Sign up Login
Home Forums Articles Galleries Members Galleries Master Your Vision Galleries 5Contest Categories 5Winners Galleries 5ANPAT Galleries 5 The Winners Editor's Choice Portfolios Recent Photos Search Contest Info Help News Newsletter Join us Renew Membership About us Retrieve password Contact us Contests Vouchers Wiki Apps THE NIKONIAN™ For the press Fundraising Search Help!
More5

« February 2009 | Main | April 2009 »

March 31, 2009

Nikonians News Flash #114

Newsflash_75px.jpg Tune in to your weekly edition of the Nikonians News Flash Podcast for all the very latest news from our friendly Nikonians Community.

Download Nikonians News Flash #114
(NPC-NF-2009-03-31.mp3; 21:30; 7.4MB; MP3 format)

In the News Flash podcast this week:

All the latest from the Nikonians Academy

On Location Episode 57 - "Photographers Block"

New Aperture Plugin from Imagenomic

"Photobook Now" Competition

Final Polaroid Film shipped

Do you have some News Flash podcast feedback or perhaps some ideas for content? It would be great to hear from you - please email me at: newsflash@nikonians.org

Thanks for listening,

James Davies
Nikonians Team Member & News Flash Podcaster

Posted by garglon at 10:20 PM

Unique Photo Gets Last Shipment of Polaroid Film

Wholesale distributor Unique Photo Inc. in New Jersey has the distinction of receiving the very last shipment of Polaroid Film ever. The retailer's warehouse unit received several palettes of Polaroid 600 packages on Monday 30-March. Polaroid went out of business in late 2008. (via Newsline International)

Posted by covey22 at 7:22 PM

March 30, 2009

The Nikonians On Location #57 - Photograhper's Block

Blocked, bored, uninspired. Martin apologizes for this somewhat depressing podcast about photographer's block and his vague attempts to give advice to others when not even being able to get out of the hole himself.

Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #57 (NPC-OL-2009-03-30; 17:57; MB, MP3 format).

Show Notes: March 30, 2009

But He manages to get a bit of advice over the counter like giving yourself assignments, shooting with shallow depth of field and an tip found on the web: the 100 step challenge. Walk, count steps and every 100, take a picture. You will find this and more tips on Photocritic.org.

Video supplement:

Uncommented pictures from a stale period in Martin's photography life - no speech, wise words or advice - just pictures and music.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #57 (NPC-OLV-2009-03-30; 2:29; flash format)

Music used on today's show:

Cause You Been Messin 'Round by Jag on Magnatune

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Nikonians Podcast directly in iTunes

[RSS] Add the Nikonians Podcast feed to your RSS reader

[Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley!

Questions, Comments, Announcements?

Email Martin at onlocation@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!

You can also follow Martin's photographic rants on his Nikonians blog.

Posted by martinj at 12:23 AM

March 29, 2009

Nikonians Academy schedule responds to your needs

Nikonians-Academy-News-Bog.jpgNikonians Academy Director Mike Hagen has been listening carefully to your requests and he's added new workshops to help improve your creative photography.

Mike-Hagen-150.jpg

Mike has sent us an update on the Academy staff schedule, and it's obvious that the emphasis has been on adjusting to the needs expressed by our members. Here is Mike's report:

Greetings folks!

Our workshops continue to sell well. We've just finished up running workshops in Atlanta, Orlando, New York, Boston, Phoenix and Austin. Next up is Nashville where we still have a few seats available for the Advanced D300 class and for the iTTL Flash workshop. If you want to join us in Nashville, head over to www.nikoniansacademy.com to sign up.

We've completely sold out our Yosemite trip this May as well as our ANPAT to Alaska and Denali this September. However, if you are interested and available to attend our outdoor and adventure workshops, consider our Triple D Game Farm baby animal shoot in Montana this May or our Big Sur Workshop in April. Also, you might consider our Garden of the Gods workshops in Colorado Springs this June and September.

We have been listening carefully to your requests and have added a variety of new workshops aimed at improving your creative photography.
Specifically, we have added four new options by Michael Mariant with workshops titled Master Visual Thinking, Master Travel & Documentary Photography, Master HDR Photography and Master Multi-Media. These classes are scheduled all around the USA in places like Seattle Boston, New York, San Francisco and Phoenix. Check our Nikonians Academy listings Workshop topics to see all city and date listings in detail.

Nikonians-Academy_link_logo.jpg
By popular demand, we're adding the Nikon D90 and D80 cameras to our workshop offerings. Many of you have asked us to bring back these workshops and we have answered the call. We're running these in cities all around the USA this year.

Finally, for our Hawaiian members, we have added workshops in Maui, Hawaii.
We're bringing the Nikon D300, iTTL Flash and Nikon D90/D80 workshops for three days in November.

That's it for this week's news from the Nikonians Academy. Now, get out there and take some great photos!

Posted by flashdeadline at 10:18 PM

March 28, 2009

Capture 2.2 Coming in April, Supports NRW

Nikon will be offering Capture 2.2 as a free upgrade to current 2.x users in April. The new version's features and system specifications are available for perusal. Most notably, Coolpix P6000 NRW support is included, likely in response to earlier feedback from owner communities.

Posted by covey22 at 12:43 PM

March 27, 2009

Photo Book Now International Competition

PBN_logo_209x64.png Photography.Book.Now is a celebration of the most creative, most innovative, and finest photography books – and the people behind them. Now in its second year, this international juried book competition is an opportunity for photographers of all stripes to showcase their work to a world-renowned panel of judges, and take a shot at a $25K grand prize.

Photography books have become a natural extension to the photographic process, and are shaping the future of photography as we know it. Long gone are the days where only professional and internationally renowned photographers could publish their work. With print on demand technologies, all photographers can create bound collections of their work, while retaining full control of the creative process – forever changing the face of publishing.

Photography.Book.Now salutes the innovators of this newly accessible medium, and the great work created as a result.

Categories

Fine Art:
The field of contemporary art is the arena to which many photographers now aspire. Whether your working methods are conceptual or stylistic, your aesthetic deadpan or modernist, or your artistic practice rooted in the world or performance, this is your chance to showcase your best photography in book form.

Editorial:
Photography can create compelling narratives, especially in book form. Whether it's a long-term project, a photo-documentary, or a series of editorial spreads, this category celebrates the photography book as an experience that is more than just the sum of its parts.

Commercial:
Superb commercial photography—which can include fashion, corporate, and advertising work—goes beyond just a great product shot. The commercial photographer understands the importance of distinctive visual aesthetics and arresting branding. From fashion to advertising photography, we invite you to showcase your most compelling commercial work in book form.

Important Dates

March 2 – Competition launch, website live, begin accepting entries
July 16 – Competition ends, 12pm PDT
July – August – Judging takes place
September – Winners announced
September – October – Meet-ups take place

Posted by covey22 at 6:59 PM

March 26, 2009

ViewNX with P6000 RAW Support Posted

Nikon posted updates this week to the ViewNX and TransferNX utilities. Notably, ViewNX (Windows and Mac) 1.3 now supports Coolpix P6000 RAW (.NRW) files and TransferNX (Windows and Mac) 1.4 adds some features for users of the Picturetown photo site.


(Editor's note: the links above are to Nikon's UK & Ireland website. As of the publication of this article, Nikon USA has still not posted the latest versions to the KnowledgeBase)

Posted by covey22 at 2:16 PM

Apple Aperture Portraiture 2 plugin now available

NIKONIANS REWARDS PROGRAM Alert: Imagenomic has announced the commercial release of Portraiture 2 for Apple's Aperture imaging application and our Nikonians Rewards program discount is available to Silver, Gold and Platinum members.

Imagenomic has announced the commercial release of Portraiture 2 for Apple's Aperture imaging application. This new product edition extends all of the popular features and benefits of the latest Portraiture plugin to the Aperture user community.
Portraiture_2_for_-Aperture_400.jpg
Portraiture 2 for Aperture is a newly-engineered version that fits seamlessly into Aperture digital image management, editing and output.
The release of Portraiture 2 for Aperture follows an extensive public beta test period involving over 1,000 registered Aperture users.
This new edition has been put to use as a professional retouching tool in some of the most demanding client environments involving large production assignments requiring accurate skin retouching adjustments – often in batch processing mode – to meet tight deadlines.
For a complete break-down of all features in this new release and demonstrations of before and after images, check the Imagenomic Portraiture 2 Features page.

Your Nikonians advantage
To use your Nikonians Rewards eligibility (a 20% discount on Imagenomic products), go to your "My User Menu" (see top right corner of the forums for link) and click on your "Voucher and Coupons" section. Scroll to Imagenomic Discounts and follow the link at the end of that section.

Posted by flashdeadline at 9:18 AM

March 23, 2009

Nikonians News Flash #113

Newsflash_75px.jpg Tune in to your weekly edition of the Nikonians News Flash Podcast for all the very latest news from our friendly Nikonians Community.

Download Nikonians News Flash #113
(NPC-NF-2009-03-23.mp3; 20:00; 8.7MB; MP3 format)

In the News Flash podcast this week:

This weeks episode of the Image Doctors is ready for download

A New, New Members Photo Contest announced!

New Product - Think Tank's Pixel Sunscreen 2

New Product - Nikonians Press "Mastering the Nikon D700"

Nikon Coolpix P6000 review by Lets Go Digital

On Location Postponed

Nikonians Rewards - Vertus Software's Fluid Mask 3

Latest on Epson's discount campaign

Do you have some News Flash podcast feedback or perhaps some ideas for content? It would be great to hear from you - please email me at: newsflash@nikonians.org

Thanks for listening,

James Davies
Nikonians Team Member & News Flash Podcaster

Posted by garglon at 8:41 PM

Nikonians Rewards Program adds Vertus Fluid Mask 3 Discount

If you haven’t been double checking your Nikonians Rewards page you might be missing out on a good deal. A good example is the recent addition of the popular Vertus – Fluid Mask 3 to our expanding Nikonians members vouchers and coupons list.

If you are Nikonian on Silver, Gold or Platinum level you can get a $44 USD ( €39 Euro) discount on orders off the leading Masking tool from Vertus.

bungee_fm3_300.jpg

This imaging tool helps simplify the most difficult masking task, such as the above example of every photographer's masking nightmare (long strands of wildly flying hair). Until every model learns to shave their head bald prior to a shooting session (highly unlikely), you’re going to need some help, and Vertus delivers.

According to the software developers: “Fluid Mask 3 is the top-rated digital imaging tool used for removing objects from their backgrounds by adapting complex algorithms that mimic the way the human eye and brain see edges and objects. The software identifies the outline of the various colors, textures and shades, and separates them into individual puzzle-like pieces. Through the use of this technology, Fluid Mask 3 enables the fastest and most accurate cut-outs on the market, expediting workflow and opening the user to new heights of creativity, layout and design.”

Fluid Mask 3 is currently available for Windows XP & Vista, Mac Intel, and Power PC 10.3.9 and upwards. The program retails for $239 USD.

Keep your eye on your available discounts before you make your next purchase
We are updating the available discounts often, so make sure you check in here regularly as not to miss out on the rebates available. Please be aware of that the offers are typically limited in time.

Nikonians has partnered with several vendors to provide our Silver, Gold and Platinum members with significant rebates on high quality products and services. If you are not a Silver member or higher yet, you can join for as little as $25 USD per year (less than 7 cents per day).

If you are already a Silver member or higher, please use the voucher codes that are listed in your User Menu (see top right corner of the forums for link) by clicking on the link "Voucher and Coupons" to take advantage of the rebates available.

Posted by flashdeadline at 3:32 PM

On Location postponed... again... sorry!

ol_postponed.jpgOnce again Martin regrets to have to announce that there will be no On Location podcast or slide show this week. As a consequence of the many delays lately he has decided to make the show biweekly and publish new episodes alternating with the Image Doctors every two weeks.

Posted by martinj at 2:40 PM

Nikon Coolpix 6000: The LetsGoDigital Review

Our colleagues at LetsGoDigital have completed their review of the current flagship Coolpix camera, the P6000, and the results are mixed. Overall, the camera has some significant advantages over over models, but the lack of RAW workflow really impacts the shot-to-shot performance times.

Posted by covey22 at 12:19 PM

NikoniansPress Mastering the Nikon D700 Book

d700_cover_sm.jpgHere’s a sweet deal for Nikonians interested in sharpening their skills with the Nikon D700. The NikoniansPress book that will help you master this camera is being prepared for shipment and the current pre-order price at Amazon.com is currently only $26.37 USD.

Mastering the Nikon D700, by Darrell Young and James Johnson is the third in a series of books in the joint venture between NikoniansPress and publisher Rocky Nook.


Our members are already enjoying their copies of Mastering the Nikon D300 by Darrell Young and The Nikon Creative Lighting System: Using the SB-600, SB-800, SB-900, and R1C1 flashes by Mike Hagen.

All three books include a special Nikonians 50%-off voucher discount for a one year Gold Membership in the Nikonians community. This will save you $37.50.

According to a preview copy of the publisher’s notes made available to our staff from Rocky Nook, the D700 book "Is the end-product of a unique collaboration between the author of our previous and highly successful Mastering the Nikon D300 by Darrell Young and copy editor James Johnson. Following publication, Rocky Nook has received sterling reviews for its depth of content, breadth of coverage, and warmth of delivery."

Mastering the Nikon D700 features full page Chapter Opening images taken with the camera by fellow Nikonians and as the project went off to press we’re told the images chosen for the book include those provided by Nikonians Sylvain Duford (Sduford), Josh Harris (DrRoebuck), Mark Rainer (mrainer), Tom Trujillo (tjtrujillo), Michael Alan Bielat (MichaelAlan) and Charles Penner (rolledmymazda).

Posted by jrp at 6:09 AM

March 21, 2009

Win Silver Efex Pro

Win a Silver Efex Pro software (value $199.95 USD) every week for the next five weeks and turn your photos into beautiful black & white images. It's easy - Just join our New Members Contest.

Posted by bgs at 1:39 PM

March 20, 2009

Think Tank puts you and your laptop in the dark

If you've ever had to work an outdoor shoot in a blazing hot sun and faced the dilemma of firing up your laptop, Think Tank Photo's new Pixel Sunscreen 2.0 will be your best friend.

Pixel_Sun_studio_300.jpgThis is not your old "throw a poncho over the head and shoulders approach" by a long shot.

The Pixel Sunscreen 2.0 serves as a portable laptop workstation that will not only shade your laptop screen from the sun and the elements, but also serve as a mini-digital-darkroom, complete with openings for cords and cables in the side and back, inside pockets to hold pens, pencils, and other accessories, and movable clip for hanging printed information.

Sunscreen-Diameter-275.jpgThe Sunscreen handles laptops from 12 to 17 inches when in use, but when the job is done, you can quickly collapse it to an easy to store one inch thick circular carrying bag no larger than an average small pizza (14" diameter). When you arrive on location and need the Sunscreen, you will be able to use its spring-loaded design to pop it to full working dimensions within seconds.

Pixel-Sunscreen-2.0-Field-Shot_288.jpgThis is an upgrade to a previous model from Think Tank, which according to their press release carries a 95% re-design based on input from professional photographers with experience using the product in the field. Think Tank's founder and CEO Doug Murdoch said the previous model did not draw complaints, but after collecting the responses he did find room to optimize the Sunscreen for field conditions based on user experience. The result is the Pixel Sunscreen 2.0.

The Sunscreen 2.0 packs all this functionality into a $69 USD purchase.

Nikonians Special Reminder
Don't forget that if you use our special order form for Nikonian members Think Tank Photo will send you a free gift with your order.

Posted by flashdeadline at 1:47 PM

March 19, 2009

New Members Welcoming Photo Contest launches Series II

The recently completed photo contest which awarded prizes to new members was so popular that we're launching our brand new five-week Series II.

Silver-Efex-Pro-175.jpg This time, we are giving out one License Code for Nik Software - Silver Efex Pro valued at $199.95 USD, once every week for the next five weeks.

All new members registering between now and May 5, no matter on which level (from Basic to Platinum), are eligible to participate in this contest.
The first winner will be announced Wednesday April 8, 2009.
The final winner of this series II will be announced on Wednesday May 6, 2009.

Complete details and a guide on how to prepare your entries are available in our Welcoming Photo Contest II announcement.

In case you missed it, here are the winners from the first contest.
Week One honors went to Pete Campbell (PeteCamp) with his portrait of "My Friend Chico."

Week Two's winner was David Parker (1984Landcruiser) with his "old-time" photo of a steam locomotive. By coincidence, David used Silver Efex Pro to achieve his results.

Week Three's winner was Tim Ryll (tmwr1) with his composite image called "Weed Wall."

Jim Thackrey (jthackrey) was our winner for the fourth week with his shot of a“Lonely Road” in Nevada.

Finishing off the series was one of our youngest winners ever---- 12 year-old Nikonian Luke Birtles (LJB) won with his photo of Pont de Normandie.

Posted by flashdeadline at 1:44 PM

ID#87: The Image Doctors

Jason and Rick return from Florida with thousands of images of birds!

Download The Image Doctors #87 (NPC-ID-2009-03-19.m4a; 58:51; 22.0MB; MP4 format)

Show Notes: March 19, 2009

0:22 Florida Birding Shoot

St. Augustine Alligator Farm
Venice Rookery
Ft. Desoto State Beach

53:52 Photo Prescription: When to use a preset White Balance setting

For the MP3 version of this podcast (audio only) click here (20.3MB).

[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 6:00 AM

March 17, 2009

Nikonians News Flash #112

Newsflash_75px.jpg Tune in to your weekly edition of the Nikonians News Flash Podcast for all the very latest news from our friendly Nikonians Community.

Download Nikonians News Flash #112
(NPC-NF-2009-03-16.mp3; 23:30; 5.7MB; MP3 format)

In the News Flash podcast this week:

Nikonians On Location Podcast Episode 55 - Ringflash Models

New Product - Swarovski Optik EL32 Travel Binoculars

First Nikonians "Hot & Cold" Image Contest winner for 2009 announced

Nikonians On Location Podcast Episode 56 - Macro Ringflash

Do you have some News Flash podcast feedback or perhaps some ideas for content? It would be great to hear from you - please email me at: newsflash@nikonians.org

Thanks for listening,

James Davies
Nikonians Team Member & News Flash Podcaster

Posted by garglon at 12:21 AM

March 16, 2009

The Nikonians On Location #56 - Macro Ringflash

This time using a ringflash of the more classical type - for macro photography. The Metz Mecablitz 15 MS-1 is in reality two small flashes mounted on a ring, which rides in front of the lens.

Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #56 (NPC-OL-2009-03-16; 21:16; 19.4MB, MP3 format).

Show Notes: March 16, 2009

Martin has a hard time finding insects and flowers here in mid-March, so he stays indoors and shoot some fishing flies and the orchids in the window sill... again!

Read more about the Metz Mecablitz 15 here.

Video supplement:

A very small selection of the pictures from today's shoot showing the Metz Mecablitz 15 MS-1 flash and some of the results of its work.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #56 (NPC-OLV-2009-03-16; 5:01; flash format)

Music used on today's show:

Highway with Emmas Mini on Magnatune

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Nikonians Podcast directly in iTunes

[RSS] Add the Nikonians Podcast feed to your RSS reader

[Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley!

Questions, Comments, Announcements?

Email Martin at onlocation@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!

You can also follow Martin's photographic rants on his Nikonians blog.

Posted by martinj at 12:00 PM

March 15, 2009

First 2009 Contest winner nails "Hot and Cold" theme

Congratulations to Octavian Radu Topai (Tavi) of Timisoara, Romania, our first finalist in the Best of Nikonians – 2009 Images Contest. The finalist segment focused on the theme "Hot and Cold" and Octavian's image, entitled "Story of a Snowflake" successfully combined the two elements.

Snowflake_300.jpgHe tells us: "It was a cold winter, at about -12 to -15 Celsius degrees in the day time, temperature decreased by the strong wind. During the night our tent was buried in snow two times and nearly destroyed by the wind, but in the morning we had a very pleasant reward... This splendid view at the sunrise, with the snowflakes carried by the wind towards the sun. It looked like the frozen environment started to burn in flames. Unfortunately it didn't last too much. After about 20 minutes everything was surrounded by a consistent fog, which lasted all day long."

Tavi-250.jpgHe used his Nikon D200 with a Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4 AT-X 124AF Pro DX lens zoomed to about 19 mm, aperture f/9, exposure time 1/30 sec at ISO 100.

Octavian started to take photography seriously while studying at his university and he prefers to shoot architecture, landscape and travel photography. This gives him the opportunity to go traveling, trekking and climbing.

He plans to go to the Pamir mountains in Central Asia this summer, and next year he hopes to travel to New Zealand.

As a finalist, Ocatavian will receive will receive Datacolor's Spyder3Pro display calibration package and Think Tank Photo's Skin Set.

Get in on the action!
The March finalist segment theme is "Modes of Transportation." Check our Contest Directions for details.

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:04 PM

March 12, 2009

Nikon eXtreme Concept Coolpix

Images of a very sleek and futuristic concept Coolpix camera are floating around on the Internet, made by designer Camillo Vanacore. No specifications are currently available and it's unclear if the concept is even endorsed by Nikon, but the curvy and cutting-edge design is certainly compelling. (via Behance Network).

Posted by covey22 at 6:41 PM

New EL 32 Traveler Swarovski Optik Binoculars will soon be shipping

The recently announced Traveler series addition to the EL line of Swarovski Optik binoculars will soon be available.

EL-32-Swarovski_300.jpgDetails are available on the official Swarovski Optik EL 32 Traveler information site.

The EL 32 Traveler series is a rugged magnesium housed binocular designed to serve as a lightweight, airtight, dustproof and watertight fine optic. It is designed to serve as a perfect travel companion in any weather condition, and will be available in 8x32 and 10x32 magnification models. The EL 32 is rated to provide watertight protection up to 13 feet (4 meters).

Eyeglass wearers will appreciate the 100% field of view provided by the Traveler’s large eye relief of the exit pupil. This enables eyeglass-wearers to survey the entire wide-angle field of view and enjoy the EL’s unique edge sharpness. The removable twist-in eyecups are individually adjustable.

Each EL 32 Traveler comes with a Swarovski Snap Shot Adapter, lightweight, rugged and water repellent carrying case and a lift carrying strap. Also supplied are the objective lens cover and a hinged eyepiece cover (adjustable to any width of eyepiece).

The Swarovski Snap Shot Adapter allows you to attach certain digital cameras to the binocular (based on their design). For a complete explanation check Swarovski Optik’s Snap Shot Adapter guide or download their highly informative .pdf brochure.

Posted by flashdeadline at 6:56 AM

March 9, 2009

The Nikonians On Location #55 - Ringflash Models

Shooting the models Camilla and Louise in a large rotunda in a part of the University of Copenhagen. Fun with the Orbis Ringflash Adapter and more classical light using umbrellas.

Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #55 (NPC-OL-2009-03-09; 23:10; 21.5MB, MP3 format).

Show Notes: March 09, 2009
Following up on the latest On Location podcast Martin Joerhensen covers the model shoot and the Orbis Ringflash Adapter in this episode. He also talks a bit about touching up on model images, removing blemishes and making skin really nice.

Video supplement:
Sample images from the shoot. Just a few of the almost 350 shots taken. Examples of the process of working on model images.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #55 (NPC-OLV-2009-03-09; 9:40; flash format)

More about the Orbis Ringflash Adapter in Martin's blog and on Orbis' own web page.

Music used on today's show:
Unknown with Emmas Mini on Magnatune

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Nikonians Podcast directly in iTunes

[RSS] Add the Nikonians Podcast feed to your RSS reader

[Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley!

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

You can also follow Martin's photographic rants on his Nikonians blog.

Posted by martinj at 11:00 PM

Nikonians News Flash #111

Newsflash_75px.jpg Tune in to your weekly edition of the Nikonians News Flash Podcast for all the very latest news from our friendly Nikonians Community.

Download Nikonians News Flash #111
(NPC-NF-2009-03-09.mp3; 19:00; 7.3MB; MP3 format)

In the News Flash podcast this week:

Best of Nikonians 2008 Images Photo Contest - Winners announced

Details of this week's Image Doctors Podcast

Great new Lens Baby wide-angle accessory announced

New Product - Datacolour's Spyder Cube

Details of an exciting discount promotion from our Nikonians partner Epson

Olympus declares that the mega-pixel war is over!

Do you have some News Flash podcast feedback or perhaps some ideas for content? It would be great to hear from you - please email me at: newsflash@nikonians.org

Thanks for listening,

James Davies
Nikonians Team Member & News Flash Podcaster

Posted by garglon at 7:45 PM

Nikon Coolpix P6000 Firmware 1.2

Nikon has updated the firmware for the popular P6000 Coolpix digital compact camera. Version 1.2 (Windows and Mac) addresses JPEG corruption and enhances power consumption among other fixes.

Posted by covey22 at 2:21 PM

March 6, 2009

Olympus Declares "No Mas!"; Saying 12 MP is Enough

Olympus is withdrawing from the Megapixel wars, declaring 12 MP to be enough. In a recent interview, SLR planning honcho Akira Watanabe wants to focus instead on improving higher ISO performance, dynamic range and color reproduction. While knowledgeable photographers are applauding this development, it remains to be seen how this will impact Olympus' sales, and if that message can reach a large consumer audience indoctrinated to believe "more pixels is better." (via CNet)

Posted by covey22 at 9:02 PM

March 5, 2009

European Nikonians first on the list for Epson Discount campaign

Nikonians in Europe have an an opportunity to take advantage of a new discount campaign from our Corporate Partner Epson.

Epson-Logo--150.jpgThe discount applies to purchases of the Epson Stylus Photo R1900 printer made by Nikonians members in Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Hungary. Epson-R1900_150.jpg
Later this month the discount offer will be expanding to include our members in the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Italy.

Complete details on the discount offer are posted in our Printers, Scanners & Color Management forum.

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:39 AM

ID#86: The Image Doctors

This week, Rick and Jason discuss shooting butterflies with the R1C1 speedlight, and review two new bags from Think Tank Photo.

Download The Image Doctors #86 (NPC-ID-2009-03-05.m4a; 1:02:02; 19.0MB; MP4 format)

Show Notes: March 5, 2009

2:22 Shooting butterflies at the Westminster Butterfly Pavilion

40:21 Product Review: Think Tank Streetwalker Pro and Shape Shifter bags

49:01 Using Capture NX with Lightroom

59:06 Photo Prescription:  Avoiding condensation on your gear

For the MP3 version of this podcast (audio only) click here (21.4MB).

[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 6:00 AM

March 4, 2009

Clever cube adds powerful calibration tool to your photo gear

Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, a new cube-shaped device from Datacolor will quickly help you defeat color balancing challenges in the field or studio.

SpyderCubeSilo_175.jpgDatacolor's new SpyderCube will be available this month at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $59 (US).

According to Datacolor's specifications:
"The SpyderCube is made of ABS Cycoloy, a hybrid resin that is fade proof, extremely durable, and flame / shock resistant. In addition, colors are through-pigmented for durability, and are scientifically formulated to provide optimal color values, including an 18% gray which defines a new standard for spectral neutrality to provide accurate color balance under any light source."

The cube ships with a protective pouch and a Quick Start Guide (available in 10 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Japanese) and it carries a 1-year hardware warranty.
SpyderCubePackage_200.jpg

The March 2nd Press Release from Datacolor describes the cube as a significant advancement to the familiar "gray card" approach. Instead of just providing the usual 18% gray, the cube takes advantage of it's multiple sides to provide a broad range of color balancing target reference points.

The press release describes some of those points: "For example, the White face of SpyderCube helps define highlights in relation to the catch-light; the Gray face measures color temperature and mid-tone response; the Black face defines shadows in relations to the Black Trap; and the Black Trap defines absolute black."

Want to Know More?
You can check out the Press Release and SpyderCube product information from https://www.datacolor.com.

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:51 AM

March 3, 2009

Lensbaby Super Wide added to Optic Swap System

Nikonians who enjoy pushing the boundaries of creativity with their Lensbaby lenses now have a wider dimension to play with.

LB-SWA_200.jpgThe new 0.42x Super Wide screws onto the 37mm threads on the front of your Lensbaby lens, resulting in a conversion of the lens from 50mm to 21mm.
The 0.42x also has a macro capability, allowing you to focus as close as 2.75" (7 cm) away from the front of your lens.

Wonder how it works?
Nikonians podcaster Martin Joergensen recently reviewed the Lensbaby in his blog and The Nikonians On Location #45 episode entitled - Yeah Baby!
Don't forget to check his Episode #45 Video Supplement.

Posted by flashdeadline at 4:57 PM

Best of Nikonians 2008 Images Photo Contest winners announced

Congratulations to Joe Iannandrea (skorj), Poras Chaudhary (kaipu) and Thomas Spain (Countryboy), our top three finalists in the Best of Nikonians 2008 Images Photo Contest.

Cold_Wait_275.jpgSilver member Joe Iannandrea (skorj) of Fort Erie, Canada is our Grand Prize winner with his image entitled "Cold Wait."
Joe captured his winning entry with his Nikon D80 in the Manual exposure mode, shooting at a shutter speed of 1/320 second. He used his Tamron SP AF 20-40mm F/2.7-3.5 Aspherical-IF lens at f/9.
Joe's image has earned him a Spyder3Print software and hardware package from Datacolor and a Glass Taxi convertible backpack/ shoulder bag from Think Tank Photo. Joe will also receive a one-year Platinum level membership and Certificate of Photographic Achievement from our Nikonians co-founders.


Color-Me-Red_275.jpgHonorable Mention goes to Silver member Poras Chaudhary (kaipu) from India, who submitted his image "Color Me Red." He used his newly purchased Nikon D3 and a Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 G ED lens. He had the lens wide open at f/2.8, allowing him to expose at 1/640 sec with ISO 400.
His picture was taken on the colorful festival of Holi, which is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March every year. It is also called the Festival of Colors. On this day people throw colors at each other.
As an Honorable Mention Finalist he will receive a one-year Gold level membership and Certificate of Photographic Achievement from our Nikonians co-founders.


Praying_Mantis_275.jpgHonorable Mention also goes to Gold member Thomas Spain (Countryboy), from Memphis, Tennessee, USA. His "Praying Mantis” image was taken in his backyard. with his Nikon D2X. He used natural light and a cable release. His camera was tripod mounted and the mirror was locked up. Thomas also used a white matte board reflector and a suns shade. He used his AF Micro-NIKKOR 200mm f/4D IF-ED at f/4.3, 1/13 sec at an ISO of 100.
He was spot-Metering for the shot and used shutter speed priority for his autoexposure setting.
As an Honorable Mention Finalist he will have his Gold level membership extended for another year and he will receive a Certificate of Photographic Achievement from our Nikonians co-founders.

The Best of Nikonians 2009 Images Photo Contest has already begun.
Check the contest guidelines and get in on the action today!

Posted by flashdeadline at 2:19 PM

Sigma Releases New Trio of DC HSM Lenses

Sigma unveils it's latest optics in time for PMA 2009 in Las Vegas. Leading the trio of new lenses is a 18-50mm f2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM that will appeal to DX shooters looking for a mid-range zoom, an improved 10-20mm DC HSM super wide-angle but at a constant f3.5 and a light consumer telezoom 50-200mm f4-5.6 DC OS HSM.

Posted by covey22 at 4:15 AM

Apple Digital Camera Raw 2.5 Now Available

Apple posted their latest update to Digital Camera Raw today, which brings compatibility to files created by the Nikon D3X and the Epson RD-1X rangefinder.

Posted by covey22 at 12:36 AM

March 2, 2009

Nikonians News Flash #110

Newsflash_75px.jpg Tune in to your weekly edition of the Nikonians News Flash Podcast for all the very latest news from our friendly Nikonians Community.

Download Nikonians News Flash #110
(NPC-NF-2009-03-02.mp3; 21:30; 5.6MB; MP3 format)

In the News Flash podcast this week:

Nikon's "DTown" weekly video launched

Martin's "On Location" podcast postponed until next week

Ritz Camera files for Chapter 11

Final weeks winner of the New Member's Photo Contest announced

Do you have some News Flash podcast feedback or perhaps some ideas for content? It would be great to hear from you - please email me at: newsflash@nikonians.org

Thanks for listening,

James Davies
Nikonians Team Member & News Flash Podcaster

Posted by garglon at 10:25 PM

On Location postponed

next-week.jpgMartin Joergensen's shoot of the models Camilla and Louise this weekend will be covered in next week. Both the amount of post processing and paid work has Martin bogged down, and he excuses not being able to finish his podcast and slide show on schedule.

Posted by martinj at 8:40 AM