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The Digital Photography Review Newsletter
The most popular weekly photography newsletter, with over 400,000 subscribers
Thursday, June 24, 2021

Welcome to the 867th DPReview newsletter!

This week we published our field review on Sigma's updated 35mm F1.4 Art lens, built specifically for mirrorless bodies (the previous version, from 2012, was designed for DSLRs). We also rolled out an updated buying guide to assist folks looking to purchase their first interchangeable lens camera.

Meanwhile, Richard pondered why the forthcoming Canon EOS R3 – which is looking ever-increasingly to be a sport/fast-action-focused body –  isn't called the EOS R1. And we published a pair of sample galleries: one on the Canon EOS M50 Mark II, the other on Nikon's new 105mm F2.8 macro for Z-mount.

Thanks for reading!

Dan


There can be only one: why isn't the EOS R3 an EOS R1?

The more we learn about the Canon EOS R3, the more it looks like a top-end sports camera. So why isn't it called the EOS R1? Richard Butler has been having thoughts again.

Read our opinion on the forthcoming Canon EOS R3

Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Art field review

Sigma's 35mm F1.4 DG DN Art is a designed-for-mirrorless reimagining of the company's very first 'Art' lens that was released all the way back in 2012 for DSLR cameras. It's got some big shoes to fill, so check out how it fares in our review.

Read our review of the new Sigma 35mm F1.4 Art lens 

Nikon NIKKOR Z MC 105mm F2.8 VR S sample gallery

Nikon's latest high-end macro lens isn't just for macro work – the 105mm focal length means it's a great general-purpose telephoto and portrait lens, too.

View our Nikon Z 105mm F2.8 macro samples

What to know before buying your first interchangeable lens digital camera

Hunting for your first interchangeable lens camera or know someone who is? Our complete guide has you/them covered, including buying advice and more!

View our ILC buying guide 

News updates
Published Wednesday, June 23, 2021 7:59:00 PM GMT

The FAA released TRUST, free online training that is now required for pilots to legally fly under the limited exception for recreational flight in the United States.

Published Wednesday, June 23, 2021 5:34:00 PM GMT

Winners for the inaugural International Portrait Photographer of the Year competition were recently announced.

Published Wednesday, June 23, 2021 3:43:00 PM GMT

Apple has updated four of its video editing applications, iMovie, Compressor, Motion and Final Cut Pro. The free updates increase stability, add new features and deliver improved workflow options.

Published Wednesday, June 23, 2021 3:21:00 PM GMT

Fast, high-capacity solid-state storage doesn't come cheap.

Published Wednesday, June 23, 2021 2:00:00 PM GMT

The Tamron 150-500mm F4-6.7 Di III VC VXD is a super-zoom lens for full-frame Sony E-mount bodies. It's well-built, sharp and quick-to-focus. Learn what else Chris and Jordan thought about it in the DPReview TV review of the Tamron 150-500.

Published Wednesday, June 23, 2021 1:14:00 AM GMT

Panasonic has announced a plugin to allow HLG stills to be edited in Adobe Photoshop CC. It's also released firmware updates for the S1, S1R and S5 full-frame cameras, adding Raw video modes, all to be available in July.

Published Tuesday, June 22, 2021 7:40:00 PM GMT

Adobe Premiere Pro has been around for nearly 30 years. Many aspects of video creation and editing have changed in the last three decades. To modernize Premiere Pro, Adobe has released a major refresh to the software, including a new streamlined user interface.

Published Tuesday, June 22, 2021 6:39:00 PM GMT

Kolari Vision's modification service adds a custom copper heatsink to the camera that redirects heat from the EOS R5's processor to better manage heat dissipation.

Published Tuesday, June 22, 2021 5:06:00 PM GMT

Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC), a free service that allows drone pilots to get real-time approval for controlled airspace, has been down for the past day.

Published Tuesday, June 22, 2021 2:12:00 PM GMT

PostPro's Wand is a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom that separates the good event photos from the bad, eliminating the manual culling process.

Published Tuesday, June 22, 2021 2:00:00 PM GMT

We're wrapping up our full review of Canon's EOS M50 Mark II, and we've added a ton of new images to our gallery that really show off the high ISO capabilities of this modestly sized and modestly priced camera – and boy, is it nice to safely see live music again.

Published Tuesday, June 22, 2021 1:00:00 PM GMT

The Nikon NIKKOR Z MC 105mm F2.8 VR S is a short telephoto macro prime lens for Nikon's full-frame mirrorless Z mount. Offering several upgrades over previous generations, the new Z 105mm is being pitched as a versatile prime lens for everything from macro shooting to available light portraiture.

Published Monday, June 21, 2021 6:34:00 PM GMT

Randall Warnas recently left FLIR, as Head of Global Industrial sUAS, to become Autel's new CEO. Recently, the young executive described how he plans to leverage his experience to drive the drone manufacturer's growth.

Published Monday, June 21, 2021 2:46:00 PM GMT

Leica Rumors has released its first batch of wooden Leica M3 replicas that are constructed entirely of wood and retail for just $89.

Published Monday, June 21, 2021 2:06:00 PM GMT

Advances in camera technology have significantly changed how we watch and enjoy sports. At the US Open at Torrey Pines in California, no hole reflects the advances better than the sixth, which featured an array of 88 cameras, which is more cameras than were used across the entire course in 2008.

Published Monday, June 21, 2021 1:00:00 PM GMT

Now that the cameras in smartphones have become so good, the question 'why should I buy an interchangeable lens camera' ends up being very similar to 'why would I buy a dedicated camera at all?'. Read our new guide to buying an ILC to see what you gain from keeping your phone in your pocket.

Published Sunday, June 20, 2021 2:00:00 PM GMT

The more we learn about the Canon EOS R3, the more it looks like a top-end sports camera. So why isn't it called the EOS R1? Richard Butler has been having thoughts again.

Published Saturday, June 19, 2021 2:00:00 PM GMT

Tripod heads aren't the most exciting subject, but if you're into shooting landscapes, wildlife or video, then having the right head will make your life a lot easier. In this episode, Chris discusses the pros and cons of each type of tripod head.

Published Friday, June 18, 2021 11:47:00 PM GMT

Markus Hofstätter often uses analog photography techniques for portrait photography. The recent pandemic lockdown has allowed Hofstätter to explore the nearby nature and grow close with a local family of swans. He was able to turn his large format camera into a wildlife photography setup.

Published Friday, June 18, 2021 2:00:00 PM GMT

We've already discussed common film types, now it's time to take a look at the oddball film formats. From the discontinued to the hard-to-find, how many of these have you shot?

Published Thursday, June 17, 2021 5:00:00 PM GMT

A team from the University of Ottawa has shown that lenses can be made shorter when spaceplates made of metamaterials are introduced to the optical path. The findings promise miniaturized lenses with no loss of quality

Published Thursday, June 17, 2021 2:50:00 PM GMT

Profoto has been expanding its lineup of AirX-enabled lights. Photographers can now use AirX lights with a new Profoto Camera smartphone application. The app includes a built-in camera with advanced shooting features and a new ProfotoRAW file format.

Published Thursday, June 17, 2021 2:00:00 PM GMT

Sigma's 35mm F1.4 DG DN Art is a designed-for-mirrorless reimagining of the company's very first 'Art' lens that was released all the way back in 2012 for DSLR cameras. It's got some big shoes to fill, so check out how it fares in our review.

Published Thursday, June 17, 2021 12:58:00 PM GMT

DJI is repackaging its original Mini drone, adding an SE label, and pricing it for big box stores such as Walmart and Costco. According to leaks, this may be the company's most affordable drone yet.