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The Digital Photography Review Newsletter
The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 400,000 subscribers
Thursday, February 8, 2018

Welcome to the 697th Digital Photography Review newsletter.

Hello again from Seattle, where we're eagerly anticipating the next round of camera and lens updates, as we get closer to the annual CP+ tradeshow in Yokohama Japan. Until then, there's plenty to keep us busy. In the past few days we finished our full review of the Panasonic DC GH5S, and took a detailed look at how its stablemate the G9 compares against Olympus's flagship OM-D E-M1 Mark II. You'll find links to this content (and more) below.

Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S Review

We just completed our in-depth review of the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S - a more video-focused variant of the original GH5. Does this specialized tool have what it takes to go up against larger-sensored competition? Find out in our review.

Click here to read our full review of the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S

Panasonic Lumix G9 vs Olympus OM-D E-M1 II

In a battle of two Micro Four Thirds flagships, which camera ranks supreme? We take a feature-by-feature look at the Panasonic G9 and Olympus E-M1 II to compare their strengths and weaknesses.

Read more about how the Panasonic G9 and Olympus E-M1 Mark II compare

Biospheres with a spherical camera: the Theta V at Amazon HQ

Inside the newly-opened Amazon biospheres near DPR's office, Carey Rose found the perfect opportunity to try out the Ricoh Theta V and take a second try at wrapping his head around 360 photography.

Read about how we captured the view inside Amazon's new Spheres

The right tool: why one photographer brings only an iPhone to document his trips to Nepal

Robert Rose is a pro photographer and philanthropist, but maybe most importantly, he's DPR staffer Carey Rose's dad. For many years he carried a bag full of gear on his yearly trips to Nepal, but these days the iPhone 8 is all he brings. Find out what makes it 'good enough.'

Click here to read more about how the iPhone 8 made its way into one photographer's pocket

Barney

News updates
Published Wednesday, February 7, 2018 5:44:00 PM GMT

Chinese accessory and optical manufacturer Meike has posted a picture on its website of three new lenses it plans to launch in the coming months. Two stills lenses are promised, a 50mm and a 25mm, as well as a 25mm designed for video shooters.

Published Wednesday, February 7, 2018 5:28:00 PM GMT

Samsung has revealed a new configurable dual-camera module designed for use in entry-level and mid-range smartphones. Expect even budget models to have a dual-camera setup (and fake bokeh Portrait mode) moving forward.

Published Wednesday, February 7, 2018 4:44:00 PM GMT

Kodak is reportedly warning potential KODAKCoin investors that scammers are listing the cryptocurrency for sale online, despite its lack of official availability.

Published Wednesday, February 7, 2018 4:18:00 PM GMT

DxOMark looks back on 5 years of testing smartphone cameras, showing how the focus on image processing advances have helped these little cameras improve "at a much faster pace than in the 'traditional' camera sector."

Published Wednesday, February 7, 2018 2:48:00 PM GMT

A drone pilot has enraged the general public and drone enthusiasts alike after posting a video that shows him flying directly above a commercial airliner that was taking off from Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport.

Published Wednesday, February 7, 2018 6:24:00 AM GMT

Olympus has announced the PEN E-PL9, which offers an improved design over its predecessor (including a built-in flash,) along with 4K video capture, Bluetooth and a long-overdue Sweep Panorama feature.

Published Tuesday, February 6, 2018 10:32:00 PM GMT

Our friends at ShareGrid recently put the affordable filmmaking favorite Sony a7SII up against a monster: the $50,000+ ARRI Alexa Mini. Can you tell the difference in their side-by-side test footage?

Published Tuesday, February 6, 2018 9:28:00 PM GMT

The Atech Blackjet UX-1 Cinema Dock might just be the ultimate card reader. This reader uses a 40Gb/s Thunderbolt 3 connection to transfer data from SSD, XQDm CFast, CF, SD and MicroSD cards at a blistering speed from its seven media slots.

Published Tuesday, February 6, 2018 9:18:00 PM GMT

You won't be able to purchase Huawei's current flagship through a US carrier, but the unlocked version of the Mate 10 Pro and its Leica co-engineered dual camera system is finally available to US customers.

Published Tuesday, February 6, 2018 6:41:00 PM GMT

In 2016, over 150 professional photojournalists penned an open letter to camera manufacturers begging them to add encryption technology. In 2018, that request doesn't look any closer to reality than it did two years ago.

Published Tuesday, February 6, 2018 6:19:00 PM GMT

Photographer Mitch Green penned this op-ed to remind landscape photographers that their art is about a lot more than the pixels they capture. In the pursuit of timeless photography, don't miss the moment for the photo.

Published Tuesday, February 6, 2018 3:48:00 PM GMT

Photographer Zev Hoover built something awesome: an 8x10 large format camera rig that can capture digital stills *and* video! In this article, he explains how he did it and shares some of his results.

Published Tuesday, February 6, 2018 3:30:00 PM GMT

Google's Visual Core image co-processor in the Google Pixel 2 has finally been activated, bringing the ability to use the phone's impressive HDR+ mode in third-party photo apps like Instagram.

Published Tuesday, February 6, 2018 2:00:00 PM GMT

In a battle of two Micro Four Thirds flagships, which ranks supreme? We take a feature-by-feature look at the Panasonic G9 and Olympus E-M1 II's to compare their strengths and weaknesses.

Published Monday, February 5, 2018 10:43:00 PM GMT

For the first time, Yosemite is requiring vehicle permits for anybody who wants to drive in and see the famed 'firefall' optical illusion that draws hundreds of photographers to Horsetail Falls every February.

Published Monday, February 5, 2018 10:21:00 PM GMT

According to recent reports and a leaked photo from Chinese social media site Weibo, Huawei's upcoming P20 smartphone will feature a triple-camera with hybrid-zoom tech and a 40MP pixel count.

Published Monday, February 5, 2018 5:09:00 PM GMT

If you're holding out for a true sequel to DJI's popular folding Mavic Pro drone—and the Mavic Air just doesn't do it for you—you might not be waiting long. The rumor mill thinks the Mavic Pro II will arrive in March sporting a 1-inch sensor!

Published Monday, February 5, 2018 4:52:00 PM GMT

In this video, photographer Zack Arias takes on Unsplash—the royalty free photo sharing site—diving into some of the little-talked-about problems with this 'business model' and the photo industry's 'race to the bottom.'

Published Monday, February 5, 2018 4:12:00 PM GMT

The Panasonic GH5S is best understood as an even more video-centric variant of the GH5. We've tested it in a range of circumstances to see whether the video improvements are worth the loss of stabilization.

Published Sunday, February 4, 2018 2:00:00 PM GMT

Robert Rose is a pro photographer and philanthropist, but maybe most importantly, he's DPR staffer Carey Rose's dad. For many years he carried a bag full of gear on his yearly trips to Nepal, but these days the iPhone 8 is all he brings. Find out what makes it 'good enough.'

Published Saturday, February 3, 2018 2:00:00 PM GMT

We've added the Fujifilm X-A5 mirrorless camera to our 'Best Cameras under $500' buying guide. It's too new to be eligible for an award, but that may change when we get our hands on one.

Published Friday, February 2, 2018 8:47:00 PM GMT

Cinema camera manufacturer Arri has launched a completely new, 'large format' 4K system comprising a camera with a new lens mount and 16 new lenses to go with it. The Alexa LF camera uses a roughly 'full frame' sensor and can record up to 4.5K at frame rates of 150 fps.

Published Friday, February 2, 2018 6:42:00 PM GMT

An incident involving a photographer struck by a car during the outdoor racing event Sno*Drift Rally has spurred discussion and criticism over shooting practices in risky situations.

Published Friday, February 2, 2018 5:02:00 PM GMT

The new UFS 3.0 flash memory standard for mobile devices brings theoretical transfer speeds of up to 2.9 GB/s, while lowering power consumption at the same time.

Published Friday, February 2, 2018 4:48:00 PM GMT

National Geographic aerial photographer George Steinmetz recently took to the TED stage, where he explained how shooting from a motorized paraglider has given him a unique vantage point on the landscapes, wildlife, and even the cultures below.

Published Friday, February 2, 2018 3:43:00 PM GMT

The Grand Prize went to Arctic and wildlife photographer Florian Ledoux for his top-down photograph of a polar bear, captured with a Phantom 4 Pro drone.

Published Thursday, February 1, 2018 8:47:00 PM GMT

If you thought you had a pretty good high-speed photography set-up, the Phantom v2640 from Vision Research might make you think again. Using a 4MP sensor and a shortest ‘shutter speed’ of 142 nanoseconds, it can reach speeds of up to 6,600fps at full resolution.

Published Thursday, February 1, 2018 8:13:00 PM GMT

In this tutorial, Phlearn's Aaron Nace covers "the absolute need-to-know fundamentals" of the Pen Tool in Photoshop, so that you can follow along and start mastering this important photo editing tool right away.

Published Thursday, February 1, 2018 5:40:00 PM GMT

The acquisition should benefit both companies. Lifetouch will get access to Shutterfly's products and cloud-based management system, while Shutterfly will try to entice some of Lifetouch's 10 million or so users to purchase photo products though Shutterfly.

Published Thursday, February 1, 2018 5:18:00 PM GMT

Photojournalist Jack Kurtz captured a once, maybe twice-in-a-lifetime wedding portrait while on assignment in the Philippines covering the Mayon volcano erupting. This is the story behind that photograph.

Published Thursday, February 1, 2018 4:38:00 PM GMT

Photographer Oliver KMIA put together this tongue-in-cheek compilation that shows just how cliché the typical Instagram travel photo is—whether it's the passport shot, or one of those photos of a pretty girl leading the photographer by the hand.

Published Thursday, February 1, 2018 3:39:00 PM GMT

GoPro has 'enhanced' its GoPro Plus subscription service to allow for two broken camera replacements per year (for an 'exchange fee') and automatic mobile cloud backup for your photos and videos.

Published Thursday, February 1, 2018 2:00:00 PM GMT

Inside the newly-opened biospheres near DPR's office, Carey Rose found the perfect opportunity to try out the Ricoh Theta V and take a second try at wrapping his head around 360 photography.