Nikon Blog
Join us for a live Q&A about the Nikon Z9
Published Nov 10, 2021 | dpreview staff Want to learn more about the Nikon Z9? Do you have a burning question you haven’t seen answered anywhere else? In our next Twitter Space, DPReview editors Barney Britton, Richard Butler and Jordan Drake will field your questions about Nikon’s flagship mirrorless camera. This is your chance to ask the experts! Date: Thursday, Nov. 11 Time: 2pm Pacific Time (5pm ET, 22:00 UTC) To join in, follow the link in the Twitter post below. Make sure to follow us on Twitter to hear about future events....
read moreNikon’s new firmware updates for its Z50, Z5, Z6 and Z7 cameras improve AF performance
Nikon has released minor firmware updates for nearly its entire Z mount mirrorless camera lineup. The Nikon Z6 and Z7 receive firmware version 3.40 while the Z5 and Z50 receive firmware versions 1.20 and 2.20, respectively. Each of the firmware updates improve autofocus (AF) capabilities across the board, but the updates for the Z5 and Z50 aren’t as substantial as those for the Z6 and Z7. For the Z5 and Z50, Nikon says both Face and Eye Detection autofocus modes have been improved when using a flash unit. The Z6 and Z7 receive that...
read moreVideo: These mesmerizing insect flight sequences were shot at 6,000 frames per second
Lead image: Ichneumonid wasp. Image credit: Dr. Adrian Smith Dr. Adrian Smith is the head of the Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Research Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University. Dr. Smith is also the creator of some amazing slow-motion videos of insects. Earlier this year, we saw springtails jumping at a jaw-dropping 73,000 frames per second (fps) and a video showcasing seven beautiful moths taking flight at 6,000 fps. Dr. Smith is back with another video shot at 6,000 fps, this time...
read moreTamron 28-75mm F2.8 G2 sample gallery (DPReview TV)
Published Nov 10, 2021 | dpreview staff Chris and Jordan from DPReview just reviewed the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 G2 for Sony E-mount. Check out their gallery of sample photos to judge critical image quality for yourself. Did you miss their review? If so, you can watch it here. View the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 G2 sample gallery from DPReview TV Gear in this story Tamron has announced a 35-150mm F2-2.8 fast, flexible zoom for full-frame Sony E-mount bodies, alongside a second-gen version of its 28-75mm F2.8 standard zoom lens for the same system....
read moreDPReview TV: Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 G2 review
Published Nov 10, 2021 | dpreview staff [embedded content] The original Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 was a Goldilocks lens for many Sony E-mount shooters. Now Tamron is back with a second gen version that promises to be even better. Does it deliver on that claim? Chris and Jordan did a side-by-side comparison to find out, looking at critical qualities like bokeh, sharpness, flare, ghosting, AF speed and more. Watch to find out if Tamron has another winner on its hands. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week....
read morePanasonic teases 18mm F1.8 Lumix S prime lens a day after revealing its new 35mm lens
In the announcement of its new Lumix S 35mm F1.8 yesterday, Panasonic also revealed it was working on an 18mm F1.8 lens. While no details or images accompanied that announcement, we now have out first glimpse of the new lens, thanks to Panasonic China. As discovered by Mirrorless Rumors, Panasonic China has posted an updated image that shows off a washed-out profile of its forthcoming 18mm F1.8 wide-angle lens alongside its current lineup of dimension-matched primes lenses. The 18mm F1.8 lens would fill the fixed focal length gap between 14mm...
read moreYongnuo has a new $310 50mm F1.8 AF full-frame lens for Sony E mount cameras on the way
Yongnuo has announced the YN 50mm F1.8S DF DSM, a new lens for full-frame Sony E mount camera systems. While the name and basic specifications are nearly identical to the APS-C 50mm F1.8 Sony E mount lens Yongnuo released early last year, the lens itself appears to be an entirely different design, inside and out. The autofocus lens is constructed of 11 elements in eight groups, including four high-refractive elements, one low-dispersion element and one aspherical element. The lens uses a digital stepping motor (DSM) to drive the autofocus...
read moreViltrox launches $400 85mm F1.8 AF lens for Canon RF mount cameras
Viltrox has announced its new 85mm F1.8 AF lens for Canon RF lenses, marking the company’s first AF lens for Canon’s mirrorless camera mount. The autofocus lens is constructed of ten elements in seven groups, including four short-wavelength elements and one extra-low dispersion (ED) element). Other features include a nine-blade aperture diaphragm, an aperture range of F1.8 through F16, a 72mm front filter thread and a minimum focusing distance of 80cm (2.6ft). Autofocus is driven via a stepping motor (STM) and an integrated chip transfers...
read moreAptolux launches modular, transforming LED lighting solution for photo and video
Aptolux wants to create video lights ‘for videographers, by videographers.’ The company’s first product in pursuit of that goal is the Aptolux MP-1. The MP-1 is a modular lighting system that can change its size and shape based on a videographer’s or photographer’s needs. Photographer and filmmaker Alvis Rozenbergs started Aptolux and has spent the last couple of years working on developing a modular lighting system that solved the problems he has faced with lights in his career. Rozenbergs found that lights were...
read moreShould you upgrade? New Sony a7 IV vs a7 III
What tripod can support a 600mm lens and still go on a long hike into the wilderness? We test out six higher-end, thick-legged, modular tripods that are comfortably tall and capable of supporting tremendous amounts of gear. This group review compares all six models, examining their features, functions and ergonomics in use, both in the studio and out in the...
read morePanasonic Lumix S 35mm F1.8 sample gallery
Published Nov 9, 2021 | dpreview staff We’ve been using Panasonic’s new Lumix S 35mm F1.8 L-mount lens for the last few days, and while we’ve barely begun our planned schedule of shooting, we’ve prepared a small initial sample gallery to show a little of what the new lens can do. Keep an eye on our homepage in the coming days for more samples as soon as we can upload them. View our Panasonic Lumix S 35mm F1.8 gallery Gear in this story Three years after releasing the Mavic 2 series, DJI returns with the Mavic 3. It...
read morePanasonic announces Lumix S 35mm F1.8 standard prime
Panasonic has announced the Lumix S 35mm F1.8, the latest in its range of full frame prime lenses for the Leica/Panasonic/Sigma L-mount. The 35mm F1.8 becomes the fourth in a series of similar primes, meaning L-mount users can choose from 24, 35, 50 or 85mm F1.8 Lumix S primes, all of which share the comparable ergonomics and dimensions. Panasonic points out that this should allow them to be swapped-out when used on a gimbal, with minimal need for re-balancing (they are similar but not identical in weight). The 35mm F1.8 features eleven...
read moreNew firmware adds LAN and USB 4K streaming to Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 II
Panasonic has released firmware version 1.1 for the Lumix DC-GH5 II, adding support for wired 4K streaming, among several feature enhancements. With the new firmware, IP streaming will be possible over tethered LAN at up to 4K/60p, in the H.265 codec. Using the H.264 code opens up the option to directly stream 4K/60p using a smartphone, via USB. Other enhancements include improvements when shooting using Panasonic’s Lumix Tether software, the addition of Live View Composite, and the inclusion of 720 degree and 1080 degree selections to...
read moreWhat Is Composition? A Photographer’s Guide
This is Chapter 2 of our multi-part tutorial, Composition in Photography, which teaches you how to compose photos that are as effective as possible. In this part of the guide, I’ll define composition and explain why it’s such a powerful tool for taking better photos. NIKON D800E + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 100, 1/640, f/3.5 Table of Contents The Definition of Composition Each time you take a photo, you end up making conscious decisions about what items to include or exclude. You also decide how to arrange the objects that are in your...
read moreThe Hubble Space Telescope is in ‘safe mode’ after its second shutdown of 2021
Lead image credit: NASA US astronomers want a new space-based telescope to search for exoplanets, and perhaps the project can’t come soon enough. The Hubble Space Telescope’s scientific operations are on hold for the second time this year. After an extended offline period this summer, Hubble is in ‘Safe Mode’ as NASA scientists investigate what’s gone wrong with the telescope. NASA writes, ‘NASA is continuing work to resolve an issue that has suspended science operations on the Hubble Space Telescope. The...
read morePanasonic China teases lens launch for tomorrow, November 9
Panasonic China has published a pair of teasers on multiple Chinese social networks teasing a forthcoming launch event set to take place tomorrow, November 9th. While the teasers don’t reveal much, they do show off the silhouette of a lens, with two different images escaping from the front element: a rocket and planetary system in one and a model in another. There is also text overlaid next to the release time that machine-translates to ‘invite you to open the box.’ Whatever the announcement is, we shouldn’t have to wait long, as it’s set to...
read moreReply to Newbie saying hello
I bought my Nikon D3200 a few years ago, then soon after lost track of where I put it. It recently resurfaced and I am enjoying getting to know it better. I joined flickr in September and have been going through and editing older photos, as well as taking a few new ones. The thing is I was real lazy at first once we entered the digital photography era, and relied too much on taking photos automatically. Now I am more seriously trying to understand the digital elements of photography and this particular camera. Years ago I had an Olympus OM1,...
read moreReply to Nikon D 3400 screen display problem
Suddenly my camera stop showing screen display. I tried almost all the tricks and tips discussed on many forums like holding the info and menu button together for 10 sec and pressing the info button 5/6 times. But it doesn’t work in my case. Kindly guide me!!!! I am helpless Suddenly my camera stop showing screen display. I tried almost all the tricks and tips discussed on many forums like holding the info and menu button together for 10 sec and pressing the info button 5/6 times. But it doesn’t work in my case. Kindly guide...
read moreVideo: a Retro Review of Nikon’s 25-year-old Coolpix 300 ‘Personal Imaging Assistant’
[embedded content] Gordon Laing, founder of Camera Labs, is back with another Retro Review, this time taking an in-depth look at the Nikon Coolpix 300. As with his past reviews for his DinoBytes YouTube channel, Laing goes back in time to see how well Nikon’s ‘Personal Imaging Assistant’ holds up 25 years later. The Nikon Coolpix 300 was released in late 1996 and retailed for around $800. While its ‘Coolpix’ nomenclature suggests this was only a digital camera, it actually had a few tricks up its sleeve, inspired by the PDAs of the day. The...
read moreZhong Yi Optics announces Turbo adapters for DX Nikon Z cameras that reduces crop factor
Zhong Yi Optics has announced the launch of three new Mitakon Lens Turbo adapters designed for DX-format Nikon Z cameras, such as the Nikon Z50 and the Nikon Z fc. The trio of adapters allow users to mount M42, Canon EF and Nikon F lenses for use on APS-C Z system cameras. The adapter includes optics to offset the 1.52x crop factor of an APS-C image sensor. The Zhong Yi Lens Turbo adapter includes reduction optics inside, allowing cameras with a smaller sensor to use just shy of the full image circle of lenses designed for full-frame cameras....
read moreDocumenting a bear release using Sony a1 animal and human eye-AF
Published Nov 8, 2021 | This is sponsored content, created with the support of Sony [embedded content] Sony’s latest mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras feature powerful autofocus systems which include advanced human and animal Eye-AF features. Earlier this year, DPReview’s Carey Rose takes Sony’s flagship Alpha 1 into the Cascade Mountains here in Washington State to document the controlled release of a black bear, rescued from possible starvation by local animal charity PAWS. In this video, Carey uses the Sony...
read moreNewbie saying hello
Photos Members Group Since Newbie saying hello Floating on Air says: I bought my Nikon D3200 a few years ago, then soon after lost track of where I put it. It recently resurfaced and I am enjoying getting to know it better. I joined flickr in September and have been going through and editing older photos, as well as taking a few new ones. The thing is I was real lazy at first once we entered the digital photography era, and relied too much on taking photos automatically. Now I am more seriously trying to understand the digital elements of...
read moreHands-on with the new OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm F1.4 PRO
Hands-on with the new OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm F1.4 PRO OM Digital Solutions – the company that’s bought the Olympus imaging division – has just launched the M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm F1.4 PRO. The new 20mm becomes the first lens released under its new brand, ‘OM System’ which replaces the legacy Olympus branding. Appropriately perhaps, the new brand debuts with a lightweight (247g / 8.7oz), compact, and weather-sealed lens – characteristics which have exemplified the best M43 optics going back to the inception...
read moreDPReview TV: Fujifilm X-S10 vs X-T30 II shootout
Published Nov 6, 2021 | dpreview staff [embedded content] Fujifilm has updated the specs of its mid-level X-T30 model, making it harder than ever to choose between the X-T30 II and the X-S10. Chris and Jordan tease-out the differences in the above video. First, Chris breaks down what the X-T30 II offers and notes what’s changed compared to its predecessor. He then explains where the X-T30 II fits in within Fujifilm’s mirrorless camera lineup, specifically comparing it with the slightly more expensive X-S10, to see which camera you...
read moreSamyang announces $500 12mm F2 AF lens for Fujifilm X mount cameras
Samyang has announced its new 12mm F2.0 AF lens for Fujifilm X mount camera systems, which offers a full-frame equivalent focal length of 18mm. This compact ultrawide lens appears to be a slightly tweaked version of the APS-C Sony E mount 12mm F2 lens revealed earlier this year. Like its E mount predecessor, the X mount 12mm F2 AF lens is constructed of 12 elements in 10 groups, including three extra-low dispersion elements, one hybrid-aspherical element and one aspherical element. Samyang is also using an ‘advanced version’ of its Ultra...
read more
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.