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There is nothing more frustrating to a photographer than not being able to judge the color of their images. Even black and white images need accurate tonal values. That’s why I’ve long been a proponent of a fully color-managed workflow, providing the best chance that images shown on your monitor will match the way they came out of the camera and the way they look when printed. There are plenty of solutions, but having tried most of them, the one that stands out as a combination of functionality, ease-of-use, and reasonable price. That’s the Spyder line from Datacolor. This week Datacolor released a sleek new version – the Spyder5. I’ve been using it for a while now during its beta test, and am impressed…

There is no doubt that Nikon’s 1-series cameras are cute, fun, and have great features. However, they’ve had a hard time winning against the larger sensor and better image quality of models from other makers – especially Sony. Nikon is working to change that with its newest model – the Nikon 1 J5. The new model has an updated 20.8MP sensor, and improved EXPEED 5A image processing chip. The body has been updated to provide a better grip, raised controls, and a “pebbled” exterior. Price for the Nikon 1 J5 body-only is $497 for pre-order at B&H, with kits including lenses ranging from $800 to $1100.

As a photographer that travels a lot and relies on my smartphone for directions, music, email, and photo-related applications, it is important for me to be able to securely mount my phone in cars and trucks – both mine and rental vehicles. Just as important, it needs to charge effectively on long trips. Ideally, the charging would be wireless, which really helps with convenience and cable management. I’ve tried quite a number of car mounts – both wired and wireless – without finding one that met all my needs. Until I tried the new TYLT Vu Car (wireless)…

Sony brought the premium compact camera segment back to life with its 1-inch sensor RX100, but its rivals haven't left it have free run of the market. Panasonic's Lumix LX100 has become a worthy competitor, although its larger size and greater weight make it a less attractive alternative than Sony's latest version, the RX100 III. Now Canon has come out with a model that combines the popular interface from its "S-series" point and shoots with a few more manual controls and a 1-inch, 20MP sensor, to create the Canon G7 X. It has the best overall image quality ratings of any camera in its class, so we got one to put through its paces…

One by one Sony and other mirrorless camera manufacturers have broken down the barriers to dumping a heavy DSLR and going lighter. Faster Autofocus and amazingly-good Electronic Viewfinders have been key in this effort. Just about the only remaining stumbling block for those used to the large array of lens options provided by Nikon and Canon is the limited selection of lenses for mirrorless models. Sony has quite a variety of lenses, but they come in several different mounts, and many of the best require an adapter for use on their newest mirrorless models like the excellent new Sony A7 II. Sony is working hard to address the issue, and today introduced four new lenses for its full-frame mirrorless models:

For Nikon shooters looking to purchase or upgrade a DX-format DSLR (e.g. APS-C, or “crop” sensor), the new Nikon D7200 has plenty to offer. The camera features the powerful 51-point Multi-CAM 3500 II Autofocus module first introduced in the full-frame Nikon D750. The upgraded EXPEED 4 processor also allows for 6 fps shooting, and 100-shot JPEG bursts. NFC makes pairing the camera with a mobile device over WiFi a cinch (a welcome change from pecking at small screens!). Other nice upgrades include…

It is a truism in photography that the best camera is the one you have with you. In that spirit, whenever I’m asked for advice on what new camera someone should buy, I try to figure out not just their budget and needs, but how much camera they’re really likely to be willing to carry around. For many, it isn’t obvious what they gain by “trading-up” to a larger, heavier, and more-expensive model. While it is always dangerous to generalize, there are certain rules of thumb about the pros and cons of various types of current-model digital cameras. We’ll help you sort through your options…

Nikon has announced a highly-specialized version of its popular Nikon D810 DSLR, optimized for astrophotography – the Nikon D810A. It is nearly identical to the D810, except for a few key upgrades that make it ideal for astronomers:

• Sensitive to H-alpha wavelengths (helpful for solar & nebulae photography)
• Enhanced Live View operation when long exposure times are used
• Additional information displayed in the Viewfinder to assist night time shooting
• Manual-mode shutter speeds extended to 900 seconds (in M* mode)

I was struck by the large variety of curved TVs, and some monitors on the floor at CES. Clearly they are positioned to become mainstream this year. However, it might have already occurred to you that they are tricky to profile. I’ve written up some tips for doing it well on Datacolor’s Spyder blog. For those looking for a way to replace two monitors placed side-by-side, the pictured 34” curved Ultra-wide unit from Dell looked gorgeous when I saw it in their suite at CES. It is $1140 at B&H, which sounds like quite a bit, but it is almost 2 monitors worth of monitor!

Nine months after its initial release for the iPad, Adobe has brought Lightroom Mobile to Android (4.1 Jellybean or later). I’ve been running the pre-release version on both phones and tablets for a few days and it works reliably and is at full-feature-parity with the iOS version.

Sometimes you just can’t control the clock or the sun. The monastery in Nyaung Shwe (in Myanmar’s Shan State) is famous for its historic round wood windows. But finding them with novices peering out from the study hall inside was a special treat. Harsh light or not, it was a great photo opportunity. Having a Nikon D810 certainly helped me capture the full tonal range of the image from light to dark, but another trick was needed to make the image look good…

I’ve always lusted after a Leica Rangefinder camera. They were, and for some still are, the epitome of image quality and style. However, by the time I had enough money to even think seriously about buying one, much of my photography involved wildlife and sports – so my photo budget went to big cameras, bigger lenses, and travel to places where I could find my subjects. So it was with great excitement that I started my fieldtest of Panasonic’s Lumix LX100 with Leica lens…