News / Reviews & Previews

We just posted our Canon EOS 100D / Rebel SL1 review. Canon's smallest SLR to date was built to take on mirrorless cameras while maintaining the optical viewfinder and compatibility with the company's existing suite of EF and EF-S lenses. We put it through its paces in a busy family environment to see how well it held up in the type of setting it's most likely to encounter. Click through for our review.

We've just posted the sixth and final review in our round-up of compact rugged cameras. This review is of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX30, which offers a much thinner body than its peers. It also has a large 3.3-inch touchscreen OLED display, a host of fun features, and a 1080/60i movie mode. Next week we'll publish an article comparing all of the cameras, but while you're waiting, check out the TX30 review after the link.

We've just posted our review of the Pentax WG-3 GPS. This uniquely shaped camera can handle whatever nature throws at you, and the fast lens (at wide-angle) doesn't hurt, either. There's one more review left in our waterproof camera series, followed by a wrap-up article that will help you pick the best one. In the meantime, you can read more about the WG-3 GPS after the link.

We've just updated our preview of the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM with lens test data, courtesy of DxOMark. This lens has generated a lot of excitement as the fastest zoom ever made for SLRs, but the big question is whether its speed comes at the cost of optical quality. We've looked into this by comparing the 18-35mm to some current benchmark designs - and the results may surprise you. Click through to read all about it.

We've just posted our review of the Panasonic Lumix DMX-TS5/FT5. In the latest of our series of reviews of this year's crop of waterproof tough compacts we've put the TS5 through our usual studio and real-world tests to get a feel for how well it performs. On paper, the 16MP TS5 is one of the best specified cameras of its type, offering built-in GPS, Wi-Fi and NFC (near field communication) inside a tough body and Leica-branded lens. Does it live up to expectations? Read our review to find out.

Just posted: Our review of the Olympus Body Cap Lens 15mm F8. In essence this is a tiny three element optic hidden inside a body cap, and probably the cheapest lens of any description made by any camera manufacturer. But is it any good? In the latest of our lens reviews in collaboration with DxOMark, we take a look both at how well it performs in studio testing, and in real-world use. Does it have any place in the Micro Four Thirds user's camera bag? Click through to find out.

We've completed the third in our series of underwater/rugged camera reviews, this time covering the Nikon Coolpix AW110. This camera is loaded with features, including a GPS system with maps and landmarks, plus Wi-Fi that gives the ability to control the camera from your smartphone. Click the link to read the review, and don't forget that we'll be comparing all six cameras in a few weeks.

DxOMark has been busy testing lenses for the Sony NEX system, and has just published an article detailing which lenses score best on the NEX-7. As part of our ongoing collaboration, we've added the test data for most of Sony's own E-mount primes to our lens widget, which you can use to assess their performance and compare them against each other. We'll be adding Sony's zoom lenses and third-party primes very soon, but for now you can explore the test data for the Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA, E 20mm F2.8, E 30mm F3.5 Macro, E 35mm F1.8 OSS and E 50mm F1.8 OSS. Click through for the links. 

Just posted: Our hands-on preview of Canon's latest mid-range SLR, the EOS 70D. From the outside it looks very similar to the EOS 60D, but on the inside it sports a brand-new 'Dual Pixel CMOS AF' sensor that promises much-improved focusing in live view and movie mode. It also borrows most of the best bits of Canon's existing SLRs, including the AF module from the EOS 7D, the articulated touchscreen from the EOS 700D, and built-in Wi-Fi from the EOS 6D. In our detailed preview we take a closer look, and try to get to grips with its innovative sensor technology. Click through to read all about it.

We've just posted our Pentax MX-1 review. Designed to recall the golden days of camera design, the Pentax MX-1 features a bright F1.8-2.5 28-112mm equivalent zoom lens, a 12MP 1/1.7" sensor, and a 3-inch, 920K-dot tilting LCD screen. Brass plates top and bottom are a minor feature of the MX-1 that Pentax was nevertheless careful to highlight as giving that old camera feel, even showing signs of wear over time. A retro look and feel is great, but does that translate into a good camera for modern times? Click through to read our review.

Good-quality DSLRs and interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs) typically provide plenty of manual controls, comfortable ergonomics, and support a legacy of lenses for years to come. But old or new, getting hold of a quality digital camera still requires you to put down a decent chunk of change. In this article we're going to look at ten of the best DSLRs and ILCs available for under $1,000. We've included current cameras that we really like, and last-generation bargains, too. Click through for a link to the full article.

We've just posted the second in our series of rugged/underwater camera reviews. This time around, we're taking a look at the Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS, whose main claim to fame is its 25-100mm lens, which has a maximum aperture of F2 at wide-angle. The TG-2 also boasts a fully-featured GPS, limited manual controls, wireless flash control, and a unique 'tap control' feature. For all the details - and our conclusions - follow the link.

Just posted: Sony Cyber-shot DSCRX1R hands-on preview. We've had a few days to try out Sony's new Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R, the sister camera to the RX1. The only difference between these two full-frame enthusiast cameras is that the RX1R's 24MP sensor lacks an anti-aliasing filter. We've created a hands-on preview of the RX1R, including a gallery of real-world samples and some preliminary studio tests, to give you an idea of how the new camera performs. Click through for our preview.

Just posted: Our hands-on preview of the new Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II. The RX100 II offers a host of improvements over its predecessor, including a new BSI-CMOS sensor, hot shoe, and articulating LCD. We've had a working sample of Sony's new 20MP 1"-type sensor compact for a few days, and we've prepared a hands-on preview, including a gallery of real-world shots, showing off its improved image quality. Click through for a link to the preview.

Just posted: Our quick review of the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x: the world's first SLR zoom with a built-in switchable teleconverter. It's been two years in the making, but when Canon offered to show us a production version of its professional super-telezoom, we couldn't help but be intrigued. In this review we've teamed up with DxOMark to bring you full optical test data of this unique lens, backed up by some quick real-world examples. So how does it perform? Click through to find out. 

Just posted: Our detailed Fujifilm X-M1 hands-on preview. Fujifilm's latest miniaturised mirrorless model represents something of a design departure from its previous X-system cameras, eschewing the traditional control dials seen on the X-E1 and X-Pro1 for a more contemporary control layout. It also forgoes an eye-level viewfinder, making do with a tilting rear screen instead. Is this a betrayal of everything Fujifilm owners have grown to love about their cameras, or is there more to the little X-M1 than meets the eye? Read our preview to find out.

If they’re young enough, your kids may have only ever known a world in which smartphones are the most-popular devices for taking photos. That’s too bad. In this article we've rounded up a selection of cameras that will suit aspiring young photographers of all ages from under-10s to teenagers. Click through for a link. 

Just posted: Our Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy NX. We were given the chance to play with Samsung's latest phone/camera hybrid - the Android-powered Galaxy NX. It combines a 20MP DSLR-style mirrorless camera body with the vast touchscreen and connectivity of a smartphone, giving a high-IQ camera with 3G, 4G LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity as well as GPS and GLONASS-compatible positioning. What's it like to use, though? Read our Hands-on article to find out.

Just Posted: Our review of the Ricoh GR, compared with the Nikon Coolpix A. We've already reviewed the conceptually similar Nikon Coolpix A and concluded that in some respects it was it out-gunned by the Ricoh, so what does that mean for the GR? We've delved into the Ricoh's menus to get to grips with what it's capable of and explored a range of its interesting features. Read our comparative review to see how it performs.

We've posted the first in a series of six reviews of rugged/waterproof compact cameras. First up is the Canon PowerShot D20, whose fish-inspired design can go for swim, get dropped on the floor, and shoot in freezing temperatures. Once we've completed our reviews of all six cameras, we'll put together a comparison, so you can find out which is best-in-class. Follow the link to see how the PowerShot D20 performed in our tests.