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April 11, 2017

Nikon announces D7500

new-SQ-D-series.jpg

Here are some of the topics and news items we're tracking for our community this week. ---

Nikon unveils the new D7500, removing water spots from lens, testing your camera and lens - PLUS more....


1- New D7500 unveiled

Nikon-D75000_350.jpg

We've been tracking rumors of the newest D7000 series camera for over a month. We invite our members to post here with their reactions to the new Nikon D7500.

Our thanks to Yale Fogarty (Bluedogs) from Oregon, USA for getting the discussion started.

The new DX-format camera uses the same sensor as the Nikon D500 (20 Megapixels), 8 frames per second capability and a tilt screen. Its predecessor, the D7200, has a 24.2 Megapixel sensor, 6 frames per second and no tilt screen.

The D7500 supports the same 4K UHD (3840 x 2160)/30p movie recording possible with the D500. The maximum recording time for movies of this resolution is approximately 29 minutes 59 seconds. 

The camera is slimmer and lighter than the D7200 and demonstrates even greater agility with a deep grip that provides a superior hold and portability. It is also compatible with SnapBridge, which enables constant connection of the camera to a smart device.


 

2- Out damn spots!
Gold member Marc L Rosenblum (alty02) from Idaho, USA is looking for a safe method to remove water spots from a lens:
I just returned from our local waterfalls and it was flowing at a record rate, with lots of fine mist covering just about everything, including the picnic grounds, overlooks & automobiles.

The car windows were covered with fine water spots that will now need something stronger than Windex due to the fact that they dried rather quickly. Soap & water does not remove them.

A dry method of cleaning the lens will not do the job and lens cleaning fluid is not removing the water spots. I used some vinegar on a small section of my car window and it seems to work well.

Will vinegar damage the front element of a lens if used full strength? I would use a cotton swab (Q-tip) with a small amount of vinegar and follow up with a bit of distilled water, also applied with a Q-tip.
Any other recommendations to remove stubborn water spots?  Thanks!

Have you solved a water spot problem? How did you do it? Share your solution.

 

3- Blog Views now easier
Nikonians founder Bo Stahlbrandt advises the News Blog is now much easier to read on mobile devices, and you now have a choice to view it in both white and black background modes.

Forgot how to switch?
It's easy.
Go to My Profile, look for the Preferences Tab.
On the Preferences Tab go to Preferred Skin and choose Nikonians V2.0
On the upper right corner of the screen, push the Save button.
--voilà-- it's done.


4-Comfort plus Theft-Resistance? 
Can your strap keep your camera safe when traveling?

This strap, available from PhotoBert, is great for travel as it helps thwart camera thieves and is great for everyday use. 
It fits any camera that has a removeable camera strap.

Don't let this strap fool you - it looks (and is) lightweight, but is incredibly strong!

It is 30% lighter than nylon/polyester, 45% lighter than aramid and 15 times stronger than steel.
(Sorry -- PhotoBert can only ship this product to US customers only.)
Nikonians Price: $37.95  
Price is after discount reflected in your cart.

 

5- Higher and higher
Silver member Paul Naish (DS256) from Ontario Canada wants to go much higher with his camera, yet maintain a stable platform:
There are times when I'd like to raise the camera above the scene for a better perspective. Examples are farm fields with colour and I want to get more of the field from a higher angle.

I've been looking online and the only products I've found are surveyors' tripods modified to accept a camera head. These can be 12 feet in height.

I realize that I'd need a wireless remote and setup could be a pain.

Looking for ideas of what others may have done. - Thanks

So--how do you elevate your camera while keeping it stable enough to avoid jittery shots? From some of our responses we've already seen suggestions regarding camera settings to go along with the higher reach. Check it out.

 

6- 30-thousand and counting
Moderating Team member Eric Bowles (ericbowles) alerts us to an impressive milestone:
Congratulations to Nikonians moderator Brian Wong (blw) for reaching 30,000 posts. That's an incredible milestone - especially with the information filled posts that Brian typically shares.
Thanks for all of your support of Nikonians and our community.

Here are just a few comments on Brian's contributions to the community.

• I've learned a lot from your posts, Brian. 30,000 posts is quite an achievement and even better a great contribution. Thank you!
• I always look for Brian's posts because I know that I will learn something from them. Thanks, Brian.
• And that's not counting the number of posts he may have lost at The Big Crash in the fall of 2005.
30,000 looks great. Thank you, Brian.

Brian's response was modest and pointed to a fellow member:
Glad to be a productive and valued member of the community. And I'll point out that Marty McDonough (MEMcD) is 10% past me at 33,000+ - and in several years less time!

Want to join the many members congratulating Brian? Join the discussion.

 

7- Camera and lens test tips
Silver member Robert Metheney (bobpilot) from Utah, USA is trying to figure out whether he may have spotted a focusing problem with a Nikon D500. He used a test method that drew a lot of responses.

Robert asked:
I want to be sure the camera and lens are in sync with focus so I set up the slant ruler test in my backyard. The camera is 60 from the target. The focus point is on the checkerboard adjacent to the number 26 on the ruler. The 600mm in on a tripod with a RRS Gimbal head and a RRS long lens support system.

The responses (and eventual answer to his problem) are a must read for those of us who want to set up a homemade test. Here are just a few examples:

• Did you use a remote release. If you do not have one for the rented body you should use "Mirror UP" and enable the 3 second delay.
• It never hurts to test/confirm at a similar distance to what you expect to use the lens at.
• Your target isn't really very good. It needs a bigger "checkerboard" plus there is low contrast lighting.
• I recommend that you slow the shutter speed to 1/500 or so and shoot at ISO-100 with the same f-stop.

Have you been using a favorite testing method? Share your results. Tell us why that method served your needs.


8- Older lens a best bet?
Bernhard Hein (localheroo) from Germany asked about a specific lens for a specific camera, and the resulting discussion covered the famous "1.5 crop factor" issue in great detail.

Bernhard asked:
As we plan a trip to Canada this year (landscape photography) I'm looking for a tele zoom lense for my D80 (Standard lense 18-70).
Is the AF-S 70-300mm (FX Format) a good choice? I saw the lense is already about ten years on the market. Is it still up to date? Thanks for any advice.

We assume the lens he's considering is the AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED (product Number 2161) which is a 450mm equivalent on DX-format cameras like Bernhard's Nikon D80.

It debuted over ten years ago and is still available through online sellers, with average prices hovering in the $500 USD (470 Euros) range.

You may not be considering this lens for yourself. But, has the "crop factor" issue confused you? If so, you need to read the responses in this discussion.

 

9- Neutral Density Blender?
Silver member David Powell (DaveP142) from England, The United Kingdom is wondering if any of our members have used a neutral density filter that goes to extremes:
I stumbled across a passing reference to these recently which caught my attention because I had previously noticed that Formatt Hitech currently offer them and I had wondered just what they were intended for.

If you haven't come across them, what they are is a graduated filter with the listed strength at one end fading to clear at the other end rather than the mid-point.
I've been wondering if one might be useful for handheld use on those days when the sky is very bright but uninteresting. (I seem to see a lot of bright overcast when I'm not at work). Obviously, there would be no horizon line to worry about
Has anyone tried one?

Do you have "before and after" shots to share to give David an idea on how these filters can be used. Share them here.

That's it for this week. Make sure you grab your favorite camera and capture some images to share with family and friends (especially us at Nikonians). -- Tom Boné (flashdeadline)

 

Posted by flashdeadline at April 11, 2017 7:06 PM