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July 31, 2009
Nikonians Exclusive: Epson PhotoViewers Allow Tethered Shooting
In a Nikonians exclusive tip, we have learned that Epson will update their popular P6000 and P7000 viewers to allow tethered shooting from select Nikon and Canon digital SLR cameras.
This was confirmed in the latest firmware link (version 2.05) on the Epson support site.
Currently, the latest Photoviewers support direct photo downloads only, via memory card or through a USB cable linked to the camera. Using the latter connection, this latest firmware will allow photographers to remotely fire the camera's shutter, then immediately preview the photo on the viewer's larger screen.
The photo itself is automatically written to both the camera's card and the Viewer's Hard Drive simultaneously. It appears the latest camera models are supported, including the Nikon D3 series, D700, D300 and D90. On the Canon side, the 1D and 1Ds (Mark III only), 5D Mark II and the 50D and 40D.
Tethered shooting appears to be limited to approximately 23 feet/7 meters, which is fairly generous for most situations. This latest firmware should be a great boon to photographers looking to reduce the load they carry out into the field. Nikonians is in the process of reviewing the firmware and will have a more detailed report in the immediate future.
Posted by covey22 at 4:43 PM
Still and Video? Think Tank Can Handle Both!
Think Tank Photo fully unveils it's new line of Multimedia Wired Up bags specifically designed for both digital and video cameras, as well as the new hybrid Digital SLRs that have extensive video capability.
As seen earlier in our sneak preview, Think Tank Photo breaks new ground by designing a bag system that not only accomodates multiple types of capture devices, but the connections between them as well.
The bags feature wiring and cable management, dedicated ports to allow connectivity between items such as extended batteries, audio recorders or portable archive units. Small touches such the Mic Hands where dedicated microphones can be placed facing forward, facilitating a hands-free solution, and specially designed hooks, for quick access to peripherals such as headphones or monopods and boom mikes.
Posted by covey22 at 3:42 PM
July 30, 2009
Nikon unveils two new cameras, two new lenses
Nikon has announced an enhanced version of the popular Nikon D300 and a new beginner's-oriented Nikon D3000 to its digital single lens reflex line-up. Nikon's lens inventory has also grown, with the introduction of two new vibration reduction (VR) zoom lenses. One of those lenses will look very familiar...
The newly announced Nikon D300s adds D-Movie capabilities (with contrast detection autofocus during video capture) to the previous D300 feature set.
It is significant to note that thus far the Nikon D-Movie cameras (D90 and D5000) have not provided autofocus during video capture.
The video mode includes 720p HD video (as in the D90 and D5000). The D300s also features a first for Nikon D-Movie cameras in the audio department. External stereo audio inputs are now included.
It also adds an SD card slot, giving photographers the ability to use both CF and SD cards simultaneously.
The D300S boasts the ability to shoot as fast as 7 frames per second with Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e (included) and up to 8 frames per second when using the optional Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 and Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL4a. That’s an extra frame per second with both battery options over the D300.
Complete details (and a downloadable brochure) on the Nikon D300s can be found at Nikon's Product Lineup site.
The new Nikon D3000 takes the sum total of some of the best features found in the intermediate range of Nikon DSLR's, adding here and subtracting there, to come up with a new budget minded and user friendly beginner's camera.
If all the Nikon DSLR's on the market went crazy one night in the middle of the mating season, the D3000 would be the inevitable offspring.
It features Nikon's Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module (same as the D200, D90 and D5000) providing 11-point autofocus speed and agility.
Beginners with a passion for movie making won’t find D-Movie or the versatile “flip-flop” rear LCD monitor, but they will be happy with the size of the D3000 monitor and the completely new User’s Guide menu selection system.
The 3-inch 230k-dot TFT LCD monitor delivers a text size that is 20% larger than on previous Nikon digital SLR cameras.
That large text is quickly evident in the new guide mode designed for user friendly selections of shooting modes.
It also comes in handy when D3000 owners decide to take advantage of advanced in-camera editing features. These features are graphically depicted much the same way a photo-kiosk at the local department store would prompt you for instructions.
The D3000 produces 10.2-megapixel images at a bargain price and adds the ability to produce prints without the use of a computer. Point and shoot Nikon owners looking to step into the DSLR ranks will likely find this camera to be a friendly gateway.
Complete details and a downloadable brochure can be found at Nikon's Product Lineup site.
The two new lenses introduced today are the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II and the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II.
The new 18-200 is an enhanced version of the popular AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED introduced by Nikon in 2005. That lens had the annoying habit of allowing the lens to extend and retract based on sheer gravity. The new model weighs just about 5 grams more than the 2005 version and it resolves the "zoom creep" problem by adding a zoom lock switch.
The new AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II provides a fast f/2.8 lens in the full-frame line-up with vibration reduction (VR) and a Silent Wave Motor. This is an improved VR II version of the previous AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens.
Posted by flashdeadline at 8:01 AM
July 29, 2009
Silver Efex Pro eBook tutorial published
Nikonians Image Doctor Jason Odell has released a new eBook entitled The Photographer's Guide to Silver Efex Pro.
The Nikonians Image Doctors (Rick Walker and Jason Odell) reviewed the plug-in software for Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture in Episode 75, better known as their Black and White Extravaganza. A product of Nik Software, Silver Efex Pro is described by the author as a powerful image conversion tool capable of producing "black and white images worthy of gallery showings" and his podcast partner Rick Walker — comparing it to similar B&W conversion software options — called it "the best tool on the market right now."
The Photographer's Guide to Silver Efex Pro, by Jason P. Odell Ph.D., is a comprehensive PDF tutorial that guides photographers through the steps of digital black and white conversion using the Silver Efex Pro plug-in. It includes before and after images (such as the sample at right) to help readers compare their own results.
The tutorial includes 15 instructional videos narrated by Dr. Odell, each of which reinforces concepts illustrated in the pages of the eBook. The instructional videos are embedded directly in the PDF file, which means that users don't need to worry about separate video files or media players; as long as they are using Adobe Reader 9 or later, the videos will play directly from the eBook.
The Photographer's Guide to Silver Efex Pro is available directly from Luminescence of Nature Press as a digital download for $19.95 USD.
Posted by flashdeadline at 5:32 PM
July 26, 2009
Macro shot snags final week winning New Member Photo Contest
Congratulations to Nikonians Silver Member Zoran Buletic (Bzox),winner of our fourth (and final) week of our Welcoming Photo Contest Phase III-2009.
Zoran is a designer and photographer from Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It was near Sarajevo, in a place called Binjezevo, that Zoran captured his macro shot which he has entitled “Cocon.”
He shot it with his Nikon D200, tripod mounted, and a Sigma APO Macro 180mm f/3.5 EX DG IF HSM lens.
His lens aperture was f/5.6 and the shutter speed was 1/60 sec. The camera was set for ISO 200 with Auto White Balance activated.
As his prize for winning in the fourth week, Zoran wins his his personal license code for Nik Color Efex Pro for Capture NX2 - Complete Edition software package with 52 Filters by Nik Software, valued at $179.95 USD.
Color Efex Pro 3.0 for Capture NX 2 offers a comprehensive, powerful, and easy to use set of filters to satisfy demanding enthusiasts and professional photographers.
Look for more contests and win
This phase of the New Members Welcoming Photo Contest may be over, but don't forget that all Silver, Gold and Platinum members are eligible to enter our other contests, including The Best of Nikonians - 2009 Images Contest.
Posted by flashdeadline at 11:58 PM
July 24, 2009
Caution notice regarding "free" NikoniansPress books
It has come to our attention that certain books in the NikoniansPress/Rocky Nook Mastering the Nikon DSLR series are being offered for free download on the World Wide Web. A host of books regarding photography and certain camera types are also being offered for free (from various authors and publication houses).
We were notified of the “free” offer extending to Nikonian Darrell Young’s (Digital Darrell) Mastering the Nikon D90 book by Darrell himself.
He has blogged on the topic, reciting his adventures in the world of malware. He reports: “When I opened the file, my virus scanner went wild.” The free offer turned out to be a variant of a common method for spreading malware using Bitstream "torrent" technology. The end result for some unsuspecting bargain hunters with security vulnerabilities could be the equivalent of sharing your private information, passwords and banking details on the Internet.
Darrell's account of his risky adventure in testing the free offer is available here.
For the record, all books thus far published and currently in joint production by NikoniansPress and Rocky Nook are not currently “downloadable” for free.
Posted by flashdeadline at 5:15 PM
July 23, 2009
ID#96: The Image Doctors
Jason & Rick travel to Denver for some nice micro-brew and (more importantly) to interview industrial/commercial photographer David Tejada.
Download The Image Doctors #96 (NPC-ID-2009-07-23.m4a; 1:05:16; 16.1MB; MP4 format)
Show Notes: July 9, 2009 | |
2:05 | Interview with David Tejada |
28:25 | Sigma Lens Reviews: 120-400 OS, 150-500 OS, 18-250 DC OS |
56:36 | Image Diagnosis |
53:19 | Photo Prescription: Low-Contrast Images |
For the MP3 version of this podcast (audio only) click here (22.5 MB).
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Image Doctors directly in iTunes.
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Posted by drjay32 at 6:00 AM
July 22, 2009
Epson printing whitepapers available to all members
Epson has just uploaded two very interesting whitepapers in our Resources at Nikonians®.
They can be found in the Nikonians knowledge base (our Nikonians Reference Library) which contains authorized informational material from our partners.
The two new additions are:
White Paper on Print Quality Issues and How to Cure and
Printing with Printers using Epson UltraChrome K3 Ink with Vivid Magenta.
Both of are very interesting and written in a style that helps explain printing issues beyond the scope of just Epson products. They are in the form of PDF-downloads.
Posted by flashdeadline at 11:06 PM
Check your Nikonians Rewards Page for Hot Deal from Berger Bros. Camera
We have a hot deal alert for our Silver, Gold and Platinum members courtesy of Berger Bros. Camera.
If you check your Nikonians Rewards Page, you will find a Berger Bros. Camera voucher for 10% discount and free shipping on all products from Think Tank Photo and Lowepro.
Say Hello to the Berger Bros. Camera Team
Don't forget to check in on the Berger Bros. Camera Forum, which provides valuable photography and image processing advice for free.
Bookmark your Nikonians Rewards Page
We are updating the available discounts often, so make sure you check in here regularly as not to miss out on the great deals available.
We have partnered with several vendors to provide our Silver, Gold and Platinum members with significant rebates on high quality products and services.
If you are not a Silver member or higher yet, you can upgrade for as little as $25 USD per year (less than 7 cents per day).
Posted by flashdeadline at 9:40 PM
July 20, 2009
New Member Contest has third winner, one day left for final prize
We are pleased to congratulate the third week winner of our Third week of our New Members Welcoming Photo Contest (Phase III) 2009.
During our Third Phase of this popular contest, new members registering between June 22nd and July 19th are eligible to enter for a chance to win one of four Nik Color Efex Pro for Capture NX2 - Complete Edition software packs with 52 Filters by Nik Software, valued at $179.95 USD.
Color Efex Pro 3.0 for Capture NX 2 offers a comprehensive, powerful, and easy to use set of filters to satisfy demanding enthusiasts and professional photographers.
Our Third Week Winner is Silver member Ed Gage (egage1979), of Wales, United Kingdom with his image of an abandoned old car entitled "Bodie Gold Mining Town."
Ed's photo was taken at the Bodie ghost town, Mono County, California, United States, with his Nikon D300 and his 18-200mm f3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor lens.
He shot it at ISO 200, 1/1250 seconds, with an aperture of f/4.5.
ONE DAY LEFT!
There is only one day left in the contest.
The final selection in this series will be on July 20, 2009
Details on how to enter the Welcoming Photo Contest can be found at the Nikonians New Members forum here.
Posted by flashdeadline at 12:51 AM
July 19, 2009
Nikonians Academy prepares for the busy season
Nikonians Academy Director, Mike Hagen has news of an exciting series of upcoming workshops and travel photography adventures stretching from coast to coast: Mike gives us a quick peek at the coming weeks and months.
- David Tejada is making news all around the USA with his new series of lighting workshops. He's been working with the Mentor Series and Santa Fe Workshops with his well-known style. We've worked with David to bring his lauded workshops to the Nikonians Academy for workshops all around the USA this Fall. Our first series will have stops in San Francisco, Boston, Orlando, Philadelphia and San Diego.
- All you wildlife shooters will greatly appreciate the new workshops we've created with the Triple D Game Farm. The first is called the Triple D Game Farm California Special. We will be photographing wildlife models such as cougar, wolves, foxes, grizzly bears just outside of Yosemite National Park. After three days of animal photography, we'll take a fourth day for a separate landscape photography trip to Yosemite along the Valley floor. A second event we have lined up with the Triple D Game Farm is called the "Day on the Ranch." Here, we'll spend an entire day from sunrise to well after sunset photographing a working dude ranch with a cattle drive, cowboys, and horses running through crystal clear water at dawn. After all the photography is over, we'll top the day off with a traditional western BBQ and eat until our sides burst. You can check out these and other workshops at the Triple D Game Farm at www.nikoniansacademy.com.
- Winston Hall has a great series of workshops coming up in Colorado Springs this September. The highlight will be the Garden of the Gods/D300/Capture NX 2 series 9/23 - 9/25. Day one is all about learning how to optimize your D300 for field photography. Day two is a full day of photography at the Garden of the Gods and Day three is learning how to process those beautiful images by using Capture NX 2. He'll also be teaching other workshops in Colorado Springs: D700/D3 and a two-day workshop on how to creating HDR photos.
- Michael Mariant's Visual Thinking series is coming up in Charlotte and Washington DC this August. After that, he has two workshops to some of California's most scenic areas: Eastern Sierra for fall colors in October and Death Valley in November. Michael is known around the world as one of the most prepared travel photography leaders anywhere. His meticulous planning goes a long ways towards making every workshop a grand success.
That's it for this week. Be sure to check out our website for lots of other workshops that range from African photo safaris to lighting to Nikon D90 and D80.
Posted by flashdeadline at 11:39 PM
July 18, 2009
Are you the Digiscoper of the Year?
If you have been taking photographs with a digital compact camera through the eyepiece of a telescope and you have some great results, the answer could be "Yes!" Check out the Swarovski Optik Digiscoper of the Year 2009 contest today.
Three "Digiscopers of the Year" will each win:
1st PRIZE: A Complete Digiscoping Equipment Set (telescope, eyepiece, adapter)
2nd PRIZE: Swarovski Optik EL 42 Binoculars
3rd PRIZE: Swarovski Optik POCKET Binoculars
In addition: The best 20 pictures will be published on the Swarovski Optik Digiscoper of the Year-2009 homepage.
The closing date for this contest is October 31, 2009, and entrants must be 18 years of age and over.
Complete details can be found at the Swarovski Optik Digiscoper of the Year site. Look near the bottom of the page for "A Brief Summary of the Most Important Points for Entrants."
Posted by flashdeadline at 5:06 PM
July 16, 2009
Nikon D5000 Service Advisory
Nikon has issued a service advisory for the D5000 digital SLR camera. Some components related to the power controls have been identified as faulty and may prevent proper operation.
UPDATED - Nikon has provided an applet page where you can enter your camera's Serial Number to see if it is affected.
Indications of this issue include:
- The camera cannot be operated when the power switch is on, even with a fully-charged battery.
- The camera cannot be operated with the EH-5a AC Adapter connected through the EP-5 Power Connector and the power switch on.
Nikon is preparing a maintenance process to identify, service, repair and return the affected cameras free of charge to owners. D5000 owners should check the service advisory page again on 23-July to see if their camera serial numbers are identified as being faulty and to obtain instructions on how to ship their cameras for repair by the manufacturer.
Posted by covey22 at 4:07 PM
New user menu and social networking features debut Thursday
Your nikonians.org community friends are just a few mouse clicks away with the addition of new features to be unveiled today. The features are designed to provide an enhanced friends networking system available to all members and update user profile details.
Working behind the scenes, co-founder Bo Stahlbrandt and the Internet Technology staff has been preparing for a migration of the user menu, profile, and preferences and networking functions to a higher functionality allowing all members to share images, comments and ideas.
The friends' network is similar to the former "Buddy List" available in the current system, with additional features allowing you to be alerted to posts, image uploads and blog entries made by those Nikonians who have agreed to be on your friends list.
At the heart of the new interface is a re-designed user profile and menu section, which will automatically transfer your current data to a new user menu that has been upgraded to reflect a host of new background data with current digital imaging and software choices. The profile also updates your ability to specify every category of Nikonians shooting style or specialty interests ranging from Architecture to Wildlife, Portraits, Photojournalism and Underwater Photography (to name only a few).
Nikonians co-founder J. Ramón Palacios (jrp) encourages all members to use this new interface as an opportunity to "catch up" to the current state of photography discussions and information being shared by the community.
"With this new enhanced feature you now have the ability to keep track of the Nikonians members who have been the most helpful to you in your specific requests concerning your camera, your style of photography and your experience level," said Palacios. "In the past ten years this has always been our ultimate goal. It was easy when we had just a few hundred members and there were only a few Nikon cameras and lenses to discuss in less than a dozen forums. Now, with an ever increasing number of members at higher rates, more than 70 forums and a range of Nikon Digital cameras and equipment constantly expanding in size and scope, we have made every effort to add all those variables to the user profiles and your ability to keep track of it all."
The familiar film choices and darkroom information is still there for the veterans and fans of Nikon film photography, but the new profile aggressively helps follow current digital technology trends.
As the world of photography evolves into the world of digital imaging, the choices of favorites and preferences has become so large that an average member could easily lose track of a trusted friend in the community.
The new friends' list function solves that dilemma, allowing each member to seek out their favorite sources of information as well as camaraderie.
Once you ask a member to confirm you as a friend, you will have the ability to check your friends list at anytime and see an update of their discussion thread postings; image uploads to the gallery and discussion threads, comments, blog entries and more.
The key to success with this new profile enhancement and friends' connectivity will be the information contained in your user profile. "That is most important," explained Palacios. "The correct information in your profile helps your friends replying to your messages tailor their answers to your level of expertise, gear and digital lab when applicable."
The migration to the new user-friendly social networking enhanced interface began at 8:00 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time, 4:00 a.m. USA East Coast Time. Current profile data will automatically be transferred to the new look.
UPDATE:
The new features are now available by going to your My Profile and My User Menu buttons at the upper right hand corner of any nikonians.org pages (under your username). Check your profile and you will see a large range of new categories available.
Complete details on the new User Menu can be found at the Nikonians Wiki:
Further directions on the New Profile Menu can also be found at the Nikonians Wiki:
Posted by flashdeadline at 8:55 AM
July 14, 2009
Cosina Announces micro4/3rds Adapter for F Mount Lenses
In a clever move designed to capture the photographer market seeking the ultimate carry-around camera, Cosina (makers of the Voightlander rangefinder) announced a Voightlander lens adapter that will let manual focus Pentax K and Nikon F lenses mount on MicroFour-Thirds cameras.
The compatibility notes only officially name Voightlander AIS and Carl Zeiss ZF lenses, but given the mechanics of the F mount, it is not inconcievable that the majority of Nikkor AIS lenses would also work with this adapter.
This adapter is obviously aimed at photographers seeking a better compact camera solution with larger sensors; such as Panasonic's G1 and GH1 and Olympus' reborn EP-1 Pen digital.
The full list and details are currently available on the Cosina site, but only in Japanese at time of publication. The list price is JPY19800 or just a shade over USD212 at market rates.
Posted by covey22 at 5:24 PM
July 9, 2009
Congratulations to New Member Photo Contest winners
We are pleased to congratulate the first two winners of our Welcoming Photo Contest for New Members.
During our Third Phase of this popular contest, new members registering between June 22nd and July 19th are eligible to enter for a chance to win one of four Nik Color Efex Pro for Capture NX2 - Complete Edition software packs with 52 Filters by Nik Software, valued at $179.95 USD.
Color Efex Pro 3.0 for Capture NX 2 offers a comprehensive, powerful, and easy to use set of filters to satisfy demanding enthusiasts and professional photographers.
Our Second Week Winner is Silver member Thomas Kluzak of Wichita, Kansas, USA(TomKlu), with his image entitled "Mikey."
Mikey is a one year old Morkie (a mix of a Maltese and a Yorkshire Terrier).
Thomas made this photo in the United States with his Nikon D90 using his AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens.
He shot it at ISO 200, 1/60 seconds at f/5.6.
The honor of winning our First Week's prize goes to Mike Traynor of Canada (mtraynor), with his "Fall at the Columbia Icefield" image taken with a Nikon D70s.
He had his AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G lens set to f/9 while shooting at ISO 200 with a 1/100 second exposure.
The Columbia Icefield is located in the Western Part of Canada.
Details on how to enter the Welcoming Photo Contest can be found at the Nikonians New Members forum here
The final selection in this series will be on July 20, 2009
Posted by flashdeadline at 5:48 PM
ID#95: The Image Doctors
Jason & Rick discuss migrating to the FX format and offer their thoughts on where the photography market is headed.
Download The Image Doctors #95 (NPC-ID-2009-07-09.m4a; 57:22; 14.3MB; MP4 format)
Show Notes: July 9, 2009 | |
1:34 | Upcoming topics |
4:31 | Migrating to an FX kit economically |
19:27 | Image Diagnosis |
27:33 | Future directions of photographic equipment |
53:19 | Photo Prescription: Preflight checklist |
For the MP3 version of this podcast (audio only) click here (19.7 MB).
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Image Doctors directly in iTunes.
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Posted by drjay32 at 6:00 AM
July 6, 2009
Nikon opens D-Movie Screening room
Nikon Inc. has just announced the official launch of the Nikon D-Movie Screening Room, an online collection of creative and inspiring videos captured with Nikon’s D90 and D5000 D-SLR cameras.
If you're looking for some great examples of the Nikon D90 and D5000 movie capabilities, You might want to check this out.
This is only the first installment of what Nikon describes as a continuing series, so you may want to bookmark the site.
This opening "debut" features motion images captured by Award-winning director of photography Harris Savides. He is known for his work on Gus Van Sant’s "Milk" and Ridley Scott’s "American Gangster."
His first impressions are: “I found that this camera creates a special film-like texture unlike a regular movie camera. The image has a finish that has a still photo quality, which for me felt right for this short film – a series of moving stills.”
Posted by flashdeadline at 10:00 PM
Mastering The Nikon D5000 available for pre-order
Mastering the Nikon D5000, our fifth in a series of books in the joint venture between NikoniansPress and publisher Rocky Nook is now available for pre-order.
The publisher's notes on this new book tell us:
"Mastering the Nikon D5000 by Darrell Young is a comprehensive guide for of the owners of this newest, budget-friendly generation of Nikon digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. The smaller, more lightweight Nikon D5000 mixes generous portions of user-controlled manual photography features with the latest technological innovations, allowing fully automatic point and shoot simplicity…
Darrell understands that many owners of the D5000 may be just entering the world of DSLRs, and he takes the time to guide these new owners through the basics, while giving more experienced photographers the option of a refresher course.”
Our members are already enjoying their copies of
• Mastering the Nikon D300, by Darrell Young
• The Nikon Creative Lighting System: Using the SB-600, SB-800, SB-900, and R1C1 flashes, by Mike Hagen.
• Mastering the D700, by Darrell Young and James Johnson.
And, the newest entry in the series, Mastering the Nikon D90, by Darrell Young, will soon be published (with special pre-order pricing now available).
All five books include a special Nikonians 50%-off voucher discount for a one year Gold Membership in the Nikonians community. This will save you $37.50 USD.
Posted by flashdeadline at 12:22 AM
July 5, 2009
Nikonians welcome Berger Bros. Camera Forum
Berger Brothers Camera, the New York, USA based camera video and digital retailer known for servicing the photo imaging industry for more than 57 years has teamed up with nikonians.org to provide a unique competence forum.
Known worldwide as Berger Bros. Camera (using the traditional abbreviation for "Brothers") the company has made significant inroads in the online marketplace, and Company President Brad Berger has confirmed that starting in July 2009 he will lead members of his staff as they join in discussions, critiques, advice and all matters pertaining to imaging industry products.
“We’re excited about the concept,” said Berger, as plans were unveiled for the new Berger Bros. Camera Forum. “Answering questions from our customers for over 50 years has developed a huge amount of corporate knowledge about Nikon gear and photography in general. With this forum we’re making that knowledge available to even more photographers. A lot of our happiest customers are Nikonians members so it’s a perfect match-up.”
The forum is a new concept originated by nikonians.org co-founders J. Ramón Palacios and Bo Stahlbrandt.
They founded nikonians.org with a simple mission: to provide a friendly, creative and inspiring atmosphere for ambitious photographers of all skill levels and demanding imaging professionals where there is room for each photographer to learn and grow.
They call this new style of online information exchange the nikonians.org Competence Forum, meaning a collection of individuals with varying degrees of skill and knowledge surrounding the imaging industry, ready to share their experiences and advice for the mutual benefit of all members.
Berger Bros. Camera has already established significant inroads with an online presence, hosting their own blogs and newsletters.
This new avenue of sharing advice and tips through the established portal of the nikonians.org/Berger Bros. Camera Forum mixes well with a mutual common goal says Hendric Schneider, Director of Communications for nikonians.org.
"Since our founding over nine years ago we have always been known as the place to go for a friendly discussion and professional atmosphere when it comes to photography related questions and answers," he says. "Berger Bros. Camera has been a strong supporter and corporate sponsor along the way, and we are extremely pleased to see they are now taking the next logical step."
The new forum will be officially unveiled this week, and will be found in the Discussions Fourms Lobby under General Forums. It will become a mix of free technical advice for the Nikonians members as well as a sounding board for the Berger Bros. Camera staff, helping them gauge consumer interests and demands. A short list of the topics to be covered includes Photoshop, Lightroom, color management, printing, lighting and underwater photography.
Berger Bros. Camera has a track record of running instructional curriculums for their customers by establishing the Berger Bros. Camera School for Photography and Imaging and this new forum will draw on their teaching expertise.
Nikonians members will also benefit from special discounts and promotions being designed by Berger Bros. Camera to support the new forum.
Posted by flashdeadline at 10:30 PM
July 3, 2009
50th Anniversary of a Revolution
It was back in 1959 that a new camera came to market, revolutionizing the photographic industry and transferring forever the epicenter of the photographic marketplace from Germany to Japan. The Nikon F, by Nippon Kogaku K. K.
This camera was conceived not as just as another camera but as the core of a system; a body with interchangeable lenses, viewfinders, finder screens, camera backs, meter coupling, film advance motor and many more accessories for the future. This 35mm film single-lens reflex (SLR) quickly gained the respect of professionals around the world for its reliability and durability even in combat zones.
Its lens mount, the 44mm internal diameter Nikon F-type bayonet, which allowed for speedy and secure lens mounting and switching, has been subject to refinements to adapt to new and forthcoming technology, but it basically remains the same. At the outset of auto focusing many experts said this mount could not be kept, and later again they repeated it at the advent of digital photography. Both times the naysayers were proven wrong by Nikon engineers.
That such a camera is to this date cherished by countless users and collectors is an undeniable tribute to Nikon Engineering. That the quality standards set then are kept to this date (when cutting corners for the sake of cost competitiveness is the norm) is a testament to the deeply ingrained values and pride of the Nikon Engineering of today.
And that is why the Nikonians community was presented as a humble tribute to:
- The Nikon™ brand that has given us and so many others so much joy in photography
- The pioneering efforts of all those anonymous engineers who have made, and continue to make extraordinary advances possible within photography
- The generous Nikon corporate loyalty to all the users world wide, clearly manifested through the possibility to use nearly any Nikkor® lens on any Nikon camera ever made.
Have a great time!
Posted by jrp at 6:26 PM
July 2, 2009
OnOne Software Summer Campaign - 20% Off for Nikonians
Nikonians Silver, Gold and Platinum members are going to have a great summer; OnOne Software has just increased the discount rate for Nikonians to 20% off their entire product line!
OnOne Software publishes an array of utilities, plug-ins and tools to make your post-processing, faster and easier to help create stunning images. Powerful programs such as Genuine Fractals 6, and the the versatile Plug-In Suite 4.5 help get you back to shooting images sooner.
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Posted by covey22 at 4:38 PM
Nikon Teams Up with Fujitsu for Camera Firmware
Nikon announced today that it will collaborate with Fujitsu Broad Solution and Consulting Inc. to form Nikon Imaging Systems Inc. The new venture is solely intended to create firmware for Nikon digital cameras.
Editor's note: At first glance, this appears to be a good collaboration. Nikon's long-held expertise in camera technology wedded to Fujitsu's disciplined approach to software development is a proof that Nikon is interested in raising the bar again with it's products. In much the same way that Nik Software lent a lot of it's expertise in revamping the Capture product line, we can expect to see improvement if not innovation in future camera model firmware.
Posted by covey22 at 3:28 PM