December brings with it colder weather and early much-too-early sunsets (at least here in Seattle), as well as a chance to look back on the last twelve months. 2017 saw the continued rise of the smartphone coupled with uncertainty in the interchangeable lens and compact camera market.
Will there be fewer camera manufacturers a year from now? We'll find out soon enough.
As you might imagine, December a quiet month for camera announcements. Information about the next generation of smartphones started to trickle out, including news of the upcoming Snapdragon 845 processor and the Huawei P11, which may feature three cameras. December also marked the arrival of the iMac Pro that, fully loaded, will set you back more than $13,000. Speaking of Apple, Final Cut Pro X received a much-needed update, adding HDR, VR and curves support.
2017 saw the continued rise of the smartphone coupled with uncertainty in the interchangeable lens and compact camera market
The end of the year brings with it lots of "best of" competitions, and some like National Geographic's Nature Photographer of the Year, Sony World Photography Awards and the always entertaining Comedy Wildlife awards are worth a look. We joined the competition parade and shared our favorite products of the year, which were drawn from our latest Buying Guides. We also pitted the Nikon D850 against the Sony a7R III and compared the portrait modes of the Google Pixel 2 and Apple iPhone X.
For those seeking more pretty pictures, we posted galleries for the Olympus 45mm and 17mm F1. 2 Pro lenses, the Rokinon AF 50mm F1. 4 FE and, naturally, the iPhone X. We also cranked out two reviews, of the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III and G9 X Mark II.
See all December content
Leica, Leica, Leica
In addition to announcing a special red edition of its M (Typ 262) body, the company also reported a 6% increase in revenue compared to the last fiscal year.
Read more about the red Leica M
Read more about Leica's earnings
And, in drone news. . .
December was a busy month for drone regulation. In a not very surprising move, the Federal Aviation Administration banned drone usage near US nuclear facilities. Over in Holland, the country's drone-catching eagles are being retired due to a lack of demand and training difficulties. A shame, since that would've been fun to watch.
Read more about new FAA regulations
Read more about drone-catching eagles
Canon EOS 7D Mark III on the way? (Of course!)
The rumor mill is buzzing about an update to Canon's venerable EOS 7D series of APS-C DSLRs. Rumor website CanonWatch says that the third revision is coming before next summer, which even if the rumor itself isn't based on any solid facts, still seems like a pretty safe bet. We made a wish list of what we'd like to see in the next 7D, as well.
Read more about Canon 7D Mark III rumors
Photographing the Northern Lights
Photographer and DPReview contributor Jos
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2017-12-31 17:00
