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The Digital Photography Review Newsletter
The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 400,000 subscribers
Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Welcome to the 880th DPReview newsletter

The year is almost over, but we're still working hard here at DPReview towers (we're actually only on the third floor but we can dream). We just published what is likely to be the last full review of 2019, in the form of our in-depth look at the Nikon Z50. We've also been finishing up our seasonal selection of personal 'gear of the year' picks from the editorial team.

Meanwhie, the annual readers' polls for best camera and lenses of the year just closed, and voting is now open for the final poll, so cast your vote while you still can!


Nikon Z50 review

We've been testing the Nikon Z50 extensively and found a lot to like about it. However, the camera's biggest drawback is probably that it faces such well-established competition.

Read our in-depth review of the Nikon Z50

Gear of the Year 2019: DPReview staff picks

Every year we sit down as a team and pick our personal favorite gear of the past 12 months. This year sees DPReview editors sing the praises of everything from major mirrorless cameras to camera-equipped drones.

Read our 2019 picks for gear of the year

The results are in! Best gear of 2019 - winners and runners-up

For the past few weeks, our readers have been voting on their favorite photographic gear in three categories: Best camera, best zoom lens and best prime lens. Now that the first round of voting is over, it's time to reveal the winners.

Cast your vote for best gear of 2019

2019 buying guides and holiday gifts

On this page you'll find our comprehensive collection of camera and lens buying guides, arranged both by price, and by use-case. Whatever kind of photography you enjoy, we'll help you find something to suit your needs — and your budget.

Read our 2019 buying guides

Laowa 15mm F2 Zero-D sample gallery: aurora borealis and architecture

The Laowa 15mm F2 Zero-D is a fast, wide prime lens for full frame mirrorless cameras. We used it for astrophotography and architectural photography – a couple common use cases for this type of lens.

View our gallery of samples from the Laowa 15mm F2

News updates
Published Wednesday, December 18, 2019 10:12:00 PM GMT

The National Press Photographers Association is challenging a controversial California law that forces photojournalists to work as employees, putting their income and copyrights at risk.

Published Wednesday, December 18, 2019 10:04:00 PM GMT

Following the White Edition M8 from 2009, Leica has introduced a white version of the M10-P digital rangefinder. You'll have to be quick though as there are only 350 available worldwide.

Published Wednesday, December 18, 2019 7:45:00 PM GMT

Instagram makes it third-party fact-checking system global, expanding the presence of 'false information' warning labels on fake images.

Published Wednesday, December 18, 2019 4:14:00 PM GMT

We've been testing the Nikon Z50 extensively and found a lot to like about it. However, the camera's biggest drawback is probably that it faces such well-established competition.

Published Wednesday, December 18, 2019 3:01:00 PM GMT

The Fujifilm XF 16-80mm F4 R OIS WR is a versatile, everyday lens for X-mount cameras. We show you how it compares for image quality, and Jordan tells us why he thinks its a great lens for shooting video.

Published Wednesday, December 18, 2019 3:00:00 PM GMT

The ISOCELL Bright HMX is Samsung's latest high-end mobile image sensor and comes with a range of innovative features.

Published Wednesday, December 18, 2019 2:00:00 PM GMT

A bring-everywhere flying smartphone camera is the best $400 you can spend on a piece of gear this year, says editor Dan Bracaglia. Which is why he's picked the DJI Mavic Mini as his gear of the year.

Published Tuesday, December 17, 2019 8:39:00 PM GMT

The Zenit M rangefinder, made in collaboration with Leica, can now be purchased in the United States as part of a limited edition kit for $6,995.

Published Tuesday, December 17, 2019 6:59:00 PM GMT

Sigma has issued an official statement on its 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art lens delay, explaining that preorder demand was higher than expected.

Published Tuesday, December 17, 2019 5:41:00 PM GMT

The new function can upscale images without a pixelation effect and while maintaining sharpness and detail.

Published Tuesday, December 17, 2019 4:41:00 PM GMT

The Pixel 4 is the first Google phone that can make use of a dual-camera for depth estimation in portrait mode.

Published Tuesday, December 17, 2019 2:00:00 PM GMT

For the past few weeks, our readers have been voting on their favorite photographic gear. Now that the first round of voting is over, it's time to pick the best overall product of 2019.

Published Tuesday, December 17, 2019 4:00:00 AM GMT

Nikon has officially announced a $200 upgrade for the Z6 and Z7 that will enable Raw video output to an Atomos Ninja V recorder. Additionally, firmware v2.20 adds CFexpress support to both cameras.

Published Monday, December 16, 2019 7:49:00 PM GMT

Nikon recently launched its Yellow Program, a worry-free initiative that allows photographers to try out their Z50 camera for 30 days.

Published Monday, December 16, 2019 7:45:00 PM GMT

Apple says its ultra-pricey Pro Display XDR monitors with nano-texture glass require a special cleaning cloth that only it provides.

Published Monday, December 16, 2019 7:45:00 PM GMT

Instagram's latest anti-bullying effort involves an AI-powered system that warns users when they're about to publish an offensive caption.

Published Monday, December 16, 2019 4:17:00 PM GMT

Eastman Kodak quietly reveals plans to shutter its Kodakit on-demand photography service in January 2020.

Published Monday, December 16, 2019 4:14:00 PM GMT

Select Subject is the first of several desktop features that Adobe will make available on the iPad version of Photoshop.

Published Monday, December 16, 2019 2:00:00 PM GMT

Senior Editor Barney Britton's second Gear of the Year pick is the lens that changed his perspective on what a 'nifty fifty' could be.

Published Sunday, December 15, 2019 2:00:00 PM GMT

The Laowa 15mm F2 Zero-D is a fast, wide prime lens for full frame mirrorless cameras. We used it for astrophotography and architectural photography – a couple common use cases for this type of lens.

Published Saturday, December 14, 2019 3:00:00 PM GMT

Our 2020 'Best and Worst' episode is here! Will Jordan's art house movie trivia drive Chris to madness? Can you make martinis with pickled tomatoes? Find out what gear the boys from Calgary liked most – and least – this year, and learn a few things you didn't know you wanted to know.

Published Saturday, December 14, 2019 2:00:00 PM GMT

We're taking a look back through 2019 by focusing on one of our all-time favorite photographic subjects – Belvedere, a rescue pup who joined the DPReview team last fall and graced many of our sample galleries over the past 12 months.

Published Friday, December 13, 2019 8:29:00 PM GMT

There are now seven RX100 models currently on the market that you can buy. Should you save a few bucks and go with less than the latest-and-greatest? Find out which one is the right fit.

Published Friday, December 13, 2019 7:31:00 PM GMT

A front focusing issue appears to have hit Canon's new 70-200mm F2.8 lens for the EOS R system, with users reporting problems at close focus distances. Update: Canon has issued an official statement acknowledging the issue, and is preparing a firmware update to address it.

Published Friday, December 13, 2019 6:14:00 PM GMT

Adobe announced 'phenomenal' performance in 2019 with more than $11 billion in revenue, as well as record fourth quarter earnings.

Published Friday, December 13, 2019 3:14:00 PM GMT

The UK startup has developed a technology that uses machine learning to improve detail and color on digital cameras.

Published Friday, December 13, 2019 2:00:00 PM GMT

The compact form factor, fast and versatile lens, and pop-up viewfinder made Canon's PowerShot G5 X II an easy pick for DPReview editor Jeff Keller's favorite camera of the year.

Published Thursday, December 12, 2019 7:30:00 PM GMT

Twitter has added support for Live Photos on iOS devices and improved its compression algorithm for JPEGs, which should dramatically improve image quality.

Published Thursday, December 12, 2019 7:26:00 PM GMT

Leica has unveiled a 'Ghost Edition' version of its M10-P priced at $14,995, as well as the new Summilux-M 90mm F1.5 ASPH telephoto prime lens for portrait photography.

Published Thursday, December 12, 2019 5:46:00 PM GMT

The new concept allows for a seamless display without a need for 'notches', 'pinholes' or any kind of motorized pop-up mechanism.

Published Thursday, December 12, 2019 5:44:00 PM GMT

Astronomik's Clip-Filters easily snap into place between the sensor and lens, allowing you to use nearly any lens, regardless of front filter size.

Published Thursday, December 12, 2019 3:49:00 PM GMT

FeiyuTech wants to want to cover every base with a quartet of gimbals covering action cams and phones to full blown DSLRs. The timelapse one is interesting

Published Thursday, December 12, 2019 2:00:00 PM GMT

The XCD 30mm F3.5 is a wide angle prime lens for Hasselblad medium format cameras, and with a price tag close to $4000 you expect it to be good. As Chris and Jordan discover, it's an outstanding optic – with interesting bokeh.

Published Thursday, December 12, 2019 2:00:00 PM GMT

This week DPReview TV tested the Hasselblad XCD 30mm F3.5 wide angle lens for medium format. Here's a gallery of full resolution images from this episode, shot on the Hasselblad X1D II.

Published Thursday, December 12, 2019 2:00:00 PM GMT

A late 2019 edition to Nikon's Z series lens lineup, the 24mm F1.8 has made its way into our hands. We tried it out on the full-frame Z7 as well as the APS-C Z50.

Published Thursday, December 12, 2019 1:00:00 PM GMT

The DJI Mavic Mini is so light – a mere 249g – that it's exempt from FAA registration in the United States. Does that mean it's also exempt from FAA rules? Here's what you need to know.