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Posts Tagged ‘first’

Nikon Coolpix P1000 First impressions review

11 Oct

Four years ago, the typical superzoom ‘bridge’ camera had a zoom power of around 50x. Over the years that number has slowly risen, before leveling out at 65x. And then came the Nikon Coolpix P900, whose 83x, 24-2000mm equiv. lens suddenly took zoom ranges from ‘really long’ to ‘absurd’.

Nikon’s new Coolpix P1000 has moved the zoom needle to ‘ludicrous,’ with an equivalent focal length of 24-3000mm. That’s right, 3000mm. This is a lens so long that we were able to fill the frame with a 1 meter (3.3 foot) tall monkey that’s 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles) away.

This does come at a cost, though. For one thing, the P1000 is huge and its lens is challenged by a slow maximum aperture (and thus diffraction) and image quality can be compromised by the same thermal and atmospheric issues that are typical of images taken at extreme focal lengths with any super telephoto lens.

Besides the lens, the P1000 features a 16MP 1/2.3″ BSI-CMOS sensor, a fully articulating LCD and high-res EVF, Raw support and the ability to capture 4K video.

Key features

  • 16MP, 1/2.3″ BSI-CMOS sensor
  • 24-3000mm equiv. F2.8-8 lens
  • ‘Dual Detect’ optical image stabilization
  • 3.2″, 921k-dot fully articulating LCD
  • 2.36M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder with eye sensor
  • Raw support
  • UHD 4K/30p video capture
  • Microphone input
  • Hot shoe
  • Wi-Fi + Bluetooth (SnapBridge)
  • 250 shots per charge (CIPA standard)

The P1000 has a spec sheet almost as long as its lens. From Raw support to a high-res EVF, the camera has just about everything you’d want in a bridge camera, save for decent battery life and a touchscreen (a glaring omission). Image stabilization is a requirement on superzoom cameras, and Nikon’s ‘Dual Detect VR’ reduces shake by up to 5 stops, according to Nikon. Being 2018, it’s no surprise that Wi-FI and Bluetooth are also onboard.

What’s new and how it compares

The Coolpix P1000 really is all about that lens.

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Shooting experience

Find out what it’s like to use the P1000 at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.

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Sample gallery

View a variety of sample images from the Coolpix P1000.

Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The LG V40 ThinQ is the first smartphone with wide, standard, and telephoto cameras

04 Oct

We’ve already had a sneak peek at some of the LG V40 ThinQ’s triple-camera specifications but now the device has been officially announced and comes with a total of five cameras.

Three of those can be found on the phone’s back. The 12MP “standard” camera features an equivalent focal length of 27mm, a fast F1.5 aperture and a 1.4?m pixel size. Next to it you’ll find a 16MP super-wide-angle with 16mm equivalent focal length, F1.9 aperture and 1.0?m pixels. The 12MP tele-camera features a 52mm equivalent focal length, a F2.4 aperture and a 1.0?m pixel size.

There’s no tele option at the front but you can choose between a 5MP 21mm equivalent wide-angle (F2.2/1.12?m) and an 8MP 26mm “standard” camera (F1.9/1.12?m)

40 percent larger (compared to the V30) pixels on the main camera and the fast aperture should make for decent low light capabilities and LG says the PDAF system is 50 percent faster than before. An “advanced HDR” feature analyzes the scene in order to maximize dynamic range.

There is also a new AI Composition feature that recommends alternative framing to the shot taken by the user, presumably using a crop. The white balance and exposure systems are also AI-powered and can adjust color temperature across different lighting situations or automatically adjust shutter speeds for fast moving scenes.

Other specifications are in line with current Android flagship devices. The Android OS is powered by a Snapdragon 845 chipset and 6GB of RAM. Users can choose between 64GB or 128GB of internal memory and can also make use of a microSD card slot. Images can be composed, edited and viewed on a 6.4-inch OLED display with HDD+ resolution (3120 x 1440 pixels).

The V40 ThinQ isn’t the first triple-camera phone, but it is the first to offer three different focal length and, at least on paper, looks like a real contender in the high-end bracket of the market. We are hoping to get a test unit into our hands sometime soon. It’s worth mentioning that Samsung’s next flagship phone is expected to come with a similar camera setup but you’ll have to wait until next year to buy one.

Key specifications:

  • Triple camera
  • 16MP Super Wide (F1.9 / 1.0?m / 107°)
  • 12MP Standard (F1.5 / 1.4?m / 78°)
  • 12MP Telephoto (F2.4 / 1.0?m / 45°)
  • Dual front-camera with 8MP Standard (F1.9 / 1.12?m / 80°) and
    5MP Wide (F2.2 / 1.12?m / 90°)
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset
  • 6.4-inch QHD+ OLED display (3120 x 1440 pixels)
  • 6GB RAM / 64GB or 128GB internal memory / microSD slot
  • 3300mAh battery

LG DELIVERS ULTIMATE FIVE CAMERA SMARTPHONE WITH LG V40 THINQ

A Truly All-Encompassing Smartphone Camera Experience to Capture Every Perspective

SEOUL, Oct. 4, 2018 — LG Electronics (LG) today unveiled its newest premium smartphone featuring a total of five cameras to redefine the standard of smartphone photography. The latest iteration of the company’s acclaimed V series, the LG V40 ThinQ is an uncompromising multimedia powerhouse device designed for today’s generation of storytellers that prefer to communicate with visuals and videos, especially on social media.

The LG V40 ThinQ retains the V series design philosophy with an improved 6.4-inch FullVision OLED display and even slimmer bezels than before. Powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 Mobile Platform paired with 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, the LG V40 ThinQ again delivers the innovations that has made the LG V series a favorite among power users.

Seeing the Light with Five Cameras

In order to deliver a standout smartphone for today’s content-creating social generation, LG designed the LG V40 ThinQ from the ground up to deliver a truly all-encompassing smartphone camera experience. The LG V40 ThinQ features a rear camera module with three different lenses: 16MP super wide-angle, 12MP standard angle and 12MP telephoto. The three lenses allow for shutterbugs to frame different shots without changing position relative to the subject. The 107-degree super wide-angle lens captures subjects with more of the background with ease, while the telephoto with 2x optical zoom (or 3.2x the zoom of the wide-angle lens) takes clear shots from distance without a loss in image quality. The Triple Shot feature stitches together the images captured with each of the three lenses into a short video file for easy sharing.

The front camera module features a 5MP wide-angle lens and 8MP standard angle that work in tandem to create the perfect bokeh effect with an on-screen slider to adjust the amount of background blur. Other features allow selfie lovers to personalize their photos even more with unique lighting and special effects.

The pixel size of the main rear camera sensor has been improved by about 40 percent compared to the LG V30, increasing from 1?m to 1.4?m, while the image sensor is more than 18 percent larger than in the LG V30. In additdion to delivering the sharpest and brightest images of any LG smartphone camera, the F1.5 aperture of the main camera delivers greater depth of field, half the shutter lag and significantly faster burst mode compared to the LG V30.

What’s more, Dual PDAF (Phase Detection Auto Focus) delivers automatic focusing that is 50 percent faster, about twice as fast as the industry average. The advanced HDR feature analyzes and determines the right exposure settings to create perfectly lit shots, eliminating overexposed backgrounds or underexposed subjects. Subjects are always in perfect focus because the camera checks sharpness continuously until the shutter button is depressed.

LG upgraded the camera in the LG V40 ThinQ to be even more powerful and intuitive than ever to deliver the best color, composition, white balance and shutter speed. The AI CAM’s new AI Composition feature taps into the phone’s intelligence to frame, capture and recommend an alternative shot to the one taken by the user. AI Auto White Balance (AI AWB) automatically adjusts the color temperature across different lighting situations while AI Shutter selects the right shutter speed, especially useful when trying to capture fast-moving subjects.

Other new features such as Cine Shot, 3D Light Effect, Makeup Pro, Custom Backdrop, My Avatar and AR Emoji make photography on the LG V40 ThinQ a whole new experience. Cine Shot makes creating cinemagraphs – images with animation – incredibly easy and fun. Simply shoot a short video with any of the phone’s three rear cameras and “paint” the area to be animated with a finger and the result will be sure to amaze. 3D Light Effect changes the tone of a photo with professional-looking lighting, touch up any selfie with different looks using Makeup Pro or entirely change the background of a selfie with Custom Backdrop. For those who love all things augmented reality, create and share personalized emojis with My Avatar and AR Emoji using one’s own face or one of the provided characters.

Immersive Sight and Sound

The LG V40 ThinQ sports a new and improved 6.4-inch QHD+ (3120 x 1440) OLED FullVision display and a bottom bezel that is 1.6mm thinner than its predecessor. The new plastic OLED display is designed to deliver more accurate colors and better luminance consistency. The 4.5 million pixels delivered by the OLED display is the most of any QHD+ smartphone on the market today and allows for the enjoyment of immersive, vivid and vibrant content that only an LG OLED display can deliver.

LG has always prioritized high fidelity audio in its smartphones and the LG V40 ThinQ is no exception, being the first LG phone to carry the Audio Tuned by Meridian label. The 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC produces a balanced sound signature that comes extremely close to the quality of an original recording. And Boombox Speaker, originally introduced on the LG G7 ThinQ, doubles the bass of conventional smartphone speakers by utilizing the internal space of the device as a resonance chamber. When placed on a solid surface or hollow box, the LG V40 ThinQ acts like a woofer to amplify the bass even more.

Minimalist Design Built to Last

The clean lines and sophisticated colors emphasizes the three main design elements of the LG V40 ThinQ: smooth touch, unique color and seamless form. With the objective to create a design that will stand the test of time, the simple yet beautiful exterior is the perfect complement to the wealth of innovative technologies found on the LG V40 ThinQ.

LG’s proprietary Silky BlastTM process etches the tempered glass back with microscopic pits to create a smoother matte finish which feels extremely comfortable in the hand without being slippery. In addition to its more premium appearance, the matte glass is more practical due to its higher resistance to fingerprints and stains. The phone will be available in the charming colors of New Aurora Black, New Platinum Gray, New Moroccan Blue and eye-catching Carmine Red.

The LG V40 ThinQ retains the slim and light design heritage of the V series, weighing only 169g and measuring a svelte 7.7mm in thickness. Like its predecessor, the LG V40 ThinQ meets the U.S. Department of Defense requirements for durability, passing 14 MIL-STD 810G Transit Drop Test categories for suitability in military operations and is IP68 rated.

“The LG V40 ThinQ was designed with the main goal to deliver an uncompromised experience for users to create, consume and share high quality content,” said Hwang Jeong-hwan, president of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The versatility of the camera and the proven V series platform makes the LG V40 ThinQ a serious option for customers looking for a premium smartphone that does it all.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon EOS R First Impressions Review

04 Oct

The Canon EOS R is the first full frame mirrorless camera to use the new RF mount. It’s built around the same 30 megapixel Dual Pixel CMOS sensor as 2016’s EOS 5D Mark IV but is designed for a new series of RF lenses. Canon says the shorter RF lens mount will allow them to design better or smaller lenses than they can for the existing EF mount.

Being the first RF-mount camera, it’s not surprising that the EOS R occupies a unique new position in Canon’s lineup. In essence, you’re getting image and video quality from the 5D Mark IV at around the price point of the 6D Mark II with a healthy dose of control philosophy from both of those cameras as well as the EOS M series.

Key Specifications:

  • 30MP full frame Dual Pixel CMOS sensor
  • 3.69M dot OLED viewfinder
  • Fully articulated rear LCD
  • Autofocus rated down to -6EV (with F1.2 lens)
  • Up to 8 fps shooting (5 fps with continuous AF, 3 fps ‘Tracking Priority mode’)
  • UHD 4K 30p video from a 1.83x crop of the sensor
  • Canon Log (10-bit 4:2:2 over HDMI or 8-bit 4:2:0 internal)
  • USB charging (only using optional Canon charger)
Converted from Raw using ACR 11 and the Camera ‘Standard’ profile.
ISO 100 | 1/100 sec | F1.2 | Canon RF 50mm F1.2L
Photo by Wenmei Hill

The EOS R was announced less than two weeks after Nikon’s Z7, which itself is Nikon’s first full-frame mirrorless camera and is also designed around a new mount. Where Nikon makes a big deal about how immediately familiar the Z7 will be to existing Nikon shooters, Canon is incorporating some more radical ergonomic innovations on the EOS R – it handles unlike any existing Canon camera. Let’s take a closer look at what exactly those innovations are and how they work.

The Canon EOS R will be available from October 2018 at a cost of around $ 2,299 or $ 3,399 with the RF 24-105mm F4L IS lens.

What’s new and how it compares

The EOS R comes with a lot more than just a new mount. Read about the new features included on the EOS R.

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Body and handling

The EOS R is Canon’s lightest full-frame camera, but remains weather sealed and has a full-size grip. Read about all of the EOS R’s ergonomic updates here.

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First impressions

The EOS R comes with some surprising ergonomic updates that aren’t to everyone’s tastes, but its still capable of great image quality.

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Sample gallery

View a variety of sample images from our final production EOS R.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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LG V40 ThinQ first smartphone to offer super-wide-angle and tele cameras

28 Sep

Multi-camera setups with a variation of focal lengths are pretty much the norm on high-end smartphones these days. However, thus far you’ve had to decide if you want a super-wide-angle module (like on most recent LG models) or a tele-camera (like on the iPhone X, Huawei P20 Pro or Galaxy Note 9) next to the camera’s “standard” wide-angle lens.

Pretty soon you’ll be able to have both. LG just “pre-announced” its new LG V40 ThinQ on its Korean website and confirmed the triple-camera setup that reportedly comes with a super-wide angle and tele next to the main camera. The latter will feature a very fast F1.5 aperture.

The official announcement of the device is scheduled for October 3rd, and unfortunately information on other specifications is rather sparse at this point. All we know is that the display will measure 6.4 inches and, looking at the teaser video, will feature some kind of soft-touch surface for increased grip.

We will let you know as soon as more information on the LG V40 ThinQ camera specs and features becomes available.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photokina 2018: First look at new Ricoh GR III

27 Sep

Our new favorite compact? Meet the Ricoh GR III

Ricoh has announced the development of a third model in its popular GR lineup: The forthcoming GR III will feature an updated sensor and redesigned lens. We’re at Photokina, where we took a quick look earlier at an early sample under glass.

The biggest upgrade to the GR III is invisible. The new camera features a 24MP APS-C sensor, which should substantially improve upon the rather old 16MP sensor used in the GR/II. The new sensor brings with it phase-detection autofocus, and in-camera stabilization. Both these changes are potentially of huge value to prospective buyers, and serve as a major differentiator against arguably the GR III’s main competitor, Fujfilm’s X100-series.

Our new favorite compact? Meet the Ricoh GR III

Externally, the magnesium alloy-bodied GR III is virtually indistinguishable from its predecessors, the GR and (extremely closely-related) GR II. The 28mm effective focal length of it 18.3mm F2.8 lens is unchanged, but it has been redesigned.

The new lens features six elements in four groups, including two aspheres. The GR/II’s lens was made up of seven elements in five groups, also including two aspherical elements. Beyond an improvement to minimum focusing distance from to 6cm (2.4″) from 10cm (3.9″) we don’t know what the practical effects of this redesign are (the GR/II’s original lens was stunningly sharp) but we’re keen to put it to the test as soon as we can.

Our new favorite compact? Meet the Ricoh GR III

Movie shooting has been moved from its old position on the main exposure mode dial, to a button on the left-hand side of the camera. This button can also be configured to activate the GR III’s wireless feature. Notice also the omission of the mechanical flash release switch, which was featured on the GR/II. The GR III does not include a built-in flash.

Our new favorite compact? Meet the Ricoh GR III

Sorry for the poor quality of this image, which was (obviously) shot through perspex, and against powerful spotlights. Hopefully it shows you what you need to know. From behind, the biggest difference to the GR III compared to its predecessors appears to be a larger LCD, but in fact this is partially an illusion. The GR III’s screen is now 3:2 aspect ratio (as opposed to 4:3) but the diagonal length is the same and resolution (1.03 million dots) is unchanged compared to its predecessor.

The biggest difference is that the GR III’s screen is touch-sensitive.

Our new favorite compact? Meet the Ricoh GR III

You might also notice that the GR/II’s AE/AFL / AF-C switch has been deleted in the new model – likewise the +/- toggle that used to live on the upper-right corner of the thumb grip. This is a shame, but the GR III does gain a rear control dial around the 4-way pad, and from the labeling it looks like the rear ‘ADJ’ jog switch can be used for quick exposure compensation.

Our new favorite compact? Meet the Ricoh GR III

From the top, the simplified exposure mode dial looks noticeably less cluttered than the older GR/II. Movie mode has gone, but so has the auto-everything ‘green’ camera mode, and TAv. Instead, we have the traditional PASM plus three user-configurable settings. The front control dial and trademark Ricoh pill-shaped shutter button are unchanged.

That’s it! At least for now. This camera was firmly behind glass but as soon as we can get our holds on a working sample, we’ll be posting a lot more about the GR III, which is already looking like it might become our new favorite compact.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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First lens adapters for Nikon Z already appearing

20 Sep

British photographic engineer MTF Services is claiming to have created the world’s first third-party lens adapters for the new Nikon Z system, with a collection of four units designed to allow cinema lenses to be mounted on the mirrorless full frame bodies. The adapters are made with stainless steel and HE30 aluminum, and feature a toe support with steel helicoil 1/4″ threads.

The lenses the adapters are aimed at are PL, Panavision, B4 and Arri bayonet, so they are intended to appeal to filmmakers and broadcasters. The adapters come pre-shimmed, and spare shims will be included.

The PL to Nikon Z version is available to order on the company’s site for £350 + VAT (approx $ 460), and the other models are expected to follow soon. For more information see the MTF Services Lens Adapter website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon EOS R: first sample images posted

07 Sep

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Canon has formally rolled out its EOS R full-frame mirrorless system with a camera, four lenses and a trio of adapters. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know the camera much better in the short and long term, but for now we’ve published our very first images with Canon’s brand new EOS R. We’ve included images shot with the RF 50mm F1.2L and 24-105mm F4L IS. We’ll be adding more images very soon.

Read more about the Canon EOS R

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Fujifilm X-T3 First Impressions Review

06 Sep

When the Fujifilm X-T2 arrived, it was more than just a modest upgrade to the already impressive X-T1, most notably in terms of autofocus and video. While the new X-T3 hasn’t changed the overall design of the camera (which doesn’t really need it, in our opinion), this model is way more than an upgrade; rather, it’s a quantum leap.

The X-T3 brings with it a brand new sensor, a hybrid autofocus system that looks extremely promising and video features more in-line with a Panasonic GH5 than typical enthusiast mirrorless cameras. Based on our initial impressions, the X-T3 may be the mirrorless APS-C camera to beat.

Key Specifications

  • 26MP BSI ‘X-Trans CMOS 4’ sensor
  • 425-point hybrid AF system
  • Improved AF Tracking and Face/Eye Detection AF
  • 20 fps shooting with AF (11 fps with mechanical shutter)
  • 30 fps shooting in 1.25x crop ‘Sports Finder’ mode
  • 3.69M-dot electronic viewfinder
  • Two-axis tilting touchscreen
  • 10 bit 4:2:0 H.265 internal video capture (4:2:2 over HDMI)
  • UHD/DCI 4K/60p from 1.18x crop region
  • UHD/DCI 4K/30p using full width of sensor
  • Internal F-Log capture (HLG coming by end of 2018)
  • Dual UHS-II SD card slots
  • USB C-type connector can be used for charging battery
  • Headphone and Mic Sockets
Out of camera JPEG shot using the Provia/Standard profile.
ISO 640 | 1/ 160 sec | F2 | Shot using the Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR
Photo by Wenmei Hill

The X-T3 will launch with an MSRP of $ 1499 (down $ 100 from the X-T2) but will still cost $ 1899 when sold as a kit with the XF 18-55mm R F2.8-4 OIS lens. It will be available in black or black and silver.

What’s new and how it compares

Autofocus, video and the user interface are just a small portion of what’s new on the X-T3 compared to its immediate predecessor.

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Body and handling

The X-T3’s design is nearly identical to that of the X-T2, and that’s a good thing. The improvements are significant, though, with the addition of a higher-res EVF and a touchscreen LCD.

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Operation and controls

The name of the game is customization, with nine buttons to choose from. There are also use-case-based AF controls available. Battery life is above average.

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First impressions

Fujifilm has raised the bar for video on APS-C cameras, one example of why crop formats are not dead yet.

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Sample gallery

View a variety of sample images from our final production X-T3.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DPReview TV: Fujifilm X-T3 hands-on first impressions

06 Sep

Join Chris and Jordan for a first look at Fujifilm’s powerful new X-T3, which offers greatly improved autofocus, 10-bit internal 4K recording and several other refinements compared to the popular X-T2.

Also, make sure to read our in-depth Fujifilm X-T3 First Impressions Review.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm X-T3 First Impressions Review

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DPReview TV: First thoughts on the Canon R

05 Sep

Hours after the official launch of the Canon EOS R, Chris and Rishi sat down to chat about the camera and what we know about the system so far. They talk about where the camera falls short of expectations, some initial handling impressions and the promise of this new system.

Read more about the Canon EOS R

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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