Photokina: all the news from the world's biggest imaging show
Photokina is the biennial photography convention where NIkon, Canon, and all the other camera big shots compete for attention with their latest products and best new innovations. Follow this stream to learn about all the new announcements, from more affordable full-frame shooters like the D600 and EOS 6D to slim new mirrorless cams like the Sony NEX-6 and Olympus E-PL5.
How mirrorless camera upstarts are beating the giants at their own game
Mirrorless cameras are a great solution to the biggest problem facing the camera industry — with smartphones obviating the need for dedicated compact cameras, the promise of a huge leap in image quality without the bulk of a DSLR is a compelling one. The numbers back it up, too, with research firm IDC reporting rapid growth for the category; in Japan mirrorless cameras make up around half of all interchangeable-lens camera sales, an undoubtedly worrying figure for traditional DSLR leaders...
Full-frame goes mainstream: your next camera's must-have feature
Much has been made of the death of the point-and-shoot camera, obviated by the ubiquity and improving imaging power of the smartphone. At Photokina 2012, there was evidence of that everywhere: only a few entry-level cameras were even announced, and all were afterthoughts displayed off in a remote corner of the companies' giant booths. Some of them even ran Android, if the inspiration wasn't already clear enough.
But the rise of the cameraphone has impacted more than just cheap cameras. It's...
Android, apps, and Wi-Fi: why your next phone may be a camera
Stick with a "tried and trusted" strategy long enough and you're guaranteed to see it fail. In the world of consumer electronics, even brief periods of stagnation can be lethal to a company's wellbeing — just witness the demise of Sony's TV leadership or Nokia's rapid decline from mobile leader to current also-ran.
It's probably not a coincidence that Samsung was the company to supplant both those former greats. The Korean giant, unhindered by any traditions or commitments of its own, has...
Leica M: hands-on photos, video and preview of the $7,000 rangefinder
Like fellow luxury brand Porsche, Leica keeps the design of its products almost painfully uniform across generations. The all-new Leica M, successor to the M9, maintains that tradition faithfully, sticking to a bulky brass and magnesium construction that's as heavy as it is reassuring in the hand. The few external changes you might notice are an enlarged 3-inch 920k-dot LCD on the back, an anonymous button on the front to let you activate Live View Peaking, and a dedicated movie-recording...
Testing Nikon's first Android camera, the Coolpix S800c
Two companies lead the Android camera charge, and at Photokina in Germany both are going way out of their way to talk about it. Samsung held a press conference nominally to announce two lenses, but mostly to talk about the new Galaxy Camera; Nikon's event introduced no new products but spent a long time telling us about the Coolpix S800c, and why Android is the future for digital cameras.
The S800c piqued our interest perhaps even more than the Galaxy Camera, because it's a much bigger...
Leica shows off Paul Smith-designed X2 limited to 1,500 units
It wouldn't be a day of Leica announcements without an extravagant special edition, and the legendary German camera maker hasn't disappointed. Following the introduction of the new M and M-E, Leica has also unveiled a Paul Smith-designed edition of the X2 premium compact. The fashion designer has decked out the X2 in orange, yellow, and British racing green stripes with a lightbulb engraving on the flash cover, as well as creating a taupe calfskin case and strap for the camera.
We're...
Leica M-E rangefinder is a refreshed M9 with a bare-bones feature set
Along with the brand-new Leica M, Leica has also announced the M-E, a stripped down rangefinder with familiar parts. Essentially a refresh of the M9, the M-E has the same 18-megapixel full-frame CCD sensor and minimalist design as the older rangefinder. Unlike the new M, the M-E doesn't record video, doesn't offer Live View, and doesn't have a large 3-inch LCD.
Traditional rangefinder shooters will feel right at home with the M-E, though, as it offers familiar manual focusing and exposure...
Leica's new M rangefinder features a 24-megapixel, full frame sensor, HD video recording
Leica has just unveiled its new flagship digital rangefinder, the Leica M. The M is the latest version of Leica's venerable rangefinder series, and features an all-new 24-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, enhanced focusing features, and the ability to record 1080p HD video. Despite the modern improvements, the M still carries the traditional Leica look and feel, and wouldn't look out of place on the shelf of a 1950s camera store.
Leica says that the new sensor was designed from the ground-up...
Canon's schizophrenic 6D can't decide whether it's for amateurs or pros
Just what does the Canon EOS 6D want to be? Reading the company's press release would suggest the answer's obvious — it's Canon's lightest, smallest and cheapest full-frame DSLR yet, squaring up against the similarly lauded D600 from Nikon — but viewed in the cold light of day, this camera just doesn't seem to add up. Yes, it matches the D600's $2,100 price point, but it falls behind almost immediately with a limited 11-point autofocus system, slower burst mode, lack of headphone jack or...
Panasonic targets the pros with new Lumix GH3 Micro Four Thirds camera
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 of 2010 was never marketed or intended to be a camera for professional users, but its solid video quality and compact design made it a favorite of many pro videographers (including the video team here at The Verge). Two years later, the Japanese camera company is hoping to capitalize on that interest with the new Lumix DMC-GH3, a bigger, badder version of the GH2 with a host of pro-friendly features. A member of Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds family, the GH3 is the...
Olympus announces E-PL5 and E-PM2 Micro Four Thirds cameras, XZ-2 flagship compact
At Photokina in Germany, we're getting a pretty good sense of what camera manufacturers have planned for the coming months. Olympus's tack appears unchanged as it announces some iterations on its popular Pen series of Micro Four Thirds cameras with the new E-PL5 and E-PM2, as well as a refresh of its popular Stylus XZ-1 flagship point-and-shoot with the XZ-2.
What happened to the E-PL4?
The E-PL5 is the sequel to the mid-range E-PL3 (the number four is bad luck in Japan) and feature-wise...
The Verge is live from Photokina 2012!
Barely a fortnight has passed since our last escapades in Gemany, but we're back in Angela's realm this week to cover the biggest show in photography: Photokina. This biennial convention brings Nikon, Canon, and all the other big camera makers together so they can compare their latest products and do a bit of bragging about their best new innovations. Nikon went public with the full-frame D600 last week, and today Canon has responded with its own full-frame shooter in the shape of the W...
Canon announces S110 with Wi-Fi, G15 with faster lens, and SX50 HS with 50x zoom
If smartphones really are threatening the compact camera market, it stands to reason that the higher-end point-and-shoots will be the last models standing. Canon's had more success than most in this arena, and today is announcing updates to its most capable PowerShot compacts ahead of Photokina. The company promises across-the-board improvements in autofocus performance and shutter lag, and has reshuffled its lineup to give it more focus. There's a lot more difference between the S and G...
Canon announces the EOS 6D, a full-frame DSLR with built-in Wi-Fi for $2,099
Nikon threw the photography world for a loop last week by announcing the D600 — a full-frame DSLR that hits a reasonably affordable price point. Apparently, Canon has its sights on the exact same market, as the company has just introduced the EOS 6D: the lightest, smallest, and least expensive full-frame DSLR the company has ever produced. Canon's latest entry not only compares favorably with the D600, it also provides a compelling alternative to photographers who don't have $3,500 to spare...
Fujifilm XF1 has retro good looks, more palatable price
Fujifilm is using Photokina 2012 to expand its X series of digital cameras, and to make the lineup available to a lot more people. The company's latest announcement is the XF1, a high-end point-and-shoot that adopts a retro style similar to the X100 or X10 but at a much friendlier $499.99 price.
Like Sony's RX100, the XF1 fights above its weight class: it has a fairly large 12-megapixel, two-thirds-inch sensor, an f/1.8-4.9 lens with 4x manual zoom beginning at 25mm equivalent, ISO range up...
Panasonic Lumix GH3 revealed in video commercial
We've already seen the alleged spec sheet for Panasonic's Lumix GH3 Micro Four Thirds camera, but here comes further confirmation from a decidedly more authoritative source — Panasonic itself. The company's US arm has uploaded a lengthy commercial to its YouTube page that shows off the mirrorless camera's body, its features, and some of its output. It has a dust- and splash-proof magnesium alloy body, a 16-megapixel sensor, and an option for a battery grip.
The GH2 was a much-loved camera...
Nikon launches the D600, its smallest, lightest, and cheapest full-frame DSLR
"I am a game-changer."
Such is the immodest claim Nikon attaches to its brand new D600 DSLR, but when you look at the full combination of specs, dimensions, and price, this camera could come close to justifying the bluster. Built around a newly developed 24-megapixel, full-frame CMOS sensor, the D600 is the smallest and lightest shooter of its kind, with a starting price that's also the lowest we've yet seen: $2,100 in the US, £1,956 in the UK, or €2,386 elsewhere in Europe. Canon's...
Sony NEX-6 official: $850 mirrorless camera with Wi-Fi and three new lenses
Sony has announced the latest in its NEX line of mirrorless cameras, the NEX-6. As previously leaked, the NEX-6 has a large 16-megapixel APS-C sensor inside a body similar to that of the company's flagship NEX-7. The layout has been tweaked a bit, with a traditional DSLR-style PASM dial sitting on top of a mode-specific control wheel, but otherwise the buttons, OLED electronic viewfinder, and rear dial are laid out in the same way.
Like the recently-announced NEX-5R, the NEX-6 features Wi-Fi...
Sony bets big on small full-frame cameras with the RX1, A99, and VG900
In the digital camera world, Sony's still a relatively small name next to Canon or Nikon. But the company's hell-bent on changing that, and its primary tactic has been simple: shove gigantic sensors into tiny cameras. The RX100 and the NEX lineup are great examples of that, but the company's gone a giant leap further today. It's released three new full-frame cameras, including the Cyber-shot RX1, which might just be the smallest full-frame camera we've ever seen. The RX1 launches alongside...
Pentax Q10 mirrorless camera and K-5 II flagship DSLR out in October
The Pentax Q is a curious thing; a tiny, beautifully constructed mirrorless camera with an equally tiny 1/2.3-inch sensor that gives results on par with an average point-and-shoot for $800. Pentax has called its sales "disappointing," but nevertheless is producing a followup in the shape of the Q10, adding a grip and a new red color option. While the Q10 will sell for a slightly more reasonable $599.95 with a kit lens, the camera hasn't changed much and that still seems like an awful lot to...
Fujifilm X-Pro1 firmware update v2.0 to fix focusing performance and more
There's a lot to like about the Fujifilm X-Pro1 mirrorless camera, but we couldn't help but notice its sluggish autofocus performance in our review. Thankfully, Fujifilm has alleviated the issue somewhat by announcing firmware version 2.0, which it claims will improve performance in "challenging lighting conditions, where light is low or bright." The update will be made available on September 18th.
The update also reduces the camera's minimum focusing distance, has some further interface...
Fujifilm debuts the X-E1, an affordable and gorgeous retro camera
Camera manufacturers are showing off their latest and greatest ahead of Photokina later this month, and as always seems to be the case, with a new set of announcements comes a new gorgeously retro shooter from Fujifilm. This time it's the X-E1, effectively a more affordable version of the ultra-high-end X-Pro1. Of course, "more affordable" is a relative term: the X-E1 will still set you back $999.95 for the body alone, or $1399.95 with an 18-55mm X-mount kit lens. The new camera justifies its...
