It’s time to ring in the New Year, and we invite you to join us at the Full Frame Mirrorless camera party, where we’ll meet old friends and maybe some new ones as well. Happy New Year from DPReview TV!
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Simon Joinson was DPReview’s second general manager, after founder Phil Askey. During Simon’s years with the site, DPReview underwent enormous changes, not least the relocation of almost the entire team in 2010 from London to Seattle, thousands of miles away on the west coast of America.
I don’t remember specifically. It kind of crept onto my radar gradually, because to be honest, back in the late 90’s / early 2000s, few of us in the publishing world were that focused on the internet as a potential competitor. I do remember that the first time I saw it it was still on the askey.net domain, so it must’ve been early. In the very early days there were other sites that popped up more regularly – Steve’s Digicams, DCResource – but by the 2002, 2003 timeframe, DPReview was an unavoidable
What set DPReview apart, in the industry?
You have to remember that 20-ish years ago the difference between the traditional print media and what was starting to be called the ‘new media’ was stark. On the internet content was always free, but it was generally seen as something of a digital ‘wild west’, where anyone with a computer and a modem could publish their opinions and you couldn’t move for unqualified ‘experts’. Websites simply lacked the credibility and trust of camera magazines, which in some cases were household names that had been published for decades.
Most print magazines reviewed cameras using a template that was, give-or-take, about 80% subjective
DPR was different. There were consistent, repeatable tests and metrics and, critically, there was no ‘take my word for it’ with Phil – he presented all his results on the page for you to download and look at yourself. In the early days he was pretty cautious about offering much ‘opinion’ at all (beyond the final rating), preferring to let the data speak for itself. By comparison, most print magazines (including mine) reviewed cameras using a template that was, give-or-take, about 80% subjective. It’s impossible to overstate the impact Phil’s approach to reviewing and objective testing had on the photographic publishing world.
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| Simon using an early sample of Canon’s PowerShot Pro1, back in 2004. Simon had yet to officially join DPReview, and was credited by Phil in his Pro1 hands-on as ‘editor of the excellent UK magazine Total Digital Photography’. |
Phil and I had been pretty close friends since we sat together on a 12 hour flight to Tokyo for the 2002 World Cup final – part of a Fujifilm press trip that included meeting senior executives and touring a digital camera factory. We’d often talked about working together, and in 2004, with Phil was struggling to keep up with the increasing rate of new camera launches on his own, we signed a contract with DPReview to produce compact camera reviews and news stories. I already had a team of writers, photographers testers and designers working for my for my company, and so, initially, at least, DPReview was just another client. It didn’t take long, however, for it to totally consume my life.
Phil and I didn’t work in the same place – he worked from home on one side of London and I worked out of my offices in Covent Garden. And we worked incredibly long hours and almost every weekend, but it was incredibly rewarding. I still miss those days when it was just the two of us doing almost everything. We even used to take our wives (the DPReview widows) on weekend city breaks together. Thinking about it now, the fact we took about a dozen cameras and spend most of the time talking work probably made it less enjoyable for the ladies, but they were kind enough not to complain.
I slowly got used to having hundreds of anonymous people publicly accusing me of dishonesty / incompetence / corruption whenever I posted anything – it was a big change from the occasional angry handwritten letter we’d receive about magazine content we’d already forgotten about. But hey, at least it meant people were reading.
Phil had poured his heart and soul into DPReview for over five years, and he wasn’t about to start messing about with a winning formula
I pushed for a ton of changes, but there was never any doubt in the early days who was boss, so I wasn’t very successful (it was three years before I was even trusted to review a DSLR!). Phil had poured his heart and soul into DPReview for over five years, and he wasn’t about to start messing about with what was obviously a winning formula.
I think my biggest contribution back then was to implement, to some degree, a few standard practices from the world of publishing – for example using an Editor and Sub Editor to tidy things up before posting. Looking back I’m glad Phil wouldn’t let me change much – I knew a lot less about the internet than I thought I did, and I had plenty of time to develop my understanding – and my ideas for the site – over the years we worked together.
DPReview gets a redesign
(May 2010)
I wasn’t involved in the deal at all – DPReview was still Phil’s site, and he wasn’t allowed to tell anyone he was even talking to Amazon. I guess by the time I heard about the negotiations they were almost over, and the deal was only a few months from closing. Long story short, I got an offer compelling enough to resign as Managing Director of my own company and take a job with Amazon.
On the one hand it changed everything – we started looking for a dedicated office / studio space, started hiring, had real jobs with a real boss. But in many other ways nothing changed – Amazon made it clear from day one that this was our site, and we should just carry on doing exactly what we were before it changed hands.
As soon as the acquisition was public and we’d found our new offices we started hiring developers and editors, including some (looking at you Richard Butler!) who are still part of the DPReview team. Phil was focused mostly on running the business and being the interface with Amazon, and on managing the engineering / dev side of our work. I managed the editorial side. By the end of 2008 we had a team of 10 people, meaning Phil and I finally got to spend our weekends away from work…
We gathered the staff and told them Phil was leaving and we were relocating the entire business to Seattle. Then we went to the pub.
The catalyst for the move was Phil’s decision to leave the business in late 2009, but in the end the decision was mine. It was clear that moving to the mothership in Seattle would be the best thing for DPR at a time when the global financial downturn and growing weakness in the compact camera market (thanks iPhone!) we’d get more support, more staff and more visibility if we relocated. And to be honest, working as a remote team with its own premises had lots of perks, but it wasn’t all fun and games; it also brought with it a ton of admin overhead, lots of travel and endless late night conference calls between London and Seattle.
We gathered the staff one morning in April 2010 and told them Phil was leaving and we were proposing relocating the entire business to Seattle. Then we went to the pub for the rest of the day.
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| A new office in a new country called for a new studio scene. One of Simon’s lasting contributions to DPReview was our patented studio scene comparison ‘widget’. |
As you can imagine the news about Phil and the move created a certain amount of worry. We offered the entire team a full relocation package and initiated a month-long consultation period, at the end of which we asked everyone if they wanted to come with us on our new adventure. All but two of the team accepted, and – after a surreal six months or so of preparing to emigrate – most of them moved to Seattle in the late fall of 2010. I was the last to relocate because we had our second child on the way. For about four months I managed the business from 5000 miles away, with an 8 hour time difference.
Inevitably all this had some short-term negative consequences for the site – we couldn’t produce any reviews whilst our equipment made its way across the ocean and our new studio was being fitted out – not to mention the fact that several of the team had to take time off to organize moving their entire lives to another continent. And yeah, we kinda lost lens reviews for a while after the move (our lens reviewer didn’t relocate with us).
DPReview relocates to America
(November 2010)
Honestly it worked really well for me – I prefer to work late and I had a newborn baby in the house, so I tended to start work mid afternoon to maximize my overlap with the rest of the team (there were a couple of people still in the UK, but most were already in the US).
When I took the reins at DPReview in 2010 camera sales had already been in decline for a couple of years, and I knew I couldn’t just sit there watching the site slowly pulled under by falling demand in the camera market. I wanted to bring more photography and more diverse voices to the site, to revamp our reviews and expand our coverage of accessories and techniques, and to raise the bar in general, editorially. I was also desperate to change the UX and visual design of the site (and offer users an alternative to the black background). DPR was already the place for camera reviews, and I dreamed of a time when it would also be the primary destination for all things photographic, adding photographic art, commentary, education and analysis to our world-class reviews and product launch content. I got some of the way there in the next 8 years…
I hope DPReview goes from strength to strength and I expect to be still visiting daily after another 20 years! I’m also super excited to see some of the things I was working on before I left finally making their way onto the site, and to see where the new leadership takes DPR in the future.
I’m incredibly proud of the work I did during the almost 14 years at DPReview, and there’s very little on the site today that I wasn’t directly involved with. Highlights for me include the side-by-side studio comparison feature, the (white background) site redesign and the painful but necessary forums revamp, which introduced scores of new features and fixed the crumbling infrastructure, significantly improving performance and reliability, and which almost none of our users liked.
I’m also very proud of the PIX2015 photography expo, which with hindsight was a stupidly ambitious project for a handful of people with no experience in live events to take on… But honestly the thing that makes me proudest is the amazing talented people I got to work with. Many became friends, and many went on to even bigger and better things after DPReview. But many stayed around, and it’s been a delight watching them grow into the best damned camera review team in the world.
I’m working for Lab126 (the Amazon subsidiary that designs and builds devices) in California. I still work on cameras, and I’m able to feed my curiosity and love of invention, working on products I can’t talk about that may, or may, not see the light of day in years to come. It’s challenging and demanding and very fast-paced, and I love it.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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As DPReview enters its 20th year of publishing, we spoke to the site’s founder, Phil Askey – DPReview employee #1. In this interview, Phil remembers the first ten years of DPReview’s development from its original conception, through a period of massive growth, to the site’s acquisition by Amazon.
Before starting DPReview I was the lead developer for a software company based in Singapore, working on a web based business-to-business hospitality marketplace. The “world wide web” was still very new in 1998 but I had already established a sort of tech blog (before they were called that), mostly at that time discussing the Palm Pilot and similar electronic PDAs. The rough design for the PDA site ended up being the foundation for DPReview (including the love / hate black background).
My passion for photography began with my first proper camera, a gift from my parents, an Olympus OM-10 with a 50mm F1.8. At the end of 1998 digital cameras were just starting to appear. I took an interest immediately, being a bit of a geek, loving my tech toys and being into photography.
I created a new sub-domain on my “blog” called photo.askey.net (props to anyone who can remember that) and began writing news articles about digital cameras, at that time quite a lot of my news leads came from Japanese digital camera sites like dcwatch. My first camera review covered the Canon Pro70 (at that time a groundbreaking product), supplied to me by the marketing department at Canon Singapore and the first proper DPReview review was born.
In the very early days, in our Singapore flat it was a very makeshift setup: a few fixed tables, tape marks on the floor, items arranged in a certain way, home printed charts, etc. Nobody was really trying to test digital cameras in a repeatable way, and that was my aim, to have tests we could apply over and over and get the same results (within a margin of error). When we returned to live in London in early 2000 we had a more permanent setup with a cove for product photography, permanently mounted professionally printed charts, studio lights and so on.
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| The DPReview homepage complete with its ‘love it or hate it’ black background, in November 1999 – just under a year after the site was launched. |
From 1998 to 2008 all of the backend software (i.e., the site code), the testing, news, reviews, forums management was my job. My wife, Joanna, handled the growing load of actually running a business (paperwork, bills, invoicing) as well as being a fantastic photographer and model for the reviews. Many of the better gallery photographs from those days were taken by her. Simon Joinson joined us in mid-2004 contributing news and reviews (click here to check out Simon’s first review). At the beginning of 2008, after the Amazon acquisition, we established a larger office in London and grew the team out.
Initially I had no particular expectations but as traffic grew I knew we must have been doing something right, and in hindsight I would pick out these four key values.
First, always be honest. Write a review truthfully as though you’re writing it for a family member. If a product has an issue, talk about it. Manufacturers may not like to hear it but it’s the right thing for the buyer and in the long term for the manufacturer. I also had a strict no-advertorial policy.
Second, try to be first, and most in-depth. Despite the massive amount of work involved in producing a review I always aimed to be the first to publish and to have the most detailed reviews. This became a little easier later as manufacturers provided us with pre-production units before launch.
Despite the massive amount of work involved in producing a review I always aimed to be the first to publish and to have the most detailed reviews
Third, always listen to your community – I spent hours and hours analyzing logs and trying to understand how people used the site. I scrapped many an idea when it didn’t work, and added lots of features based on user requests. We always had an open “feedback” system which I believe to be invaluable.
Finally, build a strong relationship with the manufacturers through mutual respect. This might seem slightly counterintuitive for an independent review site but as long as your testing is rigorous and your writing is honest you will earn respect on all sides.
The single biggest issue back in those days was simply technical; scaling the servers to cope with the massive growth in visitors. A good 30% of my time was developing, optimizing and maintaining the site code and the servers. There weren’t many “small businesses” running servers out of hosting facilities dealing with the amount of traffic we had, and cloud services had yet to be invented.
Also as a small business there is also a lot of pressure to keep the site up. My phone would always be with me and there were many instances of early morning panic getting the servers back up and running.
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| Phil (left) and his son Kai. |
I was pleasantly surprised by how receptive the camera manufacturers were / are to our often critical feedback, this I believe has had a direct influence on the development of certain models. I can think of a few cameras that I can say “it’s that way because we pointed out X, Y and Z on the previous version” or “that’s the camera we always talked about”.
I remember one factory tour trip in particular to Tokyo where we labelled “VIP” which took me by surprise
When we moved back to London in early 2000 and begun working full time on the site, we had already surpassed any other digital camera site in terms of visitor numbers and were being taken seriously by the manufacturers, I remember one factory tour trip in particular to Tokyo where we labelled “VIP” which took me by surprise as we were sharing the trip with many industry veterans. It was I think at that time I realized we had earned enough respect to be taken seriously.
Crazy is probably the correct adjective. We went from around 40,000 visitors per month in January 1999 to 600,000 by January 2000, to over 3 million per month by January 2002. By January 2006 we were seeing almost 20 million visitors per month. All this though simply drove us to keep doing more and building the site out.
Amazon simply emailed me and a long, long conversation began, it wasn’t the first M&A approach we’d had but it was the most attractive, in terms of Amazon’s track record of helping sites at that tipping point (and we were definitely there) to grow without spoiling them. Amazon was by far the best fit for DPReview and we knew their assurances about editorial neutrality and supportive site development were invaluable to growing the site.
After the acquisition we opened an office in London and grew out the staff, creating a whole new studio space and introducing a host of new site and review features.
Announcement of Amazon acquisition (May 2007)
This question took me the longest to answer, I guess I’m proud that we built up such a loyal and strong community, I put a lot of effort into the forums and I still believe it’s the backbone of the site (remember, back then discussion “boards” were far less feature-rich). I guess today I’m still very proud that we made the right choices at the right time and that Amazon are giving the site everything it needs to continue to be the leading voice for everything photography related.
These days I’m likely to be found at the side of a race track somewhere in Europe (mostly Italy) supporting my son’s racing career.
Keep an eye on the site tomorrow, when Simon Joinson, DPReview’s general manager during the period when the team moved from London, UK, to Seattle, USA, will share his memories.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
For weeks, we’ve been getting hammered with the question “Will Chris and Jordan continue their tradition of doing a Best and Worst year-end episode?”
Oh yes, dear readers, they will. And here it is. Pour yourself a cocktail and enjoy. And if you must, get ready to throw some rotten tomatoes at the screen if you don’t like their selections, and tell us why you disagree in the comments. They won’t take it personally – we promise.*
Get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!
*They will probably take it personally, but go ahead and leave your comments anyway.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Tune in this week to see Chris and Jordan’s review of the Nikon Z6 full frame mirrorless camera, and also find out what Chris thinks of the popular 35mm focal length. (Rant alert!)
For more information you can read our in-depth First Impressions Review of the Nikon Z6.
Nikon Z6 First Impressions Review
Get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
With the launch of full-frame mirrorless systems from two of the industry’s biggest players, it’s safe to say that this was an especially busy year for the camera world. It’s not an easy job picking out the strongest products and innovations in such a year, but we endeavored to do just that for our yearly DPReview Awards. This year, Chris and Jordan joined us to help celebrate what we think is the best gear of the past 365 days.
See all of our award winners and runners-up, and get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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This year was a busy one for DPReview and the camera industry as a whole. 2018 saw the launch of two new full frame mirrorless systems from Canon and Nikon, a brace of excellent lenses, and the development announcement of even more goodies due to be released in early 2019.
With so many great products to choose from, there’s never been a better time to be a photo enthusiast, but the amount of gear out there can be overwhelming. Every year in December we get together as a team to recognize the standout products of the past 12 months in our annual DPReview Awards. Click through the slides above to find out which products made our list of the best gear of 2018!
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Photography accessories come in all shapes and sizes and this year’s shortlist includes four products that are as different as can be. But something they all share is the potential to help streamline the photographic process, whether that means improving the experience of transporting gear from A to B, or simply creating a better way to back up files on the go.
The Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD falls into the later category. It’s a solid state version of the company’s already popular wireless drive with a shock resistant construction. Core features include a built-in SD 3.0 card reader, USB 3.0 connectivity, Wi-Fi connectivity for reviewing media on a device, a built-in 6,700mAh battery for charging other devices over USB (and to power Wi-Fi), and preview support for Raw files. It’s available in 250gb, 500gb, 1Tb and 2TB capacities.
Read more about the WD MyPassport Wireless SSD
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The right camera backpack is a frustratingly elusive thing to find. No bag is going to be perfect for every photographer. But wouldn’t be nice if one came close? Meet the Wandrd Prvke 21L. It might have a weird name (it’s pronounced ‘wandered provoke’), but it’s awesome to use. So awesome, in fact, that it’s our favorite camera backpack on the market and our pick for photographic accessory of the year.
The Wandrd Prvke 21 provides an impressive balance of intelligent, rugged design with outstanding weight distribution and comfort. It’s also incredibly versatile: a roll-top provides an additional 4L of storage and the internal ‘Camera Cube’ can be completely removed. There’s also plenty of external storage pockets and even loops to attach bulky gear, like a sleeping bag, to the bottom of the pack. In short, this bag looks good, handles well, is super versatile and can carry a ton of gear. As such, it’s a worthy winner of our award this year for best photo accessory.
Read our review of the Wandrd Prvke 21L camera backpack
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Video capabilities continue to improve every year, and it’s common these days to find advanced features such as oversampled 4K, 10-bit recording, and Log gamma profiles on many cameras. While it’s possible to shoot amazing footage with just a camera and a lens, specialized video accessories can make your shoot easier or take your production quality up a notch or two.
The Atomos Ninja V is a tool that lets you take complete advantage of your camera’s video capabilities, some of which may only be fully realized when using an off-camera recorder. With features such as 4K/60p recording, support for Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHR, a 5″ daylight viewable screen, anamorphic de-squeeze, and HDR monitoring there’s a lot to like, and it does so in a compact size that’s a perfect match for DSLR or mirrorless cameras. If you want to squeeze every bit of quality out of your camera’s video, or just have a more enjoyable shooting experience, this is an easy way to do it.
Read more about the Atomos Ninja V
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It’s easy to get stable video when using a tripod, or even when shooting a relatively simple shot using a camera’s image stabilization, but sometimes the key to great video is camera movement. Unfortunately, that’s where many in-camera or in-lens stabilization systems just aren’t quite good enough for things like run-and-gun documentary or narrative filmmaking.
Enter the DJI Ronin-S. It’s not the first one-handed camera gimbal, but it’s our current favorite thanks to its effective operation and ease of use. Setup is a breeze, thanks to its auto-tune feature for gimbal calibration, and the 3-axis motorized gimbal has some of the strongest motors DJI has ever put in a gimbal, allowing the Ronin-S to compensate for slight changes in balance when using zoom lenses. It’s also possible to save three distinct groups of settings and toggle between them at the press of a button – ideal for filmmakers who need to quickly react to changing conditions.
Other great features include an offset roll axis that’s cleverly designed to avoid blocking the screen while shooting, configuration using a smartphone app, and a 12-hour battery that will outlast your arm. It even supports remote camera operation including remote start/stop and a very precise remote follow focus knob.
Read our DJI Ronin-S review
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The Pixel 3 is the first smartphone camera to truly rival traditional dedicated cameras, surpassing 1″-type and rivaling cameras with Four Thirds sensors in ‘Night Sight’ mode.* It does this by improving upon the Pixel 2’s already class-leading HDR+ multi-frame fusion technique, now capturing even more frames and merging them using a super resolution algorithm to extract more detail, reduce noise, and remove the need for demosaicing. A new learning-based white balance approach in this mode also renders pleasing colors even in challenging light.
Portrait Mode has been improved using machine learning to understand a variety of depth cues, rendering the most pleasing subject isolation and blur of any smartphone we’ve tested. ‘Synthetic fill flash’ uses learning-based segmentation to identify and re-light faces. ‘Top Shot’ captures perfect moments you may have missed before hitting the shutter button. The Pixel 3 outputs Raw, but these Raw files have image quality that far surpasses what you’d expect from such a small sensor, since they’re the result of stacking and merging up to 15 rapidly captured frames. To sum up: it’s the best smartphone camera for stills we’ve ever seen.
Read more about the Google Pixel 3
*Despite the name, you can use Night Sight mode any time of day to get its benefits, with the only downside being a positive shutter lag.
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The iPhone XS faced fierce competition from the Google Pixel 3 this year, and from a pure still image quality standpoint the Pixel 3 wins hands down. But the iPhone XS takes the top spot overall thanks to a more rounded feature set that includes class-leading video, reliable AF, wide color capture and HDR display of imagery, plus a range of improvements over the original iPhone X.
New in the XS is a larger image sensor in the main camera for better dynamic range and low light performance, and a refined Portrait Mode. In a snub to traditional cameras, the XS allows you to choose your aperture after you shoot – all the way from F1.4 to F16. Cleverly, Apple has modeled the optical properties of real full-frame portrait lenses to accurately – and attractively – simulate ‘real’ bokeh.
Perhaps the biggest improvement though is Apple’s new ‘Smart HDR’ feature, which takes advantage of the faster processing capabilities of the phone to capture wider dynamic scenes in stills, panoramas, and even in video up to 4K/30p, making the HEVC 4K footage the best we’ve seen from a smartphone. Pair all this with improved contrast on one of the best displays on the market, with accurate color management under the hood so you get the benefits of the wide gamut display without a loss in color accuracy, and you have one of the best smartphones available today.
Read more about the Apple iPhone XS
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Drones have quickly become one of the most exciting new areas of photography, allowing anyone to capture stunning photos or video that previously required a helicopter or cable-cam.
The DJI Mavic Air is an ultra-compact, foldable quadcopter that’s small enough to be a true ‘take anywhere’ drone. Its 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor records 4K/30p or 1080/120p video at up to 100 Mbps, captures 12MP Raw photos, and ‘QuickShots’ modes make it easy to get cinematic looking footage even if you’re a beginner. It even includes DJI’s Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS), which uses numerous sensors to detect and go around obstacles so you can continue following your subject.
Read more about the DJI Mavic Air
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The Mavic 2 Pro is the model that drone enthusiasts had been asking DJI to create, and in 2018 DJI delivered. It has all the great features of the original Mavic Pro, including a small, foldable form factor, but adds a camera built around a larger 1″-type sensor with Hasselblad branding. It’s the perfect match for the person who values exceptional photo and video quality in a compact package.
The Mavic 2 Pro’s standout features don’t stop with the larger camera, however. It’s capable of recording 4K/30p at up to 100 Mbps, supports both H.264 and H.265 codecs, offers 10-bit recording with DJI’s DLog-M gamma profile, and uses DJI’s OcuSync 2.0 video transmission system for reliable transmission over long distances. It also includes APAS for obstacle avoidance using 10 sensors that provide omnidirectional coverage around the aircraft and numerous intelligent flight modes for cinematic shots.
Read more about the DJI Mavic 2 Pro
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A lot of lenses get released every year, and it’s always a challenge to whittle the year’s releases down to a shortlist – let alone to pick a winner. That said, this year several lenses stood out from the pack.
Canon’s impressive RF 28-70mm F2L is perhaps the clearest indication that despite the mid-level positioning of the EOS R, the RF system should be taken seriously by professionals. This durable, weather-sealed lens features super-advanced glass and coatings designed to keep aberrations to a minimum despite its ambitious continuous maximum aperture. The result is a fast zoom that offers stunning image quality throughout its range.
Arguably falling into the category of ‘stunt lens’, the 28-70mm F2 is almost comically large and unbalanced on the R, but it’s clearly designed for a future – more professional – camera. We can’t wait.
See some samples from the
Canon RF 28-70mm F2
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At the other end of the scale from Canon’s behemoth is the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD. It might not be the widest or fastest (thanks to our runner-up), standard zoom of its kind, but it’s the smallest and lightest, and one of the best nonetheless.
The Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD has the distinction of being the first third-party zoom lens designed from scratch to be compatible with Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras. It has seriously impressed us with its optical quality, close-up ability, relatively fast (and silent) autofocus, pleasant handling and excellent value for money. A perfect companion to Sony’s a7 III, we hope that the 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD is the first of many future mirrorless-oriented lenses from Tamron, which has really impressed us in the past couple of years with its range of high-quality Di prime and zoom.
See our sample gallery shot with the
Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD
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The launch of several new mirrorless systems has helped 2018 become a bumper year for interesting prime lenses. The fact that after a lot of discussion, Canon’s ambitious (and super-sharp) RF 50mm F1.2L just missed out on an award gives a hint of how hotly-contested this category was.
One of the lenses that really caught our eye this year was the Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary. The 56mm F1.4 is the third in a set of affordable Sigma F1.4 lenses for Sony’s E-mount and the Micro Four Thirds system, and like the existing 30mm and 16mm lenses, the 56mm makes most sense on the APS-C format, where it’s equivalent to a classic 85mm portrait lens.
The 56mm F1.4 DC DN is small, light and, with an MSRP under $ 500, very sensibly priced. More than this, though, it’s sharp, fast to focus and exhibits pleasant bokeh, as a portrait lens should. In our view this makes it a great addition to the otherwise slightly under-served Sony APS-C E-mount lineup. We only wish it were available for other mirrorless APS-C mounts.
See our Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN
sample gallery
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We’ve seen a lot of small, OK lenses this year, and a lot of very large, very good lenses, but it’s really nice when we see a manufacturer make a small excellent lens. The Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM is exactly that.
This medium-wide prime lens for Sony’s a7-series and a9 mirrorless cameras (it’s also a useful 36mm F2.1 equivalent on APS-C) is a great example of the lens-maker’s art. Superbly suited to landscape and astrophotography, the 24mm F1.4 is equally useful for low-light candid photography and portraiture. It’s uncannily sharp edge-to-edge wide open with little to no coma, bokeh is smooth, and longitudinal chromatic aberration – that purple and green fringing we loathe on many fast wide primes – is well controlled. Our decision this year was unanimous – the Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM takes the well-deserved top spot in our award for best prime lens of 2018.
Read more about the
Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM
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This year was another relatively slow one for compact cameras, but the models in our shortlist all have something special to offer.
Taking the runner-up spot this year is the Nikon Coolpix P1000, distinguished by its wonderfully bonkers lens, which covers an equivalent focal length range of 24-3000mm. This kind of zoom would be useless if the pictures were terrible, but the P1000’s lens is very impressive given its extraordinary range, and capable of everything from sweeping landscapes to sharp lunarscapes, thanks in part to a very effective effective image stabilization system. The bulky Coolpix P1000 might not be the ideal camera for everyone, but it has some unique tricks up its (very long) sleeve.
Read our review of the
Nikon Coolpix P1000
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Another year, another Sony Cyber-shot RX100-series compact camera. What will it be this time – a faster lens? Better 4K video? Boosted continuous shooting? Well, in fact the RX100 VI offers none of those things compared to its predecessor the RX100 V/A, but instead adds a more versatile 24-200mm zoom to the lineup, which trades brightness (and a built-in ND filter) for extra telephoto reach.
The RX100 VI doesn’t replace the older RX100 V/A, but it does fill a gap in the established RX100-series lineup for a true ‘travel zoom’ camera, offering advanced video and stills features in a compact package, with a versatile zoom lens. Photographers have been asking Sony for a longer zoom in the RX100-series for a long time, and with the RX100 VI, Sony delivered, without compromising too much of what we love about the series as a whole. As such the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI takes our award for best compact / fixed-lens camera of 2018.
Read our review of the
Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI
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Once the shape of things to come, ‘hybrid’ cameras that offer high-quality video modes alongside stills photography features are now the norm. The new video standard of course is 4K, and all of this year’s shortlisted cameras offer excellent 4K video features alongside 24MP+ stills capture.
Taking the runner-up spot this year is the Nikon Z6 – the companion model to the flagship Z7 in Nikon’s new Z-system lineup. The Z6 offers lower-resolution 24MP stills capture than the 46MP Z7, but cleaner, distortion-free 4K video, and slightly better autofocus sensitivity in low light, too. Coupled with effective in-body stabilization and a supremely adaptable lensmount, the Z6 is a highly attractive camera for hybrid stills and video shooting, and Nikon’s most convincing video camera yet.
Learn more about the
Nikon Z6
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Every year, there’s at least one DPReview Awards category where we struggle to reach a unanimous decision. After a lot of discussion we awarded first prize in this category to the Fujifilm X-T3.
At first glance very similar to its direct predecessor the X-T2, this year’s model is in fact a major upgrade, offering a substantially improved set of video and stills features. In fact, despite its lack of IBIS, the 4K/60-capable X-T3 is arguably a better 4K video platform than the nominal video flagship of the X-series, the X-H1. Its ability to capture 4K/60p footage in 10-bit even puts it ahead of the latest models in Panasonic’s video-centric GH series.
All of this is made more impressive by the fact that until quite recently, Fujifilm’s X-series lagged seriously behind its competition in terms of video. The X-T3 is the clearest indication yet that Fujifilm has well and truly joined the game.
Read our review of the Fujifilm X-T3
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Entry-level cameras are among the most important products in every manufacturer’s lineup. Once a new photographer has invested in a system, the hope is that they’ll stay loyal, growing their investment in lenses, accessories and – in the future – more advanced cameras.
The Nikon D3500 is a modest upgrade to the last-generation D3400, but it still offers the excellent 24MP sensor of its predecessor, and despite its entry-level positioning the D3500 handles very nicely, thanks in part to a redesigned, deeper grip. For anyone looking for an inexpensive first camera to grow and learn with, the D3500 fits the bill nicely. As such, it takes the runner-up spot in this year’s DPReview Award for best entry-level ILC.
Read more about the Nikon D3500
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Canon’s EF-M range occupies an awkward spot in Canon’s current product portfolio – based around the APS-C sensor format, but incompatible with the lenses from Canon’s newer, full-frame RF mirrorless mount. Nevertheless, the best EOS M cameras are really nice to use, and have a lot to offer the beginner and enthusiast photographer alike.
The DSLR-styled EOS M50 is one of the standout cameras in the EF-M lineup, offering an attractive combination of pleasant handling, solid stills photography features, and usable 4K video in a small, lightweight package. As a beginners’ ILC, the M50 is easy to use, powerful, and un-intimidating. As such, it takes the winning spot in our award category this year for best entry-level ILC.
Read our review of the
Canon EOS M50
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This year, the mid-range interchangeable lens camera segment saw a lot of action. All of our shortlisted models are capable of excellent still image quality, and feature a range of powerful features. Three of the four are also capable of superb 4K video capture, making them true ‘hybrid’ cameras of the sort unthinkable just a few years ago.
Runner-up in this competitive category is the Fujifilm X-T3, one of the most impressive cameras released in 2018. Despite its APS-C sensor, the X-T3’s image quality at low and medium ISO sensitivities gives a lot of full-frame cameras a run for their money, and its 4k video features are very competitive. The X-T3 is one of those rare cameras that is better than it probably needed to be, and this is reflected in the fact that it beat out several full-frame models to the runner-up spot in this years’ award for best midrange ILC.
Read our review of the Fujifilm X-T3
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One of the full-frame cameras that the X-T3 has to compete against is one of our favorite cameras released all year – the Sony Alpha a7 III, which takes the winning spot in this year’s DPR Awards category for best mid-range ILC. The a7 III won out thanks to its stabilized full-frame sensor, powerful autofocus system and excellent 4K video features. For anyone looking for a ‘do it all’ camera without spending a lot more money, the a7 III is hard to beat. For these reasons, it takes the top spot in this years’ DPReview award for best midrange ILC.
Read our review of the Sony Alpha a7 III
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The high-end ILC category saw some serious innovation this year, from Fujifilm’s slimmed-down medium format GFX 50R to Nikon’s all-new Z7. At the other end of the sensor size scale was the video-centric Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and the ultra-rugged G9.
This year’s runner-up spot is taken by the camera with the biggest sensor of all – the Fujifilm GFX 50R. Designed for active photographers, the 50R takes the best bits of the more costly 50S – including its most important feature – the excellent 50MP CMOS sensor – and packages them in a smaller, more affordable, rangefinder-style body. Medium-format has never looked more attractive.
Read more about the Fujifilm GFX 50R
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The Nikon Z7 marks the beginning of a new era for the stalwart Japanese camera manufacturer, debuting the new full-frame mirrorless Z mount. With a wider diameter than the 1950s-era F-mount and a shorter flange-back, the Z mount is designed to be futureproof, and the enthusiast-oriented Z7 is an appropriately bold camera to kick things off.
In many respects akin to a mirrorless D850, the Z7 offers a proven 46MP sensor, traditional Nikon handling, deep customization and a powerful 4K video feature set with impressive video AF. While stills autofocus could be improved, the Z7 is a formidable camera signaling Nikon’s dedication to the future, and as such it takes the top spot in this year’s DPReview Award for best high-end ILC.
Read our review of the Nikon Z7
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Innovations come in all shapes and sizes, but sometimes the simplest innovation can have the biggest impact on how you make photographs. Take for example the Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI, an on-camera flash that uses a simple technique to demystify the art of bouncing light.
For years, hot shoe flashes have been able to measure distance to subject. Canon’s Speedlite 470EX-AI takes this simple action several steps further. By first measuring the distance to subject, followed by the distance to ceiling, the 470EX-AI can predict the optimal bounce angle and set itself there, automatically. Even cooler, it re-positions itself when switching from portrait to landscape orientation.
Learn more about the Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI
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Every year brings new innovation in the camera industry, and this year was particularly busy with new entrants in the mirrorless and full-frame camera markets, and stellar new optics. Despite this competitive landscape, we unanimously picked the Google Pixel 3 for our ‘Innovation of the Year’ award.
The Pixel 3 is the first smartphone camera to truly challenge traditional cameras from an image quality standpoint, surpassing 1″-type and rivaling cameras with Four Thirds sensors in ‘Night Sight’ mode. It does this by improving upon the Pixel 2’s already class-leading HDR+ multi-frame fusion technique, now capturing up to 15 frames and merging them using a super resolution algorithm to extract more detail, reduce noise, and remove the need for demosaicing altogether. That allows its image quality to rival higher resolution dedicated cameras with Bayer filter arrays, and allows for digital zoom that rivals modest optical zoom modules.
Google is also at the forefront of applying machine learning to photography. This pays off in more accurate white balance, sharper images, as well as ‘real’-looking background blur and subject isolation for the best portraits we’ve seen outside of a dedicated camera. The list goes on, but importantly: these techniques are bringing high quality photography – and videography – to the masses, on unprecedentedly small and convenient devices. This democratization of the art using technology is what garners the Google Pixel 3 our Innovation of the Year award.
Read more about the Google Pixel 3
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Picking the single best product of the year is always a difficult task, and if we’re being honest, it’s impossible. Everyone’s needs are different. There has never been a better time to be a photographer, and in 2018 there are fantastic cameras, lenses and accessories out there for everyone.
But pick we must. This year’s shortlist is comprised of those products that represent, in our collective opinion, four of the best bits of gear released in 2018. Two of them really stood out, though. Runner-up is the Fujifilm X-T3 which – in case you didn’t already get the message – we really like. Fujifilm didn’t need to make the X-T3 as good as it is – hell, Fujifilm didn’t even need to replace the X-T2 yet – but they did, and they did. And the resulting camera is one of the best APS-C format ILCs money can buy, even rivaling some full-frame models.
Read our review of the Fujifilm X-T3
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And the winning spot this year is taken by the Sony a7 III. Arguably the best-value full-frame ILC available right now, the a7 III is a superbly versatile camera for both stills and video imaging, at a great price. Other cameras in Sony’s lineup offer higher stills resolution and some nice extras, but the a7 III takes most of the essentials, and packages them inside an attractive, very usable and affordable body. As such, the a7 III is a worthy winner of our most important award – the best product of 2018.
Click here to read our Sony Alpha a7 III
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Following up on their review of the Nikon Z7’s still photo capabilities, Chris and Jordan take a look at the Z7 and Z6 for video shooting. Both cameras – particularly the Z6 – represent a huge step forward for Nikon in terms of video, but Jordan doesn’t think they’re quite ready to be your primary video camera. Take a look and see what they have to say about it.
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
For several years Sony had the full frame mirrorless camera market all to itself, but recent introductions from Canon and Nikon have changed the landscape. This week, Chris and Jordan compare the current generation of entry-level full frame mirrorless models from each company: the Nikon Z6, Sony a7 III and Canon EOS R. Watch their analysis to find out where they think each model excels or has room to grow.
Also, make sure to read our in-depth written reviews of the Canon EOS R and the Sony a7 III. (Our Nikon Z6 review is coming soon – we promise!)
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Canon EOS R review
Sony a7 III review
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)