Nikon Blog
Zhong Yi announces $600 Speedmaster 90mm F1.5 lens, a budget-friendly Leica Summilux M alternative
Zhong Yi Optics has announced the release of its new Mitakon Speedmaster 90mm F1.5 lens, a fast, manual prime designed to be a more budget-friendly alternative to Leica’s $14,000 90mm F1.5 Summilux M. The lens, which will be available for Canon RF, Leica M, Nikon Z and Sony E mount, is constructed of nine elements in six groups, including two extra-low dispersion elements and two high-refractive elements. It also has a nine-blade aperture diaphragm, a 110cm minimum focusing distance of 110cm (3ft8in), a 67mm front filter thread and an F1.5...
read moreLaptop Review: Apple M1 Max MacBook Pro (2021) – Back with a vengeance
All product photography by DL Cade. By just about every metric you can come up with, Apple’s transition to Apple Silicon on the Mac has been a success. The M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro put up performance and efficiency numbers that were hard to believe, at a price point that instantly placed Apple at the top of every “best entry-level creator laptop” list on the Internet. But for many of the professional creatives in the audience – people whose livelihood depends on the performance and reliability of their computer – the...
read moreSamyang announces three T1.3 ‘Meister’ cine primes, 50mm T2.3 2x anamorphic lens
Samyang, also known as Rokinon, has announced four new XEEN cinema lenses, including three T1.3 ‘Meister’ primes and a single 2x anamorphic lens. XEEN 35mm, 50mm and 85mm T1.3 ‘Meister’ primes The three XEEN ‘Meister’ primes are designed for cameras with up to 8K resolution and feature Samyang’s proprietary X-coating technology. The lenses are color-matched across the entire ‘Meister’ range and all offer the same T1.3 apertures with a 13-blade aperture diaphragm. Each of the lenses also have a 300º rotation angle for the geared focus ring, a...
read moreA €120,000 Zeiss Ikon rifle and €1.2M Leica MP headlined the 39th Leitz Photographica Auction
Over the weekend, Mirrorless Rumors (somewhat cryptically) posted about the ‘sexy and expensive’ Sonnar 180mm F2.8 lens that you could purchase if you had a lot of extra money, €120,000 of extra money. But what is the expensive lens and why is it so expensive? Contax Rifle 543/75 outfit / Credit: Leitz Photographica Auction For avid readers, the lens might look familiar. The unique camera and lens combination was recently available in the 39th Leitz Photographica Auction. The lot, number 429, was one we featured in our coverage....
read moreVenus Optics announces the Laowa 85mm F5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO, the world’s smallest 2x macro lens for FF mirrorless cameras
Venus Optics has announced the 85mm F5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO lens, the world’s smallest 2x macro lens for full-frame mirrorless camera systems. The manual lens is constructed of 13 elements in nine groups, including three extra-low dispersion elements, using an apochromatic (APO) design to minimize chromatic aberrations. The lens features a minimum focusing distance of 16.3cm (6.4″), has a 2x magnification ratio and uses an internal focusing mechanism so the front barrel of the lens doesn’t extend when focusing on subjects. To claim its...
read moreReview: The DJI Action 2 reimagines action camera design, but can’t beat physics
DJI Action 2 from $399 | DJI.com The DJI Action 2 is a modular action camera with a very compact body and impressive 4K video capabilities. It’s a reimagined version of DJI’s Osmo Action camera and features a variety of magnetic modules so users can customize it to their shooting needs. The Action 2 uses a 1/1.7″ CMOS sensor, which is larger than the 1/2.3″ sensor in the original Osmo Action camera. Its F2.8 lens gives a 155º field of view (FoV) and a new color temperature sensor helps the camera quickly adjust as...
read moreBest gifts for photographers in 2021
Best gifts for photographers in 2021 It goes without saying that last two years have been difficult. Although things are feeling a little more normal than last holiday season – people are traveling, industries are returning and people have the ability to gather more freely – we still aren’t back to “normal”. The pandemic isn’t over and many people are still struggling. But for many photographers, the act of making pictures can be incredibly therapeutic. If you’re shopping for a photographer this season, we think...
read moreHow to Make Your Tripod More Stable
Some of the most common advice in photography, especially for landscape and architectural work, is to use a tripod. But the story doesn’t end there. Even if you have a top-of-the-line tripod and head, bad tripod technique can result in some seriously blurry shots. This is especially something you’ll notice when you shoot in windy conditions and use longer lenses. Still, by following the steps below (some of which are obvious, others of which are more obscure) you can get sharp photos no matter the situation. Personally, I realized how...
read moreDPReview TV: Sony a7 IV versus a7 III
Published Nov 27, 2021 | dpreview staff [embedded content] The new Sony a7 IV offers a range of updates over the popular a7 III, but at a higher introductory price. Are the new features worth the cost of upgrading? In this week’s episode of DPRTV, Chris and Jordan get to the bottom of what makes the two cameras different, and which might be right for you. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week. Gear in this story This year, despite the disruption, plenty of amazing cameras, lenses, accessories and...
read moreBest Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals for Photographers
There are lots of great Black Friday deals still left for photographers, and almost all of them carry over to Cyber Monday. Here are some of the ones that stand out to me. KEH: Entire Store 10% Off Until November 29 at 11:59pm ET, everything in KEH’s catalog is 10% off. KEH is one of my favorite stores for used photography equipment, with very reasonable prices (often even cheaper than eBay) and a great return policy. Since they sell used equipment, you’re taking 10% off what are already low prices. Black Friday shoppers on a budget should...
read moreFilm Friday: Solarcan Puck is a compact solargraph camera in a can the size of a burger
After more than a year of tinkering with designs, the team over at Solarcan has announced their newest ultra-long exposure camera in a can, the Solarcan Puck. As its name suggests, this version of the Solarcam is a shrunk-down version of the original 16oz version. Like the original Solarcan, the Solarcan Puck is a pinhole-style camera for capturing scene where it’s located, as well as the path of the sun over days, weeks, months or years. It uses a very small aperture poked into the front metal to expose sheets of photographic paper packed...
read moreTourBox Elite Bluetooth controller promises intuitive, customizable control
TourBox released the original TourBox Bluetooth controller aimed at creators in 2018. We reviewed it in 2020 and said, ‘The Tourbox’s unique combination of different controls sets itself apart from much of the competition, as does its price. However, the product could benefit from some more development work both in the hardware and software departments. And who knows, maybe a Pro version won’t be far down the line?’ Well, a ‘Pro’ version is here now in the form of the TourBox Elite. The new TourBox Elite is...
read moreOM System 20mm F1.4 Pro sample gallery (DPReview TV)
Published Nov 26, 2021 | dpreview staff Chris from DPReview TV recently reviewed the first new OM System lens, the M.Zuiko 20mm F1.4 Pro. He found it to be a solid performer, but check out this sample gallery from his review to judge image quality for yourself. Did you miss their review of the 20mm F1.4 Pro? If so, you can watch it here. View the OM System 20mm F1.4 Pro sample gallery from DPReview TV Gear in this story We are retrieving offers for your location, please refresh the page to see the prices. OM Digital Solutions – the company...
read more5D4 Firmware
Photos Members Group Since 5D4 Firmware skankosis says: I’ve been running into posts of possible autofocus issues with the latest firmware (1.3.3). I’m running 1.2.1 and have no problems, yet. Does anyone know of such issues regarding AF?Thanks 5:55AM, 26 November 2021 PST (permalink) W9JIM says: I’m running 1.3.2 and have no issues. Wasn’t aware of 1.3.3. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. 16 hours ago (permalink) skankosis says: Thank you for the info. I’m not sure whether to update or double down. I have...
read moreCanon EOS R3 studio scene published
The sensor in the Canon EOS R3 is key to the image quality the camera is capable of, and it’s Canon’s first ‘stacked’ CMOS sensor to date. Let’s take a quick look at how it compares to other cameras of similar pixel counts. Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors and detail types you’ll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes to see the effect of different lighting conditions. We’ll be going into a full analysis in our full review, but we can see...
read moreFew Spots Left for Death Valley and Jordan Workshops
Join us for incredible experiences in Death Valley NP and Jordan / Dubai in 2022! By Nasim Mansurov No CommentsPublished On November 24, 2021 We have had a couple of cancellations for the Death Valley Workshop that’s taking place in early January of 2022. If you would like to join us in this adventure, I recommend signing up as soon as possible, as these spots will fill up quick. To sign up for the workshop, please see the Workshop Registration page, and if you want to find out more about the workshop and our detailed schedule, please click...
read moreDPReview TV: OM System 20mm F1.4 Pro review
Published Nov 24, 2021 | dpreview staff [embedded content] The 20mm F1.4 Pro is the first M.Zuiko lens released under the new OM System brand. Does it live up to its heritage of Olympus Pro-series glass? Chris puts it to the test to find out. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week. OM System 20mm F1.4 Pro sample gallery from this episode Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). Gear in this story We are...
read moreAtomos adds 8K ProRes RAW Recording to Canon’s EOS R5, 5.9K ProRes RAW to Panasonic’s BS1H and more
Atomos has announced an update for its Ninja V and Ninja V+ that brings new ProRes RAW Recording options for Canon’s EOS R5, Panasonic’s Lumix BS1H and legacy Sony FS series cinema cameras. AtomOS version 10.71 also adds support for Atomos’ new AtomX Cast hardware with the Ninja V+. Canon EOS R5 On Canon’s EOS R5 mirrorless camera, AtomOS version 10.71 adds the ability to record up to 5K/30p (5088 x 2680 pixels) ProRes RAW on the Ninja V and up to 5K/60p or 8K/30p PreRes RAW on the Ninja V+. The update also adds slider adjustments for white...
read moreOur favorite gear, rewarded: DPReview Awards 2021
It’s that time of year again, and with the holidays just around the corner, we’ve collated our annual list of what (in our opinion) constitutes the best of the year’s major product releases. If 2020 was the year of Covid lockdowns, working from home, and dreams of travel, 2021 has been a dreary slog of almost-but-not-quite-normality. Meanwhile, supply-chain issues across the world continue to impact virtually every industry, in every country – consumer electronics being no exception. Partly as a consequence of all this...
read moreSlideshow: Winners and Finalists of the 2021 Nature inFocus Photography contest
On Monday, November 22nd, winners and runners up were announced via a live YouTube stream for the latest Nature inFocus Photography competition. Over 2,000 photographers from 40 countries submitted close to 18,000 photographs. The annual event showcases creative wildlife photography, animal portraits, creative nature shots, and more. [embedded content] For the first time in the competition’s history, an Overall Winner was not named as the jury felt it was too hard to choose. A gallery of the winning and finalist images can be found on...
read moreReply to How to inspect a 5d Mark IV
I purchased a used 5d recently for a scary-good price. It takes photos, all modes work, autofocus is fine, shutter seems a little worn but still works. Joystick is broken, wifi works. Wondering, are there any really important things I wouldn’t notice are broken but may need to use in the future? I purchased a used 5d recently for a scary-good price. It takes photos, all modes work, autofocus is fine, shutter seems a little worn but still works. Joystick is broken, wifi works. Wondering, are there any really important things I...
read moreHow to inspect a 5d Mark IV
Photos Members Group Since How to inspect a 5d Mark IV coralscolescoburn says: I purchased a used 5d recently for a scary-good price. It takes photos, all modes work, autofocus is fine, shutter seems a little worn but still works. Joystick is broken, wifi works. Wondering, are there any really important things I wouldn’t notice are broken but may need to use in the future? 7:00PM, 23 November 2021 PST...
read moreSony stops production of all a7 II series and a6400 cameras due to chip shortages
Sony’s a7R II full-frame mirrorless camera system. Sony Japan has published a notice on its website informing consumers that it will stop production of five camera systems and an accessory due to the global semiconductor shortage. In its notice, which doubles as an apology, Sony says it stopped the acceptance of orders from distributors and customers on November 19, 2021 for the following equipment: a7 II series cameras, a6400 series cameras, a6100 cameras (black models only, apparently), PXW-Z190 professional 4K camcorder and the...
read moreBlack Friday macro lens sale for D3200?
Photos Members Group Since Black Friday macro lens sale for D3200? Floating on Air says: For those in the United States, are you aware of any good sales for Nikkor lenses to use for Macro photography? I am looking for a new lens with at least an f1.8 aperture that can be used with or without automatic focus. 9:55AM, 23 November 2021 PST (permalink) Would you like to comment? Sign up for a free account, or sign in (if you’re already a...
read morePixelmator Pro 2.3 released: New AI-powered Magic Background Eraser and Select Subject
Less than a month after Pixelmator Pro 2.2 was released, Pixelmator Pro 2.3 is now available. The new version is codenamed Abracadabra ‘because it’s totally magic,’ and it adds many new features, including automatic background removal, automatic subject selection and more. The new Magic Background Eraser lets you remove the background from any image with a click. It works using a convolutional neural network to identify the subject in ‘pretty much any image’ and remove the background. The tool uses three...
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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.