April 2011 news and reviews

Phase One has updated its Capture One PRO 6 and Express 6 Raw workflow software. Version 6.2 brings additional features and extends RAW support to cameras including the Nikon D7000, Canon EOS 600D/Rebel T3i and 1100D/Rebel T3, Fujifilm X100 and Samsung NX series cameras. The update is available for immediate download from the company's website.

Since we released the major upgrade of our product database pages four weeks ago, we have been hard at work fixing bugs, refining details and addressing your feedback. We’ve reached the point where all the major issues have been addressed and everything is running along smoothly. Our development team will be moving on to work on other new features, but first we wanted to give you an update on what’s been done over the past few weeks.

Just posted: Our in-depth review of the Nikon D5100. Sitting between the entry-level D3100 and the upper mid-level D7000, the D5100 is a hard camera to categorise. It combines the user-friendly ergonomics of the D3100 with the impressive 16MP CMOS sensor of the D7000, but throws in a couple of neat tricks of its own, including an articulated LCD screen, and a set of all-new 'Effects' modes. So is the Nikon D5100 just an entry-level camera with delusions of grandeur, or is it a wolf in sheep's clothing? Read our 23-page in-depth review to find out.

Nikon has posted a firmware update for its D7000 digital SLR. Firmware v1.02 brings a host of bug fixes and improvements relating to noise reduction, movie playback and editing, and RAW processing with Capture NX 2 or ViewNX 2. The firmware is available for immediate download from the company's website.

Olympus has released a firmware update for its XZ-1 enthusiast compact. Version 1.2 adds the ability to manually change orientation of images during playback.

Samsung has announced the ST93 compact camera. The 16MP CCD-based camera offers a 5x optical zoom lens starting at a useful 26mm equivalent. Its features include 720p HD video recording, a Panorama mode, the company's latest Smart filters and Magic Frame templates. Further specifications are not currently available.

Sigma has announced the winner of its second annual scholarship contest. 17-year-old Andrew Lu from Yorktown Heights, New York has been awarded cash prize of $5,000 and a $1,000 gift card toward Sigma products for his sequence of black and white images.

Just what should we call mirrorless cameras? Ever since the launch of the Micro Four Thirds system, the photographic world has struggled to find a satisfactory generic term to describe similar systems. The current front-runners appear to be 'mirrorless' or 'compact system camera' but there's nothing like consensus yet. We've put some of the more common options and some alternatives we've had suggested to us, in a poll to see how you think of these cameras. It's a chance to have your voice heard, since we've had more than one camera maker ask us which name is most widely recognized. So have a look to the right of this story and register your vote.

Just Posted: Our full, in-depth review of the Canon Rebel T3 / EOS 1100D. The 1100D is the second camera in the budget-focused sub-range of Canon's mainstream Rebel lineup. It's made up of a selection of components we've seen before, including a 12MP CMOS sensor and 9-point AF system that suggest competence at a tempting price. The DSLR market doesn't sit still, though, so can tried-and-tested keep up with more contemporary competitors? And have too many corners been cut in an attempt to make the Rebel T3's price more compelling? Find out in our full review.

We've just published the second in a series of articles by Uwe Steinmueller of Digital Outback Photo on the art of HDR photography. The second chapter (of what will eventually become Uwe's next E-book) covers the challenges faced by HDR photographers. Future chapters will cover capture, workflow and advanced HDR techniques. For now, enjoy this exclusive second part of what we hope will develop into a useful manual for anyone interested in getting more of the dynamic range they see in the scenes they photograph into the images and prints they produce.

Cisco has announced it is closing down its Flip pocket camcorder business, two years after acquiring it. According the company, the move is a part of a restructuring of its consumer business as it looks to focus on its core internet equipment activities. The announcement comes as market research company GFK revealed the pocket camcorders, which Flip helped popularize, have been driving camcorder growth and now account for over 50% of total UK sales.

Adobe has announced a software development kit (SDK) to allow the creators of mobile and tablet apps to interact with Photoshop CS5. Along with the SDK, the company has also released three apps for the iPad that allow users to engage with Photoshop in a variety of ways, such as tablet-based a file viewer or a color mixer. Although these apps are written for Apple iOS, the SDK also allows development for devices including Android and BlackBerry. Photoshop CS5 users will need to download a free software patch if they wish to make use of external apps.

Canon has announced an updated version of its EOS E1 plug-in for Apple's Final Cut Pro video-editing software. To be available for download from April 25, v1.2 makes it easier and faster to transfer videos from Canon DSLRs eliminating some steps that were required in the previous version.

Nikon has unveiled the D5100 upper-entry-level DSLR and we've prepared a full preview of the camera, detailing its features. Sitting above the D3100, it includes a 16.2 MP CMOS sensor much like that in the D7000, 1080p movie capability and a side-articulated 921K dot 3.0" tilt/swivel LCD. The D5100 also becomes the first Nikon DSLR to be able to apply special processing filters to stills and video. The company has also introduced the ME-1 external microphone. The camera will be available from this month as a kit with the 18-55mm VR lens for $899.95 while the microphone will retail at $179.99. We've had a production-spec sample of the camera, so have shot our standard test scene and some real-world samples to accompany our preview.