News archive for May 2013

Adobe's decision to move to a subscription-based model for its professional creative software has prompted probably  the most impassioned response we've ever seen to a news story on dpreview.com. There's a risk that the sheer volume of comments might prevent a clear message being heard, so we've prepared a poll of the most common complaints, to help establish what your biggest concerns are.

The UK Intellectual Property Office has issued a 'myth-busting' document about the effect on photographers of a newly-introduced law. The law includes new rules regulating the use of 'orphan works' - intellectual property whose copyright holder cannot be identified. This has led to concern that the changes will allow UK companies to use copyright material from anywhere in the world without the approval of the copyright holder.

When you think about Apple products, the pictures that come to mind of gleaming glass and aluminium are likely the work of a photographer you've never heard of - until now. In an interview with The Verge, industrial photographer Peter Belanger offers an insight into his painstaking processes, including his complex lighting schemes and choice of camera equipment. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com.

Yesterday's announcement by Adobe that it will cease 'perpetual license' sales of Photoshop and its Creative Suite counterparts has generated considerable backlash here on dpreview and across the web. With such a significant change in store, we spoke today with Adobe VP of Creative Solutions, Winston Hendrickson for his response to the uproar.

As smartphone cameras continuously improve, we can't help but wonder what's in store for both the future of such devices and the way we use them as photographers. Will the constant upgrade cycle and users' desire for new features make for smartphones with super cameras? Or maybe they'll evolve to become companion gadgets to dedicated cameras, rather than attempting to do it all themselves. In this article, we'll be looking current technology, and what's currently rumored to be in the works, in an attempt to predict what the future of such connected cameras - and photography - might look like. Click through to read more on connect.dpreview.com.

After our recent Smartphone Super Shootout we are working full steam ahead toward our comprehensive camera review of the HTC One, the Taiwanese manufacturer's new flagship smartphone which features a 4 'ultrapixel' sensor, a fast F2.0 lens and optical image stabilization. Unti then, we offer up a close look at the new phone's imaging features.

DPReview reader Eric Lew is a keen wildlife photographer, and recently returned from a trip to Antarctica. He shared some recollections, advice and photographs in a post on our forums, but we thought what he wrote was so good it deserved a wider audience. Click through for Eric's 2-page article 'Flying Penguins: Photography in Antactica' and find out how you too can publish articles like this on dpreview.

While the sketch comedy television show Saturday Night Live mocked the awkwardness of Google Glass wearers this week, the Wall Street Journal offered up an etiquette guide for Glass wearers. Even Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has warned we will have 'develop some new social etiquette' to accommodate the new technology. WSJ's advice covers when and where to don the wearable tech, and more tips for early adopters. Read on at connect.dpreview.com. 

Adobe has said it will no longer be developing its Creative Suite range of software, leaving its subscription and cloud-based Creative Cloud as the only way of accessing the latest version of Photoshop. Adobe has been trying to encourage users away from the traditional one-off payment licenses and on to a monthly payment model, with features such as online storage and syncing between devices. This latest move ups the ante by making it the only option for future versions of the software.

Falling into the interesting photo experiments category, Patrick Letourneau adapted a Kodak Aero Ektar 178mm F2.5 lens, a surplus lens originally used during World War II in bomber-mounted cameras, to use with his Panasonic GH2. A Thorium-oxide coating was used on the Aero Ektar's rear element to improve its refraction index, a fact that adds a sense of intrigue to the unique project. Click through for more details, and pictures. 

Adobe has updated its suite of Creative Cloud software, with the latest versions rebranded with the appendage 'CC'. Adobe Photoshop CC highlights include the Camera Shake Reduction tool that Adobe demoed earlier this year, and the ability to apply Camera Raw as a filter to any raster, vector or video layer. Creative Cloud members can now sync their Photoshop preferences across multiple devices. Click to read about these and other Photoshop CC features.

Fujifilm has announced the availability of new firmware for its X100S fixed-lens compact camera. Firmware version 1.02 corrects an issue where the framelines in the camera's viewfinder did not automatically adjust brightness at ISO 1600 and higher. Fujifilm has also issued firmware updates for its Z2000EXR, HS50EXR, F820EXR and F900EXR compacts. Click through for more details and links. 

South Africa-based filmmaker David East uses a GoPro camera for his video work, but has started to use it for stills as well. Although not as technically sound as images taken on a dedicated stills camera, there's an evocative quality to his work, taken using an 11MP GoPro HD HERO2, which we really like. Click through for more details, and a small selection of images. 

We've just posted a gallery of real-world samples from the MX-1 - Pentax's flagship compact camera. Announced earlier this year the MX-1 offers a 12MP backlit CMOS sensor, and a fast F1.8-2.5 lens which spans an equivalent focal range of 28-112mm. We wrote a detailed hands-on preview back in January and we're working on putting the camera through our usual gamut of studio and real-world testing. For now, we hope you enjoy this small gallery of samples which - if nothing else - proves that the sun does occasionally come out in Seattle. 

While improvements in camera phone technology have more of us relying on 'the camera that's always with you' than ever before, we're printing our photographs less and less. If you have fond memories of pasting your memories into photo albums, don't despair - a growing crop of apps now make it easy to send your photos from phone to frame using online printing services. In this article, we've gathered eight of the top apps for printing your photos, and examined the results. Click through to read our findings on connect.dpreview.com.

The Finnish smartphone manufacturer Nokia has made a $20 million investment in Pelican Imaging - known for its consumer imaging technology that features a grid of lenses to allow for post-capture focusing. This has spurred rumors about the technology possibly being applied in upcoming Nokia smartphone models. In theory, this could add similar functionality to that offered by Lytro in its innovative light field cameras. Click through to connect.dpreview.com for more details.

Engineers have developed a curved camera designed to mimic insects' compound eyes. The hemispherical design gives a wide field-of-view with no aberrations and effectively infinite depth-of-field, with the hope it could be used in applications such as endoscopy or as visual sensors on unmanned aircraft. The current design uses 180 light-sensitive elements, each behind its own lens, but researchers hope to build one with 20,000 elements, giving a similar resolution to that seen by dragonflies.

Mike Brodie spent five years riding freight trains across America, returning with an astonishing visual record of the teenage 'freighthoppers' that travel the USA illegally, by rail. Brodie had no formal training in photography, but began documenting his experiences after finding a discarded Polaroid camera behind a car seat. Brodie's images are collected in his new book 'A Period of Juvenile Prosperity'. Click through for more details and a selection of images.

Detailed images on a Chinese blog may reveal more about the next-generation Olympus PEN. Although no official announcement has been made, the extent of the leaks about the camera make its existence an open secret. Rumors suggest the camera will be called the E-P5, and suggest it will have Wi-Fi capabilities (both of which seem plausible, based on the company's naming scheme and recent industry trends).

Sigma USA has given the price and introduction date of the 60mm F2.8 DN Art lens for mirrorless systems, originally announced at CP+. The 60mm DN will be available in the US for both Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount from mid-May at a cost of around $239. It will offer a 90mm equivalent field-of-view when mounted on Sony NEX bodies or 120mm equivalent on Micro Four Thirds cameras. This third lens for mirrorless cameras from Sigma (joining the affordable 19mm F2.8 DN Art and 30mm F2.8 DN Art), will also be available in a choice of black or silver finishes.

Adobe product manager Tom Hogarty yesterday offered a tantalizing sneak peek into future Lightroom functionality. On Scott Kelby's web show, The Grid, Hogarty demoed an iOS app that allows a wide range of raw file edits on the iPad that can sync back to your Lightroom catalog. Click through to watch it in action on connect.dpreview.com.

We love the work of LA-based street photographer Eric Kim, and we're big fans of his regularly-updated blog. In this 2-page article, originally published on his website, Eric explains how the work of famed street photographer William Klein has taught him valuable lessons that inform his own outlook, and his photography. Click through to read more. 

A smartphone is typically the one camera you always carry with you but its tiny sensors often struggle in low light which makes a tripod a useful accessory. The Joby Grip Tight Micro Stand is a combined mini-tripod and phone holder that is foldable and so small that it fits in any pocket or can even be used as a key fob which makes it an ideal companion for your smartphone. We've tried it out for you.

The overwhelming majority of photographers, even those who derive income from their images, practice the craft alongside their primary gig. And celebrities are no different. While they certainly have fewer budget constraints than the rest of us and easy access to fellow A-listers, there are quite a few with real talent who take their photography seriously. Here's a look at a few of them. (via PhotographyTalk.com)

Samsung's latest addition to its line of NX mirrorless cameras, the NX2000, adds Wi-Fi and NFC in a bid to make yet another of its mirrorless cameras compatible with the smartphone world. The 20MP camera's Near Field Communication (NFC) technology allows setup of Wi-Fi connections with compatible smartphones and tablets by simply tapping the devices together. It features a large 3.7-inch 1152k-dot touchscreen LCD, offers 8fps continuous shooting and Full HD video recording. Priced around $649.99, the camera will be available as a kit with the 20-50mm lens and a copy of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, in white, black and pink.

Kodak hopes to sell its consumer film and processing kiosk businesses to its UK pension scheme, to allow it to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The move pays off the company's biggest debt - an estimated $2.8bn it was expected to have to pay to the pension scheme over the coming years. The pension scheme is reported to be paying $650m for the Personalized Imaging and Document Imaging units the company announced it would sell last August.

Wacom Europe has released the Cintiq 22HD Touch, an interactive pen display graphics tablet that features a 1920 x 1080 LED monitor and offers 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. The Photoshop-compatible display comes with a tilting, rotating stand and customizable menu options. Priced at £1899.99, the Cintiq 22HD will be available at the end of this month.