/1001/noisy/cameras/

4% instant rewards discount on DSLRs, Lenses and Mirrorless for Father's Day

Amazon launched a new digital camera promotion for Father's Day. It is a 4% instant rewards discount on select DSLRs, Lenses and Mirrorless/Compact cameras. With this promotion, the reward "vests" immediately in your shopping cart, in other words, it is essentially a 4% discount.

Many products are eligible, not just the ones you see in the widgets at the aforelinked page: 95 DSLR kits and 97 mirrorless/compact cameras and 916 lenses.

The promotion expires 6/15/13 or earlier if sold-out/cancelled/changed. This only applies to products sold and shipped by Amazon itself (not 3rd-party/marketplace sellers). Only new-condition items are eligible.

Eligible cameras will mention this promotion on their own product pages. Look under the "Special Offers" section - screenshot crop of which is embedded right below...

.. or look for the bigger promotional box in the middle of the product page - screenshot crop of which is embedded right below...

EXAMPLE with an eligible product
Our guinea pig for this example is the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 pancake lens which goes for $348 as of the time of writing. Then add to the shopping cart and proceed to the Amazon Checkout page, and if all is well, you will see this discount at the top right corner of the Amazon Checkout page...

New Leica S-adapter for Contax 645 SLR lenses

Beyond 35mm news! Leica announced the new "Leica S-Adapter C", C for Contax 645 SLR lenses to be used on Leica S-system (medium format) digital cameras. It is priced at 1700 euro in continental Europe and 1400 GBP in the UK.

Details via Photoscala.de and Photography Blog et al.

Curiosity factor: dpreview tests HTC's Ultrapixels claims with 10-page review

HTC generated some buzz earlier on when they announced their new HTC One flagship phone with a camera with "Ultrapixels" instead of "megapixels". How does it perform when put under camera-review scrutiny? dpreview::connect just published their ten page report on the camera. As usual, we won't spoil the findings here, but if you are in a hurry, you can jump to the conclusions page!

The HTC One will be available on June 26 with pure Android for $600 at the Google Play store. A developer edition with unlocked bootloader and HTC's Android skin and 64GB of on-board memory is available for $650 from HTC.

NEX deal: Sony NEX-3N w/16-50, $50 Gift Card, Shoulder Bag for $450

The Father's Day promotions are heating up! B&H Photo is offering this Sony NEX-3N bundle for $450 with free shipping: it includes the Sony NEX-3N with the 16-50mm power zoom lens, a $50 plastic B&H Photo gift card, and a Ruggard Streak 25 Shoulder Bag... Research the camera using the list of completed Sony NEX-3N reviews.

For more specials, check the Camera Deals blog with easy to remember url noisydeals.com

Corel AfterShot Pro Review round-up (10 reviews)

Since the digital download full version of Corel AfterShot Pro remains at $25 at Amazon for the Windows digital download or Mac digital download, this is a good time to look at some of the reviews and opinions on this new software created by the Bibble team acquihired by Corel - as more photographers are seriously looking for alternatives after Adobe's Creative Cloud power play.

Corel AfterShot Pro Reviews at Camera & Photography Sites
+ Photo Review Australia
+ Digital Camera Review
+ Uncoy.com
+ podcast discussing LR4, Aperture, AfterShot pro by Digital Story

Corel AfterShot Pro Benchmarks
+ Open GL and Open CL benchmarks at Tom's Hardware - also measured are CS6 and GIMP

Corel AfterShot Pro Reviews at General Interest Sites
+ PC Magazine (the most negative of reviews I found)
+ short comparison between AfterShot and Lightroom 4 at IEEE Spectrum
+ PC Pro UK
+ PC World
+ Bright Hub (review is a 10-slide slideshow)
+ customer reviews at Amazon.com (92) and Amazon UK (40)

Impact review: Pentax K-5 II* combo review at dpreview

The time has come for the Pentax K-5 II twins to face the judge, jury and executioners at dpreview with a 19 page combined review. The differences between the two are spotlighted in this review page. As usual, we won't leak the light here but if you are in a hurry or running out of time, you can jump to the conclusions before jumping to conclusions. Did they receive any Olympic hardware or were they referred to the alchemists?

The review is discussed in the dpreview comments and Pentaxforums forums and dpreview Pentax forums.

For more opinions on these two cameras, check the list of completed Pentax K-5 II reviews and Pentax K-5 IIs reviews.

Price-wise, the best values for these two by authorize + reputable dealers involve bundled with gift cards. At B&H Photo, you can get the K-5 II w/50mm f1.8 and $75 Gift Card for $1114 while the K-5 IIs w/35mm f2.4 and $75 Gift Card goes for $1144. These two kits are not eligible for the Pentax combined purchase lens discounts - for those you have to start with the body only or the other standard kits.

At Adorama, there is a K-5 II w/18-55 and Tiffen DFX essentials and $100 gift certificate for $1147.

(SOLD OUT) Ricoh GR (APS-C) In-stock for $830 (two left) [updated]

As of a 8:25pm ET recheck, this sold-out... For future updates, check the Stock Status site.

As of 6:36pm ET, the price increased by $10... As of 5:34pm ET 5:24pm ET, there are two three Ricoh GRs in-stock by Ace Photo at Amazon offered for $820 plus $10 shipping. The GR starting price is $800.

Corel AfterShot Pro for $25 for Windows or Mac (digital download)

With Adobe's favorability ratings dropping after the Creative Cloud kerfuffle, the other digital imaging software companies are seeing an opening to finally make in-roads with photographers fleeing from the Adobe Cloud Tyranny. Case in point, the Corel AfterShot Pro, built by the Bibble team (acquihired by Corel), is now being offered for $25 as a digital download at Amazon by Amazon herself in either Windows version or Mac version. Only the digital downloads are discounted. The boxed software goes for a lot more.

Nikon relaunches Stackable System Bait promotion with Stackable Lens Discounts (maximum 4 lens discounts per shopping cart)

Fuji is not the only one launching stackable system bait promotions today! Nikon has re-launched their stackable system bait promotion. It has been so long since Nikon did this before, I can't even find the blog-post describing that promotion! This promotion expires June 29 in 2013 or earlier/later if sold-out/changed/extended/cancelled/etc.

The promotion is available at Amazon with all cameras in one page. The most effective way to find it at B&H Photo is to look for your Nikon DSLR of interest and click on the link below "Buy Together and Save" to see the available options. The way to find them is the same as we outlined in the visual tutorial for the Fuji System Bait discounts.

There is a limit this time around. A maximum of four lens discounts per shopping cart. So it is one DSLR and up to four lenses. If you need more, you can start another purchase in a new shopping cart with the same limits.

Time permitting, we will try to have a more detailed breakdown later on.

Fuji launches System Switch Bait promotion with Stackable Combined Purchase Discounts

The first serious discounts for the Fuji X mirrorless camera system are out today! It includes a $200 off discount on the X-E1 and X-Pro1 bodies and stackable discounts on various lenses when purchased together with a qualifying camera body or kit!

Fuji X Camera Discounts
+ X-E1 body only black for $800 at Amazon and Adorama and B&H Photo and OneCall
+ X-E1 body only silver for $800 at Amazon and Adorama and B&H Photo
+ X-E1 with 18-55 black for $1200 at Amazon and B&H Photo and OneCall and Adorama
+ X-E1 with 18-55 silver for $1200 at B&H Photo and Adorama and Amazon

+ X-Pro1 body only for $1200 at Amazon and OneCall and Best Buy and Adorama and B&H Photo

System Switch Bait Discounts: Buy a body, get Multiple Lenses with Stackable Discounts
At B&H Photo, the discounts are stackable. Start with the camera product page, for example, Fuji X-E1 body only. Then locate the link under the "Buy Together & Save" section in the middle of every qualifying product page. Click on that, and you will see a window pop-up showing the different lenses. For each lens you are interested in, click "Select". You will see them getting added up to the grey box in the top right corner of the pop-up box. When done, click on "Add Selected to Cart".

Here is a visual on how locate the "Buy Together & Save" section:

Here is a visual on how to add multiple lenses to the Shopping Cart when the pop-up window comes up:

Here is a visual on how to add to the shopping cart after selecting multiple lenses:

In this example, I added the Fuji X-E1 w/18-55 black kit and three lenses, and as you can see in the screenshop crop of the shopping cart below, all three discounts are there (increase browser window size to see in full):

The DSLR show: 50D, SL1, T5i, D7100, D5200,A58, K-5 IIs, etc

We continue with the new-format Cameraholic Digest with a focus on DSLRs. Earlier on we rounded up the Mirrorless action and the Big Sensor Primes action... This covers the action since the last Unified Cameraholic Digest... Lens Reviews are as always posted at the Lens Reviews stream with easy to remember url NoisyLenses.com... Completed camera reviews at the Camera Reviews stream with easy to remember url noisyreviews.com

Before we get started, a quick update. This week we did not have enough new opinions to trigger a new Opinion Soup just yet. The next edition will be posted either mid-week or during the next weekend. Last week the internets were suffering from logorrhea as we had a jam-packed Opinion Soup.

Canon DSLRs
+ 5DMk2 hosts the Canon 28mm f1.8 at ThePhoblographer
+ D-Rebel T5i aka 700D reviews at CNet Reviews and Tech Radar and Photo Review
+ D-Rebel T4i aka 650D hosts Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 DC samples at Le Monde de la Photo
+ SL1 aka 100D reviews at Photography Blog and Photo Review and Trusted Reviews and Fotopolis (computer transalted)
+ further reading: Canon DSLR reviews and Canon EOS lens reviews

Canon DSLRs Video
+ Magic Lantern gives the Canon 50D RAW video via EOS HD and No Film School and Pop Photo and Engadget and CNet.au and Canon Rumors
+ Magic Lantern vs Blackmagic Cinema at EOS-HD
+ 5DMk3 2.5K Cinemascope anamorphic RAW at EOS-HD
+ collection of Magic Lantern RAW videos at Planet 5D
+ 1D C gets 25p 4K update via Cinema 5D and CPN Europe
+ 1D C video test at Focus Numerique

Nikon DSLRs
+ D7100 for night photography? at Borrowlenses Blog
+ D7100 reviews at Steve's Digicams and Photography Review and Optycne.pl (computer-translated)
+ D5200 reviews at Digital Camera Review and Neocamera and dpreview (previously mentioned in Impact Review alert)
+ Dxomark picked best lenses for the Nikon D600 (previously mentioned in stand alone post)
+ D800E action continues at Sound Image Plus
+ D3s test crash video at Focus Numerique
+ further reading: Nikon DSLR reviews and Nikon F lens reviews

Sony DSLRs
+ Alpha A58 review at Photography Blog
+ further reading: Sony Minolta DSLR reviews and Alpha mount lens reviews

Pentax DSLRs
+ K-5 II and IIs combo review at ThePhoblographer
+ further reading: Pentax DSLR reviews and Pentax K-mount lens reviews

Olympus SLRs
+ OM-1 inspiration by Sharjeel Javaid at Steve Huff Photo

Trade Show Ending: Focus On Imaging (Birmingham, UK)

One of the biggest annual photographic trade shows in Europe is no more. Focus on Imaging, a trade show that takes place in the first quarter every year in Birmingham::UK is no more. The 2013 trade show was the last one. Details and analysis at Amateur Photographer UK and discussion in the Amateur Photographer UK forums.

For more on trade shows, check the Trade Show Calendar.

Podcasts (including photography podcasts) under attack by Patent Trolls

There are plenty of photography podcasts out there, and they could all be under attack or shutdown because patent trolls are going after podcasters because of a master-of-the-obvious patent they were granted! EFF explains the situation and is running a fundraiser to fight the patent trolls. The story is also covered at NPR's Planet Money podcast and discussed at The Verge. Leeches are more respectable than patent trolls!

The Ridiculous: Seller offering Sigma USB Lens Dock for $841

From time to time, we like to spotlight some of the ridiculous things online sellers try to get away with. This particular seller, is offering the Sigma USB Lens Dock for Canon for $841 plus $14 shipping from Japan via EMS at Amazon.com. Because the $841 is not enough, and they have to add shipping on top of it!

We thought this might have been a typo or an error of sorts, but they are also offering the Sigma mount version for $242. Obviously Sigma-mount lenses are nowhere near as popular as Canon-mount lenses, so the price is significantly lower. The fact that there is a second extravagant price, with a market-driven price, significantly reduces the possibility of an actual price error.

And this particular seller has a feedback rating of 4.9 stars out 5 with 373 ratings in the last 12 months.

The actual price of the Sigma USB Lens Dock is $59 for all mounts as you can see at B&H Photo. But it has not been released yet in the US, so importers are trying to milk the naive and impatient!

New pixel-peeper monitor: ASUS announces 32-inch 4K monitor at Computex

At the Computex Trade Show in Taipei::Taiwan [see Trade Show Calendar], ASUS revealed a new 4K computer monitor, the PQ321 monitor, at the 32-inch class size (actual size 31.5 inches). It will have 3840 x 2160 resolution, with LED backlight, 350 cd/m2, 8ms GTG response time, etc.

If you have an old digital camera, you can edit its images pixel by pixel with this monitor!

Details at PC Perspective and Engadget and The Verge (confused screen size) and ASUS herself.