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The Digital Photography Review Newsletter
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Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Welcome to the 695th Digital Photography Review newsletter.

The annual flu is going round the DPReview offices this week, so we're a bit depleted, but despite the sniffles, we've been keeping busy. We've been out and about, updating our Google Pixel 2 and iPhone X galleries, taking a closer look at how the iPhone X's portrait mode stacks up, and updating our buying guides to include the new Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and GH5S.

Meanwhile, I picked up a cheap Handevision 35mm prime lens at my local camera store and decided to write about it. Oh! And DJI released a new drone. You can find links to all of that content below.

Barney

Review: The Handevision Iberit 35mm F2.4 is a budget option for Leica users

The Handevision Iberit 35mm F2.4 is a budget manual-focus prime lens for Leica's M-mount, and a slightly-less-budget alternative for Fujifilm X-mount and Sony E-mount photographers. We've been trying it out for a few days.

Click here to read more about the Handevision Iberit 35mm F2.4

Google Pixel 2 gallery updated

We've spent a ton of time with Google's latest flagship camera. While our full review is in the works, have a look at what the best of computational photography is capable of.

Check out our updated Google Pixel 2 gallery

DJI unveils the Mavic Air: Mavic Pro specs in a Spark-sized body

What happens when you fuse a Mavic Pro with a Spark? You get DJI's new Mavic Air, a lightweight, foldable drone with features that will appeal to enthusiasts and pros on the go.

Read more about the new DJI Mavic Air

Portrait mode perspective: the iPhone X versus the Canon M100

Computational photography is by all accounts the 'new thing,' but in its current state, how does it compare against your average entry-level camera? Let's find out.

Click here to take a closer look at how the iPhone X's portrait mode compares to a conventional camera

Barney

News updates
Published Tuesday, January 23, 2018 11:05:00 PM GMT

This rare camera was used to train Japanese airplane machine gunners during World War II. Instead of bullets, the camera would shoot pictures, which would be developed and analyzed to improve the gunner's accuracy.

Published Tuesday, January 23, 2018 7:52:00 PM GMT

Red, best known for its high-end cinema cameras, is projecting a summer ship date for its Hydrogen One smartphone. This super-phone's main trick is a 5.7" holographic display, which displays a "better than 3D" image without the need for glasses.

Published Tuesday, January 23, 2018 7:28:00 PM GMT

Nikon announced the news earlier today, revealing that it "attained the #1 position for both market share and revenue for December 2017" in the full-frame interchangeable lens camera category. Yes, that includes full-frame mirrorless.

Published Tuesday, January 23, 2018 3:24:00 PM GMT

What happens when you fuse a Mavic Pro with a Spark? You get DJI's new Mavic Air, a lightweight, foldable drone with features that will appeal to enthusiasts and pros on the go.

Published Tuesday, January 23, 2018 2:00:00 PM GMT

The update includes some minor improvements and compatibility updates for Windows users, but the big news is the release of Select Subject: an AI-powered feature that can intelligently cut your subject out of the background in a single click.

Published Tuesday, January 23, 2018 2:00:00 PM GMT

We've spent a ton of time with Google's latest flagship camera. While our full review is in the works, have a look at what the best of computational photography is capable of.

Published Monday, January 22, 2018 7:40:00 PM GMT

PhotoshopCAFE host Colin Smith puts a $6,400 iMac Pro to the test against a Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, and an Alienware gaming PC in a variety of intense photo and video editing tasks to see if this powerhouse all-in-one is worth the money.

Published Monday, January 22, 2018 5:32:00 PM GMT

Less than 24 hours before the official announcement, the DJI Mavic Air has been revealed in a massive trove of leaked photos and specs. Find out why we're feeling very lukewarm about the folding drone announcement now that we know what's coming.

Published Monday, January 22, 2018 4:40:00 PM GMT

Samsung's new ISOCELL Fast image sensors feature a 3-stack Fast Readout design, which enables 1080p video capture at a whopping 480fps.

Published Monday, January 22, 2018 2:00:00 PM GMT

Computational photography is by all accounts the 'new thing,' but in its current state, how does it compare against your average entry-level camera? Let's find out.

Published Sunday, January 21, 2018 6:35:00 PM GMT

Either ridiculous or brilliant... there is no middle ground for the so-called Chairpod. This chair-tripod hybrid developed by Japanese tripod manufacturer Velbon is set to be released sometime this month.

Published Sunday, January 21, 2018 4:35:00 PM GMT

Did you know that you can use Microsoft Excel to create an HDR image? It's weird, but true, as Columbia University computer science student Kevin Chen demonstrates in this entertaining presentation.

Published Saturday, January 20, 2018 3:00:00 PM GMT

In part four of his series on shooting lava flows in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, landscape photographer Erez Marom shares his experience shooting lava flows from a helicopter—an expensive experience worth every. single. penny.

Published Saturday, January 20, 2018 2:00:00 PM GMT

We're nearing completion of our iPhone X camera review. In the meantime, we've been doing plenty of shooting testing portrait mode, lighting modes and everything in between. Take a look at a fresh batch of sample images.

Published Saturday, January 20, 2018 1:23:00 AM GMT

Photographer Anita Sadowska challenged Alex Hutchinson to a fashion photography shootout... with a twist. Anita would shoot her usual Canon 5D Mark IV digital SLR, while Alex used his Pentax 67 medium format SLR.

Published Saturday, January 20, 2018 12:00:00 AM GMT

After four years giving away many of his photos for free on Unsplash, photographer Samuel Zeller shares some thoughts on social networking for photographers, the rise and fall of Instagram, and how he's trying to stay ahead of the game.

Published Friday, January 19, 2018 7:31:00 PM GMT

Aurora Aperture has created a hybrid filter that we haven't seen before. Meet the Aurora PowerGXND: the world's first variable graduated neutral density (GND) filter family.

Published Friday, January 19, 2018 5:36:00 PM GMT

Confused about what all those layer blending modes do in Photoshop? Well, you don’t need to be any more. Jesus Ramirez has made an excellent short video tutorial that explains each mode in simple and easily-understood terms.

Published Friday, January 19, 2018 2:00:00 PM GMT

Now that we've spent some time with Panasonic's video-centric Lumix DC-GH5S, we've added it to our 'Best Cameras for Video' and 'Best Cameras over $2000' buying guides.

Published Thursday, January 18, 2018 7:45:00 PM GMT

Accessories manufacturer Meike has released details of a new grip it will be selling for the Sony a9 and a7R lll bodies that can hold two batteries and double as a remote control.

Published Thursday, January 18, 2018 7:36:00 PM GMT

Photographer and YouTuber Peter McKinnon recently tried something he himself called "the dumbest thing I've ever done." With no real experience in this area at all, he disassembled his Canon 1DX Mark II... just because.

Published Thursday, January 18, 2018 5:28:00 PM GMT

In an interview with ABC News, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company will allow iPhone users to turn off the controversial 'power management' feature that was slowing down old phones when the battery became 'unhealthy.'

Published Thursday, January 18, 2018 4:44:00 PM GMT

TetherPro USB-C cables are available in a variety of connector combinations, eliminating the need for adapters and dongles.

Published Thursday, January 18, 2018 2:00:00 PM GMT

The Handevision Iberit 35mm F2.4 is a budget manual-focus prime lens for Leica's M-mount, and a slightly-less-budget alternative for Fujifilm X-mount and Sony E-mount photographers. We've been trying it out for a few days.

Published Wednesday, January 17, 2018 11:40:00 PM GMT

Ridiculous test incoming. What happens when you slap a $50 Yongnuo 50mm F1.8 lens onto a $12,000+ 5K RED cinema camera? One YouTuber decided to give it a shot and find out.

Published Wednesday, January 17, 2018 11:06:00 PM GMT

Drone giant DJI has released a teaser video titled 'adventure unfolds,' implying that a new folding drone is coming on January 23rd at 10am Eastern time.

Published Wednesday, January 17, 2018 9:52:00 PM GMT

Some good inspiration for current and aspiring wedding photographers out there. If you shoot images like these, you're bound to stand out from the crowd and give your clients that "wow" factor.

Published Wednesday, January 17, 2018 8:23:00 PM GMT

In his video Structure, photographer Drew Geraci shows how everyday objects become fascinating landscapes when captured in moving 4K shots at up to 1000x magnification.

Published Wednesday, January 17, 2018 8:02:00 PM GMT

The 2018 Japan BCN camera rankings are in, and the most surprising bit of news is that Canon is still outpacing Sony in the mirrorless segment, taking the #2 spot in that segment while still dominating in DSLRs.

Published Wednesday, January 17, 2018 5:54:00 PM GMT

Nikon's updated D850 firmware brings a number of smaller bug fixes, including fixing a green cast issue that was happening when users had long exposure noise reduction turned on.

Published Wednesday, January 17, 2018 2:00:00 PM GMT

Fujifilm's first 1:1 macro lens for the X-system gives a 122mm equivalent view of the world. We gave it a go shooting close-up subjects as well as some portraits – take a look at how it performs when paired with the X-T2.