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Nikon cancels DL compact series citing high development costs

14 Feb

Nikon has officially put an end to the DL series. Announced just under a year ago, the three DL compacts would have had 1″ sensors. Nikon missed its June target ship date, citing problems related to the image processor. Now, Nikon says that the development costs had become too great to continue. A statement released today also mentions the company’s concern that it wouldn’t sell enough units to make up for the increased costs, due to a slow down in the market.

That wasn’t the only piece of bad news from Nikon this morning. The company released its third quarter financial results and due to costs of a ‘voluntary retirement’ program it initiated last year and semiconductor inventory write-offs, has announced an ‘extraordinary loss’ from April to December of 2016. The impact of this is reflected in an updated forecast for the financial year ending in March, lowering predictions of net sales and operating income. The statement acknowledges a ‘sluggish and shrinking’ market for digital cameras.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sony announces compact HVL-F45RM radio-controlled flash

08 Feb

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Sony has announced its new HVL-F45RM external flash. This compact flash is ‘ideally suited for a7-series’ and offers a guide number of 45m (at ISO 100), 2.5 sec recharge time and the ability to take 210-shot bursts. It also has a built-in LED lamp for video recording.

The HVL-F45RM can control up to five groups of radio-controlled flashes, with a 30m range. With three flashes per group, that’s a total of 15 external strobes. It can also control three groups via ‘optical’ control. As you might have guessed, the F45RM can also serve as a receiver.

The flash can rotate 180° in either direction and tilt up 150° and down 8°. It has an intuitive interface and a 4-way controller with customizable buttons. The F45RM is sealed against dust and moisture incursion.

The HVL-F45RM will ship this May for about $ 400 US and $ 550 CA.

Press Release

Sony Introduces 100mm F2.8 STF G Master™ with Highest Ever Quality Bokeh for an ? Lens

New Full-frame 85mm F1.8 Mid-telephoto prime lens and Compact Radio-Controlled Flash announced as well

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 7, 2017 – Sony Electronics, a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer, has today introduced two new lenses for their popular line of E-mount interchangeable lens cameras.

Sony’s new lenses include one of their flagship G Master Series – an FE 100mm F2.8¹ STF GM OSS mid- telephoto prime lens (model SEL100F28GM) built to deliver breathtaking bokeh with a unique STF™ (Smooth Trans Focus) design, and a new compact, lightweight FE 85mm F1.8 mid-telephoto prime lens (model SEL85F18) that is a welcome addition to the bag of any hobbyist or enthusiast photographer looking to create amazing portraits.

They have also introduced a new powerful, compact flash (model HVL-F45RM) with radio-controlled wireless communication that is ideal for professional shooting with Sony’s lineup of ?7 full-frame cameras.

FE 100mm F2.8¹ STF GM OSS Telephoto Prime Lens

A specially designed mid-telephoto, full-frame prime lens, the new 100mm STF is built to produce truly unique, magnificent and beautiful bokeh while maintaining the exceptional standard of resolution that is showcased by Sony’s entire line of flagship G Master series lenses, making it a powerful photographic tool for any portrait, fashion, nature or wedding photographer.

These impressive defocus capabilities are made possible by the lens’ advanced optical structure, as it features a newly designed 11-bladed aperture and a unique optical apodization lens element. Similar to a neutral density filter that increases in density towards the edges, the apodization element creates beautiful transitions of in-focus to out-of-focus areas within an image, making for exceptionally soft, smooth bokeh that adds depth and dimensionality. This allows the subjects to stand out against beautifully defocused elements in both the foreground and background, producing an image that is naturally pleasing to the eye. The design of the lens also ensures that vignetting is kept to an absolute minimum, ensuring optimum image quality.

Additionally, the new 100mm lens supports both contrast AF and focal-plane phase detection AF², and has a high-precision, quiet direct drive SSM (Super Sonic Motor) system that ensures exceptionally fast and accurate AF performance. The SEL100F28GM also offers up to 0.25x close-up capabilities with a built-in macro switching ring, built-in Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization, a customizable focus hold button, AF/MF switch, aperture ring and more. It is dust and moisture resistant as well3.

FE 85mm F1.8 Telephoto Prime Lens

The new 85mm F1.8 mid-telephoto prime lens offers an extremely versatile, lightweight and compact telephoto prime lens solution for a variety of Sony camera owners ranging from working professionals to emerging enthusiasts that have stepped up to full-frame or APS-C cameras for the first time. With its wide F1.8 aperture, it can produce impressive, exceptionally sharp portraits with soft background defocus that take advantage of its 85mm focal length and wide F1.8 maximum aperture.

The new prime lens features a 9-bladed circular aperture mechanism that ensures smooth, natural looking bokeh, and a double linear motor system to allow for fast, precise and quiet focusing. It also has a focus hold button that can be customized and assigned together with functions in the camera body like the popular Eye AF feature. There is a smooth, responsive focus ring and AF/MF switch as well, and the lens is also dust and moisture resistant³.

New Compact Radio-controlled Flash

Sony’s new HVL-F45RM flash enhances the radio-controlled lighting system capabilities of their growing system, offering a compact professional shooting solution when combined with the currently available wireless remote controller FA-WRC1M and receiver FA-WRR1.

The new flash, which is designed to complement the compact bodies of Sony’s E-mount camera lineup including full-frame ?7 models, produces a maximum lighting output as expansive as GN45⁴. This ensures sufficient illumination even when shooting with bounce lighting or high-speed-sync (HSS) flash. The radio capabilities of the HVL-F45RM allow it to be used as a transmitter or a receiver at up to 30m (approx. 98 feet⁵), making it an ideal fit for creative lighting with multiple flashes. Additionally, unlike optical flash systems, radio-control flashes do not require a direct line-of-sight between components to function properly, while also minimizing any impact that bright sunlight has on signal transmission and control.

The HVL-F45RM flash has an impressive battery life of up to 210 bursts, and can tilt up to 150o vertically, a complete 360o horizontally and up to 8o downward to maximize versatility. Usability has been maximized with a new large, bright and highly visible LCD display, an LED light, dust and moisture resistant design3 and a revamped menu system that mimics those of Sony’s newest camera systems.

Pricing and Availability

Both of the new lenses and the new flash unit will ship to authorized dealers throughout North America.

The new FE 100mm F2.8 STF OSS GM Telephoto Prime Lens will ship this March for about $ 1,500 US and $ 2,050 CA.

The new FE 85mm F1.8 Mid-Telephoto Prime Lens will ship this March for about $ 600 US and $ 800 CA.

Replacement lens hoods for each of the new models will also be available for purchase as well.

The new HVL-F45RM flash will ship this May for about $ 400 US and $ 550 CA.

1. T-number (T) =5.6
2. With compatible ?camera bodies. Please visit Sony support webpages for details.
3. Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof.
4. Guide Number (GN) 45 (105mm, in meters at ISO 100)
5. Sony internal measurement

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Hands-on with Ricoh’s compact Pentax KP

26 Jan

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

Ricoh has taken the wraps off it’s newest DSLR, the APS-C format KP. Resembling a mini Pentax K-1, and inheriting some of the same features, the KP will replace the K-3 II in Ricoh’s APS-C lineup. We got our hands on a pre-production sample recently, and we’ve prepared a quick product tour.

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

The KP really does look like a scaled-down K-1, with the same distinctive slab-sided Pentaprism hump. Ricoh tells us that they were aiming for a camera with a similar size as a competitive mirrorless model, but without sacrificing the experience of using an optical viewfinder.

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

One major different between the KP and the K-1 is a built-in flash. It’s not particularly powerful (GN 6, at ISO 100) but should be useful for close-range portraiture and fill-in. Speaking (kind of) of low-light photography, the KP’s 27-point SAFOX 11 autofocus system should be usable down to -3EV.

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

Probably the biggest upgrade in the KP compared to the K-3 II is its sensor. The KP boasts a 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor, with a maximum ISO sensitivity of ISO 819,200, supported by a built-in 5-axis ‘SR II’ stabilization system. Ricoh claims that this system will deliver an effective benefit of 5 stops of stabilization.

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

The KP’s 3″ rear LCD features a resolution of 920k-dots, which is average for a midrange DSLR at this point. While it doesn’t offer the highest resolution on the market, it’s clear and detailed, and can also be tilted outwards.

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

Sadly (hey, we’re nerds), the articulation mechanism is a conventional tilting hinge. There’s no sign of the K-1’s unique Apollo Lander-style struts. The tilting screen will be handy for several kinds of still photography, and also video. The KP’s video specification is relatively unremarkable (1080/30p) but it does feature a ‘4K Interval Movie mode’. This combines a series of 4K-resolution still images (3840 x 2160 pixels) taken at a fixed intervals to create a single movie file.

For those who want to output video to an external recorder or TV, do note that Ricoh has done way with the HDMI port on the KP. Instead, you need to buy a dongle which attaches to the ‘SlimPort’ (basically a microUSB jack with video output capability). RIcoh says the HDMI port was removed to keep the size of the camera down.

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

Pentax has been adding options to the traditional PASM quartet for years, and the KP is no exception. It’s exposure mode dial is crowded with settings, and includes five (five!) custom ‘U’ preset positions plus Scene Analyze Auto, Program, Sensitivity Priority, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Shutter & Aperture Priority, Manual, and Bulb.

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

This view shows off the KP’s nicely-sized front and rear control dials, and another top-mounted mode dial, with another three custom positions. This time for bracketing options, which include two new tools – ‘Motion Bracketing’ (shutter speed) and Depth-of-field Bracketing (aperture).

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

A D-LI109 battery should deliver between 390-420 shots per charge, depending on flash use. This view shows off the rubber gaskets around the battery compartment door. Unusually these days, Ricoh calls the KP ‘weatherproof’ and claims that the KP is ‘dustproof and weather-sealed’ and capable of operating at temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 C).

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

Here’s something else that’s a bit unusual – removable hand-grips. The KP ships with a medium-sized grip attached as standard, but with a few turns of an allen wrench…

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

it can be popped right off, and replaced with smaller or larger grips, which are included in the box.

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

The large grip goes especially well with the new optional battery grip.

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

Please note that the grip shown here is an engineering prototype and is not cosmetically representative of the final shipping product (which will be more textured, and less shiny).

The D-BG7 Battery Grip can hold one extra battery, and an extra memory card (stowed, not as usable media). It will also be sold with a tray to adapt the K-70’s batteries to be used with the KP. The KP’s maximum shooting rate of 6 fps is not affected by the battery grip.

Hands-on with new Pentax KP

Here’s that tray, in action.

The KP will be available on February 25 for a suggested list price of $ 1,099.95. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Canon releases its TS compact and faster Pixma printers to US market

17 Dec

The Canon Pixma TS8020

Canon has announced that four compact Pixma printers it released in Europe will now be coming to the USA, with slightly different names. The new Pixma TS models are said to be smaller and quicker than previous versions, taking up less desk space and starting up in just six seconds.

The printing and scanning all-in-one devices offer wireless connections via regular Wi-Fi and through smartphone and Cloud apps – including Apple’s AirPrint. A range of control screen sizes are available across the series, with the higher end models featuring a touch-screen interface for printing and limited editing functions such as the application of filter effects.

Each of the models prints and scans with media of up to A4 in size, and after scanning a warning appears to remind users to remove documents from the scanning platen.

The devices are available now and are priced:

Canon PIXMA TS5020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer – $ 99.99 MSRP (white or gray)
Canon PIXMA TS6020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer – $ 149.99 MSRP (white or gray)
Canon PIXMA TS8020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer – $ 179.99 MSRP (black, white, red or brown)
Canon PIXMA TS9020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer – $ 199.99 MSRP (two-tone red/black or white/black)

For more information visit the Canon USA website.

Press release

Canon U.S.A. Introduces Four Compact PIXMA Wireless Inkjet All-in-One Printers

Proof that good things do come in small packages, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced today four new PIXMA TS-series Wireless1 Inkjet All-In-One (AIO) printers. The PIXMA TS5020, PIXMA TS6020, PIXMA TS8020 and PIXMA TS9020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printers are more compact than their predecessors, but pack a big, high-quality punch for users. Perfect for tech savvy gadget lovers, creative crafters, passionate image makers, family projects and household printing needs; these small, sleek and sophisticated printers can fit in with any home décor.

“Canon U.S.A. is excited to bring a new series of PIXMA printers into families’ lives, helping to make their day to day more productive than ever” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “By decreasing the size, but increasing efficiencies and delivering crisp and clear results, we’ve made the printers in this series must-haves for every home.”

While these printers preserve what is valued from the previous series of PIXMA All-In-One printers, the new models are easy-to-use and cost-effective delivering print reliability and high-quality images. Additional new and exciting features make these printers:

Easy!
The new user interface (UI) includes a large, simplistic touch LCD screen making it easy to read and select functions such as copy, scan or print.

PIXMA TS9020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer – 5 inch screen with touch panel and on-screen buttons
PIXMA TS8020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer – 4.3 inch screen with touch panel and on-screen buttons
PIXMA TS6020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer – 3 inch screen with touch panel and off-screen buttons
PIXMA TS5020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer – 3 inch screen with off-screen directional pad and start/stop buttons

Compact!
The size of each new PIXMA model has been minimized, making the printer easy to store and take up less space on a desk.

Fast!
Each new PIXMA model in this series will be ready to print six seconds after it is turned on and the command is sent over from your laptop, smartphone or tablet. This is half the time than on select previous models.

Smart!
Wireless printing means you don’t have to plug in to print1. Each printer in this series features cloud printing capabilities through a compatible smartphone or tablet device, so PIXMA owners can print using the Canon PIXMA Cloud Link2 from virtually anywhere to link with various cloud services they use to print photos and documents. Further adding to the overall wireless capabilities of the PIXMA line of printers is Google Cloud Print, which allows users to send Gmail messages, file attachments and select Google Docs to the printer from any compatible devices.

After scanning a document or photo, the PIXMA TS9020, TS8020, TS6020, and TS5020 printers will show a reminder on the LCD screen to take the document with you to avoid misplacing important information.

The PIXMA TS9020 and TS8020 models are also able to print directly through NFC via Android devices further adding to the overall ease of use of these machines.3

Helps foster your creativity!
Through the LCD screen, the PIXMA TS9020 printer allows users to enhance their images with creative filters including options such as Monochrome, Antique, Sepia and Cinema Style. The PIXMA TS5020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer, PIXMA TS6020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer and PIXMA TS8020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer can utilize the same creative filters through the free Easy Photo Print+ web based software.4

Through PIXMA Cloud Link on the Canon PRINT app5 and the LCD screen on select models, Canon users can de-stress with a creative release by printing from over one hundred and twenty coloring pages available.

All of the printers are compatible with the new 5 inch by 5 inch paper option available today which is ideal for square prints and printing images from Instagram.

Along with the coloring pages available through PIXMA Cloud Link on the Canon PRINT app3, all Canon PIXMA wireless inkjet printers come with My Image Garden6 software. My Image Garden offers a variety of features designed to inspire and enhance creativity while empowering the sharing of images.

The PIXMA TS5020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer is $ 99.99 MSRP and the PIXMA TS6020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer is $ 149.99 MSRP. Both are available in black, white and gray. The PIXMA TS8020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer is $ 179.99 MSRP and is available in black, white, red, and brown and the PIXMA TS9020 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Printer is $ 199.99 MSRP and is offered in two-tone red/black and white/black.

For more information and the full list of product specifications, visit: shop.usa.canon.com/pixma-ts-series

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Have your say: Best high-end compact of 2016

07 Dec

Have your say: Best high-end compact of 2016

Although it’s true that ‘compact’ usually refers to cameras small in size, here, we use it to refer to any camera with a non-removable lens. This makes for an interesting spread of cameras, with 1″-type sensors and APS-C sensors, prime lenses and zoom lenses, pocketable wonders and DSLR-styled bridge cameras.

So step (or sit) right up and take a peek through the high-end compacts of 2016, and let your voice be heard – which of these should be crowned the best high-end compact camera of the year?

Note: This poll only includes high-end compact cameras released in the calendar year of 2016. If there’s a late 2015 product missing that you want to highlight, leave a comment and we’ll take this into account.

Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II

The Canon G7 X Mark II brings some impressive updates to Canon’s original 1″-sensor compact. It features a new Digic 7 processor, bringing with it increased operational speed and 8fps burst shooting in Raw + JPEG. There’s a (very comfortable) front grip, more effective image stabilization and the screen now tilts down as well as up (selfies will outlive us all).

There’s abundant external controls and a well-thought out touch interface, the control dial around the lens can be ‘clicked’ or ‘unclicked,’ and a 24-100mm equiv. F1.8-2.8 lens sits in front of a 1″-type BSI CMOS sensor.

In all, the G7 X Mark II is everything we hoped the G7 X Mark I would have been and more – is that enough to launch it to the top spot? Cast your vote and let us know.

See full specifications, user reviews and more

Fujifilm X70

As is typical with Fujifilm cameras, the retro-styled X70 is quite the looker, with image quality to back up those looks. Along with 28mm equiv. F2.8 lens, it uses Fujifilm’s tried-and-true 16MP X-Trans CMOS II sensor and offers their famous film simulation modes.

You also get a 77-point hybrid autofocus system, a 3″ touch-enabled LCD, and all the manual controls you could want – plus eight customizable buttons.

The Fujifilm X70 is a camera for those that like a ‘hands-on’ experience, and it’s very petite considering the relatively large sensor. Do you think these qualities are enough to push it to the top of the pack this year?

See full specifications, user reviews and more

Leica X-U

The Leica X-U is the manufacturer’s first-ever rugged camera – it’s waterproof to 15m, and is also shock-proof and dust-proof. It features a 23mm F1.7 Summilux ASPH lens that works out to a 35mm equivalent field of view for its 16.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor. There’s a flash mounted directly above the lens barrel, which will be especially useful for use underwater.

There’s always a certain cachet that comes with that red dot, reinforced here with Leica’s claims that they teamed up with Audi Design for the overall design of the camera. Are you a fan of the design? Excited by the prospect of dunking a Leica in the drink? Cast your vote and let us know.

See full specifications, user reviews and more

Panasonic Lumix LX10 / LX15

The Lumix LX10 / LX15 is Panasonic’s answer to Sony’s RX100-series, offering a 20MP 1″-type CMOS sensor, a 24-72mm equiv. F1.4-2.8 zoom and 4K video as well as some clever 4K photo modes. It has an all-metal body and well-damped dials, a pop-up flash, and a refined touchscreen interface.

The LX10 / LX15 also uses Panasonic’s Depth-from-Defocus (DFD) technology, ensuring swift and accurate autofocus, even for moving subjects, and also features varying levels of image stabilization between stills and video. Does the LX10 / LX15 tick all the right boxes for you?

See full specifications, user reviews and more

Panasonic Lumix FZ2500 / FZ2000

The Panasonic FZ2500 / FZ2000 is the followup to the older FZ1000. Like many other models in this poll, it features a 20MP 1″-type CMOS sensor, though unlike other cameras in this roundup, it has a whopping 24-480mm equiv. F2.8-4.5 zoom lens. As much a video camera as it is a stills camera, Panasonic has also added a built-in variable ND filter, fully articulating LCD, 4K capture and 10-bit 4:2:2 vide output over HDMI.

It’s not the most… compact… compact camera in this poll, but that’s you price to pay for that staggering zoom range. Are you a video enthusiast who’s picked up the FZ2500 for yourself? Do you think it’s beaten out all the other compacts this year?

See full specifications, user reviews and more

Panasonic Lumix ZS100 / TZ100

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 / TZ100 marks the manufacturer’s return to the compact travel-zoom market, and it is a camera that more or less stands alone in this regard. It uses a 20MP 1″-type CMOS sensor behind a 25-250mm equivalent F2.8-4.9 zoom lens in a package that will easily fit in your jacket pocket. Typically for Panasonic, there’s also detailed 4K video capture and a slew of stills capture aids like Post Focus and 4K Photo. They’ve even shoehorned a popup flash and an electronic viewfinder into the all-metal body.

Is the ZS100 your go-to travel camera? Let us know.

See full specifications, user reviews and more

Sony Cyber-shot RX10 Mark III

The Sony RX10 Mark III is as much about its lens as it is everything else. That lens is a 24-600mm equivalent F2.4-4 Zeiss-branded unit, exhibiting impeccable sharpness throughout the zoom range. The sensor is a familiar 20MP 1″-type CMOS unit, and the camera is otherwise very similar to the RX10 Mark II. It offers 4K and ultra-slow-motion video capture as well as Sony’s industry-leading JPEG noise reduction.

Is the RX10 III and its monster lens enough to take the compact camera crown? Let us know what you think by casting your vote in the poll below.

Full specifications, user reviews and more

Sony RX100 Mark V

The RX100 V is the most refined RX100 model yet. It comes with a 20MP 1″-type sensor, 24-70mm equivalent F1.8-2.8 Zeiss-branded lens, and incredible 24fps burst shooting with full autofocus and autoexposure. There’s also oversampled 4K video capture, ultra slow motion video capture, a clever pop-up electronic viewfinder and a tilting rear screen.

The RX100 V is about as much technology as can fit into a pocket. Does it make your list of best cameras of the year?

See full specifications, user reviews and more

Vote now!

Voting is easy – you pick your favorite products by dragging and dropping. You can pick up to three, and rank them in order of priority.

Have your say

$ (document).ready(function() { Poll({“pollId”:”4436302269″,”openForVoting”:true,”mainElementId”:”poll0″,”slot”:null,”isSingleChoicePoll”:false,”minNumberOfChoices”:1,”maxNumberOfChoices”:3}); })

Have your say: Best high-end compact of 2016

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II

Fujifilm X70

Leica X-U (Typ 113)

Panasonic Lumix FZ2500

Panasonic Lumix LX10

Panasonic Lumix ZS100

Sony Cyber-shot RX10 III

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 V

Poll Rules:

This poll is meant to be a bit of fun. It’s not sponsored, promoted or paid for in any way and DPReview staff don’t care how you vote, so please don’t start a flame-war in the comments. I.e., please don’t be a troll.
It’s fine to vote for products that you haven’t used (some may not yet be shipping, after all) but please don’t vote purely just to sandbag another product or brand. I.e., please don’t be a troll.
Please only vote once, from a single account. Creating and voting from multiple accounts for a community poll of no consequence is a silly thing to do with your time. See points 1 and 2, above, about not being a troll.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Metz mecablitz M400 compact wireless flash unit now available

06 Dec

German flash manufacturer Metz has launched a new compact sized flash unit that offers wireless TTL control and coverage to match 24-105mm lenses. First announced at Photokina, the Metz mecablitz M400 has a guide number of 40m/131ft at ISO 100 at the 105mm zoom setting, along with a tilt and swivel head for bouncing the light. The gun is compatible with Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax and Sony multi-interface cameras and offers TTL metering with each. All but the Fujifilm model will support wireless TTL flash as well, with the M400 being used either as a slave or commander in a group. A USB socket is provided for future firmware updates.

High speed sync mode is available, as is the choice of first and second curtain triggering, and 25 steps of manual control. The unit also has a 100 Lux/1m video light built-in that provides six stages of illumination.

The Metz mecablitz M400 is available now and costs $ 280/£122. For more information visit the Metz website.

Press Release

M400 launched by Metz

Compact and powerful flashgun

Metz has launched the mecablitz M400, a compact system flash suited to mirrorless system cameras and is ideal for any photographer or film-maker looking for a convenient, compact flash unit. It is available in Canon, Nikon, Micro FourThirds, Pentax, Sony and Fuji fittings.

Powered by four AAA sized NiMH, alkaline-magnesium or lithium batteries, the Metz mecablitz M400 has a zoom-swivel head covering a FOV range matching that of a full-frame 24-105mm lens, with a guide number of 40 (in metres at ISO 100/21°) at the 105mm position. Depending on your camera, the mecablitz M400 with master and slave mode also offers wireless TTL flash functionality. The M400 comes with an adjustable LED video/modelling light, bounce card and integrated wide-angle diffuser. Other highlights include high-speed flash synchronisation, second-curtain sync and red-eye reduction plus it can always be kept up-to-date via the USB interface for receiving firmware updates.

Features / Tech Spec:
High max. guide number 40m (131feet) for ISO100 and 105mm
Vertical (+90°) and horizontal (360°) bounce/swivel head
Clear OLED display
Integrated high-performance LED video light (100 Lux @ 1m)
Motorised zoom for 24–105mm illumination
Integrated wide-angle diffuser (12mm) & flip-out reflector card
Flash readiness indicator, correct exposure display on unit and on camera (camera dependent)
Flash range shown in OLED display
Automatic unit shut-off
Dimensions: (W x H x D) 65 x 92 x 87mm
Fittings available: Canon / Nikon / Fuji / Sony / Pentax / Olympus – Panasonic

Prices & Availability
Metz M400 Flashgun – all fittings. £121.99 inc VAT
Available immediately

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Throwback Thursday: the Kodak DC265, a user-programmable compact

20 Oct

Throwback Thursday: Kodak DC265

When you think of unique cameras, the Kodak DC265 (announced in 1999 for $ 899) probably doesn’t come to mind. The first thing you probably notice is its unusual shape and ‘foot’ to keep it from tipping over. But what really made it unique is that it ran Flashpoint’s Digita OS, which was fully scriptable (the company and OS did not last long.) In other words, developers could add new features by writing some code and putting it onto a memory card. Several Kodak models at the time supported Digita, as did those from HP, Konica Minolta and Epson.

Before we get to that, here’s a quick overview of the DC265. It had an F3.0-4.7, 38-115mm equivalent lens, which is so loud when it’s extending that it made my coworkers in other cubicles wonder what on earth was going on. It had a whopping 1.6 Megapixel CCD, an external autofocus sensor (that we think involves infrared light) and an optical viewfinder that isn’t nearly as large as it appears from this view.

Throwback Thursday: Kodak DC265

While the DC265 had a ‘regular’ menu system (more on that in a minute), you could also use the LCD info display and a pair of buttons to quickly adjust settings. In 1999 this was a pretty advanced camera, offering burst shooting (at a whopping 3 fps, with live view disabled), time lapse and manual focus. It takes the camera and absurd amount of time to save a burst of photos to its memory card; we’re talking like 90 seconds.

While it looks like the DC265 doesn’t have much of a grip, it’s actually quite comfortable in the hand. The thumb rest is on the lower-right side of the back panel and works in conjunction with the ‘foot’ shown earlier, making this unusually shaped camera easy to hang on to.

Throwback Thursday: Kodak DC265

The DC265 was loaded with I/O ports. You’ve got your 8-pin Mini-DIN port for connecting to a Mac or PC, A/V out and DC-in. And what’s hiding under that last port? A flash sync port! There’s a dedicated volume button, a feature which didn’t really catch on.

You can see that the previous owners – a school in Bellevue, WA – etched their name onto the side of the camera for all eternity.

Throwback Thursday: Kodak DC265

The DC265 had two doors on its right side. One holds 4 AA batteries, while the other is where you’ll put that CompactFlash card. I had to dig through my collection of ancient memory cards to find one that the camera could read (96MB in this case).

The battery life on the DC265 is terrible, which is why NiMH rechargeables were so popular in those days.

Throwback Thursday: Kodak DC265

There are lots of exciting things on the back of the camera which, as you can see, has had a rough life. You’ve got a tiny viewfinder, a mic and speaker, that nice rear thumb rest, plus the zoom controller at the top right.

The mode dial (around the four-way controller) switches between record, playback, connect (to a PC or printer) and ‘info’ mode (which just listed the firmware version, copyright info and a link to Flashpoint’s website.)

Then there’s the LCD, which is truly awful. It’s average-sized for that time period (2″) and the resolution was competitive. However, once you pan the camera or anything moves, everything turns blue and red and the refresh rate is around 3-4 fps (per Phil Askey’s original review.)

To make matters worse: the menus are all in Comic Sans (or something that closely resembles it.)

Throwback Thursday: Kodak DC265

And that leads us to the Kodak DC265’s pièce de résistance: Digita. This scripting language, developed by the now-defunct Flashpoint, was easy for anyone with basic programming experience to learn. Kodak itself offered several scripts for Digita, including one for bracketing that you can see parts of above.

There was also a pretty large home-brew community at the time, with scripts that could generate HTML galleries, have finer control over shutter speed or just play Tic Tac Toe. Scripting got more powerful on later DC-series models (notably the DC290), with the ability to create panoramas or embed GPS data. And while it couldn’t run Crysis, the DC290 could play Doom.

As you probably know by now, Digita didn’t take off. But for a brief moment in time, it let photographers add features to cameras themselves, rather than waiting for the next model to come out.

Kodak deserves a lot of credit for bringing something new to digital photography, whether it was the unique design of the DC265 (and its successor, the DC290) or putting users in control over camera features with Digita.

For more on the Kodak DC265, check out Phil Askey’s review here on DPR.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Leica introduces ‘Titanium gray’ version of its Q compact camera

20 Oct

Leica has announced that it will release a new version of its Q (Typ 116) full-frame compact camera that will be finished in a gray paint instead of the usual black. The Leica Q ‘Titanium gray’ will be essentially the same camera as the black model, but its metal areas will be a light gray. The material body cover will be a dark gray. The company says that there are other ‘striking design features’ that make the camera different to the standard model, but all that’s evident is the distance scale markings on the lens are picked out in red paint, like the Rolf Sachs Summilux-M 35mm F1.4, instead of Leica’s usual yellow. The strap will also be made of a different material.

The ‘Titanium gray’ model will be available from the middle of November and will cost £3800. The black version usually sells for around £3200/$ 4250, but is rather short supply.
For more information see the Leica website.

Press Release

Leica Q ‘Titanium gray’

A perfect fusion of technology, design and style

Leica Camera has revealed the Leica Q ‘Titanium gray’, bringing a brand new, alternative design to its successful, high-performance compact camera, the Leica Q, which features a fixed fast prime lens and full-frame sensor.

In contrast to the discreet black of the body, lens and leather-style trim of the original Leica Q, this stunning new model offers a titanium grey paint finish on the top and base plate and back of the camera, combining the premium look of precious metal with classic black elements.

Elegant, yet extremely durable, the Leica Q ‘Titanium gray’ includes a series of striking design features not found on the standard model. For example, the distance scale in feet and the focal length on the lens are highlighted in red. Furthermore, the colour-coordinated carrying strap supplied with the camera has been manufactured from strong, robust material most commonly used to make climbing ropes.

Offering the same impressive performance and technical specifications of the black Leica Q model, the Leica Q ‘Titanium gray’ features intuitive handling and an exceptionally fast lens. The perfect camera for street, architectural and landscape photography, its Leica Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH. lens makes the Leica Q ideal for available light shooting and has an angle of view that reproduces scenes with natural perspectives and proportions.

With a 24 MP, full-frame CMOS sensor precisely matched to its lens, the Leica Q ‘Titanium gray’ delivers richly detailed exposures with low noise at optimum quality, at ISO sensitivities of up to 50,000. This outstanding camera allows the greatest possible creative freedom for even the most demanding photographic ambitions, enabling the photographer to switch effortlessly between macro, automatic and manual focusing.

Ensuring the decisive moment is never missed, the Leica Q full-frame compact camera has the fastest autofocus in its class and offers precision focusing almost in real-time. Furthermore, its Leica ultra-fast Maestro II image processor enables continuous shooting at up to ten frames per second at full resolution. Allowing reliable control of subject composition at this speed, the Leica Q also features an integrated viewfinder with a resolution of 3.68 MP – displaying even the finest details without any perceptible lag, as soon as the camera is brought up to the user’s eye.

All functions of the camera are clearly laid out and logically placed, making it exceptionally ergonomic to use. The clear and logical menu provides rapid access to all essential functions and also enables photographers to programme their own personalised settings.

In addition, the Leica Q delivers movie recording in full-HD quality. Depending on the scene and subject, users can choose between 30 and 60 full frames per second for video recording in MP4 format. The camera also features an integrated Wi-Fi module for wireless transmission of still pictures and video to other devices, and remote control by WLAN from a smartphone or tablet.

The Leica Q app enabling these features can be downloaded free of charge from the Leica web site. As well as providing a remote release function and display of the viewfinder image, the app also allows the setting of parameters such as aperture and shutter speed from the device employed.

Full product specifications can be found at: uk.leica-camera.com.

Pricing and availability

The Leica Q ‘Titanium gray’ is scheduled to be available from mid-November 2016, at a suggested retail price of £3,800 including VAT.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Canon updates Pixma printer line with more compact models

07 Sep

Canon has announced four new inkjet home printers that it claims are much better looking than its previous models, as well as 40% more compact. The new models are the Pixma TS5050, TS6050, TS8050 and TS9050, each of which offers both printing and scanning functions. Canon has enabled wireless printing on all four models allowing users to connect smartphones and tablets via the Canon PRINT app through Wi-Fi Direct and Access Point Mode. The two top models, the TS8050 and TS9050, allow NFC connection as well, while the TS9050 features an Ethernet port for networking the machine to multiple PCs.

The LCD screen of the printers differ between models with the TS5050 offering a 3in panel with no touch function. The TS6050 has the same size screen but with touch control, while the touch screen of the TS8050 measures 4.3in and that of the TS9050 measures 5in.

Printer resolution differs too, from 4800x1200dpi in the TS5050 and TS6050 to 9600x2400dpi in the TS8050 and TS9050. The lower end models use a five-ink ChromaLife 100 system while the higher end models use 6 inks.

For more information visit the Canon website.

* PIXMA TS5050 Series – RRP £119.99
* PIXMA TS6050 Series – RRP £159.99
* PIXMA TS8050 Series – RRP £199.99
* PIXMA TS9050 Series – RRP £279.99

Press release

Enjoy high-quality prints with one of Canon’s stylishly compact three-in-one home printers

United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 6 September 2016 – Canon today unveils a newly designed PIXMA inkjet line-up with design, connectivity and creativity at their centre. No matter your needs, Canon offers something for everyone with its entry-level PIXMA TS5050 series, mid-range PIXMA TS6050 series, PIXMA TS8050 series and its top-of-the-range PIXMA TS9050 series – all of which are up to 40% more compact.

Seamless connectivity
Thanks to integrated Wi-Fi connectivity, each PIXMA offers wireless printing from PCs, smartphones and tablets via the improved Canon PRINT app for Android and iOS. Features such as Wi-Fi Directi and ‘Access Point Mode’ let you connect directly to the printer without needing a router or Wi-Fi password, making it easy to share your printer with visiting friends and family.

The PIXMA TS9050 series and PIXMA TS8050 series’ PIXMA Touch & Print feature, accessed via the Canon PRINT app on Android devices, allows you to simply connect your NFC-enabled smartphone or tablet and create a print or scan. The PIXMA TS9050 series’ Ethernet connection gives you the freedom to share the connection between multiple PCs on a network.

With the PIXMA TS9050 series, PIXMA TS8050 series and PIXMA TS6050 series, the LCD touch screens provide access to the PIXMA Cloud link, which connects to your favourite cloud services, so you can quickly print a photo or upload a document to read on the goii. If you love social media, the selected printersiii can connect to Instagram™, bringing your favourite photographs to life – even as 13x13cm (5×5”) prints on Canon’s new square glossy photo paper.

Modern, compact designs for stylish and connected homes
The compact, sleek designs are the most distinct and eye-catching yet, making your PIXMA a piece of art in the home. The contrasting mirror and matte finish of the PIXMA TS8050 series and PIXMA TS6050 series add instant shine in any room, while those wanting to make an artistic statement can with the PIXMA TS9050 series cutting-edge box aesthetic. The front tilt panel and large LCD screens, provide quick access to the all-new intuitive single screen home menu, mirroring the Canon PRINT app’s simple navigation and functionality.

Quick and easy quality home printing
The PIXMA TS5050 series and PIXMA TS6050 series’ five individual ink tanks provide fast, high-quality printing on both plain and photo paper. Using an additional grey ink tank and enhanced photo black ink, the PIXMA TS9050 series and PIXMA TS8050 series both improve photo print quality, with richer details in dark and shaded areas, making them ideal for photography enthusiasts. Optional XL cartridges across all models allow you to print more pages, whilst the single ink cartridges minimise waste, with each colour individually replaceable.

Get creative from the comfort of your home
From photos, to double-sided documents, or personalised birthday cards and a child’s artwork, the new PIXMA models are compatible with a wide range of paper types and sizes, thanks to the new rear paper feed. In addition to this a front cassette on the TS9050 series, TS8050 series and TS6050 series, mean users can simultaneously have plain paper for documents in the front cassette whilst having photo paper loaded in the rear tray making light work of printing both document and photos without having to switch paper between prints. Both the PIXMA TS9050 series and the PIXMA TS8050 series feature direct disc printing via the Canon PRINT app.

The PIXMA TS9050 series, PIXMA TS8050 series and PIXMA TS5050 series can also print your photos straight from an SD memory card, without the need for a PC. With SD card printing on the PIXMA TS9050 series, you can even add creative filters directly onto your photos from the large 12.6cm (5”) printer touchscreen itself, for inspiration at the touch of a button.

PIXMA TS5050 series key features:
* All-In-One printer that’s compact, elegant and affordable
* Print over Wi-Fi, from an SD card, or from the cloud
* 7.5 cm (3”) LCD display and simple user interface
* Print 10×15 cm (4”x6”) borderless photos at home in under 40 seconds
* Smartphone- and tablet-ready with the Canon PRINT app

PIXMA TS6050 series key features:
* Fast All-In-One document and photo printer
* Wi-Fi for cable-free printing, copying and scanning around the house
* Intuitive user interface with 7.5 cm (3”) touchscreen
* Access cloud features from the printer’s touchscreen
* Smartphone and tablet ready using the Canon PRINT app

PIXMA TS8050 series key features:
* Print your photos at home in stunning quality
* Compact design Wi-Fi printer with copy and scan functions
* Large 10.8 cm (4.3”) touchscreen and auto-tilting front panel
* Wi-Fi, NFC and SD card connectivity options
* Smartphone- and tablet-ready with the Canon PRINT app

PIXMA TS9050 series key features:
* Specialist printer that delivers stunning lab-quality photos
* Creative filters for SD card images using the large 12.6 cm (5”) touchscreen
* Compact form factor with elegant contrasting textures
* Smartphone-ready All-In-One with Wi-Fi and cloud connectivity
* Wi-Fi, NFC, Ethernet and SD card connectivity options

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sony Xperia X Compact offers high-end camera in smaller format

02 Sep

Along with the Xperia XZ, Sony has launched the Xperia X Compact. It’s aimed at users who want a powerful camera in a compact body but can live with a slightly less powerful chipset.

The X Compact comes with the same 23MP ‘triple sensor’ main camera with laser-AF and color sensor as the Xperia XZ, but doesn’t offer 4K video and uses a front camera with a lower 5MP resolution, compared to the XZ’s 13MP. Like previous Sony Compact models the new device has a 4.6” display with 720p HD resolution, putting it in direct competition with Apple’s iPhone 6s. The Sony is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 chipset and features 3GB of RAM in conjunction with 32GB of internal storage. The latter is expandable via a microSD slot. Power is provided by a 2700 mAh battery, that, like on the larger model, supports smart battery management and quick charging.

The power button doubles as fingerprint reader to ensure secure device access and online shopping. In contrast to the Xperia XZ the Compact model comes with a plastic body that does not feature any environmental protection. However, this is reflected in pricing. The Xperia Z Compact will be available in Europe from September for a more affordable €449 (approximately $ 560).

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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