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October 31, 2007

The Nikonian, eZine 35, ready for download

Our official magazine, now in its 35th edition, is ready to share interesting insights on the Nikon D3, the Custom Brackets at work, and our Nikonians Academy.

The_Nikonian35_Cover_246H.jpg

Download your free copy today!

Highlights in this issue include:

7th ANPAT Memories; Grand Prize winners from of our 100,000 Member Celebration Party; Updates on Nikonians Photographer of the Year Contest; Nikonian Victor Newman's (vfnewman) account of his hands on review of the Nikon D3 at a NASCAR race; a sneak peek inside a recent Nikonians Academy workshop; New from Nikon- The COOLPIX line-up expansion and a Custom Brackets Review by Nikonians co-founder J. Ramón Palacios (jrp).

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:14 PM

October 30, 2007

DSLR WiFi for the Rest of Us: The Eye-Fi SD Card

For our members who look on enviously at the professional Nikon Digital SLRs equipped with WiFi; the Eye-Fi levels the playing field. It's a combination 2GB SD card equipped with an 802.11g transmitter capable of uploading images to a local PC or to select online photo services such as Flickr, Photobucket or Shutterfly. The card will be available via Amazon as early as Tuesday this week.

Posted by covey22 at 9:16 PM

Capture NX 1.3 With Each D3/D300 Purchase

Entries by Nikon USA personnel on a popular mailing list indicate that a limited time offer for a full version of Capture NX will accompany each D3 and D300 Digital SLR. In essence, each body will be bundled with an activation code for the proprietary RAW processing software. This has been one of the major complaints about Nikon in the past, as competitors (including Canon) have bundled their converters at no extra cost.

Posted by covey22 at 2:04 PM

October 28, 2007

The Celebration Party Announces More Prize Winners

Our 100,000 Member Celebration Party continues -- with random drawing prizes donated by our Nikonians PhotoProShop.

Congratulations to the following members, who have won a Nikonians Soft Wrap, Nikonians Black Cap, Nikonians Pro Camera Strap, one set of Pro (Loop) Camera Strap connectors, a Nikonian (Spudz) Lens Cloth and a Nikonians Patch:

David Summers (dm1dave), Silver member, from Lowden, Iowa, United States; with his Nikon D80 shoots mainly Generic nature.
His profile description: Intermediate photographer.
----------------------------------
Martin Turner (Martin Turner) , Silver member, from Birmingham, England, Great Britain (UK); with his Nikon D2X shoots mainly Press.
His profile description: Pro photographer
----------------------------------
Gaylon Holmes (Holmes375), Silver member, from Wyoming, United States, with his Nikon D80 shoots mainly Generic nature.
His profile description: Intermediate photographer.
-----------------------------------
Anthony Manansala (avm247), moderator, from Rancho Cordova, California, United States; with his Nikon F100 shoots mainly Architecture.
His profile description: Advanced Amateur photographer.
-----------------------------------
Roger Bunting (Drbee), Silver member, from Illinois, United States; with his Nikon D200 shoots mainly People.
His profile description: Advanced Amateur photographer.
-----------------------------------
Neil Rothschild (nrothschild), from United States; with his Nikon D2H shoots mainly Wildlife.
His profile description: Intermediate photographer
-----------------------------------
Mark Duenas (crazyb3e), Silver-trial member, the USA, with his Nikon D40 he's been having a lot of fun. His profile description: beginner photographer.

Our Celebration Week raffle from the PhotoProShop will soon announce the winners of three Markins Q3 ball heads.

All Silver, Gold and Platinum members are automatically eligible and entered in the raffle.

The Nikonians community, formed in 2000 by co-founders Bo Stahlbrandt and J. Ramón Palacios is an international family composed of Nikon photographers from all walks of life, ages spanning from teens to seniors and experience levels from beginners to celebrated professionals. The community history is available online. Nikonians has rapidly grown to more than 70 forums, some now in multiple languages and now features Podcasts, newsletters and eZines to serve its now more than 100,000 members.

Posted by flashdeadline at 10:33 PM

October 27, 2007

100,000 Celebration Prize announcements start

The Party has started with good news for three lucky members. Our Nikonians 100,000 Member Celebration has kicked off with the official announcement of the winners of three prizes, courtesy of event sponsor Nikon-Europe.

10-28-d200.jpgThe First Prize, a Nikon D200 DSLR Body goes to: Mark Foley, (mdfnikon), Silver member, beginner, from New Jersey, USA.



10-28-d40-kit.jpgThe Second Prize, a Nikon D40x DLSR Body with AF-S DX 18-55mm/3.5-5.6G ED II Lens and a Crumpler CF-EU03 backpack Goes to Emma Wagner (emmawagner) is from Swindon, England, Great Britain (UK). Emma tells us she shoots mainly people and is a beginner photographer.

10-28-10x25hg-l-dcf.jpg The Third Prize, a Nikon High Grade 10x25 HG L DCF Binocular, will soon be delivered to Stefan Cook, (stefanjc), Gold member from Gloucester, England, Great Britain (UK). Stefan shoots mainly generic nature with a D200.

10-28nikon-logo.gif The three winners will receive their grand prizes courtesy of our 100,000 Cleberation Week event sponsor Nikon Europe. They were chosen through a random drawing of Silver, Gold and Platinum level members and are the first of many to benefit from the Nikonians 100,000 Member Celebration party.

Additional winners will soon be announced, gathering prizes donated by HP, Markins and the Nikonians PhotoProShop.

PhotoProShop joins in with free prizes!

10-28-q3_shop.jpgTo kick off our Celebration Week our PhotoProShop will soon announce the winners of a raffle for three Markins Q3 ball heads.

The good news is that all Silver, Gold and Platinum members are automatically eligible.

In addition, Our PhotoProShop staff has been supplied with a generous supply of free gifts with instructions to add them to all orders placed between October 23 and November 1.

The Nikonians community, formed in 2000 by co-founders Bo Stahlbrandt and J. Ramón Palacios is an international family composed of Nikon photographers from all walks of life, ages spanning from teens to seniors and experience levels from beginners to celebrated professionals. The community history is available online. Nikonians has rapidly grown to more than 70 forums, some now in multiple languages and now features Podcasts, newsletters and eZines to serve its now more than 100,000 members.

Posted by flashdeadline at 11:19 PM

October 25, 2007

ID#52: The Image Doctors

Listen as the Image Doctors go back in time and discuss the Nikon F3, followed by a discussion of how to simplify your shooting. Jason and Rick also discuss the major camera settings for Nikon DSLRs and how to set them up to get great photos in the field.

Download The Image Doctors #52 (NPC-ID-2007-10-25.mp3; 55:29; 19.4MB; MP3 format)

Show Notes: October 25, 2007

1:59 Review of the Nikon F3

21:55 Simplicity in Shooting

35:13 In-camera settings for Nikon DSLRs in the field

51:21 Photo Prescription: Soft Proofing tips

[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 12:00 PM

October 23, 2007

Adobe Camera Raw Still Tops for Shutterbugs

Our colleagues at Imaging-Resource report on a recent InfoTrends survey showing Adobe Camera Raw is the most preferred way to digitally post-process. By contrast, Nikon Capture NX came in a distant fourth and fifth on Windows and Macintosh systems respectively.

Posted by covey22 at 4:26 PM

October 22, 2007

JD Power & Associates: Nikon DSLRs Are No. 1

Nikon's Digital SLR cameras are rated #1 by JD Power & Associates in a recent 2007 Customer Satisfaction Survey. The brand tallied 822 out of a possible 1,000 points. Congratulations Nikon!

Posted by covey22 at 4:28 PM

Nik Software Announces Color Efex Pro 3.0

At Photo Plus Expo in NYC this past weekend, Nik Software announced the 3.0 upgrade of Color Efex Pro; their award-winning collection of photographic filters. The main draw is the appearance of the proven U-Point technology pioneered in DFine and Nikon's Capture NX. The add-on will be available for both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements and will continue to be sold in tiered Complete, Select and Standard Editions.

Posted by covey22 at 4:16 PM

Tamron 28-300mm XR Di VC Re-Launch

Tamron sees a November re-launch for it's first Vibration Compensation (VC) lens, the 28-300mm XR DI. Canon users will get first crack, with the Nikon mount available in Spring 2008.

Posted by covey22 at 4:01 PM

October 21, 2007

Nikonians News Flash #67

News-Flash.png

Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!

Download Nikonians News Flash #67 (NPC-NF-2007-10-21.mp3; 8:28; 7.8MB; MP3 format)

October 21, 2007
In The News:

Do you geo-tag?

Olympus gets back into the pro market with new releases!

Fuji price drop!

From The Forums:

In the Cafe'
Do you need your LCD?.

Nikon gear or Engagement ring.

Tolkien or Rowling?

DX vs FX formats.

Forum of the Week:
Resources

Jessica's Choice Photo:
Opiates in the Morning.

Check out the Fall Specials in the PhotoProShop!

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

Posted by odle2 at 1:03 PM

October 19, 2007

Fujifilm S5 Price Drop and Free MB-D200

Nikonians thinking about buying the Fujifilm S5 Pro now have two more reasons to pull out their wallets: a USD200 price drop and a FREE MB-D200 grip plus a FREE Huey Pantone Color Calibration device. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required to view the promotional flyer)

Posted by covey22 at 8:59 PM

October 17, 2007

Sandisk 8GB Extreme III SDHC Media Card

A new 8GB capacity Extreme III SDHC media card has been released by Sandisk, with a projected throughput rate of 20MB per second. Each card will be accompanied by a Sandisk-branded Micromate USB 2.0 reader. The card will be available starting in November to US retailers at USD179.99 per unit. Interested buyers can see the card in action at Photo Plus Expo in New York City starting tomorrow 18-October.

Posted by covey22 at 10:39 PM

Olympus Debuts E-3 Digital SLR

After a long hiatus, Olympus has re-entered the professional level Digital SLR market with the 10MP E-3.

The new camera's features read like a list of must-haves given the competition; dust reduction, sensor-based image stabilization, 5 frames per second, top shutter speed of 1/8000th of a second, 100% coverage viewfinder, TruePic III image processing and a dust/water-proofed mag-alloy body. To address the shortcomings of the previous 3-point AF system in the E-1, the E-3 features a new eleven-cross point module. Unique to the pro tier is a 2.5" rear swivelling LCD which - coupled with the patented Live View system - will allow unique composition opportunities.

Also debuting with the new camera are three new pro-tier Zuiko lenses equipped with Olympus' coreless lens motor - the Supersonic Wave Drive (SWD). The ED 12-60mm f2.8-4 SWD, the ED 55-200 f2.8-3.5 SWD and the ED 14-35mm f2.0 SWD will enhance the small but impressive list of E-system lenses currently available. Finally, Olympus addresses the wireless flash system with two new flashguns - the FL-50R and the FL-36R.

Posted by covey22 at 10:22 PM

Film Processing Continues to Decline

Another era ended quietly in the US Northeast as Stop & Shop, a ubiquitous grocery supermarket chain, discontinued accepting 35mm film for off-site processing.

Posted by covey22 at 10:08 PM

October 16, 2007

Last chance to win a Tamron lens

Tamron's "Make Your Mark" photo contest deadline is just two weeks away. All it takes is a prize winning image of a natural or manmade landmark. This is you chance to win a Tamron AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II Aspherical (IF) Macro zoom lens and have your winning shot published.

Tamron's Press Release with contest details is provided below:

October 12, 2007, Commack, NY -- It's your last chance to enter the Tamron User 2007 Photo Contest. Take a picture of a natural or manmade landmark from anywhere on the four corners of the globe and submit it to Tamron's 2007 Photo Contest: "Make Your Mark: Photographing Natural or Manmade Landmarks Around the World."

The leading photo lens company is looking for images from Tamron users that creatively capture a natural or manmade landmark. Images can range from natural splendors like the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls, or manmade wonders such as the Eiffel Tower or the Taj Majal. The Tamron photo contest is open to Tamron lens owners residing in the USA. The Tamron "Make Your Mark" Photo Contest deadline is 10/31/07. See rules and submission details at https://www.tamron.com/enews/archives/contest.asp

The Make Your Mark grand prize winner will receive a magnificent Tamron AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II Aspherical (IF) Macro zoom lens in any D-SLR mount available and have his or her winning image showcased in Tamron's Viewfinder magazine and on the Gallery section of the Tamron website. Up to 20 runners-up will also have their winning images published on the website for all to see.

About Tamron
Tamron is a leading manufacturer of lenses for photographic, industrial, laboratory, video, digital and scientific applications. Among its many optical and mechanical innovations since the start of the company in 1950, Tamron's development of mass produced hybrid aspherical elements in 1992 paved the way for high ratio zoom lenses. The technology was incorporated into the ground-breaking 28-200mm and continues with the new 18-250mm developed exclusively for use on digital SLR cameras and featuring an unprecedented 13.9X zoom range.

Posted by flashdeadline at 6:15 AM

Sleek new Spyder package unveiled

Nikonians who have enjoyed the color calibration hardware and software capabilities of the Spyder2 Colorimeter will soon have a chance to try out the new Spyder3 from Datacolor.

Spyder-3-1.jpgThe new calibration unit is smaller and faster than its Spyder2 predecessor and is supplied with a desktop cradle that doubles as a tripod attachment for use when calibrating a display. The new model should be available next month.

The Datacolor press release is provided below:

Zürich, 16th October 2007-- Datacolor, a global leader in digital colour management technology, today announces several products incorporating Spyder3, its next generation of monitor calibration device aimed at photographers and digital imaging professionals needing the most accurate colour for digital editing.

Offering an affordable solution, Spyder3Elite incorporates a new suite of features for increased accuracy and performance and enables users to calibrate multiple studio displays to a single target.

Spyder3 - new design and features

With its sleek design, the Spyder3 measurement device is 37 per cent smaller than its Spyder2 predecessor and is supplied with a desktop cradle that doubles as a tripod attachment for use when calibrating a display. Suction cup and counterweight mounting options are also provided for complete flexibility. Calibration time is cut by 29 per cent to five minutes, with re-calibration at only two and a half minutes, which is 64 per cent faster than the previous model.


Spyder-3-2.jpgThe new Spyder3 colorimeter offers the only seven-detector colour engine on the market, with its 27mm aperture, the largest in its class, giving a greater screen sampling area and a 400 per cent increase in light sensitivity. In conjunction with the embedded ambient light sensor, which automatically measures surrounding ambient light levels even when stored in its cradle, Spyder3 enables users to achieve the most precise results when calibrating a display, or multiple displays matched to a single target.

Spyder3's optical design and colour engine enable calibration of the latest in wide gamut, LED backlight and AdobeRGB displays.

Spyder3 also introduces SpyderProof, a proofing function that lets users evaluate calibration results in before and after modes. Four quadrants of thematic images are displayed, targeting saturated colours, skin tones, gradients and black and white. Users can zoom in on any picture to assess highlights, shadow, colour or tonal response in greater detail, and softproof the images using custom profiles.

Spyder3Elite - studio calibration

Spyder3Elite's dual-mode software offers the choice of a walkthrough wizard guide or expert console to give advanced users full control of all settings. It is also the only device in its category able to calibrate front projectors.

Users can calibrate multiple studio displays to a single target with Spyder3Elite, which incorporates StudioMatch Assistant for step-by-step guidance through the process. The assistant takes into account each display's white and black luminance as well as studio light conditions, guaranteeing consistent and accurate colour and brightness on each display in a studio. Spyder3Elite's Curves Import function gives users total control over colour and black and white tinting curves in the image editor, enabling adjustments to be applied to a profile rather than individual images, while a new PreciseLight function adjusts profiles to optimise images for printing, depending on the environment in which they will be displayed.

Unlimited, user-defined calibration targets for white point, gamma, white luminance and black luminance allow users to get the most from their digital workflow. Creatives using L-Star workflows can use Spyder3Elite's patented L-Star compatible technologies as an alternative to typical gamma settings, enabling individual tonal response curves to be generated for open shadows and detailed highlights.

Once calibrated, the new SpyderCertification option ensures that calibration standards are deployed consistently across all subscribed displays, issuing a warning if a display's calibration becomes out of date or incorrect.


Spyder-3-3.jpg

Datacolor brand

With the launch of Spyder3, Datacolor announces that its consumer business unit will now be known exclusively as Datacolor. Previously, the business unit had incorporated branding of both Datacolor and ColorVision, a division of Datacolor since 2000.

For more information and to purchase Spyder3 products, please visit www.Spyder3.com.

About Datacolor

Datacolor is a global leader in colour management solutions and colour communication technology. The world's leading brands, manufacturers, creative professionals and consumers choose Datacolor's innovative technology solutions to achieve the right colour consistently. A Swiss-held company, Datacolor's global presence encompasses a sales, services and support network serving customers in more than 65 countries throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia, along with 13 worldwide operation and production facilities.

Industries served include photography, apparel and textile, digital imaging, architectural painting, graphic design, automotive, home theatre, furnishing, plastics, printing, coating, paper and others. For more information about Datacolor and its products or services, visit www.datacolor.com/Spyder3.
Spyder3, SpyderProof, SpyderCertification, StudioMatch and PreciseLight are trademarks of Datacolor.

Posted by flashdeadline at 5:22 AM

October 15, 2007

GeoPic II: Low-Power Dedicated Geotagger

Geo-tagging, or the practice of overlaying your photos onto a geographical map to show where it was taken, has been quite popular for some time now. GeoPic II is one of the first commercial releases to claim both a dedicated role as a geo-tagging device and features low power consumption. With a small physical format and easy integration with Nikon DSLRs such as the D200, D300, D2, D3 and Fuji Finepix Pro series, the GeoPic II works with both JPEG and RAW formats and easily communicates with Picasa, Google Earth and Adobe Lightroom.

Posted by covey22 at 8:16 PM

October 14, 2007

Nikonians News Flash #66

News-Flash.png

Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!

Download Nikonians News Flash #66 (NPC-NF-2007-10-14.mp3; 5:58; 5.5MB; MP3 format)

October 14, 2007
In The News:

See D3s being born at the Nikon plant!

Sigma updates thier 10-200mm lens.

Nikonians celebrates 100,000 Members! Congrats!

From The Forums:

In the Cafe'
The old shoe box.

Snapshot Guilt.

Forum of the Week:
Black & White Film

Jessica's Choice Photo:
Forest Glen - Glendalough Ireland.

Check out the Fall Specials in the PhotoProShop!

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

Posted by odle2 at 12:01 AM

October 11, 2007

ID#51: The Image Doctors

The Image Doctors have returned from the 7th Annual Nikonians Photo Adventure Trip (ANPAT). Hear all about their week in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

Download The Image Doctors #51 (NPC-ID-2007-10-11.mp3; 37:49; 13.3MB; MP3 format)

Show Notes: October 11, 2007

1:21 7th ANPAT Report: Grand Teton NP and Yellowstone NP Click here to see some of Jason's Photos from the ANPAT.

14:44 Challenges with shooting wildlife and landscapes; thoughts on choosing the right gear

34:10 Photo Prescription: Using a telephoto lens for landscape shots

[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 2:37 PM

October 8, 2007

Sigma 18-200 OS Now With HSM

Third-party lens maker Sigma has updated their popular digital-only 18-200mm lens with both Optical Stabilization and HyperSonic Motor. Nikonians now have a closer choice between the Sigma and the Nikon 18-200 DX VR.

Posted by covey22 at 9:28 PM

Nikon Sendai Plant Photos

Nikon has provided some press photos showing the assembly line at the Sendai plant, where the top-end digital SLRs such as the Nikon D3 are being produced.

Posted by covey22 at 7:13 PM

100,000 Nikonian Celebration has started

We have hit the 100,000 member mark at the Nikonians community, and for some of those members, great prizes are in store thanks to event sponsor Nikon-Europe.

The membership count hit six digits while co-founders Bo Stahlbrandt and J. Ramón Palacios were attending the 7th Annual Photo Adventure Trip (ANPAT) in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks.
Both are now back home, and they have been preparing a random drawing process to select lucky winners of Nikon products and accessories supplied by Nikon-Europe for the event.
Topping the list will be a Nikon D200 DSLR Body as First Prize; followed by a Nikon D40x DLSR Body with AF-S DX 18-55mm/3.5-5.6G ED II Lens and a Crumpler CF-EU03 backpack as Second Prize, and a Nikon High Grade 10x25 HG L DCF Binocular for Third Prize.
The winners will be announced very soon, so make sure you stay tuned to our News Blogs for updates.

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:16 AM

October 7, 2007

NIkonians News Flash #65

News-Flash.png

Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!

Download Nikonians News Flash #65 (NPC-NF-2007-10-07.mp3; 4:09; 3.9MB; MP3 format)

October 7, 2007
In The News:
DXO releases DxO Optics Pro v5.

Digital rights battle.

From The Forums:
October's Online Photo Assignment: Change.

In the Cafe'
Squirrels.
Buying equipment in Mexico.
Survey.

Forum of the Week:
Website Creation

Jessica's Choice Photo:
Snakes on a Nikon.

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

Posted by odle2 at 2:13 PM

October 5, 2007

A Cautionary Tale for Photographers

The ease of which one can publish their photographs in the digital age has resulted in many cautionary tales regarding property rights and usage. The recent flap over Virgin Mobile's inappropriate use of a Flickr photo highlights the need for photographers to really understand their rights and exercise due diligence when choosing a venue for which to showcase their work.

Posted by covey22 at 4:39 PM