Nikon Blog
Hands-on with the new Panasonic Lumix S 50mm F1.8
Panasonic’s new Lumix S 50mm F1.8 is a dust and splash-resistant lens for L-mount shooters, sporting a reasonably fast F1.8 maximum aperture. It’s the second of four budget-oriented, compact F1.8 primes (announced by Panasonic last September) to come to market, joining the Lumix S 85mm F1.8. All four of these primes are intended to share a similar design, weight, and footprint, while also appealing to both stills and video shooters alike. Priced at $449 and available in July, the Lumix S 50mm F1.8 offers a lot of versatility at a...
read moreNikon Z5 vs Z6 II
The difference in price between the Nikon Z5 and Nikon Z6 II is substantial, even though both are full-frame mirrorless cameras with a lot of similarities. Is the Nikon Z6 II worth the extra money? This comparison explains everything you need to know to make your decision. Let’s start by looking at the construction of the two cameras. As you can see, the front looks almost exactly the same, other than the name plates and a different texture on the right-hand side of the cameras: The back panel has no differences at all (Z5 on the left and Z6...
read moreNew: NIKKOR Z MC 50mm f/2.8 and NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S
Photos Members Group Since New: NIKKOR Z MC 50mm f/2.8 and NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S Would you like to comment? Sign up for a free account, or sign in (if you’re already a...
read moreNikon announces NX Field, a remote shooting system for fast-paced pro photography
Nikon has announced a new remote shooting system, NX Field. The application is aimed at professional photographers and videographers, and is designed to help support pros in the field. The application allows the synchronization of multiple remote cameras, both Nikon DSLRs and mirrorless cameras alike. Using NX Field, photographers can operate and adjust connected cameras and automatically upload images captured from inked cameras to a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server. [embedded content] NX Field offers remote control in mixed environments....
read moreThe Pentagon clears DJI drones for use after temporary suspension
It started in May, 2019, when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) sent out an alert stating that ‘drones manufactured in China are a potential risk to an organization’s information.’ From there, it escalated, and by the end of 2020, the U.S. government added drones manufactured by Dajiang Innovations, better known as DJI, to its economic blacklist. Recently, an audit conducted by the Pentagon cleared two of DJI drones built for government use. In a summary first obtained by The Hill, officials found ‘no...
read moreCapture One says it will have an iPad app out in ‘early 2022’
Capture One has announced, via social media, it’s working on developing an iPad app and expects it to be available in ‘early 2022.’ This announcement comes just a week after Capture One released an updated version of its app with native support for Apple M1 computers. The post, embedded below, doesn’t divulge any details regarding what similarities we can expect between the forthcoming iPad app and the current computer-based version. However, considering Capture One essentially rewrote its entire app to support Apple’s M1 chipset, it would...
read moreFilm Fridays: A closer look at Konica Centuria Chrome, a film stock you’ve probably never used
An example of a photo shot with Konica Centuria Chrome 100. Photo: Stephen Dowling Back in the day, Konica was one of the only Japanese manufacturers to produce both film and cameras. They first started in the 1960s, offering a small selection of B&W and color films, and experimented through the rest of the century with a wide variety of offerings. By 1999, the brand unveiled what would ultimately be its final film stock(s) in the form of Konica Centuria Chrome, which was available in ISOs ranging from 100 up to 1600. But by 2006, with...
read morePanasonic Lumix DC-GH5 versus GH5 II: Which is best for you?
The Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 II is a refresh, rather than a complete reworking of the company’s erstwhile video flagship. Since the launch of the original GH5, Panasonic has added full-frame video models and dedicated ‘box’ cameras and is now promising a GH6 model as a direct replacement. The GH5 II, then, updates the GH5 spec in order to ensure it remains an interesting and competitive option for stills/video shooters, rather than trying to raise the bar as previous GHs have done. But where does that leave things if...
read morePhotoshop Smart Objects Explained: Why They’re Helpful for Photography
Adobe Photoshop doesn’t turn layers into smart objects by default, so it can be easy to forget how useful they are. But they have some amazing benefits that you should know about – most of all, the ability to re-edit filters that you’ve applied to a layer. That’s not the only reason to convert a layer to a smart object, but it’s one of the biggest. Two others reasons that are important in photography are that smart objects make it easier to do image averaging and perform nondestructive transform/warps of layers. They are also helpful in...
read moreNASA’s Curiosity rover photographs rare shimmering clouds on the Red Planet
While NASA’s Perseverance rover has been getting a lot of attention following its arrival on Mars in February, the Curiosity rover is still working on the Martian surface, where it’s been since August 2012. Curiosity continues to make important discoveries on the Red Planet. Last week, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced that Curiosity had captured images of shining clouds on Mars. Clouds don’t often form in the thin and dry atmosphere of Mars. NASA writes that ‘Clouds are typically found at the...
read moreLooking for a more affordable version of Rode’s Wireless Go II? Mirfak Audio’s WE10 Pro kit might be your ticket
Mirfak Audio, a sister company of Moza, has announced the WE10 Pro, new dual-channel wireless audio kit that’s effectively a direct competitor to Røde’s new Wireless Go II kit. As with the Røde Wireless Go II kit, the WE10 Pro features includes transmitters and one receiver. Both the transmitters and receiver feature a spring-loaded clip that doubles as a coldshoe/hotshoe mount with a rubber grip on the opposite side to ensure the units don’t slide when attached to clothing. The two transmitter units include built-in omnidirectional...
read moreSlideshow: Winners of the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021 competition
Winners of the annual Nature TTL Photographer of the Year competition were recently announced for 2021. Over 8,000 images were received from around the world. Canadian photographer Thomas Vijayan received the grand prize for his image ‘The World is Going Upside Down’ depicting an orangutan looking at his reflection in a body of water below the tree he’s climbing. ‘Thomas’ image is really unique, and immediately stood out to the judging panel,’ said Will Nicholls, Founder of Nature TTL. ‘It’s one of those...
read moreSigma’s 3.00 firmware update for the FP is now live with support for the new EVF-11 viewfinder and more
As it promised it would, Sigma has released firmware version 3.00 for the Sigma FP. The update addresses known issues and adds features found on Sigma’s newer FP-L camera system. Firmware version 3.00 adds support for the Sigma EVF-11 launched alongside the FP-L, includes the new ‘Powder Blue’ and ‘Duotone’ color modes, enables saving and loading cameras via QR codes and adds the ‘Quick Focus Frame Shift’ function. Other upgrades include an increase in the number of functions that can be assigned to Custom Buttons, improved Flicker Control...
read moreDxO Nik Collection 4 review: Viveza and Silver Efex rebooted
Every year around the start of June, French software company DxO releases a new version of Nik Collection, a suite of eight image processing tools that can be used either as standalone apps or plug-ins for third-party software like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom Classic. And 2021 is no different, with Nik Collection 4 now making its debut. The Nik Collection first appeared over a decade ago, and some of its component plug-ins can be traced back as far as late 1999, when the first version of Nik Color Efex was released. Initially developed by...
read moreVideo: A look inside Sony’s Osaka CMOS image sensor development facility
[embedded content] Sony Semiconductor Solutions Group has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s new Osaka office, which opened in April 2020. This new facility, which Sony deems an ‘engineer-first office’ serves as the headquarters for CMOS image sensor design and development. Sony Semiconductor Solution Group’s press release, which accompanies the original video, says the concept of the building is ‘to create a workplace environment that empowers workers.’ The two-fold concept is described as follows: ‘One is that engineers...
read moreDxO announces Nik Collection 4: Improved usability & powerful new tools in major update
DxO has announced Nik Collection 4 by DxO, the latest major release of the company’s photo editing plugin suite. Nik Collection 4 contains the same eight plugins as last year’s Nik Collection 3, but popular plugins Viveza and Silver Efex have undergone major revisions and are vastly improved over previous iterations. [embedded content] In Nik Collection 4, Viveza and Silver Efex feature revamped user interfaces. The plugins now feature a modern interface that is both simpler and more functional. Users can scroll and filter through...
read moreVideo: Slow Mo Guys use new Phantom TMX7510 camera to break record by shattering glass at 800,000 fps
The Slow Mo Guys have been making great content on YouTube for years, recording action with increasingly higher speed cameras. Whenever you think they’ve surely reached the limits of technology, a crazy new camera comes out. Last month, the Slow Mo Guys reached new heights with the Phantom TMX7510 camera, shooting glass breaking at a whopping 800,000 frames per second. Phantom announced the TMX7510 and TMX6410 cameras in early March. Our coverage noted that they are the first high-speed cameras to use back-side illuminated (BSI) image...
read moreVideo: Photographer Michael Clark packs the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD on rock-climbing shoot
Published Jun 2, 2021 | This is sponsored content, made possible with the support of Amazon and SanDisk [embedded content] The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is a high speed, portable solid state drive, designed for use by photographers and filmmakers. With a maximum data write speed of 1050 Megabytes per second, files can be transferred over the USB Type-C connection with blazing speed, letting you edit straight from the drive. In this video, photographer Michael Clark takes the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD to the desert near Las Vegas, NV, to...
read moreNikon Announces Its First Z-Series Macro Lenses: a 50mm and 105mm
The newest Z-series lenses were announced today: a 50mm f/2.8 and 105mm f/2.8 lens, both of which are capable of 1:1 magnification macro photography. The lenses will cost $650 and $1000 respectively, and Nikon says they’ll ship by late June. Let’s take a look at them below. Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8 The MC 50mm f/2.8 macro lens attached to the Nikon Z5 At $650, the cheaper of the two macro lenses is a 50mm f/2.8. Nikon did not designate this as an “S-class” lens, which means it’s in the company of the Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 and 24-200mm...
read moreHere’s everything we know about the Canon EOS R3
Canon has announced further specifications of its forthcoming EOS R3, giving a clearer picture of what the camera will offer when it is officially released. The latest bit of drip-fed info makes the EOS R3 look more like a ‘mirrorless 1D X’ than we’d previously assumed, and in fact potentially a fully-fledged sports/photojournalism camera. Canon says the R3 represents ‘a new class, between the EOS R5 and the EOS 1D X series,’ but from what we now know, it seems like it’ll be pretty close to the latter....
read moreDPReview TV: Newest Canon EOS R3 specs revealed! We explain what they mean
Published Jun 2, 2021 | dpreview staff [embedded content] Canon just dropped more info about its upcoming EOS R3 mirrorless camera. In this video, Chris and Jordan of DPRTV analyze the details to see what they tell us about the R3’s features and specs. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week. Gear in this story Canon has just announced the development of what will be the highest-speed RF-mount camera yet, the EOS R3. It looks like a really interesting camera, but the R3 also points toward something...
read moreCanon EOS R3 will shoot 30 fps Raw bursts, with oversampled 4K and 8-stop IS
Published Jun 2, 2021 | dpreview staff Canon has released additional details about its high-end EOS R3 mirrorless camera, which we expect will be shipping by the end of the year. The Stacked CMOS sensor, which will have very fast readout, can shoot Raw bursts at 30 fps. When used with compatible RF lenses, its in-body stabilization can reduce shake by up to eight stops. Autofocus has been enhanced over current EOS R models, with improved face/eye/head and animal detection, plus new car and motorcycle tracking capabilities. Canon says that the...
read moreNikon announces its first Z-mount macro lenses: the Nikkor Z MC 105mm F2.8 VR S and Nikkor Z MC 50mm F2.8
Nikon has expanded its Nikkor Z lens lineup with two new additions – the Nikkor Z MC 105mm F2.8 VR S and the Nikkor Z MC 50mm F2.8. These new macro lenses (referred to by the technically more accurate term of ‘micro’ in Nikon’s vernacular) are the first native Z mount Nikon lenses to provide users with a 1:1 reproduction ratio. But macro lenses aren’t always just about the small details. Nikon says the Nikkor Z MC 105mm F2.8 S VR’s focal length will make for an ideal mid-length portrait lens as well. It comes...
read moreNikon confirms compact 28mm F2.8 and 40mm F2 primes for Z-mount coming later this year
Alongside the announcement of two new Z-mount macro prime lenses, Nikon has confirmed that two more roadmapped lenses are coming this year: the Nikkor Z 28mm F2.8 and Nikkor Z 40mm F2. The only specs that have been made available are their maximum apertures and their filter thread (52mm for both), but the supplied images let us make a couple of assumptions. The small front elements are reminiscent of Canon’s RF 35mm F1.8 and some other recent mirrorless primes, suggesting a ‘backwards’ optical design compared to traditional...
read moreWhat We Know About the Nikon Z Pancakes (Development Announcement)
Camera companies have really been fans of development announcements recently! Today, alongside the formal announcement of two Nikon Z macro lenses, Nikon also revealed a few more details about the upcoming 28mm and 40mm pancake primes that have been on the roadmap for a while. Specifically, Nikon has announced that the 28mm lens will have an f/2.8 maximum aperture, and the 40mm will be an f/2 lens. Nikon also said that they are “scheduled for release within 2021,” for what it’s worth. Beyond that, all we know is that both lenses should...
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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.