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Digital Photo Newsletter - Volume 15, No 27

Digital Photo Newsletter - Volume 15, No 27

Date: December 14th 2013

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THE IMAGING RESOURCE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWSLETTER
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Volume 15, Number 27 - 13 December 2013

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Copyright 2013, The Imaging Resource. All rights reserved.
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Welcome to the 375th edition of The Imaging Resource Newsletter. In this issue, we dive head first into our 2013 Camera of the Year awards, where we highlight the best cameras (and a lens!) of 2013 in a wide range of categories from best pocket camera to best pro camera, and everything in between, including best new technology and an interesting "most unique" category. The cameras and lenses we recognize truly represent the very best of what the market has to offer in each category, as determined by our extensive laboratory testing and real-world usage. If you haven't spent your holiday budget yet, you absolutely can't go wrong with any of these award winners!

Also in this issue, our publisher Dave Etchells and the staff of IR answer a few reader emails, and we also share some of the most popular news stories from this past week.

Happy reading!

 

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Are you in the digital photo business? This newsletter is read by more than 47,000 direct subscribers (plus additional pass-along readers), all with a passion for digital photography. For information on how you can reach them, contact us at editor@imaging-resource.com.

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FEATURE: TOP 13 OF 2013: The Best Cameras of the Year
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The Imaging Resource 2013 Camera of the Year awards

Few organizations shoot with as many cameras and lenses as we do in the course of a year and fewer still conduct the same level of objective testing. We've pretty well seen it all when it comes to image-capture technology and devices, so it takes a lot for us to recognize a camera or lens in our annual awards. The cameras and lenses we recognize truly represent the very best of what the market has to offer in each category, as determined by our extensive laboratory testing and real-world usage.

It is often hard to pick just one Camera or Lens of the Year in each category, though. For this reason we present our Product of Distinction awards to the one or two other products that also stand out from their peers. While these cameras and lenses don't receive a Product of the Year award, it is a mistake to consider them mere runners-up. You'll note that while some categories contain a couple of Products of Distinction, others have one or none. Only products that truly stand out from the field receive this recognition.

We have no interest in filling a number of fixed, preordained slots for these awards, but instead want to respond intelligently to the rapid evolution of the photo industry. Our goal is to recognize truly exceptional products and developments in categories that remain meaningful and responsive to the market as it evolves. To that end, we have added, removed and split categories, bringing the total to 13 this year.

2013 was a year of extraordinary development and evolution in the photography business. These are truly exciting times for photographers, perhaps without equal. There is no substitute for photographic ability and vision, but developments this year extended the boundaries of the possible and have made it easier than ever to take great photographs under challenging conditions. Read on to see what products made the grade for 2013!
 

Best Cameras of the Year

Camera of the Year, Overall Achievement: Sony A7R

Selecting the winner of our Camera of the Year Awards for 2013 was an exceptionally difficult task: competition was intense, with strong entries across the board. In the end, though, the greatest difficulty we faced was in choosing between the closely-related Sony A7R and A7 mirrorless cameras. The duo share much of their design and together they completely demolish the status quo. We came very close to calling it a tie, but in the end, the Sony A7R's images swung it. With the higher-resolution sensor of the pair, the A7R's photos show razor-sharp detail comparable to a medium-format camera. Yet this is no medium-format body: along with its sibling, the Sony A7R is the smallest full-frame, fully-featured interchangeable lens camera on the market by a country mile.

We're thrilled that the age of the full-frame mirrorless camera is finally here and equally thrilled to name the Sony A7R our Best Camera of 2013! It's hard to overstate just what the Sony A7R means to full-frame shooters who aren't content to live with a single, fixed prime lens -- even a great one -- as in the Sony RX1. Until now, if you wanted both an interchangeable-lens design and a full-frame sensor with true through-the-lens (TTL) viewing, you needed to buy a big, bulky camera whose form factor was dictated by its mirror box. The high-resolution Sony A7R mirrorless camera changes everything. This full-frame ILC is discreet enough for the street shooter, yet it's capable of capturing astounding detail. And thanks to its huge full-frame sensor, the Sony A7R can keep on shooting with available light when smaller-sensored cameras would have you reaching for the flash.

Buy now: Adorama | B&H | Amazon

We had two runners-up for Camera of the Year, Sony's own A7, and the Olympus E-M1 (which also won the Professional Camera of the Year award, as described below). Here's a link to our 2013 Camera of the Year award discussion, where you can read about all three rivals.

 

Technology of the Year

Camera of the Year, Best New Technology: Canon EOS 70D

for the Canon Dual-Pixel Hybrid autofocus system

Imaging Resource was founded in 1998. After 15 years writing photography, it's rare to see a truly breakthrough technology. Yet that's exactly how we characterize the winner of this year's Technology of the Year award.

Contrast-detect autofocus has improved vastly over the years, but still struggles to track focus smoothly during video shooting. On-sensor phase-detect systems and Sony's translucent-mirror technology both enable phase-detect AF during video recording, but these solutions are restricted to a relatively large minimum lens aperture and a limited number of discrete AF points. These limitations mean that some sort of follow-focus accessory has been mandatory for serious videographers.

Until now.

With their Dual-Pixel Autofocus system, Canon makes every pixel of the image sensor a potential phase-detect element. You can read the technical specifics in our Canon 70D review, but the bottom line is that Canon's Dual-Pixel AF system can form AF points anywhere within the 64% central area of the imager. (80% vertically and horizontally.)

For the first time, the videographer can easily, smoothly, and accurately rack focus between subjects almost anywhere within the frame. Not only can the AF system create a point anywhere within the frame, but the dimensions of these virtual AF points are flexible! This allows accurate autofocus at both extremely wide and very small apertures, something not possible with previous phase-detect AF systems.

The Canon 70D is the new bar against which all other video AF systems will be measured. In Imaging Resource's 15 year history, Canon's Dual-Pixel Autofocus technology is one of the few true breakthroughs we've witnessed, making it this year's Technology of the Year.

(You can read our in-depth technical write-up of the Dual-Pixel AF technology here.)

Buy now: Adorama | B&H | Amazon

We also awarded the 2013 Technology of Distinction to Pentax's switchable anti-aliasing filter technology, as embodied in the Pentax K3. It's quite a breakthrough, follow the link above to read about it!


Best Professional Camera

Camera of the Year, Best Professional Camera: Olympus E-M1:

Micro for the major leagues! It's seriously impressive that this year's Camera of the Year in the Pro category is a Micro Four Thirds camera. But this shouldn't come as a surprise, because the Olympus E-M1 builds on its incredibly capable predecessor, the E-M5. Not only did the E-M5 win our Compact System of the Year award and Camera of Distinction award in the Overall Achievement category last year, but we also saw several pros flock to the new camera for its small size, great performance, weather sealin g and superior image quality. While a cynic might point to a dearth of other professional announcements this year, it would be wrong to conclude the E-M1 is any less deserving.

The E-M5 quickly became a favorite at the Imaging Resource office, but there were a couple issues that kept it from shining in some professional workflows. The E-M1 answers every single one of these weaknesses with aplomb. The first was buffer capacity, which at around 15 frames was limiting for some pros. Olympus went crazy in this department, boosting the buffer capacity to nearly 50 frames, even for RAW files. The electronic viewfinder on the E-M5 was great, but still didn't match optical viewfinder performance so Olympus provided the E-M1 with what might be the best EVF we've ever seen. It really needs to be seen to be believed.

To improve AF performance, Olympus brought on-sensor phase detect to the OM-D line for the first time. This is a common addition this year, but Olympus surprised us by also including a stronger autofocus motor. The combination of on-sensor phase detect and improved focus motor allows full compatibility with their line of exquisite Four Thirds lenses. Between Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds, the lens selection available to the E-M1 is nothing short of phenomenal. Add to these benefits Olympus's industry-leading weather-sealing (dust-, splash- and freeze-proof) and the groundbreaking 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization and we had an easy time choosing our winner for the Professional Camera of the Year award.

Buy now: Adorama | B&H | Amazon

There was no runner up in the best professional camera category, the E-M1 carried the field by itself!

 

Best Enthusiast DSLR

Camera of the Year, Best Enthusiast DSLR Camera: Nikon D7100

The Nikon D7100 is a still-photography powerhouse with impressive image quality, thanks in part to an upgraded 24.1-megapixel image sensor. By removing the optical low-pass filter, Nikon has also allowed for that added bit of sharpness. The D7100 is excellent at producing high-resolution, finely detailed images that makes it a great for portraiture, macro and even landscape photography.

The D7100's vastly improved autofocus, 1.3x crop mode and excellent handling of noise at high sensitivities makes it an equally excellent choice for sports, wildlife and action photographers. All of these features packaged in a comfortable, relatively compact and lightweight body -- and coming in at a relatively affordable price -- make the Nikon D7100 a clear winner of our Best Enthusiast DSLR award.

Buy now: Adorama | B&H | Amazon

There were two runners-up in this category, see the 2013 Enthusiast DSLRs of Distinction for more details.

 

Best Enthusiast Mirrorless Camera

Camera of the Year, Best Enthusiast Mirrorless Camera: Panasonic GX7

The Panasonic GX7 is the Micro Four Thirds camera that we've all been waiting for -- one that provides a full range of advanced features and high performance, all at a reasonable price. Although it sports retro styling, the Panasonic GX7 is still an undeniably-modern camera, with a tilting, 3-inch touchscreen display and 90-degree tilting electronic viewfinder, pleasing both LCD shooters and EVF fans alike. Blazingly fast autofocus, swift 10 frames-per-second burst shooting, in-body sensor shift image stabilization, 1080p60 video, and built-in Wi-Fi / NFC wireless communication combine to make the GX7 a very versatile camera that feels right at home in a wide variety of shooting scenarios.

The GX7's image quality is excellent: both dynamic range and high ISO performance are much improved over its predecessor. Build quality is equally good -- the GX7 is solid, but still lightweight and comfortable. The Panasonic GX7 handles virtually everything an advanced photographer would expect, and handles it well. It's a great value, too, offering most of the features and functionality of high-end, flagship Micro Four Thirds models, but without the high-end price tag.

Buy now: Adorama | B&H | Amazon

There were two runners-up in this category, see the 2013 Enthusiast Mirrorless Cameras of Distinction for more details.

 

Lens of the Year: Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8

Sigma shocked the photography world with the introduction of the first constant f/1.8 zoom lens with its 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art lens earlier this year. It is hard to imagine any APS-C photographer who shouldn't add this lens to their repertoire. Surprised? Let us enumerate just how awesome this lens is.

The new lens's appeal begins with its shockingly sharp images at all apertures, including f/1.8. You get excellent flatness of field while maintaining good control over chromatic aberration, distortion and vignetting. We're talking sharper than any other constant, wide-aperture aperture zoom lens we've ever tested. Still not convinced? It's also one of the sharpest lenses in its focal length range -- primes included!

Sigma didn't skimp on build quality, either: its smooth zoom and focus actuations and satisfying heft combine to evoke the feel of a high-end professional-level zoom. The best part about this work of Art? It manages all the above while dramatically undercutting the competition in price.

Buy now: Adorama | B&H | Amazon

There were two runners-up in this category, see the 2013 Lenses of Distinction for more details.

 

Best Pocket Camera

Camera of the Year, Best Pocket Camera: Sony RX100 II

Last year, Sony took top honors as our 2012 Pocket Camera of the Year, with its bright-lensed, large-sensored, small-bodied and incredibly popular RX100 premium compact. A year later, the company repeats the feat with the Sony RX100 II, a camera that shares much with last year's favorite, but which also brings some worthwhile upgrades. Key among the changes is a groundbreaking backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS image sensor, the largest ever commercialized. The Sony RX100 II's new chip makes a huge difference in the sensitivity department, reducing noise levels and allowing you to crank up the ISO without remorse.

The new BSI sensor is the big news, but no less important is the addition of Sony's Multi Interface Shoe, turning the tiny RX100 II into a system camera compatible with a wide range of accessories, including an electronic viewfinder. Sony also includes a new tilting LCD monitor that, amazingly, has barely added to the camera's thickness. Sony also added both Wi-Fi and Near Field Communications technology, for easy pairing-and-sharing. Last year's RX100 was one of our favorite cameras of the year, and its successor is a shoo-in for the title of 2013 Pocket Camera of the Year. If you haven't got one in your pocket, it's high time you did something about that!

Buy now: Adorama | B&H | Amazon

There were two runners-up in this category, see the 2013 Pocket Cameras of Distinction for more details.

 

Best Entry-Level DSLR

Camera of the Year, Best Entry-Level DSLR: Pentax K-50

While today's entry-level digital SLR cameras frequently outperform yesterday's enthusiast models, there are certain features you just don't expect to see on offer. Entry-level DSLRs come saddled with entry-level compromises: pentamirror viewfinders, a single control dial and a grab bag of concessions to price point. Ricoh Imaging's impressive Pentax K-50 somehow manages to buck this trend, packing in features its rivals omit.

We're not sure how Ricoh managed it, but somehow the company delivers enthusiast-grade features at a consumer-friendly price point. The Pentax K-50 sports a bright, accurate pentaprism viewfinder and boasts twin control dials that allow fast, intuitive exposure control. Both camera and kit lens are fully weather-sealed. And best of all, the K-50 is built around the same extremely well received image sensor as the Pentax K-5 II. In short, the Pentax K-50 offers unparalleled bang-for-the-buck, making it an easy pick for our 2013 Entry-level DSLR of the Year award.

Buy now: Adorama | B&H | Amazon

There were two runners-up in this category, see the 2013 Entry-Level DSLRs of Distinction for more details.

 

Best Entry-level Mirrorless Camera

Camera of the Year, Best Entry-Level Mirrorless Camera: Olympus E-PL5

The Olympus E-PL5 houses the same sensor as the Olympus E-M5, which won awards in 2012 for the Compact System Camera of the Year and Camera of Distinction in our Overall Achievement categories. With the E-PL5 you get the image quality of last year's Compact System Camera of the Year, but at half the price. Need we say more?

Factor in much of the performance and shooting ease of the E-M5 and it becomes an even clearer choice as a perfect entry-level mirrorless camera. Just don't discount it as an equally great option if you're a professional or enthusiast shooter looking for terrific image quality and performance in a (much) smaller package than your big rigs because the Micro Four Thirds lenses will surely win you over.

Buy now: Adorama | B&H | Amazon

There were two runners-up in this category, see the 2013 Entry-Level Mirrorless Cameras of Distinction for more details.

 

Best Value

Camera of the Year, Best Value: Sony NEX-3N

This statement from one of our long-time reviewers sums up why we chose the Sony NEX-3N for Best Value for our 2013 COTY awards: "After shooting with the Sony NEX-3N, I finally have a firm answer to give to my friends when they ask 'What camera should I buy if I've only got $500?' The NEX-3N is an easy answer." With familiar features like a zoom-lever right on the camera body, the NEX-3N is the perfect answer for point-and-shoot users looking to step up to the world of Interchangeable Lens Cameras.

If you're still in doubt, ask yourself how many lightweight, easy-to-use APS-C sensor cameras are on the market for a street price well below $500. The list is short indeed. The world's smallest and lightest ILC to feature an APS-C sensor at this price would be welcome in most any holiday stocking.

Buy now: B&H | Amazon

There were two runners-up in this category, see the 2013 Outstanding Value Cameras of Distinction for more details.

 

Best Enthusiast Zoom of 2013

Camera of the Year, Best Enthusiast Zoom: Sony RX10

The Sony RX10 offers something truly unique. Compared to its bridge-camera competition, the RX10 is in a different league, thanks to a weather-sealed body and a large 1-inch sensor that brings much better high-ISO performance. Compare it head-to-head with an APS-C DSLR and the RX10 will come surprisingly close in image quality at lower sensitivities, while its bright f/2.8 constant-aperture zoom lens can obviate the need for high ISO shooting. And man, what a lens! You'd need to buy a quiver of lenses for an interchangeable-lens camera to match what the Sony RX10 gives you, spending a small fortune in the process. Unless you love the idea of futzing with interchangeable lenses, the Sony RX10 offers a very compelling alternative to SLR and mirrorless cameras. In the bridge camera world it is without peer.

The Sony RX10 is more than just a viable alternative to ILCs and bridge cameras, though: it's also a surprisingly capable video camera, with features not offered even by professional full-frame DSLRs costing thousands of dollars more. Full-sensor readout means that the RX10 is far less prone to moiré and false color than other cameras, DSLRs especially. Manual and priority exposure is possible, and you can choose manual or full-time autofocus with tracking and face recognition. You'll also find microphone and headphone jacks, audio level monitoring and control and even support for XLR mics via an optional accessory. This is an exceptionally hard camera to put in a nutshell, but let's try: if you're into sports, travel, journalism, street shooting, you dislike tiny sensors, noisy photos or video moiré, you care a lot about audio recording in video, or you're not a fan of lugging around lenses just in case you need them, then the Sony RX10 is the camera for you!

Buy now: Adorama | B&H | Amazon

There was one runner-up in this category, see the Enthusiast Zoom Camera of Distinction for more details.

 

Best Pocket Interchangeable Lens Camera of 2013

Camera of the Year, Best Pocket Interchangeable Lens Camera: Panasonic GM1

The first truly micro Micro Four Thirds camera! This particular category started as an inside joke at first, but the more we thought about it, the more apt it seemed. Though there have been other diminutive Micro Four Thirds models, the Panasonic GM1 is what we all envisioned with the announcement of the Micro Four Thirds system. If you've yet to hold it yourself, you really must: its size is absolutely astonishing, truly putting it into a class of its own.

The Panasonic GM1 is as impressive in image quality and performance as it is small: the tiny GM1 features the same exceptional sensor, processor and AF capabilities as the larger Panasonic GX7 (itself the winner of our enthusiast mirrorless award)! Autofocus feels near instantaneous on all but very low-contrast subjects and image quality is terrific.

The GM1 with its 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens won't fit into your skinny jeans, but it will easily fit in cargo pants and jacket pockets. Want a one-camera-one-lens walk around combo? The GM1 and its 12-32mm kit lens are a sublime pairing. Need to shoot telephoto? Low light? Throw on one of the many terrific Micro Four Thirds lenses.

Buy now: Adorama | B&H | Amazon

There was no runner-up in this category, the Panasonic GM1 is so small, it really stands alone!

 

Most Unique Products of 2013

Camera of the Year, Most Unique Product: Nikon Df

Take a look back over the history of the single-lens reflex camera, and there's a pretty clear trend: External controls -- the knobs, levers and dials all over your camera's body that quickly become second nature to adjust -- have gradually vanished over the years, replaced first in the age of electronics, and then in the digital era, by a handful of buttons and a menu system nested eight layers deep. (Or so it seems.) The Nikon Df spurns that modern aesthetic, teleporting you back to days gone by -- and just about everywhere you touch, there's comfy leatherette instead of cold, impersonal metal and plastic, to boot. One click glance at the top of the Nikon Df, and you can confirm shutter speeds, exposure compensation, and ISO sensitivity -- even when the camera is switched off.

The Nikon Df is more like the film camera you remember through your rose-tinted glasses, except it's digital, and absolutely top-drawer digital at that. It even forgoes movie capture completely, in favor of a more traditional SLR experience. There's a lot more to the Nikon Df than the retro aesthetic, though. It's the smallest and lightest FX-format (full-frame) digital SLR Nikon has ever made. And under the skin, the Nikon Df boasts some seriously professional-grade hardware: exactly the same 16-megapixel image sensor and EXPEED 3 image processor used in 2012's Nikon D4, yet at half the price of that camera at launch. That pairing of old and new, of approachable and professional, makes the Nikon Df a pretty exciting camera, in our book!

Buy now: Adorama | B&H | Amazon

There were two runners-up in this category, see the Unique New Products of Distinction for more details.

Well, that's it for this year's Camera of the Year awards. It's certainly been an exciting year for photo enthusiasts, made even better by the incredible deals we're seeing in the holiday season. (Be sure to visit our news page regularly to see William's frequent Deals posts. (Sometimes daily, sometimes he'll collect them for a day or two, but he's our go-to guy for fantastic deals on all manner of photo gear!)

 

WE'VE GOT MAIL: Questions from readers, answers from IR
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Please send us your camera and photography questions and comments (editor@imaging-resource.com). Not only will we respond to each and every one of your letters, but we'll also publish the best ones here as a resource for all our readers.

Duane Michals

Thanks for the story about Duane Michals. I was quite interested in his work back in the 70s. Happy to know that at 81 he is still active in photography. Are you planning any future bios of other photographic greats?

Charlie Young

f/16 on a sunny day

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Hi Charlie --

Thanks for the email. We're glad you liked the piece. We do plan to do more biographical pieces on photographers, and have published a number of them in the past, such as these articles by Steve Meltzer on Edward Curtis and Garry Winogrand. Steve's our resident "photography historian."

-- Dave

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Duane Michals

I discovered his work probably 30 years ago. There aren't too many creatives that I'll admit to being jealous of, but he is certainly one of them. Leonard Cohen is another. Helmut Newton.

About seven years ago I was taking a photo class, and a woman asked, "What kind of camera should I buy?" She didn't even own a camera but saw her future selling photos! Anyway, before the teacher could respond, I interjected, "An Argus C3 and a roll of Tri-X!" Of course, no one knew what I was talking about. And, yes, I do have a C3!

The teacher of the class was a very well published nature and travel photographer. A master of what I call, "Pretty pictures." I brought in my Helmut Newton book, he perused it, and said, 'I don't get it."

To each his own, I guess.

Paul Verizzo

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Hi Paul --

Thanks for the email. Yes, to each definitely their own - thanks for sharing!

-- Dave

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Help Please!

Hi Dave & Mike,

You have very kindly helped me greatly in the past and all is well!! Thanks to you I have the excellent Canon 7D and some great lenses, but as you quite frequently say it is very useful to have a Compact/Travel camera around.

I have been looking at your reviews and hope you may have a quick minute to advise me because I'm a little confused.

At the moment as a travel camera I have the Canon Ixus 870 IS 28mm wide angle and 10 mega pixels. It is now ageing and I need a better compact. One with good telephoto - optical - very good quality, sharp, photos & goodish video. Panasonic seem to have a few, but there seem to be a few drawbacks to them as well as the Canons, Sonys etc.

Canon SX260HS,
Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100,
Panasonic DMC ZS30 or ZS20,
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7.
Are any of these good or worth a look - or any others you think might suit me better?

Perhaps you'd be kind enough to suggest a few to look. I realise that you are both very busy but I hope you might be able to point me in the right direction and squeeze in a quick reply.

Many, many thanks and best wishes.

Chris (Booth-Jones)

PS Thank you Dave for your emails of Jan 2013 re some strange glitch which removed me from your emailing list.

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Hi Chris --

Apologize for the long delay in answering, our recent staff change and the COTY awards put us a bit behind.

If the RX100 is in your budget, that'd be the obvious choice. If you can afford the extra $100, the RX100II does even better in low light. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what the RX100 can do under poor lighting, plus it has all the great Sony multi-shot modes like handheld twilight (very practical!) and sweep panorama.

-- Dave

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Nikon Scanner Question

Would you or a member of your staff know if Nikon film strip holders are available new anywhere? Specifically the SA-21 film strip holder or the FH-3 curved film holder.

You've got a great website, I've signed up for the Newsletter!

Sincerely
Richard Ward

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Hi Richard --

Neither of these have been manufactured for some time now, so finding them new is very tough/expensive. Here's an Amazon link supposedly listing two new ones, one for $320, the other for $348: http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-SA-21-Adapter-CoolScan-Scanners/dp/B00024LK30/ - But the illustration image is incorrect. You'd definitely want to check with the resellers involved (both third parties), to make sure they were selling what you were looking for.) At least the guy selling the one for $320 has a 100% positive transaction rating. Other than these, it looks like you're going to be shopping on eBay. I did find this European seller claiming to have one in stock, but it's at the eye-watering price of $699 Euros: http://www.scandig.com/filmscan ner-accessories/nikon/nikon-film-strip-adaptor-sa-21.html

I also found a new FH-3 holder being sold on Amazon, but the seller for that only has an 82% positive rating, which isn't encouraging: http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-FH-3-Strip-Holder-Spare/dp/B00009XVOB; not sure I'd recommend going that route. I did find listing from the same European outfit as above for the SA-21: http://www.scandig.com/filmscanner-accessories/nikon/nikon-film-strip-holder-fh3.html, and the page claims it's in stock. This might be your safest bet, if they really do have one. Another place lists them quite cheaply, but I suspect it's an old page that hasn't been updated: http://filmscanusa.net/Nikon-CoolScan-Film-Adapt er-Holder-Carrier-LS-5000-adapter.htm

Hope this helps!

-- Dave

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Big Aperture, or Big Sensor - which is better?

Dear Dave,

Trying to decide what camera to buy daughter, writes sports for college team, needs camera to handle occasional assignments, hockey, volleyball, basketball, baseball, lacrosse: Sony NEX-5T, FZ200, or Sony RX-1, or RX100, or Canon SX-50, Canon S120. Not sure please help, thanks.

Dale

---------------------

This was a comment posted by a reader on one of our news stories, and it really opened up a nice dialog, not only with the reader, but internally here at IRHQ as well. Trying to find a camera that can handle some indoor sports photography on a budget can be a difficult task. Typically, suggestions aim toward "DSLR." However, even with a good deal on a camera body, fast f/2.8 zooms can really break the bank with $1000+ prices. This reader in particular was considering a variety of compact cameras, and it got the IR editors thinking about the new Olympus Stylus 1. Despite the Stylus 1's much smaller sensor compared to a DSLR, it a constant f/2.8 aperture that zooms all the way to a 300mm equivalent focal length. Very impressive.

As an interesting comparison, we looked at the Pentax K-50, which is, undoubtedly, a great value DSLR, but without breaking the bank with some expensive Pentax f/2.8 lenses, the standard kit zooms leave you with an f/5.6 at full tele. As this is 2 stops slower than f/2.8, we compared a 2-stop different in ISO between the K-50 and Stylus 1. The K-50 at ISO 12,800 and the Stylus 1 at ISO 3200. The result? Nearly identical photos in terms of the noise, and the Stylus 1 still showed an impressive mount of detail at ISO 3200, even with its much smaller sensor.

It's a interesting consideration. Head on over to the comments section on this news story to see the full discussion.

-- IR

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NEW ON THE SITE
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At http://www.imaging-resource.com/new-on-ir you can keep track of what's new on our main site. Among the highlights since the last issue:

- A Micro "4K" Thirds Camera? Interviews reveals Panasonic working on 4K, Olympus to focus on high-end cameras (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/12/12/interviews-reveals-panasonic-working-on-4k-olympus-to-focus-on-high-end-cam)

- Drone Drama:

- The Df gets DxO'ed: DxOMark crowns Nikon Df new king of low light (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/12/10/dxomark-crowns-nikon-df-new-king-of-low-light)

- Photog is down: Photographer tackled by Smithsonian security guards (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/12/11/photographer-tackled-by-smithsonian-security-guards)

- Snapping your memories away? How photography can affect your memory (if you aren�t paying attention) (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/12/10/how-photography-can-affect-your-memory-if-you-arent-paying-attention)

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NEXT ISSUE
---------------

We'll see you next on December 20, with a regularly scheduled edition (and lots more news and analysis to share)!

SIGNOFF
-----------

That's it for now, but between issues visit our site for the latest news, reviews, or to have your questions answered in our free discussion forum. Here are the links to our most popular pages:

Newsletter Archive: http://www.imaging-resource.com/cgi-bin/dada-nltr/mail.cgi/archive/irnews
Daily News: http://www.imaging-resource.com/news
SLR Gear: http://www.slrgear.com
New on Site: http://www.imaging-resource.com/new-on-ir
Review Index: http://www.imaging-resource.com/camera-reviews
IR Photo Contest: http://www.dailydigitalphoto.com
Google + http://plus.google.com/+imagingresource
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/imagingresource
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/IR_Lab

Happy snapping!
Dave Etchells & the IR Editorial Team
editor@imaging-resource.com



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The Imaging Resource Digital Photography Newsletter is published by Imaging Resource (http://www.imaging-resource.com) as an advertising-supported email newsletter to opt-in subscribers and simultaneously in HTML on the Web every two weeks. We bring you industry events like the Consumer Electronics Show, Photokina, and CP+ -- which we actually attend, providing live coverage on our Web site. And we report on digital cameras, storage mediums, scanners, printers, image editing software and services for digital imaging (like online photofinishing, framing and album sharing) as they are released. In addition we publish on-going tutorials designed to help you get the most out of their investment in digital imaging no matter what level of expertise you enjoy. Each newsletter will bring you excerpts from our latest tests and hands-on reviews, interesting photo-related stories, and the top news items on our site since the last issue.

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