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September 28, 2009

Nikon Photo Unit Beats Estimates for First Half of 2009

Nikon's photo unit appears to be going against the tide of the global economic downturn. Despite being labelled as an "underperforming" share following the pessimistic August forecast, Nikon's latest sales figures out are reportedly "better than our estimate for the first half and the second half [of 2009]," according to a recent interview with Imaging Unit president Makoto Kimura. (via Bloomberg News)

Posted by covey22 at 4:37 PM

Nikonians News Flash #129

News-Flash.png

This week Ray passes along the latest photographic news pertaining to Nikon:

Nikon D3s rumors still flying:

Wacom Bamboo, Adobe Photoshop Elements and Google Picasa each announce improved versions:

Interview with Nikonians Academy Professional Lighting on Location with Nikon CLS instructor David Tejada

Download Nikonians News Flash #129 (NPC-NF-2009-09-20.mp3;
5:03; 5.10MB; MP3 format)

Show Notes:

Nikonians English Café "buzz" on the new Nikon (possibly a D3s).

Wacom Adds Multi-Touch To Bamboo

Picasa 3.5 adds name tags and more

Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 improvements

Frank Lloyd Wright:
-- Official Site: https://www.gowright.org/
Includes calendar link and details to the Picturing Architecture Photo Tour

Learn the secrets of professional location lighting with David Tejada
Nikonians Academy
Professional Lighting on Location with Nikon CLS workshops

Contact Nikonians News Flash: newsflash@nikonians.org

Thank you for joining me.

Your Nikonians podcaster Ray Valdovinos

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:57 AM

Coyote's hunt results in Nikonian's win

Congratulations to Silver member Bill Wayazo (wayazo), winner of the Best of Nikonians - 2009 Images Photo Contest August segment with his image "Hidden Hunter."

August-Winner_375.jpg
It was taken with a Nikon D700, ISO 200, f/16, 1/500 sec, Nikon 200-400mm @ 400mm. Bill tells us he shot this image of a coyote searching for prey in Gibbon Meadow, Yellowstone National Park. Bill is from Washington, USA.
Bill's prize for making it into the semi-finals is a Speed Freak Beltpack from Think Tank Photo.

The contest, open to all Silver, Gold and Platinum Nikonians Members, results in monthly winners being announced, with each moving on to the finals at the end of the year.
Our September segment is currently under way (and the deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 30). Please remember that the main subject for this month must be a "Celebration" scene. The longest size of the photograph must be between 900 and 1024 pixels
October's theme is "People" — followed by "Night Sky" in November and "My Best Shot" in December.

For detailed information on entering, check our contest rules.

Posted by flashdeadline at 2:32 AM

September 21, 2009

Nikonians News Flash #128

News-Flash.png

This week Ray passes along the latest photographic news pertaining to Nikon:

Nikon announces 50 Millionth Nikkor lens sold:

Nikon's Small World competition:

A D3 with video in our future:

Download Nikonians News Flash #128 (NPC-NF-2009-09-20.mp3;
5:39; 5.17MB; MP3 format)

Show Notes:

50 Million Nikkor lenses from Nikon

It's a Small World after all (Nikon International Small World Competition)

New CoolPix availability
Berger Bros.
Roberts Camera

What is ANPAT? : Annual Nikonians Photo Adventure Trip

9th ANPAT Gallery

100th Episode of The Nikonians Image Doctors

NikoniansPress/Rocky Nook Books :
Mastering the Nikon D90, By Darrell Young

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.
(Nikonians Academy Director Mike Hagen's most used site): www.nikoniansacademy.com

Mastering the D700, by Darrell Young and James Johnson.

All four NikoniansPress/Rocky Nook Books 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.

Contact Nikonians News Flash: newsflash@nikonians.org

Thank you for joining me.

Your Nikonians podcaster Ray Valdovinos

Posted by rayvaldovinos at 7:40 AM

Newest Book on the Nikon D90 now in stock

Mastering the Nikon D90, by Nikonian Darrell Young has been printed and has started shipping. This is our fourth in a series of books in the joint venture between NikoniansPress and publisher Rocky Nook.

All four books in the NikoniansPress/Rocky Nook collection 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.

D90-Book-Cover_250.jpg
The new book includes images submitted by members of the Nikonians community with their D90's at the start of each chapter.
Darrell (who most of us know better by his Nikonians username as Digital Darrell) has concentrated on filling in the information gaps you often find in user's manuals.

Check out all four titles now available:
Here is the complete listing of all four books:
Mastering the Nikon D90, Darrell Young
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.

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:12 AM

Two Canadians have taken top honors in Welcoming New Members Photo Contest

Congratulations to Cam Fennell (CSFSue2), of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, winner of our second week of eligibility in Welcoming Photo Contest - Phase IV. The first week's win was also by a Canadian Nikonians member.

Bush_Tit_in_Flight_320.jpgCam (short for Camilla) is a Silver member with experience using her D50, D80 (and now D90) cameras in shooting wildlife and birds. Cam's winning entry is entitled Bush Tit in Flight .

Cam tells us the image was a lucky shot while practicing with a brand new Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED Autofocus VR Zoom Nikkor Lens.
The lens was on her Nikon D90, shooting at 1/4000 seconds with an aperture of f/10 and the ISO set to 320.

Cam will be receiving a Photoshop Bundle by Topaz Labs (currently valued at $149.99 USD) for her winning entry.

Our contest continues and a new winner will be announced once every week for the next two weeks. Check the Welcoming Photo Contest - Phase IV announcement for details.

About our Phase IV Contest sponsor:
Topaz Labs, makers of popular Photoshop Plug-Ins such as Adjust, Vivacity and DeJPEG are currently offering a very generous 25% discount for all contributing Nikonians at the Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. Check your Nikonians Rewards Page for details.

Posted by flashdeadline at 12:40 AM

September 17, 2009

ID#100: The Image Doctors

It's the 100th episode of The Image Doctors!  Jason & Rick celebrate with an exclusive interview with Nikon Legend Joe McNally!

Download The Image Doctors #100 (NPC-ID-2009-09-17.m4a; 1:02:32; 29.7MB; MP4 format)

 

  Show Notes: September 17, 2009
3:36

Interview with Joe McNally
Joe's website: www.joemcnally.com
Joe's blog
Take a workshop from Joe

57:05 Special message from friends of the Image Doctors and Nikonians

For the MP3 version of this podcast (audio only) click here (18MB).

[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 6:00 AM

September 15, 2009

Nikonians Image Doctors hit 100

This week, the Nikonians Image Doctors, Jason Odell and Rick Walker, will be posting a milestone episode — the Magic Number 100 — which is a prized goal in all forms of broadcasting.


Image-Doctors_450.jpg

Episode 100 will be ready for download on September 17.
The podcast team premiered Episode 1 in December 2005 from their "mountain stronghold, somewere in Colorado."
To give you an idea of the state of affairs in the Nikon enthusiasts world, the hot topic at the time was a the new Nikon digital single lens reflex camera that had recently been announced, the Nikon D200.

Episode 100 will feature interesting guest appearances and it is highlighted by a special interview with Joe McNally.


McNally_150.jpg
McNally has been recognized as "perhaps the most versatile photojournalist working today" by American Photo Magazine.

Rick Walker shared with us a sneak peek at McNally's segment:
"In this episode, Joe discusses his initial entry into the world of professional photography, his varied experiences shooting on location, and his approach to lighting a scene. As an acknowledged expert in that field (and one heck of a photographer), Joe provides great advice for those interested in the creative use of flash and how to ease into it. He also gives his thoughts on the rapidly changing state of photography, especially for those considering it as a career. Joe was a wonderful guest for us to have on the show, and we hope you enjoy it."

Posted by flashdeadline at 3:53 PM

September 13, 2009

Nikonians News Flash #127

News-Flash.png

This week Ray passes along the latest photographic news pertaining to Nikon:

-The D300 is no more:

-New Coolpix availabiliy:

-Nikon lens availability:

Download Nikonians News Flash #127 (NPC-NF-2009-09-13.mp3;
4:45; 4.35MB; MP3 format)

- Where are New CoolPix cameras in stock?

- In This week's News Flash we will be sharing the latest news from Nikon and a heads up on
the 100th episiode coming from the Nikonians Image Doctors.

- The first Nikonians Podcast featuring Tony Sweet.
- The first Image Doctors Podcast: "Nikonians Talk Radio" Episode No. 1

- The new ThinkTank photo website

- News from The Photo Pro Shop

Contact Nikonians News Flash at newsflash@nikonians.org

Thank you for joining me.

Your Nikonians podcaster Ray Valdovinos

Posted by rayvaldovinos at 9:04 PM

Small Photo gets the big prize in current new member contest

Congratulations to Steve Harrington (sevenball), of Ontario, Canada for winning the first week of our New Members Welcoming Photo Contest Phase IV with a soft-focus macro shot of flower petals.

Petal_300.jpg
Steve was shooting with his Nikon D40 and AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED lens (with a #4 close-up filter attached). The camera was set to ISO 200 and he used the full 200mm of his lens at aperture f/5.6 and a shutter speed of 1/500th sec.
Steve will be receiving a Photoshop Bundle by Topaz Labs (currently valued at $149.99 USD) for his winning entry, entitled A Petal World.

Our contest continues and a new winner will be announced once every week for the next three weeks.

Topaz Labs, makers of popular Photoshop Plug-Ins such as Adjust, Vivacity and DeJPEG are currently offering a very generous 25% discount for all contributing Nikonians at the Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. Check your Nikonians Rewards Page for details.

If you are a new member you too can win!

If you registered between August 30th and September 26th, no matter at which level (from Basic to Platinum), you can participate in this contest.
Each week we will select a winner.
The week two judging concludes this weekend and the announcement will be made after Sepember 14.
The last one in this series will be announced on September 28, 2009.
Complete details and a guide on how to prepare your entries are available in our New Members Welcoming Photo Contest Phase IV announcement.

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:40 PM

50-million Nikkors have been produced

50Mil-Nikkor.jpgThe recently celebrated 75th Anniversary of the Nikkor lens brand can now add another huge number to their impressive list of milestones.
Nikon Corporation President Michio Kariya has announced that as of August 2009 total production of NIKKOR lenses has reached fifty million.

Total production of Nikkor lenses reached forty-five million in August 2008 with production of an additional five million over the past year. The current lineup includes more than sixty lenses.

Take a peek into Nikkor history
Nikkor-S_Auto_5-8cmf-1-4_175.jpgNikon has posted the background story behind "The first f/1.4 lens for use with the Nikon F Series" which takes a prominent position in Nikkor lens history.
The Nikkor-S Auto 5.8cm f/1.4
By Kouichi Ohshita
The author includes sample photos and a quick review of the lens, which was introduced in 1960 and had a production run of two years.

Posted by flashdeadline at 6:00 PM

2010 Nikon Small World competition under way

The 2010 Contest designed to showcase excellence in photography through microscopes has begun, and this year's prize list includes a $3,000 USD shopping spree towards the purchase of Nikon equipment.

NikonSmallWorld_125.jpg The deadline for entries in the 2010 Nikon's Small World Competition is April 30, 2010.
Photomicrographs must be taken using a light microscope, such as one of the Nikon series of compound or stereoscopic microscopes. The use of Nikon equipment is not required. Complete contest entry rules and the online entry form are available at the Nikon Small World Homepage (along with great examples of the winning entries from previous competition).
According to the site:
Winners will receive one of 20 prizes, sorted according to rank in the competition. First prize is $3,000 toward the purchase of Nikon equipment. In addition, the winner is invited to attend an awards presentation ceremony in New York City as Nikon’s special guest.
Nikon’s Small World was founded in 1974 as a means to recognize excellence in photography through the microscope. The competition’s reputation has grown over the years and is regarded as the leading forum for recognizing beauty and complexity as seen through the microscope

Posted by flashdeadline at 4:55 PM

September 6, 2009

Nikonians News Flash #126

News-Flash.png

This week Ray passes along the latest photographic news pertaining to Nikon:

-This week's Nikon DSLR availability update.

- New lenses announced from Tamron and Sigma
- July's monthly photo contest winner announced
- Berger Brothers special announced

Download Nikonians News Flash #126 (NPC-NF-2009-09-05.mp3;
4:37; 4.23MB; MP3 format)

-The latest in-stock reports for Nikon DSLRs

-A D700 with video?

-Coolpix delays

-New Sigma 70-300

-New Tamron 17-50 for Dx

-Berger Brothers Discount announced

Contact Nikonians News Flash at newsflash@nikonians.org

Thank you for joining me.
Your Nikonians podcaster Ray Valdovinos

Any kind of feedback would be appreciated.

Posted by rayvaldovinos at 2:32 PM

September 3, 2009

ID#99: The Image Doctors

Rick and Jason interview Adobe "Evangelist" Julieanne Kost, who gives tons of advice on how to use Photoshop and Lightroom.

Download The Image Doctors #99 (NPC-ID-2009-09-03.m4a; 56:27;15MB; MP4 format)

 

  Show Notes: September 3, 2009
4:00

Interview with Julieanne Kost

51:48 Photo Prescription: Inexpensive items that you can keep in all your bags

For the MP3 version of this podcast (audio only) click here (19.5MB).

[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 6:00 AM

September 1, 2009

Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 - Now Image Stabilized

Tamron took the wraps off their latest iteration of the popular 17-50mm f2.8 XR Di lens - now featuring Vibration Compensation (VC). VC is Tamron's implementation of Nikon's Vibration Reduction, and makes this fast and light lens even more versatile for hand-held shots.

The improved optic now sports several key attributes that makes it very appealing to shutterbugs; the fast aperture, a Built-In-Motor (BIM - similar to Nikon's Silent Wave coreless drives), the Di rating making this an attractive 25-75mm equivalent for less than full-frame sensor cameras, and now the image-stabilization. Upgraders should note; the lens grew a little bit as one would expect with the addition of the VC elements - the front filter is now 72mm versus the previous 67mm; and gained a little bit of weight and bulk.

Tamron indicates the new lens will go on sale in Japan on 15-Sept-2009. Nikonians should look for it to appear shortly after that in their respective sales regions across the globe.At time of publication, no MSRP was quoted by the manufacturer.

Posted by covey22 at 8:51 PM

Gitzo and Manfrotto Discounts Plus Free Shipping!

Berger Brothers, the Nikonians retail partner, is pleased to announce that all community members (Silver and higher) will receive a 10% discount on all Gitzo and Manfrotto plus free shipping! To take advantage of this and many other savings, check out the Nikonians Rewards page.

And you can confer with Berger Brothers staff at any time on their dedicated forum, for questions about tripods or any other camera gear.

Be sure to check the Rewards Page weekly as our partners update their offers frequently. Most of our partner incentives will often equal or exceed the membership fee after just the purchase, so it pays to be a Contributing Nikonian!

Posted by covey22 at 1:36 PM