DxO has announced an update to its FilmPack 4 software, with version 4.5 adding two new 'film renderings' - Agfa Scala 200x and Kodak Ektar 100. FilmPack aims to simulate the look of classic film emulsions and can operate either as a standalone program or as a plugin for Adobe, Apple and DxO software. Click through for more details.

DxO has announced updates to its recently-announced Optics Pro 9 software, bringing speed enhancements and additional camera support. Optics Pro 9 is the latest version of DxO's long-running Optics Pro Raw conversion and optical correction software. It brings greatly improved 'denoising' (noise reduction) technology for enhanced high ISO image quality. Click through for more details.

Each year TIME picks 10 images from 10 photographers to represent some of top news stories of the year. From the massacre at the Westgate Mall in Kenya, the Boston Marathon bombings, to the recent typhoon in the Philippines, the collection highlights the work of seasoned photojournalists. Learn more

DPReview is hiring! We're looking for a Senior UX designer to shape the next generation of content and community tools for our large and passionate audience of photographers and camera enthusiasts. Candidates will have the rare ability to influence the product at all levels and to create a new user experience for a top 1000 website. Click through for more details. 

Sakar International, which makes cameras under the Polaroid brand name, has agreed to stop selling the model at the center of a patent and trade dress dispute with Nikon. A New York court issued an injunction stopping Sakar from making, selling or advertising the Android-powered iM1836, based on an agreement reached by the two companies. Nikon claims the interchangeable lens iM1836 infringed design patents and 'trade dress' (appearance) of its 1 System.

There's a long tradition of high-quality compact cameras going back more than a hundred years, and even now, in the days of digital, there are some incredibly capable compact cameras on the market. Shop carefully and you can get excellent image quality, full manual control and plenty of other bells and whistles, provided you don't mind paying a little more than you might for the average point and shoot. Top-notch lenses, great sensors and plenty of control are the hallmarks of every one of our top five recommended compact cameras for enthusiasts.

We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.

Samyang has announced the 10mm F2.8 ED AS NCS SC, a wide-angle manual focus prime for APS-C format cameras. It's the company's first lens to feature nano crystal coating for increased light transmission and reduced internal reflections. With a 15mm equivalent angle of view (20mm equivalent on Micro Four Thirds), it'll be made in mounts for all current SLR and mirrorless systems. It'll go on sale at the end of January 2014 at an RRP of £469.99 for Nikon AE mount, or £429.99 for all other versions.

We put all four of Nokia's newest smartphones, the Lumia 920, 925, 928, and 1020, through our studio test scene. You can use the image comparison tool to draw your own conclusions about how the devices perform. As usual you can compare how the phones perform under both bright and low light conditions, either at full resolution, or resized for print or web sharing. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com

One of the most interesting cameras of the year is the Nikon 1 AW1, which is the first rugged mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The AW1 offers the same 1" sensor as Nikon's other 1 System cameras, but adds the ability to go underwater or survive a 2 meter drop. We spent some time with the AW1 in Hawaii, both above and under the sea, to test if it was up to task. Find out if it passed

A few years ago, the idea of a DSLR under $1000 was just a distant dream, but these days the financial bar to entry is much lower than it was in the past. And DSLRs aren't the only game in town anymore either - mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras are maturing quickly, and there are plenty of affordable options on the market. Here's our list of the top five interchangeable lens cameras that we'd currently recommend for under $1000 - including a kit zoom lens.

A new product is Kickstarting its way into entry-level product photography. The Foldio lightbox aims to help inexperienced photographers on a budget capture their items in the best light possible. Folding down flat enough to fit in a briefcase, the Foldio easily props up with the use of magnets. Learn more at connect.dpreview.com.

A lot of equipment passes through our Seattle and London offices, everything from high-end cameras to inexpensive accessories. A lot of it gets reviewed, but we can't cover everything. In this series of short articles, DPReview staff will be highlighting their personal standout products of the year. In part 4, Richard Butler discusses the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM and what it means for APS-C shooters.

Looking for an easy way to share your photos with nearby smartphone and tablet users? There are plenty of options, and SanDisk has a couple of their own in a new line of flash memory storage devices with built-in wireless that you can access from any device. We evaluate the devices from a photographer's perspective on connect.dpreview.com.

A new Kickstarter project from Moondog Labs hopes to bring a wider view when shooting with the iPhone 5 and 5s. With Moondog Labs' 1.33x Anamorphic Adapter lens, a video shot on the iPhone in the standard 16:9 aspect ratio gains about 33% more width. Still images shot in 4:3 are expanded to 16:9. Learn more at connect.dpreview.com.

Canon has announced the EOS M2 in Japan. An updated version of its EOS M mirrorless camera, the new model promises faster autofocus due to the use of a Hybrid CMOS II sensor, as seen in the EOS 100D / SL1. It also has built-in Wi-Fi and a slightly revised body design. It will be sold either body-only or in kits with one, two, or all three EF-M lenses, and be available in either black or white.

Sigma has posted a statement on its website regarding incompatibilities between its lenses and the Nikon Df. As with the D5300, both autofocus and image stabilisation may not work correctly; however lenses without built-in focus motors are also affected when used on the Df. The company says it will provide free lens firmware updates to fix the issue, but this may not be possible with discontinued models. Click through for full details.

Metabones has introduced two new versions of its Nikon-F to Micro Four Thirds mount Speed Booster adapters. This time they are designed specifically for the Blackmagic Cinema and Pocket Cinema cameras. The new 0.64x Speed Booster reduces the full-frame crop factor of the Blackmagic Cinema Camera from 2.39x to 1.53x. The 0.58x Speed Booster reduces the crop factor of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera from 2.88x to 1.75x. Learn more

We're very excited to announce a day of live video coverage on Monday December 2nd in partnership with CreativeLIVE. The live stream, which will be broadcast on our homepage will cover product highlights from the past year, as well as live shooting demonstrations and panels discussing the current state of the photography market, and predictions for the future. Click through for more details.

Roger Cicala of LensRentals has revealed the winners of his 'First Annual Photogeek Geek Photo Contest'. What was originally intended as a light-hearted joke ended up receiving over 400 entries from at least 20 countries, and the impressive quality of the entries caused a real headache for the judges. After a lot of deliberation, Rishi Sanyal won 'Best in Show' for his remarkable 'MacroSetUp' series. Click through to see the extraordinarily geeky winning images, and a link to the full contest gallery.

Moscow-based photographer Alexey Kljatov is a keen macro photographer, and for the past couple of years he's been producing closeup shots of snowflakes. His inexpensive homemade rig delivers extraordinary magnification, revealing an incredible amount of detail in the intricate crystals of ice. See his setup and gallery of snowflakes

Smartphones are great for casual picture-taking, but they're at their absolute worst in poor lighting, or when using flash. One of the reasons smartphones are so popular is that they're small, but better images don't require enormous cameras, and increasingly, good-quality compacts are shipping with social-friendly options including built-in wireless connectivity. Click through to read our recommendations. 

The holidays are a great time to take pictures — and they're a great time to get a camera for yourself or for a loved one. With more than 50 cameras going through the hands of the DPReview team over the year, we've seen it all (or so we think). Based on our collective knowledge we hope this guide will help you make an informed decision on which camera will fit your needs. In this final part, we look at entry-level mirrorless cameras

We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.

A lot of equipment passes through our Seattle and London offices, everything from high-end cameras to inexpensive accessories. A lot of it gets reviewed, but we can't cover everything. In this series of short articles, DPReview staff will be highlighting their personal standout products of the year. In part 3, Andy Westlake talks about his personal favorite - the Olympus OM-D E-M1.

The Nexus 5 is Google’s latest showcase smartphone, bringing with it Android 4.4 (aka KitKat) and some new imaging features. This time around, Google is talking up the Nexus 5’s camera, highlighting its optical image stabilization and revamped HDR mode. We put the phone through its photographic paces to see how it holds up in the real world on connect.dpreview.com.

When you buy into a camera system, it can be tempting to only consider lenses of the same make as your camera. But companies such as Sigma, Tamron and Tokina offer some excellent options too. In this article, we're highlighting our pick of stand-out third party lenses. We've chosen them based on their ability to offer something different to the camera manufacturers' own, in terms of either focal length range, maximum aperture, image quality or value. Click through to read all about them.

Having spent a little more time with a full production unit, we've updated our Nikon Df coverage with images from our studio test scene and some more handling impressions. Nikon's thoroughly retro full-frame Df uses the same 16MP chip first seen in the D4, and provides an unprecedented level of support for legacy lenses. The new scene shows its performance in both daylight and low light, with downloadable image files. As always, you can compare the Df to the increasing number of cameras in our test scene.

Olympus has released firmware updates for its OM-D E-M1 mirrorless camera, XZ-2 enthusiast compact, and 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 lens. Version 1.1 for the E-M1 promises improved autofocus and image stabilisation operation, and better image quality in Live Bulb mode. Meanwhile version 1.3 for the XZ-2 should improve autofocus in low light. Click through for full details.

Fujifilm has announced forthcoming firmware updates for its X-Pro1, X-E2 and X-E1 mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, and for the X100S fixed-lens large sensor compact. Features promised include customizable Auto ISO, exposure preview in manual exposure mode, improved workflow for in-camera Raw conversion, and the ability to edit filenames in-camera. The update for the X-Pro1 will be available on 5th December; those for the X-E1, X-E2 and X100S on 19th December. Click through for full details.

A new app for iOS aims to motivate and inspire photographers by merging assignment-based photography with an optional social media element, all in the palm of your hand. OKDOTHIS offers a wide array of categories, including those created by users, with photo assignments that anyone can participate in. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com.

Photographer Saul Leiter has died aged 89. Leiter eluded mainstream fame for most of his life, but his body of work, particularly his experiments in abstract street color studies in the middle years of the 20th Century are a continuing inspiration to new generations of photographers. A shy figure, Leiter is the subject of a new film, 'In No Great Hurry' about his life and work which was recently released. 

There's a big world out there, just waiting for you to explore it. In our opinion, a camera is one of the best traveling companions you can have. Depending on where you're going, you might have specific priorities. Maybe you're heading to the mountains? Or perhaps you're exploring a city? Or maybe you're doing a round the world tour. Here are our top five recommendations.

The holidays are a great time to take pictures — and they're a great time to get a camera for yourself or for a loved one. With more than 50 cameras going through the hands of the DPReview team over the year, we've seen it all (or so we think). Based on our collective knowledge we hope this guide will help you make an informed decision on which camera will fit your needs. In this penultimate part, we look at consumer-level DSLRs.

Most cameras are delicate objects, and the last thing you want to do is drop them or subject them to wet or freezing conditions. But there are cameras which are specifically designed to handle rough treatment. In this list, we've chosen our top five recommendations for tough cameras. Every model in this list can be dropped, soaked, frozen and, in some cases, crushed. Our recommendations cover the entire class, from stylish compacts that can handle the occasional accident to high-end rugged cameras capable of serious image quality.

Tokina has announced that its highly-regarded AT-X PRO 11-16mm f/2.8 DX II fast wideangle zoom for APS-C SLRs will be available in Sony Alpha mount from the start of next year. The 'type II' version adds improved coatings compared to the previous model of the lens. The design is otherwise unchanged, with the same optics and useful 'one touch' focus clutch mechanism. Click through for full details.

It's that time of year when thoughts turn to gift-giving, and photography is more popular than ever before. Choosing a first camera is extremely important. If you've got a friend or a family member who's taking his or her first steps into the world of photography, we've prepared some recommendations for you, from best cameras for absolute novices, up to models more suitable for a student or budding enthusiast. This is the first in a series of articles giving our current recommendations for various different people and scenarios. Click through to read more.

The holidays are a great time to take pictures — and they're a great time to get a camera for yourself or for a loved one. With more than 50 cameras going through the hands of the DPReview team over the year, we've seen it all (or so we think). Based on our collective knowledge we hope this guide will help you make an informed decision on which camera will fit your needs. In part 4, we look at high-end pocketable compacts.

Google has given its camera API a complete makeover in an attempt to make app development easier for programmers. When the new API rolls out, it will allow apps to save Raw files and will also enable burst shooting. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com.

The holidays are a great time to take pictures — and they're a great time to get a camera for yourself or for a loved one. With more than 50 cameras going through the hands of the DPReview team over the year, we've seen it all (or so we think). Based on our collective knowledge we hope this guide will help you make an informed decision on which camera will fit your needs. In part 3, we look at enthusiast compact cameras.

Michael Paul Smith's photos look like snapshots of classic cars. In reality, they're clever creations that use forced perspective to combine miniatures and real-world backdrops in an utterly convincing final product. His miniatures live in a fictional U.S. town called Elgin Park, a place populated with vintage cars and the trappings of everyday life in the 1950's and 1960's. See gallery

Lensrentals' Roger Cicala continues his recent run of fine satirical form with his latest blog post - a series of cynical definitions for widely-used photography terms. We're almost tempted to use it to replace our glossary, as it should be considered recommended reading before commenting on any photography or 'gear' forum. It's certainly going to make us think carefully about the terminology we use in future reviews.

The holidays are a great time to take pictures — and they're a great time to get a camera for yourself or for a loved one. With more than 50 cameras going through the hands of the DPReview team over the year, we've seen it all (or so we think). Based on our collective knowledge we hope this guide will help you make an informed decision on which camera will fit your needs. In part 2, we look at mid-level mirrorless cameras.

The holidays are a great time to take pictures — and they're a great time to get a camera for yourself or for a loved one. With more than 50 cameras going through the hands of the DPReview team over the year, we've seen it all (or so we think). Based on our collective knowledge we hope this guide will help you make an informed decision on which camera will fit your needs. In part 1, we look at enthusiast interchangeable lens cameras.

'Tis the season for holiday gift guides, including for the mobile photography fanatic in your life. We've got gifts for the Instagram enthusiast, serial smartphone documentary photographer and the DSLR-turned-mobile photography convert. See our extensive smartphone photography gift guide on connect.dpreview.com.

A rare Leica camera has been sold at auction in Hong Kong for around $620,000 (~£380,000). The gold-plated 1932 Leica Luxus II is one of only four ever made, and comes in a crocodile skin case. The camera was expected to raise around $1.2 million at auction, but ultimately sold for around half of that amount. Learn more

We've updated our first impressions review of the Sony Alpha 7 with our studio test scene showing image quality for both JPEG and Raw files, making it easier to see the differences between it and its sister model, the Alpha 7R. The new scene also offers downloadable Raw samples of both daylight and low light scenes. As always, you can compare the A7 to the increasing number of cameras in our test scene.

DxOMark has just reviewed the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55, a $4000 standard prime for full frame SLRs, and as part of our ongoing collaboration we've added the test data to our lens widget. We've also added test data for the Nikon mount version of Sigma's exceptional 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM. Click through for more details and analysis, including a comparison between the Zeiss 55mm and the Nikon 58mm f/1.4G, and a link to DxOMark's own review.