« March 2008 | Main | May 2008 »
April 30, 2008
Special Edition celebrates 8th Anniversary
We close out the month of April, 2008 with an 8th Anniversary Special Edition of the official Nikonian magazine dedicated to highlighting your moderators, administrators and support personnel.
This Special Edition, now available for free download, concentrates on those who work behind the scenes, and also takes an in-depth look at the new HP Photosmart Pro B8850 Printer in a review by Ernesto Santos (esantos).
We also used this edition to remind members they have a brand new forum dedicated to Infrared and Ultraviolet photography.
Posted by flashdeadline at 11:08 PM
April 29, 2008
New, active user discussion forums
In case you've missed it: Nikonians (www.nikonians.org) have three new, active forums up and running: IR and UV Photography, Aviation Photography and Fine Art Nude Photography.
Posted by bgs at 5:29 PM
Tokina Distributor in Canada Now Open
For Canadian members seeking Tokina products, you no longer have to order across the border. Daymen Photo Marketing in Ontario officially began selling the popular third-party optics as of 15-April as the exclusive national distributor.
Posted by covey22 at 3:25 PM
April 27, 2008
Nikonians News Flash #89
Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!
Download Nikonians News Flash #89 (NPC-NF-2008-04-27.mp3; 6:35; 6.0MB; MP3 format)
April 27, 2008
In The News:
Check out our news feed for all the stories!
From The Forums:
In the Cafe'
Noted threads to look for are: "Best of Nikonians--Images 2008", "UK Photography in public places" and "The arrogant professional photographers".
Forum of the Week:
Infared and Ultraviolet Photography
Jessica's Choice Photo:
Snapshot from Iraq.
Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!
Posted by odle2 at 2:39 PM
April 25, 2008
Nikon Tops 2008 TIPA Awards
Congratulations are in order for Nikon in topping two of the most coveted slots in the Technical Image Press Association's (TIPA) 2008 Awards.
Nikon won the Professional and Expert categories with the cutting-edge D3 and the high-performance D300 digital SLR cameras. The ultra-wide AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 zoom lens also won the Professional lens category. Congratulations all around to Nikon!
Posted by covey22 at 6:33 PM
April 24, 2008
Nikonians Podcasts New Design
The Nikonians Podcasts home page has been re-designed. Should now be easier to navigate.
Further adjustments will be done to the Nikonians podcasts and the Blog section at Nikonians in the coming two weeks.
Posted by bgs at 6:09 PM
April 23, 2008
The Nikonians On Location #15
On Location visits the presently very dry Corkscrew swamp in Florida
Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #15 (NPC-OL-2008-04-22; 20:20; 9.5MB, MP3 format).
Video supplement available here (NPC-OLV-2008-04-22; 6:01; flash format).
Show Notes: April 22, 2008
A visit to the famed Corkscrew Swamp bird sanctuary in Florida, which was extremely dry and not very swamp-like. I got some decent pictures anyway, but it wasn't exactly the bird safari I had envisioned.
Video supplement:
A small slideshow to supplement the podcast. Pictures of the swamp, plants and very few birds.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #15 (NPC-OLV-2008-04-22; 6:01; flash format)
[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!
Posted by martinj at 5:00 PM
April 20, 2008
Nikonians News Flash #88
Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!
Download Nikonians News Flash #88 (NPC-NF-2008-04-20.mp3; 5:25; 5.0MB; MP3 format)
April 20, 2008
In The News:
Check out our news feed for all the stories!
From The Forums:
Nikonians looking for other Nikonians in Ohio, as well as Eastern PA/Western NJ.
In the Cafe'
Noted threads to look for are: "I knew I was finally an amateur photographer when..." and "You know you are a photographer when..."
Forum of the Week:
Aviation Photography
Jessica's Choice Photo:
The Ballerina Project.
Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!
Posted by odle2 at 2:43 PM
April 18, 2008
Nikon Confirms new D3 Firmware V1.10 Corrupted
Nikon USA confirms that the recent D3 Firmware v1.10 release is corrupting photos.
The details of the corruption circumstances are as follows (direct from Nikon's Digital Knowledgebase):
On April 15, 2008, an announcement was made on the Nikon website that the Ver. 1.10 firmware update for the D3 digital-SLR camera was available for download. However, it has been confirmed that when the following settings are applied with the updated firmware, image data may, in some rare cases, be corrupted. Therefore, we have terminated the firmware update download. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused.
* Release mode: Continuous high speed (CH), or Continuous low speed (CL) with Custom Setting d2 set to 9 fps
* Image area: FX format (36x24) or 5:4 (30x24)
* Image quality: NEF (RAW) or NEF (RAW) + JPEG fine/normal/basic
* NEF (RAW) recording>NEF (RAW) bit depth: 14-bit
*The issue related to NEF (RAW) recording>NEF (RAW) bit depth may occur regardless of the option selected for NEF (RAW) recording>Type (Lossless compressed, Compressed, or Uncompressed).
If you have downloaded the D3 Ver. 1.10 firmware update but have not yet updated the camera’s firmware, please do NOT perform the update. If you have already updated the D3 firmware, please do not shoot with the combination of settings indicated above. This issue does not occur with other combinations of camera settings (for example, when NEF (RAW) bit depth is set to 12-bit, or when shooting in continuous low speed (CL) release mode with Custom Setting d2 set to 8 fps or lower.)
The download version of the revised firmware update is expected to be available in late April. For more information regarding this matter, please contact Nikon Customer Support.
Again, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused. We hope that you will continue to choose Nikon for your photography needs.
Posted by covey22 at 6:31 PM
Photo Community Celebrates 8th Anniversary - Join and Win
Nikonians (www.nikonians.org) the leading Nikon Users Community celebrates its 8th Anniversary this month. Specials are provided amongst the members, so check us out! More...
Posted by bgs at 10:49 AM
April 17, 2008
Your Portrait From Space
Richard Garriott, famous maker of the computer game Ultima, is shedding his online identity as Lord British and becomes a portrait shooter from space with the help of a Nikon D3 digital SLR.
Garriott is training for an October 2008 space launch as a guest astronaut on-board the International Space Station. Boosted up to the station on a Russian Soyuz launch, he will take approximately 200 photographs of the Earth as ordered and customized through the Earth Portraits program as run by the Association of Space Explorers. Garriott will be assisted by a tool called Windows on Earth that will simulate what the targeted Earth section will look like and the most optimal conditions under which to take the photo.
Posted by covey22 at 6:32 PM
Photography in Moab
Nikonians are going to Moab for a five day workshop September 15th. Learn in a beautiful surrounding with professional photographers.
Posted by bgs at 9:14 AM
ID#64: The Image Doctors
Join the Image Doctors from California as they discuss the Nikonians Advanced Workflow Workshop, shooting in San Francisco, and celebrate the 8th anniversary of Nikonians!
Looking for an Image Doctors Episode? Check the show archives here.
Download The Image Doctors #64 (NPC-ID-2008-04-17.mp3; 32:28 11.2 MB; MP3 format)
Show Notes: April 3, 2008
01:48 Nikonians Academy Advanced Workflow Workshop Report
06:32 Shooting the Golden Gate Bridge
12:25 Nikonians 8th Anniversary
17:35 What's really in our bags?
28:43 Photo Prescripton: Photograph the layout of your bags
[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 4:26 AM
April 16, 2008
Aviation Forum soaring with enthusiasm
Our brand new Aviation Photography Forum is quickly gathering amazing images and responses. The forum is one of the first of the new gathering spots for Nikonians with specific photography interests being unveiled as part of our 8th Anniversary Celebrations.
We've already seen a combination of airshow related images, historical classics and commercial aircraft being shared and as the forum participants get to know each other the next step will be an exchange of shooting tips and even informal gatherings of Nikonians at airshow events in their regions.
The initial postings have already stepped deep into technical issues, such as the question from Mike Pastore (Aviatorbumm), who is already producing amazing air-to-air shots, looking for tips on how to improve them. Some of Mike's questions include:
"How does one deal with shadow issues...where to you position the sunlight...what time of day is best for air to air work from a lighting standpoint?
Other issues already being discussed include -- "Red Bull Air Race - Hints & Tips?" --- and an invitation for those of you who think you can recognize anything that flies.
This will be an interesting "challenge" discussion sure to test your knowledge of aircraft recognition. Our thanks to Julian Walley (jules) for his open challenge. To add to the discussion-- fly over to the Aviation Photography forum and let us know if you can ID the two aircraft on the left. Post your replies in the discussion started by jules.
Posted by flashdeadline at 4:03 PM
Fine Art Nude Photography with Nikonians
Nikonians (www.nikonians.org) has now a new forum and a new gallery for all lovers of Fine Art Nude photography
Posted by bgs at 1:15 PM
April 15, 2008
Nikon D3 Firmware Update Version 1.10
Nikon has released their first firmware update for the flagship D3 digital SLR.
Changes in Version 1.10 include:
Modifications Enabled with upgrade of A and B firmware from ver. 1.00 to ver.1.10
*A "Vignette Control" item has been added to the "Shooting Menu".
*A focus point brightness item has been added to the "a6: Focus point illumination" setting in the "Autofocus" category in the "Custom Settings".
*The "Highlights" playback display option has been moved from "Display mode > Basic photo info > Highlights" in the playback menu to "Display Mode > Detailed photo info > Highlights".
*When shutter speed and/or aperture are locked when shooting in LiveView mode, using the "L" (command lock) button, an "L" icon is now displayed in the camera monitor.
*The size and color of "Demo" displayed in the monitor with playback, when "No memory card?" in the "Custom Settings" is set to "Enable Release", have been modified.
*The range of settings available for "ISO sensitivity settings > ISO sensitivity auto control > Minimum shutter speed" in the Shooting Menu has been increased from 1/250th - 1s to 1/4000s - 1s.
*When a compatible Speedlight or Wireless Speedlight Commander is used, the AF assist illuminator now lights regardless of focal length.
*When shooting in hand-held LiveView mode and the frame is magnified prior to autofocusing, operation has been modified so that display returns to the magnified display rather than full-frame display.
*In some rare cases, white balance was not accurately calculated for images captured at a shutter speed of around 1/4s in P and A exposure modes. This issue has been resolved.
*When attempting to crop images at an aspect ratio of 4:3 using the "Trim" option in the "Retouch" menu, the cropped image did not have an accurate 4:3 aspect ratio. This issue has been resolved.
Posted by covey22 at 6:48 PM
RAW 4.4.1 Updated for Adobe Products
Adobe updates their RAW converter for the latest round of Digital SLRs including the Nikon D60. Matching updates to the Lightroom suite and the DNG converter have also been posted.
Posted by covey22 at 5:21 PM
April 14, 2008
Eye-Fi and CompactFlash Adapters
With the success of the Eye-Fi combo wifi adapter and media card, many owners of cameras with CompactFlash slots have been feeling left out. The manufacturer offers a small section of advice if you're planning to use the card with CF adapters.
Posted by covey22 at 5:05 PM
Nikon Jazzes Up My Picturetown Service
Nikon has announced a series of enhancements to My Picturetown, the proprietary photo-sharing site that accompanied the D40 marketing campaign.
Use of the service is free with a 2GB storage limit; more space can be purchased by upgrading to a subscription account. The enhancements include the ability to upload NEF files that can be viewed online as JPEGS - an industry first. Additional search engine options such as calendar based or date-based inquiries, expanded music backgrounds for slideshows, links to the Flickr online system and Eye-Fi compatibility round out the list. These new features are due in May of this year.
Posted by covey22 at 3:27 PM
The Nikonians On Location #14
A walk in a spring forrest with a lot of small flowers, budding trees and great weather - and shooting at lowest possible aperture only.
Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #14 (NPC-OL-2008-04-14; 21.17; 9.75MB, MP3 format).
Video supplement available here (NPC-OLV-2008-04-14; 10:39; flash format).
Show Notes: April 14, 2008
Birds are singing and spring finally seems to be here, and that lured me back into nature shooting spring flowers in the sunny forrest. The drill was to shoot wide open - at lowest aperture only, f2.8 and f1.8 plus a few at f4 (10-20mm Sigma and 70-200 with a 1.7 extender). The music for this episode is a guitar duo, Duo Chambure, with Petite Camusete by Adriano Willaert. Published by Magnatune.
The sound file:
00:10 Intro
01:25 Low aperture
02:40 Controlling aperture
05:02 On hands and knees
08:25 Wild forrest
12:30 Wide angle
15:00 Really low
15:40 70-200 and extender
18:10 Goodbye
Video supplement:
A small commented slideshow with examples from the shallow DOF spring forrest shoot covered in the podcast.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #14 (NPC-OLV-2008-04-14; 10:39; flash format)
[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!
Posted by martinj at 12:00 PM
In-depth user review of the HP B9180 photo printer
The Hewlett Packard printer HP B9180 printing on 13 inch wide paper (DIN A3+) has been put under test in this user review by Nikonian Ernesto Santos (esantos)
Posted by bgs at 10:43 AM
April 13, 2008
Nikonians News Flash #87
Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!
Download Nikonians News Flash #87 (NPC-NF-2008-04-13.mp3; 7:30; 6.9MB; MP3 format)
April 13, 2008
In The News:
Check out our news feed for all the stories!
From The Forums:
Nikonian looking to be a Hired Gun (aka Nikon)
In the Cafe'
Noted threads to look for are: "We on the Team" and "Ultimate NAS"
Forum of the Week:
CoolPix Users Group
Jessica's Choice Photo:
April Snow Sunset.
Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!
Posted by odle2 at 12:57 PM
April 10, 2008
New Flagship Coolpix P80
Nikon's latest addition to the Coolpix line packs a 10MP punch with an 18x optical reach. The Coolpix P80 harkens back to the days of the CP5700 with it's styling, but there's nothing retro at all about this camera.
The P80 pushes the zoom range limit with it's 27-486mm lens and optical Vibration Reduction (VR) support, which enhances it's performance at telephoto settings. Equipped with a new EXPEED processor, a generous 2.7" LCD and all the in-camera bells & whistles we've come to expect with the series, and you've got a great pocketable camera that will meet the challenge of all your general photography needs.
Posted by covey22 at 2:41 PM
April 9, 2008
Nikon D40 Firmware Update Version 1.1.1
Nikon has released a firmware update for the D40 digital SLR. The updates are currently available for European users in Windows and Mac platforms (US technical support gateway will be updated shortly).
The update notes indicate the following fixes:
The following issue has been resolved in version 1.11.
Shooting times were not always accurately recorded within the image data for images captured in bursts of continuous shooting.
Posted by covey22 at 5:23 PM
April 7, 2008
The Nikonians On Location #13
On Location with Martin Joergensen shooting interiors in a large Copenhagen church.
Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #13 (NPC-OL-2008-04-07; 17:19; 16.1MB, MP3 format).
Video supplement available here (NPC-OLV-2008-04-07; 8:05; flash format).
Show Notes: April 07, 2008
The Grundtvig Church in Copenhagen is modern yet classical and a beautiful architectural monument. Its interior is characterized by lots light, bright brick walls and chairs. Yes, chairs. Join Martin on a shooting session in this fascinating building. The Music is Opus 4 of Handel's Six Organ Concertos performed by Sonnerie publsihed by Magnatune.
The sound file:
00:10 Intro
00:30 The church
05:50 Look up
06:50 Distorted lines
07:40 Symmetry
09:40 Fisheye
10:00 Discretion
12:10 Details
13:30 The organs
15:00 Goodbye
Video supplement:
The slide show supplement for the church shoot - with lots of chairs and a bit of advice on correcting wide angle distortions.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #13 (NPC-OLV-2008-04-07; 8:05; flash format)
[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!
Posted by martinj at 11:30 PM
Advanced Digital Imaging Workshop begins this week
It's not too late! We have seats available for our Advanced Digital Imaging Workflow series in the San Francisco Bay Area this April 10 - 13.
Our staff will be able to fill those seats up to the very first day (April 10th on site) by helping you get online to register on the spot.
Imagine four days of learning about software, hardware, printing and professional workflow from the Nikonians Image Doctors Jason Odell and Rick Walker and Academy Director Mike Hagen.
The workshop will feature a full printing lab setup with networked HP B9180 printers, tons of printing supplies, color calibration tools and lots of other high-end digital technology. Beyond just printing, we'll also have full Photoshop For Photographers instruction, Capture NX classes, Digital Asset Management course, Black and White printing classes and much more. This is an advanced class and is meant for those of you who are serious about your photography, regardless of your current equipment list.
The workshop will be held at:
La Quinta Inn Hayward Oakland Airport
20777 Hesperian, CA 94541
Posted by flashdeadline at 5:42 PM
Photographer's View of the U.S. Masters
The Augusta Chronicle takes us behind the scenes with their sports photography staff as they record the action at the U.S. Masters Invitational Golf Tournament. The week-long blog series starts with the equipment pool and a glimpse of their base-camp at the press building.
Posted by covey22 at 3:14 PM
Ray Flash: The Ring Flash Adapter Now in U.S.
As we reported in early 2007, an innovative ring flash adapter that uses a normal hot-shoe flash to generate illumination was first made available in Europe. Now re-named Ray Flash - the adapter is now available in the U.S. via ExpoImaging, the distributor of the ExpoDisc.
For Nikonians, the adapter is fitted to work with the SB-800DX Speedlight, and will only invoke a 1-stop loss of light and allows TTL metering. This is a great accessory not only for macro shooters, but also for wedding and portrait photographers seeking the unique "look." The Ray Flash will retail at USD299.95 for Nikon and Canon mounts.
Posted by covey22 at 2:40 PM
How did you turn to Nikon?
Our podcast Nikonians Newsflash with Jessica Odell is running a month long contest. Listen in to understand what to do and what you can win.
Posted by bgs at 8:49 AM
April 6, 2008
Nikonians News Flash #86
Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!
Download Nikonians News Flash #86 (NPC-NF-2008-04-06.mp3; 8:06; 7.4MB; MP3 format)
April 6, 2008
In The News:
Check out our news feed for all the stories!
From The Forums:
April's Online Photo Assignment
In the Cafe'
Noted threads to look for are: "Photography is an obsessive pursuit" and "What is your portable storage device?"
Forum of the Week:
Tripods, Heads & Camera Support
Jessica's Choice Photo:
Boy and a Bench.
Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!
Posted by odle2 at 1:59 PM
April 3, 2008
ID#63: The Image Doctors
This week, Rick and Jason discuss how to prepare for shooting in inclement weather, and review the Think Tank Photo Hydrophobia rain cover.
Looking for an Image Doctors Episode? Check the show archives here.
Download The Image Doctors #63 (NPC-ID-2008-04-03.mp3; 56:56 19.6 MB; MP3 format)
Show Notes: April 3, 2008
01:19 Shooting in poor weather
27:06 Product Review: Think Tank Photo Hydrophobia Rain Cover: Get a free bonus module from Think Tank and support Nikonians by ordering here
33:30 Scouting a location before you shoot
53:03 Photo Prescripton: Get some kneepads and shoot in comfort
Don't forget! Jason and Rick will be the featured guest instructors at two Nikonians Advanced Workflow Workshops. Sign up now-- spaces are filling up!
[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 4:21 AM
April 2, 2008
Nikonians community gets good press
It will be interesting to see if we start seeing an increase in Australian Nikonians participation in the coming weeks. Our community received a warm nod and suggestion for Nikon-oriented readers to bookmark Nikonians.org in a recent article on the Sydney Morning Herald Web site. The Herald's David Flynn notes the growing trend for online information sources, and we're grateful that he gave us a "fair shake."
Posted by flashdeadline at 9:28 PM
April 1, 2008
75 Years of Nikkors: A New Nikon Website
Nikon celebrates it's 75th Anniversary of Nikkors with a new global website.
Nikkor.com will showcase the best work from Nikon professionals across the globe; covering everything from weddings, to travel, sports and more. Each photographer profile gives testament to Nikon use and highlights some of their most compelling images.
Posted by covey22 at 11:27 PM
2007 Contest Results announced
The top three entries in the Nikonians Photographers of the Year 2007 Contest have been named. Contests Director Chris Gray has contacted the winners in the USA, Australia and Switzerland.
First Place honors go to Carl Abrams (essorcalcc), from the USA.
Carl, who lists his background as an experienced advanced amateur who mainly shoots sports, uses a heavy arsenal of Nikon professional DSLR's including the Nikon D3. He's also experienced with his SB-800 Speedlight,D1X,D2X,F6,P5000 and Nikon R1C1 speedlight.
His image "Kashmir Elegance" was taken in Pahalgam, Kashmir. He shot with available light in front of a store that his subject was entering.
His First Place award is a brand new HP Photosmart Pro B9180 Printer. He also has earned a 3 year Gold membership to Nikonians.
Our Second Place winner is Sue Ahon (Sue A) of Australia, who joined the Nikonians community in November 2006. She has been busy with her recently established photography business specializing in portraits, weddings, scenics and fine art photography.
Her winning image, entititled "Inner Soul" caught the attention of the judges when it took First Place in the Digital Art Category. Since that win, she has taken on the new name of Sue Kane. Listing herself in the Intermediate experience level she prefers shooting landscapes, and now she can add another digital single-lens reflex to her growing Nikon inventory, which already includes a D70 and a D200.
Sue's photo efforts have earned her a Nikon D40X camera and Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55mm II wideangle zoom lens kit and a 2 year Gold membership to Nikonians.
Our Third Place winner is Frederic Mottier (fmottier), of Switzerland. His entry "Lake Geneva" took top honors in the Landscape Category during preliminary judging and has stood the test of time. The judges, who initially were impressed with his "clever use of a slow shutter speed to evoke a mysterious impression" remembered their initial reactions when they came down to the final round.
He will be awarded Phase One's Capture One Pro software and one year of Gold membership in Nikonians.
Stay tuned to the News Blog for further updates on the 2008 Contest. We're told the judging will be done in a new streamlined manner that should put even more Silver Gold and Platinum members in line for honors and awards.
Posted by flashdeadline at 9:03 AM