dpreview News

Panasonic has announced the Lumix DMC-G6 - the latest in its mass market series of DSLR-styled mirrorless cameras. The G6 gains considerably improved movie capabilities, including full exposure control, an external mic socket and the sensor from the GH2. It also adds the NFC-aided Wi-Fi for simple remote control and image download that we first saw in the GF6.

Panasonic has created the Lumix G Vario 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS, a second-generation 10x zoom for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The lens offers a smaller, lighter, less-expensive alternative to the original G Vario HD 14-140mm F4.0-5.8 ASPH Mega OIS. The latest version features three aspheric and two ED elements and an internal focus design with linear stepper motors to make the most of the faster focus processing of the latest Micro Four Thirds bodies.

We've just posted a 6-page review of the Canon Pro-10 printer. The Pro-10 sits in the middle of Canon's professional inkjet lineup below the Pro-1, which we were very impressed by when we reviewed it last year. The Pro-10 can print up to 13 x 19 inches, has built-in Ethernet connectivity, offers a maximum print resolution of 4800 x 2400 dpi, and features a ten-cartridge LUCIA pigment inkset with three monochrome inks and a chrome optimizer. Click through for a link to our full review.

Google's 'Project Glass' has seen quite a bit of buzz since the wearable communication device was made available to a limited amount of beta testers earlier this year. In an interview with the BBC, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt discussed when Google Glass will be commercially available and how the device will change human interaction and social norms. We look further into Google Glass at connect.dpreview.com.

Nikon has posted a firmware update for its Coolpix P7700 compact camera. Firmware 1.1 increases the accuracy of the P7700's virtual horizon, decreases delay between captures in auto exposure bracketing mode and addresses an issue that prevented shutter speeds slower than one second for the second and subsequent shots when shooting with Auto bracketing set to Exposure bracketing. The update is available for immediate download from Nikon's website. Click through for a download link.

We've extended our Ricoh GR Preview with additional comparisons, studio shots, a larger gallery and more details on the camera's behavior. We've shot our standard test scene with both the Ricoh and Sigma's DP1 Merrill, and added the DP1M to the comparison using our forthcoming test scene. Furthermore we've shot the GR next to the Coolpix A in a real-world setting. Click here for all this and more.

Sony Japan has launched the AKA-DM1 camera harness to mount the company's latest line of action cams on man's best friend. Priced at ¥5,250 (approximately $50), this harness fits bigger-framed dogs that weigh at least 15 kgs and have a belly circumference of 50cms - 80cms. The company's line-up of action cameras, including the Wi-Fi enabled HDR-AS15 full HD rugged action cam that was released in August 2012, are tiny and weigh around 90 gms each, making sure you wont have the RSPCA hunting you down.

Korean website lcap.tistory.com has published what it claims are sample images from the new Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM lens, purporting to show its performance in a range of different shooting situations, on both a Canon EOS 600D and 5D Mark III. We doubt very much that the site had Sigma's permission to publish the images from a pre-production lens, but if you're curious, you can click through for a link to the original 'preview' at lcap.tistory.com.

A recently released app in the Apple App Store promises the focus-shifting experience of a Lytro camera for a much smaller price tag. FocusTwist takes a series of images with different focal planes and allows users  to choose a focus point after they have taken the photo. We take the app for a quick spin and offer our take at connect.dpreview.com.

As part of its partnership with the World Photography Awards, Sony is hosting a series of workshops at London's Somerset House. The sessions take place from April 26th - 28th and cover a range of interests from beginner topics to those looking to make a career out of photography. Individual sessions are are priced at £5 each. The workshops promote the Winners Exhibition of the World Photography Awards 2013 that will be showcased from April 26th - May 12th at Somerset House. Click though for more details

If taking a photo with a nearly 10-inch tablet didn't look silly enough, you can now pair your iPad with a telephoto lens to expand tablet photography horizons. Regardless of the awkward appearance of the iPad as a camera, shooting with the tablet has grown in popularity. The new 10x zoom accessory for the iPad 3 and 4 and 12x zoom for the iPad Mini is a further proof. Read more about the lens at connect.dpreview.com.

Just posted: Our hands-on preview of the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art lens. The announcement of the world's first constant F1.8 zoom caused a lot of discussion, much of it centered around the idea that the brighter aperture would help APS-C DSLRs to compete toe-to-toe with full frame cameras in many respects. We've had a chance to handle the lens and prepare a preview putting its capabilities in more context. Click here to find out more.

BlackBerry, the phone maker formerly known as Research in Motion, has a lot riding on its newest smartphone, Z10. It’s the debut handset for the long-delayed BlackBerry 10, the operating system that the company hopes will mark the beginning of a turnaround after years of losing ground to Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms. We take a thorough look at the camera capabilities of the Z10 in our review on connect.dpreview.com.

British sports photographer Tom Jenkins has written a thought-provoking article for The Guardian about how quickly sports stories can turn into breaking news events. In the aftermath of the bomb attacks at the Boston Marathon, Jenkins draws parallels with past tragedies including the Hillsborough disaster, which occurred on the same day 24 years earlier. Jenkins also adds personal reminiscences about how he has made the transition from sports to 'news' photography in the past. Click through for excerpts and a link to the full article at The Guardian.

Ireland is a fantastically varied place with a lot to offer the travelling landscape photographer. In this three page article, Carsten Krieger explains Ireland's enduring appeal to photographers and as well as travel advice, he shares some of his own work, captured all over the 'emerald isle'. Click through to read his article, 'Ireland: A Photographers' Guide'. 

Pentax has released firmware updates for its K-5 II, K-5 IIs DSLRs and Q mirrorless cameras. Firmware version 1.04 for the K-5 II and IIs improves overall stability and resolves an issue where some of the controls stopped working on the cameras' status screens. The update Pentax Q firmware v1.12 resolves issues regarding one of its Smart Effect filters. The updates are available for immediate download from the company's website - click through for download links.

We just published the DxOMark Mobile Report for the Sony Xperia Z on connect.dpreview.com and the results don't look fantastic. DxO's imaging experts have analyzed 14 aspects of mobile imaging including detailed image quality assessment, flash performance, autofocus reliability and more to calculate a final score and the Sony scores lower than most of its competitors. We will start working on our evaluation once we receive a review unit at DPR Connect but for now click through to find out how the Sony Xperia Z's camera performed in the DxO lab tests.

Dutch designer Ruben van der Vleuten was curious to know how many people and steps were involved between mailing and receiving a parcel, so he decided to find out. He installed a tiny 3MP camera in a parcel, built a timer circuit using Arduino (a simple single-board microcontroller designed to control devices) and shipped it to himself. The timer of the circuit was set to make a 3 second video every minute and make longer videos while the box was moving. Click through to watch the results.

Apple has added Raw support to its OS-X operating system for Fujifilm's X-Trans sensors. The latest update adds support for the four X-Trans cameras - the X20, X100S, X-E1 and X-Pro1. To install the Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update v4.05, users require Aperture v3.4 or later and iPhoto version 9.4 or later. Click through for the download link.

DPReview Connect contributor Lauren Crabbe was among those taking photos with her smartphone at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday. Following the explosion of two bombs in the area just over an hour after she left, her snapshots took on a new meaning when the FBI asked spectators to submit their images as evidence in the ongoing investigation. Read her first-person account today on connect.dpreview.com.