15, 2022 6:00:00 AM GMT

OM Digital Solutions has announced the OM-1, its first camera under the OM System brand. The camera features 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds stacked backside-illuminated Live MOS sensor with 5-axis in-body image stabilization.

Published Tuesday, February 15, 2022 6:00:00 AM GMT

The two new fixed-aperture zooms cover a full-frame equivalent focal length range between 24mm and 300mm. The lenses are set to be released alongside the new OM System OM-1 in early March 2022.

Published Monday, February 14, 2022 7:03:00 PM GMT

Small NFT marketplace CENT, know for selling the first tweet from former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, announced that it is halting most of its trading on account of 'widespread fraud'.

Published Monday, February 14, 2022 5:52:00 PM GMT

Tamron is poised to release nine lenses over the course of the next two years and says it wants to show a ‘swift response to new formats.'

Published Monday, February 14, 2022 2:00:00 PM GMT

The winning image and shortlisted photographs for the inaugural Superb Owl photo contest has been announced, showcasing superb strigiformes from around the world.

Published Saturday, February 12, 2022 3:00:00 PM GMT

Earlier this week Sigma announced its new 20mm F2 DG DN lens for E-mount and L-mount cameras, the widest in the company's all-metal 'I series' of compact prime lenses. Check out our sample gallery to see how its image quality stacks up.

Published Friday, February 11, 2022 8:30:00 PM GMT

NASA has published an initial alignment mosaic from the James Webb Space Telescope. The image will serve as the foundation for the team to adjust each primary mirror segment.

Published Friday, February 11, 2022 4:24:00 PM GMT

Canon U.S.A., Inc., and Canon Inc. of Japan have announced an agreement with a logistics and fulfillment company in China to prevent the shipping of counterfeit 'Canon' batteries to warehouses in the United States.

Published Friday, February 11, 2022 2:00:00 PM GMT

All profits from this film stock will be used to research and develop future color emulsions the company hopes to have out within the next four years.

Published Thursday, February 10, 2022 8:10:00 PM GMT

Delkin Devices has announced two CFexpress Type A memory cards, becoming the third manufacturer to support the compact, speedy storage format.

Published Thursday, February 10, 2022 7:01:00 PM GMT

Western Digital doesn't specify what caused the contamination of its two facilities but says it's working alongside a partner to get the production lines operational as fast as possible.

Published Thursday, February 10, 2022 6:22:00 PM GMT

37 years after the A-mount was introduced by Minolta, Sony Japan has listed all lens models as 'discontinued' in its online store, where units were still being sold for older A-mount camera systems.

Published Thursday, February 10, 2022 3:47:00 PM GMT

The Sony a7 IV is the fourth generation of the company's core a7 full-frame mirrorless camera model, and it's the most advanced yet. Click through for an in-depth look at Sony's latest full-frame mirrorless ILC.

Published Thursday, February 10, 2022 3:10:00 PM GMT

While not all patent applications result in consumer products, a new one filed by Apple shows an interesting magnetic adapter to attach an iPhone to a tripod or other stabilization device. The adapter would use Apple's MagSafe technology to secure and charge a connected device while leaving your phone's Lightning port available for use with another accessory.

Published Wednesday, February 9, 2022 6:28:00 PM GMT

Panasonic has posted a countdown timer to the livestream release of its forthcoming GH6 Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera system, which is set to be revealed at 1am UTC / 8pm EST on February 22, 2022.

Published Wednesday, February 9, 2022 6:08:00 PM GMT

Chinese optics manufacturer TTArtisan has announced it's joining the Micro Four Thirds System Standard, paving the way for more affordable manual lenses for Micro Four Thirds camera systems and potentially 'chipped' versions of its current MFT offerings.

Published Wednesday, February 9, 2022 5:35:00 PM GMT

Samsung has announced new Galaxy devices at its Unpacked 2022 event, including three Galaxy S22 series smartphones. The new S22 Ultra features a new design and includes the S Pen stylus, a first for the Galaxy series. The S22+ and S22 smartphones include new main cameras.

Published Wednesday, February 9, 2022 4:21:00 PM GMT

The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN is the newest prime lens in Sigma's series of relatively fast, compact primes for E-mount and L-mount. Join Chris and Jordan as they test it in the scenic town of Kimberley, British Columbia, to show us how it performs.

Published Wednesday, February 9, 2022 2:27:00 PM GMT

The Leica L1 and L2 timepieces, which were originally announced back in 2018, are currently available at select Leica stores for $10K and $14K, respectively. At least you still get the iconic 'red dot.'

Published Wednesday, February 9, 2022 1:18:00 PM GMT

Sigma has announced the latest lens in its growing 'I series' lineup, a 20mm F2 DG DN lens for Sony E-mount and L-Mount camera systems. The lens is expected to go on sale later this month for $699.

Published Tuesday, February 8, 2022 5:28:00 PM GMT

Adobe has updated its popular video editing software, Premiere Pro, adding new AI-powered sound features, improved Speech to Text, and more.

Published Tuesday, February 8, 2022 4:50:00 PM GMT

On February 3, the first particles of light made it through the entire James Webb Space Telescope, beginning the roughly three-month-long process of aligning the telescope's 18 mirror segments that must take place before full scientific operations can commence.

Published Tuesday, February 8, 2022 2:32:00 PM GMT

OM Digital Solutions has shared yet another teaser for a new product announcement set to take place online, via livestream, on February 15.

Published Tuesday, February 8, 2022 2:04:00 PM GMT

Winners and finalists for the 2021 Travel Photographer of the Year competition were recently announced.

Published Monday, February 7, 2022 7:00:00 PM GMT

Drone pilots caught flying within a 30-nautical-mile range of the Super Bowl, set to take place this Sunday, will face a minimum $30,000 fine and other possible civil penalties.

Published Monday, February 7, 2022 6:52:00 PM GMT

Nikon has issued a warning that scammers are attempting to impersonate Nikon press relations representatives via email and has provided a list of details you can check for to ensure you don't fall victim to one of the scams.

Published Monday, February 7, 2022 6:18:00 PM GMT

With just two weeks to go Japan's CP+ camera show organizers drop the physical exhibition in favor of an on-line only event.

Published Monday, February 7, 2022 4:08:00 PM GMT

Sintech has developed an adapter that lets users convert an M.2 2230 NVMe SSD into a CFexpress Type B memory card for use in numerous cameras, including models from Canon, Nikon and Panasonic.

Published Monday, February 7, 2022 2:00:00 PM GMT

Our news editor Gannon Burgett took TTartisan's 90mm F1.25 manual prime lens around his hometown of Lansing, Michigan, to see what the ultrafast prime had to offer. Check out his sample gallery to see how how it performs.

Published Sunday, February 6, 2022 2:00:00 PM GMT

After his introduction on compositional elements and breakdown of how to balance those elements, nature photographer Erez Marom is back to discuss the notion of negative space and how to use it to enhance the sense of balance in a landscape image.

Published Saturday, February 5, 2022 3:00:00 PM GMT

Canon, Sony and Nikon all introduced new flagship mirrorless cameras in 2021: the Canon EOS R3, Sony a1, and Nikon Z9. We compare them across several critical areas of performance to see how they stack up.

Published Friday, February 4, 2022 3:25:00 PM GMT

Not many people enjoy medical procedures. Fewer still enjoy colonoscopies. However, colorectal screening is critical. More than 2,000 patients in Scotland have swallowed a tiny camera located inside a pill-sized device called PillCam. PillCam can improve the experience and long-term health outcomes of patients.

Published Friday, February 4, 2022 3:05:00 PM GMT

The light field lens ran in to financial difficulties behind the scenes despite raising almost three times its goal on Kickstarter.

Published Friday, February 4, 2022 2:00:00 PM GMT

For this week's edition of Film Friday, we're featuring an article from Katia-Louise Cooper, wherein she explains how she built a darkroom from the ground up in the corner of a barn on her farm.

Published Thursday, February 3, 2022 6:34:00 PM GMT

AirVūz, a leading platform for drone videography and photography uploads, recently announced the winner of its annual Drone Video of the Year competition. Here is the winning entry plus some other finalists.

Published Thursday, February 3, 2022 5:38:00 PM GMT

It's unclear what we can expect from Sigma's announcement, but based on the language Sigma used in the teasers, it appears as though we can anticipate more than one product being announced.

Published Thursday, February 3, 2022 3:44:00 PM GMT

As part of his popular 'Retro Review' series, Gordon Laing of Camera Labs has tested the Olympus C-2000 Z compact all-in-one digital camera. The 2.1MP camera came out in 1999 for $799 and helped kickstart numerous trends in the digital camera landscape.

Published Thursday, February 3, 2022 2:00:00 PM GMT

We’ve rounded up the incredible winners and top images of the 8th International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition.

Published Wednesday, February 2, 2022 7:20:00 PM GMT

At last year's Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Sony offered a service center in the main press center for the first time. Sony has been showing off it extensive support center in Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics, including cleaning and repair services, plus more than 250 cameras and 600 lenses to loan to photographers.

Published Wednesday, February 2, 2022 4:50:00 PM GMT

At an online fan event for the Epson R-D1 series digital rangefinder cameras, Epson showed off designs for a phantom Epson camera that was never released. The camera was going to be a successor to the R-D1 series cameras before it was ultimately canceled.

Published Wednesday, February 2, 2022 3:08:00 PM GMT

Joby has upgraded the main shotgun mic in its Wavo range as well as offering a new wireless twin-transmitter system, a 'pro' lav mic and a desktop mic for streamers

Published Wednesday, February 2, 2022 3:00:00 PM GMT

Anamorphic lenses can add a cinematic look to video, but they tend to be large and bulky. Not the Vazen 28mm T2.2! Jordan shows us how useful this pint-sized anamorphic optic can be, even without extra rigging.

Published Tuesday, February 1, 2022 5:34:00 PM GMT

The Tianwen-1 mission is in full swing around Mars. The Tianwen-1 probe is orbiting the red planet while the Zhurong rover explores the Martian surface. To celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, the CNSA shared a video of the probe circling Mars.

Published Tuesday, February 1, 2022 4:46:00 PM GMT

Following a beta release last July, Capture One Live is now available to the public. The premium add-on service turns Capture One Pro 22 into a real-time collaboration tool.

Published Tuesday, February 1, 2022 2:00:00 PM GMT

The Sony a7 IV is the company's latest mid-range full-frame mirrorless camera, but it's common to see the older, higher-end a7R III for a lower price. So which makes the better purchase?

Published Tuesday, February 1, 2022 1:55:00 PM GMT

On its CP+ 2022 event summary webpage, OM Digital Solutions has shared an image that appears to show off the new ‘Wow’ camera that is expected to be the first under the OM System brand.

Published Monday, January 31, 2022 6:54:00 PM GMT

Have you ever needed to charge 5,000 smartphones or 10,000 cameras? No? Well, YouTuber Handy Geng has creatively solved a problem nobody knew they had with a 27,000,000mAh 'portable' power bank that can charge most camera batteries more than 10,000 times without running out of power.

Published Monday, January 31, 2022 6:42:00 PM GMT

Professional storm chaser and photographer Mike Olbinski has taken some time to cull through his photographs from the past year and share them with us. The images showcase incredible storms that swept across North America.

Published Monday, January 31, 2022 3:38:00 PM GMT

Sony has snagged yet another exclusive equipment partnership, this time with Canada's largest news organization, The Canadian Press. The partnership will see the company's photojournalists and videographers supplied with Sony mirrorless cameras and lenses.

Published Monday, January 31, 2022 3:00:00 PM GMT

Panasonic was a pioneer in mirrorless cameras, and its video-oriented models are class-leading. But a great camera system requires great lenses. Find out how Panasonic's LUMIX S series of lenses is uniquely designed to meet the needs of both photographers and videographers.

Published Monday, January 31, 2022 2:13:00 PM GMT

After its most recent controversy, OpenSea admitted that at least 80% of NFTs minted on its platform were plagiarized or spam.

Published Monday, January 31, 2022 2:00:00 PM GMT

The MSI Creator 17 combines top-of-the-line specs with an excellent 4K miniLED HDR display to produce a true desktop replacement for creators. If you prize power and display quality over portability, this may be the creator laptop for you.

Published Sunday, January 30, 2022 3:00:00 PM GMT

Professional sports photographer Mark Pain has been using a Nikon Z9 for some time, inside some of the biggest venues in the UK. We caught up with him recently to get his opinion and insights into Nikon's most important pro camera for at least a decade.

Published Saturday, January 29, 2022 3:00:00 PM GMT

One of the most common questions Chris and Jordan get is, 'Why do you use mirrorless cameras to shoot your show instead of pro video cameras?' In this episode, Jordan explains exactly why he chooses mirrorless most of the time.

Published Saturday, January 29, 2022 2:00:00 PM GMT

DPRTV's Jordan Drake writes about why he prefers mirrorless cameras over video cameras – despite having access to plenty of pro video gear.