News / Reviews & Previews

Just Posted: A quick review of the iPhone 5's camera. Apple might not have set out to make some of the most popular cameras on the planet with its iPhone range of smartphones, but that's exactly what has happened. The iPhone 5, Apple's latest model brings a larger screen, faster processor and redesigned camera compared to its predecessor. In this 5-page article we take a look at the iPhone 5's performance as a camera, including comparisons with the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 in a range of different environments, video samples and a full gallery of 'real world' shots. Click through to read (and see) more.

Just Posted: Our quick review of the Manfrotto Solo VI DSLR holster bag. The Solo VI is Manfrotto's premiere holster-style bag, and Manfrotto claims it is big enough to accomodate a full-frame DSLR with a 100-400mm lens attached. The distinctive Solo VI belongs to Manfrotto's 'Stile' range of bags, but is there substance behind the stile? Click through to find out. 

Updated: We've just added studio comparison images and a gallery of 'real world' sample shots to our hands-on preview of the Nikon D600. Nikon's latest DSLR offers 24MP resolution and an FX format (full frame) sensor, and is Nikon's most affordable full-frame model yet. As well as studio comparison images shot at all ISO sensitivity settings in both JPEG and Raw capture modes, we've also added a new gallery of real-world samples taken using the 'kit' option AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm F3.5-4.5G ED VR zoom. Click through for links to the extra content. 

Low weight, portability and ease of use are not words and phrases used to describe the average mid-size tripod, but the Tamrac ZipShot is designed to satisfy all three requirements. Unlike conventional 'telescoping' leg tripods, the ZipShot is constructed of thin, circular aluminum legs that are segmented in four places and strung together via a hefty elastic band. When the two maroon safety bands are released, the tripod's legs will fall, snapping into place in an instant. Is this lightweight, easy-to-assemble tripod the answer to a travelling photographer's prayers? Read our quick review to find out. 

Just Posted: Our hands-on preview of Canon's enthusiast-grade full frame DSLR, the EOS 6D. The 6D features a newly-developed 20.2MP CMOS sensor and a magnesium alloy body. To distinguish it from the more expensive 5D Mark III, the 6D features a simpler, 11-point AF system with a single cross-type focus sensor. It also features a smaller, 97% coverage viewfinder. What do these, and a handful of other, omissions mean for the 6D and how to it match up to Nikon's D600? Read our hands-on preview to find out.

Just Posted: Our Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 preview. The GH3 builds on the success Panasonic had with its GH2. With more rugged magnesium alloy construction and a new 16MP sensor, it offers plenty for stills photographers but it's the video specifications that make it a stand-out. Panasonic has been asking video professionals what they wanted out of a camera. Is the GH3 the camera they've been asking for? Read our hands-on preview to find out.

Just Posted: Our hands-on preview of the Olympus PEN E-PL5 and PEN E-PM2. The two baby PENs, the Lite and Mini have done a good job of offering some of the least exensive mirrorless cameras on the market but have, until now, relied on an ageing 12MP sensor. Now the OM-D's 16MP sensor makes its way into both the latest PEN Lite (the E-PL5) and the PEN Mini (the E-PM2). They also gain touch screens and a series of other updates. Read our preview to find out more, which includes a small gallery of real-world samples from the E-PL5.

Just Posted: Our Fujifilm XF1 hands-on preview. Fujifilm has starting making cameras worth taking seriously with its X-series, both at the compact camera and interchangeable lens end of the spectrum. The XF1 uses the 2/3"-type sensor from the XS1 and X10, and builds it into an attractive, retro-styled compact body with a usefully fast lens that includes a retracting mechanical zoom ring. How does it stack up against its rivals? Read our preview to find out.

Just Posted: Our Canon PowerShot G15 hands-on preview. It would have been easy to assume the small-sensor PowerShot G series was at an end when Canon introduced the 1.5" sensor G1 X, but the G15 continues the 1/1.7" sensor tradition and looks back to the series' beginnings with the addition of a bright lens. The 28-140mm equivalent, F1.8-2.8 lens offers a pretty impressive specification in anyone's book (it's over a stop brighter than the G12, all the way through the range). So is the camera to stand up to the enthusiast camera onslaught? Read our preview to find out our early thoughts.

Just Posted: Our Canon PowerShot S110 hands-on preview. Canon's latest enthusiast 'shirt-pocket' compact looks very similar to last year's S100, but gains a touchscreen and built-in WiFi connectivity at the expense of its predecessor's GPS. But the S110 is entering a more-crowded market place, with larger-sensored rivals now available. So what does it offer to stay competitive? Read our preview to find out more about it.

Just Posted: Our review of the Sony Alpha SLT-A57. The A57 replaces the A55 which co-launched Sony's translucent fixed-mirror SLT lineup. While the A57 retains the same 16MP resolution of its predecessor, it inherits an impressive host of features from more recent NEX and SLT models. A 10fps full resolution burst mode, manual focus 'peaking' and class-leading 1080p60 video headline the specs of a beginner-friendly DSLR that, on paper, stacks up very well against the competition. At a street price of $700 with kit lens, is the A57 a compelling alternative for users looking for an affordable and versatile DSLR? Read our in-depth review to find out.

Just Posted: Our hands-on Nikon D600 preview. The D600 is the much-rumored, long-awaited and much-in-demand enthusiast-level full-frame DSLR. The D600 combines a 24MP full-frame sensor with a feature set that seems to build from the familiar and well-regarded technologies on the D7000. It also gains a dash of D800, for substantially less money. We've been getting-to-grips with the D600 for a while and have prepared a hands-on preview article, looking at exactly what the D600 offers for $2100/£1955/€2149.

Just Posted: Our hands-on Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 preview article with video preview. You may well have already heard about Sony's full frame compact camera with a fixed 35mm F2 Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* lens. We've had a chance to play with a pre-production RX1, delve through the menus and discuss its technologies with Sony. We've prepared a four-page preview detailing the RX1's features and capabilities and discussing whether we think the world is ready for a $2800 full frame, fixed-lens camera.

Just Posted: Our hands-on Sony SLT-A99 preview article and video. The A99 is the company's flagship full-frame interchangeable lens camera, offering a 24MP CMOS sensor with on-sensor phase-detection autofocus. This combines with the dedicated conventional phase-detection sensor to offer a series of never-before-seen features. We look at these and several of the A99's other key stills and movie shooting capabilities in our hands-on preview.

Just Posted: We've had a chance to use the Sony Alpha NEX-6 with its 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 power zoom kit lens and have prepared a hands-on preview. The NEX-6 is an enthusiast level mirrorless camera that features the high-resolution OLED viewfinder we first saw on the NEX-7 and builds on the capabilities that appeared on the recent NEX-5R. Does the addition of a mode dial and the Quick Navi interface make for the most coherent NEX camera yet? Read our preview to find out.

Just Posted: Our hands-on Fujifilm X-E1 preview. We've had a chance to get to grips with Fujifilm's latest X-mount mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and have prepared a preview looking at its key features and technologies. The X-E1 is Fujifilm's second mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and the first to rely solely on an electronic viewfinder for operation - we look at how the camera handles this, while we get a handle on how it sits alongside its peers.

A wireless flash trigger enables you to fire one or more flashguns remotely, without being encumbered by wires. There are plenty of wireless TTL flash triggers on the market, making it difficult to find the ideal setup to meet your needs. The Phottix Odin (available for Canon and Nikon) is a wireless radio controller which offers a user-friendly control interface and a compelling feature set. Can the Odin system live up to the hype? Click through for our review. 

Just Posted: Our review of the Pixel Vertax D12 third-party battery grip for the Nikon D800. Third-party manufacturers offer a broad range of accessories for popular cameras, providing more options or lower prices. Vertical grips can aid the handling of DSLRs for portrait-format shooting and when working with long, heavy lenses. In this short review, we look at the Pixel Vertax D12 battery grip. At $99 it's considerably cheaper than Nikon's MB-D12 but can it do the same job? Click through for our opinion. 

Just Posted: Sony Alpha NEX-5R hands-on preview. We've been investigating Sony's latest mid-range NEX to try to get to the bottom of the features it adds to the NEX family. These include a revised 16MP APS-C CMOS sensor with phase-detection elements to power the camera's hybrid AF system, and the ability to download proprietary apps. The body may look the same as the previous 5-series cameras, but don't let that fool you - there are a lot of changes under that magnesium alloy skin. Read our preview to find out more.

Just Posted: Our review of the Sony RX100 large-sensor compact camera. The RX100 may look a lot like its 1/1.7" sensor peers but it boasts a sensor 2.7 times larger, which should directly translate into better image quality. It also packs class-leading video features into its tiny metal body. It's already being heralded in some quarters as the best compact ever so, after extensive use in a variety of conditions, can it possibly live up to the hype? Read our review to find out.