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January 30, 2007

New Firmware for Nikon D80, D40

Nikon has published firmware updates for both the D80 and the D40.

Changes to the D80 include:

*The electronic analog exposure display will be displayed in the viewfinder when the brightness of the subject exceeds the range that can be controlled by the camera, whether too bright or too dark, in the following shooting modes:
*Shutter-priority auto (S) or Aperture-priority auto (A) exposure modes with the built-in flash up
*Programmed auto (P) exposure mode
*Effects of processing performed when the Long exp. NR item in the shooting menu is enabled have been improved.
*When attempting to edit images, which had already been edited using a computer, with options in the D80's retouch menu, the camera sometimes froze. Therefore, images that have been edited using a computer can no longer be edited using the camera.
*Errors in English, Polish, Swedish, and Traditional Chinese menus have been corrected.

Changes to the D40 include:

*The product will be "Certified for Windows Vista".
*Support for the new USB Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) has been added.
*The PTP option in the setup menu's USB item will be modified to MTP/PTP. The icon will also be modified
*The range of possible settings for the Date option in the setup menu's World time item will be changed to 2000-2099.
*An issue that caused the ISO auto feature to be disabled, when a two-button reset operation was performed with ISO sensitivity set to any option other than ISO 200, has been resolved.
*When attempting to edit images, which had already been edited using a computer, with options in the D40's retouch menu, the camera sometimes froze. Therefore, images that have been edited using a computer can no longer be edited using the camera.
*An issue that prevented accurate recording of flash output value when manual flash photography was applied with use of the Nikon Speedlight SB-400 has been resolved so that flash output value is accurately recorded.
*Errors in English, Polish, Swedish, and Traditional Chinese menus have been corrected.
*When white balance is fine-tuned, "+" or "?" will be displayed with the following icons:
*White balance mode icon in the shooting information display
*White balance mode icon in the shooting menu
*When the mode dial is set to a Digital Vari-Program and the AF-area mode setting is changed, the AF-area mode setting will no longer revert to the default setting with the following operations:
*The camera is turned off
*Monitor and exposure meters turn off automatically (auto meter off)
*The electronic analog exposure displays will flash in the viewfinder and the shooting information display when:*The brightness of the subject exceeds the range that can be controlled by the camera, whether too bright or too dark
*While in P (Programmed Auto) exposure mode with the built-in flash raised.

Posted by covey22 at 4:41 PM

LetsGoDigital Previews the Fujifilm S5 Pro

As the anticipation grows, more and more details of the Fujifilm S5 Pro are being revealed. Our colleagues at LetsGoDigital have a very detailed preview of this latest D200 variant.

Posted by covey22 at 3:20 PM

January 29, 2007

New Nikonians member-search function now available

src="https://blog.nikonians.org/archives/NSlogo.jpg" width="125" height="43" align="left" border="0" hspace="5"/> Nikonians now have a special feature available to our Silver, Gold and Platinum level members that allows them to find fellow Nikonians, listed by country, city and state.

We have found with more than 73,000 members in over 140 countries that the community is filled with members who wish to meet and exchange ideas and projects. The new feature allows those members to choose to make their membership information searchable, based on location as well as camera types and photography interests, using our NikoScope search engine.
Members will find a new search category tab in NikoScope on top of the search input box, labeled "Nikonians Users." By clicking that category, they will be able to find a fellow Nikonian.
Recognizing the importance of privacy concerns from our members, we have also designed the search function to ignore those members who choose not to share their locations.
Those members who wish not to have this search function apply to their membership information can simply navigate to a new option available in the "User Menu" tab. After clicking on to the User Menu they can select the first option on the left, marked "Edit Your Preferences."
From there, they move to the tab labeled "Community Settings" where they will find the option: "Is my profile searchable?" near the bottom of the page.
It is currently defaulted to "Yes."
If the member sets this flag to "No" the profile cannot be found through NikoScope’s new search function.
The new feature will help bond the international friendships we have made in the past six years, while recognizing the privacy concerns of those members who wish to limit their public exposure on the Internet.

Posted by flashdeadline at 8:08 PM

Adobe Lightroom Beta tests are done

Our friends at the Imaging Resource have full details on the mid-February launch of of Adobe Lightroom. Imaging Resource Newsletter editor Mike Pasini provides beta testing background information and answers to the most frequently asked questions with his article: Adobe Lightroom 1.0 to Make Its Debut

With all the buzz and movement behind Adobe's latest product, Photoshop users shouldn't feel left out in the cold. Camera Raw 3.7 for Photoshop CS2 is scheduled to be released simulataneously with Lightroom, which will allow cross-file editing and sharing of images between the two programs.

Posted by flashdeadline at 2:26 PM

January 27, 2007

Nikonians News Flash #34

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Jessica returns from a short break to bring you news about 2 Nikonians with special recognition, updates from DxO Optics, and the latest informaiton on our Nikonians Trips!

Download Nikonians News Flash #34 (NPC-NF-2007-01-27.mp3; 10:50; 10.0MB; MP3 format)

Nikonians News Flash #34: January 27, 2007

In The News:
Marsel van Oosten and Philippe Clement have recently been recognized for their photographic endeavours!

DxO Optics has announced support for the Nikon D40 and its associated lens kits.

Community News:
Spaces are avaliable for the Spring Helogland trip, as well as Group I of ANPAT 7!

Information about ALL our trips can be found in the Travel & Getting Together Forums

From The Forums:
Photographers Wanted:
Nikonians in the Austin, TX and the San Fernando Valley areas are looking for work as assistant photographers!

Discussions in the Cafe'
"Give Them What They Want?" and Winterizing Techniques.

Today's Picture:
Depth of Focus, Schmepth of Focus.

email Jessica!

Posted by odle2 at 1:46 PM

January 26, 2007

DxO Optics Adds D40, Additional Nikkor Support

DxO Optics now supports the Nikon D40 as well as the associated kit lenses.

Version 4.1 of the popular image correction tool also expanded lens support for the 18-55 AFS DX II, the 55-200 AFS DX, the 50mm 1.8D, the 18-135 AFS DX, the 70-200 VR, the 24-85/2.8-4, and the 24-120 VR.

Posted by covey22 at 4:05 AM

January 25, 2007

The Veil Lifts A Little Higher on Fuji S5

Our eagle-eyed members have spotted a Fuji S5 "preview" online comparing high ISO performance to the D2X.

Posted by covey22 at 4:15 AM

January 23, 2007

More Nikonians Recognition: Philippe Clement's New Scientist Shot


The recognitions continue for our talented community: team member Philippe Clement's photo was selected in a recent New Scientist article to illustrate biodiversity dangers.

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Philippe, like many working photographers, had been using a stock agency to sell his work. The discovery of his publication was entirely fortuitous - the agency had sent him a tearsheet which included his gorgeously detailed fire salamander and the magazine's particulars - all in all, a pleasant surprise. Congratulations on a job well done!

Posted by covey22 at 4:48 AM

January 20, 2007

News Flash Apologies

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Jessica sends her apologies, but is unable to get this week's Nikonians News Flash out to listeners. She will be back next week with the January 27th episode!

If you'd like to have Jessica read an annoucement, or would like to hear the latest from a specific forum, please email Jessica, or drop us a line in the Feedback Forum.

Check out all our Nikonians podcasts!

Posted by odle2 at 4:19 PM

Marsel van Oosten Earns More Accolades

Award-winning Nikonians member and contributor Marsel van Oosten has earned yet another accolade; placing first in the Fauna Category of Nature Photographer's Magazine 2006 Editor's Pick contest.

Marsel has been to the winner's circle before - most notably in 2005 when two of his photographs were featured in the National Wildlife Federation's annual calendar, as well as a knowledgeble contributor to Nikonians.

Once again, Marsel has shown both his technical expertise and artistic vision by beating out over 400 entries to be selected as first place in the Fauna category - with a beautiful silhoutte of an African giraffe against a waning sunset framed by dramatically clouded skies. The winning frame was taken with an F100 and Fuji Sensia film. Congratulations again, Marsel!

Posted by covey22 at 1:06 AM

January 19, 2007

Nikonians Corporate Partner earns Hot One Award

Congratulations to Nikonians Corporate Partner Think Tank Photo and their rotation360° rotating camera backpack for earning the Professional Photographer magazine 2007 Hot One Award as the industry's best new camera bag for professional application.

Here's the scoop via Think Tank's Press Release:

SANTA ROSA, CALIF -- Think Tank Photo's breakthrough rotating camera backpack, the rotation360°, was today awarded Professional Photographer's "Hot One Award" as the industry's best new camera bag for professional application.

With the rotation360°, in seconds a beltpack can be rotated from inside of the backpack to the front of the body, allowing photographers to access their gear stored inside without having to take it off or swivel the entire backpack.

For the 2007 Hot One Awards, a team of 15 judges -- all of whom are practicing professional photographers -- were asked to vote only on categories that fit within their areas of expertise. By conducting the judging in this manner, Professional Photographer was able to provide a premium level of expertise for the judging of each category.

"The 2007 Hot One Award winners represent an interesting combination of advanced technology and superior usability," said Jeff Kent, Hot One Editor, Professional Photographer magazine.

"Looking over the winning products, we noticed a concerted effort by manufacturers to create high-tech, high-quality items that have the working habits of contemporary professional photographers in mind. Our team of judges chose this year's crop of winners based on quality, usability, innovation and, in many cases, value for price. These judges are all working professional photographers, and their endorsement of these products indicates that the items work not only on the conceptual level, but on the practical level as well. The 2007 Hot One Award winners can be proud to call themselves the best the business has to offer."

"We're honored that Professional Photographer magazine chose to name the rotation360° the best new product in the camera bag category," said Doug Murdoch, Think Tank Photo founder and lead designer.

"Our business is based on listening to the needs of professional and serious photographers and creating innovative gear that serve their needs. The rotation360° breaks the barrier about which photographers in the field constantly complain: that they have to remove their backpack in order to access the contents inside."

Seeing Is Believing
To aid photographers in visualizing this new concept, Think Tank Photo has posted videos of the backpack in action and detailed product specifications at www.rotation360.com.
Among the features demonstrated there are the rotation360°'s breakthrough method for mounting one or two SLRs on the front of the shoulder straps, which takes all of the stress normally associated with cameras and camera straps and transfers the weight directly to the backpack's padded shoulder straps. A special camera strap is included with the bag which prevents stress to the neck or shoulders and prevents it from falling off.
With this revolutionary product photographers' hands are completely free to rotate the beltpack to the front of the body, change lenses and accessories at a moment's notice, and then rotate it back again into the backpack.

# # #

About Think Tank Photo
Headquartered in Santa Rosa, California, Think Tank Photo (www.thinktankphoto.com) is a group of designers and professional photographers focused on studying how photographers work and developing inventive new carrying solutions that meet their needs. They are dedicated to using only the highest quality materials and design principles, and employing materials that are environmentally benign.

Posted by flashdeadline at 3:49 PM

January 18, 2007

The Image Doctors #32

In this episode of The Image Doctors, Rick returns from a European holiday with nearly 400 images. Hear about his workflow techniques. We'll also discuss the basics of Color Management, answer listener mail, and offer our weekly photo tip.

Download The Image Doctors #32 (NPC-ID-2007-01-18.mp3; 52:10; 18.3MB; MP3 format)

Show Notes

01:20 Listener Mailbag: Sensor Cleaning. Learn more about cleaning your sensor here and here.

09:31 Rick's trip to Europe and workflow suggestions for vacation photos

28:47 Introduction to Color Management. Our recommendations for calibrating monitors are the Colorvision Spyder 2 Pro and the X-Rite Eye One Display. Read Jason's article on color management here.

48:14 Tip of the week: Are faster memory cards worth the investment?

[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 2:57 AM

January 17, 2007

Nikon Interchangable Size Fisheye

Noted photographer, software developer and pundit Jarle Aasland posts on his vintage DSLR site about his latest discovery: Nikon filed for a patent two years ago for a fisheye lens that would work on both full-frame and APS sized sensor cameras.

Posted by covey22 at 12:21 AM

January 15, 2007

Letsgomobile is Launched

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Imaging Network launches the multilingual, informative and interactive mobile phone Web site; LetsGoMobile (www.letsgomobile.org). After several successful years with the multilingual digital photography Web site LetsGoDigital, Imaging Network has decided to broaden its expertise by launching LetsGoMobile. The new mobile imaging Web site is available in four different languages; English, German, Dutch and Turkish.

Targeting the mobile consumer, LetsGoMobile aims to be a user friendly and easy to browse web magazine with numerous customized and interactive possibilities enabling visitors to globally share consumer product experiences. Visitors are able to customize the frontpage and compare their favourite cellphones. Users are also able to rate products and news articles, and are allowed placing comments on several sections of the Web site.

"Cell phones produced nowadays often feature a built-in camera. These mobile imaging developments narrowed the difference between a digital camera and a cellular. This is how we hit upon an idea of developing the mobile imaging Web site LetsGoMobile, a sister of our digital photography Web site LetsGoDigital. In many countries around the globe cell phones are daily business. We will provide our visitors with the latest industry developments, in order to help them making the right purchase decisions," stated Mark Peters, director of LetsGoMobile.

During the upcoming weeks the LetsGoMobile team will further enhance the Web site with extra interactive features and new functionalities such as an advanced cellphone adviser and image gallery. In the mean time our editorial staff will keep you updated with the latest news and reviews.

"With a dedicated team we have been working night and day developing and forming LetsGoMobile. By bounding the expertise of everyone we believe to have produced a Web site that can be helpful to every mobile consumer. Our goal is to make LetsGoMobile a community where every user can share his thoughts and photos," added Ilse Jurrien, coordinator of LetsGoMobile.

Partners

LetsGoMobile has become reality with the help of several sponsors and partners. Sponsors of LetsGoMobile include TRUE, hosting and colocation service provider, and OneStat, statistic provider. Partnerships with price comparison Web sites as Pricerunner and Vergelijk.nl make it possible to provide LetsGoMobile visitors with the latest price information of handsets and flash memory.

For further information about LetsGoMobile please visit: www.letsgomobile.org

Posted by covey22 at 4:42 PM

D200 owners - Learn more with the help of Nikonians

With our membership exceeding 70,000 in the past year, we want to remind our newest members that the Resources at Nikonians include a wealth of information on their cameras


A good example is the popular D200, which has a host of features that take plenty of time to explore.
We've just added Understanding White Balance with your D200 by Nikonian Digital Darrell to our extensive library. 

The D200 series also includes: 

  Our  Nikon D200 Review.  the  Nikon D200 Multi-CAM 1000 AF Modulethe Nikon D200 & CLSusing   Nikon D200 & non-CPU lensesthe Nikon D200 Field Report,  and Nikon Camera-Lens Compatibility.

Posted by flashdeadline at 12:01 AM

January 13, 2007

Nikonians News Flash #33

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All the latest news from Nikonians, plus a mini-tutorial on how to enter our contests!

Download Nikonians News Flash #33 (NPC-NF-2007-01-13.mp3; 10:05; 9.3MB; MP3 format)

Nikonians News Flash #33: January 13, 2007

In The News:
PMA backs the stand against Smartmoney's recommendation for parents to scan their children's school photographs. Read more here.

Got the Photographer's Guide to Capture NX? Then make sure you get the supplement!

NikonPro Magazine has won the International Publication of the Year award, but the corporation pulls backing of a grant. Read more in the blog.

From The Forums:
Photographers Wanted:
Brian is looking for help in Chicago for weddings and corporate work.

Online Photo Assignment:
This month it's all about the Rule of Thirds, so get out there and start shooting!

Travel & Meet:
If you know good places near Sanibel, FL to go shooting, please let fellow Nikonian "Editorman" know!

A Picture I Took:
Have a look at the Demanding Duck.

Email Jessica!

Posted by odle2 at 4:44 PM

January 12, 2007

Ups and Downs for Nikon

It's been a mixed week for Nikon with an award honoring one of their periodicals, and some cost-cutting on corporate sponsorships.

First up, our colleagues at Letsgodigital.org report that Nikon Pro magazine has won the prestigious International Publication of the Year award by the Association of Publishing Agencies for a third straight year.

The judges were impressed by the "great balance between beautiful representation of photography as an art, combined with product information."

On the flip side of the ledger, Nikon has withdrawn from a second, highly visible grant sponsorship. In the first quarter of the year, the National Association of Press Photographers (NPPA) Sabbatical Grant usually awards USD15000 in stipend money to a deserving documentary photojournalism project. But Nikon declined to provide sponsorship this year, marking the second highly visible withdrawal from photojournalism award programs. The USD30000 W. Eugene Smith Grant was last sponsored by Nikon in 2006 but the program has indicated they will be seeking new patrons in 2007.

Posted by covey22 at 4:07 AM

January 10, 2007

Intel Mac-Friendly Capture Demos at MacWorld

Nikon demonstrated a version of Capture NX at Macworld that is specifically designed to run on the new Intel-based Macintosh platform. Initial reports from our members indicate it's much improved from version 1.1 in terms of performance and features.

Posted by covey22 at 2:42 AM

NAPP Launches Darkroom Magazine

The National Association of Photoshop Professionals has launched Darkroom Magazine, a periodical dedicated to advancing the use of Adobe's Lightroom workflow software. The magazine will be distributed alongside the veteran Photoshop User publication, which is free to NAPP paid subscribtion members.

Posted by covey22 at 12:02 AM

January 9, 2007

Capture NX™ eBook adds supplement

Nikonian Jason Odell known in the community for his work with Rick Walker in the popular Image Doctors podcast series, has issued a supplement to his eBook The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX™.

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The supplement includes topics such as workflow improvements, fisheye lens corrections, polarizer effects, and dealing with dust on sensors (to name a few).

It provides the addition of new tips and tricks for using Nikon Capture NX™ software to process RAW image files from Nikon DSLR cameras says Odell, who released the eBook last October.

Details and ordering information are provided in his Press Release.

The Nikonians Image Doctors podcasts, hosted by Nikonians Rick Walker and Jason Odell, brings listeners up to date on the Nikonians community, Nikon equipment, and more. The Image Doctors shared their first impressions on Capture NX in a broadcast distributed in June of last year. You can download that broadcast by clicking Here.

For a guide to the entire collection of Nikonians podcasts, click here.


Posted by flashdeadline at 8:45 PM

January 8, 2007

PMA Gets Boost in Conflict with Smartmoney

In a recent press release, the Photo Marketing Association acknowledged an article by the Daily Business Review as supporting the industry group's stance against Smartmoney magazine regarding the copying of school photographs.

The conflict began in mid-November of 2006, with Smartmoney associate editor Stacie Bradford suggesting, as a money-saving tip, that parents purchase the cheapest school portrait package for their children and scan copies to distribute to friends and family. The Daily Business Review, a South Florida information and communication source for lawyers and business professionals, stood behind PMA's initial reading that Smartmoney's advice clearly violates US Copyright Law. PMA requested that the popular money-management magazine publish a clarification to it's readers. Smartmoney has refused to provide any corrections or clarifications.

Posted by covey22 at 10:59 PM

January 6, 2007

Nikonians News Flash #32

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Jessica brings in the New Year with all you ever wanted to know, and more, about the Nikonains Community's main page!

Download Nikonians News Flash #32 (NPC-NF-2007-01-06.mp3; 12:10; 11.2MB; MP3 format)

Nikonians News Flash #32: January 06, 2007

In The News:

Nikonians shows up in yet another photo magazine! Japan's "Nippon Camera" is the latest to feature our community. Read the blog entry to find out more!

From The Forums:

We've topped 70,000 members! And so, as requested, Jessica brings in the new year with a tour of what can be found on the main page of our community!

Email Jessica with comments!

Posted by odle2 at 5:36 PM

January 4, 2007

The Image Doctors #31

Happy New Year from The Image Doctors! This week, learn about using fisheye lenses and then explore ways of converting your digital images to black and white.

Download The Image Doctors #31 (NPC-ID-2007-01-04; 43:10; 15.2MB; mp3 format)

Show Notes for Episode 31 (Jan 4, 2007)

1:47 Using fisheye lenses with digital cameras
14:03 Black and white conversions
38:25 Tip of the week: creating a polarizer effect in Capture NX

[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 2:17 PM