The 50mm F1.4 DG HSM is Sigma’s latest fast normal prime for full-frame cameras, and one of the most hotly-anticipated lenses of the year. But how does it perform in real-world use? We’ve been using the lens for a couple of days, and put together a gallery of samples. We’ve concentrated on large-aperture shots to show sharpness and bokeh, but have also included several taken at smaller apertures. See photos
The Olympus Stylus SH-1 brings the manufacturer’s well-regarded 5-axis image stabilization to a fixed lens compact for the first time. The SH-1 looks the part too with its Pen-inspired styling, and offers a substantial 28-300mm equivalent zoom. Who could resist taking it for a spin? That’s exactly what we did, and we’ve come back with a gallery of real-world samples to prove it. See photos
Now that we have our hands on not one, but two PowerShot G1 X Mark IIs, we’ve running around out taking photos like crazy. This first installment of 22 photos – some of which may look familiar – should give you a taste of what the camera can do, and there are plenty of additional samples on the way. See gallery
The Samsung NX30 is a midrange mirrorless camera that features a 20.3MP CMOS sensor and the company’s latest DRIMeIV processor. The NX30 has a Hybrid AF system that combines on-chip phase detection with more traditional contrast detection and photos can be composed on a fully articulating 3-inch AMOLED display or a unique pull-out, tilting electronic viewfinder. We’ve spent some time with a production sample to see how it performs out in the real world.
Sigma’s 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM | C is the latest version of its popular stabilized superzoom lens for APS-C / DX format SLRs. It’s smaller and lighter than the previous model (the 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSM from 2011), but offers an updated optical design with improved close-focusing abilities. Sigma shipped us a sample a few days ago so we could try it out and we’ve been running around (in typically unpredictable Seattle weather) getting some real-world samples. Click through to see the shots.
The Nikon D3300 continues on the path of its entry-level DSLR predecessors, with plenty of built-in shooting and retouch modes, a small footprint, and beginner-friendly user interface. It has a 24.2 megapixel CMOS sensor with no optical low-pass filter, as well as an Expeed 4 image processor. The camera’s ISO range tops out at 25,600 and with continuous shooting up to 5 fps. We’ve been out and about with the D3300, shooting everyday situations and family life. See gallery
We first laid our hands on the Fujifilm X-T1 about a month ago when it was announced. Now that we’ve had some time to shoot with it, we’ve gathered our thoughts on using Fujifilm’s latest X-Series camera. The X-T1 offers much of what the X-E2 does, including a 16 megapixel APS-C sensor with on-chip phase detection, but more than that, it offers an SLR-style sculpted handgrip and weather-resistant sealing. Find out what the X-T1 is like to use in the field.
We’ve just returned from the CP+ show in Japan, where Fujifilm was kind enough to loan us a beta sample of its new 10-24mm zoom lens for the X-series interchangeable lens cameras. Although this is a beta (not final) sample, Fujifilm is confident enough about its performance to allow us to post images. We’ve prepared a gallery of sample images taken in various conditions at various ISO sensitivity settings on the X-T1 for you to take a look at. See gallery
Nikon’s new collapsible kit zoom, the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II rolled into our office Friday afternoon and we took it for a spin over the weekend. Like similar designs used in mirrorless kit lenses, the 18-55mm VR II twists to expand when you’re ready to shoot, and contracts into a more compact ‘at rest’ state. It’s a natural companion for Nikon’s consumer-level bodies including the D5300. While we put the finishing touches to our D5300 review, we used that camera to put together a gallery of real-world samples. See gallery
A factory-fresh Fujifilm X-T1 arrived in our office last week, and editor Barnaby Britton spent the weekend trying it out, taking a range of sample images in different environments, with several lenses. Highlights of the X-T1’s specification include a 16MP X-Trans CMOS II sensor with on-chip phase detection, high-resolution EVF and 8 fps continuous shooting with AF tracking. See our gallery and detailed first-impressions review