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November 30, 2007
Nik Software Color Efex 3.0 Now Available
Nik Software has made their Color Efex 3.0 post-processing suite available in trial download and upgrade versions. The highly-anticipated set of filters and processing plug-ins was first seen at PDN Expo in New York City earlier this year.
Posted by covey22 at 5:34 PM
A Prodigal Son Returns
Prominent Canon and medium-format shooter Michael Reichmann has returned to the Nikon fold, according to a CNET article. Reichmann, a noted author, instructor and editor of The Luminous Landscape photography website, felt that the D3 and D300 digital cameras marked Nikon's return to the "big-time."
Posted by covey22 at 4:15 PM
November 29, 2007
A Useful Third Hand - Quik Pod for DSLRs
Want a self-portrait but don't have a tripod or someone to take the photo for you? Quik Pod for DSLRs is your answer.
This second generation of the original Quik Pod is new and improved, and can stretch up to 4.4 feet (1.3 meters) and comes with comfortable accessories such as a gel pad to brace it against your body. It also works well for the over-the-crowd shots when you want a unique perspective.
When collapsed, the pod is very compact and takes up a very reasonable 18 inches (135 cm) and weighs only 9 ounces (250 g). Although it's rated for up to a 2 lbs (1000 g) load, a YouTube video shows it holding an amazing 28 lbs (12.7 kg) steel block!
Posted by covey22 at 4:19 PM
Nikonians Team wraps up in London, heads for Cologne
It was another steady day of meeting and greeting fellow Nikonians at the final day of the Nikon Solutions Expo in London's Olympia Conference Centre Wednesday.
Traffic at the Nikonians Booth 110 kept pace with the previous day and Team Leader Joe Feser reports he was pleased to find many of his visitors were already familiar with the Nikonians community.
Joe didn't get a chance to visit as many booths and attractions as he had hoped on the second day, but he did get some help from Nikonian Tony Barr, who shared an image (shown below) he took with a Nikon D3, sporting an AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED.
The photo, taken at one of the fashion shooting venues, was the result of a 1/60th second exposure, using auxiliary flash, at f/3.5 with the zoom maxed out at 200mm. This highly reduced version does not even begin to illustrate the clarity and detail available in the original image, but a closer look at the eyes of the foreground model gives a hint.
Next on the Nikonians Team travel plans is the Nikon Solutions Expo in Cologne, hosted by Nikon Germany (Friday, November 30 - 10a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, December 1 - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). If you are one of our European Nikonians planning to attend, the invitation is still available to come and help the Team by by spending a short time handing out information flyers and referring Nikon shooters to our Booth 175. For your help, the Team will equip you with a Nikonians T-Shirt and a Nikonians Baseball Cap which you can take home after the event.
Posted by flashdeadline at 2:17 PM
November 28, 2007
D2X Mode Picture Controls for Nikon D3/D300
For owners of the D300 and the anticipated D3 cameras, Nikon has released emulation mode software using the new Picture Control function first revealed in the View NX software. This program will allow the D3 (Windows or Mac) and the D300 (Windows or Mac) to emulate current D2X Color Reproduction in all three hardware color spaces. This will be useful for former D2X photographers who have priority shooting needs and cannot immediately recalibrate their color workflow from their legacy cameras.
Editor's note - this program does not replace the need to recalibrate your color workflow; it should be seen as an expedient tool for professionals and other photographers whose shooting requirements cannot allow them to immediately recalibrate.
Posted by covey22 at 6:08 PM
Nikon Updates Vista Codecs for D3/D300
Nikon has released RAW Codec 1.1.0 which gives the Vista operating system the ability to read D300 and D3 RAW images.
Posted by covey22 at 3:23 PM
November 27, 2007
Nikon Solutions Expos in full swing
Nikonians have been taking full advantage of the robust Nikon UK Solutions Expo schedule through November, meeting first in Manchester, then Bristol for the Road Shows, and now in London.
Nikonians Team member (and moderator of a number of our forums) Brian Tilley was the first to report in, following his day-long visit to the Bristol Solutions Expo Road Show on November 21. Brian's trip has resulted in an article which will be published in the next edition of The Nikonian in a couple of weeks. Brian, shown at right with a Nikon D3 he was happy to try out, says his time with the camera could be described in one word - "fantastic." "I've always been entirely happy with the performance of my D2Xs," he said, "...but the D3 simply blew it away in many areas."
The London Expo began November 27 and still has a full day scheduled for the 28th at the Olympia Conference Centre. Our Team was ready to meet Nikonians at Booth 110, which had a steady stream of visitors. Team leader Joe Feser reports he had great support from Nikonians volunteers who helped hand out flyers and guide visitors to the Nikonians Booth. He counted approximately 250 visitors on day one, with 25 who identified as Nikonians members and two who signed up on the spot! A popular item at the booth turned out to be the Gary Fong Lightsphere-II®;, which is available through our PhotoProShop. Joe adds that he heard unofficial crowd estimates for the first day of the London Expo topping 1,800 and he expects an even larger turn-out at the Nikonians Booth for the second day.
A popular feature at all of the Expos so far has been the seminars and demonstrations featuring award winning photographers. Nikon UK professional representative Gareth Jones, shown on the right, joined a distinguished list of industry experts hosting masterclasses and seminars. Brian Tilley reports that when he arrived for the Bristol Road Show the first thing he did was sign up for a Gareth Jones seminar. In an excerpt from Brian's soon to be published article on his trip he says that during one of the seminars (presented by Nikon UK Pro Business Development Manager John McDonald) he got some Nikon "insight" on the reasoning for providing the D3 in the new FX format.
"I got the impression that FX is seen simply as a means to an end," says Brian. "...not as the 'holy grail' that some pundits seem to view it. DX is certainly not dead, as evidenced by the statement that the D300 is now seen as the flagship DX pro camera, supplanting the D2X(s) and exceeding its performance in just about all areas."
Nikonians also visited the Nikon lens and camera booths, paying particular attention to the new Nikon D300. If handling the new gear was not enough, the Expo offered shooting opportunities in both Stage and Studio settings.
The Wednesday schedule will once again find Team Member Katarina Mintalova, at left with her laptop, ready to answer questions and greet Nikonians at Booth 110, and Joe says with her help and that of his volunteers (who have provided these images of the London Show) he hopes to be able to catch some time for a closer look at the many other attractions available at the Nikon Solutions Expo.
Posted by flashdeadline at 10:06 PM
Nikon D3 and D300 Digitutors
Photographers seeking more information on the hot new cameras of the season should check out the Digitutor sessions on the Nikon D3 and the Nikon D300.
Posted by covey22 at 5:37 PM
November 26, 2007
Weak US Dollar Lowers Nikon Canada Prices
Nikonians north of the US border are seeing benefits thanks to the weak US Dollar - lower prices on many digital cameras and accessories. And to add icing to the cake, Canadian members are reporting the D300 is now available on the shelves.
Posted by covey22 at 8:21 PM
New Sport Photographer Accreditation Program
The Sports Photographers Association of America (SPAA) is offering a new accreditation program to set yourself apart from the competition and allow potential clients easy access to your status and background.
Posted by covey22 at 7:19 PM
Wall Street Journal Reviews the Eye-Fi
As a follow-up to our October report on the Eye-Fi card, the Wall Street Journal's Mossberg Solution column recently ran the card through it's paces and was suitably impressed. Bottom-line: this is a must-have for the shutterbugs on your holiday shopping list.
Posted by covey22 at 7:09 PM
Weekly News From the Nikonians Academy
Academy schedule for 2008 includes new locations and workshop topics
From the mobile desk of Nikonians Academy Director Mike Hagen:
This will be our our biggest year ever and we are continuing our tradition of excellent workshops in a small class environment. We are covering more cities and more dates than ever before.
At this point we have 28 cities listed across North America, including Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver BC in January. Additionally, we have a number of travel workshops that we'll be running in locations like Moab, Banff, Olympic NP and many more. These travel workshops will all be posted over the next two weeks. Go to www.nikoniansacademy.com to see what all the fuss is about! Sign up quickly before the limited number of seats sell out.
We have an entirely new workshop on the Nikonians Academy schedule called "Streamlined Digital Workflow and Inkjet Printing". This is a one day hands-on workshop where we'll be providing large format HP Photosmart Pro B9180 Printers for the class participants to use. We'll cover digital workflow, software, calibration and printing with a goal to help you better understand the process of digital workflow and inkjet printing.
This is a hands-on workshop where you'll have the opportunity to work side-by-side with our professional photographer instructor in a small class. We'll spend the last portion of the day covering printing issues and everyone in class will make their own 13" x 19" print to bring home. See more details at www.nikoniansacademy.com
We have also created a four-day workflow, software and printing workshop called "Advanced Digital Imaging Workflow" that will be held in two major cities in '08 (San Francisco Bay Area and Dallas). These four-day workshops will have a complete digital darkroom setup with printers, computers and calibration equipment. We'll have thorough tutorials on Photoshop methods, Nikon Capture NX, HDR imaging, RAW workflow, large format ink jet printing and much, much more. These two events will provide an unbelievable amount of information over the course of four days. If you are serious about learning printing, workflow, RAW processing, then this is the workshop for you.
Our second African Safari to Tanzania is posted and ready for you to sign up. It will be held immediately after the first Safari. It will begin on 11/24/08 and end on 12/7/08 - that's two weeks of photography in some of Africa's most amazing locations! Price will be $6,500 and this will include all transportation, food and lodging while in Africa. The safari price does not include airfare to get to Africa. If you are considering signing up for this trip, please move quickly; the last one sold out in 3.5 days! You can see more details on our website. Also, if you have specific questions, feel free to contact our Academy Director, Mike Hagen, at mike.hagen@nikonians.org
Find all the information on these workshops at the Academy's website: www.nikoniansacademy.com
Posted by flashdeadline at 6:51 AM
November 25, 2007
Nikonians News Flash #71
Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!
Download Nikonians News Flash #71 (NPC-NF-2007-11-25.mp3; 10:03; 9.2MB; MP3 format)
November 25, 2007
In The News:
Updates from the Nikonians Academy.
More Nikonians News:
Photographer of the Year 2007 Segment #5 Winners!
Nikon News:
The new 18-55 DX VR lens!
D300 hits the shelves and Capture NX 1.3 is upgradable for Windows and Mac.
Nikon Canada requires certification letter from Pros after the new D3.
Other News:
The sale of a Lecia camera from 1923.
From The Forums:
In the Cafe'
Your Camera Does Not Matter.
Forum of the Week:
Nikonians PhotoProShop!
Jessica's Choice Photo:
Surf's Down, Dude.
Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!
Posted by odle2 at 2:22 PM
November 23, 2007
Nikon D300 and Capture NX 1.3 Hit Store Shelves
Nikonians have been reporting the arrival of the much anticipated D300 in both pre-orders and store shelves. Capture NX 1.3 has also been released, so it should be a very festive time for all. And if you have D300 questions, be sure to join our forum to get answers!
Posted by covey22 at 4:23 PM
Highly valued piece of Photographic History
A black "pocket" Leica camera of the 1923 limited series 0 edition was sold for 336,000 Euros (US$492,300) at the WestLicht Photographica Auction in Vienna Austria, the highest price ever paid to date for an item of this type. The buyer is a private collector who acquired the camera with serial number 107, making it the most expensive Leica camera ever.
This camera is part of a set of 21 prototypes created by Leica to confirm market viability for "pocket" cameras. What further makes this camera unique, is that it was the first exported Leica camera, when sent to New York to the US Patent and Trademark Office for application.
At a previous WestLicht auction in May, a Daguerreotype by Susse Freres of France, built in 1839, fetched 588,613 Euros (US$862,400), which WestLicht said made it the world's most expensive camera.
Posted by jrp at 4:01 PM
November 22, 2007
ID#54: The Image Doctors
It's holiday season again, and The Image Doctors bring you their annual holiday gift suggestions. This episode is brought to you by Bogen Imaging.
Looking for an Image Doctors Episode? Check the show archives here.
Download The Image Doctors #54 (NPC-ID-2007-11-22.mp3; 27:52; 9.8MB; MP3 format)
Show Notes: November 22, 2007
Episode #54 of The Image Doctors is brought to you by Bogen Imaging.
2:25 Holiday gift suggestions for photographers: 2007 edition
17:34 Good deals on used equipment
22:11 Photo Prescription: Choosing the right ND Grad filter
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Posted by drjay32 at 8:36 PM
November 20, 2007
Nikon unveils new 18-55 DX lens with VR
With only an extra two ounces in weight and mere fractions in length differential, Nikon's DX lens inventory now offers an upgraded option for the standard "kit lens" previously available for their DSLR's.
Extensive testing and customer opinions will be the deciding factor on whether the new AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G VR will outsell the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II kit lens version (announced almost exactly a year ago this week).
Depending on where you shop, last year's non-VR 18-55 can be found for as low as $120 USD.
Nikon's Press Release, issued today, puts the suggested retail price of the new lens at $199 USD and forecasts a December 2007 availability date.
Posted by flashdeadline at 11:39 PM
Join us soon in London and Germany
Nikonians, the worldwide home for Nikon users, are preparing to meet professional photographers with the same brand loyalty during the upcoming Nikon Solution expos in London and Cologne, Germany.
We will be participating at the Nikon Solutions Expo in London November 27th and 28th and at the Cologne Nikon Solutions in Germany, November 30th to December 1st.
These two expos will feature your chance to get a close look at the brand new Nikon D3 FX format professional DSLR and the D300 and the full range of Nikon's new professional products. We're also looking forward to gathering the latest product news from the event co-sponsors, which includes our Corporate Partner HP.
Our call for volunteers has been answered with enthusiasm and we have only a few more opportunities for community members who plan to go home with a Nikonians T-Shirt and a Nikonians Baseball Cap for spending a short time assisting us in handing out flyers.
The events are hosted by Nikon UK and Nikon Germany and entrance is free of charge. Please note that online pre-registration is required - available on the expo websites.
Support your community by arranging in advance via email to meet with us at our London Booth 110 or our Cologne Booth 175.
Please let us know:
Send this information to: solutions(at)nikonians.org
Posted by flashdeadline at 5:25 PM
Congratulations to Nikonians Photographer of the Year 2007 Segment Four Winners
Contests Director Chris Gray (wpgf100) has contacted the winners of Segment Four in our Nikonians Photographers of the Year 2007 Contest, letting them know they have earned prizes in their categories. The First Place winners have also been selected to move on to the finals of this year's contest.
Segment Four judging concentrated on the Landscape, Architecture and Sports categories, with the following Nikonians taking top honors:
Landscape -----
First Place - Frederic (fmottier) Mottier of Switzerland, for "Lake Geneva" - The winning entry earns Frederic a Spyder 2 Pro from datacolor and a seat in the finals.
Second Place - Lyle (Lag) Gellner from Canada, for "Riomaggiore" - The winning entry earns Lyle a ScanJet G4010 photo scanner from HP.
Architecture -----
First Place - Lyle (Lag) Gellner from Canada, for "Shadows and Light" - The winning entry earns Lyle a SilverFast DCPro Studio from LaserSoft Imaging and a seat in the finals.
Second Place - Howard (Ho72) Owen from USA , for "Light Well" - The winning entry earns Howard a Glass Taxi convertible backpack/shoulder bag from Think Tank Photo.
Sports -----
First Place - Joe (skorj) Iannandrea from Canada , for "Is it Half Time Yet?" - The winning entry earns Joe a Photosmart A618 Compact Photo Printer from HP and a seat in the finals.
Second Place - Geoffrey (djbahdow2101) Bolte, from USA, for "Beating the Defender" - The winning entry earns Geoffrey Capture One LE software from Phase One.
The Nikonians Photographers of the Year 2007 Contest is open to all Silver, Gold and Platinum Members.
All entries are judged by a panel of expert Nikonians photographers who cast their vote on the photographs received within a given period. Segment 5 is currently being judged. This segment concentrates on Wedding, Wildlife and Open categories.
Posted by flashdeadline at 9:27 AM
November 19, 2007
Need a Nikon D3 in Canada? Prove It!
Nikonians have been following an interesting pre-sale development as the release dates for the D3 and the D300 approach. Nikon Canada has taken the unique step of requiring a certification letter to prove that a pro photographer will take possession of the camera and the intent is not to resell.
Posted by covey22 at 9:24 PM
November 18, 2007
Nikonians News Flash #70
Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!
Download Nikonians News Flash #70 (NPC-NF-2007-11-18.mp3; 4:56; 4.5MB; MP3 format)
November 18, 2007
In The News:
From Nikon
The Photozone Review of the 24-70mm f2.8 AFS lens!
Rob Galbraith's ISO samples from the new D3!
In Other News
Sigma's new fisheyes!
Tokina's new lenses!
From Nikonians
Volunteer at the upcoming Nikon Solutions Expos!!!
From The Forums:
In The Cafe'
"Photochopping"
"Best Photography Dad Ever"
Forum of the Week:
Turning Pro
Jessica's Choice Photo:
Scotch.
Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!
Posted by odle2 at 12:16 PM
November 16, 2007
Rob Galbraith: Nikon D3 ISO Samples
Rob Galbraith has posted a very nice summary article featuring Nikon D3 samples ranging from base ISO200 all the way to the stunning ISO25600. While many of the photos have been seen piecemeal across the Internet, Rob puts it all together in a very readable format along with full details about how the photos were taken and what in-camera options and post-processing were used.
The photos,taken on a pre-production D3, were gathered from the works of noted photojournalists and authors, including Peter K. Burian of Shutterbug fame. Conversion from RAW was made possible through beta copies of Capture NX and PhaseOne's Capture One.
Posted by covey22 at 5:08 PM
Lightroom 1.3 and Camera Raw 4.3 with D3/D300 Support
Adobe has posted Camera Raw 4.3 and Lightroom 1.3 updates.
These upgrades will be of interest to Nikonians since they contain official support for the D3 and D300 digital SLRs due to be released at month's end. For developers, the Lightroom update also includes an SDK to allow communication of photo exports to third-party tools.
Posted by covey22 at 4:30 PM
Tokina Posts New Fast Wide and Macro Lenses
Tokina has announced a new 11-16mm f2.8 DX and a 35mm f2.8 DX macro lens. Both are designed specifically for Digital SLRs with less than full-frame sensors (APS-C). Pricing outside of Japan was yet to be announced, but initial availability was expected at the end of December 2007.
It will be interesting to see market responses to these lenses - the 11-16 (17-25mm equivalent FOV) finally fills a fast lens gap at the extreme wide-end and complements Tokina's existing 16-50mm f2.8 DX and 50-135mm f2.8 DX zooms. Previously, the slot was held by the manufacturer's 12-24mm f4 DX, which continues to be a popular alternative to Nikon and Canon offerings. The 35mm (50mm equivalent FOV macro will have to work hard to distinguish itself in a fairly crowded market.
Posted by covey22 at 4:10 PM
November 15, 2007
Nikonians drives hundreds of sites
Ever wondered howcome so many smaller photography sites grow so fast? Nikonians strong position is probably a key answer to that question.
With a strong Google Page Ranking, Nikonians drive hundreds, if not thousands of other websites, making sure they are getting good search results in the well known search engines.
We on the Nikonians team decided some years ago not to block the possibility to link out from our very active forums to other sites. Many other sites are prohibiting this, not allowing posters to include a link to their own website - we do not.
If you are using Nikonians message signature to advertise your own site, we kindly request you to link back to Nikonians.org from that very same site you are linking to.
Posted by bgs at 9:50 AM
November 14, 2007
Sigma Announces Digital Only Fisheye Lenses
Sigma has announced two new fisheye lenses specifically designed for digital SLR cameras. The 4.5mm f2.8 EX DC Circular Fisheye HSM provides an enormous 180 degree FOV down to 5 inches close focusing. Complementing the Fisheye is the 10mm F2.8 EX DC FISHEYE HSM which projects a fisheye perspective into a rectilinear format, and close focuses to 5.3 inches. Both lenses feature Super Multilayer Coating minimizing flare and ghosting, as well as Super-Low Dispersion elements and full-time manual focusing thanks to the HyperSonic Motor. Prices and release dates were not available at press time.
Posted by covey22 at 3:57 PM
Singh-Ray Focuses On Nikonians
Nikonians Rick Walker (of ImageDoctors fame) and Ernesto Santos are proudly featured in Singh-Ray's Online Blog, showcasing how they used the popular filters in some of their award-winning work. Congratulations Gents!
Update 1: Ernesto's article will be published within the next week or so.
Posted by covey22 at 3:33 PM
November 13, 2007
Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 AFS: The Photozone Review
The new mid-range fast zoom from Nikon has hit the streets and PhotoZone has a review up. Nikonians eager to add the lens to their line-up will be pleased to hear the verdict:
The Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED exceeds the already very good performance of its predecessor. The center quality is nothing short of outstanding matching or beating the resolution of a 10mp APS-C sensor.
Posted by covey22 at 2:39 PM
November 12, 2007
Nikon users at Nikon Expo's in UK & Germany
Nikonians, the worldwide home for Nikon users, are looking for volunteers for the upcoming Nikon Solution expos in London and Cologne, Germany.
Nikonians will be participating at the Nikon Solutions Expo in London 27th and 28th November and at the Cologne Nikon Solutions in Germany 30th November and 1st December.
The expos are hosted by Nikon UK and Nikon Germany and entrance is free of charge. Please note that online pre-registration is required - available on the expo websites.
Volunteers needed
Support your community by visiting us at the booths and help out handing out flyers.
We will equip you with a Nikonians T-Shirt and a Nikonians Baseball Cap, which you can take with you home. We are sure you will also have a really good time among fellow Nikonians :-)
Please let us know
- Your full name and user name
- If you would come to London or Cologne
- When you would be there
- Your email address and cell phone number
- Your T-Shirt size
Posted by bgs at 6:23 PM
November 11, 2007
Nikonians News Flash #69
Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!
Download Nikonians News Flash #69 (NPC-NF-2007-11-11.mp3; 4:22; 4.0MB; MP3 format)
November 11, 2007
In The News:
Check out Vincent Versace's great range of instructional DVDs!
From The Forums:
"Why Film?"
"What do you carry without fail?"
"Best Photography Book Ever Written?"
Forum of the Week:
MultiLingual Nikonians
Jessica's Choice Photo:
Horseshoe Bend.
Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!
Posted by odle2 at 1:12 PM
November 8, 2007
ID #53: The Image Doctors
Are you just getting started in digital photography? Do you feel overwhelmed? Listen as Jason and Rick meet with a novice photographer and give him advice on how to use his Nikon D40x. Also in this episode, Rick and Jason give their hands-on preview of Nikon Capture NX 1.3, slated for release in late November.
Download The Image Doctors #53 (NPC-ID-2007-11-08.mp3; 58:02; 20.3MB; MP3 format)
Show Notes: November 8, 2007
1:20 Capture NX 1.3 Hands-on preview
18:39 Beginners' tips: An interview with Renzo Bianchi
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