Nikon Blog
Reply to Canon RF lenses
David Illig: Fair questions. The adaptability of the EF mount lenses to R mount cameras is a good strategy for now. It invites current EF mount camera users to move over to R mount cameras fairly easily. However, what is the long term strategy? If EF mount lenses equal R mount lenses in capability then what is the point of expanding the R mount lens line? No one buys an expensive R mount lens, in that case. Short term Canon remains viable as a camera maker. But, what of its long term strategy? There just isn’t one. That’s...
read moreVideo: How Kodak became yet another victim of the juggernaut of changing technology
[embedded content] The Eastman Kodak Company, better known as Kodak, was co-founded by George Eastman and Henry A. Strong way back in 1888. In the more than 130 years since, the company has been through a lot. It once was a dominant force in the photography industry, at times being almost as synonymous with photography as the Apple iPod once was with respect to music. For all but the youngest in society, we have all heard the phrase, ‘Kodak moment.’ However, with the advent of digital photography, Kodak began to lose its place at...
read moreNikon 600mm f/4E FL ED VR Review
Nikon updated its 600mm super-telephoto lens in July of 2015, replacing its “G†version with a completely brand new design and optical formula. The Nikkor 600mm f/4E FL ED VR was released with the best optical technology Nikon had at the time, including a faster autofocus motor, a magnesium alloy construction, and two fluorite elements for significant weight reduction. In fact, compared to its predecessor, Nikon was able to reduce the weight of the lens by a whopping 1250 grams (over 3 pounds), while making the lens sharper and more...
read moreDPReview TV: Fujifilm 50mm F1.0 review
Published Sep 26, 2020 | dpreview staff [embedded content] The Fujifilm XF 50mm F1.0 R WR promises to be great for portraiture. Does it live up to the hype? And how does it compare to Fujifilm’s own 56mm F1.2? Watch our review to find out. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week. Sample images from this episode Gear in this story Fujifilm’s fastest lens is here – the new XF 50mm F1.0 R WR is a versatile low-light lens aimed at portrait photographers. Read on for all the details. Fujifilm...
read moreFujifilm 50mm F1.0 sample gallery (DPReview TV)
Published Sep 26, 2020 | dpreview staff Fujifilm’s new 50mm F1.0 lens practically begs to be used for portraits, so we shot lots of them, including many wide open at F1.0. Check out our sample gallery to see how it performs. View the Fujifilm 50mm F1.0 sample gallery Gear in this story Fujifilm’s fastest lens is here – the new XF 50mm F1.0 R WR is a versatile low-light lens aimed at portrait photographers. Read on for all the details. Fujifilm has formally launched its XF 50mm F1.0 R WR portrait prime lens, making it the...
read moreLibrary of Congress launches AI-powered, image-based Newspaper Navigator tool
The Library of Congress has launched a new AI-powered image-based tool for searching through old newspapers, enabling anyone to find historic images from more than 16 million scanned newspaper pages. Newspaper Navigator builds upon the LOC’s existing Chronicling America project, the result being a visual content recognition model capable of finding a variety of images in digitized newspapers, including maps, comics, photographs, illustrations, advertisements and more. The Chronicling America project is the LOC’s historic newspaper...
read moreTamron announces a compact $549 70-300mm F4.5-6.3 for Sony E mount cameras
Tamron has announced the release of the 70–300mm F4.5–6.3 Di III RXD, a lens deemed as ‘the world’s smallest and lightest telephoto zoom lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras.’ The lens is constructed of 15 elements in 10 groups, including a low dispersion element for minimizing aberrations. Autofocus is driven by Tamron’s Rapid Extra-Silent Stepping Drive (RXD) motor technology. Other specifications include an aperture range of F4.5 (at 70mm) to F32 (at 300mm), a seven-blade aperture diaphragm and a minimum focusing...
read moreFilm Fridays: Photographing Machu Picchu on a panorama film camera
Published Sep 25, 2020 | Dan Cuny Visiting Peru, specifically Manchu Picchu, was something I wanted to experience ever since I wrote a school report on it in the fourth grade. The idea that there was a civilization of Incans living in the mountains hundreds of years ago, having such a thriving existence was extremely mind-boggling for a young boy growing up in the suburbs of Chicago. A different civilization from mine, living not only in the jungle but the mountain jungle made me want to visit and see what it was all about. For such a special...
read moreCanon EOS Rebel T8i (850D) sample gallery
Published Sep 25, 2020 | dpreview staff The Canon Rebel T8i (known as the EOS 850D outside of the U.S.) represents the latest iteration of the company’s high-end entry-level DSLR. And it’s a well-rounded package, with a fully articulated touchscreen, 4K/24p video and 7 fps continuous burst shooting. It’s well equipped to provide ambitious beginners with everything they need to get started in photography: Take a look at the kind of images this camera is capable of. Gear in this story The Sony ZV-1 was designed specifically...
read moreRGKit Play is a modular motion control kit that’s already funded on Kickstarter
Argineering has launched a Kickstarter campaign for RGKit Play, ‘the first-ever modular wireless motion control kit that allows creatives to add movement to their design and camera.’ The campaign has already eclipsed its $50,000 funding goal by more than $25,000 at the time of writing. RGKit includes motors, accessories, light controllers, sensors and a phone application and aims to simplify the process of creating mechanical motion. Argineering states that RGKit Play can be used for tasks such as videography and stop motion....
read moreProfoto’s new A10 speedlight works with smartphones via AirX Bluetooth technology
[embedded content] Profoto has unveiled the A10, its third and latest round-head speedlight in its A1 lineup. Much like the A1X was nearly identical to the A1, the A10 is effectively an A1X with built-in Bluetooth and AirX technology for making the most of the speedlight, even with a smartphone. Profoto showed off its AirX technology back in July with its B10 and B10 Plus monolights, and more recently, its C1 and C1 Plus LED lights, but until now, it wasn’t available for its speedlights. The A10 changes that, making it easier to get...
read moreYou can now use select Nikon DSLRs, mirrorless cameras as webcams on macOS
Yesterday, Nikon released a beta version of its Webcam Utility software for macOS. Like the Windows version, released back on August 6, the macOS utility will allow owners of Nikon Z series and DSLR camera owners to use their compatible cameras as webcams with popular livestreaming and video conferencing software via USB. The macOS version of the Webcam Utility appears to function identically as the Windows version, complete with support for the following cameras: Z7, Z6, Z5, Z50, D6, D850, D780, D500, D7500 and D5600. The process is as...
read moreHow to: Shoot better macro photos using a slider and focus stacking
A Sony a6300 and an Edelkrone motorized slider: interesting marriage of technique and technology? Like a lot of people, I’ve always had an interest in macro photography, which unfortunately never really developed into anything more than the odd shot of a flower or two. Then a couple of years ago I sold my seldom used 100mm F2.8 Sony macro lens when I moved from Sony A- to Sony E-mount. At the time I thought my macro shooting days were behind me. But then I became interested in focus stacking, which is a technique used to blend several...
read moreCanon announces the EOS C70, a Cinema EOS camera in a mirrorless body
Published Sep 24, 2020 | dpreview staff Canon has announced the EOS C70, a digital cinema camera with a body that resembles a mirrorless stills camera. Notably, the C70 uses Canon’s RF lens mount, making it the first Cinema EOS camera to adopt the company’s newest lens system. The EOS C70 features a Super35 sensor using Canon’s next-generation Dual Gain Output (DGO) technology. The DGO sensor reads each pixel at two different gain levels, with one prioritizing saturation and highlight protection and the other suppressing...
read moreACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 announced, promising faster performance and new features
ACD Systems International has launched ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021. This is the newest version of the company’s flagship photo editing software. The new version is focused on providing improved performance. ACD Systems International states that Photo Studio Ultimate 2021’s performance enhancements are up to 100 percent faster and RAW decoding is up to 20 percent faster. Frank Lin, CTO & COO of ACD Systems International, says, ‘This product is everything you need to optimize your digital asset management, your...
read moreMoment unveils CineBloom, its new line of cinematic diffusion filters
[embedded content] Photography accessory company Moment has released CineBloom, its new lineup of diffusion filters meant to ‘take the edge’ off your digital photos. Inspired by cinema, the new CineBloom filters can be used with both stills and video, and ‘capture dreamy, film-like vibes straight out of a camera,’ not unlike the ‘Pro-Mist’ diffusion filters Tiffen produces. The filters are constructed of ‘aerospace grade aluminum’ and ‘Japanese optical glass’ and come in seven sizes: 37mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm and...
read moreMFT ‘Alice’ concept camera promises smartphone AI with interchangeable lenses
[embedded content] A team of engineers, data scientists and content creators have come together to produce a camera that it says marries the quality of Micro Four Thirds with the artificial intelligence of a smartphone to ‘change and challenge the concept of the digital camera for the next decade’. Alice is a camera that uses a MFT sensor and lens mount, and which is controlled by a smartphone app. Similar to Sony’s QX10 camera announced back in 2013, Alice has no screen of its own, but uses a clamp on the rear to allow users to...
read moreSony ZV-1 review
Introduction Product photos by Dan Bracaglia The Sony ZV-1 is a 20MP compact camera geared towards vlogging. It has a new and novel directional microphone next to the flash hotshoe and there’s a fully articulating touchscreen display. The ZV-1 shoots in 4K up to 30p and Full HD up to 120p and features a 24-70mm equivalent F1.8-2.8 lens. Although the Sony ZV-1 is designed specifically with vloggers in mind, it’s quite capable as a conventional compact stills camera too. If you’re a hybrid shooter who is interested in capturing...
read moreDPReview TV: How to start a YouTube channel Part III – should you shoot in a studio or in the field?
Published Sep 23, 2020 | dpreview staff [embedded content] Have you ever dreamed of starting your own YouTube channel? In this video, we discuss the pros and cons of working of shooting from a studio vs. shooting in the field. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week. The Sony ZV-1 was designed specifically for vloggers, but this compact camera is an excellent option for still photographers too. We got our hands on the brand new Instax SQ1: an easy-to-use instant camera that shoots square format film....
read moreON1 unveils ON1 Portrait AI, new ON1 Photo Mobile features and ON1 Photo RAW 2021
ON1 has unveiled new updates for its suite of software, including major upgrades to ON1 Photo RAW and new features in ON1 Photo Mobile. ON1 has also announced the all-new ON1 Portrait AI, which is available as a standalone application and as a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, Affinity Photo, Corel Paintshop Pro, Apple Photos and Capture One (at a later date). ON1 Portrait AI uses machine learning to locate and evaluate each face in portrait photos to retouch and process them without the need for manual adjustments. Dan Harlacher, VP...
read moreFacebook Rights Manager updated to give photographers more control over their images
Facebook has announced a new rights management feature designed to give creators more control over their images. On Monday, Facebook product manager of the creator and publisher experience Dave Axelgard said, ‘We want to ensure Facebook is a safe and valuable place for creators to share their content.’ Key to that goal is the newly announced Rights Manager for Images. Instagram is the dominant image-based social network at the moment, making it a valuable platform for creators…but it’s not without its controversy in...
read moreSamsung’s new 980 Pro PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD offers read speeds up to 7,000MB/s
Samsung has unveiled the 980 Pro, its newest high-end NVMe M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 drive, which pushes read and write speeds to ridiculous speeds. The drive will come in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB capacities at launch and features a PCIe 4.0 interface that, with a compatible motherboard, will offer maximum sequential read and write speeds of up to 7,000MB/s and 5,000MB/s, respectively. Even if you don’t have a PCIe 4.0 motherboard on hand (there aren’t a lot available at this time, as the interface is relatively new), the new 980 Pros can still reach...
read moreCurated film subscription service launched by Analogue Wonderland
[embedded content] Online film retailer Analogue Wonderland has started a new curated film subscription service for those who enjoy trying different emulsions. The Analogue Wonderbox service promises to deliver six different 35mm films every two months so subscribers can expand their experience of unusual as well as regular emulsion types and brands. Covering both color and black and white rolls, the service will offer negative and positive films, and users can expect extra goodies in the packages including offers on processing, merchandise...
read moreSony a7C sample gallery updated, with more shots from compact 28-60mm kit lens
Sony’s a7C is a really compact full-frame camera – especially when paired with the new FE 28-60mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens. We’ve been doing plenty of shooting with the combo and have updated our gallery to show you just what you can expect. Check out our gallery of sample images Gear in this story Sony’s a7C is among the smallest full-frame mirrorless cameras you can buy, and in terms of core capability, not much has been sacrificed for the sake of compactness. But are you ready to make it your next go-to travel camera? Find out...
read morePixelmator Photo update adds AI-powered image upscaling tool, ML Super Resolution
Pixelmator, makers of the photo editing application Pixelmator Photo, has released Pixelmator Photo version 1.4. The new update includes ML Super Resolution, a new tool designed to enlarge low-resolution photos with a single tap. ML Super Resolution utilizes machine learning (hence the ‘ML’ in the name) and the processing power available in Apple iPad devices to enlarge photos, illustrations, paintings and designs while preserving and enhancing details, edges and textures. ML Super Resolution was designed for the newly released...
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Started out doing photography at the age of 6 using an uncle's old 1940 kodak brownie box camera. At 15 years of age, I decided to buy my very own 1975 Praktica SLR camera. I now shoot with a Nikon D850. I do unpaid TFP and commercial paid work.