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June 30, 2007

Nikonians News Flash #52

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Back in full-force, Jessica brings you all the latest from the Nikonians Academy, Sigma, Adobe as well as Nikonians 2007 Photo Contest information and more!

Download Nikonians News Flash #52 (NPC-NF-2007-06-30.mp3; 8:14; 7.6MB; MP3 format)

June 30, 2007

In The News:

Find out all there is to know about the Nikonians Academy on our new website!

Sigma announces 2 new lenses and information on their 18-200 f3.5-6.3 DC OS lens.

Adobe Lightroom update.

From The Forums:
Hot in the Cafe':
"Speaking of Quotes..."
"How About a Photographer's Rights forum?"

2007 Photo Contest Information!
See the winners of Segment 1 here!

Jessica's Choice Photo:
Carousel Horse

Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians. org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!

Posted by odle2 at 1:49 PM

June 28, 2007

Sigma Launches Two New HSM Lenses Suitable for D40/D40X

Sigma introduces two new lenses suitable for all Nikon digital SLRs, including the D40 and D40X

Both the new 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 DC and 55-200mm F4-5.6 DC feature HSM or Hypersonic Motors; similar to Nikon's Silent Wave coreless lens drive. Previous iterations of these lenses had been mechanical screwdrive, which meant they would mount, meter but not autofocus on the latest entry-level Nikon bodies like the D40 and the D40X.

Posted by covey22 at 3:24 AM

June 27, 2007

Adobe Lightroom 1.1 Now Available

Adobe's Lightroom workflow version has been updated to 1.1; a free upgrade for current 1.0 owners. The latest version has added functionality, support for 13 digital camera models including Nikon, Canon, Olympus and Phase One, improved noise reduction and support for Windows Vista.

Posted by covey22 at 5:11 AM

June 22, 2007

Sigma Releases Details on 18-200 OS

Sigma USA has released details on the much-anticipated 18-200 F3.5-6.3 DC OS (Optical Stabilizer), a direct competitor to the Nikon 18-200 DX VR.

As expected, many of the specifications come close to the Nikkor:

Diameter x Length - 3.1" by 3.9" (79x100 mm)
Weight - 21.5 oz (610 g)
Minimum focusing distance - 17.7" (45 cm)
Lens construction - 15 elements/3 groups (release description indicates 1 SLD/3ASPH elements)
Diagphragm blades - 7
Maximum magnification ratio - 1:3.9
Minimum aperture - F22
Filter attachment size: 72mm

With the exception of the effective maximum aperture at 200mm, and no Silent-Wave engine equivalent, this optic is shaping up to be a good alternative for members looking for a all-convenience lens. The MRSP is USD820, a bit steep, but the street price will likely be lower. Unfortunately, the release indicates the Nikon and Sigma mounts are coming soon, with only the Canon mount available now.

Posted by covey22 at 7:11 PM

June 21, 2007

Nikonians Academy: New Workshop Platform

The Nikonians Academy is pleased to announce that the new website for Workshop registration and tracking is now online.

Nikonians wholly-owned IT solutions company, enProvia.com, quickly delivered this first-phase evolution of the new education platform. Improved features include:

*Workshops can now be queried and registered by subject matter, location or date
*Non-member registration has been simplified and integrated into the payment system
*Instructors can now view class booking status as well as student requests for additional information

These and other features make this platform a unique solution, integrating the needs of professional and non-professional members by finding faster and better means to fulfill a key part of our mission: to shorten the learning curve for members.

Future enhancements include the opportunity for professional photographers to come in and register as instructors candidates, while viewing current workshops content and schedules.

The option to buy workshops at the PhotoProShop has been disabled as of this moment; all registrations will now be received at www.NikoniansAcademy.com

ANPAT registrations and payments will continue to be received at our PhotoProShop.

Please direct any inquiries regarding the Academy through our contact form.

Posted by covey22 at 3:52 PM

ID#43: The Image Doctors

In this week's episode, the Image Doctors open their listener mailbag and spend time answering your questions. Hear about battery compatibility for the D200, shooting in a light tent, choosing between a D200 and D80, and our thoughts on home vs. lab printing.

Download The Image Doctors #43 (NPC-ID-2007-06-21.mp3; 53:15; 18.7MB; MP3 format)

Show Notes: June 21, 2007

1:26 Rick's Trip to Greece

12:50 Listener Mail

EN-EL3e Battery Compatibility-- Link to Nikon Battery Chart
Shooting products in a light tent-- Link to Photoflex
D80 vs. D200-- how to choose?
Printing at home or at a photo lab?

47:58 Weekly Prescription: Dave Black's "Moody Blue" Lighting Technique

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Image Doctors directly in iTunes.
[RSS] Add the Image Doctors feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically to you.
[Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley!

Posted by drjay32 at 4:05 AM

June 18, 2007

PMA: Majority of U.S. DSLR Users Are Women

The Photo Marketing Association's 2007 U.S. Digital Imaging Survey has revealed women are now the majority of digital SLR users in the nation by a slight margin - fifty-one (51) percent. Half of those households have annual incomes of at least USD75000 and likely have two children or more under the age of six. The numbers are even more disparate in the total digital camera market - sixty-two (62) percent. Men's trends were not reported, but were widely scattered across income and demographic tiers.

Posted by covey22 at 8:30 PM

Fantasea FP5000 Housing

As a perfect complement to the Nikon Coolpix P5000, Fantasea has created a new and affordable underwater housing, complete with a 46mm filter ring, anti-glare LCD hood and double O-ring seals to ensure watertight integrity.

Posted by covey22 at 7:18 PM

Nikon COOLPIX P5000 Review & Gallery

Our friends at LetsGoDigital have posted a complete Nikon CoolPix P5000 Review with photo samples gallery.

With 10 Megapixels resolution, VR and much more, this Coolpix is attracting a lot of attention from would-be photographers to even pros. Check it out.

Posted by jrp at 3:40 PM

June 16, 2007

Nikonians News Flash #51

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Tune in to hear the latest from Nikon, Kodak and more! Jessica also brings you information on up-coming workshops and where to find the latest D3 rumors.

Download Nikonians News Flash #51 (NPC-NF-2007-06-16.mp3; 5:49; 5.3MB; MP3 format)

June 16, 2007

In The News:
The Nikonians Academy is proud to announce digital printing workshops by Darryll Schiff!

Nikon in India.

D3 rumors abound!

Kodak's new sensor technology.

Heather Angel's Wildlife and Natural History Workshop is coming to West Sussex in July!

From The Forums:
Information about a professional photographer needed in the Denver area.

Nikonian looking for shooting information for South Florida.

How many Nikonians DOES it take to screw in a lightbulb? Find out here!

Jessica's Choice Photo:
Sweet William

Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians. org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!

Posted by odle2 at 4:03 PM

June 14, 2007

Press Release: Heather Angel's 11th Wildlife & Natural History Workshops

She's back! World renowned photographer Heather Angel is gearing up for the 11th Wildlife & Natural History Workshops at Saint Hill Manor in West Sussex with Nikon U.K. on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th July 2007. Hosted by exclusively Nikon dealer Grays of Westminster and backed by Nikon U.K., the acclaimed wildlife photographer will deliver two one-day workshops at Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead.

Hosted by exclusively Nikon dealer Grays of Westminster and backed by Nikon U.K., the acclaimed wildlife photographer will deliver two one-day workshops at Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead.

For more than a quarter of a century, Heather Angel has been at the forefront of wildlife photography throughout the world via her prodigious writing, her workshops and lectures. Her exhibition Natural Visions toured the U.K. from 2000 - 2004 and was also on show in Kuala Lumpur, Cairo and Beijing. She is the internationally acclaimed author of fifty books and writes regularly for the worldwide photographic press. Through her lectures, workshops, and writing Heather has been recognized with worldwide honors and awards.

With Heather's inspiring and expert tuition in one of the most beautiful locations in the U.K., her yearly Wildlife & Natural History Workshops provide a rewarding opportunity to improve your photography. There are two one-day workshops from which to choose. These workshops have become one of the highlights of the photographic calendar.

Heather's presentation this year will have a distinctly oriental theme and be the premiere showing of exciting new images from the East. Featured topics will include baby snow monkeys from Japan in spring, as well as new panda images and bamboo forests, stone forests, tropical rain forests with monkeys and birds, mountains and alpine flowers from China.

The afternoon session will include a still life macro demonstration with Heather Angel and John McDonald from Nikon Solutions U.K.

Heather will demonstrate how to portray still life subjects indoors to the best advantage, selecting the lighting which is most appropriate for the subject - whether it is window light, flash, a light box, a light tent or fibre optics. You will then be able to try your hand at using one of several workstations which John will set up for use with the Creative Lighting System using the latest wireless technology with Nikon Camera Control Prosoftware. Flowers, fruits, shells and fossils will be provided for this still life session. This is a marvelous opportunity for you to gain instant feedback on composition and lighting from Heather.

Booking details

The tickets, which include refreshments and lunch and dinner on the terrace, cost GBP175.00 for the day, and GBP150.00 for Nikon Owner subscribers. The workshop starts at 9.15 a.m. and runs until 5.00 p.m. Dinner is at approximately 6.30 p.m. To book your ticket(s) contact: Grays of Westminster today by telephone: ++44 (0) 20-7828 4925 or book online at www.graysofwestminster.co.uk

Posted by covey22 at 7:51 PM

Kodak Unveils Low-Light Sensor Technology

Kodak has announced a breakthrough in sensor technology that could potentially increase low-light sensitivity dramatically in digital cameras.

The "Panchromatic" cells are intended to replace the traditional Bayer-Red Green-Blue mask currently found on most digital camera sensor designs. Instead of designating specific cells to collect only a single color, Kodak's new technology will supplement the RGB units with additional cells sensitive to all light wavelengths. In doing so, the ability of the sensor's light is increased to a greater degree, theoretically increasing the shutter speed margin to allow hand-holding in lower light levels. The increased light sensitivity also holds great potential to reduce ambient "noise" in photos.

Kodak's technology will first become available in 2008, in their own cameras, with licensing deals to other companies to follow. Industry pundits see the cells potentially making their debut in camera-phones, where strides in both light sensitivity and noise reduction would dramatically increase performance and image quality.

Posted by covey22 at 7:18 PM

Nikon D3 Rumor Frenzy Hits Engadget

While we don't advocate rumor-mongering here at Nikonians, we couldn't pass up the observation that the recent D3 rumor frenzy finally hit a highly-visible technology blog. It still remains to be seen whether Nikon will unveil anything this month, but we know in our forums that some of our members certainly are looking forward to it.

Posted by covey22 at 6:38 PM

June 12, 2007

Nikon Seeks Entry in India

Our members in India may soon have reason to rejoice - Nikon is seeking an agency to directly sell and support their products through a Corporate Office in Gurgaon, Haryana.

Posted by covey22 at 5:21 AM

June 11, 2007

Fine Art Photography and Digital Printing Workshops coming to a City Near You

The Nikonians Academy staff is providing Nikonians across the U.S. with the chance to learn fine art photography and professional digital printing from one of the masters.

Darryll Schiff will lead the two-day Fine Art Photography and one-day Professional Digital Printing workshops in the Chicago area on June 22, New York area on July 27, San Francisco area on September 7, Los Angeles area on September 28, and in the Atlanta area on November 4.

Darryll is a fine art photographer with work appearing in collections of MOMA New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, George Eastman House, Norton Simon Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

The Fine Art Photography workshop will help you go beyond the basics by showing you how to create more dynamic and beautiful photographs.

Besides some key technical aspects of your camera and lens, the workshop will cover the artistic elements that go into making a photograph. The quality of light, element of time, point of view and photographic design and composition. All with respect to your personal style and subject matter.

Experimentation, new ideas and techniques are encouraged to stretch your image making and imagination. The workshop includes photo participtaion by attendees, who are asked to bring:
- Camera
- Lens
- Digital memory card
- Fully charged batteries and spares
- Laptop computer (not mandatory, but recommended)
- CF card reader or USB cable
- Sack lunch or money for food
- Tripod
- Pencil or Pen
- Your own images/prints for a portfolio review

The Professional Digital Printing workshop covers:
- Profiles
- Calibration
- Paper types
- Monitor choices
- Printer choices
- RIPs (Raster Image Processors)
- Photoshop usage
- Soft Proofing
- Nikon Capture NX usage
- Digital imaging process (from start to finish)
- Recommended workflow
- Color management
- Adobe RGB vs. sRGB
- RAW conversion
- Sharpening
- Resampling (uprezzing, downrezzing)
- Color correction

Check our Nikonians Academy North America Workshops 2007 schedule for dates, locations and registration information.

Posted by flashdeadline at 12:44 PM

June 9, 2007

Nikonians News Flash #50

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Jessica's back from vacation with the latest news from The Nikonians Academy, Nikon UK and more!

Download Nikonians News Flash #50 (NPC-NF-2007-06-09.mp3; 7:13; 9.9MB; MP3 format)

June 9, 2007

In The News:

Nikonians Academy Workshops in June and July, presented by Darryll Schiff and Winston Hall.

Photography festival and exhibition in Arles, France! For more information, and how to register, look here!

In the UK? Interested in a D40? Check out how to get £60/€90 cash back!

Review for the Tokina AF 16-50mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX lens at photozone.de.

From The Forums:
Cameras for 2-year-olds and 6-year-olds!

June's Online Photo Assignment is all about DETAIL.

Forum of the Week: Digital Post-Processing and Workflow.

Contest! Tune in to find out how to get your own Nikonians t-shirt!

Jessica's Choice Photo! This bug buzzed me so I shot 'im!

Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians. org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!

Posted by odle2 at 2:29 PM

June 8, 2007

Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 AT-X Pro DX: The Photozone.de Review

Photozone.de has a review of the much-awaited Tokina AF 16-50mm f2.8 AT-X Pro DX.

The Tokina AF 16-50mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX is a long awaited lens but does it really live up to the high expectations ? Well, partially.

Posted by covey22 at 12:38 AM

June 7, 2007

ID#42: The Image Doctors

This week, join the Image Doctors as they give their tips on how to get better family photos, from portraits to action shots of your children.
This episode is graciously sponsored by Hewlett-Packard

Download The Image Doctors #42 (NPC-ID-2007-06-07.mp3; 52:00; 18.3MB; MP3 format)

Show Notes: June 7, 2007

1:26 Family Portraits

40:13 Suggestions for lightweight travel lenses

48:01 Weekly Prescription: Using keyboard shortcuts

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Image Doctors directly in iTunes.
[RSS] Add the Image Doctors feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically to you.
[Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley!

Posted by drjay32 at 3:58 AM

June 5, 2007

Nikon and Canon: Neighbors at Last

Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery? If so, Nikon must be succeeding, because Canon has just announced it's moving Corporate HQ from Lake Success down the road to Melville where Nikon is in residence.

Posted by covey22 at 5:09 PM

June 1, 2007

Nikon UK Cashback Offer on D40/D40X

Good news for our members in the UK; in celebration of Nikon's 90th Anniversary, buyers of select D40 and D40X digital SLR kits will get up to 90 GBP back in cash for purchases made between now and 31-August-2007.

UK customers will get 60 GBP and Ireland buyers will get 90 GBP on the following kit types:

*D40x Kit (with AF-S DX 18-55mm II)
*D40x Twin Kit (with AF-S DX 18-55mm II and AF-S DX 55-200mm)
*D40 Kit (with AF-S DX 18-55mm II)
*D40 Twin Kit (with AF-S DX 18-55mm II and AF-S DX 55-200mm)

Posted by covey22 at 11:16 PM