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« June 2008 | Main | August 2008 »

July 31, 2008

Nikon Sets Up Shop in Moscow

Good news for our members in the Russian Federation - Nikon has established a sales unit in Moscow aimed at strengthening digital imaging sales. Nikon (Russia) LLC was capitalized at just under USD2M and has a staff of thirty employees. (via Japan Corporate News)

Posted by covey22 at 3:53 PM

July 30, 2008

Tamron Previews 18-270mm Di VC LD Long Zoom

Tamron has put out a development notice regarding a new long zoom that finally gives the Nikon 18-200mm DX some competition. The 18-270mm Di VC LD features Tamron's proprietary Vibration Control image-stabilization technology and will be available in Canon and Nikon mounts. No release date was named at this time.

Posted by covey22 at 8:22 PM

July 29, 2008

The Nikonians On Location #27 - Berlin Patterns

A quick run through a bunch of pictures shot during a Berlin vacation - with the focus on patterns.

Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #27 (NPC-OL-2008-07-29; 20:49; 9.5MB, MP3 format).
Video supplement available here (NPC-OLV-2008-07-29; 7:54; flash format).

Show Notes: July 29, 2008

When shooting many images in the same place you often stumble over a certain theme and start finding similar subjects. Martin Joergensen found a lot of patterns during his recent trip to Berlin, and covers the selection of these images from his 1400-or-so images from the trip.

The sound file:

  1. Intro - summer heat
  2. Organizing and selecting
  3. Opening and assessing images
  4. Goodbye

Video supplement:

A selection of the Berlin Pattern images - Holocaust Denkmal, Neue Palais, KaDeWe and seats in Olympia Stadion - lots of seats.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #27 (NPC-OLV-2008-07-29; 7:54; flash format)

Music used on today's show:

Karooshi Porn by Bjorn Fogelberg on Magnatunes

[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 10:51 PM

Nikonians close to you

With the latest update to our search engine NikoScope, you can see how far away other Nikonians are from you and you can see a map where they are located.

Posted by bgs at 10:38 AM

July 28, 2008

Nikon Updates Codec for D700

Nikon has updated the Windows codec (coder/decoder) to include D700 generated files. Codecs allow native viewing of NEF files without having to use any programs such as ViewNX or CaptureNX.

Posted by covey22 at 2:34 PM

July 27, 2008

Nikonians News Flash #97

News-Flash.png

Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!


Download Nikonians News Flash #97 (NPC-NF-2008-07-27.mp3; 7:42; 7.1MB; MP3 format)

July 27, 2008
In The News:

Weekly news from The Nikonians Academy.
Thom Hogan's D3 review.
New Picture Control sets available for download.
Read more about the new wireless technology consortium.
LetsGoDigital's CoolPix P80 review.

From The Forums:
In the Cafe'
Noted threads to look for are:
"Why camera and lenses have to be so heavy?", and "Some good news about photographing on the street".
Forum of the Week:
ANPAT 8

Jessica's Choice Photo:
Hover Fly Chase.
User Submission Photo! From Nikonian "Maxwell1": Road Race.
Road Race.jpg
Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!

Posted by odle2 at 1:26 PM

July 24, 2008

ID #71: The Image Doctors

This week, Rick and Jason explore the use of "non-traditional" focal lengths as a creative tool, and discuss ways of handling contrast in photography

Looking for an Image Doctors Episode? Check the show archives here.

Download The Image Doctors #71 (NPC-ID-2008-07-24.mp3; 52:32; 18.1MB; MP3 format)

Show Notes: July 24, 2008

01:24  Non-Traditional Focal Lengths

15:05  Handling Contrast in Photography

48:48 Photo Prescription: Getting low with your tripod

[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 12:00 AM

July 22, 2008

World of Imaging and Nikonians

We (www.nikonians.org) have partnered up with World of Imaging, a magazin and site that are informing the imaging industry about imaging in general and Photokina in particular.

World of Imaging (aka WoI) is an "Event Loyalty Media" (ELM) product that is produced in contract by Koeln Messe, the organizer of the Photokina exhibition. Photokina is the largest exhibition for Imaging and Photography on earth - You really have to see it. No kidding.

WoI ran an article on us in their first issue. Some further issues are due and an ebook will be created by WoI as well in which we will participate.

WoI is making sure that the imaging industry and consumers are staying well informed, prior to the show, during it and afterwards. A pretty tall order, but they seem to be very professionally staffed.

If you decide to visit Photokina, make sure you visit Ramon and me for a chat at our booth: Hall 2.1 E014. You can also give us a short ping through the contact form at Nikonians up front. If you want to schedule an appointment to discuss media or marketing opportunities, you should get in touch with Hendric Schneider.

Posted by bgs at 9:38 PM

July 20, 2008

On Location on a short holiday break

onlocation-break.jpgDue to a busy schedule and a short holiday break the podcast "On Location with Martin Joergensen" will skip an episode this week.
Martin will be back in the coming week with a new and fresh show.

Posted by martinj at 10:53 PM

Nikon Coolpix P80: The LetsGoDigital Review

Our colleagues at LetsGoDigital take the newest Nikon compact megazoom for a spin around Barcelona.

The Nikon Coolpix P80 has stirred up some mixed feelings inside of me. It is a camera that seems to have everything going for it and seems remarkably interesting. Besides that, it is the new Megazoom camera of the Nikon brand continuing the successful Coolpix 8xxx series. However, it just doesn't hit the spot.

Posted by covey22 at 4:10 AM

July 18, 2008

New Wireless Transfer Technology Consortium

A group of top-tier imaging companies, including Nikon, have launched a consortium to bring about the next generation of wireless transfer technology.

The premise behind the new technology is to embed wireless transfer capability directly into cameras and other applicances such as large-screen TV, instead of using separate dedicated access points. This would allow seamless integration and sharing of photos, music and video, but at amazing speeds - up to 500 Mbps. Sony leads the alliance of vendors, including traditional photographic equipment makers Kodak, Olympus and Canon among others, and recently showed prototypes at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show.

Posted by covey22 at 3:19 PM

July 17, 2008

NikoScope - New DSLR related features

A new version of our search portal NikoScope.com has now been launched.

The main new features are:
  • Search for images in galleries
  • See who else is using the same gear as you (your "Gear Twins")
  • Add users easily to your buddy list

Posted by bgs at 6:21 PM

Nikon Optional Picture Control Sets Updated

For our members who were not previously aware - Nikon has made Picture Control sets available for free download since the inception of the new feature in View NX. The latest update is a set of Landscape controls.

Posted by covey22 at 4:25 PM

Nikon D3: The Thom Hogan Review

Thom reviews Nikon's current flagship DSLR - the D3 and finds it to be pretty much everything it's touted to be; a high-performance camera that will deliver in the right hands. And he hints that the D700 is NOT the last word in Nikon's lineup change this year.

Posted by covey22 at 4:04 PM

July 15, 2008

The Nikonians On Location #26 - Drive-by-shoot

Martin embarks on a crazy mission to shoot out the side window of his car while driving around town... shoot pictures that is.

Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #26 (NPC-OL-2008-07-15; 17:15; 7.9MB, MP3 format).
Video supplement available here (NPC-OLV-2008-07-15; 8:05; flash format).

Show Notes: July 15, 2008

With the camera mounted on a tripod and connected to a wireless remote trigger Martin experiments with getting some decent images from the car while driving. The results are mixed. Not all good, but not entirely bad either.

Video supplement:

A bunch of the pictures from the drive-by-shot. Most of them blurred, a few of them useful, but quite a lot of them interesting... kinda.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #26 (NPC-OLV-2008-07-15; 8:05; flash format)

Music used on today's show:

Inside My Head performed by Rock City Riots

[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 4:50 PM

July 13, 2008

Nikonians News Flash #96

News-Flash.png

Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!


Download Nikonians News Flash #96 (NPC-NF-2008-07-13.mp3; 7:06; 6.5MB; MP3 format)

July 13, 2008
In The News:

Weekly news from The Nikonians Academy.
Canon announces new plant in Nagasaki.
Everyone is still buzzing about the D700. Check out some test shots here.
Don't forget your copy of The Nikonian!

From The Forums:
Nikonian looking for help in Ventura, CA.
In the Cafe'
Noted threads to look for are:
"Big Mac Worldwide Price survey", "'Unlawful Photography' in Tennessee", "Camcorder Help" and "Estate Agents and HDR".
Forum of the Week:
Our new-look news blog!

Jessica's Choice Photo:
My backyard with a real RED HEAD.

Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!

Posted by odle2 at 4:03 PM

July 12, 2008

Nikon D700 vs D300 vs D3

Nikonians own search engine NikoScope gives you easy access to the various comparisons and articles made on these Nikon DSLR cameras. Check it out: Nikon D700 versus Nikon D300

Posted by bgs at 9:34 AM

July 11, 2008

ID#70: The Image Doctors

FX or DX? Jason and Rick discuss the merits of each Nikon DSLR format in this week's episode, along with their thoughts on the newly announced Nikon D700.

Looking for an Image Doctors Episode? Check the show archives here.

Download The Image Doctors #70 (NPC-ID-2008-07-10.mp3; 50:50; 17.5MB; MP3 format)

Show Notes: July 10, 2008

01:10  Report from Rocky Mountain National Park

22:41  The Nikon D700

22:27  FX vs. DX

42:17  Dual monitors in your workflow

36:22  Photo Prescription: Shooting in Bursts

[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!

Odell_20080705_7087A.JPG

Posted by drjay32 at 2:23 AM

July 10, 2008

New Face, D700 Thoughts and Gear Twins

Welcome to our Nikonians blog facelift. Also great to see the large number of reads the first edition of Tom's Nikon D700 preview have gotten so far.

Blog facelift
We had grew tired of the looks of our old blog while plans for updating were collecting dust. As so often, other items had higher priorities so it felt really good to be able to roll out the new design at last. Big thanks to Maria and Federico at enprovia who have been instrumental on this.

Oh, and what happened to the Nikon USA blog? We thought it was really good seeing Nikon touching some viral marketing potential, getting their own blog up and running and now this, last entry nearly two months old, from May 20th. I hope Nikon get back on track with the blog.

D700 and other bodies
I would bet my old, starched pants on that the Nikon D700 will cause a similar, even though not as strong response as the D300 when hitting the shelves. The D300 is really mass market, but the current price of the D700 somewhere around 3k USD will cause it to be somewhat less so. The street price of the D700 will for sure drop and we should take into consideration that the Canon EOS 5D had a similar price when it first came out. Today, since many are waiting for the (much awaited) Canon 5D MkII, you can find fairly cheap 5D's used and this is creating an interesting tendency, first time in history: Beginners and photographers with potentially fairly shallow pockets out shopping for used full frame cameras. The brand for them right now is Canon and not Nikon, where used equipment is sold to first timers who will stick to the brand due to lens-lock.

We can expect the Nikon D700 to hit the 2.3k USD level fairly soon it's out the door and end of 2009 we should be able to go shopping used FX cameras at significantly lower prices.

I find it extremely amusing how we have fought for DX sensors over the years when it is clear that full frame has some definite advantages. Now when Nikon comes out with the first consumer full frame DSLR, we users are very interested and we probably will bash DX sensors just as the Canon camp has for several years.

How could Nikon miss out on not introducing full frame earlier? I recall discussions with a Nikon rep on the Nikonians Brussels get-together in 2003 where he answered my question if Nikon is going to release full frame anytime soon with "yeah, but maybe not or possibly so if I could say something". Is it because Nikon haven't had its own engineering capability for sensors and are tied up with Sony in OEM agreements on this?

What is happening now when Sony is pushing in to the professional DSLR segment? Are top rated sensors from Sony going into the Sony bodies first and then later in to the competitors bodies, sort of a Redmond-of-sensors-monopoly controlling who will receive the best sensors when? How do you secure the supply of top rated sensors if not investing in engineering yourself?

Are You My Gear Twin?
We thought the idea to be pretty cool: As you touch the page, automagically you see which people, maybe even living very close to you are using exactly the same gear as you. Without much ado, you can get together with other people using exactly the same camera (Nikon of course) lens (maybe Nikkor...) tripod, ball head and backpack. Hey, I was born exactly 3 years, 2 months and 13 hours before my Gear Twin. We are sort of family you know... same gear.

So, we decided to upgrade NikoScope, our search portal that indexes all the data we have, to allow us to create such family bonds of material lust. Of course, this information is only visible to members on Silver level or higher. Er, will be... We are launching it coming week.

Posted by bgs at 11:27 AM

July 9, 2008

Vivitar in Limbo

In a sign of both a tough economy and a rapidly shrinking photography market, the parent of Olevia LCD tv maker and the Vivitar camera company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

While the Olevia LCD company remains a viable entity and is in the process of reorganization with one of Syntax-Brillian's manufacturing partners, Vivitar gets the short end of the stick. The camera division will be sold off, but as of this article's press time, no buyers had been named.

Posted by covey22 at 8:26 PM

D700 Extreme Weather Photos

Extreme weather photographer Jim Reed field-tested the Nikon D700 in the months prior to launch, and came back with an amazing collection of images from the 2008 storm season in the Mid-West United States.

Posted by covey22 at 4:19 AM

July 8, 2008

Our latest Nikonians magazine has been published

TheNikonian39-Cover_246H.jpgThe newest edition of The Nikonian is now ready for free download.

TheNikonian39_Cover.jpg

This issue includes our Nikonians perspective on the new Nikon D700 (gathered from our forums) and a hands-on review of Nikon Capture NX2. We also describe the evolution of the community-inspired perfect camera support system (called MAGICA) and share air show shooting tips from members of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

Member contributions in this edition include a simple tutorial on color isolation effects using Photoshop de-saturation, macro shooting with reversed-lens mounting and a mini-review on Radiopoppers. Download your free copy today!

Subscribe (or unsubscribe) to THE NIKONIAN
Previous editions of THE NIKONIAN

Posted by flashdeadline at 12:29 AM

July 7, 2008

Canon Plans New Plant in Nagasaki

In a continuing escalation of the digital photography race, Canon has announced plans to build a new manufacturing plant in the Nagasaki prefecture dedicated to the production of digital SLR and compact cameras.

Canon's press release indicates the factory could push out as many as four million camera units per year. The urgency of the manufacturer's ramp-up in production is underscored by the construction schedule - the plant is expected to be online by the holidays with ground-breaking in January of 2009.

Canon and Nikon are currently the top two tier vendors in the more profitable digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) market segment, which is complemented by auxiliary sales of lenses and accessories. With a difference of only several hundred thousand units based on reported sales figures, any increase in production capability could tip the balance in favor of the manufacturer who can generate a varied product family in large volumes.

Posted by covey22 at 9:32 PM

The Nikonians On Location #25 - Black Background

Inspired by some pictures in a magazine Martin takes on creating a dark mood in a small makeshift, tabletop studio using black background paper and a couple of flashes. He shoots dry flowers and leaves and plays with different subjects once the light is set up.

Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #25 (NPC-OL-2008-07-07; 38:48; 17.7MB, MP3 format).
Video supplement available here (NPC-OLV-2008-07-07; 8:58; flash format).

Show Notes: July 07, 2008

Join Martin as he gets into controlling off camera flashes, the Nikon wireless system (CLS) and using gels to create a special tone and quality of light. And as he hunts dry flowers in the garden round midnight and brews espresso for photography and consumption.

Video supplement:

In the slideshow Martin shows examples of the setup he used to get the gloomy, dark, renaissance painting-like mood with a dark background that he aimed for.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #25 (NPC-OLV-2008-07-07; 8:58; flash format)

Music used on today's show:

Altri Stromenti, Italian Music of the 17th Century

[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 6:00 PM

July 6, 2008

Nikonians News Flash #95

News-Flash.png

Tune in for your weekly dose of Nikonians News Flash! Chock full of news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community!


Download Nikonians News Flash #95 (NPC-NF-2008-07-06.mp3; 4:43; 4.4MB; MP3 format)

July 06, 2008
In The News:

Nikon introduces the new D700, the SB-900 speedlight, and two new lenses!
D3 and D300 firmware updates are out.
From The Forums:
July Online Photo Assignment: Forbidden
Nikonian Ladies July Photo Assignment: Fireworks
In the Cafe'
Noted threads to look for are:
"How old is your main camera?", "How long have you been a Nikon user?" and "To exploit or not..A photographer's integrity".
Forum of the Week:
D700 Users Group
Jessica's Choice Photo:
Where Trolls Live.
Questions, Comments, Announcements?
Email Jessica at newsflash@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!

Posted by odle2 at 2:21 PM

July 4, 2008

NikoScope on hot Nikon D700 discussions

Nikonians.org has its own, strong search engine NikoScope.com, indexing hundreds of thousands of documents per day. If you are interested in the latest discussions on the new DSLR Nikon D700, make sure you use NikoScope.com

Posted by bgs at 10:55 AM

July 3, 2008

Nikon D700 Preview

The latest Nikon DSLR camera, the Nikon D700 has now been shortly reviewed by the Nikonians. The Nikon D700 digital SLR is a full frame (FX Sensor) camera and is expected to be sold in July. Also, do not miss out our Nikon D700 User Group where discussions around this new Digital SLR camera takes place. Read the Nikon D700 review

Posted by bgs at 12:38 PM

July 2, 2008

Nikon Updates D3 and D300 Firmware

Hot on the heels of the D700 announcement, Nikon pays homage to it's installed userbase of DSLR owners by releasing new firmware updates for the popular D3 and D300.

For the D300, the changes appear to be modest:

An issue that, in some rare circumstances, caused the battery indicator to blink, regardless of actual battery charge, has been resolved.

For the D3, the list spans an impressive nineteen (19) changes - and includes improvements to auto focus and auto White Balance.

Posted by covey22 at 2:44 PM

The Nikonians On Location #24 - Cut in Half

Martin Joergensen giving himself the assignment of taking pictures with a distinct line going horzontally through the center. Shot some for the purpose, but also manipulated some in Photoshop.

Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #24 (NPC-OL-2008-07-02; 18:22; 8.6MB, MP3 format).
Video supplement available here (NPC-OLV-2008-07-02; 4:43; flash format).

Show Notes: July 02, 2008

If you're in some kind of creative doldrum, you can always give yourself an assignment. Martin likes giving himself constraints in his photography - like this one: shoot images, which are cut in half by a horizontal line in the subject.

Video supplement:

A bunch of examples to illustrate cutting pictures in half and what use it can be.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #24 (NPC-OLV-2008-07-02; 4:43; flash format)

Music used on today's show:

Right Rag by John Williams from Magnatune

[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 11:00 AM

July 1, 2008

Nikon introduces 2nd Full Frame DSLR, new Speedlight and 2 new PC lenses

Nikon Corporation today released details on their new FX-format D700, the high-powered SB-900 Speedlight and two new Perspective Control lenses.

D700-SB900.jpg The new Nikon D700, shown here with the equally new SB-900 Speedlight attached, is the second FX-format digital SLR entry from Nikon. The format, often referred to as "full-frame" was a big hit when the Nikon D3 was introduced less than a year ago. Nikon describes the D700 as carrying many of the same features that made the D3 a hit, mixed with the "functionality, flexibility and operability - from the more agile D300, Nikon's flagship DX-format D-SLR."

The list of features for the new D700 reads like a solid mix of the best elements from both the D3 and the D300. They include a Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus sensor module featuring 51 AF points, image sensor cleaning technology, the option of adding an MB-D10 Multi-Power Battery Pack, and a 920,000-dot VGA (640 x 480) 3-inch LCD monitor with tempered glass providing a 170 degree viewing angle. The body is protected with a magnesium alloy exterior cover, rear body and mirror box. Nikon quotes the suggested manufacturer's retail price at $2,999.95 USD for the body only. It should start shipping in late July.

Details published by Nikon regarding the D700 are available here.

What's your opinion on the release of the new D700?
Share your thoughts at our D700 Users Group.

The SB-900 Speedlight, being unveiled just as we reach the fifth anniversary of it's predecessor the SB-800, boasts higher guide numbers, enhanced ability to pair up with the new generation of Nikon DSLR's and faster recycle times (up to 25 percent faster than the SB-800 with its fifth battery attachment). It should start shipping in August at an MSRP of $499.95 USD. SB-900 specs and features are available here.

Front-two-lenses-Web.jpg The PC lenses (Perspective Control) are the PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8D ED and PC-E Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/2.8D. The pair are similar in the way they handle the special perspective lens tilt mechanism favored by photographers shooting architecture, nature, interiors, still-life and product photography.

The tilt mechanism helps photographers offset the distortion commonly caused by tilting the axis of a camera to shoot tall objects (sometimes called keystoning). The PC-E NIKKOR lens' "shift" control is used to compensate for that distortion.

The "ED" designation on the PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8D ED lens means it features Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass. The lenses should start shipping in August.
The PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8D ED should go for an MSRP of $1,799.95 USD, while the PC-E Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/2.8D comes with an MSRP of $1,739.95 USD.
Details provided by Nikon on these lenses are available here.

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:32 AM