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« February 2013 | Main | April 2013 »

March 26, 2013

Mastering The Nikon D600 Book arrives

D600_book_125.jpgThe newest book by Nikonians author and charter member Darrell Young (DigitalDarrell) is now arriving at retail outlets.

D600-mini_125.jpgHis 568-page Mastering the Nikon D600 has been a highly popular purchase in the pre-order phase and within a few days, those pre-orders will start shipping.

A new development in the delivery schedule shows the eBook format versions should become available on the same day as the print version.

Darrell says the book was enhanced in great measure with the participation of fellow members of the Nikonians community:

Darrell-Young_200.jpg"I want to thank each of you who preordered Mastering the Nikon D600.
The book will be in stock in most locations by the end of this week. Preorders will ship immediately and you should be receiving a notice from your vendor. Special thanks go out to those who submitted images for the book. Your excellent work makes the book much nicer for readers worldwide.
The Nikon D600 HD-SLR is simply a wonderful camera for those on a budget who want to use an FX sensor for maximum quality. My ultimate goal during research and writing was give you insight into all aspects of this camera so that you can use each function to benefit your photography."

D600_Book_225.jpgWe have a complete list of the 13 images selected for use in the book (along with thumbnail versions) posted in our Nikonians News Blog.

All books in Darrell Young's NikoniansPress/Rocky Nook Mastering series include a special Nikonians 50%-off voucher discount for a one year Gold Membership in the Nikonians community. This will save $37.50 on Gold Membership.

About the author
Darrell Young (DigitalDarrell) is a Nikon Professional Services (NPS) member and also maintains membership in the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), and North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA).

His previous books produced through Rocky Nook’s partnership with NikoniansPress include Mastering the Nikon D800, Mastering the Nikon D7000, Mastering the Nikon D300/D300S, Mastering the D700 (co-authored with James Johnson), Mastering the Nikon D90, Mastering the Nikon D5000, and Mastering the Nikon D3000.

He is currently writing Mastering the Nikon D7100.

Posted by flashdeadline at 11:29 PM

Academy instructor brings attitude to ASMP

Hulbert_175.jpgNikonians Academy instructor Rick Hulbert will be speaking at the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) New England Chapter on April 18th covering his signature specialty: Architectural photography.

For the evening presentation, he is titling his talk "Photography with an Architectural Attitude." Here's the link for more information.

Rick teaches the popular four-day Urban and Street photography workshop for the Nikonians Academy and we would love to have you join us for this excellent class. Our Chicago workshop series just opened up one seat and we still have a few seats remaining in Toronto.

Rick Hulbert is also co-hosting the Nikonians Photo Professors podcast series with Rick Paul.

Grand_Teton_bears_250.jpgJoin Jim Stamates in the Grand Tetons for our Spring Wildlife and Landscapes workshop.

Jim has been one of the leading wildlife photographers in the USA throughout his career and he's ready to show you the ropes in beautiful Grand Teton National Park.

During this four-day field photography workshop (starting June 5th) we will attempt to photography as much fauna and wildlife as possible, including bear, moose, elk, pronghorn, bison, coyotes, beavers, eagles, osprey and owls.

This week marks your last chance to sign up for our Masters workshops in Atlanta, GA, Fairfield, NJ, and Boston, MA.

Yosemite-Spring_175.jpgApril brings an impressive array of workshops to all corners of the USA and Canada. Join us for an intense and rewarding day of learning.

April Workshops
Fairfield, NJ-- April 4-7
Boston -- April 7
Dallas -- April 11-14
Vancouver-- April 17-20
Yosemite -- April 18
Las Vegas-- April 20
Philadelphia-- April 25-26
Ultimate Travel Workshop Cruise through Europe and North Africa (starts April 26)

Glamour_3_150.jpgMilan, Italy is famous for many things, one of them being its fashion scene.

The Nikonians Academy is running a multi-day Glamour and Fashion photography workshop with master photographer Giuseppe Circhetta in Milan this May.

Giuseppe is well known in the photography industry as being one of the best at what he does and you will have the opportunity to you join him as he teaches you his professional techniques for creating stunning images on location.

Posted by flashdeadline at 10:08 PM

Nikon announces new factory

NIKON-LOGO_125.jpgNikon's worldwide site has announced plans to shift some current Thailand camera production work 800 kilometers (500 miles) northeast to neighboring Laos in the Savannakhet Province

Nikon's press release says the establishment of a new factory in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) is designed to reinforce its digital SLR camera manufacturing organization and reduce costs.

The factory will have 800 employees and will be 99.9% owned by Nikon (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Operations are scheduled to commence in October 2013.

The new factory in Laos will be preparing components to be used in final production of digital SLR cameras in the Ayutthaya Province of Thailand.

Nikon Corporation President Makoto Kimura said in an interview last year that the Thailand facilities had fully recovered from the October 2011 floods.

Our members are discussing the news in the English Café

Posted by flashdeadline at 9:21 PM

March 25, 2013

Nikonians Photo Professors #14

Photo-prof-V2.jpgPhoto Professors Episode 14: This month the Photo Professors discussing this year's ImagingUSA convention in Atlanta, and are joined by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Deanne Fitzmaurice. Deanne should be familiar to all Nikonians as one of the co-founders of Think Tank Photo!

Download Nikonians Photo Professors #14 (NPC-PP-2013-3.mp3;45:36;MP3 format)

Length of the podcast is 45:36

Windshield Buddhist Nun Raindrops

Posted by richardlpaul at 3:24 AM

March 20, 2013

Academy workshops booking fast

Academy-square-125.jpgThe Nikonians Academy's intense Spring workshop schedule continues with workshops in Raleigh, NC and Atlanta, CA next week.

In April, they will be hosting workshops in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Texas, British Columbia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.

Academy Director Mike Hagen reports the staff has been having a wonderful time running workshops around the USA and meeting Nikonians from every corner of the globe:
"With sold-out workshops in Los Angeles two weeks ago and people attending our Las Vegas workshops from Luxembourg to Pennsylvania, we have truly enjoyed every minute. Join us for an amazing learning opportunity that you'll never forget."

Circhetta_Milan_250.jpgFor our Nikonians in Europe, we have an excellent Glamour and Fashion Photography workshop with Giuseppe Circhetta in Milan, Italy this May. Previous attendees have absolutely loved the workshop and were able to take home professional fashion images created on-location while using Milan as a most beautiful backdrop. Giuseppe is a master photographer and really knows how to teach this special skill.

Urban_250.jpgJoin Rick Hulbert in Toronto for his signature Urban and Street Photography workshop.

Our previous Urban and Street workshops have sold out in San Francisco and Chicago, so don't wait too much longer to sign up.

This workshop is designed to get you to think about concepts in architectural and urban photography that you hadn’t thought of or considered before. That is, admittedly, a rather bold statement. However, that is exactly what this four day experience will achieve.

Alaska_170.jpgNow is the time to begin planning for your big summer and fall photo trips. We have a wide variety of field photography workshops in store for you and would love to have you along for the adventure. Consider Monument Valley, Alaska-Whales Bears and Icefields, Iceland-Birds and Landscapes, Grand Teton Wildlife and Landscapes, or any of our other exciting adventures to all corners of the globe. Check out our website for all of our amazing outdoor photography workshops.

Posted by flashdeadline at 3:17 AM

March 19, 2013

Google says: So long, Snapseed!

Snapseed-Desktop.jpgIt all started with creative, ambitious and hardworking individuals at Nik Software, that created a Mobile App called, Snapseed...

Now, you may have heard of this app popularly used on iPhones, selling on iTunes for a near $5.00 (I should know, I purchased it because I was so floored with awe and creativity that could be done with my photos), that later became FREE *eye twitch*... and available for Android phones, and desktops Mac/PC. Google later appeared to be in the same awe as myself, and bought the photo editor - or was it just a scheme to rid of competitors?

tech_snapseed_1.jpg

Well, we all know "Video killed the radio star" and in this case - Google Killed the photo editor, Snapseed. Google killed off Snapseed desktop for Mac and PC. In efforts of their "Spring Cleaning" which apparently began in 2011. Even though I may not have used the app in a steady workflow on the desktop as I do with my phone, it raises an eyebrow or two as to what else is to come?

snapseed-548x400.jpgSenior VP of Engineering - Vic Gundotra has reassured the imaging community that this (discontinuation) wasn't going to be the case for the Mobile App. The immediate discontinuation of Snapseed desktop doesn't quite sit well with that statement, especially considering the fact that neither desktop version has had a single update since the day after Nik's takeover was announced last year. Of course, one could argue that Snapseed hands-down, makes more sense to be operated on touch-centric mobile/tablet platforms rather than on a desktop, however, with that being said, it still means - from now on, we only have the possibility to buy (or acquire for free *eye twitching*) on 2/4 platforms for which it was available prior to Nik's buy-out. Desktop users are now left high and dry, because no further updates will be made to the desktop versions (not that there was), but worse, people who'd like to give it a try with more handle and ease on a desktop, rather than your big fingers on a tiny screen, are no longer possible to download to Mac/PC.

snapseedagi.jpegWhat do you think? Has Google gone back on its "word", or was the Snapseed desktop simply an answer to a question that you hadn't asked? Do you know of any other now-discontinued Google products you'll find it hard to live without? What do you say?

*Still urked Snapseed is now free...
agnes

Posted by Ronny89 at 8:25 AM

March 18, 2013

Which Image Format to use?

One of the most asked questions by new users of Nikon DSLR cameras is "Which image format should I use?" Three most common formats are JPEG, TIFF, or NEF (RAW). By the end of this read, you'll know which you want to use, through observation of all their pros and cons. Enjoy the read, and hopefully, it clears some confusion you may have.
(Upgraded Members)

Posted by Ronny89 at 12:52 PM

March 15, 2013

Papal announcement draws tuna

1200-1700_250.jpgThe Zoom-Nikkor 1200-1700mm f/5.6-8P IF-ED lens was put to good use when Roman Catholic cardinals selected their new Pope.

Our members in the Manual Focus Lenses forum are discussing the legendary Zoom-Nikkor 1200-1700mm f/5.6-8P IF-ED lens with links to images of this monster chunk of glass on the scene. At 888mm (just short of 3 feet long) and weighing 16 kilograms (35 pounds) it has earned the nickname "tuna."

If you are interested in the history behind this lens, check the Nikon Recollections page featuring comments by the two men who were responsible for its optical design and its mechanical design.

Posted by flashdeadline at 6:31 PM

March 14, 2013

UK and Ireland members: Nikon cashback

UKspringcash_200.jpgNikon UK has launched its spring cashback promotion offering up to £150 cashback. The cashback promotion includes the Nikon D3100, D3200, D5100, D5200, D7000 and D600 from 14th March – 31st May (inclusive).

The promotion will run from 14th March – 31st May 2013 and all claims must be received by the 30th June 2013 in order to qualify.


Model
D3100= £30/€35
D3200= £40/€50
D5100= £40/€50
D5200= £50/€60
D7000= £100/€120
D600 = £150/€180


For more information on the promotion, and how to submit your claim, please visit: www.nikon.co.uk/cashback.

Posted by flashdeadline at 5:03 PM

March 13, 2013

Florida member published

vladIT-eagle_125.jpgCongratulations to Gold member Vlad Tkatsenko (Vlad_IT) from Florida, USA. He moved to Florida from New York and his shot of an eagle has been published by the Tampa Bay Times. Vlad tells us he will be submitting more photos in the series.

If your work has been recently published make sure you tell us the good news.

One of our most unique congratulations went to Moderating Team member Karen Willshaw (Marjani), who's photos were the basis for a series of Australian postage stamps.

Posted by flashdeadline at 11:15 PM

March 12, 2013

Nikon ViewNX2 upgrade released

ViewNX2_150.jpgNikon has released version 2.7.4 for their Nikon ViewNX2 image browsing and editing software.
This version addresses correct lens naming for the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR lens. It also includes updates for images captured with a Nikon 1-series camera (and the FT-1 mount adapter) and movies recorded using a digital-SLR camera.

The Macintosh version resolves an issue that prevented images saved in JPEG format with Capture NX 2 Ver. 2.3.0 or 2.3.1 from opening in ViewNX 2. Both the Windows and Macintosh versions add support for the Nikon D7100.

Check Nikon's support page for more information and download instructions.

Posted by flashdeadline at 11:15 PM

March 11, 2013

Academy forum provides answers

Urban_180.jpgYou already know our forums serve a broad range of questions and answers, but did you know they also serve as a source of background information on Nikonians Academy workshops?

Urban_175.jpgNikonians Academy instructor Richard Hulbert is a good example. His Urban and Street Photography Workshop tour has started and reservations are going fast.

His New York City workshop (starting April 25th) has a waiting list and the Chicago edition (starting May 2nd) has only two seats left. The Toronto workshop starts on May 16th.

Richard is hosting a Question and Answer discussion related to this popular workshop series in our Nikonians Academy Forum.

Academy Director Mike Hagen is also using the forum to help prepare for the Iceland Photo and Bird Adventure - Summer 2013 workshop starting on July 29th.

Gulfoss-250.jpg
This eight-day workshop is limited to a maximum of 10 participants and Mike's discussion thread covers everything from travel arrangements to photo equipment and clothing suggestions.

This adventure to Iceland will explore stunning landscapes, volcanoes, geothermal features, glaciers and Reykjavik.
Mike's co-leader on this trip is the world-renowned photographer Tim Vollmer who is a native of Iceland and has been running photo tours for years.

Checking the Nikonians Academy Forum often will help you find answers to questions you didn't even know you had (thanks to your fellow members who did).

Looking ahead……

March Workshops
Las Vegas -- March14-15
Raleigh -- March 21-24
Atlanta -- March 28-30

April Workshops
Yosemite-Spring_175.jpgFairfield, NJ-- April 4-7
Boston -- April 7
Dallas -- April 11-14
Vancouver-- April 17-20
Yosemite -- April 18
Las Vegas-- April 20
Philadelphia-- April 25-26
Ultimate Travel Workshop Cruise through Europe and North Africa (starts April 26)

May Workshops
Chicago -- May 2
New York City-- May 2-6
Indianapolis --May 6-9
Phoenix -- May 13
Page, AZ -- May 14
Toronto -- May 16
Milan, Italy-- May 18-20

Posted by flashdeadline at 10:20 PM

Taking Close-up Pictures on a Budget

MacroPipevineSwallowtail.jpgEveryone wants to see the finer details in life. Sometimes, it's not visible by the naked eye, but that's why we have Macro/Micro Lenses! What's the difference between the two? How do you know what a "true" macro lens can do? Ratios, focus, and more are discussed in this article by DigitalDarrell. Let's have a closer look! Read more

Posted by Ronny89 at 2:06 PM

March 10, 2013

One Cap -Two Cap - No Cap

lenscapnikon_250.jpgAre you a paranoid lens-changer?
Silver member Jerry LoSardo (JerryLoSardo), of Maryland, USA, asks a techniques question many members just take for granted. You need to change lenses and may or may not have a fear of stray dust and the elements:

"When you're shooting in the field and need to change lenses on the fly, do you take the time to replace the front and rear lens caps on the removed lens? Or do you simply stow the naked lens in your bag or in your pocket in the interest of saving time?"

Have you established an effective routine? Tell us how you do it.

Posted by flashdeadline at 3:43 PM

March 7, 2013

ThinkTank Offers HUGE

Our friends at Think Tank Photo have just released a lot of new gear and announced a rain cover special offer. Don’t forget, by clicking on the links below you receive free gear with every order over $50! Here are the details.

Hydrophobia[5].jpg Buy a Hydrophobia rain cover before March 31, 2013 and receive a free eyepiece! The Hydrophobia includes a Think Tank Camera Strap that is preconnected to durable metal D-rings on the rain cover. Proper use of the strap and rain cover does not require removing the strap attached to the camera. Nor does it require cutting holes in the rain cover or disassembling the camera's attached strap. The lens strap inside the Hydrophobia allows the external Camera Strap to fully support the weight of the camera and lens.

SUBURBAN_SERIES[3].jpg The Sub Urban Disguises are a new concept in premium quality camera shoulder bags. They are designed for the professional photographer seeking smaller capacity camera bags and amateur photographers upgrading their bodies or using one to two lenses along with their new body. The Sub Urban Disguise Series are available in four sizes. Their features include a flip-top lid that folds away from the body to provide quick and unencumbered access to gear.

CHANGE_UP_V2_5[4].jpg A chameleon of sorts, the Change Up V2.0 can change from belt pack to shoulder bag to chest pack via the harness system. In addition, many Think Tank Modular and Skin Components can attach to the waist belt straps. With the ability to carry a standard-size DSLR and a 70-200 2.8, (detached), it has a significant amount of capacity in a lightweight, body conforming shape. Alternately, it holds a standard-size DSLR with 24-70 2.8 attached, plus one to three additional lenses.

Low Rider Strap_low[3].jpg There is one bond that unites most professional photographers: the burden of having to roll multiple bags and heavy loads from one shoot to the next. To aid them in this task Think Tank Photo created the Low Rider Strap. With the Low Rider Strap you simply slip the split pad design over the handle of your rolling luggage and tighten the side straps. Once having done so you are now able to haul two bags with a far lower and stable center of gravity.

Limited Edition PPR[4].jpg Made of two-tone rip-stop nylon, the Limited Edition Pixel Pocket Rocket holds 10 CF cards while keeping them safe and organized. This CF card carrier was manufactured in a one-time production run and will be discontinued once inventory runs out. It truly is a one-time limited edition.

Pro Battery Holder[3].jpg The Pro DSLR Battery Holder is a soft, compact case for photographers carrying two pro-size camera batteries for either Canon or Nikon bodies.

Posted by Ronny89 at 1:15 PM

March 5, 2013

Nikonians Academy-- Many countries, Many States

Academy-square-125.jpgOur Nikonians Academy instructors are headed for an aggressive schedule covering the globe.
They may develop a bit of travel fatigue but the good news is they may be coming your way.
The Academy March and April itinerary includes: Calgary and Vancouver in Canada plus Denver, Las Vegas, Raleigh, Atlanta, Fairfield (NJ), Boston, Dallas, Yosemite, and Philadelphia in the USA.

Capping the schedule in late April we have the Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop 2013, featuring two amazing itineraries and two workshop options.

March Workshops
Passionate-Photog_250.jpgCalgary, AB
Denver, CO
Los Angeles, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Denver, CO
Death Valley, CA (Sold Out)
Raleigh, NC
Atlanta, GA

April Workshops
Yosemite_Falls_250.jpgFairfield, NJ
Boston, MA
Dallas, TX
Yosemite, CA
Vancouver, BC
Las Vegas, NV
New York, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Ultimate Travel Workshop Cruise through Europe and North Africa

Posted by flashdeadline at 10:21 PM

Nikon boosts COOLPIX line

New-coolpx.jpgNikon has announced three new additions to the COOLPIX line of cameras, the Nikon Nikon COOLPIX A, COOLPIX P330, and Nikon COOLPIX S3500.

• The Nikon COOLPIX A is the first COOLPIX camera to incorporate a DX-format sensor for capturing high quality images and videos with point-and-shoot convenience. It will be available this month for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $1099.95 (USD) and will be offered in Black and Silver.

• The Nikon COOLPIX P330 is an advanced performance compact camera that delivers beautiful imagery, even in low light conditions. It will also be available in this month for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $379.95 (USD) and will be offered in Black and White.

• The Nikon COOLPIX S3500 is an affordable yet stylish option for those who want a convenient and versatile camera that is compact enough for travel without sacrificing performance. It will be available this month for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $139.95 (USD) and will be available in five colors: Silver, Red, Purple, Orange and Decorative Pink.

Posted by flashdeadline at 2:24 PM

NEW 80-400mm VR Nikkor Lens

new-80-400mm.pngThe long-awaited upgrade for the venerable 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR lens was announced today. Nikon's new AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR FX-format telephoto zoom will be available in early April 2013 for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $2,699.95 (USD).

With a completely new optical formula of 20 elements in 12 groups, one Super ED element and four ED glass elements, it is now a G ED VR AF-S lens with Nano-Crystal coating. This promises it to be a superb image quality lens.

Nikon has addressed the issues faced with the previous model, like relatively slow AF focusing -compared to AF-S lenses; and with a 4-stops advantage in image stabilization.

The price is now steeper, maybe more than expected -at 2,7K USD- however, allowing for its use with a 1.4X teleconverter, making it a 560mm lens in FX format, having no problems at fast focusing in the most recent cameras at an aperture of f/8.

This is great news for wildlife photographers, while its focal range makes it also suitable for daylight sports and even portraiture.

Posted by jrp at 9:38 AM

March 4, 2013

Affordable Medium Format Returns

D800_cards_250.jpgDarrell Young (DigitalDarrell) has posted his review of the Nikon D800 and D800E cameras in our Articles section.
These cameras were introduced last year and Darrell has already published his popular 576-page Mastering the Nikon D800 book in the NikoniansPress/Rocky Nook Mastering series.

His review is designed to help our members who are interested in a narrative from a hands-on aspect.

Coming from a Nikonians author who literally "wrote the book" on these cameras, it's worth checking out.

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:18 PM

London-based Nikon training announced

NIKON-LOGO_125.jpgNikon's United Kingdom website has announced the Nikon School; a new venue for photography training that aims to educate and inspire photographers.

The school is located at the new Nikon Centre of Excellence, in the heart of central London and is scheduled to be open and running courses starting in early April.

Training courses will run during the week from Tuesday - Friday and, for the first time, Nikon will also be offering courses on Saturdays. Details are available at the Nikon UK Training homepage.

Posted by flashdeadline at 2:50 AM

March 2, 2013

Hot from Think Tank Photo

TT-LRStrap_thu.jpgOur friends at Think Tank Photo have just announced three new photography accessories for you.

Low-Rider-Strap_250.jpgThe Low Rider Strap allows photographers to slip the split pad design over the handle of their rolling luggage and to haul two bags with a far lower and stable center of gravity.

This ingenious strap will make your life much easier when carrying multiple bags and heavy loads. Simply slip the shoulder pad (with the unique split pad design) over the handle of your rolling luggage and tighten the side straps. You are now hauling two bags with a well balanced low center of gravity; far easier than stacking one bag on top of another. This counterbalanced, low set load keeps the bag balanced and prevents sloshing and sliding. Use this shoulder strap on any shoulder bag with D-rings or shoulder strap attachment points.

Limited-Edition-PPR_250.jpgThe Limited Edition Pixel Pocket Rocket holds 10 CF cards while keeping them safe and organized.

This memory card holder features clear pockets to make identification easy and folds flat when not in use for easy storage.

They are made in very small production runs, so only a select few will have the chance to own these collectible card wallets.

This is your chance to own a collectible piece of Think Tank history.

Pro-Battery-Holder_250.jpgThe Pro DSLR Battery Holder is a soft, compact case for photographers carrying two pro-size camera batteries for either Nikon or Canon bodies.

Allow for plenty of back-up power with this holder. Its unique folding design keeps your large, pro-size batteries organized and safe from shorting while eliminating the need to hunt for them in the bottom of your bag.

Posted by flashdeadline at 8:29 PM

Triple Crown Photo Contest winners


Phil_P_THU_125.jpg
Congratulations to R. Thomas Smith (EarthTrek, Phil Pound (Phil Pound), and Darryl Hodson (skibreeze7, winners of the Triple Crown Contest.
Their images are posted in our Nikonians Photo Contest Forum.
Each of the Triple Crown Winners will receive:
From LowePro, a Pro Runner 350AW Backpack
From BlackRapid, a RS-4 Classic camera strap

Posted by flashdeadline at 3:01 PM