Week in Review: 2016 CES edition
CES isn’t always a blockbuster show for photography, but Nikon fixed that for us this year. Welcome to 2016, the year of the long-awaited D300 replacement. But that wasn’t all – a few hours before Nikon trounced all over the other show announcements, Olympus took the wraps off a 300mm F4 Pro lens, Panasonic put a 1″ sensor into a travel zoom camera and Kodak brought back Super 8. If this week was any indication of how the rest of 2016 will go, then we’ll be needing a lot more of the ‘Just Chill’ anti-energy drinks that Dan brought into the office last week.
Nikon D5/D500
We knew that Nikon had a professional grade full-frame camera coming, so while we weren’t surprised to see the D5 announced at CES, we were not expecting the D500. Possibly the longest-awaited successor to a popular model ever, the D500 replaces the D300S after six years – long after many enthusiast Nikon photographers had given up hope of ever seeing it.
Like the D5, the D500 uses a 20MP CMOS sensor and 153-point AF system. But being an APS-C format camera, that AF array stretches almost to the edges of the frame. Both the D5 and D500 are hugely impressive and we look forward to getting them in our studio very soon.
Read more about the Nikon D5 and D500
Nikon KeyMission 360
Nikon had quite a few ‘firsts’ this week, including the introduction of its first 360-degree camera. Despite a name that reminds of Tom Cruise movies, the KeyMission 360 looks enticing. Fully rugged and capable of 4K video, the KeyMission uses two lenses on opposite sides of the camera to create immersive video and stills. We weren’t able to get any closer to it than this and were told that the design is ‘not quite final yet.’ For now it’s just a mysterious figure behind glass and a super intense name.
Read more about Nikon KeyMission 360
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100/TZ100
Joining the ever-expanding ranks of 1″-type sensor compacts is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. With its 25-250mm equivalent field of view it provides more reach than the RX100s without the substantial size gains seen in the likes of the company’s own DMC-FZ1000 or Canon’s PowerShot G3 X. Throw in an EVF and Panasonic has a little travel cam ready to accompany you on your next journey.
Read our Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100/TZ1000 hands-on preview
Samsung
We’re still hoping for some signs of life from Samsung’s NX series but it’s looking pretty grim. We expected the scene at the company’s CES booth to be heavy on VR, high-tech refrigerators and gadgets like the new Galaxy TabPro S, but we’d hoped for at least a glimpse of their camera lineup on the tech world’s biggest stage but nope, not a peep at the press conference and not a single NX1 at the booth.
Maybe, argues staff writer Dan Bracaglia, it’s time to open up your smart fridge, crack open a cold beverage and pour it out for Samsung’s mirrorless line. And that’s a real shame.
Opinion: pour one out for Samsung cameras
Olympus M.Zuiko PRO 300mm F4
When we were briefed on the Olympus M. Zuiko PRO 300mm F4 we were told about the amazing tolerances used when making this lens. This quote isn’t verbatim, but it went something like ‘If the front element is a football field, we are removing inconsistencies the size of a human hair.’
This geeky attention to detail has always been characteristic of Olympus, and the sharpness of the 300mm is a testament to the manufacturer’s hard work. Combine that with a 600mm equivalent prime that can feasibly be used handheld, and we have one impressive tube of metal and glass on our hands. Check out our sample gallery to witness the sharpness for yourself.
Take a look at our hands-on with the Olympus 300mm F4 PRO
Kodak Super 8
Slated for a Fall 2016 release date, the Kodak Super 8 was among the most surprising products we saw at CES this year. It’s not entirely clear how, but the Super 8 still shoots Super 8 film cartridges (which Kodak will process and digitize for you) while allowing you to preview your cinematic masterpiece by way of a flip-out LCD monitor.
A built-in handle/microphone, an array of ports and a versatile C-mount round out the package. Sure, Kodak is leaning pretty heavily on nostalgia-fueled hype surrounding the format and being stingy with actual details on the Super 8 itself, but we still can’t wait to get our hands on a production model.
Read more about the Kodak Super 8 Camera
Week in Review: 2016 CES edition
One does not simply walk into the Las Vegas Convention Center during the first week of January. Prepping for and surviving CES is like an athletic event, never-ending networking happy hour and a Sunday at Ikea all wrapped into one. For several days in a row. So here’s a shout out to Dan and Dale, the DPR staffers who were our eyes and ears on the ground at the show this year. Thanks for hauling your laptops and camera gear through the convention hall for days on end, taking lots of notes and photos, and eating boxed press lunches while sitting on the floor. We owe you a couple of Just Chills.
See more coverage from CES 2016
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
