Thursday, 22 March 2012

Adobe announces Photoshop CS6 beta

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Adobe has today announced Photoshop CS6 beta, which is available as a free download from Adobe Labs. Although you can download the beta, it's hoped you'll provide feedback to the product team.
 
Photoshop CS6 beta is available for the Mac OS and Microsoft Windows platforms. The final release is expected in the first half of 2012.

Press release

Photoshop CS6 Beta Now Available on Adobe Labs
First Major Release since April 2010 Packed with New Features and Huge Performance Enhancements

LONDON, UK. — March 22, 2012 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Photoshop® CS6 beta, a preview of what’s to come in the next release of the industry standard in digital imaging, is available as a free download from Adobe Labs. Customers can download the beta, try out the experience and provide feedback to the product team. Packed with groundbreaking new innovations, features and incredible performance enhancements, Photoshop CS6 beta is available for the Mac OS and Microsoft® Windows® platforms. The final release is expected in the first half of 2012.

“Photoshop CS6 will be a milestone release that pushes the boundaries of imaging innovation with incredible speed and performance,” said Winston Hendrickson, vice president products, Creative Media Solutions, Adobe. “We couldn’t wait to share this beta of Photoshop CS6 with our customers and are looking forward to hearing from them and seeing the ways they are incorporating the beta into their daily creative workflows.”

New Features in Photoshop CS6 Beta
Photoshop CS6 beta demonstrates Adobe’s focus on huge performance enhancements, imaging magic and creativity tools that offer customers a new experience in digital imaging. Key features include new additions to the Content-Aware tools: Content-Aware Patch allows greater control by letting users select and duplicate an area of an image to fill in or “patch” another, and Content-Aware Move lets users select and magically move an object to a new place in the image.
Customers will experience incredible performance, powered by the new Adobe Mercury Graphics Engine*, enabling near-instant results from popular editing tools including Liquify, Puppet Warp, Transform and Lighting Effects; and a refined, modern interface featuring dark UI options to make images pop. New and re-engineered design tools make creating designs faster and more efficient. Vector layers allow users to apply dashed lines and gradient strokes, searchable layers quickly zero in on any layer, and new type styles let designers swiftly apply type treatments to their designs.
 
In addition, the Photoshop CS6 beta offers all the features of Adobe Photoshop CS6 and Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended, such as new 3D editing features and quantitative imaging analysis capabilities. These features will be included in the shipping version of Photoshop CS6 Extended when it becomes available.

Pricing and Availability
The Photoshop CS6 beta is available immediately as a free download in English and Japanese. At installation, users will be required to provide an Adobe ID to complete a one-time login and online product activation. For information on how to install Photoshop CS6 beta, visit www.adobe.com/go/photoshopcs6. Customers can submit feedback via the Photoshop CS6 beta forum. Users can also connect with the Photoshop team via the community-powered site; on Facebook; YouTube; Photoshop.com blog; or via Twitter

Wednesday, 21 March 2012

Adorama special on Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro

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Adorama has a special currently on the Tokina AT-X 16-28mm f/2.8 Pro FX zoom. The regular price is $849 but the sale price is $699 after the retailer's discount and $50 mail-in rebate (from Tokina).

Please follow the links to buy:

Canon fit
Nikon fit

SanDisk reposition pricing in the UK

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After the price reductions of SanDisk and Lexar memory cards in the US, SanDisk has repositioned their SD range in the UK (expect Lexar to follow suit shortly). The fastest currently available are the 95MB/s* (633x speed rated equivalent) cards under the Extreme Pro branding (note there are some slower variants around, but this maybe older stock.) These cards are UHS-1 (class 1) UDMA-6 compatible but use a different controller - the same as the CF Exteme Pro series. Previously available at £79, the 16GB card, for instance, can now be had from Amazon UK at just £43.50.

UPDATE

Wex are retailing the 16GB Extreme Pro card at £59

Jessops are still retailing the same card at £71.96 (was £90).

Fujifilm X-Pro1 in stock at Jessops

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UK dealer, Jessops, has the eagerly awaited Fujifilm X-Pro1 in stock at £1,429.95 body only. We'll update this page with links to the lenses as soon as we have the details.

UPDATE: Jessops are now displaying the lenses in stock:

XF 18mm f/2R at £549.95
XF 35mm f/1.4R at £549.95
XF 60mm f/2.4R Macro at £599.95

Monday, 19 March 2012

Rare Finds on eBay

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UPDATE: The lens has been, inexplicably, removed from sale.

One of Nikon's most esoteric and desireable lenses, the 13mm f/5.6, can be found on eBay currently. Designed by Ikuo Mori and boasting an angle of view of 118-degrees it was, at the time of introduction (1976), the widest rectilinear lens made for 35mm camera and an ideal lens for architecture. It was also one of Nikon's most expensive lenses, built to order only less than 400 were made in total. The lens for sale looks like the first version which has been factory modified for the AI mount. The second version starting at 175501 was made with a AI mount and the third version from serial number 175901 was modified for AIS.

Nikon D4 in stock at retailers

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UPDATE: The links are back to pre-orders only.

Nikon's eagerly awaited top-of-the-range Nikon D4 is in stock in several UK retailers. Please follow the links to buy (not pre-order!)

Jessops £4,799.95 (with free EN-EL8 battery worth £130)

Wex Photographic £4,799

Amazon UK are not showing the D4 in stock, but we'll update this post as soon as it is.

Amazon US are still showing pre-orders (at USD $5,999).

Saturday, 17 March 2012

Canon EOS 5D Mk III in stock at UK retailers Jessops, Wex

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Warehouse Express have the Canon EOS 5D Mk III in stock at £3689 (with the 24-105mm f4L - not body only). Please click here to buy.

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As we reported Thursday, Jessops has the 5D Mk III and 24-105mm lens in stock at £3690. Please click here to buy.

Please note, buying through links may benefit this site.

Canon EOS-1 DX available to pre-order at Amazon

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Amazon US has started pre-orders on the EOS 1-DX at $6,799. Please follow the link below:

Canon EOS-1D X 18.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera

Thank you for buying through this site's links.

Phase One lowers price of Capture One, launches new site

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Phase One Makes Superior Image Quality More Accessible

Company Launches New Web Site; Lowers Price of Capture One and Increases Its Trial Period to 60 days

COPENHAGEN, March 17, 2012 — Phase One, the world’s leading pro photography equipment provider, today launched a new web site dedicated to the user experience of its customers and new visitors. The site’s greatly improved usability offers easier access to information and tools to help professionals and other discerning photographers achieve the highest image quality results.

As part of this new user-experience focus, Phase One has extended the trial period for its Capture One 6 raw converter and photo editing software from 30 to 60 days and reduced its price. This gives more people the opportunity to experience the distinctive image quality available only with Capture One -- including its renowned raw rendering engine that produces photographs with the feel of film, superior control, true skin tones and robust support for very large files.

Capture One comes in three versions. Capture One Pro supports virtually every professional DSLR and most popular camera models and includes powerful tools to enhance the capture and editing processes. Capture One Express features the same high quality processing engine as Capture One Pro, but is without some of the more advanced tools. Capture One DB ships with all Phase One medium format camera systems, including the powerful IQ180 systems.

Capture One Pro supports the Capture Pilot iPad app that allows an iOS device to remotely view, zoom, rate, tag, and pan high resolution images during a shoot. An available 'Camera Control' in-app  purchase adds a virtual camera display to an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to remotely fire your camera and control the most important capture settings.

Availability and pricing
Capture One Pro is available for USD299 and EUR229; Capture One Express is now priced at USD99 and EUR69. The software is available for purchase at: http://www.phaseone.com/store. The software is available for download at: www.phaseone.com/downloads. More information is available at: http://www.phaseone.com/capture-one

NPG, BT announce BT Road to 2012: Aiming High

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Beth Tweddle b.1985 Beth Tweddle (third from left), Hannah Whelan (left), Jenni Pinches (second left) Rebecca Tunney (right). Photographed by Anderson & Low, 17th November 2011, Liverpool. © Anderson & Low - National Portrait Gallery/BT Road to 2012 project

Press release:

The National Portrait Gallery in collaboration with BT, a premier partner of London 2012, is proud to present BT Road to 2012: Aiming High, a major summer exhibition of London Olympic photographs. 

BT Road to 2012: Aiming High is the extraordinary final culmination of a three year exhibition project, National Portrait Gallery/BT Road to 2012. 

As part of a major gallery commission of over 100 works, around forty new portraits by the highly acclaimed and newly commissioned photographers were announced today: Anderson & Low, Nadav Kander and Jillian Edelstein. The new photographs will go on show at the National Portrait Gallery on 19 July.

The first three portraits, released today, are of champion gymnast Beth Tweddle by Anderson & Low, rising track and field star Jodie Williams by Nadav Kander and Jan Matthews, the lady responsible for the world's largest peacetime catering operation, by Jillian Edelstein. New sitters are to be confirmed and released in due course.

These new portraits will be shown alongside the key works from the previous two exhibitions by photographers Brian Griffin, Bettina von Zwehl, Finlay McKay and Emma Hardy. These could include some well known faces such as Seb Coe, Stella McCartney, Danny Boyle, Philips Idowu and Pippa Funnell, amongst others.

In addition, thanks to BT funding, highlights from the previous two exhibitions, Setting Out (2010) and Changing Pace (2011) as well as a selection of the new photographs, will go on a free regional outdoor UK tour. Launching in Cardiff on 30 March, moving to Edinburgh on 1 June and on to Birmingham on 13 July.

ROAD TO 2012: AIMING HIGH
19 July - 23 September 2012, National Portrait Gallery www.npg.org.uk/roadto2012
- Made possible by BT, Premier Partner of the London 2012 Festival
- Part of the London 2012 Festival

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Jan Matthews b.1961 Photographed by Jillian Edelstein, 8th November 2011, Smithfield Market, London. © Jillian Edelstein - National Portrait Gallery/BT Road to 2012 Project

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Jodie Williams b.1993 Photographed by Nadav Kander, 15th December 2011, London. © Nadav Kander - National Portrait Gallery/BT Road to 2012 project

Friday, 16 March 2012

Photojournalist, light mod maker David Honl to host UK seminars

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David Honl, the photojournalist behind the popular light modifiers of the same name will be in the UK appearing at several events to talk about his work as a photographer and demonstrate his unique range of light-shaping products for portable, battery operated flash units or speedlites.

Schedule of events:

Thursday 29 March:  Calumet Drummond Street 

Friday 30 March:  special event for Nikon Owners Club members in Kensington, contact Mike Eleftheriades of the NOC 

Tuesday 3 April:  meet 11 am at The Flash Centre London 

Wednesday 4 April:  Phototraining 4 U Cardiff,  or email news@phototraining4u.com

Thursday 5 April:  Robert White Photographic  Poole, or email info@robertwhite.co.uk
 

Sales

Buy Honl Photo gear from Amazon (USA), or Amazon UK. Please note, buying through these links may benefit this site.

Zeiss announces new Distagon T* 2,8/15

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As expected, Carl Zeiss has today announced the new Distagon T* 2,8/15 or in more common parlance, a 15mm f/2.8 ultra-wide lens with a 110 degree angle of view. The lens features anomalous partial dispersion glass (to reduce chromatic aberration) and is the first in the Zeiss range to feature aspherical lens surfaces. The new manual focus lens will be available in May in both Nikon and Canon mounts and will have a retail price of US$2,948 or 2,148 euros, £1786 (excluding VAT)*

Pre-order from:

B&H Photo ($2,950)
Adorama ($2,950)

Press release

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Carl Zeiss presents the new Distagon T* 2,8/15 super wide angle lens

Carl Zeiss brings out a new super wide angle lens in May 2012. The super wide angle Distagon T* 2,8/15 will be available with an EF (ZE) or F bayonet (ZF.2). With an extra-large angle of view of 110  degrees in combination with a fast f/2.8 aperture, the lens enables the features for dramatic perspectives and performance demanded by the most ambitious landscape and architectural photographers. With a unique ability to capture events in a natural and extraordinary manner, it is also an ideal companion for advertising, journalism and commercial photography.

For more information, please visit www.zeiss.com, or visit the Zeiss US blog.

Please help support the DJP by visiting our affiliates; Jessops, Warehouse Express, B&H Photo, Adorama Camera and Amazon. Note; sales through these links may benefit this site.

Thursday, 15 March 2012

Canon EOS 5D Mk III arriving tomorrow say Jessops

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UK retailer, Jessops, are saying on their site that the first stock of the new Canon EOS 5D Mk III (complete with 24-105mm L lens) is arriving tomorrow (March 16). That's almost a week ahead of the March 22 the retailer quoted earlier. However, they're still saying to pre-order to secure.

Please follow the link here to buy.

Wednesday, 14 March 2012

Canon EOS-1 DX available to pre-order at B&H Photo

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Although the EOS-1 DX has been available to pre-order in the UK, that's not been the case in the US as dealers have had to wait for the pricing. However, the delay is over at least for customers of B&H Photo. Adorama and Amazon are sure to follow, and we'll update this post when that happens.

Pre-order the EOS 1DX body at B&H Photo ($6,799.00)

UPDATE: Adorama has been taking pre-orders for the EOS-1 DX from before Christmas, so they tell me (thanks, Helen). Please follow the link here ($6,799).

Test Drive a Think Tank Photo Modular Rotation System

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Test Drive one of Think Tank Photo’s new Modular Rotation Systems free for 28 days.  If you like it, keep it and your credit card will be charged.  If not, return it to Think Tank no charge. The Modular Rotation System is the choice of working professionals who shoot sports, weddings, nature or any situation where the need to stay mobile and rapid gear changes are essential.

The Modular Component Set™ V2.0 consists of two individual lens changer pouches, a flash pouch and an accessory pouch that lock to or slide around any Think Tank Photo belt. Since the pouches are modular, the carrying system can be reconfigured to match any assignment, under any condition.
 
The Modular Skin Set V2.0 consists of two individual lens changer pouches, a flash pouch and an accessory pouch that lock to or slide around a Think Tank Photo belt. Components are lightweight, compressible and easily collapsible. Perfect for traveling.The "Sound Silencer" feature adds stealth by eliminating hook-and-loop tearing noises.
 
This offer ends on March 31, 2012 or when100 of each modular set has been reserved for the Test Drive program.

* This offer is only available within the United States because of the shipping costs of delivering the product from and to the U.S.

To participate, please click here.

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Sony Alpha SLT-A57 available to pre-order

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For pre-orders, please follow the links below to Adorama Camera:

Sony A57 body only $699.99
Sony A57 c/w 18-55mm kit $799.99

B&H Photo:
Sony A57 body only $699.99
Sony A57 c/w 18-55mm kit $799.99

UK readers can pre-order via Jessops:

Sony A57 c/w 18-55mm kit £699.95 (£100 less than Wex)

Please follow the links below for Warehouse Express (UK):

Sony A57 body only £699.99
Sony A57 c/w 18-55mm kit £799.99
Sony A57 c/w 18-55mm & 55-200mm £979

Thank you for buying through this site's links.

Sony announces Alpha SLT-A57 DSLR UPDATED

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Sony has introduced the SLT-A57, the much rumored replacement for the "translucent" (pellicle)-mirror A55. The A57 features the same 16-megapixel resolution sensor, EVF and translucent mirror technology but adopts the body of the A65 along with the latest iteration of Sony's Bionz processor. The A57 will be available in early April and have a MSRP of $799 complete with the 18-55mm kit lens.

For pre-orders, please follow the links below to Adorama Camera:

Sony A57 body only $699.99
Sony A57 c/w 18-55mm kit $799.99

UK readers can pre-order via Jessops:

Sony A57 c/w 18-55mm kit £699.95 (£100 less than Wex)

Please follow the links below for Warehouse Express (UK):

Sony A57 body only £699.99
Sony A57 c/w 18-55mm kit £799.99
Sony A57 c/w 18-55mm & 55-200mm £979

Thank you for buying through this site's links.

Press Release

 

α57 camera from Sony with Translucent Mirror Technology lets everyone grab the action at 12fps

13 March 2012

Power-packed camera with unique features including Full HD progressive recording and new Auto Portrait Framing at an accessible price

High speed 12 fps shooting with full-time continuous autofocus (in Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE mode)
Full HD 50p video with full P/A/S/M control
World’s first* Auto Portrait Framing
Clear Image Zoom for detail-packed close-ups
New high-resolution Tru-Finder™ with 100% coverage
16.1 effective megapixels Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor plus latest BIONZ processor
Extended sensitivity range ISO 100 - 16000
15-point AF system with 3 cross sensors

* As of December 2011. Among interchangeable lens digital cameras.

Limitless creative options are made even more accessible with a brand-new addition to the range of cameras by Sony employing Translucent Mirror Technology. This innovative design directs incoming light to the CMOS image sensor and the AF sensor at the same time, allowing full-time continuous AF during both still and video shooting. Framing, focusing and real-time preview can be achieved on the high-resolution Tru-Finder™ that offers a wide viewing angle and 100% field of view. This allows photographers to capture exactly what they see on the screen.

A natural successor to the acclaimed α55, the α57 is priced to appeal strongly to a wide audience of DSLR users. It shares many of the premium features – plus sophisticated styling and ergonomics – found on the enthusiast-focused α65. For the first time, entry-level photographers can shoot stills and Full HD video with razor-sharp responses and creative flexibility you’d expect from a camera in the class above.

Ensuring detail-packed images, the 16.1 effective megapixel Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor is teamed with a latest-generation BIONZ engine. Refined by Sony during development of the flagship α77 and α65, this powerful processor effortlessly handles large amounts of image data for flawless, low-noise stills and Full HD video.

The α57 allows incredible shooting speeds of up to 12 frames per second in new Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE mode. Magnifying the central portion of the sensor’s image by 1.4x, it’s perfect for capturing split-second action close-ups with a burst of sharply-focused images, even when your subject’s moving.

Shared with the α65, the 15-point AF system with 3 cross sensors assures fast, accurate TTL phase detection autofocus. Newly-enhanced Object Tracking AF keeps faces or other selected objects in sharp focus – even if your target’s obscured momentarily by another passing object.

The α57 also lets you create powerfully expressive Full HD movies. Responsive full-time continuous phase detection AF ensures that moving subjects stay sharply focused, just like with still shooting. AVCHD (Ver. 2.0) Progressive compatibility means that Full HD resolution movies can be captured at up to high 50p (progressive) frame rate: ideal for capturing silk-smooth, blur-free action. 25p shooting is also selectable for giving your footage that rich, cinematic look. Movie-making options are enhanced further with full control over P/A/S/M shooting modes for virtually limitless creative expression.

Even beginners can effortlessly create pro-style portraits with the α57. In a world first, Sony introduces new Auto Portrait Framing. Using face detection and the compositional ‘rule of thirds’, the camera identifies your subject’s position, trimming the scene to create tightly-framed, professional looking pictures in vertical (portrait) or horizontal (landscape) orientation. By Pixel Super Resolution Technology by Sony ensures that cropped, zoomed images retain a full pixel count. The original photo is saved together with the optimally-trimmed image. This allows easy comparison between the two versions, offering photographers inspiration to refine their own portrait skills.

If you want to get closer to your subject, 2x Clear Image Zoom doubles the effective magnification of your lens. Unique to Sony, By Pixel Super Resolution Technology maintains superb image detail, even with super-zoom shots. It’s a highly practical alternative to travelling with a bigger, bulkier telephoto lens.

Framing, focusing and real-time preview of exposure adjustments are a pleasure with the new Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder. With ultra-detailed 1440k dot resolution and a 100% field of view, it rivals quality optical viewfinders. There’s a choice of selectable high-resolution information displays with a wide viewing-angle to help you shoot with confidence, including a digital level gauge and framing grid. Information can be displayed either in the Tru-Finder™ or on the angle-adjustable 7.5 cm (3.0-type) Xtra Fine LCD.

Thanks to the BIONZ processor, creative shooting opportunities are boosted by an outstanding sensitivity range of ISO 100-16000. You’ll experience consistently natural, low-noise images – whether you’re using fast shutter speeds to freeze dynamic action or shooting handheld without flash in low light.

Already popular with creative photographers, the range of in-camera Picture Effects includes 11 effect types and 15 variations – offering a generous palette of ‘PC-free’ artistic treatments. Results can be previewed in live view mode on the LCD screen on in the Tru-Finder™, whether you’re shooting Full HD video or stills.

A range of optional accessories makes an ideal match for the α57. The battery-powered HVL-LE1 LED video light broadens options for recording video indoors or in low light. Ideal for active shooters, the ACC-FM1A accessory kit bundles a spare NP-FM500H rechargeable battery with the compact, versatile LCS-AMB travel case that protectively cradles the camera while offering quick access.

The new SLT-A57 Translucent Mirror camera by Sony is available in Europe from early April 2012.

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Monday, 12 March 2012

Open to Interpretation deadline extended

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Open to Interpretation have extended the deadline to submit entries to their latest theme Fading Light' from March 15 to June 26, 2012.

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Readers can download a sneak peak the current themed publication, Water's Edge here. The book is available from the OtI site here ($55).

Carl Zeiss to add 15mm f/2.8 prime to DSLR range?

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Carl Zeiss are rumored to be launching a new ultra-wide in ZE / ZF DSLR mounts, and have started a teaser campaign on Facebook. Our guess is a Distagon T* 15mm f/2.8, or maybe f/3.5 with a price of around $4,000.

Nikon D4 available to pre-order via Amazon

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Amazon in the US are taking pre-orders for the new Nikon D4 at $5,999, please click here to pre-order. Amazon are saying the D4 will be released March 20, 2012, alongside the Nikon D800 ($2,999) and D800E ($3,299).

UK retailer Jessops is taking pre-orders for the new D4 at £4,799.95 (inc VAT), please follow the link here.

Wex Photographic (Warehouse Express) are also taking pre-orders at £4,799.00.

US readers can also pre-order from Adorama ($5,999.5) here.

Thank you for buying through this site's links.

Saturday, 10 March 2012

Fuji X10 concise review

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After the success of the fixed lens retro APS-C format X-100, Fuji has applied the same design criteria to a digital compact camera with a built-in zoom in a bid to rival the likes of the Canon G-12, Panasonic Lumix LX5 and Olympus XZ-1. It differs from those models by adopting a 2/3-inch type Fuji made EXR CMOS sensor, that’s at least 25-percent larger in surface area while still maintaining a compact size body and fast f/2.0-f2.8 zoom lens. The Fuji made Fujinon-branded metal barreled zoom is not quite as fast as the f/1.8 Zuiko on the XZ-1 but it’s the same 28-112mm equivalent range and is not a great deal larger overall. Surrounding the lens is an unusual inclusion, a nicely knurled manual zoom ring that doubles as a power-on switch. It’s an attractive feature, certainly in-keeping with the retro design, and an improvement over the usual powered zoom options found on rivals, but the mechanism doesn’t feel particularly durable.

Under the satin black magnesium top cover the inclusion of an optical viewfinder using glass elements and prisms as opposed to the more common plastic construction is another welcome feature. It lacks the sophistication of the hybrid LCD/optical viewfinder of the X100 but it’s more useable than that found on Canon’s G-series. As Fuji claims, the image is bright but what they don’t say is that the lens barrel obscures the lower right corner of the frame at the shorter focal lengths. With coverage at 85-percent very careful framing is required and as there’s no viewfinder information it’s tempting at times to use the rear fixed 420k pixel LCD. If you’re familiar with the X100, the info display is very similar.

Manual focusing is possible using the rear command dial, and the distance and depth-of-field scales are shown but it’s a fiddly arrangement. Autofocus, on the other hand, is generally very reliable, with few shots lost from inappropriate AF point selection. If greater reliability is required, however, a centre AF spot, aligned with the viewfinder’s cross hairs, is a comfort for more conservative users at up to 7fps (in Large Fine quality).

Layout of the X10 mimics that of its larger sibling, the X100. The easily dislodged exposure compensation dial of the earlier model has been replaced with a more highly tensioned unit, but the main dial on the top plate no longer shows shutter speeds but exposure modes instead. The X10 also loses the aperture ring from the lens and follows most rivals, the exception here being the XZ-1 (which has a very useful control ring surrounding the lens) but means shutter speeds and aperture values must be selected from the X10’s rear command dials, and checked using the rear LCD. This extra step means you can make reliable adjustments when using the viewfinder, and it’s the same when selecting sensitivity.

The X10 has a programmable Function (Fn) button close to the shutter release, so you can customize it to display ISO settings on the rear screen but it can only be used for one function at time. I would have preferred a scrolling feature with an option for several functions or even a dedicated ISO dial, perhaps in place of the EV compensation control. Fuji’s main menu system isn’t as logical or intuitive as the current best (from Canon and Olympus), indeed, it’s fairly troublesome to navigate; in part due to the structure but also because of the somewhat fiddly direction-pad. Of all the niggles, it’s perhaps the most perplexing, though you can pretty much avoid it once the camera has been set-up.

To be fair the X10 performed well. Like other Fuji cameras the Film emulation settings (Velvia, Provia, Astia as well as some B&W options) are attractive when looking for in-camera produced JPEGs. Fuji’s EXR sensor and Fujinon lens is capable of producing files with excellent tonality and sharpness, as well as a high degree of resolving power. Some slight fringing was noticeable on high contrast edges, and the lens can flare heavily but an optional lens hood is available. Images are usable up to ISO800 before noise and detail are at odds and the movie clips are surprisingly clean. Fuji’s decision to include recording times of up to 29-minutes at 1920x1080p betters many DSLRs while both the manual zoom and focus options become more relevant. Rivals with articulated screens, such as the Canon G-12, Nikon P7100 and the Olympus XZ-1 using an optional EVF may be the more user-friendly for video and cost less (the exception being the XZ-1 EVF combination) but they can’t compete with the X10’s graceful lines and only the Olympus comes close to matching the Fuji’s files in colour and imaging quality.





Fuji X10 set at 7.1mm (28mm equiv) f/4.0 at ISO100. Auto EXR mode.

To Buy


If you found this review helpful and intend to remunerate us for this expensive and time-consuming work, please clear your browser's cache of cookies if visiting from a referring photo-site, as we're unlikely to receive the commission from the retailer. Thank you for buying through this site's links.

Adorama $599.95
Amazon US $599.00
B&H Photo $599.00

Amazon UK £391.50
Jessops £406.00
Wex £399.00

Thank you for buying from this site's links.

Related Posts


Fuji X-Pro1 body and lenses available for pre-order
Fujifilm X100 concise review

Friday, 9 March 2012

Epson wide-format printer mail in rebates available till end of March

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Epson US are offering a mix of instant and mail rebates worth up to $1000 but only till the end of the month. The 17-inch Epson SP3880 (shown above), for instance, has $300 mail in rebate available (bringing the price down to $995.00 from $1295.00), while the Stylus Pro 7900, qualifies for an instant $1000 rebate. Please follow the link to the Epson Online Store to buy.

Limited edition black Fuji X100 starts shipping

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Fujifilm's X100 Black Premium Edition (limited to just 10,000 units worldwide) is now shipping and available for purchase. Pleas follow the links here to purchase:

Adorama $1,699.95.

B&H Photo $1699.00.

Wex (UK) £1,299.00 GBP (still showing as pre-order)

Thank you for buying through this site's links.

Sony NEX-7 in stock at Jessops

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UK dealer, Jessops, has finished taking pre-orders on the NEX-7 and are now able to supply from stock. Supplies of the camera suffered a series of delays after the flooding in Vietnam, where the 24MP camera is manufactured. I've just reviewed the NEX-7 for Hotshoe International and found it incredibly accomplished. In my opinion it's the best stills/video camera Sony has made, and I hope to have a in-depth review on this site, in due course.

UPDATE: Please note, the NEX-7 is region specific and means the PAL versions record 1080/50p/50i/25p only, NTSC versions capture 1080/60p/60i/24p. It's a limitation, likely based on price, but not necessarily a deal-breaker.

To buy from Jessops, please follow the link here.

Sigma announces price and availability of new 19mm f/2.8 EX DN

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Sigma Imaging (UK) has announced that the suggested retail price of the new 19mm F2.8 EX DN will be £169.99 inc VAT. The new lens will be available in the UK by the end of March in both Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-Mount fittings.

Please help support the DJP by visiting our affiliates; Jessops, Warehouse Express, Adorama Camera and Amazon. Note; sales through these links may benefit this site.

Press Release

19mm F2.8 EX DN
Wide-angle lens for Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount cameras

Sigma Imaging (UK) Ltd is pleased to announce that the suggested retail price of the new 19mm F2.8 EX DN is £169.99. This new lens will be available in the UK by the end of March in both the Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-Mount fittings.

This high-performance wide angle lens is designed exclusively for mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras and has the equivalent angle of view as a 38mm (35mm equivalent focal length) on the Micro Four Thirds systems and 28.5mm (35mm equivalent focal length) on the E-mount system.

Three glass mold aspherical lenses provide excellent correction for distortion, color aberration and field curvature. The inner focusing system corrects the fluctuation of aberration to maintain image quality regardless of the focus distance. Sigma’s Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting and provides sharp and high contrast images even at the maximum aperture. The superior telecentric optical design improves image quality throughout the frame. This lens benefits from a newly developed linear AF motor which moves the lens elements directly without the need for gears or the drive of other mechanical parts. This system ensures accurate and quiet autofocusing, making the lens suitable for video recording as well as still photos.

The lens features a rounded 7 blade diaphragm creating an attractive blur to the out of focus areas of the image. This Sigma 19mm F2.8 EX DN has a minimum focusing distance of 20cm/7.9in and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:7.4.

SIGMA DN Lens: High-performance lenses, designed exclusively for mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. The latest technology for the lens design ensures high optical performance, a compact construction and quiet autofocusing. The superior telecentricity assures sharp and high resolution image quality across the entire image plane.

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Wednesday, 7 March 2012

Hard to find Sony 24mm f/1.8 Zeiss Sonnar T* in stock at Jessops

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UPDATE: It appears this is now out of stock and is showing as a 'special order'.

UK dealer Jessops has stock currently of the hard to find Sony Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm f/1.8 ZA at £849.95 (inc VAT). Sony Japan issued a statement last Friday apologising for the shortage. The lens started shipping in December last year but, it appears, only in small quantities. With demand higher than expected, Sony says it's doing it all can to fulfill orders.

To buy, please click here. Thank you for buying through this site's links.

Apple announces new iPad 3

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To pre-order the new third-generation iPad (starting from £399.00 inc VAT), please follow the link here. Please note the iPad 2 is still in range but now reduced, starting from £329.00, please click here to buy.

Thank you for buying through this site's links.

 

Press Release

 

Apple Launches New iPad

New iPad Features Retina Display, A5X Chip, 5 Megapixel iSight Camera & Ultrafast 4G LTE

SAN FRANCISCOMarch 7, 2012Apple today introduced the new iPad, the third generation of its category defining mobile device, featuring a stunning new Retina display, Apple’s new A5X chip with quad-core graphics and a 5 megapixel iSight camera with advanced optics for capturing amazing photos and 1080p HD video. iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G connects to fast networks worldwide, including AT&T’s and Verizon’s 4G LTE networks, and still delivers the same all-day 10 hour battery life* while remaining amazingly thin and light. Beginning today, iPad 2 will be offered at an even more affordable price starting at just £329 inc VAT.

“The new iPad redefines the category Apple created less than two years ago, delivering the most amazing experience people have ever had with technology,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The new iPad now has the highest resolution display ever seen on a mobile device with 3.1 million pixels, delivering razor sharp text and unbelievable detail in photos and videos.”

The new iPad’s Retina display delivers four times the number of pixels of iPad 2, so dense that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels when held at a normal distance, making web pages, text, images and video look incredibly sharp and realistic. The 3.1 million pixels in the Retina display are more than one million more pixels than an HD TV, and with 44 percent increased colour saturation the new iPad displays colours that are unbelievably richer, deeper and more vivid. Movies are now capable of playing at full 1080p HD-resolution, delivering an incomparable viewing experience on a mobile device.

The powerful new A5X chip with quad-core graphics was specifically designed by Apple to deliver a fast, responsive user experience while supporting the incredible Retina display. With double the graphics performance of the A5 chip, the A5X provides a superb balance between performance and power efficiency so users can enjoy all the benefits of the stunning new display while experiencing a smooth Multi-Touch interface, immersive gameplay, incredible visual depth and all-day battery life that iPad is known for delivering.

The 5 megapixel iSight camera features advanced optics for taking stunning pictures and recording full HD video. Backside illumination allows you to take great photos in low-light conditions and a new video image stabilisation feature removes the bumps and shakes typically seen when filming with a hand-held device. Images can be enjoyed on the large Retina display, then edited, enhanced and easily shared with friends and family using the built-in Photos app on iPad. 

iPad Wi-Fi + 4G with built-in next generation 4G LTE has the most comprehensive support for fast networks worldwide including HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA, and now both CDMA and GSM iPad users have the ability to easily roam internationally. The world-ready iPad delivers blazing download and upload speeds so web pages load incredibly quickly and email with large attachments can be sent and received easily. Personal Hotspot can be used to share the fast network connection on your iPad with up to 5 other devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB**. 

With iOS 5.1, the latest update to the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, the new iPad has a number of new features and enhancements including: a redesigned Camera app with video stabilisation technology; the ability to delete photos from Photo Stream; support for dictation in English, French, German and Japanese; and Personal Hotspot. iOS 5.1 also works seamlessly with iCloud, a breakthrough set of free cloud services including iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream and Documents in the Cloud, that works seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content and push it to your devices. When content changes on one of your devices, your other devices are updated automatically.

The new iPad also supports dictation, another amazing way to get things done just using your voice. Instead of typing, tap the microphone icon on the keyboard, then say what you want to say and the new iPad listens. Tap done, and iPad converts your words into text. You can use dictation to write messages, take notes, search the web and more. Dictation also works with third-party apps, so you can update your Facebook status, tweet, or write Instagram captions.

Apple also introduced the iPhoto app, along with major updates to iMovie and GarageBand, completing its suite of iLife apps for iOS. iLife and the iWork apps, Pages, Keynote and Numbers, have all been updated to take advantage of the new iPad Retina display. iPhoto includes breakthrough Multi-Touch features so you can use simple gestures to sort through hundreds of photos and find your best shots, enhance and retouch your images using fingertip brushes and share stunning photo journals with iCloud. iMovie now gives you the ability to create amazing Hollywood-style trailers as you record HD video, and GarageBand introduces Jam Session, an innovative and fun new feature that allows a group of friends to wirelessly connect to play instruments and record music together live on their iOS devices.

iPad runs almost all of the over 585,000 apps available on the App Store, including more than 200,000 native iPad apps, from a wide range of categories, including books, games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The iTunes Store puts the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store at your fingertips with a catalog of over 20 million songs, over 90,000 TV episodes and over 15,000 movies. The new iBooks 2 app for iPad lets users experience an entirely new kind of ebook that’s dynamic, engaging and truly interactive. iBooks created with Apple’s new iBooks Author offer gorgeous, fullscreen ebooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, unrivaled navigation and much more.

Pricing & Availability
The new iPad Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white on Friday, March 16 for a suggested retail price of £399 inc VAT (£332.50 ex VAT) for the 16GB model, £479 inc VAT (£399.17 ex VAT) for the 32GB model and £559 inc VAT (£465.83 ex VAT) for the 64GB model. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G will be available for a suggested retail price of £499 inc VAT (£415.83 ex VAT) for the 16GB model, £579 inc VAT (£482.50 ex VAT) for the 32GB model and £659 inc VAT (£549.17 ex VAT) for the 64GB model. iPad will be sold in the UK through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores, and select Apple Authorised Resellers. iPad will also be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland and the US Virgin Islands on Friday, March 16. Customers can begin pre-ordering their new iPad today, and the incredible iPad 2 is now offered at a more affordable price of £329 inc VAT (£274.17 ex VAT) for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and just £429 inc VAT (£357.50 ex VAT) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model. 

iOS 5.1 and iTunes 10.6 are available today as free software updates. iPhoto, iMovie 1.3 and GarageBand 1.2 are available today for £2.99 each from the App Store. Keynote 1.6, Pages 1.6 and Numbers 1.6 are available today for £6.99 each from the App Store. Updates are available for free to existing customers. By the end of March iPad will be available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

**Personal Hotspot requires supporting data plan. Customers should check with their carrier for availability.

Tuesday, 6 March 2012

Adobe makes Lightroom 4 official, drops price UPDATED

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After releasing LR4 public beta earlier in the year, Adobe has now finalised version 4 for general release and lowered the price to an estimated US$149 for new users, US$79 for upgrades. Apart from the new adjustment controls, soft-proofing, books and vide-support (including those .MTS files from the Olympus PENS, and Lumix models), support has been added for several recently announced cameras, including the Nikon D4 and Canon EOS 1DX. Hasselblad H4D 50/60 users can also take advantage of Lightroom's improved workflow over Phocus (as good as it is) with full compatibility with Hasselblad's native 3FR and 3F (.FFF) files.

To buy, or upgrade, direct from the Adobe store, please click here (with free delivery on boxed product)

 

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Lightroom 4 has a number of lens correction profiles built-in for Hasselblad - it's extensive but there are no profiles for the earlier V-series (Zeiss) lenses, though that may come.

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Moire and false colour correction of a .FFF file from a Hasselblad H4D 60 is particularly easy in Lightroom 4 (bodes well for the Nikon D800E).

 

Press Release

Innovative Shadow and Highlight Recovery and Enhanced Digital Photography Workflows Mark A Milestone Release

SAN JOSE, Calif. — March 6, 2012 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the availability of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 4 software for Mac OS and Windows. Lightroom is the essential digital photography workflow solution helping amateur and professional photographers quickly import, manage, enhance and showcase their images. First released as a public beta in January 2012, the final version of Lightroom 4 is now available for US$149 for the full version and US$79 for the upgrade, providing an incredible value for photographers. Lightroom 4 introduces refined technology for superior shadow and highlight processing, ability to create photo books, additional local adjustment controls, and enhanced video support.

“Feedback from our customers is invaluable in developing Lightroom and the real trick to a great release is to combine these insights with Adobe’s unrivalled image processing innovation,” said Winston Hendrickson, vice president products, Creative Media Solutions, Adobe. “Lightroom 4 is a stunning new release that will enhance photography workflows and help photographs stand out from the crowd.”

New Features in Lightroom 4
Lightroom 4 is a major release, adding significant new capabilities and innovations. New adjustment controls maximize dynamic range from cameras, recovering exceptional shadow details and highlights. The software features new and improved auto adjustments to dynamically set values for exposure and contrast, and additional local adjustment controls including Noise Reduction, Moire and White Balance.

Lightroom 4 provides photographers the tools to create beautiful photo books with text controls and a variety of easy-to-use templates, as well as a direct link for photo book creation from within the new Book module. A new intuitive Map module displays images already assigned a location, provides location tagging and reverse geo-tagging controls and saved locations for easy assignment of a photographer’s common locations.

Now, native video support gives photographers the capability to play, trim and extract frames from video clips shot on DSLRs, point-and-shoot cameras and smartphones. Video-specific presets and many standard Lightroom image adjustment controls can be applied to video clips, and adjusted videos can be exported as a H.264 file or published directly to Facebook or Flickr*.

In the Develop module, presets fully utilize new processing technology and the addition of soft proofing helps photographers tune images in a destination color space to ensure content looks its best. In addition, customers can now email images directly from Lightroom using an email account of their choice.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 is now available for Mac and Windows at www.adobe.com/store. The estimated street price is US$149 for new users or US$79 for upgrades. For more detailed information about product features, upgrade policies, pricing and language versions, please visit www.adobe.com/go/lightroom.

Users can also connect with the Lightroom team directly on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lightroom), via Twitter (www.twitter.com/lightroom) or on the Adobe Lightroom blog (http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal). For Lightroom how-to videos, visit http://www.youtube.com/lightroom.

Monday, 5 March 2012

Canon EOS 5D Mk II refurbished available

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With the furore expressed by some over the EOS 5D Mk III and the recent drop in price of the MK II, I thought I would take a look at the price of the refurbished bodies available direct from Canon USA. Sure enough the price there has dropped $239. You can pick yours up for just $1,759.20.

Buying refurbished can be a good way to save money on lenses too. How about a refurbished 50mm f/1.2L for $1,295.20 or a 85mm f/1.2L II for $1,759.20? Every item has a 90-day limited warranty, plenty enough time to check for optical or mechanical defects.

New lenses are available at competitive prices. The EF8-15mm f4L, for instance, is available for $1,399.00, There are savings to be had with other pro-level optics as well and you can pick up the usually 'out of stock' items, such as the outstanding EF 200mm f/2L IS listed at $5,999.00, and it's no dearer than Adorama.

For other instant savings, Canon USA has weekly deals, please click here for further details.

Please note, sales through links may benefit this site.

US dealers officially lower price on Canon EOS 5D Mk II

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US dealer, Adorama, has decreased the price of the Canon EOS 5D Mk II. Please follow the links to buy (I'm not sure how long this will last);

Canon EOS 5D Mk II body $2,199.00 (plus $500/$400 rebate when bought with Canon Pixma Pro 9500/Pro9000 Mk II respectively)

Canon EOS 5D Mk II with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS £2,999.00 (with same rebate available as above).

Please use this link for Amazon US.

B&H Photo are also listing the 5D Mk II here.

UPDATE (22nd March): UK readers can now benefit from lower prices. Jessops has reduced the price on the Mk II to £1659.

Thank you for buying through this site's links.

Saturday, 3 March 2012

Canon EOS 5D Mk III arriving March 22

Pre-order the Canon EOS 5D MK III and accessories

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With demand likely to outstrip supply, at least in the short term, the only way to secure the new Canon EOS 5D MK III and accessories is to pre-order. This you can do at the following affiliated dealers (it won't cost you more and may benefit this site):

Note, if you're in the UK, Canon will be displaying the new camera and accessories this weekend at the Focus On Imaging show, at the NEC, Birmingham.

To pre-order please follow the following links:

Adorama:
Canon 5D Mark III Body $3499
Canon 5D Mark III c/w 24-105 f/4L IS $4299
Speedlite 600EX-RT $629

Amazon:
Canon 5D Mark III Body $3499
Canon 5D Mark III c/w 24-105 f/4L IS $4299
Speedlite 600EX-RT $629
Canon BG-11 Battery Grip $490

B&H Photo;
Canon 5D Mark III Body $3499
Canon 5D Mark III c/w 24-105 f/4L IS $4299.95
Speedlite 600EX-RT $629

UK Dealers:

Jessops
Canon 5D Mark III Body £2999 /
Canon 5D Mark III c/w 24-105 f/4L IS £3689
Canon BG-11 Battery Grip £329
Speedlite 600EX-RT £679
Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT £309
Wireless Transmitter WFT-E7B £789

Wex (Warehouse Express)
Canon 5D Mark III Body £2,999
Canon 5D Mark III c/w 24-105 f/4L IS £3,689
Canon EOS 5D Mark III c/w EF 24-70mm f2.8 II Lens £5298
Canon BG-11 Battery Grip £329
Speedlite 600EX-RT £679
Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT £309
Wireless Transmitter WFT-E7B £789
GP-E2 GPS Receiver £299

Thank you for buying through this site's links

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