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January 31, 2006
Photoshelter announces "Seamless Customization"
BitShelter LLC has announced the addition of the "Seamless Customization Option" to PhotoShelter (www.PhotoShelter.com), their professional, online image archiving service and marketplace.
From PhotoShelter's Press Release:
The new product, developed for photographers who maintain their own
websites, makes it easy for PhotoShelter subscribers to add a searchable
e-commerce-enabled archive to their website while matching its
look-and-feel.
By using special PhotoShelter "widget" tags inserted into a website's
standard HTML code, the PhotoShelter Seamless Customization Option is able
to fit into nearly any website design. Photographers with basic HTML skills
are able to complete the customization process themselves. Customization
setup assistance is also available from PhotoShelter for an hourly fee.
Examples of The Seamless Customization Option at work, can be viewed at:
https://www.photoshelter.com/tour/?c=customize
Posted by drjay32 at 3:44 PM
Nikonians and the Open Raw International Survey
We are strong supporters of open RAW standards.
Our support of open documentation standards is a priority in matters that pertain to our community.
Wider dissemination of the art and science of photography, wider choices of better tools for the craft and ensuring the preservation of its recordings for the future are of our primary interest and concern.
It is due to this conviction that we fully endorse the Open Raw Initiative International Survey, launched today, January 31, 2006, which for 8 weeks will collect information about the experiences, requirements, preferences, and concerns of digital photographers and other interested parties regarding RAW imaging technology.
Many photographers involved in this debate come from the film background and may remember the problems regarding proprietary issues raised by different manufacturers of film and chemistry.
The single binding force through these years has been our ability to use cameras, made by distinctly individual and highly competitive companies, to create history-making images, with at least a knowledge that once we had a "negative" - we had the ability to produce and reproduce the photographs that achieved a desired result.
The cameras were only the light-capturing devices that used different schemes and technologies to record the moment. Some were excellent (like the Nikons we prefer) and some were not. However, regardless of the camera manufacturer, we always had that standard of a workable negative to produce our efforts.
Proprietary RAW eliminates that opportunity to a large extent.
Photography as an art has not changed.
Photography as a profession has not changed.
However, photography has become a nightmare for those entering the digital age.
Camera manufacturers need to level that "playing field" and rely on the merits of their products, without resorting to digital proprietary schemes that force the consumer to rely on their brand.
Of course we at Nikonians are confident in the Nikon brand, but we also recognize that this is a matter of photography at large - not "photography with a certain camera."
Our support of open documentation standards is a priority in matters that pertain to our community.
Wider dissemination of the art and science of photography, wider choices of better tools for the craft and ensuring the preservation of its recordings for the future are of our primary interest and concern.
It is due to this conviction that we fully endorse the Open Raw Initiative International Survey, launched today, January 31, 2006, which for 8 weeks will collect information about the experiences, requirements, preferences, and concerns of digital photographers and other interested parties regarding RAW imaging technology.
Although these topics have being discussed in our forums and others, there is little systematic information about the experiences, requirements, preferences, and concerns of photographers regarding RAW.
We therefore encourage our community members and readers to participate in this survey, anonymous and confidential, with no connection to any business or commercial interest, which will make available the statistical results to camera manufacturers, software development firms, and other key participants in the digital imaging industry, making sure our collective voice is heard, in the hope that the future of the craft will benefit.
Our appreciation and support to our friends Juergen Specht, Nikon photographer and founder of the OpenRAW initiative, and Calvin Jones, statistical research consultant, sponsors of the Open Raw International Survey.
The results will be made widely available and also published at our Nikonians community.
Posted by jrp at 12:16 AM
January 26, 2006
Nikonians Talk Radio: The Image Doctors #5
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The Image Doctors are at it again.
Download The Image Doctors podcast for January 26, 2006: NPC-ID-2006-01-26.mp3 (38:24, 17.7 Mbyte, mp3 format). For detailed show notes, click to continue reading this story. |
Show Notes for The Image Doctors, January 26, 2006
-Jason Odell talks with Rick Walker and describes his experience meeting Nikonians and seeing the exhibits at the recent ImagingUSA Expo in Austin, Texas, and information about the Nikonians Booth at PMA 2006 in Orlando, Florida.
-Listener mail regarding Nikon's newest lens, the 18-200 AFS VR.
-"The Announcement" by Nikon to discontinue the bulk of their 35mm film camera line-up.
-Travel Photography: topics, equipment, what to pack, how to pack it, and the new Nikonians Travel Forum.
As always, feel free to suggest a show topic or ask us a question--
email the Image Doctors.
Posted by drjay32 at 3:29 PM
January 25, 2006
Imaging USA a success for Nikonians
I've recently returned from Austin, Texas and the Imaging USA Expo. It was wonderful being on the show floor, where I met many Nikonians! Hopefully, those of you I met will enjoy your new Op-Tech Nikonians camera straps, courtesy of the Nikonians Photo Pro Shop. Thanks to all the friendly people at the Nikon booth who answered all my questions!
Posted by drjay32 at 4:13 PM
January 24, 2006
Alien Skin's Exposure Film Effects
Plug-in maker Alien Skin has released their latest creation called Exposure. The newest addition is a film emulator, which allows you to simulate current and discontinued film stock like Velvia or even darkroom techniques like cross-processing.
Posted by covey22 at 4:29 PM
January 23, 2006
Think Tank Photo Bag System: The Nikonians Review
Nikonians Team Member Jason Odell reviews the Think Tank Modulus Speed Bag and Airport Addicted System and arrives at very interesting conclusions for photographers on the go.
Posted by covey22 at 8:13 PM
Lensbaby 2.0: The Nikonians Review
Nikonians Team Member Jason Odell reviews the Lensbaby 2.0 - "If you are a photographer looking to spark your creativity, the Lensbaby is the kind of product that can do just that."
Posted by covey22 at 5:08 PM
High Speed Cropping Screen for D2X
Nikon is now offering a special viewing screen for the D2X specifically for shooters who use the high-speed cropping function regularly. The Type W III Focusing Screen paints the 1.5x area a translucent gray and leaves the 2x HSC area clear, but still maintains markings for the centerweighted metering and the 11-area AF system.
Posted by covey22 at 4:11 PM
January 20, 2006
Adobe Camera Raw 3.3 Beta with D200 Support
Members in our forums report the availability of Adobe Camera RAW 3.3 Beta which supports the D200.
Posted by covey22 at 3:48 AM
January 19, 2006
Editorial: An Upside to Recent Events
Although recent events such as Konica-Minolta's departure are seen as a harbinger for further declines in the camera manufacturing industry, our members should take comfort in the fact that Nikon has taken a strong stance to continue on as a household name in photography. Being the first of the major manufacturers to publicly acknowledge that film was on the decline, proclaim digital as the future, and sweepingly streamline their product set in a single move was seen as such a risky proposition. And yet, given the latest developments, it now seems a decision wiser than it first appeared. K-M's decline will likely force the remaining film powerhouses, Kodak and Fujifilm, to scale back their own analog operations, furthering the decline of emulsion-based photography. But Nikon has chosen to keep one of the finest of the F-series alive. Such a move marks the end of the film era, but also the beginning of a new one. The future of digital SLRs starting with the new D200 and follow-on models is starkly bright. The arrival of Carl Zeiss lenses is only the beginning of new innovations that will grace the use of Nikon cameras.
Posted by covey22 at 10:07 PM
Konica-Minolta Folds Up Film and Camera Segment
The first of the giants has fallen: Konica-Minolta has announced their withdrawal from the film and camera business. Camera sales will end in March of this year, with film expected to cease by 2007. An undisclosed portion of their digital SLR assets will be transferred to Sony Corporation. The latter move is not a surprise, as Sony had been planning to enter the digital SLR market using an established maker's body.
Posted by covey22 at 4:21 PM
January 18, 2006
It's Official - Zeiss Lenses for F-Mount
Following several weeks of "teaser ads," Zeiss has finally made it official - they will be producing high-quality full-frame lenses for the F-Mount. First up is a Planar T* 50mm/f1.4 ZF, followed by a Planar T* 85mm/f1.4 ZF. Although not a surprise to shutterbugs who follow the news closely (the teaser ads were downplayed by unintended releases of information in the form of lens images), everyone is still wondering what these highly-touted lenses might cost. The Zeiss press release simply states "competitive with similar items in the Nikon F-system." The new lenses will be sold through a separate sales organization.
Posted by covey22 at 2:12 PM
January 17, 2006
Think Tank Photo Releases First Secure Rolling Airline Carry-on Bag
Think Tank Photo's new Airport Security rolling carry-on bag (www.thinktankphoto.com) not only allows photographers to roll their bodies, lenses, and accessories onto an airliner and legally store them in an overhead bin, it features front- pocket and main compartment combination locks and a cable from a secret rear hatch that allow them to secure their bag to posts, trees, and other immovable objects.
Posted by covey22 at 5:18 PM
Lexar's New 133x Professional Line
Lexar has raised the bar yet again on high-performance flash cards with their new 133x Professional line. Featuring a 20MB/sec minimum sustained write speed and available in CompactFlash (CF) and Secure Digital (SD) formats, the cards will come bundled with Image Resuce Pro 2.0, a trial of Photo Mechanic 4.0 and Corel Paint Shop Pro 9. In addition, the 2GB SD card versions will come with a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed reader to proactively address any compatibility issues with the larger capacity. These cards are currently available now at all major retailers.
Posted by covey22 at 4:47 PM
Sigma announces 17-70/2.8-4.5 DC MACRO
Sigma Japan announces the newest lens to the DC lineup - a 17-70mm/2.8-4.5 Macro exclusively for use with APS-C sized Digital SLRs.
Posted by covey22 at 4:43 PM
Volunteer at PMA 2006 and get free admission to the convention!
To our Silver, Gold and Platinum Nikonians: We are seeking enthusiastic volunteers to assist in spreading the word about Nikonians at the 2006 PMA Trade Show in Orlando, Florida.
In exchange for your help, Nikonians will provide you with a coupon good for free 1-day admission to the PMA Trade Show. We need volunteers for February 26th through March 1, 2006 at the Orange County Convention Center. Here's your chance to help our community and get the inside scoop on all the new product announcements at PMA. See the Nikon booth, and meet the Nikonians founders in person!
For more information, contact
Jason Odell.
