There have now been seven variants of the RX100 series, and at least six of them are still current models. Confused? Here’s an updated look at their differences, and our recommendations among them now that we’ve tested the Mark VI.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
 |
The Kodak-branded ‘Kashminer’ Bitcoin mining scheme announced at CES has apparently collapsed, with Eastman Kodak distancing itself from the company behind it.
This is distinct from the Kodak-branded ‘Kodak Coin’ cryptocoin and ‘Kodak One’ IP blockchain scheme announced by Wenn Digital Inc at CES.
Eastman Kodak is saying that the Kashminer scheme, where investors could effectively rent Bitcoin mining hardware which would be located at Rochester NY, and use Kodak’s on-site power station for cheap electricity, was never actually a licensee of the Kodak name. This is despite the hardware appearing on Kodak’s stand at CES, bearing the company’s name.
The company behind the Kashminer says that the US Securities and Exchanges Commission had prevented the scheme from going ahead
The Kashminer scheme was immediately ridiculed at the time, since its promised consistent rate of return would appear impossible, given the increasing difficultly of ‘mining’ that is inherent to Bitcoin.
The BBC is reporting that Spotlite – the company behind the Kashminer – says that the US Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) had prevented the scheme from going ahead. It says it is now looking to establish a Bitcoin mining system in Iceland.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
70-200mm F4 zoom lenses may not get as much attention as their faster F2.8 siblings, but for many photographers these lenses hit the perfect sweet spot of price, performance, and weight.
This week, Chris and Jordan go to the Calgary Stampede with pro photographer Kyle Marquardt to shoot the new Tamron 70-210mm F4, available in Canon and Nikon mounts, alongside the Canon and Nikon equivalents. How does the Tamron hold up, and is it a good alternative to the OEM glass? Watch the episode to find out what they think.
Also, make sure to read our recent review of the Tamron 70-210mm F4.
Read the Tamron 70-210mm F4 review
Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
 |
Kandao, a maker of professional-grade 360° cameras has launched a new software product called Kandao Raw+. The tool was designed to boost image quality of the company’s own camera models Obsidian and QooCam, but also works with most DSLRs and other Raw-capable cameras that are supported by Adobe Camera Raw.
Kandao Raw+ uses computational photography techniques, similar to what we are seeing in many high-end smartphones, to create images with increased detail and dynamic range, as well as lower noise levels. To achieve that it combines a burst of Raw images into one single DNG file that can then be further edited with a Raw converter of your choice.
 |
The software aligns shots automatically which means there is no need for shooting on a tripod. It is also capable of minimizing blur on any moving subjects in the scene. You can import up to 16 frames images of a burst into Kandao Raw+. You then pick one image as a reference for the auto-alignment.
The rest of the process is fully automated and will get you a DNG file with a 16-bit color depth and dynamic range that (theoretically) has been increased by almost 4EV, offering much more latitude in post-processing.
Best of all, Kandao Raw+ is free to download and use. You can find more information, technical detail and download links on the Kandao website.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
 |
Fujifilm has taken an unusual departure from its regularly scheduled programming to bring you…instant noodles?
Yes, you read that correctly — as part of a promotional giveaway, Fujifilm Korea has created Fujifilm Film Simulation Instant Noodles, a line of instant noodles that’s wrapped with the same branding used on Fujifilm’s Provia 100 color reversal film packs.
 |
According to the description, the Provia 100-branded noodles taste like ‘hot and tangy kimchi.’ For those unfamiliar with kimchi, Wikipedia describes it as ‘a staple in Korean cuisine […] a traditional side dish made from salted and fermented vegetables, most commonly napa cabbage and Korean radishes.’
 |
It appears as though you won’t be able to get the instant noodles outside of South Korea. If you happen to be reading this from South Korea — or plan on taking a trip there soon — you can jump over to Fujifilm Korea’s promotional page and secure yourself some film-inspired instant noodles.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_5242743195″,”galleryId”:”5242743195″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });
The Leica Noctilux-M 75mm F1.25 ASPH is a fast, high-quality and decidedly heavyweight short telephoto prime lens, designed for use with Leica’s digital M-series rangefinders. A companion to the company’s existing 50mm Noctilux-M 50mm 0.95, the new 75mm is better suited to classic portraiture. Its nine-element, six-group construction is comprised exclusively of high anomalous partial dispersion and low chromatic dispersion glass, and contains two aspherical elements.
The incredibly shallow depth of field at F1.25 (not to mention its sheer size) make it tough to shoot with a conventional optical rangefinder
As you might expect, as well as being very pricey the 75mm F1.25 is also quite a handful, with a 67mm filter thread and weighing in at a total weight of 1055g (2.3 lb). While natively an M-mount lens, the incredibly shallow depth of field at F1.25 (not to mention its sheer size) make the 75mm Noct very tough to shoot with a conventional optical rangefinder. As such, we’ve mostly been shooting it on an M10 coupled with Leica’s Visoflex electronic viewfinder, and on an SL via an adapter.
We’ve been grappling with the 75mm F1.25 for a little while, and we’re working on a short shooting experience article. In the meantime, take a look at our sample images and let us know what you think.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
70-200mm F4 zoom lenses may not get as much attention as their faster F2.8 siblings, but for many photographers these lenses hit the perfect sweet spot of price, performance, and weight.
This week, Chris and Jordan go to the Calgary Stampede with pro photographer Kyle Marquardt to shoot the Canon 70-200mm F4, Nikon 70-200mm F4, and Tamron 70-210mm F4. Watch the episode to find out what they think.
Also, make sure to read our recent review of the Tamron 70-210mm F4.
Read the Tamron 70-210mm F4 review
Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
 |
Skylum, the company previously known as Macphun, has released Luminar 2018 update 1.3.0. The Lightroom alternative has received numerous changes across both its Mac and Windows versions, primarily improvements to existing features, as well as support for additional cameras from Fujifilm, Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Canon, and Pentax.
Luminar 2018 is the latest evolution to Skylum’s image editor for Mac and Windows. The 2018 version added a variety of features, improvements, support for Photoshop plugins, and UI changes. Update 1.3.0 builds upon this, adding additional plugin support for Mac, DNG Camera Profiles (DCP) and new features for Windows, and more than a dozen improvements that vary based on operating system.
 |
The Windows version of Luminar 2018 can open Raw files faster post-update due to Raw engine improvements. This version also brings a new White Balance feature with eyedropper to Develop, Raw Develop, and the Color Temperature filters, better filter performance, simplified blending mode selection, and more.
The Mac 1.3.0 version, meanwhile, brings improvements across eight features in addition to support for plugins from the following software: Imagenomic Noiseware 5, Imagenomic Portraiture 3, Imagenomic Realgrain 2, and DxO FilmPack 5. Luminar 2018 for Mac also now has improved support for eight languages, additional file format export options for batch processing, better filter and JPEG controls, and more.
In addition, Luminar update 1.3.0 adds support for the following cameras:
The full changelogs for the Mac and Windows update are available here. Existing Luminar 2018 users can update from within the software by choosing the “Check for updates” option, which is found under the “Help” menu on Windows and the “Luminar 2018” menu on Mac. Luminar 2018 is available from Skylum for $ 69 USD.
Via: PhotoRumors
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
 |
Australian digital cinema company Blackmagic recently worked with Apple to develop Blackmagic eGPU, an external GPU that brings “desktop-class graphics performance” to the new MacBook Pro laptops with Thunderbolt 3 ports.
The Blackmagic eGPU features an AMD Radeon Pro 580 graphics processor with 8GB of GDDR5 memory, one HDMI 2.0 port, four USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and an 85W power supply. Thunderbolt 3 provides a 40Gb/s connection over a single cable, enabling rapid data transfers between the external graphics processor and MacBook Pro.
 |
Graphics performance speed improvements depend on the laptop model; The Verge reports that the 13-inch MacBook Pro experiences an 8x boost, while the 15-inch model experiences a 2.8x increase.
As a first for external GPUs, the eGPU’s second Thunderbolt 3 port provides optional connectivity with the LG UltraFine 5K Display, the model Apple offers directly, and other Thunderbolt 3 displays. A second monitor can be connected via the HDMI port; peripherals, such as a mouse and keyboard, can be plugged into the eGPU’s USB hub.
Users must be running macOS 10.13.6 High Sierra or later to use the Blackmagic eGPU. Apple is exclusively offering the device through some of its retail stores and online for $ 699 USD.
Via: The Verge
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
 |
If you use Apple’s photo printing service you’ll have to find yourself a replacement soon, as Apple is in the process of discontinuing the service. Photo Print Products was originally launched for Mac users in 2002 and first integrated into iPhoto, letting you order photo prints, albums, photo books, and calendars among other products. Later it made the move to the Photos app but was never available on the iOS mobile operating system.
It appears that not enough people were using the service. According to a message in macOS 10.13.6 Photos app final orders for Photo Print Products will have to be placed by September 30, 2018.
Luckily, Apple doesn’t leave you without any printing options. The company recommends the use of third-party apps that include a Photos Projects extension. The latter is an API that was introduced with macOS High Sierra and lets photo printing services integrate their user interface into the Apple Photos app. Payment and printing are handled by the third-party provider. Currently the API is used by apps such as Mimeo Photos, Wix, GoodTimes, WhiteWall and Shutterfly.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)