Sigma 20mm f 1.4 DG HSM A

Designed to compete with the best autofocus lenses from the camera makers, Sigma's Art-series lenses are setting new benchmarks, but as the company expands the range, each model becomes a tough act to follow. Ultra-wides are difficult to produce to a high standard at the best of times and high-speed models are harder still.

Perhaps the biggest problem is retaining affordability. With a list price of £849 it's still quite an investment, but you're getting one of the fastest 20mm lenses available.

Sony FE 90mm f2.8 Macro G OSS

Sony's full-frame mirrorless models are wonderfully lightweight and compact. but the body is only half the equation. While the collaboration with Zeiss has delivered some equally compact models, this new lens is at odds with the small size of the bodies. Despite the size, it handles well on the Sony
a7R body used during testing.

Ergonomics are generally good and there's no lens extension, but some aspects could divide opinion. A large focus-hold button and the controls for the built-in stabiliser and focus limiter fall naturally under your left thumb, but the push-pull feature of the focus ring for de-clutching the AF mechanism is the kind of thing you'll either love or hate. Still, the manual focus ring has hard stops at either end, even if it focuses past infinity, as lenses like this are inclined to do. It also has a very short throw from the three-metre mark onwards, making manual focusing on distant scenes quite tricky.

360fly

The 360fly is one of many newly released 360 cameras, so it's becoming clear that this new trend is here to stay. However, what's not so clear is whether these 360 capabilities are just a gimmick to drive sales or if they are actually a worthwhile investment.

Looking like a sci-fi eyeball in coal grey, the 360fly is packed with 32GB internal storage, a 1600mAh battery for up to two hours of HD shooting, 1500x1500 30fps filming and waterproofing up to five metres. The 360fly holds some prospects for the discerning 360 videographer as well as 360 filming in general, but. this being the first incarnation of the 360f ly, the more you use it, the more it becomes evident that it's missing something.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ80

Small but mighty, Panasonic's latest compact comes with a 30x optical zoom and the latest 4K technology, packaged in an attractive retro design. The camera feels very well made, with grips in all the right places for comfortable shooting. There's a bright three-inch LCD that's easy to view in sunny conditions, and it's the first in the line-up to feature touchscreen capability. You can tap to focus anywhere on screen, as well as make adjustments to settings, which considerably speeds up the shooting process.

The only thing letting the LCD down is that it's fixed. We've grown so used to vari-angle screens, which really do help when composing high and low-angle shots, particularly with street photography. There's also a small but serviceable EVF, but it's awkwardly positioned in the top left-hand corner. This means that the eye sensors can easily be accidentally activated by your finger while trying to frame a shot. Thankfully, you can turn this feature off if you prefer.

Olympus PEN-F

You've got to hand it to Olympus. From the original digital PEN released in 2009 to this 2016 re-imagining in the PEN-F, it certainly knows how to make lovely looking cameras that convincingly marry the analogue and the digital.

More than any digital model from this manufacturer before it, the PEN-F delights in tactile rangefinder-style dials and knobs, located on the top plate, the front and the rear, where they can be readily accessed via fingers and thumbs of both hands. In this respect the camera's handling is similar to the Fujifilm X-Pro2. The Olympus is, however, more compact, portable and less brick-like, while
also being some £300 cheaper.

Nikon Coolpix P900

The Nikon P900 is the largest camera in the test, and is in fact larger than some CSCs and entry-level DSLRs with a kit lens attached. However this size facilitates the huge zoom range of 83x, which the P900 boasts - the longest zoom length currently available on the market at the time of writing.

A large and chunky grip on the front of the camera, along with the large lens makes the camera sit proudly in your hands just as a DSLR would.

Panasonic Lumix FZ1000

The FZ1000 is one of the two cameras here to feature a one-inch sensor, which it couples with a flexible zoom range. It's pretty large and bulky, and with a viewfinder sitting in the middle of the top plate, it's also reminiscent of a DSLR. The grip is substantially chunky, with an indent to help your finger sit particularly comfortably.

Indeed, the dials and button layout on this camera is very reminiscent of something from the G-series CSC range, and are large and well spaced out. There's four customisable function buttons, while dials can also be changed to suit your particular way of working.

Olympus Stylus 1S

The smallest camera on test, the Stylus 1S shares a lot of its looks with the retro-cool Olympus PEN and OM-D, the company's Compact System Cameras. The screen on the back is touch-sensitive, while it tilts to be useful for some awkward-angle shots. You can set the autofocus point with a simple tap. while it's also possible to navigate through menus and so on.

There's also a number of dials and buttons on the camera, many of which can be customised to suit your specific shooting requirements and how you like to work. Because of the camera's small size, the grip is relatively shallow, and it's not as comparable to using a DSLR as the others on test here.

Canon PowerShot G3 X

Canon has a range of five different cameras in its well-respected G-series. The G3 X uses the same sensor as found in G5 X and the G7 X. but a more extensive zoom range and larger body styling places it in prime bridge camera territory. It's also one of the two cameras here that features a one-inch sensor which should translate well for image quality.

The camera itself has a chunky grip, with a textured covering that gives it a sense of quality as well as making it feel secure in the hand. The screen at the rear of the camera tilts, making it useful for a variety of awkward shooting positions. The screen is also touch-sensitive and can be used for a variety of operations, including setting autofocus point, and navigating the quick menu.

BenQ SW2700PT review

BenQ has been manufacturing monitors for quite a long time, and it has been one of the few to have monitors for high-end graphics and photography. The SW2700PT is a 27-inch monitor specifically designed for photographers.

Design and Build Quality

The BenQ SW2700PT has a sturdy build quality and feels quite solid. Though the bezel and frame are polycarbonate, it feels strong. The pivot stand is made of metal and feels heavy, while the base is polycarbonate. The monitor has a smooth moulding with a matte finish on its exteriors. The shading hood fits perfectly.

Nikon Coolpix A100 review

Nikon has just introduced two new compacts - the 20-megapixel Coolpix A100 and 16-megapixel Coolpix A10. The A100 is available in 5 colours while the A10, in 4 colours. Both of these are low-cost models and hence should be popular with those just starting with photography or those on a really tight budget. Here, we review the Coolpix A100.

Design and Build Quality

The Coolpix A100 is a point & shoot compact. Its exterior is made using a combination of plastic and metal and appears reasonably strong. The camera is shirt pocketable and weighs just 119g with battery and memory card.

Sony Alpha 7S II review

Sony has done well by launching three significantly different versions of the same camera to suit the requirements of various photographers. The Alpha 7-series has been well received by the industry, and the second version of the 7-series is even more interesting. The third variant of the 7 II series, the Alpha 7S II is a low-light specialist with a modest 12.2 megapixel sensor and offering high sensitivity up to ISO 409600 (expanded). We are proud to be one of the first to bring out an in-depth review of this camera.

Design and Build Quality

The Sony Alpha 7S II features all the improvements Sony made to the original 7-series in the 7 II series. These include a redesigned grip, which is now deeper and better than the previous version. There are rubber linings on the grip, the thumb rest and the right side. The mode dial has a lock button, which has to be kept pressed to rotate it. The camera is built as sturdy as the best cameras in the 35mm segment. There are two command dials, one in the front and one at the back, along with a vertical dial with four-way controls. Both lens mount and tripod receptacle are metal.

Samsung unveils 2TB SSD—T3

Samsung Electronics announced a portable SSD—the T3. This solid state drive has a capacity of up to 2TB. The drive boasts read/write speeds of up to 450MB/S with an interface that is four times faster than external HDDs.

Samsung is also offering some more capacity options like 250GB, 500GB and 1TB. This device is protected from unwanted access due to a user-set password, attributed to AES 256-bit hardware encryption.

Micromax unveils 4G enabled tablet

Micromax has joined the 4G bandwagon with its latest tablet—the Canvas Tab P702. It is equipped with a 3000 mAh battery. This tablet features a 7 inch HD IPS display.

This offering from Micromax is powered by MediaTek's MT8735 processor, which is an LTE System-On-Chip (SOC), incorporating features like a quad core clocked at 1.3 GHz.

Canon to launch budget friendly D-SLR

Canon has announced that its new D-SLR—the EOS 1300D—wall be available for purchase in April 2016. The EOS 1300D provides complete access to Canon's range of  EF/EF-S lenses. Nearly 70 lenses in Canon's EF/EF-S range can be used with the EOD 1300D. The EOS 1300D uses an 18-megapixel CMOS sensor and a DIGIC 4+ image processor.

Andrew Koh, Vice President of Consumer Imaging and Information Centre, Canon India, said, "Photography as a hobby and sporting a D-SLR camera is quite a rage in India. So is social media, and everybody wants to share their images online with their friends immediately. We are thrilled to launch the EOS 1300D — a D-SLR camera with inbuilt Wi-Fi & NFC. The EOS 1300D creates great looking images and they can be shared instantly as well — thus meeting the requirements of first time users, social media enthusiasts and hobbyists alike."

Sony's HX80 to debut with 30х zoom

Sony Electronics has announced that its DSC- HX80 will be available in April for $350. The new camera incorporates a 30x zoom, anl8.2MP Exmor RCMOS sensor and a retractable OLED electronic viewfinder.

The DSC-HX80 is NFC and Wi-Fi enabled. It also features a 921k dot LCD screen that can be tilted up to 180 degrees. This camera uses a 30x Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* optical zoom with 60x clear image digital zoom capability.

Nissin Japan launches new speedlite

Nissin Japan Co. showcased the i60A—a speedlite—at the CP+2016. This new offering features a wireless radio control system called NAS (Nissin Air System). This speedlite can oversee three groups of flashes in its role as a commander. It can also be controlled through a different Nissin flash unit packed with the NAS system or the company's Air 1 commander unit.

The speedlite features a maximum guide number of 60m in the compact body enabling various ways of lighting even with the use of modifiers. Manual control in this speedlite allows 1/3-stop increments from full power to 1/2 5 6th. Auto exposure compensation is available up to +/-2EV. It can cover a focal length from 24-200mm.

Nikon takes wraps off new compact cameras

Nikon Inc. has announced that its new DL series of compact cameras—the DL 24-85, DL18-50 and DL 24-500— will be available in the early summer of 2016 for $649.95, $849.95, and $999.95 respectively.

The DL line uses a 1-inch Type BSI CMOS sensor and an EXPEED 6A image processor. This series further incorporates a hybrid autofocus system featuring 105 phase detect focus points (with 171 focus points in contrast detect AF mode). These cameras can continuously shoot up to 20 frames per second. This line-up also uses a Dual Detect Optical VR technology to correct camera shake.

Tamron to unveil new interchangeable lenses

Tamron Co. has announced that its lens—the SP 90mm F/2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro (Model F017)—is available in Canon and Nikon mounts. The availability of the Sony mount is yet to be announced. Tamron's other lens—the SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD (Model F016J will be available in April 2016. The Sony mount will be launched at a later date.

The SP90mmF/2.8 DiVC USD 1:1 Macro (Model F017) is constructed with 14 elements in 11 groups, which includes an LD element and two XLD elements that correct colour aberration and colour distortion.

Sigma to launch new lenses

Sigma Corp. has announced that its mid range zoom—the Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM/ Art—will be available starting April 22, 2016 at a suggested list price of 155,000 Yen.

This lens is constructed with 21 elements in 15 groups. It uses three FLD (F Low Dispersion) glass elements, one SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass element, one high-refractive index, and high-dispersion glass element The Sigma S0-100mmf/1.8 DC HSM/ Art lens's hyper sonic motor is 30% slimmer and offers quick and accurate autofocus. This lens will be available in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts.