News / Features & Articles

What's in your camera bag? A camera (hopefully) and maybe a lens or two, but that's probably not everything that you need. In this article we'll be looking at ten items that deserve a place in every photographer's kit bag, whatever sort of photography you enjoy doing. Click through for the list.

DPReview editor Barnaby Britton spent his weekend taking pictures on the new Apple iPhone 5s, which among other refinements features a new camera, larger sensor, built-in filter effects and a unique two-color flash. It also offers an improved panorama mode with adaptive 'live' metering across the frame. In this short article he explains why even if you don't have any interest in the new iPhone, you should definitely pay attention to the iPhone 5s' panorama feature.

In this article, nature photographer Erez Marom takes us through the complicated process he used to achieve his image 'Lost in Space'. As well as equipment choice and location, Erez also explains in detail exactly how he went about adjusting and manipulating multiple images in software to create the final result. Click through for the full article. 

With a smart look and clean design, the Vanguard Up-Rise 33 stands out from the pack. Capable of holding a small to medium DSLR, the Up-Rise 33 also expands to allow room for a 13-inch notebook computer, or contracts if you have less to carry. It has served as a good commuter companion for one of our reviewers for about eight months. Read how it performed in his review.

At the turn of the 21st century, consumer digital cameras really took off. Technology was evolving at an incredible pace, and camera makers came up with features that we now take for granted, most notably live view on DSLRs. There were plenty of unique ideas going around, as well. Some were genuinely useful, while others may leave you scratching your head. In this article, DPReview's Jeff Keller takes a look at ten cameras that have stood out over the last thirteen years.

Do you remember having to change floppy disks on your Sony Mavica? Or perhaps plugging your Coolpix 100 into the side of your laptop? The early days of consumer digital photography were filled with cameras that broke new ground, though not necessarily in directions that were widely adopted. In this article, DPReview's Jeff Keller takes a look back at ten unique cameras from the era of PC Cards and SCSI ports. Follow the link to explore some of the interesting dead-ends of early digital photography.

Landscape photographer Carsten Krieger is no stranger to poor weather, but in this article he explains how you can get great shots even when the sun is hidden from view. His three-page article features several images taken in Ireland which should provide plenty of inspiration for those damp, rainy days that are just around the corner. Click through for a link to the full article. 

New York Times writer Nick Bilton recently wrote an article about his experience with Leica cameras and lenses, and was surprised when this was met by an aggressive influx of 'vehement messages from all kinds of photographers and camera fans'. Not only did Canon and Nikon fans attack him for not writing a similar piece about their favorite brands, but according to Bilton many Leica fans were also critical of his article, as well as his selection of 'experts'. Click through for more on this surprising development.

In the latest of his series of 'Behind the Shot' articles, landscape photographer Erez Marom shows us how he got his stunning shot inside an icecave in Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Iceland. As well as setup and equipment choice, Marom also gives us a detailed look at the post-processing required to achieve the final result. Click through for a link to the full article. 

Consumers need to think about sensor size rather than pixel count, says Aptina's Sandor Barna, because larger image sensors are likely to appear in all types of devices. Barna, the Vice President and General Manager of sensor maker Aptina's Consumer Camera Business Unit, spoke to us about the challenges facing compact cameras, the niche that will continue to exist for them, and hints that more large sensor compacts are on their way.

Compact cameras, smartphones and mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras are getting seriously good these days, and for a lot of photographers, they're supplementing or even replacing older, bulkier DSLR kit. After he finished our recently-published review of the Fujifilm X100S, dpreview editor Barnaby Britton realized that he hadn't picked up his DSLR for months. In this short feature, he explains why.

In this article, Seattle-based photographer Thomas Park shows how you can use Photoshop's layer 'blending modes' to remove stains and blemishes from scanned images, sharpen up your photographs and even warm up cold hands! (sort of). Click through for a link to the full article, 'Blending modes: Tools for post-processing'.

Eric Kim is one of the most prolific street photographers around, but he's also a keen blogger. In this article, originally posted on his site back in spring, he offers some advice on how to buy a new camera for street photography. Rather than a simple buyers' guide, though, Kim delves into the psychology of purchase decisions, citing research by psychologist Barry Schwartz which divides us into two categories - 'maximizers' and 'satisficers'. Click through for a link to the full article. 

In the second in a series of articles, landscape photographer Erez Marom takes us through the process of getting his striking shot of Goðafoss - the 'waterfall of the gods' in Northern Iceland. As well as gear choices, Marom explains his compositional approach, and the software techniques that he used to get the final result. Click through for the full story. 

Posting your images online for critique is a common practice in DPReview forums as well as on Flickr and other sites. But you usually have to go to a photo festival, or travel to have your portfolio reviewed by a professional curator. One of those curators created Eyeist.com, a service to connect photographers with creative professionals who can help them focus their selection for projects of many types, from books to websites to presentations. Click through for our review of Eyeist.

We've just posted the first in what we hope will be an ongoing series of short videos aimed at the novice photographer. In this first segment our hosts Jordan and Mark compare the results from a smartphone and an entry-level digital SLR in everyday shooting conditions such as low light, moving subjects and the challenge of capturing a flattering informal portrait. In future spots we'll be covering more practical shooting advice and diving into creative techniques in an effort to help beginners choose the right gear. Click on the thumbnail to watch the video.

The GigaPan EPIC Pro is an affordable motorized panorama head for DSLRs, built to create high-resolution images from multiple frames. In this article, Ireland-based landscape photographer Carsten Krieger takes the device out into the field to put it through its paces. Click through for a link to the full review. 

In this article, photographer Erez Marom explains how he created his image 'Dark Matter', which was captured at glacier beach in Iceland earlier this year. Marom sheds light on everything from from composition and gear choice to post-processing, and finally, what to call the final, dramatic picture. Click through for a link to the full article.

The Tamrac 5592 Big Wheels SpeedRoller 2X is a serious camera bag, featuring an industrial strength telescoping handle, oversized wheels fortified with ball bearings, and of course loads of space for camera equipment plus a 17-inch laptop. Despite an impressive capacity the SpeedRoller 2X is small enough to carry on to airplanes. It's not cheap though, at a street price of around $400. Do you get what you pay for? Read our review to find out. 

In the second, concluding article of his 2-part tutorial explaining Photoshop's Gradient tool, Jean Miele explains how to use linear, reflected and radial gradients in layer masks to improve your digital photographs. In this article Jean takes us through four clear, easy steps, and also includes more tips for making the most out of gradients in both Photoshop and Lightroom. Click through for links to the article.