Canon have announced that a new firmware update for the Canon EOS 5D Mark III will be available in April 2013. The firmware update enables the use of uncompressed HDMI Output support, making possible more efficient video editing and monitoring procedures.Additionally, the upgrade supports the advanced needs of photographers through improved AF performance when capturing still images.

Professional landscape photographer, author and PhotographyBLOG reader Nick Taylor has recently sent us an email with a surprising piece of news. “I was in the market for a new camera,” Nick says. “I was undecided with the D800E… or a DMF [Digital Medium Format].” Nick finally went for the D800E, and called Nikon USA asking where he could find it in stock. Their reply was shocking: “The D800e [is] no longer supported by Nikon,” meaning “they are not going to stock or make anymore.” After finishing the conversation Nick checked Nikon USA’s product page for current DSLR cameras, and found that the D800E was indeed no longer listed (the D800, without the “E” designation, continues to be on offer).

Upon receiving Nick’s email we contacted both Nikon UK and Nikon USA. The former company has confirmed this morning that “the D800e is still a current product in the UK.”

A Nikon Europe spokesperson has now confirmed that this is a false alarm, and the D800e is very much supported both in the US and globally:
“I’m happy to confirm that the D800E is a current Nikon product globally – we’re looking into where the misunderstanding might have come from.

With regards to the link not showing the D800E… because it is a variation on the D800, the D800E is not listed as a separate product. However, there’s plenty of information about it when you click through to the D800 product page:
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Digital-SLR-Cameras/25480/D800.html”

Canon has launched its Winter Cashback offer giving you a chance to receive up to £160 cashback on your purchases. Included in the offer are various compact and interchangeable-lens cameras, lenses, accessories, and Legria camcorders. Click through / scroll down for a complete list of eligibel products.

Canon has issued a firmware update for the Canon EOS-1D X digital SLR camera, enabling AF with lens-teleconverter combinations as slow as f/8. Furthermore during AI Servo AF shooting in low light,  viewfinder information is now illuminated, with the AF points blinking intermittently in red, allowing them to be easily confirmed whilst shooting, without affecting the metering of the scene. Firmware update v 1.1.1 is available to download now from the website below.

Following controversial claims made by Nikon Australia regarding the suitability of the Nikon D4 and D800 to professional television programme-making, The PhoBlographer contacted the European Broadcasting Union and Andy Quested, the Head of Technology for BBC HD and 3D. Originally, the Australian My Nikon Life website had claimed that “both models have become the first DSLR cameras to pass the very elaborate European Broadcasting Union (EBU) test, commonly referred to as the BBC Test.” After the Wolfcrow blog pointed out that the D800 had basically failed the test, Nikon Australia changed the text of its article to focus solely on the D4. However, in his reply to The PhoBlographer, Andy Quested starkly concluded that “neither camera is acceptable for HD programmes for any of the UK broadcasters,” citing “sparse” sound facilities, “coloured spatial aliasing”, “very limited controls… in video mode” and sub-par [video] resolution as the main reasons. On a more positive note, Mr Quested praised the D4’s low noise levels and wide dynamic range as potential assets to videographers, but these apparently weren’t enough to change his overall verdict.

We have collected the most interesting digital cameras announced at (or just before) Photokina 2012. They are not necessarily the “best” cameras out there - some of them are indisputably ground-breaking, others rather controversial - but they are all intriguing in one way or another.

Want to see exxactly what the new Phase One 645DF+ medium-format digital SLR camera looks like in the flesh? We have compiled a hands-on gallery for your perusal.

Want to see exactly what the new 4K-ready Canon EOS-1D C looks like in the flesh? We have compiled a hands-on gallery for your perusal.

SanDisk have confirmed that they will not be producing XQD flash memory cards. Speaking to Photography Blog at Photokina today, Susan Park, Director of Product Marketing, Retail Imaging, said that the market-leading company have instead chosen the CFast 2.0 standard for their future high-end cards.

Co-invented by SanDisk and the Compact Flash Association, the recently announced CFast 2.0 specification will provide a performance capability of up to 600MB/sec, meeting the needs of 2K/4K video which requires much faster speeds than the current Compact Flash specification allows for. A 100Gb file takes only 5 minutes to transfer at 350Mb/s - 20 minutes is more the norm with current CF cards.

SanDisk are working closely with camera manufacturers including Canon and Phase One, and sampling of the new CFast 2.0 cards has already begun, although because the new standard has a SATA interface, there are no cameras currently on the market that are compatible with the still-theoretical SanDisk CFast card.

We’re awaiting Nikon’s response to this news, as their flagship D4 DSLR is the only camera that actually uses the XQD format. Sony are currently the sole manufacturer of XQD cards, although Lexar did announce plans to support the format earlier in the year and are working on finalising their product.

Want to see exactly what the new Hasselblad H5D medium-format digital SLR camera looks like in the flesh? We have compiled a gallery of hands-on photos for your perusal.

Canon Japan has posted a number of full-resolution sample images and two sample videos shot with the new Canon EOS 6D full-frame digital SLR camera. There are eight photos in total, although half of them - mostly the high-ISO ones - are currently marked as “coming soon.” In addition to the full-resolution stills, there are two reduced-resolution (960x640-pixel) sample movies. One of them is entitled “Deep Green,” while the other is an accompanying “behind-the-scenes” video also shot on the Canon 6D. There are two more movies on the page, currently marked as “coming soon.” You can download the Canon EOS 6D sample photos from, and watch the sample videos on the website below.

Want to see exactly what the new Pentax K-5 II digital SLR camera looks like in the flesh? We have compiled a hands-on gallery for your perusal.

Want to see exactly what the new Leica M, S, M-E and X2 Paul Smith cameras look like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the M, S, M-E and X2 Paul Smith edition cameras.

Successor to the Leica S2, the new Leica S features the same 37.5-megapixel resolution but comes with a new image and sensor board that promises improved noise characteristics and an extended sensitivity range. In addition, the Leica S offers a range of new features - some of them unique -, predictive autofocus, integrated GPS, higher speed and enhanced handling. The Leica S is scheduled to be available in the UK at a suggested retail price of £16,000 including VAT from December 2012.

Phase One today announced the Phase One 645DF+ camera platform, with support for more than 50 different digital medium format digital backs and 80 different lenses from leading brands, and featuring a new high-powered rechargeable Li-ion battery enabling up to 10,000 captures on a single charge. Billed as “the world’s most versatile camera platform for high-end photography,” the Phase One 645DF benefits from an enhanced auto focus system with an all-new custom adjustment feature, and offers support for both focal-plane and leaf-shutter lenses. Its range extends from exposures of up to 60 minutes to as fast as 1/4000s. It facilitates flash synchronization speeds of up to 1/1600s with leaf shutter lenses from Schneider Kreuznach. The Phase One 645DF+ camera body is priced at €4290 / $5990 without a digital back.

Also today, Phase One announced the Schneider Kreuznach 28mm LS f/4.5 Aspherical lens. With edge-to-edge sharpness, an angle of view of 102°, a minimum focusing distance of only 35 cm / 1.15 feet, it is ideal for interior, land- and cityscape as well as architectural photography. The Schneider Kreuznach 28 LS lens is priced at €4290 / $5990. Both the camera and lens are available for ordering now; volume shipping begins in October 2012.

Within the past few days, both Nikon and Canon have announced new “full-frame” - or “FX format” in Nikon speak - digital SLR cameras (namely, the Nikon D600 and the Canon EOS 6D) that are more affordable than any other comparable and currently manufactured model in the two manufacturers’ line-ups. In order to help you get a clearer picture of how they compare to each other specifications-wise, we’ve compiled a handy little table summarising the key differences between the two models, based on information available to us at the time of writing.

Want to see what the brand new Canon EOS 6D 35mm full-frame digital SLR camera looks like in the flesh? We have put together a hands-on photo gallery for your perusal.

Billed as the manufacturer’s “smallest and lightest full-frame digital SLR camera for serious photographers,” the Canon EOS 6D features a newly designed 20.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, a built-in wireless transmitter and an integrated GPS module. The camera also includes an 11-point AF array and 63-zone dual-layer iFCL metering sensor together with 1080p Full HD video capabilities. Other highlights include 14-bit analogue-to-digital conversion and a maximum continuous shooting speed of 4.5 frames per second. The Canon EOS 6D will be sold in a body-only configuration for $2,099/£1,799 and it will additionally be offered in a kit version with Canon’s EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $2,899.00/£2,519.99. Both configurations are expected to be available in December 2012. The separately sold BG-E13 battery grip retails for £249.99.

We have spent some quality time with the brand new Nikon D600 full-frame digital SLR camera to deliver you a hands-on preview. You can read our initial impressions below.

Update: Since publishing this hands-on report, we have completed our full review of the Nikon D600.

Nikon has released a spectacular sample movie shot on the new Nikon D600 full-frame digital SLR camera, accompanied by a “behind-the-scenes” video that was also recorded with the D600. Shot on location in various places across the globe, the sample movie demonstrates the capabilities of the camera very well; though you must remember that the average user - equipped with nothing but the camera itself, an assortment of lenses and a tripod, with no access to all the accessories (cranes, specialised mounting rigs etc.) and vehicles used by the creators of the sample movie - will hardly be able to shoot such professional videos on their vacations. Nevertheless, “Chasing the Light” is a truly enjoyable movie, available to watch at reduced resolution on the Nikon Imaging website.

Website: Nikon Imaging